09 20 2012

VOLUME 102, ISSUE 13

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RESIDENT ARTIST

Armed murder suspect at large

By Megan Carthel News Reporter Round Rock police are still searching for a man wanted in connection to a homicide who was last seen near the Seton Medical Center Williamson Photo courtesy of UPD in Round Rock.

Domarlon Dontae Ware, 34, was at the scene when police responded to a disturbance call at approximately 1:30 a.m. Ware is wanted for murder in Louisiana and has a warrant out for his arrest.

According to an Austin American Statesman article, Ware was the boyfriend of a patient at the Round Rock hospital. The girlfriend was reportedly held hostage for several hours before being taken to the hospital.

One of the buildings of the hospital was evacuated and cars were searched, but police did not find Ware, according to The Statesman article.

Tram routes subject to change Katrina Barber, Staff Photographer

W. Tucker, visiting artist, is currently living in the Joann Cole Mitte art gallery while he completes installations for next week’s opening.

Artist spends week creating, living inside Mitte gallery exhibit READ THE FULL STORY, PAGE 6

SMPD offers citizen police training

By Sara Elmiaari News Reporter Both anxiety and excitement filled the classroom as the students took their seats. They were not worried about a regular assignment or exam. Their lesson plan for the day included being shocked by a stun gun.

The San Marcos Citizen Police Academy is a 13-week course held twice a year. It is designed to help residents gain a better understanding of the mission and operations of the local police.

The course gives students a look into the day-to-day activities of the San Marcos Police Department.

The course, which is taught by local officers, consists of one three-hour session per week. The class met Sept. 18, the third session so far.

Rebecca Chaney, criminal justice sophomore, said students were taught about the background of SMPD during the first class. The second class consisted of a narcotics lesson in which they learned about issues surrounding drugs like methamphetCarlos Valdez, Assistant Photo Editor amine and cocaine.

Paul Stephens, SMPD comSMPD Officers Erin Clewell and Paul Stephens stun Cody Trammell, 29, as part of the Citizen Police Academy class Sept. 18 at the San munity services liaison, said about 40 students participated Marcos Police Department.

last year. That number ended up being too high so the course was capped to about 20 students this year.

San Marcos resident Cody Trammell said he signed up for the Citizen Police Academy because he wanted to get to know the police officers in town. He was excited for the Sept. 18 class, because the officers were going to demonstrate how police use pressure points and different forms of force and restraint.

“You get to see what (police officers) do, how they do it and how fast they can do it without literally hurting a person and sending them to the hospital,” Trammell said.

The Sept. 18 class consisted of a variety of people, from Texas State criminal justice majors to San Marcos residents. Chaney said she and her classmates in attendance found out about the Citizen Police Academy through Warren Zerr, assistant police chief and lecturer at Texas State.

“After college I want to go home to Fort Bend County and be an officer there. I figured, ‘Why not take the Citizen Police Academy course to get the experience?’” Chaney said.

The Retreat, a new apartment complex off Craddock Avenue, will be gaining a turning lane to Ranch Road 12 to help alleviate traffic in the area.

The turning lane will stretch 500 feet on either side of Hughson Drive to assist with the new flow of traffic created by The Retreat. Construction for the project started in early September and is expected to be complete by early November.

Construction was originally set to begin

before students moved into the apartment complex this fall. Jane Ryan, the project manager, said the City of San Marcos made a deal with the developer that said the town would pay the construction costs if the developer purchased the designs.

Ryan said she saw several issues with the designs, which pushed back the construction date.

“It was probably a little safer (to push back the date) versus having (Ranch Road 12) closed down right when people were about to move in,” Ryan said.

The City of San Marcos conducted a

Students who take the Campus Loop and Wonder World bus routes will have to adjust to temporary changes in the tram system.

According to a university-wide email, Wonder World buses will now run every 11 minutes at times of peak usage and will no longer stop on Concho Street.

Buses will instead stop at San Jacinto Hall and the Undergraduate Admissions Center off Guadalupe Street.

The Campus Loop bus will run every 10 minutes during its busiest times.

Joe Richmond, Director of Transportation Services, said changes are being made to these two routes because of construction on south campus. The re-routing will help buses avoid an intersection under construction that has narrow lanes and is hard for trams to navigate, Richmond said.

Richmond said students probably won’t notice a large difference in times, and the changes do not have a specific end date. According to the universitywide email, the changes will stay in place until at least the end of the semester.

“We are feeling our way through the construction on south campus,” Richmond said. “We are trying to work together to mitigate the impact on students.”

Changes come for greek life

By Jordan Gass-Poore’ The University Star The Texas State Multicultural Greek Council has found a new home.

traffic analysis report that showed a need for a turning lane near the new housing development.

Williams and Associates, the project developer, hired Jacobs Engineering Group to head the traffic analysis report in December 2010 before The Retreat was built.

The report was needed to show the impact The Retreat would have on traffic. The findings were then evaluated with respect to capacity, safety and roadway requirements.

The council’s registered student organization status moved from Campus Activities and Student Organizations to the Dean of Students Office, a result of a report conducted last January.

Changes to Texas State greek life have been put into effect following a report conducted by a coalition assessment team last January. Diana Soria, Multicultural Greek Council president, said the team’s investigation concluded more resources and staff are needed in order to improve the university’s greek communities.

Soria said in an email the council is in a “weird spot” since the move.

According to the report, changes to Texas State greek life occur when there is a lack of university and state hazing awareness and education within the fraternity and sorority communities. The communities include more than 1,590 student members.

The coalition assessment team observed inconsistencies in the way hazing is investigated, adjudicated and defined.

These problems may be associated with what the coalition assessment team described as significant discord among Texas State greek chapter members and advisers, as well as university staff and

READ RANCH ROAD 12, PAGE 3

READ GREEK, PAGE 3

READ SMPD, PAGE 3

Ranch Road 12 to receive new turning lane to accommodate increased traffic

By Megan Carthel News Reporter

By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor

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NEWS

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GREEK SMPD

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Carlos Valdez, Assistant Photo Editor

Sergeant Erin Clewell demonstrates how to fire a stun gun during the Citizen Police Academy program.

Students could volunteer to be shocked with a stun gun at the end of the meeting. One by one the volunteers filed to the front of the room, sat down in a chair and were stunned..

Volunteers could choose how many seconds they wanted to be stunned for—most requested that it only last for one to two seconds.

Joyce Kowalczyk, 66-year-old, said she decided to participate in the course because her husband graduated from the Citizen Police Academy last year.

“I went to the graduation, and I heard all the comments (my husband was receiving) and said, ‘I want to do that too. I want to be a police academy citizen,’” Kowalczyk said.

Stephens said there is a graduation ceremony held for students who complete the course. Citizen Police Academy graduates receive a certificate and

RANCH ROAD 12

a special plaque.

“We make it look like a police training plaque like (police offers) would get, so (graduates) can hang it on the wall and be proud of it,” Stephens said.

Stephens said this is his fourth year participating in the Citizen Police Academy. Once someone graduates from the course they become a part of the Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association.

Members of the association are able to do volunteer work alongside SMPD in the future, Stephens said. This includes activities like helping at the Outlet Mall on tax-free weekend and directing traffic during parades.

Police Sgt. Erin Clewell said the Citizen Police Academy has been a success.

“We get good reactions out of it,” Clewell said. “So, I guess we will carry (the course) on as long as we can.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Amy Searle, Staff Photographer

The lanes of Ranch Road 12 are being widened to add a turning lane. They are estimated to be under construction until October.

The study predicted The Retreat would generate 65 new trips, which is the number of cars traveling in and out of the site, during the peak morning hours. It estimated there would be 112 more trips in the peak evening hours.

Hardin Camp, project manager for Smith Contracting company, said the 60-day construction site was won at a bid of $168,000.

Mallory Gilbert, communication disorders sophomore and resident at The Retreat, said she thinks it would have been safer for the city to finish the construction before students moved in.

Gilbert said the construction has not caused her too many problems, and Ranch Road 12 not having a turning lane is a safety hazard.

“A bunch of (drivers) don’t pay at-

It’s good medicine!

tention, and I’m really nervous they will stop late or go around people on the shoulder, which can be dangerous if there are bikers or pedestrians,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert said one of her friends was affected by the absence of a turning lane on Ranch Road 12 earlier this year. Gilbert’s friend struck the back end of a car that was driving in front of them when the other driver stopped short.

Gilbert said traffic has increased on Ranch Road 12 since the addition of The Retreat, and there are traffic jams often.

“I guess that a lot of people who actually come down Ranch Road 12 are going to The Retreat,” Gilbert said. “A turning lane would be good because traffic can get really backed up.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

administrators.

Chapters from governing university greek councils, such as Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic, were found not to regularly interact or attend events outside of their respective chapters.

The report concluded only the Multicultural Greek Council, whose membership includes 140 students, and National Pan-Hellenic council members attend one another’s events. They get little support from IFC and Panhellenic members, whose chapters’ recruitment process receives the majority of staff time.

Despite these observations, the coalition assessment team’s report was optimistic and believes the Multicultural Greek Council’s move to the Dean of Students Office may fuel more crosscouncil collaboration. The move will also provide the organization with trained university staff, guidance and funding.

The coalition assessment team was comprised of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, National Association of Latino/a Fraternal Organizations, National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Panhellenic Conference and North-American Interfraternity Conference members.

According to email correspondence obtained by The University Star, Smith convened a Texas State Greek Life Steering Committee after receiving the report.

A new reporting structure and fulltime greek affairs staff have been introduced this year after the committee reviewed the assessment team’s report

last June.

Vincent Morton, associate dean of students, has replaced Brenda Rodriguez, LBJ Student Center assistant director, as the Multicultural Greek Council adviser.

Morton’s new role was announced last July in email correspondence between Joanne Smith, vice president for Student Affairs, the Texas State Greek Community Chapter and the Alumnus Advisers national headquarters.

Texas State greek affairs will now report to Morton in the Dean of Students Office. However, Margarita Arellano, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, will have overall administrative responsibility.

Stephanie Tollette, Texas State Panhellenic vice president of recruitment, said new full-time staff positions include a yet-to-be-hired assistant dean of students for greek affairs, two coordinators and an administrative assistant.

The Greek Life Steering Committee formed four subcommittees chaired by Arellano and student affairs staff to better implement the coalition assessment team’s recommendations.

Tollette said the Multicultural Greek Council’s move from CASO to the Dean of Students Office has been an easy fit with other on-campus greek councils.

“It’s really encouraging,” Tollette said. “It shows how much greek life has changed.”

For Tollette, the most difficult part about the move has been with the new Texas State greek affairs staff, who she said may not understand the university’s greek culture.

It makes you smarter.

4 | Thursday September 20, 2012 | The University Star

OPINIONS

For more viewpoints or letters to the editor, e-mail staropinions@txstate.edu

Emmanuel Ramirez, Star Illustrator

Post-tailgate litter levels unacceptable

T

he student body and the university as a whole should be ashamed of the large amounts of litter found on the fields following the tailgate madness from the Sept. 8 Texas Tech football game.

The overwhelming loss of the Texas State football team does not compare to the unfortunate state of the former tailgate location, the Jowers Center practice field, after the tailgate festivities concluded. The amount of trash on the field was downright revolting, especially as piles of garbage remained there for several days. The trash was finally cleared out the following Tuesday, thanks to some students and San Marcos residents who helped out.

The Strutters and the Bobcat Marching Band conduct practice on the Jowers Center field, which was left relatively unusable until that Tuesday. The mess even prompted Joanne Smith, vice president of student affairs, to send out a campus-wide notice Sept. 19 to address the litter problems after the Tech game with added insight from Nathan McDaniel, Associated Student Government president.

This was not just a student problem, but also a game day preparation issue. The long waiting lines for the few portable toilets at the event were outrageous, and more accommodations should have been provided. Once again, the university underestimated the sheer number of people that would be clustered into one area.

Following the game, the responsibility to clean up the mess from tailgate fell on the shoulders of others. The number of people working, even hours after the game, was not nearly enough for the parking lots, the stadium area and most importantly, the practice field. Students would be better encouraged to throw their trash away if more dumpsters were placed in the tailgate area. As a result, the clean up would have been done more quickly and efficiently.

The size of the practice field tailgate area, which was significantly smaller than when it was held in the Eastside stadium lot, could have contributed to the confusion regarding trash disposal. Tailgating has been moved to the Strahan lot because of the poor conditions of the field

afterward and an expectation of lower attendance for future games. The move will free up more parking spaces for tailgate use.

Ultimately, the blame falls on both administrators and students. For future games, more dumpsters should be placed in close proximity to tailgate. Students and tailgaters should bring extra garbage bags to collect their litter, just in case, even if the mess for Saturday’s game will not be near as embarrassing as the Red Raider invasion.

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.

Students should spread understanding, awareness of mental illness, disabilities

By Jose R. Gonzalez Opinions Columnist

T

exas State students should offer awareness and support for their fellow peers who may have diagnosed or undiagnosed mental illnesses and learning disabilities.

The most concerning issue of all is people may not put enough effort toward understanding the symptoms of a mental illness or a learning disability. However, people may not even be aware others are suffering from conditions. People sometimes fail to realize the unusual behavior presented by a sufferer is actually symptomatic of a mental illness or learning disability.

This leads to social ostracism or even ridicule of someone with a mental illness or learning disability. The sufferer is oftentimes deemed and dismissed as being “weird” or “dumb.” As a result, the sufferer’s peers may coldly turn their back. All of this only further aggravates the situation for the sufferer.

According to the American College Health Association’s National College

Health Assessment for fall 2011, 6.7 percent of college students reported having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Another 4.3 percent reported having a learning disability. 5.6 percent reported having a psychiatric condition.

Bobcats would greatly benefit from mental illness awareness being the Common Experience theme, as Joe Meyer, director of Institutional Research, proposed. Texas State would help foster much-needed knowledge of an issue often overlooked despite its far-reaching impact on college students.

Mental illness, in particular, may disguise itself in behavior that is often misinterpreted by the greater public.

Substance abuse is an example of this.

Thirty-seven percent of alcohol abusers and 53 percent of drug abusers also have at least one serious mental illness, according to information from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Even if there is no pre-existing psychiatric condition present, college life can still be a source of significant strain for any student. According to the American College Health Association’s 2011

figures, 49.9 percent of college students felt “overwhelming anxiety,” and 60.5 percent were reported as feeling “very sad” within the 12 months prior. Lastly, academics were determined by 44 percent of students to be “traumatic” or “very difficult to handle” over the same time frame.

Texas State students who believe they may have learning disabilities ought to seek out registration with the Office of Disability Services. To guarantee successes in class, students with learning disabilities are encouraged to register with the office early in the semester.

Registration with the Office of Disability Services is kept confidential and does not appear on a student’s academic records. According to the office’s website, approximately 50 percent of the students it serves with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorders were not diagnosed until they were first screened at the university.

Several times throughout the semester, Texas State’s Counseling Center offers a few different workshops addressing anxiety and stress issues. For more in-depth

support, a variety of counseling services are also available through this on-campus resource. These services include individual, group, couples and career counseling.

Tim O’Brien, author and former Texas State MFA Program chair, once wrote, “They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.” Because the same sentiment very much applies, O’Brien could have easily been describing the situation of a mental illness or learning disability sufferer. As explained, those with mental illnesses or learning disabilities can find themselves bogged down by the pressures a condition may present. Oftentimes, a sufferer may live in quiet destitution because of these challenges.

Sufferers need to understand there is no need to endure the pain alone, and they should realize help is available.

And for non-sufferers, it is important to extend empathy to people who may have a mental illness or learning disability.

—Jose R. Gonzalez is a mass communication senior.

University growth should signal pay raise for Texas State’s custodians

By Christian Penichet-Paul Opinions Columnist

T

he men and women who work long, tedious hours to keep the university classrooms, dormitories and restrooms clean deserve a salary raise.

The job of a Texas State custodian is hard and demanding, but extremely necessary. In spite of their strong work ethic and the significance of the job, custodians at Texas State are not compensated enough.

According to The Texas Tribune’s data application on government employee salaries, the median annual pay for a custodian at Texas State as of May 2011 was $23,992. This sum isn’t adequate enough and doesn’t represent the hard work of university custodians.

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The current median salary of Texas State custodians is too low for the work they perform daily. The early shifts begin at 5 a.m. and continue until the afternoon.

Throughout the day, custodians clean and sweep the classrooms and facilities.

They are even brave enough to venture into the unfortunate place that is a college restroom. As with many jobs, custodians handle and solve many difficult challenges. Custodians should receive greater compensation for facing these challenges.

Furthermore, the current custodian salary is not sufficient enough to provide a good standard of living in Hays County.

The Living Wage Calculator, implemented

by Amy Glasmeier and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reveals the living wage estimate of one adult and child in Hays County equals more than $40,000.

Editor In Chief................................................Beth Brown, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor............................Lee Moran, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters..................................................................................starletters@txstate.edu News Editor...................................................Caitlin Clark, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor............................Hollie O’Connor, starentertainment@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..........................................Liza Winkler, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor.......................................Austin Humphreys, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor..........................................Cameron Irvine, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief......................Thomas Glasebrook, starcopychief@txstate.edu Web Editor............................................Karyn Kittlitz, starwebeditor@txstate.edu

The median Texas State custodian salary of $23,992 is well below the living wage estimate. In addition, even the highest reported custodian salary of $29,200 is not enough to properly support a family.

Texas State custodians deserve to make more than these insufficient wages.

Our custodians have to cope with the growth of the university. The Texas State student population continues to grow, but the number of custodians remains stagnant. The unbalanced ratio between students and custodians is becoming more apparent, according to a Nov. 30, 2011 University Star article. According to the same article, the university added 3,310 students while the number of custodians, shy of 100, remained the same. This growth caused the department of custodial services to increase their responsi-

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bilities. The increase in responsibilities should be followed by greater compensation. Custodians pull together and get their work done. As the beneficiary of their hard work, the rest of the university must also pull together and give a little more back.

Theodore Roosevelt once said there is no pity in doing hard work, but only admiration. The work our Texas State custodians perform is difficult. Many students know how hard custodians work and admire them for it. In turn, students should resolve, through their organizations and the Associated Student Government, to make custodian salaries reflect Texas State’s deep admiration for their hard work.

—Christian Penichet-Paul is a history junior.

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 Thursday, September 20, 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.

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6 | Thursday September 20, 2012 | The University Star

TRENDS

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W. Tucker

an unorthodox artist

By Hollie O’Connor Trends Editor Just beyond three peepholes cut into a translucent sheet of plastic covering the entrance to the university galleries, W. Tucker has taken up residence in the Joann Cole Mitte Art Building.

An exhibit by Tucker to remain on display through Oct. 18 will debut Monday. The Austin-based artist is living and working in the gallery this week, where students can view his progress through the peepholes.

Much of his exhibit is being painted or drawn directly on the gallery walls.

The University Star spoke with Tucker about the reasons behind producing art in an unconventional way.

HO: Why live in the studio?

WT: It’s two fold. The biggest one is that I get a good sense of the space, of nooks and crannies that I might have missed otherwise. If I had less time in the space, I might not take the time to really find where I really want images to be. So, getting to stay here gives me the opportunity to do that. The other reason is literally the convenience of it. I can start early in the morning and work late at night and not have to run to a hotel.

I can just roll out of bed and start working.

HO: And why draw right on the wall?

WT: I was doing a group show at the Koelsch Gallery, and normally Franny Koelsch puts little numbers by all the pieces for the price list. And when I came in, she asked if I wanted to write my numbers on the wall by my pieces. I did that, but while I was doing it, in a couple of inconspicuous places, I drew little figures on the wall. I didn’t tell her, but fortunately we have a great relationship, and she wasn’t bummed by it.

She saw it that night at the show for the first time. She asked how I would feel about doing a show that was all wall drawings.

But the reason is it’s an opportunity to experience the space in a different way and put work up in a different way.

The experience is completely different because it’s there, and then it’s gone. It’s a temporal, fleeting thing. There’s something really wonderful about that—and scary a little bit—but wonderful that the people that get to see it are the people who see it, and then it’s gone.

HO: What sorts of tools are you using?

WT: I had a couple pieces that were completed before I got here, and I work with a lot of found material. So, I brought a stash of book covers and cardboard. One of the walls will be taken up with some of those, and then the rest of the work is going to be directly on the walls in the space.

Mixed media is the best way to describe it. I used chalkboard paint, and I’m using oil and resin sticks, charcoal, graphite, a lot of colored pencils and something called a lumber stick—it’s basically a version of a really thick, dense crayon.

HO: What do you think about the peepholes?

WT: I think it’s great. Mary Mikel Stump came up with the idea. You can see light through it, which is cool. And it’s fun for me, on the other side, because it creates this really beautiful visual when people are looking through. It’s nice for me to be able to see that, but do I let that affect me at all? I try to just keep going back to my business and not be thoughtful about feeling like I have to act a certain way. I hope it’s more than “Hey there’s an old guy painting in the studio, go peek in the hole.”

Katrina Barber, Staff Photographer

Freshman, local musician breaking into music scene

By Randi Berkovskiy Trends Reporter

Photo courtesy of Will Arrington

Will Arrington, management freshman, has gained popularity opening for country music acts such as Cory Morrow and Cody Johnson.

The tattoo on his left arm reads “sink or swim.” Will Arrington has done the latter.

The singer/songwriter has become increasingly visible in the Texas country music scene after moving to San Marcos from Garland a year ago. His catchy sound and heartfelt lyrics have helped secure him as the opening act for big names such as Cory Morrow and Cody Johnson.

Every Wednesday night, Arrington goes down to the Cheatham Street Warehouse in downtown San Marcos for the Songwriter’s Circle. By making it a routine, Arrington landed his first gig at the venue.

“My dad heard something about songwriter night.

So, I went and checked it out. After that, I just went to it every week for the entire school year,” Arrington said. “That got me tied into Cheatham Street. The owner, Kent Finlay, came up to me one night and asked if I would be interested in opening.”

Arrington, a 19-year-old management freshman, has been playing the guitar for five years and writing his own songs for three. Arrington started by showing his parents his skills, then progressed by playing some cover tunes for his church youth group. He then eventually moved to playing his own public shows in places like coffee houses and restaurants.

“Is this just us, thinking that our boy is that good at this music stuff, or is he really talented?” Pat Arrington, Will Arrington’s father, said. “When other people started telling me and my wife about how much they enjoyed Will’s stuff and that they were connecting with his music, we realized it wasn’t us. It was him. He was that good. At that point, we decided to let him go as far he could possibly go with his music.”

As far as his own music goes, Will Arrington pulls

his inspiration from other songwriters and the kind of stories they are telling. He said he loves to get together with other artists such as his close friend, Brett Hauser, or Dallas songwriter and musician, Mark David Manders, with whom Arrington has written two of his newest songs. With these new songs, as well as others, Will plans to release his first full album.

“It’s not started yet, but it is going to happen in twoand-a-half to three weeks,” Will Arrington said. “We are recording at the studio right by Cheatham Street Warehouse called Cheatham Street Woodshed. We are also planning some kind of release party. I cannot wait for this to happen.”

Before this new CD, Will recorded an EP titled “In a While,” which was produced at Castle Sound Production with Wes Martin. It included some of the very first songs Will had ever written. Different musicians were brought in to help construct the five-song EP which was then mixed and mastered, copied and distributed.

“When we got together originally to do guitar lessons, I saw that Will was a writer. He had all these songs, and we wanted to go from there,” Martin said.

“It took about a full month. We went through each song to make sure it was record ready and to decide what we wanted each song to feel like.”

Wes Martin and Kent Finlay are just a few people in the music industry Will Arrington looks up to, along with Randy Rogers, Stoney LaRue and George Strait.

Will Arrington said these men have helped shape him into the artist he wants to be.

“The coolest thing is when you are playing a show, and everybody is paying attention. They start learning the words and singing along,” Will Arrington said.

“That comes with taking the initiative. Just really being persistent and pushing. If you are networking and playing as often as you can, that’s on the right track.”

Trends | The University Star | Thursday September 20, 2012 | 7

Student, mixed martial artist fights professionally

By Amy Greene Trends Reporter This Jolly giant isn’t green, but he definitely eats his spinach.

Daniel Jolly, legal studies graduate student, is a professional mixed martial fighter. He practices almost every day for three to five hours each session to stay strong and uphold his undefeated record.

Jolly described the MMA fighting world as “the Wild West.”

“If you decide you want to fight, no one can really stop you from doing that,” Jolly said. “It usually requires you to go to a gym that offers an MMA program. Coaches, trainers and gym owners are in contact with promoters who host amateur fights. A lot of people have between three to seven amateur fights to determine whether they are going to turn pro.”

Jolly started competing in MMA in 2008 as an amateur. His decision to compete professionally came after he went 3-0 last summer. He then took some time off to adjust to the professional MMA demands and now he is back to school and starting to fight again.

Jolly said his desire to compete in MMA events was more fundamental than most would imagine.

“Most boys who have a good father figure in their life, like I did, look up to their dad. My dad was a fighter,” Jolly said. “He was the one who showed me martial arts.

My first memories are of watching kung fu movies with him and being in the studio.

My mom even did martial arts for a while and even competed a little bit. As soon as I had an opportunity to get in there, I jumped at it.”

Jolly’s upbringing helped him to become both a skilled fighter and a nice guy. Lynn

Crossett, associate professor of political science, said he was happy to see Jolly back on campus.

“He has a very kind and pleasant disposition,” Crossett said. “It’s unbelievable.

You wouldn’t picture this guy in a cage fight. He is entirely too nice, reasonable and smart.”

Tim Kennedy, veteran MMA fighter, said he has trained consistently with Jolly over the past two years. Kennedy said punching one another in the head and trying to choke each other out are a couple of the ways he and Jolly train. Like Crossett, Kennedy has a high regard for Jolly.

“The first time I met Daniel, I was taken back,” Kennedy said. “He is a huge, athletic, seemingly super powerful guy with tattoos. He has a powerful presence about him that I don’t think he even recognizes.

Then you start talking to him, and he has a really soft, sweet voice. He is a completely compassionate, caring person. He is a remarkable human being. I am thrilled to get to train with him.”

Photo courtesy of Daniel Jolly Kennedy said he witnessed the juxtaposition of Jolly’s hard exterior and his soft- Daniel Jolly, legal studies graduate student, is a professional mixed martial artist and is currently undespoken voice not long ago when some pro- feated in the ring. fessional Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters visited from Houston and Dallas.

“In Jolly’s first round with one of these very veteran, experienced, UFC professional fighters, he smashed him,” Kennedy recalled. “He was taking him down by out-wrestling, out-kickboxing and outgrappling him. Jolly hadn’t said anything to this guy yet. Jolly told him in his kind of high-pitched, sweet voice ‘Hey man, you’re really good. I really appreciate you working with me.’ This fighter, who was all bloody after being murdered by Jolly for the past five minutes, just looked at him. All I could do was laugh outside of the cage.”

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8 | Thursday September 20, 2012 | The University Star

SPORTS

Check out more at UniversityStar.com

FOOTBALL

Bobcats hope for another win against SFA at home

By Jordan Brewer Assistant Sports Editor Stephen F. Austin (1-2) will be making its first trip to Texas State (1-1) Saturday evening since the Bobcats made the move to the FBS. “We are ready to play SFA now,” senior safety Jason McLean said. “We already got the taste of Texas Tech out of our mouth last week. We have already forgotten about that game. We got to take it one game at a time now.”

Texas State has dominated the series recently. The Bobcats have won five consecutive meetings, including their 35-26 win in Nacogdoches in 2011.

“Texas State is every bit as talented as any team we’ve played this season, if not better,” SFA Coach J.C. Harper said.” They have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, and they will do a lot of the things they did last year. Defensively, they like to change things up. We will see a lot of blitzing.”

SFA, which plays in the Southland Conference, used an air assault to win its season opener against Southwest Oklahoma State 49-14. The Lumberjacks dropped their next two contests to SMU and Montana State 52-0 and 42-35, respectively.

Texas State will be playing its third straight opponent, who features a pass-first, hurry-up, no-huddle offense which will test the Bobcats’ secondary. The Bobcats have been inconsistent in the area, surrendering only 211 passing yards to Houston but 405 yards to Texas Tech.

SFA has shown it likes to pass through its first three games of the season, averaging 60 passes a game. They have thrown for more than 415 yards per game, nearing that

mark against SMU in a 52-0 loss. Despite getting shut out, SFA was still able to move the chains 28 times.

“They like to throw the ball. They have a good offense,” Coach Dennis Franchione said. “They’ve been able to move the ball on everybody, and they’ve been able to score points on everybody. [Against] SMU, they didn’t get into the end zone, but they moved the ball.”

Sophomore quarterback Brady Attaway is the starting signal caller for the Lumberjacks. Attaway experienced his best game of the season in the team’s most recent loss to Montana State. The second-year starter threw for 418 yards on 33-52 passing, throwing for three touchdowns but also two interceptions.

Stopping the run was another issue in the Bobcats’ most recent loss against the Red Raiders. However, the Lumberjacks only attempt an average of 27 rushes per game, averaging less than 70 yards per contest.

Sophomore Gus Johnson starts at tail back and ran for 45 yards on 16 attempts with a touchdown in their loss to Montana State.

The Lumberjack defense has given up 94 points in the last two games (both losses).

Against Montana State, the defense surrendered 458 total yards, mostly through the air. Against SMU, they were victimized with the pass as well, allowing 256 passing yards. The lopsided score was mainly due to 10 turnovers.

“They’re a physical defense,” wide receiver Isaiah Battle said. “They run around and make a lot of tackles. Just like any other team, we have to play them physical, be 100 percent on our assignments and execute to the best of our ability. Hopefully we come out hot.”

The Bobcats will attempt to regain their efficient offense they saw in week one against Houston. Senior Quarterback Shaun Rutherford will get the start for the third straight week and will try to duplicate his 19-25, 196 yard touchdown performance against the Cougars.

“We need consistent, solid decision making and play from our quarterbacks,” Franchione said. “It takes a whole offense to move the football. Everyone has their job to do. There is a lot on a quarterback’s shoulders because he handles the ball every play.

The main thing is to not turn the ball over.”

393 20

Twitter: @jbrewer32

BY THE NUMBERS

Average yards given up by the Steven F. Austin defense against Texas State in the last three meetings. The Bobcats have outscored the Lumberjacks in the fourth quarter 48-9 during the same span.

Third quarter scoring margin, in favor of the opponents, against the Bobcats this season. Texas State has not scored in the third quarter yet and was outscored in the third quarter 93-53 last year under Franchione.

3.70 2

Marcus Curry, who was held out of the Texas Tech game, will be back against SFA fully healthy. Curry rushed for 131 yards off 14 carries with two touchdowns against Houston. The Bobcats had 444 offensive yards with 248 of those coming on the ground in their week one win.

SFA has dropped seven of its last eight meetings with the Bobcats. Its lone win was in 2006 in San Marcos. SFA is 2-12 historically against FBS opponents. In 2003, it was able to secure a victory against UL-Monroe.

Difference in Shaun Rutherford and Tyler Arndt’s quarterback ratings through the first two games. Rutherford’s rating is 113.79 and Arndt’s is 110.09. Rutherford will start his third consecutive game of the season Saturday.

Sacks that the Bobcats have gotten this season. Texas State is dead last in the FBS for total sacks, tied with eight other schools. Notable schools include FBS newcomer Massachusetts and future Sun Belt opponents Florida Atlantic and Louisiana-Monroe. Texas State was last in the FCS in 2010 out of 120 schools with only seven sacks, according to espn.com.

VOLLEYBALL

SOCCER

Texas State tries again Friday to end goal drought

Star File Photo

Texas State soccer will battle it out with Texas Southern University this weekend at the Bobcat Soccer Complex. The Bobcats’ current record is 2-7-1.

By Odus Evbagharu Sports Reporter The Bobcats will take on Texas Southern (1-7) in an attempt to end a fivegame winless streak Friday Sept. 21 at the Bobcat Soccer Complex. The game marks the end of soccer’s non-conference schedule.

It has been four games, spread across 21 days, since Texas State has scored a goal. That’s the longest soccer has gone without a goal during the season since the university changed its name to Texas State. The Bobcats are going into the contest with a record of 2-7-1.

“We need to relieve the pressure with our attack and keep possession,” Coach Kat Conner said before practice Wednesday. “We can’t just give it away.

We need to shoot more, but also look for better chances. That’s what we’re working on, and hopefully we’ll see that come

alive this weekend and of course carry it on into the WAC.” The Tigers are coming into town on a two-game skid with defensive woes being the main issue. Texas Southern has been outscored 30-8 in eight games this season, and on average is giving up just south of four goals a game. The Bobcats are determined to capitalize on that issue this weekend.

“I’m very confident that we can score goals, and I hope this game is a confidence booster for us as a team going into our tougher weekend,” junior midfielder Sydney Curry said. “Hopefully on Friday, we can light them up and score, score, score. Even though we came off two unfortunate losses, we still had two very good games. It’s starting to click.”

The Bobcats know they must take advantage of the opportunities to score a goal. Senior forward Serena Hines was the last one to do so, in a 1-1 tie to Houston Baptist, her only goal of the year.

“I think that we’ve obviously been really motivated after these last couple of games,” senior defender Taylor Person said. “(We’ve) just been getting frustrated, but we are handling it well. We’ve been practicing hard, and we’ve done a great job just finishing in practice and hopefully it will show in Friday’s game.”

The last time these two squads played a match was seven years ago when Texas State blew out Texas Southern 13-0. The Bobcats hope the same can happen now to give them a big boost in confidence heading into their first WAC game on Sept. 28 against the University of Idaho.

Twitter: @TState_Sports18

I-35 Rivalry looms Friday

Star File Photo

Texas State volleyball will take on UTSA this weekend in San Antonio in the Bobcats’ third WAC meetup of the season. Texas State is currently 6-7 after last week’s loss to Utah State.

By Jordan Cole Sports Reporter The Bobcats are taking on the UTSA Roadrunners for the 64th time on Friday — but this time it will count toward the WAC. The Bobcats have claimed victory in eight of their last 10 meetings and Coach Karen Chisum feels it will be a good gauge as to how the team will compete in the WAC. “UTSA is there right about the middle of the pack where we are,” Chisum said. “We’ve faced teams that are better and teams that aren’t as good, but I think that this game will really tell us a lot about ourselves.”

The Roadrunners are 8-4 overall and 1-1 in the WAC with their lone win coming over San Jose State, the same team that lost to the Bobcats last Thursday. The Bobcats were able to sweep the Spartans and it took the Roadrunners four sets to get the win.

Last year’s I-35 Rivalry in San Antonio set the crowd record at UTSA’s Convocation center with 1,612 people. The crowd was not a problem last year for the Bobcats—Texas State won in four sets.

This year, inconsistency and youth has plagued the Bobcats in their losses, especially on the road. UTSA finished second last year behind Texas State in the regular season of the Southland Conference. The Roadrunners are also growing with young talent like Texas State, though UTSA lost seven letter-winners and three starters from last year.

Texas State lost six letter-winners and three starters from the 2011 Southland Championship team.

Freshman defensive specialist Sierra Smith said the players came together as a team after the WAC-opening victory over San Jose State.

“This year, we have had a bunch of newcomers come in, and I think we’ve done pretty well considering,” Smith said. “So, coming into the WAC, I feel like we all came together.

And that’s the time we needed to do it.”

Smith is tied for the team lead in aces with 10.

UTSA has earned victories over some Division I teams in its season thus far which substantially boost their resume: Alabama-Birmingham, Middle Tennessee State, UTEP, and Houston. UTSA will not be a slump of a team, but sophomore outside hitter Alex Simms said the Bobcats would be ready to go.

“I don’t think that we need to convince ourselves that we can compete at the top level,” Simms said. “I think that our mindset it there. We’ll be fine in competing at the top level in the WAC.” Simms leads the team with 134 kills and is third in the WAC in kills.

Simms will look to add to the total this Friday in San Antonio.

The match starts at 6:30 p.m. and will take place in the Convocation Center as the Bobcats look to go above .500 in the WAC. Twitter: @TXStatesman