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TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS
www.UNIVERSITYSTAR.com
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 20, 2005
Vietnam vet author shares his common experience on courage
VOLUME 95, ISSUE 10
STUDENT LEADERS
REACT
Student Sen. Shanika Ware discusses Sunday’s controversial incident that took place after the African American Leadership Conference with University Police Chief Ralph Meyer during the Associated Student Government meeting Monday evening.
By Nick Gilmore Special to The Star
great conversation,” Frost said. O’Brien made clear early in the conversation what he thinks Author Tim O’Brien headed courage is — the ability to carry a conversation with more than out his duties in a war he never 400 people on Thursday about wanted to be part of and to enhis career in writing, feelings dure in times that strained him on war, political views and the both mentally and physically. similarities between the wars in “Courage is the silence I mainVietnam and Iraq. tained in the face of Texas State’s unisuch evil,” O’Brien versity seminar insaid. “I stayed silent structors are teaching while looking at racO’Brien’s novel If I Die ism of the most vioin a Combat Zone this lent sort. It was less semester. The objective than human, less is to engage students in than animal, less than a campus wide discusa rat’s.” sion on how the story O’Brien warned demonstrates courage, that his views on Tim O’Brien which is the theme for subjects might be the 2005-2006 Comdifferent than those mon Experience. of audience members. He isChristopher Frost, university sued an advisory concerning college professor, led the team the content of his speech and to create the 2005-2006 Texas said the audience needed to try State Common Experience. The its best to not be offended. team decided on the theme of “I’m a novelist and a storycourage portrayed in If I Die in teller, not a sociologist or a poa Combat Zone from a number litical scientist,” O’Brien said. of proposals it was considering, “I’m just a guy who believes and and strengthening the choice of trusts in the power of stories in Tim O’Brien was his position our lives.” in the Roy F. and Joann Cole Many of those attending the Mitte Endowed Chair in cre- night’s affair did so because of ative writing and his ability to requirements set by the univerrelate well with students. Frost sity seminar course. said O’Brien did a wonderful “I have to attend two out-ofjob during the event. class sessions with speakers,” “His stories are incredibly said Brady Robles, undecided compelling and I think the way freshman. “This one happened he uses his experiences in the to be at a convenient time for Vietnam War as a metaphor on See VET, page 3 how to approach life makes for a
Danny Rodriguez/Star photo
ASG confers with officials regarding AALC incident By Sean Wardwell News Reporter Monday’s Associated Student Government meeting was host to a packed house as students and senators awaited an explanation for the actions of the University Police Department took in an incident in the early morning Sept.
Texas State is celebrating Constitution Day on campus with a series of educational events that began Monday and will continue through Thursday. On Dec. 8, President George W. Bush signed Public Law 108447, which established Sept. 17 as Constitution Day. This legislation included an educational programming component for all federally funded institutions of higher education. During any year that Sept. 17
cers they should come outside because there was a disturbance.” From there, Meyer recounted how police responded to an incident near the payment booth of the LBJ Student Center Parking Garage. Meyers said an officer was struck and had to go to the hospital, leading to the calling of backup from the San Marcos Police Department and Hays County Sheriffs Department. “That’s basically how the night went,” Meyer said. Students questioned Meyer, even See ASG, page 3
Yahoo! presents ‘Big Idea Chair’ to NSAC
Constitution Day celebrated as a new federal mandate through events and lectures By Silver Hogue News Reporter
11 from UPD Chief Ralph Meyer. Meyer was asked to address the Senate to account for allegations that UPD officers used excessive force when dealing with an alleged disturbance at the African American Leadership Conference. “I appreciate the opportunity to be here,” Meyer said. “As we all know, it has been a troubling week.” Meyer then went on to give UPD’s version of that night’s event. “We had two officers working the party plus three others on routine patrol,” Meyers said. “Someone from the group came in and told one of our offi-
By Jason Buch Special to the Star
falls on a weekend, colleges and universities may present the educational program on the week before or after that date. “This is the first time it has been mandated for all schools, but there is no specific mandate on how to observe it,” said Ismael Amaya, campus mentoring program coordinator. Amaya and various student organization members started out this week’s festivities by offering free pieces of cake and beverages to students in The See CONSTITUTION, page 3
The Texas State University National Student Advertising Competition team was awarded the “Big Idea Chair” by Yahoo! Inc. Monday night in the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater. The “Idea Chair,” a large purple plush chair, was awarded to NSAC team for placing first in the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition at the AAF National Convention in Monty Marion/Star photo Nashville, Tenn., in June. Yahoo! Inc. was the sponsor of Having placed first in the 2005 National Student Advertising this year’s competition. Competition, the Texas State American Advertising Federa“We give out the purple chair tion Team receive their reward of the Yahoo! “Big Idea Chair” to companies and to ad agenMonday evening in the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater.
cies that do the best job,” said Yahoo! Vice President of Brand Marketing and keynote speaker Murray Gaylord. “We call it our Alice in Wonderland look.” Gaylord said the idea of the “Big Idea Chair” came from a book by Seth Godin named The Purple Cow. The idea of the Purple Cow is that a purple cow is a new and different idea. A purple chair is Yahoo!’s embodiment of The Purple Cow. The NSAC team is not part of the Ad Club but a class, Marketing 4397, which students must submit to an application process in order to be enrolled. Students in the fall class take part in the research phase of the See YAHOO!, page 3
Hazardous intersection should have bicyclists checking their safety manuals Student receives minor injuries in accident Thursday By Ashley Richards Assistant News Editor Traffic at the North LBJ Drive and Sessom Drive intersection was brought to a halt Thursday around 5:45 p.m. when a female driver in a silver, two-door Saturn car was making a right turn onto North LBJ and struck a female bicyclist who was riding down hill on North LBJ, trying to cross Sessom via the pedestrian crosswalk. “I looked up and saw that her bike was right in the middle of that intersection,” said Katie Bryant, education graduate and witness to the incident.
The driver, Melissa Landers, was facing west on Sessom, and the bicyclist, Katie Forrest, psychology sophomore, was cycling on the far left side of North LBJ moving southbound. Bryant was stopped at a red light on North LBJ, trying to make a left turn onto Sessom. She said as she was approaching the stop light at North LBJ, it was green but had turned red before she could make a left turn, which Bryant said meant Landers would have had a red light. “The girl that hit her would be making a right on red while I was still there,” Bryant said. Soon after the accident took place, Bryant said a University Police Department officer arrived. Later, a San Marcos Fire Rescue unit arrived to help recuperate the bicyclist. Forrest was moved to the
Today’s Weather
Sunny 98˚/69˚
Precipitation: 20% Humidity: 53% UV: 9 Very High Wind: S 5 mph
sidewalk after she was hit, where police and fire officials surveyed her physical condition. She was given an ice pack for her knee but was later released on the scene. She said both her back and knee were sore, and she was shocked from the incident. Forrest was bicycling with Taylor Collins, athletic training senior, at the time of the accident. After Forrest was released, the two walked their bikes away because Forrest’s rear tire was bent from being hit by the car’s front fender, damage that a UPD police report estimated at $100. “She did a really good job of protecting herself when she fell,” Collins said. Collins said he has heard of several other car-bike accidents happening at that intersection because of vehicles not paying attention.
“One of the things that I have noticed is that many, many drivers try to make a right on red, and they don’t stop,” said Gordon Sabin, League of American Bicyclists member and former university bicycle safety instructor. “I think that is becoming a very critical factor.” According to a UPD report prepared by Officer Mark Morris, Landers said she stopped at the red light before making a right turn; however Forrest and surrounding witnesses said in the report that Landers failed to stop at the red light before turning. “I’d like to clarify that she didn’t stop at the light,” Forrest said. A diagram in the police report indicated that all lights at the intersection were red at See SAFETY, page 3
Two-day Forecast Wednesday Sunny Temp: 100°/ 71° Precipitation: 10%
Thursday Sunny Temp: 101°/ 72° Precipitation: 20%
Adam Brown/Star photo Taylor Collins, athletic training senior, ices down the knee of fellow bicyclist and psychology sophomore Katie Forrest after an accident between her and an automobile at the intersection of Sessom Drive and North LBJ Drive on Thursday afternoon.
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