WEDNESDAY JULY 6, 2016 VOLUME 106 ISSUE 4 www.UniversityStar.com
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BANKRUPTCY
leaves entertainment store in peril By Rae Glassford Senior News Reporter @rae_maybe
Hastings Entertainment Center is one of several locations in the city of San Marcos where students and residents alike can purchase books—but this may be subject to change in the months ahead. On June 13 Hastings filed Chapter 11 for bankruptcy. The tenets of the Internal Revenue Service’s tax code states if the business fails to find a buyer within 30 days of filing for bankruptcy, the business is slated for closure. Regional managers at the San Marcos Hastings location declined to comment, but an employee who prefers to remain anonymous said he is optimistic about the company’s future. “I have been told that we are not closing,” said the Hastings employee. “I hope we won’t close. I don’t ex-
pect it to happen, but that’s my personal opinion.” Jim Litwak, Hastings president and chief operating officer, said the company may be forced to close all of its stores, including the San Marcos location, in the event the business is unable to find a buyer in time. Another option, Litwak announced, entails Hastings closing its less-successful stores in an attempt to boost sales at its more lucrative locations. The company operates a total of 126 entertainment centers at present, and although this strategy is the lesser of two evils, the layoff resulting from either option would inevitably put thousands of Hastings employees out of work. “Hearing (the store) might close is heartbreaking,” said Elizabeth Hardy, management sophomore. “I have a lot of memories there—going late at night or making trips with my family.”
Hastings has filed a Chapter 11. The company will shut down if they can’t find a new buyer. PHOTO BY TYLER DUMAS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Hardy frequents Hastings a few times a month when school is in session, and said she enjoys the store because its merchandise includes multimedia paraphernalia in addition to books and comics. In the weeks since the
company formally announced its financial situation, local Hastings locations have received hundreds of daily phone calls from curious customers. These calls are so great in volume Hastings has been forced to direct such inqui-
ries to an official hotline authorized to handle questions regarding the bankruptcy. “It’s really up in the air right now with the bankruptcy,” said one such hotline operator. “We are looking for potential buyers and talking to various interested
parties. The company is in the process of either closing or selling, but that’s all I can report currently.” The customer inquiry hotline can be reached at 877427-8464.
RESEARCH
Psych student uses SURF grant to investigate collegiate sports injuries By Rae Glassford Senior News Reporter @rae_maybe With the release of the 2015 movie Concussion and 2012 documentary Head Games, collegiate sports injuries have become a major topic of interest seemingly overnight. With increased interest comes increased scrutiny, concern and inevitable inquiry. Emily Lund, psychology senior, has chosen to investigate the impacts and causes of collegiate sports injuries for her thesis. “I received a concussion from playing lacrosse when I was still in high school,” Lund said. “At the time, I noticed there were differing opinions on reporting concussions amongst my teammates, as well as the sports community at large.” The frequency with which Lund and her fellow athletes received concussions throughout their sports careers is what initially in-
spired her to enter the psychology field. “I found the dynamics surrounding sports injuries interesting,” Lund said. Lund is a PACE peer mentor, Bobcat Build director and intern at Dell Children’s Medical Center. She is also a recent recipient of the Student Undergraduate Research Fund, available to all Texas State undergrads. “The application process is fairly extensive,” Lund said. “Applying for a grant is a really big deal and an amazing thing to be able to put on your resume. I am honored to have received it and thankful for the opportunity to apply while still in college.” Lund heard about the grant from Carmen Westerberg, psychology assistant professor and thesis mentor. She encouraged Lund to apply because credibility attached to receiving a grant could increase volunteer survey participation on the part of other students,
Lund said. “Any research that can contribute to making sports safer is relevant,” Lund said. “I think it’s relevant because it’s a relatively new issue in the world of sports. We are just now starting to understand what the consequences are—what the long term effects can have on people.” Lund said she believes her study will be of interest to Texas State students in particular due to the sheer volume of the many sports teams associated with the university, intramural and professional alike. Lund’s research team will include Krista Howard, psychology assistant professor, acting as second reader. Nathan Wofford, psychology junior, will be responsible for helping facilitate the research process. “We pulled from other surveys and compiled them all into one questionnaire, and launched it online,” Lund said. “We’ve also contacted sports clubs and
Texas State student Emily Lund is currently conducting studies on the effects of head injuries and concussions in collegiate sports. Her studies are focused primarily on Texas State student athletes.
PHOTO BY TYLER DUMAS | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
posted flyers around campus.” Lund’s research team is using an online survey to gather data, and have disseminated information about how students can take the survey via email. The survey is entirely anonymous, but the research team has been able to share it widely amongst college students across the country through Facebook. “The data collection period closes at the end of
August, which is when I’ll begin writing the thesis,” Lund said. “I hope to have it published by the end of the semester.” As for her hypothesis, Lund is anticipating she will be able to observe and identify specific social factors which influence an athlete’s willingness to report a concussion. “I do anticipate that many changes will be made to how we play sports in the future,” Lund said. “I am
honored to participate in something that means so much to athletes.” Students who complete a brief survey will be entered into a drawing to win one of twenty $50 Amazon gift cards. The survey is short and should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
PARKING
Limited shuttle hours causes concern for students By JeriLynn Thorpe News Reporter @jerilynnthorpe With summer in full swing, many students have had to change the way they commute to class. The Bobcat Shuttle, a bus system operated for students, faculty, staff and visitors at Texas State, stops operating in the afternoon, nearly five hours before the last class of the evening dismisses. Transportation Services begins the development process for the shuttle in early spring, and is evaluated based on customer feedback, productivity of the routes and student enrollment numbers. The Transportation Services Advisory Council reviews the recommendations and then gives advice on the policies presented. “Summer shuttle services operate on a reduced sched-
ule compared to the fall and spring semesters, however the summer 2016 schedule included a 9.3 percent increase in service compared to summer 2015,” said Steven Herrera, Transportation Services assistant director. During the summer session, Texas State charges an automatic fee of $95 included in tuition for the shuttle. A student can pay upwards of $133 when combining the shuttle service fee and the minimum fee of $38 for a parking permit. For Fernanda Cabrera, a mass communication senior, class lets out after the shuttle operating hours. She was forced to ask her parents for help in paying for a parking permit. “I’m doing an internship that is unpaid. It’s not like I can afford to pay that,” Cabrera said. “I’m paying the school with my tuition to get the bus, and I can’t even ride it back home because
they stop. So now I’m having to pay more money for the (parking) sticker.” Jarrett Moehn, a mass communication and electronic arts senior, said he walks 25 minutes to and from class because the shuttle doesn’t operate when his class ends. “I don’t have a parking pass, never did, never will. So I’m just walking,” Moehn said. “It sucks, but there’s nothing I can really do about it. People have this problem every summer semester.” Gilbert Martinez, School of Journalism and Mass Communication assistant director and senior lecturer, emailed Transportation Services after his students informed him the shuttle stops operating before his class ends. In response, Transportation Services encouraged Martinez’ students to purchase a summer parking permit.
Texas State parking ticket from the Sessom lot Wednesday June 29. PHOTO BY SAM KING | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Gabrielle Herrera, a public relations junior, was very upset after she found out the times the shuttle ran. She didn’t know what to do or where to park. “I was crying because I was so frustrated. I was already calculating, like I did the whole google maps, like how long it was going to take me to walk home,” Herrera said. Roommate to Herrera, Joseph Losoya, public relations senior, said he was prepared to walk to and from school every day from his apartment complex at the end of Aquarena Springs.
“If you provide (the shuttle) through the other semesters, why not now?” Losoya said. “It seems like Texas State is just trying to get money off this to pay for more parking.” The roommates said this also poses a concern for the safety of students. Losoya said some finals are scheduled late at night, which will cause some students to walk home as late as 10 p.m. “Do they want us to walk at 7:30 and then walk back at 10:00 at night?” Losoya said. “You can easily get jumped on finals week. Es-
pecially if they know that there’s no bus.” For students who cannot take advantage of the shuttle services, Herrera said there are other transportation options available. Students may purchase a valid parking permit, rent a ZipCar for use on campus, make use of the municipal bus system, and employ CARTS, which is free for students with a Texas State student ID. The Texas State Bike Cave also offers rental programs and sales on bicycles.