The sounds of Spring Lake and bird calls added to the ambience surrounding local bands playing folk and country music and the flow of people moving and dancing to the beat. Despite the occasional rain shower, many community members and organizations gathered around the lake to spend a day dedicated to appreciating San Marcos’ unique ecosystem.
Earth Day San Marcos is an annual event hosted by the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, occurring this year from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 19. It connects the community with natural resources, eco-friendly vendors and environmental and sustainability topics.
“The goal of the event, just in general, is to allow for our partnering organizations and all of the booths that are coming to be able to showcase what they’re doing and inform people on what they can do to be more green or better for the environment,” Miranda Wait, deputy director of Spring Lake Education, said.
Canyon Lake reports lowest water level in over 50 years
By James Phillips News Reporter
Canyon Lake, a water source for the city of San Marcos, has dropped to its lowest water level in over 60 years, according to Adeline Fox, executive manager of communications and outreach for the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA).
As of April 18, Canyon Lake’s elevation has dropped to 878.19 feet mean sea level, with the reservoir just over 46% full, according to Water Data for Texas.
Under the city’s current water supply portfolio, a combination of sources and strategies a city uses to meet its water needs, San Marcos receives up to 8.9 million gallons per day from the Canyon Lake source, making it the largest source of water for city utilities.
Paul Kite, assistant director of Water/Wastewater and Utilities for the city of San Marcos, said in a written interview with The Star while the city has not received any reductions in water flow from Canyon Lake, officials are monitoring the situation.
“At this time, the city’s infrastructure is operating within capacity,” Kite wrote. “Staff are closely monitoring system performance and planning ahead to ensure equipment, pumping capacity and storage remain sufficient, even under drought strain.”
Kite wrote if Canyon Lake’s water levels continue to decrease, water rates for city utility users could be affected. For now, however, the lake’s low levels are not impacting residents’ monthly bills.
Student-run farm aims to grow past challenges
By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
The hot sun and cool, short bursts of wind beat down on the 1.4-acre land called Bobcat Farm in Freeman Center Ranch. Rows of annual plant beds take root on most of the land, from the ripened squash and sweet strawberries to the warm-colored snapdragons attracting bumblebees. Bobcat Farm Club members come to the farm every day since there is always something to do, whether removing the weeds surrounding plants or ensuring they have the right
amount of water.
However, the recent pause of a large grant put the fate of the farm and its club in uncertainty.
Bobcat Farm is an organic fruit, vegetable, herb and flower farm run by students. It uses regenerative agriculture, a method of restoring the soil and ecosystem to grow healthy plants.
Nicole Wagner, assistant professor of crop and soil science and Bobcat Farm Club project director, started the organization in 2022 and has since seen the area grow from raw, degraded land and rocky soil.
San Marcos takes flight as a Bee City
By Lucciana Choueiry News Editor
As honey bee populations across the country continue to decline, San Marcos has joined a growing national initiative to protect them and other pollinators with a Bee City USA designation.
San Marcos City Council voted unanimously on March 4 to join Bee City USA, a program that helps municipalities support bees and other pollinators through habitat creation, reduced pesticide use and public education. With this move, San Marcos joins nearby Bee Cities like Austin, Round Rock and Tyler.
“To be a Bee City means we’re committing to reducing our pesticide use, planting more natives and educating the public about how to support pollinators,” Amy Thomaides, San Marcos’ community initiatives manager said.
“There was no like irrigation infrastructure, there was no power, there was no greenhouse... there’s no tool shed there were no tools, there were no seeds, nothing,” Wagner said. “So, we had to develop everything.”
Earlier this year, changes in the federal government put one of the farm’s two grants on hold. One was meant to build the wash pack and ends this August. The grant put on hold was responsible for paying the workers and interns, consumables such as seeds and fertilizer, harvesting tools, and research projects.
SEE CLUB PAGE 12
By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
CARLENE OTTAH | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR
Bobcat Farm Club interns Matthew McGinnis (Left) and Pearl Willett (Right) remove weeds from plants, Friday, April 18, 2025, on Bobcat Farm at the Freeman Center Ranch.
CHRISTOPHER MIRANDA | COURTESY PHOTO
Bobcat Buzz member Connor Buckly works with hive boxes, Thursday, March 19, 2025, on Bobcat Buzz Hive at the Freeman Center Ranch.
CARLENE OTTAH | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR
Business administration and management senior Jengo Russell observes an insect nest on a plant during Earth Day San Marcos Celebration, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the Meadows Center.
April 22, 2025
City council approves Cape’s Dam feasibility study
By Jacquelyn Burrer News Reporter
A new feasibility study for Cape’s Dam is moving forward, reigniting long-standing tension over the structure’s future.
Cape’s Dam, built over 150 years ago to power a watermill, has been the center of public debate for more than a decade after it sustained damage during floods in 2013 and 2015.
After the dam was damaged, its future remained uncertain as city leaders and community members spent the next decade weighing different options, leaving the structure largely untouched, except for addressing pressing safety concerns.
However, San Marcos City Council voted at its March 18 meeting to contract Freese & Nichols Inc. for a $340,000 feasibility study under a previously approved interlocal agreement with Hays County that outlined collaboration on the dam’s potential rehabilitation.
Over the next 10 months, the study will assess the dam’s condition, evaluate options such as repair or removal, examine environmental and regulatory hurdles, analyze potential economic impacts, and gather public input.
Councilmembers Amanda Rodriguez and Saul Gonzales said at the March 18 meeting they would lean toward removing the dam.
“We’ve been having discussions since I’ve been here about the limiting of funds,” Rodriguez said at the March 18 meeting. “Maybe I don’t understand the nuances because I’m new…but it just feels redundant… there are so many projects this money could go toward.”
Mayor Jane Hughson and Councilmember Lorenzo Gonzalez said at the March 18 meeting their main concerns are addressing the safety hazards and ensuring the study explores the feasibility options without being redundant.
“This is something that not everybody is going to be pleased with, whichever way,” Hughson said at the March 18 meeting. “Why study options that we’re not going to vote for?”
The city has discussed Cape’ Dam since 2013 after council approved the zoning for The Woodlands of San Marcos apartment complex, which became The Woods and is now Redpoint San Marcos. As part of the agreement, the city was granted 20 acres of designated parkland along the river, including both Cape’s Dam and the mill race.
In March 2016, city council voted to remove the dam, but its demolition was halted due to local efforts protesting the decision, including by the Texas Historical Commission
and the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce.
If the city had removed the dam, it would have received financial support from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife for the project.
In 2017, the developers of The Woods, donated nearly 31 acres of land near the dam to the San Marcos River Foundation (SMRF), which has continuously advocated for the dam’s removal.
While the city owns the dam and the state owns the San Marcos River, SMRF’s adjacent land ownership means the city must coordinate with the group when proposing safety-related changes.
City Attorney Samuel Aguirre said at the March 18 meeting that although SMRF and the city share ownership, the city holds maintenance responsibility. However, if there were to be a safety issue, Aguirre said, “there would be joint liability, generally speaking.”
“Parks and recreation governmental agencies generally have a certain degree of immunity for certain things,” Aguirre said. “Certain conditions just by their nature are hazardous… at the same time though, a man-made structure might be a little different,…[but] generally we have some immunity we can assert with respect to recreational areas.”
Much of the debate on restoring or demolishing the dam centers on a 2015 study completed by Thom Hardy, former Texas State biology professor and chief science officer for the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, which supported removing the dam.
Hardy’s study, funded through a city contract, concluded that keeping the dam at its full or half height would not benefit native plants, and that rebuilding the dam would harm native fish and plant life by blocking their movement and lowering the quality of their environment.
In particular, the study also said rebuilding the dam would continue diverting water into the mill race, further damaging natural flow and conditions, whereas removal would help improve growing conditions for Texas wild rice and habitat for the endangered fountain darter fish.
Tim Bonner, endowed professor for the Meadows Center and a fountain darter specialist, said his research contradicts Hardy’s conclusion that removal of the dam would improve fountain darter populations.
“Anything that shows fountain darter numbers are
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going to increase with a lower dam makes no sense to me,” Bonner said. “I don’t care what kind of models you use. I can never see the fountain darter numbers are going to be increased by taking slack water and changing it into swift water…[if] you remove that dam, it’s going to be faster flow through there.”
Bonner said regardless of what happens with the dam, which he said he has no opinion on, neither option will significantly impact fountain darter populations in the area.
In a letter to city council from 2017 obtained through a public records request filed by The Star, the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce asked council to “reevaluate any and all documentation provided prior to the decision to remove Cape’s Dam.”
“It is vehemently clear that previous studies, including that of Dr. Hardy, show discrepancies that are troublesome, and potentially render the work obsolete,” the letter read. “It is important to recognize that the removal of any long-standing infrastructure can provide a myriad of unintended consequences that lead to unexpected complications.”
Discussions regarding the dam flared up again after 17-year-old Ross Webb Jr.
died on Nov. 9, 2024, after accidentally being trapped underwater near Cape’s Dam while swimming near rapids.
Jon Cradit, friend of the Webb family and San Marcos resident, said he is concerned about the buildup of dangerous material near the dam, including rebar and wire that Webb Jr. became stuck on.
“We used to go down there to that location for picnics and church…stuff like that back in the 60s,” Cradit said. “The dam was broken back then, and what was there was just chunks of concrete.”
Virginia Parker, executive director of SMRF, said the official stance of the organization is that the dam should be removed.
Parker said while the city has addressed safety issues over the years, SMRF believes the dam is inherently dangerous because it is a low-head dam, a manmade structure that creates a sudden drop in a shallow, fast-moving stream.
“At the end of the day, the river foundation just has to answer the question of what’s good for the river, but we are human and we can see that there is a safety issue,” Parker said. “You can’t address the fact that it’s a low-head dam without removing it.”
Additionally, to move
forward with any attempts at rehabilitation, Parker said the city would have to invoke eminent domain, which allows the government to take private property for public use in return for comparable compensation.
“We will not allow access for rebuilding,” Parker said. “If council will use eminent domain, then it makes sense to go further into the study of how they would do that. But if council knows they will not use eminent domain, it does not make sense for them to spend six figures to figure out how to rebuild a dam that they wouldn’t build.”
Parker said SMRF will continue to work with the city through this, specifically emphasizing that she hopes the process will remain civil.
“This community is bigger than just Cape’s Dam, and so we all need to be able to have some discourse about this topic and still get along and know that half the community is going to be disappointed with whatever happens,” Parker said. “We just need to agree to disagree on some of these things, and it’s unfortunate, but we cannot let this break our community again.”
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Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, April 22, 2025. 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.
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Bill would require TXST conduct climate change study
By Arabella DiChristina News Contributor
“Inside the Capitol” examines key bills from the 89th legislative session that impact the Texas State
effects of climate change in the state.
- Expected economic ramifications.
- Expected increase in droughts and natural disasters.
- The state’s readiness for the
effects of climate change.
“I see things that are related to human-caused climate change are continuing to happen at a level that outpaces what we actually have in terms of ground water and surface
The San Marcos River gets its water from the Edwards Aquifer. The aquifer is refilled through rainfall in its recharge zone, with the major recharge zone for the Edwards being located in Brackettville, Texas. However, the Edwards Aquifer is the primary water source for cities across central Texas, including the city of
Dussler said it is taking more and more rain in Brackettville, to move increase river flow due to increased pumping for Bexar County and San Antonio, coupled with the hotter climate and decline in rain.
“[River flow] just consistently seems to be moving downward. If anything, now we are kind of in the low 80s, but we’re about to come into summer, and I suspect with the similar rain patterns we’re going to dip back down to 70-60 cubic feet per second,”
Dussler said native plants and endangered species depend on the heavy current of the river to push sediment and decomposing vegetation away, yet there isn’t enough water rushing in, which is causing spring lake divers to come in and help move the debris.
“I mean, San Marcos is the river city, the whole city is based on the river and the springs, period,” Dussler said. “The flows are getting lower and lower, but if it got to a point where people couldn’t or wouldn’t come to San Marcos anymore, it’s alarming to me,” Assistant Professor of Instruction
of the Department of Agricultural Sciences Sejuti Mondal said Texas State University is ready to start combating the challenges that come with climate change.
“I started focusing on developing more climate resilient variety because of the temperature of the weather,” Mondal said. “I believe I am ready to work on [challenges with climate change] as part of this institution.”
Dussler said with the low river flow and current, the river plants are changing into some lake plants like lily pads that cover the river floor and harm the endangered species.
“We are having a warming trend, but the change is also on the other end. The colder temps are becoming colder,” Dussler said. “I had full-size trees in my yard that got killed by that freeze last year. The [trees] hadn’t seen anything like that in their life span, [climate change] is like a double whammy.”
Mondal said the effects of climate on crops in Texas are extreme heat and drought, which makes pollen sterile.
“[Texas State] is trying to develop or improve rice variety within with cold tolerance so that [rice] can better withstand the initial cooler period just after planting,” Mondal said.
Mondal said her future research goal is to use modern molecular breeding to advance climate resilient crops and improve soil health.
“Fresh water is limited,” Mondal said. “In my area of breeding and genetics, I’m trying to identify some genes that are responsible for stress tolerance. Once I find that, we can go for sustainable plant growth.”
Scan the QR code to read HB 1526.
Drought, delayed rains impact Texas wildflower season
By James Philips News Reporter
A diminished wildflower bloom across Texas, including in San Marcos, has resulted from ongoing drought conditions, causing problems for local residents involved with wildflowers.
Many regions across Texas, including the Hill Country are seeing a poor spring wildflower bloom, according to the center’s 2025 Wildflower Forecast. The report identified the ongoing drought across Texas that has affected communities such as San Marcos as the key contributing cause to the diminished bloom.
“Last fall’s drought influenced the number of little wildflower plants we have growing out there. I think we’ve had enough precipitation to give them a boost and get them blooming but it’s too late in the game to germinate new seeds which will affect the numbers of plants we have,” Andrea DeLongAmaya, horticulture director at the Johnson Center said in the Wildflower Report.
A bloom is still possible later this season if April brings enough rain, Amy Thomaides, community enhancement initiatives manager for the city of San Marcos, said.
“It’s not that [the wildflowers are] going away, they’re just lying dormant until they get that rain that they need to germinate,” Thomaides said.
However, a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said dry conditions are likely to continue across Texas through the rest of spring.
Rachel Azzaro, San Marcos-based photographer, wrote in a written interview with The Star that she had to cancel a day of Bluebonnet photo sessions due to the poor season.
“I typically offer 10 [spring time Bluebonnet mini sessions] and expect around $2,500,” Azzaro wrote. “Not significant but definitely a loss that my family was hoping for in income. Absolutely can offer another options but in South Texas people love the bluebonnets.”
Other photographers, including Rob of Dripping
Springs, said the diminished season has also been an issue.
“This year is the worst that I’ve seen in 15 or 20 years,” Greebon said. “So that’s put a dent in things as far as just even getting my name out there or having new stuff to look at that people wanna see... but it’s not too bad yet, but it could be in the next few months if nothing changes.”
San Marcos has several wildflower conservation efforts through a dedicated horticulture team that seeds and maintains native blooms, such as bluebonnets and red poppies, on public land. The city also preserves natural areas like Spring Lake and Purgatory Creek for residents to visit, Thomaides said.
March 18,
An important aspect of conserving these wildflowers, according to Russell, is spreading seeds in areas capable of supporting them, such as home gardens or undeveloped green spaces.
Jengo Russell, a business administration and sustainability studies senior and president of the Texas State Sustainability Squad, said the university maintains small natural spaces for wildlife, known as pocket prairies—areas planted with native grasses and wildflowers in urban environments.
“The Office of Sustainability has a small pocket prairie on campus between [the Alkek Library and Derrick Hall],” Russell said,”Last year [our club] built another pocket prairie on campus, and so it’d be cool to see more of those pocket prairies, cause these are [home to] native plants that are more drought resistant.”
“I had one of my members bring a... burlap sack full of wildflower seed mix,” Russell said. “And they brought it to me at the [club] meeting, so I’ll take like an old H-E-B spice container and just fill it with wildflower seeds so that people can spread it around while they’re out and about.”
Thomaides also said individuals can help conserve wildflowers by purchasing seeds from licensed vendors.
“I would say purchase [wildlfower] seed, spread it, let it do its life cycle of blooming, doing their seed pods, and then letting them spread their seed pods before you mow your grass,” Thomaides said.
MANDALYN LEWALLEN | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Bluebonnets grow out of the ground, Monday,
2024, at Purgatory Park in San Marcos.
LUCCIANA CHOUEIRY | NEWS EDITOR
TXST implements new summer salary policy
By Arabella DiChristina News Reporter
At its April 9 meeting, the Texas State Faculty Senate discussed the new increased enrollment requirements for summer classes and the possible pay cuts for faculty.
A memo from the Provost’s Office said a faculty member teaching a graduate course with fewer than 10 students will be paid at a rate of one-tenth of their regular summer salary for each student. For example, if a faculty member teaches a graduate course with nine students over the summer, they would receive ninetenths of their regular summer salary.
The memo also stated that a faculty member teaching an undergraduate course with fewer than 15 students will be paid one-fifteenth of their regular salary per student.
Based on the Texas State Summer Faculty workload, before the new summer policy, faculty were paid one-ninth of their base salary from the fall and spring semesters with per a per-summer-term taught.
According to Texas College Salaries, the average salary of a Texas State professor is $62,262 as of February; however, payroll varies based on the type of professor and department.
In the memo, there are examples of how new summer compensation would be calculated. For one summer semester, a professor with an average salary of $62,262 for fall and spring semesters would be paid $5,188.50. However, with the new compensation policy, a professor teaching an undergrad course with one out of 15 students would be paid $345.90.
President Kelly Damphousse and
Vice Provost Vedaraman Sriraman were present to address questions from the Faculty Senate.
Damphousse said at the faculty senate meeting he doesn’t want to cancel classes just because it has low enrollment, but with the new summer compensation policy, faculty will be paid per student in an under-enrolled class to keep that class running.
“We know students need these classes, so we need to be recruiting kids to come to these classes,” Damphousse said at the faculty senate meeting.
The memo stated that the savings generated through the new summer compensation policy will be allocated to the faculty merit pool in fiscal year 2026 for possible general pay raises.
“It’s not ample time to announce a dramatic change and how we are going to run [summer],” Michael Supancic,
faculty senator from the criminal justice department, said.
Damphousse said at the meeting 12-month degree programs, including the physical therapy program and the master’s in education technology, along with internships, practicum hours, thesis hours and dissertation hours, are exempt from the summer compensation policy and will receive normal pay.
“It wasn’t announced in time for faculty to make other modifications or preparations in their own lives in terms of earning the salary that they typically earned in past summers,” Supancic said at the faculty senate meeting.
While the amount of money Texas State is losing from the current summer policy is not specified, Damphousse said during the faculty senate meeting that keeping the
current summer compensation would be an inevitable loss of money for the university.
The memo said while enrollments decreased to 24,277 in summer 2024, the number of teachers increased to 1,708, which led to an increase in summer costs. The total number of student credit hours produced in summer 2021 decreased by 13%, with class sizes getting smaller.
“If you have a small class in the fall and spring that’s built into the budget, summer school has to be selfsustaining, so we can’t have classes running that don’t make [enough money],” Damphousse said at the faculty senate meeting.
Damphousse said at the meeting he wasn’t aware that the faculty senate did not know of the new summer compensation policy before the memo, because the deans had already been informed.
“I think the primary complaint is the lack of input at the earlier stages. It would be appreciated, not just from the Faculty Senate but also the actual faculty who are having a new financial situation,” Noland Martin, faculty senator from the biology department, said at the faculty senate meeting.
According to Damphousse, the summer compensation policy is softlaunching for summer 2025 courses and will be fully in place by summer 2026.
The Faculty Senate convenes at 4 p.m. every Wednesday.
Court overturns weed decriminalization ordinance
By Lucciana Choueiry & Ryan Claycamp News Editor & Assistant News Editor
A Texas appellate court ruled that San Marcos’ voter-approved marijuana decriminalization ordinance, known as Proposition A, is unenforceable under state law.
In a decision issued April 17, the newly established Fifteenth Court of Appeals sided with the State of Texas in its lawsuit against the city, mayor, city council and San Marcos police chief. The court found the ordinance, passed by more than 81% of San Marcos voters in 2022, violates Section 370.003 of the Texas Local Government Code, which prohibits local governments from adopting policies that do not fully enforce state drug laws.
“The same is necessarily true when an ordinance is held to be preempted – it is unenforceable, but it does not disappear,” according to the opinion issued by Justice Farris of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals.
Proposition A barred San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) from arresting or citing individuals for marijuana possession of up to four ounces, except under limited felony-related circumstances. The ordinance also prohibited the use of THC testing for prosecution, the use of marijuana odor as probable cause and citations for paraphernalia or residue.
State of Texas v. The City of San Marcos, filed in February 2024 by Attorney General Ken Paxton, followed months of tension over local decriminalization efforts in Texas cities. The San Marcos ordinance was part of a broader wave of voter-led campaigns in cities such as
Austin, Denton, Elgin and Killeen.
The court heard State of Texas v. The City of Austin in the same hearing as the case against San Marcos. Despite both cases having similar arguments and being made at the same time, the court has not ruled in Austin’s case.
Before reaching the appeals court, the San Marcos case was dismissed in July 2024 by Hays County District Judge Sherri Tibbe, who ruled the Texas Attorney General’s Office lacked jurisdiction to sue the city over Proposition A. The Office of the Attorney General appealed the decision the next day, allowing the case to proceed.
In February, the Fifteenth Court of Appeals heard arguments in which the State claimed San Marcos’ ordinance illegally blocked enforcement of state drug laws. City attorneys argued the policy was voter-driven and still allowed police discretion in certain cases.
The appeals court’s April 17 decision reverses the lower court’s dismissal of the case, rules that the city and its officials are not immune from suit and grants a temporary injunction blocking enforcement of the ordinance while litigation continues.
In a press release, local advocacy group Mano Amiga Action called the ruling “a deeply troubling move for local democracy.”
Executive Director of Mano Amiga Eric Martinez said the decision came from “a court manufactured by the same state officials bringing the lawsuit, with the express goal of silencing progressive policies that Texans are voting for at the local level.”
Catina Voellinger, executive director of Ground Game Texas, another group
that garnered petitions for the proposition in 2022, expressed a similar disdain toward the court’s decision.
“Texans have made their voices heard at the ballot box again and again: they don’t want their money going towards unnecessary arrests,” Voellinger said in the press release. “This ruling is proof that the state isn’t working to make communities safer –it’s working to crush peoplepowered movements.
Amy Kamp, the communications manager for Ground Game Texas, said the group has added a clause to recent marijuana decriminalization ordinances that would require local police departments to prioritize serious and violent crimes over marijuana possession offenses if the measure is overturned.
“That clause is not in the San Marcos ordinance,” Kamp said. “I think it would have to be something either the city council passed or the voters asked for.”
According to an email Kamp sent to The Star, Ground Game feels cities, such as San Marcos, are arguing well in court, so they don’t feel the need to support them with amicus curiae, or “friend of the court” briefs.
Neither Prop A nor the court’s decision would affect the university, as Texas State falls under state jurisdiction and operates its own police department, which is required to follow state law regardless of city ordinances.
In a statement emailed to The Star, Nadine Cesak, communications and IGR manager for the city of San Marcos, said the city was reviewing the courts ruling.
“The City cannot enforce the ordinance pending a trial on the merits,” Cesak wrote in
her email. “The San Marcos City Council is expected to meet in an upcoming executive session to receive legal advice and provide
Mano Amiga’s plan to petition the city of San Marcos to decriminalize marijuana possession is announced.
The petition was o cially launched in December 2021.
Mano Amiga submitted over 11,000 petitions to decriminalize possession of small amount of marijuana to city council.
NOV. 8 Prop A passed with 81.84% of the vote.
SMPD Chief Stan Standridge released a memo saying SMPD would comply with the ordinance.
direction for moving forward. We have no additional information to provide at this time.”
District Judge Sherri Tibbe dismissed the lawsuit.
MADELINE CARPENTER | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
CARSON RODGERS
FROM FRONT CONSERVATION
To receive the designation, the city passed a resolution, submitted an application and formed a small committee of staff and residents to oversee annual requirements. The city is also committed to developing an Integrated Pest Management Plan and promoting pollinator conservation through outreach events and landscaping projects.
The move comes at a time when beekeepers nationwide are facing record-setting losses. According to an April 3 report from Project Apis m., more than 1.6 million honey bee colonies were lost between June 2024 and March 2025, with commercial operations seeing an average 62% loss – figures the organization called “the largest ever recorded in the U.S.”
In 2023, Texas honey production dropped to under $12 million, down from more than $27 million the year before, due to colony losses and poor weather conditions
For Kate Gavancho, local beekeeper and owner of PachaMama Bees, those numbers reinforce what she’s seen in her own hives.
“If honey bees aren’t doing well, certainly the other pollinators... that don’t have someone looking after them, well, certainly... they’re going to not be doing well either, so it is a ripple effect,” Gavancho said.
Texas leads the nation in the number of bee farms, with 8,939 operations managing honey bee colonies as of 2022. This statewide presence extends to Hays County, where smallscale apiaries, bee leasing operations and hives in San Marcos all depend on healthy bee populations
Thomaides said the city is focusing on planting native species, especially in downtown areas, and is working with local organizations like the Discovery Center to expand these efforts. The city will also begin installing Bee City and pollinator signage to mark San Marcos’ demonstration pollinator gardens. The efforts will begin this summer.
“We just changed all of downtown to native plantings,” Thomaides said. “We’re going to start enhancing with more native plantings in our current public planted areas.”
Thomaides said the city is also shifting away from broad-spectrum herbicides in favor of targeted applications on invasive species like Johnson grass and Bermuda grass.
Gavancho said residents should also refrain from using pesticides like
FROM FRONT DROUGHT
roach spray on a colony of bees that may be growing in their home, as it would be an “unnecessary loss of life.” Instead, residents should call a local beekeeper to help them.
“Also, the residents living there would still have an issue, because... [bees] leave wax and honey, and then you’ll have rats and other species like cockroaches going for that resource,” Gavancho said.
Texas State’s student-led beekeeping club, Bobcat Buzz, has maintained a hive at Freeman Ranch for over a decade, producing honey and beeswax products while promoting pollinator conservation. With San Marcos’ Bee City USA designation, Bobcat Buzz Presi dent Christopher Miranda hopes to expand these efforts and engage more with the community.
“We sold out [the honey] within 21 minutes,” Miranda said, recalling the group’s most recent harvest in fall.
Miranda said the Bee City designation is a step toward preserving the conditions that make those harvests possible. Less pesticide exposure, he said, means stronger bee colonies and safer honey production.
activity on your property... people like to lease bees from us,” Gavancho said. “It’s a little bit less work for them, and they’re excited about having pollina tors and being part of that support.”
Still, the steep colony losses haven’t spared her team.
“We’ve just had to work harder,” Gavancho said. “Catch up more, spend more money, more time.”
City departments will continue expanding public native plantings and push education campaigns through spring and summer, with activities tied to World Bee Day on May 20 and new signage rolling out at public pollinator zones.
For residents and students who want to help, Thomaides encour ages private prop
“It gives me a better oppor tunity to actually get more bees and save more bees, which will allow us to sell more honey to the community,” Miranda
Gavancho said her business has seen increased interest in pollinator support, particularly in Hays County. PachaMama Bees’ most common service request in the area is for bee leasing, where landowners lease hives to maintain their property’s agricultural designation and qualify for a tax break.
“In Hays County, there is some tax benefit to having an agricultural
“The city has not [currently] implemented drought-related rate increases,” Kite wrote. “Longterm drought conditions, increased treatment costs or capital improvements required for drought resilience could potentially impact future rates. Any changes would follow a formal review by [the] Citizens Utility Advisory Board and the City Council process.”
The GBRA manages water releases from the lake and typically oversees those releases when the elevation drops below 909 feet mean sea level, according to Fox.
Fox said the ongoing drought is the primary cause of the water level drop at Canyon Lake, though it’s unclear when enough rain might fall to improve the situation
“So we are just seeing the drought conditions that are beyond extremes that we have seen in the past [over 60 years],” Fox said. “But [the reservoir] is still at 47% capacity, which is a testament to how it is performing in such a severe drought.”
Canyon Lake is not the only area facing severe drought. San Marcos has been under Stage 3 drought restrictions since Oct. 27, 2024, both of which are part of a broader Hill Country drought, according to Robert Mace, director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
“There’s a big bad drought in the Hill Country, which includes San Marcos [and] Lake Medina on the western side of San Antonio,” Mace said. “At the same time, we’re seeing these systematically dropping levels in the Canyon Lake, Los Moras Springs and Brackettville.”
Fox said, which partners with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to operate Canyon Lake, is expanding additional water sources, including the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, which San Marcos began using in December 2024, with the Carrizo Groundwater Supply Project.
“The short answer is we’re already working on additional water supplies to help fill that potential
erty owners to join the Certified Habitat Stewardship Program and all residents to plant native wildflowers like Zinnias.
Gavancho said students can support pollinators by making envi ronmentally conscious choices, such as avoiding fast fashion, recycling carefully and opting to walk or bike instead of driving, as well as avoiding synthetic insecticides like roach spray.
“If you want to protect pollinators or see environmental change, it starts with you; we can’t depend on anyone else,” Gavancho said. “There’s not one Bee City designation that’s going to solve all the problems, but it is a start.”
gap [from Canyon Lake],” Fox said. “The [CarrizoWilcox] project is a project that was partnered between us and Alliance Regional Water Authority to bring additional groundwater supplies to the city of San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and these other I-35 corridor customers... which will help.”
The current water portfolio for San Marcos Utilities includes continued water conservation, expanded recycling of non-potable water and the addition of a new water reclamation facility as methods for the city to continue meeting demand into 2075.
Mace said it is highly likely that the city will need to receive more water from the Carrizo-Wilcox source to continue meeting demand. San Marcos currently receives 2,460 acre-feet of water a year from the Carrizo Water Treatment Plan.
“The city has direct potable reuse in the water [portfolio], but they might want to implement it sooner rather than later,” Mace said. “More supply from the Carrizo will probably be needed as well, especially with revised growth numbers that nearly double earlier population projections.”
Students and residents can help reduce water use by following current Stage 3 drought restrictions measures, such as fixing household leaks, using water-efficient appliances and fixtures and turning off taps when not in use, according to Kite.
Scan the QR code for San Marcos’ water portfolio.
JARELL CARR | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
CHRISTOPHER MIRANDA | PHOTOS COURTESY
Bobcats reflect on historic season
By Hope Monte Sports Reporter
As Texas State tennis' recordbreaking season comes to an end, the team says goodbye to veteran players who have shaped the program to its success.
The team broke multiple program records with 16 overall wins and seven conference victories during Kendall Brooks's third year as Head Coach.
Four Bobcats' college careers are coming to a close after their final regular season match, on Senior Day, that ended in a 4-0 victory against Troy.
Two of those seniors, Maria Lora and Sofia Fortuno, are the first players Brooks coached through all four of their collegiate years.
"Each year since I've taken over, we've just continued to improve and kind of push the level and the bar a little bit more," Brooks said. "It's been really fun seeing this group of a bunch of veterans finally getting that success that we've been working towards."
Fortuno's success has been in the works for years. She credits a part of her growth to the seniors who came before her.
"I feel like I and a lot of other people wouldn't be who they are if [past seniors] had never come into the program," Fortuno said. "They just made me realize that it's okay to be yourself, and I think that's a big part of what I wanted to bring into the team this year."
Junior Ireland Simme said finding a group that meshes well isn't always easy, but transferring to Texas State was the "best thing that ever happened."
Simme and Fortuno became partners halfway through the spring season, where they went nearly undefeated with a 5-1 record. Their tightknit relationship is just one reflection of the seniors' impact on the team.
MEN’S GOLF
"The four seniors have really been like the glue. They have made sure that everyone gives 100% on court, is pushing themselves as much as they can, but also is making sure that
everyone's included," Simme said. Fortuno and Simme's adjustment on the doubles court is a testament to the overall attitude that defines the program's success.
"They're just a selfless group, right? They want what's best for the team. No one is interested in their own individual type driven goals. It's all about the team and how they can contribute in any way possible," Brooks said.
While Brooks gives high credit to the players, it's a two-way street of appreciation. The players give Brooks equal praise to her role in building the team up.
"On court, she is the most chill coach I've ever seen, I know she's probably freaking out inside, but we would never know," Simme said. "For the most part, she is so steady, and that has helped me a lot, because I am very emotional and feisty and [have] a lot of energy, so having a steady person who can give me tennis advice when I need it, but also some motivation when I need it, that's been amazing."
The success on the court is a reflection of many moving parts behind the scenes. Without support from the full staff of Texas State tennis, things might not be the same, Fortuno said.
"If someone doesn't have it all in the tank, someone else is picking them up," Fortuno said. "I think what has driven our success is all of these parts working together and us just being there for each other at the end of the day, on and off court."
Despite the year coming to an end, this is just the beginning of what's to come next.
"This group is so special and have truly helped reshape this program and sent it in the direction that it's now headed right," Brooks said. "We are very lucky to have had them, so I think they're leaving a huge mark on this program for the future."
The Bobcats will finish out their historic season in the Sun Belt Tournament as the No. 3 seed from April 24-27, in Rome, Ga.
Jack Burke set to cap off college career with TXST
By Grace Darcy Sports Reporter
With one more tournament on the schedule for the Texas State men’s golf team, senior Jack Burke is looking to cap off his standout collegiate career with the Bobcats on a high note.
The senior has been a member of the golf team since his freshman year, 2021-22. Prior to joining the Bobcats, Burke was a standout high school golfer, earning the district, region and state champion titles.
Through his years with the game of golf, Burke has faced some challenges to make him the successful golfer he is today.
“Adversity definitely smacks you in the face in golf a lot more than you can throw punches, but I’d say when it hits you, you just have to be able to let it fall off your shoulders and move on,” Burke said. “Just do your best to forget about it and try to overcome it as best as possible.”
Head coach Shane Howell said one of the biggest challenges for Burke to overcome was his attitude.
“When things were going good, Burke was totally fine, but early on in his career if he had a bad break on the golf course or he didn’t think that things were going his way, he’d kind of be 'poor me,' and [his] attitude would kind of go south,” Howell said. “He had to work really hard at that, there was a lot of tough conversations between me and him on that.”
Howell said through the roller coaster of ups and downs Burke has been a key contributor to the team over the years, as he continues to get better. As Burke grows as both a person and with golf, he has stepped into a leadership role amongst the team, leading the six new players that have come in this season.
Burke has demonstrated his leadership skills when expressing different course management and strategies to the team in team meetings, since he
has experience playing the courses and finding success.
“Just that extra voice from him. Obviously, the coaches are going to coach and we’re going to put together good strategy, but coming from their own peer group that always means a little bit more,” Howell said. “There’s just a little bit more buying when you have a guy like that, especially when he’s having such a good season like he’s having.”
Ben Loveard, a transfer from Mississippi State, has worked alongside Burke in both qualifying practices and tournaments. The junior was able to quickly adjust to the teams’ day-to-day practice routine and community through Burke’s leadership.
“Jack’s a great guy; he had a great season and he’s a great player,” Loveard said. “I’ve learned a lot from him from being able to practice with someone like that, someone I get along with really well, and have a good time. A lot of jokes. So to be able to have that sort of character around at practice has been really good for me and also just for the whole team.”
The team's culture and community has helped shape Burke into both the golfer and team leader he is for the Bobcats.
“We have a ton of good guys so I would say just the constant competition and just hanging out outside of golf and we just have a good time,” Burke said. “They’ve helped me grow a lot as a person, hopefully I’ve helped them grow a lot as a person too.”
When reflecting on his time with Texas State, both Howell and Burke share a key memory, winning the National Golf Invitational (NGI) tournament in the Bobcats’ postseason.
“When we won the NGI, basically the NIT of college golf,” Howell said. “That was a huge breakthrough for this program and this team. That was a really good moment.”
Burke aspires to finish his senior year with a good run in the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Both Burke and the team had a rough season last year, but have been able to hold a steady momentum this year going into the conference championship.
“As far as our season has gone, we’ve come up a little bit short of our expectations, but we’ve built a little bit of a good momentum going into the conference, so hopefully next week we can cap it off,” Burke said.
Throughout his collegiate career Burke has acquired a multitude of honors including two top ten finishes and Sun Belt Golfer of the Week. Howell says Burke has worked hard over the four years to get to where he is today.
“He deserves everything in life,” Howell said. “He works super hard at it and I’ve been really lucky to be able to coach him during his career.”
Class: Senior Hometown: Orange, Texas Highschool: Little CypressMauriceville Career Accolades: - 2024 All-Sun Belt Third Team - 2022-23 Sun Belt Commissioner’s List - 2022-23 GCAA All-America Scholar - Sun Belt Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week (March 21, 2024)
ISABELLE CANTU | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior Sofia Fortuna celebrates after scoring a point at the match against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Sunday, March 23, 2024, at the Bobcat Tennis Complex.
KATE MADDISON | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior Ireland Simme bounds off the ground as she send the ball over the net to her Tarleton opponent at the match on Feb. 14, 2025, at Bobcat Tennis Complex.
Jack Burke Golfer
TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS | COURTESY
Senior Jack Burke takes a swing at the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate, Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
OPINION 7
Opinions in The University Star are not necessarily those of our entire publication, Texas State University’s administration, Board of Regents, School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Student Publications Board.
Proposed SMTX data centers pose environmental risks
By Andrew Bencivengo Assistant Opinions Editor
Two major data center projects were proposed in the San Marcos area. One by Armbrust & Brown, PLLC, on behalf of Highlander SM One LLC and Donald and Germaine Tuff, and the other by CloudBurst Data Centers. The projects currently vary in their level of development.
The proposed data centers in San Marcos threaten the region’s stability by straining limited water resources and increasing energy usage, costs that far exceed short-term economic gains.
A data center is a facility that houses computer systems and associated components, according to IBM. The centers are used to store, process and distribute large amounts of digital information. Data centers require constant power, cooling and vast computational power to handle complex workloads associated with artificial intelligence.
“AI computing requires a huge amount of data center capacity, and those data centers need far more than just energy. They involve carbon emissions, water usage, electronic waste and intensive hardware,” Heena Rathore, assistant professor of computer science, said.
As the demand for artificial intelligence increases, so does resource demand and environmental footprints.
“Even a single query demands serious computational power. Multiply that by millions every second, and the environmental impact becomes significant. That’s why there’s so much debate, especially here in San Marcos,” Rathore said.
This increased demand raises significant concerns, particularly in water usage. Large-scale data centers average approximately 550,000 gallons per day, equal to about 4,200 people’s typical daily water usage.
With a population of 71,569 residents, a single large-scale data center would account for nearly 12.5% of San Marcos’ daily water intake, according to Executive Director of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, Robert Mace. In a city where water shortages are projected by 2047, water usage must be consciously considered.
“People don’t realize the amount of water these facilities can use for cooling,” Rathore said. “In Texas, with our climate and water issues, that’s a serious concern.”
The Highlander developers have proposed using water supplied by the San Marcos River and CarrizoWilcox Aquifer, with Crystal Clear
Special Utility District approving water usage equal to that of a singlefamily residence. The company has also indicated it will use a closedloop system, where water is recycled throughout the facility, to minimize water consumption. However, the developers have not indicated whether this low water usage would go beyond the initial phase of development. Additionally, closed-loop systems are not perfect and require water lost by evaporation and leakages to be replenished. Cloudburst has yet to disclose where it plans to source its water. This uncertainty is amplified by the ongoing drought of San Marcos and the broader Hill Country.
Energy usage is another point of concern, with AI data centers requiring high energy consumption.
CloudBurst’s proposal is perhaps the most concerning, with the company announcing plans to power its AI data center with a 1.2 gigawatt
(GW) natural-gas plant, supplied by a 10-year contract with Energy Transfer’s Oasis Pipeline. 1.2 GW is enough to power one million homes, and more than the energy demands of the entire Austin metro area in a single day, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The facility would burn natural gas constantly, releasing harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. These pollutants contribute to the formation of smog, the development of acid rain and significantly increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses in the local community.
While these data centers have the potential to bring jobs and technological investment to San Marcos, the current proposals raise serious concerns. Tech companies like Google and Microsoft have made strides. Google’s data centers are now 1.8 times more energy efficient, and Microsoft reported 90% server recyclability in 2024. However, the proposed centers are currently far behind this standard.
With the right safeguards, oversight, and sustainability commitments, these facilities could bring meaningful economic and technological benefits. But the current proposals fall short, ignoring local stakeholders and overlooking serious environmental risks.
“I am not against data centers,” Rathore said. “But it has to be responsible growth. The companies need to be transparent and accountable to the people who will live with the consequences.”
-Andrew Bencivengo is a business
Construction will lead to destruction of SMTX identity
By Jolee Gavito Opinions Contributor
In January, the city of San Marcos launched the 10-year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) to improve facilities and infrastructure through road and waterway reconstruction. Even though city-wide improvements could benefit the community, there are threats in hiding.
With modernization efforts come environmental degradation and urbanization. Both aspects have the potential to negatively impact the unique San Marcos environment. The CIP design coordinators must commit to maintaining San Marcos’ historic image and character while making needed improvements.
The CIP outlines projects across different zones of San Marcos. These zones include the airport, cemetery and alleyways downtown. Construction in these areas threatens the local environment, since the majority of these zones are scheduled in territories near the natural hillside.
The CIP is partnering with the San Marcos Green Alley Initiative to reconstruct the downtown alleyway system primarily for “stormwater improvements.” Even though the Green Alley Initiative promises to maintain an eco-friendly atmosphere, its website lacks promises to protect the environment while construction takes place.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), machines used for infrastructure construction spread harmful waste into the ecosystem. Pollution is known to have damaging effects on the environment, harming native plants and animals like the San Marcos Salamander.
The beloved river and hills that complete San Marcos’ landscape could be affected for the next several years. Air pollution from construction machines can release harmful chemicals into the air that have the ability to lower the river’s water level, as well as harm residents’ physical health.
Clarity, an organization that promotes environmental efforts, states, “Construction machinery runs on diesel fuel [which] is a major source of greenhouse gases [and] is not regulated by the government to the same degree as [cars].”
Sundance Records, located on LBJ Drive, neighbors nearby alleyways such as Kissing Alley. Per the CIP, Kissing Alley is one of many zones that will undergo heavy construction efforts in September.
“[Construction] will be inconvenient for people walking through,” Lisa McPike-Smith, a Sundance Records employee, said. “There’s artwork that needs to be protected. [Modernizing] is unnecessary and wasteful. The people
Letter to the Editor
love, and will fight for San Marcos to [keep] its small-town charm.”
To further benefit the environment and the overall physical health of citizens, developers must take environmental precautions when carrying out city-wide improvements. While modernization is necessary at times, the designers of the CIP must have some sort of environmental safety and security measures in mind. There are currently no security measures outlined in the CIP.
San Marcos is known as a charming town, decorated with greenery and tradition. To take care of
San Marcos residents and visitors, the town’s identity should remain intact, not in colorless pieces.
Modernization threatens to deteriorate the infrastructure that has existed for decades, to erase history by demolishing the “old” structures. A historical, small-town charm is difficult to find in today’s society, but it is vital to conserve the town’s unique atmosphere.
-Jolee Gavito is a journalism sophomore
ZAINAB ALHATRI | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
DYLAN CROSE | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
THIS WEEK IN SMTX
San Marcos locals feed a goat at the fifth annual Wonder World Earth Day Celebration, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the Wonder World Animal Park. The event featured familyfriendly activities.
Austin Bradham, president of the Omega Phi Gamma fraternity, performs a step routine with his fraternity brothers at the sixth annual Asian Cultural Showcase, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the LBJ Ballroom. Texas State’s chapter of Omega Phi Gamma was founded in 2022.
Texas State Lecturer Olivia Vance (Left) answers students questions about the world languages and literatures department, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at the
was presenting as a part of the departments
Scan the QR code to view the gallery online.
a member of the
perform at the sixth annual Asian Cultural Showcase, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at
The Korean Culture Club provides a space for students to learn, experience and discuss South Korean culture.
Members of the Bangladeshi Student Association perform during a Bangladeshi fashion show at the sixth annual Asian Cultural Showcase, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the LBJ Ballroom. The Bangladeshi Student Association is dedicated to teaching students about Bangladeshi heritage and culture.
The Gamelan Lipi Awan orchestra performs at the sixth annual Asian Cultural Showcase, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the LBJ Ballroom. Gamelan Lipi Awan is Texas State’s Balinese gamelan gong kebyar orchestra open to students and community members.
ROBIN BRIN | WEB EDITOR
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Quad. Vance
Culture Expo.
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Abigail Rivera,
Korean Culture Club dance team
the LBJ Ballroom.
Quynh Anh of the Heavenly Dragon Lion Dance Association performs a traditional lion dance during the sixth annual Asian Cultural Showcase, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the LBJ Ballroom. Heavenly Dragon Lion Dance Association is an Austin based dragon dance team.
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
ISABELLE CANTU | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
City Designations
The 12th annual Earth Day San Marcos celebrated a special milestone: the designations of San Marcos as a Monarch Champion City last fall, a Bird City this January and a Bee City this month.
“This year’s theme is ‘Birds, bees and butterflies’ — basically all of our pollinator friends,” Wait said. “The Bird City one is actually a big recognition, so that’s what inspired [the theme] when we were planning.”
The National Wildlife Federation made San Marcos a Monarch Champion City due to completing the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge and committing to monarch conservation through action items and progress reports. Becoming a Bird City means Audubon Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recognized San Marcos’ efforts to ensure birds, wildlife and people thrived in the community, according to Parks and Recreation.
As a Bee City, San Marcos joined Bee City USA’s mission for communities to sustain pollinators by providing them with a healthy habitat full of many native plants and free of insecticides.
Opening Ceremony
The event began with a blessing at the springs with the Indigenous Cultures Institute (ICI). Mario Garza, ICI chair, and Maria Rocha, ICI secretary led the ceremony in front of Spring Lake with singing and a drum while the community watched silently.
Garza said his song was about asking the five sacred animals of the water — the deer, wolf, jaguar, water bird (heron) and eagle — to come and give their blessing.
“We consider the river, the water very sacred,” Garza said. “There’s a way a human can bless something that is more blessed than we are, so we do a blessing by the river and ask the river to bless us.”
Eco Sessions
The first eco session, “Celebrating a Conservation Legacy,” was a panel with Andrew Sansom, professor of practice for the department of geography, and Laura Raun, public relations counselor. The two created “Andrew Sansom: A Life in Conservation,” Sansom’s biography released last year detailing his
CARLENE OTTAH | LIFE & ARTS EDITOR (Left) Engineers for a Sustainable World President Natalie Huth paints a candle, Saturday, April 19, 2025 at the Meadows Center. Huth said the organization found it could upcycle common yogurt jars and turn them into something else. (Middle Left) Indigenous Cultures Institute secretary Maria Rocha (Left) and chair Mario Garza (Right) perform the opening blessing, Saturday, April 19, 2025 at the Meadows Center. (Middle Right) PR Counselor and former journalist Laura Raun (Left) and Meadows Center Founder and professor of practice for the department of geography Andrew Sansom (Right) sign a copy of Sansom’s biography, Saturday, April 19, 2025 at the Meadows Center. The book, called “Andrew Sansom: A Life in Conservation,” details Sansom’s contributions to Texas conservation and its landscape. (Right) Americana band Loose Screws and Rusty Hearts performs at Earth Day San Marcos, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at the Meadows Center.
When people can show up and feel carefree and vulnerable enough to participate in the event and allow themselves to experience that grounding, that’s what makes it good,”
Justin Williams, assistant philosophy professor
difference, so he was very excited to see all the children at Earth Day San Marcos.
“There’s almost nothing more important than inspiring children to be concerned about the environment,” Sansom said. “When I saw these kids having such a good time interacting with people who have dedicated themselves to conservation, that makes me happy.”
The second eco session, “Hays County Master Naturalists & What It Means to Be a Bird City,” explained what Bird City was and how residents could help with that designation. Stephanie Dodson, Texas master naturalist, led the talk and the following interactive activity on using apps such as iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID to make observations of the different species in Texas.
Dodson said she realized some people might prefer stewardship to the education aspect of being a citizen scientist but loved getting people to think more about nature than they did before.
“Historically, the people who have the most amount of time to dedicate to volunteering are people who are retired,” Dodson said. “But also, before you get into the real throes of life when you’re a student, when you’re building a resume and when you’re meeting all of those connections with people.”
The third eco session, “Engaged Philosophy: Mindfulness Walks & Talks,” explored mindfulness techniques out in nature and how to become more connected with it. The department of philosophy led the walk and talk as part of its Spring 2025 Dialogue Series. Justin Williams, assistant philosophy professor, invited attendees to make use of their senses as animals do while observing Spring Lake’s wetlands boardwalk.
While it was the third year leading the walk for the series and at the same location, Williams said the people who show up each time make the experience different.
lifelong commitment to Texas’ natural landscape and conservation. He founded the Meadows Center and served as its executive director for 20 years.
Sansom knew from his teaching experience that children today want to change the world and make a
“When people can show up and feel carefree and vulnerable enough to participate in the event and allow themselves to experience that grounding, that’s what makes it good,” Williams said.
FROM FRONT EARTH DAY
LIFE & ARTS
TXST showcase, expo recognize cultural histories
By Vanessa Rivera Life and Arts Contributor
Students got a glimpse of Latin America and Spain through collections of different traditional items and works of art at an exhibit on the Quad.
Faculty and students brought culture to Texas State with two events that highlighted the significance of Latin American and Asian culture. Texas State Education Abroad hosted a two-day informational event called the International Education and Cultural Expo.
In the same week, multiple Asian student organizations came together to celebrate APIDA Heritage Month through its Asian Cultural Showcase, where students got to perform, mingle, and eat traditional foods.
International Education and Cultural Expo
On April 15 and 17, Education Abroad and departments within the College of Liberal Arts took to the Quad an extensive exhibit, taking students through the worlds of Latin America and Spain.
Dr. Lupita Limage-Montesinos, expo event organizer and senior Spanish lecturer, said her goal for the exhibit was to teach students the history of Latin American culture through diverse pieces and artwork.
“So what we’re telling them [is], ‘Hey, come and see and look at what each of [these] countries can offer you. And when you go there, enrich yourself with a lot of the history behind [the culture],’” LimageMontesinos said.
Various diverse pieces of artwork were displayed from countries like Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico and Argentina, representing the cultural significance of the peoples’ craftsmanship.
“A lot of these [pieces of artwork] are handmade [by] them,” LimageMontesinos said. “So, this represents a
lot of the effort too.”
To get more students to travel internationally, Limage-Montesinos said the exhibit provided an opportunity for students to engage in diverse Latin American history at the school.
“The students do not have the opportunity to see all [the countries] together,” Limage-Montesinos said. “But here, it’s like you’re traveling through the whole world. [The students] can come and ask questions, so at least they gain a little bit of each of the countries that we are representing.”
The exhibit featured items from Limage-Montesinos’ collection, many coming from her travels all over Latin America.
“Some of these items are over 40 years [old],” Limage-Montesinos said. “I keep them because I think they’re part of me. Each of us has a little bit of each of the countries and we should be proud to be that way, and that’s what I am.”
Limage-Montesinos said it was the department’s first time doing the expo in a large capacity. She shared she was satisfied with the team effort provided by her colleagues.
“It’s a collective effort,” LimageMontesinos said. “I’m truly satisfied [with] the colleagues that offered their help, [how] they have come and [delivered].”
Many of Limage-Montesinos’ students who attended the expo shared similar views on the importance of cultural history.
Beau Borgmeyer, communication studies junior, said she enjoys the humanities aspect of learning about different cultures.
“I think it’s more important to know more about the world you’re in, like we’re all here together,” Borgmeyer said. “We should know about each other. It helps people get along more, and if more people are informed, it helps preserve the history.”
Asian Cultural Showcase
On April 16, many Asian student organizations gathered at the sixth Annual Asian Cultural Showcase. Through live performances and display tables, students could express the unique history of their cultures.
Various culture clubs represented their culture through artwork. The Bangladesh Student Association
represented its culture with henna painting while members of the Japanese Culture Club showed students traditional Japanese calligraphy.
Astrid Veliz, graduate assistant for campus activities and community engagement, co-hosted the event with Deion Robbins, coordinator for campus programming, in the LBJ Ballroom. Veliz said this year’s turnout exceeded 300 students and included off and on-campus partners who joined to showcase their heritage.
Korean Culture Club (KCC) members performed a dance to the song “Trouble” by EVNNE, a Korean pop song, expressing Korean culture.
“We try to appropriately express like Korean culture. We usually do it through dance,” Fayth Walsh, English sophomore and president of the Korean Culture Club (KCC), said. “We just want to create a space for people to feel comfortable.”
Walsh said the biggest part of coming together to represent Korean culture at the showcase was the friendships she made.
“Learning about the culture is interesting and it helps you keep your eyes open for a lot of things to stay aware [of], but I met a lot of good, long-term friends through it,” Walsh said.
Nirja Raman, biology senior and president of Alpha Sigma Rho sorority, showcased her organization at the event to gain more awareness and support Asian communities.
“I came here to spread awareness [on] Asian interest,” Raman said. “Also, to show people that Asia is more than just a population community. There’s so many cultural significances that [Asia has] had all across the globe.”
Review: ‘Death of a Unicorn’ stampedes, satisfies
By Marvin Goines Life and Arts Contributor
Presented as a blend of horror and comedy, “Death of a Unicorn” toes the line between genres without leaning too far into either one.
Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd take the lead in a star-studded cast that features the talents of Richard Grant, Will Poulter and Téa Leoni. With an idyllic setting deep within an environmental preserve, “Death of a Unicorn” is a barebones commentary on classism, nature and capitalism.
On a weekend getaway, Elliott Kintner (Rudd) is gunning for a partnership to set him and his daughter, Ridley (Ortega) for life. After they’ve endured the loss of Elliott’s wife, the two became estranged and agree to put up a front for the sake of their shared benefit. This is around the moment Elliott manages to plow into a unicorn. When Ridley comforts the dying animal and touches its horn, initiating a soul bond, Elliott steps in and beats the unicorn to death with a tire iron.
The movie doesn’t take long to pick up on some of the classist themes of the film after being introduced to the Leopold family. Odell Leopold (Grant), the patriarch, is coming close to death and decides to get to know Elliott better by having him around his wife and son, Belinda (Leoni) and Shepard (Poulter).
Before handshakes and signatures happen, the unicorn returns to brief life and is promptly shot in the head, ending its life right there and then. When they all discover the healing properties of the unicorn, there’s a rapid shift toward harvesting the creature for cures without regard or respect.
For better or worse, “Death of a Unicorn” does have its humorous moments, sometimes undercutting scenes that started to lead heavily into horror. Seeing two massive unicorns recreating the famous kitchen scene from “Jurassic Park” was a delight, but at times, it treats this level of macabre as a punchline to something else.
Again, like the Spielberg classic, there’s a precedent to uncover and exploit science rather than leaving things alone. Predictably, this comes back to bite them, many times and many places over. The parents of the unicorn are sensibly furious and decide to violently avenge their loss until they can retrieve the body.
Visually, the film is a spectacle, with the incredible setting in a remote Canadian estate enveloped by beautiful trees and a sparkling lake within view. The contrast between the beauty of the scenery to the repulsive actions and mentality of the humans is wonderfully paralleled. The CGI is quite impressive for a $15 million budget, as the film’s second half begins to feature the unicorns more. With the range of star power in “Death of a Unicorn,” the budget becomes even more impressive for what it accomplishes in a 107-minute runtime.
Ortega is clearly the film’s focus and she continues to impress, adding to her already established stardom as a “Scream Queen.” Outshining her contemporaries, such as Rudd and Grant, is no easy feat, but Ortega definitely makes it feel that way. Her character, Ridley, is rigid yet thoughtful and is the film’s guiding moral compass.
Watching the relationship, or really the lack of one between Ridley and Elliott, is perhaps the best progression of the film. Poulter as Shepard is
the forerunner for “most punchable” out of the entitled and wealthy Leopolds. As frustrating as his character can be, he’s the most fleshed out of the three.
“Death of a Unicorn” may barely get its message across, but remnants of what could have been a terrific script remain embedded in the final cut. The topics it tries to tackle are surface-level at best, and the comedy in its stead cheapens the end product. Slightly disappointing in the intended warning, other pieces such as the gore and horror help make up for weaker sections of the film to deliver a solid and enjoyable movie.
Although other films did it better, “Death of a Unicorn” is an otherworldly reflection about the dangers of taking things too far.
NATALIE MURRAY | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
Marvin Goines is a film/TV critic who has been writing reviews on various types of multimedia since 2021. His work can be found on websites such as ‘The Cosmic Circus’ and ‘Movies We Texted About.’
Texas State graduate Gabriela Solis performs with the Gamelan Lipi Awan orchestra at the sixth annual Asian Cultural Showcase, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the LBJ Ballroom.
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
& ARTS
Repair, Resist, Reuse
Corinne Loperfido’s slow fashion comes to San Marcos
By Diego Medel Engagement Editor
A van sits in front of Kissing Alley, its doors fling open to reveal a sea of color made entirely from upcycled clothing. Between the bands, the beer and the buzz of a Saturday night art crawl at the Kiss & Tale artist activation, something slower is unfolding: a conversation over stitching and salvage. In front of the van, megaphone in hand, Corinne Loperfido greets attendees with a smile — and a message: sustainability for all.
It isn’t just a pop-up or a vintage rack on wheels. Loperfido’s Slow Fashion Center for Degrowth is a mobile manifesto that’s part textile workshop, part wearable protest.
Her stop at Kissing Alley for the San Marcos Studio Tour offered more than upcycled fashion. It introduced a philosophy rooted in community, care and resistance to waste.
Loperfido’s van pulled double duty as both storefront and platform — visitors browsed, swapped and lingered to talk sustainability. Between curated garments and salvaged fabric scraps, her messages were stitched in bold, literal terms: “Compost the System. Abolish Fart Shame. End Human Supremacy.”
However, the slogans are just entry points to a deeper project.
“The Slow Fashion Center for Degrowth is about bringing humans into an awareness of materials,” Loperfido said. “Everyone on earth wears clothes… so it’s something every person can relate to.”
Degrowth, as Loperfido describes it, isn’t just
The work students do on the farm also helps them get jobs in the industry because of the grants. One of these funded projects involved working with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to research different cultivars suitable for Texas. They wanted to grow raspberries under shade by erecting a hooped shade tunnel for the fruit to better survive.
“That grant was funding all that work too, which was a great experience for the students to have because it was giving them great experiences to go out in the workforce, to make them competitive and for to be in the Texas agriculture space, whether as an industry or in [Texas A&M AgriLife] Extension Service,” Wagner said.
Bobcat Farm Club has a threephase plan to build the farm. It completed its first phase — adding a hoop house, field crop plot and irrigation infrastructure — in its first year. Wagner said phase two is still in progress, which included adding an orchard, post-harvest station and education pavilion, but the funding would have helped start the third phase, finish the infrastructure and pay the rest of the operating costs.
about doing less — it’s about doing things differently when it comes to fashion and art. Her van is not only a vehicle used for sales. It’s a mobile classroom, a free bin and a call to action. She emphasizes reuse over retail and teaching over transaction.
“If I can create an opportunity for someone to get free clothes, I will,” Loperfido said. “It’s about teaching people about using what we already have and not continuing to support big corporations.”
Loperfido’s art focuses less on producing new objects, instead it aims to reimagine what’s already been discarded.
“I’m trying to make art out of trash and also make something useful that people actually need,” Loperfido said. “Instead of just making random art objects.”
That ethos resonated in San Marcos. At the Kiss & Tale event, Loperfido’s space was more than a stop on the tour, it became a meeting point. Locals dug through bins of free clothes, picked up upcycled clothes and lingered to ask questions about the project.
“It totally encapsulated how the art scene works in San Marcos,” Brooke Schumacher, geography senior and artist who attended the event, said. “Somebody can just come and drive up and there’s going to be people there to appreciate what they’re doing.”
Schumacher purchased a pair of green pants with dragonfly patches and upcycled overalls that read “GROW FOOD” made from patchwork with reclaimed scraps. Even before she learned the full story, she felt something click.
“Remind me I want to spend my money here,” Schumacher told her boyfriend. “This type of
fashion, slow fashion, upcycled, something that’s coming from the heart of a person. It’s just so much better.”
That community embrace is exactly what the organizers had hoped for.
“Her van’s hatchback swings open to reveal a little shop of wonders,” Rebekah Porter, assistant director of The San Marcos Studio Tour and Kiss & Tale event, wrote in an email to The Star. “All curated works of art made from recycled textiles. People walking by were instantly engaged.”
Loperfido, who only recently moved to San Marcos, quickly became a fixture of the Studio Tour, appearing in Kissing Alley and at the kickoff party at MotherShip and Eye of the Dog. Her upcycled shop on wheels makes her work adaptable, accessible and intentionally public.
“Although she hasn’t lived in San Marcos long, Corinne has already established herself as a vital part of the creative community,” Porter said.
For many attendees, Loperfido’s work was more than just a spectacle — it was an invitation.
“It was really special to see how excited people got when finding a piece from Corinne’s shop that they really resonated with,” Porter said. “We live in such a special place where the people truly have the power to create art and share it in almost any way with an open and understanding community.”
For Loperfido, the studio tour was a beginning. With future workshops and mending lessons already in the works, she’s planning to stay rooted and local.
“I want to have interactions with people that live nearby,” Loperfido said. “Those are your friends, your comrades and your community.”
about the farm’s challenges and value but recognizes that the situation is tight and challenging with the state of the grant landscape.
Since it is at the later stages of its startup, Bobcat Farm Club will have to work hard to grow and sell the seeds and crops it has to raise money. Because the selling period is between spring and summer, it has high hopes. Wagner projects the organization making $40,000 by the end of 2025 would be a big help. As of April 18, it made a little under $5,000 because of the less of research plots and crops due to last year’s hailstorm and tornado and the cold snap earlier this year.
Bobcat Farm currently sells its produce to Chartwells Dining Services and donates it to Bobcat Bounty. Pearl Willett, agribusiness and management senior and Bobcat Farm Club intern, said the organization is finding ways to diversify the people and places it sells to and increase its output.
“The original plan of Bobcat Farm was to be run like a business so we would sell our produce, and then that would go to fund the farm’s operations, the farm manager, a few student workers or interns and then pay for operating expenses,” Wagner said. “We needed those two additional years to get past our startup phase, so it’s going to be challenging.”
Wagner said Texas State provided some support at the beginning and paid for some power infrastructure, but that was all the funds it received.
The Freeman Center Ranch budget pays for the well water, and the ranch director and staff helped Bobcat Farm Club when it needed it. Wagner would like to see more support from the university for the farm’s support since it is used for multiple tuitionbased laboratories.
“Prior to having this farm, we didn’t have these facilities for several classes in the ag department,” Wagner said. “We had no wet lab or dry lab for these classes. So, we built Bobcat Farm to provide this experiential learning, but we are bootstrapping most of it ourselves and not getting funding from the university to hold classes there.”
Wagner said she met with the Dean of the College of Science and Engineering to let him know
“We have access to a freeze dryer,” Willett said. “For something like okra that’s going to be plentiful, it’ll be easy to keep a lot of it.”
Even if Bobcat Farm Club cannot make its goal in time, its members care about the farm and are dedicated to keeping it going. Matthew McGinnis, geography resource and environmental studies junior and Bobcat Farm Club intern, said he would be heartbroken but would come work on Bobcat Farm for free.
“You would have to come remove these plants to get them to not grow,” McGinnis said. “It’s a good use of my time to be out here, so you don’t need to pay me.”
CARLENE OTTAH | LIFE AND ARTS EDITOR
Bobcat Farm Club intern Matthew McGinnis checks for fresh strawberries, Friday, April 18, 2025, on Bobcat Farm at the Freeman Center Ranch.
FROM FRONT CLUB
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
(Left) Artist Corinne Loperfido digs through a drawer, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in the kitchen of her tiny house. (Right) The inside of Corinne Loperfido’s pop-up van for the Slow Fashion Center for Degrowth, Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the Kiss & Tale: A Kissing Alley Artist Activation event during the San Marcos Studio Tour.
