03-19-2024

Buc-ee's approved to build in San Marcos

By Blake Leschber News Editor

San Marcos City Council and Hays County Commissioner's Court approved the construction of a new Buc-ee's store in San Marcos.

According to a city of San Marcos presentation, the proposed store, located on the Southside of I-35 and Yarrington Road, will span approximately 74,000 square feet and will have 120 fueling stations.

According to Christian Smith, economic and business development manager for San Marcos, Buc-ee's will be

TXST female athletes reflect on Women's History Month

By Candice Gilmore Sports Contributor

Women’s History Month is an opportunity to celebrate women who’ve inspired and lifted others up by showing their dedication and hard work in every field. It’s a time to remember and commemorate achievements made by women for the betterment of their community.

In 1903, women's history in sports at Texas State’s began with the first athletic group organized on campus being an intramural women’s basketball team called 'The Gypsies.'

Following the development of a men’s basketball team in 1904, women’s basketball and tennis teams outnumbered their male counterparts for a decade. Today, Texas State has six men’s teams and eight

SEE FEMALE SPORTS PAGE 7

Leadership San Marcos gives back with sculpture

By Cara Cervenka Life and Arts Reporter

Located on Hopkins Street near Zelicks Icehouse, the "Love Locks" sculpture invites the community to put a permanent piece of themselves in San Marcos. Like popular lock sculptures in Paris, France and Austin, Texas, the love lock sculpture is intended to be a living and breathing piece of the city.

Leadership San Marcos is a two-year program that promotes community involvement and awareness. The graduating class of 2024, Brooke Spruiell, Heather Demere and Tiffany Harris, met at Leadership San Marcos and were the first class to graduate post-COVID-19. Leadership San Marcos requires a final project to graduate, and these women decided their project should reflect the love in the community.

SEE COMMUNITY PAGE 5

required to invest a minimum of $50 million into the project. In addition, the company will have to donate $100,000 to a city community fund which, according to Smith, will be spent with the city council’s direction for different city projects.

SEE DEVELOPMENT PAGE 3

Theater students to perform original written play

By Megan Weise Life and Arts Contributor

Stephanie Wilson, a theatre sophomore, wrote her novel "Sera and Sam" at age 13 and has since molded it into an original script set to hit the stage March 23-24 at The Theatre Center.

Before attending college, Wilson originally wrote "Sera and Sam" as a detailed book following the main character Sera's inner dialogue. After taking a dramatic writing class for her major, Wilson was inspired to turn her story into a performable script.

"I've always like been in love with creating stories," Wilson said. "I was writing and acting from a very young age and... that and singing are my greatest passions in life."

COSMO Theatre Troupe, a student-run theater production organization, accepted Wilson's pitch for "Sera and Sam", allowing her story to come to life in a full stage production and bridging her passions for acting and writing. Wilson grew up acting from a young age because of her mother's influence. Wilson's mother Nicoletta Mondellini was a professional actress who starred in telenovelas in the '90s through the early 2000s.

"She's my biggest inspiration," Wilson said. "I got the acting bug from her."

SEE THEATER PAGE 5

Downtown intersection closes for accessibility construction

By Candace Taggart News Reporter

The current construction at the HopkinsGuadalupe intersection is set to enhance downtown accessibility in San Marcos by the end of May.

The project will include lane improvements like the restriping of lanes and parking spaces and laying asphalt on Hopkins Street from the Fredericksburg-Hopkins intersection to the LBJ Drive-Hopkins intersection.

The construction began on March 11 with a deadline for completion on May 28, but Senior Project Engineer for the city of San Marcos Rohit Vij estimates it could be finished by the end of

April or early May.

"It's not going to be a long duration of construction," Vij said. "There might be disturbances to businesses though."

There will be intermittent lane closures throughout the two months of construction and parking across from the courthouse on Hopkins Street between Guadalupe Street, and LBJ Street will close temporarily according to Vij.

The improvements will also modify the curb ramps on the north corners of the GuadalupeHopkins intersection to be compliant with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and more accessible to the handicapped parking spaces.

SEE SAN MARCOS PAGE 3

PHOTO BY MEG BOLES Texas State junior forward Jaylin Foster (11) makes a lap around the court with her team to celebrate the victory over ULM, Friday, March 1, 2024, at Strahan Arena.

PHOTO BY KOBE ARRIAGA

Multiple locks attached to the 'Love Locks' sculpture, Monday, March 11, 2024, located on West Hopkins in San Marcos.

MAP BY MELANIE CAMARA

Stories over Spring Break

New opportunities to get involved in local government emerge this spring

By Eleanor Munoz News Contributor

Texas State and the city of San Marcos will offer new programs this spring for students and residents to get informed and involved with local government.

The city is introducing San Marcos UniverCity, a seven-week free educational program about San Marcos city government. Each week, the program will focus on a different area of local government such as the library, city council, Planning and Development Services, Neighborhood Enhancement and Police Department.

San Marcos UniverCity will begin on March 28. The application, which requires basic demographic information, must be submitted by March 16. Community Vitality Coordinator Tiffany Harris said she encourages any students interested in local government to apply, as the program is open to everyone.

“The whole reason that we wanted to start the UniverCity was ultimately to bring people in to give them a better understanding of what we do but also look at the other opportunities there are to be more engaged with the city,” Harris said.

Men’s basketball’s season ends in hard-fought loss in semifinal round of conference tournament

Three friends bring one vision to life through on-campus film screening

By Brianna Bordosky Life and Arts Contributor

Two Texas State students and their mutual friend debuted their thriller drama “Crabs in a Bucket” at the university’s Theatre and Dance Center on March 1. While the film explores self-seeking behaviors, the trio behind the operation used nothing but collaboration and passion to make their dreams possible.

Nate Wilburn, an environmental studies sophomore, and Sebastian Saavedra, a business adminis-

tration sophomore, became friends and film partners in high school. Justyce Padilla, an Atlantic Cape Community College sophomore, met the pair two years ago at the All-American High School Film Festival in New York.

Scan the QR code to read the rest of the story.

Taco truck thrives a year after expansion

By Cara Cervenka Life and Arts Reporter

Community support helped Taquitos Mi Rancho expand to Riverside Dr. in April 2023. After nearly a year, Co-Owners Augusto Galindo and Maria del Rosario Rubio said the truck has experienced success with its drive-up and order method, allowing more patrons to order as a result of the increased parking spaces.

Although its old location on 641 E Hopkins St. was a prime location, moving was the next logical step for the food truck after the previous location owner did not want to renew the space rental agreement and intended to use the Taquitos Mi Rancho space for themselves.

Scan the QR code to read the rest of the story.

By Max Martinez Sports Contributor

Coming off a season in which they weren’t expected to do well in the postseason, 11th-seeded Texas State men’s basketball (17-18, 7-11 Sun Belt Conference) lost a hard-fought game to second-seed James Madison University (30-3, 15-3 Sun Belt Conference) 73-68 in the semifinal round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at the Pensacola Bay Center on Sunday night.

The loss brings the team’s 2023-24 season to an end after a three-game regular season winning streak and two tournament upsets.

Scan the QR code to read the rest of the story.

Hays County primary election sees 19% voter turnout

By Ryan Claycamp Senior News Reporter

The March 5 joint primary elections, which help decide the candidates on the November general election ballot, saw around a 19% voter turnout in Hays County.

"Primaries are elections that political parties use to select candidates for a general election. Then, each party’s candidates run against each other in the general election," a document on the Federal Voter Assistance Program's website stated.

According to the Hays County Elections Office, this year's primary saw about 8.5% of registered voters vote on the Democrat ballot and 10.4% vote on the Republican ballot.

The turnout in Hays County was in line with the approximate 18% turnout in the 2022 midterm primaries but was lower than the 29% turnout rate in the 2020 primary elections.

For the presidential candidates, there are still primary elections in other states until June 4, when South Dakota has its presidential primary. After the final

primary, both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee will officially nominate their respective candidate.

In Hays County, Joe Biden won the Democratic primary with approximately 86% of the vote and Donald Trump won the Republican primary with about 71% of the vote.

For local and state races that did not have any candidate receive 50% or more of the votes in their primary race, the two candidates who received the most votes will head to the May 28 primary runoff elections.

"If no candidate for nomination to a particular office receives the vote required for nomination in the general primary election, a runoff primary election shall be held to determine the nomination," Texas Election Code § 172.004 stated.

For Hays County, the runoffs will include the Democratic candidates for Tax Assessor-Collector (Jessica Sanchez and Jennifer Escobar) and Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 (J.R. Mendoza and Amanda Calvert).

With local and state races, for candidates who won more than 50% of the votes in their primary races

Sports Editor: David Cuevas starsports@txstate.edu

Director: Laura Krantz laurakrantz@txstate.edu

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the next step will be campaigning against the candidate from their rival party ahead of the November 5 general election.

"A general election is an election in which candidates are elected to offices," Ballotpedia's page on general elections stated. "General elections occur at local, state, and federal levels, and typically occur at regular intervals."

The Hays County general election will include many races such as the president, one federal senator, congressional representatives, the Hays County sheriff, multiple district judges and more.

Scan the QR code to see the 2024 joint primary election results for Hays County.

Opinions Editor: Rhian Davis staropinion@txstate.edu

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Creative Service Director: Jen Nguyen starcreative@txstate.edu

Texas State junior guard Dontae Horne (2) prepares to score a goal during the game against, Troy Friday, March. 1, 2024, at Strahan Arena.

Nate Wilburn (Left), Justyce Padilla (Center) and Sebastian Saavedra (Right) offer a brief at the screening for “Crabs in a Bucket” as students pile in attendance, Friday, March 1, 2024, at the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Taquitos Mi Rancho owners Maria Del Rosario Rubio (Left) and Augusto Galindo (Right) stand in front of their business on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in San Marcos.

PHOTO BY KOBE ARRIAGA

PHOTO BY MANDALYN LEWALLEN

PHOTO BY CARA CERVENKA

Smith said the process started in October 2023 with Buc-ee's approaching the city with an application for incentives to build the store through a Chapter 3 agreement. The agreement provides incentives through cash grants or tax rebates, which is a refund of a portion of taxes.

"Typically, what San Marcos does is we don't usually engage with large cash grants but mostly rebates where upon meeting a certain set of conditions, we'll rebate a portion of the taxes they paid to us," Smith said.

Buc-ee's will receive a 50% sales tax rebate for 15 years on all non-fuel sales, according to Smith. The city will keep the other half of the sales taxes as well as all property taxes. The rebate is performance-based, meaning as more products sell, the value of the rebates increase.

In addition to the monetary requirements, Buc-ee's will be required to provide at least 175 full-time jobs starting at $18 an hour with health insurance, a 401K match up to 6%, three weeks of paid time off per year and an additional $2 an hour for overnight shifts.

"If you take the value of those starting wages that shakes out to about $7 million a year that's getting spent in the local economy," Smith said.

According to Smith, per the agreement, Buc-ee's is required to make an effort to hire locals by advertising positions in community channels. This includes the city, Texas State and local job boards.

Even though Buc-ee's will advertise to students, part-time employees are not prioritized for the San Marcos location.

"[Bu-cee's] tends to not focus on part-time employees especially when we're talking about our benefits for the community," Stan Beard, director of real estate and development for Bu-cee's, said at a Feb. 20 city council meeting. "Our whole philosophy is to maximize the full-time employees that we have."

While the job description in the agreement may be acceptable to some residents, others are concerned with the work quality.

Will Moore, a regional planning sophomore, said in

FROM FRONT SAN MARCOS

MAP BY MADELINE CARPENTER

a March 5 city council meeting the average employee rating of Buc-ee's on Glassdoor, a website where employees can review companies, is 2.9 stars, which can be seen as low when compared to other companies in San Marcos like H-E-B or McDonald's.

"Subjecting San Marcos residents to these abysmal working conditions would be a disservice to them," Moore said at the meeting.

Smith said after the city completed a traffic analysis of the area, he believes the Buc-ee's will not increase traffic.

"There are instances where when you have something of that size that has a lot of commercial activity, you're gonna see some impact there," Smith said. "But, it's not something that's going to substantially impact existing traffic more than what already exists because it's pulling traffic that's already on [I-35]."

There are also environmental terms in the agreement. Buc-ee's cannot build on any aquifer recharge zones and it must install oil water separators and a rainwater harvesting system.

"What we put in the agreement is the company is required to install oil water separators throughout the site which acts as a pretreatment for any stormwater runoff before it gets out of site," Smith said. "In addition, [Bu-cee's] will be installing a rainwater harvesting system which they've never done at any other location in the country."

According to the agreement, Buc-ee's will have until June 1 to submit a building permit. If approved, Bucee's will have until March 31, 2025 to start construction.

Debby Butler, manager of the LBJ Museum on Guadalupe Street, said she had received complaints from customers about the lack of handicapped parking spaces.

"I think the [ADA compliance] is going to be great," Butler said. "A lot of our clients are older and they come in with canes and wheelchairs, plus we have younger people with babies in carriages."

The city will add pedestrian buttons and poles for pedestrian crossing on the corners of Guadalupe Street and Hopkins Street. There will also be an additional

lane for left turns from Hopkins Street onto Guadalupe Street.

According to Vij, the city will try to decrease traffic congestion by opening the traffic lanes in the evening or when daytime construction activities are completed.

“There will be some impact to the businesses, but there won't be any intersection closures,” Vij said. “Traffic will be congested a little bit because we have to do the construction, but we are hoping

to minimize it.”

Jake Reco, cook at Jax Burgers Fries and Shakes on Hopkins Street, said the construction combined with Spring Break has slowed down business, but the street improvements could help business in the future.

"It could drive up more customers since the roads and ramps will be more accessible," Reco said. "If it looks better, more people will come by."

These street improvements are a part of the city of San Marcos’ Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which is a ten-year program that adds new projects every three years. Its goal is for the city to have ongoing developments for the next decade that will improve infrastructure and facilities.

According to Vij, the construction is a small portion of a larger project of street improvements of Hopkins Street from Moore Street to Guadalupe Street, but that project was delayed after the CIP was implemented due to funding issues. Its design will most likely be completed in 2026-27, and it'll be a project up for contract bond in 2028.

Vij said the current Hopkins-Guadalupe construction project was pushed ahead of the Moore Street improvements to coordinate with the Texas Department of Transportation, which is planning a maintenance and construction project on a right of way division on Hopkins Street from Guadalupe Street to I-35 in May.

Traffic will be congested a little bit because we have to do the construction, but we are hoping to minimize it,"

Rohit Vij Senior Project Engineer for the city of San Marcos

Cars navigate through the construction at the intersection of Hopkins and Guadalupe, Sunday, March 17, 2024, in downtown San Marcos.

PHOTO BY KOBE ARRIAGA

Test scores should stay away from admissions

By Samuel Marentes Opinions Columnist

The University of Texas at Austin (UT), Dartmouth and Yale are among the schools which have returned to requiring students to report standardized test scores in their admissions applications. The decision, though not yet adopted by Texas State, could restrict the diversity of students admitted to these schools, as standardized test scores have done in the past.

COVID-19 put the entire academic world on pause. In response, most schools, including Texas State, adopted test-optional policies and decided to forego requiring students to submit SAT or ACT scores. Now, with nationwide testing having resumed, a few universities have reverted back to requiring potential applicants to submit their standardized test scores.

Not requiring test scores encourages a more diverse pool of applicants for potential admission and gives individual applicants more power in deciding how to present themselves to the university.

MIT was the first notable school to abandon its testoptional policy, reinstating the requirement in 2022.

Dartmouth and Yale, two Ivy League schools, followed suit in February. Closer to home, UT announced it would reinstate the standardized test requirement beginning with applicants for the fall 2025 semester on March 11.

The decision to bring back the test score requirement is largely based on an internal study conducted by Dartmouth. This study found test scores helped identify students from disadvantaged backgrounds who were likely to succeed in college. Students who excelled within their circumstances had a higher chance of admission.

Texas State was one of the many universities to opt for a test-optional policy when COVID-19 hindered students' abilities to reliably take their exams.

Looking at Texas State's current admissions policy, only students ranked in the bottom 25% of their

graduating class are required to report their SAT or ACT scores, also offering various avenues for assured admission.

Even though Texas State has remained firm in its testoptional policy, with UT requiring the scores again, the possibility of Texas State returning to a test-required policy grows more likely. As admission rates grow every year, further barriers to admission might cut down those overwhelming numbers.

Gary Ray, associate vice president of Enrollment Management at Texas State, said he prefers a holistic approach to admissions and reinforced the school's choice to not require its applicants to submit test scores.

"Test scores are just another part of a student’s academic record to review in making the final assessment of college readiness," Ray said.

For schools like Texas State, a Hispanic-Serving Institution with most of its students receiving financial aid, offering this kind of confidence to applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds is beyond valuable. If the school decided to require test scores once again, a significant portion of its applicants might feel alienated.

The studies conducted by Dartmouth and Yale were likely conducted in good faith and found results in favor of a testing requirement for a reason. Further, none of the schools aforementioned deny the history of racial and economic disparity between students' scores.

Still, it's hard to imagine every single admissions officer will reliably and equitably use the test scores included in a student's application. When faced with tens of thousands of potential applicants, the temptation to immediately toss out a candidate based on a low test score is too great.

UT requiring test scores again proves this seems to be the direction most schools are moving in. Hopefully, however, Texas State will stand against this movement and continue to serve its disadvantaged applicants in the best way possible.

A school's ultimate focus should be on a holistic approach to admission, evaluating the student entirely and thoroughly. Though accounting for everything does mean including test scores, admissions boards need to see their applicants as more than a high or low score on an exam. Everyone, regardless of what the SAT or ACT might report, deserves a chance at an education.

-Samuel Marentes is an English junior

The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor in Chief and Opinions Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.

Using resources in college must be destigmatized

By Madison Green Opinions Columnist

Attending university is the first time students are leaving their hometowns and experiencing a more vast and diverse group of people. College is a melting pot where many students meet others with different economic, social and cultural upbringings than them.

Although the diversity brought on by college is a good thing, it often enforces the prevalence of stereotypes as different demographics are more public than they might have been in a student’s hometown.

One contrast often seen in college is the differences between socioeconomic classes. Although higher education in the past was typically reserved for more affluent groups who could afford classes out of pocket, many resources such as grants and scholarships have helped ease the financial burden that college brings. According to Texas State, “36% of Texas State students receive Pell grants.”

The sad fact is, typically, not all free financial aid can cover the expenses of college. According to the Trellis Company, “the average Pell grant award in Texas only covers 19% of the total cost for two semesters at a Texas public fouryear university.” Therefore, it is easy to understand why some college students find it difficult to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, these students might not be able to get all the financial assistance they need because of negative stigma surrounding financial support.

According to the Food Research & Action Center, “stigma prevents eligible people from accessing government assis-

tance or food pantries out of fear that community members will know they live in poverty and will judge them for it.”

This stigma is likely heightened because college is where people with extremely different financial statuses co-exist.

Student Support Services Coach, Gemma Medina, said there are many challenges that come with the intersection of needing assistance while also being a minority in college.

"[Asking for financial help is] like a target on your back," Medina said. "You're already first-gen, you're already considered low-income. You're already maybe struggling and have this imposter syndrome and then just adding that to it, like OK, now I got to go ask for help.”

The Texas State community should actively try to reduce negative perceptions of students using resources like food pantries, housing assistance and emergency grants.

Texas State students are part of the Hays County community and should feel comfortable using Hays County services. Texas State students contribute to the economic prosperity of San Marcos through things such as shopping, renting apartments or homes and working. Students should not feel that just because they are in college, they do not deserve access to forms of assistance offered in the community.

Financial resources can help students make ends meet. With the rising cost of college, it's becoming harder to afford living on top of tuition and fees. According to CNBC, “tuition and fees have more than doubled in 20 years.” Deciding to attend college is becoming

more of a financial sacrifice than ever.

In addition, the cost of living is steadily rising. According to the Washington Post, “grocery prices have jumped by 25% over the past four years.” This illustrates that it is hard not only to pay for school, but also to have an independent existence.

This shows why some students, who might even come from a middle-class family, could have a change in their standard of living when they move to university. It's hard to balance rising costs while being a student, especially when not all students can find well-paying jobs that coordinate with their class schedule.

The stigma associated with people who use financial assistance is that they

are lazy and don’t want to work. This is hardly applicable to college students. Many students work while taking classes. According to CNBC, “eight out of 10 students now work while in college.”

Overall, the campus community should stop stigmatizing students who use resources such as food pantries, housing assistance and utility assistance because the negative connotation is directly attached to the label of “financial assistance.” Many students show up to events just because of the promise of free food; attending a food pantry, when needed, is no different.

-Madison Green is a psychology and advertising senior

Texas State women's sports deserve more appreciation

By Thomas Graham Opinions Contributor

When many people think about sports, their first thought might be football, basketball or baseball; but why not volleyball or softball? At Texas State, women do not receive the recognition or support they deserve because their sports are often viewed as unimportant compared to men's sports. However, this is a misguided perception.

When it comes to resources and attention, male sports have historically benefited more than female sports. Due to this disparity, men's athletics are valued more highly than women's due to deeply ingrained societal beliefs.

Texas State has produced high-quality female athletes over the years who have not only made an impact at their school, but have taken their talents with them to a professional level.

This includes athletes like Da’Nasia Hood, a Texas State athlete who went to play women’s basketball overseas, and Brigitte Foster-Hylton, who ran track and is the only individual to have competed in four Olympics in Texas State history.

In addition, Donna Lassiter Boehle founded Texas State's first volleyball squad and Kristen Zaleski was one of only two softball players in conference history to be named two-time National Fast-pitch Coaches Association All-American.

-Thomas Graham is an electronic media sophomore

Wilson started her acting career in summer camps as a child and starred in a commercial at age 12, inspiring her to pursue acting and theater more seriously. After joining a choir in middle school, Wilson combined her love for singing and acting by joining the theater club in high school.

Harris first started working as the coordinator for neighborhood enhancement in San Marcos and did a similar program with Leadership New Braunfels. Shortly after, she joined Leadership San Marcos, believing it would be a great way to meet people in the community.

Harris, Spruiell and Demere are all not originally from San Marcos although they believe there is a surplus of information that even locals would be surprised to learn from attending Leadership San Marcos.

"The three of us did not know each other when we started this program," Spruiell said. "It's difficult to get in a room of people that you don't really know, meet them, decide what you're going to do together, work together, fundraise, implement a project.”

The sculpture was revealed in February at Zelick's Icehouse. The graduating class marketed the unveiling as a Valentine's gift, advertising love locks as gifts for loved ones.

“We thought it was an amazing location," Harris said. "Part of the reason for wanting the sculpture is economic development to bring cool things to the city. It's very visible. Visible to the students [and] to everybody else that lives here."

"I am impressed with [them] every day."

other scenes to make them more stage-friendly.

Jaden Petty, a theatre junior, is starring as the character Sam. Petty worked with original scripts in the past, however, Wilson's openness to collaborating with her cast and crew allowed him to make the character of Sam his own.

"Sera and Sam" follows Sera as she struggles with unrequited love, her home life and high school. Sera is based on Wilson's 15-year-old self and Sam is based on Wilson's crushes she had as a teenager. Wilson drew inspiration from her family and friends as well.

"As I finished [the story], it turned into more of a story about sisterhood and then friendship," Wilson said.

In her journey of transforming "Sera and Sam" into a play, the cast and crew have helped shape the story into what it is today through creative collaboration.

"[The cast] ended up putting a little bit of themselves into the characters and taking the character sin the direction that I didn't think they would," Wilson said.

Averleigh Fisher, performance and production sophomore and director of "Sera and Sam," faced unique challenges working with an original script for the first time. As a director, Fisher usually seeks inspiration from other performances of a play but since "Sera and Sam" is an original production there's nothing to reference.

"I've gotten to build this character to be me and let my personality shine kind of through the character," Petty said.

[Wilson is] always in a positive mood too, no matter what kind of challenges we're having to face. She has made it such an incredibly easy process, and I'm so glad that this is the first project I've got to work on with her."

Petty applauds Wilson's ability to embrace changes in the story and praises her talent.

"It's also really daunting because you can do anything that you want to, and you can take it any direction," Fisher said.

Due to the originality of the play, the cast and crew took creative liberties to adapt "Sera and Sam" into what it is today. Fisher and Wilson collaborate to ensure the script is accessible for the stage, removing some scenes due to casting limitations and tweaking

"[Wilson is] always in a positive mood too, no matter what kind of challenges we're having to face," Petty said. "She has made it such an incredibly easy process, and I'm so glad that this is the first project I've got to work on with her."

When: 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on March 23 and 2 p.m. on March 24

Where: Room 106 at The Theatre Center

Community sponsors raised roughly $35,000 for the project; anything raised over their initial goal was donated to the San Marcos Youth Council. The locks are sold for $30 each as a charitable donation to give back to the community. The project is continuing to raise funds for the San Marcos Youth Council; up to this point, it has raised an estimated few thousand dollars.

“It was one of the places that we toured in addition to the Hays County Women's Center, and we felt like they had the greatest need for extra money to fix up the place and continue their programs,” Demere said.

The Love Locks sculpture is open to the public; anyone can purchase a lock and place it on it. The intent is for individuals to personalize their own locks with engravings so the sculpture is filled with pieces of the community.

"We wanted it to still be a living, breathing thing," Spruiell said. "Hopefully it drives someone to come to San Marcos because they've heard of this."

TXST FSA embraces diversity at competition

By Jamin Ochoa Life and Arts Contributor

Texas State’s Filipino Student Association (FSA) competed in a series of cultural and athletic competitions at GoodPhil, this year's largest Filipino competition in Texas.

FSA isn’t exclusive to Filipino students, and competitors of various backgrounds were encouraged to attend GoodPhil on March 8-11 in hopes to represent the culture.

GoodPhil brings a variety of sports, modern dances and cultural performances from schools across the state to celebrate Filipino culture. The competition had well over 10,000 students and numerous FSA members making their way to University of Texas at Arlington for a weekend of pride and representation.

Texas State’s FSA actively prepared for GoodPhil for the last two months to ensure its athletic and dance performances at the four-day competition brought both their school and culture pride.

Ella Pham, an exercise and sports science freshman, recounts almost daily practices and rehearsals, claiming the time and effort are necessary to represent her culture at an event of this caliber.

“I feel like a lot of cultures are lost sometimes in America and I think [Fili-

pino] would be one of them,” Pham said. “[GoodPhil] kind of helps keep it alive.”

FSA is always open to teaching Filipino culture to anyone, Filipino or not.

Julia Vandagriff, an accounting senior and treasurer of FSA who isn’t Filipino, always encourages non-Filipino students to join the association as she did three years ago.

“I think it’s important to celebrate [other people's] culture. It’s important to

be culturally aware and learn as much as you can,” Vandagriff said. “I think everyone deserves a chance.”

Inclusion and diversity are key to FSA. Everyone in FSA is encouraged to be passionate about the culture and an active member in the organization and at GoodPhil. According to Farrah Balbuena, electrical engineering senior and external president of FSA, being accepting isn’t just important to the association

but to Filipino culture everywhere.

“We’re welcoming and the point of Filipino culture really is to bring a sense of togetherness, a sense of home,” Balbeuna said. “That’s really important in my culture.”

At an event like this, FSA thinks the focus on celebrating culture can be lost in the spirit of competition. For Balbuena, there’s pressure to represent what’s truly important well. She wants to maintain the reputation Texas State has built up through focusing on culture whilst also being valid competitors. This is why the culture dance takes priority for them.

“Having the culture dance is really important in the sense of us being Filipinos and us remembering the reason of why we are doing all of this hard work,” Balbeuna said. “It’s definitely the most important thing.”

The competitors' goal is to make those back home proud of their performance. Vandagriff said there’s a balance between the importance of winning for Texas State and proudly representing the Filipino culture, and that they aren’t mutually exclusive.

“Representing [culture] goes along with winning,” Vandagriff said. “Texas State is known as the underdog, so we really hope that we represent this year.” FSA will find out results at a later date.

PHOTO BY KOBE ARRIAGA

Theatre junior Jaden Petty (Left) and theatre sophomore Stephanie Wilson (Right) rehearse a dance-party scene, Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Department of Theatre and Dance.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FARRAH BALBUENA

JP De Vera (Left) and Rica Cunningham (Right) perform leading roles in Texas State FSA’s culture dance, Friday, March 8, 2024, at GoodPhil.

Founders of SMTX project Brooke Spruiell (Left), Tiffany Harris (Center) and Heather Demere (Right) with the sculpture, Monday, March 4, 2024, in San Marcos.

Jaden Petty Theatre Junior

PHOTO BY CARA CERVENKA

GAMES

The University Star Photography Contest

The University Star hosted an online photo competition allowing community members to submit their San Marcos photos for a chance to be featured in this weeks’ edition.

All submissions were reviewed and judged by the Multimedia Section and the Multimedia Editor; Editor-in-Chief selected the top three entries.

SECOND PLACE Niles Davis

FIRST PLACE Preethi Mangadu

THIRD PLACE Zoe Mendoza

Bianca Chernoff takes part in the river jump during fall

Dec. 9, 2024, at Sewell Park.

PHOTO BY NILES DAVIS

Libby Beall enjoys the water with her dog, Beau, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, as part of “The Heart of San Marcos” project in the San Marcos river.

PHOTO BY ZOE MENDOZA

The Sun God raises his “U R LOVE” sign during the 2021 Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest, Sept. 25, 2021, in downtown San Marcos.

PHOTO BY PREETHI MANGADU

The world of sports today is filled with opportunities for women in the Texas State athletics community, such as graduate student tennis player Callie Creath, junior basketball player Jaylin Foster, graduate student basketball player Ja’Niah Henson and women's basketball Head Coach Zenarae Antoine being an athlete is vital to their experience as women.

“These girls are my best friends and my family. I love them and our comradery, it’s so much fun,” Creath said.

According to Foster, she finds extra motivation for the sport that she loves from her fellow female teammates and coaches.

“My motivation comes from my teammates and my coaches. They never stop seeing more in me,” Foster said. “They never stop pushing me or yelling at me do to better, so kudos to them.”

Henson said sports allow women to learn more about themselves while also providing a space for women of color to inspire and motivate.

“As a Black woman, it’s a huge opportunity to be able to showcase to children and people around the world that there’s opportunity out there for everyone,” Henson said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to play, and as long as you want something you can achieve it.”

According to Antoine, sports have shown her that allyship and remaining honest with those around you is imperative.

“I always see myself first as a woman before a woman of color,” Antoine said. “Because when you’re a woman, [there are] things you have to overcome that others do not understand and at times.

I think that can supersede even within your own community."

Each of these women, though coming from differing backgrounds, unanimously agree on one factor: there is still work to be done and lessons to be taught in the fight for gender equality.

For Foster, the biggest lesson she wants to motivate others with is that her impact on society spans both on and off the court she said.

“It’s always bigger than basketball," Foster said. "I’m always playing for someone younger than me, someone who can’t play or doesn’t have the ability. It’s an opportunity and I love that I can do that.”

Creath said though the implementation of Title IV and UIL regulations have allowed Texas State athletic programs to move forward and grow support of female athletes, it’s important to make sure improvements are happening on a personal scale.

Bobcat coaches value homegrown talent over portal transfers

By James Vaughn Sports Contributor

Since the transfer portal entered collegiate athletics, the worlds of college football, basketball, baseball and softball have gone through mass roster turnovers with players staying and leaving in high rates at programs nationwide.

However, for Texas State baseball and softball coaches, the transfer portal isn't at the heart of their respected programs.

After the NCAA allowed a free onetime transfer in 2021, players began to go from elite program to elite program with no repercussions, and traditionally powerful teams saw immediate gain. This was not all bad, though, as it allowed schools like Texas State to acquire talent that would, without the new rule, be impractical pickups.

Baseball Head Coach, Steven Trout, said he uses the portal as a tool in recruitment, but compared to recruiting out of high school and junior colleges, he isn’t partial to it.

“I always say I want to build our program with really good high school players,” Trout said. “We’re going to grab guys [out of the portal] because we see things or know things that can come and help our program immediately.”

Texas State softball Head Coach Ricci Woodard agrees with Trout and said she values the four-year relationships she has with her players.

“I think the portal kind of changes how we have to approach our team sometimes,” Woodard said. “I’ve been pretty lucky. I haven’t really had to deal with the portal much. My players have stayed. I don’t get in the portal unless I absolutely have to. I do think in this day and age loyalty is harder to find.”

Filling Wells' shoes: Who's up next in the Bobcat's pitching staff?

By Jude Botello Sports Contributor

Since the Baltimore Orioles selected Texas State right-handed pitcher Levi Wells in the fourth round in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Bobcats have lost a true ace in their pitching staff.

During the 2023 season, Wells recorded a team-high 98 strikeouts, was named All-Sun Belt Second Team and was selected twice as the Sun Belt's Pitcher of the Week. After such an integral piece departed from the team, a question can be asked:

Who is up next?

While viewing the portal from the coach’s perspective is vastly different from the players’ senior utility player Anna Jones agrees the relationships she’s made through the softball team are the most enticing thing about Texas State in her eyes.

“I have known Coach [Ricci] Woodard for a long time, I loved her energy,” Jones said. “I also loved Sara Vanderford, my teammate. I went to high school with her. I just fell in love with [Texas State].”

Jones said the portal benefited her as she made a swift transition to Texas State from LSU. Meanwhile, when it comes to recent trends in the portal, Jones said she thinks some players overuse it.

“I think it was needed, at first, for people who are truly unhappy. I think [now] it has gotten out of hand,” Jones said. “I think now people are using it to go from school to school to school, and it sucks as a coach who put trust into someone, and they leave.”

Jones said while there are certain situations where transfers are necessary, everyone has their spot on a team for a reason.

“Everyone has a purpose. No one likes being on the bench, it sucks,” Jones said. “I was on the bench my sophomore year, but being in my fifth year and knowing that there are people who don’t play but are needed on the team— they need to be there.”

The transfer portal is here, and it isn’t going anywhere. Trout and Woodard have adapted as they see fit and players like Jones show that a change in scenery can be great for someone’s career.

Upperclassmen

These pitchers are the veteran players of the group. Wells was a junior when he was drafted, so there should be more experienced players likely to take the reins.

Peyton Zabel

Zabel is a 24-year-old redshirt senior right-hander currently holding a 3-2 record in five appearances and has 14 strikeouts for the season.

As a senior in 2023, Zabel appeared in 14 games, made nine starts, and recorded 30 strikeouts and 17 walks. Zabel is an experienced pitcher but has an ERA of 6.00 in only two starts and five appearances. A down year for Zabel so far, but a bounce back could help his ability to show his true importance to this team.

Jack Stroud

Stroud is a 23-year-old senior lefthander, who currently holds a 3-2 record in five appearances, and has nine strikeouts for the season. As a junior in 2023, Stroud appeared in 25 games, made one start, and recorded 67 strikeouts and 18 walks going 3-2 with four saves.

Stroud is a pitcher this team can learn to truly depend on, but his ERA does not help his case. In only three game starts and five appearances, Stroud is holding a less-than-stellar 9.28.

PHOTO BY MEG BOLES

Texas State graduate student guard Ja’Niah Henson (1) dribbles past her defender in the game against Southern Miss, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 at Strahan Arena.

Texas State redshirt senior outfielder Cameron Thompson (4) prepares to bat during the game against Sam Houston, Sunday, March 10, 2024, at Bobcat Ballpark.

Texas State senior pitcher Peyton Zabel (24) pitches the ball during the game versus Youngstown State, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, at Bobcat Ballpark.

PHOTO BY KOBE ARRIAGA Texas State graduate student tennis player Callie Creath attempts to strike the ball during the match versus North Florida, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, in Bobcat Tennis Complex.

PHOTO BY SARAH MANNIING

PHOTO BY MANDALYN LEWALLEN