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SEPTEMBER 28, 2006

THURSDAY

VOLUME 96, ISSUE 16

Dean brings ‘moral beacon’ message to Austin By Nick Georgiou The University Star AUSTIN—Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean made a fundraising stop Tuesday a block north of the Capitol to show support for local Democrats running for ofﬁce. “We want to be a moral beacon for the rest of the world again,” Dean said. “We are a great country. We just have bad leadership, and we can change that, and you can change that because remember: you have the power.” The fundraiser, held at Scholz Garden, drew a crowd of about 100. Dean began his speech by paying homage to the late Ann Richards, referring to her time in ofﬁce as the “glory days of Texas.”

“And you know what? I think her hair looked much better than (Governor) Rick Perry’s,” Dean said. “They (both) have that big Texas hair, but the difference is she had a big brain behind that big hair.” Dean touched on several domestic and foreign policy issues that he said needed a change in direction. He said America is in need of a new health care system, and used the example of Costa Rica to illustrate how far behind the U.S. is compared to the rest of the world. He said Costa Rica is able to have health insurance for all citizens and balance its budget at the same time. “The Republicans haven’t been able to do to either one of those,” he said. Dean said changing the health care system is not only the right thing to do, but that it is abso-

New covered bus stop ‘beneﬁcial, necessary’

lutely essential if America wants jobs. He said General Motors and Ford are “hemorrhaging” jobs all over the country because the companies are paying more for health care than they are paying for steel. To further protect and create jobs in the U.S., Dean promoted energy independence, which he said would give rise to a new industry that would supply millions of American jobs and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. Dean also advocated a public school system run by local governments. “We have an education system in this country that the president wants to run from Washington, and now I saw in the paper today that the secretary of education thinks that you shouldn’t be able to run the colleges, that

they can do that,” Dean said. During his 15-minute speech, Dean did not address how he plans to make those changes. Instead, his appearance focused more on motivation, urging audience members to go out and knock on as many doors as they can. Dean said the Democratic mindset — “we will win because we are the ones who are right” — has hindered their progress. “It doesn’t work like that,” he said. “We think we’re going to win if we work hard for 10 months out of the four-year cycle, but you have got to work for four years out of that fouryear cycle.” Dean said getting back the Nick Georgiou/Star photo states that democrats have lost BRINGIN IN THE BUCKS: Howard Dean, chairman of the Demofor the past 15 to 20 years is not cratic National Committee, speaks with supporters Wednesday at an overnight process. See DEAN, page 4

Scholz Garden in Austin during a fundraiser to help raise money for local Democrats.

Protesters rally weekly to demonstrate against war By A.N. Hernández The University Star

David Racino/Star photo GETTING BETTER: A new, covered bus stop is in the works for those who live at Bobcat Village. It is slated for completion by mid-October, will comply with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and will include a sidewalk.

By Georgia Fisher The University Star A covered bus stop will be constructed on Aquarena Springs Drive near Bobcat Village as part of Texas State’s Master Plan. The new bus stop will service students who rode the former Bobcat Village route. It will be built at the curb nearest to the apartment complex’s parking area. Slated to be ﬁnished in midOctober, the stop will also be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act Accesability Guidelines and will include a sidewalk. A shaded place to sit is essential for the basic comfort and safety of bus riders, said Matt Kelley, communication design senior.

“It’s beneﬁcial and necessary,” Kelley said. “Having no covered structure when you make people sit 30 minutes in the sun, in the heat — that’s wrong.” He said Texas weather is especially important to consider. “Texas is so damn hot; people will dehydrate,” he said. “This can cause heatstroke in someone who had to wait for the bus.” With winter approaching, a covered waiting spot is especially important, said full time driver James Byrd. “Building a stop is ideal if they’re not going to have a Bobcat Village bus ever again,” Byrd said. “And if things go as planned and we keep picking people up at the big tree in front See BUSES, page 3

For James Broadway making antiwar signs is an art. A few pieces of colored poster board, permanent markers, a handful of nails, wooden stakes and some curt phrases are all the Kyle resident needs to fashion his signs. They bear phrases like “Will Work 4 Peace” in chunky lettering. Broadway, 54, said he is proud of his art and he is proud of his cause. “I like to keep my signs simple. You know — one word, two words,” Broadway said. “The whole idea is so while people are sitting here at the light or driving past, it’s like boom, boom, boom. They really don’t have to read anything.” He and his wife, Deborah Broadway, have been protesting every Wednesday evening for more than a year on The Square at the intersection of South LBJ Monty Marion/Star photo Drive and Hopkins Street. TWO OF A KIND: Deborah and James Broadway, both Kyle residents, stand protest the war in Iraq “We’ve only missed one week on The Square. because it was really cold. I think it was last November, during an ice storm, and we although they do not have an them into the air, the protesters by day, said the group of people thought, ‘We’ll just stay in to- ofﬁcial name or any formal “just wing it.” met in front of the courthouse night,’” Deborah Broadway membership, they meet every James Broadway said there in support of Cindy Sheehan’s said. Wednesday evening from 7 to are about a dozen regulars, but ﬁrst trip to Crawford, and their The Broadways are part of 8 p.m. could not give an exact num- weekly meetings are “a continua small, informal group of James Broadway said whom- ber. ation in protest of the war that people who meet to protest ever wants to come out to pro“When people ask us who we Cindy Sheehan started.” the war in Iraq, the prisoners test will come out to protest. are, I say, ‘We’re the people,’” he “It’s an antiwar protest,” held at Guantanamo Bay and After staking their homemade said. See PROTESTORS, page 3 President Bush’s policies. And signs into the ground or lifting James Broadway, a mariachi

Crickets swarm San Marcos By Brooke Keller Special to The Star Fall is here again with all of its familiarities: cooler weather, falling leaves, shorter days — and crickets. “It is a periodic fact of urban living that ﬁeld crickets come out in the fall,” said Mike Quinn, Texas Parks and Wildlife invertebrate biologist. “This is something that happens every fall all over Texas and beyond that as well, but this is a good year where they are locally abundant.” Autumn marks the mating period for ﬁeld crickets, which are typically plentiful after a

summer drought. “There is a population explosion in the fall. They come out in response to rain, similar to the snout butterﬂies,” Quinn said, referring to the butterﬂy masses seen across Texas. The crickets are attracted to areas where there is heavy outdoor lighting. Because of this, some local businesses have found themselves dealing with a cricket infestation problem. “It’s like one of the seven plagues,” said Inez Hernandez, geography junior and Yellow Store employee. Hernandez said the local convenience store has had to close its drive-through on several oc-

Today’s Weather

Partly Cloudy 86˚/64˚

Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 45% UV: 9 Very High Wind: NNE 15 mph

casions because of the crickets. “We can’t even open our drive-through window without them jumping on us,” said Joann Treviño, Yellow Store employee. Treviño said once the sun sets, the crickets gather at the base of the building, and sometimes cover almost one-fourth of the outside of the windows. “When the cars pull up and see the window, they drive off,” Hernandez said. Yellow store employees have dealt with the problem by sweeping them away from the building each night. “We call ourselves the cricket grim reapers,” Treviño said.

Two-day Forecast Friday Partly Cloudy Temp: 83°/ 66° Precip: 0%

Saturday Partly Cloudy Temp: 93°/ 69° Precip: 20%

Employees of the Yellow Store said opportunists seeking free pet food for reptiles have frequented the convenience store. “People come by a lot to get crickets to feed their lizards,” Treviño said, “When they try to pay for a cup to collect them, we just say ‘Take them.’” The Yellow Store is not the only local business currently facing a cricket problem. “I went to Subway at 2 a.m. and the door was guarded by crickets,” said Jennifer MarMonty Marion/Star photo tinez, English sophomore. “It COUNTLESS CRICKETS: Outside the Yellow Store, on the corner was covered. You couldn’t even of Hopkins and North Edward Gary streets, hundreds of crickets go in.” are attracted to the location’s lights and bright yellow walls.

See CRICKETS, page 3

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