03 28 2006

Page 1

FOTOS FANTASTICAS

SERIES SWEEP

Bill Witliff talks about his new book, La Vida Brinca

Softball’s hard work pays off and puts them in winning position

SEE TRENDS PAGE 6

SEE SPORTS PAGE 12

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UniversityStar.com

MARCH 28, 2006

TUESDAY

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 66

Text-messaging on campus may now market to students

A

Slice of Love

By Clayton Medford The University Star Chris Wilson and Richard Lewis of Mobile Campus told senators at the Associate Student Government meeting on Monday about their company’s text-message-based, studentoriented marketing program. The company partners with local merchants as well as with student organizations on campus and the university to issue text-message based coupons and bulletins to students who chose to enroll in the program. The program is already in place at the University of Florida and at the University of Texas, which Wilson said has more than 2,500 students participating in the program. Lewis, the director of business development for Mobile Campus, said his company shares its profits with participating universities. “There is a direct monetary value to the university,” Lewis said. “Now, where this money goes is between the student government, the students and the university to decide. But, there is a profit sharing program from the revenues we realize from the merchant community and the profits we make off of them with you.” Lewis said if the program has 5,000 participants receiving two text-messages per day, the profit sharing program could generate $30,000 per year for the university. A student interested in signing up to the program should visit the Mobile Campus Web site, be validated as a student of Texas State and select certain categories of student groups or merchants from which to receive messages. The only cost to the student would stem from that student’s cell phone service package and the cost it charges for receiving text-messages. Wilson said Mobile Campus is working with cell phone pro-

By Eloise Martin The University Star

S

an Marcos residents were treated to free pizza Monday after the Little Caesars Love Kitchen rolled into City Park. The kitchen on wheels is housed in a 40-foot trailer and travels the country and Canada to provide free, hot pizza to communities. The Love Kitchen has provided food to approximately 1.6 million people since 1985. Doug Ruthven, Love Kitchen road manager, said the Love Kitchen started as a way for the founder of Little Caesars Pizza, Michael Ilitch, to give back to the communities where he owns businesses. The pizza at each stop is provided by local franchises and the labor is provided by local stores. Ruthven has traveled around the country in the Love Kitchen, including areas of disaster such as the World Trade Center, several flooded areas and most recently, he spent four months in Louisiana providing food to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Ruthven said he anticipated giving out 1,000 slices of pizza to San Marcos residents on Monday. He said he did not think about the price of 1,000 slices. “We don’t put a cost on the pizza; it is just about giving back,” he said. The Love Kitchen is a joint effort between the corporate level and also local franchises and stores. Cody Kubena, San Marcos Little Caesars store manager, said he anticipated providing at least 200 people with free pizza Monday, which would beat last year’s approximate 150 attendees. There is no limit to the number of slices of pizza each person may take from the Love Kitchen, and sodas and water were provided by Coca-Cola. “If we run out of pizza, we will run back to the store and get more supplies,” Kubena said. See SLICE, page 3

Stephanie Gage/Star photo WORTH THE WAIT: Free pizza and beverages are handed out to San Marcos residents on Monday in City Park. Marshall Cormeir, Little Caesars’ area manager, passed out the fresh pizzas to people waiting in line outside of the Little Caesars bus.

viders to lower or eliminate the costs incurred when a student participating in the program receives a message. “One of the initiatives we are working on today, and we already had very detailed discussion with Cingular and Sprint, is what’s called ‘free to the end user.’ That would be a program by which any local campus messages that go out would be in fact to you, in this case, the end user so that you would not be charged,” Wilson said. ASG presidential candidate and Senate Clerk Kyle Morris saw his legislation calling for the creation of a hospitality management program at Texas State pass unanimously. Morris addressed the importance of the program before the vote. “We’ve got the hotel-conference center coming in here. It’s going to provide a lot of jobs and a lot of economic growth,” Morris said. “As noted (in the legislation), Hays County is the seventh largest county in the state of Texas, and it’s only growing. Hotels are going to be popping up all up and down the (Interstate 35) corridor in the years to come.” Morris said a possible internship program with the conference center awarded through the hospitality management program could aid in keeping Texas State graduates in Central Texas. The senate adopted a resolution urging the Texas Legislature to remove sales tax assessed on textbooks. The bill’s author, Morris’s running mate and Sen. Amanda Oskey, said the removal of the tax would save all students money. “As graduates, we are going to contribute to the state’s economy, so it makes sense that the state legislature would give us a break on taxes as far as textbooks go,” Oskey said. The senate unanimously adopted Oskey’s referendum.

San Marcos residents walk to raise awareness about heart disease research By Marquita Griffin The University Star Despite the cold weather on Saturday morning, adults, children and even dogs met at the Bobcat Stadium parking lot to participate in the Hays County American Heart Association Heart Walk. The Heart Walk aims to raise

the awareness of “the No. 1 national killer of men and women and the cause of birth defects in children — heart disease,” said Elizabeth Muenzler, director of Heart Walk. The central goal of Heart Walk is to raise money that will fund research for heart disease. “Our goal is $55,000, and we have already raised $47,000,”

said Curtis Price, Heart Walk volunteer. “And we haven’t even counted today’s donations.” Heart Walk volunteer Steve Searle said 200 to 300 individuals were registered, but about 450 people participated. Families, couples, high school organizations, employees from various companies and Texas State students walked around

the parking lot drinking coffee, laughing and trying to get warm while they waited for the walk to begin. The entire Texas State women’s soccer team attended the event, as well as members of the men’s baseball team. Price was proud of the turnout for the event. “Sometimes people don’t realize their donation touches

many lives in ways they’ll never really understand,” Price said. “Great things happen because of research.” Muenzler said the Heart Walk is “a perfect opportunity for different companies and organizations to rally around the cause, have a good time and even reduce their own risk by becoming aware.”

Subway, the American Heart Association’s national sponsor, Central Texas Medical Center, Century Tel, Frost Bank, Curves, Mochas and Javas, Gary Job Corps and San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District were a few of the companies that participated. Radio See WALK, page 3

Texas State alumna shares plans for upcoming judicial election know that “Ithe real fight is coming up in By Leah Kirkwood The University Star

SWT alumna Anna Martinez Boling is hoping to become the next Hays County 428th District Judge. “I’m trying, and I think I’m being successful at running a grassroots campaign,” said Boling, who is a family lawyer in San Marcos. Boling grew up in Corpus Christi and waited 11 years before deciding to finish her degree at SWT in 1988. She worked as a sign artist during the day and attended classes at night. “I was honored to be there; it took me a long time to get there,” Boling said of her col-

lege experience. Boling was the first member of her family to attend college. She remembers growing up poor in a small, cramped house where college was never considered an option. She graduated with a degree in commercial art and graphic design in 1990, and then attended law school at St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1991. Boling passed the bar exam in 1994 and worked briefly in Seguin and El Paso before returning to San Marcos in 1998. At the time, Boling practiced both criminal defense and family law, but decided to stick with family law, an area she is passionate about.

Today’s Weather

T-Storms 70˚/58˚

Precipitation: 80% Humidity: 73% UV: 6 High Wind: E 8 mph

“I try to get families to keep the family unit as close as possible for the sake of the kids,” Boling said. “That’s why I decided to train as a mediator. As a mediator, I help others resolve their problems.” Boling also co-founded the Hill Country Collaborative Law Group. The HCCLG is a group of like-minded lawyers who believe in a “different way of practicing law,” Boling said. “It’s more resolution-based, as opposed to litigation-based law.” Boling is a member of the board of directors for the Hays County Bar Association, and she was president and vicepresident of the association in

November.”

— Anna Martinez Boling 428th district judicial candidate

the past. Boling serves as the only community member on the Texas State Committee to Celebrate 100 Years of Hispanic Presence. The committee is planning a “Fiesta de Cien Anos” for Oct. 14 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Maria Elena Zamora See ELECTION, page 4

Two-day Forecast Wednesday T-Storms Temp: 78°/ 59° Precipitation: 40%

Thursday Scattered T-Storms Temp: 79°/ 59° Precipitation: 50%

Monty Marion/Star feature photo BOLING FOR A WIN: San Marcos attorney Anna Martinez Boling is seeking election to the Hays County 428th Judicial District Court. Martinez hopes to carry her wide-margin win over Michael Marcin in the March 7 primaries into the November elections.

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

News ..............1-4 Trends .............6-8 Comics .............. 8 Crossword ......... 8

Sudoku .............. 8 Opinions ............ 9 Classified ......... 11 Sports .............. 12

To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2006 The University Star


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