HOUSTON WE ARENA ADDITIONS HAVE A SPEA SPEAk kER The Austin Turfcats acquire former Bobcat football players to the team and students to the cheerleading squad
Apollo 16 pilot speaks at Texas state see TreNDs pAG p e6
see sporTs pAG p e8
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April 8, 2009
Wednesday
Volume 98, issue 70
Relay for City Council approves noise ordinance Campus boiler Life raises fails again cancer Leaves residents awareness in cold water By Theron Brittain Senior News Reporter
By Rachel Nelson News Reporter
Shannon McFadden learned in middle school that her best friend had Leukemia. McFadden’s friend was unable to find a bone marrow match and as a result died after the Leukemia came out of remission when they were in high school. “It’s hard because you can’t do anything but sit there and watch,” said McFadden, communication studies sophomore. Now McFadden is working to ensure Texas State students play an active role in cancer awareness. She is the American Cancer Society’s Texas State Relay for Life co-chair. McFadden said a Relay for Life event took place in her hometown four weeks before her friend died. “Basically, that 12 hours we had our friend back again because you wouldn’t know she was sick,” Mc McFadden said. “She was so happy to be there.” This is the sixth year Relay For Life will be held at Texas State. The event, held 7 p.m. April 17, will include food, guest speakers, entertainers and on-site cancer fundraisers. This year, April is a big month for cancer awareness in San Marcos. Texas State, Hays County, the City of San Marcos and San Mar Marcos CISD have made proclama proclamations declaring April as Cancer Awareness Month. Events are planned on campus throughout the month, starting Wednesday with a workshop in J.C. Kellam 1100 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme of the workshop is “Cancer Has Struck Your Family: What Do You Do Now?” A bone marrow donor drive will take place April 13 to 16 throughout campus to help those like
You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. University students who like to party hard will find themselves dealing with a newly empowered police force. A two-year effort by the San Marcos Police Department to revise an ordinance expanding police powers dealing with noise violators and party-goers succeeded Tuesday night as the City Council approved the proposed amendments, making it law. The council approved the ordinance in a six to one vote, with City Councilmember Chris Jones, Place 4, voting no. The ordinance will go into effect 30 days after publication in The San Marcos Record. The ordinance authorizes
police to disperse gatherings they deem “unruly” and to cite party-goers who fail to immediately leave. The ordinance fur further includes new definitions of “excessive noise,” detailing parameters officers may cite when issuing violations. The ordinance, first brought before the council Feb. 3, has been criticized by City Council members, ASG senators, students and local realtors for what they considered to be vague language increasing officer discretion. Opponents of the amendments argue the language leaves citizens uncer uncertain of what constitutes violations. City Council members John Thomaides, Place 6, and Kim Porterfield, Place 1, shared concerns that the language, as written, was difficult to under understand and might be to blame
for innocent violations in the future. Police Chief Howard Williams maintains the language provides recourse to violators to challenge their citations in court. “The way it is written right now, I believe a judge could choose which way he thought was best to measure it,” Williams said. City Councilmember Pam Couch, Place 5, questioned why a gathering of more than one person could be considered unruly. “The concept of saying more than one is so that it would be all-inclusive,” Williams said. “You could have two people engage in a type of conduct that is going to be totally disruptive to a neighborhood.” The ordinance redefines “unreasonable” noise to “excessive.” Under the new language,
the noise need only extend across the property line to be determined excessive, though an officer may take into account the time of day and size of any gathering present. New language dealing with parties has been expanded. Fines generally reserved for hosts of unruly parties will now be extended to guests for similar offenses like excessive noise, obstruction of roads and driveways, fights and indecent or obscene conduct. Those cited could face a maximum fine of $500. Jones proposed a series of amendments to the ordinance. Among suggestions were time specifications and the use of decibel levels to determine noise violations and changing the required number of people See CITY COUNCIL, page 3
WIND UP fOR THE WIN
See RELAY, page 3
Visit RelayForLife.org, cans4acure.com, or view a full list of events taking place for Cancer Awareness Month at cancerawareness. healthcenter.txstate.edu for information about the organizations listed.
Austin Byrd/Star photo matt steiner, freshman pitcher, winds up and delivers against Houston Baptist Tuesday at Bobcat Field. For CompleTe sTory see sporTs sp pAGe 8
By Allen Reed Assistant News Editor
April is the coldest month for Texas State students. Part of the Texas State campus lost hot water again Wednesday after a recently repaired boiler failed. According to Pat Fogarty, associate vice president of facilities, a second rental boiler will be installed and full service should be restored at 10 a.m. Wednesday. There are two boilers on campus that will replace the permanent ones, which do not work. Fogarty said he is negotiating with a contractor to try expediting the process, which is expected to take a month. Gordon Green, director of facilities, said the decision to acquire a second rental boiler was made after the original rental boiler failed last week. “When we were patching the temporary one we had been using we were not real confident it was going to hold up — too many patches in a hurry,” Green said. He said the boiler failed 3 a.m. Tuesday. “It had buildup on the insides of the tubes,” he said. “This caused hot spots, which led to cracking. Water gets into the firebox and the burner becomes inefficient and temperatures that you need aren’t achieved.” Rosanne Proite, director of Housing and Residence Life, said there will not be an attempt to repair the original temporary boiler that failed again. Green said if the decision to acquire a second rental boiler had not been made, “We would have probably been without steam until Friday.” Proite said the new rental boiler would be online within 24 hours. Fogarty said Holman Boilers, the university’s contractor, have been instrumental in getting hot water back on campus. “We’ve provided as many crews as could possibly work there around the clock,” said John Campolo, president of Holman Boilers. “My understanding See WATER OUTAGE, page 3
Staffing problems cause worry, financial strain By Scott Thomas Editor in Chief Byounghak Lee is worried. Lee, assistant professor in the physics department, has a family to support, but the federal government says it is illegal for him to work and receive a paycheck. Lee immigrated to the country from South Korea to teach at Texas State. Because his visa expired this semester, he cannot work and receive compensation. Lee said the university is working to get him a green card. He is still affiliated with the university. “I am very nervous and anxious,” Lee said. “This has created a big financial strain … The thing is, I was told there shouldn’t be a problem.” Lee said the reason he does not have a green card is because of bad scheduling. He does not blame anyone for the error. However, he believes the International Of Office is understaffed and overworked. “In the last few years the university tried to expand its international faculty,” he said. Scott Thomas/Star photo “The International Office is overloaded … IMMIGRATION STATUS: south Korean Byounghak lee, assistant That is why I am in this situation.” Lee said other international faculty professor in the physics department, is having trouble obtaining a green members agree with him. card in order for him to work and receive pay.
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“When I talk with other people they say the university can do a better job in the future with more support,” he said. Robert Seese, director of the International Office, was unable to respond to Lee’s comment by press time. Debbie Thorne, associate vice president of academic affairs, said the International Office directors work tirelessly to bring faculty members from other countries to Texas State. “The office has experienced tremendous growth in the need for its services, as Texas State has stepped up efforts to diversify its faculty via international recruiting,” she said in the e-mail. Thorne said the international office deals with each faculty member uniquely. “This is a complicated area, as each faculty member has unique circumstances,” she said. The University Star contacted Jon Ahlberg, associate director of the International Office, via e-mail in March. However, the response was sent before the inter interview with Lee. Therefore, he could not be reached for comment about whether the International Office is understaffed. Neither Seese nor Ahlberg could be reached by press time after Lee’s interview.
Two-day Forecast
Ahlberg said in the e-mail that working with U.S. Customs could be frustrating. “Sometimes government background checks can cause delays in faculty members obtaining visas in order to enter the United States,” he said. There are other problems, he said. “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Ser Services frequently requests information from Texas State that has already been submitted to them or is information not required for the application,” he said. “In some cases, USCIS has denied or expressed intent to deny petitions based on errors on their part.” Ahlberg said in the e-mail only one inter international faculty member in the past nine years had to leave the country because of legal status. “He was however able to return and continue at Texas State after a requisite one year period abroad,” Ahlberg said. Lee described his future as “cloudy.” No one knows how long it will be until he gets a green card. However, he does not see himself going back to his home country of South Korea because of the “unfortunate scheduling.” See GREEN CARD, page 3
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