VOLUME 102, ISSUE 21
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WEDNESDAY GO NE ONLI NOW
OCTOBER 10, 2012
Foster Parents of the Year
Lionel and Cornelia Cheatham are the winners of the Foster Parents of the Year award. To learn more about the Cheathams, visit UniversityStar.com
Emergency procedures to be improved after UT bomb threat By Nicole Barrios News Reporter Texas State is enhancing and updating its emergency alert procedures in light of recent threats made to universities across the country. Joanne Smith, vice president for Student Affairs, said the university recently developed procedures for a campus-wide evacuation in light of a Sept. 14 bomb threat made to the University of Texas. She said the information about the procedures will be sent out within the next two weeks. Evacuation plans are already in place for individual buildings, but the bomb threat at UT sparked the effort to ensure Texas State would be able follow similar procedures. Smith said she could not speak about the specifics of the new emergency procedures, but the university is making sure all department heads are aware of what should happen if the school receives a bomb threat. “We’ll be ready in the event that we have to make that decision,” Smith said. A new emergency guidebook created by the University Police Department details procedures to follow in the event of different kinds of threats, including fires, lockdowns and national disasters, among others. Smith said “essential personnel” will receive the emergency guidebook, because only a limited number were printed as prototypes. The guidebooks may be distributed throughout campus after they reach the essential staff. Starting in January, an emergency procedures poster will be placed near all building entrances, said Sgt. Robert Campbell, emergency management coordinator. The poster will outline detailed responses to different emergencies. Campbell said the university already utilizes several emergency alert methods, such as the Rave Mobile Safety
READ EMERGENCIES, PAGE 2
FOSTERING HOPE
Local parents recognized for helping children By Megan Carthel News Reporter When Cornelia Cheatham was given six months to live after being diagnosed with breast cancer 21 years ago, she decided to give the little time she had left to a good cause. “I was real young and I wanted to do something to give back,” Cornelia Cheatham said. “I made a promise to God that I was going to help children.” The Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards recently named Kyle residents Cornelia and her husband, Lionel Cheatham, Foster Parents of the Year. Shannon Ireland, executive director of the board, said the Cheathams deserve the honor because they have fostered 61 children over 15 years. “It’s a great honor,” Lionel Cheatham said. “There’s so many deserving foster parents out there in the state of Texas, and we’re just fortunate enough to have been selected.” Cornelia, now cancer free, said about 15 years ago she and Lionel began watching “Wednesday’s Child,” a television program about children in the foster care system finding permanent homes. The program prompted their decision to become foster parents. “Kids need love,” Lionel Cheatham said. “They need guidance. They don’t need screaming at. They don’t need punishing. That has happened to them all their life. That’s why they’re in foster care. They need to see that the way they were brought up might not be the only way to live.” Marques, 13, has been in the foster care system since he was five years old, and with the Cheathams on and off for about three years. Marques said he feels comfortable with his foster family. “This is one of my favorite houses because there’s a lot of stuff we get to do, like play sports and go places,” Marques said. Academics are important in the Cheatham household, along with any extracurricular activities the children want to do. Every Sunday the entire family at-
Adriana Candelaria, Staff Photographer
READ FOSTER, PAGE 2
Lionel and Cornelia Cheatham have shared their home with 61 foster children in the past 15 years and were awarded “Foster Parents of the Year” by the Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards last month.
University exploring options for new engineering building By Colin Ashby News Reporter
John Casares, Staff Photographer
There is a proposal to fund construction of a new engineering building due to the influx of students in recent years. Enrollment to the College of Science and Engineering is being limited due to space constraints.
A new building may be constructed in order to house the influx of students in the College of Science and Engineering. Harold Stern, director of Ingram School of Engineering, said University President Denise Trauth is requesting a debt service from the legislature to construct a new building. He said the new engineering and science building would better accommodate the growing number of students in the school. Stern said enrollment is increasing in the school because the demand for engineers in Central Texas is not being met. Stern said Trauth recently announced the school would cap enrollment at 675 students because of space limitations. As of the 12th class day this fall, there were 599 engineering students in the school. Robert Habingreither, professor in the College of Science and Engineering, said while 675 is a good estimate
of the number of students the program can hold, the term “cap” is being used too freely. “A cap is something that says we will not let enrollment grow beyond (a point),” Habingreither said. “We have no cap. We are limited by our space.” Stephen Seidman, dean of the College of Science and Engineering, said the construction of a new science and engineering building has been discussed for about eight months. The building would be constructed between Vista and West Woods Streets. The university-owned Campus Colony apartments currently occupy the space. The new building would consist of eight biology research labs and a structural engineering lab. Construction depends entirely on whether any revenue bonds are approved to finance the project, Seidman said. The new building is needed to house an upcoming master’s program in engineering. As
READ engineering, PAGE 2
Grant allows Hays County to improve prison cell monitoring By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor Hays County commissioners accepted a grant from a U.S. Department of Justice program during their Oct. 9 meeting. The commissioners submitted an application May 8 for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant and unanimously approved the $11,128 award. The grant was originally intended for a fingerprinting device that would save time in the sheriff’s office, Grants Administrator Jeff Hauff said.
The grant money will now go toward an electronic prisoner tracking system to be used within the county jail. “We found the usage wouldn’t be as anticipated,” Hauff said. “It had less capability, actually, than we thought it did.” The county notified the Department of Justice of the finger scanner’s inadequacies, Hauff said. The department allowed the county to change the grant request to be used for the electronic prisoner tracking system instead. The system will help log required cell
checks, Hauff said. This system will save time and manpower within the Sheriff’s Office. The total cost of the system is $16,759. The amount not covered by the grant will be made up by the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office budget was appropriately amended to include additional support for the tracking system. The amendments included a server dedicated to the housing of the system in the Information Technology department, Hauff said. According to court documents, the cell
checks are required by the state and are currently hand written, which is time consuming. “The Sheriff’s Office needs to make rounds every hour to determine where those prisoners are,” Hauff said. “This is an electronic data recording device. It works through a series of censors.” The new system will replace a logbook, the documents said. Data will be downloaded, once a cell check is completed, into
READ GRANT, PAGE 2
2 | Wednesday October 10, 2012 | The University Star
NEWS
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FOSTER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
When you put love with it and a little bit of caring, it always works out. This is their home. This is not just a place they are staying at temporarily.” —Lionel Cheatham, foster parent tends church. Cornelia said she is determined to ensure her foster children have normal childhoods, despite the fact their peers may notice the unique aspects of these kids’ lives. “I want them to be treated the same as anybody else,” Cornelia Cheatham said. “The word ‘foster’ scares some people.” The children fostered by the Cheathams have gone on to be Division 1 basketball players, attend college, serve in the military and have families of their own. The Cheathams said all of their foster children have been suc-
ENGINEERING
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
well, civil engineering and environmental technology programs are planned for the school, Habingreither said. There is currently no available space for the programs in the Ingram School of Engineering. The College of Health Profession, which has seen an increase in enrollment, is looking to move all of its programs to the Round Rock campus. However, Stern said this option was never considered for the new science and engineering building. “If the new engineering school was built
GRANT
cessful in life. “We enjoy (being foster parents), and we like to see great results,” Lionel Cheatham said. “There’s nothing that can amount to the feeling when you look at a kid, or you get a phone call, and they say, ‘Dad, I just got that job.’ There’s no greater satisfaction. That’s what I like best.” The couple keep every letter and present they receive from their foster children. The Cheathams said there is always someone staying with them, and they “would not have it any other way.” They plan to foster children until
in Round Rock, you would exhaust your students,” Stern said. “They would have to keep driving back and forth. The engineering program is tightly coordinated with mathematics and physics here at the (San Marcos) campus.” Seidman said if enrollment in the Ingram School of Engineering began to increase too much, special SAT and math requirements would be enforced. Pre-engineering statuses for students could also be implemented.
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a computer program that will log the time and completion of the monitoring. Guards will be automatically alerted when and where cell checks are needed, ensuring
their monitoring is up to state standards. ”It’s a way of checking on prisoners and having documentation they were checked on,” said Judge Bert Cobb.
wild art
their health prohibits them from doing so. The Cheathams said the children have taught them many things throughout the years, including patience and the importance of listening. Cornelia said she and her husband love meeting each child, their different personalities and diverse families. “(The children) come here, and we have the resources to help them,” Lionel Cheatham said. “When you put love with it and a little bit of caring, it always works out. This is their home. This is not just a place they are staying at temporarily.”
emergencies
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
system, BRG signboards, mass emails, reverse 911, Alertus Desktop Alerting Software and an outdoor siren. He said new methods for alerting students of emergency situations are being explored. Campbell said the Rave system sends mass text alerts to those who have registered their cell phone numbers with the university Rave database. He said every student, faculty and staff member at Texas State has a Rave account, but not all have registered their numbers. He said about 10,000 people have signed up for the service, which is small for a campus of Texas State’s size. Mark Hughes, associate vice president of technology resources, said BRG signboards operate off a radio wave signal. If
the network were down in the event of an emergency, the boards would still work. He said there are more than 4,000 signboards installed in classrooms across campus that will alert students of emergencies. Campbell said campus computers feature the Alertus Desktop Alerting Software. The program is a desktop pop-up that fills an entire computer screen with an alert message. He said in addition to Alertus, the university website will soon feature an alert banner with a link to a page containing additional information about emergencies. Campbell said it is important to educate the community about the emergency procedures the university has in place.
PAGE TWO
ON THIS CRIME
DAY IN HISTORY 1973 – Vice President Spiro T. Agnew pleaded no contest to one count of federal income tax evasion and resigned. 1979 – Hockey Hall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers. 1985 – U.S. fighter jets forced an Egyptian plane carrying the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro to land in Italy, where the gunmen were taken into custody. 2002 – The House voted 296-133 to give President George W. Bush broad authority to use military force against Iraq. (The Senate followed suit the next day.) 2003 – Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh announced during his syndicated radio show he was addicted to painkillers and was checking into a rehab center. 2004 – Actor Christopher Reeve died at age 52. He became a quadriplegic after a May 1995 horse riding accident. 2008 – Connecticut’s Supreme Court ruled gay couples have the right to marry.
Austin Beavers, Staff Photographer
Taylor Smith, finance senior, practices pitching during golf class Oct. 9 at Quail Creek County Club.
—Courtesy of The New York Times
BLOTTER
Oct. 4, 1:29 a.m. Blanco Parking Garage Possession of drug paraphernalia A student was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. This case is under judicial review. Oct. 4, 2:30 a.m. Hutchison Street Possession of marijuana A non-student was arrested for possession of marijuana and false driver’s license. The non-student was transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center to await a court date. Oct. 4, 8:30 a.m. Pleasant Street Parking Garage Failure to comply and striking an unattended vehicle A non-student reported the vehicle was damaged while legally parked. This case is under investigation. Oct. 4, 9:40 a.m. Wood Street Parking Garage Burglary of vehicle A student reported personal property had been taken without consent. This case is under investigation. Oct. 4, 12:00 p.m. Bobcat Stadium Parking Lot Failure to comply and striking unattended vehicle A student reported the vehicle was damaged while legally parked. This case is under investigation. —Courtesy of University Police Department
The University Star | Wednesday October 10, 2012 | 3
OPINIONS
For more viewpoints or letters to the editor, e-mail staropinions@txstate.edu
County must take better care to protect permanent records
Kara Ramer, Star Illustrator
T
he new Hays County Records manager should prevent the destruction of valuable documents to give residents proper access to public records. According to an Oct. 2 University Star article, Hays County expanded county law librarian Melody Barron’s duties to include part-time records management. Barron will take over this role after an internal assessment found $100,000 was spent in unnecessary scans and the destroying of records that were supposed to be permanent. Mark Kennedy, special counsel to the court, said none of those expenses were taken from the county budget. Although the county’s finances did not suffer as a result, the destruction of these documents is still detrimental to residents. The permanent records that were destroyed could have been extremely valuable for journalists or any other professionals who utilize public documents. The county records
are open for reference, and residents should have great concern about protecting them. It is important to note that these records belong to the residents, not the individual departments of the county. Their destruction means taxpayers can no longer view information they are granted access to by law. According to the same article, there has not been a records manager in Hays County since about 1995. Each department was left to follow state-mandated schedules to determine which documents could or could not be destroyed. During the past 17 years, documents across county departments were unregulated, and the need for a records manager should have been more apparent to officials. There is no way to know the extent of the documents that were destroyed or duplicated unnecessarily. The departments that destroyed documents may have been ignorant to the rules or simply disregarded the mandates handed down to them. Those are dangerous attitudes to have in county government departments. Duplication could be just as bad as destruction. An overflow of superfluous documents floating around departments where they are
Dining halls need to provide more options for specialized diets
By Savannah Wingo Assistant Opinions Editor
D
ining halls must provide a wider range of dietary options and post nutritional information more clearly on campus and the web. Freshmen with allergies or other dietary restrictions may be getting the short end of the stick when it comes to dining on campus. Freshmen are required to buy meal plans, regardless of any potential dietary restrictions they may have. Campus dining halls should have an obligation to provide a range of options for every diet type because students are essentially being forced to pay for a yearlong supply of food. While dining halls do have some meatless options for vegetarians, vegan-friendly food on campus is relatively scarce. It is ridiculous to expect a vegan student to live off of salads for an entire year. Students with conditions such as celiac disease may also have trouble finding suitable food. Even when options are available for these students, the range of choices is severely limited. Students with special diets or allergies who choose to live on campus should not be sentenced to eat only one of a few options for the duration of the school year. Dining halls should make sure every student has a wide variety of choices when it comes to meals if Texas State requires all freshmen living on campus to buy a meal plan. Students with diets restricted by allergies, medical conditions and moral or religious reasons all must be considered when menus are planned for each dining hall. Once the new options are provided, information about these options needs to be more easily accessible for students. The Chartwells website does include a variety of information including gluten-free diet guidelines, healthy options on campus and The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building, Room 101 San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708
nutritional food facts for the dining halls. But the Chartwells website should additionally include detailed food ingredient information for students to highlight Texas State-specific meals that may interfere with special diets or allergies. In dining halls, special markings or icons should be implemented to visibly provide important nutritional information for students with dietary restrictions. In the FAQ section of the website, students are directed to call Chartwells staff if they have special diet concerns or allergies not addressed on the website. But, those students may not have the time to call the Chartwells office when grabbing a quick lunch at the nearest dining hall. The nutritional lists for each Jones food establishment, for example, do not include allergy information or warnings about animal products even though the website has information available for Jones Food Court. Every dining hall should have these options readily available. Commons and Harris should not be the only dining halls with a significant variety of options for non-standard diets. Jones is especially lacking in alternative foods, which is a shame, because it may likely be the only source of food for a freshman studying late hours. After 10 p.m., when half of the restaurants in Jones have closed, there are few options available for students with special diets and allergies. All students should be entitled to a range of food to choose from at any operating hour. Students with dietary restrictions paying for a year’s worth of food must be able to get those meals at any time and at any venue, not just during certain times or at specific dining halls. Eating on campus with dietary restrictions is a hassle. Chartwells needs to make sure every student has a range of food to choose from regardless of the time or dining hall, as well as easily accessible specific ingredient information. --Savannah Wingo is a mass communication sophomore.
Editor In Chief................................................Beth Brown, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor............................Lee Moran, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters..................................................................................starletters@txstate.edu News Editor...................................................Caitlin Clark, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor............................Hollie O’Connor, starentertainment@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..........................................Liza Winkler, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor.......................................Austin Humphreys, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor..........................................Cameron Irvine, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief......................Thomas Glasebrook, starcopychief@txstate.edu Web Editor............................................Karyn Kittlitz, starwebeditor@txstate.edu
not needed is a waste of taxpayer money. Rules in place should be followed so this situation will not be an issue in the future. The county made the right decision by hiring someone to organize and assess the documents. Kennedy said legal actions are not likely to come to the departments because of their lack of education or training. The editorial board believes consequences should come to those departments, such as required records retention training or education on the systems in place. Barron may have difficulty assessing the documents that survived the lack of organization, but so far her hiring has brought a much-needed formality and organization to records kept in the county. 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.
Graduating early, on time could have financial benefits for students
By Ariella Hannon Opinions Columnist
S
tudents should take advantage of graduating early or earning their diplomas on time to receive monetary rebate benefits offered at Texas State. There are extra incentives to graduating within four years or fewer. Aside from being able to get a professional job earlier than some peers, students are now rewarded financially for completing coursework faster than projected six-year graduation rates. The Tuition Rebate Program was initiated in March 2011. The program rewards students financially for making an early decision about their major and minimizing the number of unnecessary courses taken. Reducing unnecessary coursework does not only save students’ money. The university and the state save money this way by reducing staff, faculty and other additional costs students may require while taking more than four years to complete their degrees. Many qualified students are unaware of the rebate program. While the student handbook lists qualifications for the rebate, not all advisers actively promote the program and many students remain uninformed. The rebate program only applies to students working on a first bachelor’s degree. In order to qualify for the rebate, students must finish their degrees within four years. The student can have no more than three hours over the minimum number of credits required for the degree, including attempted classes. While these and other
Multimedia Editor.........................Alex Peña, starmultimediaeditor@txstate.edu Design Editor................................Michelle Wadsworth, stardesign@txstate.edu Account Executive........................................Christina Carr, starad4@txstate.edu Account Executive...................................Casey Neubauer, starad2@txstate.edu Account Executive..................................Michelle Rohmer, starad3@txstate.edu Account Executive.....................................Hannah Wilson, starad5@txstate.edu Media Specialist.............................................Mary Scheske, ms88@txstate.edu Advertising Coordinator...........................Kelsey Nuckolls, starad1@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator.......................................Linda Allen, la06@txstate.edu Publications Director...........................Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu
requirements may limit the amount of students able to qualify for the rebate, it is still an attainable goal. The rebate program is an excellent way to start paying off student loans and providing for necessities after graduation. While the actual rebate is somewhat small, it can still be beneficial for the students who qualify. The rebate amount does not exceed $1,000 and is based on financial aid and tuition fees. The rebate can only be obtained when a student applies for it. When students are completing an application for graduation there is a separate tuition rebate application that can be filled out. Students should be more aware of the rebate program’s existence even though the strict qualifications eliminate many from being able to receive the rebate. Advisers and other staff members should provide students with information about the rebate as they enter the university. More students might be encouraged to stick with one major and graduate sooner if they know of the benefits of graduating on time with a limited number of credit hours. Although students may not read the entire undergraduate catalogue, it is beneficial to know about often-overlooked programs such as the rebate. In addition, advisers can give students an advantage by mentioning the rebate program. Meeting with advisers can still be beneficial, even for those with busy schedules even if CatsWeb has made it easier for students to opt out of seeing them every semester. Students who graduate early receive many benefits. The rebate program can offer students monetary benefits as well, aside from the accomplishment of graduating early. Students who become aware of the benefits of completing a four or fewer year degree plan early may have a better chance of receiving the $1,000 rebate. --Ariella Hannon is an English senior.
The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos and is published every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright Wednesday, October 10, 2012. 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. The first five issues of each edition of the paper are free. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased at 50¢ per copy. Contact The University Star office at (512) 245-3487 to purchase additional copies.
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4 | Wednesday October 10, 2012 | The University Star
TRENDS
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Alumnus takes modeling career around world By Amy Greene Trends Reporter One alumnus is working hard and enjoying the perks of the modeling industry. Jeff Thomas graduated from Texas State in 2010 and returned home to Dallas with hopes of finding a job in general business, marketing or sales, but was unable to find work. He attended a model search in September 2010 where he was one of the top 10 finalists and signed to an agency. “My first job was December 2010 working for Gatorade,” Thomas said. “That was a fun experience. They had customized jerseys, and we actually had to drink the Gatorade, just as you see in the commercials.” Six months later, Thomas was asked if he had interest in working internationally. He said he agreed without hesitation. His first stop was Sydney, Australia, where he booked campaigns, lucrative jobs and fashion editorials for “Men’s Health” and “Men’s Style.” Thomas said one of his favorite photo shoots took place in Sydney. “We were on North Bonsai Beach,” Thomas said. “It was before sunrise, and I had to do a kissing scene with this girl for a Diet Coke advertisement. We basically watched the sun rise on the water. Those are my favorite kinds of shoots, where I can be outside and can enjoy the environment.
It makes my job a lot easier.” Australian-based photographer Pat Supsiri worked with Thomas to build a portfolio with a strong point of view. Supsiri said Thomas is a great model because he is a hard worker and has a great attitude. “I think he has got to give himself some credit because he is really a natural in front of the camera,” Supsiri said. “I think because Jeff realized very early on that this industry isn’t necessarily about glamour. It’s a hard business. Starting out, there can be a lot of stress and long hours and rejections along the way, and you really need to have dedication and focus. You really need to love your job, and he does.” After working in Sydney for about three months, he was sent to Milan, Italy. In Milan, Thomas met with clients such as Dolce & Gabbana and Armani, and he did some runway work. “For one job, they took us on a train ride to Florence for the day to shoot something for a client,” Thomas said. “Then I stayed for a day to experience the city, take photos and learn about the history of the city before returning to Milan. Everything you read in books becomes very real.” Thomas moved from Milan to London in 2012 for a little bit of work, and a lot more play. He experienced the Olympics and attended the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
at Buckingham Palace, celebrating 60 years of her reign. “I saw Elton John perform at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.” Thomas said. “Then, a month later I was invited to go to Elton John’s estate for an event, and I met him. It was really amazing. He was very nice, and he was kind of shy at first. I was surprised by that.” Thomas returned to the United States after his vacation in London, calling New York City his home base. “After traveling, I just want to settle down and not live out of a suitcase for a little bit,” Thomas said. “I want to establish my name and face in the New York market. If you’re going to make it, you have to go to New York. I think I’m ready to compete with the best of the best. I’m going to try it for about a year and see how it goes. So far, I’m working.” Traveling days aren’t over for Thomas. He signed with agencies in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Miami. He travels to different cities for a day or two at a time depending on the job. He said traveling is a major perk of his profession and so is the fashion. “I love fashion, the styling, the clothing.” Thomas said. “Everything is always new, innovative and fresh. There is no outof-style moment and you learn about the
up-and-coming styles.” Thomas said a jacket was one of his favorite pieces of clothing he wore for a photo shoot. “It was an amazing $65,000 Fendi jacket.” Thomas said. “It was dyed blue. It fit super well. As a joke, I told them it would be my pay for the job.” Thomas said he knows modeling isn’t a career one can do forever. He hopes to eventually design his own label for women and possibly become a modeling agent.
Photo courtesy of Pat Supsiri
Chartwells employee wins Regional Chef of the Year award By Sarah Stephens Trends Reporter One Texas State staff member has been recognized for serving up more than typical cafeteria food. Campus executive chef Charlie Peralez was recently named Chartwells Regional Chef of the Year, an award sought after by cooks at universities ranging from the University of Miami to Louisiana State University. “We were all very excited and happy for Charlie once the news broke out that the award had gone to him,” said Abel Valencia, marketing director for Chartwells at Texas State. “We knew we were competing against a lot of different schools and winning this title proves how efficient our food program is.” Peralez’s way of thinking helped him to win the Chartwells award and encouraged the rest of his staff to produce new entrees for the students to try, such as the themed meals and cuisines from regions around the world. “The students here on campus are very adventurous and up for anything when it comes to what will be served on the entree menu, which is great,” Peralez said. “It is because of them that the rest of the staff and I are able to bring different things to the table.” Peralez started at the university four years ago and is the third generation of his family to work in the culinary field. “My parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents all worked in the campus food service industry,” said Peralez.
“My father started working at Texas State when he was in his teens and stopped when he passed away a few years ago. He was a great man that loved his job and that was one of the things that attracted me here.” Peralez’s grandmother also played a role in encouraging him to start cooking. As a young child, he would help her in the kitchen by doing small tasks such as getting things out of the fridge, grabbing pots and pans and cleaning up after dinner. As he got older, he performed more advanced tasks that allowed him to improve his cooking skills and abilities. Several years later, Peralez attended the Texas Culinary Academy in the Le Cordon Bleu program and graduated magna cum laude. “I really appreciate the time I spent studying at the academy,” Peralez said. “It was really great to have the opportunity to study under some amazing chefs and I was able to make life-long friends Katrina Barber, Staff Photographer with my classmates, who I still learn from Charlie Peralez, campus executive chef, has been recognized as the Chartwells Regional Chef of the Year. to this day.” Peralez is in the third generation of his family to work in the culinary field. Peralez has only been at Texas State for a short period of time, but he can already see how the university is rapidly changing. “The growth that this university has had over these past few years has been very inspiring,” Peralez said. “This whole campus is committed to constantly improving and because I represent Chartwells and Texas State, I feel our food service needs to strive to be exceptional like the educational and athletic programs here on campus.”
It’s good medicine!
“Eros, Beauty & the Experience of the Sacred ” Professor Binita Mehta(Philosophy)
Friday, October 12 2:30 p.m. at ELA 118
The University Star | Wednesday October 10, 2012 | 5
SPORTS
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FOOTBALL
Bobcats focus on self-improvement for Idaho
Star File Photo
Texas State is preparing for this weekend’s matchup against Idaho. The Bobcats’ current record is 2-3. By Jordan Brewer Assistant Sports Editor The Bobcats football team spent Tuesday’s practice focusing on themselves. The Bobcats’ (2-3) loss to the University of New Mexico last week was attributed to their rushing game, which produced a season-low 32 rushing yards. The team allowed five sacks on offense and turned the ball over four times, in addition to turning over the ball after a failed fourth down conversion. During this week of practice, the players and coaches worked on correcting aforementioned mistakes, while adding in the necessary game plans for this week’s opponent, the University of Idaho Vandals. Junior defensive lineman Blake McColloch referred to this week as “starting a new season” in addition to working on themselves as a team. McCollach said the game against Idaho would be an important start in order for the team to gain some confidence going forward. “(Practice) has definitely been about us,” McColloch said.
“It’s about starting a new season with conference play starting up. We want to get better and start our new season off on the right foot.” Aside from the rushing woes of recent weeks, McColloch said the defensive line was “beaten up front” while facing the Aggies’ rush attack. McColloch gave New Mexico his respect for their success but assured the defense will “gameplan” better from now on. “Hats off to (New Mexico),” McColloch said. “They beat us up front. They game-planned us good. We just have to make sure we prepare better from now on and take care of it and win the line of scrimmage.” However, the defensive line did put pressure on New Mexico’s quarterback by registering a sack, forcing a fumble and getting some pressure. The Bobcats will be facing Idaho quarterback Dominique Blackman, who prefers to stand tall in the pocket, as opposed to some of the recent dual-threats they have faced. Blackman is 6 feet 5 inches, one of the tallest quarterbacks at the FBS level. As far as the Bobcat running game, tight end Chase Harper said the tight ends and the offensive line are eager to correct their mistakes and increase production. The Idaho defense is statistically average in stopping the rush as well as the pass, giving up the 115th most points per game (38.0). “We didn’t play too well last week,” Harper said. “As an offense we are trying to get physical up front and create holes for the running backs. We got to keep going and worry about the next [game].” The Bobcat offensive line has had better weeks than their game against New Mexico. The front allowed five sacks and was unable to generate enough room for its running backs in its 32-yard rushing performance. Coach Dennis Franchione mentioned the line is “transitioning” to their current slate of games and the second team offensive line saw some repetitions in practice to give the entire unit a boost. “We haven’t played as well as we did (against) Houston,” Franchione said. “Part of it is growing pains of our transition and part is just playing better. There are a lot of different
GOLF
Women travel to Turkey for tournament
By Eddie Baty Sports Reporter Sisters, two others finish competition in Turkey. Four members of Texas State women’s golf team travelled to Turkey from Sept. 27 to Sept. 30 to represent their countries in one of the biggest international golf competitions in the world. Women’s golf members Krista Puisite, Mara Puisite, Valdis Jonsdottir and Iman Nordin participated in the Gloria Golf Club tournament in Antalya, Turkey for the World Amateur Golf Championship. The competition brought together some of the best amateur women golfers in 56 countries. Senior Krista Puisite and her sister, junior Mara Puisite, represented their home country of Latvia in the competition. The Puisite sisters said they did not expect Latvia to do well. However, Latvia maintained a strong rank, finishing 21st after the four days of the tournament. “This time we played well for Latvia,” Krista Puisite said. “Seeing all those other countries below ours made it really nice to see us high up on the scoreboard.”
Each country sends three of its best golfers to the competition. Despite the tough opposition, the Puisite sisters and the Latvian team scored early and managed to grab second place on the leaderboards after the first day. Mara Puisite was quick to point out “Latvia is not very big on golf” and “has not always performed so strongly in the past.” “It was just great to get to play there,” Mara Puisite said. “We don’t have too many golfers in Latvia, so the competition was more of a mental challenge for me.” Both sisters put forth strong individual performances. Krista Puisite managed to secure a rank of 22 out of 168 different players. Mara ranked 98th overall. Nordin, representing Malaysia, ranked 82nd and Jonsdottir represented Iceland and finished in a 100th place tie. Ultimately, both girls, along with the Latvian team, managed a stronger-than-usual performance for their home country in one of the biggest international golf competitions in the world. The Bobcats’ next tournament as a team is Oct. 15-17 at the Oklahoma University Invitational. Twitter: @EddieBatyIII
factors.” One of the successful areas for the Bobcats has been at the quarterback position. Shaun Rutherford, currently eighth in the nation in completion percentage, has fared well since completing one of eight passes against Texas Tech. In order for Rutherford to reach his full potential, the run game is going to have to be effective to gain offensive balance. Without Rutherford’s 1-8 performance against the Red Raiders, he would be third in the nation with a 74.7 percentage. In practice Tuesday, the play-action pass was successful and was worked well with the running game. The passing game has benefitted from Harper’s three touchdowns in the last two weeks, as well as wide receiver Andy Erickson, who has had back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. Wide receivers Ben Ijah and Tim Hawkins got involved in practice Tuesday. The team acknowledges their focus on themselves and their current preparation to beat another opponent.. With Idaho playing a very strong non-conference schedule against the likes of North Carolina and nationally ranked LSU (9th), the Vandals, who are 1-5, will be coming in to another tough road atmosphere. Twitter: @jbrewer32
Bobcat News and Notes USA Today poll
USA Today weekly ranks all college football teams on the FBS level. This week Texas State ranked 109th out of 124 teams. Undefeated UTSA came in at 97th while the Bobcats’ next opponent, Idaho, was ranked 120th. New Mexico State, Texas State’s final opponent of the 2012 season, ranked 122nd.
Quarterback not the problem
Bobcat quarterback Shaun Rutherford has the 15th highest quarterback rating in the nation (159.9), according to ESPN.com. West Virginia’s Geno Smith is No. 1 (202.4), Texas’ David Ash is No. 3 (180.1) and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel is No. 12 (162.8). Rutherford has completed 69.9 percent of his passes, eighth in the nation and has just two interceptions to eight touchdowns. Rutherford is tied for 21st in getting sacked with 12 times in five games.
CFPA awards two
Tight end Chase Harper and punter Zach Robinson were named Performers of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards Monday. Harper caught a 40yard touchdown pass in the loss to the Lobos and Robinson averaged 49.5 yards per punt on four attempts.
Distinguished alumni honored
The Texas State Alumni Association will honor four new alumni in the 2012 distinguished alumni class. Among the four is former football team captain Dr. Paul Phillips, who led the Bobcats on the field from 1973-1976 and made the pre-season roster for the then Baltimore Colts. Others include former cross-country runner Jill Pruetz and two strutters: Kathleen Fite and Linda Gregg Fields.
@txstcamirvine @jbrewer32 @UniversityStar
Follow the University Star, Cameron Irvine and Jordan Brewer for live football game updates and analysis every football Saturday.
Coming home
Texas State softball will welcome former alumni back in the form of competition for softball’s alumni game Saturday, Oct. 13 at 12 p.m. at Bobcat Field. Admission is free to the game. Included among the 2012 participants are Chandler Hall and Megan Parten, who played for the Bobcats last season.
UPCOMING FOOTBALL
Clinic Saturday
NEXT BOBACT GAME Texas State (2-3, 0-0)
vs.
Idaho (1-5, 1-0)
Saturday October 13, 6:00 p.m.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE Utah State (4-2, 0-0)
@
San Jose State (4-1, 0-0)
Saturday October 13, 3:00 p.m.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE UTSA (5-0, 1-0)
@
Rice (2-2)
Saturday October 13, 2:30 p.m., Fox College Sports #23 Louisiana Tech (5-0, 0-0)
vs.
#22 Texas A&M (4-1)
Saturday October 13, 6:00 p.m., ESPNU
BYE
New Mexico State (1-5, 0-2)
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Volleyball coach Karen Chisum and Texas State volleyball will host their annual Bobcat Kids Volleyball Clinic Oct. 20 from 9-10:30 a.m. Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. and boys and girls in kindergarten through eighth grade will get to play on the Bobcats’ floor, get autographs and take pictures. Report compiled by Cameron Irvine, Sports Editor Twitter: @txstcamirvine
6 | Wednesday October 10, 2012 | The University Star | Advertisement
