MONDAY
FEBRUARY 1, 2016 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 3
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CITY
Grocery store participates in ‘Souperbowl’ madness By Nestor Camacho NEWS REPORTER @RoarRoarRoar_
DARYL ONTIVEROS MULTIMEDIA EDITOR The construction being done on Bobcat Trail is nearly complete.
Texas State: a never-ending $750 million project By Clayton Kelley NEWS REPORTER @Claytonkelley
Bulldozers have become a common sight at Texas State as the university renovates, expands and creates buildings on campus. All of this construction comes with a $750 million price tag. According to the Campus Construction website, the university has invested in a variety of projects both cur-
rently in development and in the very early stages. “All of these constructions are in alignment as part of the university’s Master Plan,” said Juan Guerra, vice president of facilities. “The new construction is due to the huge growth we are experiencing on campus.” The renovation of Jones Dining Hall is 50 percent complete, according to Campus Construction. Along with the new Moore Street
Housing complex, other facilities are being developed and planned. Some of these facilities include Hilltop Complex, a new housing project, along with a new Engineering and Science building. Guerra said the 150,000-square-foot engineering building is actively being designed. Once the final design is submitted to the Texas State University System Board of Regents for
approval in May, Campus Construction will proceed with the effort this September or October. “The College of Engineering and Science is one of the fastest-growing colleges on campus,” Guerra said. “It will support more classrooms and quite a few more research laboratories.” A key factor in some of these new developments has been recognizing the importance of maintaining balance
between city and student life at Texas State, Guerra said. “We are very sensitive to making sure we maintain a good quarter and a good connectivity between the campus and the community,” Guerra said. Guerra said an example of this conscientiousness is the university’s decision to build the Performing Arts Center on University Drive, across
See CAMPUS, Page 2
UNIVERSITY
Away from work, political science professor turns to music By Brigeda Hernandez NEWS REPORTER @brigeda_h
When he is not teaching political science courses at Texas State, students can find Donald Inbody strumming his guitar on local stages. Inbody, a senior lecturer, has earned multiple degrees and served in the United States Navy for 29 years. He’s been giving political science lectures at Texas State since 2008, but still finds time to play with his band BuffaloGrass. Inbody began singing in church choirs at a very young age, and his grandmother gave him his first guitar when he was 10 years old. Music has been a crucial part of his life ever since. It is now a way to balance out his life and work, Inbody said. He sings every Sunday with the Oak Hill United Methodist Church choir. “While you’re doing music, you’re not doing anything else,” Inbody said. “Your mind is completely involved in that. It kind of gets your creative juices going, and allows you to think about one thing and not let
the other things get in your way.” Inbody moved to the Austin area in 2003, where he met a mandolin player and bass player. The trio formed the band BuffaloGrass and completed an album in six months. He continued to play with the band regularly after they released the album “Gone to Nickel Creek” in 2007. The album was named after a ranch in West Texas by the same name, not after the band Nickel Creek. Coincidentally, Nickel Creek had drawn their band name from the same ranch. Members of Inbody’s band attended a West Texas block party at the Nickel Creek ranch. Attendees came from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas for a fourday music festival at the foot of Guadalupe Mountain. Band members drew inspiration for their album from the experience, Inbody said. The band now consists of Inbody on guitar, Scott Byars on mandolin, Thom McNeil on banjo, Tom Lindsey on fiddle and Scott Broberg on the upright bass.
See BUFFALOGRASS, Page 2
San Marcos and Hays County is my home and will continue to be. AH: Why did you decide to run for public office? RR: When you have an incumbent, I think we PRECINCT 3 HAYS COUNTY all need to have COMMISSIONER CANDIDATE opponents in the primaries, especially when our The Texas primary elec- outlook as far as how the tions are quickly approach- money is spent, public debt ing. The University Star and the future of the counspoke with Precinct 3 Hays ty is paramount right now. County Commissioner I think we need to have candidate Rob Roark to someone with a different discuss his campaign. vision, a different perspective. I am a working-class Born: October 23, 1965 Republican and I think that Occupation: Quality receiv- I am called to run for this ing clerk at Senior Flexonics in New Braunfels, Texas Education: Studied business at College of Charleston and semi-conductor manufacturing at North West Vista College in San Antonio, Texas
Rob Roark
Anna Herod: Where do you call home and why? Rob Roark: San Marcos is my home. I have lived in San Marcos and the Hays County area going on 13 years. I’ve been in Texas since 1995 and it’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere in the country. My father worked for the (Veterans Affairs) hospital system so as a youngster, I moved all over the country. But
office at this time. AH: In your opinion, what are the biggest issues Hays County faces, and, if elected, how would you tackle these issues? RR: The biggest issues that I see, and that I think all of us see for Hays County, are growth and people coming to Hays County. We’re going to have limited resources and the infrastructure that we have in Hays County right now in order to support the increasing population that we’re going to be seeing over the next 10 to 20 years. Those are the biggest issues that we’re going to see. And the infrastructure is
See ROARK, Page 2
—PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB ROARK
The Hays County Food Bank is expecting to receive over 2,000 cans of food this February thanks to local H-E-B stores. The Texas grocery chain, as well as Kroger and Randalls, have joined the nationwide “Souper Bowl of Caring” movement in efforts to help “tackle hunger” and give back to the local community. “Our store takes it very seriously and makes it fun for us participating in it,” said Maria Cavazos, an H-E-B employee. The annual food drive began Jan. 18 and will last until Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7. At the register, customers may purchase bags of food that the store will give to the food bank or decide to donate $1, $3 or $5. The store donates prepared bags containing non-perishable food items, including canned tuna, brown rice, green beans, peanut butter and kettle corn. “During our shifts we have this thing called ‘power hour,’” Cavazos said. “We try to get at least ten donations each (in two hours). In my opinion it makes asking for donations more fun because it’s sort of a competition with all of my coworkers.” Cashiers who exceed the goal of 10 donations receive prizes from management, like a gift card or free food. Alejandra Espinoza, a San Marcos resident of five years, said it’s good for H-E-B management to stress to employees the importance of asking customers for donations. “Most of us, including myself, don’t even know where the food bank is located here in San Marcos,” Espinoza said. “Even if I did, if it’s not on my daily route—I wouldn’t be able to donate.” H-E-B’s “Souper Bowl of Caring” makes it convenient for customers to donate to the food bank while buying groceries, Espinoza said. All the donations collected at the local H-E-B stores are given to the food bank and distributed to families, individuals and over 40 partnered agencies in the county, said Mallory Raschke, communications coordinator for the food bank. “I think it’s wonderful (HE-B) donates the food to us and they have been for a while now,” Raschke said. “We pick up the donated food every day from them Sunday through Saturday so our clients can receive it when needed.” This isn’t the busiest time of the year for the bank, Raschke said. The food bank receives the most donations during the months of October, November and December.
See SOUPERBOWL, Page 2
Let all of campus know about your upcoming nuptials by being included in the Star’s 2016 Bridal issue, hitting stands February 25.
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