April 22 2014

VOLUME 103, ISSUE 82

www.UniversityStar.com

TUESDAY

APRIL 22, 2014

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

VIDEO | UniversityStar.com

OPINIONS | Page 4 The Main Point: Students should be thoughtful when filling out end-of-course evaluations.

Record Store Day: This event encourages music enthusiasts to support their local record stores.

UNIVERSITY

CITY COUNCIL

Local nonprofits present requests for grant money

By Juliette Moak News Reporter

Representatives from Central Texas nonprofits are vying for federal grant money from the San Marcos City Council for their organizations.

Non-profits pled their cases to the city councilmembers in their April 15 meeting.

Former city councilmember Kim Porterfield spoke in support of allocating funds to United Way, with which she has been a volun-

“The public hearing is an opportunity for citizens to talk directly to council, to make suggestions as to how they’d like to see our funding for next year laid out.”

—Janis Hendrix, San Marcos community initiatives administrator

Austin Humphreys | Star Photo Illustration

Security updates may impact Texas State ID card carriers

By Juliette Moak News Reporter

T

exas State ID cards may be utilizing new technology by fall 2015 due to a movement toward added security measures in the US credit card industry.

The transition from decades-old magnetic strip technology is in response to widespread data breaches at Target, Michaels and Neiman Marcus, where customers’ data were “lifted” from their cards as they completed in-store transactions, according to a report by the Credit Union National Association.

At Texas State, students are given the option to link their ID cards to a Wells Fargo bank account through a school-sponsored partnership, said Stephen Nixon, vice president of campus and workplace banking programs for Wells Fargo.

“When a student ID card is linked to a checking or savings account for that added debit card or ATM functionality, it effectively functions

just like a standard Wells Fargo debit or ATM card would,” Nixon said.

Wells Fargo cards are backed by Visa, one of the retailers that has set an October 2015 deadline to fully transition to “smart chip” or EMV technology, Nixon said.

EMV, which stands for Europay, Mastercard and Visa, is a type of chip that generates a new code for each transaction, making it more difficult for would-be thieves to make a counterfeit.

Data can be stolen more easily from traditional magnetic cards. The data can then be encoded onto a counterfeit using the same numbers and expiration dates.

Texas State student ID cards currently store information on a magnetic strip and a proximity chip, said John Root, director of Auxiliary Services.

“The magnetic strip is what you’re using when you use it at the library, for your meal plan, and

See IDs, Page 2

The City of San Marcos receives funds through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) each year. These funds are to be distributed in part to organizations that assist low- to moderate-income members of the community, according to the San Marcos Department of Planning and Development services. The amount of CDBG funding awarded to the city this year totaled $491,929,000, which is about $22,000 less than the city was granted in 2013, said Janis Hendrix, community initiatives administrator for the City of San Marcos.

“The public hearing is an opportunity for citizens to talk directly to council, to make suggestions as to how they’d like to see our funding for next year laid out,” Hendrix said.

According to the Department of Planning and Development services, San Marcos receives it share of federal funding based on U.S. Census Bureau demographic statistics.

teer for over 20 years.

Porterfield emphasized the importance of selecting proposals that advance the city’s goals for economic development and its comprehensive youth and master plans.

“Hundreds have been served through the funding you provided last year,” Porterfield said. “The United Way makes sure that efforts are coordinated, not duplicated, and we get the most bang for our buck that we can.”

Gene Martin, resident service director of San Marcos Housing Authority, presented a plan to combine horticulture and aquaponics with public housing, an arrangement he said would provide low-income residents with a sustainable living system and allow them to safely produce their own organic food.

“Our goal is to create an interdisciplinary collaboration with Texas State University’s agricultural and

See NONPROFIT, Page 2

RESEARCH

Archaeologists continue to study shipwrecks off Galveston coast

By Raquel Kimm News Reporter

Researchers at The Meadows Center for the Water and Environment will continue three remote shipwreck explorations found April 24 in the Gulf of Mexico.

A team began the guided exploration of three shipwrecks April 17 and 18 with an underwater remote-operated vehicle robot. The university’s Chief Underwater Archaeologist Fritz Hanselmann and State Marine Archeologist Amy Borgens commanded the robots from the Texas State campus as they watched it on multiple screens. The operation will contin-

ue Thursday and will be open for the public to attend in The Meadows Center Discovery Hall.

“We have two chief scientists on the expedition physically controlling the robots, and all of the other scientists connect via intercom and a conference call, and it has actually been working out quite nice,” Hanselmann said. “We can talk to the ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) pilot and direct it and tell them where we want the robot to go. We also have a chat room that gets timestamped as we type, so we have many different ways to communicate.”

The shipwrecks being explored

were viewed in 2013, but the robot exploration allows the archeologists to go more in-depth. The team has plans to continue the project into next year with more explorations to provide a better picture of the wreckage.

Texas State researchers became involved with the exploration in 2012 and the university’s role has increased over time, Hanselmann said. The team has hopes the artifacts found during the exploration can be displayed in a museum in San Marcos, he said.

The shipwrecks range from 65 feet to 100 feet deep and were

See SHIPWRECK, Page 2

—Photo courtesy of University News Service

UNIVERSITY

Study abroad receives record-high scholarship applications

By Catherine O’Hara Special to the Star

The Study Abroad Office saw a record number of scholarship applications funded by the International Education Fee during summer 2014, according to university officials.

The Study Abroad Office is often able to award every student who applies for the International

Education Fee Scholarship during the fall and spring semesters, said Isis De La O, assistant director of the Study Abroad Program. Generally, fewer students choose to study abroad during fall or spring semesters due to the longer length of the programs during these semesters. More than 500 applications were submitted.

The number of applicants has increased due to the addition of

more study abroad programs, increased emphasis on programs as well as recruiting and more funding, De la O said.

Each semester, graduate and undergraduate students pay a flat rate fee of $3 toward the International Education Fee regardless of the number of hours they are enrolled, according to the university website.

“All students pay the fee unless

they have an exemption or waiver for all fees,” said Cindy Kruckemeyer, director of Student Business Services.

The fee collected is used to directly fund scholarships for international student exchange and study abroad, said Chris Murr, director of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

During the 2013-2014 school year, $300,000 was available to

award to students, which is an increase of $100,000 from the past annual budget, said Brendan Scott, budget specialist for the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The extra funds came from money set aside from unclaimed awards in previous years. De La O said the study abroad office does

See SCHOLARSHIPS, Page 2

2 | The University Star | News | Tuesday April 22, 2014

NONPROFIT, continued from front

IDs, continued from front when you use Bobcat Bucks,” Root said. “The proximity chip just controls the door access portion.”

Root said the university is still happy with the functionality and reliability of the magnet strip design and will probably not take the initiative to update its card technology anytime soon.

The university cards that have debit functions will be affected by upgrades at the same rate as those of other consumers, Nixon said.

“We are in the process of coming up with the plans of applying EMV and offering EMV for our debit card customers, and the same goes for our campus card program,” Nixon said. “Student customers who participate in the campus card program by linking their student ID cards to their checking account will be receiving EMV on the same timeline as our standard

Wells Fargo card holders.”

EMV cards have been used internationally since the 1990s, according to The Nilson Report, a market research publication. There are 4.2 million EMV student ID cards already in use at 211 universities across 10 countries, according to Gemalto, the Netherlands-based company that provides them.

Card theft among students is virtually unheard of at Texas State, said Jeb Thomas, access services supervisor. Thomas said the only cases he was aware of involved students using stolen cards to buy food at the dining hall.

Students who use their IDs as debit cards are just as susceptible to fraud at merchant locations, Nixon said.

“To the extent that card information is susceptible to theft or to data breaches, the susceptibil-

ity is the same,” Nixon said. “So accordingly, there have been data breaches in the past that may have included campus card program information.”

While these changes will come at a great cost to card issuers and merchants, Nixon said he doesn’t expect to see incremental costs of the added technology passed on to student customers in the form of higher fees or to the university itself.

“It’s important to note that the cost of a debit card isn’t passed on to consumers, nor is the replacement cost for a Wells Fargo debit card, and I wouldn’t expect that to change as a result of having this technology,” Nixon said. “And I think the same thing can be said for the campus card arrangements that we have.”

SCHOLARSHIPS, continued from front what it can to award the total budgeted amount each year without a remainder, and the International Education Fee students pay only funds scholarships.

“Our goal is to distribute the full budget,” Scott said. “Sometimes we award and (students) don’t accept it because they didn’t (study abroad).”

Financial Aid and Scholarships reports the available funds to the Study Abroad Office after it calculates the total budget collected from the student fee, which then

gives the numbers to a scholarship committee, De La O said.

The scholarship committee determines award amounts based off funds available and distributes the awards to applicants based on a point system, De La O said.

Points are determined according to a student’s GPA, financial need, length of study abroad program and whether or not the student is a prior International Education Fee Scholarship recipient, De La O said.

“The student with the higher

score will definitely get more than the student at the bottom of the list,” De La O said. “The maximum is $3,500, but sometimes students don’t get that. We’re trying to distribute and stretch that money as much as we can by being fair.”

Several times throughout the semester, the Study Abroad Office and scholarship committee reevaluate and redistribute the rejected awards to students with less points, De La O said.

CORRECTIONS An April 15 University Star article should have stated Texas State faculty members Sandra Mayo and Elvin Holt collected more than 3,000 documents and 900 photographs over the past six years. “Acting Up and Getting Down,” an exhibition now on display in the Wittliff Collections through Aug. 1, was created using a portion of those documents and photographs.

The same article should have stated that Eugene Lee, Texas State alumnus and playwright, is among seven playwrights featured in “Acting Up and Getting Down.”

An April 17 University Star photo caption should have identified Ralph Leal as the associate director of Career Services.

The University Star regrets these errors.

aquatic biology programs to help manage the facility,” Martin said.

University students would conduct routine maintenance and monitoring of the conservatory while teaching residents about the science involved in food production, Martin said.

Councilmembers heard requests ranging from Sustainable San Marcos’ need for two paid staff positions to Court Appointed Special Advocates of Central Texas’s request that the city finish paving the road leading up to the site of its new facility.

“The reality is very simple,” said Marla Johnson, executive director of Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center. “The demand for these services is going up. The state and federal funds that used to support them in the past are going down. We need our local community to help us meet this need.”

The Women’s Center is a shelter asking for $25,000 to provide resources to victims of physical and sexual abuse.

Last year, the city awarded

CDBG funding to United Way, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Central Texas, The Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center, the Scheib Center and the Southside Community Center Housing Rehabilitation Program, according to Planning and Development Services.

Porterfield said she understands the allocation of funds will be a difficult decision for city council to make due to the amount of requests and the cuts from the federal government.

“Roads are nice and programs that you have not funded before could be nice, but they’re not proven,” Porterfield said.

Applications submitted by organizations will be officially reviewed at the May 6 city council meeting and funds will be awarded at the May 20 meeting, Hendrix said.

“It only takes an hour a week for a volunteer to make a difference in a child’s life,” said Michelle Harper, executive director of United Way of Hays County. “But it takes money to make those programs happen.”

SHIPWRECK, continued from front all discovered in the Gulf of Mexico about 170 miles off the coast of Galveston . They are believed to have been coming to or from the ports as trade and protection ships, according to the archaeologists.

“The ships are believed to date back to the early 19th century,” Borgens said. “We believe this because the artifacts date from a variety of mid-18th century to early 19th century. In order to get a good idea from when these shipwrecks took place, you have to look at the date of some of the newest artifacts.”

All three ships that have been discovered are believed to have had different purposes, Borgens said. One of them was carrying hides to possibly trade

at the port. Another was found with weapons of artillery and is believed to be a protection vessel for the trade ship, according to the archeologists.

“There’s no doubt these ships are related because several of the same artifacts have been on multiple ships,” Borgens said. “It’s a lot like being a detective because you have to take so many things into account to find an answer. Eventually, we’re going to take all of this information that we are getting and we’re going to publish a document and it will be available online.”

The explorations are being live-streamed on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.

The University Star | Tuesday April 22, 2014 | 3

TRENDS

UniversityStar.com

Glowkids & Fuse DJ DUO, RIVERFEST PERFORMERS

By Ernest Macias Trends Reporter

A self-described intergalactic DJ duo, electronic dance music partners Glowkids & Fuse take the stage Thursday for Texas State’s annual spring concert, Riverfest.

The University Star spoke with the pair about their music and upcoming performance.

EM: What’s the story behind Glowkids & Fuse? How did this collaboration come to be?

F: We were resident [solo] DJs for a weekly event in Boston—he was Glowkids and I was Fuse—and eventually, promoters started booking us to play together on a regular basis. We decided to officially collaborate as the Glowkids & Fuse duo in May 2012.

EM: When did Glowkids & Fuse become a reality?

G: Summer 2012 when we played Identity Festival.

EM: Do you perform for college audiences often?

F: Yes. We’re residents on the Illumina Live shows and travel to colleges during the spring and fall tour seasons.

EM: How would you describe the music you play?

G: Exciting, uplifting house music genres— progressive, vocal and electro house.

F: We’ve also been booked to play trance for shows in that scene.

­—Courtesy of Glowkids & Fuse

EM: Do you create your own music, or do you remix others’ music?

G: To this point, we’ve created our own edits and mixes of other artists’ music, but are hoping to begin releasing originals in the next year.

EM: What do you like about performing for college audiences? What don’t you like?

F: Since college audiences can be really mixed crowds including a lot of people who are uneducated and/or unfamiliar with dance music, it’s really cool to be able to expose them to it. Instead of going totally mainstream or very underground, we make it a point to balance commercial dance music with some other sounds to cater both sides.

EM: What differentiates your DJ sets from other DJ sets?

G: Because there are two of us, we can physically do things a single DJ could never do. Four hands are better than two.

EM: What’s in the future for Glowkids & Fuse?

F: More shows in more places and original tracks. Another cool thing we do is interview some of the biggest EDM DJs and producers and post them to our blog.

We’ll soon be working on producing a new podcast with some huge guests.

EM: What music festival would be the dream to be part of?

F: Electric Zoo or Euphoria.

G: EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival), Las Vegas.

Community celebrates Easter with carnival

By Kara Dornes Trends Reporter

Though a misty drizzle hung over the event, not even the weather could stop Farmer Fred’s Garden Spring Carnival.

Over 1000 San Marcos residents and their families gathered Thursday at the San Marcos City Park to play spring-themed games, snack on carnival food and hunt for thousands of hidden Easter eggs.

Jessica Ramos, city youth services manager, said the carnival has been going on for over nine years, becoming a tradition in the San Marcos community for local families and children.

Victoria Van de Ryt, recreation specialist, emphasized that volunteers are a huge part of this event.

The event is put on by the community services department but includes Texas State students and volunteers.

“This is a long-standing event, but it is a free family event, which is kind of hard to find nowadays in a college town,” Vanderyt said.

“There is always something for any age group to do.”

Because the event is so large, Texas State’s programming class gets involved for the entire semester to help with planning and make sure everything runs smoothly on the night of carnival.

Morgan Morman, recreational administration sophomore, knows firsthand the work and effort it takes to get Farmer Fred’s Garden Spring Carnival ready for action.

“Being involved with the carnival was a really big learning experience,” Morman said. “I actually did

it for my programming class (and) worked behind the scenes and did things like the press release and making the flyers.”

Morman said working on the event provided great real-world experience, as program creation is something she wishes to pursue post-grad.

Morman explained that after setting up all day with the threat of rain overhead, some didn’t think the event would go on as scheduled.

Fortunately, the weather cleared up enough for families to have a good time.

“When you have 12,000 Easter eggs, and you see all the kids running toward the eggs trying to get all of the candy that they can with the biggest smile on their face, it is a lot of fun,” Morman said.

Texas State hosts electronics collection event called RecycleNow for Earth Day able items. Texas State students, faculty and staff may bring personal electronic items only and not university-owned equipment.

Over the last five years, this initiative has diverted more than 120,000 pounds of electronics from landfills and generated nearly $40,000 for universities to support local sustainability projects. Last year alone, San Marcos and surrounding areas brought in more than 30,000 pounds of electronic recyclables.

The collected items will be recycled at Universal Recycling Technologies (URT) in Fort Worth.

URT is a certified e-Steward e-waste recycler, and all materials will be processed domestically.

All hard drives that are collected at the event will be destroyed via shredding.

This event allows a variety of different groups to come together

and volunteer their time and effort to directing cars into the drop-off line, collecting recyclables and surveying drivers.

“This is a great opportunity to promote the responsible recycling of end-of-life electronics for the residents in the Hays County area as well as the campus community,” said Sue Bruning, PSC’s RecycleNow event coordinator.

“It is truly a collaborative effort between local sponsors from the community, staff and student volunteers from Texas State, the City of San Marcos and PSC.” For more information contact the Environmental Health Safety and Risk Management office at Texas State at (512) 245-3616.

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Texas State University will partner with the City of San Marcos and Phillip Services Corp. Environmental Services (PSC) to host the 6th annual RecycleNow electronics collection event April 26.

The event is held in observance of Earth Day and will run 9 a.m.1 p.m. in the Strahan Coliseum parking lot.

Texas State and PSC secure volunteers, monetary contributions and in-kind donations to provide the local community with a free, convenient opportunity to recycle unwanted electronics. During the event, a range of electronics will be accepted for proper recycling at no charge. Accepted items include computers, cell phones, printers, scanners, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players and a variety of other electronic devices.

Microwaves and other, chemical waste, oil and tires are unaccept-

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4 | The University Star | Tuesday April 22, 2014

OPINIONS

UniversityStar.com

THE MAIN POINT

End-of-course faculty evaluations must be taken seriously

A

s another semester comes to a close, students should be thoughtful when filling out end-of-course evaluations and remember that their feedback and comments make an impact.

End-of-course evaluations for classes and professors may seem like a waste of time to many, but students should take the opportunity to have their voices heard.

Although it may be tempting after a long semester of class projects, countless chapters of textbook readings and difficult exams to mindlessly fill out the little Scantron bubbles of a course evaluation, students need to take the time to write meaningful feedback.

The editorial board understands it is tempting to not take the end-of-course evaluations seriously. However, students cannot complain about their classes if they are not willing to put in the time and effort to provide helpful constructive criticism to professors. Although students may think course evaluation results are loaded to the university’s website and never looked at again, many professors do in fact read over their evaluations and take their past students’ comments into consideration when

planning for the next semester.

Now that the majority of course evaluations are sent to students as links through their BobcatMail account, students really have no excuse to not take five minutes out of their Facebook stalking, Tumblr trolling or Netflix binging time online to supply helpful critiques of their classes.

Providing evaluations online aids in cost effectiveness, according to a Jan. 16, 2013 University Star article. So students who were not fond of the tiresome Scantron version should be open to online survey-style evaluations.

In this fast-paced world, students should stop, breathe and take the time to write thoughtful comments on evaluations. Simply completing the “strongly agree” and “strongly disagree” bubbles on the standard course evaluation is not enough. Although those questions are helpful, they fail to provide a “why” answer. In the comment section of the evaluations, students should explain (briefly if necessary) exactly why they think their professors “did not communicate course goals clearly,” or exactly why they “would not recommend this class to a friend.”

Students should make clear

the strengths and weaknesses of their courses so the university can grow and improve. Bobcats cannot expect classes to improve if no one comments on what they loved or what they hated.

Professors are not omniscient and cannot read students’ minds (not even those in the psychology department). If students wish to help their fellow Bobcats who may be looking to take the same course they hated last semester, they should provide comments and suggestions on how to improve it in the future.

End-of-course evaluations are posted on the Texas State website to comply with House Bill 2504 that requires universities to make them public and provide transparency. These evaluations are updated on the web page each semester, according to the university’s website. Because of this, students should feel an added weight to thoughtfully complete their evaluations and not simply say, “I hate my professor” or “I loved my professor.”

If college has taught students anything, it should be how to articulate the many reasons and evidence why they hate that girl who talks too much in philosophy or why they love that

band they saw at the Triple Crown Friday night.

Students articulate their love or hate for things every day with long lists of reasons.

Now they must take those skills and use them productively in writing end-ofcourse evaluations.

Ryan Jeanes | Star Illustrator

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 Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University.

RELATIONSHIPS

Honesty, communication important in dating to avoid mixed messages

Rivers Wright Opinions Columnist Journalism Junior

S

tudents should be upfront and say exactly what is on their minds in order to avoid being misunderstood or sending mixed messages.

There are so many ways to communicate with one another that do not involve face-to-face interaction that it can be hard to understand what someone

means when they say something. Words on a screen can be interpreted very differently than words someone hears spoken aloud.

Sharing personal feelings with someone can be easier said than done. However, skirting around the subject, playing games and being mysterious is getting old.

Even though 90s fashion is coming back, that does not mean the dating habits have to as well.

Being straightforward and upfront about feelings or intentions is a good way to lay it all out on the line. There is a difference between students sharing their feelings and being downright rude.

Students should be careful to walk a fine line between having class and being crass. Noticing someone from across the bar and nicely commenting on their

appearance will go a lot further than wanting to “holla at someone because dat booty is fine.”

Both are completely honest, but one will probably end up with an exchange in phone numbers while the other might warrant a slap across the face.

Establishing a relationship with someone is another area where mixed messages can be a problem. One party might only want to hook up while the other is looking for a long-term relationship. For some, this might be too much information to share immediately, but a candid approach can save both parties time and disappointment in the long run.

All of this can seem like high school, or even junior high, all over again. The fact of the matter is that in today’s hookup/dating culture where most encounters

are drunken ones on The Square or online through social media, messages and signals are getting lost in translation.

I was recently talking to someone over social media who had me thinking that they were completely into me, and then just fell off the face of the earth, never to be heard from again.

Had this person said they were not interested in me and those sweet nothings were, in fact, nothing, I would have moved on a lot quicker than I actually did.

It is so easy to fool someone into believing anything with little to no personal interaction. Take the TV show “Catfish” for example. Poor, innocent and sometimes naïve people are taken advantage of by imposters hiding behind computer screens and stolen pictures. These people are often “catfished” into believing

ENVIRONMENT

PETS

College students must be responsible with animal adoption, ownership

Jenna Coleman Opinions Columnist Journalism junior

S

tudents should take care to spay and neuter their cats and dogs in order to keep shelter populations low and animals out of harmful homes.

When going off to college, many students get their own apartments, jobs, and in many cases, their first dogs or cats. It is awesome to have an animal around the house.

They are fantastic remedies for stress, fun and loneliness.

However, pets should be properly cared for, and students should keep in mind the consequences of having unspayed or unneutered animals.

Unintentional pet pregnancies are hard to control without spaying and neutering.

These unintentional pet births contribute highly to overcrowded animal shelters and high stray populations. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) states that only ten percent of animals received by shelters are spayed or neutered. A clear consequence of having unfixed pets is that shelters often receive litters of

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puppies or kittens the owners cannot take care of.

Once these animals leave the shelters, they are not always guaranteed a home that is forever. A study done by the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy states more than twenty percent of people who surrender animals to shelters adopted them from shelters.

Keeping animals out of kill shelters is another concern.

Overpopulated shelters result in the mass euthanization of perfectly healthy and adoptable animals. The ASPCA states of the 5 to 7 million animals taken into shelters each year, approximately 3 to 4 million are euthanized.

That means roughly half of all healthy animals that enter shelters are put down.

Strays are a huge concern.

Unfixed strays multiply quickly, and this only leads to more of these animals.

The ASPCA states cats are capable of having two litters of six kittens a year, and dogs are capable of having one of up to six puppies. While it is very difficult to determine the actual number of strays in the U.S., estimates are as high as seventy million for cats. Making sure that all pets are spayed and neutered is essential to keeping the stray population down. Pets are at the mercy of their owners, and it is cruel to partake in creating lives that have no chance of happiness.

Some people do not get their pets fixed for health reasons. I advice those pet

Editor-in-Chief.................................................Caitlin Clark, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor..........................Liza Winkler, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters..................................................................................starletters@txstate.edu News Editor............................................Taylor Tompkins, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor.............................................Amanda Ross, startrends@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..................................Savannah Wingo, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor.......................................Austin Humphreys, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor.......................................Odus Evbagharu, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief................................Lesley Warren, starcopychief@txstate.edu Design Editor...........................................Lauren Huston, stardesign@txstate.edu

owners to simply educate themselves. Spaying or neutering does not necessarily affect pets’ behavior or health if it is done at the correct time in the animals’ lives and in the right manner.

Males need growth hormones released during the first year of life that help ensure strong bones and joints and prevent disease. However, according to the ASPCA, females can be spayed at an earlier time, ideally before six months of age. While spaying and neutering will lower the will of the animal to wander, and calm their manner, these are desirable attitudes for indoor or family pets.

Other pet owners argue that their animals are primarily indoor pets and the chances that they will reproduce are slim. However, one can never tell when a pet may escape from the yard or break its leash and run away.

Some things simply cannot be controlled, so it is better to be prepared for what can happen rather than to cross fingers and hope it never will.

There is no logical reason for a household pet to remain unfixed.

Students should nip the problem in the bud and spay and neuter their pets. Of course, there is no way to completely eliminate animal abuse, strays and euthanization. However, if students are aware of the issue and the difference spaying and neutering can make, they can most certainly make an impact.

they are creating something lasting with a certain person.

For all these catfish victims know, they could be flirting with a homeless man who stumbled into a library. Again, while this behavior sounds juvenile, it does happen.

Being upfront, but polite, about intentions from the beginning may seem like the emotional equivalent of going to class naked, but it quickly weeds out people that are going to be a complete waste of time. No one has time to sit around and wonder if a relationship is going to work or if a casual hookup is going to happen.

Saying what should be said in a decent way may seem off-putting to some, but to others, it may seem like a bold and courageous move that ends up being exactly what is needed.

Participating in Earth Day events worthwhile, valuable for community

Christopher Gonzales Opinions Columnist Healthcae administration senior

T

o celebrate Earth Day today, students should take part in events on campus and nearby the San Marcos area.

The Texas Wild Rice Festival at Sewell Park was over one week ago, but this does not mean the fun or individual stewardship to the environment has to stop. Not all students are environmental gurus. For example, after I learned turkey vultures urinate on their legs to cool off on hot days, I gave it a try and found no success. At the very least, Earth Day should be treated as a day for learning and reflection.

There are several events happening today on campus in various places including The Quad. Every year there are multiple student organizations promoting fundraising and encouraging do-goodery. This is a great time for students to learn about the local San Marcos environment and get involved. This year, the Electronics Recycling Event will be held in the Strahan Coliseum North Parking Lot. Here, students and the general public can drop off unused gadgets, such as computers and cell phones, for recycling. Even at Harris Dining Hall an exhibit on reducing an individual’s carbon footprint is expected to be on display.

Students visiting Austin or Dallas

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this upcoming weekend should stop by the Austin Earth Day Festival and Earth Day Texas in Dallas. Both events offer free admission to park grounds and feature multiple keynote speakers and exhibits. Two years ago, I attended the Dallas event and listened to both former first lady Laura Bush and world-renowned theoretical physicist Michio Kaku lecture in the same day.

Even if hugging trees and practicing sustainability is not your cup of tea, both events feature live music and there are few things better than free entertainment.

If a student’s schedule does not allow for Earth Day participation, there are a number of ways to be “green.” For beginners, students living in off-campus apartments can modify their behavior. Simply using a ceiling fan instead of adjusting the air conditioner to a lower temperature can reduce energy consumption. According to Consumer Reports, for every degree a thermostat is adjusted cooler the cost can rise about 6 percent. This is something all off-campus students can practice as it saves energy and slashes the utility bill.

On campus there are plenty of options for practicing sustainability. One of the most celebrated eco-friendly programs is Bobcat Blend. Bobcat Blend is the compost-landfill-recycle option for food disposal found around campus.

Taking the extra mile to compost and recycle is as easy as making a trip to the LBJ Student Center where students and staff can divert materials to be recycled and composted. An added kudos is that composted material from Bobcat Blend is sometimes returned to campus for landscaping purposes.

Earth Day is a celebration of the blue and green rock we live on. Students should use this day to attend an event, seek new knowledge and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the spring and fall and 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.

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The University Star | Tuesday April 22, 2014 | 5

SPORTS SOFTBALL

Bobcats run-rule Hilltoppers in final series game

By Cameron Cutshall Sports Reporter @CameronCutshall

The Texas State softball team went 1-2 in a three-game series this weekend against second-ranked Sun Belt Conference opponent Western Kentucky to remain at sixth in the standings.

The Bobcats are 22-26 overall and 5-10 in conference play with seven games remaining in the season.

Western Kentucky remains in second place after the weekend with a 10-4 conference record. The Hilltoppers are 31-15-1 overall this season.

“We’re not really worrying about wins and losses at the end of the day,” said Coach Ricci Woodard. “We’re worrying about what we do. We need to make sure that when we get to the conference tournament, that we’re playing our best ball.”

Texas State lost the first game 1-0.

Brooke Holloway, Hilltoppers first baseman, hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh to score the only run of the game.

Coralee Ramirez, senior right fielder, had two hits in the game.

Ramirez’s second hit was a triple with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. Ramirez served as the tying run, but the Bobcats failed to advance her home and lost 1-0.

Courtney Harris, junior third

baseman, ended her hit streak at 10 games, failing to earn a hit in the contest.

Rayn House, senior pitcher, started the first game and threw a complete game for the Bobcats. House gave up four hits, 1 run and struck out six batters. The senior earned her 16th loss of the season.

Emily Rousseau, Hilltoppers pitcher, threw a complete game. Rousseau gave up five hits and allowed no runs.

Rousseau earned the win to improve her record to 16-10.

Kelli Baker, sophomore second baseman, gave the Bobcats the early lead in the bottom of the first inning to start the second game of Friday’s double header. Baker scored on an illegal pitch by Western Kentucky to make the score 1-0.

The Hilltoppers scored 1 run in the top of fourth on a fielder’s choice to tie the game. The team added 2 more runs in the fifth inning.

Preslie Cruce, Hilltoppers first baseman, hit a solo homer in the fifth. Watkins stole second and third base then reached home on a throwing error by Katie Doerre, sophomore catcher, to give the Hilltoppers its second run of the fifth inning.

Western Kentucky scored 3 more runs in the game to make the final score 6-1 and give the Hilltoppers the win. The Bobcats extended their losing streak to six straight games.

Allison Brouillette | Star File Photo Texas State had six hits, seven walks and eight strikeouts in the loss.

“We’re not doing what we need to do offensively,” Woodard said. “It puts a whole lot of pressure on that person in the circle when we’re not swinging the bats offensively. We’re not swinging the bats really well and that’s what is causing all of the problems right now.”

Kaylee Garner, freshman pitcher, fell to 1-6 on the season and allowed

6 runs on eight hits. The Bobcats left 20 runners on base Friday in both games played.

“Offense becomes a momentum killer,” Woodard said. “That’s where we’re putting ourselves in a bind, so we need to figure out how to become the aggressors on the offensive side.”

The Bobcats run-ruled the Hilltoppers 11-2 in five innings in the final game of the series. The team earned 11 hits in the game. Texas State started the contest with backto-back home runs by Baker and Timishia North, senior center fielder.

“Well, when you start off with back-to-back home runs, that tells you we’re being aggressive at the plate,” Woodard said. “I thought they did a great job all the way around of being confident and attacking good pitches today.”

Kendall Wiley, sophomore first baseman, had a solo home run and finished the game going 2-3 with

three RBI and 2 runs.

Harris ended the game with a 2-run homer to give the Bobcats the final score of 11-2. Harris finished the game with three RBI and 2 runs scored.

“Our game starts with offense,” Woodard said. “If our offense is rolling then everything seems to roll with us. This offense is dangerous if they get after it, and I thought (Saturday) they got after it and things went their way.”

House improved to 19-16 on the season, pitching a complete game.

House allowed 2 runs on three hits in the ball game and struck out seven.

“When we’re hitting the ball there is not as much pressure on the mound,” House said. “When I’m taking care of business, there’s not as much pressure for them to come out and hit. We came together and made it easier for both sides of the game (Saturday).”

Rayn House, senior pitcher, leads the Sun Belt Conference in wins (19), innings pitched (207), batters struck out (191), batters struck out looking (52), appearances (38) and games started (32). House is tied for tenth in the nation for shutouts pitched this season with eight.

The Bobcats have an upcoming matchup with Texas Wednesday at home. The Longhorns beat Texas State 19-7 the last time the two teams played each other. The Bobcats have not beaten Texas in their last four matchups.

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The softball team has yet to win a game on the road for the 2014 season, posting a 0-12 record. The Bobcats have three chances left in the season to earn a road victory when they play Troy April 26-27 away from San Marcos.

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Healthy & Fri. 25 Apr. through Mon. 28 Apr. Non-Smoking Fri. 2 May through Mon. 5 May BMI between 18 and 32 Outpatient Visit: 7 May Healthy & Non-Smoking BMI between 22 and 29

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6 | The University Star | Sports | Tuesday April 22, 2014

BASEBALL

Texas State sweeps Georgia State at Bobcat Ballpark

Alexandra White | Staff Photographer

By Kirk Jones Sports Reporter @kirk_jones11 The Texas State baseball team won its first conference series since March 28 against Georgia State this past weekend.

Cody Perkins

senior utility player

By Quixem Ramirez Assistant Sports Editor @Quixem Cody Perkins, utility senior, always wanted to go to Baylor University.

Cody’s father, Chris, graduated from Baylor’s dental school. His uncle was employed in health administration at the university, and his older sister, Christie, is an alumna.

Baylor was Cody’s “dream school” while he was growing up. Texas State and Baylor tried to recruit him following high school. The decision seemed like a given.

Then Cody visited Texas State. He spoke to baseball head coach Ty Harrington and the team. He visited Baylor, too, but it felt different.

It did not feel like home, Cody said.

Cody, with an offer from his dream school to play baseball, chose Texas State instead.

“I always wanted to go to Baylor,” Cody said. “I had the opportunity, but Texas State made me feel at

The team swept Georgia State, outscoring the Panthers 16-4 in the series.

“That’s just hitting,” said Ben McElroy, junior outfielder. “Sometimes the offense can be a rollercoaster ride. We just stuck with the same approach this series, kept working hard and knew eventually the ball would start falling.”

The Bobcats went in to Sunday’s matchup with the series won, but it was a historic night for Hunter Lemke, senior pitcher.

Lemke earned his eighth save of the season. This allowed him to surpass former pitcher Jeff McVaney for career saves with 16.

The record has been intact since McVaney’s graduation back in 2012.

Texas State struck in the first inning when Garrett Mattlage, junior infielder, singled to score Matt Smith, sophomore infielder, from second.

Granger Studdard, freshman outfielder, followed Mattlage’s single with one of his own, scoring Mattlage from second to put the

Bobcats up 2-0.

Texas State would never trail in the game, as the team scored on an RBI single from Tyler Pearson, senior catcher, and Studdard’s sacrifice fly to right field. This allowed Studdard to record his second RBI of the game.

The Bobcats’ pinch-hit grand slam was enough to earn the team a victory in game two of the series on Saturday. The feat was broadcast on national television.

Austin O’Neal, senior infielder, did not start game two but was called upon from the bench by Coach Ty Harrington in the bottom of the sixth when the team was down down 2-0.

“He started me out with a slider down and away,” O’Neal said, “I was just up there trying not to get jammed, and the next pitch he threw me a middle-in fastball.”

O’Neal struck the middle-in fastball to deep left field over the fence for a grand slam to put the Bobcats up 4-2.

The homer marks O’Neal’s first of the season and his first collegiate

grand slam.

“I was just up there trying to hit the ball hard,” O’Neal said. “I can’t really control getting a hit, but if my timing is right and I go with the pitch, you expect big things.”

Dylan Bein, freshman pitcher, relieved junior starter Taylor Black in the seventh and threw two hitless innings to help secure the team win.

“Outside of Austin’s (O’Neal) swing, (Bein) was the difference in the game,” Harrington said. “We were able to keep the momentum on our side. We have had moments where someone will hit a homer and we cannot hold the lead. His ability to get six outs was huge.”

Black pitched six innings, allowed 2 earned runs, walked two and struck out five en route to his third victory of the season.

The team did not allow another hit past the sixth. In the ninth inning, Lemke stepped to the mound and recorded his seventh save.

Texas State opened the series with a victory, holding the Sun Belt’s second-best offense to 1 run in an

home more than I thought. After praying about it, I turned down my dream school. I wanted to make history at Texas State and help build a legacy.”

Harrington envisioned Cody in a utility role. He told him he would have to carry extra gloves.

After all, Cody has played every position at least once, including pitcher. He played second base in high school and transitioned to third as a necessity. He was recruited, initially, as a shortstop. Cody, an athlete capable of playing every position, was bred to fulfill the utility role.

As a utility player, Cody does defensive work in high-leverage situations. He does the little things, like pinch-hitting, and does not play every day.

“Being a utility player is kind of different,” Cody said. “You have to feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations. For Texas State, Harrington has told me I was always going to be a utility player and carry a bunch of gloves. I’ve learned to cope with it over time. It’s been what I’ve done my entire life.”

Cody’s introduction to baseball involved a plastic ball and bat. He was three years old, watching his older sister’s soccer game.

Whack. Whack. Whack. The parents in the stands diverted their

attention from the game to Cody, who was hitting the baseball with startling regularity.

“He was hitting the ball, and I couldn’t believe his hand-eye coordination at such a young age,” his father said. “He’s always had talent.

It came easy to him.”

Cody played baseball, soccer and football since he was four. He played with kids a year older than him to test himself athletically.

“It helped me athletically,” Cody said. “It pushed me, having to compete against guys physically better than me.”

Whether he is experiencing the clean, fresh-cut grass of a baseball field or a campfire, Cody feels at home when he is outdoors. He does not play video games often. He prefers to hunt and fish with his father in his spare time.

Cody’s first kill, a deer, happened when he was eight years old. Chris wanted him to be competent with a weapon beforehand, so Cody had to hit a target 100 feet away three consecutive times.

Once he did, they went hunting together.

Chris lured the deer within Cody’s shooting range. Cody’s first shot missed. The deer shuffled away.

Cody’s second shot, considerably more difficult since the deer was

running, connected. The deer fell instantly, dead.

Cody and his father took the deer to a processing plant, where they sifted through the remains to find the edible parts. As always, they ate the deer. They never hunted anything they couldn’t eat.

“As a father, that was a pretty proud moment for me,” Chris said. “In Texas, with your first deer kill, you rub a little deer blood on their face. We have a photo with deer blood on his face. It was fantastic.”

Cody has reached base on 30 percent of his career plate appearances.

“He’s always been driven,” his mother, Brenda, said.

“He’s put in a lot of work to get to where he is, and it hasn’t been easy for him.”

Cody’s future is up in the air, though. He will graduate next spring and either work towards a doctoral degree or enter the workforce, likely in the sports nutrition

8-1 victory.

Austen Williams, junior pitcher, earned the win, his fourth within five starts.

Williams increased his win total to six on the season. He has pitched at least six innings in each of the five starts.

Mattlage connected with his second homer of the season in the bottom of the first.

Mattlage and Studdard recorded two RBI each, with Pearson, Smith, and Cory Giesler, sophomore outfielder, each earning an RBI of their own.

The team led the entire game and held the Panthers to a shutout until the ninth when Joey Roach, Panther catcher, doubled home the team’s first run.

The team heads to Waco Tuesday for a matchup with Baylor, followed by a trip back to San Marcos Wednesday to play against the Bears in a two-game series.

Allison Brouillette | Star File Photo field.

“I hope to be gainfully employed,” Cody said. “I’m glad that baseball has allowed me to play and get a degree at the same time. Not everyone gets a degree, and I’m thankful for that.”