WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 , 2016 VOLUME 106 ISSUE 2 www.UniversityStar.com
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Gennaro family from Cibolo, TX enjoying the San Marcos River April 8 at Cape’s Dam. PHOTO BY PABLO MEJIA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The removal of Capes Dam provokes disagreement By Bri Watkins News Reporter @briwatkins17 Debates are occurring between groups of San Marcos residents regarding the city council’s approval to remove Cape’s Dam. City council approved plans to demolish the 150-year-old structure on March 15. The decision was made in order to economically improve the San Marcos River, but some residents believe this a gambling risk that isn’t worth taking. Capes Dam, creator of Mill Race, Mill Race Falls and Thompsons Island, is a popular recreational area for kayakers, canoeists, tubers and swimmers. The determination to remove the dam has been a sought out idea for years.
After waging battles from previous floods, the safety hazard of the dam has intensified. It no longer serves as a purposeful function and imposes danger due to its detrimental compositions, said Dianne Wassenich, program manager for the San Marcos River Foundation. “The recent floods in 2015 are really what sparked it, but there have been people looking at all the dams on this whole river, all the way to the coast, and looking at which ones are good candidates for removal,” Wassenich said. The decision to immediately remove the dam proceeded from Dr. Thomas Hardy’s comprehensive report he composed after studying the dam. With biology and hydraulic expertise, the river scientist from Tex-
as State’s Meadows Center for Water and the Environment reported an outline to affirm the benefit of the removal. According to the study, the dam has created a sediment buildup in the river, as thick as 10 feet in some areas, posing threat to the aquatic life. Once the dam is removed, the river’s flow will gradually spread the sediment downstream causing the river to deepen all the way up to Lucio Park, said Wassenich. With sediment being washed downstream, the river will divert more naturally and achieve a positive effect, both environmentally and recreationally. The flowing river will then cause an increase in the Texas Wild Rice and aquatic species inhabiting the river. “(The) scientists are sup-
porting dam removal because they know it is the best thing for the river, and Hardy has assured us the river will not be shallower. It will deepen, and it will have more water in it,” Wassenich said. The controversy over the dam removal stems from disagreements between science and recreation. Brian Olson, a Texas State graduate and San Marcos resident, set aside his business to pursue further research in addition to preserve the dam. Olson said we shouldn’t make a permanent decision based on one person. Science can be argued from different perspectives, so we should bring experts in every field to decide on a permanent decision for our community. “From my perspective
I think we would be erasing our history. I think we would be erasing a huge beautification of a natural resource that we have,” Olson said. Capes Dam creates Mill Race, a spot that attracts tourists to the area and also has a grasp on the hearts of local adventurists and veterans. Olson said his main concern is less recreation due to lower water levels from removing the dam. Olson is a part of the Save the San Marcos River organization. He, along with other members, is actively seeking signatures for a petition to stop the removal of the dam. There has been an exponential increase in members who have joined their Facebook page. “People care about this,” Olson said. “All we are trying to do is to keep water
flowing around the island because when the island goes dry and the Capes Dam goes out, there’s no more island. Thompsons Island is no longer an island.” The decision to remove the dam should be extremely thought out with carefulness because once the dam is removed, there will be no way to retrieve it again due to the expense, Olsen said. “I felt from the bottom of my heart, I feel like I could possibly make a positive difference in just getting the right information out there. I’m trying to do the best that I can do to stick with the facts,” Olson said. “I’m a citizen that has nothing to gain from this except wanting to preserve a lot of our history and preserve a habitat.”
as transgender. Claims like these are completely unfounded and are used as a facade to hide transphobic beliefs.” The Obama administration’s directive comes after North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill that mandates people must use the restroom corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate, ra-ther than their gender identity. The directive requires schools to allow transgender students into locker rooms, housing and
other school facilities based on their gender identity. Texas State College Republicans said the organization believes such a policy is unconstitutional. Government officials do not have the constitutional authority to regulate an individual’s personal business ventures and attempting to do so leads closer and closer to a slippery-slope, said Brad-ley Hurt, president of Texas State College Republicans. “We personally see this
as a trivial issue which has no place in our democratic discourse,” Hurt said. “The fact that our generation is facing the greatest challenges to humanity the world has ever seen, (but) our news headlines present an argument over bathroom use as a major concern, is downright humiliating to our political system.” Hurt said focusing resources on making sure people are comfortable going to the restroom, in-stead of ensuring people can live
comfortably without the fear of starving, succumbing to pre-ventable illnesses or having nowhere to turn when their homes are reduced to rubble, reflects badly on the nation. “To have any hope as a nation in solving the real problems of our time, we as American citizens must hold ourselves personally accountable to not sensationalize insignificant matters such as the bathroom controversy,” Hurt said.
POLITICS
College Democrats, College Republicans speak about transgender restroom debate By Lesly De Leon Senior News Reporter @leslyd28 As national debate about policies concerning transgender individuals and public restrooms con-tinues to heat up, Texas politics are at the center of it. Texas and 10 other states filed a lawsuit on May 25 to stop a federal government directive in-structing school districts to let transgender students to use the bathroom corresponding with their gender identity. Texas State College Democrats said the organization supports and advocates for the equality of all people, including those of the transgender and gender nonconforming communities. “We completely support policies that recognize and protect the rights of transgender individuals to use the bathroom they are most comfortable with,” said David Eisenberg, president of Texas State College Democrats. “We are appalled at
the unfounded claims, false narratives, and flat out discrimination used to try to undermine these rights.” Attorney General Ken Paxton said the Obama administration’s guidelines are outside the bounds of the constitution. State officials are taking action to protect a school district with a policy re-quiring students to use bathrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the fight against the federal directive was just beginning and he was sending letters to all Texas school districts advising them to ignore the directive. Eisenberg said individuals don’t have to be Democrats or “left-leaning” to favor policies promot-ing equality. “I’m also very disturbed by arguments that are made by conservatives on this issue,” Eisenberg said. “Their positions revolve around the claim that predators will gain access to women’s re-strooms by identifying
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2 | Wednsday, June 8, 2016
NEWS
The University Star UniversityStar.com @universitystar
Bailey Buckingham, News Editor @bcbuckingham
FIRST RESPONDERS
City appoints new fire marshal By Rae Glassford Senior News Reporter @rae_maybe On May 24, Bert Cobb, Hays County judge, officially appointed Clint Browning as head fire marshal for Hays County. Despite the fact this will be his first term as Fire Marshal, Browning has already served four years in Hays County as Assistant Fire Marshal. Officially, he found out about the promotion roughly a month ago, Browning said. His qualifications include thirty years of fire service, extensive emergency service training in fire investigation, fire suppression and administrative management experience in law enforcement. “I’ve been doing this kind of job for a long time,” Browning said.
On paper, Browning is now in charge of four reserves of part-time deputies, to be dispatched at his command. He will also officially assume responsibility for all records, evidence and office administration functions in the county. He will likewise report to Commissioners Court, handle burn ban questions and community concerns regarding fire safety and oversee all investigations in the county and the development of new policies. “Unofficially, I’ve been doing most of those things the whole time,” Browning said. Browning wasted little time acclimating to his new position, and says he is looking forward to a particular project. “What I’m trying to get together is a fire setting prevention program,” Brown-
ing said. “So that’ll be my big project for the next year.” Use fire setter is a certification program that will focus on prevention and intervention, he said. “Essentially, without anything in place, anybody under the age of 17 who starts a fire has two options: they don’t go to a juvenile detention center, or they do,” Browning said. “Traditionally, without any education, the problem just gets worse. No follow up is done. The goal of this program will be trying to keep kids out of the juvenile justice system or to intervene before it gets to that point.” Club leaders, parents and school officials are among some of the authority figures with the power to recommend a minor to the program, Browning said. “If these kids get caught
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in criminal situations, we need to have a way to educate and evaluate them, so that we can find a proper outlet to correct their behavior,” Browning said. The program was Browning’s original idea, but needs state certification in order to get off the ground. Browning recently succeeded in obtaining the certification from the State Fire Marshal’s office, a body which
teaches law enforcement and fire investigation courses throughout the state. “The program is minimally instated now, but we’re hoping to get it fully spearheaded soon,” Browning said. “I had to complete program director training and I am currently in the process of developing oversight functions, as well as creating a board to oversee all actions the program
might take in the future.” The estimate is the program could be fully functional within six months, Browning said. “There has been a nationwide increase in the reporting of juvenile-related fires,” Browning said. “The problem has always been there and it’s been ignored (and) kicked to the wayside for too long.”
that will fall off,” Vargas said.
City officials estimate that the reconstruction of the
bridge will be completed by this time next year.
CONSTRUCTION
Post road bridge to be replaced By Bailey Buckingham News Editor @bcbuckingham Texas Department of Transportation held an open house meeting Monday evening at the Kyle First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall to engage in a dialogue with the community regarding the upcoming construction of a bridge over the Blanco River. The proposed placement of the bridge is at the site of the former Post Road crossing, which was destroyed by last year’s Memorial Weekend flood. If reconstructed, the
bridge is expected to provide an alternative route between Kyle and San Marcos. Currently, a temporary bridge stands at this site; removal of this structure will be required if Hays County moves to re-erect the permanent bridge in its place. A detour will also have to be constructed in order to facilitate traffic between San Marcos and Kyle. The bridge will be rebuilt up to the same height as its predecessor, but will be wider. The previous structure was 26 feet wide, whereas the new bridge will be approximately 32 feet, and will not include sidewalks.
There were roughly thirty Hays County residents in attendance, Ray Whisenant, Precinct 4 commissioner and Victor Vargas, TxDot engineer, who ran the meeting. The bridge is being funded by the state of Texas’ Bridge Replacement Program. The funds are allocated based on need across the state and the cap of the fund applies to all projects in the state. “The funds are allocated across the state, so if you concentrate a lot of money on one project, then there will end up being a whole lot of projects around Texas
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Wednesday, June 8, 2016 | 3
LIFESTYLE
Denise Cervantes, Lifestyle Editor @cervantesdenise
UniversityStar.com @universitystar
FUN
MOVIES
Enjoy the river with activities other than tubing
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising your summer guilty pleasure
Stacee Collins Assistant Lifestyle Editor @stvcee
By Erin O’Donnell Lifestyle Reporter @1erino Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is a film with no reason to exist. Besides occasionally building on the relationships and characters from the first movie, Neighbors 2 reuses the same plot and brings nothing new to the table. Although the reuse of the plot and lack of character development was disappointing; the film itself was not completely unenjoyable. One of the good things about this movie was the consistency in humor. Sure a few jokes fell flat or felt unnecessary, but that seemed to be the point of this movie. Something unnecessary can still be enjoyable. Another one of my favorite attributes of the film was seeing how much Zac Efron (Teddy) and Chloe Grace Moretz (Shelby) have grown as actors. Efron was able to hold his own comedy midst of Seth Rogen. In fact, Efron’s character exhibits the most character growth between the two part series. Efron was able to play the same character exhibiting not only insane frat boy behavior but displaying natural growth as Teddy matures into a young adult ready to right his wrong actions. As somebody who has seen Efron in his High School Musical days, I am more than thrilled to see how his acting develops in the future, especially if he can display the same amount of talent he has displayed in this film. Moretz, on the other
PHOTO BY CASSANDRIA ALVARADO
hand, exhibited a knack for comedy, going out of her comfort zone. While she is much more known for her action oriented movies, I could not help but think some of the more comedic parts of the movie belonged to her. Unlike most actors, Moretz is the same age of the character of Shelby, which helps convey how her age and the stage of life she is currently in benefits the way she portrays Shelby. Moretz was able to display raw emotions, while not letting the story become bogged down with them. Neighbors 2 wasn’t afraid to twist traditional feminine roles. In most college based movies fraternities are the stars, such as in Neighbors, but this sequel put a sorority in the spotlight, while still displaying the same sense of raw humor the first film showcased. None of the Sorority sisters were made to be perfect angels, in fact, this movie displayed how college-age women want to have just as much fun as collegeaged men. While we live
in a world that attempts to showcase women as pure and angelic, Neighbors 2 exhibited a raw sense of realism when it came to the sorority. Unlike most films that would attempt to show the sorority sisters partying in the excessive amount, as a complete parody or just for an audience reaction. Neighbors 2 demanded the actions of the sorority be taken at the same level of seriousness as the fraternity in the first film. In fact, the primary reason the sorority exist in Neighbors 2 is because of Shelby’s desire to be held to the same standards fraternities are held. At the end of it all, though, this movie was a delight. Do you need to rush out to see this film? No. Would it ruin you day if you did see this? No. The film was a great way to pass an afternoon and get in a good laugh or two. While it is not as good as the first film, it can stand by itself and is just as entertaining.
Tubing the San Marcos River has been a Texas State tradition for many years. However, people can still enjoy summer when they ditch the tube. Rebecca Ybarra-Ramirez, San Marcos Convention and Visitor Bureau executive director, said there is a wide variety of non-tubing activities for locals to experience. “People come in and surf at Rio Vista Falls,” YbarraRamirez said. “The first drop is so strong that people surf it.” Ybarra-Ramirez said SUP Adventures San Marcos is one of the groups to frequently surf the falls. The recreational service offers stand-up paddleboard rentals, lessons and tours. Power Olympic Outdoor Center provides rentals for equipment like kayaks and canoes. Paddleboard yoga is another popular activity at Texas State, YbarraRamirez said “There is a gentleman who has a partnership with Power Olympic Outdoor, and they do yoga on standup paddleboards,” YbarraRamirez said.
Trey Hatt, communication specialist for the city of San Marcos, said kayaking is one of the most popular river activities. “We’ve got a really energetic kayaking community,” Hatt said. “Texas River Safari is this major kayaking and canoe race that goes all the way down the San Marcos River and down to the coast.” Bring a swimsuit to Sewell Park where wading, swimming and snorkeling are options. “We’ve got the Texas wild rice, so if you want to get a good, non-destructive look at it, you can snorkel around the wild rice strands,” Hatt said. San Marcos’ river park system provides activities for locals, visitors and Bobcats. “Depending on which parks you go to, it includes everything from open spaces, park benches, picnics to pavilions,” Hatt said. “We have a wide variety of facilities available within walking distance of the river.” Jonathan Hernandez, assistant director of facility operations, said the Texas State Outdoor Center offers affordable gear for Bobcats to rent. “We have rentals for
backpacks, canoes, kayaks, lanterns and other miscellaneous camping gear,” Hernandez said. When taking a trip to the river with a friend group, bring some chairs, a Frisbee, a radio and a football for some fun on the riverbanks. Frisbee Dan is likely to join in on the fun. Bobcats can lay out on Bikini Hill at Sewell Park to get a good tan. Some people meet at the river to have cookouts. Families can gather at one of San Marcos’ parks to enjoy hamburgers by the river. Don’s Fish Camp in Martindale offers kayak rentals and music coolers. The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment provides historic glass bottom boat tours, wildlife viewing, wetlands boardwalk and more. “Activities on the river are very economical whether it’s a family or a couple or an individual,” Ybarra-Ramirez said. Whether you’re kayaking or simply dangling your feet in, always remember to take care of the river—what goes here flows here!
A kayaker enjoys the San Marcos River at Stokes Park. Kayaking is one of many activities to be enjoyed on the river.
PHOTO BY PABLO MEJIA | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
TRAVEL
Top road trips to take this summer Vivian Medina Lifestyle Reporter @vjmedina6 Forget the 5-star hotels and first class flights this summer. Explore the Lone Star State the old fashioned way by taking a road trip. From sandy beaches to pine forests, Texas has many hidden gems which not only makes for a perfect drive, but for a cheap and simple getaway. Starting with the most overlooked region of Texas: the Panhandle. Take the historic Route 66—now mostly I-40—to travel straight across the state to find unique attractions such as Cadillac Ranch, which consists of a gallery of cars fully marked with graffiti. Cadillac Ranch makes a great photo op, said Valerie Leal, social work junior. “I have been to Amarillo, Texas where Cadillac Ranch is located and I recommend it,” Leal said. “It makes for cool Instagram pictures.” Palo Duro Canyon, also known as the ‘Grand Canyon of Texas,’ is located just off of I-40 and holds some of the best views in the state. Hiking, horseback riding, biking and camping are just a few of the activities that are available. Continue driving along Route 66 to explore ghost towns and unusual finds. However, for a more relaxing road trip, drive on down to the Piney Woods in East Texas. Jacksonville resident Lauren Gandy said it is filled with long roads and tall trees. It is easy to get lost in the green surroundings.
“I have lived in East Texas my whole life, but never realized how beautiful it actually is,” Gandy said. “I guess I should start appreciating it more.” While traveling through the cities of East Texas, take a boat ride on Caddo Lake where a 100 plus pound snapping turtle was recently found. If that isn’t adventurous enough, head to the small town of Jefferson to go back in time with its steamboats, general stores and real-life haunted houses and hotels from the Civil War
era. To get away from the country roads and small towns, head to urban Dallas. Memorable museums and sites such as the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Holocaust Museum and Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Not only is the city full of modern art and architecture, but it is also home to some of the biggest amusement parks and attractions such as Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor in Arlington and the State Fair of
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Texas, Dallas World Aquarium and Dallas Arboretum. If the destination is not nearly as important as the journey, then the road going from Marble Falls to Inks Lake State Park is the perfect route. Take Highway 281 up to Park Road 4 and the beau-
tiful scenery will make anyone forget where they were going in the first place, said Marble Falls resident Jack Wright. Throughout the winding road, fields of bluebonnets will be found and dark caves can be explored.
“I think I am probably being biased when I say that the hill country has the most beautiful views since I grew up here, but it really is great,” Wright said.
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The University Star
OPINIONS
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Mikala Everett, Opinions Editor @mikala_maquella
Restrictions on Meal Trades are ridiculous By Allison Chavez @AllisonChavez21 Opinions Columnist Time restrictions on meal trades are ludicrous. Bobcats should not be required to buy meal trades, but not be able to use them half the time. At the start of our college experience, all Texas State students are forced to acquire a large and expensive Meal Trade and Dining Dollars package. This package essentially means we are paying for meals ahead of time so Texas State is ensured a certain amount of money, no matter how many meals each student consumes. Considering how much money they cost, students might expect meal trades to be available whenever they are feeling a little peckish and wish to consume some Chik-Fil-A or Blimpie to satiate their hunger. This, however, is not the case. There are in fact many inane rules and regulations restricting when and how one can use meal trades. For instance, say a student wants to enjoy some nuggets of chicken courtesy of Chik-Fil-A at lunchtime, which just so happens to be at noon. But oops, look at that, Chik-Fil-A meal trades do not open until one o’clock, so it will be eight dollars please. Yeah, it’s pretty stupid. Essentially, Texas State is playing the part of a big, dumb bully. First, it points and grunts for us to purchase a ridiculously expensive meal trade package. Then, when we have grudgingly conceded, it laughs and says ‘Psych!’ and describes how Bobcats can only use said expensive
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meal trades during certain hours. So what exactly is a student supposed to do when the craving for Blimpie before one o’clock arises and is a typical broke college student that can’t afford to throw cash around? Well, there’s always the trash can, I suppose. The point is, it is absolutely preposterous that Texas State imposes these
utterly arbitrary and absurd restrictions upon its unsuspecting students. What’s even more absurd about this whole situation is that there does not seem to be any conceivable logical explanation for why Texas State insists upon enforcing these senseless restrictions upon something they forced us to buy in the first place. Unless, of course, wanting to make more
money is a good enough reason, which I am assuming it is for Texas State. In addition, there is no way to back out of a Meal Trade or Dining Dollars plan. Texas State needs to stop the injustice. This can either be accomplished by allowing freshmen students to opt out of buying a meal trade and dining dollars package, or by ceasing the
ludicrous time restrictions upon meal trades and let them be open all the time, like they were meant to be. Just one little thing that will make so many students’ lives so much easier and less complicated. One little thing and there will be no desperately snacking on cereal to hold yourself over until one o’clock, when meal trades open and you can finally eat.
Come on Texas State, you can do it. Just stop this senseless nonsense with the meal trade restrictions and everything will be dandy and fine. -Allison Chavez is a journalism sophomore
Porn diminishes the meaning of sex By Bridgett Reneau @bridgelynnn Opinions Columnist Sex is no longer sacred. Walking down the street, or walking anywhere, really, symbols and suggestions of sexuality are found at each and every turn. I know the resounding backlash from the mouths of many will follow the lines of the mantra of sexual freedom. Eyes will roll at the absurdity of the notion of a woman’s naked body ever being perceived as indecent. Quite the contrary, a woman’s body is never immoral. It is a beautiful vessel that houses a divine spirit, but we do not treat it as such. Pornography teaches our society to disregard sexual
intimacy. It trains people to view women as objects who merely exist to complete a patriarchal fantasy. Female porn stars are depicted performing sexual acts they would never comply with in reality, and these videos gain hundreds of thousands of views. What the average porn viewer likely does not realize is that oftentimes, the girls in the videos are not really enjoying the sex. These women are, for the most part, actresses who are performing for large amounts of cash. Rachel Bernard, a former professional amateur porn star, had her time working behind the camera depicted in the Emmy Awards Nominated documentary, Hot Girls Wanted, a film
that sought to take a “first ever look at the realities of the professional ‘amateur’ porn world and the steady stream of 18-to-19-year old girls entering into it.” After shooting a particularly revolting scene with a much older man, Bernard went to the bathroom and said to the camera, “That last part I…hated. This is so just work right now.” Jill Bauer, one of the directors of the film, said how “surprised” she was about the sites that feature the type of pornography that professional amateur porn stars perform in. “Everything about the… sites [surprises me],” Bauer said. “The fact that they exist, the fact that they exist legally, the fact that they get so many views.”
The porn itself gets countless views, but far fewer people take the time to recognize that the people behind the porn are in fact human beings. They have bills to pay, they fall in love, they fart and burp and sneeze and don’t roll out of bed looking camera-ready. The influx of pornography into the mainstream tells girls that they have to adhere to a certain unattainable standard in order to be classified as desirable by men. Furthermore, men are led to believe that the fictitious characters that women are depicted as in pornography should be what they can expect in their own sex lives. But porn is not real life. Real life sex is not entirely about a man’s pleasure, nor
is it about being perfect in every regard – instead it should be about mutual pleasure and incredible intimacy. Naomi Wolf said in her column for New York magazine, “For the first time in human history, [pornography’s] power and allure [has] supplemented that of real naked women. Today, real naked women are just bad porn.” The statement could not ring more sorrowfully true. Even the porn stars themselves, without the gleam of the bright box lights and the acting done on camera, could not measure up to the concepts of female perfection that are contrived by the porn industry. Sex sells. This is a modern-day fact, but it
doesn’t have to be. The casual indifference to sexuality that is perpetuated by the cheap obscenity of the porn industry doesn’t have to be bought. People can choose to place value on the real women behind the makeup and glamour of the porn stars they see on a computer screen – they can choose to see the worth behind the body, and the meaning behind the sex.
half woman combination? Again, this only promotes the idea that members of the transgender community are societal outcasts who should be avoided. Last I checked, the doctrine of separate but equal—the former slave-holding states’ socio-political response to the abolition of slavery and ultimately legalized racial segregation following Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)— was abolished with The Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the summer months, as new and prospective students traverse the campus and climb the steps to the
LBJ Student Center, they are led by university staff who welcome them unconditionally. As a collective, we should all do the same.
- Bridgett Reneau is a Psychology sophomore
Letter to the Editor To Whom It May Concern: I write to you today to express my disappointment in your 01 June 2016 issue of The University Star. Jessica King’s opinion piece entitled, “Transgender people in women’s bathrooms spark safety concerns,” incited anger and frustration. Numerous freshmen and their families undoubtedly read this issue because it had “New student orientation guide, Summer 2016” emblazoned on the front page. An obscene amount of space
was allocated to local business advertisements and the Allies of Texas State program and the Office of Diversity and Equality were altogether ignored. While this issue welcomed new students by educating them on a selection of campus resources, it simultaneously shunned incoming transgender students. “Just because a few people outside the societal norms have issues using a bathroom according to their biological gender, doesn’t mean we should cater to them.” Have you ever thought to consider
The University Star Editor-in-Chief..................................................Emily Sharp, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor...........................Brandon Sams, starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu Letters...............................................................................universitystar@txstate.edu News Editor............................................Bailey Buckingham, starnews@txstate.edu Sports Editor.........................................Autumn Anderson, starsports@txstate.edu Lifestyle Editor......................................Denise Cervantes, starlifestyle@txstate.edu Opinions Editor........................................Mikala Everett, staropinion@txstate.edu Multimedia Editor................................Lara Dietrich, starmultimedia@txstate.edu Copy Desk Chief.....................................Claire Abshire, starcopychief@txstate.edu
that transgender discrimination transcends even to the formulation of national statistics? The U.S. Census Bureau and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention do not survey if Americans identify as the gender to which they were born (http://www.transequality.org/issues/researchdata-needs). The estimate most frequently cited equates to approximately 700,000, or 0.1 percent of the American population. However, this estimate is likely incorrect because there are many who fear revealing their true gender
identity. In her article, King also branded the incorporation of transgender bathrooms as a “trend,” as though we should somehow equate them to craft beers and kale. Superficial labels like this perpetuate stereotypes of “otherness” when the LGBT community simply wants inclusion and equality. Ultimately, King advocates for the incorporation of altogether segregated bathrooms for the transgender community. Huh. How would the door be marked? With a question mark? With a half man-
Sincerely, An Advocate for Unconditional Acceptance (Heather M. Haley, M.A. History)
ABSN Room 350 Texas State University San Marcos, TX 78666
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The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Monday and Thursday of the spring and fall and every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright Thursday, April 21, 2016. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor in chief. The first five issues of each edition of the paper are free. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased at 50¢ per copy. Contact The University Star office at (512) 245-3487 to purchase additional copies.
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The University Star
SPORTS
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 | 5 Autumn Anderson, Sports Editor @aaautumn_
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FOOTBALL
Texas State Football 2016 Season Preview Ryder Burke Sports Reporter @RyderBurke
With football right around the corner there are several reasons to be excited for the 2016 season. A young injury ridden Texas State team fought through a three-win season last year, trying to rid the taste of the 2014 bowl bid robbery. After finishing with a 7-5 record in 2014, the Bobcats first ever would-be bowl invitation was given to an Arkansas State team who had an identical record yet were dominated by the Bobcats 45-27. We shouldn’t live in the past however, and a “Remember the Alamo” attitude hovers over the team and town, giving motivation for redemption. As a community, with a new coaching staff and fiery motivation, Texas State marches towards a new chapter in the book of FBS college football. September 3: Texas State opens up 2016 play with a road game at Ohio University in Athens, OH. This will be the first official look at the work and progression of Head Coach Everett Withers with the maroon and gold. Bobcat’s have a history of conference stand-out
running backs and after the departure of Robert Lowe, Tyler Tutt looks to follow suit. September 17: Texas State travels to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on a notable contender in the powerhouse SEC. The Razorbacks pulled off impressive underdog wins in 2015 against then No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 9 LSU in back to back road games. Arkansas capped off their season with a Liberty Bowl victory over Kansas State and looks to carry this momentum into the 2017 season. With Texas State’s brand new coaching regime, this will be an early test of the team’s cohesion and the effectiveness of the new offensive and defensive schemes installed over the off season. Facing a team of this stature this early on should prove to be a very tough yet beneficial match up for the Bobcats. September 24: Home Opener Texas State follows one big road game with arguably an even bigger home game the next week to open up Bobcat Stadium against Houston. Houston dominated the 2015 regular season and scored a post-season victory over the former National Champion Florida State Seminoles in the Peach
Bowl. Texas State vs. Houston has developed into a nice rivalry with each team serving both knockout wins and nail biters over each other in past matchups. The momentum may be with Houston, but if the Bobcat’s newfound defense, lead by coach Randall McCray, can keep senior returning QB Greg Ward at bay then there’s a chance for a Texas State upset with celebrations in San Marcos. October 1: Bobcats head to the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio to face the Cardinals who are entering their fourth year of NCAA Division 1 FCS football and look to test out their own progress against the FBS Texas State team. While the UTSA rivalry has lost some steam since the last time they played, this match up with UIW should reignite the spark between the neighboring San Antonio and San Marcos universities while allowing Texas State to work on fundamental execution. Texas state follows with back to back road games against Georgia State and Louisiana Monroe on October 8 and October 15 respectively. These should be a hard fought games between Sun Belt Rivals trying
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to make their way up the conference ladder. October 22: Homecoming The University of Louisiana-Lafayette comes to San Marcos to face a Texas State team eager to defend their stadium during homecoming weekend. The Ragin Cajuns’ offense will be dependent on workhorse running back Elijah McGuire. November 5: Appalachian State, one of only 14 teams nation wide to win 11 games in 2015, hosts Texas State. If the Bobcats are
looking to make their claim at the top of the Sun Belt, this will be a definitive test of ability. November 12: We come back home to Bobcat Stadium to host the Idaho Vandals who the Bobcats have defeated three out of the last four meetings. Texas State’s last road game is in Las Cruces, NM against the New Mexico State Aggies November 19. They then finish up the season in San Marcos against Troy on November 26 and defending Sunbelt Confer-
ence Champions, Arkansas State, on December 3 for a heavy hitting final showdown in front of the home crowd. As the Texas State football team gets mentally and physically prepared for the 2016 kickoff this summer, so should the student body and fan base. With Texas State holding the 4 largest population in Texas, there should be an equally large crowd of Bobcats at each game.
BASEBALL
End of season farewells By: Kier Rouse Sports Reporter Twitter: @KierRouse Texas State baseball was off to a strong start in the spring season, followed by a rough end against No. 8 Arkansas with a 3-4 loss. The Bobcats ultimately lasted three games in the Sun Belt conference championship tournament before their season came to a close. With the end of the Bobcat baseball season, comes farewells to a few Texas State seniors. Tanner Hill, senior catcher, made major moves this season. Hill ended his career with the Bobcats holding the season record for home runs in the Sun Belt conference with 15. Hill also finished the season with the No. 15 spot in the conference for batting average with a .321. Hill stood out early on in the season in game two against the Incarnate Word. Racking up a career high total of five home runs in the game, Hill lead the Bobcats to a 22-5 sweep against the Cardinals. Left handed pitcher Cory Geisler improved his game this season. Geisler made an appearance against the University of Louisiana- Lafayette on April 23rd. With a grand total of 9.0 innings pitched, Geisler allowed
four hits and only one run. The Bobcats took the win 2-1 against the Ragin Cajuns. Right handed pitchers Jeremy Hallonquist and Lucan Humpal will not be returning next season as well. Senior Humpal and returning senior Hallonquist both had successful careers with the Bobcats. Humpal had two back to back impressive games both against UIW and University of Louisiana- Monroe. Against UIL, Humpal only allowed three hits and no runs in his 9.0 innings pitched, winning allowing the Bobcats to take the win 4-0. Next Humpal pitched another 9.0 innings against UL- Monroe, allowing only a single run and four hits. Returning senior Hallonquist, had a strong and consistent start at the beginning of the season. Hallonquist had a total of three games this season where he allowed no runs in his time on the mound. As the Bobcats took on Washington State in the first game on the season, Hallonquist only allowed four hits and no runs in his 7.0 innings pitched. On March 5th against UIW, Hallonquist didn’t allow a single run in 3.0 innings. Finally in game two against Appalachian State, Hallonquist held the mound for 8.0 innings only giving up
four hits. Other returning seniors who will end their career with Bobcat baseball include Cody Lovejoy, Chase Hodson, Justin Dellinger and finally Pasquale Mazzoccoli. Outfielder Cody Lovejoy ends his career as a Bobcat with a .983 fielding percentage. Lovejoy also has a total of 58 catches and 56 putouts for the season. Right handed pitcher, Chase Hodson took the mound against LouisianaMonroe on March 12th. Hodson pitched a total of 4.0 innings and didn’t give up a single hit or run. Hodson continued the trend against Appalachian State on March 18th. Justin Dellinger, senior right handed pitcher took a win in pitching against UIL in his 2.1 innings pitched, only giving up two runs. Lastly, returning senior Pasquale Mazzoccoli held the mound well in his time on the field as a right handed pitcher. Mazzoccoli debuted for the season in the season opener against Washington State. Mazzoccoli took the mound for 1.1 innings and only gave up one hit and one run. Congratulations and farewell to the seniors who completed their last season with Texas State Baseball.
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