CELEBRATING THE FEMALE EXPERIENCE
Three seniors say goodbye to Strahan Coliseum in important season finale
Women’s History Month begins today
SEE SPORTS PAGE 14
SEE TRENDS PAGE 7
SENIORS SAY SAYONARA
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
MARCH 1, 2007
THURSDAY
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 61
ASG president works to extend financial influence By Jason Buch The University Star A resolution read during Monday’s Associated Student Government Senate meeting is the most recent in a series of moves made by ASG President Kyle Morris to bring control of other organizations’ money under his group’s umbrella. The legislation, written by Student Sen. Rebecca Quillin, president of the Student Organizations Council, calls for 80 percent of the council’s budget being transferred to ASG’s control. The Student Organization
Council (SOC) is a support organization for student groups. The council provides workshops and leadership training, allocates resources available to student organizations in the LBJ Student Center and hosts events. It also provides funding, allocated by the Student Service Fee Committee, to those organizations. If the plan goes through, ASG would find itself responsible for somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000 to be doled to student organizations. Quillin said the council has been bogged down with the funding aspect of its mission and hasn’t been able to concentrate
on leadership enhancement. “The problem that occurs is when I think about what SOC is supposed to do, and you read our mission statement and our constitution and you talk to the members of our council, our most important thing is organization and leadership,” Quillin said. She said the council spends too much time assessing applications from student organizations requesting funds and not enough time holding workshops for those groups. SOC would retain 20 percent of its budget for workshops and host events like the annual Student Organiza-
tions Fair. Morris said he proposed the idea to Quillin in an attempt to streamline the process. “Why is there a need to recreate a new model if student government is already wiling to take on that burden?” Morris asked. “And, we are willing to take that burden. “They should be focusing on leadership development, we should be focusing on government and that’s what we’re talking about with specialization.”
Advisers not advised Jonathan Forester, Student Or-
Delicate balance
ganizations Council’s graduate adviser, said he became aware last summer of discussion, headed by Morris, to extend ASG control over the council. He hadn’t heard anything in months, until he read an article in The University Star. The article reported student government was raising questions about the Campus Association for Student Organizations taking away SOC’s right to confirm or deny applications to become student organizations. Actually, the council never had the right to do so. When the council tried to deny an application, its members were told
it could not do so because the organization in question met all the necessary requirements. Several weeks later, the plan to take control of the council’s money was on the ASG Senate agenda. “It totally blindsided me,” Forester said. “The first time Michelle (Lopez, assistant director of the student center and SOC’s staff adviser) called me and said, ‘hey, did you read that article in the paper?’ “I read it and … we never took away their right to approve organizations. Then, with the legis-
USA Today study ranks Texas State third most selective school in state By Philip Hadley The University Star
Jon Clark/Star photo Texas State Alumna Emily Torgerson of the Austin Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble practices during Wednesday night’s dress rehearsal with fellow performer D. Poet Powell for the Thursday night opening of The Hotel at the George Washington Carver Center in Austin. SEE TRENDS PAGE 6.
San Marcos River due for 22nd annual cleanup By Karen Little The University Star The 22nd annual San Marcos River cleanup will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in City Park. Hosts include the San Marcos River Foundation, the Texas Rivers Protection Association and Keep Texas Beautiful. Josh Spradling, communications manager of Keep Texas Beautiful, said the organization sends out all the supplies needed such as plastic bags and promotional posters. “It’s up to the person holding the event to get volunteers,” he said. “We give them the tools they need to make a difference.” Tom Goynes has been making a difference for 35 years. As president of the Texas Rivers Protection Association, he has hosted the event since the first organized cleanup in 1972. He has been a frequent visitor of the river since the 1960s, when he moved to Hays County. “When you’re on the river a lot, you get tired of seeing trash in it,” Goynes said. “It distracts from the natural beauty.” The San Marcos River, which stretches 90 miles, begins at Aquarena Springs and ends at the mouth of
the Guadalupe River. The river is a popular hangout for students, residents and tourists. Students can be found sunbathing at campus-owned Sewell Park, which the river runs directly through. “At the fall cleanup there were (an estimated 200 people) helping pick up around town,” Goynes said. “We’ve had whole stores from the outlet mall show up.” They never turn anyone down for an extra hand, he said. Residents from Austin, Houston, San Antonio and the surrounding areas come to participate. The river is divided into portions appropriate for each volunteers’ familiarity with the river. “The Houston Canoe Club, (which) races canoes around the coast, are put in the river by Luling,” Goynes said. “They are used to paddling See CLEANUP, page 4 Monty Marion/Star file photo DOWN IN THE DIRT: Amber Francis, athletic training senior, picks up small pieces of trash from a group of trees near the banks of the San Marcos River during the river cleanup held Oct. 7.
Today’s Weather
Mostly Sunny 73˚/40˚
Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 20% UV: 7 High Wind: NW 17 mph
Two-day Forecast Friday Sunny Temp: 76°/ 42° Precip: 10%
Saturday Sunny Temp: 66°/ 37° Precip: 10%
See INFLUENCE, page 3
Students are finding acceptance to Texas State is becoming increasingly competitive as indicated by a recent study showing the school to be the third most selective public university in the state. Texas State’s acceptance rate is 57.7 percent, which puts it third behind the University of Texas at Austin at 51.2 percent and the University of Texas at Dallas at 53.1 percent, the study said. Michael Heintze, associate vice president for enrollment management, said the study was interesting and positive, but of minor importance compared to other aspects of Texas State. “Texas State’s graduation and retention rates are among the highest in the state, placing the university in the top 10 percent of schools in Texas” Heintze said. A university’s retention rate is the amount of students who continue school through their sophomore year. According to the Texas State Web site, the retention rate of freshmen is now 77 percent, up from 57 percent in late 1980s and above the national average of 71.6 percent. The graduation rate refers to the amount of students who successfully earn a degree. Heintze said the graduation
rate at Texas State was 52.7 percent in 2000, which placed the university at sixth in the state. “This demonstrates that the university is attracting stronger students and creating academic programs that are helping and assisting students at a greater rate,” Heintze said. Luis De La Cruz, music senior, said the study was reassuring. “It makes me feel good about being a student at Texas State,” De La Cruz said. “I am glad that they are selective.” Today, almost all incoming freshmen graduate in the top 50 percent of their high school class, and more than half of students are from the top quarter. “I am not surprised at all about this statistic,” said Nancy Grayson, associate dean for student academic affairs for the college of liberal arts. “I think it’s wonderful. Texas State has exceptional students and it is something we should all be proud of.” The study was conducted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling and published in USA Today. It contains acceptance information from 857 four-year colleges in the U.S. that accepted more than 1,000 students in 2004. The study said 2.6 percent of the schools included accepted less than 25 percent of their applicants, while 82.5 percent accepted more than half.
Faculty Senate discusses structural differences, strategies among colleges By Molly Berkenhoff The University Star Differences in the organizational structure of colleges within the university topped the agenda at the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday. The Senate listened to each dean describe the design of their department and the purposes of the committees and subcommittees each employs. The Senate hoped this communication of ideas would provide constructive information to other departments interested in reforming their structure. While each dean was encouraged to share the information behind their organizational strategy, the Faculty Senate recognized that because of the diverse nature of the departments,
Inside News ..............1-5 Trends .............6-9 Crossword ......... 9 Sudoku .............. 9
Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System
Comics .............. 9 Opinions .......... 10 Classifieds ....... 12 Sports ......... 13,14
no particular cohesive structure could be applied uniformly to each college. Some deans described the facilitation of minimal committees such as the science department, which features two primary committees, with the chairs of each department assigned to lead both. Hector Flores, dean of the college of science, said guidance in decision-making is sought from the department chairs. In contrast to this minimal structure, Ruth Welborn, dean of the college of health professions, said she leads a department that is complex in structure, with nine academic units controlling various aspects. She said there were advantages to this complexity. See STRATEGIES, page 3
To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2007 The University Star