February 6 2014

VOLUME 103, ISSUE 53

www.UniversityStar.com

THURSDAY

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

SPORTS | B4

TRENDS | A6 Do you really know @BigNeechi? The University Star spoke to Shawn Onyechi, better known as ‘Big Neechi.’ Watch the video at UniversityStar.com.

Softball Preview: Texas State is looking for a strong first season in the Sun Belt after a disappointing Western Athletic Conference exit.

FACULTY SENATE

New policies in place for weather alerts Officials determine time students will be notified of class cancelations

By Kelsey Bradshaw

Senior News Reporter

In light of recent inclement weather, new procedures have been implemented to avoid confusion among faculty, staff and students.

University President Denise Trauth discussed Texas State’s procedure for communicating decisions about school closures with the Faculty Senate during its Wednesday meeting. The new procedures will implement regularly scheduled conference calls with administrators to make decisions regarding campus closures, and students will be notified of their conclusions by 2 a.m.

Inclement weather on Tuesday, Jan. 28 caused confusion for students who wanted to know whether the campus would be open for classes that day, faculty senators said. The issue of the university’s delayed response to icy or otherwise bad weather was a concern for the senators.

Students received an email Wednesday that detailed the new procedure regarding weather announcements. The email states students will now be notified by 2 a.m. the morning of adverse weather conditions whether the school will have closures.

With the new policy of a 2 a.m. announcement, university officials can no longer wait to make decisions about delays and closures, Trauth said.

Michel Conroy, Faculty Senate chair, said students had called the San Marcos Police Department Jan. 28 and asked if the campus was closed, and were told it was up to their professors’ discretion.

“There were wild interpretations of what was going to happen,” Conroy said.

Relaying the information sooner will be beneficial for both students and faculty, Trauth said. Delay and closure news will be displayed on the Texas State web page to provide easier access to the information.

Additionally, Texas State will participate in scheduled conference calls with law enforcement institutions, meteorologists,

See WEATHER, Page 3

Sonja Burton | Staff Photographer Physics professor Donald Olson heads a team of researchers using astronomy to analyze the creation date and time of world-famous paintings.

Celestial Sleuthing RESEARCH

Professor pinpoints exact date, time of painting’s inception

By Kelsey Bradshaw

Senior News Reporter

D

onald Olson walked 10 steps down a beach in the French town of Étretat before pausing to snap a photo of the setting sun.

He walked systematically from one end of the beach to the other, stopping every 10 steps to take another photo. Olson, physics and astronomy professor, was looking to uncover the exact “moment of inspiration” for the Claude Monet painting “Étretat Sunset” through studying a combination of celestial body movements and distinctive landforms depicted in the painting.

Monet began the painting Feb. 5, 1883 at 4:53 p.m., according to Olson’s research findings.

It is no easy task to date a painting back to the exact minute the artist began working on it, but bringing humanities and sciences together in the process is important, Olson said.

Olson first began experimenting with art when fellow professors asked him to help them discover the astronomy behind the skies depicted in “The Canterbury Tales” and the natural elements impacting a military battle from World War II, he said. Olson and the professors researched the moon and tide patterns during

LAW

each of the time periods and wrote computer programs to help with their findings.

“My next thought was, if you can study the skies of the 14th century and the skies of World War II, then we can try to figure out what Van Gogh was looking at,” Olson said.

This thought led Olson to research the “moment of inspiration” for dozens of paintings all over the world.

Impressionist paintings often depict outdoor settings, making it possible to determine when and where the works were created because of distinctive foregrounds.

Olson said Monet painted dozens of scenes of Étretat de-

picting sunsets and twilights, but chose to study “Étretat Sunset” because the painting is the only one that shows a setting sun rather than just a glow in the sky. Distinctive rock formations also helped place the painting.

Olson said he calls himself and his team “celestial sleuths” because they are doing detective work and putting pieces of a puzzle together. “(Olson is) extremely good at problem solving,” said Philip Smith, physics lecturer and Olson’s former student. “He’s probably one of the sharpest people I’ve ever met.”

See PAINTING, Page 3

ENVIRONMENT

IRS changes large party gratuity policy Low aquifer levels may signal water shortage

By Traynor Swanson News Reporter

San Marcos restaurant waiters are beginning to feel the effects of an IRS ruling that is changing the way automatic gratuity is calculated into the paychecks of those who serve large groups of customers.

Under the ruling enacted Jan. 1, parties of six or more customers are now able to decide how much to tip without having gratuities automatically included in their checks as a percentage.

Restaurant owners are still able to grant automatic gratuities on large parties, but they are now classified as service charges with different implications.

Glen Garey, general counsel for the Texas Restaurant Association, said waiters and waitresses have to pay taxes on any service charges since they are now a wage factored into paychecks. Prior to the ruling, servers received tips after the customers paid their bills without having to wait for their paychecks, he said.

According to the agency’s website, the ruling lists four criteria a tip must meet to be considered a gratuity. The amount paid must be free from compulsion of the restaurant, the customer must be able to determine the amount paid, the payment cannot be ne-

By Scott Allen

News Reporter

Madelynne Scales | Assistant Photo Editor Paige Anderson, Texas State alumna, prepares to serve food to customers Feb. 4 at Chili’s. Waiters will no longer receive automatic gratuity on groups of six or more due to an IRS ruling that went into effect Jan. 1. gotiated and the customer has the right to determine who receives the tip.

“A lot of servers would rather have an automatic gratuity in the (customers’) check, at least for large parties,” said Cody Lewis, a waiter at the Chili’s in San Marcos.

When automatic gratuities are counted as a service charge, it complicates the record-keeping process for employers, Garey said.

“This will probably have an effect on small, family-owned res-

taurants,” Garey said. “It makes it too much of a pain to tack on a mandatory gratuity.”

Norman Conley, a manager and bartender at Sean Patrick’s Irish Pub and Texas Grub, said the restaurant decided to become one of many in San Marcos that no longer include an automatic gratuity on the bills of larger parties. Conley said the new service charge classification is “an accounting nightmare.”

See TIPS, Page 3

Record-low water levels in the Bexar County portion of the Edwards Aquifer could signal trouble for San Marcos’ supply.

The Edwards Aquifer pool, which provides most of Bexar County’s water, started off the year at 640.7 feet, its lowest level in more than five decades. Lynne Fahlquist, public information officer at U.S. Geological Survery (USGS), said the amount of water the San Antonio area receives is a good indicator as to how much will end up in San Marcos.

“Generally, as groundwater levels drop in the San Antonio segment of the Edwards Aquifer, spring flows at Comal and San Marcos springs also decline,” Fahlquist said.

The most recent water flow readings for the San Marcos Springs are 172 cubic feet per second, compared to the average 184 cubic feet per second, according to USGS water data.

Some fear that because of the declining water supply, current water restrictions in San Antonio may soon exist in San

Marcos, said Tom Taggart, City of San Marcos executive director of Public Services.

“These are pretty scary numbers in a sense,” Taggart said.

“This could indicate that we’re going to be in much deeper drought restrictions toward the summer and drier periods of the year.”

San Marcos is currently in stage two of water restrictions.

This means residents are permitted to water their properties with a sprinkler once a week on a designated day before 10 a.m.

Star File Photo

or after 8 p.m., according to the city’s website.

The city went from more restrictive stage three regulations down to stage two Nov. 13, 2013 due in part to the surge of rainwater in late October. However,

See AQUIFER, Page 3

A2 | The University Star | News | Thursday February 6, 2014

EDUCATION

Texas State develops cooperative education program with NASA

By Nicole Barrios

Assistant News Editor

Texas State officials are continuing to develop a cooperative education program with the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center despite setbacks posed by the 2013 government shutdown.

Officials are still “very much in the embryonic stage” of developing the cooperative education program, said Michelle Londa, senior lecturer in the Ingram School of Engineering. In the cooperative education program, students will leave the university for semesters at a time to work full time at companies and institutions such as the space center, Londa said.

“We are a government institution, so implementing a major new program does not happen overnight,” Londa said.

The education program plans were delayed in October because of the government shutdown, which left NASA without “non-essential” employees for more than two weeks.

Londa said she hopes students will begin the new cooperative education program in fall 2014, but that timeline might be “too aggressive.” There are still many systems that need to be put in place, Londa said.

Once students sign up for the co-op program and begin working with a company, they should be guaranteed three semesters of work, Londa said.

“The quality of experience you get in these programs is phenomenal,” Londa said.

In the past month, Stan McClellan, director of the Ingram School of Engineering, asked professors to develop summaries of their research and sent them to NASA, Londa said. NASA replied with their interests in the areas of research Texas State is doing, which will help students be placed once the co-op program is finalized.

Current students interning at NASA hope to see the cooperative education program finalized soon.

Tina Heinich, computer science junior

and current NASA intern, said she hopes to enter the cooperative education program at NASA in the future.

Once the co-op program at Texas State is finalized, Heinich said she it will be a great help in navigating the “confusing” internship application process at NASA and help students manage their scholarship and enrollment while working there.

“In school, when we do software projects, it’s really small stuff,” Heinich said.

“So getting into the workforce and actually seeing a big project with a lot of people working on the same thing, that was really cool and definitely helpful.”

NASA internships and cooperative education programs differ in that internships are a one-time, semester or summer long experience and a co-op is a “multi-tour program,” said Jonathan Abary, manager for the Pathways Intern Employment Program at NASA. Students have several opportunities to work at NASA full time in the cooperative education program, Abary said. NASA requires students in co-ops to schedule three “work tours” and to take those three semesters off from school to work full time, he said.

The primary benefit of Texas State developing a co-op program is being able to have someone dedicated toward developing a relationship with the space center when it comes to recruiting students for the program, Abary said.

“We’re excited to start developing relationships with the school, academic advisors and the career services folks out there, so that we can cast a wider net when it comes to hiring co-op students at NASA,” Abary said.

NASA enrolls about 30 new co-op students every semester. There are about 15 to 20 returning students each semester, Abary said. In the summer there are close to 100 co-op students, he said.

Londa said she is attending a conference next week for industry and education collaboration to speak with other cooperative education directors to learn best practices.

1895

ON THIS DAY in history

Baseball Hall of Famer George Herman “Babe” Ruth was born in Baltimore.

1911

Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the U.S., was born in Tampico, ll.

CRIME BLOTTER Jan. 31, 9:03 p.m.

Feb. 2, 2:50 a.m.

Blanco Parking Garage A student was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. Judicial review.

Wood Street A student was cited for consumption of alcohol by a minor. Judicial review.

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Consumption alcohol minor

Feb. 2, 2:57 a.m.

Jan. 31, 11:33 p.m.

Reckless damage or destruction

San Marcos Hall A sprinkler head was damaged by a student causing water to spill into the first floor of the dorm. This case is under investigation.

Criminal mischief under $20,000

Edward Gary Garage University property has been intentionally damaged. This case is under investigation.

Feb. 2, 4:00 a.m.

Public Intoxication

Feb. 1, 9:15 p.m.

Assault family violence

Burleson Hall A non-student was arrested for assaultfamily violence and possession of a controlled substance and transported to HCLEC. Judicial review.

Comanche Street A student was cited and arrested for public intoxication and transported to HCLEC. Judicial review.

Feb. 3, 2:53 a.m.

Driving whie intoxicated Bobcat Village Apartments Four students were cited for minor in possession of alcohol. Judicial review.

LBJ Street A non-student was cited and arrested for public intoxication and another nonstudent was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Both were transported to HCLEC. Judicial review,

Feb. 2, 1:27 a.m.

Feb. 3, 5:30 p.m.

San Marcos Hall Two students were cited and arrested for public intoxication and both were transported to SCLEC. Judicial review.

Bexar Hall Parking Garage A student was arrested for possession of marijuana and transported to HCLEC. Judicial review.

Feb. 1, 11:21 p.m.

Minor in possession of alcohol

Possession of marijuana

Public Intoxication

Courtesy of University Police Department

1933

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which moved the start of presidential, vicepresidential and congressional terms from March to January, was declared in effect..

2003

Rapper 50 Cent’s debut CD, “Get Rich of Die Tryin’,” was released.

1945 Reggae musician Bob Marley was born in St. Ann parish in Jamaica.

Courtesy of The New York Times

The University Star | News | Thursday February 6, 2014 | A3

TIPS, continued from front “We took a poll here among all the waiters and waitresses, and we decided to get rid of mandatory gratuities,” Conley said.

“What we’ll do now is include a suggested tip of either 15 percent, 18 percent or 20 percent, but customers can pay what they want.”

Saltgrass Steak House and Chili’s are among the chain restaurants that will offer a suggested gratuity for parties of eight or more people. “(The suggested gratuity) helps waiters because they get the tip that night,” said Scott Parish, manager at Saltgrass.

For several years, Chili’s has included a suggested tip on the check of large parties, which is “purely a suggestion” according to a statement from a Chili’s Grill and Bar spokesperson.

“Half the time customers tip appropriately, and the other half they don’t,” Lewis said. “Sometimes people see the suggested gratuity and assume that it’s included in the check, but it actually isn’t. And the waiter doesn’t get a tip at all—not because the customer doesn’t want to tip, they were just confused.”

PAINTING, continued from front Russell Doescher, physics senior lecturer, said he has been working with Olson since the ‘90s.

“It makes a wonderful working relationship—we can just bounce ideas off of each other without fear,” Doescher said.

Doescher went with Olson on a five-day trip to Étretat, France in August 2012 to take photos of the original Monet painting to help the team investigating the artwork.

“It’s a fascinating thing to do—it makes the art more true to the meaning of what the artist was doing, rather than somebody making up a story because they don’t understand the astronomy,” Doescher said.

Accuracy is extremely important when uncovering the precise moment of a painting’s inception, Olson said.

“He’s obsessed with being correct. He always double checks, triple checks and quadruple checks everything,” Smith said.

“He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t really make mistakes—it’s phenomenal.”

Olson said he allows students from his honors classes to help research various paintings in class, but feels visiting the artwork in person is the best way to learn firsthand.

“We do primary research. You want to know how tall something is? You go there,” Olson said.

Olson uses three criteria when deciding whether to conduct in-depth research on a painting—if it is interesting, difficult enough to be a challenge and easy enough to finish in his lifetime.

Edvard Munch, Van Gogh and Ansel Adams are just a sample of the artists Olson and his team have researched.

“We really do enjoy what we do,” Olson said. “We try to understand the universe.”

WILD ART

Madelynne Scales | Assistant Photo Editor Deanna Ruff, communication design junior, mixes acrylic paint Feb. 5 at the Joann Cole Mitte Art Building for a class.

WEATHER, continued from front the University of Texas and Austin Community College to determine whether the campus should be closed for inclement weather.

Trauth said there are about 10 people who manage campus emergencies such as the recent bomb hoax and severe weather conditions who stay up throughout the night trying to decide whether to close the campus.

“They’re playing very close attention to this,” Trauth said. “The thing they care the most about is safety.”

Residence and dining halls are the first areas on campus to be prepped for inclement weather so that paths are safe for residential students, Trauth said.

Focus goes to residence and dining halls immediately after officials are aware of severe weather conditions early in the morning. It cannot be guaranteed that the rest of the campus will be ready by noon, Trauth said.

Administrators work “literally around the clock” when an emergency happens, Trauth said.

“They’re very, very committed to

Texas State being a safe place,” Trauth said. “The wonderful thing about this university is that we have professionals at the helm.”

Trauth encourages students, faculty and staff to sign up for text message alerts to stay informed about campus closures or delays.

Students are often afraid of not going to class during inclement weather because of potential consequences, and Trauth urges students to use their best judgment.

“People have to feel empowered to make a decision that will then be respected,” Trauth said. “And we can’t second guess each other on that.”

Problematic driving situations are different for each person, and the thought of driving in inclement weather causes some people stress, Trauth said.

“No matter what the official announcement is, if you’re in a situation where you can’t come in, don’t come in,” said Cynthia Opheim, associate provost of Academic Affairs.

AQUIFER, continued from front recent droughts may force the city to return to stage three restrictions, only allowing sprinkler irrigation every other week on designated days between 6 to 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight.

“We’ve been hovering a few feet above stage three for a while now,” said Jan Klein, City of San Marcos Public Services Conservation coordinator.

“And we’re predicting to go back to stage three restrictions in springtime once people start irrigating.”

The irrigation of cropland typically begins at the end of February, Taggart said. Since the water San Marcos receives stems from Bexar and Comal counties, the drought levels in San Marcos depend on how much rain those areas receive, Taggart said.

“The aquifer tends to flow west to east,” Taggart said. “So the J-17 well (the Edward’s Aquifer indicator) level measures the aquifer level in a path that flows to us.”

Once the irrigation begins, water consumption increases significantly, said Dianne Wassenich, program director for the San Marcos River Foundation.

Variables such as the warm temperatures and wind can cause the cropland to lose moisture quicker.

“Dry spring winds in March are very damaging to plants,” Wassenich said.

“People use a lot of water on their lawns when that happens, as well as crops.”

The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) monitors the water levels and drought conditions all around southwest Texas, according to the EAA website.

They set the water restrictions for each county. All counties in the Edwards Region are at a stage two water restriction or higher. The majority of the water the city consumes does not come from the aquifer, but from Canyon Lake and other surface water sources.

“With current drop restrictions with the EAA we are required to reduce withdraws from the aquifer, and the City of San Marcos, at this point in time, is using very little of our aquifer water,” Taggart said. “We’re almost 90 percent on surface water at this point.”

The coming season will decide how strict the water restrictions will be for the rest of the year. It depends on the amount of rainfall the surrounding counties receive, and so far, the outlook is not promising, Wassenich said.

“We just hope we get some spring rains, but are not counting on it,” Wassenich said. “There is a prediction mid-summer will see a shift in weather, to bring us an El Nino pattern, which tends to be wetter for Texas. We hope it happens.”

A4 | The University Star | Thursday February 6, 2014

OPINIONS THE MAIN POINT

L

ike it or not, drinking is an inescapable part of college culture.

Accepting this fact, the editorial board would like to encourage students to learn how to handle their liquor during this critical and sometimes drunken time of their lives. The editorial board does not in any way endorse reckless

drinking, driving while intoxicated or any other negative behaviors associated with excessive alcohol consumption. For the convenience of students, we’ve laid out a five-stage guide to drinking responsibly complete with corresponding drunken forecasts.

BUZZED

likelihood of embarrassing oneself while sober. At this point, people have taken a few shots, but have yet to really start feeling the effects. A buzz is a barely noticeable high—just a hint of the alcohol has kicked in.

To make sure they don’t get too drunk later on in the night, students should eat a decent-sized meal sometime before or during this stage, and not get carried away with the shots. While students might not be feeling the effects of those Jägerbombs right away, the alcohol will probably kick in sooner than expected.

It is wise not to start the night doublefisting if at all possible.

Chance of vomit: low Embarrassing behavior risk: low After consuming one or two drinks— although this varies by person—students may start to feel what we’ll refer to as a buzz. Everyone is slightly more attractive, funny and easier to get along with.

Students are likely having fun, talking non-stop and laughing more than usual.

The chance of embarrassing oneself at this stage is low, often equivalent to the

2

TIPSY

Chance of vomit: low Embarrassing behavior risk: possible

This is where those Jack and root beers from the Black Rabbit start to kick in.

Everything experienced during stage one is intensified in stage two. Students may start to feel their inhibitions being lowered, and might become a little handsy with the folks they converse with.

This is the stage where students might start to embarrass themselves a bit.

3

DRUNK

Chance of vomit: moderate Embarrassing behavior risk: likely

This is drunken nirvana. The perfect buzz, everyone is likely now glowingly attractive, funny and full of social graces.

Coordination is now noticeably impaired, and speech is slurred. Something pretty embarrassing is likely to happen during the stage, especially for lightweights and novices. Tripping, twerking and hitting on randoms are all examples of embarrassing behaviors commonly displayed during this stage. Not to fret— such embarrassing events are usually ex-

4

WASTED

Chance of vomit: high Embarrassing behavior risk: inevitable

Things are starting to take a turn for the worse at this point. To get to this level of drunkenness, something must have gone wrong during the night. Either drunk mathematics failed students and they overshot the perfect drunk level, or else they simply threw caution to the wind and drank far too much in too small a period of time, causing them to become wasted. Either way, reaching this stage should never be anyone’s goal for the night.

Navigating the advancing stages of inebriation

STONE COLD SOBER

However, they probably won’t care, and neither will the likewise tipsy individuals surrounding them.

At this point, girls often start to disappear into bathrooms for minutes at a time, caught up in sink-side discussions about the annoying friend’s comments or the overly drunk friend’s increasingly ridiculous antics.

During this stage, it’s important to pair drinks with water in order to stay hydrated and prevent a terrible hangover the next morning. Students should also be wary of overindulging and overshooting the golden drunk zone into wasted territory.

STAGE

Call your buddies

pected and end up making great stories for future parties.

Those with weak stomachs are advised to resist the powerful pull beer munchies exert during this stage. Stoner Pie from Gumby’s is all right for those drunks with iron guts, but may induce vomiting in less intestinally-fortified students.

It is crucial during this stage that students evaluate how much they are drinking and make sure not to push themselves over the edge from drunk to wasted. Evaluating oneself under the harsh florescent lighting of a stranger’s bathroom can often help students identify exactly how drunk they are. Be warned: a brief existential crisis may be triggered by using this technique.

STAGE

2

Call for pizza

Phones must be avoided like the plague. Embarrassing drunk dials and texts are extremely likely at this stage.

Do not, at any cost, message exes at this point. This can only end in disaster.

Embarrassing moments are unavoidable during this stage.

Our advice to students is to immediately halt all drinking upon entering wasted territory in a desperate ploy to salvage the night and their dignity.

Feelings of dizziness and nausea will have likely set in, and the chances of vomiting in a strange, dingy toilet are high.

Not fun.

STAGE

3

Call whoever!

BLACKOUT

The hum iliat io

Chance of vomit: extremely likely Embarrassing behavior risk: inescapable

This is no longer a party, but an issue of safety. Students should not under any circumstances drink any more alcohol during this stage, but unfortunately often lose all reasoning abilities at this point and are unable to identify the danger in which they have put themselves. This is where surrounding oneself with trustworthy friends becomes important.

At this stage, alcohol poisoning becomes a threat. More sober partiers should ensure any individuals vomiting or experiencing other telltale signs of this stage immediately halt drinking and are examined for symptoms of alcohol poisoning.

Embarrassing oneself at this stage is no longer a chance, it is inescapable and probably a constant occurrence.

Behaviors during this stage can often lead to even more embarrassing discussions the next morning, and concerns over alcoholism become a real possibility.

Students should make sure friends at this level of intoxication are safely driven home by a sober friend and are not suffering from alcohol poisoning. At this point, the night has been ruined for the poor soul who dared to get blackout drunk and has likely also been ruined for several other party guests.

1

ine nl

5

THE LONG DESCENT

STAGE

4

Call your ex

A MOMENT OF CL ARIT Y

THE BLACKOUT ZONE

STAGE

5

Call an ambulance

The University Star | Thursday February 6, 2014 | A5 UniversityStar.com

February

Black History

In honor of Black History Month, the opinions section will spotlight a column written by one of The University Star’s black staff members in each issue.

The University Star hopes to showcase a variety of perspectives in the new series dedicated to bringing issues in the black community to light.

Column Series

Rap, hip-hop, R&B express struggles of black experience

Odus Evbagharu Sports Editor Mass communication junior

usic is a big part of culture Mpeople across the world and helps identify with others—a

fact that is especially true within the black community.

Although people of all races can listen to the Beyoncés and Jay-Zs of the world and relate to

what they speak about, music has a special impact on black culture.

For the black community, our music is not just about the beat dropping or how the song makes us move. It is about how we identify with lyrics detailing the issues black people deal with on a day-to-day basis. The struggles of being a young black kid without a stable home, having to sell drugs to stay alive or else having to steal to make ends meet are all very real narratives that many within the community can relate to.

While it is true black perspectives have historically been influenced by many genres such as jazz, blues and country, I want to focus on R&B, hip-hop and rap.

These genres tend to generate

the most controversy with their lyrics and messages and are more relevant to contemporary culture.

Black people are very expressive. We express ourselves through fashion, sports, writing, music—pretty much everything we do. Music is a big part of that expression. It is yet another outlet that provides those within the community with an identity as well as a way to express common experiences.

Things like gangbanging, selling drugs and stealing cars are part of some of these artists’ childhoods. Jay-Z had to sell drugs growing up to make ends meet, 50 Cent got shot nine times in his ‘hood and Lil Wayne grew up with a single parent in Hollygrove, one of the roughest

neighborhoods in New Orleans.

In no way am I justifying or advocating crime or suggesting that childhood experiences can excuse entertainers for acting the they way they do, but at the same time, these experiences made these artists into who they are today. Furthermore, many young black people can identify with the subjects of such rap and R&B songs.

I think a lot of the time, people hear the lyrics and just assume sex, drugs and alcohol are all that is being talked about, but for a lot of artists, these are the type of experiences they and many others in their position get exposed to. These are things they had to deal with growing up. Some had to deal with their friends dying

POLITICS

LIFE CHOICES

Affordable Care Act attempts too many changes at once

Ashley Trumps Opinions Columnist Mass communication senior

he Affordable Care Act is not an T efficient system and violates certain Americans’ liberties in the process.

The recently passed and wildly controversial Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, reformed American institutions of private and public health insurance completely. Goals of this act include improving the quality of healthcare and lowering its costs, guaranteeing protection for those with pre-existing conditions and making the health insurance marketplace easier to navigate.

These are all noble causes, and it is difficult to argue against such objectives without sounding like an ass, but there are still some problems with the act.

Obama is, of course, all about change.

Throughout the course of his term, I have wondered when exactly he was going to get the word “change” out of his mouth and actually turn it into something useful. He has finally pulled through. He managed to throw the dynamite of change right into the unmoving brick wall of the GOP and blow them up, where they currently sit and pout.

Unfortunately, Obama has implemented too much change at once.

The act is comprised of hundreds of pages detailing the various changes being made to the current system. It is overwhelming and confusing to navigate.

The act has a lot of information that is easy to get lost in, despite the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website explaining the various modifications in plain English. Each revision to the system beams with happy sunshine promises of affordable health

at the age of 16, others had to deal with their mothers being prostitutes, and maybe they had to deal with not having their dad around.

There is a bigger message behind the music. It is not all just fun and games and thoughtless debauchery. For many, it is reality. Believe what you want, but these entertainers are making a positive impact by bringing to light black issues in America and those issues affect individuals and the community at large.

Before judging an artist on the surface-level meaning of their lyrics, do some research. For many musicians and black artists in particular, music is a simple tool used to communicate one’s life story.

care for all when explained from a liberal perspective. However, with such a massive shift in such a short a time, there are bound to be problems.

So many drastic alterations are being made in different areas at once, and it will be more difficult to fix the problems that arise. A better plan would have been to push for smaller clumps of change over a longer period of time. Imagine, for example, that there was a health insurance cake. This cake tasted okay and got the job done, but it did not fill everyone up and could definitely taste better. Obama decided to bake a shiny new Obamacare cake. Realistically, he should have replaced one ingredient at a time, so that if any problems arose it would be easier to locate the source.

Unfortunately, Chef Obama has created a strange towering mess of a cake with too much sugar—tasty, but how will he know which ingredients were wrong when issues arise?

Additionally, anybody who does not want cake should not be forced to eat it. One important provision of the Affordable Care Act requires everybody to acquire health insurance, or they will be fined. A few exemptions are those who would have to pay more than 8 percent of their income for insurance, or those below the poverty line, according to the law. I appreciate that the act allows for a small exemption, but ultimately, it is ridiculous to force somebody to pay for a service. Anybody who does not want to have health insurance or who cannot afford it should not have to pay a fine to support the very system they do not wish to partake in. If I do not want to eat any cake, I am sure as hell am not going to pay for somebody else to have a slice.

Many of the changes implemented by Obamacare are admirable, but Obama was too ambitious. He may be excited to leave a legacy of delicious cake, but not everybody is going to be on board.

Those who do not want a slice should be left alone.

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.

Students should not donate eggs to make quick cash

Alexis Aguirre Opinions Columnist Journalism sophomore

espite the high costs of college D tuition and textbooks, young college women should think twice before

making the decision to donate eggs in order to ease their financial crises.

The broke college student stereotype is very much a reality, and the multi-billion dollar egg donation industry has no problem capitalizing on this fact. But before students give in to selling their eggs to fill up their pockets and pay off loans, they should take a second to stop and think the decision through.

I have, on many occasions, calculated the prices of my tuition, books and cost of living and thought of solutions to ease my money issues as quickly as possible. Looking at a newspaper advertisement offering $2,000 to $10,000 just to donate some eggs, I have thought, “why have I not done this already?” Egg donation compensation is a very tempting offer, but the decision to go through with it should be well thought out and not rushed.

Students should look at all aspects of donating their eggs. Women need to understand that donating eggs is a very long process that can bring emotional and physical complications as well as create health and psychological issues in the future. Donating one’s eggs is anything but a quick, no-strings-attached buck.

The egg donation process is a lengthy one, sometimes extending over the period of six months or more. There is an initial screening,

consisting of a psychological evaluation and blood test. Then there is a medical screening and a legal process.

These are all just the beginning steps.

Once the donor is cleared, there are hormone treatments to stimulate the ovaries and then a surgical extraction of the eggs.

There are many moving parts when it comes to egg donation, and before students jump in, they should research the process and the side effects. Problems such as abdominal swelling, mood swings and hot flashes are all possible complications upon donating eggs. Something that is common amongst younger women is Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome.

It usually occurs when the hormones given during the donation process over stimulate a woman’s ovaries.

Rapid weight gain, abdominal pain, shortness of breath and vomiting are all mild symptoms of OHSS. Aside from the medical complications that may arise, serious regret can come along with donating eggs. It is easy to see anything that brings in income as a good idea. When desperate for cash, students are almost willing to do anything. But once out of the fog of financial struggle, they will be able to look at things objectively and possibly become a little uncertain of their actions.

Of course, at such a young age, it can be hard to imagine regretting anything. The live-free lifestyle is grand, but later down the line, students may feel differently knowing someone who is genetically related to them is walking around and may one day attempt to contact them.

Students need to be aware of the consequences that donating eggs may bring to them in the near and distant future. They should look at all possibilities and seriously think about it before making a rash decision in order to make a quick buck.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Vote Todd Staples for Lieutenant Governor Fellow Bobcats: I graduated from Texas State in August with a degree in political science and am tremendously missing jumping in the river, going to The Square with friends and the opportunities to learn from professors like Ellen Tillman and Patricia Parent at our world-class institution in the heart of Texas.

As we go from San Marcos to the real world, we all will realize that politics influence all aspects of our lives from the way we drive to the

way we file our taxes. It’s important that we all become involved in politics, whether it’s watching the news on television to writing a letter to your elected officials or working on a political campaign like I am.

Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples is the candidate I am working for right now to become our next lieutenant governor. He shares the values of fellow Bobcats who believe we must secure our borders, instill a culture of life, protect the 2nd Amendment and shield our generation from the harmful laws and regu-

lations coming out of Washington under Barack Obama.

I hope that each of you will vote with me and support Commissioner Staples for lieutenant governor, because like he tells me everyday in the office, “I’m not a candidate for the status quo, but rather for the future of Texas and the next generation.”

Eat ’em up!

Santiago J. Betancourt Political Science ‘13

Lee Moran | Design Editor

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A6 | The University Star | Thursday February 6, 2014

TRENDS

UniversityStar.com

QA @BigNeechi Texas State Twitter Celebrity

By Lindsey Bedford Trends Reporter

Known for his larger-than-life Twitter presence, Shawn Onyechi, exercise and sports science junior, seems to have reached Texas State celebrity status. Onyechi is the cofounder of party planning company Endless Entertainment and boasts nearly 90,000 followers on his Twitter account, @BigNeechi.

Although many students feel like they know Onyechi through his online presence, there is more to his story than meets the eye.

LB: Where did you grow up, and

what did you do before you came to Texas State?

SO: I grew up in Deer Park, Texas, and I am from Houston. I was captain of my football team and got a scholarship to play in college in Arkansas. In high school, I was one of the top recruits in Texas. I was playing football in Arkansas for a little while then wanted to come to Texas State since it was closer to home.

LB: You have so many followers on your Twitter account. Do you ever get recognized on campus?

SO: Ninety percent of the time I

Allison Brouillette| Staff Photographer don’t, and 10 percent of the time it’s at the rec center.

LB: What do you do now that you’re in San Marcos at Texas State?

SO: I wanted to play football, but that didn’t work out. That’s when I was reunited with one of my best friends and business partner, Claudio Mayen, and things didn’t work out for him either. We teamed up and Claudio wanted to throw a pool party for his birthday. We threw a summer bash at The Retreat pool and hit maximum capacity. After that we decided to keep throwing events and make the community better.

These parties are for students to enjoy, meet other students and have fun for a cheap cost. All the stuff we do is mainly bringing students together so they can have fun and enjoy their college experience. We formed Endless Entertainment July 29, 2013 and our company is designed to increase school spirit, promote local events, diversity and bring the community together. Recently, I became a part of the Texas State Student Leadership Board.

LB: What are your future plans?

SO: Right now we have Texas State Trendsetters. It started when I was setting trends online.

I had put Texas State Trendsetters in my bio, and as I started going I picked up Claudio. Now we have

new members. We’re all working to make the campus better.

Endless Entertainment is more of a party-throwing company while Texas State Trendsetters is a promotional organization. We want to increase school spirit and tradition, like past traditions. We want to continue the past traditions and take it to another level. We’re going to have promo girls that promote local events, relay student body messages and donate to charity. We want to turn normal students into campus leaders.

I’m just really about helping my team reach their goals.

ing to think about if they will be accepted. Everyone should come together as a Bobcat family.

LB: How do you feel about Texas State and its culture?

SO: I feel like it is very diverse, positive and moving in a good direction. I would like to see all the communities come together for one purpose and not for individual purposes. I want to see everyone come together as a university. We feel like that’s what separates the top tier universities from the up and coming universities. We want to make Texas State one of the top tier universities by continuing school spirit and tradition by making everyone work toward one oriented goal.

Whatever race or whatever you stand by we will support to make it better. We want to throw events and parties that attract all of the student body. We want everyone to enjoy themselves without hav-

LB: How many hours a day do you spend on social networks?

SO: I would say everybody spends as much time as they want. On a computer, not that long. On my cellular device, I’m always available. It’s just like a text message.

LB: “White Girl Wednesday,” an online phenomenon surrounding male appreciation for Caucasian females, has exploded this past year. Did you start this trend?

SO: Yes, I started “White Girl Wednesday” with my co-founder, Kareem Williams, aka John Tucker. We mainly did it because we’re very diverse and don’t believe every race is secluded to its own ethnicity. We support every race, and we like every race.

LB: If you ran Texas State, what would you do or change?

SO: I wouldn’t change a lot, but there are things I would change like have everybody love and respect each other and have no individual prosper for themselves but as a university. I would not want our past traditions to change too dramatically. Also, there should be increased chivalry. More men need to step up, be gentlemen and deliver more respect to our beautiful Bobcat females.

The University Star | Advertisement | Thursday February 6, 2014 | A7

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VOLUME 103, ISSUE 53

www.UniversityStar.com

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

FOOTBALL

PUTTING THE

PIECES TOGETHER

Coach Franchione shares thoughts on attributes of recruiting class

Recruiting smart players

“You’d like to believe the ability to post a good GPA can translate and enhance the ability to understand a more complex game at this level. The quicker the players are comfortable mentally, the better they can play physically. It always helps when those guys can come in and learn the concepts and the things that you try to teach on the football field.”

B2 Women’s basketball recap Men’s basketball preview

There’s no place like home

Big guys, safeties highlight class

“It’s pivotal to recruit in this state. Texas high school coaches do a great job in coaching and developing players and helping their players find schools to go to. The continuity of our coaching staff being able to go back into schools again and again and again and not just look at seniors but also knowing about the freshman, sophomores and juniors that are coming up through the system helps. The nucleus of our recruiting classes will always come from the State of Texas.”

“I think this is a great defensive line and safety recruiting class, which were two pivotal areas for us. That would be the biggest takeaway from this class. It’s a large class, and we didn’t have to sacrifice our freshman class to recruit a few JC’s (Junior College players), which was good because we had 27 (spots) available. The two positions that stick out are defensive line and safety to me.”

B3 Coralee Ramirez, senior outfielder

Ashley Ezeh, senior forward

B4 Softball season preview

B5 Reggie Reed, senior runner

B2 | The University Star | Sports | Thursday February 6, 2014

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Texas State defeats ULM, extends win streak

By Quixem Ramirez Sports Reporter @quixem

The Texas State women’s basketball team scored 45 points in the second half of Wednesday’s game to defeat the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 75-70.

Texas State will enter its Saturday matchup with Louisiana on a season-high three-game winning streak. The Bobcats’ last five wins have been by single-digits.

“The team has the ability to focus in a pinch,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine.

“They’re hungry and they’re beginning to see the possibilities for them potentially. The focus is there, and that’s why in close games they’ve got it done. It’s called heart.”

In the previous matchup against Louisiana-Monroe, the Warhawks outscored the Bobcats by 10 points in the second half.

Texas State has won four of the last five games, and the team has not lost by double-digits since the 26-point loss.

“Any time you have an opportunity to come back home and play an opponent you lost to, it’s really exciting,” Antoine said. “The players really understood that they are a very good team. They are not going to give up.”

Sophomore guard Ayriel Anderson eclipsed her season high total with 19 points, including 13 in the second half.

“Since high school, they always called me a spark,” Anderson said. “I actually like coming off the bench, because I can see the game, get the feel and get on the court and do what I do. I’m just a spark.”

The team has the ability to focus in a pinch. They’re hungry and they’re beginning to see the possibilities for them potentially.”

—Zenarae Antoine women’s basketball coach Anderson played one minute in the victory against Western Kentucky. She was averaging 4.9 points in her previous eight games off the bench.

“My belief in Ayriel runs really deep,” Antoine said. “She’s very coachable. She internalizes a lot, and she never looked to blame anyone. She’s hungry, she’s ready, and she knew what the team needed. We saw maturity from the young sophomore.”

Senior center Ashley Ezeh recorded 16 points and eight rebounds. Ezeh has finished in double-figures in 15 of 17 games this season.

“This last couple games, I haven’t been myself,” Ezeh said. “I was shooting outside jumpers. This game I tried to be more aggressive and get to the hole. I feel like being aggressive rubs off on my team, and I need to continue doing that going forward.”

The Bobcats’ bench outscored the Warhawks bench by 19 points. Freshman guard Kaitlin Walla contributed 10 points on 2-3 shooting .

“It’s scary, being an opponent,” Ezeh said. “If I’m down, look out for someone else. It’s a team effort. We go into every game with the same mindset. We go aggressive, hard, because if we do, we’ll end up with a positive effort. We’ve came together more as a unit. We are right there, and we aren’t going anywhere.”

The Bobcats sit one game behind Arkansas State for first place in the conference heading into the game against Louisiana this weekend.

“It’s exciting, but it’s not anything I’ll put any credence to,” Antoine said.

“We’ve done a good job being consistent.

My goal is the next one. Next up is Lafay-

Reynaldo Leaños Jr. | Staff Photographer Sophomore guard Ayriel Anderson scored a teamhigh 19 points against Louisiana—Monroe Feb. 5. ette. For me to give them the best opportunity to play deep into March, I need to stay engaged.”

Your friendly neighborhood watchdog.

Reynaldo Leaños Jr. | Staff Photographer Senior center Ashley Ezeh scored 16 points Wednesday against Louisiana—Monroe Feb. 5 at Strahan Colliseum. Women's basketball defeated the Warhawks 75-70.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Bobcats to face Louisiana teams at Strahan Coliseum

Reynaldo Leaños Jr. | Star File Photo Men's basketball will take on Louisiana-Monroe Feb. 6 and Louisiana Feb. 8 at Strahan Coliseum. cats who sit in the last eligible spot for the

By Ishmael Johnson Sun Belt Tournament.

Sports Reporter Saturday’s game against Louisiana will @Ish_46 be a ceremonious event for Texas State The Texas State men’s basketball team will athletics as former Bobcat and Indiana host Louisiana-Monroe Thursday night Pacers center Jeff Foster will be honored and Louisiana Saturday afternoon, where at halftime. His number 42 will become the Bobcat alumnus Jeff Foster will have his fourth jersey to be retired at Texas State number 42 jersey retired at Strahan Coli- alongside Lewis Gilcrease (49), Vernon MacDonald (40) and Linda Muelker (23). seum.

“It’s a great honor,” Foster said. “Not Texas State previously beat the Warhawks 61-36 in its most lopsided win of many people have received this honor at the season to pick up the first conference Texas State, so to be recognized as one win. Louisiana-Monroe has since gone of the best athletes that came from Texas 3-3, while Texas State’s record is 1-4 . The State is something I can share with my Bobcats are looking to stay focused near teammates as well, because I wouldn’t be the end of games, where they have recently able to do what I was able to without them.

It’s an honor both for them and for me.” struggled.

Foster played with the Bobcats from “Almost every conference game since 1995-99 and holds the all-time school re(Louisiana-Monroe) we’ve been right cord for the most blocked shots in a career there,” said junior guard Wes Davis. “We with 111. Foster began his 13-year NBA just have to learn how to close out the career in 1999, where he was drafted 21st game. That’s what we’ve been working on overall by the Pacers. in practice.”

“I would say (Foster is) the best player Davis is coming off a 16-point perfor- to come out of Texas State,” Koenen said. mance against Western Kentucky but “Coming back, it’s a big thing for the school through his last five games he has averaged to have someone with a name like that and 3.8 fouls per game. talk about our school.”

Senior forward Reid Koenen said the Louisiana welcomed the Bobcats to the team cannot take Louisiana-Monroe lightly Cajundome Jan. 13 and handed Texas State and needs to come out with the same drive an 81–58 loss. Texas State’s 18 turnovers it did in the first matchup, despite the vic- proved to be the defeating factor in the tory. teams’ last meeting. Texas State looks to “We have to be motivated because it’s avenge that loss with the added momentum conference,” Koenen said. “Every game is of the historic occasion. big from here on out and, being at home, “With Jeff being here it’s definitely a we haven’t had too many wins this year, so big motivation,” Koenen said. “When we we have to be able to come out and play in played out (in Lafayette), they kind of gave front of our home fans.” it to us so I guess you can say it’s a revenge Louisiana-Monroe is currently seventh game too. (Louisiana) got to us pretty good, in the Sun Belt, one spot ahead of the Bob- so we definitely need to get them back.”

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 11th, 2014 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 | Sports | Thursday February 6, 2014 | B3

Ashley Ezeh senior forward

By Kirk Jones

Sports Reporter @kirk_jones11

Reynaldo Leaños Jr. | Staff Photographer

Coralee Ramirez senior outfielder

By Ishmael Johnson Sports Reporter @Ish_46

Senior outfielder Coralee Ramirez is a first generation college student who finds inspiration through her family’s support and life lessons of hard work.

Ramirez discovered her love of softball at five years old growing up in suburban Round Rock. Throughout her life she preferred to be outside playing sports, mostly with the boys, though that never fazed her.

“I would always get scraped up, and my mom would be crying ‘Oh you’re hurt,’” Ramirez said. “I just told her to slap a Band-Aid on it, and we’re good.”

Ramirez was a fairly quiet student during her freshman year at Vista Ridge High School. She found athletics, specifically softball, as a way to help her branch out.

Ramirez earned many honors as an athlete in high school, including Offensive Player of the Year and co-MVP, as well as being named to the Texas Glory Adkins’ All-State team. Her Vista Ridge Rangers

Although senior forward Ashley Ezeh has become an accomplished collegiate basketball player today, she did not set foot on the court until she was in middle school.

“I didn’t play any little league or anything,” Ezeh said. “Until my oldest brother Brian started playing for Prairie View A&M, and he was the star there, he got me interested.”

Ezeh’s brother was a guard at Prairie View and averaged 12 points, just under six rebounds and two assists in each game during his time there.

“I wouldn’t say he pushed me into the sport,” Ezeh said. “I just looked at him and wanted to fill his shoes, and it took off for me when I was in seventh grade and started playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union).”

During her freshman year at Texas State, Ezeh scored double figures in four straight games and had six games of seven or more rebounds.

“She’s a very confident player when

made it all the way to the 5A State SemiFinals in 2009.

Ramirez had a dream of playing softball in college, and when Texas State Coach Ricci Woodard gave her the opportunity, she did not hesitate to pass it up.

“I committed before I even got my driver’s license,” Ramirez said. “It was a big decision for me and my family.”

Being from the Central Texas area has made it easy for Ramirez to keep her support system—her family and friends—nearby.

“They’re always at every game whether it’s here or away,” Ramirez said. “I love the support they’ve given me, not only throughout college, but high school and growing up.”

On the field, Ramirez replicates her family’s support for her toward her teammates.

“If you made a bad play or error, Coralee was always there to encourage you,” said Brooke Keel, a former Texas State outfielder. “If you make a good hit or catch, she’s going to be the first one to congratulate you and be happy for you.”

Ramirez was named to the Southland Conference All-Tournament Team in 2012 and recorded four hits and scored three runs in the SLC Tournament. Although she was grateful for the honor, the team’s success trumped her own decoration.

“We ended up winning the Southland

she has the basketball in her hands,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine. “I enjoy seeing that, just like shooters getting comfortable whether you make it or miss it. She wants the ball. She wants to be that player that can score and we can count on.”

Ezeh averages 6.7 rebounds for her career and led the team in rebounding last year. The Houston-native has averaged a career 15.2 points per game for the Bobcats.

“It’s the will to win,” Ezeh said. “You can’t really do that without rebounding.

It starts with the post group and the guards feed off us and work us down low. Winning keeps us motivated to go for those rebounds.

One thing Antoine said Ezeh does well is reaching out to the younger players during the games and practice.

“She likes to mentor certain play-

Conference Tournament and going to regionals,” Ramirez said. “That was an even bigger accolade.”

Evident by her constant showcase of communal support, family is a big facet of Ramirez’s life. Being a first generation college student has taught her much in terms of dedication and working towards whatever she wants to accomplish. Ramirez remains close with her family and, when she can, returns the support they have shown her.

“They’re all very close,” Keel said. “Her parents are supportive of her, and she’s involved with her sister and nephew. (Her nephew) plays football and hockey, and on her free weekends, she always goes to his games.”

Ramirez’s family is a motivating factor for her work ethic, not only in softball but in school and the rest of her life.

“I’m proud to be a part of my family because they instilled a hardworking mentality,” Ramirez said. “You can’t just sit around and think things are going to get done, and that’s what they taught me growing up.”

Nearing the latter portion of her college career, Ramirez finds it gratifying to say she is not only representing her family but the student athletes at Texas State.

“It’s not easy being a student athlete, but it’s rewarding in the end,” Ramirez said.

ers,” Antoine said. “She likes to go to certain players and get them motivated for the game. She likes to teach. Part of her legacy isn’t just going to be Xs and Os, it’s going to be passing information on to other players and them being able to use that.”

Ezeh’s leadership shines through when the team is on and off the court, bringing what Antoine asks from her four-year veteran.

“She is a ball of energy out on the court,” said senior guard Kaylan Martin. “She’s always moving around trying to get the team energized. She’s very free spirited and makes sure we don’t take the game too seriously.”

This season Ezeh is averaging 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, helping the Bobcats to be 8–11 overall with a 5-3 record in conference, good for fourth in the Sun Belt.

Reynaldo Leaños Jr. | Staff Photographer

B4 | The University Star | Sports | Thursday February 6, 2014

SOFTBALL PREVIEW Texas State looks for strong first season in Sun Belt after disappointing Western Athletic Conference exit

T

he softball team begins its season this weekend, and the Bobcats will look to rebound after experiencing one of their worst seasons under Coach Ricci Woodard.

The Bobcats were picked

by WAC coaches to win the championship last season, but after stumbling out of the gate the team lost 20 of its first 25

By Cameron Cutshall games. The gap was too wide Sports Reporter and the team was never able @CameronCutshall to recover, despite some late resurgences near the end of the season. The Bobcats finished with an 18-38 overall record. A less-than-average record of 10-11 was enough for the squad to finish fourth in the WAC. This season, the Bobcats are hoping to change the tide from 2013. The team is now in the Sun Belt Conference, and it welcomes five incoming freshmen to cover a wide range of positions. Overall, 12 Bobcats are returning, headlined by sophomore second baseman Kelli Baker. Baker was selected to the All-WAC conference team last season as a freshman. She was selected to the second Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team to begin this season.

Coaching the Bobcats is Woodard who, despite

having a down season in 2013, was selected as the All-Time Winningest Coach in Southland Conference history. Woodard finished in the Southland with a career overall record of 440-251-1, and 249-75-1 for the conference. This season, Woodard’s task is to bring that success back to the Bobcats as they move to compete in a new conference, again, for the second straight year.

Texas State was the preseason favorite to finish fourth in the Sun Belt by league coaches. Louisiana was picked to win the Sun Belt followed by last year’s conference champions, South Alabama. Western Kentucky was picked to finish third, Georgia State in fifth, and the bottom three spots were taken by Troy, UT-Arlington and Louisiana-Monroe.

The Bobcats start their season this Friday in San Marcos as they host the 2014 Centurylink Classic. After an 8-0 fall season, hopes are high that they will make the turnaround after their performance from last season.

The team has been restocked with young talent. It will be led by a strong group of players who are ready to move on from last season and make a statement in the Sun Belt.

Kelli Baker

Sophomore second baseman

Texas State

Last year’s record: 18–38 Last College World Series Appearance: 2012—lost in the NCAA Regionals Key Players: Senior outfielder Coralee Ramirez, Senior right-handed pitcher Rayn House, and Sophomore second baseman Kelli Baker The Bobcats are coming off of their worst season under Coach Ricci Woodard and are hoping to turn things around in the Sun Belt Conference. This will be their first season in the Sun Belt. The season opens Saturday at home in the CenturyLink Classic.

Star File Photo

Star File Photo

KEY MATCHUPS Texas

Baylor

Louisiana

Mar. 1 and 18

Mar. 29–30

Apr. 5–6

Last year’s record: 51–10 Last College World Series Appearance: 2013 Key Players: Senior Shortstop Taylor Thom and Junior right-handed pitcher Gabby Smith

Last year’s record: 42–17 Last College World Series Appearance: 2013- lost in regionals Key Players: Senior left-handed pitcher Whitney Conion and Junior outfielder Kaitlyn Thumann

The Longhorns are picked to finish third in the Big 12 behind Baylor and last year’s National Champion, Oklahoma. The Bobcats were swept in both games by the Longhorns last season as they were outscored by 14 runs collectively. The Bobcats will face the Longhorns in Austin April 2, and in San Marcos April 23.

The Bears are picked to finish second in the Big 12 season behind last year’s National Champion, Oklahoma. The Bears dominated the first matchup against the Bobcats early last season forcing a fifth inning run rule. However, the Bears were taken into an extra inning by the Bobcats later in the season, but went on to win 7-3 in the 10th inning. The Bobcats will face the Bears in the Gulf Coast Classic March 1 and again March 18 in Waco.

Last year’s record: 47–15 Last College World Series Appearance: 2013-lost to Michigan in the Super Regionals.

Key Players: Junior right-handed pitcher Jordan Wallace and Sophomore outfielder Shellie Landry

Last year’s record: 48–9 Last College World Series Appearance: 2013- lost to Florida State in the regional championship.

Key Players: Senior left-hander Hannah Campbell and Junior infielder/outfielder Blair Johnson

Louisiana is the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt this year. The Ragin’ Cajuns defeated the Bobcats twice last year in the 27th Louisiana Classic as members of the WAC. This season the Bobcats are in the Sun Belt, and they will have a two-game series with the Cajuns March 29-30.

South Alabama has been the Sun Belt conference champion for two consecutive seasons. The Jaguars are picked to finish second behind Louisiana this season. The Bobcats did not face the Jaguars last season, but they have a two games series with the Jaguars in San Marcos April 5-6.

Apr. 2 and 23

South Alabama

The University Star | Sports | Thursday February 6, 2014 | B5

.76: Reggie Reed senior runner

By Cameron Cutshall Sports Reporter @CameronCutshall

Since joining a summer team at the age of 10, senior runner Reggie Reed’s life has revolved around track. “When I was in elementary school I always thought I was the fastest kid in school,� Reed said. “I always wanted to race against everyone else who thought they were the fastest and see what it was like.�

Reed grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where he attended many high schools including Desoto, Duncanville and Lancaster. It was at Desoto where Reed competed and won the state championship for both the 4x100 and the 4x200 meter relay teams. “It was great,� Reed said. “We had good support from the people in Dallas, and we won it by a big margin so it was nice.�

A goal Reed set for himself was to train and compete one day in the Olympics with all of the success that had come throughout his track career. He wanted to follow the path of one of his childhood inspiration: Dallas native Michael Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold medal winner and current world record holder in the 400 meter race.

Reed’s aspirations were high until a series of setbacks and injuries in college forced him to consider other options. Reed experienced a handful of injuries trying to make the adjustment to a different coaching approach implemented by Coach Dana Boone. “For a minute I was down and out,� Reed said. “I had to really sit down and think about what it was I really wanted to do. I experienced injuries in my foot, back, groin and my knee. Almost anywhere you could possibly imagine, I probably injured it.�

Reed did a lot of thinking about what he needed to accomplish if he were to stay in the sport. “I sat down and set up some goals for myself, tried to figure out what I was doing wrong and why these injuries were happening,� Reed said. “After that everything has been looking good since.�

Reed decided to become either a coach or an athletic director after he graduates this upcoming fall. “I think he has a good understanding on it,� Boone said. “It’s something we’ve talked about, and I think he’s learned some things, hopefully from us. I think he will do a good job.�

Since making the decision to continue on with track, the motto Reed promised himself was,“Never be afraid to fail, and always think success. Keep all of the negative thoughts that creep into my head out, and stay away from all of the negativity.�

It was a decision and a motto that has worked for him since dealing with those injures, and helped Reed and his team compete to win the conference last season. Reed will keep that same mindset as he and his team continue to compete this year.

No matter what happens or where Reed ends up coaching, his goal in life is simple. “I just want to be successful, and work as hard as I can at everything I can do,� Reed said.

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