Chameleon Party?
Loss by baptism
Bobcats end 4-game winning streak with loss to Baptists/Sports/Page 10
Extras galore
New DVD releases offer extras to whet film lovers’ appetites/Trends/Page 6
“Differences” show more similarities between Democrats, Republicans/Opinions/Page 5
WEDNESDAY
VOLUME 93, ISSUE 74 www.universitystar.com
APRIL 14, 2004
FEEDING THE FISHES T E X A S
S T A T E
U N I V E R S I T Y - S A N
M A R C O S
Poll gathers local info on gay marriage Survey shows student, resident views differ
By Katherine Eissler News Reporter
Andrew Nenque/Star photo Jessica Morgan, geography graduate student, adds brine shrimp to all of the fish tanks for morning feed. The Xiphophorus fish population is used to help in scientific research, such as cancer.
Henry Cisneros gets down to business Former S.A. mayor speaks about entrepreneurship By Kay Richter News Reporter It is his actions and not his words that best describe Henry Cisneros. His experience as secretary
taught by Jim Bell, of the U.S. Demanagement profespartment of Housing sor, and Sam Baand Urban Devershop, Mitte chair in lopment under the entrepreneurship Clinton Administrastudies. tion and as mayor of “I’m in the people San Antonio for eight business — you canyears all point to his not, as a leader, manaccomplishments. CISNEROS age anything without On Tuesday, Cisneros spoke to about 60 stu- other people,” Cisneros said. While his past indicates an dents who attended the Studies in Entrepreneurship class interest in the political arena, it
Bobcat Pause honors university’s deceased By Christopher Boehm News Reporter The Texas State campus community will come together on Thursday to remember and honor the loved ones of students, faculty, staff and alumni who have passed away in the past year in a ceremony called Bobcat Pause. The service, which is sponsored by the dean of students and the Student Foundation, will take place at 5 p.m. at the LBJ Student Center Amphitheater. It is slated to last about an hour. Student Foundation Adviser Ismael Amaya heads the program and is in his second year working with Bobcat Pause. “This means a lot to many people, to know that others value those who passed away,” Amaya said. “It shows that the people who are survived are
I N S I D E
Amusements....................8 Arts...................................7
Classifieds........................9
Comics/Crossword........8 News.............................2-4 Opinions...........................5
Sports..............................10 Trends............................6,7
not alone.” Amaya has been working with volunteers from the foundation, led by Natasha Dennis, Bobcat Pause Chair and interdisciplinary studies senior. This is her first year with the service’s committee, which was initiated in 1988 as an Associated Student Government program. “I haven’t attended the service in previous years, but with the help of Mr. Amaya and other foundation members, things have worked out,” Dennis said. According to a press release, the ceremony includes “a short introduction, roll call and a moment of silence. A Texas State ROTC member will close the ceremony with the playing of ‘Taps.’” Formal dress is not g See PAUSE, page 4
Today’s Weather
High: 76 Lo w : 50
Sunny/Clear All Day
Wind: From SW at 8 mph Precipitation: 0% Max. Humidity: 47% UV Index: 10 Very High Thursday’s Forecast Mostly Sunny 79/57
is his interest in business that brought him to speak to the class for a second time. “At first, I didn’t think I was right for public service,” Cisneros said. His experience in the business world came after his political career. Cisneros was president and chief operation officer of Univisión Communications. g See CISNEROS, page 4
Recent debates on the national level concerning gay marriage have prompted Texas State’s public administration students to investigate local sentiments on the issue. Hassan Tajalli’s analytical techniques class recently conducted a survey of San Marcos residents and Texas State students on the issue of banning homosexual marriages. The survey was composed of questions taken from national surveys done by Gallup/CNN, ABC News/The Washington Post and the Associated Press in order to ensure a non-biased questionnaire. Tajalli and his students found female students were significantly more in opposition to an amendment that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman, thus banning marriages between gay or lesbian couples, than male students. The survey found black students are significantly more in favor of the amendment than white and Hispanic students. The survey found white and black students are considerably more in favor of a law in Texas that would allow homosexual
GAY MARRIAGE SURVEY RESULTS Would you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman, thus barring marriages between gay or lesbian couples? Favor
National San Marcos Texas State
Opp.
50% 45% 46 39 40 45
No Opin.
5% 15 15
Would you favor or oppose a state law allowing gay marriage? Favor
National San Marcos Texas State
Opp.
54% 42% 26 62 44 41
No Opin.
4% 12 15
If a presidential candidate favored gay marriage, how likely would it make a difference in your voting? More Less
No None Opin.
National 10% 49% 39% 2% San Marcos 17 47 25 11 Texas State 30 30 28 12 SOURCE: CNN/Gallup Poll (first two questions), AP Poll (third question).
couples to marry, giving them the same legal rights as other married couples. Hispanics disproportionately responded with no opinion. Katherine Hanschen, undeclared junior and non-participant of the survey, said people g See MARRIAGE, page 4
City Council discusses addition of skate parks By David Doerr News Editor
In San Marcos, basketball players have basketball courts and baseball players have baseball fields, but skateboarders have no skate park. John Engel, a concerned citizen and parent of a skateboarder, addressed the San Marcos City Council during its citizen comment period on Monday. Engel, who brought with him four teenaged skateboarders and a few of their parents as a show of support, asked the Council to consider allocating $100,000 in Community
Development Block Grant funds to help build a public skate park. Engel said skateboarding is popular among young people and there is no safe legal place where they can skate within the San Marcos city limits. “Sewell Park is a real popular skateboarding place. It’s right by the river and it’s got those nice ledges,” Engel said after he spoke to the Council. “The kids go there, especially during the summer, and the (Texas State) police issue criminal trespass charges. And if you get a couple of those you end up in real trouble.” Engel’s son, Louis, a 16-year-old skate-
boarder who attended the meeting, said he had to spend the night in jail after he was arrested for criminal trespassing in Sewell Park. He received probation for six months. In his remarks to the Council, Engel mentioned Austin, San Antonio, New Braunfels and Seguin have public skate parks. He also said state law protects municipalities from liability from injuries that could possibly result from skateboarding on public property. Engel told the Council about plans for a skate park that were developed by some of g See COUNCIL, page 4
The Alamo portrays historical events By Jennifer Warner Senior Reporter
The battle of the Alamo has once again been commemorated in film, but this time its producers have worked to portray a more historically accurate telling of events. However, Disney’s The Alamo, which cost approximately $140 million to make, opened Friday, earning $9.2 million and came in fourth place at the box office. The story of the Alamo has been made into nearly a dozen Hollywood and TV movies. In the new version of the story, there are many different aspects that often do not make it to the forefront of Texas history. “They tried to get the
Mexican side of the story,” said Jesus de la Teja, history p r o f e s s o r. “The soldiers are humanized, DE LA TEJA so you’ve got defenders who you can identify with and attackers who you can identify with as human beings. The portrayal of the two sides is a lot better than anything in the past.” De la Teja served as a script consultant on early versions of The Alamo screenplay. He is nationally known for his Alamo expertise and was interviewed last year for the American Experience documentary Rem-
Deana Newcomb/Touchstone Pictures William Barret Travis (played by Patrick Wilson), makes an emotional speech, urging the men to fight for their freedom in The Alamo ember the Alamo, which aired on the Public Broadcast Service network. The film also tries to present the human side of larger-than-life figures, such as Davy Crockett played by Billy Bob Thornton, and James Bowie played by
Jason Patric, by portraying them with character flaws. Some have found the flawed heroes represented in the movie as defaming the legends of the real people. However, Ann g See ALAMO, page 3