VOLUME 102, ISSUE 64

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THURSDAY GO NE ONLI NOW

MARCH 7, 2013

Getting around campus Sociology professor Sally Caldwell discusses the difficulties of walking around campus with a disability. To see the interview with Caldwell, go to UniversityStar.com

Texas State, ACC program to aid transfer students By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor

A new co-enrollment program designed to help students benefit from university life at both Texas State and Austin Community College was announced Tuesday. The Pathway Program will allow students take one Texas State course and four courses at ACC simultaneously beginning in fall 2014, said University President Denise Trauth at Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting. Students would live in residence halls at Texas State and have access to campus services and events. Students who maintain a 2.25 cumulative GPA will be guaranteed full admission to complete their bachelor’s degrees at Texas State, according to the press release from ACC. “Rather than have (students) just go down the road to community college and completely cut over after two years, we want them to have a more blended experience so they can get to feel a part of Texas State and get to know what our expectations are,” Trauth said. Provost Eugene Bourgeois said between 200 and 300 students will be admitted to the program in its first year after being selected by Undergraduate Admissions. “We are getting them a little bit more integrated,” Bourgeois said. Trauth said the pilot program is similar to a successful partnership between Texas A&M University and Blinn Community College. Debra Feakes, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, said her department has tracked the progress of students transferring to Texas State from community colleges. Feakes said the students have a hard time keeping up with the university’s courses after transferring. The quality of core classes at the community college will not differ from those at Texas State. Adjunct professors will teach at both the university and the ACC Hays Campus, which will open in spring 2014, Bourgeois said. “The ultimate benefit of this is you are ensuring that they will get the four-year degree, but there won’t be that divide,” Trauth said.

Investigation of alleged robbery at gunpoint ongoing San Marcos police are investigating the alleged armed robbery of a Texas State student at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday on the 1300 block of N. LBJ Drive. The victim described the suspect as a black male in his early 20s with a medium build, standing at approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 150 lbs, according to a campus-wide email from University News Service. The suspect was described as wearing all black clothing. According to the University Police Department website, students are reminded to be cautious and aware of their surroundings, especially at night, and to avoid walking alone if possible. Anyone with information regarding the crime should call the San Marcos Police Department at 512-753-2108. -Report compiled by Amanda Ross, news reporter

BURDENSOME BENEFITS Fiscal ye

ar 2013

Fiscal year 2012

$9,748,2 82 $13,518 ,790

Fall 2012: 1,600 students attended school under the Hazlewood Act Spring 2013: 1,750 students attend school under the Hazlewood Act

Increase of students on Hazlewood, Legacy programs strain university budget By Xander Peters News Reporter Texas State is financially responsible for the education of a growing number of veterans and their dependents, leading the university to ask lawmakers for help with covering their climbing costs. Veterans and their dependents or spouses can receive tuition-free credit hours under the Hazlewood Act, which costs Texas State roughly $13 to $13.5 million in exemption expenses this year, said Provost Eugene Bourgeois. Veterans are eligible for 150 tuitionexempt credit hours if they are Texas residents who served at least 181 days of active military duty and were honorably discharged, according to the Ha-

By Xander Peters News Reporter

READ ACCeSSiBiLiTY, PAGE 3

Total Ha zlewood :

Veteran exempt ions: $3,246,2 40 Depend spouse ent or exempt io $6,416,7ns: 72 milli on Total H azlewo od $9,662,9: 61

Sociology professor seeks better campus accessibility It takes more effort for Sally Caldwell to navigate Texas State’s hills than it does for an average student. Caldwell scans her ID at the basement door of the Alkek Library to avoid taking the stairs or ramps on her way to the LBJ Student Center. She then rides an elevator up to the second floor of the library. Despite these shortcuts, she still has to make part of the hike to the Student Center. The sociology associate professor must take these alternative routes on a daily basis because she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease seven years ago. The illness causes lung flare-ups, affecting her ability to breathe. The constant possibility of her disease flaring up is what brought Caldwell to the Feb. 18 Office of Disability Services meeting. There she requested that benches be placed in the doorways of buildings throughout campus. Caldwell is one of multiple members of the Texas State community who has

Veteran exempt ions: $3,770,5 Depend 08 exempt ent or spouse ions:

Carlos Valdez, Assistant Photo Editor

Sally Caldwell, associate professor in the College of Liberal Arts, uses services from ODS to take alternative routes across campus because of her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

zlewood Act. Dependents and spouses of eligible veterans can receive the exempt hours if they are at least 25 years old and make satisfactory academic progress, under the Legacy amendment to the Hazlewood Act. Alex Stamatis, Veteran Affairs administrative assistant, said the cost of the exemptions has nearly tripled since the 2009 adoption of the Legacy amendment. The university had 1,750 students attending school under the Hazlewood Act last year, the highest number in the state. This cost Texas State a total of $9.7 million in exempt hours and fees, said Bill Nance, vice president for Finance and Support Services. “It has become quite a heavy burden on the schools because they don’t get any money from these students and

for the classes,” Stamatis said. “So, it is something that has been brought up to the state legislature, to find some funding for the Hazlewood students.” The spike in costs is causing Texas State administrators to approach state legislators for help with filling the tuition gap. Chancellor Brian McCall testified before a state senate finance committee Wednesday about the impact of the Hazlewood Act on the Texas State University System, particularly Texas State. “I think there is a lot of surprise in the state about Hazlewood,” said President Denise Trauth at a Faculty Senate meeting. “It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, how did this happen?’ So, there seems to be a receptivity.”

READ HAZLeWOOD, PAGE 3

Budget limits counseling solutions By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor Concerns about students being turned away from the Counseling Center were addressed by administration during Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting. University President Denise Trauth and Provost Eugene Bourgeois told senators the high turn-away rate and extensive number of students calling the Counseling Center for initial appointments need to be discussed. Faculty senators and administrators came to the conclusion new technology to handle incoming calls to the Counseling Center would solve problems without the need for more funding. “We realize the budget is very tight,” said Debra Feakes, Faculty Senate vice chair. “We realize that staff numbers aren’t going to increase.” Bourgeois said the Counseling Center is seeing a similar issue to what the Financial Aid office had in the past. The “flood” of calls received early in the morning for initial screenings could be delegated to an automated system, he said. So, people can discern whether they need one-on-one help. This way the phone lines wouldn’t be bogged down, he said. Trauth said the Counseling Center has in-

creased its full-time clinical staff since 2008 by approximately five employees. Trauth said in the scheme of things the Counseling Center is doing “pretty good.” Trauth said there is an increase in stressed students who think they require one-on-one counseling. The distinction between students with mental health issues and those who are distressed needs to be made early on in the counseling process, Trauth said. “There is a crisis point in these students’ lives no matter where we scale it,” Feakes said. “Those students come to our classes and are very distraught in most cases.” Trauth said distressed students should be sent to group counseling sessions more quickly, which technology could assist. “Are we using the most up-to-date, stateof-the-art protocols to get students quickly diagnosed?” Trauth said. Barbara Covington, School of Nursing senator, said students aren’t getting the same services at Round Rock as on the main campus. Covington said she is unsure when there will be a tipping point where the services will be equal at both campuses. Faculty senators said Texas State should look at schools across the nation to see if the scheduling process being used in the Counseling Center can be more decentralized.

B2 | Thursday March 7, 2013 | The University Star

PAGE TWO

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ON THIS library beat

DAY IN HISTORY 1850 - In a three-hour speech to the U.S. Senate, Daniel Webster endorsed the Compromise of 1850 as a means of preserving the Union.

1875 - Composer Maurice Ravel was born in Ciboure, France. 1876 - Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for the telephone. 1926 - The first successful trans-Atlantic radio-telephone conversation took place, between New York City and London. 1945 - U.S. forces crossed the Rhine River at Remagen, Germany, during World War II.

Students should take advantage of library’s mobile resources

The library offers many different options to make mobile research not only possible, but easy. Some of our library databases offer mobile versions that do not require additional downloads. Simply access the database from the library website using your mobile device and you will automatically be redirected to the mobile version. One example is the Library Catalog mobile version. Some databases require downloading an app for the mobile version. The apps vary, but typical versions are for iPhone, iPad or Android. To find out which databases have apps and how to download them, go to our “Mobile Research” guide. It will walk you through all the different options available. Getting to the guide is easy. Starting from the library homepage, click on the “Research and Course Guides” tab and type “mobile research” into the search box. You’ll automati-

1965 - State troopers and a sheriff’s posse broke up a march by civil rights demonstrators in Selma, Ala.

Press Release

1975 - The Senate revised its filibuster rule, allowing 60 senators to limit debate in most cases, instead of the previously required two-thirds of senators present.

Research journal to accept undergraduate articles

1996 - Three U.S. servicemen were convicted in the rape of a 12-yearold Okinawa girl and sentenced by a Japanese court to up to seven years in prison. 2003 - A four-day walkout by Broadway musicians began. 2004 - V. Gene Robinson was invested in Concord, N.H., as the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop. 2010 - Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director for her Iraq War thriller “The Hurt Locker,” which won six Oscars, including best picture. 2010 - Iraq held an election in which neither the Sunni-backed coalition nor the Shiite political bloc won a majority, spawning an eight-month deadlock and stalling formation of a new government. 2011 - Reversing course, President Barack Obama approved the resumption of military trials at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ending a two-year ban. 2011 - Charlie Sheen was fired from the sitcom “Two and a Half Men” by Warner Bros. Television following repeated misbehavior and weeks of the actor’s angry, often-manic media campaign against his studio bosses. --Courtesy of the New York Times

CRIME BLOTTER

Feb. 26, 1:00 a.m. Lantana Hall Theft under $500 A student reported their personal property had been taken without consent. This case is under investigation. Feb. 26, 8:00 a.m. Coliseum Parking Lot Criminal mischief under $1500 A student’s vehicle was intentionally damaged while parked. This case is under investigation. Feb. 26, 9:17 a.m. Strahan House Criminal mischief under $500 University property had been intentionally damaged. This case is under investigation. Feb. 26, 9:48 a.m. Gaillardia Street Driving with an invalid license A student was arrested for driving while license was invalid and was transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center. Feb. 27, 3:28 a.m. Matthew Street Parking Garage Consumption of alcohol by a minor A student was cited for consumption of alcohol and possession of drug paraphernalia. This case is under judicial review. Feb. 27, 9:30 a.m. Coliseum Parking Lot Failure to comply A student reported their vehicle was damaged while parked. This case is under investigation.

The Texas State Undergraduate Research Journal, a sponsored project of the Honors College, is pleased to announce that its premiere issue started accepting research articles on Feb. 25. The journal is excited to provide an outlet for students to publish their original and unique research in multiple disciplines. All articles are peer-reviewed by an editorial board consisting of honors students and subject-matter experts who are Texas State faculty members. The journal is an online publication through the Texas Digital Library. According to the digital library website, it is “a partnership between four of the state’s largest Association of Research Libraries universities: Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston and the University of Texas-Austin.” As an Emerging Research Institution, Texas State is a budding source of quality research. In a January 2012 presentation, University President Denise Trauth said, “Texas State is deeply committed to undergraduate student success even as we broaden our mission to include doctoral programs and an expanded research agenda.” It is the goal of journal to increase the amount of published undergraduate research on campus. Submission is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines at Texas State. The deadline for submissions to the journal is 12 p.m. April 8. The research journal plans to publish its first issue in May. Students from any discipline—art to engineering—are invited to submit research articles to the editorial board. More information and submission guidelines can be found on the journal’s website at journals.tdl.org/txstate or by contacting Rachel Barnett at rb1517@ txstate.edu. --Courtesy of Rachel Barnett

cally be directed to the mobile version of our library research guides if you are accessing the guide on a mobile device. Many of the research apps you’ll see on our guide will give you access to subscription content from databases or journals. This is content that the library has paid for, so it is not available if you just search for it on Google. Selected apps include ACS Mobile, arcXi, Medscape, SpringerLink, Nature. com, PubMed, SciVerse Science Direct, Scopus, EBSCOHost, and others. Some apps require that you use your device via the University’s wireless network in order to access that content. Other apps are designed so that you can access content from the library’s subscriptions even when you are off-campus. Check the directions and notes included with each app. For instructions on downloading and authenticating with your Texas State NetID,

check the app’s website. If you run into any trouble, you can always get hands-on help with NetID issues at the walk-up IT Assistance Center (ITAC) in the Math and Computer Science Building or by phone at 245ITAC. For other help with accessing library resources, be sure to “Ask a Librarian.” The library’s “Mobile Research” guide is about more than research databases. It also provides links to other mobile research tools, such as note-taking apps like Evernote and Simplenote, and mobile versions of citation managers, such as RefWorks or Mendeley. Remember to use the Ask a Librarian service if you have any questions about taking your research mobile via the university Library. We’re here to help. --Courtesy of Lisa Ancelet, Head Reference Services Librarian

wild art

Thomas Glasebrook, University Star

Kasey Schafler, theatre senior, purchases a Harry Potter-themed necklace from Karissa Reiter of Karissa’s Creations March 6 in The Quad.

NEWS

HAZLEWOOD

Check out more at UniversityStar.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Bourgeois said a “hoard” of proposed bills concerning the Hazlewood Act are passing through the legislature this session. Bourgeois said one proposed bill would provide state funds for school-going veterans and their dependents while limiting the exemptions to 120 hours. Some additional bills would expand the program, and another would “tweak” progress checks of students receiving exemptions, among others that are being considered by the legislature, Bourgeois said. Military veterans under the Hazlewood Act cost Texas universities about $24.7 million in 2009 before the Legacy amendment was enacted. Hazlewood-Legacy students statewide cost public universities about $60 million this year, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s website. Of the total 2012 exemptions, $6.4 million were tuition-free credit hours for dependents or spouses. These recipients account for $9.7 million of the projected 2013 expenses. Texas State has had to absorb costs accrued from an increase in dependents and spouses, Stamatis said. Bourgeois said he expects there to be a rise in Hazlewood Legacy students, along

ACCESSIBILITY difficulty navigating the campus because of an illness or disability. This has led to an initiative to make Texas State’s facilities more accessible. “This disease is absolutely maddening because you can be just feeling great, (but) then something happens and you are taken. It’s very scary,” Caldwell said. Caldwell said in a Feb. 19 University Star article she has come close to collapsing numerous times upon entering a building on campus. “Sometimes I get to a door and think, ‘These are my last few moments on earth,’” Caldwell said in the article. Clint-Michael Reneau, director of the Office of Disability Services, said he appreciates Caldwell bringing the addition of benches in building entryways to his attention. “It’s on an ongoing list to make sure that we have these benches be placed,” Reneau said. “Our plan is to measure the entryways for spacing and size.” Reneau said he and Don Compton, associate director of Facilities Planning Design, have been working to identify the main entryways for each building on campus. In the meantime, Caldwell said she checks with a lung transplant team in Houston multiple times each year. “There’s a very good chance that I’ll be placed on the list for a transplant,” Caldwell said.

with veterans themselves. “If the current trends hold true, then (the trend of Hazlewood Legacy students) continues to be an upward-sloping line,” Bourgeois said. Brittany Mildenberg, education junior, is currently attending Texas State under the Hazlewood Act. Mildenberg said she received her exempted hours from her father, a retired Air Force officer. Mildenberg said she has been able to afford paying for college because of the Legacy amendment. “My sisters had already gone to college (when the Legacy amendment was put into law),” Mildenberg said. “So, I was next up. My parents never have to pay for anything out of their pocket.” Bourgeois said the money Texas State spends on funding Hazlewood Legacy students could be used for the enhancement of academic programs, increase in faculty and staff salaries or addition of new positions. “In a way, it’s ironic,” Bourgeois said. “Our success to the service veterans have come at a very significant cost to our institution and the students. In the end, this is a very good program. We just need the funding.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Caldwell said she will receive a single or double lung transplant after getting on the list. Caldwell said her next hospital visit will be with heart experts to determine if she is healthy enough for the operation. Kay Newling, sociology senior lecturer, said she would describe Caldwell’s attitude throughout her ailment as “incredibly resilient” and “determined.” Newling said she met the faculty member 10 years ago as a student in Caldwell’s class. “(Caldwell) has had to put up with quite a few occasions where she’s been so sick that she’s been hospitalized,” Caldwell said. “But she loves teaching and will basically knock herself out to continue.” Caldwell said her insurance company has paid for more than $10,000 in medication fees to alleviate the illness in the past year. Caldwell returned to her office after being hospitalized for the duration of last November to find notes that read “sugarpie” and “glad to have you back” scattered across the desk. These notes were a reminder of the impact she has had on Texas State. Caldwell said she truly missed her students during November’s extended hospital stay. “I like to take a walk around campus at the beginning of each semester just to look at the students,” Caldwell said. “Kind of dream it all in and think about it. Because as far as I’m concerned, teaching is the definition of who I am.”

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A4 | Thursday March 7, 2013 | The University Star

OPINIONS

For more viewpoints or letters to the editor, e-mail staropinions@txstate.edu

Men’s basketball losses prove need for new head coach

A

fter seven seasons of less than mediocre play on the court, men’s basketball coach Doug Davalos must be held accountable for the team’s dismal performance and find a job elsewhere. Davalos is the only person affiliated with men’s basketball who talks to media outlets after the team is defeated, and he often states the losses are “all on him.” The number of losses he has had to take responsibility for has swelled to 121 over his seven years at the helm of the men’s basketball program. Davalos’ contract is over at the end of this season, and university and athletics officials need to be looking for a new coach. Davalos had four full years to comprise a team he and his staff specifically recruited—then he had three years on top of that. All in all, Davalos and his staff had seven years to build a team and play the exact style of basketball the program wanted, but has very little to show for it. Of the 21 head coaches hired to basketball’s Division I level in 2006 who are still at the same school, Davalos is the only one who has failed to produce a winning season and take a team to a national tournament such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I Basketball Championship. There are coaches hired in 2006 who have lower overall win percentages than Davalos, but all have had at least one season in which their team won more games than it lost. The last time the team won a conference tournament was 1997. Bobcat men’s basketball has only made it to the NCAA tournament twice and has never won. Nothing is going right in the realm of Texas State men’s basketball. Game attendance numbers are some of the worst in the nation, especially considering the number of students who reside less than a mile away from where the team takes the court. Strahan Coliseum is in dire need of improvements and renovations, and those aspects should be the athletic department’s biggest concern moving forward. Even with aesthetic improvements, the bottom line is students and fans do not enjoy watching their team lose. Texas State has struggled to win at home, and their home record has decreased every year since they went 12-4 in 2008. The team is 4-11 at home this season. The program is at its lowest point overall (9-20) since the 2006 season, which was Davalos’ first year in charge when the Bobcats finished 10-20. The program is not at a point where it is getting better but is instead back to the sinkhole it was in when Davalos took over. If Texas State wants to make its men’s basketball team into the profitable and successful program it could be, it needs to find a new head coach.

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-San Marcos Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University-San Marcos.

Lara Shine, Star Illustrator

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Editor In Chief................................................Beth Brown, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor............................Lee Moran, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters..................................................................................starletters@txstate.edu News Editor...................................................Caitlin Clark, starnews@txstate.edu Trends Editor............................Hollie O’Connor, starentertainment@txstate.edu Opinions Editor..........................................Liza Winkler, staropinion@txstate.edu Photo Editor.......................................Austin Humphreys, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor..........................................Cameron Irvine, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief......................Thomas Glasebrook, starcopychief@txstate.edu Web Editor.............................................Cayla Green, starwebeditor@txstate.edu

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The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos and is published every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright Thursday, March 7, 2013. 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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Opinions | The University Star | Thursday March 7, 2013 | A5

Liquor law would benefit San Marcos’ economy

Practical math classes would be more beneficial, relevant for most students

By Savannah Wingo Assistant Opinions Editor

U

niversity officials must work toward offering a more practical math class instead of only allowing students to take a college algebra or higher-level course for a required core credit. According to the Texas State Admissions website, the general core curriculum for all students requires at least three hours of math credit at college algebra level or higher. People may debate the usefulness of requiring any type of math credit for nontechnical majors, but there is a significant need for proper math education across the board regarding a variety of student majors. Having basic computational and math skills is an important part of being an adult, without which basic day-to-day tasks may be difficult.

According to the undergraduate catalog, the lowest level math course a student can take to fulfill their requirement is college algebra. In addition, there are no classes offered that provide a basic practical math education to be used in daily life. The available classes nearest to a practical course need prerequisites or do not fulfill the basic requirement because of under-qualification. The university should consider changing the current regulations necessitating nontechnical majors to take a math class like college algebra, which is largely useless for many students’ core requirements. Math is far from irrelevant to an adult lifestyle, but classes like college algebra are not very useful for students going into fields not expressly technical. The math department should offer a class that covers useful basics of several different disciplines including accounting and finance, instead of teaching a full semester of algebra. This option would give students a strong base knowledge of any disciplines they may need to know later in life for practical applications such as filing taxes and paying bills. The math department offers a remedial class called “basic mathematics,” but the course does not count toward the core requirement. It would

help many nontechnical majors who may struggle to find meaning in other math courses if the university simply made this remedial class applicable toward the core requirement. A new required class could help students who do not have strong mathematical skills, besides just providing a more practical education for nontechnical majors in their future careers. Students may choose liberal arts and other nontechnical degrees because of their lack of math skills, hoping to avoid taking difficult required classes. It is important for students to take a required math class regardless of their majors, but a more practical, simpler course could be a better fit for many. Some form of math is vital for use in everyday adult life. But students in nontechnical majors should not be required to study a semester’s worth of skills they likely will never use again. University officials should consider either making a new course for nontechnical majors or making the basic math class currently offered applicable across the board for a core requirement.

By Ravi Venkataraman Opinions Columnist

T

he overall economy of the state would benefit significantly if the Texas Legislature passes a law to extend liquor sale hours. According to a Feb. 20 University Star article, two legislators recently filed bills designed to abolish the state’s “blue” laws that limit Sunday alcohol sales. The bills known as Senate Bill 236 and House Bill 421 are expected to expand the hours of liquor store operation each week. A law altering the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Code could have added $7.4 million in general revenue to the 2012-13 biennium budget, according to a Feb. 7 Texas Tribune article. More money at the state level means more to distribute to services, like higher education. The same Texas Tribune article indicated 14 states have repealed Sunday liquor bans within the past nine years. The economy of the city could be boosted if San Marcos followed suit by allowing extended liquor hour sales on Sundays and the rest of the week. Along with Texas State students, many tourists visit San Marcos to float the river and drink alcohol throughout the year, which contributes to a high rate of alcohol consumption in the city. Local businesses that serve alcohol could only stand to benefit from expanded liquor purchasing hours. In return, if businesses are doing better by selling more alcohol, the city becomes healthier financially. With expanded liquor purchasing hours, there is clear potential for economic growth at the abundance of bars and restaurants in the city. In an article in the Winter 2012 issue of Bobcat Magazine, all the bars and restaurants licensed to serve alcohol in San Marcos collected $7.7 million last semester alone. Compare that to an estimated $5 or $5.50, which are the average prices of a craft beer at a restaurant or bar respectively, according to a March 4 CNBC article. Some employers across the state are for the blue laws limiting alcohol sales on Sundays. In Houston, store owners want to respect Sunday as a day off for the family, as mentioned in a Feb. 10 KHOU article. However, others believe if people are allowed to purchase alcohol in bars and restaurants on Sunday, they should be able to buy bottles from liquor stores as well, as reported in the same Texas Tribune article. As a college-centered town, residents and students appear to frequent the plethora of liquor stores in the city regardless of the day. About 82 percent of college students have consumed alcohol in the past year at two- and four-year institutions, according to a 2010 Core Institute at Southern Illinois University survey. All in all, this is not about blue laws and respect. This is about the city and state’s ability to grow their overall budgets by taking advantage of more opportunities to rake in extra money with longer liquor store hours. If the law does pass, San Marcos, Austin, College Station, Lubbock, Waco and other college towns across the state will likely be the locations that will benefit most from Sunday liquor sales. The city’s economy needs all the help it can get, and increasing hours for liquor sales can only serve to benefit local business owners, especially during the peak of tourism season in summer.

--Savannah Wingo is a mass communication sophomore.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR How important is it to you Texas women have access to family planning and birth control, regardless of their income? Is it extremely important, very important, just a little important or not important at all? This is a question that was asked in a recent statewide poll conducted by a pair of Democratic- and Republican-leaning pollsters for the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund. The Education Fund is an Austin-based grassroots organization that does research and civic engagement in support of religious freedom, civil liberties and strong public schools. You can read the poll at www.tfn.org/birthcontroltx. According to the poll, 68 percent of registered voters in Texas support access to family planning and birth control for all women, regardless of their income. Support is especially strong among young people under the age of 30. A whopping 84 percent said they support full access. But too many Texas lawmakers have taken to playing cupid when it comes to matters of love, birth control and family planning, which is downright ridiculous. They think they know what is best for Texas women and families, while most Texans, and especially young people, disagree. Politically, this is a dicey position for politicians to take because the millennial generation is becoming increasingly civically engaged. Lawmakers are way out of step with our views. When asked whether or not they support “teaching about contraception, such as condoms, birth control, along with abstinence, in high school education classes,” 93 percent of young people said yes. And 85 percent of young people said they support state funding for family planning services, including birth control, for low-income women. Support for both among all registered voters in Texas was strong—84 percent for comprehensive sex education and 73 percent for state funding for birth control. During the last legislative session, the governor and the state legislature slashed funding for family planning and birth control programs by two-thirds, threatening access to

those services for thousands of women. According to the Education Fund poll, young people support reversing the budget cuts to those services by 64 percent. A large majority of young people told pollsters for the survey they oppose allowing any employer to deny their employees health care coverage for certain services including birth control and Plan B. Like most Texans, they clearly think government and employers have no business interfering with the freedom of women to make decisions about their own health care and when or if to have children. We know a strong number of Texans and the vast majority of young people support access to birth control and family planning. We’re fed up with far-right politicians’ war on women and now their “war of birth control.” Later this semester we’ll be taking petitions we have collected to the Texas Legislature to let our lawmakers know what young people think. Will you add your voice? Consider joining the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter at Texas State today. Find us on Facebook and get involved. Sincerely, Rebecca Trevino -Rebecca Trevino is the Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter President and Social Work Senior.

--Ravi Venkataraman is a creative writing masters student.

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AGAINST

IT OUT

By Molly Block Opinions Columnist University apartments that are against code should be torn down to make room for new, safe complexes. Clear Springs, which will be closed to students after May, will eventually be demolished to extend Sewell Park, according to a Feb. 7 University Star article. The complex is not in compliance with fire codes, and renovations would be too costly to mend the situation. Tearing it down is a necessity for the university, even if the complex has a great view of the river and is conveniently located next to campus. The units should be torn down to make way for new apartments if Texas State cannot afford to make much-needed repairs on a campus complex. The Department of Housing and Residential Life officials should consider the safety of students living in potentially hazardous campus apartment complexes. Safety should always be the number one priority. With that in mind, officials should carefully evaluate university-owned apartments and make the decision to tear down any that are not in code. New, affordable complexes should be built to replace the former ones in the future.

FOR By Alex Pernice Opinions Columnist

Texas State officials must realize the value and affordability of campus apartment complexes and avoid demolishing these much-needed housing options. All four of the campus complexes are conveniently located, and they provide affordable housing options for students. Some may think the apartments look run down and are not worth salvaging, but, in all reality, they are not in terrible condition. These apartments are due for a little fixing up though, and a solid remodeling could help improve the facades. In addition, rent prices at the campus apartments are extremely low compared to other places around San Marcos. Rates range from $340 for a three bedroom, two bathroom apartment at Campus Colony to $730 for a one bedroom, one bathroom unit at Clear Springs. These apartment choices provide excellent options for students that differ from the more expensive and less conveniently located complexes around the city. It would be a shame for students if the university tore down all of the campus complexes.

A6 | Thursday March 7, 2013 | The University Star | Advertisement

The University Star | Thursday March 7, 2013 | B1

TRENDS

Check out more at UniversityStar.com

Texas State graduate joins funk, rock, jazz band Progress “Music is about more than going to gigs,” Clark said. “There are great musicians in Austin, but the From the hills of San Marcos scene is segregated. We’re working to the Live Music Capital of the to integrate the scene.” World, one of Texas State’s own This musical ambition spawns joined five others in bringing a straight from the meaning behind fresh combination of funk, rock the group’s name. Arrington said and jazz to the Texas music scene Progress refers to the natural and under the name Progress. inevitable growth that comes with Originally formed in Dec. 2011, life. Progress features the talents of “Things have to change,” he saxophonist and band leader Bri- said. “You move on, make changan Donohoe, guitar players Matt es—and it feels great to change.” Muehling and Carter Arrington, Progress’ sound is also reflected trombonist Paul Deemer, drum- in the name—its music is an instrumer Daniel Watson and bassist mental mixture of influential noisand Texas State alumnus Nick es from the band members’ lives. Clark. Muehling said instrumental muTheir purpose for making music sic is crucial to Progress’ mission involves a much deeper sentiment because of its subjectivity. He said than just wanting to play and enter- instrumental music fuels one’s tain local folks. The six individuals imagination in ways lyrical music strive to impact the world of live cannot. music itself. “We’re trying to make pictures and evoke imagination,” Muehling said. “There are no lyrics telling you what to think.” Although Progress originally established itself as a live band, the group recently took its musical endeavors into the Photo courtesy of Brian Donohoe studio, releasing its Matt Muehling and Carter Arrington perform with Progress first album, “Beatmaker,” in FebruFeb. 13 at One-2-One bar in Austin. By Glen Tadych Trends Reporter

ary. The “Beatmaker” sessions presented the opportunity for Progress as a whole to explore familiar tunes from its regular lineups, even though studio experience was not new for the individual members. “Playing in the studio wasn’t hard at all,” Watson said. “It was pretty much like playing a live show with headphones on.” The band laid the album’s tracks down in only a few days, playing them naturally without layering and other studio tricks. The sound one hears on the album resembles that of a live Progress, which Donohoe said provides the listener with a more organic sound. The “Beatmaker” tracks are diverse. The album is only six tracks in length, but offers blends of funk, rock and jazz, along with a wide range of dynamics and tempos. In the title track, “Beatmaker,” and in “Strut,” the bass is heavy, pounding the listener. “The Dark and Dry” lets the listener kick back and relax to a ballad of light bass and romantic sax and trombone, and for those wanting to taste upbeat funk, “Meltdown,” the closing track, is the way to go. “Every song is very compositional, but also very improvisational,” Clark said. Clark said the songs are some of the staples they perform regularly— but never the same way. He said the basic structure of each tune is present, but the overlying lan-

Photo courtesy of Brian Donohoe

Brian Donohoe, saxophonist and band leader, is a member of Progress, a rock and jazz influenced band that formed in late 2011. guage constantly shifts, reflecting the members’ diverse backgrounds and moods at that time. “We’re having a conversation with the crowd,” he said. “It’s more authentic when you’re having different conversations every week.” Progress performs live most Thursdays at One-2-One in Austin. They are not holding an official showcase during the upcoming

South by Southwest Music Festival, but Progress will be playing at 6 p.m. on March 14 at Key Bar in Austin, followed by an 8 p.m. joint performance with bands Foe Destroyer, Funky Knuckles and Dahebegebees at their regular spot, One-2-One.

Students volunteer to participate in pain, memory study By Zach Mayer Trends Reporter Student volunteers are subjecting themselves to some uncomfortable situations to help the Department of Psychology. The volunteers are test subjects in studies concerning memory and cognitive abilities, including theories related to cognition under stress and pain. Brian Tapscott, psychology graduate student, said the study on chronic pain is important because there are millions of Americans suffering from the condition. Tapscott said they are trying to replicate the conditions of chronic pain through a process called ‘cold

pressing.’ “We take some ice, put it in a bucket of water, make it really cold, and we have people put their hand or feet in it,” said Joe Etherton, associate professor of psychology. He said this process creates a moderate level of pain and volunteers experience the discomfort while doing simple mental exercises. “One task would be hearing a series of numbers, like four, seven, nine, one, six, and then you would be asked to recall those numbers,” Etherton said. He said the cold pressing tests a person’s ability to think and remember while in pain. “This study is introducing

healthy volunteers to see if pain does effect any cognitive abilities, like testing working memory, testing processing speed, [and] tests of verbal reasoning,” Etherton said. Tapscott said cold pressing is a safe way to simulate chronic pain, as opposed to low-grade electric shocks and thermal heat. Test subjects put a hand or a foot in icecold water for a maximum of three minutes at a time, with breaks, over a twenty-minute period. He said studying pain is difficult because pain is subjective. It is difficult to treat chronic pain. “It is not as simple as taking a pill,” Tapscott said. “It’s much more complex than that.” He said these studies could give

an understanding of how to treat the condition. The psychology department is also testing different theories about memory capacity growth. Etherton manages another psychology study called Cogmed, which universities across the country use to test the human brain’s ability to grow in memory capacity. “The current school of thought is that working memory is a stable construct, and it can’t go beyond what you have,” said Jayson Rhoton, research track health psychology graduate. “We argue the opposite, that working memory can be expanded. It’s like any muscle. Once it’s trained, it can get bigger.” The Cogmed study started this

year. It starts with 40 volunteers doing pre-testing for four weeks, and another four weeks of posttesting after spring break. Etherton said more experimentation is required to conclude memory capacity can grow. He said one question researchers are trying to answer is whether test participants are getting better at the specific tasks involved in the study, or if their increased skills can have implications for better cognitive function in general. He said this research could be used to help stroke victims, people with traumatic brain injuries or individuals seeking to improve memory.

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B2 | Thursday March 7, 2013 | The University Star

Q&A

By Jordan Gass-Poore’ Trends Reporter

Renaissance man Owen Egerton has been making sparks in national literary, film and comedy circles recently, and now has a new novel and a short film ready to debut. Egerton, who has a master’s in creative writing from Texas State, leads readers through a bizarre apocalypse filled with Jesus clones, a prophetic hermit crab and a slacker couple who is haunted by ghosts as they wait out their final days on Earth in his latest novel, “Everyone Says That at the End of the World.” The Austin-based master multi-tasker will debut his short film “Follow,” which is about one man’s dangerous challenge to open a gift by his wife, Saturday during this year’s South by Southwest film festival’s Midnight Shorts Competition. The writer and director based the film on a short story from his 2007 collection, “How Best to Avoid Dying.” Egerton and producer Seth Caplan are raising production funds for a feature-length version of “Follow.” JGP: What brought you to Texas State? OE: I applied to a handful of MFA programs across the

Owen Egerton, filmmaking alumnus country that I knew writers who were teaching there, I enjoyed their works that had been recommended by other writers. And one of the reasons Texas State caught my attention, I was a fan, and I still am a fan of Dagoberto Gilb and Tim O’Brien’s writing. And also, it was just down the road from me. I was living in Austin and working in Austin. So, it was a great opportunity for me to go to graduate school and keep doing shows at the Alamo Drafthouse. JGP: What was your main focus in grad school? OE: My graduate thesis was a novel called “The Book of Harold: The Illegitimate Son of God,” and that was published by Dalton (Publishing) (in 2010) and the paperback was published by Soft Skull (Press) (last year) and later optioned by Warner Brothers Television (last year). … I also wrote a number of short stories. It’s very difficult, actually, to work on a novel in an MFA program, simply because in workshop scenarios, it’s easier to have a complete short story than it is a chapter, which is only a fraction of the novel. JGP: Can you talk a little about the plot of “The Book of Harold…” and “How Best to Avoid Dying”?

OE: Some of the short stories in “How Best to Avoid Dying” I worked on at Texas State. “How Best to Avoid Dying” is a collection of thematically-related stories, though not plot related, all dealing with death of some sort, be it physical death or death of a relationship, or some sort of cultural signs of mortality. It’s sort of darkly comedic, I have to say. And then “The Book of Harold…” describes a Houston suburbanite who one day declares himself to be the son of God, and people believe him. And he starts his own religion; it’s a modern-day Messianic misadventure. JGP: What have you found to be more difficult: writing short stories, or novels or screenplays? Why? OE: Gosh, it seems that they all have their challenges, and they’re very different. They’re just very different crafts. All of them involve the craft of narration, the craft of story structure, but I find that novels are more internal. Often, they’re more of the story of what’s going on in a person’s thoughts and a person’s memories. With a screenplay, especially the screenplays I tend to write for Hollywood, all that you write is what is seen and heard, so it is much more a story based in action.

Photo courtesy of Owen Egerton

You can’t get inside a person’s head in film in the same way, you can only see what they do and hear what they say. JGP: What is your advice to aspiring writers? OE: My advice to aspiring writers is write. That’s more important than a fantastic graduate program, more important than the best kind of workshops. The most impor-

tant thing is to be sitting down in front of a page and writing. And then writing some more. And then reading. And reading. And then writing some more. If you have a passion for sharing words, then eventually you’re going to write something beautiful.

Alumni’s river documentary to be completed this summer

Photo courtesy of Paul Collins

Paul Collins, Dean Brennan and Anlo Sepulveda plan to submit their documentary, “Yakona,” for next year’s South by Southwest film festival. By Glen Tadych Trends Reporter Some filmmaking alumni are already looking ahead to next year’s event to submit their documentary film, even before the 2013 South by Southwest has begun. The film “Yakona” will be a feature-length documentary when completed and will tell the story of the San Marcos River from periods preceding human existence to today. Directors Paul Collins and Anlo Sepulveda and producer Dean Brennan originally expected to release “Yakona” in the fall of 2012, but creative decisions pushed the film back by almost a year. The film is now in the final stages of production, and should be completed by the end of the summer. Once finished, “Yakona” will be submitted for entry in both the upcoming Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest 2014. “Other things came up, and new ideas emerged,” Sepulveda said. “The processes

of discovery, going with ideas and having the freedom of not having a deadline or structure have been helpful in letting the film evolve and grow organically.” “Yakona” is pure cinema, unlike most documentaries. The film will feature no narration or on-screen interviews but instead present the viewer with the river’s journey through imagery, sound and music. “(This style) makes it very subjective,” said Collins, alumnus. “Nothing’s going to anchor a direct thought into the audience, and everyone will get something different from it.” Filmmakers traveled to locations in the Texas Hill Country that have remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years, such as Enchanted Rock and Jacob’s Well, to capture scenes depicting times predating human interaction. “We didn’t have to recreate anything,” Collins said. “We just had to focus on things that have been here forever.” The film’s style of telling the story from

Campus Pulse

What are you doing on spring break?

“I’m planning on going to Corpus for like two days, to the beach. (I plan to) hang out on the beach and go with some friends.” -Kaci King, nursing freshman.

“I’m working for a show called Cable Stock. It’s for a personal project.” -Benjamin Waid, business management sophomore.

“I’m going home and going shopping and spend time with family.” -Tyaria Allen, accounting sophomore

“All I’m doing for spring break is going up to Austin for the (Wildfire) Reggae and Arts Festival. I’m also going to stay here and chill out, paint and just work on some art projects.” -Ike Julian, art history and anthropology junior

the river’s perspective eliminated the need for strict historical accuracy. However, the film’s later scenes portraying the cultural clash between settlers and native tribes required detailed recreations. “Yakona” will close with scenes on the river as it is today, showing the regular day-to-day activities and postcommencement traditions of Texas State students. Accompanying the imagery will be the music and sounds of composer, sound engineer and alumnus Travis Austin, selected for his work on Collins and Sepulveda’s previous film, “Otis Under Sky.” Sepulveda described the desired sound design and music to Austin as if they were the voice and emotions of the river throughout the film. “The river is basically the main character of the film, and we want the music to speak to that,” Sepulveda said. Collins spent several days researching tribal languages native to the Hill Country to find a suitable title for the film. The Tonkawa tribe stood out because of their cultural ties with the river and the area. The fact their language is almost extinct today resonated with Collins, resulting in “yakona,” meaning, “rising water,” to be used as the film’s title. The filmmakers are planning to use other water-associated Tonkawa terms as chapter slates separating the different sections of the film in addition to the title. “(The terms are) kind of a tool to help drive the narrative,” said producer Jillian Hall. “Because there isn’t narration or anything linear that dictates what’s happen-

ing, (the terms help) guide the audience.” The film will be distributed for home media on DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats. Plans for a release of the film’s soundtrack are also being discussed.

The University Star | Thursday March 7, 2013 | B3

SPORTS

Check out more at UniversityStar.com

SOFTBALL

BASEBALL

Bobcats face two Oregon teams Texas State loses to SHSU in

ERA. Junior Scott Grist has performed better in his last two starts than in the first Texas State baseball will against Sam Houston State travel to Oregon for its first University. Against Northern three-game series on the road Kentucky, Grist pitched five this season to play undefeated innings and two-thirds, giving Oregon State University. up six hits and one earned run. They will face the 12-0 BeaThe Beavers are not slackvers in Corvallis then travel ing from the plate either. They to Eugene to play the Univerare boasting a .338 average, sity of Oregon Tuesday and good enough for third in the Wednesday. The Ducks are Pac-12. They are led by sopho10-3 on the season. more designated hitter Dylan The Bobcats played host to Davis, who is sporting a .395 Interstate 35 rival University average in 43 at-bats. The Beaof Texas-San Antonio for their vers have four other players midweek game and with more than 40 at-bats defeated the conferwho are batting above .300 ence opponent 6-0 on for the season. the shoulders of their The Bobcats have seen a pitching staff. UTSA recent rise in average from is leading the conferunder .200 to .243 curence with a .338 batrently in their series win ting average. against Northern Kentucky The victory was and victory Tuesday over their third in a row, UTSA. They scored 36 after winning games runs in four games and had two and three against double-digit hits in three of Northern Kentucky the four games. University last weekSenior left fielder Kevin end by a combined Sah is leading the team in score of 24-7. Texas average (.467). He has 15 State (5-7) can get at-bats, had an RBI double back to 500 this weekagainst UTSA and started end with two Pac-12 in three of the last four conference oppogames. Sophomore short nents on the horizon. stop Garrett Mattlage has “It’s huge,” said the most at-bats for the pitcher Hunter Bobcats and has a .340 Lemke after winning average. Senior Andrew the third straight Stumph, junior catcher game. “(We) are goTyler Pearson and sophoing to Oregon to play more right fielder Cody two top 10 programs. Lovejoy all have above .300 Star File Photo It’s going to be tough, averages. but I like the where After their series with Texas State baseball will take on Oregon we (are) at going into Oregon State, the Bobcats State University in three games this weekend it.” will face the more defenon the road. The Bobcats have a 5-7 record. Oregon State has sive University of Oregon been solid from the team, who is last in the conmound this season, ranking Kentucky. ference in batting with a .237 first in the Pac-12 in earned “We probably spend more average. It is fourth in earned run average (0.83). The team time thinking about what we run average (2.58). has only surrendered 10 are capable of,” said Coach “We got nothing to lose,” earned runs all season long in Ty Harrington in regards to said first baseman Ben McEl12 games. The next closest in scouting their opposition’s roy. “Oregon State (has not) the rankings is Stanford Uni- offense. “The biggest thing lost yet. Other than us, not versity with 21 earned runs. (against UTSA) was we at- many people are expecting Leading the Beavers in tacked the zone all night. We much. We are going to go in pitching is freshman starter showed command in our off- there and play like we know Andrew Moore. In three ap- speed pitches.” we can and hopefully get some pearances, Moore is maintainTexas State ranks fourth (wins).” ing a 0.42 ERA and is 3-0. among WAC programs in The other two starters for the ERA (3.28). The team is Twitter: @jbrewer32 weekend will most likely be led by Black, who has a 0.41 By Jordan Brewer Assistant Sports Editor

junior Dan Child and senior left-hander Matt Boyd. All together, they have struck out 50 batters and have walked 12, while giving up seven earned runs total. Texas State seems to have found its set weekend rotation, starting with its junior Kyle Finnegan who leads the team in strikeouts with 26. Finnegan has yet to pitch more than six innings in a game in his three appearances. Sophomore Taylor Black was named WAC Pitcher of the Week for his one-hitter against Northern

extras, looks ahead to No. 5 Texas

Star File Photo

Texas State softball was defeated by Sam Houston State University 14-13 March 6 on the road. The Bobcats are playing a threegame series against the University of Texas this weekend. By Odus Evbagharu Sports Reporter Texas State softball will travel north on Interstate-35 to face No. 5 University of Texas-Austin (20-3) in a three game series. The Longhorns have posted as many losses as the Bobcats (3-17) have wins this season. UT has beaten teams such as the University of North Texas, the University of Houston and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. These are all teams Texas State has lost to this year. “They are a great ball club,” said Coach Ricci Woodard. “If our pitching staff doesn’t hit their spots, their team is going to put up a lot of numbers. We have to make sure we do our part offensively and just make sure our pitching staff is hitting their spot and ahead in the count.” The Bobcats played UT two times last year and dropped both contests. Texas State was unable to produce a run in any of the games and the ball club was outscored, 12-0. Senior Anne Marie Taylor, who has not pitched since Feb. 17, lost to the Longhorns in one of the matchups last season. Taylor pitched six innings, gave up five runs and struck out four in the 5-0 loss. “It’s a new year,” said sophomore third baseman Courtney Harris. “I’m

excited to play (UT) again. It’s always fun to play them. They are good competition and hopefully we play well and hope for the best.” The Bobcats have lost 11 of their last 12 contests and are currently in the middle of a three-game losing streak. “We just have to keep working at it,” Harris said. “Eventually some of these ball games will fall in our favor.” Texas State has won two out of its three games on the road this year. Freshman Ashley Wright has all three of the ball club’s wins in the circle this season. Wright posts a 3-5 record with an ERA of 3.77, with 18 strikeouts in the 2013 campaign. The ball club has hit a total of 10 home runs this season, which is one more than what the team did for all of 2012. Juniors Coralee Ramirez and Jordan Masek have hit two homers this year to share the team lead with Harris, who has a pair of grand slams underneath her belt. “We’re definitely going up there and taking hacks,” Harris said. “We are not getting cheated and are making things happen and swinging at good pitches.” The Bobcats lost to Sam Houston State Wednesday night in extra innings, 14-13. “I wouldn’t say anything hurt us today besides the fact we were down 11-2 at some point in the ball game,” Woodard said. “For this team to battle back and get back in the ball game I thought we did a great job battling through.” Texas State was able to rally in the top of the seventh, scoring six runs and taking a 13-12 advantage into the bottom of the seventh. The Bearkats were able to score the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game to an eighth inning. The Bobcats were unable to respond in the top of the eighth, leaving a runner on base with one hit. Senior outfielder Tori Benavidez singled to deep center field in the bottom of the eighth inning. She drove in senior outfielder Kim Damian to give Sam Houston the extra inning victory over Texas State. “We had 19 hits (Wednesday),” Woodard said. “You expect to win with that many hits. The team battled through it, and that is something I am proud of. I thought we did a great job. We just didn’t come out with a win.” Twitter: @odus_Outputs

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B4 | Thursday March 7, 2013 | The University Star | Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Bobcats plan to ‘get hot’ to compete against Aggies, Spartans By Samuel Rubbelke Sports Reporter

Star File Photo

Men’s basketball will play its last two games of the regular season against Utah State University and San Jose State University March 7 and March 9, respectively.

The Texas State basketball team will close out the regular season campaign on the road when they take on San Jose State University and Utah State University this weekend. Utah State has struggled since losing three of its top five most productive players on the offensive end to injury. On Jan. 17 they suffered more than just a loss to New Mexico State—they lost the WAC Preseason Player of the Year, junior guard Preston Medlin to a broken wrist. Medlin was averaging 20 points and the Aggies started the WAC schedule 5-0 before the guard went down with the injury. The Aggies are 4-6 in the WAC since Medlin went down in the second half of the New Mexico State game. “They’ve lost some players,” said Coach Doug Davalos. “It changes the game plan a little bit. But it doesn’t change the 5050 balls. There’s still going to be loose balls on the floor, are we willing to go get them? Four hands on the rebound, are we going to get it? Those things won’t change. We don’t know exactly who’s going to be there.” In Texas State’s first meeting against Utah State this season, Medlin scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds. Senior forward Kiysean Reed added 6 points and four steals in the Aggies 81-57 victory. “The positive aspect for us is that we know Utah State came in here and kicked us,” Davalos said. “We ought to be the hungrier

team.” Even though Texas State will not have to prepare for Medlin, the Bobcats still have to worry about junior forwards Spencer Butterfield and Jarred Shaw. In the previous meeting, Butterfield scored 18 points and dished out nine assists, while Shaw finished with 17 points. The Bobcats could not contain the Aggies offensive surge in the second half, as they scored 50 points after halftime. Utah State shot 63 percent from the floor and added 22 points off turnovers. “I was watching video, and it was so hard to watch,” Davalos said. “We just didn’t compete like we needed to. We’re competing now. It’s going to be a nice college atmosphere, and we’ve played pretty good in those situations.” Sophomore guard Wesley Davis led the Bobcats with a career-high 22 points, and junior forward Joel Wright contributed 11 points and nine boards. San Jose State marked Texas State’s first WAC game and will also be its final WAC opponent, with the Bobcats moving to the Sunbelt Conference next year. The Spartans are currently riding a 12 game losing-streak. San Jose State has struggled to find their offensive rhythm since starting conference play. The Spartans are ranked last in the WAC in scoring offense (57.1), field-goal percentage (.356) and 3-point percentage (.283). The Bobcats gave up 72 points and 41 rebounds to the Spartans in their last meeting. San Jose State shot 51.8 percent from the field.

In two of their last three games, the Bobcats have held their opponents to 61 and 65 points, respectively. On the season Texas State is giving up 76.4 point per game. Guard Deonte’ Jones said the team has started believing in their defense more. “We definitely help each other more, keep each other up on the defensive end, and we make each other better by holding everyone accountable,” Jones said. “Our main thing is our focus. We really have to focus on these next two games. We can’t let our opponents get inside and control the paint.” In their first meeting against San Jose State, junior forward Louis Garrett led the Spartans with 16 points while junior forward Chris Cunningham recorded a doubledouble scoring 11 points and grabbing14 boards. Wright scored 22 points and collected six rebounds in his first WAC game. Junior guard Phil Hawkins finished with 10 points and three assists. After their final two road games, the Bobcats will prepare for the WAC tournament, which starts March 13th. Their opponent will be determined by the final seedings after conference play has concluded. “We’re going to need to get hot and come together at the right time,” said senior forward Matt Staff. “We just came off a good win, and we almost had Idaho down. We’re right there. That’s the best part about the conference tournament, you never know what’s going to happen.” Twitter: @SamuelRubbelke

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Texas State’s Diamond Ford shoots for the record books By Bert Santibanez Sports Reporter The Bobcat women’s basketball team will look to beat Utah State University and San Jose State University this weekend as senior guard Diamond Ford sets her sights on breaking the school’s season-scoring record. Ford is 57 points away from breaking the school’s season-scoring record. She totaled 58 points in the previous matchups against the Aggies and Spartans, with a season-high 40 against San Jose State. Carlotta Fisbeck holds the record scoring 633 points, a title that has been intact for 43 years. Ford is the 13th player at Texas State to collect more than 1,000 career points. The guard finished with 572 points last season, which accounted for fourth best in school history. Ford ranks 10th in the nation in points per game, averaging 21.4 points this season and has 577 points this year. “I’m really proud of myself for the Star File Photo things I’ve accomplished this season,” Women’s basketball will take on Utah State Uni- Ford said. “When I go into games, I versity and San Jose State University March 7 and just try and come out and play hard March 9, respectively, at Strahan Coliseum in the and help my team win. I just don’t think about my points all the time. team’s last two regular season games. When people try and guard defensively, and face guard me, I don’t let people take me out of my game. I try to stay fo-

7 YEARS IN

A University Star Web Exclusive

cused and keep my mentality to where I’m not trying to do everything, but (I) know my teammates are going to help me find a way to score.” The Bobcats will play the Aggies at Strahan Coliseum on Thursday, winners of 10 out of their last 11 games. Utah State is second in the WAC with a 13-3 record. The Aggies average 76.8 points per contest, seventh best in the nation. Utah State averages a national fifth ranked 12.9 steals per contest. Three players on the Aggies’ team are ranked in the WAC Top 10 for steals. The last time Utah State and Texas State squared off, the Aggies jumped out to a 15-0 lead. Utah State led by double-digits throughout the game, winning 82-69. Senior Jenna Johnson and freshman Makenlee Williams tallied double-doubles in the meeting. Johnson finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Williams managed 14 points and 12 rebounds. Texas State’s bench was outscored by a 25-10 margin. “We prepared on offense and defense for (Utah State),” said junior guard Jasmine Baugus. “We worked on taking care of the ball, being patient on offense and on defense, just scrabbling and being able to close out and help each other out. We worked a lot on communicating, really.”

The Bobcats battle San Jose State on Saturday. Texas State lost by 2 points in its previous encounter with the Spartans on the road. The score was tied at 96 when junior guard Kaylan Martin committed a foul with 9 seconds remaining, sending San Jose State to the line. Guard Chereese Thomas knocked down both of her free throws. A failed last-second shot attempt by Ford decided the outcome, 98-96. Sophomore guard Ta’Rea Cunnigan scored 30 points in the game. Cunnigan is second behind Ford in points per game averaging 20.2 points. The Bobcats allowed 50 points in the paint against the Spartans. “The expectation level this game against (San Jose State) is that we’re going to do a better job defensively,” said Coach Zenarae Antoine. “We have to find a way to get (Cunnigan) stopped. We’re not going to stop her completely, but limiting her opportunities, forcing her into tough shots, is going to be really important for us.” Antoine said it would be “beautiful” if Diamond scored another 40 points. The Bobcats will have Senior Day on March 9 when they take on the Spartans. Guard Bree Dawson, forward Morgan Passino and Ford will be the three seniors on the team to be recognized.

After seven years of Doug Davalos’ coaching, the men’s basketball team’s statistics speak for themselves. The University Star’s sports and web teams have compiled numbers pertaining to a range of aspects from coaches’ salaries to future competition in the Sun Belt into an interactive web feature on the state of men’s basketball at Texas State. To view the completed project, go to UniversityStar.com and click the button under Interact.

- Sun Belt Standings - Salary comparisons - Attendance figures - Division I coaching statistics

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B6 | Thursday March 7, 2013 | The University Star | Advertisement