SMART AS A FOX
Women’s basketball Coach Suzanne Fox is an accomplished leader and mentor for players SEE SPORTS PAGE 10
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS Texas State responds to a growing trend SEE TRENDS PAGE 7
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM
SEPTEMBER 26, 2007
WEDNESDAY
VOLUME 97, ISSUE 12
Missing soldier granted city honor at ceremony By Christine Mester News Reporter More than 100 San Marcos residents gathered Friday at the San Marcos Plaza Park on the San Marcos River to honor Pvt. Byron Fouty as part of National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day. Mayor Susan Narvaiz proclaimed Sept. 14 “Private Byron Fouty Day” in honor of Fouty, who has been missing since May 12 in Iraq. “It’s the knowledge that the community supports the sons and daughters of America that are fighting this war,” Narvaiz said. “There are a lot of different particulars about whether your support a war, but that is not what this is about. This is about supporting the people that have been called to duty and are far away from home and the families who wait here at home for their return. My hope is that it gives comfort to his mother.” Enemy forces ambushed Fouty and two other soldiers May 12 in Al Taqa, Iraq. He was part of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division of Fort Drum, N.Y. In one of his last letters home to his mother, San Marcos resident Hilary Meunier, Fouty told her when he returned home he wanted to study and work in the medical field. Meunier partnered with the Greater Austin Texas Chapter of Blue Star Moth-
ers of America, Inc. to raise money for the Fisher House and the Warrior Family Support Center to honor Fouty under the Byron Fouty Project. Blue Star Mothers of America is an organization for mothers who have had or currently have children serving in the military. “Each of us has experienced the pain of deployment, and for many of us, multiple times,” said Mary Rose Fisher, founding member and president of the Greater Austin Texas Chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc. “We support one another during these times when our beloved children are placed in harm’s way. But we’ll also tell you that our children have no greater desire than to serve the United States of America. So, we hug them tightly and let them go. And we pray often and with each other.” San Marcos residents were able to make donations at the concert, which was videotaped and will be sent to Fouty’s battalion as a message of encouragement and support. “As we commemorate our POW (and) MIAs today, we celebrate their lives and honor their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families,” Fisher said. “Without brave ones within whom the desire for freedom outweighs self, our very own lives would be quite different.” Monty Marion/Star photo The internationally acclaimed Heart of FUNDING FOUTY: Rich Schalin of the Patriot Guard Riders stands firm during the benefit concert for Pvt. Byron Fouty Friday at San Marcos Plaza Park. The concert aimed to raise funds and awareness for Fouty, who has been MIA for more than three months. See FOUTY, page 4
Pioneer in Chicano Movement speaks
Greg Richards/Star photo HISPANIC HERITAGE: Political activist Jose Angel Gutierrez speaks to the Latino Student Association Tuesday night at the LBJ Ballroom.
By Kara Bowers Special to The University Star A prominent, influential voice of political activism and civil rights in the Chicano Movement was heard Tuesday night. Jose Angel Gutierrez, keynote speaker for Hispanic Heritage Month at Texas State, spoke to students, faculty and staff in the LBJ Ballroom. The open address took place following the Latino
Student Association VIP Leadership Dinner in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month. During his speech, Gutierrez said the Hispanic population is one of the fastest-growing minorities, but there is a need for unity and solidarity for those numbers to be effective. He said despite the Hispanic population doubling every 13 years along with a two percent increase in Hispanic voters, one of the most important issues facing the community is political participation.
Other pressing issues included immigration and higher education. On the issue of immigration, he attributes much of the national discourse to lack of historical knowledge. “We constantly have to prove we belong here,” Gutierrez said. “We were here before the United States was and before Texas was even called Texas.” In his speech, Gutierrez outlined Chicano history, dating from its ancestry to the time he became part of the movement in the 1970s. He discussed challenges facing Mexican-Americans during the Jim Crow era. One instance mentioned was schools following English-only policies enacting “Little Schools of 400” where students were strictly forced to learn 400 English words before attending public schools. Many of the books Gutierrez has published were on hand for attendants to look over. Gutierrez has earned numerous degrees and academic accomplishments. He is a proponent of education and acknowledged it can offer financial security and other significant opportunities. “Sure it can make you rich, but when I say rich I mean contacts, not money, although it can make you a lot of money,” Gutierrez said. “If you have an education, the sky is the limit. You can come to know how the world works and then can change the world.” Stella Silva, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, said Gutierrez was chosen to speak because of his many accolades and achievements, including being an activist, public official, professor and attorney. Gutierrez is the
founder and past president of La Raza Unida Party and founding member of the Mexican-American Youth Organization in San Antonio, among numerous other accomplishments. “Students felt that as a pioneer in fighting for the rights of the Hispanic community, Dr. Gutierrez would be a strong role model and would be able to support their goal of maintaining a strong support system for Latino students here at Texas State,” Silva said. Ricardo Zavala, political science senior, helped to bring the powerful speaker to Texas State. Zavala, who grew up in Gutierrez’s hometown of Crystal City, remembered hearing Gutierrez’s name and about the La Raza Unida Party since he was a young child at the dinner table. Zavala reiterated the advice Gutierrez once gave to a 20-year-old. The advice was, “Get a job, get an education and paint the White House brown.” Gutierrez said in his speech he meant this advice as a way to tell young people to have a plan for the future and reiterated this idea repeatedly. “The person in charge of your problems is the person you greet in the mirror every morning,” Gutierrez said. “You have the solution, so find it.” Ashley Flores, member of the Latina Unidas student organization and mass communication junior, said she is interested in political activism and was inspired by Gutierrez’s speech. “I’ve been finding ways to get closer to my heritage,” Flores said. “It’s really empowering to see that there are people in power out there speaking for Latinos and Hispanics.”
Texas State strives to better serve Hispanic student population By Jeff Turner News Reporter A diverse group of Texas State students attended the Latino(a) Issues in Higher Education dialogue Tuesday to discuss Hispanic demographics in Texas. Israel Nájera Jr., supervising counselor at the counseling center, led the dialogue. “Almost one-quarter of the student body are firstgeneration college students,” Nájera said. “What qualifies a person to be ‘first generation’ is you’re the first one in your family to get a college degree.” Nájera started the First Generation Student Organization, which assists students in learning about college and gives them tips on how to succeed in their pursuit of higher education. Nájera said Texas State is making an effort to recruit more Hispanics because their population is growing. One of the main goals of the Texas State Campus
Today’s Weather
Cloudy 91˚
Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 64% UV: 9 Very High Wind: S 7 mph
“A
lot of people hear that and say, ‘well why are they only serving Hispanics?’ It’s really not about that.”
—Israel Nájera Jr. supervising counselor, counseling center
Master Plan is to continue to pursue recognition as a Hispanic Serving Institution. In order for a university to be considered for the title, the school must have a minimum enrollment of 25 percent Hispanic students. Texas State’s current Hispanic population is 22 percent. Once a university becomes a Hispanic Serving Institution, it is eligible to receive additional federal grants. Pedro Gonzalez, social work junior, said he
Two-day Forecast Thursday Partly Cloudy Temp: 91°/ 68° Precip: 20%
Friday Partly Cloudy Temp: 91°/ 67° Precip: 10%
understood the additional funding would provide better facilities and programs, but wanted to know how it would directly affect him. He said Hispanics are becoming the majority of minorities and are not being adequately educated. “If we don’t educate Latinos … if you guys don’t make it, then we’re going to have a problem,” Nájera said. “We are going to have a lot of poor people. We will have a lot of people that are dependent on the state. We’re going to have a lot of problems, maybe with crime as well.” Sal Villarreal, criminal justice junior, said being a Hispanic Serving Institution would attract more Hispanic students. Nájera is part of an organization called the Hispanic Policy Network. The group which is made up of faculty and staff who work with the university president to help achieve Hispanic Serving Institution status. “We have to be careful how we present that
(Hispanic Serving Institution status),” Nájera said. “A lot of people hear that and say, ‘well why are they only serving Hispanics?’ It’s really not about that. Since the demographics in Texas are changing, it behooves everyone in Texas to make sure they educate minorities, and in particular Hispanics, because a large majority of Hispanics are dropping out of school, and African Americans, and first-generation whites, too.” Nájera said Texas State has acquired more Hispanic faculty and deans, but would like to see more in higher-level administration positions where university policy is made. “Until we have that, (Hispanics) won’t have role models (in the administration),” he said. The Latino(a) issues in Higher Education is sponsored by the counseling center. Future dialogues will include “Phenotyping and White Privilege,” “Monolingual and Bilingual Hispanics” and “Hispanic Family Values.”
Inside News ........ 1,2,3,4 Opinions ............ 5 Trends ............. 6,7
Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System
Diversions .......... 8 Classifieds ......... 9 Sports .............. 10
To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2007 The University Star