July 12, 2022

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TUESDAY JULY 12, 2022 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 2 www.UniversityStar.com

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911

NSO GALLERY

'CATS WALK

MAIN POINT

OPINION: DATING APPS

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ORIENTATION ISSUE COVID-19

Students prepare for a semester free of COVID-19 restrictions By Katie Smith News Reporter Social distancing, online classes and required masks have been a part of the Texas State community's everyday life for the past three years. As they prepare to embark on their first academic year with no COVID-19 restrictions, students reflect on an unusual college experience and discuss their expectations for the upcoming school year. According to statements released by Texas State's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Emilio Carranco, "the development of safe and effective vaccines, more availability of testing and therapeutic agents that decrease the risk of severe agents" are all contributing factors to a restriction-free school year. In person classes will continue to resume, with some courses still giving the option of a hybrid style class. This coming term will be nutrition and foods junior Libby Beal's first time taking in person classes at Texas State. "When I transferred last year, I was a little disappointed that most of my classes were going to be a hybrid style," Beal said. "I transferred to Texas State because I wanted to go to a bigger school to feel a sense of community, so I'm super excited to be able to actually be in a classroom sitting next to other people where I'm able to see their faces."

Social interaction between students was an aspect of the college experience that students like Beal lost to the pandemic. Strictly online classes forced them to move back home during the height of COVID-19, leaving some to never come back. Former Texas State business major Adrian Zapata was sent home his freshman year due to the pandemic and ended up leaving the university altogether. "I felt like dropping out after getting sent home was really the only option for me," Zapata said. "Me and my parents didn't feel like we were getting our money's worth paying for an an online education where I was in Zoom classes all day long. A big part of college for me was being able to interact and learn in person, so once that was taken away from me, I felt like it didn't really make sense to stay, personally." Zapata would have graduated with the class of 2023, a class that had its freshman year cut short because of the pandemic. Packing up their dorms mid semester and saying goodbye to new friends and college life was heartbreaking to many Bobcats. Josh Chambers, a mass communication senior, is one of the many affected who is now looking forward to the upcoming school year. "I finally feel like everything's coming full circle just right in time for my senior year," Chamberlain said. "I think the

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Alumna expresses love for San Marcos in new children's book By Brianna Chavez Life and Arts Contributor

There are many things to love about San Marcos. The lush waters of the river, the mystical mermaid culture and the beautiful campus Texas State students call home. For comedian, author and Texas State alumna Kelly Stone, all of this inspired her to write her first children's book, "Goodnight San Marcos," about the things that make San Marcos a one-of-a-kind city. It all started when Stone wanted to buy her kids a souvenir during a trip to New Orleans in 2010. Instead of the typical snow globe or toy, she opted for a children’s book titled “Goodnight NOLA." Since then, it has been a tradition for her to grab a book for her kids any time she travels out of town. “I was like ‘you know what? I’m going to buy a children’s book for my kids every time I travel’ and that’s what I did,” Stone said. “I’ve got tons of books from lots of cities on my bookshelf.” Upon her return home to San Marcos from a trip, Stone was on the hunt for a children’s book about the Texas town she loved so much. Her love for the city began in 1994 after attending cheerleading camp and later moving here to attend Southwest Texas State University in 1996. In hopes of teaching her two young sons about San Marcos, she was out of luck as there were few to no children’s books about San Marcos at all. This fact fueled her idea to write “Goodnight San

Kelly Stone holds her book tight at Showdown in San Marcos, Texas. PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLY STONE

Marcos” in 2010. Although Stone never thought she would become a children’s book author, her sons' love of reading inspired her

to begin her writing journey. Her first book "Mom, What is the Opposite of Guacamole?" was published in April 2021 and is filled with hilarious and

thought-provoking questions and quotes from her two boys, Mayne and Denly Stone. The boys have fond memories of their mom bringing home souvenirs to read. The books she bought made them want to travel more, especially to New Orleans after reading “Goodnight NOLA." Published in May, “Goodnight San Marcos" is a children's book written in a similar style to the classic story "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown. Readers of Stone's book say "goodnight" to well-known places, items and symbols of San Marcos. It took 12 years for the book to come to life and land on the bookshelves of homes in Texas and across the country. When she began the process in 2010, Stone was on the hunt for an illustrator who could help her dreams become reality. After some trial and error with previous illustrators, she was in dire need of an artist. It was a stressful time for Stone as she recalls the feeling of going from one illustrator to another. “I was at my wit’s end,” Stone said. “I just wanted to get the book done. I even considered looking into Fiverr.” A close friend of Stone named Nix Nova knew about “Goodnight San Marcos” early on in the process after meeting her in 2011 while Stone was doing stand-up comedy in the San Marcos area. Nix witnessed how hard it was to put the pieces of the puzzle together in order for Stone’s book to be ready and published.

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