SPORTS SOCCER’S INTERNATIONAL TALENT SHINES AT TXST PAGE 6
OPINION
LIFE & ARTS
STUDENTS CAN ENACT CHANGE AT THE BALLOT BOX
TXST COUPLE RETIRES AFTER YEARS SUPPORTING STUDENTS
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TUESDAY
October 13, 2026 VOLUME 115 ISSUE 41
SEE ELECTION PAGE 2, 3, 4, 5
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION JEN NGUYEN & AIDEN FRITSCHE | DESIGN EDITOR &N MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
SPORTS
Sports bill could impact Texas State By Juan Pereira Casanoba & Cody Dotson Assistant Sports Editor | Sports Contributor
On Monday, Sept. 28, the U.S. Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) by a 77-22 vote, marking a rare showcase of bipartisanship and a crucial milestone in the bill’s journey towards becoming law. The PCSA is Congress’ attempt to regulate the realm of collegiate sports which has been in constant tension since the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), playoff expansion and constant conference realignment. The bill, which has undergone substantial revisions since it was announced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), back in May, has been endorsed by over 30 collegiate sports conferences, including the Pac-12, Texas State’s current conference.
SEE ACT PAGE 6
LIBBY ALLEN | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
The band Talking Backwards performs during Frights and Sounds, Sunday, Oct. 11, in the alley outside of Sean Patrick’s.
ALEX ORTIZ | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
San Marcos Discovery Center staff member Niki Lake (left) and festival volunteer Mallory Manchester (right) pose Saturday, Oct. 10, at the San Marcos Discovery Center. ALEX ORTIZ | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Author KT Byrd interacts with a visitor at her book display during the inaugural San Marvelous Magical Book Fair, Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wake the Dead Coffee House in San Marcos.
SEE SNAPS PAGE 10
EVENT
Price Center hosts annual Variety Show for community By Cady Clements & Saige Klein Life and Arts Editor | Contributor
Laughter and applause filled the Price Center as visitors and members alike showed up in force for the Price Center’s fifth annual Variety Show. On Oct. 8, the Price Center hosted its Variety Show with talent from all over the San Marcos area. The Variety Show included an array of different performances and incorporated the chance to win raffle prizes. Anna Broome, former Price Center board member and current yoga instructor, created the show in Sept. 2022 in hopes of highlighting talent in San Marcos while also providing funding to the Price Center.
“I have always been interested in showcasing the many talented people who make up the San Marcos community,” Broome said. “I felt that rolling this dream into a fundraising opportunity for the community center would be super fun and worthwhile.” The Variety Show had a recordbreaking pre-show turnout with people all over the San Marcos community coming to support participants’ immense talents, according to Broome. All of the proceeds from the show sales and raffle tickets went directly to the Price Center. AVA MILLER | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
SEE PERFORMANCE PAGE 9
Executive director of the Price Center Clay DeStefano poses outside the Price Center on Oct. 8. He helped organize the fifth annual Variety Show, which raised funds for the Price Center.
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Arabella DiChristina | News Editor | starnews@txstate.edu
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Hays County criminal district attorney candidates By Sidney Orman & Aaron Dann News Contributors
The Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s Office works to ensure that justice is served through legal action within the county’s criminal justice system. Kelly Higgins is the current district attorney but is not running for reelection. Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Alfonso Salazar (DEM) What do you see as the biggest issue facing the Hays County District Attorney’s Office right now, and what specifically would you do differently? “The DA’s office right now, in my opinion, just needs some new leadership, so that we can direct where we’re supposed to have our attention set at, and make sure that we are looking for justice in the community that reflects the community ... We have two issues that are happening right now that I want to spearhead. Our juveniles: our children are getting in trouble a lot now, and on two polar spectrums. We’re starting with kids being kids. They are going to skip school, they’re going to vape and do some graffiti. But then on the other side of things, we see high-level felonies. ...The other side of that is individuals with mental health issues. In our community, like in a lot of communities, people with mental health issues end up getting arrested, either due to being unhoused or having a flare up of whatever mental health condition they have, or just crimes of necessity. The criminal justice system,
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALFONSO SALAZAR
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIRSTA MELTON
as far as police and the jail, are not set up to deal with people like that.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “San Marcos specifically is going to be different because of the university. We’ve got not necessarily juveniles, but we’ve got 18 to 24 or 25-year-olds that predominantly are in that area for college ... We’ve been seeing a lot of gun violence on the square, and we just need to figure out, do we need a larger presence of law enforcement out there to make sure everybody’s safe and they’re having a good time on the square? Do we need to start making sure that the bars on the square are doing what they’re supposed to be doing? Are we monitoring what’s happening in the bars? Do you guys have the right security? Are you overserving individuals? Because a lot of things come with nightlife. It just is what it is. And while nightlife is huge on the square and it’s a big part of what
happens in San Marcos, we just want to make sure everybody’s safe.” What would be your top priority if elected? “My number one top priority, if I’m elected in November, is to truly build a trust relationship between my office and the citizens of Hays County as a whole. Nationwide and statewide, and to a lesser extent locally, individuals do not trust their government anymore. A lot of it is because they don’t necessarily even know who the people are that are running.” Kirsta Melton (IND) What do you see as the biggest issue facing the Hays County District Attorney’s Office right now, and what specifically would you do differently? “One of the big issues for the next district attorney is being able to restore trust in the justice system by making sure that we treat everyone with dignity, with respect, that we both take care of victims, but at the same time
we honor the rights of defendants. Because the ethical obligation of a prosecutor is to see that justice is done, and that’s really important.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “When we think about misinformation, all of this kind of swirling conspiracy theories, all the things that just get shunted around the via social media, or frankly, poor reporting-that is one of the biggest problems that I would say San Marcos faces is trying to sort for the truth and understanding what that truth is. Part of your officials, whether that’s the county commissioners, whether that’s city council, whether that’s the district attorney, is making sure that we are communicating clearly with the public, making sure that the public has access to data so that they can hold us accountable as public servants.” What would be your top priority if elected? “The very first thing is making sure that the DA’s office is depoliticized in what it’s doing. If you’re paying attention to what’s happening nationwide, we have a politicization of the justice system, and instead of decisions being made based on the facts and the law, we have people making decisions based on people’s party politics, or based on people’s status or position, based on citizenship or lack of citizenship, based on people’s money, and my belief is that the justice system should have a single standard, one standard that applies to all of us in the same way.”
Hays County Commissioners Court Precinct 2 candidates By Rylee Valva News Contributor
The Hays County Commissioners Court Precinct 2 seat is part of the county’s policymaking body, overseeing the budget, the tax rate and county services. Michelle Cohen is the current commissioner of Precinct 2 but is running for another position. Early voting begins Oct. 19 to Oct. 30, ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Abby Gibson and Johnny Flores will appear on the ballot in Hays County on Nov. 3 Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Abby Gibson (REP) Why did you decide to run for commissioner in this election? “I decided to run for commissioner this election because I live in Precinct 2 and am raising my family here, and I think this race matters. We need someone that will fight for taxpayers, and we need someone that will get the roads and infrastructure completed ... We have not had a conservative commissioner in several years, and we have not seen these projects and these taxes going in a great way for Precinct 2, so that’s why I’m running.” What would be your top priority if you were elected?
PHOTO COURTESY OF ABBY GIBSON
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHNNY FLORES
“My number one [priority] is being a fiscal conservative, measuring every single decision against the benefit of the taxpayer. ... A fiscal conservative, that means that anytime funding is needed, I will measure it against the question of how does this benefit the taxpayer and is that investment worth it. So roads and infrastructure, addressing aging or neglected areas that create safety risks for first responders, any projects that were stalled due to, you know, coordination or oversight, and what I will do differently about that is, enforce timelines and accountability.” How do you plan to maximize the use of tax dollars in the county budget? “I would rather be like a tax
minimalist. I think that if you watched Commissioners Court, the tax rate was recently approved to be increased. So hand over fist, tax rates have gone up over and over and over again in Hays County, and that might come with growth. However, it’s very hard to saddle taxpayers over and over.” Johnny Flores (DEM) Why did you decide to run for commissioner in this election? “I’m a former Hays CISD school board trustee, so I saw a lot of the barriers that a lot of the kids in my community faced and families, including, you know, the lack of roads and infrastructure, food insecurity, and as well as just the threats we have from
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the lack of an adequate water supply, the threat of data centers, and that’s really what fueled my calling to serve.” What would be your top priority if elected? “Roads and infrastructure in Precinct 2. It’s not only really like a public safety issue. It’s a matter of affordability. Folks are sitting in traffic congestion, burning expensive gas, it’s really a priority of mine to ease the burden on working families. Roads and infrastructure are certainly at the top of that list. So it really connects to, again, not only safety but affordability for me.” How do you plan to maximize the use of tax dollars in the county budget? “I believe we’ve got to plan for long term growth. We have short-term issues, but when it comes to long-term growth, we’re growing at a rapid rate. I mean, we’ve exceeded 300,000 residents, and we have to prepare for what is coming. As a former school board trustee, I saw the many campuses that were going to build, not only in Precinct 2, but across Hays county. So we have to prepare for that now because otherwise it’s going to be more expensive later, not only to build, but just really causing more traffic congestion and headaches in the future,”
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Arabella DiChristina | News Editor | starnews@txstate.edu
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Hays County Commissioners Court Precinct 4 candidates By Audrey Leckey & Arantza Sanchez De Leon News Contributors
The Hays County Commissioners Court Precinct 4 seat is part of the county’s policy-making body, overseeing the budget, tax rate and county services. Walt Smith is the current commissioner for Precinct 4 but he is not running for reelection. Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Angie Unger (DEM) Why did you decide to run for commissioner in this election? “... I come from a very communityfocused mindset; I’ve been involved and woven into it so much. I am more of a community-based individual. I felt at some point, all this community and all this work I was doing over the years had to become action. I have been asked over the years by mothers and my neighbors to run. I’ve never had a career in politics; I like to say that I am a local mom who loves to help others and be involved. I am empathetic, but I am also a Latina. I will speak up, especially for the marginalized voices, because we deserve to be in the rooms where policies get made for us as well. I have always been very local, and I will continue to be with respect.” What would be your top priority if elected? “It is really important to know that we are seeing our water deplete right before our eyes. I am all about protecting our aquifers, such as the Edwards
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGIE UNGER
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB MCCLELLAND
and the Trinity. I respect and want to protect property rights. I would love to see commissioners do more to protect the recharge zones. Development should not go over recharge zones. I want to be a commissioner who backs our groundwater districts. I want [residents] to know that I am gonna strengthen them. I would love to have eclectic citizen advisory committees in reference to water.” How do you plan to maximize the use of tax dollars in the county budget? “In a time when transparency and trust are so low in government and in local politics, I set a standard for myself that I will not take a cent from developer campaign contributions, from lobbyists, from engineering firms, from data center-connected interests [or for] any special interests. People sitting at home, on their TV or phone, looking at me have a contract come up and for them to wonder, like, ‘Mm,
she’s gonna vote on this, but didn’t that engineering firm give her a bid check during campaign contributions?’ I set this standard for myself because I want to remove any doubt from people. I want them to make sure they have a commissioner with no strings attached. My judgment is not for sale. I also want to identify spending that would be unnecessary, making sure there is no waste. I am a budget hawk with a heart.” Rob McClelland (REP) Why did you decide to run for commissioner in this election? “So my wife and I moved back to Texas in 2017 after my 12-year career in the United States Army, and we actually love Hays County. ... I looked at a lot of things that are going on in our county and a lot of challenges as we’re dealing with a lot of people who want to move here and live here and raise their families here, there’s a lot
of work to be done, especially around transportation and mobility, especially around water infrastructure, and then, of course, public safety as we grow.” What would be your top priority if elected? “There are three top priorities for me. I think it applies to y’all down in Texas State as well. The first one is taxing and property taxes and affordability. I mean, the average age now for a new home buyer is 40 years old, and a lot of that has to do with property taxes in Texas are just so high, and it’s very difficult for young people, young families, to afford to buy a home ... so I’m committed to lowering property taxes at the local level ... Number two, I want people to be able to stay in their homes and not have to be taxed out of them. So that’s first and foremost for me, is property tax relief.” How do you plan to maximize the use of tax dollars in the county budget? “... I’m big on a couple of things: fund the core services, public safety, and transportation, and obviously the things associated with it, the district attorney’s office [and others]. ... Then look at opportunities to expand services across the county for people through different arrangements and different partnerships. With nonprofits, private-public partnerships, [and] ... government is not the answer for everything, there may be times, and a lot of times, industry and nonprofits and partners can do things a lot better than we can.”
San Marcos City Council Place 6 candidates By Fernanda Sauceda, Madison Winzor & Abby Cho News Contributors
The San Marcos City Council Place 6 member of the San Marcos City Council represents residents indecisions on local ordinances, budgets and city policies, alongside five other council members and the mayor. Amanda Rodriguez is the current council member in Place 6 but is running for a different position. The Place 6 race is a special election due to the Rodriguez running for mayor, requiring a vote to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term until Nov. 2027. Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Bill Miller Why did you decide to run for Place 6 on the City Council? “Originally I wanted to run because I didn’t feel like the city council was representing the population of the city to its fullest extent. And I feel like being one of the citizens versus a career politician, I could give insight that they don’t really have.” What would be your top priority if elected? “There’s a lot of things I want to get done, but we only get a year for place 6 this year. Within the year, I really want to address food security. There are a lot of families in San Marcos and all over the world, really, but that, don’t always know if they’re going to be able to eat … One big thing I’m pushing for is making it so HOAs have to let residents grow food in their front yard if they so desire.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “Funding for affordable housing, assistance for people that need to stay in their house and cant afford it, financial issues with the budget… At the end of the day, we have to pick our battles to get things done that we can actually get done. So I think that’s going forward we need to just start making a checklist and checking one thing off at a time until we get through that list” Juan Miguel Arredondo Why did you decide to run for
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL MILLER PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN MIGUEL ARREDONDO
PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA PREWITT
thinking more collectively. Even if that issue doesn’t directly affect me, it should concern me that so many of our neighbors are at risk of eviction. Or that year to year, the food bank has served twice as many people this year than they did last year. And so those challenges are reality, and as a public policymaker, both as a school board trustee, but hopefully as a potential city council member, I think it’s keeping those issues at the forefront of my mind as we’re implementing public policy. As the city council is meeting, trying to address these issues, we need to remember who our neighbors really are.” Lisa Prewitt Why did you decide to run for Place 6 on the City Council? “Amanda opted to leave her unexpired term, community members contacted me and really encouraged me to run for that seat. So it was really community driven why that seat was chosen for me.” What would be your top priority if elected? “We need to focus on affordability in San Marcos, we need to focus on our water resources and river protection. We need to continue partnerships with Texas State University on increasing our mobility options and opportunities to expand hours and days, which is really big. That was one of my big drivers when I was on the city council last time. We need to maintain our cultural identity throughout this big growth period. ... We’re looking at affordability of housing, either rental or
home ownership. Affordability through ability to afford with better job creation and better jobs being brought into San Marcos, and then also ensuring that growth pays for itself, so the people who are at home with very limited resources or don’t have costs incurred beyond what their capacities are to pay for them as well by increasing property taxes and utility fees and things like that.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “Definitely managing growth and finding affordable housing, and also protecting the environment and our water resources and the river as we go through this transition. We need to definitely decrease sprawl in San Marcos and start creating more infill development in areas that we already have infrastructure created, where we have walkable neighborhoods. We need to start introducing more neighborhood retail and coffee shops so people can have more walkable and connecting neighborhoods that they live in, and again, that would be a way that we connect permanent residents with Texas State students, integrating them with the neighborhoods within areas that they can congregate and communicate.”
Place 6 in the City Council? “I’m a San Marcos native, born and raised here in the community. In my 11 years on the school board, I’ve seen so many issues go unaddressed: housing affordability, infrastructure and a lack of mass transportation. The opportunity became available because of Amanda Rodriguez’s mayoral campaign and her need to resign her seat. My neighbors asked and encouraged me to consider it, and I said, ‘Let’s jump off this cliff together.’” What would be your top priority if elected? “My number one priority, quite frankly, is housing and housing affordability. Whether you’re an undergraduate student at Texas State trying to find an affordable place to live and not have to live with five strangers just to make it work, or you’re a single mom working multiple jobs trying to raise a family, or you’re a graduate or young family starting out. I think housing affects all of us, including seniors on a fixed income. Housing really is my number one issue because I think it’s a universal issue for all of us.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “San Marcos is a very diverse community, and I think that’s one of its strengths, but it’s also one of its challenges because, I think, having adequate representation means understanding people’s backgrounds and where they’re coming from, and the reality is, we do have a lot of low-income earners who struggle to pay their bills, and we have to start
NEWS
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Arabella DiChristina | News Editor | starnews@txstate.edu
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
San Marcos City Council Mayor candidates By Arabella DiChristina News Editor
The San Marcos Mayor serves aloongside six City Council members to establish policies and make decisions affecting development services and community programs. Jane Hughson is the current mayor but is running for Place 3. Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Amanda Rodriguez Why did you decide to run for Mayor in this election? “It was incredibly a surprise to be real with everybody. I had one more year on my current term and when the mayor, the incumbent mayor [decided] to step down, and mind you, this has been a mayor who has been mayor for, I believe, eight years straight. And when my opponent filed, you know, it was really a moment where I had to sit there and think about all that we’d been able to do since the time I’ve been on council, all the progress the past councils
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA RODRIGUEZ
have made and the general public interest incentive right now here in the city, the hope. It was really a question on a progression or regression, and I refuse to let out city regress ...” What would be your top priority if elected? “Its hard to say top, but you know, it’s really gonna be a continuance of what I ran the first time, and that is, we live in a very poor community, and the city, relatively speaking, has built a strong social safety net. We put some of the most social service dollars in comparison to the surrounding cities and even the county. We have $750,000 in the pot available
for nonprofits. However, you know despite being the proponent who changed the $550,000 we used to have and fought for an additional [$200,000] and was able to secure that, [thanks] to the support from committees and my colleagues. It’s still not enough ...” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “I mean, it’s tough because you have growth and most people will tell you growth and it is an incredible problem. But I would argue that what I’ve noticed in my opinion, the most paramount for our city is the fact that the federal government and the state government make it so difficult as municipality to be able to implement the policies, the changes, the best for our people. I think, we as elected officials locally are just supposed to be in this mindset that everything happens local and it just stays here, but [our] people are subject to the same laws that affect them too.” Ryan Thomason Why did you decide to run for Mayor this election?
PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN THOMASON
“One we have to protect the health safety and welfare of probably well over 100,000 people in our area. I know we’re around 90,000 population inside the city limits, at least what the city believes without current census, but we have a lot of people that call San Marcos home ... health safety and welfare is number one. I’ve been asked very year since I left city council in 2015 and this particular year, one it’s my cycle of life allowed the time commitment, because it is very time consuming especially at the mayor’s spot. Two, as I watch from the outside, I’m seeing more distractions
San Marcos City Council Place 4 candidates By Kyd C Ledezma & Jaden Hinshaw News Contributors
The Place 4 member of the San Marcos City Council represents residents in decisions on local ordinances, budgets and city policies alongside five other council members and the mayor. Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Shane Scott Why did you decide to run for Place 4 on the City Council? “I’m currently on Place 4, so I just wanted to rerun again. There’s lots of projects you start while you’re in office and you want to see them get through. So that’s basically one of my main goals is to see all the other projects that are coming through that aren’t quite there yet. I’m gonna kind of get those finished out. I’m a bobcat, so there’s a lot of stuff that we’re working with the university that I always try to push.” What would be your top priority if elected?
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANE SCOTT
“It’s been a priority of mine for a while, [it’s] finding some way to get our utility rates down, because it affects everybody evenly. I want to find a better solution to the ones we’ve been facing over the years, because it seems like we keep going down the same little rabbit hole, and there’s got to be a better way to do it, since we own the electric company, just [for your information], so you would think there’d be a way we could do that and everybody could benefit.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “Management of growth. We have a lot of growth that’s coming
into town, so we need to find ways to put it in where it’s effective. You don’t want to build something you can’t get to, you know, you need to make sure your highway systems, transportation’s there, sidewalks, biking, you know, all those things.” Heather Hunter Why did you decide to run for Place 4 on the City Council? “I ran for Florida State Senate in 2020 and the reason for that was to give people hope and not let politicians that do not have opponents just walk to office to really earn the right to lead the public. This year, I’ve been learning a lot. By listening to the needs of the community, I’ve been graciously welcomed into this community with open arms and I feel pulled to give back as a public servant. It’s been about six years since I ran for office the first time, I feel like I’ve learned a lot more. I have a serious background in grants management in public policy and politics altogether, and so I want to use that to help San Marcos grow, and not just for the people moving here today, but for the generations
PHOTO COURTESY OF HEATHER HUNTER
that have been here for so long, I want to make sure that everyone is represented as they should be.” What would be your top priority if elected? “It’s important that we take into account and theoretically put ourselves in those shoes of those that don’t have a voice, as weird as that may sound. ... They can’t come to city council. They can’t write in a letter, but you can tell when they’re stressed. You can tell when the drought conditions are as heavy as they are, you can tell so it’s just important to be an environmental steward for any decision and because a lot of our decisions they do
Hays County judge candidates By Foster Conner & Victor Mendoza News Contributors
The Hays County judge serves as the presiding officer of the Hays Country Commissioners Court, leading regular and special meetings. The Hays County Judge serves with four commissioners to help set policies, approve the country budget and manage county infrastructure. Ruben Becerra is the current County judge, but he is not running for reelection. Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Geoffrey Tahuahua (REP) Why did you decide to run for Hays County judge? “I’ve been a Dripping Springs City Council member for five years, and before that, I was president [of] North Hays County EMS... I really feel like there’s been a lot of dysfunction at the top... due to a lack of leadership... and that’s why I threw my hat in the ring.” What would be your top priority if elected? “It covers everything from
PHOTO COURTESY OF GEOFFREY TAHUAHUA
public safety, responsible growth, roads and infrastructure, as well as just good, efficient county government... making sure that the tax dollars that we’re using are being spent wisely.” How would you maximize the use of tax dollars? “We took a look at every single different department... ‘Are we spending it efficiently? Is this... the best use of taxpayer dollars?’... I ended up finding about a million dollars in savings, which we ultimately flipped into our first roadway maintenance plan for the city of Dripping Springs.” Michelle Gutierrez Cohen (DEM)
Did not respond to requests for comment Liz Gajdos (IND) Why did you decide to run for Hays County judge? “I decided to run for Hays County judge because I was the former county judge between 2007 and 2011, and we had done a lot of work to protect our aquifer recharge areas and river riparian areas, as well as budgeted through an economic downturn. It looks like we’re going back into the same situation that we were in 16 years ago. It was important to me that we moved forward with all of the things that we had done to protect river areas and aquifer recharge areas. It was also important that we started really looking at our budget and understanding that budgets have to reflect the values of the people in the community. It’s not just numbers on a piece of paper, and the budget that they just passed does not reflect our values.” What would be your top priority if elected? “My top priority is water. If we don’t go back to buying up development rights over aquifer
PHOTO COURTESY OF LIZ GAJDO’S WEBSITE
recharge areas and putting money into the river riparian areas, we’re not going to have much of a future. Letting AI data centers in that suck up our natural environmental resources is not a win for Hays County at all. That would probably be my number one priority, strengthening our development rules, which we haven’t done in quite some time, as well as investing in the future of protecting our water.” How would you maximize the use of tax dollars? “Tax dollars need to be utilized in such a way that they actually make a value statement of what the people in the county
that are taking us away from the health and safety and welfare of 90,000 residents.” What would be your top priority if elected? Safety is number one, we have to give back to staffing the first responders properly. This was [not] an issue in my six years on council and now they’re in some areas considerably understaffed and we’re going to see more and more problems because of that ...” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “Crime is up there, if you’re along I-35 and downtown and that’s a problem for every body. Future water needs, doesn’t look like it at the moment because we just received a flood, but over the past 10 years, we have figured out just how quickly we can deplete our water. Housing attainability is rapidly becoming more and more problematic, everything in life is getting more expensive and sooner or later, its going to cause a very big housing attainability problem if we can’t address it and wrap our arms around it quickly.”
have an environmental impact, especially those involving infrastructure involving housing and going into housing we do have some affordable housing in San Marcos but I believe, with the income, median that we are, which I believe is around $50,000, probably a little bit less, we need to have more options.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “I feel like sometimes we can get in our own way. Sometimes growth is probably the biggest question that I’ve gotten in these forums and these questionnaires and how we can deal with that. I think the environment, supporting our local businesses and affordable housing falls into the category of growth. It’s all one big umbrella and I know we have these comprehensive master plans, we have these ideas and we spend the money to make them so it’s important we follow them and if it’s not working we are able to pivot to ensure that we’re doing the best work for our residents.”
really want. They’re not just a bunch of numbers on a piece of paper. When I looked at what the budget actually did this year, it doesn’t reflect our values. We don’t put nearly enough money into social safety nets, job retraining, housing assistance, health care, utility assistance or food assistance. We need to make sure our budget helps those folks during that transition period until they can get the job they want that will pay for the things they need. I think the other investment we’re lacking is making sure that we protect our water and aquifer recharge areas. We’re not investing anything in that. At least one cent of our tax dollar could go toward that, and we don’t need to raise taxes. We just need to refigure out how we’re spending money. We’re spending a lot of money on consultants that is just not necessary. We should move those funds into buying up development rights over aquifer recharge areas and river riparian areas, as well as into social service areas.”
NEWS
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Arabella DiChristina | News Editor | starnews@txstate.edu
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
San Marcos City Council Place 3 candidates By Peyton Till News Reporter
The Place 3 of the San Marcos City Council represents residents in decisions on local ordinances, budgets and city policies, alongside five other council members and the mayor. Early voting runs Oct. 19 to Oct. 30, ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Alyssa Garza is the current council member in Place 3 and is running for reelection. Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Jane Garnette Hughson Why did you decide to run for Place 3 on the City Council? “I was ready to not be mayor anymore, it is very time intensive and I’ve been doing it for eight years. I enjoyed doing it, it was great, but I was ready to have more time to myself. Regarding running for city council, I have a lot of institutional knowledge, and we have a relatively new city council. I can tell them what happened before, which is not to say we need to do that again, sometimes knowing what happened before is knowing and saying we don’t want to do that again. I just feel like I have enough institutional knowledge and desire to continue to serve my community.” What would be your top priority if elected? “There are so many needs in San Marcos, but one priority is to just keep everything running at the city. Not every city has their own electric and water utility and we have those. We need to keep the streets paved, and the library and parks running. I never want to gorget that there’s a city to run, and people rely on us for city services.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANE HUGHSON
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALYSSA GARZA
In addition, we are very much a low income community, so affordability is a nationwide issue, a state wide issue, and an issue for the city of San Marcos.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “The affordability issue for many of our issues and managing growth. We’ve got subdivisions that are coming into San Marcos, buying cheaper land on the fringes of San Marcos, and they want our services so they asked to be annexed. We have been agreeing to do that to provide housing for the folks that live here and the folks that are planning to come here. But they are responsible for putting in the infrastructure, ... Managing growth means more water lines, more water. More electric lines, more electricity. We want to make sure that we can manage the growth, and making sure that we can provide services, libraries, parks, everything people like about San Marcos, and making sure we can continue to provide those services to them.” Alyssa Garza Why did you decide to run for
Place 3 on the City Council? “At the core, I genuinely believe that San Marcos deserves leadership that is experienced but never complacent, and I bring a unique approach to the dais with my academic background and professional experience. There is a lack of sense of haste in city hall, I think there’s been a lot of progress, but neighbors report to me every single day that they’re struggling with utility cost, eviction, transportation. I’ve watched straightforward changes drag on for years, and I want to continue to bring that expertise, bring the people in, and move with a more sense of haste.” What would be your top priority if elected? “My top priority overarching is continue to do the balancing our fundamentals; roads, utilities, and safety. However, there is an antiquated approach on local government I want to push back on, which is this notion that is enough, and I don’t think it is. I want to resist that energy that city hall should be boring. I want to continue to use my positionally as an elected official
because city hall being boring sounds fine if the system works for you, but a lot of our working class neighbors I talk to are struggling. And being boring isn’t neutral. To continue the work of The Office of Community Support and Resource Navigation, to build a more robust feedback system that residents are bringing in on what barriers they may be facing to securing what they need.” What are the biggest challenges San Marcos is currently facing? “I think the biggest challenge facing San Marcos is local government being too comfortable with gradual improvement. It doesn’t negate the progress we have made, but we have to continue moving forward faster. The pace is far too slow. One example is the utility assistance conversation, I’ve watched straightforward changes drag on for years. We shouldn’t be giving ourselves trophies for eventually getting to the answer that residents needed years ago. We just allocated more money to social services, that should’ve been done years ago. We have no excuse, and if you look at my record for the last 6 years, I have been pushing for steady progress, and have been met with barriers and resistance from city hall. I think this really overlaps for my continuous push for bringing residents in to decisions early. Those living with the cost of our policies, they bring the sense of urgency, and the experience, and answers that get lost in city hall. They need to be in there earlier, and we could’ve had better utility assistance I’ve we had just listened to what people were saying.”
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Tuesday, October 13, 2026
SPORTS
Ayden Oredson | Sports Editor | starsports@txstate.edu
SOCCER
LIBBY ALLEN | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Texas State junior midfielder Helen Alormenu (10) challenges a Santa Clara player, Sunday, Sept. 20 at the Bobcat Soccer Complex. The Bobcats tied with Santa Clara 0-0.
World’s game: How TXST went international By Kaden Cuyler Sports Contributor
How far would you go to chase your dream? For players such as freshman Nerea Sanchez, junior Helen Alormenu and many others, chasing that dream meant leaving home and starting a new life thousands of miles away in San Marcos, playing collegiate soccer at Texas State. The Bobcats currently roster nine international players from countries such as Spain, Ghana, Japan, France and El Salvador. What started as a regional scouting quickly turned into a worldwide effort to build a Division I roster. “Our job is to find the best players we possibly can,” Texas State Soccer head coach Steve Holeman said. “We start in Texas; it’s a hotbed for soccer talent, but we search far and wide.” While many Power Four programs snatch up the top domestic prospects early, Texas State utilizes video evaluation and international agencies to recruit talent that fits the program’s needs. “We look for four things: work ethic, adding to our team chemistry, their defining quality on the field and whether they can help us win games,” Holeman said. Bringing global athletes creates a mix of soccer philosophies on the field. Overseas prospects usually
arrive with top-level technical foundations but have to quickly adjust to the physicality of American collegiate soccer. “Soccer here is very different from Spain,” Sanchez said. “It’s like [a mix] between Spanish soccer and American soccer, which I think is the perfect combination.” The adjustment in strategy, however, goes both ways. While international players adapt to Texas State’s pressing system, many domestic players get used to the patient, passing-focused style of European and West African soccer. Sanchez turned down an opportunity to play professionally in Spain’s second division according to Holeman. Meanwhile, Alormenu had a similar dilemma in Ghana. “I wanted to go pro for four years and then go to college,” Alormenu said. “I spoke with my mom, and she was like, ‘Why don’t you go now? And when you’re done with college, you can go pro.’ I didn’t [make] the decision on my own, but my mom helped me.” Moving abroad also meant making personal sacrifices. For many international recruits, those hurdles include culture shock, language barriers and homesickness. “When I first arrived here, adaptation [was] one of the biggest challenges for me,” Alormenu said.
“Back at home, culture is different, food is different, language is different, and there are no friends or family here.” Over time, that isolation gave way to a strong support system built through her teammates and coaching staff. “The biggest impact and the reason why I stayed is the coaches,” Alormenu said. “I already have [a family] here and they are good to me, so I would not miss that to transfer anywhere else.” And for new arrivals like Sanchez, the coaching staff and teammates actively work to create a welcoming environment. “Nerea is awesome; the girls on the team love her,” Holeman said. “She’s learning English; the girls on the team who are close to her are learning Spanish. It’s been really fun.” Through language barriers, distance and cultural shifts, Bobcat soccer has become home to players from around the world, all united by the same goal: win together.
State athletics, have also voiced concerns on whether athletes should be considered employees. “We do not generally want student-athletes to become employees,” Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director Kelsey Solis said during a class presentation in Charles Kaufman’s Sports Media class. “[In] my opinion, I don’t think they want to be employees. This is an educational opportunity for them.” The bill’s inclusion of certain size restrictions for conferences generating over $700 million in revenue is another topic that Texas State will keep an eye on. The Pac-12 has several programs that could be of interest to autonomy conferences if they look to expand their membership, such as Pac-12 legacy members Oregon State and Washington State as well as nationally ranked Boise State. “Regarding conference realignment, there’s some restrictions on sizes of conferences that we’ll keep an eye on and see how that plays out as this
[bill] transition to the House,” Coryell said. “But in general, I think this is [all] really positive for Texas State and really positive for the Pac-12.” This bill is not at all guaranteed to be finalized into law despite its success in the Senate. The House of Representatives are set to meet on Capitol Hill from Nov. 9 to Dec. 17. If the bill is not enacted before the 119th Congress ends Jan. 3, 2027, lawmakers will need to reintroduce it in the next Congress.
Texas State continues Pac-12 conference play against Colorado State at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 at the Bobcat Soccer Complex. The game will be available to stream on the Pac-12’s YouTube Channel.
FROM FRONT ACT “Today’s passage of the Protect College Sports Act by the Senate is an impactful next step to achieve comprehensive and critical reform for collegiate athletics and student-athletes,” the Pac-12 said in a statement posted to X on Sept. 28. “No conference has navigated more change than the Pac-12. We intend to continue to help shape what comes next as the act continues to progress through Congress.” Texas State Director of Athletics Don Coryell believes this bill’s impact will be a positive one for Texas State as it continues to navigate the current collegiate sports landscape. “I think this [bill] is really positive for Texas State,” Coryell said. “It brings consistency to an environment that right now is being shaped by conflicting state laws, different lawsuits that are being filed against the NCAA and constantly changing rules. We need assistance in this space so we can all operate a lot more clear and a lot more efficiently.” Topics addressed in the bill include a five-year eligibility window, beginning either at full-time enrollment or the academic year after an athlete’s 19th birthday depending on which comes first with exceptions for pregnancy, military service, and other service commitments, a team cap on conferences making over $700 million, transfer restrictions and some antitrust protection for the NCAA. For Texas State, though, a large part of the discussion surrounds the student-athlete experience. While football and basketball draw most of the eyes to Texas State Athletics, the bill also addresses Olympic sports and women’s sports which also have a major impact at TXST. “There are required protections for our Olympic sports and our women’s sports in the Protect College Sports Act,” Coryell said. “Essentially, we can’t have a smaller roster or eliminated sports that we’re fielding in 2024 and 2025, but I will say we don’t need federal legislation to help us in that space.” One topic that the bill doesn’t clearly favor or condemn is student-athlete employment. There has been public opposition from figures such as Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who has been among those who oppose the bill in its current form. “[This bill] protects the billions of dollars that coaches and sports industry executives are making over the suppression of compensation for some of the most highly valued athletes in the world,” Murphy said during a call with reporters Sept. 14. The discussion surrounding student-athlete employment extends beyond lawmakers. Athletic administrators, including Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director Kelsey Solis for Texas
Ayden Oredson contributed to this article.
NATALIE MURRAY | ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR
GAMES
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Tuesday, Oct 13, 2026
Sophia Gerke & Milla Deur | Creative Services | starcreative@txstate.edu
CROSSWORD ROSSWORD
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1
GHOULS NIGHT OUT
HOULS NIGHT OUT
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Down:
1. Spelling bee equipment for the undead. 2. A bee whiteequipment bulb Spelling of ghostly energy. or the 3. undead. Smoky herbal remedy for A whitewarding bulb off evil presences. 5. Green, gluttonous ghoul of ghostly energy. from Ghostbusters.
own:
Smoky herbal remedy for warding off evil presences. Across: Green, ghoul 4. gluttonous Leader of the Ghost Adventures crew and avid rom Ghostbusters.
2
3
3
4
5
5
4 6
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horror collector. 6. 3-letter device for finding nearby paranormal activity.
cross:
Leader of the Ghost Adventures crew and avid horror collector. 3-letter device for finding nearby paranormal activity. 8 1 7 2 6 9 4 3 5 6 3 4 1 5 8 7 9 2 3 2 8 5 4 6 1 7 9 4 9 5 8 7 1 2 6 3 1 7 6 3 9 2 8 5 4
Word Scramble (1) Egg, (2) Fish, (3) River, (4) Quack, (5) Attack, (6) Feather Crossword (1) Mother, (2) Honk, (3) Cattail, (4) Gander, (5) Golden, (6) Bill
2 5 9 4 3 7 6 8 1 9 6 1 7 2 5 3 4 8 5 8 3 6 1 4 9 2 7 7 4 2 9 8 3 5 1 6
OPINION
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Regina Orozco Lopez Forment | Opinion Editor | staropinion@txstate.edu
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
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.
Students should take concerns to the ballot box By Andrew Bencivengo Editor-in-Chief
Young people are fed up with the current political climate. At the ballot box, they can turn that frustration into change. Major Texas races, including those for governor and U.S. Senate, are closely contested, so voters at the polls can shape the next few years of Texas and even national politics. Regardless of political orientation, this midterm election offers Texans a unique opportunity to make their voices heard. It’s no secret that young people are growing increasingly frustrated with the current political landscape. A June 2026 poll from the University of Texas’ Texas Politics Project found 54% of registered Texas voters ages 18 to 29 believed the state was on the wrong track. That dissatisfaction extends beyond the state. A Spring 2026 nationwide youth poll by the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s Kennedy School found only 13% of respondents thought the country was headed in the right direction. The obvious advice from many is to simply go out and vote, but young people don’t always turn out at the polls, and many are described as apathetic. However, as The Civics Center argued, the problem isn’t apathy; it’s welcoming young people into democracy and
STAR FILE PHOTO
showing them why their voices matter. The obvious question, then, is how to make young people feel their voices are valued. The answer may lie in the upcoming midterm elections. With several races polling closely, the outcome could come down to a relatively small number of votes. An Oct. 8 University of Massachusetts Lowell and YouGov survey of likely Texas voters found James Talarico and Ken Paxton tied at 45% in the U.S. Senate race, with 7% of respondents undecided. The Texas Governor race is similarly close, according to the latest polling. The fact that major races are polling within the margin of error means young voters could very well decide the next
election, but they have to show up first. Beyond the polls, the candidates’ campaigns may also reveal that voters, especially young voters, have more influence than they realize. Texas Democratic nominee for governor Gina Hinojosa has made restricting costly data center development a campaign priority, while Gov. Greg Abbott has recently shifted his stance, moving from championing the industry’s growth to temporarily halting new data center permits. Data center developments are a major concern for voters, and while the two campaigns are taking different approaches, both campaigns are responding. This shows that, at least on the campaign trail, the nominees know they must listen to their electorate.
Concerns surrounding Flock cameras have also drawn responses from both campaigns, further demonstrating how public unease has become a prominent issue in the governor’s race. Now that voters have cast their ballot in the court of public opinion, they have the chance to do so again at the ballot box. Texas early voting for the Nov. 3 election begins Oct. 19 and runs to Oct. 30, with polling locations available across San Marcos and Hays County. Texas State voters do not need to travel far. The LBJ Student Center is designated as an early voting and Election Day polling place, with polling times available on the Texas State’s Student Involvement and Engagement website. Voters can check their registration status at Vote.org, and Student Involvement advises voters to make a voting plan, fill out a sample ballot, know the issues, and know what a voting machine looks like and how it works. Hays County sample ballots are available online on the Hays County website. Democracy starts at the ballot box, and young voters can and will make a difference.
-Andrew Bencivengo is a business management senior
Students must get involved in local elections By Regina Orozco Lopez Forment and Venus Goss Opinion Editor & Opinion Columnist
Local elections matter more than many students may realize. This election cycle gives voters a unique amount of power in San Marcos to decide how they want to be governed, with four of seven, seats elected city government positions on the ballot. While students may not always go to the polls in local elections, the elected representatives impact how they live their lives. San Marcos City Council works closely with Texas State on various decisions, like through plans to develop Texas State Shuttles and San Marcos Transit, which directly affects students who utilize the buses daily. Additionally, the city is in charge of public safety throughout San Marcos, community programs and funding decisions within their involvement that affect the university as a whole. The San Marcos City Council holds all legislative and policy-making power. Previously, they have been able to achieve a ban on AI data centers and actions to protect the river, all of which are imperative for the health of our community. Every year in November, San Marcos has at least two of its six city council seats up for election for staggered three-year terms as well as the two-year term general election for mayor, which occurs every two years. City council decisions rely heavily on a combination of legal frameworks, economic data and public input, which comes directly from residents and local elections. Local government, from the mayor to the council, affects the quality of housing, schools, roads,
the local economy, community centers and safety through first responders. According to Turnout Transparency USA, in the 2024 national election, only about 45% of registered voters ages 18-24 years old living in Texas voted, compared to about a 61% overall turnout. When looking at general local elections, youth voter turnout tends to drop significantly lower, to at most 16%, according to the YMCA Youth and Government program. Wallace Golding, assistant professor in the department of communication studies, with a specialty in political communication, said that young people are finding alternate ways to be politically active beyond voting. “Young people are more engaged in the streets and with community organizing,” Golding said. Many young voters may be more inclined to participate in demonstrations because of feelings towards physically stating an opinion, which creates seemingly instantaneous change. These organized protests can be extremely engaging and create a sense of community, with shared thoughts and a collective hunger for action. However, without voting, these actions are heavily limited in effectiveness because they primarily function to pressure existing governmental forces, rather than create new ones. The ballot is the ideal spot for students to, not only voice concerns, but also make decisions with limitless autonomy. If the existing lawmakers aren’t proactive about current demands a barrier is created. However, voting new ones in can kickstart active change. “Politics [are] about our shared
Letters to the Editor Policy The University Star welcomes letters from our readers. Letters must be 300 words or fewer to be considered for publication. Writers must include their full name, mailing address, major and academic year designation (for students), phone number and e-mail address when submitting a letter. Submissions that do not include this information cannot be published. This information is seen only by the editors and is used to verify the identify of the letter writer. It is
SOPHIA GERKE | CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR
social world, being a part of it makes you qualified,” Golding said. With the upcoming election, students should research the candidates on the ballot, which can be done on official campaign websites and on sample ballots provided by Ballotpedia and the Texas Tribune. The voice of students matters and understanding their options can often be the best way to be prepared to make an ultimate choice. Going to a demonstration or joining political organizations on campus can create a very important push for change. Official change happens when a vote is cast. The less attention on an election, the less scrutiny there is on candidates who could be failing to address issues that matter to students. The ballot is an effective way to create opportunities that can influence the government to act in students’ favor. San Marcos City Council holds
public meetings the first and third Tuesdays of each month. At these meetings, it is important to ensure the city knows what young people want and that can be done by directly speaking on the issues before them. The most change is possible wherever there is student action, before, during and after the ballot. Young people have exceptional power in San Marcos, especially with the unique election opportunities this year. It is essential that students voice their concerns through voting at local elections.
- Regina Orozco Lopez Forment is an English senior and Venus Goss is a theatre teacher certification freshman
not used for any commercial purpose. Letters become the property of The Star and may be republished in any format. The letter may be edited for length and clarity. An editor will contact the letter writer if their letter is a candidate for publication. The Star will not run letters that are potentially libelous, discriminatory, obscene, threatening or promotional in nature. Letters can be submitted to staropinion@txstate.edu or by mail to Attn: Opinion Editor, The University Star, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666.
LIFE & ARTS
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Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Cady Clements | Life & Arts Editor | starlifeandarts@txstate.edu FEATURE
TXST couple retires after years supporting students By Sofee Reina Life and Arts Contributor
After 13 years of dedication to student success, Texas State educators Andrea and Peter Golato are saying goodbye to the university. Peter Golato retired on Aug. 31, followed by Andrea Golato on Sept. 30. Andrea Golato, former dean of the Graduate College, and Peter Golato, former French professor and director of the IDEA Center, helped develop programs and resources supporting undergraduate and graduate student achievements. The couple described the connection between Peter Golato’s undergraduate-focused work and Andrea Golato’s more graduatefocused work. “I don’t think either of us saw ourselves as being, like, me carrying PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE MALAZONIA the football down the field and then Former dean of the Graduate College Andrea Golato (left) and former French doing a pass up to her, and she says, professor and director of the IDEA Center, Peter Golato (right) pose for a photo. ‘I’m gonna keep running with the ball,’” Peter Golato said. “It just in 2021. The center promotes research students insight into careers in worked out that way.” at Texas State, particularly at the research and academia. The pair worked alongside each undergraduate level. As director, “He did a very good job of relating other for 14 years at the University Peter Golato organized events to students and showing them what of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before and workshops to inform students a researcher looks like,” White said. joining Texas State faculty in 2013, about opportunities to begin or “He was always very kind and very drawn by opportunities to expand continue research. supportive of [student] efforts.” undergraduate and graduate programs. Jeremy White, assistant director As dean of the Graduate College, “What was clear at the time was of the IDEA Center, said Peter Golato Andrea Golato expanded graduate that [Texas State] was a university on made a significant academic impact, programs and developed resources to the go,” Andrea Golato said. but he will remember his sense of support student retention. As a French professor and director humor most. Patti Giuffre, associate dean of of the IDEA Center, Peter Golato “He’s very personable, he’s very retention for the Graduate College, supported undergraduate students goofy,” White said. “He had a French said Andrea Golato made her feel through teaching and worked to make phrase for literally any situation.” welcome immediately. research more accessible. Beyond promoting research, the “I could just immediately see After serving as co-chair of IDEA Center helps students develop that she was an advocate for graduate the center’s founding task force and present their work. Drawing on students and graduate programs and beginning in 2019, Peter Golato his experience as a professor and had all these great new innovative became director of the IDEA Center researcher, Peter Golato offered ideas ... a lot of things just didn’t exist
before she was here,” Giuffre said. Andrea Golato established Graduate Student Appreciation Week and Shop Talks, initiatives aimed at supporting and recognizing graduate students and their work. She also helped secure funding for doctoral assistantships and expand the number of doctoral programs offered, contributing to Texas State’s efforts to achieve Research 1 (R1) status, the highest research activity classification for universities. Clay Green, interim dean of the Graduate College as of Oct. 1, said he admires Andrea Golato’s wisdom. “She knows the policy. She knows the people. She just has an incredible wealth of knowledge [making her] a great resource to go to,” Green said. Peter and Andrea Golato said their work was motivated by a belief in students’ potential and a passion for helping them succeed. “For me, that’s been the most important thing ... seeing student after student and saying, ‘yes, you can do this,’” Peter Golato said. “We can show you the tools, and then it’s off to the races.” The couple said they look forward to a change of scenery and new activities in retirement, though they do not necessarily plan to slow down. Andrea Golato said she will miss the people at Texas State, particularly her colleagues, their teamwork and watching students succeed. Peter Golato echoed her sentiments, adding that he will miss the San Marcos River and the food, especially from Pie Society. “We’ve shared the passion of helping students find their path,” Andrea Golato said. “It’s been wonderful to work together.”
FROM FRONT PERFORMANCE
AVA MILLER | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
The Price Center Ballet Dancers perform “Hoe Down” at the fifth annual Variety Show on Oct. 8. The dancers are members of the Price Center.
“There’s things going on and changes in their own lives, but I think people see the value in what the Price Center brings to our community,” Broome said. Broome embarked on a journey of collaborating with volunteers and board members, with the help of Clay DeStefano, the executive director of the Price Center, to build the Variety Show for the community. “It changes every year; there’s a variety of acts and performances, so, you know, they can be jugglers and singers and dancers ... this whole thing is about people showing their support to us and, you know, us receiving it,” DeStefano said. “It’s a big love fest in there.” With over a dozen performances, Broome said her goal was to showcase as much San Marcos talent as possible. The show featured acts ranging from ballet dancers to musical duos. On Sept. 15, the Hays County Commissioners Court denied the Price Center’s annual $10,000 grant request as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget. Though this will impact the Price Center’s available budget, Broome said the community response brought in record-breaking ticket sales that reflect the generosity of the Price Center’s members and the San
Marcos community. Tracy Weinberg, a member of the Hill Country Musician’s Guild and one of the musical performers, has been part of the event since its debut in 2022. Weinberg said she is excited each year to showcase local talent. “This was my third time playing solo,” Weinberg said. “For two years, I performed in a duo with my band mate and amazing guitarist, Gretchen McMahon.” Both Broome and Weinberg said this event has positively impacted the San Marcos community by not only providing funding to the Price Center but also bringing together people from different backgrounds. “Both the performers and the audience are a reflection of the broad base of people who come to the Price Center, with performers ranging from nine to 90 years old,” Weinberg said. “It’s a small-scale fundraiser open to everyone that celebrates the ordinary and the extraordinary; it’s simply a lot of fun.” Broome said the intersection between art and generosity is what the Price Center stands for, and the community’s response to that is heartening. “We hope that not only our members but the community at large who have enjoyed this event for the
last five years will feel motivated to support the Price Center in whatever capacity they are capable of,” Broome said. “We also hope that the show
will bring awareness to the diversity of our community and the many ways that the arts benefit us all.”
SNAPS
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Aiden Fritsche | Multimedia Editor | starmultimedia@txstate.edu
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
ALEX ORTIZ | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Viansa Reid sits behind her “Blind Date with a Book” booth during the inaugural San Marvelous Magical Book Fair, Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wake the Dead Coffee House in San Marcos. “Blind Date with a Book” features books wrapped and labeled with descriptions on the front to surprise readers.
SAMUEL LEE | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Texas State senior setter Dylan Gilkey (7) sets the ball, Saturday, Oct. 10, at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats lost to the Washington State Cougars 3-1.
ALEX ORTIZ | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
A young attendee tries on monarch butterfly wings, Saturday, Oct. 10, at the San Marcos Discovery Center. The booth offered children butterfly wings and educational information about monarch butterflies.
LIBBY ALLEN | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Talking Backwards performs during Frights and Sounds, Sunday, Oct. 11, in the alley outside of Sean Patrick’s. Talking Backwards is an indie band based in Austin, Texas. ALEX ORTIZ | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
The San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance representatives stands behind their informational booth, Saturday, Oct. 10, at the San Marcos Discovery Center. The organization works to preserve and maintain green spaces and trails. Visitors browse book displays beyond the entrance to the inaugural San Marvelous Magical Book Fair, Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wake the Dead Coffee House. San Marvelous Magical Book Fair is an event put on to encourage reading and promote local authors.
San Marcos Discovery Center staff member Niki Lake (left) and festival volunteer Mallory Manchester (right) pose Saturday, Oct. 10, at the San Marcos Discovery Center. The Monarch Butterfly Festival celebrates the migration of butterflies.
ALEX ORTIZ | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
ALEX ORTIZ | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER