THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2016 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 41
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UNIVERSITY
Wendy Davis is best known for her famous filibuster in June 2013 where she stood for over 13 hours at the Texas Capitol against House Bill 2.
DARYL ONTIVEROS MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Wendy Davis, former Texas senator, speaks at a College Democrats-sponsored event Feb. 10 in the Evans Liberal Arts building.
IN HER SHOES
Former Texas Senator Wendy Davis attends College Democrats meeting By Anna Herod NEWS EDITOR @annaleemurphy
A 15-year-old woman of Native American descent gave birth to the first of 14 children, all while facing the “double sting” of racism and poverty. A generation later, former Texas Senator Wendy Davis’ mother quickly learned the difficulties of providing for her family with only a ninth grade education. Davis attended Wednesday’s Texas State College Democrats’ meeting where she gave a presentation, answered audience questions and took selfies with each
person who wanted one afterward. Davis began by saying it was access to education and reproductive healthcare that allowed her to rise above poverty and work toward translating her passions into action. “When (my mother) got thrown into the workforce, she learned all too quickly how a lack of education impacted her ability to earn an income to support her family,” Davis said. “I remember the orthopedic comfort shoes that she wore. With all the hours of standing she did working, scooping ice creams, and flipping hamburgers… she stood for hours
and hours and hours.” Standing for hours and hours and hours is not unfamiliar to Davis— she once stood for over 13 hours at the Texas Capitol filibustering House Bill 2. That would be the moment that made Davis a household name, but that wouldn’t be until much later in her life. Davis found herself struggling to pay for groceries and to keep her electricity on as a single mother, without a degree, working two lowwage jobs. “It was education that allowed me an opportunity to move up and out of poverty,” Davis said. “It was not just education, it was also repro-
CITY
Community development grant to benefit nonprofits aiding locals By Cristina Carreon NEWS REPORTER @Ccarreon90
Nonprofit projects aiming to benefit residents may soon find funding as the city of San Marcos is accepting applications through Feb. 29 for the Community Development Block Grant. The CDBG is awarded to nonprofits seeking funds for programs that service low-tomoderate income residents of the city. “The CDBG grant is very community driven,” said Janis Hendrix, community initiatives administrator. In the past, the grant has allocated funds to Southside Housing Rehab, CASA Child Advocacy, and the Hays-
Caldwell Women’s Center. “It’s a great service to the community, and CASA is grateful to have this as a funding resource available so that we can provide services to abused and neglected children,” said Dalinda Newby, community initiatives technician. In 2015, some funds were donated to buy land for Habitat for Humanity and make improvements to Dunbar Park. City officials first received the grant in 1994 at $749,000—the highest endowment ever awarded to the city. Local officials receive the federal grant annually, and use the funds to provide housing, suitable living environments and economic
expansion opportunities, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Hendrix said she expects city officials will receive approximately $500,000 this year, but will not know the exact amount until March or April. Funding for the grant increased by $13,412 in the past two years, coinciding with more eligible participating counties. “On the federal level, the government isn’t increasing the program funding overall, but each year, more and more cities and counties become eligible to receive funding,” Hendrix said. “So, the pie
See CDBG, Page 2
ductive health care.” The only health care Davis had access to for four years during early adulthood was at a Planned Parenthood clinic near her home in Fort Worth, Texas. The former senator said she has an acute understanding of what it means to plan a future family in a way that allows a woman to first get an education. “That was my breakthrough,” Davis said. “If I had had another unplanned pregnancy, I probably would have never been able to succeed on the journey that I was on. So I have a deep understanding of the fact that, for women, having reproductive autonomy is absolutely, infi-
nitely, necessarily linked to our economic opportunity in this world.” Davis said the best way to characterize the reason she decided to have a career as a public servant, is the idea of wanting to walk in other people’s shoes. Imagine Davis’ shoes. They were pink when she stood for hours and hours and hours, but they were also the shoes of a Democratic candidate running in a historically red state. An example Davis gave in Evans 116 of putting oneself in another’s shoes was the passage of the 19th amendment, granting suffrage to
women in America. “We had to rely on an allmale congress to do it for us,” Davis said. “We had to ask them to step into our shoes and consider what our experiences were and why our voices were unique and needed to be added to the conversation at the ballot box.” America is in need of public servants who are willing to put themselves in other people’s shoes, she said. “I hope that as we think about that right, and that precious privilege of voting, (that) we remember— whether we are a minority
See DAVIS, Page 3
UNIVERSITY
Faculty Senate clears confusion after controversy last week By Lesly De Leon ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @leslyd28
President Denise Trauth and Provost Gene Bourgeois attended the Wednesday meeting to clear confusion after a possible violation of state requirements stirred up controversy in Faculty Senate last week. At the Feb. 3 Faculty Senate meeting, senators learned that a student bypassed Texas Success Initiative requirements set by the state legislature because of his or her possible connections to a high-up administrator. Trauth and Bourgeois assured the senators the student in question received
permission to enter a math course without the prerequisites, in compliance with state requirements. “Obviously we take these kinds of things seriously,” Trauth said. Trauth said she hopes the senators know that neither herself nor Bourgeois would ever break or bend the rules. Bourgeois said the TSI requirements can and should be waived in certain cases. The parent of the student in question contacted him asking for guidance because a math course was the last course he or she needed to graduate. Bourgeois told the parent he believed the issue would have to go through the Math Department or the TSI office.
After contacting the TSI office, Bourgeois learned the student or parent had already contacted officials prior to contacting him. Daniel Brown, dean of University College and director of the PACE Center, as well as Michael Nava, associate dean of University College, were already evaluating the student’s situation when Bourgeois contacted them. Brown and Nava were both present at the Faculty Senate meeting. Nava is the university’s TSI compliance officer, Trauth said. Brown and Nava verified it was the last course the student needed to graduate,
See FACULTY, Page 2
Let all of campus know about your upcoming nuptials by being included in the Star’s 2016 Bridal issue, hitting stands February 25.
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