OUTSTANDING WOMEN
A series begins featuring outstanding women of Texas State SEE TRENDS PAGE 5
H-TOWN BOUND
Women’s basketball sets sights on SLC tournament title SEE SPORTS PAGE 10
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM
MARCH 7, 2007
WEDNESDAY
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 63
Non-profit disability firm aids student in refund Out-of-court settlement awards sophomore thousands of dollars
By Philip Hadley The University Star
By Christine Mester The University Star Bailey Gosda knew she would face difficulties moving her wheelchair over the hilly Texas State campus, but she did not anticipate having to spend thousands of extra dollars for an accessible dorm room. Gosda’s two-year financial roadblock ended recently when Texas State agreed to refund nearly $6,000 collected from the undecided professional sophomore. The struggle began Gosda’s freshman year, when she was assigned to an inaccessible dorm room. Gosda, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair and walker for mobility, hoped to stay in a traditional style dorm room in order to save money on student loans. She was shocked to find out the only dorm that could accommodate her cost nearly $1,000 extra per semester. “The accessible dorm was more expensive to begin with,” Gosda said. “Then they added surcharge because the room was not large enough to hold me, my equipment and a roommate.” She spent months trying to resolve the issue before seeking assistance from the nonprofit disability law firm Advocacy, Inc. in fall 2005. “I first went to the Office of Disability Services and they threw their hands up, they didn’t know what to do,” Gosda said. “When I went to meet with Residence Life all they could say was that I owed them the money.” Advocacy Inc. assisted Gosda in negotiations with the school. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Gosda and her attorney, Lucy Wood, were able to convince Texas State authorities to refund the surcharge. “(Gosda) wanted the cheapest housing and she wanted a roommate to save money on student loans but she couldn’t have those things,” Wood said. “There should be accessible dorms in every price range.” University officials and Advocacy Inc. were able to reach a compromise that would refund Gosda the money she spent outside the costs of the traditional dorm. “We are delighted TSU has refunded the money without our having to go to court,” Wood said. “We hope this case will educate TSU and other schools on the need to respond to matters of accommodation and accessibility in keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act.” University Attorney William Fly helped coordinate the settlement between Gosda and the university. “Initially, we read the regulations,” Fly said. “They say that a student with a disability has the right to accommodation at the same rate a student without a disability would have.” Wood has drafted a policy for university officials to adopt in order to prevent Gosda’s See DISABILITY, page 3
Self-involvement, narcissistic traits more common in college students
Jeannie Yamakawa/Star photo HARD WORK PAYS OFF: Bailey Gosda, undecided professional sophomore, works at the SLAC tutoring center Monday afternoon in Alkek Library. Gosda is being refunded thousands for dorm room accessibility problems she encountered on campus.
A new study says today’s college students are more narcissistic and self-involved than their predecessors, and psychologists worry the trend could be harmful to personal relationships. The study’s lead author, psychology professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University, examined the responses of 16,475 college students who completed an evaluation called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory between 1982 and 2006. The researchers describe the study as the largest of its type. The evaluation asks for responses to statements such as “If I ruled the world, it would be a better place,” “I think I am a special person” and “I can live my life the way I want to.” Research shows that Narcissistic Personality Inventory scores have risen steadily since the test was first administered in 1982. By 2006, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores, the study said. The study claims narcissists are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth and are dishonest. John Davis, psychology professor, had doubts about the results. He said it is important to look carefully at the measurements and methodology used in this study. “These claims should be taken with a grain of salt, and I would be very skeptical,” Davis said. “It is important to examine how narcissism and self-centeredness is defined in this study. In my 30 years of teaching I cannot say that I have observed a difference in the level of narcissistic behavior in my students.” Students admit to some truth to the findings but do not agree with their negative connotations. Kenny Whitehead, applied sociology senior, said the study was questionable and unobservable. “Students are worried about themselves, but I know most of my peers know when to put others first,” Whitehead said. “We may be self-centered at times, but we are still concerned about others and the rest of the world.” Asleigh Miller, pre-social work junior, had mixed feelings about the new study, but admitted it had some legitimacy. “I do think many college students are self-centered,” Miller said. “Even I can be self-centered See NARCISSISM, page 3
San Marcos purchases 680,000 Brain Awareness Week introduces kilowatt hours of green electricity public to workings of gray matter By Patrick Ygnacio The University Star Texas Utilities Company’s recent announcement of the construction of new coal-fired power plants in Texas has been met with concerns over how these new energy producing facilities could affect the air quality. San Marcos has already begun to invest in alternative sources of energy as the growing awareness of global warming has put pressure on legislators and officials nationwide to address environmental issues. The City of San Marcos recently issued a press release highlighting the city’s purchase
of “green” electricity from the Lower Colorado River Authority over the past 13 months that has resulted in citywide savings of nearly $78,000. The 680,000 kilowatt hours of “green” electricity purchased from the river authority each month are generated at wind farms in West Texas. The purchasing of renewable energy represents the city’s participation in the river authority’s “Choose-to-Renew” program. According to the Web site, “LCRA ranks as the largest publicly owned supplier of renewable energy in Texas.” Byron Augustin, geography professor, explained how in-
Today’s Weather
Partly Cloudy 74˚/48˚
Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 53% UV: 7 High Wind: S 9 mph
vestments into renewable energy sources like wind energy are part of the effort to reduce the emissions that cause global warming. The general public is becoming more aware of its effects, Augustin said, and the public is realizing this issue deserves urgent attention. He said global warming not only poses an environmental threat, but also an economic threat. “Global warming can change climates,” Augustin said. “It can seriously impact agricultural production. It can change areas where we grow crops into deserts.” See GREEN, page 3
Two-day Forecast Thursday Partly Cloudy Temp: 76°/ 50° Precip: 0%
Friday Partly Cloudy Temp: 78°/ 53° Precip: 10%
By Ashley Gwilliam The University Star Hundreds of communities worldwide will be hosting public educational events addressing the progress and benefits of brain research. The 2007 Brain Awareness Week will be held Monday through March 18. “Obviously, our brains are central for everything we do,” said Kathleen Roina, Brain Awareness Week senior project manager. “Being aware of what is happening in brain research is important for our lives.” The effort is organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, a nonprofit organization of
more than 250 neuroscientists. “We know a lot about the brain, but we don’t know enough,” said John Byrne, professor of neurobiology and anatomy at The University of Texas’ Health Science Center at Houston. He said most of the knowledge of how the brain works was discovered within the last 20 years. “It is estimated that the brain sciences are the last frontier of the biological sciences,” he said. The human brain, weighing an average of 3 pounds, contains an estimated 100 billion neurons that control all movement, thought, sensation and emotion experienced. Scientists say there are as
many neurons in the human brain as there are stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. There is not a single person in the world that has not known someone with brain problems, said Reiko Graham, assistant psychology professor. “Every person knows at least five people who have had something wrong with their brain at one point,” she said. According to the Dana Alliance Web site, brain problems exist in many different forms, ranging from cocaine addiction to bipolar disorder to stroke and learning disabilities.
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