HOT TAMALE!
NOT SO WIMPY
First-time tamaleras seek the help of spirits in a bilingual comedy on campus Saturday
Freshman libero rocks out as last line of defense for volleyball team
SEE TRENDS PAGE 7
SEE SPORTS PAGE 16
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM
OCTOBER 26, 2006
THURSDAY
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 27
Questions arise over candidates addressing ASG By Nick Georgiou The University Star Candidates running against clients of the political consulting firm McCabe, Anderson and Prather (M.A.P.) are concerned that the Associated Student Government may be getting a one-sided viewpoint of some races. Seven of the 10 candidates who have addressed the ASG
Senate this semester are affiliated with M.A.P. County Judge Jim Powers, 428th District Judge Bill Henry, Mayor Susan Narvaiz, district attorney candidate Sherry Tibbe, city councilman John Thomaides and city council candidate Betsy Robertson are all M.A.P. clients who have appeared before the Senate. M.A.P. also represented unopposed City Council Place 6 candidate Betsy Robertson pro
Primetime anchor Quinones brings uplifting message to Mass Communication Week
bono. Only two candidates running against M.A.P. clients have spoken to the Senate. Those two candidates are Anna Martinez Boling, Henry’s Democratic opponent, and Liz Sumter, Powers’ Democratic opponent. Robertson was not on the agenda but spoke during the public forum. As mayor, Narvaiz, who is also running unopposed, regularly addresses ASG. “If your goal as an organi-
zation is to simply provide an unbiased view, then you would want to present both sides of the issue,” said Wesley Mau, Republican district attorney candidate. Mau’s opponent, Tibbe, spoke to ASG Oct. 9. ASG President Kyle Morris said the organization is under no obligation to actively seek out opposing candidates. He said it is entirely up to the can-
didate to contact ASG. “If anybody hasn’t come to speak at ASG, it’s because it wasn’t important enough for them to speak (to students),” Morris said. Jordan Anderson, Texas State alumnus, former ASG president and M.A.P. cofounder, said he always sought out both candidates that were running for city election when he was president. Anderson said each ASG ad-
ministration is free to set its own policy. “It depends on the administration and what they are targeting specifically as ASG,” he said. “What one administration does to the next isn’t set out in stone. It’s probably going to change from year to year.” ASG Vice President Amanda Oskey is in charge of the Senate’s See M.A.P., page 4
Macabre Mansion
By Marquita Griffin Special to The Star
sophomore in high school. “Me and my buddy tore up Southwest Texas,” Quinones John Quinones, co-anchor of said. ABC Primetime, received more He attended his first semesthan 50 rejection letters before ter of college at then-Southwest his career ever began. Texas State and from there he “I got over 50 letters of rejec- attended and graduated from tion, but I did not and would St. Mary’s University in San not take ‘no’ for an answer,” Antonio. Quinones said. He advised future reporters Quinones was a guest speaker to intern at small places beduring Mass Communication cause, “You can stumble and Week and his lecture, “A Net- make mistakes and it is OK.” work Correspondent’s 20/20 Quinones said he perfected Vision,” attracted an audience his skill while at the small inof students and faculty that ternships where he contributed filled the third-floor lecture seven-second commercial tags room in Old Main. like, “now available at WalMass communication stu- greens.” He also broadcasted dents are attending lectures of the news from the 11 p.m. to 2 guest speakers to receive extra a.m. shift for KKYX. credit for classes, but some stuHe told media students to dents said they would have at- never be afraid to do anything tended the lecture even if extra and to be gutsy. credit was not offered. He said working for Prime“I get extra credit, but I time was a dream come true wanted to hear him anyway,” because there are stories evsaid Dustin Braud, advertising erywhere and that need to be senior. told. Jenna Quinn, broadcast se“I will go to places that peonior, said she ple don’t want went to see to go to,” QuiQuinones nones said. because she He went to wanted to hear Sierra Leone, what he had to Africa, where a say. civil war is oc“He is who curring, and I wanted to covered a story see the most,” on the “blood Quinn said. diamonds,” in Quinones which money described his from diamonds roots as a boy were used to fi- John Quinones who had to nance the war. ABC Primetime co-anchor shine shoes He said stoand pick tories such as matoes to the one on help support the blood diahis poor family. But he said monds are why students are he knew he was meant to be a needed in the media field. reporter because when he was Quinones said if students young, he “would run around have a passion for something the neighborhood to spread they truly believe in, they the news.” should not give up and should He said Geraldo Rivera gave pursue that passion wholehim the inspiration to be a re- heartedly. porter. He credits the Upward Quinones has won eight Bound program at Texas State Emmy awards, “Which is no for giving him the push in the small feat,” said Kym Fox, mass right direction. Upward Bound communication lecturer. is a program that prepares high Quinn said she felt privileged school students for college and to hear Quinones’ lecture. helps them realize their poten“He spoke from his backtials. ground — where he’s from, and Quinones said he came to not where he is at,” Quinn said. Texas State for the first time as “He had great information and part of the program and stayed he gave hope to the students in Butler Hall when he was a going into their fields.”
“I
got over 50 letters of rejection, but I did not and would not take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Monty Marion/Star photo A ghoul sitting at a piano made of bones greets visitors to the Mansion of Terror before they move on to brave rooms of medical experiments, chainsaw wielding maniacs and mad scientists. See Trends Page 7
Excessive cadmium levels found in some paints By Brooke Keller The University Star
Cotton Miller/Star photo SEEING RED: Because of alleged high levels of cadmium in the water, some art students are having to dispose of dirty water and leftover paint into buckets instead of pouring down the sink.
The University Risk Management and Safety Department asked the Art Department at the beginning of October to collect all paint containing cadmium after tests conducted revealed higher-than-normal levels of the potentially toxic substance. “We have a wastewater discharge permit with the city of San Marcos that only allows us to have certain levels of cadmium. We were asked to collect samples of the water that is rinsed off of the students’ paintbrushes,” said Lisa Arceneaux, Risk Management and Safety Environmental Health and Safety specialist. “We collected the rinse water and when the test results came back it showed that the levels of cadmium in the water were much higher that what our waster water permit allows.” The university’s waste water permit allows a cadmium dis-
charge of .36 milligrams per liter, but the initial sample collected around the end of September revealed a cadmium discharge of 27 milligrams per liter, Arceneaux said. Cadmium is found in Cadmium Red and Cadmium Yellow paints that are suggested for students to buy as part of their course materials. Cadmium is a natural element that is used in other products, such as batteries and cigarettes. High intake as well as prolonged exposure to the substance is shown to damage the lungs, irritate the stomach and even lead to kidney disease. “I know a lot of artists who have suffered liver and brain damage just from being in the studio for so long,” said Roxana Tuff, art lecturer. Tuff said a lot of paints previously contained metals and lead See CADMIUM, page 6
State, local politicians gather for League of Women Voters Debate By Zach Halfin The University Star Candidates for state and local offices squared off Monday night at the San Marcos Area League of Women Voters Candidates Debate. Approximately 100 people attended the debate held at the
San Marcos Activity Center to hear candidates from 11 Hays County contested races on the upcoming Nov. 7 ballot. Elizabeth Sumter, Democratic candidate for Hays County judge, used her time to attack Republican incumbent Jim Powers’ political and business history.
Today’s Weather
Isolated T-Storms 86˚/56˚
Precipitation: 30% Humidity: 52% UV: 5 Moderate Wind: SW 11 mph
“If you knew the current leader of the county had five businesses that failed because of non-payment of taxes, and two of them the comptroller filed tax liens on in Hays County for non payment of state, county and city taxes, would you trust him to manage a $75 million contract?” Sumter asked. “If you
Two-day Forecast Friday Sunny / Windy Temp: 75°/ 50° Precip: 10%
Saturday Sunny Temp: 77°/ 46° Precip: 10%
knew that the current county judge got almost 80 percent of his campaign money from outside Hays County, including 10 states outside of the state of Texas, and that he took contributions from developers and folks who are interested in tax abatements, and then put them on the agenda two to four months
later and voted on those agenda items, would you trust him to manage your roads?” Sumter said Powers attempted to buy Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation while sitting as county judge. Powers said those accusations were untrue and that the debate was not the forum for such is-
sues. “There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and that’s what we need to be talking about, not discussing how much chicken I sell to Popeye’s,” Powers said. Candidates for State Repre-
Inside News ..............1-6 Trends ...........7-12 Crossword ....... 12 Sudoku ............ 12
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See DEBATE, page 6
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