ABREAST OF BODY IMAGE
Student artwork features women SEE TRENDS PAGE 9
IRON MAN Former student uplifts others and himself as he prepares to compete in triathlon SEE SPORTS PAGE 14
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM
OCTOBER 18, 2007
THURSDAY
VOLUME 97, ISSUE 25
San Marcos’ growing pains highlighted with successes, failures Faculty Senate By Andy Sevilla News Reporter The city government has strong differing opinions and is lacking a shared vision on what is best for San Marcos, said Mayor Susan Narvaiz in the “State of the City” address Wednesday. Despite the city’s accomplishments, Narvaiz said it has had several downfalls. She said she is responsible for some of the projects and policies not successful in San Marcos. “We have the result of a bad beginning,” she said. “We have had some moments of agreement, but are few and far between.” Narvaiz said unemployment is at 3.3 percent compared to last years 3.8 percent, but she wants to decrease that number. She said San Marcos’ per capita income is $25,000, an increase of 22 percent since the 2000 census. But she said it is probably closer to $19,000. Monty Marion/Star photo Meanwhile, housing sales are YEAR IN REVIEW: Mayor Susan Narviaz speaks to the public during down 14 percent, she said. This trend is seen at the national her annual “State of the City” address held Wednesday night at the and state level. But Narvaiz said San Marcos Activity Center.
this issue still needs to be addressed. Numerous vacancies in city government jobs may be a contributing factor to some of these statistics, she said. In her speech, Narvaiz told the audience it makes her nervous to know that the 10 percent of people in San Marcos who vote account for 100 percent of the decisions made. “I recognize all these things, and I still have hope and determination,” Narvaiz said. Moments before Narvaiz began her address, Jimmy McNeal, sound recording technology senior, sang the national anthem. Narvaiz began her address highlighting various accomplishments, including the railroad overpass on Wonder World Drive. She informed the public the second railroad overpass, constructed on Yarrington Road, should be completed in two months. The $72 million Embassy Suites Hotel and city-owned conference center is scheduled to be completed soon and a venue tax will be on the ballot
this November. The venue tax is expected to decrease the city’s debt generated from building the hotel. The tax will take the form of two-cents added to the bill of each hotel patron. Narvaiz said she wants to make San Marcos the small business capital of Texas. A one-stop permit shop has recently been opened in San Marcos, which allows for business and homeowners to get permits in what she called a timely and efficient process. The Economic Development Board is planning incentives to make San Marcos more business friendly and bring economic stimulation to the city’s historic downtown, she said. Narvaiz further discussed the Code Enforcement Department that would maintain neighborhood preservation and address issues like the ones Sagewood Circle is experiencing. Other issues she discussed included the 7,000 square-foot addition to the See CITY, page 5
Taser training shocks new UPD officers
Austin Byrd/Star photo FIRST HAND: Sgt. Jeff Jamison Tasers Officer Alexander Villalobos during training for new officers Wednesday at the University Police Department.
By Alex Hering News Reporter At first it feels like a small pinch. Then it feels like a constant stream of electricity surging to the heart. Leland Stewart, University Police Department officer, has experienced firsthand the shock of a Taser. Stewart is one of five new officers added to the university police force. As part of a new officer 12-week field-training program, Stewart and the others are taken through a two-day Taser program to enhance
their knowledge and first hand experience of the weapon. Stewart said during the two and half seconds he was being shocked, his body was tense and warm as it took in all 50,000 volts of electricity. “I just felt like screaming,” Stewart said. “It felt like I had been screaming for 30 minutes when I finally went down.” He said his body “just gave out” as Sgt. Jeff Jamison, the Taser program instructor, removed the probes from his left leg. After 10 seconds, everything was back to normal except for some tingling,
which he said was evidence of the “indescribable” feeling. He equated the five-second shock to a 30-minute workout. He said Tasers are a safe way to get a suspect to comply with officers without injury. The firsthand knowledge, he said, makes them useful both on the field and in the courtroom. “They feel empathy for the individuals because they know exactly what it feels like,” Jamison said. “The officers will be experts in the courtroom because they know how the individual is going to respond to a Taser shock.”
Courtesy of MCT
Officer Alexander Villalobos, who was shot with the Taser in the upper and lower back, said the training was useful to familiarize himself with every aspect of the weapon. He said the Taser was a good tool to save not only civilian lives, but officers’ lives as well. “The shock heightened my awareness to hearing and hear what people were saying,” Villalobos said. “So I know I could hear each individual conversation and I know firsthand that an individual can hear my commands and what I’m saying.” The field training includes firearm, shotgun and AR-15
“long gun” training. The shotgun is being reinstated and the AR-15 long gun is a new tool available to UPD. “AR-15 is a rifle with a long barrel pinpointed for longer range shooting,” said UPD Capt. Paul Chapa. “These are tools that we need in our job.” Chapa said the firearms and Taser training are necessary for the officers to possess. “I think we all learned something from the Virginia Tech incident,” Chapa said. “If it wasn’t for the rifles some of the officers had on that day, it could have been more critical than it was.”
questions conflict of interest By Scott Thomas Assistant News Editor The Faculty Senate debated potential conflicts of interest arising through marriage among acting administrators Wednesday. Rosalinda Barrera, dean of the College of Education, is married to Cecilio Barrera, the interim director of the Office of Equity and Access. Faculty Sen. David Wiley, health, physical education and recreation professor, asked if the relationship could cause a conflict of interest and if the interim director should recuse himself from inquiries into the education department. The equity and access office handles any kind of complaints from faculty and staff regarding harassment, discrimination and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. Faculty Sen. Chair William Stone, criminal justice professor, said he will inquire if there is any protocol for such an instance. He said he would allow all the Faculty Senators to view his inquiry before sending it to the appropriate channel of the administration. Faculty Sen. Shirley Ogletree, psychology professor, said she was interested in including a clause to the non-discrimination policy to include gender identity and expression. The issue was voted on at Monday’s Associated Student Government meeting. The resolution was originally thought to have failed, however, after further review it was revealed there was an error in the voting process and will most likely be brought up again at the next meeting. Stone said the Faculty Senate partially addressed the issue when including sexual orientation to the policy, but refrained when they saw it opened too many other questions and issues. “If we’re going to go down that path again, it’s best we know the history,” Stone said. The agenda item of appointing a senate representative to the University Research Committee was quickly resolved when Ogletree volunteered for the position. The committee is responsible for allocating and recording funds for research. “Historically speaking, the largest issue is ensuring a level playing field for fine arts and liberal arts,” Stone said. “It’s just so easy for science to get these funds.” At the beginning of the meeting, Stone said Associate Provost Eugene Bourgeois sent the Faculty Senate a message that See CONFLICT, page 5
Domestic disturbances top concern at City Council By Philip Hadley News Reporter Noise and nuisance complaints continued to be the hot-button issue at Tuesday’s city council meeting as members were briefed on the latest developments from the San Marcos Police Department. Lisa Dvorak, assistant police chief, presented the council with what was being done to abate noise and disturbance complaints. She presented the findings of the group assigned to resolve the problem of enforcing violations. “From a historical perspective, the police department has taken a traditional approach to the problem which included writing tickets and arresting people,” Dvorak said. “We are now in the analysis
phase of shifting our approach to problem-oriented policing, with long-term solutions to specific problems.” She said the department’s new focus will be placed on responses preventative in nature and tailor-made to specific areas. “We are currently examining three factors: victim, location and offender,” Dvorak said. “The information we gather during analysis will be used to develop a creative solution focusing on preventing future problems.” Dvorak said the police department does not have a problem with people having a good time, but it should be done in a manner that is not disruptive to neighbors. “We don’t want people to think they can no longer entertain at their homes,” Dvorak said. “The way it is approached
Today’s Weather
Mostly Sunny 92˚
Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 43% UV: 7 High Wind: NNE 7 mph
needs to be changed. Stay indoors, know who is attending your party and be mindful of your surrounding neighbors.” Dvorak said the analysis phase would take two weeks to a month to complete,and would include the development of a system for tracking repeat offenses. “We are currently looking at existing ordinances and looking at what other cities have done,” she said. “The next step involves seeking additional insight from others, and expanding the group to include other stakeholders. We will develop a plan for council consideration.” Scott Swinney, Sagewood-area resident, agreed the area has undergone significant improvements and encouraged it to continue. “I want to thank the council and the police department for their work
Two-day Forecast Friday Sunny Temp: 86°/ 55° Precip: 0%
Saturday Sunny Temp: 85°/ 61° Precip: 10%
in making the neighborhood a more peaceful place to live,” Swinney said. “Rumors are flying that there will be a huge Halloween party in the area this year. I would hope that the police department would increase enforcement during that time.” Other issues discussed at the meeting included the increase of tax exemptions for the elderly and extending that exemption for disabled citizens. Rosie Vela, director of finance, said the current exemption for citizens 65 years of age and older was only $10,000. Daniel Guerrero, mayor pro tem, recommended the exemption be increased to $20,000. “With the rising cost of medication, healthcare and gasoline, to be able to provide some type of relief will be
appreciated,” Guerrero said. “It is important that we attract people who are looking to retire.” Mayor Susan Narvaiz agreed with the proposal and recommended the amount be increased again at a later date. “I would like to start with the $20,000 and then eventually increase the exemption to $40,000,” Narvaiz said. The council did not take formal action to increase and extend the exemption, but re-tabled the item for the next meeting.
✯ FYI The next City Council meeting will not be held at its regularly assigned time. It will be moved to 1 p.m. Nov. 5.
Inside
The rising STAR of Texas
News ..... 1,2,3,4,5 Opinions ......... 6,7 Trends ............. 8,9
Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System
Diversions ........ 10 Classifieds ....... 11 Sports .... 12,13,14
To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2007 The University Star