Sarah Garcia’s life was altered the night her friend was struck and killed instantly by a drunk driver two years ago.

The incident still resonates with Garcia, education freshman.

“I always wonder what would happen if the driver didn’t get drunk or just didn’t drive,” Garcia said. “Why would he drive? Just why?”

Instances of drunk driving such as this one have prompted Vanessa Cortez, Associated Student Government president-elect, to try to revive the Students With Alternative Transportation program. The program, which was canceled by the university in 2009, provided Texas State students with a safe ride home when they were too intoxicated to drive. The university reallocated S.W.A.T.’s funding to the on-campus Alcohol and Drug Compliance Services.

“(Safe-ride programs) are something that many, many universities do and it’s something that we need to bring back for the safety of our students,” Cortez said.

A Texas State couple will make a trip spanning three states and thousands of miles to raise breast cancer awareness—all with their dog in tow.

Students Julie and Matt Swallow, both 28, are planning a bicycle tour of the West Coast of North America with their dog, Jet, to raise money for cancer research.

The Swallows are looking for sponsors for their trip and have set their fundraising goal at $25,000. All money raised for the trip will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. Sponsorship of the tour is provided through various organizations, businesses and individuals, Julie Swallow said. The Swallows aim to have one sponsor for each mile of their trip.

Victoria Gonzales, mass comm-public relations junior, holds white roses to be handed out for Bobcat Pause April 10 at the LBJ Ballroom.

Texas State Diamond Sweethearts held each other and wept for their fallen friend as they crowded around a high-school letterman jacket and a collection of photographs. The girls buried their faces into each other’s shoulders and offered hugs and condolences to the family of their friend.

A lack of space contributes to a strain of resources at the Counseling Center, resulting in students being turned away, according to administration.

Gregory Snodgrass, Counseling Center director, said the department’s two biggest problems—space and manpower—are directly linked. The center needs more counselors to meet the needs of students, but no other therapists can be hired on until more office space is built for them to occupy. The Counseling Center should ideally have approximately three more employees to be proportionate with the number of enrolled students, according to Snodgrass.

The number of needed counselors will increase as the university expands each year.

“There’s nowhere to put the needed counselors,” Snodgrass said. “We currently have one office for every staff member and one group therapy room. Ideally, we would add more offices to accommodate more staff and add an additional room for group (therapy).”

Vanessa Cortez, mass comm-public relations junior, and Edward Perez, mass comm-public relations senior, are running uncontested for ASG President and Vice President positions.

With their sights set on boosting school spirit and campus sustainability, Vanessa Cortez and Edward Perez are running unopposed for Associated Student Government president and vice president.

Cortez and Perez have 34 senators running on their ticket and said their primary focus for the upcoming term would be to initiate a “culture shift” within the university spurred by increased school spirit and pride.

San Marcos police are currently investigating a hit-and-run that critically injured a man on West Hopkins early Sunday morning.

Witnesses told police that Abdulrhim Khalid Alesddigi, 23, was crossing the street at the intersection of West Hopkins and North Guadalupe when he was struck by a light-colored 2000 to 2006 Toyota Tundra with an attached camper.

According to a press release from the city, San Marcos Police Department officers Kye Kennedy and Tiffany Williams found the victim lying unresponsive in the street. The officers performed CPR on the victim and restored his pulse.

Paramedics transported the victim to University Medical Center at Brackenridge in critical condition.

Melissa Millecam’s statement said evidence recovered from the scene indicates the suspect vehicle was damaged in the incident, breaking off the passenger side mirror.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Police Chief Howard Williams.

An unidentified male on a moped was struck by a vehicle on Sessom Drive at approximately 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Trey Hatt, communications specialist for the City of San Marcos, said the victim was traveling east down Sessom Drive when he swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle and slid into a Texas State work van. The moped was then run over by another car.

San Marcos police and fire fighters, as well as Hays County EMS, arrived on the scene at approximately 3:32 p.m.

Onlooker Winter Aguilar, family and consumer sciences junior, said the victim was sprawled in the middle of the road next to the destroyed moped. Aguilar said the victim was conscious and attempted to lift himself off the ground.

Police have not yet released the names of any drivers involved. The victim was transported to Brackenridge Hospital where he was treated for injuries sustained in the crash.

Hays County’s state representative has filed a comprehensive piece of legislation that could pave the way for a new approach to public education.

House Bill 300, filed by State Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) on March 7, would create an alternative to the mandate-filled education code currently followed by all Texas school districts. The bill would give school districts the option to create their own agendas, goals and measurements of success, bucking the current one-size-fits-all approach mandated by the state government, Isaac said.

“(HB 300) gives school districts the flexibility to manage their own curriculum, teachers the freedom to attend to the needs of their students and parents the ability to have more say in ensuring the best education for their children,” Isaac said.

An individual driving a moped was struck by a vehicle on Sessom Drive at approximately 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Onlooker Winter Aguilar, family and consumer science junior, said the victim was sprawled in the middle of the road next to the destroyed scooter. Aguilar said the victim was conscious and attempted to get off the ground.

Aguilar said a white car that may have struck the victim was stopped nearby.

Emergency responders arrived the scene shortly after the accident.

Trey Hatt, spokesman for the city, said San Marcos Police Department has not yet filed a report for the incident. A report will be filed in the morning. 

The Hays County Narcotics Task Force seized about 87 pounds of marijuana imported from California to San Marcos on a private plane Tuesday, March 19.

Sgt. Wade Parham, commander of the narcotics task force, said the police department acted on a tip called in from an anonymous source in California. The tip said Stanley Schmidt, a 60-year-old Austin man, would be flying a large amount of marijuana into Texas on his private plane.

Parham said the police department met Schmidt at the San Marcos Municipal Airport at approximately 8:30 p.m.

“He gave us permission to search his plane, and when we did, we found about 87 pounds of marijuana,” Parham said.
Schmidt was arrested on felony charges.