DĺA DE LOS MUERTOS
An ofrenda sits in the Honors College, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, in Lampasas Hall. This year’s ofrenda theme showcases the Aztec belief that departed souls return as butterflies and hummingbirds.
By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
Among the sparkly skulls and yellow-orange marigolds, an abundance of paper butterflies and hummingbirds surround the ofrenda in Lampasas Hall. Each aerial animal carries the name of a departed loved one on its body, holding their spirit to visit the living and provide guidance.
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an annual Mexican and Latin American tradition that takes place Nov. 1-2 and commemorates the dearly departed. Friends and families celebrate by creating ofrendas, often decorated with portraits of deceased loved ones and offerings of food, flowers and candles to guide them to the living. To honor the holiday, the Honors College in Lampasas Hall prepares an ofrenda centered around a theme.
Michelle Sotolongo, Honors College advisor, said this year’s theme is centered around butterflies and hummingbirds.
“There’s a lot of symbolism attached to those two animals and images in different cultures, but when it comes to the Day of the Dead, it is part of the pre-Hispanic tradition or belief that our ancestors, our loved ones and spirits would return to visit during this season as butterflies or as hummingbirds,” Sotolongo said.
Firing of Alter, other administrative decisions, lead guest lecturers to withdraw from speaking
By Ryan Claycamp News Editor
At least three academics, including two potential research consultants, have withdrawn from or declined offers to speak to or work with history classes at Texas State since Sept. 10.
The guest lecturers cited reasons
Ice Ice Baby: A look at Texas State hockey
By John Lysaght Sports Contributor
To the players, coaches and volunteers, Texas State hockey is far more than just a club team.
Every Tuesday and Thursday night, the team gathers at the Northwoods Ice and Golf Center for the few chances they have for ice time. It’s located in a dimly lit parking lot in a nondescript shopping center in northwest San Antonio.
Practice starts at 10:30 p.m. when most of the businesses in the area have already closed down, about two dozen young men show up, clad in street clothes with their oversized hockey bags. They will practice past midnight, learning plays, doing reps in drills and fine tuning their game.
The players bring their own padding, pay for their own jerseys and equipment, drive their own cars and prepare for their next scheduled game, all on their own dollar. If a stick, for example, breaks during practice, it could cost as much as $400 for a replacement.
It might appear to be a lot of work for a club sport, but for those who are a part of Texas State hockey, it has become worth it.
It’s truly a family,” Miyoko McDonald, social media coordinator
such as the firing of former Associate History Professor Thomas Alter, course audits and fears of retaliation as reasons for rejecting the opportunity.
Historian Michael Phillips and coauthor Betsy Friauf, coauthors of “The Purifying Knife: The Troubling History of Eugenics in Texas,” were
By Kosi Omenkeukwu Life & Arts Contributor
Instead of breaking the bank on Halloween costumes, several Texas State students are finding creative ways to repurpose clothing items they already have into new ideas for the holiday. The University Star posted on its Instagram to ask students about what items from their closet they are repurposing for Halloween this year.
ENVIRONMENT
the most recent people to deny speaking at Texas State, when they rejected being research consultants for one of John Mckiernan-González’s, director of the Center for Southwest Studies at Texas State, classes.
“I’ve been in Texas State, since 2013 and I probably invited at least
Edee Dillard, Clark Kent
Edee Dillard, marketing freshman, said her Clark Kent costume idea came after watching Superman in the theaters with her mom. After saving a similar look from Pinterest, she realized she already owned most of what she needed.
“I bought the tube top,” Dillard said. “Everything else is stuff that I already had.”
SEE STUDENTS PAGE 8
two other faculty, two other academics and other people to come to campus [a year],” Mckiernan-González said. “So, if I were to average that out, I think I would be, probably four a year. So that’s maybe 40 people I’ve invited to campus.”
Marketing freshman
poses with her Superman costume, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 at LBJ..
Dry season could intensify ongoing drought
founded in 1917 and is named after mathematics professor S.M. Sewell.
By Arabella DiChristina Assistant News Editor
As the dry season approaches, the ongoing stage three drought in San Marcos could worsen.
The city of San Marcos has been under stage three drought restrictions for over a year, limiting residential water use. San Marcos is approaching dry season after experiencing an already dry October, according to the deputy director of the Spring Lake Education Program, Miranda Wait.
According to Wait, although the San Marcos River is currently at stage three drought restrictions, the San Antonio Pool, part of the Edwards Aquifer, is in a stage four drought.
“[October] is supposed to be one of the wettest months. That’s kind of scary thinking, considering that, just looking at the current flow for the aquifer here in San Marcos, it’s at 88 and we’re in stage four drought ... We should be above 100 at the minimum, closer to 200 for it to be normal or healthy flow,” Wait said.
SEE DROUGHT PAGE 2
MEG BOLES | MULTIMEDIA
Edee Dillard
HOCKEY
FEATURE
ISABELLE CANTU | ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
With the Edwards Aquifer at stage four, Wait said less water is being pushed out of Spring Lake, causing the water in the river to be lower and the flow to be weaker.
“How long are we going to have water in Spring Lake and still be able to do glass-bottom boats?” Wait said. “So that’s a real question that I and my team have to talk about and think about... There is not as much water in the aquifer as promised to people.”
Wait said she has never seen the water level this low for this long, and that 10 years ago, Spring Lake was a foot higher. Wait stated that “it’s definitely going to be in our lifetime where we start having major issues around freshwater.”
Jason Julian, geography and environmental studies professor, wrote in an email to The Star that the flow in the river doesn’t just depend on rainfall, but the contributions from two different aquifers: Edwards and Trinity.
The Edwards and Trinity aquifers are interconnected through faults, which allows for water to flow between them; however, each has their own separate systems and recharge zones according to the Edwards Aquifer website.
Both aquifers feed into the San Marcos River, with the Edwards being the primary source and Trinity contributing to the river’s tributaries, or smaller streams that flow into a larger river, like the Blanco River.
“If we continue to pump the Trinity Aquifer at unsustainable rates, we will see even further reductions in the flow of surrounding springs and the San Marcos River,” Julian said.
Julian wrote that Texas is in a megadrought that started around the turn of the century, with the annual average precipitation decreasing since.
“In the past 20 years, we have seen droughts become more frequent, more intense, and last longer. If scientists are right, our current drought will not only persist but get worse,” Julian wrote. “It’s going to be a long time, maybe not even in our lifetimes, until we see rainfall like we had in the 1980s and 1990s.”
Julian wrote that with the growing population in San Marcos, more people are depending on the river for various social demands.
“The increased building can also impact water quality, as well as flooding,” Julian wrote. “Development along Purgatory Creek, Willow Creek, and Sessom Creek, the major
tributaries to the San Marcos River within the city, has affected water quality and flooding.”
Adriana Montoya, a geography master, said it’s concerning to see threats to the river when Texas State University has much of its research, culture and educational outputs.
“The relationship between humans and water is really one of exploitation, I would say. Both, like physically on an infrastructure level, but then also legally, there aren’t a whole lot of legal checks on how much water can be regulated and conserved and protected,” Montoya said.
San Marcos is battling the drought through water restrictions and partnering with water treatment plants like
Editor-in-Chief: Blake Leschber stareditor@txstate.edu
Managing Editor: Rhian Davis starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu
News Editor: Ryan Claycamp starnews@txstate.edu
Life & Arts Editor: Carlene Ottah starlifeandarts@txstate.edu
Opinions Editor: Andrew Bencivengo staropinion@txstate.edu
Design Editor: Jen Nguyen stardesign@txstate.edu
Laura Krantz,
Sports Editor: Adrian Ramirez starsports@txstate.edu
Multimedia Editor: Meg Boles starmultimedia@txstate.edu
Engagement Editor: Tatum Pou starengagement@txstate.edu
PIR Director: Keely Florez starpr@txstate.edu
Creative Service Director: Carson Rodgers starcreative@txstate.edu
Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, October 28, 2025. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The
the Carrizo Water Treatment Plant and the Canyon Regional Water Authority to receive water in return for funding.
NATALIE MURRAY | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
New ordinance grants tenant’s right to organize
By Lesdy Hernandez Senior News Reporter
San Marcos renters are now permitted to organize tenant advocacy organizations under a newly passed city ordinance.
During its Oct. 21 meeting, the San Marcos City Council approved an ordinance that recognizes tenants’ rights to organize and advocate for housing issues without fear of property manager or agent retaliation.
Brought forward by the San Marcos Civics Club, the tenant’s right to organize allows renters to initiate advocacy efforts within their housing premises, such as conducting door-to-door surveys, holding tenant meetings and participating in recruiting for tenant advocacy organizations.
Maxfield Baker, founder of the San Marcos Civics Club, said the ordinance’s fundamental goals are to bring together renters who feel their rights are not being represented or respected.
“Just like the power of unions, these tenant associations are a really great way to get people that are otherwise really busy working multiple jobs and all that kind of stuff, to give them a place to really focus frustrations and issues they’re having with management or property managers or landlords,” Baker said.
Baker said the tenants’ right to organize ordinance is only the foundation to address the bigger housing issues tenants face on their day to day.
Maintenance problems, lack of communication and early lease termination are among some of the most common issues renters experience.
The ordinance states landlords who interfere with or obstruct those rights can be punished with a misdemeanor charge, a general penalty for violations of the code.
FROM FRONT FREE SPEECH
According to MckiernanGonzález, speakers have canceled before due to scheduling conflicts, but never because of issues they had with Texas State University.
Texas State said they were unable to comment on the matter.
“Immediately it occurred to me that if we participated in an event at [Texas State], an officially sanctioned event, that we would essentially be saying that what happened to Alter was not important,” Phillips said.
Phillips is passionate about Alter’s case, not only because they are both historians, but also because Phillips previously dealt with what he claims are free speech issues. In 2021, Phillips’ employment at Collin College was not renewed after he advocated for students wearing facemasks in the classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After his contract was not renewed, Phillips sued the institution. He ultimately lost the case, but the American Association of University Professors and the American Historical Association condemned Collin College for its actions.
Phillips said that by firing Alter, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse and his administration have created an atmosphere of fear among faculty on campus.
“Sadly, [Damphousse] has also provided a model for McCarthyite suppression of constitutionallyprotected speech that will undoubtedly provide a toxic model for other colleges and universities across the country with similar timid and unethical leadership,” Phillips said.
According to Phillips, another reason for him to cancel his speaking event was the fears that whatever he said could be used as grounds to punish any faculty that invited him to speak.
Just two days after Phillips sent his letter declining to speak at Texas
During the meeting, Hannah Garcia, government and community affairs director for the Austin Apartments Association, expressed the department’s concern regarding the inclusion of property management as liable for violations of the city ordinance that raise both legal and operational issues.
Garcia said under the Texas Local Government Code, “an individual who’s an employee of the owner of real property for which a citation for a violation of a county or municipal rule or ordinances issued, or a company that managed the property on behalf of the property owner, is not personally liable for criminal or civil penalties.”
“In addition to that, conflict with state law extending criminal penalty with life and liability to an owner, to a person versus the contracted agent of an owner, could create significant challenges, disrupting the effective management of communities on site, teams are focused on ensuring safety, security and quality of life for residents,” Garcia said Baker said that although the road to the adoption of the ordinance was a long one, it was the support of the community and council members Amanda Rodriguez and Shane Scott that made it possible.
“I think that [support] really illustrated how, across the aisle this kind of issue is and how important it is to again, 71% of San Marcos ... [is] renters, so seeing such a big change for such a significant portion of the population was kind of a no-brainer,” Baker said.
The council discussed possible education outreach methods on the ordinance for San Marcos’ tenant community, such as mailers and the development of a resource information site by the Office of Community Support and Resource Navigation.
The site is set to be fully operational by late
State, Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a post on X that Texas would go after faculty and administrators at universities over “ideological differences.”
“Texas is targeting professors who are more focused on pushing leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation,” Abbott wrote in the post. “We must end indoctrination and return to education fundamentals at all levels of education.”
Mckiernan-González said that decisions like Phillips’ will hurt the university because it weakens students’ and faculty members’ ability to interact with outside academics.
“Universities are connected to the rest of the world, and the connections are incredibly soft. They’re hard to put your finger on,” MckiernanGonzález said. “They’re hard to figure out how people are connected from one university to the other, and this decision that seems really arbitrary to so many people goes directly against those soft threads.”
Phillips said the only two ways himself and Friauf would ever consider speaking at Texas State again would be if Damphousse resigned, or if Damphousse reinstates Alter and makes a serious commitment to defending free speech and academic freedom.
“We hope that one day Texas State’s leadership and intellectual climate will change. Until that moment, however, we must decline your gracious invitation and decline to participate in any official events there,” Phillips wrote in his letter to Mckiernan-González. “We will encourage other scholars to also decline similar events at Texas State.”
Phillips said because of things like Alter’s termination, but also ongoing course audits and firings at other universities had led him to feel that no state funded institutions of higher education in Texas can be
October or early November.
“It was so many moving pieces with staff just being phenomenal, Mr. Baker just being relentless, but also willing to work with everybody and I just have made respect for all of the advocates who have been coming out time and time again to share their support, my colleagues, Mr. Scott for being my second, I really do appreciate it,” Rodriguez said during the meeting.
With the passing of the ordinance, Baker said the San Marcos Civics Club will continue to advocate for renters in San Marcos and expand their work with Texas State University student organizations.
“If we had tenants associations that people could go to and get the truth from, versus paid-for reviews or staffers that work for those apartment complexes writing reviews and stuff like that, I think that would be really impactful,” Baker said. “We know that students are a marginalized population in the sense that they are at risk.”
The San Marcos Civics Club and Austin Apartment Association plan to discuss and work together on future tenants’ bill of rights initiatives and efforts.
trusted to allow for “fully honest” research.
“We already see in Texas, we see people leaving the state because they’re afraid of the political pressures that are forcing them to alter their
research, how they teach, what they talk about or even the conversations that they have with colleagues,” Phillips said. “They’ve really created an atmosphere of absolute paranoia, and that’s not a healthy environment.”
Maxfield Baker
RHIAN DAVIS | MANAGING EDITOR
Bencivengo
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.
Student media is a vital voice for its community
By Editorial Board
On Oct. 14, Indiana University fired its student media director and ordered the Indiana Daily Student (IDS) to end all print publications. This was a blatant act of censorship, and it’s one that cannot be ignored.
In the turmoil of today’s political climate, student media is under attack and it is important — now more than ever — to stand behind student journalists and support their mission.
In recent weeks, the IDS has encountered disputes with university administration. According to editors at the paper, the administration had ordered them to stop printing traditional news coverage in editions of the paper.
Prior to that, the university limited print editions of the paper from weekly to seven special issues per semester. While the IDS website was still able to publish news, eliminating an outlet for news coverage is nothing less than censorship.
When student media director and IDS adviser Jim Rodenbush pushed
back against administration and refused to tell his students to cease news publication, he was terminated.
Student media has also come under attack in Texas, notably at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). In early 2025, UTD removed newsstands that held UTD’s student
paper, The Mercury, after the paper went on strike over the firing of its editor-in-chief.
In response to the firing of its editor, members of the paper created The Retrograde, a completely independent student-run paper.
Despite efforts to control and
silence the voices of students, student media persists, with the goal to continue to serve campuses.
The importance of student media cannot be undermined. In an age where print media is floundering and news deserts are growing, student publications are a vital source of information for not only their university communities, but also the surrounding communities.
Student media works to ensure fair, accurate and transparent coverage of the news, and serves as a launchpad for careers in media. Independence is vital, as it allows students to hold institutions accountable and act as community advocates.
The media should never be nervous about coverage or the pursuit of the truth. If this publications autonomy is violated, they exist only as an approved source of university PR.
Student press should continue to have this freedom, without it, campus communities will lose their advocates.
Texas State’s educational quality is at risk due to censorship
By Mark Gabrielides Opinions Contributor
Education at Texas State is at risk of undergoing censorship. With the removal of LGBTQ+ courses and the termination of faculty, Texas State’s curriculum has come to reflect the ideals of state legislators rather than academic pursuit.
With the state’s introduction of bills such as SB 12 and SB 37, alongside pressure on Texas State by state representatives to remove material from the curriculum, Texas State’s quality of education is at risk, already presenting itself through the limitations put on campus free speech.
Education should be free of biases and provide a variety of topics for students to consider to form opinions. The increase in state-wide censorship at schools has challenged the very concept of education, contradicting and weaponizing it.
If biases derived from political talking points is presented in higher educational curricula, learning in public facilities will become synonymous with indoctrination.
Former Associate History Professor Tom Alter’s termination and the removal of courses related to LGBTQ+ studies show how censorship has already affected the campus. Tensions at Texas State have increased, leading students and faculty to fear how far the breach may extend. Faculty should not have to tiptoe around predetermined lines when teaching their students.
Micromanaging classrooms is a direct attack on higher education by state legislators. Without a broad education with topics that can be controversial, the validity of a Texas State degree may dwindle as essential information is withheld. Texas State
could become known as an institution that prohibits discussions necessary for gaining expertise in fields of study, ultimately affecting the value of its degrees.
Dwight David Watson, an associate professor of history at Texas State who specializes in African American history and the civil rights movement, said education is most effective when it is not being manipulated by those in power.
“If you control what I learn, you control what we think ... they’re trying to limit the maximum effectiveness of education,” Watson said. “Why all of a sudden is equity and fairness no longer appealing? It turns out they’re afraid of obsolescence ... of competing fairly against people.”
This censorship in education is not a new concept. The Red Scare is a term used to refer to two individual periods of censorship spurred by
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
government warnings on the influence of communist ideologies.
During this period, higher education saw the surveillance of teachers and removal of course content due to paranoia, limiting earnest discussions critical to fully understanding subjects.
This disrupted higher education with mass firings of faculty, while creating knowledge gaps among students. Students would go on to lack information and contexts of topics arbitrarily deemed communist, harming society as a whole.
Texas State is at risk of undergoing a McCarthy-esque crusade as state legislators violate academic freedom and impose their ideologies on students.
Students and faculty at Texas State need to be aware of this change, making sure to apply pressure to the university to protect the quality of a
Texas State education. Texas State has already seen guest lecturers deciding not to speak at Texas State in lieu of recent campus events.
Academic excellence at Texas State may falter if compliance with censorship continues. Faculty may see lower attendance rates in classes as students begin to value their education less, while students applying to Texas State may reconsider attending.
This academic breach will make Texas State a less attractive school, pushing passionate professors away from working under the name of a school that bows down to calls for censorship.
To prevent another Red Scare, Texas State must fight to expand its curriculum rather than diminish it.
-Mark Gabrielides is an English and education freshman
letter writer. It is 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.
SOPHIA GERKE | ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR
The Main Point is an opinion written by The University Star’s Editorial Board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of our entire publication.
Bobcats look to crown themselves victors against conference leading Dukes
By Adrian Ramirez Sports Editor
It has officially been over a month since Texas State football won a game. Its last victory came on Sept. 20 against FCS opponent Nicholls State, and the path to breaking the month-long drought doesn’t appear to be getting any easier as James Madison is set to roll into town on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The last three weeks for Texas State have been gut-wrenching: A one-point loss to Arkansas State, followed by back-to-back overtime losses to Troy and Marshall. These losses have put a large blemish on a season where the Bobcats were expected to compete for a Sun Belt title.
James Madison, on the other hand, has taken care of business this season and finds itself sitting at 6-1 overall with a perfect 4-0 conference record atop the East division in the Sun Belt.
On paper, James Madison is as complete a football team as the Sun Belt has to offer, and they match up well against Texas State. The Dukes are good on offense and defense and simply put, are going to be a big test for the Bobcats.
It is no secret at this point in the year that the identity of Texas State football is an explosive offense, but the Bobcats have yet to face a defense as stiff as JMU. James Madison has the best defense in the Sun Belt, ranking 14th in the country with 15.57 points per game allowed, and their 237 yards allowed per game is fourth in the nation.
While JMU boasts a daunting defensive unit, if there is an offense in the Sun Belt that can score on the Dukes, it figures to be Texas State. Coming into Tuesday’s matchup, Texas State’s 36.1 points per game is the best in the Sun Belt and tied with Texas A&M for 27th in the country. The Bobcats also rank ninth in the nation with 487.9 yards per game.
The Bobcats boast the conference’s third leading rusher in redshirt senior Lincoln Pare with 86.9 yards per game and the second and fourth leading pass catchers in junior wide receivers Chris Dawn Jr. and Beau Sparks with 84.2 and 96.3 yards per game, respectively.
Rounding out the leaders is redshirt freshman quarterback Brad Jackson. Jackson leads the Sun
FROM FRONT CLUB
and photographer, said. “Everyone involved with the team is seen as family. [The players] are a brotherhood, and even I am like their sister.”
Texas State resides in Division II of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). As a member of the Texas Collegiate Hockey Confer ence, the 2025 regular season includes opponents such as UT-Austin, Texas A&M and North Texas.
While opposing schools are in a somewhat close proximity, the degree of funding for the separate school club programs varies greatly.
“We pay a lot of money out of pocket to make this work. But it’s not a selfish thing, we do it for each other,” Jake Recore, sophomore forward and team president, said. “We each pay dues, and we raise money through finding sponsorships and scholarships. I actually put together a budget to ask the school for about $1,000, and they’d probably be shocked to see our budget for the year is close to $40,000.”
Club sports receive a limited amount of financial support from the university, leaving many associated with the team to fill in the gaps, from travel expenses to equipment upkeep and replacement. Part of the players’ dues go toward skate and equipment maintenance, travel and lodging costs and dues paid to the ACHA.
Belt with 255.1 yards per game.
It will be strength on strength when the Texas State offense and James Madison defense meet on the field Tuesday night.
James Madison has a clear and distinct advantage against the Texas State defense. Unlike the offense, which remains one of the nation’s best, the Bobcat defense remains one of the worst. The 31.29 points per game that the Bobcats are allowing rank 115 out of 134 teams in the country.
While much of the focus is on James Madison’s stifling defense, its offense is no slouch. The Dukes’ 32.3 points per game is fourth in the Sun Belt and good enough for a top-50 ranking in the country.
For Texas State, hopes of a conference title are all but gone, but the season is still salvageable. A win against James Madison could turn around the Bobcats’ final season in the Sun Belt and put Texas State back on track toward another bowl game.
Texas State will look to ruin James Madison’s perfect conference record at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28 at UFCU Stadium. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
“We sharpen our own skates,” Nate Patek, sophomore defenseman and vice president, said. “We could pay the ice rink to sharpen them for us, but it saves us money to just do it ourselves.”
Head Coach Barry Cummins, who took over a few years ago when the team only had eight players, is trying to chart a path forward for the future of
sometimes get lost in the shuffle. But Recore invites those interested in seeing compelling, exciting hockey to check out the team.
“It’s the best ice sport in the world, in and of itself. And there’s a real passion in these guys to play the game and win,” Recore said. “We have a fire in our bellies, we saw [the University of Texas] go to nationals last season, and we were right there. We play to win.”
Texas State senior running back Lincoln Pare (7) celebrates following a play against Eastern Michigan, Aug. 30, 2025, at UFCU Stadium. TXST won 52-27.
AYDEN OREDSON | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Texas State junior wide receiver Beau Sparks (11) is being lifted and surrounded by teammates after his second touchdown against Eastern Michigan, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at UFCU Stadium. TXST won 52-27.
AYDEN OREDSON | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
LESLIE BELLO STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Texas State senior forward Leo Bilic (16) hits a slapshot against Texas A&M, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, at Spirit Ice Arena in College Station. Texas State lost 4-0.
LIFE & ARTS
Star Stories returns to Texas State for seventh year of storytelling
By Cara Cervenka Life and Arts Reporter
Content warning: This article contains discussions of self-harm, substance use and suicide.
Members of the Texas State and San Marcos communities gathered on Oct. 22 at George’s in the LBJ Student Center to attend The University Star’s seventh annual Star Stories. The event featured eight first-person narratives from speakers who shared unique insights and unforgettable moments from their experiences.
Jessica Bunting — Psychology junior
After 13 years in an abusive marriage, Jessica Bunting found herself rebuilding her life from the ground up. She self-published a book, underwent cervical disc replacement surgery in 2021 and returned to higher education two decades after graduating high school.
“My road may have been a bit challenging thus far, but I appreciate every lesson I learned from the ride,” Bunting said. “It brought me to a place I thought I would never find — a place within myself full of the love and acceptance I desperately sought for so long.”
John Fannon — Recreational therapy graduate student
John Fannon’s path to healing began long after leaving the battlefield. Motivated by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq, where he lost several friends in combat. Years later, he struggled with anger and suicidal thoughts until joining “Fight Oar Die,” a nonprofit promoting veterans’ mental health. In 2019, Fannon rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in 50 days to raise awareness.
“It’s not about veterans or extreme athletes,” Fannon said. “It’s about the fire that burns inside each of us to challenge ourselves, grow and challenge ourselves again.”
Morgan Gaither — Psychology senior
At four years old, Morgan Gaither began selfharming. By 13, she was using morphine, and by 20, she was addicted to fentanyl and meth. After multiple hospitalizations and four years in and out of treatment, she entered recovery and returned to school. Now studying psychology and as a member of the Honors College, Gaither wants to help others who are struggling.
“I learned that I was worthy of love — and I have to love myself,” Gaither said. “I can’t become someone I love by hating myself.”
Chuck Harris — Evans Auditorium operations manager
After 25 years as a public school teacher, Chuck Harris noticed how often young women apologized
for simply existing. Now working with dancers and artists at Texas State, he challenges that mindset. He began encouraging students to replace “I’m sorry” with “excuse me” and reminding them they belong in every room they enter.
“Every time a young woman says, ‘I’m sorry for being in the way,’ she steps a little further out of her own story,” Harris said. “The question isn’t how do we get young women to stop apologizing, it’s how do we stop teaching them they’re in the way to begin with?”
Usama Khan — Civil engineering doctoral student
Growing up in Pakistan without his parents, Usama Khan was raised by his grandparents and later his aunt and uncle, who filled his childhood with love but left him yearning for a sense of belonging. After losing several family members and watching the sister he helped raise get married, he fell into depression and smoked to cope. Despite financial hardship and emotional setbacks, Khan pushed forward, earning top marks in engineering, completing his master’s degree and eventually being accepted into a doctorate program at Texas State.
“Don’t worry about things outside your control,” Khan said. “The world seems to be tearing itself apart, but we can all put a little bit of it back together if we focus on kindness within our own circles.”
Gerardo Treviño Ramos — Industrial engineering graduate student
Gerardo Treviño Ramos’ life instantly changed when a car accident in Mexico left him severely injured and unable to walk, shower or care for himself for nearly two months. He spent 55 days in the hospital recovering from multiple fractures, including a broken ankle, nose and ribs, facing the physical and emotional toll of such a traumatic experience. Through it all, he leaned on his family and friends for support. By the following year, Ramos regained his mobility and clarity about his purpose, with the experience giving him perspective and making him stronger.
“It was something that breaks you down and humbles you, then you must learn from it and rebuild,” Ramos said. “It took almost losing everything to realize how precious life really is.”
Quinn Valentine — Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
For a single mother of three, entrepreneurship was the reason Quinn Valentine could provide a better life for herself and her children. She earned a degree in small business management and entrepreneurship, but never knew what to do with it, as she felt the professors had neglected to give students any practical lessons they could use in the real world. After years of teaching and directing athletics, she turned her Arizona farmhouse into a business and later founded “4Quinns Farm.” Additionally, she launched a commercial solar farm to help local small businesses thrive. Valentine now teaches at Texas State, where she helps students build and run real businesses, giving them the tools she wishes she had received.
“I tell my students and my children: just try,” Valentine said. “Don’t wait until it’s perfect – just get out there and do it. I didn’t teach them to be kids. I didn’t go, ‘Ooh, ah, that’s a cute little idea.’ I said, ‘No, here’s some supplies that help.’”
Renee Wendel — Clinical educator and former Texas State softball player
Once a collegiate shortstop, Renee Wendel always dreamed of being both a mother and a teacher. When her son was diagnosed with autism, she learned a new kind of communication through patience and observation. Now a clinical educator and speech-language pathologist, Wendel said the experience reshaped her approach to teaching and parenting.
“Strength isn’t the first pitch or the last out — it lives in the steps we take after stumbling and the bridges we build in our communities,” Wendel said.
‘Good Boy’ provides a treat-worthy performance
By Marvin Goines Life and Arts Reporter REVIEW
Originally premiering on March 10 at South by Southwest, “Good Boy” has been theatrically released in time for Halloween.
A horror film told through the point of view of director Ben Leonberg’s dog, “Good Boy,” follows Indy as he tries to remain courageous alongside his owner and best friend, Todd, played by Shane Jensen. Although the supernatural story elements don’t break any new ground, the new perspective of experiencing the events through Indy is exhilarating and tense.
Some creative choices in “Good Boy” were particularly effective, such as positioning the camera low to the ground for most shots and angling it to mimic Indy’s perspective. Whenever there was human dialogue, it was lightly muffled or masked by ambient sounds such as water, electrical humming or creaks from within the cabin.
Todd’s face is rarely shown — instead, shots are taken from other sides to conceal his face as his lung condition worsens throughout the week. Rather than the tropey foreshadowing of coughing, “Good Boy” is more defined by having Todd cough up blood in increasing amounts. The jump scares are minimal, eliciting
hardly any strong reaction and barely scratching the surface of the supernatural elements that would be commonplace in most horror films.
The runtime was shockingly short, hovering at an hour and 13 minutes, and the credits provided a behind-thescenes look at how Leonberg trained Indy. The movie started with a brisk pace in the first half but shifted gears back and forth far too much, creating a disconnect and general boredom. What had a high ceiling potential of being interesting quickly became fatiguing as the story failed to do anything truly daring. Even though “Good Boy” had the advantage of an offbeat premise, the lack of exploring it is the most unfortunate part of the film.
One striking decision was how an old television was utilized throughout the story. Todd flips back and forth between home movies of his grandfather to old television shows that his grandfather used to watch on the television set. It’s an intriguing effort that boosts the overall dread in the film by inserting interactions between Todd’s grandfather and Indy. Since the grandfather also had a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever like Indy, the relationship with Todd is extended to his family members.
As Todd continues to review the
home movies, there is a back-and-forth transposition of the events happening on film and within the cabin. When the tapes roll around to Todd’s grandfather, hints at Todd’s fate begin to become clearer. The decline of Todd’s condition begins to run parallel to his treatment of Indy, as well as the terrors that have begun to stalk them around the property. Even though Indy tries to be the best possible companion to Todd, the illness creates a physical divide between them that is heartbreaking and teases the finale.
“Good Boy” holds its highlights in the performance of Indy, an incredible feat to have an untrained dog be so emotive through eye contact, whimpers and barks. Indy is remarkably expressive, and the amazing amount of work that went into the production and direction shows. Another impressive feat is that the production team opted not to use any visual effects on Indy, which helped keep the budget to $750,000. The film has already grossed $6,000,000 at the box office. With the limited number of showings and the brief theatrical release
window, this level of success indeed makes this movie a “Good Boy.”
The eight Star Stories speakers line up at the end of the event, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, at George’s.
AIDEN FRITSCHE | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Many Indigenous groups, such as the Aztecs, believed the souls of the departed would return as hummingbirds and butterflies, creating the centuries-old link between spirituality and the monarch butterflies’ annual return. San Marcos lies within the monarch butterflies’ migration path to central Mexico. The butterflies tend to make an appearance going southbound in October and return going northbound in March.
“Since monarch butterflies are not a very common sighting during the year other than when they’re returning back, it has the belief that if we see a butterfly in another time, it’s because it’s a loved one who’s coming to visit us,” Gloria Velásquez, professor of instruction at the Department of World Languages and Literature, said.
Hummingbirds are also seen around this time, as they are present in pre-Hispanic cultures as spirits returning to visit as birds. Velásquez said hummingbirds help with the pain of loss. As someone from Mexico who identifies with an Indigenous ancestry, Velásquez said when a hummingbird approaches a person and does not move away when they speak to them, it is a loved one coming back to tell them they can let go and that they are OK. She recently encountered a hummingbird after her father died in July.
“I was there [in my office], trying to work
FROM FRONT STUDENTS
Dillard paired the blue tube top with a white dress shirt, a black mini skirt, a blazer and an old pair of glasses to sell the Clark Kent look. To make the logo stand out on the tube top, she used a garment printer at her on-campus job.
Dillard said she tries to avoid buying new costumes for Halloween and instead builds ideas from clothes she already has, or dance costumes from her past.
“I thought it was great, I didn’t have to spend more money than I already have,” Dillard said. “I work on campus, but I want to save money where I can and use it on other stuff.”
Jazzalynn Perez, evil clown
Jazzalynn Perez, mass communications junior, has used the same bright red tutu to create two different Halloween costumes in the past. This year, she plans to reinvent it once again for a new look.
“I actually got [the red tutu] with an old costume in 2022,” Perez said. “Since it’s a basic red tutu, I have used it in two costumes.”
In 2022, she paired the tutu with a pink satin top, sheer fishnet tights and a small bow and arrow for her cupid look. She completed the look with a red heart headband and reused the costume the following year. In 2024, Perez completely changed the item’s aesthetic to create a rag doll costume. She tucked the tutu under a blue polka-
because I was not able to concentrate, and I was thinking of the days when I was little and [my father] used to hold my hand and take us to the park, and out of nowhere, there’s a hummingbird next to my window looking in,” Velásquez said. “Was it a coincidence? Perhaps, but did it bring me a sense of peace? It did.”
Sotolongo said the ofrenda’s theme was also inspired by being a part of the San Marcos Mural Arts Committee, which began in 2014 to bring more murals to the city. A member since 2017, she became interested in one of its upcoming projects, temporarily called the “Pollinator Wings,” which seeks to add butterfly, bee, bat, bird and beetle wings to buildings.
“We thought it was a great way to spread the word about how important pollinators are to our ecosystem,” Charlotte Wattigny, creative and marketing manager of the Convention and Visitor Bureau, said. “We were looking at how some cities have angel wings you can stand in front of and take a picture. We thought, ‘What would be cooler than having all five pollinator-type wings on different buildings?’”
Across from the ofrenda, there are QR codes nearby that lead to the monarch butterfly’s migration pattern and San Marcos’ designations. San Marcos became a Monarch Champion City last fall
dotted dress with a short, white apron attached and completed the look with red and white knee-high socks.
This year, Perez wants to reuse the tutu for her evil clown costume.
“I find [creating different outfits tied together by the same item] is a great way to stay sustainable and not have to buy a new costume every
and a Bird City in January. Sotolongo believes it is important for people to learn about pollinators and appreciate the ecosystem people share.
“There are lots of people who are part of both [the Texas State and San Marcos] communities,” Sotolongo said. “We’re sharing these resources in this space, the land. There’s always the town-andgown tension, the students versus the locals, but all of us here, and we’re coexisting in this time and place. And so, we should be aware of what that means and any kind of consequences or opportunities that that may present.”
Sotolongo has created new ofrenda themes since the early 2000s, and she hopes people can learn from them whenever they walk by the Honors College.
“Hopefully, [students are] learning something either culturally or about our local community and environment and feeling like they have contributed something, or maybe it’s connecting to students on another personal level, like it reminds them of home or their families,” Sotolongo said. “That’s something that everybody’s looking for: that sense of belonging and connection.”
The Honors College’s ofrenda will be up until Nov. 7 on the fourth floor of Lampasas Hall.
year,” Perez said. “I feel that most Halloween costumes on Halloween can be easily made at home from your closet.”
Celia Strang, Danny Phantom Celia Strang, English sophomore, is turning childhood nostalgia into a Halloween costume this year by using pieces from her closet.
“I had white boots in my closet, and then I had this white belt that I had no use for and some gloves,” Strang said. “So, I was like, ‘What can I do that has white, white and white?’”
That led Strang to Danny Phantom, the ghost-fighting cartoon character she rediscovered earlier this year. She tends to go as a character from a cartoon she previously watched, as last year, she found an orange vest and a navy jacket to dress up as Dipper from “Gravity Falls.”
For Danny Phantom, Strang already had the white accessories and only needed to purchase a black long-sleeve shirt and black sweatpants for the character’s signature look. She also plans to complete the look with dramatic green makeup.
Strang said using items from her closet is not just about convenience but also necessity.
“I cannot afford to spend like a hundred bucks on a costume,” Strang said. “If I can make it work without spending money, then I will.”
Left: Mass communication junior Jazzalynn Perez poses in her rag doll costume. Center: English sophomore Celia Strang poses in her Danny Phantom costume. Right: Marketing freshman Edee Dillard poses in her Clark Kent costume.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MEG BOLES | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
The ofrenda at the Honors College, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, at Lampasas Hall. Contributors can also add other items to the ofrenda like photo printouts, candles and trinkets.
ISABELLE CANTU | ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Spooky Snaps
Studio art
freshman Ginger Porter (left) and computer science
junior Sofia Dubose (right) browse mini pumpkins, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at First United Methodist Church’s pumpkin patch. Porter and Dubose were on a date and later planned to paint pumpkins.
Associate theatre
professor Scott Murdock (right) balances a pumpkin on his head while geography natural resources and environment
senior Shelby Young (left) watches, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at First United Methodist Church’s pumpkin patch.
Lead guitarist of The Unlimited Stars Bre MacKenzie performs at the Frights and Sounds music festival, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, at Sean Patricks Irish Bar on The Square. The Unlimited Stars are a local Austin romantic goth band.
AVA MILLER | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
CARLENE OTTAH | LIFE & ARTS EDITOR
CARLENE OTTAH
The First United Methodist Church hosts a fall Pumpkin Patch, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in San Marcos.
Violinist for The Unlimited Stars Maddy Brotherton (right), and lead guitarist Bre MacKenzie (left), perform their original song “Beacon” at Frights and Sounds music festival, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 at Sean Patricks Irish Bar on The Square.
