THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 VOLUME 105 ISSUE 11 www.UniversityStar.com
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CITY
University Camp enters stage of rehabilitation after losing $10,000 in revenue By Clayton Kelley NEWS REPORTER @Claytonkelley
“I miss the old TMT, it was a great place to go and listen to country music,” said Amber Boldt, agricultural animal science junior. “Now, because they don’t play Texas country as much, you have to drive out to Austin or San Antonio to hear Texas country music.” Marshall said The Marc tries to throw in a little
The University Camp’s staff is beginning to rebuild the recreational site after it sustained severe damages during the historic Memorial Day weekend flood. The campground, located along the banks of the Blanco River in Wimberley, lost approximately $10,000 to $12,000 in revenue after they reimbursed clients who booked space over the summer. The summer is University Camp’s biggest season, said Anthony Deringer, former coordinator of Outdoor Recreation. “We had to reimburse people’s user fees for the rest of the summer,” said John Johnson, assistant director of campus recreation. Among the organizations being reimbursed was the Aquatic Science Camp at Texas State. “We had four weeks booked
See THE MARC, Page 2
See CAMP, Page 2
DARYL ONTIVEROS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ASAP Ferg performs Sept. 4 at The Marc to celebrate the venue’s two-year anniversary.
The Marc celebrates second anniversary, hopes to book bigger shows By Kasandra Garza NEWS REPORTER @KasGarza
The Marc celebrated its 2nd year anniversary on The Square with a weekend of musical performances. Two years ago, AfterDark Entertainment purchased the Texas Music Theater (TMT) and renamed it The Marc, making it their central home, said Shane
Marshall, marketing director of AfterDark Entertainment. The Marc’s first show was in 2013 on Sept. 6 with a performance by Ookay. TMT was widely known for their Texas country shows. Today, The Marc hosts a variety of artists ranging from electronic dance music and hip-hop to Texas country. Marshall said The Marc’s opening night was a huge
success. However, the company struggled to draw large crowds, especially on weekdays. “It definitely started as a brand-new club,” Marshall said. “At first, people were wary to go in because they were just used to Texas country.” The company started developing weeknight concepts such as Twerquilla Tuesday, dollar drinks and Whiskey
Wednesday. Soon, The Marc began to draw in crowds of 1,000 people, Marshall said. “We were barely putting 150 people in The Marc on Tuesdays two years ago,” Marshall said. “Last week, we had 1,000 people in and 500 people waiting outside the door.” However, despite the success of The Marc, some residents miss the Texas country atmosphere of TMT.
CITY COUNCIL
Q&A with Frank T. Arredondo, Place 5 city council candidate By Alexa Tavarez NEWS EDITOR @lexicanaa San Marcos City Council elections are quickly approaching. The University Star sat down with Place 5 candidate Scott Gregson to discuss his campaign.
Born: November 28, 1946, San Marcos, Texas Occupation: Retired Education: B.B.A. Southwest Texas University, attended Executive School of Management at San Diego University Alexa Tavarez: Where do you call home and why? FrankT.Arredondo: Here in San Marcos. I was born here. I love the community. I’ve given a lot of community service to it.
AT: Why did you decide to run for public office? FA: I decided to run because there is a need for more representation on the council of the Hispanic community. Demographically, we should have three (Hispanic members) on the council that bring a different perspective and bring voice to those who I guess could be considered disenfranchised. I want San Marcos to continue its economic growth. I want level-wage jobs for our citizens, especially our students that graduate from either high school or college. They should have the choice to stay in San Marcos. AT: What challenges are you expecting to face in your campaign? FA: Bringing out the voters.
This is an off year—there is no governor or president running and the turnout is usually low. Voters normally stay home because there is not much rhetoric going to get them excited. AT: What issue is at the heart of your campaign? FA: Giving a voice to the disenfranchised. On the same level is (the issue of) trying to bring level-wage jobs to San Marcos because that, in turn, will allow those persons to get an affordable home, qualify for mortgages and increase the tax base. AT: What are your thoughts on the amount of development San Marcos has seen in the past years? FA: It has been a little erratic. It’s been more than usual. I’d
CONSTRUCTION
like to see our established neighborhoods being respected, but at the same time not strangle business development. AT: In regard to the neverending drought, what role should the city play in water consumption? FT: They should play an important role. We are fortunate to have a river and (access) to an aquifer and we need to insure that we harbor what we have and not waste it. I do believe the city should play a role in regulating the amount of water businesses and residential neighborhoods use. I think the city has done an excellent job in looking towards the future in trying to purchase water and creating a partnership with the pipeline that is coming in for us to use. When Lake Dunlap out
by Canyon Lake was acquired, there was a lot of complaining that (the city) was spending money extravagantly. And it’s been a blessing because we were one of the fortunate communities in Texas that has access to water, and with the growth we’re having we need to continue to set aside access to water. Three years running as the fastest-growing city in the nation, we got to be proactive. AT: As a councilmember, who are you most looking forward to working with? PRESLIE COX MULTIMEDIA EDITOR FT: It’s easy to say the community as a whole, but I have to work with my colleagues and Frank Arredondo, Place 5 city several neighborhood groups council candidate, Aug. 27 at his and the business community. campaign kickoff. They are all equal partners in this.
UNIVERSITY
Aquarena Overpass to be built by late City council candidate visits College 2017 to ease railroad traffic Democrats on campus By Kendall Jackson SPECIAL TO THE STAR @k3ndallblair
By late 2017, Bobcat commuters can expect to make it to class on time due to the timely construction of the railroad overpass on Aquarena Springs Drive. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is projected to build the Loop 82 overpass and cut traffic time in favor of San Marcos residents and students. Kelli Reyna, public informa-
tion officer at TxDOT said this is a vital project to help with the flow of traffic in the city. The $20.73 million project on the overpass will allow motorists to navigate smoothly through San Marcos. “We are going to do everything we can to minimize the impact to the traveling public,” Reyna said. “There will be growing pains at the beginning of the construction project, but we know once it’s complete, the benefits will far outweigh the pain.” Captain Rickey Lattie of the
Texas State University Police Department said meetings with TxDOT have imposed suggestions to make sure bus routes are properly executed. TxDOT officials are aware traffic congestion is a major problem in the city. “San Marcos is the fastest growing city in the United States now per capita,” Lattie said. “We are going to have to start planning for some wider, much larger roads that go through town.”
See LOOP 82, Page 2
Next Monday, Sept. 14 is the
By Anna Herod ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @annaleemurphy
Scott Gregson, Place 5 city council candidate, attended Wednesday’s College Democrats meeting bearing pizza, campaign T-shirts and a message to deliver to potential voters. “I just want to inform students who are actively involved in the political process,” Gregson said. “It’s great to see young people that are this active this early on in their life.
It’s important for them to get out and express their opinions with their votes.” Gregson said he is in favor of the master plan the city has adopted because it will promote “consistent development” and attract those willing to spend money. “I’m always amazed to see the innovativeness of young minds that come out of this university,” Gregson said. Gregson said he loves the city for its “charm and character” and Texas State is a contributing factor to the San
Martian way of life. Nicholas Laughlin, electronic media and mass communication sophomore and president of the College Democrats, said he admires that Gregson is trying to “better the city” even though he is already retired and has served on so many boards and committees. “Something that he thinks is really important is to preserve the river and to have students voices heard,” Laughlin said. “I remember last year that
See GREGSON, Page 2