03-05-2024

Lindsey Street Housing Project continues development plans

By James Phillips News Contributor

The San Marcos Planning and Zoning Commission discussed zoning changes for Lindsey Street and North Street areas concerning the Lindsey Street Housing Project.

Planning and Zoning Commissioners listened to developers affiliated with the Drenner Group, the real-estate development group responsible for the proposal, members of the Tenants Advocacy Group (TAG), a group of San Marcos residents that have organized against the development and local nonaffiliated residents at its Feb. 27 meeting.

SEE SAN MARCOS PAGE 3

The one-two punch off the Bobcat bench

By Max Martinez Sports Contributor

Since transferring to Texas State from Army West Point, sophomore guard Coleton Benson has been a spark off the bench for the Bobcats offensively and defensively.

Benson is averaging 7.9 points and one and a half rebounds per game while only getting 18 minutes per night. Originally from Austin, Benson decided to sacrifice his playing time at Army West Point to come to a nearby Texas State team he believes has a bright future.

SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 8

PHOTO BY KOBE ARRIAGA

UPD, county sheriff to implement Rape Aggression Defense classes for students and county residents

By Ryan Claycamp Senior News Reporter

The Texas State University Police Department (UPD) and the Hays County Sheriff's Office plan to implement Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes for the public before the end of 2024.

RAD is a form of training to prevent sexual

New series to give improved titles to nontenured faculty

By Lesdy Hernandez News Reporter

New career advancement opportunities will become available to faculty with the introduction of the new Instructional Faculty Title Series for qualified instructional faculty.

Taking effect Sept. 1, nontenured lecturers and senior lecturers will be able to be appointed to new titles and ranks, including assistant professor, associate professor or professor of instruction.

"In collaboration with their academic units, current lecturers and senior lecturers will determine whether to pursue the new title and rank or remain in their current job title," the Instructional Faculty Title Series website stated. "This opportunity will be available to approximately 500 faculty members."

SEE UNIVERSITY PAGE 2

assaults that includes awareness, risk avoidance and self-defense training.

"The mission of the RAD Systems is to establish an accessible, constantly improving and internationally respected alliance of dedicated instructors. These instructors, in turn, will provide educational opportunities for women, children, men and seniors to create a safer future for themselves," RAD website said.

According to UPD Sgt. Rodrigo Manzanares, UPD

previously offered RAD classes from 2007-12, but in 2012 Krav Maga self-defense classes, which is a form of self defense used in the U.S. military in hand-to-hand combat, and safety classes replaced the RAD classes due to budget constraints and class attendance issues.

"We needed to find something more effective, so we can present a lot of information in a more condensed time format," Manzanares said.

SEE SAFETY PAGE 3

I-35 construction to "never conclude" in Central Texas

By Candace Taggart News Reporter

I-35 congestion and construction will continue to affect San Marcos residents, despite having only one current I-35 project within the city limits.

The Great San Marcos Partnership and San Marcos Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2024

Transportation Summit on Feb. 20. Keynote speaker and Executive Director of The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Marc D. Williams announced the San Antonio to Austin corridor, I-35 construction, will “never conclude.”

Williams said this is to meet the demands of population growth in the Central Texas region, which is expected to more than double by 2050.

SEE TRANSPORTATION PAGE 3

MAP BY MEAGAN WALTERS

PHOTO BY CARLENE OTTAH Lecturer Nick Lawson analyzes text from a play, Wednesday, Feb. 28, in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

PHOTO BY FELIX MENKE

San Marcos Commissioner William Agnew requests to pose a question to the applicant, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at San Marcos City Hall.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Alkek MakerSpace and Print Shop reopen after fire-related water damage

By Blake Leschber News Editor

After a first-floor fire in Alkek Library on Feb. 16 caused water damage, the MakerSpace and Print Shop will reopen the week of March 4 after renovations.

Debbie Pitts, coordinator for marketing and communications at University Libraries, said the fire occurred at night after the library closed. The fire happened in a kitchen area, most likely due to an appliance catching fire, according to Pitts.

"[The fire] led to our fire suppression system going off in the area which led to a bunch of water damage," Pitts said.

According to Pitts, the fire burned some materials in the kitchen. However, it was the water from the suppression system that caused the current damage rather than the fire.

FROM FRONT UNIVERSITY

The Texas State University Faculty Senate and the Nontenure Line Faculty Committee worked for the implementation of this title series, which would provide equal career path opportunities like pay bumps and paths toward promotions for instructional faculty, such as the nontenured-line faculty.

Nontenure-line faculty constitutes over 50% of the total faculty at Texas State with over 500 being employed fulltime and over 400 teaching part-time.

We're going to prove to [faculty] they belong here and we want them to have their careers here,"

Rachel Davenport Chair of the Nontenure Line Faculty Committee

In the tenure-line track, professors start off in the assistant professor level working their way to associate professor level till finally full professor level.

Nontenure-line faculty are unable to easily move up these ranks staying in lecturer or senior lecturer positions.

Rachel Davenport, chair of the Nontenure Line Faculty Committee said tenured and nontenured faculty received different career path opportunities, with tenured-line faculty having a higher level of job security and promotion oppor-

"[The fire] really didn't do damage in the room but it did burn some things in the room," Pitts said. "But the biggest problem was the water damage."

Pitts said the Texas State Facilities team has worked in the first-floor area since the fire happened.

"The facilities team have been here, drying out the carpets and replacing the lower drywall, getting it all set up to be able to be reopened," Pitts said.

According to Pitts, students who want to use the Print Shop, which offers large format printing, scanning and laminating services, can use Copy Cats, located in the Nueces building, while waiting for the shop to reopen.

Pitts said the MakerSpace, which allows students to create objects with machines like 3D printers and embroiderers, was still able to offer workshops in other areas of the library, however, the space itself could not be used.

"As far as the MakerSpace, we've still been able to do workshops but we just haven't been able to have people actually in the MakerSpace so we have sent people to the engineering building," Pitts said. "People have just had to wait or find other places to do their projects."

According to Pitts, the kitchen where the fire happened is completely cleared out with no appliances or kitchenware. The area may be used for storage in the future, but for now, it will remain empty to avoid any other possible fires.

Pitts said the library experienced water issues in the past but it has never had to shut down an area of the library.

"We've had to deal with this type of mitigation for water removal. We're used to that," Pitts said. "It's just unfortunate that we had to actually close down some of our service areas."

tunities. Before the introduction of the new title series, nontenure faculty would experience significant pay gaps and no promotion-eligible line, unlike tenureline faculty.

“We don't have any promotion eligible line. We are hired in at whatever our job title is. It's usually either lecturer or senior lecturer and then you just stay there forever. There's never a raise,” Davenport said.

Every department will be in charge of discussing guidelines and deciding requirements and qualifications for lecturers. By April 19, all decisions to either transition to the title series or remain with current job titles must be notified to their respective academic units.

Based on the stated title series and the academic unit's own requirements, Davenport said during this one-time conversation not everyone will be placed at the lowest title or rank level and could

Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St.

San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487

History:

The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday of the spring and fall and once a month in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 3,500. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Visit The Star at universitystar.com

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief:

Carson Weaver stareditor@txstate.edu

News Editor: Blake Leschber starnews@txstate.edu

Sports Editor: David Cuevas starsports@txstate.edu

PIR Director: Abbie Taylor starpr@txstate.edu

Director: Laura Krantz laurakrantz@txstate.edu

potentially be placed in either assistant, associate or full level.

"What that process is going to look like is different depending on what department or school you're in," Davenport said. "It's not just about how long you've been doing it, but on are you meeting other qualifications or are you doing a good job at teaching? Are you doing a good job at service?"

According to the Faculty of Instruction appointment guidelines, the title series is amongst Texas State's efforts to enhance the capacity and productivity of teaching, learning and instructional contributions.

“Instructional faculty, including lecturers and senior lecturers, play a critical role in advancing Texas State's academic mission. The university is committed to ensuring career advancement opportunities for instructional faculty. Texas State continues to gather information on the

Managing Editor: Nichaela Shaheen starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu

Life & Arts Editor: Marisa Nuñez starlifeandarts@txstate.edu

Multimedia Editor: Kobe Arriaga starmultimedia@txstate.edu

Digital Products Developer: Sri Naga Sri Govvala starweb@txstate.edu

process and is collaborating with all stakeholders to refine the implementation,” Texas State said in a written statement to The University Star

A sense of community amongst faculty, more shared governance and a decrease in turnover are only some of the outcomes Davenport said there is hope for under the use of the title series.

"We're going to prove to [faculty] they belong here and we want them to have their careers here," Davenport said. “We actually feel like we are incorporated and embedded in the university where values are important, just like everyone else.”

Design Editor: Sarah Manning stardesign@txstate.edu

Opinions Editor: Rhian Davis staropinion@txstate.edu

Engagement Editor: Hope Monte starengagement@txstate.edu

Creative Service Director: Jen Nguyen starcreative@txstate.edu

Publication Info

Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, March 5, 2024. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor-in-chief.

Deadlines:

Letters to the Editor or any contributed articles are due on Monday the week prior to publication.

Corrections:

Any errors that are in the pages of The University Star and brought to our attention will be corrected as soon as possible.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

FROM FRONT SAN MARCOS

The Lindsey Street development, first proposed on Oct. 2, 2023, would be a "student housing complex set to be built on the south corners of Lindsey and North Street," according to TAG.

"The complex will be built on 2.557 acres and requires all homes and businesses to be removed," a Sept. 22 TAG statement said. "[The property is] set to be seven stories and hold 918 bedrooms with two parking garages in-house."

The Lindsey Street development will replace neighborhoods that already exist in the planned area.

One of the members of TAG, Tara Joyce, a San Marcos resident, criticized that the development would be purpose-built student housing, which are apartments built to specifically cater to students.

TAG opposes purpose-built housing, saying it can be "predatory towards [its] tenants".

"I came here as a student [and] fell in love with this town," Joyce said. "I really want to stay here and make a difference, but student housing is quite prohibitive of that."

Planning and Zoning Commissioner William Agnew said the new developments would likely be unaffordable for many current residents.

"[The North Street and Comanche Street] area... is the only relatively affordable area for students to live that's near the campus," Agnew said. "The apartment complexes are small... but they are affordable

to people in a way that these new developments are not." Several residents also voiced their criticisms of the development at the meeting. In particular, Atom von Arndt, a San Marcos resident, discussed his concerns about the affordability of the new apartments if constructed.

"The mother of my child lives in [Comache Street]. This is one of the few places she can afford," von Arndt said. "I would like for things in this town to be built to benefit the city - this does not help the city."

Matthew Kenyon, a developer on the project, warned the commissioners that he would be willing to sell a portion of the property to Texas State should the proposed changes not be ratified.

The committee voted against resolutions 4 (PSA-23-02) and 7 (AC-23-09) to re-zone the North and Comanche Street areas from “Existing Neighborhood to High Intensity [Housing]" and increase the maximum building height limits. However, resolutions 5 (ZC-23-19) and 6 (CUP-23-22) to "allow a purpose-built student housing development generally located on the south side of Lindsey Street," passed.

The passed resolutions now go to the San Marcos City Council, which will meet at a later date and will give final say over the proposed zoning changes.

FROM FRONT SAFETY

The 2023 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report showed a 135% rise in rapes between 2021 and 2022. In response to the increase, Manzanares said UPD is planning on restarting RAD courses, while also continuing its presentations and Krav Maga classes.

"We're going to send officers to get certified in RAD training," Manzanares said. "We're looking at sending officers as early as summer and hopefully implement [RAD] soon after they get certified."

Manzanares said RAD training should be open in the 2024-25 school year. He is hoping to launch it in fall 2024.

The Hays County Sheriff's Department is also planning to launch its own RAD courses. Currently, the closest locations for RAD courses are in New Braunfels and Austin.

According to Sheriff's Lieutenant Clint Pulpan, the sheriff's department is sending four deputies to get certified to teach RAD classes over the summer, with hopes of launching the program by the end of the summer or in early fall.

"The requirement is one male and one female [instructor] per class," Pulpan said. "So I've got two males and two females going and we're going to start when they get back. I want to immediately start."

According to Pulpan, the location where the course is held will be moved from location to location in Hays County to ensure as many residents as possible can participate. Pulpan said this means it could be held in San Marcos, Kyle or Dripping Springs for a few months at a

time in each location.

The current plan is to make RAD courses free for all women who are 13 years old or older and who live or work in Hays County. Pulpan said if the demand is there, the program may eventually expand to include classes for men and senior citizens, but expressed some doubt in having classes for LGBTQ individuals, as RAD does not provide any training for such classes.

"I think we would probably try to do some poll or questionnaires to see if there interest [in the other courses]," Pulpan said. "I just assumed there would be an interest in women's courses."

Makena Burns, the vice president of Students Against Violence (SAV), said RAD courses can play a role in reducing sexual assaults, but they are not the best or sole solution. SAV is a peer education organization that offers resources aimed at violence reduction on and around campus.

"[Saying] this is our sexual violence prevention and [RAD] being all they have is not comprehensive," Burns said.

Burns said RAD can play into victim blaming by shifting the blame of sexual assault on victims for their lack of training, instead of those responsible for the assault.

For more information on RAD classes at TXST, contact UPD at police@txstate.edu, or txstatepolicece@txstate.edu to schedule one of the already existing classes for sexual assault prevention.

For information on RAD courses provided by the Sheriff's office, follow the Hays County Sheriff's Office @hcsotx, or call their community outreach program at 512-393-7800.

FROM FRONT TRANSPORTATION

TxDOT is performing a link study, expected to finish in 2025, of the 46-mile I-35 Austin to San Antonio corridor, from SH 45 Southeast to Country Road 382/Cibolo Valley Drive. According to a TxDOT virtual open house, this link study will be updating and expanding the 2015 Hays County Corridor Implementation Plan to account for population growth and current projects.

“The I-35 from Austin to San Antonio Link Study is a perfect example of planning for the future to tackle a doubled population by 2050,” TxDOT Public Information Officer Antonio Lujan said in a written interview with The University Star. “It will evaluate and analyze different transportation alternatives and ultimately help define the future of I-35.”

“With SH 123, [TxDOT] started design in 2020, and at that time they discussed this project with the city and the city identified our own needs," Vij said. "They accommodate that in the design process, and then we have to go through the agreement process, find agreements and council approval."

[TxDOT] needs to make sure to remember that all parts of San Marcos are beautiful and not to destroy that.”

Jonathan Villanueva San Marcos resident

The city of San Marcos Senior Project Engineer Rohit Vij said members of the city will meet with TxDOT during the week of March 4 to submit their comments and resolutions to the link study. He said he’s unsure if the corridor will resolve congestion, but the study should provide answers. Residents can make public comments on the study until March 8.

One project in the works is I-35 to State Highway (SH) 123, which will reconstruct the entrance and exit ramp locations, lane structures and the bridge over SH 123. This project began in 2021 and is estimated to be completed in March 2025.

Vij said TxDOT, which has the main authority for these projects, is accommodating to making these changes, but it takes three to five years to go from design to implementation of these projects and changes.

Lujan emphasized the importance of coordination between TxDOT and local governments and said the recent FM 110 North project couldn't have been completed if they didn’t have a partnership with Hays County. Ben Kvanli has been a San Marcos resident since 1994 and currently lives on I-35, where he can “barely get out” of his driveway. Kvanli said he tries to be forgiving about construction because it's ultimately making the roads and city safer, but there are still issues the city could be thoughtful of.

“It's one thing for them to tear stuff up, but it’s another thing to leave it torn up for years,” Kvanli said. “I had to go for months with no driveway because they decided to tear up the end of my driveway, and my friend was biking near my house and fell off an embankment and broke his hip because the construction wasn’t safe."

San Marcos resident Jonathan Villanueva has lived in the city for 46 years and uses I-35 often to get across town. Villanueva said there’s been discussion of widening the road to accommodate the growing Austin metroplex since he was a teenager, but he’s seen the most construction and growth in the past five years.

“20 years ago this place was completely different, so that all you saw was mountains and that’s the San Marcos that most of us remember,” Villanueva said. “[TxDOT] needs to make sure to remember that all parts of San Marcos are beautiful and not to destroy that.”

MAP BY SHREYANI PULIGAL

TIMELINE BY ABBY FUNDERBURK

On-campus endorsement voting must be impartial

By Zayna Abdel-Rahim Opinions Contributor

With the Hays County primary election ending on March 5, political student organizations at Texas State have been compelled to participate in certain democratic processes. Student organizations participate in these processes by enticing voter registration with slices of pizza or hosting a march to polling stations.

An activity more directly associated with the primary election is endorsement voting, an event in which clubs invite candidates to speak, answer questions and receive an endorsement for their candidacy.

Organization-level endorsement voting provides students the chance to engage with and hold political candidates accountable directly. Still, it is the responsibility of student leadership within the organizations to ensure voting is conducted transparently, fairly and without personal bias.

The College Democrats at Texas State (College Dems) recently held their own endorsement vote for the Democratic primaries, hosting candidates from all over the county to participate in this democratic process.

This year, the College Dems hosted a series of meetings dedicated to endorsement speeches before the official vote. At these meetings, each candidate gave a speech and answered no more than two to three questions. For most candidates, this was a simple process. In the case of Chevo Pastrano, a candidate for the seat in Texas State House District 45, it did not go as expected.

After Pastrano delivered what an audience member said was a “textbook” endorsement speech, Jacob Graybill, College Dems president and moderator for the event, asked a question relating to the incumbent and Pastrano’s opponent, Erin Zwiener.

Pastrano answered and when Graybill had a followup, a College Dems' faculty adviser decided to step in, making it clear she suspected bias in Graybill’s questioning. Graybill then decided against a follow-up and directed questions back to the audience.

As soon as the microphone returned to Pastrano, he took it as an opportunity to accuse Graybill of actively

being on Zwiener’s payroll. Graybill immediately addressed this accusation, admitting while he did intern for Zwiener, he was not currently her employee. Pastrano attempted to expose Graybill’s association with Zwiener to enforce the bias the adviser suggested, but for Pastrano, it was unfortunate that he attempted to do so while answering a question from one of his very own campaign workers.

At the Feb. 13 College Dems meeting, student leadership said they were informed of current employees of either Pastrano or his campaign attending the endorsement meetings with the explicit purpose of weighing the vote in his favor. Whether this was orchestrated by the campaign, the students or Pastrano himself remains unclarified.

Because of the events that took place, the executive board of the College Dems took the initiative to amend their chapter constitution, saying in a press release, "No one currently, or in the past year, paid by a candidate... can vote on an endorsement regarding that candidate," and candidates or campaigns proven to engage in such misconduct will no longer be considered for endorsement.

Organization-level endorsement voting is not always like this. Endorsement voting gives students an amazing opportunity to hold candidates accountable to the values and interests of the student body and plays a crucial role in promoting student engagement and representation in campus politics.

While the College Dems made the correct decision to revise their constitution, this should be a lesson for all political organizations on campus. For political organizations that don’t already have preventative measures included in their election processes, there is no better time to change them than now.

According to the Campaign Legal Center, traditional voting systems that alienate constituent-candidate interactions incentivize negative campaigning and divisive tactics as candidates aim for a singular victory.

Placing candidates front and center to the scrutiny of hard-hitting questions while imposing consequences for inappropriate conduct encourages candidates to focus on authenticity to policy and character rather than resorting to mudslinging or smear campaigns.

By subjecting candidates to this endorsement voting process, both candidates and student organizations are held accountable for their participation in democratic processes.

What political organizations on campus do is important and necessary. It is up to student leadership to abide by the democratic values of transparency, freedom from bias and equal opportunity to all candidates to ensure these endorsement votes mean something genuine.

– Zayna Abdel-Rahim is an international relations senior

NCAA volleyball contact rule change impacts TXST

By Kobe Arriaga Opinions Contributor

For over a century, the double contact violation has been a rule implemented in modern volleyball. Many players are taught from a young age how to correctly hit the ball to avoid this violation.

Suddenly, collegiate volleyball athletes are being forced to adapt to a new rule change after the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel decided to overturn its double contact rule in February.

When it comes to rule changes in athletic sports, it's almost an inevitable event that seemingly occurs every five years. The double contact violation was introduced in 1922 and has remained in effect until now.

The 2024 volleyball spring season for Texas State has steadily gone underway, and senior setter Ryann Torres will have the rest of her senior season to adjust to the rule change.

The 2023 volleyball season saw Torres tally up a whopping 813 assists on the year in 24 matches played, marking the highest of any season in her career.

Torres, who started her collegiate journey with Texas State in 2020, clearly had a lot of success adapting to her new role as the primary setter for the team. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how this rule change will affect Torres' performance, if at all.

According to VolleyballMag.com, Lyndsey Oates, Northern Colorado volleyball head coach and member of the NCAA volleyball rules committee, said this decision is going to be a significant change in the sport.

“I would say it was a very good discussion. I mean, we talked for hours,” Oates said in a VolleyballMag.com article. “We just wanted to make sure we got it right. It’s a fairly significant change and

we wanted to make sure we thought of everything.”

The double contact violation in volleyball occurs whenever a player, typically at the setter position, touches the ball with various parts of the body twice in succession. This violation can also be detected based on the rotation of the ball as it skies into the air, which is how referees typically detect the double contact.

When a setter touches the ball, they are specifically trying to set up their teammate who is in position to spike the ball over the net in an attempt to score a point.

Touching the ball more than once can guarantee a turnover practically every time. Overturning this violation now grants setters an excuse to set the ball poorly and practice incorrect form at one of the highest levels of the sport.

Not only does the change enable poor coaching and discipline at the highest levels, but it takes away from the talented setters who have learned to play a specific way their whole lives. The change also has the potential to affect incoming freshmen who must adjust to the new rules when coming out of high school.

Many setters have carried the discipline of hitting the ball correctly for years, and this change not only forces players to adapt to a different playstyle, but it allows a lesser-skilled player to fill the same role for a team.

In an interview with WICA News , University of Illinois junior setter Brooke Mosher said the rule change is tough for her because her hard work in technique has now gone out the window.

“I think it does take away from the craft that setters have worked so hard to put in and now for it to be taken away is a little bit, not demoralizing, but tough that it's just gone,” Mosher said in an WICA News interview. “All that work

that I’ve put into that [is gone].”

Many members of the rules committee agree this change is beneficial because it can help the referees with fewer judgment calls.

Furthermore, the NCAA said changing the rule can hopefully lessen arguments between players and refs, offer consistency to the game and promote the continuation of play which offers more fast-paced excitement.

Despite the small benefits. the rule change lacks consideration for players who actually perform on the court. This rule change affects players at the setter position all across the nation.

Texas State redshirt freshman setter Carlee Pharris can potentially be one of the affected players, given her position as a setter.

Pharris has just one year of experience playing at the collegiate level after sitting out as a redshirt freshman at TCU, managing to record over 300 assists in just 15 matches played in her first season.

Given that Pharris has barely com-

pleted her first year of volleyball at the collegiate level, its likely she's learned her role and how to be successful all season. With the rule change, Pharris may be forced to pick up on new techniques in order for her to continue playing at a high level.

Though this may seem easy, it changes things when a player has spent nearly two years learning different systems and ways to be an effective player on the court.

The 2024 spring season has arrived and though it is rather short in length and lacks the attention and accolades compared to a normal season, Bobcat fans still have the opportunity to analyze how this rule change can affect the players early on.

The NCAA rule change lacks consideration of the veterans and dedicated setters of the sport. It will be interesting to see how this rule change can affect the Texas State volleyball team as the season progresses.

-Kobe Arriaga is a journalism senior

LIFE AND ARTS

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Art exhibit highlights TXST's bond to San Marcos

By Marisa Nuñez Life and Arts Editor

Throughout March, the San Marcos Art Center is showcasing artwork made by students, alumni and staff to highlight the bond between the Texas State and San Marcos art communities.

"Opulent Bonds: Bobcats and Beyond" is the biggest exhibit in San Marcos Art Center history. With a recent purchase of more display panels, the March exhibit showcases the artwork of 49 students, alumni and staff.

"I like the fact that we're able to connect with [Texas State]," Nancy Brown, the director of San Marcos Art Center, said. "It's very unfortunate that there's such a separation between the

university and the rest of San Marcos, so it's nice to be able to encourage that connection."

San Marcos Art Center hosted an opening reception to introduce the student, alumni and staff theme on March 1. The exhibit will be showcased until March 29.

Syd Perkinson, a studio art junior and San Marcos Art Center intern, feels the exhibit creates a bond between Texas State and San Marcos by providing an exclusive Texas State theme.

"It feels disconnected because people are not aware of the opportunities... the Art Center has," Perkinson said. "Having... [a] Texas State show makes [artists] want to come here and sign up. It creates a better bond community-wise."

The exhibit displays ceramics, oil and acrylic paintings, photographs, sculptures and other art mediums throughout pro panels and some columns inside the San Marcos Art Center.

To expand her portfolio, Keiran Greer, a studio art senior, submitted her artwork to be showcased in the exhibit. This is her first time having her artwork displayed in the San Marcos Art Center.

"It puts like a finalization onto the piece for me," Greer said. "I'm out here, I'm promoting my art, [it] feels good."

Greer believes the exhibit is an opportunity for art students where their work can be displayed in a centralized space.

"It's pretty hard for [artist's] young careers to get out there and have an

opportunity like this, so condensing it to just students and alumni, I think that's cool," Greer said.

Yadhira Lerma, an anthropology freshman, attended the opening reception upon discovery when walking on The Square. She said she was very impressed by the exhibit.

"More people should come see the art because the art was very beautiful," Lerma said.

San Marcos Art Center is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

For more information about San Marcos Art Center, scan the QR code.

INFOGRAPHIC BY EVA BOWLER, JARELL CARR, MEAGAN WALTERS, DEVON CREW, ABBY FUNDERBURK AND SARAH MANNING

Former Texas State Student Emergency Services Coordinator Glynis Christine studies a sculpture, Friday, March 1, 2024, at the San Marcos Art Center.

PHOTO BY MARISA NUÑEZ

Derek Klien and Keiran Greer, a studio art senior, admire artwork, Friday, March 1, 2024, at the San Marcos Art Center.

PHOTO BY MARISA NUÑEZ

Local musicians prepare for The Shiner's Saloon Showdown

By Brianna Chavez Life and Arts Reporter

With over 50 acts from across the globe ranging in hip-hop, jazz, country, DJs and everything in between, the sound of live music will ring at Shiner's Saloon in Austin from March 15-16.

The Shiner's Saloon Showdown is hosted by San Marcos event company Apogee Presents. There will be 24 total hours of live music from singer-songwriters, jam bands, official SXSW artists and more.

Mike Howard, executive producer of Apogee Presents and Texas State alumnus, said the event is about the artists.

"You're supposed to not know this bands, just come in and you might find your new favorite artists," Howard said. "Seeing a singer-songwriter performing their own music, that's an art that will never go away."

Apogee Presents has hosted the event for the past five years, but this year Howard said it has been rebranded and is bigger and better than ever.

Howard said The Shiner's Saloon Showdown helps carry the torch of supporting local artists and can be a platform for artists to be seen.

"In today's day and age there's so much media saturation that it's hard to even get your album heard," Howard said. "It's a big part of why we will always do this event."

The Trips, a San Marcos band, are excited to bring energy to the event with their upbeat melodies and a mixture of classic '70s tunes, pop-punk hits and originals from their future album, displaying the mixture of music the group grew up listening to.

McKenna Wells, drummer for The Trips and public health senior, said when working at KTSW-FM 89.9, Texas State's student-run radio station, she would help the station find bands and recruit artists that would let them play music or host on air. Now on the other side as a performer, Wells is excited to see her fellow local musicians and students display the wide array of art they're creating.

"I have the experience of being someone going in looking to find fun music and also the performer now," Wells said. "It's just such an exciting

experience on either side."

Maddy Hatchett will bring her nostalgic sound with a futuristic edge to The Shiner's Saloon Showdown. She will perform her original work including her latest single "Lately," about moving back home during the pandemic and being grateful for spending time with loved ones.

"Before the pandemic, I was running around like a chicken," Hatchett said. "So I felt like it was the first time I could actually just breathe and look back on everything." Hatchett said it's a special feeling to get

to share her stories through her music and for others to connect, feel emotions and see things in a different light all through her melodies. Especially with her live music.

"Live music is an opening to enjoy the music itself, but there's also a social aspect to the live music scene that's special," Hatchett said. "That's the fun part for me."

Although music is not Hatchett's full-time job, she said part of the hurdle for many artists is the ability to make a living income off their passion and work. Showing up and supporting local live music is a huge way for artists to be able to sustain what they're doing.

Howard said some of his first-ever experiences in San Marcos involved music, standing in front of a band at a show or seeing live musicians at a house party. Local artists can build community and bring identity to a place, much like Austin, Texas, the live music capital of the world.

"Austin is very supportive of supporting their local artists, like Willie Nelson, Gary Clark Junior and Stevie Ray Vaughan," Howard said. "I think the best we can do is try to continue to carry the torch of supporting these local artists."

The Shiner's Saloon Showdown is from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. on March 15-16 at 422 Congress Ave. Unit D, Austin, Texas 78701. The event is free and for all ages.

For the full line-up, setlist times and more information, visit Apogee Presents on Instagram, @apogeepresents.

PHOTO COURTESY OF APOGEE PRESENTS AND CHRISTOPHER PAUL CARDOZA

Local band Bogan Villa performing, March 2022, at Shiner's Saloon in Austin.

INFOGRAPHIC BY QUINN FANTA

Bobcats win two at Minute Maid in dramatic weekend

By Adrian Ramirez Sports Reporter

During three games where sophomore infielder Chase Mora was named the Astros Foundation College Classic's Most Outstanding Player, the Bobcats showed out in H-Town, competing with powerhouses.

Aside form Mora, junior infielder Aaron Lugo and freshman outfielder Ryne Farber were named to the AllTournament team.

Texas State baseball (7-4) spent a weekend in Houston playing in the Astros Foundation College Classic. The Bobcats earned wins over #15 Texas (7-4) and Houston (6-4) but dropped their final game of the weekend to the defending national champion #2 Louisiana State University (11-1).

Unlike the previous weekend in Round Rock where the team lost two of three, the offense was the powerhouse of this weekend for the Bobcats as they scored 25 runs on 33 hits.

The “Slam Marcos” mantra was alive and well throughout the weekend. Texas State tallied five roundtrippers to increase the team total to 18 on the season.

Late-inning heroics led the Bobcats to a victory in game one, as Mora sent one into the stands for a walkoff homer.

“I’ve been working all week and finally got dialed in,” Mora said. “I couldn’t be more honored to come out to my hometown and put on a show.”

Lugo kept the Bobcats' antics going in game two against the Longhorns. Lugo calmly stepped up to the plate with the Bobcats down to their last out of the game while trailing one run.

He then hit a go-ahead two-run homer with a fully inflated bubble of gum in his mouth to give the Bobcats the ninth-inning lead.

This homer turned Minute Maid Park into a crowd full of Bobcat fans, with Texas State, LSU and Louisi-

ana–Lafayette supporters all cheering for the Bobcats.

“It’s unbelievable,” Lugo said. “I don't have the words to describe this moment, it’s just great.”

The Bobcats ran into a buzzsaw on day three of the tournament in the form of LSU. The Tigers were the deeper, better team on day three of the tournament. They gashed the Texas State pitching staff for 10 runs on

Softball wins three, drops one at McHaney Classic

By Adrian Ramirez Sports Reporter

The Texas State softball team (17-6) stayed hot over the weekend in Lubbock, going 3-1 in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic. The Bobcats played four games over two days against two opponents: The University of Texas at El Paso (13-5) and New Mexico State University (10-8).

The Bobcats opened the weekend on a bit of a sour note, getting run-ruled by the Miners in five innings. They had no answer for UTEP's graduate starting pitcher Taja Felder as she held the offense to only three hits in the afternoon.

The Bobcats faced UTEP once again in game three of the tournament. Twice before this, the Bobcats dropped game one against an opponent they met again later in a tournament. Both times, they avenged their losses with second-meeting wins.

The trend continued as the score did a full 360, with the Bobcats defeating the Miners 8-0. The star of the game was senior pitcher Jessica Mullins. Mullins threw a perfect game, going 21 up, 21 down; the first seven-inning perfect game by a Bobcat since 2008.

Games two and four of the weekend were against the New Mexico State Aggies. The Bobcats went 2-0 v.s. the Aggies, ending the tournament on a high note by securing another winning weekend.

Mullins gave another solid performance in the circle in game one against the Aggies, throwing a complete game shutout while only giving up three hits. The scoring was highlighted by a pair of homers from senior and sophomore utilities Anna Jones and Katarina Zarate.

In the Bobcats’ final game they run-ruled the Aggies for the second time. A pair of home runs from graduate student infielder Sara Vanderford and sophomore catcher Karmyn Bass highlighted the scoring in the final game of the weekend.

The long-tenured duo of Mullins and Vanderford were two major catalysts on the weekend. Vanderford finished with a .555 batting average which led the team. Mullins threw 13.0 innings without surrendering an earned run, lowering her season ERA to 0.82.

The Bobcats are 10-2 in their last 12 games and look to continue playing good ball when a tough Pennsylvania State University team (13-1) comes to Bobcat Softball Stadium this coming weekend.

FROM FRONT BASKETBALL

19 hits. The Bobcats scored five, but the Tigers' offensive barrage was too much to overcome.

Though they fell to the defending champions, this weekend may be considered a success for Bobcat baseball as it took out two high-tier opponents. With these wins, Texas State proved its ability to compete and will look to continue doing so this season.

Texas State Head Coach Terrence Johnson said he's happy with what he's seen from Benson during the 2023-24 season and wants Benson playing a part in the team no matter what role he fills.

“[Benson has] been willing and trying to learn, and trying to get himself engulfed into who we are and what we do,” Johnson said. “[He asks] ‘How can I help you’…'How can I be of service?’... ‘What do you need me to do in practice’… ‘Do you need me to be a passer or a be a shooter?’”

Benson is shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc from off the bench and bench production is something the Bobcats needed as they ranked as one of the worst shooting teams in the nation last season.

Compared to Army West Point where he started 31 games and averaged nearly 30 minutes per game, he has only appeared in 21 games for the Bobcats, with his first start of the season coming against Georgia State on Feb. 24.

“The role that I have right now, I am grateful for it, and just blessed to have the opportunity that I am playing right now,” Benson said. “[I’m] just trying to do anything I can to help us win. At the end of the day, that is the biggest thing is just doing my part and my role in any way that I can to help us get a [win].”

While he has found success, Benson said the transfer process to Texas State was complicated. Many of Benson’s class credits from Army West Point did not trans fer to Texas State. As a result, until he managed his credits, the NCAA said Benson wasn’t qualified to play for Texas State.

It wasn't until Jan. 17 against Arkan sas State that Benson was able to suit up and play in his first game for the Bobcats after the NCAA finally granted him playing eligibility.

With the possibility of not seeing the court during the 23-24 season, Benson said he aimed to help the team even if it was on the sidelines in street clothes.

“My mindset during that point was really trying to have a coaching mindset,” Benson said. “Because I couldn’t contribute in games at that point in the season, which was very different for me. But I saw the game in a different way at that point.”

Sophomore guard Jordan Mason, who started in 14 games after returning from an injury in November, has also made a large impact from the bench. On Feb. 1 against South Alabama, Johnson switched up the team dynamic by taking Mason out of the starting lineup to come off the bench along with Benson. This led to the Bobcats winning four straight games. This season, Mason is averaging 12.3 points per game, along with three rebounds and three assists per game, making him a force on the offensive end.

Although Mason started for much of the season, Johnson wanted to adjust the lineup in order to help the team win. Mason accepted what was asked of him as he is willing to do whatever it takes for his teammates and team to win, he said.

“[Coach Johnson] told me that he was going to try a different approach,” Mason said. “We had lost some games, and he was going to bring me off the bench and I was obviously welcome to the role. It wasn’t a big deal for me. I loved seeing my teammates succeed and I love succeeding myself.”

Mason and Benson were coming off the bench together over that four-game winning stretch, and they enjoyed bringing a spark into the game when they did. It also helps them not be as fatigued when they are not playing right away, according to Mason.

“It's good to come off the bench," Mason said. "Me and Coleton come off [the bench] and bring the energy... We kind of pick it up because I feel like when I was starting, I died out after a while getting tired, so coming off the bench making sure I bring energy is good for the team.”

The Texas State baseball team celebrates sophomore infielder Chase Mora's (2) grand slam against Texas in the Astros Foundational Classic, Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

PHOTO BY CARLY EARNEST

Sophomore guard Jordan Mason (5) dribbles the ball down the court during a game versus South Alabama, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, at Strahan Arena.

PHOTO BY KOBE ARRIAGA

PHOTO BY MANDALYN LEWALLEN

PHOTO BY LUCAS KRAFT Texas State transfer quarterback Jordan McCloud (Right) makes an appearance alongside Head Coach G.J. Kinne (Left) as the first pitch guest ahead of the softball game versus Texas, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Bobcat Softball Stadium.

PHOTO

Nate Wilburn (Left), Justyce Padilla (Center) and Sebastian Saavedra (Right)