MONDAY
FEBRUARY 22 , 2016 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 44
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on page 3 SOPHIA DE LA ROSA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
"Frisbee Dan" engages locals in a game of frisbee Feb. 8 at Sewell Park
UNIVERSITY
Family Campaign fund kicks off to aid student scholarships By Cristina Carreon NEWS REPORTER @Ccarreon90
Texas State will kick off its annual Family Campaign scholarship project Feb. 29, for which faculty and staff are encouraged to donate. The fundraising initiative encourages university employees to contribute to projects for students and hopes to attract interest in higher education from outside investors. “When we can say we’ve given an ‘X’ percentage, and
you take that to an outside entity—a foundation, a corporation who might be wanting to invest in higher education, and (then) they see that a high percentage of faculty and staff are giving, they can see (faculty and staff) really care about where they work. They want it to get better,” said Jen Beck, director of Retention Management and Planning. Beck said she wants to secure a donation number the university can be proud of. Faculty and staff can choose from hundreds of
scholarship options, specific areas of research or groups of students in need. “Each year, the university reaches out to all faculty and staff through the campaign to allow them to make contributions to areas of campus that they’re interested in or connected with,” said Wesley Clark, University Advancement director of Annual Giving. Past categories have included alumni and family association scholarships. “I select some things that
I know the funds maybe go directly to a group of students I work with, but then, also maybe a particular scholarship I’m interested in or maybe just a general fund,” Beck said. “I tend to change mine every year, truthfully.” Last year, 2,196 faculty, staff and retirees participated in the Family Campaign, Clark said. Beck served as a team leader during last year's Family Campaign. “When we know (students) are leaving because they can’t
RELATIONSHIPS
afford to be here, we think, ‘how can we help them stay here?’” Beck said. During the 2014-2015 academic year, three people from the Student Affairs division met with colleagues from every office in the department. “We talked about what higher education is really about, what is higher education really doing to develop students and what will help them create a stronger connection with the university, and (make them) want to be strong alumni,” Beck said.
“We teach people to give in order to help the community, and not just focus on yourself, your office, your program—the larger picture of what we’re trying to do at the university.” The event is continued through electronic sources, such as emails and videos to celebrate the final percentage of donations. The 2015 celebration of the fundraising period’s conclusion was held in the
See CAMPAIGN, Page 2
UNIVERSITY
Dating apps influence hookup culture, professor says
Employee wellness program requests to be permanently funded
By Clayton Kelley SPECIAL TO THE STAR @Claytonkelley
By Rae Glassford SENIOR NEWS REPORTER @rae_maybe
In the age of technology, some millenials have abandoned old ways of dating and turned instead to mobile dating apps. Jessica James, journalism lecturer, wrote a thesis which included a case study on the psychological consequences of media applications such as Tinder. Her thesis will be a chapter in the book “Sex in the Digital Age” by Ashgate Publishing. “You start to use these devices and yeah, it’s awesome,” James said. “You can really meet a lot of people, but there’s always something in the back of your head that tells you the experience itself seems really artificial.” James said her chapter touches on the gameification of online dating and the resulting ethical implications. “You’re basing all your first impressions on somebody’s appearance,” James said. “So, how we are perceived in a digital environment is almost like a game piece on a board.” Her study consisted of a 30-question survey from 578 Texas State students. The results found men are more inclined to use dating applications for random hookups while women use it as a tool for seeking a romantic connection. Monika Rostvold, studio art senior, garnered attention
WellCats, Texas State’s employee wellness program, combats stress in the workplace and members are hoping to secure permanent funding from the university. Established in January 2015, WellCats offers group exercise and cooking classes, “Lunch-n’-Learn” nutrition lectures, health screenings and education courses. Lectures are televised to the Round Rock campus via video, said Lisa Lloyd, co-director of Total Wellness—an affiliated partner of WellCats. “We are already starting to see improvement,” Lloyd said. “We’re seeing reduced absenteeism. Employees involved are taking fewer sick days.” Lloyd hopes the program will improve health and staff retention. “A huge chunk of our lives is spent at work, and it’s hard to be healthy if our work environment isn’t conducive to health,” Lloyd said. The university has offered health-centric programs in the past, but none that have amounted to WellCats’ breadth and scale. “One option that existed prior to the comprehensive program was that employees have to pay a couple hundred dollars a semester to use the Rec Center, but wellness program participants are offered
KAYLIN KING STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Some professors are doing academic research, one has focused their research on the app Tinder.
when she did a performance art piece about hook-up culture. She laid on a table outside the LBJ Student Center cafeteria and covered herself with fast-food. “When it comes to talking to people, girls tend to want more of an emotional connection,” Rostvold said. “Women are also more selective than guys.” The performance was meant to represent how apps can create hook-up culture, she said. “It becomes a human marketplace,” James said. “People seem to treat it like buying a car or shopping for certain brands.”
Rostvold said she has only met up with one person on Tinder and found he looked nothing like the pictures he displayed. “It was so bizarre because he was a completely different person than what he looked like on his profile,” Rostvold said. “It was almost like I was being catfished.” Tinder can create a lot of false expectations and pressure, she said. “We’re more than just one damn photo,” James said. “It’s a lot of pressure because everyone wants to look their best on Tinder and it can be hard to match that photo you have on Tinder when you
meet them in person.” Taryn Olivas, biochemistry senior, said whether or not someone is looking for a romantic or physical connection, dating apps can be a good way to meet and connect with newer people. “When you want to date someone, physical attraction is a big deal,” Olivas said. “Even though people think Tinder can be a little bit shallow, it is an easy way to meet new people.” Olivas said it is always important to communicate on Tinder what your objective is, whether you are looking
See TINDER, Page 2
subsidies,” said Janet Bezner, physical therapy associate professor. The program subsidizes Recreation Center membership up to $25 per semester, Lloyd said. “The university also has a policy that affords every employee 30 minutes of wellness time a day, which allows them to participate in wellness activities,” Bezner said. The addition of paid “wellness time” to employees’ lunch hours has been university policy since 1985, Lloyd said. “We wanted to upgrade what we offered, so that we could have a much wider focus and offer more services,” said John McBride, assistant vice president of Human Resources. “We funded the pilot program using money left over from the days when we were self-insured back in the 1990s.” Money refunded to the university by a partner company at the end of the selfinsurance period could only be used for promotion of the staff, McBride said. “We have been holding this money all these years, waiting for the right opportunity to use it,” McBride said. There is enough funding to allow the program to run for two years, but the allotted money will be gone in August, McBride said. Therefore, the university has been asked to fund the program
See WELLNESS, Page 2