THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18 , 2016 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 43
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GRADUATION
Extra commencement ceremonies scheduled to alleviate crowd density By Rae Glassford NEWS REPORTER @rae_maybe
Family and friends of students may not have to watch their loved one graduate through a television screen anymore if university officials decide to increase the number of commencement ceremonies. As the student body grows in size, so does the number of people attending commencement ceremonies. The overcrowding has prompted university officials to consider hosting additional ceremonies. “Overcrowding poses notable risks,” said Adam Rodriguez, administrative sergeant of the University Police Department. Rodriguez is responsible for coordinating all security measures for commencement. “We don’t want people sitting in the aisles, or roaming around or leaning on the railing areas,” Rodriguez said. “We want everybody who attends to have a seat, so that if there is an emergency event, it will be safe and easy to evacuate.” More students graduate in the spring but the December ceremonies for fall graduates are still large. University officials have added a Friday 10 a.m. ceremony in May and there are now six altogether. University officials are considering adding more ceremonies in 2017, Rodriguez said. “We try to be proactive, to anticipate things that may hap-
See COMMENCEMENT, Page 2
Sudent Body Vice President Candidates, Samantha Martinez and Holly Pavlicek Feb. 17 at the University Star Student Government Debate.
PABLO MEJIA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Election season is in full force after Student Government debate By Bailey Buckingham NEWS REPORTER @bcbuckingham
The Student Government presidential and vice presidential candidates debated their stances and platforms, from student involvement and safety concerns to the possible increase in students’ LBJ Student Center fee, Wednesday. Senators Anthony Galo and Andrew Homann campaigned to win votes for student body president at the debate hosted by The University Star. Similarly, senators Holly Pavlicek and Samantha Martinez tried to win support for student body vice president at the event. Homann and Martinez, his running mate, agreed that boosting student involvement and attendance at sporting events will be their main objectives if elected to office. “My first order of business is to start increasing attendance at football games,”
Martinez said. “I would also like to increase the pride for the overall organizations.” Jocelyn Granados, political science sophomore, said she thinks the candidates need to focus on more important issues than raising school spirit. “I’m voting for Holly and Anthony because they are more relatable,” Granados said. “They actually seem like they care about the issues, and I feel like the candidates should focus (on) more than just school spirit.” In her opening statement, Pavlicek stressed that safety on campus is an integral part of her and Galo’s platform. Pavlicek mentioned that the implementation of Senate Bill 11, otherwise known as the campus carry bill, goes into effect next fall. “Some students are not aware of what the new campus carry law is, and what it means for the university,” Pavlicek said. “I think it is important to make sure that everyone on campus is
educated before it goes into effect.” If elected, Galo and Pavlicek said they plan to create a voluntary registry where students with concealed handgun licenses can register. The registry would exclusively be for the use of administration and the University Police Department. Galo said the registry would allow campus law enforcement and administration to easily and quickly determine who is legally allowed to carry a handgun on campus and who is not. Corbin Archer, marketing freshman, believes there is an issue with productivity within Student Government overall, and thinks Homann and Martinez have the plan to fix it. “I really like Andrew’s plan to kind of focus all of his plans and resources under one key thing, which will make for a much more productive term,” Archer said. “We are going to take time to meet with administration
so that we make sure that legislation will follow through,” Pavlicek said. “This coming year, we want to put Bobcats first.” Martinez said students can trust her to be a satisfactory vice president because she sets goals and reaches them. “We’re passionate about what we do and are always looking for bigger and better opportunities for Texas State,” Martinez said. Galo said he would pursue three initiatives if elected student body president. The first of the initiatives would be a Safe Ride Home program, while the second would be to work to get “small breaks” from Parking Services in terms of violation fees and zoning during finals week. The third initiative would be to get students involved in designing the LBJSC as it is renovated and expanded in the future. “I have been very passionate about this Safe Ride
Home program since my freshman year, and I think that we can make it happen,” Galo said. Galo said he envisions the program being run by volunteers, who are essentially an “external branch” of Student Government. “Texas State does not have the resources to have a program like that, and I don’t think that many students would even volunteer for this,” Homann said. “Our money should go to something that could actually impact students on campus.” When Homann said his main goal is to enrich school traditions and increase attendance at athletic events, Galo voiced his disagreement. “He is running for the wrong office if he’s concerned about student involvement,” Galo said. The debate’s moderators cited that from 2013-2015, only 2-4 percent of students
See DEBATE, Page 2
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Q&A with Anthony Galo, Student Government presidential candidate The Student Government elections are quickly approaching. The University Star spoke with student body president candidate Anthony Galo to discuss his campaign. Major/classification: Political science junior Anna Herod: Why did you decide to run for student body president? Anthony Galo: Because I don’t think we’re producing the results we could be producing as Student Government is a great organization. There are so many tools that are available to us that we’re not taking advantage of. I’ve been in this for about three years, and what I see often is that sometimes a student brings a concern to us, we take it to university administration, they hear us, they listen to us, but it’s not really acted on. We don’t follow through and that needs to change. So,
we’re putting Bobcats first. That’s what we’re doing and it’s important that we do that. It’s important that we listen to the issues, the concerns and the initiatives from students. That’s why I decided to run. AH: If elected, what do you hope to accomplish? AG: Three things—main initiatives. I want to ensure that we can get a Safe Ride Home program. It’s overdue. We have to face the reality. This is a college and in colleges all across the nation, there’s partying, there’s drinking. It’s the reality. And it’s part of the college experience, so we need to ensure that we are able to avoid a bad situation. There’s a lot of people who drink and drive. And if we can save a life, if we can save a DWI, we’re all for it. We’re going to continue to work with parking services. Tonight, I just voted for a reduction of parking fees for Texas State
students. Those are the small breaks that students need. We might not have any more convenient parking lots open, but we can find these smaller breaks. Making sure that during finals time, “Hey, don’t worry about parking. As long as you have a Texas State parking permit, don’t worry about the zoning laws or whatever.” You’re stressed enough. We’re stressed enough as students when we’re in finals season. So, we need to work with parking services and make sure that during finals week, hey, don’t worry about it. You’re stressed enough. And finally, I want to focus on this LBJ Student Center expansion, which students will have a chance to voice their opinion on that (in the election). It’s important that we do this now; we’re a growing university. Our population is just through the roof and if we want to accommodate for organizations and space
DARYL ONTIVEROS MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Anthony Galo, student body presidential candidate, sits down for a Q&A with News Editor of the University Star, Anna Herod, Feb. 15.
that people need to meet or so they can enjoy their extra curricular activities, we’re go-
ing to do that. We’re going to work with Jack (Rahman), the LBJSC director, on ensuring
the LBJ expansion, should it
See GALO, Page 2
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2 | Thursday, February 18, 2016
NEWS DEBATE,
The University Star
from front
have voted in the Student Government elections. Additionally, they pointed out that last year the Senate passed 13 pieces of legislation, nine of which concerned Student Government affairs specifically.
Galo said he feels that in the past, Student Government did not effectively follow through on legislation to turn it into action. The candidate said that under his leadership, efforts will be refocused to student needs.
“We are not accurately representing the student body,” Galo said. “This needs to change and this will change once I am in office.” Homann agreed the Senate was not productive enough in the last academic year, and
believes it is time for Student Government to get serious about its role on campus. All four candidates voiced their support for a raise in the LBJSC fee to facilitate expansion as the student body grows.
Galo ended the night by explaining the importance of focusing on what students are concerned about. “We are indeed the rising star of Texas, and if we want to be the best university in the state of Texas, we need
leadership,” Galo said. “We need to always make sure that we’re putting students first.”
Trauth, said overflow rooms are not a satisfactory option for attendees. “Families drive for hours to see their loved ones graduate,” Brittain said. “It’s a shame if they aren’t able to actually witness the commencement in person.” Other universities distribute a limited number of tickets to each graduating student as a way of restricting attendance to the number of seats available. “Having tickets brings its own challenges,” said Kristin McDaniel, commencement coordinator. “Many people
are opposed to the idea because it means that some friends and family members will inevitably be unable to attend. Whereas adding more ceremonies allows more guests to come.” University officials are in the process of expanding Strahan Coliseum, so it will eventually accommodate greater numbers, McDaniel said. The expansion project is still in the design stages and will break ground this year. Officials expect the project to be completed in 2018 but that depends on when construction begins.
“We’re taking these measures to make sure that all ceremonies are safe, enjoyable and allow for individual recognition for as many people as possible,” McDaniel said. Rodriguez said overcrowding has created problems at on-campus events in the past. Sometimes venues must be shut down to slow the rate of people arriving in order to evaluate how many available seats are left. “When people can’t get in to watch their kids and relatives graduate, it creates a lot of stress. It’s upsetting,” Rodriguez said.
An increase in the number of ceremonies won’t place any significant strain on UPD resources, Rodriguez said. Officials are still reviewing the possibility of additional ceremonies. Their decision also depends on the number of applicants for the spring 2017 semester. “All proposed changes must go through several channels, and must be reviewed by the Provost,” McDaniel said. “There are a lot of details that have yet to be smoothed out: additional staffing costs, working hours, and scheduling. The President’s Cabinet
has the final decision.” Debbie Thorne, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, coordinates the ceremonies. Each college or school has an advising center at commencement to help graduating students check in, McDaniel said. “By having more ceremonies, we’re making people more comfortable,” McDaniel said. “It ensures that all guests will have a place, and that there will be more room for students on the floor.”
like that. We’re going to have enough pizza for everyone to enjoy, and during down time you can come in and do your homework. It’s just a great way to help your fellow Bobcat. So, we’re pushing for that and we’re going to get it done when we’re in office.
Bobcats here.
responsible to be the voice of almost 40,000 students. It shouldn’t be taken lightly. So, I hope students get out there (and) they vote. Voting begins Feb. 22 and we’ll be reaching out to students out in the Quad. And we look forward to meeting every Bobcat and getting to talk to them and hearing their issues and their concerns.
AG: Andrew is a great friend of mine. I’ve worked with him on legislation during the year. I love his drive and his passion for this organization. However, I think that my opponent is very focused on student involvement. I am ready to team up with Andrew and bring him on to my team and make him my liaison for student involvement. I’m ready to do that. But that’s not my main focus. My main focus is getting results for students, putting the concerns, the is-
sues, (and) the initiatives of Bobcats first. That’s my main focus. Student involvement is important, absolutely important. But, if we focus on fixing these issues, fixing these concerns and making new initiatives, then people are going to want to get involved because they’re going to love this university so much more. I guess our main focuses differentiate. I think I’m able to bring action and results to the table.
COMMENCEMENT, pen and staff accordingly,” Rodriguez said. “We get a lot of help from contract ushering services and volunteers—they’re our eyes and ears. Even though we do have visible police stationed out there, who do their job and evaluate the circumstances, we get a lot of information feedback from ushers.” Visitors unable to find a seat in Strahan Coliseum are encouraged to watch a livestream of the ceremony from overflow rooms in the Jowers Center. Vicki Brittain, special assistant to President Denise
GALO,
Anna Herod, News Editor @annaleemurphy starnews@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
from front
from front
vote, yes, this election season. We’re going to make sure it is up to student par and that students are really able to have an input on this future expansion that we’re going to see. AH: What are the biggest issues the student body faces, and, if elected, how do you plan on addressing those issues? AG: Like I mentioned before, Safe Ride Home program (and) parking, which I think all of us have a story we can give. The safe ride program, I’m considering kind of an external branch of Student Government. Again, we have the logistics to work through and everything like that, but just to give you an idea, we want to go ahead and have volunteers, of course. They’re gonna be in a Student Government office or a designated office, ensure that our volunteers aren’t drinking or anything like that. So, of course we’re going to set those restrictions and everything
AH: How are you qualified to be student body president? AG: You know, we can talk about titles and all that stuff, but honestly this is not about me. This is about putting Bobcats first and making sure that we listen to students, to their issues and their concerns and their initiatives. What qualifies me? I understand that we need to follow through. We can’t continue passing legislation or recommendations to the university administration and hope that it gets done. We can’t do that. We need to follow through and we need to make sure that we see results so we can make this a more positive experience for our
AH: Why should students elect you? AG: Students should vote for me because it’s important. This is an office that needs to be taken seriously. This is not a popularity contest. It shouldn’t be taken that way. You need serious time, you need serious commitment, and you need serious dedication for something like this. Student body president is an important office and you’re
AH: Why are you better for the job than your opponent, Andrew Homann?
The Student Publications Board of the Texas State School of Journalism and Mass Communication is conducting an all-campus open petitioning process to select a student as Editor-in-Chief of The University Star. Term begins one week following the final issue of 2016 Spring Semester publication schedule. Applicants must be available to serve the entire term of the appointment. Each applicant is asked to complete a written petition, which is subsequently screened by members of the student publications board. The board will interview qualified candidates for the position. The student publications board includes the journalism sequence coordinator in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the assistant director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a member of the print medium who is selected by the director of student publications. The director of student publications and the current editor-in-chief serve as ex-officio members for the committee.
Minimum Qualifications To qualify, applicants must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours each semester during the term office. Students graduating in the final semester of the appointment (Spring 2017) may be enrolled in fewer hours as long as they meet graduation requirements. Applicants must have worked in a professional editorial environment, or have served as a section editor at a university student newspaper. Students of all majors and classifications, including graduate students, may petition for the position. Applicants must be in good academic standing with the university when submitting an application. Applicants must maintain a 2.5 semester and overall grade point average during their time of appointment. A student who falls below the 2.5 grade point grade semester average will forfeit the office even though he/she maintains an overall 2.5 grade point average.
The University Star Mission The editor is the primary student editorial administrator for The University Star and has authority in all personnel matters and makes the final decision regarding news, sports, feature, photo, Web and opinion content. The editor determines daily operation guidelines, provides a role model for professional behavior, delegates operational authority and fulfills policies and procedures as determined by the student publications board and faculty adviser. The editor oversees meetings and handles personnel problems, evaluates all copy and artwork for each publication. The editor-in-chief is responsible for hiring, properly training and supervising all members of the editorial board. The editor-in-chief promotes relations between the publication, the community and campus organizations. The
editor-in-chief is also the voice of the publication with the community.
Term of Office Term of office begins following the final publication of the Spring 2016 semester and runs through Spring 2017 semester. Applicants must be able to serve the entire term of office in order to be considered for the position A salary is paid during the term of office.
Petitioning Process Applications for the position will be due by noon, Wednesday, March 30 to the Director of Student Publications, Trinity Building, Room 107. People interested in petitioning should sign a candidacy list in Trinity, Room 107 and acquire an information package. Qualified applicants will be notified and interviews will be scheduled beginning April 4. Selection of the editor-in-chief will be made shortly after interviews have been completed. Formal assumption of duties will begin one week after the final newspaper of the Spring Semester is published.
Petitioning Deadlines Applications for the position will be due by noon, Wednesday April 1 to the Director of Student Publications, Trinity Building, Room 107. People interested in petitioning should sign a candidacy list in Trinity, Room 107 and acquire an information package. Qualified applicants will be notified and interviews will be scheduled beginning April 13. Selection of the editor-in-chief will be made shortly after interviews have been completed for the position. Formal assumption of duties will begin one week after the final newspaper of the Spring Semester is published. PACKETS AVAILABLE: March 2, noon; Trinity, Room 107 INTERVIEWS Will be scheduled beginning April 4
The University Star
Thursday, February 18, 2016 | 3
LIFESTYLE
Carlie Porterfield, Lifestyle Editor @reporterfield starlifestyle@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
FITNESS
Hot yoga creates beneficial heat waves By Erin O’Donnell LIFESTYLE REPORTER @1erino
Euphoric is the last feeling expected after an hour and fifteen minutes spent sweating in a 104-degree room, yet this is how I felt after completing a hot yoga class at Red Dawg Hot Yoga studio. Hot yoga has become a new craze for many yogis over the past few years and as a beginner, I had to try it out to see what all the fuss was about. When I walked into the studio, the first thing I noticed was the unbearable heat. Before I was even moving I was sweating. However, by the end of the first position, the heat was the last thing on my mind. The hot environment promotes deep mental focus, as it demands a sharpening of determination to detoxify the body of toxins through sweat and improved balance and posture. Within my first few positions of class, I could already tell a difference in my mental concentration as I focused more on my body than on the heat of the room. During my time in class, I discovered hot yoga is a great way of relieving stress because the breathing exercises helped my body relax and allowed me to forget about the outside world. By the end of my first class, I was enjoying the experience and was already preparing to take more classes in the future.
Stephanie Davis, yogi, started taking a hot yoga class because of the benefits. “I find that it is easier to stretch and easier to lock in those poses,” Davis said, “The heat does not bother me anymore, and I actually find it quite comforting now.” Davis attends class at least three times a week because of how much she enjoys her time at Red Dawg Hot Yoga studio. “It gets addicting really fast,” she said. “At first I was only taking one class a week, but then I bumped it up to two, and now I try to come as often as I can.” Davis started coming to the studio because her previous studio did not offer the training she needed to heal an injury. “I still wanted to take a yoga class without worrying too much about my knee,” she said. “When I discovered hot yoga and learned about the benefit of heat to injuries, I knew I had to get back out there.” Danielle Dunman, yogi, was worried about taking the class at first because of the risks she had heard of. “I have had friends say there were close to passing out, and friends who felt like they were going to throw up,” she said. “For the longest time just the idea of taking this class scared me.” Dunman decided to take a class because she was too curious about hot yoga to let the risk keep her from experiencing it.
LARA DIETRICH STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Students practice yoga poses Feb. 13 at Red Dawg Hot Yoga.
“Before coming to my first class, I made sure to drink plenty of water and not to eat anything at least three hours before class,” she said. “I believe this is where most people mess up.” An integral aspect of the class is making sure to prepare before stepping foot in the studio, Dunman said. “The people I see leave class and never come again, are the ones who did not realize this class is a lot of hard work,” she said. “Hot yoga is a lot of fun if you prepare yourself for the hard work it takes to succeed.”
Travis Williams, yogi, said a reason he enjoys hot yoga is because it makes the body work harder than in a traditional class. “My heart is racing, I can feel my blood pumping throughout my entire
body,” he said. “Since I began taking classes here, I have noticed an increase in strength and an increase in flexibility.” Red Dawg offers over five classes seven days a week, and caters to students of all
skill sets. Whether someone is a beginner who has never done yoga or an advanced student who has done it all, there will be a class to enjoy.
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4 | Thursday, February 18, 2016
The University Star
OPINIONS
Brandon Sams, Opinions Editor @TheBrandonSams staropinions@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
THE MAIN POINT
The mythical un-feminist Clinton opponents don’t exist T
here is an inaccurate myth circulating in conventional politics, and its advocates insinuate that anti-Clinton women are in direct opposition to women’s liberation and the greater feminist movement. These people are wrong. While there are literally dozens of different, sometimes opposing, forms of feminism, one of the main concepts is the importance of a woman’s choice, autonomy and function. No one should have a say in what a person thinks or believes—that is a right resting solely with the individual. To suggest that a woman supports a candidate she distrusts, dislikes or finds unappealing is to propose working in opposition of her own mental capacities and viewpoints. When legendary feminist icon and activist Gloria Steinem uttered that young women only support Bernie Sanders because “the boys are with Bernie,” she made a grave misstep in the world of women’s rights. In fact, it sounds objectively antithetical to general feminist ideologies
of personal choice and social justice. While all are entitled to their own opinion, conventional wisdom says Sanders is the more ideologically progressive candidate. And feminism is a major component of social justice progressivism and leftist politics. The assumption that the feminist course of action is to support Clinton solely because she is female and Sanders is male does not give women enough credit. Another woman of great distinction and first female Secretary of State Madeleine Albright echoed her famous saying in regards to female Clinton opponents: “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” While we are waiting to hear back about the gender segregation of seating assignments in hell, While the gender segregation of seating assignments in hell has yet to be confirmed, it is objectively evident is that this kind of rhetoric does not resonate with undecided female voters. Telling people what they
must do is the quickest way to get them to rebel, and forcing women into decisions they do not wish to make sounds awfully un-feminist. Confirmed liar and GOP hack Carly Fiorina is a woman, but theoretical feminist icons would not suggest women support her instead of Bernie Sanders when she was still in the race. Her opinions on equal pay for equal work, women’s health and abortion do not hold to conventionally feminist positions. At the same time, women who do support Hillary Clinton should not be derided for their choice of candidate or painted as nothing more than women “voting with their vagina.” The phenomenon known as the “Berniebro” illustrates the sexism apparent in discourses that seek to discount women in leadership positions and the ladies who support them. Not only is such an accusation unfounded, but also it is highly offensive. The underlining connotation suggests that women
MARIA TAHIR STAR ILLUSTRATOR
are too dumb to think for themselves. Better yet, the notion of biased female Clinton voters is an incongruity and a plague following her campaign. Instead of worrying about whether or not women are supporting
Sanders or Clinton, focus on energizing the electorate. There was a decrease of 28 percent in Iowa and 13 percent in New Hampshire for Democratic primary voters. Infighting and creating schisms is not the way
to victory. If Democrats wish to ensure a progressive victory in November, they need to channel that energy to where it actually matters: the ballot box.
RACE
There’s a need for supporting black-owned businesses
By Brandon Sams OPINIONS EDITOR @TheBrandonSams
B
uilding and procuring wealth is one of the greatest advantages to socio-political bargaining power. Through supporting black-owned businesses, the African American population gains more leverage and better access. However unfortunate it may sound, under the clutches of this destructively capitalistic regime, money talks. More importantly, money can allow greater access to resources:
the most valuable asset in discourses on equity. Ensuring the money we have is going toward people sympathetic to our causes and communities is key to building a greater, more sustainable communal infrastructure. Discourses on black wealth cannot be divorced from the mass discrimination and systems of oppression that led to the lack of equity in the community. The societal cost of being black includes blocked access to education, decent jobs, reasonable loans and a lack of land accumulation and home equity. Whites have the benefit of having access to inheritance. It’s no surprise white people are five times more likely to inherit money than their black counterparts when one takes into account the relative rarity of the average African American
receiving assets. For the past several hundred years, people of African descent have been exempt from procuring wealth, resulting in a vast disparity between the net worth of black and white families. The median wealth for whites in 2009 was estimated at $113,149, compared to only $5,677 for blacks. The disparity seen in the numbers is not just a case of laziness or the myth of meritocracy. It can be summed up easily as the end result of an economically oppressive system. Telling people to support black-owned businesses and help money circulate within the black community is not counterproductive to progress—au contraire. There is no better way to cement progress than to lift up the lowest rungs of the societal ladder, and supporting your commu-
nity to build something for itself. When black communities have attempted to build wealth for themselves, like “Black Wall Street,” they were met with coordinated terrorism from racist citizens and the white supremacist government. This destroyed opportunities for blacks to, as the conservatives say, “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” But all is not lost. According to a report released by The Nielsen Company, black Americans have the buying power of about $1.1 trillion, which, to put in perspective, would make them the 16th largest country in terms of GDP. So let’s be wise with how we spend our money and which businesses deserve proportional attention. Furthering the circulation of a single black dollar within the community is vital to building capital
and a sustainable, selfsufficient civic structure. Currently, a single dollar circulates within the Asian community for an entire month, the Jewish community for about 20 days and the non-Jewish white community for 17 days. A singular dollar only circulates within the black community for a total of six hours. We need to do better. Instead of internalizing long held beliefs of black inferiority and the virtue of assimilating into what is mainstream, we should offer our assistance to building capital for black-owned businesses. The result of integration, however praised, was the destruction of black businesses and the dissolution of black wealth. When black people could finally enjoy governmentally sanctioned enterprise, black
A February
Black History Month Column Series
small business owners became obsolete. Their goods and services were deemed inferior to what the white man could provide. It’s about time we did away with this flawed logic. Far too often, the greater black community has played crabs in a barrel, but now it is time to rise, and as Maya Angelou said, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” Still we rise. —Brandon Sams is a journalism junior
HUMAN RIGHTS
The corporate-right’s fantasy of personhood
By Nate Steinle SPECIAL TO THE STAR @NASteinle
C
orporations are not human and should not share the same rights as humans. Nevertheless, corporations and their armies of lawyers have toiled over a century to convince us of a delusion that corporations deserve to be handed
the rights humans have fought long to obtain. Corporations have been given certain human rights, and yet they are generally not punished like humans are when they abuse those rights. The detriment to the American republic this double standard induces is irreprehensible, because it sets precedent for artificial legal entities to enjoy the privileges of person while skirting the responsibilities. What’s worse is the leaders of such legal entities reap such benefit, too. There is a painstakingly long line of multi-million dollar corporations like Apple, Walmart and Enron that get nothing more than a slap on the wrist for evading tax laws or committing
The University Star Editor-in-Chief...........................................Kelsey Bradshaw, stareditor@txstate.edu Letters................................................................................universitystar@txstate.edu News Editor........................................................Anna Herod, starnews@txstate.edu Sports Editor..............................................Paul Livengood, starsports@txstate.edu Lifestyle Editor......................................Carlie Porterfield, starlifestyle@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..........................................Brandon Sams, staropinion@txstate.edu Multimedia Editor..............................Daryl Ontiveros, starmultimedia@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief....................................Abby Marshall, starcopychief@txstate.edu
fraud and malpractice. While these are crimes that would land an actual human being in a federal prison for years, corporations at most have to pay a measly fine and they are back to business. Too often does a corporation’s negligence cause physical harm to their employees, yet every year the U.S. government grants billions of dollars in federal contracts to companies who routinely violate basic rights of workers. Corporations, through intense lobbying efforts, manage to manipulate the system itself so their unethical actions are still legal, from fracking to fertilizers. A corporation is a legal entity created by law that
can influence public opinion, scientific research, governing bodies' affairs, school board decisions and, most importantly, people's livelihoods across the globe. Since our legislatures, not our constitution, birthed corporations, then it is we who decide which "rights" they deserve to have. Therefore I advocate the adoption of the People's Rights Amendment, which proposes eradication of the fiction of corporate personhood and to entrench in our constitution clarity about corporate power. Most of all, the fantasy of corporate rights is a harm to democracy because it opens the gates for unfair commercial intrusion into public affairs.
The Supreme Court’s ruling of Citizens United v FEC ruled that corporate money is a form of free speech and thus corporate spending on election campaigns cannot be limited, effectively monetizing free speech. The decision of the high court has turned our elections into moneyfunneling competitions reinforcing the aristocratic establishment whereby the rich can be elected. Corporate elites want their organizations to be legal natural persons because they dream of a government by the corporation, of the corporation and for the corporation. As a result, our government is increasingly infested by several overlapping revolving doors which allow
corporations to be active members of our government, while the inactive members of our regime work for their interests. My only worry is that we attempt to fix this problem when it is already too late. As Eugene Victor Debs, American union leader and founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World, said: “There is something wrong in this country; the judicial nets are so adjusted as to catch the minnows and let the whales slip through and the Federal judge is as far removed from the common people as if he inhabited another planet.”
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—Nathan Steinle is a Physics senior
The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Monday and Thursday of the spring and fall and every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright Thursday, February 18, 2016. 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. The first five issues of each edition of the paper are free. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased at 50¢ per copy. Contact The University Star office at (512) 245-3487 to purchase additional copies.
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The University Star
Thursday, February 18, 2016 | 5
SPORTS
Paul Livengood, Sports Editor @IAmLivengood starsports@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
BRINGING JOY TO THE GAME TENNIS
By Kier Rouse SPORTS REPORTER @KierRouse
Joy Chia Ming Ming, freshman tennis player, never thought her athletic career would take off in such a big, Texas way when she was a little girl picking up tennis balls on her home court in Singapore. Joy grew up in a tennisoriented family. “I started playing tennis when I was seven, and as a kid I was just helping around, picking up balls for my parents and brothers,” Ming said. “But as I got older, it became my time to play.” From gathering balls on the court to picking up a tennis racket, there was no question that Ming was gifted at the sport. Ming was used to the focus on individual play of her home country. She hadn’t figured out how to play with a team until she took her tennis career across the globe to the United States. “Being here in Texas, I have learned what it’s like to have support from a team,” Ming said. “I am by myself here, so my team has become my family and support system through everything.” Ming has two brothers who are studying in Los Angeles, while her parents still reside in Singapore.
“I had the chance to travel the world because of tennis,” Ming said when asked about her early tennis career. “Playing around the world has really helped me gain experience.” Ming won the 10U competition and won nationals 16U. Doubles partner, teammate and friend Pippa Carr said Ming is naturally talented and always cheering and fighting on the court. “You can see that in her when she plays,” Carr said. Through tennis, Ming has learned about friendship, teamwork and dedication to the sport. “Here in Texas, I only have my team, so the bond we have is very strong,” Ming said. Ming has learned and experienced the struggles of being a collegiate athlete while working towards a degree. “I think the biggest thing tennis has taught me is discipline,” Ming said. “You have to really take care of yourself and plan your daily life, because you have to manage school and a tennis career.” While Ming feels tennis is fulfilling, she also understands the responsibility that comes with it. “Sometimes you have to sacrifice things like going out with friends, but it is well worth it.” Ming’s teammates and coach have seen improve-
ment in her game. Ming’s teammates describe her as always cheering them on, even when she is not playing, and being the loudest voice out there during a match. “She will always cheer for you no matter what the result,” Carr said. Ming enjoys the focus U.S. tennis places on team building and playing together cohesively. “We call upon each other for support during matches and training when it’s hard, and it brings us closer together as teammates,” Ming said. Coach Tory Plunkett is amazed with Ming’s improvements and how she has molded herself into a different person and player here at Texas State. “Joy has taught me a lot in the short time she has been on my team,” Plunkett said. “First, she has taught me that my coaching is, in fact, effective. I say, ‘Joy, I need you to do this,’ and she does it right away. That gives me confidence in what I am doing, and even the coach needs a confidence boost every now and again.” Plunkett also confessed she never recognized Chinese New Year until Ming was a part of her team. The culture Joy brings to the team has opened her players’ eyes to diversity, making them more well-rounded.
Being away from her country for two semesters has not been easy for Ming, but having teammates as her second family has helped with the process. “I feel at home with my team, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” Ming said. Since becoming a part of Texas State tennis, Ming has continued to grow as a player and student. She works very hard to maintain high grades while focusing on tennis. There is no sign of Ming slowing down anytime soon. Ming has just begun her tennis career at Texas State and is already showing competitors what she is made of. In the team’s traveling weekend to Alabama, Ming stepped out of her comfort zone, scoring the team their only point of the match against Auburn in singles. “After the match against Auburn, I can honestly say that Joy has earned her spot and her position on the team,” Plunkett said. “She knows how it feels to win, so now she knows what to do beforehand, how to prepare and the routine she needs to go through to get that win again.” Since the Auburn game, Ming has been working tirelessly with a newfound confidence to continue working her way to the top and be the
—COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS
best player she can be. “Joy is very intelligent,” Plunkett said. “And what I mean by that is that she gets things right away. She is very trusting, and maybe it is because of her culture, but to have that mindset is very valuable to the team.” Ming has made an impact on her teammates, coach
and everyone else around her since becoming a Texas State tennis player. “I chose tennis because I loved playing, and I knew I was good at it.” Ming said. When asked what she brought to the table as a Texas State tennis player, Ming only had one word in response: “Joy.”
START COMMANDING ATTENTION. START OUT ON TOP. START RAISING THE BAR. START HIGHER. START ONE STEP AHEAD. START MOVING UP. START STRONG FROM DAY ONE. START STRONG.
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For more information, visit goarmy.com/rotc/txstar or contact the Texas State University Army ROTC at 512-245-3232 or email armyrotc@txstate.edu. ©2015. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.
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