November 14, 2017

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

@universitystar | universitystar.com

Volume 107, Issue 12

HOUSING GUIDE 2017

GO TO PAGE 4 Located on North Comanche Street, the Pointe is a new apartment complex that has finally opened to its residents after many move-in delays.

PHOTO BY TYLER JACKSON

Students seek lowcost off-campus living

By Emily Martin Lifestyle Reporter As the end of the semester is approaching, students are beginning their search for off-campus living. Affordability is a major consideration for some students.

There are several different factors a student will consider when choosing an apartment. For Brianna Edwards, history sophomore, affordability is her greatest concern.

“Living in an apartment for one year versus living in a dorm for two semesters is literally the same price so you get more bang for your buck," Edwards said.

When looking for apartments Edwards is looking for somewhere in the price range of $530-550. and has a close proximity to campus. However, apartments at that rate tend to be farther out.

“

Living in an apartment for one year versus living in a dorm for two semesters is literally the same price so you get more bang for your buck."

-Brianna Edwards “I need to make sure there’s an easy way to get to campus,” Edwards said.

Cameron Jimenez, sociology fresh-

man, said he believes that affordability is a key factor in choosing an apartment.

“I don’t really care how new it is, obviously if it's tidy and well kept, that’s a factor and it has to be affordable," Jimenez said.

When looking at prices, Jimenez said he is hoping to keep his monthly cost under $800. He also is looking for somewhere that is fully furnished and includes utilities.

To keep costs cheaper, students often move-in with multiple people.

Jocelynn Evans, pre-nursing freshman, said she has a price range of around $500.

Evans said she believes living off campus is beneficial because it is less expensive than living on campus and is available for long-term leasing.

“I want something affordable, something that’s not too far from campus that maybe if I don’t have a car, I can take a bus to campus,” Evans said.

Evans said she sees the positive side of living with multiple people to reduce costs.

“I would prefer to have two other people to live with but if it’s cheaper to have three people then it’s fine," Evans said For these students, there is an online and on-campus resource that is beneficial in helping students choose off-campus living. The Department of Housing and Residential Life helps assist those looking for off-campus living through beneficial programs and resources.

SEE COST PAGE 4

Housing rates slowly increasing from semester to semester

By Evelin Garcia News Reporter The increase in rent prices has become evident on several student housing apartments in the San Marcos area. Texas State students have no other choice than to pay the high rates offered by apartment complexes.

There are 38,694 students enrolled at Texas State and with only about 7,000 living on campus, that leaves nearly 80 percent of students looking for a place to live and an open market for the San Marcos real estate. With so many students looking for housing many apartment complexes have been able to increase their prices and keep their units full. The increase in rates has been justified with the special amenities offered to the students.

Apartments like Copper Beach and The Villagio are part of the student housing apartments that have increased their prices. The special amenities that such apartment complexes offer to students include internet, cable, gym, computer labs and fully furnished units.

In the past year and a half, the unit rates for Copper Beach and The Villagio apartment have raised their price each semester and predict another increase in rates in the Spring of 2018.

SEE RATES PAGE 4

THE BREAKDOWN COPPER BEACH RATE INCREASE Rates for a four-bedroom apartment $495

$530

FALL 2015

SPRING 2015

500 400 300 200 100

GRAPHIC BY VIVIAN MEDINA

2 | Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The University Star

NEWS

Shayan Faradineh News Editor @shayanfaradineh

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487

Editors Editor-in-Chief: Denise Cervantes, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor: Bri Watkins, starmanagagingeditor@txstate.edu News Editor: Shayan Faradineh, starnews@txstate.edu Lifestyle Editor: Katie Burrell, starlifestyle@txstate.edu Opinions Editor: May Olvera, staropinion@txstate.edu Sports Editor: Lisette Lopez, starsports@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief: Claire Abshier, starcopychief@txstate.edu Design Editor: Vivian Medina, stardesign@txstate.edu Multimedia Editor: Lara Dietrich, starmultimedia@txstate.edu Engagement Editor: John Lee, starsocial@txstate.edu

Advertising Staff Director of Media Sales: Christina Castro, christina.castro@universitystar.com Account Executive: Andrew Stock andrew.stock@universitystar.com Account Executive: Carina Cruz, carina.cruz@universitystar.com Account Executive: Folee Hall folee.hall@universitystar.com Account Executive: Cameron Goodall cameron.goodall@universitystar.com Graphic Designer: Stephanie Cloyd Marketing and PR Manager: Ashley Lujan ashley.lujan@universitystar.com

Full-Time Staff Director: Laura Krantz, Lek46@txstate.edu Media Specialist: Dillan Thomson, djt48@txstate.edu Publications Coordinator: Linda Allen, la06@txstate.edu

About Us History: The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday of the spring and fall and once a month in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, November 14, 2017.

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.

Deadlines: Letters to the Editor or any contributed articles are due on Monday the week prior to publication.

Corrections: Any errors that are in the pages of The University Star and are brought to our attention will be corrected as soon as possible.

Visit The Star at universitystar.com

RESOURCES

University hosts events for international students

By Alyssa Newsom News Reporter There are 545 international students that come from 74 different countries that are currently seeking a degree at Texas State.

International Education Week hosted a series of events starting Nov. 2-13.

These events ranged from an international student Thanksgiving luncheon, Nov. 10 to a festival of lights put on by the Indian Student Association, Nov. 4.

Along with International Education Week, the International Office works year round to provide resources for students to feel welcome at the university. Two weeks into every semester, the International Office hosts a welcome social, where current and incoming international faculty, staff and students can meet each other. There are other international student organizations present at the social so students can find collaboration with groups they may be interested in.

Additionally, the graduate college hosted its ninth international research conference Nov. 7-8. The conference was an opportunity for international graduate students from varying fields to present their independent research findings. These students received feedback on their presentation from experienced faculty members.

Victoria Gonzales is the international engagement specialist within the International Office at Texas State.

One of her favorite events of the year is the exchange program discussion, where students have the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss crosscultural experiences. At this event, students seeking to study abroad can meet with other students--international or domestic--who have done an exchange program.

“It helps to talk one-on-one and get some answers on what their experience was like and what they can expect for

The Thornton International House is a one-stop resource for international students, as well as students who may want to study abroad.

PHOTO BY JOSH MARTINEZ

the future of their travels,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales noted Texas State has some unique characteristics students should keep in mind.

“Our university is very good with research; that is going to be a big factor for them,” Gonzales said.

Additionally, “San Marcos has a great location in Texas,” Gonzales said, “Central Texas is one of the fastest economic growing places in the nation--and students see that. Some students aren’t just looking towards the university as a whole, but the program they are going into to see how strong that department is."

Ashutosh Yadav, engineering graduate student, was born and raised in Nepal.

He came to the United States to pursue a higher education as an engineering graduate student. When making the

decision on which university he would choose, it helped that his family knew the area.

“My family recommended me to join Texas State, and everything has been really really good so far,” Yadav said. “The people in San Marcos are so nice.”

Foreign exchange student Laura Stouby Hansen is from Denmark, studying for her graduate's degree in mass communication at Texas State.

“One of the things that I was really surprised with when I got here was that people are so open and willing to help,” Hansen said.

Gonzales noted the international week of celebrations was a success, with the highest number attendees at the Thanksgiving luncheon in its history.

“We traditionally have a large turnout-we love our students, so that’s what we love to see,” Gonzales said.

HIV

Professor studies HIV risk in Latino populations

By Josie Soehnge News Reporter One Texas State professor will be taking his research to help prevent HIV in Latino communities.

Moctezuma Garcia, social work assistant professor, is set to travel to the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit in New Orleans Dec. 4, to deliver speeches discussing the issue of HIV transmission and Latino males. He will also be studying the cultural barriers of HIV. Garcia will also be discussing a preventative medicine, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP). Through his research, Garcia has studied a cluster of around 60 Latino males in the San Antonio area that are HIV positive.

“The conference is going to focus on strengths and limitations (of) the population accessing PREP as an opportunity to prevent HIV transmission,” Garcia said. “In regard to (patient) concerns about going to the clinic, I will discuss the different methods we can practice to provide PREP to the community. This is where peer outreach advisors can be trained to work with (and) educate the community about PREP and its availability to prevent transmission.”

There are many reasons contributing to the HIV epidemic in Texas. Most of these reasons come from social stigmas that cause certain groups of people to believe that they are not at-risk based on their sexual orientation and other characteristics, Garcia said.

“HIV is an epidemic, and it is spreading throughout Texas. (There is) a cluster in San Antonio (of) Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) (who) are infected with HIV,” Garcia said. “Currently, men are sleeping with each other and not using condoms, increasing the risk (of) transmission because a lot of men are not aware that they are HIV positive.”

Since society has established these stigmas regarding HIV, there are communities full of people who do not believe they could be at risk of contracting HIV, Garcia said.

“This is why it is really important to get tested on an annual basis, regardless of your sexual identity or orienta-

tion,” Garcia said. “A lot of people assume they aren’t at-risk because they are straight, gay, or bisexual so they don’t use condoms or get tested. They make themselves vulnerable to HIV transmission.”

Garcia also discussed the impacts of the epidemic caused by cultural aspects of society.

“There is a strong emphasis on black men who have sex with men, so people who aren’t (in) that population assume they aren’t at-risk," Garcia said. "Based on the information available, Latino men in San Antonio don’t consider themselves at-risk because they aren’t part of the black MSM population.”

As HIV is an epidemic in the state of Texas, Garcia believes that annual check-ups are vital to our community and to prevent transmission.

“One of the things I encourage everyone to do is support each other in getting an annual HIV test,” Garcia said.

“Free testing on campus is (an) important service to take advantage of. Even if you are infected, it doesn’t mean you have a death sentence now (that) it is considered a chronic disease.”

The Student Health Center provides free HIV tests. Call and make an appointment at the Student Health Center to have your annual STI screening, 512245-2161.

Students can get tested for HIV and other STI's at the Student Health Center.

Many people believe they are not at risk for diseases because of their sexual orientation. PHOTO BY JAKOB RODRIGUEZ

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 | 3

The University Star

NEWS

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

Shayan Faradineh News Editor @shayanfaradineh

SAN ANTONIO

San Antonio students receive backlash for Halloween costumes

By Shayan Faradineh News Editor Over the Halloween weekend students and athletes at the University of the Incarnate Word, in San Antonio, were pictured in costumes that were recognized as racist and offensive.

The costumes featured students wearing black face paint, wigs and glasses. It has been labeled discriminatory.

"We’re calling for expulsion."

- @_LiyyahDee The university sent out a tweet on Nov. 8 addressing the issue and replying with the same message to personal tweets that tagged the UIW account.

"UIW does not tolerate any discriminatory actions or comments from members of our community. We are looking into concerns brought to our attention and have already taken action and will continue to do so."

Members of the UIW student body have responded to the university and allegations, both in defending the costumes and opposing them.

Twitter user @Lizzzism said, "I will not continue, nor further my education at UIW if disciplinary action is taken against these students. They did not portray a negative image, it was a costume. Nothing more, nothing less."

Another user @_LiyyahDee said, "We’re calling for expulsion."

Multiple tweets have defended the action, claiming they are just costumes and the university should practice forgiveness as a part of the Catholic faith.

UIW is the largest Catholic university in Texas and the fourth-largest private university in the state. More than 60 percent of the students are from racial or ethnic minority groups.

Student organizations at Texas State have responded to the allegations, also through twitter. The Pan African Action Committee tweeted screenshots of the costumes and joined the hashtag #UIWPRIDE. The tweet stated, "It’s a shame to see a university try to (save) its image rather than confront the actions of its students. Blackface has never been and never will be acceptable. Texas State stands with you all at UIW. #UIWPRIDE" PHOTOS TAKEN FROM @PANAFRICANACT

SAN MARCOS

City crafting first parks plan in seven years

By Ernesto Malave News Reporter The Parks and Recreation department unveiled a new master plan at a town hall meeting Nov. 8. The yearlong plan is the first since 2010. As part of the plan, the city has hired HALFF, an architectural and engineering consulting firm out of Dallas.

HALFF is offering surveys to both residents and non-residents on the city's website to gain insight into the community's view of the Parks and Recreation department. The company hopes to use the data to compile feedback of the current advantages and disadvantages within the current parks, recreation programs and facilities, as well as the trails and riverfront areas throughout the city. As of Nov. 8, the survey had over 700 respondents.

Among HALFF’s goals are: to better facilitate the master-plan process, provide an unbiased view, add to the city’s toolbox of solutions and to challenge the community to strive to be more involved in their parks.

This will be HALFF’s third major project in which they have helped to create a master plan for a city’s parks and recreation department. Past cities include Buda and Killeen.

Many in attendance at the town hall were representatives from HALFF, including Matt Bucchin, director of planning.

“The planning process is the easy

part, it’s the implementation that’s important," Bucchin said. "From my standpoint, if I could put down the community’s words into text that leads them to make change for the betterment of the community, then we’ve been successful."

Some members of the parks board, a nine-person group which helps to advise the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, also attended and expressed their views. Issues ranging from lack of access east of I-35, to proposing parking fees for non-city residents, to environmental concerns were brought up.

Many parks areas east of I-35 have fallen into disarray over the years, while parks west of I-35 have better maintenance and conditions.

“From a safety standpoint I think it would be great to rebuild Cape’s Dam," Brian Olson, park board member and Texas State graduate said.

"Rebuilding Capes Dam and renovating the Mill Race would be able to make it be the number sixth Dam on the National Register of Historic Places in the state of Texas."

Both HALFF and the city are hopeful that community residents will voice their opinions. The surveys will remain online and available to all.

“My hope is that we get enough community involvement into the process that helps provide vision for us in how we develop our parks,” Drew Wells, Parks and Recreation assistant director, said.

A new master plan for the parks and recreation department was revealed Nov. 8 at a town hall meeting. PHOTO BY LEXI ALTSCHUL

4 | Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The University Star

HOUSING GUIDE

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

FROM FRONT COST

FROM FRONT RATES

The staff can help assist students in finding and securing off-campus housing and can make individual appointments to discuss the offcampus options that are available.

There are off-campus housing fairs to assist students in their search. The next off-campus housing fair is Jan. 29.

For more information on the next upcoming off-campus living presentation, follow the Texas State Housing's Twitter @txstatehousing or check online.

Copper Beach started its rates in the Fall of 2015 with $785 for one bedroom, $600 for a two bedroom, $525 for a three bedroom, and $495 for a four bedroom. The spring of the same year Copper Beach’s prices went up. The same one bedroom was then $890, a two bedroom $625, a three bedroom $555, and a four bedroom $530.

The prices for Fall 2016 increased even more. A one bedroom is now $910, a two bedroom is $705, a three bedroom is $605, and a four bedroom is $589.

Similarly, The Villagio has increased their prices dramatically. Their cur-

rent standard rates start at $610 for a A 2x2 bedroom and $620 for a B 2x2 bedroom, though individual prices may vary. The prices of this year’s rent is predicted to increase even more by the beginning of the Spring semester. Employees at The Villagio said the apartment complex is part of a tier system and the prices increase as more units fill up and space is limited. In the Spring of 2016, the same A 2x2 bedroom went for as much as $625. A much higher rate is predicted for the current rate of $620 for a A 2x2.

Employees in these complexes pre-

dict prices will continue to rise at the beginning of the 2017 Spring semester.

Texas State students are worried about the increase in prices and fear they will soon be unaffordable. Azul Mirelesa, family and child development senior, is currently a resident of Copper Beach.

“I can’t actually afford college, and rent is making a lot more difficult for me to stay in school,” Mireles said.

The increase in price rates in student housing may pose a potential issue for the Texas State enrollment and dropout rates if these prices continue to rise.

LISTICLE

The guide to living off-campus How to sublease

By Ashley Brown Lifestyle Reporter Living off campus can be intimidating, especially when things go wrong. The attorney for students, the Department of Housing and Residential Life and leasing agents across the city can offer advice for making the final decision to move.

How to get out of a bad roommate situation Roommates can make or break offcampus living experiences. When roommates are the central cause of misery in an apartment, the issue can be handled in multiple ways.

Diana Stevenson, general manager at The Thompson, said apartment officials offer roommate mediation to try and help roommates work through their issues. Unfortunately, the method isn't always successful.

"If that doesn't work, then we do offer a transfer, and there is a fee," Stevenson said.

Stevenson said often times students do not want to have to pay the fee and go through the trouble of moving all of their stuff somewhere else. The most recommendable solution, according to Stevenson, is to try talking things out with the roommates to find a happy medium.

If there comes a time when a tenant needs to leave before their lease is over, someone else has to move in and take over the responsibility of the previous person's lease. This method is called subleasing. There are forms to fill out and fees to pay.

Rachel Singleton, leasing manager at The Village on Telluride, said the most common recommendation is for the tenant to find someone to sublease with because if the complex has to do it, the fee will be increased.

"We always give suggestions on where to post when they're looking for somebody on their own to sublease," Singleton said.

After the sublease is complete the new tenant will assume the responsibility for the rent under the price the original tenant signed for.

How to take care of maintenance issues Just like in dorms or houses, apartments fall apart after years of students moving in and out. Sometimes renovations need to be done and things need to be re-installed. When facing these problems, it is easy to want to call a third party service to take care of the problem. However, Mackinsey Cathie, leasing agent at Ella Lofts, said it is best to take care of the issue through the complex.

Students share a conversation in the shared living space of their apartment unit at The Pointe. PHOTO BY TYLER JACKSON

"We have vendors (we use if) we need something fixed, or we fix it ourselves," Cathie said.

The cost for these issues to be maintained is already included in a tenant's rent when they sign a lease and by calling a third party, a tenant would end up paying the fees out-of-pocket with no reimbursement.

How not to get scammed It is easy perceive information is misleading when signing a contract with unfamiliar and complicated jargon. To

avoid feeling scammed, students should be sure to read the lease carefully, understanding each page, before signing.

It is a tenant's responsibility to educate themselves on what they are agreeing to in the lease. Should questions or concerns arise, the potential tenant should bring attention to those things immediately. Everything that is in writing is final as soon as the lease is signed.

The on-campus student attorneys are available by appointment to review leases and explain confusing sections to Texas State students.

LEGAL

Apartment legalities, attorney for students edition

By Ashley Brown Lifestyle Reporter Signing a lease for an apartment without understanding the lease can be dangerous, but there are resources available to help students better understand their agreement.

The Attorney for Students is located in the LBJ Student Center. The attorneys can help students with legal questions by providing insight and advice on what to do.

The attorneys will review leases and housing documents for students. Students must make an appointment to talk to an attorney.

Kama Davis, attorney for students, said before an appointment, students should bring all unsigned paper copies of their leases.

"Our focus is to prevent problems and explain how rent-by-the-bed installment loan contracts differ from traditional leases," Davis said.

Students can take steps to prevent is-

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sues from occurring like doing research on rent-by-the-bed, avoid signing papers in a rush which will end up costing money, and not get sucked into hard sell advertising.

Before signing, students need to know the difference between rent-bythe-bed installment contracts and traditional leases. Installment contracts have to be paid out over 12 months, in equal installments like rent but students do not necessarily live there all 12 months.

Traditional leases are where tenants pay

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a certain monthly rent for a specified amount of time, and some places offer prorated rent for partial months.

Students should learn how to use resources like apartment locators to find what the complexes provide, what prorated rent is and why rent-by-the-bed usually does not have it. They also need to understand whether security deposits are charged and how security deposits protect tenants.

Rent-by-the-bed properties offer benefits such as being on the bus route, offering roommate matching, and providing furnished apartments.

Many traditional apartments are also on the bus route, but tenants find roommates on their own and may not have the option to rent a furnished apartment. In a traditional lease, the tenant is responsible for all rent, even if a roommate defaults on a payment.

Kevin Proctor, accounting senior said he had an issue with a policy change at his apartment complex and sought help from the attorney for students.

"The attorney said that if they were changing policy I should have to sign new documents," Proctor said. "The apartment owners have been slow to fix the last issue but it is reassuring to know I have some legal rights in this situation."

Leah Lanphear, English sophomore, said her visit was well worth it.

"The advice was worth taking the time to talk to her. Plus if you're curious about law school they are very helpful," Lanphear said.

There is usually a two-to three-week wait for an appointment.

Students must contact the office to make an appointment, give details of their issue, bring relevant documents with them and consult with the attorneys for 50 minutes.

Each case is tailored to the needs of the student, and because Attorney for Students does not represent in court, students may be referred to outside resources.

The University Star

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 | 5 Katie Burrell Lifestyle Editor @KatieNicole96

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

FLYERS

Jewish Bobcats react to anti-Semitic flyers on campus

By Lauren Rexroad Lifestyle Reporter After anti-Semitic and white supremacy flyers were posted on campus, the Jewish Bobcats at Texas State have mixed reactions in response to the hateful climate.

The flyers were posted between Oct. 16 and 17, calling for "global white supremacy" in America and encouraging students to go to a website about the principles of "blood and soil". According to an article written by Scott Simon for the National Public Radio, "blood and soil" can be linked back to Nazi Germany and its views on the Jewish community.

Dakota Redmond, elementary education junior, said she was surprised upon hearing about the flyers and always thought people at Texas State were accepting and open-minded.

Redmond immediately called her mother crying and the rest of her family was just as upset after hearing the news.

Redmond said she feels less welcome on campus as a member of Jewish Bobcats after realizing there may be a certain group that does not want her on

Members of the Jewish Bobcat Club share a prayer before their weekly Friday dinner. PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL RUSSEK

campus.

“Knowing that there are people on campus that feel that way about the Jewish community," Redmond said. "I definitely feel like there are people here that don’t want me here,” However, Redmond said she does not find it hard to trust people on campus.

She still feels accepted by the people around her but is not sure how she

would feel if she were majoring in a different field.

Justin Wright, English senior, said responses to the flyers from the campus community and university officials has actually made him feel even more welcome on campus.

“Rather than encouraging more flyers to be put up to segregate us as Jewish people, the responses have been very

positive, in regard to making sure that we do feel welcome, that we feel safe,” Wright said.

Although unsurprised, Wright said he was confused as to why the flyers were posted in the first place and wanted to know what the motivation was to post such hateful content on such a progressive campus.

Daniel Espindola, industrial engineering senior and Vice President of Jewish Bobcats, said he feels like people can still be trusted on campus. He continues to wear his Star of David necklace every day to show he is proud of his faith.

“We’re not hiding, we’re not running away," Espindola said. "It’s good to know what’s going on and be aware.”

President Denise Trauth sent out a statement Oct. 17 condemning the flyers. She let students and faculty know this hateful rhetoric does not define Texas State and will not be tolerated.

All three students had different reactions to the flyers, but the consensus is that these events will not change how they feel about their faith and heritage.

“We won’t be scared and we won’t be moved,” Wright said.

HUMANS OF SAN MARCOS "For my job, I work with two-year-olds. They're crazy, but they're growing on me. I love each and every one of them. I work with kids while going to school because they're so much fun. Even when I'm having a bad day they always make me smile.

I hope that I can help make their choices better for the future. Now they're in their most developmental stages in their lives. This is probably just a college career but once I get my own, I know I'll spoil them too."

Kaley Ortiz, public reltations sophomore, walks home from her bus stop Nov. 10 PHOTO BY KATIE BURRELL

-KALEY ORTIZ

WE ARE BOBCATS

Share your voice. Impact your campus.

Campus Climate Survey 2017 #BobcatsSpeak Watch for an invitation in your email!

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6 | Tuesday, November 14, 2017

LIFESTYLE

The University Star Katie Burrell Lifestyle Editor @KatieNicole96

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

BOMB THREATS

LBJ employees recount, react to bomb threats

By Sonia Garcia Lifestyle Reporter Threat after threat, the LBJ Student Center has been targeted with three separate bomb threats and one shooting threat. This has put students, faculty and staff of the building in a stressful and possibly dangerous environment.

“

After the bomb threat was clear and we came back in, (the work environment) was tense, we were scared.”

-Nakayla Johnson On Oct. 26 an anonymous text message was sent to a Chartwells employee announcing the threat at LBJ. Texas State's first action was to evacuate The Lair Food Court. Through email and social media, news about the threat traveled, and approximately an hour later the Jones Dining Center was also searched and evacuated.

At sounds of alarms blaring, students and faculty exited the facility and waited outside the premises until further noti-

fied by UPD when normal scheduling would continue. While all other campus operations were still in normal operation, students continued with their day avoiding the threatened building.

However, student workers and facilitators in LBJ began to feel like a target when this threat was made not only once but an alarming three times.

In attending regularly scheduled work hours, student workers have unfortunately not been able to avoid the student center. The first evacuation was especially frightening as mentioned by University Bookstore cashier, Nakayla Johnson.

“After the bomb threat was clear and we came back in, (the work environment) was tense, we were scared,” Johnson said.

On Oct. 31 LBJ was evacuated again.

This time the person sending the anonymous text messages threatened to shoot. Later in the afternoon a bomb threat was sent. Social media proved to be a strong force following this second day of threats.

Symone Willis, Bookstore apparel worker, was working three different occasions when the threats occurred.

“We would find out through social media, social media works very fast," Willis said.

While workers in LBJ were notified in various ways, social media spread the word faster than emails and word of mouth. Texas State social media accounts along with student accounts demonstrated to be resourceful informants in a time of danger.

On Nov. 1 when a third threat took place, multiple employees described how they were prepared with their belongings near them and it felt like a daily routine.

Police on the scene took the same actions as before, not taking any new threat less seriously than the other. According to bookstore cashier, Clayne

LBJ experienced three different bomb threats in the span of one week.

"Employees were a bit frightened, but honestly, most were just over the entire incident." Josue Blanco, information desk attendant said.

PHOTO BY JAKOB RODRIGUEZ

Idens, students were mostly annoyed by the disturbance these threats were creating, and the person sending them was a nuisance at this point.

Hunter Tigert, lead apparel associate at the bookstore said students who work in the center have to worry about their safety but must put customers and other students first during evacuations.

“We have to make sure the customers are out, before (us), but we’re all students and needed to get out,” Tigert said.

Despite the unsettling experience and concerns, employees of the student center have been able to continue their daily routines.

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The University Star

OPINIONS

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 | 7 May Olvera Opinions Editor @yungfollowill

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

MAIN POINT

Blackface was never okay In the wake of three student athletes at San Antonio’s University of the Incarnate Word donning blackface for their Halloween costumes, we are once again reminded of the widespread cultural ignorance afforded primarily to white people at the expense of black bodies.

The students issued apologies after significant social media pressure and cited ignorance rather than racism as the reason behind their reckless actions. Nevertheless, the ability to be completely ignorant of the painful, racist history of blackface is a privilege rooted in a white supremacist society.

Blackface originated as a part of Minstrel Shows which gained popularity in 1842 and continued until the 1970s. The shows featured non-black actors painted black with burnt cork or black grease paint. The performances

were centered around the mockery of black people and promotion of hateful stereotypes that still exist today.

Since its conception, blackface has served to flatten black culture into a caricature that ignores perseverance.

Those who engage in such racist acts portray black people as poor, uneducated or the butt of a bigoted joke; it is never used as a celebration of abundant black excellence and determination.

Black culture in America is a direct result of marginalized people having to function within a society that was engineered to strip them of their humanity and utilize them as tools. For example, black cuisine, otherwise known as “soul food,” largely comes from slaves being forced to eat the “undesirable” animal parts that their masters threw away.

The assumption that whiteness is a

neutral, blank slate that can appropriate any culture it wants is heinous and reminiscent of western colonialism’s destructive history. It assures white people that the world is theirs for the taking, and people of color that their culture is something to be colonized and stolen without care or appreciation.

When putting on blackness as a costume, the perpetrators are able to take it off whenever it is convenient. Black people, on the other hand, are forced to carry a history of oppression, brutality and “otherness” with them every day of their lives while simultaneously putting up with the cultural ignorance around them.

When black people stop being brutalized by police because of their skin color, when they stop being jailed at disproportionate rates by a racist and classist judicial system, when black

students have as many professors who look like them as their white counterparts, when they are no longer seen as “others”—then, and only then can we begin to talk about this issue as one that isn’t entirely detrimental to the livelihood of black people and their culture.

While the unfortunate actions of the student athletes at UIW can at least serve as an opportunity to reiterate that racism has no place at our school, it’s frustrating to have to make the same statement so often.

We are ready to support and help empower the students of color at this university. Now is the time to combat ignorance by celebrating the complex beauty of blackness in America and amplifying black voices.

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 Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University.

WATERGATE

NATION OF ISLAM

Lift the ban on Minister Louis Farrakhan

By Carrington Tatum Opinions Columnist

ILLUSTRATION BY HALEY PRIETO

Uncovering Trump's Watergate

By Michael Clarke Opinions Columnist Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are perhaps America’s most famous pair of investigative reporters, not only because they were the subject of a 1976 Academy Award-winning movie, but for single-handedly pursuing an investigation into the Watergate scandal which ultimately contributed to the fall of Richard Nixon.

Today's political scandals - Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, unfair business practices within the President's cabinet, etc. - have assured the transcendence of national investigative journalism into the age of Trump, roles held by Woodward and Bernstein some 43 years ago.

The parallels between the Nixon and Trump presidencies extend past the press and past the men themselves. Rather, the two also feature high-profile scandals that have engulfed their senior officials.

The parallels between the Nixon and Trump presidencies extend past the press and past the men themselves.

The recent indictment of President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort shares a striking historical parallel to the Watergate era. Former Attorney General of the United States and eventual Nixon campaign manager John Mitchell was indicted for obstruction of justice and perjury.

Several senior ranking officials, most notably Maurice Stans and H.R. Hal-

deman of the Nixon campaign and Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos of the Trump campaign were indicted for lying to the FBI and for obstruction of justice, in addition to a slew of other charges.

Though the tools used in investigative reporting have transformed from typewriters and rotary phones to encryption apps and anonymous emails, the work and importance of investigative journalists are just as, if not more important than ever in maintaining the health of our democracy.

The spirit of discovering the unknown, work ethic and dogged pursuit of truth found in Woodward and Bernstein can be found in Washington Post report David Fahrenthold.

The 39-year-old Houstonian broke the story to a shocked American electorate and an emboldened candidate Hillary Clinton of a recording in which Trump made sexually expletive remarks about grabbing women’s genitals during the filming of an episode of NBC’s Access Hollywood back in 2005. This is in addition to a bombshell expose on Trump’s personal charity failing to live up to the claim that it donated large sums of the foundation’s funds to various veterans’ organizations.

Investigative journalists have and continue to hold elected officials accountable with the understanding that no one, including the President of the United States, is above the law or scrutiny of the press.

The investigative journalism team at the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and New York Times fulfill the press’ sacred and necessary role of keeping the American people informed on their government. It is essential that the dissemination of news and information on the political pursuits of the President and members of his administration come not from the President’s twitter account or a carefully crafted statement put out by the White House Press Office, but by a free and independent press with the resources, funding and personnel needed to ensure what politicians say and do is indeed the truth.

There is value in having diverse ideas and being open to unconventional rhetoric. However, media should push to reinstate authentic and constructive conversation into the mainstream dialogue. This means saying goodbye to the entertainment factor in an attempt order to move away from destructive groups and build the credibility of reasonable and realistic rhetoric that may not cater to the mainstream debate.

Therefore, it is not hyperbolic to suggest that the media lift their outdated ban on the leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI), Minister Louis Farrakhan who, as of late, has had a positive impact on the community he leads.

In the midst of the free-for-all that is U.S. politics, the Nation of Islam seems to be unbothered by the fame, guile, and lies that have corrupted Washington. Through the scandal and extremism that has been propagated within the political climate, the Nation of Islam seems to be the only group that has stuck to their core values and has not resorted to shock value, hatred, or mudslinging to spread their message.

There is a long history between the U.S. and the NOI since its founding in 1930. The political/religious movement saw much of its prime in 1960s with its second ordained leader Elijah Muhammad served as a mentor to some of the most famous figures of the decade including Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. However, Malcolm and the NOI’s refusal to align with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violent form of protest was to the distaste of the American government and people. It has always been commonplace for white America to shame someone they are oppressing for not protesting in the way they prefer, but the ire toward the Nation of Islam is doubled when coupled

with the Islamophobia the country has held since its conception.

Minister Louis Farrakhan's black nationalist rhetoric has resulted in his legacy and the reach of the Nation of Islam to be erased from history books and mainstream media coverage. This erasure is shown through lacking coverage of the Million Man March anniversary in 2016 lead by the NOI where thousands of African-American men marched on Washington D.C. in honor of the original event with 1.2 million marchers.

The 2016 event received web coverage from most major outlets but was essentially ignored during primetime television. This is the attitude toward thousands of black men marching on the nation’s capital, but when thousands of Nazis and white supremacists march in Virginia, they are the topic of the week.

In their reporting, the national media lent their platform to white supremacist recruiting yet missed an opportunity to promote the black community because of a 50-year-old, antiquated ban on Islam and black resistance.

While America has always been largely islamophobic, right-wing media outlets have doubled down on their hatred lately. With the competitive nature of news reporting, there seems to be a dissonance between the position of left-leaning media and their refusal to give opportunities to the Nation of Islam.

The legacy of the Nation of Islam and some of its members has not always been perfectly tolerant. However, for an almost 90-year-old organization, it has evolved its message further than the two current major political parties. This is all the more reason that large media corporations should recalibrate the scale used to determine whether or not a group should have a platform and give the NOI the media coverage it deserves to continue fostering dialogue and community.

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The University Star

OPINIONS

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 | 9 May Olvera Opinions Editor @yungfollowill

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

BOBCATS

Students deserve equal campus access

By Brad Waldraff Opinions Columnist Ableism, the discrimination against people with disabilities, is tangled among the roots of our society.

It is embedded in our language, which turns bodies into insults and equates the disabled with weakness, ignorance, and failure. It directs our desires, arbitrarily dictating what is to be considered beautiful and devaluing those who do not conform to oftenunattainable standards. It goes so far as to exclude disabled people from earning a living. Today, as much as fifty-nine percent of the disabled population is unemployed.

This is a universal issue that permeates throughout the whole of the American experience, but we cannot allow its universality to obscure the ableism that exists in our immediate surroundings.

Given that Texas State is situated on top of a hill, its inaccessibility may seem self-evident. This apparent selfevidence is not, however, an excuse to ignore the problem. If anything, Texas State has even more of an obligation to ensure that its services are accessible because of the inaccessible space that its campus occupies.

Speaking to students on campus, the most common issue that was raised was a lack of knowledge about the services that Texas State offers. As Dakota Pennell, a student of psychology at Texas State put it, “the services are there, they just aren’t that ‘out there.”

Another student also noted the lack of awareness among the Texas State community regarding disability resources. Alyssa Weinstein, who has recently taken advantage of the Cats on the Go temporary disability service, noted that, while the service has made getting around Texas State much easier, registering for this service was unnecessarily difficult.

“There was lots of paperwork,” Weinstein explained. “It took a few days for it to process.” While navigating all the red tape, she had to make her way around campus unassisted, noting that “it was really a struggle.”

Texas State’s official statement on disability services only confirms the fact that the university places the burden of ensuring accommodation on the shoulders of their students.

The demands that students provide extensive medical documentation and outline “the specific impairments and barriers experienced by the student,” not only make ensuring accommodation difficult, they also implicitly make normative claims about who deserves accommodation. Such claims are dangerously exclusionary, and for a university like Texas State which has so much access to contemporary disability literature, it is absolutely unacceptable.

Accessibility is not something that students should have to struggle for and is something that each one of us deserves to an equal degree.

These issues are also intimately tied up with issues of race and gender. For example, students of color are much more likely to have disabilities go undiagnosed, and are criminalized for the same behaviors for which white students are given medical attention, while women with disabilities face inordinate struggles to ensure adequate housing.

In the wake of the racist and chauvinist propaganda that litters our campus with increasing regularity, President Trauth has responded by insisting on Texas State’s dedication to diversity, but tangible action taken by the administration to prevent future aggression against marginalized populations remains mysteriously absent.

Frankly, such empty rhetoric is so useless as to become offensive.

As The University Star's editorial board so pointedly expressed in a recent polemic against our adminis-

ILLUSTRATION BY CHANCE BROWN

tration’s failure to adequately address these issues, it is time for students to shed their reliance on the institution– this is our campus, and each one of us deserves to benefit from our time here to the fullest extent.

An essential part of this progress will be revealing the often subtle exclusionary practices of our institution, an investigation that goes hand in hand with questioning which bodies exactly are included in the “student body.”

This will require not only a comprehensive rethinking of how specific communities are left out of both our

conversations and our spaces but also a sharp focus on how dominating misinterpretations of these communities are interwoven and interrelated.

The struggle for equality and access is a long and difficult one, but through organized determination and solidarity, I have faith in the power of students to enact currently inconceivable changes for the better. In the words of one of history’s staunchest advocates of people’s power, “we have a world to win.” Let’s get to it.

-Brad Waldraff is a philosophy senior

SELF-HELP

Accountability of the individual

By Katelyn Moriarty Opinions Columnist People like to think that being independent is the utmost important point of focus when it comes to achieving who they want to be and finding themselves. However, working with people in a team or group is the better alternative, as it teaches responsibility and accountability. By learning to communicate, compromise and adapt to situations, people can learn how to better interact with the working world.

Self-discovery is crucial to personal development and growth of a child.

Being a part of team helps children build confidence by understanding what they are good at and where they are most useful. It also allows for the development of networking skills and setting goals they aim to achieve.

Accountability largely comes into play in these settings, as everyone has their own role and contribution to the group.

This is paramount to the growth of a child, but how are children supposed to recognize the need for accountability when so many people are able to avoid it? Celebrities such as Kevin Spacey, Lindsay Lohan, and Ben Affleck have the ability to commit a horrendous act, go to a comfortable rehab and be deemed clean. Such a shallow process allows them to defer responsibility and place blame on lack of self-awareness or stress.

Of course, celebrities are not the only ones who can ignore their responsibilities in the face of the law. Brock Turner is a prime example; after sexually assaulting an unconscious young girl, his dad deemed the act "20 minutes of action," to avoid the awful reality of the crime committed. Likewise, Casey Anthony was found not-guilty for the murder of her infant daughter, though she most-likely did so. Our judicial system has allowed for these people to shape laws to their benefit and deter the ones that would hurt them.

Although people are clearly not held to the same standards, parents should enforce equal amounts of punishment on their kids when perpetrating the same acts. Though parents cannot be forced to punish their kids the same way across the board, we should strive for a common balance so as to teach them the importance of equal accountability instead of how to get ahead of the judicial system.

Overall, we as a society and future parents and adults should strive to teach children to be responsible for their actions and to not place blame on others because they would rather avoid the consequences. To do so, we must set the example. Instead of playing the victim in a situation, stand for what is right whether it includes you facing the punishment or just making sure someone else is held accountable.

- Katelyn Moriarty is a political science sophomore

The Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education proudly presents

The 18th Annual Gilbert M. Grosvenor Distinguished Lecture

Gary Knell

President and CEO of National Geographic Society

Photo by Mark Thiessen/National Geographic

Gary E. Knell is the President and CEO of the National Geographic Society, where he oversees the Society’s vast nonprofit activities globally. He also serves on the board of National Geographic Partners, the Society’s for-profit arm that oversees all of National Geographic’s storytelling assets, including television, print and digital, and ancillary operations, which include travel expeditions.

“Generation Geography”

The challenges facing our world are growing increasingly complex. And while technological advances offer solutions, they often cause disruption and disconnections. Now, more than ever, students’ need to understand the importance of human and physical geography – how people interact with the environment and each other. Cultivating global awareness among these digital-savvy learners can help them become “Generation Geography,” a community of socially conscious and informed changemakers striving to achieve a planet in balance. p.m.

7 p.m., Wednesday, Wednesday, November November 29, 29, 2017 2017 J.C. Kellam ReedRoom, Parr Room J.C. Kellam Reed Parr 11th Floor 11th Floor Texas State University Reception beginsUniversity at 6:00 p.m.

Texas State Openbegins to the Public Reception at 6:00 p.m.

Free Event,Open First-come First-Serve Basis to the Public Freemore Event, First-come First-Serve Basis For information call: 512-245-1823 If you require accommodations due to a disability in order to participate, please contact 512.245.1823 at least 72 hours in advance of the event.

This information is available in alternative format upon request from the Office of Disability Services.

Texas State University is a tobacco-free campus.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHANCE BROWN

10 | Tuesday, November 14, 2017

SPORTS

The University Star Lisette Lopez Sports Editor @lisette_1023

UniversityStar.com @universitystar

INTRAMURAL

Third time's the charm for one intramural football team

By Brooke Phillips Assistant Sports Editor After three years of competing together, one intramural football team won the title of Men’s-A champions, while also forming a lasting brotherhood.

Flag football is just one of the many intramural sports Texas State offers.

There are three different men-only leagues students can join: Men’s-A, Men’s-B, and Greek league. With Men’sA being the most competitive, the Big Briminal Brand team defeated all its competition as they took the championship title home this season.

Big Briminal Brand consists of ten players. The team first formed with only seven members following the idea to establish itself at Tower Hall.

Antonio Wright, accounting junior, was one of the original seven when he lived in Tower Hall his freshman year, and in its first year, the team played in the Men’s-B league.

“I love the game, but didn’t get to play college football because it would’ve taken up too much time,” Wright said.

“I just decided to play flag football and I love playing seven-on-seven.”

Although Tower Hall houses many freshmen, Big Briminal Brand consisted of all classifications. Dezmond Jarboe-

Moore, public relations senior, played intramural flag football for two years prior to joining Big Briminal Brand.

Some members of the team had experience playing football before college while others had none. The reason for creating the intramural team was the same: football was the sport they all loved.

“I really love sports,” Donald-Ray Stevenson, accounting junior said. “I wanted to play football at Texas State but I decided not to. With intramural, I can keep playing.”

Moving up to Men’s-A, Big Briminal Brand knew that its competition would be more difficult. With the team’s first year in its new league, winning the league championship meant everything.

“Winning the championship was super exciting,” Wright said. “It meant that our hard work paid off.”

Winning the championship not only meant a team win for Jarboe-Moore, but it also meant ending his last season at Texas State on a positive note.

“It was a matter of time,” JarboeMoore said. “Winning was pretty cool and real fun. At the end of the day, it’s about being with your boys and being the best flag football team on campus.”

Intramural teams are solely formed by its members and who they want on their team. By being able to form a team

The Big Briminal Brand intramural football team poses for a photo.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTONIO WRIGHT

completely by choice, the camaraderie in each team is already present.

“The best part is building a bond,” Stevenson said. “You have to communicate (with your teammates) to be successful. You’re going to grow closer over time.”

Big Briminal Brand will always stick

together as a team — on and off the field.

“My favorite part is being able to play football and having fun with it,” Wright said. “After playing with my best friends that I’ve known since freshman year, I can truly say that these are my brothers now.”

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Basketball player's athletic ability runs through her veins

By Orlando Williams Sports Reporter Bailey Holle, sophomore guard, is a special kind of athlete. She was born to play sports.

Holle's father, Eric Holle, is a former NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs, her mom played collegiate basketball and her uncles are both former Texas State baseball players.

Holle was first introduced to basketball in third grade by her parents and fell in love. What Holle loved more was constantly competing with her twin sister, Brooke, to reach her full potential both in basketball and life.

“It was really fun,” Holle said. “It's really competitive, we were always competing against each other so I always had someone to race against.”

At Westlake High School, Holle showed her potential when she received the Honorable Mention All-District pick.

Sophomore year she was awarded Second-Team All-District selections and junior year received First-Team AllDistrict honors and was named District Defensive MVP. Senior year she became a McDon-

Bailey Holle, sophomore guard (left), attempts to block the shot of a Baylor player. PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS

ald’s All-American Nominee and led her team to a District 14-6A Championship.

Texas State was always an option, but because Brooke could be right by her side sealed the deal.

“They offered Brooke and I both scholarships, and that was really important,” Holle said. “I’m (also) from Austin so my parents and my family can come watch us play.”

Holle played 16 minutes and had two assists in a win against Incarnate Word in her first collegiate debut. In that season, she played a total of 22 games and made two starts.

Despite a disappointing loss last season at 16-15, Holle is looking forward to doing her part by learning what improvements she can make in her own game to help the team function better.

“I definitely want to improve more off the bounce," Holle said. "Right now I’m a catch and shoot kind of player and I want to be able to drive and attack more. I personally just want to grow as a player and get more confident on the floor and I want to make the people around me better.”

On Feb. 10, the Bobcats will face University of Texas-Arlington at College Park Center.

“They’re our closest rival in conference,” Holle said. “Last year when we beat them at home it was so fun and they're always good competition, it’s just fun to play against them.”

Holle and the Bobcats are going to take it one game at a time to improve from last year and establish their presence in the Sun Belt Conference this season.

SOFTBALL

Women in collegiate sports

By Anthony Flores Sports Reporter The modern-day world of collegiate sport is a male dominated arena. Even with increased opportunities for women to have larger roles in the world, there remains a large gap in participation, funding and media attention.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon June 23, 1972 and stated, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The law was created to allow women the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

Before Title IX entered the picture in 1972, the number of women playing collegiate sports was less than 30,000.

Forty-five years after Title IX, that number has increased to over 200,000.

While participation in collegiate sport has increased amongst women, the females coaching women’s collegiate sports has decreased.

Bucking the trend, at Texas State every major sport for females is coached by a female coach.

Women in the United States have outnumbered men in college for about

35 years. Currently of the all students attending college in America, women account for more than half, making up almost 57 percent.

Despite Title IX and outnumbering men in percentage of college attendance, women only account for only 40 percent of college athletes and receive less than just four percent of media coverage.

According to an article by Motherjones.com, as recently as 2010, women’s teams received just 41.4 percent of the money spent on head coach salaries, 36.4 percent on recruiting and just 39.6 percent on overall athletic expenses.

Significantly less funding than males receive, due in part to large football budgets.

Texas State University is no stranger to the same issue, as noted by senior midfielder Rachel Grout from the Texas State women’s soccer team.

“Seeing big football locker rooms and thinking 'oh my goodness they’re so nice,'” Grout said. “Not that we don’t have nice facilities, I mean obviously football is a bigger deal than soccer, so I think that’s part of it too.”

While Texas State may fall victim to the same need to focus on football that many universities do, it succeeds in creating an environment that allows its female athletes to succeed.

The success seen by the women’s soc-

cer, volleyball, basketball and softball teams are evidence of that environment.

For Grout, Texas State does a good job offering women equal opportunities, the inequalities often seen at other universities not affecting her.

“I think here at Texas State we’re treated equally,” Grout said. “So that’s not something personally we’ve thought about."

When asked whether she believed she’d receive more attention if she was a male athlete, senior forward for the women’s soccer team Kassi Hormuth both felt they’d received their fair share of attention.

“I don’t know, I think we received a lot of credit,” Hormuth said.

Grout backed Hormuth, echoing the same sentiment.

“I feel like we each got the attention that we deserved,” Grout said.

The numbers back the surface image of all-inclusiveness and equality that Texas State athletics presents to the public.

According to Collegefactial.com, a college choice resource website that evaluates more than 1,300 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. The resource website found that both male and female athletes at Texas State receive almost identical amounts of individual sports-related financial aid.

Women were granted 99.1

Krista Jacobs, junior righthanded pitcher, pitches during the second inning of Texas State's 5-1 loss to McLennan Community College Nov. 7 at the Bobcat softball stadium.

PHOTO BY KIRBY CRUMPLER

percent of the aid men received.

Women have come a long way in college sports, but there’s still room for improvement. Title IX represents the largest step forward. There may be more women in college sports than ever before, but until they receive the same quality of facilities as men and balanced media coverage, they’ll continue to lag their counterparts.

The University Star

SPORTS

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 | 11 UniversityStar.com @universitystar

Lisette Lopez Sports Editor @lisette_1023

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Senior looks forward for new season goals

By Melea Polk Sports Reporter With the season just getting started, one senior weighs in on last year’s success and his expectations for the new season.

Immanuel King, senior forward,joined the men’s basketball team in 2016 after transferring from Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama.

In his first season, King started in 23 of the 36 games he played in. King averaged 5.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.The forward led the team with 56.6 percent in field goal percentage and 38 blocked shots. King tied for sixth in most blocked shots in a single season in the program's history.

Along with being named to the Sun Belt Conference AllTournament Team,King helped the Bobcats to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game against Troy. King finished the game with 11 points, eight rebounds and a season-high of five blocks.

With last season ending, the Bobcats lost key players in the lineup.

Only two players from the starting five were left, which included King and Nijal Pearson, sophomore guard.

Along with being one of the two starters left, King is also one of three seniors. With that said, stepping up as a leader is important to King.

“The coaches told me that I need to be one of the ones to step up,” King said. “I feel that I am fulfilling that role so far because I am one of the guys who is letting the other people know what should be done. I try and be a role

the job because we are returning starters.”

Before stepping up, King had to realize what being a leader is to him. The North Carolina nativedescribed the a leader as someone who motivates the team and tries to keep everyone on the same page.

“As a leader, you should speak up and help guide the team in the right direction,” King said. “I am really nice and respectful about it, but there are some instances that I have to be mean.”

Although the season has just commenced, King already sees the difference in relationships with his old teammates and the new ones.

“We have a really talented group this year, but last year we were really close,” King said. “We grew as a team and it made it easier to play and win together.

Once we really start to connect with each other this year, it will be easier for us to get things done.”

King has set season expectations for himself and the team. King’s biggest goal this season is to receive the SBC championship ring.

“For myself, my expectations are just to play my hardest to help the team win,” King said. “My biggest goal at the end is to get that ring. As a team, we just need to win. The most important games are the conference games, so those are the ones we have to really prepare for in the preseason.”

King hopes this new season can be just as record-breaking as last season or better. The Bobcats finished the 2016Immanuel King, senior forward, shoots a layup during a past game against 17 season 22-14 and were one win away Arkansas State. STAR FILE PHOTO from participating in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. model for the rest of the team on and son.

“Last season was filled with a lot of “All the people who are returning off the court.” doubt,” King said. “Not too many peoThe applied arts and science major is have to be the ones to step up,” King ple thought we could do what we did, looking for himself and other key play- said. “We have to be the ones to show and we proved them wrong. This year ers like Pearson and Nedeljko Prijovic, the new teammates the ropes since we is all about proving more people wrong know what is expected of us already. sophomore forward, to step up this seaand getting that ring in March.”

Nijal and I are the ones who should take

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