11-04-2025 by The University Star

WE COULD HAVE BEEN SHOT”

THREE SHOOTINGS OCCUR IN ONE NIGHT

By Blake Leschber Editor-in-Chief

Three separate shootings happened in San Marcos on the night of Nov. 1-2, causing one death and multiple injuries.

The first happened at around 10 p.m. on Nov. 1. Multiple gunshots were fired in the area of Kissing Alley on Hopkins Street, according to Russell Wilde, public safety communications specialist for the city of San Marcos.

Three people were shot and transported to area hospitals. One person died at the hospital.

“The officer encountered a male victim

who had been shot outside of the bar,” Stan Standridge, SMPD police chief, said. “As other officers arrived, they were told a second victim was inside of this same bar after having been shot outside. Within a few minutes, officers learned of yet another victim who was also shot, but he fled to the opposite side of the courthouse.”

The male that died was Ronnie Hernandez Jr., born in 2006. Standridge said Hernandez was shot five to seven times. The second victim, who was found inside the bar, was shot twice in the stomach and shoulder. The third was shot twice in the forearm and the waist. Both are expected to survive.

By Kendall Barry Sports Reporter

Texas State joined the Sun Belt Conference 12 years ago; the coaches with the longest tenure since joining the Sun Belt have seen Texas State go through many major changes and developments.

Volleyball head coach Sean Huiet, women’s basketball head coach Zenarae Antoine and softball head coach Ricci Woodard all have career records with Texas State above .500. What went into their successes in the Sun Belt will lay the foundation for the transition into the Pac-12 when the university

officially joins on July 1, 2026.

Huiet is the youngest tenured head coach out of the three, despite working with Texas State since 2006. He was promoted to the lead position in 2019 from the assistant role. His predecessor, Karen Chisum, had a career record of 919-559-3 and was the longest tenured head coach in Texas State history.

“There’s things that were super exciting about [becoming head coach], but then there are things that are also very scary, like following someone who had done it for 40 years and been so successful,” Huiet said. “The exciting part is

the culture is already built, and we’ve been successful. The scary part is, can you live up to those expectations?”

While Huiet said he had big shoes to fill, he’s managed to fit in them just right. Since becoming head coach, he’s had an overall record of 117-47 and 68-12 in conference play. Huiet became the second-fastest head coach in program history to get 50 career wins in just two seasons with the Bobcats. Huiet expects to continue the winning culture, with the awareness of challenges that come with joining a new conference.

Patrons walk past Hopkins Street after it closed due to the shooting, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at The Square. BLAKE LESCHER | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

By Ryan Claycamp News Editor

Texas State University sent guidance to faculty on Oct. 28 on how to comply with the course audit and how to ensure “value neutral instruction and curriculum.”

The guidance came weeks after a notice by the Texas State University System that course audits would be required by all universities in the system. It also comes after Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on X that Texas is targeting professors “who push leftist ideologies rather than preparing students to lead our nation.”

The guide says course titles need to be descriptive, “discipline-appropriate,” “ideologically neutral,” “academically professional” and “student-accessible.”

“This guide is intended for faculty, academic departments, and colleges to engage in curricular discussions, development, and reviews on incorporating a neutral tone into curricular components,” the university wrote in the guide. “It serves as a foundation for exploring potential curriculum modifications.”

The guide instructs faculty to remove language that refers to advocacy. Examples given include: decolonizing, challenging, liberation, transformative and more. It also instructs faculty to design course descriptions to include objective statements of fact, the methodological approach of the course, skills and competencies and a content overview.

By Rhian Davis Managing Editor

On May 22, the city of San Marcos implemented temporary chain link fencing at Rio Vista Park.

The fences were part of the “Managed Access Test Plan” (MATP), which provided clear access points managed by park ambassadors and city staff on weekends and holidays throughout the summer. The fencing was implemented to mitigate issues faced in previous summer seasons, such

as litter and safety concerns.

In 2024, city staff reported 8,714 violations out of 13,113 visitors. Violations included issues surrounding possession of alcohol in the parks, charcoal grills, tents and the single-use container ban.

“[The MATP] was nothing more than to bring organization to what had previously been chaos,” Tiffany Williams, San Marcos city marshal, said at an Oct. 8 city council work

Rio Vista Park. The fences were

November 4, 2025

Government shutdown to impact SNAP funding

By Candace Taggart News Reporter

San Marcos resident Callie Richards is a mom of three who works full-time. Richards has been in her low-income apartment for two years, and two years before that, she was homeless with her children when they applied for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“People say food stamps should be temporary, but honestly, even working full time now, I can’t afford all of my bills,” Richards said. “I don’t know how I’m ever going to not need the food stamps at this point. Every month, I’m having to borrow money.”

SNAP is a federal nutrition assistance program that served 41.7 million participants a month in 2024, according to The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA and Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) previously stated SNAP benefits would not be distributed in November due to the government shutdown.

A coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia filed a suit against USDA and the Trump administration over the suspension of SNAP.

A U.S. District judge in Rhode Island blocked the Trump administration from suspending benefits, instead ordering contingency funds from fiscal years 2023 and 2024 to fund SNAP benefits. A USDA official declared on Nov. 3 that $4.65 billion of the contingency fund will fund “50% of eligible households’ current allotments.” No funds will remain for new applications certified in November or for disaster assistance.

“It won’t affect everyone all at once, because [HHS] renews people’s benefits on a staggered basis, but 128,000, we estimate, Texans every day will [be affected],” Celia Cole, Feeding Texas CEO, said. “If the shutdown continues past another week, it’ll be very challenging for us to keep up, and even if it persists for a few more days, the impacts will be felt.”

session. “This was a test. Before we throw money at anything, we want to know, is there any way we can test what we’re doing?”

According to data from the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan (EAHCP) presented at the Oct. 8 work session, there were about 420 cubic feet of litter removed from the river between May and August in 2024. In 2025, there were about 350 cubic feet removed.

The litter boats also saw a slight decrease in volume from summer 2024 to 2025.

David Zambrano, education and outreach coordinator for The Eyes of the San Marcos River, said there was a stark difference between the two summers.

“Every single week was atrocious in one respect or another [in 2024],” Zambrano said. “We were finding much bigger piles where it was evident someone had taken in a couple coolers, a grill, basically every single thing that the new signage said ‘Please don’t bring in here.’ There really wasn’t any sort of enforcement in place.”

Williams said the access points allowed park ambassadors to educate visitors on the rules of the parks, making the river a safer and cleaner environment overall.

Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487

This is the first time in SNAP’s history since the Food Stamp Act of 1964 that benefits have been stopped or delayed. Cole said it is unprecedented. There are over 7,000 cases, or households, and approximately 16,500 individuals that receive SNAP benefits in Hays County as of August 2025, according to HHS. 8,504 of those individuals are ages infant to 17.

Lisa Young, executive director of the Hays County Food Bank (HCFB), said there’s been a 40% increase in people seeking food assistance over the past three months in Central Texas. Young said it’s not sustainable for nonprofit agencies to continuously grow their client bases

Virginia Parker, executive director of the San Marcos River Foundation, said the positive effects of the fencing outweighed its aesthetics.

“No one was turned away, but they became more aware of the rules,” Parker said. “If we can see an improvement and less trash, less fights or less safety concerns, that’s a win for everybody, including the river.”

Zambrano said while there was less impact than previous summers, there was still too much. He said cleanups done by The Eyes were still necessary in order to preserve the beauty of the river.

“I suspect that the enforcement piece was pretty lacking,” Zambrano said. “[The fencing] still encouraged people to get away with what they could. The cleanups were still necessary, we just weren’t pulling out the same scale of trash we were the previous summer.”

During the Oct. 8 meeting city staff said the look of the fences was the primary complaint, along with the number of visitor vehicles continued to exceed available parking spaces, and recreators weren’t able to easily access the Lions Club concession trailer. “We’ve taken a significant decrease in sales at Rio Vista,” Corey Wheeler, San Marcos Lions Club president,

Editorial Staff

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

like this.

“No food bank could [provide] 100% of everyone’s food they will need for their entire month,” Young said. “For every meal that the food bank is able to provide, SNAP provides nine. We’re looking at food for you for today.”

Richards said she has not tried the food pantries yet because she thinks it’ll be overwhelming.

“I feel like a moocher or a failure, and then with the food stamps going out, me having to ask for help more just makes me feel even worse of a failure,” Richards said. “I’d rather try to figure it out.”

Richards works in an elementary school, so her schedule aligns with her kids’. Due to November changes, she’s been looking for side jobs that will work with her schedule, but has struggled to find opportunities.

“My kids are embarrassed that I get food stamps, and it’s sad to see how people belittle [lower-income people], or call us lazy,” Richards said. “I’m not. I try so hard.”

Feeding Texas is the state association of Food Banks in Texas, with 20 food banks that serve geographical areas, including the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB), which works closely with HCFB.

Feeding Texas works with state legislators regarding food insecurity and crises. According to Cole, they’ve received bipartisan support on a request to increase funding so food banks don’t have to rely on their private networks.

“Food banks don’t purchase a lot of food, but most of them are having to increase their food purchasing budgets, and some are deficit spending, and others are laying off staff and looking at rationing food,” Cole said.

Young said they are concerned about building capacity after an increase in clients for their new location, but they are working with the CTFB to meet these needs, such as sending trucks to outlying areas.

“[When we] have more and more and more clients, we sometimes will go to a reservation or appointment system, so that we can manage those numbers, but we’re not going to be turning people away,” Young said.

CTFB is adding special distributions for those who receive SNAP and federal employees. Bobcat Bounty, a student-run on-campus food pantry, is open on Mondays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. There are also nine food cupboards on campus. The locations can be found on their website.

said at an Aug. 5 city council meeting. “We’re still committed to paying what we need to pay to the city to keep that open, and we’re working on … solutions to that in the future.”

Zambrano said overall, the fencing did its job and provided the river with a chance to breathe, and he hopes to see it back in place.

River recreation is a large part of life in San Marcos, and Parker said river protection is crucial. She said as drought conditions continue and commercial developments rise in

Sports Editor: Adrian Ramirez starsports@txstate.edu

Multimedia Editor: Meg Boles starmultimedia@txstate.edu

History: The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday of the spring and fall and once a month in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 3,300. Printing is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Director: Laura Krantz, laurakrantz@txstate.edu

FROM FRONT ACADEMIC FREEDOM

Michael Hurley, government affairs counsel for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) said aspects of the neutrality review concerned him and his organization.

Hurley expressed concern that the audit could be used to target “disfavored ideas.” Hurley’s concern is in line with complaints raised by officials such as Rep. Brian Harrison and Congressman Chip Roy, as well as Abbott’s X post.

“That’s really a question of application … a lot of what’s here is framed in terms of best practices and pedagogical guidance,” Hurley said. “Academic freedom requires that faculty have significant latitude to direct classroom discussion as they see fit, but it’s also appropriate for schools to offer high level pedagogical guidance.”

Hurley said how strict the enforcement of the course neutrality is and how much it impacts classroom discussion could determine the legality of it.

The guide states the university wants to “maintain scholarly objectivity and credibility,” and that “the goal is not absolute neutrality but professional restraint in leveraging institutional authority to advance contested positions.”

“The Supreme Court has said that the First

nerve damage in his third and fourth toe.

Because Flynn heard seven shots, he thought more people were shot after him and were potentially dead. However, he said he’s glad that he was the person shot because he was in the military and knew how to handle such situations.

“I didn’t feel it immediately, I just kind of felt my foot give out and I started to run,” Flynn said. “I thought a lot of people were dead.”

SMPD and University police met Flynn at the hospital to get his statements. However, since then, the suspects have not been found, leading to confusion for him. He said that he reached out to SMPD to talk more about the situation on Monday morning, but they did not respond to him.

“How have you not found them or even identified them at all yet?” Flynn said. “It’s very upsetting, I feel like they should absolutely know who they are.”

The third shooting happened at 1:50 CST again at the intersection of LBJ Drive and Hutchinson Street. As officers were leaving the scene of the first shooting, they heard gunshots on LBJ. Officers arrested 20-year-old Eliezer Johnson Hernandez and it is unclear if anything was struck by the gunfire. This incident is unrelated to the other shootings, according to Wilde.

Flynn said the three shootings in one night should raise concern about

Amendment doesn’t tolerate laws that cast a pall of orthodoxy over the classroom,” Hurley said. “Traditionally, academic freedom has included professors having some pretty significant latitude to kind of direct discussion. So a lot of this just depends on what it looks like.”

The case Hurley mentioned was Keyishian v. Board of Regents 1967, where the Supreme Court ruled that academic freedom is “of key interest to the 1st Amendment.”

Hurley liked other parts of the neutrality review. He specifically appreciated where the guide said that professors should not require students to advocate for certain positions, require them to participate in advocacy work and that work should not be graded based on “agreement with instructor’s views.”

“There’s a lot that’s good. The stuff I flagged early on, where they make it very clear that professors can share their views and that students shouldn’t be required to adopt certain viewpoints,” Hurley said. “In the guidance they talk about frequently flagged learning outcomes that require students to adopt certain viewpoints and if those are actually common in practice, that is concerning, and I think it would be a good thing for the curricular review.”

SOPHIA GERKE | ASSISTANT DESIGN

According to an additional guide released by the university, the audits are being done in two phases, with 280 courses being audited in phase 1, which must be completed by Jan. 20, 2026, and the rest of the course catalog being audited by May 15. Any courses that do not meet the audit requirements will not be in the

gun safety in San Marcos.

“Why do they have guns?” Flynn said. “I don’t know if they bought them legally but if they bought them illegally, something has to be done.”

According to Standridge, he has not experienced this busy of a night in his five years at San Marcos. He furthered, stating that comparative to the last two-year normal, violent crime is increasing in 2025.

Standridge said there will be additional officers assigned downtown Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

2026-27 course catalog.

Members of the Texas State Employees Union (TSEU) question the process the audits are going through. A member of TSEU wrote to The Star anonymously due to fear of retaliation.

“What’s happening with the current course audit at Texas State shows the troubling erosion of shared governance as a result of Senate Bill 37 from the 2025 legislative session,” the TSEU member wrote. “Myself and other TSEU members spent hours and hours at the Capitol listening to and giving public testimony against SB 37 during the session because we knew exactly how bad it would be. And now we’re seeing it play out on our own campus.”

The member wrote they feel that faculty input is not being properly considered in the auditing process.

“Instead, course revisions will be approved or denied by an administrator in JCK, and it’s still unclear what that process will even look like. Will it be a simple yes or no? Will there be any room for conversation or negotiation?” the TSEU member wrote. “Either way, it signals a shift toward centralized, top-down, ideologically motivated control over academic content stemming from the Governor’s office and his appointed Board of Regents who have final say over curriculum.”

According to a university spokesperson, policies are being updated to align for the need of more regular curriculum review.

Scan the QR code to read the full value neutral instruction guide.

JEN NGUYEN | DESIGN EDITOR

Andrew 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.

Texas is coming for your rights, despite precedent

By Editorial Board

On Oct. 24, the Texas Supreme Court added a comment to the state’s judicial conduct code stating judges who decline to perform a wedding ceremony based on a “sincerely held religious belief” do not violate state rules. This marks a concerning attempt to strip away rights in Texas, and opens the door to further attacks against the LGBTQ+ community.

While avenues for marriage still exist for same-sex couples, these options are also facing scrutiny.

A decade after the landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage, marriage equality is once again at risk at both the federal and state levels. This action was not taken to protect religious freedom, but rather to strip others of their freedoms under the guise of doing so.

These challenges should be met with concern as the government moves to restrict and tighten protections that have already benefited many.

These attacks should be expected to continue, as the government is

increasingly shifting focus toward LGBTQ+ individuals and protections extended to them. Rights extended to same-sex and LGBTQ+ individuals that many expected to be permanent may now slowly erode without action.

Completely removing protections, specifically for same-sex marriage, is unpopular and the state is aware of this. Texas, however, has opted to incrementally whittle away protections for LGBTQ+ individuals by challenging protections on a case-

by-case basis.

In Hays County, these encroachments matter greatly.

According to The Williams Institute, Hays County has the sixth most same-sex couples per household in Texas. San Marcos and Hays County have gradually become bastions of acceptance and community, with celebrations like San Marcos Pride drawing large crowds.

Texans have come to accept and recognize the right to marriage, but

Partial SNAP benefits won’t

By Syghlas Morales Opinions Contributor

On Oct. 1, the United States federal government shut down due to a failure to reach a budget agreement, threatening many government-funded agencies with funding cuts.

Judge John McConnell ruled on Oct. 31 that the Trump administration must make a full payment to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by the end of the day on Nov. 3 or a partial payment by Nov. 5. On Nov. 3, The Trump Administration agreed to partially fund SNAP benefits with contingency funds. However, even with these benefits being paid partially, thousands may struggle with food insecurity. The absence of full SNAP benefits can have detrimental effects on a community, such as stress, stigma toward food services and strain on local food banks, according to Feeding Texas.

In fiscal year 2023, 79% of SNAP households included a dependent, either a child, an elderly individual, or a non-elderly individual with a disability, according to USDA. 16,500 Hays County residents rely on SNAP as of Aug. 2025, according to the HHS, and are now at risk of having their benefits cut, causing a rise in food insecurity. Food insecurity is characterized as the inability to access food to live a healthy lifestyle.

There are many food resources in the Hays County area available for residents and Texas State students experiencing food insecurity. Services such as the Hays County Food Bank, School Fuel for San Marcos Consolidated ISD students and the Southside Community Center are among the many emergency food distribution centers available in the area.

Texas State also offers on-campus resources for students in need. The Dean of Students provides services such as the Swipe-Out Hunger Meal Plan, where students can fill out a

the government has moved to restrict this right. What should be concerning is the intensity with which these attacks have grown.

In the most recent Texas legislative session, a record 205 anti LGBTQ+ bills were filed with the Texas legislator. While many of these ultimately failed, the sheer number of bills introduced shows how much attention the state has set on restricting these rights.

Beyond Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled a private meeting on Nov. 7 to decide whether to hear a case that challenges county marriage certifications. This is concerning, as if the court decides to hear the case, it could very well end national protections of marriage equality.

The government should not be used as a tool to restrict rights, and its focus on an already marginalized community is deeply concerning. The right to marriage is one that should be extended to all, and any challenge to it, no matter how small, is problematic.

Students and community members must voice their support of these rights, or risk a total erosion of them.

cut it, more help needed

“Here to Help” form and receive five all-you-can-eat meals at one of the dining facilities at no cost.

Additionally, Bobcat Bounty is an emergency food resource available for students. It is a student-led food bank that stocks nine cupboards across campus that can be accessed 24/7. The locations can be found on their website.

Due to the rise in food insecurity, food banks are in need of help. It is important for those who can help to do so by volunteering and donating. Many food banks are seeing an influx of people and expect to see more. Lisa Young, executive director at the Hays County Food Bank, said she is concerned for the bank’s ability to keep up with the demand.

“We have a lot of people in this area that are living with very little buffer zone with their money ... we see

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

a lot of the same people that get SNAP also come to the food bank, but we’re expecting a lot of new people too. This can’t go on forever,” Young said.

Donating and volunteering at food banks is essential to keep their missions going. According to Feeding America, every dollar donated provides 10 meals to families facing hunger through its network of food banks.

Hays County Food Bank accepts volunteers and donations year-round, with operation hours listed on their website. Various other distribution sites are available in Kyle, Buda and Wimberley with varying hours of service.

These resources are available to all Texas State students and Hays County residents in need. There is a stigma when it comes to receiving help from food services; however, around

47 million Americans struggle with food insecurity. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help when needed; you are not alone.

“We don’t want anyone to feel any embarrassment about it. When I was 20 and a young mom on my own, I definitely would have qualified, and it never even crossed my mind,” Young said. “We welcome people in the case of emergencies, as well as people who have an ongoing financial need. We hope that everyone feels welcome here. You definitely are welcome here and welcome to apply.”

-Syghlas Morales is a wildlife biology freshman

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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.

ABBY FUNDERBURK | STAR ILLUSTRATOR

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

Wittliff receives honorary alumnus’ scripts, drafts as part of collection

By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor

Taylor Sheridan, screenwriter and theatre alumnus, entrusted the Wittliff Collections with drafts from his archive, making it the new home of his collection.

Since its founding in 1986 as the Southwestern Writers Collection, the Wittliff’s mission is to collect, preserve and present the cultural heritage of Texas, the Southwest and Mexico through works of the region’s storytellers.

A native Texan, Sheridan attended Texas State until dropping out in 1991. He spent the next 20 years acting and began screenwriting and directing in his 40s. His works include the screenplays for “Sicario” and “Hell or High Water” and the television series “Yellowstone” and “Landman.” In March 2021, he was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, a museum that honors individuals who excelled in rodeo, the Western lifestyle and related areas.

The Wittliff organized 12 items from Sheridan’s collection into two boxes. The first contains the TV pilot scripts from “Yellowstone” and its prequels, “1883” and “1923.” The second contains film scripts from “Sicario,” “Wind River,” “Hell or High Water” and its original title, “Comanchería.”

Both boxes have facsimiles, meaning the scripts were created using printouts of digital files the Wittliff received. However, there are no digital copies to obtain to protect Sheridan’s intellectual property, unlike some photographs that can be accessed through the museum’s archive.

“[An archive] protects things in the same way you wouldn’t let someone walk out of the archive with a hard copy of an important letter,” Carrie Fountain, curator of the Wittliff, said. “You wouldn’t let somebody have a digital copy of something because that’s a duplicate that could end up on the Internet.”

During its quarterly meetings on Feb. 13-14, the Texas State University System Board of Regents authorized Texas State University to award honorary doctorates to four individuals last spring to recog-

An image of screenwriter Taylor Sheridan displayed at the Wittliff Collections, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, at the Alkek Library. Some of the items included in the display were Sheridan’s paper archives that he donated to the museum.

nize what Texas State President Kelly Damphousse called embodying the “excellence, creativity and leadership” that defines the university. Sheridan, being one of them, became the 21st person to be honored by Texas State.

David Coleman, director of the Wittliff, said Texas State was interested in Sheridan for a while since Sheridan previously attended the university.

“We nurtured the relationship through mutual contacts and were able to secure the possibility of him returning to campus, which he had not done for many years since he attended school here,” Brooks Hull, vice president for university advancement, said.

Sheridan received his Doctor of Humane Letters degree on May 8 during a commencement ceremony. As part of his visit, he and his wife toured the campus with a group including Hull and Damphousse. They briefly stopped by the Wittliff before Coleman led them on a tour.

“Lonesome Dove” was important to Sheridan, as “1883” was his homage to it, so Coleman showed

him the Wittliff’s permanent exhibition with materials from the miniseries.

“There’s a man named Cary White who was the production designer for ‘Lonesome Dove’ ... and he worked on many movies,” Coleman said. “He let us know Taylor Sheridan brought him out of retirement and invited him to do production design, starting with the second season of ‘Yellowstone’ and then several other shows that [Sheridan] has done.”

As Sheridan viewed the production materials on display and White’s materials from the Wittliff’s archive, he asked Coleman about it keeping works by many different types of artists. Coleman said the museum loves doing this work, and Sheridan asked if it was interested in having the materials from his productions.

“Once [the process of acquiring Sheridan’s materials] started going into the phase of collecting things, David was working with Taylor Sheridan’s team to figure out what were the first items that were going to come to the Wittliff,” Fountain said.

The Wittliff worked with Sheridan’s team on the collections before acquiring them on Aug. 25 and cataloging them by Oct. 15.

The permanent edition is a start in what the Wittliff hopes will become a greater collection of Sheridan’s items. It usually receives the drafts, journals and correspondence of those who are either retired or slowing down from their writing career, but Fountain said Sheridan is right in the middle of his literary legacy.

“That’s one of the things with an archive, it really is a promise,” Fountain said. “It’s amazing he’s made this promise to Texas State that we will be the home for his archive, as it is still being created because he’s still making so much work.”

Sheridan’s collection is available to view in the Wittliff’s reading room by scheduling a research appointment. It is available to anyone from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1–4:30 p.m. from Monday through Friday.

ISABELLE CANTU | ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

New look men’s squad aiming for success

By Kendall Berry Sports Reporter

Last season, Texas State men’s basketball handled an array of injuries alongside mediocre play, which culminated in a last second loss to Old Dominion in the third round of the SBC tournament. Since then, a deep roster overhaul brought few returners and a lot of new faces.

The Bobcats will look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997 while also competing in their final season in the Sun Belt.

Freshmen:

Robert Fields, a 6’9” center, averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds with two blocks per game as a senior in high school. He was an all-conference selection his senior year and received offers from schools like UMBC and Wofford.

Standing at 6’7,” forward DJ Hall had a productive high school career where he finished as the all-time leading scorer at Plano East High School with 1388 points. In high school, Hall was named to the TABC 6A All-State team and was a unanimous selection as the district 6-6A MVP.

Cameron Simpson, a 6’7” redshirt freshman, will help bring shooting and a versatile defense to the Bobcats. He shot 49% from three as a junior and finished his senior season averaging 13 points and almost three rebounds a game.

Deke Thompson was an All-State team selection and chosen as the District 4-6A Player of the Year in Oklahoma. Thompson made an impact during his high school tenure, averaging 22 points, six rebounds and three assists his senior year.

Impact Transfers:

6’5” guard Jalen Bolden comes in as one of the more familiar prospects on the team, transferring from Louisiana-Monroe. Bolden started in all 32 games with the Warhawks last season, averaging 13 points, six

FROM FRONT SUN BELT

rebounds and almost two steals a game.

Kyndall Davis, another lateral Sun Belt transfer from Louisiana, made 18 starts last season. Measuring at 6’5,” Davis could become a lethal threat as a guard and is a player to keep an eye out for.

Center Tay Knox, standing at 6’9,” enters his senior year after two seasons at Western Illinois. Knox recorded 11 multi-block games and brings aggressiveness to the defense.

The Pernall brothers, Dimp and Ky, both stand at 6’3” and transferred from Jones Community College, where their production led them to D1 basketball. Both averaged around 13-14 points per game and had more than 25 double-digit point games combined.

Makai Willis stands at 6’8” and hails from ULM. In two seasons with the Warhawks, Willis averaged around eight points and seven rebounds. He totaled 27 blocks and 29 steals last season, making him a threat on the defensive end.

Returners:

Junior guard Kaden Gumbs and senior guard Mark Drone are the only players returning from last season who played meaningful minutes. Both were selected to All-Sun Belt Preseason teams and are the most familiar faces on the squad.

Gumbs averaged 11 points last season in 24 games. He was not only effective on offense, but on defense as well, tallying 41 steals.

Drone didn’t see as much playing time last season due to injuries, playing in just 10 games, but averaging 11.5 points.

Head Coach Terrance Johnson’s squad will look to go through the Sun Belt gauntlet one last time. Texas State began its season last night on the road against the Bowling Green Falcons..

“We’ve done some really good things the last four to five years, so people always are gunning for us, and now it’s our last year in the Sun Belt, so everyone wants to beat us,” Huiet said. “The Pac-12 is going to be really good volleyball ... [So] the goals for us don’t change, we’re going to be competing for championships.”

Antoine is the second-longest tenured head coach, joining the Bobcats in 2011. In the Sun Belt, she’s totaled 214 wins. Antoine’s expectations of culture and identity are what she expects to be carried over to the Pac-12 since it has created lasting success in the SBC.

“Everything that we do in our program always starts with love, and so it’s a love with our student athletes and bringing them here to Texas State,” Antoine said. “I was asked here recently, ‘What is it about this team that makes them special?’ It’s the fact that they’re transfers, but when they got here, they bought in right away.”

Although Antoine is focused on competing in this last season in the Sun Belt, she understands what this particular move has in store for the future of women’s basketball, though it brings opportunities and challenges.

“In women’s basketball, as well, there are a lot of great women’s programs in the western part of the country … so I’m excited about being a piece of

Women look to end Sun Belt era on a high note

By Ryan Keilman Sports Contributor

Texas State women’s basketball began its 11th and final season in the Sun Belt conference last night, when it hosted the Ohio Bobcats at Strahan Arena.

Head coach Zenarae Antoine enters her 15th season at Texas State as the winningest coach in program history with a record of 212-209.

Antoine and the Bobcats will look to bounce back after two consecutive losing seasons, including a 13-17 record overall last year and a 7-11 record in conference play, good for ninth in the final Sun Belt conference standings. Their season ended after just one conference tournament game when they fell to Marshall 68-62.

This year’s Bobcats will look much different than last year’s team, having lost 11 players, four of whom transferred to new schools.

That leaves only four players returning: sophomore Takeira Ramey, junior Taleiyah Gibbs, sophomore Saniya Burks, who averaged 6.3 points and Mia Galbraith, who only appeared in two games before a season-ending injury.

Antoine and staff brought in seven transfers of their own, highlighted by graduate transfer Deja Jones from Indiana State, who averaged 10 points and five rebounds a night, and sophomore guard KP Parr from Wichita State, as well as Myri Walker, who comes over from conference rival South Alabama. Junior forward Kyaija Stewart also transferred in from Daytona State College.

Antoine brought in players for the junior college ranks as well, including junior forward Kyla McBride, who won a national championship at Northwest Florida State, and Kyra Anderson, who was named All-Region and Freshman of the Year in Region 14 while at Tyler Junior College. Myla Harbor also joins the Bobcats from Hinds Community College in Mississippi.

that,” Antoine said. “[Our] biggest opportunity is the quality of basketball and style of play. I think that’s tremendous.”

Woodard is in her 25th season with the program and has had a multitude of successes in her tenure here. During the SBC era, Woodard led her Bobcats to a 420-232 overall record and 175-88 SBC conference record. Through her time in the SBC, the team has had many success stories. After making the regionals six times since joining the Sun Belt, Woodard is looking to continue the team’s success through the transition to the Pac-12.

“I feel like we’ve put ourselves in a better spot. Sitting at the top of the Sun Belt makes me feel a little bit better going into the Pac-12 ... I think we’ve kind of already built the foundation we need,” Woodard said. “I don’t think a whole lot changes for us because the Sun Belt is a really good softball conference, and I think that puts us in a spot to be able to make this jump without having to think about rebuilding.”

Coaches believe moving to the Pac-12 will bring a level of excitement and competitive play to TXST.

“I think the biggest thing is that you want to be part of something that’s exciting [and] unknown, to me it’s just a great time to be a Bobcat,” Woodard said.

True freshman Angela Carroll from La Vega High School averaged 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a night. She was First Team All-District in 2023, 2024 and 2025, while also being named All-Region Team in 2024 and 2025.

Kaliyah Murphy, a true freshman from Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Md., will also look to make contributions to this reinvented Bobcat team.

The Bobcats were picked to finish 12th in the Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. With so much turnover on the roster and some experienced players joining the team, it’s hard to predict how their season will go, but they will likely need to gel quickly. After their season opener against Ohio, they have big games against Texas Tech in Lubbock, before heading to San Antonio to take on rival UTSA. The new look Bobcats will hope to surprise people and make some noise in their final year in the Sun Belt conference, with their sights set on joining the Pac-12 next year.

TXST senior forward Jaylin Foster (11) attempts a layup, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, at Strahan Arena.

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A Texas State trophy case in the Hall of Honor inside Strahan Arena, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.

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Texas State Hellcats Spirit Fraternity cheers for the football team during the Black Out game against James Madison University, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, at UFCU Stadium. The Bobcats lost to JMU 52-20.

Texas State cheer performs for the fans during the Black Out game against James Madison University, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, at UFCU Stadium. The Bobcats lost to JMU 5220.

A Texas State fan cheers for the Black Out game against James Madison Tuesday, Oct.

UFCU Stadium. The Bobcats

Musician Brennen Leigh opens for the “Poets and Dreamer: My Life in Americana Music,” event, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Alkek Library. As a special request from Saviano, Leigh played her song, “You’ve Never Been to North Dakota.”

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Author, filmmaker and Grammywinning music producer Tamara Saviano (left) speaks with retired Professor Emeritus Gary Hartman (right) during “Poets and Dreamer: My Life in Americana Music,” event, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Alkek Library.

LIBBY ALLEN | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER