10 30 2012

Page 1

VOLUME 102, ISSUE 29

www.UniversityStar.com

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tuesday

OCTOBER 30, 2012

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Dia de Los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration honoring the memory of lost loved ones. To learn more, visit UniversityStar.com.

Speaker addresses media bias By Nancy Young News Reporter

Ethan Zuckerman gave the 2012-2013 Common Experience speech Monday to a full audience in Evans Liberal Arts Auditorium. This year’s Common Experience theme is “A Global Odyssey: Exploring Our Connections to the Changing World.” Zuckerman is an American media scholar, blogger and Internet activist, and the director of the MIT Center for Civic Media. The Common Experience is a year-long initiative at Texas State designed to cultivate a common intellectual conversation across campus, according to the university website. Zuckerman’s speech was titled “The Innocence of Newsweek: Why all Media is Biased, and What We Can Do About It.” His title was based off the controversial movie “Innocence of Muslims,” an anti-Islamic video that sparked demonstrations and violent protests in Egypt on Sept. 11 this year. News stations attributed the cause of the event to violent Muslim rage, which wasn’t the whole truth, Zuckerman said. Zuckerman said he wanted to talk about the simple question of media bias, starting with the argument that all news outlets are prejudiced. “When you are talking about media, you are always talking about a message they focus on,” Zuckerman said. “If you think about bias in terms of just left and right, you really miss critical information that we need to pay at-

Symposium discusses water shortage, student debt By Andrew Osegi and Megan Carthel The University Star The future of Texas State, water and the environment were on the table during a Texas Tribune discussion held Monday on campus. “The Future of Water” was an installment of “The Texas Tribune Festival: On The Road,” a series of one-day symposiums around the state. The symposium considered the economical, environmental and political complications to confronting the state’s water crisis. Speakers included House Speaker Joe Straus, Carolyn Brittin, deputy executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board and State Rep. Allan Ritter, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. Andrew Sansom, executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, Texas State’s water research center, was also in attendance. “Water and the Land,” one of several panels held throughout the symposium, focused on the John Casares, Staff Photographer conservation of water in agricultural areas. Evan Smith, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, holds a conversation with President Denise Trauth Oct. 29 at Bobcat Stadium. The pair discussed multiple topics regarding the future READ WATER, PAGE 3 of education in Texas and how Texas State would be affected.

HONORING THE DEAD

READ ZUCKERMAN, PAGE 3

Connection found between Texas State, A&M threats

Kristen Lefebvre, Staff Photographer

Emily Palacio, third grader, applies rhinestones to her Dia de Los Muertos face paint Oct. 27 at Centro Cultural de San Marcos.

Photo courtesy of Brazos County Sheriff’s Department

Dia de Los Muertos celebrates lives of the deceased READ THE FULL STORY, PAGE 5

By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor Investigators have determined the bomb threats made to Texas State and Texas A&M University within a 24-hour span are connected. According to the Bryan-College Station Eagle, a man was charged Monday for a bomb threat made Oct. 19 to Texas A&M. Dereon Jayronne Kelly, 22, is the former or current boyfriend of Brittany Nicole Henderson. Henderson, 19, is the former Texas State student who made a similar bomb threat Oct. 18 to the university. Henderson was arrested Oct. 23 by Bryan police. The arrest occurred after investigators traced an email containing the bomb threat to an account allegedly belonging to her, said Daniel Benitez, University Police Department captain. Henderson is being held on $300,000 bail: $50,000 for each of her three counts of a terroristic threat and three counts of false alarm. Three emails were sent to a Texas State admissions counselor from a Yahoo address containing Henderson’s name. Investigators were able to track Hender-

READ BOMB THREAT, PAGE 3

Campus political organizations face off By Monica Solis News Reporter Students from Texas State political organizations mirrored their national counterparts Thursday, voicing views on higher education, social and economic issues during a University Star-sponsored debate. Representatives from College Republicans, Young Americans for Liberty at Texas State and the International Socialist Organization at Texas State participated in the debate. The representative from the College Democrats did not come to the event. Christina Webb, Joseph Sadler and Joshua Blakeney represented the Young Americans for Liberty. The College Republicans’ debaters were Megan Trexler, Kristopher Infante and Alex Jones. Matthew Korn debated for the International Socialist Organization. Several issues regarding higher education were brought up during the debate, and the affordability of a college degree was a point

of contention among the organizations. Infante of the College Republicans said 50 percent of students think college isn’t affordable. He said administrative costs are “bogging down the system,” and he suggested restricting Pell grant requirements so only the neediest low-income students would be eligible. Korn of the International Socialist Organization, however, proposed increasing the amount of Pell grants being awarded. He said incentivizing a four-year degree plan would not be practical for students who have to work while attending school, among other examples. The use of race as an admissions standard received mixed opinions from the political organizations. The topic has received national attention as a result of a recent Supreme Court case. Korn said race is just another factor considered during the admissions process, along with others, such as alumni connections. He said racism is a fact of society “whether we like it or not,” and a person’s

background has to be considered in order to be better understood. Sadler of the Young Americans for Liberty said ethnicity should not be considered during admissions because it makes racism more prevalent, and that people’s backgrounds have nothing to do with their successes. “Just because you grew up in a bad place does not mean you can’t be successful,” Sadler said. Infante said he believes race should not factor into the admission process, expressing similar concerns as Sadler. “As a Hispanic, I don’t believe I should have any advantage over anybody else,” Infante said. “I want to get into a school for my merits.” The student organizations were presented with the topic of the war on drugs and how it should be handled. Korn said the war on drugs is one of the worst examples of racism in today’s society.

READ DEBATE, PAGE 3


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10 30 2012 by The University Star - Issuu