04 12 2007 by The University Star

DUELING DOMINANCE

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Texas State’s fencing club heads to San Antonio to ﬁnish SWIFA season atop leaderboard

Chautauqua Film Festival features advice, awards for ﬁlmmakers

SEE SPORTS PAGE 16

SEE TRENDS PAGE 8

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911

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APRIL 12, 2007

THURSDAY

VOLUME 96, ISSUE 75

16 professors ask Faculty Senate for sabbaticals

Fighting the current

By Scott Thomas The University Star

Monty Marion/Star photo Enoch Castleberry, psychology senior, paddles upstream Wednesday afternoon in the San Marcos River past kayaks that were offered as free rentals by Outdoor Recreation. Students were invited to participate in other free events such as walking a suspended slack line between trees, learning vertical caving rope technique and playing a giant game of Jenga during Outdoor Recreation’s open house held throughout the day in Sewell Park.

Candidates for ASG vice president VP contenders reflect Senate’s changing culture given opportunity to debate issues By Ashley Gwilliam The University Star

Associated Student Government vice presidential candidates Rebecca Quillin and Alexis Dabney agree the culture of the Senate is changing. But, they strongly disagree on whom the better woman is to usher in those changes during the 2007-2008 school year. The winner of this year’s election will enter a slightly different Senate than in previous years because of the recent passing of the ASG referendum. “This referendum passed was less than 1,000 students voting, and it already has a huge affect on what ASG has the power to do,” Dabney, public relations senior, said. Students voted to increase the Senate from 40 to 60 members, include on-campus, off-campus and at large seats and to give ASG the right to legislate, take up and act upon any issue

affecting Texas State students. “The vice president’s job is primarily to lead, direct and be supportive of the Senate,” Quillin said. “When I think about someone leading a Senate that is that large, I think it is going to take someone strong who has the background. I think both of us see the things that need to be done in the Senate. What puts me on a different level is really my experience and my backbone.” Lisa Furler, coordinator of Texas State’s Leadership Programs office, said she has gotten to know Quillin through her work with the Paws Preview Program and she is someone who can be counted on. “When she says she will do something she does it,” Furler said. “She understands how to work smarter and not harder.” Quillin has been a member of ASG for four semesters. She has held the positions of ASG treasurer, environmental facilities committee chair and

is currently the PR chair. She has served as the co-chair for the Paws Preview Program and the leadership president of the Student Organization Council. Quillin said she decided to run even though she only has four hours left in her degree plan and could graduate in August. “It was worth it to me to stick around for another year for the senate and make sure they are engaged and start to take action,” she said. “I have been through two administrations at ASG. I have seen what works and what doesn’t.” Dabney said she has always wanted to be involved in politics, but did not see herself running until recently. “The idea of running had been brought up to me before, and I hadn’t thought I would go through with it,” she said. “Reagan (Pugh, presidential

As the ASG election day draws near, the vice presidential candidates Rebecca Quillin and Alexis Dabney will step up from the sidelines and partake in their own debate Thursday. The debate will be held at 11 a.m. in the LBJ Student Center Amphitheatre. Hosted by The University Star, the debate will be moderated by the publication’s editorin-chief Jason Buch. The event will feature 10 to 15 questions formulated by The Star. Candidates will be given one minute to respond to initial questions, followed by 30-second rebuttal periods. If the moderator feels a personal attack is being levied against a candidate,

See RACE, page 3

See DEBATE, page 3

By Molly Berkenhoﬀ The University Star

San Marcos residents appalled by forensic facility plans By Alysha Mendez The University Star While professors and city oﬃcials approve of the proposal to build a forensics research facility at the university’s Horticulture Center, many community members are against the plan entirely. A public meeting was held Wednesday to discuss the issue. Walter Wright, political sci-

ence associate professor, served as the moderator while Provost Perry Moore and anthropology professor Jerry Melbye discussed the proposal. “At Texas State, we pride ourselves in having programs that respond to the needs of the community,” Moore said. “I don’t think there’s any question as to whether the state needs a facility like this.” A list of answered frequently asked questions was handed

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Mostly Cloudy/ Windy 84˚/64˚

Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 76% UV: 10 Very High Wind: SSE 22 mph

out along with a map detailing where exactly the facility would be placed on Highway 21. The location of the facility was the main concern of the community members in attendance, such as Michael Abel, retired veterinarian, who lives across the street from the Horticulture Center. “I have a vested interest in this because one day I’d like to sell my place,” he said. “My real estate agent says it’s going

Two-day Forecast Friday Sunny Temp: 56°/ 39° Precip: 0%

Saturday Partly Cloudy/Windy Temp: 68°/44° Precip: 10%

to be real hard to do that with a body farm across the street. Perception of that is going to destroy ever selling my house.” Abel said he was worried about the facility holding research in “open air space.” “If you have a dead body and 25 mile-per-hour wind, that’s not good,” he said. “Viruses travel a long way and I’ll wager you’ll have a hard time keeping coyotes out.” Larry Loane is Abel’s neigh-

bor and they both compared the forensics research facility plans to those of the Texas State ALERRT Center range, which is located further oﬀ Highway 21. “We already have the range keeping us up at all hours of the night with 24 hour shooting,” Loane said. “Take this place somewhere else.” But, Moore said, after looking at all other options, the See RESIDENTS, page 4

Inside News ..............1-5 Election Guide 6,7 Trends ...........8-12 Puzzles ............ 12

Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System

Comics ............ 12 Opinions .......... 13 Classiﬁeds ....... 14 Sports ......... 15,16

Sixteen professors appeared before the Faculty Senate Wednesday to gain approval for developmental leave in the coming semesters. Tenured faculty members can apply for developmental leave after six consecutive years of service to Texas State. Developmental leave is taken when a professor wishes to pursue interests that might conflict with their teaching schedule. The professors told the Faculty Senate what they plan to use the time for and how it would benefit the university. During this time, the professors would be employed by the university and receive pay. “(Developmental leave) is either one semester at full time or two semesters at half pay,” said William Stone, Faculty Senate chair and criminal justice professor. According to the Texas State Web site, generally applicants request developmental leave in order to maintain their academic effectiveness, to undertake and publish research or to partake in activities designed for selfimprovement. Mary Brennan, associate history professor, and Michel Conroy, art and design professor, resigned from the Faculty Senate in previous weeks in order to seek developmental leave. While serving as a Faculty Senator, a professor is not permitted to go on developmental leave. Brennan intends to write a book about former first lady Pat Nixon. Brennan will start the book with a chapter on Nixon’s life before entering the White House, use most of the book to detail her life while her husband was president and conclude with a chapter on her years after Nixon’s resignation. Brennan said she is trying to obtain a rare series of letters written by Pat Nixon’s best friend, which shows a different side of the first lady. “She was the most trampled first lady,” Brennan said. Conroy will use her developmental leave to finish an installation sculpture and curate an exhibition for the Newcomb Collection at Tulane University. In the second semester of leave, she intends to create and exhibit individual porcelain pottery pieces. Stone said should the professors be given approval by the Faculty Senate, they would have to seek approval from Provost Perry Moore, University President Denise Trauth and the Texas State University System Board of Regents. Stone said the regents rarely disagree with the provost’s decision. “Ultimately, it’s the decision of the administration,” Stone said. “In most cases, there’s between 13 and 17 (professors) approved a semester.” Stone said the Faculty Senate will vote on approvals within a week or two, and the decision of the provost will be given to the professors shortly after the semester ends. The board of regents final decision will be more than a month after that.