The Rattler February 1, 2006 v. 93 #7 - Blume Library

The Rattler
First place winner for “Distinguished College Journalism” at the Press Club’s 2005 National Headliner Awards
Wednesday
February 1, 2006
Vol. 93, Issue 7
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
Committee
reaffirms
accreditation
By CAROLINE E. HALLMAN
COPY EDITOR
St. Mary’s University is off of the 12-month
warning status placed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on
Colleges (SACSCOC) for reaffirmation of accreditation, commission officials announced late last
semester.
University President Charles Cotrell, Ph.D.,
and Vice President for Academic Affairs David
Manuel, Ph.D., traveled to Atlanta to receive the
news of the reaffirmation of accreditation in person on December 6, 2005.
Accreditation status signifies that an educational institution has proved that its purpose is
for higher learning and that it has the proper resources, programs and services with which to accomplish and maintain these duties.
In December of 2004, a SACSCOC committee issued a warning to St. Mary’s and required
the university to improve in five problem areas
before the university’s accreditation was re-endorsed. The committee returned in September of
2005 to evaluate the changes.
“According to the commentary by the second
(SACSCOC) visiting team, the reaffirmation is
truly evidence of the educational effectiveness
and dedication of the entire community,” Cotrell
wrote in an e-mail sent to the St. Mary’s community immediately after the decision was issued.
“The major step (to assure accreditation) was
clarifying for the commission the relationship
between the Society of Mary and the Board of
Trustees. The clarification resulted in changes to
the institution bylaws that make that relationship
clearer,” Manuel said.
According to Manuel, another major impact
the reaffirmation process had on St. Mary’s is the
“improved conversation” about the revision of
the core curriculum. The commission was concerned that there had been no major changes to
the core curriculum in almost 20 years.
The revisions will be made according to the
Quality Enhancement Plan, a new feature of the
accreditation process with the goal of enhancing
the quality of university educational programs.
“We have to file a five-year interim report primarily focused on the Quality Enhancement Plan,
but the actual dates of the reaffirmation are from
2004 to 2014,” Manuel said.
Greehey donates $25
million to St. Mary’s
Valero patriarch wants to raise $5 million for St. Louis Hall restoration.
By FRANCISCO VARA-ORTA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Just days before Christmas last year,
St. Mary’s University received one of the
most generous gifts in San Antonio collegiate history from Valero Chairman
and St. Mary’s alum Bill Greehey – a $25
million personal donation for major improvements at the School of Business.
It’s the largest single donation St.
Mary’s has ever acquired in its 154-year
history and is believed to be the largest
ever given to a local college or university.
“I want to see St. Mary’s have the best
business school in the nation,” Greehey
said last Thursday in a sit-down interview at his office in Valero’s Northside
headquarters. “This donation is what it
takes to get all the improvements needed done and I am happy that I can give
something back.”
Although Greehey said he had been
thinking of donating a large sum for
a few years, it wasn’t until he and St.
Mary’s School of Business Dean Keith
Russell went to the University of Dayton
for an executive-in-residence program to
see Dayton’s flourishing business school
that he asked the university how he could
help get St. Mary’s back on top.
The School of Business then made
him a dream proposal which Greehey accepted to fund entirely – all with the swift
move of a pen on a personal check.
It has been 46 years since Greehey
graduated with a degree in accounting
from St. Mary’s, an achievement he said
was only possible with the support and
guidance of the Marianists such as his
mentor, former School of Business Dean
Br. George B. Kohnen, S.M.
“(Kohnen) took me in when I didn’t
have anything and made sure I was headed down the right path,” said Greehey,
an Iowa native who grew up in a house
without indoor plumbing and supported
himself right out of high school. “One of
the things I learned from him was that
you’re never a success until you share
PHOTOS BY ANGELIQUE CHAVARRIA
(above) Bill Greehey poses with his St.
Mary’s accounting degree and wall of St.
Louis Hall artwork in his office at the Valero Headquarters (pictured directly above).
your success with others.”
Greehey’s multimillion-dollar donation is a far cry from the initial $4 he donated in his first post-graduate days as
an auditor with Price Waterhouse, before
moving onto a job with Exxon and later
Coastal Corporation, where he took an
ailing refinery and built it into the $77 billion Valero empire based in San Antonio.
Continued on PAGE 2, SEE “GREEHEY”
Six vehicle break-ins occur in one day
By KIMBERLY VELA
STAFF WRITER
The owners of six vehicles found shattered glass in
place of windows when they returned to their vehicles parked on campus overnight earlier last month.
Burglars smashed windows and stole items such
as CDs and stereo plates from six different cars
parked at lots R, S, A and Q between 2 and 4 a.m. on
January 7.
“At the time, the campus was being patrolled, but
when you only have two people patrolling at a time,
if one incident happens in one area, it leaves other
areas open,” said Chief of Police Paul Glowacki. “We
usually don’t see that much vehicle theft. That night
PHOTO BY ROBERTO MALDONADO
was just a surprise. It was isolated if we look at previCampus police tell students to not leave any belongings on their carseats
ous breaks.”
to hopefully deter a break-in as simulated in the photo above.
INSIDE...
Though police have not caught the perpetrators
yet, Chief Glowacki said he believes that the crimes
are not targeting St. Mary’s University in particular.
“We are also looking at the crime rates and occurrences of this kind in our surrounding neighborhood
and we have found that these incidents are occurring
in other areas as well,” he said. “In this particular occurrence, burglars broke windows with a blunt object. We have found similar type entries far beyond
St. Mary’s.”
The University Police Department sent a safety
alert e-mail to the St. Mary’s community five days after the incident. While the message informs the community about the particular incident, it also serves as
Continued on PAGE 2, SEE “UNIVERSITY”
Marianist Spirit
Baseball Preview
Learn about the theme
behind Marianist Heritage Week.
Page 3
Rattlers ready to bounce
back from disappointing
2005 season.
Page 8
Class Days Left
60
2
News
February 1, 2006
The Rattler
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
University Police encourage increased awareness
Continued from page 1
a public announcement to increase
awareness of the issues surrounding vehicle theft.
Sophomore mathematics major
Frank Gonzales found the safety
alert on the campus website.
“I never think about [the breakins] too much because I’m always
here on campus and I’m never
aware of what’s really going on,
but it’s a major concern,” Gonzales said. “It is something I should
think about more often.”
If community members open
their eyes to the concerns of public
safety, Glowacki believes that the
police will have the ability to cut
down on criminal activity.
“After the (alert) went out, we
received phone calls reporting suspicious occurrences. Now, those
turned out to be non-threatening,
but it shows that people are being
more observant,” Glowacki said.
Unless the university is hosting a special event, entrance gates
onto campus are closed at 6 p.m.
daily except for the 36th Street entrance, which never closes. The
gates reopen at 5 a.m.
Other San Antonio campuses
have different security policies
concerning campus access. The
University of the Incarnate Word
filters all campus traffic after 11
p.m. through a single entrance
and all visitors must pass through
a security station.
First-year St. Mary’s biology
major Jessica Solis believes the
possibility of break-ins threaten
people who choose to leave their
vehicles unattended, but the possibility could decrease if the campus would enact more security
cautions regarding the campus
parking lots.
“I think tracking people who
come in and out would be a good
way to prevent (the auto-thefts),
but maybe people are just climbing the fence and coming in,” Solis
said.
The alert issued also included
safety tips and precautions to keep
in mind when leaving a vehicle
unattended in the parking lots.
The community was encouraged
to keep an eye out for anything out
of the ordinary in parking lots.
“These days everyone carries a
cell phone so they don’t have to go
to an office or somewhere to reach
a phone to call us,” Glowacki said.
“When they see suspicious activity, they need to call immediately
to let officers take action.”
For emergencies, University
Police can be reached at (210) 4363330.
StMU VEHICLE CRIME
From Aug. 20, 2005 to Jan. 16, 2006
•13 burglarized vehicles
•9 incidents of vandalism to vehicles
SOURCE: University Police
TEXAS’ TOP TEN
STOLEN VEHICLES
1. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size
C/K 1500 Pickup
2. 1997 Ford F150 Series
3. 1996 Honda Accord
4. 2003 Dodge Ram Pickup
5. 2000 Honda Civic
6. 1994 Chevrolet Suburban
7. 1990 Toyota Camry
8. 1994 GMC Full Size C/K
Pickup
9. 1997 Ford Taurus
10. 2002 Ford Explorer
SOURCE: 2004 National Crime Information
Center. Based on 1.2 million vehicle thefts
reported by nationwide law enforcement
agencies.
Greehey funds will revamp business school
Continued from page 1
As he rose on the Fortune 500
list, Greehey didn’t forget the
university and the people there
that he credits with helping him
reach success – donating to the
building of the Alumni Athletics
and Convocation Center (AACC),
the Gateway Project and now the
School of Business. He’s already
well-known in campus culture for
his moniker on the arena at the
six-year-old AACC.
The School of Business was immediately renamed the Bill Greehey School of Business on the day
of the donation, December 21,
2005, although the Alkek Building
that houses the school will keep its
name, school officials said.
Greehey’s donation will be divided in the next few years among
various goals at the School of Business from recruiting “top-notch”
students and faculty all over the
world to establishing a student
business to enable students to
have the advantage of real business leadership and experience
prior to graduation, Russell said.
“The Bill Greehey School of
Business will now be able to
achieve a continuous improvement model that builds on the
vision of academic excellence, national prominence, and premier
status,” Russell said.
Funds from Greehey’s donation will provide scholarships to
qualified students, outreach to
high school students, technological advances, and increased faculty scholarship and development
starting as early as the forthcoming fall semester, Russell said.
Greehey has doubled the business school’s endowment to $45
million through his single donation. That raises the university’s
overall endowment to $108 million, exceeding the $100 million
goal set in Vision 2006.
“This extraordinary gift demonstrates (Greehey’s) commitment
to education and service to society, and will transform the lives
and futures of our business school
graduates,” said University Presi-
dent Charles Cotrell, Ph.D, adding that more than 7,000 students
have graduated with bachelor’s
and master’s of business administration degrees since 1923. “[Greehey’s] extraordinary gift ensures
generations to come will benefit
from an education steeped in the
Marianist mission of academic excellence, servant leadership, ethical commitment, and community
building.”
Greehey’s unconventional corporate attitude is evident in the
lobby of his Valero headquarters
located near the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Instead of foreign art, a large
portrait of Greehey or lavish designs based on money or oil, visitors to Greehey’s offices are greeted by various paintings by local
artists based on photographs of
the community service his 22,000plus employees do outside of the
office.
“It’s important to care about
your employees as people and not
workers,” Greehey said. “Your
employees will care more about
the company and their job if you
care about them. We haven’t had
one layoff in our company’s history.”
Greehey has been lauded in
various publications, such as
Forbes, Fortune and recently by
the San Antonio Express-News, for
“building Valero from a one-plant
San Antonio-based company into
North America’s largest refiner,
with a history of corporate giving
and volunteerism.”
At the end of 2005, Greehey
stepped down as Valero’s CEO
but is still involved as chairman
of Valero and of Valero LP, a pipeline company. He’s also chairman
of the Valero Foundation and his
own non-profit organization, the
Greehey Family Foundation.
Millions have been donated
by his employees to United Way,
winning Valero the top national
“Spirit of America” award the
same year the company was declared by Forbes magazine as the
number one “Best Big Company”
for its shareholder returns and
profitability.
When asked about how he
achieved the impressive balance
of financial success and good
will, Greehey, whose worth in
stock is estimated by Bloomberg to
be around $295 million, humbly
spoke about his approach towards
business – one he hopes students
will listen to.
“There is no substitute for hard
work,” Greehey said. “Whatever
field you decide to work for, pick
a career that you have passion for
because if you find a job you love
then you will never have to work
a day in your life. Don’t do it for
the money, do it because you care
and the money will come if you do
a good job. Trust me, look at Enron.”
With his quasi-retirement from
Valero, the 69-year-old doesn’t
plan to slow down anytime soon
from his non-profit work, especially in his fundraising relationship with St. Mary’s. He is working on raising $5 million for the
restoration of St. Louis Hall.
“We are going to restore it to its
intended glory, remove the lowquality repairs done over time
and get rid of those old air conditioning units hanging out of the
windows,” Greehey said smiling
in front of a wall adorned by his
StMU degree and renderings of
St. Louis Hall. “It’s the least I can
do.”
Features
Honoring the Marianists A jolt of musical caffeine
February, 1 2006
The Rattler
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
3
Marianist Heritage Week celebrates the importance of family.
By VANESSA CÒLON &
ERICA RIVERA
STAFF WRITERS
Although it’s been a tradition
for many years, last week’s Marianist Heritage Week was only the
second time in recent St. Mary’s
history that the annual commemoration lasted an entire week.
This year’s theme celebrated
“Our Marianist Family Reunion.”
Participation ranged from the
simple act of listening to the rining of the bells to attending the
Liturgical Celebration mass or
attending the Marianist Heritage
Awards Ceremony honoring students and facculty.
The festivities scheduled from
Jan. 25-31 weres in honor of the
feast of Father William Joseph
Chaminade, celebrated on January 22, co-founder of the Marianists.
Due to religious persecution in
the aftermath of the French Revolution, Father Chaminade was
exiled to Spain for three years,
where he came to believe that his
mission was to rebuild the Church
in France through communities of
religious and lay people working
closely together.
Other co-founders include
a close friend of Father Chaminade, Marie Therese Charlotte de
Lamourous, who helped establish
the Sodality of the Madeleine and
the Society of Mary; and Adele de
Batz de Trenquelleon, who aided
in the formation of a burgeoning
network of lay faith communities
throughout southern France and
the Marianist Sisters.
The Founders hoped to instill
in the community a deep sense
of family and a mission to serve
God, a dogma St. Mary’s has taken to heart.
“[The Marianist tradition] calls
us to community, there is no doubt
about that. Marianist tradition
asks us to be in-tune with God,
and God is calling us to respond
PHOTO BY OSCAR FERNANDEZ
Students gather for hot chocolate and doughnuts for Marianist Letters
in the Quad on Friday Jan. 27.
“Marianist tradition
asks us to be in-tune
with God, and God is
calling us to respond to
our world.”
- Rey Gustamente,
University Ministry
to our world,” said Rey Gustamente, University Ministry Director of Spiritual Development and
member of the Marianist Heritage
Committee. “It’s not just educating your head, it’s forming your
heart.”
The
connection
between
Marianist core beliefs and the St.
Mary’s community was a topic
explained by the Rev. Richard
Wosman in the community mass.
“All that we do, all that we
study provides insight in how to
serve God. The actions of our life
and the spirit of our hearts bring
glory to God,” Wosman said.
Though the spirit of Marianist
Heritage Week seems to be targeted to the truly devoted, Gustamente said one does not need
to be particularly religious or
even Catholic to participate in the
week’s events.
“By choosing St. Mary’s University, it is accepting an implied
invitation to become part of the St.
Mary’s community,” Gustamente
said. “We are focusing on the idea
of having a family reunion. That
level of connection is out there for
the grabbing, whether you want
to be a distant relative to the St.
Mary’s community, or more like
an actual family member.”
PHOTO BY SELINA MADRID
Customers can enjoy coffee with a musical twist at the new Starbucks.
By SELENA SAN MIGUEL
STAFF WRITER
Simply strap on headphones
and give it a whirl.
If there is a particular band that
Exclusive to only three locations
in the nation, the Starbucks Hear a customer is interested in, she can
Music Coffeehouse offers a great scan it and up pops the song listlatte with a shot of digital music.
ing.
Located on the River Walk next
Choose a song to listen to by
to the Hard Rock Café, the lounge touching the screen and jam out
kicks the inner city slicker out of to the album in its entirety, not just
any San Antonian with a second fifteen seconds worth.
story view of the yellow lights that
If a customer can’t find something or is feeling too comfortable
blanket the city.
The upscale-urban atmosphere to make the long journey downstairs for that second
is not nearly what the
coffee junkie would Location: 111 W. Crockett CD, they can search
San Antonio, TX 78205
expect from the norm
for it on the system
Phone:
(210) 271-0626
or take a look at one
of well-lit niches.
Sleek
leather
of the plasma TV
stools replace the usual comfy screens for other media selections.
The new Hear Music Coffeecouches adopted by most coffee
houses, offering guests bar space houses also allow for music gurus
under dim lights soft enough to to pick and choose from various
make the right song feel like a lul- artists and albums to make a comlaby.
pilation of tasteful tunes at 99 cents
The convenience of a coffee bar per song.
The Starbucks Hear Music card
on each floor allows the customer
to roam around in either part of the saves a listing of songs for the opstore listening to music while wait- tion of burning now or later. It even
ing for her order.
comes with a choice of CD designs.
Customers have the option of The customer can place the music
hitting up one of the many touch order digitally, sending it straight
screen listening stations to pass the to the music bar where the staff
time.
will whip up the CD in a jiffy.
Campus police’s toy donations driven to a record
By ELIZABETH RUIZ
STAFF WRITER
Thanks to University Police,
the Christmas season was brighter
for many area children.
The 2005 Annual Christmas
Toy Drive allowed children from
Loma Park Elementary School and
Chaminade Apartments to receive
gifts from various groups within
the St. Mary’s community.
University police Sgt. Charles
Lopez was the co-chair of the event
along with Sgt. Andrew Adam.
According to Lopez, the drive
was the most successful in its
nine year history.
About 400 children and one
lucky family were recipients of
the numerous donations, which
included monetary donations,
clothes and bicycles.
Besides University Police,
organizations such as the University Programming Council
(UPC), the Office of Residence
Life, and the Chi Phi fraternity
participated in the toy drive.
The toy drive served as a
“community-wide
outreach
effort serving children in our
neighborhood,” University Director/Chief of Police Paul F.
Glowacki stated in an e-mail to
the St. Mary’s community.
This year’s toy drive also included a luncheon in which a
student and her children were
“adopted” by the police department.
“This year was unique because people approached us,”
Lopez said.
The process of collecting
the gifts was a school-wide endeavor. The task of collecting
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY POLICE
The university toy drive brought in over 400 donations in 2005.
and wrapping donated gifts was
met with enthusiasm by involved
organizations.
One of the activities was a
wrapping party. Students could
go to Conference Room A in the
University Center in their spare
time to wrap gifts.
Police chaplain Br. James Jaeckle and officer Travis Echols dressed
up as Santa Clauses to present the
Christmas gifts to the recipients.
The participation of the community was particularly meaningful this past season, given the outpouring of generosity seen earlier
in the year in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
“We were concerned whether
people were willing to help out,
and fortunately, they were,” Lopez said.
The most rewarding part of the
toy drive, according to Sophomore
Biology major Keyta Harris, UPC
Vice President of Public Relations,
was the positive reaction from the
children.
“It was good to have a firsthand experience with helping
these kids,” Harris said.
4
Features
February 1, 2006
The Rattler
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
Step in the
name of love
TECH BYTES
Back it up
By CYNTHIA SIAS
STAFF WRITER
Getting students to understand Martin Luther King Jr.’s six principles of non-violence
in today’s world was the motivation behind
the “Six Steps to Non-violence” workshop
coordinated by Associate Director of the 21st
Century Leadership Center, Patricia Mejia.
For Mejia, it’s important for students and
faculty to engage in dialogue and achieve
greater insight into the life of Martin Luther
King Jr., as well as to be introduced to his six
principles of non-violence.
Two non-violence workshops were held to
honor Martin Luther King Jr. in January. His
works were also read aloud by Master Sgt.
Don Williams in the Quad.
“There are a whole lot of things that need
to be thought of [in regards to] Martin Luther King Jr. in general,” Sgt. Williams said.
PHOTO BY CAROL REDFIELD
San Antonio annually hosts one of the largest Martin Luther King marches in the nation.
“[These] six steps define his method for using
non-violence. I hope students will keep [Dr.
King’s] dream alive.”
At the workshops,
students
were also given
time to engage in
thought provokADVERTISE HERE
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the tables.
Some students in attendance said that
if Martin Luther King Jr. were still alive, he
would be discussing ways to pursue justice in
Iraq and talking about gay rights and equality amongst social classes.
Susan Ives, a core member of the Peace
Center in San Antonio, said she hoped the
event created more than a conversation.
“I hope this starts a discussion about how
change will be accomplished and how each
person can be part of that change,” Ives said.
“I am also hoping students realize that civil
rights in a non-violent way did not start with
Dr. King. He was building on a long tradition
and just as it did not start with him, it need
not end with him.”
Losing computer data is not a
question of if, but when. And when
it does, one’s life is turned upside
down. It’s not just data — it’s your
life.
When someone’s computer crashes, he feels like his life just crashed.
As a professor I have seen students
working on the most
critical multimedia
projects and research
papers who have lost
everything the night
before it was due.
Whether it was a viJeff
Schomburg rus, a power spike, a
corrupt hard drive,
or a $5 cup of coffee spilled over the
keyboard, the results are devastating.
The solution is to become a backup
addict.
Students should start off this semester creating a habit of backing up
their computer and course files often
and in a variety of places. Save files to
multiple computers and removable
media. Every laptop on campus can
burn CDs. If more space is needed,
a DVD can hold about six times the
amount the average CD can hold.
For help burning a data-based
DVD, visit the Academic Imaging and
Media Center in the Louis J. Blume
Library. And although smaller in capacity, USB flash memory keys are a
great way to back up files. So before a
disaster strikes take the offensive and
back up. Back up and back up often.
Entertainment
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The Rattler
STA
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
5
FF
Put on your headphones:
here are the hottest albums
set for release this year.
2006 looks to be a very good year for music fans. There’s a good mix of offerings for
all aural palettes: from seasoned veterans
returning to reclaim their crowns, to younger musicians looking to fulfill the promise of
their debut albums. Here are some notable
albums we think you’ll be talking about,
and listening to, in 2006.
Just remember, dates are subject to
change! We can’t predict the future. Yet...
YEAH YEAH YEAHS
SHOW YOUR BONES
2006 will be the time to show some
love for New York art-punk trio Yeah Yeah
Yeahs.
On March 28, Karen O and the gang will
drop Show Your Bones, the anticipated follow-up to their debut Fever to Tell.
Show Your Bones (as in, what happens
when you put your finger in a light socket)
reportedly sheds light on a different side of
a band known for its howling, beer-swilling,
artfully-ripped lead singer.
Acoustic guitar (a possible throwback to
Karen and guitarist Nick Zinner’s days in
pre-YYYs band, Unitard) is said to make a
first appearance, as is the tabla, played by
drummer Brian Chase.
In an interview with music magazine
NME, Karen O hoped fans would find their
new album to be electrifying:
“Maybe there is some of that electric current flowing through the tracks...illuminating us from the inside out for you to laugh
at and cry to, or fry to, or not.” - CHUCK KERR
to hit the big screen.
Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and Andre
3000 (Andre Benjamin) will follow-up their
smash hit Speakerboxxx/The Love Below with
the musical Idlewild (due March 10) and will
release the film’s soundtrack, featuring allnew music by Outkast, on Feb. 14.
Under the direction of longtime music
video collaborator Bryan Barber, Idlewild
follows the lives of characters Percival (Benjamin) and Rooster (Patton) as they struggle
to earn a living in the music business during prohibition. The musical will be a fusion
of ragtime rhythms and OutKast’s signature hip-hop sound (think rapping over big
band tunes plus saloon-piano), complete
with full-out dance sequences worthy of
Fred Astaire.
Though the concept may seem absurd,
Outkast can pull it off. - KIMBERLY VELA
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
STADIUM ARCADIUM
You’ve made one of the most successful
hip-hop records of the new decade. What do
you do next?
For Grammy Award-winning hip-hop
geniuses Outkast, the answer is simple: time
The Red Hot Chili Peppers return this
year with their spicy, ambitious new double
album, Stadium Arcadium.
Chili Peppers’ frontman Anthony Kiedis
had planned to release the album in three
separate parts, but time would not allow it.
While the band continues to mix the
funky with the fragile, Kiedis credits Stadium’s dense soundscapes to guitarist John
Frusciante, whom he claims hears some
“Beethoven-sized symphony sh-- in his
head.”
“In the end, [these songs] seemed like
[they] needed to be heard as one body,”
Kiedis told MTV News. Of the original 38
completed tracks, only 25 remain.
So what happened to those 13 other
tracks? Two words: bonus tracks. The remaining 13 tracks will be divied up on several different versions of Stadium around the
country, all arriving May 9.
YEAH YEAH YEAHS
OUTKAST
OUTKAST
IDLEWILD Original Soundtrack
This will cost a pretty penny for true pepper-heads who want to own every last Chili
Peppers tune. - AMANDA GUERRA
THE FLAMING LIPS
AT WAR WITH THE
MYSTICS
After four years, The Flaming Lips realized it was time to follow-up their successful
2002 album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
The indie/alternative group from Oklahoma is recognized as being the elder
statesmen of honesty-fueled experimental
songs. With eleven albums under their belt,
The Flaming Lips have already established
themselves as studio veterans and have
evolved their sound in correlation to present-day influences such as their reaction to
Bush’s presidency.
At War with the Mystics is set to be released April 4, with special editions of the
album including a bonus DVD featuring an
audio mix and extra tracks.
In the meantime, War’s first single, “The
W.A.N.D.”, is already available for download at all digital retailers to tide Lips fans
over. - DIANA DEL VALLE
Indie/College Rock
Indie rock fans can look forward to a
packed 2006. On April 18, both Elefant and
The Secret Machines will drop sophomore
efforts, titled The Black Magic Show and Ten
Silver Drops, respectively.
The Fiery Furnaces will drink Bitter Tea,
symphonic pop supergroup The Polyphonic Spree will fight The Fragile Army, and
Pretty Girls Make Graves will hopefully
explain what Elan Vital means.
Arcade Fire will follow-up their genius
debut, Funeral, while a squad of “The”
bands will also release new albums: The
Shins, The Stills, The Hives, and The Rapture. - CK
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
Rap/Hip-Hop/R&B
British rapper The Streets returns from
the underground London hip-hop scene to
deliver The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (April 11).
After serving two months of jail time,
DMX left recording label Def Jam and will
be releasing his sixth studio album, Here We
Go Again, on Sony Urban Music/Columbia
Records.
Busta Rhymes is also releasing The Big
Bang, the first with his new record label, J
Records, after leaving Dr. Dre’s Aftermath.
Even with the major success of Fugees’
1996 album, The Score, the trio separated to
focus on solo projects. Wyclef Jean, Lauryn
Hill and Pras have finally reunited once
more in the studio to produce new material
set to be out by spring. - JENNIFER ZÚÑIGA
Top 40/Pop
The Prince of pop, er...Prince, will be
funking up 2006 with his follow-up to Musicology, 3121. Neptune Pharrell Williams
will get In My Mind, and songstress Nelly
Furtado, family band Eisley and sweaty
rockers Hot Hot Heat will also drop albums
this year.- CK
British Rock
Music will be flowing from across the
pond all year, as an old lion and some young
tigers of the British music scene will be exporting albums to our shores.
Eternal mope Morrissey will become
Ringleader of the Tormentors on Feb. 21, while
Coldplay understudies Keane will release
an album this spring. On the dance-punk
front, The Futureheads and Bloc Party are
both scheduled to rock 2006 with new records.- CK
Cont. on PG 6, SEE “THE”
THE FLAMING LIPS
6
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
Entertainment
The Rattler
February 1. 2006
The show must go on (eventually)
With the return of Hamilton-Brady, StMU Theatre department looks to turn hiatus into fresh start.
By AMANDA GUERRA
STAFF WRITER
It’s time for the drama department to get back to the stage, now
that Associate Professor Bernadette Hamilton-Brady, Director
of Theatre, has returned from her
semester abroad in London.
This semester professor Hamilton-Brady hired two new staff
members, visiting instructor Patrick Donnelly as a full-time staff
member and adjunct instructor
AnnMarie Saunders as part-time.
According to Hamilton-Brady,
staff members who recently resigned left to pursue other opportunities.
The theatre department will be
on hiatus for this semester as new
equipment will be added and improvements made to the theatre
room.
The fall 2006 semester productions will include two main stage
productions and a smaller production. The main stage productions
will be full-scale with entire casts.
The smaller production will be a
one or two character play. Try outs
will take place later in the year
and are open to all students.
“Students do not have to be
enrolled in a theatre class or have
any previous experience,” Hamilton-Brady said.
Second-year English/Communication Arts student Pamela Lopez advises students to watch as
many plays as they can to prepare
for the try-outs.
“Take the (theatre) classes and
be open-minded,” Lopez said.
This is Lopez’s second year
with the theatre department. During her freshmen year Lopez was
involved in the production Bungler.
“I met a lot of interesting people,” Lopez said. “I was so impressed and blown away by others’ talents.”
Anyone interested in joining the theater department next
semester should contact Hamilton-Brady at (210) 431-2222 or
[email protected].
The Cure, Pearl Jam to release albums in 2006
Continued from page 5
Alternative, Metal
Will a new line-up be the remedy for The Cure? Expected to hit
the shelves in April, The Cure’s
fifteenth studio album looks to
surpass the success of their 2004
self-titled release.
With Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda touring with his hip-hop side
project, Fort Minor, LP has yet to
set an official date for their release.
However, Shinoda assures fans an
album for this year.
Hard rock’s silence is finally
being broken with an expected
spring release by Deftones and
Pearl Jam.
Since their last self-titled album
was released in 2003, the Deftones’
2006 album has been a long time
in the making. The band is to perform in the Taste of Chaos Tour
where their new tracks are expected to be played in their sets.
The Seattle, Washington-based
band Pearl Jam is set to release
their first album since their 2000
release of Binaural on Sony BMG’s
J Records. - JZ
COURTESY PHOTO
The Cure’s Robert Smith’s career
as a mime failed when he couldn’t
get out of his imaginary box.
Commentary
February 1, 2006
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
POLICY
The Rattler
welcomes
letters to the editor.
Letters should not exceed
300 words and must
include writer’s name,
classification, major and
telephone number. Editors
reserve the right to edit
submissions for length,
grammar, spelling and
content.
Letters may be delivered to
Room 258 in the University
Center, faxed to (210)
431-4307, mailed to The
Rattler, St. Mary’s University,
Box 83, One Camino Santa
Maria, San Antonio, TX
78228, or e-mailed to
[email protected].
For more information, call
the newsroom at (210)
436-3401.
The Rattler
Law Student tired of being
blamed for bar passage rate
Dear Editor,
For the past ten years St. Mary’s
Law School has averaged a 75 percent
bar passage rate. This ranks St. Mary’s
at number seven out of the nine Texas
law schools. Every year when the
results come out Dean Piatt sends
out “chin-up” e-mails to the law
school community, points his finger
at the students and makes an empty
promise to help them do better in the
future. This past November was no
different.
Shortly after the results were
announced, Piatt sent his much
awaited bi-annual memo. You did not
have to read long before you found
the following excerpt: “According to
statistical surveys conducted by the
Board of Law Examiners and which
repeat the results of our own studies,
the best predicators of bar exam
success are the individual capabilities
of each student as reflected in objective
criteria such as LSAT scores and law
school grades.”
To the non-law student this
statement appears to ring true but
for those familiar with the grading
system it proves to be more than just
a calculated GPA issue.
So what could possibly be the
problem and the answer to the bar
passage rate? How about we look to
the faculty? For the past ten years
the professors at the law school have
stayed constant while the students
taking the test come and go. Could
this possibly be telling us that the
professors are the reason for the low
numbers? I’d bet on it. To find Dean
Piatt’s response to this notion all you
have to do is look to his memo.
“As faculty members, we have the
obligation to do all that we can do in
order to assist our students to pass the
bar examination. I am asking every
faculty member to reevaluate his or
her efforts in this regard. I am asking
that each faculty member submit a
written report to me by the end of this
calendar year as part of our annual
salary review regarding the efforts
that he or she is making to assist our
students to pass the bar exam on the
first try.”
Yes Dean Piatt, let’s ask professors
to brag about their efforts during
salary review time. I’m sure they
will be completely honest. But just
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
7
in case they are persuaded by the
ever mighty dollar to write a piece of
fiction for you, I have a suggestion.
How about we stop offering tenure
to unfit professors and start fighting
for ones who give a damn about the
students? Or how about we just try to
keep the three or four good professors
we have now?
The students have not been and are
not the reason for the low bar passage
rates. Stop pointing the finger at us
and start taking responsibility for the
law professors and the law school
curriculum. I think our twenty-plus
thousand-dollar tuition deserves it.
Sincerely,
A Tired Law Student
Students throwing
away financial aid
Last semester’s “raid on student aid” rally
turnout disappointing.
Congress is threatening to only about 25 students.
make the largest cuts to student
The number of students, or lack
loans in history. The House of thereof, that went to the SGA office
Representatives and made phone calls was just as
will vote on final embarrassing. This should have
passage of the been expected, though, being that
new budget on the way most St. Mary’s students
February 1, 2006. deal with important issues is with
The
cuts indifferent attitudes.
on
student
Notice, however, that I said
Adrian
Martinez
aid,
estimated most and not all. There are
around
$14.3 a number of students at this
billion, are part
university
that
of a larger budget “...the way that most do
care
about
reconciliation
to
important
issues
help reduce our St. Mary’s students and relate to them.
nation’s debt.
I have noticed
N u m e r o u s deal with important a lot of apathetic
e-mails
were
responses to issues
sent and many
issues is with indif- like this from
fliers distributed
students
across
by the Student
campus and it is
ferent attitudes.”
Government
very disappointing
Association (SGA)
that most of these
about the cuts, as SGA members students stand by and do nothing
hoped students would become while someone else makes
concerned and take action.
decisions for them. If passed,
SGA set aside a day for students this budget cut will immediately
to come into the office and call affect students, and it will also
their senators and representatives affect the future generations of
and urge them to vote against the their loved ones as they try to
budget reconciliation.
combat the rising costs of higher
SGA planned a rally for education.
December 8, 2005 to get students
More people on campus need
together
and
demonstrate to be concerned with important
against the financial aid cuts. issues that pertain to their
Unfortunately, the turnout was education and future.
Editor-In-Chief
Francisco Vara-Orta
Managing Editor
Diana Del Valle
Layout/Design Manager
Denise M. Salinas
Copy Editor
Caroline E. Hallman
News Editor
Valarie Geckler
Features Editor
Carla E. Aguilar
Commentary Editor
Kavita Bhalla
Entertainment Editor
& Cartoonist
Chuck Kerr
Sports Editor
Tim Hennessey
Photo Editor
Angelique Chavarria
Assistant Photo Editor
Selina Madrid
Advertising Manager
Pedro Nieto
Assistant Ad Manager
Nancy Martinez
Webmaster
David N. Garza
Faculty Advisor
Cynthia Olvera
Staff Contact
Patricia R. Garcia
Standards
The Rattler upholds the Mission Statement
of St. Mary’s University. The publication
follows the Canons of Responsible
Journalism, the Associated Press Stylebook
guidelines and the Student Publications
policy.
The Rattler is a member of the Associated
Collegiate Press, the Columbia Scholastic
Press Association, the Society of
Professional Journalists, and the Texas
Intercollegiate Press Association.
Contact Us
The Rattler • St. Mary’s University •One
Camino Santa Maria Box 83 • San Antonio,
TX 78228 •(210) 436-3401 • FAX: (210)
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Acclaimed films concerning
homosexuals test boundaries
Will Brokeback Mountain phenomenon lead to wider acceptance?
STAFF EDITORIAL
THE RATTLER
As some media reports
indicate, the tables may have
turned on America’s attitude
towards homosexuality – at least
in theaters.
Films Brokeback Mountain,
Capote and Transamerica took
home numerous top awards from
the Golden Globes and Producer’s
Guild of America earlier this
January.
Judging from the importance
of these awards, which annually
predict Academy Award winners,
the hot issue of 2004 manifested
itself as the trendy entertainment
of 2005.
When presidential candidates
George W. Bush and John Kerry
took a stance on the issue of samesex marriage, both leaned towards
the traditional Christian view of
the sanctity of marriage between a
man and a woman only.
Bush even went so far as to
propose a U.S. Constitutional
amendment that would outline
the specifics of who could partake
in matrimony.
Debates on the issue resulted in
rallies of pro- and anti-gay rights
across the United States.
Following recent media trends,
though, the actions that lashed out
against the topic have since come
to a halt.
All the hot air wasted on the
gay marriage debates served
only political purposes; after the
election, the proposed amendment
died in the Senate in mid-July.
Social Security and Hurricane
Katrina held the nation’s attention
for the majority of this past year.
Almost four months of media
coverage went by without a
murmur about homosexuality
until the release of director Ang
Lee’s film, Brokeback Mountain.
The movie, starring Heath
Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, tells
the story of two cowboys who
fall in love despite society’s zero
tolerance on the issue.
Brokeback
Mountain
made
headlines when a theater in Salt
Lake City, Utah refused to feature
it among its December line-up.
Conservatives came out of
hiding to condemn the film for
bringing
homosexuality
into
the mainstream. After the film’s
release, however, the numbers
spoke for themselves.
Released in select theatres, the
love story went on to gross about
$42 million.
Although the earnings are
nothing compared to the year’s
earlier blockbusters (Wedding
Crashers grossed almost $200
million), critics and movie-goers
agreed that the heart-felt love story
captivated audiences. This praise
soon led to the Golden Globe for
Best Motion Picture-Drama award
along with three other awards.
Among
the
independent
film crowd, films Capote and
Transamerica gained strong backing
by critics, both winning Golden
Globes and nominations by the
Producer’s Guild of America.
Capote tells the life of openlygay author Truman Capote, while
Transamerica unveils the life of a
transsexual woman who must
come to terms with being a father.
Although
the
Academy
Awards won’t give out Oscars
until the beginning of March, the
opinions of audiences and film
critics have proven that society
does at least tolerate, if not accept,
homosexuality in entertainment.
As for the rest of society, only
time will tell.
Until then, the question still
remains: does the success of these
films represent a true change in
social views that will lead to a step
towards greater acceptance and
procurement of more legal rights
for the gay community or is this
just a momentary praise of art?
8
Sports
THE
February 1, 2006
The Rattler
www.stmarytx.edu/rattler
SEAT
2006 RATTLER BASEBALL
Back on Track
Featuring
Ashton Benford
Women’s Basketball
Position: Forward
Classification: Freshman
Major: Speech Communication
Hometown: Waxahachie, Texas
How long have you been
playing basketball?
I have played this sport for 10
years.
Who is you favorite
professional sports team?
The Miami Heat.
Who has been the biggest
influence on your life?
My parents.
What are your expectations for
the rest of the season?
I would like to finish the
season strong and win all of
our remaining games.
Coach Migl has a commanding presence and his take-charge approach is vital to the Rattler’s success.
What is the toughest thing
about playing basketball at
the collegiate level?
The girls we face have a great
amount of athleticism.
By PATRICK GALVIN
STAFF WRITER
Who is your favorite
professional athlete?
Michael Jordan.
What characteristics define
you as a player on the
basketball court?
I’m hard-working, fun and
competitive.
What music do you listen to?
I listen to hip-hop, R&B, and a
little bit of everything.
Who’s your favorite female
athlete?
My favorite would have to be
Cheryl Swoops.
What’s your dream job?
I would like to be a sports
broadcaster for ESPN
SportsCenter.
Have you ever thought about
playing in the WNBA?
If I ever get the chance then,
yes, I would go for it.
What are your life ambitions?
I would like to have a family
and, of course, the ESPN
broadcasting job.
PHOTO BY PAT ABERNATHEY
St. Mary’s baseball team aiming high after
disappointing 2005 campaign
After enduring one of their most
difficult seasons in recent history, the
St. Mary’s men’s baseball team is refreshed and optimistic about the new
year.
The team went 24-27 last year, but
head coach Charlie Migl is viewing
this season as a clean slate.
“We didn’t have the best team last
year, but we’re creating a different
chemistry,” Migl said. “The guys are
meshing real well and working well
together.”
Migl said the team was undergoing
an attitude adjustment, focusing more
on perseverance and toughness. “I told
[them] we’re changing things. Discipline is a real big factor and it allows
teams to win tight games,” he said.
Leadership roles fall to the returning
players, whom Coach Migl expects to
play a big role in the team’s success.
Senior John Alvarez, a third year
starter with a powerful swing and a
.340 batting average, will revisit the
diamond to right last year’s wrongs.
David Ramirez, a right-handed
pitcher who tallied a record of 7-3 last
season, will look to be a force on the
mound.
Ray Camacho, an agile shortstop
with a solid bat and a knack for getting
on base, is back.
Tanner Moy, a promising recruit out
of Texas State, will provide talent and
experience at first base.
Depth and the ability to rotate players at different positions is a luxury
the team will have this year. The coach
said he feels blessed with a multitalented squad of ballplayers and looks to
develop the team to its full potential.
“The great thing about this team is
the versatility,” Migl said. “The competition within the team puts pressure
on the players to maintain their game.
We always have the option of making
moves.”
It is evident from chatter on the field
that the players have an understanding that the past is just that, the past.
The attitude has changed, the team
is cooperating, and morale is high.
“We had success winning the national championship in 2001 and that’s
always the ultimate goal,” Migl said.
Some may say the baseball program
is in a rebuilding stage, but from the attitude and mind-set shown on the diamond, the men’s baseball team seems
to be clearly on its way back to the high
standard set every year.
PHOTO BY ANA LOPEZ
Shortstop Ray Camacho has a solid bat to go with his great
defense.
2005 BASEBALL STANDINGS
KEY PLAYERS FOR 2006 SEASON
-COMPILED BY GABRIEL
SANCHEZ
INCARNATE WORD
ST. EDWARD’S
ROCKHURST
ST. MARY’S
LINCOLN
PANHANDLE STATE
NEXT ISSUE:
•Basketball season
update.
Heartland
28-10-0
28-12-0
27-13-0
18-22-0
9-31-0
8-30-0
Overall
35-19-0
35-18-0
33-20-0
25-30-0
17-39-0
11-44-0
2006 SCHEDULE
•Lady Rattler softball
season coverage.
Name: Tanner Moy
Position: First base, Outfield
Name: John Alvarez
Position: Second Base
Name: Ray Camacho
Position: Shortstop
• Division I transfer expected
to kick start a struggling Rattler team.
• The big bat in the lineup, a
good season for Alvarez will
spark the Rattler offense.
• Agile shortstop with ability to
get on base and provide runs.
PHOTO BY ANA LOPEZ
PHOTOS BY PAT ABERNATHEY
Sat. Feb 04 2:00 p.m.
vs. Texas A&M Kingsville
Tue. Feb 07 4:00 p.m.
vs. Abilene Christian
Fri. Feb 10 2:00 p.m.
@ Tarleton State (DH)
Sat. Feb 11 1:00 p.m.
@ Tarleton State
Tue. Feb 14 2:00 p.m.
@ Angelo State (DH)
Tue. Feb 21 2:00 p.m.
vs. Tarleton State (DH)
Thu. Mar 02 4:00 p.m.
vs. Montana State-Billings (DH)
Fri. Mar 03 4:00 p.m.
vs. Montana State-Billings (DH)