MONDAY
NOVEMBER 9, 2015 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 28
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UNIVERSITY
University officials propose tuition increase to Board of Regents By Exsar Arguello ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @Exsar_Misael
ery week as opposed to the 5,000 pound weekly haul this year, Walsh said. The reason can be attributed to the construction and renovation that has caused Jones Dining Hall to close temporarily. Walsh said Bobcat Blend has a fantastic relationship with Chartwells, the food service of Texas State, and will begin collecting scraps from Jones once it reopens. “As soon as Jones opens up, we will be picking up food waste to become composted,” Walsh said. Breanna Harlan, president of Bobcat Blend, said the organization used to collect from the LBJ Student Center, but upon renovation, officials felt there was an “aesthetic problem” with the waste bins that didn’t suit the new design of the building. “We’re waiting for funding to get new bins to go with the interior of (the LBJSC),” Harlan said. Harlan doesn’t believe the university’s amount
A tuition increase is something students may need to prepare for as the Texas State University System Board of Regents is set to consider a proposal on campus next week. On Nov. 12-13 the Board of Regents will consider a proposal that would raise tuition by $9.12 per class hour next year. Although the President’s Cabinet leads the decision process about tuition increase, faculty, staff and students have specific roles to play, said Eric Algoe, vice president for finance and support services. An open hearing for public input will be hosted if the Board of Regents approves the increase. If the increase is approved students taking 12 hours will have to pay an additional $100 per semester. The proposed increase includes a $2 addition per class hour. Tthe proposed increase would bring tuition up 2.75 percent, which amounts to $7.12 per semester credit hour a student takes, Algoe said. The money would go toward renovation and construction projects of Albert B. Alkek Library. “We question every penny we have to increase,” Algoe said. “We second-guess every decision we make because we are committed to making college affordable.” Joan Heath, associate vice president and university librarian, said the proposed money would not only go for renovation cost, but toward providing more technology support in the library. “We are celebrating 25 years of the Alkek library, which means this library has seen a lot of change in the past 25 years,” Heath said. “The huge change in information technology throughout the years has told us that we need an upgrade to our current technology here in the library.” Alkek is currently at full capacity and does not have adequate room to grow, Heath said. University officials are working to have an off-campus storage facility built, designed and inspired by similar structures of large institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin and Rice University. With the money collected by the fee, the library could further fund the storage facility, allowing an off-campus transfer of some of the university’s collection. The relocation would leave more room for technology, infrastructure and study space in the library, Heath said. Algoe said the proposed tuition increase is set by natural inflation, which is based off a cost index. The university has found that with 2.1 percent inflation from last year, the tuition increase is substantial to help facilitate the university’s growth. All the institutions included in the Texas State University System are proposing tuition increases ranging from 1.8 percent to 8 percent increases, Algoe said. Texas State is on the lower end of the proposals, asking the Board of Regents to increase tuition by less than three percent. Algoe said Texas State remains one of the most affordable institutions in the state in regards to the value of the education offered.
See FOOD, Page 2
See TUITION, Page 2
DARYL ONTIVEROS MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
David Macklovich, of Chromeo, performs Nov. 8 the 10th annual Fun Fun Fun Fest.
So much Fun, Fun, Fun By Mariah Simank LIFESTYLE EDITOR @MariahSimank
Fun Fun Fun Fest rolled into Austin this weekend, featuring rain, flying tacos and a successful onstage marriage proposal. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary with a diverse roster of performers, including headliners like Lauryn Hill Cheap Trick, ScHoolboy Q and Jane’s Addiction, as well as emerging artists such as Kembe X and Grifters. Those in attendance could take a break from one of over 80 bands to see comedy acts and sports such as skateboarding and wrestling throughout each day. The festival began at 12:30 p.m. Friday with performances by Think No Think, Kembe and Future Death. Each of these shows seemed to set the tone for what people could expect from each stage, named after different colors, during the weekend. The stages featured eight to nine performers throughout the day. The Blue Stage starred rap and electronic musicians, while the Orange
Stage was heavy on rock ‘n’ roll and the Black Stage took on an alternative/punk-rock spin. The festival also had a Yellow Stage that featured stand-up comedy and poetry. The forecast didn’t seem to scare off any festivalgoers, who arrived wearing rain boots and ponchos as early as 10 a.m. each day to secure their spot in line. Regan Glowers, Austin resident, said he decided arriving before the gates opened was the best call after last year’s long Friday lines kept him from the music for hours. “I told myself it would be better to get here and wait the two hours so that I wouldn’t end up missing any of (Friday’s) music,” Glowers said. “My friends thought I was crazy, but after the mix-up that happened last year I wasn’t taking any chances.” Light showers Friday gave way to a chilly evening that included performances by Babes in Toyland, Peaches and Toro Y Moi. Babes in Toyland brought their signature punk-rock flare to the stage while Toro Y Moi delivered a relaxing
vibe, but the concert that seemed to leave the biggest impression in this 5 p.m. time slot was Peaches. The electronic performer kept the audience interested by appearing onstage in multiple costumes throughout the course of her show. As if that wasn’t enough to surprise members of the crowd, she concluded with an audience member’s surprise onstage marriage proposal that left everyone speechless. Alicia Donovan, Round Rock resident, said she has been a fan of Peaches ever since the artist made her debut at the 2006 festival. “I have been looking forward to seeing her back here again ever since,” Donovan said. Cheap Trick and Rae Sremmurd each seemed to dominate totally different age groups during their 7:15 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. performances. Sremmurd showed teenagers and college-age students what debut album SremmLife is all about, while Cheap Trick performed hits such as “I Want You to Want Me” and “Hello There” with Austin’s downtown skyline dazzling in the background. Chvrches closed out the
UNIVERSITY
Emergency fund recipients increase as donations decrease By Erik Kiluk NEWS REPORTER @ErikKiluk
From time to time there are situations that put a severe
viduals may be eligible to receive emergency funding from Texas State. The Dean of Students Office maintains emergency funds to be distributed to
ties, as long as the individual can prove the severity of the situation and has exhausted all available options. John Palapala, an international student from Kenya in the public administration
ASHLEY GALVAN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER A student emergency services funding application Oct. 28 provided by the Dean of Students Office.
financial burden on students working toward earning their degree—some of these indi-
any student who is struggling with any number of a wide variety of financial difficul-
graduate program, found
See FUNDS, Page 2
night on the festival’s main Orange Stage with an animated performance by lead singer Lauren Mayberry, whose high energy delighted the audience and got people up and dancing. Saturday featured mudspattered clothing and chilly temperatures, with bands such as Jane’s Addiction, Wu-Tang Clan and NOFX working to keep crowds moving well into the night. A Giant Dog, American Sharks, Master Pancake, The Secret Group and Sandbox with Rob Gagnon were forced to cancel their Saturday performances due to substantial overnight and early morning rains. According to Austin360, the park reopened just after 1 p.m. once organizers and officials with the city had checked the grounds for standing water. The rest of the day went seamlessly, with American Football, Neon Indian and American Nightmare each treating audiences to afternoon performances complemented by the grey skies overhead. Jane’s Addiction took the stage at 8:30 p.m. and never seemed to stop moving for the entirety of their
set. Lead singer Perry Farrell delighted each member of the crowd with howls and charged moves across the stage, while guitarist Dave Navarro laid down multiple solos. Friday and Saturday’s dreary weather gave way to clear skies for the final day of the festival that featured performances by Chromeo, Lauryn Hill, Future Islands, ODESZA and Venom. With Samuel Herring singing vocals, William Cashion on the electric guitar and Gerrit Welmers playing the keyboard, Future Islands had the crowd hooked on every beat during the band’s Sunday performance on the Blue Stage. Canadian synthpop duo Chromeo took over the Orange Stage as the sun began to set for a performance that was sometimes groovy and other times totally over-the-top. Although the band’s routine was impressive, it was Hill’s powerhouse vocals and emotional performance that seemed to win the night. Even though she hasn’t released a studio album since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998, Hill’s onstage passion seemed to mesmerize the crowd and proved to be a perfect ending to the festival.
CITY
Food scraps put to use By Autumn Wright NEWS REPORTER @autumnwright697
Over 1,000 pounds of food scraps are produced by Harris and Commons dining halls every day, and environmentally conscious students have made sure the leftovers do not go to waste. Bobcat Blend has partnered with the university to collect food waste on campus for composting purposes. Kevin Walsh, graduate coordinator of Bobcat Blend, estimated that the organization gathers 5,000 pounds of thrown-away food each week. This means members get 20,000 pounds of composting material from the dining halls each month. Walsh said he joins other Bobcat Blend members every morning to pick up separated food scraps from the dining halls. However, the group has noticed a decline in the amount of material they have received in the past year. Last spring, Bobcat Blend was given 15,000 pounds of food waste ev-