11 14 2012

VOLUME 102, ISSUE 36

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NOVEMBER 14, 2012

Once Upon a Time...

The Department of Theatre and Dance presents “Into the Woods,” a musical featuring an unusual twist on classic fairy tales. For more, visit UniversityStar.com.

of a 3-part serie s Part 2

By Karen Zamora News Reporter Construction on the Loop 82 Overpass Project has not even begun, but is expected to impact many properties and residents at Texas State for the next two years.

The overpass’ construction will begin in fall 2013 and is intended to alleviate traffic when trains approach Aquarena Springs Drive. Juan Guerra, associate vice president of facilities, said construction could close off intramural fields, the main entrance to Bobcat Village apartments, the public golf course, sidewalks, tram routes and a row of parking at Bobcat Stadium.

Overpass construction to affect traffic, university Guerra said the university is a stakeholder in the estimated $39 million overpass and is cooperating with the City of San Marcos and the state to make sure the project inconveniences as little as possible and is successful.

Glenn Hanley, director of Campus Recreation, said he rides his bike or walks to and from campus everyday. He does not think the overpass is necessary.

Hanley said there are more than 200 intramural and club teams that will have to be inconveniently scheduled to play on the two fields available during the construction of the overpass.

Hanley said he hopes the project will impact the fields and golf course as little as possible. However, he is making plans to purchase four new intramural fields

to alleviate the pressure on the others.

Ryan Zimmerman, assistant director of Campus Recreation, said there are many golfers who regularly use the Texas State golf course. He hopes the overpass construction does not cause the golf course to lose business.

Hanley said because the golf course is self-sustaining, he is afraid construction could deter people from playing.

There is also a chance part of the access roads added during construction could encroach on the course. He said many cars could be in golf ball crossfire.

On the other side of the train tracks, Bobcat Village residents could experience noisy afternoons and different de-

READ LOOP 82, PAGE 3

TWISTING TALES

Musical brings childhood stories into contemporary light

John Casares, Staff Photographer

The Department of Theatre and Dance will conclude the 2012 production season with “Into the Woods,” a dark comedy that puts a unique twist on popular fairy tales.

READ THE FULL STORY, PAGE 6

Committee seeks additional campus art

Austin Beavers, Staff Photographer

Randall Reid, professor in the School of Art and Design, stands by his work on display in the Undergraduate Admissions Building.

By Nora Riordan News Reporter A campus committee is drawing up plans to bring more artwork to Texas

State.

Timothy Mottet, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication. said the Texas State Public Art Committee is heading an initiative to add creative in-

stallations to new buildings on campus.

The committee is looking to create a database of the university’s art that will be available to the public.

Mottet, who is the chair of the committee, said Texas State currently has about $2 million worth of public art on campus.

“Right now we are evolving,” Mottet said. “We have a vision. We want to make Texas State a public arts destination, and we want the students to benefit from that.”

Public art is all forms of creative work located in a place accessible to the general populace. According to University Policy and Procedure Statement No. 8.3.4, Texas State is allowed to spend up to 1 percent of construction costs for new buildings on fine art projects at or near the site of development. This policy does not address student art installations or galleries such as those in Alkek Library or the Joann Cole Mitte Art Building.

The public art initiative began in 2006 with placing art on the walls of McCoy Hall. Other buildings that already have public art are the Undergraduate

READ ART, PAGE 3

Commissioners vote to privatize jail healthcare

By Adrian Omar Ramirez News Reporter Hays County commissioners discussed the possibility of introducing private medical services for inmates at the Hays County Jail during their meeting Tuesday.

Hays County commissioners discussed during their meeting Tuesday the possibility of introducing private medical services for inmates at the Hays County Jail.

Commissioners unanimously approved a proposal to allow the sheriff’s office to request pricing and options to bring more medical services on-site to the estimated 300 inmates in the Hays County Jail. Judge Bert Cobb was absent on medical leave.

“With the system we have, we send out a lot of inmates for services we would prefer to handle in-house,” said Julie Villalpando, Hays County sheriff designee. “At this time, no decision has been made, but we want to research to see if privatization would be something beneficial to the sheriff’s office as well as the employees at Hays County.”

According to the proposal, the sheriff’s office would be able to find a company to handle the health services and the subsequent administrative duties of the county jail. The company hired would be responsible for employing and supervising medical professionals to provide care for inmates. The services include medical attention for both physical and mental ailments and dental work.

The company would be responsible for the emergency care, skin testing and health education of correctional facility staff.

The proposal additionally states all potential companies should give a price estimate for salaries, medical supplies and waste disposal, among other expenses.

Commissioner Will Conley, Precinct 3, called the proposal “the beginning of a process,” and said this is an exploratory part of the procedure.

“At the end of the day, we may have something better, we may have something about the same or we may decide to stay where we are in how we’ve been providing services,” Conley said.

The proposal sparked protest among residents during public comment.

Resident Adrian Evans Stark said having a for-profit company working in the jail could negatively impact the quality of care and the county’s budget.

Stark encouraged the court to withdraw the proposal in order to allow more time for Hays County residents to learn about the option.

“The public needs to have time to learn about the direction the commissioners may wish to take,” Stark said.

“This decision directly affects the public’s health in a myriad of ways, the scope of which neither the court nor the residents of Hays County have had time to consider.“ Stark said by privatizing medical services, the quality of care will decrease.

“It is impossible to make a profit on inmate healthcare without cutting corners on care,” Stark said. “Patient care is thereby degraded, and inmates die.”

Stark claimed Dr. James Chudleigh , the medical director at the jail, has not been consulted over privatizing the facility’s healthcare.

Resident Morgan Meltz said her son spent some time in jail, which caused her to become interested in prisonrelated issues.

“Public servants serve because they care about people, and they care about communities,” Meltz said. “Private companies care about the bottom line.

They’re there to make money.”

Meltz encouraged the court to “slow down” and to “look at the issue” in order to get advice on how to implement private medical services.

“There’s a lot of information out there,” Meltz said. “A lot of people have privatized health services in jails, and a lot of them pulled those contracts.”

2 | Wednesday November 14, 2012 | The University Star

PAGE TWO

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wild art

CRIME ON THIS BLOTTER

DAY IN HISTORY 1851 – Herman Melville’s novel “Moby-Dick” was published.

1881 – Charles J. Guiteau went on trial for assassinating President James A. Garfield. (He was convicted and hanged.)

1922 – The British Broadcasting Corporation began its domestic radio service.

1935 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the Philippine Islands a free commonwealth.

1969 – Apollo 12 was launched on the sixth manned mission to the moon.

1972 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 1,000 for the first time.

1973 – Britain’s Princess Anne married Capt. Mark Phillips in Westminster Abbey.

Sonja Burton, Staff Photographer

Tim Haes, geography senior, and Enrique Mendez, general education junior, take a lunch break Nov. 12 near the Agriculture Building.

Your friendly neighborhood watchdog.

1986 – The SEC fined Ivan F. Boesky $100 million for insider stock trading.

1995 – The U.S. government instituted a partial shutdown, closing national parks and museums while government offices operated with skeleton crews.

1999 – The United Nations imposed sanctions on Afghanistan for refusing to hand over terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden.

—Courtesy of The New York Times

Nov. 7, 3:47 p.m.

Hines Academic Center Theft under $1500 A student reported that their personal property had been taken without consent. This case is under investigation.

Nov. 7, 3:55 p.m.

Speck Parking Lot Criminal mischief under $500 A student reported that their vehicle was intentionally damaged while parked. This case is under investigation.

Nov. 7, 6:29 p.m.

Supple Science Building Theft under $1500 A student reported that their personal property had been taken without consent. This case is under investigation.

Nov. 7, 7:35 p.m.

Bobcat Village Apartment Criminal trespass warning A non-student was issued a criminal trespass warning for suspicious activity.

Nov. 7, 8:38 p.m.

Tower Hall False alarm The fire alarm was deliberately pulled with no fire in the area. This case is under investigation.

Nov. 8, 10:43 p.m.

Laurel Hall Minor in possession of alcohol A student was cited for minor in possession of alcohol. This case is under judicial review.

Nov. 9, 12:43 a.m.

Butler Hall False alarm The fire alarm was deliberately pulled with no fire in the area. This case is under investigation.

Nov. 9, 4:00 a.m.

Matthew Street Garage Unauthorized use of vehicle A student reported that their vehicle was used without consent. This case is under investigation.

—Courtesy of University Police Department

The University Star | Wednesday November 14, 2012 | 3

NEWS

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loop 82

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ART

Rendering courtesy of City of San Marcos

Construction on the Loop 82 Overpass is set to begin in the fall of 2013. The new project plans to relieve traffic problems caused by trains on Aquarena Springs Dr. tours to go in and out of the complex during construction time.

However, Rosanne Proite, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Life said Bobcat Village residents would not be affected by construction as long as the department communicates thoroughly with its residents.

“We are going to experience a little bit of pain, but in the long run, this is a tremendous improvement for the traffic in San Marcos,” Proite said.

Guerra said when the construction phase nears the main entrance to Bobcat Village, sidewalks will be closed and the main entrance to the apartment complex could be blocked.

Proite said the city and the state are approaching the project in a “smart” way so Aquarena Springs will always be open during the construction process.

She said if the main entrance to the residential apartment is closed there are other exits students can use. A secondary entrance to Bobcat Village is available on Mill Street.

Ashley Boggs, education sophomore and Bobcat Village resident, said the overpass construction will be an inconvenience and an added stress. Boggs said she will have to calculate extra time into her schedule to make it on the tram in time if the bus stop changes, and leave earlier for work on weekends.

Boggs said no one from Bobcat Village has told her about the upcoming construction project. Boggs said she only knows what her roommate found on the Texas State website.

“We are already having to deal with noise from the stadium on football games, the train and intramural fields,” Boggs said. “Construction is just going to add to it, especially when we study and sleep.”

Nancy Nusbaum, associate vice president for Finance and Support Services, said the Bobcat Tram route system will be affected. It is not yet finalized which routes will be affected, or when, she said.

Proite said it will be “critically important” to work with the city when freshmen move into the residence halls each August. Proite said she cannot push back move-in dates, but can change how to get future students and their parents to Strahan Coliseum.

University Police Department Sgt. Robert Campbell, who is in charge of special events, warns travelers to be patient during the construction process.

He said there will be traffic signage dictating where people can go to avoid the project, but delays should be expected.

Campbell said to alleviate some of the traffic headache construction crews will not work during football games or commencement.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Academic Center and the St. David’s School of Nursing in Round Rock.

Mottet said he hopes Texas State will have a program set up over the next 12 months where an inventory of public art is accessible to the populace. Mottet said he would love for there to be a downloadable walking-tour map of campus art on the Texas State homepage and mobile devices.

“The dream is for students and the public to be able to go up to the art, scan a code and learn about the public art in front of them,” Mottet said.

Mottet said people can expect to see large art installations being added to housing complexes over the next 12 months.

“We want students to become more educated about public art and interact with it,” Mottet said. “We want them to be confused by the art. We want the art to raise questions in them.”

A mobile titled “River of Leaves,” designed by Daniel Goldstein, will be placed in the atrium of the North Campus Housing Complex’s lobby, Mottet said. Goldstein’s art has been exhibited in leading galleries and museums around the world. Mottet said the mobile will capture the “spirit and psychology” of the San Marcos River.

“Fish Bellies” by Joe O’Connell and Blessing Hancock will be placed in the courtyard of the North Housing Complex. Mottet said the acrylic piece of art will light up at night when sat on or touched.

The committee meets an estimated two times per month to compile a short list of artworks to propose to University President Denise Trauth. Mottet said the committee is comprised of him, the chair of the School of Art and Design and the associate vice president for Facilities. The committee additionally includes the director of Facilities Planning, Design and Construction, Art+Artisans and some students.

Art+Artisans is a Texas-based art consulting service in Austin. The service guides the committee to artists in whom it might be interested. Mottet said the committee would like to focus on local, Texan artists.

“The selection of art will meet the needs of the end user, stimulate curiosity and engage students,” Mottet said. “It will reflect a quality that will enhance the prestige of the university by making it an arts destination and reflect a quality that will be positively recognized by the external art community.”

Randall Reid, professor in School of Art and Design, has had many works selected and installed in various buildings on campus, including Undergraduate Admissions and McCoy. “I recommend artists who want their work to be considered and accepted to be consistent with their works,” Reid said.

Cindy Puente, communication design junior, said the public art inventory will be good for Texas State.

“Our school will get more recognition nationally, and students will be able to know more about the arts here,” Puente said. “I feel like it will improve the communication amongst students and the small art community we have here.”

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4 | Wednesday November 14, 2012 | The University Star

OPINIONS

For more viewpoints or letters to the editor, e-mail staropinions@txstate.edu

Forcing smokers off campus causes excessive litter

T

hough a compromise on the tobacco ban needs to be reached between smokers and administrators, leaving cigarette butts and garbage strewn down LBJ Drive with no enforcement is not the correct option.

The length of LBJ Drive from The Quad to University Drive has become one of the grimiest, most littered areas of an otherwise well-maintained campus that prides itself on beautification and environmental friendliness. The road’s unusually high concentration of garbage can be blamed at least partly on the campus-wide tobacco ban and its ambiguous application to that particular area. The most offensive stretch of LBJ Drive, located just beyond the vehicle gateway, is less than a block from Nueces, the UPD’s office building. However, it is questionable whether the area is subject to the ban. The dirtiest spots appear between a few religious buildings not considered part of the on-campus area.

Smokers, especially those living in nearby residence halls, have capitalized on this ambiguity by gathering on the ledges around the road to light up, eat lunch and socialize. The area’s lack of trashcans, coupled with smokers’ laziness, has led to the current litter situation. Though smoking is the root of the problem, to-go boxes, chip bags and soda bottles contribute as much if not more to the road’s unsightliness as cigarette butts. The inconvenience of the tobacco ban does not excuse littering. However, the situation begs the question as to what the university was expecting would happen when it removed every ashtray on campus.

The UPD and smokers may distinguish between on- and off-campus locations, but litter does not. LBJ Drive is one of only three gated entrances to campus. The entrance will likely be used much more when construction of the adjacent parking garage and performing arts center is completed.

When construction is complete, residents, spectators and guests of the university will see that area of campus even

Lara Shine, Staff Illustrator

more than they already do. Preventing it from becoming an eyesore makes sense for everyone involved. If the university does not yet have the authority to maintain a trashcan there, an agreement with the city or owners of the religious buildings to allow it needs to be reached immediately. Whether the litter is technically on campus or not, it reflects poorly on the university.

A single additional trashcan in the vicinity would help the problem immensely. The smokers in question are being inconsiderate to their surroundings, but they are likely more lazy than intentionally destructive. An ashtray would help as well. The current implementation of the tobacco policy has prompted the removal of all ashtrays and eliminated designated smoking areas from campus. The policy essentially denies that anyone would ever smoke on or near campus, which is an assumption that is obviously proving false. Placing a trashcan on LBJ Drive with an ashtray attached to the

top would provide a much-needed compromise. The action would keep the ban everywhere on campus while acknowledging some students do in fact smoke and are willing to walk slightly off campus to do so.

The university cannot hope to maintain an image of environmental stewardship when one of its main entrances is covered in garbage. It is time for administrators to recognize that whether students should smoke or not, they do, and the evidence is piling up and stinking.

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 University-San Marcos.

Tenure policy good news for university

By Ariella Hannon Opinions Columnist

T

he new tenure standards will be vital to ensuring faculty members are adequately teaching and serving their students.

Faculty members at Texas State are currently able to reach tenure at six years. Beginning next fall, the requirements for achieving tenure will expand.

Texas State administrators recently altered the tenure policy.

According to a Nov. 6 University Star article, faculty members will be required to wait the full six years before applying for tenure in addition to receiving reviews by outside professionals. This change in the method should provide students with the best possible set of faculty members.

According to a May 20, 2011 University News Service press release, Texas State granted 40 faculty members tenure in the spring of that year. According to a July 11

University Star article, 34 additional faculty members were granted tenure for the fall 2012 semester.

According to the same Nov. 6 article, about one-third of Texas State’s faculty members would have been able to apply for early tenure before the policy change. This number is one of the reasons administrators made stricter requirements for tenure application.

Tenure was created to allow faculty members to reach a more secure position within a particular university. Texas State professors who achieve tenure receive a significant salary boost. Therefore, faculty members may want to achieve tenure as early as possible. Tenure does not ensure faculty members cannot be fired, but it does signify the university wants them to continue teaching at Texas State for a length of time.

State and department evaluations are not enough to determine if faculty members are doing their jobs to the best possible advantage of students. Some administrators may not take the evaluations seriously enough, and bad ratings should affect how faculty members are viewed. The implementation of outside evaluations should help ensure students are taught correctly by enthusiastic professors.

In addition, it would be in Texas State’s best interest to potentially elongate the time faculty members must work before the university grants them tenure. This change will allow officials more time to assess tenure-track faculty, which in turn should give students the best possible tenured professors to choose from during their academic careers. Faculty members need more time to adjust to their department working environments and teaching methods.

Every student learns differently, so not every student is going to think each faculty member is adequate. However, the university knows what is best for students as a whole.

Tenure is the university’s way of acknowledging and appreciating excellent faculty members. By raising the standards and qualifications of tenure, university officials are making excellent strides toward increasing the academic rigor of Texas State.

While some faculty members may not agree about the new changes to the tenure process, the heightened standards will truly highlight and recognize the best faculty members on campus.

--Ariella Hannon is an English senior.

Student housing inappropriate near single-family neighborhoods

By Molly Block Opinions Columnist

D

evelopers should consider building future student housing projects away from city neighborhoods in an effort to benefit students and preserve the interests of permanent residents.

In the recent city council elections, the construction of student housing developments near neighborhoods was a divisive issue.

According to a Nov. 1 University Star article, realtors and developers have given generous donations to city councilmen Ryan Thomason, Place 5, and Shane Scott, Place 6, in support of their past pro-student housing votes. On the other hand, former city council candidates Melissa Derrick and Greg Frank have received donations from those on the other side of the issue.

According to the same article, about a third of Derrick’s $3,680 in contributions came from people who are against building student housing developments near neighborhoods.

The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building, Room 101 San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708

One of Derrick’s top contributors was Jaimy Breihan, San Marcos resident, who expressed concern about the Sessom Creek development. The project would have built 420 apartment units across the street from the North Campus Housing Complex which was completed in June.

While this conflict continues to be an ongoing struggle between city council members, it is clear that Derrick and Frank have the right idea when it comes to the well-being of San Marcos.

If large student housing developments were built next to neighborhoods, complications among families and residents would arise.

According to City-data.com, there are 2,746 married couples with children living in San Marcos, and many more families with single and unmarried parents. These families are a large demographic in San Marcos and deserve to have their voices heard.

Families with children may not want to deal with the annoyances that would follow the construction of student housing developments near their homes. According to a Sept. 18 University Star article, Texas State has a total enrollment of 34,229 students. According to statistics from the U.S. News College Compass, about 80 percent of Texas State students live off campus. The

Editor In Chief................................................Beth Brown, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor............................Lee Moran, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters..................................................................................starletters@txstate.edu News Editor...................................................Caitlin Clark, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor............................Hollie O’Connor, starentertainment@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..........................................Liza Winkler, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor.......................................Austin Humphreys, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor..........................................Cameron Irvine, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief......................Thomas Glasebrook, starcopychief@txstate.edu Web Editor............................................Karyn Kittlitz, starwebeditor@txstate.edu

large off-campus student presence needs to be accommodated, but it should not interfere with the day-today lives of local families.

Although many students are well behaved toward residents who live in largely college-centered towns, some are loud and party late into the night. Students and their rowdy behavior would inevitably affect families living nearby. Drunk driving, an unfortunate trend among college students, could make neighborhood streets dangerous for young children.

In addition, some students may be messy while families prefer to keep their neighborhoods peaceful and clean.

While the construction of student housing developments will most likely continue to be a hot topic among city council members, it is a problem that can be solved with proper coordination. City and university officials should encourage developers to build future housing away from family-oriented areas. That way, families can avoid potential disruption from student housing projects that may have been constructed near the neighborhoods. This change would undoubtedly be adequate for both San Marcos residents and Texas State students overall.

Letter to the

Editor I am a smoker. Despite the smoking ban, I smoke on campus like many other students I see all over campus. Though I may be breaking the University Code of Student Conduct by doing so, I believe that the recent ban on smoking is an irresponsible environmental policy.

A few years ago, the university decided to remove ashtrays from smoking areas on campus, which created an excess of littering cigarette butts. Is it responsible to remove the ashtrays that these cigarette butts would normally end up in, considering the university’s proximity to an environmentally sensitive aquifer? I think not.

And now, with the recent campus-wide smoking ban, there is an even bigger problem.

Students who smoke are driven to hide in areas closer to drainages when they smoke.

With no ashtray, their cigarette butts end up in the environmentally sensitive areas of San Marcos much easier than before the ashtrays were removed and before the smoking ban was implemented. And for what? A discount in insurance for the university? Give us a break. There are a staggering number of student smokers at Texas State University, and that number will not be dwindling because of the smoking ban.

In summary, the smoking ban has magnified the effects of cigarette butts on our beautiful aquifer. The ban will continue to do so by threatening the lives of the endangered species that live in this sensitive habitat as well as contaminating the soil on campus.

The only solutions to this problem of not wanting smokers around non-smokers is to provide distinctly marked areas on campus for smoking, and instituting a hefty fine for smoking outside of these areas as well as littering.

If our campus were located on land in a non-sensitive region, this ban would make complete sense, but our campus is not. It is the most beautiful campus in Texas and the only way to keep it this way is to institute responsible policy regarding smoking on campus.

Sincerely, Aaron Rogers -Aaron Rogers is a chemistry masters student

--Molly Block is a mass communication junior.

Multimedia Editor.........................Alex Peña, starmultimediaeditor@txstate.edu Design Editor................................Michelle Wadsworth, stardesign@txstate.edu Account Executive........................................Christina Carr, starad4@txstate.edu Account Executive...................................Casey Neubauer, starad2@txstate.edu Account Executive..................................Michelle Rohmer, starad3@txstate.edu Account Executive.....................................Hannah Wilson, starad5@txstate.edu Media Specialist.............................................Mary Scheske, ms88@txstate.edu Advertising Coordinator...........................Kelsey Nuckolls, starad1@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator.......................................Linda Allen, la06@txstate.edu Publications Director...........................Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu

The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos and is published every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000.

Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Copyright Wednesday, November 14, 2012. 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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The University Star | Wednesday November 14, 2012 | 5

TRENDS

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Emerging filmmaker George Anson the script and really liked the character. I knew he was a talented guy. I felt very fortunate he came on. He’s really an amazing actor and I can’t say enough about him.

Photo courtesy of Kaetie Turner

By Jordan Gass-Poore’ Trends Reporter Eddy, a small-time Chicago crook, learns to take a leap of faith through his interactions with the people he meets in a fictional Texas town in George Anson’s feature film debut, “Spring Eddy.”

The nontraditional romantic comedy made its world premiere last month at the Austin Film Festival, where Anson, former Texas State student, previously served as its first film program director.

Anson filmed on location in Lockhart, Copeland, Manor, Bastrop, Austin and Johnson City for 19 days with the help of Texas State students. As a Southwest Texas State student in the early 1980s, Anson pledged Pi Kappa Alpha before transferring to the University of North Texas, where he majored in radio, television and film.

After graduating from UNT, Anson moved to Austin in 1994 where he worked for a small television station. He then worked as a sales representative for a printing company. Anson, who considers Bill Wittliff a mentor, took his own leap of faith in attending the University of Southern California to pursue filmmaking, and in his pursuit of seeing “Spring Eddy” on the big screen.

JGP: How did the casting process work?

GA: I have a really good friend who was a performer at Esther’s Follies. She was amazing at rounding up really talented people around Austin and they would just kind of audition. I’d seen (Gabriel Luna) in “Dance with the One,” a production done by UT. (Barbara Morgan) said I’d really ought to take a look at Gabe. We met for coffee and talked about it. He’d read

JGP: When did you first begin writing the script?

GA: I wrote the story many years ago.

I wrote it mainly because I knew that if I was ever going to be able to direct anything I would have to write something that could be done on a very low budget.

Two things: One is that I wrote it for a low budget, and the other part was that I really had a theme in mind that I really wanted to say in the story and it worked out well. It wasn’t until digital came in that the quality of digital shooting really made the difference. If I had tried to do this on film I couldn’t have done it. It would have been impossible.

JGP: What was it like being on the other side of the Austin Film Festival?

GA: It was weird. Leading up to that there were so many little things to do. People would come up and say to me, ‘Wow, your film’s going to show tonight, how do you feel?’ Honestly, I haven’t thought about it because I was always thinking of other things to do. “Is my sound complete?” “Is my color correction complete?”

There are so many details. And I was also doing some things for the festival. I moderated some panels and things like that.

My film showed on Sunday at 7:30 (p.m.), so it really wasn’t until probably 3 o’clock that I realized I had a film to show that night. Having done film programming for the festival helped me in knowing (that) length of a film matters. My film had to be accepted. They had to view it and they had to judge it. I guess watching all those films in a year-and-a-half subconsciously or consciously helped.

JGP: What’s next for “Spring Eddy”?

GA: The obvious next step is the festival circuit. I’ve got my fingers crossed that I can get into some other festivals and promote it that way.

Actress, alumna lands ‘Girls’ role

By Paige Lambert Trends Reporter One alumna is living the dream of any young actress—living and working in New York City with a recurring role on a hit television show.

Roberta Colindrez plays Tako on HBO’s series Girls. Tako is friends with the protagonist Hannah Horvath’s boyfriend Adam. She first meets Hannah in a bar and accidently outs Adam as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Before she found her place on television, Colindrez was a Texas State undergraduate trying to figure out what to do with her life.

She originally came to Texas State as a double major in sociology and theatre, hoping to transfer to UT and then an Ivy League school.

During the first few months she had a rough time with the style-specific acting classes.

“The acting styles just felt unnatural to me, and I have a hard time compromising what I value for just a grade,” Colindrez said. “Laura Lane’s interest in me, my main professor, is what kept me here.”

In a beginning acting class, Lane had Colindrez keep a journal of her writing assignments and whatever came to mind. Later on the two women would discuss Colindrez’ entries or any concerns Colindrez had during that week.

It was during a Christmas break luncheon that Lane mentioned the BFA Acting program.

“I could see the potential. Her writing was always fascinating and funny and moving. She was clearly something special,” Lane said.

“Roberta reminded me of an iceberg. The part on the surface seems imposing and large, but the underneath is more powerful. I wanted the rest of Roberta to come out.”

Colindrez auditioned and stayed in the program even though her ideas about acting weren’t the same as some professors’.

Lane said even in the difficult classes she was ambitious and stuck it out.

“It took her awhile to feel at ease, whether with dramatic literature or just bringing herself to stage,” Lane said. “Still, she didn’t give up, even though she wasn’t the conventional, molded acting student.”

Right after graduation Lane took Colindrez and other BFA Acting majors to a workshop in New York. Students met with acting com-

panies and heard from panels of people in the business.

Colindrez soon decided to move to the Big Apple.

“I met with a company thinking I would be doing some acting. But I ended up getting a bunch of crappy jobs,” Colindrez said. “Isaac Burns, who I met during the workshop, offered to help with my acting and talk about a career. So I stayed and did that for a few months while having crappy jobs.”

While working on one of Burns’ shows, Colindrez had to go back to Austin and missed the first showing. When she got back, she met with her stand-in, who happened to work with the New York Neo-Futurists—a company Burns had mentioned.

“Usually I don’t get into things very quickly, but when she mentioned the Neo-Futurists were having auditions, that’s all I could think about,” Colindrez said. “She said the auditions were that weekend. I auditioned and thankfully got in. And I love it here.”

The New York Neo-Futurists perform different shows each week based on current events and the personal experiences of the actor. Their shows do not last as long as big stage plays, and focus on engaging the audience.

Rob Neill, managing director, said the group tries to have an intimate response to all culture, randomness, and personal revelations.

“Roberta brings a really cool vibe to the table. I love having her diverse voice here. It can be so captivating and activating,” Neill said. “Her life experiences are different and unique, and she brings that to her writing and the stage.”

Colindrez continued to work with the NeoFuturists while auditioning for movie and television roles. At first she was cast as an extra on the HBO show Girls, but was asked to come back for a recurring role.

Colindrez said the show’s writer and star, Lena Dunham, allowed her to act in a way that fit her own style.

“The beauty of it all is that Lena comes from a place where she knows society and gives us liberty to do whatever. Once I was just messing around on set, and she was like ‘Hey, let’s use that,’” Colindrez said. “Having a role on TV and with the Neo-Futurists is pretty cool.

I’m in this place where I thought my career could be. I was just waiting for my time.”

6 | Wednesday November 14, 2012 | The University Star | Trends

Musical puts modern spin on old fairy tales

John Casares, Staff Photographer

The Department of Theater and Dance will present the fairy-tale themed musical, “Into the Woods,” Nov. 13-18 at the University Mainstage.

By Paige Lambert Trends Reporter The Department of Theatre and Dance will wrap up the 2012 production season with “Into The Woods,” a musical about personal goals and community with an unusual twist on fairy tale stories.

In Act 1, a baker and his wife are cursed with childlessness by the witch next door. They then embark into a forest full of fairy tale creatures looking for ingredients to make the curselifting potion.

Along the way, they have to steal and trick characters like Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and Jack from the bean stalk story. The characters the couple run into aren’t from the sugar-topped Disney stories, but the original Brothers Grimm tales.

“It’s a dark comedy. So it sticks to the Grimm stories very well,” said Ian Saunders, theatre junior who plays the baker. “The only thing that’s different is the modernized costumes.”

The original playwrights wrote the story with modern portrayals of the fairy tale characters. Michael Costello, professor and director, said he asked the costume designers to keep well-known celebrities in mind for each role.

For example, the stepsisters reflect the Kardashians,

while Cinderella parallels with Kate of the English royal family.

“Its still the same Grimm story, just a modern twist,” Costello said. “I looked for modern fairy tales, like the commoner Kate marrying Prince William in England. Of course the combination of paralleled characters isn’t realistic, but then again this isn’t a realistic world.”

In keeping with that idea, the musical itself takes mechanical turns. Costello added masks to the costumes, requiring the actors to double their physical movements.

Music is also integrated into every part of the play, stretching the students’ vocal range. Costello said the performance is like a monologue that expresses true, inner feeling.

“The music is very challenging. We spent two weeks working on the lines, memorizing and singing them before we even touched the acting,” Saunders said. “But that’s what so great about the play. It wouldn’t be any fun if it wasn’t challenging.”

While the story line is unique, the underlying themes and morals of the musical are common to many stories. For example, the baker tries to set off on the quest in a faulty attempt to show his wife his ability to handle any situation and prove his manliness.

“The man is emotional, and he’s got some serious internal conflicts,” Saunders said. “He thinks in order to convey love to his wife, he’ll have to go into

the mysterious woods alone. Like any brave, sure man would.”

By Act 2 however, he and all the fairy tale creatures realize they can’t go on living alone and thinking of themselves.

“The only way they’ll survive the giant is working together and forgetting their plans for success,” Costello said. “It really shows how we can’t live alone and that being part of a community is so important.”

Deanna Belardinelli, theatre senior and stage manager, said the play mixes the fairytale characters of old into a plot with a message that is clear and contemporary.

“It’s a simple message that’s being portrayed in a way that isn’t preached the whole play,” Belardinelli said. “Just expect to have a good time and cry in the second act.”

“Into The Woods” is showing now through Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. each night with an additional matinee Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets are at the box office, $12 for adults and $7 for students.

The University Star | Wednesday November 14, 2012 | 7

SPORTS

Check out more at UniversityStar.com

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW: WHAT’S BREWIN’?

Football’s defeat defines moral victory

By Jordan Brewer Assistant Sports Editor

I

have never been a fan of moral victories. Calling for a moral victory is like wearing ducky-floaties in the pool to prevent you from drowning or riding a bicycle with training wheels to keep you from falling. It’s like crying over spilled milk or listening to Creed over Aerosmith.

Moral victories attempt to steal the joy from winning and rid the lessons learned from a loss.

Moral victories are reserved for losers.

Moral victories don’t count.

The Bobcats lost to Louisiana Tech University Saturday night 62-55 in what can and should be described as the most entertaining game in Texas State history.

The game produced more than 100 points, 1,200 yards, 170 plays, 11 lead changes—all this in the duration of

four hours.

Texas State scored three touchdowns more against Tech than the Bobcats’ previous game high in 2012. The team racked up over 200 yards more than its season per game average. The Bobcats converted on third downs 60 percent of the time, had their highest first down total of the season (31) and did not turn the ball over for only the second time this year.

They were about as balanced as possible: passing for 281 yards and rushing for 296, giving them a 49/51 pass/rush ratio. All of which came against an 8-1 team, who was ranked as high as 18th in the country. They had Texas A&M University on the ropes until the bitter end and the Aggies just beat the No. 1 team in the country on the road.

Maybe they can count this one as a moral victory (just this once).

Maybe Texas State did not lose the game as much as Louisiana Tech just flat out won it.

The Bobcats can take off the floaties and turn up Aerosmith because on Saturday night Texas State looked more like FBS material than ever before. Yes, they beat the University of Houston and hung around for a couple of quarters with the likes of University of NevadaReno and San Jose State University.

But they played a full 60 minutes of action against one of the top non-BCS college football programs in the United States of America. They were just a couple of missed opportunities away from the biggest and most electrifying win (cough…upset…cough) in school history.

Before turning it to “Dream On,” let’s go ahead and take a glass-half-full approach here. Never have I seen a Bobcat team compete, scrap and claw its way back into a game in the second half like Saturday. Never have I seen a Texas State team cause the opposing coach to say the word “worry” in his post game press conference.

Normally a program who has dropped three straight games in a row and five of its last six would be suffering from heart and organ failure. However, with an impressive showing against the WAC favorite, the EKG Machine is beeping more vibrantly.

Broken for the Bobcats in matchups against Nevada, San Jose State and New Mexico were the concepts of finishing games, playing all 60 minutes and making momentum-swinging plays in major conference contests. All of these were accomplished against the Bulldogs, proving the Bobcats have made significant strides in their first (and last) season in

the WAC. Now, there is still much work to be done. Three games remain for the Bobcats but all of them are very winnable.

Ending the season on a three-game win streak would mean many positive things for the Bobcats but specifically it would don them a 6-6 record, which would make them bowl eligible.

Who knows if Texas State would be selected for the post-season. Certainly, taking down Louisiana Tech sure would have helped its extremely slight cause.

Houston is not as big of a victory as it was in the early weeks of the season.

But at least they are playing a schedule that qualifies them for a bowl, unlike the Bobcat’s neighbors down south I-35.

Texas State officially qualifies for a moral victory, mainly because its loss could have an impact on the future of the Bobcats. The loss could ignite a strong finish and get the momentum rolling into 2013. This past game could help draw more than 17,000 “reported” fans in future home games.

It could be that Nov. 10, 2012 will go down as the day Texas State earned its greatest loss ever.

Take it or leave it. However weird that sounds, it is a game worth remembering, one that will leave “Sweet Emotions” to the fans who were there to witness.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Texas State cruises, wins by 20 over Patriots

By Sam Rubbelke Sports Reporter

ward Reid Koenen added 13 points and eight rebounds, and Jones managed distribution with six assists.

“We had 20 assists and 11 turnovers,” Staff said. “That’s just great. It shows that we’re getting everyone involved. (Jones) played 21 minutes, had six assists and didn’t have one turnover. He’s running the team. He’s a great leader.”

The Bobcats increased their points in the paint by six from last game. The key stat was limiting their opponent to 30 points in the paint. Fordham University scored 48 points in the paint in the Bobcats’ season opener.

The Bobcats shot a steady 41.8 percent from the field and 77.4 from the free-throw line. Texas State finished both halves with a 10-point advantage and restricted the Patriots’ offense, allowing only Jordan Cannon and Travis Dykman to score in

Texas State took care of the University of Texas-Tyler in an 86-66 victory with the help of physical play and a career-high in offensive output from one of its senior forwards.

The Bobcats limited the Patriots’ offense with constant on-ball pressure and a variety of different defensive sets, switching from man to zone and keeping UT-Tyler on its heels. Senior forward Matt Staff tied his career high with 28 points.

“I thought our bigs were able to guard on the perimeter as good as they’ve ever been able to do,” said Coach Doug Davalos.

“I like the fact that we didn’t get sloppy.

There are some good things to take from this, but we got a lot of work to do.”

In the first half, the Patriots shot 33.3 percent from the field, 23.1 from beyond the arc and 60 from the foul line. The defense pressure by the Texas State guards contributed to 16 turnovers and accounted for eight fast break points in transition.

Staff led the Bobcats with 15 points and seven rebounds in the first half. Senior guard Vonn Jones tallied four assists, and junior forward Joel Wright came off the bench and contributed immediately with nine points and two blocks.

Texas State shot 42.1 percent from the field and 25 from beyond the arc. It made 83.3 percent of its free throws. The Bobcats controlled the paint, outrebounding the Patriots 28-20 to give Texas State 11 second-chance points. The Bobcats entered the half with a 40-30 point lead.

The Bobcats started rolling over the Patriots after a foul at the 4:42 minute mark by UTTyler’s Travis Dykman on sophomore guard Wesley Davis.

Staff and Wright both finished with double-digit figures in points. Staff concluded the evening with 28 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He shot 10-14 from the field and was Shea Wendlandt, Staff Photographer perfect at the line. Wright finished with 19 points, shot 8-10 Corey Stern, junior forward, shoots a basket during the Unifrom the free-throw line and col- versity of Texas-Tyler game Nov. 13 at Strahan Coliseum. lected six rebounds. Junior for- Texas State defeated the Patriots 86-66.

double figures.

“I’m glad, the fans are glad, and the players are glad that we don’t have any more games like this,” Davalos said. “Because leading up to the game I didn’t think our practices were as intense—I don’t think we

warmed up as intense—and that’s part my responsibility. I know from this point on we can’t ever do that again. Everyone from this point on is a formidable opponent.”

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8 | Wednesday November 14, 2012 | The University Star | Advertisement