Jan 28 2015

WEDNESDAY JANAURY 28, 2015 VOLUME 104 ISSUE 49 www.UniversityStar.com

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HARON SAENZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Janie Mott, registered nurse, displays a rape kit Jan. 24 at Central Texas Medical Center.

Rape kits prove difficult for students to access

By Darcy Sprague SPECIAL TO THE STAR @darcy_days

T

exas State is one of many universities across the country with a lack of rape kits available to students.

Rape kits, used to collect evidence from attacks on both genders, are one of the chief tools used to convict suspects in sexual assault cases. The kits are not available on campus, said Melissa Rodriguez, director of the HaysCaldwell Women’s Center. The cost of administering the test is the main reason for the lack of kits.

“The test has to be administered by a certified nurse,” Rodriguez said. “And there is no one like that on campus.”

The price of the required equipment, analysis of the kit and staffing a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) is a factor to consider, she said.

The state is allotted a limited amount of money to fund rape kits, and reimbursement per exam is capped, Rodriquez said. Almost every hospital’s test cost exceeds the allotted amount of money per

Mott dries swabs Jan. 24 and places them on a drying rack.

exam, so the bill is often passed along to law enforcement, insurance or the victim.

Underreported rape is a prob-

lem not only at Texas State but everywhere, Rodriguez said. Not enough incidents are reported to justify a full-time SANE nurse

on campus even though most of the visitors to the Hays-Caldwell

See RAPE KIT, Page 2

Students protest minimal coverage of Nigerian attacks

By Nicholas Laughlin NEWS REPORTER @nick_laughlin The phrase “African Lives Matter” could be seen sprawled across posters in the Quad Tuesday afternoon in the hands of African Student Organization (ASO) silent protestors.

The ASO members were hoping to bring attention to recent Boko Haram terrorist attacks happening in Nigeria. Boko Haram is an Islamic terrorist group that recently killed over 2,000 people in Baga, a northeastern Nigerian town. ASO members held the silent protest to influence change and raise awareness.

“We wanted to bring awareness of the Boko Haram attacks because we haven’t seen enough of it in the media,” said Cassandra Orakpo, public relations junior.

Orakpo said the media has been focusing on the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, and ASO wanted students to know about the events happening in Nigeria. The Jan. 7 attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo gained focus from media around the world. Many are concerned the events in Nigeria were not getting enough attention.

“I think that it is an important thing to get out there to Texas State so we can be aware of what is happening,” said Kofo Amokomowo, ASO event coordinator. “It was fun in a sense but also educated people.”

See ASO, Page 2

BUSINESS

H-E-B ranked among best places to work nationally

By Houston M. York NEWS REPORTER @houstonmyork H-E-B has been designated one of the top 10 'Best Places to Work' according to Glassdoor.com’s annual Employees' Choice Awards.

The Texas-based grocery chain, the largest private employer in Texas, came in seventh place on the list.

The rankings were determined by votes from the employees, according to Glassdoor.com.

Tamra Jones, H-E-B public affairs senior specialist, said the store’s officials are "honored and humbled" to be ranked so highly.

H-E-B celebrates 110 years of operation this year. Jones said the grocery chain’s success can be linked to its “partners,” the term used for the store’s employees.

“The ranking by Glassdoor.com is a genuine testament from our partners about H-E-B,” Jones said.

“At H-E-B, people really do matter.”

Employees are the ambassadors

of H-E-B when Texas State students come back to campus, said Troy Sanders, manager.

“Once they get inside our four walls and we treat them they way we are accustomed, that is when they come back,” Sanders said.

Customer service is an important part of operations at H-E-B, Sanders said.

“The impression we want to give is that we are here for them,” Sanders said. “What I enjoy most about working here is serving people, and

ENVIRONMENT

Officials challenge residents with viral anti-litter campaign

HARON SAENZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lucas Hubbard, chemistry junior, throws away litter Jan. 25 in a parking lot.

By Anna Herod SENIOR NEWS REPORTER @annaleemurphy City officials are working with Keep

San Marcos Beautiful to promote an anti-litter campaign called #challengeSMTX. The campaign was created to educate the public about where lit-

ter goes and change the destination of waste to trash cans and recycling bins instead of the river.

Trash or litter in the city washes downstream into the river with the rain and harms the environment, said Mary Van Zant, a watershed associate at the The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.

“We are challenging everyone who lives in San Marcos, or who visits, to pick up one piece of trash a day or one piece of litter and put it in the correct receptacle,” said Amy Kirwin, program manager of Keep San Marcos Beautiful. “We are hoping to raise people’s awareness on making sure they're throwing away trash.”

The goal is to make picking up and being conscious of litter a habit by removing one piece each day, said Kristi Wyatt, director of communication for San Marcos.

“Anything that we can do—keep-

See LITTER, Page 2

(I) take a lot of pride in being that go-to place.”

Lele Holt, cashier, said she has continued to work at the H-E-B located at 200 W. Hopkins because of the “spirit” of the store.

“At this store, we are known as the ‘little H-E-B,’ and we actually do know everybody in all the different departments,” Holt said. “There is definitely a camaraderie in knowing the people you work with. They hire good people, and you get along with them.”

Sanders said the company’s diversity policy is what he likes most about H-E-B. “We are all accepted here regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation and so on,” Sanders said. “If you come in with a spirit of helping people, they want you here.”

Patrick McBain, head of the perishables department, said H-E-B is a leader due to innovation.

See H-E-B Page 2

CITY

Proposed downtown construction project sparks citizen debate

By Jake Goodman NEWS REPORTER @Jake_thegoodman The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the rezoning of .64 acres of the Tuttle Lumber property at its Tuesday meeting.

The owner of Tuttle Lumber requested the Planning and Zoning Commission consider changing the zoning designation of the .64 acres from Light Industrial (LI) to Mixed Use (T4).

A light industrial property is defined by the city of San Marcos as a warehousing, low-level manufacturing, wholesaling and/or service operation that does not require frequent customer visits.

A mixed-use urban district is intended to allow for buildings with both residential units and office or retail space.

Thomas Rhodes, a manager

with ETR Developmental Services, told the commission the owner is retiring from the lumber industry and noticed the property was improperly categorized a year ago as LI. Rhodes said the property is currently a non-conforming zone, meaning if the structures on the property were damaged, they could not be rebuilt.

Commissioner Christopher Wood said T4 zones have a height restriction of five stories and 60 percent pervious coverage. He said the coverage is a way to limit the effect of shadows on the businesses and residential properties in the area. The T4 zone allows the construction of multi-family homes and commercial properties, Wood said.

The property is adjacent to residential areas, and the zoning

See ZONING, Page 2

2 | The University Star | News | Wednesday, January 28, 2015

CITY

Pre-K opening delayed due to construction, weather issues

By Nicholas Laughlin NEWS REPORTER @nick_laughlin San Marcos preschoolers will have to wait longer than expected to move into the new Bonham PreKindergarten (pre-K) Center, the first of its kind in San Marcos.

The move-in date was originally scheduled for the end of January but has been moved to the weekend of Feb. 13-15, said Iris Campbell, San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District public information officer. Feb. 16 will be the first day of classes.

Campbell said the delayed opening was due to inclement weather issues and a cutback in construction workers during the holidays.

A ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the community will take place when Bonham opens, Campbell said.

The new pre-K center will be located off of State Highway 123 on the site of the former Bowie Elementary campus. The Bowie campus will be demolished and re-

placed with a 600-student facility, according to the district’s website.

“I am looking forward to the new school because it will be size-appropriate,” said Rosemary Garza, principle of the center, in a Sept. 24 University Star article.

“The students now are in a school that is built for bigger kids. Now they will have access to things at their level.”

The center will house 27 new classrooms, special education areas, a music room, a library, an activity center and computer labs.

The existing cafeteria will be renovated to fit the needs of the students. The facility will be funded by a portion of the $76.98 million bond package the city passed May 2013, according to SMCISD. The pre-K center has a projected cost of $12.7 million, said Jay Wesson, director of facilities and operations for SMCISD in a Sept.

24 University Star interview.

Garza is currently the principle of Hernandez Elementary School, which houses the districts pre-K, and will become principal of the pre-K. Mark Eads, SMCISD superin-

ASO, from front Students walking through the quad stopped to talk to the ASO members to find out the group’s mission and why a silent protest was held, Amokomowo said.

“People came to us and asked us questions and kind of got enlightened about what happened,” Amokomowo said.

ASO members wanted the protest to “build a sense of unity” within the community at the university, explained Best Ohanugo, mass communication freshman.

Ohanugo said he hoped the protest

tendent, said in a SMCISD press release Garza and her team are

planning an open house for parents. Families should expect infor-

mation sometime in late January about the open house, Eads said.

LITTER, from front would bring awareness to ASO and “catch” students who didn’t think joining the group was possible.

“If more light was shined (on) the attacks, then maybe more change would come,” Ohanugo said. “Too many people don’t know, so we feel by protesting that we can get more people involved and curious.”

Amokomowo expressed ASO does not have any more protests planned.

Members want to continue sending the message of “African Lives Matter” through social media.

H-E-B, from front “H-E-B is always trying to be ‘in the now’ and looks at the hype out there about what customers really want in their store,” McBain said.

“It has worked so far. Since I have been here, we have brought in kombucha, gluten-free items and kale.”

H-E-B’s focus is its “partners,” McBain said.

“It is true that all the employees do know each other,” McBain said.

“We do extracurricular activities every year like the partner picnic.

STAR FILE PHOTO

We all get together for drinks, food, games and entertainment to have a chance to get to know each other.”

McBain said he knew working well with the people at H-E-B would be easy. This fact persuaded him to work for the company.

“When I was hired, I said I would work here for five years, but I have changed my mind,” said McBain, who is on his sixth year at H-E-B. “I really want to grow with this company.”

ing the river clean, keeping our streets clean or any area of the city—that not only helps keep it beautiful but also helps to preserve our environment,” Wyatt said. “I’m really excited that we have an opportunity to connect with our citizens so that it’s not just the city doing it, or not just the community doing it, but that we’re working together to create a better San Marcos.”

City staff is encouraging others to take part by asking participants to take pictures or videos of themselves throwing away litter and post with the campaign’s hashtag, #challengeSMTX, Kirwin said.

Mayor Daniel Guerrero and other San Marcos residents have already started to use the hashtag on social media, posting videos and photos of trash being thrown away.

“When our community remains clean, it makes us attractive to other people, including other businesses,

so you can look at it also as a way to encourage economic development,” Kirwin said. “It will show that we are a clean community and that our citizens and residents that live here, whether they are temporarily here as a student or if they are permanently here, care about this community and are putting that effort into it.”

A graduate student recently conducted research in which she caught fish from the river and looked inside their stomachs to see what they had been eating, Van Sant said. She found plastic in the fish’s stomachs.

People who participate in the challenge could potentially be helping the animals in the river.

“There’s an issue with animals mistaking trash for food and eating it, and it can kill them,” Van Zant said. “There’s a bigger problem with this in the ocean because all of the rivers in the world drain into the

ocean, so all of the trash and plastic that is in the landscape floats downstream and into the ocean.”

The issue of litter is serious due to the widespread use of disposable packaging and the inability of plastic to decompose, Van Zant said.

She recommends students try to eliminate plastic usage as much as possible.

Van Zant said joining the effort to help the environment by participating in river cleanups could reinforce the motivation for participation in the anti-litter campaign.

“If everybody in the town picked up one piece of trash every day, that would be 50,000 pieces of trash that would not be in the environment and be in a trash can,” Van Zant said. “You can hashtag it and kind of encourage your friends to do the same thing if you want to.”

Center partners with organizations from Seguin, New Braunfels, Austin and other areas with a similar lack of resources in the hope of creating a regional response unit.

Jane Hilfiger, a Texas State graduate student and local women’s rights activist, worries not having kits readily available close by will negatively affect the number of women who have the procedure done. Not having easy access to the correct personnel can “disenfranchise women” by making them feel “isolated,” Hilfiger said.

The test is a long procedure (four to six hours) and the added hassle of going to Austin for the medical attention is “repeated trauma,” said Hilfiger, who worked closely with psychiatric patients in her message therapy career.

Hilfiger is concerned diminishing

the already small number of women who are willing to report their rapes will lead to lower prosecution levels.

As it stands, only three percent of rapists ever spend a single day in jail, according the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Rape is often a serial crime, meaning lower prosecution levels could lead to more rapists being left on the streets, Hilfiger said.

Women need to be more aware of what actions to take to ensure evidence is preserved, Hilfiger said.

Showering, cleaning fingernails, brushing teeth or using the bathroom can affect how much forensic evidence is left behind, Hilfiger said.

A longer time increment between the rape and the administration of the test can increase the chance of valuable evidence being lost, Hilfiger said.

RAPE KIT, from front Women’s Center are Texas State students.

“There is not even a full-time SANE nurse in the (San Marcos) area,” Rodriguez said.

The Central Texas Medical Center currently has three nurses on call from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. certified to administer a rape kit. Victims are most often taken to St. David’s hospital in Austin, where there is always a SANE nurse on call, if a rape occurs outside of those hours, Rodriguez said.

The Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center provides volunteers—called the HEARTeam—who help victims find a hospital with a SANE nurse on staff, talk to officials and family members and can even remain in the room during the exam, Rodriquez said.

The Hays-Caldwell Women’s

ZONING, from front change drew criticism from San Marcos citizens.

Ben Patterson, resident of Valley Street, adjacent to the lumber property, told the commission he was concerned the city would use the property to construct a path college students could use to access the neighborhood. Patterson was worried the path would make the neighborhood unsafe.

Allie Giles, longtime San Marcos resident, said

ENVIRONMENT

Stage 5 drought eminent without further conservation efforts

By Alexa Tavarez SENIOR NEWS REPORTER @lexicanaa The amount of rainfall San Marcos and the adjacent regions received over the weekend was not enough to move the city out of Stage 4 drought conditions.

Various areas in the city received an average of 2-4 inches of rainfall over the past weekend, said Dianne Wassenich, program director of the San Marcos River Foundation (SMRF).

The recharge zone above Spring Lake received an “ideal” level of five inches in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, Wassenich said.

“That’s the perfect spot for us to get rain to really help us raise the river levels,” she said.

As of Monday, river levels in San Marcos are up by 20 cubic feet per second (cfs), Wassenich said. Levels reached 143 cfs as of yesterday. The aquifer levels in Bexar County stood at 644.7 feet yesterday in the J-17 index well.

The SMRF expresses concerns about the “water deficit” the region faces despite the past weekend’s promising rainfall, Wassenich said.

“All of this is great, and we’re thrilled about the rain, but it’s not enough to end the drought,” Wassenich said. “We’re

still below average aquifer levels.”

San Marcos is suffering from a “multi-year drought,” she said.

“We are pumping more out of the aquifer the last few years than recharges from rainfall,” Wassenich said. “We’re in a deficit that is growing worse.”

SMRF officials and other local naturalists anticipate a dry summer and are continuing to encourage conservation efforts to accommodate diminishing levels of spring water.

“We’re very worried about spring flow levels and river levels this summer,” Wassenich said. “It’s going to take a lot of rainfall to end the drought.”

Wassenich said drought conditions stifle any major progress. Several ongoing projects are attempts to protect the spring water.

“Unfortunately, it’s hard to get some of that stuff done during a drought,” Wassenich said. “They are the type of projects you should do during a wet (season) to save up water.”

Current predictions place San Marcos in a Stage 5 drought by August if considerable conservation efforts are not made in the area, Wassenich said.

“I don’t mean to be discouraging, but we need a whole bunch more (rain),” she said. “We’re just hoping the drought will end before the springs go dry.”

the property is part of the Dunbar Historic District and should not be changed.

Commissioner Angie Ramirez said she was uncomfortable with changing the zone to T4. She instead moved to change the zone to T3, which differs from T4 in allowable porch and sidewalk size. The commission rejected the move.

The measure to change the property from LI to

The University Star | Wednesday, January 28, 2015 | 3

LIFESTYLE

UniversityStar.com

Programs evolve in fine arts departments

By TheresaChristine Etim LIFESTYLE REPORTER @TherseaTells Fine arts programs continue to evolve with a variety of majors and minors to choose from as Texas State increases.

Thomas Clark, director of the School of Music, said he has watched the school grow since coming to Texas State in 2008.

Changes to the program included recent building renovations and the addition of the Performing Arts Center.

“When I started here, we had music courses and activities going on in three different buildings,” Clark said. “The School of Music has a very respected sound recording technology program, and the laboratory space for that is in an

old fire station that was renovated into a recording studio—a whole complex area of studios.”

Clark said the music program is now housed in seven different buildings across campus.

“We still have the same three,” Clark said. “But we’ve added practice rooms in the Colorado Building, faculty office and studio space in the Lampasas Building, storage space in the old Riverside Apartments next to Jowers for the marching band and the new Performing Arts Center on University Drive.”

Felicia Nugroho, piano performance major, has high hopes for the future of the department.

“I think it is going to be a good direction and a better future for the program,” Nugroho said. “There are more talented and better students.”

Chelsea Urban, theatre junior,

is a member of the performing arts honor fraternity Alpha Psi Omega. Urban said the theatre department has undergone changes, which allows students to grow more creatively.

“We are building a lot of new programs,” Urban said. “We’re actually starting another film festival this semester, and we’re getting everyone’s ideas so we can get everything pitched and ready.”

Urban said these changes have given people a new perspective on not just their departments but theatre as a whole.

“People hear ‘theatre’ and think, ‘oh, Mainstage theatre,’” Urban said. “It’s not just about bright lights. We have studio theaters, there’s filming, production—we have a lot more chances to do things by expanding and broadening.”

JOHN CODY STALSBY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Department of Theatre and Dance is preparing for a season of new performances and productions.

Selma takes center stage as Oscars approach

By Mariah Simank ASSISTANT LIFESTYLE EDITOR @MariahSimank The biggest story in play when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed this year’s Oscar nominees had nothing to do with frontrunners American Sniper, Boyhood and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

People instead were talking about Selma, the critically acclaimed drama about Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement for voting rights in the South. The film received only two Oscar nods for Best Original Song and Best Motion Picture, missing out on several key nominations.

Fans took to social media to vent their frustrations just minutes after the announcement was made, sparking what would become an intense debate over whether the film deserved more recognition.

Much of the anger was aimed at the omission of the movie’s director, Ava DuVernay. Her selection would have made DuVernay the first African American woman to receive an Oscar nomination for best director.

David Oyelowo’s performance as King also went unrecognized for

Best Actor, as did Bradford Young’s of nominations is the fact that the cinematography and Paul Webb’s director and whoever else is responoriginal screenplay. sible for distributing the movie did Rebecca Bell-Metereau, English not get it out when all of the other professor, said she hopes the lack nominated films had already been of nominations does not discourage screened,” Needham said. “As a future filmmakers. result, many of the people who “I thought the acting was power- make the nominations had already ful,” Bell-Metereau said. “The ed- made up their minds by the time the iting was highly skillful from the screener was distributed.” explosion in the beginning to the This explanation has arisen cross-cutting in telephone conversa- frequently in recent weeks after tions to the ending.

Selma failed It’s a shame when to send a presuch incredible talreleased DVD It’s a shame ent goes unacknowlof the movie, when such incredible edged because it disor screener, to talent goes courages investment voting bodies unacknowledged in future projects.” like the Screen because it discourages Actors Guild, Some people have investment in future suggested racism afthe Directors projects.” fected the Academy Guild and the voters’ decision in a Producers —Rebecca Bell-Metereau, year when American Guild. The English professor society was faced film’s screener with volatile racial was also one of politics and violence the last to be in Ferguson and New York City. delivered to the British Academy However, Keith Needham, Eng- of Film and Television Arts voters, lish department senior lecturer, said according to Vulture. the nominations might have had It is impossible to know for sure less to do with race and more to which factors weighed most heavily do with timing. on Selma’s lack of Oscar recogni“I think a major factor in the lack tion.

Rob Rowland, performance and production senior, said the result of Selma’s lack of nominations is no actors of color were nominated for Best Actor or Actress. He also noted the Best Director category is exclusively male.

“There is a committee with a board of directors who allow around 6,000 industry colleagues to vote in their respective categories,” Rowland said. “There is always a lack of diversity among those voting members, and this year is no different.”

According to a 2012 study by the Los Angeles Times, Oscar voters are nearly 94 percent Caucasian and 77 percent male, according to a 2012 study by the Los Angeles Times.

About two percent of voters are African American. Less than two percent are Latino.

Rowland said until there is more diversity among voting members, scenarios like this one will continue to play out every year.

“In psychology, they always tell you that you’re going to write about what you know and read about what you know,” Rowland said. “You can understand a movie about King and you can understand a film about a woman, but you’re not going to feel the same emotion that you would

feel seeing Bradley Cooper playing the hero in American Sniper.”

Bell-Metereau said the Academy is sending a message through this year’s nomination pool specifically to women of color. An African American woman will not necessarily be recognized for her efforts even if she makes what many critics consider to be one of the best films of the year, Bell-Metereau said.

“I do think the Academy has failed to include women and people of color just as Hollywood in general has focused on male directors, actors and narratives overall,” BellMetereau said. “On average, the amount of screen time for women is miniscule—probably about 10-30 percent for most films—and the number of female directors is probably about one in a hundred.”

Needham said regardless of what someone’s opinion is on the movie, Hollywood should not determines what is valid and important in today’s society.

“I told my students this week not to relinquish their authority of what is important and what is not and what is right and what is not to Hollywood,” Needham said. “It’s called Tinseltown for a reason, and everything that glitters is not gold.”

THEATRE PERFORMANCES 2015

By Kara Dornes LIFESTYLE REPORTER @KaraDornes The start of the new semester brings a new season of auditions and performances by the Department of Theatre and Dance.

“A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Angels in America,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “Medea” and “Snake Oil” are just a few of the performances students can look forward to in the coming months.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” will be the first major performance of the 2015 season. The play was written by Tennessee Williams in 1947 and deals with a culture clash between two major characters, Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski.

Regan Goins, theatre senior, who plays Blanche, describes the experience as the role of a lifetime.

“This is a dream role for me,” Goins said.

“I am so incredibly excited to be a part of this production with this amazing ensemble and crew. The people I get to do this with are not only really respected colleagues of mine but are many of my close friends.”

Goins admits stepping into Blanche’s world is something that excites and terrifies her.

“She is a very complicated woman who is put through some of the worst circumstances imaginable,” Goins said.

Following “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Texas State Theatre will produce “Angels in America” and “Kiss Me Kate.”

Performers in “Kiss Me Kate” are eager to share the Tony Award-winning musical with the Texas State campus. “‘Kiss Me Kate’ involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and the conflict on and offstage between Fred, the show’s director, producer and star, and his leading lady and ex-wife Lilli,” said Cassandra Abate, assistant professor.

Elizabeth Brady, musical theatre junior, said she is grateful to be a part of such a dedicated cast and crew. “‘Excited’ is an understatement,” Brady said. “‘Kiss Me Kate’ is, and has been, one of my favorite shows for a long time. The cast is a slew of gorgeous, hilarious talents, and Cassie Abate is incredible.”

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 2015 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 nine hours each semester during the term of office. Students graduating in the final semester of the appointment (Spring Semester 2016) 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. An overall minimum 2.5 grade-point average is required for application consideration.

Term of Office Term of office begins following the final publication of the Spring 2015 semester and runs through the Spring 2016 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 A written petition is to be completed by each applicant.

This petition consists of questions to determine an applicant’s qualifications in journalism academics and management. A letter of interest must be included with the formal application. The letter should address personal characteristics addressing reasons the applicant is qualified for the position. Applicants, certified as qualified by the student publications board, will be interviewed. The board will select the editor-in-chief.

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.

The University Star Mission

PACKETS AVAILABLE: March 2, noon; Trinity, Room 107

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.

DEADLINE: Wednesday, April 1; noon; Trinity, Room 107 INTERVIEWS: April 13

4 | The University Star | Wednesday, January 28, 2015

OPINIONS

UniversityStar.com

RYAN JEANES STAR ILLUSTRATOR

THE MAIN POINT

Community investment more important than new student apartments MP A

partment complexes in San Marcos are not being handled in proper, satisfactory ways.

The rift between the community and the student body continues to grow due to the lack of resources for actual San Martians.

The overabundance of apartments in town is one of the main reasons for the rift between the local community and the students. The apartment complexes have eclipsed the townies and left many students in a state of limbo. Earlier this academic year students who signed leases with Eight17 Lofts and Uptown Square Apartments had delayed move-in dates. Students were essentially displaced.

These so-called “luxury” apartments are often built very hastily with shoddy workmanship, lending itself, unfortunately, to problems for residence that cannot be fixed by a mere handyman. The local builders seem to be more focused on turning a profit than providing a functioning, livable facility. This style of apartment complex should just be done away with.

“Luxury” apartments, while nice to look at and expensive to live in, seem to be just a façade.

What actually needs to be done, instead of building complexes and facilities for students, is improve government housing for the actual generational citizens of San Marcos. According to an Oct. 16, 2014 Washington Times article, approximately 36 percent of San Martians live below the poverty line, more than double the statewide poverty rate. The government housing outside of the university is abysmal at best. Money should be put into the town, not into helping out the university and privileged students.

Lease-by-the-bedroom apartments are clearly for students.

Very few (if any) families would lease a space by the bedroom. This clear favoritism for the university students is just creating a gap between the local community and the encroaching college crowd.

The focus should be more toward creating stable businesses not only for the students but for the local townspeople as well. Building businesses in place of housing complexes will be beneficial for all residents of San Marcos, not just the students.

The economics are very important, but the social aspect can be just as viable. To be frank, the small-town feel of San Marcos is slowly but surely disappearing. According to the Census Bureau, San

Marcos has been the fastest-growing city in the United States for the past two years. Naturally the small-town feel is going to wane a little bit as the city continues to grow. With that said, turning the town into a metropolis for university recruitment is not ideal. The community should be embraced, not eroded.

The Square is a perfect balance between the small-town San Marcos aesthetic and modernity.

Merging the two is more ideal than replacing one with the other.

Respecting the history of the town instead of attempting to do away with it while the city continues to grow is important. Modernity is a great thing. Embracing technology is a great thing. However, staying in touch with what made the town what it is a great thing as well.

The university community should realize that San Marcos is not just for students. Contrary to popular belief, it is a town with citizens who do not go to the university. They have lived here for generations. Ignoring the generational San Martians should not be a habit perpetuated by institutions.

Investing in housing that benefits all residents of San Marcos would go a lot farther than continuing to focus on the needs of a few temporary student residents.

The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State University Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University.

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

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The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday, Wednesday 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 Wednesday, January 28, 2015. 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.

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The University Star | Wednesday, January 28, 2015 | 5

SPORTS

UniversityStar.com

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEGHAN BRAEUER

Senior guard

By Donavan Jackson SPORTS REPORTER @djack_02 Meghan Braeuer, senior guard, faced with her first test of adversity four games into conference play.

The Bobcats were coming off a 20-point loss to Arkansas-Little Rock when Coach Zenarae Antoine asked Braeuer, the team’s second-leading scorer, to trust the game plan.

“I sat down with Meghan before the game and just asked her to trust me, and I’m very appreciative that she did,” Antoine said. “Because now what we’ve found is that she’s opened up her game and committed to defense and is a leader for us out on the floor.”

Braeuer had been pressing and not letting the game come to her in the three previous contests heading into the match against Louisiana-Monroe, which the Bobcats ended up winning 70-64.

Braeuer did not let the shooting slump continue to affect her game. Instead, she focused on other aspects of her game: defense and leadership.

The senior guard wanted her leadership ability to parallel her offensive

skills. Offensively, she was distinguishing herself as one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in women’s basketball.

Braeuer averages 2.6 3-pointers per game, placing her first in the Sun Belt Conference and 47th in the country.

Her efficiency has not dipped even though she is a high-volume shooter with 115 3-point attempts in 19 games.

Braeuer’s field goal percentage is the 22nd-highest mark in Division I. “Coming into it, I was more focused on leadership—filling the shoes of Kaylan Martin and Coach Z talking to me about having to step up leadershipwise,” Braeuer said. “I feel changed— my mentality all over.”

Braeuer bounced back with 19 points and five 3-pointers in the team’s 63-42 victory over South Alabama.

Braeuer averaged 5.2 points, 1.2 assists and 1.2 rebounds in her first season at Texas State. Kaylan Martin’s graduation opened up a guard slot for Braeuer. She is averaging 11.2 points in her second year, which is more than double her previous scoring output.

“She could always shoot the three, but now she’s just honed in on it,” Antoine said. “She leaves everything on

the court, and I’m really proud of her and how she’s playing this season.”

Ayriel Anderson, junior guard, and Braeuer typically manage the bulk of the ball-handling responsibility. During the off-season, the backcourt was fixated on improving field goal percentage and turning the offense into a routine.

Braeuer’s outside shot became an asset to a team that is first in the Sun Belt in 3-pointers.

“The respect that she gets from defenses has affected the offense a lot,” Anderson said. “When she gets out and runs in transition, it just opens up the offense. Defenses have to choose to guard inside or outside, and they usually choose inside, giving Meghan the open look. Her percentages have just went through the roof.”

Antoine said Braeuer’s contributions to the team are not always measurable.

“The recruitment of Meghan wasn’t necessarily about X’s and O’s,” Antoine said. “It was more about the intangibles that she brought. She’s just a fighter. She’s a tough kid. What we’re seeing now is the evolving of her game.”

CORY GEISLER

DENISE CATHEY ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

COURTNEY HARRIS

Junior pitcher/outfielder

Senior third baseman

in his mind. The last person I’d want to talk to is Carrie Underwood because she’s beautiful, an awesome person and a great person.

take food.

CR: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

CH: Extrovert. I just don’t like being by myself.

QR: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds?

CG: You can’t do both? I would definitely want to fly for sure. It’s awesome watching birds fly. You aren’t touching the ground.

STAR FILE PHOTO

By Quixem Ramirez SPORTS EDITOR @quixem QR: Cake or pie?

CG: Definitely pie, unless it’s a cookie cake. I’m not a big cake fan.

QR: And you don’t have to pay for parking.

CG: You don’t have to worry about none of that stuff, which is awesome. So definitely fly because when you’re trying to read people minds you’re all just screwed up, and you’re getting mad. I’d rather not worry about that.

QR: Would you rather have a dragon or be a dragon?

CG: I’m not really into that dragon stuff, but honestly I’d rather be a dragon.

He’s big, and fire comes out of your mouth. You can do whatever if you want. I’m not the bully type, but it would be pretty cool to overpower everyone.

QR: What is your favorite baseball memory?

CG: I was fortunate enough to play with the USA team when I was 16. We played in Taiwan, and we won the gold medal. I was the pitcher for that game. We came back from three runs, and I threw the last pitch. They all dogpiled on me, and I couldn’t breathe. Representing your country in another country was definitely a great experience.

QR: If you had to pick three people, dead or alive, to eat dinner with, who would they be?

CG: One would definitely be LeBron James. I think it would be fun to sit down and just listen to what Albert Einstein had to say about anything

QR: Which teammate is most likely to win American Idol?

CG: For sure Ben McElroy. I think he can sing. He definitely knows some good songs. He’s the character on the team. He would try the most.

Definitely not me, that’s for sure.

QR: I wish I could sing.

CG: Me too. It gets the ladies.

Tune in to

CR: If you had a warning label for yourself, what would it say?

CH: Sometimes I just say whatever I want without thinking about it. It depends on the situation, but yeah, sometimes I just say whatever I want.

STAR FILE PHOTO

By Christian Rodriguez SPECIAL TO THE STAR @crod9521 CR: Do you have any nicknames that you go by on the softball team?

CH: All right, so Coach Woodard apparently thought I lived in the country because I’m from Dripping Springs, so she calls me “Big Country.” Honestly, it happened one year when we all got certificates from her, and she gave us all nicknames, and mine was “Big Country.” You’ll have to ask her for the real reason behind it. I don’t like it.

CR: What is a hobby you enjoy during your free time?

CH: I enjoy going to the lake. My family has a boat and a lot on the lake, so we go there a lot during the summer and wakeboard and tube.

CR: If you had to take three items or people with you on a deserted island, what/who would they be?

CH: A ball of some sort so I could play and do something. I’d take my roommate, Kelli Baker, junior second baseman, and I’d probably also

CR: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

CH: I’ve always wanted to go to Australia.

I like the beach, and the weather is nice year around. The only thing is it’s kind of far from everything.

CR: What’s your biggest pet peeve?

CH: Probably when people talk during movies, like when I’m trying to watch something and people are talking. It’s the most annoying thing in the world. Also, if I’m having a conversation with someone and they’re on the phone or texting, that’s pretty annoying.

CR: Is there any song you get pumped up to before a game?

CH: It’s called “Fuego” by Lecrae. I listen to a bunch of Lecrae before games.

The past two years I’ve had some of his songs as my walk-up songs.

CR: Who knows you the best?

CH: Probably my mom or my best friend Jordan (Masek). Jordan graduated last year. She played softball here at Texas State, and I knew her before college when we played select ball.

We lived together my sophomore and junior year, and she’s in grad school now at Texas Tech, but we still talk every day and FaceTime.

We just get each other.

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