VOLUME 103, ISSUE 13
www.UniversityStar.com
THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 19, 2013
Defending the First Amendment since 1911
VIDEO | UniversityStar.com
SPORTS | Page 7
En Garde: The Texas State Fencing Club is an organization on campus that accepts anyone interested in learning how to compete in the sport.
Texas Tech Preview: The Bobcats will compete with the Red Raiders in Texas Tech’s ‘Celebrate Cotton Game’ Saturday.
CRIME
UNIVERSITY
Police investigate possible connections in area robberies By Megan Carthel News Reporter
University Police Department officers are investigating an attempted robbery that occurred Sept. 1 near the Bobcat
Village apartment complex. According to police officers, a male student was approached by an individual he described as a tall black male at about 9:40 a.m. Sgt. Alex Villalobos said the victim
felt he was in “imminent fear of harm.” Villalobos said he believes the victim addressed the suspect or was loud and caused attention to be drawn to the assailant to deter him. He said the victim felt the assailant was going to use a weapon, but it is unclear what weapon the suspect could have had or if he had one at all. No property was taken from the victim, Villalobos said. “The victim was lucky that no rob-
See ROBBERY, Page 2
Citizens Fire Academy “We want to educate the public on what we do. (They learn) what’s involved in being a firefighter.” —Howie Minor, San Marcos Fire Department captain See ACADEMY, Page 3
Fundraising campaign to end February 2014 By Autumn Bernhard News Reporter
Pride in Action, the university’s seven-year fundraising campaign, will end early next year in conjunction with the opening of the Performing Arts Center. The campaign, which will end Feb. 28, 2014, began in 2006 with a goal of earning $110 million. The goal was exceeded last August, and the campaign has raised $144 million. The campaign’s purpose is to provide resources that will promote student and professor excellence, said Barbara Breier, vice president of University Advancement. “The amazing thing about the campaign is that almost all of the money is cash,” Breier said. “The campaign has a total of 40,000 contributors, which acts as the base of support for the university’s future. This proves that our profile has increased in the nation, and we have raised the level of awareness of our potential as a university.” The money the campaign has raised is divided between the campaign’s five pillars of academic excellence, athletics, performing arts, library and alumni. According to Ted McKinnon, assistant vice president of University Advancement and Development, about 73 percent of the funds raised through Pride in Action are going toward academic excellence for endowed scholarships, professorships and chairs. Athletics will receive 16 percent. McKinnon said the money given to the university has helped improve the campus and education for students. “It makes me proud to be part of a university that has truly great people supporting it,” McKinnon said.
“No matter if it is friends or alumni of the university, it is truly amazing to see people who have such great feelings about Texas State to give money.” Texas State officials hired 27 students to call alumni and give them updates on how the university has grown to help raise more money. The students ask alumni for their support to help expand the membership of the Alumni Association, said Dan Perry, assistant vice president of University Advancement. Texas State has a total of 156,000 alumni, he said. The call center reached out to about 77,000 alumni and spoke to 17,000 last year. Perry said 1,000 alumni became new donors, bringing the total to 5,300. Alumni donations totaled $165,000 to 170,000, Perry said. He said University Advancement’s goal is to have 10,000 to 11,000 members in the Alumni Association. “Over 50 percent of the gifts we receive (in the Pride in Action Campaign) are from the alumni, which makes them enhance the experience of others,” Perry said. “But, beyond the campaign, only 4.2 percent of the alumni are contributing to Texas State. Our lifelong goal is 8 percent.” A newer part of Pride in Action is the Family Campaign, Brier said. It has taken place for the past two years and all the donations come from the faculty and staff. “To me, it’s not about how much we raise—it’s just the fact that we have the ability to make some,” Breier said. “What is special about this campaign is the money raised is strictly from the staff. It comes out of their paychecks to help students achieve all they can.”
Kathryn Parker | Staff photographer
TRANSPORTATION
Tram collides into minivan at traffic light By Nicole Barrios News Reporter
TOP: Trey Hatt grabs a rope to rescue his wife, Cindy, during a Citizens Fire Academy exercise Sept. 14.
MIDDLE: Denise Molina rappels down the side of Fire Station 5 Saturday during the Citizens Fire Academy rappelling exercise.
BOTTOM LEFT: Captain Jay Horton instructs Cathy Kelly Saturday during the Citizens Fire Academy’s swift water rescue exercise at Rio Vista.
BOTTOM RIGHT: The Citizens Fire Academy aims to educate San Marcos residents on the duties of firefighters in a free 12-week program.
POLICY
Safety training to be required for organizations selling food on campus By Katharina Guttenburg News Reporter
Beginning Oct. 1, organizations selling food on campus will need at least one member with special training on site while food is present. The requirement is part of a new University Policy and Procedure Statement, the official set of rules and policies governing Texas State.
If a student organization plans to give away or sell food in The Quad or at a program or event, at least one member must have attended a food safety training session. The Office of Campus Activities and the Office of Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management are holding the sessions to prevent food poisoning outbreaks, said Heather Campbell, student development specialist.
Campbell said an outbreak is defined as two or more students becoming ill from food poisoning. No students will be allowed to distribute food if an outbreak is caused on campus. She said the school is being “proactive” by preventing outbreaks before they happen. Campbell said 100 people have received the training over the last six weeks. “There are a variety of universities in Texas that don’t allow any food on campus and that’s because of the hazard of people getting sick,” Campbell
See FOOD, Page 2
A Texas State tram collided with a minivan at the intersection of Holland Street and Old Ranch Road 12 at approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday. The tram was turning right onto Old Ranch Road 12 when it sideswiped a green minivan stopped at the traffic light. The tram appeared to scrape the minivan with the bike rack on the front of the bus. No one was hurt in the incident. Two adults and one child were in the minivan. The tram pulled over into the parking lot of Chepo’s Mexican Restaurant to converse with the passengers of the minivan and wait for assistance. The driver pulled into the parking lot and waited for approximately 15 minutes after the collision. About half of the passengers who chose to walk to the Highcrest Apartments stop were then let off the bus. About seven of the approximately 12 remaining pas-
sengers were given papers by the driver and asked to write down information regarding the accident. “The green minivan was in the way, but there was nothing the minivan could do,” said Vilma Quintanilla, undeclared sophomore. “I guess the bus driver thought he could make (the turn), so he went ahead and took it, but he didn’t.” Carson Spann, communication design sophomore, said the incident was “unfortunate for the bus driver and for myself.” He said the incident was not bad, but there was “a pretty bad scratch on the minivan.” Spann said he saw the bike rack scrape the minivan above the driver’s side front tire and leave “a foot and a half long” scratch. A San Marcos Police Department officer was sent to the scene but no report will be filed, according to SMPD officials. Both parties were issued a “blue form,” which is a self-reporting accident in which both parties agree to exchange insurance information.