02 28 2007

SIMPLE SLAM

TOP FLIGHT

Four out of four are selected to Texas State Poetry Slam Team

Texas State director of athletic training selected for trip to Kenya

SEE TRENDS PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS PAGE 10

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911

WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM

FEBRUARY 28, 2007

WEDNESDAY

VOLUME 96, ISSUE 60

Rove appearance stirs up students Protesters fill The Quad to voice dissent

By Scott Thomas The University Star

By Nick Georgiou The University Star The appearance of Karl Rove, adviser to president Bush, during Texas State’s Communication Week attracted a flurry of protestors and media to The Quad Tuesday.

“I believe in total free speech, and sure, in fact, in a very twisted way Rove has been a very successful communicator because he helped put an absolute incompetent moron in as president — not once, but twice — is a success in and of itself,” said protestor Susan Cook, Wimberley resident.

While many demonstrators were from San Marcos and Wimberley, few student protestors were to be seen.

Catherine Reynolds, English sophomore, held a sign reading, “Wake up students. Karl Rove is a liar and a divider.”

She said there should have been some kind of educational forum about Rove.

“I’m disappointed the communication department did not choose first to educate on who Rove is,” Reynolds said. “In all my classes, at least half the kids don’t even know who Karl Rove is.”

The protestors did not associate themselves with any particular group, but said they were simply residents of Hays County.

Wimberley resident Janet Acord jokingly referred to some of her fellow demonstrators as the Raging Grannies.

Some of these Raging Grannies, however, were upset by comments said to them by students passing through The Quad.

Virginia Lanter, Wimberley resident, said a young republican had called them a group of aging hippies.

“I’ve never protested in my life, and we are primarily middle-class grandmothers here because of our grandchildren and what we think is right,” Lanter said.

The few Texas State students that were demonstrating had positioned themselves by The Stallions that day.

“We’re not a group, we’re just students coming together and we’re here to promote peace,” said Louie Valencia, European studies senior.

Valencia headed up the small group of student peace activists.

See PROTESTERS, page 4

Kappa Sigma mourns loss of brother

Monty Marion/Star photo GOD OF PEACE: Louie Valencia (right), European studies senior, reads quotes about peace from Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa and John Lennon Tuesday in The Quad. Demonstrators held signs with the word peace written in different languages.

Political communication focus of White House adviser’s speech

By Paul Rangel The University Star

University President Denise Trauth began Tuesday’s presentation by recognizing Karl Rove, deputy chief of staff to President Bush, as the spotlight event of Communication Week. This is Rove’s second visit to Texas State; the first was in 2002 for a Gilbert Grosvenor lecture.

“This lecture is in honor of (Texas State’s) new communications program which is hugely important in a constantly changing field,” Rove said.

“The goal of communications has remained pretty constant over the centuries to tell a story in a compelling way, create a narrative that explains and persuades and demonstrate why an action is likely in a particular moment in history.”

Rove discussed the history of communication with the president and how information was passed to the public through mass media.

He also talked about rapid changes in technology and their effect on communication between the White House and public media today. He continued with examples of Anna Ni-

cole Smith’s court case taking precedence over a healthcare issue.

“The radio and Web are incredibly decentralized and growing even more decentralized in most instances,” Rove said. “It’s now customary for somebody to be on eight-hundred stations around the country. We’ve seen the growth of the Web. All major news organizations now blog.”

With such a large amount of media outlets, news coverage can be known in a few hours, he said. Political campaigns are now being waged with the use of the Internet and other resources.

“Myspace and Facebook were two of the more favorable campaign advertising sites,” Rove said. “Now every public figure, because of inexpensive video technology and broadband, can now be subject to presidential-style coverage of every public movement.”

In his final remarks he addressed his main point about what students have to gain while at Texas State.

Monty Marion/Star photo “The one thing I see in my colleagues at the White House, par- ROVE LECTURE: Karl Rove, deputy chief of staff to ticularly in the communication job, President Bush, speaks to a packed Evans Liberal See COMMUNICATION, page 4

Arts auditorium Tuesday as part of Communication Week.

Michael Minter was a sergeant in the United States Army Reserve, a missionary, a popular member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and someone who enjoyed the outdoors, listening to music and watching movies with friends.

He was found dead by his roommate Feb. 12. He was 24 years old.

Minter’s cause of death is unknown. An autopsy report will be delivered in three to four weeks, though police say at this time foul play is not a suspicion.

Minter, respiratory care senior, is survived by his mother, Terri Kimble, his father, Michael Sr., a younger brother, Jacob, two younger sisters, Emily and Bethany, and a half-brother, Joseph. He is also survived by a stepfather, Vince Kimble, and two step brothers, Ryan and Dustin. Cristen Pendergraft, applied sociology junior and his girlfriend of six years, said Minter’s death will leave a void felt by his friends and family.

Minter and his family were described as close, and he and his brothers and sisters were known to have gotten along very well. When his mother married Vince Kimble nine years ago, he and his siblings got along with the new members of the family unusually well.

“He was the typical big brother,” Kimble said. “He tried to boss (his siblings) around, and they would get frustrated. Any time he hurt his sisters’ feelings, he would go hug them and tell them he loved them.”

Pendergraft said that in his spare time Minter would go back home to his family for visits.

“We had a pretty good relationship,” Kimble said. “It turned into a regular father-son relationship rather than a stepdad relationship.”

Minter was a member of Kappa Sigma and had no shortage of friends.

“Hanging out with friends was probably his favorite thing to do — just getting everybody together,” Pendergraft said.

Chris Gunn, president of Kappa Sigma and friend of Minter, said the fraternity was a big part of Minter’s life.

“He pledged for the fraternity in the spring of (2004), and was a really active member,” said Gunn, management junior. “I knew him pretty well — real hard See KAPPA SIGMA, page 3

Hope for Vision organization recognizes Yarrington Road construction begins March 9 biology professor for retinal research

By Philip Hadley The University Star

By Patrick Ygnacio Special to The University Star Biology professor Dana García sits quietly in a desk in the middle of a room at the Supple Science Building. The faint glow of a slide presentation discussing the vertebrate eye casts the shadows of the empty chairs against the wall. García rests her chin on her palm with pen in hand, attentively studying the presentation being given by one of her students. She takes a moment to jot down some notes every few seconds.

This is but one scene out of García’s weekly schedule when she corresponds with a student to monitor and discuss their research projects. Many of these

t’s a new “I avenue, and when you’re trying out new things, it’s harder to get money because it hasn’t been done before.”

—Nancy Mangini associate biology professor, Indiana University

projects discuss the anatomy of the eye and its cell functions.

This is the same material that has driven García’s scientific ventures for more than 13 years

Today’s Weather

AM Showers 79˚/58˚

Precipitation: 30% Humidity: 70% UV: 4 Moderate Wind: N 12 mph

and, just recently, has earned her $15,000 by Hope for Vision to further her pursuits in vision research.

García received a letter in January notifying her that she had been chosen to receive a Hope for Vision award. According to the Web site, Hope for Vision is “an organization dedicated to raising awareness of retinal degenerative and other blinding diseases, [and] to provide information and community tools to help those coping with vision loss.” The organization also works to raise funds for the scientific research in studying these same blinding conditions.

As part of a yearly event, Hope See BIOLOGY, page 4

Two-day Forecast Thursday Mostly Sunny/Wind Temp: 77°/ 42° Precip: 10%

Friday Partly Cloudy Temp: 76°/ 40° Precip: 10%

A section of Yarrington Road, north of San Marcos, will close March 9 and remain closed until December.

The section of roadway is between the southbound Interstate-35 access road and Post Road.

Project manager Mark Borenstein of HDR Engineering, the company overseeing the project, urged motorists to use caution when driving in that area.

“Motorists should be aware that while this section of Yarrington Road will close, Post Road will remain open allowing access to I-35,” Borenstein said.

The new overpass will raise Yarrington Road over Post Road and the Union Pacific Railroad.

The $8.1 million project is a partnership between the City of San Marcos and private developer Carma Texas, Inc. as part of the Blanco Vista Subdivision.

David Harvey, U.S. projects manager for Carma, said the 575-acre subdivision will contain 2,000 new homes and a school that will become part of Hays Consolidated Independent School District.

“We also plan to make improvements to the Blanco River Park by expanding and updating picnic areas and building new recreational facilities like baseball diamonds and tennis courts,” Harvey said.

Last summer, the San Marcos City Council created a reinvestment zone to use property tax revenues generated by the development to reimburse the developers of the project.

“It’s because of private participation, with the developer providing funds to build the overpass up front, that we have been able to begin this important project so quickly,” said City Manager Dan O’Leary in a press release issued Feb. 13.

Katie Ball, communication studies junior, had mixed feelings about the overpass construction. Ball said she regularly uses the road to access Interstate-35 when traveling to Austin.

“I understand it’s for a new development, but I wish the focus was shifted to the mounting congestion at the Aquarena Springs Drive railroad crossing instead,” Ball said.

The multi-million dollar subdivision project has been phased out over seven years with a final completion date slated for 2014.

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To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2007 The University Star

PAGE TWO Wednesday in Brief

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

starsof texas state

Jesús F. DeLaTeja was appointed Texas State Historian

by Gov. Rick Perry. DeLaTeja is a history professor and chair of the department.

He previously served as director of archives and records at the Texas General Land Office where he assisted novelist James A. Michener with research.

De la Teja received a bachelor’s degree in political sci-

ence from Seton Hall University and a doctoral degree in history from the University of Texas.

De la Teja is a member of the East Texas Historical Association, the Western History Association and the Texas Institute of Letters. He also serves as president of the Texas State Historical Association.

—Courtesy of Currents

News Contact — Nick Georgiou, starnews@txstate.edu Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System

WEDNESDAY The Philosophy Dialogue series presents, “Politics, Media, and the Bandwagon Effect,” 1 p.m. in the Psychology Building, Room 132.

Attend a one-hour orientation and training session and learn to use the Freeze-Framer biofeedback program to reduce the negative effects of stress. A session will be start at 1 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-11.1. For additional information, call Annie at (512) 245-2208.

A student-led rosary will be prayed at 6:25 p.m. in the chapel of the Catholic Student Center.

The Earth First Organization will hold its weekly meeting 4 p.m. in Evan Liberal Arts, Room 314. For more information, e-mail Bogan Durr at bd1132@txstate.edu.

The Tennis Club will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. at the tennis courts on Sessom Drive, behind Joe’s Crab Shack. All skill levels are welcome. For more information, e-mail Chris Harris, tennis club president, at ch1282@txstate.edu.

The Alcohol and Drug Resource Center will hold The Network meeting 5 to 7 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-6.1.

THURSDAY The Philosophy Dialogue Series presents, “Too plugged in? Media Manipulation and Freak Show Politics,” 11 a.m. in the Psychology Building, Room 132 The Philosophy Dialogue Series presents, “Power, Politics and the Media: A Dialogue,” with special guest Dr. Yaron Brook, director of the

Ayn Rand Institute at 3:30 p.m. in the Psychology Building, Room 132.

Above the net

CRIME BL TTER University Police Department

The Philosophy Dialogue Series presents, “Power, Politics, and the Media,” a panel discussion with special guests Senator Robert Krueger and Dr. Yaron Brook, director of the Ayn Rand Institute at 6:30 p.m. in Evan Liberal Arts, Room 116.

Feb. 16, 3:08 p.m.

Warrant Service/POM/ PODP/San Marcos Hall An officer was dispatched to serve a warrant. A student was found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and issued a citation. The student was arrested and transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center to await magistration.

The Catholic Student Organization will meet 6:30 p.m. in the CSC lounge.

Feb. 20, 10:33 p.m.

Information Report/Comanche Hills An officer was dispatched for a report of suspicious circumstances. A student reported someone had been in her apartment while she was away. A report was made of this case.

The Stations of the Cross will be at 6 p.m. in the CSC chapel.

The Rock - Praise & Worship will be at 7:30 p.m. in the CSC chapel.

Meditation and contemplation will be from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Campus Christian Community Center. For more information, e-mail Micah Robbins at mr1235@txstate.edu or call (512) 878-2036.

Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society will hold a poetry and fiction open reading 5 to 7 p.m. in Flowers Hall, Room 108. Pizza will be provided.

Everyone is welcome.

Overeaters Anonymous will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 130 W. Holland St. For more information, call (512) 3572049.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will meet at 8:30 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320. There will be contemporary worship, relevant teaching and prayer.

Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information, call (512) 557-7988 or e-mail mail@texasstatechialpha.com.

Danny Rodriguez/Star photo Aytan Leibowitz, undecided sophomore, spikes a ball while practicing hitting drills in Jowers Center during his intermediate volleyball physical fitness and wellness class Tuesday afternoon.

February 21, 12:08 a.m.

Property-Lost/Stolen/UPD Lobby An officer was dispatched to the lobby for a theft report.

A student stated an item had been taken at Alkek Library without consent. A report was made of this case.

Project researches Latino presence in media Federico Subervi grew up in Puerto Rico, admiring the writers of the fourth estate — dogged journalists who promoted social justice and exposed corruption by authoring critical articles.

However, after viewing the listless personal lives of journalists and staff when working at a Puerto Rican newspaper following graduation from the University of Puerto Rico, a career change in academia sounded more rewarding.

“The folks at the newspaper had a routine of cards and dominoes,” Subervi said. “They weren’t too involved in creative opportunities that I could see and I had this urge to know what was going in the world. Puerto Rican images weren’t altogether positive and I wanted to know why.”

Subervi, professor in the

school of journalism and mass communication, teaches courses in Latinos and media. He also directs the Latinos and Media Project, a site dedicated to the dissemination of research and resources pertaining to Latinos and the media.

“The project-research and teaching I do is important because developing a positive identity is core to success in life,” Subervi said. “Images of Latinos aren’t often positive in the media, so the predominant life of the majority of Latinos gets left behind.

I want to know how we get more representative in these issues.”

Since the early 1980s, he has been conducting research, publishing and teaching on the subject and since the early 1990s, developing his findings from the Latinos and Media Project. Su-

bervi directs two research projects regarding the diversity of Latino-oriented media voices in Central Texas.

One project funded by a $30,000 grant from the Ford Foundation focuses on the characteristics, including local news content, of Latino-oriented print media in Central Texas. The Social Science Council is funding the second research initiative with a $7,500 award, probing the diversity of Latino-oriented Spanish language broadcast media in Central Texas.

“It’s really interesting coming into this and realizing that many of the newspapers aren’t producing local news and informing their communities,” said Genevee Varela, public administration graduate student and research assistant for the Latinos and Me-

dia Project.

Preliminary research indicates concentration of media ownership has stifled the diversity of voices in political, social and cultural contexts. Furthermore, the Latino-oriented radio stations studied don’t carry local news, resulting in a disconnect on the regional level.

“This is a product of the conglomeration of corporate interests and the Federal Communications Commission’s rules of recent years,” Subervi said.

“We are trying to assess to what extent it has had a social and cultural effect.”

For more information, visit the home page of the Latinos and Media Project at: www.latinosandmedia.org/index.html.

—Courtesy of Public Relations

Sea turtles caught, released in Gulf Coast ASG Beat AUSTIN — About 90 green sea turtles that washed up on South Texas beaches stunned by cold weather in January were transported Feb. 20 to 21 by truck from fish hatchery and aquarium facilities in Corpus Christi to the Port Isabel area and released back into the wild in the Lower Laguna Madre.

On Jan. 23, about 50 sea turtles arrived at the Gulf Coast Conservation Association Central Power and Light Marine Development Center fish hatchery operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Flour Bluff, just outside Corpus Christi on the way to Padre Island. The following day, about 40 more turtles were taken to the Texas State Aquarium near downtown Corpus Christi.

A sudden drop in water temperature caused by an arctic cold front had stunned the turtles. Scientists

and volunteers with Sea Turtle, Inc. in South Padre Island rescued turtles that began washing up on area beaches, but the numbers quickly overflowed the facility.

Biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Padre Island National Seashore and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped transport many of the turtles to larger facilities in the Corpus Christi area. The team used fish hatchery trucks hauling trailers with water live-wells, typically used for stocking redfish and trout into coastal bays, as well as SUVs carrying turtles wrapped in blankets.

In the weeks since their rescue, the turtles were cared for and fed in warm indoor tanks and aquarium facilities and were finally ready to return to the wild.

Early Feb. 20, Texas Parks and

Wildlife biologists and technicians loaded about 50 turtles into live-well trailers at the marine development center. The next day, staff and volunteers transported turtles from the Texas State Aquarium to Port Isabel.

Both days, the turtles were transferred to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s research vessel in Trinity Bay, taken out in the afternoon and released in the Intracoastal Waterway a few miles north of the Queen Isabella causeway, an area from which the turtles could readily access intracoastal bay seagrass habitat. Colley’s Fins to Feathers tour boat service volunteered to take news reporters and photographers out to see the turtle release.

—Courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife

ASG seeking students to serve on election commission The Associated Student Government is the official voice of the students at Texas State University. The meetings are open to the public and held every 7 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1 Monday nights. To address the Senate, come prepared to speak during our Public Forum.

Any interest in being a guest speaker should be directed to Amanda Oskey, the vice president.

ASG is currently looking for people interested in serving on the election commission. It is paid positions through the student government. In order to qualify you cannot be on the ballot for this coming election.

Contact the ASG office if you are interested in applying.

ASG is in full support of Bobcat Athletics and the necessary actions to take Bobcat football to a Football Bowl Division. With

overwhelming support from the students, alumni and community leaders, a clear vision of where athletics could be is forming.

Do not forget to turn in your ASG Scholarship applications by 5 p.m. on March 1.

There is $280,000 to be awarded, so turn in applications today! Applications are available on the ASG Web site and should be submitted to the ASG office in the LBJSC, Room 4-5.1.

Last Friday, members of the ASG Graduate House of Representatives showed unanimous support upon the first reading of a resolution in favor of the upcoming student referendum, which is designed to allow better participation in ASG elections for student body president. The Graduate House of Representatives meets at 1 p.m. every other Friday in the LBJSC, Room 3-12.1. Graduate students are encouraged to attend. The next meeting will take place March 5.

—Courtesy of ASG

NEWS

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The University Star - Page 3

Parachute program aids career searches Saying goodbye

By Chelsea Juarez The University Star

Career Services will welcome the Parachute College Program tour to Texas State Thursday in The Quad. The program, a national, peer-driven agenda made up of recent college graduates, will offer free events and resources to all students making the transition into the working world.

The group travels from campus to campus in a large RV and partners with college career centers in order to provide job-hunting tips, advice on networking and career decisions and information for students concerned about potential career choices.

Jonathan Pliego, career services adviser, said students should look out for the Career Services’ Satellite office and cyber spot, where they will be given the opportunity to register on Jobs4Cats using on-site laptops.

Registration with Jobs4Cats will offer additional career information and help students prepare for the upcoming Job Expo on Wednesday, he said.

Katrina Solis, mass communication electronic media junior, said she had heard about the program but was not sure what it entailed. “(It) sounds good,” Solis said.

“I’d be interested in going.”

The program is modeled after a book, What Color is Your

Parachute?, written by Richard Bolles. In 1955, the Library of Congress’ Center listed Bolles’ book as one of “25 Books That Have Shaped Readers’ Lives.”

The book is affiliated with www. parachute.com, a career-based Web site.

Pliego encourages all students to attend the tour’s first visit to Texas State and to take advantage of the great information it has to offer.

“We’ll have a large presence available for career questions,” Pliego said. “It’s very important that students utilize these opportunities and programs to help them prepare for the Job Expo and help with the transition from student to young professional.”

KAPPA SIGMA: Four fraternity brothers

serve as pallbearers at Minter’s funeral CONTINUED from page 1

worker, good brother.”

In high school, Minter enlisted in the army reserve delayed program, where he trained in the summer of his junior year.

After graduating high school he served with the 808 engineering division out of Houston.

“He loved it, he was proud, and he acquired the rank of sergeant,” Kimble said.

Minter took advantage of his youth by camping, fishing, playing football, riding a motorcycle and even skydiving. In junior high he traveled to South America with his youth group to do missionary work, going during the summer for a week at a time. He planned on entering an exchange program that would allow him to work overseas.

“He wanted to go to Dubai,”

Pendergraft said. “They have programs over there for nurses and respiratory therapists. He wanted to see everything, go everywhere.”

Minter’s death came quickly, and was a surprise for everyone who knew him.

“I was in shock,” Gunn said.

“We didn’t see it coming at all; he had everything going for him.”

Pendergraft said that since Minter’s death, she has been helped by a network of her friends and family, in addition to Minter’s family. She said they are able to reminisce and go through a wealth of emotions together.

“One girl told me at the funeral a guy she was with one night got arrested, and she was on the side of the road unsure what to do,” Kimble said. “So she called Mike and all he said was ‘I’m on

my way.’”

Minter’s funeral was held Feb. 15 at the New Hope Baptist Church in Houston.

“He had a beautiful service — he was befriended by a lot of people,” Pendergraft said. “Four of his fraternity brothers were pallbearers. That would have meant a lot to him.”

Minter’s family described Minter and themselves as being Christian and very religious, an aspect of Minter’s life that showed at the funeral.

“His mother spoke about this not being a goodbye, but an ‘I’ll see you again,’ because of our belief in God,” Kimble said.

He said Minter was respectful and self-motivated, and everyone always saw him with a smile.

“He was the type of guy who wasn’t afraid to say ‘I love you,’” Kimble said.

Got dirt?

Send your news tips to us at starnews@txstate.edu

Monty Marion/Star photo Maureen Keeley-Vassberg, communication studies associate professor, talks about her new book, Final Conversations: Helping the Living and the Dying Talk to Each Other, Tuesday in Centennial Hall as part of Communication Week. Final Conversations aims to help those facing death spend their remaining time with loved ones in a meaningful and healthy way.

NEWS

Page 4 - The University Star

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

COMMUNICATION: Event coordinator stresses importance of ethical listening CONTINUED from page 1

is that the greatest strength is not the knowledge of technology, not even the knowledge of how journalism works,” Rove said. “Instead, it is the ability to research, write and speak. It’s these three things that are the greatest strengths of any White House communicator.”

Steven Beebe, coordinator of the event, said Rove focused on the importance of communication in politics.

“His emphasis on political ora-

tory and the role of the oral presidency was valuable for students,” said Beebe, communication studies chair. “The idea is that there are technology and new ideas, but that a person needs to have something to say.”

At the beginning of Rove’s speech, a tense atmosphere filled Evans Liberal Arts Auditorium.

As he began to speak an audience member made an attempt to shout him off stage.

“One of the things that we always teach in communication studies is the importance of ethi-

cal listening, and trying to shout down a speaker is not ethical,” Beebe said. “There’s the right to free speech and there’s also ethics. I think it’s unethical to shout down a speaker.”

The attendee was yelling remarks such as, “Don’t speak” and “Get out of here.” Despite an argument being waged in the crowd between the attendee and members of College Republicans, Rove continued speaking as they calmed down.

“We shut up a couple of hecklers when they were trying to be

PROTESTERS: Arm bands represent call for peace CONTINUED from page 1

He coordinated his efforts by using Facebook, the popular social networking Web site.

Throughout the morning, Valencia said he handed out more than 500 black armbands.

The wearing of black armbands dates back to the Vietnam conflict and represents the promotion of peace, he said.

“We want people to know there is a widespread belief in

peace and the best way to effectively communicate this is to keep the message simple,” Valencia said.

He said they were using the silent protest methods practiced by Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi.

The students had distanced themselves from the older, more outspoken protestors who were in front of the Evans Liberal Arts building. Reynolds said the peaceful protestors

had told her to go away after they saw her sign.

“We are trying to not use inflammatory statements or messages,” Valencia said.

He said he had no qualms with Rove coming to Texas State to speak during Communication Week.

“Everybody deserves their voice to be heard,” Valencia said. “As such, they are welcome to invite him for Communication Week.”

rude to him, which is ridiculous,” said Joe DeLaCerda, College Republicans chairman. “If there’s something that you don’t want to hear then don’t go, because someone else might want to hear it.”

The audience calmed down as Rove continued, however, remarks from protestors could be heard throughout Rove’s speech.

At one point Rove was referring to rapid changes in news coverage and questioning how the White House should respond.

An audience member could be

heard responding with ‘throw out a CIA agent.’ In response, Rove chuckled and said ‘That’s one.’

The audience member was referring to the ongoing CIA leak investigation from 2003.

After the speech, Rove retreated backstage where he met privately with the College Republicans.

“We talked about how good a speech he did, how he handled all the heckling,” DeLaCerda, psychology senior said. “He appreciated our presence and the conservative voice that we had

on campus. He’s actually very impressed considering how close we are to Austin.”

DeLaCerda said the protesting outside of Evans was childish, it wasn’t concrete and didn’t secure anything “In terms of demonstrating outside of the hall, it’s appropriate,” Beebe said. “Our Common Experience theme this year is ‘Protest and Dissent.’”

The speech posed an opportunity for students to hear firsthand from someone that is both celebrated and vilified, he said.

BIOLOGY: Kingsville native has been

working with university since 1993 CONTINUED from page 1

for Vision awards grants to 14 individuals for their work in vision-related research. García was one of the 2006 recipients.

García’s exploration into the retinal pigment epithelium is what invited the attention of the Hope for Vision organization.

The retinal pigment epithelium is one part of the retina that responds to changes in light.

Much of García’s work revolves around these light responsive cells that communicate with others to help it know when it’s day or night.

García received her reward after being nominated by one of her peers, Nancy Mangini, an associate professor of anatomy and cell biology at Indiana University. Mangini met García at a National Science Foundation function and realized that her specialized research deserved recognition and support.

“We had the opportunity to talk in a meeting and I was taken with some of the work that she talked about and some plans for experiments that I thought had a lot of potential,” Mangini said.

“So, on the basis of that new direction, I nominated her.”

Mangini said acquiring funding for original research like García’s can often be a difficult process.

“It’s a new avenue, and when

you’re trying out new things, it’s harder to get money because it hasn’t been done before,” she said.

Mangini said García is effective at conveying her own innovative ideas. Mangini explained that García’s most recent publication concerning cell signaling in the retinal pigment epithelium serves as a good example of her ability to communicate the feasibility of her ongoing research.

García said her work in retinal research dates back to her years as a graduate student and her general interest in cell signaling, how cells communicate and respond to one another, began even earlier.

“I can probably date this interest back to high school when we first studied the endocrine system, which comprises the parts of the body that generate hormones,” García said in an email. “I wouldn’t really say I was inspired to study the retina, but it is a very good tissue for studying cell signaling, especially in fish, because one can infer cellular communication from big changes in cell shape and cell movements.”

In furthering her research as a professor at Texas State, García integrates her retinal studies into her curriculum and works closely with her students in related projects and experi-

mentation.

She conducts one-hour group meetings with her students once a week. She also meets individually with her students for an additional nine to 10 hours per week to discuss their research progress.

“My students design and carry out experiments with my guidance,” García said. “In other words, they’re fully involved, and without them, not much would happen in the lab.”

García said how the integration between her specialized research and her teaching arena invites special rewards.

“There are several rewards associated with involving students in research,” she said. “One is seeing them take ownership of their projects so that they’re no longer working for me, but with me. Another is seeing them develop their skills in experimental design and coming up with their own ideas about where the project should go.”

García, a native of Kingsville, has worked in the biology department since 1993. She received her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M and doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. Aside from teaching, García serves as associate dean for research in the college of science and also maintains a grantsupported research program of ongoing retinal research.

www.UniversityStar.com

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - Page 5

AllThat Jazz Faculty Artist Series and Hank Hehmsoth, senior school of music lecturer, present “A Night of Chick Corea Jazz” with The Hehmsoth Project. The group is made up of John Mills on sax and flute, Spencer Starnes on bass, Kevin Scott on drums, James Fenner on percussion and features Madeline Elizondo’s vocals. Performers include Grammy nominees and winners.

The performance is at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Music Building recital hall.

Tickets: $2 general admission and $1 students.

For more information, call: (512) 245-2651.

Trends Contact — Maira Garcia, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Poetry slam

a little less slammin’ than expected

By Michael Lee Gardin The University Star As students left the first floor of the LBJ Student Center, the echoes of poetry slam performers could be heard as they slammed for a spot on the Texas State Poetry Slam team.

Tuesday evening the Student Association for Campus Activities hosted a poetry slam in the LBJ Amphitheater. Four performers participated: Tim Swain, communication studies junior; Faylita Hicks, English sophomore; Phil Arciniega, English senior; and Ebony Stewart, English senior. They slammed pieces of various themes and subjects.

Originally, judges were to select the top four performers, Jon Clark/Star photo but since only four competed, SACA SLAM: Faylita Hicks, English sophomore, expresses herself through poetry Tuesday night in the they will make up the new Texas LBJ Amphitheater.

State Poetry Slam team.

Swain, the third performer,

Southwestern Writers Collection celebrates alumnus’ gift of blues Donation will be celebrated at Alkek Library

By Todd Schaaf The University Star The Southwestern Writers Collection will host a party Wednesday to celebrate a gift from Lucky Tomblin, alumnus and blues musician.

The party will include clips of Tomblin’s documentary and live music from blues musicians.

Tomblin, who owns Silver Star Entertainment, has donated the production material from the company’s documentary, Antone’s: Home of the Blues to the collection.

Beverly Fondren, development officer for the Southwestern Writers Collection, explained Tomblin’s significance.

“He’s also a bandleader and a songwriter in the Lucky Tomblin Band,” Fondren said.

“He also founded (Fire Station Studios) here on the campus; it’s the sound recording technology program.”

The documentary covers subject matter from the birth of the blues in Austin, interviews with Clifford Antone — Antone’s founder — to film footage and interviews with blue’s legends and Antone’s regulars such as B.B. King and Muddy Waters.

“Lucky came to us and donated the production material for the documentary,” Fondren said, “That includes all of the film footage (and) transcripts from all the interviews. It’s really quite amazing and wonderful to have these kinds of materials.”

In addition to the entertainment quality of Tomblin’s gift, Fondren believes the donation could be valuable to students wanting to know more about blues.

“Students who want to study anything about the blues, they want to hear what B.B. King had to say about Antone’s and about the blues in Austin,” Fondren said, “they can come and we can make them accessible to anyone who would like to come in and look at them and research.”

Michele Miller, coordinator of marketing and promotion for the Southwestern Writers Collection, said she is hoping the event will open the eyes of students to other events hosted by the collection.

“We are very interested in expanding the students exposure to what we do here.

We still find it kind of hard to get people up here, and we’re wondering why that is,” Miller said.

The party celebrating the donation of these materials will be held 6:30 to 8:30

said the event should not be called a slam.

“It wasn’t really a poetry slam,” Swain said. “There weren’t enough poets to make an actual poetry slam. It was more like a showcase. No one got eliminated because there were only four people performing.”

Swain said he wished there were more participants.

“More poets, more publicity and more people,” Swain said.

Stewart was the fourth performer in the event. The audience cheered as she finished her piece titled “Chameleon.”

Stewart said she was inspired to write this piece by her own experiences in school.

“A lot of times, being an English major, I am usually the only African American in the class and it is kind of hard.” Stewart said. “So usually I get certain kinds of stares, but I make just about the same grades as ev-

eryone else.”

Stewart said she gathered energy from the crowd.

“Mostly I try to feed from the crowd,” she said. “They gave me enough feedback to get more into it.’

Tiffany Grenier, English freshman, said this was the first poetry slam she has attended but she enjoyed the show.

“I wish it happened more often and I wish there were more people willing to compete,” she said.

Grenier said she is shy and the poets gave her motivation.

“Seeing the people get up there and the people sacrificing themselves made me feel like I could do something like that if I tried,” she said.

Music played between performances and audience members came to the stage and spouted impromptu lyrics. After the event came to a close, a group gathered to continue free-styling lyrics.

DIVERSIONS

Page 6 - The University Star

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

✯Star Comics SAFTEY IS SEXY IN THE SACK

As college stuof any kind (i.e. oral, vaginal dents, by now we or anal). But that’s not fun should be aware of at all. the gravity of sexuPre-exposure vaccines are ally transmitted inone of the most effective fections. ways of preventing STI transSince middle mission. The Centers for school, we have been ANNA TAUZIN Disease Control and Preventaught to fear them Star Columnist tion recommend Hepatitis B and the people who carry them. vaccines for any unvaccinated, unIt’s so unfair. According to the infected persons being evaluated American Social Health Asso- for an STI. A new vaccine against ciation, one in two sexually active HPV is now available for females 9 people will contract a sexually to 26 years old. Other vaccines are transmitted infection by age 25. currently in the works.

The image they implanted in our When used regularly and corlittle prepubescent brains of dis- rectly, male latex condoms are ease-ridden hypersexual people the next best thing to prevent can’t possibly match half of the the spread of STIs. Though more college population. studies are needed, condom use Even having sex with someone may reduce the risk of transmitjust once could cause transmis- ting herpes and HPV diseases, sion of an STI. Some STIs can be including genital warts and cervicured such as chlamydia, gonor- cal cancer. Please be smart when rhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. using condoms: use only waterHowever, the human papilloma- based lubricants, use a new convirus and herpes can be treated, dom for each sex act and don’t but are not curable at this time. All risk tearing the condom by ripthe more reason to take preventa- ping the package open with your tive measures against STIs. teeth. Trust me, it’s not as sexy The easiest way to avoid catch- as you think. ing an STI is to abstain from sex Female condoms are approved

devices for helping prevent the spread of STIs, too.

I would advise, however, that you refrain from having sex until after talking with your partner about STIs. Since so many college students are running around with STI’s, perhaps it’s time we learned how to talk to potential partners about them.

First, this is not a conversation to have just before doing the deed. I guarantee it will ruin the mood each time.

For such a loaded topic, it’s best to pick a time and place where the two of you won’t be interrupted. Use language you’re comfortable with. Start with yourself. When was your last exam? Have you had any STIs in the past? Are you currently under treatment for any?

Even if one of you has never had a symptom of an STI, it’s possible to still be carrying one around. Every physician will tell you the most common symptom of an STI is no symptom at all.

To break the cycle of rampant college STIs, be smart: Open your mouth before you open your legs.

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

Tuesday’s solutions:

Central Texas hotbed for jazz studies, artists, legends © Pappocom

Tuesday’s solutions:

By Clara Cobb The University Star Jazz as a major might not be the first thing a parent wants to hear when a student faces the big decision: What am I going to be when I grow up?

Central Texas is world-renowned for its live music scene, but one of its best-kept secrets is jazz.

Freddie Mendoza, co-director of the jazz studies program, said touring bands have been playing jazz in Texas for quite some time.

“I’d hate to give a time to jazz itself,” Mendoza said. “I’d have to guess it really came to Texas in the late ‘30s, early ‘40s.”

Jazz originated in New Orleans and Chicago before becoming most popular on the East Coast.

Mendoza said the onset of television and radio popularized the genre nationwide.

In a tradition of touring, this year the Texas State Jazz Ensemble has been invited to play the Montrose Jazz festival, in Montrose, Switzerland.

“Every year we try to go somewhere,” Mendoza said. “We try to take the band to compete and play. It had been a while since we’d taken a European tour.”

Keith Winking, co-director of the jazz studies program, said he did not realize jazz is not appreciated in America as much as other cultures until the first time he played in Europe.

“Jazz is America’s only contribution to the international world of arts,” he said. “It is important to recognize, honor jazz as America’s art form.”

Mendoza agrees.

“What a lot of people don’t know about jazz is jazz is the only art form originated in this country,” he said. “That’s what makes it unique. It’s because of jazz we have country and rock ‘n’ roll.

Not solely, but rock ‘n’ roll and all that was certainly based on the blues.”

The blues was one of the earliest forms of jazz music and continues to influences various forms of popular music today.

“It’s always changing and adapting to fit a current generation of players,” Mendoza said. “Once a style started, it never really went away. Some

forms of pop have come and gone, but jazz just continues to evolve.”

Texas State’s jazz program originated 19 years ago. Tony Bek, former professor, began the jazz program by starting a jazz band, Winking said.

Bek would hand-transpose compositions from jazz records and LPs for his students.

Jazz programs in academia have been a recent addition.

“It was a fight to get jazz into schools because jazz as an art form is only 100 years old,” Mendoza said. “Duke Ellington, for instance, would not be considered one the great American composers despite the fact he arranged and composed over 3,000 pieces — unless it was in a jazz class — but it is changing. Slowly, but surely, we’ll get there.”

Most of the jazz scene in Central Texas is centered in the Austin bars, he said. Six members of the jazz faculty currently work as performing musicians on the Central Texas jazz scene.

“Between us, we’ve played with all the big names in jazz,” Mendoza said. “Really, we’ve played with everybody.”

Mendoza has played with Dizzy Gillespie, among others. According to the fine arts Web site, www.finearts.txstate.edu, Mendoza is right about the faculty résumés. Drum professor Butch Miles, for instance, was hired by Count Basie, prior to his death in 1984, to be a part of the Count Basie Jazz Orchestra, according to www. countbasieorchestra.com.

“When we study jazz musicians, we study the Count Basie Jazz Orchestra,” Mendoza said. “So, our drummer is literally a part of jazz we study.”

Mendoza said jazz music might be more difficult than other genres, because in addition to understanding and applying music theory, the jazz musician must also know how to improvise.

Winking said improvisation is a key component of jazz.

“When you see or hear other art, you are viewing a finished product,” he said. “A painting, a poem, a classic symphony, those are all finished.

But, when you hear a jazz person improv, you’re hearing them create the product — they can’t take it back and that’s one of the things that makes jazz really special.”

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

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The University Star - Page 7

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Wednesday, February 28, 2007, Page 8

onlineconnection Chris Stacy and Rick LaFavers have followed David Bailiff to Rice University, making them the fifth and sixth staff members to join the former head coach in Houston. What do these departures mean to the football program? Go to www.UniversityStar.com to vote in our online poll. Results will be published in Thursday’s issue of The University Star. *This is not a scientific poll

TEXTBOOK Opinions Contact — Emily Messer, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

F

aculty Senate voiced its opposition last week to House Bill 956 in the state legislature, which would require university professors to issue textbooks useable for at least three years before being replaced by newer versions.

TRAVESTY

Bureaucracy-based proposal would only hurt students

The bill serves as an effort to make used textbooks a bigger part of the equation and thus lower costs per semester.

As with the bill to create a tax-free textbook holiday, this is the wrong way to go about lowering the burden on students.

Any law on textbooks will not universally affect the cost of a higher education, as there will always be students who try to pass their classes without purchasing books. Many of the topics brought up in these books can be found online as well, and some texts are on reserve at Alkek Library.

Some professors, in an effort to combat rising tuition costs, already allow students to buy editions of books that are a few years old. In these cases, they have deemed the newer books to be unnecessary; one would think professors are knowledgeable on what content is and isn’t needed for their classes.

If professors do feel the need to have the newest edition of a book, the bill requires they submit to the university’s governing board reasons why the change is necessary.

This process only creates more problems, adding another level of bureaucracy that hinders the educational process. With the rigid regulation already present in the public educational system, it would only be a problem to bog this down even more.

Faculty Sen. Michel Conroy, art and design professor, said last week the legislation “works against the free market.” If older textbooks are flooding the market, that only means used textbooks will inherit more of the space on store shelves. Bookstores can then fall in line and raise prices for what’s available — in this case used texts, instead of new material.

Books are obviously overpriced, and will remain so in any college town with limited direct access to texts. If students wish to truly fight against textbook prices they can find alternative outlets, such as eBay, craigslist.com or purchasing books from someone who recently took the same class.

Cutting out the proverbial middleman will usually result in better prices for consumers regardless of the industry, and is the best course of action in capitalistic economies. In this way, students can call out bookstores — which may result in lower prices in the long run.

Kelly Simmons/Star illustration

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

tion Week is a sad display of immaturity.

I wouldn’t consider Rove as someone whom I agree with or would normally defend, but he is certainly someone who deserves my respect. He is a political genius. Anyone who says different is blinded by his or her own prejudices. And this university has taught me, in order to be successful communicators, we must not only speak our minds, but we must also listen to others.

Rove has successfully campaigned for gubernatorial, senatorial and presidential candidates. He is known as “Bush’s Brain,” “The Boy Genius” and “The Architect” because he has changed the face of politics and is considered to be the most powerful political consultant in U.S. history.

But opponents of Rove’s politics were not the only ones barricading themselves against the voice of challengers, however. A group on the social networking Web site Facebook.com requesting the presence of conservatives at the lecture posted some misguided information.

“We need to pack the house with Conservatives and support Dr. Rove and show this former College Republican how much Texas State supports him… We cannot

Editor In Chief...................................Jason Buch, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor.........................Emily Messer, staropinion@txstate.edu News Editor..............................Nick Georgiou, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor....................Maira Garcia, starentertainment@txstate.edu Photo Editor...................................Monty Marion, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor..................................Chris Boehm, starsports@txstate.edu

I would like to say great job to all the College Republicans from our Texas State Chapter as well as the UTSA Chapter who came to support Karl Rove Tuesday.

Despite being outnumbered in the auditorium, our roar of applause completely drowned out the cries of boos.

We did our job and we did it well, while staying classy and maintaining the respect we’ve earned from this university. This truly goes to show how powerful the conservative presence on this campus is.

My thanks go to those who protested Rove’s presence here in a mature manner by wearing shirts or bands and by staying respectful to others who wanted to hear him speak. However, I was absolutely disgusted by those who attempted to heckle Mr. Rove or who beat on trashcans to try to prove a point. When you protest in such a manner, you solve nothing. Such behavior proves your ignorance and provides nothing concrete. Granted, it is your right to protest. But when you act in such a rude manner to someone who was invited to speak, you not only embarrass yourself, you also cause damage to the reputation of this university. Grow up and try to embrace a simple sense of decency for the future.

But once again, to my fellow Republicans, good job and let’s keep up the strong resolve we’ve proven we possess.

Mirror prank was rude, dangerous

Rove’s speech results in untactful, embarrassing protests

The University Star

College Republicans showed Rove respect

Joe DeLaCerda Texas State College Republicans chairman psychology senior

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.

Despite political controversy, it was an honor to have Karl Rove speak at our campus Tuesday. If only more Texas State students felt the same way.

STEPHANIE SILVAS Rove made his Star Columnist second visit to Texas State as part of this year’s Communication Week. He first visited the campus in 2002. It is a privilege to have the deputy chief of staff for President Bush visit the campus.

But not everyone seemed to agree.

The first few seconds of the lecture were disrupted when a young male questioned Rove’s participation with the outing of former CIA agent, Valerie Plame. The remainder of the 40-minute lecture was sprinkled with sarcastic laughs and rude comments.

Most of the controversy surrounding Rove stems from the Lewis “Scooter” Libby trial and the war in Iraq. And although these issues are important, the laughs and comments were inappropriate. To disrespect a man who made an effort to contribute to Texas State’s Communica-

Letters to the Editor

allow the liberal voices of this campus dominate the lecture and turn it into a masquerade of liberal propaganda and rhetoric,” the posting read.

Aside from the conspiracy theory, the major mistake the authors made was refering to Rove as “Dr. Rove.” Rove attended several universities, but he has no college degree.

Other students expressed their contempt for the event silently. Four students sitting in the middle of the auditorium wore black sacks over their heads and one student in the balcony held up a sign signifying that deception was not a part of communication. Protestors also held signs and chanted in The Quad just outside Evans Liberal Arts.

The silent protestors inside and the other protestors outside dignified what a school of thought embodies. While students should speak their minds, embarrassing yourself and your school should not be apart of the political debate. Aside from all of that, Rove’s lecture had nothing to do with controversial political topics. His lecture outlined communication throughout history and described obstacles faced by the White House in communicating effectively today.

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The last 20 minutes of Rove’s lecture included some interesting information on how communication fits into the world he lives in at the White House. He brought up difficulties the White House faces in dealing with untrained Web loggers and non-journalists. Rove said they have no ethical responsibility for what they write.

He also described the challenge the Bush administration has with competing against stories like the death of Anna Nicole Smith.

In closing, he said his job is not only effectively communicating with the press and the rest of the world, but that he must also be able to convince and inspire the public. “It’s more than just communicating ideas,” Rove said. “It’s making certain that your ideas are worth communicating.”

Students must pick up on this last piece of advice Rove gave. Screaming at the top of your lungs in front of your peers and teachers will not bring a man to a life-changing admission of guilt. All you accomplish is embarrassing yourself and your community.

Stephanie Silvas is a mass communication senior Account Executive...........................Jackie Pardue, jp1271@txstate.edu Account Executive.....................Krystal Slater, ks1429@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator..Linda Allen, starbusinessoffice@txstate.edu Publications Director..............Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu Visit The Star at www.UniversityStar.com

I am a single mom going to school here at Texas State and am amazed at the stupidity of some of the students on campus.

Every morning I walk past The Tower dormitory and every day I see shards of broken glass and trash surrounding the dorms.

I have noticed that this is commonplace around this dorm and am disgusted by the students who do this. How lazy can we get as students that we can’t walk the 5 feet (from the glass) to the trashcan that is put on campus to keep it litter-free? But this is not what disgusted me today.

On Feb. 15, as I was driving my 4-year-old home from school, I came upon the intersection between The Tower, the admissions building and Balcones Apartments and saw that there were two guys playing with mirrors and the sunlight, blinding any driver coming past. As I sat there waiting for the sun to be directed back out of my eyes, I highly debated getting out of my car and giving those two boys a piece of my mind. Then the one finally pointed the mirror away from the sun and threw it toward the large trash compactor. The one who chucked the mirror towards the trash missed the compactor completely and then took off running like he knew he was in trouble. I couldn’t see to drive anywhere and knew that I could not leave my child in the back seat alone to take off after them.

I just hope that those two boys — yes, I say little boys — because that is exactly how they acted, read this letter and feel a little outraged, because that would mean they felt a little guilty deep down inside. I hope they realize that with the sun in my eyes I could have pulled out in front of the truck headed up the hill, which could have killed my child in the backseat. I hope that their fun was enough to make up for the life that could have been lost for their recklessness. I cannot believe that there are students at this university who have such little respect for other people.

They don’t respect others, the public and probably not even themselves.

Belinda Hedtke applied sociology senior The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos published Tuesday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with a distribution of 8,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Copyright February 28, 2007. 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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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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SPORTS

double-headeddisaster

THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Bobcat softball couldn’t avoid a doubleheader sweep Tuesday, dropping a pair of games on the road to Texas-Arlington. The Mavericks won the first game 4-1 and the second 2-1 to open their Southland Conference schedule undefeated. UTA’s Heather Fortenberry improved to 4-0 on the season, pitching seven innings of one-run softball. Left fielder Katie Jones and catcher Courtni Anderson supplied the Mavericks with all the runs they would need in game two. The two hit back-to-back home runs off Bobcat pitcher Ragan Blake in the bottom of the first inning. The series concludes 1 p.m. Wednesday at Allan Saxe Field in Arlington.

— Compiled from other news sources

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - Page 10

Sports Contact — Chris Boehm, starsports@txstate.edu

Former Olympic trainer brings knowledge, Fan site a visibility to Texas State after world travels source for

interest

By Scott Strickman The University Star

Jack Ransone spends his days involved in the education of Texas State students, teaching basic level science courses in the athletic training program.

However, Ransone followed a path he may not have always planned to travel.

“We tell (the students) to work hard, always be prepared to meet somebody,” Ransone said. “Any opportunity you have to make new experiences, jump at it, even though it may not be one you think you’re truly attracted to. That was me.”

Ransone is the director of athletic training and serves as the coordinator of rehabilitation.

He began his athletic career interested in wrestling, taking up track and field only to shed some weight. When an opportunity in athletic training presented itself, it was for track and field.

“I wasn’t all that excited about it, but I went for it, and it blossomed into the opportunity to work on the medical team in the Olympics,” Ransone said.

U.S.A. Track and Field recently selected Ransone to be the head trainer for the International Association of Athletics Federations’ 35th annual World Cross Country Championship.

The event allows him the opportunity to work with his mentor, Joe Vigil. The championship takes place March 24 in Mombasa, Kenya.

“I’ve always wanted to go on a trip with him, and this is the first opportunity,” Ransone said.

“He’s my mentor not only academically, but also athletically.”

Ransone took his first job as Head Athletic Trainer at Adams State College in Colorado.

There, he met Vigil, whom Ransone called one of the top track distance coaches in the world.

“He has been a mentor to me for 25 years,” Ransone said. “He was one of the individuals that pushed me towards getting my doctorate. (He was) one of those that pushed me towards getting involved in track and field.”

Vigil coached the Olympic distance squad in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea and will do so again at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.

Ransone graduated from Southwest Texas State University in 1982, after participating in athletics during his undergraduate studies as a member of the club wrestling team. He eventually continued on to compete on the U.S.

Cotton Miller/Star photo KENYA BOUND: Jack Ransone, director of athletic training, consults with Emily Sheppard, marketing sophomore, as she warms up on a stationary bike in the Endzone Complex at Bobcat Stadium. Ransone has been selected to be the head trainer for the International Association of Athletics Federations’ 35th annual World Cross Country Championship, to be held March 24 in Kenya.

national team for three years.

Ransone had always carried an interest in athletics, while most of his family practicing some form of healthcare.

“It’s always been in my environment,” Ransone said.

“Originally, I thought about medical school and physical therapy school. As I progressed through as an athlete myself, I had my share of injuries. I spent my share of time in the athletic training room. That time spent attracted me to its appeal.”

After earning his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of New Mexico, and later earning fellowship from the American College of Sports Medicine, Ransone served as an athletic trainer for Stanford and Oklahoma State.

“It was glamorous,” Ransone said. “We flew charter planes to all the competitions I went to for 13 years.”

Ransone was also on the medical staff of the U.S.A. Track and

Field Team during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, which he called the most exciting opportunity thus far. In 2003 he traveled to the Pan American Games, held in the Dominican Republic. Ransone said he has traveled to approximately 30 countries during his career in athletic training.

“I’ve gotten an opportunity to meet a lot of great people, travel to a lot of different countries and experience a lot of different cultures,” Ransone said. “To me it’s all just part of one lifetime experience.”

Ransone’s association with U.S.A. Track and Field has helped bring Texas State to the forefront of the athletic training field, said Carla Heffner, assistant athletic trainer at Texas State.

“Because of his involvement with the Olympic team, he has access to much of the newest research regarding training and rehabilitation,” Heffner said. “It is a huge asset for our program to have

such a visible director, as it brings recognition to our program.”

Ransone has presented opportunities for others at Texas State as well, including David Gish. Gish, who has served as head athletic trainer at the university since 1998, was invited

by Ransone to work for the U.S.A. Track and Field Team at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Italy.

“I actually served on the committee that hired (Ransone) at Texas State (in 2003),” Gish said. “He has obviously been a great addition to the staff.”

Gish, who completed his master’s degree at SWT in 1990, spoke about Ransone’s latest accomplishment.

“It’s great that he’s getting the recognition he deserves,” Gish said.

Ransone has also garnered more than $1 million in external funding and has conducted presentations, both nationally and internationally, regarding the ef-

fects of overtraining on athletes.

When asked if he had any future goals, Ransone’s answer was simple.

“No,” he joked, “except to climb Mount Everest.

“I had many goals when I was younger,” Ransone said. “One of them was getting my doctoral degree, having a family, working the Olympics, (and) being able to travel around the world. I’ve been able to do that. It’s just goals for my family now.”

For a man who has made many stops since his journey began at SWT, Ransone appears to have been waiting for his opportunity to return as a part of the Bobcat family.

“I chose to come back here because this was a place that I was very happy. I went here as an undergraduate and this was my measuring stick,” Ransone said. “I’ve been trying to come back for 10 years; they just didn’t have a position for me. There’s always something about coming back home.”

Akers seeks improvement after Islander Classic

By Carl Harper The University Star The Texas State women’s golf team finished 14th out of 15 schools in the Islander Classic, shooting a 951 in the tournament hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Monday and Tuesday.

Last week the Bobcats placed sixth at the McNeese Cowgirl Invitational, where Anessa Thompson and Jennifer Crawford finished in the top 10.

“Anessa did very well (in the Islander Classic) and I was happy with the way she responded, but overall we didn’t play good,” Akers said. “Everyone has some different things to work on and I plan on going to each individuals’ practice to try and identify what they need to work on.”

Thompson led the team, shooting a 71 in round three to score a career-best 228 that tied for 20th overall. The 14th hole in the second round proved a memorable one for Thompson, as she sank a hole-in-one for the second time her life.

“When the ball landed on the green it was going straight for the hole and I was jokingly yelling at the ball to get in the hole,” Thompson said. “But then all of the sudden it disappeared and I looked back at the team like ‘did you see that?’”

Thompson scored her first hole-in-one during high school while playing with her dad on a familiar course.

“Right now my game feels good all around,” Thompson said. “The only problems are with my mental game. I want to keep a clear head and try not to think too much while I’m trying to play.”

Crawford had her best outing during the first frame, shooting a 76, and finished the tournament behind Thompson at 236. Sophomore Christine Brijalba finished eight strokes behind Crawford and shot a 76 in round one, her best of the two days.

“I have a lot to work on,” Brijalba said. “There’s nothing much you can do after playing like that. I just have to put it behind me and look towards the next tournament.”

Amy Glazier ended her play tied for 71st overall with a 247, as Sarah Glass closed out the tourna-

Armando Sanchez/Star file photo STRONG FINISH: Anessa Thompson, Spanish senior, finished 20th overall at the Texas A&MCorpus Christi Invitational. The Bobcats placed 14th as a team.

ment tied for 78th at 249.

Texas State finished three strokes behind TexasSan Antonio and 18 strokes ahead of last-place Texas-Pan American. Sam Houston State rallied past Missouri State in the third round to take first with 892 strokes, while Lamar grabbed third. McNeese State finished eight strokes behind with a fourthplace score of 906.

“Our team’s weakest link is not hitting the ball far,” Akers said. “We don’t hit the green in regulation and it leads to longer bogeys.”

Last week, an article came out discussing the different views towards www.BobcatFans.com, a controversial WILLIAM WARD Web site. The Star Columnist owners and members presented their side, and the athletic department presented theirs.

Athletic Director Larry Teis accused BobcatFans of being a source of negativity that drives away potential recruits. Not only did the people of BobcatFans dispute this, Coach Doug Davalos of the men’s basketball team shot it down when he claimed that he hands the Web site’s magazine out to recruits.

Even if the site can be negative sometimes, I’d like to point out that every major program has to deal with this. Mack Brown won a national championship yet www.FireMackBrown.com somehow existed. These are problems any serious athletic department has to deal with and more importantly, get over.

Coach Brad Wright was understandably upset about an incident on the Web site’s message board, in which a user made the claim that the football coach is a racist. That’s a terrible thing to say, and there was no proof behind the accusation. The problem is that Wright blames the entire message board. That post was instantly discredited by other members, and eventually deleted altogether.

One of the other criticisms

by Teis was that members of the message board are hiding behind anonymity. This is not entirely true as many of the users not only use their name as their username, but also include pictures of them for anyone to see. They organize get-togethers at football games; these are not AOL kids hiding behind a computer monitor. That’s more than you can say for the average fan, who is anonymous.

If a fan went to a game and booed, would they be hiding behind anonymity? They don’t have convenient usernames and pictures of themselves.

My whole problem with Teis bashing the site and magazine is that he doesn’t realize how much he needs them. This school needs BobcatFans and in a bad way.

Texas State suffers from a severe case of apathy. Apathy, in this case, referring to the attitudes most of our fans have about sports. There is no sports atmosphere at this school. I guarantee more students would read The University Star if we sunk low enough to cover Texas Longhorns sports. That’s the state of things around here. No one can tell you who won a Bobcat basketball game from the night before, but they could tell you the result of the latest Longhorn contest.

BobcatFans is an information oasis in the sports desert of San Marcos. Anyone can get breaking news, inside information and hear what other fans are thinking. Where else can you get that? Why would the athletic director consider that a bad thing?

Doesn’t he want people to care about sports here?

BobcatFans cares about sports here. The users of the message board care. That’s why they have a tendency to criticize. Like me, they want to see Bobcat sports at their absolute best, and reaching their potential. A lot of fans are waiting for Bobcat sports to reach that next level, and some of us are growing impatient. That kind of criticism isn’t bad for the program; it shows that fans care.

For an athletic department that has no transparency of information, nothing is known unless you are a fan who is extremely close to the program. The guys at BobcatFans happen to be diehards close to the program, and are more than happy to share what they know. Casual sports fans across campus rejoice.

—William Ward is a political science junior, and can be reached at ww1053@txstate.edu