Allen Arrick

University officials met with the Student Government Association on Wednesday to discuss changes to the campus alcohol policy – which includes contacting parents if a student violates the policy, on or off campus.

David Hill, director of residence life and judicial affairs, handed out a draft of the policy update at the SGA’s general assembly meeting for discussion and student input.

The draft policy states that a student’s parent or guardian will be notified on the second violation of either a minor in possession of alcohol or other alcohol related violations if the students are u

In the past three weeks, I’ve received letters from students who were upset when the Talon published the cause of Dr. Brian Taylor’s death.

Those students believed the Talon should not publish the cause of death if the details might emotionally hurt family members.

The following is an excerpt from a response I sent to those e-mails:

The Talon is keeping consistent with a long-standing tradition of being one of the most open and honest college newspapers in the state.

Students, colleagues and friends gathered Friday in the library to celebrate the life of Dr. Brian Taylor, a chemistry professor who died in his home Nov. 3.

“We always talked about how we had a ‘chemistry family,’” Dr. Neil Gray, chemistry professor, said. “That was more true than we realized.”

Friends of Taylor’s spoke of his insatiable desire to teach students – as well as his great love for his children.

“Brian was a role model and mentor as much as he was a teacher,” Gray said. “He was dedicated to his students.

The president’s cabinet limited bus parking on campus last week in an effort to improve campus parking, chief of staff Jesse Acosta announced.

“The new policy requires buses to offload their passengers at the event location (eg.

Every year the Talon receives dozens of letters from students wishing to express their views and opinions. This year we have gotten a goose egg.

In the early 1960s, European directors got the itch to make films about the American Wild West – the Spaghetti Westerns – irreverently named for their Italian directors.

The films featured up-and-coming actor Clint Eastwood, and boasted a new way of looking at the West with historically realistic battles – dropping the campy romanticized imagery common in John Wayne films.

[caption id="attachment_928" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Spaghetti Western Orchestra.

When I woke up Saturday morning I had no idea I would soon be hurtling toward the ground at 120 miles an hour 10,000 feet above East Texas.

I’m trying to recall an old saying about “best laid plans.”

Photographer Bryan Baggett opened the door to the tiny four-person airplane.

“Are you ready for this,” he yelled to me. The wind rushed by the airplane and the pilot cut the engines off.

“I guess I have no choice,” I said.

Senior Joseph Solomon’s picture is on this page twice. It’s a rare occurance, but Solomon’s activism puts him in the spotlight more often than not.

The Student Government Association unanimously approved six new senators Wednesday to fill vacant positions on the SGA’s general council.

The six senators are: Joseph Solomon for the College of Arts and Sciences, Andrew Palomares for the College of Education and Psychology, Ian McDaniel and Marco Weidmer for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Brant Cain for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Loyd Blondin for Patriot Village.

Each of the candidates made a brief speech to the general assembly stating why they want to be in SGA.