Kate Spradley found her calling when a professor in a biological anthropology class held a bone with a heel fracture, and proceeded to describe details of that person’s life.

Spradley, assistant professor in the anthropology department at Texas State, is helping Latin-American families find loved ones who died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert.

Industrial engineer majors Gregory Guzman, junior, and Saul Villarreal, senior, are focused on making the most of alternative energy for the least amount of “green.”

The Ingram School of Engineering and Lanner Group Inc. are working on a research project which focuses on alternative energy sources. The project aims to make the most effective use of energy in cities by minimizing the operation of power plants and placing alternative sources near customers.

Daniel Guerrero narrowly defeated current Councilmember John Thomaides by 41 votes in the mayoral election Tuesday night.

Guerrero received 3,460 votes accounting for 50.3 percent. Thomaides, Place 6, fell short with 3,419 votes, equivalent to 49.7 percent of the total.

Guerrero celebrated his win at Tres Hermanas where more than 45 supporters waited as poll numbers fluctuated. Guerrero did not pull ahead until 36 of the 38 precincts reported their results.

“It feels so great,” Guerrero said. “All the hard work has paid off.”

The “Court Jester of South Austin” paid a visit to Texas State Tuesday.

John Kelso, Austin American-Statesman columnist, spoke during Mass Communication Week about the survival of column writing in a changing newspaper landscape.

He has worked at The Statesman since 1977 and is the author of “Kelso’s Cranky Corner.” He is well known among readers in the area for witty humor and unique columns. 

Staff Council members are looking to better accommodate disabled students by preventing bicyclists and skateboarders from using the handicap ramps.

The transportation and parking committee within Staff Council informed members bicyclists and skateboarders are misusing the ramps. Jennifer Wiley, chair of Staff Council’s transportation and parking committee, said the bicyclers need to follow rules when using the ramps.

Students are having a difficult time paying back their school loans, according to an annual report released by the U.S. Department of Education.

The 2008 national cohort default rate represents the percentage of students who take out loans from their institutions and began repayment between Oct. 1, 2007 and Sept. 30, 2008, but who discontinued payments before Sept. 30 of last year.

Around 100 students attended the Texas State Roundtable event Tuesday evening to speak with nine of the university’s top officials. 

Cody DeSalvo, executive assistant to the Associated Student Government president, organized the event alongside ASG Senators John Paine, Joe Koenig and Rebekah Walker.

“Every person at this event represents a department that students deal with every single day,” said DeSalvo, history sophomore.

Departments were sectioned by table, and attendees were instructed to rotate to different adminstrators every 15 minutes.

Texas State veteran groups are pushing forward despite not gaining approval for a 2010 FIPSE grant.

The grant, also known as a fund for improvement of post secondary education, hopes to bring additional resources for student veterans of Texas State. A $300,000 grant was awarded to the Maricopa County Community College District. Each grant provides up to $400,000 over a period of three years.

Texas State faculty and staff have voiced concerns at multiple Facult Senate meetings about having adequate resources to accommodate students since record enrollment numbers were announced.

Texas State announced a 5.8 percent enrollment increase this year, for a total of 32,586 students. 

The freshman class alone reached 3,930 students.