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Defending the First Amendment since 1911

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MARCH 4, 2009

WEDNESDAY

Crowd protests microchipping ordinance outside City Hall

By Scott Thomas Editor in Chief Protestors outside City Hall cheered Tuesday when it was announced the date for mandatory-animal microchipping would be pushed back and public opinion sessions will be held to gauge San Marcos residents’ opinions.

“We would like to come back to this,” Mayor Susan Narvaiz said.

“We are in favor of having options

for our residents — not mandating.”

A crowd gathered outside City Hall protesting what they said was government intrusion. Katherine Albrecht, a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host, helped organize the event and served as a spokeswoman.

“I have been doing national inter interviews across the country and this has sparked a wave of interest,” Albrecht said. “I believe this microchipping issue is probably going

to be the one that tips the balance here. I have a feeling this is the silver bullet that will wake up the sleeping masses.”

Albrecht said the microchip ordinance is encroaching government.

“It’s a little too much Big Brother for peoples’ taste,” she said. “I think there is a concern that if we allow the government to say ‘you must microchip your dog’ the end point for

VoluMe 98, Issue 58

HARDBALL

See MICROCHIP, page 4

Karen Wang/Star photo NO MICROCHIP: Lisa Marie Coppoletta, academic adviser for the College of Education, helped organized the pet ordinance protest Tuesday at City Hall. FOR FOOTAGE OF THE PROTEST GO TO UNIVERSITYSTAR. COM

Bill may require students to have private insurance

By Allen Reed Assistant News Editor Free trips to the Student Health Center could become a thing of the past.

Texas Rep. Fred Brown (R-14) wants to replace the college health-care system with a private insurance model.

“College health centers represent one of the last remaining medical institutions that won’t accept private

health insurance for medical treat treatment,” Brown said. “Millions of dollars in state funding could be saved each year by having these centers file private insurance claims.”

If passed, House Bill 103 will take effect Sept. 1.

“This bill represents a simple way to save the state money without reducing services or increasing student fees,” Brown said. “By providing an additional revenue stream to

fund these student health centers, HB 103 will benefit not only college students and their parents, but the state as a whole.”

Emilio Carranco, director of the Student Health Center, said in an e-mail there are notable differences between the current college health model and the proposed private insurance model.

See HEALTH, page 4

Austin Byrd/Star photo (Top photo) Ryan Kos, senior second baseman, ducks while Taylor Hall, senior outfielder, catches the fly ball. (Bottom photo) Tyler Sibley, freshman infielder, is forced out by David Hernandez, Texas infielder, in front of a soldout crowd Tuesday at Bobcat Field. SEE PAGE 8 FOR FULL STORY Provided by the Student Health Center

Alkek 24-hour program Vultures keep students company in Sewell Park has one week left

By Teresa Wilburn News Reporter

By Lyanna Fuentes News Reporter

Week five of the Alkek Library’s 24-hour pilot program is in full swing, but it remains unknown if it will become the designated spot for students to pull an all-nighter.

The six-week pilot program began Feb. 1 and will end on March 11. Nightly head counts and statistics taken during the program will track library usage and ultimately tell if a 24-hour library is a necessary addition to the Texas State campus.

The extended hours would not go into effect until the fall semester, if approved.

“Things have gone relatively smoothly,” said Joan Heath, assistant vice president of the university library.

Heath said most students have shown overwhelming support for the pilot.

“They are very positive,” she said. “Basically, they’re saying they support the library doing this.”

Dax Underwood, business management senior, said the extended hours give students who work during the day a chance to catch up on their school work.

“It’s easier when you come at night, because there is less chance someone already has what you need out,” Underwood said. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea. If some people need the late hours to get in their study studying because of work and class, then more power to them.”

Derek Norman, physics junior, has worked at Alkek Library since August 2006. He agreed to take on the task of working the temporary late shift of 1 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. on the fourth floor at the reserve desk.

Despite students’ positive attiSee LIBRARY, page 4

Today’s Weather AM Clouds/PM Sun

84˚

Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 57% UV: 5 Moderate Wind: S 18 mph

The city has become home to some not so cuddly creatures.

Students in David Huffman’s or ornithology class are studying the increased populations of the American black vulture and turkey vulture congregating near Sewell Park.

Huffman, professor in the depart department of biology, attributes the increase in vultures present in San Marcos in large part to litter and dead animals in the area, which the birds eat.

Huffman, who has lived in the area for 35 years, said the vultures became a nuisance about seven or eight years ago.

“They got worse and worse,” Huff Huffman said. “They invaded Sewell Park, and started hanging out on top of JCK. If you go out to JCK and see spikes facing out on the windows, those are my spikes. People would get there in the morning, and each window would Bobby Scheidemann/Star photo have a vulture sitting in it. They would PREYING PREDATORS: Armies of vultures have darkened be lined up on the outside.” the skies at Texas State.

Huffman said vultures have the po-

Two-day Forecast Thursday

Friday

AM Clouds/PM Sun Temp: 83°/50° Precip: 10%

sunny Temp: 77°/41° Precip: 0%

tential to carry the avian bird flu. He said though the flu comes in through ducks and geese, vultures are the first to pick up and eat infected birds.

“The population density for these birds is vastly higher in the area,” Huffman said. “It is primarily because of vehicular traffic and garbage in the city. If we have all of this road kill that they are eating and all this garbage, finding a solution is the next step.”

Huffman said vermin-proof trashcans for parks should be available.

A policy requiring individuals to call in road kill sightings before a vulture finds it would help keep the vultures contained, he said.

“They (the City of San Marcos) need to have a policy that encourages residents to call in,” Huffman said.

“People are driving in the morning, if they see a dead dear, they can call a three digit number and a squad can come and pick up the dead deer. It removes it from the food chain.”

Huffman said trash in public areas is overflowing, and cans should be emptied frequently to minimize vul-

Inside News ........ 1,2,3,4 Opinions ............ 5 Trends ................ 6

Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System

Diversions............7 Classifieds...........7 Sports..................8

See BIRD, page 4

To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2009 The University Star

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2 - Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Calendar

starsof texas state McKenzie Baack, marketing junior, hit a two-run homer to right center to give Texas State a 2-0 lead against McNeese State Sunday. She led all Bobcats going 2-for-3. The Bobcats fell 5-2 to the Cowgirls.

Today in Brief

—Courtesy of Texas State Athletics

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

Learning The ropeS

In the Feb. 19 issue of The University Star it was reported that the Faculty Senate discussed three Texas State certificates related to Special Education Master’s degree concentrations to be offered in the department of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education in Fall 2009. The offering of the certificates is contingent on the approval of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

WEDNESDAY LGBQ Pride Group is from 12 to 1:30 p.m. It is open to students wanting to discuss the impact of their sexual identity on crucial aspects of their lives in a safe and confidential place. Pre-screening is required by calling the Counseling Center at 512-245-2208.

The Star regrets this error.

Anger Management Group is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Learn simple, innovative techniques for managing anger and developing healthier ways of relating. Pre-screening is required by calling the Counseling Center at 512-245-2208.

CRIME BLOTTER

ACOA/Dysfunctional Families Group is from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. for adult children of alcoholics dealing with dysfunctional families group. Prescreening is required by calling the Counseling Center at 512-245-2208.

University Police Department

There will be an Overeaters Anonymous Meet Meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 130 W. Holland.

Career Services Presents: How to Pursue a Career in the Federal Government from 5 to 7 p.m. in the LBJ Ballroom.

The Student Recital Series Presents: Guitar Studio Recital at 6 p.m. in the School of Music Recital Hall. Admission is free.

THURSDAY Veterans Support group is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Veterans can help veterans cope with the stress of transition and the demands of college lives. Pre-screening is required by calling the Counseling Center at 512-245-2208.

Coping with Grief and Loss Group is from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. It is a source for students who have experienced the death of a loved one. Pre-screening is required by calling the Counseling Center at 512-245-2208.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will hold its weekly meeting at 8:30 p.m. in Old Main, room 320. Enjoy contemporary worship, relevant teaching, prayer and plenty of fun. Contact 512-5577988 or mail@texasstatechialpha.com for more information.

FRIDAY There will be an AA meeting from 1 to 2p.m in the LBJ Student Center, room 3-13.1.

Correction

Hannah VanOrstrand/Star photo Alumnus Matt Southerland teaches Cullen Ricks and Josh Tagle, political science freshmen, how to tight-rope walk Tuesday at Sewell Park.

This Day In History 1681: England’s King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn for an area of land that later became Pennsylvania.

1789: The Constitution went into effect as the first Congress met in New York City.

1791: Vermont became the 14th state.

1837: The Illinois state legislature granted a city charter to Chicago.

1861: Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office as the 16th president.

1902: The American Automobile Association was founded in Chicago.

1913: Woodrow Wilson was sworn as the 28th president of the United States.

1917: Republican Jeanette Rankin of Montana took her seat as the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

on the Iran-Contra affair, acknowledging his overtures to Iran had “deteriorated” into an arms-for-hostages deal.

1997: President Bill Clinton barred spending federal money on human cloning.

1999: Retired Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun died at age 90.

1952: Actors Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in North Hollywood, Calif.

2005: Martha Stewart, imprisoned for five months for her role in a stock scandal, left federal prison to start five months of home confinement.

1987: President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation

—Courtesy of New York Times

Feb. 19, 4:09 p.m.

Assault - Family Violence / Supple Science Building A student reported to a police officer she was assaulted by another student. The case is under investigation.

Feb. 19, 5:59 p.m.

Civil Standby / Education Building A student was escorted from the classroom due to disruptive behavior. A report was made of the incident.

Feb. 19, 7:35 p.m.

Medical Emergency / Student Recreation Center A student injured his finger while playing basket basketball. The student refused medical transportation.

Feb. 19, 11:45 p.m.

Warrant Service / Post Road A police officer made contact with a vehicle for a routine traffic stop. Upon further investigation, a nonstudent was arrested for Warrants and transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center and is awaiting a court date.

Feb. 20, 8:55 a.m.

Medical Emergency / Supple Science Building A student suffered from a seizure. The student was transported to Central Texas Medical Center for a medical evaluation.

—Courtesy of University Police Department

News

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Residence hall charges angers students

By Lora Collins News reporter Missing microwaves and broken windows are the beginning in the list of damages recorded in residence halls each semester.

According to the Texas State housing contract, all students are responsible for damages within dorms and apartments.

The contract states, “If the identity of the person responsible for damages to university property cannot be determined after investigation, the director of the department of housing and residential life may prorate the cost to repair the damages among all or any portion of the residents.”

Ashley Garcia, interdisciplinary studies sophomore, said the policy is not fair.

“I don’t want to pay for something someone else did,” Garcia said.

Garcia said Bexar Hall’s front glass door was kicked in last week. She said no one has come forward and therefore, the whole hall will be charged.

“I think whoever did it probably thinks it’s funny, but it isn’t,” Garcia said. “I figured we are in college and people would have grown up by now with the childish acts. Let’s just say: I’m not happy about it.”

Kyle Estes, associate director of housing and residential life, said each dorm follows procedures to find the responsible party.

“When something occurs in a common area then the whole staff will do their best to try and figure out who

is responsible for it,” Estes said. “(They) do an investigation, post signs and if no one comes forward they try to solicit for that.”

He said different campuses follow the same procedures when it comes to property damage and loss.

“I have worked at five different schools across the United States and every one of them has had some version of this policy,” Estes said.

According to the University of Texas’s housing policy, “when responsible individuals cannot be identified, the community may be charged the cost to repair the vandalism.” Texas A&M University’s policies also follow similar format, entailing, “damage will be billed to individuals or groups, as necessary and may also result in university discipline and or criminal charges being pursued.”

Rianne McIntosh, finance sophomore, said she has been charged multiple times for incidents in residence halls.

“A charge I received in the dorm was trashcan charges for girls overfilling it and I was charged more than three times for other girls’ immaturities,” McIntosh said.

McIntosh said the charges are not fair to students who do not vandalize the residence halls.

“I don’t think it’s fair to charge someone for something they didn’t do just because other people won’t fess up,” McIntosh said. “They should try to find a new system of charging or catching students who do that.”

Estes said even with the

common occurrence of group charges he does not receive any complaints.

“I have not received any (complaints) this year about this particular policy,” Estes said.”

Nobody likes to have to pay money for something they did not do, but once we explain it to them they usually understand.”

McIntosh disagreed with Estes saying her parents were upset about the charges.

“My parents were upset that I was being charged because of other people, but they knew that neither I nor they could do anything about it and to only hope the culprit would step forward,” McIntosh said.

Estes said security procedures take effect when reports are filed for missing things in residence halls.

“If they have video cameras they might ask the University Police Department to review the video and see if they see anybody walking out carrying a microwave,” Estes said.

“Also if they see in the video they swipe their card they can sometimes get a number off their card.”

McIntosh said sometimes students’ possessions go missing and cause problems for the hall as a whole.

“I think we are all adults by now and yes, we are responsible for our things as well as our self,” McIntosh said. “But when you display carelessness to your belongings and something was to happen to them, then it is your own responsibility to face that consequence and no one else.”

Obama restores construction

By Jim Tankersley Chicago Tribune WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama overrode the Bush administration on a key step in administering the Endangered Species Act on Tuesday, restoring a requirement for federal agencies to consult with experts on threatened species before launching construction projects that could affect their well-being.

Environmentalists said reinstating the requirement blocks the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service and others from “nibbling away” at critical wildlife habitat. Business and industry groups, on the other hand, warned that it could hamper road-building and other projects that would help jump-start the economy.

Bush’s rule change, finalized in December, allowed federal agencies to determine on their own if projects would jeopardize endangered species, instead of consulting with expert biologists, as had been required for the past three decades. It gave agencies the option, if they so chose, of calling on the experts from the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Obama took away the option and made such consultation mandatory. He announced the change during a celebration of

the 160th anniversary of the Interior Department, telling cheering employees it would “restore the scientific process to its rightful place at the heart of the Endangered Species Act.”, The president did not technically overturn the Bush rule, which would require a lengthy process. He instead issued a memorandum instructing agencies to exercise the consultation option in every instance, until the Interior and Commerce departments can reconsider the Bush rule change.

“This is very good news for endangered species,” said Andrew Wetzler of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The regulations that President Bush issued were clearly illegal, and they were bad policy to boot.”

Michael Bean, director of wildlife programs for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the forced consultation with expert biologists has tempered the ambitions of the Army Corps, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Reclamation and other agencies that “have historically had pretty strong mission drives, which have maybe overwhelmed concerns about species.”

Consultations have resulted in a variety of measures to preserve species that could be imperiled by government projects, including steps to protect the endangered San Clemente

Island loggerhead shrike from the effects of a nearby Navy ship-to-shore live-fire range.

An Interior decision earlier in Bush’s presidency allowed the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to skip the consultations when setting certain fire management policies. A 2008 government review found both agencies frequently failed to consider key aspects of the policies’ effects on species.

Industry lobbyists said Obama’s decision Tuesday to mandate the consultations would add “red tape” to infrastructure projects funded by the economic stimulus bill. “This directive throws the brakes on projects,” said Bill Kovacs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice president of environment, technology and regulatory affairs.

Even clean energy plans, such as wind farms, could be slowed down, said Michael Olsen, a former Bush Interior official who now lobbies for energy interest at Bracewell and Giuliani. “It’s not just projects that folks would term non-green,” he said. “It’s the green projects, too.”

Environmentalists scoffed at those warnings. “This kind of scientific consultation was how the Endangered Species Act worked for 30 years,” said Athan Manuel, director of lands protection for the Sierra Club. “So I think that’s sour grapes.”

Graduate House connects to students through TRACS

By Gabby Jarrett New Reporter Graduate House is showing its hand when it comes to decisions made on the behalf of fellow students.

The Graduate House’s TRACS site is in the third week of operation. The move was made in order to help the Graduate House ‘go transparent.’

“We want students to know everything, from the way representatives voted to every word said in our meetings,” said Daniel Reed, house leader for the Graduate House of Representatives.

Reed said the decision was discussed last fall, but was not actually put in effect until this semester.

“Paula Williamson, Graduate House advisor, was really in support of the Graduate House getting our name out there to the students,” Reed said. “The house took a vote in the fall semester that made the decision final.”

Reed said there are around 4,000 graduate students at the university, and they should have all received a link to the TRACS site.

“We are a part of the senate that

students really don’t know about,” Reed said. “We want to expand the grad student experience.”

Reed said the house is seeing more interest from students as a result of the new updates on their TRACS site. Questions on how to apply for house seats and applications are continually submitted. Reed said the house has received around 150 e-mails in the past two weeks addressing issues and questions from students on how to get involved.

The TRACS site allows students to blog, take part in a forum, look at a calendar of events and take polls.

Reed said the representatives will fill the remainder of the seats in the Graduate House at the next meeting.

“There are currently eight representatives and we expect to have nine seats sworn in at the next meeting,” Reed said.

“This will put us at full capacity, and this is the first time in its three years of operation the Graduate House has had all the seats filled.”

Rep. Stacia Miller, with the College of Education, and Rep. Lauren Morgan, with the College of Fine Arts and Communication, both voted for the house

to begin posting records online.

“When you don’t have information, it makes it hard on students,” Morgan said. “We want students to know we are available.”

Morgan said there is a commitment to excellence with the new transparent policy.

Miller said she wants to meet the needs of other graduate students on campus. The next issue Miller will tackle is the possibility of graduate students taking part in a hooding ceremony, she said.

“This ceremony was taken away from graduate students about two years ago, and now it’s only for doctoral recipients,” Miller said.

Morgan said the thing she is most looking forward to is the graduate student research symposium. Miller said it will be an opportunity for grad students to showcase research they have been working on and share ideas with fellow colleagues. Miller said students are working on unique projects.

“There have been 1,604 students active on the TRACS site in the last week,” Reed said. “The next step for the site will be the assessment part section which will house our meeting minutes.”

The University Star - 3

News

4 - The University Star

MICROCHIP CONTINUED from page 1

is the government saying ‘you yourself must be microchipped.’”

The controversy started in January after the City Council approved a new ordinance making it mandatory for pet owners to microchip their dogs and cats.

The microchip allows animal services to retrieve the owners’ information.

However, the effects of the microchip are controversial.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Web site, tumors associated with microchips in two dogs were reported. However, the site goes on to state the tumor in one of the dogs could not be directly linked to the microchip itself and

LIBRARY CONTINUED from page 1

tudes toward the pilot program, Norman said the floor is usually fairly empty during the extended hours. As a result, Norman does not share the same enthusiasm for the 24-hour pilot.

“I really don’t think it’s necessary,” Norman said. “At 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., there are maybe three people in here, and two of them are sleeping.”

Norman said he thinks slightly extended hours, such as keeping the library open until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., would be a more reasonable alternative to fulfill students’ studying needs. “Maybe we can be 24 hours for the midterms, but that’s it,” he said.

Heath said while a conclusion

may have been caused by something else.

Albrecht, who has a doctorate in human development and psychology, said she has researched animal microchips. She said a dog died from blood loss last month hours after receiving the microchip.

“We spoke with the veterinarian and have seen the veterinarian report. (The dog) clearly bled to death from the hole where the microchip was implanted,” she said.

The council’s stated goal for the ordinance is to get more lost pets back to their owners.

Councilmember John Thomaides, Place 6, said the Humane Society of San Marcos euphonizes around 20 dogs daily.

“My colleagues and I have a de-

sire to not see as many animals killed as are being in our shelter now,” said Councilmember Chris Jones, Place 4. “The goal for me is a less or a no kill shelter.”

Melanie Gutermuth, public administration senior, said she does not want people to be afraid of planting microchips in their pets. However, Gutermuth said she is not for mandatory microchip placements in animals.

Gutermuth, who addressed the council about the ordinance, said her dog has not been adversely affected by microchipping.

“I got her from the shelter,” Gutermuth said. “She was a lost dog. She has a tattoo that is supposed to identify the dog, which they say is the good and healthy alternative. The argument is that

there is no central database of tattoos on dogs and you can’t put sufficient information in writing.”

Gutermuth said the issue has been one sided so far and suggested to the council adopt a voluntary microchipping model.

“Not many people come out in support of things,” she said. “They usually come out when there is a problem and they disagree.”

Mike Occhialini, San Marcos resident, said the council needs to spend its time and resources on other matters.

“Please stop wasting money on problems you cannot stop,” Occhialini said. “We do not have time to waste. This means you must have courage... Please make sure you are ready to discuss these issues when you campaign.”

has not been made, head counts do show a general decline in attendance during the early hours of the morning.

“When you hit 3 a.m., there is a drop-off,” Heath said.

Numbers have shown a fluctuation in attendance during the first few weeks of the pilot. Heath said the usage probably varies as tests and projects come and go.

“The first week overall was the slowest week.” Heath said.

“Week two picked up. Week three stayed at least comparable or the same and week four declined a bit. It might be what we’re seeing here is a parallel in the academic schedule.”

Students such as Tyrone Baugh, exercise sports science sophomore, who use the library’s

extended hours are enthusiastic about the possible change, despite the change in numbers.

“I have a hard time studying anywhere else, and I tend to pull all-nighters, cramming right before an exam,” Baugh said.

Baugh said he visits the library late at night to print assignments and to find resources for research papers.

“Occasionally, I’ll not buy a textbook and just borrow the one my professor has on hold for that class whenever I need it,” he said. “With all these different classes that people have to take, there’s always something to study for, or something else to print off or look up for classes.”

Heath said during week three of the pilot, the library staff began

handing out a survey to late-night studiers once a week to collect input from students about the pilot.

“We are really trying to get some input from the students that are here,” Heath said.

The survey gives library staff insight into whether students live on campus, their classification and what areas of the library they use during the extended hours. According to the 129 surveys filled during week three of the pilot, the study areas and computer labs are the most frequently used.

According to week-three survey, juniors and seniors made up more than half of the people visiting the library during the extended hours.

Freshmen and sophomores made up almost a quarter of people who reported attending.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

HEALTH

CONTINUED from page 1

He said HB 103 has advantages and disadvantages.

Carranco said if the bill passes, visits to the Student Health Center will no longer be free.

Students pay for the health center through a $53 per semester fee, regardless of whether they use the service. He said approximately 25 percent of Texas State students are without insurance, and higher costs associated with the bill’s passage may result in the delay of healthcare.

“In order to accept and bill private insurance as proposed in HB 103, the Student Health Center would have to hire additional staff and remodel spaces in the health center,” Carranco said.

“These additional administrative costs would have to be recovered through revenues generated by billing private insurance. While we anticipate that we will be able to cover the costs of additional staff and remodeling with revenues generated by billing private insurance, students will have to pay higher costs for most of our services in order for us to generate the necessary revenues.”

Approximately 50 percent of Texas State students use the Student Health Center annually, according to their practice management system report from January 2008 to November 2008. Sixty percent of those paid nothing for their visit. Nineteen percent paid $20 or less. Two percent paid more than $100 for their visit.

If HB 103 is passed, students will have longer waiting times at the center, Caranco said.

“We currently have a very efficient check-in and check-out system because we do not have to deal with insurance,” Caranco said. “On patient satisfaction surveys patients have indicated that 85 to 90 percent of the time they are seen within 15 minutes of their appointed time.”

He said accepting private insurance would require the cen-

BIRD

CONTINUED from page 1

tures’ food supply.

“The vultures are in the area because they know it is a sanctuary,” Huffman said. “An abundance of food that attracts the animals and sustains them is here.”

Black vultures hunt by sight and are known to hunt prey not yet dead. They use body language to signal to each other, Huffman said. LisaMarie Cipolla, biology senior and student in Huffman’s class, said turkey vultures usually feed alone, but with black vultures, there is an element of teamwork.

“They have been known to attack baby calves in groups,” said Ryan Stewart, wildlife biology senior and student of Huffman’s.

Huffman said the vultures can gouge the eyes out of their prey and kill small mammals. However, he said there is no evidence the black vultures can even smell their food.

“It is debatable,” Huffman said. “Turkey vultures have demonstrated that they have a heightened sense of smell. They have done experiments with dead deer. Turkey vultures could find the deer, and black vultures would watch the turkey vultures for food.”

Huffman said there are two kinds of behavior for a hungry vulture.

“There is appetite behavior where they circle around looking,” Huffman said. “Then there is appetite activity, where road kill is present and a beeline fol-

ter to collect health insurance information and enter it into the computer system.

“Calls would have to be made to insurance companies to verify that the student is still covered by the insurance plan,” Carranco said. “Deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance amounts would have to be verified in order to make sure that we collect the appropriate payment for each patient. All of this takes time and has to be done while the patient is in the clinic. Whether we choose to collect and verify the information at check-in or checkout, the outcome will be longer waits for all patients.”

Mandy Domaschk, student health advisory committee, said she is against the bill.

“I don’t think it benefits the students,” she said. “It would actually make it harder for students to get services at the student health center.”

Domaschk said insurance companies will benefit the most from HB 103 and students, parents and the health center would be adversely affected.

“I think it costs students more to privatize it in a way like HB 103 would have it privatized,” Domaschk said. “To have it the way that it is, is the most cost effective. Our Student Health Center runs well now — we’re highly accredited.”

Carranco said under Brown’s bill, the Student Health Center pharmacy would accept and charge private insurance, and because of poor reimbursement amounts, the on-campus pharmacy could fail.

“We project that the pharmacy will go from making money to losing money,” Carranco said.

“Depending on the magnitude of the losses, it is conceivable that the pharmacy would have to be closed. Large pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS can survive the low reimbursements because they have such large volumes of business and have other products they sell in their stores.”

lows down to it.”

A student in Huffman’s ornithology class, Victoria Ulrich, wildlife biology senior, said the vultures are able to digest foods other animals cannot and are “immune to certain bacteria, like anthrax and cholera.”

Feasting on trash and dying animals are not the only factors bringing and keeping the vultures to the area. The presence of thermal currents plays a role in the increased population as well.

“A thermal is when the sun is heating up the ground differentially,” Huffman said. “Black pavement or masonry absorbs a lot of heat and there is not enough cooling, so you get this pocket of hot air that punches up above it. The vultures are able to find these.”

Huffman said vultures are soaring birds and do not like to flap their wings. The Balcones escarpment southerly winds hit up against the fault line, causing vertical components pushing through the air, he said.

“They will taxi back and forth along the Balcones fault line,” Huffman said. “The interesting thing is that a big source of road kill is right next to it. There is also a thermal associated with Interstate-35, which is called a street thermal. They can just go back and forth without flapping and see road kill.”

Huffman said a portion of the vulture population chooses to stay in San Marcos and do not follow a migratory pattern. He said the average vulture can live around 15 years.

OpiniOns 5 - The University Star

onlineconnection Check out www.UniversityStar.com in the following weeks for continued News, Sports, Trends and Opinions coverage.

Realizing Opinions Contact — Krista Almazan, staropinion@txstate.edu

The Main PoinT o be a graduating senior right now is a frightening prospect.

T

The irresponsible decisions of people in positions of power have led to a massive financial downturn affecting everyone in the nation.

It seemed Central Texas might be spared from the economic beating other areas of the country have taken, but recent evidence points to the contrary. According to Thursday’s issue of The Uni University Star Star, the Texas Workforce Commission is reporting a 14 per percent increase of job seekers from December 2008 to January 2009.

Central Texas residents who had hoped to be spared from the painful recession are now beginning to realize the grim truth.

An increase in job seekers is not the only indication to the area’s present economic straights. News reports show jobs are getting hundreds of applications. Any recent graduate can probably tell stories of the tough battle to get a job.

Even areas previously thought to house consistent employers are taking turns for the worse. Texas State has issued a staff-hiring freeze. Dozens of other universities across the nation have issued faculty and staff-hiring freezes.

The City of Austin announced it will cease filling vacant positions, aside from some crucial roles such as emergency services.

Being a student about to en enter the real world is a daunting thought, but it is a good time to be enrolled at a university. Students need to take this time before graduation to seize the competitive edge over their colleagues. Even students who will graduate soon may still have time to fill out appli applications for internships and acquire the skills necessary to gain employ employment within their chosen field.

Discouragement will come easily when students take the plunge into the job market. It is possible a job seeker will be rejected literally hundreds of times before finding even the most meagerly paying employers. The days of getting a good job right after graduation may be over, but not for those with the most impressive résumé.

However, even students with a 3.0 GPA or lower can still find the profession in which they will spend the rest of their lives, but it will come with more work and perseverance. Seekers who get rejected a hundred times and give up will only have a hundred rejection letters. Seekers who get rejected a hundred times and go out for a hundred more might wind up with only 199 rejection letters.

Life will be harder over the next few years. Instead of lamenting over their misfortune, students need to take the sour market as an opportunity to realize how far they are willing to push themselves. Now, stop slack slacking and go get a job.

Recession

Column writing just another useless fad

miChael walker

Star Columnist

In today’s society, there are no more arrogant egotists in the public eye than opinion columnists.

It goes without saying that column writers vomit their self-righteous sentiment all over the public without regard to context or the feelings of readers. It seems opinion writers decide they have a brilliant insight over the public, as though the rest of the world is blind or ignorant. These presumptuous newspaper features are full of skewed political stances crouching behind eloquent words and overly subjective social commentary.

Historically, the undercurrent of writing is to provoke change. But opinion writers sit behind their voices, taking no action and defeating the purpose of writing opinions.

When new to the business of journalism, columnists relish the opportunity to say what they want, knowing people will pay attention. The freedom is both intoxicating and dangerous, like a child getting

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

Texas State not minority friendly

triStan watSon

Star Columnist

Texas State’s efforts to increase mi minority enrollment is probably the best idea the university has had in a long time.

The decision to return to Friday classes was a colossal mistake, and printing students’ pictures and GPAs on attendance sheets is one of the most unethical things.

The minority enrollment rate has not drastically changed and the inten intentions to increase those numbers are little more than hot air.

Based on the current enrollment rate, it would seem the admissions offices give priority to white students and then choose a limited number of individuals from each ethnicity to make it seem as if they are vigorously trying to admit minority students.

I disagree with the statement made

by Michael Heintze, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management.

Heintze said last Wednesday in an article on larger minority enrollments that Texas State has been “aggressive in their outreach efforts.” Texas State has not been aggressive enough.

The latest statistics of double-digit number increases within the minority enrollment this year does not offset the issue of Texas State’s need for diversity. The amount of minority enrollment pales in comparison to the amount of Caucasian enrollment.

In the Feb. 25 article, director of re retention management and planning, Jen Jennifer Beck, stated “If you want to know why Texas State is such a great place to come, it’s because students are helping one another.”

I disagree with this statement.

A good majority of the student organizations are not equal among different races, or accepting a healthy number of minorities into their groups. If everyone was helping one another, why do minorities feel the need to start clubs geared toward their own race such as Black Men United or the Chinese Student Association? It is because others reject them.

Certain fraternities and sororities are predominately white with little to no minority membership. The distressing thing is some of the student organizations do not want minority membership. It also does not help matters when minority organizations are not given the same recognition as others. Texas State needs to become more minority friendly.

Increasing minority enrollment is up to the admissions staff. Minority students are applying. Texas State is just not accepting them. The spring 2009 record enrollment rate may be impressive to some, but it does not Zach Ashburn/Star Illustation change the fact minority enrollment has been scarce for years.

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.

The University Star

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

a new toy before their parent’s dinner party. Every guest will see and hear about the toy and it will get old quickly.

Columnists write about any subject under the sun, but few have any expert opinion on more than a few subjects. With the authority of a by-line, they take full license to dive into any issue their hearts desire, often without appropriate premeditation.

When the opinions fly at full mast, the sails are often opened simply to sell papers and the sailors expect no opposition.

Writers lust over reading their own opinion, their own voice in print like pubescent middle-school kids discovering the ability to kiss each other in front of the lockers at school.

Most opinionates today rely on their readers not to research topics. They write for an established newspaper, which implies their judgment can be trusted.

According to Fresnobee online, columnists “can write 100 columns calling the president a mass-murdering, sexually depraved sociopath, or demanding that we nationalize oil companies, but don’t dare invite the wrath of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the parents of autistic kids or (shudder) cat lovers.”

This means columnists are over selective and scared.

Opinion writers most certainly are cowardly. In fact, most are probably hiding under blankets at home, carelessly writing about the big scary world and sipping coffee. So to all fixed gear bike riders who were offended by last week’s column, I publicly apologize and regret my previous remarks.

Editor In Chief..............................Scott Thomas, stareditor@txstate.edu Letters.....................................................................starletters@txstate.edu News Editor.............................Amanda Venable, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor....................Brett Thorne, starentertainment@txstate.edu Opinions Editor.......................Krista Almazan, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor.....................................Karen Wang, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor.....................................Lisa Carter, starsports@txstate.edu

L2E Letters to the editor Student argues for concealed carry on campus As a female student who attends Texas State on a daily basis, I know concealed car carry on campus should be implemented. Gar Garrett McSpadden, in his opinion column on Feb. 19, made the argument that concealed carry on campus would only lead to campus confusion. He pointed out that one in 74 Texans would be carrying a loaded firearm on campus, but I find it unlikely, seeing that most students are not eligible to get their concealed carry license, as you must be 21 and pass a background check. This means only the upperclassmen are eligible.

Another point the columnist made is that in a hostile situation on campus, which in itself is rare, a police officer would not know who to fire upon, “the Good Samaritan or the maniac.” First of all, anyone who has had firearms training knows that shooting someone is the very last resort for stopping a situation. That is why when police officers enter a threatening room, they immediately command everyone present to drop their weapons. The Good Samaritan drops his weapon because after all he does not want to be shot. All police officers are trained to handle situations with friendly forces, whether they are an undercover officers or concealed handgun licensees.

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Mr. McSpadden referred to the dramatic situations in movies, but it simply does not occur in real life. Movies are exaggerated and we should never, under any circumstance, base important decisions on them.

Everyone who is against concealed handguns on campus seems to make the argument that in a mass shooting, more guns would make the situation more dangerous.

While I whole heartedly disagree, this debate is not about that scenario at all. I am advocating that those who are licensed should be able to protect themselves.

Last semester there were numerous e-mails from UPD giving us “timely warning” about possible rapists on campus. Those e-mails sure did make me feel better about walking around campus at night! I really felt safer! UPD was not present at any of those incidents, what makes you think they will be there when you get robbed on your way home? Self-defense is not a right that we should have to check-in at the admissions office. As a woman who does not want to rely on anyone for my protection, I fully support every effort to allow concealed carry on campus.

— Cristina Vela, history senior

Office Manager.............................Emily Gerngross, eg1166@txstate.edu Media Specialist.......................................Matt Lynch, matty@txstate.edu Advertising Coordinator......................Jodie Claes, starad1@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator...........................Linda Allen, la06@txstate.edu Publications Director...............Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu Visit The Star at www.UniversityStar.com

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 Wednesday, March 4, 2009. 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.

Trends the university star

creativecursive

Omaha, Nebraska’s Cursive is the latest band to turn their noses up at traditional music distribution methods. The band’s new album, Mama, I’m Swollen, was released through the band’s label, Saddle Creek as a digital download for $1 on March 1st. The album price will increase $1 every day until the album’s release March 10th when it will be available for $9 on the Saddle Creek Web site. The band’s last album, Happy Hollow, debuted at #96 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band has set up several shows during South by Southwest.

6 - Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Trends Contact — Brett Thorne, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Independent musicians struggle in state ranked No. 1 for support

By Christian Wallace Features Reporter Kent Finlay sat on the Cheatham Street stage. His dark boot tapped to the rhythm of the rise and fall of his right hand strumming the golden strings on his sunburst Gibson guitar. Finlay’s salt and pepper goatee framed a smile while the owner surveyed the crowd through the shadow cast by his baseball cap.

“Texas Independence Day is my favorite national holiday!”

Finlay said into the microphone.

March 2 was not the average songwriter’s night at Cheatham Street Warehouse. It was an event dedicated to Texas songs by local songwriters. One by one, local musicians took the stage to belt out lyrics covering every subject from Texas cooking to outlaws.

The content of the songs seemed appropriate in light of the recent results of a five-year study done by Roots Music that declared Texas was the No. 1 state supporting independent music.

Finlay has been immersed in the world of independent music for more than three decades.

“In the last 15 years, I have noticed a big growth in independent labels,” Finlay said.

Finlay said another positive transformation in the independent music scene has been the addition of access via the World

Wide Web. “The Internet has helped independent artists a great deal. We can communicate with the world now,” Finlay said. “There was a time when you had to have a publicist and money. Those things still help, but today it is not impossible to make it as a totally independent artist.”

Despite the state’s recent recognition as the leading supporter, independent artists in Texas are struggling to make a living off their music and Austin is no exception.

“All my friends that are good musicians have moved away. The Austin music community is in a critical state,” said Lindsay Smith, a law student at the University of Texas and a board member of Save Austin Music.

“Every year Austin music brings in a billion dollars to the local economy, but the musicians aren’t getting paid back for their contributions. They are still getting paid what they did 20 years ago,” Smith said.

Matt Skinner, a record producer, musician and singer/songwriter, made the trip from Austin to play for the Independence Day show at Cheatham.

“Going into a venue and playing a hundred dollar gig, back in the old days, was great. I think the problem is inflation and the cost of living have gone up, but

what you pay musicians hasn’t,” Skinner said.

Organizations like Save Austin Music and the Austin Music Foundation are trying to reverse the negative trend in the Austin music scene.

“Right now, we are waiting on the city manager to decide whether or not he will approve the establishment of a city music department,” Smith said. “One thing musicians have requested is a musician’s card that would offer certain benefits around the city. We are trying to organize the community so that they can start getting treated better.”

Also in the works are efforts to create a minimum pay for musicians, offer more affordable living and health care benefits for independent artists. This summer, Austin Music Foundation will be offering a boot camp for musicians in order to equip them with the knowledge to survive in the business of being a band.

“We are trying to give musicians tools so they can get more than ‘hand-shake’ deals,” Smith said.

Skinner, a member of Save Austin Music, said artists may suffer during this time, but music itself will not fall victim to hard times.

“During this recession — whatever we’re going through, I say depression — people want to have a good time, some escapism,”

Skinner said. “But those little extra expenses for a musician, those start to matter and a lot of people are weeded out. Those that are in it for the long haul are left and, historically speaking, some of the best music has come

live shows. One of the most important factors for these bands is the success of fusion. Jam bands incorporate nearly any and every genre of music while creating whole new sub-genres in the process. The Grateful Dead and Phish are two of the more widely recognized jam bands. Santa Cruz has also produced one of significant magnitude, Sound Tribe Sector 9.

STS9 is an instrumental band with a moderate international following. The band uses a mixture of funk, jazz, psychedelic and

hip-hop. Self-proclaimed as “postrock dance music,” STS9 bases its unique sound on instrumental rock and analog-generated sound to create a true masterpiece. Its live performances create meaningful music with its favored group rhythm over individual solo instrumentations.

Their first three albums, which were released in 1999 and 2000 with Landslide Records, were titled Interplanetary Escape Vehicle, Sector 9-The Brown Album (Live Release) and Offered Schematics Suggesting

Peace, subsequently. In 2002 they began releasing albums on their own record label, 1320 Records. The albums, Seasons 01 (Live Release), Live at Home, Artifact, Artifact: Remixes Vol. 1 and Artifact: Prospectives and Peaceblaster, are mainly live recordings from concerts and festival appearances.

Peaceblaster, released in 2008, illustrates the immense impact STS9 is having on the world, given its live reviews. Bassist David Murphy described the album in a recent interview.

out of depression times.”

Finlay similarly pointed out, even amidst a bad economy, consumers have traditionally remained loyal to artists and their music.

“Even during the Depression

in the ’30s, people still bought Jimmie Rodgers records. You got to have food for the body and a little music for the soul,” Finlay said. “Maybe we can squeeze through all this without it getting too much harder.”

Spencer Millsap/Star file photo ON THE RISE: The Internet has helped artists gain exposure, but musicians in the Austin-San Marcos area are still struggling to get by financially.

Band fuses instrumental rock, analog sound Leslie Peters

Trends Columnist

Jam bands enveloped the youth’s culture in the 1960s.

Jam bands have been admired for improvising for long periods of time, and are known for their

“America is this beautiful, incredible place, but it has a dark underbelly,” he said. “And even on Peaceblaster’s most ethereal songs, there’s a darkness that reflects what’s going on in society. It ain’t all bad, but it ain’t all good.”

STS9 brings a universal experience of musical and social awareness that is original and will never grow out of style.

STS9 has long been known on the festival scene, performing at Bonaroo, Coachella, Austin City Limits Music, Earthdance, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festi-

val, Lollapalooza and hundreds of other concerts. STS9 has had a series of sold-out concerts at the Fillmore, San Francisco’s seminal venue for the ’60s psychedelic scene, and the Avalon in Hollywood.

STS9 members continue to grow as a band, and through their music, the audience can experience the essence of music, the release of the soul through vibrations of instruments. The instruments tell their own story, and no lyrics are needed. That is music at its core, and that is STS9.

New talk show host faces daunting challenges

By Neal Justin Star Tribune The most daunting competitor facing Jimmy Fallon, who takes over “Late Night” on Monday with zero hosting experience and loads of public skepticism, is not Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel or even the ghost of Conan O’Brien.

It’s sleepiness.

Fallon will enjoy a grace pe-

riod in which curious viewers will stay up past their bedtime to check out the former “SNL” star, whose greatest accomplishments to date are managing to get through a few skits without a giggle fit and convincing Drew Barrymore to play his love interest in Fever Pitch.

However, the new kid on the block will be following both Jay Leno in prime time and O’Brien’s

revamped “Tonight Show,” come fall, daring even diehard fans of his 2004 Taxi, to endure a third hour of topical jokes, outrageous sketches and stars pushing their latest masterpieces.

“People are always fighting sleep when they’re deciding whether to stay up for these shows or not,” said Peter Lasally, executive producer for “The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson” and a longtime confidant of both Johnny Carson and David Letterman. “Now we’re going to have five late-night shows in Los Angeles alone. It’s a whole new experiment, and it could shake things up tremendously.”

Just how Fallon intends to stand out remains a mystery. He’s been posting videos every weekday for months, but the bits look like out-

takes from a home-improvement series, with Fallon “oohing” and “aahing” over everything from his band, The Roots, to the set’s giant screen, offering few laughs in the process. He’s been doing stand-up on the road ever since NBC tapped him, but a recent sample performance on “The Tonight Show” suggested that the monologue will be, at best, a work in progress.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of trial and error,” Fallon said.

“We’re going to try stuff. That’s what’s fun about being on late.

You can be looser and be more adventurous. We’ll try stuff that just hangs. And if it’s not funny, we’ll try it again. And if that’s not funny, we’ll do it one more time.”

Fallon is affable in person — strangers are addressed as “pals,”

— and he seems more intent on being personable than being a crackup. Great qualifications for a roommate, but it’s a suspect profile for a new talk-show host.

It is dangerous, of course, to prejudge these kind of shows, not to mention a tad unfair. The first to point that out is none other than Ferguson, who will be Fallon’s primary rival, and has steadily climbed in the ratings since debuting in 2005 with little fanfare.

“I’ve heard some negative stuff about Jimmy, which I find a little surprising, given the fact that he hasn’t done anything yet,” said Ferguson, who’s well aware that time and patience are key ingredients to late-night success. “During the writers’ strike, we played some really old shows on the air

and I watched a couple of them,” Ferguson said. “I was like, ‘that’s a very uncomfortable man.’”

A famous rips-to-riches story stars O’Brien. When he debuted 16 years ago, the reviews were devastating and many predicted he would not last a month.

“I hate to sound like the preacher of common sense, but I’ve told Jimmy that nobody who hasn’t done one of these shows every single day can possibly imagine what it’s like,” O’Brien said.

“There’s no way you can go off in a cave somewhere and completely conceive and conceptualize your show and then go on the air and start cranking them out. The only way to learn is by doing it. There’s no college they can send you to.

It’s not always pretty to watch, but it’s the only way.”

Diversions

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The University Star - 7

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

Solutions for 3/3

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Cost - 25¢ per word (1–6 days); Cost - 20¢ per word (7+ days); Deadline - 2 business days prior by noon All classified ads must be paid in advance, unless credit is established. Classified ads will be edited for style purposes. We do our best, but please check your classified ad for accuracy. Any corrections to your ad must be made by the second day of publication. As a free service to you, all classified ads will be published on-line on our web site at www.universitystar.com. However, 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 the univerSity Star

basketballbattle

The Texas State men’s basketball team will play its second I-35 Rivalry game against TexasSan Antonio 7 p.m. tonight at Strahan Coliseum. Texas State is 6-8 in Southland Conference play and 13-14 overall. UTSA is 8-6 in SLC play, 17-10 overall.

8 - Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Sports Contact — Lisa Carter, starsports@txstate.edu

Bobcat baseball falls short of winning home opener

By Joseph o. Garcia Sports Reporter

A record crowd of 2,593 people attended the opening game in the new baseball stadium against the Texas Longhorns Tuesday. It was Texas State’s home opener and the first time the Longhorns have visited San Marcos.

“I’ve waited so long for this day to get here,” said Coach Ty Harrington. “I was very nervous and very anxious, but also very excited for the ballpark and then for Texas to come in here and play. I think it was a very special moment.”

However, the Bobcats lost 6-5.

The Bobcats pitching carried over from the weekend. In the first inning as starter, Michael Russo, junior pitcher, retired the first three Longhorn batters to make it a three-up and threedown inning.

The Bobcats took advantage Austin Byrd/Star photo of a hit by a pitch in the bottom GUNNED DOWN: Kevin Keyes, Texas outfielder, attempts to of the first and a walk to score steal second but gets tagged out by Adam Witek, Bobcat senior Tyler Sibley, freshman infielder, infielder.

on a throwing error from David Hernandez, Texas shortstop.

The Longhorns threatened to score in the top of the second with two men on and two outs.

However, Russo struck out Her Hernandez to close the inning.

The Bobcats added two more runs on four hits in the bottom of the second inning.

The Longhorns finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Hernandez made up for earlier miscues by batting in two runs on a single to center. The tying run came after Conner Rowe, sophomore center fielder, hit a single to score Hernandez.

Austin Dicharry, Texas pitcher, was relieved by Keith Shinaberry after going three and one-third innings. Shinaberry forced Paul Goldschmidt, junior infielder, to hit into a double play with the bases loaded and end the inning.

Russo was relieved by Tim Heath, junior pitcher, in the top of the sixth. Russo gave up five hits and struck out

four batters.

“I thought Michael was good,” Harrington said. “He ran out of gas. He had no business going back in the sixth, but I let him talk me into going back in.”

The Bobcats added two more runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Bret Atwood, sophomore centerfielder, singled to left-center field to score Adam Witek, senior second baseman.

Spencer Dennis, senior outfielder, then hit a single to second to score Atwood. Dennis dove into the bag head first to beat the throw. The inning ended with the Bobcats up 5-3.

The Longhorns came back in the seventh inning when Brandon Belt, Texas first baseman, hit a home run over the leftcenter field wall. The score was 5-4 at the seventh inning stretch with Texas State ahead.

Tyler Brundridge, senior pitcher, came into the game in the eighth to try to preserve a one-run lead. However, he gave up two RBIs on two hits to give

the Longhorns a 6-5 lead.

The score remained at 6-5 heading into the ninth. Lance Loftin, senior pitcher, came in to relieve Brundridge after he recorded one out. Loftin struck out one player and one runner was thrown out attempting to steal second.

The Bobcats tried to rally in the ninth but came up just short of a victory.

“Bottom line it was a great baseball game,” Harrington said. “They are the number two team in the country. I think you see why.”

Harrington said the team did its best.

“I saw some effort and cour courage out of our kids that I think was nice,” Harrington said. “I was proud of their courage.

“It was a great way to start a new ballpark, but I wish we would have won. That would have made it better.”

Texas State will play Friday, Saturday and Sunday against Purdue at home.

Bobcat softball stumbles in loss to Longhorns Basketball team celebrates losses

By Eric Harper Sports Reporter The last time the Texas State softball team played in San Marcos, the Bobcats won over Texas A&M. Texas State returned home Tuesday to host the Texas Longhorns, who came in on a six-game win streak and a season record of 14-4.

The Bobcats lost 4-2.

The Longhorns had a leadoff single off Chandler Hall, freshman pitcher, who scored for a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Bobcats responded with a leadoff hit of their own in the bottom half of the inning by Alex Newton, senior shortstop.

The Longhorns undid the tie with a threerun inning off Hall in the top of the third. It included a home run and a two-run double.

Hall and Katie Garnett, senior pitcher, held the Texas offense scoreless for the remainder of the game. Coach Ricci Woodard said it was just a matter of the Longhorn hitters putting together a rally.

“They just strung together some hits and scored some runs,” Woodard said.

The Bobcat offense started rallies in both the fifth and sixth innings, but came up with only one run. Texas State got a leadoff hit from Ryan Kos, second baseman, and two walks to set up Hall with a bases loaded opportunity and two outs in the fifth. Hall worked the count to 3-0 before grounding out to the shortstop to end the inning.

Leah Boatright, junior first baseman, reached on an error with one out in the sixth. Following the error, Jenna Emery, sophomore utility, and Kos drew walks to load the bases with one out. Allyce Rother, sophomore left fielder, then hit a line drive right at the Texas center fielder for the second out. After Rother, Amye Patrick, sophomore catcher, drew a four-pitch walk to bring in the Bobcats’ second run. However, Newton popped up to second to end the frame with the score 4-2 in favor of Texas.

This would be the last rally for the Bobcats as the offense stranded nine runners for the game, including leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings. Woodard said it was a combination of Torrey Schroeder, junior pitcher, and Bobcat hitters swinging too freely.

“She’s (Schroeder) always good enough to keep her team in the game and we helped her out by chasing some pitches,” Woodard said.

Woodard felt like her team made improvement from the weekend despite the loss.

“We played much better than the weekend against McNeese (State),” Woodard said.

The Bobcats were shooting for their first season series sweep of Texas since 2000, having split the last four years at one each.

Instead, they came up with another series split after winning 9-6 Feb. 11 in Austin.

The Bobcats will return to Southland Conference play with a three-game set Saturday and Sunday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Vincent Lombardi, a god amongst men, once said, the game.

“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” This Youths in all sports are enjoying the thrill of a lifequote alone represents what drives all athletes to be- time, and that thrill has nothing to do with what the come better and what nurtures all of sports to keep scoreboard says. The passion to play the game is sinthe entertainment alive. glehandedly the greater pleasure.

Sadly, some aren’t as fortunate to experience I can remember losing a soccer game 6-0 when I the taste of a thirst-quenching victory. In fact, was 10, yet all around me were upside down frowns New Jersey Institute of Technology’s men’s bas- as my team enjoyed our juice boxes and cookies. Five ketball team defines what it means to undergo the minutes after being utterly embarrassed, we were agony of misfortunes. able to say we had a blast. Moments like this are ones College basketball teams fight it out for the top spot all athletes share when growing up. Before we under underin the country, but the NJIT Highlanders sit as the ca ca- stood the drive to become a winner, we understood lamity of the sport. Winning for the Highwe played the game solely because we lander squad is like putting the words loved it. “respect” and “Barry Bonds” in the same The Highlanders share this notion. sentence and making it sound positive. It Coach Jim Engles, in his 18th year just doesn’t happen. as a coach and his first at NJIT, plans to According to their Web site, NJIT is bring something new to the team. in its third year as a Division I basketball “Coming into my first year, I knew team and is about to finish this season that it was up to me to turn things with one win, making its total record over around. My goal was to outlay the the past two years a whopping 1-57. Prior proper program, as well as keep these to their lonesome win in January over Bry Brykids thriving,” Engles said when asked ant University this season, the Highlandabout how he keeps his team motiers were on a 51-game losing streak that vated. “Sometimes it’s hard, but these anDrEw vizzonE lasted more than 700 days and included kids are trying, and I see it in how they all of last year’s appalling 0-29 season. come to practice every day.”

Sports Columnist They now hold the record for the longest NJIT has made its mark over the losing streak and most losses in a season past couple of years as college basin Division I history. ketball’s worst team, but we can learn just as much However, underneath all the negativity the stat from them as we do from college basketball’s sheets may show, one important lesson can be re- elite. We get our competitive winning attitude trieved: Love the game. from teams like North Carolina, but we regain It’s a cinch to sit back and chalk up NJIT basketball our childhood respect and love for the game from under the “don’t do as they do” category, but it would teams like the Highlanders. be ignorant to leave it at that. There’s a misconcepSo go out and play a pick-up game with some tion on what’s the most important aspect of all in com- friends, and if you lose, don’t hang your head. Buy petitive sports. Lombardi speaks the truth in winning, yourself a Capri Sun and some Oreos and enjoy the but a more valuable truth to recognize is why we play sport for what it is.

Tennis begins Southland Conference play

By Dustin Stelly Sports Reporter

The women’s tennis team opened Southland Conference play on the road Saturday and Sunday against Northwestern State and Central Arkansas, respectively.

The team now improves to a 1-1 SLC record after a 6-1 loss to Northwestern State and a 7-0 victory against Central Arkansas.

The squad was 3-2 going into the weekend.

Coach Tory Plunkett said one of the reasons the team did not do well was because the women were not prepared for the cold and windy weath-

er. Saskia Kruse, the only player to win in singles on Saturday, said she did not expect the weather to be so harsh.

“It was a challenge because it was freezing,” said Kruse, exercise and sports science junior.

“Everybody didn’t move really well.”

Ashley Ellis, political science senior, and Nyssa Peele, art junior, had been undefeated in doubles play this season until they suffered an 8-1 loss against Northwestern State.

“I know in our doubles (match), we went out and beat ourselves,” said Ellis, who also lost her first singles match since Feb. 1. “It was a tough loss.”

Kruse said she is confident the team will bounce back from the loss.

“We know we’re going to beat that team when we play them again,” Kruse said.

Ellis said the team used Saturday’s defeat to fuel its intensity Sunday against Central Arkansas.

“I think it was like a wake up call,” Ellis said. “We needed to be ready and get our acts together.”

Ellis began with an early lead Sunday, taking the first set 6-0, but lost the second set 1-6. Ellis won the match 10-6 in a tiebreaker.

Andrea Giraldo, management junior, won her first singles match since being moved into the No. 1 position on the team two weeks ago. She lost

the first set 4-6 but battled her way to a third set tiebreaker, winning 10-3.

Plunkett said the team’s biggest goal this season is to improve its ranking in the conference.

The Bobcats achieved fourth place in the conference last spring.

Texas State will host Lamar Saturday and McNeese State Sunday.

Kruse said she is optimistic about the team’s goals.

“We definitely have a good chance to win conference,” Kruse said. “I think we’re prepared well and we’re going to do our best and see what happens at the end of the season.”