10 04 2012

Page 1

VOLUME 102, ISSUE 19

www.UniversityStar.com

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

THURSDAY

OCTOBER 4, 2012

GO NE ONLI NOW

“A Very Potter Musical”

“A Very Potter Musical” is a student-run theatre production based on the Harry Potter series coming to Texas State. To learn more, visit UniversityStar.com.

Newcomer challenges state representative

University : Bookstore

$5.99 (24 pack)

Walmart:

$4.47 (36 pack)

University Bookstore :

$2.79

Walmart:

$1.17

University Bookstore:

John Casares, Staff Photographer

$2.99

Democrat John Adams, a six-year trustee for the Dripping Springs I.S.D. Board of Trustees, is running against Jason Isaac for District 45 State Representative.

Walmart:

$0.74

By Adrian Omar Ramirez News Reporter Two Dripping Springs residents will face off in the District 45 State Representative race. Democrat John Adams, a trustee for Dripping Springs I.S.D., is challenging incumbent Republican Jason Isaac to represent Hays and Blanco counties in the state legislature. According to his website, Adams is running because politicians in Austin have broken their promises to Texas and are allowing the schools and state to fall behind. The four main issues Adams hopes to tackle are education, economy, environment and women’s health. Adams said he has seen the Texas Legislature “abdicate” its responsibility for providing funding for public schools. This is the first thing Adams would change upon defeating Isaac, he said. “I simply got upset with (Isaac’s) actions, voting to cut $5.5 billion out of public education,” Adams said. “(Texas) already ranks near the bottom for dollars spent per people, and his efforts reduce that even further. I decided I’m not going to take that anymore.” As of press time, attempts to interview Isaac were unsuccessful. Alexis Morris, studio art senior and Col-

READ JOHN ADAMS, PAGE 2

University Bookstore:

$2.79

Walmart:

$1.24

University Bookstore:

$5.99

CONVENIENCE COSTS School supplies more expensive at bookstore

By Gregory Tate News Reporter Students may sacrifice affordability for convenience when they purchase some items at the University Bookstore. Some basic school supplies are more expensive at the University Bookstore, which manager Jacqueline Slaughter said is necessary because the store can’t purchase products in bulk. Corporations have larger clienteles, which is why they can afford to buy mass quantities of products to sell at lower prices. For example, a four-ounce bottle of Elmer’s glue costs $.74 at Walmart and $2.99 at the University Bookstore. A pack of 36 Crayola brand colored pencils can be purchased at Walmart for $4.47, while the University Bookstore charges $5.99 for a 24 pack. A pack of 12 erasable Crayola colored pencils costs $3.47 at Walmart, while the bookstore charges $5.99. A 24 pack of Crayola crayons costs $1.17 at Walmart and $2.79 at the bookstore. A pack of Dixon pencils costs $1.24 at Walmart and $2.79 at the bookstore. Slaughter said though items are often priced as much as 30 percent higher at the University Bookstore than at businesses like Walmart, students are willing to pay the cost for convenience. The University Bookstore is not part of a chain, and its products are bought individually, Slaughter said. Because the bookstore is not buying and selling in bulk, prices must be marked up for the shop to make money. She

said issues with stealing have also led to raised prices. Slaughter said she feels the store’s prices are “pretty good,” and doesn’t feel the products are overly expensive. “A lot of times, the products that we sell are a better quality or a bigger amount than what (students) are getting at Walmart,” Slaughter said. Steven Diaz, biology freshman and art minor, said he feels prices at the University Bookstore are too high for students, especially ones seeking art supplies. Diaz said he feels the convenience of shopping at the bookstore is not worth the price. “If I buy art supplies from the bookstore, it’s about $400,” Diaz said. “If I buy them from Hobby Lobby, it’s around $300. I’m broke.” Slaughter said the University Bookstore makes a 25-percent profit from its sales. Any revenue left over at the end of the year goes back to the university. Almost 50 students and 22 fulltime bookstore employees have to be paid, which Slaughter said also contributes to high prices. These prices are necessary in order to pay these expenses, she said. Rhevan Rhodes, exercise and sport science junior, said while the bookstore is convenient, prices are too high. “If I needed (something) last minute, to be honest, I still wouldn’t shop there,” Rhodes said. “I’d probably just take some tape from a teacher or something. We’re college students. I wouldn’t spend $2.99 on some glue.”

If I needed (something) last minute, to be honest, I still wouldn’t shop there.”

Walmart:

$3.47

—Rhevan Rhodes, exercise and sport science junior Austin Beavers, Staff Photographer

RampCorp program aids local entrepreneur By Nicole Barrios News Reporter Monica De La Rosa is turning her frustrations in making her home environmentally friendly into a business that will teach others how to be energy efficient. De La Rosa, Texas State alumna and San Marcos resident, utilized the university’s RampCorp program, which helps women entrepreneurs launch their own businesses. The Texas State RampCorp program began in 2010 and has helped more than 30 companies launch successful startups, said Terry Chase Hazell, director of RampCorp. The program recruits women who want to start their first scalable businesses. Hazell said scalable businesses look to have a national or international market focus, are typically companies based on intellectual property and are usually technologyenabled in some way. Bill Covington, associate vice president of Research and Federal Relations, said his of-

fice and the provost’s helped provide funds for the RampCorp program. He said the funding comes out of the university budget. The university has spent between $40,000 and $50,000 in support of RampCorp, he said. Hazell said the program consists of 25 informative sessions. According to the RampCorp website, women are taught “The Ramps” curriculum during these sessions. The Ramps curriculum includes 16 topics of training for women entrepreneurs. There are eight knowledge topics, or Ramps, covering the typical entrepreneurship training elements that make the core of a business plan. The eight topics are skill Ramps for women entrepreneurs. Participants are deemed members and allowed to participate in the incubation program at much reduced rates after successfully completing the 16 Ramps, according to the website. The program fee for women who attend the RampCorp program is $1,500 for firsttime attendees and $600 for returning entre-

San Marcos City Council adopts multi-million-dollar budget By Andrew Osegi News Reporter The San Marcos City Council adopted a $160.8 million budget for 2012-2013 during its Sept. 18 meeting. The council voted 6-0 in favor of the budget, which will be in effect Oct. 1, 2012, through Sept. 30, 2013. The primary goal of the budget is to address the five strategic initiatives outlined by the council. Budget organizers framed their spending around sound finances, customer friendly processes, big picture infrastructure, community wellness and San Marcos River protection, recreation and maintenance. The 2012-2013 budget has been in development since January, with workshops dur-

ing the spring and public hearings throughout August and September. City Manager Jim Nuse said the budget emphasizes priorities expressed by citizens and addresses the goals San Marcos wants to achieve. “We feel this budget model will make San Marcos sustainable for many years into the future,” Nuse said. Mayor Daniel Guerrero said city council prides itself on being transparent when formulating the budget with resident tax money. He said the new budget invests in core services, limits future debt obligations and provides funds for needed improvements to streets, parks, city facilities and technology.

READ BUDGET, PAGE 2

preneurs, Hazell said. There are partial scholarships available to defer some of the costs. De La Rosa said in her full year of RampCorp sessions, networking events introduced her to valuable contacts. She said being able to utilize RampCorp’s intellectual property resources, attending its informative classes and following the program’s step-by-step business plan helped her company progress and excel. “(RampCorp) helped me pretty much bring my idea into fruition,” De La Rosa said. RampCorp helps women determine what their businesses will be and make them a reality, Hazell said. De La Rosa, for example, has created an energy-efficient supply store that will cater to both business and residential customers. De La Rosa said her business will sell building products that are energy efficient, sustainable and innovative. She said the products range from solar panels to energy-

READ RAMPCORP, PAGE 2

Photo courtesy of Terry Hazell

Monica De La Rosa, Texas State alumna, worked with Texas State RampCorp to help start her own business. RampCorp, developed in 2010, has aided female entrepreneurs start 30 companies.

City council implements green waste collection pilot program By Karen Zamora News Reporter The implementation of a monthly waste drop-off day may be in the City of San Marcos’ future. Laurie Moyer, managing director for Community Services, updated the San Marcos City Council during its Oct. 1 meeting on ways to improve the city’s green waste collection, which includes leaves, branches and brush. The council unanimously approved a pilot program that would establish a monthly green waste drop-off day every Saturday. The Solid Waste Task Force asked city council in May to address green waste. Moyer presented three options to the council at

the Oct. 1 meeting. Besides the drop-off day, the other options were to create a manned drop-off facility and a schedule change to the Texas Disposal Systems service. The other two options will be considered if the drop-off pilot is unsuccessful. Moyer said the task force calculated that the monthly drop-off the council approved, which would be scheduled for five hours on a Saturday, would have a $22,000 annual operating budget, which includes capital items like an automatic gate and labor costs. Moyer said currently everyone who pays a trash bill to the city is allowed four bulky waste pick-ups a year. Moyer said the task force conducted a

READ CITY COUNCIL, PAGE 2


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