04 25 2006

Page 1

OLD-TIMEY SOUNDS

WRAP UP

The Old Settler’s Music Festival presents four days of unique bands

Bobcat softball finishes ’06 season with big wins for senior class

SEE TRENDS PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS PAGE 14

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UniversityStar.com

APRIL 25, 2006

TUESDAY

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 78

Oh, hail no!

Congressional representatives visit Texas State

Storm stings San Marcos, damaging outlet stores, cars

By Anna Heffley The University Star

Mark Decker/Star photo DOES THIS COME WITH A WARRANTY?: The storm on Thursday brought a barrage of hail on Prime Outlets, damaging this Black & Decker sign along with the entrance sign to the outlets, awnings and other store signs.

By Marquita Griffin The University Star San Marcos became a focal target of a powerful hailstorm Thursday. The worst of the storm occurred over San Marcos’ most popular site for tourists — the outlet malls. Around 5:15 p.m., hail fell from the sky, shattering car windows and ripping apart mall property. Many storefront signs were completely destroyed, while many of the ones left had been blown out. As the hail created its 15-minute havoc, shoppers ran for the safety of the stores. Shoppers and mall employees watched helplessly as hail broke their car windows and dented the hoods, trunks and doors. It is estimated that at least 1,000 vehicles

were damaged at the outlets. Prime Outlet Mall Manager Lori Kennedy was unavailable for comment Monday due to several meetings she attended to discuss the damage caused by the hailstorm. Management staff said the office is in a frenzy to find a solution and figure out all the damages. The exact cost of the hail damage has not yet been calculated. The management staff said the Prime Outlet was closed Friday, while the Tanger Outlet resumed normal business hours because Prime suffered more significant damage than Tanger. Michelle Carswell, Tanger manager, said the reason Tanger was able to resume business hours Friday was See HAIL, page 4

Jason Buch/Star photo NOT SO PLEASANT WEATHER: A car on Pleasant Street endures Thursday afternoon’s hailstorm. According to Weather.com San Marcos received about two inches of rain during the brief downpour. The hail caused minimal damage on campus, compared to the outlet malls where windshields were broken and storefronts smashed.

About 150 people attended the Congressional Student Forum on Friday, where Texas State students had a chance to ask two congressmen any questions they had. Congressional Reps. John Carter, Republican, 31st District, and Henry Cuellar, Democrat, 28th District, came to the Alkek Teaching Theater to answer students’ questions. Cassandra Dahnke is the co-founder of the Institute for Civility in Government, the organization that sponsored the event along with the Mitte Honors Program. Dahnke said the forum was not intended to be a debate, but a collegial dialogue, and students could ask any questions they wished, as long as they did so in a respectful and civil manner. “We’re not asking that people give up their position in order to get along,” Dahnke said. “We just ask that people respectfully and civilly express themselves and listen to one another.” Tom Scott, co-founder of the institute, said people’s perceptions influence their beliefs, their beliefs influence how they see the world and that influences how they live their day-to-day lives. “Why don’t we all automatically agree? Why is it we have different thoughts? Why is it we have different opinions? Because we have different belief systems, which give us different perceptions,” Scott said. “Which is the best party? Democrats say Democrats, Republicans say Republicans. Let’s create some new ideas, new ways to see things, so we can live together.” One of the first questions was what Congress thought about the rapid rise in gas prices. Cuellar said storms like Hurricane Katrina affected refinery capacity and a bill passed last summer may help long term, but that it is a very serious issue, and Congress would have to address it soon. “Conservation is key,” Cuellar said. “As a member of the Agriculture Committee (in Congress), we’re going to look at alternative fuels, but there aren’t many alternative fuel distribution centers. It’s a difficult issue, but something we have to look at.” Carter said one reason gas prices are so high could be the oil industry has not built a refinery or pipelines in the United States in 25 years. Carter also discussed the possibility of alternative fuels. “In Columbia, they’re distilling the residue of sugar cane,” Carter said. “The process was invented at Texas A&M. It’s a process that has a lot of hope. But you’re right, we need to get prices down.” Another issue addressed by the representatives was the war in Iraq. Carter said he has been to Iraq three times, and See FORUM, page 4

ASG approves legislation concerning single drop date for classes City in top three Texas tourist destinations By Clayton Medford The University Star

legislation, said changing the two drop date system to one with a single drop date eight weeks into a long semester has two positive effects: It allows students more time to assess their potential success in a course and deters students from dropping out at the end of the semester and possibly hurting classmates’ grades. “Some classes just have midterms and if you haven’t taken that test, you don’t know how well you are going to do in the class,” Titus said.

The Associated Student Government unanimously and without debate passed legislation supporting the establishment of a single drop date Monday. Changing the drop dates, the deadlines that students must meet in order to withdraw from a class, has been a concern of the Faculty Senate since Fall 2005. History senior and Sen. Megan Titus, who authored the

If a student is involved in a group project in a course, nothing can prevent the student from dropping the course before the current final drop date and placing the burden of finishing the project on classmates, Titus said. “The ‘8 Week’ Proposal would deter dropping and therefore reduce inconveniences to faculty, staff and students with group projects,” according to Titus’s legislation. Under the proposal, students wishing to withdraw

from a course during the first eight weeks of a long semester could do so without penalty. Students wishing to drop in the second half of the semester must receive departmental approval. For summer sessions, that deadline would fall on the 13th class day. “The reason (for the legislation) is just to provide clear guidelines and eliminate inconsistent policies,” Titus said. “When the drop date is before your first test, that’s just not enough time.”

By Clayton Medford The University Star San Marcos residents may see a major influx of out-of-towners this summer. After a 16.9 percent increase in overnight visitors in 2005 and a solid start to 2006, San Marcos Chamber of Commerce President Phil Neighbors expects big things for his city this summer. “I’m hoping we have at least a 10 percent increase this year because we’ve had such a strong start,” Neighbors said. Tourist destinations like the San

Marcos River and the Prime and Tanger outlet malls contributed to the almost $16 million San Marcos hotels earned in 2005. The busiest quarter, July through September, packed the more than 1,100 hotel rooms in the city and earned the hotels $5 million. Neighbors said the hotels are fully booked on weekends throughout the summer and remain 60 percent full throughout the year. San Marcos is consistently among the top three tourist destinations in See TOURISM, page 3

Texas State student honored as Rockefeller fellow for academic excellence, public service By Magen Gray The University Star Interdisciplinary studies senior Ashley Weaver joined the Rockefeller Brothers Fund 2006 Fellowship for Aspiring Teachers of Color on Thursday based on her academic performance, communication skills and public service. Weaver is one of 25 students across the nation to receive the honor. “The first day that Ashley was in my class, she spoke up right away. You could just spot her; she was articulate, bright and stood out in a crowd,” said Kathleen

Fite, curriculum and instruction professor at Texas State since 1973. Fite was Weaver’s professor for two core education classes and is Weaver’s mentor. “Ashley is a people-person and not afraid of work. She is highly respected and shows promise to touch the lives of others with that energy about her. I can see her going out and influencing children, adults and legislation. Ashley’s a mover and a shaker,” Fite said. Weaver and Fite will work together this summer on a project that creates direct teaching experience with students. Weaver must present her project at a

Today’s Weather

Scattered Storms 83˚/58˚

Precipitation: 60% Humidity: 63% UV: 8 Very High Wind: E 11 mph

workshop in Washington, D.C. at the beginning of August. According to the RBF, only 10 percent of national public school teachers are black, and RBF wants the number to grow with the increasing number of black students. Founded in 1940, RBF is committed to influencing social change. The philanthropist group grants each scholarship recipient up to $22,100 during a five-year period, beginning this summer and ending after three years of public school teaching. Weaver said she was invited to apply for the scholarship and found out about it from another

Texas State student. “My favorite part of my major is working with the kids. I plan to graduate in May 2007 and go to graduate school somewhere on the East Coast,” Weaver said. She is a member of Texas State’s Black Women United, is the on-campus African American Leadership Conference coordinator and currently works at the outlet mall. For more information about RBF or to view pictures of the 25 scholarship winners online, visit www.rbf.org.

Two-day Forecast Wednesday A.M. Showers Temp: 76°/ 58° Precipitation: 40%

Thursday Partly Cloudy Temp: 80°/ 63° Precipitation: 20%

RISING STAR: Interdisciplinary studies senior Ashley Weaver joined the Rockefeller Brothers Fund 2006 Fellowship for Aspiring Teachers of Color and is one of 25 students in the country to have received this honor. Weaver will travel to Washington, D.C. in August to present a teaching project with her professor Kathleen Fite.

Monty Marion/ Star feature photo

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

News ..............1-4 Trends .............5-9 Comics .............. 9 Crossword ......... 9

Sudoku .............. 9 Opinions .......... 10 Classifieds .. 11,12 Sports ......... 13,14

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


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.