TXST WINS FIRST CONFERENCE TITLE SINCE 2011, HEAD TO WACO
By Adrian Ramirez Sports Editor
the 2024 Sun Belt Conference tournament championship match, the Bobcats finished the job this year with a 1-0 victory over the University of Louisiana–Monroe to
earn the Sun Belt’s automatic qualifier bid to the NCAA tournament.
Regular season:
Texas State finished the season 10-3-7 after its run through the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Throughout the season, the Bobcats battled a tough slate of out-ofconference opponents, including Texas A&M, Arizona State, Baylor and nationally-ranked Oklahoma.
The Bobcats posted a 3-2-2 record in their out-of-conference slate. Notable outcomes for the squad included draws against Texas A&M and #19 Oklahoma, along with dominant performances against in-state opponents Incarnate Word and Stephen F. Austin.
7
Animal shelter seeks community aid to combat overcrowding issue
By Lesdy Hernandez Senior News Reporter
The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter (SMRAS) is asking the community for help as it reaches full capacity and faces severe overcrowding issues once again.
In 2024, according to the animal services 2024 annual report, the shelter took in 2,107 dogs, 1,755 cats and another 210 various wildlife intakes.
Since summer 2022, the shelter saw an influx of animals, causing a
By Cady Clements
and Arts Reporter
Lights flashed and energy buzzed through the crowded auditorium at the Austin Film Festival (AFF) as students and seasoned filmmakers found their seats for the next film.
Five standout films made by Texas State students, alumni and faculty earned spots in the 2025 AFF lineup,
continuous overcrowding problem.
Minnie Buckhaults, community engagement coordinator for the SMRAS, said with only 93 dog kennels available in the facility, the shelter has resorted to using pop-up crates as a temporary alternative housing option during this over-capacity period.
“Last week, when I checked the numbers, we had about 14 dogs in pop-up crates in our Sally Port Area, and that’s not counting the dogs that are housed in our office, that are housed in our front
adoption lobby, that are housed in areas that they’re technically not supposed to be housed in,” Buckhaults said.
The shelter takes in more than 20-50 animals per week, ranging from dogs to other wildlife animals.
According to Buckhaults, as of Nov. 3, the shelter reported having about 130 dogs in the facility, with over 35-40 animals being housed in the alternative pop-up crates.
held Oct. 23–30. From intimate family
dramas to vibrant dance stories and moments of human connection, each film showed what Texas State film stands for with personal, grounded storytelling shaped by the hands-on, collaborative energy of Texas State’s film program.
Due to the record-breaking government shutdown there could be delayed work-study payments and delayed application processes for financial aid.
The federal government shutdown started on Oct. 1 when the U.S. Congress failed to pass a funding bill, causing a pause in funding to federal facilities and lapsed programs. This resulted in employees being fired or temporarily laid off.
On Nov. 9, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to reopen the government through Jan. 30, 2026. The bill is pending House approval.
Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Gary Ray wrote in an email to The Star that there are currently no delays in awarding federal financial aid, state aid and institutional scholarships for Texas State University.
“Texas State has been monitoring the shutdown since it began. Enrollment Management has sent an update to key [Texas State] offices so we could provide the latest information to students,” Ray wrote.
Ray wrote that delays in processing and distributing work-study funds are expected if the shutdown continues into the next semester.
MEG BOLES | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
River, a 2-year-old terrier pit bull mix, is available for adoption, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in the San Marcos Animal
(left) and his daughter Hazel Poyser (center) pose with the film’s poster at its premiere, Sunday, October 26, 2025, at the 32rd annual Austin Film Festival.
By Arabella DiChristina Assistant News Editor
TXST women’s soccer team jumps into Sewell to celebrate winning the Sun Belt Conference, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 in San Marcos. AYDEN OREDSON | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
SMPD launches program for camera registration
By Cielo Perez-Aguilar News Contributor
The San Marcos Police Department launched Connect San Marcos in October, allowing residents and business owners to register and integrate security cameras to assist in investigations.
SMPD issued a press release informing about Connect and its goals for the community. Connect is in association with Axon Fuse, a public safety technology company that works with law enforcement, militaries and campuses across the globe. The goal of Connect is to help solve investigations faster and keep the community safer.
There are currently two levels of participation for the program, with level one being a community camera registry. Registered cameras would be used to create an interactive map of security cameras across the city. If an incident occurs, SMPD could pinpoint the area of the incident, identify the registered cameras in the area and ask residents for footage.
Level two involves registered cameras in businesses and schools, which allows SMPD to access camera feeds if emergency situations occur near those areas. In order to share the footage, businesses are required to have an Axon FususCORE operations and system device and must permit SMPD to access the footage. The device unites live video, alerts and field data to enhance field operations.
“Public safety agencies depend on neighborhoods to mitigate and investigate crimes and be better equipped as first responders on the scene of the critical incidents,” the city of San Marcos wrote on the Connect San Marcos website. “The Axon Fusus system serves to increase community security while maintaining personal privacy.”
Brian Withrow, criminal justice professor, said the use of cameras is helpful in police investigations.
“What cameras do is they put an objective eye on a situation,” Withrow said. “The witnesses or people involved in that situation, we don’t have to rely on their memory or perception of what happened.”
According to AxonFuse, the devices do not contain any facial recognition technology, emphasizing their technology is used to identify
vehicles and weapons.
However, Russell Wilde, public safety communications specialist for the city, confirmed SMPD uses Clearview AI facial recognition software in investigations.
Critics, such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), warn that the use of facial recognition technology includes concerns related to privacy and misidentifying people of color. “The biggest danger is that this technology will be used for general, suspicionless surveillance systems,” ACLU wrote on its website.
Kathleen Padilla, assistant professor in the department of criminal justice and criminology, said police-community relations can be fostered through initiatives like Connect San Marcos.
“Some of the things we talk about in policing are related to like community policing and procedural justice, which are concepts that a lot of people, at least, are familiar with the terminology,” Padilla said. “[Community] policing takes the responsibility for community safety off of law enforcement entirely. So, it’s not just their responsibility, but they’re sharing that responsibility with the community. We all are active participants in community safety.”
Padilla spoke about the procedures law enforcement must follow and the transparency of SMPD in regard to the Connect program in response to residents concerned about privacy issues.
“I think most of their [programs] are fairly well encrypted,” Padilla said. “I cannot speak to what any of their data sharing policies look like, just
from my kind of cursory look through, everything is fairly encrypted. Standing by Connect San Marcos, that their premise that you have to have the Criminal Justice Information Services [CJIS] certification or clearance in order to access anything.”
In the FAQ section on the program’s website, the data from any camera is only accessible to authorized users and cannot be requested as public data. Residents who register are able to resign from the program at any point.
Across Texas, multiple cities have implemented programs like Connect San Marcos, giving their residents the choice to volunteer in community safety. 42 cameras have been registered, and 78 cameras have been integrated so far, according to the Connect San Marcos website.
Federal funding cuts impact library databases, research
By Arabella DiChristina & Peyton Till Assistant News Editor & News Contributor
Federal funding cuts to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) resulted in the removal of databases, impacting student and professor access.
The TSLAC TexShare program allows Texas libraries to share print and electronic media along with resource and staff knowledge, which
is included in the Alkek Library.
As of May 3, the ProQuest African American Heritage Database was dropped, and as of Aug. 31 WorldCat database was dropped, according to the Alkek Library.
Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum and Academic Programs
Jeff Housman said there is a certain process research databases must go through in order to be implemented into the curriculum.
History:
“Just having that access and learning how to look through the research, being able to read it and understand the conclusion, just at that level of understanding, [is something] I don’t think you can get unless you have access to a broad spectrum of research,” Housman said.
According to Vice Provost and University Librarian Kelly Visnak in an email to The Star, Texas State University’s Libraries does not receive any direct
Editorial Staff
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federal funding and has only felt minimal effects from funding cuts to TSALC.
In March, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order, titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,” which impacted federal funding of programs such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which covers 75% of the budget to TSLAC via grants.
“Through TexShare, we have access to much higher journals and databases than we would without it. It’s kind of an equity issue…it’s a pretty wide wipeout,” Ashleen Bagnulo, associate professor of the political science department, said.
IMS’ budget is about $266.7 million of the total annual federal budget, Texas receives $12.5 million which is expected to be diminished due to budget cuts.
“I’d be very worried about this if I were a doctoral student right now. I’d be trying to download everything I can,” Bagnulo said.
Nalani Pennick, healthcare administration senior, said she wants to come back to Texas State for her masters to do research on the history of healthcare for AfricanAmerican communities and other minority groups.
“Sometimes we need things that are ‘reserved for other people’ that get
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overlooked because it’s very easy to overlook people, sometimes when they don’t fit the status quo of what you’re looking for, but that doesn’t qualify for what they are needing,” Pennick said.
Texas State courses are primarily developed and overseen by faculty, which includes what types of research databases they require, according to Housman.
When Pennick first came to Texas State, she had to write multiple research papers about controversial topics utilizing school resources and databases. Pennick continued stating that without access to those types of research, she wouldn’t have understood the history behind each topic.
“Taking away just research … just means that whenever a student will try to write a research paper, their basis of it will probably not be the best, or they will not have the best understanding of why, [and] they won’t have the cause and effect,” Pennick said.
Housman said it is often unclear in what field research results will be used, that within history the most important discoveries came from research like studying snails.
“The danger of having limitations on research is that it prevents exploration that’s typically necessary for us to sometimes or oftentimes find things that we weren’t really looking for,” Housman said.
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Work-study eligibility is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which gives part-time jobs to students in financial need to help pay for college.
“While core financial aid operations like Pell Grants and federal loans continue due to mandatory funding, federal work-study relies on annual appropriations,” Ray wrote.
Ray wrote that students are encouraged to file for financial aid for the spring semester sooner because the oldest requests will be processed first once the government shutdown ends.
“While aid disbursement continues, loan forgiveness applications and support services may face delays due to furloughed staff,” Ray wrote. “About 87–95% of [Department of Education] staff are furloughed, which could slow down responses to student inquiries and technical issues with Federal Aid Application.”
Texas State offers the Bobcat Promise, which covers students’ cost of attendance up to eight continuous long semesters; however, this is only available for first-time freshmen.
Nalani Pennick, a healthcare administration senior, said she currently relies on the Bobcat Promise, Pell Grants, subsidized and unsubsidized student loans to attend Texas State.
“I’m about $20,000 in debt, but I’m about $7,000 in debt to the school. I’m trying to get that figured out. It’s always been really difficult,” Pennick said. “It makes it really scary because I graduate in December, and I have to come up with $7,000 ... that’s a lot of money.”
FROM FRONT ANIMALS
Pennick said no one taught her how to deal with the finances and payment plans Texas State put her in. She wants to come back to Texas State for her master’s, but is worried about the price.
“If I’m not able to get assistance from either the university or the government, there’s no way I can afford college,” Pennick said.
Matthew Hood, associate professor in finance and economics and co-chair of the Financial Management Association Student Organization, wrote in an email to The Star that students need to understand the costs and benefits of going to college, otherwise “it is closer to gambling.”
“The total student loan debt is closing in on $2 trillion. Offers of easy credit now are constraining life choices for people with student loans, even into their forties,” Hood wrote.
Hood wrote that the amount of time college students spend managing their finances is about eight hours per year.
Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum and Academic Programs
Jeff Housman said there should be no direct impact on courses offered to students, even if some choose to take a semester break due to the shutdown.
Pennick said as a first-generation student, it’s hard to support herself throughout college and sometimes feels like an “impossible feat.”
“I feel like the real reason I went to college is for my family to support them, because they supported me for 18 years, and somewhat through college,” Pennick said. “…Hopefully getting this degree and a master’s degree will be enough to support them the way that they really have supported me throughout my whole life.”
As an open intake facility, the shelter is required to accept any lost and owner-surrendered animals from all cities within Hays County. Buckhaults said the shelter’s first goal is to provide the appropriate resources to pet owners, especially those wanting to surrender their animals.
“Our first question is ‘Why? How can we help you keep that dog?’ We don’t want your dog. We want them to stay with you,” Buckhaults said. “I know it’s a common [misconception] where someone is like, ‘Well, I don’t have the time for it.’ I promise you, you are giving them more time than we are.”
With the overcapacity, animals housed in close proximity face the risk of developing mental and physical problems, along with the possibility of disease outbreaks.
Jarrod Sawyer, general studies sophomore, volunteered at SMRAS from February to September. He said because of the limited space, some dogs would have to be housed together to make space for other animals.
“I’ve been there [when] there’s some room left over, like a healthy amount of room, and sometimes I have to admit, I’ve seen it where there’s multiple dogs, especially stranger dogs that don’t know each other [together], but the staff is pretty good at evaluating each dog,” Sawyer said.
These animals are unable to maintain their weight, going on behavioral medications and becoming agitated from being in kennels all day are only some of the deteriorating outcomes they experience due to the limited space and staff, according to Buckhaults.
“Many of these dogs are getting out just once a week because there are so many of them, and that’s not the quality of care that we want to provide these animals, but that is where the shelter is at right now,” Buckhaults said.
From foster programs to litter preventative medical assistance, alternative aid options are available to the community and pet owners to combat the ongoing overcrowding issue.
Prevent a Litter of Central Texas (PALS) is a low-cost veterinary clinic that collaborates with the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter to help low-income families spay and neuter their pets.
PALS provides wellness vaccines, Trap-NeuterReturn community cat programs, pet food pantries and temporary emergency animal boarding. Lauren Foye, president and director of PALS, said its main mission is to close the gaps that lead to pets being relinquished to the animal shelter.
“The shelter will ask [pet owners] questions, and if there’s anything that’s part of the barrier [cause
for surrender] that we can cover those, they’ll send them to us so that we keep them out of the shelter,” Foye said.
Foye said PALS also provides temporary emergency animal boarding for pet owners in emergency situations needing temporary housing for their pets, such as domestic violence victims or homeless community members.
“If they need to get into treatment or they need to get into a shelter that doesn’t allow pets, they can bring their pet to us, so that they are not staying on the street because they can’t get in with their animal,” Foye said.
Buckhaults emphasized the importance of community involvement and the positive impact it can have on the lives of the animals.
“We only get better with the help of our community, and I believe there is about 20 or so of us that work here and we are trying to come up with solutions, we are trying to avoid a deadline list, but we need our community to speak up, talk to their council members about their concerns. We need the voices of our community to help these animals,” Buckhaults said.
MEG BOLES | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Riff (right) and Raft (left) are 8-month-old beagle mix sibling at the San Marcos Animal Shelter on the at risk list due to their length of stay, currently available for adoption, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in San Marcos. Riff and Raft are both outside dogs, who get along well with other dogs and kids, and love to play in the water.
November 11, 2025
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.
Bobcat football has a serious discipline problem
By Andrew Bencivengo Opinions Editor
On Saturday, Nov. 8, the Texas State Bobcats suffered their fifth straight conference loss and 13th consecutive defeat to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, remaining winless in their all-time matchups.
Yet it wasn’t the loss that stood out, it was the team’s lack of discipline, as some Bobcats participated in a postgame brawl after the final whistle. While emotions undoubtedly run high in football, what the Bobcats displayed on the field Saturday was a culmination of a lack of discipline that has run rampant this season and led to many of the Bobcats’ losses this year. The team’s behavior reflects serious coaching failures this season, and overshadows Texas State athletics as a whole.
The Bobcats put up a valiant effort in the fourth quarter, putting 19 points on the board and cutting the Cajun’s lead to 3. The Bobcats were their own worst enemy on the field, racking up penalties throughout the game, ending the night with 11 penalties for a total of 114 yards, squashing their chances to take the lead.
But by far, the fight was the biggest spectacle of the night. Texas State sports reporter Keff Ciardello,
who was on the field in Lafayette when the postgame scuffle broke out, said that Texas State was trying to fight Louisiana during their victory formation. Following this, on Monday Nov. 10, the Sun Belt Conference suspended six Texas State and seven Louisiana players.
At a press conference after the game, Louisiana Head Coach Michael Desormeaux said Texas State’s behavior was unprofessional.
“It pisses me off the way the game ended … it was classless on their part. That’s a really crappy way for a football game to end,”
Desormeaux said.
Behavior like that on the field, as Desormeaux said, is classless and reflects poorly on the team as a professional unit. With this being the final matchup against the Ragin’ Cajuns, it doesn’t leave the Bobcats with a favorable exit, all 13 losses included.
Texas State Head Coach G.J. Kinne said that the Bobcat’s behavior on the field was mixed and that they needed to work on their responses.
“We had some guys respond the right way, we had some guys not respond the right way,” Kinne said. “Got to learn how to respond
better … that kind of behavior won’t be tolerated.”
Kinne’s words are a step in the right direction, but they’re meaningless until the team can prove themselves as disciplined competitors. It’s ultimately on him as the head coach to force this change.
Texas State’s behavior on the field also overshadows its other programs. The same night, the Texas State women’s soccer team went on to win the Sun Belt Conference title, clinching a spot in the NCAA Women’s College Cup, but the noise from Lafayette managed to overpower the terrific performance put on by the women’s team.
Ultimately, a lack of discipline throughout the team falls on the head coach, and Kinne has to meet the occasion with some serious overhauls. Setting real consequences for poor behavior, and drilling how behavior impacts the school as a whole would be a start, but it’s going to take some serious structural changes to make the Bobcats a real competitor again. It’s okay to lose a game or five, but it’s not acceptable for the team to behave immaturely. Texas State is looking to build bigger with its program in the future, but performances like these show a team that, for now, is all bark and no bite.
-Andrew
Bencivengo is a business management junior
The dismantling of Gender studies is detrimental
By Regina Orozco Lopez Forment Opinions Contributor
Since Senate Bill 37 went into effect on Sept. 1, gender studies courses have been at risk of being cut. Due to the government’s push toward the complete removal of “DEI” in higher education, access to these beneficial courses may be limited.
Gender studies courses offer students imperative critical thinking skills that allow them to analyze complex social problems from multiple perspectives. Texas State students deserve access to classes they want, and gender studies is vital to a welldeveloped worldview.
According to the Texas State course catalog, gender studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores how society defines femininity, masculinity and the limits placed on each. Thus, contrary to popular misconceptions, gender studies does not focus solely on women’s issues but also analyzes how everyone is shaped by rigid social norms.
Gender Studies includes required courses like a class on gender, sex and power, that examines the relationship between gender and power in a crosscultural context, to electives like “Gender and Sexualities in Texts,” which analyzes the representation of gender in texts. It is evident that having access to these courses is vital for understanding societal pressures placed on the roles of gender; it creates a safe space for anyone who feels society’s standards heavily imposed
on their own lives.
Offering gender studies at Texas State allows those who take the classes to explore concepts of equality and diversity as a whole. The field itself focuses vastly on the second wave of the feminist movement, which aims to make every individual equal. With a focus on justice, the field of study examines freedom and fairness for all genders, races, and more.
Gender studies is incredibly important in higher education due to the value its content offers in various professions. A gender studies background provides a strong foundation for careers in a wide range of fields like social sciences, law and medicine.
According to a professor of liberal arts, who was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation, providing courses focused on gender studies gives students a sense of safety.
“Offering gender studies shows these students that Texas State is a safe place for them to be,” the professor said. “Because when looking at the latter, where the field is dismantled, it causes uncertainty ... If students don’t feel safe where they are, that harms learning.”
As an outcome of this ban, along with other diversity classes that have already been confronted with cuts, gender-focused classes are also facing serious threats. This means classes offered to students could become less and less available, and it is not just happening at Texas State.
Students and faculty at schools like UT Austin have voiced concerns over potential cuts to their gender focused courses, and other schools like TCU have already begun to make these concerning cuts. This shows a problem is affecting the entire state
Letters to the Editor Policy
The University Star welcomes letters from our readers. Letters must be 300 words or fewer to be considered for publication. Writers must include their full name, mailing address, major and academic year designation (for students), phone number and e-mail address when submitting a letter. Submissions that do not include this information cannot be published. This information is seen only by the editors and is used to verify the identify of the letter writer. It is
and can be interpreted as an attack on education as a whole.
Additionally, Texas has begun auditing courses at public universities, instructing universities to remove language that refers to advocacy. The broadness of this raises concerns for courses in gender studies.
As a response to the cuts actively happening in other universities, many at Texas State are questioning the uncertain future of these majors and minors. Students in this field have poured loads of effort, time and finances into their studies. Questioning the validity of their work is extremely unjust and does them a great disservice.
In terms of faculty who teach and specialize in gender studies, a paralyzing cloud of fear for their field looms in the air. These members of faculty are working in the field they love and know best, yet the very core of their work is in danger.
“Morale is low ... leaving many of
not used for any commercial purpose.
them questioning whether or not they want to continue teaching in Texas,” the professor said.
Ultimately, every Bobcat deserves to feel seen and safe on campus. Texas State’s diverse student body should have the opportunity to expand their minds in whatever field they please. This agency is important because it promotes intellectual cross-pollination. The removal of gender studies limits and restricts the exchange of ideas and information, which narrows the horizons of learning.
“I hope that the university just finds value in this diversity and shows its appreciation to the diversity, by allowing courses, minors and everything else related to women, gender and sexuality studies ... to exist,” the professor said.
-Regina Orozco Lopez Forment is a English junior
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.
CAROLINE TRANG | STAR ILLUSTRATOR
Texas State Football Head Coach G.J. Kinne on the sideline during game against Nicholls State, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 at UFCU Stadium. The Bobcats won 35-3.
AYDEN OREDSON | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Alumna celebrates imperfection, mental health through feature film
By Vanessa Rivera Life and Arts Contributor
Written and directed by Olivia Nash, business management and international business alumna, the feature film “Hi.” combines themes of romance and forgiveness through three love stories during separate stages of life.
One of the stories in “Hi.” follows Lavender Lark, a college student and aspiring writer, as she navigates her broken relationship with her family and seeks to heal her past trauma. She meets Dylan Odair and finds healing through connection, love and forgiveness.
Nash said her experience at Texas State shaped her as a filmmaker and storyteller, viewing the experiences of others in the business school that would later help her create the story of “Hi.” and Lark’s character.
“I love Texas State, and I love all the people, all the professors; they were just amazing,” Nash said. “I learned so much about myself during that time as well. I think a lot of the themes that I deal with within the movie actually came during my time [in] college.”
Nash started writing the story in 2020, drawing from personal experiences and focusing on the characters navigating their personal journeys with connection. The story project began with the characters, drawing from Nash’s home life and some fictional aspects.
“My main purpose going into it ... it was almost like a form of therapy,” Nash said. “I wanted to be able to show different forms of love and different forms of generation.”
Nash explored the relationship between the silence and the space between the characters. Lark builds
“Leads”
up emotional walls and struggles to forgive, while Odair carries his silent grief. Together, they can sit with their own pain and find healing, even in silence.
“A lot of the silences and what I was thinking of is dealing with mental health and what we don’t see in our day-to-day of what mental health looks like at home,” Nash said. “It’s the space between the dialogue that you really get to see, like how someone’s feeling. Maybe they’re not saying something, maybe they’re saying something that they don’t mean.”
As a director and writer, Nash wanted the characters to drive the depth of the story, viewing the story on the page as a writer but seeing it from an outside perspective as a director. As an actor, Nash explored Lark’s journey in learning to forgive and letting people into her life despite
“Leads” is a feature film created by Bryan Poyser, associate professor of film at Texas State, to embody the feeling of being stuck. It follows a once-famous actor-turned-film-professor who’s been going through the motions of life until her brother’s unexpected arrival disrupts her routine and forces her to confront long-buried ambitions.
To share his work with the ones he’s closest to, Poyser cast his daughter as the protagonist’s child. This decision opened the door to intimate, resourceful and unconventional filmmaking, from shooting scenes in his home to developing the script as the story unfolded.
“[‘Leads’ premiere in Texas has been] overwhelming, obviously. There’s so many people, so many familiar faces, students of mine, cast members, crew members. Just to have us all together here finally sharing this movie … it’s been kind of overwhelming,” Poyser said.
“Huntsville”
Johnny McAllister, associate director of film in Texas State’s School of Theatre and Dance, took a stripped-down approach with “Huntsville,” a short film that follows a quiet but emotionally loaded reunion between a father and son after years of separation. He challenged himself with the short format by cutting back details he would normally build into a feature and instead focused on the story’s core. He credits much of the film’s refinement to his wife Annie Silverstein, a filmmaker whose feedback helped shape the final version.
McAllister said he believes AFF gives opportunities to anybody with a good film looking to learn, see and do more in the industry.
“You’re rubbing shoulders with people who have written and directed big, important films, you know, but the kind of ethos that AFF is, ‘Hey, we’re all in this together, and we’re all trying to make films and write and pursue our artistic ambitions,’” McAllister said.
“Baby Freeze”
Kendra McGee, Texas State film alumna, told a heartfelt story in “Baby Freeze,” a short film about a father-daughter breakdancing duo navigating the weight of an upcoming deployment. The film captured the joy they share through movement while quietly exploring the tension that comes with knowing their time together is running out. This
her guarded heart.
“What I love is that because of [Odair] coming into [Lark’s] life, they’re mirror characters,” Nash said. “So, she was almost looking at someone and going, ‘This is what I could be, but I chose not to be.’”
Paul Addison, composer and actor, plays Odair and also created the film’s sound design. He was drawn into what he called the story’s beautifully developed and sensitive nature. When he, Nash and Daniel Grisak, editor and director of photography, shot a short version of “Hi.,” Addison remembered finding it sensitive and poetic with a nice charm to it.
Odair and Lark experience varying types of pain, but their differences reveal the power of connection and how they use their struggles to understand each other.
“[Odair] just has a very light-
hearted, easy way about him, even though he’s going through a lot,” Addison said. “To meet someone who, even though is going through so much, is still carrying this lightness to them, I think it opens [Lark] up in this way where she finds him honest and endearing enough to finally let him, in a sense.”
For the score, Addison chose to honor the simple and poetic storyline. For instance, the team found the theme between Lark and Odair consisted of two piano notes that played over and over, which Addison said mirrored the two of them well.
Grisak said coloring through different technical aspects was used to express the duality of the characters’ lives and struggles.
“When the color pops and everything, and you see this fairly stylized, beautiful world, it sees what we are willing to express, what we see on the outside,” Grisak said. “But once we get into the actual characters inside their home, what they deal with in their private life, I think that’s where we really find that like, ‘Oh, things are a little more grounded.’ That stylized nature is not as present in those moments.”
At its heart, Nash hopes the film offers comfort to people who can connect with the struggles of the characters and their complexity.
“Vulnerability is such a hard thing for all of us,” Nash said. “I wanted it to be made for someone out there that maybe during the time of their life they’re dealing with something, and they can hold on to this movie to let them know they can get through it.”
“Hi.” premiered on Oct. 29 at Frontyard Brewing in Austin and is now released on Amazon and Apple TV.
short film was written as part of a final film class for McGee that allowed her to make her mark before graduating from the university.
McGee said the hands-on experience provided by Texas State is invaluable to success in the film world. She said her storytelling has grown more than she would’ve thought, thanks to her time here.
“You’re thrown into situations that are real life, so you’re given a project, and you have to find your crew, you have to fund it and fundraise, so you’re just thrown out there and you have to learn all these skills,” McGee said. “[The professors] give you the tools, but you have to actually go out and do it.”
“Last Call”
Janelle Lee Austin, film senior, and Kasey Villalta, theater sophomore, teamed up to create “Last Call” as a class project. The short film follows a bartender at closing time who’s faced with a quiet but meaningful decision to either leave with a woman who’s shown interest or stay and talk with an elderly man who’s clearly going through something.
At first, Austin approached the project like any other class assignment, expecting to take it on with her partner, but it quickly became clear that this film was about more than just checking a box. The project was a chance to learn how to collaborate, bring in others with different strengths and create a film that felt bigger than the classroom it started in.
“[Networking and getting real-world experience through classes and this project]’s when you really learn, when you can get your hands dirty, you know?” Austin said. “I think that you know people learn in so many different ways, and when you’re being manual or physical with something, it’s easier to remember versus just being lectured to all the time.”
“yer smackin”
“yer smackin” is a short film written by John Brown, film production senior. It follows an older brother celebrating his birthday throughout the years with his obnoxious little sister, the person he loves most.
Brown said he was thrilled to get into AFF this year with a film that reflected his teasing relationship with his brothers. From the first idea to using his family’s furniture for set design, Brown included pieces of his life in every aspect of the film. He believes a major contributor to his success was the hands-on experience and genuine relationships Texas State film provides.
“There’s teachers that you don’t really like or haven’t been helpful at all, and I was kind of in that mindset going into college being like, ‘It’s probably the same thing,’ Brown said. “Absolutely not; I have every single film professor here I love.”
Business management and international business alumna Olivia Nash (left) poses with a dog and its trainer on the red carpet for the “Hi.” movie premiere, Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Front Yard Brewing.
AVA MILLER | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Film alumna Kendra McGee (center) poses with the cast of her short film “Baby Freeze,” Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, at Austin Film Festival. “Baby Freeze” premiered at the event as part of a collection of shorts.
KENDRA MCGEE | COURTESY PHOTO
FROM FRONT FILMS
TENNIS
Bobcats embrace change, look ahead to spring
By Hope Monte Sports Reporter
With six new faces on the squad, Texas State tennis used its packed fall tournament season to embrace change, experiment on the court and foster a winning team culture ahead of its final run in the Sun Belt this spring.
The young team has big shoes to fill after four Bobcats graduated in the spring following a historic season of 16 total wins, the most in program history, and placing fourth overall in the conference.
This year, with six newcomers and four returners, the Bobcats have more depth on the court compared to last year’s roster of eight players.
Throughout competing in five fall tournaments, head coach Kendall Brooks is watching how this freshfaced team is putting the pieces together one weekend at a time.
“I think anytime you have a lot of freshmen or new people, it’s always an adjustment to see new coaching, new place[s], all the things,” Brooks said. “So I’ve definitely felt like we’ve gotten better every tournament that we’ve come out.”
Among the newcomers are four freshmen from around the world: Olivia Collins from Adelaide, Australia; Stoney Cooks from Brooklyn, N.Y.; Zoe Du Pasquier Jensen from Copenhagen, Denmark; and Anastasia Radovanovic from Switzerland.
The Bobcats’ two transfer players include junior Tennessee Wesleyan transfer Julia Richardet from Cordoba, Argentina and sophomore Charlotte Roesch from Stuttgart, Germany, who previously played one year at San Diego State.
Returners include two sophomores, Tadiwa Mauchi and Chantajah Mills, and two Bobcat veterans, seniors Ireland Simme and Emily Niers. Niers has spent all four years of
FROM FRONT NCAA
her collegiate career with Texas State.
The Bobcats tournaments helped Texas State experiment with doubles pairs and build individual confidence with the help of the whole team.
“Because there’s so many new people to college tennis on our team, I think getting through it together, helping each other and adjusting to the new environment has been nice because we’re all sort of going through it together,” Cooks said.
Also making new adjustments are veterans Niers and Simme, who have stepped into leadership roles this season for the first time.
“I feel like it’s on me to set the standards in what we had last year and try to replicate that this year,” Niers said. “I’m not the most vocal person ever, so it took me a little bit, but I think now that I’ve kind of gotten used to it, it’s really fun.”
Ahead of the spring season, the duo is focusing on helping their
teammates to adopt a team-centered mindset.
“I really think it’s [most important] to turn our mindset away from the individual and focus on the fact that it is now a team sport,” Niers said. “We have to fight for not only ourselves, but for each other player that’s on the court at the same time.”
The fall proved to be a time to build team culture and a chance to experiment with new things, especially when it came to doubles, according to Brooks.
“It’s always fun in the fall to kind of try new things, and that’s basically what we’ve been doing every tournament is [try] new lineups, new pairings and doubles just to see who’s going to be the best fit moving into the spring,” Brooks said. “I wouldn’t say anything is set in stone right now [for doubles pairs], but we got a lot of good looks.”
The Bobcats will get a chance to put all that practice to the test
Texas State sophomore Charlotte Roeschis serves the ball at the River State Shoot out, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 at Bobcat Tennis Complex.
ABEL BARCENAS STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Texas State began conference play with a 1-1 draw against ULM, setting into motion a string of positive results.
Head coach Steve Holeman’s squad rattled off nine straight positive results in conference play, winning or drawing every match-up until the final conference slate against James Madison, a night where Texas State played a woman down for much of the game and lost 4-2.
The result against James Madison dropped Texas State from the one-seed in the conference, all the way down to the four-spot, highlighting just how competitive the Sun Belt was all season long.
Regardless, the Bobcats entered the Sun Belt tournament as one of the favorites to hoist the trophy.
Sun Belt tournament:
Texas State’s run in the Sun Belt tournament was as nail-biting as could be. The Bobcats kicked off tournament play with a chance for revenge against James Madison.
The rematch was hotly contested through-andthrough as regulation ended with the two sides deadlocked in a 1-1 stalemate. After two 10-minute overtime periods, the score remained, sending the match to penalty kicks.
Each side buried its first four penalties in the back of the net. On JMU’s fifth attempt, Texas State goalkeeper Maude Rouanet guessed right and denied the Dukes’ attempt. Junior forward Constance Agyemang then stepped up and buried her PK, sending the Bobcats through to the semis.
Texas State drew the top-seeded South Alabama Jaguars in the semifinals. Texas State looked in control for the majority of the match, and its high level of ball control finally paid off in the 60th minute when graduate student defender Kennley Bradley knocked a header home to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
As was the story many times earlier in the year, one would prove to be all the Bobcats needed, as they kept South Alabama out of the net to punch their ticket back to the finals with a 1-0 victory.
Just as the Bobcats’ conference slate began with Louisiana-Monroe, so it ended.
53 minutes passed as neither side found a way to put the ball into the net. That all changed in the 54th minute as freshman Sadie Guzman made good on her second opportunity of the match, burying a ball into the net, putting Texas State on top 1-0.
True to form, the Texas State defense held stiff and refused to concede to the Warhawks, riding the
1-0 lead all the way to a championship game victory, cementing its spot in the NCAA tournament and winning its first and only Sun Belt Conference title.
NCAA Tournament:
Texas State’s first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament will be a rematch against the #23-ranked Baylor Bears (12-4-4).
Baylor handed the Bobcats their second of only three losses this season in a dominant 4-1 victory back on Sept. 7 at Bobcat Soccer Complex. The Bears’ four goals are the second-most goals conceded in a single match this season by the Bobcats; however, two of Baylor’s four goals came off of own goals by Texas State.
Nullify the Bobcat mistakes, and the final score likely looks much closer.
Baylor’s run in the Big 12 tournament ended in the semifinals, but they played well enough to host a first-round matchup, as they will welcome the Bobcats at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14 at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Texas State women’s soccer team cheers after finding out that they will play Baylor for the first round of the NCAA tournament, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, at Strahan Arena.
AYDEN OREDSON | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
when they pick back up in the spring semester for two matches against Wichita State and the University of Oklahoma on
Texas State senior tennis player Emily Niers hits a backhand shot at the River State Shoot Out, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 at Bobcat Tennis Complex.
ABEL BARCENAS | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
THIS WEEK IN SMTX
Texas State junior libero Alyssa Clark (12) celebrates against Coastal Carolina, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats won in 3 sets.
Cadet Cpt. Lyric Adams of the San Marcos High School Air Force Junior ROTC presents the American Flag during the Veteran’s Day Parade, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Downtown San Marcos.
Scan the QR code to view all photos.
State locals participate in
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Texas
the Toy Box Rumble Roller Derby held by the San Marcos River Rollers, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at River Ridge Park.
Two people dressed as a catrin and catrina pose during the Día de los Muertos celebration, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, between Commons Dining Hall and Flowers.
Texas State sophomore midfielder Helen Alormenu (10) jumps in the river to celebrate the first NCAA appearance since 2011, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, at Sewell Park.
This is the team’s first and last Sun Belt Championship.
AYDEN ORESDON | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Texas State sophomore infielder and member of Team Gold Dawson Park (3) runs to third base during the Fall World Series, Friday, Nov. 9, 2025, at Bobcat Ballpark. Team Gold beat Team Maroon 5-1.
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