TUESDAY
October 5, 2021
VOLUME 111 ISSUE 9 www.UniversityStar.com
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
Student-run picnic business aims to create spontaneous experiences
Football's lack of depth hurts first act of season
Here's a Thought: Instructors aren't as understanding as they were earlier in the pandemic
Star Snaps Photo Gallery
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GIS MAPPING
Texas State students map Hurricane Ida disaster zones with national, federal agencies
together to determine the level of destruction marked by artificial intelligence. According to Kaplan, FEMA used an artificial intelligence system that had marked areas of destruction in sets of polygons. The volunteer's Students in Texas State's Geographical Information job was to examine the marked polygons to determine Systems (GIS) program assisted the Civil Air Patrol the amount of damage in the areas. (CAP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency "We need to classify the structures as destroyed, (FEMA) in mapping disaster major, minor, affected, zones caused by Hurricane Ida no visible damage or this September. unknown," Kaplan “I REALIZED THAT THE MORE The students volunteered said. "Those are the through the Civil Air Patrol's classifications FEMA I HELP, THE FASTER PEOPLE Geospatial Program where they uses for classifying conducted imagery analysis of damage but requires CAN GET THE HELP AND THE damaged structures using the really strict guidelines FEMA Crowdsourced Damage to it. So, when someone Assessment app. As of now, FASTER THEY CAN DO SOMETHING WITH would say well 'my roof Texas State students have helped is missing,' it's you complete 28,000 out of 29,300 THEIR DWELLINGS BECAUSE THE IMAG- know, 'it's destroyed,' damage assessments made. that's actually not a true Capt. Scott Kaplan, CAP ES I'VE SEEN THEY'RE JUST HORRIBLE. statement, it is probably geospatial program manager major damage. If there's and national volunteer, a hole in your roof it described the project as a has to cover more than volunteer opportunity that -ELENA SHABALINA, two-thirds of the roof initially started with different A GIS GRADUATE STUDENT to be classified as major, state CAP chapters. Texas otherwise, it's just State students were offered the minor damage." chance to work with CAP and Riley Brewer, a FEMA after the organizations GIS senior, explained previously worked on a project volunteers were mapping areas of Afghanistan with the students. emailed by FEMA support and given a link to Esri, The project's goal was to collect data on areas an international supplier of geographic information destroyed by Hurricane Ida. The National Crime SEE GIS MAPPING PAGE 2 Insurance Bureau tasked FEMA and CAP to work
BIKE ACCIDENTS
By Timia Cobb News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
THEATER
Texas State Theatre celebrates Hispanic heritage with 'El Nogalar' By Kim Davis Life and Arts Contributor
In a play exploring corruption, classism and family relationships, the Department of Theatre and Dance presented “El Nogalar,” a story of a family’s struggle to keep their homestead amid the looming threat of the cartel in northern Mexico. The production ran from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3 and was led by guest director Anna Skidis Vargas. "El Nogalar" featured alternating English and Spanish primary casts with subtitles for both performances. Based on the 1903 play, “The Cherry Orchard,” by Anton Chekhov, “El Nogalar” is a modern adaptation
written by Tanya Saracho. The story follows the Galvan family, who face the threat of losing their estate and social status to the cartel in modern-day northern Mexico. The modernization of “El Nogalar” allowed Hispanic cast members to connect with their characters and personal backgrounds throughout the performance. Anastacio Gutierrez, an acting senior, played the character Lopez, a handyman who works on the Galvan family property, in both the English and Spanish casts. Gutierrez said he shared a personal connection to Lopez in that they have similar childhood experiences related to their Mexican heritage. SEE THEATER PAGE 4
The stage set for "El Nogalar," Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, at the Patti Strickel Harrison Theater.
PHOTO BY KIM DAVIS
Texas State urban and regional planning junior Art Naylor tests a tire's rotation, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, at the Bike Cave. PHOTO BY DOUGLAS SMITH
After uptick in state cyclist deaths, local bicyclists plea for driver awareness By Arthur Fairchild News Reporter
The increased risk of crashes involving bicyclists across Texas has San Marcos cyclists calling for safer bike paths and more consideration on the roadways. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), bicyclist fatalities have increased over the last five years. In 2020, 82 people died from bicycle-related crashes. Crash data collected from the Texas Peace Officer's Crash Reports (CR3) received and processed by the Texas Department of Transportation indicates there were a total of six crashes involving pedalcyclists in San Marcos in 2021. Four out of the six reported crashes resulted in minor injuries. “I’ve been hit a couple of times, on campus and around town,” said Art Naylor, an urban and regional planning junior. “At the corner of Charles Austin and Aquarena Springs somebody hit me when I was taking the crosswalk it was really scary and I was really angry, but I felt like my life was threatened.” Naylor said the ongoing construction on campus and around San Marcos has impeded his ability to get to and from the university safely. Because of the increase in construction and bike trail detours, Naylor calls on drivers to be more vigilant on the road. “They just started that new project from 123 to Hopkins on the feeder lanes and highway and the first thing they did was tear up the multi-use path which is the only safe bike connection from the east side of I-35 to the west side of I-35," Naylor said. Eric Gilbertson, an assistant professor of philosophy, cycles to the university daily. He said the most dangerous part of his ride is by Sessom Drive where the bike lane ends. Like Naylor, he calls on drivers to be more considerate of cyclists. “I don’t know if drivers are aware enough of cyclists in general and I think that having bike lanes would increase awareness to cyclists,” Gilbertson said. While bike lanes are intended to keep cyclists safe on the road, Peter Tschirhart, associate dean of the Honors College and avid bike rider, said in some instances, bike lanes don't protect cyclists enough. “They're essentially glorified shoulders where all the trash and road gravel gets put and it’s not really a suitable transportation lane,” Tschirhart said. “Car drivers need to understand that roads are public space and cars are not the only vehicles in the SEE BIKE ACCIDENTS PAGE 2