OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR
onlineconnection What do you think about the level of safety in San Marcos? Go to www.UniversityStar.com to vote in our online poll. Results will be published in Thursday’s issue of The University Star.
Tuesday, September 5, 2006 - Page 7
*This is not a scientific poll
LAME CROWD
Opinions Contact — Emily Messer, staropinion@txstate.edu
Letters to the Editor Texans treated terribly at game I was excited to see the turnout for the home opener this Saturday against Tarleton State. However, I am disappointed in our fans. The way in which Tarleton State fans were treated by some of our fans was abhorrent. There is no need to throw things at other fans or make some of the awful comments that I heard. It is totally uncalled for. I understand being passionate about one’s team, but there is a way to feel that way and maintain some sort of civility. Hopefully, fans who are new to the scene will learn this, because so far it’s lacking. I would like to apologize personally to Tarleton State fans for the behavior of some of ours. Fortunately, there are some of us who know how to cheer at a football game.
Fans at a football game are supposed to cheer, right? THE MAIN POINT
T
he University Star attended the Bobcat football game Saturday and we were incredibly pleased to see how many students showed up to support the team. The 15,388 in attendance was a record turnout and it warmed our hearts to see a sea of maroon and gold. What did not warm our hearts was the behavior of Texas State fans that we witnessed. But in much of the second and third quarters, the miniscule Tarleton State section drowned the Texas State crowd out while the Texans took control of the game. When the Bobcats launched their comeback, some of the crowd started to make noise. But mostly we were disappointed. Perhaps the football team has improved so quickly that the fans can’t keep up. If that’s the case, let The Star offer some advice for football fans. The first part of this advice is to yell and clap a lot. Sending text messages may be an appropriate activity at social events, but not at a football game. The most important time to yell and clap is when the Bobcats make a big play. Sacks, tackles for a loss and forced fumbles by Jeremy Castillo are excellent times to yell and clap. Whooping is also acceptable. The idea is to make as much noise as possible as the offense lines up on the ball. This is intended to interfere with the offensive line’s ability to hear the snap count. Fans who yell at this point in the game are able to feel like they’re doing something constructive to help their team. Cheering for a fan favorite, key playmaker or player with a heartwarming story of triumph over adversity is also appropriate. Whenever Walter Musgrove, the Bobcat cornerback who was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease after breaking his collarbone in November, makes a tackle, Texas State fans should go wild. Not only is Musgrove’s story gridiron-movie mate-
rial, he lays on crushing hits. The apathy of Texas State fans was not the only problem that came to the Star’s attention. The Star received a letter over the weekend that said a student saw Texas State fans were harassing Tarleton State fans and throwing things at them. If this is true, we are very disappointed in our fellow fans. Unsportsmanlike behavior such as that is unacceptable and tarnishes the image of this school. For some reason, it seems even worse that a lazy and inactive crowd would turn so mean and violent after the game. Behavior like that is never OK, but at least it makes some sort of sense coming from a rabid crowd that screamed its head off all game. Because we are so happy about the win and the huge turnout, we’ll keep our other complaints to a minimum. We won’t whine too much about how we wish whoever had been calling the game over the PA would have told us what happened after every play, instead of every third or fourth down. We like to know who was involved in the play and why the officials keep throwing little yellow flags onto the field. Let’s take these lessons to heart and when the team comes home on Sept. 16. Let’s be loud, supportive and well-behaved.
Adele Walajtys Sociology graduate student
Cross country glaringly omitted I would like to bring it to your attention that your sports section has been doing an incomplete job. Every year I sit back and watch as football, volleyball and soccer get coverage. If your writers believe that these are the only sports in season, they are mistaken and there should be someone in there who knows all the sports that are active in the fall. I am talking about Texas State cross country. These men and women run miles upon miles every day and have the endurance and cardiac fitness many on this campus cannot even imagine. I don’t think there are that many on the staff of The University Star or across this campus who are willing to get up at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning and drive for 20 to 30 minutes to an area that is full of hills and sharp declines to run 13 miles without stopping. Sure they get covered at conferences, but what about the rest of the season? Their first race is this Friday at Stephen F. Austin. I am very disappointed in The Star for their lack of interest, especially considering that this team had a great tragedy this summer when James Ortiz losing part of his leg. He was a big asset to the team, as I am sure you know. The rest of this team deserves coverage to show that there is versatility to Texas State and that they are important to the athletics.
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 University-San Marcos Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University-San Marcos.
Denise Delgado Athletic training senior Kelly Simmons/Star illustration
How very un-American: Sacrificing freedom for security Courage: we like with a new face. Every to think of it as an time the trumpet has American trait. sounded and our miliIndeed, we call ourtary has gone to foreign selves the home of shores there have althe brave. In 230 ways been those who years of our national stay behind and worry. life we can look back SEAN WARDWELL Some worry about their to a proud lineage loved ones in harm’s Star Columnist of courageous men way. Others worry on and women who called us to general principle. They worry embrace ideas and causes larger because they can’t, or won’t, than ourselves. Even though remember our history. To these we have the luxury of two people, every new crisis is the oceans separating us from other worst one to befall us. Because troubles, America has never of that, they are willing to trade hesitated to give aid to those everything that makes us who who need it. we are in the name of safety However, we find ourselves and security. They are willing to in a new kind of war; one that shed the Constitution in order seeks to redefine this nation to save it. both inside and out. This new It’s surprising how many war has brought forth a new people follow these sirens of American; or rather, an old one despair, too. These are the cos-
metic patriots. These summertime soldiers will cover their cars with yellow ribbons and compete to have the biggest flag on the block. But when push comes to shove and we need to defend what truly makes this nation great, they are the first to lay down their arms and head for the rear. Unfortunately, the tone has been set by our leaders and there are no shortages of followers. Am I exaggerating? Is this dramatic license in order to provide yet another column that bashes the Bush Administration? I don’t think so. The domestic situation we find ourselves in is not Bush’s fault. If anything, we asked for it and he’s just giving us what he thinks we want. No, we asked for this because we are afraid
and we want someone to protect us. History provides all kinds of examples of those that would trade freedom for safety. After the revolution, we had the Alien and Sedition Acts to contend with and they were proposed in the name of security despite being patently un-American. The Civil War brought forth a suspension of habeas corpus and this was to reign in Peace Democrats. The Red Scare, McCarthyism and now the “War on Terror” have all had their fair share of the weak and frightened who would like us to believe that if we only bend a little bit of the Constitution in the short term we will be stronger in the long run. They were cowardly liars then and they are cowardly liars now.
Next week will bring us the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11. Instead of living in a safer world, we live in a purposely ambiguous one. The media feeds us fear and panic as if we were strapped into a highchair. We go to the airport and willingly surrender our deadly bottle of water and have our shoes xrayed. On the plane we throw nervous looks toward anyone who might have a deep tan. We have become puppets of fear, dancing and twitching on command, yet when we get home we laugh and slap each other on the back, congratulating ourselves on living in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I wonder exactly what have we done lately as citizens to deserve that title? People that are free and brave usually don’t
live in constant suspicion. Every generation of this nation has had a test to see if we are worthy of the legacy that men like Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Paine left us. Even though many were found wanting at the scales of safety versus freedom there were those who remember and revere. They remind us to walk our talk and to not be afraid. Why? Because, even after all this time, and despite political sunshine patriots and summertime soldiers, this is still the land of the free and the home of the brave. Panic and fear does not become such a nation or a people. Sean Wardwell is a communication studies junior.
Letters policy: E-mail letters to starletters@txstate.edu. Letters must be no longer than 300 words. No anonymous letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit for grammar, spelling, space and libel. We reserve the right to refuse obscene, irrelevant and malicious letters. All e-mails must include the name and phone number of the letter writer. Students should also include their classifications and majors.
The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708
Editor In Chief...................................Jason Buch, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor.........................Emily Messer, staropinion@txstate.edu News Editor..............................David Saleh Rauf, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor....................Maira Garcia, starentertainment@txstate.edu Photo Editor...................................Monty Marion, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor..................................Chris Boehm, starsports@txstate.edu
Copy Desk Chief................................Bill Rix, starcopychief@txstate.edu Design Editor..........................Michael E. Perez, stardesign@txstate.edu Systems Administrator.............Chris Jeane, starsysadmin@txstate.edu Webmaster...........................Ryan Johnson, starwebadmin@txstate.edu Advertising Coordinator......................Jodie Claes, starad1@txstate.edu Advertising Sales Manager....................Lindsey Lee, atlas@txstate.edu
Account Executive...........................Jackie Pardue, jp1271@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator..Linda Allen, starbusinessoffice@txstate.edu Publications Director..............Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu Visit The Star at www.UniversityStar.com
The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos published Tuesday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. every other Wednesday of Summer I and II with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright September 5, 2006. 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.