HERBS & ODDITIES HOSTS MONTHLY TEA TENT
SEE PAGE 4 SEE PAGE 2 MOST YOUNG ADULTS DO NOT RECOVER FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE, STUDIES SAY
SEE PAGE 8 BOBCATS REACH FOUR-GAME WIN STREAK BEFORE RIVALRY GAME
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TUESDAY JANUARY 21, 2020 VOLUME 109 ISSUE 17
www.UniversityStar.com
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
NEW SEMESTER, NEW ME HEALTH AND WELLNESS ISSUE
MENTAL HEALTH
SUPPLEMENTS
COUNSELING CENTER RESOURCES EXHAUSTED
Common misconceptions about vitamins
By Sierra Martin News Reporter An upward trend of Texas State students requesting mental health services has become an issue for the Counseling Center, which lacks the proper resources to administer consistent care with an increased demand. The Student Health Center and Counseling Center participated in the National College Health Assessment in February 2019. According to the data collected, four in 10 college students have "good mental health." Meanwhile, the percentage of students with preexisting diagnoses of depression increased from approximately 9% in 2009 to 20.2% in 2019. Associate Director of the Texas State Counseling Center Heather Aidala has observed a national increase in students utilizing counseling services. She attributes the increase to the current generation of college students being educated on when to reach out to professionals and not associating a negative stigma to therapy. Aidala said this increasing trend is both positive and problematic due to the Counseling Center's inability to provide for the increasing demand.
"We have really been working to destigmatize asking for help, and we have been teaching people to know signs of distress within themselves as well as with their peers," Aidala said. "We know faculty and staff are (bringing) students (to the Counseling Center) when they are concerned about their mental health, so we have invited people to use these services more, and they are doing it, which is good and also problematic." In response to the increased demand for therapy on campus the Counseling Center has looked towards new methods of providing support for students. Some of these alternate techniques include increasing the use of group therapy, bringing on parttime contract staff and online therapy services. Director of the Student Health Center Dr. Emilio Carranco spoke at the Student Government roundtable last semester about the increase in demand for campus health resources. In addition to advocating for more resources and funding, the university is currently looking for a new counseling center director. "We are going to be advocating for more resources because there is a huge need,” Carranco said. “Our student survey data from the spring indicates
"IT IS HARD BECAUSE OFTENTIMES OUR STAFFING SIZES DO NOT KEEP UP WITH THE INCREASE IN UTILIZATION." -HEATHER AIDALA,
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNSELING CENTER
that mental health is one of the biggest needs on our campus, and we don’t have enough resources.” Although the number of students attending Texas State increases each year, the size of staff at the Counseling Center has remained the same according to Carranco. In the past, students were able to make a sameday appointment with the Counseling
SEE MENTAL HEALTH PAGE 3
By Brianna Benitez Assistant Life & Arts Editor Editor's note: The content in this article provides information on the potential risks and effects that may occur when choosing to consume supplements in order to help consumers decide if vitamin and mineral supplements are right for them. Throughout the country, stores stock their shelves with a variety of vitamin and mineral supplements holding promises to increase energy, strengthen immune systems, promote hair growth and more. The overwhelming amount of vitamins to choose from can leave consumers feeling confused and eager to try supplements that sound most hopeful. According to the American Osteopathic Association, 86% of Americans take vitamins regularly, however, only 21% of those individuals have a confirmed nutritional deficiency. Dr. Sarah Doss, chief medical officer of the Student Health Center, said although vitamins and minerals are necessary to live a healthy lifestyle, the majority of healthy adults receive sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals in their diet. "There are no recommended vitamins for healthy young people," Doss said. "What is instead recommended is that you eat a diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables." Doss said it is recommended that individuals who are not able to absorb sufficient vitamin levels and individuals who do not receive enough vitamins in their diets, such as vegans, take vitamins. The Student Health Center currently carries multivitamin gummies for $7.50. However, Doss said she does not recommend for healthy individuals to purchase them. "If you take a multivitamin and think 'Now I don’t need to eat my broccoli,' that’s not a good choice," Doss said. "It’s much better to eat the fruits and vegetables than it is to take a multivitamin supplement." SEE SUPPLEMENTS PAGE 4
BASKETBALL
Q&A with all-time scoring leader Nijal Pearson By Cade Andrews Sports Reporter Sports reporter Cade Andrews spoke with senior guard Nijal Pearson on reaching the program's all-time scoring record, his senior season and his journey to this point in his career. SO WALK ME THROUGH THAT MOMENT, WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU BROKE THE SCORING RECORD? "I knew g o i n g into the
game that I needed nine points to break the scoring record. I actually would’ve liked to do it the game before against App state because it was at home so it would’ve been lit. It would’ve been cool to do it in front of the home stands. I knew when I made the layup that I broke the record, so I mean it was in the middle of the game so it wasn’t at like the time that I let my emotions take over or anything like that. It was kind of like a monkey off my back, you know because I’ve been close so going into the game. All week everybody’s been talking about it, you know, “Nine points, nine points, how are you going to score tonight, how are you going to do this, how are you going to do that,” so I really wanted to make sure to get it over with and then just keep playing basketball and finish the game. After the game, not really even after the game, maybe after the season, I’ll celebrate a little bit more then, but right now we’re trying
to win games. I mean it’s exciting, I’m grateful and I’m locked in on the moment here." WHEN YOU BROKE THE RECORD HOW DID YOU STAY FOCUSED FOR THE REST OF THAT GAME? "I’m a winner before I’m a scorer. It would have been bittersweet if we had lost the game (and) it wouldn’t have meant anything, so I wanted to make sure we won." YOU’VE BEEN HERE ALL FOUR YEARS, HOW HAVE YOU GROWN AND DEVELOP LEADER SINCE FRESHMAN YEAR? "It’s been a process. I came in with some qualities my freshman year but I had to grow into it, I had to grow as a person. Playing college sports, it’s a grind every day. You have to come five to six days out of the week, come prepared and focused, bring your best every SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 7
The University Star
2 | Tuesday, January 21, 2020
NEWS
Chase Rogers News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
ADDICTION
Most young adults do not recover from substance abuse, studies say
Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487
Editorial Staff
By Ziek Sanchez News Reporter
Editor-in-Chief: Jakob Rodriguez stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor: Sonia Garcia starmanagingeditor@txstate.edu News Editor: Chase Rogers starnews@txstate.edu Life & Arts Editor: Laura Figi starlifeandarts@txstate.edu Opinions Editor: Laura Nunez staropinion@txstate.edu Sports Editor: Claire Partain starsports@txstate.edu Design Editor: Molly Gonzales stardesign@txstate.edu Multimedia Editor: Jaden Edison starmultimedia@txstate.edu Engagement Editor: Isabella Lopes starsengagement@txstate.edu
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A recent study found nearly half of young adults, in and out of college, commonly struggle with at least one substance use disorder and typically do not seek help with substance abuse. Substance abuse is a growing and common problem among young adults aged 18-24. Texas State associate psychology professor Ty Schepis and Iowa State University psychology professor Brooke Arterberry examined how prevalent substance use disorders are among young adults. The researchers' findings showed nationwide a large number of young adults in and out of college struggle with abusing a substance and form addictions to what is called a substance use disorder, or SUD. Other researchers involved in the study included Sean Esteban McCabe, Carol Boyd and Brady West of the University of Michigan. The goal of the study was to learn about the prevalence of SUDs within the college-aged young adult population. Researchers hoped to discover the number of struggling young adults that sought help and successfully entered remission. Together, researchers helped create and refine study questions, form hypotheses and analyze data. The group analyzed data from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. The survey details college students and similarly-aged noncollege peers’ histories with substance abuse issues. Researchers also held face to face interviews with both non-college and college aged young adults. Arterberry discovered about two in five young adults reported addiction to a substance and developed an SUD. Upon further investigation, Arterberry found the prevalence of SUDs does not affect one group of young adults in particular. SUDs are just as prominent in both college students and non-college peers. Around 40% of college students have repeatedly used substances and formed SUDs. Approximately 45% of non-college peers have repeatedly used
A large number of young adults in and out of college struggle with abusing a substance and form addictions, often leading to what is called a substance abuse disorder, or SUD, which includes the excessive use of drugs—including alcohol. PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON
substances and have had SUDs. Homer Ramos, San Marcos resident, said substances like marijuana and alcohol are present almost everywhere. It is not difficult to understand how people can easily develop problems with such devices. “I have college friends and noncollege friends and both groups are exposed to weed and alcohol just as much as the other; it’s a really common thing,” Ramos said. “Maybe they don’t know it or won't admit it, but there’s no way everyone drinking and smoking is immune to developing some sort of addiction.” In discovering how frequently SUDs affect the young adult demographic, researchers found very few people seek help and recover when dealing with substance abuse. The study claims over half of college students with a SUD do not seek treatment, while about three in five non-college young adults do not seek treatment. Schepis said although the study did not focus on or address why young adults do not seek treatment, some educated guesses can be made.
“Sometimes a lack of money or insurance is a barrier to treatment, sometimes a lack of awareness of treatment options and sometimes it is a lack of awareness about a problem,” Schepis said. “Young adults with problematic substance use do not actually perceive their use as a problem.” Daniel Silvia, psychology senior, said when he struggled with developing alcohol addiction, he did not consider it a problem until others identified it for him. “It can really be something you brush off," Silvia said. "It’s kind of a scary situation you just don’t want to worry about. I can see how someone, with a lack of people who care for them, can slip into having an addiction they can’t escape from.” One statistic from the study shows one in 100 students successfully fully recover without relapse. Due to the need for more time dedicated to the research, effective resources have yet to be discovered. For resources provided at Texas State, contact Alcohol and Drug Compliance Services.
Advertising Staff
CANVAS
Ethan Hunt starad1@txstate.edu
Texas State begins transition from TRACS to Canvas
Jasen Rodriguez starad2@txstate.edu
About Us History: The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Tuesday of the spring and fall and once a month in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 4,500. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung. Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor-in-chief. Deadlines: Letters to the Editor or any contributed articles are due on Monday the week prior to publication. Corrections: Any errors that are in the pages of The University Star and are brought to our attention will be corrected as soon as possible. Visit The Star at universitystar.com
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By Ziek Sanchez News Reporter Texas State begins next phase of replacing TRACS with a new learning management system — Canvas. Texas State has begun implementing Canvas to faculty and students, and could grace your laptop screen as soon as this semester. Learning management systems, or LMS, are online software applications that allow administrations to compile and apportion courses, tests, grades, announcements, assignments, classes and other educational materials online. The current LMS in use by the university is TRACS. According to Director of Learning Technology Research Kevin Huffaker, a lack of technical support and vigorous workloads to keep TRACS going influenced the Texas State Information Technology division to move onto the more modern and up-to-date system known, Canvas. Huffaker said that because TRACS is an open-source software it requires a consistent resource of developers from the universities that took part in using TRACS, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University. As more universities withdrew from contributing to TRACS, the software became smaller in terms of partners and subsequently put more strain on Texas State. “As apps would come out in the marketplace that faculty would want to use in their TRACS course we would find we couldn’t create the compatibility that would allow that, whereas other schools were using platforms like Blackboard and Canvas could. (Blackboard and Canvas) keep software up to date,” Huffaker said. “We thought maybe we need to compare ourselves to the outside world because it had been a while. So that’s why we looked outside and asked if here is anything better than TRACS right now.” The new Canvas system presents users to a dashboard where all of the user's courses, a to-do list and a sidebar allowing users to navigate through the different pages are displayed. Kenedi Ortega, theater sophomore, said that experience with Canvas makes the new system more favorable than TRACS. “I prefer Canvas. We used it at my previous university for most classes. Coming here and having to learn TRACS was a little confusing,” Ortega said. “From what I remember, Canvas has a to-do list as soon as you log in, so rather than checking every class individually to see what’s due next, it’s all there for your convenience.” According to Texas State IT's “Canvas timeline,” Canvas is scheduled to be implemented into the classrooms fall 2020.
Starting Spring 2020, Texas State has implemented a new learning management system, Canvas, in place of TRACS. Following the end of 2020, the university has scheduled TRACS to be completely erased from curriculum. PHOTO BY REBECCA HARRELL
Canvas will be coexisting alongside TRACS for the 2020 school year, with fall 2020 being the last semester that TRACS will be available for classroom use. In the meantime, the university will be releasing an online tool called “Where’s My Course?” to help students sort out which site will hold their course materials. The Canvas timeline details that all new faculty must teach their courses through Canvas and current faculty have the option of remaining with TRACS for spring 2020. Beginning 2021, all courses will be taught with Canvas and TRACS will remain in an archival state until its scheduled decommission in 2023. Director of marketing and communications for Texas State's IT division Scott Ayers said involving students and faculty helped the university decide which system to choose. “There was about a two-year process that went on campus with faculty and students involved where we looked at all the potential vendors for this kind of system," Ayers said. "In fall 2018 we had a sort of sandbox environment where people could test the systems and, without fail, the feedback we got was that Canvas was the choice of everybody because of its more modern advantages it had compared to TRACS.” The IT division plans to stay in communication with faculty and students during the transition of systems. Any students having difficulty navigating through TRACS and/or Canvas systems may have their questions directed toward ITAC’s Canvas support page.
The University Star
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 | 3
NEWS FROM FRONT MENTAL HEALTH Center. Last September, the Counseling Center experienced an unprecedented increase in demand that caused them to be unable to see walk-ins and make same-day appointments. In late November, the Counseling Center scheduled "end of semester appointments" for new patients up to three business days later. These appointments analyzed the needs of students and the counselors recommended additional appointments starting in the spring semester, if necessary. Aidala said the staff size of the Counseling Center tends to be insufficient. Currently there are 13 counselors for over 38,000 students at Texas State. “It is hard because oftentimes our staffing sizes do not keep up with the increase in utilization," Aidala said. "So it is two-fold, as student populations increase we are seeing a higher percentage of those students utilizing services. Our ability to provide treatment is impacted.” According to NCHA data, a large increase in appointments related to mental health was observed by both departments. The NCHA survey displayed that 2013-2014 the Counseling Center saw up to 4.6% of enrolled students, while 2018-2019 7% of enrolled students received services. Data collected by the survey determined that the second-most reason for visiting the health center is for mental health-related issues, the first being for the cold. At the Student Health Center in 2013-2014, 14% of appointments specifically provided mental health services, while in 2018-2019 the frequency of these appointments increased to 33%. The Counseling Center encourages faculty, staff and student leaders to take part in the At Risk Program, teaching them to see the signs of students undergoing mental health problems and understanding the language to address individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. According to University Police Department Chief Laurie Clouse, officers obtain a mental health peace officer certification: a 40-hour course that police officers take to learn how to identify and assist those in a mental health crisis. Every officer has completed the certification, but UPD is currently operating understaffed by three officers. As documented by the UPD Crime and Fire Log, there were 28 reported incidents pertaining to mental health classified as Mental Health Investigations, Mental Subject or Mental Transport between Sept. 16 and Nov. 15. As of Jan. 20, UPD has not responded to any mental healthrelated calls since Nov. 15. The officers respond to a mental health-related call by recommending the students voluntarily seek counseling treatment or by taking the individual to a mental health facility. Clouse said UPD could improve by following up with the students after initial contact. “I don’t think that it is any secret that mental health (cases are) increasing; not just on college campuses but in general,” Clouse said. Clouse also noted that UPD consistently sees an increase in mental health calls in the middle of the semester around midterms. According to Aidala, the Counseling Center has a collaborative relationship with UPD. If they find it necessary, UPD will bring students into their office hours for evaluation. UPD also serves as the point of contact when the Counseling Center is closed in the evenings or on weekends, assessing the students’ needs and conferring with an on-call psychiatrist to address these cases. Director of Student Services for Student Government Catherine Wicker, graduate student, said the counseling center lacks funding for the amount of students they see as patients. "I think the Counseling Center does what they can with the resources that they have, but they need more funding and resources to meet the needs of students," Wicker said. In order to adapt to the increasing mental health needs of students on campus, in fall 2019 President Trauth approved a Task Force led by Carranco and Aidala for spring 2020 and onward. The presidential task force will focus on involving the entire campus community on improving Texas State resources and assessing the health and wellness of students. To learn more about how to approach a friend or family member with concerns of mental health, visit the Counseling Center At Risk website.
Chase Rogers News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
VAPING
Since the outbreak of e-cigarette-related health cases that began September 2019, various actions have been taken to mitigate the availability of these products. PHOTO BY REBECCA HARRELL
Flavored vape products take a hit from federal action By Daniel Weeks Assistant News Editor Federal enactments, coupled with widespread media coverage, have impacted students’ health awareness and use of electroniccigarette products since September of last year. The spike in e-cigarette-related health emergencies hit its peak September 2019. According to the Center for Disease Control, there has been a total of 2,668 hospitalized cases of e-cigarette product use-associated lung injuries in the country as of Jan. 14. According to the CDC, 14% of these cases were reportedly related to strictly nicotinecontaining e-cigarette products while 82% of hospitalized patients were reported using THC-containing vape products. Since the spike in September, emergency department visits directly related to vape products have consistently declined, according to the CDC. According to studies conducted by the CDC, a strong correlation exists between the aforementioned medical emergencies and Vitamin C Acetate, an additive found in THC-containing vape juices. Director of the Student Health Center Dr. Emilio Carranco said the media coverage of vaperelated health incidents raised student awareness of possible side effects, but the center has yet to encounter any specific cases. “I think because of the issues around lung illness and vaping we had a lot more students coming in concerned about the symptoms they were experiencing, and of course our providers here were on alert looking for particular symptoms," Carranco said. "We had quite a few students that we evaluated, but fortunately we didn’t find any students who met the criteria for that kind of illness, and I am not aware of any
student that was hospitalized for a vaping related illness.” The CDC recommends e-cigarette consumers to use FDAapproved smoking cessation methods and medication if concerned about the health effects of vape products. Carranco said the belief vaping is a healthier alternative to traditional smoking is a misconception due to nicotine’s addictive properties. “Initially vaping was marketed as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco, but the truth is as researchers look at vaping they’re discovering more and more problems. It’s better in some ways but worse in others," Carranco said. "The fact that it can deliver much higher levels of nicotine to the brain is significant because you’re actually increasing the risk that people will become addicted to nicotine, not decreasing it.” Since the outbreak of e-cigarette-related health cases that began September 2019, various actions have been taken to mitigate the availability of these products. The legal age for purchasing all tobacco products was raised to 21 Dec. 27, 2019, signed into law by President Trump as a part of a spending bill. Additionally, a ban on most flavored e-cigarette products was proposed as of Jan. 2. Garrett Stapleton, Marvelous Smoke shop employee, said the federal legal age enactment has noticeably impacted business due to the removal of the grandfather clause used by the state of Texas. “Since the fall semester we’ve had to deny more and more people, and since that federal bill we’ve had to deny a ton more," Stapleton said. "It’s been way slower these past few weeks, probably because there aren’t many students in town but sales have definitely gone down a good amount.” The ban on flavored e-cigarette products does not include
menthol and tobacco flavors, despite research indicating menthol is the most popular among young smokers. The federal ban will affect only particular types of flavored vape juice products and merchants that sell vape products, including Stapleton, question the judgment by federal lawmakers. “They’re getting rid of all prepackaged flavors. Bottles of juice aren’t going to be affected but most of these pods will go away. They actually left out disposable vapes apparently, which doesn’t really make sense at all since I would say disposables are even more attractive to younger people," Stapleton said. "It’s almost like they haven’t witnessed what’s actually selling in shops when they’re making laws.” The FDA requires more information before declaring a concise stance on the prospects of this proposed ban. While the FDA indicates flavored products are more appealing to young consumers, the administration also acknowledges the potential of these products helping adult smokers transition to less harmful tobacco products. Tahlia Sehon, English junior, said flavor variety assisted with cigarette smoking cessation and that proper identification should be prioritized over limiting options. “I used to smoke cigarettes all the time, quitting is already difficult enough," Sehon said. "Having a variety of flavors really helps people get off of the bad stuff, there should be more options but people should be tighter about ID. I’ve been to several shops and they didn’t ID me once.” Full enforcement of the FDA’s ban will begin May 12 according to the guidance document on its website. For more information on illnesses related to vaping products, visit the FDA's website.
The University Star
4 | Tuesday, January 21, 2020 Laura Figi Life & Arts Editor starlifeandarts@txstate.edu
FROM FRONT SUPPLEMENTS As for students who find it difficult to stick to a healthy diet, Benjamin Bindesil, operating partner of Rock's Discount Vitamins, said supplements may be beneficial for those who lack the essential vitamins and minerals in their diets. Rock's Discount Vitamins is a chain supplement store with locations throughout central and south Texas. Rock's Discount Vitamins' San Marcos location is located at 102 Wonder World Dr. Bindesil said he has been working with vitamin and nutritional supplements for over 10 years and has seen how difficult it can be for individuals to maintain a healthy diet. "Because of work, school and kids our diets tend to not be as sufficient as we need them to be," Bindesil said. "We tend to go for faster, easier things to eat and therefore have a hard time getting nutrients in." Bindesil said supplements may help fill in the lack of nutrition for those who do not consume enough vitamins and minerals in their diets. He said he recommends college students to take a multivitamin regularly. "I know when it comes to college the food intake may be scattered," Bindesil said. "Taking a multivitamin would ensure your body has the right vitamins and minerals for immune and daily function." For those who choose to take vitamin and mineral supplements, can recognize the potential risks that may come with them. Lindsey Menge, nutrition and foods professor, said there is not a lot of regulation on supplements in the United States. She said those who do choose to take supplements should consider supplements from brands that are third party verified. Brands that are third party verified indicate that an independent party has evaluated the supplements for their quality and has ensured that what is listed on the label meets the guidelines set by the Food and Drug Administration. "We have very little regulation policies so a lot of what is in the market hasn't been tested for effectiveness or safety," Menge said. "It's important to make sure that there is a third party verification on the supplement so that you know what you're taking." Menge said the reason why the FDA does little to regulate vitamin and mineral supplements is due to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. The act states that supplements are not categorized as drugs and therefore do not undergo the same rigorous testing as FDA approved drugs. "Many types of supplements are out there, but we may not know how effective they are," Menge said. "The obligation is put on the companies that manufacture the supplements to ensure the effectiveness and safety of their products." Certain vitamins can have toxic effects if they are being consumed by individuals who do not have a reason to take them. Menge said fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D and E, are more prone to cause toxic effects since they are stored in the body for longer periods of time. "Most Americans are consuming supplements because they feel that's what's going to make them healthier or perform better," Menge said. "If there isn't a deficiency then we don't see added benefits for supplementation." For more information on vitamin and mineral supplements speak with a trusted health care provider or visit https://www. fda.gov/consumers/consumerupdates/dietary-supplements.
TEA
LIFE & ARTS
Herbs & Oddities hosts monthly tea tent By Mia Estrada Life & Arts Reporter As the spring semester creeps up and the stress of new classes begin to dwell on students, every precaution for self-care and relaxation must be taken. Down the street from campus, a local antique-trinket store, ‘Herbs & Oddities,’ hosts a monthly Tea Tent. Started September 2019, Tea Tent has since grown in popularity and has become a regular event for the community to enjoy. Guests are invited to join store owners, Fawn Gregg and Christina Bishop, in a two-hour relaxing conversation over tea while sitting on blankets under a big tree at the storefront. The event is free, relaxed and welcoming to all guests who wish to join their monthly tea party. Store owner, Fawn Gregg, not only offers freshly brewed tea for the group but also brings extra teacups for those who do not bring their own to the event. “This event is meant to bring the community together to have time to just talk about the world around us while surrounded by the fresh air,” Gregg said. At the past Jan. 15 event, about 12 guests showed up to sit in the fresh air and enjoy each other’s company. Daniel Gomez, electrical engineering senior, was among the guests and even brought tarot cards to do a group reading. Gomez shared a story with the guests about going to a certain coffee shop in town in order to practice his tarot readings and the manager nagged him to buy something or leave. He proceeded to leave because he did not want to be
Fawn Gregg, owner of Herbs & Oddities, refills attendees cups with freshly brewed lemon and ginger tea, Wednesday, January 15, 2020, at the Herbs & Oddities Tea Tent gathering. PHOTO BY REBECCA HARRELL
pressured into buying anything, so he went to Herbs & Oddities where people would sit in front of him to get a reading and he was welcomed back by the owner to do regular readings for the customers. “You always have to make the positive out of the negative in order to make sense of everything around you,” Gomez said. This story perfectly sums up the atmosphere of Tea Tent because everyone laughs and connects about the negatives of life, but no matter how deep the conversation gets it always manages to surface into positivity. While some people may get nervous walking into a situation where they do not know a single soul, Tea Tent works to alleviate those nerves. Tea Tent allows a group of strangers to connect over freshlybrewed tea and random conversation
while sitting in a circle. Amanda Beaver, exercise sports science junior, attended the event as moral support for a friend when she heard about the social aspect of Tea Tent. “I actually really enjoyed myself, especially the tea," Beaver said. "I usually do not like tea, but Fawn’s freshly brewed tea was amazing and the people were so fun to talk to that I did not realize that an hour had gone by so quickly." Not only does Herbs & Oddities host monthly Tea Tent events, but they also host Cacao Club, Kava Club, Rock Sales and New Moon Women’s Event. Cacao and Kava Club are similar to Tea Tent; you sit and enjoy special types of beverages, under the night sky, in a circle of blankets and friends. The Rock Sales are to prepare for the shop's re-stock of crystals at the Tuscon Gem & Mineral Shows. Public discounts are offered to crystals in stock. The New Moon Women’s Event invites guests to come to set their intentions for the month and release those intentions that no longer serve them all over a nice cup of tea under the stars. On top of all of these events that the shop hosts, they also sell a wide variety of self-help and healing merchandise to help individuals protect their aura on their own time. These products include a wide variety of bulk herbs, CBD oils, incense, essential oils and stones. Gregg also offers palm and tarot readings by reservation instore. For more information about merchandise and events, visit their website https://www. herbsandoddities.com
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
HOME Center provides hands-on aid for homeless in San Marcos By Laura Figi Life & Arts Editor Not a single one of her fellow classmates stopped to talk when Hannah Durrance stood on The Quad holding a sign that read, ‘I’m a single mother. I work 62 hours per week. I’m a full-time college student. I have a 3.2 GPA and I am homeless.’ Instead, they called campus police. Durrance explained to the police that she was trying to raise awareness. The police checked her school ID, told her she was not allowed to take donations and left along with all the familiar classmates in sight. When she went to class, the students did not acknowledge her. It was like the class had never seen her before. “People did not look at me,” Durrance said. “(That) defines you as being lessthan. It defines you as being not good enough and it makes you feel invisible.” Durrance has been trying to raise awareness about homelessness for years and was a homeless single mother of four for seven years. May 2019, a city council member told her if she had the drive, she should address the issue herself. HOME Center of Central Texas was co-founded by Durrance and Tegan Debrock, sophomore political science major, just a month later and now it works on the four ideas that make up the name: Homeless, Outreach, Mitigation and Emergency. HOME Center’s goal is to alleviate strain on the homeless population by connecting people to various resources, helping them find temporary places to stay, helping them find jobs, providing transportation and raising awareness for the situation in nearby communities. “We realized there is no coordination among the service organizations here,” Debrock said. “We know that we are filling a gap so I think we’re heading in the right direction.” Durrance also works as an instructional assistant in the history department at Texas State. “After what I’d been through, I felt like I needed to use my experiences in a different way,” Durrance said. “I started talking about forming HOME Center and I reapplied to Texas State grad school.” The program is the first Local Homeless Coalition in Hays County, operating under the Texas Homeless Network. Both organizations are working together
to hold the first Point in Time count, where volunteers assess the number and the demographics of the homeless population in the county. The count will take place Jan. 23, a nationally chosen date, and volunteers will count everyone in the county. HOME Center is still looking for volunteers. The PIT count numbers can be used by several organizations and allows those organizations to collaborate with the city and access additional grants and services. With the PIT count data, the San Marcos Housing Authority could apply for up to 11 additional housing projects for homeless veterans. Volunteers will complete a short training online or in person and can find information on the Facebook page. San Marcos City Council Place 5 member Joca Marquez said she is pushing for homelessness to become one of the city’s “strategic initiatives,” which would also help it secure more funding. “I’m excited about the possibility of (HOME Center) growing and expanding and having the impact that it should have,” Marquez said. Marquez said with all the problems San Marcos has with flooding, which can displace people from their homes, it is important to be responsive to the needs in a community. “(HOME Center) came as a need to do something more,” Marquez said. Oftentimes, volunteers will go out of their way to help someone in need. Durrance said sometimes they use their own personal resources to help and mentioned letting people use the company laptop to apply for jobs. “We try to tailor-make our program for the individual’s needs,” Durrance said. To qualify for aid, individuals reach out to the program via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and their needs are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Durrance said homelessness is very often overlooked in the community, despite San Marcos’ classification as an impoverished area. SMCISD qualifies for providing free breakfast and lunches to its’ students. Durrance said many children experience trauma from dealing with homelessness or unstable situations, which makes attending school very difficult on top of having low resources. “Schools need to be aware of this and adapt to the fact that anywhere between 40 and 60% of our population are
experiencing poverty,” Durrance said. HOME Center will also host a backpack drive Jan. 23 from 1-6 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church at 624 E Hopkins St. Debrock grew up in San Marcos and said even though San Marcos is one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas, there is no concrete support for the homeless population. “That growth isn’t taking into account people who aren’t privileged financially,” Debrock said. “Developers say they’re offering a project that is affordable housing, but really it’s just slightly below the average cost of an apartment. People aren’t being looked at for they can actually, practically pay for with their circumstances.” Durrance said even though around 70% of the homeless population suffers from a disability, either physical or mental, and many are single mothers, being homeless is often written off as a personal failure. “There are a lot of reasons for homelessness—it’s not limited to one or two factors and it’s certainly not limited to a person’s moral failures,” Durrance said. “It is the fact that housing costs in San Marcos have increased 40% in the past seven years.” Durrance said she was told she should quit college and work more, despite working four jobs. She said people’s judgments place a mental obstacle in the way, which can make homeless people feel powerless. Some nights, Durrance would come home so tired she could collapse. “I want people to understand that it’s gut-wrenching and it’s terrifying,” Durrance said. “It causes extreme anxiety every day not knowing whether or not you’re going to make enough money to pay the motel room and whether or not you’re going to have to pack up everything and put it back in the car and sleep in the car with the children in the cold.” Though her life is much different now, Durrance said she wants to use her experience to empower others. “Think about how the person you’re looking at probably has not always been homeless,” Durrance said. “The person you’re looking at deserves love and respect just like anybody else. By ignoring it, by looking away, you’re defining who that person is and you’re leaving an impression on them.” The full version of this article is available at www.universitystar.com.
The University Star
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 | 5
OPINIONS
Laura Nunez Opinions Editor staropinion@txstate.edu
Opinions expressed in The University Star are not necessarily those of Texas State University’s administration, Board of Regents, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, or Student Publications Board.
TECHNOLOGY
Students who are parents need to fire the digital babysitter By Amira Van Leeuwen Assistant Opinion Editor Young parents and guardians should not be relying on technology to teach and entertain their kids. In a day and age where technology surrounds us, many young parents are turning toward it as a form of raising their children. What once was a rare public siting is now the norm and the conversation to ending this new social trend starts now. According to a new analysis of data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, there are 3.8 million students who are raising children while attending college. Of the 3.8 million, roughly 2.7 million are mothers, and the remaining 1.1 million are fathers. Raising a child is difficult. Add 12 hours of classes and a full time job into the mix and the situation turns nearly impossible. Turning toward an easy fix in moments of chaos can seem convenient and unproblematic. However, this recent technology-dependent normality brings negative impacts on a developing child’s social skills, physical health and psychological development. For example, a baby’s attachment style is unique to how they were raised while growing up and neurologically coded by their early experiences with a parent or caregiver. The first few years of a child’s life are a crucial time for perceptual development. Today, young parents and guardians alike, are giving their children technology for the mere sake of having them distracted while they go about daily activities or errands. They completely
ignore the effects of their unpaid digital babysitter. Cris Rowan, a pediatric occupational therapist, states that “as many as one in three children now enter school developmentally delayed, negatively impacting literacy and academic achievement.” The impact of rapidly developing technology is enabling children to rely on technology for the majority of their entertainment inside and outside of school. There has been an increase in overall health problems including, but not limited to child obesity, ADHD, autism, unintelligible speech, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, coordination disorder, etc. As a first-time parent, it is especially important to bond with the baby. It is not enough to take care of the child’s basic needs but to ensure the baby receives attention and affection. It is a two-way process between a parent and a child and both parties need to connect with one another for the healthiest development. Now that the new generation has begun to have children, they use social media to upload videos and pictures of their children laughing or talking, rather than fully experiencing those private moments. The harsh reality is consistent with the physical and psychological impacts of technology having a long-lasting effect on social and mental attitudes within a developing child. While technology will remain a constant in millennial lives, it is important to prevent the upcoming generations from being consumed by a glass screen. Preventive habits that can combat this digital epidemic are easy to find. Actively
ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES DEBBAH
trying to set limits on how long or often the child is allowed to play on a device, while also managing personal screen time to spend more time with them are healthy starting points. Additionally, Texas State created an initiative for Students Who Are Parents, SWAP, to help guide and ensure their success. Connecting with other young parents can aid the development of this, very needed, conversation in creating a healthier world for the generations to come. Children are refusing to see the sun when the alternative option of a tablet is present. Society needs to notice this horrific influence on young children. It is concerning when kids no longer feel
the need to socialize with family and make friends. While Apple may be relentless about giving in to their new updates or advertising the newest app for children, it is important for young parents and guardians to learn to navigate their way through an era where technology seems to control the average lifestyle. Specifically, students who are parents can change the role that technology holds within their household and pave the way to a healthier social, physical and psychological development for their children.
ROAD SAFETY
Mandatory driver refresher course for parking permit recipients By Thomas Dunlap Opinion Columnist To minimize car accident rates and potentially save lives, Texas State should require anyone interested in purchasing a campus parking permit to successfully pass a driver refresher course. Implementing this requirement would raise awareness toward road safety and result in an increase of driver skill among a large percentage of drivers in San Marcos. According to a report by the Office of Institutional Research, there were 38,644 students enrolled at Texas State in fall 2018. During this time there was 1,466 faculty members and 2,182 staff members, resulting in the total population of Texas State to be at 42,292 on the San Marcos campus. Texas State Parking Services issued approximately 20,165 parking permits in 2018—almost half of Texas State’s total population. If each permit recipient had successfully passed a driver refresher course, the roads in and around Texas State campus would be irrefutably safer. Had this taken place, there is a strong
possibility that some of the 1,165 car accidents that occurred in San Marcos last year would have been prevented. This rule would apply to all parking permits, regardless of color and level, requiring both students, faculty and staff to enroll in said course. According to a report conducted by the Texas Department of Transportation in 2018, the leading contributing factors of car accidents statewide are failure to control speed, driver inattention and changing lanes when unsafe. These are all simple and easy mistakes, yet they were the collective cause of 260,880 car accidents in 2018. This negligent behavior behind the wheel can be attributed to the under-education and inexperience of thousands of Texas drivers. Such seemingly minor but severely consequential mistakes could have been easily prevented by a driver refresher course. It is safe to assume that the majority of drivers on the road in and around Texas State campus have some affiliation with the university, whether they are a student, faculty or staff member, and theoretically they would have taken the
driver refresher course. Even if a driver does not currently have a parking permit, it is likely that at one point in time they did—such as the many upperclassmen who lived in a dormitory during their freshman year and have since moved off campus. They no longer have a parking permit, but they still benefit from the information and skills they learned during the driver refresher course. Drivers in Texas aged 18 - 24 had the highest car accident rates in 2018, 21-year-olds taking first place with 27,033 occurrences. The reasoning behind these high accident rates is fairly obvious. It is common knowledge that this specific age group is generally more irresponsible and reckless than any other, and this type of behavior can easily be found on the roads. This group of somewhat inexperienced drivers, with only a couple of years behind the wheel, make up the majority of the Texas State population. With such a dense concentration of juvenile drivers, it is no surprise that San Marcos roads are as chaotic as they are. Therefore, it almost becomes the duty of Texas State to further educate young
drivers about the importance of road safety. The implementation of this driver refresher course is important and necessary due to the disappointing and dangerous behavior exhibited by a large amount of drivers on San Marcos roads. Distracted driving and blatant disregard of well-known traffic laws plague many roads in San Marcos, making it a stressful and frustrating experience to drive anywhere. Not only are many drivers radical and unpredictable, pedestrians (specifically students walking to class) are known to be reckless when crossing the road. A mandatory driver refresher course only stands to benefit the safety of everyone and anyone who finds themselves on the roads in San Marcos and near Texas State's campus, drivers and pedestrians alike. This requirement, mandated in the name of public safety, could serve as an inspiration and precedent for other universities, improving and promoting road and driver safety nationwide.
4 | Tuesday, January 21, 2020
The University Star
The University Star
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 | 7
SPORTS
Claire Partain Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Women's basketball continues losing streak despite strong performances By Claire Partain Sports Editor After leading by as many as 18 points in the third period, Texas State women’s basketball fell just short of their first conference win in a 73-67 loss to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday afternoon at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats were just six points away from slashing their five-game losing streak, instead falling to an 0-6 conference record and 7-10 overall record. Despite the loss, the first half was dominated by Texas State. Senior forward Bailey Holle landed her first of three three-pointers in the first few minutes of play, kicking off a period with several scoring runs by the Bobcats, including a career-high 6-6 run by freshman forward Chelsea Johnson to put the ‘Cats at a 2316 lead with just over six minutes left in the half. Johnson went on to put up 14 points for Texas State, three more than her previous career record against the University of Texas-Permian Basin in November. Johnson said she kept her cool and took the skills she worked on in practice to go on her career-high run. “I didn’t really want to think about it,” Johnson said. “I took my time; I was patient, so that’s why I was making it. I just took what we worked on in practice and applied it to the game.” The ‘Cats’ strong defense helped them stay calm and rack up points in the first half, according to Bailey. “We were getting stops, which when we’re good on defense we tend to play more relaxed on offense.” Bailey said. “So we were getting stops, and then our offense was just coming naturally and that’s when we play our best.” The ‘Cats kept the lead from 5:45 in the first period to 6:27 in the fourth, leading by as much as 18 until the Cajuns slowly gained momentum and tied up the match. In the final two minutes of
play, two free throws by senior guard Brooke Holle and a shot by sophomore guard Kennedy Taylor were not enough for them to catch up as they fell 73-67. Bailey said that the team struggled when the Ragin’ Cajuns began to gain momentum. “When they got a few steals, it made us frantic and then it was taking time off the clock for us to get into offense,” Bailey said. “It was more so not what they did, we needed to get stops and take care of the ball.” In addition to Johnson’s high scoring, the game made program history for Brooke, who surpassed Julie Brooks (2000-04) for the ninth-place spot in three-pointers in program history. Brooke connected on two threes in the game and paced the team with a double-double in scoring (15) and rebounds (11). Bailey brought in three three-pointers of her own and led the ‘Cats with five assists, while sophomore forward Da’Nasia Hood went on a 6-0 run alongside Johnson in the first half and landed 12 total points for the Bobcats. As a team, Texas State outscored Louisiana 17-12 in the first quarter and 19-9 in the second before falling 29-17 and 23-14 in the final two periods. Head coach Zenarae Antoine said that despite the scoreboard, the team’s strong performance in the first half shows some improvement as they go on a two-game road trip and seek a conference win. “All coaches like to say they don’t believe in silver linings, (but) in this case I do appreciate that I do see some improvement,” Antoine said. "That’s really important moving forward because now we have to go on the road.” The Bobcats have had the lead at the half for four consecutive conference games but are unable to clinch a strong finish, something that Antoine recognizes as their weakness. Antoine said that preparing for the chaos and stress of lategame Sun Belt play in practice will help
Senior Brooke Holle jumps and shoots the ball over Alcorn State, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, at Strahan Arena. Holle reached the ninth-place all-time spot in program history for three-pointers against Louisiana on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS
the team get over the hump. “Creating that environment even more so, tenfold honestly, in practice is what’s going to get us to a place where we’re going to be able to play with some calm," Antoine said. "Once we start kicking butt in that area in practice, I’ll be extremely confident that this team is ready to roll in these situations.” Texas State’s next opponent, Troy, is a tough team to beat after a series of losses. The Trojans are 5-1 in conference off of a two-game win streak but suffered the same outcome as the Bobcats against Louisiana in a 79-73 loss Jan. 11. Troy shot just 37% against the Cajuns and trailed at the half, while Texas State left the first half with a 15-point lead. The Bobcats will conclude their road trip against South Alabama, who currently sit at fourth in the Sun Belt off a three-game
win streak but also lost to the Cajuns. If the Bobcats can finish how they start these high-stakes Sun Belt games, they could turn their season around and see a few conference wins under their belt, something Antoine said will happen soon. “We are going to get there, I just know it,” Antoine said. “This team is just way too talented in a lot of different areas. We’ve got two good seniors on this team, we’ve got a youth that I think is growing and getting better and so I’ve got to believe that we’re going to turn the corner.” Next up, the ‘Cats will take the road to take on Troy at 6 p.m. on Thursday and South Alabama at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
thankful for it. I appreciate everybody who’s reached out to me."
"I’m going to try out professional, but after that, that’s as far as I know, but every day I’m going to try my way into the NBA, keep grinding, keep getting better. I don’t look too much into it, right now I’m busy taking care of the present, you know, if you take care of today, tomorrow will handle itself. I’m big on that, so I’m just trying to take advantage of all my opportunities today instead of looking into the future."
FROM FRONT BASKETBALL day to practice, watch film. We put in that extra time, so you’ve got to come in ready to work and ready to get better at all times. That’s something I wouldn’t say was hard to adjust to because I think the element of my game is that I came every day ready to work and I took all the proper steps to keep getting better every day. I didn’t skip any steps, I just kept coming into work and tried to improve on a day-to-day basis and be just the best version of myself I can be every time I step on the court, and with that type of mind set I just continued to get better and continued to grow as a person." THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, WHO ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT YOU’VE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO LEARN FROM? "When I first got here my senior class of course was, Bobby Conley, Ojai
Black, Kavin Gilder-Tilbury, they were huge. And I’ve never been the type of person to not take advice from anyone, so I always listen. It could be one of my teammates who doesn’t see a lot of minutes, but they’re still on the bench watching the game, so they may see something I typically don’t see on the court, so at any given time every one of my teammates has been pretty much there to help and see me grow and get better. The coaching staff, they’ve always been there too. It’s been a long process and I’ve had a lot of teammates so a lot of people have played a part in this." HAVE ANY FORMER PLAYERS REACHED OUT TO YOU ABOUT THE RECORD? "Oh yeah, a lot, I’ve heard from pretty much all of my former teammates. I’ve talked to so many people over the last few days, lots of congratulations and I’m
AND WHAT DOES THIS WHOLE THING MEAN? I KNOW THE UNIVERSITY STARTED IN 1899 AND BASKETBALL HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER, WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE ALL-TIME SCORING LIST? “It means a lot, the fact that I made a name for myself and I made history, and I’m going to be remembered here for a long time. My hard work is steady paying off, I’m going to keep going, but it’s an accomplishment in itself. It’s hard to put it into words because it says it right there, I mean the top scorer- there’s only one of those at Texas State and for it to be me, that’s up to God.” WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR AFTER THIS YEAR?
CURRENTLY YOU’RE ON A FOURGAME WIN STREAK, YOU’VE GOT THINGS GOING, YOU BROKE THE SCORING RECORD- HOW DO YOU PLAN ON KEEPING THIS MOMENTUM ROLLING INTO THE NEXT GAME? "Just keep playing hard, keep winning."
SOCCER
New year brings new semiprofessional soccer team to San Marcos community By Colton Mcwilliams Sports Reporter As Texas's soccer culture grows exponentially, adding 28 soccer clubs across six leagues forming throughout the state since 2015, San Marcos has decided to join the trend. For the first time in the city's history, San Marcos will enter the new decade with a semiprofessional team of its River City SC is launching as San Marcos' first own—River City SC. semiprofessional soccer league this spring. San Marcos will be home to River City PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVER CITY SC Soccer Club of the National Premier Soccer League, a semi-professional league located on the fourth level of the United States soccer pyramid, below
Major League Soccer (Level 1), USL Championship (Level 2), and USL League 1 (Level 3). According to Cade Summers, coowner and general manager for River City SC, San Marcos's location and culture made the city the perfect place for building a soccer team. Summers, a former collegiate soccer player, owns the team alongside his father, Brad Summers. “San Marcos has a big Hispanic culture and also a big Irish culture," Summers said. “Those are probably the two biggest soccer communities in America right now, and Texas State is right down the road, so having college students (too)...
we are going to have a great team.” Summers said that he wanted to bring a team to San Marcos to bring in community camaraderie and a new attraction other than Texas State's campus. “I really wanted to bring the community together,” Summers said. “ We need something to root for here in San Marcos because San Marcos hasn’t had anything to root for. The city needs something to bring them together that isn't just Texas State because a lot of people feel left out with Texas State being just college students.” River City SC is not just about SEE SOCCER PAGE 8
The University Star
8 | Tuesday, January 21, 2020
SPORTS
Claire Partain Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Sophomore guard Mason Harrell shoots from the three-point line during the last seconds of the game vs. UTSA, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at Strahan Arena. Harrell posted 12 points Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, in a win against Louisiana. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS
Bobcats reach four-game win streak before rivalry game By Cade Andrews Sports Reporter The Texas State men's basketball team picked up two crucial victories this weekend, defeating the University of Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday and Louisiana- Lafayette on Saturday to sweep the weekend and continue their four-game winning streak. After starting 1-4 in conference, the Bobcats have managed to bounce back and are currently tied for third in the Sun Belt, sitting at a winning 5-4 record in conference and 12-8 overall. Continuing their streak, the 'Cats defeated Louisiana 68-59 Saturday night at the Cajundome for their firstever win in Lafayette. Texas State played strong in the first half, going into the locker room with a 37-28 lead, but the Ragin' Cajuns went on an 8-0 run to start the half and cut the lead to one. Sophomore guard Mason Harrell ended the run with a three, which gave the Bobcats a run of their own. The 'Cats led by as much as 17 and were able to close out with another win. Senior guard Nijal Pearson led the team with 18 points, while Harrell and junior forward Isiah Small followed suit, scoring in the double digits with 12 points each. Small also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. After months of countdowns, Nijal Pearson led the team in points both
games and surpassed Charles Sharp's (1956-60) record of 1,884 points to become Texas State's all-time leading scorer against ULM on Thursday. Pearson led the highly-contested battle with a 64-63 victory Thursday night at the Fans-Ewing Coliseum, grabbing a rebound for a fast break layup at the 2:43 mark in the first half to break the record. Pearson went on to finish with 23 points on 7-of-15 from the field. The Warhawks went on an 7-0 run to close out the half and hold a 3325 lead, keeping the lead until a surge by the Bobcats at the 6:39 mark in the second half. The game went back and forth until a clutch three-pointer from Pearson tied the game 63-63 with a minute left. The Bobcats then came up with a steal on the following possession, allowing Pearson to step up once again and knock a free throw down to give Texas State the lead with 10 seconds remaining. Despite a lastsecond shot by ULM at the buzzer, a review decided that the ball wasn’t released in time and the ‘Cats took home the win. Texas State returns to Strahan Coliseum for a three-game homestand starting with in-state rival UTA Saturday at 4 p.m. The last meeting between these teams in San Marcos saw a record-setting crowd and double overtime game resulting in a Texas State loss.
FROM PAGE 7 SOCCER bringing San Marcos together. The team also seeks to give soccer players all across the Hill Country the ability to further their career, something that can possibly continue further with San Antonio FC. Summers said he hopes to build a mutually beneficial relationship with the team, which is part of the Level 2 USL Championship. “We are trying our absolute best to hopefully get something going with San Antonio FC,” Summers said. “San Antonio FC is a great club and we really want to get involved with them and hopefully do a little farm system and get with them so they can help us out and we can help them out.” If a farm system can be put in place, it could open the doors to many soccer players in the Hill Country, Summers said. “Since the growth of soccer is happening all around us, San Marcos needs to be able to keep up with them,” Summers said. “With San Marcos, New Braunfels, Kyle, Buda, Wimberley and Martindale... all of their high schools have soccer teams but there is nowhere (the players) can play in the local area. They have to go to San Antonio or Austin.” Athletes coming out of these schools might not have college as an option, and local universities like Texas State don't have men's soccer teams of their own regardless. This team could become a stepping stone as they pursue their goals toward professional leagues,
Summers said. “These kids that are coming out might not have the funds to go to college,” Summers said. “We want them to get to the next level, and we are trying to work as a buffer to get to the next level for them and trying to get them to San Antonio FC, to Oklahoma Energy FC, to Austin FC, to Houston Dynamo.” River City SC will join over 300 teams throughout the country in the UPSL and compete within the Central Conference. The Central Conference is currently split up into three different regions, with the Heart Region being located in Central Texas, the North Region in North Texas and the South Region being in the Houston area. River City will compete in the Heart Region alongside Bell County FC in Belton, Coyotes FC in Temple, Capital City FC in Austin and three San Antonio teams, the San Antonio Corinthians, San Antonio Runners and Alamo City SC. Roster and scheduling news for the spring 2020 season will be released shortly after the conclusion of the UPSL fall season, with playoffs finishing on Sunday. The team will play at San Marcos High School's soccer stadium. For more information on scheduling, tryouts and the league, visit https://www. upsl.com/ and River City's own website, http://rivercitysc.com/home.