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TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS
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APRIL 12, 2006
WEDNESDAY
VOLUME 95, ISSUE 73
POETIC JUSTICE Slammers step up to the mic to throw down, break barriers
FF
illed with passion, rage and lust, poems about genocide, sex and “full-bodied, bed-wetting lesbians” reverberated through the bowels of the LBJ Student Center this weekend as poets drew their swords and lyrically jousted in “the only sport where the points are not the point” — Poetry Slam. Approximately 130 poets from 22 colleges across the nation converged this weekend on Texas State’s campus to battle for the national title at the sixth annual College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. “It’s the varsity sport of the soul,” said Robb Thibault, Association of College Unions International Poetry Slam Program team leader. “I’m waiting for the day slammers can get letterman jackets from their campuses.”
See POETIC, page 5 Brynn Leggett/Star photo illustration CALL ME: Jasmine “Jazz” Stovall of Louisiana State University performs a piece called “Can You Call Me?” at Lucy’s on the Square on Friday night, inserting cell phone jargon and service provider names to express frustration about what someone might be doing instead of calling her. Upon completion of the poem, the crowd cheered as if attending a rock concert.
Commissioners Court discusses Government Center Complex By Kathy Martinez The University Star The Hays County Commissioners Court met briefly on Tuesday morning before adjourning to discuss the recommendation of the Building Committee relating to the site selection of a proposed Government Center Complex and to authorize a request for a proposal to the property
owners of the two selected sites. The proposal also includes the construction of a Hays County Office Complex. Heading the committee for the development of the new property, Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe, 1st Precinct, proposed possible development off Wonder World Drive. Commissioner Russ Molenaar, 4th Precinct, said he disagreed with the
site’s location. “The site selection for this project is too far out of reach for our constituents,” Molenaar said. “I don’t think we should keep moving further south.” Commissioner Susie Carter, 2nd Precinct, suggested Ingalsbe and her committee consider site assessment by the Hays County Civic Center, property already owned by the county.
Ingalsbe said she is more than willing to seek guidance from the court in regard to selecting property location. Because representatives to discuss the project were not in attendance and further specification was not made as to site locations for the complex, Hays County Judge Jim Powers pulled the item from the agenda to discuss it next Tuesday.
Fraternity collecting hats, shaving heads in The Quad to support children with cancer By Jason Buch The University Star Just after noon on Tuesday, economics junior Cody Beeson sat down on a chair in The Quad and let undecided junior Meaghan Hughes and alumnus Matt Baron shave his head. Beeson had his head shaved to help raise the profile of a hat collection drive the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity is holding. The social fraternity is collecting hats to give to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at the Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi. William Clark, political science freshman, initiated the drive. “A friend of mine’s older sister works at Driscoll,” Clark said. “We were sitting down talking, and she said they’re collecting hats and bandannas for cancer patients. I thought my fraternity brothers and I could do something to collect hats since they’re always in need of that.” Beginning on Monday, members of ATO set up a tarp in The Quad with a box to collect hats. The group is also selling donuts, donated by Shipley’s, for 50 cents each. The hats and the proceeds from the donut sales will go to Driscoll Children’s Hospital. Clark said there is also a collection box in front of Old Navy at the outlet mall. He said he didn’t know how many hats had been collected so far, but
“W
e were sitting down talking, and she said they’re collecting hats and bandannas for cancer patients. I thought my fraternity brothers and I could do something to collect hats since they’re always in need of that.”
— William Clark political science freshman
before Hughes and Barron shaved Beeson’s head, there were six hats in the collection box in The Quad. Beeson said he had his head shaved to show solidarity with children who lose their hair through chemotherapy treatment for cancer. “I just want people to stop and look and see what we’re doing,” Beeson said. “I want to kind of empathize and say, ‘look, someone else is willing to lose their hair too. Someone is willing to be seen for them.’”
Today’s Weather
Mostly Sunny 87˚/61˚
Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 56% UV: 9+ High Wind: S 10 mph
Danny Rodriguez / Star photo LID CRAZY: (From left to right) Political science sophomore Cody Noel, business economics junior Cody Beeson and marketing freshman Fred Delin, members of Alpha Tau Omega help collect hats for cancer patients in The Quad on Tuesday.
Fraternity members cheered and clapped as three passersby dropped hats into the box while Beeson’s head was being shorn. Clark said today and tomorrow the fraternity will be going to residence halls to collect hats. He said the collec-
Two-day Forecast Thursday Sunny Temp: 88°/ 61° Precipitation: 0%
Friday Mostly Sunny Temp: 88°/ 61° Precipitation: 20%
tion box will be in The Quad at 7:30 a.m. and will stay there until about 5 p.m. ATO is asking for new or slightly worn hats. Clark said two more fraternity members will have their heads shaved tomorrow to draw more attention to the collection effort.
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Air Force tour touches down at Texas State By Magen Gray The University Star Texas State Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 840 welcomed about 50 members of the United States Air Force Foreign Liaison Official Party on Thursday at the End Zone Complex. The visit was part of the 2006 Air Attaché Short Tour, and the foreign officers stationed in Washington, D.C. came to observe how the United States trains military officers. Established on 144 college campuses across the nation, ROTC is the oldest and largest commissioning source for the Air Force. After a welcome from President Denise Trauth and lunch with Texas State cadets, Detachment 840 Cmdr. Col. Daryl W. Hausmann gave an overview of the Air Force ROTC. Hausmann said Texas State ranks sixth nationally, commissioning an average of 33 new officers each year. This year, 11 officers will be commissioned. Following Hausmann, cadet major and criminal justice junior Kevin Murphy presented an overview of Air Force ROTC education and training. “We want to show you the life of an Air Force ROTC cadet from the perspective of an Air Force ROTC cadet,” Murphy said. He described the cadet’s required classes, physical fitness tests, field training and professional development summer activities. Murphy emphasized that the cadets are college students first, and many are involved in extracurricular activities outside of Air Force ROTC. Detachment 840 currently has 71 cadets who must graduate before commissioning as officers. Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, assistant vice chief of staff and director in Washington, D.C., said the Texas State Air Force ROTC was chosen for the visit because of its great reputation. For most of the foreign officers, the Texas State visit was their first time off a United States air force base. Lichte said being in the middle of a college campus will impact the foreign officers. “Seeing the American culture and observing the ROTC program in the civilian world will show the foreign officers how we focus on education and how it fits with training,” Lichte said. Lichte said foreign military officers are professionals, and all officers speak the language of aviation and are responsible for their nation’s defenses. “We learn to understand cultures and work through language barriers. Plus, we get to know each other on trips like this,” Lichte said. Belgian Brig. Gen. Daniel Van de Ven said that conscription, the main source of commission in other countries, is the biggest difference between foreign and U.S. officer training programs. “Conscription recruits on different levels and only from air academics, so the plate is not as broad, and the system is less democratic,” Van de Ven said. “Most commissions in the United States are from the ROTC program, and the military is integrated into normal life.” Van de Ven said foreign and U.S. military work together to support the global war on terrorism. “The war on terrorism is broad, and we all try to do our best,” Van de Ven said. Lichte said enhancing the Air Force relationship between foreign and U.S. military will contribute to fighting the war on terrorism. “The United States never fights a war alone. We always use coalition warfare,” Lichte said. The foreign officers spent the afternoon touring the Texas State campus and Air Force ROTC facilities before departing for Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio.
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