DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018
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LIFE & ARTS Students connect virtually across the globe |PAGE 4|
Staff, students celebrate custodians |PAGE 4|
OPINIONS
Students should not sell themselves short at internships, career fairs |PAGE 5|
Student life is essential to Texas State University |PAGE 6|
SPORTS Weekend recap |PAGE 7|
The men behind the scenes
Volume 108, Issue 04
Office of Finance and Support Services to oversee UPD By Jakob Rodriguez Sports Editor
The University Police Department has moved from in the Office of Finance and Support Services after an initial review from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Though the full review will not
be available until late September or early October, one of the initial recommendations of the peer review was to move oversight of the department from the Student Affairs office to Finance and Support Services, Vice President for Student Affairs Joanne Smith said. "Basically, part of the review was to look at the structure, and whether the
reporting structure was aligned given that our university is as large and complex as it is, and related to issues of public safety in general as it relates to emergency management, risk management, those kinds of things," Smith said. SEE UPD PAGE 2
Becerra sworn in as new Student Government president amid election investigation By Kaiti Evans News Reporter Vice President Ruben Becerra Jr. was sworn in as the new Student Government president Sept. 17 following former Student Government President Brooklyn Boreing’s resignation, while investigations into the Boreing-Becerra election campaign allegations continue. At the Aug. 27 Student Government meeting, former Sen. Eli Miller alleged the Boreing-Becerra election campaign received unreported donations of $2,800 and 25 iPads from Turning Point USA, a national conservative group that has targeted student elections across the nation. If the allegations are proven true, the campaign would be in violation of the Student Government's Election Code. Boreing's resignation from her position as Student Government president, effective as of Sept. 14, moved Becerra from vice president to president. At the Sept. 10 Student Government meeting, Alison Castillo was voted as the Senate Pro-Tempore, which made her Becerra's vice president Sept. 17 when Becerra was sworn in as president.
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SEE STUDENT GOVERNMENT PAGE 2
Ruben Becerra Jr. addresses Student Government at its Sept. 10 meeting.
PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON
City Transportation Master Plan to modernize transport By Sandra Sadek News Editor With the rise of alternative transportation like Uber or bicycling, San Marcos has developed a master plan to modernize the way residents travel. The initial Transportation Master Plan was proposed back in 2004. In 2014, an updated version of the plan was drafted and is currently being finalized. The purpose of the plan is to achieve a more comprehensive and integrated transportation network that is multi-modal, compact and sustainable. Rohit Vij, senior engineer for the City of San Marcos, worked on the updated master plan and said it was necessary because of the rapid innovation in transportation. "Traffic has increased and there are more types of facilities coming along," Vij said. "We try to update our master plan every five years but it's not possible all the time. The initial plan only focused on road
By Malarie Ohrabka News Reporter
Bikes rack holds shareable bikes June 21 in downtown San Marcos.
PHOTO BY JOSE MENA
networks but this time, we also included a bike network, a transit vision, the Greenways and street cross-sections." Another reason for more alternative transport methods comes from San Marcos' population growth, which has increased 31
percent over the last fifteen years. The city was ranked as one of the fastest growing in the U.S. by the Census Bureau. SEE TRANSPORTATION PAGE 2
Veterans program gives college credit for military experience By Brittlin Richardson News Reporter Texas State's partnership with College Credit for Heroes is giving service members the ability to earn college credit for skills learned in the military. The program, created by the Texas legislature in 2011, accelerates the rate at which military members obtain their college degree, workforce certificate or licensing program. Texas State has offered the program since 2016 at its San Marcos and Round Rock locations. Through the program, Texas State offers the ability to gain up to 30 credit hours from non-collegiate training and 24 hours of work-life credits toward a bachelor of applied arts and sciences degree. Paths
Students earn credit, learn through community service
include various disciplines ranging from engineering technology to social services. Todd Sherron, coordinator for Prior Learning Assessment Program, a competency-based portfolio builder, said the program at Texas State is funded by the Texas Workforce Commission. This allows the school to pay participants for prior learning assessments or internships. "College-level learning can take place in a lot of different places and it does not have to be in a classroom or even in a university," Sherron said. "These veterans have thousands of hours of military training as well as years of experience of working and doing their job. It makes no sense to put this type of person through a traditional program."
The program has space for up to 40 students, but only 19 have participated since 2016. The average student age is 36 years old, according to Sherron. David Beadle, alumnus of the program, said ensuring service members receive a degree in a timely manner is essential. "(The program) is a benefit many veterans need in order to help assist them in achieving their goals and finishing school," Beadle said. "I have already recommended several others to look into the program." Brigitte Flynt, program director at College Credit for Heroes, said the program began after the Iraq War. Service members wanted to enter the workforce with new careers but were held back by not having a degree or certification. SEE SERVICE PAGE 2
The Service-Learning Excellence Program allows students to earn course credit through both service and experiential learning. The program specializes in students learning through both campus and communitywide service and is comprised of three model programs: Mutual Adoption Pact, Safe At Home and MAP Rides. Program director Stephanie Rodriguez said the program will promote a positive relationship between the university and the city. “The program mission is to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between Texas State University and the San Marcos community as well as surrounding areas,” Rodriguez said. “We bring community engagement into actual courses versus the typical lecture format.” In 1997, former Student-Learning Excellence Program director Cecil Renick received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create MAP, an intergenerational program that specializes in partnering university students with community elders or people with disabilities. SEE CREDIT PAGE 2
Students build a ramp for disabled members of the San Marcos community . PHOTO BY MALARIE OHRABKA