03 29 2006 by The University Star

SERVING IT UP

HE GOT GENERIC

Spike Lee’s Inside Man doesn’t live up to past success

Texas State tennis splits during weekend competition

SEE TRENDS PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS PAGE 10

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UniversityStar.com

MARCH 29, 2006

WEDNESDAY

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 67

2 ASG candidates experience car theft, vandalism

UP IN SMOKE

By Clayton Medford The University Star Associated Student Government vice presidential candidate and Sen. Israel Ruiz came home from playing basketball late Monday night to ﬁnd his silver Ford F-150 missing from its spot in front of his house on Comanche Street. Ruiz reported the vehicle stolen to both the San Marcos Police Department and the University Police Department. At approximately the same time Ruiz said his truck was stolen, the paint of ASG presidential hopeful and Sen. Katie Kasprzak’s Honda Accord was scratched with a key. Kasprzak said only one car separated her vehicle from Ruiz’s truck. Ruiz said he did not think that his and Kasprzak’s campaign for ofﬁce was a factor in the incidents. “I just wanted to inform the student body that there was a car stolen on campus,” Ruiz said. “I mean, I live right behind San Jacinto (Hall).” Kasprzak said she does not believe the opposing candidates were involved in the incidents. “I have faith in our university, and I’ve talked with the other side, and I know it’s not from them,” Kasprzak said of the campaign of presidential

Stephanie Gage/Star photo San Marcos Fire Department firefighter Jason Schultze puts out a blaze on Tuesday after a GMC Envoy caught fire on N. LBJ Drive in the parking lot next to the Music Building. SMFD Capt. Bill Schroeder said two fire engines responded to the situation at 12:22 p.m. Schroeder said there were no injuries reported and that vehicle fires are actually “very common,” although there is no general cause. “It can range from anything—from the driver doing something to a mechanical failure,” Schroeder said. The owner of the vehicle, English associate professor Libby Allison, has been contacted, he said. The circumstances of the fire are not considered suspicious.

candidate and Senate Clerk Kyle Morris and vice presidential candidate and Sen. Amanda Oskey. Kasprzak did not rule out the possibility of foul play on the part of a third party not involved with either campaign, citing reports of vandalism to her campaign posters hung on the doors of San Marcos Hall residents as evidence. Morris said he contacted Ruiz and Kasprzak when he heard about the incident on Tuesday. “I told them that Amanda (Oskey) and I were so sorry to hear that happened,” Morris said. “Issues like this go beyond elections.” SMPD Sgt. Byron Mobley said the theft of Ruiz’s vehicle might be a part of a trend developing in San Marcos. “We’ve had a rash of stolen cars over these past two weekends,” Mobley said. “But most of those have been little Honda Civics.” Mobley said on March 24 and 25, three vehicles were stolen in San Marcos, one of which was stolen from the student-populated apartment complex The Zone. The previous weekend, police were notiﬁed of the theft of one vehicle and the possible attempted theft of another, Mobley said.

Baseball Hall of Fame lecture to pitch history of America’s pastime By Leah Kirkwood The University Star

N.Y. since 1999. He also worked as the assistant press secretary Baseball Hall of for former President Fame President Dale Ronald Reagan from Petroskey will deliver 1985 through 1987. “Baseball as America” Petroskey is a gradufor the eighth annual ate of the University Gilbert Grosvenor of Michigan with a Distinguished Lecdegree in journalism. Dale Petroskey ture at 8 p.m. today in “(The lecture) is the LBJ Student Cengoing to be on the ter Ballroom. history of baseball as it relates The lecture was originally to American culture, and how scheduled for Sept. 24, but the it at times inﬂuenced American threat of Hurricane Rita caused history, and really how the two its cancellation. are so inseparable and so interPetroskey has been the presi- twined,” Petroskey said. dent of the Baseball Hall of Fame Petroskey gave the example and Museum in Cooperstown, of Jackie Robinson breaking

the color barrier in 1947 as a moment when baseball helped shape the American civil rights movement. Judy Behrens, grant specialist at the Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education, organized this year’s Grosvenor Lecture. “Dale Petroskey worked at the National Geographic Society for a number of years before he went to work for the Baseball Hall of Fame, so his connection with geography is strong, which makes him an interesting person to us,” Behrens said. “He worked in the geographic education side, so that’s where our connection with him origi-

nated.” Behrens said Petroskey and the director of the Grosvenor Center, Richard Boehm, worked closely on a number of projects when Petroskey was still with the National Geographic Society. Boehm thought Petroskey was an obvious choice for speaker at the annual lecture series. “It’s all about place; it’s all about where things happened, and where things happened affects what’s going on,” Petroskey said about how baseball relates to geography. Around 1956, both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants relocated from the

East Coast to California and became the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. Petroskey said this movement of two established teams reﬂected the whole country’s interest in moving west. Gilbert M. Grosvenor, chairman of the board of trustees for the National Geographic Society for whom the lecture series was named, will introduce Petroskey. Petroskey will use slides and a DVD to demonstrate how the last 200 years of baseball have shaped American history. There will be a question-and-answer session immediately following the lecture.

Bobcat pistoleros place in national shooting conference

Genocide survivor, runner to speak on Courage as part of Common Experience By Anna Hefﬂey The University Star

continent of Africa, said Kyle Morris, Associated Student GovGilbert Tuhabonye, ernment senate clerk. a genocide survivor “In the future, we from Africa, will speak hope to have similar to Texas State students events to promote on Wednesday in a different aspects of lecture titled, “The awareness,” MorCourage to Run: Esris said. “Africa is the Gilbert Tuhabonye most underdeveloped caping Genocide.” The lecture is part of continent in the world, the Common Experience series and our generation will have to and will be held at 7 p.m. today confront Africa sometime in the in the Centennial Hall Teaching next 50 to 70 years.” Theater, Room 157. Tuhabonye was born in Songa, The event is also the start- a southern county of the central ing point of African Awareness African country Burundi, and is United, a new program and or- a member of the Tutsi tribe. ganization that will promote See EXPERIENCE, page 3 awareness of issues facing the

Today’s Weather

T-Showers 77˚/59˚

Precipitation: 40% Humidity: 70% UV: 7 High Wind: SSE 23 mph

“It’s going to relate to anybody interested in baseball, and judging from the response, that’s a lot of people,” Behrens said. The lecture is free and open to the public, but seats are limited. Behrens said more than 600 seats have already been reserved, and the LBJSC Ballroom houses only 700 people. Petroskey said all students could gain something from this lecture, not just baseball fans. “I think you have to understand the context of the time and place in which you live, and students need to know how things have evolved to this point,” Petroskey said.

By Jason Buch The University Star

Photo Courtesy of Shawn Hersey AIMING FOR VICTORY: Criminal justice junior Tim Grifﬁth (left), criminal justice senior Shawn Hersey and criminal justice senior Mike Chavarria, members of the American Criminal Justice Association, pose for a photo after taking home third place in the upper division team pistol contest in St. Charles, Ill.

Two-day Forecast Thursday Isolated T-Storms Temp: 80°/ 60° Precipitation: 30%

Friday Isolated T-Storms Temp: 87°/ 60° Precipitation: 30%

Texas State students competing in the 69th American Criminal Justice Association National Conference brought another trophy home last week. Shawn Hersey, criminal justice senior and president of the Texas State chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association-Lambda Alpha Epsilon, said the Texas State team traveled to St. Charles, Ill. and competed from March 10 through 24. “We brought 12 people this semester, which is about an

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

News ..............1-4 Trends ............. 5,6 Comics .............. 6 Crossword ......... 6

Sudoku .............. 6 Opinions ............ 7 Classiﬁeds ......... 8 Sports ........... 9,10

average size for traveling so far away,” Hersey said. Hersey was on one of two teams from Texas State that took part in the conference’s ﬁrearms competition. Hersey and teammates Michael Chavarria, criminal justice senior, and Tim Grifﬁth, criminal justice junior, took third place in the upper division pistol contest. Chavarria shot the top individual score in the upper division competition. “It gets split up into three divisions: lower, upper and professional,” Chavarria said. “They took our collective See PISTOLEROS, page 3

PAGE TWO The University Star

Wednesday in Brief

March 29, 2006

campushappenings Career Services is hosting the National Multicultural Job EXPO from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Thursday in Strahan Coliseum. Don’t miss the opportunity to speak with more than 100 employers and drop off résumés for internships or full-time opportunities with their organizations. Students can participate in a virtual job fair right now on Jobs4Cats. The Job EXPO is unique for its national student participation and on-the-spot interviewing booths. All classiﬁcations are wel-

come, and seniors and juniors are strongly encouraged to attend. All majors will be represented at the fair. For a complete list of tentative employers, go to Jobs4Cats. Students are advised to dress in business casual and bring along numerous résumés. For more information call Career Services at (512) 245-2645, or visit www.careerservices.txstate.edu. — Courtesy of Career Services

News Contact — Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu

And all that jazz

Calendar of

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

EVENTS Clubs & Meetings

at wc10@txstate.edu, or call (512) 245-9655.

Thursday

Arts & Entertainment

The Catholic Student Center will have The Rock Praise & Worship at 7:30 p.m. in the CSC chapel.

Wednesday

Facing the Fear: An Anxiety/Panic Group will meet from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Counseling Center.

Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds will perform at 8 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. Tickets are $2 for general admission and $1 for students.

Events Wednesday Financial Aid will host Senior Sendoff to learn to consolidate your loans from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center. Monsignor Michael Mulvey will give a presentation on “Reconciliation & Forgiveness in the Modern World” at 7 p.m. at 7 p.m. in the CSC.

Texas State Mariachi will perform at 8 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. Tickets are $2 for general admission and $1 for students.

The American Marketing Association will present Ron Novak, area human resource manager for Sherwin-Williams, at 5:30 p.m. in the LBJSC. Free food and drinks are available. All majors are welcome.

Flute Choir will perform at 8 p.m. in the recital hall.

Career Services will host the Spring Teaching Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interviews will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Students must attend browsing session to participate in interviews. For more information, call (512) 245-2465. Friday “Infusion of Multiculturalism in the Business Curriculum,” presented by Ivan Blanco, professor Judy Dietert and professor Diana Hinkson, will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. in Derrick Hall, Room 329. The event is sponsored by McCoy College of Business Administration. Contact William Chittenden

Car accident on Highway 123 kills two, injures three Two Seguin residents were killed on Monday, and their two children and the driver of a second vehicle were seriously injured when a car swerving to avoid a turning vehicle crashed into an oncoming car on Highway 123 in San Marcos. Ricardo Garcia, 26, the driver of a 1996 Ford Taurus, and Jo Ann Martinez, 30, the front-seat passenger, died at the scene, according to San Marcos Police Commander Bill Glasgow. Two children identiﬁed as 8year-old Amanda Martinez and

On Tuesday, the Trends article on Page 6 titled “A little luck, a lot of skill helps Wittliff create his latest book, exhibition” named Bill Wittliff as the founder of the Southwestern Writers Collection and the Wittliff Gallery. He co-founded both with his wife, Sally.

Thursday Orchesis Dance Company will host Dancers In Flight on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Jowers Center, Room B178. Admission is with a $5 minimum donation. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

Thursday

We All Make Mistakes

Opera Workshop will present Poulenc’s “Dialogue of the Carmalites” at 8 p.m. in the University Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for students.

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

Bridgette Cyr/Star photo Jazz studies junior Adam Booker performs on bass with music graduate student Mark Pomerantz on piano during the Student Recital Series on Tuesday evening in the Music Building recital hall.

CRIME BL TTER University Police Department

March 23, unknown hour Criminal Mischief: Under $500/Blanco Garage A student reported to a police officer that her vehicle was damaged while parked. This case is under investigation. March 23, 1:57 a.m. Driving While Intoxicated/ Aquarena Springs Drive A police officer made contact with a vehicle for a traffic stop. Upon further investigation, a student was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center to

await magistration.

March 24, 2:18 p.m. Information Report: Elevator Rescue/Alkek Library A police ofﬁcer was dispatched to the Alkek Library for an elevator rescue. A student was rescued unharmed. March 25, 2:32 p.m. Information Report: Medical Emergency/ West Campus Athletic Fields A non-student reported to a police ofﬁcer that he injured his right shoulder while playing lacrosse. The non-student was transported to Central Texas Medical Center for medical evaluation.

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

9-year-old Savannah Martinez, who were in the back seat, were transported to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin with serious injuries. Martinez was their mother and Garcia their stepfather. Manual Lujan, 39, of San Marcos, identiﬁed as the driver of the 2004 Honda Accord struck by Garcia’s Taurus, was also transported to Brackenridge with serious injuries. The wreck occurred at 4:39 p.m. on Monday near the construction site of the new Bowie Elementary School on Highway 123. All the victims were wearing seat belts, and the air bags

deployed. The victims were transported by ambulance and Life Flight to Austin. Glasgow said Garcia’s vehicle was traveling southbound on Highway 123 when he swerved to avoid a turning vehicle. His car traveled into northbound oncoming trafﬁc and crashed into Lujan’s Honda. Lujan was alone in his car. San Marcos police are continuing their investigation of the wreck. They were the second and third trafﬁc deaths in San Marcos in 2006. — Courtesy of the City of San Marcos

Legislation protesters arrested in Fort Worth

Tom Pennington/Fort Worth Star Fort Worth police handcuff a protester as a crowd of Fort Worth students ﬁlled the streets of downtown Fort Worth on Tuesday, protesting proposed immigration legislation.

ASG Beat Students can vote online, at polling locations for upcoming elections ASG elections are quickly approaching. They will be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on April 4 and 5. Students can vote online or at one of the polling locations that will be set up in the LBJ Student Center, The Quad and the Student Recreation Center. Students will be allowed to vote for president and vice-president positions, as well as for senators running in their college. ASG will host a debate between presidential nominees at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in LBJSC, Room 3-14.1. Current ASG President Jordan Anderson will make a “State of the

Students” address to inform the Texas State community of what ASG has worked on this year and its hope for things to come. Also, ASG would like to remind everyone of the Spring Football Game at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium. Free pizza is being offered to all students in attendance. Finally, any students who have concerns regarding zoning ordinances throughout the city are encouraged to attend the City Council meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall. If you wish to address the council, please get there early to sign up as a speaker. — Courtesy of Associated Student Government

NEWS

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The University Star - Page 3

Local road construction spurs controversy PISTOLEROS: Texas By Kathy Martinez The University Star A proposed contract relating to the construction of some roads in Woodcreek North sparked heated discussion at the Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday. County Judge Jim Powers is seeking authorization from the court to execute the agreement with Wimberley Springs Partners. Commissioner Susie Carter, 2nd Precinct, questioned the wording of the contract in the Preliminary Engineering Report set between the developers of Wimberley Springs Partners and Hays County. “When we look at new and old roads to take into our sys-

tem where we don’t have any discretion and the developer does, then this is in no way a beneﬁt to the county,” Carter said. “In fact, this is a huge irregularity in the process of the development of such roads.” Carter asked the court to consider taking a closer review of the PER, which, she said, leaves a loophole for developers to construct roads at their discretion without having any obligation to meet the requirements of the county. “To be accepted into our public system, it must follow our requirements, which are in fact established in the PER,” said Commissioner Will Conley, 3rd Precinct. Standards set by the county include the geography and

speed limits of the roads. Carter said the PER does not clarify the county’s ability to reject any development if such standards are not met. “You’re taking the sentencing in the PER out of context based on wording to confuse the court and the developers without having read through the contract thoroughly yourself,” Conley told Carter. Conley said the purpose of such developments is to improve the safety of roads in the communities where they exist. “It is our responsibility to make projects like this happen, and happen properly,” said Commissioner Russ Molenaar, 4th Precinct. Carter motioned for an amendment to be made to the

PER by removing a sentence from the contract giving discretion to developers in the construction of the roads. Powers denied the recommendation for an amendment and made a motion to pass the road construction agreement with Wimberley Springs Partners. Carter said she will sustain her vote until she looks further into the contract. Other agenda items passed included action authorizing Powers to sign an interlocal agreement with Greenhawe Water Control and Improvement District No. 2 for the collection of taxes and action to accept the Fiscal Year 2005 ﬁnancial audit for Hays County.

Christian convert Abdul Rahman disappears soon after release from Afghan prison By Kim Barker Chicago Tribune

KABUL, Afghanistan — Abdul Rahman, threatened with the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity in a case that drew Western condemnation, disappeared on Tuesday. He was not in a Kabul mental hospital, despite allegations he is mentally ill. He was not with international troops. Members of his family said they did not know where he is. Most likely, after his release on late Monday from an Afghan prison, Rahman was being protected by the United Nations and Afghan ofﬁcials, a Western diplomat said. A U.N. spokesman in Afghanistan said he could not comment on the case, but several Afghan ofﬁcials said Rahman was released to U.N. custody. “I have no idea where he is, to be honest,” said Rahman’s brother, who did not want his name used. “To be honest, I don’t want to know.” The U.N. announced Monday that Rahman has asked for asylum. If he were released in Kabul, his life would be in danger; many Afghans believe he should be killed for abandoning Islam.

Italy has volunteered to grant Rahman asylum, but it still is not clear where Rahman will go. Lou Fintor, the spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, said American ofﬁcials are working with authorities to ensure Rahman’s well-being and that Rahman would pick where he wants to live. “That is a decision for Mr. Rahman,” Fintor said. “If he decides to go abroad, we would support efforts to ﬁnd him a safe haven.” The case has alarmed Western nations, especially the countries that have propped up Afghanistan with money and troops since driving out the fundamentalist Taliban regime in late 2001. Several countries threatened to pull their soldiers if Rahman were killed. World leaders, from Pope Benedict XVI to President Bush, have expressed concern about the case. Inside Afghanistan, the moderate Islamic government faced pressure from conservative forces who said Islamic law requires the death penalty for anyone converting from Islam to another religion. Moderate clerics disagree with that interpretation, but in Afghanistan, most clerics are conservative. Afghanistan’s constitution is riddled with contradictions,

protecting human rights and freedom of religion while laying out Islamic law as the country’s overriding principle. Rahman was released from prison on Monday night after the case was sent back to prosecutors for further investigation. Judges wanted to know if Rahman is mentally ill and if he holds more than one passport. If Rahman is found to be sane, he could again face the death penalty in Afghanistan, officials said. Although Western diplomats and Afghan officials feared major demonstrations concerning Rahman’s release, there were no protests on Tuesday and only a small, peaceful demonstration on Monday. Still, the real test of the country’s reaction will be on Friday, after clerics lecture during the week’s most important prayers. On Tuesday, a fuller picture of Rahman and the case against him also emerged. Police Col. Mohammed Saber Monseffi, who handled the case from the beginning, showed his original case file. Six family members signed complaints against Rahman on Feb. 11, chiefly because he had no job and allegedly beat them. Family members also complained that Rahman is mental-

ly ill and converted from Islam to Christianity. In response to his family’s complaints, Rahman filed one against his father. “He has warned if I don’t become Muslim, I’d be driven away from the house because I’m a Christian,” Rahman wrote. “That’s why I came to the police to register a complaint against him.” Local police said they referred the case to the central police of Kabul because of allegations that Rahman beat his father, not because of his religion. “Abdul Rahman told me he was a Christian,” said Monseffi, a Muslim who is married to a Christian Russian woman. “I said, ‘I don’t care. I don’t care what you are. This is my question — why do you beat your father?’” Rahman was arrested and locked up in Kabul’s central police command. Only after he was there did his religion become more of an issue. “Abdul Rahman insisted, ‘Please write I’m a Christian, please write I’m a Christian,’”Monseffi said. “Finally, he was caught in a trap.” Monseffi said Rahman might have announced his conversion so he could gain asylum in a Western country.

State students compete with nine-millimeters CONTINUED from page 1

scores and added them together. What I got first in was the individual competition. You can compete in the team competition and use your score for the individual competition.” The shooting competition took place on March 21. Hersey said members of the Texas State team also competed in crime scene investigation tests, physical agility tests and academic tests. Two teams of three competed in the shooting competition, but only the team of Hersey, Chavarria and Griffith placed. Griffith said he used a Smith & Wesson, Chavarria used a Beretta and Hersey used a Glock. “We all use a nine-millimeter because the round itself is smaller and faster,” Griffith said. “Competitions are timed, and when you fire a larger round it recoils and makes it harder to set your site picture back.” ACJA-LAE is a professional

fraternity for criminal justice majors around the country. Every spring they hold a national conference. In the fall, the organization holds regional conferences. The Texas State firearms team took first place at the 2005 Region 2 conference in Sherman, Texas. “You go to regionals in the fall, and you don’t have to reach a certain criteria,” Chavarria said. “You do as good as you do or as bad as you do. It’s just like a warm-up for nationals.” Texas State’s firearm team took first place at last year’s national competition. Chavarria, Griffith and Hersey said Texas State regularly places well in NCJA-LAE competitions. “You have people coming from across the United States, and you don’t know who they are or anything about them,” Chavarria said. “You just do your best, and to come out on top and to walk around and have people know who you are feels great.”

EXPERIENCE: Tuhabonye to speak about forgiveness, healing CONTINUED from page 1

Tuhabonye began running at an early age and won an 8K race when he was only a freshman at Kibimba Protestant School. He became a national champion in the 400- and 800-meter races in the 11th grade. On Oct. 21, 1993, because of a centuries-old war, Hutu students, parents and teachers at Kibimba Protestant School forced more than 100 Tutsi children and teachers into a room where they beat and burned them to death. Tuhabonye was the only survivor of the massacre, said Vicki Andrews, lecture agent for the B & B Media Group, which represents Tuhabonye. “It was one of the most devastating events in history, espe-

cially in Africa,” Andrews said. “Burundi is by Rwanda, which has gotten a lot of publicity, but that whole area is in turmoil.” Tuhabonye will speak about forgiveness and healing and about his book, This Voice in My Heart: A Genocide Survivor’s Story of Escape, Faith and Forgiveness. “It’s great that Tuhabonye has a chance to come here; it will be a very positive experience for the students,” said ASG President Jordan Anderson. Tuhabonye is now a running coach for RunTex where he is one of the more popular running coaches, and has his own group called “Gilbert’s Gazelles,” Andrews said. For more information, contact Morris at (512) 245-3465.

www.UniversityStar.com

Page 4 - The University Star

NEWS

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Military tribunals challenged as abuse of presidential power By Andrew Zajac Chicago Tribune WASHINGTON, D.C. — The trial of Osama bin Laden’s driver before a military commission is either a radical abuse of presidential power or a careful proceeding built on more than 200 years of U.S. history, lawyers told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The United States is trying Salim Ahmed Hamdan before a special military commission, often called a tribunal. In doing so, the Bush administration has sought to demonstrate that it had devised a way to give enemy combatants in the war on terror fair trials outside the judicial system, using procedures adapted from military trials. But Hamdan’s attorney, Neal Katyal, a Georgetown University law professor, told the court during oral arguments that the early phase of Hamdan’s trial for conspiracy to commit terrorism has turned out to be a one-sided, ad hoc affair with changing rules that denied him basic rights afforded by U.S. and international law. If the system is left in place, “you will be countenancing a huge expansion of military jurisdiction,” he said. Depending on how the high court decides the case, it could rearrange the balance of power between Congress, the courts and the White House. Katyal appeared to ﬁnd a sympathetic audience among several justices, who repeatedly asked pointed questions about the broad sweep of authority claimed by the administration in detaining, trying and punishing enemy combatants. Solicitor General Paul Clement, representing the government, tried to short-circuit Hamdan’s case by arguing that the Supreme Court no longer had jurisdiction because Congress in December passed the Detainee Treatment Act, which prevents enemy combatants from taking their cases to federal court until the military trials have run their

Chuck Kenney/KRT Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift talks outside of the United States Supreme Court on Tuesday after presenting arguments for the government in a legal case that challenges the use of military tribunals for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.

course. Katyal countered that the act was not intended to affect a case like Hamdan’s that was already in the judicial pipeline. Justice David Souter said closing the courts after cases have been filed would be “just about the most stupendously significant action” Congress could take. Although it most directly challenges President Bush’s authority to create special courts during wartime, Hamda’s case is part of a larger debate since the Sept. 11 attacks concerning the president’s power to circumvent normal restraints in the fight against terrorism. From torture to surveillance to legal rights, the administration argues that the war on terror requires special methods, while critics say it has gone too far and targeted the innocent. Courts have moved cautiously to reign in executive power. In June 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that detainees held as enemy combatants have the right to plead their cases in U.S. courts, but it left out the details of how that might be done, setting the stage for the arguments in the Hamdan case. Justice Samuel Alito, the newest member of the court who was sworn in in January, seemed focused on finding a way to accommodate the administration’s military process. Alito asked Katyal what was the harm of waiting until the end of the military commission trials before making appeals, as is done in criminal proceedings. Hamdan already has waited four years for justice, and according to the current military process, Bush has the power to delay his appeal to a court indefinitely, Katyal replied. Furthermore, Katyal said, there is a built-in fairness to regular criminal proceedings that is absent in the military commission process. In criminal cases, Katyal said, “Congress has fairly balanced the rights of both sides. Here

none of that has happened. Congress hasn’t weighed in.” Justice Anthony Kennedy, usually a swing vote on the court, worried that “if the president can do this . . . he can set up commissions in Toledo . . . and pick up an alien and not have any trial at all except before that special commission.” Hamdan, a Yemeni with a 4th-grade education, was picked up in Afghanistan in late 2001 and eventually moved to the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, where he currently is among about 490 detainees. He admits to driving for bin Laden but denies involvement in terrorism. Clement told the court that military commission trials have been “part and parcel of the war powers (of the president) since Maj. Andre,” the British ofﬁcer hanged as a spy in 1780 in proceedings ordered by Gen. George Washington. He pointed out that the U.S. used a charge of conspiracy, like the one facing Hamdan, to convict and execute German saboteurs during World War II. But Katyal said that legal standards have changed and that conspiracy is no longer considered a valid charge under international law, because it is regarded as overly broad and vague. Chief Justice John Roberts did not hear the case because he had previously, as part of an appellate court panel, ruled in favor of the commissions; that is now being considered by the high court. Justice Antonin Scalia participated in the arguments despite calls from lawyers not involved in the case to remove himself for allegedly prejudicial remarks. In remarks reported by Newsweek on Sunday, Scalia told a Swiss audience this month that enemy combatants had no right to court hearings. Scalia also dissented from the court’s 2004 ruling that prisoners at Guantanamo were entitled to challenge their detention in U.S. courts.

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

trendythoughts

When assigned to read a book for class, do you actually read the book, or watch the movie?

“I always read the book.”

“For my last test, I watched the movie Death of a Salesman.”

“Last semester I read Ramayana, and it was the best book I ever read.

— Abby Wiatrek biochemistry junior

— Holly Gasca economics junior

— Andrew Hogan marketing sophomore

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 - Page 5

Trends Contact — Kyle Bradshaw, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Compiled by Bridgette Cyr

COPS AND ROBBERS: Denzel Washington (left) and Chiwetel Ejiofor play two detectives trying to stop a bank robbery in Spike Lee’s Inside Man.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Inside Man leaves much to be desired By Nixon Guerrero The University Star Spike Lee’s latest joint, Inside Man, unfortunately, is too genre-driven for some of the themes familiar from most of ✯✯✯ his work. In the film’s opening shot, Inside Man we’re introduced to an almost Dir.: Spike Lee nonblinking, staring-right-atStars: Denzel Washington, Clive the-camera Dalton Russell, Owen played by Clive Owen. And in Rated: R this single shot, Dalton tells us the “who, what, when and where” of the film’s plot but not the “why?” This is the film’s setup, which — admittedly — had me instantly hooked. The film spends the next two hours attempting to answer the “why,” in a confusing, frustrating manner. After Dalton’s monologue, which is reminiscent of John Travolta’s opening scene in Swordfish, we witness Dalton and friends walk into a Wall Street bank wearing painter coveralls with hoods and

film review

shades in the middle of the day and lock everyone in. They cover the security cameras and make all the hostages lie on the ground, the standard procedure for most movie bank robbers. The robbers ignite some sort of gas bombs in the bank and manage to unwittingly — or not — alert a nearby street cop, who in-turn alerts dispatch and calls for back up. This is when we meet the rest of the stars of the ﬁlm. First off, Detective Frazier, played by Denzel Washington, is not the most revered of law enforcers. In fact, he’s got a dark cloud over his head, one about his supposed involvement in the disappearance of $140,000. But this ultimately proves to be an unnecessary and trite backstory for the character. Frazier gets the call on the robbery-in-progress and rushes to the scene. Immediately, the bank is zoned off and is surrounded by New York folk and policemen. It’s kind of like Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon starring Al Pacino and Chris Sarandon. Speaking of Dog Day Afternoon, for those of that have seen it, you’ll instantly recognize some of the

same sequences and motifs in Inside Man. There’s an unwritten rule that screenplay writers and directors follow: If you’re going to rip off a great classic in your film, you must mention its title in reference. And this film follows that rule exactly. In the middle of the film, one of the characters happens to ask another, “Have you seen Dog Day Afternoon?” That way, the audience is relieved from the pressure of figuring out what exactly is going on, and it works. Then, we meet the bank’s chairman as he’s being informed of what’s happening to his bank. He’s a little bit worried about this and doesn’t want the robbers — or the public — to find out what’s inside his safety-deposit box. So he contacts Madeline White, played by the awesome Jodie Foster. White is the type of woman that can fix problems for high-powered people in a discreet manner, although we’re not really sure what her official title is. She reminded me of a female Winston “The Wolf ” Wolfe from Pulp Fiction, played by Harvey Keitel. But in order to make things go smoothly, White must have the mayor order Dalton and his team to do as she says. This, of course, emasculates Dal-

ton. As for what happens next, you’ll have to see for yourself. Now, this film has an extraordinary amount of star power and filmmaker credibility. But, personally, I would have loved for Owen’s character to have a lot more dialogue and a bit more of a backstory. It’s bad enough you don’t see the guy’s face for more than 10 seconds — give him more of a story. The same goes for Foster’s character. Hers and Owen’s characters really didn’t have to be as mysterious as they are. However, the film is not without its good moments that feature Lee’s signature themes. There is, of course, the racial commentary, the dark humor and the presence of blues in the soundtrack. Any Lee fan can easily pick these out, but they don’t make up for what is missing from the entire movie — cohesiveness. This could have been the reimaged and revamped noir film for today. Sadly, it will probably just be another quickly forgotten movie, although it did debut at No. 1 in the weekend box office. Some say that it’s really the second weekend that shows if a film can hold its cinematic ground. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

TRENDS/DIVERSIONS

Page 6 - The University Star

✯Star Comics

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Watson’s newest tells tales of heartache, cross-dressing By Stephen Lloyd The University Star The liner notes in Austin country artist Dale Watson’s new album, Whiskey or God, state that all the songs have music been written review previously but ✯✯✯ only played Dale Watson live. This goes Whiskey or God a long way to Palo Duro explain the Records album’s slight lack of cohesiveness. After all, these songs could have been written at vastly different times, but that doesn’t mean the album isn’t good, real country like people have come to expect from Watson. The opening track, “Sit and Drink and Cry,” is deﬁnitely real country, almost stereotypically so. There is such a thing as too much twang — but the song does

feature a good steel guitar solo. The title track is a little bit edgier but still has classic country elements, like drums that mimic the clacking of a train across a track, horn textures and Watson’s powerful, deep Johnny Cash-like singing voice. The album has a few slower songs that would probably ﬁt best in the background of a country bar or dancehall. But the ﬂipside is that his capable singing shines through even more. “I Don’t Feel Too Lucky” is western swing, a la Asleep At The Wheel. “My Heart is Yours” has a very simple, mechanical sounding rhythm section. “I Wish I Was Crazy Again” actually sounds less like background music than the others. There’s something about the deep, bass-heavy horns, the more classically styled violin playing and the soft piano that makes the song interesting. “No Help Wanted” has an out-of-place, cosmic guitar riff, but luckily it gets repressed for the song’s verse sections. It’s not bad in and of itself but it doesn’t

quite work with the other standard country sounds of the song. Watson shows his humorous side with “Truckin’ Queen (I Got My Night Gown On),” which tells the tale of a cross-dressing trucker from Oklahoma. The song is stupid, but that’s the point. It’s amusing. “I Ain’t Been Right Since I’ve Been Left” is an enjoyable fiddleand steel-guitar-driven song, with flavors of zydeco music. The subject matter is something most people can probably relate to: getting dumped. The horndriven, Latin-flavored “Tequila and Teardrops” deals with essentially the same subject, which is a staple of country music. The closing track, “Heeah!!” is western swing but with a little more energy, essentially making it closer to rockabilly, with jazzy bass and horns. The album has a couple of throwaway tracks, but overall, it’s very good if you like country music. And even if you don’t, it would be hard not to admire the talented musicianship. WHISKEY MUSIC: In addition to releasing the new album Whiskey or God, Dale Watson was also the subject a recent documentary, Crazy Again, which premiered at South By Southwest.

Courtesy of David McLarty Agency

For Chef, South Park creators deliver brutal payback By Terry Lawson Detroit Free Press The notion that said you don’t pick a ﬁght with someone who buys ink by the barrel is pretty much on its last legs. In fact, picking a ﬁght with what is now dismissed as MSM — mainstream media — has become a favored sport of talkshow shouters like Bill O’Reilly (who threatened to get into the personal lives of New York Times nabobs like Frank Rich) and the National Army of Bloggers, who lick their chops at the prospect of taking out wounded targets like Dan Rather. Now, with the tables turned — or at least rid of their polite place settings — the folks you need to avoid offending are the Frankenstein monsters of the airwaves. You know who they are. These are the people who were given more or less free reign by the old MSM — when it realized they could capture TV and radio audiences for relatively little capital outlay. Think Howard Stern and all his potty-obsessed progeny. Or the crowd at Comedy Central, which seems to go relatively unbothered by their corporate patrons, Viacom.

Tuesday’s solutions:

While I don’t like to boast about my relationship with the kids of South Park, I’ve become a fairly regular viewer. One of the things I like best is that the lack of concern for production values means that creator-writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone can whip out an episode with jokes relevant to recent events. So I half expected the premiere episode of the 10th season that aired Wednesday to feature a gun-toting VP or a bald Natalie Portman blowing up something. Instead, I witnessed the cruel and inhumane execution of longrunning character Chef, voiced by soul legend Isaac Hayes. A couple of weeks ago, Hayes announced he was leaving the series to protest the airing of an episode that lampooned — OK, seriously mocked and mauled — Scientology and its most famous adherent, Tom Cruise. Parker and Stone retaliated with an episode that cobbled together old dialogue to put in the mouth of Chef, ridiculed Scientology again, and then dealt him a death blow. That’ll teach you. Was it funny? Yeah, in the same mean-spirited way many of the show’s comic attacks

have always been, laying to waste people and ideas the pair ﬁnd ridiculous or distasteful or hypocritical. (Hayes never raised his gruff baritone when the show went off on bornagains or Catholics.) But it was also an unapologetic payback for daring to bite the hand that feeds. Not long ago, a news magazine wrote of “South Park Republicans,” voters and activists who support the Cheney-Rumsfeld agenda while rejecting the party’s evangelical-driven stands on moral and social issues: If it takes stem-cell research to revive Kenny one more time, go for it. Like its network neighbor Jon Stewart, South Park has a political POV without towing all of any party’s line, and that’s commendable. And to be fair, Stan and Cartman did try to save Chef, now revealed as a child molester from the “fruity little club” they believe brainwashed him. But death is a chilling price to pay for literally not going along with the program. So here’s the lesson, dissenters: Don’t pick ﬁghts with people who control the moves of crappy cardboard cutouts.

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

Tuesday’s solutions:

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

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

quoteof the day

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 - Page 7

”

“If you’re in a situation where you cannot get out of sex, offer a blow job. I’m not embarrassed to tell them.” — Actress Sharon Stone on the best way for teenagers to refrain from having unprotected sex. (Source: Contact Music UK)

Opinions Contact — Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

Change in foreign policy the only solution to illegal immigration Let’s stop pretending immigration is a bad thing. As university students, immigration doesn’t really hurt us. Not even illegal immigration. The only people in the United States who have a right to complain about immigration are American Indians. The rest of the population needs to let it go. Immigrants are not taking away all the good jobs from United States citizens. Good jobs require a college degree and fluency in English. Good jobs require something else. You can figure that something else out yourself. If you can’t, go to The Den and ask the guy there who speaks flawless English why he went from being an electrical engineer in Honduras to making pizzas in Texas. Immigration reform has been getting much press since the House passed an immigration reform bill in December and the Senate Judiciary Committee recently passed a similar bill. One of the more disturbing aspects of the House bill is it makes encouraging, directing or inducing a person to enter, attempt to enter or remain in the United States illegally a felony. The wording of this makes it open to interpretation. It could be read that anyone who aids an illegal immigrant in any way is committing a felony. This is bad news for the church volunteers at El Buen Samaritano in Austin, since most of the indigents receiving aid from volunteers at the mission are probably illegal immigrants. But that’s not the big problem. Illegal immigration is another one of those issues that won’t be solved by law enforcement. It needs to be solved by foreign policy. Illegal immigration is very profitable to the United States. It provides a steady stream of cheap labor with an incredibly high turnover rate. That high turnover rate means most illegal immigrants are not eligible for raises or benefits from their employers. Illegal immigration is a very costeffective way to bring in labor. Illegal immigrants don’t decide to come to the United States just to steal all the crummy jobs. They are driven here by economic and social factors in their own countries. People hailing from regions with depressed economies and high crime rates escape to the United States searching for employment and safety. Increased border control and punishing those who aid immigrants are not ways to fix this problem. The United States government needs to look at the root of the problem. Oppressive and corrupt regimes in Latin America create the problems that drive the subjects of those regimes to the United States As it has been in the economic interest of the United States to allow those regimes to thrive, no one has tried to do anything to fix the problem. The result: Wave after wave of displaced people fleeing to the U.S.-Mexico border. The United States government can raise a stink when our economic rival China is accused of human rights abuses, but cares not for the abuses that happen in our own hemisphere. No amount of immigration reform will fix the problem of illegal immigration. The only way to do this is to apply economic and political pressure to the countries whose tolerance of organized crime and economic exploitation force their citizens to look for greener pastures. Only when this is accomplished will the tide of illegal immigration begin to subside. Once that happens we can mow our own lawns, mop our own floors and tend our own crops. The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State University-San Marcos Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State UniversitySan Marcos.

“Do you think it’s right for TABC to go into bars and site people for public intoxication?”

“No, because they’re still inside the drinking establishment.” — Cory Sibley undecided freshman “No. They’re in a place where they serve alcohol.” — Jessica Foster marketing freshman

“No. That’s what you’re supposed to go to a bar for.” — Jake Wright psychology sophomore

Compiled by Stephanie Gage

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

President’s irresponsibility will only cost Americans more I can’t help but to believe that be more and more Bush is the only disappointed in honest one and our president every everyone else is in time I hear him some sort of contalk. spiracy? I already know And if that that this column doesn’t tell you is going to upset enough about STEPHANIE SILVAS some people, but the truth of this Guest Columnist regardless of the war, the Bush optimism Presiadministration is dent George W. Bush and his not only trying to convince administration have for the Americans that we’re winwar in Iraq, things are not ning, it’s trying to convince going well. CNN has reported the Iraqis that they’re winthat there have been 2,521 ning. On March 22, The New coalition casualties and 2,316 York Times published in its American causalities. And article “No Breach Seen in although Ayad Allawi, the inWork in Iraq on Propaganda” terim Prime Minister of Iraq stating that “the military had reports that Iraq is currently used the Lincoln Group, a in a civil war, Bush refuses to Washington-based public admit to it. relations company, to plant Bush is currently on what articles written by American some call a “sales campaign” troops in Iraqi newspapers to convince the American while hiding the source of the public that we are winning articles.” the war in Iraq. Shouldn’t it They also reported that the be apparent if we’re winning Lincoln Group was contractthe war? I mean, does Bush ed for several million dollars. really expect us to believe It’s one thing to say, “don’t bethat the majority of our news lieve everything you hear,” it sources is portraying the war is another thing to say, “don’t as a loss when it’s not the believe your lying eyes.” truth? I know people believe It is obvious that Bush isn’t the news is biased, but come up for re-election. He’s said on, are we really expected time and time again that he

doesn’t pay attention to the polls, and who would blame him? Across the board, Bush’s approval ratings are in the 30s. A president is elected into office as a leader who represents American interest. If he doesn’t read the polls, how does he know what our interests are? He doesn’t care; he isn’t up for re-election. And the Republicans who are up for re-election are running as far away from him as possible. Not only is the war a mess, but our deficit is ridiculous. How can we even think about making threats to Iran when we don’t have the money to finance the war we are currently in? Our sovereignty is at stake. Yes, I know we captured Saddam Hussein. The world is a greater place without him in power. But that was more than two years ago, and we didn’t capture him by blowing up the country. We destroyed Iraq like a big kid stepping on an ant pile, and now we’re stuck with the responsibility of rebuilding it. Bush recently reported that we would remain in Iraq until 2009 and that a future president would decide when to withdrawal. Had Bush made

these assertions a year and a half ago, he would not have been re-elected into ofﬁce. Bush continues to harp on supporting our troops. He equates the support for our troops to the support for the war. Does anyone really fall for that anymore? I absolutely support our troops, but just because I don’t support the war doesn’t make me any less patriotic. If anything, I would say that I support our troops because I want them home. I’m tired of hearing that the death toll is rising. I’m tired of hearing about families losing their loved ones. Capturing Saddam Hussein was not worth the casualties and victims of this war. In all of this mess about Iraq, where is Osama Bin Laden? Didn’t all this start on Sept. 11. Weren’t Bin Laden and al-Qaeda the reason we went to war to begin with? Do we ever hear about plans to capture Osama Bin Laden? Whether or not I’m for this war, I know that we need to stay there. We need to clean up the mess we made, forget about the black smoke of the “War on Terror” and keep our eye on the ball.

TV news media tuned in to profit, not principal

DEREK THOMPSON — ABC, NBC and EVANSTON, Ill. — Piñatas come Daily Northwestern CBS — domiin many forms: (Northwestern U.) nated the market Some literal — like and counted on a ponies and George consistent audiW. Bush effigies — and some ence. But now those graying metaphorical. But no figuranetworks are losing fickle tive piñata has proved so deviewers to a fresh batch of lightfully durable as the news 24-hour cable news chanmedia. nels such as FOX News and No matter where you stand MSNBC. in the political spectrum, the With the increased comtarget is always a good swing petition, maximizing profit away. From the left, you can often means cutting corners always bash FOX News for and appealing to the public’s its balanced — wink, wink appetite for sensational sto— coverage. And the right ries. That’s why many owners is always within striking disare slashing newspaper staffs tance of The New York Times, to keep their papers profitalong with — depending on able. Many FOX News shows whom you ask — every mehave all but replaced in-depth dia organization not named reporting with Crossfire-style FOX News. tongue-lashings. CNN and It wasn’t always like this. other networks have filled Television news, for instance, their gluttonous all-day news used to be a well-respected programs with worthless oligopoly. In the Walter segments about lost or dead Cronkite days, three stations photogenic woman from Lacy

Peterson to Natalie Holloway. The news media is in transition and, many would say, in decline. But who’s to blame? Many fault corporations for turning news into a three-ring circus of pundits, personalities and sensational reports. But if the media is a capitalist institution, the invisible hand is holding the remote. Per the Pogo cartoon strip character: “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Capitalized institutions give consumers what they want with ruthless exactitude and efﬁciency. The American audience seeks neither balance nor rationality; we prefer sensationalism. Most Americans want easy Top 10 lists, not analysis. FOX News is the most popular news network in America, not because of a conservative conspiracy, but because it gives simple answers to com-

plex issues and reserves for its audience the delusion of decision. Any network with a semblance of integrity or chutzpah would give Lou Dobbs the finger, or send Bill O’Reilly to Darfur, Sudan, or truncate the wanton rubbish of the Today Show. But in capitalism, the bottom line isn’t principle. It’s profit. Newsflash: It’s time to take off the blindfolds and see we’re beating our own dead papier mâché horse. The culprits are neither right-wing conspirators nor liberal journalists. It’s the system, stupid: The populist media versus the menial populous in a race to the bottom. Welcome to the Age of Information. This column originally appeared in the Daily Northwestern on March 28, 2006.

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FOR RENT-DUPLEX FOR RENT DUPLEX 3br/3.5ba 107 Cedergrove (on bus route). Fenced backyard/pets ok. $1050 per month. 512-351-7499. DUPLEXES FOR LEASE

off of Sagewood! 3b/3 1/2b/ common living/dining/kitchen/2 car garage/internet access. $400.00 per room call today! (512) 913-8028.

3/2/2 DUPLEX ON SAGEWOOD. $1050/mo., W/D,

bus route, lg yard. Call 512-791-4324

DUPLEX NEXT TO TEXAS STATE. Modern, excellent condition. Large 5b/2.5b; upstairs, $1700. 3b/1.5b; downstairs, $1100. 757-0399

SAGEWOOD DUPLEXES pre-leasing for 6/1 &8/1, bus route, 3/3.5 garage, W/D inc., Call 512-699-9759

SAGEWOOD DUPLEX FOR RENT. Pre-Leasing. 3B/3.5B $1100. 310-714-4352

FOR RENT-HOUSES

LARGE 1B/1B, newly-remodeled

house in country surroundings. Free parking next to campus. Available August.. Free deer lease, internet, cable, water & garbage. $680 per mo. 392-2700

FOR SALE HIGH-TOP ADIDAS FOOTBALL CLEATS. Excellent condition, size 11, $23. Bryan, (830) 481-4415.

5/3/2 HOUSE FOR SALE

quite neighborhood, close to Texas State, immaculate excellent condition, tile/wood and approx. 2700 square feet. $179,000 fenced yard, San Marcos. 757-0399.

HELP WANTED JOHNNY ROCKETS “The

Original Hamburger,” located at Prime Outlet Mall, is now hiring for all positions! Have fun at work and be a part of the team that serves fun food with a 50’s ﬂair. Food service experience desired but not necessary. Please come to our open interviews scheduled Mon.Thurs. from 1-6 pm in Suite 915, or apply online at www.JR305.com

LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED WAITSTAFF. Must work weekends. The Motley Menagerie Tea Room, Kyle, 512-268-4188.

PART TIME MANAGEMENT POSITION available

now. Apply in person at Great Locations, 1515 Aquarena Springs Dr. Applications available or bring resume.

WWW.TEXASARABIANHORSES.COM needs riders,

groomers, a web developer, ranch hand, and photo models. Apply online.

LITTLE GUYS MOVERS is

now hiring for full/part-time movers. Must have current DL, HS diploma, and ability to move things with your mind. Students welcome. Flexible schedules. Apply in person at 205-C W. San Antonio St. in San Marcos.

MANAGED SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE -teleNetwork is currently seeking

applicants for positions in the dynamic and fast paced ﬁeld of Managed Application Services Support. Full and Part Time positions are available with ﬂexible scheduling at our Austin and San Marcos call center locations. Apply on-line today at http://www.telenetwork.com/careers

WAITRESSES, CASHIERS, COOKS, ft/pt at well established restaurant, excellent beneﬁts, group health insurance, 401K plan, apply in person New Braunfels Smokehouse, 140 Hwy 46, M-F anytime

TECHNICAL SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE -

teleNetwork is currently seeking TSRs to provide technical support for dialup and DSL customers. Full or Part Time positions available with ﬂexible scheduling at our Austin and San Marcos call center locations. More information and online application available at http://www.telenetwork.com/careers

2 FULL TIME LEAD TEACHERS. CDA minimum req.

Bilingual preferred. Part-time teacher positions also available M-F 2:30 - 6:30. Quality Child Development Center in Kyle. 512-405-3700 or fax 512-405-3701. www.rockinghorseacademy.com.

SEEKING WAIT STAFF & ENTERTAINERS with a fun loving attitude who enjoys working in a party atmosphere. AM/PM, PT/FT, ﬂexible schedules. Great $$$! Apply Sugar’s 404 Highland Mall Blvd. E., Austin (near Highland Mall) 512-451-1711

BOBCATSNEEDJOBS.COM WE NEED Paid Survey Takers in San Marcos. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.

!BARTENDING! Up to $300/ day. No experience necessary. Training Provided. Age 18+ ok. 800-965-6520 x 157. HIRING A.M. HOST AND BUSSERS. Please apply in person

at Bennigan’s Restaurant.

HELP WANTED

PRIME OUTLETS AT SAN MARCOS is bringing Venice, Italy

to Texas.We seek outgoing individuals for f/t and p/t Gondolier positions. You must be reliable with a good work history. Ability to sing, especially in Italian, is a big plus. Basic CPR training is provided. Day and evening hours available for weekdays/weekends. Good pay and a great atmosphere are some of the beneﬁts we enjoy! General background check is conducted before hire. Please apply in person at the Prime Outlets Management.

BE A DELL STUDENT REP Earn $12/hr. Make your own hours and gain amazing experience for your resume! Position starts immediately. Go to www.repnation.com/dell to apply.

HELP WANTED for Vineyard establisment and maintenance. Basic plant knowledge preferred. Call 512-461-1876.

HELP PROTECT YOUR

friends, family, and members of your community from identity theft. Good training, great pay. Call Troy (512) 750-7405.

$4,000 COMPENSATION, EGG DONORS WANTED. If you are between the ages of 20-32, non-smoking and in good health, please call us for more information on how you can help infertile couples become families. 1-888-MY DONOR.

MACHINE OPERATOR, 2ND SHIFT/WKND. $12/hr. Engineer major preferred. Call Caldwell Manufacturing at 398-4549 or fax resume 398-9046.

NO SUMMER PLANS??

It’s not too late! Come work at Camp Rio Vista for boys and Camp Sierra Vista for girls. We have lots of sports, water activities, and much more! Have fun, get paid, plus free room/ board! Call (830) 367-5353. Email vistacamps@gmail.com. Apply www. vistacamps.com.

TOP BOYS SPORTS CAMP IN MAINE! PLAY & COACH

SPORTS*HAVE FUN*MAKE $$$. All team & individual sports, All watersports, hiking/climbing, A&C. TOP SALARIES, Free Room/Board/Travel. Apply online: www.campcobbossee.com. Call: 800-473-6104.

MISCELLANEOUS THINKING OF BECOMING AN M.D.? Get expert advice from

a Professor who has served many years on the Admissions Committee of a Texas medical school. Call or e-mail Dr. Jeffrey Kreisberg, (210) 867-2436; jkreisberg@satx.rr.com, for costs and a questionnaire.

TANCO TANNING MEMBERSHIP - Gold package-17 mo.;

$225 or best offer. Call (254) 292-0926.

WE PAY UP TO $75 per online

survey. www.cashtospend.com

ATHLETIC, OUTGOING MEN for calendars, greeting cards,

etc $75-200/hr, no exp. needed, (512)684-8296.

HORSEBACK RIDING LESSONS: close to campus. En-

glish/Western. Visit www.texasarabianhorses.com

ROOMMATES SEEKING MALE ROOMMATE, big room, nice

house, cheap rent, close to West Campus. Contact Jim at 512-757-1731.

SERVICES MATH TUTOR.

BSc Math, MSc Physics;. $15 per hour. Call 665-1286.

SUBLEASE SUBLEASE - Two 1 br/1 bath

available at the Ex2; May 22-July 31; fully furnished; $399 plus electric. Contact Lauren at (214) 542-1467 or Stefani at (214) 277-4579.

1B OF A 4B/4B at The Exchange. Available May-August. $375/month. All utilities paid except electricity. Fully furnished. Call 512-805-4319.

TRAVEL COME TO CRUISE NIGHT, March 31 at 5:00 LBJ 3-10.1. Learn how you can cruise with Carnival for $359!

WANTED WANTED: USED CARS, TRUCKS, VANS. Any condi-

tion. Running or not. If you have something to sell please call Willis Mitchell. 512-353-4511.

SPORTS

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The University Star - Page 9

VOID: Who will make the difference in the end? CONTINUED from page 10

“We never saw ourselves as a No. 1 seed or No. 11 seed or a 16 seed,” Coach Jim Larranaga said. “That number was truly irrelevant to us. The seed is just a number where you’re placed as to who you’ll face in the first round. Once you get on the court, no one really cares where you’re seeded. It’s about performance and execution.” A commuter school of 29,000 located in Fairfax, Va., George Mason was one of a handful of schools whose at-large bids were questioned by many heading into the tournament. The Patriots quickly established they belonged in the field of 65, though, by knocking off sixth-seeded Michigan State in the first round in Dayton, Ohio, and third-seeded North Carolina in the second round.

They defeated seventh-seeded Wichita State, 63-55, on Friday in Washingbegins next weekend at the RCA Dome ton, D.C. to earn an Elite Eight match in Indianapolis. up with Connecticut, which appeared On Saturday, it was second-seeded ripe for the picking heading in. UCLA (31-6) and fourth-seeded LouiGeorge Mason fell behind by 12 siana State (27-8) earning their way in. points late in the first half and trailed Then on Sunday, third-seeded Florida by as many as nine early in the second (31-6) and 11th-seeded George Mason before finally catching fire. (27-7) followed suit, beating the two The Patriots hit six consecutive threeremaining top-seeded teams: Villanova pointers in the final 20 minutes to keep and Connecticut, respectively. the game tight and, after the Huskies’ Clearly the darling of the tournament Denham Brown sent the game into thus far, George Mason became just the overtime with a lay-up at the buzzer, resecond team seeded 10th or worse and mained efficient in the extra session. the first mid-major to reach the Final There, they hit five of six shots before Four since the tournament field was exa missed three at the buzzer by Brown panded to 64 in 1985. The Patriots did it ended it, sending the heavily pro-George by outlasting Connecticut in overtime, Mason crowd of 19,718 into a frenzy. 86-84. “I think it’s been working for us, calling us Cinderella,” guard Tony Skinn said. “We weren’t supposed to get in the tournament, we got into it. We weren’t supposed to beat Michigan State, we beat ‘em. Weren’t supposed to beat North Carolina, beat ‘em. Weren’t supposed to beat Wichita State, we beat them. We definitely weren’t supposed to beat UConn. “I think we’ll stick to the script. We don’t mind being a Cinderella.” The Patriots, who were 0-3 all-time in the NCAAs heading into the tournament, will face Florida in the first of two national semifinal games at 5:07 p.m. CST on Saturday. The Gators have run roughshod over most of their opponents so far, squeezing out a 57-53 victory over Georgetown on Friday but winning by double digits in their other three games. Leading the way has been 6-feet-11inch sophomore Joakim Noah, who had 21 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots against Villanova on Sunday. He and fellow sophomore Al Horford ran roughshod over the smaller Wildcats, avenging the Gators’ tournament loss to them last year and getting Florida back to the Final Four for the first time since 2000. Florida has won nine straight games, second only to UCLA’s 11 straight heading into Indianapolis. The Bruins, who haven’t been to the Final Four since winning it all in 1995, have experienced a rebirth of sorts under coach Ben Howland. Emphasizing hard-nosed defense Vernon Bryant/Dallas Morning News — a style that’s anathema to the typical run-and-gun style played in the Pacific BATTLE FOR THE BALL: UT’s Brad Buckman (22) and Louisiana State’s Tyrus Thomas (12) fight for possession during the second half of play in the Atlanta Re- 10 — he has convinced a talented core of players to buy in completely, and the gional Final game during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Georgia results in the tournament have been imDome in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday. LSU defeated UT 70-60. pressive.

Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel DUNKING NOAH: Florida’s Joakim Noah dunks during their 75-62 victory over Villanova in the regional championship at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. on Sunday. Florida advances to the Final Four.

UCLA frustrated second-seeded Gonzaga and player of the year candidate Adam Morrison in the Sweet 16, using a steal and lay-up in the closing seconds to seal a dramatic 73-71 victory, and then shut down a Memphis team that scored 88 points against it earlier in the season. The Bruins held the Tigers to just 45 points — the lowest total in a regional ﬁnal since 1973 — in winning, 50-45. In doing so, they earned their 16th Final Four appearance, tying them with North Carolina for the most ever. LSU, which preceded George Mason as an 11th-seeded team to advance to the Final Four (in 1986), arrives in In-

dianapolis squarely on the shoulders of its two talented big men. Glen Davis, a 6-foot-9, 310-pound sophomore bruiser, and Tyrus Thomas, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound freshman highﬂier, provide an interesting contrast for opponents. Davis, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, thrives on physical contact and back-to-the-basket play, and Thomas does a little bit of everything. The two combined for 47 points on 21-for-33 shooting and 22 rebounds in a 70-60 victory over Texas. UCLA and LSU are scheduled to square off at 7:47 p.m. Central Standard Time on Saturday.

Stanford center Brooke Smith prefers old-school moves By Philip Hersh Chicago Tribune Any highlight package of Stanford center Brooke Smith belongs on grainy, black and white film. She recalls the era a half-century ago when centers played like George Mikan and Arnie “Stilts” Risen, whose post play was more learned than instinctive, based on the pivot foot and the hook shot. “Brooke is a throwback, kind of oldschool gym rat,” Sherri Coale, Oklahoma coach, said. “It’s a little bit different than what we’re accustomed to.” So different, in fact, that the favored Sooners never could figure out how to stop Smith, who scored a career-high 35 points on Saturday to lead Stanford’s upset against Oklahoma. Hooking for baskets with either hand, rocking one way and then cutting the other with a deceptively fast first step and hitting short fadeaway jump shots, Smith made 14 of 16 from the floor and added seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. TV commentators went so far as to compare Smith’s performance with Bill Walton’s legendary 21-of-22 effort when his UCLA team won the 1973 NCAA final. “That’s pretty ridiculous,” Smith

said. “I can’t think how they can actually compare me to him.” Saturday, the more significant comparison was to Courtney Paris, Oklahoma’s heralded freshman center. Smith completely upstaged her rival, even if Paris had 26 points and 16 rebounds. “Brooke was the post to talk about today,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. A couple of months ago, VanDerveer was giving Smith a talking-to rather than singing her praises. The coach handed the 6-foot-3 junior an ultimatum: Toughen up or sit. The message got even clearer after Stanford wasted a nine-point lead in the last 3 minutes of a loss to UCLA in the Pac-10 tournament final on March 6. “She really got tough in practice after the UCLA loss,” VanDerveer said. “We had some guys going hard against her, and I just said, ‘We’re not calling any fouls. You go to the basket and finish. That’s the way it’s going to be in the (NCAAs).’” Smith has responded with 71 points and 27 rebounds in three NCAA games as Stanford made the Elite Eight for the third straight year. Smith’s hook shot makes defending her a tough task. “I can go both right and left pretty

comfortably, and that’s what makes it tough to stop,” Smith said. An AAU coach encouraged Smith to learn the hook as an 8th-grader, and she practiced with both hands from then on. “I was really, really skinny and didn’t handle physical play very well,” Smith said. “That was my way of dealing with it, using a little ﬁnesse.” High school coaches tried to convince her to be a more physical post player, but Smith stuck with what she knew best. The hook gives her a surprise element, since so few women college players shoot it. Smith, who grew up just north of San Francisco, rejected Stanford’s initial scholarship offer and started her college career at Duke. She was unhappy almost immediately, asked if Stanford still wanted her, and when the answer was yes, transferred after her freshman year. After a redshirt season, Smith became an immediate starter. “She really is so smart it’s scary, she has great instincts, she understands the game,” VanDerveer said. “I know she’s pre-med, but we have a lot of pre-med kids that are basketball knuckleheads.” This season, Smith has averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds, and her career shooting percentage is a school

record .594. The 35 points against Oklahoma were nine more than her previous best. “You start with the feet — Brooke

has great footwork,” LSU coach Pokey Chatman said. “She’s a very fundamentally skilled player. You can point her out to younger players.”

Brad Loper/Dallas Morning News ROUGH STUFF: Oklahoma center Courtney Paris (3) is smothered by Stanford forward Kristen Newlin (43) left, and center Brooke Smith (30) in NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional Semiﬁnal at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Saturday.

SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

sports snortsquotes from the sports world “I don’t want to go through this anymore. I think I’m more deserving of a better team, and I think the city’s more deserving of a better team.”

— Minnesota Timberwolves star forward Kevin Garnett voicing his opinion after barely squeaking by with a win on Sunday against the New York Knicks. (Source: ESPN News)

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 - Page 10

Sports Contact — Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

Weekend match leaves Bobcats with chance at conference tournament By Ericka Hailey The University Star The Texas State women’s tennis team moved to 2-4 in the Southland Conference this weekend after falling to the UT-Arlington Lady Mavericks and defeating the Sam Houston State Lady Bearkats in its second match of the weekend. Saturday’s match began trickily after losing all three doubles matches to UTA, which stands 5-7 and 4-1 in conference play. The Mavericks’ overpowering play continued throughout the day as they dominated the Bobcats, posting a 6-1 overall victory. The Bobcats’ sole victory came from the No. 2 singles player Christina Amo. The freshman defeated UT-Arlington’s Daniela Novakova after battling back from a first set loss of 3-6 to take the next two sets 6-4 and 6-3. “Staying calm and getting points — I just did my own thing,” Amo said, regarding her overall mentality. That frame of mind pushed her up in rank, allowing her to play as the No. 1 singles player on Sunday morning’s match against SHSU. The Bobcats’ second match of the weekend started off similar to the day prior by dropping all three doubles matches. After being down 1-0, the Bobcats controlled the courts for the rest of the morning. Texas State jumped to an early lead by capturing five of the six first sets. The third- through sixth-ranked players provided the Bobcats with all the points necessary to win the match 4-3. After returning to the courts Sunday, Lainy Chafitz defeated Brooke Mills 6-4, 6-4. Chafitz’s absence from Saturday’s match due to an injury took a toll on the Bobcats, as she has been a key player all season. “Lainy came back with a lot of enthusiasm and ready to play, which carried out throughout her match. They (the team) were a little more pepped up as well, too,” Head Coach Tory Plunkett said.

George Bridges/KRT CINDERFELLA: George Mason celebrates after defeating Connecticut 86-84 during the NCAA regional ﬁnals at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.

David Racino/Star photo BOUNCING BACK: Freshman Christina Amo tries to maintain the lead in her match on Saturday vs. UT-Arlington. The Bobcats lost 1-6 but went on to beat Sam Houston State 4-3 on Sunday. Senior Jana Cucciniello returns a shot during her doubles match against UT-Arlington Saturday morning at the Bobcat Tennis Complex.

Texas State’s Sumarie Muller provided the Bobcats with their ﬁrst point to tie the match up 1-1. Muller defeated Peta Taylor 6-3, 6-2. Jana Cucciniello tacked on the second point to give the Bobcats a 1-2 lead. Leja Sirola tossed another point the Bobcats’ way by overcoming Emma McDougall 6-2, 6-4. After a tremendous performance by Amo on Saturday, her ﬁrst attempt of the season as the No. 1 singles player for the Bobcats proved to be slightly overwhelming. She fell to Irina Sotnikova 1-6, 7-5, 6-0. “Christina had a tough match this afternoon. She played No. 1, so everyone played at a lower position. Everyone looks

at the No. 1 player, and there is a lot more pressure at the No. 1 position. I expect a lot more from the No. 1 player. Everyone looks at that player, and ask the No. 1 to be a classy player and Christina did that exceptionally well,” Plunkett said. As the season starts to wrap up, the Bobcats are in need of a change of pace to make the conference tournament. “We have to win four out of our next six matches to make conference. We were looking to split this weekend, which we did so we are right on schedule,” Plunkett said. The Bobcats travel to SFA and Lamar next week to continue their play in the SLC.

NCAA Final Four ends up void of No. 1 seed By Todd Rosiak Milwaukee Journal Sentinel What a wild ride it has been. From buzzer-beaters to incredible upsets and everything else in between, the 2006 NCAA tournament ﬁeld has at last been

pared down to the Final Four. And for the ﬁrst time since 1980, and just the second time ever, none of the four top-seeded teams advanced to college basketball’s biggest event, which See Void, page 9

Texas State to face Rice Owls at Bobcat Field Staff Reports

RAINED OUT: Sophomore catcher Lance Schramm steps up to the plate while junior second baseman Casey Guest takes practice swings during the Bobcats’ March 22 loss vs. UT-Pan American.

After dropping two of three road games, the Bobcats are set to take the field today against No. 6 Rice after Tuesday’s game was called because of rain. Texas State currently stands at 8-4 in conference play and hopes to regain momentum against the visiting Owls. The Bobcats first met with Rice on Feb. 26, falling 3-2 on the Owls home field. Fans are encouraged to attend. This will be throwback night as the Bobcats will be breaking out all their old Southwest Texas jerseys for fans to purchase for a nominal price. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Monty Marion/ Star photo

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times BIG BLOCKA: UCLA Bruin Ryan Hollins blocks Memphis Tiger Rodney Carney’s shot during the ﬁrst half at the Division I Men’s Basketball Oakland Region Finals on Saturday at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Intramural basketball gets ready for the Men’s Division A Championship By Joshua Zapata The University Star This last week has been an exciting one in Intramural Basketball. The playoffs started with a ﬂurry as the Elite Eight competed to move into the Final 4. The Men’s Division A defending champions, Ballin’ Outta Control, entered the tournament

with a loss, but proved that they had not grown soft by soundly squashing the undefeated No Limit in a 61-41 victory. Ballin’ Outta Control’s momentum from the season had not stopped. The victory propelled Ballin’ Outta Control into the Final 4, pitting them against the equally impressive Elev-8. They proved again

Joshua Zapata/Star photo PLAYOFF PRACTICE: The Franchise and the Four Armadillos scrimmage on Tuesday night in preparation for the intramural basketball league playoffs.

that they could not be beat and defeated them 56-33. The two victories negated all previous doubt about the defending champions ability to play. A lot of hard work, skill and dedication smoothly put Ballin’ Outta Control into their second consecutive championship game. However, the championship game will not be easily won. Meeting last year’s defending champions at the finals will be the only team that has beaten them in the regular season: Just Do It. Just Do It’s road to the finals has not been as effortless as their opponents, but proved to be even more exciting as they narrowly beat the skillful 09’s Finest in a nail-biting 45-44 victory. Just Do It has become one of the league’s favorite teams because of their great competitive edge and ability to put on a good show. However, Just Do It has had some drawbacks during the playoffs; most significantly, one of their key players suffered a shoulder injury during the sec-

ond half of the game against 09’s Finest. Coulson Thomas, a graduate assistant at the Intramural Office, is not optimistic about Just Do It’s chances in the championship game, despite their previous victory against Ballin’ Outta Control. “The game against 09’s Finest was close, and shows that they are a capable team,” Thomas said. “But if their injured player doesn’t play in the final game, then I think Ballin’ Outta Control will definitely win.” Ballin’ Outta Control will still have to take Just Do It seriously because the playoffs have shown that they know how to win games. These two powerhouses will provide an entertaining, exhilarating and most importantly, skillful championship game. However, the victor of the game will be hard to predict, as both teams have changed since their last game against each other. The rematch will be held at 9 p.m. in the Student Recreational Center, and will decide this year’s Men’s Division A champions.

sports

How has participating in intramurals enhanced your college experience? “Playing for a team just makes the college experience better and makes you feel like you’re part of something.” Genaro Cibrian English junior

“Intramurals has kept me in shape and has kept the ladies coming.” Ronny Opela criminal justice senior

Compiled by Joshua Zapata