03-07-23

Stephanie Reyes sworn in as new city manager

By Lucciana Choueiry News Contributor

On Feb. 28, Mayor Jane Hughson swore in Stephanie Reyes as the City Manager of San Marcos, officially making her the first woman to take on the position.

The swearing-in ceremony took place at 5:30 p.m. at the Pauline Espinosa Community Hall in the front of an audience that included city council staff, members of the San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) and Reyes’ friends and family.

A city council member's term in office officially begins when they are sworn in. In the case of the city manager, the person appointed makes a public commitment to honoring their duties and responsibilities for the greater good of the city.

Reyes, who grew up in San Marcos, took an oath to “faithfully execute the duties of the office of city manager”

and said she is committed to improving the city for its residents.

“I’m deeply invested in making San Marcos be the best that it can not only for all of you, but for my children, all of our children and grandchildren,” Reyes said. “It’s a special place and we all want it to continue to flourish and prosper for all people in our community.”

Reyes has a master’s degree in public administration from Texas State and over 20 years of experience working for the City of San Marcos. She has served as chief of staff, assistant director of human resources, interim economic development director and assistant city manager.

SEE COMMUNITY

PAGE 3

ACTIVISM

Advocacy continues for the death of Joshua Wright

By Samantha Guerrero News Contributor

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of police brutality and gun violence.

On Feb. 25, family and supporters of Joshua Wright, a pretrial inmate who was shot and killed by a Hays County corrections officer in December, stood vigil in front of the Hays County Courthouse to honor his life and reaffirm their calls of action.

On Dec. 12, officer Isaiah Garcia shot Joshua in the back six times in the emergency room of Ascension Seton Hospital in Kyle, Texas. Joshua had been taken to the hospital for an undisclosed medical emergency and asked to use the restroom when he attempted to flee.

He had been released from his handcuffs but was still restrained at the ankles when he was shot, according to his family.

Joshua's older sister, Adrian Wright, said that she only wants transparency on what happened between her brother and Garcia.

"There are still a lot of things we still don't know about what happened to Josh," Adrian said. "We have asked for clarity and no one seems to want to speak up."

Upon her brother's death, Adrian and a group of community members began to seek out the body camera footage from that day. Three months later, they have yet to receive it.

"I just want to know what happened to my brother," Adrian said. "We just want Hays County to answer the questions of the people and so far they haven't been able to do that."

Natalie Freeman, a Hays County resident and friend of Joshua's family, said they have been patient in waiting for the footage but are starting to grow concerned.

"I feel that we've given ample time for the footage to be released," Freeman

said. "Josh died Dec. 12 so it has been several months. And from the outside, I'm not understanding why it is taking so long."

According to a press release from the county on Jan. 6, the body camera footage would not be released until the Texas Rangers had completed an investigation per procedure.

"In Texas, there is no time limit that the Texas Rangers have to release body camera footage," Freeman said. "In other states, it has to be released in either 30 or 60 days but there is no limit here. So with that, they could stall it for years."

An allegation from Charlie Wilkerson, the head of the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, said that Joshua had assaulted Garcia while trying to flee. In response, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra released a statement calling for the release of the body camera footage. Wilkerson's post is now deleted.

"At first, when it came out that Joshua had been killed, they were saying that he was trying to attack the officer and was coming at him," Amy Kamp, the Hays County jail advocate for Mano Amiga, said. "Then they had to walk back and admit that Josh's back was turned."

Adrian said that her family simply

wants answers as to what happened.

"Hays County needs to let those families in the community know what happened to Josh," Adrian said. "My mom has said, 'good or bad. I just want to know what happened to my son.'"

According to the Hays County Jail, Garcia was placed on administrative leave following Joshua's death. However, he resumed working at the jail only two weeks later. According to the county's statement, Garcia will not be in any positions that give him "direct supervision of jail inmates until the investigation is brought to some conclusion."

"It's like, 'okay, well, we don't know exactly what direct supervision means,'" Kamp said.

Kamp said that many inmates were nervous about Garcia being back in jail.

"The only reason that we knew that he was back at the jail was that people in the jail were calling us telling us that he was working and they were scared," Kamp said. "That's scary when somebody who's employed to keep you in custody kills somebody that you know care about are back on the job."

SEE ACTIVISM PAGE 3

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Bobcats playoff run ends with JMU loss

By Carson Weaver Sports Editor

Texas State women’s basketball had the chance to win its first conference championship in its second all-time appearance, but fell to James Madison University 81-51 to end the season.

The Bobcats shot 7-for-17 from the 3-point mark while the Dukes shot 12for-16. Overall, the Bobcats shot 33.3% from the field, which was behind the mark of the Dukes’ 44.3%.

No player on Texas State scored more than 15 points and no player sank more than two 3-pointers.

James Madison junior guard Peyton McDaniel scored 30 points in the victory and didn’t miss from the 3-point line, shooting 7-for-7.

The James Madison defense held graduate guard Da’Nasia Hood, who scored 30 points against Southern Miss in the game prior, to 15 points on 5-for13 shooting.

Despite the loss, the Bobcats tied their 1974-75 record for overall wins with 27 throughout the season.

(top right) Texas State graduate forward

Da'Nasia Hood

(32) shoots the ball over a Troy defender, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at Strahan Arena.

Texas State graduate student guard Ja'Kayla Bowie (15) drives down the court against Troy University, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at Strahan Arena.

State graduate student guard Tianna Eaton (23) drives down the court against Troy University, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at Strahan Arena. (bottom) Texas State graduate student guard Kennedy Taylor (3) dribbles down the court against Troy University, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at Strahan Arena. PHOTOS BY SARAH MANNING

(left) Mayor Jane Hughson leads Stephanie Reyes in taking the oath of accepting the responsibility of city manager, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, at Pauline Espinosa Community Hall. (right) City manager Stephanie Reyes makes a speech to the public, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, at Pauline Espinosa Community Hall.

PHOTOS BY FELICITY GUAJARDO

Protesters hold signs callings for the resignation of Hays County Sheriff Gary Culter outside to combat Joshua Wright's shooting, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, at Hays County Sherriff Office.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CALDWELL/HAYS EXAMINER

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, March 7, 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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LIFE & ARTS

Students share spring break plans

to spend time with friends. Gang remembers going to the beach with his family for spring break when he was younger, but he said it has been a while since he had set vacation plans for his break.

"I haven't really done much for spring break ever before," Gang said. "I just went back home and saw like my friends from high school...and I used to go to the beach a lot, but I haven't like been to any beach areas in a while."

Gang said he and his friends have rented an Airbnb to spend their days of break near the water.

By Marisa Nunez and Haley Velasco Life and Arts Editors

Texas State's spring break from March 13-17 is approaching and students look forward to wrapping up the first half of the spring semester by relieving stress and spending time doing something fun. Students plan to stay in San Marcos, head back to their hometowns or enjoy a planned vacation with family or friends.

"[The spring semester has] been in the middle, like pretty rough, but not so bad," Alicia Maxwell, a health science and dance freshman said. "I'm so glad it's coming to an end. Classes are getting harder [and it's] too many hours."

Blaire Bussey, an English junior, is planning to stay in San Marcos to show her loved ones the joys of San Marcos.

Growing up, Bussey an her family spent their spring breaks traveling around Central Texas. Together they would drive through New Braunfels, Gruene and make their final stop in San Marcos to visit the Texas State campus.

"A couple years ago, my family would always come on a trip here, and we would go to like New Braunfels, Gruene, we'd come here, see the campus," Bussey said. "It was always so fun, and that's how I knew I wanted to go here."

Bussey is excited to be spending her spring break in San Marcos again. Now that she knows the town well, she plans on taking her family to all her favorite spots like Sewell Park, Jo's Cafe and the North Street Curry Shop.

Bobby Gang, a philosophy prelaw sophomore, is planning on going to Whitecap Beach in Corpus Christi

While some students are showing off their current adventure hotspots, some are ready to explore new ones. Sara Julian, a wildlife biology junior, is planning on going to East Texas to help out the Bighorn Sheep Society and take a first-time visit to Big Bend National Park. Julian said she looks forward to building water guzzlers, which will be used to store rainwater and give easier water access to sheep.

Julian's spring break adventure will be one of the first that she has ever planned. Other than building water guzzlers, she is most excited to see the Milky Way belt when the sun goes down.

"This is probably going to be one of my first times actually doing a spring break event," Julian said. "I really can't think of anything, this is really my first one planned out."

The University Star wishes everyone a happy and safe spring break!

River-goers jump in the river and swim, Thursday, June 10, 2021, at Sewell Park.

New student government officials announced

Carlota Pulgar News Reporter

Polls for Student Government elections closed at 5 p.m. on Feb. 28, and with a total of 287 votes cast in the election, the president-elect Kiersten Florence, vice president-elect Shaelyn Jaynes and the five elected senators at large were chosen to serve and represent the student body of almost 38,000 for the 2023-2024 school year.

Less than 1% of the student body voted in the election. Diego Vila Peña, a psychology senior, said he did not know about the elections and that more can be done to increase involvement in Student Government elections.

"I feel like they should definitely do a better job of talking about it," Vila Peña said. "Making sure more people are involved, they’re representing us, but we’re not participating."

Jonas Tuttle, a computer science freshman, said more involvement in elections can help students feel more represented.

"I feel like if more people knew about it, they could have more say in it, you know, not just the results," Tuttle said. "It would feel like the individual would have more representation themselves for everything."

According to Kathryn Weiser, assistant dean of students and co-adviser of Student Government, it is important for the student body to engage with Student Government

"I think it's very important because they are the official voice of the student," Weiser said. "If students are wanting something, or needing something, that's why they should go to engage with student government."

The influence and power of the president and vice president go beyond the parameters of the university to the Board of Regents.

"The president or the vice president go to the Board of Regents meetings," Weiser said. "Each of our Texas State University systems schools have a student advisory board, where they talk about what core concerns and issues that all of the institutions are dealing with. It's very important not only here at Texas State, but beyond because then they can get more support from the Board of Regents."

Tuttle said there can be more of a presence on campus by the Student Government to help enact the

FROM FRONT COMMUNITY

change that the student body wants.

"If they had more presence on campus, me and other people would really know about what's going on and so we would have more of an opportunity to talk to them and ask for change," Tuttle said. "If they're just kind of doing their own thing, in a separate room, even though they represent the people sometimes they can't get the full scope of what the people want without being you know, involved with things."

Student Government Election Spring 2023 Results

President

Kiersten Florence Kiersten Florence

Vice President

Shaelyn Jaynes Shaelyn Jaynes

Ian Plaisance Ian Plaisance Senators

Aisha Shoniwa Aisha Shoniwa

Donavan Brown Donavan Brown

Michael Grubbs Michael Grubbs

Ashley Waters Ashley Waters

Votes: 259

Votes: 258

Votes: 78

Votes: 137

Votes: 126

Votes: 115

Votes: 159

Vila Peña said that the current president, Malik Johnson, has done a good job of having a presence within the community and that the effort he has put into getting to know the community has been effective.

"Our current president, he's more involved, you see him everywhere," Vila Peña said. "Social media only gets you so far, and like a table on the Quad can only get so far. Being out in the community, that's how you get to know people, and that's how people get to know you, too."

According to Weiser, one of the goals the new group of electees has is to increase engagement within the student body and Student Government.

They plan on rewriting the organization's constitution and codes to make it easier for the student body to understand how the Student Government

actually works.

"One of the other goals they have is to rewrite their governing document. That will also help with engagement," Weiser said. "Those governing documents are so long and convoluted. So hopefully, we're going to make those better to make them easier to read and navigate."

President-elect Florence currently serves as the student body vice president, and she hopes to promote another initiative for physical and mental health through social activities and through this initiative to form an exploratory committee.

"We also have a desire to continue the promotion and access to new and existing resources for mental and physical health, along with developing social activities that allow for meeting new people which enables for the development of new personal friendships," Florence said in a statement.

Florence and her team want to achieve this by raising engagement and promoting the student body's school spirit at Texas State athletic events.

"A healthy and connected community provides an opportunity to lift up individual students for positive recognition that may be doing great things that the majority may not know about under ordinary circumstances," Florence said in a statement.

During the transition from vice president to president, Florence hopes to set up committees that can help address the grievances and concerns of the student body.

"I know that a lot of students have experience and great insight that can be of tremendous value and would like to contribute their ideas and solutions that will benefit students and improve campus life," Florence said in a statement. "Students can take part in making improvements for students and life on campus."

Florence is hopeful for what stepping into this role has in store.

"I am hopeful that together as Bobcats we can all be a small part in becoming participants for a greater purpose than only ourselves for the benefit of all Bobcats. It is my goal to serve the student body to the best of my ability while putting myself into the shoes of others to represent all students and the interests of students," Florence said in a statement.

The formal inauguration will be from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11.

Freeman said that upon speaking out about Joshua's story, they realized that there were many problems with the Hays County jail system that they also wish to bring awareness to.

"I've known family members and heard stories about bad run-ins with Hays County Jail," Freeman said. "I have heard about mistreatment."

Cyrus Grey, a Hays County resident, had been in contact with Garcia during his incarceration in 2018. He said that Garcia was aggressive with him on multiple occasions.

procedure and that the only reason he shot Josh was that he had no other choice then I think we would have seen that video immediately," Kamp said.

Adrian said that she hopes for Texas State students to learn about her brother and get involved.

"I would just like for Josh's story to be shared," Adrian said. "I want the students to be aware of what's happening in the community where they're at."

Besides that, Reyes has shown dedication to the San Marcos community through her membership in the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) and International City/ County Management (ICMA). She was also an officer for Hays County Dispute Resolution Center, Community Action and the Leadership San Marcos Alumni Association.

Hughson said she believes in Reyes’ capabilities as city manager since she has known her since she was a college student and they worked together at Leadership San Marcos.

"I know her to be incredibly smart, compassionate, capable and educated in the ways of city government," Hughson said. “She cares about our community and has the heart and ability to lead us all."

Cyndy Hurtado, Gov. Greg Abbott’s representative, officially recognized Reyes as the City Manager of San Marcos and congratulated her on the new position.

As Reyes takes on the role of San Marcos’ city manager, she also takes on the issues accompanying the city. Among them is transportation infrastructure, lack of community engagement and protection of natural resources.

One of the biggest issues San Marcos is facing is the lack of affordable housing, specifically for Texas State students. Reyes believes the solution to the problem is to continue the effective communication and coordination between the city and the university.

"I think it’s just important to our planning processes that we really collaborate with the university and we do, with our master plans, to understand what that projection looks like so we can plan appropriately," Reyes said. "So I think communication and collaboration is the biggest thing with Texas State."

Christi Shannon, a San Marcos resident, said she believes Reyes will make a good city manager because she is approachable and cares about the people of the city beyond her professional qualifications.

"She radiates positivity and is optimistic about how things could actually be in the city and not just from a business point of view but really from a people point of view," Shannon said. "She’s a really big people person."

Patra Duran, a San Marcos resident, said Reyes is someone who takes the necessary actions to fix problems and hopes she will unify the people of the city.

"Already as an interim city manager, [Reyes] has done some really great things for how things operate and how we communicate as a city," Duran said. "We’ve seen some of her good changes that have really improved communication and boosted morale."

At the ceremony, Reyes recognized her parents for believing in her, raising her on good morals and values and teaching her to always work hard to achieve her goals.

"[My parents] have always instilled in me the hard work that it takes to really make sure I follow the dream, always, and just that hard work really pays off," Reyes said. "Being a good person and trying to treat people with compassion, dignity and respect and to never forget where you came from because that is very very important, and as you all know [San Marcos] is where I come from."

San Marcos City Council meets every first and third of each month at 6 p.m. To access the agenda, go to the Agenda Center on the San Marcos website.

"Garcia had me moved into a tank once that he knew, at the time, had a gang of people that jumped Black people," Grey said. "After I was jumped by the gang, they moved me back into the tank I was in and put me in lockdown."

Grey said that he didn't receive medical care until later that night. Upon hearing about Joshua's death, Grey said that it came as no surprise that Garcia was involved.

"I wasn't surprised at who did it," Grey said. "Some of the guards in there go to work in jail because they have no control over their lives so this is an opportunity to have control over somebody."

Kamp said that she and other members of Mano Amiga have been working on getting public attention to the cause.

"If officer Garcia had followed

According to Freeman, Wright's parents met with the county to discuss the video's release to the family privately.

"His mom sounded like she felt pretty good about that meeting," Freeman said. "She believes that the right thing will happen."

Adrian described her brother as "full of life" and said that he always stood up for what he believed in. She said that he was always an advocate for the underdog.

"Josh has a 13-year-old daughter that he loved very much," Adrian said. "And now we're having conversations and answering questions for her as to why her daddy's not here anymore."

She said that they are a close family and continue to rely on their faith to pray for peace in the situation.

"His daughter pushes us to keep seeking those answers," Adrian said. "We got to be able to tell her what happened to her daddy."

Detective Claudia Cormier of the San Marcos Police Department congratulates city manager Stephanie Reyes on her new position,Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, at Pauline Espinosa Community Hall.

INFOGRAPHIC BY SARAH MANNING

Wright's family and supports stand outside, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, at Hays County Commissioners Court.

FROM FRONT ACTIVISM

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM BENAVIDES

PHOTOS BY FELICITY GUAJARDO

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.

EMPLOYMENT

Student workers should unionize

By Andrew Hodge Opinions Contributor

Texas State has tens of thousands of undergraduate students, and a significant number of those students work on campus. From the cafeterias to the front desks to the dorms, student workers help to keep the university running.

Workers across the nation show an increased interest in forming unions in their workplace, with a 53% increase in election petitions filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in 2022 and with the current president promising to be "the most pro-union president in presidential history." Student workers should consider the benefits that unionization could bring.

Working on campus can be invaluable: on-campus jobs take student schedules into account and are comfortably located. In addition, working on campus allows students to offset the cost of their education more conveniently than if they worked off campus.

Students are proven to benefit from working while in school. Studies have shown that students who work 15-20 hours a week have the best college results. The university benefits from having a large pool of candidates to choose from who can work on campus. More importantly, the university would only exist with the students who work hard to ensure that the university can operate. Working on campus is undeniably beneficial for everyone.

"Student workers are at the forefront of recruiting students," Ánh Adams, a history and geography senior who is a student worker in the English Department, said. "They work at the welcome center, actively bringing new students to the university by giving tours."

Student workers are adults, and their labor should not be discouraged by their status as undergraduates, especially when they provide essential services. Unfortunately, there are times when the university would prefer to treat them not as such.

Student workers are supposed to be "students first," trivializing their role as employees and signaling that the work they do for the university is less important than the full-time staff. At the same time, their work is held to the same standards that any business would expect of their workers, often to the detriment of their academic careers.

In matters of respect, they are students. In terms of responsibility, they are employees. This leads to a working environment in which administrators often alternate between holding students to unreasonable standards and talking down to students as though they

are not adults.

ILLUSTRATION BY EVA BOWLER

Workers should not have to trust that their employers will always have their best interests at heart. Every student hopes and expects that the university is acting with their best interests in mind, but they should still be able to speak up if they believe that the university does not.

A union would primarily exist to allow student employees to voice their concerns and opinions in a way that the university could choose to ignore if they were untrue. This relationship would benefit both students and the administration, as they could work with the union to better serve the needs of the students.

As long as the administration holds all the power in the relationship, they can take away every benefit they give. Resident assistants saw this first-hand with the recent overcrowding on campus. Many RAs were issued roommates unilaterally with minimal compensation. Although many student workers have a positive relationship with their managers, others point to mismanagement and a pervasive lack of respect that makes it difficult for them to work.

Franchesca Jennings, a public relations junior who worked at the Office of Disability Services, pointed out that students are often put in a difficult situation by low pay, especially when participating in the workstudy program. "They give us appreciation verbally, but I just don't think it's enough," Jennings said. "I might say 'I appreciate you,' but it doesn't change the fact that you can't afford books for your class."

In these scenarios, a union could highlight these issues, advocate for its members and ensure that their

voices are not ignored or suppressed.

The unfortunate truth is that in Texas, employees of public institutions are locked out of many of the benefits of unionization. Texas is a right-to-work state, meaning that participation in a union is not grounds for termination, and the university cannot punish employees for organizing. However, unions can still provide other benefits, like support in disciplinary hearings and an ability to voice complaints drowned out if made by individuals.

Student workers, possibly more than any other students, are fully invested in the university's success and in furthering its vision. A union would not exist in opposition to the university. It would help to hold the university accountable and allow for an honest relationship between administrators and student workers.

For student workers interested in unionization, the question becomes how to implement it. One option is the Texas State Employees Union, which represents employees of the state of Texas. At the University of Texas, members have been working to build support for House Bill 202, legislation that would raise salaries and hourly pay for all state employees.

It is also possible for student workers at Texas State to form their union, and organizing to do so is a protected right according to both the state of Texas and the federal government. Student workers should consider both options as a viable way forward.

Last semester I was brought in by Department of Housing and Residential Life administrators to attend a "fact-finding" meeting related to an article I wrote about housing on campus, even though neither myself nor any of the RAs that I interviewed had violated university policy and we were well within our rights as student workers and citizens to voice our opinions. When that happened, my fellow students, RAs, and members of The University Star were there to support me, not the university administration.

For this writer, it's clear who we should rely on. To any administrators reading this article, I encourage you to recognize unionization as something that can benefit everyone by allowing the university to enter into a more equitable relationship with its student workers.

- Andrew Hodge is an English and communications senior

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.

College campuses need stricter gun laws

By Rhian Davis Assistant Opinions Editor

In the 24 years since the shooting at Columbine High School, students have experienced increased anxiety when stepping onto their campuses. Unfortunately, a new change in Texas' gun policy has the potential to make this anxiety worse for students across the state.

In 2022, a judge ruled that prohibiting people aged 18-20 from carrying was unconstitutional. Before this ruling, Texans had to wait until they were 21. Still, now, anyone 18 and above is eligible for a license to carry a concealed handgun on public university campuses. As lawmakers in other states raise the minimum age to buy an assault rifle to 21 in response to mass shootings, Texas legislators pander to the gun lobby, which funds large portions of their campaigns.

There is no reason students should feel the need to carry on college campuses. Universities already have precautions in place that look out for the safety of students. At Texas State, for example, we have the University Police Department and emergency call boxes.

This change in licensing across the state should not be allowed to go into

effect because it makes college campuses and businesses more dangerous and makes students live in fear.

Those with a license can also carry into some businesses and across state lines. Advocates for gun rights argue that young adults have "the same constitutionally protected right to bear arms as all other adults," according to The Texas Tribune.

If anything, the age restriction to carry a weapon in Texas should be 21. According to the National Library of Medicine, the human brain is not entirely done developing until 25 years of age. Yet, the median age of school shooters is only 16 years old.

According to The Washington Post, of the 196 shooters who killed four or more people since 1966, only five were women. The prefrontal cortex is essential to controlling impulses and comprehending the consequences of one's actions. However, teens are more likely to act on impulse because the mind is not yet fully developed, which is especially true in young men, which provides some explanation as to why they are the majority demographic of school shooters.

There is debate on what constitutes a mass shooting, but multiple sources, including the Gun Violence Archive,

define it as an incident in which a minimum of four victims were killed or injured. Texas has seen an increase in mass shootings and currently leads the country in school shootings.

The instance now known as the first ever modern mass shooting took place at the University of Texas at Austin in 1966. Since then, there have been 12 shootings on college campuses and over 300 instances of gunfire, according to Best Colleges. If Texas doesn't implement more effective legislation, college students have every reason to worry about their safety on campus.

The Republican Party has continuously loosened Texas gun laws, making guns easily accessible throughout the state. Even after horrifying mass shootings like that of Uvalde, the GOP fails to enforce gun restrictions in the state. Lawmakers should not still feel the need to make these weapons even more accessible.

Allowing young adults access to handguns also has the potential to increase rates of suicide on college campuses. According to an article from CBS News, 90% of suicide attempts with a gun result in death, while attempts without a gun only result in death 4% of the time. The rate of youth suicide by firearm is the highest in over

INFOGRAPHIC BY RHIAN DAVIS

20 years, according to information from Everytown.

Deaths by firearms can be prevented by not putting the weapon in young people's hands. Texas legislators need to step back and take a minute to look at the impact access to guns honestly has had on this state as a whole.

Strict gun laws are necessary. Without them, the state's public health is in for a decline. Students should have more of a right to feel safe on their campuses than to carry concealed weapons

- Rhian Davis is a journalism freshman

for underclassmen too

By Reece Cavallo Opinions Contributor

As a freshman, landing internships may be an endeavor for the future, a headache that doesn't need to be worried about until I'm an upperclassman. But after deciding to visit the recent STEM career fair, I realized that now was a perfect time to dip a toe in the professional world.

An internship, temporary employment by a

company designed to give professional experience, is a gateway to a successful career. These entry jobs are opportunities that can build technical skills, forge professional connections and generate income.

While not every company pays its interns $8,000 a month, like Facebook, the average hourly wage for paid interns is $20.76. The money continues to flow toward internships since, according to Zippia, college interns are 15% less likely than peers to be unemployed following graduation, with 70% of all interns being offered positions at their company.

Texas State computer science sophomore Isreal Ibinayin jumps from the top of stairs on a skateboard, Thursday, March 2, 2023, at The Den.

PHOTO BY JOHN GAMEZ

Texas State anthropology junior Boone Beyer paddle boards down the river, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, At Sewell Park.

Texas State theatre freshman Claire Remo (center) leads dance practice for the Texas State’s Filipino Student Association for their upcoming competition at UTSA, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, at the Student Recreation Center.

PHOTO BY ODALIS IPINA

Texas State theatre junior Miranda Marquez applies her makeup for the opening of Mala Hierba, Friday, March 3, 2023, at the Theatre Center.

PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA

Texas State marketing sophomore James Leistritz (left) and exercise and sports science sophomore Tyler Pham build a paper mache ball, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at Sewell Park.

PHOTO BY ODALIS IPINA

Carson Weaver

BASEBALL

Wells proving himself as Friday night starter, early round MLB Draft choice

By Carson Weaver Sports Editor

A lively fastball that sits in the mid90s and a breaking ball that frequently buckles opposing hitters at the plate has proved to be a successful combination for junior pitcher Levi Wells. The Texas Tech transfer pitched to a tune of a 7.64 ERA his freshman year with the Red Raiders, but with a much improved 3.07 ERA in his sophomore year with the Bobcats, Wells has found himself as the premier Friday night starter in the 2023 season.

His time in the Cape Cod Baseball League, an amateur summer league for college baseball players, and his recent performance for Texas State has caught the attention of MLB teams. The upcoming 2023 MLB Draft will see Wells, who’s ranked 49th in MLB.com’s draft prospect rankings in his first year of draft eligibility, drafted in the early rounds.

According to MLB.com, Wells could be the highest Bobcat drafted since 2000 Bobcat first-rounder Blake Williams.

“He has thrust himself into early-

round consideration,” MLB.com stated in its scouting report of Wells. “Projected as a reliever when he was a prepster, he now looks like a four-pitch starter with a bulldog attitude.”

During his time with Texas Tech, in the Cape Cod Baseball League and partially through last season, Wells was used as a bullpen piece, where his fastball and offspeed combo played. Throughout this season, however, Wells has started games and is trying to stretch his arm to throw more innings.

“I kind of save stamina to get later into games, let my [velocity] climb a little bit later,” Wells said.

For a Texas State baseball team who had its best season in program history last season, head coach Steven Trout said that the length is what’s expected out of the number one starter on the staff.

“Levi Wells is who we expect to be on Friday nights,” Trout said. “That’s what we need on Friday nights, somebody to go 100, 110 [pitches]... anytime you take your starter over 100 [pitches] and he’s got the same type of stuff, that speaks volumes to his work ethic.”

Wells’ stuff this year has led to

an improved strikeout rate over 11.2 innings of work. In 2022, he averaged 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings. This year, he’s improved that to 11.6 per nine innings.

Strikeout stuff is present in his arsenal of pitches, which includes a fastball, a traditional slider that he primarily throws to right-handed

batters, a 12-4 curveball he throws to lefties with less command than his slider and an occasional changeup. While he’s been used as a bullpen option in years past, Wells' success as a starter has benefitted Trout’s squad this year and may benefit an MLB ball team in the years to come.

Students win fall tuition for making half-court shots

By Dillon Strine Sports Reporter

Texas State Athletics' half-court challenge for free tuition came to an end after the 79-69 men's basketball loss to Southern Miss on Feb. 24. David St. Alva, a criminal justice junior, and Matthew Aneke, a computer science sophomore, left Strahan Arena winners.

Past participants got a second chance at halftime, including Texas State's

mascot, Boko, but no one made the shot. After the game, students who stood in a line that wrapped around the court were encouraged to attempt the shot until two of them won.

After numerous attempts from other challengers, an unnerved St. Alva stepped up to half-court and attempted a jump shot. Despite not planning on making it, St. Alva sank the bucket worth up to $4,611.

"I felt like I was going to make it," St Alva said. "Everybody was missing and I just wanted to send everyone home... I hate to sound cocky about it but... I've made that shot plenty of times."

The students around the court and the fans that had not yet left the arena outside were sent into a frenzy. St. Alva was handed the microphone to encourage those still awaiting their turn to sink the second shot.

"It felt amazing," St. Alva said. "I had to come up with something quick... let me just give the crowd some encouragement, so I said, 'follow your dreams, y'all can do whatever you want... if I can do it anybody can do it.'"

That "anybody" came forth just a few attempts later as Aneke stepped up to center court and shot with similar confidence, faith and an old nickname on his mind.

"I knew I was going to make it," Aneke said. "Back in high school, they called me Waffle House because I was always open... I felt like I hit a buzzer-beater shot, there was a lot of commotion going on, it was a very good feeling."

President Kelly Damphousse was on the court recording the attempts with his phone and celebrating with students. He said the promotion was a way to get students to attend men’s and women’s basketball games. St. Alva and Aneke had never attended a Texas State basketball game before this one.

"I said, you know, what can we do to get students to come back and so I've done this promotion at other places before where I actually saw it at another university have somebody to [shoot a] half-court shot for free tuition," Damphousse said. "And I thought, Oh, we just do that for students to get them to come and they get something for it."

Sun Belt Tournament run ends in semifinals

By David Cuevas Assistant Sports Editor

The 2022-2023 season for Texas State men’s basketball (16-19, 6-12 Sun Belt Conference) came to an end after a 64-58 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in the semifinals of the 2023 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Basketball Champioship Sunday night at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida.

“Tough game for the Bobcats,” head coach Terrence Johnson said postgame. “I thought we fought. I felt we had opportunities tonight. We played against a very well-coached team. Older guys that have been together, connected for some time. Credit to them; they had a great game plan. Those guys in the Bobcat locker room, I'll go to war with them any day. I'm blessed to be coaching in San Marcos, Texas."

After going 2-5 in the final three weeks of the regular season, the Bobcats were given the 11th seed. Due to their poor record, the Bobcats did not have a bye and would have to win five consecutive games, something the team hadn’t done all season, in order to cut down the nets as tournament champions.

Texas State began the tournament in the first round against 14th-seeded Georgia State on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Behind a strong team scoring performance, Texas State defeated the Panthers 81-76 to advance to the second strong. Despite having five different players score in double figures it was the team’s performance at the free throw line going 24-for-28 that sealed the victory.

In the second round, Texas State faced sixth-seeded Old Dominion on Thursday, March 2. ODU won the regular-season matchup between the two teams off a buzzer-beater layup. Texas State avenged that loss by thrashing the Monarchs 65-36 for its largest Sun Belt tournament win in four years.

The win advanced Texas State to the quarterfinals where the team faced third-seeded Marshall on Saturday, March 4. In what was a close contest, Texas State pulled away in the final two minutes with a 6-0 run. The win knocked off the heavily favored Thundering Herd 7168 to continue the Bobcats' Cinderella run into the playoffs to become the first double-digit seeded team to ever make it to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals.

In the semifinals, Texas State faced secondseeded Louisiana-Lafayette who went 2-0 against the Bobcats during the regular season. Texas State was down by 14 points in the second half but managed to pull within two points in the game’s final minutes but was unable to tie or take the lead, falling 6458 and ending its unlikely tournament run.

… it's just tough.”

This was the second consecutive year that the Ragin’ Cajuns eliminated Texas State from the Sun Belt Tournament. The loss will likely end Texas State’s season as the team is not eligible for an invitation to the NIT tournament.

“It definitely doesn’t feel good,” senior guard Drue Drinnon said after the game. “We came into this tournament just trying to play our strongest, play our hardest and put it all out on the floor and what hurts most is just knowing that I have two of my seniors that don’t have a chance to come back a chance at this and that’s what hurts most just seeing them

seeing

locker

in the

room

the emotions

(from left to right) Texas State President Kelly Damphousse (left), criminal justice junior David St.Alva, and computer science sophomore Matthew Aneke take a selfie, Friday, Feb. 23, 2023, at Strahan Arena.

PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING

MEN'S BASKETBALL

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

PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA