09-19-2023

TUESDAY September 19, 2023 VOLUME 113 ISSUE 7 www.UniversityStar.com

TXST celebrates culture with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month

By Lesdy Hernandez News Contributor

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the history, diverse cultures and contributions of the American Latino communities from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Assistant Vice President for Student Success, Dr. Victoria Black, said by celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, people are not only able to learn about the Latino community, but learn about the diversity at Texas State.

“There are many events that really recognize the Latinx population and how we celebrate and how our culture is infused in what we do and where we are,” Black said. “It gives us an opportunity to really highlight and feature some of the great work that we're doing here at the institution to support Hispanic students.”

In 2011, Texas State was recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution [HSI] and since celebrates National HSI Week during Hispanic Heritage Month as a way to recognize the Latino population.

Latino students made up over 40.5% of the total enrollment during the fall semester last year, matching the amount of white students. “[HSI] means that more than 25% of our [undergraduate] student population are Latinos and it allows us to tap into federal funding, but also celebrate and recognize who we are as an HSI institution,” Black said.

Black said HSI Week provides students the opportunity to learn more about the diverse communities at Texas State.

“It’s about a sense of community, a sense of belonging and feeling this is a place you can call home,” Black said. “It’s a huge part of why we celebrate and recognize that everyone belongs here, this is a slice of what Texas State life is like.”

SEE COMMUNITY PAGE 3

PHOTOS BY BLAKE LESCHBER

(Left) Julie Aguirre Sargent, a member of Compañia de Danza Folklórica, a dance company in New Braunfels, walks in to the festival, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at the Hispanic Heritage Exhibition Walk hosted at Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos. (Right) Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra gives a speech with three dancers from Compañia de Danza Folklórica in front of him, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at the Hispanic Heritage Exhibition Walk, in San Marcos.

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Central Texas responds to national blood shortage

By Blake Leschber News Editor

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On Sept. 11, the American Red Cross announced a national blood shortage due to the national blood supply dropping close to 25%.

According to Delia Kripplez, regional communications director for the American Red Cross serving Central and South Texas, low donor turnout and weather issues such as hurricanes attributes to the blood supply levels dropping.

We Are Blood's bus, that's used for mobile blood, parks, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at McCoy's Building Supply Corporate Office in San Marcos.

“The active hurricane season… did cause a strain on our blood supply,” Kripplez said. “We had to cancel blood drives because there was no power and it was dangerous for people to travel.”

The story is no different in Central Texas and Hays County. Nick Canedo, vice president of communication at We Are Blood, an organization that provides blood to 10 Texas counties, including Hays County, said the organization saw a dip in donations this summer for similar climate reasons.

SEE HEALTH PAGE 3

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City lacks preparation for new film studio

By Editorial Board

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ill Country Studios, what will be Texas’s largest film and television production hub, is set to begin construction by December.

While many positives will come with the studio, the negative aspects place a shadow over them, and officials should hold off on construction until the problems are addressed.

The hill country is arguably the most incredible aspect of Texas as it is home to caves, natural caverns and underground lakes. Because of the beautiful environment, Central Texas hosts some of the fastestgrowing cities in the country. This quick development is allowing for the authenticity and beauty of the

hill country to be stripped away and the biggest example of this problem is Hill Country Studios.

One of the main drawbacks of the studio for San Marcos residents is the fact that part of the development will be built over a section of the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. As stated in a University Star article, building over the recharge zone lessens the space available for rainwater to flow into which may cause flooding.

The aquifer provides drinking water to over one million people, and advocates for the aquifer and river worry that Hill Country Studios might contribute to an already significant problem of harmful pollution.

SEE EDITORIAL PAGE 7

PHOTO BY HALEY VELASCO

Aidan Hardy, junior manufacturing engineer, rappels down a rock wall, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at The Rec.

Climbing Club reaches new lengths for more members

By Bianca Thomas Life and Arts Contributor

Since the Climbing Club at Texas State began eight years ago, the number of members has hiked up with more opportunities to grow as they work to peak the interest of students at Texas State The Climbing Club is a club centered around rock climbing both indoors and outdoors. The club meets twice a week on Tuesdays at Armadillo Boulders, a climbing gym in San Marcos as well as Thursdays at the Student Recreation Center. They also meet every other weekend to climb outside in different areas around Texas.

At their first meeting of the semester on Aug. 24, the club had a total of 102 members.

“It was nuts,” Hayden Mitchell,

president of the Climbing Club, said. “It has never been that busy, like since the club has been founded.”

This was a big change since COVID-19, when the club died and the former president, Jonah Hartley, built the club from the ground up by himself.

With Hartley’s help, the Climbing Club has been able to participate in climbing competitions throughout Texas that are hosted by different universities like UTSA, Baylor and A&M. In this competition, there are different colored plastics in which participants are given a color that they must stick to through the climb. The goal is to see if participants can get it on their first try, how many different routes they can make or how fast they can do it.

SEE CLUBS PAGE 7

The University Star

2 | Tuesday, September 19, 2023

NEWS

Blake Leschber News Editor starnews@txstate.edu

PDO aims to bring equity, justice to county

By Ryan Claycamp News Reporter After years of planning and advocacy, the Hays County Public Defender's Office (PDO) opened its doors in March 2023 and began taking cases.

PDOs are law offices that provide indigent defense, or legal defenses for defendants in criminal cases who can not afford an attorney.

The contract for a PDO in Hays County was awarded to the New York based company Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS) in November 2022.

Mano Amiga, an advocacy group which seeks to reform the justice system in Hays County, has been advocating for the creation of a PDO for years to address issues with the indigent defense system already in place.

“It took over four years of advocacy,” Sam Benavides, the communications manager for Mano Amiga said. "[It was] a really long drawn out battle, but the doors are now open.”

According to James Hohl, the supervising attorney for NDS in Hays County, the PDO is helping around 260 clients and has taken 530 cases since March 28.

Although the public reaction to the PDO has been mostly positive, Hays County District Attorney Kelly Higgins, who served as a defense attorney for two decades before becoming a prosecutor, is wary of how successful the office has truly been.

“The reason to have [a PDO] is so that they’re available all the time to take cases,” Higgins said.

“However, when they came in, they put limitations on the number of cases they would take, I have not found them helpful in reducing the jail population.”

Hohl said his office now handles roughly a quarter of all the criminal cases in Hays County, but there are still other attorneys working indigent defense.

According to Hohl, there are a few types of cases

TIMELINE BY MEAGAN WALTERS

his office does not take.

“We handle everything except for a capital charge, where they would seek the death penalty and we don’t handle appeals,” Hohl said. “We handle [everything else] from a Class B misdemeanor to a first degree felony.”

According to Higgins, indigent defense cases are assigned by the local Indigent Defense Coordinator based on a wheel or list of attorneys.

Before the creation of the PDO, many of the attorneys on the wheel often handled a workload higher than recommended by state guidelines, which sometimes led to delays in cases. “[Before] you had one court appointed attorney that didn’t have the bandwidth to address your case and now you can completely get it addressed in a more holistic way,” Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said.

Hohl said making sure the attorneys at the PDO stay at or under the Texas Indigent Defense Comission’s guidelines workload recommendation is one of the main goals of his office.

“It’s something that we constantly monitor, we’re always aware of it and we are in contact with the

Indigent Defense Coordinator in Hays County often,” Hohl said.

In the past, there have been complaints about indigent defense counsel in Hays County taking too long to communicate with their clients. While Hohl has no control over the indigent defense attorneys outside of his office, he said timely communication with his office’s clients is one of his largest priorities.

“We immediately send out written correspondence when we get appointed, then we attempt to make either in person, phone, or remote contact as soon as possible,” Hohl said.

Hohl said there were a couple challenges in opening the PDO, but his office has overcome them and looks forward to continuing to serve the people of Hays County in the future.

“I think you run into challenges anytime you’re establishing a brand new office anywhere,” Hohl said.

“I think just in general, we’re happy to be here as an organization and a community partner. We’ve had a chance to do some good work and we look forward to continuing to do good things.”

Sober-living founder’s inspiration revived through healing

By Carlene Ottah News Contributor This article contains discussion of substance abuse.

Since the grand opening of The Vibe on July 28, founder Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier has been setting up the sober-living community while grieving the disappearance of her child; the inspiration for the sober-living apartment complex.

Last year, Ramirez-Pelletier renovated an apartment at The Vibe for her 29-year-old daughter, hoping they could move to San Marcos and start a new life until they had a stroke from fentanyl detox. When she went to pick them up from the hospital, they were gone.

“I went into a really severe depression because I spent 10 years of my life preparing a way for my kids to get out of all of that, and If I’m not chasing [my child], who am I?” Ramirez-Pelletier said.

Ramirez-Pelletier became depressed and hopeless.

She knew her child needed to be on stroke medication and did not have much time left, so she spent the next few months looking for her child with no sign of them coming back.

In her 20s, Ramirez-Pelletier pulled her life together to raise her children while helping people recover at a ministry, but she continued drinking. Her second wake-up call occurred when she found out her child discovered drugs.

Addiction can turn somebody new into somebody completely different so quickly, and it wasn’t until this year that I really came to terms with the fact that the person I knew and loved was gone,” Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier Founder of The Vibe “I put myself into treatment and quit drinking and took care of my mental health because I knew that one day [they] would need some help getting out of it, and I came from a long line of alcoholics and addiction,” Ramirez-Pelletier said.

While Ramirez-Pelletier worked at treatment centers, she helped people get sober training for family and individual interventions. However, each admission into a treatment center reminded her of her child.

“My heart would break because it's not the one admission I was looking for, and my [child's] story just kept getting worse: heroin, fentanyl, in and out of treatment centers, in and out of jail, in and out of our lives for the most part,” Ramirez-Pelletier said.

In May, Ramirez-Pelletier reached out to a friend who owned Sage Recovery, a holistically-based mental health treatment center in Austin and spent 30 days healing her pain and grief. While there, she realized she focused more on everyone else for the last 10 years and had not taken the time to make sure she was okay.

While in treatment, she called her other children, discussing what to do to fix the hole in their hearts.

“Addiction can turn somebody new into somebody completely different so quickly, and it wasn’t until this year that I really came to terms with the fact that the person I knew and loved was gone,” Ramirez-Pelletier said.

Ramirez-Pelletier said her family has gotten closer and is lucky her other children made it to the other side of addiction.

“By far, the single best thing I could have done was to go and address it head-on instead of just [letting] it pick at me,” Ramirez-Pelletier said. “It kind of reignited this desire in me that recovery is actually worth it. Recovery is actually the best thing I ever did.”

A similar sense of community has also spread among The Vibe through its residents, partners and employees. She hopes The Vibe will eventually become a server community open to all San Marcos residents.

Adam Holt, executive director of Outsiders Anonymous, a gym and recovery community organization in Hays County, believes they can support each other and create a solid sober recovery support system.

“I think what really interested me in supporting her is, before she came here, there was zero sober living in Hays County and the fact that somebody else was going to sort of take that on and I wouldn’t have to do it,” Holt said.

Two months ago, Ramirez-Pelletier met with Anna Davidson, life skills instructor at LifeWorks,

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHANIE RAMIREZ-PELLETIER

The Vibe founder Stephanie Ramirez-Pelletier poses in front of her hand painted murals while in the pro cess of painting it, Monday, July 10, 2023, at The Vibe.

when looking for someone to help lease apartments out to people and later oversee the women residents.

“When she shared her story of why she’s doing this — that vulnerability — kind of put me at ease to know that this is the real deal,” Davidson said.

“This is about peopleliving together and helping each other and making this our lives. It’s not just an apartment complex.”

Publication Info

Editorial Staff

Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487 History: The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday of the spring and fall and once a month in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 3,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

Editor-in-Chief:

Managing Editor:

Design Editor:

Carson Weaver stareditor@txstate.edu

Nichaela Shaheen starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu

Sarah Manning stardesign@txstate.edu

News Editor:

Life & Arts Editor:

Opinions Editor:

Blake Leschber starnews@txstate.edu

Haley Velasco starlifeandarts@txstate.edu

Rhian Davis staropinion@txstate.edu

Sports Editor:

Engagement Editor:

Director:

Zaria Jackson starengagement@txstate.edu

Laura Krantz laurakrantz@txstate.edu

David Cuevas starsports@txstate.edu

PIR Director Abbie Taylor starpr@txstate.edu

Digital Products Developer

Creative Service Director:

Sri Naga Sri Govvala starasstweb@txstate.edu

Michele Dupont starcreative@txstate.edu

Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, September 19, 2023. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor-in-chief.

Deadlines:

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

Corrections:

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

Visit The Star at universitystar.com

The University Star

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 | 3

NEW S

Blake Leschber News Editor starnews@txstate.edu

FROM FRONT COMMUNITY

PHOTO BY BLAKE LESCHBER

PHOTO BY MEG BOLES

Program Coordinator for Centro Cultural de San Marcos Yansi Arévalo shares information with a student about how to get involved with the organization, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 at HSI Community Day hosted in the LBJ Student Center.

Texas State’s HSI Community Council, collaborators and sponsors welcome students to enjoy the different events held across campus during the duration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

It’s about a sense of community, a sense of belonging and feeling this is a place you can call home,” Victoria Black Assistant VP for Student Success One of these events, HSI Community Day on Sept. 13, 2023 at the LBJ Ballroom, allowed students to enjoy free food, music and browse through different local Latino shops all while learning about the different

Hispanic student organizations and services available on campus.

The Hispanic Student Association, an organizer for events during the week which works on bringing Hispanic culture to Texas State presented during the event.

“We’re just building that family based community care to Texas State,” Diego Hurtado, secretary of Hispanic Student Association, said. “We have a lot of students who may have grown up Hispanic, not having that Hispanic experience that most people might have, so that's what we're trying to bring here and embrace it.”

Allison Munoz, a nursing freshman, attended HSI Community Day and said the event was heartwarming and welcoming.

Stephanie Tijerina talks to a customer about her company, Besitos Chamoy, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, at HSI Community Day hosted in the LBJ Student Center.

“Unfortunately I came from a culture that wasn't expressed, my family really did not express it either and I come from a little town, but [the event] hits home,” Munoz said.

Nitzia Figueroa, president of Latinas Unidas, an organization that brings Latina students together to raise awareness to the Latino culture, said it has been great to see the growth of Hispanic Heritage Month at Texas State and how engaged and excited students have become in participating in the different events.

“It's just a great way to let students express themselves, be proud of their roots and have something to do with their friends, especially on campus,” Figueroa said.

Although Latinas Unidas does not have an exact event within the Hispanic Heritage Month, they participate by attending. Figueroa invites students to attend their year round meetings and to join other Latino organizations on campus.

Scan the QR code to continue reading.

FROM FRONT HEALTH “We’ve been dealing with a historic heatwave and the busiest travel season that we’ve seen in many years [causing] a dip in donations and less blood drives posted,” Canedo said.

We Are Blood has four physical locations to donate blood in the Austin area and regularly hosts mobile blood drives around Central Texas, including in San Marcos, but with the summer heat, less people are able to attend mobile drives.

“While we’ve been dealing with this record number of 100 plus degree weather, we do feel this heatwave has been dissuading individuals from attending blood drives in a hot parking lot,” Canedo said.

According to Canedo, Central Texas is also experiencing continual growth within the area putting more demand on blood centers to provide donations.

Roger Ruiz, senior corporate communications

INFOGRAPHIC BY MEAGAN WALTERS

specialist for South Texas Blood and Tissue, a nonprofit that collects blood donations in Central and South Texas, said college students going home for the summer has an impact on blood donation levels.

“We see a decline in donations especially in the summertime when high schools and colleges are out where a big portion of blood comes from,” Ruiz said.

“With [schools] still getting back into session, we’re still feeling the effects of not having enough donations coming in to supply and help the hospitals we serve.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has changed donation restrictions for LGBTQ+ individuals. According to We Are Blood, as of Sept. 6, 2023, the gender and sexual identity of donors will no longer be in consideration for eligibility which Canedo hopes can increase the amount of donors.

According to Ruiz, South Texas Blood and Tissue has to collect about 600 donations a day to be able

to keep up with demand in the area. Currently, the center is averaging 350-400 donations a day; about a 30% decrease.

A solution that South Texas Blood and Tissue is implementing to increase donations is opening more mobile blood drives around the Central Texas area to accommodate those that may not be able to go down to a brick and mortar location.

“We are trying to partner with more organizations, churches and businesses where we can go and take our planners to set up a room to accommodate the community to try to offset the 20-30% decline,” Ruiz said.

South Texas Blood and Tissue is also increasing the frequency of donors in their physical locations, located in cities like New Braunfels, to allow more to donate at a time.

The Red Cross is also trying to increase the amount of mobile blood drives taking place and the amount of people that can attend.

“In the future as we work with our staff, we want to have drives that are larger that could hold up to maybe 100 people at a time,” Kripplez said. “Right now, typically, it’s about 30 donation sign ups per site.”

According to Canedo, We Are Blood hopes that once fall starts, students and other donors will be more likely to go to mobile drives due to the dropping temperatures as well as an increase in student involvement.

“Student groups can get into contact with We Are Blood to potentially host their own blood drive,” Canedo said.

The Red Cross is also trying to increase donations by using social media to connect to potential donors and to share stories.

“We’re really giving that donor outreach by sharing other people’s stories, shining the spotlight on them,” Kripplez said. “That way, people can be encouraged to donate blood, it can save a life.”

The Red Cross and South Texas Blood and Tissue both try to give incentives for people to donate, such as free shirts or water bottles.

4 | Tuesday, September 19, 2023 Blake Leschber News Editor starnews@txstate.edu

The University Star

NEWS

The University Star

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 | 5

OPINIONS

Rhian Davis Opinions Editor staropinions@txstate.edu

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.

The Main Point is an opinion wrtten collectively by The University Star's Editorial Board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of our entire publication.

FROM FRONT EDITORIAL According to KXAN, the environment is on the minds of those at the studio. Currently, there are plans to limit the amount of land developed and recycle most of the materials used in productions. However, how can we be sure that officials will follow through on the promises they’re making?

Hill Country Studios must hold off on construction until the drought restrictions in San Marcos and other surrounding areas are lifted. The drought has already had a detrimental impact on Edwards Aquifer, causing it to fall below 630 feet which triggered stage 4 restrictions. The integrity of the aquifer should not be compromised by construction.

On top of the environmental concerns, there is also a general unease with the topic of infrastructure in San Marcos. San Marcos, recently ranked as

the fourth fastest-growing college town in Texas, welcomed 7,892 freshmen this year. Texas State (TXST) and San Marcos already struggle to accommodate the 38,873 total students. If TXST continues the trend of record-breaking freshmen classes, the problem will only worsen.

The film studio, which will be built near the La Cima neighborhood, is 4.6 miles away from the LBJ Student Center.

With 12 soundstages and a plethora of other buildings, studio officials expect to employ over 2,000 people. While this may be convenient for Texas State students who hope to work in the film industry in the future, there is a cause for concern about where those who come to San Marcos specifically for the studio will live.

The city of San Marcos simply does not have the means to accommodate

more people. The options for apartments are already slim, and students should have priority for housing near campus.

Additionally, there is nowhere suitable for new homes to be built.

Many students and residents of San Marcos fear that the studio will cause an increase in the price of housing and rent throughout the city. According to an article from the San Antonio ExpressNews, the median home sale price jumped 160% over the past decade.

The article also states that Hays County has the highest average rent in Texas. If no changes are made, students may no longer be able to afford to live in their college town.

With a large film studio comes the actors that will be working on the projects. Those who live in cities such as Los Angeles and Hollywood are not strangers to seeing celebrities walking

around, but it’s a rarity in the Texas Hill Country.

Depending on the social status of the projects in development at Hill Country Studios, there is a possibility that people will flock to San Marcos for a chance to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities. This will severely alter and take away the small-town charm that all residents know and love.

There are many people who love San Marcos the way it is: a tight-knit community full of endless quirks and feelings of home. All of this could change once the studio is built.

Though the production of Hill Country Studios is inevitable, officials need to take the time to address the issues that have been brought to light before breaking ground.

Dietary restrictions overlooked in dining halls

By Rhian Davis Opinions Editor Harris and Commons dining halls are rarely any student's first choice for a quick meal on campus. It can be challenging for many students to find a meal that will satisfy their hunger, but it is even harder for those with dietary restrictions, such as being gluten-free or vegan.

There are often many reasons why someone lives a lifestyle requiring them to add or remove certain foods from their diets. Some students may have medical conditions such as celiac disease or diabetes. However, many restrictions could be a personal choice to optimize one's health.

Though Texas State tries to have options for students, more can be done. Dining halls must prioritize adding more variety to menus and work toward accommodating as many dietary restrictions as possible.

All Texas State students who live on campus are required to have a meal plan. There are four different meal plans: bronze with 120 meal swipes, silver with 150, gold with 210 and platinum with unlimited swipes. Students are also required to add $300-$500 of dining dollars to their plan, as stated on the Dine On Campus website.

"The reason [meal plans are required] is that those students don't have a kitchen," Chartwells Director of Marketing and Guest Experience Whitney Villarreal said. "It's easier for them to be able to get that meal plan and get those meals on campus. They may not have the transportation to get off campus to go get food."

Despite the benefits, meal plans can get incredibly pricey, and it's unfair for students with dietary restrictions to pay that much money and not be able to eat the food served. Jonathan Sera, a nursing sophomore, said having a meal plan is often inconvenient because he is vegan.

"It's such a struggle to live on campus, not have a kitchen, not have

ILLUSTRATION BY EVA BOWLER

money to buy my own groceries, but be forced to have a meal plan that doesn't really accommodate for me as much as it should," Sera said.

One major issue that the university must address is the need for more variety in meals offered to those with specific dietary needs. While students who do not follow dietary restrictions have an overabundance of options, those who are restricted have to stick to the same meals over and over again.

Sera, who is vegan for personal reasons rather than health reasons, said he has considered going back to eating regularly due to being forced to eat the same meals repeatedly.

"There tends to be at least one vegan option at every restaurant on campus, but I definitely think it's something

they need to improve," Sera said. "If there's a menu with 30 items, but I can only eat one thing, it restricts me a lot, and it leads to me having to repeat a lot of meals."

While there are areas in which Texas State could improve, most students simply need to do more to be sure dining hall meals meet their needs.

Albert Trujillo, senior executive chef at Texas State, said many students don't know how to make their dietary needs known. He recommends that students take the time to look at the Dine On Campus app before each meal to see if they can eat any of the options. From there, he is willing to take the time to talk to each student individually about their needs.

"We're on a constant communication basis with the students that have severe allergens," Trujillo said. "As soon as you feel that you're not able to have a meal, we can start the process of connecting you with the chef that's at the dining hall closest to you."

Students should not be afraid to speak up about their needs. The dining hall staff is always willing to help and will do their best to accommodate students whichever way they can.

Improvements can always be made; in this case, more options must be available to students.

-Rhian sophomore

Davis

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

journalism

The University Star

6 | Tuesday, September 19, 2023

PHOTO BY MEG BOLES

Texas State junior wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins (1) celebrates his touchdown against Jackson State University, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2023, at Bobcat Stadium.

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Texas State freshman wide receiver Brandon Treggs (29) and senior punter Seamus O'Kelly (99) celebrate a touch down, Saturday, Sept.

16, 2023, at Bobcat Stadium.

PHOTO BY MANDALYN LEWALLEN

PHOTO BY MEG BOLES

PHOTO BY MANDALYN LEWALLEN

Texas State students spend their free moments at the poster pop up on campus, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, by the UAC.

(Center right) Texas State senior midfielder Mya Ulloa (8) fights for possession of the ball during the game against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 at Bobcat Soccer Complex.

(Bottom right) President Kelly Damphousse throws a ball attempting to hit the target on the dunk tank, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, at the Texas State Back the Bobcats Block Party.

The University Star

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 | 7

LIFE & ARTS

Haley Velasco Life and Arts Editor starlifeandarts@txstate.edu

FROM FRONT CLUBS While climbing provides benefits for arms, back, shoulders and cores, Titan Ferguson, a wildlife biology junior, has found that climbing also benefits the heart.

“It's just like fast yoga, if you think about it,” Ferguson said.”It gets your heart pumping. If you treat it right, you can really get a good workout out of it.”

While Ferguson enjoys the benefits provided through climbing, he also enjoys how the Climbing Club has allowed him to continue his climbing career. “A lot of climbers, I know, just get really into it and then they kind of fall off and then get back into it after a couple months,” Ferguson said.

“But going twice a week, maybe three times a week has really helped me get back into it really well. I feel like this has been a good motivator to keep me consistently climbing because I can be around my friends. The social aspects are really nice and a good motivator.” Ferguson has been able to bond with the club members, Robert Stein, an anthropology junior, said the club has been an outlet to meet new friends.

“We do a lot of stuff besides just rock climbing,” Stein said. “We play a lot of volleyball together, we go hiking, we do activities on the river, all that kind of stuff.”

The club requires a $40 membership fee which includes the Rec membership fee and a fee to allow you to climb at other climbing gyms for a discounted price.

PHOTO BY HALEY VELASCO

Gabriella Thurow, an exploratory freshman, climbs up a rock wall, Thursday, Sept.

14, 2023, at The Rec.

Scan the QR code for more information on the Climbing Club.

The club has gone to Austin and A&M Commerce to compete and hosted a competition called “Flash Fest” in April and are currently working to host another one in November.

Mitchell said that joining the Climbing Club has provided him with physical benefits.

“It doesn’t even [feel] like you’re working out, because it’s just like, ‘I just need to finish climbing these green holes all the way to the top,’” Mitchell said. “But then, you give that like 20 tries and you realize I kinda just did 100 push-ups.”

Couple’s hobby thrives into sudsy new beginning

By AnaBelle Elliott Life and Arts Reporter What began as a trip to Michael’s for art supplies in March 2020 to get a new puzzle ended up being the start of a new passion and career in soapmaking that would take Michael and Kevin Douglas Smith across the world via suds.

“They were sold out [of puzzles] and there was a little soap making kit,” Michael Douglas Smith said. “And we thought, ‘Why don't we try some natural soap?’”

During a time when many felt isolated, Michael and Kevin, the married couple of four years and San Marcos couple of two years, hoped to bring a sense of community to their friends and family. The couple would send off their soaps to loved ones and they would open them up during Zoom family meetings, allowing them to connect in a new way during the pandemic.

The kit used a method called “melt and pour,” meaning the soap was already made, and the couple would then break it down and add things to it. From there, they began learning how to make soap from scratch.

“Soap is two ingredients: fat and lye,” Michael said. “The combination of fats can make a bar really good for different purposes. So that's been the fun part, researching what oils are common and what are luxury.”

As markets started opening back up in 2020, the soapmakers joined markets and wholesale businesses in Wimberley, then Chicago and Nashville and some other locations. By October 2020, Michael and Kevin opened a shop on

PHOTO BY ANABELLE ELLIOTT

Kevin Douglas Smith scoops out lye powder, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023 at Douglas Smith Soap Company in San Marcos.

Etsy with the help and encouragement of some friends who understood the next steps they were taking.

“We didn't want it to be an expensive hobby,” Michael said. “We thought, maybe it could be a hobby that paid for itself. And so with that knowledge, it started flipping where ‘If we invest more, maybe we could have different tools and then we could make bigger batches,’ and then we went to markets and were like, ‘We really need to make bigger batches.’”

Landon Lacey Wehbe, a supporter of Michael and Kevin for eight years, played a vital role in the couple’s transition to an online format.

“When I first tried Michael's soap, I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, this would totally take off,’” Wehbe said. “And I started ordering it and told him he really needed to brand it for the masses, and so he did.”

Both being speech pathologists, Wehbe met Michael on a trip to Vietnam with Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss in 2015.

Also being an entrepreneur, Wehbe has had her own shop on Etsy, Landon Lacey Jewelry, for 13 years and said she learned by trial and error.

“I kind of have an eye for what will sell and what won't because I've been doing it for so long,” Wehbe said.

“I wanted to help my friend skip that learning curve of mine and [Michael] was successfully able to.”

The couple officially moved to San Marcos in 2021 and opened their soap shop “Douglas Smith Soap Company” in August on North LBJ Drive.

Kevin and Michael both said the mindsets they activate when making soap in San Marcos are familiar to them within other areas of their life. For Kevin it's running, and for Michael it’s yoga “You have to focus,” Michael said.

“It's like driving. It can be dangerous if you don't follow the rules. It's a way to focus and you connect with the ingredients.”

Now, every month the couple sends off their soap scraps to an organization called Eco Soap Bank that disperses it to 25 countries. Michael has a background in teaching a yoga class called “karma classes” where the participants donated instead of being charged, and whatever was earned would go to a local charity.

This line of thinking applied to Michael’s idea to donate soap scraps.

Kevin and Michael have noticed their state of being plays into the soap.

They say connecting with the soap and each other is vital to it turning out how they want it to.

“We can tell if we're upset about something, the soap doesn't come out good,” Michael said. “If we don't connect with it and connect with each other, because there's timing, there's temperature and it feels a certain way.

If you're not connected with it, it'll turn into something weird.”

The University Star

8 | Tuesday, September 19, 2023

SPORTS

David Cuevas Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu

Texas State offense shines in 77-34 blowout Texas State senior wide receiver Shadeed Ahmed (0) scores a touchdown against Jackson State, Saturday, Sept.

16, 2023, at Bobcat Stadium.

By Carter Bordwell Sports Contributor

PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING

Texas State (2-1) exploded offensively as it clobbered Jackson State (2-2) in a 7734 statement win in its home opener Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium.

The Bobcats scored a touchdown on their first nine drives, and they finished the game with 684 total yards of offense.

Texas State’s 77 points were the most scored since 1920 when it scored a programrecord 78 against Meridian College. The 684 yards were also its most since it had a programrecord 696 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff during the 2014-15 season.

This performance came after a 2013 loss last week versus I-35 rival UTSA, where the offense struggled to move the ball.

“Sometimes you have to get punched in the mouth to figure out your

deficiencies. I thought we did that and will continue to get better,” head coach G.J. Kinne said.

Texas State redshirt junior quarterback T.J. Finley went 17-of-21 with 251 passing yards and five total touchdowns. Finley said the team’s mindset going into the home opener was clear.

“We’re not going to lose at home.

We’re going to protect our house. This same turf that we practice on, we sweat and bleed on,” Finley said.

While the offense was the star of the night, the defense struggled early, allowing the Tigers to score 20 points in the first 20 minutes of the game.

The defense eventually settled down and didn’t allow another point in the first half and combined for six sacks, two from junior defensive end Deven Wright.

Texas State redshirt junior quarterback Malik Hornsby also saw some action in the game and rushed for over 100 yards. Hornsby’s rushing performance marked the first time a Texas State quarterback has rushed for

more than 100 yards in a game. Hornsby also had two rushing touchdowns.

Jackson State senior quarterback Jason Brown went 16-of-26 with 209 yards and an interception. The Tigers offense combined for 400 yards.

The Texas State faithful showed up for the home opener, as Saturday’s attendance of 24,118 was the ninth largest in program history. Kinne complimented the fan turnout at his first home game at Texas State.

“I thought the fans and what we had in the stadium today was really special,” Kinne said. “That’s why I came to Texas State.”

Texas State will now turn its focus onto its next opponent, the University of Nevada, as it seeks to win back-to-back games for the first time since the 201920 season.

Kickoff between Texas State and Nevada is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

F

Jackson State

6

14

7

7

34

Texas State

21

35

7

14

77

Senior Spotlight: Star midfielder Mya Ulloa

By Candice Gilmore Sports Contributor

PHOTO BY CARLY EARNEST

Texas State graduate student outside hitter K.J. Johnson (17) warms up pre-game against North Texas, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, at Strahan Arena.

Volleyball transfers acclimate to new home at Texas State

By Kobe Arriaga Sports Reporter With the introduction of the transfer portal in 2018, athletes changing colleges has become more prominent.

Texas State senior outside hitter Sophie Childs and graduate outside hitter K.J. Johnson, two of the seven new additions to the Texas State volleyball team, said their experiences adjusting to a new system have been unique.

“It was definitely a lot easier with it being my third time [transferring],” Johnson said. “I’m just trying to do my best to lead by example.

Just working hard, no reps off and all-out effort in everything we do.”

Johnson said she garnered her experience playing in key games for both Baylor and Fairfield University over her collegiate career and now bridges that knowledge to the Texas State roster.

One of Johnson's deciding factors in becoming a Bobcat was her desire to play closer to home. She said having her family attend games in her final season tremendously boosts her performance on the court.

“My dad is the loudest person I know, so it’s been fun getting to hear him in the crowd again and knowing that they’re always my biggest supporters,” Johnson said.

Childs, who transferred to Texas State after three years at Wichita State, said her mindset is focused

on adjusting to her new team while adopting a championship mentality.

“I think that this team knows how to win, and they’ve known how to win for a really long time,” Childs said. “That’s something that’s kind of new for me to step into, a championship culture.”

These transfers have made immediate impacts on the court. After Childs’ and Johnson’s first 11 games, they are two of the top three kill leaders with 59 and 178, respectively.

Childs’ decision to play for Texas State began with her first visit, where the coaching staff welcomed her with open arms.

“When I was talking with the coaching staff on my visit here, I just saw the school, and I fell in love with it,” Childs said. “I picked them because they wanted me here, and that was evident, but I think it started with a love for the school.”

Junior defensive specialist Jacqueline Lee is in her third year as a Bobcat and holds valuable experience she gained from playing with Texas State’s recent greats Janell Fitzgerald and Emily DeWalt.

Lee said she hopes to combine her skills alongside the new Bobcat transfers.

“It’s cool because these are all completely different people getting different perspectives and playstyles,” Lee said. “It’s fun for me because my style works and meshes really well with this

team. I’m excited for the rest of the season.”

Lee said she could tell early on that Childs and Johnson began adapting to the new system before the season started.

“It was pretty natural,” Lee said. “Sophie and K.J. already kind of know what they’re doing and come from a place where they want to be competitive, and they want to have that winning culture.”

This season’s new-look squad has opened the eyes of many doubters. After the team lost Fitzgerald and DeWalt over the summer, the question remained if the Bobcats could continue to compete in the Sun Belt Conference, an amusing notion, according to Lee. “It’s always funny because every year there’s a different team,” Lee said.

“You’re going to have a different core group of girls every four years, so that change is to be expected.”

Despite others’ uncertainty, Lee remains embedded in her loyalty to the winning culture that Texas State volleyball has built and hopes to pass that mindset on to her teammates.

“I say bring the low expectations,” Lee said. “We beat teams that come in with low expectations for us, so I’ll just say bring it on. We’re working in the gym, and we know what we’re doing and what we can bring to the table.”

In spring of 2020, the Texas State soccer program welcomed someone who would become a vital component of the Bobcat’s center field and create a lasting effect on the program.

Senior midfielder Mya Ulloa started her soccer career at 12 years old but knew she loved the game long before.

“I got into soccer when I was six or seven, and I grew up with it because both of my parents played while I was growing up,” Ulloa said. “I was always at the fields … I fell in love with the sport from just being around it.”

Before coming to Texas State, Ulloa played for three separate club teams throughout the Dallas/ Fort Worth area and said that experience gave her tremendous help to get where she is today.

When it came time to commit to a college during her senior year at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Ulloa chose Texas State over schools like Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist.

She said the choice was simple. “[Texas State] had been talking to me since my sophomore year,” Ulloa said. “I’m such a family person, so being just far enough away from home without being too far made it perfect.”

Teammate and junior forward Zoe Junior said when she arrived at Texas State, Ulloa impacted the freshman class with her personality and leadership style.

“My first impression, as the freshman class, we were so nervous, but the sophomore class was so welcoming,” Junior said.

“Mya especially had taken such a leadership role on-field, but off-field was and still is such a goofball.”

Texas State Head Coach Steve Holeman said Ulloa has a strong presence on the field, and her ability on the field adds to her character.

“She's always been a hard worker…and is such a technical player, one of the most on our team,” Holeman said.

Within her time playing for Texas State, Ulloa has made four goals, one of which was a gamewinner in the 2021 season. She also set the season high for assists during the 2021 season with five of her career eight.

“She's just a phenomenal person and a player who loves the game,” Holeman said. “She’s creative, crafty, fantastic on the ball, and has all kinds of ability.”

Ulloa, an exercise sports science major with a focus in nutrition and coaching, said that she has found it challenging at times to balance practice, games, school, and extra work. However, she has found success in the classroom and earned multiple accolades.

Ulloa was named on the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll from 2020-22, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.0.

She was also named to the Texas State dean’s list in 2022, which requires a GPA of 3.5.

These accomplishments, paired with Ulloa’s interpersonal and athletic skills, have led her to impact many of her teammates.

Junior said Ulloa has left an impact on her communication and skills as a player.

“There’s so many role models on our team,” Junior said. “Mya is one of them that just stands

PHOTO BY MANDALYN LEWALLEN

Texas State senior midfielder Mya Ulloa (8) pushes the ball up to a teammate, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, at Bobcat Soccer Complex.

out from day one for a lot of teammates.”

Mya said that postgraduation, she hopes to combine her successes on the field and in the classroom and continue to spread her influence through the game.

“I’ve narrowed it to taking a fifth year playing at Texas State, playing professionally somewhere else or even becoming a coach,” Ulloa said.