Texas State should support the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and work to make campus a safe and supportive place for victims of sexual and relationship abuse.

According to a Feb. 28 Huffington Post article, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Senate’s bipartisan version of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill that protects women against domestic and sexual violence. Controversy erupted within the House because the Senate’s Violence Against Women Act version contained some provisions for victims of abuse including the LGBT community and immigrant women that were not fully supported by certain members. However, despite the disagreements and some removed provisions, the bill is headed to President Barack Obama’s desk and will likely be signed into law very soon.

San Marcos and Texas State officials should work to improve streets, sidewalks and bike lanes in the spirit of the recently filed “Complete Streets” bill.

Complete Streets is a bill that will provide guidelines for the construction of new roads and the improvement of others, according to the non-profit cycling advocacy organization BikeTexas. Specifically, the bill seeks to ensure roads are built to accommodate users not in cars.

Complete Streets is not a progressive concept. In fact, it is incredibly regressive that Texans statewide continue to build roads without adequate infrastructure and the ideas contained within the Complete Streets bill are not standard practice already. It is plain to see how poor pedestrian infrastructure has hurt Texans and, specifically, how it has hurt the university.

Lara Shine, Star Illustrator

Texas State athletics officials are finally going to put the ball in someone else’s court next basketball season by making the decision to end Doug Davalos’ run as head coach.

Davalos’ contract will not be renewed after his 92-107 overall record in seven seasons as the Bobcats’ head coach, according to a March 19 University Star article.

Athletic director Larry Teis said in an email to The University Star that winning is not always everything in college athletics. Teis does have a valid point. The basketball team was losing scholarships because of the poor academic performances of players before Davalos was hired.

Texas State facilities should be made more accessible to students, faculty and staff members who have disabilities and illnesses that may hinder their mobility around campus.

Students, faculty and staff members who have disabilities and illnesses that restrict mobility may have a difficult time navigating the hilly Texas State campus. Trekking up the hills of campus may be no more than a simple workout for many, but it can be a daily struggle for those with mobility issues.

Associated Student Government senators need to continue to expand their accessibility to their constituents on campus.

Bobcats will be inundated by the presence of student candidates politicking for votes as the ASG election campaign season approaches. This has been the most notable, if not only, encounter many Texas State students have with their representatives in student government over the years.

Kathy Weiser, assistant dean of students and ASG adviser, reminded the senate at the March 18 meeting that the student government’s mission is “students serving students.” It seems as though ASG’s executive leadership is striving toward making the entity more accessible to its constituents.

Two ASG Round Table discussions have been held and engagement weeks have been implemented, according to ASG vice president Alison Sibley.

The misguided decision to convert Bobcat Trail into green space highlights the misconnection between student needs and university goals.

Bobcat Trail will be converted into green space as part of a redevelopment project, according to a March 6 University Star article. The road, which runs perpendicular to LBJ Drive and Edward Gary Street, will see a $5.4 million renovation that will include underground reconstruction and the creation of a mall area.

Michael Petty, director of facilities planning, design and construction, said in the article the Bobcat Trail conversion is part of President Denise Trauth’s vision to change the university “from gray to green.”

Although earning a college degree is important to students for numerous career plans, the presence of vocational education as a viable alternative should not be discounted.

The number of people pursuing college degrees has steadily been on the rise in recent years, while the number of those pursuing a vocational education during or after high school has greatly decreased. According to a June 17, 2010 Economist article, one-fifth of high school students received technical industry training specialization in 2005 compared to one-third in 1982. Meanwhile, the number of 17-year-olds aspiring to attend a four-year university in 2003 increased to 69 percent, twice the amount from 1981.

Texas State officials must pay greater attention to the study of humanities by increasing the availability of intellectual literature around campus for students to read.

The study of the humanities is vital to our national life, according to a March 7, 2011 speech by current Cornell University President David Skorton. In the same speech he gave at the National Humanities Alliance annual membership meeting, Skorton said an estimated more than 2.5 million Americans are engaged in a broad range of humanities professions. But some people may have forgotten the importance, as humanities programs across the nation are facing drastic reductions in federal funding. This cannot be overlooked.

After seven seasons of mediocre play on the court, men’s basketball coach Doug Davalos must be held accountable for the team’s dismal performance and find a job elsewhere.

Davalos is the only person affiliated with men’s basketball who talks to media outlets after the team is defeated, and he often states the losses are “all on him.” The number of losses he has had to take responsibility for has swelled to 121 over his seven years at the helm of the men’s basketball program. Davalos’ contract is over at the end of this season, and university and athletics officials need to be looking for a new coach.

How important is it to you Texas women have access to family planning and birth control, regardless of their income? Is it extremely important, very important, just a little important or not important at all?

This is a question that was asked in a recent statewide poll conducted by a pair of Democratic- and Republican-leaning pollsters for the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund. The Education Fund is an Austin-based grassroots organization that does research and civic engagement in support of religious freedom, civil liberties and strong public schools. You can read the poll at www.tfn.org/birthcontroltx.

According to the poll, 68 percent of registered voters in Texas support access to family planning and birth control for all women, regardless of their income. Support is especially strong among young people under the age of 30. A whopping 84 percent said they support full access.