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TUESDAY APRIL 27, 2021 VOLUME 110 ISSUE 12
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DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
Opinion: Texas State must support its transgender community SEE PAGE 6
SMCISD Rattlers return to in-person classes SEE PAGE 2
LGBTeachers educates inclusivity, representation in classrooms SEE PAGE 5
Bobcat softball scratches back with Georgia Southern series sweep SEE PAGE 7
FOOD INSECURITY
Students, local experts worry temporary SNAP benefits are not enough
A self-checkout sign advertises store regulations on Friday, April 16, 2021, at HEB on East Hopkins Street. The sign details what can be bought and payment options at the self-checkout registers. PHOTO BY JEFFREY HALFEN
By Tatiana Torres News Contributor Despite the recent temporary expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)'s eligibility requirements, students and Hays County nutrition experts believe the expansion is overdue and fear it will be short-lived. SNAP's eligibility expansion came after the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act was passed. The act seeks to assist college students impacted by COVID-19 by helping combat food insecurity. SNAP's eligibility extension includes students who are eligible to participate in state or federally financed work-study during the regular academic year or who have an expected family contribution (EFC) of zero in the current academic year on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Traditionally, SNAP eligibility is based on monthly income alone. According to Miriam Manboard, a human nutrition graduate student and research assistant for the student-run food pantry Bobcat Bounty, SNAP guidelines were initially established when the majority of college populations consisted of students from well-off, middle-class families. "There's a bit of an assumption that college students don't have to worry about security as much because all college students are obviously from, like, middle-class backgrounds and can afford to have [food security] which really isn't the truth anymore," Manboard says.
Traditional SNAP eligibility guidelines left many low-income students, like Kayla Mckee, a communication design junior, having to bear the burden of an aged legislation. “Although I’m grateful, I think it’s pretty ridiculous that it took this long, and it took a pandemic for [lowincome students] to be able to have this opportunity,” Mckee says. Because of the eligibility extension, Mckee qualifies for SNAP benefits and is undergoing a lengthy application process in hopes of lessening the extra financial responsibilities that come with being a full-time student. “I have rent, I need gas money... if I get SNAP, it would help me finally be able to start saving money. Usually, I have just enough money to do the things I need to do,” Mckee says. “Even though it will probably just be a little bit, I can at least start putting some [money away] for when I graduate next year.” Despite the eligibility expansion, Manboard is concerned this small victory may only provide brief relief for students, as only temporary extensions remain in effect until 30 days after the federal government lifts the nationwide designation of the COVID-19 public health emergency. According to Manboard, the issue of food insecurity among college students has been ignored for too long. She says the temporary expansion of SNAP benefits only scratches the surface of what needs to be done in order to ensure college students are food secure.
"College students, that group can be overlooked by many of these service programs. There's also this theme of a lack of resources for college students," Manboard says. "[Food insecurity is an issue] that's only recently getting attention, [but it's] actually been an issue for a while now. We just recently started paying attention to it." Ttory Capes, client intake lead at the Hays County Food Bank, believes it is essential to identify cases of food insecurity among students to properly utilize assistance resources. “I think we’ve discovered, especially during this pandemic and especially during [Winter Strom Uri], food may not be as reliable to some people as we think,” Capes says. “It’s important to take advantage of this and make sure that [the] food situation is all settled, so, at the very least, you know at the end of the day, you can afford food.” While SNAP provides relief to families and individuals in order to secure food, little is done about the stigma of utilizing government nutritional assistance. “People think if people are taking advantage of this program, you’re somehow lesser than. That’s just not the case,” Capes says. Mckee says the stigma is difficult to overcome, but believes acknowledging the issue is the first step toward creating permanent change. She hopes the extended temporary SNAP eligibility requirements will be here to stay, and that students who need the assistance can receive help in the future. Bobcat Bounty food pantry is available to all qualifying Texas State students. The pantry is open every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. at the Mitte parking lot. Signup slots to visit the pantry reset each Tuesday at 4 p.m. Hays County Food Bank offers a community partner program to help with SNAP applications. For more information visit https://haysfoodbank. org/snap-assistance.aspx or call (512) 392-8300 ext. 225.
Cans sit on a shelf, Friday, April 16, 2021, at HEB on East Hopkins Street. PHOTO BY JEFFREY HALFEN
CONTENT CREATORS
Texas State content creators attract views and opportunities through style, creativity By Brooklyn Solis Life & Arts Reporter As viral trends surged across social media amid COVID-19, Texas State content creators take to the web, finding success through their virtual profiles. When joining the hottest app during a global pandemic was all the rage, Texas State students bursting with enterprise found that following Tiktok's trends played a key role in kick-starting their careers as content creators. For volleyball star Janell Fitzgerald, a health science junior with 67,300 followers on TikTok, joining the popular app was a way to escape her daily routine filled with volleyball and schoolwork.
“I LOVE IT, I REALLY DO LIKE MAKING CONTENT AND WHENEVER I HAVE THE TIME, IT’S KIND OF LIKE A STRESS RELIEVER, IF ANYTHING.”
-JANELL FITZGERALD,
VOLLEYBALL STAR
“I couldn’t ask for anything better.” Fitzgerald first gained a considerable following after dancing to the song "Whole Lotta Choppas" in Strahan Arena while wearing her Bobcat training gear. Her sporty location and athletic attire played a role in securing her a specific audience. “I do know that I have a lot of younger volleyball players that follow me,” Fitzgerald says. “I get DMs daily just talking about volleyball or ‘Oh, can’t wait to go to your game,' ‘Can I meet you?’ All types of stuff like that, they kind of correlate volleyball and TikTok.” With TikTok becoming a popular app during quarantine, Don Kennedy, a theater senior, joined the video platform in February 2020 after making the decision to share his Instagram skits on TikTok.
EDITORIAL
The 'new team' signs off By Editorial Board
We always knew this point in the year would come, but we did not think it would arrive this fast. This is our last regular issue of the school year. On May 1, this Editorial Board as currently constructed will no longer exist, and a new group will officially take over. Our senior staff members will graduate when commencement takes place starting on May 13, and younger staff members will begin to grow into new roles. We've endured quite the year, and you were with us every step of the way. You depended on us for information when COVID-19 ravaged the community during the summer. You read every story when we covered Black Lives Matter protests throughout San Marcos. You
logged on to Zoom to watch our events. You followed our social media threads on Election Night. You utilized our resources every day during the February winter storm to find out what stores and restaurants were open. You told us how much you learned from The 11% Project, our year-long examination of Black students at Texas State. We deemed ourselves the "new team" because we viewed these trying times as opportunities to better connect with you. We truly feel we were able to accomplish that. In this year more than ever, people were able to see the value of student media, and we realized just how much you mean to us. During previous years, some people on campus questioned our purpose. After a year filled with catastrophic events, we hope those
uncertainties answered.
and
questions
were
class assignments and operated with inadequate pay because we knew how much you depended on us to do our jobs. The Star is a great resource to this community. Change is about to occur, but we feel there is a strong foundation in place for the organization to keep moving forward. We are so excited about the direction The Star is headed. This year was difficult, but our organization grew because of it. The next crop of leaders will do a remarkable job. We hope you ILLUSTRATION BY ASIA ALCALA continue to support them. The work we do is not easy, but you We take on the role we do because have always kept us going. To that, we of our community. We lived through say thank you. It was an honor. these historic events and were negatively impacted just as some of you were. We sometimes lost out on sleep, missed