VOLUME 102, ISSUE 30
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WEDNESDAY GO NE ONLI NOW
OCTOBER 31, 2012
A Magical Texas State Team
Quidditch teams from across the state gathered on campus to battle it out for the Diamond Cup. To learn more, visit UniversityStar.com.
New committee Award-winning journalist speaks on campus to deal with sex discrimination and misconduct By Nora Riordan News Reporter
By Nicole Barrios News Reporter Texas State has created a committee to better deal with issues concerning gender equality and sex discrimination across campus. Title IX is the federal gender-equity law prohibiting sex discrimination and misconduct in education. The new Title IX collaborative committee will meet monthly to assess university policies regarding the law and related issues that may arise. Herman Horn, chief diversity officer and director of equity and access, was designated as Title IX coordinator last September after he suggested the university form a committee. Horn said the project was spearheaded after he recently attended Title IX training. Title IX, a part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” “It made good sense to form some type of collaborative group on campus to address Title IX issues,” Horn said. The committee gathered Oct. 5 for its inaugural meeting. Horn said the committee is representative of different offices in the university that have some role or responsibility regarding Title IX, especially relating to sexual misconduct. The committee will handle student and employee complaints, including discrimination and sexual harassment issues. Ismael Amaya, assistant dean of students, said with the creation of the new committee, more people are going to be aware of the university’s responsibilities to respond to sex discrimination and misconduct cases. Amaya said prior to the creation of the committee, the Office of Student Justice always reviewed violations of the code of
Mike Leary used the money he made from his first news story at age 6 to buy his friends Cherry Cokes. Leary is now a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and editor of the San Antonio Express-News, and he discussed his career in media with students Tuesday as part of Mass Communication Week. Leary directed a Philadelphia Inquirer team effort that won a 2012 Pulitzer for a series on school violence. Leary, who has reported in 35 countries and all 50 states, talked to students about his journalism career, which he said is a rare job where “Work is not work.” He said journalists are both witnesses and participants of history. Major national issues are unfolding in Texas, specifically in the border region, he said. About 60,000 Mexican nationals have moved to San Antonio to seek better futures for their children, which has significantly changed the Express-
READ MIKE LEARY, PAGE 3
RACING REVENUE
Airport, hotels prepare for Formula One By Monica Solis News Reporter San Marcos is revving up for the large crowds anticipated to attend the Grand Prix Formula One race held mid-November in Austin. The F1 race will be held Nov. 16 through 18 at the Circuit of the Americas, a recently constructed venue built specifically for the competition. San Marcos officials said they are preparing for an influx of guests to the city as a result of the race. San Marcos is expected to draw visitors to the airport, downtown areas and the outlet mall. Mayor Daniel Guerrero said although the city is not hosting any
READ EQUALITY, PAGE 3
promotional or corresponding events for F1, officials will be looking at steps regarding law enforcement and public safety during that weekend. Guerrero said the F1 race needs to be seen on a more regional level, and the economic impact to the area will be tremendous. “It’s not just great for San Marcos, but for all of Central Texas,” Guerrero said. The San Marcos Municipal Airport is utilizing a new radar display called the National Offload Program . The program is a secure, additional piece of equipment that has been added to monitor aircraft traffic between the San Marcos and Austin areas, said Laurie Moyer, managing director of Commu-
nity Services. Moyer oversees airport activity as part of her duties. She said the Austin airport is most likely already booked for the race. The San Marcos airport will provide an alternative for people coming in on their own aircraft or on noncommercial flights. “Our role is to facilitate safety and attract aircraft (traffic),” Moyer said. San Marcos is not hosting any F1 events, but it is looking to service large groups of visitors by providing general tourist information, said Rebecca Ramirez, executive director of the San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau.
READ FORMULA ONE, PAGE 3
It’s not just great for San Marcos, but for all of Central Texas.”
Water pipeline break prompts boil notice
— Mayor Daniel Guerrero
Austin Beavers, Staff Photographer
The San Marcos Municipal Airport is making preparations for travelers flying in for the Formula One races in Austin.
By Megan Carthel News Reporter Construction crews broke a 12-inch pipeline Tuesday, causing several thousand people in northwest San Marcos to lose water for nearly two hours. The incident happened midday on an undeveloped section of Peach Tree and Loquat Streets, according to Trey Hatt, city spokesman. Crews were installing a 24-inch water main at the time. The water line that was hit serves people from the Comanche storage tank. The area of consumers affected by the water disconnection stretched from Wonder World to Ed J.L. Green Drives in northwest San Marcos. Residents in the area between Old Ranch Road 12 and Wonder World Drive have been advised to boil their water through Wednesday evening or until further notice. Other residents given this advisory were those north of Prospect and Rogers Streets and the university. Households west of Texas State, from Old Ranch Road 12 to Ed J.L. Green Drive, are affected. The city will test the water for contamination and lift the notice if no bacteria are found. Jon Clack, assistant director of Public Services and Water Wastewater, said the advisory is required by the state and is precautionary. “It does not mean that your water is contaminated, only that there is a possibility of contamination due to the lack of pressure in the main lines for an extended period,” Clack said.
Kathryn Parker, Staff Photographer
Mike Leary, editor of the San Antonio Express-News, speaks with students Oct. 30 as a part of Mass Communication Week.
Grant updates fashion merchandising program By Nora Riordan News Reporter The School of Family and Consumer Sciences was recently awarded a grant to tailor fashion merchandising curriculum to the new demands of the apparel industry, among other goals. The Higher Education Challenge Grant, worth $714,300, was awarded to improve the quality of students’ education in fashion merchandising, said Gwendolyn Hustvedt, associate professor in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences. Hustvedt said the American apparel and agriculture industries are closely connected, so the United States Department of Agriculture sets out to fund education related to the clothes industry. The grant will be split relatively evenly between Hustvedt and four other researchers from Oklahoma State University and Kansas State University. Texas State will receive a fifth of the funds in a month, which is about $142,860, Hustvedt said.
The award is a “team grant,” meaning it had to be proposed by at least three different universities within a region. Texas State was included partly because many major apparel companies are based in Texas, Hustvedt said. Texas State was also approached to be part of the team grant because of its Hispanic Serving Institution status, she said. One of the grant’s focuses is to help students understand the impact of climate change on the agricultural system, she said. Hustvedt said a proposal had to be submitted to the USDA that would address climate change in order to receive the grant. Texas State will use the grant to recruit students from different high schools to Texas State for a one-day fashion merchandising career event, Hustvedt said. Speakers will talk about the need for math and science in the apparel industry, she said. Hustvedt said she READ Grant, PAGE 3 hopes the event will at-