THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2015 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 27
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CITY
Memorial Day flood impact worth $7 million in damages By Rae Glassford NEWS REPORTER @rae_maybe
town.” Conley’s original goal was to have the bridge reconstructed by the one-year anniversary of the Memorial Day weekend flood. However, he said the project is moving quickly and may be completed before then. “You’re going to see a lot of activity (at the bridge site),” Conley said. “I’m very pleased with how it is moving along.” The Post Road bridge was lost in Commissioner Ray Whisenant’s, Precinct 4, jurisdiction. Whisenant is still pursuing the possibility of building a temporary bridge. Whisenant is waiting for Hays County officials to calculate the total cost of a temporary bridge. He expects to receive the estimated cost by the end of the week. After that, he will present the plan in Commissioners Court. The Precinct 4 commissioner said his goal is to have a temporary bridge built by Jan. 1. If it cannot be built by then, it will become illogical to construct the bridge at all because it would not be in place long before needing to be removed, Whisenant said. If built, the temporary bridge will be in place until the state of Texas finalizes plans for the new, perma-
During this year’s Memorial Day weekend, Central Texas was on the receiving end of flash floods that reached historically unprecedented levels. Nearly six months later, the financial and environmental extent of the damage has been calculated. The total cost of flood damage is $7 million for the region which includes Blanco, Hays, Guadalupe and Caldwell counties, said Kristi Wyatt, director of communications and intergovernmental relations for the city of San Marcos. “We can’t prevent flooding,” said Fire Marshal Kenneth Bell, emergency management coordinator for San Marcos. “That is nature.” However, there are flood mitigation and damage reduction techniques in place to help alleviate the adverse effects of flooding, he said. The safety measures include notification systems, drainage installation, construction of walls and dams and adherence to proper building codes. Electric substations were damaged, affecting electricity and related utilities across the region, he said. Infrastructure damage was primarily composed of drainage outfall, which destroyed roadways and residential homes. As a result of flood damage, city officials were prompted to issue substantial damage determination notices to residents whose properties were assessed as being fifty percent damaged or greater, Wyatt said. This was done in an attempt to alleviate repair costs for the most severely damaged homes. Damage to infrastructure inflicted by the Memorial Day weekend flood is expected to last anywhere from three to five years and affected areas within 43 miles of river, Bell said. Increased volume of water in the Blanco and San Marcos rivers due to flooding has likewise raised concerns regarding soil erosion, water quality and the impact floods have on the rivers’ natural ecosystem, he said. “During big floods, it is common to observe a greatly increased bacteria count in the water,” said Geary Schindel, chief technical officer and director of aquifer science for the Edwards Aquifer Authority. “During very high discharge events, you can see water quality degrade as human and animal waste discharges into the river.” Degradation of water quality during storm events is categorized into non-point source pollution and pointsource pollution, Schindel said. Non-point source pollution is runoff, whereas pointsource pollution encompasses any source of pollution that is more specific, such as a discharge pipe from a water treatment plant. For urban flooding events, Hays County typically receives primarily non-point source pollution washing into streams, Schindel said. Because San Marcos is a high-
See BRIDGE, Page 2
See FLOOD, Page 2
SAM KING STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Phi Mu Alpha sings Hallelujah at the Homecoming Talent Show Nov. 4.
Annual Homecoming Talent Show brings diverse performances By Madison Morriss NEWS REPORTER @themorrisscode
Bobcats showed up to the homecoming talent show to display their unique abilities, ranging from an elaborate stomping number to a performance with a Chinese yo-yo at Evans Auditorium Wednesday night. Mal Hall, a San Diego comedian, hosted the event that consisted of 14 acts. Eight winners were crowned, including Phi Mu Alpha, the overall winners of the show. “It’s crazy (that we won) because this is just some-
thing that we do for fun,” said Johnny Edds, Phi Mu Alpha member. “This is something that we’ll just be doing in the music hall in between classes and we’ll just start singing.” Nick Raul’s musical performance won him the prize for the solo category. Singers were a crowd favorite at the event, and Phi Mu Alpha were named the winners of the large group division and the overall champions of the talent show for their rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” “The one thing that we really wanted to make sure
ELECTION
that we did tonight was just have fun,” Edds said. “We didn’t expect to win because we had a lot of technical difficulties, or just missing steps, and it’s just an added bonus that we won.” Harambee Dance Group won the artistic movement category with an energetic stomp routine. Morgan Stephan, French sophomore, performed with a Diablo, or Chinese yo-yo, and was rewarded with the variety category trophy. Alondra Garcia, interdisciplinary studies freshman, thought the talent show was entertaining and attention-
grabbing. “I really liked the step dancing group (Harambee Dance),” Garcia said. “It was very unique from all of the other acts.” Throughout the talent show, Hall introduced the performers with comedic delivery. “I think the event was awesome, the acts were incredible,” Hall said. “There is a lot of talent on this campus and the energy from the crowd was also really, really good.” The night hosted a diverse array of performers, including a sign language singer
known on stage as Victoria Is Redeemed. “I think that the talent show was really great,” said Brandy Cannon, interdisciplinary studies freshman. “They had amazing acts and it was great to see them showcase their talents.” Alex Puryear, the Pride and Traditions coordinator, said this year’s show produced the greatest turnout in the event’s history. “I think this show was the best one yet,” Puryear said. “I think it was a great turnout and we have had a lot more people here and involved than we have ever had.”
FLOOD
Voter turnout slightly Commissioners work to improve commute higher than last off-year after two bridges lost due to floods election By Darcy Sprague SENIOR NEWS REPORTER @darcy_days
By Darcy Sprague SENIOR NEWS REPORTER @darcy_days
At the start of election season, organizations and local officials rushed to help students register to vote in an effort to combat low turnout at the polls, which has traditionally plagued the city. The effort seems to have paid off. Voter turnout for the Nov. 3 local election was higher than it was in 2013, the last offseason election. “In San Marcos, a lot of us take voting very seriously,” said Councilman John Thomaides, Place 3. “We know it is the only way for there to be change.” There were 3,158 votes cast in the Nov. 3 election, according to data provided by Hays County. In 2014, when both the governor of Texas and the mayor of San Marcos positions were up for election, 7,539 ballots were cast in the city. In 2013, only 2,284 ballots were cast. Thomaides said low voter turnout is an issue across the country, but the situation has been improving in San Marcos. He said early voting numbers were up by approximately 30 percent. This year 1,496 ballots were cast during early voting, compared to just 1,001 in 2013, according to the data. Ted Breihan, San Marcos
resident and former city council member, said there are more active citizens now than there were during his term in the 1970s. “We didn’t have quite the issues in San Marcos that we do now,” Breihan said. He said issues created as a result of a large influx of college students in the city and inefficient infrastructure that complicates getting around town are causing more citizens to vote. This year, there were 28,103 voters registered in San Marcos. That is 529 voters less than last year, but still 151 more than 2013, according to the data. “If you want to see change at the national level, you have to start at the local level,” said Holly Hearn, mass communication freshman and deputy communication director of College Democrats at Texas State. As campaign season kicked into high gear earlier this year, the College Democrats tabled on the Quad to help students register to vote in Hays County. “Most of us spend four to five years here, and most of us are impacted by issues like student housing and the river,” Hearn said. Newly elected Councilwoman Melissa Derrick, Place 6, said the flash flooding that occurred Oct. 30 possibly
See VOTING, Page 2
Six months after two bridges were demolished in the Memorial Day weekend flood, Hays County Commissioners are searching for solutions to improve commutes that previously relied on the structures. Commissioner Will Conley, Precinct 3, the Fischer Store Road bridge was destroyed by the flood. Conley began looking at solutions immediately, including the possibility of building a temporary bridge. However, on Oct. 6 Conley released a statement saying he was no longer pursuing the construction of a temporary bridge. A temporary structure would have to be built partly on private land. Construction on the permanent Fischer Store Road bridge is moving ahead of schedule, meaning it is no longer economically justifiable to create a temporary structure for the shortened amount of time left before the permanent one is completed, Conley said. “We missed the window of opportunity,” Conley said. “It’s a good and bad thing.” Conley said he worked with private landowners for months to come up with a plan for a temporary bridge
that would suit all parties involved, but was unable to find one. “We would get consensus from one landowner, then when we crossed the river we would run into another problem,” Conley said. “Now, we are out of time.” Conley said he was in favor of creating a temporary bridge because the public deserves an easy route during the construction process of the permanent structure. “All of those problems and different issues are private to the owner and their lives,” Conley said. “Those people have been through a lot.” Gary Tucker, San Marcos resident, said the loss of the bridge makes his daily commute longer, but he feels Conley and other county officials have been proactive about the situation. “I lost my home and two cars in the flood,” Tucker said. “It was hard on the county to lose a bridge like that, but we are all doing to best we can with what happened.” Tucker said getting to Wimberley has become particularly difficult. “It makes a huge impact on quality of life and convenience,” Conley said. “Not having the bridge makes it harder to get to work, the doctor’s or even just into
2 | Thursday, Novemeber 5, 2015
NEWS
The University Star Anna Herod, News Editor @annaleemurphy starnews@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
FLOOD, from front density urban area, oil and metal often flush into the river from construction sites. “In addition, we get sanitation sewer lines that tend to overflow during floods because of excess water infiltration,” Schindel said.
“There are many potential sources for degradation of water quality, especially in cases where infrastructure is damaged, due to the runoff from industrial sites.” In light of the 12 deaths confirmed after the Memo-
rial Day weekend floods, personal safety is at the forefront of community concerns. “The primary safety concern during floods is driving into water,” Bell said. In its “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” online campaign, the
Texas Department of Public Safety has urged residents of flood-prone areas to think critically about the volume of water it takes to overturn the average vehicle. The DPS’s announcement states that six inches of wa-
ter can cause tires to lose traction and begin to slide, whereas twelve inches of water can float many cars, and two feet of rushing water will carry off pick-up trucks and SUVs. Precautions that can be
taken to avoid flooded areas are detailed in the city’s official Flood Protection Plan, which is available on the city’s website.
VOTING, from front stopped more people from voting. “People are too busy cleaning up from the flood and too focused of taking care of their family, as they should be,” Derrick said. “And honestly, the flood can be depressing.” Derrick said low voter turnout is partly a result of a city government that has ignored the wants of citizens in the past. She said the unresponsiveness can make citizens feel disenfranchised. As a city councilwoman, Derrick said she hopes to restore people’s faith in local government, which will encourage citizens to vote in upcoming elections. Citizens were ignored when they voted to trans-
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form Cape’s Camp into parkland, Derrick said. Instead the area became the location for a student housing development, which some residents believe worsened the effects of the Memorial Day weekend flooding in the adjacent neighborhood, Blanco Gardens. Holly Doyle, member of the Texas State chapter of Texas Freedom Network, stood in the Quad Nov. 3 and helped students register to vote, even though it was too late for this year’s city council election. Doyle said the chapter is committed to fostering a strong sense of civic engagement among university students.
BRIDGE, from front nent bridge, then it would be removed so the permanent structure could be built. Whisenant said he has to get approval from the Texas Department of Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad and Hays County before he can create the temporary bridge. Once the temporary structure is removed, the county will be able to reuse the materials for bridge repair work
in the future. Whisenant said some residents in the area have told him the absence of a bridge adds 25 minutes to their commute to work. State officials have told Whisenant that plans for the bridge will be completed by May 16. Construction on the permanent Post Road bridge will begin in June or July and be completed by the end of the year.
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“I vote because it is incredibly important to be engaged in your community,” Doyle said. However, Doyle is not expecting to see a big change in voter turnout in the near future. She said it is going to be a gradual process. Including Washington D.C., Texas is 51st in terms of voter turnout, Doyle said. Doyle believes this is because Texas Voter ID laws makes it hard to vote. She said many citizens are disenfranchised. “I’m not inclined to say millennials are apathetic, because I’ve seen that generation show empathy,” Doyle said. “But, many have not mobilized to vote.”
The University Star
Thursday, November 5, 2015 | 3
LIFESTYLE
Mariah Simank, Lifestyle Editor @MariahSimank starlifestyle@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
MUSIC
Men’s and Women’s Choir join for collaborative performance By Lauren Friesenhahn LIFESTYLE REPORTER @laurenf1122
On Nov. 15, the Men and Womens’ Choirs at Texas State will stand side-by-side for a concert in the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. Craig Aamot, VocaLibre and Texas State Men’s Choir conductor, said he will be directing the Men’s Choir while Lynn Brinckmeyer, Professor of Music and Choral Music Education director, will be leading the Women’s Choir. Caitlyn Durkee, music education freshman, is one of the women singing in the concert. She said each performer is looking forward to sharing the stage with their
fellow Bobcats. When preparing for performances, Durkee said she takes all of her nervous energy and channels it into something productive. She also makes sure to express the pieces facially and musically. Durkee said she is excited for audience members to see the wide variety of songs. “We have a couple of spiritual pieces which are going to be really cool and they have a really unique style that, personally, I really enjoy,” Durkee said. “We’re also singing Mozart with the Men’s Choir.” George Sani, pre-music education freshman, said he is excited to perform Mozart. “It’s Mozart, so it’s light, it’s supposed to be tasteful,
it’s supposed to be really classical,” Sani said. “It’s this gigantic piece where both the Men and the Women’s Choir come together, and you’ll get to see every single voice part show off in their own way.” Sani said the Men’s Choir would also have a few performances of their own. “We’re working on an Appalachian carol and an Irish piece,” Sani said. “The Appalachian carol is ‘Pretty Saro’ and the Irish piece is ‘Down by the Salley Gardens.’” Brinckmeyer said many of the pieces the Women’s Choir will be performing were originally written in the twentieth century. She said each choir has been preparing for the
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concert since the semester began. “Some pieces we learn very quickly, and some pieces need to be broken down into little sections and sort of— we call it ‘wood-shedding,’ where we’ll work on notes and rhythms,” Brinckmeyer said. Brinckmeyer said the variety of voices on stage makes for a truly magical performance. “The ladies have a variety of different talents and experiences in the ensemble because we have people who are not music majors all the
way up to graduate students and women who have been to All-State,” Brinckmeyer said. Brinckmeyer said the concert will feature five pieces in a different language, which was an obstacle many of the performers had to overcome while learning their music. “Almost half the concert has different languages, so if the ladies are unfamiliar with the language, then that’s a whole other layer of complexity,” Brinckmeyer said. “So it depends on each song, how we break it down and learn it.” With each new piece in the
performance, Sani said he starts from square one and slowly works his way though the song. After the performers familiarize themselves with each song, Sani said Aamot will break them into groups according to bass, tenor, or treble sections. “We start with learning the actual notes of the song, just having the groundwork,” Sani said. “And then we work on things like articulation, keeping it light, making sure that it sounds musical instead of just people hammering out notes.”
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4 | Thursday, November 5, 2015
The University Star
OPINIONS
Brandon Sams, Opinions Editor @TheBrandonSams staropinion@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
THE MAIN POINT
The horrors of “dude-bro” culture and fragile masculinity
W
ho knew unicorns and phones were exclusive to women? Better yet, who knew objectifying and placing undue gender expectations on them could be so predictable? In an interview with now-infamous DJs Justin Credible and Eric D-Lux of California’s Power 106 FM, songbird and official badass Ariana Grande laid down the law on sexism and archaic double standards. After a question about makeup and phone use, the Sophie’s choice of every woman this side of the Mason-Dixon line, Grande responded, “Is this men assuming that that’s what girls would have to choose between?” One of the boys quickly retorted, “Yes!” As if that was not enough to raise an eyebrow, they continued. After Grande’s explanation, one quipped, “Ladies, learn. Listen and learn, ladies.” An unimpressed Grande, with side-eye in full effect, countered: “Boys, learn, come on now, boys and girls—we can all learn.” The interview took a turn for the worse when they brought up the new unicorn emoji and its apparently intrinsic female qualities. Grande had finally had enough—this was the straw that broke
the unicorn’s back. “Boys, many boys use the unicorn. You need a brushing-up on equality over here. Who says unicorn emoji isn’t for men? I changed my mind, I don’t want to hang out at Power 106 anymore.” While comprising an admittedly hilarious rapport, the behaviors and comments of the two male DJs are all too common. These thoughts have led to the materialization of the covertly misogynistic, willfully obtuse and mundanely self-important “dude-bro.” Everyone has seen him. He makes his presence known immediately. If the dude-bro is not identified by his loud and overbearing smell and gaudy behavior, then he is sure to be recognized by his antiquated beliefs and reliance on double standards. There is nothing more fragile than the ego of a man so entrenched in the rigid powers of patriarchy and masculinity, he fails to see the ways it encumbers his own life. Gender expectations do not only do a disservice to women, but constricts the free and unfiltered expression of men as well. Society continues to indoctrinate misogyny into the minds of everyone: male, female and all those who fall in between or out-
side the gender binary. Women who take on traditionally male characteristics are lauded, because after all, what is more profound and soughtafter than maleness? The privilege and power alone would enthrall even the most devoted of feminist. Being compared to a woman, though? No one wants that. Being feminine is derided and seen as inherently inferior to the masculine counterpart. No one wants to lie in the contemptuous position women hold in society. Surely, if a man would forgo his privilege and position to “mimic” the attributes of a woman, there is something wrong with him. He must be ridiculed, questioned and indicted for his inherently uncharacteristic identification, and that is how misogyny affects men. Femme-phobia is its name. The fear, hatred and aversion to people and things perceived feminine or effeminate runs rampant in much of the masculinized psyche. Not out of fear, as much aversion has its roots, but spite. Too often society teaches men to deny supposed feminine qualities such as grace, humility, compassion and kindness. Yet, words have no gender. Qualities are not confined by the anatomy or identifi-
AZALIE MILLER STAR ILLUSTRATOR
cation of an individual. To believe this is to maintain the status quo, and to maintain the status quo is to perpetuate systematic sexism and misogyny. The root of homophobia is not an aversion to samesex behavior or attraction, but a hatred and distrust of shifted gender norms, roles and expectations.
Much of society’s ills and bigotries derive at least a part of their bias from the performativity of gender expressions and patriarchal paradigms. Gender expectations kill individuality, and in this “dude-bro” culture is sorely lacking in distinctive, original norms. Once people understand just how
restrictive misogyny is and how ingrained it remains in the unconscious minds of the passive population, society can progress. The world has a lot of growing up to do, and it starts with the oldest of oppressive forces. It starts with the world’s original sin: deriding women, femininity and womanhood.
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.
America needs a national university
Mikala Everett OPINIONS COLUMNIST @mikala_maquella
O
ur great nation was founded on the principles of liberty, equality and justice—cue the bald eagle noises. If our shining beacon of democracy were to have a national university, those principles would be achieved. A national university would provide education for low-income individuals who do not have the funds or the access to attend a traditional university or community college. According to Forbes, only 11 percent of students from bottom-quartile families graduate from four-year universities. In America, a college education is essentially required for most jobs because a high school diploma is no longer efficient. By creating a national university, students from low-income families can have a chance at a brighter future. When lower-income students go to school, they are not just helping themselves and their families. The more educated people in America, the smarter the nation would become as a whole. Our nation would rise to become a country of intellectuals, innovators and game-changers. A national university would be accessible anywhere in the country. Thankfully, we live in a time where online learning is available and easy to use. Therefore, there would not be
any need to waste money on buildings, dorms, meal plans and crappy parking. Students would not have to leave the comfort of their homes or their local Starbucks to receive a higher education, because buildings or other unnecessary college moneysuckers won’t be needed. A national university would not cost taxpayers a dime, which would be another silver lining. After all, a national university was George Washington’s dying wish. Who are we to deny the first president’s final dream? It’s time for Washington’s great idea to be applied. Tuition across the country is steadily rising and more students are in debt now than they have been before. Seven in 10 seniors who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in 2014 had student loan debt. Only about 30 percent of students are likely to walk away without any debt, and this is not okay. The small fraction of students leaving college without debt have a much greater advantage than those stuck in the trenches of loans because the debt-free have more funds. They can buy a new car after college or travel the world. On the other hand, to avoid the accumulation of even more debt, students will have to work off their loans as soon as they graduate. The burden of crippling debt is one that students should not have to bear. A national university can change all of this. It will offer opportunities to those who did not have any and will make our country’s founding principles true. America will, once again, be a great nation of liberty, equality and justice.
Jeffrey Bradshaw ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR @jeffbrad12
TALK IT
OUT NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
-Mikala Everett is a marketing sophomore
The University Star Editor-in-Chief...........................................Kelsey Bradshaw, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor.......................Imani McGarrell, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters................................................................................universitystar@txstate.edu News Editor........................................................Anna Herod, starnews@txstate.edu Sports Editor..............................................Paul Livengood, starsports@txstate.edu Lifestyle Editor.........................................Mariah Simank, starlifestyle@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..........................................Brandon Sams, staropinion@txstate.edu Multimedia Editor..............................Daryl Ontiveros, starmultimedia@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief....................................Abby Marshall, starcopychief@txstate.edu
National university redundant, unnecessary
There are several avenues to obtaining your college degree, but getting one from a national university should not be included on that list. The United States does not currently, and should not ever, have a national university. Of course public universities are, in part, funded and run by state governments, but the U.S. should never join this club. The governor appoints people to the board of trustees, as well as other various positions. So based on this model, the president would appoint these people if the U.S. had a public university. While deciding whom to appoint for Secretary of Defense, the president would also have to consider which educators to appoint. With every new president, there would be a whole new board of regents. This does not sound like a big problem, but after factoring how highly politicized the president’s actions are, the complaints and partisanship would get annoying very fast. Then there’s the issue of funding. States fund public universities, beyond what tuition pays, which means the federal government would also have to contribute to their newfound school. More than one of these national universities would likely be established, so the amount of money spent would only increase. The amount of money the
federal government spends needs to go down, not up. Allocating money for national universities would not be in the best interest of the American taxpayer. Then there is the question of who would run this university within the federal government. The obvious answer is the Department of Education. However, the Department of Education already has a huge number of programs to execute, and dumping a school on them would only lead to a poorly-run national university. Additionally, the Department of Education is subject to change every four or eight years because of the presidency term limit. Having such a high turnover rate would only end badly for a national university. The federal bureaucracy needs to be cleaned up and made more efficient in general. A national university would only go against this need for a better-run federal bureaucracy. The federal government has no business running a university. Colleges in America are some of the best in the world—all without having the federal government involved in the same way states are. Therefore, there is no need for a national university. There is reform needed at many public universities across the nation. Setting standards for curricula is something that the federal government should do, but getting involved in the actual creation and administration of a nationally funded and operated university is not needed. We have public and private universities, as well as community colleges, and they all get the job of educating the masses done fairly well. A national university would simply be redundant and a waste of much-needed funds. - Jeffrey Bradshaw is a political science junior
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The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Monday and Thursday of the spring and fall and every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright Thursday, November 5, 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. The first five issues of each edition of the paper are free. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased at 50¢ per copy. Contact The University Star office at (512) 245-3487 to purchase additional copies.
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Thursday, November 5, 2015 | 5
The University Star
LIFESTYLE ART
Student artwork transforms LBJ Student Center By Louis Zylka LIFESTYLE REPORTER @OrinZylka
A group of Texas State students had their artwork recognized Nov. 2 in the GaillARTdia exhibition. The art competition was formed to encourage Texas State students to create art for the LBJ Student Center. Jordan Sturdivant, student curator at the LBJSC, said three students won for Best of Show, Most Original and Best Use of Theme. All 13 entries submitted will be on display in the LBJ Student Center for the rest of the semester. Sturdivant said she got involved with the exhibition by helping to recruit Texas State artists. Sturdivant said it was the goal of organizers to create an exhibit that engaged students and brought awareness to the resources the student center has to offer. “Our visual mission statement is to engage Texas State students to support the development of the LBJ Student Center,” Sturdivant said. Sturdivant said GaillARTdia was created as a strategy to promote student art and talent throughout the building. She said the department hopes to make the competition an annual event. “The new visual arts program in the LBJ Student Center was created as an initiative to get more student art in the student center and improve the aesthetics overall,” Sturdivant said. Sturdivant said the artists involved were allowed to submit any type of artwork as long as it was centered on their interpretation or influence of the school’s flower, the gaillardia. Melina Sweet, communication design senior, said she submitted a screen-printed poster dedicated to the gaillardia flower. Sweet said an exhibition of crafted work done by students in the building sounded great from the moment she heard it. “I was really excited that we were going to be opening a gallery
Mariah Simank, Lifestyle Editor @MariahSimank starlifestyle@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
in the student center, so I wanted to participate,” Sweet said. Sweet said she did some research on the school’s flower to find motivation while creating her screen print. She said it was a unique experience to be a part of a schoolspirited event where others could see her work. ”The exhibition is something that can get that crowd into the homecoming spirit for the week and the rest of the semester,” Sweet said. Sturdivant said the timing of the exhibition allowed organizers to encourage students to get more involved in the homecoming process and related events. “It’s just a school-spirited event with a more artistic spin for students who are more interested in art than sports or anything else,” Sturdivant said. Sweet said the competition is an opportunity to get all students to learn about Texas State’s history. She said it is important to recognize student talent from all areas of campus. “It was nice seeing actual student-made work that relates back to the university,” Sweet said. “And it was nice in general to be putting up more art in the building.” Megan Ducote, communication design senior, said she thought entering the competition was a good opportunity to practice her talents. This experience has helped develop her portfolio. “As an art student, we are always prompted to try to put your work into as many shows as possible,” she said. Ducote said this new exhibit is a great way to engage students who wouldn’t normally take part in homecoming events. She said many art majors are busy preparing for the end of the semester this time of year and don’t always have time to join their peers for school activities. “Having something where art students can participate and be actively involved in the homecoming events is a really awesome initiative,” Ducote said.
MUSIC
Q&A with country singer Stoney LaRue By Mariah Simank LIFESTYLE EDITOR @MariahSimank
Native Texan Stoney LaRue made sure his fans picked every song when he put together his latest album. The University Star sat down with LaRue to discuss his new music and upcoming show at The Marc. Mariah Simank: What can people expect from this tour you are on right now and your upcoming show at The Marc on Nov. 5? Stoney LaRue: Now we're in the wake of our new album, Us Time, so we're going to be playing some songs off of that. It's kind of a walk through the history of our music, but with an emphasis on Us Time. MS: You mentioned your new album, which was released on Oct. 16. Where did you find inspiration for this album? SL: From the fans. The fans have been asking me throughout the years to record certain songs in a studio format, which I haven't had the opportunity or the means to do. When signing with eOne Music we had the idea to use what the fans had been asking for as a launch for this CD project. Every song on there was picked by the fans. MS: How would you say the music on this album differs from your other music? SL: Some of them I didn't write. On my other albums I write my music. There's some covers on here as well as some songs that I've written, but it's also stuff that I've been singing throughout my career that I get to finally revisit and record in that
studio way. MS: Have you ever played in San Marcos? SL: Let me count how many times—about a million and one times, I think. MS: I figured. What is it like playing here, and what have you come to expectfromshowswhen you're here? SL: Well, I played there on the football field before and that was a good time. It was a good nice, big and energetic. You could feel it in the air. I absolutely love Cheatham Street, which is where I cut my teeth in San Marcos. Going to play at The Marc—that has a wonderful theater setting—is the perfect setup for music, which is the culture of this area, so I'm happy to be a representative for that. MS: What would you say your songwriting process is like? SL: There's a blue pill and a red pill ... no, I'm kidding. No, you just get together, and I try to take as much motivation as I can out of everything that I see. There was this doctor who passed away—he was a philosopher and a self-help writer, Dr. Wayne Dyer. He said, ‘If you change the way that you look at things, the things you look at change.’ I think along with those ideas is how I try music, and if I'm not feeling inspired I try to change the way that I'm looking at it. More often than not I'll find inspiration in the smallest things. MS: How would you describe your sound to people who may not be familiarwith your music? SL: It's a culmination of roots music, Americana, country, folk, a little rock and roll and R&B. It's got a very eclectic sound. MS: What was the mo-
—PHOTO COURTESY OF STONEY LARUE
ment that you knew you wanted to pursue your music career? SL: Arguably out of the womb. I thought about it as an occupation whenever I was about 17 years old. I just really thought about not doing anything else. MS: What is the most challenging part of being on tour for you? SL: Being away from my family. Definitely. MS: That does seem like it would be challenging, to have to separate yourself from them all the time. You play a lot of shows throughout the year. SL: Right, and I have to think of myself as an ambassador for music and I'm very blessed to be able to do it. So I have to take this job seriously and really give it the respect it deserves, while at the same time I do miss my family dearly. But we all understand that there's a commonality here. MS: Do you have a favorite show that you've played?
SL: One of my favorites just off the top of my head was the Grand Ole Opry. MS: What was that like? SL: It was amazing. They put the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman where it began. It was very ghostly and had weird energies and it was really cool. Vince Gill was singing—he was right there on stage with me saying, ‘We're rooting for you.’ It was really cool just the way it all came across. MS: Do you have a favorite song that you perform that you're looking forward to performing at The Marc? SL: Right now I'm working on a newer setlist and we're trying to perfect that, but there's a lot of songs that I really enjoy playing for different reasons. I really love inspiring people and really looking at their eyes and watching them connect with something and it changing them. You can see it change in them and I like songs like that.
6 | Thursday, November 5, 2015
SPORTS
The University Star Paul Livengood, Sports Editor @IamLivengood starsports@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
SOCCER
TEXAS STATE SET FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT By Donavan Jackson SPORTS REPORTER @djack_02
Expectations for the Texas State soccer team were at an all-time high at the beginning of this season. Twelve wins and five losses later, the Bobcats are set to appear in their fourth straight Sun Belt conference tournament. Losing in the semi-final match last season put a bitter taste in the Bobcats’ mouths but left them wanting more. “That experience was tough for us, but it’s taught us a lot,” said Assistant Coach Link Scoggins . “We lost the first five minutes of that game and dominated the remaining 85. We know that won’t be enough.” The Bobcats have a seasoned roster, with four seniors, five juniors and nine sophomores returning. Experience and momentum are going to be the most influential factors as Texas
State moves forward into the tournament. Scoggins said it’s not really about who scores the first goal of the game, but about who makes the first statement. There will be no easy task at hand with a strong field of opponents chasing the same dream—an NCAA tournament appearance. The tournament favorite is the defending Sun Belt champion, South Alabama. The Jaguars went a perfect 9-0 in conference play that earned them 29 points. The Troy Trojans, 6-2-1, are ranked second with 19 points. Following closely, are the Bobcats with 18 points and Appalachian State with 16 points. The bottom half of the bracket caps off with Arkansas State-Little Rock, Georgia State, Lafayette and Georgia Southern. Texas State is scheduled to compete against Georgia
State Wednesday night for the second time this season. This will be the second year in a row the Bobcats will be playing the Panthers in the opening round. With a win-or-go-home tournament format, Texas State cannot take any opponent lightly—even Georgia State, a team the Bobcats have beaten in their last two meetings. “The idea is to just play Bobcat soccer,” Scoggins said. “We need stick to our theme and philosophy as a team.” Scoggins said the limited timeframe of preparation between matches will be vital. That includes anything from making minor tweaks of strategy to staying and watching the other schools compete against one another. Scoggins said the team has been extremely focused with one week to prepare. “The presence of urgency came from the senior class,” Scoggins said. “Curry and
STAR FILE PHOTO
Champion. Rinehart and Lowe. Everything that we did this week had a purpose. We’re looking forward to competing.”
Pending the results of Wednesday’s game, the Bobcats would play the winner of Georgia Southern and Troy Friday at 7 p.m.
The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 8th, at 1 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Bobcats ready for rematch against UL-Monroe
STAR FILE PHOTO By Jose Campos SPORTS REPORTER @josewithaj
The Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Championship
tournament is only three games away, and Texas State is preparing to go back on the road to face UL-Monroe once again. Last Sunday Texas State
1/1/16
swept the Warhawks 3-0 (2515, 25-14, 25-22). The Bobcats achieved the sweep, but Coach Karen Chisum knows they won't see the same team Thursday.
Chisum said the Warhawks were physically tired during the match due to late traveling, but UL-Monroe will see what was effective against the Bobcats on film
and use it in the rematch. "They were doing some good things out of the middle," Chisum said. "So we're going to work on defending the middle attack and the high two ball." Along with practice at stopping UL-Monroe's attacks, the Bobcats will focus on the fundamentals and find their aggressiveness again. Chisum feels they lack in that area when trying to terminate the ball. "First ball kills, FBKs, F-B-K—as soon as the first chance you get it, terminate it," Chisum said. "Don't give them a chance to come back and get the point." The conference tournament is slowly approaching, but Chisum is still working players like Lauren Kirch, sophomore middle blocker, and Jaliyah Bolden, redshirt sophomore middle blocker, back into the lineup. The importance of readjusting these players into the lineup is in the Bobcats’ ability to execute a 6-2 formation, Chisum said. The formation will be necessary to maximize the number of hitters on the team. Fortunately, the Bobcats took some positives away
from the match against ULMonroe Sunday, Chisum said. Texas State’s serving was very effective, with five service aces for the match. Looking past UL-Monroe, the Bobcats play Nov. 7 against the LouisianaLafayette Ragin’ Cajuns, whom the Bobcats previously defeated 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-18). Chisum mainly has her attention on UL-Monroe but knows she can't overlook either team. "Those are the matches that scare you, particularly on the road at their houses," Chisum said. "Cause they're still fighting to get into the tournament." These final two road games for the Bobcats will be key for the team to sharpen its skills before the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Chisum is expecting the team to answer the call and win both road games this week. "This is two that we should have, these are two that are nine, 10, 11 in the conference," Chisum said. "We've got to have these just to play well. I think we've got the third seed locked in, but mentally for us and confidencewise we need both of these."
Thursday, November 5, 2015 | 7
The University Star
SPORTS
Paul Livengood, Sports Editor @IamLivengood starsports@txstate.edu
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
SOCCER
TEAM FALLS IN FIRST ROUND By Donavan Jackson SPORTS REPORTER @djack_02
The Georgia State Panthers proved to be too much for the Texas State soccer team Wednesday night. After gaining an early 2-0 lead, the Panthers gained the momentum and never looked back. Not much changed in the second half. Lynsey Curry, senior forward, headed in a cross from outside the 18-yard box by Taylor Allen, junior defender, in the 64th minute for the Bobcats’ first goal of the game, but it would not be enough. The final 2-1 score would result in a first-round exit for Texas State. Suzanne Arafa, Panthers junior midfielder, scored in
the fourth minute on a penalty kick after being tackled in the box to give Georgia State a 1-0 lead. “That (goal) definitely put a spin on the game that we weren’t expecting,” said Assistant Coach Link Scoggins. “But we did make preventable mistakes. We fought back for the remainder of the match, but it just didn’t work out.” In the 26th minute, the Panthers added to their lead with an assist from Arafa into the box that found the feet of Ashley Nagy, Panthers senior forward. During the halftime break, Scoggins said the Bobcats would have to start chasing the game a little bit. He had Texas State press up the field and started to commit more numbers going forward.
Georgia State stood strong, only giving up three shots in the second half. The Panthers will advance to the semi-final round, where they’ll meet the number-two ranked Troy Trojans Friday evening. Texas State ends this season with a 12-6 record. While the early exit wasn’t ideal, the Bobcats have a lot of young talent that gained experience this season. “You’re right 100 percent that we gained experience,” Scoggins said. “But you also have to think about the shoes that will need to be filled.” However, even though only four players are graduating, all of them were starters. Curry concluded her collegiate career with her best season. She recorded a season-high 11 goals and was awarded the Sun Belt
Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year. Caitlynn Rinehart, senior goalkeeper, leaves the program with 3,979 minutes played and 43 games started. Kristen Champion, senior defender, and Landry Lowe, senior midfielder, played a significant role in the team’s chemistry and were two of the most experienced on the field. The Bobcats will have two returning All-Conference players next season in Lauren Prater, junior forward, and Chandler Cooney, sophomore defender. “You can go down the line with the players we are looking to step up,” Scoggins said. “However, the program does have a bright future and it’ll be interesting to see who fills the shoes with those four seniors leaving.”
STAR FILE PHOTO
SOCCER
NOTEBOOK: GEORGIA STATE match. The Bobcats couldn’t play as aggressively and the result was another Georgia State goal.
By Garrett Caywood SPORTS REPORTER @pollo_garre
WHAT THE LOSS MEANS STORYLINE FROM THE The first-round loss to Geor- GAME gia State effectively ended the Bobcats’ season. The Bobcats finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak, but couldn’t use that momentum as they exited the first round of the Sun Belt Championships.
TURNING POINT
From the beginning, the Panthers took control by drawing a penalty kick in the opening minutes of the game. Suzanne Arafa, Panthers junior midfielder, lined up and finished to make it a 1-0 for Georgia State. The aftermath of the penalty kick set the tone for the rest of the
AGE
The early round exit begs the question—what went wrong? Aside from the early penalty, the team had chances to get back in the contest. But after two early chances went wide, the Bobcats seemed frustrated in their attack. Earlier this week, Assistant Coach Link Scoggins commented on how tough it is to beat a team twice. Georgia State proved his theory correct.
SPOTLIGHT PLAYER
As the Sun Belt’s Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year, Lynsey Curry shined
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once again. Her experience is a valuable intangible for Texas State and will be truly missed. Curry possesses the vision of a midfielder with her passing, and the deadlines needed from a forward. Her ability to hold up play and attack the net makes her one of the best in the country. She proved that once again as she scored the only goal for the Bobcats.
GOOD
Despite giving up the early penalty, the Bobcats fought back and showed resolve. The Bobcats gained a majority of the possession following the penalty and it eventually led to more chances. Curry received the ball at the top of the 18-yard box and played it out wide to an open teammate, but the Bobcats couldn’t finish. Time
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BAD
The final bit of execution wasn’t there for the Bobcats. There were two great opportunities in the first half, but the Bobcats scuffed at the chances. In addition to the lackluster execution, the Bobcats made matters worse by
conceding an early penalty.
UGLY
From a Georgia State perspective, it was far from ugly. Ashley Nagy, Panthers senior forward, scored a goal in the first half that could have been prevented. The Bobcats allowed Nagy to make a run down the right hand side. Nagy shielded off defenders and placed the ball past senior goalkeeper Caitlynn Rinehart’s reach. The goal put the Panthers ahead 2-0 at the time.
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and time again, Curry played perfectly weighted passes. Defensively, Maddie Nichols, junior midfielder, did a nice job controlling the midfield by intercepting passes and winning possession.
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