Feb 5 2015

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2015 VOLUME 104 ISSUE 53 www.UniversityStar.com

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ENVIRONMENT

Goats clear brush, prevent forest fires

By Exsar Arguello NEWS REPORTER @Exsar_Misael Goats may be the answer for clearing brush in the city’s green spaces given their ability to eat four pounds of grass a day.

Bert Stratemann, parks operations manager, said a lack of funding is keeping him from furthering the project to use goats to clear brush on city land.

“We currently don’t have the funding to continue the project,” Stratemann said. “But we are looking at different environmental groups in the city that could provide grants. We are still in the beginning stages.”

Stratemann has directly worked with a group of goats to observe their effectiveness in clearing brush. Twenty goats were supplied by James Dalros, owner of Happy Herd Landscaping, for the test run.

“We had a trail run with some goats back in the fall, and they cleared an acre of brush on Grover’s Island and area near the San Marcos River,” Stratemann said. “The tests lasted a week and really gave us a good idea of how much area these animals can actually clear.”

Officials hope to use goats to keep areas with dense vegetation under control.

The spaces are susceptible to brush fires when left unchecked, said Todd Derkacz, president of the Greenbelt Alliance. Thick shrubbery paired with human error causes brush fires at Purgatory Creek and Spring Lake.

“Most brush fires that occur in the green areas around the city are usually caused by human error,” Derkacz said.

“Even though it is illegal to have bonfires

See GOATS, Page 2

PRESLIE COX STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Code SMTX members meet with think tank Feb. 4 to discuss the new land development plan at Pioneer Bank.

Land development code in the works

By Carlie Porterfield ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @p0rterfield

C

ity planning and development services will move to the next stage of rewriting the land development rules this week as a part of the Code SMTX project.

The land development code dictates all development within the city, from zoning to the building permit process, said Kristy Stark, assistant director of planning and development for the city.

The code is being rewritten for two reasons. The city adopted a new comprehensive plan back in 2013, and one of the goals stated was to update the land development code.

“Once we had a new comprehensive plan, it was time to update our code,” Stark said. “Our (previous) comprehensive plan was like 17 years old, and our code—I think it had been adopted in 2004, so it was definitely time to update those.”

At the Feb. 3 city council meet-

CONSTRUCTION

ing, members asked Sharon Mattingly, director of planning and development for the city, to focus on the maximum height of buildings downtown during the code revision process. “(Code SMTX) is a rewrite of the city’s land development code, and that regulates all the development within San Marcos,” Stark said.

Code SMTX is on schedule according to the timeline, Mattingly said.

Drafting of the first sections of the code is planned for January, according to the Code SMTX project schedule available on the city website.

“We got the draft in this past weekend,” Mattingly said.

The planning and development department will start review discussions Friday, Mattingly said.

“Right now with our smart code, we have a five-story limit, so we have a height warrant process we have to go through,” Mattingly said.

Reviewing the first draft consists of city staff combing through the document and discussing any

points of concern, Mattingly said.

“We’ll do that for a month, maybe a little bit less, and get all of our draft comments back to the consultants for them to make the changes that we need, and then at that point we’re looking to release it to the public,” Mattingly said.

The department plans to release a draft to the public in early April, Mattingly said.

“We’ll put the draft out on our website, and we’re looking at different ways to allow (the public) to comment on different sections on the code,” Mattingly said. “The other thing that’s going to be happening at that same time is what is called a think tank group.”

John David Carson, chair of the think tank, said the group is made up of citizens in the community who are committed to making San Marcos “the best place possible.”

“The think tank’s charge is to be a sounding board for city staff and the consultant team as they go through the process of rewriting the code,” Carson said.

The think tank will generate awareness about Code SMTX within the community to try to

get citizens involved, he said.

“Our role is to get (the land development code draft) in front of as many people as possible so that we’re getting comments from community members and people of all different perspectives so that input can be integrated into the code,” Carson said.

Community participation is a key part of the goals of Code SMTX, Stark said.

“We really want people to get involved and be part of it and understand what it means,” Stark said. “There are lots of opportunities for them to do that.”

Stark has seen public input and anticipates more in the future.

Community opinion is important, but Stark said more extensive planning is needed to make sure the land development code is effective.

“The biggest thing is that people just want it quickly,” Stark said.

“We’re trying to get this thing completed in as timely of fashion as possible, but we also want to do a really good job and make sure that we listen to everyone and take everything into consideration.”

CYBER SECURITY

City, county collaborate on White hat hackers protect Texas State Purgatory Creek expansion

By Jake Goodman NEWS REPORTER @jake_thegoodman The San Marcos City Council authorized Jared Miller, city manager, to move $500,000 to the Hays County Habitat Conservation Plan for the expansion of the Purgatory Creek Natural Area.

The natural area is set to grow by 110 acres. Commissioner Will Conley, Precinct 3, said the land referred to as the Wildenthal Tract was appraised at $1.6 million. The city and county are working together to draft an interlocal agreement for the purchase.

The total size of the Wildenthal Tract is 312 acres. The first 110 acres, known as Phase One, must be purchased by Feb. 28 or the agreement with the landowner will allow for the possible sale of Phase Two, made up of 202 acres, to other developers, said Scott

Parker, Texas State director for the Trust for Public Land (TFPL).

The county authorized $500,000 of the $1.6 million cost. Conley’s staff was still working with the city Jan. 30 to negotiate the agreement, but the land has not been purchased.

The new plot will bring the total size of Purgatory Creek Natural Area to 862 acres, said Richard Salmon, grants administrator for the City Parks Department.

“If we end up with the Wildenthal Tract, Purgatory Creek will become one of the largest preserves in Texas,” Parker said.

Phase One is important because creeks drain into other parts of the preserve.

“Just selecting these parks doesn’t save them from expansion,” Parker said.

William Ford, assistant director of

See PURGATORY, Page 2

ANDRES J RODRIGUEZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

LaTrelle Robins, communication design sophomore, and Joel Polendo, athletic training freshman, go over lines of code Jan. 30 at ITAC.

By Darcy Sprague NEWS REPORTER @darcy_days

HARON SAENZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Officials with Purgatory Creek Natural Area have purchased an extra 110 acres of land, bringing the total size of the park to 862 acres.

The recent Sony Pictures Entertainment attacks paint a picture of high-stakes, actionpacked hacking that does not accurately represent the dayto-day traffic caused by cyberattacks.

Alejandro Ramirez, parttime graduate student and computer science systems analyst for Texas State, said the university is hacked daily, probably every minute.

Hackers try to invade systems to sell server space or administrative access, Ramirez said. The buyers use servers to attack others, or look for information, including regis-

trar data.

“It’s hard to tell what they’re looking for unless they get in,” Ramirez said.

People who hack the system with malicious intent are called, ‘black hat hackers,’ Ramirez said. Hackers are considered white, black or gray hat depending on the ways they use their skills.

“Black hat hackers use hacking techniques to sabotage other computer systems,” said Gu Qijun, computer security professor.

White hat hackers typically work for government or cyber security companies, Qijun said.

Websites are more likely to get hacked than something more specific and difficult

like an individual’s computer, Ramirez said.

“The media turned (hacking) into a bad thing,” Ramirez said.

The most common attacks campus cyber security faces are “phish e-mail attack scams,” said Dan Owen, Information Technology vice president and information security officer.

Phish emails try to get victims to follow links and put in personal information. Many are fraudulent emails and often contain bad grammar, Owen said.

“Every once in a while there will be a more sophisticated attack,” Owen said.

So-called “spear phishing” attacks are aimed at specific

See HACKING, Page 2

2 | The University Star | News | Thursday, February 5, 2015

UNIVERSITY

Health care programs moving to Round Rock should be excited because growth means greater opportunities.

“One of the biggest reasons for the decision was here at Texas State we have critical space shortages,” Opheim said. “The College of Health Professions has no room to grow here, and as health care grows, the students’ training needs to grow too.”

Welborn said students should anticipate greater convenience and access to new resources and a community benefitting from an influx of health care workers.

“The administration at Texas State recognizes that we’re out of space on this campus,” Welborn said. “The programs can be relocated to Round Rock, and the relocation would better serve the students, so the decision was made.”

Students at Round Rock currently have to commute as far away as Austin, San Antonio or Dallas to do their clinicals, Welborn said.

The move will allow partnerships between the college and the hospitals in Round Rock, making hands-on experience more accessible to stu-

By Bleah B. Patterson NEWS REPORTER @missbleahp University administrators hope the state legislature will approve funding for a new College of Health Professions building on the Round Rock campus.

Ruth Welborn, College of Health Professions dean, hopes the move will be complete by late spring 2018 with three of eight programs in Round Rock opening the following fall.

The clinical laboratory science, health information management, healthcare administration and radiation therapy programs will remain in San Marcos until further funding can be acquired to build in Round Rock.

Welborn said the physical therapy, communication disorders and respiratory programs will join nursing, already in Round Rock, if the 84th legislative session approves funds for the new building.

Increased enrollment caused the move, said Cynthia Opheim, associate provost. Students and faculty

dents, she said. Seton Medical Center Williamson, St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital, Scott and White Hospital and St. David’s Urgent Care are located in the Round Rock area.

Jeff Johnson, nursing junior at the Round Rock campus, commuted from San Marcos until six months ago.

“Hearing people talk, I worry,” Johnson said. “The downside to the move is students will lose the perks of living in San Marcos, which is a huge draw to attending the university in the first place.”

Johnson said the Round Rock campus doesn’t have a gym. However, access to the gym is included in every student’s tuition, including those who go to class in Round Rock.

Students should not have to commute to the campus because most of their classes will be in Round Rock by the time they get into programs, Welborn said. “(Interstate Highway 35) is a nightmare, so if you’re commuting that’s going to add a strain,” Johnson said.

PURGATORY, from front the Trust for Public Land to determine how to move the Wildenthal Tract from private to public ownership. County and city officials sometimes work together on land purchases, but each case is different.

Ford said Purgatory Creek is under city management despite being outside of San Marcos limits.

“Most of the conservation work around the country brings together a variety of sources to make the conservation happen,” Parker said.

Ford expected the city to annex the Barker Tract, another part of the natural area, from the county in March. Ford envisions a similar scenario for the Wildenthal Tract.

“What the city is doing is really remarkable,” Parker said. “What they’re creating in your backyard is similar to Barton Creek in Austin, and you could have that here in San Marcos.”

Ford said the natural area has become increasingly popular since expanding.

“Purgatory Creek used to be kind of a secret, but it’s not a secret anymore,” Ford said.

victims, he said. The attackers mainly try to redirect paychecks or gain control of individual accounts to send out more phishing emails. Attacks are often directed at faculty and staff.

“Lots of people have been targeted but with a very low success rate,” Owen said.

Owen’s workers stay informed and aware to protect themselves from attacks. The staff offers workshops for professors as well.

Many attacks are automated, Ramirez said. “(Black hat hackers) go after everybody,” Owens said. “I don’t think (the university) is specifically targeted.”

A hacker might prepare for a spear phishing attack by picking a public corporation and then researching the faculty, he said.

“You are not going to catch many of these people,” Owen said.

Attacks often come from foreign countries, he said. A criminal investigation may take place if a large amount of money is involved. The number of attacks

MENTAL HEALTH

Counseling services rebooted, more improvements to come University officials are excited to see improvements in the Texas State Counseling Center after an overhaul of their programs.

The counseling center’s administrators are shifting their focus to the Round Rock campus. Faculty senators asked Kathlyn Dailey, director of mental and clinical health at Texas State, to explain the changes she has been making in the main campus counseling center during their Wednesday meeting.

Dailey is excited to see the counseling center’s services improve after one semester of being overhauled.

The senate has been concerned “for years” because of reports that students experience trouble when trying to schedule counseling services, said Michel Conroy, faculty senate chair.

Dailey agreed and said students who deserved urgent care and immediate attention were previously asked to wait.

Policies and resources did not best serve those in need.

Dailey said the center’s staff has been working hard to serve students by remaining accessible and providing the most immediate mental healthcare possible.

“We recognize that in the past there have been some shortcomings to counseling students,” Dailey said. “I’m excited that we’ve started making resources to provide care a priority.”

Demand for mental health care on campus has risen, she said. Increased enrollment is one factor, but a changing society plays an even bigger role.

“The need is trending upward,” Dailey said. “We’re getting a significant increase in students who have a history of receiving psychiatric care, and we’re trying to keep up with that level of care—the level they’re used to.”

Now students are given questions that classify them

“But I agree 100 percent that there’s a lot of room (in Round Rock) to expand, not just the campus but in the community as a whole. And there’s a bigger variety of hospitals up here.”

Welborn also stressed Texas State

faculty are aware of the plan and should not worry about losing their jobs. Staff members are informed at the time they are hired the college will be expanding. Most already live in Austin.

HACKING, from front

Parks and Recreation, said Phase One is a “connecting piece” for the natural area because it is adjacent to the existing preserve and links to other sections.

Salmon said the Wildenthal Tract contains no developments or structures.

The Parks Department has no plans for development except for hiking trails.

“Basically we’ll figure out a trail path, and that’s it,” Ford said.

The tract is “rugged” and characterized by hills, rocks, dry creeks and wooded areas, Salmon said. The property is not favorable for development.

Parker said the Trust for Public Land conducts surveys to determine the wildlife, ecology and value of prospective additions. The Wildenthal Tract had the highest concentration of sightings of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler in a natural area in the 2014 land survey.

Parker said the acquisition is important because it is part of the Edward’s Aquifer Recharge Zone. He said the land was never used for agriculture, making it an important habitat for endangered species.

Parker said the city and county were still negotiating with each other and

By Bleah B. Patterson NEWS REPORTER @missbleahp

DENISE CATHEY ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

University administrators are hoping for approval from state legislature for a new building in Round Rock, which will house three of eight nursing programs.

as “emergency,” “urgent” or “first consultation” when they ask to schedule an appointment, Dailey said.

Students are seen at their earliest convenience if classified as “emergency” or “urgent,” Dailey said. “First consultation” patients are asked to call the morning they would like to meet, and their names and student IDs are added to the receptionist’s database.

“This way, the receptionist knows this student has called before and will give them whatever appointment works best for the student,” Dailey said.

“The goal is never to have them call a third time.”

Two open counselor positions were filled fall 2014.

Another counselor was hired in anticipation for the spring semester’s changes.

“This means we now have 11 full-time clinical staff, two full-time post-doctoral staff, three doctoral interns and three part-time practicum students,” Dailey said.

No counseling center is available on the Round Rock campus. However, Dailey said counselors often have phone consultations with students there who need service.

“We also meet with Round Rock students both at the Round Rock campus or the San Marcos campus,” she said.

However, full expansion to Round Rock is needed, Dailey said.

“By the fall, we would like to begin using the clinical

rooms already available (at the Round Rock campus) and hire contractors until we can build more (facilities) in Round Rock and hire our own counselors,” Dailey said.

Barbara Covington, science senator, said the fall semester will not be soon enough and wants to know what the counseling center will do in the meantime. “(Fall 2015 is) two semesters away,” Covington said.

“How do we help students in need now?”

Dailey said the center is currently operating on a case-bycase basis.

Joanne Smith, vice president of Student Affairs, said the demand for care is not as high in Round Rock as on the main campus.

“We’re meeting the demands as best we can, and as soon as the fall (semester), we will have a better solution,” Smith said. “However, we can’t just make the space or find the counselors—pay for that—when we don’t have a sense of the demand yet. We’ll start adding people and see if the availability spikes demand and go from there.”

Faculty senators thought the response was optimistic but are concerned about services in Round Rock.

“It’s a short fix,” Covington said. “Not necessarily the soundest fix, but it is a fix. I think they’re making end roads. It’s better than what we had.”

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makes pursuing them all impossible.

“Every day we block millions of potential attacks,” Owen said.

Equipment is used to automatically detect “attacks and malicious traffic,” on the university’s network, Owen said. Many of the typical attacks have signatures the equipment can recognize and block. Owen and his team monitor network traffic and can detect abnormalities.

The network is also monitored internally, Owen said.

“The term in IT security is ‘defense in depth,’” Owen said. “It’s like an onion. There are many layers of defense.”

The additional layers of defense make hacking into the network hard for an insider, he said. Ramirez has caught some students trying to hack into their instructors’ spaces and turned all the information over to the faculty.

Internal attacks happen occasionally. These assaults are sometimes used to suspend service, “like a bomb threat,” Ramirez

said, referring to an incident last year that stopped the network for a minute. The attack happened when someone used a network of bots to flood the network with data. The firewall crashed as a result.

However, internal attacks are infrequent, Owen said.

“Honestly, they’re barely a blip on the radar compared to what (comes) from the outside world,” Owen said.

Owen and Ramirez say hacking into the university system successfully would be hard. Qijun said hacking is difficult in and of itself.

“Hacking is like cooking,” Qijun said. “It requires skills. It requires intelligence.”

Qijun teaches his students how to hack. He finds many have a misconception that hacking is about getting into other computers. Students must learn a lot about computers before they are able to hack, he said.

“A lot of people don’t need to worry about hacking,” Ramirez said.

GOATS, from front and barbeques in most of these areas, we find that a lot of these fires are caused by humans.”

Brush fires can be very dangerous to firefighters and citizens in nearby areas, Derkacz said.

“I certainly feel using goats to help eliminate brush can help out a lot, but factors need to be taken into account,” Derkacz said. “We need to see how many goats we need to use to cover a certain amount of area as well as find farmers who are willing to let the city use their livestock for this process.”

Dianne Wassenich, program director for the San Marcos River Foundation, expressed concerns about the use of goats for clearing brush.

“Any place you clear brush, you have to think about the recharge zone,” Wassenich said. “Questions need to be asked.

Will clearing brush leave dirt not suitable for regrown vegetation? Will different invasive plants grow in the place of the previous plants cleared?”

Wassenich said the goats need to be closely monitored in order to prevent them from eating native plants and vegetation.

“Using goats needs to be done effectively, with proper supervision (by) qualified individuals,” Wassenich said. “During the test run in the fall, the goats were eating some of the native plants, which is never a good thing. The City of San Marcos should hire a botanist to oversee the project.”

Currently no environmental organization with the City of San Marcos employs a botanist, Wassenich said.

“There are still a lot of questions to be answered with how the project will work,” Stratemann said.

The University Star | Thursday, February 5, 2015 | 3

LIFESTYLE

UniversityStar.com

Top 5 movies of 2014

By Cameron Cutshall MANAGING EDITOR @CameronCutshall The month of February is already underway, which makes 2014 seem like a lifetime ago. However, it is never too late for a list of the best films from last year. Narrowing down the best movies of any year can be a daunting task, but after much research and deliberation, here are the top five films of 2014.

1.

Boyhood This cinematic experiment is one most

producers would have cast aside. It is a miracle this film exists because so many things could have gone wrong during production. Boyhood follows the life of Mason (Ellar Coltrane) as he ages from 5 to 18. Richard Linklater, writer and director of the film, and his crew shot Boyhood in 45 days spread out over the span of 12 years. This film followed the same actors as they aged and grew up together.

Multiple times throughout the film, the viewer is caught remembering a moment during their childhood—memories like standing in line to receive the latest Harry Potter book or hearing parents fighting through the walls of a house.

Boyhood is full of these relatable moments.

The writing of this film is spot-on. The parents talk like parents, the children act like children and there is no lifechanging dramatic event to serve as a catalyst throughout the entire film. It is simply about growing up.

Boyhood is captivating from the opening scene to the final credits despite its 165-minute run time. It could have gone on longer and the audience would have been just as engaged.

The film started off as the ‘Little Engine that Could’ when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival a year ago.

It has since evolved into an awards juggernaut that is a front-runner to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director.

This movie feels very personal to me.

I have had some experiences similar to Mason’s, and the film partly takes place in San Marcos. This is a film that will stand the test of time and be studied for years to come by film schools across the nation. To put it simply, Boyhood is a masterpiece.

2.

Interstellar This is a movie viewers either loved

or hated, and I stand with the former.

Interstellar is the reason we love movies.

It is a love letter to cinema. It is epic on the grandest of scales and was unlike any moviegoing experience I have ever had.

Boyhood was experimental filmmaking, and Interstellar is one of the most ambitious films ever put on screen.

Christopher Nolan, director of the Dark Knight trilogy as well as Inception, has crafted his most grounded film yet—ironic because most of the movie takes place in galaxies and universes farther away than anything known. However, the human relationships formed, particularly between Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and his daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy/Jessica Chastain), keep this far-reaching sci-fi epic human and relatable.

I sat and watched in awe during Interstellar, and I may have shed a tear or two as well. Interstellar tackles some of the toughest questions (like ‘What is the meaning of life?’ ‘How significant is human existence?’), all of which have viewers leaving the theater completely drained of emotion. The one thing I felt completely drawn to throughout Interstellar was the film’s depiction of the mystical force we know and understand but still cannot measure with science—and that is love.

surprised me. It was an incredibly fun ride, and everything regarding this film is completely “awesome.”

4. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Many think this film in a one-trick pony, much like Boyhood, but there is more in Birdman to celebrate.

Birdman follows Riggan (Michael Keaton), a once-famous actor attempting to reenergize his career by performing in a Broadway play. The gimmick to Birdman is that it is crafted to simulate one entire fluid tracking shot. The effect is similar to viewing a Broadway play and is an incredibly difficult thing to do.

You have to give Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of the film, and his crew praise for the masterful filmmaking.

This is an exhilarating film reminiscent of a fun little roller coaster ride.

The acting in the film is superb from Keaton to Edward Norton. The movie also features Emma Stone, who has proven to be one of the best actresses working in Hollywood right now.

Birdman speaks on the culture we live in, how artists deal with pressures from the media and the Superhero era of Hollywood filmmaking taking place in current cinema.

3. The LEGO 5. Locke Let me pitch you the plot of this movie: Tom Hardy in a car for 85 minutes.

Movie Be honest. Tell me you managed not That is it. to roll your eyes and scoff at the idea when you first heard they were making a Lego movie.

I will be the first to admit I did. My expectations may have been low, but this movie completely blew me away. It is creative, silly and fun. The movie would have felt like an hour-and-a-half-long commercial for Legos if anyone except Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had taken ahold of it.

There is something appealing for everyone in the film, and those are the best “kid” movies. The theme of the movie is learning to think for oneself, which is still a powerful lesson whether it is for a four-year-old or a middle-aged parent. The LEGO movie completely

Some might say, “Huh?” Some might say, “Tell me more.” I started off in the “Huh?” category but gave this film a chance for one reason, and it is the only reason you need to see this movie: Tom Hardy.

Hardy is one of my favorite working actors, and he gives a knockout performance in this film. Locke is simply Tom Hardy in a car talking on the phone on his way to take care of something important. I cannot delve more into detail for fear of going to spoiler territory, but do yourself a favor and see this movie.

It feels like a shame that not enough people know about this movie, but I feel that is also what gives it charm.

Picks of the Weekend

By Mariah Simank ASSISTANT LIFESTYLE EDITOR @MariahSimank

For the Student on a Budget

The Marc kicks off the weekend with a lively night of music every Thursday when college students 21 and over get free entry to the venue. Musical guests DJZ and Gamma provide the entertainment, and drink specials include $2 wells and domestics and $3 Fireball Whiskey.

For the Jazz Enthusiast

Students are encouraged to support their fellow Bobcats during the 2015 Hill Country Jazz Festival. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held Feb. 6 and 7 in Evans Auditorium on campus.

This exciting night of performances will feature the Eddie Durham Tribute Band, Doug Lawrence and Dan Morgenstern.

For the Artist

Wimberley Glassworks attracts visitors from all over the Central Texas area with its glass-blowing demonstrations. Those who visit the store Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. are treated to step-by-step demonstrations from talented artists. This is the perfect attraction for art fanatics or those just passing by.

For the Environmentalist

Students interested in learning more about the springs and lakes around campus should take advantage of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment’s glass-bottom kayak tours. Participants have the option of taking a one- or two-hour guided tour that will familiarize them with the endangered species that call the waters home. Boats run Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For the Beer Aficionado

Middleton Brewing recently opened a location in San Marcos. The brewery will be hosting Rochefort Glass Night on Feb. 5 from 2-10 p.m. They plan to feature three different types of the beer. The event is their first since the soft opening, and attendees are encouraged to come early before glasses run out.

4 | The University Star | Thursday, February 5, 2015

OPINIONS

UniversityStar.com

JORDAN GURLEY STAR ILLUSTRATOR

THE MAIN POINT

Disabled students deserve equal opportunities D

isabled students on campus deserve respect and equal chances for success as much as everyone else.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 10.9 percent of undergraduate students enrolled in the 2007-2008 academic school year were students with disabilities.

Disabled students are a bigger minority than many realize and should be better accommodated in collegiate environments.

Students with disabilities are not a monolithic group. They are diverse, not only in their disabilities but also as human beings. It is important to note people with disabilities are not only those with physical limitations. There are plenty of students with learning disabilities under the same umbrella.

Thankfully, faculty are adept when accommodating needs of disabled students.

Most instructors are more than willing to adapt their lessons for disabled students registered with the Office of Disability Services.

The student body needs to be more accepting of everyone regardless of personal bias because at the end of the day, everyone is here to learn.

Bobcats usually do a good job of accepting the differing perspectives everyone brings to this melting pot of a campus, but of course there are places that clearly need improvement.

Bobcats should keep in mind the large

tables in lecture halls are not for bros and buddies to congregate at to try and seem cool. They exist for disabled students who need them. Students should save table space for those who need it instead of taking it away when there are countless empty seats. If no one needs the seating, then of course it is up for grabs.

The indifference to people outside of the classroom needs to change as well.

If students see a person struggling, it is common decency to ask them if they need some form of assistance. Far too often, students are caught up in their music and texts while the world passes them by. Do not insist on helping someone, however, as it may come off as rude and paternalistic. Simply asking can go a long way.

Bobcats have their own problems, but the faculty and staff are not perfect either.

University officials could do a better job at accommodating students who have unique needs.

For instance, Bobcat Bobbies are not reliable when it comes to providing transportation. It is a great service and is much needed. However, they could work on being more available. Improvements are especially necessary for students with disabilities who count on the service to navigate this jungle of a campus.

The daytime counterpart of Bobcat Bobbies, Cats on the Go, does not fare much better. Disabled students have to jump through ridiculous hoops in order

to even be able to use the service. One example is the need to provide a doctor’s note so officials can call and confirm the status of the disabled person. This is not high school.

The Cats on the Go service is not as reliable as it should be, much like Bobcat Bobbies. Even though workers have students’ schedules in order to pick them up from their respective locations, they are often late. It is understandable to be late every now and then. However, when this is a regular occurrence, it chips away at reliability.

Many disabled students face another obstacle when it comes to actually taking specific classes. Unfortunately, not every building on campus has an elevator or even a ramp. A disability should not be the determining factor in whether someone can go to a certain part of campus because it happens to be located in an inaccessible building.

Students and officials need to be made more aware of disabled people. In recent years the university has had Common Experiences on mental health and segregation. It is time the often-invisible disabled students have a time in the limelight.

The impact and understanding a mandatory seminar class would create for incoming freshmen and campus would be profound. Empathy toward our fellow Bobcats who are disabled will benefit the entire community.

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.

The University Star Interim Editor-in-Chief...................................Nicole Barrios, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor....................Cameron Cutshall, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters................................................................................universitystar@txstate.edu News Editor..............................................Kelsey Bradshaw, starnews@txstate.edu Lifestyle Editor..........................................Britton Richter, starlifestyle@txstate.edu Opinions Editor.......................................Imani McGarrell, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor...........................................Madelynne Scales, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor........................................... Quixem Ramirez, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief.....................................Sam Hankins, starcopychief@txstate.edu

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The University Star | Thursday, February 5, 2015 | 5

SPORTS

UniversityStar.com

MEN’S BASKETBALL

NOTEBOOK: TEXAS STATE 63, SOUTH ALABAMA 43

By Quixem Ramirez SPORTS EDITOR @quixem

game. It was not even close.

WHAT THE WIN MEANS

The Bobcats’ offense has some life when Montalvo is knocking down perimeter shots. Montalvo’s 15 points led the team, and his four 3-pointers provided the perimeter scoring punch needed to get over the hump. Texas State is 4-3 this season when Montalvo makes at least three 3-pointers.

The Texas State men’s basketball team has room to breathe for the time being. Beating South Alabama vaults the team into the seventh slot in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Bobcats are not a lock for the postseason tournament, but their odds are considerably higher.

TURNING POINT

There was none. Texas State scored the first seven points of the game and held the lead for the entire

SPOTLIGHT PLAYER: ETHAN MONTALVO, JUNIOR GUARD

MORE TO COME?

This team has not put together a complete performance in awhile.

Coach Danny Kaspar said the Bobcats have the potential to beat

anyone if they are distributing the ball. They accomplished that goal against South Alabama. The trick, of course, is duplicating the performance consistently. All the Bobcats need is some extra “oomph” on offense with their stingy defense.

GREAT: DEFENSE

Texas State’s defense is the strength of the team. The Bobcats’ performance against South Alabama, the sixth-best scoring offense in the conference, is an example of their ability when everything is going right. The Bobcats stuffed the Jaguars’ passing angles, allowing six assists on 16 field goals. South Alabama’s 30.8 field goal percentage is the lowest Texas State has

allowed since Jan. 3.

GOOD: SHOOTING Shooting has crippled the Bobcats on several occasions this season.

Kaspar has acknowledged that his team is not built to shoot at a high efficiency, but the Bobcats have hurt themselves by missing high-percentage shots. Texas State shot well from every spot on the floor—44.2 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from behind the 3-point line and 81.8 percent from the free throw line—for the first time in a while. It was a balanced shooting effort for a team lacking in that department.

BAD: TURNOVERS

Admittedly, this is nitpicking quite

a bit. The team committed 18 turnovers. However, not a single player turned the ball over more than three times. Turnovers are acceptable, though, when the team is simply making shots.

WHAT THEY SAID

“It was a great team effort offensively and defensively,” Kaspar said.

“Hopefully our players understand when we share the ball as a team, we can win a lot of games.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Texas State’s next opponent is Arkansas-Little Rock, which is last in the Sun Belt Conference. The Bobcats defeated the Trojans 77-74 in their last matchup.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BOBCATS EDGE SOUTH ALABAMA ON THE ROAD

By Matt Gurevitz SPORTS REPORTER @Matt_Gurevitz South Alabama called a timeout as the seconds ticked off the clock.

The Texas State women’s basketball team was winning 46-44 with five seconds left in the game.

The Jaguars drew up a play in the timeout, leading to a 3-point shot attempt by Rachel Cumbo, Jaguars junior guard, with one second left.

The shot was short, and Texas State escaped South Alabama with a 46-44 win.

“Even though we were down,

we knew that we’d win this game,” said Ayriel Anderson, junior guard.

“We always stay positive, and we never stay down.”

Texas State put the ball in the hands of Anderson, who took it up the court and drove straight to the basket. Anderson drew a shooting foul with eight seconds remaining.

Anderson had an earlier opportunity to close out the Jaguars. She missed the front end of a one-on-one free throw attempt on the previous possession, allowing South Alabama to grab the rebound and tie the game on a layup by Chyna Ellis, Jaguars freshman center.

This time Anderson made both

free throws to give the Bobcats a 46-44 lead.

The Bobcats did not call a timeout in order to attack the defense after the game-tying layup.

“I truly thought that we had the ability to go down and get it done,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine. “We felt comfortable with Ayriel having the ball.”

South Alabama called a timeout three seconds after Anderson’s bucket.

Earlier in the game, the Bobcats were looking at a 10-point deficit with six minutes to go in the first half.

“The lead wasn’t as dismal as it looked, and we were playing good defense,” Antoine said. “Shots just weren’t falling, but we knew they’d eventually go down.”

Anderson led the team with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting. She closed out the game scoring the Bobcats’ final seven points.

“I like any young woman who can close out games for us,” Antoine said. “We have a lot of different players that can be our closer, and our point guard play was crucial in this game.”

Anderson said the Jaguars were aware of her from the beginning.

“They put a lot of pressure on

SOFTBALL

BOBCATS OPEN SEASON IN HAMPTON INN AND SUITES TOURNAMENT

By Donavan Jackson SPORTS REPORTER @djack_02 Coach Ricci Woodard is looking forward to seeing where the team stands on opening weekend after the addition of seven freshmen and two staff.

The Texas State softball team will host three universities this weekend for the Hampton Inn & Suites Tournament: Sam Houston State, Northern Illinois and Pittsburgh.

“Opening weekend is always good because it’s fun to see where you’re at,” Woodard said. “It tells you exactly where your team is and what you need to focus on from here on out to prepare for every game between now and opening conference play the first weekend of March.”

The team opens the tournament with a double-header Friday against Sam Houston State and Northern Illinois.

The first game will be against Sam Houston State Friday at 3 p.m. The Bearkats had two players named to the Preseason All-Southland team: Tiffany Castillo, junior catcher, and Sarah Allison, senior infielder.

Castillo started all 54 games last season, finishing with 10 home runs and led the team with 35 runs batted in. Allison will begin her senior season ranked third in Sam Houston State with 22 all-time home runs.

The Bobcats compete against Northern Illinois for the fifth time. The Huskies are coming off a 26-31 season in the Mid-American Conference with five returning seniors.

Pittsburgh is visiting Texas State for the first-ever matchup against the Bobcats.

Pittsburgh won 15 of 44 games in its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Carly Thea, Panthers senior outfielder, is the only player to bat above .300 last season. She holds team-leading marks in doubles and slugging percentage.

Woodard and the assistant coaches head into the fivegame weekend having stressed focus, discipline and winning one play at a time.

“We’ve been working a lot this year on the mental game and staying tuned in and focused one pitch at a time,” said Kelli Baker, junior second baseman. “Like we saw in the Super Bowl, one little play can make the difference.”

Randi Rupp, freshman pitcher, is starting her first collegiate game on Friday. Rupp

finished her senior season at Barbers Hill High School with a 27-1 record and a 0.45 earned run average.

Courtney Harris, senior third baseman, and Kortney Koroll, senior utility player, were both named to the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team.

Harris ended the season with a .313 batting average while leading the team in doubles and finishing second in slugging percentage. Koroll started 51 of 52 games and led the team with nine home runs.

The Hampton Inn & Suites Tournament will be one of four tournaments scheduled for the 2015 season.

me from the get-go,” Anderson said.

“Number 10 (Marquita Daniels) was on me like white on rice.”

Anderson scored four points in their last matchup earlier in the season.

This win put the Bobcats at 5-5 on the road this season. The twopoint margin of victory is the smallest of any road game this season.

“It’s important to come on the road and come out with the win even though we didn’t play well,” Antoine said. “I loved our energy out of timeouts.”

The Bobcats are now 8-4 in conference play and sit alone in third place in the Sun Belt.

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STAR FILE PHOTO

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH

10:00 a.m.

Sam Houston State vs. Pittsburgh 12:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh vs. Northern Illinois 3:00 p.m.

Sam Houston State vs. Texas State 5:30 p.m.

Texas State vs. Northern Illinois

10:00 a.m.

Texas State vs. Sam Houston State 12:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh vs. Texas State 3:00 p.m.

Northern Illinois vs. Sam Houston State 5:30 p.m.

Northern Illinois vs. Pittsburgh

9:00 a.m.

Sam Houston State vs. Pittsburgh 11:00 a.m.

Northern Illinois vs. Texas State

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6 | The University Star | Sports | Thursday, February 5, 2015

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BEYOND

CROSS COUNTRY

THE GAME

!

JAMARCUS WEATHERSPOON JUNIOR GUARD JaMarcus needed to raise his GPA to a 2.5 over the summer in order to be eligible for basketball.

“I had to do a whole summer of extra work, club time to study and to do other things beside going to school because my school didn’t teach me that much,” JaMarcus said. “We went to school the longest, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and we still weren’t nowhere close to educated where we needed to be.”

JaMarcus considered dropping out of high school before beginning his junior year. His mother, father and oldest brother had dropped out, but JaMarcus wanted to be different.

He regained eligibility after applying himself to his summer studies.

“I didn’t even take school seriously until my 11th grade year,” JaMarcus said. “I started talking to colleges, and they started explaining what they could do to help me get into school where my mom won’t

By Mariah Medina ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @Mariahmedinaaa

have to pay or my dad won’t have to pay.“ Finances were the main reason JaMarcus never believed he would go to college. Attending college became a feasible goal after he gained attention from local and out-of-state universities during his junior year.

“I always told him and all of my kids, ‘You’re not going to be a follower. You’re going to be a leader,’” Emmaline said.

JaMarcus was putting in extra effort academically, but, he also saw improvement on the court. He credits strength shoes he purchased with the help of his godmother, Lisa Shaw. “(Shaw) is really supportive of JaMarcus,” Emmaline said. “It’s like he’s one of her kids, and he is. ” JaMarcus had saved up his allowance for weeks, even offering to do his siblings’ chores for their shares, in an effort to purchase the strength shoes that advertised an increase in speed and vertical leap. He finally got them and seldom took them ff.

“I wore the strength shoes every day,” JaMarcus said. “I never wore (normal) shoes my 11th grade year.

People would always tell me, ‘Why are you wearing them shoes? You look funny. You got that big old thing at the end of your foot.’”

JaMarcus kept wearing the blackand-red shoes despite the criticism. He gave the shoes to his younger brother when he left for college.

T h e sh o e s were not all JaMarcus left with

His last name is at the end of the alphabet, so JaMarcus Weatherspoon, junior guard, sat nervously, waiting to walk across the stage.

JaMarcus’ peers received their diplomas and gave brief remarks. He could hear his mother, Emmaline, chanting “save the best for last.”

After a few moments, JaMarcus stood before a packed Southern University Superdome in his maroon cap and gown and could only look to the crowd in disbelief.

JaMarcus was not supposed to graduate.

“I didn’t expect to be where I’m at today,” JaMarcus said. “It’s only God that got me here.”

JaMarcos graduated in 2012 from Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Students were informed a year later that the institution would be one of seven in the Louisiana Recovery School District to close due to poor academic performance and a struggle to revive enroll 1504 Aquarena Spring Dr ment rates.

(Near Colloquium Books) “My high school, actually, 512-392-2221 was the first high school to get shut down in Baton Rouge,” San Mar Plaza JaMarcus said. “I went to a 929 Hwy 80 high school where I really (Near Jason's) didn’t learn that much. Hon512-396-1100 est truth, it wasn’t a school TSU Round Rock where you go to learn. It was 210 University Blvd a school where you go to have (At IH 35, near HEB) fun and get into trouble.”

512-863-2191 Istrouma High School seniors averaged a composite score of 15.7 on the ACT the year JaMarcus graduated. The score was the lowest of any school within the district and close to six points below the national average.

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his younger siblings, who are both enrolled in high school.

“My mom always told me, ‘Be different,’” JaMarcus said. “That’s what she always said. ‘Be different.’

At the time I was like, ‘I don’t want to hear none of that,’ and she would always tell me, ‘Be different from what you see,’ and all I saw was poverty, robbery, all of that.”

JaMarcus ignores the advice of Texas State men’s basketball Coach Danny Kaspar every time he goes home. He spends the break playing basketball to distract himself from his surroundings.

JaMarcus knows his college career is coming to an end with one year of eligibility left, but he is already thinking about the future.

After college, JaMarcus hopes to open a barbershop. He said he might pursue teaching or coaching.

JaMarcus has gone from struggling to be eligible to play basketball to graduating high school among the top 30 students in his class.

He is not putting a limit on how far he can go.

STAR FILE PHOTO

“It still hasn’t hit me,” JaMarcus said. “I’ve still got another year to go, but I think about—what would I be doing if I didn’t play basketball, if I didn’t come to college? Would I be at home? Who would be my friend still? But it’s just a big feeling.

It’s a great feeling to know I have something to lean on, something I can always fall back on besides basketball.”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAREER DAY

Discover Job Opportunities in the Field of Criminal Justice!

Talk with Representatives from Federal, State and Local CJ Agencies!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10th, 2015 10 am - 2 pm LBJSC MAIN BALLROOM Students seeking degrees in all majors are invited to attend.

Sponsored by Texas State School of Criminal Justice and Texas State Office of Career Services.

For details visit www.cj.txstate.edu

The University Star Cordially Invites You To Announce Your Wedding in

Are you getting married and want to tell the world?

The University Star would like to feature your wedding announcement in our Bridal Issue February 24, 2015.

The deadline to submit couples’ information is Februaury 19 at noon.

Information can be submitted online at Universitystar.com or in our office located in the Trinity building.