Nicholas Medina

As the 2011 Spring Semester rolls on at Texas State, the first rounds of tests begin and the students really start to dig into their classes. So with the rise of activity on campus comes the rush of hungary students who must decide whether or not to dine on or off campus. Texas State, in association with Chartwell's School Dining Services, does their best to supply efficient, and multiple dining options for students who live on campus, or want to eat in between classes. So what are the dining options and how are they doing? Are they enough for the students and is the product good? Sophmore Ryan Ledet bought a meal plan which supplies entry to dining halls or specific meals at other locations, he had this to say about his experience at the Commons Dining Hall.
(LEDET 00:10)
In addition to dining halls the school offers a variety of different restaurants in the for of food courts including The Den, Jones Food Court, and The Lair located in the LBJ Student Center. Everything from Greek, Mexican, and Italian, to Panda Express, Chick-Fi-La and Blimpies Subs. Recently Chartwell's introduced the opening of Lyndon's U-Club on the first floor of the LBJ Student Center which offers a sit and dine restaurant experience for student's and faculty who may want to be waited on. With many new freshman coming in and many students looking to save money and eat well, the question of whether the campus's on campus dining experience is in good spirits with students remains, Sophmore Alex Rodriquez doesn't own a meal plan but still prefers to dine on campus.
(RODRIGUEZ 00:15)
(STAND-UP 00:30)

Rain revives local greenbelt

Located minutes from downtown Austin, rests one of the state’s best kept secrets, a scenic eight-mile trail known as the Barton Creek Greenbelt, which boasts hiking trails that run along the Barton Creek waters.

Some parts of the year as many as several thousand people will visit the greenbelt in a day. What makes the greenbelt so special is its diversity. People of all ages enjoying any number of outdoor activities. The trail has the regulars that jog, bike, kayak, swim, walk dogs, rock climb and meditate, then the spring crowd looking to beat the Austin heat by swimming in the abundant swimming holes.

Best of all, a day at the greenbelt is completely free, and with the economy slumping, “free” has replaced “please” as the new magic word. “My apartment complex doesn’t allow dogs by the pool, so here I am”, says new grandmother Toni Rideout. Thousands of Austinites can’t be blamed for choosing their dog, cigarettes, cigars and a couple of extra dollars in their pocket over the historic Barton Springs.

All of these perks come with a drawback, water only flows several months a year, depending on rainfall. Swimmers can expect water in Spring, but usually the ever increasing summer heat will dry the place out by Aug. All of the swimming holes and the creeks were dried up in the midst of the 2009 Central Texas drought, but 2010 looks very promising for this outdoorsy community.

Another disadvantage is dogs are supposed to always be on a leash and alcohol is prohibited. The alcohol ban went into effect in 1997 because the city had been cleaning far too much alcohol related trash. The attention has caused this community to be somewhat self –governing, so know many greenbelters will not tolerate polluters or will simply leave with more trash than their own. In 2006, Cambpells Hole was actually named “Best Place to Pick Up Litter” by The Austin Chronicle. “I’ve seen people ticketed for having a dog off a leash or for drinking beer, but not enough (times) to worry me”, says personal trainer Jason Mitchell.

The three main gathering places for people looking to socialize along the trail are named Sculpture Falls, Twin Falls and Campbells Hole. Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls are located at the hiking entrance near the Mopac South u-turn, just south of downtown. Dedicated greenbelters will take the two-mile hike to Sculpture Falls, which is the most intimate of the three locations due its accessibility. About one mile into that same hike greenbelters will come across Twin Falls, which is ideal for hanging by the water, but not necessarily swimming.

The main gathering spot along the greenbelt is easily Campbells hole, which is located on Barton Skyway. Most people choose this location because of its easy access. Finding a parking spot never takes long at Campbells Hole, a convenience store is next to the entrance so greenbelters can get food and water, and the hike is less than a half mile. “I went to Sculpture( Falls) last week and it was awesome, but today I was short on time so I came here (Campbells hole) instead," says University of Texas graduate Lauren Forbes.

With the summers seemingly getting hotter every year in Austin, the greenbelt provides a great escape from the sun and mainstream places such as pools and lakes. Austin was packed full of tourists last week for the annual South By South West Music Festival, and with Austin packed full of people, it’s nice to know that there are some tucked away spots that can remain Austin’s best kept secrets. Jason Brister, a 31-year old chef puts it best when he says,”I love South By(SXSW) but those crowds are paying hundreds of dollars a day, while this place is free.”

Tuesday is D&D Night

It is 10 p.m on a Tuesday night and a group of friends are gathered in the living room slaying dragons; not with a video game controller - as one would expect - but pens, paper, a multitude of colorful, multi-sided dice, and a whiteboard.
Contrary to what someone might think the players are not playing the newest video game, they are playing Dungeon’s and Dragon’s (D&D) - a fantasy role-playing game that is played entirely with pen, paper, dice, and the imagination. In D&D players create a specific character and venture out on imaginary adventures in a fantasy setting. The setting, story, and rules are overseen by a Dungeon Master (DM), who acts as referee for the players.
"D&D is a table top role playing game in which you are basically all collectively sitting around and creating a story together”, said Hank White, an avid D&D player, Dungeon Master (DM), and part of a development team of a new D&D system called Tephra.
White was introduced to D&D by his father who had been playing for years. White immediately fell in love with the game and has been playing ever since, constantly bringing in and teaching friends and new people the game.
“I am probably single handedly responsible for about 40 people playing the game, if not more,” said White.
When White came to Texas State he encountered a lot of fellow D&D players, and in particular, a lot more DMs. One of these DMs, Daniel Burrow, hired White to work as a developer for his company, Cracked Monocle, that was creating an entirely new D&D system called Tephra.
"I met Hank through mutual gaming friends and coincidentally Hank became my resident when I was an RA on campus,” said Burrow. “Following that I hired Hank for Cracked Monocle and then when he decided to start running a weekly game he asked me if I would join."
“It became a lot more convenient to have a weekly time so there are not conflicting games and fights over players,” said White.
“You very quickly learn in D&D that people want to play, but not a lot of people are good."
 This weekly session has continued ever since bringing in new and old players, but always growing. One of the older players, Kevin Walkup, met White through Burrow and the two quickly became fast friends.
“Since then we became roommates and I have been playing in almost every campaign he has run," said Walkup.
The weekly sessions attract other players as well, Jonathan Ellis is one such player. While not new to the game of D&D, Ellis is a new player to join in on the weekly event. He grew up over seas and started playing D&D with his brother.
“I lived where there wasn't a whole lot to do, but we had access to a lot of bookstores, and I started D&D when I was like nine,” said Ellis.
“It was an interesting world where you could change all the things about yourself you didn't like."
Given the constantly growing player base, and White’s natural talent for DMing sessions, the weekly Tuesday event shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
"Longest running campaign I have run has been 2.5 year and it is still on going,” said White.

Gov. Perry Responds to Violence Along Texas Border

With a reported 4,700 homicides since 2008, Juarez, Mexico, has been known to many as the most violent city in the world. Gov. Rick Perry recently activated his plan to prevent spillover violence into Texas.


On Tuesday, March 16 Gov. Perry enabled his secret spillover violence contingency plan to increase security along the Texas border. Perry has sent an unknown amount of helicopters to the border and has resources standing by which include Trooper Strike Teams and Texas Ranger Recon Teams ready to deploy based on the threat.


According to Perry's office, a porous border places Texas and the nation at risk from international terrorists, organized crime cartels and transnational gangs.


“With the growing threat of violence in Mexico spilling over the border, we have taken important measures to increase the law enforcement presence along the Texas border and have placed additional resources on standby to combat any potential situation,” Gov. Perry said.


There have already been incidents of drug-related crime spillover. According to the Rio Grande Valley's Sheriff's office, a 32-year-old Mexican national was shot north of the border town of Weslaco, Texas. Investigators found out the man worked for a drug gang and was sent for a debt collection.


Alex Vela, a musician in Weslaco, thinks the violence just adds on the already tense situation.


"My parents cross into Mexico all the time to shop; that is scary enough." Vela said.


Gov. Perry has repeatedly urged the federal government to play a more active role in border security. According to Perry's office, the day before unraveling his secret spillover violence contingency plan Perry wrote a letter to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The letter urged for the approval of predator drones in Texas. There are only three active predator drones along the southern border, all which are in Arizona.


According to Perry, a pregnant American woman was killed with her husband early March in Juarez, Mexico. He believes the effort of the federal government plays a key role in the level of border violence.


“Over the weekend, more innocent people fell victim to the increasingly ruthless Mexican drug cartels... How many Americans will have to die before our federal government takes serious action along the Texas-Mexico border?" Perry asked.


Christopher Washington, a student at Texas State University, admits he does not know much about the spillover violence. After being shown some recent border stories his opinion on the subject changed.


"I live as far south as San Antonio and we never hear all of this. The things those drug cartels are doing is sick," Washington said.


Cynthia Ramirez, student and resident of Brownsville, Texas, feels that these incidents of spillover violence in border towns are not being exposed enough on a national level.


"We hear about drug-related kidnappings and murders on the local news almost every day. The border wall is there but it hasn't stopped much," Ramirez said.


The construction of the border wall began in 2008. The objective was to create a solid wall along the border that could not be climbed. There are still many large gaps along the wall and other sections require simply a ladder to climb over.


The location of the wall is not actually on the border, but can be found about one mile north of it. This decision left some houses on the southern side of the fence, as well as many farmers with crops between the new quasi border and the official Texas-Mexico border.



Jeff Loop, owner of Loop Farms in Brownsville, Texas, thinks the border wall has been ineffective and has put a burden on local farmers.


"It feels like a no man's land out there. It is also a hassle to travel back and forth every day," Loop said.


With spillover violence on the rise and lack of federal assistance, Gov. Perry feels that the state government must take action. Juarez, Mexico, is one of the most violent cities in the world and is a walking distance from our border.

A Celtic Spring Break

The 28th annual North Texas Irish Festival opened its doors at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas Friday, March 5.

Home of the Texas State Fair, Fair Park leased its building for the festival during the weekend in their efforts to showcase one of North Texas’s many faces.

This year, the festival celebrated the importance of animals to the Irish culture, notably the spirit of the horse.

Along with equestrian events, the festival became pet-friendly and allowed attendants to bring their pooches as many animal rescue groups like Metroplex Mutts and the Greyhound Adoption League of Texas enrolled in the festivities.

In effort to show their Irish and Scottish pride, many artisans and performers from around Texas opened booths and connected with their Celtic neighbors.

Sean Klinksiek brought his family to the festival and opened a small booth for his lim

estone masonry near Fair Park’s reflecting pool.

Klinksiek’s wife, Tami, said her husband began carving functional sculptures like coffee mugs and unique wine racks from limestone through his family’s trade.

“He started this five or six years ago. He learned this from his great uncle who’s a master mason,” Klinksiek said.

New businesses surrounded the reflecting pool while familiar faces returned to the festival in hopes of connecting with old friends and possible new customers.

Heather Taylor, founder of Heather’s Vibrant Tantalizing Sensations, sold her handma

de soaps, feathered fans and loomed hats for over 15 years on the renaissance fair circuit and remained an active volunteer at the North Texas Irish Festival for many years before opening her own booth.

After spending years on the festival’s waiting list, Taylor transformed her craft into an online business and purchased an area to present her goods.

“This is my second year. I’ve tried for five years and finally made it in,” Taylor said.

The festival also included musical numbers and dance routines by the North Texas Caledonian Pipes and Drums, the Jackson Irish Dancers and many small local schools devoted to the Scottish and Irish arts.

Danielle Robinson was one of the many aspiring new harpists who performed alongside award-winning harpist Rebekah Passmore on the Urchin Street Stage.

“Rebekah Passmore is my sister, so I grew up playing with the band,” Robinson said. “My sister was my teacher since I was about 15 years old.”

Dancing and singing filled the air as one of the festival’s sponsors, Guiness Beer, provided the merriment for their attendants.

Doug Jacobs, Guiness’s beer coordinator, worked with the festival for over 25 years.

Jacobs joked that he got “suckered into” his position with Guiness Beer after attending the festival as a guest for years.

“It’s like putting the fox in the chicken house, but it works,” Jacobs said.

College students flock to spring break destinations, officials warn of lurking dangers

Spring Break Danger Zone

Every enrolled student in college has the opportunity to take advantage of their spring break usually falling in the month of March. Many spend weeks and even months preparing for this week by hitting up the gym and using their tanning membership at the local salon. However, it is not necessary to discount some students who may choose to spend their week at home relaxing and unwinding from their stressful school semester.

At the same time, many college students are forewarned of the dangers of crossing the border into hot spots such as Cancun and Acapulco. Students still decide to make the trek to these popular destinations to "get their party on" and enjoy the endless nightlife these tropical places have to offer. Alcohol and drugs are serious factors that can lead to detrimental problems for spring breakers especially when Mexican authorities get involved. Alcohol alone can cause arrests, accidents, crimes and even death for some students who go a little too far with their partying habits while on Spring Break. Not to mention the bizarre stories told about the treatment of American citizens while in Mexican territory by the Mexican authorities.

"There is no telling what could happen when you’re in that situation," said college student, Kendra Rhodes. "My friends and I used the "buddy system" while we were on spring break in Cancun," said Rhodes. "We always knew exactly where each of us was at any time."

Unfortunately, not all college students exemplify the same type of attitude toward taking the proper safety precautions, and consequently, suffer the consequences. In the year of 2005, Natalee Holloway, a high school graduate, took a trip with her friends to the Caribbean country of Aruba. As Holloway and her friends enjoyed the nightlife at a popular club, she met a local young man who would ultimately change her life forever. In the end, the outcome of this tragic story left Natalee Holloway dead, and to only think, this incident could have been avoided if the proper precautions had been taken.

"It's important to get the word out and educate students and spring breakers about the dangers of being in a foreign country," said Erin Johnson, mother of two. "I know when my children grow up, I'm not going to want them to go anywhere too crazy for Spring Break."

The harsh reality of the present day drug-related violence that occurs in Mexican territory and other non U.S. areas is another reason to be especially cautious during any traveling times by students. It's vital that travelers exercise common sense when visiting these countries.

Ashley Stricklin, Texas State University senior said, "I felt safe going to Mexico for Spring Break because I traveled with a big group of friends and we always stuck together," said Stricklin. "There were times that I put myself in vulnerable situations though, probably because I was just caught up in the moment of spring break,” said Stricklin.

Texas State officials informed students, faculty and staff prior to the week of spring break in an email warning not to travel to Mexico for spring break. It's evident that the violence along the border has caused some students to change their plans this year.

Whether crossing over the border or not, spring break students are urged to follow all safety guidelines and recommendations. We certainly want to avoid any bad incidents from occurring, and educating vacationers beforehand will likely aid in avoiding this from happening.

"You just never know what could happen when you’re down there,” said Josh Melnar, Tomball College freshman. "It's scary to think there is always that chance of not returning home."

Setting Up Camp for Spring Break

When spring break rolls around, most students head out to the first glamorous beach they can find. Others, however, would much rather spend their week of freedom in a tent.

Camping is an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages and is a way for people to experience a simpler way of vacationing. Lake Whitney State Park, for example, offers a variety of attractions such as hiking, boating and, of course, camping. Noted as an excellent fishing spot, Lake Whitney centers the Hill Country camping experience on that large body of glassy-blue water.

Adam Radliff, a 24-year-old Texas State business major, was introduced to camping and all of its intricacies at an early age. While others may go sunbathing or hit the trails, Radliff learned to love carrying around a tackle box and a pole, ready to head out to the lake.

“My favorite thing to do while camping is fishing,” said Radliff. “My papa taught me to fish, and the time we spend together doing that is just really great.”

Courtney England, a school counselor, agrees that family has a way of drawing you into the great outdoors. Now 26 years old, England reflects on both her past and present memories of camping.

“I used to camp a lot when I was a lot younger, but that sort of died down when I got into high school,” said England. “My husband kind of rekindled that for me. He really loves to camp!”

Being from the city, England thinks that she’s often too caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, and fully appreciates the simpler moments spent while camping.

“It really feels like we’re getting away from normal stuff, like electronics and ovens and stuff,” said England. “I like the challenge it all brings and the fresh air.”

Jamie Aitken, a clerk for Lake Whitney, has worked at the State Park for a year and still loves her job. One of her favorite parts of the day is greeting the newcomers to the park.

“I like saying hi to all of the people coming here who are on a vacation. They’re all so happy to be here and ready to get started!” said Aitken.

Still, Aitken laments that sometimes she has to spoil the fun for some visitors who try to take advantage of the park’s privacy.

“Sometimes we have problems with drinking and loud music at camp sites with college kids,” said Aitken. “One of the park rangers will have to drive down there and take care of it.”

Greg Bentch, a Texas State political science major, isn’t concerned by the politics of camping; he’s much more interested in the price.

“Camping is definitely cheap,” said Bentch. “I mean, if I had gone to South Padre for spring break I would have spent like $400 or $500. Here it’s only like $100.”

Still, Bentch says that the best part about camping doesn’t include numbers.

“I always go camping with my friends,” said Bentch. “I mean it’s just fun, and that right there is priceless.”