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SOCCER SHUTOUT
Volume 99, Issue 12
WEDnEsdaY
23
www.UniversityStar.com
The Texas State women’s soccer team defeated Houston Baptist Tuesday.
Extended bar hours bring mixed reviews By Billy Crawford News Reporter
The 2 a.m. bar hours have shaken and stirred some San Marcos residents. Alcohol-related offenses in the downtown area have skyrocketed since the extended bar hours took effect, according to the San Marcos Police Department. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in offenses and callouts since the bar hours were extended,” said police Sgt. Martin Manzi. “We’ve had to put together an extra shift of four officers to work the downtown area from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.” San Marcos City Council voted in May in favor of extending the bar hours from midnight to 2 a.m. Before that, San Marcos was the only city in Texas that contained a university with 20,000 or more students and did not allow bars to stay open past midnight. Bars like Nephew’s and Haper’s have seen an increase in business since implementing the extended hours. Both bars claimed to not only receive customers from midnight to close, but also said the crowd from 10 p.m. to midnight Jake Marx/Star photo has improved as well. EXTENSION: Alcohol-related offences have increased since bars extended hours to 2 a.m., according to the San Marcos Police. see ‘NIGHTLIFE,’ page 3
Sledge hammer, paint used in vandalism of university buildings
Alkek Library, the Agriculture building and McCoy Hall were vandalized by two suspects on Sunday between 8:25 p.m. and 9 p.m., according to University Police Department officials. The damage is estimated to be $10,000. Vandals spray painted “all over” inside walls of the library as well as in the stairwells, said UPD Officer Otto Glenewinkel. He said a sledgehammer was used to shatter a window in McCoy Hall and the Agriculture building. Additionally, the hammer was used to dent a water fountain at the Agriculture building. No tags have been found in McCoy but not all rooms have been investigated. UPD Captain Rickey Lattie said the incidents of criminal mischief are still under investigation, but believes they are linked. UPD has multiple videos of two suspects. A slideshow of stills of the alleged vandals can be found on www.universitystar.com
Donations to ‘pillars’ fall behind other priorities By Kosaku Narioka News Reporter
–Photo courtesy of University Police Department
According to a press release from Glenewinkel, “Both suspects are white males. The suspect in the white t-shirt has a goatee and mustache. The goatee is pointed at the narrow end and approximately one to two inches long. The second suspect wearing a unique-styled hat, and appears to be wearing long blue jean shorts.” A cash reward for anonymous information about the crime has been offered. Crime Stoppers of Texas State can be reached at 512-245-7867. —Report compiled by Allen Reed
University officials are having a difficult time raising funds for a new alumni center and library expansion projects, but are recieving gifts for education, athletics and new performing arts center. The Pride in Action campaign has raised about $78 million, according to Ted Mack McKinnon, assistant vice president for development. The donations for the alumni center amounted to about $1 million, which made up 1.4 percent of the total. The contributions toward the library totaled about $1.6 million, or 2.3 percent. The campaign set five “pillars,” or the areas of focus; academic excellence, alumni center, athletics, library and performing arts. All areas but academic excellence are related to major construction or renovation projects. “The Alumni Center Pillar and the Library Pillar appear to
be the biggest challenges,” said Becky Prince, vice president of University Advancement, at the June 29 president’s cabinet meeting, according to the minutes. McKinnon said the existing alumni center no longer meets the needs of the university. He said officials are planning to build a new center that will better serve alumni. The proposed center would cost $15 million to build, according to a July 2009 project status report. Ronnovation plans do not end with the alumni center. McKinnon said students do not use the library the same way they did 20 years ago, when it was built. University officials are planning to build a repository for books and create space that meets students’ needs — namely, research on computers usage. “Everything gets old and the purpose of everything changes,” McKinnon said. Meanwhile, “gifts toward the
Academic Excellence Pillar are running significantly ahead of the other pillars,” Prince reported in the June president’s cabinet meeting. The donations for academic excellence amounted to about $57 million, or 79.2 percent of the total. The areas of athletics and performing arts gathered $4.4 million and $8 million, or 6 percent and 11 percent, respectively. McKinnon said at the moment university administration is implementing a “private phase of the campaign.” He said officials are visiting with people who they believe can make a significant gift and asking where their interests lie within the university. He said the largest cash donors in the last five years are Emmett and Miriam McCoy, Jerry D. and Linda Gregg Fields, Patti Strickel Harrison and Bruce and Gloria Ingram. see ‘DONATIONS,’ page 3
University officials address ADA compliance By Lori Jones News Reporter The rugged terrain of campus may not be the only concern for students in wheelchairs. Older buildings on university grounds do not fully comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, said Michael Petty, assistant director of facilities, planning design and construction. “I think the facilities are terrible,” said Janet Dixon, administrative assistant in the graduate college. “I was appalled. There are so many little things people don’t think about until they’re in a wheelchair.” Dixon said it was an everyday struggle to maneuver herself around J.C. Kellam while restricted to a wheelchair for months after multiple knee surgeries. The wheelchair accessible bathrooms and elevators were not big enough for her to fully navigate her chair in and out of, she said.
“It makes me angry that the university spends so much money on flower beds and appearance, and we can’t even take care of our students,” Dixon said. Bailey Gosda, accounting senior, is permanently confined to a wheelchair. She has also experienced difficulty commuting around campus. “The ramps don’t all follow ADA regulations,” Gosda claims. “I see other people in manual wheelchairs struggle to get up the ramps. I see people help them, but I know they wish they didn’t need the help.” People who do not physically need to use the ramp also pose a problem, she said. “I’ve gotten hit in the face multiple times by people using back packs trying to pass me,” Gosda said. Petty said university officials are doing their best to address the issues around campus. see ‘RAMPS,’ page 3
Today’s Weather
77°/65° Showers Precipitation: 60% Humidity: 63% UV: 4 Moderate Wind: NNE 13 mph
Thursday Thunderstorms Temp: 83°/67° Precip: 20%
Friday Scattered Thunderstorms Temp: 88°/68° Precip: 40%
INSIDE THIS ISSUE News…....1-3 Grade reports show fraternities fall short of GPA requirement Opinions….4 Take middle ground over controlling parties Commons has more problems than rodents MAIN POINT: Malfunctioning becomes routine Trends……...6 Parents should be wary of 9 Tantra, musicians offer ‘jazzy’ scene Texas State aviation school offers flight training for college credit Classifieds…8 Diversions…8 Sports……….10 Vince Young the man, not the football player Expectations high for men’s soccer club
Lindsey Goldstein/Star photo IN THE WAY: On most days Bailey Gosda, accounting senior, would have trouble getting up this ramp because of people and bikes in the way.