MUSIC
OVERDOSE
The I-35 corridor will be full of music as San Antonio hosts SA Indie Fest, Austin hosts SXSW SEE TRENDS PAGE 6
SERIES SPLIT
Bobcat softball trades shutouts in home games against St. John’s SEE SPORTS PAGE 12
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM
MARCH 8, 2007
THURSDAY
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 64
Wide receiver considering finishing football career elsewhere By Chris Boehm The University Star Chase Wasson said to a group of students Wednesday he is planning to pursue graduate school, and his collegiate football career, at another institution. Wasson, Texas State’s leading wide receiver from the 2006 football season, said he has been accepted for graduate school next year but would not name the institution. The communications studies senior, who graduates in May, has one year of eligibility remaining to play collegiate sports, but may not get the chance to. He is looking at getting a waiver from the NCAA to play at the institution where he would be-
gin a graduate program in intercollegiate sports administration. Wasson said he could not pinpoint when he began thinking Wasson about playing somewhere else, but the issue arose when he researched graduate programs. Texas State does not offer a graduate program in his desired field of study. “I don’t know what the future has in store,” Wasson said. “The institutions I looked into all had the graduate program. I left athletics out of it.”
Wasson said he was not granted a leave of absence by Brad Wright, as indicated by the new head football coach earlier this semester. Wright told The University Star Feb. 16 Wasson entered his office Feb. 12 and asked for the leave on the basis of ‘personal matters.’ “He’s an outstanding young man, and I’ve given him the time it takes to make decisions in his life,” Wright said in February. Wasson said Wednesday he did not ask for the leave and was dismissed from the team. Wright had no comment on the issue when contacted by The Star. Athletic Director Larry Teis said he could not comment about Wasson’s future.
“That’s between Brad and Chase,” Teis said. Wasson said Wright has not spoken to him since their Feb. 12 meeting. Wright became head coach Jan. 22 following the departure of David Bailiff, who was hired as Rice’s head coach. “I’ve always had a good relationship with Coach Brad Wright,” Wasson said. “I’m sure it’s changed. There was a bond broken between us.” Wasson said the coaching change was not a factor in his decision. The football program’s staff has undergone sweeping changes in wake of Bailiff’s departure. Only Wright, co-offensive coordinator Travis Bush and co-defensive coordinator Kyle
Tietz remain from the previous coaching staff. “I haven’t talked to (Wright) as far as coming back (to the team),” Wasson said. “I haven’t been a part of this regime.” The NCAA would have to grant Wasson an eligibility waiver before he could play football at another institution. Wasson said his new school is responsible for filing the waiver, which has not yet been received by the NCAA. “The appeal process hasn’t started yet,” Wasson said. The NCAA’s bylaws state athletes transferring from four-year institutions generally are not eligible to play at another four-year school until they have fulfilled a residence requirement of one academic year, meaning two full
Bill could reduce punishment for marijuana possession By Jeffery D. Hooten The University Star
The penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana could be reduced if a bill in the Texas House of Representatives is passed. House Bill 758, introduced in January by State Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. The bill would reclassify possession of up to one ounce of marijuana from a Class B to a Class C misdemeanor. Class C misdemeanor offenders do not receive jail time for a first offense, and instead would only be required to pay a fine. The current law states possession of up to two ounces is considered a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a maximum fine of $2,000. “I feel the (current) penalty exceeds the crime,” said Giancarlo Pearson, head of the Texas State chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Pearson, Spanish senior, said he believes the bill could reduce the number of inmates in Texas’ over-crowded prisons. “I think it would reduce unnecessary incarceration in county jails,” he said. According to statistics released by the FBI in September 2006, approximately 88.5 percent of the nearly 800,000 marijuana related arrests in 2005 were for possession only. Officer Otto Glenewinkel of the University Police Department said arrests for marijuana on campus are common. “We see (marijuana violations) almost daily,” Glenewinkel said. He estimated as much as 75 percent of individuals arrested for marijuana violations at Texas State are in possession
Jesus de la Teja, professor and history chair, was recently appointed the first Texas state historian by Gov. Rick Perry. Larry Oaks, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission, said de la Teja is a great historian with a wide range of qualifications. “His background and training, as well as his vigorous interest in promoting Texas history, not only in teaching, but in serving on various boards and committees throughout the state (qualifies him),” Oaks said. “A lot of folks fell into that category, but he has helped folks on the local, regional and statewide areas.” Jerry Drake, archives and records deputy at the Texas General Land Office, earned his masters in history under de la Teja’s tutelage. Having a state historian raises Texas’ past to the same level of importance as other disciplines, he said. “It’s going to raise the profile of
Monty Marion/Star photo illustration FROM B TO C: Under a proposed law in the Texas House of Representatives, possession of up to one ounce of marijuana could be lowered to a Class C misdemeanor, meaning offenders would not receive jail time for a first offense.
of an ounce or less. He said it would be impossible for UPD officers to completely control marijuana use at Texas State. “We can’t devote 100 percent of our officers’ time to drug violations,” Glenewinkel said.
history in Texas,” Drake, adult professional and community education doctoral graduate student, said. “To have a person with whom the Texas story is embodied is going to be something that allows us to raise awareness of history.” Part of the job is to be an advocate for all parts of Texas history, de la Teja said. He already began fulfilling the speaking portion of the job requirement and said he looks forward to making sure the topic is properly addressed in the state’s educational curriculum. “Hopefully, I will be involved in the textbook adoption process to make sure that the textbooks are where they need to be in terms of meeting the needs of a 21st century diverse and increasingly urban population,” he said. In the legislation creating the position, the Texas Historical Commission and Texas State Historical Association are in charge of nominating a Texas
Today’s Weather
Mostly Sunny 75˚/49˚
See WASSON, page 4
City Council passes Alamo Street parking ordinance By Zach Halfin The University Star
He predicted the passage of a bill reducing the penalty for minor marijuana offenses would not significantly increase the amount of marijuana use in Texas. He said he believes many are more concerned with the idea of breaking the law than with the actual penalties.
“You have people who use marijuana and people who don’t,” Glenewinkel said. Despite this, he said he did not support the bill. See MARIJUANA, page 5
History chair chosen to be Overpayment results from error, state’s first official historian Faculty Senate discusses solution By Bill Lancaster The University Star
semesters or three full quarters. Section 14.1.9.1, of the operating bylaws state “a graduate student athlete who is enrolled in a specific degree program in a graduate or professional school of an institution other than the institution from which he or she previously received a baccalaureate degree may participate in intercollegiate athletics, provided the student athlete has eligibility remaining and such participation occurs within the applicable-five year period set forth in Bylaw 14.2.” Wasson led the Bobcats in receiving yards and touchdowns last season, with 380 and 12, respectively. The senior entered
Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 55% UV: 7 High Wind: SSE 9 mph
See HISTORIAN, page 5
Two-day Forecast Friday Mostly Sunny Temp: 77°/ 53° Precip: 10%
Saturday Partly Cloudy Temp: 82°/ 53° Precip: 10%
By Scott Thomas The University Star Nancy Nusbaum, assistant vice president for finance and support services, spoke to the faculty Senate Wednesday about a payroll malfunction that started from a staff error last week. Several staff members employed by the university were overpaid because of the error. When the university realized the mistake, it took the money out of overpaid professors’ bank accounts, which resulted in some people having checks bounce and paying overdraft fees. “I think what we’ve got is a sequencing problem, where some banks may process deposits after they process withdrawals,” said William Stone, chair of the faculty Senate. “(The university) is used to Wells Fargo and Wells Fargo does it the other way.” The error was contained within the College of Education, though for unknown reasons. “By being contained it was a very good thing,” said Nusbaum. She said the department was prepared
think what we’ve “I got is a sequencing problem, where some
banks may process deposits after they process withdrawals.”
—William Stone chair, Faculty Senate
to reimburse any fees, such as overdraft charges, that might have accrued because of the error. “Apparently it didn’t happen in very many cases, we know of two events, though there may have been others,” Stone, criminal justice professor, said. Nusbaum said 53 faculty members were overpaid, though not all experienced overdraft fees. She said the staff member who committed the error, who went unnamed during the meeting, now knows better. See FACULTY, page 5
The San Marcos City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday to restrict parking on the 1400 block of Alamo Street between 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The ordinance is to prevent drivers from parking on Alamo Street and walking to campus. The emergency ordinance was passed on second reading. Residents of the street are concerned with parking and safety in their neighborhood. They requested the city address the large amount of people using the street for parking. Kenneth Dees, Alamo Street resident, has been attending city council meetings since November to push the council to amend parking regulations on his street. “I appreciate the council’s willingness to work quickly to relieve this parking situation,” Dees said. “Make sure that you continue to act as quickly as you did with our neighborhood and act quickly to work with the university so that we can alleviate the base of the issue as far as in terms of parking in San Marcos. We need to give our streets back to our residents and help the university find solutions to its larger parking problem.” Many neighborhood residents met with city officials in February to discuss what options were available to control parking on Alamo Street. Options ranged from no limitations to a resident-only parking permit system. Residents opted for timelimited parking. ‘No parking’ signs were put up at that time until the council had the opportunity to adopt a new city parking ordinance for Alamo Street. Originally, the proposed ordinance included a ‘tow away’ penalty for anyone found parking during restricted hours, but Chris Jones, place 4 councilman, suggested an amendment changing the punishment from towing to a citation. Jones said towing in San Marcos has become ‘outrageous’ and the city should use the parking violations as an opportunity to gain funds.
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