06 15 2005

Page 1

MOVIN’ ON UP

CALMING CONTORTIONS

Three Bobcats drafted to start short season in minors

Yoga and meditation class helps students beat their summer stress

SEE SPORTS PAGE 12

SEE TRENDS PAGE 7

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UNIVERSITYSTAR.com

WEDNESDAY

JUNE 15, 2005

Legislature votes to add student to Board of Regents By Ashley Richards News Reporter After finalizing decisions and closing a late May meeting at Lamar University in Beaumont, the nine members serving on the Texas State University System Board of Regents found out their membership will jump to 10 in 2006 because of a bill passed by the 79th Texas Legislature that will place a nonvoting student representative on all Texas public university system boards of regents. As requested by several University of Texas students, Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, authored and filed Senate Bill 934. The original text of his bill suggested restructuring each board of regents to give one of the nine existing regent positions to a student who would have voting power. Five of the six members on the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education opposed granting a student a voting position on the boards. After being rewritten to create a 10th position for a nonvoting student, the bill passed the Senate and moved to the House. In the House, Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, filed House Bill 1968, which was identical to the rewritten SB 934. After Rose’s bill was dropped, he sponsored Wentworth’s bill and attached it as an amendment to SB 34, authored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, which passed the Senate and House with widespread support. The student regents will be selected by the governor, just as all other regents are. Graduate and undergraduate students can

VOLUME 94, ISSUE 82

New city department to crack down on violations

SUMMERTIME REFRESHMENT

begin applying for the position in the fall, and those selected could begin serving their oneyear terms in the Spring 2006 semester. Wentworth served on the TSUS Board of Regents from 1987 to 1988 and said the experience allowed him to have a better perspective on the benefits of having a student regent. “The regents I served with were prominent and successful in their careers, but none of them had been a student in two, three, four decades,” Wentworth said. “I felt we were missing student input.” Since he was a student in the early 1960s at Texas A&M University, Wentworth said he was in favor of a student member on the Board of Regents. He said creating a student regent position has been a nearly 40-year project. In the previous legislative session, tuition was deregulated, giving the boards of regents responsibility for setting tuition rates for the public universities they oversee. Wentworth thinks this control over tuition made the need for student representation all the more urgent. Jeff Miller, English sophomore, and Erin Gray, psychology junior, agree that with the board determining tuition, it is especially important for the regents to hear the students’ point of view. Miller said he thought the student selected to fill the new regent position should be someone who pays for his or her own education. “Hopefully the regents will

By Sean Wardwell News Reporter

student concerns, passed a bill that establishes a nonvoting position for a student on each public university system board of regents. “That was something we were very supportive of,” said Associated Student Government President Jordan Anderson. “It opens the doors to communication.” “They’ve been trying to get a student regent for almost 50 years,” Anderson said. “It’s definitely a good first step.” Trauth was also enthusiastic about having a student regent. “I think it’s a positive outcome,”

In a four-hour meeting on June 7, the San Marcos City Council established a department to enforce compliance with city codes, including a measure aimed at reducing the number of students living in residential neighborhoods. The council amended the fiscal year 2005 budget to include a Code Enforcement Department. The council agenda described the department as being “tasked with enforcing compliance of city codes and ordinances.” “It emerged out of complaints from citizens over a long period of time, ranging from zoning violations, loud parties, trash and other issues. What we wanted to do was communicate the rules,” said Communications Manager Melissa Millecam. Millecam cited the city’s cleanup efforts in the Sagewood Trail neighborhood as a guide to how the new department would operate. The Sagewood subdivision, which is largely populated by students, was the focus of a task force established by San Marcos in November to inform residents of possible violations of trash ordinances and fine those who failed to comply. “Our efforts in Sagewood were exceptionally effective,” Millecam said. But Associated Student Government President Jordan Anderson has a different perspective. “I guess it’s within their rights, but I’ve had trouble with the R-1 zoning rules because they have never given any justification other than keeping students out of neighborhoods,” Anderson said, referring to the city zoning rules that prevent more than two unrelated people living in the same residence. During the council’s deliberations, City Manager Dan O’Leary said he wanted the Code Enforcement Department in place in time for Texas State’s Fall 2005 semester. The council heard from San Marcos Police Department Chief Howard Williams regarding increased enforcement

See LEGISLATURE, page 5

See CITY, page 3

Courtney Addison/Star photo Just in time for summer, the Rio Vista Pool reopened to the public May 28 after a year of renovations. Located off of C.M. Allen Parkway, the pool has many new features, such as a water playground, slides and more.

See REGENTS, page 5

Texas Legislature fails to pass university’s bond package By Sean Wardwell News Reporter Texas State’s main legislative goals remained unfulfilled as the 79th regular session of the Texas Legislature came to a close. More than $183 million in bonds for Texas State construction projects failed approval because House and Senate members were unable to reach a consensus. “Our highest priorities for this session were campus construction projects,” Texas State President Denise Trauth said. “We are disappointed that the revenue bonds didn’t pass.” Texas State intended to use the bonds

to build a new undergraduate academic center, add a new building to the Round Rock Higher Education Center, build a new fine arts and communication center and initiate infrastructure repairs and improvements to the campus. The revenue bonds were part of a larger bill to provide Texas universities with more than $1 billion for campus improvement and construction projects. Members of the legislative conference committee were unable to decide on what should be funded under the legislation. Individuals, interests groups and members of his own party, including possible gubernatorial candidate U.S.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, have urged Gov. Rick Perry to call a special session of the Legislature to fix many of the unsolved issues from the regular session. “When I introduced Gov. Perry at an event in San Antonio the other night, he said he will call a special session at the end of June,” said Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio. “My guess is that the special session will cover public school finance and reform,” he said. “I have personally asked the governor to consider these university bonds for the special session, and I am hopeful.” The Legislature, responding to

Students must act fast to avoid loan hike Texas State student’s death under investigation Andre Oupoh, exercise and sports science junior, fills out financial aid forms. Students may soon feel a financial strain due to the increasing interest rates on student loans.

Lindsay Lyle/Star photo

Today’s Weather

Partly Cloudy 94˚/71˚

Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 55% UV: 10+ Extreme Wind: SSE 6 mph

By Ashley Richards News Reporter

By Kelly Merks News Reporter

Procrastinating student loan consolidation could cost students hundreds to thousands of dollars because of a 2-percent hike in interest rates that will take place July 1. Each year, interest rates are reset according to the decisions made by Congress, and for the first time in five years, federal student loan interest rates will increase, reversing the trend of declining interest rates to which borrowers had become accustomed over the past several years. Students and parents have the opportunity to avoid the rising rates by applying for consolidation before July 1. Consolidating student loans allows the borrower to combine all his or her loans, if they come from different lenders, into one payment and locks in a low

The Kyle Police Department is currently investigating the possible suicide of a 20-year-old Texas State student. On June 5, finance sophomore Brandon Michael Dudley was hit by an oncoming 18-wheeler on Interstate 35 after pulling his truck onto the shoulder. Investigations have found the truck to be mechanically sound. Hays County 2nd Precinct Justice of the Peace Beth Smith said many witnesses recall seeing Dudley standing on the side of the highway, looking lost and dejected. “He had pulled over on the side of the road, got out of his truck and stood there, just looking despondent, like he needed help. Then he got back in his car

See LOAN, page 5

Two-day Forecast Thursday Sunny Temp: 95°/ 72° Precipitation: 10%

Friday Mostly Sunny Temp: 97°/ 73° Precipitation: 20%

and drove a couple more miles to the Yarrington Road exit and did the same thing a g a i n ,” Smith said. Brandon Dudley She said at Yarrington Road, Dudley jumped from the highway shoulder into the traffic lane in front of a car. The car swerved and missed Dudley. The driver of the car immediately dialed 9-1-1. While the driver was on the phone with the emergency operator, Dudley dove in front of the 18wheeler. According to Smith and KPD Lt. Pedro Hernandez, several witnesses called the police de-

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

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partment throughout the day confirming Dudley’s leap into traffic, often saying “he just didn’t look right.” There are numerous indications that Dudley’s death was a suicide, Smith said. Investigators are taking various measurements to determine whether or not Dudley had any intention of taking his own life before any official statement will be released. At the time of his death, Dudley was living in an apartment in Austin. He lived in Blanco Hall on West Campus until after final exams in May. The police have gone through his living space and found little to no evidence indicating the possible suicide was premeditated. A visitation for Dudley was held June 8 in Dickinson. The funeral was held the next day at the same location.

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