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TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS
www.UNIVERSITYSTAR.com
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 3, 2005
VOLUME 95, ISSUE 30
Senate continues discussion on faculty developmental leave proposals, plans
‘I made a difference for that one’
By Clayton Medford News Reporter
Starfish Project brings relief to hurricane evacuees
The Faculty Senate heard the last developmental leave presentations at their meeting on Wednesday. Seven faculty members pleaded their case before the senate and asked for leave in order to write or finish books while others requested developmental leave to continue or complete research. The process of being granted developmental leave starts by applying to the senate. The senate then invites the faculty member requesting leave to a meeting at which the faculty member is given three minutes to present his request, followed by a two-minute question and answer session with senators. The senators then close their doors and discuss privately the faculty member’s proposal. The first faculty member to present to the senators was modern languages associate professor Blake Locklin. Locklin hopes to finish her book about the role of Asia and Asians in Latin America. Locklin believes the “study of connections between Asia and Latin America is … essential to a better understanding (of) the region, including issues of globalization, ethnicity and identity.” Libby Allison, associate professor of English, discussed with senators the possibility of completing her book about writing for governmental agencies with new technical communication faculty member Miriam Williams. Their book, Writing for Governmental Agencies: Com-
By Jacqueline Davis News Reporter A community organization that assists hurricane evacuees living in San Marcos uses an old story about a starfish and a young boy as their inspiration. The story involves a young boy on the beach who was picking up starfish the tide had carried in. The boy saves them from drying out in the sun by throwing them back into the ocean one by one. An old man approached him and said that there were thousands of starfish that had washed ashore and asked how he expected to make a difference among so many. Throwing a starfish into the water, the boy is said to have replied, “Well I made a difference for that one,” and picking up another, he said, “and that one.” The organization, dubbed the Starfish Project, assists evacuees from recent hurricanes Katrina and Rita who are currently living in the San Marcos area. Cathy Dillon, who owns the Crystal River Inn with See EVACUEES, page 5
Jeremy Craig/Star photo ABOVE: Charline A. Duplessis (left) and Shirley Gonzales, both New Orleans evacuees staying in San Marcos, browse through donated shoes Wednesday afternoon.
Linda L. Smith/Star Photo
LEFT: Venesia Stewart sorts through a daunting pile of donations at the Corridor Business Incubator Warehouse Monday morning. She helped to organize the donated items and move them to the City Park Recreation Hall where the Starfish Project, a local organization assisting hurricane evacuees, has set up a place for San Marcos area evacuees to pick up items such as clothes and other donated items.
municating in Cultural Contests, will address the intricacies of technical communication. Allison hopes the book will “help create a niche for the technical communication program.” Former senator and computer science professor Ron Sawey asked for developmental leave to create an electronic textbook. Sawey’s plan includes the development of a Web-based textbook, written in extensible markup language, for his current Web-programming course. The XML text “would provide a hands-on, ‘quick start’ approach, making it possible for the students to generate useful Web applications with a minimum of ‘tangential’ information.” Sawey believes that since Web programming changes so rapidly, his text can evolve with the course. He hopes to publish his text online on Rice University’s Connexions program, which specializes in free scholarly publications. “I’m hopeful, given the way publishers of textbooks are gouging our students. I’m hoping some Nobel laureate will publish in this format and make the publishing industry take notice,” Sawey said. Criminal justice professor Tom Mijares will conduct research on and develop a method to teach leadership in crisis situations. Mijares, a former commander of the Detroit Police Department’s Special Weapons And Tactics force, believes the lack of efficient and effective See SENATE, page 5
Student alleges assault, Animal safety is topic of pending city ordinance harassment on The Square as hate crime By Danea Johnson News Reporter
By Ashley Richards Assistant News Editor Since moving to San Marcos from Austin this semester, Hector Aguayo, Spanish junior, said he has gone out at night just three times. One of the nights out he was called a ‘faggot’ and most recently, Aguayo was physically assaulted after derogatory comments were made about his homosexuality. Dressed in black as the Greek God Hades for the Bobcat Ball, hosted by Lambda at Texas State, Aguayo and several friends stepped outside of Gordos at midnight on Friday and were waiting on a friend when several males in a truck began yelling obscenities. “They’re sticking their heads out of the car saying ‘oh, no way, a bunch of faggots,’” Aguayo said. “I couldn’t believe that this was happening.” Aguayo’s roommate Bettina Ramon, English junior, was standing outside with him and said the truck was a white Ford F150. Aguayo said about five white males were in the vehicle. After hearing the derogatory comments being yelled from the truck, Aguayo said he began to approach the vehicle, asking the males if they were speaking to him. Aguayo said although he was not touching the vehicle, the trucks occupants reacted by telling him to step away or “I’m go-
ing to kick your ass.” “I told them they were very ignorant and then walked away,” Aguayo said. Angered by the comment, Aguayo said, one of the males stepped out the truck and hit Aguayo on the left side of his face. “I could have gotten very violent but I chose not to because I didn’t want to do it that way,” Aguayo said. “I feel ashamed to even have felt the anger that I did toward these people. I wanted to go at him and strangle him; he was crossing the boundary but I didn’t go there consciously.” Ramon said she was talking to a friend when Aguayo began approaching the car and was initially unaware of what was happening. “I saw Hector go up to his car and say something and then I saw him get out of his car and punch him,” Ramon said. “And he kept saying ‘faggot.’” After the male threw the punch Aguayo said he stood there taunting Aguayo to do something back. “I saw his face. He was scared too. I don’t think he really wanted to do what he did, he was pressured by his friends,” Aguayo said. Aguayo said the incident happened very quickly, leaving him with little recollection of what See HATE, page 5
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Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 50% UV: 6 High Wind: SSW 12 mph
Drivers who ride with their pets in the back of their trucks may soon have to restrain their four-legged passengers if a new city ordinance is passed. The San Marcos City Council approved the first reading of the ordinance concerning the safety of animals in motor vehicles in its meeting on Tuesday, although it must be approved on the second or third reading to go into effect. The recently drafted ordinance’s most discussed component requires owners to safely harness their animals if traveling in an unenclosed vehicle such as a convertible, pickup truck, jeep
or flat-bed truck. Council members Bill Taylor, Daniel Guerrero, John Diaz and John Thomaides said they have received calls from concerned citizens on the proposed ordinance. “I have had more calls on this than in recent history,” Taylor said. Taylor received a call from a citizen who believes that tying up his cattle is too much of a hassle, and he proposed adding an amendment to allow for animals to be tethered at a certain speed limit. Diaz received phone calls from citizens who believe that their unrestrained animals are their personal problem and that the city “shouldn’t make ordinances
telling people what to do.” Diaz does not believe there is a need for this ordinance. “A person should be more responsible,” Diaz said. “So should we get rid of all our animal ordinances?” Thomaides said in response. Thomaides said that he received calls from citizens who see merit in the proposed ordinance and are proud that San Marcos is taking a proactive stand on animal safety. “It’s not a tough ordinance to enforce — (the animal) is tethered in or not,” Thomaides said. Sharri Boyett of the Pet Prevent A Litter organization and supporter of the ordinance said that this is, above all, a safety issue, of which citizens must be
protected as well as the animal. “I don’t want my kid bitten when a dog jumps out,” Boyett said. Boyett believes that it makes sense for animals to have a safe conveyance. The ordinance is modeled after New Braunfels’ similar ordinance concerning animal safety and also prohibits citizens from leaving animals in any standing or parked vehicle that endangers the animal’s health or safety. When the temperature is 85 degrees or higher, owners cannot leave their animals in their vehicles. The fine for violating the ordinance would be $500 and will be enforced by the San Marcos Police Department.
Mayor leads community discussion By Silver Hogue News Reporter Mayor Susan Narvaiz led a couragethemed community dialogue at the San Marcos Public Library Wednesday at 7 p.m. Hosted by Texas State as a part of the university’s Common Experience series, the presentation centered around the explorations of courage in author Tim O’Brien’s work, If I Die in a Combat Zone. Community members were encouraged by Narvaiz to join in and offer examples of local courage. “This is going to be a real relaxed format tonight so take discussion whenever you would like,” Narvaiz said. “I’m very interested in hearing how each of you define courage.” Narvaiz opened the dialogue with a Webster’s Dictionary definition of courage. “After reading Tim’s book, I never really felt I found out if he was courageous himself and I would like to,” Narvaiz said.
The presentation then went into a discussion of local examples of courage. The mayor named 11 people whom she found to have it in abundance. Among the examples on hand at the meeting, were Earl Moseley, the first African-Amercan to serve on the San Marcos City Council, Todd Derkacz, a former San Marcos Fire Chief and firefighter and Lisa Dvorak, the first woman to ever be named assistant chief of the San Marcos Police Department. The mayor asked Moseley to begin describing his personal experience with courage. “I appreciate the honor,” Moseley said. “The only time I ever truly felt courageous was when I battled cancer.” Moseley, who has been cancer-free for four years, was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer while trying to run for reelection in 2001. “I had so many things going on in my life and the thought of cancer scared me sense-
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Spencer Millsap/Star photo Mayor Susan Narvaiz spoke about courage during the Common Experience lecture series Wednesday evening at the San Marcos Public Library. less,” Moseley said. He kept his diagnosis to himself until the pain got so bad during a council meeting he See MAYOR, page 5
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