02 12 2004

2 - The University Star

Don’t let media influence what you find attractive

“I

t’s not unusual to be tus, fashion … the list goes on loved by anyone.” and on. Why is it such a trick to So says the classic land an attractive member of the crooner and collector of opposite gender (or same genwomen’s undergarments, Tom der, this opinion is bias-free) in Jones. And it has proven to be the sack? What influences have true time and again. transformed a simple booty call into a It really isn’t unusuJeff Miller long-running explaal to find yourself in nation of why the the throes of lust or Star Columnist individual should love (whichever enjoy a roll in the comes first). It happens every day, no matter what hay? On some phone conversathey say … and so on and so tions in the past, I felt as though I were taking a standardized forth.

This time around, with the survey, and not doing very well, current state of affairs in either.

Sadly, we as a culture have American society, it is somewhat unusual to define what it is allowed external forms of input that you want in a relationship. to redefine what we deem In between the “Greatest Waste attractive and the methodology of Taxpayer’s Money” (better to obtaining someone we find known to some as the war in desirable. In between Friends Iraq) and the war on drugs, and the Internet, MTV and pornography, abortion, etc., one Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, may have a hard time remem- Cosmo and Maxim, we have all bering the good things in life. but wholly buried our natural One of which is sexual intimacy inhibitions and personal preferand being involved in a relation- ences. Who’s running this show, anyway? ship.

It certainly isn’t you or I. It’s Relationship in this case is a very general statement, ranging the CEOs, advertising execuanywhere from a long-term tives and fashion moguls in a commitment to the frivolous metropolitan high-rise very, one-night stand. I have had very far away from here. The experiences with both and a lot power mongers perched atop of things in between, and I the American fiscal summit are believe that whatever God man- consistently finding more ways ages, he had a pretty great idea to dominate the popular culture, when it came to some good even to the extent of redefining what we mean when we say lovin’.

Think about it: The act of “attractive.” The masses are coitus is free (unless you count force-fed a barrage of stylistic the wine and dine costs), it’s garbage, through the modern great exercise (when performed marvels of television and online vigorously, you can burn as propaganda.

Once upon a time, the full many calories as you would with a solid 30-minute workout hips and mountainous curves of at the gym), and it feels pretty Marilyn Monroe were the norm great (even bad sex isn’t all that for attraction. She helped bring about other voluptuous, silverbad).

So what the hell is the prob- screen stars, such as Mimi Van lem? At some point or another, Doran and Bettie Page, although this society decided to set up that second one might fall under rules and regulations involving g See MEDIA, page 11 courtship, dating, finance, sta-

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

Setting the mood with food

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Local restaurants provide romantic atmosphere

By Terry Martinez Senior Reporter

Dinner at a romantic restaurant is practically required on Valentine’s Day. Here are a few restaurants that are date-worthy in our area.

Italian Garden «« Italian Garden is a favorite San Marcos restaurant. Though it does not serve alcohol, you can bring your own bottle of wine for dinner. Food at this cozy Italian restaurant is moderately priced.

Palmer’s ««« This lush and posh restaurant is among San Marcos’ best.

Although prices are a bit steep, nothing can compare to the romantic atmosphere at this eatery.

Palmer's restaurant, on Hutchison Street, will test its 270-person seating capacity on Saturday.

The restaurant will be offering Valentine's Day specials and the seating is first come, first serve.

Andy Eills/Star photos Italian Garden, located at the corner of LBJ and University drives offers a cozy and comfortable atmosphere while providing great Italian food.

Outback Steakhouse «« Outback is probably your best bet for a good steak in San Marcos. This is one of a couple of area restaurants that takes

call ahead seating, which reduces your wait time. Simply call the restaurant a few minutes before you leave and you’ll be placed on the wait list.

Grins « Grins has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and serves a myriad of dishes — from burgers to pasta. They will be taking reservations for Valentine’s Day. Call ahead for their specials.

Bennigan’s «« Bennigan’s has a full-service bar as well as a menu of hearty foods — all with an Irish twist.

Although they have no Valentine’s Day food specials, check with your waiter for drink specials.

Joe’s Crab Shack ««« Joe’s is offering a shrimp special for the month of

February — you can get 33 shrimp for $12.99. Although they aren’t the most romantic establishment, the restaurant is fun and has a nice view of the river.

San Marcos River Pub and Grill «« This San Marcos favorite will be featuring a number of specials for Valentine’s Day. You can order such classics as chicken cordon bleu, fillet mignon and pesto shrimp alfredo. Call shortly ahead to be placed on the wait list.

Mamacitas Restaurant and Cantina « Mamacitas will be featuring a Valentine’s Day shrimp feast for two on the holiday. Pay $29.95 for four kinds of shrimp, a side, salad, dessert and drinks. Mamacitas also has moderately priced Tex-Mex food.

Thursday, February 12, 2004

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

The University Star - 3

Become a connoisseur

By Armando Flores Senior Reporter

Bradley Sherman/Star photo Matthew Konze, wine consultant for Block Distributing, describes the many different wines offered at Spirits Liquor located on Wonder World Drive.

Walking through the wine aisle is an experience that usually fills many people with anxiety.

Trying to decipher differences between a bordeaux, sauvignon or zinfandel can be as terrifying as that dream about going to school naked.

And that’s when your friendly neighborhood liquor store comes into the picture.

Spirits, with its new store located at the corner of Hopkins Street and Wonder World Drive, is trying to help people get over their wine fears and help develop their palettes.

Matthew Konze, wine consultant for Block Distributing, provides insight to local wine buyers, as does Karen Dunn, director of operations and wine buyer for Spirits.

Konze recommends that neophyte wine drinkers start out slow.

“Start with something sweet, then work your way up the food chain to the ones that are more complex,” Konze said.

Both Konze and Dunn think white zinfandel is a good starter wine.

When it comes to pairing your wine with food, Konze suggests playing it safe.

“You start with the old adage ‘white with white and red with red,’” he said. “You have to have some idea of what you’re going to have for dinner. You need to definitely know if you’re having chicken or fish … or something spicy.”

Dunn suggests asking your waiter at a restaurant what to have and then emulating that at home.

She said restaurants usually train their waiters on what wine goes best with what meal and to trust their recommendations.

As for wines that fit into a col-

“Usually in America, we serve our reds too warm and our whites too cold.”

— Matthew Konze wine consultant for Block distributing lege students’ budget, Konze recommends cabernet sauvignons from Sonoma Valley and Washington merlots for red wines. For white wines, he suggests chardonnays and sauvignon blancs from New Zealand.

Serving wine chilled or at room temperature is another situation many find themselves wondering about.

“What room temperature was based on in the past was the temperature of the caves in France where they stored and where they cellered the wine,” Konze said.

“So usually in America, we serve our reds too warm and our whites too cold, so you have to keep in mind.”

Konze recommends refrigerating reds for 15 minutes before serving and to let whites stand out for 15 minutes after being chilled.

He also suggests trying different things when having wine in order to experience the texture of it better.

“Just get a bottle of chardonnay, get an apple, get some different fruits, take a sip of the wine, then take a bite of the apple … you’ll start to understand the characteristics (the wine)

exhibits,” he said.

Dunn’s stance to wine is a little different.

“My whole philosophy on wine is if you like it, drink it,” she said. “I think once people just start trying and enjoying it, you don’t always have to know the statistics and where it came from.

Open it and if you like it, drink it.”

Knoze also stresses that there is no right or wrong to a person’s wine likes.

“Everybody’s palette is different,” he said.

But to help people figure out their tastes, Spirits is starting to have wine tastings.

“We’re starting to try to have them every other Friday and building up to where they are every Friday,” Dunn said.

She also said that Spirits does fill special orders for those customers who know what they want, although some orders can take as much as two weeks to receive.

But for now, people can rest assured that if they need some help with what wine to pick out, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.

4 - The University Star

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

30 songs to thrill your lover

Feeling the rhythm

By Brandon Cobb Music Reporter

Great sex is all about feeling rhythm. It’s the consummation of all the sexual tension and anxious energy that has built up. The right song is the ultimate catalyst for sexual ignition, and can also set the tone and pace of the evenings activities with everything from gentile, graceful melodies, to pulsating, frenetic energy.

D’Angelo “Cruisin’” “Kiss” Prince “Cream” Prince “Hopeless” Dionne Farris “Throb” Janet Jackson “More Human Than Human” White Zombie

“Electric Relaxation” Tribe Called Quest “Burning Bridges” Remy Shand “Lady Marmalade” both versions: La Belle or Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink “There Is No Greater Love” Duke Ellington and John Coltrane

As told by 3 Star staffers

Keep it subtle

By Ian Ragsdale Music Reporter

I’m a subtle guy, so I don’t like to woo with overtly romantic music — it doesn’t suite my style. Instead, I have picked some good rock and pop records from decades past as well as some modern ska/reggae that create a relaxed mood and very slyly suggest the evening's tone.

Journey “Feeling that Way”

The Moody Blues “Night in White Satin”

The Who “Love is Coming Down”

The Bee Gees “Nights on Broadway”

Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band “Hollywood Nights (Live)”

The Dave Hillyard Rocksteady 7 “Playtime”

Pink Floyd “Us and Them” Simon and Garfunkel “The Sounds of Silence”

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Get wicked busy

By Paul Lopez Music Reporter Since I’m more or less the token hip-hop guy here at the Star, I decided to keep my choice of songs in the usual genre. Some of these are personal, some are funny and some are just wicked to get busy to. Enjoy the selections.

Dr. Dre f. Devin The Dude Eazy-E and Snoop Doggy Dogg “I’d Rather F**k You” “F**k You” Scarface f. Tela, Atmosphere Too Short, Devin The Dude “God’s Bathroom Floor” “F**k Faces” Big Moe f. D-Gotti, D-Wreck, Noke-D “Choppas” (Screwed & Chopped version) Twista f. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx “Slow Jamz” 2 Live Crew “Me So Horny”

Three-Six Mafia “Late Night Tip” Camouflage “F**k Friends” Lyve N. Dyrect Funkmaster Flex “Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya”

VALENTINE’S ISSUE Internet match could Here’s a useful tip: Wear black on pink day turn into true love I

Thursday, February 12, 2004

wear black on Valentine’s Day. Well, I usually wear black, but it seems to stand out more so on this Armando Flores reddest of all “holidays,” and yes, I did just use quotation marks.

Maladjusted Not t h a t there’s anything wrong with Valentine’s Day, except it’s not a real holiday and is the biggest commercial strip mine next to Christmas and Easter. Actually, it’s surprising there’s not some big fat guy dressed like Cupid sitting in the center courts of malls nationwide with a long line of children waiting to take their picture with him.

But back to commercialization, because nothing quite says the V-word like Hallmark and Godiva or those little candy hearts that say cutesy things such as “Be mine” or “I love you.” Yet throughout the years, and through the seas of reds and pinks and chocolates and mushiness, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why in the world do people need a f**king day to tell someone they love them?”

It sickens me to think of all the money that goes into this farce of a holiday, not to mention the fake sentiments. Men and women have to make some gesture to their significant other, and if they don’t, they end up in the doghouse. And why? Because of the lack of some flowers or romantic dinner? If you need to

The University Star - 5

“ ” It sickens me to think of all the money that goes into this farce of a holiday, not to mention the fake sentiments.

be bribed to love someone, then perhaps you shouldn’t be loved at all.

And to be single on Valentine’s Day, well, you might as well be a pariah or leper, because couples definitely treat you like one on the day. You know, because there’s something wrong with being single on a day when faux love reigns supreme.

So instead of fakeness, why don’t people celebrate the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, as in the St. Valentine’s Day massacre? Picture it: Instead of giving heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates, you give your loved

Chris Sipes/Star illustration one a fresh heart ripped from an animal or human with its blood still dripping. Romantic, eh?

Why not a day to celebrate being single? It could feature some great pastimes like drinking until you pass out, bitching about former lovers that screwed you over, how you have friends again (as so many people lose friends when they become part of a couple) and so on. Because seriously, why does there need to be a day in the year when singletons are reminded oh so clearly that they are still single and there must be something wrong with them?

I say we protest the damn day.

It’s about time voices are heard on the subject of this ludicrous day and sham that it is. Everyone who wants to see an end to this travesty of a day, meet me at The Square Saturday. We’ll trample on heart-shaped boxes, scowl at people wearing red and rue the day that capitalistic pigs decided to cash in on the notion of romance.

That is, of course, unless I get a date. In which case, y’all are on your own.

My boyfriend has already cautioned me against writing this column, fearing I will ruin my credibility as a high maintenance and highly selective fashion writer. But, this is a Valentine’s Day edition and here is my column. It is one of those sickly sweet, and strangely vomitocious, love stories.

Only it has a twist. We didn’t meet at a trendy martini bar or art gallery — we met on the old World Christina Gomez Wide Web. I cringe even The Fashion Assassin as I write, but alas such is the case.

Though Internet dating has been getting more and more socially acceptable, I was not one to dabble on the information superhighway looking for love. I had heard too many creepy cyber-love horror stories to get mixed up in that. More superficially, I prided myself in my ability to meet and date real men, and not computer screens (though some computer screens have been more interesting than some of the men I have dated). Internet dating seemed like a last resort for the habitually dateless, or for the busy professional. I’m neither, so I had no excuse.

Having recently moved to Toronto, I entertained myself by casually chatting with the locals on a Yahoo Toronto chat room, never entertaining the thought of meeting anyone offline (too weird for my blood). Next thing I know, I’m chatting up an adorable redheaded hockey player with the goofiest screenname (and I promised I wouldn’t tell what it was).

In his profile, he said he was a normal guy who liked parties, clubbing and his guitar. That’s a good thing, because in my profile I said I was a normal girl who liked fashion, shopping and shoes. It made for pretty harmless banter.

Being the overly cautious American, I give him my phone number about 30 minutes into our conversation. What can I say? I’m a sucker for redheads.

Later, I realize the seriousness of divulging personal information to a stranger, and spend the next week paranoid that an insane axe murderer named

Paul was after me.

We talked online for the next few days, mainly just trying to decipher each other’s character. Paul also had to undergo a volume of presumptuous questions from my friends, such as, “What is your projected income in five years?”

After he was successfully interrogated, it was decided that meeting for drinks would be a fun first date. The thought of imminent murder still lingered in the back of my head: but who can pass up free drinks? Not me, even if the person I am going with is a complete stranger.

As I ride the subway to meet my date, a flood of thoughts are swirling in my head: What if he is an axe murderer? What if he is a balding middleaged married man? What if he doesn’t even show up?

The idea that Paul could be a no-show was probably the biggest concern I had rounding the corner to the street level. I figured if he stood me up I would play it off, grab a hot dog and ride the subway home, bawling into my trench coat. You know, play it cool.

But he did show, and he wasn’t a psycho or married. He was exactly what I expected: a very tall redhead with a killer smile.

Much to my surprise the date was perfect.

Three hours of laughing, drinks and subzero temperatures in September and I was hooked. He was the low-key guy his profile promised he’d be and more. The “more” includes being an ADD artist, punk-rock guitarist who loves baby oranges and cheese curds. But it took me something like 16 months to figure all of that out.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Though he is a tough as nails hockey player, he still amazes me in knowing the difference between Louis Vuitton and Coach, that pointy toe stilettos are a must have and that “metrosexual” is not a bad word. I couldn’t have handpicked a better guy.

The moral of my story, if I even have one, is to never judge a book (or Web page) by its cover.

There may be a few clunkers out there, but there are also a lot of keepers.

Check out

Matt Groening’s Life in Hell

every Thursday in The Star’s Entertainment section

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

Last minute gifts?

6 - The University Star

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Don’t panic, we have you covered

By Terry Martinez Senior Reporter

Alright, men: We know how Valentine’s Day manages to creep up on some of you like finals, so here are some ideas for all kinds of Valentine’s Day gifts, be it last minute, anniversary or otherwise.

Hopefully it is general knowledge that candy and flowers can be picked up at any 24-hour grocery store. Just in case it isn’t, jet to Wal-Mart or H-E-B and get whatever is left after the holiday rush. This is not the time to be cheap, so do not just grab three-for-a-dollar candy bars. You should probably spring for at least the Hershey’s Pot of Gold assortment boxes.

Do not forget that you can be creative with your last minute gift. The idea is not to let your girlfriend know you forgot Valentine’s Day. Also, if you

personalize her gift, she may think you remembered. Try buying her favorite candies and flowers. You could even get a bottle of sparkling wine and chocolate-covered strawberries to raise the romance factor.

If you actually remembered the holiday, but don’t know what to get your girlfriend, don’t fret. Puppies and kittens are great gifts for a really serious relationship, but if things like pet deposits and the “C” word bother, a fish is a great solution.

Try buying a red betta from Wal-Mart for her. You could even buy red or pink stones for the bottom of the fish bowl. If you finish the gift off with a red ribbon around the top of the bowl and a tag proclaiming his name “Cupid,” your girl will swoon at your feet. Also, remember to buy food and water cleanser so she can keep up the life of your love fish.

What girl does not enjoy a great meal with a loved one? If you truly want to impress your girlfriend, whip up a nice, romantic dinner for two. If you are not talented in the culinary arts, you can cheat by getting take-out from a semi-nice restaurant. Simply present the food on your own plates and light a few candles.

“It would be meaningful if my boyfriend made dinner for us because I know he truly made an effort and didn’t cop out by buying a meal. Anyone can do that,” said Esther Lee, music education sophomore.

Know that getting your loved one something she’s always wanted, a purse for instance, is always a great idea for Valentine’s Day. “My girlfriend is obsessed with purses, so I figure, give her what she wants and make her happy,” said Richard Perez, business administration junior.

Since many couples tend to make their relationship official around Valentine’s Day, here are a few ideas for anniversary gifts.

Perfume and lingerie are great ideas for a romantic anniversary celebration. You could try making your night truly steamy by packaging together massage oils, a romantic CD and some sexy lingerie.

Another great anniversary gift is a weekend getaway to a bed and breakfast. San Marcos has the Crystal River Inn right on Hopkins Street.

James Mendoza/Star file illustration If you follow the traditional anniversary gift guidelines, a first anniversary couple should give each other paper. If this sounds too impersonal, you could always get a nice poster

framed, a wooden trinket box or a book you know your girlfriend likes.

You can also find a full list of anniversary gifts by doing a quick Internet search.

Forgetting Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean the end of your relationship. Just know that you are going to have to make it up to her — and big.

Visit www.UniversityStar.com, or else.

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Fashion do’s for women on Valentine’s Day

V

alentine’s Day is upon us, and we all know what that means. Soon there will be stacks of nervous fellows trying to s o o t h e Porsha Thomas angry Star Columnist ladies for that magical night gone away. If only girls could plan their own Valentine’s Day surprises.

Lucky for us, with a little help from the fashion eye, we can at least wear something to step up to the occasion, or to accommodate for a good date gone bad.

For V-Day this year, the look is one of femininity. Lace and satin demand to be seen as they sweep onto racks everywhere, and pink is certainly the chosen representative for colors. One must not forget the reds, maroons and whites of the love holiday, which are seen and are as important as their rosy counterpart.

The heart, the traditional VDay symbol, has made its way onto items ranging from tanks to watches. Accessories, such as hair-clips, sunglasses and jewelry, are all made fancy by crystal, which has made its grand entrance onto the fashion scene this season as well.

For the comfort-seeking woman, Capri and hip-hugger style jeans are in excess. And for those with sass, who like dress with all that class, there are plenty of dresses that step up to the

If listening to DJs spin some electroclash and discopunk sounds on Valentine’s Day sounds good, then the House of AntiJealous Lovers Valentine’s Day Show might just be your stop.

The Austin-based trio of DJs, which consists of John Gomi, DJ Irdbisa and Portal, will start off this weekly spinning event Saturday at Jakarta Jack’s Café, located at 501 E. Sixth St., upstairs from Coyote Ugly Saloon, in Austin.

Portal, aka Anthony Mauzy, said this is their way of trying to bring a new scene to Central Texas.

“The dance scene has died in Austin — there’s really nowhere to go,” Mauzy said in a phone interview. “This a place to accomplish (the scene’s revival).”

Looking for love in all the online places E-dating services offer options for romance

By Chris Robinson Senior Reporter

Alisa Pekar/Star photo Cricket’s and Lotz of Shoes offers a wide selection of Valentine’s Day gifts, and gifts for any occassion.

They are both located at 302-B University Drive. plate and guarantee a home run hit.

OK, so now that you’ve got the ingredients for Valentinedress success, perhaps you’re thinking, “So what do I do with this bundle of fashion information?”

For those of you who decide to partake in the “traditional” Valentine’s Day date (i.e. dinner and a movie), you have countless outfits from which to choose.

Local stores like Emeralds and Cricket’s and Lotz of Shoes offer g See FASHION, page 11

Jealous Lovers to spin some Anti-V-Day tunes

By Armando Flores Senior Reporter

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

The DJs want to bring the sounds that are big in New York City, such as electroclash, discopunk and quirky electronica, to Austin.

“There’s not a big scene of people spinning this down here,” Mauzy said.

Each DJ brings something to the turntable. Irdbisa “has established him(self) as an influential Austin dance DJ and electronic muscian,” according to a press release. This show follows Irdbisa’s performance last month at Elysium’s AMODA dance party. Mauzy, who earned his masters in mass communication from SWT in 2002, provides downbeat IDM and abstract beats.

Mauzy hopes for a good turnout and hopes it will lead to something bigger in the near future.

“I imagine we’ll have a decent crowd, something to build on,” Mauzy said.

The show starts at 9 p.m.

As practicality and convenience begin to converge, so it is that the Internet can provide that Sixth Street hookup experience without the hangover. Electronic flirting via Icebreakers — fixed messages that can be sent to other members free of charge — is less presumptuous and definitely a lot cheaper than sending that special someone a drink.

This isn’t to say that online dating will ever replace the bar scene, but rather that it can work in conjunction with it through services such as MatchMobile (www.matchmobile.com). Any lingering thoughts that e-dating is somehow desperate should be forgotten. It’s not too much different from instant messaging or posting on a message board. And who knows, after signing up you might just find the profile to match that familiar cute face you pass in The Quad every Monday and Wednesday.

personals.yahoo.com Cost: $19.95 / month Size: About 5 million members Equivalent: A good drinking buddy or Honda Civic Slogan: “Give fate a nudge.”

Unique Feature: Project: Real Valentines Features: Free Profile..........................[ X ] Member Search...................[ X ] Pictures................................[ X ] Icebreaker............................[ X ] Same Sex Options...............[ X ] The best place to begin that journey for some good digital lovin’ is right here. Because Yahoo has no serious advantages or disadvantages over the other services, it makes a good spot to become acquainted with all the standard features of online dating. Yahoo also has a fairly large user base, which offers a nice variety to choose from. And while mostly unhelpful for the majority of college students, Yahoo’s ambitious Project: Real Valentines shows promise for future innovation by Yahoo. The way the project works is that Yahoo’s top brass selected a dream team of 45

users that they believe best represents their image of “real people” and if you can persuade one of these users to choose you — unfortunately, there are only 3 per state at best, and nearly all of them have long outgrown their 20s — then Yahoo will foot the bill for an impressive Valentine’s date. Overall, Yahoo is neat, easy and sets a good baseline by which to judge the quality of the other online dating services.

Best Tagline: “Nookin Pa Nub In All Da Wong Paces” Grade: B+ www.match.com Cost: $24.95 / month Size: About 20 million members Equivalent: That one smoothtalking friend who knows almost everyone or (A car that everyone loves?)

Slogan: “Millions of possibilities to meet your match.”

Unique Feature: Physical Attraction Test (15-yr. study?)

Features: Free Profile..........................[ X ] Member Search...................[ X ] Pictures................................[ X ] Icebreaker............................[ X ] Same Sex Options...............[ X ]

With an efficient yet appealing interface, a smooth blend of quizzes and a robust userbase ripe for the exploring, Match has got the finest pickin’s of all these chickens. The format for user profiles is designed for quick and easy reading, but there is plenty of room left for elaboration or clever quips. Another benefit is the unique multitude of Match “spinoffs,” like MatchTravel and MatchLive, which cater to the arrangement of large dating events like Speedmatching that are hosted

by Match. The most impressive feature offered by Match, though, is the free Physical Attraction Test. Based on a 15year, multi-million dollar study, the test pinpoints through a catalogue of various facial and body types what it is exactly that makes that certain girl or guy your “type.” A well-rounded cluster of functionality and style, Match is probably the best place to put the majority of your efforts into.

Best Tagline: “Laura is my name, watermelon-seed-spitting is my game.”

Grade: A

The University Star - 7

www.matchdoctor.com Cost: $24.99 / three months Size: Approx. 700,000 members Equivalent: A good drinking buddy (now completely inebriated) or Ford Pinto Slogan: “100% FREE Dating” Unique Feature: Free e-mail to other members Features: Free Profile.......................[ X ] Member Search.................[ X ] Pictures.............................[ X ] Icebreaker..........................[ _ ] Same Sex Options.............[ X ] Less of a doctor than a quack, Matchdoctor is like Match but with all the glitz and graphics stripped off. This site is a bore to look at and is even more tedious to navigate. Nevertheless, the prospect of sending free e-mail to other users is very tempting and quite possibly is the single unique feature that keeps the poor doctor alive. If rebounding is the cure for a broken heart, then consider Yahoo and Match to be the pricey ER, while Matchdoctor runs the last resort, bargain-basement surgery down the street. Doc can get the job done, but it may not be as pleasant.

Best Tagline: No taglines. The best/worst username was “booty_from_hell.”

Grade: Cwww.tickle.com Cost: $19.95 / month Size: About 18 million members Equivalent: Your best friend’s girlfriend or Volkswagen Beetle Unique Feature: Enough quizzes to rupture your eyeballs Features: Free Profile..........................[ X ] Member Search...................[ X ] Pictures................................[ X ] Icebreaker............................[ X ] Same Sex Options...............[ X ] My God, it’s full of quizzes!

Tickle, formerly known as Emode, boasts over 200 tests with content ranging from personality reports to career advice to matchmaking potential.

Examples include simple donothings like “What’s your party style” and “What’s your soap opera scenario” as well as Ph.D.certified quizzes, like the “Ultimate Personality Test.” The results of these quizzes are integrated into the matchmaking user profile through quick, oneline summaries, like that the

member “Knows how to listen” or “believes a man should take care of a woman.” Tickle boasts that the quizsmithery is performed in collaboration with leading psychology and marketing experts from Harvard, Yale, Duke and other prestigious Ivy League universities. Tickle may lack the brute matchmaking strength that Match flaunts, but its impressive roster of selfexamination gives it a definitive advantage over Yahoo.

Best Tagline: “Hey I’m out and lookin’ around!!!!!!!!!!!!” (or “Yoko Seeking John (If John Please Click Here)” Grade: B+ www.eharmony.com Cost: 49.95 / month Size: About 3 million members Equivalent: That one chipper aunt who wants you to meet the “right kind” of girls/guys or Lincoln Navigator Slogan: “When you're ready to find the love of your life.”

Features: Free Profile.........................[ X ] Member Search...................[ _ ] Pictures...............................[ X ] Icebreaker............................[ _ ] Same Sex Options...............[ _ ] According to a survey recently conducted by eHarmony, 68 percent of singles registered on eHarmony aged 25-54 said that they would rather find “true love” than just “a date” for Valentine’s Day. Indeed, for those who believe intimate love trumps casual dating, eHarmony is the place to go. Armed with a grueling 26-page, 436-question personality test, most playas are fenced out long before the searching process begins.

Though daunting on a par with that first difficult conversation with your date’s father, the results of the personality test are remarkably accurate. The results directly correspond with your member search, so instead of personally shuffling through hundreds of duds, eHarmony manages the search and brings up only those who absolutely best match you. Unfortunately, this can also mean no results at all.

Best Tagline: n/a Grade: Your mileage may vary.

A+ for those in search of a committed relationship, but all the true playas in the house would give this one an F.

Out of the loop?

Read the Trends section to get back in it

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

Movies to get you ‘in the mood’

8 - The University Star

By Ian Ragsdale Film Reporter

A distant relative shared the story of how his parents set him up on his first date in 1971, and he took the girl to the movies. Apparently having no foresight whatsoever, he decided on the Stanley Kubrick film, A Clockwork Orange.

For those unfamiliar with the film, it includes a great number of malicious acts and disturbing scenes, mostly unsuitable for two 16-year-olds on a blind date. Don’t make this mistake: Use some of these pre-screened movies to get in the mood you are looking for.

When Harry Met Sally If you or your significant other is a Seinfield fan, When Harry Met Sally will fit perfectly with your popcorn. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan play relationship-challenged New Yorkers with a long-term, lovehate friendship.

Like a very long and funny Seinfield episode, Harry and Sally have conversations about nothing, Crystal shooting off pseudo-philosophical one-liners and Ryan providing a butt end for his jokes with her demanding food preparation requests. Few sparks initially fly between the pair, so couples wary of make-out fests will be

pleased by the low smoochie factor, and the jokes come quick and dry, so those looking for a laugh will have found their pick.

Notting Hill A romantic comedy perfectly suited to the Anglophile in your life, Hugh Grant plays the owner of a s m a l l London bookstore who spills his orange juice on an American superstar (Julia Roberts), initiating a chain of events that leads to romance.

The plot is familiar — boy and

girl fall in love, boy pushes girl away, boy realizes he needs girl — but the ride is terribly fun. Notting Hill is full of funny Brits and Grant stumbling and mumbling, and is just the thing to keep a smile on your sweetie’s face.

9 1/2 Weeks This movie is only for the adventurous. Produced by softcore magnate Zalman King, Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger star in this story of two strangers who begin an impersonal, but sexuallycharged, affair. The humanity the actors bring to their characters and the responsibility Basinger takes over her own sexuality keeps the movie from being ridiculous, although some will be intimidated by the brazen sex scenes both in- and out-of-doors. Erotic but still thoughtful, this is for mature audiences only.

Last Tango in Paris This movie has everything a film buff needs: world-class director, world-class cinematographer and world-class actors. Maria Schneider and Marlon Brando star as a couple who meet in Paris and begin a wild relationship while simultaneously holding the reins of

o t h e r , strained relationships. Last T a n g o involves two of cinema’s most famous Italians — Vittorio Storaro lenses the Bernardo Bertolucci film — and results in a lush, sweeping portrayal of disgruntled romance. This is not a firstdate movie, but those who enjoy artful films will find much to love in this one.

The African Queen You both like action movies, but want to take a b r e a k f r o m Arnold a n d Bruce Willis on V- D a y ?

Try this romantic adventure starring Humphrey Bogart as a hard-boiled, liquor-loving captain and Katharine Hepburn as a stiff, spinster missionary.

Together they pilot a boat down an unforgiving African river to escape Germans in World War I, fighting the Krauts and falling in love all the way. Everything about it sounds improbable, but it’s a classic.

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Cheesy pick-up lines from movies

From the endearing to the absurd, movies adore pick-up lines. Here are a few to get you thinking about creating your own.

“I bet you were an awful cute baby.”

Jean Harlow, 1934’s The Girl from Missouri Joe: “I always have liked redheads.”

Cassie: “You shouldn’t. Red means stop.”

Joe: “I’m color-blind.”

George Raft and Ann Sheridan, 1940’s They Drive

by Night “Was that cannon fire, or is it my heart pounding?”

Ingrid Bergman, 1942’s Casablanca “Mind if I get drunk with you?”

Jean Harlow, 1932’s Red Dust “You see? That is just like you, Harry. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you.”

Meg Ryan, 1989’s When Harry Met Sally “Shall we shag now, or shall we shag later?”

Mike Myers, 1997’s Austin Powers Stifler’s Mom: “I got some scotch.”

Finch: “Single malt?”

Stifler’s Mom: “Aged 18 years. The way I like it.”

Jennifer Coolidge and Eddie Thomas, 1999’s Kaye American Pie

How are the Bobcats doing?

Find out in the Sports section, now on the back page of The Star

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

Chocolate makes a standard, romantic gift Thursday, February 12, 2004

By Terry Martinez Senior Reporter

Mmm … the satisfaction of biting into a piece of chocolate can delight even the grumpiest of people and brighten the dreariest of days. Fortunately, Valentine’s Day brings amazing amounts of this delicious delight to our store shelves.

There’s an amazing amount of history behind everyone’s favorite indulgence. The concoction we now know as chocolate actually used to be a spicy unsweetened drink of the Aztec Indians.

According to karachocolates.com, it wasn’t until Spaniard Hernando Cortez sweetened the drink with sugar that Europeans began to appreciate the beauty of chocolate.

Soon enough, the Spanish aristocracy coveted the drink,

which was sweetened and warmed.

It took more than 200 years for chocolate to reach American soil, and in 1765, New England began the first chocolate factory.

Foodtv.com cites six types of chocolates that are consumed.

The first type of chocolate the Web site mentions is baking chocolate, which is obviously used for baking projects.

Cocoa powder is used in frostings and to flavor cakes and cookies. The amount of alkali, a component that smoothes the flavor of the powder, determines whether the cocoa powder is Dutchprocessed or not.

Couverture and compound chocolates are used for candymaking. Couverture chocolate is of the highest quality, such as

250-900 C.E. - The ancient Maya grew cacao and made it into a beverage.

The first people clearly known to have discovered the secret of cacao were the Classic Period Maya In their sacred life, the Maya paid homage to their gods by burning cacao seeds as an offering

Valrhona Chocolate, a French brand that is praised for its high quality.

Compound chocolates are of a lesser quality, but are still acceptable for candy making. It usually has vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter, which may impart a waxy flavor on your chocolate.

Eating chocolate is the next step down from compound chocolate. Examples of eating chocolate are Hershey’s bars.

Finally, there is white chocolate. While this confection is not actually chocolate, the addition of cocoa butter in the bar is what gives this sweet treat the right to tout the chocolate name. Since there are no regulations as to how much, if any, cocoa butter is in the finished product, it is important to look at the label and make sure the only fat in the chocolate is

cocoa butter. This will ensure a pure treat.

Since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, it’s only logical to point out the assortment of chocolate purveyors in our area.

If you want to head over to our world famous outlets, don’t forget to stop by The Fudgery, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, or Lamme’s Candies.

The Fugdery’s goods obviously center around fudge that is made in-store; check with the establishment to find the freshest product for the day.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory holds the vote for some of the most decadent chocolate and caramel covered apples around. You can get anything from a Butterfinger apple to an Avalanche, which consists of almost everything sweet that was taken straight from the

The University Star - 9

store’s shelves.

Lamme’s candies is an Austin-based company that is famous for their pecan pralines.

They also offer chocolate-covered pralines with an assortment of nuts.

Paper Bear features a small candy section with an assortment of truffles and retro chocolate candy bars. If you’ve been craving a Valo-Milk or Violet Crumble, don’t hesitate to run to Paper Bear to pick one up. They are moderately priced and usually available.

If you are interested in exotic mail-order chocolates and don’t mind paying a good deal for some different flavors, try heading to www.vosgeschocolat.com. Although these chocolates start at $21 for nine truffles, you will be hard-pressed to

History of Chocolate

lighter, smoother flavor.

1615. - According to legend, the French court’s love of chocolate was sealed when its new, selfconfessed chocoholic queen, Anne of Austria (daughter of King Philip III of Spain), married Louis XIII

1400 - The Aztecs adopted cacao.

1657 - The first chocolate house opened in London.

1521 - Hernán Cortéz conquered Mexico - the Spanish began to learn about the delicious flavor of chocolate.

Early 1700s - A Frenchman named Doret invented a hydraulic machine to make chocolate a mass-produced treat.

Late 1600s - Sir Hans Sloane, president of the Royal College of Physicians, introduced another culinary custom: mixing the already popular chocolate drink with milk for a

1765 - Chocolate is first manufactured in the United States.

1828 One of the most important inventions was the cocoa press, by Dutch chemist Coenraad Van Houten. It squeezed out cocoa butter (leaving the powder we call cocoa) and made cocoa both more consistent and cheaper to produce.

1875 - Daniel Peter and Henri Nestlé teamed up to introduce condensed milk to chocolate. Their smooth, creamy “milk chocolate” rapidly became a popular favorite.

1893 - Hershey got his start making chocolate-coated caramels. His competitors, the father-and-son team of Mars, created the malted,

g See CHOCOLATE, page 10

milkfilled Milky Way after an inspiring trip to the local drugstore soda fountain.

1921 - Peter Paul Company makes the Mounds bar from a formula created by a chemist.

GeorgeShamlian.

Where to get your chocolate groove on

Paper Bear 214 N. LBJ Drive

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory 4015 I-35 S, Ste 835 The Fudgery 4015 I-35 S, Ste 331 Lamme’s Candies 3939 I-35 S

Sephora www.sephora.com

Sephora North Star 7400 San Pedro, #104 San Antonio, TX 78216

Sephora Arboretum Market 9722 Great Hills Trail Austin, TX 78759

1940 - A candycoated chocolate is created especially for the United States military forces by Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie at Mars, Inc. Their initials lead to the name “M & M.”

Today - The chocolate industry has grown to a worldwide industry topping $50 billion in retail sales worldwide and continues to show healthy growth.

Source: www.fieldmuseum.org, www.chocolatesource.com & www.cocoajava.com

10 - The University Star

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

Chocolate: Options seem limitless for confection g Cont. from page 9

find high quality chocolates with the unusual infusions this company manages. Some examples of their chocolates are wasabi and cumin and coconut flavored truffles.

You can always head to your local supermarket to pick up the traditional Whitman’s sampler if $21 and wasabi aren’t your idea of good sweets. Some other chocolates that are inexpensive include Russell Stover and Hershey’s Pot of Gold chocolates, because sometimes a bright red heart-shaped box just can’t be beat.

Some alternatives to edible chocolates vary greatly. If you

Thursday, February 12, 2004

venture to Paper Bear’s candle aisle, it is no doubt you will find a chocolate-scented candle you can light to curb your chocolate cravings.

Sephora, a makeup, skincare and hair-care superstore — kind of like a candy store for women and men alike — features many companies that sell chocolate-scented treats. You can either travel to Austin’s Arboretum Market, San Antonio’s North Star Mall, or use its Web site, www.sephora.com, to order some of these fun and delicious treats.

Jaqua, a line of lotions, soaps, and bath products features goods with sweet scents.

Try ordering their marshmal-

low cocoa body butter, a decadent treat that actually smells good enough to eat.

Philosophy, a feel-good skincare line, features a Chocolate Lover’s Cookbook, which quite simply is a collection of three body wash/ soap/bubble baths that are infused with the rich chocolate scents of white chocolate hazelnut cake, chocolate cream, and café au lait.

Urban Decay, a cosmetics company carried by makeup and skincare retailer, Sephora, sells a great body powder that is not only scented and sparkly, but also has a great chocolate flavor that your Valentine can lick off of you.

The ‘L’ word: Make Valentine’s Day really mean something

By Angela Balinbin The Seattle Times

“I’ll never let go, Jack. I’ll neeeever let goooo!”

OK, fine. I’ll admit it. As Kate Winslet uttered those Oscar-winning words, I sniffled. How heart-wrenching.

Romantic. Emotional. Yes, this is what our culture calls a “love story.”

Ahem, but in describing the genre correctly, I wouldn’t call Titanic a love story. It’s a romance. What’s the difference Love, real love, itself, isn’t supposed to be simply a story. It's supposed to be the most real thing we know.

And lucky ducks that we are, our society has its very own holiday to celebrate the big “L” word. At least, it thinks it does.

But does our modern Valentine’s Day really celebrate love? Or just a titanic bombardment of emotional mushy-gushyness?

Clearly, it’s the latter.

Our modern Valentine’s Day is curly-cued around romance, and having that “special someone.”

This holiday, then, necessarily excludes all who aren't currently jivin’ with romantic love.

This is wrong! Refuse to put up with this discrimination! Valentine’s Day should be about real love, uppercase-L “Love,” and not simply romance.

Can we maybe try to not grumble about Valentine’s Day? Can we maybe realize that this is a day when we get to tell the people we care

about that we love them?

Because doing so is important.

I want to be “in love” with the people I surround myself with and things I find myself doing and studying and hoping for.

Rebuking the opportunity to do so would render my life the same as our modern Valentine’s Day: all sickly, sweet fluff and no substance.

We are pre-disposed to love. You can’t convince me otherwise. It’s all that we’re supposed to do with our lives.

It’s all that gives our lives meaning.

So ... shouldn’t we celebrate this word, this outpouring action verb?

I say we should. And you know what? Feb. 14 seems like a great day to do it.

VALENTINE’S ISSUE

Fashion: Styles fit for Media: Deciding on dates, mates everyone on V-Day

Thursday, February 12, 2004

g Cont. from page 2

can be paired with one of the heart a variety of attire guartanks mentioned anteed to make you feel earlier or a festive good when stepping out. baby T. Personally, I would Of course, some go for the classy look. A of us may not be knee-length fitted dress that comfortable with a plunging neckline with our guys yet, may set the tone for an so for you I recomawesome night. mend the “I-didn’t“Strappy shoes are in try-hard-to-impressthis season,” said you” look. This conCynthia Lotz, owner of sists mainly of any Crickets and Lotz of of hip-hugger, Capri Shoes. style pants and So grab those strappy whatever shirt you heels (you’ll be sitting want; most of us down all night, you can dress this way anyAndy Ellis/Star photos handle it) and get to Cricket’s and Lotz of Shoes offers way, so just dig steppin’! You can never many great outfits for a date on through your closet. go wrong with a hand Valentine’s Day. That Valentine zest bag just big enough to can easily be added hold your cell phone and with a little color. license, but isn’t that really all you need? Try one of the ‘80s-style plastic bangles For the “comfort seekers” (eating in pink or red. pizza and renting a movie), whether you Well ladies, there you have it: The want to get dressed up or dressed at all, keys to dressing success for Valentine’s you too have a couple of choices. Stores Day! Release your clutch on the murky like Target and Old Navy feature numer- colors of winter and let in the love! And ous styles of V-Day pajama pants. These remember: If the shoe fits, buy it!

g Cont. from page 7

the category of blue screen. However, in the brief period of 35 years, the idiot box has decided that Britney Spears, and a spawn of other bulimic waifs, are the new standard for sex appeal.

What’s the harm in a little sexual guidance from the Man? I would begin by wondering how intercourse might occur with one of these twiglike scamps. If one were too forceful or aggressive during the romp, they would break in half like breadsticks.

Following that, of course, would be some nasty legal suits involving medical bills and “mental anguish,” because you were groovin’ as best you know how and the scrawny trollop got her pelvis shattered. There’s a good definition of “pop” culture. Now she can’t shake her groove thing because her entire midsection is permanently damaged. She should have eaten more.

But, for argument’s sake, let’s suppose you do land one of these quarterpound birds in bed, and you manage to successfully copulate without any serious injury or subpoenas. Taking that a step further, suppose you find this person to have relationship or even marriage potential. And decide that you would like to have children with her. Uh oh.

Lacking what is defined as “childbearing” hips, how might you go about starting a family with a woman who would probably split like a wishbone during labor? A new genetic science would be that of the conceptional cesarean section and fetal transplant. I know it sounds gross, but hear me out.

Upon detection of a child, the woman would go into immediate surgery and have her stomach cut open and the child removed. Then there would be the transfer of the fetus to a more suitable carrier, one of the voluptuous beauties that society and ad execs have deemed as “unattractive.” If you ponder this in a positive fashion, you would have to admit there would be a whole new area of employment for the lovelies with a little more bounce to the ounce.

Whoa, whoa! Can we end this twisted digression into the intimate mysteries of having sex with 85 pound ladies and the societal repercussions it might thereby produce? The point is that the jokers running the entire idea behind popular culture have intruded into your day-to-day lifestyle more than you probably realize. You have to be able to make your own decisions involving relationships, dating and sex. Forego the temptation to beg advice or allow excess influence from

The University Star - 11

consumer marketing ploys.

Turn off the tube and the computer, head outside and go find a real, live person who knows what they’re about and what they want out of life. Try not to compare him or her with Joey or Phoebe from Friends. And certainly don’t try to emulate these individuals, because I’ve got some bad news: They’re not real people!

Just keep in mind that outside of the little glowing boxes that Nielsen or Ted Turner wants you to stare at all day, there are people out and about that you can converse with face-toface. Do a little bit of soul-searching and try to recognize what it is that you are attracted to — not what your buddies like, not what a magazine or TV show says is attractive, but what you dig. Take a breather from the images flashing through a cathode ray tube into your brain, and give yourself a little time to erase those ideas that corporate America regards as “sexy” or “good looking.”

There is exactly one person who knows what you like and how you like it — you. So, reward yourself with some “you time” and join the game.

“To thine own self, be true,” says William Shakespeare. Sounds like an appropriate closing argument, especially when you’re talking about knockin’ boots.

Let’s hear it for the boys

Beaten down

Bobcats fail to make it to first place in SLC/Sports/Page 12

Avoid the cooler

Valentine’s cliche should be put to rest/Opinions/Page 5

A night in jail is no picnic/Trends/Page 7

THURSDAY

VOLUME 93, ISSUE 52 www.universitystar.com

FEBRUARY 12, 2004

Prep school leaves academy grounds T E X A S S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y- S A N M A R C O S

Relocation ensures children’s safety, official says

By Ryan Coggin News Reporter Texas Preparatory School President Kyev Tatum said the arrest of a San Marcos Baptist Academy employee, accused of molesting a student, was the last straw contributing to his decision to move his school away from the

other’s campus.

Tatum, who has been leasing facilities from the academy since opening the charter school in 2001, has pursued a campus in the historic Dunbar community for 10 years. He said the move would allow the school to reach its fullest potential and ensure the safety of the almost 150 children in attendance.

“I didn’t have to think twice when I recommended to the board and to the staff to move,” Tatum said. “This is about the safety and well-being of our children.”

Tela Mange, chief of media rela-

tions for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said parents should be aware of who has access to their children and what they do with them. She said a background check of any person involved with a child is always important.

“If there appears to be too much interest in your child, like expensive gifts, the parent needs to examine that and find out what’s going on,” Mange said. “Though not always, that can be grooming behavior to make the family comfortable.”

According to the DPS, Hays County houses 162 registered sex offenders, 82

... AND ALL THAT JAZZ

of which live in San Marcos.

The DPS began registering convicted sex offenders in 1993 and made the program available to the public in 1997. Anyone searching for offender information in their neighborhood or on a specific person had to make a request in writing to a local law enforcement agency or to the DPS. Though the name and the street occupied by the offender were given, no numeric address was available.

Two years later, the DPS launched its sex offender Web site, making access to information, including numeric street addresses, easily and

quickly accessible.

Before 1993, no one convicted of a sex-related crime was required to carry the term “sex offender” after being released into the public.

Mange said felons are not included on the list until they have completed their jail sentence or receive probation.

The probation or parole officer then has seven days to report to local law enforcements. After that, the offender is added to the public list.

However, Mange said parents should never rely on a list to ensure the

Fund-raising options put in question Faculty Senate examines donation confidentiality

By Ryan Coggin News Reporter

Andy Ellis/Star photo Jazz musician Joe Wilder, accompanied by piano, performs as part of a lecture Wednesday mostly for students in the Texas State music program.

Kennel Club hosts weekend dog show

By Jennifer Warner Senior Reporter

San Marcos is going to the dogs this weekend — to see the dogs, rather.

The Guadalupe Valley Dog Fanciers Kennel Club is hosting a dog show at the Hays County Civic Center Saturday and Sunday.

Today’s Weather

High: 49 Lo w : 31

Cloudy all day

Wind: From NE at 17 mph Precipitation: 30% Max. Humidity: 64% UV Index: 2 Minimal Friday’s Forecast Rainy & cloudy 47/39

I N S I D E

Arts...................................8

Classifieds......................10

Comics/Crossword........9 News.............................2-4 Opinions........................5,6

Sports......................11,12 Trends...............................7

Two shows will take place, one on each day. Some of the dogs will be entered in both shows.

“It is to the exhibitors’ benefit to compete both days because their chances are better,” said Courtney Dieckman, hospitality, publicity and assistant show chair. “When I show dogs I try to enter both days if at

all possible.”

Each show will begin with about 1,200 dogs, eliminating throughout the day, resulting in one Best In Show. Dogs are entered into a class that is identified primarily by the dog’s age. Only American Kennel Club registered dogs are allowed to enter.

“There is a standard for

g See SCHOOL, page 3

every breed,” said Gina Proctor, kennel club member. “If the dog has a disqualifying trait, they will be excused.”

The winning dog of each breed and class will go into a group with dogs of similar breeds. Fifteen to 25 breeds will be in each group, and categories

University staff and faculty representatives requested faculty senators to solicit voluntary donations from their constituents during the Senate’s Wednesday meeting.

Chris Frost, university scholarship coordinator and psychology professor, challenged members to consider how university fund-raising can be dealt with internally and cited the ability of contributors to designate where funds will be channeled.

“I guess the bottom line is I’m asking faculty not to give if

you are just absolutely opposed,” Frost said. “But on the other hand, I am asking faculty to at least consider what it might be to support some facet of the university that you find worth supporting.”

The University Fund Drive, started in 1977 by industrial technology professor William L. Deck, has helped Texas State fulfill it’s educational mission by helping to pay two-thirds of the cost to educate students not covered by state revenue.

Gay James, Senate vice chair and health, physical education and recreation professor, questioned the confidentiality of contributors and noted past faculty intimidation of those who chose not to donate.

Elizabeth Frisbey, University Fund Drive representative and development officer, said g See SENATE, page 4

New law bans on-campus movies

g See DOGS, page 4

Workshop helps students market themselves

By Julie Daffern News Reporter

Students with questions on how to make their résumés stand out in a stack from other applications with identical grades, activities and educational backgrounds attended Career Services’ “How Marketable Are You?” presentation Wednesday.

The presentation was held in the Career Services Library at the LBJ Student Center where Greg Hill, Career Planning assistant director, discussed how to gain the edge in the job market when meeting with future employers.

“The purpose of this seminar is to alleviate fear because it is scary getting out there to face employers,” Hill said.

A major part of becoming marketable is to simply do research, Hill said. It is important to find out what qualifications the applicant

already possesses, what the company is looking for and how the applicant’s qualifications fit into what the company wants.

Hill suggested three ways to find out how a person’s specific characteristics complement a certain career field: visit the Career Services Library, take an online career test or talk to people who are already in the field.

Hill also said making contacts in a career field could be useful when looking for a job after graduation. He encourages informational interviews that answer such questions as how they got into the field and what it is like to perform the job.

Communication and teamwork are two of the top five skills that could win or lose your next job interview. Internships, on-campus interviews and job fairs are attributed as three of the top 10 places employers find new hires, according to a recent National Association of Colleges and Employers report.

Communication and teamwork are two of the top five skills that could win or lose your next job interview.

g See RESUME, page 4

Louis LeSassier/Star illustration

By Chris Boehm News Reporter A recent decision by the Association of College Unions International to conform to a new interpretation of copyright laws has lead Sam Houston State University to ban public screenings of movies in residence halls.

An article in the Houstonian, SHSU’s student newspaper, outlines the reinterpretation of Article 17 of the U.S. Copyright Laws regarding media use in public areas.

“Students (at SHSU) living in dorms and other campus housing have been adjusting to

the new policy banning the showing of movies in places other than individual rooms,” the first line of the story reads.

This also includes other mediums such as video games and music CDs. Because the policy is new, students are not getting sanctioned for infractions, but fines will be issued beginning in the fall.

However, Texas State is taking no such actions, as movie nights are held across campus at residence halls, and students can be seen huddled around video games as one walks g See MOVIES, page 4

NEWS

2 - The University Star

SIGNING UP FOR A CLEAN FUTURE

Families meets at 5:15 p.m. in the Texas State Counseling Center. For more information, call 245-2208.

Tuesday

Calendar of

EVENTS

Career Services hosts a seminar on how to make résumés for Mass Communication majors at 11 a.m. in Old Main, Room 320.

Thursday

Catholic Student Center provides a free lunch from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the center.

Spring Break Job Shadowing Registration is from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Career Services Office in LBJ Student Center, Room 5-7.1.

Christians at Texas State meets at noon in LBJSC, Room 3-10.1.

Summer Job Fair is from 10 a.m.4 p.m. in the LBJSC Ballroom.

Public Relations Student Society of America meets at 5 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-10.1.

Alpha kappa psi co-ed business fraternity meets at 7 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-7.1.

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Breaking Free From Dieting support group meets at 3 p.m. in the Texas State Counseling Center.

For more information call 2452208.

National Association of Environmental Professionals meets at 5 p.m. in the Evans Liberal Arts Building, Room 311.

Wednesday

Texas State Cru meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Academic Services Building-South, Room 315.

Internship Fair is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in the LBJSC Ballroom.

The Rock meets at 7:30 p.m. in the CSC chapel.

Christians at Texas State meets at noon in the LBJSC, Room 3-10.1.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship meets for worship at 8 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320.

Sexual Assault & Abuse Services meets at 4:30 p.m. in the Texas State Counseling Center. For more information, call 245-2208.

Andy Ellis/Star photo

Christians on Campus meets at 9:30 p.m. in the McCarty Student Center.

Friday

SWAT, the organization that provides free rides back to campus, operates from 11 p.m.-3 a.m.

Saturday

SWAT operates from 11 p.m.-3 a.m.

Sunday

Higher Ground meets at 7 p.m. in St. Marks Church.

Monday

Career Services hosts a seminar on how to make résumés for Mass Communication majors at 11 a.m. in Old Main, Room 320.

Dealing with Dysfunctional

Student Volunteer Connection meets at 5:30 p.m. in LBJSC, Room 3-5.1.

Higher Ground meets at 5:30 p.m. in St. Marks Church.

Bobcat Supper is at 5:30 p.m. in the Campus Christian Community Center.

College Republicans meets at 7 p.m. in LBJSC, Room 3-13.1.

Crosstalk meets at 8 p.m. in the Alkek Teaching Theater.

Bible Study meets at 8 p.m. at the Catholic Student Center.

Calendar Submission Policy Calendar submisions are free. Send submissions to Calendar of Events Manager Paul Lopez at TexasStateCalendar@yahoo.com or call 245-3487 for more information. Notices for weekly meetings need to be submitted once. The University Star reserves the right to refuse entries or edit for libel, style and space purposes. Deadline: Three working days prior to publication.

Hours of Operation

Albert B. Alkek Library Monday -Wednesday 7:30 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Thursday 7:30 a.m. - midnight Friday 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Monday - Thursday 6 a.m. - midnight Friday 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday Sunday 1 p.m. - 1 a.m. noon - midnight Golf Course Open daily 7 a.m. - dusk

Mathematics sophomore Audrie Cruz pledges $10 per month to Ike Eickstaedt of TexPIRG. The Texas lobbying group has been, and will continue to be, on campus in an effort to raise funds to pass a bill by 2015 that would provide 10 percent of our energy acquired from renewable sources.

Programs, campus groups offer tax help

By Julie Suenram News Reporter Tax season has returned, and students who need to file taxes now have several options as to how they can file.

Free File is an online program offered by the Internal Revenue Service in conjunction with 16 other tax companies such as H&R Block and Turbo Tax. Free File offers a faster way for patrons to file their taxes and receive their refund, taking half the time of a paper return. This is the second year the program has existed.

“It’s a free way to do a return,” said IRS spokesman Kenneth Vargas. “When you’re a student, it’s a great way to get it accurately; get it quickly; get it free.”

The program has added a series of improvements that are clarified versions of customer service options, tax return forms and schedules of each of the individual companies within the Free File Alliance.

“Some people complained that it was confusing and that some of the company’s service options weren’t clear so we had it corrected.” Vargas said.

Other improvements include clearer upfront instructions defining each company’s offered services and features.

Each company also guarantees the accuracy of the calculations

by their software. Users are also allowed to print out their completed tax return for free on their home computer.

Free File is accessible at www.irs.gov and costs nothing.

It can be accessed through any computer at anytime and offers step-by-step instructions to assist the user. However, Free File only applies to the federal tax return.

While part-time jobs won’t

said. “That credit can certainly help if you’re a dependent.”

A single credit can be claimed during a one-year period. The credit amount is determined by the amount paid for qualified tuition and related expenses for each student as well as the amount paid for adjusted gross income.

If first time filers need extra assurance, students can seek assistance from the Accounting

Free File is accessible at www.irs.gov and costs nothing. It can be accessed through any computer at anytime and offers step-by-step instructions to assist the user. However, Free File only applies to the federal tax return. provide much of a return for students, parents can benefit from two available education credits for 2003 — the Hope Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit. The Hope Credit applies to students who have not completed the first two yeas of college education, while the Lifetime Learning Credit is not limited to freshmen and sophomores.

“It can be important,” Vargas

Club and from the Beta Alpha Psi and Tau Alpha Chi fraternities. All three will be available to students from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. starting Wednesday on the main floor of Alkek Library and will continue every Wednesday with the exception of Spring Break.

The program is organized on a first come, first serve basis and is free to students and members of the community.

Tax returns will be completed by members of the participating organizations and will be filed electronically.

Students need to have their social security cards, W-2 forms, any pertaining tax information and knowledge of whether or not they are being claimed as a dependent.

Married couples intending to file jointly need to both be in attendance.

“They will sit here and we will ask them questions and interview them,” said accounting professor Elaine Eikner.

“We first did it on paper and then transfered the information into the computer.”

Students will receive a print copy of their completed tax return and have the option of direct deposit or receiving a check by mail. All of the student volunteers have been previously trained, and there will be three adult supervisors in attendance to handle any questions.

“Our student volunteers receive packets from the IRS that include a student instructor guide and they have a test they have to take,” Eikner said.

“About 95 percent of them have had the income tax class and that also trains them. I think its quite a bit of fun; they just don’t get that experience any other way.”

NEWS

Thursday, February 12, 2004

IM blackout temporarily blindsides students

By Armando Flores Senior Reporter Instant messaging programs experienced a temporary blackout last week because the vendor inadvertently blocked it, officials said.

Students were in an uproar Feb. 4 when they tried to sign onto AOL Instant Messenger, only to be greeted with a message saying a firewall had been set up to block the program.

Several students, including advertising junior Stacey Knupple and art senior Whitney Barclay, contacted The University Star Feb. 5 to notify the newspaper about the IM blackout.

Knupple, Lantana Hall resident, said many students were complaining that AIM and other messenger programs were not working on campus. She said she called Computing Support Services and was told that it was shut down as a security precaution.

Barclay, who uses the university’s dialup Internet service, attempted to log on off-campus and was greeted with the firewall message.

Elaine Foster/Star illustration

Other students, such as communication design sophomore Davonne Head, said the IM programs haven’t been working since before the daylong blackout.

“Basically, mine was shut down two weeks ago,” she said.

Head said she spoke to several people at Computing Support Services and was told the same response given to Knupple.

Bob Goss, Technology Resources assis-

tant vice president, said the blackout stemmed from trying to make updates that would separate some of the AOL traffic from other traffic on the university’s computer server.

“AOL IM was only blocked part of Wednesday night and Thursday,” Goss said. “The vendor inadvertently blocked something that shouldn’t have been blocked.”

He said the blackout only occurred during that time, and he hasn’t heard any complaints of the IM programs being blocked for longer than that period.

But campus-wide, students are still upset, some saying their IM programs are still not functioning. Head said she and her friends circulated a flyer about the problem and even contemplated starting a petition. And although the problem seems to be solved, Head would have liked to have received some sort of message from the administration letting her know about the problem.

“I pay $140 for computer service, and (I felt like I was) getting the shaft,” she said.

Current weather conditions keep students indoors

By Erin McGowan Special to The Star San Marcos has a chance of seeing rain for the rest of the week and a small possibility of icy driving conditions during the weekend.

While the rain comes as a relief to the Hill Country, people tend to worry about the likelihood of flooding when this area has this much precipitation. The storms that are passing through San Marcos currently should not produce flood conditions, but no one can be sure what will happen.

The current precipitation is a blessing, said Jana Green, San Marcos Fire Department

secretary, because the area was under a burn ban.

“Too often, when it rains in this area we stand a chance of going from drought conditions to flooding,” Green said. “A slow steady rain is what we like to see.”

The highest temperature this week will be 62 degrees on Sunday, and today we will see the lowest temperature at 34 degrees. If this trend continues, the area might see freezing precipitation this weekend, said Mark Brundrett, Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service forecaster.

Texas is known for its unpredictable weather, and this area is known for flooding. San

Marcos can receive flash flood warnings even when it rains outside of its city limits.

The overflow of the San Marcos and Blanco rivers is what caused the floods in 1998 and 2002.

While October and May are the months when floods occur most often, they could happen at any time, Brundrett said.

“The National Weather Service works closely with the State Emergency Operations Center,” Brundrett said. “If there is a flood warning, they contact the center and brief the officials on what the current weather conditions are.”

The fire department always has someone watching the

Doppler radar and they also use the Internet to keep up to date on the latest National Weather Service broadcasts.

Students are inconvenienced by the storms in ways that have nothing to do with flooding. They are more focused on getting to class on time, reaching their cars without their books being soaked and wondering if their professors will show up in this weather.

“I didn’t go to class today because the university does not have bus services to the art building and I didn’t want to get more sick,” said Mollie Rice, exercise and sports science sophomore.

what we uncover while doing our investigation,” Wool said.

“We do not punish or prosecute. We protect children.”

CPS investigation results are given to the school district regardless of findings. Wool said the school must then take appropriate action.

“We are the independent investigative arm that determines whether allegations were true, who was involved and what happened,” he said.

The alleged basis of the arrest of 25-year-old Santiago Morales, Jr., on Jan. 30 was the second incident of an “improper relationship” with a minor at the academy. A dormitory manager for the school was arrested in January 2000 for nine counts of child molestation. A San Marcos High School employee was also detained last April for

assaulting a student in a school restroom.

Tatum said the prep school and the academy have attempted to share employees the last three years through a partnership. He said his staff was horrified to discover an employee brought Morales to the charter school the Monday before the alleged incident occurred, asking if the school would hire him into their program.

“I have a 5-year-old son in kindergarten, and I don’t play around when it comes to him being placed in harms way,” Tatum said. “For 10 boys to be molested in four years at that academy, it’s on the same level as the Catholic Church.

Somebody needs to investigate it, in my opinion.”

Tatum said his school has yet to hear from the academy

concerning the child molestation incident or his decision to move.

Monty Lewis, chief financial officer for the academy, also cited a lack of contact between the two schools. He said the academy has long known the desire of Tatum to relocate his school.

“When we originally made this deal with him, we knew this was his objective,” Lewis said. “We certainly appreciate and support that.”

Lewis said the recent arrests at the academy have had no effect on the decisions of parents to enroll their children at the institution.

“We’ve had no students withdraw, and no parents have felt unsafe for their children,” he said. “That pretty much speaks for itself.”

SCHOOL: Protecting our children g Cont. from page 1

safety of their children.

“People can be tricked into thinking (offenders) are great people,” Mange said. “Parents may not question these things as much as they should.”

In many child abuse cases in both public and private schools, an investigator from Child Protective Services, a branch of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, will have 30 days to conduct an on-campus investigation.

Geoff Wool, public information director for TDFPS, said the investigation is meant to allow CPS to take steps in protecting the child involved.

“We work in concert with law enforcement agencies in terms with sharing info about

News Briefs

The University Star - 3

South Korean scientists create human embryo clones

Congressional ethics ‘Truce’ may be at an end

South Korean scientists have succeeded in creating human embryo clones, a major breakthrough for the promising field of stem cell therapy — and for the far more controversial endeavor of cloning a human being.

The achievement, to be published Friday in the journal Science, was hailed by many scientists because it brings closer the possibility that replacement tissues might one day be grown to treat medical conditions such as diabetes, spinal cord injuries and Parkinson's disease. The Korean authors were able to grow the embryos for several days and extract stem cells from one of them, then show these cells could turn into many types of tissues.

But the findings also demonstrate that there is no inherent block to using cloning technology to create babies that are genetic copies of pre-existing people.

Indeed, the paper provides a recipe book for the correct way of going about it.

Scientist and ethicists urged that laws be enacted to ban any such attempts while permitting research into cloning for medical therapies to continue. They stressed that trying to make human baby clones would not only be ethically questionable but also unsafe.

Studies on cloning in animals such as pigs and cows show that many of the embryo and fetus clones die because they contain tiny, genetic errors.

WASHINGTON — In the seven years since ethics charges helped destroy the political career of Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, lawmakers have shied away from initiating such investigations and unleashing the political venom they produce.

Now, that carefully observed detente is in danger of collapsing as the 2004 election campaign heats up. Democrats promise to make the ethical conduct of the GOP-controlled Hill a campaign issue, and Republicans warn they will return the fire.

For some, the end of a truce that they believe has done little more than to ensure ethical lapses go largely unpunished cannot come too quickly.

“There is an utterly paralyzed ethics system” on Capitol Hill, said Mark Glaze, a lawyer and public affairs director of the Campaign Legal Center, a watchdog group that advocates tough campaign finance laws.

Questions about how well Congress polices itself have arisen in the aftermath of allegations by Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) that Republicans promised to pour cash into his son's congressional campaign if he switched a crucial November Medicare vote.

Briefs are from wire reports.

NEWS

MOVIES: Not allowed to play

4 - The University Star

Wild art

g Cont. from page 1

between the LBJ Student Center and The Quad.

While this goes virtually unnoticed, it is spelled out in the University Policy and Procedure Statement that these actions indeed go against the university’s adopted “summary,” as it says on the Web site.

In short, Texas State puts the responsibility on the “individual infringer, not the university,” as stated in 2.4 of the UPPS, No. 1.4.23: Copyright Guidelines for Use of Motion Pictures, Videos and Audio on Campus.

Generally, a public viewing for educational use or a nonprofit event is legal. UPPS also allows exhibition for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting or research, stated in 3.1. Public performances of a motion picture, film or tape on campus are prohibited if they do not meet those exceptions.

The policy, revised in May 1997, defines a public performance as one that is “open to the public or is displayed where a substantial number of persons are gathered.” This

Thursday, February 12, 2004

includes any performance of a motion picture, film or tape performed in a lounge, common area, recreational area or auditorium.

The Student Association for Campus Activities is exempt from the policy because they pay license fees, making public screenings legal.

“We pay to the companies we have to rent from, who are Swank and Criterion Pictures,” said Michael Freberg, SACA films coordinator and advertising senior. “Films are around $400 to rent for a showing.”

However, residence halls do not have licenses and, therefore, do not enjoy the same privileges. Video games are not mentioned in the policy.

Currently at Boko’s Living Room, located in the LBJSC, a notice is posted that reads “due to strict enforcement of copyright laws at universities, Boko’s Living Room will no longer be able to show movies.

The one exception is faculty or academic departments showing a movie for a class. Viewing rooms and/or the movie theatre may be reserved for that purpose.”

Attempts to contact the LBJSC director were unsuc-

cessful.

“I agree with the Sam Houston State University interpretation of the copyright law,” said university Attorney William Fly. “When one rents a movie, for example, the accompanying license permits that person to show it in a private setting. It does not allow the renter to show the movie publicly because that would affect the ability of the copyright holder to effectively market the artistic work.”

However, not all hall directors and residential advisers are aware of the change in the law.

“This is the first I’ve heard about it,” said Residence Life Hall Director Diana Chavez when asked about policies for the halls concerning the showing of movies in lobbies.

Retama residential adviser David Archer was also unaware and had a similar response, saying that RAs are not instructed on the subject before stepping into the position.

The assistant director of Residence Life and the area coordinator for conference and marketing could not be reached for comment.

appeal to the public,” Proctor said. “It’s for the advancement of the dogs.”

The organization also provides education and training for purebred dogs, and each year they make a donation to a dogrelated animal research facility.

Proctor said she believes shows like this will also help get more people interested in showing dogs.

“People that come to the show will want to come back,” she said. “They develop an interest in the sport.”

On Saturday the show will also be holding a “microchipping” clinic for local residents who wish to get a microchip placed in their dog. The chip will aid in the identification of a dog in case it gets lost.

“Sometimes dogs get out and get into trouble,” Dieckman said. “This tracks them down through a database and gets it back to the owner so it doesn’t get euthanized.”

The microchipping costs $30, including registration, but show personnel have asked that spectators not bring dogs that are not involved in the show. More than

1,200 dogs have been entered in the show and Proctor said any more dogs might cause chaos.

“We don’t need any unentered dogs that aren’t used to being around 1,200 dogs,” Proctor said. “These dogs are used to it and everyone controls (his) dog.”

Proctor’s husband, Owen Proctor, is the show chair and president of the Guadalupe Valley club.

The club also asks that strollers not be brought to the show.

In addition to the competition and the microchipping clinic, vendors will be on hand to sell treats, toys and equipment for the dogs. There will also be a few booths with dog-related items for humans such as shirts.

The event is free and open to the public. For times that specific breeds of dogs will be shown, visit http://www.onofrio.com/shwpubs.html, choose “closed shows” from the dropdown menu and select the day of the Guadalupe Valley show from the list.

banking, homebuilding and technology.

To illustrate such skills as good communication and teamwork, Hill suggests listing other activities other than salary-paying jobs under work experience on a résumé.

“The résumé is the first step recognizing how marketable people are,” Hill said.

He also said students should be able to cite examples even if

the employer does not ask because it makes them more memorable in a job interview.

“Some of the best experiences come from volunteer work, class projects and internships,” Hill said.

Career Services also offers MonsterTRAK on its Web site, which allows students to upload their résumés so employers visiting campus can view them at anytime.

Senate discussion also included a change to decrease the minimum university core requirement of 40 advanced hours to 39.

Deans throughout the university have recommended the change to a multiple of three, because most classes are three-hour classes.

Sen. Ronald Sawey, computer science associate professor, said students were being forced to take a three-hour course to obtain a single hour of credit to graduate.

Sen. Ted Hindson, political science professor, said an investigation into the education code of the Texas coordinating board

revealed no minimum standard for advanced hours required by the state.

The resolution to decrease the requirement was passed by a voice vote.

A proposal to institute a larger Faculty Senate was discussed at the end of the meeting.

“This is just under discussion right now, but some think the Senate needs to be larger,” Sawey said. “If so, how do you do it fairly?”

The proposal to increase the size of the Senate will be added to next week’s agenda.

DOGS: Put their best paw forward g Cont. from page 1

Andrew Nenque/Star photo Vincent Martinez, painting junior, starts a canvas painting of reggae singer Bob Marley. The painting is a required project for his independent studies course, which will eventually be purchased by a friend at the end of the semester.

WWW.UNIVERSITYSTAR.COM Check it! It’s tight!

include sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding dogs.

Awards for four places will be given in each category and the first place dog will be placed in the running to win Best in Show.

Dogs are entered in the show from all 50 states and Mexico.

Proctor and Dieckman of the kennel club said they are anticipating dogs from the Westminster competition, which took place this week.

“There are a lot of top dogs that will be down here,” Dieckman said. “Everyone’s coming back from Westminster so it’s going to be pretty exciting.”

The Guadalupe Valley club holds two sanctioned matches, or practice shows, each year but this is its first AKC show. The organization has been in operation for eight years and is located in Guadalupe County.

“The purpose of an AKC club is to promote purebred dogs and to put on the dog shows and conduct them in a way that will

RESUME: Interpersonal skills a must g Cont. from page 1

Career Services conducted a survey at the last career fair and discovered that employers look at communication and interpersonal skills, which often overlap as desired traits for job candidates in all fields.

Career Services also found that being an independent worker was important in the following fields: insurance, money and

SENATE: Decrease in advanced hours

g Cont. from page 1

reports of those who donate are given to the faculty and staff of each department. Contributors’ names are listed, but not the value of the gift. “(This) could lead to potential intimidation, which is illegal,” said Bill Stone, Senate chair and criminal justice professor, about the lists.

Frisbey said she would look into showing contributor percentages by department as opposed to the names, so that the deans and chairs would not know who did not donate.

OPINIONS

OPINIONS CONTACT Scooter Hendon staropinion@txstate.edu (512) 245-3487

Thursday, February 12, 2004

THE UNIVERSITY STAR Defending the First Amendment since 1911

Just say ‘no’ to the Valentine’s Day cliché

Page 5

THE MAIN POINT

V

alentine’s Day! When those two words are read, the first things that come to most people’s minds are chocolate, roses, hearts, cards and teddy bears that say, “I love you.” So, what gift in our commercialized sea of pink, white and red do we see guys wanting on Valentine’s Day? For the most part, none strike the general population as a male gift idea.

There are reasons why the advertisers appear to stress the

idea of gifts for the “girlfriend,” “wife” or “woman you love” as opposed to the “man in your life.”

Valentine’s Day is a day devoted to women and what they want.

Now, some would argue the reason the Valentine’s Day market targets men is because they tend to not know what to give women on this holiday.

This in itself is a problem simply because it not only creates an unrealistic standard, on one hand, that men have to provide some

fantastic gift to make up for their relationship delinquency, but also, on the other hand, it promotes the stereotype of lazy and uninterested men. Thus, women learn to expect expensive, yet completely generic, gifts and men, who could have potential for more meaningful creative sentiments of their love, are forced to resort to flowers and candy for fear of unsatisfactory performance.

Now, one might imagine the reason that there are not many

GET ’EM OUT OF THERE

marketable gifts for men around Valentine’s Day is because, for the most part, what they are wanting is not something you can buy off the shelf.

But, that is not what Valentine’s Day should be about.

In the end, be different and don’t stoop to the level of consumer driven advertising. Think outside of the box, and hey, if you don’t feel inclined to present any token of your affection, don’t.

That is your right.

Education makes a person strong

Americans need to reexamine invasion of Iraq

The University Star 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487; Fax: (512) 245-3708

entrance into the war, were untrue. Iraq had weapons of mass destruction; Iraq has ties to Al Quaida; Iraq had something to do with 9/11 — all false. Is lying to the American people a weapon of mass destruction?

These lies that our mainstream media cheerlead into popular acceptance were not willingly admitted by our leaders. Contrarily, they are still being disputed. The truth came about because some individuals involved in the push for war realized that they were part of in a colossal propaganda campaign.

These courageous people include former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who, following his investigation into accusations that Iraq sought uranium from Niger, concluded in an official report that the claims were unfounded.

Months later, when President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell both used the claim in speeches supporting the war, Wilson came forward in a New York Times editorial blasting the Bush administration for using the debunked facts.

Former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter confirmed the fact that ample evidence was available to the U.S. and British governments, showing that Iraq’s WMD programs had been eliminated soon after the 1991 conflict, and that this information was completely ignored.

He went on to expose a British-led propaganda operation known as Mass Appeal in which the MI6, the British equivalent to our CIA, fed the media misinformation to raise suspicion about Saddam Hussein’s weapons programs. Our government used these reports to justify the war.

Ritter went into detail describing how a branch of the British intelligence service had inserted spies to work as inspectors in UN

Editor In Chief..............................................Genevieve Klein, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor.......................................Scooter Hendon, staropinion@txstate.edu News Editor...........................................................David Doerr, starnews@txstate.edu Assistant News Editor........................................Kassia Micek, km1018@txstate.edu Sports Editor.........................................................Jason Orts, starsports@txstate.edu Entertainment Editor...........................Terry Ornelas, starentertainment@txstate.edu Assistant Entertainment Editor................................Jeff Greer, jg1201@txstate.edu

Unscom weapons teams searching Iraq for WMDs. David Kelly, a British government scientist specializing in chemical and biological weapons told reporters that he had worked with MI6 and the Unscom teams. Days later he committed suicide. His death is currently under investigation.

Does this sort of thing surprise you? Did you ever wonder if Iraq was a convenient bait and switch to take the pain and anger away from 9/11 and channel it into a predetermined strategic goal?

If it sounds fantastic, consider these facts: Vice President Dick Cheney (who still receives checks from Halliburton), Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Policy Board Chairman Richard Perle and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz have all been involved with a Washington think tank called Project for the New American Century.

In 2000, PNAC published a report advocating Unites State prescience in the Middle East and increases in defense spending. The report also described how the United States must “fight and decisively win multiple, simultaneous major theater wars,” and the necessity to “perform the ‘constabulary’ duties associated with shaping the security environment in critical regions.”

All of this was pre-9/11.

No one argues that Saddam wasn’t a cruel dictator, but the aforementioned facts suggest that there were ulterior motives for the invasion. Iraq was a predetermined target for its strategic position and oil assets, accompanied by a propaganda campaign to convince the American public to accept its conquest.

It’s hard to see the big picture when you’re painted to be such a small part in it. We scurry about from class to class, desperately trying to balance school, work and any other recreational activities in which we participate. Here at Texas Robert Lopez State University-San Marcos, we each own a Star Columnist name and place among the crowd that beats the books every Monday through Friday.

Yet, each of us is still just one student. We are students at a university with thousands of others just like us, in a nation containing more than 300 other colleges and universities just like this one. If that wasn’t enough, don’t forget to include the many other nations that have universities or other forms of higher education.

Now you may think, “Millions of other students around the world are doing the same thing I’m doing, making job markets even more competitive.” The significance of your degree drops, and you get worried. If I have troubled you then I’m glad I have your attention. If not, read on anyway, and be rest assured you’ll soon get the bigger picture.

So what does an education mean anyway? In simple terms, having one means you gain a better understanding of how the world works, what is happening in it and who share this small blue ball in space with you. When you leave here, you will literally have been transformed. Abilities to perceive and manage problems and formulate and perform solutions will all have been enhanced in whatever your field of study may have been.

This educated and trained community of people stands on the verge of inheriting a world full of difficulties and contradictions. As if that wasn’t enough, this army of the sophisticated is coming into a world which has been speeding up and growing smaller thanks to an indifferent friend — technology. If technology is doing one thing, it is helping to make the world a much smaller place than it was in the past.

The Internet now serves as an international tool for business and communication. It’s possible to have a boy living in China chatting with a girl in Switzerland, or an islander doing business with the mainland without ever getting wet. An inexhaustible wealth of information and people lie at the fingertips of anyone owning a computer. This is merely a progression toward the globalization of the planet’s populace, which doesn’t slow down, but rather increases year after year as technology evolves.

Many come to college expecting that when they graduate and move out into the real world, a host of job opportunities and higher salary wages will be awaiting them. What these eager worker bees of tomorrow tend to forget is that in the course of their education, somewhere along the way, they picked up a higher understanding and became a leader. These societies of learned men and women have become a voice for the millions that go unheard.

This mass of people, who for the most part sit idly by and watch the world turn, are now dependent on you to turn that handle for them.

You, the college student, will come to claim your own in time.

Wherever you go, in whatever role you choose to play in the world, know that you have become that person by choice: A choice to be educated, a choice to understand and a choice to make a difference.

Mottola is a mass communication senior.

Lopez is an English sophomore.

James Mendoza/Star illustration

The future of the United States depends upon our leaving Iraq. With a military stretched far beyond its means and a domestic economy in an unprecedented deficit, we as Americans must examine the truth about why we invaded Iraq and the harsh realities of Daniel Mottola prolonging our occupation.

Star Columnist 634 coalition troops, over 500 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the war began last March. Estimates of over 10,000 dead Iraqi men, women and children are being projected. Staggering numbers of both soldiers and civilians have been maimed or disfigured. How long are we willing to keep up at this pace? Reassurances that we are making progress in Iraq are overshadowed by the daily bloodshed.

The idea of a clean, modern war fought with smart bombs, where limited casualties are incurred, should be a forgotten fallacy, but many Americans still support the invasion.

Maybe America isn’t fully grasping the horror of war because our government has censored the media, prohibiting the filming of wounded troops in military hospitals and the solemn return of soldiers’ dead bodies back to the United States.

Is the world any safer now? Is preemptive war a cure for terror or terror itself? These enemy combatants still fighting in Iraq don’t hate our freedom, that idea is utter nonsense.

They are taking an opportunity to attack and disrupt what they perceive to be a profiteer, a global aggressor who engineers governments to suit the whim of its economic interests.

I haven’t the space to discuss the United State’s history with Saddam in the Middle East. I do, however, urge you to look into the Reagan-Bush administration’s cozy relations with Hussein and their willingness to overlook his use of biological weapons when he was a necessary ally.

I don’t display a sticker on my car or a sign in my yard, but I support the troops. I support them by advocating for their removal from Iraq. How does the Bush administration support the troops? By cutting soldiers’ hazardous combat pay; by cutting funding for military families, they’re housing, their insurance and their education. An American flag on the back of the SUV isn’t good enough.

If you wholeheartedly support this war, I can direct you to the nearest recruiter, your services are sorely needed. If not, the possibility of a draft should confront you. Recently, the pentagon called for volunteers to staff local selective services draft boards. To some, this can be dismissed as a formality, simply filling the positions vacated by people whose terms have expired. But given the fact that the Army has exceeded its legal limit of active troops by 10,000 and is asking the pentagon to increase that number by 30,000, one must wonder how we could possibly continue an occupation without fresh troops. One solution, which is happening now, requires troops to be denied the right to leave or to retire at the end of their terms of service. Another is a draft.

But what about 9/11? We had to act … but why Iraq? By now, you probably know that the Bush administration claims, that justified our

Thhe 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 UniversitySan Marcos Student Media, the department of mass communication or Texas State University-San Marcos.

Letters policy: E-mail letters to starletters@txstate.edu. Letters must be no longer than 350 words. No anonymous letters will be printed.

We reserve the right to edit for grammar, spelling, space and libel. We reserve the right to refuse obscene, irrelevant and malicious letters. All emails must include the name and phone number of the letter writer.

Students should also include their classifications and majors.

Photo Editor....................................................Brad Sherman, starphoto@txstate.edu Design Editor.........................................................Matt Rael, stardesign@txstate.edu Systems Administrator...........................Ben Stendahl, starsysadmin@txstate.edu Calendar of Events.............................Paul Lopez, TexasStateCalendar@yahoo.com Advertising Coordinator.........................................Jodie Claes, starad1@txstate.edu Advertising Graduate Asst..............................Amy Redmond, starad2@txstate.edu Advertising Representative...............................Carson Coots - carson@txstate.edu

Advertising Representative......................Mindy Gieselman - mg1188@txstate.edu Advertising Representative..........................Richard Para, Jr. - rp1060@txstate.edu Classifieds Manager...........................Chris Guadiano, starclassifieds@txstate.edu Publications Coord..............................Linda Allen, starbusinessoffice@txstate.edu Publications Director...............................Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu

Visit The University Star online at www.UniversityStar.com

The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos published Tuesday through Thursday during the Fall and Spring semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. with a daily circulation of 8,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Copyright February 12, 2004. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor in chief.

OPINIONS

6 - The University Star

Chris Sipes/Star illustration

A tattoo should be an educated decision under your clothes, without I have a tattoo. It took Tracy Williams counting on working in long me months to decide what I sleeve shirts everyday. Austin wanted and where I wanted Star Columnist isn’t a city where anyone would it. I thought about it and want to wear long sleeves all drew it out again and again. through the summer.

It changed a few times. I even got other Will your future spouse hate it? Picture people’s opinions of my idea. I found it your child or spouse asking, “Who is important to see what others thought John?” when your husband’s name is because they will be the ones judging it after it adorns my skin. Now, you may be Frank. A lot of people get their significant other’s name branded on their body. I one of those people who doesn’t care don’t care if you’re in love with each what others think about you, but you other; there is a very high divorce rate in should. Whether you realize it or not, this country. The chances of you actually others will judge you based on your staying with a person whose name you appearance and actions. It’s what makes have tattooed on your person are very them decide to be your friend or run slim. away.

Will you run for an elected position? I This article’s purpose is to make those don’t think you would be elected presiof you who have tattoos either regret the dent or even mayor with an anarchy symdecision or be proud of the responsibility. bol tattooed on your neck.

For those of you thinking of getting a tatOne thing I’ve found a lot of people too, this article is meant to educate. disregard is the placement of a tattoo.

Some things you might not have considered is that a tattoo can be life altering. One popular place women like to get tattoos is on their abdomen. It’s totally Such an important and permanent deciunderstandable — it’s sexy; it’s hip. One sion deserves extensive consideration. thing I’m sure most of these women have An important thing to think about not thought about is pregnancy. When before you get your tattoo is your future.

Will your future in-laws approve? Having these women get pregnant, their tattoos a nude woman on your arm won’t go over will stretch, and don’t think it will shrink back to normal. Your skin is permanently well with your girlfriend’s mother; I damaged and a tattoo will show stretch promise. marks.

Will your future employer allow it to Also, science has proven that during be shown? Most respectable employers magnetic resonance imaging, a tattoo can have chosen to create dress codes that cause a reaction, creating a burning sensaexclude the exhibition of tattoos. So, tion. Not all colors cause this reaction, but think about where you want your tattoo the iron oxide can be a factor in certain placed. You should be able to hide it

colors such as brown, red, flesh, yellow, orange and some blacks. It is important to note that not all dyes of these colors have iron oxide. According to Anne Marie Helmensteine, Ph. D., on www.about.com, “Scientists believe that the pain could be caused by electricity flowing through the tattoo or from the ‘pull’ exerted on the magnetic material in the tattoo.”

When you’re old and need an MRI where you have your tattoo, you might regret that. I’ve heard of people screaming in agony because of the aforementioned effects from MRIs. Furthermore, do it responsibly. Don’t get drunk or high before you make such an important and permanent decision.

Any form of drugs can hinder your thought processes. Trust me; you’ll regret it 10 years down the road. Also, do your research. Don’t do it in the back of a friend’s truck. Know what to ask the artist. Experience and Autoclave should be at the top of your list. If you don’t know what Autoclave is and are thinking about getting a tattoo, you need to think about it some more.

Remember, you won’t always have the same values or opinions you possess now.

Take some time to draw it out, get some opinions from others that affect your life and think about your future. If you don’t know that you’ll be able to get a decent job after getting your last name inked across your forehead, then don’t do it.

FDA intervention in eye care a moneymaking ploy is the fact that SAN DIEGO — Kinsee Morlan these prescripLast week, I went to tions are valid for the optometrist for U-Wire Columnist only one to two an eye examination years depending against my will. You on which state you live in — see, years and years ago, the and in order to obtain this Federal Drug Administration “valid” prescription, one must classified contact lenses as a pay out the wazoo. class II medical device. This means the average citizen can- Furthermore, according to not get contacts without a valid www.drgreene.healthology.com, most insurance prescription. companies refuse to cover That’s fine. I agree people these basic eye exams. So, should not go around determining their own eye prescrip- much like a date with a frat boy, you’re left with the tab tions. What I don’t agree with

Williams is an advertising senior.

even though the FDA is the one who asked you out.

Optometrists agree with the FDA in recommending annual eye examinations. However, anyone who has been to the eye doctor lately will agree with me when I say even the unassuming optometrists are mainly concerned with the bottom line.

And profit they do. After my little visit, I was $210 in the hole.

Of course, this was after I waited 40 minutes in the wait-

CAMPUS QUOTES “I think they should push the drinking time to 2 a.m.

It would not only be safer for the town ... it would also bring San Marcos more business.”

— Van Nguyen advertising senior

ing room because of their overbooking of clients.

At first, one may argue optometrists and the FDA are merely looking out for our general welfare — after all, do you want someone with 10-year-old contacts driving next to you on the freeway? But personally, no thanks, FDA. I am not a small child and I think I can manage on my own.

Morlan is a columnist for The Daily Aztec at San Diego State University.

The illegal music Richard Simmons sidered an abuse, either, though. and movie downStar Columnist “Overcharging” is a loaders are a differpurely subjective ent kind of criminal term; it only means “charging than most others. This is more than I would prefer to because they’re typically not pay.” If overcharging really ashamed of what they do. For were an abuse, then a person example, bank robbers, house would need only to want to pay burglars or shoplifters will not usually consider their actions to less for something for it to be an infringement on the cusbe morally defensible. Many downloaders, however, not only tomer’s civil rights. From this, it follows that such a complaint defend their practice, but often against the music industry even consider their rights to be amounts to demanding that under attack by the government everything in the world be free. and copyright holders. Usually, What else is there, then? though, this is not because the Perhaps the most public purdownloaders object to intellecported infringement of music tual property as such. Rather, they believe the copyright hold- downloaders’ civil rights was ers are abusing their intellectual the attempts by the recording industry to subpoena internet property rights. It is this point service providers to provide the that I want to address. I think it can be shown that if someone is names and addresses of users they’ve caught downloading to be fully consistent in their position on this issue, they must copyrighted music, and then to sue those users. The recording either support the general position of the record and film com- industry employees were able to get the Internet protocol panies, or they must repudiate addresses of illegal downloaders the very notion of the right to from peer-to-peer programs intellectual property. such as Kazaa. Once the IP Well representing the objecaddresses were gathered, the tions illegal music and movie association only had to go to the downloaders often make, a Internet service providers in recent article by Foxnews.com possession of those addresses writer Paul Wagenseil began by and demand they reveal who declaring, “Faced with increaswas using them. ing digital piracy, the entertainAdmittedly last December, a ment industry has been frantically pushing legislation and fil- federal appeals court declared this practice illegal because of ing lawsuits to stem the tide — its vigilantist nature. However, and your civil rights may be it does not take much imaginasuffering as a result.”

Wagenseil, for his first refer- tive forethought to see how this ence to an instance of a purport- could be seen as acceptable if there is less direct action taken ed civil rights violation by the by the industry and more by entertainment industry, wrote, government agencies.

“Girl Scouts were sued for For those who would declare singing ‘Happy Birthday’ withthat the Internet service out paying license fees.” providers should not be responWhile Wagenseil likely put sible for tracking its own users, this example first in order to note that the providers did not elicit an emotional response, have to track its users at all. let’s take a closer look at it.

Indeed, aside from some If intellectual property is a misidentifications, the recording valid concept, then calling this industy itself was accurately an abuse of the Girl Scouts’ identifying the peer-to-peer civil rights is tricky. “Happy software users engaging in Birthday” is, in fact, copyrighted music. With this in mind, we criminal activity. The providers, if subpoenaed to reveal the are compelled to ask: Which of identities of specific people, the Girl Scouts members’ civil would be harboring and even rights has been violated? It cerabetting lawbreakers if they tainly cannot be the “right to steal,” for there is no such right. refused to give up the names.

If those people being sued Additionally, while the usage of and yet to be sued by the industhe song by the Girl Scouts is try are actually stealing, then for non-profit purposes, it does they are not oppressed victims not change the fact that they any more than a common were in violation of copyright shoplifter. However, even with law. It may be said that the all this, there might be those copyright holders are uncomwho still continue to have a promisingly and even callously number of objections to current guarding their property, but copyright law (which I have not doing this does not make their claim illegitimate. addressed explicitly), while still If this is not an abuse of holding that intellectual properintellectual property rights, then ty, per se, is valid. Next week I what is? Opponents of the will be exploring this issue by Recording Industry Association attempting to answer the quesof America at Boycotttion, “Is intellectual property RIAA.com, cite record compareally a right?” nies’ charging too much for music CDs as being abusive.

Simmons is a philosophy and matheThis cannot properly be con- matics junior.

Compiled by Alissa Shilander and Linda Smith

“I know one problem in this town is the traffic. I think they should do something to fix the lights. It takes so long to get anywhere.”

— Sergio Sierra communication junior

“I think they should address student representation. I think students should have a voice and be more involved in the community.”

— Christian Grisales mass communication/ Spanish junior

Downloading raises civil rights questions

Thursday, February 12, 2004

“I think they should have more strict regulations on the SMPD. They get away with a lot more (in every area) than other cities, especially larger cities.”

— Jennifer Way mass communication senior

“There’s many things they could address, but if I had to choose one big concern it would be employment in San Marcos. There are not enough jobs.”

— Eunice Quijas English sophomore

“I think they should make it so the bars close at 2 (a.m.) instead of midnight.

They could stay at one place. It would be safer and easier to control.”

— Robert Kidwell English senior

WHAT ISSUE DO YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR MAYORAL CANDIDATES TO ADDRESS? WHY?

happenings

Triple Crown TONIGHT: Phil Stevens (6 p.m.); Cord, Bye June, Pusifier (9 p.m.)

FRIDAY: Holly Aiken (6 p.m.); Texana Dames, Shakin’ Apostles, Ponty Bone (8 p.m.)

SATURDAY: Subject: Defect, Bud, Falling for Days (9 p.m.)

Behind bars

SAN MARCOS Cheatham Street Warehouse TONIGHT: Randy Rogers Band FRIDAY: Sisters Morales SATURDAY: Brennen Leigh SUNDAY: Island Texas (4-8 p.m.)

NEW BRAUNFELS Saengerhalle TONIGHT: Open Mic (8 p.m.)

FRIDAY: Jay Eric (9 p.m.)

AUSTIN Emo’s TONIGHT: Swell (SF), Moonlight Towers, Experimental Aircraft, Glass Family FRIDAY: Superchunk DVD Release (Early show); Hates, Ballistics, Down N Dirtys, Monkeytown (Late show) SATURDAY: Shapeshifters, AWOL One, Circus, Life Rexall, Existereo (Outside Stage); Engine Down, Statistics, Decahedron (Frodus), Moments In Grace (Inside stage)

The University Star

TRENDS Thursday, February 12, 2004 — Page 7

BY JEFF GREER ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Where does one begin to describe the mental and emotional vestiges of a night and day spent at the Bexar County Jail? Or even further back to the incidence and actions that led to incarceration.

No matter what state of mind the offender or alleged offender is in, the primordial sense of urgency and alarm response seem universal among all who first glimpse the sudden blue and red glow.

Perhaps the worst thing about going down is the anxious hope that somehow they will let you go, slap you on the wrist in a sympathetic answer to a criminal’s lastminute prayer. The signature police moustache will hide any sympathy as he throws you in the back of the police cruiser and rockets at 90 mph to Magistrate Services.

The Bexar County cooler — it’s not so much the taste but the sight and smell of it. The temperature is a comfortable 65 degrees and the smell of coffee almost succeeds in masking the smell of butt crack and body odor.

“Step up to the line. No, this line you f**king idiot. Empty your pockets!” Pat, pat, pat — “Shoes off, laces out, socks, too, and remove your belt. Get your hands out of your f**king pockets; sign here and here. Go to Unit 7!”

If only alien beings could come down and examine the zoo-like facility, they would have such a colorful cross-section of our criminal subculture.

It is a wild kingdom with different species of man in varying stages of intoxication and emotional ruin. Some are dressed in uniforms, some without shoes, others with barely a scrap of clothing at all but commonly dressed just as they were when removed from the general population.

A person is on the phone desperately trying to get help from the outside. He’s wearing big gangsta pants, and they took his belt. They got him with crystal meth. He’s not going anywhere. He lies down and pulls his pants up over his chest to keep warm.

One has to hunt for the unconventional stories like, “I ran over my wife with the truck;” or “arson; I set my own car on fire.” A big, curly-haired white boy is shedding little tears to the delight of the various onlookers, as he explains to his daddy why he was driving around with a bag full of mushrooms.

Between these often bizarre stories are drunken outbursts of men and women who feel it is their duty to make as much trouble for the supervising officers as possible. They quickly find that, through modern methods of restraint and isolation, control is quite a harsh and unforgiving reality. The officers chat with each other, read newspapers and occasionally go into action, processing the next poor slob who walks in the joint.

You’re moved from room to room, most of which consist of a steel toilet next to a little sink dribbling out water. The rooms are an exotic bouquet of bum piss, toe jam and wino sweat.

Finally, after a wait of anywhere between two and 10 hours, it is your turn to see the magistrate and receive your bond or bail amount.

The typical amount for first-timers is about $1,500, but the bond goes up with the severity of the crime.

After this is set, it is a good time to give your “loved ones” or your lawyer a call to let them know what it’s going to cost to get your butt out of there. Hopefully someone cares, but if they don’t, it is a small consolation that in about 24 hours you’ll be in a slightly used orange jumpsuit — with matching slippers — getting to know all of your new friends, some of whom care a lot.

But before this happens, you and about 30 of your new buddies are shackled together, hand and foot, and crammed in the back of a fragrant van to be shipped to the actual jail.

When you enter, the captive audience of orange-suited hooligans fog up the glass of their various little rooms as the new batch of

What are The Star staffers listening to?

Matt R. — Orbital Mando F. — Courtney Love Scooter H. — Mr. Bungle David D. — Stereolab Jason O. — Black Michael Jackson Laura V. — Old School Madonna John B. — Ben Johnson Andy E. — Mushroom Jazz Terry O. — Quasi

Elaine Foster/Star illustration

Spending a night in jail not a good way to spend the weekend

human cargo is ogled and surveyed.

By this time, many seasoned inhabitants have fallen asleep, despite the freezing temperatures and bare accommodations, rendering them deaf to the sound of the officers screaming their names.

After many searches, fingerprints, photographs, signatures, interviews, inspections, manhandlings and creative verbal displays by the joyous police officers, you get out. That is if somebody cares about you. Otherwise you get to go upstairs for an endless party involving television watching, spades and dominoes, interrupted by the occasional ham sandwich and milk.

Sound like fun?

If only we could live on The Andy Griffith Show! You could sleep it off and in the morning they would gently wake you up and let you go with a pleasant fare-theewell. But as any guilty man knows, the arrest is just the beginning of a long period of financial and mental melodrama involving judges, probation officers and everybody’s favorite – lawyers.

The Bexar County Jail is just one of the many exciting facilities available for the more adventurous travelers in life. It is nice to know that in every county across the United States there are similar resorts one can visit at the taxpayer’s expense. Here are some help-

ful tips for those who like the crime but hate the punishment: 1. Never blow! The Breathalyzer is an effective tool for law enforcers to figure out exactly how drunk you are. Your friendly attending officer will undoubtedly inform you that the penalty for refusing the test is a 180-day suspension of your drivers license, while if you fail, it is a mere 90day suspension. Don’t listen to them! If you fail the test it is almost impossible to beat the rap in court. You don’t have to be a lawyer to understand this advice.

2. Don’t drive around with drugs in your car. If you’re going to do drugs, keep them at home. Police need a warrant to search your house but when you’re in your car, they can pretty much get away with anything.

3. Be nice to the police, even if they are *ssholes. Cops like to be treated with respect and sometimes a little sucking up will go a long way. If you’re a girl, crying is a great way to get out of a jam, but then again, you probably picked up this trick when you were a baby.

4. Don’t hang around people who are idiots. This is the best way to avoid the fuzz. People who like to fight and cause trouble are not worth the trouble. If you are an idiot, by all means, ignore this advice. After all, misery loves company.

5. If you get busted, call some-

body who knows what to do. Legal procedures and bureaucracy are a slow, painful process and it helps when your benefactor has some idea what he’s doing. There is nothing worse than waking up your parents at 3 a.m. and having them spend all day downtown cursing your name while they wait for you to get sprung.

6. Never go with a courtappointed attorney. Many real defense attorneys refer to them as “court-appointed monkeys.” These monkeys will pretty much take whatever deal the prosecutor sticks in front of them. Lawyers’ fees are expensive but justice never comes cheap. Just ask O.J. 7. If you don’t have any cash, just kick back and serve your time.

The county wants your money, not your life. There is no sense going into debt just so some probation officer can keep his job. In many cases a two-year probation could translate into about two months jail time, a small price to pay to be free with no strings attached.

8. If you decide to do the time, never sleep on your stomach, and if you drop the soap bend at the knees, not the waist.

9. Don’t do the crime if you can’t serve the time. All it takes is one time to pop your proverbial cherry. So, if you don’t want to get busted, stay home and rent a movie. The police don’t want you anyway.

8 - The University Star

ARTS

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Grickle offers alternative to typical comic heroes

BY RICKEY PURDIN ARTS REPORTER Confusing you with its simple line art and wandering empty spaces, Grickle, by Graham Annable, will feel light in your hands like popcorn but then slice open your insides like a homicidal kernel.

Working as an animator most of his life, Annable has perfected a minimalist style that enhances and distinguishes him from other creators in the independent comics scene. Taking cues from his career in game animation and motion pictures, Annable dares readers to construct the actions of his characters between panels. His stories shine by themselves, but when the narratives are assembled, you can’t help but see a cartoon flashing on the page in front of you.

These aren’t simple, slice-of-life stories or superhero plots, either. The two-dozen graphic short stories in Grickle stunningly reveal a truth about human nature and society through their thin lines and easy panel constructions. Whether it’s a grandpa teaching his bullying grandson a lesson or a trio of astronauts becoming murderous in the loneliness of space, this book uncovers more depth of character through a few well-placed facial expressions than most artists in the medium have been able to achieve during their entire careers.

The book is also far from short on humor. Most of the hilarious moments are reached at the end of the stories when a lesson is taught or a revelation is made. Just when you think you’re a smarty pants and figured out where he’s going, Annable slaps you on the back of the head, and you laugh at yourself for stumbling in the wrong direction. Grickle fools you with its subtlety then teases you for being gullible.

There’s no doubt the book relies on the idea that less is more. Seemingly simple renderings of awkward characters plodding through their lives and revealing poetry that every reader can identify with is exactly what Annable is looking for. He doesn’t

Jazz legend’s life, music honored at annual festival Andy Ellis/Star photo Addie Benavides, sound recording technology junior, provided a trumpet solo as the Texas State Jazz Ensemble performed at Saturday’s 14th Annual Hill Country Jazz Festival.

want you to speed through his storylines to get to the end. He wants you to chew on each page, carefully filling the blanks between panels, and come to a revelation about yourself. This is poetry in comic form. It’s trim, profound and lonely sometimes, but in the end you want to go back for more.

You need to go back for more.

Grickle is available now and so is its follow-up, Further Grickle, which is equally, if not more, hilarious in its deftness. Annable’s work also appears in a collection titled Hickee, which features inspired little graphic stories from many of the notable animators he has worked with. All the books are published by Alternative Comics. Give them a try if you want something different from the X-Men or Superman. Look them up if you’ve never read a comic.

They just want a chance to get you hooked.

www.UniversityStar.com Check us out on the web!

BY BRANDON COBB ARTS REPORTER

To be considered a true Texan, one must not only know, but take every opportunity to edify those not from the Lone Star State about famous and important Texans. From Lyndon B. Johnson to Matthew McConaughey, we will celebrate our Texas brethren at the drop of a hat for their honorable and sometimes dubious deeds (emphasis on ‘doobie’ in McConaughey’s case).

If you ever find yourself under the spell of an electric guitar, you can thank one more Texan for his efforts — San Marcos-born jazz legend Eddie Durham. Texas State began its 14th Annual Hill Country Jazz Festival paying tribute to the musician/composer/inventor extraordinaire with a musical homage and several important speakers, including Durham’s daughter and president of his publishing company, Marsha Durham.

The Texas State University Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Keith Winking, ignited the evening with a rousing rendition of “Topsy,” one of Durham’s original compositions. Gary Hartman, Center for Texas Music History director, welcomed the packed house at Evans Auditorium with background on Durham and his place in the sto-

ried history of Texas musicians.

These sentiments were echoed

by Dave Oliphant of the University of Texas, who described the important role Durham played in expressing the sounds of the West in the jazz idiom, especially in the swing era of the ’30s.

Award-winning author and cofounder of Jazz at Lincoln Center Stanley Crouch delivered a warm and colorful speech about Durham, acknowledging him not only for his achievements in composition and performance but also for his inventive nature. “(Durham) was a ‘tinkerer,’” Crouch said. “No one asked him to invent the electric guitar. He was endowed with that innovative American spirit, much like Thomas Edison.”

Perhaps the most indelible speech of the night was that of Marsha Durham as she recalled her father, not for his musical abilities but for his undying devotion to her family.

“My father avoided the pitfalls … that destroyed so many jazz greats,” she said.

Durham recounted how her father stayed home from many long-touring engagements to raise his children, even to the detriment of his career.

“People ask, ‘Where was Eddie all of those years?’… He was at home with us,” she said.

Freddie Mendoza’s Texas State Jazz Ensemble closed out the evening with several Durham compositions including “John’s Idea” and “Moten Swing.”

Special guest Loren Schoenberg, National Museum of Jazz in Harlem executive director and former band mate of Durham, related some of his personal experiences with the jazz icon. At a slight loss for words when describing the feelings he experienced visiting Durham’s birthplace, Schoenberg did what any jazz musician would do — he improvised, calling the experience “epiphaic.”

“I think I just invented a word,” he said.

Schoenberg treated the audience to an impromptu performance of “Body and Soul” with the ensemble’s pianist, Travis Davis, which electrified the entire audience in quiet awe. Schoenberg later paid Gene Centeno an enormous compliment by remarking at the young tenor saxophonist’s creamy tone. Other notable solos of the evening belonged to trumpeter Addie Benavides and saxophonist Richard Garcia.

San Marcos and Texas State paid a fitting tribute to its native son with swinging performances of Durham’s music and sincere words of admiration and gratitude from the impressive cast of speakers.

Modern dance company brings choreography to Texas State

BY IAN RAGSDALE ARTS REPORTER

Modern dance is more than just an art form. Practitioners use dance to explore the human body’s physical possibilities, and choreographers use their dancers’ bodies to reflect their own personal experiences and environments.

The Opening Door Dance Theatre company will be presenting premiere and sophomore performances of modern dance at its annual concert today and Friday in Evans Auditorium.

“What’s great about this concert is it has a very large range,” said LeAnne Stedman, advanced dance professor. “There are codi-

fied techniques for contemporary dance, but each artist has a unique style. (This show) will appeal to audiences because everyone can find a voice to relate to.”

The Texas State Dance program bases its ideologies on the work of Erick Hawkins, a modern dance pioneer who studied kinesiology to learn how the body moves and how to avoid injuring it. Followers of his teachings are returning natural elements to classic dance forms that traditionally impose stress on the dancer.

“Hawkins has taught us that just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s necessarily desirable,” said Karen Earl, intermediate technique and choreography professor.

A sneak preview of one piece revealed modern dance to be technical, physical, fluid and graceful, but not an imposition on the natural body structure.

“We don’t find it desirable to contort the human body out of proportion or to be really skinny when that’s not one’s natural body type or to violate human structure or the human spirit,” Stedman said. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t push boundaries or challenge the body — we take risks; we don’t always play safe.”

Opening Door Dance Theatre performs at 7:30 p.m. today and Friday in Evans Auditorium.

Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for the general public.

Honeybrowne takes twang from Texas country Country music has long been pure genius.” known for its twang and corny The guys don’t do so well with clichés, but the new strain of Texas tracks like “Good for Nuthin’.” The country music is known for blurring reason people make fun of country the lines between rock, music is summed up in two country and almost lines: “Ain’t gonna shower, everything else, making music ain’t gonna bathe/I cut my just plain, good music R E V I E W nails but I ain’t gonna that doesn’t exclude any shave.” The vocals are a little demographic. ««« phlemy; I’m not sure what a Honeybrowne, Honeybrowne they’re going for with this Good for Nuthin Louis Armstrong style. twang-less Texas country Levy the band from Other songs like “First to Austin/San Marcos arKnow” have a Sister Hazel ea, takes its best shot at moving feel, but Honeybrowne loses me and country music past the stereotypes to possibly other country fans by replaca different level on Good for Nuthin’, ing the fiddle with a Wurlitzer keybut doesn’t altogether do it flawlessly. board.

The first track, “I Miss Home,” is “A Lullaby,” the band’s current a good example of modern Texas single, and “Fall into you” are firstcountry, applying almost poetic lyrics class love songs, which is good to to the country format: “Adjust my know since Valentine’s Day is just wires, get cable free/that’s fortitude, around the corner.

The guys — Fred Andrews (vocals, rhythm guitar), Alex Weeden (lead guitar, vocals), Jake Bass (bass, vocals) and Brian Mendes (drums) — have been working on making a name for themselves by canvassing Texas and scheduling tours with bigname stars like Pat Green, with whom they will tour beginning this month.

Overall, the album has more of a rock ’n’ roll ambiance than I like in a self-labeled Texas country band.

There are few songs to dance to, and I suspect this band sounds better live, while you’re sitting down with a beer or two.

There’s also a great hidden cover track, but I won’t spoil the fun.

Check out Honeybrowne online at www.honeybrowne.net for show schedules.

— Bonnie Allen

AMUSEMENTS

Non-required readings entertain all

Thursday, February 12, 2004

BY RICKEY PURDIN ARTS REPORTER

I want you to read some books.

Sure, you have heavy nights of studying, the bus is always late and your boss only schedules you for the bad shifts. You have no time for your friends, your parents think you don’t call home enough and your resident assistant keeps bothering you to come to a stupid program. You think, “I have no time for books.”

However, you might want to make time for these.

In honor of the onslaught of class reading you have, I’ve compiled an official non-required reading list for the beginning of the semester. These are five books that can change your life and are guaranteed to keep you entertained, as long as you can pull yourself away from the keg for a couple nights. To help you decide where to start, here’s a short intro of each to pique your interest: Widely known as the deviant author of Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk set his sights on a subject less controversial than men beating each other for a book that dove under his fans’ radar.

Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon was released to little praise last summer and features the cultfavorite author taking readers on a tour of his hometown. It’s the closest thing to an autobiography Palahniuk may ever write, and it makes it easy to see where he came up with many of his ideas. Take a stroll through underground opium tunnels built by the Chinese. Visit the seedier side of town where day-old parade floats are taken to mesmerize the bluecollar families. Or suit up and enjoy the “Santa Rampage,” a local custom so insane you have to read about to believe. And it all comes straight from Palahniuk’s twisted mind. After you zip through Fugitives and Refugees, you’ll realize you want to visit a place you never needed to know existed.

In two nights, you can finish Amy Hempel’s Tumble Home, a collection of seven short stories and a novella. This minimalist writer, and huge inspiration to Palahniuk, uses her trademark wit and subtlety to showcase the poetic attention to detail missing from so many

short stories today. The collection’s pieces are all beautiful, but Hempel’s novella is the masterpiece of the group.

In it, a woman is locked away in an asylum and decides to write an artist she met briefly in her past. In the letter, her insanity is revealed, but not before she proclaims her search for something she’s been missing — a home. All the characters in the book are looking to get to that comfortable place in their lives, and Hempel shows with painstaking mastery that it isn’t getting home that’s important, it’s the trip there. Like a great William Carlos Williams poem, not a lot happens in her narratives, but the transformations are earth-shattering.

I know what you’re thinking. “If this is a reading list, then why is there a coffee-table picture book about African Americans on it?” The answer’s simple — it’s stunning. As striking as any museum exhibit, Marcia Smith’s Black America: A Photographic Journey: Past to Present comes close to 400 pages in length and profiles the struggles and triumphs of black culture in America.

Everything from the pre-Civil War south to the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement is showcased here in vivid photography. The book not only features everyday life of blacks broken down into chapters of time eras, it provides readers a rare celluloid glimpse at the events and people who have had profound effects on the world.

Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Dubois, Aretha Franklin, Depression-era flappers, ante-bellum teachers and innercity teenagers are all chronicled here in an album that celebrates a heritage through the wonders of film. Yes, it’s a bunch of pictures, but with photography this strong, no words are needed.

The next book is on the list because the author hit a vein that speaks volumes in today’s world.

Another great read is Dear Mr. President by Gabe Hudson, which contains seven stories and a novella featuring darkly humorous looks at the war in the Middle East during the early ’90s.

His wry sentence structure and unflinching look at the hidden funniness of the conflict are all told on a human level and can be accessed by readers of any age. Easily comparable to Tim

O'Brien’s Vietnam stories in The Things They Carried, Hudson’s book stands apart because he intends for us to look at the war with hate and concern: Hate for the men who took us there; concern for the reasons we’re going back. The title story is the novella and in it a veteran writes to the former President Bush because his wife is fed up with the military. If you’re interested in events in Iraq or know someone serving there, pick up this fiction book.

The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2003 is the last book on our list, and I know what you’re thinking: “Oh great, he stole the idea for this list from a book.” Yeah, I did, but I saved the best for last. High schoolers enrolled in a literary program in San Francisco toiled through stacks of journals and magazines to choose what they thought were the best writings of the year. With the direction of famed novelist Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s) and the editorial reins of budding star writer Zadie Smith (White Teeth), these teens discovered some gems. David Drury’s “Things We Knew When the House Caught Fire” highlights suburban complacency and adolescent pestilence, while David Sedaris’ hilarious commentary on his family entertains as well as it does in his own books. Sherman Alexie’s essay, “What Sacagawea Means to Me,” is an intimate look at a Native American icon, and the journalism, like Chuck Closterman’s “The Pretenders,” educates readers on things they never knew they should’ve known. Surprises are around every corner in this collection of works from places like The Onion, The New Yorker, Time, XXYYZZ and Nerve.com. You should pick it up to learn why you were never assigned to read these fantastic pieces in the first place.

And that’s it. None of these are too hard to read and none are way above a basic entertaining level. Just stop in the book section at Hastings one day when you’re renting a tape or browse online bookstores to get a good deal. Whatever you do, don’t forget this article and don’t skip these titles. They may be nonrequired, but they’re still essential.

have an opinion?

Send a letter to the editor. Seriously.

The e-mail address is starletters@txstate.edu.

Don’t say we didn’t tell ya.

The University Star - 9

the university star classifieds

Classified ads are accepted by phone or email only if payment is made by credit card or if the client has established billing status. The deadline for all classified ads is noon two business days prior to publication. No physical addresses or names will be printed in ads placed under the heading of “Personals.” All classified ads must be paid in advance unless credit has been established. There are no refunds on classified ads. There is no charge for “Lost and Found” ads. Check your classified ad for accuracy. Any changes must be made by the second day of publication. To change or cancel your ad, please call 512-245-3487 or email cg1020@txstate.edu The University Star Use the following formula when determining the cost reserves the right to refuse, edit, discontinue or classify ads under appropriate headings. Please remember it is for your ad: always in your best interest to research or investigate any company from which you plan to purchase a good or Number of words x appropriate rate per word service. University/Non-Profit Classified Rates apply to campus departments, official student organizations of Texas + 5¢ per bolded words State University-San Marcos and recognized non-profit organizations. This rate includes classified ads placed by + 5¢ per italicized words students, faculty and staff under the headers of “Personals,” “For Rent” and “Roommates.” Ads placed by stu+ $10 typing fee for ads over 50 words + $10 for ads not run consecutive days dents, faculty and staff for personal profit will be charged the Local Classified Rate.The Local Classified Rate Take number form above and x by the number of applies to all advertising that does not fall under the area of University/Non-Profit Rate or is for straight profit. days you would like your ad to run to determine the “For Rent” and “Help Wanted” ads placed by businesses will be charged the Local Classified Rate.

TOTAL COST.

call 245-3487 or email cg1020@txstate.edu

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: 1. Provide your name, address, and phone number to us by fax, e-mail, mail or phone.

2.. Provide the written text of your ad. Certain conditions apply. Please read all policies and terms.

University/Non-Profit Classified Rate is 15¢ per word.

Local Classified Rate is 25¢ per word.

Extra services that are offered: 5¢ per bolded or italicized word. Please indicate.

10 - Thursday, February 12, 2004

announcements

GET TRULY EXCELLENT TUTORING FROM THE STUDY NOOK! * Only 2 blocks from campus! * Only $30/hr. * Discounts Available Stop stressing and start addressing YOUR study needs!

To call for an appointment: 512-665-1230.

(3/23) ____________________________ Fraternities-Sororities-ClubsStudent Groups Earn $1,000-2,000 this semester with a proven CampusFundraiser 3 hour fundraising event. Our free programs make fundraising easy with no risks. Fundraising dates are filling quickly, so get with the program! It works. Contact CampusFundraier at (888) 923-3238, or visit www.campusfundraiser.com (2/12)

automotive

$500! Police impound! Honda, Chevy, Jeep, Toyota, etc. From $500. For listing: (800)719-3001, ext. 7462.

(2/17)

for rent

Sub-lease my one bedroom apartment. Lease ends in May. 2 blocks from school. $400/month. This month’s rent paid. Call 665-1568.

(2/19) ____________________________ 1b/1b next to Tx State. no parking or shuttle hassles. Low price, includes all bills paid.

757-1943.

(2/26) ____________________________ Female roommate. Next to SWT, don't worry about parking or shuttle, own bedroom , $320.

757-1943.

(2/26) ____________________________ Quiet male student. Live next to SWT. Don’t worry about parking or shuttle, own bedroom, $300.

757-1943. (2/5)No rent in February! 3/2 next to campus, w/d, free cable, pets ok. $999/month.

393-3300.

(2/26) ____________________________ Sublease in a 4br/4ba, all bills paid except electricity. $405/month.

393-8500, 361-275-9183.

(2/12) ____________________________ Great views of Tx State. 1/1 $395 +, 2/1 $475+, only $99 dep. Pet friendly. Apt. Experts.

805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ Clean, Quiet, large, lovely 3bd/2bth all appliances, 3 min from town, 2 people only, $600/mo. 357-6636.

(2/26tn) ____________________________ Brand New Community. Fully furn., most bills pd. Ethernet, local ph, w/d incl. $399 +, AE 805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ It’s cooler in Austin. Unique Austin Condos, Loft Apts. from $375. Austin pictures, info., and maps. Austincool.com 512-693-7231. Member Alumni Association.

(2/12)

for rent

Texas Size Townhomes. 1 & 2 bdrms $495, most bills paid w/cable. Pets ok. Apartment Experts 805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ 3/2 in Pecan Plantation. Pool, tennis, fitness center and playground available. $625/month. 357-2627.

(2/12) ____________________________ Industrial Modern Living. $340 +, cable, ethernet, phone & e/d incl. AE 805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ Downstairs 1 bedroom apartment. $400/monthly, $200 deposit.

754-0954.

(3/26) ____________________________ Great Community. 1/1 $460 +, 2/1 $480+, on shuttle, pets ok.

Now preleasing for May ‘04!!!

Apartment Experts 805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ $100 prelease + bonus offer, 3 bedroom 3 bathrooms w/d 396-1520.

(2/3?) ____________________________ Elegant Living. 1/1 $510+, 2/2 $545+, 3/2 $590+ w/d included. (rest. apply.) Apt. Experts.

805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ Big Dogs Okay! Walk or shuttle to class. most bills pd. w/cable. 1/1 $450+, 2/2 $595 + Apt. Experts.

805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ Small Community, 1/1 $450, 2/2 $650, with free wireless internet.

Pet’s o.k Apt. Experts 805-0123.

(4/29) ____________________________ Sublease 1b/1ba in 4bdr townhome, w/d, free cable and internet. $410/mo. 1st month free.

512-294-1168.

(2/12) ____________________________ Take over my lease. Looking for female at Windmill Townhomes.

Walking distance from school.

Rent $367.50, no deposit, move in immediately. Contact april 972-342-0468.

(2/12) ____________________________ 1 bd/1.5 bth. Shalamar Townhome, available for 7 month sublease in Jan, $495/m. Call Derrell @ 512-619-6115.

(2/12) ____________________________ Pre-lease Today For 5/20 or 8/20/04 MOVE-IN!!! 3 blocks from TxState. $785/mo. 2br/2.5ba TH. $300/dep., Full size w/d, FREE ROADRUNNER & HBO. No dogs 396-4181 or windmilltownhomes.com (4/29) ____________________________ ON A BUDGET? So am I. That’s why we have Langtry Apartments.

205 Craddock Ave., Waiting for you. 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment homes with washer/dryer ready for you to move-in today. Only $650 per month. Who said living in San Marcos had to be expensive?

Langtry Apartments 396-2673.

(4/29) ____________________________ TWO BEDROOM FOR THE PRICE OF A ONE! That's right!

Rent a two bedroom for the price of a one bedroom. You pay only $575.00 a month. Move in today to West End Condominium # 3. 1221 West Hopkins. VJE Realty Group 353-3002.

(4/29)

for rent

Skinny Dippin! In the middle of Winter! Our Skinny prices are dippin even lower! One bedroom now only $575.00. Washer/Dryer, microwave, free high speed internet with no dial-up and resort style amenities. Call the Metropolitan 393-6000.

(4/29) ____________________________ Privacy, Privacy and More Privacy! A place of your own!

Stadium view apartments has a few 1 bedroom 1 bath homes for you. Fireplaces, ceiling fans, PRIVATE outside storage and covered parking await you.

On-Site laundry, pool, and spa are only one call away. VJE Realty 353-3002.

(4/29) ____________________________ Wide Open Spaces. 3 bedroom 2 bath home with carport, features hardwood floors and a large backyard 1002 Earle St. No maintenance headaches or problems, we guarantee it! Call VJE Realty 353-3002.

(4/29) ____________________________ Ready & Waiting! Nice, 1 bedroom , 1 bath studio home.

1642 Post Road. lot’s of storage and yard area. VJE Realty 353-3002.

(4/29) ____________________________ 1 bd APT. $395/mo. 353-5051.

(4/29) ____________________________ 3/2 condo, practically on campus.

Beautiful wooded area, small yard, washer/dryer, paid cable and trash, pets welcome. Available February 7th $999/month 393-3300.

(2/5)

for sale

Sterilized queen mattres set, $65, sterilized twin mattress set, $28, Four full-queen headboards $45-$65. Oak entertainment center $45, lane round coffee table, $58, oak 5 piece dinette w/leaf, $85, oak triple mirror dresser, $98.

Partin Furniture 2108 Ranch Road 12.

396-4684. Free delivery.

(2/12) ____________________________ 3/2 in San Marcos Mobile Home Park. All appliances, excellent condition. $25,000.

210-213-7700.

(2/19) ____________________________ 2/2 Mobile home for sale. $9,000.

357-2627.

(2/12) ____________________________ Wooden signs, letters, paddles, lap desks, names, custom, don’t pay retail (512)665-5617.

(3/2)

help wanted

Experienced sales person needed.

Bring resume to Audio Outlet.

392-2886.

(2/19) ____________________________ Looking for a part-time carpenter helper, days based on your availability. Experience preferred, but not essential. Call JD at 392-1577.

(2/17) ____________________________ ObGyn Office needs help Monday through Thursday afternoons working with patients, paperwork, office cleaning. 396-4837.

(2/12) ____________________________ Extend-A-Care for Kids.

Children are our future. Be a positive role model working with elementary age children. Apply today to be a role model working with elementary age children.

Starting pay $8.75/hr. Sites at 63 elementary schools. Hours 2:15 5:45/ 6:30 pm Monday-Friday.

Extend-A-Care for kids. 55 North IH 35, 472-9929 x 264. www.eakids.org (2/12) ____________________________ Wimberly Eye Associates.

Part-time office help, fax resume (512)847-2072.

(2/26)

help wanted

The City of New Braunfels is accepting applications for seasonal positions in the park and Recreation Department: park rangers, lifeguards, cashiers, attendants, asst. managers, river spotters, laborers, counselors and swim instructors. Positions open until filled. Must be at least 16 YOA. 15 - 40hrs/wk, including weekends, holidays, and evenings.

Starting pay range is $6.91 $10.00 depending upon position.

For more info. call 830-608-2160 or on the city website: www.ci.new-braunfels.tx.us (4/1) ____________________________ FITNESS MINDED. Exploding health & wellness company seeks sharp, motivated individual to help with sales marketing. Call 512-206-0620. (2/26) ____________________________ Part-time work. Great starting pay, flexible schedules around class, sales/service, training provided, perm/temp conditions apply, work in San Marcos, apply in Austin 512-458-6894. collegeincome.com (3/4) ____________________________ Local cattle ranch needs help with show cattle. Experience with feeding and grooming cattle desired. Reply to jcstolte@swbell.net or call 830-625-1099.

(2/12) ____________________________ Housekeeper Needed. Local house keeper needed for light cleaning: dusting, vacuuming, laundry. 3-4 hrs./day paid $50 cash. One Possibly two days/week. Call (512)557-6502.

(2/19) ____________________________ MODELS WANTED-All Sizes-All Shapes. Teens/College Students/Parents/Grandparents.

Footed pajama internet business-.

Please NO CALLS Apply online: http://www.kozykomfy.com/ modelapp.htm (2/25) ____________________________ Athletic, outgoing students for calendar greeting cards, etc. $50 150/hr no exp needed.

512-684-8296.

(4/29) ____________________________ Camp Counselor positions available at camp Weequahic, a co-ed children’s camp in northeastern Pennsylvania. We will be at the University Camp Day Thursday, February 12th to conduct oncampus interview. Positions available for all areas of sports, waterfront, and hobby specialists. Salary starts at $200/week plus room, board, and travel expenses. Please visit our website at www.weequahic.com for information and online application, email us at newsweeq@aol.com, or call and leave a message at 1 (866) 206-3323, PIN # 7944. We will contact you prior to the 12th to set up an appointment.

(2/11) ____________________________ Web-Site Designer WANTED. JavaScript knowledge preferred.

Footed pajama internet business. Part-Time-Ideal job for a Student http://www.kozykomfy.com CALL 512-585-9100-Ask for Mark . (2/25) ____________________________ SUMMER CAMP JOBS IN COLORADO --- Make a difference in the life of a girl at Girl Scout overnight camps in the mountains SW of Denver. General Counselors, Program Specialists (Western horseback riding, backpacking, crafts, nature, sports/archery, challenge course, farm, dance & drama) and Administrative Positions. Late May – early August. Competitive salary, housing, meals, health insurance, travel and end-of-season bonuses. For an application, e-mail campjobs@gsmhc.org or call 303-607-4819. (4/29) ____________________________ Get paid for your opinions! Earn $15-$125 and more per survey! www.paidonlinesurveys.com (4/29) ____________________________ Bartending $300 a day potential, no exp. necessary, training provided 800-965-6520 x157. (4/29) ____________________________ Make Money taking Online Surveys. Earn $10-$125 for surveys. Earn $25-$250 for Focus Groups. Visit www.cash4students.com/swtxsu (2/26)

help wanted

Arabian Horses: several open positions:Ranch in SM, close to campus, flex hrs.

1.hoof trimmer hrly $ or trade.

2.temp ranch hand $6hr.

3.serious/exp trainers--negot pay.

4.good riders who love to ride$open!

5.attractive models who ride well-trade photos.

6.secretary--coordinate, manage, research--open$ *Riding lessons available.

Project: Got 14 horses and more foaling. And a website (texasarabianhorses.com).. working on photos/textto showcase, market, and sell 11 horses in 6 months.Experience and time are negotiable commodities.

Pay you in cash when possible or trade when agreeable ..!

Email resume , aspirations, services to:Nabil@Haysco.net.

However, if imperative my cell 210-367-7842 and 353-3477ranch.

(4/29) ____________________________ Are you a dynamic, compassionate, motivated individual looking for the EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME? If so then Horizon Camps is the place for you.

Horizon Camps is made up of three OUTSTANDING co-ed summer camps, seeking AMAZING staff to work with INCREDIBLE kids ranging in age from 7 to 15. Located in NY, PA, and WV, positions are available in the areas of group leading, athletics, theatre-arts, water sports, outdoor education, and so much more. For more information and to complete an application please contact us... www.horizoncamps.com 1-800-544-5448.

(4/29) ____________________________ Bartender trainees needed. $250 a day potential. Local positions.

1-800-293-3985 ext. 316.

(2/19)

miscellaneous

STUDY ABROAD: Nicholls State University offers accredited programs in Costa Rica, Spain, Ecuador, Mexico, France, Italy and Austria for language credit.

Lowest tuition and fees in the country. Most classes begin every Monday. All levels. No deadlines.

985-448-4440/toll-free = 1-877-Nicholls, www.nicholls.edu (2/12S)

personal

The American Women’s Medical Association reported that 27,000 condoms fail every day in the United States due to slipping and breaking. That’s almost 10 million failures each year. Condom break?

Call Central Texas Life Care for a free pregnancy test at 396-3020.

(2/19)

roommates

Green-minded female. Bedrooms. $325 + 1/3rd bills, $200/deposit.

No pets, no tobacco. Available March 1st. Big house on campus.

Call (512)754-8434.

(2/26) ____________________________ Roommate needed ASAP for master bedroom on Crest. Someone who likes to have fun, but serious about school. No deposit, 1/3 utility, M/F. Call Leah817-881-5324 or Derica 512-787-7842.

(2/25) ____________________________ Wanted: Fun female roommate. 3 bdrm brand new house on LBJ. Rent is $750/month plus bills and $500 deposit. Could move in June or before. Call (210)383-5652 for more info.

(2/12) ____________________________ Roommate needed to share large, newly remodeled house w/ 3 great girls. Have your own spacious bedroom. Walk to class. $393/mo. + 1/4 utilities, free cable, lease lasts thru Aug. Between Student Center and Rec Center on corner of Alamo and Sessom (1001 Alamo St.) 512-293-8125. (2/17) ____________________________ One female roommate needed. $233/mo plus 1/3 bills. Call 512-557-3992.

(2/19)

roommates

Take over lease only $365/month.

Call Kristin 210-269-5899.

(2/19) ____________________________ Roommate (M/F) to share new town house with 2 others. Master suite avl. $360 + 1/3 bills (cheap).

On bus route/ 2 miles to campus/ pool/gated. very social atmosphere.

INCENTIVES to offer. Call Cody 512-925-6406.

(2/19) ____________________________ Sick of dorms and small apartments? Would you trade a little extra drive time for a home in the beautiful Hill Country/ This 3 bedroom, two bath home is on 5 acres and offers space, privacy, vaulted ceiling, great room, fireplace, large deck, and huge oak trees. nonsmokers. 2 roommates, girls only. ($450 to $550) Call Meera at 512-751-3727.

(2/12) ____________________________ Roommate needed, 3/2, w/d, backyard, walking distance from campus, $283 + bills, 754-0593.

(2/12)

travel

SPRING BREAK Cancun, Acapulco, Jamaica, Florida & South Padre. Free food, parties & drinks! Our students seen on CBS’ 48 hours! Lowest prices! breakerstravel.com 800-985-6789.

(2/26) ____________________________ Spring Break 2004! Travel with STS, America's #1 Student Tour Operator to Cancun, Acapulco, and Florida. BIGGEST PARTIES, BEST CLUBS! Call for group discounts.Information/Reservations 1-800-648- 4849 or www.ststravel.com (3/4) ____________________________ SPRING BREAK Beach and Ski Trips on sale now! Call 1-800-SUNCHASE today! Or visit www.sunchase.com (3/5)

services

Personal Security or Bodyguard service. Designated driver or travel security (let us take care of the driving). Residential or vacation-home security. Event or party security. Secured Escorts: for traveling with large amounts of valuables. OUR GOAL: To provide invisible layers of protection to our clients, while maintaining complete privacy. Personal Security Services (P.S.S) Specializes in employing Off-Duty-Police Officers to accomodate you with exceptional reliability. Very reasonable prices. Phone anytime @ 512-665-0787.

(2/12) ____________________________ Typing etc! Audio transcription, resumes, notary public, applications, binding, editing, bumper stickers, tables, etc. 392-9880.

(4/29) ____________________________ Professional Photographer Specializes in weddings, portraits & modeling. Visit my website @ www.ashleyhorton.com For Additional info. Please contact me via e-mail @ ah1005@txstate.edu ____________________________ aplusapts.tv why waste time when you can shop online! Or stop in at 325 E. Hopkins.

(4/29) ____________________________ myGOLDresume.com 866.290.3030.

(4/22)

wanted

Buying DVD movies, in good working condition. Sell your old movies and make $$$. Call Neal in SM at 395-7469.

(2/5s) ____________________________ Wanted: Used cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Any condition, running or not. If you have something to sell, please call Willis Mitchell at 353-4511.

(4/29) ____________________________ Athletic Males wanted for photography. $25-$100/hour. Call Wu in Austin at (512)927-2226.

(4/29)

S PO RTS

Women’s basketball looks to defeat Lamar, ULM

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Ashley A. Horton/Star photo Tori Talbert, junior center, goes up for two against Southeastern Louisiana Thursday. The Bobcats take on the University of Louisiana-Monroe at 4 p.m.

Saturday at Strahan Coliseum.

By J.J. McLaughlin Sports Reporter With all their wins stemming from conference play this season, the Texas State women’s basketball team just may have found its niche as a contender in the Southland Conference and will look to prove that in today’s action against the Lamar University Lady Cardinals, followed

by Saturday’s contest with the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

The Bobcats enter the battle against the Lady Cardinals following a solid 74-64 win against Southeastern Louisiana University.

In that game, senior guard Julie Brooks dropped in a game-high 20 points, going 5-9 from beyond the arc. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 4-4 in conference play for the season keeping their hopes alive for a top seed in the conference tournament.

The Bobcats now turn their attention to a Lamar team that has struggled to a 1-7 record in SLC play. Texas State claimed the first meeting between the two schools this season, 82-67, back in January.

The last meeting between the Bobcats and the Lady Cardinals showcased a highly powered Bobcat offense. Its 82 points were a season high, with junior center Tori Talbert controlling the post with 20 points and eight rebounds.

The Bobcats will be looking for further contributions from Brooks and from senior forward

Aleise Johnson, who has reached double digits in points during six of her last nine contests.

Talbert is averaging 15.1 points per game, and with Talbert drawing double and triple teams, they will need other scorers to step up to loosen the defense.

Of the Bobcat’s four wins this season, only the one against the University of Texas-San Antonio was with an opponent that hovers above the .500 mark. The win against UTSA also marked their only road win as well.

Saturday’s action against Louisiana-Monroe will be the Bobcats’ litmus test as a conference contender. The Indians enter the game in second place in the SLC with an 8-2 record in conference play and have a confidence backed by an 84-58 win against Texas State earlier this season in Monroe.

In that game, the Indians had five players score in double figures, led by guard Nina Randle, who ended the game just two assists shy of a triple double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Should they win both games and get losses from Sam Houston State University and the University of Texas-Arlington, the Bobcats could slide into third place in SLC standings.

Today’s game with Lamar is set to tip off at 7 p.m. in Beaumont, while Saturday’s game with ULM will begin at 4 p.m. in Strahan Coliseum.

Both can be heard on the radio at KTSW 89.9 FM or on the Internet at Boostercast.com.

Pass on the romance, shoot for some games For those poor saps forced go home and catch most of the into romanticism this weekend, pre-All Star NBA events, which I feel for you. begin at 7:30 p.m. on TNT with Instead of participating in the first-ever Shooting Stars the blatantly commercial holi- competition. This contest will day known as Valentine’s Day, feature a shootout between four my friends and I three-person teams will be enjoying a Scooter Hendon that will include a weekend filled with current NBA player, basketball. a current or former Yes, I know.

WNBA player and a You’ll tell her you’d former NBA player rather go to some who all played for lame restaurant or the same city. cook her dinner, but By the time you this weekend should should be getting be reserved for the home from the Managing Editor basketball fan. Tell Bobcat games, the her you’d rather spend a con- Skills Challenge should be templative, conversation-rous- starting. This will feature some ing evening spending money at of the league’s top point guards a restaurant than watching the and should provide some fastNBA dunk contest. Just tell her paced action that will pit New you’d rather watch Sleepless in Orleans’ Baron Davis, Los Seattle than see Texas State Angeles’ Gary Payton, play one of its last three home Denver’s Earl Boykins and games against the University of New York’s Stephon Marbury Louisiana-Monroe Saturday against each other in dribbling, night. She’ll believe you. passing and shooting stations.

Ladies, don’t think I’m a Next comes my favorite misogynist. To those women event — the 3 Point Shootout. who would rather watch the all- Peja Stojakovic will be going star festivities or the Texas State for his third consecutive title game than force your boyfriend and will likely mop the floor into fake romanticism, I salute with the competition. His stroke you. Give me a call if things is unparalleled in the NBA right don’t work out between the two now. With Brent Barry injured, of you. For the rest of you, treat Stojakovic’s competition will your man this weekend by include Detroit’s Chauncey doing something he wants along Billups, Denver’s Voshon with the things you want to do. Lenard, Seattle’s Rashard And who knows, maybe the Lewis and Houston’s Cuttino game and competitions will Mobley. excite you enough you’ll forget Finally, the Slam Dunk conall about subjecting your man to test will cap the evening. Jason some lame chick flick.

Richardson of Golden State will To start, everyone needs to return for his final year of eligiattend the Texas State basket- bility in the contest to try for his ball game Saturday. Last third consecutive title. Boston’s Thursday’s men’s game against Ricky Davis will also compete Southeastern Louisiana Uni- and will probably provide the versity was electric. The 3,300- only real competition. The other plus fans in the crowd cheered two contestants are Denver’s and booed to previously Chris Andersen and Indiana’s unheard levels, and despite the Fred Jones. Cleveland’s LeBron Bobcats letting the game slip James is undecided on whether away in the closing minute, it he will compete, but let’s hope was really fun to watch. he does. Sprite is sponsoring the This week should prove to contest and recently signed be another good game with the James to a six-year deal, so it Bobcats squaring off against the would only make sense for him ULM Indians — one of three to show his stuff.

Southland Conference teams to Although the dunk contest is beat the Bobcat men this year. entertaining, it’s a shame that This game should be inter- some of the bigger-name young esting and could put the players don’t participate. If the Bobcats back atop the SLC. dunk contest included Junior forward Zach Allison has Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire grown into a strong force under and Memphis’ Stromile Swift the basket despite his 6-foot-5- instead of Jones and Andersen, inch stature. Allison posted 17 it would be more fun to watch, points and 11 rebounds in the hands down. Swift has thrown last home game and continues down some of the nastiest to show tremendous hustle that dunks of the season, and deserves to be seen. Senior Stoudemire competed well in guard Terry Conerway contin- last year’s contest. ues to lead the team in more Overall, the All-Star festiviways than just numbers, and ties should be entertaining for junior guard Josh Naylor’s all with the weekend full of sharp-shooting is always enter- commotion. The Rookietaining. Tip-off is set for 6:30 Sophomore game is at 8 p.m. p.m.

Friday with the All-Star game Because the game starts fair- beginning at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, ly early, you should be able to all on TNT.

The University Star - 19

Texas state

S coreboard SLC Men’s BBall Standings Teams

SLC

Southeastern La. TEXAS STATE Northwestern St. Stephen F. Austin Louisiana-Monroe Texas-San Antonio Sam Houston Lamar Texas Arlington McNeese State Nicholls State

W 7 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 4 1 0

L 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 7 9

Overall PCT .778 .667 .667 .667 .600 .556 .500 .444 .444 .125 .000

W 15 11 9 15 10 10 9 10 9 5 5

L 5 9 11 5 14 12 10 12 11 14 15

PCT .750 .500 .450 .750 .417 .455 .474 .455 .450 .263 .250

PF 71.1 68.7 76.1 72.1 69.0 71.1 77.3 81.1 70.2 73.7 66.3

PA 64.9 68.1 76.0 59.8 71.6 71.2 76.7 79.4 71.8 77.1 75.8

Tx State Women’s bBall Schedule

February

14 19 21 25 28

Host LA-Monroe......... 6:30 p.m. at Sam Houston St.....7:45 p.m. at UT-Arlington..................4 p.m.

Host UT-San Antonio..7:30 p.m. at McNeese St................. 3 p.m.

March

1 Host Nicholls St..........7:30 p.m.

5 Host S.F.. Austin......... 7:30 p.m.

SLC WOMen’s BBall Standings Teams

SLC

Northwestern St. Louisiana-Monroe Texas-Arlington Sam Houston Texas-San Antonio Stephen F. Austin TEXAS STATE McNeese State Southeastern La. Lamar Nicholls State

W 9 8 6 5 5 5 4 3 2 1 0

Overall

L PCT 0 1.000 2 .800 3 .667 3 .625 4 .556 4 .556 4 .500 5 .375 7 .222 7 .125 9 .000

W 16 12 12 5 9 5 4 5 9 4 1

L 4 9 9 14 11 14 14 14 10 14 19

PCT .800 .571 .571 .263 .450 .263 .222 .263 .474 .222 .050

PF 74.6 68.2 64.8 57.8 57.2 60.7 55.9 55.6 61.3 54.5 55.5

PA 68.2 64.3 58.4 67.6 59.5 77.1 73.5 66.5 66.4 70.3 73.1

Tx State Women’s bBall Schedule

February

12 14 19 21 25 28

at Lamar............................ 7 p.m.

Host LA-Monroe............... 4 p.m. at Sam Houston St.... 5:15 p.m. at UT-Arlington............1:30 p.m.

Host UT-San Antonio..5:30 p.m. at McNeese St............5:15 p.m.

March

1 Host Nicholls St......... 5:15 p.m.

5 Host S.F.. Austin......... 5:30 p.m.

Men’s BBall AT LAMAR 2/11/04 1st Half

2nd Half

Total

TEXAS STATE........................34.................43.......................77 Lamar.......................... ..........34.................48.......................82

TEXAS STATE (11-9, SLC 6-3) FG 3Pt FT Rbnd M-A M-A M-A Of-T A Allison 2-3 0-0 0-0 0-5 2 4 Dill 1-5 0-0 2-2 2-4 1 25 Brown 4-9 0-3 0-0 0-2 3 2 15 Naylor 4-8 2-5 0-0 1-4 6 23 Conerway 5-7 2-4 3-3 0-0 4 1 Blanchard 2-3 2-2 0-0 0-1 1 10 Ponder 5-10 2-4 0-0 2-5 0 11 Burroughs 2-4 0-2 0-0 1-5 3 30 N. Goellner 1-2 0-0 3-4 0-3 2 33 J. Goellner 3-4 0-0 0-0 0-2 1 34 Patterson 1-1 0-0 1-2 1-3 0 Totals 30-56 8-20 9-11 8-36 23

Players

TO 5 2 1 2 3 0 0 5 1 2 2 23

B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

S 0 2 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 7

Pt 4 4 8 10 15 6 12 4 5 6 3 77

TO 3 14 2 2 4 0 0 1 13

B S 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 3 12

P 14 6 27 13 14 0 4 4 82

Lamar (10-12, SLC 4-5) Players 33 Petteway Davis 3 11 Goodrich 13 Anthony 21 Whittle 5 Matti 15 Burnett 43 Grant

TOTALS

FG 3Pt FT Rbnd M-A M-A M-A Of-T A 6-9 0-0 2-3 1-6 0 1-9 1-5 3-4 3-7 3 9-20 6-14 3-4 1-2 4 3-11 2-9 5-5 1-4 4 5-11 2-7 2-2 4-6 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1-3 0-1 2-2 1-1 0 2-2 0-0 0-1 1-4 0 27-65 11-36 17-21 13-32 16

Technical Fouls: Texas State — None Lamar — None Attendance: 3,763

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: BOBCATS VISIT LAMAR UNIVERSITY AT 7 P.M. TODAY

Spo r t s

Cardinals keep Bobcats out of top SLC spot

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Page 12 — The University Star

Texas State falls into tie for second place after loss to Lamar

By Jason Orts Sports Editor

BEAUMONT — Texas State missed an opportunity to move into a first place tie in Southland Conference standings Wednesday, falling to Lamar University, 82-77.

For the second time in five days, the Cardinals knocked off a top three SLC team, following a 110-97 win against Northwestern State University Saturday.

Texas State falls into a three-way tie with NSU and Stephen F. Austin State University for second place in the SLC at 6-3. The Bobcats have lost three of their last four games and is now 11-9 overall. Lamar is now 4-5 in SLC play and 10-12 overall.

“It’s always a tough game when we play Lamar, especially in this facility,” said Texas State coach Dennis Nutt in a post-game interview. “I like our guys and I wouldn’t trade any of them, but we’ve got to get back to Bobcat basketball and it’s got to be urgent.”

Lamar guard Gil Goodrich scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, leading four Cardinals in double figures. Senior guard Terry Conerway’s 15 points led the Bobcats.

“This game came down to defensive stops,” Nutt said. “Goodrich really got going on us. We gave him some open looks, and he knocked them

down.”

Texas State actually outshot the Cardinals 54-42 percent, but Lamar attempted nine more field goals, thanks in large part to 23 Bobcat turnovers.

“I thought we did a good job of breaking their press in the backcourt, but when we got into the frontcourt, we were still going at the same

speed,” Nutt said. “We needed to slow down and get into our offense, and we didn’t do it.”

The Bobcats and Cardinals engaged in a seesaw battle in the first half. There were seven ties and 14 lead changes with the teams finally going into the locker room tied at 34.

Lamar finally began to take control late in the first half. After Bobcat for-

first half shots (14-25), but was unable to ever establish a lead of more than three points, largely because the Bobcats turned the ball over 15 times.

Texas State made up for the turnover problem on the boards, holding a 20-13 edge in rebounding.

Lamar still got off 11 more shots than Texas State, but shot Terry Conerway, senior just 11-36 from the floor (33 guard, pushes the ball percent), including five of 21 up the court against Southeastern Louisiana three-point attempts.

Guards Josh Naylor and Tuesday. The Bobcats take on the University of Terry Conerway led the Bobcats with seven points Louisiana-Monroe apiece in the first half. Guard Saturday at Strahan Blake Whittle led Lamar with Coliseum. seven points, while guards Teddy Davis and Goodrich Ashley A. Horton/Star photo added six apiece.

Goodrich opened the second half with a three-pointer to put Lamar up 37-34 and the Cardinals never trailed again, opening up as much as an 11point advantage at 72-61.

Texas State fought back, and when Conerway hit a three-pointer with 40 seconds left, the Bobcats were within three, 80-77. However, Lamar ward Lance Burroughs gave Texas State a three-point lead with a lay up, was able to stop the Bobcats on their the Cardinals went on an 8-0 run that next possession and held on for the gave them their largest lead of five, win.

The Bobcats will be back home 32-27, with 2:54 remaining.

But Texas State immediately Saturday for a 7 p.m. tip-off with the responded with a 7-0 run of its own to University of Louisiana-Monroe at grab a two-point lead, 34-32, with Strahan Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on KTSW 89.9 FM and on 1:24 to go.

Texas State made 56 percent of its the Internet at Boostercast.com.

Baseball faces off with Frogs this weekend

By Travis Summers Sports Reporter Last weekend the Texas State baseball team completed its first home series of the young season, defeating Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi twice in the three-game set, bringing its overall record to 4-1.

The team will visit Fort Worth this weekend to face Texas Christian University in a three-game series. The Bobcats are being led, so far in this young season, strictly by outscoring the other team’s offense.

The Bobcats came through against the Islanders with offensive help from junior left fielder Matt Miller. The transfer from Temple Junior College smashed three homeruns, batted in nine runs and scored six, while going 6-for-14 in the weekend games. He was honored for his performance by

being named the Southland Conference Hitter of the Week.

Senior right fielder Richard Martinez leads the team in batting with a mark of .524 and also has a .810 slugging percentage this year.

The Bobcats have outscored their opponents, 42-25, but never held TAMU-CC to less than five runs in any game last week.

The pitching staff has an ERA of more than four runs a game, and staff ace senior Paul Schappert has a 7.71 ERA in nine and a third innings pitched.

One surprise to come out of the pitching staff has been the appearances of junior shortstop Dominic Ramos on the pitching mound. Last year Ramos made one appearance against Baylor University, facing four batters in one inning of work.

This season Ramos has already pitched in two games for a total

of six scoreless innings, striking out six.

TCU is 1-1 for the season after splitting a two-game set against Dallas Baptist University last weekend.

The Horned Frogs have a new coach this year in Jim Schlossnagle, who moved to Fort Worth after coaching at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas for the past two years.

TCU is similar to Texas State in that both rosters are young with a healthy portion of transfers and freshmen. But the Horned Frogs’ roster appears more damaged by graduation, with only one regular, senior Chris Neuman, returning from last year.

Neuman was the team’s designated hitter last year but has been moved to first base because all four of the infield players graduated last season.

Most of the experience on TCU’s roster is on its pitching

staff, with 10 who saw action last season returning to the squad. The rotation is led by staff ace and preseason ThirdTeam All-American senior Clayton Jerome. Last year Jerome won nine games, posting a 2.34 ERA. Jerome was taken out of the game last Sunday with an 8-3 lead after five innings, before Dallas Baptist rallied late in the game to win 10-9.

Senior Robbie Findlay is slated to be the Frogs No. 2 starter after going 6-1 last season. Findlay was knocked around in his season debut, giving up six runs in three innings work in the Frogs’ season opener.

The first game of the weekend will be at 7 p.m. Friday in Fort Worth. The next time the Bobcats will see game action at home will be against the University of LouisianaLafayette at 3 p.m. Feb. 20.

Ashley A. Horton/Star photo Dominic Ramos, junior shortstop, tags the runner on second and throws to first for a double play against Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi Saturday. The Bobcats defeated the Islanders, 6-5.