Flashback: Articles from Texas State's University Star: Fall Semester

Reading old journal entries on my Livejournal, I came across an entry with all the articles from the days as a wee little j-schooler. During my first semester at SWT, I joined the newspaper staff for The University Star as a news writer. Obviously, I didn't stay very long but I like reading these to remind myself how much my writing has evolved since I decided that I wanted to write for a living. Or maybe it hasn't evolved. It's all subjective. By the way, most of the comments in itatlics were written when this blog was originally posted in 2004.

This is the story that started it all. This was the first story assigned to me. She assigned it and wanted it done by the next day. So after I hung up with her, I had to call the guy to get the information, write it out and ready to go by 5:00 pm the next day. Well I did it which I kinda regret because she then expected that out of me all the freaking time. Added today: I do love that the abbreviation for the organization is completely wrong and even 10 years later, it's still not fixed.

Men Against Violence to rally in Quad today
By Sarah Vasquez
Star Reporter
9/20/00

Members of Men Against Violence (MVA) will hold a rally today to inform the student body about anger management and the purpose of their organization.

The rally will be held by The Fighting Stallions in the Quad at 11:50 a.m.

The organization's members will present a short skit about anger management and statistics about men and violence. They will also discuss what MVA has planned for the upcoming semester and what they are all about.

Men Against Violence is a registered student organization associated with the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center (ADRC). It is a program of predominately male members who try to open students' eyes about the different problems going on in and around the Southwest Texas community such as acquaintance rape, dating violence, hate crimes and alcohol.

"Our mission is to reduce frequency and severity of violent acts throughout SWT and surrounding communities," said John Capuano, health education senior and member of MVA.

Another aspect of MVA is interaction with different people on campus from student organizations, the greeks and residential halls. The group also communicates with students outside of campus attending boot camps, junior highs and high schools.

"We also try to collaborate with other organizations like the Shelter for Battered Women," said Julie Eckert, Peer Education Coordinator at the ADRC and a faculty advisor for MVA.

Students interested in participating in MVA can attend the rally for more information.

I lucked out with this story. I was supposed to attend this bbq right? I was really shy back then so the thought of having to go to this thing without knowing anyone freaked me out. Well turns out that I knew like 5 of the sisters because they were advisors and RA's in Upward Bound. Not to mention that my University Seminar professor was the sorority's advisor so he helped me out a lot getting interviews and meeting everyone. This also made the front page. Of course he showed it off to the class when it came out. He used to tell everyone I was gonna be a superstar one day. lol

Sigma Delta Lambda celebrates fourth birthday
By Sarah Vasquez
Star Reporter
10/03/00

Rick Green, State Representative for District 46, presented Sigma Delta Lambda with a documented history that recognized its contributions throughout the area at the sorority's fourth birthday celebration this past Saturday.

Sorority members and guests ate barbecue and hung out at the event, held at Sewell Park, while music filled the background. Many guests were in attendance such as Martha Tatum, San Marcos City Council member for Place 6, and her husband, Kyev Tatum, from the Willie May Mitchell Center.

"I just want to thank the sorority for the commitment they've made throughout the university and community and the difference they made on life, not only outside their sorority but also among themselves," Green said.

SDL first started four years ago when 11 female SWT students joined together to build a support network for Hispanic women.

One of the founding sisters, Vickie Vallasana, took measures into her own hands and researched what necessary steps it would take to create a sorority. The first interest meeting had over 100 girls in attendance.

"The need for this type of group was obviously there so we took it from there," said Tina Deolloz-Daniels, co-founder and SDL national executive board secretary. "We had to do all the writing for the constitution and once we did it, it immediately took off."

On March 1, 1997, SDL became the first handmade greek organization at SWT, and it is still the only group to hold this distinction.

The sorority's mission is to create a support network for Latinas in the SWT community so when new freshman girls come on campus, they can recognize that some women from their heritage have formed together.

Those who have already graduated can also come back and give advice on their experiences to those who still attend college.

The sorority also does community service. One place they help is the Mitchell Center, a community opportunity center for young people. At the center, the girls volunteer some of their time with the children.

They also try to collaborate with other student organizations and pull everybody together so they can get out and do community service.

The sorority is expanding by attempting to start other chapters at the University of Texas in Austin and University of Texas Pan Am.

"We've come so far," said Lori Ruiz, political science senior and member of SDL. "We started with 11 members and now we are going to expand to two other universities. Many people doubted us but we've become successful."

For all of its hard work, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named the sorority Organization of the Year.

"Another thing is the whole retention, which is one of the things that really makes me proud," said Anthony Daniels, faculty advisor and mentor and Associate Director at the LBJ Student Center.

"Because of the organization, we have a lot of the females that are really involved and engaged with other activities and their grades are better."

I had to sit through this speaker and it was pretty interesting. He showed slides and all kinds of "behind the scenes footage"

FBI agent explains government position regarding Waco tragedy
By Sarah Vasquez
Star Reporter
10/18/00

It has been eight years since the Branch Davidian siege at Mt. Carmel in Waco, but on Tuesday, the chief FBI negotiator visited SWT to give an overview on what really happened during the 51-day standoff.

Byron Sage, the negotiator, mainly had conversations with David Koresh during the siege and tried to bargain with him so the situation would be solved. During his presentation, he shared with the audience one conversation he had with Koresh on the day of the fires asking him to let the children that were still in the building go from harm's way.

"I asked him to let the rest of the children go, and he told me that he wouldn't let the rest go, because the ones that were still left were his biological children," Sage said.

Also, Sage presented slides from the actual scene during many of the standoff's highlights, including the raid and the fires. As he displayed each picture, he told the emotions he felt as he experienced each situation. When he showed the picture of the building on fire, he expressed that all he could think about was getting the children out. He used his parental instincts to bring the kids out, because that was the number one priority to him, he said.

Sage cleared up what he claimed were false statements about the siege. One unclear aspect of the standoff was the reason the FBI got involved with the Davidians.

"It was not because of their religious practice, because the Bill of Rights grants them that freedom," Sage said. "It was not because they carried weapons, because the Bill of Rights also grants them that freedom. It was because of the murders of four federal agents."

One reason the Davidians did not want to leave the compound was because they thought they would be harmed or arrested by the FBI. To combat that fear, the FBI allowed the Davidians, who were released, to use the PA system to tell the others inside the building that they were all right.

On April 19, 1993, the FBI used tear gas to force the people out of the compound, because it was the lowest level of force available, Sage said. The FBI had two plans of attack for using this weapon. Plan A was to insert cans in the building within 48 hours. If the Davidians attacked the agents, they would go to plan B, which was to saturate the whole building with the cans. The FBI gave prior warning to the Davidians by using the PA system 10 minutes prior to inserting the gas.

Sage presented his audience a list of facts regarding the events that occurred April 19, 1993. The Davidians intentionally started three separate fires within the compound shortly after noon, Sage said. The fires were not caused nor contributed to by the act of the government. It was Koresh and Steve Schneider, his assistant, who ordered the Davidians to begin spreading fuel, Sage said.

After the fire subsided, the FBI went in to inspect the remains of the compound. Officials found Koresh and Schneider lying dead next to each other. Koresh had a bullet hole in his forehead, and Schneider had a bullet hole in his mouth. The gun used to fire both shots was found next to Schneider.

A list of weaponry and ammunition that were found in the compound after the fire included 61 AK-47 rifles, 13 shotguns, multiple illegal silencers and several silencer components, hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition and multiple grenade rockets.

A question-answer session took place after the presentation. One female student asked, "If this sort of situation were to happen again, do you think the government would be more prepared to handle it?"

"Yes, because the technology is more advanced than it was back then," Sage said. "The event took place in 1993, so we didn't have that many technological advances. If it were to happen again, I believe the government would be ready because they are more aware of what would be going on."

The reason why there's two names on the byline was because I got really lazy and just wrote out the press release. Not word for word because well that would be plagarism. (Added today: I've learned since then that can still be considered plagiarism or a blogging standard. Take your pick.) My editor asked me that night "Did you interview the guy because it seemed like you only used the press release." which I was like "uh yeah I did. He never got a hold of me." and she was all confused so she added some tibits of her own to the story. Man, I'm horrible.

SWT sponsors recruiting event
The Los Angeles Police Department will be recruiting on campus today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the second floor foyer of Hines Academic Center.
By Sarah Vasquez and Sarah Evans
Star Staff
10/26/00

Anyone who ever thought of becoming a Los Angeles Police Officer will get a chance tomorrow.

The Los Angeles Police Department will be recruiting on campus all day. Representatives of the department will have recruiting tables from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the second floor foyer of Hines Academic Center. They will also be offering the Police Officer Written Test, the first step in the selection process, at 3 p.m. in room 205 of Hines. After the test, they will give a short seminar about law enforcement careers.

"We're going around the nation looking for the best and brightest candidates for the Los Angeles Police Department," said Sgt. Bill Frio, the officer in charge of the LAPD Recruitment Unit.

The free written test consists of two parts: a 50-question multiple choice test, which measures reading comprehension and English usage, and an essay, which determines written communication skills. The score for the multiple choice test is usually given on the day the exam is administered, but the essay is scored at a later date.

"The test is to see if the applicant can write and decipher proper English," Frio said. "Some of the most important duties for a police officer are writing reports and testifying in court, and the officers need to be able to use correct English."

If the test-taker passes, he or she will be able to continue to the next step Ñ the interview.

The interview is a behavior-based review of the applicant's personal history, providing evaluation of problem-solving abilities, respect for diversity, community service orientation, role adaptability, communications ability and motivation.

The other steps of the selection process are the medical examination/written psychological test, physical abilities test, background investigation, psychological interview, and certification and appointment.

John Megerson, chief of the University Police Department, said large departments like LAPD often recruit nationwide.

"Departments like Chicago, Detroit, New York and L.A. do nationwide recruiting year-round," Megerson said. "Many times they want to increase their diversity, and they cannot always get a substantial pool from their area."

Frio said LAPD has visited 30 cities since the first of the year.

"We've had double our retirements, and we normally lose an average of 30 people a month, which is not good when we're trying to expand the department," Frio said. "The Southern California area is inundated with law enforcement agencies and the candidates just aren't there, which is why we travel around recruiting."

LAPD officers receive benefits such as family/domestic partner health and dental plans, pension plans, sick leave and disability benefits, vacation and holidays, and deferred compensation.

Starting salary for an LAPD officer ranges from $42,000 for those with a high school diploma to $47,000 for those with a 4-year college degree.

Applicants must be at least 20 and 1/2 years old to take the written test and not older than 35 at the time of the oral interview. They must also have a U.S. high school diploma, GED equivalent or California High School Proficiency Examination certificate, be a U.S. citizen or have an application for citizenship in process, be of excellent health and have no felony convictions.

Interested parties must have vision no worse than 24/40 uncorrected unless they wear soft contact lenses, and they must have normal ability to understand speech in noisy areas, understand whispered speech and be able to localize sounds.

Frio said applicants with a criminal justice background will have an advantage when they go through the LAPD's 7-month training academy, but that background is not a requirement and anyone can apply.

"I have a business degree, and I've been in law enforcement for 25 years," he said.

The LAPD encourages everyone interested to come out and take the test. For more information on the recruitment and The San Marcos Testing Event, call (800) 954-0321.

Mass Comm professor wins prestigious award
By Sarah Vasquez
Star Reporter
11/3/00

A close examination of advertising and its effects in Slovenia won an SWT advertising professor an award at the Ninth Annual International Advertising Association (IAA) World Conference this month. Michael McBride, the professor who researched this aspect of advertising, won the Best Paper award for his work titled "Eastern European Spirit, Western European Style: Advertising in Slovenia."

The association held its biannual convention in Miami Oct. 12-15.

During the conference, there were professional speakers and activities that dealt with advertising and support education. Different countries from all over the globe, such as Austria, Malaysia, Croatia, Egypt and ChilŽ were represented at the conference. The theme of the conference this year was Advancing Marketing Communications Education in a "Glocal" (global/local) Marketing Environment.

"We're excited that a member of the faculty got recognition from an international organization for his research," said Bruce Smith, chair of the department of mass communication.

During the conference, McBride enjoyed talking to old friends and meeting new acquaintances from around the world, and they shared information about teaching, advertising and students.

"We can learn so much from each other Ñ all it takes is listening," McBride said.

McBride taught in Bulgaria on a scholarship during the 1994-1995 school year, so he was informed about the country. He received help on his paper from Janez Damjan, lecturer in marketing at the University of Ljubljana, the capital and largest city of the country. Damjan is also the marketing director for Delo, the largest newspaper in Slovenia.

His winning paper described how Slovenia advertised in terms of appearance, style and design. What he found, though, was that the country used very westernized techniques. Its advertising content is very similar to that of the United States because Slovenia still looks to this country as a model of how a nation should be, McBride said.

Using this technique, helped put Slovenia ahead of many countries in Eastern and Central Europe with advertising, he said.

One aspect of Slovenia that McBride felt was interesting was that the cost of living is more than in the other surrounding countries. One would pay the same amount for a McDonald's Big Mac as they would pay in America.

One thing McBride enjoyed from Slovenia was the scenery.

"It is a beautiful country," he said. "They have gorgeous mountains and green valleys."

The research paper contest McBride won was judged by educators and professionals. On the last day during the closing luncheon, the director general of IAA announced the winner and presented him with a plaque. McBride was surprised when his name was announced.

"I had absolutely no idea they were going to announce my name," McBride said. "I was in shock. I never expected to win that award. It was a wonderful way to end the convention."

Cancer society seeks volunteers for ÔLife' event
By Sarah Vasquez
Star Reporter
11/8/00

Many volunteers are needed for the Second Annual American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay for Life event in San Marcos.

The event's organizers need volunteers to organize and recruit teams, seek community logistics, find refreshments and prizes, plan entertainment and lend their support in any way.

"What we are looking for is to get the relay ready and to make it bigger than last year," said Lillian Wheaton, co-chair of Relay for Life. "We really want everyone to come out, help and get involved."

The first volunteer committee meeting, or "Relay Rally," will be held today at the San Marcos Public Library from 6 to 7 p.m. The meeting will begin planning the event that is designed to raise funds and awareness for the fight against cancer in San Marcos.

Relay for Life will take place on March 30, 2001, at the San Marcos High School track. The purpose is to have everyone from around the community join together to fight cancer.

Relay for Life is a team event where participants walk or run around a track relay style for 18 hours.

Even though the event is in March, the teams need to start collecting money now for the event, said Jamie Doty, co-chair of Relay for Life.

The ACS is hoping this year's Relay for Life will turn out as successful as last year's event.

"The relay turned out great last year," Wheaton said. "It ended up being the largest first-time event in San Marcos."

The event ended up raising $70,000 last year from more than 23 teams running and walking to support the organization.

The majority of the help received was from the university community. ACS would also like help from the San Marcos community this year.

If anyone would like to join the Relay for Life as a volunteer or team participant, they can attend the Relay Rally tonight.

For more information, call Doty at 754-6022 or Wheaton at 353-7449.

"We encourage everyone to come to the rally," Doty said. "If you can't come, call to volunteer or to join a team."

Thsi story was the headline story of the paper that day. I felt so cool. I remember it was freezing this event happened. It really sucked to be standing out there between classes interviewing everyone and so forth.

Goggles give drunken feeling during
By Sarah Vasquez
Star Reporter
12/7/00

Students wearing intoxication goggles attempted to maneuver a small tricycle amongst traffic cones Wednesday in The Quad as part of the Winter Challenge 2000.

The activity was one of many available to students during the two-day event, which continues today.

The Student Affairs Alcohol and Other Drugs Team is holding the event to help promote responsible drinking over the holidays.

"We're just trying to make an effort to make students aware of the dangers of drinking and driving," said Julie Eckert, leader of the team.

One of the activities included in the event allows students to sign a pledge card stating they will not drink and drive over the holidays. The cards will be sent to those who sign during the break.

Students who sign the card are entered into a drawing for dinners at restaurants in San Marcos such as Grins and the Outback Steakhouse.

"I hope doing thais today, our students will be safe during the holidays," said Erin Christille, crime prevention officer with the University Police Department. "I hope by pledging, they won't drink and drive."

Blanca Sanchez-Navarro, counselor and member of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Team, said her organization has mailed up to 800 cards in previous years.

"The cards are a reminder to the students of their pledge while they are home for the holidays and away from campus," she said. "It has been really successful."

There are other giveaways for participating that include cups, pencils, candy, key chains, whistles and notepads.

One educational event that was popular among the students Wednesday was the "alcohol factoid game." Students are asked questions about alcohol such as "Which of these factors does not influence blood alcohol concentration?" and "Eating slows down the effects of alcohol. True or False?"

For each questions a student gets right, he or she is awarded up to $3. In addition to the money, the students can also win prizes such as a money pouch and a mini Jack in the Box basketball game.

The Network and Men Against Violence were in charge of the fatal vision goggles activity. Students can attempt to drive a tricycle through traffic cones and walk a straight line wearing goggles that mimic intoxication of a person with a blood alcohol content of .10. Free T-shirts are given to those who participate.

Some students realized that using the goggles was not as easy as it looked.

"It was like being drunk," said Troy Lott, business management freshmen. "My friend wrecked the bike. He was riding on two wheels."

Adam Rodriguez, officer with UPD's Crime Prevention, said most of the students did poorly with the goggles activity.

"Some don't even stay on the line," he said.

Texas is No. 1 in the nation for alcohol-related deaths. The 2000 Core Drug and Alcohol Survey at SWT revealed that 52 percent of students reported driving a car under the influence of alcohol in the last year. The survey also reported that 2.4 percent of SWT students were arrested for DUI/DWI in the past year.

"Lots of people assume that you have to be drunk to get in an accident," Sanchez-Narvarro said. "There are other types of alcohol-related accidents that do not deal with driving. Alcohol affects your decision making."

According to one of the questions in the "factoid game," alcohol can affect students' academics by 40 percent.

"Forty percent is a lot to be affecting your academics," said Lilia Calixto, education freshman. "I think it [the event] is good for awareness of what college students need to know."

The Winter Challenge 2000 will continue today in The Quad from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"We encourage the entire SWT community to participate in the Winter Challenge 2000," Eckert said.