02 09 2006 by The University Star

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Is college the best time for women to make wedding plans?

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

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THURSDAY

FEBRUARY 9, 2006

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 52

Bayou Homecoming

Student returns to New Orleans home after Hurricane Katrina By Ashley Richards The University Star

Ashley Richards/Star photo

instead it was speeding toward New Orleans and hit the day Marcus would have returned. Editor’s Note: Two University Star “It had taken a long route through reporters traveled to New Orleans the Gulf and about halfway through from Feb. 2 to 4 to spend 24 hours in- my visit it was looking like maybe I vestigating the current state of affairs (didn’t) want to go back,” Marcus in the city. These said. stories are part of While Marcus a series about the said he does not ongoing reconhave an exciting struction efforts. evacuation story to tell, he knows plenStrolling ty of New Orleans through the residents who do. southern part During the chaos of Central City of the hurricane in New Orleans, and levee problems Nolan Marcus Marcus used Interreflected on his net resources such not-so-different as NOLA.com, a —Nolan Marcus Web site affiliated lifestyle since his return to the postNew Orleans resident with the New OrKatrina neighborleans newspaper hood. The Times-PicaAs he walked down 8th Street, yune, to try and find friends who past the typical New Orleans houses were scattered after evacuating. with wooden stairs leading to an Marcus was able to look at satellite old-fashioned patio and a creaking images on the Internet of his apartscreen door decorated with Mardi ment, and he spoke with his landGras beads and wreaths, Marcus lord, who ensured him the damage made note of the minimal damage was minimal. his part of the city endured. “I got a hold of a satellite imag“This is pretty much what it was ing Web site that gave me a pretty like before I left here,” Marcus said. clear picture of the day of the worst “There’s a little more rebuilding flooding and I could still see the here but no flooding.” grass around the apartment,” MarDue to the higher elevation of cus said. “Then I talked to my landCentral City and surrounding areas lord, and he said everything was he said the flooding caused by the fine.” levee breach stopped barely north of Although Marcus planned on takhis apartment. ing the fall semester off from Loyola A week before Labor Day, Marcus University for financial reasons, he traveled to Seguin to celebrate his knew the hurricane would have him 30th birthday on the river, where his remaining in Texas longer than exmother works. After visiting family, pected, and he had the resources to he was scheduled to return home afford a semester at Texas State. on Aug. 29, until word came that Arriving two weeks late, Marcus Katrina would not circle the Gulf said getting accepted into Texas of Mexico and return to Florida; State was a breeze and the adminis-

HOME SWEET HOME: (Right) Residents of Lakefront tried to return to their homes but had to rely on FEMA for accommodations. This house is on Harrison Avenue, and despite evidence of its owner’s return, there is no sign of renovation inside. (Below) Nolan Marcus, a Loyolla University student displaced by Hurricane Katrina, returned to New Orleans after a semester at Texas State.

he biggest “T change I would say is it’s

no longer the city that doesn’t sleep. Things close now, which they didn’t used to.”

Photo courtesy of Sue Weill

tration was inviting. “I enjoyed it. The walking up and down the hills comes to mind,” Marcus said with a smile, also saying that he missed the walks because the hills were shaping up his legs. While at school in San Marcos he rented an apartment at The Zone and took mass communication classes that would be useful towards his degree in communications at Loyola. Marcus took a course with Susan Weill, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and she became interested in his personality and eagerness to learn. Weill said she was happy to see the university accepting the displaced students. “Nolan is an avid news junkie and keeps up with world events,” Weill said in an e-mail. “A student like that is always interesting to have in the classroom.” At Loyola, Marcus also participates in a language program where he studies German, Russian and Arabic, which he said will make him more competitive in the ﬁeld if he chooses to go into reporting. Three of Marcus’ cousins graduSee HOME, page 4

University Star reporter views disaster first-hand Editor’s Note: Two University Star reporters traveled to New Orleans from Feb. 2 to 4 to spend 24 hours investigating the current state of affairs in the city. These stories are part of a series about the ongoing reconstruction efforts.

I want to say there are two cities of New Orleans. There is the high ground, Noah’s Ark of the Crescent City, the neighborhoods God smiled upon, and there are lowlands that Katrina washed away. There aren’t two cities. There is one city, and there is a wasteland. There is the part of town that either remained untouched or had residents afﬂuent enough to return and begin repairs on their homes without Federal Emergency Management Agency checks. Then there is the wasteland, where August was the cruelest month. The wasteland used to have many names: East New Orleans, the Lower 9th Ward, Chalmette, Gentilly, Lakefront. Now all it has are silt-covered cars, garbage and

City Council approves luxury hotel, $20 million conference center project By Clayton Medford The University Star The San Marcos City Council approved the master development agreement with JQH-San Marcos Development, LLC to build an 80,000-squarefoot conference center and an upscale hotel on Interstate 35 at McCarty Lane on Tuesday. The city entered into a publicprivate partnership with John Q. Hammons Hotels, which will build the $40 million Embassy Suites hotel adjacent to the city’s $20 million conference center.

The hotel will be a full-service luxury facility with 275 guest suites, 10 stories, a day spa, a restaurant and other luxury amenities, according to the presentation given by City Manager Dan O’Leary. O’Leary told the council about the other Hammons properties he has toured. “All John Q. Hammons hotels have indoor atriums and glass elevators,” O’Leary said. “He just won’t build one without that design.” The council’s debate focused on funding the conference cen-

ter. O’Leary told the council that the city will sell a bond of slightly more than $20 million, the current projected cost of the center. The bond will be paid off in 25 years with Hammons paying 30 percent of the annual debt payments. To help pay off the city’s debt, a tax reinvestment zone will be created to contribute to the annual debt payments. Mayor Susan Narvaiz made it clear to the council that raising property taxes to cover the shortfall between the tax revenue generated by the facility and the bond pay-

JASON BUCH Assistant News Editor

The city is considering lane reductions that will create room for additional parking spaces in San Marcos’ downtown district. The lane reductions would affect Guadalupe Street and LBJ Drive between MLK Street and University Drive. The streets connect Interstate 35 to the downtown area of the city. The proposed reductions stand to create approximately 40 new parking spaces. Richard Mendoza, director of public works, said a main reason for the lane reduction is to improve pedestrian safety.

“It would reduce the lane numbers from three to two, which reduces the number of lanes pedestrians would have to cross,” Mendoza said. He said the additional room on the street would allow not only additional parking spaces, but would also change the spaces from parallel to angled. The idea for the lane reduction originated from the San Marcos Downtown Association. Larry Rasco, association president, said the association has recommended the lane reduction to the city to improve both safety and parking downtown. “The change will allow an

Today’s Weather

Mostly Sunny 69˚/48˚

Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 38% UV: 5 Moderate Wind: E 8 mph

additional number of parking spaces on both Guadalupe and LBJ, and they will be longer for a better turn ratio,” Rasco said. Mendoza acknowledged that fewer lanes may have the potential to increase traffic congestion. He said the city will evaluate potential effects before making a decision. “We have some modeling software that we will program to try to determine possible effects,” Mendoza said. He said the city has other projects in progress to help decrease congestion in the city, such as the traffic light synchronization project that is scheduled to be finished by the

ments is “off the table.” The city expects to generate around $300,000 annually in hotel occupancy taxes from the new property. The city’s hotels currently generate around $800,000 in total annual tax revenue. Council member John Thomaides believes that the facility will spur further development near the site. “I really think this development in this area is going to be a catalyst in that area, which

By Eloise Martin The University Star Rumors of widespread age requirement changes in downtown San Marcos bars cropped up after the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission placed several bars under investigation in an effort to reduce both underage drinking and driving while intoxicated citations. TABC Sgt. Pete Champion said the investigations in San Marcos

See COUNCIL, page 3

Friday Showers Temp: 68°/ 38° Precipitation: 70%

Saturday Sunny and Windy Temp: 58°/ 27° Precipitation: 0%

Inside

UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

See AGE, page 3

Brynn Leggett/ Star feature photo

See LANES, page 3

TEXAS STATE

are part of Operation Last Call, a program that began in September and aims to reduce the number of driving while intoxicated citations. The investigations began after TABC contacted the San Marcos Police Department and received information about pending cases at downtown clubs. “We contacted SMPD and they were able to pull up the number

CHECKING IT TWICE: Texas State alumnus Brian Olson has his ID checked at the door of Nephew’s. The North Guadalupe Street bar recently changed its age requirements for entry from 18 to 21 in an effort to curb problems with underage drinking.

end of the year. The city will also determine if the lane reduction will allow emergency and fire equipment sufficient access. Mendoza said the city will take all concerns into consideration before a decision is made. “The main goal is to increase safety for pedestrians and add additional parking to encourage people to shop and dine downtown,” Mendoza said. Kindell Bruington, sociology senior, lives off campus and often studies in a coffee shop downtown. Bruington said both the traffic to arrive down-

Two-day Forecast

See DISASTER, page 4

Nephew’s changes age requirements following state investigations

City looking to pave way for new downtown parking spaces By Eloise Martin The University Star

mold. Everyone knows the story of Katrina. I don’t want to remind Texas State students about the horrible things that happened last year. I certainly don’t want to pass judgment on the reconstruction process. I want to tell you what is happening there right now. I went to New Orleans with Susan Weill, School of Journalism assistant professor, her son Tao and The University Star senior reporter Ashley Richards. Weill arranged for us to stay with Liz Gordon, her friend from college and Gordon’s husband, Bill. The Gordons live in Metairie, just outside of the city limits. Their neighborhood suffered only wind damage, and very little of that. They consider themselves lucky because they both kept their jobs at Louisiana State University. Like almost every other school in New Orleans, LSU had to furlough a large portion of its staff. The Gordons’ house suffered no damage. “We rent, and if we’d been ﬂooded, we’d have been out of here,” Liz Gordon said. That seemed to be the sentiment most residents of New Orleans had after Katrina. Immediately after arriving in Metairie on

Classiﬁeds ....... 11 Comics .............. 8 Crossword ......... 8 News ..............1-5

Opinions ....... 9,10 Sports .............. 12 Trends .............6-8

PAGE TWO The University Star

starsof texas state

Thursday in Brief

February 9, 2006

Two of our biology faculty members have been recognized in the journals of Science and Nature for breakthrough research in plant development. Assistant professor Nihal Dharmasiri and lecturer Suni Dharmasiri were cited in the December 2005 “Breakthrough of the Year” issue of Science for their paper “The F-box protein TIR1 is an auxin receptor.” The paper, written in collaboration with Mark Estelle

of Indiana University, examined the role the hormone auxin plays in plant developmental biology, and was published in Nature in May. The Science issue highlights Dharmasiri and Dharmasiri’s research as the No. 3 breakthrough of the year, along with several other papers on plant development. — Courtesy of Media Relations

News Contact — Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu

Calendar of

Speed Racer

STARS OF TEXAS STATE POLICY Do you know someone at Texas State who has recently celebrated a great achievement? Nominate your choice to appear in The Star as a “Star of Texas State.” Write an email to starletters@txstate. edu with the subject line “Stars of Texas State,” and include your nominee’s name, his/her relationship to the university, contact information for yourself and your nominee, and a brief description of the achievement. Also include a photo of your nominee if available. Accepted nominees will be featured at the top of Page Two.

EVENTS Clubs & Meetings

The English department will host a free showing of The Subterraneans at 6:30 p.m. in Flowers Hall, Room 341.

Thursday The Fine Art Student Association is having a meeting at 5 p.m. in the Joann Cole Mitte Complex, Room 4112. Facing the Fear: An Anxiety/Panic Group will meet from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Counseling Center. For more information, call (512) 245-2208.

Monday Men Against Violence, an organization that includes both men and women, is holding a meeting at 6 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-10.1. For more information, contact the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center at (512) 245-3601 or je12@txstate.edu or hc1066@txstate. edu, or just come by LBJSC, Suite 5-4.1 The Mitte Honors Association will have a student meeting at 5 p.m. in the Lampasas Building. Come join us for coffee and fun.

Events Thursday The Communications Club will give out coffee, doughnuts and good conversation from 9 to 11 a.m. at Centennial Hall in the second-ﬂoor lobby. A summer job fair will take place in the LBJSC Ballroom. For more information, please contact Josi Garrott at (512) 2452465. The Rock, Praise & Worship will take place at the Catholic Student Center at 7:30 p.m. The American Marketing Association will host guest speaker Jay Mill, president and owner of the Round Rock Express, at 5:30 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-14.1.

Monday

Thursday Intramural softball entries are due by 5 p.m. to the Intramural Ofﬁce. Enchanted Rock will hold a pre-trip meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Center.

Arts & Entertainment

A.D. Brown/Star photo

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will hold its weekly meeting at 8:30 pm in Old Main, Room 320. Enjoy contemporary worship, relevant teaching, prayer and plenty of fun. Contact the fellowship at (512) 557-7988 or mail@texasstatechialpha.com

Campus Sports

Saturday The Jazz Festival Concert will take place at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for students.

Monday

The music of Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Sciabin and Rachmaninoff will be performed by faculty artist Timothy Woolsey at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Tickets are $2 for general admission and $1 for students.

Miscellaneous Friday IEF scholarship deadline for Summer 2006 study abroad programs is 5 p.m. For more information, contact the Ofﬁce of Study Abroad Programs, 302 Academic Services Building-North, at (512) 245-2322.

CALENDAR SUBMISSION POLICY Calendar submissions are free. Send submissions to Calendar of Events at starcalendar@txstate.edu or call (512) 245-3487 for more information. E-mailed press releases will not be accepted. If using e-mail, please submit as a simple bulleted list of essential information. Submissions are on a ﬁrst come, ﬁrst served basis and notices for weekly meetings need to be submitted every week they will take place. The University Star reserves the right to refuse entries or edit for libel, style and space purposes. Deadline: Three working days prior to publication.

Lamborghini showed off its Gallardo coupe Saturday at the Houston Auto Show in Reliant Center. The annual show ran from Jan. 28 to Feb. 5 and featured more than 40 automakers.

CRIME BL TTER San Marcos Police Department

Feb. 8, 1:56 a.m. Assault Family Violence/ 1102 Haynes St. Assault family violence with bodily injury and possession of controlled substance (cocaine). Feb. 7. 10:40 p.m. Public Intoxication/ 1700 Interstate 35 South One count of a minor consuming alcohol, two counts of public intoxication.

Feb. 7, 3:58 p.m. Supplement/2300 I-35 South Actor in a hit and run turned herself in at the police department. Feb. 7, 1:46 p.m. Sexual Assault of a Child/ 2300 I-35 South Sexual assault of a child. Feb. 7, 10:06 a.m. Theft/301 Foxtail Run A seventh-grade student at Miller Junior High School acquired a stolen cell phone and made several long-distance telephone calls.

Crime stoppers: UPD: 245-7867, SMPD: 353-TIPS

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES In the article “Veteran, former professor emeritus passes away at 75” printed in Wednesday’s edition, Kathleen Fite, curriculum and instruction professor, was mistakenly identiﬁed as Karen Fite.

Library Beat Library Lounge gives students a study break Looking for a place to check your e-mail, watch a little TV, grab a soda or heat up and eat a snack — all without leaving the library? Then head to the ﬁrst ﬂoor. Offering a convenient place where food and phone calls are permitted, the Alkek Library Lounge lets students take study breaks without leaving the building. The Lounge has several vending machines, a microwave oven, television, public phones (including a TTY phone for deaf and hard-of-hearing in-

dividuals) and 10 Dell GX270 computers that can be used for Web browsing and e-mail. Users must have a Texas State Net ID to log on to the computers. There are numerous worktables available and also a few cozy chairs to settle into. The Lounge hours are the same as the library’s — which you can ﬁnd using the Library Information link on the Web site at http://www.library. txstate.edu. Contact the Alkek Library’s Circulation Desk at (512) 2453681 for more information. — Courtesy of Alkek Library

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NEWS

Thursday, February 9, 2006

The University Star - Page 3

More than 60 employers to attend job fair COUNCIL: Construction to begin this summer think the job fair is very helpful. “IIt gives students who don’t have time to go off campus to look for jobs a for Hammons’ $40 By Gordon Taylor The University Star

Texas State’s Career Services is hosting a Summer Job Fair today in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Several hundred students come to this fair annually; my goal would be a thousand students,” said Josie Garrott, Career Services associate director. The Summer Job Fair targets mostly freshmen and sophomores who need assistance with ﬁnding work, building résumés and meeting new people. However, the event is not exclusively for underclassmen. “The Summer Job Fair focuses on helping students get a good

chance to ﬁnd work”

— Alyssa Fernandez exercise sports science sophomore

summer job, and also gives students an opportunity to ﬁnd both full- and part-time work nearby while taking classes over the summer,” Garrott said. More than 60 employers are scheduled to attend the fair including many area summer camps, Schlitterbahn and area city park departments such as San Marcos, Seguin, New Braun-

fels, Georgetown and Austin. Students will have the opportunity to meet potential employers and ﬁll out applications. “I think the job fair is very helpful,” said Alyssa Fernandez, exercise sports science sophomore. “It gives students who don’t have time to go off campus to look for jobs a chance to ﬁnd work.” Garrott urged those planning

to attend the fair to come prepared with several résumés handy and dressed casual to business casual. “Learn about who is there. The more you know about the employer, the better you will do in the interview process,” Garrott said.

CONTINUED from page 1

For more information on the fair, including a tentative list of employers, log on to Jobs4cats at www. careerservices.txstate.edu, or call Career Services at (512) 245-2645.

AGE: Not all establishments to follow Nephew’s lead CONTINUED from page 1

of DWIs in different reporting areas,” Champion said. “The downtown area was No. 1.” Champion said TABC monitors all bars in San Marcos, but they consider Gold Crown Billiards, Dillinger’s, Nephew’s, The Draft Choice and Rocky LaRue’s all to be “at risk” locations. While TABC monitors all violations, Champion said minors have always been an issue. One bar has changed its age requirements since the investigation began, in part to reduce potential problems with minors. Nephew’s, located on The Square, changed the age requirements from 18 to 21 last November. Jason Stavena, general manager, said the change came after learning that customers would be receptive to an age requirement change. Despite losing potential customers who are under 21, Stavena said the change has increased business. “There is more room now for

those who are able to drink alcohol,” Stavena said. Stavena said the bar has received mostly positive reaction from costumers, although there are people with friends who are underage who now find other bars to attend. Stavena said the bar no longer has to watch for underage drinking, which has made relations with SMPD and TABC better. He said the city has a point system for licensing all alcohol-related businesses downtown based on numbers of violations such as fights and underage drinking. Stavena said that without minors in the bar, they no longer have to worry about them becoming a threat. Although the 18-and-younger crowd may find the change to be a loss, some students say they like the change. Shannon Dupnik, exercise and sports science senior, is now 23, but said she has been going to Nephew’s since she was 21. She said she considers herself a regu-

lar and prefers the bar instead of others because of its large dance ﬂoor and the 21-and-older crowd. “It is better here, the crowd is more mature,” Dupnik said. Dupnik said she has noticed less police pressure since the age requirement change and said she feels Nephew’s has a more relaxed atmosphere. There are still bars in the downtown area that allow minors, but Dupnik said she does not enter them often. “Do I go to the bars that are not 21-and-up? To be honest, no,” Dupnik said. Stavena said the change also came as rumors started that The Square may eventually change to an area for those only 21-andolder. “I know there are rumors, but I do believe that is the way it is going,” Stavena said. Despite the investigation, The Square currently has places for minors. Dillinger’s is an 18-and-older pool hall. Dillinger’s manager

Anthony Webb said he does not see a change in age requirements in the near future. He said the bar and pool hall has not seen sufﬁcient problems to cause the business to consider minors a threat. “If we were a solid bar, I could see going to 21-and-up, but because we are a pool hall, we need to stay 18-and-over,” Webb said. “We provide services to people who aren’t 21; we sell soda and pool time.” Texas law requires any billiard halls to allow only those who are 18-and-older after 9 p.m. Although some bars have changed their age requirements and others may in the future, Champion said the decision will not come from TABC. “We don’t tell them what to do; that is a business decision,” Champion said. Any changes that have occurred with bars have come from individual decisions and have not been required changes from the city or TABC.

S. LBJ Street

town and parking when she reaches her destination takes extra time. “There are times that I have to loop around The Square a couple of times to find a parking spot,” Bruington said. She said when she has finished studying she often has trouble getting out of her parking space. “Parking now is very dangerous,” Bruington said. “You have to kind of watch the lights to know when you will have a chance to back out.” Bruington said she often has to park several blocks from where she plans to study and then cross multiple lanes of traffic. Although she feels more parking spaces would be an improvement, she said it may create a more dangerous situation for drivers backing out of their

space. “With three lanes, when a car sees another car trying to back out, they are able to move over,” Bruington said. “If there are only two lanes, they may not be able to move over, causing even more problems.” Bruington said she was undecided on whether or not the lanes should be reduced for additional parking spaces. “I don’t think it matters, there is always going to be an issue with parking,” she said. Mendoza said an ofﬁcial decision will come from the city in March but would then have to be approved by the Texas Department of Transportation. The change would not require construction, and Mendoza said the re-striping and new street signs could be complete by early summer.

Guadalupe Street

LANES: Software will determine effects of lane reduction CONTINUED from page 1

million hotel project

Guadalupe and S. LBJ streets will possibly be reduced to two lanes each to expand parking in The Square.

whelmingly gave their association support, with 91 percent already generates a good bit of approving the move. San Marrevenue for our city,” Thom- cos police officers were slightly aides said. more divided on the issue with Council member Daniel under 80 percent giving their Guerrero told the council that support to their association. he was unable to see any of the The council reviewed a prerooms when touring a similar sentation given by O’Leary property owned by Hammons about the Meet and Confer because the hotel was com- law, which allows municipal pletely booked. Hammons has employees to contract with the other public-private partner- city to set salaries, hours and ships with the cities of Frisco conditions of work and other and Richardson, Texas with details of their duties. Because conference centers and luxury San Marcos has fewer than hotels operating successfully 50,000 residents, the law only in both cities. According to the allows civil employees to conagreement, Hammons will op- tract with the city, not all city erate the center at a profit or at employees. This detail was a a loss. point of contention for counThe project has been in de- cil member Gaylord Bose. velopment for several years, and “I think we need to look at the original cost of the property the big picture here: how will was $15 milthis effect lion. The lone non-civil emdissenter on ployees and the council, Ed their relationMihalkanin, ship with the blamed the city if some stalling of the groups have project and more power subsequent in bargaining higher cost than others,” to the city on Bose said. the Hammons Represencompany. tatives from “I can’t both the imagine the police and city doing anyf i re f i g h ter s thing more to — Danny Arredondo associations facilitate this president of the San Marcos assured the project,” Micouncil that Police Officers Association halkanin said. their work “Going from condit ions, $15 million to $20 million gives including pay, are more than a substantial increase to the in- adequate and are not a reason debtedness of the city.” to leverage for a new way of Mihalkanin said that the ac- dealing with the city. tions of the city’s partner which “I don’t think that San Marcaused the delay may have “long cos police or firefighters are term financial implications” on any better than any other emthe partnership. Mihalkanin ployees of the City of San Marwas the only member voting no cos. We are just different,” said on the resolution. The city proj- Danny Arredondo, president ects the construction of the ho- of the San Marcos Police Oftel will begin this summer and ficers Association. take 18 months to complete. The council unanimously After the council took a short approved the measure. recess to celebrate Guerrero’s Improvements to Sesbirthday, they began a discus- som Drive between Universion on recognizing the San sity Drive and Academy Street Marcos Firefighters Association were briefly discussed by the Local No. 3963 and the San council. The project, for which Marcos Police Officers Associa- the city will receive a $775,000 tion to be the exclusive bargain- grant from the state, will ining agents for their respective clude the reconstruction of members. pavement and upgrades to Prior to the meeting, each pedestrian and bicycle access. organization took a vote from The design phase of the projtheir constituencies to deter- ect is not yet underway, but the mine their desire to have sin- actual road work is expected gular leadership in dealing with to begin in late 2007 or early the city. The firefighters over- 2008.

“I

don’t think that San Marcos police or ﬁreﬁghters are any better than any other employees of the City of San Marcos. We are just different”

NEWS

Page 4 - The University Star

Thursday, February 9, 2006

HOME: Student returns to his apartment to find fruit flies, little damage CONTINUED from page 1

ated from Texas State, and he considered staying but the languages he is interested in were not all offered at Texas State. “Nolan is from Texas so he adjusted quickly to Texas State,” Weill said. “I tried to talk him into transferring here, but his heart was in New Orleans.” During his stay in San Marcos, he requested rental assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Marcus said FEMA promptly deposited

an unknown amount of money into his account. “I was paying my rent (in New Orleans), my rent (in San Marcos), for like four months. I still don’t have a job, and it still hasn’t run out,” Marcus said. The assistance from FEMA was yet another way Marcus said his experiences of the hurricane ventured away from the majority of stories being told. He predicted the FEMA rental assistance was valued around $4,500. After New Year’s Day, Marcus

returned to his New Orleans apartment where he found evidence that water had gotten in, which he later found out was from a broken window that was already ﬁxed. The refrigerator in his apartment had to be replaced because left over food went bad when electricity was lost, causing a fruit ﬂy infestation. “It was pretty nasty, but I’d been gone long enough that the food didn’t even stink anymore,” Marcus said. Because many properties were

destroyed during the hurricane and the subsequent ﬂooding, rental properties increased the monthly rent for those who still have livable apartments. Marcus’ rent increased $40, a price he considers lucky to have since most places charge an additional $70 to $80 per month post-Katrina. Marcus is taking the spring semester off from Loyola and is in search of a job. Normally, Marcus worked in the service industry as a bartender, but because he expects it to be difﬁcult

making enough money during the upcoming summer, he is considering going to work for a demolition crew. So far, Marcus said he is pleased with how quickly efforts to rebuild are going. Still walking through his neighborhood, he turned the corner onto a street full of coffee shops, wine tasting bars and other attractions. The area was full of trafﬁc in the streets and people lounging on the sidewalks outside various businesses. “The Island” is the nickname

given to the Central City and Garden District areas, Marcus said, because they received no ﬂooding. “Life for people (in this area) didn’t change much,” Marcus said. “The biggest change I would say is it’s no longer the city that doesn’t sleep. Things close now, which they didn’t use to.” To watch part of the Nolan Marcus interview log on to www.universitystar.com

DISASTER: Interviews from Katrina victims help people understand tragedy CONTINUED from page 1

Thursday night, we drove in to the nearby Gentilly neighborhood with Gordon so she could drop off a package at a friend’s FEMA trailer. Fed Ex would not deliver to a trailer, so Gordon’s friend, Theresa Howell, had to have her parcel shipped elsewhere. I had prepared myself for the worst, and it was time well spent. Gentilly, which turned out to be one of the flooded neighborhoods that had more residents return, is in shambles. Each block has, on average, about one FEMA trailer. Since most of the area is rental property, most of the residents are not coming back. Every house in flood-damaged areas has spray paint on it. The most common marking is a cross with a date in one corner and a number in the opposing corner. The date is the day rescue crews entered the house; the number is the amount of bodies they found. I felt fortunate that the only number I saw for the entirety of the trip was zero. That night, we spoke with Howell only briefly. In the morning, we went back to visit her. Howell lives in a trailer behind the house she and her mother, Julia Elfman, shared. Elfman, who owns the house, has a trailer in the front yard. The entire bottom story was flooded. When we arrived, the interior was stripped, and roofers were on their way to fix a hole rescue crews made in the roof when they rescued Howell’s dog. They spray painted a message on the door saying they saved the dog. Howell has

not been able to locate it. The interior of the house was all beams and supports completely covered in black splotches of mold. The stench outside was terrible. Inside, it was overpowering. I could feel the mold in my lungs, making my sinuses throb and my eyes swell against their sockets. “Everybody’s coughing all the time,” Howell said. “We just call it the Katrina Cough.” Howell also counts herself among the lucky. Her secretarial job at the University of New Orleans was still open when she returned. She said the university re-opened for classes last semester, and this semester was in full swing, with several of the dorms open. “They’ve been partying,” Howell said about the students. “They had a band out there in the quad area the other day.” Like most of the people I met who are trying to make it in the city, Howell seemed to think that beyond her own troubles, very little has changed. “We saw a lot of the same people we used to know and love,” Howell said. “I don’t know of anyone who’s perished.” I walked out to the front yard for some fresh air and looked at the ground. It still reeked and seemed saturated. The night before, my hosts told me Katrina’s storm surge never topped the 17th Street Canal levee that breached near Howell’s home. Instead, it washed out the earth beneath the levee, causing it to collapse. They told me people near the levy are still ﬁnding water as they dig in their yards. I found watercress growing out

of Elfman’s ruined lawn. Howell came out to say goodbye as we left to continue our tour. She stopped and stooped to pick something up off the sidewalk. “My cat bowl,” she said. “My poor little cat bowl.” Before we headed in to New Orleans proper, we saw

ment complexes have no sign of tenants ever returning, despite one huge, new looking “for lease” sign. Almost no FEMA trailers are visible. Cars covered in sickly gray silt sit in the same spot the ﬂood left them. I saw virtually no sign of reconstruction.

ohn noticed that I, slouching in Jscribbling the front passenger seat, stopped notes. He raised his voice to make sure I could hear him. “Anybody who has any stock in this city is here. Anyone who was here by circumstance is gone.” the Lakefront district and the break in the 17th Street Canal levee. We could walk right up to the construction since no one seemed to be working. The most activity in the neighborhood was a tour bus that drove by. Gordon said companies offer $35 tours of the city, of that $3 goes to Katrina relief. “If it’s federal ofﬁcials out to see what’s going on, more power to them; but if it’s vultures just coming to look around …” Gordon trailed off. The rest of the ﬂooded areas are a blur. Piles of garbage, stacks of televisions, rows and rows of cars towed out of neighborhoods and left under overpasses because there is nowhere else to put them. A sign on Interstate 10 East read, “Jesus is coming. Next time the whole WORLD.” New Orleans East is a true ghost town. Sprawling apart-

We continued to St. Bernard’s Parish and the outlying Chalmette district. As we drove out of town and entered the swamp, I saw where much of the refuse washed out of New Orleans ended up. All sorts of trash rested in trees. Trees that bent over seemed to bow to the Port of New Orleans and the flickering flame of a refinery smokestack that rose above the others. We saw a new type of destruction there, the type that can only be caused by a tugboat crashing in to a building. The difference in Chalmette was everywhere we looked, we saw signs of reconstruction. Vendors sold tools and lunches from trailers. People bustled about purposefully. Despite the dilapidated state of everything I had seen at that point, almost everyone I talked to seemed optimistic. People said the amount of waste lying around was a minute fraction of what had been there when they returned to the city. Gordon was not as enthusiastic as others I met. She pondered how she would have responded had she been in her friend’s position. “I think I’m relatively resourceful, but I don’t think I would have kept my sanity,” Gordon said. “Maybe God did that for a reason.” For lunch on Friday, the Gordons procured FEMA-issued meals ready to eat. We didn’t dare turn our noses up at free food, and surprisingly it was

not bad. I said I prepared myself for destruction, and I was ready. What I wasn’t ready for was the downtown area, where the buildings didn’t hear what the thunder said. The Garden District, the French Quarter, Central City and Algiers Point across the river went nearly untouched. The trauma for me was crossing a street and finding the wasteland replaced by the same green boulevards, sprawling oaks and giant houses I remembered from earlier visits. While the traffic lights don’t work in the wasteland, houses in the Garden District have faux gaslights flickering cheerily on their porches. Mardi Gras decorations were already visible, with gold and purple beads and wreaths adorning some of the houses. Kate Gegenheimer sat in a park next to the Audubon Zoo watching friends throw a flying disc. “Definitely, I see improvements week by week,” Gegenheimer said. “The parts of the city that got the most damage are so isolated, I don’t really notice that much of a difference these days.” Gegenheimer’s apartment in Algiers Point suffered little damage. She was able to return and is now looking for a job as a counselor. She graduated from UNO months before Katrina hit and did away with her job in the city. She said the hardest part for her is the number of businesses that are closed. “If you haven’t eaten dinner by eight, you’re not eating,” Gegenheimer said. “There are a few places here that haven’t opened back up and aren’t going to.” Gegenheimer said people in the still-functional parts of town tend to be insulated. “It’s easy to forget the parts that are damaged and need help,” she said. Businesses are desperate for employees. Burger King signs offered $250 dollar bonuses every two weeks. A parking lot in the French Quarter had a “help wanted” sign that advertised a signing bonus.

I met Christian Brown, a high school student, after we ate dinner in the French Quarter. Brown said even though his family lost their house in Chalmette, they were able to move in to a condominium they own downtown. He attends a Catholic school that remained open, and said, despite the inconvenience of moving, the changes in his life were minimal. “I lost all my stuff,” Brown said. “That sucked. We don’t even have any pictures; we lost all our family pictures.” The cab driver who took us back to Metairie from the French Quarter on Friday night was not from New Orleans. Prester John came to the city looking for work after the storm. As we crossed the destroyed areas for the last time, I conjured up other images; a poster advertising Mardi Gras, voodoo myths, A Streetcar Named Desire. I remembered the flower seller from A Streetcar Named Desire calling “flores para los muertos.” The Spanish-speaking population of New Orleans is rising, and most of the returning residents I spoke to seemed leery of the increasingly Latino workforce the reconstruction is attracting. But hyacinths replaced “flores para los muertos,” and Madame Sosostris replaced the voodoo queens, and all I conjured was a line from the T.S. Eliot poem, “What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow/Out of this stony rubbish?” John noticed that I, slouching in the front passenger seat, stopped scribbling notes. He raised his voice to make sure I could hear him. “Anybody who has any stock in this city is here. Anyone who was here by circumstance is gone.”

To view digital video from the Star’s New Orleans trip visit our Web site at www.universitystar.com

NEWS

Thursday, February 9, 2006

The University Star - Page 5

Ashley Richards/Star photo

Rebuilding a Dream

RAN ASHORE: (Top) Two tugboats smashed into a business in the Chalmette area of St. Bernard Parish. Chalmette, near the Port of New Orleans, saw more of its residents returning to repair their homes and businesses than many of the damaged neighborhoods in the city limits.

BREACH IN THE LEVEE: (Left) A view of the 17th Street Canal levee breach, looking north from the east bank levee. The walls jutting into the canal are metal bulwarks put in place to allow repairs. Residents said before workers moved ground up to brace the levee walls, people piled wooden pallets along the levees and climbed up to watch the repairs.

LEFT IN RUINS: (Bottom Right) A ruined house on Harrison Avenue in the Lakefront District. Lakefront borders the 17th Street Canal that breached after ﬂoodwaters washed out its levee’s foundations more than 24 hours after Katrina hit.

THE REBUILDING PROCESS: (Bottom Left) Theresa Howell sweeps the sidewalk in front of her mother’s house on Arts Street in the Gentilly neighborhood. Howell rented the bottom ﬂoor of the house. Rescue workers pulled her dog from the house, but she has been unable to locate it. Her two cats survived the ﬂood and live with her now.

Ashley Richards/Star photo

Jason Buch/Star photo

Ashley Richards/Star photo

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

happeningsof the weekend san marcos

Thursday Cheatham Street Warehouse – Randy Rogers Band Lucy’s – Chris Vicious Presents The Triple Crown – Green Mountain Grass

Thursday, February 9, 2006 - Page 6

Friday Lucy’s – 57 State The Triple Crown – Clap! Clap!, The Interest Kills, Maneja Beto Riley’s Tavern – Chadd Thomas and the Crazy Kings

Saturday Cheatham Street Warehouse – Texas Renegade Lucy’s – This Will Destroy You The Triple Crown – Fambly, Trip 7, W-ILL Riley’s Tavern – Mitch Webb and the Swindles

FRIGHT FEST Trends Contact — Kyle Bradshaw, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Godfathers of gore spills guts on horror flicks at Frightmare Weekend By Nixon Guerrero The University Star A horror festival unlike any other garnered the attention of many across the country in the little town of Grapevine, Texas on Feb. 4 and 5. Hundreds of devoted fans of the horror genre eagerly gathered at the Grapevine Convention Center to welcome living horror icons such as makeup effects artists Tom Savini, Sid Haig and Bill Moseley of The Devil’s Rejects and “The Godfather of Gore” — Herschell Gordon Lewis to the first annual Texas Frightmare Weekend. The convention opened with the appearances of the weekend’s headliners Haig, Mosley and Savini. All who attended the convention, it seemed, were patient and entranced enough to wait several hours to get a chance to meet and mingle with the stars. The four men of gore generously gave each fan their sincerest attention. Unless you’re a fan of the genre, you’d more than likely not recognize the name Tom Savini. He is considered by many to be one of the most influential makeup artists in the last 40 years. Savini’s work can be seen in Dawn of the Dead, The Prowler,

Maniac, Friday the 13th part I and II and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part II. He also directed the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead and has had several cameos and leading roles in ﬁlms, such as Martin, Dawn of the Dead and From Dusk Till Dawn as the crotch-gunslinging biker, Sex Machine. Some of the other highly revered genre all-stars included Bill Johnson, who played Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre part II; John Bloom a.k.a. Joe Bob Briggs, the celebrated author and former television host; Caroline Williams star of Texas Chainsaw Massacre part II; the original Jason Vorhees, Ari Lehman; Betsy Palmer the original avenging, grief-stricken mother from Friday the 13th Part I; Lloyd Kaufman, president of Troma Pictures, which brought us the cult classic The Toxic Avenger; and even Texas State’s own Scott Johnson, the well-received author of several horror novels such as Deadlands and An American Haunting. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, vendors from all over presented their best products and services. Some of the more noted of vendors included, Full Moon Pictures, Troma Pictures, The Horror Channel, Monster HD, Professor Grifﬁn with

Fangoria TV and Dark Sky films. A few of the vendors utilized the services of local beauties to spread the word about their movies and products. Professor Griffin had many Fangoria T-shirts at his disposal. All one had to do was answer three of his horror movie trivia questions to take home a shirt. Many would attempt, and just as many would fail. A handful would succeed and trump the quizmaster and flee with shirt in hand. Several films were screened at Frightfest, including The Nailgun Massacre and The Quick and The Undead. Before and after each screening the filmmakers and the cast would participate in a quick question and answer session with the fans. At the end of each horror-filled day, a maniacally musical event would commence. The heavy and intense sounds of the bands Freak 13, The Horrifics and Rigor Mortis unapologetically reverberated within the convention center’s halls. The highlight of the weekend was the question and answer session with living legend, splatter-film king Lewis, as well as his receiving of the lifetime achievement award. Lewis shared his memories and

Nixon Guerrero/Star photo HORRORIFIC: Texas State alumnus Scott Johnson takes a minute at Texas Frightmare Weekend to sign his horror novel Deadlands for fans.

experiences of his celebrated career. “After one day, the word of mouth on our film became so profound, that people just had to see this picture. And that’s the key! The key is not casting your friend in a movie. The key is not saying ‘oh gee, look how bright I am.’ The key is to make a movie in which everyone will say ‘I have to see that,’” Lewis said about his success with Blood Feast. “Ignoring that today is why so many movies today, both on film and video, just end up in somebody’s basement or they sit on a shelf in a couple of independent video stores with the filmmakers’

asking what they did wrong. Well, the answer is that they were thinking of themselves instead of the audience,” Lewis said. Lewis also said the horror genre has found its own place in the movie business. “Now, we found a special niche and I grant you, I never expected it to become what it became,” he said. “The niche became a door. The door became an aperture. And the aperture became an ocean” After the Q&A session, Lewis was presented with the lifetime achievement award. “Well, now, this is just the payoff of my career,” Lewis said.

With awesome sounds like these, you can’t pass on the Grass e joke that each instrument in “W the band somewhat resembles a different part of the drum kit. Usually, By Samuel Ladach-Bark The University Star

“The thump and throb of an upright bass, the howl of a ﬁddle, the melodious trickle of the mandolin, the resounding rhythm of an acoustic guitar; four voices, four instruments and four players become one in song.” This is Green Mountain Grass as described on its Web site. At their core, they are a traditional bluegrass band with a few tricks up their sleeves. They bring life, vibrancy and originality to a genre too few have come to appreciate in this modern day. Originally from Illinois and brand new residents of Austin, Green Mountain Grass is making its third stop on Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Triple Crown in San Marcos. Bluegrass has grown tremendously since its inception among Celtic musicians. Now, it is a blend of traditions founded and fueled by the string. Green Mountain Grass brings its own gift of innovative new bluegrass with songs that can accommodate almost any mood. The band also covers a number of bluegrass covers from artists like Bob Dylan, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Johnny Cash. Recently, Green Mountain Grass co-founder Dave Wilmoth spoke about the upcoming show in San Marcos. The University Star: How long have you been playing and how many original members are still with the group? Dave Wilmoth: There are only two founding members left, myself and our guitar player, Turtle. We started the band about ﬁve years ago. When we decided to move, we ended up having to recruit new musicians to keep going. Our bass player, Jesse, is actually from San Marcos. Star: Your group does not include a drum set or other forms of percussion, how do you compensate for this on your faster tempo numbers or pop-rock covers?

the mandolin is at the backbeat, and the bass player keeps the time. Everybody just focuses in on the rhythm.”

— Dave Wilmoth Green Mountain Grass co-founder

DW: It is not that difﬁcult actually. We joke that each instrument in the band somewhat resembles a different part of the drum kit. Usually the Mandolin is at the backbeat, and the bass player keeps the time. Everybody just focuses in on the rhythm. Star: Why did you decide to bring your group to Austin? DW: Before the move we already spent three weeks in Austin every summer for the Kerville Folk Festival. We used this time to get to know the city and found out how great it is for growing bands

and live music. I loved the vibrant music scene. We are new in the area but have gotten a great response. We have played more than a few crowded shows lately. Star: What can San Martians expect from your live performance? DW: Pumping fast bluegrass, spacey drawn out jams, lots of danceable music and lots of noise. We have recently overhauled our sound system. Star: Ok ﬁnally, how would you sum up Green Mountain Grass’ slogan or philosophy in a few words? DW: Gosh that’s tough. New Grass and Jam Grass comes to mind. I hope people will come see us play and ﬁgure it out for themselves. For a unique and much needed change of pace, check out Green Mountain Grass at 9 p.m. on Feb. 9 at the Triple Crown.

TRENDS

Page 7 - The University Star

Bone up on tales of Dracula with Kostova’s The Historian book review

✯✯✯✯

The Historian Elizabeth Kostova Little Brown

By Jessica Tenery The University Star At first, Elizabeth Kostova’s 600-page epic novel, The Historian, might appear intimidating. However, once you immerse yourself into the web of tales behind the story of Dracula, you’ll have a tough time putting it down. As I finished off the last chapter of The Historian, it seemed sad that my imaginary travels throughout Eastern and Western Europe, and the suspense of unraveling the mysteries surrounding the legend of Dracula had come to an end. Even if you’re not a vampire enthusiast, The Historian is a great read for history, geography and anthropology buffs. The suspense builds as the narrator travels throughout Europe on a mission to find her father, who mysteriously went off on his own to find his beloved friend who had vanished twenty years ago. As the novel’s characters journey through far and distant

countries, they scour dusty old library archives, Transylvanian monasteries and creepy castle ruins. Kostova eloquently paints vivid descriptions of these foreign lands that we can only dream of visiting. As you continue following the journey of the brave protagonists, you will feel as though you are in the midst of the towering Carpathian Mountains or believe that you’re sitting at a sidewalk café, tasting exotic cuisine. The characters are beautifully depicted, and even the minor characters come to life. Kostova writes in great depth about the pilgrimage of medieval monks and historical facts surrounding the Christian Byzantines and Ottoman Empire. There is a beautiful map of Cold War Europe inside the book, so you can track down the journeys that the characters embark on. There are various atmospheric settings, and three

action-packed story lines to follow. In order to fully appreciate this eerie vampire tale, make sure that you’re sitting comfortably without any distractions, and make sure that you have all your lights on and that all the doors are locked. This story is not for the squeamish, so be prepared for reading gruesome details about Vlad the Impaler’s sadistic pastimes. Kostova extensively researched the story behind Bram Stoker’s imaginary blood-sucking ﬁend known as Dracula. Most people don’t realize that Dracula had a historical counterpart in the form of Vlad the Im p a l er, and many Eastern European cultures strictly believe that the undead are among us. The Historian is incredibly realistic, and it might even make the most rational skeptics open to the idea that Vampires may actually exist.

ostova eloquently paints vivid descriptions of these foreign lands that we can only dream of visiting.

Thursday, February 9, 2006

Venerated rock duo releases cover album By Sam Ladach-Bark The University Star R e c e n t l y, two underground rock favorites got together for a tribute to classic rock and other obscure artmusic ists from dereview cades ago. ✯✯✯✯ Tortoise and Tortoise and Will Oldham, Bonnie “Prince” a.k.a. Bonnie Billy “Prince” BilThe Brave and ly, have put the Bold their heads Overcoat and guitars Recordings together for a covers album entitled The Brave and the Bold. Tortoise’s well-known enthralling and sometimes-bizarre guitar and percussion ensembles blended with Oldham’s folkfamous voice deﬁnitely creates

he results were not a drastic break T from the original work, but the touches they added create music of greater soul and depth. something to be excited about. I was surprised to ﬁnd that two pioneers of modern rock chose to release an album composed entirely of covers, but the concept behind this collaboration and the resulting music is exceptionally inventive. Tortoise stays true to its sound with unique and edgy transitions that will put hairs of the back of your neck. This is especially true of their revamp of the Minutemen’s “It’s expected I’m Gone,” where they favor feedback distortion over the original’s somber bass line. Oldham’s dark yet soothing voice does wonders for Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road,”

while Tortoise creates an intricate atmosphere that The Boss would make The Boss proud. Their revamp of Elton John’s “Daniel” is truly stunning, even if it does change the song’s original light-hearted sentiment in favor of one better suited to the its tale of heartbreak. This is achieved through heavy use of a Moog synthesizer that can also be heard in their version of Lungfish’s “Love is Love.” Although Tortoise was not able to open up the tracks with its usual intricate and ear-tingling buildup, it was definitely refreshing to hear Oldham singing for a change in a lighthearted and almost whimsical tone for songs like “Pancho” and “The Calvary Cross.” Throughout this album, it is easy to see that these boys did their homework and chose the songs individually for their instrumental appeal. Tortoise and Oldham took the timeless words of artists and bands like Elton John, Lungfish and Mike Watt and gave them an indie/folk rock makeover. The results were not a drastic break from the original work, but the touches they added create music of greater soul and depth. It is always interesting to hear collaborative albums between two groundbreaking artists of underground rock. Some may be disappointed that such unique and independent musicians chose to produce an album of covers, but this collection of refurbished Americana is the most unique and breathtaking album I have heard since Sufjan Steven’s Illinois. The title is very fitting for this partnership, as only The Brave and the Bold could do justice to this song list while making it distinct and wistful the same time. UNDERGROUND SOUND: Tortoise teams up with Bonnie “Prince” Billy on the covers album The Brave and The Bold.

Courtesy of Thrill Jockey

TRENDS/DIVERSIONS

Thursday, February 9, 2006

The University Star - Page 8

my latest tunes

✯Star Comics

Entertainment Editor Kyle Bradshaw reveals what he’s been listening to this past week.

New Morning Bob Dylan

Jacksonville City Nights Ryan Adams and The Cardinals

Illinoise Sufjan Stevens

Favorite track: “The Man in Me”

Favorite track: “Dear John”

Favorite track: “Decatur, or, Round of Applause For Your Stepmother!”

SU DO KU Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3-by-3 box contains every digit from one through nine inclusively.

Tuesday’s solutions:

Puzzles by Pappocom

Go fetch!

Wednesday’s solutions:

Go to www.UniversityStar.com for today’s answers.

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Thursday, February 9, 2006 - Page 9

quoteof the day

”

“I have no doubt that Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inﬂame sentiments and have used this for their own purposes. The world ought to call them on it.”

Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice commenting on the violence in Europe and the Middle East following the publication of 12 cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. (Source: The Associated Press)

Opinions Contact — Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

Thanks to the topics chosen by some speakers at the funeral for Coretta Scott King on Tuesday, there was barely a peep to be heard about the late widow of Martin Luther King Jr. in comparison to the brash remarks fired at President Bush, who made a last-minute decision to attend the funeral with First Lady Laura Bush. Would the deceased members of the King dynasty really be pleased with using an event intended to honor the first lady of a civil rights movement as a time to take cheap shots at the president? Would the famous couple that devoutly followed the loving teachings of Mahatma Gandhi approve of using a pulpit to stir up animosity? People deserve respect and remembrance at their funerals. King is no different. The Rev. Joseph Lowery, longtime civil rights activist, set the stage for the Bush attacks. It’s not that Bush didn’t find weapons of mass destruction over there, as Lowery put it, but King’s funeral isn’t the appropriate place to shove words into her mouth and claim that “ … Coretta knew, and we know, that there are weapons of misdirection right down here.” The remark was met with a two-minute standing ovation. In front of an audience of more than 10,000, former President Jimmy Carter attacked Bush by mentioning “the secret government wire-tapping” of Martin Luther King, Jr. in reference to the current White House controversy. Carter made an even less tasteful decision when he said, “We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, those who were most devastated by Katrina, to know that there are not yet equal opportunities for all Americans.” The crowd attending the funeral made clear their feelings about Bush as well. The responses to President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York, were overwhelming applause and outbreaks of cheering. One woman shouted “Got my vote!” to the Clintons, and one man shouted during Clinton’s speech, referring to the former president as his “future president.” The greetings for the Bushes were minute in comparison. That’s not to say most people managed to pay their proper respects to King; about 40 people spoke eloquently about her life. That’s also not to say that the Bush administration’s actions should be swept under a rug, but to parade them at a funeral is to attack without tact. Former presidents, along with leaders in the black community, used what ought to have been a solemn podium as nothing more than a pulpit from which to dig Bush a new grave. The funeral of a civil rights icon is not the place to create new barriers. 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 UniversitySan Marcos.

Kelly Simmons/Star Illustration

Coretta King’s funeral no place for mud-slinging

Engage in studies, not marriage I’ve noticed that the ripe old age of you can always tell 25. Why is it that when Valentine’s women feel like Day is near without that if they’re not even looking at your married with twocalendar. You see and-a-half kids by dozens of roses bethe time they’re ing bought, boxes of 25 that they’re letcandy in the shape ting their lives slip ERIN BURKE of hearts trying to away? Star Columnist get stocked up as As an educasoon as possible and tion major, I have huge, fluffy teddy bears with to admit I was taken aback stuffing in them. It’s like a soft by some of the women in my pillow hugging you. classroom. Already, a good I’ve also noticed that not 30 or 40 percent are either every woman wants roses, engaged or married. What I candy or teddy bears; just didn’t know was that most two simple words that dread people don’t see me as going the male species: engagement in for my undergraduate’s ring. degree. They see me going in Sure; if you’re in a serifor my MRS. ous relationship, woman What’s that you say? It’s wouldn’t mind an engageplain and simple, “I’m going ment ring? in for my Mrs. So-and-so.” I would think in today’s Hold it — I’m here just generation of a free-willed, to get married? When did I open-minded society, we time-warp back to the ’50s? would be beyond the young Sure, I have a boyfriend, and marriage issue. But why has yes we’ve talked about marsociety bestowed a time and riage, but it doesn’t mean I’ve manner in which a young already decided who’s going woman must receive an ento be in my bridal party. I’ve gagement ring? already met some women in I too am a victim of this my classes who believe that mindset of having a mental women have to go to college timeline. to meet their future husband. It goes something along If they don’t, then there is these lines: engaged at 20, less hope for them outside married shortly after at 23, of college to find that perfect taking a couple years off tosomeone. gether before making the final When doing an assignment plunge and having kids at in class one day, one of my

fellow classmates pointed out that what she truly wishes for this upcoming Valentine’s is to get engaged to a guy she’s been dating for six months. Another viewed her age of 21 as a perfect time to get engaged except for the fact that she’s not seeing anyone at the moment. I’m not against engagement or marriage, but it makes me wonder if anyone really thinks about this for a moment. Sure it’s all fun and games when you’re engaged, but why not wait till after college to get married? I’m sure most women are doing that, but I see some that can’t seem to wait. I can’t understand why young adults today don’t hold off on marriage and think about their college career ﬁrst. As a young adult in high school, I made a pact with my mom. We agreed that under the circumstances of maybe meeting someone who I want to marry, I would not do so until I completed my undergraduate work. It was OK for me to be engaged in college, just not married. Now, some of you are probably thinking, “well, she just doesn’t truly understand young love,” but I beg to differ. My mom married at the ripe old age of 18 to my father. Because they were a couple, my mom couldn’t afford to go to college along with my

father’s tuition. Instead, she pursued a career as a medical assistant while she helped put my father through college. While this was in the ’70s, my mom didn’t get her undergraduate degree in nursing until the early ’90s. I’m sure many people today can relate to a situation similar to this. I’ve just been brought up by this story so many times that I’m afraid that I will have to drop out of school if I should ever get married. Earlier, I mentioned that I felt like I was in a ’50s time warp, but today’s time doesn’t seem to have drastically changed from the ’50s. Back then, women went to college to keep themselves busy but pushed themselves to get married and all become little “Betty Homemakers.” You would think in a time such as ours, we would learn from the hardships some of our family members went through for us to get a degree. Again, I’m not trying to burst anyone’s bubble about their plans of proposals, perhaps a promise ring of marriage instead — then again, how about letting each other know that two college degrees is better than one? I believe that waiting is the best answer, even if it does mean I have to push my timeline just a bit.

Frey’s memoir belongs in the fiction section

Renee Hannans Henry/Atlanta Journal-Constitution PRESIDENTIAL GREETING: Rev. Joseph Lowery gets a laugh from former President Bill Clinton as First Lady Laura Bush looks on, after he honored Coretta Scott King during King’s funeral service at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., Tuesday, Feb. 7.

The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708

(U-WIRE) of a golden ticket; LORI FOLEY TUCSON, though not necesArizona Daily Wildcat Ariz. — Fakes sarily a guarantor U. Arizona have played a of literary merit, big role in the book club selection news over the certainly ensures past few weeks. A counterfeit massive sales. currency ring was busted in Frey’s story is a survivor’s India; South Korean researchtale — sort of. He grittily er Hwang Woo-suk faced recounts his fall deep into adinternational censure after the dictions: to drugs, to alcohol, discovery that he had docto rage. He tells readers of his tored the data in his research stints in jail and rehab, the on cloning; Pamela Anderson death of a close friend in his made some public appearyouth, his drunken attempt ances and author James Frey at hitting a police officer with made headlines when it was a car. And he wraps his tale discovered that his best-sellup neatly with a tough kind ing “memoir,” A Million Little of redemption: Frey stares Pieces, was almost entirely a down a shot glass and angrily work of fiction. decides his affair with liquor A little background: James is finished. He cleans up his Frey released A Million Little life post-rehab and writes it Pieces in 2003. It sold nearly all down for us to read. He, it 3.5 million copies to become seems, finally gets it together. last year’s second-best-selling However, things began to book. Oprah Winfrey made fall apart for Frey about a Frey’s story a part of her book month ago. Records of Frey’s club, the publishing equivalent supposed jail time failed to

materialize, as did proof of a relationship of any type with the “close friend” who died; soon nearly every detail of the book was up for question. After initially dismissing criticism of his book, Oprah changed her mind and brought Frey back on the show, said she felt “betrayed” and kicked him out of the club. First person accounts like memoirs create our collective history. Frey’s creative liberties cast a negative shadow on the entire genre of memoir. Jessica Wertz, a psychology and family studies junior who read A Million Little Pieces last year after seeing it recommended by Oprah, commented that discovering how much Frey had falsiﬁed made her “skeptical of all the other memoirs I’ve read.” Of course, Frey isn’t the ﬁrst memoirist to invent his past.

The pseudonymed author Nasdijj, of The Blood Runs Like a River Through My Dreams, recently made headlines when his Anglo heritage was revealed — a stark contrast to the Navajo upbringing he wrote about in his dark memoir. Examples like these destroy a means of recording history and sully the good name of those telling very real and important stories through memoirs. We’re furious at James Frey because he’s reminded us that the suffering the reading public so voraciously laps up is just a product, and feels every bit as moving even when it never happened. Frey’s fabrication brings shame to himself and embarrassment to the rest of us for creating such a market for it. This column originally appeared in the Arizona Daily Wildcat on Feb. 6.

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OPINIONS

Page 10 - The University Star

Thursday, February 9, 2006

Muhammad drawings cause riots; Kanye West photos cause barely a stir OK, ’Cats of Bob, am I the only one who sees the idiocy of punching somebody in the face because they say you are prone to violence? Doubtful, but first I must do something. I shouldn’t have to qualify what I am about to say with the obvious point that there are millions upon millions of peaceful Muslims around the world, but I will. I shouldn’t have SHAWN A. to — not because I think I shouldn’t have to FREEMAN be cautious of people’s feelings, though that’s Star Columnist debatable. I shouldn’t have to say it because it should be obvious to you that 99.99 percent of Muslims are peaceful, prosperous and invaluable members of our society. If you need to be told that, you are not paying attention, and frankly you are part of the problem. My offering to the massively evil and destructive gods of political correctness has now been placed on the altar of people’s feelings, so let’s continue, shall we? In September, Flemming Rose, cultural editor for the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, commissioned drawings from 25 illustrators because a children’s book writer complained that nobody would illustrate his book about the Prophet Muhammad unless he or she remained anonymous. He asked for a drawing of how each illustrator saw the founder of Islam. The picture I saw most often was a drawing of a man with a beard, but whose turban was actually an old ACME-style bomb with the fuse burning. The cartoons were published in September. It’s February. That’s almost six months. Why the “protesting” now? (More on why the word protest is in quotes later.) Some in the blogosphere have said that the Islamic Society of Denmark created this controversy by not only giving more widespread publicity to the original 12, but by adding three even more offensive cartoons to the mix — including one depiction of Muhammad being raped by a dog. I don’t know if this is true because I can’t even find any evidence of an Islamic Society of Denmark, but the six-month delay is very fishy. Did a more militant Islamic group spin this story in order to create or maintain a level of hate toward the West? Judging by how jihadists view the West, this doesn’t seem outside of the realm of possibility. The reaction of some Muslims has been to burn and loot Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria. I just can’t wrap my brain around this. The cartoon with the turban bomb is clearly making the point that the violence to which Islamic fundamentalists are prone is going to cause the destruction of Islam from within, and the reaction is to bomb embassies. I understand that any depiction of Muhammad is offensive, but what does lighting a building on fire solve? I just don’t get it. The cartoon says that you are violent, and your response is more violence. There is something this situation has brought to light that I think is important to examine. It’s also why I put the word protesting in quotes. Kanye West appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with blood on his face and a crown of thorns on his head. This was offensive to many of the nation’s approximately 225 million Christians. The offices of Rolling Stone still stand. The home of Kanye West still stands. No cars were blown up; no buildings were lit on fire. No Rolling Stone publishers, editors, writers or photographers are in hiding. The reaction was about the same as when Kanye West went on TV and said, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” It was a stupid thing to say, but nobody got killed over it. It reminds me of a quote from Bradley Whitford’s character Josh Lyman on The West Wing. “Guys, the Christian right may not be your cup of tea, but they’re not blowing stuff up.” So those of you who want to group Jerry Falwell in with Osama bin Laden, take note: The Christian fundie is only telling you that you are going to hell. The Islamic fundie is actually trying to send you there.

Analyzing the violence in hate crimes I read in the rather wrong place news that a teenat the wrong time. ager who was susIs it easier for us to pected of attacking think that people a man in Maskill other people sachusetts gay bar because they don’t died on Sunday. like something The Massachusetts specific about them KELSEY VOELKEL police labeled this rather than an acStar Columnist a hate crime when cident being purely evidence arose of coincidental? the heavy interest the 18-yearI believe a lot of this comes old man had in Nazism. from people trying very hard When I read this, it ocnot to offend or insult a curred to me how many person or a group of people, people could construe this as which is fine, but sometimes a hate crime. Technically, this it sways our attention from is a hate crime, but what actu- the truth. In 1998, Matthew ally makes a hate crime a hate Shepard was tied to a fence crime? near Laramie, Wyo., and was Obviously it involves a beaten to death by Russell violent act toward a person Henderson and Aaron McKspecifically because of some inney, who stole his wallet and characteristic about them, shoes. We later found out that but what is to separate reguShepard was a homosexual, lar crimes from hate crimes? and the media automatically What would have happened if labeled this a hate crime. This the guy in the gay bar wasn’t crime ended up being a hate gay; would the news read the crime in that Henderson and same? McKinney’s girlfriends testiWhat if the guy was just fied that the two boys had looking for a restroom or a planned to rob a gay man all phone, would the crime be an along. aggravated assault charge inBut let’s say for instance stead of a hate crime? Let’s say that Shepard was heterosomeone dies in an accident sexual. Would this case have because a drunk driver hits received so much media atthem, but then later the press tention? I felt upset when I realizes that the victim was heard about Shepard’s death Jewish — does this qualify because I believe no one deas a hate crime because the serves to die that way, but I victim happened to be Jewish? also felt bothered because I The accident didn’t happen know that if Shepard was not specifically because the person gay, his death would not have was Jewish, but being at the garnered as much attention as

it did. Do not mistake me for a discriminating person, but I do worry that our society is OK with stereotyping people and situations but is against discrimination. Stereotyping leads to discrimination. I think a lot of the stereotyping that most obtain in their lives begins when they are young. I believe it comes from the movies, the television shows, the radio talk/news shows, and in a way, music. I have no intention of putting blame on movies, television, radio or music. Movies and music don’t create or persuade people to become discriminate or even violent; people persuade people to be discriminating and violent towards others. But I also think that thoughts of discrimination and violence start when people are young because it is when we are young that our minds absorb the most information. Kids absorb what their parents say, what their parents’ friends say and certain behaviors of characters in movies and/or television. It all begins with stereotyping people, situations, and the circumstances surrounding them all. Stereotyping can happen so easily without us actually thinking about it, which can take the form of violence. Take for example man who was suspected of a hatchet-

and-gun attack at the gay bar. My very ﬁrst impression was that the teenager had committed a hate crime. The article included information about how he was heavily interested in Nazism. You put things together, and you make your own assumption. I just assumed it was all a hate crime, but then I realized that the teenager was “suspected” of committing this crime, as in there is a chance it wasn’t actually him. I felt guilty for just assuming it was a hate crime because I see the words “Nazism,” and “gay bar.” It all forms an illusion. So many things that we come across daily carry tones of stereotyping and discrimination: the movies we watch, the TV shows we tune in to, the radio talk shows we hear in our car and even the music we listen to on our iPod. A lot of it has some tone (whether light or heavy) of stereotyping and discrimination. There is no real way to avoid this because we live in an age where everything is electronic, and everyone has an attitude towards something or someone. Maybe it is all just a state of nature; we can’t really help it, can we? It is in our nature to destroy, but I think we are also given a conscience to balance out the equation. Some people are also inﬂuenced easily by temptation, and I think it is there that people commit terrible acts.

Oblivious attitude evident in American reaction to Muhammad cartoons As Americans, we ing the prophet are often oblivious to Muhammad in the world around us. various situaWe are so engrossed tions. One showed in our own day-to-day Muhammad in activities that we fail a heaven-like to acknowledge interarea bemoaning national issues. When the shortage of RACHEL ANNE we do pay attention to virgins; another world issues, we usualdepicted him with FLETCHER ly arrogantly recognize a bomb in his Star Columnist the effect we have on turban. Most were the world stage (i.e. the incredibly tame war on terror and our internaby western standards and contional economic standing) and siderably more subdued than ignore the possible negative efthe ﬂagrantly anti-Semantic fects the world has on us. Such and anti-Christian cartoons is the case with the Islamic riots published in many Muslim in Denmark and other parts of newspapers. Europe. So what’s the big deal? In October 2005, the Danish This upset many Muslims, newspaper Jyllands-Posten ran a because Islam prohibits any series of 12 cartoons represent- depictions of Muhammad or

Allah. They are also offended because Muhammad is the Arab prophet who founded Islam, which is ostensibly a peaceful religion. I say “ostensibly” peaceful because I ﬁnd it ironic and illogical that they are expressing their anger over these cartoons with violent riots. The illustrators and editors of the Jyllands-Posten, who like Americans have the right to run these cartoons, have received numerous death threats from radical Islamists. They have even been forced into hiding because of the high bounties on their heads. The entire country of Denmark is facing a Muslim boycott and now has been targeted with a “jihad” from some extremist groups.

Compiled by Jason Buch

It’s ironic that part of the reason the newspaper ran these cartoons is to make a point about the European fear of Muslim retaliation. Once again, as Americans, we are in our own bubble and more than likely do not remember the 2005 death of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. He was murdered by a radical Islamist who did not like his film about violence towards women in Islamic societies. Besides the fact that I fail to see the reasoning behind these riots, this issue offends my tender Western sensibilities for a number of reasons: namely that the First Amendment has a special place close to my heart. In addition, I find the reaction of many Americans appalling. The

ea d g i

b a e ak ? m uld s Day o h s ine’ n e m alent k n hi out V t u b yo a “It’s a male-dominated o D “Not a huge deal, but I don’t want them to forget about it. Just some ﬂowers and chocolate would be ﬁne; I don’t want something extravagant.” — LINDSEY ALLEN music sophomore

San Francisco Chronicle and many others, including former President Clinton, deemed these cartoons “appalling” and “outrageous.” He and others have the right to call these cartoons whatever they want, but I ﬁnd myself asking where are they when anti-Christian cartoons mocking Jesus are published everyday? Where are they when The Washington Post publishes cartoons offending wounded war veterans as a political ploy against Donald Rumsfeld? I ﬁnd the hypocrisy disgusting. I believe in the JyllandsPosten’s right to run these cartoons without fear of retribution or death. As much as I may not agree with and am offended by anti-Christian and

world, so you might as well give the girl one day of the year.” — OTHA GRAHAM history sophomore

“Hell no, man. If our girlfriends made a big deal about it maybe we would, but all it’s going to do is leave us broke. I’m not real excited over getting broke.” — REGGIE TOUSSANT mass communication junior

other derogatory cartoons, I believe in the artist’s right to publish them. America, we need to pull our head out of its present location and look at the world around us. These threats and riots are four months old in Europe. Only now are we paying attention. These riots are already affecting us; the rioters are throwing our ﬂag, along with Denmark’s, in ﬁres. It is not long until these riots spill into our consciousness in a very real and violent way. We need to be ready to send a message that we do not support violent retaliation for free speech, boycotts or not. Whether we like it or not these riots will eventually affect us, it is now up to us how we will affect them.

“It depends on your relationship — how much they are invested in their relationship. If you’re in a long-term thing it’s nice to go do something together.” — GREG CODY biology senior “No, because I think when you give gifts they should be gifts worth getting, things you need. You don’t need chocolates or roses that will die in two days. Give me something I can use.” — ALLI VAUGHN health and ﬁtness management junior “It depends. If you have a girlfriend — yeah — because girls like that, but if not — if you’re just seeing someone — it’s not that big a deal. — BRITTANY NEMETH biology freshman

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SUBLEASE SUBLEASE - Two 1 br/1 bath available at the Ex2; May 22-July 31; fully furnished; $399 plus electric. Contact Lauren at (214) 542-1467 or Stefani at (214) 277-4579. TAKE OVER LEASE ASAP. 2/1 $520/mo. no deposit. Pets OK. Contact Stephanie (512) 963-4580.

TRAVEL SPRING BREAK Mazatlan Party bus $399 with hotels and meals. http:// www.mazatlanexpress.com 1-800-366-4786.

WANTED WANTED: USED CARS, TRUCKS, VANS. Any condition. Running or not. If you have something to sell please call Willis Mitchell. 512-353-4511.

Email starad1@txstate.edu with your suggestions.

SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

sports snortsquotes from the sports world “I’m so thankful for everything this city has done for me. I’m so thankful we’re able to give this city one for the thumb.” — Jerome Bettis, former running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, in response to the fans who twirled their gold Terrible Towels in the air during Wednesday morning’s gathering to honor the Super Bowl champs. (Source: ESPN News)

Thursday, February 9, 2006 - Page 12

Sports Contact — Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

Women hope to rebound after 2 losses By Nathan Brooks The University Star After back-to-back losses on the road last week, the Texas State women’s basketball team needs to rebound with a pair of wins against conference foes Lamar University and McNeese State on Thursday and Saturday to stay in the mix of the Southland Conference tournament race. The Bobcats fell to 12-8 overall and 4-5 in conference play after losing to Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State. Thursday, the Bobcats took on the SLU Lady Lions, who entered the game at 6-12 overall and 3-5 in league play. Texas State would struggle from the tip-off as the Lady Lions scored the first 10 points of the contest. The Bobcats didn’t get on the board until the 14-minute mark of the first half on an Ashley Riley jump shot. The Bobcats ended the first half on a 10-5 run to cut the Lion lead to 35-26 at halftime and continued their run into the second half. They scored the first six points of the second period and tied the game at 41-41 with just less than 11 minutes remaining in regulation. However, the Lady Lions caught fire again, hitting six three-pointers in the remaining 10 minutes of play to take a 76-61 win over the Bobcats. “It was disappointing. I don’t think we played very well; we didn’t shoot the ball well,” head coach Suzanne Fox said. “We felt we had the opportunity to move up in the SLC, and that didn’t work out like we had expected.” Guards Tina Wilson and Carmen Labat led the way for the Lions, scoring a team-high 16 points apiece. As a team, SLU shot more than 55 percent from the three-point line on 10 of 18 shooting. Jeana Hoffman led the Bobcats with a caree- high 20 points, connecting on four of six shots from three-point land, while Tamara Thompson followed with 19 points and six rebounds. Saturday, the Bobcats looked

to bounce back with a win against the Nicholls State Lady Colonels, who entered the game at the bottom of the SLC with a meager 2-18 record overall and just 1-8 in conference. Texas State built an early 16-9 lead at the 8:29 mark in the first half after an Ally Kelly jumper, and the Bobcats went into halftime leading 32-26, despite shooting just 36 percent from the floor. That would be the highlight of the afternoon for the Bobcats, who saw their halftime lead evaporate by the 16:27 mark of the second half when Nicholls State took a 36-34 lead after a Katherine Plummer lay-up. Texas State struggled to score in the second half, as shooting 28 percent from the floor and totaling just 18 points in the second half. A missed jump shot by Jamie Octave with 35 seconds remaining in a 51-50 game gave the Bobcats hope of escaping with a win. Texas State went to Tamara Thompson, but with just 14 seconds left, Thompson turned the ball over, and a free throw from Octave put the game away for Nicholls State. “The kids have worked hard these past three days in preparation for Lamar. They know we can play better than what we showed on the road,” Fox said. The Bobcats return to Strahan Coliseum to take on Lamar University at 7 p.m. today. The Cardinals enter the contest with a 7-11 record overall and a 26 mark in the SLC after losing their last three on the road. The Bobcats will have their eyes on guard LaToya Carson, who scored a team high of 18 points for the Cardinals in their first matchup of the season, when Texas State defeated Lamar 73-67 on Jan. 7, despite turning the ball over 21 times and shooting just 37 percent from the field. The Bobcats were led by Thompson, who scored 22 points and nine rebounds, and Erica Putnam with a doubledouble. “Erica is not probable for this

weekend’s games, so we will be looking to Kia Palmer, Hallie Lee and Ashley Riley to step it up in the low block, while our guards will be making up the difference,” Fox said. As a team, Lamar has struggled all year defensively giving up more than 69 points per game, ranking them next to last in the conference. In addition, they have allowed opponents to shoot more than 37 percent from behind the three-point arc. On Saturday, the Bobcats hit the road again to take on a reeling McNeese State team for the first time this season. The Cowgirls have lost five of their last six games, are just 8-12 overall this season and sit next to last in the Southland Conference with a 2-7 record. However, McNeese State has played better in its last two outings, defeating Lamar 67-54 on Saturday, and lost by just three points to first-place UT-Arlington in double overtime on Feb. 2. Behind the strong frontcourt play of Regina Spivey and Shamika Stewart, the Cowgirls can cause problems for opponents. Spivey leads the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game to go along with six rebounds, and Stewart leads the squad in rebounding with 7.7 boards per game along with 10.6 points a contest. The Bobcat frontcourt of Tamara Thompson and Erica Putnam will be a key for Texas State’s success against the Cowgirls on the road. “We have to really start defending the ball well and concentrate on dominating the boards, because it is going to be a challenge to win games if we aren’t shooting the ball well,” Fox said. After starting the season out 7-0, Texas State is just 5-8 since, including losses in five out of the team’s last seven games. The Bobcats have picked the wrong time to hit a slump, but with seven conference games remaining, including four at home, there is still plenty of time to turn things around.

Mark Decker/Star ﬁle photo WEEKEND WARRIOR: Junior guard Jeana Hoffman, seen during a Jan. 26 game against LouisianaMonroe, scored 22 points with 17 rebounds and ﬁve assists in games last week against Southeastern Louisiana State and Nicholls State. Hoffman went 4 for 6 from three-point range in Texas State’s backto-back losses, which dipped them below .500 in conference.

Cardinals take ﬂight over Bobcats Staff Reports The University Star

Mark Decker/Star photo IN NEED: Head coach Dennis Nutt is seen here during a time out in the Bobcats’ Feb. 2 loss to Southeastern Louisiana State.

Two Lamar players connected on eight, ﬁrst-half threepointers to lead the Cardinals to an 83-71 win in a Southland Conference game in Beaumont on Wednesday night. It was Texas State’s 10th consecutive loss, dropping the Bobcats’ record to 2-18 and 0-9 in conference play. Forward Alan Daniels and guard Brandon Chappell set the tone early by each scoring two three-pointers as Lamar jumped to a 12-0 lead. The Cardinals enjoyed a 45-21 halftime advantage. The win improved Lamar’s record to 13-9 overall and 6-3 in conference play. Daniels led the Lamar scoring effort with 29 points, including ﬁve three-pointers.

Chappell, meanwhile, cooled off after the start finishing with only seven points. Guard Blake Whittle completed the Lamar offensive attack with 17 points. Texas State, which shot only 26 percent from the field in the first half, was a victim of scoring droughts during the period. It took 6 minutes 28 seconds before the Bobcats scored their first field goal of the game. Texas State’s offense became productive in the second, scoring 50 points. Forward Jason Rogers was responsible for the surge with 23 points. Center Trevor Cook was the only other Texas State player in double figures with 14 points. Texas State will try to break into the win column this weekend when the Bobcats host McNeese State. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Texas State @ Lamar Feb. 8, Beaumont TEXAS STATE Lamar FG TEXAS ST. M-A Cook Dotson Blanchard Bush Burroughs Langhorne Johnson Rogers Moseley TOTALS

Lamar

4-8 2-8 1-4 1-9 0-3 1-7 1-3 8-19 3-5

21....50.....86 46....37.....83 FT M-A Rb A-TO PF Min TP 5 4 0 2 3 1 2 2 4

30 14 26 7 21 6 22 6 21 0 20 4 10 3 27 23 23 8

21-66 24-27 45 11-13 23

FG M-A

5-6 7 3-4 8 3-4 1 4-4 11 0-0 0 2-2 2 0-0 1 5-5 4 2-2 12

1-1 2-4 4-2 1-1 0-1 0-3 1-1 1-0 1-0

FT M-A Rb A-TO PF Min TP

Grant Daniels Fairley Chappell Barrow Whittle Handy Beard McThay Goodwin

3-4 10-21 2-6 2-7 3-6 8-16 0-1 0-0 2-4 1-1

3-5 5 3-5 11 1-3 7 0-0 0 2-2 3 0-0 3 1-2 2 0-0 1 1-4 2 1-5 4

0-0 3-1 3-2 3-2 3-0 1-0 0-1 0-2 4-1 2-1

2 1 5 0 2 1 1 0 1 4

25 9 37 29 20 5 22 6 21 8 27 17 2 1 6 0 19 5 15 3

TOTALS

31-67 13-27 43 17-9 18