October 28 2014

TUESDAY

OCTOBER 28, 2014 VOLUME 104 ISSUE 32

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Mayoral candidates Patrick Montgomery, Daniel Guerrero and Jonathan Sorenson debate Oct. 27 at LBJ Museum. HARON SAENZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Council, mayoral candidates debate future of San Marcos

UNIVERSITY

Threat at residence hall causes officials to re-examine safety precautions

By Carlie Porterfield SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Students living in Tower Hall are being more vigilant about their safety in the wake of a “terroristic threat” made by an intruder early Saturday morning.

A man entered Tower Hall around 3 a.m. and made comments about how easy it would be to enter the building and harm residents there. The man was seen near the east entrance of the hall waiting for the door to be opened.

“From what I understand, a resident came in, swiped their card, and while the door was open, he just followed them in,” said Jayme Blaschke, University News Service director.

Students living at Tower Hall were shocked at the news, said resident Julia Barnes, business management freshman.

“It really freaked me out, to be honest,” Barnes said. “I’m from a small country town, and I’ve never been in a situation where there was that much of a threat.”

Upon entering the building, the subject made comments about “how easy it would be to gain access to a dorm and harm people without anyone knowing,” according to a university release.

The subject was seen on the eighth floor of the dorm and threatened to use a weapon to injure those inside the hall.

He was also seen at San Jacinto hall later that night.

Many residents of Tower Hall let people in to the building and don’t think twice about it, Barnes said.

“We’re all pretty freaked out,” Barnes said. “You never know when something like that could happen again.”

The student who encountered the subject at Tower Hall called the University Police Department (UPD), Blaschke said.

“It was the absolute proper thing to do,” Blaschke said. “In situations like this where there’s any ambiguity, it’s best to respond with caution because the safety of students, faculty and staff on campus should always take priority.”

Officers conducted a search, but the subject was not located that morning.

“We got security camera footage Satur-

See TOWER HALL, Page 2

PRESLIE COX STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Tower Hall received threats Oct. 25 from a known suspect.

By Houston York NEWS REPORTER

Candidates for City Council Place 3 and 4 and those running for mayor discussed the future of San Marcos Monday night at a debate hosted by the University Star and KTSW 89.9.

Jane Hughson, City Council Place 4 candidate, spoke without an opponent. Her rival, Councilman Wayne Becak, Place 4, was unable to attend the debate.

Hughson said one of the main reasons she is running for city council is the City of San Marcos’ Comprehensive Master Plan.

“I was on the committee for

the plan, and I decided I wanted to be on city council to see the implementation of the plan,” Hughson said. “Budget and transportation plans need to conform, and I want to make sure they do. If there is a change I want to make sure that it is justified.”

Mike Davis, candidate for Place 3, and incumbent Councilman John Thomaides were up next.

The contenders first discussed the implementation of the city’s comprehensive master plan and Vision San Marcos.

Davis deferred the implementation of the plan to code enforcers and other city officials and said he is more concerned with

other issues.

“I am more concerned about the children in this city that are starving than if there is a noise concern about someone having a party,” Davis said. “We have a tremendous amount of poverty in this city that we need to do something about. We need to create some jobs.”

Thomaides said six months after the master plan was adopted, officials had an opportunity to see if procedures decided upon by citizens over the course of a year were being implemented.

“My commitment is that I was there to help produce the master plan, and right now we are re-writing the San Marcos plan development code to make sure

the master plan gets implemented correctly,” Thomaides said.

Candidates touched on the kinds of expansion they would like to see for San Marcos, the fastest-growing city in the nation.

Thomaides said he would like to see “managed growth” relating to the quality of life.

“Lowering standards and begging people to come to San Marcos is not the way to go,” Thomaides said. “We need to look at the entire community holistically.”

Councilmembers need to help growth and not deter it, Davis said.

“I want to see the development

See DEBATE, Page 2

CITY

ONE OF TWO

Percentage of smokers at Texas State decreases following campus smoking ban

By Anna Herod NEWS REPORTER Recent surveys conducted by the American College Health Association reveal with the implementation of the tobacco-free policy on campus, the number of frequent smokers at Texas State has decreased from 22 percent to 15 percent since 2011.

The campus community has reaped significant benefits since becoming a tobaccofree campus, said Emilio Carranco, director of the Student Health Center.

“I think people are realizing

that smoking and exposing others to secondhand smoke is a real risk to self and others, and it’s translating into changes of behavior,” Carranco said. “We’ve got fewer students that are smoking regularly and more students who are thinking about quitting. That is really good for the health of our campus community.”

Carranco said university officials are currently working to revise the tobacco policy.

Supervisors will have the option to require those who have

MADELYNNE SCALES PHOTO EDITOR

See TOBACCO, Page 2

CITY

Round table sessions aim to foster transparency between students, officials

By Alexa Tavarez NEWS REPORTER Students expressed concerns about retention and athletic event promotion at the Student Government Round Table discussions held at the LBJSC ballroom on Monday.

University officials from Stu-

dent Affairs, Parking Services, Chartwells, the Police Department and Athletics sat with students in 10-minute sessions in an effort to promote transparency.

Megan Trexler, a business marketing and public relations major, asked President Denise Trauth and Eugene Bourgeois, university provost, what officials are doing to increase student retention.

HARON SAENZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER President Denise Trauth and Provost Eugene Bourgeois talk with Dominique Gray-Berroa, political science junior, Oct. 27 at round table discussion in the LBJ Ballroom.

Trauth emphasized dealing with students as individuals is essential in university programs focused on retention.

"Despite the fact that (Texas State) is rather large, we have, by all accounts, a very personalized culture," Trauth said. "And most of what we do in retention comes back to that."

Furthermore, retention begins in the summer with programs such as Cat Camp and getting the "right balance of courses" for a student's first semester, Trauth said.

"During that first semester we have an early alert system that if faculty feels like a student is getting into trouble early on, we (can) reach out and make it a personalized reach," Trauth said.

The university has launched a new wave of supplemental instruction for students taking classes in fields such as chemistry and biochemistry, Bourgeois said.

"It's looking at (supplemental instruction) to see how peer mentoring can maintain student retention," Bourgeois said.

Daulton O'Neill, public admin-

istration junior, discussed with athletics officials whether the idea of a "beer garden" would entice students 21 and over to attend more games.

Officials at the University of North Texas are trying the idea of a "beer garden" on one side of the stadium, said Larry Teis, Director of Athletics.

"We wrote down all the pros and cons and tried to argue (having a beer garden) and pass a legislation, but the cons outweighed the pros tremendously," O'Neill said.

The university probably wouldn't make any money from the garden because the cost to "beef up" security would decrease the profit margin, O'Neill said.

"It's a catch-22," Teis said.

"Everybody talks about ‘does it help, does it not help,’ but I don't know. Maybe down the road the university's thoughts on it (will change).”

The worst thing for a university is an empty stadium, Teis said.

However, attendance at home football games has increased this year, he said.

2 | The University Star | News | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

TOBACCO, from front repeatedly violated the policy to take an educational course about the harmful affects of smoking.

“I would say that because we’ve seen a significant improvement in terms of people smoking on campus, that we continue to believe that just asking people to comply with the policy is the primary way to try to enforce it,” Carranco said.

Students and faculty who struggle to comply with the tobacco ban because of addiction can find resources through the Student Health Center.

“We do have a smoking cessation program that is administered through our nurse clinic, and it’s available free of charge to all students,” Carranco said.

Students and faculty who may want to use

DEBATE, from front medication to help them conquer their addictions to tobacco can find help through the health center as well, he said.

“We provide smoking cessation aids at significant discounts to help students and others who are interested in trying to quit,” Carranco said.

“We carry the nicotine patches, gum and lozenges, and we offer those at significant discounts to what you would see in other places.”

Physicians at the health center are available to help individuals develop unique plans that will best reduce or cease their tobacco use, Carranco said.

The counseling center does not provide any specific program for people who want to quit using tobacco. However, counselors do help students deal with the symptoms

they may experience as a result of quitting.

“When you're going to go ahead and quit smoking or quit chewing tobacco, obviously that’s going to lead to a little bit of anxiety,” said Kimberly Litwinowich, a counseling center psychologist. “We do provide services around some of the symptoms of nicotine reduction, which is going to be the stress and anxiety management that goes with quitting any substance use.”

Texas State and Midwestern State University are the first major institutions of higher education in Texas to become tobacco-free, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation.

“I believe that in terms of overall healthy living and healthy lifestyle, a tobacco-free lifestyle is a more positive one that

enhances our campus community,” said Provost Eugene Bourgeois.

Students often think ecigarettes are acceptable despite the tobacco ban, but this is not the case, Carranco said.

“E-cigarettes are considered a tobacco product by the FDA,” Carranco said.

There is a noticeable difference in the current state of the university from before the policy was implemented in 2010 that can be seen simply by walking through the campus, he said.

“I think it’s been a great success,” Carranco said. “Overall, there has been a tremendous decrease in the number of students who are smoking on campus, and I think that’s really great for their health. It’s really great for the health of the campus community.”

of good paying jobs that are above minimum wage and single family homes,” Davis said. “City council can do a lot to hinder businesses from coming to San Marcos.”

The second half of the debate was between mayoral candidates Patrick Montgomery, Jonathan Sorenson and incumbent Daniel Guerrero.

The mayoral candidates began their portion of the evening by discussing hopes for the city in the next ten years.

Sorenson said implementing the master plan would lead the city into an ideal future.

“What we have to make sure we do is implement what has actually been written in our plan, “ Sorenson said. “I don’t have a voting record, but we can look at the voting record of current councilmembers. Actions they took like Cape’s Camp and La Cima do not represent what our citizens actually put in the plan.”

Montgomery said the idea San Marcos is the fastestgrowing city in the nation is a false statistic.

“That is purely false and is being piggybacked on the fact that Texas State is the fastest-growing university in the country,” Mongomery said. “The university has demolished student housing in an effort to privatize student housing. Spot zoning is being done on top of the master plan to accomplish this.”

The city’s future “boils down” to the implementation of the comprehensive master plan, Guerrero said.

“In these next ten years, our goal is to ensure the good quality of water, work together with other communities to bring jobs to San Marcos, improve our infrastructure and enhance our schools,” Guerrero said.

TOWER, from front day morning, and we distributed it by e-mail,” Blaschke said. “Within 30 minutes, calls to UPD had identified the individual. University Police located him and brought him in for questioning at that point.”

The suspect is no longer in custody and is not being charged with anything “at this point,” Blaschke said.

He was not able to confirm whether or not the subject is a student at the university.

UPD chose not to comment on the case, as the investigation is ongoing.

Tower Hall resident Caleb Ritchie, public relations freshman, said the incident has led to an increased sense of security among students who live there.

“A lot of people would let people in if they knocked, but now people are a lot more critical,” Ritchie said.

“They won’t just open the door for anyone,” Ritchie

said.

Each residence hall is equipped with an electronic access system that reads students’ identification cards, Blaschke said. After regular business hours, visitors are only permitted to enter a building accompanied by a host and must be escorted at all times.

“The entrance to residence halls by any other means is not permitted,” Blaschke said. “In this case, (the suspect) did circumvent this.”

A review of all door protocols is being undertaken to determine if any changes are needed, Blaschke said.

Chris Barnes, director at Tower Hall, has requested UPD complete rounds throughout the building to help assure the safety of the community, according to an e-mail he sent to all Tower residents Monday morning.

Residents are being en-

couraged to be more aware of their surroundings, Blaschke said.

Students can protect themselves by refusing to open the door for non-residents, keeping all entrances and exits closed and reporting any suspicious individuals loitering around the halls, Blaschke said.

“Those are very basic things that I think a lot of people take for granted,” Blaschke said. “They really do add up when it comes to keeping residents safe.”

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Tuesesday, October 28, 2014 | The University Star | 3

SPORTS

UniversityStar.com

Quick Five is a new University Star segment in which Sports Editor Quixem Ramirez and Sports Reporter Paul Livengood tackle five quick-hitting questions regarding the Texas State football team.

finally turn things around, beat New Mexico State, string together some wins and gain some momentum before clashing with the Georgia Southern Eagles.

By Quixem Ramirez SPORTS EDITOR @QUIXEM

By Paul Livengood SPORTS REPORTER @IAMLIVENGOOD 1. On a scale of 1-10, how important is the win against LouisianaMonroe?

QR: Point to LouisianaMonroe’s inept offense.

Point to Texas State’s inability to manufacture anything offensively during the first half. Point to whatever.

This, for all intents and purposes, is the kind of win that sets the tone for the rest of the season. Texas State won its first Sun Belt Conference road game, alleviating the burden of future encounters.

The Warhawks were favored at home. They held a twopossession lead midway through the third quarter while the Bobcats bobbed, weaved and withstood Louisiana-Monroe’s flurry of jabs. They responded with a few haymakers in the fourth quarter—senior running back Terrence Franks’ 40-yard touchdown on 4thand-5 and junior running back Rob Lowe’s go-ahead touchdown—to cap the comeback.

PL: I’d say a 7. On one hand you could say this is a huge bounce-back win after being humiliated at home on national television. With this win, maybe the Bobcats will

On the other hand, Louisiana-Monroe is beatable.

The Warhawks are driven by their defense. They are last in the conference in total offensive yards, points per game and rushing yards.

It’s been proven on numerous occasions the Bobcats can’t hang against potent offenses.

2. What was the biggest turnaround from the first half that led to the second-half comeback?

QR: Leadership has been a recurring theme this season. David Mayo, senior linebacker, fits the bill. He finished with a career-high 22 tackles in the win, but his halftime speech, in which he reinforced the team’s resiliency, may have been more important.

Texas State averaged 3.7 points per drive in the second half. The Bobcats allowed their wild card, C.J. Best, junior wide receiver, to roam free in the backfield, operating as the fulcrum of the read option. LouisianaMonroe wasn’t equipped to bottle Best’s sideline-tosideline speed. Texas State used the matchup disadvantage to fuel the comeback.

PL: Offensive production— the run game in particular.

There was real offensive rhythm in the first half.

However, when Texas State exited halftime, they established a running attack that opened up everything else. The team is at its best when they run the ball well,

incorporating running back screens and swing plays to accentuate the run. When Rob Lowe, junior running back; Terrence Franks, senior running back and C.J. Best, junior wide receiver, combine for 229 total yards, the Bobcats are tough to beat.

3. What can we take away from the win?

QR: There’s some hope. It’s still too early to envision a bowl game, but that goal is certainly more realistic.

The season is not lost. Texas State is still on the fringe of bowl eligibility. They still have plenty of work to do, but the win simplifies the process.

sion.

4. How big of a role did the defense have in getting the win?

QR: It took awhile for the offense to awake from its extended slumber. The defense, meanwhile, clamped down and provided the necessary oomph to keep the team afloat. Mayo solidified every zone of the field, evidenced by his gaudy tackle totals, and the defense keyed in on an already limited Warhawks offense.

PL: The defense was huge.

Texas State forced the Warhawks to punt on four of its

six possessions in the second half, holding them to a field goal and forcing a turnover on downs as LouisianaMonroe failed to score on its final drive. Without the defense playing lights out in the second half, the opportunity for Texas State to make a comeback would not have been possible.

5. Will the Bobcats extend the winning streak against New Mexico State?

QR: Yes. New Mexico State allows 331.1 rushing yards per game, the highest mark in Division I. This is a perfect storm for a team built predominately on the

strength of the running game. Jones can play off the strength of his running backs rather than force the issue. The Bobcats are clear favorites, even in a road environment.

PL: On paper, they should.

The Bobcats are statistically better than the Cowboys in almost every major statistical category. Texas State ranks second in the Sun Belt in points per game. New Mexico State ranks eighth.

Texas State ranks fifth in points allowed per game, and New Mexico State is ninth. The numbers bear out a significant difference between the teams.

PL: The biggest takeaway from this game is the resiliency of the Bobcats. During the first half, it was like watching the Louisiana-Lafayette game all over again.

The offense couldn’t move the ball to save their lives.

The defense bought them some extra time after they held the Warhawks to three field goals. This made a comeback doable.

Texas State was down 18-7 with 6:50 left in the fourth quarter when Franks caught a 40-yard touchdown pass

by Tyler Jones, sophomore quarterback.

Some teams would have rolled over, played dead and punted the ball, hoping for the defense to make a stop and get the ball back with good field position. The touchdown was arguably the single biggest turning point in the game. Instead of facing an 11-point deficit, the Bobcats trimmed the lead to three points following Jones’ two point conver-

PUBLIC HEARING Public hearing for the campus community to comment on the proposed tuition and fee increases for academic year 2015-16

Wednesday, October 29, 2014 4:30pm LBJ Student Center Room 3-14.1

All members of the university community are invited to participate in this discussion with Provost Gene Bourgeois and other members of the President’s Cabinet.

4 | The University Star | Tuesday, October 28, 2014

OPINIONS

UniversityStar.com

THE MAIN POINT

Students must be aware of sensationalism in politics

D

uring the current midterm elections, Bobcats should take care to find as much unbiased information about the candidates running as possible.

Around election season there is a lot of sensationalism in the media. The campaigns for politicians run highly biased and skewed advertisements in hopes of bringing more votes to their side of the cause. This tactic can be effective but also highlights a flaw in media coverage and political elections.

Young people are the future of this country and the world.

Students have a responsibility to be informed on the governmental decisions that go into making the world what it is. Part of being an informed citizen includes knowing how to look for bias in information presented.

Students should not fall prey

RYAN JEANES STAR ILLUSTRATOR

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

to the mud-slinging and slander that often accompany politics.

Facts speak for themselves and are a good way of discerning how much politicians stick to the promises they make. Websites like PolitiFact.com and FactCheck. org are popular sources for looking into the truths behind candidate promises and actions.

There was a clash Thursday between pro-life and pro-choice supporters of abortion in The Quad. Both sides had facts and statistics to back up their side of the argument. However, as with most controversial issues, many people use biased information that only backs up their viewpoint of the argument more than it presents an even display of the truth. It is understandable behavior, but students need to keep that in mind when listening and not be swayed by scare tactics.

Students should at least be knowledgeable about local elections and candidates. Monday night, The University Star and KTSW hosted a debate between mayoral and city council candidates. Topics such as development of Cape’s Camp, bringing jobs to the city and affordable housing

options were discussed. Attending debates like this, or at least reading up on the candidates, is a good way to develop a solid perception of them.

Nowadays, many students use social media to gather their news information. However, these media many not be the even display of coverage that many think they are.

According to a University Star column, Facebook uses algorithms to determine what types of posts to show on a person’s feed. Therefore, if someone interacts primarily with conservative or liberal people on their feed, they will see more of those types of posts than others of different viewpoints.

Bobcats in this day and age have more access to information than ever before. Most people are privileged enough to have almost constant access to the Internet.

Because of this, students do not have a real excuse for not being informed on political happenings.

It is not hard to stay up to date on who is who and what they are running for. Students should imagine going to vote and actually knowing who everyone on the ballot is instead of just picking someone whose name sounds nice.

SOCIAL ISSUES

Some issues still important even when not trending

Hanna Foster OPINIONS COLUMNIST Journalism junior

K

ony 2012, the Trayvon Martin case, the missiles flying between Palestine and Israel, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Ferguson are just a few of the major events that have blown up in the media over the last couple of years.

Each and every one of these events consumed the media for a

portion of time, then eventually died out and was seemingly forgotten. Just two years ago, Kony 2012 and the Invisible Children Foundation raised $5 million in just 48 hours due to the world’s passion for the matter. Just two years ago, controversy developed with the unjust murder of Trayvon Martin. Both of these events seem more like distant memories to many.

In early July of this year, news of the confrontations occurring between Palestine and Israel was saturating news and media everywhere. People on both sides of the argument were talking about the situation, debating it and educating themselves about the war that is going on. People were concerned and compassionate.

Meanwhile, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral.

People everywhere were pour-

ing buckets of ice on themselves and their friends in the name of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

These popular videos not only spread awareness to thousands of people but have also helped the ALS Association raise $100 million. All of this in a two-month time span.

Just two months ago, 18-yearold Mike Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Just two months ago, hundreds of protestors in Ferguson were shot with rubber pellets and tear gas by heavily armed police forces. Just two months ago, much of the country was outraged at this public execution and the apparent police brutality directed towards both local journalists and the citizens of Ferguson.

Yet somehow, all five of these major events seem to have lost

HEALTH

Americans should focus on African Ebola relief rather than non-existent U.S. outbreak

Olivia Garcia OPINIONS COLUMNIST Public relations senior

N

ational concern about Ebola should be focused more on West African countries.

The largest Ebola outbreak in history started and remains in the West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. There is no outbreak in America. The number of cases in the United States is extremely minimal compared to the reported 10,141 cases in these West African countries.

The Centers for Disease Control scarily project that actual cases are probably two to three times higher than officially reported. This leaves the estimate close to 30,000 cases. So why is there such little aid and coverage to these countries? Many experts have no idea.

According to an Oct. 25 Time Magazine article, data shows that without significantly scaled

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

efforts there will be 170,996 cases of Ebola and 90,122 deaths related to the disease by Dec. 15. However, if there are significantly ramped-up efforts there could be 77,312 prevented cases by the same date.

I have not heard any coverage or seen any commercials for Ebola relief efforts. All that is being reported now is fear of an outbreak here in America. It is pretty simple. Cases are coming to America because of the lack of resources and effort being put into these West African countries.

The first cases of the disease were seen as early as December 2013. No one could have projected this mass epidemic, but some heads should have turned when Doctors Without Borders sent two press releases in June documenting the severity of Ebola in West Africa.

There were brief segments and articles about the outbreak, and full coverage did not start until the first patient was diagnosed in the United States. As usual, it seems as though Americans only care about things when it hits home. There must be a change in the ignorance we have about the outbreak in West Africa.

After more than a handful of cases have

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

shown up in the United States, relief efforts from Americans are nowhere near what is needed.

This is strange, since Americans are usually very good at donating to relief efforts for natural disasters. Maybe it is because of the lack of visuals Americans are used to seeing with natural disasters. I am sure no one wants to see mass graves, but perhaps that is what is needed to drive up efforts.

So I am hereby calling out celebrities to start advocating for donations and relief for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Americans seem to listen to celebrities more than any other public figure.

According to an Oct. 20 New York Times article, Mark Zuckerberg and his wife donated $25 million to support the treatment of Ebola victims and their families. This is a good start, but again, more needs to be done.

Literally thousands of lives can be saved with new hospital beds and updated equipment. The outbreak must be contained in order to prevent future cases traveling to other countries. Like most relief efforts, even a dollar helps. Donations can be made at the websites of UNICEF, the CDC and Doctors Without Borders.

momentum. The population is no longer talking about these things.

The people are losing their passion for these topics and moving on to the latest-and-greatest topics in the news just like they always do.

Our country cannot just forget these major events. The citizens cannot turn a blind eye on the events of the past and pretend that they did not happen. The people must continue discussing these topics for years to come until they are written in history books.

It is now two years after the Kony 2012 video went viral, and Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) are still in hiding. It has now been two years since Trayvon Martin was killed, and his murderer, George Zimmerman, is still walking free.

The war is still going on between

Israel and Palestine. Innocent people are still dying every single day in the Middle East. It has been two months since Mike Brown was shot, and Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed him, is still on administrative leave, not fired from his job, still getting paid and has yet to go to court for his crime.

There is still so much work to be done. We cannot let all of these events just fade into the past. We have the opportunity to make a difference, and we should take it. As a united nation, we should collectively refuse to forget these events. We cannot afford to lose our passion when there is so much more progress to be made. We have proved that when we join together we can make a change. We just have to keep it up. Do not lose your passion. Do not lose your anger.

NEWS

Satirical news shows have become more informative than traditional sources

Jeffrey Bradshaw OPINIONS COLUMNIST Political science sophomore

I

t’s all fun and games until somebody actually learns something.

Shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are becoming increasingly popular. According to Pew Research, these two shows rank highest among 1829 year olds compared to all other news shows. However, many question whether these news programs should be taken as seriously as other news providers.

The answer is obviously yes. This generation is used to being constantly entertained, whether it’s with a phone or video game console. They do not want to sit around watching a boring news program. Many in this generation get their news from Twitter or the occasional news app. These satirical news programs are the perfect answers to the predicament young people are in today.

They satisfy the need for entertainment while providing quality information on topics that this generation might not have known they are interested in learning about.

The hosts of these types of shows are not news anchors by trade but comedians. They are usually on the opposing side of whatever issue they are discussing and present the news in a manner that shows the holes in the other argument. They take their argument to the extreme most of the time. By doing this

Design Editor...........................................Lauren Huston, stardesign@txstate.edu Assistant News Editor........................Nicole Barrios, starasstnews@txstate.edu Account Executive..................................Hanna Katz, 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

they clearly break down the topic and explain it in a simpler manner that the audience better understands. According to a study from deadline.com, this process of informing the audience via comedy makes The Colbert Report more informative than other news sources.

During this time of the election cycle, news programs like The Rachel Maddow Show travel to various states to cover certain elections. This year The Daily Show has decided to come to Austin to cover the Texas midterm election starting October 27th. This type of specific political coverage will further encourage young people in Texas to watch the show and learn about this year’s elections. Young people will understand the Texas-specific jokes that Jon Stewart is talking about, and through that comedic process they will learn about very important elections.

These shows are also very good about exposing and covering news stories that involve issues like rape, racism and LGBTQIA issues. These issues are very important to the generally socially liberal-minded 18-25 demographic. They use special correspondents, like the “chief black correspondent” position, to call out governmental bull honky in a very comedic way. These segments are a social justice blogger’s dream and often show up in GIF form on Tumblr after airing. They also have political guests, like senators and congressmen, on the show. Utilizing real-life representatives is a great way to show the younger generation who the government actually is. Additionally, the guests lend another viewpoint for audiences to learn from.

These satirical news shows are doing everything right. They expose news stories and social issues that might not have been covered on other programs.

They present the news in a comedic and entertaining way. All of these things make satirical news programs very informative and highly effective.

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 Tuesday, October 28, 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.

Visit The Star at www.UniversityStar.com

Tuesday, October 28, 2014 | The University Star | 5

PRESS RELEASE

PRSSA to host autumn gala SAN MARCOS, Texas (Oct. 10, 2014) — The Texas State Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America will host its first annual Mass Communication Autumn Gala from 8 to 11 p.m. on Nov. 20 in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom.

The Gala is open to Mass Communication faculty and students of all disciplines and classifications.

Cost of entrance will be $7 per person and will cover admission, dance and dessert bar access. The dress code for the gala is ‘black-tie preferred.’ Each guest is allowed to bring a date but must purchase a ticket for him or her. The event will also feature a guest speaker, multi-organizational networking opportunities and a photo booth.

The purpose of the Mass Communication Autumn Gala is to bring students

together from across disciplines and foster a fun and relaxing networking environment. Networking is an essential part of becoming a communications professional, and it can begin with the connections cultivated here at Texas State.

Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite beginning Oct. 9, 2014. Each guest may purchase up to two tickets.

Tickets are refundable until Nov. 14, one week before the Gala. Guests will be able to check in at the door. Tickets are non-transferable.

PRSSA will present the Mass Communication Leader of the Year award at the Gala. The honor will be given to one male and one female student who exemplify leadership skills, campus involvement, academic merit and community service. Every applicant must submit a resume and

a one-page essay on why he or she deserves the award to Randi Berkovsky, director of membership, via email at r_b2@txstate.edu. The deadline for applications is Nov. 5, 2014.

About the Public Relations Student Society of America The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is the foremost organization for students interested in public relations and communications.

PRSSA connects students with resources and people to enhance their education and broaden professional networks to help launch future careers. PRSSA at Texas State meets every other Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Old Main, room 320. For more information, students should visit www. txstateprssa.org.

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