How Rainbow Night became SMTX Pride
San Marcos citizens at the first SMTX Pride in 2014.
Trey Gomez, an English senior, was selected for the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program this past summer.
Live music, bright out fits and community fes tivities will take over San Marcos this weekend as lo cals and residents prepare to celebrate the eighth an nual SMTX Pride on Sept. 9 and Before10.there was SMTX Pride, there was Rain bow Night, an LGBTQ+ friendly event that consist ed of a small group of San Marcos LGBTQ+ mem bers who got together at localRainbowbars. Night's ori gin story began when Sylvia Sandoval, along with a couple of her fam ily members and friends, was kicked out of a bar for being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She realized a safe space for LGBTQ+ members did not exist in San Mar cos and so she set out on a mission to give people a place to celebrate who they were without judgment or being kicked out. Rainbow Night con sisted of Sandoval and her friends going bar to bar to celebrate pride by wearing rainbows and hosting drag shows. Their first Rainbow Night was at Gold Crown Billiards, a bar that has since been shut down. Al though they always got the bar's permission to host Rainbow Night, she said they got kicked out a few times, followed to their cars and were shunned by others in the bar. "We got boycotted and we got kicked out of a few bars. It wasn't an easy task, so when Stonewall finally surfaced, I figured that the journey was over. We fi nally got what we needed. We needed something that there was for the com munity and I figured that was it that," Sandoval said. "Then I was asked to start to do a march which was the next step, so we started the march for Pride."
PHOTO COURTSEY OFGOMEZTREY
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COMMUNITYOPPORTUNITY2
By Marisa Nunez Life and Arts Editor
Racing through life one flag at a time, Trey Gomez always had a passion for the fast lane. When selected as an intern for NASCAR’s Diversity Internship Program, he buckled up and enjoyed the ride all the way to Daytona Beach, Florida, for a lifetime opportunity. Gomez, an English senior, was introduced to the world of racing at the early age of four by watching races with his father and since has been a lifelong “I've been a lifelong fan of the sport like ever since I could walk basically,” Gomez said. “It's always been something that I make time for on Sundays or Saturday nights or whenever there's It was Thanksgivingduringbreakthispastfallthathe decided to go out on a limb and look for a possible future with the organization. “I just got bored after finishing an assignment and I got curious, just randomly curious, like ‘what jobs are there in NASCAR?’” Gomez said. “Because up to that point, I never saw working in this space as something real achievable."Afterasearch on Google, he had no idea the application process would be as extensive as it was, but after a grueling six months of interviews and essays, Gomez answered a phone call on his commute to school that would change his summer plans. “I was walking uphill and then I randomly get a phone call from Daytona Beach, Florida. I'm like ‘crap like this is it and it's from Diversity and Inclusion. They're like ‘hey, Trey, happy to announce we got a spot open for you in the Daytona offices. Congratulations.' I was like super elated. Not only did it, change my day, it changed the course of my summer.” Gomez said. SEE COMMUNITY PAGE 3 SEE OPPORTUNITY PAGE 2
www.Universitystar comDEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 5 NEWS: STUDENT DEBT SEE PAGE
By Nichaela Shaheen News Editor
Student takes a drive on the super speedway, internship of a lifetime
PHOTO COURTSEY OF RITA ALLEE
LIFE AND ARTS: RISE AGAINST HUNGER INSECURITYFOOD
SEE PAGE 5 SPORTS: CAPTAINSFOOTBALL SEE PAGE 7
FINANCE
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Julia Tarlaian, who oversees the internship program said the program's main goal is to expand the demographic of NASCAR and make the sport accessible to a wide audience.
Bill Poston, a lecturer in the Honor's College who taught Gomez last fall in a class called Extraordinary Leadership: Ownership and Influence, also notices the passion that Gomez has for what he loves.
“It started from the heart of NASCAR, they wanted to go ahead and expand and grow into different demographics, especially with our younger students in college, undergrad students and graduate students,” Tarlaian said. “NASCAR is not a sport that’s easy to follow, you can’t just go to Toys R Us and pick it up like football. We want people to know we are a sports team that welcomes all walks of life.” Tarlaian, who prescreens applicants and gauges their skill set, said the passion that Gomez has for the sport poured through the screen. “He was one of the few who was very well versed in NASCAR, so his passion just was very radiant. He told me who his favorite driver is and was very excited,” Tarlaian said. “He also told me about his skill set within the marketing department and that’s why he was placed with the communications department this year.” Over the summer working as a communications intern, Gomez’s responsibilities included updating weekly news and articles on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, creating individual driver biography webpages for notable past champions and inactive drivers and other tasks that gave him a hands-on internship experience. “I'm not only doing stuff to contribute to the company in itself, but I'm doing the important stuff,” Gomez said. “I'm not just an intern who's getting coffee or going to the copy machine, I'm doing legitimate work that you can see, and that was really cool.” Besides contributing to the community he is passionate about, Gomez was also able to experience some perks about being a NASCAR intern like seeing and meeting his favorite driver, Corey Lovejoy, race.
LettersDeadlines:tothe
By Nichaela Shaheen News Editor
On August 24, the Biden administra tion released a plan to forgive student loan debt for millions of university graduates accross the country, this in cludes thousands of former Texas State University Bobcats. As stated in the current plan, borrow ers without Pell Grants may be relieved up to $10,000 and those who have Pell Grants are eligible for an additional $10,000 in relief, totaling $20,000 of loans forgiven.
“I think he is a prototype of what I consider to be the Texas State student, he is incredibly bright, hardworking, enthusiastic and yet humble,” Poston said. “When I think about the characteristics that define your typical Texas State student I think he embodies all of those.”
Internal Relations
PHOTO COURTSEY OF TREY GOMEZ
Trey Gomez (top row far right) was one of the 36 interns this year for the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program.
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"I called my dad who is responsible for getting me into the sport more than anyone. I can remember watching my first race with him when I was like four years old, he was elated for me, so that was really, really cool," Gomez said. "Then, of course, I called my mom, but my dad was the first one who I felt deserved for that initial phone call.” The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program launched in 2000 and is a ten-week paid internship where interns are spread into different positions based on majors and interests.
“I was at that Atlanta race and he was leading laps, I haven't experienced that at the track since Dale Jr. days 10 some odd years ago,” Gomez said. “I was able to get myself at his pit box, and watching the race with his team for the last 10 laps. I got to speak to his crew chief Brian Sparks after the race, and then walking in the garage actually got to meet Corey himself, just in Gomezpassing."started his senior year this fall and hopes to be back at NASCAR once he has graduated.
INFOGRAPHIC BY SARAH MANNING Trillion$1.7 Total in student loan debt Who is elegible? 43-45 Americansmillionfederalstudentdebtloanamounts over $10,000 in debt less than $10,000 in debt single $125,000taxpayers: based on annual income married $250,000taxpayers: For more info.
Texas State community weighs in on student loan debt forgiveness
Once processing his own emotions he felt obligated to share this exciting news with the person who introduced him to this sporting world in the first place – his father.
Nichaela
Shaheen News starnews@txstate.eduEditor 2 | Tuesday, September 6, 2022 The University Star NEWS
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Alyssa Munoz, an exercise and sports science senior, also believes this may help the economy by elevating financial stresses later in life. “I honestly think it can probably help people who are in the lower class just be cause I know that student debt holds a lot of people back in like later life from like progressing or even being able to buy a home and buy cars,” Munoz said. However, this raises some concerns for Chittenden who believes this isn't going to boost the economy, but rather have a negative effect. "I don't think there's going to be a big boost to the economy because of this loan forgiveness and that's because for the last two and a half years, students that had to make student loans have not had to make them," Chittenden said. "The vast majority of the 45 million folks that have student loans outstand ing, don't have to make their loan pay ments, nobody that's got federal student loans has had to make those payments." As of now, the Department of Educa tion has yet to release the application for student debt loan forgiveness. For more information on the stu dent loan debt forgiveness plan, need-it-most/.student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-visit
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FROM FRONT OPPORTUNITY
Bill Chittenden, associate dean for graduate programs and an associate pro fessor of finance at the McCoy College of Business Administration, explains to who this current plan applies. “Borrowers had to have already bor rowed the student debt by June [2022]. So if you just got a student loan for this semester, that's not going to qualify un der this plan,” Chittenden said. “The el igibility requirement for single taxpayers is if they have an annual income of up to $125,000 or $250,000 for married couples, meaning most folks are going to qualify under this.” According to The White House, ap proximately 43 to 45 million Americans have federal student loans outstanding and approximately 15 million of them owe $10,000 or less. “About [20] million people will have their student debt completely wiped out. Another 20% have somewhere be tween 10 and 20,000 [dollars]. Now again, not all of them are going to meet the Pell Grant requirement, but out of them the idea is that I believe it was an other 5 million or so,” Chittenden said. The current cost to wipe out this debt is about $500 billion, which is approxi mately one-third of all the student debt that is Whileoutstanding.thisnumber may seem larger, Chittenden explains that the current total outstanding student loan debt is $1.7“Thattrillion.[amount] exceeds even all the auto loan debt that's out there,” Chit tenden said. “The only things that it's behind are mortgages and credit card debt.”Itis unknown if this will be one-time debt forgiveness or if it will reoccur. President of Texas State's chapter of the NAACP Princely Kamanda said this would help with the equity gap, which is a significant disparity in educational achievement between groups of stu dents.“Texas State is a minority serving uni versity and minorities tend to have more student debt than any other demo graphic. I think this would impact them positively, especially the Black commu nity," Kamada said. "The average Black student has more than $50,000 in stu dent loans. Taking out $10,000 would give them more disposable income and be good for the economy as well.”
Members of the RotarAct club with Jennifer Devine (second from left) and HungeratZunigaChristopher(farright)theRiseAgainsteventhostedbytheRotaryClubofSanMarcosin October 2021.
The Rise Against Hunger Mission is a movement that sends food packages to millions around the world to resolve hunger and will take place at the First Lu theran Church in San Marcos. Last year was the first year the club sponsored a Rise Against Hunger event. With the help of 185 volun teers, the club raised over $4,000 and packaged 15,000 meals that were sent to Burundi.
By Haley Velasco Life and Arts Contributor
The Rotary Club of San Marcos is a nonprofit, nonreligious and nonpolitical organization that holds more than 46,000 clubs around the world to provide humanitarian services in local communities. Smith was one of the prime helpers of last year’s event by being one of the planners and writing a grant in an attempt to get funds to run the event. The club is eager to sponsor its another event and get more com munity members involved.
“One in seven families in Hays County are below the poverty line,” Smith said. “We would just encour age anybody that has the resources to either join with us or engage in this need themselves. We always try to find places where we can make a difference and give our services to those areas.” To learn more about the Rotary Club of San Marcos, visit https://smtxrotary.com/. & ARTS
Local Rotary Club to package 15,000 meals on World Hunger Day
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“Being a Rotarian allows me to create connections and network with people from different backgrounds that I would not meet otherwise,” Devine said. “As a Rotary Cultural Ambassador, I was able to travel across Europe during the year and visit several Rotary Clubs. This experience introduced me to Rotary as an international organization with more than 1.4 million members all over the world and a foundation that ad dresses poverty, hunger and other pressing problems around the world.”
The first SMTX Pride took place in front of the Hays County Courthouse in September 2014. Sando val said there were only some small booths followed by a simple parade at the event. She figured her friends would be the only ones to show up, but to her surprise, she was overjoyed with the turnout. "I turned around from the courthouse grounds and down toward the railroad tracks off of MLK [Drive] and I was moved to see the sea of people in rainbow colors coming up the hill. It was the most amazing moment of my life and it was worth every sacrifice every moment I've taken to continue to make this pos sible," Sandoval said. Photographer Rita Allee attended the inaugural SMTX Pride and photographed some special mo ments at the event. Allee grew up in San Marcos and said the event was unlike any other parade or festival in San Marcos she had been to. "The vibe and atmosphere was just very — I don't know how to explain it — seemed more exhilarating. Everyone seemed happy to be there, everyone. It was just an exciting feeling and seeing all these different people coming together to celebrate something that didn't use to be talked about was amazing," Allee said. Allee met Sandoval at SMTX Pride and admires all of the hard work she dedicates to the LGBTQ+ com munity."Well, I'm so glad I met her. She's one of my favorite people in the world. She's an awesome person, and she really deserves everything good that comes to her. She's devoted so much of her time and life to this. [It's] just an amazing thing she's doing," Allee said. This year's SMTX Pride will resemble the first one from 2014 being that it will be in front of the Hays County Courthouse and will have events that span more than one day. "To be back at the courthouse and in front of The Marc is going to be monumental for me as well," San doval said. "I couldn't be more grateful. This is a big deal to SMTXme."Pride is proud to team up with the San Mar cos Farmers Market and Art Squared Arts Market to bring local vendors and community members to one spot to celebrate Pride. The event kicks off on Sept. 9 with a youth transexclusive pageant followed by dance tunes by DJ Kira at Roughhouse Brewing from 5 to 8 p.m. Sandoval wanted to include a day just for children to be able to celebrate SMTX Pride. For all community members, SMTX Pride put together an all-day event with an anti-bully march, speeches and drag show all accompanied by good mu sic, food and vendors all ending at the after party at the Roughhouse Brewery starting at 9 a.m. on Sept. 10.Brianna St. James will be one of the 10 drag per formers performing on the steps of the Hays County Courthouse. She has been doing drag since 2009 and was a part of SMTX Pride when it was Rainbow Night. "We were in places that didn't accept the gay com munity within straight bars, but we did it and we con quered," James said. James was named the Grand Marshal of the parade, the first drag queen to hold the position. She said that she is blessed to be able to not only celebrate Pride but to be able to celebrate it in the San Marcos community where she was born and raised. "It was like it was a blessing because we have had four grand marshal's and they're all guys this is the first time it's gonna be a drag queen grand marshal," JamesThroughsaid. SMTX Pride, Sandoval, Allee and James hope to bring together members of the San Marcos community."I'mlooking forward to it. It's gonna be a lot of people, not just not just our LGBTQ+ community but it's going to be our allies and I'm hoping I'm creating more allies," Sandoval said. "I'm hoping that this turns into a once-a-year community event. I just want peace and love on Earth and this is the way to do it." For more information on SMTX Pride visit its Facebook @ SMTX.PRIDE.
COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM FRONT COMMUNITY
“We were told that it would take more than three hours to pack these meals, but with more than 150 people showing up to help, we did it in about an hour and five minutes,” said Bruce Smith, the immedi ate past president and public image committee chair member for the Rotary Club of San Marcos. “There was so much unity and response, including a few stu dents from Texas State.”
Marisa Nunez Life & Arts starlifeandarts@txstate.eduEditor 3| Tuesday, September 6, 2022 The University Star LIFE
The Rotary Club of San Marcos will package 15,000 meals with each meal feeding six people — up to 90,000 people overseas. This year, the club has a dona tion goal of $5,800 for food costs and a volunteer goal of more than 150 volunteers.
The main donations, which start being accepted in August and September, are given by members of the Rotary Club along with any San Marcos resident that wants to get involved or volunteer. This year, a goal of $10,000 has been added to raise $5,000 each for the Hays County Food Bank and San Marcos School Fuel, a nonprofit organization that feeds children K-8 on weekends and during vacation periods.Along with the donation and volunteer goal, the Rotary Club of San Marcos encourages sponsors to donate in package deals to feed those in need which includes $30 for food for a month, $90 for food for three months and $365 for food for a year. For those like Smith, Zuniga and Devine who have a passion for helping their community, Smith advises joining the club members to volunteer for the Rise Against Hunger event this fall.
The Rotary Club of San Marcos is preparing to do its part in solving world hunger once again this fall by sponsoring its second annual Rise Against Hunger Experience on Oct. 15.
Rise Against Hunger, initially called Stop Hunger Now until 2017, was founded in 1998 by Ray Bu chanan, a United Methodist minister who was eager to provide food to people in need around the world. Stop Hunger Now turned into Rise Against Hunger to represent the growing team with the intention for the community to continue to rise. With the goal to end hunger by 2030, Rise Against Hunger has packaged approximately 539 million meals to serve 78 countries. The nonprofit is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with 28 locations in the U.S. and five international locations including Italy, India, Malaysia, South Africa and the Philippines. One of the students that participated in the Rise Against Hunger event last year was Christopher Zuni ga, a geographical information systems senior and the president of the RotarAct at Texas State, which stands for "Rotary in Action." The club is dedicated to com munity service that allows students to develop lead ership and professional skills through volunteer and service work. Last year’s Rise Against Hunger event was the first event Zuniga participated in since becoming a mem ber of the RotarAct Club in the fall of 2021. He said it was one of his favorite events he participated in be cause of the impact he made. “It was really satisfying just to see how wide of a reach we can have since it went all the way to Burundi in East Africa,” Zuniga said. “It was also a really fun and big event, and it was nice to work with everybody and put together the meals. Last year, we didn’t have a lot of people in our group so we’re hoping to get at least 10 new people to help this year.” Another member of the RotorAct Club that will be volunteering at this year's event is Jessica Devine, an associate professor of history and the faculty adviser for the RotorAct Club. Devine joined the Rotary Club of San Marcos in July 2021 Prior to her local involvement, she was part of the rotary community in high school and college. Devine has participated in a leadership camp and was a re cipient of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award and the Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship, an award presented by the Rotary Foundation that allows students to study abroad and do cultural immersion in different countries, from 2000-2001.
Her favorite experience as a Rotarian was the experi ence she had as a rotary cultural ambassador.
Vargas: So you play football for our Texas State football team. Tell me what inspired you to play football as a whole and did you start young?
Jared Hopper: I started playing football at age of five. Fun fact: when I was a kid I used to get thrown out of my flag football games for tackling. I was told at a young age that if I didn't get a scholarship I wouldn't be able to go to college. So I used football as an outlet. Long story that will be told in my documentary.
Jared Hopper: The NFL has been my dream my whole life literally. I would love to play for the Steelers because they are my favorite team. They still have the most super bowl rings.
Therapeutic Aroma is the name of the business. My mission for this business is to produce candles that fill the room with more than just a scent, but stimulate the customer's olfactory. They fill the room with therapeutic energy that radiates peace and warmth. My goal is to provide and educate students and adults with knowledge of wooden candles and why they need my candles.
Jared Hopper: I'm from San Diego, California. I have four brothers and I am the youngest by many years. My mom had me in her 40's and she didn't think that I had what it takes to actually make it here, but I’m here. I moved to Texas when I was 12 and lived in Dallas for a few years, then I eventually graduated from Calabasas High School in Los Angeles.
Vargas: So you wake up in the morning, what makes you choose what you wear every day?
Vargas: Where are you from? Tell me about your family.
Jared Hopper: I can't quite pinpoint why I choose what to wear but I will say that weather plays a 40% factor in how I dress and the other 60% just depends on what I'm doing.
Jared Hopper: Taylor Swift, Jack Harlow and Maroon 5.
Vargas: Is there anything else you'd like to say?
Jared Hopper's Instagram: @jared. hopperwTokeep up with students featured in "Cats Walk, visit The University Star's Instagram @universitystar.
Jared Hopper: 'Business Law' is my favorite book. Always good to have on hand.
Vargas: You mentioned you have your own business and you are going to business school here at Texas State. What is your business, name, mission and goal?
Hopper's favorite quote: "Anything you do is how you do everything." -Unknown Vargas: Tell me three things you love about yourself.
Jared Hopper: I think school in general isn't what they make it out to be. I think it instills discipline and work ethic which is great, but I don't think you need school to be successful. I think it all depends on who you are and what you aspire to be in life and what you do with what you learned in school. I’m thankful to be here at Texas State and honored to play football here. Also, I enjoy learning more about business strategies.
STUDENT LIFE Marisa Nunez Life & Arts starlifeandarts@txstate.eduEditor 4 | Tuesday, September 6, 2022 The University Star LIFE & ARTS
'Cats Walk: Jared Hopper speaks on football, business
Jared Hopper: My pride and confidence because without a positive, forward-thinking mindset, it's hard to achieve anything because you are battling with yourself. I knew at the age of 14, I would do anything I set my mind on. I've been homeless before so coming from nothing and opening my eyes and realizing where I am now almost brings me to tears. Being homeless helped me stay humble and very appreciative. That trait doesn't go unnoticed. The third thing I love about myself is my personality. I'm a woke individual in just about any aspect of my life. I'd consider myself well rounded and I think that's what gives me a competitive edge in life.
Vargas: Where do you typically shop?
Vargas: Being athletic, what's your favorite workout music?
Vargas: Favorite book?
By Monica Vargas Life and Arts Contributor 'Cats Walk is a weekly segment that will highlight Texas State students. Each week, Web Editor Monica Vargas will talk to a different Bobcat about school, self-love and Texas State. For this segment, Monica interviewed business senior Jared Hopper, who plays for the Texas State football team.
Business senior Jared Hopper smiles in front of McCoy Hall where he attends business school.
PHOTO BYMONICA NICOLE VARGAS
Jared Hopper: I'm an entrepreneur and I believe the key to success and financial freedom is to have multiple streams of income. I currently own a candle business and I also sell car fresheners. I have no problem with a little hard work, I actually really love being hands-on and managing a business. My ultimate goal is to become a sports manager for football. I'd love to oversee contracts and negotiated for the best contract for my players, mentor the player’s life issues, make sure their life is on track and ensure things are handled well. Also I'd be nice to know I still get to be around a football game without having to get bruised up.
Vargas: Do you plan on joining the NFL and what team?
Jared Hopper: Sorry, but I can't quite just hand out my drip locations. It's a big market. Be creative and turn your vision into reality.
For Madison Green, a psychology junior, Commons Dining Hall is convenient, and the online menu makes it easy to map out her meals as she is not a fan of food served on certain days.
MEAL SERVICE
On the menu is vegetarian food that contains no meat, poultry, fish or seafood but may contain eggs or dairy — avoiding gluten, items made without gluten-containing ingredients — balanced U food that has balanced nutrients & portion size. And vegan, containing no animal-based ingredients orTheseproducts.healthy menu items can also go into the sustainable dining hall eco-to-go containers. Recently, the university partnered with OZZI on the 02GO boxes to help reduce its carbon footprint. These boxes are to replace disposable ones and can be purchased for a one-time $6 fee. The USDA recommends the average adult consumes 2,000 calories per day. According to the organization, those calories should be grains, protein, dairy, fruits and veggies, something students cannot get out of a fast-food meal. Dining hall menus are also online, making it easy to plan when to use your meal swipes on the food you may prefer.
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Opinion: Incoming students should take advantage of dining halls
ILLUSTRATION BY AFAAF ALNAHAS
The Chick-fil-A sandwich meal, which consists of a sandwich, waffle fries and a drink, costs $7.59, according to fastfoodprice.com. The dining hall door rate is $7.69 for breakfast, $9.69 for brunch/lunch and $9.99 for dinner, with plenty of options on the menu. In the dining halls, students do not need to limit themselves to just three items each time they dine in. To-go boxes are also an option for students to take food back to their dorm or apartment. Students can get every course for a dollar or so more. On the Sept. 1 menu at Commons, there was a salad bar or soup for possible starters, a spiced chicken leg for the main course with sweet potato, lemon couscous or roasted corn for a side. All of that is without mentioning the plant-based food, pizza, deli sandwiches, Latin, daily grill or made-to-order grill. For dessert, there were also four bakery options. According to the U.N. food and agriculture organization, food prices in July were 13.1% higher than last July and could continue to rise. It also makes it even more expensive to eat as a college student, as dining plans at Texas State cost $300-$2200, with freshmen having to pay at least $300 for dining dollars. With those plans, students receive meal swipes that cover $7.35 at a retail restaurant 2-7 times per week depending on the plan and $300, $400 or $500 in dining dollars which works likeAscash.opposed to the menus of the fried fast-food counterparts, the dining halls also have healthy options for students. Rather than getting a meal with fries as a side, dining halls have opportunities to fulfill every part of the food pyramid.
By Dillon Strine Opinions Editor
Green said that dining halls are also not as pricey for students with a meal plan and that they offer plenty of food options.Onthe weekday menu, students can find their most common breakfast items, pizza for lunch and homestyle dinner for those who prefer the basics. "When you can get a waffle, it's always a better day when you can get a waffle," Green said. "Commons tries to do new, innovative food that I'm not a fan of; give me my chicken and give me myKnowingwaffles." before you go with the online calendar menu, whether planning out your week or looking for a place to eat the day of, is an excellent tool for students to decide whether to go to the dining hall. The dining halls have pros, but also some cons. They can accumulate long lines for popular items, causing them to run out of some food options. It can also get enough traffic to be too loud if students want to study and eat, and since it is buffet-style, it could increase the risk of encountering germs. Students may not have enough time to sit down and not want to pay for the $6 to-go box.Regardless, the Texas State dining halls are undoubtedly a good bang for your buck, good for your health and not short on food options.
ILLUSTRATION BY AFAAF ALNAHAS
By Tiara Allen Assistant Opinions Editor Bobcat Bounty, a food bank for Texas State students, returned to campus on Sept. 1 and will distribute food to students in need every Thursday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The university created the service to respond to food insecurity on campus, as 40.6% of Texas State students were food insecure in 2017. Bobcat Bounty is the first step toward proper action about food insecurity amongst college students. However, universities must prioritize ensuring food security for students throughout all aspects of student living to ensure that college is equitable. Food insecurity during college increases race and class disparity in college education. According to BMC Public Health, students who receive Pell grants, people of color and those who are first-generation college students are more likely to become food insecure throughoutFirst-generationcollege.students who are food insecure were 47% likely to graduate from college, compared to 59% of first-generation college students who are food secure. And 76% of food-secure college students were not first-generation students, according to a study done by Johns Hopkins. Since Texas State has a lot of resources for first-generation college students, resources for information about Bobcat Bounty and other nutritional services on campus should be more frequently distributed to ensure that students receive the help they need. It is also important to note that single parents who are students report living with food insecurity at higher rates, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Perhaps one of the reasons single mothers are less likely to complete college overall and graduate with higher levels of debt on average, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research. The resources at Texas State for first-generation students' website has scholarships and grants aimed at helping students with academic and career success. Necessary, but ensuring that these groups receive adequate and reliable nutrition is essential when considering diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Food insecurity can cause a performance gap and can even decrease retention rates. According to a 2015 study conducted by the Community College Journal, students who experience food insecurity throughout their college career were more likely to report a GPA in the 2.0 to 2.49 range than the 3.50 to 4.0 range for those in food secure households. Thus, it is unsurprising that food insecure students are much more likely to fail out of college or withdraw. Factors when evaluating students whose GPA has dropped below the level acceptable for Texas State students; perhaps discussions about food security and other financial stability issues will allow students to remain in school and improve their grades to a satisfactory level. Food insecurity on college campuses harms a student's health and well-being. According to the National Library of Medicine, food insecure students report fewer days of sufficient sleep, less physical activity and fewer servings of fruits and vegetables, which negatively impacts students' health. Food insecurity also harms a student's mental health. For example, a 2018 study by The University of California found that college students living with food insecurity are more likely to live with chronic stress and depression. Another National Library of Medicine study noted that food insecure students were more likely to live with anxiety, loneliness and self-injurious behaviors. In addition, a National Alliance on Mental Illness study found that students with mental illnesses are 64% more likely to drop out of college.
Two of these options are dining halls that offer buffet-style food for breakfast, lunch and Studentsdinner.canutilize the on-campus dining halls between classes as a more affordable, healthier and quantitative option than the other food options from fast food chains and local restaurants. Commons Dining Hall and Harris Dining Hall can be more affordable than Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts. At these campus fast food locations, students are typically paying more money for one entree plus add-ons than they would if they paid for a full meal at the buffetstyle dining hall.
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On the San Marcos Texas State campus, there are numerous food options for freshman and transfer students to choose from when they arrive, located on and around campus.
FOOD ACCESS Dillon Strine Opinions Tuesday,staropinion@txstate.eduEditorSeptember6,2022|5The University Star OPINIONS Opinion: We need to fix food insecurity amongst students
-Tiara Allen is a marketing senior
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.
While the discussion on mental health and its relation to financial health has become more popular, these studies on the impacts of food insecurity on mental health suggest that colleges can do more to support students concerning financial struggles. More open discussions or forums about food insecurity and economic issues and their relation to mental health while in college will help alleviate these issues, but also help connect students to any resources they may need or to peers who understand.
- Dillon Strine is a journalism senior
Many argue that food insecurity is not an issue for college students because college students are notorious for eating a lot, so much so that the infamous "freshman 15," where students eat so much they gain 15 pounds, is a common trope in America. However, this is not a reality among all students. Moreover, some students gain weight not due to an excess of food but to eating lots of unhealthy foods to get by. In conclusion, food insecurity affects every aspect of student life. While Texas State has already made significant steps in this direction with Bobcat Bounty, they should emphasize the multifaceted way that hunger affects students, such as creating services to assist with the health and academic performance of students struggling with food insecurity. These resources will ensure that more people graduate from college and that Texas State is an equitable campus for all.If you or someone you know is struggling with food insecurity, visit Bobcat Bounty's website at bobcatbounty.txst.edu or the Hays County Food Bank at haysfoodbank.org for resources on food distribution.
Hergel has drawn preseason praise, being named the 20th ranked interior offensive lineman in the nation, and the honor of being named a team captain is no surprise to anyone affiliated with Texas State football. Spavital said that Hergel is a role model in the locker room, and the future prospect of an NFL career is not out of reach for the offensive lineman. "We've been talking about bringing in guys that want to work hard and change the narrative of this place," Spavital said. "He epitomizes that." One of the two defensive captains, Sione Topou, is entering his seventh year of college football. After last football season brought adversity in the forms of COVID-19 and injuries, Spavital said that Totippou stepped into a role that takes on more leadership. "Last year... we had a lot of ups and downs," Spavital said. "It flipped a switch ... Sione kind of took that [leadership] role over."
“My job when I meet the coaches is not just as a fan, but also to make sure they know that my job is to serve them,” Damphousse said. “We have to make sure that we have the best facilities available to students so that we can get the best students.”
"Vital part of this enterprise": Damphousse builds unique relationship with athletics
Texas State redshirt junior quarterback Layne Hatcher (3) looks for an open pass during fall camp practice, Saturday, August 20, 2022, at Bobcat Stadium.
"He’s already met with a couple of our recruits and that’s something that doesn’t happen everywhere," Huiet said. "To be able to take a top recruit into his office and say this is the president of the university ... it just speaks volumes to who he is."
On the same side of the ball, Revels was placed on a watchlist for the Bednarik Award, an award given to the best player in college football, before the season. Revels said that his personal success can be attributed to the closeness of the team in the locker room.
PHOTO BY VANESSA BUENTELLO
President Kelly Damphousse, however, who took office in July, is working to avidly support Texas State Athletics and has already become heavily involved with the coaches and players of each sport.
“We had just won our first road game and I’m on the bus riding back, it’s pretty late,” Holeman said. "We pull up, get off the bus and there he is, at the bus door shaking everyone’s hand saying congratulations."
Because of this, Damphousse has made time to get to know just about everyone and“Iteverything.hasbeenawesome, just the support and what he does for our student-athletes and how he makes them feel,” Huiet said. “He is involved in everything, he and his wife are at everything. I even asked them when we were at their house for dinner, ‘when do y’all sleep?'"
By Carson Weaver Sports Editor
Following a team vote, four new team captains look to lead the program on and off the field and set a new example for Bobcat football. Junior quarterback Layne Hatcher was a unanimous vote-getter. The three other players joining Hatcher in the pregame midfield coin toss are senior linebacker Sione Tupou, junior offensive lineman Kyle Hergel and junior linebacker Jordan Revels. "Those four guys had the majority of all the votes," football head coach Jake Spavital said. "It was pretty obvious that the team wanted these four to be their captains."ToSpavital, player leadership is a key part of a winning team. He has been to nine bowl games in his career as a coach, so he knows a group that's ready to succeed when he sees one. With previous success under his belt, Spavital said that this 2022 team is similar to the successful teams he's been a part of from a leadership standpoint. "There's people that play football and then there's football players," Spavital said. "This has been a strong group of leaders that we've had... this is very similar to those successful teams I've had." Hatcher, who Spavital said has a work ethic that is unparallel to NFL quarterbacks he's coached, transferred from rival school Arkansas State after playing three years for the Sun Belt Conference foe. In his first year as a Bobcat, he's shown initiative by putting in extra hours to work with wide receivers and to learn Spavital's offensive system. His work ethic has been rewarding, being named starting quarterback, but Hatcher said the team comes before himself. "I just want to be the best I can be for this team," Hatcher said. "It's more just about me finding a way to get myself comfortable and get the team to have confidence in me." Spavital said that throughout fall practices, the coaching staff and team saw Hatcher trending in the way of leadership.
"I feel like we really got a connection," Revels said. "I know everybody I'm playing with out there on a personal level." The level of respect Revels garners in the locker room is a large part of why he was named a team captain. "He's got a ton of respect from everybody in here," Spavital said. "By the way he approaches the game and just by the demeanor that he has with everybody in here."The team had various other vote-getters for team captain, including sophomore running back Calvin Hill and senior linebacker London Harris.
The start of a new university presidential term could certainly spell new changes, and for the Texas State athletics department, that could mean new expectations, new systems of operation or a heightened sense of pressure to perform.
Damphousse has a goal to recruit the top student athletes for Texas State Athletics, so much so that he has even met a few high school recruits himself. That level of dedication is something volleyball head coach Sean Huiet appreciates, both for the betterment of the volleyball program and its players.
Hatcher, Hergel, Revels, Topou named football team captians
"You kind of saw it trending that way in the competition," Spavital said. "When the captain votes came out it was pretty obvious from that point."
“Students are a vital part of this enterprise,” Damphousse said. “We’ve started having all the fall sports come over to our house for dinner, for example, to interact with them away from the field so they get a chance to get to know me. It’s another part of the strategy to get to know students in a different way.” Coach Huiet and his volleyball team were one of the first fall sports to visit Damphousse at his home. Huiet said that the genuine investment Damphousse puts into the student-athletes as people is evident by the way he treated them at the team“It’sdinner.notfake, it's all real, he’s invested,” Huiet said. “When we went to dinner at his house, he sat with all of the athletes and was asking them real questions to get to know them, like what scared them or made them nervous, what could they do to make this year better.” His investment in student-athletes can also be seen in his support for Texas State soccer. Damphousse has attended multiple home soccer games and presented the game ball to soccer head coach Steve Holeman after the team's first win of the season on Aug. 18. After the soccer team's first road win against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Aug. 25, Damphousse personally greeted and congratulated each soccer player upon their arrival back in San Marcos. A video posted to the Texas State soccer Instagram shows Damphousse shaking hands with and fist-bumping each player who steps off of the Holemanbus. said that he would've been happy with a simple text, but the fact he went out of his way to shake hands with the players so late in the night speaks to his commitment to the athletics department and its students.
Carson starsports@txstate.eduSportsWeaverEditor Tuesday, September 6, 2022 | 7The University Star SPORTS LEADERSHIP
UNIVERSITY
By Xavier Zamarron Sports Reporter
Staying connected to the student-athletes is something Damphousse has a clear focus on. He recognizes that everything begins with the students and that they deserve to play a role in how he makes his decisions. He wants them to know that they’re important, and he has a unique way of connecting with student-athletes.
That level of support is something that is also appreciated by men's basketball head coach Terrence Johnson, who has been on the coaching staff since the 201516"He'sseason.asports guy, he's very supportive," Johnson said. "That's what you want, the human side of people."
The president of a university the size of Texas State has a lot of responsibilities, a lot of power and a full schedule. It’s uncommon to see a president out and about mingling with students and staff in a boots-on-the-ground fashion.
Texas State soccer head coach Steve Holeman gets presented the game ball by Kelly Damphousse after Holeman's first win as head coach against the University of St. Mary's on Aug. 18.
COURTESY OF KELLY DAMPHOUSSE
Since taking office, Damphousse has wasted no time in getting to know his new athletics department. He has made it a point to meet with each head coach to discuss goals and expectations of athletics and student-athlete recruitment, but also to better know his colleagues.
8|Tuesday, September 6, 2022
