04 13 2006 by The University Star

DANGIT, BOBBY

BORING FOR OIL

Hank Hill becomes King of the Southwestern Writers Collection

Star columnists unimpressed with Common Experience symposium

SEE TRENDS PAGE 7

SEE OPINIONS PAGE 12

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

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THURSDAY

APRIL 13, 2006

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 74

hip hop

payoff By David Rauf The University Star

n the world of underground hip-hop, beats and rhymes are not just sequenced rhythms — they are a way of life. Subscribing to the philosophy that “rap is something you do, hip-hop is something you live,” emcees do not deﬁne hip-hop strictly as a form of music; rather, it is a form of expression that deﬁnes them. National freestyle champion, emcee and Texas State undecided sophomore, Valin J. Zamarron, aka “Zeale 32,” believes that hip-hop lives and breathes with the people. “It’s a culture; it’s the way I live, the way I oper-

BIG BREAK: After winning a freestyle battle during Babygrande’s showcase at the South by Southwest music festival, undecided sophomore Valin Zamarron signed a single deal with the record label.

See PAYOFF, page 5

Students allege signatures on petition forged By Leah Kirkwood and Kirsten Crow The University Star

Allegations of fraud threaten the possibility of San Marcos’ annexation to Austin Community College district, and students are among those claiming their signatures on the petition were forged. Last year, the ACC/YES! Committee circulated a petition to get the ACC annexation on this May’s ballot. The petition required signatures from 5 percent of the registered voters in San Marcos to bring the issue to a vote, allowing San Marcos residents to pay in-district rates at ACC. ACC trustees validated 1,963 of the petition’s signatures, exceeding the necessary 5 percent quota by only 62 votes. More than 1,000 of the original 2,999 signatures were rejected as unregistered voters. Applied sociology senior Scott Padgett said his name appears on the validated version of the petition, although he never signed it. Padgett received an e-mail from his boss at the Derrick Hall computer labs warning all employees about the alleged fraud. Padgett viewed the list at and saw his name at page 154 on the list of signatures. “When I saw it, I got so mad. I was like, ‘Oh, crap! There’s my name, and that’s not my signature,’ and it wasn’t my address either,” Padgett said. Padgett downloaded an afﬁdavit from the site, had it notarized and turned it into Hays County Elections Administrator Joyce Cowan. “Right now I have 40 afﬁdavits stating that their See ALLEGE, page 4

David Racino/Star feature photo

Smoke free zones have risen in amount of cigarette butts collected By Magen Gray The University Star On April 6, 2005, The Quad was designated as one of the smoke-free areas of campus, yet Bobcat Build volunteers collected more cigarette butts this year than last year. In one hour, 13,600 cigarette butts were picked up throughout The Quad by 30 adult and children Bobcat Build volunteers from Camp Fire USA and Texas State Terry Foundation scholars. “This seems like a lot of butts for a nonsmoking area of cam-

pus,” said Elizabeth Wills, Camp Fire USA leader. Wills said the cigarette butts totaled to about $2,770 worth of cigarettes. Elizabeth Arceneaux works in the Texas State Risk Management and Safety Ofﬁce, speciﬁcally with environmental stewardship and waste management, and is a Camp Fire USA leader. She organizes the cigarette butt cleanup and said she was surprised by the number picked up this year. During Bobcat Build 2005, just days before The Quad, Alkek Library and Academic Services Building breezeways were

added as a non-smoking areas to the University Policy and Procedure Statement No. 04.05.02 Smoking Policy, 12,000 butts were collected on campus. Arceneaux said during Bobcat Build last year, the grounds maintenance was working in The Quad at the same time of the cigarette butt cleanup, so the volunteers moved to an area referred to as the “smoker’s pit” outside of Butler Hall. Arceneaux said during this year’s cleanup, the Psychology Building and Chemistry Building had the most cigarette butts, along with areas just outside

academic building doors and grassy areas by The Fighting Stallions. Some of the 13,600 butts came from the bus stop by The Quad and the Taylor-Murphy History Building. “I used to see ‘Thank you for not smoking’ on the marquee in The Quad all the time after the policy was passed, but lately I haven’t seen it,” Arceneaux said. “I would like to work with an environmental group on campus to start a new campaign.” A compiled e-mail from Associated Student Government

Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Wills NO BUTTS ABOUT IT: Camp Fire USA children, Bobcat Build volunteers and Texas State Terry Foundation scholars scour The Quad for cigarette butts on April 1 during their fourth annual cigarette butt cleanup.

See BUTTS, page 3

Visiting professor to lecture Stations of the Cross performance an annual on death’s role in life tradition for the Catholic Student Center By Jacqueline Davis The University Star

zer Prize-winning author and cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker, who wrote The Denial Death. The very word is un- of Death. settling to some people, but it is Christopher Frost, director an inescapable reality that every of the Mitte Honors Program, human being must played a role in getting eventually face — but Solomon to Texas State it will also be the topand said Solomon will ic of discussion for discuss his own retonight’s Common search and helpful and Experience lecture, effective ways to quell titled “Grave Matters: the fear of death. On the Role of Death “We live in a counin Life.” try where fear is used Sheldon Solomon to control people,” will lecture on the Frost said. “His work subject from 7 to 9 Sheldon Solomon challenges people to tonight in the Alkek have courage to live on Teaching Theater. Solomon is some basis other than fear.” a professor of psychology and Frost said that what Solomon scholar of interdisciplinary has found is the more people studies at Skidmore College in contemplate their own death, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. it invariably causes anxiety and Solomon co-authored a book people begin to engage in activion terror-management theory, ties to try to lesson that anxiety. titled In the Wake of 9/11: The Solomon’s book made several Psychology of Terror. The book’s See LECTURE, page 3 theories borrow from Pulit-

Today’s Weather

AM Clouds/ PM Sun 88˚/58˚

Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 55% UV: 10 Very High Wind: SSE 10 mph

By Nick Georgiou The University Star

Andrew Nenque/Star ﬁle photo PURE PASSION: Interior design senior Joe Barron, seen playing the Centurion during last April’s Stations of the Cross Passion play, looks down at computer science senior Jeremy Connell, who portrayed Jesus.

Two-day Forecast Friday Mostly Sunny Temp: 88°/ 62° Precipitation: 0%

Saturday Partly Cloudy Temp: 90°/ 63° Precipitation: 10%

The Catholic Student Center’s annual Passion play will be performed on Friday at noon. The play is a performance of the Stations of the Cross, which depicts the ﬁnal hours of Jesus Christ. The performance will begin at the CSC, located at the corner of Lyndon B. Johnson Drive, North and Concho Street and then move to The Quad before returning to the CSC for the mock burial of Jesus. Although the play emphasizes Jesus’ pain and suffering, James Hickey, a participant in last year’s Passion performance, said it is ultimately about Jesus’ resurrection. “This is what we’re really celebrating,” said Hickey, a recent Texas State graduate. Approximately a dozen Texas State students will participate in the event, some of who will be provide narration, songs and prayer to accompany the performance. The Stations of the Cross and the Passion play gained worldwide attention in 2004 with Mel Gibson’s controversial movie, Passion of the Christ. The CSC may not have a $30 million

Inside

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dollar budget like Gibson did, but Cyrus Mallison, director and coordinator for the event, said they try and make it as realistic as possible. Although he is aware some Catholic students believe the stations should be a private occurrence, Mallison said they try and attract more students by doing it in public. In addition, he said, the play has become a tradition for the CSC, as they have performed it publicly for at least a decade. Inevitably, some students walk past the performance without even looking, while others will join the crowd. Neil Petty, a mass communication junior, said if he walked by he probably would not pay too much mind to it. “(If) we can have guys ranting and raving in the middle of The Quad, I don’t see why students reenacting the Passion play would be a problem,” Petty said. The portion of the play that takes place in The Quad is performed by The Fighting Stallions, which is the designated campus free-speech zone. Maureen Colpoys, psychology junior, See CROSS, page 3

PAGE TWO The University Star

Thursday in Brief

April 13, 2006

starsof texas state San Marcos resident Lunelle Anderson has been selected to receive the 2006 Sam Houston State University Alumni Association Service Award. The Dean of Women Emerita at Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University, Anderson worked to break down the barriers between the San Marcos residents and Texas State students by encouraging volunteerism for the students and being an active

volunteer. An endowment was established in Anderson’s name in 1996 at Southwest Texas, and among her accolades are being named to the San Marcos Women’s Hall of Fame in 1990, one of the Outstanding Women in San Marcos in 1977 and recently being honored for her 50-year membership in Delta Kappa Gamma, a society of educators with which she also served as past president.

News Contact — Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu

Calendar of

A black and brown affair

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 Events

p.m. in LBJ Teaching Theater, Room 4-16.1.

Thursday

Tuesday

The Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated at 7 p.m. in the Catholic Student Chapel.

The Medieval Renaissance Society of Texas State will present “Nocturnal Emissions and the Church Fathers” at 5 p.m. in Flowers Hall, Room G-04.

Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will hold its weekly meeting at 8:30 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320. Special guest speaker and pastor Anthony Scoma will speak on Jesus and The Da Vinci Code. Everyone is welcome. Call (512) 557-7988, or mail@texasstatechialpha.com. Sheldon Solomon, professor of psychology at Skidmore College, will present “Grave Matters: On the Role of Death in Life” from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Alkek Teaching Theater as a part of the Common Experience. Farmer Fred’s Garden Spring Carnival will be held in the San Marcos City Park from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission will be free. Friday Living Stations of the Cross will begin at the CSC at noon and the procession will continue on into The Quad. Saturday Mutt Strutt will take place at River Ridge near the Grande Communication building. Early registration is $15 or $20 on site. People can also win doggie door prizes, Tshirts and more. Monday The Mitte Honors Program will sponsor “Dignity and Community: Courage in the Time of AIDS” by photographer Susan Winters. Nozuko Ngcaweni’s slide presentation of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa will also be shown. The program will begin at 7:30

On This Day... 1775 - The ﬁrst abolitionist society in U.S. was organized in Philadelphia with Ben Franklin as president.

Panhellenic Council will host Recruitment 10, Everything You Need to Know about Sorority Recruitment from 8 to 9 p.m. in the LBJ Teaching Theatre, Room 4-16.1.

1828 - The ﬁrst edition of Noah Webster’s dictionary was published under the name American Dictionary of the English Language.

The CSC will sponsor a free lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the CSC’s lobby.

Arts & Entertainment Friday A free screening of The River of Innocence, a documentary of the San Marcos River, will be presented by WE CAN San Marcos at 7 p.m. at the San Marcos Public Library. Saturday Ramon Parker, saxophonist, will perform his senior recital at 2 p.m. in the Music Building recital hall.

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.

Deleigh Hermes/Star photo Members of the group Folklorico Ocuochtli perform at the Black and Brown Ball in the LBJ Ballroom on Wednesday night. The ball was put on by six different Texas State-oriented minority groups and brought more than 100 attendees.

CRIME BL TTER University Police Department April 10, 11:03 p.m. Information Report: Medical Emergency/Jones Dining Hall A non-student reported to a police ofﬁcer that she was suffering a panic attack. The non-student refused medical transportation. April 11, unknown hour Theft: Under $500/ Family and Consumer Science Building A non-student reported to a police ofﬁcer that university property had been stolen. The vacuum was later located. April 11, unknown hour Theft: Under $500/ Music Building

A non-student reported to a police officer that university property had been stolen. This case is under investigation. April 12, 1:17 a.m. Drug: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia/Falls Hall A police officer was dispatched to Falls Hall for a suspicious odor. Upon further investigation, a student was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia. April 12, 3:15 a.m. Alcohol: Driving Under the Influence/Academy Street A police officer made contact with a vehicle for a traffic stop. Upon further investigation, a student was issued a citation for DUI and a report was made.

San Marcos Police Department April 11, 12:21 p.m. Credit Card Abuse/2300 S. Interstate 35 Victim’s credit card was lost then used at several locations around town. April 12, 12:14 a.m. Possession of Controlled Substance/1805 N. I-35 Public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance more than 1 gram but less than 4 grams. April 12, 2:34 a.m. Possession of Marijuana/811 S. Guadalupe St. Male arrested for possession of marijuana more than 2 ounces and SMPD local warrants.

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

KEY KEEPER

Health Center receives re-accreditation

Dion Nissenbaum/KRT Abed Joudeh sits in the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, holding his Muslim prayer beads and the ancient iron key to the door. Joudeh is the latest in a line of family members stretching back centuries that has held the key to the Christian holy site.

The Student Health Center at Texas State has successfully earned re-accreditation for the maximum three-year term from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Status as an accredited organization means the Health Center has passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care set by the Accreditation Association. More than 2,300 ambulatory health care organizations across the United States are accredited by the AAAHC. Texas State is only one of ﬁve universities in the state that have an AAAHC accredited student health center. Nationally, approximately 10 percent of universities have accredited student health centers. “Accreditation underscores our long-standing commitment to providing the highest possible quality of care to the student and campus community we serve,” said Dr. Emilio Carranco, director of the Health Center. “We are pleased and proud to have our efforts recognized with this accreditation.” Ambulatory health care organiza-

tions seeking accreditation by the AAAHC undergo an extensive onsite, peer-based survey of their facilities and services. Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation and not all undergoing the on-site survey are granted accreditation. The Health Center has provided healthcare services to students for more than 50 years. It provides primary healthcare services through its medicine, women’s and nurse clinics. Mental health and nutrition counseling services are also available. Support services include on-site laboratory, digital radiology and a pharmacy. Specialty services are available by referral through contracts with a preferred provider network. A Health Education Resource Center provides health education and wellness services to the campus community. The health center is located on the corner of Sessom Drive and Tomás Rivera Drive. To ﬁnd out more about the Health Center and its services, please visit www.healthcenter. txstate.edu. — Courtesy of Media Relations

1860 - The first Pony Express rider arrived in San Francisco with mail originating in St. Joseph, Mo. 1865 - President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford’s Theater by John Wilkes Booth. He died early the next morning. 1894 - First public showing of Thomas Edison’s kinetoscope took place. 1902 - James Cash (J.C.) Penney opened his first retail store in Kemmerer, Wyo. It was called the Golden Rule Store. 1910 - President William Howard Taft threw out the first ball for the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics. 1912 - The Atlantic passenger liner Titanic, on its maiden voyage hit an iceberg and began to sink. 1,517 people lost their lives and more than 700 survived. 1918 - The U.S. First Aero Squadron engaged in America’s first aerial dogfight with enemy aircraft over Toul, France. 1925 - WGN became the first radio station to broadcast a regular season major league baseball game. The Cubs beat the Pirates 8-2. 1931 - King Alfonso XIII of Spain went into exile and the Spanish Republic was proclaimed. 1939 - The John Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath was first published. 1956 - Ampex Corporation of Redwood City, Ca., demonstrated the first commercial magnetic tape recorder for sound and picture. 1969 - The first major league baseball game was played in Montreal. 1981 - America’s first space shuttle, Columbia, returned to earth after a three-day test flight. The shuttle orbited the Earth 36 times during the mission. 1986 - President Ronald Reagan announced the U.S. air raid on military and terrorist related targets in Libya. 1987 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev proposed banning all nuclear missiles from Europe.

NEWS

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Dogs stroll catwalk at animal shelter’s Mutt Strutt By Eloise Martin The University Star Dogs and their owners will gather this weekend for the third annual Mutt Strutt, an event that offers owners a chance to showcase their pets and raise money for the San Marcos Animal Shelter. Registration is $20 and will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday at River Ridge, located on River Ridge Parkway. The mile walk will begin at 10 a.m., followed by “doggy door prizes.” Participants will receive a free T-shirt and doggy goody bag. All proceeds go to the San Marcos Animal Shelter’s newly created spay and neuter program. Donna Bellion, Mutt Strutt coordinator, said the aim of the program is to raise funds to spay and neuter adopted pets. “The goal of the program is to put awareness out there of

how important it is to spay and neuter so we do not have to put thousands of animals to sleep each year,” Bellion said. Bert Stratemann, animal services manager at the San Marcos Animal Shelter, said the state requires spaying and neutering of adopted pets to prevent shelters from becoming revolving doors. “It is the irresponsibility of the pet owners that can lead to unwanted litters,” he said. “There are only a limited number of homes, and the rest of the animals end up at the shelter.” Stratemann said if the shelter was able to spay and neuter the animals before they left the shelter, they could be sure of the prevention of unwanted pets. “If we could stem the tide of unwanted animals being born, we would not have to have as many animal shelters,” he said. The program is still in the initial phase, and Stratemann said

donations from programs such as the Mutt Strutt give hope to further development. “We have some funds now, but we do not want to use all of it up in the initial phase,” Stratemann said. “We want to get enough money to start off with a bang.” The goal for this year’s walk is to attract 300 participants, Bellion said, which would be up from the 180 that showed up last year. “Each year we set a higher goal. This year it is 300 people, so we will raise about $3,000 to donate. Next year the goal will probably be 400 participants,” Bellion said. The theme for this year’s walk is Easter, and participants and their dogs can have their photos taken with Peter Rabbit for a $5 donation. They will also receive eggs at the end of the walk containing candy, dog treats or coupons.

The event does not attract any speciﬁc breed, Bellion said. “I see all sizes and shapes, every breed imaginable from Chihuahuas to Great Danes,” she said. “It is a great melting pot.” Breeds are not discriminated against, but Bellion said she asks that participating dogs are well mannered and get along with others. “It is a good place to show that breed such as Pitt bulls and Doberman pincers can behave well because their owners have worked with them,” she said. Bellion will be bringing her own schnauzer, Daisy, for the walk. She will be leaving behind her other dog, two cats, donkey, goat and a sheep. After the walk, participants are invited to bring their pets to the River Pub lunch. The River Pub also hosts Bow Wow Bistros, an additional fundraiser for the program, throughout the year.

The University Star - Page 3

CROSS: Passion play part of Lent tradition for Catholics CONTINUED from page 1

said she thinks it is cool that the CSC performs the play publicly because they could attract a larger crowd and bring attention to Jesus’ ultimate sacriﬁce. Regarding the history of the Passion play, Mallison said it has been going on since the Middle Ages. The play is a traditional part of Lent, particularly among Catholics. However, Mallison said the play also extends toward other faiths. Each of the stations depicts a particular scene in Jesus’ Pas-

sion. It ﬁrst starts with Jesus’ condemnation to death and it ﬁnishes with the 14th station, when he is laid in the tomb. According to the New Advent Web site, an online Catholic encyclopedia, many trace the beginning of the Stations of the Cross to Saint Francis of Assisi. Originally, the stations were connected to visiting the actual sites in Jerusalem, where Jesus suffered and died. The stations ended up being set up in the local churches as a way of bringing Jerusalem to the people, since many people found the pilgrimage impossible to make.

PET OF THE WEEK

BUTTS: ASG says receptacles to be placed in Quad CONTINUED from page 1

President Jordan Anderson, Vice President Cassie Holman, Senate Clerk Kyle Morris and Sen. Catherine Reed said the Senate Resolution “Respect for all Bobcats” is the same as the UPPS Smoking Policy. However, ASG is only a recommendation body, and the university applies the enforcement. ASG administration said the cigarette butts will always be an ongoing issue, but the policy intentions stand for respect for students. ASG received complaints from people who

disagreed with the policy and from those who wanted to see the policy strictly enforced. ASG administration said in the future, signs will be placed at The Quad entrances referring to the area as “our sanctuary of pride” with a smoke-free request and cigarette butt receptacles nearby. “It is a pity to hear that more butt litter was collected this year, but I am certain there is less smoking in The Quad than when I entered this university,” Reed said in the e-mail. Reed is the ASG Environment, Transportation and Facilities Com-

mittee chair. William Fogarty, facilities department associate vice president, said he thinks the cigarette butt cans were removed from campus areas after the UPPS was enforced. “The most recent cigarette butt cans that were removed were located under the breezeway at the Alkek Library. They were removed because people were smoking, even though there were signs next to the cans,” Fogarty said. Arceneaux said the volunteers took pictures of the Camp Fire USA children gathering ciga-

rette butts and may laminate the photographs to place on signs asking smokers to dispose of cigarette butts properly. “Maybe the cigarette butts will go away with pictures of the kids picking up the butts. It would be a way to push the message harder and may be more effective,” Arceneaux said. She said decorative cigarette butt disposals could encourage smokers to dispose of the butts. Camp Fire USA has volunteered four consecutive years for the cigarette butt cleanup. Most of the children are between third and seventh grade.

LECTURE: Solomon to discuss nation’s fear after 9/11 CONTINUED from page 1

key ﬁndings, one of which is that there is a tendency to become a part of social or cultural organizations with like-minded people who share common beliefs about reality. This is an effort to lessen the terror of death. Along with his co-authors, Solomon systematically analyzes the human tendency to use self-esteem and denial of death’s permanence as a buffer

to anxiety. Gus Lumia, visiting professor of psychology, extended the invitation for Solomon to visit Texas State. Lumia is a friend and former colleague of Solomon and described him as one of the brightest and intellectually honest people he knew. Lumia called Solomon’s work creative and that he was a “highrisk researcher.” “He is looking at issues that the have the potential for con-

ﬂict in worldviews,” Lumia said. “He is willing to take issues often relegated to political and cultural speculation. He is willing to put them to the test.” Lumia said he believed Solomon’s conclusions are viable and based on solid logic and sound empirical evidence, and that Solomon is more of a re-

searcher than a political ideologue. He said that Solomon would directly address the despair associated with human mortality and the need to ﬁnd a way to cope with it. Lumia said that he believed Solomon would touch on the widespread fear the in the nation after the terrorist acts on Sept. 11.

www.UniversityStar.com

Spencer Millsap/Star photo PUPPY LOVE: Katy is an Australian cattle dog in search of an owner. If you would like to adopt Katy or would like more information, contact the San Marcos Animal Shelter at (512) 393-8340. Katy’s identiﬁcation number is 30520.

Page 4 - The University Star

NEWS

Thursday, April 13, 2006

ALLEGE: Council member says own signature was found twice on petition CONTINUED from page 1

signatures on the petition is not their signature,” Cowan said. The address beside Padgett’s name on the petition is for an apartment he lived in four years ago while taking an American Sign Language course at ACC. “My feeling is if you have taken classes at ACC, there’s a very good chance your name is on that list,” Padgett said. Padgett’s voter registration code also appeared on the survey. Cowan informed Padgett that his name may have been taken off an old voter registration record because many of those names appear on the petition. Padgett said he was never approached with the petition, and he feels those in charge of its circulation are to blame for the forged signatures. “If they would have contacted me about it, I probably would have signed it,” Padgett said. “But now that they’ve gone and done this illegally, I won’t support it.” Padgett also believes a criminal investigation into the forged signatures is called for. “I believe without a doubt that these people need to go to jail,” Padgett said. Elizabeth Peirce represents the College Democrats, who worked on the ACC annexation campaign. Pierce said a campus manager from ACC contacted the College Democrats to help get signatures for the petition. Peirce said the undisclosed ACC representative offered the College Democrats an opportunity to help with a worthy cause to students, campaign experience and 50 cents for every signature signed on the petition. “We had to have every person’s name, Social Security number and voter registration number or else they didn’t count,” Peirce said. Peirce said it was her understanding that names of unregistered voters or names that appeared twice on the petition would be thrown out. Peirce said the College Democrats went into classrooms and had a table in The Quad for students to sign the petition, but she cannot conﬁrm whether or not

members from her organization sought signatures off campus. “Once we realized we’d saturated the campus we handed those sheets in,” Peirce said. Peirce said there were many individuals involved with the campaign that had personal relationships with officials at ACC, but she did not know if they were being compensated for their work, or if other campus organizations were offered the same deal for their help by the ACC campus manager. Peirce said she is confident the College Democrats were not involved with the forged signatures. To her knowledge, no one in her organization would have access to voter registration records. “I’m not worried about my organization,” Peirce said. “Being College Democrats, we respect individual rights. There’s no way that we would do something like that.” Cowan said the appearance of unregistered voters’ signatures on the petition does not necessarily indicate intentional wrongdoing. “That happens almost anytime you have a petition in circulation,” Cowan said. “There are people that think they are registered, and they’re not.” Cowan said the forgery affidavits were turned over to the district attorney’s office to determine if a criminal investigation into the fraud allegations is necessary. District Attorney Mike Wenk could not be reached for comment. Although several phone calls to ACC spokesperson Veronica Oberon remained unreturned at press time, she said in a statement to the San Marcos Daily Record that the college will hold its election as previously scheduled on May 13. City Councilman and Texas State public administration senior Chris Jones said his name appeared twice on the petition. “I signed it once, and I do agree with ACC annexation,” Jones said. “The second time I did not sign it.” Jones does not know how his signature got on the petition for a second time, but it appears next to his former address. “I’m supportive of ACC com-

ing here, but I’m not supportive of someone forging my signature,” Jones said. Jones said forgery on the petition was very obvious and several of the signatures were written in the same handwriting. “All the focus is being placed on the forgery, and it is wrong,” Jones said. “But more credence should be given to the benefits to San Marcos of the ACC annexation.” While Jones supports the proposed annexation, he fears the fraud allegations regarding last years petition may be detrimental to its realization. “To whoever did it, I’m very upset with you, and I think you’ve hurt the chances of ACC annexing San Marcos,” Jones said. In addition to Jones, Associated Student Government President Jordan Anderson and student Sen. Sam McCabe’s signature appeared twice on the petition. Both said they signed the petition once. Anderson said one of his signatures has an outdated address. When McCabe viewed his signatures, he identified one as not in his handwriting. “I can’t understand why someone would be putting me on there twice,” Anderson said. McCabe said he did not grant permission for his name to appear twice. “I’m all for ACC coming to town, but about the petition, I have no comment,” McCabe said. Albert Sierra, ACC Citizen Committee co-chair, could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Sierra, who played a large role in the petition efforts, told News 8 Austin that volunteers had passed out the petition but did not believe fraud was involved. “I’m concerned myself. We stand by ACC’s verification process, but if there is suspicion about the petition, let’s take a look at it,” Sierra said in the April 5 broadcast. To view a list of signatures on the petition, visit www. sanmarcosfirst.org/pages/petition.htm.

Thursday, April 5, 2006

NEWS

The University Star - Page 5

PAYOFF: Zamarron accredits freestyling ability to years of practice CONTINUED from page 1

ate. It’s my paradigm,” Zamarron said. “I view everything through that lens of hip-hop.” And viewing the world through the lens of hip-hop has finally paid off. While showcasing his talents at a South by Southwest venue last month, Zamarron was the recipient of a record deal with a national label. “It’s my opportunity to get seen in front of the president or CEO of many major record labels and get some real good feedback,” he said. Babygrande Records, an independent hip-hop label that features artists such as Jedi Mind Tricks, Canibus and GZA, inked Zamarron to a single deal that provides him with a chance to release his first national single and have it distributed by the label. “This is huge. For me to have a single and for it to be national, it means there’s an opportunity for everyone to get their first perception of who I am; so it’s real important to come with some dope stuff and to come with something that is me in all respects,” Zamarron said. “Not only do we get those distribution outlets, but now we have a train to throw our music on and ride out all over the country.” One of biggest advantages to having a single nationally distributed, Zamarron said, is the ability to track the audience and see who’s buying the music, allowing marketing and promotions to target specific regions or demographics. “If it’s someone in New York, you follow it. If it’s some town in Wisconsin, you follow it, and then you hit it and bleed it with posters. You bleed it with CDs, you go out and do a show,” he said. The opportunity to release a single with a nationally recognized label that has become synonymous with some of today’s most promising hip-hop acts did not come easy. At Babygrande’s 2006 South by Southwest showcase, in front of hundreds of “die-hard, fanatic, underground exclusive hip-hop heads,” Zamarron put his freestyle abilities to the test against “Tee-Double,” a legend in the ranks of the Austin hiphop community. Directly fol-

lowing the opening act — Jedi Mind Tricks — the two emcees were brought on stage to an intimidating audience, yelling for the headlining act — Immortal Technique — not a local emcee battle. The stage was set: Zeale 32 versus Tee-Double — winner takes all. Zamarron said the chance for a record deal coupled with the intensity of the audience made him more nervous than any other freestyle contest in the past. “This was not the regular crowd that you’re in front of in a battle. It’s not the college demographic; it’s not the people going clubbing demographic; it’s the die-hard fans, the fools that would cuts themselves for Jedi Mind Tricks,” he said. “You can’t come wack. You can’t come corny. You got to come with some bloody, gruesome battle Photo Courtesy of Valin Zamarron rhymes.” A SWEET DEAL: “Zeale 32,” also known as Valin Zamarron, undecided sophomore, is seen here performing with “Phranchyze” during After three rounds of battling, the audience ultimately chose South by Southwest. Zamarron recently signed with Babygrande Records. Zamarron as the winner. “There has never been a battle “We’re going to make our placing in the top five. Aside from “eating” emcees, through hip-hop. that important,” he said. “I was move once they make theirs and “It’s not every day that you Zamarron serves as a member of Cordero, public administralike, ‘This is my shot.’ Once the see where they’re heading,” Shaw battle in front of 3,000 people on the Hip Hop Congress, a campus tion graduate student, said he beat came on, I just started rip- said. “We want to have the last stage,” he said. organization. first met Zamarron at a freestyle ping him.” word to determine the overall Zamarron said that until he “I like it a lot because it takes battle in San Antonio a couple Since defeating Tee-Double feel. We want it to vibe good.” recently won the Babygrande hip-hop and puts it into more of years ago. The two have since and securing his first national For years, Zamarron locked deal, Scribble Jam was the mile- of a professional atmosphere as collaborated on music projects, single, Zamarron has been in himself in his room and de- stone in his career, helping him far as student organizations,” he including tag-team freestyle contact with the label, sending veloped his freestyle abilities, gain confidence and experience. said. “We plan out events, we do battles. them seven audio tracks, a press progressing from simple rhyme “After Scribble Jam, every- community service and we do “He’s the kind of guy you can kit and a DVD. Babygrande structure to more complex, in- thing else was like small pota- it through the medium of hip- feel good losing to, because Zeale will choose a lead single from tricate lyrics. toes,” Zamarron said. “If I can go hop.” gets that kind of respect,” Cordeone of the seven songs, leaving “When I first got into it, that’s in front of 3,000 people nervous Vice President and co-founder ro said. “He’s just a fire emcee.” Zamarron and the members all I did everyday — lock myself as hell and battle cats that are of the Hip Hop Congress, Ray Zamarron currently has three of his group the option to pick in the room and freestyle,” he champs from regions across the Cordero, aka “Ray-C,” said the albums — Group Therapy, Lothe B-side. Once the two songs said. “You start building up from U.S., I can for damn sure step goal of the Hip-Hop Congress cally Unknown and Rhyme Drive are chosen, the label will get the one syllable to four syllables, and in a room of 50 people and eat is “edutainment,” a term that — available at Sundance or Waproduct ready for national dis- then start building into entire some nobody emcee.” embraces the idea of educating terloo Records. tribution, providing a budget for sentences that rhyme with an the songs to be re-recorded at a entire sentence after it.” professional studio in Austin. The ability to write, battle and J.J. Shaw, aka “Phranchyze,” freestyle, Shaw said, makes Zeale has been competing against a complete emcee. Zamarron in freestyle battles “He’s got the delivery, and he’s since 2002. Shaw said the two got the stage presence,” Shaw developed a friendship based said. “The thing about him is on rhyming and formed “Group he’s always learning more. He’s Therapy,” a hip-hop group com- always thinking of ways to push prised of the two emcees and two his limits as far what he’s able to producers. Shaw described the do lyrically.” deal with Babygrande as “good Taking those years of practice for the family.” on the road, Zamarron made “We’re moving in the correct his national debut at the bigdirection,” he said. “Babygrande gest hip-hop battle in the United is a great label; they have some States last year: Scribble Jam. Afgreat artists.” ter dominating the competition Shaw said they have not decid- in the regional qualifier, Zamared which track to include on the ron participated in the Scribble single, because the label has not Jam finals against 300 of the made it clear which track they most accomplished freestyle emwill choose. cees across the nation, eventually

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Thursday, April 13, 2006

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Thursday, April 13, 2006 - Page 7

happeningsof the weekend san marcos

Thursday Cheatham Street Warehouse – Brandon Rhyder Lucy’s – Ryan Bales The Triple Crown – Hollow, Horse+Donkey Riley’s Tavern – Grant Muzak

Friday Cheatham Street Warehouse – Texas Renegade Lucy’s – Eta Carinae The Triple Crown – Enemy of Mankind, Ruins of Honor Riley’s Tavern – Swamp Sauce

Saturday Cheatham Street Warehouse – Darryl Lee Rush Lucy’s – Opposite Day The Triple Crown – Grupo Fantasma Riley’s Tavern – Car Show with Redd Volkaert

Trends Contact — Kyle Bradshaw, starentertainment@txstate.edu

By Maira Garcia The University Star

The Alkek Library and the Southwestern Writers Collection are welcoming some familiar television stars to its archive collection. The Writers Collection recently obtained archives of the award-winning Fox animated series King of the Hill, a comedy about the life of propane salesman Hank Hill and his family in the ﬁctional Texas town of Arlen. Jim Dauterive, a writer and producer for the show, donated scripts, drawings, promotional materials and stacks of notes on the nine-year series. The show, created by Mike Judge — of Beavis and Butthead

fame — and Greg Daniels, was cancelled in the fall of 2005 by Fox. The staff was told to vacate the production offices they had inhabited since the show’s inception in 1997. Katie Salzmann, the lead archivist of the Writer’s Collection, is still sorting and processing the vast archive collection, which will not be available to the public until late summer. Shipping boxes filled with binders remaining to be sorted sit in the library’s archive room. “I went out (to the production offices) in September, and it was a ghost town with some lingering writers, but production was gone,” Salzmann said. Although Fox has lifted the cancellation since then by order-

ARLEN’S USUAL SUSPECTS Bill Dauterive Voice: Stephen Root Army sergeant Bill is a lonely divorcee who longs for beer just as much as he does his ex-wife. Memorable Quote: “My dad spanked me from when I was 9 years old up to when I was 16. and I turned out just ﬁne.”

ing 20 more episodes, Dauterive felt it necessary to preserve the King of the Hill archives, as he has been donating his own papers to the Writer’s Collection since 1999. What makes the archive so important and intriguing is its completeness and unique visuals. “It’s not just the final script that we have,” Salzmann said. “It’s the entire creative process for every show.” Each episode has its own binder containing all the steps taken to make the final product. Starting backwards, the process begins with an outline, a table read, notes and suggestions, revisions, letters addressing broadcast standards, director’s notes and a final draft of the script, animation and

Hank Hill Voice: Mike Judge The Hill family patriarch specializes in selling propane, playing his guitar, Betsy, Ladybird and mowing the lawn. Memorable Quote: “Sweet lady propane!”

Boomhauer Voice: Judge Hank’s mumbling, fast-talking neighbor is a ladies man who likes cars and Bob Dylan – shoot man, that’s it. Memorable Quote: “That dang ol’ Internet, man. You just go on there and point and click. Talk about W-Wdot-W-com. An’ lotsa nekkid chicks on there, man.”

color working. Salzmann has tried to keep the archives of each episode intact and in the order in which they came in the binders. She felt it would be more valuable to researchers to see it the way it came in. In addition to show notes, Dauterive donated promotional items like CDs, DVDs, a calendar and even life size cut-outs of Hank and Bobby Hill. The most interesting donation was two dry-erase boards that had hung in the production ofﬁces. One board is titled “The Making of the King of the Hill” that serves as an outline of the entire process it takes to make one episode, which, according to the board, takes 40 weeks. An-

Peggy Hill Voice: Kathy Najimy In addition to being the Boggle champion of Texas, this loyal housewife is also an accomplished substitute teacher. Memorable Quote: “I ﬁnd that I am too busy being successful, so I have trouble remembering all of my bright ideas. That’s why I keep a folder.”

Dale Gribble Voice: Johnny Hardwick This paranoid Arlen resident owns his own pesticide business aptly named “Dale’s Dead Bug” and spends the rest of his time wondering if the government is out to get him. Memorable Quote: “I loved my dad like a father. And he betrayed me – like a betrayer.”

other board contains the working titles of each episode for each season along with the names of the writers. The delicate nature of the boards proved to be a challenge as far preserving it for its shipment from California to Texas. Special shipping crates were made, which will also serve as frames once they are sealed with plexi-glass to keep the notes and art intact. Products of the show were not the only things submitted to be archived. Inspiration for episodes came in the form of books for writers. They included The Dictionary of Texas Misinformation, Fascinating Womanhood and Football in America, all of which could probably be found in the Hill household.

Bobby Hill Voice: Pamela Alden Hank and Peggy’s only child makes up for his athletic inadequacies with aspirations of being a stand-up comic, among other odd things. Memorable Quote: “Let go of my purse! I don’t know you!”

Salzmann said that one book in particular, The Death of Common Sense, encompassed Hank’s life philosophy. “It was a big source of inspiration for (the writers),” Salzmann said. King of the Hill became more than just a cartoon. It is a characterization of all things Texas, especially small-town suburbia. Hank might be a dying breed of Texan, but at least his kind will be preserved indeﬁnitely with the Writer’s Collection. “We are really excited about getting it,” Salzmann said. “However, we have to balance the concerns of donors, the treatment of the records, privacy issues and preservation. The whole point is for people to have access to it.”

Luanne Platter Voice: Brittany Murphy Hank and Peggy’s live-in, ditsy niece has a higher number of ex-boyfriends than her IQ. Memorable Quote: “God only has 10 rules, and he has a much bigger house.”

All images courtesy of FOX Broadcasting Compay

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Thursday, April 13, 2006

RIX’S

TECHNOLOGY FIXES

Game consoles continue to keep with respective styles

While most are lished that Microsoft arguing about is pushing the Xbox which next-generaas the console for tion console will be would-be PC gamers; the most expensive publishing games like or the most enjoyHalo offers gamers a able, some find it suitable computermore interesting gaming replacement. BILL RIX to speculate as to Sony is continuing Star Columnist whether or not the on straight down the new game consoles line, offering gamers a will continue to observe their truly Japanese gaming experirespective gaming styles their ence, complete with an array parent companies established of no-nonsense titles like Gran Turismo and the quirky and iryears ago. One can already discount reverent Katamari Damacy. The Revolution, from what the Microsoft Xbox 360 from the discussion, as its release everyone can discern, will offer has already confirmed Micro- gamers — thankfully — more soft chose to pursue the same of the same. Nintendo has design protocol they used with somehow managed to churn the original Xbox. Expanded out games enjoyable by all ages networking capabilities, down- and genders for well over two loadable content and games decades now. Nintendo’s flaglike Halo 2 have further turned ship games give a good indicathe Xbox console lines into the tion of the company’s style and ostensible PC-in-a-console. how they feel about gaming. And while it deserves a column Classics such as Super Smash of its own, it’s interesting to Brothers and GoldenEye 007 note that Xbox sales in Japan are dismal, while sales numbers are everything Ballmer and Gates could hope for in the states. Sony’s style of offering games like the monolithic role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and the hard-edge, stealth game Metal Gear Solid seems to have continued on in the same fashion with PlayStation 3, which promises to continue offering fans such games as Devil May Cry 4 and the next in the MGS series, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The clearly- Japanese style of games will continue on in the next iteration of the PlayStation, offering gamers the trademark game play and art style that Sony has become known for producing. So where does the Revolution come in? We’ve already estab-

are examples of Nintendo doing what Nintendo does best: creating social games. Nintendo’s games historically have a multiplayer backbone — many gamers will remember nabbing the proximity mines and blasting foes in GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64 or trouncing their friends with Red Koopa Shells in Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo. Some see Nintendo’s consoles as ancillary to other consoles; they lug out the N64 or the GameCube whenever friends come over, then stash it in favor of consoles that offer deeper or more intriguing titles. An easy way to think about it is this: The Xbox is useful when you crave some PC gaming but you don’t want to deal with a keyboard and mouse. The PlayStation is where it’s at when you want a profound RPG. Lastly, Nintendo consoles are — and seem to continue to be — what you bring out when you have a few friends coming over.

Courtesy of Nintendo NEW LOOK: Nintendo’s new Revolution system will feature the same multi-player capabilities familiar from past games like GoldenEye 007.

ECLECTIC ROCKERS: Blue October will perform at Stubb’s in Austin on April 21, in support of its ﬁfth album, Foiled.

Courtesy of Universal Records

Blue October refuses to be Foiled with new album release By Katie Reed The University Star Rock band Blue October released its ﬁfth album, Foiled, on April 4, compiled of hard rock, catchy pop and sad, slow songs, music all of which review relay expeand ✯✯✯✯ riences emotions Blue October that everyFoiled one can reUniversal late to. Records The wide variety of sounds on the new release makes it difﬁcult to really classify it into one particular genre of music. Some of the songs

have a rock edge similar to the band’s previous albums, while other songs sound like a different band entirely. But the most surprising aspect of Foiled is that all of the songs flow well from one to the next, meshing together, resulting in a final product that should make the band proud. Lead singer/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld has a distinctly mysterious and somewhat raspy, haunting voice that pushes a plethora of emotions through every track. The album is lyrically heavy at times and filled with sadness and heartbreak, which is contradicted in other areas with funky bass lines and catchy hooks. In songs like “Let It Go” and “Congratulations,” Furstenfeld sings about the pain of loss, love and disappointment. Both songs are ballads in which

the sorrow and agony of unobtainable love is conveyed. Other songs like “She’s My Ride Home” and “X-Amount of Words” are more upbeat, catchy, pop songs that are worthy of putting on repeat in order to learn every word. “Hate Me,” the ﬁrst single, is among the few new songs that has the old Blue October sound. Furstenfeld describes a failed relationship and the heartache and guilt that lingers afterward. “With a sad heart I say bye to you and wave/Kicking shadows on the street for every mistake that I have made,” he sings. “And like a baby boy I never was a man/Till I saw your blues eyes cry and I held your face in my hand.” Foiled is truly a refreshing and unique addition to Blue October’s track record.

Art of Living Organization begins new course to help eliminate stress The Art of Living Organization at Texas State will begin a new course on April 21. At 5 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, the organization will begin the

first part of the course, which includes stretching exercises for improved relaxation and circulation. It will also include guided meditation techniques to increase and balance the flow of energy in the body. The core component of the course will be the Sudarshan Kriya — a technique that purifies and rejuvenates the mind and body through rhythmic breathing. The Kriya connects breathing and the mind-body system in a way that rids the system of accumulated stress and toxins. The Art of Living courses are taught in more than 140 countries worldwide and use

ancient wisdom and yogic practices to enrich daily life and eliminate stress. Using these techniques enables students to clear their minds and increase focus on daily tasks. The courses aim to relieve anxiety and depression, restore normal sleeping patterns and reduce the stress hormone known as cortisol. The courses are open to anyone. For more information on the Texas State Art of Living chapter or upcoming courses, e-mail D.Ray@raytracer.com or pr1046@txstate.edu. — Compiled from press releases

TRENDS

Thursday, April 13, 2006

The University Star - Page 9

Geiger’s album reflects true Underage Thinking By Vanessa Lau The University Star

Courtesy of Fictitious Records LESSON FOR LISTENERS: Nashville band Lylas’ latest album, Lessons For Lovers, is inﬂuenced by the styles of Wilco and The Beatles.

Lylas’ style shows talent but isn’t groundbreaking By Stephen Lloyd The University Star Lylas is from Nashville, Tenn., but the band certainly isn’t anything like the generic country artmusic ists that the review city keeps ✯✯✯ p u m p i n g Lylas out. Though Lessons for its sound Lovers does seem Fictitious Records like one that listeners would need to be in the right mood to enjoy. The first track from their new album Lessons For Lovers, “No Seance for Sweetheart” would fit perfectly in a romantic comedy. It’s a soft, indiefolk track with a laid back jazz flavor, which comes from the drumming style, sounding as if played with brushes instead of sticks. “Virgin Annie” has a comparable feel, but is even more laid back. “Darling Do You?” is similar too but has some country textures from the banjo and pedal steel guitar. “Star of the Family Portraits” features a galloping rhythm and flowing guitar that mimics the sounds of a babbling brook. “Tiny Echoes” has a similar rhythm but is happier and more energetic, almost like

a children’s song. A couple of the songs are similar stylistically to Wilco’s stripped-down 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Singer/ acoustic guitarist Kyle Hamlett’s vocals are reminiscent of Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy’s breathy monotone voice. “Sprinkle” is airy and has a hypnotic pendulum rhythm. Soft and slow orchestral sounds create a bed for the acoustic guitar and drums. “Teenage Phantasm” is similar but features slightly echoed piano and more prominence from the violin and cello. The best way to describe “Summer in a Sweater” is that it sounds British. It’s bouncy rhythm recalls The Beatles and more speciﬁcally, Paul McCartney. “Years and Years” is Beatles-ish too but more in the style of “Across the Universe,” with its spacey acoustic guitar. “His Master’s Merriment” is a story song in the tradition of The Beatles’ “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” yet it has more of a swashbuckling feel musically, like “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” by The Decemberists. But interestingly enough, by the time the song ends, it sounds like music from a ’60s spy movie. Despite a few songs that are just plain boring, Lessons For Lovers is enjoyable. It’s the perfect lazy summer album. Lylas might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying the band’s talent as songsmiths.

If John Mayer had a little brother who shared his talents for singing and songwriting, Teddy Geiger music could easily review be that boy. a mere ✯✯✯✯ At 16 years old, Teddy Geiger Geiger pours Underage his life expeThinking into Columbia Records riences the 12 songs on his debut album, Underage Thinking. A delicate balance exists within Geiger’s lyrics between sweet naïveté and the cynicism that usually comes with many years in the entertainment industry. This middle-ground that Geiger stands firmly on is refreshing to listen to; he neither wants you to believe that all in life and love is fair, nor does he take the route towards a world where everything is rotten and intolerable. Geiger’s life is anything but typical for a 16-year-old, but his lyrics reflect the genuine emotions felt by members of each gender at that age, especially in “For You I Will,” the first single off the album, which makes reference to “muster[ing] every ounce of confidence” to approach someone he has a crush on. While his life experiences may not amount to much in comparison to older, more mature artists, Geiger is not shy about expressing his perceptions. For older listeners, the validity in what Geiger sings is like a snapshot of the past—his experiences mirror ones everyone has at that stage of life. A great amount of Geiger’s charm on this record stems from his vast talent within the disciplines of music. He not only writes the songs he sings; he also plays guitar, piano and drums to accompany his lyrics. His discipline and work ethic are evident in the quality of this record, which has no weak or

Courtesy of Electric Artists TEENAGE TUNES: 16-year-old Teddy Geiger’s Underage Thinking is his ﬁrst album on Columbia Records.

formula-dominated tracks. The only song on the album Geiger did not write himself, a cover of Avion’s “Seven Days Without You,” earns its place on the record alongside the fruits of Geiger’s labors in the new edge the lyrics take on under Geiger’s

remarkable voice. Incomparable to any contemporary artists in terms of vocal quality, Geiger’s raspy, soulful voice makes each song an arrow aiming for the heart of the listener. No stranger to the ways of the world, even at his young age,

Geiger puts everything he has on the table to make this record as universal and as genuine as possible. With his unique voice and extraordinary musical talent, Underage Thinking is a fantastic record from this new star-onthe-rise.

TRENDS

Page 10 - The University Star

Thusday, April 13, 2006

Cell phones don’t just ring anymore Study shows American public crazy about sound of personalized ringtones By Mariecar Mendoza Knight Ridder Newspapers SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Out of Jessica Hickey’s purse comes a funky beat that turns people’s heads. Next, the deep, raw voice of a man raps: “Cold coolin’ at a bar, and I’m lookin’ for some action...” It’s Tone Loc, and he’s telling Hickey she’s got a call from a “Funky Cold Medina.” About 30 million people have downloaded ringtones for their cell phones, according to a study released last year by market analyst ﬁrm Ipsos Insight. Currently, hip-hop is dominating the ringtone market with “Grillz” by Nelly, featuring Paul

Wall, Ali and Gipp as the No. 1 most downloaded ringtone on Billboard’s Hot Ringtone chart, making ringtones a lucrative outlet for music moguls. For instance, the Black Eyed Peas’ latest release, Monkey Business, has gone triple-platinum because of the popularity of such hit singles as “My Humps,” which has been among the top three of the Billboard’s Hot Ringtones chart for 27 weeks and counting. Earlier this month, “My Humps” surpassed the 2 million mark, making it the most-downloaded ringtone yet, according to Universal Music Mobile, a division of Universal Music Group. Verizon Wireless, one of several service providers catering to the whims of mobile music lov-

ers, offers VZW True Tones that are sound clips from songs performed by the actual artist. “Want Green Day? Got it. Want Nelly? Got it. Want U2? Got it,” said Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Heidi Flato. Purchasing a “real music” ringtone through Verizon or another service provider like Cingular can cost anywhere from a one-time fee of $1.50 to $10 per download, depending on quality. And with more than 200 million wireless devices currently in use in the United States, the potential for sales of specialized ringtones is huge. “Music is a natural on the one thing people don’t leave home without — their cell phone,” said Flato. For those who want something even more personal, Xingtone may be the answer. Xingtone Ringtone Makers is a service, provided by the Los Angeles-based company, that allows cell-phone users to transfer any audio ﬁle on their computer to their cell, allowing people to

create ringtones out of songs from their own CD collection, iPod playlist, or even a recording of a friend singing in the shower. “I’m not an arbiter of good taste,” said Jonathan Schreiber, CEO of Xingtone. “Who am I to judge what’s a good ringtone for someone else?” To further push the idea of creative ringtones, Xingtone offers an outlet for upcoming musicians. “The next thing we do is we allow any artist — or anyone who thinks they’re an artist — to sign up and load their music,” he said. “In about 15 minutes they can start selling their music as a ringtone from their Web site.” For example, the pop-rock band They Might Be Giants offers fans three different ringtones on their ofﬁcial Web site www. theymightbegiants.com thanks to Xingtone. “Ultimately, the goal is to have Xingtone be the conduit between your music and your cell phone,” Schreiber said.

“T

Schreiber warns, however, that once you get a special ringtone, you start changing your ringtone as frequently as you change your favorite CD. “The interesting part to me is before you change your ringtone, you don’t really care; but when you change it once, you soon grow tired of, say, Bob Marley singing to you every time you get

dent Gloria Macapagal Arroyo earlier this year. Many activists in the United States use their cells to lampoon President Bush by using snippets of his speeches, like the infamous “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job,” and layering them over music. Development Seed, a Washington, D.C.-based online technical support group for activists, supplies political ringtones on their blog forum www. developmentseed. org/blog/ politicalringtones. Religious ringtones are also emerg— Jonathan Schreiber ing in the CEO of Xingtone mobile industry. Last year, Word a call,” he said. “It has an addic- Records was the ﬁrst Christian tive quality.” label to launch an online ringSound bites of famous people tone store offering contemporary ranging from rap stars to politi- Christian music by artists like cal ﬁgures have also been used as Amy Grant, Mark Schultz, Point ringtones — some to make peo- of Grace and Stellar Kart. ple laugh, some to make people Other denominations are prothink. viding their followers with ringVoice ringtones have even been tone inspiration as well, from called the “new protest song” af- polyphonic tones — keyboard ter people in the Philippines used simulated music — of “Hava their phones to protest allega- Nagila” to real music ringtones by tions of electoral fraud by Presi- the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

he interesting part to me is before you change your ringtone, you don’t really care; but when you change it once, you soon grow tired of, say, Bob Marley singing to you everytime you get a call.”

Lionel Hahn/Abaca Press PHONE BUSINESS: The Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps” from the album Monkey Business is the most-downloaded ringtone, according to Universal Music Mobile.

DIVERSIONS

Thursday, April 13, 2006

✯Star Comics

The University Star - Page 11

my latest tunes Entertainment Editor Kyle Bradshaw reveals what he’s been listening to this past week. Unplugged Eric Clapton

Songs for Silverman Ben Folds

Regulate the Chemicals Twothirtyeight

Favorite track: “Before You Accuse Me”

Favorite track: “Late”

Favorite track: “The Hands of Men”

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

Wednesday’s solutions:

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

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

quoteof the day “It remains our intent to produce a strong border security bill that will not make unlawful presence in the United States a felony.”

”

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert — along with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist — answering claims that the immigration legislation supported by Republicans does not show compassion. (Source: The Washington Post) Opinions Contact — Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

Get your butts out of The Quad: ASG, administration not impressing anybody For the last four years, while Texas State students were spreading out across San Marcos to take part in Bobcat Build, children from Camp Fire USA have been coming to campus to pick up cigarette butts in The Quad. This raises a number of questions, not the least of which is why the university is relying on third- through seventhgraders to clean up the burnt remains of objects that have been in the mouths of college students. This year, volunteers from Camp Fire USA picked up about 13,600 cigarette butts. That’s up 1,600 from last year. Since last year’s Bobcat Build, the university has supposedly put into effect a smoking policy that bans smoking in The Quad. So far, The University Star has been unable to discern what, if anything, the university is doing to enforce this policy. In a Sept. 14 Star article, Assistant Dean of Students Vince Morton suggested students help enforce the ban. The administration does not have any system in place to curb smoking in The Quad — other than to continue the so far ineffective method of putting up more signs alerting students that The Quad is a non-smoking area. Morton’s suggestion is probably not a feasible one. Historically, 18- to 25-year olds have not responded well to other 18- to 25-year olds who are in no position of authority whatsoever telling them what they can or cannot do. It’s pretty unreasonable to expect college students to tell each other not to smoke cigarettes and it’s even more unreasonable to expect the offending smokers to respond in a civil manner. College students should be able to put cigarette butts in a trashcan or ashtray. It’s not a very difficult exercise. People capable of graduating high school or earning their GED at a community college ought also be capable of taking a small piece of fiberglass and drop it in a trashcan. Cigarette butts are filthy and foul smelling. It’s embarrassing that our school needs to get elementary school students to pick up our waste. It’s embarrassing that our administration is willing to ban smoking in certain areas of campus and not bother to come up with a way to enforce the ban. University officials and Associated Student Government members might as well have gathered in a circle and focused all their life force or positive waves or karmic energy toward getting students to stop smoking in The Quad. It would probably have been as equally effective as putting up signs and would have saved more money, unless the séance ran after 5 p.m. and the university employees started racking up overtime. It’s hard to take the university seriously when the administration is willing to put itself in this position. Certainly students should be able to figure out on their own that cigarettes are bad for them and they shouldn’t smoke. But if students aren’t going to read the warning labels posted all over their cigarette packs, there’s no reason to believe they’ll read the warning labels posted on the wall next to them. Empty gestures like this just make the school administration and ASG look powerless and leave the boys and girls of Camp Fire USA knee-deep in the same saliva-coated refuse they started cleaning up four years ago. 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.

Common Experience panel discussion

Unclear intentions for ‘Blood for Oil’ symposium result in lack of useful discourse Last Thursday, I participated in the Common Experience panel discussion, “Blood for Oil, Ports for Sale: The Courage to Redefine American Priorities.” Professor Jeffery Gordon, the moderator, informed the panelists that we were not confined by the title issues, but should have a broadranging discussion of national prioriREBECCA RAPHAEL ties. He asked each of us to submit Guest Columnist one major concern and developed a list of seven items from the responses. Gordon also suggested that we choose three priorities we would emphasize if we were president. The discussion might have been a lively citizens’ forum for issues that the federal government and the media ignore. Instead, Gordon’s intentions eluded us. I have spoken on many panels, but my disappointment with this one went deeper than the usual Monday-morning quarterbacking. What happened? What didn’t happen? And why? For days before the event, I tried to think of a more pleasant way to put what most troubles me about the direction of our country and finally decided that I could not: we are getting very stupid. Indifference or outright hostility to knowledge seems to be the common DNA shared by a variety of beasts in the cultural landscape. College students complain about having to write grammatically, if at all. Public officials claim that no one could have planned for the dangers to a vulnerable city, when experts had predicted such disaster for years. A political appointee forbids NASA scientists from mentioning well-established physics theories that conflict with a narrow religious ideology. The nation goes to war on the basis of selective evaluation of questionable evidence. School boards threaten to dilute or remove from the curriculum a well-substantiated cornerstone of biological science. Elected officials contradict today their own claims of three years ago and no one remembers enough to notice. As evidence of the human role in global warming mounts, politicians impugn science rather than call for deep changes in how we do business. In our public and private lives, we ignore evidence, excuse bungling, show contempt for expertise, fail to transmit knowledge to the next generation and dismiss anything contrary to our wishes as somebody else’s sinister plot. But I didn’t say these things. The Iraq War consumed so much time that I didn’t see a good opening. One speaker criticized any discussion of how to end the war by saying that war is inevitable and that no one on the panel had the expertise to know how to end this one. A second speaker supported the invasion and now favors declaring victory and withdrawing, but refused to specify conditions for withdrawal on the grounds that we cannot know the future. Objections raced through my mind as I listened: even if we grant the inevitability of war, it does not follow that any given war is inevitable. Nor does it follow that any given war is the best available option in the circumstances. Still, I didn’t jump in, partly because I haven’t mastered the skill of jumping in, but also because my objections seemed merely logical. Should the still, small voice of logic be heard? The sweeping claims about inevitability and ignorance seem persuasive because they contain an element of truth. Our knowledge and power are not complete. But how do we respond to our limitations? Do we appreciate the knowledge we have and welcome the effort of building on it? Or do we throw up our arms and infer fallaciously that because we cannot know everything, we should not try to learn anything? Is our limited knowledge a challenge to grow, to contribute more to American and human civilization? Or is it a justification for allowing power to pursue its ends without our scrutiny? And if we do give up, whose purposes are served? Why does my citizen ignorance count, so that I may not speak against power, whereas our leaders’ ignorance excuses death-dealing blunders and inevitability absolves everyone of moral responsibility? These questions are not just about the war. That they arose in a discussion of it is symptomatic. So was my feeling that these questions were too modest, too simple to be raised. The panel became a microcosm of the nation: bogged down in Iraq, we did not have resources for anything else. We didn’t talk about the unprecedented deficit and foreign debt, the growing concentration of wealth in fewer hands, the media’s obeisance to power, the erosion of checks and balances in the federal government, the resurgence of belligerent religious ideologies at home and abroad, the immigration situation, the degradation of the environment and of civil liberties, the power of money in the political process, or the spreading rejection of knowledge on both right and left. Or how stupid we’re getting. We need to talk about these things.

Jeffrey Cole/Star illustration

Thursday, April 13, 2006 - Page 12

Poorly executed debate focuses on irrelevent topics, narrow viewpoints OK, you cats of Bob. I walked by the guy speaking on Islam on my way to the panel discussion last week led by Jeffrey Gordon; the man said Islam doesn’t keep women down — right. Moving on to Gordon. Let me just say straight away that this man SHAWN A. must have been hanging out with FREEMAN Barry Bonds the past few summers Star Columnist because he is stacked. I took a two-year break and don’t remember him being that big. There aren’t many men over 50 by whom I am physically intimidated, but when the first question from the audience was asked, I fully expected him to turn to us and yell, “Who said that? Who the **** said that? Who’s the slimy little communist ****, twinkle-toed ****sucker down here who just signed his own death warrant?” The panel consisted of Sen. Bob Krueger — a senator who was appointed to fill the void left by Lloyd Bentsen in 1993 and did so, until he lost the special election to fill out the term to Kay Bailey Hutchison. I am not sure we should really address this man as senator. Rebecca Raphael, my philosophy professor in days of yore; James Pohl, an incredibly intelligent yet massively long-winded man; and Texas State seniors Christopher Walter and Johnathan Winston filled the panel. This may have been the worst-run discussion I have ever seen. Gordon has done well at this type of thing before, so I think he was just ill-prepared for this one — please don’t hit me. On the other hand, it may have been the muddled purpose of the discussion that made it seem like a big mess. Was it a lecture on how things are being run now, as most of the panel seemed to think it was, or was it a discussion on what we should be focusing on as we as students enter the “real” world as advertised? The question posed to the panel that took the bulk of the time was, “What three things would be your priority were you president of the United States?” The most specific answers were given by the two students —Winston, total energy independence, a reduction in our role as global police and a distinct separation between business and state; Walters, removal of corporate presence from public schools; Raphael, I’m deaf and I’ve taken sides on religion, so I can’t be president; and the silliest by Sen. Krueger, I don’t like President Bush. That was pretty much his answer to everything. My question is this: Does the party, which tells us how badly President Bush is ruining things and how much our lives are going to suck because of him, really think it’s OK to tell us that the Republicans are the ones selling the agenda of fear? Hello, pot? No, no it’s me, the kettle. Call mom; she’s worried about you. The panel talked mainly about Iraq. Pohl said it’s better; Sen. Krueger said it’s worse; and Winston said it’s over, so let’s go home. Somewhere in the middle is the right answer. Of course it is better in that Saddam Hussein is out of power. Of course it is worse in that there was a war there, and for a while, a country that had a war is going to be a hard place to live in. Of course we want our soldiers to come home, but not before the region is secure. We stayed in Japan for many years, and we are still in Germany, so maybe leaving right away isn’t the best idea ever. The bottom line for me is that the Middle East represents a massive portion of the world economy, and it simply can’t be left in the hands of dictators, whether it’s Saddam Hussein or Prince Charming. By the way, why is it that we teach our children to love democracy and pluralism, but we show them countless movies in which the woman is swept away by a nation’s supreme ruler to live happily ever after? That was pretty much it. Sen. Krueger showed great skill in turning every single question into an attack on President Bush; Pohl spoke at great length on anything; Winston went a little too far right on a few things; Walters was so polite he didn’t get to say much of anything.

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OPINIONS

Thursday, April 13, 2006

The University Star - Page 13

Conflict at Cabana highlights extent of homophobia Something My girlfriend and I happened to me are a gay couple, and during the weekthis woman is asking us end — someto not be gay in front thing bizarre and of her and her children. devastating. This This upsets me, but I really shook me don’t want to make a up and made scene. However, I also me believe in a don’t want to give in MELISSA FUECHEC cause that I had to this bigot’s offensive Guest Columnist almost dismissed and dim-witted request. as something that We weren’t doing anyonly happens to thing that could be other people or in movies. So considered lewd by any normal here it is: person’s standards. We were My girlfriend and I were simply standing as any couple in line waiting to order some might stand with arms casufood at Taco Cabana around ally around one another. So midnight on April 1 when a we ignore her, continue our lady and a man walk in with embrace as if she had not said four small children. This lady anything and order our food. leans over to me and asks me While we are waiting if I could stop doing “that” around for our food, the lady because she has children. I’m is complaining about us to caught way off guard and have the manager. What exactly to think about what “that” is. her complaint was, I can only At ﬁrst I think maybe she’s guess. Though, I can be sure it uncomfortable with the most was unfounded. minor of public displays of afPerhaps the lady thought us fection, and I consider taking to be immoral and behaving my arm down from around unnaturally or un-Christianmy girlfriend’s waist, but I like; perhaps she is right. Persoon realize this is no normal haps I will follow her example, request. and perhaps I will someday

be of such high character and moral purity as her to drunkenly bring my four children to Taco Cabana in the middle of the night where I will act like a stupid, hysterical lunatic and go out of my way to be really mean to two perfect strangers who happen to be very nice people. So, we have our food now, but we don’t leave the condiment area for a couple of minutes. We are a little too stunned with the whole situation — the lady’s evil death stares and her insulting language. We’re considering what actions to take. Should we sit down and stay out of this lady’s path of righteousness or should we make some kind of a stand against her and risk getting shanked by a crazy-ass person? We’re thinking it over, and we’re not sure what we should do. Should we get some pico and verde sauce? This is the only clear “yes”. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what we decide because as we’re thinking it over, the manager comes to us — the calm ones — and asks us to

leave the area. This is the part that really shocked me. Obviously the lady was being irrational and on the verge of throwing a hissy ﬁt like a 2 year old might, if the 2 year old was also a drunken bigot. She calls us names — all the typical, stale, uncreative language of homophobia. I ask the manager if he thinks this lady’s complaints are OK and right. He says no, but the lady is making a scene. So then I know my options are either leave or make a bigger scene. I choose to let it go and leave, but I don’t know if that was the right decision. I don’t know exactly how I could have won that situation, but I feel like a pushover. It feels gross and helpless, and to make this situation even worse, Taco Cabana will never taste the same to me. What would you have done in this situation? In hindsight, I wish I had leaned over and asked her if she could stop being a bigot because she had children. In my opinion, her lifestyle will be far more damaging to her children’s development than

my lifestyle or — for that matter — the lifestyle of any stranger waiting in line at Taco Cabana and minding his or her own business. Taco Cabana, you chose the wrong side. Maybe it’s in your best interest to sweep things like this quietly under the carpet as quickly as possible to not make a scene. Maybe it’s in your ﬁnancial best interest to be a “family” establishment, and that’s why you prefer the business of a family of six over the business of just two people. However, many people would much rather get tacos in a place they know everyone will be safe and treated with equal respect and dignity. If these are the kinds of decisions you continue to make, it will catch up with you. I have never been so outright and in my face gay bashed, so I never really understood how bad it could feel to be hated by some stranger who knows nothing more about me than my sexual orientation. I also never fully understood the gay people who are loud and seem almost belligerent

about gay rights. Now I do. No matter which argument is right, the loudest voice will be heard. This single event has not turned me into an inyour-face, raging dyke, like the stereotype a few people may be putting me into as they read this. I’ve never been to a gay rights march, protest or event of any kind, but the next gay rights event I hear about, I’ll be there making my one tiny voice heard. Even though the state amendment banning gay marriage overwhelmingly passed and that’s a typical outcome on gay rights votes across the country, I underestimated the problem because I don’t often see its effects. I’m lucky enough to have surrounded myself with intelligent, nonbigoted people. I doubted the degree to which some people really do hate other’s based solely on this one characteristic. I was ignorant, and I’m glad some other ignorant person helped me learn something important. Fuechec is a geography senior.

Hurtful comments by guest columnist misjudge Christianity

Letters to the Editor Individual’s actions don’t represent the group as a whole In regard to Tim Suto’s “Christians running successful business selling atheists as the enemy” from April 6. Mr. Suto, I agree with your column almost entirely, or at least with the main idea behind it. However, I think your point might be better served if you didn’t criticize intolerance with intolerance. You make some stereotyping statements about Christians, implying that the most vocal members of the religion are the religion itself and that their views are the views of the whole. If the most vocal Christians are intolerant toward atheists, does that mean that all Christians are intolerant toward atheists? If the most vocal Muslims hate America, does that then mean that all Muslims hate America? If the most vocal atheists are, like yourself, intolerant toward Christians, does that mean that all atheists are intolerant toward Christians? I’d like to think that the answer is no. Kerry Chandler history graduate student

Travis County should keep Brodie Lane open for residents Please allow me to correct the article in the April 5 edition of The University Star on the closing of Brodie Lane. I am pleased with the passage of the resolution to keep Brodie Lane open in Hays County Commissioners Court. The resolution was written because closing Brodie Lane would cause devastation to commuters who rely on Brodie Lane to get to and from Austin and other places accessible from Brodie Lane. County Judge Jim Powers stated in The University Star that “I never received any money from (Travis Co. Commissioner) Daugherty”. However, in the Commissioners Court video, County Judge Jim Powers admitted that he had received campaign contributions from Daugherty, who is intent on closing Brodie Lane, a major artery for Hays County residents. Another funny thing is that the talks with Daugherty of closing Brodie Lane started back in November of 2005 according to the April 4 video. Why on Nov. 10 did Commissioner Daugherty contribute $250.00 toward Power’s campaign and make another donation of $125.00 on Jan.11? How ironic! Did someone think that the people would not find out the truth, or did someone catch amnesia? Something fishy is going on. Daugherty is not for keeping Brodie Lane open. His intention is to fulfill his promise to close it. Now whether that promise is to the residents in his precinct or a promise to his contributors, only he can answer that. Since when is it OK for someone to obtain a copy of the resolution even before the agenda was printed or put on the Web site? On a closing note, I hope Travis County will do what is right for the residents and keep Brodie Lane open. Baudelio Martinez political science senior

Last Thursday, them. I found myself Christians on campus reading a rather who might have read this disturbing column column probably were — “Christians not only hurt by this false running successjudgment, but also offul business selling fended by the manner it atheists as the enwas displayed. All people emy,” April 6 — in CHRISTY DAILEY should try to be less Guest Columnist The University Star. condescending and disreThe column not spectful when it comes to only was categoria religion that is the pascally untrue, but it was giving sion in many people’s lives. a false generalization of ChrisGod should never have been tians. Though I am not bold referred to as “the invisible enough to claim Christians are friend.” The author’s claims on the most victimized people in pastors and Christians “intent” the United States today, I will were also distastefully done. For say it is ignorant to think that your reader’s sake, while disChristians are not unnecessarily cussing something so important criticized, giving last week’s colto many people, you should umn as exhibit A. try to at least be respectful and The entire column was trying aware of those you could be to show the darker thinking of hurting no matter what your Christians and their prejudice stance on the issue may be. towards atheists; yet while I read The author made a lot of the column, all I could see was claims in this column about judgment that was being placed Christians having something to on the Christian religion. sell, pastors, the way Christians Now there is an extreme in think and how we get followers all groups and religions, and to go to church. not everyone who claims to be a First off, I would like to state Christian truly is in their heart. that Christians do have someA true Christian would follow thing to sell. Christians promote the rules in the Bible to guide the love of Christ, patience and them in living a Godly life. For kindness to your neighbor, a example, we are not to look at code of morals and forgiveness. a speck in our neighbor’s eye If any Christian is not striving to while we have a plank in our be better and live by these charown: The golden rule among acteristics, then they are in the Christians is to treat others as dark about what a Christian life you would like to be treated. is all about. While it is hard for most The Christian life is not fake; people not to judge others, these and we have never claimed the are the aspirations of a Chrisonly happiness on this earth is tian life. Any Christian who is to be Christian, and if anything knowingly placing judgment on goes wrong in our lives it must a person from another religion, be Satan. Neither I nor any background or whatever the other Christian I know has ever case may be, is not staying true claimed you can only be happy to God’s word. Most Christians if you are a Christian. actually like to think of the fact The column spoke of Satan that Jesus did not only befriend as murder, homosexuality and those who were already saved or stealing, but all these aspects the Pharoses. that the author claims to be SaSuch judgment though was tan is only sin. placed on Christians throughChristians do believe that out this column. I myself, as a the devil may tempt you to sin; Christian, have no animosity but sin is sin, and it is forgiven or prejudice towards atheists. I through Christ’s death. All actually have many friends who Christians are sinners, and any happen to be atheists, and I have Christians who will not admit never forced my views on them this are lying to themselves. or shown any antipathy towards When Christians sin, though, we

try to better ourselves and not repeat the same mistake twice, though it may be hard sometimes. I also think it was distasteful to bring up homosexuality because Christians are thought to be judgmental and not allow homosexuals to be Christians, and homosexuals are just assumed not to be Christians. This myth is completely untrue because homosexuality is the same as any other sin, and everyone sins, so should no one go to church? My church actually has a homosexual couple attending it, and we welcome them with open minds and open hearts. Also, claiming that Satan is the reason why things go wrong is just ridiculous. I personally have faced extreme adversity in my life. My mother battled classfour cancer through most of my teenage years and then passed when I was 17. I do not think Satan killed my mother, nor do I think Satan is causing struggle in my life; but I do however know that I would not have been able to get through such a tragedy without God by my side and Him letting me know that I am not alone. The thing that offended me most, though, was the false claims on pastors. My father and late mother have both been pastors most of my life. I do not know how an atheist can make claims on what goes on in a Christian service, but no pastor I have ever known or heard has spoken ill of any atheist or other religion. The purpose of Christianity is not to badmouth or divide and conquer but to help those who are in need and show love and kindness to all people while spreading God’s word. As if criticizing their preaching wasn’t enough, the author also criticized pastor’s moral intents. The column says that pastors use conﬂict, rather than the love of Christ, to get people into church to get their money. The author also seems to think that this is how pastors can afford cars and nice suits. No one should be so bold to ignorantly

assume this of pastors because I know the sacrifices my parents made to become reverends, and I know that my parents gave up their corporate lives to become humble servants of God. Most pastors make equal to or less yearly than the average schoolteacher, and you never hear that teachers are only in it for the money. My family is stationed in a very modest-sized church, and my father is making considerably less than any average teacher. The only reason why I was able to come to college at all was because of the life insurance my mother left behind for me; everything else I own, I work for without complaint. How did pastors get money and attendance, again? I believe the author stated that they use conflicts like the war on Christmas and Easter. This statement is completely untrue because there has not always been a war on Christmas or Easter, as the attendance in churches years ago was higher, so this conflict concept is obviously a new idea that isn’t working. Furthermore, the only reason why there is a war on these holidays is because atheists and other religions decided to take over and celebrate Christian holidays. Christians are being told what we can and cannot do or say. People need to face the facts that Christmas is celebrating Jesus’ birth, and Easter is his victory over death. So why has it become socially unacceptable for a Christian to say “Merry Christmas” on our holiday? As a Christian, I have never thought that atheists are “unworthy of marriage, untrustworthy, un-American or humorless.” I will not, however, sit back though when someone decides to bash a religion that’s sole purpose is to teach people how to love. Those who put down Christianity as a whole, because of a select few that are hypocrites, do not know the true nature or virtue of this long lasting religion. Dailey is an interdisciplinary studies freshman.

Compiled by Monty Marion

the t u o d? b a a k u n i Q h u t n The o y i o n d a t b Whaoking sm

“None, none at all.” — OSCAR GARCIA music performance freshman

“I don’t think it has really had any effect.” — KIA COOPER interdisciplinary studies sophomore

“There are less cigarette butts, but not by much.” — SCOTT LYNCH marketing sophomore

“I don’t even think the ban has stopped smoking in The Quad.” — KEVIN VELA political science junior

“I haven’t noticed any difference at all.” — JENNY JARRARD undecided freshman

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$0 DEP. $0 APP. Large Condo 1 & 2 bdrms available. Some bills paid. Call Apartment Experts (512)805-0123 or check out more apartment specials at www.sanmarcos-apartments.com $0 DEP, $345 MOST BILLS PAID. Call Apartment Experts (512) 805-0123. 1 BEDROOM 670 SQ FT $420. 2 bedroom 835 sq ft $495/ For more info call Apartment Experts 805-0123. $99 INCLUDES DEP. App. and 1st month rent. Beautiful property! 1, 2, 3 bedrooms. Call Apartment Experts (512)805-0123. $785 2/2.5 WINDMILL APTS. 3 blks from TXState. Preleasing for 5/20 and 8/20. Free HBO, Road Runner, full-size W/D. www.windmilltownhomes.com for floor plans & prices. 396-4181. I’M FREE! I’M EASY! WANNA MOVE? Great Locations is your best resource when shopping for apartments. Visit us and get a FREE shirt and a chance to win a New Dell. www.glsanmarcos.com, 512-878-2233. 1/1.5 LOFT, 700 SQFT. Backyard and w/d included call Apartment Experts (512)805-0123 1/1.5 TOWNHOME only $525, pets ok, W/D included. www.glsanmarcos. com, 878-2233. 3X2 & 3X3 DUPLEXES newly remodeled, hardwoods and tile, w/d, dogs ok. $642 Great Locations 878-2233 ALL BILLS PAID 1, 2, & 3 BEDROOMS. Your choice, close to campus, IH-35, or Hopkins. Great Locations, 512-878-2233. FURNISHED ROOM, cable TV, private bath, kitchen/laundry privileges, non smoker. $400 per mo, call 512-878-0360. 1 BR GUEST COTTAGE on historic San Antonio St. Unique, safe, private, & charming area. Suitable for one tenant only. Walk to TxSt. Every bill paid, W/D included. NS/NP. $650. 754-1227. SPLIT LEVEL TOWNHOME. 2 bedroom, starting at $625. Call Apartment Experts, (512)805-0123. WALK TO CAMPUS! 1 bed $410, 2 bed $460 with cable & internet paid. Great Locations, 512-878-2233. WALK TO CAMPUS. $99 total move-in 2-2 $599. 1-1 also available. Call Apartment Experts 805-0123. ALL BILLS PAID! 2 bedroom $650 W/D included. Call Apartment Experts, (512)805-0123. NOW PRELEASING efficiency one & two bedroom apartments. Great Prices & Specials! 754-0001. 3/3 ONLY $305+ BILLS include water, internet, and W/D. Great Locations, 878-2233. www.glsanmarcos. com RENT TO OWN, seller financing, 3/2, 4/2 Large Doublewides, on one acre, Hill country, Large Oaks, 512-754-3344, San Marcos, TX

FOR RENT

3X3 DUPLEX, 3 covered parking spaces, cable, internet, phone, and trash paid. Going quick! Great Locations, 512-878-2233. $149 TOTAL MOVE IN! $420, 2bdrm $525. On TX State shuttle. Call Apartment Experts (512)805-0123. TOWNHOME 4-2.5, all bills paid, W/D included call Apartment Experts (512)805-0123 AVAILABLE MAY 1. Beautiful new 3b/3.5b. 1497 N. LBJ, (512) 665-6500 or (512) 396-4488. No pets. IMMEDIATE MOVE-IN at 702 Bracewood. 2bd/2b for $475 per month. Call Legacy Real Estate at 665-0350. FREE APARTMENT LOCATING! Managers specials, ﬂoor plans, deposit information. A+ Video Apartment Locators, 512-392-3463. aplusapts.net LARGE T-HOME, $99 total move-in free cable, internet, and phone. W/D included. Call Apartment Experts 805-0123. ALL BILLS PAID! 4 bedroom $710 W/D included. Call Apartment Experts, (512)805-0123. 1/1.5 LOFT! Only $445 includes cable, phone, internet, partial water & close to TSU. Great Locations, 512-878-2233. 611 BRACEWOOD ready for immediate move-in. Large 2 bedroom 2 bath with water/waste water paid. Small pet welcomed. REDUCED TO AN AMAZING LOW PRICE OF $545/month. Call Legacy Real Estate at 665-0350. ROOMMATE WANTED-large custom home, private bedroom and bath, 15 min. to San Marcos. $495 per mo plus partial utilities. Call Jason 353-3811. APARTMENT HOTLINE-Free info on over 60 apartments, condos, and townhomes. www.glsanmarcos.com, 866-282-8517. $350 FULLY FURNISHED cable, internet, water paid, W/D included. Call Apartment Experts 805-0123. GREAT LOCATION. GOOD DEAL. 2 br/2 bath. W/D. Pets OK. (206) 660-7921. $49 TOTAL MOVE-IN includes app, dep, and 1st months rent free (1,2, & 3 bedrooms). Great Locations, 512-878-2233. NEED LOW RENT? Roommate matching could be the answer. Call and we’ll set you up. Apartment Experts (512)805-0123. MOVE IN SPECIAL, one month free, large 3/3, W/D. 512-422-0903. 1/1 LOWEST PRICE NEAR TOWN. Most bills paid & pets ok, only $315. Great Locations, 512-878-2233. www. glsanmarcos.com BIG 2 BDROM 900 SQFT. $585! call Apartment Experts (512) 805-0123. $1-1 $375 500 SQFT! call Apartment Experts (512)805-0123

FOR RENT

3X2 DUPLEX, 2 car garage, vaulted ceilings, W/D, cable, water, dogs ok. $900. Great Locations, 512-878-2233. NEW 3/2 HOUSE. Huge yard, great ﬂoor plan, alarm, garage. Great Locations, 512-878-2233. SPACIOUS & NEW 3/2 House. West of IH35. upgrades throughout, garden, tub, huge master, large bedrooms & closets, 2 car garage. Great Locations 512-878-2233 2 BEDROOM ONLY $495. $149 total move-in (1st month rent, app, dep.) Great Locations, 878-2233. www.glsanmarcos.com $0 APP $0 DEP. Brand new, most bills paid. Pool views available. Great Locations, 512-878-2233. CHECK OUT OUR current apartment specials online at www.sanmarcos-apartments.com or call Apartment Experts (512)805-0123. ARTISTIC LOFTS, hardwood ﬂoors, W/D, 16 foot ceilings. www. glsanmarcos.com. Great Locations, 512-878-2233

FOR RENT-APTS IMMEDIATE MOVE-IN at 702 Bracewood. 2/1 for $475 per mo. Call Legacy Real Estate at 665-0350. 611 BRACEWOOD ready for immediate move-in. Large 2/2 with water/waste water paid. Small pet welcomed. REDUCED TO AN AMAZINGLY LOW PRICE of $565 per mo. Call Legacy Real Estate at 665-0350. BISHOP’S CORNER at 1409 Bishop has a 1 bedroom for $395. Early May availability. Quite, small complex. Water/waste water and trash paid. Visit legacyrealestate.biz, and call Legacy Real Estate at 665-0350. 3/3.5 APT. W/GARAGE and covered parking at Bishop’s Square. Take over lease through end of July or longer. $475 per person available May 1. Contact 713-882-9069 or 512-878-1993. ROOMS NEXT TO CAMPUS free internet, cable, and other free utilities $325-$375 call 392-2700.

FOR RENTCONDO/TOWNHOME $785 2/2.5 WINDMILL APTS. 3 blks from TXState. Preleasing for 5/20 and 8/20. Free HBO, Road Runner, full-size W/D. www.windmilltownhomes.com for ﬂoor plans & prices. 396-4181.

FOR RENT-DUPLEX APARTMENTS FROM $375/MO. Near stadium. Gas, water paid. 353-5051. BISHOP’S CORNER at 1409 Bishop has a 1 bedroom for $395. Early May availability. Quite, small complex. Water/waste water and trash paid. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate 665-0350. 3 BEDROOMS WITH 3 FULL PRIVATE BATHS. Extra large kitchen, washer/dryer, fridge, dishwasher, 3 carports, storage building, and FREE phone-cable-high speed internet. $845. Agent, (512) 665-8788. FOR RENT DUPLEX 3br/3.5ba 101 Cedergrove (on bus route). Fenced backyard/pets ok. $1050 per month. 512-557-2557.

FOR RENT-DUPLEX

$785 2/2.5 TOWNHOUSE. 3 blks from TXState. Preleasing for 5/20 and 8/20. Free HBO, Road Runner, full-size W/D. www.windmilltownhomes.com for ﬂoor plans & prices. 396-4181. DUPLEX FOR LEASE for immediate move-in. 2/1 at 1107 Marlton for $625 per mo. Easy terms. Call Legacy Real Estate 665-0350 and visit legacyrealestate.biz. LARGE DUPLEX, pre-lease for 8/1, 3/3.5, garage, W/D, fenced. 512-422-0903 519 HUTCHISON has two duplex units for immediate move-in. 3/3 includes full size W/D for $1050 per mo. $900 security deposit. Also, available 2/2 for $650 per mo. Pets negotiable. So close to campus you can walk. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate 665-0350. DUPLEX NEXT TO TEXAS STATE. Modern, excellent condition. 4/2.5, large kitchen, 2 living areas, sauna, w/backyard, pets OK, $1650. 757-0399 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. FOR LEASE 2/2 DUPLEX at 909 Allen St. Carport, fenced yard, pets allowed. $775 per mo. available June 1st. Call Steve, day 830-379-0300, night 830-372-5512. SAGEWOOD DUPLEXES preleasing for 6/1 &8/1, bus route, 3/3.5 garage, W/D inc., Call 512-699-9759 519 HUTCHISON has 2 duplex units for immediate move-in. 3bd/3b includes full size W/D for $1050 per month. $900 security deposit. Also, available 2bd/2b for $650/month. Pets are negotiable. So close to campus you can walk. Visit legacyrealestate.biz and call Legacy Real Estate 665-0350. DUPLEX FOR LEASE for immediate move-in. 2/1 at 1107 Marlton for $625 per month. Easy terms. Call Legacy Real Estate at 665-0350, and visit legacyrealestate.biz. SAGEWOOD DUPLEX FOR RENT. Pre-Leasing. 3B/3.5B $1100. 310-714-4352 $765 2/2 WINDMILL DUPLEX. 3 blks from TXState. Preleasing for 5/20 and 8/20. Free HBO, Road Runner, full-size W/D. www.windmilltownhomes.com for ﬂoor plans & prices. 396-4181.

FOR RENT-HOUSES HUGE 3/2, W/D, ETC. 1600 sq ft. $890 per mo. 713-774-5953. HOME FOR IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY. 3/2 w/2 car garage. $995/ mo. Call Legacy Real Estate 665-3321.

FOR SALE 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 NEEDED IMMEDIATELY-trained musician w/capabilities crossing music genres. MUST BE RELIABLE. Call 512-472-2280.

HELP WANTED

PART-TIME HOUSEKEEPER. Apply within. Blair House Inn, Wimberley, 512-847-1111. PAPER BEAR a downtown gift shop is hiring for the following shifts: 9-6, 9-2, 1-6. Starting pay $6.50 hr. Pick up application in person. Must be able to work a minimum of 30 hrs per week... Monday-Saturday. 214 N. LBJ DR. 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 $800 WEEKLY GUARANTEED. Stuffing envelopes. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Scarab Marketing 28 E. Jackson, 10th floor, Suite 938, Chicago, Ill. 60604. CAN YOU WALK, CHEW GUM AND HAVE FUN ALL AT THE SAME TIME? Do you want to truly make a difference in lives of special children? Are you looking for rewarding, challenging and fun Summer Camp counselor experience? Join us this summer at Star Ranch, a Christian Summer Camp for children with Learning Disabilities. We are looking for a few good balancing acts! Salary, room, board, and laundry provided. Near Kerrville, call Cody, 830-367-4868 x 205. www.starranch.org ASSISTANT SECRETARY: php, website develop/design: www.tribalorientaltexxtiles.com GUADALUPE COUNTY CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER is seeking a fulltime Client Services Coordinator. Duties include coordinating client intake and victim services, volunteer management, multi-disciplinary team meetings, and assist with case tracking. Required qualifications include degree in social work or related field and experience in a social service agency. Prefer bilingual, victim advocacy experience. Full job description at www.gccac.net. Resume and three professional references to GCCAC, 424 N. River Street, Seguin, Texas 78155. WANT TO MAKE MONEY WORKING IN AN UPBEAT ENVIRONMENT? Apply in person for waitstaff at the best place to eat in Gruene. Gruene River Grill, 1259 Gruene Rd., New Braunfels 830-624-2300. LOOKING FOR PROMISING MEN AND WOMEN FOR ALL POSITIONS. Great pay & free trip rewards. Full time and permanent positions avail. Call now positions won’t last. 512-878-6172 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 online today at http://www.telenetwork.com/careers HAVE FUN AND MAKE MONEY ON THE GUADALUPE RIVER!!! WhiteWaterSports is now hiring for summer seasonal help. For more information, see our ad below!!! COTTON EYED JOE’S PART-TIME SUMMER POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Must be able to work days, evenings, and holidays. Apply in person 1608 Hunter Rd., Gruene. !BARTENDING! Up to $300/day. No experience necessary. Training Provided. Age 18+ ok. 800-965-6520 x 157.

HELP WANTED

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 EXPERIENCED horse trainers, riders, groomers: www.texasarabianhorses.com BOBCATSNEEDJOBS.COM WE NEED Paid Survey Takers in San Marcos. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys. SUMMER WORK for ambitious and hard working student. Earn 3 hrs college credit and $700 per week. GPA 2.5. Call Joe at 512-557-4383. TEKA MARKETING INC. is now expanding and looking to fill several full and part time positions. Very flexible hours and casual work environment. For more information call 1-512-805-0020. RANCH HAND, apply on line www. texasarabianhorses.com WANTED: ELECTRICIANS for 30-90 days temporary employment to finish out intermediate school in Dripping Springs and project in San Marcos. May lead to permanent employment or just summer work. Call our office 512-396-3300. 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. PHOTO MODELS, apply online: www.nabilcronfulphotography.com OFFICE ASSISTANT/RECEPTIONIST NEEDED for medical office, Immediate opening for part-time fax resume to 512-353-7607.

MISCELLANEOUS 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.

ROOMMATES SUMMER ROOMMATE wanted to sub-lease room in 3/2 nice house w/2 females. $330, plus 1/3 bills. Close to campus, W/D, hot tub, garage. Call 979-541-7840. LOOKING FOR A ROOMMATE, $275/month, with personal bath, if interested contact, Jose Martinez at 512-396-0342.

SERVICES GREAT JOB! Dependable, responsible, attentive female to care for handicapped boy. Every other Sat. and Sun. 9am-8pm, $8.00/hr with bonuses. Call Jenny 392-9737. Leave message. WWW.STUDENTATTORNEY.COM

WANTED BUYING both civil war or early TEXAS NEWSPAPERS, swords, guns, letters, documents, clothes, pictures, etc. 512-557-7224. HELP THE CHILDREN OF SAN MARCOS-Kids Against Drugs (KAD) program develop and learn the joys of creating music in a safe, drug-free environment! If you have any old keyboards, guitars, or any other instruments lying around, please donate them for the kids to use in a new recording studio in the program’s center. Don’t let those instruments collect dust-it’s for a good cause! To donate, please call 512-396-3364. WANTED: USED CARS, TRUCKS, VANS. Any condition. Running or not. If you have something to sell please call Willis Mitchell. 512-353-4511. UP AND COMING ROCK BAND IN NEED OF LEAD VOCALIST. Inﬂuences include Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, and Mastodon. Contact Bobby 830-534-2671, e-mail rp1094@txstate.edu. Serious inquiries only.

SPORTS

Thursday, April 13, 2006

The University Star - Page 15

Women’s golf swings West stressed by playoff possibilities into second place in NBA needs yet another alteration when it comes to reseeding teams SLC Championship Kevin B. Blackistone The Dallas Morning News

By Chris Boehm The University Star Texas State rebounded from a disappointing finish in its host tournament a week ago, placing second on Wednesday afternoon following the culmination of the three-round Southland Conference Championship. Freshman Jennifer Crawford tied for second with a total score of 228, her best finish as a collegiate golfer. The Bobcats had three other players finish in the Top 10 on their way to a team total of 957, 21 shots behind the winner, Lamar. The Cardinals’ Therese Nilsson shot a final round of 74 to come from behind and win individual honors, passing Crawford and UT-San Antonio’s Laura Baker in the process. Crawford led the pack after Monday’s first round of com-

Photo courtesy of HGA ABOVE PAR: Freshman Jennifer Crawford, seen here practicing in Houston, ﬁnished second overall after a game on Wednesday. The Bobcats walked away with second place in the Southland Conference Championship.

petition, shooting one over par at 73 to share the top spot with the Baker. Texas State finished the first day in third with a score of 323, seven shots behind leader McNeese. The Bobcats shot 319 and 315 over the last two rounds to move past the Cowgirls, who finished in fourth place behind Louisiana-Monroe. The conference tournament was Crawford’s highest finish since placing 10th in Centenary Ladies Spring Invitational at the end of February. The freshman recorded scores of 73, 76 and 79 over three days, hitting seven birdies and 29 pars. Texas State faced their conference foes just a week ago when it hosted the Bobcat Classic in Kyle. Coach Dacia Mackey’s crew finished fourth in the 14-team field but lost to Louisiana-Monroe, Lamar and Michigan State. Freshman Christine Brijalba, the Bobcats’ top player most of the spring, struggled from the field on Monday and Tuesday, registering a 162, but recovered to shoot 77 on Wednesday, finishing 11th. Brijalba’s 239 in the conference championship gives her a 77.38 per round, highest on the team for the spring. Junior Anessa Thompson scored a three-day total of 241, good for 13th place. Danielle Mask contributed a 254, while Sarah Glass’s 257 did not count towards the team total. The Southland Conference Championship concludes the women’s spring, in which they opened the season with the Islander Spring Classic in Corpus Christi (11th place). The Bobcats proceeded to finish in sixth, seventh, fifth and fourth before highlighting the season as runner-ups in the SLC tournament. The men’s team will play its conference tournament next week in Houston. The threeday contest begins Monday.

www.UniversityStar.com

DALLAS — Just in the last year, it instituted a dress code and barred employment to kids straight out of high school. In previous years, it divvied up teams into more divisions, dumped short best-of-five playoff series and adopted the gamechanging three-point shot. In short, change is not anathema to the NBA. Modification is as much a part of its tradition as tradition is a part of baseball. So it doesn’t make sense that the league is wedded to a postseason format that no longer fits its regular-season format. It is time for Extreme Makeover: NBA Playoffs. Reseed them. This isn’t a novel demand. Others have raised it before, as recently as February’s midseason break called All-Star Weekend, when the league’s plenipotentiary, David Stern, gave his annual state of pro basketball address. When the thought has been raised before, it has never even gone as far as to receive an up or down vote from the board of governors, a league spokesman said. Someone should bring it up again after this season. For now, we have this: the two best teams in the West by far are the Spurs and Mavericks; each is on the threshold of its 60th victory. The next closest team in the West is Phoenix. The Suns just won their 50th — a rung no other Western Conference team will reach. But the Suns are guaranteed an easier route to the Western Conference finals than the Spurs or the Mavericks. How’s that? The loser of the Spurs-Mavericks battle for best record in the West will be dropped to the No. 4 seed in the conference, while the Suns are guaranteed the No. 2 seed. That’s because the Spurs and Mavericks are in the same division (Southwest), and the division winners, including the Suns (Pacific), are seeded 1 through 3. More ridiculous, if the Spurs and Mavericks escape their firstround matchups, they must meet in the second round. The adage is true that you have

Smiley N. Pool/Dallas Morning News HOLDING THEM OFF: San Antonio Spurs’ forward Tim Duncan is fouled by Dallas Mavericks’ Keith Van Horn during the ﬁrst half on Nov. 5., 2005.

to beat the best to be the best. The road from the West to the NBA Finals goes through Texas, and at some point, the Spurs and Mavericks would seem destined to have that head-on collision on Interstate 35. But why not have that meeting of titans where it would make sense, in the conference ﬁnals? Who wants to watch a conference title series between the Spurs or Mavericks and the Suns, or any other team in what would appear to be a mismatch? The Suns are 1-3 against the Spurs and are scheduled to meet the Mavericks in Phoenix on Thursday with a chance to even that season series at two wins apiece. The NHL wouldn’t let that happen. For over a decade, hockey has been reseeding its playoffs based on conference performance. “The reason we use reseeding is to reinforce the value and meaning of regular-season performance,” NHL spokesman Frank Brown said. What reward is there in winning one of the league’s six divisions as the Stars are about to do? A top seed, 1 through 3.

But after the ﬁrst round, the best remaining teams are matched with the worst. A Spurs-Mavericks second-round matchup would be averted. The NFL says it’s a misnomer that it reseeds. It only assures that the highest seed plays the lowest remaining seed. Time was when the NBA was able to avoid what it is about to have happen. A couple of seasons ago, Minnesota and San Antonio ﬁnished with the best records in the West from the same division. But they wouldn’t have met in the playoffs until the conference championship. That was because there were only four divisions in basketball then. The third-best team in the West, the Lakers, got the No. 2 seed and the Spurs were awarded No. 3. Last season, the NBA split up its four divisions into six, creating the possibility of the problem the Spurs and Mavericks now present. The good news is that there is an easy solution to all of this that could prove better than what even the NHL and NFL do. It could preserve the credit for winning one’s division as well as

reward another for seasonlong accomplishment. Stern’s soon-to-be-retired longtime lieutenant, Russ Granik, suggested during All-Star Weekend that teams be seeded based on both criteria. Take the three division winners and the second-place team with the best record and award them seeds of 1 through 4 based on number of victories. To quote those Guinness-ina-bottle geniuses: “Brilliant!”

NBA Western Conference Standings San Antonio Spurs 60-18 Dallas Mavericks 59-19 Phoenix Suns

51-26

Memphis Grizzlies 46-33 L.A. Clippers

44-33

Denver Nuggets

44-34

L.A. Lakers

42-37

Sacramento Kings 41-38

SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

sports snortsquotes from the sports world “I have bowled my entire life and gained great pleasure and enjoyment from the sport. This is a tremendous honor.” — Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis on his recent induction to the Celebrities Bowling Hall of Fame. (Source: ESPN)

Thursday, April 13, 2006 - Page 16

Sports Contact — Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

Bobcat athletics to be knee-deep in competition this weekend By Miguel Peña The University Star Texas State athletics has a long and busy weekend ahead of them with a home stand for the baseball team and a short trip to Arlington for the softball team. The track and field team will be sending squads in two separate directions for the last chance at competition before the Texas Invitational in Austin. Texas State Club Lacrosse team will be closing out the regular season looking for a win against the flagship Longhorn team making their way down from Austin. The team is currently ranked first in the Lonestar Alliance south after wins over Tulane, 1910, and North Texas, 13-8. The game will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the soccer field on West Campus. A visiting squad from Dallas Baptist will be taking the field against the Bobcat baseball team for a two-game series, starting with a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday. The Patriots are looking to

extend their overall record this week. Fans should be expecting sophomore right-hander Jordan Craft on the mound for Friday’s game. Craft is toting a 3-1 record on the season with a 4.91 ERA. Other pitchers to look for will be Randall Taylor, a junior righthander from Mesquite who has a 4-1 record with a 4.94 ERA. The Patriots’ leading pitcher, Rodney Brantley, will most likely not be making a start this weekend, as he will be resting his arm from three innings pitched in Dallas Baptist’s 17-4 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Tuesday night in Stillwater. The non-conference matchup will be the ﬁrst of a two-game home stand before Tuesday’s game against the Baylor Bears who handed the Bobcats a lateending loss that seemed in the bag. Tuesday’s game will be in Waco and will be available on Texas State’s student-led radio station, KTSW 89.9, or Gametracker, hosted by Bobcat athletics. Texas State softball will be on the road for a three-game series

at UT-Arlington, starting with a game at 7 p.m. on Friday and a Saturday double-header with the ﬁrst pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. The Mavericks have won eight of their last 10 games and are currently on a ﬁve-game win streak against Louisiana-Monroe and A&M-Corpus Christi. The Bobcats are on a little streak of their own, winning their last four conference games, starting with the second of a two-game series against UH and three straight over Northwestern State. The track team will be splitting shifts this weekend, with some athletes headed to San Angelo for the Angelo State multi-event invitational for competition Friday through Sunday while the rest of the team will be headed to the Mt. San Antonio College relays in Walnut, Calif. The Men’s golf team will be rounding out its 2006 spring season at the Southland Conference Championship tournament in Houston. Bill Woodley will be taking his 13-man team to compete among the best that the Southland has to offer.

CLOSE CALL: During the Texas State Lacrosse team’s 13-8 victory over North Texas on Sunday, sophomore Harrison Gay and junior Kyle Saunders barely missed a UNT player running out of bounds.

Harrison Gay/Special to the Star

DENIED ADVANCE: Texas State sophomore Alex Newton tags out Brittany Reliford on a steal attempt at second base during the Bobcats 1-0 loss to the Longhorns on Wednesday at McCombs Field in Austin.

Monty Marion/Star photo

Bobcats get hooked 1-0 By Carl Harper The University Star AUSTIN - Texas State traveled up Interstate 35 to Austin to battle the UT Longhorns and had high hopes of getting their first season sweep over Texas since 1996. However, with outstanding pitching from both teams, UT outlasted the Bobcats in a 1-0 edge. The game was scoreless through the first five innings of play because of good pitching by Sarah Lancour and excellent defense from shortstop Alex Newton and left-fielder Jill Kloesel. In the fourth inning, after catcher Megan Willis reached first base on an infield single, Brittany Reliford came in as a courtesy runner for UT. Reliford attempted to steal second on a 1-1 count to Kacie Gaskin but was thrown out by Bobcats’ catcher Ashton Peters to hold the game at zero apiece. The Longhorns struck first in the sixth inning of play with one run, and that was all they needed as they hung on for the 1-0 shutout victory over the Bobcats. The inning began when Desiree Williams came up with

one out and singled to left. Then after pinch-hitter Shannon Thomas flied out to left, Amber Hall doubled to the left-center gap, putting runners on second and third. UT then capitalized on its juiced inning as Megan Willis singled to left field, which scored Williams from third. The top of the seventh brought no luck to the ’Cats as Katie Ann Trahan struck out for her second time of the night and both Newton and Peters grounded out to end the game. Pitcher Meagan Denny picked up her 16th win on the season for UT, giving up no runs on two hits and nine strikeouts. Her record improved to 16-3 for the season. “It was a great ballgame; a great effort all around. We just didn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position. We hit some shots throughout the game but Texas made good plays,” said head coach Ricci Woodard. Lancour pitched the Bobcats through this hard fought battle, giving up only one run on five hits with five strikeouts, but received her seventh loss of the season as her overall record now stands at 12-7. PLAYING HARDBALL: Junior Sarah Lancour only gave up one run on five hits in six innings pitched against the Longhorns. The Bobcats return to action on Friday and Saturday against UTArlington in a three-game road trip.

“They got timely hits, and we didn’t take advantage of runners on base. We had several missed opportunities tonight,” Lancour said. Kloesel got the start in left ﬁeld and made multiple defensive plays including a diving catch to keep the Bobcats in the game. She went one for two at the plate with an inﬁeld single. “Sarah pitched great tonight. We came out well but didn’t support her with enough hits,” Kloesel said. Texas State will continue to travel up I-35 as they will take on division rival UT-Arlington with one game on Friday and a doubleheader to close out the series on Saturday. “This three-game series will be our most important conference series of the year. We need to come out strong this weekend,” Woodard said. The team’s record now stands at 28-14 overall and remains on top in the SLC at 14-1. They have just four remaining conference series left against UTA, A&M-Corpus Christi — which will be the last home stand for the ’Cats — Nicholls State and Louisiana-Monroe. Texas 1, Texas State 0 April 12, Austin R H E 000 000 0 — 0 2 1 000 001 X — 1 5 0

TEXAS STATE Texas

Texas State

AB R

H RBI BB SO

Krueger rf Hromadka cf Gunter 1b Trahan dp Newton ss Peters c Keller 3b Kos 2b Klossel lf

3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Texas Williams D. ss Boutelle cf Hall rf Willis c Gaskin dp Williams J. 1b Sievers 3b Cook lf Saenz 3b

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

AB R 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 1 1 2 0 1 2 1 0

H RBI BB SO 1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 0

E - Lancour, Sar. LOB - Texas State 3; Texas 4. 2B - Hall; Saenz. CS -Reliford.

Monty Marion/Star photo

Texas State

Lancour

6.0

Texas

R ER BB SO

Denny

7.0

Win — Denny (16-3) Loss — Lancour (12-7) Attendance: 1111

R ER BB SO 1 0

0 0

5 9