10 25 2006

HALLOWEEN HOT LIST

STOPPING THE BLEEDING

Volleyball ends losing streak at two with win over Mavs

Shops offer a wide variety of alternatives to traditionally scary costumes

SEE SPORTS PAGE 10

SEE TRENDS PAGE 5

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911

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BATS

OCTOBER 25, 2006

WEDNESDAY

VOLUME 96, ISSUE 26

Rabid creature puts New program to have notes accessible on iPods campus on alert

By A.N. Hernández The University Star

By Ashley Gwilliam The University Star

Millions of bats live in Central Texas. These colonies of nocturnal flying mammals infamously cluster in the dark, The Square and in places on campus.

A bat captured outside Elliott Hall by San Marcos Animal Control last week tested positive for rabies. Now, city and campus officials are taking steps to protect and inform students, faculty and staff of what to do if they come in contact with “downed bats” that appear disoriented or ill.

“The first thing we did once we found out the bat tested positive for rabies was to alert the community that it was a positive bat (that) was found on campus, so that anyone who came in close contact with the bat was made aware of the situation,” said Dr. Emilio Carranco, director of the Student Health Center in reference to an e-mail sent on Friday to students, faculty and staff about the rabid bat.

Carranco said the next step in securing the campus against rabid bats is ridding spots that bats may want to hang out in.

“Bats like places that are dark and cool, so for some time, our parking garages were a favorite place for them to roost,” he said. “We were able to eliminate that.”

Joe Ellis, supervisor of work control for facilities management, said the department has covered crawl spaces in campus parking garages

InterLingua Educational Publishing is selling downloadable summaries of popularly assigned school readings called NotePods, which can be played or viewed on an MP3 player.

All versions of NotePods are being sold for $1.99.

NotePods are comparable to CliffsNotes, but focus more on the main characters and events as opposed to the meaning behind them.

“Students should always read the assigned reading in full, and then use NotePods as a supplement when writing a test or a paper when they need to isolate those areas they need to reinforce,” said Jack Bernstein, president of InterLingua Educational Publishing.

NotePods have been available online at www.NotePods.com since early this month. Currently, there are 55 titles available. By the end of this year, InterLingua will try to reach 150 titles.

See RABIES, page 3

Monty Marion/Star photo BAT BOARDING: Bats, which migrate every fall, squeeze into small cracks and crevices all around Central Texas searching for places to roost.

GRE revised to better measure aptitude he revised “T GRE will measure skills

By Rudy Rico Special to The Star

The Educational Testing Service will change the format of the Graduate Records Exam in September 2007. The revised GRE, originally scheduled for launch this month, was delayed to ease the transition from a computer-adaptive and paper-based exam to an Internet-based exam.

“The revised GRE will measure skills more directly related to graduate study,” said Dawn Piacentino, associate director of GRE client relations at ETS. “We are making changes to the test content in order to reduce the possible effects of memorization.”

Currently, the GRE general test consists of three sections: A verbal reasoning section, which measures the test takers’ ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it; a quantitative reasoning section,

will have less emphasis on vocabulary knowledge out of context and a broader domain of reading passages,” Piancentino said. “The quantitative section will have the same mathematical content, with fewer questions pertaining to geometry.

In the critical thinking and analytical writing measure, the new, more focused prompts require more specific essay responses from the test taker.”

The revised GRE will almost double in the amount of time it takes to complete from twoand-a-half to four hours.

— Dawn Piacentino “I think it might be more GRE client relations at ETS difficult if it’s longer,” said Paassociate director tricia Medina, graduate of the University of Sevilla in Spain and prospective graduate stuwhich evaluates basic concepts dent. “But it seems fair that of arithmetic, algebra, geom- the new test is not going to be etry and data analysis; and computer adaptive.” an analytical writing section, Currently, the GRE is a which measures the ability to computer-adaptive test, which articulate complex ideas clearly means the questions change and effectively. as they are being answered. If “Overall, the verbal section a test taker is doing well, the

more directly related to graduate study. We are making changes to the test content in order to reduce the possible effects of memorization.”

questions progressively become more difficult. However, if a test taker is doing poorly, the questions get easier.

“The general test is changing from an adaptive-test format, in which the questions presented to each examinee vary according to his or her performance, to a linear-test format, in which all examinees testing at the same time receive the same questions,” Piancentino said.

Some students are welcoming the change.

“If I had the choice, I would take the non-adaptive test,” said Lucy Guevara, graduate of the University of Arizona and prospective Ph.D. student.

“It really plays with my mind when I think they’re going to give me an easy question if I get something wrong.”

Andy Georgilis, prep course instructor for the GRE and Graduate Management AdSee GRE, page 3

Bernstein said the company conducted an exhaustive online survey of required readings at the high school and college level and 500 titles were then ranked in order of popularity to be produced. Some of the authors that are currently available for download are William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

“The NotePods are being written by university teachers and recorded by professional actors, so they should be accurate, comprehensive, and easy to listen to,” Bernstein said.

NotePods are available in audio and text summaries. The audio summaries are available in MP3 or iPod format. The mp3 format will play on any MP3 player, while the iPod format is for listening to on an iPod only. The text summaries can be downloaded in PDF or iPod format.

Additionally, there are full text versions available for download See IPOD, page 3

Politicos explain role with media at Mass Communication Week

By Tanya Horowitz Special to The Star Approximately 40 people attended a Mass Communication Week event titled “Politicos Working with the Media” Tuesday afternoon to listen to Matt Curtis, director of community involvement for Cap Metro and Eddie Rodriguez, District 51 state representative.

“I wanted a different perspective for Texas State students; someone that was covered in the media and not a part of the media,” said Kate Peirce, journalism professor.

Rodriguez and Curtis addressed the media’s influence in politics.

Curtis, who worked for Austin Mayor Will Wynn, said he has experienced the relationship between the media and politics, and utilization of the media became very critical.

“He (Wynn) was doing a lot of really interesting stuff but just passed it on the council level,” Curtis said. “There might have been a little blurb on the inside page of the ‘Metro’ section, but nothing that was really fascinating.”

Rodriguez said he found that developing personal relationships with “media people” and finding out all the information possible about them would help in the long

run.

One problem that Curtis and Rodriguez said they come across is that most media are not politically astute.

“It is up to us to let them know what happens and make them able to understand it so that readers can understand it,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said one thing that needs to be done is to make certain things more “sexy” so that more media outlets will pick up the story.

“If it’s not sexy, it does not print,” Rodriguez said.

They also addressed the issue of student voting. Rodriguez said he thinks many politicians do not address issues that most college students find important and motivate them to get out and vote.

“Every vote counts,” Rodriguez said. “I am a perfect example of that. I won my seat as District 51 representative by only 117 votes.”

✯FYI For more information on Eddie Rodriguez, log on to www.house.state.tx.us/ members/dist51/rodriguez. htm.

Wal-Mart introduces cheaper drug program aimed at families, students

By Bradley Childers Special to The Star Wal-Mart’s new $4 generic prescription program has the competition on its toes.

Wal-Mart introduced the plan, which entails one-month subscriptions of 314 drugs from a range of categories including allergy medication, antibiotics and anti-anxiety drugs, to Texas last Thursday.

Kevin Thornton, Wal-Mart spokesman, said the plan will offer significant savings to customers.

“We wanted to provide a real solution to working families that would save them money,” Thornton said.

“This can clearly be a cost-saver for college students too, who are already strapped for cash. It’s as simple as this: You come in with a prescription from your doctor and if a generic medication is appropriate for you and is on our list,

you can get it for $4.”

Barbara Wheeler, San Marcos resident, said she thinks the plan has the potential to benefit some people.

“I think that’s great,” Wheeler said.

“Especially for older people. My mother will be 89 next month and her prescriptions are pretty expensive. We might consider looking into this.”

The same day that Wal-Mart announced its new program, Target issued a statement saying they plan to match Wal-Mart’s new prices on like items in local markets. The next day, H-E-B announced the “My H-E-B Pharmacy Rewards card,” which will allow customers to purchase prescriptions for $5 from a list of 500 drugs.

Officials with Walgreens said they will not be price-matching Wal-Mart’s new plan.

Michael Polzin, Walgreens spokesman, said Wal-Mart’s new promotion is a response to an increasing number

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of seniors choosing Walgreens for their pharmacy needs.

“People are looking at this backward,” Polzin said. “Once consumers learn the fine print of Wal-Mart’s program, they’ll realize that we still offer the best overall value for our pharmacy patients.”

Tina Marie Harris-Torres, Thorpe Lane Pharmacy owner, believes customers will continue to shop at her pharmacy despite its not being able to match Wal-Mart prices.

“I’ve lost one customer due to WalMart’s new promotion, but I think a lot of my customers here will probably stay with us,” Harris-Torres said. “Typically, customers come to a smaller, independent pharmacy because they get faster service and sometimes friendlier service. We can greet them by name and know who they are. Some people will stay here because they like that kind of service and don’t want to have

to fight for the parking spot, go in, fight the lines, and then wait two hours to get their prescription filled.”

Harris-Torres said Wal-Mart can afford to offer generic drugs at such

low prices because they simply use the cheap drug as a “loss leader,” an item that is sold below cost in order to draw See WAL-MART, page 3

Wal-Mart’s discount drug program Wal-Mart now offers many generic prescription drugs for $4, while other drug stores remain at the standard discount price. The following generic prices were obtained from Walgreens.com.

BRAND NAME

GENERIC NAME

CLASS

DOSAGE

GENERIC NAME PRICE

Amoxil Cipro Prozac Paxil Vistaril Ventolin

Amoxicillin Ciprofloxacin Fluoxetine Paroxetine Hydroxyzine Albuterol

Antibiotic Antibiotic Antidepressant Antidepressant Allergy/Anxiety Asthma

30x250 mg 20x500 mg 30x20 mg 30x20 mg 30x10 mg 100x4 mg

$11.99 $54.99 $24.99 $57.99 $12.99 $16.99

Inside News ..............1-3 Trends ............. 5,6 Crossword ......... 7 Sudoku .............. 7

Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System

Comics .............. 7 Opinions ............ 8 Classifieds ......... 9 Sports .............. 10

To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2006 The University Star

PAGE TWO The University Star

October 25, 2006

Early voting begins today Early voting on campus is today and Thursday in the LBJ Student Center.

Student must bring a voter registration card or photo ID.

Wednesday in Brief

News Contact — David Saleh Rauf, starnews@txstate.edu Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System

Fighting cancer WEDNESDAY The Alcohol and Drug Resource Center will hold their weekly The Network meeting from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in LBJSC, Room 3-6.1.

Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society and Phi Sigma Tau, the National Philosophy Honor Society, will co-sponsor a panel discussion titled “Tolerance and Polarization in Modern America” at 7 p.m. in the LBJ Teaching Theater.

Career Services will hold a Construction Job Fair in the LBJSC Ballroom from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Higher Ground, the LutheranEpiscopal Campus Ministry, will meet at 5:30 p.m. for prayers, followed by a free dinner at 6 p.m. The group meets at St. Mark’s Church across from The Tower. Everyone is welcome The Tennis Club will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. at the tennis courts on Sessom Drive, behind Joe’s Crab Shack. All skill levels are welcome. Contact the Tennis Club President, Chris Harris, with questions at ch1282@txstate.edu.

A student-led rosary will be prayed at 6:25 p.m. in the chapel of the Catholic Student Center.

Bible study will be held at 7 p.m. in the lounge of the CSC. A free hearing loss workshop will be held from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Sid Peterson’s Ambulatory Care Center, 602 Cully Drive, Kerrville.

THURSDAY The Organization of Student

Correction In Tuesday’s story “Two area candidates visit ASG,” The University Star said Councilman John Thomaides proposed removing early voting from the LBJ Student Center during the December runoff between Chris Jones and Moe Johnson.

No such proposal was made.

The council voted unanimously Dec. 16 to certify early voting locations.

Social Workers meets at 12:30 p.m. in the Health Professions Building, Room 234.

Simple Silent Sitting Group will meet from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Campus Christian Community Center.

An on-campus Alcoholics Anonymous meeting will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center at (512) 245-3601.

On This Day...

1400 — Geoffrey Chaucer died at the age of 57. He was the first poet to be buried in Westminster Abbey.

The Tennis Club will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. at the tennis courts on Sessom Drive, behind Joe’s Crab Shack. All skill levels are welcome. Contact Tennis Club President, Chris Harris, with any questions at ch1282@txstate. edu.

Every Nation Campus Ministries is now meeting at 7 p.m. in Centennial Hall, Room G-02.

There will be free food, fellowship and an inspiring message.

The Rock - Praise & Worship will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel of the CSC. Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will hold its weekly meeting on at 8:30 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320. Enjoy contemporary worship, relevant teaching and prayer. Everyone is welcome.

Contact (512) 557-7988 or mail@texasstatechialpha.com for more information Overeaters Anonymous will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 130 W. Holland. For more information call (512) 357-2049.

Go to www.UniversityStar.com and click on contact to view calendar and Stars of Texas State submission policies.

1881 — The founder of cubism, Pablo Picasso, was born in Malaga, Spain.

Karen Wang/Star photo Marie Palma, healthcare administration sophomore, helps out at the American Cancer Society’s overnight Relay for Life. Held Friday at Tanger Outlet Center, the evening celebrated survivors and helped raise money for cancer research and programs.

1955 — The microwave oven, for home use, was introduced

by The Tappan Company.

1962 — American author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.

CRIME BL TTER ASG Beat University Police Department Oct. 20, 6:06 p.m.

Graffiti/Edward Gary & Bobcat Trail Two officers came upon damage to university property. This case is under investigation.

Oct. 21, 4:15 p.m.

Minor in Possession: Alcohol/ Bobcat Stadium An officer came in contact with a student who was a minor in possession of alcohol. The student was issued a citation.

Oct. 21, 5:05 p.m.

Public Intoxication/Bobcat Stadium An officer came in contact with a non-student who appeared to be intoxicated. The student

was arrested for public intoxication and transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center to await magistration.

Oct. 21, 5:45 p.m.

Minor in Possession: Alcohol/ Bobcat Stadium An officer came in contact with a student who was a minor in possession of alcohol. The student was issued a citation.

Oct. 21, 6:10 p.m.

Minor in Possession: Alcohol/ Bobcat Stadium An officer came in contact with a student who was who was a minor in possession of alcohol.

The student was issued a citation.

Crime stoppers: UPD: 245-7867, SMPD: 353-TIPS

Tuition, citywide Wi-Fi subjects of discussion at ASG The Associated Student Government is the official voice of the students at Texas State.

Senate meetings are open to the public and take place at 7 p.m. Mondays in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1. If you would like to address the Senate, feel free to contact the senator of your college or speak during our public forum.

Early voting will be today and Thursday in the LBJ Student Center. To vote, bring your voter registration card or a picture ID to the polling

booth.

ASG continues to discuss the 20 percent proposed tuition increase. Components of the increase include an increase in the health center fee and the technology fee.

The citywide Wi-Fi initiative is also being discussed to confirm the security of the network.

Monday, State Senator Jeff Wentworth will be the guest speaker. This event and all ASG events are open to the public.

— Courtesy of the Associated Student Government

www.UniversityStar.com

NEWS

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The University Star - Page 3

‘Tolerance and Polarization in Modern America’ panel discussion to be held today

By Georgia Fisher The University Star

The department of political science, along with Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society and Phi Sigma Tau, the philosophy honor society, will host a panel discussion tonight at 7 p.m. titled “Tolerance and Polarization in Modern America” in the LBJ Teaching Theater.

The panel will feature representatives from College Democrats and College Republicans, as well as professors of po-

litical science and philosophy.

Christopher Sideris, Pi Sigma Alpha member, said the event will address why the voting public has adapted such an “usagainst-them” party stance and why common ground has fallen by the wayside.

“It’ll try to answer some questions; find ways to bring back tolerance and center ground to American politics,” Sideris, history senior, said. “We want to find out what has led to polarization and what can be done to stop that trend.”

College Republicans President Joe

DeLaCerda, psychology senior, said last year’s event was a success, and panel discussions like tonight’s allow opposing parties to convene and explore ideas they might otherwise not.

“It went really well last time. The main thing we tried to do was get recognition for both groups and show some cohesiveness,” he said DeLaCerda said despite their differences, College Democrats and College Republicans at Texas State hold a longstanding cooperative relationship and

IPOD: InterLingua to begin search for representatives CONTINUED from page 1

in iPod and text formats.

The full text versions are only available for selected titles.

Bernstein said text summaries are selling at 50 percent the rate of audio summaries.

In the future, InterLingua plans to post a Test Question Web log on their Web site, where students can post their old test questions and view other student’s test experiences about certain readings.

The goal is to create a community for students to share and seek advice about the reading material.

Bernstein said teachers should not be concerned about students posting their test questions online.

“The teachers are kidding themselves if they think they are gonna create such an original question that no one’s done before. The goal is to help students prepare for exams and term papers. One of the best ways is to see what other teachers are asking,” Bernstein said.

InterLingua is looking for a limited number of NotePods representatives at every school. The representative will be required to keep a personal Web page, such as Facebook.com or MySpace.com page, that links to the NotePods Web site.

Anytime a purchase is made through the representative’s link, the representative will receive 10 percent of every sale. A third party will administer accounting, and the profit will be put into the repPat Stark/Star illustration resentative’s PayPal account.

often engage in civil, even friendly, arguments.

“We’ve worked so well together on things while still competing against each other; we might have conflicting ideologies, but … a lot of our methods are similar.”

He said the most effective way to reach people is to engage in respectful conversation and allow them to move at their own pace.

“You debate; you share your sides, but you can’t force people. You can’t shove

them,” he said.

Jill Simkin, College Democrats president, said she is looking forward to this evening’s event.

“I’m definitely excited,” she said. “It sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Simkin, political science senior, said the dialogue will be relevant to the student body and allow for good intellectual exchange.

“Considering we’re all in school, it seems like a really good way to raise the level of debate and discussion,” she said.

GRE: New exam won’t adjust for each test taker CONTINUED from page 1

mission test at the University of Texas, said he is surprised the test format will change.

“I’m astonished that ETS would change it from a computer-adaptive test,” Georgilis said. “My personal experience with the computer-adaptive test is that it works well. However, studies have shown that grades by themselves are a better indicator of how students will do in graduate school than GRE scores by

themselves.”

Piacentino agreed the test is not the best way to predict a graduate’s future.

“It is important to note that the GRE general test does not and cannot measure all the qualities that are important in predicting success in graduate study or in confirming undergraduate achievement,” Piacentino said. “In recognition of its obligation to ensure the appropriate use of GRE scores, the GRE board and program publish guidelines for the use of GRE scores in order to help GRE recipients use GRE scores appropriately.”

WAL-MART: Some pharmacies unable to compete with cheaper prescription costs CONTINUED from page 1

customers into the store with hopes that they shop around and buy other merchandise.

“When I evaluated it, taking into account rent, utilities, employees’ wages and everything that goes into running a business, I’ve calculated that it costs me about $10 to fill a prescription,” Harris-Torres said. “As a rule of thumb, if it costs me $10 to fill a prescription, how would I be able to do a lot of the $4 or $6 or $7 prescriptions, when I’m not even making enough overhead to pay my own bills?”

A concern that has been raised in regards to pharmacy competition is people filling some of their prescriptions at one pharmacy and others at another phar-

macy.

“This does raise concerns,” HarrisTorres said. “We won’t have a complete file. Wal-Mart won’t have a complete file. It does put an increased risk out there of drug interactions and side-effects to medication will be missed.”

Wilford Wootan, an 80-year-old San Marcos resident, said Medicare makes his prescriptions inexpensive but that he would look into Wal-Mart’s program to see if he can save some money.

For Kay Green, who has insurance through Medicare and Medicaid, WalMart’s $4 program does not offer a benefit.

“I’ve got a plan right now that I’m satisfied with,” Green said. “I’m on the lowest-priced plan that you can get. I only pay 2 to $5 for my prescriptions.”

RABIES: Students urged to avoid contact with ill, disoriented bats CONTINUED from page 1

with a mesh wiring system approved by Bat Conservation International. The department also fields about two calls a month concerning bats stuck in classrooms.

“We do a system of exclusion wiring. In places where there are bats, we go in and put mesh wire over 90 percent of it, and put one-way doors that let the remaining bats leave,” Ellis said. “Once they leave, the door

excludes them from re-entering, and after they’ve all left, we complete the wiring.”

Every fall, once temperatures begin to drop, bats begin their migration south in search of moderate climates. In their migration, rabid bats often come in contact with healthy bats, biting them and spreading the virus.

Mark Brinkley, environmental health director for the City of San Marcos, said bats often get a bad rap. He stressed their ecological benefits, which include

keeping the city’s insect population in check.

“The main thing to know about bats is they really are our friends,” Brinkley said. “They eat a lot of mosquitoes, flies and pesky things that bother us, which is beneficial to us.”

Glenna Teltow, medical entomologist in zoonosis control for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said students should be careful because rabies can be transmitted between animals to humans. In 2005, she

said more than 250 statewide reports regarding bats came out positive for rabies.

“The bats that come into our lab are usually ‘downed bats,’ sick or found in a public place where there is potential exposure to people,” she said.

Since the rabid bat was found in Elliott Hall, Tannya Lee, resident director, has made sure her resident assistants inform the 187 students living in the co-ed dorm during hall meetings.

“I am making sure the resi-

dents understand that if they see a bat that is disoriented, they shouldn’t get anywhere near it,” Lee said. “They shouldn’t touch it.”

However, four students outside Elliott Hall joked about the rabid bat Tuesday afternoon.

Ben Wempe, exercise and sports science sophomore, said he heard about the bat and the precautionary measures the resident assistants were giving.

“If I saw a bat, I’d still try to catch it,” he said. “Unless I saw

it foaming at the mouth; then, I’d try to hit it with a rock.”

Bert Stratemann, animal services manager for San Marcos, said one-third of the bats the department picks up test positive for rabies.

“If you see bats at eye-level or below, on the ground or out during the day, the majority of the time there’s something wrong with them,” Stratemann said. “They’ve either got distemper, they’re ill or they have rabies and you need to call us.”

Page 4 - The University Star

ADVERTISEMENT

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Billboardcharts

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - Page 5

THE BILLBOARD 200

ROCK

COUNTRY

INDIE

2. Evanescence The Open Door

2. Evanescence The Open Door

2. George Strait It Just Comes Natural

2. Senses Fail Still Searching

1. Rod Stewart Still The Same...Great Rock Classics of Our Time

1. Rod Stewart Still The Same...Great Rock Classics of Our Time

1. Jimmy Buffet Take The Weather With You

1. Heartland I Loved Her First

Trends Contact — Maira Garcia, starentertainment@txstate.edu

From sexy to silly Area shops offer costuming ideas

By Whitey Lewis Special to The Star What does a condom, Chewbacca and a breathalyzer test have in common?

For starters, they are among the thousands of Halloween costumes available at Lucy in Disguise With Diamonds’ costume shop on South Congress Avenue in Austin.

The store, occupying 8,000 square feet, is packed to capacity with costumes and accessories from the floor to the ceiling, with little room to spare.

“We have sold out of several things several times this year, but we’re constantly re-ordering things and will continue to restock until Halloween day,” said Floor Manager Fernie Renteria.

“This year pirate costumes and go-go outfits are the toptwo sellers for males and females, respectively. Sexy is the trend, which is why we’ve been running out of the go-go outfits. People are buying these costumes instead of just renting them.”

Lucy in Disguise With Diamonds, which combined stores with neighbor Electric Ladyland, has been open for 22 years, and Renteria said that was the last time the company advertised.

“It’s completely word of mouth. People continue to come here because we have the most comprehensive selection,” Renteria said.

Costumes ranging from cornon-the-cob to the Titanic can be found in the shop, as well as many group and couple options.

Among them are beer and pizza, Beavis and Butthead and Al and Peggy Bundy.

Leslee Lowe, who rented a Tinkerbell costume from the store on Saturday, doesn’t know what to expect out of costumes this year, except that “girls will be sexy,” she said.

Allyson Snodgrass, elementary education sophomore,

Tinay Sallie/Akron Beacon Journal HOMEADE HAUNTS: Many Halloween costumes can be easily made at home, like this ghost, created with cheesecloth and fabric stiffener.

agreed. Snodgrass, a Goodwill employee, said that their store has also sold a lot of 80s promlike dresses.

“People are always looking for the shorter skirt, the low-cut tops and stuff like that,” Sondgrass said, who plans on dressing up as a “naughty” angel herself.

Goodwill has also sold a lot of pirate costumes, which have seen a rise in popularity since the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

“We have an employee that’s in charge of nothing but Halloween. He decides what we put in, what we don’t and what to price it at,” Snodgrass said.

She believes that Goodwill is a popular place to find costumes because the store has a large variety of random items, and offers a cheaper alternative to traditional costume shops. Snodgrass said that Goodwill has already been crowded with people looking for Halloween outfits, and the store plans to have extended hours next weekend to accommodate the onslaught of shoppers.

With the sexy outfits flying off the racks, it appears that the desire to look scary on Halloween has been edged out. America Online’s annual costume ideas list is titled “Sexy, Silly, Stylish” for 2006. This year, the list was compiled from pop-culture Web loggers, and only contains directions for dressing up like headline-grabbing celebrities.

Fashiontribes.com suggests dressing up like Mel Gibson by wearing a cheesy fake beard, a thrift store flannel shirt, cheap jeans, a ring of car keys and a bottle of Manischewitz. An optional addition is the “Sad Max: He’s Gonna Have to Walk” tshirt, which is available on eBay. Celebrity Baby Blog submitted directions for a Maddox Jolie-Pitt costume. A black mowhawk, an “I Love Brangelina” tattoo and a shirt reading

Karl Mondon/Contra Costa Times BIG HEADED: Sonny Massey checks the mask his daughter, Kia, tries out for a possible Halloween costume. Costume stores, such as Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds in south Austin, carry a wide variety of costumes for all ages.

“Shiloh Who?” are all that is necessary to pull this one off.

Gibson and Jolie-Pitt outfits are examples of the evolution of Halloween costumes. In Charles Panati’s book, Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, he explains the history of the holiday. Originally called Samhain, Oct. 31 was the Celtic New Year and officially marked the end of summer in Ireland starting in the fifth century B.C. According to the book, the Celts believed that the disembodied spirits of all those who had died the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. Because of this belief, the Celts would dress up in scary

costumes and parade around the villages, acting destructively in order to ward off spirits in search of a body to possess.

This tradition continued throughout the years and was eventually adopted by the Romans, who incorporated their own rituals around the first century A.D. According to Panati, it wasn’t until the 1840s that the United States came into the modern celebration of Halloween, when the potato famine caused massive Irish immigration to New England in particular. At the time, the tradition was to dress up in scary costumes and commit pranks, such as tipping over outhouses and unhinging gates.

These rituals are a far cry from the sexy Fed-Ex girl, or the “Vote for Pedro” t-shirts that are bound to don Napoleon Dynamite look-a-likes this year.

✯ FYI The San Marcos Goodwill and Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds will both offer extended hours this weekend.

Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds’ Web site, www. lucyindisguise.com, contains hundreds of costume ideas and information on how to rent or purchase items from the store.

TRENDS

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The University Star - Page 6

Media, advertising changing toward Hispanic-centered market

By Maira Garcia The University Star Hispanics have become a powerful force in the media, demanding the attention of advertisers and public relations firms.

According to Deborah Vallejo, vice president for Bromley Communications, an advertising and public relations firm, Hispanic-targeted advertising is critical because of the growing Hispanic population.

Vallejo gave a lecture titled “Hispanic Advertising” as part of Journalism & Mass Communication Week Tuesday in Old Main, Room 320. Vallejo included graphed data and video segments as part of her presentation to show how Hispanic buying power and media habits have changed the way advertisement and public relations campaigns are managed.

Vallejo said the increasing presence of Hispanic-targeted advertising is just a reflection of their consumers.

“It’s just showing an accurate representation of today’s market.

It’s getting back to where things should have been,” she said.

In her presentation, Vallejo said she could remember growing up and not seeing any His-

becoming more demanding and technology savvy.

“You create choices; it’s about customization. People want things their way, so the media is changing,” she said.

Marketing senior Mark Loovis, who attended the lecture, said he was surprised by the statistics Vallejo mentioned regarding Internet consumption among Hispanics and youth.

“I was surprised about the technology use, especially among the Hispanic population and youth. It is eye-opening in that regard,” Loovis said.

According to Vallejo, the statistics show acceptance of Hispanic-focused television such as ABC primetime show Ugly Betty, which airs before the hit show Grey’s Anatomy. Through non-traditional marketing campaigns, Ugly Betty was able to score successful ratings — 16 million in its pilot episode.

“ABC did street marketing, such as when they had 100 Jeannie Yamakawa/Star photo women dressed as Betty hand INTEGRATED INFLUENCES: Deborah Vallejo, vice president of Bromley Communications, presents a out fliers for the show in New documentary showing the contribution of Hispanics to American culture Tuesday afternoon in Old Main. York. They also held an event in Central Park where they premiered the television show,” panics on television shows or a dominant buying force. dren,” Vallejo said.

Vallejo said. “It went beyond advertisements. However, that “Hispanics are a younger Vallejo also said there has traditional advertising, which has changed in the past two de- demographic that tend to be been a shift in media consump- wouldn’t have been sufficient.” cades, as Hispanics have become brand-loyal and have more chil- tion among Hispanics, who are Loovis said he has noticed

these trends in television and media.

“The emergence of reggaeton, Ugly Betty, Hispanic artists becoming really big and Hispanic actors becoming really big, I would say in the last three years it’s become huge,” he said.

“From what I understand, African Americans would determine the trends. Now, it’s shifting to Hispanics determining the new trends.”

Lindsey Randolph, an advertising senior who is currently enrolled in a Hispanic advertising class, attended the lecture.

She said despite the growing number of Hispanics in media, without knowing the statistics, the average person would assume Hispanics didn’t have an influence on media and advertising.

“It’s not as evident as the numbers would suggest,” Randolph said. “I wouldn’t know unless I was taking this class.”

Vallejo said the statistics of Hispanics’ media habits should have an influence on students who are unaware of the changes in demographics.

“I hope that it surprised people, because it is a changing world. People need to be aware that the world is changing, and it’s not always so simple.”

Women’s universities liven up with male enrollment

Poor enrollment numbers force some colleges to go coed

By Patrick Kerkstra The Philadelphia Inquirer It was the sort of thing the Sisters of St. Joseph never had

to worry about before Chestnut Hill College went coed in 2003: excessive student gyration.

The way students tell it, the gyrators — members of a new-

ly formed dance team — were guilty of nothing more than a few pelvic thrusts during a halftime performance at a basketball game.

But that wasn’t how the sisters saw it. Some were deeply offended, and the all-female squad was disbanded.

“Everyone was cheering when we were done except the sisters,” said Jennifer Melendez, a Chestnut Hill junior and one of the dancers. “Their faces looked like they were going to send us to church tomorrow.”

That decision, made in February, is just one way in which Chestnut Hill, along with Immaculata University in Chester County and other religious-affiliated colleges elsewhere, is adjusting to life with male students on campus. Some of the changes are merely structural: higher food bills for the cafeteria and “sturdier” furniture.

Others, including a stronger emphasis on athletics and more attention to clothes, makeup and behavior, are creating what

many call a livelier feeling in classrooms, lunchrooms and dorms — particularly on weekends.

“It’s the energy. It’s intangible, but it’s here and it’s wonderful,” said Sister Patricia Fadden, president of Immaculata, which went coed last year.

The schools are two of about 250 women’s institutions nationwide to have made the coed jump since the 1960s, when women’s colleges were at their peak. Many are faith-based and, like Chestnut Hill and Immaculata, opened their doors to men somewhat reluctantly after years of weak enrollment left them with little choice.

“There was great sadness.

There were many tears shed. We were very, very committed to the education of women. I still believe in it,” said Sister Carol Jean Vale, president of Chestnut Hill.

“But when we made the decision, we knew it was right.”

Fewer than 1 percent of female high school graduates are willing to consider a faith-based,

Clem Murray/Philadelphia Inquirer LIGHT-HEARTED LUNCH: Mike Mitchell, a junior at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, shares lunch and a laugh with Alexis Fedele (right), a senior from Atlantic City and Deborah Ducharme (left), a junior from York at the college dining hall in Philadelphia Sept. 27.

single-sex college, according to a study commissioned by Chestnut Hill before it went coed.

That trend, and the decision it forced, has had a profound impact on the culture of institutions that have gone coed.

School traditions — such as Chestnut Hill’s elaborate Christmas decorations — have been given a shot of testosterone: The college’s male students built a manger scene.

Instead of heading home for the weekends, students at the two schools are much more likely to stay on campus, mingling and going to parties, giving the schools a new 24/7 buzz.

“I never had anybody bounce a basketball over my head at 10 p.m. before the men moved in,” Fadden said.

And athletics have boomed.

See MALE, page 7

Mental health alliance asks for more sensitivity this Halloween

By Bonnie Miller Rubin Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — With the Halloween season under way, mental health advocates have a simple request: Scare people with ghouls and goblins. Fill your haunted house with trap doors and tombstones. But leave out the psychiatric wards, the insane asylums and the bloodthirsty killers in straitjackets.

Such themes, which have become as much a part of Halloween as pumpkins, reinforce negative stereotypes and a stigma that discourages people from seeking treatment, say activists who wage a yearly fight to remove the images from holiday events.

“It’s our annual Halloween horror cycle,” said Bob Carolla,

spokesman for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “The cases vary by size and level of offensiveness, but for some reason, this year has been worse than most.”

So far, word of about 10 particularly egregious attractions has reached the Arlington, Va.-based organization.

The group’s protests have had some effect. The Wheaton, Ill., Jaycees last week scrambled to change the theme of their haunted house from “Insanitarium” to something more generic. They retooled an “electroshock therapy” scene into an electric chair; posters and ads touting the theme were quickly pulled; apologies were issued.

Others have not been as receptive, including organizers of an

asylum-theme house in Murfreesboro, Tenn. and Paramount’s Kings Island, a popular amusement park outside Cincinnati that is touting its “PsychoPath” — an outdoor trail of fright.

In Provo, Utah, a newspaper recently ran an impassioned editorial to “Bring Back Haunted Castle,” a seasonal fixture at a state hospital that used actual patients as performers before being shuttered almost a decade ago.

“A far more evil force cast the monsters out — political correctness,” wrote the Daily Herald, noting that proceeds benefited the patients’ recreation fund.

Most readers who responded were in favor of resurrecting the attraction, despite a NAMI drive “to sway the vote,” according to editorial page editor Donald

Meyers.

Some observers attribute the connection between the scary holiday and psychiatric disorders to the popularity of the 1978 movie Halloween, in which an escaped killer – institutionalized since childhood — goes on a violent rampage. Others say such imagery goes back centuries to medieval times.

Whatever the reason, the depictions are harmful, activists say. Criticizing such themes isn’t about semantics or being humor-impaired, they add, but about calling attention to a public health issue.

According to a U.S. Surgeon General report, stigma remains See HEALTH, page 7

TRENDS/DIVERSIONS

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

HEALTH:

The University Star - Page 6

Jaycees in Illinois quickly clean up haunted-house motif

CONTINUED from page 6

one of the greatest barriers to mental health care. Next month, several groups — including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — will launch a first-ever national campaign to stamp out stereotypes that rarely extend to other ailments.

“It’s hard to imagine a cancer patient losing her wig as a source of amusement for patrons,” Carolla said.

NAMI regularly sends a “Stigmabusters” alert that flags hurtful representations of brain-based disorders to 20,000 subscribers.

Many such instances arise out of ignorance, not maliciousness, NAMI says, and members hope

to change attitudes by contacting the offenders.

After the Wheaton Jaycees heard from NAMI about the group’s Halloween “Insanitarium,” they quickly took action to change the theme.

“Once we realized that there was a public outcry, we did what had to be done,” said Lori Ortolano, a spokeswoman for the

Jaycees. “There was never any question.”

The organization also issued a public apology on its Web site: “We realize that mental illness is a serious problem that can have a great personal impact on many lives. We never intended to make fun or belittle that condition.”

Mary Lou Lowry, head of NAMI’s DuPage County, Ill., affili-

ate, praised the response.

“I’m saddened that these kind of things still happen,” she said.

“But I have to commend them — once we pointed things out, they got on it right away. It’s a good learning opportunity for Wheaton.”

Civic organizations such as the Jaycees are generally more receptive than commercial enterpris-

MALE: Models hired for school photos ✯Star Comics CONTINUED from page 6

With Title IX requirements mandating roughly equal athletic opportunities for male and female students, Chestnut Hill and Immaculata have been rapidly adding men’s teams.

Indeed, both schools used athletics as a major recruiting tool for male students, attracting athletes who might not have gotten an opportunity to play at a school with more established men’s teams.

The schools also put together slick marketing campaigns — Chestnut Hill hired goodlooking male and female models for its photos — that portrayed

their campuses as thoroughly coed. The first few male students were offered generous financialaid packages as a further inducement.

It all worked for Mike Mitchell, a junior at Chestnut Hill.

“I said to myself, ‘This would be a good place to go. I’ll be outnumbered like (five to one),’” he said while eating lunch at a table with five young women.

During his freshman year, Mitchell said older students who had enrolled when Chestnut Hill was a women’s college occasionally gave him hard looks, as if to ask, “What are you doing here?”

“But it’s not like that at all any more. I’m treated like an equal.

I’m not treated like a guy who’s

coming into our girls’ school,” he said.

When his female lunch companions were asked whether they would have considered enrolling at Chestnut Hill if the college had not gone coed, they responded with a chorus of “No.” Female undergraduates still outnumber their male counterparts at Chestnut Hill and Immaculata by nearly 2-1, but that gap has shrunk as overall enrollment has grown. Chestnut Hill has gone from a freshman class of 135 in 2002, its last year as a single-sex school, to 280 this fall.

Immaculata went from a precoed freshman class of 174 in 2004 to 332 this fall.

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

Tuesday’s solutions:

© Pappocom

Tuesday’s solutions:

es, activists say. Despite NAMI complaints, Paramount’s Kings Island is keeping PsychoPath, one of the park’s most popular attractions.

“We are appealing to young adults … and it’s supposed to be more fun than frightening,” said company spokeswoman Maureen Kaiser. “It’s not intended to make light of mental illness.”

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - Page 8

onlineconnection What do you think of the city’s single-family zoning ordinance? Go to www.UniversityStar.com to vote in our online poll. Results will be published in Thursday’s issue of The University Star.

BEST VALUE

*This is not a scientific poll

Opinions Contact — Emily Messer, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

T

exas is proving that a public university isn’t necessarily an affordable university.

Provost Perry Moore announced a proposed tuition and fees increase by 10 percent at a Thursday meeting with more than 200 students filling the room. The proposal called for a $14 increase, which would bring the cost up from $138 per semester hour to $152.

Moore’s goals to raise tuition stem from two reasons: to increase salaries and the number of staff and faculty members. These are two substantial reasons, but any increases place more of a burden on the students. And at an institution that was named one of “America’s Best Value Colleges,” tuition increase should be a hot-button issue.

Moore said he was embarrassed by the salaries of the university’s staff and faculty members. At $67,053, the average Texas State faculty salary ranks last among large universities in the state, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Reasons to raise the quality of our university will be necessary, but students need to look toward the state level to understand the problems of higher education.

William Nance, vice president for finance and support services, said in Tuesday’s The University Star that the Texas Legislature cut appropriations to state universities be approximately 12 percent and at the same time as deregulated tuition in 2003. He said the cuts left universities to finance appropriations through student tuition in the future. Now only 30 percent of Texas State’s funding comes from the state Legislature instead of the 50 percent prior to tuition deregulation.

The Houston Chronicle reported Sept. 25 that while tuition has increased an average 39 percent because of deregulation, state appropriations for student financial aid have increased by a mere 15 percent.

Early voting is right around the corner, so students need to keep these numbers in mind when they begin to go to the polls Thursday. All gubernatorial candidates have announced their stance on tuition deregulation. To ensure that their government doesn’t fail them, students need to let their voice be heard at the polls.

Here is a look at where the candidates stand on higher education.

?

Consider tuition costs when heading to the polls

Letters to the Editor Calling out false accusations I am responding to my opponent’s campaign coordinator Lisa Hanks’ letter to the editor in The University Star Tuesday in which she made several false claims.

First, she said that I voted to take early voting away from the campus during last December’s runoff election. That is a flat out lie and never happened. I have never proposed that and, in fact, I voted for placing early voting polling places on campus each and every year I have been a council member, including last year’s run-off. The official record of my vote is available to anybody who wants the truth. If you have to lie to get your candidate elected, Lisa, he shouldn’t be elected.

Second, she said that I voted to impose an age requirement on council candidates. Another false statement, since I voted against the age restriction, not because I was scared of students as she claims, but because I thought it was the right thing to do.

John Thomaides city council member, Place 6

Lynch arguement poorly researched Re: Sept. 19 letter “Lynch ordeal not a ‘farce’” It is not nice to be so condescending, Mr. Lowery. I’m sure that the military men and women you interviewed were honest and told you honestly what they experienced. A really simple Web search, however, turns up pretty solid evidence of a very different story. John Kampfner of the BBC interviewed a medical doctor who was one of the attending physicians with Jessica Lynch when she was taken to the hospital after losing half her blood. The Iraqi doctors claim the Iraqi troops had left the hospital two days before the rescue and that they had tried to return Lynch but were turned back

by American gunfire (ambulances have been used as suicide vehicles, so this is not surprising).

If Mr. Lowery has evidence that all this was fabricated, I would like to know about it. Also, in the Nov. 7, 2003 issue of the New York Times, Jessica Lynch says that it did “bother” her that she was “used” (her word) to “symbolize all this stuff” (again her words). Was she duped? Brainwashed? It has happened before, but do you have evidence on this case? I’m sure your novel will get it right on the American perspective on that battle with all your research, but maybe there are other valid perspectives on the same events?

Rick Perry-R ° Approved the 2003 tuition deregulation enacted by the state legislature to counteract a $10 million budget deficit. ° Continues to support deregulation. ° Perry spokesman Robert Black has called into question the ability of the state to cover the cost of regulated tuition and tax-free textbooks.

Chris Bell-D ° Opposes deregulation. ° Promised after the gubernatorial debate to veto any higher education legislation that did not re-regulate tuition. ° Favors tax-free textbooks for college students.

Carole Keeton Strayhorn-I ° Initially proposed deregulation in a report to the legislature. ° Now proposes freezing tuition rates for students beginning his or her freshman year. ° Favors tax-free textbooks for college students.

Richard “Kinky” Friedman-I ° Opposes deregulation. ° Said he will remove all the “old farts” from the boards of regents and replace them with students. ° Favors tax-free textbooks for college students. ° Said he would work with textbook publishers to reduce costs.

Tom Cuddy history junior

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 UniversitySan Marcos.

Pat Stark/Star illustration

Think you have something to say? Log on to www.UniversityStar.com and click on the letters link to read old letters and submit new ones.

Proposition 4 a vote for arts, culture, intellectualism Fall brings many in Austin is one of them. things. There are Prop 4 would split $31.5 cooler temperatures, million between six Auschanging leaves, tin cultural facilities, inveiled threats, blind cluding Austin Studios, paranoia, rampaging where Quinten Tarintino fear and a general and Robert Rodriguez lowering of the col- SEAN WARDWELL have filmed their latest lective IQ. project, Grindhouse.

Star Columnist That’s right, folks.

So why just up and It’s election season. give $31.5 million to the It’s time for the worst angels of arts? I can already hear all you our nature to have a romp in Fox News watchers out there the balmy air. Run, you puny saying, “The arts don’t need mortals and quiver in your money. That’s governmental homes. It’s democracy time. waste run amok. That money Sorry to sound so cynical, should go where it belongs: but politics in America has all to tax cuts for the rich. Screw the subtleness of a monsterthe arts.” Well that kind of truck rally and it’s about as erreasoning (if it can be called udite too. Thankfully though, that) is why America is raising some rays of reason manage a generation of culturally ilto break through the clouds of literate twits who can’t tell the deception and Proposition 4 difference between Mozart and

The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708

macaroni.

I had the benefit of growing up in a family that believed in the value of the museum.

Every weekend brought a trip to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Contemporary Arts Museum, or the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and yes, even the Menil Collection sometimes. Did being exposed to all this art help me land a better job? Did it make my whites whiter or my coffee taste better in the morning?

No, it didn’t. It’s not supposed to. Not all things are supposed to end in some sort of material profit. The intellectual profit, however, is enormous. Good art uplifts us simply because it is there, be it film, music, paintings, sculpture or whatever. We need it because it is

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an emotional history of our species.

We have free speech in this country, but free speech isn’t always free. It is an idea that requires a constant reinvestment for it to remain real. It is not enough to say you are for free speech. Sometimes you have to pay. An easy analogy would point to soldiers who have died to protect our freedoms, but it’s an intellectually cheap one too. The people who point those soldiers out are still alive and can lean on that sacrifice and feel smug and secure. No, sometimes you have to open up your pocketbooks and shell out a little cash to keep the torch of freedom lit. Someone has to pay the gas bill.

And yes, often you won’t like what your money produces.

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The art that is produced might be seen as offensive on a religious or political level, but that’s what good art does. It provokes a response. It makes you think. It can’t all be a stilllife with apples. Sometimes it has to be a crucifix submerged in urine or a blood-splattered or burning American flag.

Why? Because once again, your right to say what you want is only as good as the people you hate’s right to say what they want.

So celebrate that; I dare you.

Let’s see how committed you are to this idea of free speech.

Prop 4 is a good idea. Not only will it give money to the Austin Film Society and Austin Studios, but it will help fund the Zachary Scott Theater, the Mexic-Arte Museum, The

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Mexican-American Cultural Center, the Hamilton-Dietrich House (the first house bought by freed slaves in Austin) and an Asian-American Resource Center. All of these are very good causes and worthy of public support.

By voting yes on Prop 4, you will reaffirm your commitment to free speech and to raising a culturally literate generation.

There are classic works out there just waiting to be rediscovered. Who knows; being exposed to those works could bring about the next Rauschenberg, or Puccini or De Niro.

Helping the arts uplifts us all.

If you live in Austin (and many of you do), vote yes on Prop 4.

Sean Wardwell is a communication studies senior

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 25, 2006. 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.

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FOR RENT-HOUSES

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FOR SALE MATCHING DRESSER, CHEST, AND NIGHTSTAND. $125 or better offer. Call Karina (210) 875-0230.

JAPANESE MADE POWER SCOOTER, 50CC engine, fully automatic, 55/60 miles per gal., top speed 55/60, used 2 months. (512) 392-6742.

HELP WANTED P/T CHILD CARE, 2 children, M-F 3-6:30 p.m., Manchaca, Texas, $420 monthly. (512) 825-1695. $ $ $. GREAT Money! Seeking BARTENDERS, servers, and entertainers.

PT space FT space, flexible schedules, fun loving atmosphere. SUGAR’S 404 Highland Mall Blvd (Across from Highland Mall). (512) 451-1711.

PART TIME waiter/dishwasher/hostess. Saturdays and Sundays only. Contact Blair House Inn (512) 847-1111.

WANTED SECURITY/ DOORMAN. (512) 944-3993.

TUTOR/NANNY POSITION available in San Marcos through May 18, 2007. Prefer Interdisciplinary Studies/Education Generalist 4-8 major with GPA of 3.0 or greater. Nonsmokers only. Pays $7+/hour depending on experience plus bonus opportunities.

Call (512) 787-7609 for an application. More info on Jobs4Cats #5123.

Interviewing now!

EXTREMELY GIFTED NEEDS HIGHLY SKILLED WRITER FOR PRESS RELEASES. Please email portfolio to shannon@extremelygifted.com or call (512) 396-4438.

ATTENTION STUDENTS! POSITIONS AVAILABLE •$13 Base Appointment •Flexible Schedules •Customer Sales/Service •No Experience Needed, will train •All Ages 17+ •Conditions Apply Call today (512) 392-7377 www.workforstudents.com

HELP WANTED

NOW HIRING. Experience preferred.

Breakfast Host, Housekeepers, Housemen, Front Desk Associates, Night Auditor, Maintenance. Apply within.

(512) 353-7770. Part-time. Flexible.

Perfect job for student.

ATHLETIC, OUTGOING MEN for calendars, greeting cards, etc. $75-200/ hr. No exp. needed, (512) 684-8296.

EQUESTRIAN AND PHOTO MODELING OPPORTUNITIES. Apply on-line @ www.texasarabianhorses.com CLEAR SPRINGS CAFE IS NOW HIRING energetic, high-volume, food servers, bussers, hostess and kitchen help. Full and part time. Must be available for weekends. Apply in person between 2-5pm M-F at 1692 Hwy 46 South (3 miles off IH-35 between New Braunfels and Seguin).

BOBCATSNEEDJOBS.COM. We need Paid Survey Takers in San Marcos. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

WIMBERLEY ATHLETIC CLUB. Open 7 days a week. Part-time positions, front desk, must be working on a related degree, $6 per hour. Ideally suited for kiniesology/physiology majors looking to develop into a full time professional fitness trainer upon graduation. E-mail resume to ironsarah@aol.com and call (512) 560-6761.

EARN $800-$3,200 A MONTH to drive brand new cars with ads placed on them. www.DriveAdCars.com ATHLETIC MALE MODELS WANTED for physique photography in Austin. $200-$1,000 per session.

Call Wu at (512) 927-2448.

HOLIDAY HELP WANTED!! Off Sak’s 5th Avenue. Pick up application in person at Outlet Mall, 3943 HWY 35S, Suite 800, San Marcos, TX 78666. Send to Rita Casanova or Erica Peterson (512) 392-8040. !BARTENDING! Up to $300/day.

No experience necessary. Training Provided. Age 18+ OK. (800) 965-6520 x 157.

HELP WANTED

MERCHANDISER NEEDED FOR SAN MARCOS. 11 hours per week.

Hours increased to 18 hours for Nov. & Dec. Tues., Sat., and holidays required. Call 1-800-999-0904 ext.

50054.

PAPER BEAR - A downtown gift shop hiring for following shifts: 9-7, 9-2, 1-7. Starting pay $6.50/hr. Pick up application in person. Must be able to work minimum 30 hrs. per week, Mon.-Sat. PHOTOGRAPHER NEEDS FEMALE MODELS FOR FASHION AND GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY. $20/hr. No exp. needed. Call (512) 395-8972.

MISCELLANEOUS INTERESTED IN MEDIEVAL ARMORED COMBAT, FENCING, ARTS AND CRAFTS, BELLYDANCING, OR MUSIC? Check into the local chapter of the SCA at http://ffynnon-gath.ansteorra.org AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE! http://www.CathleenCranford. mynetquotes.com.

SERVICES WWW.STUDENTATTORNEY.COM

SUBLEASE THE RIDGE SUBLEASE, 2BD/2BA, Nov. 06-Aug 07, no deposit, $439 mo, all bills paid except elec., pets ok.

(512) 715-2157 or fo1003@txstate.edu

WANTED

USED CARS, TRUCKS, VANS. Any condition, running or not. If you have something to sell please call Willis Mitchell. (512) 353-4511.

COME WORK FOR THE STAR! Are you interested in learning how a newspaper is made? Do you have a writing talent none of your friends appreciate? Would you like to see your name in print?

The Star is currently hiring for the following positions: •News reporters Must be able to gather information, conduct interviews and come into the newsroom to have stories edited.

•Sports writers Must be able to attend games, interview coaches and players and come into newsroom to have stories edited.

•Entertainment writers Must be able to report on arts and entertainment events on campus and in Central Texas, conduct interviews and come into newsroom to have stories edited.

•Opinions columnists Must be able to write well-organized and thought-provoking columns about on-campus and local happenings.

Must be able to work with the editorial staff to create editorial cartoons and story illustrations as well as bring original ideas to the table.

Pick up an application at the Trinity Building, or download one at www.universitystar.com.

SPORTS

flag footballupdate

THE UNIVERSITY STAR

This week’s rankings are the last before playoffs start. Check out the Game of the Week today at 5 p.m., when the Zeta Playaz battle it out with the D-Sweets on Field 3.

—Courtesy of Campus Recreation

Wednesday, October, 2006 - Page 10

Men’s

Women’s

1. TKE 2. ODPhi 3. Man Law 4. Shine On 5. Booze Hounds

1. Blazers 2. Bandits 3. Zeta Playaz 4. D-Sweets 5. Sterry Stunnas

Co-Rec

1. Your Mom 2. Blue Chips 3. Butler Badasses 4. SWT Skeezers 5. The Truth

Sports Contact — Chris Boehm, starsports@txstate.edu

NFL can’t hold a candle to college ball

WILLIAM WARD Star Columnist College football is better than the NFL. I hate oversimplifying my opinions, but that’s what it comes down to. I’m still an NFL fan. I was awfully sore watching my Dallas Cowboys get embarrassed on Monday Night Football. I could get into how ridiculous Monday Night Football has become under ESPN’s rule, but that’s another story.

While I know college ball is better than the NFL, I hate getting reminded of it. This Sunday, I got reminded. It actually escaped my initial notice because I am so used to how businesslike the NFL has become.

The Steelers and Falcons played this Sunday in Atlanta in a fairly exciting game that ended in an overtime victory for Atlanta. Atlanta’s quasi-quarterback Michael Vick actually threw the ball, and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger actually played like a quarterback who won the Super Bowl nine months ago. He left the game early with a concussion and his backup Charlie Batch played well, only adding to the excitement of the game.

CBS was broadcasting, and as it drew close to a finish, it was cut off and went to the in-studio crew. The game had gone beyond its time slot, and CBS could no longer show live footage of the game.

This nicely sums up what the NFL is all about: money. Football, to me, should be all about (you guessed it) football. I can’t blame the NFL; it’s a billiondollar business. But that doesn’t

mean I have to endorse it, or pretend teams actually care about playing a game that at one point they loved more than anything, especially when I can see better football on Saturday mornings.

College teams mean more to their fans than NFL teams do, because they represent more than just a gathering of individuals from all over America who are paid millions of dollars for a game. College teams are kids who go to a school that many of its fans actually went to (and hopefully graduated from). They represent amateurism. They are not filthy rich, above the common people. They’re poor college students, just like many fans are at some point.

A college football team is playing for school, city or state pride.

An NFL football team is playing for a city that can afford to keep a team, a fat paycheck and groupies. A college athlete hopes to get his name in the paper; an NFL player hopes his drug test comes back clean. College teams must treat every regular season game as if it is their last; one loss is bad, but two losses essentially finish a team. If an NFL team has already clinched a playoff spot, NFL players regularly sit out the last few games. I’m not saying that the college post-season system is perfect, but at least it’s competitive from season’s beginning to season’s end.

Consider what these teams represent. The New York Jets and Giants share the same stadium, and don’t even play in the state of New York. The Nebraska Cornhuskers regularly host over 80,000 Nebraskans in a state of only 1.7 million people. The NFL can only represent 32 cities, and some cities have more than one team. There are over 100 Division I-A football teams. The NFL can’t represent Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, or any other state that has great football history but lacks a lucrative market.

David Racino/Star photo NOTHING GETS BY: Freshman libero Kacey Wimpy digs an attack Tuesday night during the Bobcat’s 3-1 victory over Texas-Arlington at Strahan Coliseum.

Texas State takes defensive battle in four

By Chris Boehm The University Star Texas-Arlington coach Diane Seymour had had enough of Amy Weigle.

Seymour called a timeout midway through game four Tuesday at Strahan Coliseum, immediately after Weigle gave the Texas State volleyball team a 16-11 advantage. The move proved futile, as three plays later Weigle notched her 18th kill of the night on the Bobcats’ way to a four-game victory.

“She was huge for us tonight,” said teammate Lawrencia Brown. “We knew UTA was weak defensively up the middle, so we wanted to set for our middle blockers and let them get the kills.”

The Bobcats’ game plan came through, as Brown and fellow middle blocker Karry Griffin contributed on offense with 19 and 12 kills, respectively. The Bobcats won the match 30-23, 30-22, 27-30 and 30-24.

The match was the second of the year between the two teams. Back in September,

Texas State dropped its ninth contest in a row to the Mavericks in Arlington.

“Tonight the difference was offense,” said coach Karen Chisum. “We hit an .090 against them last time, so that tells you there we did not play well.”

The Bobcats hit .284 as a team Tuesday night, led by Weigle, Brown and Kelly Fletcher. Brown and Fletcher each posted 16 kills.

“This win was very big,” Brown said. “Our place in conference isn’t very high right now, so we needed this to set the tone for how we’ll play at home.”

The Bobcats opened the night by dominating in games one and two, out-digging the Mavs 51 to 38. UTA came into the match as the top defensive team in the league, with three of its players averaging about four digs a game.

“They’re not great offensively, but they’re a scrappy team that gets better as the game goes on,” Chisum said. “That’s why I was worried after game three.”

After playing close to perfection in the

first two games, Texas State dropped the third in a contest that was closely contested throughout.

The Bobcats held an early 6-3 lead following an attack error from UTA’s Teena Sobczak, but Texas State would trail most of the way. The Bobcats regained the lead late, on a Fletcher kill that made the score 23-22. The game seesawed to 27-all, at which point two Texas State attack errors sandwiched a Torie Dacus ace to give the Mavs new life.

Several long volleys highlighted Tuesday’s match, something Chisum expected with the UTA defense on the floor. The defensive pressure the Mavericks displayed prevented several of Brown’s attempts from going down as Bobcat points. The sophomore finished the night with 17 digs to go with her offensive production.

“It does get frustrating,” Brown said. “(The team) was setting great for me tonight, and you just have to keep at it.”

Texas State returns to action at Strahan Coliseum Friday against Nicholls State.

Game time is 7 p.m.

Flag football playoffs spearhead second wave of intramural sports activity

By Jacob Mustafa The University Star

David Racino/Star photo HOME FREE: Andrew Gephart, communication studies junior, breaks past two players during a Sunday-night game at the Intramural Fields.

Football playoffs are on the horizon at Texas State, but they will not be played in Bobcat Stadium.

The intramural flag football playoffs will kick off Monday, leading into a November full of intramural tournaments and sports.

Graduate assistant David Arndt from the department of campus recreation has played in and now helps supervise the flag football playoffs, and said it can be an exciting experience for all of those involved, whether they are student spectators or athletes.

“I’ve been involved in them for a while,” Arndt said. “And they’re definitely fun to play and fun to watch.”

The flag football playoffs are a single-elimination tournament beginning within the individual divisions (residence hall, Greek, men, women and co-rec), as two teams from each advance to the playoffs.

While no flag football players would call the journey to the playoffs easy, it is relatively simple to get involved. Many teams are composed of friends or fraternity brothers, and even people who happen to live in the same building.

“We’re almost all from Jackson Hall, and we’re almost all from the eighth floor,” said Chase Adams, captain of The Shockers, who went 4-1 in their Res Hall Men division.

“We’re all pretty good friends at this point.”

The entire lot of the teams from every league will be trying to match the success of the Heat, last year’s co-rec champions. Only one team has defeated The Heat in over two years.

That team, The Truth, finished with an identical 4-1 record this year, placing it on even footing entering the playoffs.

“It’s pretty intense,” Arndt said.

“Because it is win-or-go-home with the single elimination, all the teams

are out there trying their hardest.”

Many of these teams are comprised not just of teammates who know each other, but also former high-school football players who have been playing since they could understand the game. However, past experience in football does not always translate to the flag football fields.

“We’ve all played regular football, so we do know what we’re doing out there,” said Jesse Aguirre, captain of the undefeated Booze Hounds. “But it’s definitely kind of different.”

The playoffs, barring any rain delays, will start Monday at the Intramural Fields across from Strahan Coliseum and Bobcat Village.

While the flag football playoffs are the highlight of the upcoming intramural sports events at Texas State, there are many sports beginning in the month of November that are building interest.

For the first year ever, intramural tennis and racquetball tournaments

will be held one day each. Instead of spreading the games within a week, as was done in the past, the entirety of each tournament will be played Nov. 4 for tennis and Nov. 11 for racquetball.

The three-on-three basketball tournament will begin Nov. 8, but entry into the games must be completed by Nov. 2. While the event was not the biggest success in 2005, Arndt is confident in a better turnout this year.

“Last year, we did not have that many people come out because the school-sponsored tournament at the Rec coincided with our tournament,” Arndt said. “So I’m hopeful the turnout will be better this year.”

The intramural soccer season has already begun and senior Kin Poon, player for the G.S.E. team, said she is excited for play to be under way.

“It’s just a great way to blow off some steam,” Poon said. “After a long day at school, it’s just an exciting way to take your mind off things.”