Year in Review 2012-2013

VOLUME 102, ISSUE 82

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THURSDAY

APRIL 25, 2013

Experimental Archaeology

GO NE ONLI NOW

The Experimental Archaeology Club is a group of students who strive to understand early civilizations in Texas by studying and performing prehistoric practices. To see video of the club’s experiments and interviews with its members, go to UniversityStar.com.

FINALS ISSUE

Year in Review August

September

October

Enrollment increase

Texas State saw a record-high number of students for this fall for the 15th consecutive year.

Football victory

Texas State football defeated the University of Houston in their first FBS game 30-13.

Star File Photos

Bomb threat

A bomb threat targeting the admissions building was made Oct. 18. A former student was arrested and charged after the email was traced to an account allegedly belonging to her. She was later acquitted after investigators found her ex-boyfriend wrongfully accessed her account to send terroristic threats to both Texas State and Texas A&M.

BTI cancelled

The Bobcat Tram Interurban service, which provided transportation to the Austin and San Antonio areas, was canceled after a review of Texas State’s transit services deemed the out of town routes a financial and safety issue.

Overpass construction discussed

Cape’s Camp approved

City councilmembers approved zoning changes to allow the development of a student housing complex at Cape’s Camp. The vote followed more than four hours of public comment, most in opposition, at the Jan. 7 meeting.

January Alcohol ban

Discussion continued on the construction of the Loop 82 overpass, which will alleviate traffic caused by trains. Officials say the window for construction is a “moving target” from September 2013 to May 2014.

Permit prices rise

The ordinance banning the consumption and display of alcohol in city parks went into effect.

Parking permit prices will increase across the board in next fall. The increases would make up for parking services’ diminishing reserves and allow them to get out of debt. The President’s Cabinet approved the final prices April 24.

Allen St. stabbing

A man was stabbed at a Feb. 3 party at the home of a former sophomore shortstop for the softball team. The man died of the wounds he sustained at the 704 Allen St. Duplex. An affidavit and search warrants detailed potential evidence tampering and making false reports to police officers that night.

ASG resolution would benefit LGBTQ students

By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor Students worried about discrimination from roommates because of their sexuality or gender identity may be able to ensure a safer environment after the passage of an Associated Student Government resolution.

ASG passed a resolution April 22 to allow students to indicate whether they are transgender, transsexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer on their housing application. Under the resolution, the application would allow students to note whether they would like their sexuality or gender identity to be taken into consideration when being placed with a roommate. Non-LGBTQ students can indicate if they are LGBTQ-friendly under the resolution.

ASG wants students to be made aware of their “current options in being housed in a safe environment.”

According to the resolution, students within the LGBTQ communities cannot currently identify themselves as so on housing applications. LGBTQ students can only receive special accommodations by contacting Rosanne Proite, director of Housing and Residential life, said Heather Herron, ASG senator and author of the bill.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual students may be roommates with those openly hostile

April

February

toward them because of this lack of distinction, according to the proposal. Transgender students can be “placed with inappropriate roommates” as well, according to the resolution.

Herron, a social work senior, said the issue arose when she was mentoring a gay high school student who was worried about his rooming situation when filling out a Texas State application.

“I looked at the forms with him, and I realized that these students don’t really have a lot of options,” Herron said. “Other people have an extra box they can check to take something like being LGBTQ into consideration, and we just didn’t have anything like that.”

Herron said she heard stories of a student who was beat up by a roommate because of his sexuality, and had students tell her of other problems within the dorms.

“I do know people whose roommates wouldn’t talk to them, just pretended like they didn’t even exist,” Herron said. “That’s a pretty lonely feeling I can imagine.”

Jesus Almazan, president of Lambda and communication studies junior, said he has not heard of any instances of the sort but thinks it is a worthwhile initiative.

“I think it can only do good, even as a pre-

READ LGBTQ, PAGE 3

Name change approved

State senators unanimously approved Senate Bill 974 April 10, which would eliminate “-—San Marcos” from the end of the university’s name. The change is currently pending in the House. This will be Texas State’s sixth name change since 1903.

Master plan passed

City councilmembers unanimously approved the new Comprehensive Master Plan, which will be officially updated for the first time in almost 20 years. The master plan strives to improve the city’s economic development, neighborhoods and housing, facilities and transportation, among other goals.

Graduation crowds to exceed Strahan capacity

By Nicole Barrios News Reporter Texas State’s largest graduating class in history is prompting the university to prepare for extra crowds at commencement ceremonies this spring.

This May there will be six commencement ceremonies held at Strahan Coliseum with nearly 4,500 graduation candidates. Administrators are anticipating crowds larger than the capacity at Strahan and are planning for overflow crowds at the ceremonies. Provost Eugene Bourgeois said Gym 102 in Jowers Center will have a live stream of the ceremony to accommodate additional guests. The gym is located off one of the main entrances of Strahan Coliseum.

Bourgeois said the College of Education ceremony and the combined ceremony of the College of Applied Arts and the College of Health Professions are both expected to draw overflow crowds. Debbie Thorne, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, said although overflow is only expected at the two ceremonies, they will have the extra room prepared for all six.

Bourgeois said each ceremony will be streamed live on the homepage of the commencement website as well.

Milton Nielsen, associate vice president of instructional technologies support, said

his department has submitted a proposal for the overflow room that has not yet been approved. The proposed plan includes putting two large screens, two projectors and multiple speakers around the gym in order to pipe the video and audio from the main floor of Strahan.

Thorne said it is difficult to predict how many overflow people will attend the ceremonies, but each graduate is estimated to bring seven or eight guests on average. She said with the number of graduate candidates multiplied by seven guests, plus staff and University Police, “you’re looking at a coliseum that’s at capacity.”

Bourgeois said Gym 102 can hold about 500 to 700 guests, but he was unsure about how many chairs will be set up.

Gym 101 and 102 in Jowers usually function as staging rooms for graduation candidates, Bourgeois said. However, only Gym 101 will be used this year, and another gym on the second floor will hold graduation candidate staging.

“This really does bring home the point that with this largest graduating class in history and with prospective increasingly larger classes in the next few years, we really need to begin a serious feasibility study about expanding Strahan Coliseum,” Bourgeois said.

READ GRADUATION, PAGE 3

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LGBTQ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 cautionary measure for instances like this,” Almazan said. “It can only prevent or minimize whatever is going on.”

Herron said she thinks academic performances of members of the LGBTQ community could increase as a result of the resolution. She said studies suggest the LGBTQ community is one of the lowest performing because of discomfort on college campuses.

Justin Solomon, ASG senator and healthcare administration senior, said he sponsored the bill because the student government has to advocate for all groups and minorities. Solomon said it is a good way to show the university is inclusive of everyone and cares about diversity.

“A lot of it has to do with equality,” Solomon said. “I thought it was just the right thing to do.”

Herron said the proposal only had one vote against it, and one senator abstained.

Herron said she was glad it had so much support in senate and expected more opposition.

“I was a little surprised (when the proposal passed) because it was the first time students have come out to speak on behalf of legislation that wasn’t about guns,” Herron said.

The next step for the resolution is approval by administration. Herron said ASG is starting a petition on change.org to keep the administration thinking about the resolution.

“Just because it’s not in the hands of the senate anymore doesn’t mean the students are going to forget about it,” Herron said. “I hope it’s positive whatever the change is.”

GRADUATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Liberal Arts commencement has been divided into two ceremonies for the last couple of years because the number of graduates is too large for one, Thorne said.

Bourgeois said the administration will not consider holding ceremonies in Bobcat Stadium or another venue because weather

would become an issue, and they also do not want to issue tickets or restrict attendance.

“We really do want everyone to have as many friends and family members as possible to help them celebrate the occasion,” Bourgeois said.

William Randolph Hearst Scholarship Brooke Boriack Reyna Caraveo Chelsea Cua Ashton Douglas Zahra Farah Tyler Gaudin Alexandra Horton

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Don Flores Scholarship Zahra Farah Karen Zamora

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Mike Nickless Scholarship Taylor Espinosa

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Alpha & Omega Scholarship

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Public Relations Journalism Brooke Boriack Jose A. Hernandez Christopher Henry Claudia Giertz Chelsea Cua Kelsey Nichols

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Electronic Media Christina Ochoa Allison Johnson Halie Davis Taylor L. Wood Melissa Bond Ashton Darnell Erica Brokaw

Advertising SJMC Graduate Students Brittany Teague Kris Garza

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A4 | Thursday April 25, 2013 | The University Star | News

Safe-ride program being re-evaluated for future

By Amanda Ross News Reporter Sarah Garcia’s life was altered the night her friend was struck and killed instantly by a drunk driver two years ago.

The incident still resonates with Garcia, education freshman.

“I always wonder what would happen if the driver didn’t get drunk or just didn’t drive,” Garcia said. “Why would he drive? Just why?”

Instances of drunk driving such as this one have prompted Vanessa Cortez, Associated Student Government presidentelect, to try to revive the Students With Alternative Transportation program.

The program, which was canceled by the university in 2009, provided Texas State students with a safe ride home when they were too intoxicated to drive. The university reallocated S.W.A.T.’s funding to the on-campus Alcohol and Drug Compliance Services. “(Safe-ride programs) are something that many, many universities do and it’s something that we need to bring back for the safety of our students,” Cortez said.

Cortez said she hopes to base a revamped version of the safe-ride program

on A&M’s successful model, Caring ers, alumni donations and corporate Aggies R Protecting Over Our Lives, or sponsorship bring in the rest of the reC.A.R.P.O.O.L. quired funding.

The A&M model is one of the largTexas State’s S.W.A.T. program used est and most successful programs of $18,500 of funding from the university, its kind, winning several local and na- collected from a student services fee, actional awards, said cording to a Sept.

C . A . R . P. O . O . L .

29, 2009 University director Kaitlin Star article.

Akard. Akard said “I’ve spoken with the program has city councilmembetween 200 to 300 bers about making student volunteers this a San Marcos and provides 600 to project instead of 800 rides per weekjust a Texas State end, with cars rentone, and also about ed from Enterprise bringing in local Rent-A-Car. and national spon“The university sorship like A&M -Vanessa Cortez, lets us rent a space has,” Cortez said.

ASG President-elect for a very low rate When S.W.A.T and provides an unwas still in commisbelievable amount sion, it struggled of support for the program through ad- with volunteers failing to appear for their vertising, though we raise most of the scheduled drive times, leaving the proprogram’s funding ourselves,” Akard gram’s officers scrambling to meet desaid. mand, Cortez said.

A&M provides only $6,000 of the proAkard said fostering a better sense of gram’s $100,000 annual budget, or about community at the university, something 6 percent, Akard said. Annual fundrais- that A&M is renowned for worldwide,

It’s something that we need to bring back for the safety of our students.”

could combat this problem. “(At A&M,) we have to turn people away because we get such a high volume of applicants wanting to be drivers,” said Akard. “It’s a great problem to have.”

Cortez said a revamped S.W.A.T. program could potentially include a bus route instead of individual car service, much like the Austin/University of Texas late-night E-Bus route. The bus, popular among students visiting Sixth Street, runs late at night to locations around UT and surrounding apartment complexes.

Cortez said a bus would service more people at once. It would be more time and cost efficient by following popular routes, and dropping off and picking up in designated areas, such as The Square.

Cortez said this option is very feasible because of the small size of San Marcos.

Garcia said she was in full support of the program, knowing several people at A&M who use the C.A.R.P.O.O.L. program successfully and frequently.

“This saves lives,” said Garcia. “The bottom line is that people will drink. We have to come up with an alternative way to get home or people will die. It’s the truth.”

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A6 | Thursday April 25, 2013 | The University Star | News

Dean to retire after summer semester, replacement chosen

By Nicole Barrios News Reporter The Graduate College will soon see a change in leadership as its current dean retires and passes the torch.

Michael Willoughby, dean of the Graduate College, will retire after a 39-year career at Texas State, 31 of those as dean. Willoughby said he began work at Texas State when he was 29 years old—he is now 68. Andrea Golato of the University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign will take over Willoughby’s position.

Associate Provost Cynthia Opheim said Willoughby is retiring after a long and distinguished career.

Opheim said she has known Willoughby for a long time, and his broad knowledge of helping students and enhancing the graduate program has made him a “remarkable problem solver.”

“I will miss him very much,” Opheim said. “I consider him a good friend.”

Opheim said Willoughby will officially leave Aug. 31, with some overlap as Golato takes the position in mid-July. She said the overlap will allow for a smooth transition.

The success of the Graduate College has been a “team effort,” with degree programs evolving and enrollment increasing, Willoughby said.

“It’s not me. It’s people,” Willoughby said. “I don’t think an administrator should ever take credit for those things.

It’s a group of people working together to make it happen.”

Willoughby said he was involved with the creation of the Round Rock campus, as well as other endeavors.

Edna Rehbein, director of the Round Rock Higher Education Center, said she worked closely with Willoughby when the campus began. She said Willoughby was involved from the beginning to ensure they had the support needed since two of the programs offered at the campus’ inception were graduate programs.

“He was instrumental in making sure the university moved forward and was able to offer the master’s and doctoral programs that we’re offering now,” Rehbein said.

Willoughby was a public school teacher for two years after being the first football player to graduate with a degree in elementary education from Texas A&M in 1967. He was a teacher, consultant

Photo courtesy of Michael Willoughby

and later became a principal at the age of 24. After finishing his bachelor’s degree, he came to Texas State for three summers to work on his master’s while he was teaching. He completed his doctorate degree at the University of Southern Mississippi while working as a principal.

The search for Willoughby’s replacement began late last year, though he will be leaving until the end of summer Opheim said the “major national search” began in October, resulting in about 80 candidates. Then, the top two finalists were asked to come in for interviews.

Golato has experience working as the associate dean of the Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana— Champaign, which is a Tier One university—a title Texas State hopes to achieve in the near future, Opheim said.

“I think (Golato will) look at new ways, perhaps, of doing things,” Opheim said. “Mostly I hope she’ll continue the tradition of helping departments and graduate advisers with issues that arise in their departments.”

Willoughby said he thinks Golato is a good choice for dean and will bring some enthusiasm to the office. He said her excellent experience at a large university will help when addressing complexities of an emerging research university and its programs.

Thursday April 25, 2013 | The University Star | A7

OPINIONS

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

Study hard, prepare for future, remember Texas State

S

Kara Ramer, Star Illustrator

tudents are pushing toward the peak of the college summit with finals on the horizon, but remember to study hard and tough it out to close the spring semester strong.

Bobcats only have a few weeks left in their classes until textbooks will be shoved aside and tubing will make its official debut across San Marcos. The editorial board would like to give students one last piece of motivation before finals and offer advice to those who will be moving on to the professional world.

Remember, final exams are just around the corner. Dead days are not meant for partying or a last hurrah on The Square.

Bobcats need to remember to utilize their time properly by looking over class notes, re-reading textbooks and meeting with instructors one last time. Now is not the time to procrastinate. Bobcats should review for their finals sooner rather than later to avoid dreaded all-night study sessions.

Students should take advantage of the multiple resources available during finals.

The library will be open 24 hours during finals, so students can study for exams in a quiet environment. The Student Learning Assistant Center in Alkek offers tutoring on all major subjects. Bobcats already pay for these services in their tuition, so it is important not to overlook these tools to achieve high grades on exams.

Remember to relax even if it may seem difficult during one of the most stressful times of the year. Students may be a little overwhelmed during finals, but they should feel free to take a break every once in a

while. A chance to sit back and put down the textbooks can be beneficial after countless hours of studying. Students can see the light at the end of the tunnel right now and need to work hard to reach it, but they should not stress themselves out too much.

To the Bobcats returning in the fall, do not forget to have a wonderful summer.

Spend time with family during the off time away from class and prepare to come back to Texas State with a clear mind and healthy motivation for the new semester.

Congratulations are in order for Bobcats who are graduating and moving on. The editorial board wishes these graduates success in all their future endeavors after years of hard work at Texas State. However, do not forget to give back to the university.

According to an April 18 University Star article, alumni participation is just 5 percent at Texas State, which is remarkably low. Students who are leaving should become part of the statistic that remains involved with the university. Alumni should come back to San Marcos for a game at Bobcat Stadium or donate money, so they can continue to achieve greatness at Texas State.

Graduates, as caps are thrown into the air, remember what is ahead and do not forget to look back fondly on years spent in San Marcos as a Bobcat.

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 UniversitySan Marcos.

Bobcats must experience all Regulations harm Texans’ freedoms San Marcos has to offer

By Daniel Palomo Opinions Columnist

I

n anticipation of the summer months and the prospect of some downtime, students should step outside their comfort zones and try something new in San Marcos.

It is not easy, but if it is possible, students should try to live within the boundaries of Sessom Drive, MLK Drive, University Drive and Ranch Road. It is a great experience to live in the heart of the university and the downtown area. It is invigorating for students to have a bank, a grocery store, the university, a favorite bar and an apartment all within about a one mile walking distance. If students are from Houston, Dallas or San Antonio, that is an experience that is difficult to come by. Having a pool at an apartment complex is nice, but having the San Marcos headwaters within walking distance is more decadent.

Students should do something extra for their roommates. As bad as it may seem, leases will be ending soon, and students may look back years later and realize they knew roommates better than anyone else. Living with someone is an intimate experience, and the years in this kind of community are brief.

Former roommates could write a condemning tell-all later in life, so be especially wary of journalism and English majors. I understand not all roommates fall in the category above. But ultimately, terrible roommates can make students truly appreciate the half-way-decent ones for who they are. I have lived with BMX riders, sculpture artists, gym rats and

honors students, all of whom I greatly underappreciated for the way living with them shaped me. A part of me pays homage to my former roommates, from my appreciation of street art to my ability to bunny hop.

In addition, students should explore the campus for its hidden majesty and follow the disc golf course as it weaves through north campus and parallels Ranch Road 12. There are tons of great spots to relax. The most comfortable hammock to my knowledge is seeded right across from the Bike Cave on campus. Some students have never heard of the bicycle cooperative, which is all the more reason they should take a walk through campus while humming the tune, “No Particular Place to Go.” Some students might not think our library is great, but they are most definitely missing out because Texas State’s facility is impressive. The Wittliff Collections has incredibly interesting, regionally focused exhibits that warrant much more than a passing glance. The Wittliff officials organize great events. I thought, “This is Texas State to me,” while I sipped beer and listened to old school Texan journalists talk news and history at a panel discussion in the library.

Finally, students need to take an unplanned journey of epic proportion.

They could jump on a bus with their bicycles and backpacks and head to Austin during South by Southwest. They could save some money, take a bus to a faraway place and stay with people they met on couchsurfing.org. Students could call all of their friends, find a tricycle capable of carrying a keg and just start pedaling.

There is a certain allure to this city, but it is not just its physical beauty. It is the atmosphere, the vibes and the experiences. Students need to live San Marcos up while they still can.

--Daniel Palomo is a mass communication master’s student.

By Jose R. Gonzalez Opinions Columnist

T

exas and San Marcos officials alike should work toward preserving freedoms of residents by rejecting policies that unduly regulate personal and fiscal issues.

“Freedom in the 50 States” is a study published March 28 by the George Mason University’s Mercatus Center that focuses on how well states observe personal, fiscal and regulatory freedoms. The study was coauthored by William Ruger, assistant professor of political science at Texas State, and is available at freedominthe50states.org.

“We’re measuring a moral concept,” Ruger said regarding the study.

According to the study, Texas ranks 14th in freedom and has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country. In the same study, Texas ranks higher than average on state spending, fiscal decentralization and government employment with relation to the private sector. Texas is largely free of statutes created to protect individuals affected by the regulation, including high freedom from the enforcement of helmet use or bans on trans-fat foods. In addition, Texas ranked or tied for first in eight of the 40 categories in the study.

Texas, California and New York are arguably the three most influential states in the union, and it is worth reviewing what the study found about the latter two. California and New York were ranked on the study as having the least amount of freedom and were second to last and last on the list, respectively.

Ruger said officials in states ranked toward the bottom of the study are seeing residents “vote with their feet” by migrating to others. The study found there are specific reasons a state attracts people regarding the controls over the typical reasons residents move, such as cost of living and climate.

The study found correlations between the total net migration out of a state and high levels of regulations, taxes and restrictions on freedoms.

For instance, New York had the highest net percentage of its population move to another state, according to the study. About 9 percent of New York’s population moved to another state between 2000 and 2011. For the same period, California experienced a 4.5 percentage migration of residents moving out of the state to another one. In comparison, the study showed Texas had a 4.2 percent net migration increase into the state during the same period.

Texas should steer clear from mirroring the policies of either California or New York, in part because it is a state with so much influence in the union. The study shows quantifiably excessive regulation in those two states, and electing more of the same type of politicians in Texas would likely create a hostile environment toward freedom.

As such, Texas should buffer itself from the freedom-infringing policies emanating from California and New York. The same freedoms under threat by some regulationhungry politicians in California and New York are those that have helped make Texas such a great state to live in. Texans must retain these freedoms and resist repressive regulation, and local government leaders in San Marcos should avoid implementing heavy regulation efforts.

San Marcos City Council members acted like kids desperately trying to imitate an older, hipper sibling and proposed putting a single-use bag ban into effect when Austin’s City Council passed one. The decision for businesses to provide a product or consumers to purchase it should never be made by the government. In terms of policy, Ruger said taxing single-use bags would be better than banning them because residents would have the choice of paying extra.

Freedom is an invaluable thing, and Texas and San Marcos officials would be wise in preserving it instead of enforcing more bans and regulations.

--Jose R. Gonzalez is mass communication senior.

Alcohol Ban and Access Points AGAINST

By Alex Pernice Opinions Columnist

TALK IT OUT

By Molly Block Opinions Columnist

The ban on the public display of alcoholic beverages in city parks is not the right way to protect the surrounding environment and the visitors who frequent the areas during the summer.

Although some may feel that the removal of alcohol from parks will be the best defense against trouble, authorities and citizens must realize that San Marcos is very much a college community. Some younger adults may not abide by potentially confusing alcohol access points set by the city, which could contribute to an increase in crime rates if local police get involved. There is no reason to make it more difficult for visitors to do something they have been doing for years, drinking alcohol on the river, and then make it a crime.

In addition, it would be much wiser to take care of environmental concerns by providing better ways for river patrons to dispose of their alcohol. For example, there are hardly any adequate ways to dispose of trash in Rio Vista. The ban will probably cause more trouble for the city if people begin to leave their trash in the river for fear of receiving a citation in the parks.

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

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.............................................Cayla Green, starwebeditor@txstate.edu

FOR

Although it may not be a popular decision among many Texas State students this summer, the ordinance banning the public display of alcohol in city parks is necessary for San Marcos.

River access points were further clarified recently to inform the public of the locations alcohol can be brought into the river and the areas where it must be kept in closed coolers. This is a smart choice for the city. Residents and students should respect the access points at all times. This decision will have a positive impact on the environment and the community as a whole. The rivers will look cleaner and prettier with fewer bottles and cans littering the water, and the wildlife and plants will be healthier.

Furthermore, there will likely be fewer alcohol related accidents and arrests on the river if students and park visitors abide by the established rules. The city as a whole can only expect positive outcomes if the newly clarified rules are obeyed during the upcoming tourist-heavy months.

Multimedia Editor.........................Alex Peña, starmultimediaeditor@txstate.edu Design Editor.............................................Sarah Ansell, stardesign@txstate.edu Account Executive.....................................Catie Brossard, starad3@txstate.edu Account Executive.................................Blakely Knowles, starad4@txstate.edu Account Executive.....................................Hannah Wilson, starad5@txstate.edu Media Specialist................................... Chris Salazar, chris.salazar@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 Thursday, April 25, 2013. 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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Bowling proves to be life-long passion for Texas State employee

By Jordan Gass-Poore’ Trends Reporter Underneath the fluorescent lights of Sunset Bowling Lanes, Michael “Brad” Harrison, grounds maintenance worker at Texas State, prepared to meet his match.

Harrison eyed the 10 pins with a ball in his hand. Ten is a significant number to him because that is the age he was when he bowled his first game of 100.

He stepped toward the lane, pulled the ball back and released it. Swirls of red and blue somersaulted quickly down the lane in a straight line before crashing into the pins, knocking them down in a flurry of white.

Strike.

It was 1967 when Brad Harrison joined his first bowling league. At 9 years old, he had already watched his mother, Nicci Harrison, and his older sister bowl.

The children’s league met on Saturday mornings at Sunset Bowling Lanes.

Brad Harrison became enticed to bowl a game of 100 by the thought of having his name announced on the business’s intercom and receiving a trophy.

“Since Brad had a learning problem, bless his heart, (I thought), ‘He’ll never bowl 100, but we can make sure he’s there every Saturday,’” said Nicci Harrison, former Texas State employee. “So, we concentrated on perfect attendance.”

One Saturday Brad Harrison told his mother they called his name over the intercom. He had bowled a game of 100.

Later, he bowled games of 125, 150, 175

and then 200.

Brad Harrison’s skills inspired and “provoked” the child of former Sunset Bowling Lanes owner George Gilbert to improve his own score. Gilbert began bowling alongside Harrison, a former school classmate, on Saturday mornings and when his parents would take league members to state tournaments.

They continue to be teammates, playing together Tuesdays at Sunset Bowling Lanes.

“Brad is a real natural bowler,” said Gary Gilbert, who now owns Sunset Bowling Lanes. “He has a real smooth, very efficient style.”

Brad Harrison has bowled 10 games with perfect scores of 300 and participated in four 800 series since his mother began clipping his scores from the San Marcos Daily Record for scrap books.

“When I get a high score, that’s good to me,” Brad Harrison said.

Commemorative bowling rings Brad Harrison has received fill a small glass box and patches from various leagues where he participated in a 700 series are sewn on a pillow.

“That’s a long time ago, my friend,” Brad Harrison said, as he looked at the gold figure, frozen in a ball release stance. The figure is on top of what may have been his first perfect attendance trophy from Sunset Bowling Lanes.

Brad Harrison’s bowling routine has not changed much since he began participating in the sport more than 40 years ago. He unloads his suitcase with wheels, carefully removes and adorns a pair of athletic shoes and lifts out a 14-pound ball, which he wipes

down with a towel.

But now, the 55-year-old San Marcos resident applies a liquid bandage to his hands to prevent blisters from the bowling ball.

He hurt his back last August while practicing for the Las Vegas-based True Amateur Bowling Tournament in June.

Brad Harrison was not deterred by his back injury despite not being able to bowl for almost two months. His two dogs and the music of George Strait have helped him get by, as well as the continued support of his mother.

Photo courtesy of Ruth Rice Nicci Harrison has encourMichael “Brad” Harrison, grounds maintenance worker at Texaged her son to follow his pasas State, has been bowling since he was 9 years old and has sion, even though he is the only bowled across the country. family member who continues to bowl. There was a time, she said, when children with learning disBrad Harrison was once the “poster child abilities were not allowed to participate in for the Texas Association for Retarded Chilpublic school sports. dren” in recognition of his bowling abilities.

Nicci Harrison said she worked for years That recognition has since stemmed to in San Marcos to change University Inter- the U.S. Bowling Congress, where he has scholastic League standards that denied stu- been chosen by its local chapter as bowler of dents enrolled in special education classes the year three times. He participated in the the opportunity to participate in its sporting organization’s Senior Masters tournament competitions. alongside bowlers ages 50 and up and has “I was afraid bowling would be next,” Nic- travelled throughout the country practicing ci Harrison said. the sport.

The family has encountered stigma and “(Brad’s) a great guy,” said Gilbert. “Defiadversity in their lives as Brad Harrison was nitely one of the best bowlers (Sunset Bowlborn with a learning disability. However, ing Lanes) has ever had.”

Nicci Harrison said they have faced each challenge with stride.

Green Parrot hosts open mic night Green Parrot has recently started hosting a weekly comedy show featuring local artists ready to entertain.

Held in the back room of Green Parrot Wednesdays at 9 p.m., the show is meant to build the San Marcos comedy scene.

No topic is off limits as the comedians give the audience a glimpse into their world. They joke about their lives, share some unusual observations and talk candidly, adding to the casual atmosphere of the bar.

“My goal for this show is to give the local comedians a place to showcase their talent,” said Nicholas Amelang, Texas State alumnus and one of the creators of the show.

Green Parrot used to host comedy nights in the 80s and throughout the 90s, but the fad slowly died out.

Amelang and Joe Torres, another creator of the show, see it as an opportunity to bring back what was once lost.

Torres, Texas State alumnus, described the long process of getting the show up and running.

“We love comedy shows, and we thought it would be a great opportunity for everyone in the area to get together and share a laugh,” Torres said.

Performers interested in participating can sign up for open mic time at Stagegator.com.

Gloria Campos Brown ‘76

Arielle Solomon, comedian, performs a comedy bit April 24 at Green Parrot.

Carlos Valdez, Assistant Photo Editor

Kevin Iso, comedian, entertains the audience April 24 at Green Parrot.

Camillo Stone, comedian, engages with the audience with a comedy skit April 24 at Green Parrot.

Carrie A. Hurt ‘87

Nicholas Aluotto, comedian, hosts Comedy at Green Parrot April 24 as well as performs a stand-up routine.

Tony Hale ‘94 ’96

B2 | Thursday April 25, 2013 | The University Star | Trends

Student works to raise awareness after brother’s cancer battle

By Glen Tadych Trends Reporter A former Texas State student spent nearly a year battling leukemia, and now his sister, touched by her brother’s trials, is fighting to make the need for bone marrow donations more widely known.

Mark Moreno came to Texas State in fall 2006 as a music education major. He attended through fall 2010, after which he became dissatisfied with his academic progress and left Texas State. He spent a portion of the next year working construction alongside his father.

In April 2012, Moreno began to experience fatigue and chronic pain from a toothache, for which he was prescribed antibiotics for two weeks. The pain failed to recede, so he had the tooth pulled on Easter weekend. His symptoms, however, remained.

Only after a sudden trip to the emergency room was Moreno diagnosed with acute lympho-

blastic leukemia. According to Moreno’s sister, accounting senior Michelle Moreno, his cancer was so far along that had he gone on for only two more days without medical care, he would have died.

“It was a fluke that I was even diagnosed,” Mark Moreno said.

Mark Moreno found himself speechless upon hearing the news. He said the diagnosis served as a wakeup call for his outlook on life.

Although the doctors gave him a 90 percent chance of survival, the mere thought of a 10 percent chance of death still lingered in the back of his mind.

He started chemotherapy within 36 hours after his diagnosis, beginning what he referred to as a “journey,” taking his illness on one day at a time.

In June 2012, Mark Moreno began showing signs of remission. He continued chemotherapy until September, and began searching for a bone marrow donor in August through Be The Match Marrow Registry. Unfor-

tunately, none of his immediate family members were a match, and out of a registry of more than 9.5 million donors, none provided a match for him. As a last resort, doctors referred to an alternative method involving the transplant of umbilical cord blood.

The transplant was successful, but the inability to find a donor via the registry, a result of too few registered Hispanic donors, distressed the Moreno family.

According to Be The Match’s 2012 Vital Statistics, Hispanics only make up 10 percent of the entire registry of donors, with Caucasians making up 71 percent. The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center is one of many organizations setting up events across the country to recruit donors, and has done so for more than five years.

Jon Hudson, the center’s senior marrow recruitment consultant, said the program’s current primary focus is to gain more minority donors, as well as donors of ages 18 to 44. Do-

Texas State students compete in theatre festival

By Fiona Riley Trends Reporter In various categories ranging from writing scripts to designing sets, four Texas State students went to Washington, D.C. as finalists in a competition for their work in theatre, and one won a national award.

The students recently returned from a trip to the Kennedy Center American College National Theater Festival where they attended plays and made connections with other finalists across the country.

Rita Anderson is a Texas State graduate student who competed in a playwriting competition, which required her to submit a collection of plays. She submitted “Early Liberty” and “Carousel,” full-length plays, and “Final Conversations,” a one-act play.

“Early Liberty” is a story about love, hope and the darker side of what it means to dream. “Carousel” is about what happens when the worlds of three couples affiliated with the same college are forced into collision. “Final Conversations” explores the wish for many chances to say goodbye to a loved one the right way.

Anderson won first place in her competition and was awarded the Ken Ludwig Playwriting Scholarship.

“Finding out that I won the scholarship was kind of surreal,” Anderson said. “It’s a dream come true. It’s nice to have the national recognition.”

Anderson, like many other authors, had difficulties getting it just right when writing the script.

“I think ultimately what’s hardest for a playwright is that theatre is a

cooperative art, and writing itself can be kind of solitary,” Anderson said.

“Yet you’re writing something that has to be read aloud. So sometimes you can’t know what goes together with the rhythm and the timing, until you’ve heard it read aloud by the actor.”

When accepting the scholarship, Anderson was introduced by Ludwig himself.

Another graduate student and playwright, Jordan Morille, also went to the national festival as a finalist in the competition for The John Cauble Award for Short Play, for which he wrote a oneact play titled “Thirty Deep.”

“I feel incredibly honored to have made it this far,” Morille said. “I come from more of a film background, so playwriting is rather new to me. ‘Thirty Deep’ is the fifth play that I’ve written, so I’m really a small fish in a huge pond right now.”

But for Morille, the competition was not as important as meeting new people, he said.

“I’ve met so many people in the professional theatre world, and they have contacts,” Morille said. “That’s really what it’s all about. Being in the company and being a young theatre artist, we’re essentially the future of the industry, and it’s really important that we make friends with one another and stay in contact.”

In the future, Morille plans to have his plays performed in community theaters.

The two other finalists were Natalie Nergaard and Erin Kinkade, theatre seniors.

Nergaard was one of eight costume design finalists, while Kinkade was one of eight scene design finalists.

Go fetch!

nors within this age range are an important part of the registry because they have the highest probability of being called to save a life.

Last month, the center worked with the Cancer Advocacy Movement for College and Outreach and Be The Match during CAMCO’s annual bone marrow drive at Texas State. CAMCO was founded by Texas State professor Lawrence Estaville, a former marrow recipient.

Members of Michelle Moreno’s fraternity, the brothers of the Theta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at Texas State, also assisted with the drive, helping CAMCO collect additional donors.

“This situation is about more than Mark and our family,” Michelle Moreno said. “If you can help someone else, then there’s no reason not to do it.”

In four days, the center and CAMCO obtained 1,414 additions to the registry.

Hudson and Michelle Moreno both stressed the fact that any-

one can save a life and that most people do not register because they are simply devoid of knowledge, or they are scared.

“It’s important for the public to know that a cure is out there,” Hudson said. “The cure is an unknown donor. It’s in you. If we find the best match, it’s a rebirth on earth. It’s a new you.”

Mark Moreno’s journey has been a long one, and he still has a long road to full recovery ahead of him. If there’s one thing those living with and fighting cancer, along with their families, can learn from his experience, it is this: “Hang in there,” he said. “(Cancer’s) not definite; it’s not a death sentence. You can beat this.”

To find out more about Be The Match, visit: http://marrow.org/Home.aspx

Advertisement | The University Star | Thursday April 25, 2013 | B3

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INSIDE THE LINES

By Bert Santibanez Sports Reporter

Star File Photo

The Republic of Latvia, a Baltic state north of Lithuania in Europe that is mostly recognized for its sporting traditions in basketball and ice hockey, is not known for producing competitive golfers.

Krista Puisite, a native Latvian, challenges such tradition.

Puisite, finance senior, has a decorated collegiate career as a Bobcat, both athletically and academically. She has been named WAC Golfer of the Week on three occasions this season. Last season, Puisite was the recipient of the 2012 Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year, averaging a 74.39 stroke average, which amounted for the best in school history, while also main-

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taining a 3.88 GPA. As for her other accomplishments this season, Puisite currently leads the country in birdies, with 100, and is ranked 31st in the nation among women collegiate golfers, according to golfweek. com.

“I’m definitely hitting the ball further and more consistently this year.” Puisite said. “My mental game has also improved, especially the way I manage myself on the course. I feel like I’m more in control of my emotions, both when I’m playing well and badly, and I think that makes it possible for me to play as good as I have been playing lately.”

At the age of nine, Puisite’s father introduced her and her younger sister (a junior golfer for Texas State) to the game of golf,

Place Krista finished out of 35 golfers at the WAC Women’s Golf Championship. Krista finished fourth at the Southland Conference Championship last year. She finished 10th in the Southland Championship in 2011.

As of April 23, golfweek.com ranks Krista as the top golfer in the Western Athletic Conference. The number one ranked collegiate women’s golfer, University of Alabama’s Stephanie Meadow, has a rating of 70.25, while Puisite’s close behind with 72.01.

Krista Puisite buying them their first golf clubs as a Christmas present. Puisite began playing competitive golf at the age of 13, entering the European Junior Golf Tour. At the age of 16, during the Doral Publix Junior Golf Classic in Miami, Texas State golf coach Mike Akers foresaw glimpses of Puisite’s golfing potential.

“Krista’s swing was the first thing I noticed,” Akers said. “Her golf swing was amazing even back then. Just technique-wise, it looked smooth, fluid and flawless. I was also impressed how she conducted herself on the course, very professional, never getting upset or overly-excited during play. Then, when I discovered her grades and English proficiency, it was a no-brainer to sign her.”

Puisite’s cultural transition from Latvia to the United States— specifically Texas—was something of an eye-opening experience.

“People are friendly in Latvia— but certainly not as open.” Puisite said. “In Latvia, people are not as friendly to strangers like they are here. People seem to be more verbal and open to what they think here, which is a lot different from what I remember in Latvia, which

I had to get used to.”

Puisite plans on performing in the qualifying tournaments for the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour after she graduates in December.

“I definitely want to make (to the LPGA Tour), but at the same time, trying not to put too much pressure on myself,” Puisite said.

“To be one of the first people to put Latvia’s name out there would be a great honor.”

Mara Puisite, Krista Puisite’s younger sister and computer information systems junior, discussed witnessing the evolution and success in golf and the college experience she and her sibling have had at Texas State.

“Since we came to college, we’re just getting through college and getting good grades, utilizing our opportunity here.” Mara Puisite said. “I think it’s great she wants to go pro. I’m glad to see her working so hard. If she wants to go pro, she has to beat all the college girls. It’s something really exciting to see. It’s been a blessing being able to experience college together.”

Twitter: @BTSantibanez

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW: ODUS’ OUTPUT

Season of promise still waiting to be fulfilled

By Odus Evbagharu Sports Reporter The 2013 season for the Texas State softball team began with promise and high expectations but has since been filled with distractions, injuries and poor play.

The team had just come off a Southland Conference regular season title and a championship before ending their 2012 campaign by getting bounced in the NCAA tournament by Texas A&M. The Bobcats began the next season by playing the National Pro Fastpitch All-Stars in the fall of

2012 and lost in extra innings by one run. The outing was so impressive that All-Stars Coach Jim Beita said the Bobcats were “the toughest battle” they had seen all year.

The Bobcats were be picked by WAC coaches in January to win the conference and had two preseason All-WAC selections in senior pitcher Anne Marie Taylor and senior second baseman Anna Hernandez.

Losing to the All-Stars by only one run, being picked by WAC coaches to win the conference and having two players selected as preseason All-WAC selections ended up being the only bright spots on a team that would greatly underachieve all year, to this day.

Right out of the gate, the team was stricken by distractions when five players were suspended and two were kicked off—perhaps for their involvement with a birthday party that went south and included

an alleged murder. The ball club lost all five of its games played that weekend, and the negative trend did not stop there.

Texas State would lose its best pitcher in the 27th Louisiana Classic. Taylor tore her ACL in a game where the Bobcats were winning 2–1, but lost to University of Louisiana—Lafayette after Taylor’s injury, 3–2. Taylor would make an attempt to come back and pitch but was shut down for the rest of her senior season.

The free fall continued with poor performances from the team. The ball club went into a losing trance at times losing five, six, seven and even eight times in a row all at different times in the season. The team even began conference play getting swept by University of Texas—Arlington. This kind of loss had not happened since 2004, Woodard’s fourth year coaching the program.

The numbers show that this softball program’s losses are historical under Woodard’s guidance.

Texas State, for the first time in Woodard’s tenure here, will finish a season with more than 30 losses. The Bobcats will fail to have a home-winning record for the first time since Woodard took over the program in 2001, and the teams will fail to finish over .500 for the second time under Woodard, with the last time being eight years ago.

There is still a streak the Bobcats can accomplish for the program and coach. Texas State has never finished below third in conference standings since Woodard has been here. The team currently sits tied for fourth and mathematically can still win the WAC regular season title with six conference games to go.

The team would need a lot of help to accomplish that goal but it is still very reasonable for the ball club to

finish in one of the top three conference positions for the 13th time.

All is not lost for this Bobcat team that has struggled all year.

Their pitching has been shaky and the bats have not stayed consistent enough to make the run in the middle of the season that Texas State softball fans are accustomed to seeing. However, the team can still accomplish what it set out to do in the beginning of the season—to win the conference tournament and advance to a super-regional.

These six remaining games left in conference will determine how battle tested and ready the Bobcats are for making a run. The season has not been all that it should be, but as my boy Adam Levine would say, “It’s not always rainbows and butterflies.” I guess we’ll just have to compromise.

Twitter: odus_Outputs

Sports | The University Star | Thursday April 25, 2013 | B5

Coaches, teammates discuss seniors, future leaders Shaun Rutherford

By Samuel Rubbelke Sports Reporter Shaun Rutherford lived out his football career with no regrets. He played every down as if it were his last and became a true leader on the Texas State football team.

“I feel like everything went pretty good here,” Rutherford said. “Usually when I come around my presence is known. I can get respect from people quick. I just wanted to lead by example, do things the right way and give people someone to look up to.”

Rutherford came to Texas State after a two-year stint with Blinn College as a wide receiver, punt returner and a backup quarterback to future Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.

Along for the ride was senior wide receiver Isaiah Battle, with whom Rutherford had “a big brother, little brother relationship.” Having played at Blinn, Battle witnessed the full growth and transformation from one position to another in his “big brother” at Texas State.

Battle said his ability to change roles speaks volumes to him as an athlete.

“He’s played many positions. Everything he’s done, he’s excelled at it, whether it’s receiver, punt returner or quarterback,” Battle said. “It was real admiring to see, and it gave me confidence to open new doors in my athletic career.”

Rutherford’s competitive drive, leadership and unmatched desire to be the best became evident to Coach Dennis Franchione in his first spring game as a Bobcat.

“When we played Shaun at quarterback that first spring, I really didn’t expect him to quite be as good as he was because he hadn’t been playing quarterback a lot,” Franchione said. “But he was such a competitor. He was always going to find a way to win the job.”

Texas State won its first official game as a member of the FBS against Houston. Then Rutherford and the Bobcats generated a lot of excitement for their

Diamond Ford Few athletes have had a more illustrious career than Diamond Ford.

Ford finished her senior year averaging 21.5 points per game. She was first in single-season scoring for Texas State with 644 and second in all-time career points with 1,906.

“She was a dynamic player,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine. “I think that a lot of people in the community really enjoyed watching her play. I think they celebrated with her and all of her victories. She just had that inner burning and yearning to not just be a better player but to help her team.”

In her debut game in conference play against San Jose State, Ford scored a career-high 40 points. During the second half, Ford hit six 3 pointers for 29 points. This performance marked the ninth most points by a Division 1 athlete at the time.

“She worked hard when the lights were off,” said senior forward Joel Wright of the men’s basketball team. “We’re not just going to be able to perform on the spot because of natural talent. She worked on her craft every day to perform at the highest level in the WAC, and that’s what I saw from her.”

With graduation near, Ford is preparing for her professional career. Ford is considering going across the pond to play overseas in mid-September. However, she hasn’t completely ruled out the idea of playing in the WNBA one day.

“I would choose overseas any day of the week,” Ford said. “But if the opportunity came along, I think I would go give it a shot to say I experienced what an actual WNBA try-out or training camp would be like.”

Wherever Ford’s career takes her, the Texas native will always have her roots and Bobcat pride close to heart.

“I’m going to miss being a Bobcat,” Ford said. “My time here went by so fast. I’m happy to be moving on to better things, but a part of me is still sad because I spent a long four years here.

I just want people to remember me not only because I was good in scoring history, but I want people to also remember and know who I am when I come back years from now. It was great being a Bobcat.”

Star File Photo

End with a Bang!

Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture Copland: An Outdoor Adventure Britten: Peter Grimes Debussy: Petite Suite Delius: Walk to Paradise Garden

While Texas State teams had their struggles in the first year of stiffer competition, there were a few athletes who stood out in the wins and the losses.

These are notable athletes who made this year one of the most unique in Bobcat sports history.

first home game of the season against Texas Tech, where Bobcat Stadium held a recordsetting crowd of 33,006.

“Beating UH, that was a big win for this university,” Rutherford said. “Also, running out of the tunnel against Texas Tech to seeing all the fans with the white towels swinging around—those are some great memories you don’t forget.”

But one moment stands out above the rest, and he had the opportunity to share it with his “little brother.”

During the SFA game after a huge

defensive stand on the goal line, Rutherford dialed up a 98-yard pass to Battle. It currently stands as the longest touchdown pass in Texas State football history.

Rutherford’s impact went beyond the stat line, and he has been missed by coaches and players alike with the start of the new spring season.

“I miss coaching Shaun. I miss being around him,” Franchione said.

“And that’s a good statement right there: when you miss somebody and when our team misses him being out there. Everybody had a lot of respect for Shaun—as a quarterback, as a person, as a physical football player and as a mentally tough football player. We all remember those kinds of things.”

Star File Photo

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Passing yards for Shaun Rutherford in Texas State’s 30–13 victory over Houston, arguably the biggest moment in Texas State athletics history. Rutherford completed 19-25 passes and went without an interception.

391

Joel Wright averaged 25 points and nine rebounds in the WAC Tournament, in which Wright and the Bobcats won two tournament games. Wright contributed 32 points in a victory over Denver and 11 rebounds in the loss to eventual WAC Champion New Mexico State.

Points for senior guard Diamond Ford in WAC play, 8 points shy of the record 399 total points in a season for WAC conference games only. She led the WAC in scoring despite the Bobcats coming up short in the postseason.

Joel Wright Unlike the other two notable athletes, Texas State will have the opportunity to witness Joel Wright for one more season as a Bobcat. And with a new coaching staff, both Danny Kaspar and Wright recognize what the basketball player needs to improve upon to take his game to the next level.

Wright led the WAC in scoring at 17.9 points per game on the season. However, Wright believes defense should be the main priority during the offseason to make him a more complete player.

“I need to be a better leader on the defensive end,” Wright said. “I think that’s the difference about having a new coach next year.

He preaches defense, and with our team’s offense, I know this team could go really far in the Sun Belt.”

Kaspar only had six losing seasons in his 31 years of coaching. To unravel Wright’s true potential, Kaspar wants him to become a more complete player, particularly on the defensive side of the floor. “(His) defense is not where it needs to be,” Kaspar said. “If I were an opposing coach, I would attack Joel. Make him play defense, hoping to get him in foul trouble. I do believe Joel has potential to play basketball for money after his time at Texas State, but in order to make good money, he has to become more of a complete player—one that can play offense Star File Photo and defense.”

Assistant Coach Rob Flaska believes Wright

can rise to the challenge. Flaska said Wright is driven and a leader, and will step up during tough times.

“He’s a leader in practice, and he would always get into players when they weren’t playing hard,” Flaska said. “He’s really good from that standpoint, but Coach Kaspar is going to make him become a more-well rounded player.”

With all of Kaspar’s knowledge at Wright’s disposal, he’s focusing on becoming a student of the game on the defensive side of the ball. Sometimes to lead, you have to follow to gain a better understanding for the game.

“I’m listening right now,” Wright said.

“I know Coach Kaspar is a great defensive coach. I mean, he’s one of the best in the State of Texas. I’m just going to follow everything that he wants me to do. I think he’s doing a great job teaching.”

The challenge has been placed before Wright.

Clear goals are being set going into the Sun Belt.

Wright for good reason is filled with optimism going into his senior season.

“We are going to get a lot of wins next year,” Wright said. “We might even bring home a conference championship. That’s definitely our goal right now. The sky is the limit. We have all the pieces we need, and with a defensive mindset added to our talent on offense, we’ll bring more wins to the Bobcat nation.”

35th Season

David Mairs, Music Director

May 5, 4:00 PM Civic & Convention Ctr. New Braunfels www.mtsymphony.org

830-372-8089

Thank you 2012-2013 student employees Titus Adeosun Angel Akins Maureen Allen Cassady Allen Catherine Andrews Kimberly Armstrong Timothy Ashley Benjamin Asmus James Atkins Daniel Balderrama Flor Barajas Summer Barre Shaina Bassett Michael Bedford Cameron Begley Courtney Bell Stacy Benavente Adam Berglund Jenna Beyer Blake Beynaerts Kalynn Blassingame Tamarakuro Bob-Nabena Monique Bourgeacq Seth Bowles Corey Boyer III Dexter Broadnax Michelle Brown Shelby Brown Kelly Brunelle Kristen Buechler Amanda Burkham Colin Burkinshaw Elizabeth Burrel Albert Buzanl

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B6 | Thursday April 25, 2013 | The University Star | Sports

Couple challenges students to attend basketball games

By Jordan Cole Sports Reporter School pride is a big deal around college campuses, and two distinguished alumni are attempting to improve it.

In an effort to improve attendance at basketball games in particular, Gregg Roberts and Ann Roberts have hosted and funded a Greek Attendance Challenge and Scooter Giveaway for the past six years.

“I’ve achieved the goal that I set out to achieve through basketball,” Gregg Roberts said. “We’ve improved attendance dramatically through those programs, and a lot of students are coming to games that weren’t before.”

Gregg Roberts said the initiative began when he walked in to Strahan seven years ago to watch a basketball game against a Southland Conference rival and was floored that only 400-500 students were in the seats.

“It’s an incentive to encourage attendance and school spirit at basketball games,” Gregg Roberts said. “The coaches and players have all expressed that having students in the stands and people rooting for them has helped motivate them tremendously, which motivates me to continue to do this.”

Gregg Roberts and Ann Roberts said they decided to make attendance a competition among the greek community because those groups normally possess a high level of school spirit and participation in uni-

of

versity events. The couple decided that the respective winner of each fraternity and sorority would receive $2,500. This year’s winners were the Sigma Chi fraternity and the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, of which Ann Roberts is an alumna.

“Alpha Xi Delta won this year for the fourth straight year and donated to their national philanthropy, ‘Autism Speaks,’ which was pretty cool,” Ann Roberts said.

After four years of the program, Gregg Roberts and Ann Roberts decided that the challenge should not be limited to only greeks because the initiative is about school pride across the board, so they expanded.

The couple instituted a scooter challenge in addition to the Greek Attendance Challenge. The couple donated three scooters, valued at $3,500 each, to go to the students with the best attendance at the Bobcat Basketball games all season.

“Just the appeal of seeing these scooters and the recipients has been super rewarding,” Ann Roberts said.

Edward Perez, student body vice president-elect, said that these kind of initiatives are exactly what Texas State needs moving forward.

“It’s great to see that people actually do care and want to give back to support the cause that we are trying to forward,” Perez said. “School pride is something that we are planning on working hard to improve next year and stuff like this really helps.”

Bobcat News and Notes Coming up short

Texas State women’s golf finished third at the WAC Championships in Mesa, Arizona Wednesday. The University of Denver won the championship by 12 strokes and was ahead of the Bobcats by 24 strokes. Sophomore Iman Nordin led Texas State with a 222 score over three rounds with senior Krista Puisite following shortly behind at 223. The Bobcats will now prepare for an opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Women’s Golf Selection Show will occur Monday, April 29 and the Regionals begin May 9.

A whole new season

Texas State tennis slipped down to the number six seed in the final week of conference play but was good enough to make the WAC Tournament. The sixth-seeded Bobcats will face the three seed, Louisiana Tech, April 25 in Denver, Colo. The Lady Techsters had their best season in school history this year (14–4) and defeated Texas State 4–3 in the only meeting of the season March 21 in San Jose, Calif.

$6,500 dollars to help fund heart research in the Central Texas region. Texas State athletics has been involved in the event for over 10 years, and soccer student-athlete Landry Lowe was this year’s top walker.

Top walkers raised a minimum of $500 per person.

Track earns three more

Texas State’s senior thrower Kelsey Titzman, junior Tina Valenzuela and sophomore jumps Allie Saunders all took home first place honors at Louisiana State Alumni Gold. The team will compete in its final hosted event, the Bobcat Classic, from April 26-27 at the Texas State Track and Field Complex.

Kaspar camps

Newly hired Texas State men’s basketball coach Danny Kaspar will host two basketball camps over the summer for second through 12th graders. The first is from June 16 to 19, and the second is from August 5 to 8, for second through eighth graders only.

Money for a cause

The San Marcos Heart Walk raised

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Report compiled by Cameron Irvine, Sports Editor Twitter: @txstcamirvine

Sports | The University Star | Thursday April 25, 2013 | B7

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW: WHAT’S BREWIN’?

Future of Bobcat athletics down but not out following weak year

By Jordan Brewer Assistant Sports Editor Sometimes in life you have to be knocked down hard to the ground before getting what you want. You will likely endure a few scratches and bruises, and it could come with some embarrassment.

All in all, you have to hope something meaningful concludes from the emotional or physical fall you could take.

Failure is as big a part of sports as success.

No matter how good you are as an individual or as a team, you will experience failure. This sports season, Texas State has experienced some failure.

There was failure to beat elite teams in football. There was failure to take the next step in both basketball programs. There are some unmet expectations between both the softball and baseball programs. The volleyball team, although young, did not experience quite the season Coach Karen Chisum is accustomed to having.

Coming into fall, there was a whirlwind of excitement campus-wide regarding the beginning of the initial season in the Western Athletic Conference and the future in the Sun Belt Conference. Quickly, the trials and tribulations of playing “up” in competition started to take shape.

The football victory at the University of Houston just added to what was almost a trap for Texas State students and fans. Meanwhile in Lubbock, Texas Tech fans, players and coaches were salivating at the opportunity to spoil the maroon and gold party in the coming week.

And I think I speak for everyone when I say they did.

Repeatedly throughout the football season, observers noticed the Bobcats were so close,

game in and game out. It almost seemed there was a wall preventing Texas State from finishing. The unfortunate trend continued.

Baseball has lost to teams on its program’s level and even below. Texas State, moving on from the small dwells of the Southland Conference, lost to Sam Houston State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Northern Kentucky and Sacramento State over the course of this season.

Baseball did, however, turn things around some, taking UT to extra innings and defeating Big 12’s Baylor and Southeastern Conference’s Texas A&M in the month of April.

Track and field’s success, from student athletes’ individual performances to winning the only WAC Championship for Texas State this year thus far, should not go unnoticed.

Yes, this column is full of pessimism. After all, it is a column. So for those of you who are optimistic, things will start to get better.

I promise.

Look, the 2012-13 sports season is and always was a steppingstone for every program Texas State has. It was like stretching or taking a warm-up lap. This season was like the first song on an album or the opening act you have to sit through before Dave Matthews Band comes on.

The Texas State community had a right to get its hopes up and to dream, and why wouldn’t a university start to believe in a time like that? What will determine how the future looks for the Bobcats is how teams, coaches, administrators and most importantly fans handle adversity.

I have never seen so much campus-wide excitement and build up during the week prior to playing the Red Raiders. Yet, I did not hear as much excitement in the next three months combined the rest of the season.

Winning and fan support go hand in hand— you really can’t have one without the other coming shortly thereafter. It’s a similar argument to “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” History tells us Bobcat fans, students and faculty both, are difficult to persuade.

If Dennis Franchione and a growing abundance of talent are going to aim for Sun Belt championships, they will need the hype of the Texas Tech week. If new coach Danny

AROUND THE WAC Baseball Standings WAC

Remaining Bobcat Baseball Schedule Total

CSU Bak.

11

4

28 14

UTA

10

5

21 19

TXST

9

6

18 22

Sac. St.

8

7

23 17

New M. St.

8

7

23 19

Dallas B.

8

7

21 20

SJST

7

8

13 27

UTSA

6

8

22 18

Seattle U.

5

9

15 24

LA. Tech

2

13 14 28

Softball Standings WAC

Total

New M. St.

13

2

32 15

SJST

12

3

34 14

Seattle U

8

7

19 24

LA Tech

7

8

22 22

TXST

7

8

13 33

UTSA

6

9

23 21 10 37

Utah St.

4

11

UTA

3

12 18 24

4/26-4/28

Vs. CSU Bakersfield*

4/30

Vs. Houston Baptist

5/3-5/5

@ UTSA

5/8

Vs. Prairie View A&M

5/10 - 5/12

@ UT Arlington

5/14

Vs. Rice

5/16 - 5/18

Vs. Dallas Baptist

Kaspar is going to put the Bobcats on the map of college basketball, the Loud Crowd needs to create noise.

Patience is needed in all sports. The baseball and volleyball program have some serious talent, but they also happen to be freshmen and sophomores. The softball program is in a transition period and also has some inexperience all over the field.

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It is no big deal if you fall in sports, but the crucial part of response is getting back up. For success to take place, motivation has to precede. Maybe, just maybe, the 2013-14 season will be the year the Bobcats become hungry.

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Remaining Bobcat Softball Schedule 4/26-4/27 Vs. San Jose State* 5/3-5/4

@ Utah State

* - Denotes conference series

Upcoming Conference Tournaments 4/25-4/28 Tennis, Denver, CO 4/29-5/1 Men’s Golf, Las Vegas, NV 5/8-5/11 Softball, Ruston, LA 5/8-5/11 Track & Field, Arlington, TX 5/22-5/26 Baseball, Grand Praire, TX

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B8 | Thursday April 25, 2013 | The University Star | Advertisement