2 | Tuesday September 4, 2012 | The University Star
OPINIONS
For more viewpoints or letters to the editor, e-mail staropinions@txstate.edu
Policy change, enforcement may relieve Quad traffic
Kara Ramer, Star Illustrator
T
he beginning of the school year signals new classes, new professors, new students and the conversion of The Quad into a human traffic jam. This cornerstone of campus, lined with scenic trees and iconic statues, has turned into one of the most frustrating stretches of campus. In a school with ever-increasing enrollment numbers and increasingly larger freshman classes, The Quad has become overcrowded —not only with people, but groups recruiting students to join their cause. Organizations clutter The Quad, handing out fliers, asking for money for philanthropy and bombarding students in an inefficient manner. This creates near chaos in the flow
of traffic with people stopping, pushing, shoving and trying to make it to class. Students should not have to strategically tiptoe around organizations playing washers at their booths and people handing them fliers that will end up littering the campus. The university should more closely enforce rules already in place and extend the area that clubs can set up to help everyone’s day move a little faster. The Quad does not have to be a constantly congested mess. The Farmer’s Market held in The Quad on the last Thursday of every month is a prime example of how students getting to and from class can get positive exposure to booths promoting a good or group. Students do not feel rushed and can move easily from booth to booth because they are not being screamed at, pestered or handed neoncolored fliers in the middle of the walkway. Students with no desire to browse can easily
continue on to their destination. While clubs and organizations have the right to be in The Quad to promote and recruit, there needs to be some order to the system. There are rules in place concerning how big a group’s setup can be and how far into the walkway they can stray. While more closely enforcing these rules would be ideal to relieve some of the congestion, devoting resources to police student organizations may not be the most feasible option for the university. Limiting the number of groups that can set up tables in The Quad would be a better and more controllable way to avoid pileups in front of Evans Liberal Arts and TaylorMurphy History building. There would be more room for students to make it through The Quad unobstructed, with fewer groups in the tight area, and less interruption for the students who want to find out more about a
group. Limiting the number of groups in The Quad does not have to put a strain on the groups who want exposure. Tables and tents could be set up along the walkway next to the Bobcat statue, which has equally heavy flows of traffic from the bus loop. Additionally, booths could be set up all the way up to LBJ Student Center, where few booths are ever placed.
The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State UniversitySan Marcos Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University-San Marcos.
University should invest in VP nominee Paul Ryan’s budget threatens Pell Grants if enacted more recycling bins
By Savannah Wingo Assistant Opinions Editor In the interest of increasing sustainability, Texas State should implement recycling bins next to every trashcan around campus. According to an Oct. 12 University Star article, the campus has steadily embraced environmentally friendly initiatives since a recycling program was established nearly 11 years ago. Now is the time to take the next step forward to make recycling more accessible for the average student. Around the university, recycling bins are not as visible or as numerous as trashcans. By placing a recycling bin by every trashcan on campus, particularly in high-traffic areas such as The Quad, students will be encouraged to recycle while walking to and from class. Currently, The Quad and other busy areas at the university are overwhelmingly outfitted with trashcans rather than recycling bins. For the average student walking to class, it is much easier to throw away bottles or cans in the trash than it is to recycle separately. Many students do not have the time or the commitment to walk around campus in search of a recycling container. Texas State has the potential to multiply its recycling output by adding more receptacles with easier accessibility for students, faculty and staff. Switching to a simpler single-stream system could also increase the amount The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building, Room 101 San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708
of recycling on campus. The university could invest in recycling bins made from older, dual-plastic and aluminum models or purchase single-stream receptacles that can take any recyclable material without having to be sorted out beforehand. Single-stream recycling is a relatively new phenomenon in the green world, but implementing it now would mark Texas State as a leader in environmentally friendly practices. Many colleges, such as Yale University, already have single-stream systems, as well as additional recycling bins on their campuses. Even residential and commercial areas are beginning to follow the trend. Texas State should not lag behind the movement while it is happening. Adapting more efficient green methods would make the university ahead of the curve, which should give Bobcats yet another reason to be proud of their school. Texas State has already made significant improvements to sustainability with its recycling program and the Common Experience theme that shed light on the topic two years ago. The campus follows green plans for energy use, according to the sustainability section of the Texas State website. For example, a few current buildings and new construction projects including the Performing Arts Center are certified or will soon receive certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Also, the agriculture department utilizes bins in the LBJ Student Center for a composting operation entitled Bobcat Blend. Now, however, the university is starting to fall behind in the accessibility and ease of recycling receptacles. To simplify recycling, Texas State should implement dual or single-stream bins beside trashcans on campus.
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By Christian Penichet-Paul Opinions Columnist
I
t is oftentimes said that death is the most certain thing in life, but as many college students know, paying an arm and a leg to attend college is a close second. Paul Ryan, the Republican nominee for U.S. vice president, knows this well. Ryan attended college during the 1990s and used student loans to pay for his education. He said in an interview he had to work three jobs to pay back the loans. It is therefore all the more surprising that his budget for the federal government, proposed in 2011, cuts down on Pell Grants. The grants are part of a popular federal financial assistance program for college students with funding that does not need to be repaid like a loan. Pell Grants will play a pivotal role in the continuation of college education for many Bobcats this fall. Ryan’s proposal to reduce Pell Grants will simply come across as bad news for lots of students. The Ryan Budget, as it is popularly known, would likely eliminate substantial funds from the Pell Grants program. According to a March 27 Huffington Post article, an Education Trust analysis found that up to one million students could lose Pell Grant funding in the next 10 years. The proposed budget would cut Pell Grants by $170 billion and eliminate the program’s eligibility for part-time students, who usually have to work to pay their way through college. Pell Grants are designed to help lowerand middle-class students achieve a secondary education. Ryan’s misguided efforts could mean some students acquire even more burdensome debts. Eventually, other
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people might be discouraged from going to college for fear of significant financial setbacks. Texas State would not be immune to the effects of potential Pell Grant cuts. According to a March 31, 2010 University Star article, Texas State students received approximately $22 million in Pell Grant funding during the 2008 to 2009 academic year. The grants helped more than 7,000 students continue their education at the university. On average, those individual students received $3,136 annually, which is a hefty sum that would be difficult to accumulate otherwise. The passage of the Ryan Budget could mean fewer Texas State students will be able to afford their higher education degree plans. Some students with the motivation and proper skills for a particular job field might be unable to acquire a quality education because of a lack of finances. Overall, making college more affordable for students is the most important reform needed in higher education today. It should not be the other way around — students do not need to see their Pell Grant funds reduced. For one, there is little sense in placing cuts on this pivotal program when tuition prices are on the rise across the nation. Also, the Ryan Budget introduces sharp spending cuts for Pell Grants with the purpose of lowering federal debt. The growing debt is a problem, but it should not be paid off at the expense of students at Texas State and other institutions. College students represent the future of the country, and the nation will likely become uncompetitive in the global economy if those students are not able to afford higher education costs. If Pell Grant funds are reduced, many hardworking students will feel the hurt financially. The Ryan Budget has the capacity to eliminate these funds through discretionary spending, thereby impacting a portion of Texas State students directly. Bobcats should stand against ideas that may slowly close the doors of higher education for some students entirely.
The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos and is published every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright Tuesday, September 4, 2012. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor in chief. The first five issues of each edition of the paper are free. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased at 50¢ per copy. Contact The University Star office at (512) 245-3487 to purchase additional copies.
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