As the Trump Administration’s 90-day pause on the newly announced tariffs runs out, local businesses are thinking about how they will adjust operations to plan for the future.
While the 10% blanket tariff on most imported goods remains intact, uncertainty over the recently announced potential higher tariffs, which are still being negotiated country by country, has caused many local business owners to consider their current sourcing strategies, pricing
Inside the Capitol: Senate Bill 37
Proposed bill could weaken academic freedom
By Ryan Claycamp Assistant News Editor
“Inside the Capitol” examines key bills from the 89th legislative session that impact the Texas State and San Marcos communities. The session began on Jan. 14 and ends June 2.
A bill in the Texas legislature would require sweeping overhauls to how public universities function in Texas.
Senate Bill 37 (SB 37), introduced by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), would increase the state government’s control of many aspects of universities such as: more oversight on course curriculum, final say in hiring of faculty, ability to cut minor programs with low enrollment and an easier path to fire tenured faculty.
SB 37 is one of the first 40 bills in the Senate, meaning it’s one of the top priorities of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. In a press release after the Senate passed the bill on April 15, Patrick said the bill attacked the faculty senate at the University of Texas, calling it a “rogue faculty senate” that “foolishly questioned the Texas Legislature’s authority over higher education.”
models and long-term plans.
On April 2, the Trump Administration announced a 10% blanket tariff on imported goods from most countries. On April 9, the administration announced a 90-day pause on the mentioned higher tariffs, with an exception to China.
“The 10% blanket tariffs are highly unusual within foreseeable history,” Matthew Flynn, assistant professor of finance and economics at Texas State, said.
Flynn said the impact of tariffs will depend on the exposure of the
business and how easy it is for the importers to pass through costs to the businesses.
“Tariffs are gonna increase the cost, generally, of importing things from other countries,” Flynn said. “And then they’re going to ship these goods down to the local businesses. And so if the cost can be passed on, what we find is that generally companies do that. So if you are willing to pay more, they’re gonna try to charge you more.”
Flynn said competitiveness can play a part in the local businesses’
choosing sourcing when dealing with these changes and thinking about their pricing.
Professor and Chair of the Haiyong Liu Department of Economics said while there is a lot of uncertainty about how the discussed tariffs will affect businesses, locals won’t feel a significant difference short term, especially if the businesses cater to the local consumer. He said overall, some people will be helped and some will be hurt.
Alumnae reminisce years at SWT
By Cara Cervenka & Sydney Seidel Life and Arts Reporters
When Sue Kaulfus, a home economics alumna, was little, she spent her summers in San Marcos. Her parents were teachers finishing their degrees, and she grew up in town until she was about six years old, when the family moved to a small place called Woodsboro, Texas. She always remembered those summers, running barefoot near the old practice fields, not knowing yet that the city of San Marcos would one day become such a big part of her life.
In 1961, Kaulfus returned to start her college career. She moved into
CERVENKA | COURTESY PHOTO Cars parked outside what is now the administration and theatre building, January 1973, at TXST.
Hornsby Hall, a small student-run co-op at the top of the highest hill on
campus, where students cooked their own meals and cleaned their own rooms. She still remembers it clearly.
“I was getting as far from home as I dared,” Kaulfus said. “But once I got there, I felt like I was in the right place.”
Kaulfus didn’t have a minor, which was common at the time. She worked at The Lair, the campus bookstore, earning fifty cents an hour. That job changed her life. She worked with the sweatshirts and school supplies, while her future husband worked on the book side. They got married after her junior year.
Redeem Team turned dream team
By Editorial Board
After receiving 11 awards at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) for the 2023-24 year, our editorial board strived to improve. That’s when our 2024-25 Slack chat name was born.
The Redeem Team had three main goals going into this year: To incorporate video elements along with our coverage, win more awards and become the number one news source for Texas State and San Marcos.
At the start, we hit the ground running, covering countless stories and protests following the 2024 elec
tion. We delivered live coverage of the local elections and produced a 14-page special issue, breaking down every candidate and key issue to help readers make informed choices at the ballot box.
That same week, when the official street preachers arrived on campus, The Star was first on the scene. Our reporting didn’t just inform the community — it became a source for national fact-checkers like Snopes. Our editors stayed on the ground until the situation deescalated,
ANABELLE ELLIOTT | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Fernando Bramhall makes drinks at Senza Maeso Tasting Room and Bar, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in San Marcos.
KAREN
“Lots of details are yet to be clear in terms of gauging the potential impact,” Liu said. “I can expect that some sectors might be better off with the tariff imposed on the products, especially if they impose the tariff on the foreign imports, which means that they are more expensive; so the domestic substitutes would be better off.”
Liu said after the pandemic, some people have tried sourcing with more versatility, and it has had an effect on the resilience of some businesses.
Senza Maeso Tasting Room and Bar Brothers Ryan and Jay Gitman own and operate Senza Maeso Tasting Room and Bar in San Marcos. Gitman’s compound spirit is made from purchasing corn-based grain alcohol from a company in the U.S. Then, Ryan purchases hundreds of pounds of Cape Gooseberries from Colombia. Two of the six herbs used to make the drink, damiana and epazote, are Latin American herbs he purchases from Mexico.
Ryan said he does not have any current plans to try and batch the spirit in high quantities for several reasons.
“Space is an issue,” Ryan said. “Tanks are an issue. I’m trying to meet the demand of how much we’re selling, or how much we sell out of here. And right now, we’re at a steady incline, but not where I would wanna produce a ton of it for no reason. Or it wouldn’t be good for me to do that.”
Ryan said he has not increased prices as he hasn’t needed to yet, nor does he want to.
“I don’t want to raise my prices,” Ryan said. “This is a service industry spirit; it’s supposed to be under $30. We’re gonna have to meet somewhere in the middle there. It’s just something that’s gonna have to happen at some point. I’ve been trying to keep it at a reasonable rate.”
Ryan said as far as paying employees, as well as musicians fairly, that will not be adjusted. Ryan’s business has live music and frequent vendor events, but he said he only foresees the tariffs impacting the raw materials within the business, or the spirit he sells.
“If it’s a 10% increase, that’s not gonna move the needle, I don’t think, for us,” Ryan said. “I don’t have an answer of where the demarcation line
Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487
would be for us to raise prices. I am trying to avoid it as much as possible.”
Douglas Smith Soap Company
Owners Michael and Kevin Douglas Smith of Douglas Smith Soap Company, which opened in August 2023, said they don’t think the tariffs will impact their business to a large degree, since they source a majority of their resources domestically.
“The tariffs, we don’t think are gonna impact us that much,” Michael said. “The only thing that we really get out of the country is palm oil.”
The business is partnered with Palm Done Right out of Ecuador, due to their pledge to source responsibly, according to Michael.
According to Michael, most of what they purchase to make their product and sell along with their soap is from within the U.S. They are looking for domestic sources for several items they purchase out of the country, like their mesh soap bags, shaving brushes and metal bowls.
“When we do the math, it isn’t impacting us so bad that we have
or the chicken raising or the egg business in particular,” Spencer said. “My main product is honey, and I sell to specifically local markets, geographically so confined that it’s not gonna have any impact.”
According to Spencer, he doesn’t compete with the big honey producers; he’s exclusive to about 10 different local spots. Spencer believes that the announced tariffs will have a positive long-term effect.
“Overall, my belief is that the net result in the end will be lessening tariffs, lessening the bureaucracy and overall making it more equal access to the different markets,” Spencer said.
San Marcos Auto Center
Rick Benavitez, owner of San Marcos Auto Center, says he doesn’t expect the tariffs to affect his business. According to Benavitez, his business doesn’t source any of its products or materials from outside the U.S.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s gonna affect me at all because I think it’s gonna affect mostly the franchise dealerships and the new used car
Lots of details are yet to be clear in terms of gauging the potential impacts.”
Haiyong Liu
TXST
economics chair
to increase the price of our soap,” Michael said. “With the market being uncertain, we’re wondering if we are benefiting or experiencing the lipstick effect – when the market is uncertain, there’s a phenomenon where people tend to spend more money on low cost luxury goods like lipstick or soap or cosmetics of some kind. And we have seen an increase in shoppers over the last couple of months.”
Mark Spencer’s honey
Mark Spencer has sold honey at the San Marcos farmers market for five years, and for seven years in Seguin. Spencer’s main product is honey, and he doesn’t believe his business will be impacted directly by the tariffs.
“I don’t think the tariffs are gonna affect me and the beekeeping
Life & Arts Editor: Carlene Ottah starlifeandarts@txstate.edu
Opinions Editor: Rhian Davis staropinion@txstate.edu
dealerships,” Benavitez said.
Benavitez said business has increased in the past two months, so if there has been an impact for him, it does not appear to be immediately negative.
“I’m sure some [products] are made in China that I’m not aware of, but I’m not physically buying stuff offshore,” Benavitez said. “I’m not interacting with anybody outside the country. It’s typically inside here. So if the product came from China, I don’t know.”
Two TXST students have legal statuses restored
By Ryan Claycamp Assistant News Editor
Two Texas State international students who were removed from the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) have had their status restored after the Trump Administration temporarily reversed course.
In an email to The Star, university spokesperson Jayme Blaschke confirmed the university was notified that the two students whose statuses had previously been revoked have been reinstated to SEVIS.
Before the reversal, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and several students filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
“Thousands of students were stripped of valid status without warning, individualized explanation, and an opportunity to respond— costing them housing, jobs and access to education just weeks before graduation or entry into the workforce,” The Presidents’ Alliance wrote in their complaint. “The policy also undermines member institutions’ ability to attract, retain, and effectively serve international students.”
The reversal order came during a hearing in the case on Friday, April 25. While the reversal is a win to students impacted by the initial revocations, it may only be temporary. During the hearing, the judge received an email Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, said they will begin working on a formal policy to remove students from SEVIS.
This comes two weeks after April 11, when Blaschke confirmed in an email to The Star that two students were notified there was a change in their immigration status and SEVIS statuses.
“To protect student privacy, we are not sharing individual details,” Blaschke wrote in his April 11 email. “However, we are assisting the affected students by connecting them with appropriate resources. TXST is committed to supporting our international students while complying with all state and federal laws.”
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Sports Editor: Jackson Kruse starsports@txstate.edu
Engagement Editor: Diego Medel starengagement@txstate.edu
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History: The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday of the spring and fall and once a month in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 3,000. Printing is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Director: Laura Krantz, laurakrantz@txstate.edu Advertising Inquiries Contact at: 512-245-3487 advertising@universitystar.com
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Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, April 29, 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.
Corrections Policy: Errors appearing in the pages of The University Star and brought to our attention will be corrected as soon as possible.
ANABELLE ELLIOTT | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Locals walk through the San Marcos Farmer’s Market, Saturday, April 19, 2025, on The Square. FROM FRONT ECONOMY
TXST cancels transportation for social work advocacy trip
By Lucciana Choueiry News Editor
In the wake of previous controversy over Texas State shuttles transporting individuals to a political rally, the university canceled buses for social work students headed to Social Work Advocacy Day (SWAD), leaving dozens without transportation less than 24 hours before departure.
SWAD brings students from across Texas to the Capitol for a day of policy education, advocacy training and legislative engagement, including workshops, a rally and legislative office visits. The advocacy day operated under the National Association of Social Workers.
Dzyre Alva, social work junior, said about 90 students signed up and paid a $20 fee to attend SWAD on April 11, but after the bus cancellation, only about 30 made it.
Students were informed through a Canvas announcement sent at around 6 p.m. on April 10. “As of 4:20 this afternoon, the SWAD committee was notified that the buses we requested had been canceled,” the announcement stated. “This is an unexpected development, but as social workers, we can pivot and rally. Reach out to your people and find a way to carpool.”
Part of SWAD involves students rallying at the Texas Capitol for or against bills through signs and speeches. However, the Canvas announcement also instructed students to only bring signs “in advocacy for and not against a bill/policy/issue” and said, “no signs protesting an individual should be brought.”
“There really was no explanation because it
Cutting programs
happened so suddenly,” Alva said.
Alva said she and other students were confused, adding that one student reached out to a professor who confirmed that faculty were also informed late in the day.
“Most of [the students] and myself, we all said we did not feel supported by the school. It was unfortunate, and it stings… we’re talking about if we can even have future SWADs,” Alva said.
“It just seems like we’re very restricted with what we can do.”
In a statement emailed to The Star, Texas State said some SWAD activities were appropriate for university participation, but transporting students with Bobcat shuttles, which Transdev operates, to the rally portion could be perceived as political activity.
“Some of the programming during Social Work Advocacy Day — including workshops and educational sessions — was
Brian Evans, president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a nonprofit organization that works to promote academic freedom and shared governance in higher education, criticized the bill, saying it would limit faculty’s ability to teach and damage students’ ability to learn.
The original version of SB 37 was introduced on March 13, however, it died in the Senate’s Education K-16 committee. The bill was entirely rewritten and reintroduced on March 25.
“The new bill also has some additional things in there that the old one doesn’t have. The other piece it has is arbitrary closure of academic programs, so they can just decide to shut down a degree program,” Evans said.
Under the bill, minor and certificate programs could be cut based on enrollment and number of students that have completed the programs in a two-year period.
Exceptions would be made for programs less than six years old or that industry data shows significant demand for. Final decisions on all cuts or consolidations would be made by a university’s governing board, not by the university’s administration.
Weakening
Faculty Senates
One of the bill’s major focuses is on weakening faculty senates, which are boards made up of faculty members from across the university who make recommendations to university administrations based on education policy, faculty grievances and other issues. Faculty senates have been around for decades, with Texas State’s being founded in 1959.
The bill would require a university’s administration, governing body and a university system’s administration to review all recommendations by its faculty senate before approval. The bill would also limit membership of faculty senates and change how members get positions on a faculty senate.
Rolf Straubhaar, associate professor of counseling, leadership, adult education and school psychology at Texas State, said he supports shared governance in universities.
“Faculty are the ones who have those students
appropriate for participation using university resources,” the university wrote. “However, the planned rally portion of the event, which in the past has included the display of signs and messaging protesting or supporting specific legislation, could have been perceived as engaging in political activity.”
Alva said a large part of the experience is students advocating for or against policy by giving speeches in front of the Capitol. However, Texas State wrote, “It is not permissible for the university to use state funds to transport students and/or employees to engage in political activities.”
Despite Texas State canceling transportation and restricting signs opposing bills the day before SWAD, planning for the advocacy day had been underway since January, including communication with Transdev for chartering buses, according to Alva.
“We were doing meetings
on what bills we want to talk to our legislators about, there was a lot preparing for SWAD, and we were really excited just for a lot of that stuff, just to get taken off,” Alva said. “At first, we were encouraged to make signs and have freedom with that, but we weren’t allowed to anymore.”
The College of Applied Arts and social work faculty held a town hall on April 23 to address the transportation cancellation and students’ frustrations, which Alva attended.
“The dean just kept saying, ‘You can still advocate, but not with Texas State,’” Alva said.
Administrators acknowledged communication breakdowns but offered few clear resolutions, according to Alva.
“The town hall was basically a SWAD debrief, and they hadn’t gotten to talking about the reimbursement yet. But they are talking about
in class ... We need faculty voice involved, and weakening faculty senates will just make that harder,” Straubhaar said.
The Texas State Faculty Senate declined to comment on SB 37, as it has not become law.
Increasing the state oversight of course curriculum
SB 37 would require universities to create a “General Education Review Committee” that will review course curricula to ensure it complies with standards under the bill. The committee would consist of members appointed by the governing body of each university.
The standards for curriculum under the bill require that classes: “are foundational and fundamental to a sound postsecondary education; (2) are necessary to prepare students for civic and professional life; (3) equip students for participation in the workforce and in the betterment of society; and (4) do not endorse specific public policies, ideologies, or legislation.”
Evans criticized the bill as an attack on academic freedom in Texas.
“This bill infringes on the academic freedom to learn for the student and the freedom to teach and freedom to research for the professor, “ Evans said.
Straubhaar said he’s concerned that dictating what can be taught in courses will hurt students’ educational outcomes.
“Some of our most desired and sought after courses and the programs I teach in are those specifically where students dive deeply into investigating their own identities, their own personal histories, their own family histories, who helps make up them as people and who has shaped them to be the people they are and the future educational leaders they can be,” Straubhaar said. “Those are precisely the kinds of courses that would be challenged or potentially be on the chopping block under SB 37.”
Weakening tenure for faculty
SB 37 would also require universities to conduct performance reviews for professors with academic tenure no more than once a year, but no less than once every six years.
According to AAUP, academic tenure is “an indefinite appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances such as financial exigency and program discontinuation.”
reimbursing those students who did pay the $20 and were not able to go,” Alva said.
Texas State’s School of Social Work is listed as a Silver Sponsor for the 2025 SWAD event, a level that includes a $1,000 fee from the department to SWAD. Texas State’s social work department has participated in SWAD since 1997, with traveling to the Texas Capitol as a central part of the event, which Alva said Texas State had always provided transportation for.
The decision from Texas State follows scrutiny the university faced earlier this month when Bobcat Shuttles were used to transport individuals to the “Hands Off!” protest on April 5 in Austin, triggering a review.
The “Hands Off!” protest was a nationwide mobilization opposed to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, drawing thousands of participants, including students from across Texas.
After backlash from individuals like Texas Rep. Brian Harrison, Texas State said it was reviewing its shuttle charter procedures to prohibit TXST-branded buses from being used for non-university purposes.
Alva said she had hoped to use the trip on April 11 to advocate against House Bill 281, a bill proposing to evaluate degree programs based on graduates’ debtto-income ratios, which she worried would affect her social work degree.
“We’re just very worried about what the future outcomes will be,” Alva said. “There will be more restrictions by next year’s SWAD with the way things are going, and so we really have no idea what the steps are.” TANNER BROWN | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
AAUP further says academic tenure is meant to safeguard academic freedom in teaching and research.
Under the bill, tenured faculty may be subject to tenure revocations or other punishments if reviews find “incompetency, neglect of duty or other good cause is determined to be present.” “Good cause” is not defined in the bill, nor is there another statute provided in the bill that defines the term.
Straubhaar, who has previously participated in hiring committees at Texas State, said weakening tenure could make it harder to recruit qualified faculty, both for teaching and research purposes.
“We love to talk about how prestigious and highly ranked our research universities are. This bill, and bills like it, will only make recruiting the kind of faculty to keep that up hard,” Straubhaar said. “People will leave, and other people will not want to come.”
As of April 22, SB 37 passed in the Senate and is in the House Higher Education Committee.
DIEGO MEDEL | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
The north side of the Texas Capitol is seen in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Students visited the Capitol as part of SWAD, Friday, April 11, 2025.
FROM FRONT EDUCATION
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
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.
DEI values must be protected in libraries
By Shar Kiefer Opinions Contributor
In January, President Donald Trump signed the “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government Programs and Preferencing” executive order, which aimed to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in as many public entities as possible.
The DEI purge hit libraries and led to the removal of 381 books containing DEI themes at the U.S. Naval Academy. Senate Bill 17 (SB 17), which removed DEI initiatives from public higher education entities in Texas, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. University libraries across Texas, including Alkek, are under attack as plans to continue the DEI purge continue.
The removal of books in the Naval Academy, a federal institution, illustrates the growing trend of banning books, which is likely to extend to university libraries nationwide. Banning books “related to DEI” erases years of progress in civil, LGBTQ and women’s rights and poses an active threat to institutions that possess books on these topics. Libraries promoting banned books risk losing federal and state funding under current DEI-related restrictions.
Jesse Gainer, a professor of literacy education at Texas State, said university students risk losing the openness of having resources on campus that express all viewpoints.
“The law would certainly have an adverse effect on the education of students at Texas State University
Compared to other Division 1 schools, Texas State is one of the only schools that lacks a broadcast program for students. In October, The University Star was given the opportunity to be the first outside student media group to use Live Oak Studios.
Since then, Star News Network, The University Star’s broadcast section, has produced six newscasts. Since its introduction, the first newscast received 3rd place at TIPA, and the second an honorable mention.
When spring came, we didn’t slow down. We launched “Inside the Capitol,” a semester-long column cutting through the noise of a chaotic legislative session, from school vouchers to higher education bills, so you could see exactly how state politics impact your life.
because it will limit not just the books and texts students have access to, but also the openness to be able to have healthy conversations and a healthy study of different perspectives,”
Gainer said.
It will limit... the openness to be able to have healthy conversations and a healthy study of different perspectives.”
Jesse Gainer TXST literacy education professor
Of the 381 books removed from the Naval Academy, 161 books included themes of race. This includes Maya Angelou’s landmark 1969 memoir, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,”
which details Angelou’s experiences growing up Black in the south. The book has been called anti-white due to its criticisms of racist ideology that allowed for the oppression of African Americans.
DEI aims to correct discriminatory policies already in place. Books focused on historical oppression are not a threat, but a reminder of history’s
FROM FRONT EDITORIAL The Star editorial board reads the paper, Monday, April 14, 2025, at the
We’ve reported on executive orders reshaping ICE enforcement and education policy. Most recently, we uncovered how the federal government’s crackdown is revoking immigration status for international students at Texas State, that has since been returned, along with a Main Point stressing the importance of safety for international students — and we’re not done yet.
Despite some changes throughout the year, our team worked well together, and we proved that during awards season. At the Region 8 Society of Professional Journalists
darkest pasts.
Gainer said DEI is not a bad thing because of the vital ideas it fosters.
“From a scientific standpoint, it’s a good thing. Diversity makes us more healthy,” Gainer said. “Equity means there should be justice, and there should be possibilities for the advancement of people. If you’re opposed to inclusion, I guess you’re in favor of exclusion. It is a positive thing to be inclusive. This is what democracy is all about.”
Both Alkek and the San Marcos Public Library receive funding based on taxes and federal funds that are threatened by DEI restrictions, according to the American Library Association. Texas State complied with SB 17, which removed DEI initiatives.
Public libraries often promote banned books by displaying commonly challenged books. Reading books that are considered controversial is vital in understanding DEI concepts, as it gives insight into diverse voices. DEI must be protected to preserve history and diversity.
Books at Alkek regarding DEI themes have yet to be removed, but Texas State’s compliance with SB 17 could result in the removal of books in the future. As book bans continue to increase across the U.S., the suppression of LGBTQ and POC voices is unacceptable.
-Shar Kiefer is a political science freshman
conference, The Star took home 10 Mark of Excellence awards.
At the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Conference, The Star earned 28 total awards.
While it’s nice to be rewarded for hard work, the true reward comes from our dedicated audience, without
Letter to the Editor
whom there would be no paper to put out every Tuesday. As an editorial board, we see the importance of our work, and we’re glad that importance translates to readers.
Though we had many goals as an editorial board this year, we made sure the readers stayed at the forefront of
our minds. With each story written, every production night that ran long and every moment shared in the newsroom, we thought of you. Our audience.
SOPHIA GERKE | ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR
Fighting Stallions.
ALLISON DRINNON | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
QUADBALL
By Grace Darcy Sports Reporter
Ending last year as the 3rd ranked team in the nation, Texas State Quadball hoped to end this season on top.
For the 2024-25 U.S. Quadball Nationals, held in Richmond, Virginia, April 26-27, Texas State Quadball ended ranked 4th in the nation.
David Avila, Quadball captain, joined the team in 2018 and has witnessed the team's progression from an unwinnable season to now.
“When I came into this team, I came off a mini hiatus and we had gone on a completely unwinnable season,” Avila said. “We were like 0-10, but each game I have coached these kids, they have grown with every single practice, every single scrimmage, [and] every single run in a mile we do outside of this.”
Last year, the team sent home the then No. 4-ranked Rutgers by coming back with seven unanswered goals.
This year the team made it all the way to the final four, set to face No. 1 Creighton. Previously, the Bobcats have been one of the closest teams to defeat Creighton; however, in a strong matchup, Texas State fell 185-210, ending their national run.
To prepare for nationals, the U.S. Quadball Cup, the team took time outside of their regular practice hours to watch their own matches as well as the opponent, international and major league teams.
“We like to test ourselves on our opponent's tendencies and what they like to do,” Avila said. “We try to emulate that here at practice as well, so we do a lot of different styles based on who our opposition is.”
TRACK & FIELD
Coach Frazier leading TXST to prosperous season Quadball team's journey to a successful season
By R.J. Porcher Sports Reporter
Coaching track and field is nothing new for John Frazier. With over 30 years of experience coaching at universities such as UCLA, Florida, Arizona and Tennessee, Frazier brings a lot of experience to Texas State.
Frazier led the Bobcats’ women’s team to a Sun Belt Conference Championship during the indoor track season, also having 19 athletes earn All-Sun Belt honors.
Frazier said the awards he receives are an overall team effort.
“Well, it always feels good when you’re recognized,” Frazier said. “The hard work of the athletes and my coaching staff allows that to happen. Obviously, I’m working too, but it’s just not about one person.”
With the outdoor track and field season well underway, Frazier’s mindset when in outdoor season compared to indoor season is different because of where he was raised.
“I’m a product of the West Coast, where indoors is not a big deal,” Frazier said. “There is only an outdoor Olympic Games, and so I have a mindset of preparing my athletes with the indoor season, for outdoors season.”
Frazier has coached in three different conferences: Pac 10, SEC and the SBC. He said there is a notable difference between all of the conferences.
“The SEC brings a lot of pressure, and I thrive on pressure,” Frazier said. “I always wanted to be amongst the best, and I think my SEC experience has prepared me to rise to a level of competition here in Texas State.”
Frazier said his college coach encouraged him to get into coaching.
“When I first graduated at UCLA, I wasn’t ready for the real world yet,” Frazier said. “I wanted to work on a master’s degree, and my college coach encouraged me to get into coaching as a [Graduate Assistant]. I kind of had
This season, the team has been highly successful with their tight-knit
bond as the key to their victories. In over 17 games played, Texas State has only recorded two losses, positioning itself as one of the top-ranked teams in the country.
a [Graduate Assistant] position at a place called UC Irvine.”
Frazier is currently in his third year of being the director of track and field and cross country at Texas State. He also acts as the throwing coach for track and field. He said at the time, when looking for a new opportunity, the new role at Texas State was very intriguing.
“The pandemic hit, and it exposed a lot of weaknesses of things that I was not used to,” Frazier said. “I hadn't been a director before, being able to have control and do things in a way I would like to. That attracted me to Texas State.”
Randal Grizzle is one of the assistant coaches for the Bobcats who works with cross country and distance athletes. Working with Frazier for about two years now, he said working with Frazier is great.
“Knowing [Frazier] came from one of the greatest college track and field teams that ever existed at UCLA, he knows what an overall track and field team looks like,” Grizzle said. “[Frazier] has honestly come through with what he said he would do. Which is if I’ve got [athletes] that are deserving, they’ll be rewarded one way or another.”
Since Frazier's hiring for the Bobcats’ track and field program, he has helped re-establish Texas State as one of the top track programs in the nation. In his first two seasons, he had four Bobcats and a relay team compete in both in the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor championships.
Wanting to get the best out of the athletes Frazier coaches, he said communication is very important.
“I want to communicate with [the athletes] and get them to execute,” Frazier said. “There’s always a lot of failure in athletics. Having them understand that failure can bring about success [is important].”
The Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Championships are scheduled for May 8-10 in Harrisonburg, Va.
“These guys have been skilled before,” Avila said. “They’ve had the talent, they’ve had the will, but now they have something more, which is each other. I think that’s been a really good testament to how we play.”
Nationals marked the final matches for many of the Texas State players, with many seniors graduating this May.
Theron Ratliff, a computer science senior, is among those Bobcats graduating this year. Ratliff hopes in the coming years, the Quadball team can support and collaborate with other club teams as well as have a big recruitment year.
“We used to have these massive recruitment years, and I’m just hoping going forward we can get that back again so that we could win the next nationals and maybe the next one and the next one and build a program in this sport that is long-lasting and reputable,” Ratliff said.
Quadball, formally known as Quidditch and based on Harry Potter, is a full-contact, gender-inclusive club sport. The team welcomes individuals of all athletic abilities and sports backgrounds.
Electronic media freshman Kai Pacheco said the dynamic of the team has not only been welcoming but motivating in building confidence and progressing with the sport.
“The team is very friendly and family oriented,” Pacheco said. “We’re all very close-knit together, and I think that’s why we play so well when it comes to games.”
John Frazier Director of Track
and Field/Cross Country- Throwing
Events
Career Accolades: - 2024 SBC Women's Coach of the Year - 2016 USTFCCCA West Region Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year - 2005 USTCA National and West Regional Assistant Coach of the Year
ISABELLE CANTU | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Texas State Quadball senior team captain David Avila participates in a scrimmage, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Spring Lake Fields.
ISABELLE CANTU | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Texas State Quadball senior Theron Ratliff runs during a scrimmage, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at Spring Lake Fields.
ALLISON DRINNON | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
TXST track and field coach John Frazier talks to senior jumper Kason O'Riley, during the Charles Austin Classic, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in San Marcos.
The final draft: One last story before I go
By Sydney Seidel Life and Arts Reporter
Joining The University Star during my senior year has been a bittersweet experience. While I’m sad to be closing this chapter, I’m incredibly grateful for everything I’ve learned through writing for my school.
Growing up just 30 miles from San Marcos, I’ll admit I wasn’t exactly thrilled about going to college in a town I thought I had already figured out. Through my time as a student journalist, I came to see San Marcos in a completely new light. By uncovering stories I never would’ve noticed before, I discovered this town is full of so much character. Getting to share those stories with my fellow students is something I’ll always be proud of.
I think my favorite part of working at The Star has been the people I met along the way. I’ve always considered myself an extroverted introvert. I’m not great at initiating conversations with strangers, but once I’m comfortable, it’s hard for me to shut up. Because of that, interviewing was a challenge at first. But over the past few months, I’ve seen real growth in myself, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
One of my most vivid memories is
COVID-era graduation. Not fully understanding how commencement worked, I stood in the rain for two hours, unsure of what I was waiting for. When the ceremony finally ended, I ran around trying to catch families and graduates, nervously asking for quotes while feeling like I was crashing their celebrations. It was chaotic and overwhelming, but I got the interviews. Since then, I’ve felt my confidence grow with every story I’ve written. I especially want to thank my family for always being my biggest cheerleaders — proofreading my drafts, listening to me break down story ideas and proudly saving every article. A special thank you to my mom, who was also my fourthgrade writing teacher. I’m sure you didn’t expect it would come full circle like this, but thank you for always encouraging me. And to my roommates, thank you for taping every article to the fridge like it was breaking news.
Finally, thank you to The University Star for welcoming me onto this incredible team, even just for a short time. And with that being said… is anyone hiring?
Broadcast reporter says goodbye to The Star
By Paul Richardson Broadcast Reporter
When I first came to Texas State in 2021, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew I was getting a degree, but in which field, I had no clue. It wasn’t until my fourth semester in San Marcos that I realized the answer had been right under my nose when I discovered the Electronic Media program. I cannot stress enough how thankful I am for each and every professor that I’ve studied under during my time in the Electronic Media program and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. It felt like each and every professor I had didn’t just care about me and my grade, but my life and career as well.
The program has brought me so many incredible opportunities, most notably, it led me to The University Star. Sharing stories, reporting on sports, producing broadcasts, working for The Star and the time I spent with the people along the way are the memories I’ll cherish most after I walk across the stage and cannonball into the river.
Thanks to Texas State University, my professors and my peers, I’m leaving college more prepared for life than I could’ve imagined before I arrived.
Jack of all trades. Master of none. Anchored by Love.
By Diego Medel Engagement Editor
I joined The Star because I was bored.
In the eight years since graduating high school, I wore a lot of hats — biology research assistant, Army combat medic, USDA archaeologist — and none of them quite fit. I bounced across states and careers.
I kept ending up back where I started: Austin. Still searching.
I needed something with built-in variety. That’s what led me to study Digital Media Innovation. It felt wide enough to let me pivot if (when) I burned out.
Toward the end of my first spring semester, I figured it was time to get involved. So I did what any commuter with awkward hours and nowhere to kill time does: I went to the org fair.
Nothing really called to me. But I had to pick something. So I picked The Star
I definitely didn’t want to write, and I hadn’t touched a camera in years. I can’t draw, and I’m way too blunt for PR. The only thing left was the engagement section. So I applied.
A month later, I became the assistant engagement editor, and a week later the sitting editor stepped down.
I never wanted this job. But I was there, it happened, and so I adapted.
In that year, I helped grow the Instagram following by more than 2,200, launched three recurring video series and collaborated with the design editor on a full redesign of our social templates. I didn’t plan on staying long — I never even planned on leading — but once I was in it, I gave it everything.
In the year that followed, things went well. I was getting comfortable — a dangerous feeling for me. Comfort usually meant burnout, a spiral and some dramatic career pivot.
Everything changed at the Thanksgiving social.
Digital media innovation
I usually skipped those events. But I’d been lightly flirting with the news editor for a while, and I knew she’d be there. I sat next to her and talked to no one else the entire night.
Right as I was about to leave, she came back from the arts and crafts table and dropped a line that changed everything.
“We should do a podcast.”
Not really a question. Just a statement. But weirdly enough, the night before, I’d been on the phone with a friend who told me, “You should start a podcast or something.”
The stars aligned at The Star. November 19, 2024.
The months that followed moved fast. She became my partner in crime and the reason I started seeing journalism differently. She was the kind of journalist who worked like she’d invented the concept. Being around that kind of energy invigorated me.
I’d taken the standard journalism classes, but I wasn’t ready to write. Growing up as an English second language kid will plant that kind of doubt in you, like your voice doesn’t quite belong in a byline.
But I wanted to tell stories, so I did it through a lens. I first picked up a camera in 2015. In the 10 years since, I probably used it for three and let it collect dust for the other seven. This time felt different. The fire Lucciana lit in my heart found its way into everything I did.
In 4 months, I shot 20,000 pictures with my camera. Landed two courtesies in The Austin Chronicle and a spot in an Austin gallery.
Once I picked my camera back up, I couldn’t stop. I went a little crazy with it — shooting tens of thousands of photos in just a few months. The old doubts I had about my voice faded behind the lens, and for the first time, I started to believe that telling stories could be more than just a hobby.
My pictures were telling stories, but they were always paired with someone else’s words. I knew I had to change that. So I did what Lucciana always tells me to do—I locked in.
Writing came third, after the images and the connections. But once I started, I realized I had something to say. And apparently, I wasn’t half bad at saying it.
In my last month at The Star, I racked up five Life & Arts bylines—above the fold, on page one and buried deep inside. That might not sound like much, but for me, it was everything.
I’m far from done. But for the first time in my life, I have direction.
I’ll follow my lens and my love wherever they take me. I still dream of far-off places, of photos and bylines in strange cities and distant stories. But every dream has one constant: Lucciana, by my side.
CELESTE ELENA | COURTESY PHOTO
Journalism senior Sydney Seidel poses for a photo, Friday, April 11, 2025 at Old Main.
FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY COMPANY | COUTRESY PHOTO Electron Paul Richardson at the Spring 2025 Grad Fest, Wednesday, March 25, 2025 at the LBJ Student Center in San Marcos.
LUCCIANA CHOUEIRY | NEWS EDITOR
senior Diego Medel stands in front of two of his photographs selected for “The City Has Eyes” street photography exhibit, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Austin.
SENIOR 30
Stepping up and taking a risk
By Katherine Andrews PIR Director
When I first joined The University Star as a PR specialist, I had little knowledge of public relations and even less knowledge of public relations for a news organization. I decided to take a risk and apply, however, because of the encouragement of Dr. Laurie Fluker and my desire to grow outside of my classes.
During my time as a PR specialist, I was able to contribute to an organization that influenced conversations on campus daily. I helped organize events, learned about public relations, got better at working with others and always looked forward to our weekly meetings as I adjusted to a new city and school.
Despite how much I enjoyed being in the PR section, I wasn’t interested in a leadership role and was content to remain a specialist. Once again, however, I took a risk and applied to become assistant PR director after being encouraged by our then PR director, Carlota Pulgar.
After becoming assistant PR director, I took on more responsibility than I was used to and pushed myself to improve my public relations skills, as well as my organization and time management. Over time, I gained experience and became more confident in myself and my abilities. When our PR director graduated, I was excited to take over the role.
Although my path with The University Star has been different than I anticipated, I am so happy I took a risk to join the organization and then took a risk to move into a leadership role. My time as PR director has been both challenging and inspiring,
and I’m very grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to learn, grow and connect with those around me. I will miss my time at The University Star, and I know the lessons I’ve learned will stay with me.
To the front lines of cutlines
By Allison Drinnon Multimedia Reporter
My time at The University Star started before I ever picked up a camera as a multimedia reporter. In fall 2023, Laura Krantz, my professor and The Star’s director, mentioned to ou small class that she needed an assistant. I told her I’d quit my job to come work for her — and I did.
Over the next year and a half, I had three titles under Krantz, but the work mostly stayed the same. Tucked away in a back office, I missed the energy of the newsroom. I started hanging around, asking questions, wanting to be part of it. In April 2024, photographing a massive pro-Palestine protest gave me the chance to contribute. That opportunity reminded me what I loved about photography — the energy, the emotion and the storytelling – that I was missing from doing social media for so long. After some hesitation and a lot of questions, I finally joined the multimedia team that fall.
Photographing for The Star transformed the trajectory of my career path. I explored and engaged my creativity with a technically challenging skill and discovered a new method to the art of storytelling. As a creative writer and game
runner of Dungeons and Dragons, in addition to being a reporter, I cherish a story’s power to create impact, challenge perspectives and change lives. I learned that I wanted to pursue photojournalism as a career.
I also found connection and friendship with my amazingly talented peers at The Star who
challenged me to improve my craft in a way that classroom settings hadn’t before. I look up to many of those I will be graduating with because of their dedication.
My only regret is not joining sooner. I had dismissed The University Star in search of paying jobs without realizing the necessity of student
media experience to a career in journalism. I will be graduating without an internship or a job because of this. I also missed out on connecting with peers. As an autistic woman, making friends and socializing is a constant struggle. I refuse to let any of this discourage me. I’ve made it this far, so I have faith my story’s just beginning.
Thank you to Laura Krantz for taking a chance, for the candid moments and for your unwavering belief in me. Thank you to Kobe and Mandalyn, my amazing multimedia editors, for all the opportunities. Thank you to Lucciana, our crazy talented news editor, for your faith, mentorship and friendship. Thank you to Katherine, our kind PR director, for being a new friend and making my office a less lonely place. Thank you to Marisa, our loveable editorin-chief, for the positive energy you brought to the staff – and for meeting me on the other side of our apartment complex at 2 a.m. during a breaking news fire. Thank you to my parents, family, professors, friends and partner for seeing my potential and providing endless encouragement and love. I look forward to seeing how we all shine.
The shortest story I will ever write
By Jacquelyn Burrer News Reporter
During my time at Texas State, nothing has been more rewarding than being a student journalist. As I step into the professional world as a journalist, I want to take a moment to thank the people who have guided, challenged and inspired me along the way.
First, a sincere thank you to all of my journalism professors over the years. My first class with Jessica James brought me back into journalism and gave me my first crash course in the world of news.
Thank you to Gilbert Martinez, whose First Amendment law class taught me what it truly means to be a journalist — to protect free speech, serve the public interest and believe in the power of real journalism. His class inspired me to become the journalist I am today, and I carry those lessons into every story I write.
Thank you to Laura Krantz, who supported me as I chased down stories, letting me sit on her office floor in full panic mode as I dug through public records. Her guidance, and her frequent, slightly worried, “What are you up to now?” meant more to me than she knows.
Thank you to Amber Hinsley, Kelly Kaufhold and Kym Fox, who taught me the value of visual and multimedia journalism and encouraged me to push beyond my work at Texas State and The Star. Your belief in me gave me the confidence to dream bigger.
Experience is a crucial part of becoming a journalist, but I know I wouldn’t be where I am without the guidance and endless support of my professors. (And please, I’m begging you, keep
answering my emails after graduation.)
To my friends and colleagues at The Star, thank you. I’m forever grateful to Lucciana Choueiry and Ryan Claycamp, the best editors and even better friends.
Whether it was cutting down my (way too long) stories or helping me navigate complicated reporting situations, they were always in my corner. I’m holding out hope that we’ll end up working at the same paper again one day.
A special thank you to Haley Velasco, my first editor at The Star, who welcomed me into the chaos of the newsroom with kindness and guidance.
And to Marisa Nuñez and Blake
thank you for trusting me with important stories and helping me grow, even when my word counts got a little out of hand.
More than anything, these years have taught me that journalism is about more than just telling the story; it’s about making sure people are listening.
Leschber —
So, finally, thank you to the readers and the Texas State community for supporting us. Journalism only works because of you and your belief in the importance of our reporting. Thank you again, and keep an eye out for my byline.
JULIAN CANALES | COURTESY PHOTO Journalism senior Allison Drinnon poses with her camera infront of the fighting stallions, Friday, March 21, 2025, in front of the Fighting Stallions.
KYLIE HEDGE | COURTESY PHOTO History and journalism senior Jacquelyn Burrer poses infront of the TXST sign, Friday, April 25, 2025, on The Quad.
SARAH MANNING | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
(Left to Right) Katherine Andrews, Carlene Ottah, Sarah Manning and Trae Solis pose for a photo while distributing papers, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, at The Quad.
“Yesterday’s gone, we gotta keep moving on”
By Marisa Nuñez Editor-in-Chief
I never thought the end would come so quickly, but here it is. I spent a lot of this semester looking back at where I started — unsure of what I was going to do after college, unsure if I was going to find my place at Texas State and very unsure of what an AP Stylebook even was. This semester, it finally felt like all of the sleepless nights and long production days were worth it, as everything I wanted to accomplish before graduation came to fruition.
My one goal in life is to help people. Hints on how I would accomplish my goal started at 8 when I would sneak pieces of scrap paper off my dad’s desk to write a story. At 10, I decided to put my blabber mouth to use as a host of the morning announcements. Then, at 11 I became obsessed with bringing my storybook pages to life through making short films.
The biggest hint came from Professor Laurie Fluker, who said something along the lines of “if you want to make it in the journalism industry in Texas, you have to join student media like The University Star or KTSW and learn how to speak Spanish.”
Even with a last name like Nuñez, I’m unfortunately still working on that last one, but I did join the life and arts section at The Star in October 2021.
At The Star, I found a way to accomplish my life goal. It all started with one of the first feature stories I ever wrote. My hands practically dripped with sweat, and my voice was as unsteady as ever. I sat in the parking lot of the business I was covering an hour before the interview even started. But once I stepped inside, everything changed.
After the story was published, I dropped off a few paper copies. The owner hugged me tightly and showered me with many thanks.
After that, I continued to see ‘thank yous’ in
many forms as I grew at The Star. As life and arts editor, I saw thank-yous through performances by local drag queens who feared for their jobs during the push for the drag ban in Texas. As editor-in-chief, I saw them in the comment section of Instagram, about a controversial demonstration on campus and in the tears on parents’ faces after a false shooting threat at a local high school. I became empowered by my community members, who began to seek truth through The Star, and I felt as if I had finally found my purpose in life.
On this journey, there are so many people I couldn’t have done it without.
Thank you to Krantz for being a guiding light, giving me countless pieces of advice on more than
just what was going into the paper on Tuesday. Thank you to Professor Gilbert Martinez and Professor Kelly Kaufhold for your constant guidance and support throughout my time at Texas State.
To Blake, thank you for being the best right-hand man a girl could ask for. The Star is in good hands.
To SJHernan15 for hiring and believing in me, especially when there were only the two of us in the Life and Arts section. And to my Mom and Dad for y’all’s constant encouragement.
And finally, as editor-in-chief, I was blessed with the best team. An experience that still stands out to me was attending CMA with Blake. We went to an editor’s roundtable where we listened to other schools talk about their challenges. Some newsrooms were struggling with staffing, others with reporters not meeting deadlines. Thanks to the editorial board this year, those major problems weren’t ours anymore.
Our biggest conversation wasn’t about fixing broken systems but instead about how to grow and add to what was already working. That moment for me was a reflection of my greatest strength: my team.
Without the current and previous editors and leaders at The Star, none of what I accomplished would have been possible. Because we were in such a good place, I had the space to think about the future.
Overall, this experience had its ups and downs like every newsroom does, but through it all, I had so much fun. The Star gave me more than just experience; it gave me a clear sense of purpose. Walking across the stage next week, I know what I am doing after college. I found my place at Texas State and I’m very sure of what an AP Stylebook is and I’ll always be grateful to The Star for helping me find that.
A purpose born in Beirut, written in The Star(s)
By Lucciana Choueiry News Editor
In Beirut, I didn’t have a newsroom. I had a notebook, a phone and a need to make sense of the destruction around me after the 2020 port explosion: broken glass, collapsing buildings and lives unraveled in an instant. That instinct to document, to understand, to share – it’s what pulled me into journalism. But it was never about just the story. It was about the people behind it.
At Texas State, I found a newsroom that looked nothing like where I started: whiteboards scribbled with mock-ups of week’s paper, a conference room that slowly seemed to shrink as our staff grew and a team of students who showed up week after week because they believed this work mattered.
The University Star became more than a student paper. It was a place where I learned how to hold power to account, report in real time and sit in discomfort until I got it right. I wasn’t just covering stories. I was serving a campus and community that trusted me to ask hard questions and chase honest answers.
I joined The Star as a sophomore who was terrified of messing up a byline. Two years and 105 bylines later, I leave as someone who understands the stakes because every interview, every late-night rewrite, every pushback from an administrator
reminded me of one truth: journalism is never about us. It’s about the people we write for, and the people we write with. Student media is not a sandbox for practice, but a frontline for impact.
That focus followed me into every newsroom I stepped into: The Austin Chronicle, KUT, Texas Monthly, Austin Woman Magazine, KXAN and The Borgen Project. Each taught me something different: how to write with authority, chase sound, pitch stories that stick and double-check everything twice. But through it all, one lesson carried to The Star: good journalism doesn’t require a big budget or prestige. It just takes people who care.
And our newsroom was full of them. We didn’t have a full-time staff. We had each other. On election night, I oversaw our reporters covering polls live while editors stayed late piecing together briefs in the newsroom. Blake, Marisa and I covered the November counterprotest on the ground. Ryan, Jacquelyn and I spent hours combing through conflicting public records.
It wasn’t just commitment – it was community. And that made all the difference.
There were moments when the work weighed heavy – when we published something that sparked backlash, when we couldn’t get a comment, when we felt like we were shouting into the void. But even then, we kept showing up. For each other. For the story. For the people.
To Blake, Marisa, Rhian, Jen,
Carson, Mandalyn, Jackson, Meg, Sophie and Carlene: thank you for building this newsroom with your heart and grit. Ryan, thank you for being my right hand in this final semester. Diego, you’ve been my rock. You reminded me to breathe between stories, but also pushed me to keep going.
Now, as I step back, the years blur into the rhythm of a newsroom that moved because we moved it. And I know this: I am leaving not just as a better journalist, but as a better listener, a better teammate and a better person.
To the next reporter walking into The Star, wondering if you’re ready; you are. If you lead with curiosity, humility and people first, you’ll find your way. And as I leave San Marcos, I carry everything The Star gave me: clarity, conviction and a deeper understanding of what it means to report for people, not just about them. When I started in Beirut, all I had was myself. I didn’t have a newsroom – just a sense that stories mattered because people did. Now, years later, I leave with a newsroom full of names, voices and moments that remind me every day why this work matters.
It started with the people. It still is. It always will be.
DIY zinepunk to newspaper published
By Zainab Alhatri Illustrator
While my time at The University Star was short, I enjoyed all of the work I did for the newspaper and hope to carry the knowledge I gained during my experience. Exploring editorial and more comic illustrations was a brief reprieve while cramming for my final portfolio site!
I’m endlessly grateful for the art building’s risographs and their professors in charge, as well as my friends and peers in the Communication Design program. I’ve fallen in love with illustrating and design all over again thanks to them, and I feel endlessly inspired to create beyond the scope of my student career.
A part of me regrets not joining The University Star earlier just because I had so much fun, but I look forward to seeing it develop and flourish after graduation.
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Journalism senior Lucciana Choueiry (Left) reporting at the immigration protest, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at UT Austin. Her coverage of the protest is published in The Austin Chronicle.
ZAINAB ALHATRI | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
MORGAN RONE | COURTESY PHOTO
Electronic media senior Marisa Nuñez poses in front of Tokyo Tower, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in Japan.
One final spin: Alchemy Records bids farewell
By Diego Medel Engagement Editor
Just off San Marcos’ Square, on April 26, cameras flashed over a thrashing mosh pit of punks, misfits and everyone in between. Punk music rattled the walls of Alchemy Records — a record store, a music venue and, for many who came for its final event, a second home.
For Joan Johnson, a local organizer in the do-it-yourself punk scene, Alchemy filled a deeper need.
“Alchemy wasn’t just a store — it was the place to be,” Johnson said. “It was affordable, queer-friendly and filled with good music and good people.”
Alchemy started with one person’s love for music, a few crates of records and a belief that everyone deserved a space in San Marcos.
“We weren’t trying to market toward the masses. We were building a central hub of ideas — but hopefully just for the [expletive] weirdos,” Walter Thorington, owner of Alchemy Records, said.
Thorington spent years working at other Texas record stores before founding Alchemy. In 2021, he sold records out of a friend’s coffee shop. When that arrangement ended, he found the storefront near the Square almost by accident, spotting the vacancy the same day a Zumba studio moved out.
What followed was unexpected. Within months, Alchemy grew beyond a record shop, becoming a refuge for punks, vinyl collectors, art kids and anyone looking for a place that felt like home.
“We do work, but it’s definitely more than that,” Macy Stewart, an Alchemy Records employee, said. “I got to help build something really special.”
The shift from record store to unofficial venue started by accident, after a local show lost its booking and asked Thorington if it could perform inside the shop.
“We moved stuff out of the way and let them play,” Thorington said.
From there, the shows kept coming — hardcore nights, emo sets and experimental noise. Alchemy became one of the few places in San Marcos willing to give young and alternative bands a stage.
Despite the growing crowds, Thorington gave whatever money came in at the door straight to the bands or to benefit shows, including the final event, which raised funds for Trans Mutual Aid in San Marcos.
Even as crowds packed into shows and customers flipped through the bins, Thorington foresaw a harder future ahead. With the cost of living rising and economic uncertainty looming, he believed the community would soon have to choose between survival and hobbies like vinyl collecting. Rather than watch Alchemy fold under future finan-
cial pressure, Thorington decided to pause the storefront while the community was still strong.
“I’d prefer you help your neighbor pay rent than to come and buy records,” Thorington said. “This is my town, too. I want everyone to be okay. We’re going to weather the storm, we’re not dying. We’re taking a break.”
Alchemy Records plans to continue vending in the area at pop-ups and conventions, with possible plans for musical performances under the name Alchemy Presents, keeping the spirit alive without a permanent home.
Performers included Sulk 11, Rose Ceremony and Nexttojackiekennedy. Before launching into its set, Jackson Magill, Nexttojackiekennedy vocalist, took the mic to introduce the band.
“We’re Nexttojackiekennedy,” Magill said. “We drove all the way down from Denton to be here for Alchemy’s last show. It’s an honor to be here.”
My Dad Died, a local favorite, played the final set, pulling the crowd into one last frenzied mosh.
After the final encore, the crowd braced for the usual send-off: “Neon Moon” by Brooks & Dunn, a tongue-in-cheek tradition meant to empty a room full of punks via a country ballad. On this night, no one moved to leave. Friends and strangers linked arms, slow dancing among the records, the memories and the traditions.
Murals make a splash in downtown SMTX
By Cady Clements Life and Arts Contributor
From swimming turtles to soaring dragonflies, ground murals now illustrate San Antonio Street, reflecting the natural life of San Marcos.
The Texas State Honors College and Stelos Scholars program, partnered with the city of San Marcos and Michelle Wilson, watercolor artist and muralist, strive to add a splash of color and life with new sidewalk murals that reflect the nature, culture and community found in the city.
“I hope [the community] has an experience of surprise and delight, that they just have a really nice, memorable experience exploring them for the first time,” Peter Tschirhart, associate dean of the Honors College, said.
The initiative to implement these murals started two years ago when the Stelos, an Honors college program that develops leadership and creative skills with travel, workshops and alumni networking, looked for new ways to bring life to under-appreciated areas of the city.
According to Tschirhart, the Stelos brought questions about how to improve San Marcos to city officials. The city gave it a few options and let it decide how to add new life. The Stelos chose to design sidewalk curbs.
“Curb extensions are designed to improve pedestrian visibility along the roadway, but often they’re just left blank and there’s just nothing in them, and a few cities around the country have started to use them as spaces to do creative projects,” Tschirhart said. “We thought there was a great opportunity there, and the city was eager to do that as well.”
The Stelos got the idea for these murals from the city’s downtown area plan, which details the growth
in downtown that the city hopes to implement over the next 15-20 years. Josie Falletta, San Marcos’ downtown coordinator, said one of the biggest goals of this project was to bring more visibility to this part of town, especially regarding pedestrian visibility and to add some intersection improvements.
“I hope [the project] functions as our pilot, and we can see how the materials perform over time, what the maintenance is like and hopefully, we can repeat it in different areas,” Falletta said.
There are six new sidewalk murals on curb extensions and crosswalks, starting at the Price Center and ending at Fredricksburg Street.
Wilson, a Texas State alumna and previous honors college student, has a few other murals across town. The Stelos decided Wilson’s design appealed to the San Marcos community. The city and the Stelos worked together to decide on a local nature theme for the murals.
“We were trying to find things in the natural environment that people have some attachment to because they’re local and they’re indigenous species,” Tschirhart said.
The project was about the city’s improvement and the community’s involvement and investment. These street murals are an effort to get people out of their cars and into downtown for more people to see our city the way it’s intended.
During ArtFest on April 12, community members casted votes and pitched names for the murals’ characters. For example, Dilly is the armadillo’s name, and Justin Beeber and Bumbledor are the bees’ names.
The San Antonio Street sidewalk murals saw community involvement in more than the naming of the murals’ characters. It had many challenges,
including a rainy third day of painting.
In Wilson’s dedication speech, she shared a memory of trying to clean everything up in the rain and coming back to multiple community members holding tarps over the paint to keep the murals dry. She shared that one man who rode his bike and was not
part of their volunteer team stopped to help.
“It was just a really wonderful moment to see people come together that don’t even have to be here, they’re not necessarily part of the project, but they’re there because they care for our town,” Wilson said.
A ground mural of dragonflies flying over lilypads floating in the water, Thrusday, April 24, 2025, on San Antonio St. in San Marcos.
DIEGO MEDEL | ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Nexttojackiekennedy lead singer and guitarist Jackson Magill (Center) performs in front of a mosh pit during Alchemy Records’ final show, Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 145 S LBJ Drive.
LIFE & ARTS
Texas State offers public posthumous degree ceremonies
By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
Texas State University began honoring students who died with posthumous degrees at commencement ceremonies last summer.
For a family to receive a posthumous degree for a deceased student, a family member may contact the dean of the college the student was enrolled in, according to the Office of the University Registrar. If the student met at least two-thirds or 80 hours of their degree requirements, then the University Registrar would process a diploma and notation on their transcript, and the dean’s office can pick up the diploma and diploma cover for the family to receive.
“As you can imagine, there are a lot of details involved there, and we want to be sensitive to the families and make sure they are comfortable and that everyone else in attendance is also comfortable with that type of presentation,” Kristin McDaniel, commencement coordinator, said.
Previously, the ceremonies were more private. The college or graduate dean would invite the student’s family to a private diploma presentation ceremony, which was not tied to commencement, or offer to directly mail the diploma. Texas State President Kelly Damphousse brought the idea of giving families the option of having public ceremonies from his previous institution. Commencement then reached out to other universities to see what they have done to make the ceremony meaningful for the families.
“We invite their families to participate in commencement, and if they don’t want to, we can certainly do something more private, but they’re given the chance to come to attend,” Laramie McWilliams, senior associate dean of students and student ombudsperson, said.
Commencement has two common options for families. The first is to call the student’s name prior to the awarding of the current graduates and have a few family members cross the stage and receive the diploma from the president. The second is to call the student’s name while the family sits in the audience and does not walk across. However, families are not
For many, Southwest Texas State — now known as Texas State University—represents not just a place of higher learning, but a meaningful part of their personal journey.
Just a few years later, Karen Raymond, an education alumna, arrived on the same campus. Like many others, she came for the education program, which had already earned a strong reputation across Texas. She had briefly started college at Trinity University but transferred to Texas State, then called Southwest Texas, looking for something more grounded and affordable.
“I was eager to finish,” Raymond said. “I worked part-time in Austin, took 18 to 21 hours a semester and went to school in the summer so I could graduate early.”
Raymond didn’t attend many dances or join a sorority. She didn’t live in a dorm. Instead, she rented an apartment near campus and spent most of her time studying and working. She still remembers the long walks up the steep hill to Old Main. There were no buses or shuttle systems back then. Students walked everywhere.
“I had a car, so it wasn’t terrible,” Raymond said. “But we used to joke that someone needed to come up with a shuttle system, and they finally did.”
One of Raymond’s favorite classes was children’s literature. The professor taught them how to read stories in a way that reached kids and adults. That idea stayed with her as she went on to teach
limited to those options.
“It can be a very personalized experience,” McDaniel said. “I don’t want to list them all, and then people feel like they’re restricted to those things because we do have some other less popular options that a family can do just based on how comfortable they are with it.”
There will be eight families who have had public ceremonies since its implementation — two last summer, two last fall and four this spring. McWilliams works closely with the families and acts as their central communicator through the experience to ease any processes they have to do with the university, from figuring out which commencement ceremony the family wants to coordinating the smaller reception with the president and dean.
“My favorite part is getting to hear stories about
kindergarten and first grade and then became a principal. Later, she returned to Texas State for her master’s degree and eventually joined the faculty at Texas A&M.
Around the same time, Jacque Smith, an English alumna, was navigating her way through Southwest Texas. She transferred from San Antonio College in 1971 and juggled a full course load with a long commute and a job she already loved — teaching dance.
“I went to school, went to class, did my homework and went to work,” Smith said. “By the time I did all that, it was dark.”
She taught dance in Universal City, driving nearly an hour each way. Her major was English with a minor in history, but her real passion had always been dancing. At the time, the university didn’t offer a dance major or even a minor. That didn’t stop her.
“All I ever wanted to do was teach dance,” she said. “And I was lucky enough to make that my life.”
Smith eventually opened her own studios and became a high school dance team director. Her teaching certificate from Southwest Texas State helped make that path possible.
“I got the certificate in case I broke a leg and couldn’t dance anymore,” she said. “But it turned out to be perfect for my family and my life.”
Though she didn’t spend much time at campus events, she met her husband at the pool of her apartment complex. She still remembers decorating that
who [the students] are,” McWilliams said. “I take my role really seriously and in learning about these students, and I feel like I get to carry that with me. So, we listen to their stories, and let them hear about the university.”
McWilliams got to know the family of Matthew James Jaimes, for whom the university held his posthumous degree ceremony during the fall 2024 commencement. When McWilliams suggested the idea to the family, Julia Jaimes, Matthew’s mother, believed it would honor his name and help the family have closure.
“Everybody grieves differently,” Julia said. “I could say one thing and the next family might say another, but as far as us being San Martians, it was a great honor, and I thank this university.”
tiny studio apartment with her best friend.
“It was probably 15 feet wide and 30 feet long,” Smith said. “But we didn’t feel squashed. We made it home.”
All three women came to Texas State in different years, from different towns, for different reasons. But their stories echo with something shared. They found community. They found purpose. They found a place that felt like home.
The university looks different now. There are more buildings, more students, more sidewalks and shuttle routes. Though the familiar feeling remains for those who came before.
“It’s beautiful what they’ve done with the campus,” Raymond said. “Whoever designed it really kept the landscape in mind. You can tell it’s in the Hill Country. It still feels like a place students would want to be.”
Kaulfus still talks to her old roommates from Hornsby Hall. Smith still lives in San Marcos, where the campus is part of her daily view.
“I’ve been back here since 1981,” Smith said. “It’s not the same little town I graduated from, but it’s still home.”
Texas State has changed a lot in 125 years. In the stories of the people who walked its hills decades ago, some parts have stayed the same.
It was a place to grow up. A place to figure things out. A place that, for many, still feels like home.
ERIKA RAMIREZ | COURTESY PHOTO
KAREN CERVENKA | COURTESY PHOTO
Student Karen Cervenka poses in the snow, Feb. 1973, at Southwest Texas.
Matthew Jaimes’ family members pose with his posthumous bachelors degree in public relations with President Kelly Damphousse (Center) and Dean of the Fine Arts and Communication John Fleming, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at Strahan Arena at the University Events Center.
The University Star held a photo contest prompting Texas State students to submit their best photos from the 2024-25 academic school year relating to Texas State and San Marcos life. Contest details were shared on social media, in the print issues of Star and on posters throughout the campus. Winners were decided by the editorial staff.
Loud Luxury puts on a high energy performance at River Fest, Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Sewell Park.
DORIAN POWELL
Texas wild rice glisten in the San Marcos River, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 at Sewell Park.,
SAMANTHA SILVA
JENNIFER MERRILL
MIYOKO MCDONALD
ETHAN TORRES
ANDREA NARRO
Texas State finance sophomore Nyla Kelly poses before walking in the Fashion Merchandising Association’s spring show, Wednesday, April 12, 2025, at the Price Center.
Texas State senior quaterback Jordan McCloud (3) celebrates a touchdown, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at UFCU Stadium. Texas State beat Arkansas State 41 -9.
Texas State President Kelly Damphousse practices hockey with the Texas State hockey team, Friday, Sept. 17, 2024, at the Ice & Golf Center at Northwoods.
Texas State senior pitcher Jackson Teer (23) pitches against TCU, Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at Bobcat Baseball Stadium. Texas State lost 5-3.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY SOPHIE GERKE | ASST. DESIGN EDITOR
