11 16 2005 by The University Star

POTTER’S GOBLET

DIGGIN’ THE SENIORS

SEE TRENDS PAGE 5

SEE SPORTS PAGE 12

Your Thanksgiving break might best be spent with some magic

Nwoke and Ramirez lead Bobcat volleyball to SLC tourney

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UNIVERSITYSTAR.com

WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 16, 2005

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 35

Student dragged by Texas State tram in accident on Aquarena

Thinking green Organizations on campus strive to make students globally aware The Environmental Service Committee and the National Association of Environmental Professionals teamed up this year to promote campus recycling and environmental awareness. “Recycling on Texas State campus is not completely organized yet, but the more awareness we raise with students the better it will be in the long run,” said Mary Waters, NAEP co-president. Tuesday was Texas Recycles Day, and this week is Geography Awareness Week. The NAEP and the ESC worked in conjunction in The Quad on Tuesday to get students involved in recycling while promoting student knowledge of geography. “Basically we’re trying to promote geographic literacy,” said Carissa Belsky, NAEP co-president. The organizations set up a booth at 10:30 a.m in The Quad and planned to stay as long as people would come by. Members of both groups handed out ﬂiers about recycling both on and off campus, including information about the San Marcos curbside recycling and Green

A seven-months-pregnant student was transported to Brackenridge Hospital after being dragged approximately 15 to 20 feet alongside a TexasTram on Thursday morning. According to witness statements on the police report, the student was dragged after her arm was caught in the rear door while boarding the tram. The driver stopped the bus after hearing passengers say the student was caught in the door. Megan Dempster, pre-social work freshman, was being treated by medics next to the curb of Aquarena Springs Drive when San Marcos Police Department Ofﬁcer Jason Scott arrived on the scene. Dempster, who is pregnant with her ﬁrst child, suffered scrapes to her legs and was experiencing pain in her left knee or right hip area, said Tom Partin, EMS executive director. She was taken to the trauma center, but was later released. Dempster said other passengers behind her were also waiting to get on the bus through the

See GREEN, page 4

See DRAGGED, page 4

By Leah Kirkwood News Reporter

Mitte Foundation creates new scholarship fund

Adam Brown/Star photo illiustration

By Alysha N. Hernández News Reporter

Taylor Powell, international studies junior and Environmental Service Fee Committee administrative assistant, talks to students about Texas Recycling Day. Recycling at Texas State continues to grow from a total of 144 tons of recycling in 1998 to 242 tons in 2004.

Minnesota attending the fair. “Texas State is the biggest producer of teachers in the state,” Croskey said. “We like to ﬁt our teachers into Texas school districts and further serve the citizens of Texas.” While browsing the fair, students are encouraged to schedule interviews with school districts. The interviews will then be from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Croskey expects many students to be hired through the job fair although actual hiring is not done at

The application deadline for the Mitte Laureate Scholars Program is Dec. 1. The program will award an undergraduate student with scholarship funds up to $100,000 over the span of their four-year degree plan. The program was unveiled on Thursday in a press release by Texas State’s division of Media Relations and Publications. Cheryl Nolting, executive director of the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation, said the foundation hopes the program will provide students with the resources to grow academically, as well as to develop into community leaders. “It is envisioned that through this scholarship program, students will achieve a higher quality of life through a better understanding and appreciation of the many varied aspects of our society, as well as qualiﬁcations for succeeding in a professional ﬁeld,” Nolting said. Christopher Frost, director of the Mitte Honors Program at Texas State, agreed with Nolting, saying that the program fosters a higher intellectual atmosphere on campus. “Texas State is already on the path to being a premier institution. The better the students we

See FAIR, page 3

See MITTE, page 3

Danny Rodriguez/Star photo

Teacher job fair opportunity for career advancement By Danea Johnson News Reporter Career Services and the College of Education have teamed up to allow Texas State undergraduates, graduates and alumni to meet with various school districts at the Fall Teacher Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. today at Strahan Coliseum. LaTonya Croskey, Career Services adviser, expects a turnout of 600 student teachers and others from the community who have their teaching certiﬁcates.

“W

e like to ﬁt our teachers into Texas school districts and further serve the citizens of Texas.”

— LaTonya Croskey Career Services adviser

It is not necessary for undergraduates to hold teaching certiﬁcates in order to attend the fair. Students do not have to be education majors to attend the fair because employers are looking for students with other majors as well Croskey said.

Author ends ‘Experience’ with courage-themed lecture By Brent Moore Special to The Star The ﬁrst semester of the Common Experience came to a close on Monday the same way it began in September with a conversation with author Tim O’Brien. O’Brien’s book, If I Die In A Combat Zone, and the theme of courage was the main focus of this year’s Common Experience series. The conversation took place in the Alkek Teaching Theater and drew such a large crowd that students were forced to sit in the entranceway and listen to O’Brien over the speakers. He began the night by reading from one of his other acclaimed books, The Things They Carried. The passage

was O’Brien’s account of killing an enemy soldier with a grenade during Vietnam. “The reason I wanted to start with that little story was to put a focus on the ultimate reality of war for you here tonight, which, of course, is human death,” O’Brien said. “It’s easy, when we talk about war, to talk in abstractions, and of course that dead young man haunting my dreams all these years is anything but an abstraction.” O’Brien went on to discuss the power of stories and why he decided to be a storyteller. “I believe in the power of stories. I believe that after we are ﬁnished tonight with all your questions and all my answers, what you’re going to See LECTURE, page 3

Today’s Weather

Sunny 62˚/ 32˚

By Emily Messer News Reporter

Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 21% UV: 5 Moderate Wind: NNE 15 mph

For instance, one school is seeking a speech pathologist with a speech disorder major and Texas A&M is looking for an athletic training major. There are 100 registered employers from Texas as well as a few from out of state such as Colorado and

Urban Hitchhiker aims to get commuters on route to destination By Jacqueline Davis News Reporter Forget sticking your thumb out on the side of the road — two recent college graduates have created a Web site where ﬁnding a ride is a simple mouse click away. Texas State alumna Alexis Patterson and Ithaca College alumnus Stephen Watters named the online service Urban Hitchhiker, providing commuters and those planning longer road trips a way to ﬁnd drivers and riders in their area with similar destinations. People who need a ride

THE AMAZING MAZE

or are available to give a ride ﬁrst register online at www.urbanhitchhiker. com. Once a person is registered, they can search for people with a similar traveling route to carpool with them. This free service may be utilized nationwide, using maps to ﬁnd the general location of other interested travelers. Urban Hitchhiker may be ideal for students with a long commute to the university who want to save money on gas and sustain less wear and tear on their vehicles.

Monty Marion/Star photo Johnny Marvin, communication studies junior, draws for a prize from marketing senior Ashley Bera for participating in The Amazing Maze, a promotion for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, held on Tuesday in The Quad.

See COMMUTERS, page 4

Two-day Forecast Thursday Sunny Temp: 63°/ 39° Precipitation: 0%

Saturday Mostly Sunny Temp: 67°/ 41° Precipitation: 0%

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

Classiﬁeds Comics Crossword News

10 7 7 1-4

Opinions Sports Trends

To Contact The Star: 8 11,12 5-7

PAGE TWO The University Star

Wednesday in Brief

November 16, 2005

starsof texas state Six Texas State students brought home third- and fourth-place honors from the Eighth Annual Central Texas Regional Ethics Bowl held at St. Mary’s University on Saturday. Richard Simmons, Jessica Talamantez, Joel Wilson, Kyle Morris, Jay Arnold and Elliot Alford earned trophies in the competition, which is styled after the 1960s game show “College Bowl” and asks students to answer questions about ethical issues they have stud-

ied during the previous six weeks. This year’s competition featured 20 teams from Texas colleges and universities and covered topics in medicine, government policy, business, technology, privacy and more. The Texas State teams are sponsored by the philosophy department and the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. The Star congratulates these students for their accomplishments.

News Contact — Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu

Calendar of

Gone fishin’

On This Day... 1777 - The Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, precursor to the U.S. Constitution.

EVENTS Clubs & Meetings Wednesday Phi Alpha Delta, pre-law fraternity, will be selling breakfast tacos from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the LBJ Bus Loop. Fine Art Student Association will be having a meeting at 5:15 p.m. in the break room on the first floor of the Mitte Complex. Phi Alpha Delta, pre-law fraternity, will be having a benefit night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Taco Cabana. Thursday Communication Club meeting will take place at 5:00 p.m. in Centennial Room 318. There will be refreshments and a guest speaker. Phi Alpha Delta, pre-law fraternity, will be selling breakfast tacos from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the LBJ Bus Loop.

Events Thursday Facing the Fear: An Anxiety Group will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call the Counseling Center. Monday Sexual Assault & Abuse Survivors Group will take place from 5 to 6:15 p.m.

1901 - Miller Reese patented an electrical hearing aid. 1926 - The National Broadcasting Company debuted with a radio network of 24 stations. The ﬁrst network radio broadcast was a four-hour “spectacular.”

For information or to sign up for other groups call the Counseling Center. Tuesday

1940 - The ﬁrst 75,000 men were called to Armed Forces duty during peacetime conscription.

War Support Group: Helping Students Cope will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 5-1.10.

1986 - Ivan F. Boesky, reputed to be the highest-paid person on Wall Street, faced penalties of $100 million for insider stock trading. It was the highest penalty ever imposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Attaining Contentment” An Educational Series takes place from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-6.1. Tiffany Searcy/Star photo

Miscellaneous Wednesday A Fall Teacher Job Fair will take place from 12:30 to 4 p.m. in the Strahan Colliseum. For more information, contact career Services at (512) 245-2645.

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.

Avery Kester, 8, of San Antonio caught four fish from the San Marcos River on Nov. 9 while fishing with her grandfather, Mike Schlimgen. “I bring her fishing every chance I get,” Schlimgen said.

CRIME BL TTER San Marcos Police Department Nov. 11, 3:51 p.m. Possession of Marijuana less than 2 ounces/901 Field St. Two males were arrested for possession of marijuana. Nov. 11, 5:31 p.m. Assault/1101 E. River Ridge Parkway Assault-family violence, delayed report. Nov. 14, 11:01 a.m. Theft/1015 Highway 80 Ofﬁcer dispatched for a shoplifter in custody. Shoplifter had a prior charge and

1999 - Representatives from China and the United States signed a trade agreement that involved China’s membership in the World Trade Organization.

Daily Beat City to hold meetings on ﬂood risk assessment

a criminal trespass warning at said location. She was arrested and transported to jail.

The City of San Marcos, aided by a grant from the Texas Water Development Board, will hold the first of several public meetings regarding flood risk assessment at 7 p.m. Thursday, in Meeting Room 2 at the San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins. The project will assess the flood risk of areas along the Blanco River, Willow Springs Creek, Purgatory Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Bypass Creek, Sessom Creek (tributary of the San Marcos River) and the Schulle Canyon tributary of Sink Creek. Other participants in the project include Hays Coun-

Nov. 14, 12:11 p.m. Burglary of Habitation/1716 Hofheinz St. Burglary of a habitation on the 1700 block of Hofheinz Street. Victim advised that their residence was broken into and an item was stolen. Nov. 15, 12:20 a.m. Disorderly Conduct-Noise/ 1610 N. Interstate 35 Male arrested for host responsibility, noise and alcohol.

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

ty, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Edwards Aquifer Authority. City Engineers, along with Espey Consultants, Inc. and Delta Survey Group, will discuss the purpose of the project and gather public input. During the study, on-site research and inspections of affected properties will be needed to accurately assess ﬂood risk. Property owners in these areas are invited and encouraged to attend. For more information on the project please call the Department of Environment and Engineering at (512) 393-8130. — Courtesy of the City of San Marcos

Learning another language

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES

John F. Rhodes/Dallas Morning News

Instructor Chen Wenhui leads a Chinese language class in Addison, Texas, on Nov. 2.

In Wednesday’s issue, the article “Texas State professor passes; legacy lives on” misspelled the last name of Nial Eugene Stouder, endowed chair of the physics department, in the third paragraph.

Your friendly neighborhood watchdog.

Monday, December 5 LBJSC Amphitheater 11am-2pm Pictures with Santa Free pizza & live music

��

Donations will be accepted for pictures with Santa. Proceeds will benefit the San Marcos Women’s Shelter. Sponsored by KTSW.

NEWS

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

The University Star - Page 3

Career Services to host SACUCCA job fair, workshop By Jake Roussel News Reporter Texas State’s Career Services will host two events — The San Antonio College and University Career Center Association job fair, and the Corporate Etiquette Workshop — on Thursday and all Texas State students are encouraged to attend. LaTonya Croskey, career advisor for Career Services, said this is the 15th year for the SACUCCA job fair, and it is one of the most important fairs of the year as the last major event for students to share their resumes to a large amount of recruiters at once. “This is around the time of year where students start to put their resumes out there for recruiters, and job fairs like this are great ways of distributing it to a larger population of employers all at once,” Croskey said. “We probably won’t be having another fair like this until the first part of the new year, or so, and this is our final major opportunity as an office to help

students during recruiting season on a college level.” Croskey said there will be an appearance by the CIA for the event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Crossroads Mall Convention Center in San Antonio. “We had a Texas State student who now works for the CIA,” Croskey said. “Students who are interested in these types of jobs should really try to make it out there as soon as possible to catch them.” Croskey said the SACUCCA job fair is hosted by 17 other universities and colleges. She said students who attend Texas State University should not pass up opportunities to attend Austin and San Antonio fairs. “Students should deﬁnitely visit other fairs in Austin and San Antonio, because it shows that we as a university are taking interest,” Croskey said. “This could lead to more employers taking an interest in Texas State University.” Croskey said students of all majors and classes are wel-

come, because at least if they are not able to acquire a job, these events can serve as ways of getting tips on what to do when this time actually comes. Croskey said if students need assistance on advice for what to wear to the event, or help with resumes, to drop by the Career Services ofﬁce for information. Additionally, Career Services will hold the Corporate Etiquette Workshop from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, 4th ﬂoor Teaching Theatre. Croskey said the event was created because of feedback and concerns of employers, such as students not understanding and knowing what to expect once they have left the university. “We want to show students how to communicate in the workplace, and how to behave as professionals,” Croskey said. Croskey said Career Services asked the help of some alumni members and employers to present on the panel, and discuss what is expected in the workplace.

MITTE: Award dwarfs other scholarships CONTINUED from page 1

attract, the stronger our discussions in class,” Frost said. “This raises the bar, which raises the level at which teachers can teach, that ultimately will transform our university.” While Frost was ﬁne-tuning the program, he researched other scholarships and scholars programs. He said it was hard to ﬁnd equivalents to the Mitte Laureate Scholars Program. “I Googled all over the country. I found some that gave $60,000 to $80,000 over four years. I found some that waivered tuition,” he said. “But this program is not just one scholarship, it’s a package.” He said tuition, room and board often cost between $16,000 and $17,000. He said he hopes the remainder of the funds will provide students with the options of study abroad, national internships and faculty mentors. “Say the student is studying political science, maybe scholarship monies can be used to

buy a faculty mentor’s time to mentor them semester-by-semester,” Frost said. “We want students to have all the resources they need so that resources are not an issue.” Study Abroad Coordinator Isis Gomez said payment for the program varies from student to student. She said many pay out-of-pocket while others receive ﬁnancial aid or the International Education Fee Scholarship. She said funds for studies abroad from the Mitte Laureate Scholars Program are a good thing. “There are students who deserve to study who may not have ﬁnancial funds to study here or abroad, and if they can that’s great,” Gomez said. Aside from international studies, Mitte Laureates will be expected to do community service and to be community leaders. By their junior year in school, a Mitte Laureate would be expected to implement their own community service program and plan, Frost said.

“What we hope is that they find something that isn’t being done, isn’t being done well or isn’t being done enough. A Mitte Laureate is not just someone who volunteers time each week, it’s someone who can create avenues and rally people,” he said. The Texas State University Scholarship Office Web site shows that eligibility requirements are a minimum SAT/ ACT score of 1300/30 as well as one of the following: Status as a commended, semi-finalist or finalist National Merit Scholar, or status as salutatorian or valedictorian of high school graduating class, or a ranking in the top five percent of high school graduating class. The Mitte Laureate Scholarship Program is part of the Mitte Honors Scholars of Promise Initiative. The Mitte Laureate decision is expected by March 2006, and the program’s first scholarship will be awarded in the Fall 2006 semester.

“These people will give tips on how to help students navigate this thing we call ‘culture in an environment,’ and also how to take ownership of their careers outside of the university,” Croskey said. “We also want to make students aware that there are things they need to do to take that ownership and that initiative to go somewhere with said career.” Lezlie Socia, interdisciplinary studies junior, said both of these events seem like they would be very useful for students. “I feel etiquette in the workplace should be a thing of common sense, but some people just don’t always have that,” Socia said. Socia said those people that do not know how to create a solid resume, or how to act in the workplace, could learn a few things from these sorts of activities. “There is always something a person may not be aware of while looking for a job, or even working on the job, and one little thing could make everything

a little easier in performance,” Socia said. Danna Beloney, athletic training junior, said the events are good, not only for preparation before getting out of college, but also for students who have recently graduated. “Resumes and job hunting can be a challenge, and if people can learn some of the important skills before having to actually hop blindly into the real world, it would save them a lot of trouble,” Beloney said. Beloney said it also opens up more jobs for students. “Employers really do look read into their experiences when visiting schools, and I think it gives hope for the future of more employers and companies visiting our campus with jobs for students,” Beloney said. Croskey said students can stop by Career Services for help with any questions regarding these events, upcoming events, or any other questions students may have in general about career opportunities.

TOYING AROUND WITH TOTS

Linda L. Smith/Star photo Amanda Diego, 8, helps her brother Henry, 2, wave as they sit together on a train ride at the Bobcat Stadium parking lot during Sunday’s Hill Country Toys for Tots Festival.

LECTURE: O’Brien closes out Common FAIR: College of Education Experience series to a packed house topped enrollment in 2004 CONTINUED from page 1

remember a couple of days from now or three days from now, if anything, is going to be that little piece I just read to you,” O’Brien said. The ﬂoor was then opened for questions. Three microphones were set up around the theater for students to come up and ask anything they liked, and after an initial period of hesitation the questions came steadily for the remainder of the night. The questions ranged from O’Brien’s intentions as an author to his views on the current war in Iraq. The common experience theme of courage was brought up several times as well. While O’Brien said he would leave the deﬁnition of courage up to the philosophers, he did offer some thoughts on the matter. “One of the bravest things in combat a man can do is to walk. Period. Just move your legs, because with every motion of your leg you might almost die,”

“O

ne of the bravest things in combat a man can do is walk. Period. Just move your legs, because with every motion of your leg, you might almost die.”

— Tim O’Brien* Author, If I Die in a Combat Zone

O’Brien said. One student asked O’Brien if he got a sense of irony by coming to the school responsible for Lyndon Baines Johnson, the president who, he said, was largely responsible for the Vietnam War. “The way he cajoled and bul-

lied and used that Texas personal touch was learned around where you’re walking everyday. The irony, of course, does not escape me. It’s hard to believe I’m here,” O’Brien said. Many students in attendance were freshmen enrolled in university seminar courses, and therefore actively participating in the Common Experience. The event proved to be a satisfying one for many of them. “I haven’t really paid too much attention to the Common Experience thing, but I did read the book and was surprised by how much I liked it,” said Scott Thomas, undecided freshman. “I think it’s great to actually have the author here. You get much more out of hearing from him than from just talking about him.” The common experience will continue next semester. A list of events can be found on the Common Experience Web site at www.txstate.edu/commonexperience.

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Registration for spring semester starts November 14. Check the schedule for your eligible day, or visit us on the web at www.austincc.edu. Call 223.4ACC for a campus near you. Workforce Training•University Transfer Access Programs•Great Faculty & Staff

CONTINUED from page 1

the fair. During interviewing, invitations will be extended to students to visit school districts where they can meet with the principal and tour the school. The College of Education mandates current student teachers to come to the fair and gives them the day off from student teaching. Freshmen and sophomores are not mandated to attend although encouraged. Antoinette Curl, College of Education lead advisor, said students can gain experience in interviewing, ﬁnd out what districts are looking for in terms of grade levels, meet with districts a student may never have heard of and ﬁnd opportunities out

of Texas. “If you might or maybe one day (want to teach), think about attending,” Curl said. The College of Education topped enrollment in 2004 and 2003 of any other major according to the Texas State fact book. Students are encouraged to bring their resumes and teaching certiﬁcates to the fair if applicable. Students can post their resumes, view lists of the attending school districts as well as available jobs at the Jobs4Cats Web site at www.careerservices. txstate.edu. Career Services and the College of Education will be offering another teacher job fair in the spring semester.

NEWS

Page 4 - The University Star

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

GREEN: ESC plans new programs for a cleaner campus DRAGGED: Student

released from hospital, no citation for tram driver CONTINUED from page 1

Monty Marion/Star photo The Environmental Service Committee and the National Association of Environmental Professionals joined efforts to increase student awareness of recycling on campus. Members passed out ﬂiers and gave away T-shirts to passing students. CONTINUED from page 1

Guy recycling center. “People seem to be generally interested,” said Taylor Powell, ESC administrative assistant. “We’re giving out a lot of information; there’s a more positive reception than I expected.” Students stopping by the booth had the chance to answer multiple-choice questions on recycling and geography trivia to win a “Texas State Recycles” T-shirt. Les Harvey, a senior agriculture student, answered trivia questions for a T-shirt. Harvey said he uses the recycling bins around campus and thinks it’s important for everyone to recycle. Noah Hopkins, ESC chair and NAEP co-treasurer, said he wants to make the shirts seen around campus. “It’s like you walk around campus in a daze, like most of us do, and you see one of these shirts and you think, ‘Oh yeah, I should recycle,’” Hopkins geographic-resource and environmental studies senior said. The groups had 1,000 shirts to hand out, and by 2 p.m. close to 600 had been given away. “We’ve had people come by who knew nothing, like, ‘We have a recycling program?’” Powell said. Recycling bins are currently in all residential halls and most buildings on campus, as well as several outdoor locations around campus.

“M

ost of the 99 cents (spent on a drink) is for the actual cups, and then we have all the costs to haul off the waste from those that are used mostly used one time.”

— Noah Hopkins ESC chair and NAEP co-treasurer

Joe Porter, political science freshman, stopped by the booth Tuesday. “I think (recycling) is important everywhere,” he said. “I try and make sure everyone around me, if not clean up, keeps their recyclables.” The Environmental Service Fee is a $1 fee included in student fees each semester that pays for environmental projects on campus all year long. The fee was initiated by a group of geography students who wanted to fund a campus recycling program. The students petitioned the Texas legislature and the Associated Student Government who both passed the fee, and the committee has been in place ever since. The ESC takes applications from anyone in the university community with an idea for an environmental project. Seven of the nine committee members review the applications and vote on whether or not they will be funded. Hopkins says this is the ﬁrst semester the ESC has actually been able to fund projects. The last year and a half has been

spent on organizing and networking with other campus organizations. “The best thing I’ve seen about the ESC is its ability to bring people together, to network forces on campus to get things done,” Hopkins said. The committee sponsored a river cleanup in Sewell Park last month and collected 500 gallons of recyclables and waste products from the San Marcos River. Campus Parks and Recreation was helpful in donating boats and snorkels for the cleanup, and several businesses and groups in the community also helped fund the effort, Hopkins and Taylor said. Currently Powell is working to get funding to make all recycling bins on campus uniform in appearance. “We’re trying to get the green bins established in every building and get rid of the yellow ones,” he said. Powell said he hopes to “establish a mindset and to improve recycling from the ground up.” Hopkins is also working with ofﬁcials at Chartwells to create a reusable cup that students

could buy and use all year for discounted hot and cold drinks. Many college campuses already have similar programs in place, such as the University of Colorado at Boulder. “Most of the 99 cents (spent on a drink) is for the actual cups, and then we have all the costs to haul off the waste from those that are used mostly one time,” Hopkins said. Hopkins said the program would be a situation where “everybody wins all over” because students would save money on drinks and Chartwells would save money on the waxed paper cups and waste disposal fees. He hopes to make the reusable plastic cups available by January or sometime during the spring semester, and that all incoming freshman will be given one free cup. All students, staff and faculty members are welcome to turn in an application to the ESC with their own environmentally friendly idea. Although the committee’s Web site is not yet running, an application can be received by sending an e-mail to ESC@txstate.edu. Since the NAEP and ESC have so much overlap in membership, Hopkins encouraged students to ﬁrst get involved with the NAEP before attending ESC meetings. Members of NAEP meet the ﬁrst and third Monday of every month at 5 p.m. in Evans Hall, Room 311. For more information, e-mail NAEP@geo.txstate. edu.

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rear door, according to a narrative report conducted by Scott on Saturday. Scott went to Dempster’s home to interview her and return her driver’s license. In the report, Dempster told Scott she was trying to be the ﬁrst passenger to enter the bus because she is seven months pregnant and tries to sit down as soon as she can. Dempster said after a passenger exited the bus through the rear door, she reached up and grabbed the handle inside the rear door so she could pull herself up into the bus, Scott said in the report. When Dempster reached to grab the handle, the bus was not in the process of closing its doors, but it closed on her arm as she was about to step onto the bus. The report continued with Dempster saying she unsuccessfully tried to pull her arm out of the door. She said she did not have the strength to remove her arm, and when the bus began to move, she fell down between the bus and the curb. The driver, Clay Jordan Richards, exercise and sports science senior, said he did not see Dempster as she was stuck in the rear door, according to the report. Scott said he sat in the driver’s seat of the bus and looked down the side of the bus using the right side mirror. “I was able to clearly see Paul Keyes, Richard’s supervisor, as he was standing on the curb at the back door of the bus,” Scott noted in the report. Keyes is the supervisor of the TexasTrams, which are operated by Cognisa Transportation, a transportation and security company. Cognisa declined to comment on the incident.

Scott continued in the report that he believed “Richards did not follow procedure and look down to the side of the bus using the right mirror, before he drove away from the curb,” causing Dempster to be dragged the 15 to 20 feet as her coat was caught in the rear door. Scott said he asked Richards his procedures for leaving a bus stop. Richards said the procedure is to close the front door, check the right side mirror, close the back door, check the passenger mirror and the check the right side of the mirror again to ensure the bus is OK to move, the report said. Elizabeth McKinney, interdisciplinary studies sophomore, witnessed Thursday’s incident. McKinney said she was at the Strahan Coliseum bus stop at about 9:15 waiting for the bus when she saw a Bobcat Village bus pull up to the stop, followed by a Bobcat Stadium bus, which stopped behind it. McKinney said Dempster walked from behind the Bobcat Village bus toward the rear door. McKinney said she saw Dempster grab the rail of the door, then the door was shut on Dempster’s arm. Dempster managed to pull her arm out of the door, but her sweater was still caught, McKinney said. She ran with the bus for three to four feet before she fell down, McKinney said. Dempster was pregnant, and had scratches on her stomach and legs after the incident, McKinney said. “She was crying,” McKinney said. “She looked pretty shooken-up and pretty hurt.” The bus driver will not be ticketed because there is no indication of a trafﬁc violation, said SMPD Chief Howard Williams. The University Star was unable to reach Richards for comment.

COMMUTERS: Texas State alumna’s Web site sees success with 100 members CONTINUED from page 1

will be riding with or giving a ride to before choosing to carPatterson and Watters started pool with that person. the Web site on Oct. 15, and “This is what sets our Web site in a short time the service has apart. We protect people’s perdrawn in about 100 users. The sonal information and we really users are primarily in Texas, but want people to use the messagthere is also a growing group in ing system,” Patterson said. the San Francisco area, Watters Urban Hitchhiker does not said. People require users to get wind of give out their the Web site physical adthrough word dresses or phone of mouth. He numbers, and said the Web Patterson and site also has its Watters encourown blog and age users to arMyspace acrange to meet in count, which a neutral, public helps get the area. word out “We’ve only about the serhad one person vice. who was leery of Pa t te r s o n the process, but first started we told her how — Alexis Patterson everything works throwing the idea around Urban Hitchhiker co-founder — how no perin her head sonal informain early July tion is divulged, when Watters’ car was in the and we gave her some practical shop and she was commuting tips for her safety, and she beevery day from Irving to Dallas came a user,” Watters said. to go to work. “It’s kind of cool,” said Michael “I thought to myself, ‘I’m not Ndame, computer science senior. the only one who commutes this “It saves you some money really. way every day. There are all these The downside is that you might other people on the road with have conflicting schedules.” me every day,’” Patterson said. However, Ndame was not so “It was her idea,” Watters said sure about traveling long disof Patterson. “We were talking tances with a stranger. one day and we were thinking “It’s risky because you don’t that it would be nice if there even know who wants to ride were a way to find people to car- with you. It might not be safe,” pool with online, especially with she said. traffic being what it is and gas “I think it’s a good idea,” said prices being what they are.” Marie Bachle, anthropology Watters was responsible for the sophomore. “It would cut down programming and technical end on how many people are on the of the Web site, while Patterson roads. I’ve never heard of it, but took charge of its graphic design if they have things set up for and the writing of its content. safety, I’m sure it’ll pick up.” Patterson gave credit to her mass Patterson said the biggest chalcommunication classes for help- lenge in managing Urban Hitching her write effectively. hiker is having the time to work Patterson and Watters an- on it when both she and Watters ticipated that some users might have full time jobs. Plans are still be leery about carpooling with in the works for improvements complete strangers. The found- for the site. Watters said that ers decided to set up a unique though there were a few days of messaging system so that users technical issues, launching the can talk to potential people they Web site was a smooth process.

“I

thought to myself, ‘I’m not the only one who commutes this way every day. There are all these other people on the road with me every day.”

www.UniversityStar.com

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

trendythoughts

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

“Sweet potatoes. My mom makes good sweet potatoes.”

“Mashed potatoes and gravy.”

“Creamed corn.”

— James Bowden management freshman

— Craig Mason communication design senior

— Stephen Cook pre-theatre junior

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - Page 5

Compiled by Kyle Bradshaw

Trends Contact — Christina Gomez, starentertainment@txstate.edu

grows up a little By Christina Gomez Entertainment Editor

latest “kill off,” and developing Web sites about Potter culture I arrived two hours helps satiate their Pot✯✯✯ ter early to the premiere fix between films. of Harry Potter and the Harry Potter and The long wait, the the Goblet of Fire Goblet of Fire, the latriot, the expensive est of the Harry Potter Dir.: Mike Newell prices for popcorn and Stars: Daniel series of novels turned Radcliffe, Emma pickles — it all paid to film. off. Watson, Rupert The line had already Grint This Potter film is by wound around the Rated: PG-13 far the best of the series. building and snaked Unafraid to ditch the toward the parking lot. tried and true wizard As I (perhaps a bit smugly) pro- whimsy, director Mike Newell ceeded to the front of the line, I delves deep into the complexirealized that some fans had been ties and disturbing nuances of waiting since the wee hours of the story. This change in tone the morning. Others chose one earned the film a PG-13, the first unlucky soul to save a spot for of the Potter series. Featuring a them in line. I say “unlucky” graphic reincarnation of Lord because about an hour before Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), Ku show time, a small riot involv- Klux Klan-esque Death Eaters ing the difference between “cut- and the first on-screen killing of ting in line” and “saving a spot” characters. took place. The film follows the schools The success of the Harry Pot- of Hogwarts, Beauxbaton and ter franchise rests solely on the Durmstrang as they host the Tridevotion of the fans. Often wait- Wizard tournament, a sort of ing years between volumes, the Olympics for adolescents. Mystenacity of the average Harry teriously, Harry’s name is drawn Potter fan is astonishing. Pour- from the Goblet of Fire and is ing through books in excess of selected to compete even though 700 pages, placing bets on the he is three years too young to be

film review

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, battles the dark Lord Voldemort in his latest ﬁlm, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. eligible. A valuable addition to the faculty is Defense Against the Dark Arts professor MadEye Moody (Brendan Gleeson). With his peg leg, drinking habit and expressive false eye, he is a powerful foreshadowing tool.

Along the way it is obvious to see the ever-growing power of Voldemort and his followers. To considerably lighten the mood and showcase some coming-ofage angst, there is the drama of who to ask to the Yule Ball as

well as uncovering the mysteries of the opposite sex. Newell and Warner Bros. took a considerable gamble in the production of Goblet. Relying too excessively on the use of computer generated animation

created stunning visuals, but is a little to “unreal” for most viewers. Children will be awed at the dragon ﬁghts and Quidditch See POTTER, page 7

Boy sorcerer continues to conjure money-making magic By Christina Gomez Entertainment Editor

No. 552, she is worth an estimat- into 55 languages. When Forbes ed $1 billion and is one of only Magazine published its wealthifive self-made billionaires. est fictional characters list in She has gone from welfare to Branching out to include fea- 2003, Harry Potter landed the billionaire. ture films, video games, action fourth richest behind Mickey, When first penning Harry figures and board games, the Winnie the Pooh and Frodo Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Harry Potter franchise is a mul- Baggins. in Edinburgh, Scotland, J. K. tibillion-dollar industry. The Profiting the most from the Rowling was a penniless single sixth installment, Harry Potter wizard hero’s success is children’s mother of two. and the Half-Blood Prince, re- book publisher Scholastic. In Fast forward to 2005 — she leased July 16, still remains No. 1997, the company made a thenhas published six of seven 14 on the Amazon.com best- risky move to acquire the rights planned Harry Potter novels and seller list. The previous five Pot- PMto the novels. Q4-TXUniversityStar-BWAd 10/14/05 8:14 Page 1 Since then, stock has earned a place on the Forbes’ ter books have sold 250 million for Scholastic has been boosted wealthiest-people list. Placing copies and have been translated 50 percent. In 2001 alone, sales

of Harry Potter novels accounted for nearly 30 percent of the company’s proﬁts. Some analysts warn that with the initial allure of Harry Potter novels and merchandise beginning to wane, Scholastic will be hesitant to bank on the recordbreaking success of novels past. The 2005 earning projections show that Scholastic seeks to earn only 1 percent of its total revenue from the sixth novel. Perhaps a key factor in waning consumer interest is the length

of time Rowling takes to produce her novels. Unlike other writers perpetually publishing sequels and follow-ups, it usually takes two years or more between the Potter books. This is proving to be difficult in the casting of the films as well. Daniel Radcliffe, the star of the Harry Potter movies, is 16years-old and is seen in the last film installment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, playing a 14-year-old Harry. With three more film installments

still needed in order to complete the series, it is unlikely that producers will be able to continue casting Radcliffe, as he will be in his 20s when the films are complete. Rowling, who is borderline reclusive at times, is tight-lipped about the fate of future films and the continuation of the series. For many readers, the speculation of their favorite character’s fate is enough to satiate the long wait until the yet-to-be-titled seventh and final installment.

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TRENDS

Page 6 - The University Star

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Zathura an out-of-this-world movie experience film review

let go, even after the credits roll. These are the mov✯✯✯✯ ies I miss, movies like Hmmm? Zathura? How the hell do you Zathura: A Space The Goonies, Stand By Me, Radio Flyer and pronounce that? Well, Adventure the way Jon Favreau Dir.: Jon Favreau other young character-driven movies of pronounced it at the Stars: Jonah old. Fantastic Fest pre- Bobo, Josh miere was like so: zuh- Hutcherson, Dax Jon Favreau had Shepard the intent of making THOO-rah. Tricky, I Rated: PG guess. Zathura in the vein Don’t worry about of the older Amblin ﬂicks of the ’80s, such as Close that. This movie rocked. From the side-splitting, Encounters of the Third Kind ebullient humor and palpable, and ET. And he did … sucnail-biting tension to the great cessfully. Zathura is based on the story telling and convincingly realistic effects, Zathura will book written by Chris Van have you in its grasp and won’t Allsburg, in which two rivalBy Nixon Guerrero Entertainment Writer

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard and Josh Hutcherson are launched into outer space by a board game in Zathura.

ing brothers play an old board game (the movie’s namesake) and unbeknownst to them the game will have a literal impact on their lives and launch them into outer space where they encounter alien pirates, a wandering astronaut (Dax Shepard), meteor showers and a whole lot more. The boys must put all petty banters aside and work together to ﬁnish the game and get back home. Wait a minute. Kids play a board game that crosses into their reality and the only way to end it all is by ﬁnishing the game through teamwork. I know. Most of you are thinking “Jumanji rip.” Well it should sound familiar (both were written by Van Allsburg). But, please don’t let that cause any preconceived notions of the movie or allow any close-minded determents. This is a great movie. One of the main reasons it’s so great is that it’s so heavily grounded and dedicated to the boys’ characters and their story. Obviously, this movie would have been impossible to make without the most talented of child actors. Enter Josh Hutcherson as 10-year-old Walter and Jonah Bobo as 6-year-old Danny. When their divorced father (Tim Robbins) leaves for work one day and leaves the two in the care of their older sister, Danny and Walter, of course, will end up in a tiff of some sort. An interesting bit of trivia about the two young actors is

�� free coffee and doughnuts

that they were the actual age of their characters. Usually, with movies that have such demanding child roles, the parts would go to someone older than the character’s age, but not here. Jonah was really six and Josh was really 10. That’s just another reason to commend these two boys on job well done. As I mentioned earlier, the effects were striking and believable. This can be attributed to Favreau’s dedication to older, pre-CGI movies and his recruitment of multiple Oscar-winning creature king Stan Winston. Most of you have seen his work. He designed The Terminator, The Predator, the queen alien in Aliens, dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and the list goes on. Could this be a new genre of a sub-genre of film? What happens if some kids play another board game and end up in the old west or medieval times? I hope not. Some people have been complaining online about the two to three “curse words” that are in the movie. Give me a break. Kids probably hear worse things at school or even from their parents, but let’s hope not. I really can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this movie. This is for everyone. Take your girlfriend or boyfriend and if you don’t have either, then take a date. If you have little nephews or nieces, take them. They’ll think you’re the coolest aunt or uncle. Take your parents. Take anyone. Jon Favreau is making an indelible impression on the film world. He’s come along way from his role in PCU as Gutter. He’s got some great original films under his proverbial director/writer/actor’s belt in movies like Swingers, Elf and now Zathura. I can’t wait to see what he does with his next film, Jon Carter of Mars.

Sponsored by: ID Services, Parents Association, and Student Health Center

Movie Ratings Key

Wednesday, Nov. 16 Thursday, Nov. 17 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. @ LBJ Student Center

No stars – Must skip ✯ – Bad, fails overall ✯✯ – Mediocre, wait for DVD ✯✯✯ – Good, few ﬂaws ✯✯✯✯ – Outstanding, must see

FOX executives pull the plug on comedic gem Arrested Development triarch, George Sr. FOX Broad(Jeffrey Tambor), is casting Company arrested for using executives have his hugely profitable decided to put realty business as his an end to yet own personal piggy another quality bank. Bateman plays show with the the lone normal one cancellation of KYLE BRADSHAW in a family of self-inArrested Development. Not that Asst. Entertainment volved weirdos that unusual, except includes his brother Editor this one is the G.O.B. (Will Arnett), best the network a stuggling magician, has ever had, and canceling it and his brother-in-law, Tobias (the endlessly hilarious is simply unforgivable. David Cross), who coined Reports surfaced through the term “never-nude,” just to many media outlets on Friday that the show had been name a few. pulled off the air for the For the show’s third season, remainder of the November FOX pulled Arrested from its sweeps period after its hourSunday night time-slot and long return from the baseball placed it on Monday night. playoffs on Nov. 7 drew only With little to no advertising four million viewers. FOX efforts announcing the move also cut the show’s third seaor promoting the new season, son down to a measly 13 epi- the show plummeted in ratsodes from its original order ings, giving it practically no of 22, almost ensuring that chance to reach new viewers. it won’t return for a fourth Arrested Development is season. one of the smartest comedies In its first two seasons, in the history of television Arrested became the little — it’s certainly the best at the critics’ darling that couldn’t. moment — and it has been On Sunday nights, the halfthrown into the gutter by a hour comedy struggled to network that couldn’t handle pull in ratings equal to other the fact that it was doing network mainstays like The something different. Arrested actually has the guts to put Simpsons and Family Guy, another show given up on creativity and ingenuity into by FOX prematurely, only a medium that is currently to have the network come oversaturated in brainless recrawling back after the show’s ality shows and pointless sitcoms that need laugh tracks impressive DVD sales. to tell the audience when To date, Arrested has garnered six Emmy awards, insomething is funny. And it’s cluding one for outstanding been abandoned by its network, offering little hope that comedy series in 2004 and it will ever return. best writing earlier this year. Cross summed up FOX’s Jason Bateman, who plays failure best during an outMichael Bluth on the show, takes reel on the show’s Seawon the Golden Globe for son 2 DVD. His torrid attack best actor in 2004 as well. was aimed at the network’s Despite rave reviews and a marketing team. countless number of other “Why don’t you fire your awards, FOX never quite had marketing team and get a the stomach to properly promote a show that broke the new one in here that knows sitcom mold. how to market a show that Filmed in single-camera, won five motherf--king Emdocumentary style, Arrested’s mys?” Cross said. “If you can’t market that kind of unusual brand of humor show and get better ratings, echoes films like The Royal maybe the problem doesn’t Tenenbaums and Waiting For Guffman. For those who have lie (with the show), maybe it yet to watch, Arrested is about lies with marking.” The final episodes of Arthe dysfunctional Bluth family, which, during the show’s rested Development’s third first season, is thrown into season will begin airing at 7 chaos when the family pap.m. on Monday, Dec. 5.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2005

The University Star - Page 7

✯Star Comics

Distinctive voices Thanksgiving sans the break

Erin Leeder

Random Acts of Violence

So the end is upon us … the last tion for (lyrical and advanced funk) home football game is this Saturday, and some you just get to sign up for if but alas! The Bobcats are doing so you want to do them (novelty and stywell this football season and there is listic jazz). This is one of those weeks much buzz about the playoffs! that is so hectic (with Strutter practice, We might even host a playoff game, tests, research papers and for all of you, which means the band, cheerleaders like me, in Choreographer’s Showcase ABBY MINICA and Strutters need to be there to supfor the dance department) in the beEntertainment port the football team. Yes, our direcginning, but by the time it’s over there Columnist tor, Mrs. Angell, informed us today is a bit of sadness when it all just stops. that if we do indeed host this playoff We also picked our “Secret Santa” pergame, it will be the Saturday after Thanksgiv- son today at practice. Every year, the Strutters ing, and our break will be cut short. Normally have a Christmas party, usually at Angell’s house, it would upset me that I would be losing a sub- in which we exchange presents with our “Secret stantial part of my Thanksgiving break, but I’m Santa,” eat snacks and draw the winning names so excited that our football team is doing so well for annual fundraiser rafﬂe. Things are ending, and our director said she would make us prac- but it is still a happy time — and if you haven’t tice as little as possible. Before practice today, we yet this semester, come out and support your had to sign up for our basketball/spring show football team and the Strutters this Saturday! dances, which is exciting to know that, even though football season is ending, we have a new We will be following Abby as she high kicks as a season ahead of us. They gave us a schedule of Texas State Strutter every Wednesday. the basketball games and which dances would ONLINE: www.txstrutters.com. be performing at which games. Some dances are mandatory (team jazz), some you have to audi-

POTTER: Movie stays true to book’s concept CONTINUED from page 5

battles; adults will feel like they are re-watching a Lord of the Rings sequence. Some of the most marked improvements have come from the acting abilities of heroes Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). Radcliffe seems to have adjusted to his role, and has more conﬁdence in his delivery of his lines. The unlikely heartthrob (age 16) elicited many slightly skeevy cheers from the audience during a bathtub scene. Watson has always managed to charm the critics with her poignantly expressive delivery. She has matured and become quite lovely, shedding her “know-itall” routine in favor of a more vulnerable and approachable character. Grint, remains the lone goofball in the group. With his long red hair, reminiscent of a Prince Valiant cartoon, he provides excellent comic relief.

It was wise, however, to allow Grint to convey a little hidden animosity at the perpetual success of his best friend. Those looking to see a play-byplay analysis of the novel will be disappointed. Newell takes con-

siderable, and deserved license with the story. Compacting the 700-plus page tome into a still lengthy 157 minutes. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the ﬁfth of the seven installments, is set to be released in 2007.

Photo coutresy of Warner Bros. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint reunite as the heroic trio Harry, Hermoine and Ron in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

University Bookstore Gingerbread House Contest re ’t take ca Man didn ent stale. The Mufﬁn w it e, us ho w one? of my last ild me a ne Will you bu a pool of icing? ve ha it Can

Tuesday’s solutions:

We invite you to enter your house in our annual contest. The rules are simple. All parts of the house must be edible. You may drop off your houses from Monday, November 28-Tuesday, December 6 at noon. Judging will be held at 4pm on Tuesday, December 6.

Make it a family event this year with our new category. A winner will be chosen in each group: •Texas State Students •Texas State Faculty/Staff ($75 gift card for winner of adult catergories)

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

•Children of Texas State students or faculty/staff ($25 gift card for winner of children’s catergory) Drop off your house at the Service Center, where you will ﬁll out an entry form and receive a “thank you” gift for entering. If you would like your house displayed during our Holiday Open House, please bring on or before Thursday, December 1.

www.UniversityStar.com

Located in the LBJ Student Center www.bookstore.txstate.edu Part of Texas State University-San Marcos, a member of the Texas State University System

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - Page 8

quoteof the day

”

“I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover. If there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God, you just rejected him from your city. And don’t wonder why he hasn’t helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I’m not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that’s the case, don’t ask for his help because he might not be there.” — Rev. Pat Robertson to the city of Dover, Penn., after citizens voted out school board members in favor of intelligent design. (Source: The Village Voice)

Opinions Contact — Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

Oil companies remind America the purpose of profit

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.

Kelly Simmons/Star illustration

No one can argue with the fact that gas prices are too high. We all fondly recall better days when prices were always below $2. Even with the recent, and welcome, decline in prices, Americans still feel like they’re being squeezed at the pump, and they want somebody to blame. Last week, chief executives of the five largest oil companies were called before the Senate Finance Committee to justify their record profits. In what reeked of a witch hunt, the executives were berated, interrogated and implored to donate their profits to those unable to pay their energy bills. Donate profits? Since when are profits looked down upon? When in the history of capitalism is the acquisition of profits a negative thing? Democratic Sens. Byron Dorgan, N.D., and Chris Dodd, Conn., renewed their call for a “windfall tax.” This means that when oil prices exceeded $40 per barrel, Congress could levy a 50 percent tax. This is an attempt to regulate the “exorbitant profits” accrued by the oil companies over the last year. The “price gouging,” if you will. If “windfall profits” are a crime, there would be a large number of companies having to fork over the bank. Big Oil on average had an 8.13 percent profit margin this year. Media giant Disney had an 8.78 percent profit margin, The New York Times boasts a 13.8 percent profit margin. Even more astonishing is the 29.4 percent profit margin from Google. com. It is doubtful that the Senate Finance Committee will be knocking down Mickey Mouse’s door anytime soon. Profit margins differ from actual profits in that a profit margin is calculated by dividing the gross profits by the total revenue. This is the difference between the selling price of products and the costs associated with its production and sale — essentially, a fundamental indicator of the profitability of a product. If one takes a look at the profit margins of various industries over this quarter, the market paints a different picture than the most of the media suggests. This quarter, financial institutions, not oil companies, are boasting the highest profit margins. And energy companies are neck-and-neck with information technology, telecom industries and healthcare. If Congress is serious about penalizing “windfall profits,” the consumer has the right to know exactly what that means. If Congress is serious about hindering one of the basic tenets of capitalism — supply and demand dictating price — voters have the right to know. Going on a vendetta-fueled witch hunt for the sake of a photo op or sound bite isn’t going to lower gas prices. Action will. The easiest, most tangible way to lower the price of oil is to ease or eliminate federal gasoline taxes. The average consumer pays 42 cents per gallon in gasoline taxes. Hawaii leads with 53.5 cents per gallon and Alaska has the lowest gasoline tax with only 26.4 cents. Texas finds a home at 38.3 cents. Even trimming these taxes by 10 to 15 cents would alleviate substantial financial pressure from consumers. Arbitrarily dividing profits from oil companies to the “needy” is just asking for problems. Which needy, when, how much? By universally lowering costs, everyone would be able to partake in the much needed price break.

KKK thrives when given the attention they seek On Nov. 5, 14 sion. I know these members of the Ku things. I also know Klux Klan — or something those whatever passes 3,000 people don’t for it these days — know, and it makes showed up at City me sad, because Hall in Austin and it’s so damn obviwere met by more ous. All the counSEAN WARDWELL than 3,000 counterter-protesting did Star Columnist protestors. was give the Klan There are those publicity. Instead who think this is a of working against good thing. There are those them, they guaranteed that evwho believe that groups like ery camera in the central Texas the KKK should be met with area would be pointed in their all due force. There are those direction. Way to go folks, you who think that it is somehow helped the Klan get their mesnoble and heroic to take the sage out. entire day to sit with a sign and See, this is the problem with yell at 14 people. the protest culture. People hear I’m not one of them though. an ass braying and all they can In fact, all I saw when the Klan do is bray back, as if the ass showed up was a horserace of in question ever deserved atstupidity. Personally I wouldn’t tention in the ﬁrst place. It rehave done a thing. Why? Be- minds me of the time Brother cause it’s the Klan, that’s why. Jed (The University Star, Feb. Nothing the Klan says is 15, 2005) came to campus last worth one single synapse of year. I’m sure you remember anyone’s brain. All they are are that. This religious quack set a bunch of trailer trash, torna- up shop at The Fighting Staldo-bait, genetic accidents that lions for two days and, as is should be laughed off the ends his right, talked about how he of the earth. Why is anyone thought the world should be. taking these people seriously? I went out there only beWhat exactly is it about them cause I love it when the circus that deserves a 3,000-to-14 ra- comes to town. As expected I tio? saw people claim that he was I can hear your objections, forcing his beliefs on people. and I don’t care. Yes, I know the However I didn’t see anyone Klan has done horriﬁc things. chained to the ground. People Yes, I know that they symbolize stood around that yahoo behundreds of years of oppres- cause that’s exactly where they

wanted to be. How else can anyone explain it? If people feel the need to respond to this sort of situation, if they feel a need to muster an army to combat a squad, allow me to propose a compromise. Instead of marching, singing, drumming or practicing some useless and inane form of street theater, simply surround them and start pointing and laughing. That’s a perfect response. Laughing at someone lets them know exactly where they stand. Nowhere is it written that whoever is being laughed at has to get offended though. A smart person would just go on about their business. The Klan is not smart though. They are in fact quite stupid. It’s fun to offend people with that caliber of stupidity. It’s like making monkeys at the zoo mad. I could watch that all day. But when you take them seriously, even if it’s just for a moment, they win. Why let these people win, especially seeing as how they have not been on the winning end of anything since 1861? But that’s exactly what those 3,000 people in Austin did. Despite the best of intentions they prepared a stage, invited the media and set the spotlight squarely on 14 morons who probably couldn’t get a job ﬂipping burgers. Think

of all the different and better ways that time could have been spent. Think of all the hungry people that could have been fed. Think of the neighborhoods that could have been cleaned up. Consider the parks there going unused that could have been filled with families spending time together. Ponder all the constructive and useful things that could have taken place that afternoon but didn’t. In fact, think of all the lawns that could have been mowed. There are important things to stand up against, don’t get me wrong. Nobody should be silent on the big issue. But think about it. Three thousand people turned out to protest against 14 idiots who wanted to make something illegal that was illegal anyway. That’s the real shame here. Since there is already a law against gay marriage, passing Proposition 2 changes nothing. If it failed, it would still have done nothing because gay marriage is illegal anyway. It’s a zero sum equation. There’s no way to win. 3,000-to-14; That’s about 214 people for every single member of the Koo-Koo Klan at City Hall. Next time, just find whatever card Hallmark makes that says “Go home you ignorant redneck,” send it and find something useful to do with your day.

Texas reverts to past mistakes with gay marriage ban Do you feel safe in San Marcos? “I think San Marcos is a safe town because I’ve never met people who seem dangerous. Even at night if I’m at the library ’til midnight I can walk back to my apartment.” Yukiko Shimizu geography sophomore “I feel pretty safe. At least here on the college campus everybody is pretty close and everybody looks after each other.” Luis Guardia undecided-professional freshman Compiled by Ashley Richards

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“Texas, our MEREDITH PICKETT our own country, Texas, all hail the the Republic of Tufts Daily mighty state ... ” Texas. And that, No! I’m not hailmy friends, is why ing you, Texas. In fact, I am states should not be allowed to voluntarily taking away my vote on issues of rights. own suffrage rights with the That sounds harsh, and not “great” state of Texas. I love my all Texans deserve that reputastate, but that does not mean tion (such as myself, for examthat I have to like it right now. ple). But I believe this is true I am angry because Texas just of many states. This bias of the voted to alter its constitution people is why we have governto ban gay marriage. ment. As one political science This makes me angry, not professor made me memorize, only because of the action, but James Madison once said, “If also because of the principle men were angels, no governof the matter. The fact of the ment would be necessary.” matter is that it was not voted Men are not angels, and thereon by the legislature, it was fore we have government to voted on by Texans themselves. protect us from ourselves. We Some may say that is the best elect representatives who are way to accurately represent the probably more level-headed will of the people, but to them than we are to ﬁght out these I point out that the people are issues for us. That’s why we almost always wrong. If it were have government, people! Not up to Texans, we would prob- just to decide that we can drink ably still have slavery, African before noon on Sundays at a Americans would not be al- rodeo or fair while ignoring lowed to vote, the Civil Rights school ﬁnance and property movement never would have tax reform (gotta love Texas), occurred, the state religion but to do good for the peowould be Christianity and ple of the state, even if those we would still probably be people do not even know they

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want it yet. The issue of gay marriage is a civil rights issue, and for some reason or another, people are not very inclined to give other people rights. Honestly, I do not know why. All I know is that it is becoming an old and tired issue. I mean, rights for all. How hard is that? Rights for all. I’m 19 years old, and it is probably easier for me to see this modern view than the people who voted on this initiative. But I think gay and lesbian couples should have the same rights as other people. It’s the fair and correct thing to do. I mean, it’s not going to affect your life, and it will make thousands of people happier. Why are people so against happiness? I think that you really have to dislike your own life to wish ill upon the lives of other people. And again, this is another reason why we should not let people vote. With one check of the box, they can change the lives of people they don’t even know. I think that if Texas is not

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going to let gay couples get married, the homosexual contingent should not have to pay taxes. Think about it: these people are paying the government to discriminate against them. Therefore, let’s get a little civil disobedience up in here! I don’t think that Texas would enjoy that, considering that the state has almost as little money as Tufts University does. Clearly, this is not our country’s forte. Let’s not make the same mistakes again. History exists so that we can learn from it and change past wrongs. So let’s please not force another minority group to suffer because of the bias of the people. I bet we all have a little minority aspect to us. How would you like it if your state voted that you were not a complete person because of it? If you live in Texas, this may happen to you. And that is why we should not let Texans vote. This column originally appeared in the Tufts Daily on Nov. 15.

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 8,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright November 16, 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.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

The University Star - Page 9

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All classified ads are charged 20¢ per word. Ads may be emailed to starclassifieds@txstate.edu. Check your classified ad for accuracy. Any changes must be made by the second day of publication. The deadline for all classified ads is noon two business days prior to publication. Classified ads must be paid in advance unless credit has been established. Refunds will only be given when a classified ad has been paid by credit card. The Star reserves the right to refuse, edit, and discontinue any classified ad at any time without prior notification. Classified ads will be edited for style purposes. Classified ads that do not note heading, will be put under the appropriate heading. All classified ads are published free, on-line at www.universitystar.com. Since this is a free service, posting is not guaranteed. While The University Star attempts to screen ads for misleading claims or illegal content, it is not possible for us to investigate every ad and advertiser. Please use caution when answering ads, especially any which require you to send money in advance.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2005

SPORTS

The University Star - Page 11

It’s always a good time for intramurals A variety of activities for everyone to enjoy By Marc Cleverley Sports Reporter

Adam Brown/Star photo illustration Some fantasy sports players can watch their leagues for hours but with the convenience of technology it’s almost worth the time lost.

My own private fantasy

My mom does not “you r dumb” or “nice trade understand the fantasy newbie.” sports phenomenon. There are also those who She does not underjoin a league only to never be stand how it works, heard from again. You will why people take it so know them when you see a seriously and she surely starting roster full of injured would not understand and inactive players. In a perKEVIN WASHBURN fect world, these unworthy why I’m in four NBA Fantasy Leagues right Sports Columnist owners would be blacklisted now. from all further fantasy activI am sure there are ity. many like good ol’ mom out there. To go along with the feeling of To comprehend what drives the fanempowerment which controlling tasy player, you do not need to know the day-to-day operations of an league rules or point systems. Only imaginary team brings, the fantasy one things needs to be understood: GM also gets pleasure out of healthy we proud fantasy team owners think competition. we are smarter than the majority of This competition comes from the general managers of professional fact that all fantasy fanatics believe sports teams; if given the same posithey are the smartest of them all. But tion, we believe we could do a better just a win is not enough—a dose of job. trash talking must come with it. The Alas, the common man knows he depth of the verbal assaults depends will never be promoted to a position on the particular league; it could of prominenece in the Denver Bronrange from a few words on a message cos front office or with the Boston board to paragraphs typed and eRed Sox, so he must turn to fantasy mailed to the entire league. sports. The life of a fantasy GM is not all It’s not as if some real GMs do fun, though. You must also deal with not feed these delusions. Is there any problems, such as injuries to key doubt that a man off of the street players and learning to budget time. could not do a better job than New The latter is very important, as some York Knicks GM Isiah Thomas? Did fantasy owners have been known to he really think signing perennial lose jobs and even significant others underachieving center Jerome James due to their complete immersion into to a five-year, nearly $30 million con- the fantasy world. tract was a good idea? So the next time you see a guy (or This is not to say there are no bad girl) planted in a computer chair fantasy team owners. There are rook- checking the latest game stats, don’t ies who do not know what they are ridicule them as “nerds.” Instead, doing. These amateurs are to be taken think of them as fulfilling the dreams advantage of and ridiculed on mesof that little GM inside of each and sage boards with postings such as every sport fan.

The repetitive pounding of a basketball on a hardwood floor and the smack of multiple dodgeballs hitting the body are all too familiar sounds associated with intramurals. As flag football winds down and winter approaches, intramurals have shifted their focus to indoor activities for the remainder of the season. One of the final two sports being played outdoors, the five-on-five soccer shootout, will conclude its regular season this week and will begin playoffs the following week. Games are typically played from 5 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the field adjacent to Bobcat Village. The tennis singles men’s and women’s tournament is currently in quarterfinal stages as the north, south, east, and west brackets are condensed until the championship game. “It’s fun to be able to come out here and have a couple matches and not be obligated to play for a team, I’ve played tennis all my life and it’s great that there are intramurals for it,“ Greg DeLeon said. He knows his tennis a little more than he gives credit for though, as DeLeon is playing in the tennis singles tournament and hasn’t lost yet. Matches are held on the tennis courts located in the tennis complex on Sessom Drive. Specific match times are posted on the campus recreation homepage at www.campusrecreation.txstate.edu. Volleyball playoffs are also in full swing as semifinals are slated for this week. The games are played at various times throughout the evening on the basketball courts at the Student Recreation

Danny Rodriguez/Star photo (From left to right) Coulson Thomas, graduate assistant, Trevon Walker, assistant director and David Arndt, supervisor, of the intramural sports department work together to manage the 11 different team sports offered to Texas State students through Campus Recreation. Center. Games are played every Sunday and Tuesday. The free racquetball tournament is in progress with men’s and women’s divisions combined to form a larger tournament. The early tournament stages have already shown spurts of interest as many games have gone all three sets to make for an interesting finish. Games are played early in the week at the SRC and will continue throughout the rest of the month. Play officially started last week for the three-on-three basketball tournament, with men and women alike joining in. Play is conducted at the SRC with the double elimination tournament starting this Sunday and finishing the same day. One of the more widely enjoyed intramurals, dodgeball, will begin play today at 5 p.m. at the SRC, with teams competing for a chance at the championship game. Last year, dodgeball wasn’t held on-campus so this season appears to be an exciting one.

When students rejoin the campus next spring, they can look forward to an array of intramural sports available to join. Basketball, bowling, golf, soccer and softball are just some of the activities taking place. Sigma Nu fraternity will look to add to their accomplishments as they will defend their softball and basketball titles in the spring. For future registration and information of locations and times of matches, the intramural ofﬁce can be contacted at (512) 245-8090, or by stopping by Room 109 at the SRC between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Danny Rodriguez/ Star photo illustration

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.

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SPORTS

sports snortsquotes from the sports world

THE UNIVERSITY STAR

“This is an insigniﬁcant injury. You can’t keep me off the sideline. MCL, PCL, ACL, cartilage, I don’t really care. I don’t have to tackle or block or do any of those things. I just walk up and down, talk in the headphones.” —Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice after adding himself to the team’s injury report following an injury suffered in the Vikings’ 24-21 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday. (Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - Page 12

Sports Contact — Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

Leading the drive in 2005 Bobcat volleyball finding leadership from veterans

By Chris Boehm Sports Reporter Amy Ramirez has never missed a match in four years. The streak is at 123 and counting, currently tied with none other than her parents. Rose Mary and Richard Ramirez have attended every single match their daughter has played for Texas State, including all road trips. The family was even together this season when hurricanes were canceling matches across the Southland Conference. “They were the only parents there in Louisiana when we played Nicholls at a high school gym,” Ramirez said. “It’s great to have their support, and they’ve always been there for me during the ups and down. And my father played college football, so he understands that perspective and has always offered good advice.” Ramirez entered the season as a regular starter for the ﬁrst time in her career, bringing to the position the same mentality that has allowed her to appear in every contest. “She’s been a constant for us, and has gotten better every year,” Coach Karen Chisum said. “She’s to the point where you can’t take her out. She has to be on the court. She’s been a great role model for the defensive specialists and younger players, and if every player worked as hard as Amy Ramirez we’d be in great shape.” Ramirez and fellow senior Liz Nwoke led a young squad into Arlington for a crack at their second straight SLC tourney championship. The two were honored before the year’s ﬁnal home date, a Nov. 8 contest with the University of Houston.

“It’s been the same people, the same boosters throughout all four years,” Ramirez said. “It was nice to see the support and share that moment with them. It definitely brought back memories.” As the libero, Ramirez is able to substitute in and out without hesitation, and has taken full advantage of the promotion. The Houston native posted a career high for digs in a season (450), as well as in a game (33, Nov. 5 at Stephen F. Austin). “The kid definitely earned the spot,” Chisum said. “Nothing was given to her. She came in as a walk-on four years ago and has played Bobcat volleyball because of her passion and love of competition, her love for the school. There’s not enough you can say about a kid like that, one that’s shown true devotion to the program.” A graduate of Clements High School in Sugarland, she lettered three times and was named the team’s defensive player of the year as a senior. Her aunt, Irene Valdez, also attended Texas State. “This year’s been very rewarding for me,” Ramirez said. “Coach has allowed me to go out and just play. I know I’ve trained to the point where everything comes to me without having to process it. I’ve stopped worrying and thinking as much, and just started playing the game.” Nwoke and Ramirez are two of only three players remaining from 2003’s team, which won the first of backto-back regular season titles. Including last year’s tournament championship, the two share a winning attitude that has the team set for another title run. “We want it to be conta-

gious and expected. We’re looking for a consistent top two or three team in the conference,” Chisum said. “You always want to have players returning that have been through the winning seasons – it makes a huge difference.” Nwoke, a starter at outside hitter, has been the team’s top score for three years now, and is also a two-time All-Southland Conference secondteam selection. “When she came in here as a freshman, Lizzie did not have high-level club experience,” Chisum said. “It just boils down to the amount of training, no one but the athletes themselves understands how much is demanded of you. She’s tons better than she was as a freshman; she’s a natural athlete, but has shown tremendous dedication.” The biology/pre-med major was born in Chicago but graduated from Houston’s Memorial High School, where she lettered in volleyball and basketball, leading her team to two bi-district championships in the latter. Nwoke red-shirted in 2001 before stepping into the lineup the next season to average 1.48 kills per game. The senior improved dramatically as a starter in 2003, pacing the team on offense with 3.88 kills a game. “The coaching staff helped me a lot, especially Coach Mac (assistant coach Tracy McWilliams),” Nwoke said. “She arrived here a year after I did, and was always telling me, ‘I know you can be better Liz.’ I became the player I am today because of her. And Coach Chisum and I have had our ups and downs, but she’s always been there for me, too.” This year Nwoke ﬁnished

seventh on offense in the Southland (3.66 kpg), but was slowed toward the end of the schedule due to a brief sickness and hip pointer, the latter a minor injury common amongst volleyball players. Chisum chose to rest Nwoke in the non-conference match against UH, as she only saw action in the opening period. “It’s been hard for her. She came into to my ofﬁce a few weeks ago and said, ‘Coach, if I can’t do it and Kelly (Fletcher) can, or Stephanie (Bruggeman) can, that’s great. I want to win,’” Chisum said. “I think she’s grown tremendously as a team player and that’s not easy. You want to play, and she’s pretty hard on herself. She’s still contributing a lot, and we hope by resting her, she’ll be playing her best at the end.” Aside from Fletcher, the seniors are the only players with more than two years as a Bobcat. This has led to a close friendship, as Ramirez and Nwoke usually pair off together for warmups before and between games. “I think this year we’ve gotten closer, especially this year knowing that it’s just the two of us as seniors,” Nwoke said. “We’re better friends off the court, and she’s always checking on me to see how I’m doing.” The SLC tournament will run through the weekend. Texas State opens at 5 p.m. on Friday versus McNeese State University. “I think overall their leadership has taken us to this point,” Chisum said. “They’re both wonderful, hardworking individuals. To have that caliber of student/athletes on your team is a big plus. They’re the kind of people I want in our program.”

Student Athlete Proﬁle Danny Rodriguez/Star photos TOP: Senior Amy Ramirez digs a spike during the Nov. 8 game against the University of Houston. BOTTOM: Senior Elizabeth Nwoke sets up for a kill during a victory over McNeese State. Nwoke and Ramirez have proven to be vital assets this season, leading the Bobcats into a second straight Southland Conference tournament championship.

Hometown: Houston High school: Memorial Height: 5’11” Position: Outside Hitter Letter Years: 3 Major: Biology/Pre-Med

Hometown: Sugarland High school: Clements Height: 5’6” Position: Libero Letter Years: 3 Major: Mass Communication AMY RAMIREZ

ELIZABETH NWOKE

B-GIRLS

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DL, 6-2, 274, Sr., Fort Worth

6-0, 230, Jr., San Antonio

Intercepted a screen pass to halt a lengthy Stephen F. Austin drive in the third quarter. Texas State would need just ﬁve plays to cover 78 yards and score after the turnover to build a 28-14 lead. Jones also had three tackles as the Bobcats won for the eighth time this season, a ﬁrst since moving to Division I-AA.

Carried the ball 15 times for 66 yards, including a four-yard touchdown run. Also gave the Bobcats a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter when he caught a 22-yard touchdown pass out of the backﬁeld, marking just the second touchdown reception by a Bobcat running back this season.

Jeremy Craig/Star photo Freshman Kia Palmer holds off Cynthia Jordan of Everyone’s Internet as she charges for the net during Thursday’s 82-53 loss. The Bobcats’ next game will be against Oklahoma State on Saturday in Stillwater.

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