April 15 2015

Page 1

WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2015

VOLUME 104 ISSUE 79 www.UniversityStar.com

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STATE

Students, faculty discuss upcoming primaries

Cedric Vallieres, senior infielder, hits the ball April 14 at Bobcat Ballpark, where Bobcats were defeated 8-10 by UTSA.

PRESLIE COX STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

TEXAS STATE LOSES I-35 RIVALRY

UNIVERSITY

Library repository may be built at S.T.A.R. Park By Rebecca Banks NEWS REPORTER @r_banks13 University officials hope to build a repository to relocate books not commonly checked out at the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (S.T.A.R.) Park. The architectural design and

budget for the repository will be submitted for approval by the Texas State University System Board of Regents, said Lori Hughes, director of administrative services at Alkek Library. The submission and approval of the plan is expected to occur in May. “We’re pretty landlocked here, so we knew we weren’t going

to add on to (Alkek Library),” said Joan Heath, associate vice president and university librarian. “What the university then decided to do was build this repository, which is a high-density storage building.” Construction of the building is expected to begin Summer 2015 if the proposal is approved and would not be completed un-

UNIVERSITY

Homecoming 2015 plans in full swing By Brianna Stone SPECIAL TO THE STAR @bristone19 Homecoming could include new attractions to spice up traditions as SACA begins planning for the Fall 2015 event. Homecoming plans are headed by Alex Puryear, communication studies junior and the new Pride and Traditions coordinator of the Student Association for Campus Activities (SACA). SACA and the LBJ Student Center financially sponsor homecoming. The 2015 homecoming football game will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 against the New Mexico State Aggies. Puryear has no solid plans for new events for Homecoming 2015 but has not ruled out mak-

ing changes. The Pride and Traditions coordinator can suggest new ideas each year, said Hallie Crawford, coordinator for Campus Activities. “We are very excited about some new ideas to make (homecoming) an even better event,” Puryear said. Traditionally, a talent show is held on the Wednesday and the Soapbox Derby on the Friday of homecoming week. The dates of other homecoming events have not been determined, Crawford said. “The Soapbox Derby is one of the longest-standing homecoming traditions,” Crawford said. A few other homecoming

See HOMECOMING, Page 2

til Fall 2017. The total cost for the development of the repository would be $14.8 million, said Juan Guerra, associate vice president of facilities. “We knew we were going to need more space,” Heath said. “The way to free up space is to move a certain amount of the

See S.T.A.R. PARK, Page 2

UNIVERSITY

False acceptance letters a result of mailing list error By Rebecca Banks NEWS REPORTER @r_banks13 The Office of Undergraduate Admissions mailed a letter of apology to 341 of the 458 students who wrongly received acceptance brochures last week. On April 7, the university accepted 117 applicants of the 458 students into Texas State. Twentysix applicants completed the forms and are under review, and 30 were declined admission, said Jayme Blaschke, University News Service director. “One applicant out of those 458 has withdrawn their application,” Blaschke said. “The remaining 284 still have incomplete applications.” According to an April 7 University Star article, a third-party mailing vendor sent the acceptance brochures to students in error. The

students were supposed to have been notified their applications were incomplete. None of the 458 applicants had yet been accepted to the university, Blaschke said. “It was through a third-party vendor handling mail-outs for university admissions,” Blaschke said. Integ, a third-party mailing company, sent out the brochures, Blaschke said. University officials do not send information directly to applicants and instead use Integ to mail notifications, Blaschke said. The company made the error because officials received two mailing lists from the university admissions department, he said. Blaschke said there was no clarification between the two mailing lists given to Integ. The university has been working with Integ since the error to understand why and how the mistake occurred.

By Alexa Tavarez SENIOR NEWS REPORTER @lexicanaa Political enthusiasts are watching the news closely as candidates announce their presidential campaigns. Ted Cruz, a senator from Texas, secured the attention of the media and campaign donors early with the announcement of his entrance into the

“That field will stimulate a fair bit of debate among the (Republican) primary contenders that will make them all sharper and ready for the general election.” ­—PATRICIA PARENT, POLITICAL SCIENCE SENIOR LECTURER primaries. Rand Paul, a senator from Kentucky, and Florida senator Marco Rubio have joined Cruz in the hopes of becoming the next Republican nominee for the presidential candidacy. Patricia Parent, political science senior lecturer, said other speculated Republican candidates include but are not limited to Scott Walker (governor of Wisconsin), Chris Christie (governor of New Jersey) and Jeb Bush (former governor of Florida). Parent said the Republicans have an advantage in the upcoming presidential race due to the “deep field” of potential candidates. “That field will stimulate a fair bit of debate among the (Republican) primary contenders that will make them all sharper and ready for the general election,” Parent said. Hillary Clinton has risen as the “queen” within the Democratic Party, Parent said. “(Clinton) is not going to have the same type of competition in debate, or at least that is the way it looks right now, “ Parent said. Parent said Walker currently seems to be the most likely candidate to win the Republican primary. She said the establishment has demonstrated tolerance for Walker, which is important to the Grand Old Party (GOP) leadership. “Party nominations define someone who can develop that bridge and can effectively bridge that gap,” Parent said. “Scott Walker has that ability to bridge that gap.” However, Parent is not counting Paul, Cruz or Rubio out of the race yet.

See PRIMARIES, Page 2

STATE

Tech startups find accomodations in Austin, San Marcos area By Gabrielle Huezo SPECIAL TO THE STAR @_ghzzzo The Wall Street Journal recently named the Austin area first in the nation for attracting tech startups. The growth is reflected in San Marcos through facilities like the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (S.T.A.R.) Park and the Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP). S.T.A.R. Park provides a location for beginning businesses until entrepeneurs find their own space. The facility is the only one in central Texas that offers laboratory space for startup companies. “You’ve got minimal regulation, access to capital and an environment that provides support for startups,”

said Stephen Frayser, executive director of S.T.A.R. Park. “You also have people that have done investing in life science companies or material science development companies, and they have tech backgrounds and understand what it takes to be able to support and scale a company.” Frayser said the Austin-San Marcos area has an abundance of specialized service providers such as intellectual property attorneys and contractors specializing in finance and human resources. Business owners move to the San Marcos area because it gives companies second chances, Frayser said. Starting a business is seen as a learning experience in San Marcos. The community helps business owners improve and try again if they fail. MicroPower Global, Quantum

Materials and the System and Materials Research Corporation are among the startups moving to the area and operating at S.T.A.R. Park. Adriana Cruz, president of the Greater San Marcos Partnership, said the Austin-San Marcos environment is ideal for new technology companies. The GSMP works to promote economic growth in Hays and Caldwell Counties. “This area has a lot of tech talent, and it is different and innovative,” Cruz said. “The presence of Texas State is an attraction because it is an affordable place to be.” Brian Bondy, president of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, said San Marcos is catching up to Austin in the tech field. “Austin itself has been a magnet for tech businesses for the past de-

DARYL ONTIVEROS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Austin area is first in the nation for attracting tech startups, and S.T.A.R. Park is the only facility in central Texas that offers laboratory space for startup research.. cade,” Bondy said. “But now people cially due to the less dense populaare realizing San Marcos is a good area to start their companies, espe- tion.”


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