11 30 2005 by The University Star

HERE’S JOHNNY

LAST CHANCE TO CAST

Cash biopic burns, burns, burns up the screen

On-campus early voting today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in LBJ Student Center

SEE TRENDS PAGE 7

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UNIVERSITYSTAR.com

WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER 30, 2005

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 38

High

The American College Health Association’s 2005 National College Assessment revealed that more than 20 percent of Texas State students had unprotected sex while under the inﬂuence of alcohol. Studies show condom use is a crucial method in preventing the spread of HIV and STDs.

Courtney Addison/ Star photo illustration

Risk

he U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that one American under the age of 22 is infected with HIV every hour. Despite the availability of condoms, studies show that fewer students are using protection, although the use of condoms is considered one of the best defenses against contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

Super-fast HIV test is a breath of fresh air for students

Statistics show condom use down among college students

By Alysha Nicole Hernández News Reporter

The latest news in sexual health at Texas State may help the Student Health Center in the ﬁght against the Human Immunodeﬁciency Virus, the virus that causes AIDS. In October, clients of the SHC received a 30-minute option for HIV testing. Since the SHC’s implementation of the OraQuick Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Test, 23 tests have been administered. Michael Wilkerson, health education coordinator at the

Brochures line the walls of the Student Health Center urging safety when engaging in sexual activity. Residence halls around campus have vending machines that sell condoms. “I’m glad they are there. I think it’s good, but I would never use them because I don’t know if they’ve recently changed,” said Monica Salazar, pre-communication disorders junior. Salazar learned a bit more about sexual health at a recent “sex ed party” at Sterry Hall, where she lives. She said resident

See TEST, page 5

See STATISTICS, page 5

This enhanced image shows the HIV virus, in yellow, attacking a human tissue cell, in blue. Image courtesy of the Port Elizabeth Technikon HIV/AIDS Information Service

Texas State student Father of drowned student files lawsuit dies in afternoon against Landry’s Restaurants, university motorcycle wreck By Kathy Martinez News Reporter

By Ashley Richards Assistant News Editor Texas State student Thomas Burris died on Monday after he collided with a red Ford pickup at the intersection of Highway 621 and FM 266. Burris was driving a 2004 Honda motorcycle headed westbound on Highway 621, Justice of the Peace Jo Anne Prado said. “The driver of the (pickup) was coming northbound on 266, which intersects with 621, and he stopped at the intersection then proceeded into the intersection,” Prado said. Prado said Burris was wearing a helmet, which ﬂew off on impact. Pronounced dead at 2:50 p.m., Prado said Burris died immediately.

Mark Hendricks, assistant director of media relations and publications, conﬁrmed that Burris was a criminal justice junior. Hendricks and Prado both said the collision between Burris’ motorcycle and the pickup are under investigation by the Department of Public Safety. Prado said the investigation is in part to determine which vehicle was at fault. Prado said Hays County Sheriff Department deputies, San Marcos EMS and DPS ofﬁcials responded to the accident. Peter Ortiz, software engineering graduate, was a friend and co-worker of Burris and said the light-hearted attitude Burris brought to a crowd would See WRECK, page 4

MAKING THE RUN-OFF VOTE COUNT

Almost six months ago, Jason Lee Bonnin, a Texas State student, drowned after jumping off the balcony at Joe’s Crab Shack into the Spring Lake Dam, which descends 25 feet below. Bonnin, a ﬁnance senior and employee at Joe’s Crab Shack, was pulled from the San Marcos River by the San Marcos Area Recovery Team from one of the three submerged compartments in the restaurant’s foundation. Bonnin was scheduled to graduate from Texas State in

May of this year with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Sam Bonnin, the father of Jason Lee Bonnin, filed a wrongful death suit against the university and Landry’s Restaurants on Oct. 5. The civil case has been filed in the 207th Judicial District Court in Hays County. Sam Bonnin could not be reached for comment. Houston attorney, Chad Dunn, who is representing Sam Bonnin declined to comment on the civil case because of its recent filing. However, Dunn did comment that at this time,

the damages sought are unspeciﬁed and said he hopes to see the case go to trial as soon as possible. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claims the university was negligent in not maintaining the waterway where the incident occurred, and Landry’s corporation was negligent for not discouraging what had been a “long tradition” of jumping off the balcony into the waterway below. The building, which the restaurant now occupies, was formerly a house, and both the building and dam are more

than 100 years old. The waterway is contained within property owned and maintained by Texas State and has been used for recreational purposes for many years now. However, according to the lawsuit, repairs made to the dam following the October 1998 ﬂood “created a dangerous condition” that had “previously not existed.” The plaintiff claims the university failed to “properly make the repairs” or provide “adequate warning” of the newly See LAWSUIT, page 4

San Marcos named a National Main Street City By Flor Treviño-Zapotechne Special to The Star San Marcos received a distinctive honor when the Texas Historical Commission and the National Trust for Historic Preservation recognized it as one of the 50 National Main Street Cities in Texas earlier this month at the Texas Downtown Association/Texas Main Street Conference in Laredo. “We’re very pleased and

“Y

our history is what makes you different than any other town down the highway.”

—Kelly Franks Main Street manager

proud that San Marcos received this designation,” said Kay Harvey-Mosley, THC community heritage development director. “It’s a very prestigious award.”

The Texas Main Street program is a revitalization program with an innovative method that combines historic preservation along with economic devel-

opment to restore prosperity and vitality to downtowns and neighborhood business districts. It uses a four-point approach to bring downtowns back to life, which includes organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring. “Your history is what makes you different than any other town down the highway,” said Kelly Franks, Main Street manSee STREET, page 4

New Web site attempts to give college grads the hook-up By Leah Kirkwood News Reporter

Spencer Millsap/Star photo Texas State students had the opportunity to cast their ballots early in the run-off election at the LBJ Student Center on Tuesday for City Council candidate Moe Johnson or Chris Jones. Early voting polls will be open today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Today’s Weather

Mostly Sunny 73˚/ 54˚

Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 48% UV: 4 Moderate Wind: S 14 mph

Gradpower.com is a new Web site designed to help recent and upcoming college graduates ﬁnd the right employers at entry-level positions. Gradpower, LLC, was launched in April by Ron Yuntz, president and CEO of the company. Yuntz and the rest of the Gradpower staff could not be reached, but the press release

states that the company is based in Charlotte, N.C., with ambassadors at college campuses nationwide. Gradpower uses GRADMATCH and ULTRASORT information systems to match graduates with employers “based on a host of increasingly complex qualiﬁcations and traits.” According to the Web site, the founders behind Gradpower were all professional recruiters and academic career

Two-day Forecast Thursday Mostly Sunny Temp: 73°/ 54° Precipitation: 0%

Friday Partly Cloudy Temp: 71°/ 57° Precipitation: 0%

counselors “frustrated by the misinformation and lack of focus in entry-level job placement.” Gradpower.com claims to be superior to job posting sites such as Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com. Instead of just posting a résumé, users ﬁll out extensive questionnaires that are presented to prescreened employers who search for graduates based on speciﬁc skills and preferences. Gradpower is not just for

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

Classiﬁeds Comics Crossword News

11 9 9 1-5

Opinions Sports Trends

graduates of four-year undergraduate programs. Employers involved with the Web site seek postgraduate, associate, technical and specialized-degree holders as well. Gradpower.com lists the types of employers searching their databases and promises to be secure. Members of Gradpower can visit the online Gradpower University and upcoming See GRADS, page 4

To Contact The Star: 10 12 7-9

PAGE TWO The University Star

starsof texas state

Wednesday in Brief

November 30, 2005

The Student Volunteer Connection is conducting a book drive to benefit Books for Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the terrible shortage of educational textbooks in Africa. Books for Africa has shipped more than 12.6 million primary, secondary, post-secondary and community library books to 26 African nations since 1988. The drive will take place Tuesday Dec. 6 through Dec. 13. Collection boxes with the SVC logo and Books for Africa flyer will be located at the Campus Activities front desk in the LBJ Student

Center, Lampasas Building, Math and Science Building, Psychology Building, Physics Building and some residence halls. Colloquium Bookstores has also offered to donate a portion of its collection for Books for Africa to SVC. The Star recognizes SVC’s dedication to public service and encourages all Texas State students to make a difference this holiday season by contributing their unsold textbooks to the drive. ONLINE: www.booksforafrica.org

News Contact — Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu

Art appreciation

Calendar of

EVENTS Clubs & Meetings

5:30 p.m. For more information, call the Counseling Center.

Wednesday

Saturday

The American Marketing Association will be having a social at 5:30 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1. Free food and drinks will be provided. Dress is business casual.

Ballet Folklorico Juvenil de Veracruz, a folklorico group out of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, will dance at 7:30 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door. Contact Christina Banda at (512) 357-6341 for more information.

Thursday The Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity will host the Comedy Clapoff at 9 p.m. at Gordo’s. Sigma Tau Gamma will knock one dollar off the $5 entrance fee for those who bring a children’s book to donate to books for kids. For more information, call or email Scott Stoker at (281)7998486 or ss1381@txstate.edu.

Lupus Foundation of America will have a Grand Opening event for the Lupus Foundation of America in the Austin area from 6 to 9 p.m. at Ringers Sports Lounge. For more information, e-mail jt1179@txstate. edu. Monday Sexual Assault & Abuse Survivors Group will take place from 5 to 6:15 p.m. For information, call the Counseling Center.

Events Tuesday War Support Group: Helping Students Cope will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 5-1.10. “Attaining Contentment” An Educational Series takes place from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-6.1. Wednesday ACOA/Dysfunctional Families Group will take place from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. For more information, call the Counseling Center at (512) 245-2208. Thursday Facing the Fear: An Anxiety Group will take place from 4 to

Tuesday Dr. Mala Pandurang, head of the English department at Dr. BMN College (Mumbai, India) will present “Of Almond Rocos and Budweiser: The motif of the American Dream, in narratives of the Indian Diaspora” at 1 p.m. in the Alkek Library Teaching Theater. For more information, contact Steve Wilson at (512) 245-7680 or sw13@txstate.edu. War Support Group: Helping Students Cope will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 5-1.10. “Attaining Contentment” An Educational Series takes place from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. in the

LBJSC, Room 3-6.1.

Miscellaneous Wednesday Association Member Benefits will hold interviews for a district management trainee. For more information, contact Career Services at (512) 245-2645. Thursday Association Member Benefits Adviser will hold interviews for a district management trainee. For more information, contact Career Services. Monday The Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center will have sexual assault and abuse services for women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Groups are free and confidential. For more information, contact Laura Dupont at (512) 396-3404, ext. 244, or Kristen Pearson at ext. 242 beforehand.

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.

Spencer Millsap/Star photo Jorge Balarezo, communication design sophomore, gazes at works of art at the Senior Thesis Exhibit in the Mitte Complex on Tuesday afternoon. The exhibit runs through Dec. 9.

CRIME BL TTER University Police Department

County Law Enforcement Center to await magistration.

Nov. 22, 1:29 a.m. Public Intoxication/Academy Street A police ofﬁcer made contact with a nonstudent who appeared intoxicated. Upon further investigation, the nonstudent was arrested for public intoxication and transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center to await magistration.

Nov. 27, 12:46 a.m. Possession of marijuana: less than two ounces/Bobcat Village Apartments A police ofﬁcer was dispatched to Bobcat Village for a suspicious odor complaint. Upon further investigation, a nonstudent was arrested for possession of marijuana and transported to Hays County Law Enforcement Center to await magistration.

Nov. 25, 9:36 p.m. Criminal Trespass/Sewell Park A police ofﬁcer made contact with a nonstudent trick-biking at Sewell Park. The nonstudent was arrested for criminal trespass and transported to Hays

San Marcos Police Department Nov. 28, 7:45 a.m. Driving while License Sus-

pended/1701 River Road Ofﬁcer initiated trafﬁc stop for speeding and driver was found to have a suspended driver’s license. Nov. 28, 8:13 a.m. Violation of Protective Order/1530 Belvin St. Violation of a protective order; warrant arrest. Subject was arrested for violating a protective order and was also found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Nov. 28, 11:33 a.m. Fraud/2300 S. Interstate 35 Complainant received a check and letter in the mail claiming that he had won a lottery. Complainant believes it to be fraudulent.

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

STUDENT HEAL TH CENTER

Need a prescription? To transfer a prescription from your family doctor or pharmacy call (512)245-3590.

Campus Happenings Marmon Mok to design SRC renovation, future projects The Texas State University System Board of Regents has named architects to design several new construction projects at Texas State. On Friday, the regents authorized the university to employ Marmon Mok architects of San Antonio to design the Student Recreation Center addition and renovation. The project carries a total estimated cost of $22 million, which will be paid for by an increase in the Student Recreation Fee from $47 to $94 per long term and from $23.50 to $47 per summer session, effective in the Fall 2008 semester. The project was approved in

a student referendum in April 2005 and involves the construction of a two-level, 89,000 square-foot expansion of the existing SRC. The expansion will house a natatorium, a rock climbing facility, a multipurpose exercise and weight room, four playing courts and ofﬁce and auxiliary space. The renovation of the existing center will create an additional 20,000 square feet as well. The regents also hired Carl Walker Parking Consultants of Frisco to do a feasibility study for and design the Matthews Street and Speck Street parking garages, at an estimated total project cost of $24.4 million. The new parking garages are part of the university’s recently

City Beat “At the Student Health Center I get super fast prescription service and there is virtually no wait.”

We carry a wide range of products including birth control, allergy, and over-the-counter medications. Be prepared to provide the following information from your prescription label: • Your name, address and phone number • The name and phone number of your previous pharmacy • The prescription number • The name of the medication We accept Cash, Checks, American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Bobcat Bucks.

Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Car e, Inc

Notices to be given to residents, businesses with vegetation blocking right-of-way Trees and bushes on private property that block visibility at intersections or obstruct sidewalks will come under additional scrutiny of the City of San Marcos beginning Thursday. The Public Works Department will begin enforcing local rules that require homeowners and businesses to cut back trees and bushes that intrude into the public right-of-way. City crews will start handing out inspection notices on Thursday at homes and businesses where problems exist so that the property owners can remove or cut back overhanging limbs and bushes, said Richard Mendoza, director of Public Works.

Property owners will have 10 days to take care of the problem or be subject to a misdemeanor citation with a fine of up to $2,000. “Vegetation that blocks visibility on streets can be a serious traffic hazard,” said Mendoza. “Keeping the rights-of-way clear also takes a lot of staff hours on the part of our crews that could be better used for street maintenance and other projects.” Several city ordinances require private property owners to keep sidewalks clear and owners of corner lots to make sure their trees and bushes don’t block the view of traffic. For more information, contact Public Works at (512) 393-8036. — Courtesy of the City of San Marcos

adopted Campus Master Plan. They will provide an additional 1,715 parking places for the campus. The regents hired TBG Partners of Austin to design Tomás Rivera and Student Center drives and the Buckner Loop realignment project. That project was also deﬁned in the Campus Master Plan and will address increasing trafﬁc in that portion of campus. The estimated cost of the project is $3.1 million. Huitt-Zollars of Austin was hired to design the Jowers Center renovation that carries an estimated price tag of $1.5 million. — Courtesy of Media Relations

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES On Tuesday’s sports page, the article “Bobcats still ﬁghting after miracle comeback” mistakenly identiﬁed Texas State senior running back Douglas Sherman and Sherman Douglas. Also, the cutline accompanying the photo of Sherman implied that it depicted Sherman’s touchdown run. The photo actually depicts a 25-yard run by Sherman earlier in the game.

www.UniversityStar.com

NEWS

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

The University Star - Page 3

Controversy arises with new document from the Vatican By Margaret Ramirez and Manya A. Brachear Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — The Vatican issued a long-awaited document Tuesday on the explosive issue of homosexuality in the priesthood, but the document banning men with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” added more heat than light to the controversy. In fact, several scholars said that the text of the document — which largely restates long-standing Roman Catholic teaching on homosexuality — matters less than its timing and prominence. It marks the first major policy statement since Pope Benedict XVI took office in April, and comes at a time when Vatican officials are inspecting U.S. seminaries, while the sexual abuse scandal still reverberates in the church. Almost immediately, there was heated debate and stark disagreement about the potential impact of the document in Catholic seminaries, to which the “instruction” from the Congregation for Catholic Education is addressed. In addition to barring those with “deep-seated homosexual tendencies,” the document says ordination to the priesthood should not be allowed for those who have had homosexual encounters during the prior three years,

or those who support the “gay culture.” Cardinal Francis George said the document was “entirely consistent with the present policies of the Chicago Archdiocesan seminaries, which have been in place for more than ten years. The criteria of the instruction are also entirely consistent with the teaching of the church for the past two thousand years.” “To portray the Instruction as ‘gay bashing’ or ‘gay banning’ is to misrepresent it,” he said in a statement to the media. Yet some gay priests worried Tuesday that the document would have exactly that effect. The Rev. Michael Herman, a gay priest who serves as pastor of St. Sylvester Church in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, recently joined with other priests to form a new group called Catholics Afﬁrming Homosexual Leadership. “People who have a sense of bigotry or have sense of hatred toward people who are gay, these documents give people a chance to get on their soapbox,” Herman said. “My desire to speak out is to say, ‘Wait a second. Is this a fair thing to say? Is it fair to isolate one group of candidates when these issues of maturity and integration are true of

all candidates?’” Conservative church leaders applauded the directive as a necessary clariﬁcation and defense of doctrine. The Rev. Joseph Fessio, editor of Ignatius Press, which publishes several of Pope Benedict’s books, said the document was signiﬁcant in restating policy that has been largely ignored. That indifference, he said, has helped create gay subcultures in seminaries. “This is an important teaching which is rooted in the Church’s high view of marriage and sexuality, but which has been disregarded and resisted and opposed,” said Fessio. “There are people who oppose this document who claim that homosexual orientation and tendency is actually a gift from God. It would be uncharitable for us to withhold the truth of the church from those people.” Though the document does not address men already ordained priests, some observers expressed concern that the directive would lower morale and prompt gay priests to leave the church, adding to the already dire priest shortage in the United States. “I think it will have a profound impact. As much as they say the document doesn’t say anything new, it creates a tone, an atmosphere, one that’s unwelcoming to the homosexual commu-

nity,” said Chester Gillis, professor and chairman of the theology department at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. “When you get that message from the institution where you work, it can’t help but have some sort of psychological impact,” he said. The Rev. Gus Belauskas, vice rector of University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill., said he does not know yet how the instruction will change policies at the nation’s largest seminary. Though the document does not deﬁne “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” — or “deeply rooted,” as some translations render the Italian — Belauskas said that if homosexuality is a primary aspect of one’s personality, that would interfere with one’s ministry to all people. For men with such tendencies, Belauskas said celibacy could also be a greater challenge than it would be for heterosexual seminarians and priests. “The seminary is an all-male environment. It could be an issue for people and something they have to look at,” he said. The Rev. Donald Senior, president of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, said there are a disproportionate number of gay candidates for the priesthood, which has raised concerns among some

church leaders. Senior said Tuesday’s document responds to that concern. He commended it for distinguishing between homosexual practice and tendencies. A man whose homosexuality is central to his identity would not be a prime candidate for the priesthood, he said, an approach that also applies to heterosexual candidates. Any heterosexual man who places signiﬁcance on his sexual exploits is also not ready for the priesthood, he said, adding that “radical tendencies” show up in men regardless of their sexual orientation. He said he doubted it would change how most seminary spiritual directors do their job. “Any spiritual director is going to try to help the candidate face in an honest and open way what are the demands of this way of life,” Senior said. “I think it is a responsibility of a spiritual director to counsel the person ‘You’ve got to look at this realistically.’ I would think most would want to have respect or compassion for candidates trying to ﬁgure out what to do with their life.” But Herman fears the document will create an unhealthy environment in which seminarians no longer feel they can be candid about their sexuality with those spiritual directors.

Gulf residents suffer health problems in Katrina aftermath By Seth Borenstein and Chris Adams Knight Ridder Newspapers BILOXI, Miss. — Three months after Hurricane Katrina raked the Gulf Coast, a major health crisis is emerging as residents struggle with the fouled air, moldy houses and the numbing stress the killer storm left behind. Across Mississippi and Louisiana, people are afflicted with coughs, infections, rashes and broken limbs, and they are jittery, tired, depressed and prone to bizarre outbursts, health professionals said. Burning storm debris, increased diesel exhaust, runaway mold and fumes from glue and plywood in new trailers are irritating people’s lungs and nasal passages. And stress is fracturing the psyches of countless storm victims. When Katrina bore down on Mississippi and Louisiana, health officials worried about a toxic gumbo of industrial chemicals that might flood the area and about the spread of infectious diseases. Instead, a more subtle health problem developed, said Dr. Howard Frumkin, director of the National Center for Environmental Health, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Frumkin listed several irritants and carcinogens emitted from burning Katrina’s flotsam and from traffic emissions, including acrolein and formaldehyde. Those two chemicals trigger coughs and bad congestion in the short term and are

linked to cancer after prolonged exposure. Recent measurements from Mississippi air monitors show that spikes in the chemicals are much higher than what federal standards allow. But what hurts the Gulf Coast most — and compounds the effects of everything else — is stress, experts said. “Stress isn’t a strong enough word. I’d call it anguish,” Frumkin said. “The level of grief and anguish there is palpable.” William Gasparrini, a Biloxi clinical psychologist, calls it “Post-Katrina Stress Disorder,” in which residents suffer bouts of grief, shock, rapid mood shifts, confusion, anger, marital discord, guilt, escape fantasies and substance abuse. “The effects are lasting longer than I suspected,” Gasparrini said. Making matters worse is that the devastation is so widespread that people can’t escape it. “Because of the prolonged nature of this disaster, it’s impossible to guess what rate of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) we will see. It may be much higher than we would normally expect,” said Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. After other disasters, between 7 percent and 12 percent of the people directly affected eventually suffered PTSD symptoms, he said. Because Katrina victims number in the hundreds of thousands — all the people who lost homes, lost relatives or were forced into temporary shelters — the mental toll could

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to irritating people and triggering asthma and allergy attacks, it can cause infections and can be toxic and cause cancer, said Sam Arbes, a scientist who specializes in mold issues at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina. “It doesn’t get any worse” than the mold levels Arbes said he saw in New Orleans. Testing there by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, found mold levels in New Orleans nearly 13 times higher than what’s considered very high levels by allergists.

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be huge, he said. While the stress is overwhelming, the part of the body that shows the most symptoms is the respiratory system, said directors of local medical centers and makeshift clinics. In just nine days, from Nov. 9 to Nov. 17, the New Waveland Clinic saw 473 patients —121 of them were for respiratory problems. The second most common symptom was skin problems with 68 patients. Nearly every structure touched by the ﬂoodwaters has mold growing. Mold is serious. In addition

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Travis Heying/Wichita Eagle Two workers cleaning out a mold-infested home in New Orleans wear different types of respiratory protection masks while working Nov. 18. Some health ofﬁcals in the area said that an increase in respiratory problems in the area could be traced to people breathing mold from ﬂooded homes. Others say it’s just a sign of the season.

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Presented by

NEWS

Page 4 - The University Star

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

WRECK: Second motorcycle accident fatality in two weeks CONTINUED from page 1

be most missed. “He was always ready to make people laugh and make them feel comfortable,” Ortiz said. “I never saw him upset or mad.” Ortiz worked with Burris at Best Buy. He heard of his friend’s passing after another co-worker called, prompting him to go to Best Buy where he was told of Burris’ accident. Ortiz said several of Burris’ friends from Best Buy gathered at an apartment to comfort each other.

Ortiz said. “Tommy was part of that too.” The meeting of friends was a way for those close to Burris to discuss their grief, Ortiz said. “We talked about memories,” Ortiz said. “We were sad, but we were laughing at the same time about how he made us laugh. That’s the way he would — Peter Ortiz have wanted it.” Burris’ friend and coworker Burris’ death falls on the heels of another Texas State motorcycle fatality. Physics Chair James “That’s probably one of the R. Crawford passed away after best things about being part of being thrown from his motorthe Best Buy family. We’re all cycle in New Braunfels on Nov. there to help each other cope,” 13.

e was “H always ready to make

people laugh and make them feel comfortable.”

STREET: City receives a perfect score CONTINUED from page 1

ager. “No two cities are alike, so you need to preserve what makes you unique to help future generations see where we’ve come from.” The designation begins with a lengthy application process in which the city must meet the 10 speciﬁed criteria that include areas such as a broad base of public and private sector support for downtown revitalization, an adequate operating budget, active historic preservation in the community and an ongoing training program for staff and volunteers. Texas began as one of the six

pilot states for the Main Street program in 1981 and, “…continues to be highly regarded for their achievements,” Franks said. Today, out of 82 Main Street cities in Texas, 50 were selected for the national designation, San Marcos being one of them. “We received a perfect score,” Harvey-Mosley said. San Marcos has been a member of Main Street since 1986 and has received the award every year since then. “It shows the progress we’ve made and the high standards this community has for their history,” Harvey-Mosley said. Stephanie Adkins, Spanish and mass communication se-

nior, said she is proud to live in a city that respects history. “The Square just has a certain nostalgic feeling to it. Plus, it brings recognition to the city and the university,” Adkins said. Franks said the city has seen $42 million in downtown revitalization since the program began, $35 million of which came from the private sector alone, making San Marcos an appealing option for investors. “It shows potential investors that the community will come out and support what they’re doing,” Franks said. “One of our greatest assets is our community support.”

GRADS: Some students skeptical of site CONTINUED from page 1

Gradpower Community by accessing the “Community” portion of their site. The Web site states that both provide links to “the resources (graduates) will need to prepare for and launch their new careers.” To utilize Gradpower’s services, users must buy packages ranging from three months to one year of service from $50 to $150. The packages are split into three levels: silver, gold

and platinum. The higher-level packages offer more in-depth services such as personality and student activity profiles. The Web site sells its packages in the form of gift cards for family and friends to give to graduates. Tyler Hail, criminal justice junior, has two semesters of school to finish before searching for a job as a game warden. “I think it’s a lot of stress trying to find a job unless you have connections,” Hail said. Even though he said he

knows finding a job will be difficult, he probably wouldn’t use a Web site such as Gradpower. com because he thinks it would be a hassle. Undeclared sophomore Ray Ramos has used an Austinbased job location Web site before but can’t recall its name. He filled out a questionnaire before realizing there was a fee for the service. “I don’t think I’d go through that again because it was a long process,” Ramos said.

BE TRUE TO YOUR

SCHOOL

Katie Green/Star ﬁle photo San Marcos rescue team members searched the falls by Joe’s Crab Shack on April 21 for Jason Lee Bonnin, a student who was pulled under the building by the current. Bonnin’s family recently ﬁled a wrongful death suit against the university and the company that owns Joe’s.

LAWSUIT: University retains legal representation for case CONTINUED from page 1

dangerous waterway. According to the lawsuit, Landry’s knew of the “long tradition” of jumping off the balcony and allegedly failed to take precautions in order to discourage the activity, but rather “encouraged the same among its employees.” In accordance with court documents, the tradition, which has lasted four years at that location, was even engaged in by the restaurant’s manager. Calls made to Landry’s Restaurants’ corporate ofﬁce were not returned in regard to this case. University attorney Bill Fly has said the university has contacted the Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s ofﬁce and has

ccording to the lawsuit, Landry’s A knew of the “long tradition” of jumping off the balcony and allegedly failed to take precautions in order to discourage the activity, but rather “encouraged the same among its employees.”

requested representation. An assistant attorney general, Nichelle Cobb, has been assigned to represent the university in its defense regarding this case. “The case is in its early stages, and at this point, the university is attempting to respond to various discovery documents that the plaintiff has submitted,” Fly said. Fly said the university is re-

quired to answer these documents under the Rules of Civil Procedure. “We have not yet ﬁled an answer to the lawsuit, but we plan to do so within the next two weeks,” Fly said. “The university deeply regrets that the incident occurred but does not feel that it caused or contributed to Mr. Bonnin’s death,” Fly said.

www.UniversityStar.com If you’ve signed up for the “Be True To Your School” Rebate Program, here’s what you have to do now: all rebate claims must be turned in to the bookstore by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 15 in order to receive the Fall 2005 rebate. Rebates will NOT be rolled over to the spring semester. The spring rebate period includes the total of your purchases made between January 1 and May 1.All Spring 2006 claims must be received by University Bookstore by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 11.

Part of Texas State University-San Marcos, a member of the Texas State University System.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

STATISTICS: Half of Texas State students wouldn’t use protection CONTINUED from page 1

As health education coordinator, Michael Wilkerson created assistants covered sex issues in a Healthy Relationships Week at fun yet educational manner. Texas State to promote conversaSalazar has been in a relation- tion on campus about sexuality, ship since she was 17 and said relationships and sexual health. she is tested annually for sexually He also helped bring the NAMES transmitted infections. Although Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to she said she will not use the Ora- campus. Quick rapid HIV test, she was He said the purpose of the sursurprised by the numbers of tests vey was to “understand students” administered so far. opinions about condoms and to “If you are anxious and need identify potential avenues for into know or if you were raped, the creased access.” quicker the better. But to me, beThe survey was conducted cause I know I with 392 Texas am careful, it State students. doesn’t matter. It showed more For students than 50 percent whose lifestyles of polled stuare different, it dents would not may be good use a condom to get results because they in 30 minutes,” were using anshe said. other form of At the meetbirth control. ing, the group “It is imporof young womtant to reinforce en covered isthe message that sues like birth condoms should control, proper be used even if condom use a female partand HIV testner is on birth ing. control, since “It was inare — Michael Wilkerson condoms teresting, very Texas State health the best method helpful and to reduce STI education coordinator very fun. They transmission,” gave us conhe said. doms and taught us ways to be Although statistical data of protected. We also learned about students using condoms varhow the Student Health Center is ies, one thing is common: The there to help us,” Salazar said. numbers are not as high as they Salazar also mentioned how should be, he said. Wilkerson the girls were taught how to said the major finding was that properly apply condoms by prac- students do need information of ticing on bananas. how to talk to their partners and However, an article in the about activities dealing with sex April 2004 issue of the Journal like condom use. of American College Health states Wilkerson said the “more con“condom use has been identified servative” nature of the Texas as the primary method of STD State body, including students and HIV prevention for sexually and administrations, changes active individuals, yet less than how HIV/AIDS education is forhalf of college students report matted and presented. using condoms consistently.” “A lot of things other campusA similar study conducted by es do would not be accepted at the American College Health Texas State. Texas State is a conAssociation’s 2005 National Col- servative campus surrounded lege Assessment found that more by a conservative city and state. than 20 percent of Texas State This is what we have to consider students had unprotected sex in programming, which is why while under the influence of al- we let students steer it,” Wilkercohol. son said. The Health Education ReWilkerson mentioned national source Center conducted its own college campaigns in AIDS/HIV survey on condom use during education. He mentioned anothHealthy Relationships Week last er sex education campaign using spring and found similar results bananas, among others, at Pennon inconsistent condom use. sylvania State University.

“I

t is important to reinforce the message that condoms should be used even if a female partner is on birth control, since condoms are the best method to reduce STI transmission.”

NEWS

The University Star - Page 5

TEST: HIV testing not widely used by students CONTINUED from page 1

Texas State Student Health Center, believes it is promising that there has been an increase in HIV testing on campus. “Hopefully, students will continue to trust our staff and see the SHC as a place where they can get accurate sexual health information from a caring staff,” Wilkerson said. Wilkerson said OraQuick’s return of test results in 30 minutes may be what’s encouraging HIV testing. From October, information provided by the SHC shows the number of administered OraQuick tests is almost half of last year’s total of 52. Last year’s total, from September 2004 to August 2005, was achieved using only the two-day test. “Unfortunately, I don’t know how (the numbers) relate to the student body. I don’t think we can make any assumptions there,” Wilkerson said. However, Wilkerson also said that the assumption couldn’t be made that all tests were administered to students. This number cannot be used to describe the entire student population, he said. “These numbers give us a snapshot but not the full picture. Some of those at high risk are not coming to us,” he said. According to the Texas Department of Health, more than 4,000 individuals within Region 7 are living with HIV/AIDS. Region 7 encompasses Bell, Brazos, Travis, Hays and other surrounding counties. Moreover, according to a brochure by the Texas State Health Education Resource Center, there are currently 79 individuals in Hays County living with HIV or AIDS. Because of HIV’s span, Elsa Thorn, SHC assistant director for health information and quality management, said it is important that students get educated and tested. She said it is also imperative that students know how to protect themselves. “Providers of the SHC are familiar with college health issues and will provide accurate and appropriate health information tailored to the college student’s lifestyle,” Thorn said in an email. Thorn said the health center has been accredited by the

Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. “Only 10 percent of health centers in the nation are accredited. This is a voluntary process so that the health center can demonstrate to the public and to students that we are a quality health care organization, and they can trust us,” Thorn

The OraQuick test displays results in 30 minutes, much more quickly than traditional blood tests. said. What’s more is that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, studies by OraQuick’s manufacturer, OraSure Technologies, show the test is accurate more than 99 percent of the time. On the subject of HIV incidence in young adults, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that one American under the age of 22 is infected every hour. Sociology junior Sabrina Jennings was stunned by this number. “It’s like you always hear the numbers, and they seem so far off, but in a good sized class, that’s at least two people. It’s outrageous,” she said. Jennings is the founder and president of Activists for Sexual Minorities at Texas State University. She and her partner have been “married” for more than two years. Although she has never been tested for HIV, she said it’s important for all students to take individual precautions to stay healthy. Miguel Espinoza, a 22-yearold ﬁnance senior, has not been tested at the Texas State Student Health Center but said he would consider it. He said testing is important for his health and his girlfriend’s health. He acknowledges that although he has been tested, some people will choose not to know the truth. “People probably just don’t want to know the answer, because they are afraid of what

they might ﬁnd out. If you don’t know, you don’t have anything,” he said. Dr. Charles A. Christopher, staff physician at the SHC, agreed with Espinoza. “Because of individual choice, some people for individual reasons may choose not to know (whether or not they have HIV). This is not just in this student population; this is everywhere,” he said. Christopher, who has been a SHC physician for over seven years, is the surgeon general of his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. As the surgeon general, Christopher a rranges health fairs at the annual national meetings and writes health articles. He said HIV testing is important but is sometimes more difﬁcult with minority populations. “There are health disparities among African-Americans and minorities. HIV testing is sometimes not as readily available,” he said. According to records obtained through an open records request through the HIV/STD Epidemiology and Surveillance Department of the Texas Department of State Health Services, HIV/AIDS cases in Hays County were too low for further demographic breakdown by age and race or ethnicity from 2000 to 2004. However, the annual HIV/ STD Surveillance Report by the same department shows a breakdown for the entire state of Texas. According to the report, in 2004, the breakdown of HIV cases in Texas by race and ethnicity shows that 35 percent of all HIV cases were among the white community. HIV cases among African-Americans were 41 percent of the total 2004 cases, while Hispanics were 23 percent. Parker Elliott, a 20-year-old exercise and sports science sophomore, viewed the NAMES Project AIDS Quilt in the LBJ Student Center Ballroom in September. “Many think it is a gay disease ... and it is not just a gay

disease. (The quilt) shows those who are affected by probably one of the worst epidemics out there. The worst thing is, you can have it for years and not know it,” Elliott said after viewing the quilt. Elliott said ideas like this are unfair. “I have people, even friends that ask me if I have AIDS or if I know anybody that does. I feel that it’s just because they know I am gay, which then makes them automatically assume that I sleep around a lot,” Elliott said. Studies published in the Journal of Psychology in 1996 and in the Journal of American College Health in 1997 showed that students continued to associate AIDS and HIV primarily with homosexuals. A few students at Texas State mentioned this. Still, other students like Miguel Espinoza said times are changing. Espinoza said the face of HIV has evolved to include all kinds of people. “I know you’re supposed to think of gay people or drug addicts, but not me,” he said. The Texas State Student Health Center now administers two HIV tests. The 30-minute OraQuick test is $35. The twoday HIV Antibody Test costs $20 and is anonymous. For the two-day test, client samples are sent out to a lab to be processed and then are returned to the SHC once results are obtained. These results are then shared with the client in a follow-up appointment. All registered students should understand that general medical service fees for the Student Health Center are included in tuition. The Network and the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center will host “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise” on Thursday, World AIDS Day, in The Quad. Volunteers will hand out red ribbons, safer sex kits, educational materials and games. They will also provide information about AIDS testing and counseling.

PHONE: Alcohol and Drug Resource Center (512) 245-3601. Texas State Student Health Center (512) 245-2167.

Page 6 - The University Star

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Textbook Buyback LBJ Student Center Monday,Dec. 5, 2005 – Tuesday Dec. 13, 2005 Monday – Thursday, 7:45 am to 6:00 pm Friday, 7:45 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Lantana Hall and Strahan Coliseum Parking Lot Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 – Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005 9:00 am – 4:30 pm (closed Saturday and Sunday) 3 Locations to serve you better Picture ID required Register to win Mountain Bikes and other Prizes Turn Your Textbooks Into Cash!

What you need to know about selling your books Retail We will pay up to 50% of the book price providing the textbook: • Is being used on this campus. • Is needed to ﬁll the bookstore’s quota. • Is in resalable condition. Wholesale For books not needed but having national demand, up to 35% of the new price may be paid. • These books are shipped to other colleges and universities where they are needed. • Old editions have no national value.

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

Example: You paid $46 for a textbook... We will pay $23 or 50%.

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

trendythoughts

What are your plans for the winter break?

“I need to get ready for the GRE test and slaving at the outlet mall.”

“I’m doing nothing. I plan on relaxing and sitting around.”

“I’m going to Hawaii.”

— Colin Rice, political science senior

— Jonna Kennie English junior

— Jameson Appel communication studies junior

Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - Page 7

Compiled by Kyle Bradshaw

Trends Contact — Christina Gomez, starentertainment@txstate.edu

Phoenix, Witherspoon

WALK THE LINE

in worthy Cash biopic

film review

✯✯✯✯

By Deanna Ledezma Entertainment Writer

When making a movie about the life of a musician, filmmakers have a tendency to follow an accurate yet predictable formula. According to most biopics, a musician’s rocky rise to stardom begins with a troubled childhood and ends in tragedy or triumph. While James Mangold’s film about Johnny Cash follows the standard format, Walk the Line separates itself from other films of the same genre by focusing on the romance between Johnny Cash and June Carter, a love story any country song or screenplay could only hope to invent. Well-cast with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as the legendary couple, Walk the Line (written by Mangold and Gill Dennis) follows the tried and true pattern of its biographical genre: beginning Cash’s story as a poor sharecropper’s son in Arkansas and ending with his success as an iconic musician, not without first battling his drug addiction and personal demons. Walk the Line explores Cash’s humble beginnings in the South during the Great Depression and, briefly, his musical influences. As a child, Cash listened to the Carter Family sing on the radio and memorized his mother’s book of hymns, a glimpse of what music might have influenced Cash’s distinctive sound. The accidental childhood death of his older brother Jack (Lucas Till) haunts Cash Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox well into his adult years. Cash’s callous Q4-TXUniversityStar-BWAd 10/14/05 8:14 PM Page 1 Joaquin Phoenix did his own vocal parts in his portrayal of music and alcoholic father, Ray (Robert Patlegend Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. rick), only further intensifies his sense of Walk the Line Dir.: James Mangold Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon Rated: PG-13

guilt. After leaving home and joining the Air Force, Cash watches a film that will inspire him to write “Folsom Prison Blues,” which he famously performs within the walls of the California prison of its namesake. Although Cash himself never spent hard time in prison, his murder ballads sparked letters addressed from his “fellow” convicts sympathizing with his troubles (as well as letters from scantily-clad teenage girls eagerly awaiting his “release” from jail). Auditioning at Sun Records, Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Duo perform an uninspired gospel tune for Sam Phillips (Dallas Roberts), who asks Cash to instead play with authenticity and conviction instead of copying the musical styles of the time. As Cash chooses an early version of “Folsom,” the song’s haunting wordplay echoes in his bottomless baritone, and we watch the legend slowly find his steady, freight-train rhythm. While touring with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison (likenesses of whom appear in the film), Cash becomes entangled with June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) backstage as her dress gets caught in his guitar strings seconds before she is called onto the stage. June turns the accident into a comedy routine, charming the audience with her sass and well-honed wit. Born into country music royalty, June sees herself as the least gifted member of the Carter Family (her sister “is the one with the pipes,” she says). To compensate for her weakness, June pairs her lively personality with a comedic act. From his childhood in Arkansas to his service in the Air Force, Cash followed June’s career through radio broadcasts and magazine glossies. Despite his marriage to Vivian, his infatuation with June is immediate as the sexual tension

builds both onstage and off, while June and Johnny sing duets of “Jackson” and “Time’s A-Wastin.’” The film’s greatest strength is without a doubt the intense chemistry between Phoenix and Witherspoon and the realism of their romance. Cash saw spiritual salvation in June; in him, June saw a person worth saving. Witherspoon captures June not only as the charming comedian she played onstage but also as a woman perpetually heartbroken; first, by her two former husbands and later, as she watches Cash overcome his addiction to prescription medication and liquor. Encapsulating the allure of their relationship in all its forms, Carter wrote “Ring of Fire.” While Phoenix isn’t the doppelganger of the Man in Black, he does successfully duplicate Cash’s guitar-swinging audacity and cavernously deep voice. Unlike last year’s Ray, featuring a lipsyncing Jamie Foxx, Phoenix and Witherspoon bravely went beyond imitation and created new versions of songs that are surprisingly quite enjoyable. As for Cash fans that prefer to hear the original recordings of Cash and Carter, they’ll have to wait until the final credits roll. Admittedly, Walk the Line follows the same hard times-success-addiction-stardom pattern of other musical biopics, and as a result, shares some of the same clichés. But while some biographies attempt to tell a coherent life story over the span of two hours, Walk the Line doesn’t attempt such a feat. Instead, Mongold’s film focuses on one of the greatest romances in music history. Johnny Cash and June Carter’s lifelong romance takes a decade to blossom, but their prolonged courtship and the 40 years they spent together as husband and wife makes Walk the Line not only worth making but also worth watching.

Visit us in the LBJ Student Center on the 1st Floor

TRENDS

Page 8 - The University Star

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Comedy freezes over in The Ice Harvest film review

✯✯✯

The Ice Harvest Dir.: Harold Ramis Stars: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton Rated: R

By Kyle Bradshaw Assistant Entertainment Editor

Director Harold Ramis is known mostly for his light comedies like Caddyshack and Groundhog Day, while many forget his underlying dark side seen in Analyze This and its sequel Analyze That. In The Ice Harvest, a wickedly funny dark comedy, his version of a Christmas Day celebration involves strippers, mobsters and drunken gun play. As Wichita slowly freezes over on a rainy Christmas Eve, mob lawyer Charlie Arglist (John Cusack), along with his partner in crime Vic (Billy Bob Thornton), decides to steal $2 million from Kansas’ most dangerous mob boss Bill Guerrard (Randy Quaid). Vic is a slimy strip club owner who probably should never be trusted with anything of value, and Charlie often tries to do the right thing but never does. Charlie has an ex-wife, who is now married to his best friend Pete (a very funny Oliver Platt), and two children, one who hates his guts, the other, well, if she knew the line of work he was in, she would hate him too. He buys them Christmas presents at a gas station, while slightly drunk and swearing at the cashier. In Charlie and Vic’s efforts to skip town with the loot, things get a little hairy when Bill ﬁnds out and sends his hoodlums out to ﬁnd

Photo courtesy of Focus Features In The Ice Harvest, Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack play two Kansas men who steal $2 million on Christmas Eve.

them and start removing limbs. Meanwhile, Charlie complicates the situation even more by falling in love with Renata (Connie Nielsen), a strip club manager with whom he promises to split the money after going on the lam. As in any good mobster movie, people die, ﬁngers are cut off,

and no one is ever exactly what they seem to be. But in this case, it’s all in good fun (well, as fun as those things can be). Ramis’ gloomy humor is never offensive or over the top, managing to hit all the right notes with what seems to be the least bit of effort. With his droopy eyes and whimpering voice, Cu-

sack gives the grossly unlikable Charlie a much-needed dose of charm. And Thornton’s Vic is every bit as seedy as he needs to be, while also providing many subtle but twisted punch lines. Richard Russo and Robert Benton’s script, which is based on the novel by Scott Phillips, is roguishly smart, faltering only

slightly in the middle when its pace slows too much for its deft humor. The Ice Harvest is a sinister yuletide comedy ﬁt for Scrooges and Grinches but still clever enough for secretly devious neighborhood carolers. Christmas has never been so mischievously fun.

Just Friends provides a little romance, huge laughs By Maira Garcia Entertainment Writer

film review

✯✯✯✯

The “friend zone” can be a torturous place for anyone who is single, especially during high school when your hormones are at their raging peak. Just Friends stars Ryan Reynolds as Chris Brander, an overweight, sensitive teenager is was constantly picked on in high school. Jamie Palomino, played by Amy Smart, is Chris’ ultra-popular, cheerleader best friend, for whom he has been secretly hiding his feelings since they were in junior high. On the night of graduation at Jamie’s party, Chris ﬁnally works up the courage to tell Jamie that he wants to be more than friends. However, after a horrifying and embarrassing moment, Jamie tells Chris that she loves him — like a brother. Ten years later, Chris has altogether disappeared from his hometown in New Jersey and

Just Friends Dir.: Roger Kumble Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart Rated: PG-13

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures Rene Russo and Dennis Quaid play newlyweds trying to keep control of their 18 children in Yours, Mine and Ours.

Yours, Mine and Ours looks way too familiar to viewers film review

✯

Yours, Mine and Ours Dir.: Raja Gosnell Stars: Dennis Quaid, Rene Russo Rated: PG

By John Overton Entertainment

Writer

In the trend of remaking old things because originality is dead, director Raja Gosnellbrings to us Yours, Mine and Ours. Dennis Quaid plays a Coast Guard admiral with eight children. Rene Russo plays a widowed fashion designer with 10 kids. Years ago, they were prom king and queen. When two families of such size exist and have such close ties, by the rules of comedy, they must be wed. These rules also state that one family must be proper, orderly and obedient (Quaid’s), while the other must be free-spirited, messy and silly. Most of her brood is adopted and of such a diverse background, you expect them to join hands and sing “We are the World.” Also running around this crazy household is an indeterminate number of dogs and cats but with the obvious standoff that must occur between the two groups of kids, who has time to keep track of animals? Two parents are obviously not enough for 18 kids, so the story necessitates the existence of a sassy nanny. With all such players in place, there is only room for one

TOP 10

more element, blatant stealing of other movies’ jokes. After the eventual stepsibling brawls (cheerleader v. band geek, preppy boy v. slacker boy), they will join in the holiest of unions to break up the main holy union. Dennis Quaid’s eventual fall into a pool of green slime and tripping over objects is so predictable that there is no reason to even approach the theater. The children’s plans to break the happy couple apart will in fact backﬁre. Be sure to catch the part that is obviously stolen from Home Alone. During a food ﬁght, your mind might begin to wonder, “Why are these people married? How does a widowed woman support 10 kids? How many dogs DO they own? Why are the Asian and black kids so stereotypical? What did I have for lunch? Oh that’s right, I had a ham sandwich.” The genre of obnoxiously large families is entirely devoid of comedy. Yours, Mine and Ours gives more screen time to the family’s pet pig than the main cast, which gives you good idea of where this movie is resting its laurels. It’s not worth your time; this is a movie to promptly ig-

is living the jet-set lifestyle as a music executive for a record company. He is no longer overweight and has developed into a cool and handsome man with women to spare. Since his fiasco with Jamie, Chris has learned to make every woman a sexual conquest. He follows rules like never doing a daytime date — a surefire way to avoid the “friend zone.” Chris explains to his friend, “The ‘friend zone’ is like the penalty box of dating, only you can never get out. Once a girl decides you’re her ‘friend,’ it’s game over. You’ve become a complete nonsexual entity in her eyes, like her brother or a lamp.” However, Chris’ strategy is tested when he makes an unexpected trip home when the plane taking him to Paris has a malfunction. In tow, he has Samantha James (Anna Farris, Scary Movie), a pop-diva pinup and psychotic ex-girlfriend, whom he is responsible for honing into a musician by his boss. While visiting a bar, Chris spots Jamie, which is where the chaos begins to try to win her heart. Chris has to fight oth-

ers trying to win Jamie’s heart as well, like Dusty Dinkleman (Chris Kline), another high school “friend zone” guy with a vendetta. Just Friends, which is being sported as a romantic comedy, is more like a comedy that just happens to involve romance. Although the film is set in the holiday season, don’t let it fool you; it’s not the focus. The movie is appealing to anyone who has been through high school and the dreaded “friend zone.” What makes it even more appealing to the college and post-college crowd is its ability to relate the experiences portrayed in the movie, right now. As people get older, it seems the stereotypes hold true like jocks becoming drunks, overweight people getting thin and dorks becoming cool. Maturity and seriousness are completely overrated in the onslaught of films being released hoping to make it in the Oscar race. Just Friends is all about having a good laugh, making it not only the best romantic comedy this year but the best comedy overall. It will be difficult to find anyone not laughing throughout this entire movie.

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

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema Ryan Reynolds plays a music executive who falls in love with his friend Jamie, played by Amy Smart, in Just Friends.

at the

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

$54.7 million

$19.2 million

$17.5 million

$12.6 million

$10 million

$9.19 million

$7.61 million

$4.61 million

$4.45 million

$3.74 million

TRENDS

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

✯Star Comics

The University Star - Page 9

Distinctive voices

Strutters support Bobcats during holiday break Well, just as I thought I was apassured us that everything would go proaching my last football persmoothly. Our performance went formance of the year, I was wrong well despite the lack of practice — twice. time, but I managed to slip and fall Since the first playoff game was right on my butt as we were exiting scheduled during Thanksgiving the field thanks to the wet, slippery break and some girls had irreversground, though I don’t think many ible plans (including plane tickets), people saw. That evening, the energy all the girls who were at the game at the game was amazing; the StrutABBY MINICA on Saturday volunteered to go. ters were screaming their heads off Entertainment I have to admit, as I showed up to and running onto the field after we Columnist a rainy morning practice on Saturwon, just like the rest of the fans. day, I was wishing I was back in my Since Texas State is hosting our warm bed, but I knew we needed that practice quarterfinal game this weekend, we had to time because that would be our only chance to schedule some last-minute practices for this go through the dance full-out, with the band whole week (we usually have the week before and with about half of the usual team. Angell, finals off) and postpone our Christmas party our director, gave us all a little gift for taking until next Monday. With the way our football time out of our break to support the football team has been performing, all these changes team, and her husband brought us breakfast and delays are worth it — good luck on Sattacos for after practice! urday guys!! The field was pretty slippery that morning ONLINE: www.txstrutters.com. (as far as high-kicking goes), and things were a little shaky on our run-through, but Angell

Random Acts of Violence

Erin Leeder

��

University Bookstore Open House & Gingerbread Contest

The Open House Tuesday’s solutions:

Our Holiday Open House will be on Thursday, December 1, 2005. You may take advantage of specials and prizes throughout the day during our regular store hours which are currently 7:45am-6:00pm. •Some of the treats in store for you include: •Department specials •Door prizes •Refreshments •Make it yourself Christmas ornament craft event with supply department staff •Texas State authors featured throughout the day in General Books department (schedule TBA) We would like to continue our holiday food and toy drive for local organizations. Last year, we collected enough food for distribution to several groups including Meals on Wheels and San Marcos community center. Toys went to DPS Brown Santa program. This year when you bring in your donation, you will get to spin the prize-wheel for additional discounts that can be used through the end of this semester.

The Contest 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 thru 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) •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.

Located in the LBJ Student Center www.bookstore.txstate.edu

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

Part of Texas State University-San Marcos, a member of the Texas State University System

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

quoteof the day

Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - Page 10

“Otherwise, I have to declare him a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard.”

”

— Former State Department ofﬁcial Larry Wilkerson, after saying Vice President Dick Cheney must have believed Iraq to be a potential spawning ground for new terror attacks prior to the war. (Source: Associated Press)

Opinions Contact — Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

University leaders need lessons in crisis management If the university were being graded on damage control for Texas State’s image this past year, it would have received a C — and that’s being gracious. Between January 2005 and December 2005, the university has faced at least three potentially damaging media relations nightmares: a student who died on Texas State property due, according to court documents, to the university’s negligence; a national headline-making arrest at the same location after a San Marcos resident rescued a drowning victim and was subsequently apprehended for interfering with public duties; and a confrontation between students and law enforcement officers at a university function that ended with at least three students arrested, at least one Tasered and conflicting stories. This story also garnered widespread negative media attention. The university has made great strides in the last few years to become one of the top Texas universities in a competitive market by raising admission standards, offering a plethora of new graduate and doctorate programs and striving to become a Hispanic Serving Institution. However, many of these positive steps pale in comparison to the ultimately negative media attention the university has borne from both local and national media. It would have served the university well to have been proactive in all of these situations. After Jason Lee Bonnin, a Texas State student, drowned in Spring Lake Dam and it was concluded that the area was not safe, the university did not take the proper steps to secure the area. By installing a grate beneath Joe’s Crab Shack to prevent a swimmer from being sucked underneath, a similar incident in July could have been avoided. Bonnin’s father, Sam, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university for negligence. In July, a Houston man nearly drowned in the same location. San Marcos resident David Newman, who rescued the man and whom many called a hero, was promptly arrested for interference with public duties by the University Police Department. Although accounts from bystanders and Newman differ from police accounts as to whether the arrest was warranted, the story created such an outcry locally and nationally that the university dropped the charges against him, though officials refused to apologize. The press conference was several days after the arrest, and by that time, the story had come to the attention of Fark.com and MSNBC. Additionally, the confrontation between law enforcement and students following an after-party at the African American Leadership Conference could have been handled better. It should be noted that Joanne Smith, vice president of Student Affairs, and UPD Chief Ralph Meyer made themselves available to the media to address the issues, but other, higher-ranking officials were nowhere to be found. In the end, it was the students who held a press conference and pushed for an independent investigation. All three were incidents where the university would have benefited by being proactive — launching an independent investigation, securing the dam and addressing the issues in a timely, public manner — instead of stalling on a response. The university deserves recognition and praise for the improvements made to the image and prestige of the school, but that praise is dampened by the lack of organization and timely response to negative events that deserve as much, if not more, attention by the administration. The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State University-San Marcos Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State UniversitySan Marcos.

Do you think U.S. troops or government ofﬁcials have tortured prisoners in Iraq or other countries? 74%

We do not torture!

Yes

20% No

No opinion

Gallup Poll Release Nov. 29 These results are based on telephone interviews with randomly selected national samples of 491 and 515 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Nov. 11-13, 2005. For results based on this sample, one can say wth 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±5 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

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

It’s time for another Christmas Truce In 1914, World However, since War I was less than this was not an ofa year old. Young ficially sanctioned men were called truce and fearto serve in a war ing that it would who had no reason happen again, to, so they could British commandfight an enemy ers ordered that SEAN WARDWELL many had nothing from that point Star Columnist against. That’s war on, Christmas Eve though. would be celebratOn Dec. 24, ed by a nonstop 1914, near the town of Ypres, artillery barrage. These orders British soldiers noticed a did nothing but prove that, if group of Germans decorating given the chance, we would their trench for Christmas. rather focus on what we have They put up a small tree in in common rather than what their trench with candles and keeps us apart. One verse of sang carols. The British re“Silent Night” meant more to sponded with carols of their these people than all the flags, own. Thus began one of the parades, medals and assorted more remarkable events in “Dulce et decorum est” nonmodern warfare, the Christsense either side could dish mas Truce. out. The two sides continued Now let’s look at the world to sing carols to each other around us today. Don’t you until they came up out of think all of us could use a their trenches to shake hands truce of our own? It seems in no man’s land. The artilthat from every side, someone lery fell silent. Small gifts were is telling us that someone else exchanged between the lines. is wrong. We have a culture Both sides had a chance to war, a war on terror, a war on collect their dead. There were values, a war on marriage, a even stories of a friendly socwar on rights, a war on liberty cer match between the Gerand a war on faith, among mans and the British. For a many others. If there’s an isfew short hours, peace reigned sue, you can rest assured that in the midst of the bloodiest somebody is going to declare conflict the world had known war on it, and if you don’t to date. take a side, you look like a

fool or a traitor. My advice? Simple. Just quit. Don’t fight. Put down the banners and the harsh words and declare peace for a while. It’s time to rediscover each other because if we can’t do that then we are deeply, profoundly and totally screwed. I guess this is supposed to be the part where I make a plea for peace on Earth. Consider that plea made. It should just be obvious. We fight over some really stupid stuff, and most of it has nothing to do with our day-to-day lives or us. There’s no need to fight over most of it. It’s just busywork. Instead, as I asked before, just quit. Become a conscientious objector in the continuing wars over BS. Red versus Blue is BS. Gay versus straight is BS. Avian flu is BS. Prayer in school is BS. Creation versus Evolution is BS. We are smart enough to figure these things out on our own without some twit with a microphone telling us how to act. None of these things should require more than five minutes of thought. You figure it out for yourselves, move on and give others the courtesy of doing the same. Bill Hicks once said, “The

eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one.” Well, without sounding too much like a hippie, we really are. We all are members of the same dumb species. Nobody is perfect, but we all have something small to contribute, even if it’s a bad example. Even broken clocks are right twice a day. Let’s try to see that once in a while. Leave behind the marketing, the BS issues and the totally BS divisions and get to know each other as people. Let’s have a new Christmas Truce, and let’s try and make it last even if the generals want to bomb it out of us. I have to believe that we have more in common than anything else and that we can be united by more than a distrust of the “other.” So happy holidays, everyone. Go home, hug your folks, open some presents, and try to remember that, at any point, we can remake this world into something better. What better time than the holidays to do that? It’s entirely up to us. Let’s do something amazing. Wardwell is a pre-mass communication junior.

Rules for dominating any political conversation It’s difficult to RAMSEY TESDELL questions meant talk to people these to demean and emU-WIRE days. Interruptions barrass your ideocan be phone calls, logical adversary. e-mails or a number of other Creative solutions are clearly digital devices in our pants. the product of backing the It has led to a lack of ability other person into a corner. to communicate effectively. • Always assume the other It’s becoming more and more person is completely unreadifficult to express your sonable. If someone hasn’t thoughts and feelings unless reached the same conclusions you’re on the phone or chatas you, then they probably ting on AIM with someone. lack rational capacity. In fact, Luckily for you, I’ve develbe impressed if they managed oped several ways to win over to tie their shoes. your friends with your stun• Go on the defensive. Difning oratory skills. fering opinions cease to exist This is especially obvious if you refuse to listen to them. when it comes to politics. • Make sweeping generalAnd as this year’s election izations based on political afseason draws to a close, many filiations. After all, Democrat politicians, media pundits is just code for communist, and concerned citizens will be and Republican is simply a turning their attention to the euphemism for racist. important midterm elections • Yell. Loudly. The persuaof next fall. siveness of your argument is In what is arguably an ever- directly proportionate to the increasingly polarized society, volume of your voice. it seems like as good a time • Roll your eyes and make as any to review some basic sneering noises at ideas that tenets of debate etiquette. don’t match your own. ReSpecifically, when engaging in member how well this techpolitical conversations with nique worked on your parents someone with differing begrowing up? liefs, I suggest abiding by the • Indicate in a variety of following rules: ways that you know the other • Ask narrow, pointed person is naive or just plain

ignorant. The eye rolls mentioned above are a good start, but the truly great debater will master a tone of voice that projects moral and intellectual superiority. • Use personal attacks. Although we can all appreciate criticisms of the “your mama …” variety, labels like “worthless liberal” and “Bible-thumping warmonger” should work, too. If you follow these pieces of advice, not only will you win over opponents, but everyone will come running with congratulatory handshakes in your overwhelming win. See, communication is not about listening; it’s about who can yell louder and more effectively force his viewpoint on another. To be honest, we’ve all been guilty of every one of these bad habits at least once. In fact, this list serves more as a reminder that we can and should do better. Yet, more and more, common conceptions of politics attempt to marginalize political opposition to the point of obscurity. It is important to remember that, in a healthy democ-

racy, differences of opinion are just as important a part of checks and balance as are the different branches of government. We think we could all probably beneﬁt from asking ourselves what the outcomes of practices like those mentioned above are. Honestly, do you feel more inclined to accept someone else’s opinion when he or she acts as though you are unintelligent or seeks to humiliate you? Or are you more polarized in your own way of thinking? If book sales are any indicator, the Ann Coulters and Michael Moores of the world have a place in the political media. For those of us interested in working together and coming up with productive solutions, however, we hope we can ﬁnd healthier ways to express disagreement. We may view the world differently than you, but we’re not your enemy. We are neighbors, and like it or not, we’re in this together. This column appeared in the Nov. 28 edition of the Iowa State Daily.

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.

Editor In Chief..................David Michael Cohen, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor..................................Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu News Editor......................................Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu Assistant News Editor.................Ashley Richards, ar1225@txstate.edu Trends Editor..............Christina Gomez, starentertainment@txstate.edu Photo Editor...........................Courtney Addison, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor...................................Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

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Account Executive................................Ana Kulak, ak1094@txstate.edu Account Executive..................................Lindsay Lee, atlas@txstate.edu Account Executive.....................Lindsey Randolph, lr1068@txstate.edu Student Business Manager................Robby Silva, rs1237@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator..Linda Allen, starbusinessoffice@txstate.edu Publications Director..............Bob Bajackson, stardirector@txstate.edu Visit The Star at www.UniversityStar.com

The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos published Tuesday through Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. 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 30, 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.

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Wednesday, November 11 33 Wednesday, August30, 24,2005 2005- Page - Page

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ROOMS NEXT TO CAMPUS free internet & cable, $275-$350. 392-2700 or 757-0399.

FOR RENT-CONDO 2/2 CONDO, very nice, easy walk to Tx State, W/D in condo. Available now. $625 per mo, C-21, 512-787-2982.

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store. Seasonal, all shifts available. Apply in person at Fresh Produce Sportswear 3939 S. IH 35, Ste 865 or call Heather 512.392.4726.

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FOR SALE JACK RUSSELL TERRIER PUPPIES. All shots wormed; registered parents on site. $250 (512) 392-5476

1994 SINGLE-WIDE 3B/2B in mobile home park in San Marcos. Well maintained $18,900. 979-2345056.

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part-time @ Riley’s Tavern, Apply in person @ 8894 FM 1102 in Hunter, Ask for Rachel or Joel 512-392-3132.

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GOLFERS WANTED!! to caddie for upscale area golf courses and country clubs. Golf knowledge required, caddie training provided. Applicants must possess customer service skills, enjoy working outdoors and be in excellent physical condition. Great opportunity to meet interesting people and make good tips. To apply please ﬁll out on-line application at www.caddieclubgolf.com (Applications can be found under “Caddie Opportunities” page of the website.)

PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT WANTED. Call after 12p.m. PUT DOWN THE PAPER and pick up the keyboard. Trust me. www. collegejobmania.com CRAIG ‘OS PIZZA AND PASTARIA is now hiring: cashiers, delivery drivers and shift managers needed. Apply at Craig ‘Os 690 Centerpoint Rd., next to Starbucks across from the outlets.

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WEB COPY EDITOR NEEDED: 20 hours per week. Build your portfolio writing and editing content for the Student Health Center and Health Education Resource Center web pages. Flexible hours to ﬁt class schedule. Available January 2006. Be familiar with Microsoft Ofﬁce and Dreamweaver. $6.40+ per hour. Call Teresa at the Student Health Center, 245-2161.

HEALTH CLUB. Open 7 days a week. Part-time position, front desk. must be working on a related degree. 512-560-6761. E-mail applications to ironsarah@aol.com

com needs trainers, riders, groomers, web developer/designers, models, online.

THE GONZALES COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT is currently accepting applications for the Peach Creek Water Improvement Project. A Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture is recommended. This position is funded by a three year grant and is salaried at $28,000 per year. Applications can be picked up at the Gonzales County SWCD ofﬁce in Room 142 located in the Post Ofﬁce. Any questions please call (830)6728371 ext3. EOE.

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for local competitions and business promotions. (830)285-0906 after 3p.m.

HARD WORKING STUDENTS NEEDED TO FILL OPENINGS IN THE UNIVERSITY STAR BUSINESS OFFICE. Please email Linda Allen at la06@txstate.edu with your resumé and any questions.

ACT NOW! Work from home. $500-$4500 per month. Part-time or full-time. www.income307.com (307)635-6526.

TEKA MARKETING is now expanding and looking to ﬁll several full & part time positions. Very ﬂexible hours. Casual work environment. For more information call 512-805-0020 DOOR PERSONS NEEDED AT BUSY LOCAL BAR. $6.50 HOUR + TIPS. MUST BE WILLING TO WORK WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS. NO SLACKERS PLEASE. COME IN TO FILL OUT APPLICATIONS ASAP, ANY DAY AFTER NOON. BUM’S BILLIARDS 650 E. HOPKINS.

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LEASING AGENTS for luxury student complex. Great beneﬁts, great pay, full time or part time positions available. Call 512-392-8345 or fax resume 512-392-8346.

EXPERIENCED BARTENDER WANTED. (512)3741998 after 7p.m.

(512)497-8300.

new car! Now paying drivers $800-3,200 a month. Pick up your free car key today. www.freecarkey.com

$75 taking online surveys. www.MySurveyCash.com

HELP WANTED BIKINI MODELS WANTED

HELP WANTED LOST CAT - Bevo, Domestic Short Hair, grey and white male, about 1yr. Lost at apartment complex on Ranch Road 12. Reward! Please call: 512-393-4045 or 512-396-9357.

NECKLACE 1 STRAND OF CORAL AND TURQUOISE BEADS. Lost in the San Marcos area on November 12-13. Reward. Please call Sandra at 512-453-8861 day/eve.

REWARD LOST DOG small brown and tan 353-3224.

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ROOMMATES RESPONSIBLE FEMALE ROOMMATE WANTED to share nice 3/2 house near campus with 2 easy-going females. Nice neighborhood, big backyard w/ hot tub, W/D. $330, plus 1/3 bills. Call 979-541-7840 or email NT1030@txstate.edu

FEMALE, CLEAN, RESPONSIBLE roommate needed to share large, nice 2/1 apartment. $350 and 1/2 of bills, W/D included, water paid, near campus, for January, call Diana 210-884-8655.

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FEMALE ROOMMATE to share three bedroom apt. Rent is $237.67 + 1/3 utilities. Call Rachel at 665-6109 or 396-4165.

NEED ROOMMATE to share 3/2 house w/girl and guy. $250 per mo plus 1/3 elec call 512-557-3006. FEMALE ROOMMATE needed for 3-2-2 house in Kyle. Roommate will have private bed/bath. Rent is $500 month and 1/3 electricity. Call Patricia 512-913-8039 or pt1016@txstate.edu

SERVICES ALCOHOL AWARENESS CLASSES for M.I.P. - M.I.C. D.U.I. - P.I. - held at Mr. Gatti’s Pizza FREE PIZZA - Next class Dec. 5 & 6 call 1-877-743-1556 to reserve a seat.

SUBLEASE SUBLEASE AT BISHOP SQUARE. 1/1, 1/3 utilities, $488.00 per mo. Jan. rent free for immediate move- in. Call 972-310-9538 or 754-9867.

FULLY REMODELED 3Bdr house, large yard, family or 3 students welcome. 469-323-9068. 1 BED/1 BATH SUBLEASE beginning Jan. 1st-August. $545.00/month. No deposit, on bus route. Call Jessica @ 361-543-6677.

TRAVEL SPRING BREAK Mazatlan Party bus $399 with hotels and meals. http:// www.mazatlanexpress.com 1-800-366-4786.

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SPORTS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Wednesday, November 29, 2005 - Page 12

sports snortsquotes from the sports world “Always remember, stupid is forever. You can’t change stupidity. So if somebody’s sitting next to you, make them recognize that we do not allow that here at Temple.” — Temple University basketball coach John Chaney on recent comments he made regarding so-called “idiotic” actions by Owls fans during Sunday’s game against the University of Miami. (Source: Associated Press) Sports Contact — Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

Bombs away Barrick

A look at the numbers

2005 Season Comp/Att/Total 174/305/2443 TD: 18 Long: 72 Rushing: 960 TD: 12

Career

Comp/Att/Total 498/921/6774 TD: 44 Long: 72 Rushing: 2039 TD: 19

Adam Brown/Star photo illustration

By Ron Mears Texas State Media Relations Texas State University senior quarterback Barrick Nealy has finished fifth in the voting for the 2005 Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top offensive player in NCAA Division I-AA football. The Sports Network, which conducts the annual award process, released the point totals for all but the three finalists on Monday. Brown running back Nick Hartigan, Eastern Washington University quarterback Erik Meyer and University of New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos have been selected as the top three finalists for the Payton Award, which will be presented at the 19th Annual I-AA College Football Awards in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Dec. 15, the eve of the NCAA I-AA national championship. More than 110 ballots were cast for the award as well as for the Buck Buchanan Award (I-AA defensive player of the year) and Eddie Robinson Award (I-AA Coach of the Year). Winners of the Buchanan and Robinson will also be announced on Dec. 15, and the voting breakdown for those awards will not be revealed until that time. Texas State Head Coach David Bailiff is one of the finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award. Voting, which is based on regular season performance only, was conducted among 113 media members and media relations professionals covering I-AA. The top three finalists (in terms of votes received) for the Walter Payton Award are annually invited to attend the presentation of the Awards, with the winner of the Payton not announced until the event. Through the 11-game regular season, Nealy completed 151-of-273 passes for 2,043 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran for 834 yards and 11 touchdowns on 116 carries. Nealy has helped lead Texas State to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs. Last week in a first-round game against Georgia Southern University, the senior accounted for 526 yards of total offense. He passed for a school-record 400 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 126 yards, including a 76-yarder to set up the Bobcats’ first touchdown. For his performance, Nealy was named one of I-AA.org’s weekly National All Stars.

This week, Texas State plays host to Cal Poly in the second round of the championship. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. in Bobcat Stadium, and the game will be televised by ESPN2. Like Nealy, who was the Southland Conference Player of the Year, all three finalists have already picked up Player of the Year honors for their respective leagues. Hartigan, a senior from Fairfax Station, Va., led all I-AA players with 1,727 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns to lift Brown to a 9-1 record and its first-ever outright Ivy League championship. Hartigan earned the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Player of the Year for his efforts. His 1,727 yards marked the second-best single-season total in conference history, and his 4,492 career rushing yards are third in the Ivy record books. Meyer, a senior from La Mirada, Cali., threw for 3,616 yards and 26 touchdowns during the regular season for the 7-5 Eagles, who finished with a share of the Big Sky Conference title and earned the league’s automatic berth to the postseason. Meyer was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts. Meyer and the Eagles lost to Northern Iowa University, 41-38, in the first round of the I-AA playoffs on Saturday. Santos, a sophomore from Bellingham, Mass., passed for 3,200 yards and 33 touchdowns during New Hampshire’s 10-1 regular season. He also ran for seven scores, and helped New Hampshire to the No. 1 ranking in the final Sports Network top 25 and the No. 1 seed in the I-AA playoffs. Santos was named the Atlantic 10 Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He led the Wildcats to victory against Colgate University in the first round of the playoffs, and New Hampshire will host Northern Iowa in a quarterfinal game on Saturday. The 2004 Walter Payton Award went to College of William & Mary quarterback Lang Campbell. Former winners Tony Romo (2002, Eastern Illinois, Dallas Cowboys), Brian Westbrook (2001, Villanova, Philadelphia Eagles), Adrian Peterson (1999, Georgia Southern, Chicago Bears), Jerry Azumah (1998, New Hampshire, Chicago Bears), Brian Finneran (1997, Villanova, Atlanta Falcons), and Steve McNair (1994, Alcorn State, Tennessee Titans) are among those serving in the NFL.

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

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