02-21-23

New, familiar faces to shape baseball roster

By Carson Weaver Sports Editor

It’s no secret that Bobcat baseball has set a new standard for itself through last season’s deep playoff run to the Stanford Regional. Although the run ended short, the team managed to bring Texas State and its community to the national spotlight for the first time in school history.

The 2022 Texas State baseball team produced the best record in program history, largely in part to the contributions of that year's seniors.

Longtime lineup roster staples, however, like outfielders John Wuthrich and Isaiah Ortega-Jones, infielders Wesley Faison and Cameron Gibbons and reliever Trevis Sundgren have since graduated.

Dalton Shuffield and Tristan Stivors left the team via the 2022 MLB Draft. Both were drafted by AL Central teams the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox, respectively.

This year, familiar faces look to carry more of the load that was left by the graduates and players who sparingly saw the field last year will get an increased opportunity in the new season.

Sophomore first baseman Daylan Pena will look to build on a respectable freshman season that saw him get consistent playing time as either designated hitter or first baseman. In his freshman year, Pena hit seven home runs, including a grand slam against the rival Texas Longhorns in the highestattended baseball game in Texas State history.

Pena gave glimpses of raw power last season, but with only seven home runs to his name in 2022 and the eightbest slugging percentage on the team, head coach Steve Trout will need Pena to translate that raw power into game power in order to fill the holes left by last year’s graduates.

SEE BASEBALL PAGE 6

ELECTIONS

Main Point: Stop suppressing the youth vote

By Editorial Board

Texas House Bill 2390, introduced on Thursday, Feb. 16, would ban the placement of polling locations on college campuses, including Texas State. Authored by District 73 House Rep. Carrie Isaac who represents parts of Hays and Comal Counties, the bill is an attack on students and young voters’ constitutional right to vote.

Colleges and universities are designed to house all the needs of students on campus. Housing, dining, classes and recreation are within walking distance. Requiring public transportation or a car to vote is inconvenient and will lower voter turnout. Voting should be easy and encouraged by government officials, not restricted so politicians can decide who is able to show up to vote just so they receive more favorable odds on Election Day.

THEATER

COSMO Theatre Troupe creates opportunites for TXST students

By Haley Velasco Assistant Life and Arts Editor

Students in the COSMO Theatre Troupe, a student-led production company, know that making it in the performing arts industry at Texas State can be challenging. Nevertheless, the organization is working to pave the way to a safe and collaborative space for performers by turning the common "no" into a definite "yes."

In the spring of 2022, Jessica Ruibal, a performance and production sophomore and president of the COSMO Theatre Troupe decided to put on the play that she wrote in high school, “Opened.” After building it from the ground up without a budget or clear guidance, including casting, holding rehearsals and performing, Ruibal was proud to showcase her first show at Texas State.

The cast members of "Opened" whom Ruibal had only considered playwriting classmates or mutual friends would soon be the future board members of COSMO.

SEE THEATER PAGE 3

The 2023 Officers of the COSMO Theatre Troupe on

Jan. 19, 2023 outside of the Theatre Center.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY LOPEZ

Texas State junior right handed pitcher Levi Wells (25) pitches the ball against Northwestern University on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at Bobcat Stadium.

PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA

Texas State sophomore infielder Ryan Hernandez (14) runs the bases, Feb. 17, 2023, at Bobcat Ballpark.

PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA

Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487

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About Us

History: The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday of the spring and fall and once a month in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 3,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels HeraldZeitung.

Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, Feburary 21, 2023. 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.

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RESOURCES

TXST, partners strive for student financial literacy through college

By Christian Martinez News Contributor

For many students, managing money can be difficult when they have monthly payments on things like student loans, bills and living costs. Every month, the University College hosts several financial literacy events on credit awareness, money management and budgeting, as well as provides advice on personal finance management.

Terrance McClain, associate director of Success Coaching, said students should know the importance of practicing good financial literacy.

"For the overall population, a lot of students don't know about [credit]" McClain said. "A lot of our events that we do we try to incorporate the basic things like credit score, how to develop a good one, and things to look out for."

McClain urges students to use the resources at their disposal and seek help if needed.

"There is a lot of students that have the knowledge, but the majority needs help," McClain said. "We cover main things like credit, budgeting and student loan repayment. We want to help students, that's our main goal, we know how hard it can be."

The University College plans to continue its financial literacy events to lead up to April which has been deemed Financial Literacy Month by the U.S. Senate. The month highlights the importance of financial literacy and tips to become financially smart.

Texas State and its partnership with Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union will celebrate on April 11 with events that incorporate fun activities with expanding personal finance knowledge for students.

Students can use other resources provided by the university before April.

A LendingTree survey from March 2020 explains that more than one out of every five students take out extra student loans to pay for spring break. Texas State's spring break begins on March 12 and runs through March 19. The University College will host a spring break budgeting event on March 7 to teach students about money management and being financially responsible during the break.

According to a U.S. News survey, as of Sept. 2022, 46% of college students who own credit cards have accumulated some sort of credit card debt. On average, students in the U.S. have more

than $3,000 worth of credit card debt.

Credit is used for many things in life such as buying a home, car or other major appliances. The process is like gaining trust. The better a person’s credit is, the more companies and banks will trust someone to use their money.

Pondra Zigler, an accounting sophomore, said that she does not believe many students know about credit cards and financial literacy.

“I know a lot of my friends don’t have credit built up yet so I’m sure that’s common,” Zigler said. “I think can be a good thing to some extent because if they aren’t educated properly on credit, they could destroy theirs.”

Credit can also determine how much one will spend on a major purchase, someone with good credit will pay significantly less to a company versus someone with bad credit. Bad credit can cause serious financial hardships like fewer loan options, high interest rates and can even affect job opportunities.

According to the Government Accountability Office, "the disadvantages of credit cards can outweigh the advantages” if students do not know money management and financial literacy when it comes to building a credit score with a credit card.

Zigler said her advice to students who lack financial literacy or need to start credit is to make sure their finances are in order.

“I would advise students that don’t have credit already to do a lot of research

By Nichaela Shaheen News Editor

On Feb. 20, Student Government election polls opened online, allowing Bobcats to vote for their future student body president, vice president and senators that will be their voice for the 2023-2024 school year. According to President Kelly Damphousse, Student Government is an essential organization to the university.

"What's so important about the student body, student government association or student government work is that they are the representative voice of the student to the administration," Damphousse said. "They can tell me things that I don't know about and I can explain things to them and they can pass that down."

When a new president is elected, Damphousse said the transition happens quickly with meetings to allow for a flow of ideas to be exchanged.

"It starts at the very beginning, even before the inauguration, as soon as the election is over, the first thing I'll do is I'll invite the new president, and if she or he has their cabinet put together, invite them to meet with me and say, 'what do you guys want to do?'"Damphousse said.

Those running for positions like president and vice president must run on a platform, which acts as a campaign agenda.

Kiersten Florence, current vice president and management junior, who is running unopposed for president is using transportation and parking as well as increased student support as her main platforms.

These entail having pay to park garages at a lower fee for students to increase promotions and access to new and existing resources for mental and physical health.

Olivia Brechot, current chief of staff, understands the work that goes into these platforms well, as her job requires her to help with seeing the initiatives through.

"I'm kind of a liaison. I go to the Senate meetings every week, and I do the minutes for that. I kind of serve as the clerk there," Brechot said.

Kathryn Weiser, assistant dean of students and co-adviser of Student Government, said being elected officer comes with many benefits.

before they start,” Zigler said. “They don’t want to hurt themselves by going into debt in the long run.”

Kats Jimenez, a history senior, said that students should be careful with credit card companies since their advertisements can be misleading.

"They take advantage of some students' lack of knowledge to offer cards that would ruin their life down the road," Jimenez said. "Just because you have money on your card doesn’t mean it’s a great idea to spend on everything and anything that you like."

Her advice for students like her is to ask for help and use resources appropriately.

"Take the time to research these credit card companies, it’s better to be safe than sorry," Jimenez said. "Don’t hesitate to ask around too, and attending a financial literacy session may help with not feeling alone."

McClain said students should use other resources outside of Texas State to understand financial literacy.

"Utilize free opportunities that you have. Go read books in a library, go watch YouTube videos, go to TikTok," McClain said. There are multiple ways for you to learn about the information, and something is better than nothing."

For more information about the University College and it upcoming events, visit its website.

"It helps them to become ready for their careers because it's a learning laboratory of applying all sorts of leadership skills from communication skills," Weiser said. "Learning to communicate with different audiences in different ways in order to get the best result, managing your time, which includes organization goal setting, all the things you need to have as a professional."

Brechot, who served as campaign manager to the current president and vice president, Malik Johnson and Keirsten Florence, said being able to interact with the student body and various organizations is what keeps her serving.

"We got to go talk with a lot of different groups and see what their needs were and the student body as a whole kind of figure out what they wanted us to do. That was pretty inspiring getting to see what the students are working on and what they want us to work on what's important," Brechot said.

Brechot believes the more students are involved, the more work can get done and voting for their next leader is a crucial step in this process.

"The more people that we have working on initiatives writing legislation, the more that the administration will listen to us and listen to our ideas," Brechot said.

After Damphousse meets with the new leaders, there are joint meetings between the past leaders and new leaders to ensure everyone grasps their new roles.

"When we were transitioning, we have a joint meeting. So the student body president, current and future will have a meeting together kind of figure things out, talk about how to get stuff done," Brechot said. "So the Senate, they'll have a transitional meeting where the presidents will come in together and teach them how to do things if they don't already know how to."

Damphousse said Student Government acts as a connector and encourages those to voice and participate in this organization.

"It's a great opportunity for students to have a voice at the university in an organized way," Damphousse said.

Election polls close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23. All enrolled students are eligible to vote at https://studentgovernment.dos. txst.edu/branches/judiciary/electionboard/student-governmentelection-voting.html.

ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON WARE

Bobcats decide their future on-campus leaders as elections are underway

LIFE & ARTS

Remembering William Stapleton

Ben Middleton Life and Arts Reporter

Room 2209 of Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall is not a conventional office. Miscellaneous electronics are stacked to the ceiling and half-finished projects and books cover any available desk space. For nearly a month this room has laid dormant. Students no longer fill the space to ask their questions and the smiling face of professor William Stapleton no longer occupies the room.

Stapleton, a professor of the Texas State Ingram School of Engineering, died of an unexpected heart attack on Jan. 16, leaving a void in the classrooms and offices of Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall and in the hearts of the students and colleagues who knew him.

Stapleton had a massive influence on the culture of the Ingram School of Engineering, teaching several electrical engineering and computer engineering classes and playing an important role in developing and accrediting the degrees offered by the college.

Harold Stern, a professor in the electrical engineering program and Stapleton's colleague, said without Stapleton, the computer engineering degree would not exist and Texas State would be significantly weaker without his contributions.

“He was a very optimistic individual and basically helped form a student-centered culture,” Stern said. “A lot of what you see in electrical engineering is part of the culture that he developed and that spreads throughout the school.”

Stapleton grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where his father taught electrical engineering at the University of Alabama. His father’s career inspired Stapleton to also become an electrical engineering professor. Stapleton received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama where he taught until 2007 when he left to teach at the Texas State Ingram School of Engineering.

FROM FRONT THEATER

Stapleton had osteomyelitis in his lower legs, making it necessary for him to use a wheelchair, which he never let slow him down. He was known to always be on time and to always be able to help his colleagues and students with whatever they needed. He once requested to use a lab space to do maintenance on his wheelchair so he didn't need to take the day off.

program in 2011 and his guidance influenced the way that the faculty have written every accreditation paper since then. His name is also well-known throughout the civil engineering program where he helped in the hiring process and played a crucial role in upholding the standards of the Ingram School of Engineering.

“In a lot of ways he helped us establish our own identity,” Stern said. “He helped us basically stand our ground and develop and be much stronger, much quicker than what you would expect in a new organization.”

Outside of his career, Stapleton loved concerts and visiting his family in Alabama. He also loved to travel to national parks and historical sites. He would send photos of his adventures to his colleagues, who said they would feel like they were there with him.

He would often invite colleagues to get food or drinks after work and would plan social events and mixers with the other professors to ensure that they were connected. With Stapleton's kind and outgoing personality, he turned his coworkers into his friends.

“He was a born teacher, and a born friend,” Stern said.

Stapleton’s biggest contribution to the Ingram School of Engineering was his kind and positive attitude. He was known most for his smile and how he would always be genuinely interested in his colleagues' lives. His office was consistently full of students asking for advice, even those who were not enrolled in the classes he taught. He was known to be patient and take the time to answer every student's concerns.

“I want to say that I think he was the most punctual professor I have seen in this university,” Clara Novoa, professor and industrial engineering program coordinator, said. “One semester I was teaching, and he was teaching after me. My class was ending at 9:50 and at 9:40 he was ready in front of the door.”

Stapleton published many scholarly works researching sensors, computer architecture, embedded systems and more. He was a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and received an IEEE best paper award in 2009. In 2014, he was awarded the Texas State Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching for his accomplishments.

Stapleton's time at the University of Alabama made him a great accreditation consultant for the Ingram School of Engineering. He wrote the reports for the accreditation of the manufacturing engineering

“We are the only production company that will take full original student work and go out and do the full thing,” Anthony Lopez, a performance and production sophomore and publicist for COSMO said. “We won’t just do a writer’s workshop or a stage reading for them. Despite having this rugged but approachable atmosphere about us, we still kind of keep the same system that everyone else has without that kind of chip on our shoulder. This is for fun but you’re going to come here and do some theater because this is what we love and we’re going to do it right.”

“When I told the students [of Stapleton's death] some cried, and that shows us his impact and what we are missing,” Semih Aslan, the electrical engineering program coordinator said. “I will be sorry for the future students that aren't going to be able to know him.”

Although it saddened Breda to turn people away, it gave her great hope for the organization's future, especially with how quickly the troupe grew from about seven members to 40 within a year.

“We had a bunch of plays that were submitted to put on their own work,” Breda said. “It got to the point, which was exciting for us but kind of sad because of what we made COSMO for, where we had to instead of making our own yes, we had to, unfortunately, tell people no, which is sad but also exciting because of how many more people we’ve gotten. It has just been very exciting to see how much COSMO has grown over the past year.”

In the future, although the original members will have graduated, Ruibal hopes that the remaining students carry on the legacy. Currently, the troupe is considering expanding the COSMO Theatre Troupe outside of Texas State. Ruibal hopes with the passion that the current troupe has for theatre, that idea can be accomplished.

“For us, you can tell that this is something that we love to do,” Ruibal said. “This is something we did on our own. I think that’s why we have so much fun with it because this is us.”

To learn more about the COSMO Theatre Troupe, visit its Instagram @ cosmotheatretroupe.

COSMO has produced three shows since its creation last spring and is looking forward to three upcoming performances this semester, including a 10-Minute Play Festival.

Kairi Galvan, a film sophomore and secretary for COSMO, believes that the organization provides a more secure opportunity to perform compared to other performing arts organizations that are exclusive and have a slim acceptance rate. Galvan and Lopez believe the organization's approachable image and members' love for theater are what makes it special.

The inspiration to start performing wasn’t always the first choice for some of the members of COSMO. Zachary Powell, a film concentration sophomore and treasurer for COSMO, wanted to be involved in sports at a young age, but couldn’t due to a medical condition. His mom put him in theater at the age of five, and ever since, Powell has been grateful.

Powell is working on his first show “Murder at the Manor,” set to take the stage on April 14. Shows like "Murder at the Manor" typically start with table reads at Alkek Library and about two to four weekly rehearsals for a couple of months at the Theatre Center to ensure the shows are a hit. He believes that through this show, he is already discovering a new love for directing and taking charge.

“Just working with these people has taught me a lot about myself and how I like to work with others and make something that is special for other people to see,” Powell said. “That’s all I love doing. I want to make something that people can smile at, laugh at or just feel something and I feel like I’ll be able to take this experience with me if nothing else to whatever I go to next and be able to create something that people can enjoy.”w

COSMO has grown exponentially since it started. Shelby Breda, a performance and production sophomore and vice president of COSMO saw an influx of interest when the 10-Minute Play Festival was announced. The 10-Minute Play Festival will consist of a featured play created by Ruibal and six competing plays written by Texas State students that will compete to win a $50 Visa gift card.

Interested students submitted their plays and only a limited number of them were selected to be performed on Feb. 25 at the Theatre Centre.

The 2023 Officers for the COSMO Theatre Troupe speak at the Performance and Production Majors Meeting, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the Theatre Center.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY LOPEZ

A portrait of William Stapleton who died Jan. 16, 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ENGINEERING

"Just working with these people has taught me a lot about myself and how I like to work with others and make something that is special for other people to see."

ZACHARY POWELL COSMO Theatre Troupe Treasurer

"I will be sorry for the future students that aren't going to be able to know him."

SEMIH ASLAN Electrical

Engineering

Program Coordinator

"He was a born teacher, and a born friend."

HAROLD STERN Electrical Engineering Professor

Opinions in The University Star are not necessarily those of our entire publication, Texas State University’s administration, Board of Regents, School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Student Publications Board.

During the Nov. 2022 midterm elections, only half of the 36 Texas public universities had a polling location and just two of the nine historically Black colleges and universities had them, according to the Texas Tribune. Despite registration for voters between 18-24 being 19% higher in 2022 than it was in 2018, this demographic still had the lowest turnout in Texas.

On Election Day at the LBJ Student Center, the wait time for voting exceeded one hour. In fact, even though polling locations closed at 7 p.m., students were still in line voting until past 9 p.m. If this bill is passed, it eliminates the possibility of voting access to some students, especially those who live on campus and/or do not have a reliable form of transportation to get to a different polling location.

The University Star's news team was out covering Election Day for hours in November and saw how long the lines at LBJ were. Reporters spoke to the students who stood in line, determined to cast their vote, and shared the interviews, photos and videos with our followers on social media. As student journalists, our job is to accurately report on our communities. If our campus community's most important polling place is removed, our responsibility to serve and deliver the truth to our audience will become more difficult to meet. In the fall of 2022, Texas State welcomed a record-breaking freshman class. If the university plans to continue accepting that amount of students and increase enrollment, on-campus polling locations are crucial to accommodate a growing number of students.

ENTERTAINMENT

Additionally, if all of these students have to find other polling locations, it can overwhelm other locations.

According to The Texas Politics Project, only 32.4% of traditionally college-aged students vote. In times when it’s increasingly important that a young voice be heard in the political world, this bill would make an already low demographic of voters even more discouraged.

This bill also limits the sense of community surrounding politics on campus. On Election Day, students, politicians and organizations alike were able to voice their opinions on policies and candidates in the election. If polling locations are banned on campus, who’s to say that these practices won’t be banned too?

According to the Campus Vote Project, millennials and Gen Z were the largest shares of eligible voters in 2020 but with low voter turnout, it's hard to see their impact. Taking away these sites on college campuses will only cause the numbers to continue decreasing.

It’s not just students who are using college campus polls. Citizens who live in the area of the college campuses, and who don’t want to travel far could also be affected by the bill. The convenience of college campus polls allows not just students but citizens to vote. Removing polls on college campuses excludes an entire group of locals who depend on the campus location to cast their vote.

A study from the American Economic Association found that a one-mile increase in distance to a polling location reduced voter turnout from districts with minority residents by 19%. Meanwhile, for

predominantly white communities, voter turnout decreased by only 5%.

If the state of Texas wants a voter turnout that is more representative of its population, it would make it easier for the part of the population that is actively shaping its future. Voters under 30 increased from 8% in 2014 to almost 26% in 2018, which is still much lower than the overall turnout of 53%, according to the Tribune. We are only continuing to make progress as more and more young people are allowed to register each election cycle.

Many students are new to voting which can make it scary to participate in elections. Having polling places on college campuses gives students an opportunity to vote in an environment that they’re comfortable in.

Rather than having to inevitably spend thousands of dollars on buses to get students to voting locations, the state legislature should do the right thing and expand access to voting through more locations and take away restrictions on early voting and voter ID laws.

HB 2390 is just one of likely more than 7,000 bills that will be filed this legislative session and only around a thousand will pass, according to the Tribune. The bill passing through the Republican-held Texas legislature which has filed more than 200 votingrelated bills aimed at election integrity would be a failure in achieving the integrity they desire.

Ticketmaster is a nightmare

By Rhian Davis Assistant Opinions Editor

Taylor Swift announced The Eras Tour on Nov. 1, 2022, through an appearance on Good Morning America and posts on her social media accounts.

The sale went through Ticketmaster, a once-trustworthy ticket-buying site. Recently, Ticketmaster has shown that as a company, it has too much power, takes advantage of fans and needs to be more reliable.

The Eras Tour fiasco further proved these ideas and led to questions about whether the company was becoming a monopoly.

Swift has not been able to tour since 2018, as Lover Fest, a planned worldwide tour for her seventh studio album "Lover," was canceled due to COVID-19. The announcement of The Eras Tour sent fans into a frenzy of excitement, hoping they would finally be able to see Swift in person.

Emily Kent, a finance senior, had never been able to attend one of Swift's concerts and was ecstatic when she announced her upcoming tour.

"I really wish she had been able to tour but due to [COVID-19], there were so many limitations," Kent said.

Millions of fans signed up for Ticketmaster's Verified Fan presale. Ashlin Brown, a communication design freshman, was among those who signed up. "I really, really wanted tickets," Brown said. "I've been going to her tours since I was a kid. That's something my parents always did for me and I was like 'I need to do this one for myself.'"

Verified Fan is a service intended to ensure that tickets go to fans who will attend the event and not resellers. For The Eras Tour, fans signed up through a customized registration page for specific shows. Then, a few days later, Ticketmaster informed them via email if they were selected for the presale.

Presale took place on Nov. 15, and problems immediately began to arise. According to the chairman of Live Nation, only 1.5 million presale codes were sent out, but somehow, 14 million people were able to access the site.

Fans put their complete trust in Ticketmaster, believing the company would do whatever it could in order to ensure real fans got tickets. Instead, the company took advantage of this trust, blindsiding Swifties and allowing bots to access the site.

Ticketmaster was aware of the bot attacks on the website during the sale. The company was also aware that a record number of fans wanted tickets but did nothing to prepare because "never before has a Verified Fan onsale sparked so much attention."

No matter how many sales the company conducts, every precaution and test possible should be run beforehand to ensure that nothing goes wrong. This is especially true for any artist as big as Swift.

Because of the demand, the Ticketmaster website crashed multiple times. The queue paused and due to the fear of losing their spots in line, some fans stayed on the site for over six hours.

"I think I was waiting for six or seven hours. I did miss my classes that day, but anything for tickets," Kent said.

The trouble with the Verified Fan presale caused the Capital One presale to be rescheduled and the general sale was

canceled entirely "due to extraordinarily high demands... and insufficient remaining ticket inventory."

Thousands of loyal fans had no tickets, and scalpers had already begun to list tickets for prices as high as $17,000.

"I feel like that was something that could have been easily avoided, especially with the Verified Fan codes," Brown said.

Swift posted a statement expressing her sympathy for fans, saying, "it's excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse."

"I feel like it showed her true character," Brown said. "She validated a lot of people's feelings and I think that was really important."

Fans were frustrated after the situation and wanted to take action against Ticketmaster. According to an article from NPR, over 24 plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the company with

accusations of "fraudulent practices."

The fiasco only placed Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, back under scrutiny. The companies merged in 2010 and, according to CNBC, now control 70% of the live event market.

"After screwing over so many people, I don't see how they can have the same number [of fans] come back," Kent said.

Ticketmaster has entirely too much power. No single company should ever be allowed to control 70% of an industry. Fans and artists alike are stuck with one option and it's a company that doesn't care about the repercussions of its actions.

If Taylor and her fans hadn't spoken out, it's obvious that Ticketmaster representatives would go on believing they did nothing wrong.

A senate committee held a hearing on Jan. 24 on the lack of competition in the industry. Some senators suggested undoing the merger between the two companies, and others asked for more transparency.

Because of this hearing, we hope to see a change in the industry. Ticketmaster makes it almost impossible for stadiumlevel artists to tour without using their services, and it has become clear that it is not fair to anyone involved.

As a way to compensate for its actions, Ticketmaster recently sent emails to fans who received presale codes but did not get tickets, allowing them a chance to purchase two tickets. These tickets are not guaranteed but it is nice to see the company trying to get as many fans as possible into the stadiums.

Despite the controversy, Ticketmaster is still one of the only secure ticket-buying websites, and it's no secret that people will still use the site in the future.

Fans deserve to know what they involve themselves in when making a purchase as significant as concert tickets, and artists deserve to know that their supporters are receiving fair treatment. Changes are needed, and soon.

- Rhian Davis is a journalism freshman

The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinions Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.

ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON WARE

The Main Point is an opinion written collectively by The University Star's Editorial Board. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of our entire publication. FROM FRONT ELECTIONS

STAR SNAPS

Texas State freshman Nicholas Orlenas waves the Filipino flag to help sell Filipino food to raise funds for the Filipino Student Association, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at the LBJ Mall.

PHOTO BY ODALIS IPINA

Texas State senior outfield Ben McClain (4) bats the incoming ball against Northwestern University on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at Bobcat Ballpark.

PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA

Representatives from Paycom talk to an inquiring Texas State student about their company, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at the LBJ Ballroom. This fair was held to showcase businesses and technology.

PHOTO BY ABBY RUSSELL

Texas State junior pitcher Levi Wells (25) throws the ball against Northwestern University on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at Bobcat Ballpark.

PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA

Texas State Golden Elite Nasira (right) gets pied by health science senior Folarin Owolabi on Quad Day to help raise funds for their organization, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at the LBJ Mall.

PHOTO BY ODALIS IPINA

Texas State environmental engineering sophomore Mac Zarate mingles with a speed dater, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at George's. The Last Chance Speed Date was organized by the Fashion Merchandising Association.

PHOTO BY JOHN GAMEZ

The Texas State Golden Elites perform on Quad Day to help raise funds for their organization, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at LBJ Mall.

PHOTO BY ODALIS IPINA

Carson Weaver

Editor starsports@txstate.edu

International players, athletics reflect on recruiting

By David Cuevas Assistant Sports Editor

From San Marcos to Sweden to South America, the process of recruiting student-athletes by Texas State Athletics has no bounds. There are currently more than 21,000 student-athletes from foreign countries who compete in various sports across the NCAA and 26 of them play at Texas State.

According to Kelsey Solis, the associate athletic director for compliance, certain sports at the university have been recruiting internationally for the last 20 years.

“Particularly tennis and golf have always recruited heavy internationally,” Solis said. “There’s obviously a talent pool abroad, so I would say for at least the last two decades they have recruited internationally.”

The sports with the highest number of international student-athletes are golf, tennis, and track and field. Solis said that the international recruiting

process at Texas State varies on the sport and coach. “It really just depends on the specific coaches and what their connections are,” Solis said. “Our women’s golf coach is from Sweden... he’s an international golfer himself so he has a lot of connections already there.”

Two of the 10 student-athletes on the women’s golf team, Matilda Cederholm and Federica TavelliWesterlund, are also from Sweden. A connection with the head coach is not every international student-athlete's reason for playing at Texas State. The path Texas State redshirt senior tennis player Kate Malazonia took to become an NCAA student-athlete was different.

Malazonia was born in Georgia, a country located in Eastern Europe, and spent most of her life living in England, where she was first introduced to the sport of tennis at a young age.

As a teenager, Malazonia signed with a recruiting service that specializes in helping tennis players connect with

NCAA coaches.

“I sighed with Sarah Borwell. She has a lot of contacts because she used to play college tennis herself, and she basically set up a company, Tennis Smart, where she matches players and coaches,” Malazonia said. “I signed with her and she sent out my tennis resume videos of me playing, my results, and coaches that were interested reached out to me.”

Malazonia eventually chose to commit to current Texas State women’s tennis head coach Kendall Brooks when she held the same position at St. Edwards University. After graduating from St. Edwards, Malazonia decided to transfer and continue her playing career while earning her master's in business administration at Texas State after Brooks became the new women’s tennis head coach.

Texas State junior golfer Junia Gabasa also had an interesting journey to Texas State which began back in her native country of the Philippines by wanting to follow in the footsteps of her sister, who was also a collegiate golfer at Vanderbilt University.

“My dad played [golf] and he got my sister into it. I saw her go to college to play golf and I wanted to do that as well, so I just started practicing,” Gabasa said.

According to Gabasa, her recruitment mostly consisted of traveling to the U.S. during the summer to play in tournaments as well as emailing college coaches in hopes of catching their attention.

During her final summer before leaving for college, Gabasa visited Texas State and knew it was the school she wanted to attend.

“After I visited and saw the potential of our team and the coaches, I really love

FROM FRONT BASEBALL

fast as we can,” Trout said.

Atkinson was primarily used as a pinch runner in 2022 and totaled six at-bats and two hits.

Keithly pitched 18 innings last year, but still has the capabilities to play as an outfielder. In a game against the Troy Trojans, he got his lone plate appearances of the season, going 2-for-3 with a double.

Kiser and Whitfield are both freshmen who have decorated high school careers.

Weil is a transfer from Weatherford College. Along with a .355 average at Weatherford in 2022, he stole 17-for-20 bases, making him a defensive threat in the outfield.

Stivors, the nation’s saves leader in 2022, was drafted into the Chicago White Sox organization in the 2022 MLB Draft and was the most frequently used Bobcat out of the bullpen with 35 appearances. Senior pitcher Tristan Dixon totaled 27 appearances out of the bullpen in 2022, which was second behind Stivors, and will likely be the next man up for Trout to use as a bullpen workhorse.

Junior infielder and Grayson College transfer Davis Powell will be Trout’s guy to fill in the big shoes of Shuffield at shortstop. In three years at Grayson College, Powell never hit below a .320 batting average. During baseball’s fall scrimmages, Powell led the Bobcats with a .444 batting average.

Former Bobcats Justin Thompson and Cameron Gibbons held down third and second base last season, and now the positions will be left up to a combination of junior infielder Alex Gonzales, sophomore infielder Ryder Hernandez, freshman infielder Chase Mora and sophomore infielder Ryan Leary.

Ryder Hernandez batted .444 with one home run, one double and four RBIs in the fall and was named Offensive MVP of the Fall World Series.

“I’d like to keep him a secret,” senior outfielder Jose Gonzalez said. “I’m excited to see what he does when he gets his chance.”

Trout said that the second and third base positional battle will be about who gets hot early that gets the most chances.

“We have some options out there to figure out the plans. Those guys can play defense and hit,” Trout said.

In the outfield, Gonzalez tied former teammate Shuffield with 13 home runs in 2022, ranking second on the team behind the graduated Wuthrich who hit 14. In the Stanford Regional, Gonzalez was named to the All-Region team after he hit three home runs in the series.

Gonzalez is the top returning bat for the Bobcats and will have left field locked down.

Alongside Gonzalez in center field, senior Ben McClain will slot into regular playing in the outfield. McClain had a .418 on-base percentage to go along with five steals in 2022, and as a veteran presence in the lineup, he’ll likely be seen at the top of the order.

Much like third and second base, the last remaining outfield spot, right field, will be left up to a combination of younger players. Sophomore outfielder Kyle Atkinson, sophomore two-way player Carson Keithly, freshman Coldon Kiser, junior and Weatherford College transfer Kameron Weil and freshman Damien Whitfield will all have the opportunity for the starting nod, and much like the infield, it will be about who gets hot early.

“This gives us depth all over the press in case of injury or need to move guys around. We have a lot of different options, and it is just trying to figure it out as

Although Dixon has no collegiate saves under his belt, his 2.98 ERA and 58.1 innings pitched in 2022 signal a trust between him and Trout and a more important role to be played in the 2023 bullpen.

Trout will be left without his go-to closer this year, but he feels that his bullpen could be even deeper this year despite that.

“This might be a deeper staff through the entire rotation and down to the bullpen,” Trout said. “Our job as a coaching staff is to figure out… what roles help us win baseball games.”

Texas State had all members of its starting rotation return for another season and it is likely Trout will run out a similar rotation to last season.

Not only could junior pitcher Levi Wells be Texas State’s best-starting pitcher, but he also saw his name shoot up MLB draft boards after his regular season and playoff performance last year.

After he put up a 3.07 ERA in 91 innings while throwing 86 strikeouts in 2022, Wells currently sits ranked 49 on mlb.com’s 2023 MLB Draft prospect rankings. He will be the Friday starter for the Bobcats.

Senior pitcher Zeke Wood is returning for his third year as a Bobcat. Last year saw him improve

the area. It’s a pretty big school with good support for athletics,” Gabasa said.

Malazonia also spoke on some of the difficulties she has faced being an international student-athlete compared to the challenges of American-born student-athletes.

“Honestly the first thing I can think of is moving,” Malazonia said. “I envy the kids that get their parents' trucks here and they help move their stuff, find an apartment, a car. I had to work that out all on my own. I had to find a storage unit. I didn’t have a car so I had to figure out how to get to the storage unit. I had to buy my own furniture. With rent, I don’t have a guarantor who lives in this country so I have to pay three months of rent in advance.”

According to Solis, Texas State Athletics ensures its international student-athletes have a strong support system from the moment they step foot on campus.

“Our [Texas State] international students, while they may have family support, it's back home, so we make sure those coaches, tennis and golf and track become their families,” Solis said. “We also work really well with our international office on campus to try and connect them with other students from their country, and that familiarity is comforting for them. Try to help them make the connection and feel like they belong.”

Solis said she expects the number of student-athletes being recruited from overseas by Texas State to gradually increase in the coming years.

“We definitely encourage our coaches to recruit in Texas but because of the connections that our coaches have abroad that’s just a natural space for us to live in so long-term the goal is recruiting international athletes,” Solis said.

his strikeout numbers, throwing 103 strikeouts in 88 innings. With the emergence of Wells as a Friday night starter, Wood will start Saturdays for Texas State.

As one of the older players in the rotation, Wood said he’s taking on a bigger leadership role this season, “This year I’ve really matured a lot more,” Wood said.

Junior pitcher Tony Robie pitched in 19 games last year, including 11 starts. In 2022, Robie had a 5.05 ERA in 57 innings to go along with 48 strikeouts and 28 walks. For Trout, Robie could be an option as a Sunday starter, but Robie could also see action out of the bullpen.

Senior Nathan Medrano, a transfer from Houston, and junior Jack Stroud, a transfer from Weatherford College, are in the mix for Sunday starts as well.

Baseball scored 56 runs in its opening series, the most in program history for a three-game series, en route to a weekend sweep of Northwestern University. The Bobcats will host Oral Roberts in a three-game series beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 at Bobcat Ballpark.

Sports

Texas State junior right handed pitcher Levi Wells (25) pitches the ball against Northwestern University on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at Bobcat Ballpark

PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA

Senior Kate Malazonia hits the ball in a match against University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, at Bobcat Tennis Complex.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS

Texas State sophomore infielder Ryan Leary (12) waits for the ball against Northwestern University on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at Bobcat Ballpark

PHOTO BY DILLON STRINE