WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2014 VOLUME 104 ISSUE 30 www.UniversityStar.com
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MADELYNNE SCALES PHOTO EDITOR Sarah Nonaka, physical therapy doctoral, and Jaxsen Day, computer information systems sophomore, discuss concerns Oct. 21 prior to meeting president Denise Trauth for the Student Open Door session in LBJ Student Center.
Trauth opens door to students, addresses community concerns Editor-inMASS COMM WEEK
By Odus Evbagharu MANAGING EDITOR A growing number of students is attending Texas State, but President Denise Trauth believes the mantra of the university’s community is “big but small.” Trauth sat down with students for her 13th annual Open Door session. Students had the opportunity to voice their concerns and present questions to Trauth and Joanne Smith, vice president for Student Affairs, Tuesday in the LBJ Student Center. A range of students brought a variety of questions to the session. Trauth was encouraged by the diversity of questions and people at the session. “I went to a small liberal arts college of about 1,800 (people), and I think it’s really cool that
at such a big university, you can personally meet with the president and the vice president of Student Affairs,” said Sarah Nonaka, a second-year doctoral student in physical therapy. “That’s insane, that it’s that easy to access them.” Trauth believes the university’s ability to retain a small community feel while continuing to grow helps students adapt to Texas State. The “P” in PACE stands for “personalized” because students meet with advisors in one-onone meetings, Trauth said. Brandon Smith, finance freshman, went to the Open Door session to meet Trauth and get advice for his first year of college in addition to speaking with a PACE advisor. “I wanted to know what I was getting into for the next four
years,” Smith said. “I wanted keys to what can make me successful in the future for what is after college. I wanted to know what I need to do now to reach that goal.” Trauth values Open Door sessions because they give her the opportunity to hear about issues on campus directly from the students. “Students have a whole range of issues they want to talk about,” Trauth said. One issue this year revolved around karate. Katie Coy, painting senior, was concerned about the pending removal of the karate course at the university. “Not enough people signed up for Advanced Karate this semester,” Coy said. “This school has a Grandmaster karate instructor, and not very many institutions can say that. I just want to find
out what I can do to stop it.” Trauth explained the number of hours needed to graduate was reduced because of a legislative mandate, resulting in some courses’ removal. She suggested Coy start a formal sports club. A karate club would receive funding, Trauth said. Some students attended without any specific concern and simply wanted the chance to talk to Trauth. Andrew WallaceBradley, mass communication sophomore, attended the event for the second time. He wanted tips on how to become a better leader and to become a familiar face to Trauth and Smith. “I always want to make students feel good about being here,” Joanne Smith said. “I am always interested in giving them good information on how to navigate Texas State.”
CITY
Scientists aim to preserve endangered salamanders By Mariah Simank SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Scientists gathered on the banks of Spring Lake Sept. 23 to do something few people have had the chance to experience. The scientists collected San Marcos salamanders, which are found only in certain parts
of the San Marcos River. The salamanders are a threatened species federally and statewide. Sampling is done in order to study the salamanders further and protect them from extinction, said Valentin Cantu, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The ongoing collection includes 20 sites from Spring
PRESLIE COX STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER A Texas salamander swims Oct. 20 in an aquarium at the Meadows Center.
Lake and two more immediately below Spring Lake Dam, he said. "For the San Marcos Aquatic Research Center, all of the sampling we do is in an effort to prevent the extinction of endangered and threatened salamanders," Cantu said. “Generally, collection efforts are limited to the fall and spring, when additional salamanders are needed to maintain a viable population.” Declines in spring flows can cause irreversible damage to the salamanders’ environment, Cantu said. These types of situations require extra monitoring. “When the San Marcos spring river flow drops below 105 cubic feet per second (CFS), the Rare Threatened and Endangered Species Contingency Plan directs the San Marcos Water Resource Center to increase our salamander collection efforts if the specified numbers defined in the plan have not been collected,” Cantu said. Dianne Wassenich, program director of the San Marcos River Foundation, said flow is currently stable. “We’ve stayed above 100 CFS this year,” Wassenich said. “That is mainly because of that big flood we had last Halloween, which really recharged the aquifer right here around San Marcos and helped keep our river flow stable all summer.” Divers must be able to collect the salamanders in most cases. “With San Marcos salamanders, we generally have to get a scuba team set up to sample from all the different sites in Spring Lake,” Cantu said. “Some sites can be up to 20 feet deep.” The San Marcos salaman-
ders, unlike most varieties, remain in a primitive stage for their entire life cycle, Cantu said. “Terrestrial salamanders can develop lungs, but the San Marcos salamanders retain their gills and are completely aquatic all of their life as a result,” Cantu said “This makes them dependent on the flow of the water.” Cantu said the salamanders’ sensitivity to their environment makes ensuring the water is pristine and free of sediment buildup even more important. “They probably get about 80 percent of their oxygen through their skin, which is one reason they are very sensitive to toxins in the water,” Cantu said. “I would say they are the perfect species to kind of gauge what’s happening in the environment.” H.E.A.T. (Human Environmental Animal Team) member Ivy Martinez said her organization works to help endangered species by advocating for a clean river. “We try to educate the community about how important it is to keep our river clean,” Martinez said. “I think that through public education people will start to appreciate the river more, and as a result they will be protecting endangered species.” Cantu said the effect the drought will have on the threatened species cannot yet be determined. “The overall health of these salamanders is still to be determined,” Cantu said. “Currently there are federal and state agencies, universities and consulting firms that are researching the effects of the drought on various listed species.”
chief, CEO talks state of Texas politics By Alexa Tavarez NEWS REPORTER A slew of students brought their best questions to Centennial Hall Tuesday in a Q&A session with Evan Smith, editor-in-chief and CEO of The Texas Tribune. Smith opened the session by stating his career in journalism was purely “accidental.” “I went to Washington D.C. thinking, ‘(Congressional work) is what I’m going to do when I get out of college,’” Smith said. Smith described his congressional work for a representative of Minnesota and the Federal Election Commission as “mindnumbing” and “a soul-sucking experience.” “I came back really kind of lost—lost academically and lost in terms of what I was going to do when I got out of school,” Smith said. “I never even gave thought to journalism.” Smith’s love for journalism was ignited after he wrote his first political column. He then attended the graduate journalism program at Northwestern University and went on to hold positions at Texas Monthly. This magazine features contemporary pieces on Texas politics and industry. In 2009, Smith co-founded The Texas Tribune, a non-profit, non-partisan media organization centered on the climate of state politics. Regarding Texas politics, Smith said, “I’m often moved to tell people that in this state, this shit writes itself.” All Texan citizens are affected by the policy the Capital legislates, Smith said. “Our job is to get people to participate in this participatory democracy of ours,” Smith said. “The reason we started the Tribune five years ago was the coverage of public policy in state government was in deep decline.” General elections in Texas are “nonexistent,” Smith said. He describes the political system in Texas as broken. “I love Texas,” Smith said. “I love living in Texas, but I’d be lying if I said there weren’t any areas that we need to be working on. The game is rigged.” Smith discussed the importance of voting. “The simple act of voting would be an improvement of where we stand right now,” Smith said. “If you don’t bother to vote, then you forfeit the right to complain about the results.” People need reliable, unbiased information to be thoughtful and productive citizens, Smith said. “We don’t want to tell people what to think,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, we have to tell people to think. We aren’t activists on behalf of one issue or another. We are activists on behalf of Texas.” Positions for many media organizations are scarce, and print journalism is dwindling. However, Smith respectfully challenged a student’s notion that the number of jobs in journalism is turning downward. “The world of journalism has blown up,” Smith said. “There are opportunities in journalism that have never existed before. There are so many more types of media than those that existed five years ago.” High-quality journalism is often unconventional, and journalists must learn to think outside the box, Smith said. “You all are basically Swiss army knives,” Smith said. “You have all these skills you can deploy coming out of a program like this.”
2 | The University Star | Wednesday, October 22, 2014
TRENDS
UniversityStar.com
MASS COMM WEEK
People reporter shares breaking news experience during Mass Comm Week By Nicole Barrios ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Mass communication and high school students learned what it takes to be a breaking news reporter from a People Magazine reporter on Tuesday during Mass Comm Week. Elaine Aradillas, staff writer at People covering breaking news, spoke candidly to students on her career, the wide array of stories she has covered and how she got to People Magazine during the “From newspapers to magazines: What I learned from journalism” session. Kym Fox, professor and head of the journalism sequence, introduced Aradillas before her session in Old Main at 11 a.m. The room was full with college and high school students, some standing in the back, as they waited for the session to
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begin. “She’s traveled all over the U.S. chasing crime stories like the Dark Knight shooting in Aurora, Colorado, the escape of the three girls who were held captive in Cleveland and most recently she was in Ferguson during the protests,” Fox said. Aradillas’ career history includes publications like The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Orlando Sentinel and The San Antonio ExpressNews, Fox said. Aradillas graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in art planning to become an art critic, she said. She interned at the San Antonio Express-News doing features and teen coverage. After two years, she moved to the crime beat without ever having written a crime story, she said. After covering her first crime story in which a motorcyclist
was beheaded, Aradillas said she was “hooked.” “(Police) were looking for the helmet ‘cause his head was still inside it,” Aradillas said. When Aradillas was hired at People to cover television, many cable channels popular today were still “fringe channels” and the show “Mad Men” was just starting, she said. “At that time, they weren’t the stars they are today,” Aradillas said. “I have John Hamm’s phone number – I’m sure he’s changed his cell since then.” Aradillas later became a breaking news reporter for People and now covers national issues. When covering crime, Aradillas said reporters have to be prepared at a moment’s notice. “You just put your baseball cap on and you go and you are there all day long just reporting, trying to find people,” Aradillas
said. “That’s what I love about this job.” Aradillas told students about her time covering the riots in Ferguson, Missouri. Groups were marching when she arrived but police kept probing them and aggravating them, she said. “They’re like children – let them march, they’ll get tired, but the police, they literally got into their faces,” Aradillas said. Aradillas told the audience even though Ferguson was “intense” and she was “the most scared” she’s been in a while, she is ready to go back to Ferguson and has an entire notebook dedicated to the coverage. Students from Vidal M. Trevino School of Communication and Fine Arts, a high school in Laredo, came to mass comm week and attended Aradillas’ panel. William Rodriguez, senior at Vidal M. Trevino, said he has at-
tended mass comm week before with his high school and always looks forward to the event because he hopes to be a reporter in the future. “I like coming and listening to all these guest speakers talk and getting to know about the field that they’re in – just journalism over all – how they do it and they’re daily job, it’s interesting,” Rodriguez said. Aradillas said she thinks journalism is the “best job ever,” but if students are looking for a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job then it is not the field for them. Mass comm students need to learn how to talk to people and how to sources, she said. Even Aradillas said she is shy sometimes, but will switch gears when working on a story. “You put a notebook in my hand and I can ask anything – I can do anything with a notebook,” she said.
They’re like children—let them march, they’ll get tired—but the police, they literally got into their faces.” —Elaine Aradillas, staff writer for People
Fashion students detail fall clothing trends, staples cloches and newsboy caps are perfect accessories for otherwisesimple outfits. Wool wide-brim hats are always trendy in the fall/ winter seasons, and for good reason. They can add just the right amount of drama to an outfit and make anyone feel as stylish as ever.
By Andrea Hurell TRENDS REPORTER Fall. A time of year when pumpkin spice lattes reign supreme, boyfriends find their favorite hoodies missing and students across the country begin compiling the perfect wardrobe additions to help them transition from sweltering Texas heat to the slightly-less-hot autumn. Members of the Texas State Fashion Merchandising Association (FMA) shared their favorite fall trends and how to style them while the women of San Marcos sister boutiques Two P’s and Calli’s broke down their top picks for when the temperatures begin to drop. ALUMINUM GREY AND SANGRIA This simple color scheme can have a huge visual impact but can also spruce up outfits of other hues, said Victoria Ruiz, fashion merchandising senior and FMA president. Sangria, a violet-red shade that looks particularly great on all complexions, can be the perfect pop of color on an outfit that would otherwise be coming off a little too one-note. Aluminum gray can be used to tone down an outfit that may be coming off as too bright for the classically muted fall season, Ruiz said. LEATHER ON LEATHER
MATCHING TOPS AND BOTTOMS Separate items with matching patterns, colors and structures had a moment over the summer—primarily in the form of skater skirt and crop top combinations—but colder weather brings with it more ways to wear this of-the-moment look. DouALEXANDRA WHITE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER bling up on autumnal patterns One doesn’t have to be the like houndstooth and plaid can walking definition of “tough” to pull off a double-leather look. The trick is to use other pieces to tone the ensemble down so it doesn’t look so overpowering, said Laura Hinojosa, public relations junior and FMA member. Hinojosa recommends leather motorcycle jackets with leather skater skirts and a simple blouse or graphic tee for a not-too-extreme, on-trend version of this look. HATS Hats are not just for those inevitable bad hair days anymore, according to FMA head blogger Valerie Gonzales, dance freshman. Beanies, wide-brim hats,
make this look work. CHUNKY SOCKS AND LEGWARMERS Chunky socks are great for ankle boots, said FMA historian Victoria Esparza, fashion merchandizing junior. They can even be worn on especially cold days under riding boots. Legwarmers are considered a blast from the past, but they are on trend and look wonderful peeking out of the tops of riding boots. DENIM SHIRTS Denim shirts aren’t just associated with country anymore. They can be dressed up or down and look great on anyone. “If you have a denim shirt, put on a statement necklace under the collar,” said Mary Catherine Underbhuk, a wardrobe consultant for Two P’s and Calli’s. “I think it looks so stinking cute.” BLACK SKINNY JEANS AND DARK WASH DENIM It’s a must-have for any season, but darker or pure black denim is the perfect wardrobe fixture for colder weather. Throwing on a pair with a flannel shirt and jacket will make the wearer look good and feel comfortable. KNEE SOCKS WITH DRESSES Knee socks are perfect for those summer outfits students want to wear in colder weather,
and they are good for people who want to stay warm without the constriction of stockings. “You can wear a mini dress or a mini skirt with knee-high socks or knee-high stockings,” Underbhuk said. “That’s very big for this season.” WINE-COLORED CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES Bright colors are more appropriate for spring and summer, but fall and winter are times to experiment with darker colors. Wine, black cherry and oxblood have been having a big moment in both fashion and accessories over the past few years, so it wouldn’t be right not to take advantage.
PICKS OF THE WEEK: OCT. 22-29 By Amanda Ross TRENDS EDITOR OKTOBERFEST, OCT. 24 The second annual San Marcos Oktoberfest, hosted by the Parks and Rec department, kicks off Thursday at the Activity Center with a night filled with dinner and dancing. For $25, patrons are treated to a Root Cellar buffet stuffed with authentic German food includ-
ing jager schnitzel, red cabbage, sauerkraut, strudel and beer bread. Following dinner, dancing gets going at 7 p.m. against a backdrop of German jams and contemporary hits by 3rd Generation. SWAG YOUR TAILS, OCT. 26 Dogs decked out in costumes and their two-legged friends are welcome to Three Dudes Winery on Saturday for a day filled with Halloween fun benefiting
the Paws Shelter & Humane Society. The festivities kick off at 2 p.m. and include a photo booth, face painting and a special opportunity to adopt a new canine companion courtesy of Paws as well as dancing and music courtesy of The Real Hands. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. TRACEY ASHLEY, OCT. 29 Presented by SACA, comedienne Tracey Ashley hits
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The performers will make a stop in San Marcos along their “From the Bay to the Universe” tour. Rapper G-Eazy will be joined by Iamsu! and Jay Ant for a special Wednesday night performance at The Marc. GEazy is best known for his single “Runaround Sue.” His presence at The Marc will further solidify the club’s reputation as the go-to place in San Marcos for live music.
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4 | The University Star | Wednesday, October 22, 2014
OPINIONS
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University should allow meal plan rollover A
t the the beginning of the school year, many upperclassmen begin the hunt for underclassmen with swipes. By the end of the year, those roles are reversed and it is the underclassmen that are often desperate to rid themselves of extra swipes. The meal swipes section of university meal plans do not rollover from any part of the year except from fall to spring. Commuter plans do not rollover and neither do dining dollars. Additionally, students have to have a meal plan for spring for their fall meal swipes to rollover. Meal swipes should rollover for each semester and during the summer. It is a waste of money to let them go unused. This dilemma often leads to students taking
MP
to dining halls on campus at the end of each semester giving out massive amounts of swipes in an effort to use them up. Students that live on campus are required to purchase a meal plan. None of these meal plans for on campus residents are cheaper than $1,000. In fact, the cheapest one rings in at a hefty $1,101. This meal plan includes 150 swipes and 125 dining dollars. This meal plan is marketed towards students that only eat on campus about 10 times a week and need more money for snacks and fast food. Other meal plan options for required residents are a 200 meal swipe, 100 dining dollar plan for $1,195 and a 250 meal swipe, 75 dining dollar plan for $1,281. For many students, even the smallest plan is way too many swipes and
leads to a gross waste of money for an already expensive meal plan. Additionally, dining dollars should rollover for students, staff and faculty that have meal plans and do not live on campus. According to the Chartwells website, Student Government legislation is what dictates that dining dollars must be exhausted the semester that they are purchased. The fact that dining dollars and swipes effectively expire is a bit ludicrous. The money in our pockets doesn’t expire so neither should the money invested into swipes and dining dollars. The only refund offered to those that purchase meal plans is if they withdraw from the university completely. It does not match up that students receive a refund check if they pay too
much for tuition but not for meal swipes that go unused. When weighing the decisions of whether or not to purchase a meal plan with the university, price is the most common reason people choose not to get one. There are undoubtedly some nuances in the contract between the university and Chartwells, but from the perspective of a group of students, it simply seems that we are being taken for every penny.
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. RYAN JEANES STAR ILLUSTRATOR
LGBTQA
Vatican must acknowledge, not avoid, homosexuality
Rivers Wright OPINIONS COLUMNIST Journalism junior
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n a landmark move Saturday, the Vatican removed language “welcoming gay Catholics” and “avoiding language or behavior that could discriminate against divorced Catholics” from the original Synod report. This move by the Vatican
further reveals undertones of hypocrisy where topics of divorce in religion are danced around or not talked about while topics of homosexuality are rejected or receive negative thoughts or comments, even though both are viewed as “sins” in the Bible. Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi stated that a final decision with the document was never to be reached. This response seems like a thinly veiled attempt to keep critics of the change at bay and keep them hoping for a change that will take religious views into the future. The vote to change the official wording of the Synod is a surprising one considering the fact that Pope Francis has previously
appeared to be more accepting than his predecessors. He made headlines with his “Who am I to judge?” statement when asked his thoughts on same-sex marriage and what it does to the religious sanctity of marriage. Even though America has made major shifts forward in marriage equality, American Cardinal Raymond Burke was the most outraged over the original wording and said that gays were “intrinsically confused.” Supporters of the original wording of the report are still holding out hope for a change of heart from the Vatican. The Pope spoke out again in favor of a new viewpoint, stating that the vote to revise the wording was tinged with “hostile rigidity.”
RACISM
This rigid hostility comes at a cost. Raymond Burke was reassigned to a lower-profile role with attributions to his criticism being the focal point of the reassignment. It is understandable, wanting religion to remain traditional and unchanged in a world where the very core of traditionality is being rocked by waves of changes from same-sex marriage to equality for women, but there needs to be change. If it is still acceptable for people to get divorced, even though Matthew 5:32 states that anyone who divorces his wife makes her commit adultery, why is it not OK for gays to get married? At least this way if they want to divorce each other, they
can commit a sin that the rest of America feels okay with committing as well. A November 2013 Huffington Post article stated that while divorce was on a decline, more people were getting divorced than were getting married. This means that more people were committing sin than living by the Good Word. Whatever the reasoning for the change in wording of the official report, the institution of samesex marriage and religion will be an argument that may never have a clear winner or agreeable outcome for either side. The fact of the matter is that the world is changing, and change is inevitable regardless if one is ready for it or not.
SOCIAL
Confederate flag #FirstWorldProblems unacceptable as insensitive toward pride symbol disadvantaged people Jeffrey Bradshaw OPINIONS COLUMNIST Political science sophomore
T
he flag of the Confederate States of America is a racist symbol and should be regarded in the same way as the Nazi flag of the Third Reich. Today’s South is very different from its old Confederate counterpart. Slavery is now abolished, and racism is no longer in the law books. Unfortunately, many parts of the country, including the South, are still very racist. Ferguson, MO has recently been in the news with many other incidents of police violence against black people. However, one aspect of racism that has been around since the Civil War that people just turn a blind eye to is the use of the flag of the Confederate States of America (CSA) for non-historical purposes. The flag that is most used by Southern whites is the red one with a blue X and white stars. The rectangular version of this flag originated from the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, which was a square. What many people don’t know about this flag is that it’s actually the flag of the CSA Navy, not the national flag of the CSA. Even though this particular flag is misused, it still carries the same, if not
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more, negative racial connotations than the actual national flags of the CSA. When the CSA flag is used in an official capacity, like when all of the six flags over Texas are together, the version displayed is the national flag and not the one with the most negative racial connotations. In addition to proud rednecks, the KKK also often uses this flag. Yes, the Ku Klux Klan does use the CSA flag to represent their ideals of white supremacy. The white supremacist group uses something that represents a country that defended slavery of black people. You can say all you want about the Civil War being about states’ rights, and I would agree with you. However, the Civil War was fought over the states’ rights to own slaves. Many people will say that the flag has changed meaning and is more of a symbol of Southern pride and heritage and less of the old Confederacy. I am from the South, and I love it a little more than a liberal gay atheist perhaps should, but I still see this flag as racist. Most of the people using this Southern pride flag are white people. It’s hard to convince people you are just proud of the South when you use a flag that is overwhelmingly perceived as racially charged. The use of this flag is the same as a German using a Nazi flag to show their patriotism. It is perfectly OK for someone to want a “Southern banner,” but the fact is the flag of the CSA is a racist symbol. If you are racist, go ahead and use the flag. It will serve your purposes well. If you are not racist, don’t use this flag. Expressing Southern pride does not have to include racist symbols.
Editor-in-Chief............................................Lesley Warren, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor....................Odus Evbagharu,starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters...........................................................................universitystar@txstate.edu News Editor............................................Kelsey Bradshaw, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor.............................................Amanda Ross, startrends@txstate.edu Opinions Editor.....................................Imani McGarrell, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor........................................Madelynne Scales, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor......................................... Quixem Ramirez, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief.................................Sam Hankins, starcopychief@txstate.edu
in a third-world country. I typed the word “first” into the search bar on Twitter, and #FirstWorldProblems was the first thing to come up. Shortly after was the First World Problems Twitter page because, yes, there is an entire page with over 58,000 followers dedicated to first-world problems alone. Hannah Foster These posts include, but OPINIONS COLUMNIST are not limited to, “My Journalism junior Stomach hurts from being so full that I can’t fall asleep on he running joke “First my memory foam bed,” “My World Problems” has butler wants to take a week created a greater sense of entitlement among American off to visit his family” and “I can’t joke anymore that citizens. Before you begin a #NotAl- I have Ebola when I call in sick to work.” All of these are lAmericans hashtag, let me just say that I am not referring accompanied by the hashtag #FirstWorldProblems. Now, to all Americans but rather obviously these are all exagto those who are well-accusgerated, but they prove to be tomed to the ever-present excellent examples of what #FirstWorldProblems tag. I this hashtag is all about. cannot even say that I am just This tag, and this phrase referring to American youth. I in general, seems to make a have seen far too many adults mockery of the actual probstooping down to the same lems that are faced by people level as many children and living in third-world countries. young adults carelessly and in- It is a way for people to make sensitively using the hashtag. jokes about their privilege. #FirstWorldProblems is a They lend mocking credence hashtag commonly used to to the most irrelevant issues. illuminate the most trivial There are real problems going issues faced by many of those on in the world around us, living in Western civilization yet people would rather make as well as other first-world jokes about how easy their countries. It lets people life is. express their petty complaints This hashtag also proves in a way that is meant to be that society likes to forget both humorous and socially about all those living in povunderstood by others who are erty in first-world countries. lucky enough not to be living There are people living in the
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Design Editor...........................................Lauren Huston, stardesign@txstate.edu Assistant News Editor........................Nicole Barrios, starasstnews@txstate.edu Account Executive..................................Stephanie Macke, starad2@txstate.edu Account Executive.................................Morgan Knowles, starad4@txstate.edu Account Executive.....................................Jamie Beckham, starad5@txstate.edu Media Specialist............................................ Chris Salazar, c.salazar@txstate.edu Advertising Coordinator..............................Kelsey Nuckolls, kjn16@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator.......................................Linda Allen, la06@txstate.edu Publications Director...........................Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu
United States as well as other first-world countries who have never faced a “first-world problem” in their entire lives. There are living, breathing people in these first-world countries who have never had a bed and barely have enough food to eat, let alone something as trivial as a WiFi connection. Just because someone is a first-world resident does not mean they receive the same amount of privilege as the middle and upper classes. This hashtag is completely insensitive toward those in poverty. One may be lucky enough to have this privilege, but it is no excuse to mock these people and treat them like they are lesser beings. The hashtag encourages a sense of entitlement to those first-world citizens who cannot wait fifteen seconds for their webpage to load while completely disregarding those who don’t even have Internet. It certainly is important to be thankful for the comforts of food, shelter, clean water and the advanced technology that many people in first-world countries are lucky enough to have. At the end of the day, the crappy Wi-Fi signal you receive at school or a tooshort cellphone charging cord are not actual problems but are blessings. Yes, oftentimes these luxuries are imperfect, but they are still just that: luxuries.
The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the spring and fall and every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright Wednesday, October 22, 2014. 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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Wednesday, October 22, 2014 | The University Star | 5
SPORTS
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SIX PLAYERS TO LOOK FOR BOBCATS LOOK TO REVIVE RECORD IN LOUISIANA FOOTBALL
By Paul Livengood SPORTS REPORTER @IAMLIVENGOOD
By Quixem Ramirez SPORTS EDITOR @QUIXEM
ROB LOWE, JUNIOR RUNNING BACK Lowe missed one game with a knee injury, and he hasn’t been the same running back in his return. The Bobcats need Lowe’s offensive versatility to open up the offense for Tyler Jones, sophomore quarterback.
DALLAS MCCLARTY, SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE TACKLE McClarty is finding his footing in the system — he’s recorded a sack in three consecutive games, along with 14 total tackles. Michael Odiari, senior defensive lineman, can’t be the only player carrying the bulk of the pass rushing duties. McClarty is a necessary change-of-pace weapon on the defensive line.
ADRIAN BELLARD, JUNIOR OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Bellard is often pressed into protecting Jones’ blind side. Louisiana-Monroe is third in the Sun Belt Conference in sacks. The Warhawks plug the running gaps and bother the quarterback. It’s a recipe that could doom Texas State if Bellard and his offensive line counterparts can’t hold up for the entire game.
TYLER JONES, SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK
Jones began the season as the main catalyst for the Bobcats’ success on offense. He needs to take advantage of a sub-par Warhawks defense that ranks sixth in the Sun Belt Conference in passing yards allowed per game if the Bobcats want to defeat Louisiana-Monroe.
MICHAEL ODIARI, SENIOR DEFENSIVE END Odiari is consistently an impact player on the defensive line, leading the defense with 6.5 sacks this season. LouisianaMonroe is a pass-heavy team. A few sacks by Odiari will throw off senior quarterback Pete Thomas’ timing and give Texas State the upper hand.
CRAIG MAGER, SENIOR CORNERBACK Will we witness the lockdown defense we saw from him in the beginning of the year, or will we see the Mager who has given up deep shots in the past few games? Mager has flashed the ability to get in the backfield and beeline towards the quarterback from the secondary, an invaluable changeup for Wesley Thompson’s defense.
—PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS
STAR FILE PHOTO By Mariah Medina ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @MARIAHMEDINAAA The Bobcats allowed a rushing touchdown with 18 seconds left in their last meeting against Louisiana-Monroe, ultimately costing them the game. Coach Dennis Franchione plans on using the next five practices to prepare for a team similar to the one the Bobcats faced last year. “We played them in a close game that went down to the last 18 seconds of the game,” Franchione said. “It was kind of a heartbreaker, the way it unfolded in the last four or five minutes, but I don’t anticipate this game being a whole lot different.” Saturday’s matchup will be the third time this season the Bobcats have had 10 or more days to prepare between games Rest can be an advantage, but Germod Williams, sophomore safety, feels longer breaks slow the team’s momentum.
Franchione believes the positives outweigh the negatives. Extra time has allowed coaches to consider game plans on both sides of the ball, narrowing the scope of the practices. “That’s the beauty of having some extra days,” Franchione said. Franchione is focusing on individual responsibility leading in to the game. He mentioned it is easy to go through the motions “when you’re on your 55th practice” of the season. This week Franchione is challenging his team to “practice with a purpose.” “I think we just need to keep doing what we do and do it better: work in practice,” Franchione said. “We need to make our practices profitable every day.” Williams says the team believes no ceiling for expectations exists at this level of competition. “It’s never too high,” Williams said. “We’re at the highest level of college football, Division I football, so there’s never any expectation too
high.” The Bobcats are facing a defense that held Wake Forest to 94 yards of offense. Pete Thomas, senior quarterback, leads the Warhawks. Franchione believes his team can replicate last year’s defensive performance against Louisiana-Monroe. “Our guys’ preparation, our effort, our focus, I have no problem with in any of those regards,” Franchione said. The Bobcats are 3-3 overall and have yet to play conference leaders Georgia Southern and Arkansas State, who are combined 6-0 in the Sun Belt. Franchione isn’t concerned. For him, it’s one game at a time. “The only sense of urgency we have is getting ready to play this game,” Franchione said. “As head coach I have to look at the whole thing sometimes, but we just need to get ready to play Monroe. We can’t play New Mexico State until we play this one, so we just have to get ready to play this one as best we can.”
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By Quixem Ramirez SPORTS EDITOR @QUIXEM Before Tyler Jones, sophomore quarterback, earned the starting quarterback job last year, he was benched in the third quarter against Louisiana-Monroe. Jones is in the midst of a similar slide this year. He’s averaging 126 passing yards and completing 58 percent of his passes in the past two games (http://espn.go.com/collegefootball/player/gamelog/_/id/548240/tylerjones). The offense is in a funk and the defense has been stretched to its physical limits to compensate. In last years meeting against LouisianaMonroe, Jones completed six of 15 passes. He added two completions to Warhawks defenders, both resulting in touchdowns. (http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/ gamelog/_/id/548240/year/2013/tyler-jones) It was a wake up call. Jones finished his freshman season with a four-game stretch that cemented his role as the signal caller for his sophomore campaign. The future was bright for a program that shuffled through different combinations of incompetent quarterbacks. The Stephenville native benefitted from an entire offseason dedicated to building an offense that would suppress his weaknesses and highlight his strengths. Coach Dennis Franchione’s solution: Dialing up the tempo, adding a few extra pass patterns and supporting him with a productive
running back core. Jones, well-versed in a no-huddle offense from his high school career, jumped into the role with a small learning curve. Once he nailed down the timing – when to utilize his legs and when to puncture the defense with a pass – the Bobcats offense took off to another level. The team has dropped down to earth after its last two games. There is a trickle-down effect that starts with the offensive line. Then the brunt of the blame lands squarely on Jones, who isn’t making the most of what he has at his disposal. There is some truth to that, though there is a glut of other reasons why the offense is regressing. The wide receivers aren’t separating from the defenders. The running backs aren’t finding holes as regularly. Instead of testing the boundaries of the offense, the Bobcats have devolved into a predictable unit that defenses can squash with some preparation. “I don’t think we played nearly as well as we are capable of playing,” Franchione said. “We are still in the process, but we can play better than we did Tuesday. We’ve had three or four primetime opportunities and we’ve stubbed our toe in them. This is a good learning experience. We need to learn from these kinds of games.” Louisiana-Monroe is a chance to wipe the slate clean, to hit the reset button. It’s a chance for Jones to redeem himself. If last year was any indication, there is still enough time to control the damage. Texas State can’t afford to fall further in the conference standings. The clock is ticking.
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