8
By Amanda Ross News Reporter Texas State Diamond Sweethearts held each other and wept for their fallen friend as they crowded around a high- school letterman jacket and a collection of pho- tographs. The girls bur- ied their faces into each other’s shoulders and offered hugs and condo- lences to the family of their friend. Erika Esquina, who was a Diamond Sweet- heart and mass communi- cations sophomore, was one of 21 students and 20 faculty and staff mem- bers honored Wednesday at the 26th Bobcat Pause. The memorial service and reception were held for the friends and family of members of the Texas State community who died within the past year. “It’s touching to see how many are here to sup- port each other and Texas State,” said Karli Wiloth, Diamond Sweetheart and family and child develop- ment sophomore. Wiloth said the event provided her with some much-needed closure, as she was unable to attend Esquina’s funeral. By Katharina Guttenberg News Reporter Students brought issues concerning the Bobcat Tram system, parking permits and construction to University President Denise Trauth during her Cat Chat Wednesday. The students, faculty and campus-orga- nization representatives in attendance at the invite-only event had the opportunity to speak with Trauth in a round-table setting. A majority of the meeting was focused on the bus system and parking permits. Several students spoke about the unpre- dictability of the bus system and inaccuracy of the Texas State application’s tram sched- ule, which causes them to be late to class. The recent decision to raise the cost of park- ing permits was additionally brought up. “No decision is going to be perfect for everyone,” Trauth said. “I think we do phe- nomenal given the resources.” Students who drive to campus instead of taking the bus may have to face expenses and issues with parking. Trauth said the problem with parking at Texas State is “pil- ing on top of itself” as the student popula- tion grows. She said there is “no good way to deal with parking” at the university. Samuel Myers, exploratory international freshman, said he went to the Cat Chat be- cause after hearing there was supposed to be construction at Jones Dining Hall. My- ers wanted to find what places on campus would be available to eat at late at night and on the weekends. Trauth said it is possible there will be a change in the food items offered at dining halls after receiving feedback from students. More display cooking is additionally Defending the First Amendment since 1911 THURSDAY APRIL 11, 2013 www.UniversityStar.com VOLUME 102, ISSUE 76 GO ONLINE NOW Diamond Way Buddhists The Diamond Way Buddhist Group of San Marcos meets every week in the LBJ Student Center to explore Buddhist teachings and practice meditation. To see interviews with the group’s participants go to UniversityStar.com. READ ‘CAT CHAT’ , PAGE 3 READ PAUSE , PAGE 3 State senators voted unanimously Wednesday to change the university’s name from Texas State University-San Marcos to Texas State University. Senate Bill 974, authored by freshman senator Donna Campbell (R-25) and co-authored by Judith Zaffarini (D-21), asked to change the institution’s official name for the sixth time in 114 years. The house will now vote on the bill before Gov. Rick Perry can sign it into law. According to SB 974, the name change was proposed to clear up con- fusion between Texas State University- Round Rock and the main campus in San Marcos. Texas State University System regents will implement the name change if the governor signs the bill. Previously printed consumable prod- ucts, such as letterheads and station- ary, reading “Texas State University-San Marcos” will be used until they run out, according to the legislature’s fiscal note for the bill. Signage will not be replaced, but rather amended to remove “-San Marcos,” and it will not cost the univer- sity a significant amount of money, the note said. — Compiled by Taylor Tompkins, assistant news editor Bill to change university title passed through Senate By Nicole Barrios News Reporter Administrators will select the university’s next bus- service provider after comparing contract proposals and presentations. Nancy Nusbaum, interim director of transporta- tion services, said the university received four con- tract bids from service providers: All Aboard Amer- ica, Veolia Transportation, Groome Transportation and current bus provider First Transit. Of those four service providers, a proposal review team asked for presentations from First Transit and Veolia Transpor- tation. Nusbaum said the presentations took place April 5 and addressed specific issues from the con- tract proposals in greater detail. Bill Nance, vice president for Finance and Support Services, said the university will be requesting a “best and final offer” from the two companies. The univer- sity will select a contract based on the offer to take to the Board of Regents for approval in May, he said. The current bus-service contract expires in August 2014. However, administrators must take a motion to the regents months prior to the expiration date, Nance said. This is because of the lengthy process the chosen company will have to go through to manufac- ture a new fleet of buses, Nance said. “It’s not like you go to a car dealer and you pick out a car on the showroom floor,” Nance said. Nance said it takes approximately nine to 15 months to manufacture the buses. He said the new bus-service contract will begin fall 2014, and students should see a “much-enhanced bus service.” Nusbaum said the university’s budget for the bus- service contract will be approximately $6.5 million to $7 million per year depending on enrollment once the biannual student bus fee increases to $95 per stu- dent next fall. Nusbaum said she could not share the hourly rates the companies proposed in their contract at this time because the university still has an oppor- tunity to negotiate with them. Nance said a review team was formed to score the written proposals. He said the companies made their presentations to clarify the proposals. Nusbaum said an evaluation team developed a list of additional questions that were asked following the presentations. Nusbaum said the evaluation team is comprised of officials from departments across the university. Nusbaum said Jane Wilcox, incoming di- rector of transportation services, is part of the team and has been involved with the decision-making pro- cess. Wilcox said although administrators are “price sen- sitive these days,” the lowest-cost service is not neces- sarily what is best for the university. “We have to balance the price and the services that are proposed and go with a vendor who’s going to give the university the most bang for the buck,” Wil- cox said. Wilcox said the “bottom line” is the university ac- quires well-trained drivers and properly maintained buses and equipment that consistently provide ser- vice for everyone on campus. “From what I understand, that’s been fairly lack- ing,” Wilcox said. Nusbaum said the evaluation team asked First Transit about its service improvement plan and reno- vations to the business’ current operating facility on Wonder World Drive. The team asked Veolia about its bus-service plan’s implementation, along with where the operating facil- ity would be located and how the land for it could be attained if the company were chosen. Nusbaum said Veolia has found land owned by a contractor it works with who has agreed to build a facility for the company. Both companies addressed customer service and interaction between drivers and riders. Additionally discussed were on-street supervision duties and the development of a schedule for the buses to ensure there are no disruptions, Nusbaum said. The evaluation team is set to meet April 15 to dis- cuss its final decision. John Casares, Staff Photographer Students voice concerns about dining, transit at ‘Cat Chat’ Victoria Gonzales, public relations junior, holds white roses to be handed out for Bobcat Pause April 10 at the LBJ Ballroom. Bobcat Pause commemorates deceased University President Denise Trauth shows students around the president’s office during Cat Chat April 10 at J.C. Kellam. Sherry Ross, John Eikner and Rosy Morris attend Bobcat Pause April 10 in remembrance of multiple faculty members. Tess Wohlwend, finance senior, views her friend Haley Nowak’s memorial site April 10 at the LBJ Ballroom. Carlos Valdez, Assistant Photo Editor Transit companies vie for contract Pausing to Remember

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Page 1: April 11 2013

By Amanda RossNews Reporter

Texas State Diamond Sweethearts held each other and wept for their fallen friend as they crowded around a high-school letterman jacket and a collection of pho-tographs. The girls bur-

ied their faces into each other’s shoulders and offered hugs and condo-lences to the family of their friend.

Erika Esquina, who was a Diamond Sweet-heart and mass communi-cations sophomore, was one of 21 students and 20 faculty and staff mem-

bers honored Wednesday at the 26th Bobcat Pause. The memorial service and reception were held for the friends and family of members of the Texas State community who died within the past year.

“It’s touching to see how many are here to sup-port each other and Texas

State,” said Karli Wiloth, Diamond Sweetheart and family and child develop-ment sophomore.

Wiloth said the event provided her with some much-needed closure, as she was unable to attend Esquina’s funeral.

By Katharina GuttenbergNews Reporter

Students brought issues concerning the Bobcat Tram system, parking permits and construction to University President Denise Trauth during her Cat Chat Wednesday.

The students, faculty and campus-orga-nization representatives in attendance at the invite-only event had the opportunity to speak with Trauth in a round-table setting. A majority of the meeting was focused on the bus system and parking permits.

Several students spoke about the unpre-dictability of the bus system and inaccuracy of the Texas State application’s tram sched-ule, which causes them to be late to class. The recent decision to raise the cost of park-ing permits was additionally brought up.

“No decision is going to be perfect for everyone,” Trauth said. “I think we do phe-

nomenal given the resources.”Students who drive to campus instead of

taking the bus may have to face expenses and issues with parking. Trauth said the problem with parking at Texas State is “pil-ing on top of itself” as the student popula-tion grows. She said there is “no good way to deal with parking” at the university.

Samuel Myers, exploratory international freshman, said he went to the Cat Chat be-cause after hearing there was supposed to be construction at Jones Dining Hall. My-ers wanted to find what places on campus would be available to eat at late at night and on the weekends.

Trauth said it is possible there will be a change in the food items offered at dining halls after receiving feedback from students. More display cooking is additionally

Defending the First Amendment since 1911

THURSDAY APRIL 11, 2013

www.UniversityStar.comVOLUME 102, ISSUE 76

GO

ONLINE

NOW

Diamond Way BuddhistsThe Diamond Way Buddhist Group of San Marcos meets every week in the LBJ Student Center to explore Buddhist teachings and practice meditation. To see interviews with the group’s participants go to UniversityStar.com.

READ ‘CAT CHAT’, PAGE 3

READ pAuse, PAGE 3

State senators voted unanimously Wednesday to change the university’s name from Texas State University-San Marcos to Texas State University.

Senate Bill 974, authored by freshman senator Donna Campbell (R-25) and co-authored by Judith Zaffarini (D-21), asked to change the institution’s official name for the sixth time in 114 years. The house will now vote on the bill before Gov. Rick Perry can sign it into law.

According to SB 974, the name change was proposed to clear up con-fusion between Texas State University-Round Rock and the main campus in San Marcos. Texas State University System regents will implement the name change if the governor signs the bill.

Previously printed consumable prod-ucts, such as letterheads and station-ary, reading “Texas State University-San Marcos” will be used until they run out,

according to the legislature’s fiscal note for the bill. Signage will not be replaced, but rather amended to remove “-San Marcos,” and it will not cost the univer-sity a significant amount of money, the note said.

— Compiled by Taylor Tompkins, assistant news editor

Bill to change university title passed through Senate

By Nicole BarriosNews Reporter

Administrators will select the university’s next bus-service provider after comparing contract proposals and presentations.

Nancy Nusbaum, interim director of transporta-tion services, said the university received four con-tract bids from service providers: All Aboard Amer-ica, Veolia Transportation, Groome Transportation and current bus provider First Transit. Of those four service providers, a proposal review team asked for presentations from First Transit and Veolia Transpor-tation. Nusbaum said the presentations took place April 5 and addressed specific issues from the con-tract proposals in greater detail.

Bill Nance, vice president for Finance and Support Services, said the university will be requesting a “best and final offer” from the two companies. The univer-sity will select a contract based on the offer to take to the Board of Regents for approval in May, he said.

The current bus-service contract expires in August 2014. However, administrators must take a motion to the regents months prior to the expiration date, Nance said. This is because of the lengthy process the chosen company will have to go through to manufac-ture a new fleet of buses, Nance said.

“It’s not like you go to a car dealer and you pick out a car on the showroom floor,” Nance said.

Nance said it takes approximately nine to 15 months to manufacture the buses. He said the new bus-service contract will begin fall 2014, and students should see a “much-enhanced bus service.”

Nusbaum said the university’s budget for the bus-service contract will be approximately $6.5 million to $7 million per year depending on enrollment once the biannual student bus fee increases to $95 per stu-dent next fall. Nusbaum said she could not share the hourly rates the companies proposed in their contract at this time because the university still has an oppor-tunity to negotiate with them.

Nance said a review team was formed to score the written proposals. He said the companies made their presentations to clarify the proposals.

Nusbaum said an evaluation team developed a list of additional questions that were asked following the presentations. Nusbaum said the evaluation team is comprised of officials from departments across the university. Nusbaum said Jane Wilcox, incoming di-rector of transportation services, is part of the team and has been involved with the decision-making pro-cess.

Wilcox said although administrators are “price sen-sitive these days,” the lowest-cost service is not neces-sarily what is best for the university.

“We have to balance the price and the services that are proposed and go with a vendor who’s going to give the university the most bang for the buck,” Wil-cox said.

Wilcox said the “bottom line” is the university ac-quires well-trained drivers and properly maintained buses and equipment that consistently provide ser-vice for everyone on campus.

“From what I understand, that’s been fairly lack-ing,” Wilcox said.

Nusbaum said the evaluation team asked First Transit about its service improvement plan and reno-vations to the business’ current operating facility on Wonder World Drive.

The team asked Veolia about its bus-service plan’s implementation, along with where the operating facil-ity would be located and how the land for it could be attained if the company were chosen. Nusbaum said Veolia has found land owned by a contractor it works with who has agreed to build a facility for the company.

Both companies addressed customer service and interaction between drivers and riders. Additionally discussed were on-street supervision duties and the development of a schedule for the buses to ensure there are no disruptions, Nusbaum said.

The evaluation team is set to meet April 15 to dis-cuss its final decision.

John Casares, Staff Photographer

Students voice concerns about dining, transit at ‘Cat Chat’

Victoria Gonzales, public relations junior, holds white roses to be handed out for Bobcat Pause April 10 at the LBJ Ballroom.

Bobcat Pause commemorates deceased

University President Denise Trauth shows students around the president’s office during Cat Chat April 10 at J.C. Kellam.

Sherry Ross, John Eikner and Rosy Morris attend Bobcat Pause April 10 in remembrance of multiple faculty members.

Tess Wohlwend, finance senior, views her friend Haley Nowak’s memorial site April 10 at the LBJ Ballroom.

Carlos Valdez, Assistant Photo Editor

Transit companies vie for contract

Pausing to Remember

Page 2: April 11 2013

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planned for the dining halls so students can see where their food is coming from and how it is made.

Myers was concerned about where students would get food once construction begins because Jones is the only dining hall open until midnight and on the weekends. My-ers said Trauth told him there will be accommodations made when construction starts.

“I believe that the upstairs portion of The Lair (would be a good replacement because it) is an excellent quality place for many, and the students really like going there,” Myers said.

Trauth responded to concerns regarding bike lanes being affected by construction projects on Sessom and Aquarena Springs Drives. She said the university cannot do anything to fix the issue because it does not own the streets. Trauth said the issue could be addressed with city councilmembers.

Taylor Nutterfield is on an intramural women’s volley-ball team and is in the Sports Club Alliance. Nutterfield addressed problems the al-liance is having with its fi-nances.

“(We want) our own out-of-school accounts (to) stay under the umbrella of Texas State’s (funding).”

Trauth took the group of students on a tour of her 10th-floor office in the J.C. Kellam administration building and showed them a rendering of the under-con-struction Performing Arts Complex . Trauth talked about several parts of the campus that could be seen from her windows and dis-cussed iconic buildings like Old Main and the Theatre Center.

‘CAT CHAT’

pAuse

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Nearly every seat in the LBJ Student Center ballroom was full. Candles were lit in honor of those who died, and Stu-dent Foundation members lined the room with tissues and roses in hand.

The ceremony’s invocation called upon members of the audience to re-member their loved ones. It encouraged them to take a deep breath and smile at the knowledge their loved ones will be re-membered at the university forever.

ASG President Nathan McDaniel read the names of the deceased students and invited their friends and family members to stand. Student Foundation members presented the friends and family with

white roses. The event, sponsored by Student Foun-

dation, featured a speech by University President Denise Trauth, along with a slideshow commemorating the deceased Bobcats and a selection of songs per-formed by VocaLibre.

River Holley, Student Foundation member, said his favorite part of the ser-vice was the collection of the memorabil-ia set up around the ballroom by family and friends of the deceased. Items such as photographs, letters, clothing and plaques were featured for viewing, com-memorating the lives the Bobcats had led.

Holley was in attendance for Student Foundation and to honor his best friend Haley Nowak, who died last year.

“Texas State is a family, and everyone who has been here has made an impact on the school,” Holley said.

The main focus of Bobcat Pause is uni-ty, Holley said, adding it was important for the families of the deceased to know the university supports their loved ones.

Ashley Brown, director of the event, said she began planning Bobcat Pause during the summer, know-ing that such an important event would require a large amount of time and plan-

ning.“We want the families to know that

they aren’t alone in this grieving pro-cess,” Brown said. “We want to help them and celebrate the lives of these Bobcats together.”

Wiloth said she was glad the ceremony drew such a large crowd.

“I like seeing people coming together, even if it’s for this reason,” Wiloth said.

Page 4: April 11 2013

If ever there were a reli-able bridge between the university and the city, it

was Councilwoman Kim Porter-field, Place 1.

Porterfield, who recently an-nounced she would not be run-ning again for city council after her term expires this November, has been a vital link between the university and the city for six years. She has spearheaded initiatives with positive effects. Both entities were impacted especially by her work with the city’s Comprehensive Master Plan. Porterfield will continue serving students through her Texas State position as director for community relations and will devote more time to the Youth Master Plan, according to an April 9 University Star article.

Porterfield has always been a good resource for students by being easily accessible for any questions, comments and concerns. She has been the epitome of transparency, fur-thering the city government’s initiatives by taking pride in communication with students.

Porterfield, who has consis-tently worked toward bettering the youth of San Marcos, plans to spend more time with her family since she will not be campaigning for re-election.

Porterfield’s work with the Youth Master Plan seeks to cre-ate a better community for pre-K through high school students by promoting healthy, active, physically and emotionally safe environments, inside and outside of class. Porterfield will do wonders for the initiative by making students academically

successful and workforce-ready by the time they graduate high school.

Her work with the Lone Star Rail is commendable, since she

has advocated for a passenger rail along the Interstate 35 cor-ridor. This new form of trans-portation could benefit stu-dents commuting from Austin

and San Antonio, although the rail is in the very early stages of planning.

Students should look forward to a variety of projects Por-

terfield is developing at Texas State. In the same University Star article, Porterfield said she is excited to implement new programming for community relations with Texas State. It is the editorial board’s hope Porterfield’s work will help ease historical tensions between locals and the ever-changing student population at Texas State.

Porterfield, who can regularly be seen touring elementary school groups across The Quad, has genuinely appeared to care for students, visitors and residents for a considerable amount of time. Furthermore, she seems like the type of city leader who would set aside personal convictions and make time in her schedule to give at-tention to anyone who wanted to communicate. Porterfield has selflessly devoted a number of years directly serving the residents and students of San Marcos as a member of the city council.

As the saying goes, all good things come to an end. Stu-dents and residents should support Porterfield’s decision not to extend her campaign for another possible city council term and hope she considers another bid at a later time.

The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State University-San Marcos Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University-San Marcos.

The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University-San Marcos and is published every other Wednesday 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 Thursday, April11, 2013. 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.

The first five issues of each edition of the paper are free. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased at 50¢ per copy. Contact The University Star office at (512) 245-3487 to purchase additional copies.

Visit The Star at www.UniversityStar.com

Editor In Chief................................................Beth Brown, [email protected] Editor............................Lee Moran, starmanagingeditor@txstate.eduLetters..................................................................................starletters@txstate.eduNews Editor...................................................Caitlin Clark, [email protected] Editor............................Hollie O’Connor, [email protected] Editor..........................................Liza Winkler, [email protected] Editor.......................................Austin Humphreys, [email protected] Editor..........................................Cameron Irvine, [email protected] Desk Chief......................Thomas Glasebrook, [email protected] Web Editor.............................................Cayla Green, [email protected]

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OPINIONS For more viewpoints or letters to the editor, e-mail [email protected]

4 | Thursday April 11, 2013 | The University Star

By Alex PerniceOpinions Columnist

The state of Texas offers a variety of veteran benefits programs to

students, but legislators must consider expanding coverage of the Hazlewood Act to serve a greater population.

One of the largest veterans benefit programs offered by the state of Texas is the Hazlewood Act. It provides veterans, spouses and children the opportunity to attend an eligible Texas educational institution with up to 150 hours of ex-empt tuition and a considerable amount of additional fees covered. This act is greatly beneficial for the education and financial future of many students who have parents that are veterans.

Texas State is the 12th most veteran-friendly university in the country, with over 1,000 new students registering under their post-service titles every year according to a March 27 University Star article. The Office of Veterans Affairs offers a wide variety of programs and services to veterans and their families. The services include financial aid assis-tance and support from the large veteran community on campus. The office’s resources have helped a great deal of students achieve higher education goals over the years.

One would think every child and spouse of a veteran would be able to receive some kind of financial aid across the board for college. However, there are some students who are not able to take hold of the Hazlewood benefits their families deserve because they do not meet specific qualification require-ments.

Many students are fully eligible to take advantage of benefits from the “Hazlewood Legacy Act” under Senate Bill 93. The requirements simply ask a student be a Texas resident, a biological,

adopted or step-child of a veteran and be between the ages of 18-25 years old when they begin a semester. It all seems so simple, but in reality, it is not.

It is nearly impossible to benefit from Hazlewood in Texas for some students with parents who are veterans enlisted in another state. As a child of a veteran myself, I have experienced difficulty receiving aid from the unused college hours my father has accumulated from his honorable discharge. My father enlisted in Illinois, which has barred my two younger sisters and me from recognition as children of a veteran who can receive higher education benefits in Texas. In a time where my family was in a sudden financial bind, hopes of gather-ing aid from my father’s military service did not prove to be fulfilled at all.

There is another financial aid oppor-tunity available to students who are chil-dren of veterans in Texas despite these stipulations barring some from receiving Hazlewood benefits. The Texas B-On-Time Loan Program is a financial aid opportunity allowing eligible students of veterans enlisted in any state to earn a

specific amount of aid per year. Appli-cants must have graduated from a Texas high school or one operated by the U.S. Department of Defense. Students must maintain at least a cumulative 2.5 GPA to renew after two or more years. The application process stipulates a student must graduate within four calendar years for most degree plans after their initial enrollment with a 3.0 GPA to be forgiven of the loan. Texas B-On-Time is a gracious help to veterans and their children who could use assistance even though it does not offer the exact ben-efits of Hazlewood.

It would be beneficial for Texas legislators to consider opening up Hazlewood veteran benefits to the group of students who may have a parent or spouse enlisted in other states. This request is not about entitlement to aid or benefits. It is about veterans and their families receiving proper thanks in one way or another no matter where they enlisted or currently reside.

--Alex Pernice is a mass communication sophomore.

Hazlewood should be expanded to take more students into account

By Ravi VenkataramanOpinions Columnist

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s proposed plans for at-

tack on the City of Austin will likely not be actualized, but the reasons behind the specific target warrant some questioning and discussion.

A photo released almost two weeks ago by North Korean state media officials showed Kim work-ing on plans for potential American mainland attacks. The map pres-ent in the picture, provided by NK News, appears to display possible targets in places such as Washing-ton, D.C., Hawaii, San Diego and Austin. As irrational as it seems, Kim is supposedly planning to at-tack the city about 30 miles north-east of the Texas State campus, a seemingly nonsensical target. What could Austin possibly possess to

make it seem like an important tar-get for North Korean leaders?

In a March 29 Austin Chronicle article, some humorous answers were provided for Kim’s threat on Austin. The article included reasons such as Kim lost the lottery to see Prince during South by Southwest and wanted revenge or perhaps he felt “Don’t Mess with Texas” chal-lenged his supreme authority. Daily Show host Jon Stewart comically suggested the North Korean leader’s indie film was rejected from SXSW. Thousands of others turned to Twit-ter under the hashtag #whyaustin to discuss their thoughts. Possible suggestions ranged from Austin’s educated workforce and Kim’s start-up failure to Friday Night Lights ending its television run and confu-sion with Austin culture after seeing Richard Linklater’s film “Slacker.”

The city is a strange target for an international attack, but does have many admirable assets. Austin is the 13th largest city and 34th biggest metropolitan area by population, according to a Feb. 6 PolitiFact article. Austin also ranks at number 34 for largest U.S. metropolitan economy. The city’s gross domestic

product totaled over $90 billion in 2011, according to the Austin Chamber website. The University of Texas, Whole Foods and Dell are based in Austin. Sixth Street, South Congress, Austin City Limits, SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest, the Bar-ton Springs Pool, other live music venues and specialty food trucks are all unique aspects Austin offers.

All of these social types of busi-nesses, venues and events in Austin likely have the potential to irritate Kim because North Korea is the most closed-off nation in the world. The country is governed by radical ideologies promoting militarism and self-sustenance, and ideas center upon a cult of personality revolving around “Great Leader” Kim Il-Sung. Deviant voices are often severely repressed, and it seems “Keep Aus-tin Weird” would be the anti-slogan of North Korea as a whole. Plus, North Korea’s residents are stuck in a rigid social structure, and young, educated yuppies on fixed-gear bikes could threaten that.

Apart from culture, Pyongyang and Austin are separated by 6,899 miles. The approximate range of the North Korean missile under

development right now is 6,700 kilometers or about 4,163 miles. It does not seem like Kim is targeting Austin to exact revenge for being rejected from UT or attempting to destroy as many hipsters as possible. Regardless, Austin does have the potential to be razed flat if his mili-tary were to attack more directly. As for San Marcos, it is unlikely Texas State students would be as severely affected because of its increased distance away from the state capital. Despite this, the spread of fallout is always a potential risk, and areas as far as Dallas or Houston could be affected depending on the potency of the particular bomb or missile.

Then again, listing Austin as a target could have been a clerical error by North Koreans, confus-ing Austin, the live music capital, for Houston, the energy capital of the world. For those living halfway across the globe, this type of pos-sible mix-up could easily be con-strued as a rookie mistake.

--Ravi Venkataraman is a creative writing masters student.

Porterfield leaves with legacy of transparency, cooperation

Did you really mean Austin, Kim Jong Un?

Kara Ramer, Star Illustrator

Page 5: April 11 2013

By Fiona RileyTrends Reporter

In a dystopian future city, the rich and poor are divided by one bizarre law—everyone must pay to use the re-stroom, and there are no private bath-rooms.

This is the premise of “Urinetown,” the latest play to be performed by the Department of Theatre and Dance, opening Tuesday.

Incorporating both politics and hu-mor, “Urinetown” is a satire about what happens when water becomes a scarce resource, making using the restroom an expensive activity.

“It’s also a challenge to the audience of ‘Who’s really evil, who’s really right, who’s really wrong?’ because the peo-ple have one point of view, and the rich have another,” said Betty Muessig, mu-sical theatre junior. “It definitely chal-lenges the audience.”

Muessig plays Penelope Pennywise,

a member of the elite who deals with the poor and the toilets as public amenities.

“She basically is the leader of the amenity,” Muessig said. “It’s her ame-nity that the poor go to, and she makes sure that they follow the law. Her job is to make sure that everything stays in order.”

Gabriel Bernal, musical theatre soph-omore, also plays a member of the law, Officer Lockstock, who narrates the story along with Little Sally, played by Sydney Roberts, musical theatre junior.

Bernal and Roberts were already friends prior to their work on “Urinet-own”.

“The chemistry we have as friends outside of the theater seems to come through in the show, even though these characters are not particularly like us,” Bernal said. “I’m actually a very jolly person that’s always joking, and Offi-cer Lockstock is a jokester, but he’s a little more on the serious side.”

Little Sally is an 8-year-old girl, but Roberts said she was still able to find similarities between her character and herself.

“I ask a lot of questions, and I’m a very logical person, sometimes too much, and I think through everything, and Little Sally literally wants to figure out every detail,” Roberts said. “She’s always playing devil’s advocate and asking questions just to get people to think.”

Bernal, Roberts and Muessig all said that this play has been challenging for them, because the style is very different than what they’re used to.

Director Kaitlin Hopkins expanded on that idea.

“I think that the comedic style is very hard. It’s very tricky,” Hopkins said. “Satire, especially anything that’s Brechtian in its presentation, is ap-proached very differently from other forms of comedy, and certainly other forms of comedy that we’ve done

here before.”Hopkins knew the composer for

“Urinetown”, Tony Award-winning Mark Hollmann, from her work as a performer prior to teaching at Texas State. She asked him to come to the school and help with the show.

“It’s very rare in an academic envi-ronment that you have access to the Broadway composer coming down to work with you,” Hopkins said.

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TRENDS Check out more at UniversityStar.com

The University Star | Thursday April 11, 2013 | 5

By Zach MayerTrends Reporter

Members of the Diamond Way Bud-dhist Group on campus explore their spirituality every Thursday in the LBJ Student Center.

Sergio Ayala, an anthropology staff specialist and traveling Buddhist teach-er, typically gives lessons in Buddhist ways at the meetings. The weekly pro-gram is designed to teach people the goal of Buddhism, what it is, and what it is not.

“Buddhism is one of the major reli-gions that has its basis in experience and one of not really going after num-bers,” Ayala said. “People arrive at their own intuitive questions and insights and usually find Buddhism if it’s a right fit for them.”

Ayala said the religion is not very widespread on campus, but it is fitting to a university environment because of its philosophical basis.

“Buddhism is really about getting that inner power, strength and independence and bringing those inner qualities out,” he said.

Ayala said the group’s philosophy is to help individuals develop a method to become independent from their own thoughts and emotions through clarifi-cation and awareness of inner power. He said finding rest in the mind does not happen over night—the process is long and difficult with a lot of medi-tation. The end goal is liberation and enlightenment.

Ayala said this would be hard for westerners because of the culture of im-mediacy they live in. It may be hard, but he said it is possible if they are moti-vated.

“I love Buddhism,” said Carla Jara, psychology junior. “I was looking at the Texas State website and looking for a club or anything related (to Buddhism). I found an (older) article by The Univer-sity Star talking about Diamond Way.”

Jara contacted the Diamond Way group and she attended her first meet-ing last Thursday with a friend. She liked Ayala’s teaching and felt the meet-ing was a growing experience.

Chris Lofton, schoolteacher and Tex-as State alumnus, occasionally drives from San Antonio to attend programs. He enjoys meditating with friends.

Lofton helped found the group on the campus in 2008 and 2009. One of the first programs, taught by Lama Ole Ny-dahl, had about 75 people in attendance outside Old Main.

Today the group’s numbers fluctu-ate. Meeting attendance can be as high as 30 or as low as five people. Lofton said the group is not about numbers but providing an opportunity for people to work with minds.

People have a number of different ideas about Buddhism, some coming from incorrect stereotypes. Lofton said the religion is not just a lot of exotic practices, teachings and rituals and is accessible to anyone. The Diamond Way group comes from the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

Buddhism practiced in campus organization

Songs, dance flow together in new musical about bathrooms

There will be a preview of “Urinet-own” for $5 on April 15 at 7:30 p.m. The show will then run from April 16 to April 21 at 7:30 p.m. for $7 to students and $12 to the general public, with another view-ing on April 21 at 2 p.m. for the same price.

Allison Diaz, Staff Videographer

Sergio Ayala teaches students about Buddhist ideas April 4 in the LBJ Student Center.

Page 6: April 11 2013

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6 | Thursday April 11, 2013 | The University Star

SPORTS Check out more at UniversityStar.com

By Odus Evbagharu Sports Reporter

Texas State softball will try to avoid be-ing the first 30-loss team the program has seen in 13 years under Coach Ricci Wood-ard when they face the University of Texas-Arlington this weekend.

The Mavericks are former Southland Conference foes of the Bobcats and are cur-rently in a seven game losing streak after winning their first two conference games against Seattle University.

“We played them last year and even earli-er this year,” said sophomore third baseman Courtney Harris. “We know what they have and it’s nothing special. We just need to go out and play our best and if we do that, we will come out on top.”

The Bobcats (9-29) have taken two of the last three contests against UTA, outscoring them 8-4. The Mavericks have a 17-19 re-cord overall and sit tied for seventh in the WAC posting a record of 2-7.

“At this point, every conference game is important,” Woodard said. “We just need to win. We’re in April and every single game now has a meaning through May. We need to win every game pretty much in April.”

UTA will be led by preseason All-WAC se-lection senior pitcher Teri Lyles and sopho-more infielder Meagan Michele. Michele leads the team in batting average (.311), hits (32) and home runs (3). Lyles has the best ERA in the conference (1.73) and is tied for the second most wins (15). She has struck

out the third most batters (91).Texas State lost 3-2 to UTA in an earlier

season matchup in the Texas Shootout. The Mavericks were victorious in 11 innings off a game-winning single.

Michele hit the single to win the game while Lyles pitched all 11 innings in the last meeting the two ball clubs had. She gave up six hits and three walks and struck out four batters in the victory.

“We just have to worry about us and what we do,” Woodard said. “For us right now it hasn’t mattered who the opponent was. It’s been more about what we do as a ball club.”

Texas State is 2-1 away from San Marcos in conference play while the Mavericks post a 4-5 record at home for the 2013 season. The Bobcats won their first WAC series on the road in Seattle and will go to Arlington looking for the same result.

“We are looking to continue on with our momentum after Tuesday night,” Har-ris said. “We are looking to play great ball and get some wins. Hopefully we will sweep them and make a run here late.”

The ball club was picked in the preseason to win the WAC by the coaches and cur-rently sits fifth in the standings one game under .500.

“We are working on what we need to work on to accomplish our goals,” Harris said. “We are locked in and focused on what we need to do and the task at hand.”

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Mavericks next up for Bobcats in must-win April

Texas State softball will take on the University of Texas-Arlington in three games this weekend on the road. The Bobcats have a record of 2-6 for away games.

Star File Photo

SOFTBALL

Page 7: April 11 2013

By Jordan BrewerAssistant Sports Editor

The Bobcats will look to end their second-longest losing streak of the season when they face Louisiana Tech University in a WAC series this weekend.

The University of Texas defeated Texas State Tuesday night in Austin 12-5 after erupting with 16 hits. The Bobcats had their moments at the plate, scoring in five differ-ent innings, but they could not match the offensive production of the Longhorns.

“(UT) was focused (Tuesday),” said Coach Ty Harrington. “They showed they could be offensive. We showed we could put good bats on balls. We (were) obviously disappointed.”

Both Texas State and Louisiana Tech are coming into the weekend with hopes of turning performances around. The Bull-dogs have lost five of their last six games.

The Bulldogs have played in three WAC series so far this season and dropped all of them en route to a 2-7 conference record. They defeated Seattle University in their WAC opener 5-2 and beat San Jose State University 6-2 last weekend.

Wedged in between was a series against the University of Texas-Arlington where they were swept and outscored 21-2 in all three games. The Bulldogs and Bobcats have had comparable offensive seasons with Louisiana Tech (.251), narrowly best-ing Texas State (.251) in batting average.

Junior Ryan Gebhardt (.306) leads the Bulldogs in batting as their lone .300 hitter. He leads the team in slugging percentage (.395) and is among the highest Bobcat performers in RBI (16). Junior Tyler Er-vine has contributed three home runs on the season while batting .295.

Senior Andrew Stumph’s return to the lineup after being held out with an injury since early March could have a positive ef-fect on the offense. Stumph was 2-4 against UT with two RBI.

Louisiana Tech’s strength lies in its pitch-ing staff, which ranks third in the confer-ence in earned run average (4.05). Sopho-more Phil Maton leads the staff with a 2.18 ERA and a 5-2 record. He has 55 strikeouts and 21 walks on the season.

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Sports | The University Star | Thursday April 11, 2013 | 7

Bobcats to take on BulldogsBASEBALL

By Odus EvbagharuSports Reporter

At the base of the 8-foot bronze statue of John Wooden that stands guard outside Pauley Pavilion where the University of California-Los Angeles plays, a plaque is inscribed with one of the legendary coach’s favorite sayings:

“Success is peace of mind which is a di-rect result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable of becoming.”

It is a wonderful thought. It is one that Danny Kaspar, the latest caretaker of the Texas State men’s basketball team has to prove to the university and students. Kaspar has an overall record of 438-188 as a head coach and can take solace in the fact that he has been successful everywhere he has instructed.

Wooden won 10 national championships in a 12-year period including seven in a row

at one point. To compare Kaspar and Wood-en would be completely unfair, but they do bare similarities in the fact that they ask a lot of themselves and their players off and on the court. They win.

Kaspar is a man who has found success at the two programs he previously coached at before taking the Texas State job. He spent nine seasons at the University of the Incar-nate Word where he amassed a record of 219-52, never obtaining double-digit loses in a season. He never had a losing record in any of his seasons there.

Kaspar then left to coach at Stephen F. Austin University, where he was 219-136 and got an NCAA Tournament berth in the 2009 season alongside two National Invitation Tournament postseason ap-pearances. Doug Davalos could not do that in his seven seasons at Texas State. Davalos posted a 92-107 record and nev-er had a winning season. Kaspar should find his way in San Marcos just like he did in San Antonio and Nacogdoches.

Wooden won a lot over the years, adapting to the times and players who came through his program and those he had to beat. He won with children of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. He won in an era before freshmen were allowed to play on the varsity team. He won when freshmen dominated the game. He won with play-ers of all races from all sorts of places

and even red-headed hippies such as Hall of Famer Bill Walton.

Kaspar has won a lot too. He has the most wins of any coaches in the state of Texas for the past six years and has the second most wins in 12 years. He has proven himself to be a winning coach and it would not be sur-prising to see him succeed at Texas State. He’s adapted to winning at the NAIA level and in the Southland, a FCS-level confer-ence. He now looks to succeed in the Sun Belt against FBS caliber schools.

Kaspar recently won the 2013 Hugh Durham Award for being the nation’s top mid-major coach. His competitors included Keith Dambrot (Akron), Rick Byrd (Bel-

mont) and Andy Enfield who recently took Florida Gulf Coast University to the Sweet 16 and was hired by the University of South-ern California.

Kaspar said at his press conference that he chose Texas State to be the “last chapter in (his) coaching career.” He said that he has about 10 more years in him to coach. Hopefully in those 10 years he can do what John Wooden was remembered for: win, and keep winning.

Hopefully he can, as they say this time of year, “survive and advance.”

Twitter: odus_Outputs

New basketball coach shows promise for Texas StateAFTER FURTHER REVIEW: ODUS’ OUTPUT

Page 8: April 11 2013

8 | Thursday April 11, 2013 | The University Star | Advertisement