By Carson Weaver Sports Editor
Hidden Gems on Campus Football
The Texas State athletic department exceeded expectations during the 20212022 school year, with an end result of the school's second-ever Vic Bubas Cup, an award given to the top athletic department in the Sun Belt Conference. Under the helm of Athletic Director Don Coryell in his first year leading the department, the Bobcats beat out South Alabama for the award and won two regular season Sun Belt Championships in baseball and men's basketball. Texas State also had eight different teams place in the top four of the Sun Belt Conference in their respective sport. As President Kelly Damphousse begins his first year at Texas State, he recognizes the accomplishment the Vic Bubas Cup represents. Named the tenth president in April, Damphousse understands the importance of the athletic department on a college"Athleticscampus.is so important to the modern American university," Damphousse said. "For many people, the only thing they know about the school is the athletics program."
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Valentino's, located on The Square, offers an outside seating and bar area, Monday, August 22, 2022, in San Marcos.
The athletic performance of the Bobcats mirrored their academic success. Bobcat football finished its 2021 campaign with a 4-8 record. The season consisted of three one-score losses that built on the frustrations of Bobcat fans, but the team had solid individual performances despite its overall finish. Junior runningback Jahyml Jeter played in all 12 games while leading the team in rushing touchdowns with eight. His teammate in the backfield, sophomore running back Calvin Hill, started all 12 games, led the team in rushing yards (714), and finished top-10 in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing.
Meet DamphousseKelly www.Universitystar comDEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911 TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2022 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 3
Bobcat sports: A 20212022 year in review BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE
By Brianna Chavez Life and Arts Contributor
For the athletics department, the praise from Damphousse is more than deserved. Academically, more than half of the teams had a team GPA higher than 3.0 with 126 student-athletes achieving a 3.5 GPA or higher, and 50 student-athletes earning a 4.0 GPA.
Gallery Opinion: TeachersDeserve Better SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 5 SEE PAGE 8 SEE PAGE 10
In 2018, Valentino's, a beloved pizza joint on The Square officially closed its doors. As of June, however, the restaurant has reopened and the smell of classic pepperoni pizza brings in old and new customers alike. After Thanksgiving in 2018 the owners of Valentino's at the time quietly closed the restaurant and sold the building. It was on its way to being occupied by a T-Mobile or a Starbucks, leaving the legacy of the restaurant to be forgotten. It sounded like the end for the pizzeria until Industry co-founders Cody Taylor and Harlan Scott were given the chance to help breathe new life into Valentino's in July "Cody2020.and I have opened a lot of restaurants, from seafood to big wine lists," Scott said. "But Valentino's is a 40-year-old brand, so it's been the most challenging thing we've ever done." Give pizza a chance: Valentino's reopens on The Square
FOODSPORTS
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO Campus Map
Overall, however, head coach Jake Spavital said the team has not been playing up to their expectations and standards. "I think we've done a great job over the last three years of developing a culture," Spavital said. "We've gotta make huge strides as a team from an efficiency standpoint... we have not been playing up to standards and expectations that we have."
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 HeraldCopyrightCopyright:Zeitung.Tuesday, August 23, 2022 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 LettersDeadlines:editor-in-chief.totheEditor or any contributed articles are due on Monday the week prior to AnyCorrections:publication.errorsthat are in the pages of The University Star and brought to our attention will be corrected as soon as possible. Visit The Star at universitystar.com About EditorialUsStaff starcreative@txstate.eduMicheleCreativestarasstweb@txstate.eduMonicaDigitalstarengagement@txstate.eduMeadowEngagementstarmultimedia@txstate.eduVanessaMultimediastarsports@txstate.eduCarsonSportsstaropinion@txstate.eduDillonOpinionstarlifeandarts@txstate.eduMarisaLifestarnews@txstate.eduNichaelaNewsstardesign@txstate.eduKadenceDesignstarmanagingeditor@txstate.eduSarahManagingstareditor@txstate.eduArthurEditor-in-Chief:FairchildEditorHernandezEditor:CobbEditor:Shaheen&ArtsEditor:NunezEditor:StrineEditorWeaverEditor:BuentelloEditor:ChaseProductsDeveloperVargasServicesDirectorDupontTrinityBuilding203PleasantSt.SanMarcos,TX78666(512)245-3487Director:LauraKrantz,laurakrantz@txstate.edu Full-Time Staff Scan the code above to have Start with The Star delivered to your email every Tuesday and Thursday. Account Executive Ethan advertising@txstate.eduRing Public & Internal Relations
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO
Meet Kelly Damphousse Nichaela Shaheen News starnews@txstate.eduEditor 2 | Tuesday, August 23, 2022 The University Star NEWS UNIVERSITY Advertising Staff PIR Director Elle starpr@txstate.eduGangi
DamphousseDamphoussesaid.has many passions but setting up students for success is his focal"Onepoint.of the things I'm really passionate about is student success. By that I mean opening the doors to college education, increasing access, and then second, making sure the students here are successful; making sure they're retained from their freshman year because that's where you lose the most students. We'll have record retention this year, probably around 80%. So only 20% of our freshman class didn't return which is great. My goal is to get that up to 85%. I want to remove the barrier for every student who wants to stay but something happens that doesn't allow them to come back. All of those things are related to this idea of engagement; of students feeling connected. One of the best things that can happen to me is when a student goes home on Thanksgiving to visit their parents and at the end of the week they say, 'I gotta go home to San Marcos'," Damphousse said.In the seven weeks since he started, President Damphousse has met with the athletics director, the fine arts and band directors, and has had sports teams over to meet his dog and enjoy dinner. He has also met and conversed with hundreds of students as they step back into campus life, which can be seen on his Instagram page. It's clear the impact Damphousse has had on campus in such a short amount of time, and his excitement to get started melds into his exchanges in the best way.
"What I love about Texas State is it serves a really noble mission because we attract a lot of students who are first-generation students, some who come from very tough backgrounds economically. President Trauth and I have known each other for five years. We're on the Sunbelt board together. I started on the board, and she served here for 20 years and I thought 'there must be something great about that university to work there for 20 years," Damphousse said. The beauty of San Marcos and what it offers its residents was not lost on Damphousse either. "We love San Marcos. It's great. I used to think San Marcos was just the outlet mall, and that's something we need to work on as well, is trying to make sure that people understand the story of Texas State University and also make sure that the City of San Marcos understands how we are so connected to them. When we're recruiting students and faculty here we need to be using San Marcos as a recruiting tool because it's a really great town," Damphousse said. Damphousse understands the importance of the role he is stepping into, but with some advice from former President Trauth, he feels more than up to the "Thetask.advice she mostly gave me was about the people who work here. I mentioned something to her about how much I enjoyed the members of the cabinet. That was the first group I met with, and I said 'you got some great people here,' and she said,' we have great people all over this university,' and she was 100% right," Damphousse said.
In an effort to try and familiarize himself with the university and vice versa, Damphousse has spent his first few weeks on campus meeting as many people as he can. Whether he's riding around campus on his golf cart, taking selfies with students or visiting the athletics department, he makes sure that everybody can put a face to his name. "I want to make sure they know I'm accessible to them; that I'm here to listen to them. If you don't create opportunities for communication with students, faculty or alumni, then you can get kind of removed from them. People won't know who you are, and if you've never met the person then they're nervous talking to you and I can't help the university if I don't know what's broken. So that's what I'm trying to do is create those relationships with everybody, not just students, but employees, alumni, city leaders and state leaders as well so that they know what's happening here," Damphousse said. Damphousse doesn't plan to stop there. One of his goals is to make sure that the university is always connected to the community of San Marcos. He believes this allows for better service within each other. "One of the things that's really important is to understand there are two real entities in the city. There's our city leadership, the mayor and county judge, or the leadership in the political sphere. So with them, bring them onto our campus, and go to where they are as well, I can learn more about how the city runs. But then San Marcos is also the people. [My wife] and I are people of faith, and we'll find a place to plug into a church at some point. But also go to local businesses and local restaurants and try to go to a different restaurant each time we go out. And I love The Square. There's not a lot of towns that have a really well laid out downtown, but ours is better than anybody else's," Damphousse said. As much as he loves the position and place that he's joining, he also has plans that he thinks can help improve the university for years to come. "I think there's a little something missing here that I really want to work on at the university with student engagement. We have these great affinity groups because we come together and create some great culture and great memories for students that will last. I think what happens at universities over time, is that students have become a little bit disconnected from each other and from their university. I'm looking for ways to engage our students and create opportunities for them to come together outside of the classroom. "For example, going to football games, going to support all the various athletics programs and going to our fine arts productions. There are so many groups on campus for students to join and get involved in. Say you're a Harry Potter fan and want to play quidditch, there's a group on campus for that. But if we didn't have a quidditch program and you wanted to you could start one. There are a lot of options available to students and I want them to experience as many of them as possible. How can we find a common experience for all of us? That's what I'd love to do,"
By Maya Hicks News Contributor Dr. Kelly Damphousse stepped into his role as the 10th president of Texas State University on July 1, succeeding a 20-year career by Denise Trauth. He moves to the position after serving as chancellor and CEO at Arkansas State University.Makingquite a splash in his first few weeks on campus, Damphousse has been quickly immersing himself in the Texas State campus and its culture.
Texas State President Kelly Damphousse shakes hands with students and faculty at a meet-andgreet on his first day in office as the university's new president, Friday, July 1, 2022, at UAC.
To learn more about President Kelly Damphousse, visit biography.html.txst.edu/about-president-damphousse/https://www.president.
"We are in the business of changing people's lives, and I think Texas State changes more lives than any other university in the state and is among the highest in the country, so I want to be a part of that," Damphousse said.
"I've been at PWI universities, which means predominantly white institutions, and one of the things I love and am so excited about with this school is how diverse it is. We've got not only an incredibly diverse student body but faculty. We not only have a rich diversity in race and ethnicity but also in identity and gender. And it's not just really diverse, it's the most diverse campus in the state, and I think it really mirrors the diversity of our state," Damphousse said.Before he would ever start working in the university system he was just a kid growing up in the foster care system. "I grew up in a little fishing village in Northern Canada. I was adopted. My mom had a grade nine education and my dad had a grade 12 education, but they said they wanted to make sure I had the option to go to college, although I had always thought I wasn't going to go to college. In April of my senior year, I decided to go to college. So I applied really late and went to community college because I wanted to be a police officer. But I was too young. I was only 19, so I got a job as a prison guard. And then one of my former instructors worked out a deal for me to come down to Texas to go to Sam Houston State, get a criminal justice degree and then go back and become a police officer. "I came down here and met a girl, but she didn't want to move to Canada and she didn't wanna marry a police officer. I graduated from Sam Houston in 1987, we got married in '88, and we're still happily married. She talked me into going to graduate school, so I went to A&M graduate school and then started working in the professor route, I taught at [The University of Alabama at Birmingham] for a year, and went back to Sam Houston and got two years. Then I was [at the University of Oklahoma] for 20 years as a faculty member, and over time I became a dean. And then in 2017, I became the chancellor at Arkansas State University, and now I'm here," Damphousse said. The opportunity to move back to Texas was just a small part of why he decided to accept the position.
Local activists respond to the overturning of Roe v. Wade
By Madelyn Weirich and Maya Hicks News Contributors
ACTIVISM Nichaela starnews@txstate.eduNewsShaheenEditor Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 3The University Star NEWS
Oli Ponce-McLaughlin, a teacher at DeZavala Elementary in San Marcos, attended the protest to show her support for reproductive rights. “As a teacher, I always encourage my students to look and learn from the women of the future,” PonceMcLaughlin said. “I’m so proud of my community for choosing to stand up.” She went on to share the story of her own abortion and stated that there is no wrong reason to receive an abortion if needed. “They want you to have children, but don’t provide support of any kind…we don’t have books or food for our kids… we don’t even have baby formula. Why don’t we first focus on the kids that we have?” McLaughlin said. Students and organizations at Texas State are also wrestling with the new restrictions and what it means for young adults. For advocates like Riley Belcher, an education sophomore, the overturning of Roe v. Wade was not a complete surprise. Last year, Belcher organized a protest at the Texas Capitol for fellow students when she learned that abortion rights were in jeopardy. Since then, she has attended marches and advocated among herBelcherpeers. recalls the deep sadness and frustration she felt when the draft opinion was leaked. To her, that moment felt like "the beginning of the end" of her reproductive rights. "By the time it finally happened, I was more just kind of bracing myself for the worst," Belcher said. "I still did have that hope that they can't be serious, right? I mean, someone's gotta do something and I was just watching and waiting."
“For half a century, Americans have had to live under these illegitimate, illegal and unconstitutional dictates of a partisan, willful Supreme Court. No more," Paxton said in a statement. "Today, the question of abortion returns to the states. And in Texas, that question has already been answered: abortion is illegal here. I look forward to defending the pro-life laws of Texas and the lives of all unborn children moving forward.”
Others saw the decision as a great victory. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton closed his office for the day after the decision was announced and vowed to make the day a national holiday. In a press release from June 24, he celebrated an instance of power resting with state governments rather than the federal government.
Over the summer, protesters filled the outside lawn of the Hays County Courthouse, holding signs displaying messages like “Abortion Laws Kill Women” and “Hands off, SCOTUS." Others chanted, shared stories or simply stood in silence to show their resistance to laws banning abortion. The protest came a day after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to abortion on June 24. Members of the San Marcos community made it clear that they would not stand by and let this “complete degradation of women’s rights” happen without putting up a fight.
As president of SWIPS, Jess Myers’ main focus is finding and promoting factual information about the policies moving forward, while providing a space for members to discuss different points of view, possible legislation and emotions surrounding the issue.
In August, City Council discussed ways of protecting abortion access. The San Marcos Police Department does not investigate abortion-related situations unless a serious injury occurs to the expectant mother and no official legislation is in place so far. Until then, advocates of both stances continue to protest.
When the court's opinion was officially released, Belcher was at work. That day, she and her coworkers took turns letting each other take breaks for a few minutes to process what had happened. For Belcher, those few minutes involved a lot of tears.
While Roe v. Wade being overturned most directly impacts abortion accessibility, Belcher and other advocates also worry about how this will impact court decisions that were based on the court case. For example, Obergefell v. Hodges, which established the right to same-sex marriage, referenced the "right to privacy" established by Roe v. Wade. In his concurring opinion, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas said this case among others should be "reconsidered" now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.
"Just hearing stories of what things were like before Roe v. Wade, it boggles my mind that we could ever think about going back," Belcher said. "I'm a human with a uterus. It could happen to me. It could happen to anyone. I know plenty of women who've had abortions, and I want to fight for them."
"I still did have that hope that they can't be serious, right? I mean, someone's gotta do something and I was just watching and waiting."
"I think it's really important to keep our feminism intersectional because this is happening. This is going to have an impact on everyone from all different communities." Belcher said. With the assumption that this political decision will impact a wide range of issues, organizations like Supporting Women in Political Science (SWIPS) are working hard to stay non-partisan while empowering members to speak out and organize for direct action.
“We're going to talk about the nitty-gritty of the legislation and the policy issues,” Myers said. “And of course, we fully endorse members going outside of our meeting space and doing their own thing, where they might be more empowered to do that kind of thing if they have more information, which they might get from our club and the platform that we put out there.”
The Honors Hammock Haven is set up for students to enjoy in between classes, Monday, August 22, 2022, outside of Lampasas.
"In the fall I had three classes that weren't back to back, and I had a 40 to 50-minute break between each class, so I would go to the fourth floor of the library and sit by the windows," Curry said. "It was the first floor I randomly chose in the elevator, and I really liked being by the trees. The fourth floor was quiet in the mornings, which is when I usually was there, but it didn't feel forcefully quiet as some of the other floors."Although Alkek reigns as one of the most popular spots, there are a variety of quiet resting spots and several quiet study lounges hidden inside buildings throughout campus.
The Honors Hammock Haven between Lampasas and the Academic Services Building is the perfect place to rest and nap in between classes. For Insha Iqbal, a theatre directing senior, her favorite place to relax is the Music Building for its relaxing plush couch scape and frequent food sales, providing all that a student with long hours on campus can need. “As soon as you walk in it opens up to a central lobby space, it’s just full of couches, a few tables and a great place for people to hang out between classes. A lot of times there are music fraternities that set up and sell food. A lot of people fall asleep in those couches," Iqbal said. "Sometimes classes and music fraternities do improv performances, and you get to just enjoy the sound of beautiful music echoing through the lobby.”When looking for places to hang out, George's is the perfect spot to settle and chat with friends after class. Located in the basement of the LBJ Student Center across from Starbucks, George's is named after one of Texas State's most notable alumni, country artist George Strait. The lounge is a hub for student interaction, games, music, movies and student involvement events. For Bobcats who prefer to socialize outdoors, sunbathing and swimming at Sewell Park is their best option. The San Marcos River stays a cool and comfortable 72 degrees year-round and the park is a great spot to listen to jams, play sports, have a picnic or lay out to tan.There is a space on campus for every Bobcat. Texas State offers a wide variety of resources and hang-out spots for students, the trick is discovering them as they move along their grad plan. It's just a matter of following their two feet and exploring all that campus has to offer.
Marisa Nunez Life & Arts starlifeandarts@txstate.eduEditor The University Star LIFE & ARTS CAMPUS LIFE 4 | Tuesday, August 23, 2022
There are other several other places like Lopez's description for those who enjoy the solace of nature. The campus is bursting with life, with some areas even certified official wildlife habitats. The front of the Agriculture Building, the fish hatchery ponds across from the Edwards Aquifer Research & Data Center Laboratory and Spring Lake, where the Meadows Center hosts glassbottom boat tours, are just some of the options that students have on campus. The Living Library gardens that surround the Agriculture Building are another ideal place for a natural study backdrop. The gardens are a studentmaintained project funded by the Environmental Service Committee and have a variety of plants labeled with plaques showing information about the species.Theoutdoor courtyard in the heart of the Taylor-Murphy History building with its artistic ceramic tiles and sunlit archways and stairs also provides a serene atmosphere for Bobcats to take a seat.For students who would rather stay inside, Alkek Library is a popular place where many students find quiet solace on the floors meant for silent studying and relaxation or others dedicated to individual or group study. Wyatt Curry, a history junior, prefers to sit and enjoy the silent ambiance.
By Elijah Cardenas Life and Arts Contributor Part of starting a new chapter in life as a Bobcat is learning how to navigate campus by finding spots where one can focus on studying, building closer connections with friends or chilling in a cozy space between classes. With nearly 500 acres of property to its name, the Texas State San Marcos campus offers students hidden treasures and hang-out spotsDownanywhere.thehill from Bobcat Trail, patio tables outside the Education Building are a relaxing place to study or plugin. Further downhill, Bobcats like Claudia Fernandez Lopez, a performance and production senior, find peace in the foliage and moats located at the corner of campus near the J.C. Kellam Building before crossing the street to Sewell Park.
Hidden gems at TXST
"When I changed my major and started doing some extracurriculars there I sort of noticed how pretty the water is," Lopez said. "It looks dirty from afar but when you get close you can see that it's alive. Full of luscious foliage, with fish and turtles hiding in its tendrils. It's quite serene. Makes the world seem smaller and more manageable."
PHOTO BY MARISA NUNEZ
Wen (left and Bryan (right) Carey at the front of their shop Everyday Zen in San Marcos, Texas.
“There’s so many different things out there so you have to use your intuition and do research,” Wen said. “Someone who comes across and tells you something, don’t always just take their word for it. Learn for yourself, do some investigation and do what feels right to you.”
Valentino's, located on The Square, Monday, August 22, 2022, in San Marcos.
“We want to be a refuge for others, especially when you’re in college and the world seems too big,” Wen said. “You’re not at home and you’re on your own so we want to say ‘hey, we’re here for you.’ We can introduce you to a new book or some warm tea and much more to help you feel comfortable in your place when you’re away from home.” Eager to dive deeper into inner peace and meditation, Wen and Bryan permanently closed the Lotus Leaf in 2016 and journeyed to Nepal and Japan to study and meditate in the Tibetan monasteries and historical Zen temples. After traveling, Wen was inspired by the beauty of the places she visited and her newfound knowledge of meditation. She decided to move her establishment with the hopes of bringing her experiences from Nepal and Japan to Everyday Zen in New Braunfels in 2018. The shop sold an assortment of products ranging from meditation supplies, crystals and wind chimes to a large variety of books about astrology, Buddhism and spirituality. Two years into the business, the rise of COVID-19 caused Wen and Bryan to begin selling products online. Over time, the online shop has proven to be ideal as Wen and Bryan have received orders from places across the globe. It has also helped customers like Trina Iblings, who purchased smudge in hopes of cleansing her space. Although Iblings was unaware of how to use the smudge that she purchased, Wen assisted her through a phone call and guided her through the process.
"I was very hands-on when I ran Valentino's, putting in 100-hour work weeks and scraping pennies to build the business back up," Clemts said. "I took the time to get to know every employee, making them that much better of an employee."
Marisa Nunez Life & Arts starlifeandarts@txstate.eduEditor Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 5The University Star LIFE & ARTS
Scott and Taylor strived to please past customers who still held onto Valentino's past while also understanding that times have changed for restaurants and for pizza. At first, they saw the project as just a fresh coat of paint and a quick reopening to the public.
"We find out that the kitchen floor is made of wood, the restrooms unsafe and the ceiling is collapsing," ScottOncesaid.they realized that a complete rebuilding of the pizzeria would have to take place, Scott and Taylor knew that a pizza counter, a soda machine and cheap $1 beer sales were not going to cut it. Scott and Taylor took their time to create the perfect place to sell a perfect slice of pizza. They repurposed old wood, adding two full bars inside the restaurant and spent a year buying used restaurant equipment at auctions, taste-testing various pizzas and wings and trying to learn as much as they could about pizza.
“I get up every morning at 7 a.m. and I work until 1 a.m. looking for products and making sure everything is right for the shop,” Wen said. “I'm looking for really clean things and things that are quality and unique."
“Our question is always ‘how can we help and how can we be of service?'" Bryan said. “They can take a little bit of Everyday Zen home with them or to their dorm room, their apartment, car or to a close one. That is truly the foundation of what we do.”
Everyday Zen is located at 165 South Guadalupe St. Suite 112 in San Marcos. To shop for products online, visit https://shopeverydayzen.com/
Wen and Bryan strive to build a peaceful area for those interested in embarking on their own spiritual journey. Some of the events the shop hosts include Sunday meditation sessions and occasional Mandala coloring sessions.
By Haley Velasco Life and Arts Contributor Walking into Everyday Zen in downtown San Marcos, customers are greeted by a peaceful aura of candles, colorful crystals, books on spirituality and an aroma of essential oils. Finding products for peace and meditation has become easier for San Marcos with the opening of Everyday Zen. The items in the shop are handpicked by the shop's owner, Wen Carey, and sourced from places like Germany, Great Britain and Wimberly, Texas. Together with her husband, Bryan Carey, they are committed to guiding others through their spiritual journeys and helping improve the community's well-being.
When all was said and done, Valentino's officially reopened in the summer of 2022 where they first started off with take-out and dine-in only. The demand for pizza was so great that the restaurant was even sold out of pizza at times. The process of making the pizza dough takes three days, which is why they ran out of pizza very quickly. Nonetheless, Scott said he is proud and humbled by the fact that people are calling their pizza the best they've ever tasted and sharing old memories of Valentino's with"Wehim.opened and it's been crazy, as well as incredibly humbling," Scott said. "People have been coming in and sharing photos from the 80s, in tears, thanking us for what we've done." At the end of August, Valentino's will host a celebration for its past and current owners, managers and employees. Clemts will be in attendance and said he's excited to see what Taylor and Scott created, knowing that the two restaurant connoisseurs saw value and history in a place that he had worked so hardWhenon. they began to tear down what was left of Valentino's back in 2020, Scott and Taylor came across old relics and took a deep dive into the restaurant's rich history. From the start, Scott knew that he would not be able to open the old Valentino's. He hopes that with the reopening, customers can once again enjoy the beloved slice of San Marcos that is Valentino's."Alongthe way of reopening, I went through four decades of history," Scott said. "We were dealing with something much more bigger than pizza: people's emotions and memories."
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO
At three years old, Wen arrived in the United States with her family to escape the Vietnam War. After putting herself through college in her hometown at the University of Texas at Austin with work-study jobs and scholarships, Wen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in textiles and apparel. It was during college that Wen felt the need to begin a spiritual journey and began practicing yoga. “I’ve always been a curious person,” Wen said. “If I found out that there was a free yoga thing at UT I would go to that, or if there was a free meditation session, I would go to that. I had a friend in college who gave me this book called 'Where Two Worlds Touch' by Gloria Karpinski and that kind of started my evolution to think of things in a different way.” Shortly after college, Wen moved to Durham, North Carolina, with the urge to get out of her comfort zone and area. There, she met Bryan who was the director of Patanjali’s Place Yoga and Meditation Center, a studio that held yoga and meditation classes for all ages and experience levels. Bryan's studio inspired Wen to create her first giftshop, the Lotus Leaf, in 2014 to help others find a better spiritual connection with similar products that she now sells at Everyday Zen. She wanted to open a shop in a college town to help students feel comfortable in a new place. The Lotus Leaf in Durham served students at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“The knowledge the owners carried for everything in their shop really stood out to me and my girlfriend,” Garcia said. “Anything we were looking at they had extensive knowledge of and even a few stories about. You could tell spirituality was a huge part of their life and it sparked a conversation between us.”
PHOTO BY WEN CAREY
John Schmidt, a former Valentino's employee and a Texas State alumnus, worked under Clemts in 1995 as a delivery driver. He worked at Valentino's three times in a span of 15 years, going from driver to prep and kitchen and eventually assistant manager of the pizzeria.Although the workers were underpaid, Schmidt said they all had fun and still keep in touch with one another through a Facebook group called "Valentino Vets.""We worked hard and we partied hard," Schmidt said. "We now get together every year to play golf, card games and even go on vacations together." After selling the business, Clemts would later return to the pizzeria in 2017. At that time, he saw how Valentino's was slowly fading out of the San Marcos scene."When you're in the restaurant business, you can go in and see how people interact, how the food is cooked, just get a feel for it," Clemts said. "And I didn't get a good feeling when I last visited." A hub for dates, lunch breaks and birthday parties, Valentino's has been a San Marcos icon since 1981.
“I shopped at Everyday Zen when the shop was between locations,” Iblings said. “The owner is very helpful as I had no idea how to properly use the items I purchased. I purchased them because I woke up from a nightmare that said I neededThroughoutthem.” the pandemic, Wen and Bryan took advantage of the online shop and traveled to find a new location for Everyday Zen. After traveling to 26 cities, Wen and Bryan found that San Marcos was the right fit for them. The downtown shop opened in June. “From the moment that we got here, we started talking to city people on the street and the postman and every single person we encountered was so kind," Wen said. "That's how we knew we were in the right place.”
Both Wen and Bryan credit one another for the shop’s success. Wen admires her husband's determination to serve his community, which he did in his Durham yoga studio, as well as his mentoring experience in teaching yoga to children in public schools surrounding Durham. Bryan also admires his wife's commitment to helping others start or stay on track with their spiritual journey or well-being. “Wen has just devoted her life to the service,” Bryan said. “Her intelligence and this woman’s work ethos are boundless. She has standards that are just unparalleled.”
Wen and Bryan encourage San Marcos to visit Everyday Zen to discover its products and bring inner peace to one’s life. Their ultimate goal is to offer their guidance to people and serve their communities in any way they can.
It was no surprise that once Valentino's reopened for new and old customers, some people would feel a sense of entitlement knowing that this was their spot to eat.
However, that all changed when they walked into the closed pizzeria without any basic infrastructure to reopen to the public.
FROM FRONT FOOD
SHOPPING Everyday Zen opens again
Léah Garcia, a local music artist in San Marcos, appreciates the Careys' welcoming presence at Everyday Zen and thinks it’s a great place to go when beginning a spiritual journey.
As Wen has become an inspiration to those starting their spiritual journey or those that want to start a shop similar to Everyday Zen, she advises them to listen to and trust themselves.
To learn more about Valentino's story and to see the menu, visit valentinosbar.com
Clemts said there's a rich history that runs through the restaurant walls. He said that being the owner wasn't easy, but he is proud of the family atmosphere he created for his employees.
Before Valentino's, there was Pizza Plaza in 1972, where Bijan Afkhami, a junior from then Southwest Texas State University was a delivery driver. Afkhami would become the owner of Pizza Plaza in 1981 and rename the restaurant Valentino's after his brother's cat.Since Afkhami, Valentino's has had five different owners. Dan Clemts owned the restaurant from 1993 until 2005 when he sold the business, leaving Valentino's as a chapter of his life completed.
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
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"They are the ones that win games and give everything to this program," Trout said in a press release.The deep playoff run was also part of Texas State being awarded the Vic Bubas Cup, an award given to the top athletic program in the Sun Belt Conference. Texas State President Kelly Damphousse spoke for the baseball program and the athletics department as a whole when he said he wants a continuation of individual successes like Stivors and overall athletic excellence to continue.
Carson Weaver Sports starsports@txstate.eduEditor 8|Tuesday, August 23, 2022 The University Star SPORTS Soccer will start its 2022 season with a new head coach, Steve Holeman. Under long-time head coach Kat Conner's last season as a Bobcat, the team finished with a record of 7-8-2. Kiara Gonzales led the team with five goals and 13 points on her way to her second Texas State Offensive Player of the Year award. The 2022 team captain, Kamaria Williams, was one of two players to start all 17 games in the 2021 season. Women's basketball finished its season 15-14, and due to a second-half surge that propelled them to the Sun Belt Conference Championship, the team came away with a win in the playoffs. Ultimately, a 53-70 loss to Little Rock ended the season, but key players like graduate students Da'Nasia Hood and Kennedy Taylor served key roles in the playoff run. Hood led the team in points-per-game (PPG) with 16.9, winning Sun Belt Conference player of the week once while also being named to the all-conference first-team. Hood was named to the All-Conference Second-Team and earned her second Star of Excellence award for her academic success. Following two eight-plus game win streaks, men's basketball also took home a Sun Belt Conference championship with an overall record of 21-8. The Bobcats were the first Sun Belt team in nine years to have a .800 winning percentage in backto-backTheirseasons.season ended against North Texas in overtime of the Sun Belt Conference Quarterfinals, but the regular season performance by the Bobcats was enough for the athletics department to sign head coach Terrence Johnson to an extension through the 2026-2027 season. Texas State's track and field program was etched in history because of thrower Alyssa Wilson. As a redshirt senior last year, the 14-time All-American set the school record with a 22.84-meter weight throw. Wilson also broke the collegiate record with a 74.78-meter hammer throw, which was the seventh-best hammer throw in the world at the time. Senior sprinter Dominick Yancy brought home four Sun Belt individual championships en route to a Sun Belt Conference Outdoor Men's Newcomer of the Year award. In his first year in the Sun Belt, Yancy was the indoor and outdoor 400-meter champion and was named to the All-Conference First-Team for both indoor and outdoor track.
Stivors' first assignment in the White Sox rookie ball affiliate, where he tossed an immaculate inning of three strikeouts on nine pitches, led to a quick promotion to the next stage of the process, Single-A.
FROMBASEBALLFRONT
A pitching philosophy of consistent strike throwing and pounding the strike zone is something that is adopted by both the Texas State baseball program and the White Sox organization and sets Stivors up for a continuation of bullpen dominance.
"The philosophy is still the same here [in the minor leagues]," Stivors said. "You gotta throw strikes to getStivors'outs."
Texas State Baseball senior closing pitcher Tristan Stivors (13) and his teammates return to the dugout after the eighth inning with three outs to go to defeat the Cardinal in game four of the NCAA Stanford Regional, Saturday, June 5, 2022, at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond in Palo Alto, Calif. The Bobcats won 5-2, sending Texas State Baseball to an NCAA Regional final for the first time in its program history.
Softball ranked top 50 in the country in attendance due to a record number of season tickets sold. The Bobcats finished second in the Sun Belt Conference with an overall record of 38-19. The team won three games in the Sun Belt Conference tournament but ultimately fell short in the conference championship game against Louisiana.Jessica Mullins was one of many bright spots on the softball squad. The threetime Sun Belt Conference pitcher of the week won her first Sun Belt Conference pitcher of the year award while being named to her second All-Conference FirstTeam in as many years. Across the complex, the baseball team had the most successful year in program history. A record of 47-14 overall carried them to a Sun Belt Conference championship in Alabama and to the NCAA Stanford regional championship game. The Bobcats ultimately made it to the regional final for the first time ever in program history. Despite heroic efforts from recent Chicago White Sox draftee Tristan Stivors, the Bobcats fell short in the sixth and final game of the championship to a walk-off hit. Stivors, who was selected in the 16th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, said the closeness of the baseball team largely contributed to their success. "We had an incredible season," Stivors said. "The group of guys I had was just awesome. I'm gonna remember those guys for the rest of my life." Stivors, the nation's save leader, was not the only Bobcat to get drafted by an MLB organization. Sun Belt Conference player of the year Dalton Shuffield was selected to the Minnesota Twins in the eighth round. Baseball also broke attendance records, with the highest attended game in school history resulting in a loss against the University of Texas in March. Football symbolizes the start of a year of collegiate sports, and with football fall practices underway and the season approaching, the Bobcats have begun preparing for their upcoming season and will look to improve upon their overall 2021 record.
former Bobcat teammate and 2022 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Dalton Shuffield also shared the experience of being drafted, with Shuffield going in the tenth round to the Minnesota Twins.Interestingly, a potential matchup between Stivors and Shuffield could be in the making with the Twins and White Sox sharing the AL Central division. Stivors said that if he were to face Shuffield, he would strike him out in three pitches "I know what his strengths are, I know what his weaknesses are," Stivors said. "Honestly, I hope I get to face Shuffield."
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO
"We had an incredible season, nobody is gonna tell you otherwise," Stivors said. "I'm gonna remember those guys for the rest of my life... there's no doubt that most of those guys are probably gonna be at my wedding or in my wedding one day." Now a member of the Chicago White Sox organization, Stivors will be faced with demanding obstacles to overcome to reach the majors. His journey in baseball thus far, however, has better prepared him mentally and physically to overcome the challenges pro baseball has to offer. Before playing at Texas State, Stivors played baseball at New Mexico Junior College for two years. Although the majority of his pro looks came from his time at Texas State, he said the grind of junior college baseball is much more comparable to the minor league grind than to Texas State. "It's strictly just baseball," Stivors said. "Along the lines of practices, games and just the atmosphere, it's a lot like junior college." In Stivors' time so far in the minors, he has had the luxury of top-tier training facilities, but not the attendance or mode of travel he had at Texas State. Texas State baseball also provides their players with state-of-the-art training facilities, but flies players to away games and has fans consistently attend home games.From traveling to different schools and pitching in the most attended game in school history against the University of Texas to now taking long bus rides and pitching in the sparsely attended low minors, the mentally grinding experience of "strictly just baseball" is nothing new to Stivors. While pitching at New Mexico Junior College, Stivors got his first taste of the scouting process. Not only did he catch the attention of college teams wanting his powerful fastball and devastating slider, but he also received the attention of his current home: the White StivorsSox.said the White Sox were the team he'd been in contact with the most throughout his collegiate baseball career, and it was no surprise when he got drafted by the organization. "Going into day three [of the draft] the White Sox called me before the draft... and they were like 'okay, be ready for your name to be called.' And then once that round came they called me, and here I am now," Stivors said. "It just felt right." Once Stivors got the call, former teammates and coaches didn't hesitate to reach out with their support and "I'vecongratulations.beengetting a bunch of support from all over," Stivors said. "From the community, my teammates, from everybody."
SPORTS
Former Bobcat Tristan Stivors drafted to White Sox
After former Texas State closer Tristan Stivors was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 16th round this summer, Bobcat baseball head coach Steve Trout had one message for the 2022 collegiate saves leader: enjoy the ride and make the most out of it. Stivors and Trout both had the most memorable and successful years of their careers. Trout was a mentor to Stivors as he underwent the behind-thescenes process of being scouted by pro teams, and Stivors was Trout's most reliable arm out of the bullpen en route to the first regional championship game in program history. Trout, recipient of the Ron Maestri Sun Belt Coach of the Year award, was the leader and mastermind behind the historic 2022 baseball season but he gives his thanks and credit to his players.
Entering his fourth year as head coach, Jake Spavital relates the frustrations of the fans with his own, acknowledging the athletic department's goals for the upcoming"We'veyear.built a lot on our culture and these kids know how to work," Spavital said. "Now it's how we gotta translate it to the field."
"We want to keep doing this," Damphousse said. "We've got great athletic programs... our baseball team almost won the World Series [NCAA Regional]." Stivors was a key cog in the machine that was the 2022 Bobcat baseball team and was the Bobcat called upon to pitch in big late-inning situations. Stivors was the first consensus All-American in program history due to leading the nation in saves and posting impressive strikeout numbers. Despite his long list of accolades, he credits his teammates for the success they had last season.
Star are not necessarily those
Regents, School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Student Publications Board.
LIFESTYLE
ENTERTAINMENT Dillon Strine Opinions staropinion@txstate.eduEditor Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 9The University Star OPINIONS
By Dillon Strine Opinions Editor
Opinion: Cutting the cord is complicated
The start of a new semester brings the challenges associated with moving in, syllabus week and the overwhelming workload to come. Meeting new professors, purchasing textbooks, reading through class materials and adjusting back to the academic schedule can be challenging. Multiple assigned readings, study sessions, weekly quizzes and tests can become highly overwhelming for students. It can become challenging to keep up one’s spirits and remain inspired to succeed. Staying motivated while pursuing a college degree is difficult due to the impact of teachers on the verge of quitting, nerves associated with the beginning of a new semester and personal hardships in one’s life. Students are not the only ones struggling with keeping their spirits high in the upcoming semester. While many students are losing their motivation to succeed in school, many teachers in Texas are considering leaving their occupations. A Texas State Teacher Association (TSTA) survey showed that 70% of teachers had considered quitting based on recent political attacks, inadequate pay and overall negative feelings toward the state. It is essential to realize the impact this could have upon students and their motivation to succeed in college. Without proper teacher guidance and structure, students could be left uninspired and unmotivated. The relationship between each professor’s teaching method and student efforts are very closely related. Studies show that high levels of motivation in the classroom will increase the student’s cognitive processes and overall performances. With the current issues teachers face inhibiting their morale, it can become difficult to keep the students inspired. Motivation can become much more of a challenge when students are left without proper guidance from inspiring figures. The TSTA issue poses a threat to the entire school board and the students attending. The beginning of a new semester can be extremely challenging for students. They can quickly become overwhelmed with class schedules, multiple syllabi and overbearing workloads. With these different factors, it can become easy for students to lose motivation throughout their college experience. A study revealed that 79% of college students claimed that remaining motivated throughout school was a huge issue. To keep oneself motivated, it is important to prioritize self-care and focus on setting realistic goals and expectations. Realistic goals can help increase one’s self-worth by creating achievable obstacles that result in positive outcomes. Practicing self-care throughout a student’s college experience has been shown to help balance stress and ensure overall wellness. While it may be intimidating to process the busy class schedules every semester, it is crucial to recognize that it is common to lose motivation in schooling, and we should not expect to remain productive constantly. In addition, individuals with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, may often experience a lack of motivation. It is crucial to understand the impact of mental health on our everyday lives and our ability to remain motivated despite the challenges that mayJoiningarise. an organization or group at Texas State is a great option to find resources to keep oneself motivated. Finding a group to connect with and being a part of a team is proven to bring people together and findTexassupport.State’s Counseling Center offers group therapy sessions, such as Mind Over Matter: Mindfulness
Fans of various shows like HBO's "Succession," Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building," Apple TV +' "For All Mankind," Showtime's "Yellowjackets," Prime Video's "The Boys," Netflix's "Stranger Things," Disney+'s "The Mandalorian," ESPN+'s "The Captain" and Paramount +' "The Offer," could be paying upwards of $89.93 a month, and that is with the Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN + bundle.
Board
University’s
ILLUSTRATION BY AFAAF ALNAHAS ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON WARE
our entire publication, Texas
Opinions The University of State administration, of
There are planners for selecting the best streaming service for your budget or banking tools to help eliminate unwanted subscriptions. These may be helpful in the short term. Still, the media landscape is ever evolving. Just recently, a significant shift saw a $90 million HBO Max comic book movie written off rather than released.Iamnot writing this as a defense of cable; as stated, it also has its drawbacks. Commercials are not fun to watch except for one day in February. Customer service is still a hassle even with cable TV providers working to fix it. Having another cord, in general, is frustrating as you have too many cables with a decent home TV setup. Despite all of this, streaming services have live TV subscriptions available. For example, Hulu, which has original content, offers live TV with add-ons like sports packages. In addition, there are other live TV streaming providers like YouTube TV, fuboTV and Sling, to name a few. Most of them have deals or trials so users can discover what they prefer. The beginning of streaming taking over cable was promising when Netflix had just one plan, quality original content and some good older movies. However, it has now gotten to the point where it can be overwhelming, and watching live TV is less stressful. So cut the cord or do not; the choice is yours. But do not expect it to get cheaper or easier to navigate.
in
Opinion: Motivation is difficult
- Dillon Strine is a journalism senior The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.
Essentials, to help students find a group support system. Understanding the impact of mental illness on students is crucial when addressing the issue of individuals lacking motivation. I have found that making to-do lists, setting weekly goals and concentrating on a specific task have helped keep up my motivation levels. Instead of stressing over the little things, focusing on the bigger picture and celebrating the more minor victories has helped tremendously.Whileitisunrealistic to constantly expect students to stay motivated, taking the essential steps to address the issue is extremely important. Helping students stay motivated is possible with the help of inspiring leaders, support groups and self-care practices.
Streaming services have come from nearly every entertainment company to take over cable and, for the first time in July, accounted for more usage than cable. But it can be pricier than expected, and tier lists with ads plus add-ons that read like different cable packages make subscriptions complicated. As a result, choosing the exemplary service involves much more research and is getting more difficult. While there are drawbacks of cable, it is consistent. You will get local and national news in the morning, evening and night. National sporting events will also be on those national broadcast networks with local ones that are not buffering or delayed because of unstable internet connections. Fans of a few specific shows have no choice but to pay for a monthly subscription.
By Kadence Cobb Opinions Contributor
- Kadence Cobb is a journalism sophomore The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.
Another thing many people enjoy about cable TV is that there is no sifting through hundreds of TV shows and movies. TV and movies move around from service to service, making it difficult to track down where your favorite show or movie is. Next year, HBO Max will merge with Discovery+ and several HBO Max programs will be removed from the platform. Even so, the streamlining efforts of merging two services can be too much. Not everyone can watch or enjoy that much content in a month, and prices continue to rise as streaming services take advantage of their popularity to add advertisements. Additionally, those who hold off on subscribing may see prices increase by the time they get around to actually beginning payment. Although we may be past the era of appointment television, you may want to enjoy a show as it gets released so that nothing is spoiled. Streaming services have been experimenting with how certain shows are released. Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" follows a traditional release schedule with weekly episodes. Whereas the limited series on HBO, "Station Eleven," came out with the first three episodes in one week, two episodes per week for the next three weeks and the finale on its own the last week. Netflix's big shows, like 'Stranger Things' come out all at once. A streaming service that has a popular show not mentioned is Peacock Plus, which has "The Office" and some live sports for free with ads for the time being, which is rare. Although, "The Office" can also be found on live TV on Comedy Central and Freeform at any time, a solution for fans of the show and those who do not want to look through expansive libraries of content.
EDUCATION
"I think somebody who is not in the education field should keep their opinions more to themselves," Spell said. "You just don't know what it's like to be a teacher unless you're actually in it and see everything firsthand."Inconclusion, Texas school boards, education agencies and legislatures need to act now to improve working conditions for teachers, or they may find the education system irreparable.
OPINIONS
ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON WARE
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.
Opinion: Teachers deserve better
By Tiara Allen Opinions Contributor On Monday, August 14, elementary and secondary schools across Texas returned to class. However, despite all the excitement of a new school year, many Texan school districts face a severe problem — they don't have enough teachers. Texas school districts report a severe shortage of personnel needed to run schools smoothly. Houston ISD has seen up to 900 teacher vacancies, and the crunch is so powerful that some rural Texas school districts have switched to four-day school weeks. This is not a new issue. Texas school districts have experienced a 10% attrition rate since the 2011-2012 school year, and Texas has seen a 27% decrease in newly certified teachers since 2014. In light of the pandemic, economic turmoil and pressing political and cultural issues, these shortages have reached a boiling point in recentManymonths.aremissing the issue. The teacher shortage results from decades of mistreatment of teachers and rising tensions over recent cultural clashes. If significant systemic change doesn't begin, the lack of quality teachers may damage the American public education system beyond repair. One of the most pressing issues is the low pay. It is no secret that teachers are not paid very well. The average compensation for Texas teachers in 2021-2022 was $58,887 annually; however, the costs of becoming a teacher often eclipse this salary. In addition, teachers require bachelor's degrees, certifications and even master's degrees to remain hirable. The average cost of college annually in the United States is $35,331. Unfortunately, many teachers cover this expense with student loans that have become increasingly difficult to pay off over the years, especially with the rising cost of living. It has become such a pressing issue that Austin ISD proposed a bond for a housing assistance program for teachers. It is worth noting that the average teacher does not go into the field expecting wealth and riches. Paige Spell, an education senior, decided that she wanted to be a kindergarten teacher at a job fair in seventh grade and has been working toward this goal since. While Spell is well aware of teachers' low salaries, she is still very driven by the mission that initially drew her to teaching."Ifeellike I'm ready to teach the kids and set them up for a successful future of being a good human," Spell said. In other cases, passionate teachers with similar missions leave the field because they find it difficult to juggle their low salaries with the rising cost of living and student loan payments. According to a survey, when asked if they felt their pay was fair for their work, 51% of surveyed teachers responded strongly disagreed, and 23% of surveyed teachers responded slightly disagreed. In addition, teachers sometimes find themselves taking on additional jobs to make ends meet. One survey by the Teacher Survey Project found that a whopping 82% of surveyed teachers had currently or previously worked a second job to support themselves.Teachers are often expected to dip into their paychecks to cover classroom costs. The average teacher is expected to spend $560 of their own money on their classroom, a 10% increase from previous years. Teachers often spend their own money due to insufficient financial support from school budgets. On average, elementary school teachers receive $11 per student from the school budget, but teachers spend an additional $33 per student out of pocket to ensure each student has enough supplies. Another primary reason teachers are leaving the field in droves is that in recent years, teachers have been experiencing cripplingly low morale. A Gallup survey found that K-12 teachers were the most burnedout professionals in the country with 44% reporting feeling burned out "always" or "very often" while at work.In addition to low pay and pressing social issues such as COVID-19 and school shootings, teachers cite problems such as poor workplace culture as a reason for low morale. This includes the lack of support, inability to contribute their opinions and expertise to decision making and teacher accountability practices such as evaluations that they perceive as unnecessary, subjective and invasive. While most teachers entered the field because they desire to teach and support students, many find the environment too hostile and the pay too low to persevere. Among those who remain, many experience symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety disorder and record low morale levels. Teachers with low morale often find it harder to complete their jobs to the highest of their abilities. Again, students will be affected; according to a survey, over 75% of surveyed secondary school students reported being less engaged in class if their teachers did not have good morale, which can increase behavioral issues. Increasing frustration among teachers creates a vicious cycle of lack of motivation on both ends. One of the most significant current issues that teachers are dealing with is the ramifications of COVID-19 and its effect on the education system and children as a whole. In addition to the risks of contracting COVID-19 while on the job, teachers are often struggling with the transition in and out of remote learning and assisting students who have fallen behind during the pandemic. Moreover, many students are struggling to cope with the grief of lost loved ones, unfamiliarity with classroom settings, and other mental health issues, which results in behavioral issues, which also fall into the lap of teachers. Many schools have seen an increase in suspensions for behavioralAdditionally,problems.many teachers are on the front lines of America's cultural conflict over school shootings and gun laws. The Uvalde school shooting, in particular, hit too close to home for many Texas teachers. Dr. Christine Crawford, director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, described in an interview with ABC News that many teachers may experience vicarious trauma. One who has not personally experienced trauma may exhibit symptoms similar to trauma patients, such as irritability and difficulty sleeping or concentrating — all after hearing a story about trauma on the news and picturing themselves in the situation. Spell understands why teachers feel compelled to leave their positions in light of increased gun violence. "That is so mentally draining," Spell said. "No one should have to go back to their classroom and explain to a class full of seven-year-olds why their friend isn't returning."Thesestressors are causing teachers to leave the field as quickly as possible, even if it is inconvenient.
Dillon staropinion@txstate.eduOpinionsStrineEditor 10|Tuesday, August 23 2022 The University Star
-Tiara Allen is a marketing senior
The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.
Leaving a teaching position before the end of the school year in Texas will result in being reported to the State Board for Educator Certification, who usually will suspend or revoke teaching certifications as a penalty. However, not even the threat of certification suspension is enough to stop teachers from leaving the field mid-year. Within the past school year, 471 contract abandonment reports have been sent to the state, a 60% increase from the 2021 fiscal year. People believe that teachers are easily replaceable with unlicensed military spouses or even artificial intelligence. However, this line of thought undermines the years of work and practice teachers do to become quality educators who cannot be replicated, even in a pinch.Spell has a message for those dissenters who doubt the ability and veracity of teachers.
PHOTO BY CASSIE BUTTERFIELD
Carson starsports@txstate.eduSportsWeaverEditor Tuesday, August 23, 2022 | 11The University Star SPORTS
Texas State redshirt junior quarterback Layne Hatcher (3) receives the snap in a scrimmage playing during fall camp, Saturday, August 20, 2022, at Bobcat Stadium.
Texas State students shop for new posters at the KTSW pop-up store, Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, at the Quad.
Texas State students arrive to campus for the first day of fall classes, Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, beneath the UAC Arch.
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO
FOOTBALL & 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL
Texas State redshirt sophomore quarterback Ty Evans (4) passes the ball to sophomore running back Lincoln Pare (22) during fall camp practice, Saturday, August 20, 2022, atStadium.Bobcat
PHOTO BY CASSIE BUTTERFIELD
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO
Texas State social work freshman Jocelyn Rivera (right) celebrates the first day of class with a bubble break, Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, outside of Alkek Library.
Texas State redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Devin Martinez (24) intercepts the ball from the offensive line during fall camp practice, Saturday, August 20, 2022, at Bobcat Stadium.
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO
PHOTO BY CHRIS SWANN
