10 04 2007

TUSSLE IN TEXAS

A ‘WINE’ TIME

Football back in action against No. 6 McNeese State in SLC opener

Texas toasts ninth annual wine month

SEE SPORTS PAGE 12

SEE TRENDS PAGE 8

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911

WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM

OCTOBER 4, 2007

THURSDAY

VOLUME 97, ISSUE 15

Hispanic high school dropout rates on the rise

By Jackie Baylon News Reporter For 18-year-old Ricardo Contreras, working 35 to 40 hours a week has become nothing but a routine. The San Marcos High School Hispanic senior has grown up with the mentality that he must work to live.

Schooling is irrelevant.

“If I graduate from high school, I will be the second one to do so in my family,” Contreras said. “Since my uncle graduated, no one else has even tried to get an education.”

The Hispanic population,

according to the U.S. Census Bureau, comprises 18 percent of the student population in the nation’s schools, but have a disproportionately high dropout rate compared to any other ethnic group in America. Hispanics represent only 5 percent of high school graduates.

Raul Gonzalez, legislative director of the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., said many people are not aware of the high dropout rate among Hispanic students.

In a report written for The

Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, it said misleading and inaccurate reporting of high school dropout and graduation numbers has until recently kept the public largely unaware of a serious educational and civil rights crisis.

The report states millions of young people are being left far behind as education requirements for jobs and success in life continue to rise.

Gary Orfield, one of the report’s authors, said in the study Texas has an extremely influential role in the making of educational policy. He said

Texas has the destiny of onefifth of the nation’s Hispanic children in its hands and what needs to be done is simple.

He said the information needs to be clearly presented through actions such as counseling and showing support for young adults going through adolescent challenges of poor neighborhoods, gangs and families under stress.

“We have been working on a statistical analysis for four years now on high school dropout rates,” Gonzalez said.

“Our first goal is to let people know that this has become a big issue so that something can be done about it.”

Hispanics are underrepresented in advanced science and mathematics high school courses and in gifted and talented education programs as well.

“We believe students drop out because they get bored with the school work, or they are not prepared for more challenging material, and some students that have been held back a grade do not find a point in finishing,” Gonzalez said.

He said the dropout rate problem is trying to be solved by hiring better teachers, getting more funds for the schools and providing the students with more access to better courses throughout elementary, middle and high school.

Spencer Millsap/Star feature photo “There are many things HARD AT WORK: Ricardo Contreras, San Marcos High School senior, works about 40 hours a week in addition to attending school full time. Only 5 per-

Courtesy of MCT

See CONTRERAS, page 4 cent of high school graduates in the U.S. are Hispanic.

CROWDING CONCERNS

Faculty may have to pay for research, grants

By Scott Thomas News Reporter

Tina Phan/Star photo Texas State students traveling to and from Austin have experienced overcrowding because of the lack of transport services available for commuters.

By Leslie Ann Cortez News Reporter Texas State students, faculty and staff who ride the bus traveling to and from Austin every weekday say the crowded conditions are posing a safety hazard.

Vincent Luizzi, chair of the de-

partment of philosophy and ASG adviser, is a frequent rider on the 5:10 p.m. bus departing from Texas State to Austin. He said at times roughly 20 people have to stand up because there are not any seats available.

“I do think, whether it’s justified or not, there is a fairly widespread perception that we’re not safe in

the bus,” Luizzi said. “A number of students make the claim that they feel like they would be in danger if they were in an accident. I’m not sure how much danger is created by people standing.”

Margarita Guest, anthropology See ATX, page 4

Some new faculty members may have to cover costs accumulated for their research and teaching materials because of a proposed clause in contracts.

Startup fund packages are given to new faculty by Texas State, but now the university may be expecting to get the money back over time. “(Startup fund packages cover) anything that is going to cost money to start your research program,” said Faculty Sen. Debra Feakes, chemistry and biochemistry associate professor.

The new policy is in place because of contracts faculty will sign upon receiving the packages.

Senators and Faculty Senate liaisons, who are representatives from departments that do not have a senator who are not required to attend meetings, addressed the issue at their meeting Wednesday.

Feakes said she talked to new faculty who will not sign a contract with the university because of the clause.

“I know senior faculty who have chosen not to (work for

Texas State because of the clause),” Feakes said. “I know several junior faculty who are very concerned about it and are keeping their options open in case they don’t get the funds.”

Science, applied arts, liberal arts and health professions are the four colleges Feakes said she knew of that had the contract.

She said it would be unrealistic to expect new faculty to be able to pay off the startup package.

“I don’t think a junior faculty member can pay it off, on average,” Feakes said. “Our probationary period is basically five years. Most faculty will get their substantial grants in year four or higher.”

The Faculty Senators and liaisons were unanimously opposed to the contracts forcing package repayments.

“It’s inappropriate to call it a startup package,” said Senate Liaison Sally Caldwell, sociology associate professor. “This sounds like a loan to me.”

Other professors were worried about what the contracts could do to faculty recruitment.

“This will basically kill our department,” said Senate Liaison Alberto Giordano, geography

professor. “No one will come to our institution.”

The startup package issue was put on the agenda for next week’s meeting with University President Denise Trauth and Provost Perry Moore.

Faculty and staff drug policy, a recurring topic for the past three weeks at Faculty Senate, was once again on table.

William Stone, Faculty Senate chair and criminal justice professor, updated the liaisons on the content and the actions of the previous meeting.

“At our senate meeting last week we decided to take the moral position to have faculty and staff treated the same,” Stone said.

The liaisons voiced only support for the Faculty Senate’s official stance.

“If they’re doing it to staff it seems it wouldn’t be long from where they’d be doing it to faculty,” said liaison Mary Brennan, History associate professor.

The drug and alcohol policy will be on the agenda for next week’s meeting with the president.

“I promise the drug policy will be a long negotiation process,” Stone said.

City Council deliberates Sagewood Circle concerns of students, residents

By Philip Hadley News Reporter A potential system for licensing and permitting rental properties was brought to the top of the City Council agenda Tuesday in an effort to address the problems with Sagewood Circle.

The council put together a sevenmember work group to review the system. Councilman John Thomaides suggested they be given a time frame in which to complete their assignment.

The council decided to allow the group six weeks to complete the task of evaluating the licensing and permitting system.

They voted the group members did not

have to be residents of San Marcos.

“I would like to see the group come back to us with a product of a permit system and any additional suggestions they may have in solving this issue,” councilwoman Betsy Robertson said.

“The final decision on the permitting system will then be in our hands.”

The group appointed to review the system will include Jason Aleem, Michael Flowers, Jim LaSage, Vance Elliot, Rick Tarr, Tom Wassenich and Robert Hernandez.

Reagan Pugh, Associated Student Government president, spoke on the issue of complaints regarding student residents living in the Sagewood Circle area.

Today’s Weather

Sunny 93˚

Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 76% UV: 0 Low Wind: WNW 2 mph

Two-day Forecast Friday Mostly Sunny Temp: 91°/ 70° Precip: 10%

Saturday Partly Cloudy Temp: 90°/ 67° Precip: 20%

“We have to trust in one another to open a true dialogue,” Pugh said.

“There is not one group at fault here, we are all at fault. We need to sit down and reason together to establish a true dialogue between the school, city, residents and neighbors of Sagewood. In the end we are all San Martians.”

Several student residents expressed concern regarding the increased police presence in the Sagewood area as well.

New city attorney Michael Cosentino was sworn in to begin the City Council meeting.

Cosentino served for the last 10 years as the city attorney for Bryan. The council voted unanimously to hire Cosentino

following former city attorney Mark Taylor’s retirement last fall.

City Manager Dan O’Leary announced his resignation, effective Dec. 13, at the meeting as well.

“After 28 years of service with the city of San Marcos I have decided to move to Fort Worth to spend more time with my granddaughter,” O’Leary said. “I will be leaving after a fun and great career in this community, and I thank the council for allowing me to be part of this city.”

The council then moved to discuss an amendment to the city code that would increase the purchase authority of the city manager from $25,000 to $50,000.

The council approved the amendment

and Mayor Pro-Tem Daniel Guerrero discussed its importance.

“We need to be able to give the city manager some discretion,” Guerrero said. “There has been several instances where there was a need beyond the $25,000 already in place.”

Another item on the council agenda included the desire to increase the single-family home market in San Marcos.

“It is important that we increase our single family market as well as make homes more affordable,” Mayor Susan Narvaiz said. “Many corporations that could bring many jobs won’t come if we don’t have enough homes in a range that employees can purchase.”

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PAGETWO

Head Coach Karen Chisum and the Texas State volleyball team will help in the fight against breast cancer with the “Dig for the Cure” program to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Bobcats’ selected “Dig for the Cure” match for the 2007 season will be Texas News Contact — Nick Georgiou, starnews@txstate.edu Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System

Today in Brief

Thursday, October 4, 2007 - Page 2

The Catholic Student Organization will meet at 6 p.m. in the library of the CSC. The Rock — Praise and Worship will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the St. Jude Chapel of the CSC. The Counseling Center presents “Destress Fest” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the LBJSC Ballroom.

Bobcats for Life will meet in the library of the Catholic Student Center at 6:30 p.m.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will hold its weekly meeting at 8:30 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320. There will be contemporary worship, relevant teaching, prayer and plenty of fun. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Women’s Personal Growth Group will meet from noon to 1:30 p.m. For information and screening on groups, call the Counseling Center at (512) 2452208.

FRIDAY Alcoholics Anonymous meeting will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3.4.

Alcoholics Anonymous Newcomer’s Meeting, River Group, will be 9:15 p.m. at 1700 Ranch Rd. 12, Suite C. SATURDAY Texas State volleyball will play Stephen F. Austin at 2 p.m. in Strahan Coliseum.

Texas State football will play McNeese State at 6 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium.

Texas State tennis will play all day at the Bobcat Tennis Complex.

Hope and Love 4 Kids Volunteer Orientation will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Kyle Fire Hall. Please join us if you would like to volunteer with us throughout the year. This will give you the opportunity to learn more about us and get to see what events we have coming up. Please RSVP at (512) 585-1726.

Native Tree Workshop and Fall Plant Sale will be held from

State’s game against Southland Conference rival Stephen F. Austin at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Sponsors can pledge money per dig earned by Texas State in the match or can make a flat donation.

— Courtesy of the University News Service

Center Stage

Calendar THURSDAY

starsof texas state

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register by Oct. 5. Cost is $25 per person.

For more information, e-mail dravigne_andrea@ci.san-marcos.tx.us

University Police Department Sept. 28, 4:18 a.m.

Property Damage/Jackson Hall An officer was dispatched for a property damage report.

Upon further investigation, a door was damaged. This case is under investigation.

MONDAY Sexual Assault and Abuse Survivors Group, a program of the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center for Texas State Students will meet from 5 to 6:15 p.m.

For information and screening on groups, call the Counseling Center at (512) 245-2208.

Sept. 28, 2:25 p.m.

Involving Damage to Vehicle/Student Health Center Parking Lot An officer was dispatched for a hit and run report. A student reported his vehicle was damaged while it was parked. This case is under investigation.

TUESDAY The CSC will have a free lunch for all students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the CSC lobby.

The women of Mu Epsilon Theta will have Bingo Night with prizes at 6:30 p.m. in the CSC lobby.

Every Nation Campus Ministries will be holding a weekly campus meeting at 7 p.m. in Centennial Hall, Room G-02.

There will be free food, fellowship and a message exploring the person of Jesus.

Overeaters Anonymous will meet at 12:30 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 130 W. Holland. For more information call Lynn, (512) 357-2049.

GLBQ Pride Group meeting will be held from noon until 1:30 p.m. For information and screening on groups, call the Counseling Center at (512) 2452208.

Facing the Fear — An Anxiety/Panic Group will meet from 3:30 to 5 p.m. For information and screening on groups, call the Counseling Center at (512) 245-2208.

Anger Management: Your Plan for Real-Life Coping will be from 5:10 to 6:25 p.m. For information and screening on groups, call the Counseling Center at (512) 245-2208.

WEDNESDAY The rosary will be prayed at 6 p.m. in the St. Jude Chapel of the CSC. AITP, Yolanda Wilkerson and other former Texas State students present, “The World of ExxonMobil,” at 5 p.m. in McCoy Room 127.

CRIME BL TTER

Bridgette Cyr/Star photo Sept. 29, 12:30 a.m.

Michael DeMarquis, philosophy junior, jams with his guitar during a break from classes Wednesday Alcohol: Minor in Possesafternoon in The Quad. sion/100 E Sessom

Sessom shutdown imminent

An officer was on patrol and observed an individual drinking from a cup. Upon further investigation, a non-student was isA major section of Sessom Drive from North LBJ University Drive to North LBJ only, with access avail- sued a citation for MIP. to Loquat Street will be closed in both directions for able into Texas State. repairs starting Monday for approximately three days.

Drivers traveling farther west will detour to North Sept. 29, 1:11 a.m.

Two eastbound lanes on the steep hill on Sessom LBJ or Chestnut to Holland Street. Eastbound lanes Alcohol: Minor in PosDrive have serious pavement damage and will be re- on Sessom will be open from Holland to Loquat Street session/North and Lindsey paired, said Bob Ed Cochran, street division supervi- and eastbound traffic will be detoured to Comanche Street sor.

Street south to Hutchison.

An officer was on patrol and “The extent of the damage requires us to close the Texas State, San Marcos school district, CARTs observed an individual with an entire street for this project,” Cochran said. “The pave- bus system and the city’s emergency responders alcoholic beverage. Upon furment is falling to pieces and creating a traffic hazard.” have been notified of the repair work and temporary ther investigation, a non-stuThe project will require large equipment, resulting Sessom Drive closure. dent was issued a citation for in road closure. This is the first major street repair For more information, contact the Public Works MIP. project of the city’s new fiscal year, which started Sun- Department at (512) 393-8036. day.

Sept. 29, 1:33 a.m.

Westbound traffic on Sessom will be open from — Courtesy of the University News Service Alcohol: Minor in Possession/North and Lindsey Street An officer was on patrol and observed an individual consuming an alcoholic beverage. Upon further investigation, a student was issued a citation for MIP. Texas music history is filled venue walls and sign posts, where World Headquarters is the J. with legendary talent who played they advertised world-famous Geils Band, Ry Cooder, Lighting Sept. 30, 12:47 a.m. a variety of venues in and around bands and musicians playing the Hopkins and Frank Zappa. Other Alcohol: Minor in PossesAustin — from the Armadillo World area at the time. Wilmore gath- advertised acts include Bo Did- sion/1301 Aquarena Springs Headquarters to Antone’s. For de- ered and cared for these ephem- dley at the Ritz, Fats Domio at Drive cades, shows were publicized with eral pieces during a 35-year Antone’s and the Grateful Dead An officer was dispatched for very fine original posters, often period with the intention of do- at Manor Downs. The poster for a disorderly conduct report. Upscreen-printed from hand-drawn nating them to a place that would the first Willie Nelson Fourth of on further investigation, a stuwork by Texan artists. Similar protect and appreciate them. His July Picnic in 1973, donated by dent was issued a citation for pieces promoting music and the collection has added an important Nancy Coplin, is on view.

MIP. arts can still be found, although visual component to the collecNot just a visual reminder of they are much rarer today than tion’s already substantial holdings Austin’s great music tradition, Sept. 30, 1:30 a.m. computer-produced flyers and of music-related ephemera avail- this exhibit of the Wilmore collecPossession of Marijuahandbills. able to researchers. tion celebrates an entire pop-cul- na/800 Aquarena Springs In 2005, Austin resident Tom A selection of the Wilmore ture art and the work of some of Drive Wilmore donated more than 100 posters is now on display in the its best practitioners: Kerry Awn, An officer initiated a traffic vintage music posters to the Southwestern Writers Collection Ken Featherston, Jim Franklin, stop. Upon further investigaSouthwestern Writers Collection. Reading Room on the seventh Guy Juke and Micael Priest. tion, a non-student was arrestHe collected many of them in the floor of the Alkek Library. Shown ed for POM and transported to l960s and ’70s directly from local playing the famed Armadillo — Courtesy of Alkek Library HCLEC to await magistration.

Library Beat Vintage music posters on display

NEWS

Thursday, October 4, 2007

The University Star - Page 3

Rising textbook prices push lawmakers into action

By Andy Sevilla News Reporter

Spencer Millsap and Monty Marion/Star illustration DROPPING THE BILL: The recently introduced Textbook Affordability and Transparency Act aims at working with publishers and universities to produce cost efficient solutions for students.

Textbook prices are rising and leaving students with a dent in their pockets. Textbooks are one of the many factors taken into account when allocating money into a college education.

Frances Stone, communication studies junior, said she paid more than $500 for textbooks for the fall, but some have never been used or even opened.

U.S. Rep. Julie Carson, DInd., recently introduced the College Textbook Affordability and Transparency Act of 2007 to bring to light textbook costs. The bill is designed to produce effective communication between the publishers and institutions of higher learning to provide students with the information needed to budget for textbook costs.

The bill would require publishers to provide instructors with information regarding three matters: the price the publisher will charge the bookstore, the history of the textbook concerning revisions and whether the material is available in paperback or unbound and the price it would cost the bookstore for the material in these formats.

Carson said in a news release the bill addresses many of the concerns related to the rising costs of textbooks and assures transparency in textbook pricing.

“I completely agree and support it all the way — it’s a really good idea,” said Katy O’Bannon, interdisciplinary studies senior.

“I feel that students have no say in textbook prices, and we need all the help we can get in reducing the prices.”

She said students spend too much money on textbooks and

at times it is a waste.

“Sometimes I buy the book and don’t even use it,” O’Bannon said. “Professors need to realize if we’re even going to use the book.”

A co-saponsor of the bill is U.S. Rep. David Wu, D-Ore. He said in a news release textbook prices must not become another obstacle to a college education.

Tuition is not the only economic burden on students.

There are textbook prices, meal plans and the cost of living as well. Stone said if only the taxes were removed from the cost of textbooks, it would help students tremendously.

“What our students are experiencing is a classic broken market,” Wu said in the news release. “Students are left out of the formula; they are the customer, but they don’t get to choose the product.”

Jessica Parlett, exercise and sports science senior, said she has heard of her classes do poorly in school because they were unable to purchase the required textbooks so they may have enough money to eat.

“There are friends of mine that do struggle making the payments for textbooks,” Stone said. “A lot of times they can’t buy them all at one time, or they look for different ways to buy them.”

Buying used textbooks is less expensive, and most students seek that option whenever it is available, Parlett said.

Carson said textbook prices are rising twice as fast as the rate of inflation. She said the problems need to be identified and corrected. This bill would accomplish that, she said, because it brings the market’s stakeholders together to discuss the issue and seek a remedy.

Communication problems Truth behind Israel air strike remains foggy harm department chairs

By Dion Nissenbaum McClatchy Newspapers

By Scott Thomas News Reporter The health, physical education and recreation department has been under leadership of an interim chair for the past year, resulting in communication frustrations between faculty and the provost’s office.

David Wiley, professor within the department, told Provost Perry Moore during the Sept. 5 Faculty Senate meeting they were not being listened to when it came to selecting the interim chairs.

“My only concern is that they’ve replaced chairs and put interim chairs in with no consultation with the faculty whatsoever with the interim chairs,” Wiley said. “I think the faculty, especially the personnel committee — the senior faculty — should have the opportunity to have some input on who the new interim chair is.”

The department is currently chaired by professor Lisa Lloyd, appointed by the provost’s office in August after a search failed to fill the position.

“I hope to start a whole bunch of new initiatives, especially helping our faculty with their own academic programs and looking how to improve them,” Lloyd said.

Before appointing a new chair, the provost’s office will conduct a full departmental review.

“One of the goals is to determine where the department currently stands in terms of its academic programs,” said Associate Provost Eugene Bourgeois. “That includes major and minor degree programs and its staffing.”

Wiley said the department had been told it would be another two years before receiving a permanent chair.

“The faculty I have spoken with have asked that a search for

a permanent chair be initiated as soon as possible,” Bourgeois said. “They understand the necessity of having an academic program review this year.”

Wiley said lines of communication need to be opened with the dean’s office and the provost’s office.

“It’s also a concern when basically the communication has been one-way,” Wiley said. “We’ve been told who the next interim chair is going to be without any background or any opportunity to provide feedback.”

Bourgeois said faculty members have not given any feedback on who they want for the next chair.

“I think it’s a two-way street,” Wiley said. “The idea is that we need to do a better job at communicating, but also the upper administration needs to trust us to have a role to take.”

An interim chair has all the responsibilities and powers of its permanent counterpart, including the hiring of faculty, managing of budgets and planning for the future of the department.

“I’ve spent a great majority of my time trying to communicate with the faculty and trying to make sure any decision that I make is representative of their views,” Lloyd said.

To find the new chair, a position description will be created by a search committee, which will include members of the department’s faculty working with the college’s dean. The position will be advertised in and outside the university.

“Faculty from the department will be members of that chairsearch committee and will be part of that chair-search process when we initiate it — just as they were for the last search, which was unfortunately unsuccessful,” Bourgeois said.

JERUSALEM — Nearly a month after a mysterious Israeli military airstrike in Syria generated political aftershocks from Washington to North Korea, the Israeli government lifted its official veil of secrecy Tuesday.

It did not provide much new information about what took place on Sept. 6. While its government censor cleared the way for journalists here to report the incident had taken place, rigid rules remained in effect that banned reporting what the target was, what troops were involved or why the strike was ordered.

Israel lifted its ban on reporting that the attack took place after Syrian President Bashar Assad told the British Broadcasting Corp. that Israeli jets had hit an “unused military building.”

But Israeli officials refused to say anything about the attack, and almost no one who’d be expected to know — from government officials to former intelligence officers — is talking.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the opposition Likud party, was widely criticized last week after giving a television interview in which he became the first elected

leader to say Israel had launched the attack.

The dearth of information has allowed fertile speculation: The strike was a dry run for an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The target was an Iranian missile cache bound for Hezbollah Islamic fighters in Lebanon. The attack hit a fledgling Syrian-North Korean nuclear weapons program.

Or it was meant to thwart efforts to provide Hezbollah with a “dirty bomb” to use against Israel.

This being the Middle East, however, the simplest theories generally are discounted in favor of more convoluted explanations. One of the latest theories is North Korea told the U.S. it had sold nuclear technology to Syria, which prompted the U.S. to tell Israel that North Korea had sold nuclear technology to Syria, which prompted Israel to attack the North Korean technology in Syria.

The problem of separating fact from fiction is compounded by the reality that all sides routinely leak distorted, exaggerated or downright bogus information to conceal the truth and wage psychological warfare on one another.

Assad’s first public comments on the strike came the same weekend that the head of an agricultural research facility denied a

claim by Syria’s deputy president that the farm project had been the strike’s target.

“Everything reported about the raid is wrong and is part of a psychological warfare that will not fool Syria,” Deputy President Farouq Shara said in Damascus.

The Washington Post, meanwhile, reported Israel had told the U.S. that Syria was working with North Korea on a nuclear weapons program. The Post reported the strike came three days after a ship from North Korea arrived in Syria. The ship was said to be carrying cement, but unnamed officials told The Post it was really military materiel sent to the site hit by the Israeli raid.

U.S. intelligence officials are skeptical of those claims. Syria, they argue, lacks the technical infrastructure and the money for a nuclear weapons program; its leaders may not be reckless enough to pursue one when their country is under constant surveillance and within range of Israel’s military; and the North Koreans, who are as closely watched as Syria is, are unlikely partners for a secret program.

That skepticism has given rise to an even more convoluted theory, which in the Middle East has the advantage of suggesting that neither side is telling the truth:

The Israelis hit a Syrian chemicalweapons facility, then leaked word that the target was nuclear in an attempt to convince Iran that its nuclear facilities are next.

The timing of the attack is equally curious. Israel staged it at a peak in tensions with Syria.

For nearly a year, the Israeli media have been filled with ominous, thinly sourced claims that Syrian forces are preparing for war with Israel.

Israel, meanwhile, had staged major military exercises in the contested Golan Heights, which have generated alarm along the Syrian border.

Israeli leaders wavered between saying Syria was preparing for war with Israel or was serious about launching peace talks.

Since Israel’s war with Hezbollah last summer in Lebanon, Assad has offered to resume peace talks with Israel, which crumbled in 2000. But Israel, presumably with encouragement from the Bush administration, largely has rebuffed the entreaties.

The strike had the potential to sabotage next month’s planned Bush administration Middle East peace conference. But the U.S. has made it clear that it still plans to invite Syria, even though that country is still officially at war with Israel.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

NEWS

The University Star - Page 4

Ending stereotypes subject of panel discussion

By Selina Saucedo Special to The University Star A message board posted in the LBJ Student Center this week, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, asked students to write comments and thoughts on the term “Mexican-American.” Only two comments were written on the message board. One was “an American of Mexican decent,” and the other, in big bold letters, was the word “spick.”

To touch base on racial slurs and stereotypes such as these, a panel was held Wednesday night in the LBJ Student Center.

The purpose was to break stereotypes placed on Latinos, and to prove not everyone is the same.

The panel consisted of seven Latino Texas State students – David San Miguel; Abigail Moreno; Ray Cordero, public administration graduate student; Albert Arevalo, biology sophomore; Christian Hernandez, marketing sophomore; Cynthia Corral and Ricardo Zavala, who served as

moderator of the panel.

Discussion began with the differences between the panel members’ backgrounds. The places where they grew up ranged from Mexico to Lubbock.

Some were raised speaking English, while others spoke only Spanish at home.

“The basic stereotype of Latinos is that we all speak Spanish fluently,” said Zavala, political science senior. “My family raised me speaking English, and as of now I don’t speak Spanish too fluently.”

Other stereotypes of the culture, such as music, were talked about. One was Latinos generally only listen to Spanish music, such as Tejano or Reggaeton.

“As cliché as it sounds, I listen to everything,” said Moreno, communication design senior. “I actually prefer to listen to rock over Spanish music.”

Another stereotype the panel attempted to disproved was they all grow up in big Latino communities and al have large families.

“I grew up in Lubbock, Texas,” said San Miguel, international studies senior. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Lubbock, but it’s primarily white. There are a few Latinos, but it isn’t a big community of us.”

San Miguel said he did not have a big family with a lot of brothers and sisters. He only has one sister.

Gender stereotypes within the Latino community was another topic of discussion. One stereotype was all Latino women know how to cook homemade tortillas and tamales. The women on the panel disagreed.

“I know basics — scrambled eggs (and) grilled cheese,” said Corral, microbiology senior. “I know how to order out.”

It was made clear Mexican was not the only kind of food Latinos ate.

“We all listen to different music and eat different foods,” Zavala said. “That doesn’t make a difference, though. No one is ‘more Latino’ than the other.”

CONTRERAS: Charity groups seek remedy CONTINUED from page 1

that are being done to reduce the drop out rates, but we also believe in accountability,” Gonzalez said. “The schools themselves have to start becoming aware of their dropout numbers and come up with ways to help reduce dropout rates.”

Contreras said he has been aware of the high dropout rates among his fellow Hispanic peers.

“There have been people that I have known to drop out, and they are Hispanics,” Contreras said. “They just do not find purposes in finishing their education since some of them are illegal. What comes next for them after an education if they are in a country where they do not have a citizenship and will not be able to make a nice living even after having a diploma?”

Gonzalez said another way of helping the dropout rate is through the passage of the “DREAM Act” and the “American Dream Act.” The council urges the passage of the two legislative bills because they said it would provide a path to U.S. citizenship for hardworking and talented immigrant students.

“If these two legislative bills get approved, then undocumented students who earn a college degree will gain their citizenship,” Gonzalez said.

For Contreras though, he has strongly considered getting an education. Coming from a family who immigrated to the U.S. illegally, he said he has experienced

many hardships “Seeing how my mother struggled to raise me and all the difficult times she went through, it has made me think that I should make a difference and getting a college education will probably help me be successful one day,” Contreras said.

When he came to the U.S., he was enrolled in Hernandez Intermediate School where he was placed in the fifth grade.

But because of his lack of English, he was lowered a grade and put in the English to Speakers of Other Languages Program, a state-funded curriculum.

After fifth grade, he moved on to Miller Junior High School where he was still placed in the specialized classes. By the eighth grade, he was able to speak some English and was able to fully understand it.

Contreras was going to leave middle school soon enough and make a transition by moving on to high school. Before that happened, he was chosen by his eighth grade teacher to participate in Caminos, which is a pre-college summer leadership camp at Texas State.

Founded by Jaime Chahin, dean of the college of applied arts, and funded by a National Pioneer Foundation grant, Caminos is a program that aims to prepare at-risk, ethic-minority students for high school and give them confidence to take a college-bound curriculum.

“Caminos is an academic leadership program for eighth graders who I call the youth of promise,” Chahin said. “This ‘youth of

promise’ are being challenged to take two hours of English, algebra, technology and leadership daily. It is a very intense schedule using a block method of ongoing instruction daily for a six-week period. They have the opportunity to earn three high school credits in six weeks.”

Chahin said a key for being successful is having a formula.

“When access and opportunity meet preparation, that equals success,” Chahin said. “It is hard work, and easier said than done; education is the greatest equalizer because whether you are poor or rich, education is something that nobody could take away from you.”

Contreras attended the leadership program. He said since then, he has been highly motivated to go to college, which would make him the first generation in his family that would attend a university.

“It was the Caminos program that made me think more in depth about college,” he said.

“We stayed at the dorms and I got to experience being free and I felt like an adult.”

Catalina Jaimes, Contreras’ mother, tells her son she does not want him to go through the difficulties her family went through and encourages him to graduate in May. “I want him to learn from what we all went through growing up and all the difficult times we experienced,” Jaimes said. “If he can suffer less and be respected more by having an education, then I will encourage him to not drop out of high and go on to a university.”

ATX: Additional bus planned CONTINUED from page 1

junior, is a frequent rider of the bus during peak rush hours as well.

“Every morning cars cut in front of the bus where the bus has to stop abruptly,” Guest said.

“Even in the evening, we’ve had situations where a tire has blown off of one of those giant rigs that travels I-35, where everyone has been really startled.”

She said the bus does not have upper railings to hold onto and anyone standing up after the fourth row has to hold onto the backs of the seats beside them. Guest said the first four rows have a luggage rack people can hold onto, assuming they are tall enough to reach.

She has seen people sitting in the entry wells as well.

“To me, I see it as a major safety issue because not everyone has the core strength to hold on all the way from San Marcos to Austin,” Guest said. “This is the worst it’s ever been.”

Paul Hamilton, Shuttle Service manager, said if the bus were in an accident, standing students would not face an increased chance of injury.

“It isn’t going to make it any more or less safe if they were standing as opposed to sitting,” Hamilton said. “There are no seatbelts on that bus.”

He said the lack of seat belts and having people stand are legally allowable. He made the comparison of people standing on a bus to those standing on a subway in New York City or

Washington D.C. It was “exactly the same scenario,” he said.

Guest, as a previous visitor to New York City, disagreed with this comparison.

“On a subway, you’re guaranteed that you are going to be going in one direction,” she said. “You aren’t going to be switching lanes and the subway isn’t going to unexpectedly stop and hit the brakes because someone cut in front of them.”

Guest said she is concerned for students who suffer from disabilities and ride the bus.

“I suffer from seizures,” she said. “If the bus is completely packed to the point where the aisle is obstructed and I have a seizure, there’s no way that I can get out of the bus or even to a safe place where I can lay down with enough time.”

Luizzi, along with several students and faculty, contacted the shuttle service about the issue.

“I’ve made a point of asking that the drivers adjust their driving so that if they are going to have people standing that they make it comfortable for them,” Luizzi said. “I haven’t seen any adjustments. The frequent stops and goings as you are leaving campus to get to the interstate are many in number and the bus drivers drive in such a way that you go forward and backward and that really can take a toll on your back. It’s not uncommon for people standing to bump into each other.”

Some ASG senators attribute the overcrowding to the university’s newly implemented fourday class schedule. They said the same number of students riding

the bus in a five-day period last year are now riding in a four-day period with the same number of busses available. ASG will be voting on legislation suggesting more Trams be placed on routes to solve the problem of overcrowding. It was tabled Monday because the senators said they wanted to gather more information.

Hamilton said the shuttle service did not respond to the overcrowding problem immediately because their contractor was still training new drivers.

He said directors of the shuttle service typically wait about four weeks before any changes are made to see if people’s behaviors change based on demand and availability. He said these past weeks there has been very little change in behavior.

“There are simply a lot of people wanting to go home at 5:10,” he said.

Hamilton said another bus will be added to the route beginning Monday. There will be one bus designated to North Austin stops and another devoted to South Austin stops. The North Austin stops include Waterloo Park, Highland Mall and Greyhound. The South Austin stops include Slaughter and Congress, and Kyle if necessary.

“They’ll still see a bus showing up at 7:04, but we’re sending two buses at the same time,” Hamilton said.

“From a rider’s standpoint, they’ll see absolutely no difference in their schedule change.

The only thing they’ll see is a bus with a lot more (vacant) seats on it.”

the latest STRAIGHT TO YOU the university star

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

onlineconnection For news updates throughout this semester, check out www.UniversityStar.com.

Opinions Contact — Bill Rix, staropinion@txstate.edu

Thursday, October 4, 2007 - Page 5

THE MAIN POINT

P

resident Bill Clinton said he tried it once but didn’t inhale.

Lindsay Lohan said she tried it once and hated it. Rappers dead prez said “the green is for the tram that grows natural.” Willie Nelson said marijuana is not a drug; it is “an herb and a flower.”

And now, marijuana is the subject of yet another law change.

According to an article published in The University Star Tuesday, Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation lessening the punishment for people found possessing the illegal substance.

When all the details of the new law are defined, officials will only be issuing citations instead of automatically arresting individuals with less than four ounces of “the herb.”

The change is long overdue.

Never before has a single substance been named criminal in one part of the country, medicinal in another and sinful in the neighboring state.

In a state with overcrowded jails and prisons, now is the time to reevaluate such petty criminal activity. The new law has not taken effect fully because a process has not yet been put in place.

As long as those in possession do not appear to be a danger to themselves or those around them, a simple citation and subsequent fine is a much more appropriate plan of action.

The Star applauds Perry’s proactive step. It seems Austin has finally put things into a more coherent priority.

The Star is in no way condoning the use of any drugs but does want to thank Perry for taking steps to bettering our system.

The effects of this change are farreaching and will undoubtedly be felt across many aspects of society.

Texas prison systems will not be as full of nonviolent offenders. Fewer prisoners means fewer tax dollars paid to Texas Criminal Justice Complexes.

Fewer arrests means the court systems will see less traffic and judges will have the opportunity to spend more time on cases that have carry more importance than a high school student caught with a little bit of pot.

This is good news not only for offenders, but the public at large: When the legal repercussions for possession are lessened, the social stigma of being a user will decline.

Make no mistake, however; this law is unlikely to have any effect on actual usage. As explained by Nathan Pino, criminologist and assistant sociology professor in the article, “…drug laws in general have no impact on drug use.” Thankfully, the legislators recognize this and, ostensibly, have no hidden machinations tied to the law.

This may seem a small step, but it’s a leap for Texas. Progressive ideas seldom become law in this state. It’s comforting to see we are embracing progressive social change.

PROGRE$$IVE

POT POLICY New law highlights society’s ability to move forward

Students must help protect freedom of speech

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.

Justin Jackley/Star illustration

LEGAL GUY: Keeping student rates low in the future creased by $11.4 billion. The full Funding for many people’s figure of money being funneled education is not easy to come back into Pell grants may be useby. Student loans, or the lack ful in understanding the effects of thereof, have created probthe law, but for students, a more lems for students all over the tangible idea might be the fact country in recent years. The the maximum Pell Grant they will eligibility of a Pell Grant, the be eligible for will increase from major grant from the federal the current $4,310 to $5,400 by government to students, has 2012. been reduced.

CARSON GUY President Bush said, at the signMany students wondering Star Columnist ing of the bill, “One of the best if there is an end in sight ways to make higher education to the upwardly spiraling affordable is through Pell Grants. cost of education and downPell Grants send an important message wardly spiraling availability of loan funds to students in need: If you work hard, and available for students, will be happy to you stay in school and you make the right know huge strides have been made in an choices, the federal government is going attempt to ensure higher education is to stand with you.” available to all. Congress and President The College Cost Reduction and AcGeorge Bush provided a strong answer cess Act does not only provide for a manto student advocates’ calls for reform of datory increase in awards — it provides the student loan system when the House other forms of relief for students, namely of Representatives and U.S. Senate comin the form of interest rate reductions. mittee met to hammer out the bill that “For a loan for which the first disbursebecame the College Cost Reduction and ment is made on or after July 1, 2006, Access Act. and before July 1, 2008,” the interest rate What exactly are the implications of will be 6.8 percent. For loans disbursed this bill that was signed Sept. 27? The within the same local time frame but for broad stroke of the law is over the next 2008 and 2009, the rate drops to 6.12 five years, Pell Grant funding will be in-

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To care, or not to care?

Editor In Chief.................................Maira Garcia, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor.......................Sydney Granger, starletters@txstate.edu News Editor...................................Nick Georgiou, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor.......................Clara Cobb, starentertainment@txstate.edu Opinions Editor.......................................Bill Rix, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor...............................Spencer Millsap, starphoto@txstate.edu

percent. For each consecutive year the rate drops .68 percent until in 2012 to 2013 when the interest rate on disbursements within that time frame and under the purview of this bill will have a 3.4 percent interest rate. For the people keeping count, this law will halve the interest rate on countless loans in the U.S. Another provision of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act that has been controversial can be found in section 141 of the law and provides for “loan forgiveness for service in areas of national need.” The amount of loan money eligible to be forgiven is capped at no more than $5,000 of the whole amount of the loan after the receiver of the loan has completed their fifth consecutive year of school or employment. However, those are not the only restrictions — eligible students must qualify under the law as workers in an area of national need. Eligible professions under the law after five consecutive years of employment include: early childhood educators, nurses, foreign language specialists, librarians, highly qualified bilingual or low-income community educators, child welfare workers, speechlanguage pathologists, national service workers or public sector employees.

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The incredible benefits students will come to enjoy in the following years are clear. However, the provisions of the law cited do not encompass its full breadth.

That is to say, there are more provisions including incentives that have been created for institutions of higher learning to keep their tuition rates low.

There has been a dramatic and favorable restructuring of the student loan system for students. Students all over the country have spoken out against high interest rates and low awards. The federal government listened to student’s concerns and acted on their behalf. Who says government doesn’t work?

Carson Guy is a political science senior. His column tackles legal quandaries. E-mail questions to Guy at staropinion@txstate.edu.

The content and opinions contained herein are in no way meant as legal advice. All information is general in nature. Do not rely on information within this article when trying to resolve a specific legal issue. All situations are unique and require specific legal advice from competent counsel.

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Sabrina Jennings Star Columnist I have often been asked, “Why the hell do you care?”

Not always directly, or even verbally, but the question is present in all its force. Accusations come in the forms of “You can’t make a change,” “They’re just custodians” and “You’re too young and inexperienced to understand that what you are doing is completely ineffective.”

I was on the phone with my mother telling her about a friend of mine, who happens to be a custodian. Out of nowhere, in the middle of what I thought was a nice conversation, she pulls a slashing question on me: “Why do you talk to him?” I didn’t know how to respond for a second, as I tried to re-gather my thoughts. “I talk to him because he’s my friend,” seemed to be the simplest answer. Yet, I believe that the real question being posed was, “Why do you care?”

Sometimes this caring feels like a curse. It sure hasn’t made me cool. It’s cost me many of the closest relationships I’ve ever had. A woman who was like a mother to me just stopped talking to me when I confronted her about the things she did that I saw as harmful to her daughter. Being a gay activist has killed many efforts to renew relationships with my parents who can’t accept me as a lesbian. Sometimes I wonder, why don’t I just shut up and not care? God reminds me if I stopped caring, I would die. My spirit would fade and my heart would grow numb. I would be a walking, breathing, empty mass of flesh and bones.

I care because I believe in the infinite worth of every human being. Every person, regardless of what they look like, or where they live is God’s child and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We are all one big family, sharing a common human need for love.

My life has been blessed by getting to know one of our custodians. Through talking with him I have learned of his struggles at work and at home. I have been able to help him buy medicine when he could not afford it. And he has supported me through health problems and family issues. He is one of the few people I know I can talk to anytime.

The children of the poor get hungry just the same as the children of the rich, but they may not be fed. The youth in the ghetto may desire a higher education but they are denied many of the opportunities available to suburban youth. Low-wage workers have to bury their loved ones, just like us all, but they may have to go in debt to do so. Each life is valuable. So, my question is, how can you not care?

✯ 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 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with a distribution of 8,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Copyright October 4, 2007. 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.

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Thursday, October 4, 2007 - Page 6

finewine Gruene Hall and KNBT-FM Radio New Braunfels are hosting the 21st Annual Gruene Music and Wine Fest Friday to Sunday in the Gruene Historic District. Proceeds will benefit The United Way of Comal County. Saturday afternoon will include tasting more than 30 Texas wineries’ products.

For more information, visit www.gruenemusicandwinefest.org.

Trends Contact — Clara Cobb, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Local wineries bloom across Texas Three in The Nines New John August film displays unorthodox writing, acting

By Todd Schaaf Senior Features Reporter Every so often a movie comes along that touches the hearts of an entire generation with a feel-good, coming-of-age story or whimsical fairy tale romance.

The Nines is not this movie.

Ryan Reynolds stars in The Nines, an intense yet quirky, psychological thriller.

The movie is divided into three segments, each segment featuring different characters played by the same actors. The lives of all the characters seem to tie into one another.

Reynolds plays three distinct characters: a Hollywood bad boy, an aspiring TV writer and an established video-game creator. Each of these characters finds out their whole world is not what they think it is.

John August who directed the movie is best known as a film writer. He has written such movies as Go, Big Fish and Corpse Bride. He said the movie marks his directorial debut.

“I had written a lot of movies for other directors, and this is a movie I did for myself,” August said. “I hoped to exercise the demons, and it all hinged upon one actor being willing to play all three different roles.”

August said he was anticipating an arduous search for an actor willing and capable to play three unique characters. He showed the script to Reynolds.

“I read it and I fell in love with it, it was a very unorthodox script and project and something you don’t see everyday,” Reynolds said. “I thought this was only the beginning of a very long fight to get this part.

As it turns out, the next day he offered me the role and I was completely overjoyed.”

A recurring theme of the movie is

wondering when to let go, a question August asked himself in reference to dozens of characters and story ideas running through his head.

“Usually as a writer there are 50 different things that are fighting for attention in your head,” August said. “At what point are you allowed to walk away from the things you’ve done? And all the three stories in The Nines really were that question, at what point in your life to sort of step back and say good-bye to the things you’ve created.”

One of Reynolds’ characters was written autobiographically. Reynolds said the anticipation of playing this role in front of August was similar to the anticipation of death.

“I was so intimidated by playing this person in front of him,” Reynolds said. “And he’s portraying aspects of himself that are not necessarily the most flattering. It’s difficult because then he yells ‘cut’ and I’m really just expecting someone to stab me in the face with a hammer.”

August said as a writer, he usually has a desired feeling in mind for the audience.

As a director, it was no different.

“To me its like when you fall asleep in the afternoon and you wake up and its after night and its dark outside, and you have no idea where or when you are,” August said. “That was the feeling I kind of wanted to go for, and I’m happy with that aspect of the movie.”

Reynolds said it was refreshing to work on a smaller, non-studio film.

“Studio movies have a real sort of concrete expectation, and there is a real investment in it, and people have to leave the theater grinning,” Reynolds said. “A movie like this doesn’t have to follow that — it can be kind of divisive and it can polarize an audience.”

Spencer Millsap/ Star photo WINE KICK OFF: Brandon Rhyder plays a live acoustic set to start off the Texas Hill Country Wine Festival Sunday CJ Kelly/Star photo in New Braunfels.

By Ashley Gwilliam Senior Features Reporter Even Texans know their boundaries.

The phrase “Texas-produced wine” sounds as strange as “French-produced beer.” Or does it?

Texas Wine Month This October, Texas winemakers are challenging the public to recognize the industry as yet another boast-worthy Lone Star treasure by participating in the festivities and educational opportunities in celebration of the ninth annual Texas Wine Month.

Texas Hill Country Wineries are offering $30 Wine Month Passports, allowing individuals to sample various types of wines at 21 Hill Country wineries at their leisure throughout the month.

“The reason why it is such an exciting time is because we have wineries

of all growth areas and status symbols,” said Katy Jane Bothum, executive director of Texas Hill Country Wineries.

“Each winery has something different as far as events.”

Dacota Julson, executive director of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, said Texas wineries allow amateurs to learn in a non-threatening and fun environment.

“Because we are a state that’s transitioning from a beer-drinking state to a wine-making state, you will find Texas winemakers are the best people for you to be talking to,” Julson said. “They have the most vested interest in you learning about wine. I don’t ever get the complaint, ‘I went to a winery and I ran into a wine snob.’ In Texas that doesn’t happen.”

With several varieties of reds and whites, made out of European and non-European grapes, Texas enthusiasts insist there is a wine to satisfy every palate.

A Growing Economic Force Within the past thirty years, the Texas wine industry has grown from a virtually non-existent economic force to a $1 billion industry that supports about 8,000 jobs. According to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, Texas has 138 commercial wineries and 3,700 acres of family-owned vineyard land.

Tim Dodd, Texas Tech University wine-marketing researcher, said there are many different facets of the industry that contribute to Texas’ economy.

“From the agricultural and winery distribution components to the retail sector, it has a wide reach through the economic system,” Dodd said. “That’s what makes it a significant contributor, even though it is still relatively small in Texas.”

According to a 2007 Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association report, Texas is America’s fifth largest grape- and See WINE, page 8

TRENDS

Thursday, October 4, 2007

The University Star - Page 7

Scare up a good time in Austin with haunted horticulture

By Charlotte Almazan Senior Features Reporter Editor’s note: This story is the first in a series about local haunted houses.

During the year, the Great Outdoors is known as a garden center.

But during the month of October, the nursery transforms into an Austin haunted tradition.

The nursery’s annual haunted house, known as Gruesome Gardens, is now open.

“What makes a haunted house successful is not to rely on blood and guts, but the psychology of fear,” said Tom Tinguely, president and founder of the Great Outdoors. “We are hoping to get past your logic using the senses to make it more real and intense.”

Cotton Miller/Star photo

In the event’s first expansion, the event creators have converted a conventional haunted house into an inventive thrill experience.

“This year, we have changed it up from top to bottom because we didn’t want to do the same thing again,” Tinguely said. “It will still be old-fashioned, but we’ve added new technology.”

Using a 2,600 square-foot area with sound and sensory equipment, the nursery divides the event into three inventive scenes: Gruesome Gardens, Freak and Fun House and Wicked Sensations.

“The second event is about strange creatures and the third one is all about the senses,” Tinguely said. “We attack the sense of smell, because it effects your emotions rather than your logic.”

He said the Gruesome Garden crew has concentrated on not wasting space and not delivering the expected tricks.

“One of our attractions is the hall of whisperers where we’ve purchased special surround audio,” Tinguely said. “It will be hard to follow the sounds. You will have to rely on your other senses to get out.”

Tickets are $9 for Gruesome Gardens and the Freak and Fun House.

Tickets are $3 for the Wicked Sensations.

“We do as much as we can with the space, so it will give you more bang for your buck,” he said.

To build up anticipation for the events, the garden center creates stories for the audience to follow from the center’s Web site to the garden scene.

“During the week, we will post a video of a mock interview, and there will be a (Web log) posted with a lot of information to follow along,” Tinguely said.

The event is designed for high school and adult audiences and is not recommended for children under 12 because of the intensity of the scenes and sounds.

“The intended audience is young adults. We don’t want to traumatize children with the shock and surprise,” he said. “We’ve been working on this since July, and the construction started the first of September. Some of the things are pre-made, but much of it we are making ourselves.”

To involve the community, Great Outdoors has designated weekends where charities such as the Human Rights Campaign and the Town Lake Foundation can promote various cause, said Amber

Cotton Miller/Star photo FREAKY FOLIAGE: The Gruesome Gardens Haunted House hosted by The Great Outdoors Garden Center on South Congress in Austin provides scares for all the senses including skeletons (above) and ghouls (left). The attraction will be open each weekend in October and the week leading up to Halloween.

Tronco, the administrative assistant for the Great Outdoors.

“Portions of the proceeds will go to charity. We have certain nights that will be in support of a particular organization,” she said. “We encourage charities to get involved.”

All the employees of the Great Outdoor participate in the annual event. This year, they said they are especially thrilled to see Tinguely’s ideas come to life.

“There will be things that come out and touch you, and then you will smell different smells as you are walking along,” Tronco said. “We have never done anything of this magnitude. It’s quite interesting to see how it will turn out.”

Support breast cancer Camping for the Cause begins Friday awareness, buy T-shirts

By Hayley Kappes Assistant Trends Editor

By Jamie Kilpatrick Senior Features Reporter The University Bookstore is assisting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation this month and students can help, too.

Throughout October, the bookstore will sell special pink ribbon Texas State T-shirts for $9.99, and $5 from every shirt will be donated to the Austin affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.

This promotion is in recognition of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Lauren Williams, general merchandise manager at the University Bookstore, said this is the first year they have had a promotion of this kind.

She created the idea with Mary Cavanagh, director of education and outreach for the Austin affiliate of the Komen foundation.

Williams said this foundation is important to her as her mother is a breast cancer survivor, and the money given to the Austin affiliate will stay in Central Texas.

Even though the bookstore did not publicize the promotion, there is already a buzz around campus, she said.

“We have gotten several phone calls already asking about the shirts,” Williams said.

The popularity of the promotion is due in part to an event posting on the social networking Web site Facebook created by Kelsey Horn, mathematics sophomore and bookstore employee.

“I have a lot of friends that are always trying to help out with the organization, so that’s why I created the event,” Horn said in an email.

Becky Eisenhut, apparel buyer for the University Bookstore, said the T-shirt sale was Williams’ idea, and she is very pleased

with this promotion.

Eisenhut said the bookstore ordered 288 shirts.

The shirts will be available at the bookstore beginning Oct. 9, while supplies last.

Williams said the bookstore would offer rain checks for the shirts if needed.

She said she expects the shirts to sell out quickly because the price is so reasonable.

If the shirts do run out, Williams said the bookstore would order more.

The T-shirts are charcoal gray with Texas State lettering in pink on the front and a pink ribbon on the sleeve.

Williams said the bookstore might continue the promotion next year depending on this year’s sales.

She said there are plans to possibly work with the Texas State volleyball team for a “Beat the Hell out of Cancer” promotion in the future.

Tamara Barton, psychology senior, said she believes the promotion is a wonderful idea. She plans to buy at least one shirt.

“Some students don’t know how to donate (to the Komen foundation), and this is a good way for students to give money and get something they want,” Barton said.

According to its Web site, the Austin affiliate of the Komen foundation uses donations for breast cancer education and screening programs in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.

Komen Austin will be celebrating its 10year anniversary.

Breast cancer is cooking up some activism.

This weekend, the Pecan Park Campground will host Camping for the Cause, a cook-off benefiting the non-profit breast cancer organization Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing, or W.I.N.G.S. David Rowley, owner of the campground, said this is the first time Pecan Park has sponsored an event like this. He felt it was necessary because breast cancer has hit close to home.

“My wife and I both have family members who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. My 41-year-old sister was diagnosed last August and my grandmother was diagnosed last September,” Rowley said. “We’re doing it because breast cancer has touched our family in a very personal fashion.”

He said his sister is still undergoing chemotherapy for her cancer, but his grandmother is now in remission.

Rowley said he hopes Camping for the Cause will become an annual event.

“We would love to see this grow and become something that, as a community, we can all come together for a great cause and enjoy it,” he said.

“It’s really amazing when you get d ow n to it and think about how many people are affected by this.”

Anyone is welcome to enter a team for the cook-off, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday. The judging will be Saturday morning in categories of best brisket, pork ribs and beans.

The cook-off will feature live music, recreational activities, informational booths, a live auction and a bake sale.

One of the bands playing at the cook-off is the Spitunes, which is partly comprised of Texas State

students. Drummer Javier Aguilar said the band members immediately agreed to play at Camping for the Cause once they learned what the cause was for.

“We are really excited and honored that the folks that are putting together the event would even consider us to play for such a great cause,” he said. “It means a lot to the band and to me especially because I lost my godmother to breast cancer so it really hits home. We look forward to playing for such a great cause.”

The non-profit organization is based in San Antonio and pays for the medical expenses of women undergoing breast cancer treatment who are uninsured or cannot afford to pay for the treatment.

Terri Jones, vice president and executive director, battled breast cancer and has been in remission for the past 14 years.

“I became involved with W.I.N.G.S. when I discovered that one third of all Texans are uninsured,” Jones said. “I’ve had breast cancer and I thought what would happen to people if they didn’t have insurance. The answer is simple: They die. That is unacceptable because breast cancer is not necessarily a fatal illness.”

She said the organization has never turned away woman who qualified for its services. Some of the qualifications that must be met include not having insurance, supporting a family or being underinsured.

“We have a network of over 200 doctors and 378 women are currently enrolled in our treatment program,” she said.

Jones said a lack of people with health insurance is one of the biggest problems in the U.S. and the situation is only getting worse.

“If we’re the richest, brightest, most technologically advanced country in world, why are so many people dying because they don’t have health insurance?” she said.

In the future, Rowley said he would like to possibly combine Camping for the Cause with a men’s health issue, such as prostate or testicular cancer.

“God has given me the gift and the ability to do something like this, so why not do it,” he said. “If you’ve got the ways and the means to do it, then do it. That’s why we’re doing this event. I know it means a lot to our family.”

The University Star - Page 8

TRENDS

Thursday, October 4, 2007

WINE: Match made in 17th century CONTINUED from page 6

wine-producing state and the fourth largest consumer.

Julson said the statistic is somewhat misleading, considering Texas is number 37 of 50 states in percapita consumption.

“For Texas winemakers, this means that there are a lot of opportunities for people to learn more about wine and become wine drinkers,” she said.

Dodd said any new wine region faces the challenge of developing the cognitive association between it and its product.

“I think wine is very much associated with France, Italy, California, Australia, New Zealand and other places not necessarily associated with Texas because in recent years there hasn’t been a lot of wine produced in Texas,” he said. “If you think back to the ’60s and ’70s, when the Japanese started making vehicles, people were very skeptical of them, and the match didn’t really seem right. I think this is probably something similar, in that there’s not that initial association.”

Dodd said as people begin to see more Texas wines on the grocery shelves, the association will become stronger.

The History of Texas Winemaking

otos Star ph

— Sp

illsap/ encer M

Despite the sudden interest in Texas growing, Texas’ viticulture history spans three centuries, predating the introduction of wine grapes to California by nearly a century. According to the Texas Winegrape Network, Spanish missionaries began crafting wine near present-day El Paso in 1682.

Although viticulture was foreign to the agricultural experience of most Anglo-American settlers during the 1800s, the influx of European immigrants from wine-producing countries brought a new interest in grape culture and winemaking.

Many immigrants planted quality vinifera vines from Europe, which in most cases soon failed.

The industry’s future looked bleak, until the late 1800s, when breeder Thomas V. Munson developed more than 300 varieties of grapes better suited to the arid environment of Texas and the Midwest.

Today winemakers regard Munson as the father of Texas viticulture, according to the network.

Despite the developments, the industry didn’t become a serious economic force until the early 1970s, when researchers and investors championed Texas’ ideal climate and soil conditions for wine-grape growing.

Dodd said grapes don’t need rich organic types of soil to thrive.

“One of the things that grapes like is good drainage,” Dodd said. “A lot of the times having rocky or sandy soil is actually a good thing for grapes, and there is plenty of sandy soil up here in West Texas.

In a lot of the Hill Country there are plenty of rocky soils.”

According to the network, Texas vineyard acreage expanded rapidly from fewer than 90 acres in 1970 to more than 3,000 in 1982.

Today there are as many different types of Texas wineries as there are varieties of wine.

“There aren’t two wineries that you will find that are alike,” Dodd said. “They all have very different goals, strategies, cups of wine and ownership structures. Some of them focus mainly on distribution to retail outlets, and a lot of the smaller ones focus on the tourism component.”

TRENDS/DIVERSION

Thursday, October 4, 2007

The University Star - Page 9

Responsibilities wreak havoc on enjoyable activities Video game media Wii. At least he gets to often brings up the enjoy it. concept of PC versus The worst part is I console gaming, and don’t know if this is whether or not one will because I have lost dominate and which touch with a culture medium is winning at I grew up with or if any certain point.

I am becoming esBILL RIX I’ve always wondered tranged with technolTrends Columnist about this seemingly ogy in general. The false dilemma. I doubt last technology conthis is a real issue gamers face ference I attended left me with — does anyone care, really? It’s an an ill sense of wonder: I stopped interesting notion to be sure, but connecting with the culture. I the validity in the bearing journalno longer understood the peoists and Web loggers treat the ple or their reasons for being issue, at least as it appears to me, so zealous. Pixels and programover the top. ming no longer intrigue me.

I stopped being a PC gamer Case in point: Star photo edilong ago, which is unfortunate tor Monty Marion recently purconsidering my favorite games chased an iPod touch. I listened were computer-only affairs. I to some Dr. Dre outside during simply ran out of money to keep a smoke break — it’s nice, as far up with hardware and the neces- as mp3 players go, but I had no sary time to keep up with the problem giving it up. bleeding edge became invested This is a bit of a predicament for in other interests. a writer getting paid to say what I face a new impasse now: Mulhe thinks about this or that game tiple job roles, constant extra-city and technology advancement. travel, attending what class I can ...

A part of my passion died the I haven’t spoken to my roommate last time I slammed a slug down in weeks, much less turned on my an arcade cabinet — knowing

this is the end of an era for myself. No more sticky arcade buttons, no more high-score tables to conquer and re-top whenever the power is reset.

Part of the hurt is knowing this problem is all so petty. It’s just circuits, that’s all it ever was.

Would I feel the same if my life was structured around sports or science? Part of choosing a certain path is not knowing others … and I’m sorry I could not travel more than this one.

Years tucked away with controllers, cartridges, discs, memory cards, motherboards and hard drives have certainly cast me in a peculiar die. No longer “getting” the scene makes it hard for one to stay up-to-date on issues and news and it makes it night impossible to connect with friends and insiders once considered close and invaluable.

What I assumed to be the better claim has left me in a tough spot of indifference toward a path that has brought me to a halt after years of enjoyment.

Has it made all the difference? Doubtful.

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

10/3 Solutions:

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Thursday, October 4, 2007 - Page 10 E-mail Classifieds at starclassifieds@txstate.edu

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SPORTS

Thursday, October 4, 2007

The University Star - Page 11

’Cats’ conference play starts with goal

By Carl Harper Senior Sports Reporter Bobcat soccer heads into conference play this weekend after a twoweek hiatus, and looks to build off the momentum of their last win.

Despite a 1-8 start to the campaign, the Bobcat soccer team hopes to turn its season around by starting Southland Conference play this weekend against Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State.

Texas State picked up their

first win of the season on Sept.

23, when they hosted Houston. In their best performance of the season, the Bobcats scored four goals and gained their first shutout of the season, and they look to carry the momentum over to conference play.

They begin their journey 4 p.m.

Friday against the Lions of Southeastern Louisiana, prior to battling the Colonels of Nicholls State 1 p.m. Sunday.

“Southeastern is coming off some good wins, while Nicholls is

struggling a little bit like us,” said Coach Kat Conner. “Both teams have not played the caliber teams that we’ve played, so I’m hoping that the pace we have learned can help us take that into our conference.”

“Pace” is what Conner has been stressing her team maintain during the two-week layoff.

“The hard part is that we did have a weekend off, which is what we needed (to rest up), but it’s hard to get refocused,” she said.

“We (coaches) have been telling

Men’s, women’s golf face challenges, look forward

By Scott Strickman and César G. Rodriguez The University Star Both the men and women’s golf teams came away disappointed, one because the elements rained on their parade, the other because a nightmare ruined their dreams.

The women finished in third place at the rain-shortened Marilyn Smith Sunflower Classic, but Coach Mike Akers said they were looking for more than just a respectable finish.

“We were very disappointed the final round was cancelled,” Akers said. “The team was in great spirits and we felt confident we would pass Kansas and win.

A top-three finish is respectable out of 12 teams, four of which are from the Big 12, but we feel like we are a Top 25 squad.”

Akers and the team knew the weather looked grim in advance of Tuesday’s action, but blamed their slow start as the ultimate source of their dissapointment.

“We talked before the round on Monday and discussed playing the event as a one-day tournament. We looked at the forecast and realized Tuesday wasn’t promising,” Akers said. “We putted very poorly. The team had over 20 three-putts and we only lost by five shots.”

Freshman Linn Gustafsson, the team’s top finisher in fourth place, said the inconsistent play on the greens cost the Bobcats.

“The greens are one thing that I felt that we as a team needed to work on more,” Gustafsson said. “(I) had a total of five three-putts, and my teammates also felt that they lost a lot of shots on the greens. We only lost by five shots, so everyone is frustrated that we lost our shots on the green.”

Gustafsson believes the hardships the women faced on the course will serve to improve the team.

“This tournament was a good experience that will prepare me and the team for future challenges,” she said.

As Akers reflects upon from where his squad has come, and where they want to go, he believes they are headed in the right direction.

“This team is so fun to coach.

They want to improve, they want to win and enjoy representing Texas State,” Akers said. “We have improved over 100 spots in the national rankings since last spring. Our major goal is to qualify for the national championships next spring. I feel that we are moving toward that goal.”

For the men, the Texas-Arlington Fall Classic felt like a bad dream early on.

“We got off to a poor start in the first round,” said Coach Shane Howell. “It was kind of a nightmare because all five guys were struggling. They never got on track in the first round and it put us too far behind to catch up.”

The team was able to regroup and posted one of the better performances of the tournament in the final round.

“We played the way we are capable in the third round,” Howell said. “We tied for low round of the day at 294 and the golf course played much tougher (in the final round) due to the winds.

I was really proud of the way they fought back today.”

Freshman Michael Carnes finished 42nd and his progressive maturation left an impression on Howell.

“Michael played great all tournament, even in his (opening) round of 82,” Howell said.

“I think his golf game matured a little at the tournament this week and I look for big things from him going forward.”

The women will return to the greens when they travel to New Mexico State for the Price’s Give ‘Em Five Intercollegiate Oct. 15 to 17.

“We will face a very difficult field in New Mexico,” Akers said.

“I know the team will work very hard over the next 12 days. We do know we can tee it up with the best.”

The men return in nearly a month, taking part in the Roadrunner Intercollegiate Oct. 28 to 29 in Kerrville.

“We are obviously disappointed in this result, but we are going to learn from our mistakes and get back to practice to correct them,” Howell said.

the girls in practice to bring the pace back and regain the focus as soon as the whistle blows, instead of waiting a couple of minutes into the game to bring it back.”

Conner said the weekend games could be tough simply because they play the stronger of the two teams first. The Lions are 5-2-2, coming off a 1-0 loss to Southern Mississippi. They have played well at home with a 4-0-2 record and look to extend their winning ways.

Sophomore Dana Mayer leads the team in goals with five and has taken 19 shots, while junior Kristin McDonald leads the team with 28 shots and has scored four goals. Seniors Danielle Shank and Lindsey Dyck led the team with dominant numbers last season but have only combined for two goals and 41 shots this season. The Lions have outshot and outscored their opponents 137-63 and 16-7, respectively.

The Colonels are having a season similar to the Bobcats, with a 1-9-1 record. They have been outscored 32-10 and their only win was against Southern University, 1-0. Freshman Kaity Mattsson

Jon Clark/Star photo FIGHTING FORWARD: Senior forward Angela Crissy moves the ball upfield during the Bobcats’ 4-0 victory Sept. 23 over Houston.

leads the team with three goals, six points and 20 shots, with 13 of those shots coming on goal. Sophomore Jessica Bedford stands behind her with two goals and five points in just five shots.

Out of the 10 teams in the SLC, Texas State ranks ninth in both shots and goals with 79 and 7, respectively. They will look to add a win to their road record — which sits at 0-5 — behind the legs of

sophomore midfielder Andrea Seledee, who leads the team with two goals and five points. Senior forward Jerelyn Lemmie has two goals and four points. Freshman forward Britney Curry leads the squad with 15 shots but has tallied only one goal.

“We are working on being ready, getting focused and being mentally sharp for these games,” Conner said.

SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

fallball Texas State softball will play in a round-robin tournament Saturday hosted by Texas-San Antonio. This is the second time the team has seen action during the offseason, as they hosted a round-robin Saturday. The team’s fall schedule only consists of four events, with the next two coming on Oct. 13 and 14 in Houston, and Oct. 18 at Temple Junior College.

Thursday, October 4, 2007 - Page 12

Sports Contact — Scott Strickman, starsports@txstate.edu

Football faces conference favorite McNeese

By Scott Strickman Sports Editor

The Bobcats will square off with their second ranked opponent of the season this Saturday when the undefeated Cowboys of McNeese State, the No. 6 team in The Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision Poll, come to town.

The game marks the opening of Southland Conference play, and Texas State (1-3) has its hands full with the SLC preseason favorite, after a two-week layoff.

“That week off always helps — you can recover, recuperate and get an extra week to focus in. I think mentally and physically it helped us a lot,” said sophomore quarterback Bradley George. “We’ve been working on (McNeese) for a week and a half now, getting prepared for them because they’re (No. 6) in the country, so we’re going to need it.”

Coach Brad Wright said the bye week was an asset for the team because they were able to ensure the return of some players for SLC play and tweak personnel schemes as well.

“The timing was good. We got a couple of guys back, including our fullback (Third-Team All-America Blake Burton, junior),” Wright said. “That was big for us. (The bye week) gave some of the guys who got nicked up time to get healed a little bit.

“It allowed us to tinker with the lineups a little bit, especially on defense. We’ve got some new faces in starting positions.”

The Bobcats used the break to extensively prepare for McNeese State, but Wright acknowledged there’s no way to simulate the entourage the Cowboys will bring to San Marcos.

“As many guys as they have that can run, there’s no scout team in America that can give you that look,” he said. “Everybody in the country has the same problem. It’s just the nature of the beast.”

Bryan Smith, senior Cowboys defensive end and the 2006 SLC Defensive Player of the Year, is tied for first in Division I FCS with 7.5 sacks and has recorded a sack in six straight games dating back to last season, when he led the nation.

“He’s having a great season. I mean, seven and a half sacks; I don’t even have any,” Texas State senior defensive end Nate Langford said of Smith. “He deserves everything that he gets.”

Wright said the ’Cats will need to find a way to deter Smith, a Preseason First Team All-America selection, but the focus remains on the entire McNeese

State defensive unit. The Cowboys’ defense ranks fifth nationally in sacks, tackles for loss and turnover margin, and eighth in scoring defense.

“Obviously we’re going to try to block the heck out of (Smith), and give some help when we can,” Wright said. “But they’ve got 10 other guys on the (field), and that’s the great thing about McNeese. If you concentrate on stopping one of them, they’ve got 10 more that can do it for them.”

McNeese State is one of the more storied programs in the Southland, capturing 11 conference titles and making 12 Division I FCS Playoff appearances. Coach Matt Viator, who came on midseason last year, sports a 10-2 overall record, 4-0 this season, with the lone SLC blemish on his résumé coming in the Cowboys 27-17 loss to Texas State in 2006.

Wright hopes the ’Cats can reach the level McNeese State has been performing at for years.

“They play hard. That’s where we are working towards right now, and that’s what McNeese does,” Wright said. “That’s why they’re (No. 6) in the nation and picked to win our conference.

Langford said this week’s game against one of the nation’s best could potentially alter the landscape of the Bobcats’ season.

“This is a big game for us. We could really get things turned around,” Langford said. “It’s kind of like a fork in the road type (of) game. If we win this game, we’re going to have a big stride going into the rest of the season.”

McNeese State leads the all-time series with Texas State 17-7, but the ’Cats have won the last three contests, something Langford said the team can rally Chris Vidrine/Star file photo around.

OVERWHELMED: Texas State’s defense runs Billy Malone, Abilene Christian quarterback, out of “We’ve beat them three years in a row, so I feel bounds in the Sept. 9 game. The Bobcats play McNeese State 6 p.m. Saturday at Bobcat Stadium. they’ve got to come in here and beat us,” he said.

McNeese State lost starting tailback Jamie Leonard for the season last week after he sustained a broken ankle. The senior was second in the SLC with 296 yards rushing before his injury.

Quarterback Derrick Fourroux leads the Cowboys’ offense, which has outscored opponents by an average of more than 22 points per game this season.

Steven Whitehead, 2006 SLC Player of the Year, is expected to return this week after a two-game absence.

“We’ve just got to play to our ability. We haven’t done that yet this year,” Langford said. “Everybody’s play gets elevated in conference. We’re going to be ready to play come Saturday.”

Volleyball team wins ‘Kat’ fight rivalry

By Alan Wiederhold Sports Reporter

The Texas State Bobcats returned to their winning ways after sweeping the Sam Houston State Bearkats (30-17, 30-16, 30-25) Wednesday at Strahan Coliseum.

The Bobcats (10-6, 3-1 Southland Conference) picked up their seventh victory in eight matches after seeing their six-match winning streak snapped

by Texas-Arlington Saturday.

“I am pretty resilient, and I normally get over losses quickly, but I had hard time Sunday and even coming in Monday because of that loss,” said Coach Karen Chisum. “I made a big sign and put it on every single locker, including my office and my assistants’ office, not to let one loss turn into two. We had to get past that hurtful UTA loss, and I think we did that.”

The Bobcats showed no ill effects from the UTA loss, as they dominated Sam Houston State throughout the match, particularly in the first couple of games. The win and the subsequent confidence boost couldn’t have come at a better time, as the team prepares for preseason conference favorite Stephen F. Austin Saturday.

“This was a big game,” said junior outside hitter Lawrencia Brown. “We wanted to come out even stronger … and forget about that game on Saturday.”

Austin Byrd/Star photo The Bobcats did just that. Brown turned in a SHUTOUT: Junior outside hitter Lawrencia Brown spikes the ball against Sam Houston State block- game-high 15 kills and posted a .342 hitting perers during the Bobcats’ 3-0 win at Strahan Coliseum Wednesday night. centage to lead the ’Cats. She recorded eight digs.

“Our outside hitters did a great job,” Chisum said. “I’m extremely proud of Lawrencia. The kid came out with a totally new focus and attitude, so I can’t say enough about her play tonight.”

Fellow outside hitter Jessica Weynand, sophomore, came up big, recording her fourth doubledouble in five matches. Weynand dug out 20 Bearkat attacks, totaled 11 kills in the match and was very effective on the back row. “She (did) a great job playing that middle back position,” Chisum said.

Junior middle blocker Emily Jones knocked down eight kills and posted only one error en route to a .417 hitting percentage. Jones recorded six kills against UTA, but the Mavericks noticeably altered the Bobcats’ middle attack last week.

“It felt so much better to get back out here and win again,” Jones said. “After UTA, it took us a while to (regroup), but once we got out here to practice, we forgot about it completely and I feel like (the loss) never happened. I think that was good for us.”

Freshman hitter Melinda Cave added five kills and right side hitter A.J. Watlington, freshman, tallied three kills. At the setter position, freshman Shelbi Irvin handed out 21 assists and recorded eight digs, and sophomore Brittany Collins added 17 assists and seven digs. Sophomore libero Kacey Wimpy dug out 13 attacks.

The Bobcats return to action Saturday when they host SLC West leader Stephen F. Austin at Strahan Coliseum. The Ladyjacks (14-5, 4-0) have won 55 consecutive regular season SLC matches dating back to 2004.

Soccer more than sport for three Bobcat athletes

By Javier González Sports Reporter The team’s record reads 1-8, but for three Bobcat soccer players there is more to the game than merely wins and losses.

For senior forward Angela Crissy, junior forward Rikki Padia and junior midfielder Reagan McNutt, soccer is a way of life.

“I’ve been playing since I was four, almost five, in softball, basketball and soccer,” Crissy said.

“Through high school, I stuck mainly with soccer and played with the Classics, my San Antonio Club. I called (Coach) Kat (Conner) the day before the first

day of practice and just walked on (to the team). (Even) though I barely failed my first fitness test, I impressed (Conner) during scrimmage and she added me at the end.”

Crissy, who was offered a scholarship by North Texas, chose Texas State without the promise of making the team.

She keeps that constant reminder with her every day.

“That’s where my No. 29 comes from,” she said. “I was last to be added to the squad and it was the last number available. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done so far.”

Crissy said she is proud to

have parents that are very supportive, though she was the one to blaze her own trail.

“My parents never really forced me into anything,” Crissy said. “I chose (soccer) and had a lot of determination. I just didn’t want to be average.”

Padia has a similar storyline.

She could have followed in her father’s footsteps by accepting a scholarship at Texas-El Paso, but instead turned it down because of the allure San Marcos presented.

“My father got a scholarship to UTEP for football,” Padia said. “I was offered a full scholarship to UTEP, but the school,

overall, drew me in here. The (Southland) Conference allowed for travel through the Houston area and it’s a laid back atmosphere here. When you get here, you feel like you’re a part of it.”

Padia said her on-field game has become better since joining the Texas State soccer team, and Conner agreed.

“I’m able to read the game better than most,” Padia said.

“My ability to spread the field is better and I try to be smarter now. I never try to let my aggression down.”

“She is technically very talented and this year she is definitely

a leader by example,” Conner said.

McNutt and Padia have a long history together starting in their hometown Kingwood, as their playing careers have paralleled for about 10 years.

“I’ve been playing since I was four,” McNutt said. “(Padia) and I have been playing together since we were about 12 on the same teams. I played for the Texas Waves out of Houston and we are now roommates.”

McNutt agreed all those years playing together with Padia have been mutually beneficial.

“We play well with each other,” McNutt said. “We came in

knowing each other’s style. I know where she’s going to be on her runs and for passes. Not many people have known each other since they were 12.”

McNutt was offered scholarships to several schools, but, like Crissy and Padia, chose Texas State in the end.

“I was offered scholarships to the University of Houston, Georgia Southern, Alabama– Birmingham and UTEP,” McNutt said. “It wasn’t really coincidence for Padia and I to not go to UTEP. It was our own individual decisions to come here because we both wanted to be close to home.”