November 5 2013

VOLUME 103, ISSUE 32

www.UniversityStar.com

TUESDAY

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

SPORTS | Page 6: Texas State is now bowl eligible for the first time in school history. See the back cover for a complete recap of Saturday’s victory over Idaho on the road.

City Council

oting Guide City council candidates draw support from local organizations, residents

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he race for Place 1 and Place 2 on the San Marcos City Council has been funded by a multitude of backers, including political action committees representing local fire fighters and realtors throughout the state.

Candidates are required to file their campaign finance reports 30 days before the election, and again eight days prior.

Candidates are also required to disclose the donors and the amount of money raised for their campaigns. The Place 1 candidates saw the largest amount of donations toward their campaigns, while two of the three Place 2 candidates were

largely self-funded.

Place 1 candidates Bill Taylor and Lisa Prewitt each had more than 20 contributors and raised the two highest amounts of money of the five city council hopefuls, according to campaign finance reports posted on the city’s website.

See CAMPAIGN FINANCE, Page 2

Campaign Finance Contributions LISA PREWITT $12,407.54

BILL TAYLOR $9,925

THOM PRENTICE $38 (self-funded)

JUDE PRATHER $7,907.76

MASON MURPHY $770

Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee $1,500

See AMENDMENTS, Page 2

—Compiled by Taylor Tompkins, news editor

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Candidate profiles

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Mason Murphy (self-funded) $600

San Marcos Fire Fighters Political Action Committee $1,000

LISA PREWITT

BILL TAYLOR

Lisa Prewitt is running on a platform that embraces the Comprehensive Master Plan and seeks to protect the river while encouraging growth, according to her website.

Prewitt was vice chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee that was involved in the creation and adoption of the Comprehensive Master Plan.

She owns a landscape design business and has operated it for 18 years in San Marcos.

Prewitt is currently a member of the Heritage Association of San Marcos, San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance and San Marcos River Foundation.

She also serves as chair of the Economic and Development Subcommittee of the San Marcos Watershed Initiative.

“My desire to run for city council is I see that San Marcos has a great opportunity for growth by utilizing all of the characteristics and heritage we have in San Marcos along with the university,” Prewitt said in a

Bill Taylor has cast more than 1,400 votes during his 31 years in San Marcos local government and hopes to continue doing so, according to his written statement at The University Star’s City Council Debate.

Taylor was appointed to the San Marcos Airport Commission in 1982 and previously served on the city council, Convention and Visitor Bureau and the Small Business Advisory Board, according to the written statement. Taylor is a niche marketing insurance agent and serves as chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Protecting quality of life, increasing jobs and opportunity and being fiscally responsible are goals for Taylor, according to his website.

“My voting history reflects fairness, common sense and sound decisions,” Taylor said in his written statement. “I have proven I’m not afraid to cast the tough votes. I’m proud

San Marcos voters will face a lengthy ballot when they decide whether to confirm or deny the addition of 25 amendments to the City Charter in the Nov. 5 election.

The City Charter is San Marcos’ governing document and has been updated periodically since 1967, according to the city’s website. At least every four years, San Marcos forms a review commission to write amendments and determine which ones should be placed on the ballot. City Attorney Michael Cosentino, along with the city council, appointed seven San Marcos residents to serve on the charter commission.

Councilwoman Kim Porterfield, Place 1, said some of the amendments were simple “housekeeping” items while others were written to keep politics away from the hiring process for city officials.

Other amendments were written to increase the representation of traditionally under-served residents, Porterfield said.

For example, Proposition 1 will allow the city council to appoint two members to the Planning and Zoning Commission who do not own any land in San Marcos, if passed. Currently, land ownership is a requirement for serving on the commission.

Porterfield said Proposition 1 is important because many San Marcos residents do not own land.

Proposition 2 will require city councilmembers to adopt an ordinance calling for a “broad and diverse” Planning and Zoning membership, drawing on people from a variety of geographical, professional, gender, racial and political backgrounds, if passed.

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By James Carneiro

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Recommended city charter amendments up for approval

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By Taylor Tompkins

CITY

JUDE PRATHER MASON MURPHY THOM PRENTICE Incumbent Jude Prather is hoping to keep his seat as Place 2 councilman, running on a platform promoting fiscal responsibility and improvement of streets, sidewalks and utility infrastructure, according to his website.

Prather has been the Place 2 councilman since November 2010, according to the city’s website. He currently serves as the Veteran Services Officer for Hays County, providing local support for veterans and their dependents. He is a veteran himself, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2008 to 2009.

He previously served on the San Marcos Planning & Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Hays County Veterans Task Force and San Marcos Youth Commission.

During The University Star’s City Council Debate, Prather said he wanted San Marcos to “get back to basics” when he was elected to city council, and he wants to look back in 2016 and say his goal was accomplished.

Mason Murphy wants to use his background to bring more jobs to San Marcos and support economic development, according to his website.

Murphy is a career counselor at Texas State and is running for Place 2 on a platform of bringing blue collar jobs to San Marcos, providing public safety resources to the town as it grows and improving kindergarten through high school education.

In a Q&A with the Star, Murphy said working with schools to help students will assist in alleviating San Marcos’ poverty issues.

“I think there’s programs that exist, but (there’s) also ways that we can build on that,” Murphy said. “By helping students with both academic and personal issues, we would be raising them out of poverty in a small way.”

Another way to help San Marcos, which has nearly double the rate of residents below the poverty line than the state average, is by providing jobs, Murphy said.

all continued on page 2

Former mayoral candidate Thom Prentice is making a bid for Place 2 on city council, although he said he is not running against his opponents.

“I didn’t run against Mayor Guerrero last year, and I’m not running against Jude Prather this year,” Prentice said in a Q&A with The University Star.

“I’m running to raise the issues that have not been raised, and one of those is democracy.”

Prentice said he is running for the Place 2 seat to raise awareness of issues like global warming and the “comatose” state of democracy. Prentice formerly worked as a professor and high school teacher in the Austin area. He is retired and a 14-year cancer survivor, according to his blog.

Prentice was publically against the development of Cape’s Camp, which was up for a vote on the same ballot during his mayoral bid.

In the Star’s City Council Debate, Prentice said he is op-

2 | The University Star | News | Tuesday November 5, 2013

AMENDMENTS, continued from front Porterfield said the proposition should encourage city council to more greatly consider diversity when making appointments to the Planning and Zoning Commission. “(The Planning and Zoning Commission) is packed with the development community right now,” Porterfield said.

Porterfield said having many people from the development community on the board was neither a good nor a bad thing, but it was also important to include residents from other walks of life.

Another amendment to be decided on by voters will be Proposition 3, which

will eliminate the extraterritorial jurisdiction position on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The Proposition 3 amendment was written because people living in the jurisdiction live outside the city limits and cannot vote in city elections or pay taxes to San Marcos, Porterfield said.

Many of the other amendments relate to city council duties, ordinances, city employees, officials and the availability of information.

Proposed Amendments 1. Allowing the City Council to appoint two members of the Planning & Zoning Commission who do not own real property in the city at the time of their appointment.

2. Requiring the City Council to adopt an ordinance calling for a broad and diverse membership on the Planning & Zoning Commission by geographical, professional, gender, racial and viewpoint diversity.

3. Eliminating the P&Z position representing the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (outside the city limits) and replacing the position with a qualified city resident, effective on March 1, 2015.

4. Allowing educational requirements for P&Z members to be satisfied after appointment.

5. Requiring P&Z to recommend updates to the entire master plan every five years instead of 10 years.

6. Replacing the term “master plan” with “comprehensive plan.”

7. Requiring the City Council to exercise its powers in an open and transparent manner.

8. Listing the characteristics of a high quality of life: neighborhood integrity, a clean and abundant water supply, a cost-efficient electricity supply, efficient police and fire departments, educational opportunities, effective road and transportation systems, a healthy business environment, well-maintained parkland and recreational opportunities.

9. Increasing the residency requirement for city council candidates from one year to three years.

10. Prohibiting City Council members from having a financial interest in the sale of land, materials, supplies or services and requiring them to stay current on financial obligations to the city arising from their service on the council.

13. Requiring the City Council to provide specific notice when an ordinance is proposed to be adopted on only one reading.

14. Prohibiting the adoption of ordinances to change the future land use map or zoning district designation on only one reading and requiring such consideration on two separate days no less than seven days apart.

15. Requiring the city clerk to give notice of the enactment of all ordinances on the city website.

16. Allowing insurance as an alternative to fidelity bonds for city employees who handle money for the city.

17. Eliminating the authority of the City Council to remove employees originally appointed by the city manager with the Council’s approval.

18. Requiring that the presiding judge and associate judges of Municipal Court be authorized to practice law in Texas.

19. Requiring that the city attorney be authorized to practice law in Texas but not required to be engaged in the practice of law at the time of appointment.

20. Including a cross reference to the qualifications for office for city council in Sec. 5.03 specified in Sec. 3.02.

21. Requiring that the proposed budget be available at the San Marcos Public Library, City Hall and on the City website.

22. Requiring that the adopted tax rate and budget be available at the San Marcos Public Library, City Hall and on the City website.

23. Requiring that the City’s bond record be available at the San Marcos Public Library, City Hall and on the City website.

11. Requiring the City Council to determine that the qualifications of its members are continuously met.

24. Requiring that the annual reports filed by public service companies be available at the San Marcos Public Library, City Hall and on the City website.

12. Clarifying the process for calling a meeting to order an election to fill a council vacancy.

25. Correcting spelling, grammatical and typographical errors in the City Charter.

It’s time to vote for this year’s

San Marcos

Stars

Help the University Star determine the best of the best in San Marcos at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HWVHL6F or find the link on www.universitystar.com be sure to do so by November 11th! and look for the winners in our special issue on November 21st!

CAMPAIGN FINANCE, continued from front Taylor’s largest contributor was the Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee with $1,000, and they are listed as making expenditures without his knowledge or consent.

“They won’t tell me anything about it,” Taylor said.

Taylor said mailers sent by the PAC as well as his own arrived at homes on the same days. Taylor said he saw ads, flyers and online support from the PAC that he did not have prior knowledge of. He said the PAC believed something about the Place 1 race was interesting enough for them to invest in.

Prewitt’s largest contributor was Max Mayer, who she said is her sister’s fiancée and a filmmaker. The San Marcos Neighborhood Political Action Committee contributed $250 to Prewitt’s campaign.

She raised the most contributions of the five candidates running for office this election cycle, garnering about $12,400.

Prewitt said her donors were San Marcos residents and business owners.

When Prewitt announced her candidacy, she sent out a letter to people she knew within the community asking for support, whether financially, with time or by putting signs in their yards.

With the exception of incumbent Jude Prather, the candidates for Place 2 mostly or entirely funded their own campaigns.

Prather raised more than $7,900 between 46 contributors. His largest donor was the San Marcos Professional Firefighter Association Political Action Committee with a $1,000 contribution.

The San Marcos Board of Realtors and the San Marcos Neighborhood PACs gave to his campaign, donating $750 and $100 respectively.

Thom Prentice, former mayoral candidate, said he only spent $38 on his campaign in total. Candidates do not have to file campaign finance reports if their fundraising does not exceed $500.

“I wanted to run for council,” Prentice said. “I want to take money out of politics and I want to model taking money out of politics.”

Mason Murphy loaned $600 toward his own campaign, and had three other donors, all contributing under $125. One donor is an employee of Texas State, another of Walsh University and the last of Lumesse, a talent agency. Murphy’s donor from Lumesse, Bucky Couch, also contributed to Prather’s campaign.

Candidate profiles continued from front

LISA PREWITT

BILL TAYLOR

Q&A with The University Star. “I think that we’re not quite embracing those characteristics right now, and 20 years from now, I don’t want to look back and say, ‘Hey, I should’ve gotten up and done something,’ if the direction the town goes is not the right direction.”

During the Star’s City Council Debate, Prewitt said following the master plan is crucial to the city and other entities like the university.

San Marcos has reached a crossroads where growth and preservation must be carefully balanced, Prewitt said on her website.

“My opinion is that there’s time in any city for change, and I think Bill Taylor has worked hard while he’s worked for the city, but I think we’re in a new time right now,” Prewitt said. “I think we need more progressive movement. I think we need more community engagement.”

of being able to serve the citizens of San Marcos in so many capacities and would be honored to serve on the next council that has so much important work to do.”

Taylor voted to block developer Darren Casey’s proposed 800-bedroom, 9.5 acre apartment complex near Sessom Creek and was involved in the creation of the Comprehensive Master Plan. He also voted for the approval of The Cottages at Hillside Ranch and The Retreat San Marcos.

In his written statement, Taylor said a city manager should be hired who can “handle the controversial nature” of San Marcos local politics and account for the city’s rapid growth.

In an interview with the Star, Taylor said he is pro-growth and probusiness, and advocated the need for balance between growth and river sustainability.

JUDE PRATHER

MASON MURPHY

“The most important thing is for the city to be able to keep up with that growth,” Prather said in an interview with the Star.

Many capital improvement projects are scheduled to begin in the next 24 months, according to Prather’s website.

While construction may be a nuisance to residents and students now, it will pay off in the long run, Prather said at the debate.

During his time on city council, Prather voted against Cape’s Camp and Sessom Drive developments, as well as the appeal of Zelicks’ conditional use permit following noise complaints.

Prather voted for the smoking ordinance and to permit Planet K’s junk car.

“I take each vote case by case, and I do what I think will be wise for the city,” Prather said in the Star interview. “I’m not one to build apartments right on the river. The river is the soul of our city.”

“I would like to address that by working with small businesses to help sustain them and help bring manufacturing businesses to San Marcos, but also to utilize my background to go out and recruit businesses to come to San Marcos that will help to give our residents quality jobs,” Murphy said in the Q&A. Students share in San Marcos’ community values, no matter where they are in their academic career, Murphy said at the Star’s City Council Debate.

“When you’re here and you’re part of this community of shared values, you have the chance to change your corner of the world,” Murphy said at the debate.

Murphy said he has experience on boards and commissions involving planning and zoning, infrastructure and disability awareness, and was part of the Comprehensive Master Plan Committee.

According to his site, he has managed multi-million dollar budgets.

THOM PRENTICE posed to out-of-control growth in San Marcos and is surprised by the hostility toward students that he feels is misdirected.

“It’s not (the students’) fault,” Prentice said at the debate. “It should be expressed against the university ad-

ministration and, more importantly, toward the University Board of Regents.”

For his campaign, Prentice said he did not block walk, poll or do phone banking because he is running an “unconventional” campaign in hopes of raising “awkward issues” and “inconvenient questions” in an attempt to get people to think more broadly.

“We need to talk about capitalism,” Prentice said in his Q&A. “You know, this growth and development is capitalist. The tentacles of Wall Street slither all the way here in San Marcos and are actually pushing growth that is not good for the neighborhoods.”

The University Star | Tuesday November 5, 2013 | 3

TRENDS

UniversityStar.com

West African dance instructor teaches traditions, cultural history of age.

The difference between East and West African dance lies with the counts and steps that accompany the music, Durham said.

“East African is upbeat, and the beats are faster,” Durham said.

“There is a big difference between the dances, (and) it is hard to go back and forth between the two.”

Durham attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. Durham was trained in ballet, jazz and other dance styles, but she always felt a connection to African dance. Durham became the captain of the folk dancing team at Booker T. High School for two years, and she later became the school’s dance teacher from 2005 to 2008.

Durham continued to display an interest in the cultural arts even after her childhood dance instructor returned to Africa. Through the South Dallas Cultural Center, she crossed paths with Moussa Diabate, a griot.

Durham said a griot is an African dance storyteller and a position of great honor reserved for those with the proper bloodline and lineage. Diabate, a griot from Guinea, can trace his bloodline back as a member of the Mandinka lineage for hundreds of years, Durham said.

Durham later worked as an assistant artistic director for the Djely Kunda West African Dance Company under Diabate’s direction.

“Diabate was the folk teacher for African, and I knew that was for me,” Durham said. “I studied with Diabate for 15 years.”

Durham’s interest in African culture and heritage was always her passion. When she was only three years old, she researched and designed her family tree, tracing her lineage back to her greatgreat-grandmother.

Durham said she teaches her daughter traditional African dances to help trace her roots and learn more about their AfricanAmerican heritage.

“I wish I could get to Africa,” Durham said. “Eventually I will get there. It is a goal of mine to visit.”

Chris Motz | Staff Photographer Kimberly Durham teaches the West African dance classes.

By Ernest Macias Trends Reporter

Kimberly Durham, West African dance instructor, aligns her 6-yearold daughter, Anaiyah King, in the center of the room. The music starts to play and, without instruction, King begins to move.

Durham, who recently relocated to San Marcos from Dallas, began learning African dance when she was the same age as her daughter. Durham now teaches African dance classes every Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the newly renovated Cephas House, located at 217 W. MLK Dr. The class costs $5, and each

dance has four sessions. For the month of November and December, Durham will be choreographing the Lamban celebration dance.

“Anyone who wants to learn and have fun is welcome,” Durham said. “It is a great way to lose weight, get fit and toned. Plus, the dances are educational.”

African dance is comprised of tribal traditional dances and upto-date contemporary dances. All the routines have a meaning and are performed at different ceremonies and rituals. Becoming a dancer is considered a privilege in African cultures, with training usually beginning at five years

AmeriCorps provides service opportunities for Texas State graduates

By Jordan Gass-Poore’ Trends Reporter

Jill Ament put thermal clothes, toiletries, a journal and photos of family and friends into her green duffel bag provided by AmeriCorps before embarking on her 10-month “intensive community service work” across the Midwest, Ament said she was forced to leave her acoustic guitar behind, which she played at various local venues as an undergraduate at Texas State. Ament is one of thousands of volunteers recruited to take part in AmeriCorps, a full-time, teambased residential program for people ages 18 to 24.

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) provides a unique opportunity for students and alumni to perform intensive community service work in various states across the country.

The U.S. federal government sponsors AmeriCorps NCCC, which is known as “N-triple-C” to some members. AmeriCorps serves communities in every state in partnership with nonprofit organizations, state and federal governments, national and state parks, Native American tribes and schools.

“This program (AmeriCorps) is one where you get a taste of a lot of different focus areas,” Ament said.

There was surprise snow on the ground when Ament arrived in February at the Vinton, Iowa, headquarters of the AmeriCorps North Central Region, she said. Ament, who recently completed her last day of AmeriCorps service planting trees in a Milwaukee county park, spent time at Texas State working toward a career in media.

After graduation, Ament was hired at a television station and began seeing a pattern in topics she covered, like the environment and poverty. She sought opportunities that would help her gain a better perspective on the lives these issues touched.

Corps members complete service projects they are assigned throughout the region and are provided with food, housing, transportation, a biweekly stipend and an academic award at their contract’s end.

Ament said she completed various

tasks for three weeks beginning in August with the nonprofit Earth Tipi on the Pine Ridge Reservation in Manderson, South Dakota.

Ament said she and her team helped build a gray water filtration system and homes made from sustainable materials, like clay, in an effort to improve the reservation’s “extremely impoverished” housing infrastructure.

“I’ve done stuff that I would never have imagined myself to be doing a year ago,” Ament said, who helped make bricks in South Dakota with a descendent of Red Cloud, a former chief of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe.

Michael Kostek, Texas State communication studies junior, said he quit undergraduate work at age 21 and joined AmeriCorps NCCC for almost two years.

Employment uncertainty and AmeriCorps’ academic scholarships were reasons Kostek said he joined and stayed in the program.

“I’m pretty malleable to this halfhazard job market,” Kostek said, attributing this to his untraditional life experiences.

While Ament served in the Midwest, Kostek worked both on the West and East coasts during his two program terms, performing tasks that ranged from in- and after-school tutoring, tearing down and weather proofing buildings to removing invasive plants and planting native ones.

Kostek said AmeriCorps provided a “fresh perspective” on understanding the world around him, describing the program as a life “shake up.”

As a media representative for AmeriCorps, Ament said she was responsible for writing articles and implementing photography and video to be disseminated to the public. She performed this job despite not always having Internet access or cell phone reception, like when she and her team were living in an old lodge on Michigan county parkland.

“It’s not all despair,” Ament said, even when she and her team were living in tents in South Dakota, some of which flooded because of heavy rainfall the first week they were there. “There’s a lot of positive moments.”

STOP THE SILENCE

SUPPORT LGBTQ BOBCATS

TUE, NOVEMBER 5TH LBJ TEACHING THEATRE Social and resource fair at 6pm Movie starts at 6:30pm

PRAYERS FOR BOBBY SCREENING & SOCIAL Based on the true story of the life and legacy of Bobby Griffith, a young gay man who killed himself due to his mother’s and community's homophobia. Followed by a brief discussion.

WED, NOVEMBER 6TH TREVOR PROJECT LBJ TEACHING THEATRE Presentation starts at 6:30pm

PRESENTATION

A presentation open to all that will provide an overview of the elevated risk of suicide among (LGBTQ) youth. Best practices and practical steps others can take to promote a positive and safe environment.

Presenter: Arquimides Pacheco is Education Manager-West for the Trevor Project. He focuses on educating youth and adults through workshops, presentations, webinars and collaterals.

healthy

Health Promotion Services

Equity & Access Office

Vice President for Student Affairs Office

If you require accommodations(information in alternate format. Sign language interpreting) due to disability,contact (512-245-2208; ha10@txstate.edu) . Accommodation request should be made at least 72 hours in advance of the program start time to ensure availability.

4 | The University Star | Tuesday November 5, 2013

OPINIONS

UniversityStar.com

THE MAIN POINT

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Students must be informed, vote in elections

n honor of Election Day, it is important for Bobcats and residents to become informed on the candidates running for office, head out to the polls and cast their ballots for Place 1 and 2 on the San Marcos City Council.

City council representatives are vitally important to the daily operations within San Marcos.

Although presidential and gubernatorial candidates wield large policy-making powers, city councilmember decisions have a more direct effect on the everyday lives of students.

A few large decisions made by city councilmembers include voting to extend nightly bar hours until 2 a.m., passing an ordinance banning the public use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes inside local bars and restaurants and voting down the construction of a roundabout near Hunter Road. These are just a few of the many issues brought before the mayor and six city councilmembers at 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

Many Bobcats spend about four years at Texas State completing their degrees and exploring all San Marcos has to offer.

Although San Marcos may not be the town many students will call home after graduation, they should still get to know the local government behind the place they are studying, working and partying in. Becoming educated about hot-button issues such as city construction projects, student housing complexes and environmental protection is part of being an informed voting-age individual.

The right to vote is bestowed upon the masses at age 18, but some Bobcats may have trouble weaving their way through the often-confusing voter registration process. Other students may run into challenges while attempting to cast a ballot in San Marcos by discovering they are registered to vote back in their hometowns.

The website votetexas.gov aims to light the way for anyone left in the dark about voter registration.

Students who want to register for the first time or those who have moved to Texas State from outside Hays County can fill out an application and mail or deliver it in person to Joyce Cowan, elections administrator, located at 712

South Stagecoach Trail, Ste. 1045 or call 512-393-7310. New voters will receive a registration certificate 30 days after the application is submitted and accepted, so it is important to register by the end of September to receive voting permission by Election Day. If the registration deadline sneaks up too quickly, “limited” ballots are available to some voters who are late to register in their new counties.

For students who are residents of Hays County, the process for updating voting information to register in San Marcos is even simpler. Students can update the information on the back of their voter registration certificates and send it to Cowan, the voter registrar in Hays County. As more of a convenience, the information can also be easily updated online on the Texas Office of the Secretary of State—Voter Changes and Addresses website.

Regardless of whether students make it out to the polls, all students are expected to abide by the rules, regulations and ordinances put forth by elected city councilmembers. Students and residents should go to city council meetings and voice concerns about issues affecting the community. City councilmembers have been known to take student and resident perspectives into account when making large decisions. The recent Sessom Creek development and roundabout projects were voted down by councilmembers after considerable protests and involvement from the community.

Students make up a large percentage of the voting-age population in San Marcos. It only makes sense for Bobcats to become informed on local government matters and show up to cast their votes in elections—the city’s future depends on it.

Ryan Jeanes | Star Illustrator

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.

SOCIAL ISSUES

Career choices, not sexism drive wage gap in workforce

Ryan Pittman Opinions Columnist Journalism freshman

lthough the wage gap A between men and women still exists, it is not indicative of

sexism in the work force.

Gender equality is an issue all students should be educated about. There has been too much fighting between genders in the past decade when, in actuality,

both men and women should be working to form a society where they are treated equally. Sexist ideologies that insist one gender is better than the other need to be eliminated.

Many modern-day or thirdwave feminists are often misunderstood. A woman who stands for equality is not necessarily a man-hating freedom fighter ready to do anything or die a martyr for her cause. One of the focuses of the third-wave feminist movement is women’s role in the workforce. For example, in some professions women are paid less than their male counterparts.

One point many people fail to recognize is the wage gap is not an intentional or discriminatory practice. According to an Aug. 13 Washington Post blog post entitled “She the People,” women

may earn less than men due to occupational choices. Women only make up about 14 percent of workers in higher paying fields such as engineering and architecture, but account for more than 80 percent of the teaching industry. It does not take a rocket scientist to see women make less than men due to occupational choices—with an emphasis on choice. The gender barrier for any occupation has been demolished, leaving free choice for anyone to pursue a career.

Men would not exist without women, but it works both ways.

Parenting is one of the noblest positions a person can take on.

However, a child needs relentless care and supervision. Women often leave careers to take care of their children. This contributes to the wage gap in that women

must leave work to raise their child, and therefore present more of a risk to businesses looking to hire.

Some employers at high-paying positions are not as likely to hire people who require time between their job and other responsibilities such as children. In addition, it seems women returning to the work force after having children have less work experience on average than their male counterparts, again leading to a reduction in wages.

Women are more than capable to do the work of any man.

Whether the job be physical labor or intense math calculations, a woman’s work is just as good as their male counterpart’s.

However, many women are less likely to work a full-time schedule and appear more likely to leave

the labor force for longer periods of time than men. This further widens the wage gap. It is illegal for a company to pay anyone less because of their gender, race, religious belief or sexual orientation. The wage gap that does exist is not there due to discriminatory practices, but rather to the extenuating circumstances women face.

Regardless of gender, every human is a person. Although there are still some issues when it comes to gender equality in the U.S., the wage gap is not one of them. Women and men alike need to realize not every issue is about gender versus gender. Until we come together as equals and stop fighting amongst ourselves, we will never be able to tackle bigger, more important issues that run rampant in our nation.

BAD HABITS

Denying compliments off-putting, should be avoided

Alexis Aguirre Opinions Columnist Journalism freshman

is an important Swhileelf-love concept for students to learn they are in college, and

Bobcats should focus on learning to accept compliments while remaining somewhat modest.

Nothing is worse than people who constantly bash themselves in hopes of receiving a compliment. It is even more annoying when people continue putting

The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building, Room 101 San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708

themselves down and end up denying the compliment they were fishing for in the first place.

People should readily accept the compliments they are given.

Denying them is rude to the person who gave the compliment and beyond frustrating.

As many students are at an age of self-exploration and growth, they should learn how to balance modesty and self-love now, while they still have time.

I am a person who gives out compliments like candy on Halloween. I believe it is important to let the people around me know how wonderful they are.

But, when a person I just complimented denies my praise, I am immediately turned off.

Denying compliments is annoying, offensive and should be avoided at all costs. When someone insists another’s praise

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is not true, it is like a slap in the face to the person giving out the compliment. Denying someone’s compliment is equal to calling them a liar. It is inconsiderate to the people going out of their way to be nice.

Aside from being rude, the compliment denial can come off as straight-up offensive. If I tell someone they are smart after they received a whole letter grade above me on an exam and they in turn deny it, I will take it the wrong way. If they do not think they are smart, what does that make me, who made an even worse grade?

Compliments are given to show admiration for another person. While the receiver may not mean to be malicious by denying a compliment, it can come off that way if it is tied up in the giver’s perception of themselves.

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Often, people end up denying compliments due to low self-esteem. It is easier said than done, but students should work on maintaining a healthy selfesteem. Doing so will not only benefit students, but the people who care about them.

Students should understand compliments are given for a reason and should be appreciative of others for noticing and praising their good qualities.

More often than not, compliments come from a sincere place and should be taken that way.

Denying compliments is rude, but another annoying trait worth mentioning is overhyping.

Overhyping happens when someone just completely abandons modesty. It is pretty much the opposite of the hypercritical, overly-modest behavior that comes along with denying com-

pliments. While students should build up a healthy self-love, they should not be their own personal hype-man.

No one should walk around honestly believing he or she is the greatest thing that ever lived.

That kind of arrogance is totally obnoxious. If people receive compliments, they should not respond with “duh” or “yeah, I know.” A simple “thank you” will suffice.

Students should find a balance between overly-critical modesty and arrogant self-confidence.

Self-love is an important concept for students to grasp while they are still young, but knowing how to accept compliments graciously and with modesty is important. There is a delicate balance between knowing how awesome you are and coming off as a cocky jerk.

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The University Star | Tuesday November 5, 2013 | 5

SPORTS

UniversityStar.com

VOLLEYBALL

Bobcats split final home games, move to 8–6 in Sun Belt

By Bert Santibanez

Assistant Sports Editor @BertSantibanez

The Texas State volleyball team finished its final two home games of the season against Western Kentucky and Georgia State this weekend, splitting both games and improving to 8–6 in conference play.

Western Kentucky combined for 60

more kills, assists and digs than the Bobcats in the match Friday. Junior middle-blocker Heather Boyan finished with a team-high 14 kills in the game, hitting .545 from the court.

“A big issue in the first two sets was passing (against Western Kentucky),” said Coach Karen Chisum. “We weren’t passing well enough to set up favorable options. That’s the area where we strug-

Reynaldo Leanos | Staff Photographer Senior middle blocker Ashlee Hilbun returns a volley against Georgia State Nov 2. at Strahan Coliseum.

The Bobcats defeated Georgia State 3–1.

gled the most. We tried to put some new personnel in the third set, but it backfired on us.”

Western Kentucky’s win against Texas State marks the fifth consecutive straight set victory for the Lady Toppers. This is the second occasion during the season Western Kentucky defeated Texas State in straight sets.

Freshman outside hitter Shelby Vas Matt and senior middle blocker Molly Ahrens combined for 12 kills in the match. No Texas State players recorded double-digit kills during the contest.

Senior right-side hitter Amari Deardorff ended with three kills, which is her second lowest total of the season in the category. Deardorff finished with a -.056 hitting percentage, which is a season-low. Texas State finished the match with a collective .153 hitting percentage, with Western Kentucky ending with a team hitting percentage .270 from the court.

The Bobcats finished their final home game of the season Saturday against Georgia State, a team that came into the matchup on a four-game winning streak.

Seniors Ashlee Hilbun, Deardorff and Ahrens were honored prior to the game for Senior Day. Both Hilbun and Deardorff have played their entire collegiate careers at Texas State, with Deardorff recognized as the16th player in Texas State history to accumulate more than 1,000 kills during her tenure with the program.

Texas State defeated the Panthers Saturday in four sets. Deardorff led the team with 15 kills during the match.

Hilbun, Deardorff and Ahrens totaled 34 kills in the game, with Hilbun finishing with 10 and three assisted blocks.

“The team was so motivated to win for our fans. It’s really great to be able to get the win in from us,” Deardorff said.

“We’ve had such great crowds all season. I really like our mentality right now.

There’s a concentration with getting better going into the conference tournament with our remaining games of the season.”

Freshman outside hitter Kelsey Weynand and sophomore libero Sierra Smith combined to gather 32 digs in the match. Ahrens finished with a team-best .368 hitting percentage from the court, generating nine kills and four assisted blocks. Junior setter Caylin Mahoney finished the game with a team-high 18 digs.

“Before the team came out here tonight, they said ‘we’re winning this game for the seniors,’” Chisum said. “We’re looking for the number two or three seed for the tournament, and I don’t think anyone will stop us. We feel pretty good about ourselves right now.”

TWEET OF THE WEEK

CROSS COUNTRY

Texas State falls short in Sun Belt Championships

By Josh Zigrang Sports Reporter @JoshZigrang

The women’s cross country teams traveled to Troy, Ala. to compete in their first Sun Belt Conference Championships last weekend.

In Coach Brian Jackson’s first time during his three-year career with the Bobcats, his women’s team placed sixth out of 10 teams in the 5K run. The men placed eighth out of nine teams in their 8K run.

Coming in for the Bobcats’ best time was senior Michelle Jones who was able to win All-Conference Honors with her 12th place finish after a time of 18:42.3.

Jones’ career-best time is 18:14.5 when she competed in the 2012 Concordia University Invitational.

“Michelle (Jones) ended her senior season right,” Jackson said. “I am just really happy for Michelle for ending her senior year on the All-Conference team.”

Freshman Gabriela Ortegon took a 29th place finish with a time of 19:32.2.

Sophomore Kelly Trevino came in 17 seconds later with a 35th place finish and was followed by freshman Keila Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has been leading the women in most of the meets, but finished her first conference championship placing lower than anticipated.

“We are very competitive people,” Jackson said. “We expect to win.”

Following Rodriguez came sophomore Briana Sharp in 40th with a time of 20:02.1 and freshman Chelsea Thompson in 47th place clocking in at 20:25.1.

Sophomore Haley Pilcher finished in 54th place (21:09.3) and Sophia Overton in 60th (21:27.2).

Arkansas State won the women’s gold with a score of 50. Texas State earned 151 points on the women’s side of the course and edged out University of Lou-

isiana-Lafayette, Troy, Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas—Little Rock.

Jackson saw two of his runners place in the top-25 during the Nov. 2nd meet.

Sophomore Joseph Pena and junior Joseph Rodriguez tied at 21st place with a time of 26:46.6. Pena has been leading the men’s team all season for the Bobcats as Rodriguez has been trying to place in the top 10.

“As a runner, I am never satisfied,” Pena said. “I (was) hoping for a third place finish at conference.”

Two men runners earned a top-25 finish, but Jackson said he was not impressed with the team’s performance.

“It just wasn’t our weekend,” Jackson said. “I know what I have. I know what they are capable of, and that is why I think it hurts.”

Following Pena and Rodriguez was sophomore Weston O’Donnell finishing 30th for the Bobcats with a time of 27:10.7.

Junior Brian Tasson came in the top-45 runners with a time of 27:54.9, earning a 44th place finish. Tasson came before freshman Alec Saucedo who crossed the finish line in 48th place after completing the course in 28:15.2.

Rounding out for the Bobcat men was sophomore Tyrone Jackson with a time and placement of 28:53.7 and 56th.

The men’s portion of the race consisted of 66 individual runners from a collection of nine teams from the Sun Belt. The men were able to beat out just one team, Troy, who hosted the event.

UT-Arlington was named the victor of the day for the men’s course after beating the defending champion Arkansas-Little Rock. The Trojans came in second place with a total score of 54 while the Mavericks had 23 points.

Jackson has made it clear a select few will compete in the Nov. 15 South Central Regionals. As of now, Jackson decided Michelle Jones will be the only

Bobcat going. Joseph Pena may make an appearance, but Jackson has not yet decided.

“I will make the decision in a couple days,” Jackson said. “My teams didn’t show me that they were ready to go and be competitive. Michelle is the only one who has earned that right.”

After the South Central Regionals, the Bobcat cross-country season will be over.

The team fell short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

“Sometimes life hurts,” Jackson said.

“That’s life.”

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6 | The University Star | Sports | Tuesday November 5, 2013

FOOTBALL

Bobcats bowl eligible for first time in history

37–21 victory over Idaho moves team to 6–3 on season

By Samuel Rubbelke Sports Reporter @SamuelRubbelke

The Texas State football team became bowl eligible for the first time in school history Saturday with a 37–21 victory over Idaho.

The team is also the second

fastest in history to become bowl eligible after joining the Football Bowl Subdivision. Marshall University was the fastest program to reach bowl eligibility after joining the FBS in 1997.

“We’re bowl eligible, but we know there’s no guarantees,” said Coach Dennis Franchione. “You’d

like to think we’re attractive. It’s only our second year in the FBS.” With six seconds remaining before halftime, freshman quarterback Tyler Jones completed a pass in the back of the end zone on the Idaho 4-yard line to senior wide receiver Isaiah Battle. The onehanded catch gave the Bobcats a

23–14 lead heading into halftime.

Texas State is 5–0 this season when leading at the half.

“I thought Idaho played well,” Franchione said. “Probably one of their best games of the year. The score before the half was huge.”

Jones ended the first half completing 13 of 14 passes for 132 yards. The freshman quarterback recorded a career-high 19 completions for the game.

yards rushing.

The Bobcats averaged 192.3 rushing yards per game heading into the contest against the Vandals. Texas State rushed for a season-low 108 yards on the ground, gaining 2.8 yards per rush attempt.

“Our (running) backs ran hard,” Franchione said. “Their defense defended the run well. They didn’t give us an opportunity for big plays.”

“We’re bowl eligible, but we know there’s no guarantees. You’d like to think we’re attractive. It’s only our second year in the FBS.” —Coach Dennis Franchione

Austin Humphreys | Star File Photo Texas State football defeated Idaho 37–21 Nov. 2 on the road. The win gives the Bobcats bowl game eligibility for the first time in program history.

Team Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Monroe Arkansas State Troy Texas State Western Kentucky South Alabama Georgia State

Sun Belt

Pct.

3-0 3-1 2-1 3-2 2-2 2-3 1-3 0-4

1.000 .750 .666 .600 .500 .400 .250 .000

Overall 6-2 5-4 4-4 5-4 6-3 5-4 3-5 0-9

Streak W6 W3 W1 L1 W2 W1 L2 L9

For the second straight game, Jones passed for two or more touchdowns and finished with a career-high 228 passing yards.

Jones threw a 67-yard pass to junior running back Terrence Franks with 8:47 left in the fourth quarter.

This marked the longest reception of Franks’ career, and the longest touchdown pass of Jones’ career. “(Jones) might be a freshman, but he’s amazing,” Franchione said. “He had his best game. It was a solid performance. They left opportunities in the throwing game and as the young man gets more game experience, we’re able to do more things—that’s to his credit.”

For the second time in his career, sophomore running back Robert Lowe compiled two-plus touchdowns in a game. Lowe’s first score came early in the first quarter from 1 yard out, and the second came with 12:04 in the second quarter capitalizing on a 9-yard run. Lowe finished with 61

Sophomore running back Tim Gay scored a 20-yard touchdown in the third quarter with 5:52 remaining. The touchdown was his first this season and marked his longest run of the year.

The defense was led by senior safety Aaron Matthews, who recovered his third fumble of the season on the first play. Matthews took the ball to the Vandals’ 28-yard line, which led to Lowe’s first touchdown of the game.

Matthews finished with a careerhigh 13 tackles. Junior linebacker Michael Orakpo ended the night with a career-high 11 tackles.

Senior wide receiver Andy Erickson registered a season-long 40-yard punt return in the second quarter and finished the game with 71 all-purpose yards.

“We have three big games left,” Franchione said. “They all have an impact on everything.

The best thing we can do is just keep playing.”

W

Texas State

37

South Alabama

21