10 19 2005 by The University Star

HAVEN’T THE FOGGIEST

GROWING PAINS

The Fog’s creators didn’t have a clue when making this ﬁlm

Coach Kat Conner’s journey has been full of kicks and goals

SEE TRENDS PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS PAGE 10

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UNIVERSITYSTAR.com

OCTOBER 19, 2005

Panel speaks out against Proposition 2

WEDNESDAY

Keepin’

101

it clean

By Joe Ruiz Managing Editor Nearly 100 people listened to a panel discussion about Texas’ Proposition 2 and the effects it would have on society if voters pass the constitutional amendment on Nov. 8. A four-person panel assembled by the campus group Activists for Sexual Minorities spoke for more than an hour-and-a-half about the civil and legal issues involved with the bill dubbed “the gay marriage” amendment. “It’s not necessary… there are so many other problems in the state and I think they do this to not have to deal with other problems,” said family law attorney Jim Arth. The discussion — after it was moved from a significantly cramped meeting room to the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theatre — started with the viewing of two commercials on DVD produced by No Nonsense In November, a group created to help defeat the passage of the amendment. After the showing, the panel, led by philosophy professor Jeffery Gordon, led with opening statements about why they felt voters should defeat Proposition 2. “Most of the people I’m talking to are people of faith. Whatever religion you are… the important thing is to read the language and think about what it means,” said Kevin Downer. Downer, a member of the Austin Alliance for Social Justice and candidate for the clergy at the Austin-based Metropolitan Community Church, referred to the specific choice of words in the amendment and their placement. “Everybody reads the first 20, it’s the last 23 that mean something,” Downer said. The proposed amendment reads: “The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 23

Columnist Heloise offers helpful hints to students Brynn Leggett/Star photos World-renowned alumna Poncé “Heloise” Cruse spoke on Tuesday for Mass Communication Week in Old Main. She discussed how to rid one’s home of various “stinks and stains” with the help of advertising junior Allen Hundley. The nationally syndicated column, “Hints from Heloise,” runs seven days a week in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and worldwide.

See PANEL, page 3

By Eloise Martin News Reporter How do you remove the smell from your boyfriend’s ﬂip-ﬂops? How do you get candle wax out of the carpet? Is it true that the pit from the avocado will prevent guacamole from turning brown? Students were able to ask the ex-

pert “hintologist” Heloise these questions and more at her Life Skills 101 presentation on Tuesday. The author of the nationally syndicated column “Hints from Heloise” and Southwest Texas State University alumna began her national college tour by starting Mass Communication Week. Students piled in to hear her advice and were left standing as the chairs were quickly ﬁlled. Texas State President Denise See CLEAN, page 3

Regents’ drug policy changed to individual review House of Graduate By Ashley Richards Assistant News Editor

A decision made by the Texas State University System Board of Regents in May ended the mandated enforcement of a 23-year-old drug sanctioning policy. Prior to May, the university’s Student Justice Department enforced a strict tolerance policy laid out by the board of regents in which any student caught

with illegal drugs was automatically suspended for two long semesters. Students now do not face immediate suspension; rather, they will meet with Rod Fluker, assistant dean of students for judicial services, who will make a decision as to what punishment measures will be taken. “The only thing that’s different is I am allowed to make a professional judgment,” Fluker said.

Before the change, Fluker enforced the mandatory suspension despite any special circumstances a student may have had. According to University Police Department records, oncampus drug offenses, including arrests, citations and general offenses, totaled 50 from May 2005, when the new policy began, through September 2005. During the same months of 2004, under the old drug policy,

the on-campus drug offenses recorded came to the same total. UPD Captain Paul J. Chapa said the new policy does not alter how the department will enforce the law on campus. “We will still enforce the laws and polices that the university decides on,” Chapa said. “We’re deﬁnitely in support of their initiative in working with the

Representatives holds first official meeting By Silver Hogue News Reporter

Using examples from the Associated Student Government Senate Code of Laws, The House of Graduate Rep- the house needed to establish resentatives held its first official some internal committees by meeting Friday, after receiving throwing out ideas for general news that President Denise categories. Trauth had approved the AsASG President Jordan Ansociated Student Government derson had come up with Constituthree areas he tion. thought would With this be of interest formal recto graduate stuognition, dents including the House academic afof Graduate fairs, graduate Representastudent life and tives began finance and moving forfees. ward with “I went toits official wards academic business. affairs and grad Held in —Michael Willoughby life because they the LBJ Stuhouse adviser are both really dent Center, broad areas for Room 3-6.1, graduates,” Anthe representatives’ seats were derson said. arranged in a roundtable fashThere was some concern in a ion. graduate committee for finance There were several new faces and fees potentially overlappresent, including recently ap- ping with the decisions of the pointed House Adviser Mi- Faculty Senate representing the chael Willoughby, dean of the topic. Graduate College and four “You’re going to have to keep representatives, absent from finance broad because there the introductory meeting on are some financial issues that Oct. 1. I would really like to see this The primary issue at Friday’s group can tend to, like eligibilmeeting dealt with the need for ity of student loans,” Willoughthe house to develop a Code of by said. “I do think some things Laws after a thorough review See REPS, page 3 of the constitution.

See POLICY, page 3

Chlorine leak creates unexpected delays No danger posed to residents in area By Joe Ruiz Managing Editor A small chlorine spill near the city water tower was the cause of some midmorning inconveniences at the intersection of Sessom Drive and Comanche Street, said University Police Department Captain Ricky Lattie. The chlorine leak occurred on city property near the water tower, and both UPD and city personnel responded to the incident to help secure the scene. Director of Wastewater Tom Taggert said two city employees noticed one of the 150-pound tanks of liquid chlorine was nearly empty and called 911. Courtney Addison/Star photo When exposed to room temAuthorities respond to a small chlorine spill at the city water perature, chlorine converts to gas and can be hazardous to a tower Tuesday morning near the intersection of Sessom Drive and Comanche Street. The spill was cleaned promptly person’s health. Lattie said there was no danger to nearby resiand there was no danger to the public.

Today’s Weather

Sunny 91˚/ 63˚

Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 54% UV: 7 High Wind: SSW 10 mph

Two-day Forecast Thursday Mostly Sunny Temp: 90°/ 62° Precipitation: 0%

Friday Sunny Temp: 86°/ 59° Precipitation: 20%

“T

here are some ﬁnancial issues I would really like to see if this group can tend to, like eligibility of student loans.”

dents, during or after the leak. “It depends on your exposure, but this was a small leak,” Lattie said. “But yes, in a contained space, chlorine gas can be dangerous.” Officials on the scene said there was no danger to the public based on a number of determining factors. “There was no danger and no evacuation based on the location, the wind conditions and the product,” said Len Nored. Nored, an assistant fire chief with San Marcos Fire Rescue, said the response to the leak, which included two fire engines, a special operations unit and hazardous materials workers is normal in any situation involving chemicals. Taggert said the leak, caused by a valve sticking open on the tank, was contained quickly and disinfected with water. “Anytime we have a leak, this is how we respond,” Taggert said. Lattie said the scene had been cleared by 11:40 a.m.

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

Classiﬁeds Comics Crossword News

8 7 7 1-3

Opinions Sports Trends

To Contact The Star: 4 9,10 5-7

PAGE TWO

campushappenings

The University Star

Area college students will have the chance to speak with a Disney College Program recruiter about internships at 5:30 p.m. today at the LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater to create their own career-building opportunity. While on the Disney College Program, students embark on a learning laboratory that includes opportunities to network and learn from Disney leaders, gain real-world experience working in our theme parks and resorts and create lasting friendships with college students from nation- and worldwide. They also have the opportunity to enhance their education by participating in one of seven completely redesigned courses offered as part of the Disney College

Wednesday in Brief

October 19, 2005

Program. Students on the Disney College Program gain crucial real-world experience through a variety of jobs in attractions, culinary, custodial, food and beverage, hospitality, housekeeping, life guarding, merchandise, park greeter, quick service restaurants, recreation and transportation. For more information, visit www.disneycollegeprogram.com, and click on Walt Disney World Resort, or call (512) 245-2645. — Courtesy of Career Services

News Contact — Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu

Calendar of

Saving endangered rice

ASG Beat ASG has number of bills on upcoming agenda

EVENTS Clubs & Meetings Wednesday The American Marketing Association will have its weekly meeting with speaker Joyce Rogge, senior vice president of marketing for Southwest Airlines, at 5:30 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1. The Catholic Student Center will hold a Bible study at 8 p.m. in the CSC lounge. The Association of Information Technology Professionals presents Mary Ruthe Wright from Exxon/Mobil speaking on “Wanted: Future IT Project Managers” at 5 p.m. in LBJSC, Room 3-3.1. Phi Alpha Delta, pre-law fraternity, will sell breakfast tacos from 7:30 to 11 a.m. in The Quad.

Events Wednesday The Society of Professional Journalists will be showing the movie All the President’s Men as part of Mass Communication Week at 7 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320. Free Writing Center Workshop: Utilizing Reference Books and Other Writing Sources will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. in Flowers Hall, Room G09. For more information, contact the Writing Center. Thursday Lambda Theta Phi hosts a FREE Comedy Show celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium.

The Society of Professional Journalists will show the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy as part of Mass Communication Week at 7 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320.

Arts & Entertainment Friday Opera Workshop will be held at 8 p.m. in the University Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for students. Monday Hill Country Artists Series featuring The Webster Trio will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Hays Consolidated Independent School District Performing Arts Center in Kyle. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and senior citizens. Jazz Lab will be held at 8 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. Tickets are $2 for general admission and $1 for students.

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

Danny Rodriguez/Star photo Mara Alexander, along with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Master Naturalists and other organizations, helped clear non-native ﬂoating vegetation at Sewell Park on Tuesday afternoon to promote the growth of endangered Texas wild rice.

CRIME BL TTER University Police Department Oct. 15, 7:04 a.m. Warrant Service/UPD Lobby A student turned himself in to the University Police Department for warrants. The student was transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center to await magistration. Oct. 15, 12:41 p.m. Failure to Identify/Bobcat Stadium Parking Lot A police ofﬁcer made contact with a student having an alcoholic beverage in his possession. Upon further investigation, the student was arrested for failure to identify and transported to HCLEC to

await magistration. Oct. 16, 3:45 a.m. Public Intoxication/Blanco Hall A police officer made contact with a student who appeared intoxicated. Upon further investigation, the student was arrested for public intoxication and transported to HCLEC to await magistration. Oct. 16, 3:56 a.m. Driving Under the Influence/ North Street A police officer made contact with a vehicle for a traffic stop. Upon further investigation, a student was issued a citation for driving under the influence.

San Marcos Police Department Oct. 14, 12:09 p.m. TEC/1301 Highway 123 Student seen smoking marijuana on campus. An administrator found marijuana on him. Oct. 15, 2:01 a.m. Aggravated Assault/701 Chicago St. A male subject discharged a ﬁrearm during a ﬁght in the 700 block of Chicago Street. Oct. 16, 5:59 a.m. Aggravated Assault/1301 Wonder World Drive Report taken for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

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

Associated Student Government has been keeping busy this semester with many exciting and enriching opportunities for Texas State students to contribute to their community and school. Kyle Morris was recently sworn in as Texas State’s newest student liaison to the San Marcos City Council. The liaison represents the interests of the student body to the council and vice-versa. Morris looks forward to working with the students and the council to establish a productive dialogue that benefits all of San Marcos. ASG is also sending representatives to sit on a commission formed by the mayor of Austin to represent the interests of Central Texas students and the Council of Neighborhood Organizations. ASG has passed legislation that would encourage the university to establish a multicultural and gender studies requirement. This would be one of the three writing-intensive courses the university currently requires. This is not a new course, though. There are currently several courses offered that would fulfill this request. Currently AGS is working with the communication studies department to label COMM 1310, Fundamentals of Human Communication, as the first of these multicultural and gender studies options. ASG is also working to extend the Thanksgiving holiday to a full week and designate it a fall/winter break. This would be similar to the current Spring Break and would make the semesters even. Next week, ASG will consider legislation that would ask the senate to oppose Proposition 2 for the Texas Constitution. This would limit marriage to one man and one woman. We invite all points of view and encourage you to come to our meetings at 7 p.m. Monday at the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1. — Courtesy of ASG

STUDENT HEAL TH CENTER

We’ll be happy to see you! To make an appointment go to www.healthcenter.txstate.edu or call (512)245-2167.

• Experienced doctors and nurse practitioners • Nationally accredited by Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. • Latest technology: digital x-ray and computerized self-check in • On-site pharmacy and lab that oﬀers discounted rates • Free patient parking • All appointments are kept conﬁdential The Student Health Center is located on campus at the corner of Sessom and Tomás Rivera Drive.

Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Car e, Inc

NEWS

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

PANEL: Same-sex marriage discussion draws crowd CONTINUED from page 1

to marriage.” “(The last 23 words) also allows for the legislature to remove any single rights enjoyed by married couples from any group if they so choose,” Downer said. Noticeably absent from the discussion though, were people that were in favor of passing the amendment. “We really wanted this to be more of a discussion than a debate,” said sociology junior Sabrina Jennings. “The original idea was to be informative.” Jennings, the president of ASM, started the group this semester with Proposition 2 as the catalyst. Without a panelist for the opposition, Gordon brought up arguments that many people for the amendment have used, including using the amendment to ban gay marriage and civil unions. One of the arguments posed to the panel was that children are more stable if brought up in two-parent, two-gender households as opposed to families with same-gendered parents. “If you ask children, they want to be in homes where they are loved,” marriage counselor Jelka Jonker said. “That argument doesn’t ﬂy.” Craig Nakagawa, a pastor at Central Pres-

students.” Chapa said UPD may assist in providing students with rehabilitation or counseling but they are not involved in any decision for punishment. UPD provides the student justice department with supporting documents and records of the arrest, and then Fluker makes a decision on sanctions, Chapa said. “We’re serving not only in an enforcement role but also an education role,” Chapa said. After a student is issued any sanctions, the student justice department monitors their progress. Chapa said it made him more conﬁdent that a student with an initial drug offense would be less likely to offend again. Some students disagree with the new policy change and favor the old method of dealing with students who receive drug offenses. “No one should be doing drugs and if it’s against the rules, it’s against the rules,” said Anna Grimmer, biology junior. Grimmer said if students are caught with drugs, the mandatory two-semester suspension is the best solution. While Matt Spoon, mathematics junior, said people deserve a second chance, he also believes students should be suspended, per the old policy,

CLEAN: Alumna starts off national college tour at Texas State CONTINUED from page 1

byterian Church in Austin, talked about the proposition’s similarities to marriages being banned on racial differences throughout history as well as the religious side of being homosexual. “Some of the arguments they are making now are the same they made about blacks or

Jeremy Craig/Star photo Kevin Downer, with the Austin Alliance for Social Justice, along with other panelists, discussed the importance of keeping Proposition 2, which bans same-sex marriage, out of the Texas Constitution.

POLICY: Students divided on ‘strict tolerance’ penalty CONTINUED from page 1

The University Star - Page 3

in order to learn a valuable lesson. “If they’re not going to get kicked out of school, then they’re going to push the limits as far as they can,” Spoon said. While the university’s zerotolerance policy for drug-related offenses is no longer mandated by the board of regents, Fluker said the new enforcement method is not a lighter one. “It is my judgment, even though I might suspend them for longer,” Fluker said. Drug violations are something the university takes very seriously, Fluker said. Comparing drug violations to alcohol violations is wrong Fluker said, because of the greater severity of the offense. Fluker said drug violations are more comparable to a higher level offense, such as a sex crime. “(Drug violations) are something we don’t tolerate,” Fluker said. Fluker said the new rules created by the board of regents state that punishment may vary from mandatory counseling to expulsion. The extent of the sanctions that will be enforced by the university is decided by Fluker. He said his decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. “The kinds of things I look at are like the student’s adjustment to school,” Fluker said. “It all depends on the student; it depends on that situation.”

Jennifer Baker, political science junior, agreed with the new policy and the method of looking at each student’s situation before determining the punishment. “I think it’s deﬁnitely an improvement. I don’t think you should ruin somebody’s life because they’re smoking pot and they get caught,” Baker said. “I think counseling is a better option.” Baker said she favored students having the opportunity to remain in school and receive rehabilitation for any drug offenses. She said if a student’s grades are not affected then a more lenient punishment should be given. “If you get kicked out for two semesters you might never come back,” she said. Sylvia Kirk, computer information studies senior, agreed with Baker that if students are around campus selling harmful drugs then punishment should be more strict in most cases. Students whose drug offense consisted of unusual circumstances where mandatory suspension may not be appropriate have the opportunity to avoid the extreme punishment with the new policy. “There are a number of cases where extenuating circumstances existed and the old policy didn’t allow any exceptions,” Fluker said. However, Fluker said those students who receive a drug of-

fense and have not been putting forth an effort academically could face automatic suspension for as long or longer than the previous policy required. During the 23-year reign of the previous university drug policy, Fluker said numerous parents appealed students’ suspension and asked the TSUS Board of Regents to re-evaluate the policy. Of those appeals, Fluker said a few were heard by the courts, resulting in a ruling in favor of the strict tolerance. “The courts ruled that not only did the university have a right to control the university environment, they had an obligation,” Fluker. Although the university no longer has their strict tolerance, requiring immediate suspension, Fluker said the school remains strong in their stance against drug offenses. “We tend to lean toward the strict side,” Fluker said. “We’re still one of the strictest universities in the country, we’re just not mandated anymore.” Fluker said that while he supports the change the board of regents chose to make, he also stood behind their policy before the change. Any punishment students receive from the university is independent of the legal ramiﬁcations they must deal with when cited or arrested for a drug offense. “The courts penalize; we educate,” Fluker said.

Heloise also insisted that washing sheets could not be Trauth attended the event and replaced with vacuuming and said she thought Heloise’s at- spraying Febreze. tendance was important beCristhian Grisales, mass cause she feels students should communication senior, admitget to see alumni who are suc- ted to Heloise that he is guilty cessful. of sometimes substituting Fe“Heloise is an example of breze for his washer and dryer, someone who has worked hard although he does combine both to obtain her position,” Trauth methods occasionally. said. “She shows that hard work He said he came to see Helopays off.” ise as part of Mass CommuniPrizes such cation Week. as gift cards “It was a good to Starbucks, opening for the cash and Heweek to have a loise mugs well-known ceand T-shirts lebrity come,” were handed Grisales said. out to volHeloise also unteers and had hints for students with technology questions for problems such —Heloise as Heloise. Her dropping ﬁrst segment advice columnist cell phones into was “Stinks toilets. The soand Stains” in lution, Heloise which Heloise invited students said, is to take out the battery up front and showed them how and use a blow dryer to dry the to properly clean a refrigerator phone completely. and microwave. Christina Melvin, mass comHeloise provided the audi- munication junior, was asked ence with hints including mi- to come to the front and help crowaving water with vinegar Heloise demonstrate how to to rid the microwave of linger- clean a computer keyboard. ing burned popcorn odor. She Melvin said she has dropped also suggested, when micro- many crumbs into her keywaving items such as spaghetti, board and that Heloise’s advice to use paper plates both on was very helpful. She said Helobottom and on top of the food ise’s presentation was good for to prevent messes from over- her audience. ﬂowing and splattering. “I really liked how she geared Heloise said vinegar is an it toward college students,” Melexcellent way to clean refrigera- vin said. “She was very lively.” tors because it can kill mold and Melvin received $10, a mug mildew. Also, smells evaporate and a book from Heloise for with the vinegar as it dries. And help in the demonstration. an additional hint from Heloise Melvin said she will purchase — do not put off cleaning for vinegar and a terry cloth soon. too long. Heloise used vinegar in many “If you clean it a little bit at of her demonstrations and said a time, it won’t build up,” she it is a multipurpose cleaner that said. can be used in place of highThe second segment was the priced cleaning agents. She “Laundry Challenge.” Hints warned that, although some included separating laundry might see bleach as a good alinto three loads: lights, darks ternative, bleach should not be and others, which include reds, used in place of vinegar. pinks and greens. Also, Heloise Her best hint for the audisaid when in doubt, wash in ence? cold water to prevent colors “Before you do anything, from running and clothes from stop and think, ‘What would shrinking. Heloise do?’” Heloise told students not to In addition to her presentaoverload clothes in the wash- tion, Heloise was live on KTSW ing machine, as it may prevent campus radio and held a colclothes from rinsing. Also, umn-writing workshop for stuoverloading clothes in the dryer dents Tuesday as part of Mass prevents proper tumbling and Communication Week. could lead to more ironing.

efore “B you do anything, stop

and think, ‘What would Heloise do?’”

REPS: House members debate leadership roles CONTINUED from page 1

are going to overlap though, and you don’t want much of that.” Another issue concerning the time structure of the house meetings was discussed, noting the time difference between the faculty and student senate assemblies. While the Faculty Senate meets for two hours and then adjourns, the student senate is notorious for extending their 7 p.m. meetings well into the night. The house would like to structure its meetings more like the Faculty Senate, with time limits set for every item on the agenda and everything decided by a two-thirds vote. “Without set times it makes scheduling difﬁcult, so we should block the time based on agenda,” said Rep. Katie Welch. “We can meet for two-hour blocks every other month and that would be ﬁne.” The role of the vice president as chairperson and the duties of the house leader were particularly contested areas. Normally, it is the vice presi-

dent who assumes the role of chairperson. According to the constitution, in the absence of the vice president, the house leader is to assume all of their duties and powers. The problem is that the house leader represents a certain academic department and if he or she assumes the role of chairperson in a particular vote, that department loses its vote because the chairperson can’t vote with the majority. Some representatives questioned the effectiveness and potential bias that the current system would create. “We should allow the chairperson to vote at all times so you’re not robbing a department of its vote,” said temporary house leader Tyler Young. In allowing the house leader to vote and assume all of the duties of the vice president, a whole new problem would arise. “That would present a major ethical issue because of how situations could be manipulated,” Anderson said. “It would be too easy for a chairperson to take one stance and push an agenda

item all the way through.” This idea received mixed reviews because a third party would have to be brought in to satisfy both sides if an agreement couldn’t be reached. “So the idea is that one must pick an ethical, just person to ﬁll the role,” Welch said. “That’s possible, but not probable, and we don’t want to sword ﬁght on every issue because this is a small group.” Because of time constraints on the meeting at hand, Anderson attempted to close the issue. “I’m taking a step back when you all get this going,” said Anderson. “All I’m saying is that if the vice president regularly isn’t here and the house leader is, you’ll have to watch it really carefully.” If any ethical issues do arise, the house adviser suggested they could be found and resolved long before a meeting even took place. “I think you should have enough information on the person, prior to a meeting, to know if their stance on an issue will be a problem or not,” Willoughby

said. “You’ll have to address it right away.” There was a ﬁnal discussion about how the meetings would be run by the chairperson and how much power they would be given. “Well, we don’t want people yelling and bouncing around,” Anderson said. “Maybe we should categorize the discussion topics and leave it to the chairperson to decide. We can always go back and amend the agenda.” Anderson suggested using a parliamentarian or secretary as a potential backup. “I think we should have a parliamentarian to keep order,” said temporary House Secretary Mia Lofton. “That’s the format I see if we are going to be a house of representatives.” The house agreed to take a vote on all of the proposals at the next meeting and begin writing a draft of the new Code of Laws. “If we can keep the power to vote and the power to move forward with business, I see no problem with any of this,” Young said.

Courtney Addison/Star photo Texas State students participate in a T-shirt-folding competition during Heloise’s “Life Skills 101” presentation Tuesday morning.

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OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

quoteof the day

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - Page 4

”

“That fund was created to help (businesses) make decisions to come to Texas as opposed to somewhere else. In my judgment, the Saints coming here would create jobs and spark economic development.”

— State Sen. Jeff Wentworth about the use of the Texas Enterprise Fund to help bring the New Orleans Saints to San Antonio permanently. (Source: San Antonio Express-News)

Opinions Contact — Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

Proposition 1 could offer a cheaper method of commuting to school Proposition 1: “The constitutional amendment creating the Texas rail relocation and improvement fund and authorizing grants of money and issuance of obligations for financing the relocation, rehabilitation, and expansion of rail facilities.” Lost in all the yelling and screaming over Proposition 2, the proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution defining marriage as only between a man and a woman, has been any discussion of another proposed amendment that would have a much greater impact on most Texans, especially for Texas State students and San Marcos residents. Proposition 1 would amend the Constitution to create a state fund, administered by the Texas Transportation Commission, to finance the relocation of rail facilities in the state. One of the main functions of the fund would be to relocate freight rail lines from urban areas. Some of the predicted benefits of Proposition 1 would be relief of highway congestion, enhanced public safety and improved air quality. In addition, the fund could be used to develop commuter rail projects within urban areas once freight rails are removed, and to finance construction of railroad underpasses and overpasses as part of rail line relocation. All of these benefits would be especially advantageous for San Marcos and the Texas State community. One of the main concerns of city voters this election season has been the congestion of main San Marcos roads due largely to freight rail traffic. Moving freight lines out of the city and building underpasses and overpasses would do a great deal to make the city more travelable. In addition, the proposed relocations tie into Gov. Rick Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor concept, which proposes to create a commuter rail network across the state. Proposition 1 could thus pave the way for Texas State students living in Austin and San Antonio to commute to school without driving and paying increasingly expensive gas prices, as well as reduce overall traffic on Interstate 35. The safety benefits of moving freight lines out of the city are especially relevant to San Marcos after February’s derailment of a 109car Union Pacific train in the center of town, which forced about 200 residents to evacuate their homes. Four of the derailed cars contained about 118 gallons each of toxic sulfuric acid, and one contained 278 gallons of highly flammable xylene. Fortunately, there was no spill and nobody was injured, but the incident highlights the danger that travels through our city every day. A string of accidents in San Antonio last year prompted that city to demand the removal of Union Pacific trains from residential areas. Proposition 1 would help San Marcos achieve the same safety for its residents. Opponents of the amendment say railroad relocation should be left entirely to the private sector. They say the proposal amounts to an expensive subsidy of the railroad industry. This argument ignores the state’s genuine interest in the shape of railroads within Texas. This industry has a profound effect on the lives of Texans and can be guided to greatly improve their lives, with the proper tools. Proposition 1 is one such tool. On Nov. 8, vote yes on Proposition 1. 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 University-San Marcos. Letters policy: E-mail letters to starletters@txstate.edu. Letters must be no longer than 300 words. No anonymous letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit for grammar, spelling, space and libel. We reserve the right to refuse obscene, irrelevant and malicious letters. All e-mails must include the name and phone number of the letter writer. Students should also include their classifications and majors.

s e t o u q s m pu Compiled by Ashley Richards

What do you think of the university’s new drug policy?

“I thing it’s more fair that it’s on an individual basis, but if it’s any kind of an obvious drug for recreation use then you should be suspended.” — MATT RICHTER business freshman “Just because you do drugs doesn’t make you a bad person. It doesn’t deﬁne you as a criminal.” — COURTNEY EIBEN pre-mass communication sophomore “First of all, drugs are terrible. I agree with the new policy because you shouldn’t be kicked out of school for a year if you are still able to perform academically.” — MATT BUNGO ﬁnance junior

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No separation of church and state is OK Thomas Jefferson spective. There is is my favorite presino separation of dent. The man was a church and state, genius in the literal and that’s not a sense of the word. bad thing. He was an architect, The idea of a diplomat, a lawseparation beyer, an archeologist, tween church and SEAN WARDWELL a philosopher, a state comes from Star Columnist statesman, an ama letter Jefferson bassador, an author wrote to the and a farmer. Danbury Baptist When John F. Kennedy was Association in 1802. Most president, he told a group people only look to the last of Nobel Prize winners asfew words, but to truly unsembled at the White House derstand the idea, the entire that, “I think this is the most passage has to be read: extraordinary collection of “Believing with you that talent, of human knowledge, religion is a matter which lies that has ever been gathered solely between man and his at the White House, with the God, that he owes account possible exception of when to none other for his faith or Thomas Jefferson dined his worship, that the legislaalone.” Without Jefferson, tive powers of government there would be no America as reach actions only, and not we know it. opinions, I contemplate with It is in the area of religion, sovereign reverence that act however, where he fascinates of the whole American people me the most. For a very long which declared that their legtime, I was an agnostic, if islature should ‘make no law not an outright atheist, and I respecting an establishment kept referring to the principle of religion, or prohibiting of separation of church and the free exercise thereof,’ thus state. I hated it when some building a wall of separation Bible-thumping twit, as I between church and State.” used to refer to them, would Jefferson was not trying to try and inject their views into protect government from relipublic policy. gion. He was trying to protect I’m a little older now and religion from government. hopefully a little wiser. It still Like it or not, this nation annoys me when people try to was founded by people who pass off religion as policy, but possessed some kind of faith. I understand something now, Some were Christians, some and it puts things into perwere Deists, but they all be-

lieved in something. Isn’t that what we all do though? Don’t we all have something we believe in to help us make it through the night? You won’t find me being one of those people who thinks America is a purely Christian nation though. I happen to be a Christian and I don’t believe that. In reference to Virginia’s act for Religious Freedom Jefferson stated, “Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting ‘Jesus Christ,’ so that it would read ‘A departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;’ the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mohammedan, the Hindoo and Infidel of every denomination.” Outdated terminology aside, I think he made his point. You won’t find separation of church and state anywhere in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. It isn’t a law, nor should it be. The way this nation is set up, it does not have to be. Faith has always been a part of this nation, be it for good or bad. For every hack like James Dobson or

Pat Robertson, there’s a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or a Dorothy Day. It’s up to us as citizens to be able to sort the wheat from the chaff. Extremists can be found everywhere, from Congress to this very page. It would be a mistake though to assume that they speak for the majority. These people get the most attention because they happen to bray the loudest. However, I know that if we were to remove faith from public life we would do a disservice to the ideas this nation was founded upon and the people who fought for them. To separate church from state, we would all have to turn our backs on faith because we are the state. Separation isn’t the problem. The problem is a desire by some to achieve religious homogeny. Now that’s something to ﬁght against. As Jefferson said, freedom of religion is freedom to participate in any religion, or not to participate at all. It’s a big nation and it takes all kinds, be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Pagan, Buddhist or whatever. Instead of homogeny under one faith, let’s have unity of all under the First Amendment. I think Jefferson would agree with that. Wardwell is a pre-mass communication junior.

Saddam trial will shed light on tyrant’s atrocities (U-WIRE) NORrealize that his reCARLO ROMERO moval from power MAN, Okla. — ImagOklahoma Daily ine if the president was long overdue. (U. Oklahoma) of the United States, This week, shortly after he was Saddam will sit elected, were to create before five Iraqi a comprehensive list of his po- judges to face the first of a litical opponents, round them dozen criminal trials aiming up one by one and kill each to hold him responsible for one simply for voting against the numerous atrocities he him. ordered during his regime, Imagine if the president of including the forced expulsion Italy were to attack neighborand subsequent disappearance ing Switzerland and take hunof 8,000 Kurds of the Barzani dreds of Swiss civilians hostage tribe in 1983, the gassing of while raiding their homes 5,000 Kurdish civilians in the and destroying their natural village of Halabja in 1988 and resources. the capture, torture and taking Fortunately, most citizens of hostage of hundreds of KuWestern democracies cannot waiti civilians during his 1990 fathom a life under a murderinvasion of Kuwait. ous dictatorial regime. The first trial will charge Unfortunately, the fear of Saddam with “premeditated torture, intimidation and murder, torture and forced execution ruled the people of disappearances” for his orderIraq for 23 years until Sading the massacre of 143 Shiites dam Hussein was ousted from in the village of Dujail, north power in 2003. of Baghdad, in 1982. Starting today, Saddam will Many from Dujail who were finally be held accountable for taken captive and tortured his tyrannical rule, and the by Saddam’s Baathist governworld will learn the magnitude ment, supposedly for their of the horrors committed by political opposition, remain Iraq’s former dictator during unaccounted for today. his regime. Those who were The prosecution of Saddam not formerly convinced will Hussein for crimes against

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humanity represents a significant step toward ending mass murder in the world, but the international community must insist that he be charged with the crime of genocide as well. The indictment of Saddam as well as the recent convictions of the perpetrators of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 should lead the way to cases against the Sudanese government officials responsible for the current genocide in Darfur. On Dec. 9, 1948, the United States along with 57 other member states of the United Nations signed a resolution declaring “genocide” a crime under international law. The resolution, titled “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” enumerates the various acts that constitute genocide, including “killing” and “forcible transfer” with “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.” The crimes committed by Saddam meet this definition. The United States and Iraq, a fellow U.N. member nation, must act on their duty to bring

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to justice perpetrators of the crime of genocide. In the case of Saddam, Iraq has boldly accepted the responsibility of trying their former dictator internally rather than sending Saddam before the International Court of Justice at The Hague. This decision supports the rule of law in Iraq and sets a precedent for the rebuilding of a nation that has suffered from the atrocities of genocide. No individual nation has successfully tried its own former dictator for the crime of genocide, but no nation has successfully restored its victimized population either. With the conviction of Saddam, Iraq could lead the way. Saddam has a history of crimes against humanity, and humanity has a history of ignoring those crimes. Starting Wednesday, the Iraqi people begin the path to justice. Though justice cannot make history less atrocious, it can offer hope for the future of human rights. Romero’s column originally ran Tuesday in the Oklahoma Daily. The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos published Tuesday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. every other Wednesday of Summer I and II with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright October 19, 2005. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor in chief.

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

trendythoughts

What’s your favorite horror movie?

“Evil Dead 2 — it’s a really good movie.”

“The Omen — when Damien smiles at the end, that was the creepiest part.”

“It — that movie scared me more than anything in my life.”

— Patrick Mitchell pre-music junior

— Sheila Henk geography graduate student

— Michael Parsons geography doctral student

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - Page 5

Trends Contact — Christina Gomez, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Compiled by Kyle Bradshaw

The Fog is blind to what good horror should be For a ers where pretty pissed off. So, catch him posing and winking We are introduced to her while Curtis’ Elizabeth was frank and “ h o r r o r naturally they return exactly at the camera. she’s hitchhiking back into town free-spirited. She knew what m o v i e ” 100 years after their sea slaughThe original Nick was played and (wouldn’t you know) is she wanted and how to get it. has the ter to seek out and dispatch by Tom Atkins, and I’ve got to picked up by Nick. SubsequentFather Malone is played by ✯ that intent of the descendents of their killers. say that he did a great job. He ly, the couple returns to Nick’s Adrian Hough. Hough must’ve The Fog scaring and Along the way, we meet Nick was sort of like the Clint East- place for a shower sex-scene taken a couple of horse tranDir.: Rupert making you Castle (Tom Welling.) wood or Steve McQueen of the that’s corny and too “daytime quilizers before each shoot. Wainwright shriek, The We’re supposed to believe sea — tough as nails and char- television” to elicit any sort of How else could you get such Stars: Tom Fog is a pa- that Castle is a hard-working, ismatic at the same time. emotion. Grace is another TV a flat, depressing, monotoned Welling, Maggie thetic, feegritty fi sherman and owner of Maggie Grace plays Elizaactor whose film career will delivery of lines? I felt like the Grace, Selma ble, loser of the Sea Grass. Welling’s per- beth Williams and contrary to more than likely not flourish, guy was reading his own obituBlair a film and formance is a sterling example her last name, is anything but unless she takes the “seen and ary. He couldn’t hold a candle Rated: PG-13 is so mind- of why crossing the television- graceful on the big screen. Eliz- not heard” road — maybe she to Hal Holbrook’s Malone. numbingly movie bridge is a difficult, if abeth has been in New York for could play a mime. Hough’s performance (if you stale that its original $18 mil- not impossible, endeavor. If six months and used to be roIn Carpenter’s original, Jai- want to call it that) was on the lion budget would’ve been bet- you look hard enough, you can mantically involved with Nick. me Lee Curtis played Elizabeth. brink of having some of the auter spent on making another movie explaining to them why they shouldn’t make The Fog. Sincerely, this movie was just bad, horrible and really not worth the money you’d pay to see it on the big screen — maybe even on DVD. Many of you know this was yet another addition to all that is remade. The original was John Carpenter’s The Fog (1980), and you just can’t compare the two. Carpenter’s, although not his best in the genre, was a creepy and classic ghost story. The remake would have the late Debra Hill — Carpenter’s producer and close friend — cursing the industry from the grave. The film takes place in a small, rural, shore-side Northern California town celebrating its 100th anniversary of when it was founded. Little do the residents know that the town has a dark history of murder and deception. One hundred years ago, ships were guided to their ports with the aid of torches as beacons. On one of those foggy nights, a ship full of lepers was to dock into the aforementioned town but was malevolently directed into shallow water by the town’s founding fathers with intent to raid and pirate the unsuspecting travelers. They left no survivors. Now we whoosh to the present, full of jaw-droppingly bad acting and dull sequence after Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures dull sequence. As you can imagine, the lep- Adrian Hough takes over Hal Holbrook’s role of Father Malone in the remake of The Fog.

film review

dience members start booing. And now for Selma Blair — she plays Stevie Wayne, a DJ for a local lighthouse radio station she owns. She is broadcasting in the midnight hour and receives a phone call from her weatherman telling her that there’s a fog bank moving from the sea toward the main land, and she should mention it to her listeners. She does. OK, now I don’t understand why screenwriter, Cooper Layne, felt he needed to change the Stevie Wayne character. In the original movie, Stevie receives word of the fog but grows suspicious of it, and she stays in the lighthouse to warn people to stay away from the fog. Eventually, after reaching the mainland, the fog goes to Stevie and brings with it, hook and sword-wielding ghosts. She doesn’t just give up all hope. No, she takes a stand and tries to fight them off. She knows she can’t win, but that’s what makes her so great and strong as a woman lead — she doesn’t need someone to save her. She can save herself. Granted, it’s not Blair’s fault her character has now been turned into a prissy wimp. She does give the best performance of the cast, but given the lineup, I don’t think that’s saying much. As for the effects, well, let’s just say the ghosts are an intangible threat that should’ve been played by real people in real makeup. Director Rupert Wainwright should be patted on the back for bringing something truly horrific to the big screen. I’m not sure he set out to make the Gigli of horror movies, but if he did, he succeeded. — Nixon Guerrero Movie Ratings Key No stars – Must skip ✯ – Bad, fails overall ✯✯ – Mediocre, wait for DVD ✯✯✯ – Good, few flaws ✯✯✯✯ – Outstanding, must see

Bounty hunter film has Domino effect of bad performances Audiences girl who got into trouble ev- the Ford modeling agency, she one herself. The movie porwill leave erywhere she went. After end- fell into the company of two trays this aspect of her life apthe theater ing her career as a model for bounty hunters and became propriately; however, it ties in onfused ✯ cand mentally Domino exhausted Dir.: Tony Scott after viewStars: Keira ing this film. Knightly, Mickey With popuRourke lar producer Rated: R and director Tony Scott at the wheel, one would think that Domino would have been a masterpiece — full of vivid production designs and superb cinematography. Despite having been part of huge successes ranging from Top Gun to Man On Fire, Scott leaves his usual visual trademarks behind and tells the story too quickly. He jumps from scene to scene so fast, we can’t even begin to dissect the ambiguity of one scene before we have to begin on another. It leaves the audience dumbfounded, without any idea of what’s going on. We get trapped into watching a flick about model- turned-bounty hunter Domino Harvey’s life — sort of. The tag line of the film sums it up completely: “Based on a true story — sort of.” Yes, Domino Harvey, played by Keira Knightley (Pirates of Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema the Caribbean, Love Actually), was born a privileged little Edgar Ramirez, Mickey Rourke and Keira Knightley play bounty hunters in Domino.

film review

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a story that, in turn, tarnishes her true-life story. One of her co-stars, Mickey Rourke, also disappoints his fans in his role as Ed Mosbey. After playing a strong role in Sin City, his passive and fairly weak character is just as mediocre as his performance. The movie loses its credibility when it also introduces washed-up stars from Beverly Hills 90210 (Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green) as Domino’s co-stars in an impending reality TV show about their bounty-hunting experience. Writer Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko) could have taken this movie in many more interesting directions, turning it into a satire of today’s reality TV craze doesn’t do the real Domino Harvey justice.

It is too bad that Knightley got caught up in a ﬁlm this lacking for her biggest role to date. In fact, on June 27 while this ﬁlm was in the making, the real Domino Harvey died tragically in her bath tub after overdosing on pain killers. Her death followed being bailed out of federal prison after being arrested on federal narcotics distribution charges. Audiences could have witnessed a true account of this lost woman’s life rather than Kelly’s shallow adaptation. Domino takes its audience on a wild roller coaster ride and jerks them around too fast and too often to have anything better to say than “ouch!” — Jolyn Huntzinger

TRENDS

Page 6 - The University Star

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

First-time directors are seeing major success By Kyle Bradshaw Assistant Entertainment Editor

of romance had swept into my mind like a storm, and I just stumbled around, feeling romantic, eating cheap ice cream,” July wrote in her blog on the Me and You Web site. “This feeling has not gone away. I have just become more diligent in my stumbling. I now stumble for a living.” Television writer and director Judd Apatow made things happen this summer with his feature debut, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, starring comedian Steve Carell. Virgin was a critical and commercial success, earning more than $100 million to date. (It cost only $25 million to make.) The gross-out but warm-hearted comedy catapulted Carell to superstardom and landed Apatow another ﬁlm deal with Universal Pictures. The yet-to-be-titled romantic comedy begins ﬁlming in Spring 2006.

For his directorial debut, Everything is Illuminated, actor Liev Schreiber adapted the script himself from the 2001 novel of the same name. Starring Elijah Wood, the ﬁlm opened on Friday in Austin and was screened at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year. For Schreiber, it was his acting experience that made for a smooth transfer to directing. “It was a natural progression,” Schreiber said. “I was primarily interested in writing, but as an actor, I have always approached my work as a part or piece of the whole picture.” Writer Paul Haggis, who garnered an Academy Award for his Million Dollar Baby script, took the reins of his ﬁrst feature Crash, released in May, and Phil Morrison, former producer for the comedy troupe Upright

Citizens Brigade, landed critical acclaim with his family-drama Junebug, released in August. While both films seem to be shoo-ins for awards this winter, both directors seem even more likely to become directing regulars, thanks mostly to the financial success of their modestly budgeted films. However, even some of Hollywood’s most lauded directors are never far from their minds. “I’m inspired by an obvious list of great directors,” Morrison said on the Junebug Web site about his directing influences, which include big-budget director Steven Spielberg. “It seems like a good idea to look to them for guidance.” For his feature debut, the soon-to-be-released Capote, a biopic about controversial writer Truman Capote, Bennett Miller landed critic’s darling

Before this year began, Miranda July was a relatively unknown media artist, living in Portland, Ore. Her short films had been shown at the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, but mainstream success was just an elusive afterthought to her. In May, Me and You and Everyone We Know, her first feature film, won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, turning her into indie-film royalty overnight. So far this year, July is just one of many first-time directors who have been plucked from obscurity and transformed into household names. Released on DVD last week, Me and You took home the Special Grand Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the Sundance Film Festival in January. July wrote, directed and starred in the film, a poetic, romantic story about a group of people that are connected through life’s magical highs and heartbreaking lows. “When I first started writing, (the script) was all dialogue and no description,” July said in an interview on the Me and You Web site. “I had never written a script before.” In fact, July attended the scriptwriting workshop at Sundance in 2003 to fine tune — fix, rather — her screenplay, not knowing that two years later, that same film would open to wide critical acclaim at the same festival. “It was so important to break the movie out of my internal world and learn just how much I was going to have to communicate to make this happen,” July Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Films said of the workshop. “With this movie, the idea Don Cheadle takes direction from Paul Haggis during the production of Crash.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films Miranda July (center) directs Carlie Westerman and Miles Thompson for a scene in Me and You and Everyone We Know. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights, Almost Famous) for the title role. Hoffman is already being considered a front-runner for an Oscar nomination, and Miller could easily be alongside him with a director nod. While Capote isn’t in line to do major damage at the box office, its financial potential rests on the fact that it was made for a shy $7 million, making it a lock for favorable profits. In Hollywood, dollars mean everything to producers and studio execs, and much of the success of these feature film virgins can be attributed to the low-risk budgets of their films. Studios have latched on to these directors because their small films can be produced at such a small expense and possibly bring in large profits, even if the films don’t come anywhere near the usual success/failure line of $100 million. The most profitable of these low-budget films is the documentary. The documentary has emerged as a box office and critical powerhouse this year thanks to films like March of the Penguins, Mad

Hot Ballroom and Rock School; all helmed by first-time directors. Directed by Luc Jacquet, March, a film about the winter migration of Emperor penguins in Antarctica, was made for just $8 million and has pulled in more than $75 million. Ballroom director Maryiln Agrelo and Rock School director Don Argott didn’t see the commercial success of March, but both films were widely praised by critics and helped fuel the documentary craze. While mega-directors like Spielberg and George Lucas landed massive hits at the box office this summer, it seems to be the first-timers who will be taking hold of Hollywood this year come awards season, and their films just might earn more profit for their dollar than the aforementioned director’s releases. Even if they’re not exactly breaking the bank when compared to the familiar summer blockbuster directors, first-time directors are the new face of the film world — well, at least for this year. And who knows? Maybe you’re the next big thing.

Everything is Illuminated shines light on darkness of the past folk tale. His grandmother’s film dentures, scraps of Wearing a black suit review paper, a retainer, a strongly resembling one pendant from a neck✯✯✯ a ’50s vacuum salesman lace, old photographs Everything Is might have worn and — Jonathan Safran Illuminated thick-rimmed glasses that Foer (Elijah Wood), Dir.: Liev Schrieber magnify his blue eyes to a collector with sen- Stars: Elijah Wood, outrageous proportions, timental tendencies, Eugene Hutz, Jonathan meets his Ukraicatalogs all of these Boris Leskin, nian tour guide and transfamily artifacts, pre- Laryssa Lauret lator Alexander Perchov. Providing some of the serves the evidence Rated: PG-13 ﬁlm’s funniest moments, of their lives in Ziploc bags and pins his collection on his Alex (Eugene Hutz) is a tracksuit bedroom wall in Liev Schrieber’s wearing, hip-hop fanatic with an directorial debut Everything Is Illu- odd comprehension of the English minated. With only a photograph language that sometimes borders of Augustine, a beautiful woman absurd. The ﬁrst and third genwho saved his grandfather from erations of family-owned Heritage the Nazis during World War II, Touring — Alex, his grandfather Jonathan travels from New York to (Boris Leskin), also named Alex, the Ukraine in search of Augustine and his grandfather’s seeing-eye on a road-trip story meets modern dog guide Jonathan on his jour-

ney to find the shtetl Trachimbrod where Augustine once lived. Providing his own perspective of the story, Alex narrates their expedition through a five-chapter book he writes to Jonathan beginning with chapter one “An Overture to the Commencement of a Very Rigid Journey.” In his tour guide, Jonathan finds his exact opposite. Unlike Jonathan, who could be mistaken for a mannequin, Alex is an entertaining, eccentric character echoing John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Jonathan collects everything but reveals nothing. Seemingly emotionless, Elijah Woods’ deliberately muted performance portrays Jonathan not only as a stranger in the picturesque countryside of the Ukraine, shot magnificently by cinematographer Matthew Libatique

(Pi, Requiem for a Dream) but as an outsider in life. As Jonathan collects and archives everything, Woods’ magnified eyes observe everything his character experiences, but searching in his eyes for what Jonathan’s words fail to convey provides the audience with few clues or insights into his quiet character. Void of all emotion, it’s difficult to think of Jonathan as the hero of this “very rigid journey.” Based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s critically acclaimed novel, Everything Is Illuminated begins as an offbeat comedy only to take on a solemn mood through a series of revelations. Like the book, the film touches the theme of how, even in Photo courtesy of Warner Independent Pictures the darkest corners of history, the In Everything is Illuminated, Elijah Wood (left) plays family past can enlighten us. heirloom collector Jonathan, and Eugene Hutz is his Ukrai— Deanna Ledezma nian tour guide, Alex.

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TRENDS

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

The University Star - Page 7

✯Star Comics The Cat Bird Seat

Distinctive voices

By Jeffrey Cole

A performance well-done

Oct. 18

Erin Leeder

Random Acts of Violence

Friday. I was imagining everything the former Strutters felt when coming back Homecoming because I’m sure I’ve felt the same — reSaturday morning started off a litmembering all the good times, the things tle shaky with our pregame rehearsal. that made you fall in love with drill team, It was the first time we had run our and seeing all the new girls who have dance with the band, and it took a few taken your place and are feeling the same times to get the pace just right. Plus, excitement you once felt. I miss high ABBY MINICA one of our girls injured herself that school drill team, but at the same time, Entertainment morning and wasn’t able to dance I love the way everything happened, and Columnist at the game. Our performance went I wouldn’t change one single thing: every well though, and our director said the tear and every smile, every criticism and colors of our costumes and props looked beauti- every praise, every mistake and every accomplishful together out on the field. In fact, she said we ment. They always told us “don’t wish your days worked so hard this week that we deserved Mon- away,” usually during a long hard practice — and day practice off. It was a welcome reward. boy do those days fly. Yep, I am a drill team girl Several Strutter alumnae joined us in the stands through and through, and that’s just fine with me. due to it being Homecoming and everything. Ev- Do what you love, whatever it is, and take time ery time a Strutter alumna visits, the officers in- to relish in it because you never know when the troduce her with the megaphone, and we all clap time will come when you can only watch from the and ‘ayayay,’ the Strutter yell. sidelines. Remembering the good ol’ days The Strutter alumnae visiting made me miss my high school drill team, which I will get to visit soon for Stony Point High’s Homecoming on

We will be following Abby as she high kicks as a Texas State Strutter every Wednesday.

ONLINE: www.txstrutters.com.

All eyes are on Austin’s art community, “22 to Watch” By Susan Romanella Special to The Star Austin’s art community gazed in the mirror on Saturday and saw the possibilities of its own maturing beauty. Nudged up against the walls at the Austin Museum of Art, a capacity crowd spent the better part of the day talking about the physical, cultural and historical geography of contemporary art in Austin in a most Texan sort of way — talking about a sense of place. Billed as a self-portrait, local scholars, artists and professionals posed fascinating questions about the Austin art scene and presence in a broader geography. How can we make Austin art more visible, inside and outside our region? How is regionalism influencing the cultural and commercial value of local art? Does geography limit or liberate art? How might our global, more fluid geography affect aesthetic and commercial values in art? These questions were woven into a vibrant conversation about artistic regionalism, real and perceived geographic boundaries, and Austin’s artistic identity. Impressively guided by Texas State’s own James Housefield, associate professor of art and art history and AMOA adjunct curator, and Dana FriisHansen, director and chief curator, the symposium agenda

facilitated a rigorous, though nevertheless congenial, attempt at self reflection. A stroll through AMOA’s current exhibit, “22 to Watch,” helped participants explore the creative vision of several emerging contemporary artists from the Austin area. However, in order to be considered for the show, the artist had to reside within a 50-mile radius of the city. This curatorial decision was not simply a matter of shrinking the pool. Instead, it raised questions about both artistic and geographical boundaries and how they reflect a way of thinking, a way of seeing specific to Austin and its artists. One of the more interesting discussions centered on the parochialism sustained by the slogan, “Keep Austin Weird.” Several participants bemoaned this motto, concerned that it stands as a conceptual landmark, keeping Austin’s gaze turned inward. The trickle down effect from this civic characterization may be adversely affecting Austin’s status as a city of substantive art and serious artists. Area artist Teresa Hubbard made a less obvious, yet arguably fascinating, point about the “22 to Watch” exhibit itself. She agreed that “making a living making art” is difficult de rigueur, and Austin artists are no exception to the rule. Nev-

ertheless, Hubbard reminded the audience that the most lucrative commercial market is still in painting — yet of the 22 artists in the current exhibition, two are painters. The symposium’s keynote speaker, Eleanor Hartley, art critic from Art in America, deftly translated the myriad themes pulsing through contemporary art. She also shared key questions she asks herself when evaluating art: What is it trying to do, how well does it do it, and was it worth doing? These questions could easily serve a dual role by framing the artistic inquiry and future dialogue on the issues raised in this symposium. Several excellent ideas reconstituted a kind of wish list for art in Austin: establishing an artist-in-residence program to solidify Austin’s reputation in the art community at large; broadening public exposure to and assuring longevity for former installations by transferring them to corporate buildings after their gallery run concludes; creating a local art journal as a serious venue for critical dialogue on Austin art issues; encouraging the audience to “pass art on” by inviting friends to the museums and galleries; and challenging Austin’s artists and art advocates to reach over the fence by extending their sense of place into the world beyond their own backyard.

British actor Daniel Craig becomes the new James Bond

Tuesday’s solutions:

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

When Daniel Craig’s name first popped up among the list of potential James Bonds in April, it was greeted with a collected “Who?” by the American media. Reporters had better get used to the idea. Friday morning, the 37-yearold British-born actor was announced as the star of Casino Royale, becoming the sixth man to play Bond in more than 21 official films and the first blond. Although rumors had been spreading all week about his selection, Craig was presented to the British press at an event on the Thames River. Producer Barbara Broccoli and director Martin Campbell also were on hand for photographs. The search for Pierce Brosnan’s replacement took many months, and many of the most familiar and relatively anonymous actors in the British Empire were mentioned at some point. From Hugh Grant to Henry Cavill to Clive Owen to Sam Worthington to Hugh Jackman to Ioan Gruffudd, virtually every possible candidate was vetted by the teams at Eon Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment for worthiness to join the ranks of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Brosnan. In May, promoting the crime drama Layer Cake, Craig was encouraging but pragmatic about his Bond opportunities, discussing the audition process as “a lot of smoke and very little fire. “There’s an awful lot of pros, and there’s an awful lot of cons,” Craig told Zap2it.com and other press. “But it’s a big commitment to make to something

that I hadn’t got a really huge amount of ambition about doing — meaning (playing) James Bond.” British television audiences ﬁrst discovered Craig in the BBC drama Our Friends in the North. He’s also earned high regard but low visibility in features such as The Mother, Enduring Love and Sylvia. American audiences are most likely to recognize Craig from Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Road To Perdition or The Jacket, though his proﬁle will get an extra boost this winter from a co-starring role in Steven Spielberg’s Munich.

“Daniel is a superb actor who has all the qualities needed to bring a contemporary edge to the role,” said Campbell and Broccoli in a statement. First published in 1953, Casino Royale was Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel. Campbell has said that his conception for the feature centers on a relatively inexperienced Bond, an agent on his first “license to kill” mission (in the book, he’s had at least two previous chances to use his “00” prefix). Production on Casino Royale is expected to begin in January. — Zap2it.com

Lionel Hahn/ABACA Press British star Daniel Craig attends the premiere of Layer Cake at the Egyptian Theatre on May 2 in Los Angeles. Craig will be the sixth James Bond character — and the ﬁrst blond Bond.

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Wednesday, October 2005- Page — Page338 Wednesday, August 24,19, 2005

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SPORTS

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

The University Star - Page 9

Ortiz leading the way for Texas State Cross country stand out earns honors second week in a row By Adam Schoenky Sports Reporter

Photo courtesy of KRT Direct/Chris Lee St. Louis’ Albert Pujols watches his three-run home run in the ninth inning that gave the Cardinals a 5-4 lead and win over the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series Monday at Minute Maid Park.

Pujols stops Astros shy of World Series By Darren Everson New York Daily News HOUSTON — The Astros were going to the World Series. Every fan at jubilant Minute Maid Park seemed sure of it — and they weren’t the only ones. “I probably was the only guy not jumping around in the dugout,” catcher Brad Ausmus said. The Astros were one out, one strike, one pitch away from their ﬁrst-ever World Series, but David Eckstein singled, and Jim Edmonds walked. And then Brad Lidge had one problem: Albert Pujols. The player whom Andy Pettitte called the league’s best hitter proved it Monday. With the Cardinals down two runs and facing elimination, he hit an impossibly clutch, incredibly long three-run homer in the top of the ninth. And so instead of making plans for Chicago, the Astros are headed back to St. Louis. They still lead the National League Championship Series, three games to two, but it sure didn’t feel like it after the Cardinals’ 5-4 Game 5 NLCS victory Monday. Astros owner Drayton McLane was in the clubhouse after the game, trying to cheer up the troops. “We’ll get there,” he assured them. “We’re in the lead.” Lidge, Houston’s All-Star closer, seemed unfazed. He showed no emotion as he ﬁelded every question. “It’s not a devastating feeling,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that it happened. I’m upset about it obviously now, but tomorrow it’s going to be gone.” Game 6 is Wednesday at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have to beat Roy Oswalt, Houston’s Game 6 starter, and Roger Clemens to advance. But the Cardinals came back from 3-2 down to beat the Astros last season. And that hardly compares

to what they overcame Monday. “When you play nine,” St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said, “every now and then you get a miracle.” Lance Berkman had put the Astros in front, 4-2, with a threerun homer of his own in the seventh, a ball that just reached the seats in left field. The Astros had trailed 2-1 going into that inning, as Chris Carpenter was outpitching Pettitte. But after seizing the lead, the Astros were rolling. Relievers Mike Gallo and Dan Wheeler mowed through the eighth with no trouble. On came Lidge, who hadn’t allowed a run in seven outings against the Cardinals this season. Lidge struck out pinch-hitter John Rodriguez to start the inning, then fanned John Mabry. Up came Eckstein, who quickly fell behind 1-2. Eckstein is baseball’s No. 1 hitter in terms of making contact. He swung and missed a league-low 4.9 percent of the time. He singled through the shortstop hole. Edmonds followed with a five-pitch walk, which Lidge really regretted. And then, Pujols hit one of the farthest, timeliest home runs you’ll ever see. “I just couldn’t believe I did it,” said Pujols of the Cardinals’ final out. “You don’t think that until you make the out. You can’t think like that. You can’t think negative in that situation. Always think positive, and that’s what I did.” What Pujols did was crush Lidge’s 0-1 slider. He hit it so far out to left, it cleared the train tracks on which the stadium’s decorative locomotive runs. “Obviously, I wish I had the pitch back,” Lidge said. “That’s kind of the immediate feeling.” Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen, who had entered the game in the eighth, got three outs in the ninth with ease. The stunned crowd quietly filed out.

Astros/Cardinals Game 6 starting pitchers W/L-20/12 ERA-2.94 K’s-184 Hits-243 Runs-85 Games-35 IP-241.2 Roy Oswalt/44

Senior James Ortiz continued to build on the hot streak that has been his season thus at the Buffalo Bayou Invitational Monday at Rice University. His time of 25:43 was good enough to win him the individual title, as well as propelling the Bobcats to their second straight first-place team finish. Several Bobcat runners contributed greatly to the cause, including Javier Prado, Alex Escontrias and Francisco Elizalde, who rounded out the top four finishers in the race, respectively. Ortiz was rewarded for his efSpencer Millsap/Star photo forts with the title of Aeropostale Southland Conference Cross James Ortiz, senior cross country runner, competed in the Buffalo Bayou Invitational MonCountry Athlete of the Week. day, helping the Bobcats to a first-place finish. Ortiz was named Aeropostale Southland This is the second time he has Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the second time. been bestowed that honor in as many weeks. wanted to see how it went and That’s why we have decided to far, sophomore Tenley DeterAnd to think, he almost didn’t maybe save everything for next use the last season of James to man clocked the best individual run cross country this year. This year, when we could be that support the team efforts and performance of her career on is because the coaches were faced much better,” Ortiz said. help out freshmen to get confi- Monday, coming in second overwith a very important and difHowever, after seeing Ortiz dence,” Coach Greg Viniar said. all with a 5K time of 18:19. The ficult decision in James’ senior run a very competitive race and So far, the results have been Bobcat women finished the meet year, his last for NCAA eligibil- finish first out of the Bobcat obvious. The strong and im- in fourth place overall, led by ity. runners at the Texas A&M In- proved finishes from runners Determan and Brittany Rosen, At the beginning of the sea- vitational meet, a race in which like Prado and Escontrias have who finished 16th. son, the thinking was that Ortiz he ran ‘unattached’ to any team, the ’Cats looking forward to the The Texas State cross country would red shirt this season in or- the coaches decided to set Ortiz Southland Conference meet. teams will have one final warmder to train and compete in track loose on the Southland Confer- Freshman Andrew McCartin up for the Conference Chamand field, where James is also a ence this year. cracked the top 10 for the first pionship at a UT-San Antonio rising star. He currently holds the “We believe the situation with time, coming in sixth overall. short course event this weekend. Texas State record in track and our cross country men’s team The effects of winning can All eyes will probably once again field for the 1,500 meter run. this year gives us the opportu- even be felt on the women’s be on Ortiz as he prepares to “At first, I just didn’t want to nity to have a real chance to fight side of the fence. After consis- lead the Bobcats into conference put all my eggs in one basket, I with any team in our conference. tently producing every week so battle.

��

DB, 6-0, 202, Sr., Jacksonville, Florida

FG, 6-2, 220, Fr., New Braunfels

Returned a blocked punt 15 yards for a touchdown and later returned an interception 22 yards for another touchdown in the Bobcats’ win. The punt returned for a touchdown was the ﬁrst since 1998 while the interception return for a score was the ﬁrst since the 2000 season.

Became the ﬁrst Texas State running back to rush for over 100 yards in a game this season, picking up 118 yards on 30 carries in Texas State’s win over Oklahoma Panhandle State. Also scored two touchdowns in the victory.

W/L-16/8 ERA-3.64 K’s-111 Hits-212 Runs-90 Games-32 IP-205.0

��

Mark Mulder/30

Astros are scheduled to play the Cardinals tonight in St. Louis for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. Game time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. airing on Fox

��

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SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

sports snortsquotes from the sports world “I came to the point where they tell me I can play. I feel like I can play. Shoot, I know I can play. So let’s just play.” — New England Patriots linebacker Teddy Bruschi on his recent medical clearance to step back on the practice ﬁeld. (Source: Associated Press)

Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - Page 10

Sports Contact — Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

Super Kat ON THE

“A

s a coach, that’s all you want them to do, is to push themselves so they are reaching their potential.”

— Kat Conner Bobcat soccer coach

PROWL

By Kevin Washburn Sports Reporter Imagine the pressure of becoming a new coach at a college university. You must install your system, fit in with the traditions of the school, establish a rapport with the players and a myriad of other things. Now imagine the program did not even exist before that coach got there; it has to be started from scratch. Such was the task given to Kat Conner. Conner was hired not just to coach a women’s soccer team but to build a women’s soccer team. “I was hired February 1, 1999, and I had to get a team ready to go in August of 1999,” Conner said. “I went out recruiting, but I just told them that we’re starting a new program, don’t you want to be a part of something that you can say, ‘I had a part of building that, building that tradition.’ And actually, when people hear about being able to start something and being a winner at something, they jump on it, they jump on a band wagon.” As if that weren’t enough, Conner had to yet another obstacle to overcome: This was her first head-coaching experience. “At that time, it was stressful. You’re a first-year head coach, and you’re wondering if you really do have the confidence and the ability to do it.” Conner did have some things working in her favor, though. First and foremost was her passion. Conner really does

Adam Brown/Star photo Coach Kat Conner helped develop the Texas State soccer team in 1999 and has led the Bobcats to two NCAA tournaments and has won two Southland Conference tournaments. love the game and relishes the time she spends with her players, both teaching them and learning from them. “The personal side of coaching is what makes it fun,” Conner said. “Getting to know your players, riding on the bus with them and seeing their personal side and them getting to see you, is the bond, and the camaraderie, that keeps you going — keeps you doing it.” She also beneﬁted from a wealth of “big game” experience. Conner started her college career at Hardin-Simmons University, where she received a soccer scholarship. According to Conner, at that time, Hardin-Simmons and SMU were the only Texas colleges offering scholarships for soccer. “The cool thing about it is that at Hardin Simmons we were Division-I NCAA and NAIA,” Conner said. “So it was kind of cool because we got to play UNC; we got to play all the big

teams like that, but then when we didn’t make the final four (in Division-I), we would flop over and go into the NAIA tournament, and that’s where I played for three national championships.” Hardin-Simmons made it to the Final Four in Conner’s freshman season, losing in the semifinals. The next season, G Guerrieri was brought in as the new coach. During her two years under Guerrieri, Conner’s teams would lose in the championship game of the Final four and the regionals just before the Final Four. Conner transferred to Pacific Lutheran University after her junior season and once again lost in the NAIA championship game. Little did Conner know, but her connections to Pacific Lutheran and her old Hardin-Simmons Coach Guerrieri would help advance her coaching career.

Conner first began working as an assistant under Coach Colleen Hacker at Pacific Lutheran. While there, she was able to do something she could not accomplish as a player: win a NAIA National Championship. In 1993, she moved on to be an assistant coach on Guerrieri’s staff at Texas A&M University. It was learning under those coaches, Conner said, which helped her develop her own coaching style. The experience at Texas A&M helped Conner in another way too. When Guerrieri was named coach, he was not just a new coach but also starting the soccer program at the university, like Conner would do six years later at Texas State. The experience was invaluable for Conner. “As an assistant, to tell you the truth, I just learned and watched and sat back and took notes,” Conner said “I would keep a journal of what to do, what not to do (and) learned from my mistakes.” So in 1999, Conner set out to field a competitive team. Unfortunately, the inexperienced Bobcats did not have a good start to the season. “I think our first four games we got smacked at least four or five to nothing every game,” Conner said. “So to be honest with you, there was a time when I was like, ‘uh oh, did I make the right decision?’” After the rough start, though, the brand-new Bobcat soccer team seemed to gel. By the end of the regular season Texas State managed to pull their record to 9-9-3, and then, improbably, won the Southland Conference Tournament. It was also the first year for a play-in date for the Southland Conference to send a team to the playoffs. The Bobcats traveled to New Jersey to play Long Island University in the first round of the playoffs. Despite losing the game 1-0, Conner thought the season was a great success. “I think it shocked everybody, even the players, even myself (and) the administration,” Conner said. “It was just an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.” The 1999 season was just the begin-

ning of a winning tradition established by the Texas State soccer team. In 2001, Texas State fielded the best team it has ever had. The Bobcats finished the season with a 14-7 record and won both the regular season championship and the SLC Tournament. Earlier that year, the Bobcats found possibly the best soccer player in team history: Reta Derouin, 2001 SLC Player of the Year. “I think that was what really made it our best year was to find that little bit of leadership who knows how to play at a high level, knows what it takes,” Conner said. “She led the team to think that way and that’s why she was so important to my program and why I kept her on as an assistant coach for three years.” That team was the first SLC team to make it past the play-in game and actually reach the NCAA tournament. Texas State’s second trip to the NCAA tournament was in 2004, finishing behind Stephen F. Austin University in the regular season but winning the conference tournament. “Maybe we weren’t strong enough to go in there and give A&M a run for their money (in the NCAA tournament), but I do believe that that team found their potential by capturing the tournament title,” Conner said. “As a coach, that’s all you want them to do, is to push themselves so they are reaching their potential.” It was the determination of players like seniors Kendra Comfort and Kendra Jade that made that team special, Conner said. As for this year’s team, Conner still has hope they can have the success some of her previous teams have enjoyed. She thinks a brutal road schedule at the beginning of the season has left her players fatigued. The team has this week off before wrapping up the regular season next weekend. “It’s all we dream about, winning championships and working toward that,” Conner said. “I’m excited for the week off this week because I think it’ll help them to refocus and find the passion that they play with and that’s kind of what we need at this point.” Despite all of her success, Conner still coaches with the same enthusiasm as when she first arrived at Texas State. She always has her goal in sight: making the NCAA tournament. “I guess that’s why I stay too,” she said. “You’re just always trying to attain that same euphoria of it. It is just something special.”