09 13 2006 by The University Star

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2006

WEDNESDAY

VOLUME 96, ISSUE 9

City adopts stricter water restrictions Faculty member

remembered for work ethic, familial devotion Despite cancer, Nipps still thought of others By A.N. Hernández The University Star

David Racino/Star photo illustration BOTTLED BATH: Because of low Edwards Aquifer levels and spring ﬂow rates, year-round water restrictions, which will go into effect Friday, make penalties for wasting water more severe than in the past. The new rules will affect everything from service at restaurants, to how residents wash their cars.

Recent rainfall not enough to aid drought By Jacqueline Davis The University Star Hand-washing your car on the wrong day of the week in San Marcos could land you a $100 fine. According to new year-round water restrictions, effective Sept. 15, wasting water is more strictly prohibited than in the past. The minimum fine for violating water conservation measures will rise from $25 to $100 for a first offense. Repeat offenders could be fined as much as $3,000. The San Marcos City Council adopted the new water conservation and drought response rules that will affect residents and businesses owners at its Sept. 5 meeting. The city council decided to make water conservation a yearround effort, said San Marcos

Water Conservation Coordinator Jan Klein “Water is a valuable resource and we want to make sure no one is wasting it any time of year,” Klein said. The new water restriction checklist limits sprinkler irrigation to one day a week, prohibits the filling of new decorative fountains and ponds and mandates that residents partially cover outdoor swimming pools when not in use. Additional requirements for commercial car washes were also added and restaurant are prohibited from serving water except after a customer request. The Edwards Aquifer Authority, which oversees all municipal and industrial aquifer permits holders, declared Stage 2 drought restrictions Monday because of low spring flow levels at the San Marcos Springs. The city of San Marcos adopted Stage 1 drought restrictions June 20, and officials are currently pondering the idea of enforcing Stage 2 water restrictions. The final decision has not been made yet, Klein said. The rising threat to the water supply is apparent, Klein said.

“As more and more people move in, we’re still using the same supply of water for everyone,” Klein said. “It’s getting so hard to find new water supplies. At some point it won’t be enough any more.” Tom Taggart, director of water/ wastewater utilities, said he agrees with Klein. “The I-35 corridor area is predicted to double (in population) over the next 50 years,” Taggart said. While recent rainfall has been a welcomed sight to many drought-weary residents of Hays County, it is not an indication that the water restrictions will decrease, Taggart said. The factors used to determine the drought stages are based on the Edwards Aquifer J-17 index well level and spring flow rates. “Rainfall has not been enough to have an affect on those levels,” Taggart said. Some business managers who will be affected by these rules seem to agree with the city’s rationale. Mark Ford, general manager of IHOP restaurant, said he has not yet received notification of the water conservation mea-

Cheaper fountain drinks available to students with green mugs By Eloise Martin The University Star Free mugs were available in The Quad Thursday and Friday for students who wanted a chance to save money and help keep the campus a little less littered. The green mugs were paid for by the $1 environmental fee included in every student’s tuition. That fee is then used by the Environmental Service Fee Committee to purchase items aimed at helping improve the campus environment. The 14-ounce mugs can be reﬁlled at The Lair in the LBJ Student Center, The Den, Jones Diner Food Court or Paws-NGo for 69 cents, a reduced cost from the regular $1.19 for a 16-

ounce cup. The goal of the mugs, Taylor Powell, Environmental Service Fee Committee member, said is to cross-promote savings. “Students can save money and help save the environment,” he said. Powell, international studies senior, said the group decided to use the money to purchase the cups as a way to help reduce waste around campus. The reduced fees for the reﬁlls were a bonus to the project, Powell said. “Luckily, we got a deal with Chartwells. They are saving money too; they don’t have to buy as many of those wax-coated cups that you can’t recycle,” Powell said. “I hate seeing those cups lying around.”

Today’s Weather

Sunny 92˚/63˚

Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 49% UV: 10 Very High Wind: NNE 10 mph

Charles Blackwell, Chartwells Dining Services district manager, said Chartwells was happy to agree to ﬁll the mugs for a reduced cost. “The less paper and waste that is in the landﬁll, the better,” Blackwell said. Blackwell said although the on-campus dining facilities will be saving a small amount of money by purchasing fewer cups, the reality is that cutting costs to the environment was the main attraction to the project. “It is a great program,” he said. “We are really excited about supporting it.” The mugs also include the group’s Web site address, where See GREEN, page 3

Two-day Forecast Thursday Mostly Sunny Temp: 92°/ 71° Precip: 10%

Friday Scattered T-storms Temp: 91°/ 73° Precip: 30%

sures but will implement them when he does. However, Ford said his early morning coffeedrinkers might not be pleased when they do not immediately receive their customary glass of water. “If it’s something that needs to be done, then we’ll do it. We are in a drought,” Ford said. “On the customer service side, it’s not good though.” Mark Ray, general manager of Conley Carwash and Detail, did not seem concerned with the new car wash requirements. By comparing water usage in past and present utility bills, Ray estimates his car wash system operates with 85 percent reclaimed water. “As much water as we use here, we needed a way to reclaim it, so we did our own research to ﬁnd a way to reuse the water,” Ray said. For more information on drought measures and water conservation rules, visit www.ci.sanmarcos.tx.us

Martha Nipps was the pulse of her family and of the Texas State purchasing office, which she was part of for 26 years. She loved her family, her dog Dolly and Texas State University. Nipps, 51, who lost her sixmonth battle with cancer Sept. 4, was remembered Thursday by hundreds of friends and family members who gathered at the Grace Lutheran Church on Belvin Street. The church, overflowing with flowers, is the same one in which she married her husband, Tom Nipps, Sr., 35 years ago. “She was just so humble; it was always about everybody else, never about her,” said her uncle, Darrell Kidd. “Once you understood unconditional love, you understood Marty.” In the last two years of her life, she worked in the purchasing office as a historically underutilized business specialist. The HUB specialist position is one she created to bring business opportunities to minority-owned businesses. Before this position, she was a purchasing clerk and was employee of the month in 1999. Before quitting her job in May, coworkers said Nipps eagerly helped students and clients. She often peered out the large glass window in her workspace, looking at the pond in front of J.C. Kellam. Her desk space, now cleaned, was once brimming with plastic pigs, ceramic pigs and pictures of pigs. The dryerase board in the coffee room still reads “Martha’s Birthday” on Sept. 21. “She loved pigs — real ones, stuffed ones, pictures of pigs. Her desk and the house was ‘here a pig, there a pig, everywhere a pig.’ We had a hog farm in the 1980s and I think that sparked her love of pigs,” said her husband. Although she lost about 35 pounds and grew weaker, her spirit remained resilient. “She would call us at work and say, ‘I just can’t wait to get back to work,’” said Texas State purchasing clerk Velia Espinoza,

Martha Nipps who worked alongside Nipps for more than 15 years. Espinoza said Nipps was more than her coworker — she was her dear friend. “What I miss most about my friend is her smile, her kindness and her voice. She had this squeaky, cute voice, like a young girl,” Espinoza said. “Martha always got to work on time and she would make us coffee every single morning. And since she’s been gone, I never drink coffee.” Even when she was diagnosed in May with hormonal breast cancer, she baked for her husband and knitted throws for cancer patients. “I think women just really need to be aware that this type of cancer is out there. I think if, through losing Martha, we could make people aware, Martha would like that,” Kidd said. “I just can’t say enough. I watched her grow. I remember her wedding and the dance afterward. I could just go on and on about that girl.” Saturday at Mochas and Javas, Nipps’ family found it hard to speak about her. Alice Meierant said her daughter was “just precious.” With tears in his eyes, her husband scrolled two lonely words on a piece of lined notebook paper: “perfect wife.” He said he met the woman he nicknamed “Angel” at a dance hall in Ehland and remembered thinking the long-haired blonde was beautiful. Later, in a six-page letter he prepared, he thanked Martha for their children, Tommy, Jr. and Amy. “I was always high-tempered, but she had this way to tell me to calm down without raising her voice,” he wrote. “She was my backbone. There will never be another Martha.”

Public ‘advocate’ seeks open records review of Commissioners Court By Kathy Martinez The University Star Commissioners Court met Tuesday morning and opened with public comments from the audience. The president of Hays Community Action Network, Charles O’Dell, addressed the commissioners with his concerns in regard to the decisionmaking process of the court. O’Dell said he wishes the court would be more willing to share information with the public about decisions that are being made in the county. O’Dell’s concern was initiated by an agenda item posted for discussion in Tuesday’s meeting. The issue addressed to the court was to approve selection of Engineering and Right-of-

Way ﬁrms for the Pass-Through Financing Program as recommended by the committee members and the Program Manager, Prime Strategies. “The problem with issues like this is that citizens cannot participate and don’t know about these decisions until the meetings every week. I just ask that the court slow down the process and take time to have information available in a timely manner,” O’Dell said. O’Dell also told the court that he will be conducting an open records review to asses what procedures the court has taken in their selection of particular ﬁrms such as Prime Strategies. Commissioner Russ Molenaar, Precinct 4, asked O’Dell why he had problems with

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Prime Strategies, to which O’Dell responded he had none at all. “I am here to represent the thousands of other citizens that have problems with their local government who cannot make it to these meetings every week. I am merely an advocate of the court. All we ask is that you give us information when we ask for it,” O’Dell said. Commissioner Will Conley, Precinct 3, told the court that the commissioners are reviewed annually and take the appropriate procedures when making decisions for the county and provide any information requested by the public. See COURT, page 4

PAGE TWO The University Star

September 13, 2006

Wednesday in Brief

starsof texas state Cheng-Dong Shi, technology graduate student, is expanding on the seven years of microchip manufacturing knowledge he gained while working with Motorola in China and Austin. Shi performs graduate research while assisting undergraduate students with a “hands-on experience” that they will not ﬁnd at other universities. Texas State embraced the growing semiconductor

industry by opening an on-campus clean room at the Mitte Complex. In just a short period of time, both bipolar and metal oxide silicon transistors — the ﬁrst electronic devices ever created on the campus — have been produced, proving the lab’ s capabilities. — Courtesy of Texas State Public Relations

News Contact — David Saleh Rauf, starnews@txstate.edu Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System

On This Day...

Helping hand WEDNESDAY Higher Ground, the LutheranEpiscopal campus ministry, will offer a short service of prayer and reﬂection at 5:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church, across from The Tower residence hall. A free meal will follow at 6:15 p.m. Everyone is welcome. There will be advocate training at the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center. For more information, contact Elizabeth Dixon at (512) 396-3404. Bible study will be held in the lounge of the Catholic Student Center at 7 p.m. American Marketing Association will present guest speaker Dan Stauffer, vice president of marketing & real estate for McCoy’s Building Supply at 5:30 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1. All majors are welcome. There will be free food and drinks. More information is available at http://www. business.txstate.edu/AMA. A student-led rosary will be recited in the chapel of the CSC at 6:25 p.m. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. will host Community Service Week: Delta Academy at The San Marcos Library, 4:13 to 5:13 p.m. This program is designed to aid young children in their educational development.

THURSDAY The Tennis Club will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. at the tennis courts on Sessom Drive, behind Joe’s Crab Shack. All skill levels are welcome. If you have any questions, contact Tennis Club President Chris Harris at ch1282@txstate.edu. There will be an on-campus Alcoholics Anonymous meeting from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center at (512) 245-3601.

1788 — The Constitutional Convention decided that the ﬁrst federal election was to be held the following February. On that day George Washington was elected as the ﬁrst president of the United States. In addition, New York City was named the temporary national capital.

The Counseling Center offers the following groups: Facing the Fear (Anxiety Group) which will run from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and Women’s Personal Growth Group which will run from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For information or to sign-up, call the Counseling Center at (512) 245-2208.

1943 — Chiang Kai-shek became the president of China.

There will be advocate training at the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center. For more information, contact Elizabeth Dixon at (512) 396-3404.

1971 — In New York, National Guardsmen stormed the Attica Correctional Facility and put an end to the four—day revolt. A total of 43 people were killed in the ﬁnal assault.

The Rock-Praise & Worship will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the CSC chapel. Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will hold its weekly meeting at 8:30 p.m. in Old Main, Room, 320. Enjoy contemporary worship, relevant teaching and prayer. Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact (512) 557-7988 or mail@texasstatechialpha.com. Higher Ground Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry will offer a free supper at 6:15 p.m., followed by Holy Communion at 7 p.m. The group meets at St. Mark’s Church, across from The Tower residence hall. Everyone is welcome. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. will host a school supply donation in The Mall, the area between the LBJSC and Alkek Library, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will be collecting school supply items and all donations will be donated to local San Marcos area schools. There will be a San Marcos High School scholarship dinner in the LBJ Multipurpose Room from 7 to 9 p.m. This dinner will beneﬁt annual San Marcos High School scholarships. The cost will be $3 per plate. Go to www.UniversityStar.com and click on contact to view calendar and Stars of Texas State submission policies.

Monty Marion/Star photo Biology senior Rene Flores works as a lab assistant in the Derrick 114 computer lab Tuesday afternoon. For computer lab hours and locations around campus, visit www.its.txstate.edu/labs.

ASG Beat ASG confers on complaints against area newspaper The Associated Student Government would like to extend a welcome to all students to our meetings at 7 p.m. on Mondays in the LBJ Student Center. Room 3-14.1. If you would like to speak to the Senate, please come during our public forum, where non-Senate members are able to address the Senate, or contact a representative at any time regarding the issues facing our campus. Complaints have been made about the San Antonio ExpressNews soliciting in The Quad with items, such as shirts and hats, which represent the University of Texas. Student Body President Kyle V. Morris said this should not be tolerated and asked senators to propose legislation suggesting a possible solicitation ban of the San Antonio ExpressNews for the academic year.

1988 — Forecasters reported that Hurricane Gilbert’s barometric pressure measured 26.13. It was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. 1993 — “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” premiered on NBC.

Free counseling available to veterans returning or beginning education at Texas State The Academic Affairs Committee is looking into the 120hour degree plan. Ronald Brown, dean of University College, briefed the Senate on Monday regarding the core curriculum and the possibility of cuts. Classes that are being considered for cuts include Communication 1310, Philosophy 1305, PFW courses and University Seminar. The plan for uniform class schedules is an upcoming issue being taken on by the Academic Affairs Committee. Nancy Nusbaum, the assistant vice president for ﬁnance and support services, will inform the Senate of this issue at the next Monday meeting. Other items on the agenda for Monday’s meeting include a vote on the Senate Endorsement of Mobile Campus and approval of a constitutional amendment. — Courtesy of the Associated Student Government

Texas State, like many other universities across the nation, is beginning to see a number of veterans of combat services in Iraq and Afghanistan returning to begin or continue their college education. Studies by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Veterans Department suggest that many of these returning veterans will experience some difﬁculty adjusting to academic and campus life. The studies suggest that the constant intensity that exists in war zones similar to those in Iraq and Afghanistan makes it very difﬁcult to adjust to a less intense environment. That coupled with the expected stress of college pressures can exacerbate the adjustment process. To help returning veterans at Texas State, the Counseling Center will offer a weekly Veterans Support Group and Forum. The objective of the support group and forum is to

help returning veteran students connect with and support one another as they adjust to the demands of college life. The Veterans Support Group and Forum will be held from 4:40 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays in the LBJ Student Center, Room 5-1.10. Returning veteran students interested in participating in this program are encouraged to call the Counseling Center at (512) 245-2208 to sign up or for additional information. Counseling Center groups and counseling services are free of charge. The Counseling Center recently hosted a workshop conducted by the Austin Vets Center to prepare college and university counselors to help returning veterans on their campuses. Approximately 25 counselors from 10 Texas universities, in addition to several staff from Texas State, attended the workshop.

NEWS

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

The University Star - Page 3

Acclaimed sculptor to unveil statue of LBJ as student By Chris Parrish The University Star A statue of distinguished Texas State University alumnus and former U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson will be unveiled at 11 a.m. Thursday during a ceremony in The Quad between Flowers Hall and Centennial Hall. Johnson graduated from Texas State, then Southwest Texas State Teacher’s College, with a degree in teaching in 1930. The sculpture represents LBJ as a young student with a book clutched in his left hand while his right hand reaches back, beckoning students to follow him. It was cast in bronze through the Shidoni Foundry in Santa Fe, N.M. “The statue is designed to be encouraging for today’s students,” Associated Student Government President Kyle Morris said. “At one time, he was walking here just like anyone else. It’s an inspiration for students to achieve goals and dreams just like he did.” ASG submitted a proposal for the statue two years ago. Funds were allocated by the Student Service Fee Advisory Committee and the project was authorized by the university’s Board of Regents in August 2005. “Our main thought was that (the statue) was long overdue,” Morris said. “We are doing the right thing by recognizing a prestigious alumnus.” Texas State is the only university in Texas to have the distinction of graduating a former U.S. president or vice

president. Up until Thursday, a statue commemorating LBJ has never been on campus, even though the LBJ Student Center is named in his honor. The university’s administration appointed acclaimed sculptor Lawrence Ludtke, a Fellow in the National Sculpture Society and corresponding member of the Royal Academy of British Sculptors, to create the statue. He had previously enshrined LBJ in a sculpture dedicated to the “Walk of Texas Heroes” site in San Antonio in 1988. “I consider it a privilege to do something like this,” Ludtke said. “It’s really an honor.” Ludtke, a Houston native, used photographs of Johnson as a young man as inspiration for the work of art. “I hope that it inspires students that time at the university should be well-spent and they have an exciting future,” he said. LBJ visited Texas State many times as president and in retirement, most notably in 1965 when he came to sign the Higher Education Act, which paved the way for students to receive a college education who formerly could not afford it. By acknowledging Johnson’s past accomplishments through the statue, the university hopes current and future students will aspire to achieve greatness as well. “It’s a credit to LBJ, the alumni and the institution itself and it’s ability to produce accomplished alumni,” Morris said. “It’s not just about the past but also the future.”

GREEN: Mugs reduce paper waste CONTINUED from page 1

Powell said students can learn more about where their tuition money can and cannot be spent. Brittney Overstreet, digital and photographic imaging sophomore, took one of the mugs and said she would be using it around campus. “It is a good program,” Overstreet said, “and I am glad to know where my tuition money is going and that it is not something selﬁsh.” Anita Lafferty, undecided freshman, said she thought the mugs were a good way to reduce campus waste. “It is an incentive not to be throwing away paper cups,” she said. “I always reuse my water bottles already.” The Environmental Service Fee Committee is comprised of three faculty members and four students. Money from students’ fees has been used in the past to purchase campus recycling bins and the committee plans to purchase bike racks for the trams in

Eloise Martin/Star photo CHEAP DRINKS: Geography senior Aja Davidson and international studies senior Taylor Powell hand out free mugs to students in an effort to reduce the number of discarded cups. The mugs, paid for by a small tuition fee, are reﬁllable at the various student-dining areas around campus for a discounted price.

the future. Powell said 3,000 mugs were ordered, but if they become popular more will become available in the upcoming weeks.

“We are going to see how they work out, but we would be more than glad to order more,” he said. “Potentially, every student could have one.”

Monty Marion/ Star photo UNDER WRAPS: Texas State’s new statue of a young LBJ, installed between Flowers and Centennial Halls Tuesday afternoon, sits waiting for its Thursday morning unveiling.

NEWS

Page 4 - The University Star

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Non-Aligned Movement conference to be held in Cuba By Frances Robles McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) MIAMI — Cuba is hosting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria’s Bashar Assad and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez among some 50 heads of state for a summit this week in which it hopes to breathe new life into a relic of the Cold War. But as the foreign leaders began heading to Havana for the 14th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, a coalition of 116 mostly developing nations, it remained to be seen whether the host will make an appearance. Cuban leader Fidel Castro is still convalescing from a July 31 intestinal operation that forced him to cede power to his younger brother and long-designated successor, Raul, for the ﬁrst time in 47 years. “I think you’ll see Fidel Castro, if he’s feeling up to it, using this to boost his image,” said Robert T. McLean of the Center for Security Policy. “He’ll do his best to attend. This is his moment in the spotlight. This is the role he relishes.” “It brings him back to the old days.”

Among the Latin American presidents expected to attend are Evo Morales of Bolivia, Alfredo Palacio of Ecuador and Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic. Other nations, such as Colombia and Guatemala, are sending lower ranking delegations. Brazil, Argentina and Mexico are not members. Also expected is United Nations Secretary-General Koﬁ Annan. Formed in 1961, the Non-Aligned Movement was originally comprised of countries trying to form a bloc of nations not allied with either the United States or the Soviet Union. This year, Cuba takes over the threeyear rotating chairmanship of the group ﬁrst founded by the likes of India’s Nehru and Yugoslavia’s Tito. Cuba last hosted the summit in 1979, when Fidel Castro was at the top of his game, spreading his leftist revolution in places such as Nicaragua and Angola. But experts agree that the context has changed in those 27 years. Leftists have won Latin American presidencies through the ballot box, and more importantly, the Soviet Union has dissolved. “This is a product of the Cold War and the Cold War is over,” said

Daniel Erikson, a Cuba expert at the Inter American Dialogue in Washington. “This is kind of an artifact from a different era.” Nevertheless, the timing for Cuba is critical, Erikson added. With Castro in his sick bed and his brother Raul keeping a grip on the revolution, Cuba needs to hold a successful conference. “This raises the bar,” Erikson said. “They need to carry off a good event and look like they are still in control.” More than 500 journalists from around the world applied for credentials to cover the conference, an interest apparently largely fueled by Castro’s illness. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told reporters in Havana Sunday that Castro’s presence is still undecided even if the printed schedule shows him hosting a dinner for the top dignitaries on Friday. “Logically, the physical absence of Fidel in all of the summit work constitutes a notable loss,” Perez Roque said, according to the Associated Press. “All of us would like him to head the delegation and be there all the time. If that does not occur, we have made great preparations under

his personal direction.” He stressed that the Non-Aligned Movement is still relevant. “Today we can afﬁrm,” he said, “that the movement is more necessary than ever.” Last week, the Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno told the Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde that Cuba plans to increase the group’s international activism. The goal is “to revitalize the movement and accomplish having it once again take its corresponding role in international relations,” Moreno said. “The Non-Aligned Movement should not respond just to the initiatives of others but also should have its own initiatives, its own ideas,” Moreno told reporters in Havana last week. Cuba said 115 of the 116 members of the Third World movement of countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America will send delegations, including 50 led by their heads of state. In Washington, the U.S. State Department had little to say about the event, noting that the United States is not a member of NAM. “They are welcome to meet as they determine ﬁt,” said spokesman Eric Watnik.

Farzaneh Khademian/MCT

CASTRO-LESS IN CUBA: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran on August 29, 2006. Ahmadinejad is in Cuba for the 14th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, although it in unsure if Fidel Castro will be physically capable of heading the events.

COURT: Conley says more information requests would increase workload CONTINUED from page 1

“I represent 130,000 constituents. You, Mr. O’Dell, represent yourself and your small corporation, who are politically based. The commission works for its citizens diligently,” Conley said. Hays County Judge Jim Powers asked that the court move on

to other areas of business on the agenda as discourse on the issue became lengthy. Further debate arose after an agenda item was discussed for the possibility to place the agenda backup information for Commissioners Court on the Hays County Web site, along with the current listing of agenda items.

Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe, Precinct 1, along with Conley, Molenaar and Powers, was not in favor of the item, stating concern that it would generate an excessive amount of backlog work for staff. “Last minute changes to the agenda are inevitable. All of us have submitted backup infor-

mation on certain agenda topics that we ﬁnd and will be helpful to the court when we vote in the meeting,” Conley said. O’Dell said the wants to be able to have access to such last minute information to which the public is entitled. “Have you ever asked me for information that I have not giv-

en you?” Conely asked O’Dell. Conley assured him that he has delivered every request for information submitted to him by O’Dell and the public. The agenda item failed, with Powers, Conley, Molenaar and Ingalsbe voting no and Carter voting in favor of the action item.

“It becomes a hassle for our staff to keep revising the packets for Tuesday’s meeting when it is there upon request anyways. Before we start making decisions about accessing information that we already do as a courtesy, but are not obligated to, we need to look into hiring staff to take on that kind of job,”Powers said.

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

onlineconnection The Student Recreation Center offers a wide variety of dance classes and wellness classes. For a full story, visit www.UniversityStar.com.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 - Page 5

Trends Contact — Maira Garcia, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Common Experience

Armando Sanchez/ Star ﬁle photo

enters third year with

COURAGEOUS DIALOGUE: Maya Angelou, a highly recognized poet and novelist, spoke inspirational words about courage to thousands of Texas State students and San Marcos residents outside of the LBJ Student Center last fall. Her speech was a part of the Common Experience initiative.

‘Protest and Dissent’ theme By Maira Garcia The University Star The Common Experience isn’t just about big name speakers or summer book readings. It’s about community. The Common Experience is an interdisciplinary program aimed at providing a yearlong common theme for the university community to talk about. Former Texas State psychology professor Chris Frost, who is now the associate dean of undergraduate studies at San Diego State University, initiated the Common Experience program in 2004. “It’s rooted in ways I’ve thought about education throughout the years. What do you think students should know and what books should everyone know?” Frost said. Frost said that he noticed in his classes that there was an intellectual disunity among students. He couldn’t tell whether everyone had read books considered classics or if they had any understanding of intellectual themes considered common. “It was sort of like a cafeteria. Everyone takes some of this and others take that. There was no glue holding academics together,” Frost said. Frost said programs at smaller liberal arts universities have a general education core and books that everyone had read. By taking common courses and books, the university community becomes coherent and connected, said Frost. Pamela Wuestenberg, assistant dean of the University College, is now the co-chair of the Common Experience program and hopes to expand the connection between disciplines. “For us, it’s the idea that we all talk about similar things under one umbrella,” Wuestenberg said. “We have a theme and a book that goes with that theme and then we have an interdisciplinary approach to both of those. Instead of just doing biology, we try to connect biology maybe with a scientist that protests.” Common Experience features a variety of speakers that connect to the theme. “Last year, Maya Angelou and Spike Lee spoke to the theme of ‘courage.’ That was their interpretation of it and it was a broad appeal to a lot of different people,” Wuestenberg said. This year’s Common Experience theme is one in which Wuestenberg feels there a potential for

connections across the university. “We have Edward James Olmos coming in. He’s an actor, an activist and he’s Hispanic,” Wuestenberg said. “We have the Latino Presence on campus, so that makes a good connection. The theme is ‘Protest and Dissent,’ and what are we talking about here in Texas, but immigration issues. So all of that seemed like … a really good ﬁt.” Wuestenberg said that once more departments become involved with Common Experience, more students, other than those enrolled in University Seminar who are required to attend Common Experience events, will know about the program and events. “Honestly, when we started this thing, we didn’t know where it was going to go and we still don’t,” Wuestenberg said. “There is no ‘this is where we are going to be in ﬁve years.’ It just grows as it grows.” Reagan Pugh, English sophomore and student assistant to the Common Experience, said the program is about bringing different ideas through the dialogue. “I think the common experience is such a good opportunity for us to (recognize) … there is such a broad base of knowledge and it would be ridiculous to go our entire time here without taking a different perspective, a different look and even just appreciating it,” Pugh said. Pugh said he believes students are beginning to understand the concept of the program. “Slowly, people are starting to understand this is coming back every year and is changing every year and that we are staying on top of it every year. People respect it,” Pugh said. Eric Powell, an exercise and sports science junior said the Common Experience has been a good way to talk about diversity. “I think it’s good they bring a lot of people in,” said Powell. “Just to have different ideals on different aspects of society.” Mass communication senior Amber Conrad, worked with the Mitte Honors Program coordinating several Common Experience events. “Students don’t really know what it’s about. And it’s just a starter program. It’s not in its tenth or eighth year or whatever, but it’s going to get better,” Conrad said. Conrad said that student involvement would be key to continuing Common Experience. “The department is doing all it can do to expand it, only time will tell,” Conrad said.

A.D. Brown/ Star file photo SPIKE SPEAKS: Controversial and outspoken filmmaker Spike Lee spoke to a crowd of 2,500 at a Common Experience event last spring concerning his upbringing, filmmaking and issues young people deal with today.

Mentoring Program helps new students adjust By Laura Jamison The University Star

and public relations senior, has been a mentor for three years and hopes students will make valuable connections in the program. “I think the best part about it is networking. You never know, because in 5 to 10 years from now, the mentee that you were presiding over may end up having some inside position at the company that you are trying to get into,” Lucquete said. Lucquete emphasized the

mentors receive an education as well. “If you want to communicate with the culture you have to know the culture ... and it is a really good idea for junior or senior level students to enter the program and learn skills,” Lucquete said. “They were always very welcoming and they would always inform you. They would always include you with everything they had,” said Brandon Djie,

a computer science senior and former mentee. The program is currently seeking more mentees to reach its quota of 200 students. “Right now we have a little more than 100 mentees and 125 mentors. So we actually have more mentors than mentees. We have limited it to 200 students each year ... but ideally, we would like to accommodate every student with a need,” said Fluker.

For a lonely freshman who finds themselves lost amidst the large crowds and the difficult studies of university life, it may seem that there is nothing to resort to. Rod Fluker, the assistant dean of students and new coordinator of the University Mentoring Progam, said the Mentoring Program may be the cure to freshmen fears and has benefits for transfer students and upperclassmen as well. The program pairs incoming freshmen and transfer students with staff, faculty and peer student mentors. What started in the student affairs division as part of the university’s retention plan in 1992 is now a mission to provide role models for all new students. “We are about to celebrate our 15th year in existence and we are very proud of the fact that students who come through the University Mentoring Program have a higher retention rate and higher GPAs than those like cohorts that did not attend the program,” Fluker said. The Mentoring Program is a year long arrangement that provides activities and meetings that range anywhere from a football game to a simple meeting in the office or home of the mentor. A perk of joining the program is “they can take students Jennifer Williams/Star photo out to lunch on our nickel,” said STEPPING UP: Rod Fluker, former Dean of Students, is the new coordinator of the Texas State MentorFluker. Jon Lucquete, anthropology ing Program, which acclimates freshman and transfer students to university life.

This year, Fluker plans to introduce a new group mentoring session with the extra space and administrative support that the university set aside for mentoring. Students interested in being mentored can go to the LBJ Student Center, Room 5.9-1 and the ofﬁce will make arrangements to assign students

a mentor. The program requires peer mentors to complete two semesters at Texas State with a minimum GPA of 2.5. In order to apply for the position, students need to ﬁll out an application, which is available on the mentoring Web site. http:// www.dos.txstate.edu/mentoring_web/default.html.

TRENDS

The University Star - Page 6

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Music, art side-by-side with coffee fare at Tantra By Jessica Sinn The University Star Calling all starving artists and thirsty coffee drinkers — Tantra Coffeehouse is serving up a fresh brew of up-and-coming local artists for their September art exhibit. It’s been only two months since Tantra has opened its doors for business and already the walls are ﬁlling up with local art. As of Friday, Tantra will be featuring two artists for the September art exhibit. This will be the third body of work that Tantra has exhibited. The past two shows displayed colorful works by a co-op of artists called Dormouse Fantabulous. Artwork by locals Jeff Cole and Mike Furrh will be the main attractions for this month’s exhibit. Recent Texas State graduate Mike Furrh is best known for his sculptural-hanging wall paintings. Some of his methods include minimalist forms, the use of shadow and light, paint and canvas. His work has been displayed at Pete’s Coffee

“I

t’s great that people who come to see art get to see music and people who come to see music get to see art.”

—Mike Furrh artist

House, the LBJ Student Center and Red Tin Art Warehouse. “It’s kind of hard to put my artwork into a classiﬁcation. If I had to classify my artwork, I would call it ‘shaked-canvasart,’” Furrh said. Jeff Cole, Texas State graduate and former University Star illustrator, will be showcasing his latest artistic creations. “Jeff Cole is a great draftsman — he’ll be showing some digital or screen print,” said Topher Sipes, artist and manager of Dormouse Fantabulous. Local hip-hop bands, The Heroes and The Word Association, will kick the art show into gear when they perform on the sideyard stage. The artwork will be accentuated with funky beats and patrons will have access to

a fully-loaded outdoor bar. “It’s great that people who come to see art get to see music and people who come to see music get to see art,” Furrh said. Aside from Tantra’s menu of caffeinated beverages, the visual stimulation from mixed-media artwork, funky furniture and yard sculptures will provide an extra jolt of energy. The owners of Tantra continue to nurture new artists by changing the artwork on a monthly basis and they’re always looking for new work to display for prospective buyers. “Buyers are picking up art at Tantra; I think it’s opening opportunities for local artists. There are some venues in San Marcos that are picking up

Gospel Fest to start AALC Willet School of Dance: Body Talk and some surprise acts. A Remnant of Levites PresiGospel Fest, a concert that dent Shedrach Rowry is not will be part of the African only excited about his group’s American Leadership Conferentertainment value but the ence, hopes to send a spiritually message as well. positive message. “I expect the group to use The concert is scheduled to music as a vehicle to encourtake place Friday at 8 p.m. in age the students and give them Evans Auditorium, marking the hope, patience and expectabeginning of the conference. tion of what the year holds for Hosted by then-Southwest them,” Rowry said. Texas alumna Surnetra Earnest, Body Talk Artistic Director the Gospel Fest audience can Kim Willet said dancers hope look forward to an energetic to move spectators. show. “The audience can expect “When they leave, it will be an emotional interpretation of with a message they can take gospel. We teach them to dance with them, not just entertainfrom within so the meaning of ment, but something they can the dance is shown through and take with them in their everythe dancers are excited about day life,” Earnest said. expressing their beliefs through Black Women United Presmusic and dance,” Willet said. ident and communication Vice president of Black Men design junior Mallory Banks United and psychology freshexpressed her excitement about man Carlton Fairley said he has a strong appreciation for gospel music. “I love gospel music because it’s uplifting and any time I’m going through depression, I turn on gospel music and it relates to me,” Fairley said. However, Fairley isn’t just a spectator to gospel music and dance. He shares gospel expression through miming. “Mime is a form of worship and ministry because people might be going through something that they can’t bear and it helps to look at somebody portraying the same story and Courtesy of www.aremnantoﬂevites.com they can relate to your mime,” SINGING PRAISES: A Remnant of Levites is one of several groups Fairley said. “When you mime, you can (do) facial expression performing at Gospel Fest, the starter event for the African Ameriand portray the whole story.” can Leadership Conference. Earnest is looking forward to hosting Gospel Fest, but offers advice to current students. “Come one, come all to the best weekend of the year and don’t take your college experience for granted,” Earnest said. “You will draw from your experiences later. I thank Southwest Texas for helping me face obstacles and preparing me for the real world spiritually and mentally.” By Danielle Madsen The University Star

Gospel Fest. “I’m looking forward to a lot of talent. The best thing is the opportunity for the artists to tell how they feel about their spirituality,” Banks said. “It gives artists the chance to showcase their God-given talent. Gospel singers are the some of the most talented singers out there.” AALC student coordinator and interdisciplinary studies senior Ashley Weaver was excited about the concert. “Gospel is an awesome form of praise, dance and worship and is a great way to kick off the conference. I hope it will raise everybody’s spirits and get people prepared for the workshop,” Weaver said. Performers scheduled for the concert include Unity, Cheryl McWilliams, Regina Odem, Sir Smith, Christ Community Church Choir, B.L.U.E., S.O.S, A Remnant of Levites, Joyce

these local artists,” Sipes said. Unlike some corporate coffee chains, Tantra offers more than just a quick caffeine ﬁx; it’s also a haven for emerging new artists. The owners of Tantra have been making efforts to infuse up-and-coming local artists and musicians. Gabriel Hendrick, manager of Tantra, explained how owners Jamie and Nathan Todd strive to make Tantra an open and friendly place for artists and the community. “They’re trying to push this as a community-based center and to promote San Marcos art,” said Hendrick. “They want this to be more than a coffeehouse, bar or restaurant. They want this to be a meeting-place for the community.” There will be no cover charge for the art exhibit and outdoor concert. Art and music lovers, students and locals are welcome to take part in the event. “I encourage everyone to come to Tantra Coffeehouse – support local artists and sup- COFFEE & ART: Mike Furrh, Texas State alumnus, stands in front port local business,” Hendrick of his art work. On Friday, Furrh, along with fellow artist Jeff Cole, will exhibit their work. said.

Film documents Bajío women, immigration By Andrea L. Short The University Star A documentary film that investigates the consequences of immigration on both sides of the border, Milagros: Made in Mexico, follows the lives of women as they overcome financial challenges in America and Mexico. The film is part of the yearlong Philosophy Dialogue Series, aimed at creating a discourse among students. “The series is full of events designed to spur interest in valiant issues of the day. We invite speakers to further discuss the

various films that we are showing,” said Audrey McKinney, associate professor in the philosophy department. Throughout the documentary, filmmakers Martina Guzmán and Monique Velásquez follow the women of the Bajío region in Mexico and cover the impact of migration trends on the region and its people. Feature stories within the film include women who succeed in the food industry with their traditional recipe for “cajeta,” a traditional Mexican confection. Another story features a band out of Pozos, Mexico, who managed to sell their pre-Columbi-

an, handmade instruments and pre-Hispanic CDs. The film is embarking on a national college tour, screening at universities with a strong Latino presence. “We are excited about showing at (Texas State) because of the institution’s commitment to diversity, specifically for the 100-year celebration of Latino presence through the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies,” said Tica Gollob, press manager for the film. The film will be screened today at 6:30 p.m. in the Centennial Hall Teaching Theater, Room 157.

Author, professor to visit Kyle, promote new writing collection ’ve had a long line of excellent “I teachers, including many here at Texas State, but sometimes I’ll get By Leah Kirkwood The University Star

Author and professor Ron Carlson will promote his newest collection of stories, A Kind of Flying, at the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center. Carlson has written eight ﬁction books, including novel The Speed of Light and short story collection At the Jim Bridger. His stories cover a wide variety of subjects, everything from wrestling to Bigfoot. The KAP House is the childhood home of Pulitzer Prizewinning author, Katherine Anne Porter. Texas State University leases the KAP House from the Hays County Preservation Society and the Masters of Fine Arts program regularly hosts literary readings at the house. Mike Noll, a KAP Writer-inResidence and Therese Kayser Lindsey, assistant at Texas State, said Carlson’s stories have been published in popular magazines. “(Carlson’s) stories have been in The New Yorker, Esquire,

stuck in a scene or something and say, ‘I wonder how would Ron keep this moving.”

—Amelia Gray creative writing graduate student

Harper’s and Playboy — pretty much any type of reputable literary magazine,” Noll said. Noll said the stories in A Kind of Flying are all very different from one another. “He’s got a wide variety of the kinds of stories he writes,” Noll said. Carlson teaches creative writing at Arizona State University to both undergraduate and graduate students. Amelia Gray, a creative writing graduate student at Texas State, took Carlson’s beginning creative writing class at Arizona State in 2001. “He was my very first fiction teacher, so it’s hard to find a place in my writing where he hasn’t had a formative hand,” Gray said. “I’ve had a long line of excellent teachers, including many here at Texas State, but sometimes I’ll get stuck in a scene or something and say,

‘I wonder how would Ron keep this moving.’” Gray described Carlson’s body of work as very versatile. “He’s written novels, young adult fiction, flash fiction (stories of 500 words) and short stories,” Gray said. “His stories are funny and surprising.” Gray said Carlson’s stories all have interesting characters. “Through his work, there’s a sense of the importance of every character,” Gray said. Gray also took Carlson’s graduate creative writing workshop at Arizona State. She said Carlson emphasized character development in both undergraduate and graduate classes. “In (his) classes, we studied forms and characters in famous, published stories and we (worked on) our own stories within the group,” Gray said. The book reading will begin at 7 p.m. Friday at the KAP House located in Kyle.

Page 6 - The University Star

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

TRENDS/DIVERSIONS

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

The University Star - Page 7

ACL welcomes California-native Matt Costa ✯Star Comics By Charlotte Almazan The University Star “Sunshine,” “Blue Skies” and “Turning Grey” has never sounded quite as good as when Matt Costa picks up his guitar. Singing about life and getting to know you is what earned Matt Costa, a singer/songwriter from Huntington Beach, Cali., his invitation to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. “We get music from all over the world. (With Costa), we got turned on by what we heard … and added him to the line-up. It was just that simple,” said Charles Attal, co-producer of the ACL Festival with Charles Attal Presents. Listening to Matt’s debut album, The Songs We Sing, the ﬁrst thought is that he does not sound like a musician out of California. He sounds like a songwriter from the East Coast. Up until a few years ago, Costa earned a living as a professional skater when a skateboarding accident altered his career path. While in recovery, Matt turned to his guitar to pass the time and discovered a new passion as a songwriter. “Skating was more physical. You can see the limits of it. Writing music is … self-discovery,” Costa said. “I’ve learned things about myself that I never thought of.” Something that is often said about Costa’s music is that it has a reminiscent quality that channels the likes of Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan and Van Mor-

hat’s the one great thing about “T music. Great music stands the test of time. With new music, don’t buy into the hype. Go wherever your heart takes you.”

— Matt Costa recording artist

rison. “(Old music) means more to me, because it has a mysteriousness to it. The longer it sticks around … the stories take on a life of their own,” Costa said. However, Costa attributes his musical inspiration to literature. “I think a lot of inﬂuences … are literary, like John Steinbeck. I have songs inspired by Steinbeck like the ‘Sweet Thursday’ and the ‘Ballad of Miss Kate,’” Costa said. Even though Costa’s music has a familiarity to it, a person doesn’t need to know where his inspiration came from to know his music is good. “There is a spark of inspiration that happens and you don’t know where it comes from,” Costa said. “From there that’s what you elaborate on.” Relying on his friend’s opinions, Costa built most of his catalog around songs that he and his friends would gather to sing. “A lot of the songs I’d written before. We kind of put together a ‘best of’ album of the songs

we would sing … and that is where the album’s title came from,” Costa said. At the ACL Festival, Costa will play a popular music festival with very anticipated acts, yet he does not follow modern music — purposely. “That’s the one great thing about music. Great music stands the test of time. With new music, don’t buy into the hype. Go wherever you’re heart takes you,” Costa said. The invigorating factor in this equation is that Matt Costa’s music is not annoying, but enduring. “He has pretty refreshing songs and a soothing voice,” said Erin McDonnell, marketing senior. “His music … puts you in a good mood.” Sincere, sometimes solemn lyrics coupled with upbeat tunes attract music fans to Costa’s circle. “I try to keep (songs) stored like a bookshelf. There are some stories and some poems … and then there is some coffee mug that doesn’t belong,” Costa said.

Wittliff supports diversity with Latino Presence exhibit By Charlotte Almazan The University Star On Friday, Alkek Library’s Wittliff Gallery will open its doors to showcase its latest exhibit, The Latino Presence at Texas State University-San Marcos: Celebrating 100 Years. Presented by the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies, the exhibit highlights the history of Latinos at Texas State by recognizing alumni as well as current university members. “We have a wonderful administration that supports the initiative for diversity at the university,” said Sandra Mayo, assistant professor of Multicultural and Gender Studies at Texas State. Under the direction of Mayo, the gallery exhibition is the result of a yearlong research project compiled from the university’s archives by the Latino Presence Preservation Committee. The exhibit research dates back to 1906 when Maria Elena Zamora, an educator who eventually taught J. Frank Dobie, enrolled as the university’s ﬁrst Latino student. The research for the exhibit also serves as a recruiting tool for

faculty and students who support the university’s mission to gain Hispanic-Serving Institution (HIS) status. The status is given to universities that show a 25 percent Hispanic population. “With this event, we are helping the university … and trying to reﬂect the demographics of the state,” Mayo said. The committee, a 30-person group of students, faculty and staff, has preserved their research in a free 44-page booklet that accompanies the exhibit. “We have a well-done historical narrative (booklet) that helps tell the story of Texas State and recognizes our Latino students,”

“W

ith this event, we are helping the university ... and trying to reﬂect the demographics of the state.”

—Sandra Mayo Multicultural and Gender Studies assistant professor

Mayo said. “It’s something that people can take away with them to remember the exhibit.” The opening reception will begin at 5 p.m. with refreshments, an exhibit viewing and entertainment provided by the Texas State award-winning mariachi band. The exhibit program will conclude at 6 p.m. with an address by Raymund Paredes, Texas commissioner of higher education. In recognition of September as Hispanic Heritage Month, the exhibit will inaugurate a monthlong celebration of the Latino presence, which concludes on Oct. 14. The events recognizing Hispanics throughout the month include the Tejano Leadership Conference, a day symposium, Fiesta de Cien Años and an alumni reunion. “We felt like the Hispanic alumni would enjoy something special done. We wanted to observe the Hispanic alumni and their presence … and all alumni are invited to the event,” said Lisha Barker, family and child development senior and administrative assistant of the Alumni Association.

SU DO KU Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3-by-3 box contains every digit from one through nine inclusively.

Yesterday’s solutions:

OPINIONS ELUSIVE EXPERIENCE

onlineconnection

THE UNIVERSITY STAR

What do you think about the approval to offer Plan B emergency contraception over the counter to those 18 years and older without a prescription? Go to www.UniversityStar.com to vote in our online poll. Results will be published in Thursday’s issue of The University Star.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 - Page 8

*This is not a scientiﬁc poll

Opinions Contact — Emily Messer, staropinion@txstate.edu

Message of Common Experience lost in mire of poor advertising, promotion

THE MAIN POINT

fter he won the bronze metal in the 200-meter race at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, John Carlos and fellow Olympian Tommie Smith raised their ﬁsts to protest racism and economic oppression.

And unless you’re a freshman or enrolled in University Seminar, you may not know the civil rights activists will make several appearances on campus starting Thursday to speak on Texas State’s Common Experience subject: Protest and Dissent. You may not even know why we’re talking about the two subjects. The Common Experience program brings some of the country’s greatest minds to campus and gives students the opportunity to listen to and exchange dialogue with people like poet Maya Angelou, director Spike Lee and author Tim O’Brien. Chris Frost, former Texas State psychology professor and current associate dean of undergraduate studies at San Diego State University, initiated the Common Experience program in 2004 with the goal of creating more diverse, intellectual discussions around campus. Frost saw select numbers of his students had read classic books he wanted to discuss and a vast majority of the students were left clueless. The idea was simple but innovative: Why not try to connect the entire campus with one universal theme? However, organizers do little to promote the event to the majority of students and build their awareness of the goals of the Common Experience and establish a connection between events and how they relate to the Common Experience. Students also usually flock to the big names but shy away from the less-popular events. Starting Thursday, Carlos is going to be on campus four times: at an all-campus event, at a faculty/staff brown bag lunch and at a student leader dinner. He will also be the keynote speaker at the African American Leadership Council at noon Saturday. There are several other events for the Common Experience going on this week, including a showing of the film Zoot Suit, a showing of the documentary The Bajío Project and an exhibit reception for Latino Presence. But what are the university and the event sponsors doing to promote them? Organizers of the Common Experience can find easy and cheap ways to better spread the word of these events. Students often receive mass e-mails about free pizza at baseball games or construction near campus, so why not Common Experience? The University Star also runs a calendar of campus happenings on Page 2. The flyers on campus should also be larger and more prominent. These are a few good ways to spread the word about Common Experience. We don’t doubt that names like Carlos will attract crowds of students and other people around the campus community, but students shy away from lesser-known people who also have big ideas.

Topher Sipes/Star illustration

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.

Cold War tale gives valuable life lesson: Think before you act Confession time: I can’t think of anything to write about this week. I don’t really have anything for you that even comes close to being cutting-edge. So what does one do when there’s no crisis that demands the kind of response only a college newspaper columnist can provide? Easy: you tell a story and hope it’s at least topical. However, this story isn’t even topical. Dang. It is a good story though and not a lot of people have heard it. That’s a shame because it’s the kind of story that should be taught in schools. It is a story about how the world almost ended 23 years ago. No kidding. On Sept. 26, 1983, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov of the Soviet Army was a watch

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ofﬁcer at a satellite surveillance facility outside of Moscow. His job was to monitor the SEAN WARDWELL satellites that would warn Star Columnist of a surprise nuclear assault from the United States. At a little past 12:30 a.m. Moscow-time, his board lit up. Petrov’s instruments were telling him that the United States had just launched a nuclear missile against the Soviet Union. This made no sense to Petrov, as we, at the time, probably would have sent over more than one missile. He dismissed the warning as a false alarm. Just a few moments later though,

another warning was sent. This time Petrov’s instruments were telling him that an additional four missiles were being launched. Something that should be pointed out before we go any further is that Colonel Petrov pretty much had his ﬁnger on the button at that point. If he got on the phone to Moscow and said U.S. missiles were on their way, the Soviets would have thrown everything they had back at us without question. Petrov was the person the Soviet leadership would go to for veriﬁcation that they were under attack. His words would literally determine humanity’s fate. Another thing to consider is just how bad things were be-

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tween the United States and the USSR. A mere three weeks prior to this, the Soviets had accidentally shot down a South Korean airliner, killing 269 people, including Americans. The Russians were actually expecting war at this point. In short: if Petrov were to say “it’s on,” it would indeed “be on.” Imagine for a moment being in that position. All the data Petrov had in front of him told him that the United States had launched a nuclear first strike against his country. The missiles were already flying. Everyone’s worst fears had just come to life. This was it. What do you do? Petrov had less time to figure out what was going on than the time it took to read the last two paragraphs. Faced with what

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could very well be the end of everything, his gut was screaming that none of what he was seeing made any sense. He had no way to verify what his instruments were telling him. Petrov, in an act of unbelievable courage and composure, did nothing. With no real way to be sure, he decided that it was still a false alarm. He was right. It turns out there was a software glitch in his control panel. By taking a moment to critically think about the situation, Colonel Petrov literally saved the world. If he had simply done his duty and passed on the information, we would not be here right now and nobody would be here for quite some time. Instead he listened to his instincts and used his own mor-

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al compass. The Soviets did not take such a generous view of his actions, though. He was transferred to a less-sensitive post and found his career at an end. He now lives on a pension and his actions have only recently come to light. This is the point where I would usually plug in some pithy moral, but that should really be self-evident, shouldn’t it? If we can take a moment to think about what’s in front of us, even if it’s the worst thing in the world, smart and good things can happen. Granted, we might not literally have the fate of the world in our hands, but it’s a good rule to live by. Sean Wardwell is a communication studies junior. 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 13, 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.

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$500 REPOS! SEIZURES! POLICE includes, all makes and models from $500. Call for listings (800) 561-2627 ext.1102.

FOR RENT

239 CRADDOCK. 2BD/1BA with W/D included. $565 per month. On shuttle route. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate, (512) 665-0350. 811 BRACEWOOD. 2BD/1BA with w/d included for $525 per month. Great deck with a view. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate, (512) 665-0350. 1/1.5 LOFT. 700 sq. ft. 2BD/1.5BA, has backyards, includes W/D. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123. $0 DEP., $345, MOST BILLS PAID. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123. BIG 2 BEDROOM 900 SQ. FT. $585! Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123. BIG DOGS OK! 1/1 - $450 & 2/2 $450, pay partial water, free cable. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123. $199 TOTAL MOVE-IN! 1 bedroom, $460. 2 bedroom, $525. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123. APTS. OR HOUSE next to campus, roommate matching, wooden ﬂoors, good condition, free internet and cable, $250-$350 per person. Call (512) 757-1943. 707 BRACEWOOD has 2/1’s beginning at $475 per month. W/D connections. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate, (512) 665-0350. BEAUTIFUL 2BD/1BA AND 1BD/1BA in downtown San Marcos with parking. Call (830) 609-6162 or (830) 832-4914. TOWNHOME 4-2.5, All bills paid, W/D included. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123. 0 DEPOSIT, 0 APP. FEE. 1 month FREE! Cable, internet, water, trash paid. W/D included. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123.

FOR RENT

DUPLEXES FOR RENT. First month free with this ad. (512) 422-0903. TAKE OVER MY LEASE! 2BD/ 2BA at Comanche Hill Apts. $669/mo. Includes cable & internet. 2 blocks from campus. Call Joe (512) 757-5603 or (405) 612-2182. $1-1 $375. 500 sq. ft.! Some bills paid. Cheapest in town. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123. $149 TOTAL MOVE IN! 1 bedroom, $420. 2 bedroom, $525. On TXState shuttle. Apartment Experts, (512) 805-0123.

FOR RENT-APTS

FREE RENT. Take over my individual lease at The Ridge. First and last months rent free. No deposit, $390/mo. Includes cable, phone, and internet. Call (512) 644-3398.

FOR RENTCONDOS/TOWNHOMES $695, 2BD/21/2BA WINDMILL TOWNHOMES. Move-in today! 3 blocks from TxState. Free HBO, Road Runner, full-size W/D. www.windmilltownhomes.com for ﬂoor plans & prices. (512) 396-4181.

FOR RENT-DUPLEX

500 CREST CIRCLE. Country living. 2BD/2BAwith w/d connections. 1 car garage and fenced yard. REDUCED to $800 per month. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy, (512) 665-3321. 612 MILL STREET. 2BD/2BA available in October. W/D included. On the shuttle. $700 per month. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate, (512) 665-3321. DUPLEXES FOR LEASE OFF OF SAGEWOOD! 3BD/3.5BA; two-car garage/Internet access. Call today! (512) 913-8028. $695 2BD/2BA DUPLEX, HUGE GARAGE AND STORAGE . Movein today! 3 blocks from TxState. Free HBO, Road Runner, full-size W/D. www.windmilltownhomes.com for ﬂoor plans & prices. (512) 396-4181. 900 HAZELTON. 3BD/2BA/1 carport for a REDUCED $925. W/D connections. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy, (512) 665-3321.

All classified ads are charged 20¢ per word. Ads may be emailed to starclassifieds@txstate.edu. Check your classified ad for accuracy. Any changes must be made by the second day of publication. The deadline for all classified ads is noon two business days prior to publication. Classified ads must be paid in advance unless credit has been established. Refunds will only be given when a classified ad has been paid by credit card. The Star reserves the right to refuse, edit, and discontinue any classified ad at any time without prior notification. Classified ads will be edited for style purposes. Classified ads that do not note heading, will be put under the appropriate heading. All classified ads are published free, on-line at www.universitystar.com. Since this is a free service, posting is not guaranteed. While The University Star attempts to screen ads for misleading claims or illegal content, it is not possible for us to investigate every ad and advertiser. Please use caution when answering ads, especially any which require you to send money in advance.

E-mail eds at starclassifieds@txstate.edu Email Classifi Classifieds starclassifieds@txstate.edu

FOR RENT-HOUSES

BRAND NEW 3BD/3BA HOUSE ON 2 ACRES, large deck and shade trees, $1,500/mo. Call (512) 557-1831. 118 QUAIL RUN, 3BD/2BA, 2 car garage, ﬁreplace, CH/CA, ceiling fans, patio, $950/mo. (512) 353-2684. 2904 PHILO FOR LEASE. 3/2/2 for $1,250 per month. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate, (512) 665-3321.

FOR SALE

EXCELLENT CONDITION 2 bookcases, oak desk, computer cabinet, breakfast buffet, and vacuum cleaner. Call (512) 396-3049.

HELP WANTED

WANT FREE FOOD AND A JOB???? Chick-ﬁl-A, Starbucks Blimpie & Pizza Hut all sound good to you? Work on campus and get a free meal after every shift! Chartwells is now hiring to ﬁll all food service positions. We will work with your schedule. Apply at any dining facility to get started today! P/T FRONT DESK RECEPTIONIST FOR MEDICAL CLINIC. Email resume and class schedule to mschoppe@corridormedicalclinic.com ATTENTION STUDENTS! POSITIONS AVAILABLE •$13 Base Appointment •Flexible Schedules •Customer Sales/Service •No Experience Needed, will train •All Ages 17+ •Conditions Apply Call today (512) 392-7377 www.workforstudents.com 2 POSITIONS OPEN IN NEW COFFEE SHOP IN WIMBERLEY. Looking for upbeat, friendly people. 2-6:30 pm M-F or Sat. 10-6 and Sun. 9-5. Call (512) 847-7799.

HELP WANTED

ARE YOU SCARY? Nightmare Factory haunted house needs monsters. $6.75/hr. No exp. necessary. Auditions Sept. 14-15, 7 p.m. No appt. needed. 17050 South I-35 Buda. www.nightmarefactory.com/jobs (512) 445-3327. ATHLETIC, OUTGOING MEN for calendars, greeting cards, etc. $75-200/ hr. No exp. needed, (512) 684-8296. EQUESTRIAN AND PHOTO MODELING OPPORTUNITIES. Apply on-line @ www.texasarabianhorses.com WANTED HANDYMAN WITH EXPERIENCE. Available for ﬂexible hours, $10 an hour, (512) 944-3993. OUTGOING STUDENT NEEDED TO DISTRIBUTE FLIERS on Sept. 18-19; ﬂexible hours; $10 per hour. (800) 927-9194. BOBCATSNEEDJOBS.COM. We need Paid Survey Takers in San Marcos. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys. ATHLETIC MALE MODELS WANTED for physique photography in Austin. $200-$1000 per session. Call Wu at (512) 927-2448. ROOMMATE WANTED: MALE STUDENT TO BE A CARETAKER FOR A DISABLED MALE. Free housing possible, 20 miles from San Marcos in Luling. Ideal for someone wanting to cut routine drive from San Antonio or Austin. Would take care of yard and some housework in nice home. CALL BILL AT (830) 875-6933.

HELP WANTED

SEEKING OUTGOING, SELF MOTIVATED, SELF-SUFFICIENT INDIVIDUAL FOR LOCAL PART-TIME RECREATION ADVISOR POSITION. Duties include facilitating various recreational activities for youth 16-24. Evening/ weekend hrs. 25 hrs. wk. @ $9.50 hr. Contact Betsy @ 396-6525 or fax resume to 396-6413. !BARTENDING! Up to $300/day. No experience necessary. Training Provided. Age 18+ OK. (800) 965-6520 x 157. TECHNICAL SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE - teleNetwork is currently seeking TSRs to provide technical support for dialup and DSL customers. Full or Part Time positions available with ﬂexible scheduling at our Austin and San Marcos call center locations. More information and online application available at http://www.telenetwork.com/careers BAR STAFF/ENTERTAINERS! Sugar’s is seeking staff with a fun loving attitude who enjoy working in a party atmosphere. AM/PM, PT/FT, FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES. Great $$$! Great back to School Job! Apply Sugar’s, 404 Highland Mall Blvd. E., Austin (near Highland Mall). (512) 451-1711. LOCAL DELIVERY DRIVER AND WAREHOUSE. $7.40/hr. plus 45¢/ mi., must have pick-up. Flexible hrs. between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. J-Co Supply, (512) 392-7765. HIGHLY EXPERIENCED BARTENDER. Must have veriﬁable references, must be honest and dependable, (512) 944-3993.

HELP WANTED

BARTENDER AND/OR KITCHEN HELP needed for Ironhorse Grill and Saloon. Apply within, 1030 Business 35N, New Braunfels, TX (next to The Washtub).

MISCELLANEOUS

TEST ANXIETY? (512) 658-3063.

PERSONALS

WANT TO JOIN A POOL LEAGUE? (512) 754-7665.

ROOMMATES

FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED to share 2BD/2BA at Comanche Hill Apts. $335/mo. plus 1/2 utilities. Includes cable & internet. 2 blocks from campus. Call Pranitha (940) 782-4685.

WANTED USED CARS, TRUCKS, VANS. Any condition, running or not. If you have something to sell please call Willis Mitchell. (512) 353-4511. THE UNIVERSITY STAR IS LOOKING FOR DELIVERY DRIVERS! Off-campus delivery needed 9am-noon, Tuesday-Friday. Excellent pay!!! Pick up an application at the Trinity Building, or download one at www.universitystar.com. BIKINI MODELS WANTED. (512) 754-7665.

09 13 2006

Published on Sep 13, 2006

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