MONDAY JULY 10, 2017 VOLUME 106 ISSUE 35
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
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Financial Aid recipients at risk if courses do not align with degree plan By Shayan Faradineh Assistant News Editor @ShayanFaradineh The federal government policy requires student’s aid eligibility only to be based on courses counting toward the completion of their degree, according to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Department. To be considered a full-time student, for financial aid purposes, there is a 12 credit hour requirement as an undergraduate, or nine credit hours as a graduatecounting toward their degree plan. Christopher Murr, director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, said he encourages students to familiarize themselves with their degree audit. “The federal government has always had the expectation that taxpayer funds are only paying for those courses that count toward the student’s degree that’s not new,” Murr said. “However, due to our enhancements in our system, we are more able to comply with those rules.” Murr said the cause of this enforcement stems from the degree audit and financial aid systems ability to flag the system. “That interconnectivity being there, we can’t ignore it,” Murr said. “We have to make sure we complement the federal policy, now that we have the technology to do so.” Students were notified of the policy enforcment by finicial aid via email June 16. All students are recommended to reference their degree audit and course catalog as to what courses count toward their degree. Students took to Twitter to display their confusion and disagreement with the enforcement of this policy. "The enforcement of this new financial aid policy is ridiculous and will harm many stydents," Twitter user @RussellfromTXST stated. "Especially seniors." Dede Gonzales, associate director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, ensures students could still receive financial aid
even if they are not registered for 12 credit hours. “You don’t have to have 12 hours to receive financial aid," Gonzales said. "Most programs allow 6, but to get the maximum of financial aid, that’s where 12 hours comes in. Even electives count toward the degree. It’s when the student is over 120 that they do not.” Students can maximize their financial aid depending on the number of hours they decide to take. According to the Financial Aid and Scholarships website, students who take 12 hours do not require as much tuition aid as a student who may take six hours. However, they might receive the same amount for services that aren't tuition based such as room and board. “It’s a student by student situation and the best way to figure out how this might affect you is by contacting the financial aid department,” Murr said. Georgie Muñoz, marketing junior, emphasizes the importance of this policy enforcement. “As I get closer to finishing my degree, this policy will definitely have to be in the forefront of my planning,” Munoz said. “Though in special circumstances, this policy may be a major bump in the road I think it’s a great push to those students who have been taking classes they don’t need due to poor planning.” Programs that substitute certain courses are still able to receive financial aid, such as the Honors College. The Financial Aid and Scholarships website has a list of frequently asked questions, links to advisers and contacts for case by case issues dealing with this policy. “As I get closer to finishing my degree, this policy will definitely have to be in the forefront of my planning,” Munoz said. “Though in special circumstances, this policy may be a major bump in the road I think it’s a great push to those students who have been taking classes they don’t need due to poor planning.”
After various sexist, racist, Islamophobic and hateful rhetoric from the owner and staff of a bar in Austin, protests are breaking out across the area to fight the hate. Unbarlievable, located on Rainey Street, was surrounded by protesters June 30. The protestors were calling for the owner, Brandon Cash, to cut ties with the establishment after posting crude comments in response to online reviews. Christian Rodriguez, organizer of the protest, said he is determined to fight against the discriminatory language. “The protest was to bring awareness to the problem at Unbarlievable,” Rodriguez said. “When I look at the owner creating an identity around hate and bigotry, I see that he is attracting people who align with that mindset. There are consequences to your actions. This protest was the beginning of the journey, not the end.” Since January, patrons of the bar have left bad reviews of the establishment on Facebook and other rating sites, expressing their concerns regarding discriminatory acts. Cash has since responded to each review with a different answer. In January, the first problem arose when a patron gave the bar a one-star
review on Yelp. Cash responded to the review immediately. “I hope you don’t have any daughters because they are definitely gonna get grabbed by the pussy you stupid fucking ant! Anybody know this pile of shit?” Cash wrote in a comment. The second situation occurred midMarch when an Unbarlievable employee brought a table’s beer out and placed them in the shape of a swastika upon a customer’s request. Another customer, at an adjacent table, complained to management but was told nothing was going to be done about it. The customer later reviewed the bar on Facebook, where the Unbarlievable account responded to the negative experience. “All complaints should be directed to our HR department. You can reach them at getfucked@unbarlievable. com,” Unbarlievable commented. The patron who ordered the beer in the shape of a swastika, Tyler Goodson, openly admitted to the act on his Facebook page, where friends fully supported his post. “Here we have a bunch of crybabies whining (protesting) over something I did at a bar that a table next to me complained about in a review that I also responded to,” Goodson wrote on his post. “Yes I made a swastika on a table with beer. Was it right? Probably not. Do I care? Certainly not.”
OUTDOOR 101 PAGE 3 OUTDOOR
DEGREE REQUIRED COURSES ONLY
DEGREE AND NON DEGREE REQUIRED CLASSES
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GRAPHIC BY VIVIAN MEDINA
Protest against Austin bar leads owner to apologize for offensive actions By Ashley Skinner News Editor @Ash_Marie54
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WHAT CLASSES WILL YOU TAKE?
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Mermaid Society festival seeks funds from city council
STAR FILE PHOTO
By Jonathan Gonzalez News Reporter @Jonny_Gonzalez_ The Mermaid Society SMTX, a nonprofit organization, successfully submitted a request to the city council to support the second annual Mermaid SPLASH festival. The source of the funds is yet to be determined. The request received four votes at the city council meeting June 27 in favor of moving forward with securing funds for the project. The festival is scheduled for Sept. 2-17. The organization hosts the festival as a way of providing a creative platform for local artists while promoting a sense of community by using the
Upcoming Basketball Season The men’s basketball team signed six athletes to the 2017-18 roster in hopes of repeating a winning season.
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mermaid as a symbol of the city’s history and culture. July Moreno, Mermaid Society SMTX founder and executive director, said her group sought the support from the city council for this year’s festival in order to foster a sense of unity throughout the community. “Like Fiesta does in San Antonio, where everyone is involved and able to profit from it, this is how I hope the festival will be able to do in San Marcos,” Moreno said. During the two weeks, there will be art exhibitions, live music and performances, film screenings and other events.
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