October 15, 2019 by The University Star

FIVE STUDY HABITS TO DROP THIS SEMESTER

SEE PAGE 5 SEE PAGE 4 FOURTH ANNUAL STEP UP FOR STATE RAISES OVER $195,000

SEE PAGE 10 MISTAKES PLAGUE BOBCATS IN FIRST CONFERENCE LOSS

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2019 VOLUME 109 ISSUE 10

DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911

'TIS THE SEASON

EL E

ON TI

I VOTED

found one or more crickets in their dorm, apartment or house. Deja McGill, criminal justice junior and LBJSC employee, said 2019 has been the most intense cricket season she has experienced. “There is an everyday cleaning at LBJSC just for crickets; pest control comes by daily, but they still find their way in here,” McGill said. “I’m ready for cricket season to be over. I didn’t really see any crickets my freshman year and last year I didn’t really experience it this bad either. There was a swarm at the UAC the other day." Crickets chirp throughout campus—day and night— seemingly without end. The insects' prolific presence in the San Marcos area extends to social media, where hundreds of tweets observe the infestation. Texas State students are combating the cricket population with memes and the occasional suggestion to eat the crickets. Additionally, there are Twitter accounts dedicated solely to representing Texas State crickets. As the cool fronts make an appearance, cricket season is expected to conclude, easing the excess of crickets.

E INSID E

Hopping into homes and chirping in classrooms, crickets have made their seasonal debut in abundance. Cricket season has returned this month as it annually does, with noticeably high numbers of field crickets throughout Central Texas. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, a state-wide agricultural education agency, said field crickets are prone to appear in high numbers after long, dry summers transition into cooler months. Texas State Facility Management Director Gordie Green said the 2019 "cricket season" has been more noticeable compared to past years. "Usually, we handle the crickets and nobody really realizes what we are doing," Green said. "We had the perfect wet start to summer followed by a long, dry, hot spell, perfect for cricket breeding." Green, who took over the Texas State custodial staff about a year ago, said his team of in-house and contracted custodians is adept at dealing with crickets. "Typically, our custodians will sweep them up and throw them in the dumpster," Green said. "We stay away from insecticides because

(crickets) usually crawl into small spaces and die; when they die, they stink. The staff will work to report cracks in the walls and broken door sweeps to ensure crickets are not able to get into our facilities." Vice President of Finance and Support Services Eric Algoe said Old Main—when lit up by outside lighting fixtures—becomes a cricket hotspot. "We stop lighting Old Main every year when the crickets come," Algoe said. "Normally, Old Main is lit and looks beautiful, but it becomes a giant magnet for crickets." With lights on Old Main turned off to keep cricket presence to a minimum, Green said lighting will be turned on only for certain Texas State events. "We are going to keep the lights off for about a month, but will turn them on for Bobcat Days or game days," Green said. "Typically, these kinds of infestations hang around until we get a really good cold front." The cricket invasion has directly impacted the student population in myriad ways, including covering the front of the Parking Services building and seizing the LBJ Student Center. In a poll conducted by The University Star Twitter, 73% of 158 participants

GUID

San Marcos gets hit with annual cricket invasion By Daniel Weeks & Chase Rogers News Reporters

Know before you go A guide to the 2019 constitutional amendment, local jurisdiction election Election season is here and this is what citizens need to know before casting their vote in Hays County. Registered voters will vote on state and local propositions, as well as San Marcos Council candidates for Place 1 and 2. Early voting occurs Oct. 21-Nov. 1 in any of the 37 county locations. Election Day is Nov. 5 at designated polling locations. SEE ELECTION GUIDE PAGE 6

STUDENT SENATE

COMPLIANCE

Texas State to hire compliance specialists By Jakob Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief Texas State is seeking to fill two fulltime positions dealing specifically with Clery compliance issues across campus. The announcement of the additional positions comes after The University Star was able to uncover 24 sexual assault crimes from 2014-2016. The crimes were Clery reportable and uncategorized into four sexual offense categories: rape, fondling, incest and statutory rape. For those same reportable years and offenses in the given date range, Texas State only reported 15 offenses in the sexual offense categories. Texas State tallied 57 rapes from 2016-2018 for its latest report, which was released at 5:35 p.m. Sept. 30, 2019. Vice President of Finance and Support Services Eric Algoe said additional staff members will continue to address compliance across campus to remain accurate. “We are all disappointed the numbers were incorrect in the past,” Algoe said. “I feel comfortable and confident that SEE COMPLIANCE PAGE 2

Front row seats of a Student Government meeting sit vacant Oct. 14 in the LBJ Teaching Theater. PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON

Texas State students walk in between classes on the first day of school Aug. 26 near the Quad. PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON

since Chief Clouse got here, we fixed the problem. The numbers are accurate. We now have a good process to make sure the numbers stay accurate and we’re hiring a director of institutional compliance. We will have a full-time dedicated Clery compliance specialist.” Algoe said the creation of the positions—which will report to the Vice President for University Administration Lisa Lloyd— underscores how the reporting work was never under “police” authority, but rather a “university” responsibility. Lloyd said she is hopeful the positions

Student Government retention rate suffers By Sarah Martinez News Reporter

Recently, Student Government has faced a drop in student senator retention. A special election is being held Nov. 11-14 to fulfill vacant seats. Call for a special election is due to student senators leaving the Senate. Out of 30 senators, seven have quit. According to Student Body President Corey Benbow, reasons for dropping retention rates are partly due to time commitment and weekly meetings senators complete yearly. SEE STUDENT SENATE PAGE 2

Benbow said if someone cannot fully commit to representing the student body at the time, they might have to take a break before returning. “I believe senators made the decision to leave based on the time commitment,” Benbow said. “The best thing you can do when you represent students if you can't fully commit is understanding when it's time to take a step back, refocus, re-guide your thought process and then come back in.” Former junior student senator Alexa Browning left Student Government

The University Star

2 | Tuesday, October 15, 2019

NEWS

Sonia Garcia News Editor starnews@txstate.edu

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

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will both be hired on by spring 2020. “We currently have the Director for Institutional Compliance posted,” Lloyd said. “We will begin reviewing applicants for that position November 15. In an ideal situation, we would love to have this person on board by the spring semester.” According to Lloyd, Texas State now follows the trend of other universities that now have an office of institutional compliance. “The compliance-related tasks are still going to fall within different

divisions,” Lloyd said. "Research compliance will still be in the research arm of this university. We needed a director of institutional compliance to promote and encourage compliance activities throughout Texas State.” Additionally, Lloyd said creating the Clery Act compliance coordinator— whose position title and description are being audited by Texas State officials prior to posting—was a necessary step in compliance for the university. “Compliance has been decentralized throughout this university,” Lloyd

said. “As the university got complex and larger, it became very evident we needed to have someone to provide leadership, direction and integration. It is the right thing to do and the next step in ensuring compliance throughout (Texas State).”

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Recently, Student Government has faced a drop in student senator retention. A special election is being held Nov. 11-14 to fulfill vacant seats. PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON

Sept. 23 due to the time it takes to participate. Time she committed to Student Government included Monday meetings taking up to five hours, Wednesday cabinet meetings, at least an hour in commission and four office hours. Browning said if students understood what it takes to be part of the Senate, then the dropping retention rate would not be as severe. “If students knew how much of a time commitment Student Government is before they join, fewer people would be dropping out; it is a really intense time commitment,” Browning said. “(Students) probably will not have time for other organizations because it takes five hours of every single Monday.” Additionally, Browning left because she believed Student Government was dysfunctional. Browning has been a part of the organization since her freshman year but did not believe the organization was flawed until recently. During meetings, arguments would often break out between senators. “I felt like Student Government was a little dysfunctional, and I have not really experienced that as much as I have this year," Browning said. "I feel like a lot of the legislation passed but the administration does nothing with it, so change does not happen. At the meetings, there is a lot of drama and the senators do not like each other and fight.” According to Browning, fighting lengthens the time of meetings, often resulting in no real action occuring. “It takes up hours of the meeting because people are fighting with each other,” Browning said. “I did not see anything happening for the betterment of students. It was just senators sitting in a room for hours arguing with each other and then legislation getting passed but not enacted by the administration.” Browning believes there is a lack of trust between the president, vice president and the Senate because of what has been said during cabinet meetings. “From being in the cabinet, meetings are supposed to be confidential and a lot of stuff was said by the president and vice president about current and former senators that were unprofessional,” Browning said. “I felt like they didn’t really trust the Senate to do what they wanted them to do, like be a functioning body on their own.”

To better Student Government, Browning said there needs to be more transparency and communication within the administration. The organization needs to focus on getting legislation passed at the time rather than heading off-topic. “There needs to be a clear line on when it is okay to joke around and talk like friends and when it’s time to do work,” Browning said. In the past two years, there has been a loss of trust between Student Government and the student body. Student Senator Catherine Wicker said the Conor Clegg impeachment played a significant role in popularity loss because of the problematic issues the former president caused. Wicker said Clegg's racist and hurtful remarks online had to do with his deeper lack of understanding about what it means to be a minority on campus. “Obviously, the impeachment really lost a lot of trust (between Student Government and the student body)," Wicker said. "(Clegg) had racist remarks on social media and said racist and homophobic things that led students to not trust him. They did not feel he was actually representing the larger campus population.” Wicker and other senators are working to build back the partnership between Student Government and the student body and break free from the bad light. Student Government is able to regain trust by paying attention to what students want and making sure to speak effectively. “The best light for Student Government is to redo the way we are communicating with students, look at how we're doing outreach, understand how we talk to them and the kind of relationship Student Government plays within the student body,” Benbow said. “We’re a voice for representation to the administration.” According to Benbow, the dropping retention rates and population loss do not correspond with one another, nor is one issue the cause of the other. “I don't think the relationship to senators leaving has anything to do with the popularity of Student Government," Benbow said. "I think it has to do with the fact this is not easy work. It can be taxing on the life of a senator." When senators leave, Benbow said he

supports their choices and believes wellbeing is important while a part of any organization. “I'm very supportive of people's choices, freedoms and for them to decide what is best for them to do with their personal life,” Benbow said. “It's important for people to think about their mental and physical health. I want them to understand the service they have given to the student body has been a great one.”

"I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING HAPPENING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF STUDENTS. IT WAS JUST SENATORS SITTING IN A ROOM FOR HOURS ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER AND THEN LEGISLATION GETTING PASSED BUT NOT ENACTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION" - ALEXA BROWNING, FORMER STUDENT SENATOR

The University Star

3 | Tuesday, October 15, 2019

OPINIONS

Jordan Drake 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.

Letters to the editor

The University Star welcomes letters from our readers. Letters must be 500 words or fewer to be considered for publication. Please include your full name, mailing address, major and academic year designation, phone number and e-mail address when submitting a letter. Submissions that do not include this information cannot be published. This information is seen only by the editors and is not used for any commercial purpose. Letters become the property of The Star and may be republished in any format. The letter may be edited for length and clarity. You will be contacted if your letter is a candidate for publication. We will not run letters that are potentially libelous, discriminatory, obscene, threatening or promotional in nature. To make a submission, email stareditor@txst.edu

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

My assault was silenced by the university By Camelia Juarez Trigger warning: this story has graphic content that can be sensitive to some people. I am now a senior at Texas State and I fucking love this school, minus the fact we don’t have a great football team and have not been collecting accurate data on assault victims. I am angry the courage of at least 40 people was not made public. I am a sexual assault victim and was brave enough to speak up. Let me tell you how mortifying it was to become a statistic and have Texas State not recognize that pain. The day after my ex-boyfriend tried to force himself on me, scratches were still covering my skin and alcohol on my breath. I walked from my dorm to the University Police Department in Nueces. The student receptionist was on her phone until I said, “I think I was assaulted or whatever and want to report it.” After some time, I was placed in an interview room and told a female office how the perpetrator tore my underwear

and pushed me against a wall. Tears were brimming in my eyes as I asked the officer if I was coming off as dramatic. She believed my story. I had to show the officers the location I was assaulted, which was by the UAC bus loop. I pointed out there were cameras where it happened. However, those cameras do not work and were worthless to my investigation. Thanks, Texas State. Like so many other assault occurrences, I had nothing but my word. The police took pictures of the scratches on my arms and confiscated my torn up underwear as evidence. I had to write a police statement and sign my name next to the line of “Victim’s signature.” I am a documented survivor. Or so I thought. The whole process took months. Prosecutors called me and told me my ex-boyfriend’s lawyer was seeking a lesser punishment. His defense lawyer ended up serving as my criminal justice professor. I know this narrative sounds awful, but it was worth the fight. My assailant

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was charged with assault causing bodily injury and family violence. He had to take anger management classes and serve one year of probation. If he ever abuses another family member or partner physically, he will receive a felony charge. If he hurts another person, he will go to jail. I did that. I felt relieved hearing about a potential criminal record. It took months of strength to speak up only to be silenced by the university. Was my trauma not enough for Texas State to give a fuck? A good chunk of my friends are survivors and never reported their assault for various reasons. Maybe they felt as if the attack was not so bad or could have been worse. If it hurt, honey, it hurt. We should not compare our pain. Maybe survivors do not want to relive their assault through the reporting process or felt like no one would care about their experience. In a way, the university proved them right. Please call the police to report an assault. Camelia Juarez is a journalism senior

"WAS MY TRAUMA NOT ENOUGH FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO GIVE A FUCK?" - CAMELIA JUAREZ, JOURNALISM SENIOR

The University Star

4 | Tuesday, October 15, 2019

LIFE & ARTS

Laura Figi Life & Arts Editor starlifeandarts@txstate.edu

PHILANTHROPY

Freshman nursing student Faith Colley-Skipworth takes a selfie with graduate student Jesse Martinez to share on social media on Oct. 3 at the LBJ Mall. PHOTO BY REBECCA HARRELL

Lopez arranges signs for students to write why they stepped up for Texas State on Oct. 3 at the LBJ Mall. PHOTO BY REBECCA HARRELL

Fourth annual Step Up for State raises over $195,000 By Abby Gutierrez Life & Arts Reporter Step Up for State raised over $195,000 to fund projects and scholarships, helping students further their studies and pursue their dreams at Texas State. Step Up for State is an annual online giving event hosted on the Texas State website. Alumni and Texas State community members are encouraged to donate to the university’s newest projects, academic programs and scholarships. The event took place Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 for a total of 1,899 minutes, in honor of the university's founding year. According to the Texas State website, the event featured 42 projects that raised $196,945, as well as 2,845 gifts and/or donations. Director of Annual Giving Andrew Henley was the overseer for Step Up for State, start to finish. “We want the projects to hit their goals because the money raised goes directly toward programs and scholarships, which goes back to our students,” Henley said. “We know we’re successful when the projects feel like they raised the money needed to have a successful year.” The Maroon and Gold Annual Fund raised the most money at $13,848, according to the Texas State website. In the past, the money donated to this reserve has gone to funding university scholarships for students, Bobcat Bounty, the veteran academic success program and various forms of student support.

"WE KNOW WE'RE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THE PROJECTS FEEL LIKE THEY RAISED THE MONEY NEEDED TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL YEAR" - ANDREW HENLEY “In the past, (the Maroon and Gold Annual Fund) tends to be a go-to for some people who just want to donate to something broader,” Henley said. “This is probably the best year we’ve had for the fund.” Victoria Black is the project leader for the First Generation Proud Campaign,

which raised $3,206. “This is the second year we’ve participated and we have more than doubled the amount we were able to raise in the past,” Black said. Black said the funds for the event will provide resources to help students feel more comfortable with the transition to a university. Additionally, funds will go toward helping support the FirstGeneration Proud student organization which started 2018. “We want to be sure we leverage our resources and networks to be able to provide a really good experience for our students and celebrate their accomplishments,” Black said. “We’re happy our students are here and we’re proud of them for being here. We want them to feel like they’re supported.” Students are encouraged to donate to the cause as well. Every year, Step Up for State holds “Penny Wars” at the LBJ Mall, where event coordinators put out jars labeled for each college within Texas State. Students donated coins and dollar bills in support of fellow Bobcats and their own colleges. “It’s an opportunity to educate our students on philanthropy and what we’re doing within the university advancement,” Henley said. “A lot of time, the dollars we raise are benefiting them directly.” Sidney Lopez, graduate assistant for Alumni Relations, said Step Up for State has seen a significant increase in this year’s “Penny Wars” in comparison to the 2018 event.

“One of the main goals is to promote the sense of giving to the Texas State community,” Lopez said. “I think that’s a big part of why it is important to give back: it fosters a continued sense of pride for the university.” Philosophy professor Vincent Luizzi is head of the Annual Lecture and Dialogue on Ethics, which raised $2,885. This is the first year the project has been advertised with Step Up for State. Luizzi hopes to use the funds to create a permanent endowment for hosting a prominent person in ethics every year. Additionally, the money will go toward addressing ethical issues, facilitating discussion and delivering a lecture to the Texas State community. “(The fundraiser) will help to raise people’s ethical awareness, promote discussion and important ethical issues of our time,” Luizzi said. “As you raise awareness and promote discussion, you lay the groundwork for better conduct for everyone.” Henley said he and his team are hopeful for the upcoming year and are already looking at what more can be done for Step Up for State 2020. “We always want to do bigger and better," Henley said. "We want to make sure we are learning from the things we do and fine-tuning for the next year.” To view more information about the event’s projects and final numbers, visit the Step Up for State webpage on the Texas State website.

HEALTH

Breaking the stigma of epilepsy By Ivy Sandoval Life & Arts Reporter The Texas State Office of Disability Services held the second epilepsy training Monday, Oct. 7. The session was the third event ODS will host in the LBJ Student Center as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This was the second time the Office of Disability Services has hosted an epilepsy training. The event was open to all students, faculty and staff; with barely any open seats in the meeting room again. The training—provided by the Epilepsy Foundation of Central & South Texas—gave attendees information on epilepsy as well as thorough explanations of seizure types: generalized absence, generalized tonic-clonic, focal awareness and focal impaired-awareness seizures. The event focused on ways to approach each type of seizure in regards to offering help. Speakers as well as corrected misconceptions of seizures. The Epilepsy Foundation of Central & South Texas is a nonprofit agency providing education and training on epilepsy, seizure clinics, emergency medical assistance, counseling and support groups to those living with seizures and epilepsy. From 2-4 p.m. students, faculty and staff were taught how to handle situations where a person is having a seizure, along with do’s and don't's. The training provided information on first

Speaker Jessica Strom discusses Tonic-Clonic seizure emergencies Oct. 7 at the LBJ Student Center. PHOTO BY REBECCA HARRELL

aid, general information and facts about brought to campus by the concern epilepsy. of a student after they encountered a peer having a seizure during class and Cara Vocale, criminal justice freshman, no one knew how to react. ODS acted was one of the students who attended and by providing epilepsy training and said she learned more than anticipated. encouraging the Texas State community “I just wanted to be a good citizen to attend. and friend to people who have to deal Jessica Storm, programs manager for with epilepsy,” Vocale said. “I thought the Epilepsy Foundation of Central & (seizures) were just on the ground South Texas, said she is eager to present convulsing, but there are so many other to Texas State due to the unique way the things that can happen and I had no organization was contacted. idea. Not only do I know now, but I “I really like presenting to college know how to deal with them.” campuses and Texas State has been The epilepsy training was quickly very responsive, whereas some other

universities are more passive in their interactions regarding disability services,” Storm said. “We were contacted by a student from Texas State who witnessed another student having a seizure and thought more people needed to be aware of how to approach the issue. It’s nice to see that initiative in students.” Strom said she especially appreciates the responsiveness of the Office of Disability Services as well as interaction and enthusiasm from attendees. “The communication and enthusiasm between our office and the disability services have been fantastic,” Storm said. “The office has always wanted to make sure the services we provide are available to students.” Gavin Steiger, Office of Disability Services director, attended the training and said he was proud of the partnership and outreach between ODS and the Epilepsy Foundation. Collaboration defines what disability services are about. “This goes directly to the heart of what we are as an office try to do: provide education and awareness,” Steiger said. “If we can educate the campus community better on what seizures are, what they look like, how to respond to one—I think that will be beneficial to the campus community.” For more information on the Office of Disability Services and upcoming National Disability Employment Awareness Month events on campus, check the ODS website at ods.txstate.edu.

The University Star

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 | 5

LIFE & ARTS

Laura Figi Life & Arts Editor starlifeandarts@txstate.edu

STUDYING

Five study habits to drop this semester By Brianna Benitez Life & Arts Reporter With midterm season around the corner, students can find themselves overwhelmed and frustrated when it comes to completing assignments and studying. Feelings of exasperation might lead to procrastination, resulting in lastminute cramming. Here are five ways to break poor habits and become a better student. STUDYING IN THE WRONG ENVIRONMENT It may seem relaxing to study in the comfort of one's living room while reruns of a TV show play in the background. However, studying in an environment surrounded by distractions can lead to increased procrastination. Instead, students should study in an environment where they are able to concentrate and complete work. Study lounges are available around campus, local coffee shops and the library. It is important to note every student has a unique learning style, which should be considered when deciding on a location. For instance, the silence of the library might agitate some while the sound of a coffee shop's espresso machine may be too distracting for others. BEING DISORGANIZED Oftentimes, students start the school year off strong. They may neatly colorcode assignments in planners and have a designated notebook for each class. However, at this point in the semester, miscellaneous papers are often found at the bottom of backpacks, chemistry worksheets are in history notebooks and planners have been forgotten. For student success, it is important to take initiative in getting organized.

By forgetting due dates and rushing to complete assignments, students can be in danger of jeopardizing grades. Students can improve themselves by re-organization. Making an effort to clean out backpacks at least once a week and committing to writing down deadlines in planners can make all the difference. NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CAMPUS RESOURCES There are numerous on-campus and online resources created to help students academically, including Math Cats, Student Learning Assistant Center and Brilliant Bobcats. Staci Strauch is the Brilliant Bobcats coordinator, a workshop series part of the Student Success program. Brilliant Bobcats focuses on teaching students academic and professional skills like study tips, financial literacy and time management. Strauch said it is vital for students to take advantage of campus resources like Brillant Bobcats. Skills taught in these workshops will last attendees a lifetime. "We’re not teaching them skills acting as a bandaid where they're just gonna put it on for college and then take it off," Strauch said. "We're providing them with a skill set they're going to use the rest of their lives, like time and money management." The final Brilliant Bobcat workshop of the semester is 5:30-7 p.m., Nov. 11, in the Alkek Open Theater. The session will focus on how students can improve their science and math skills. Students unable to attend in-person workshops can participate through online modules via TRACS. INEFFECTIVE READING METHODS

Brilliant Bobcats hosted a reading and writing workshop Oct. 8 in the Alkek Open Theater. Speakers from SLAC presented a series of tips and exercises to help students enhance their reading and writing skills. One of the topics SLAC tutors focused on was reading methods. The presentation was broken down into three phases: the forethought, the performance and the review and reflection phase. During the forethought phase, students should plan and prepare for readings. Gathering materials, setting aside time to read are included in this phase. During the performance phase, students should strategize and execute techniques such as sectioning and annotating the text. Lastly, during the review and reflection phase, students should reflect on the material they have read and consider how their class connects to the text. Practicing techniques can encourage students to become engaged in the text and allow them to better comprehend the material learned inside and outside the classroom. FAILING TO ASK FOR HELP Students might feel timid when it comes to reaching out to professors or other campus resources when struggling academically. However, faculty and staff are willing and ready to help however possible. Alexis Patterson, electronic media junior, attended the Oct. 8 Brilliant Bobcats workshop. She was looking for opportunities to help herself improve academically and break poor study habits. "I came to take away new ideas on how to study," Patterson said. "Now that I'm in my junior year, it has become a

Alkek Library, a popular study space at Texas State. PHOTO BY BRIANNA BENITEZ

lot easier to fall behind and slack in my classes." Patterson said although she has been in college for years, she can continue learning tips pushing her to improve as a student. Sarah Jackson, graduate assistant for Brilliant Bobcats, is responsible for coordinating the workshops and planning out topics for each session. Jackson said she hopes the series helps students understand they are not alone in the struggles of college. These programs and resources are designed to aid with the frustrations of not knowing how to study or understanding a topic. "The people running these programs are doing it for a reason," Jackson said. "We enjoy helping students. It is a part of our jobs and it is what we love to do." For more information regarding campus resources and study skills, visit Student Sucess online.

POLITICS

Organizations encourage student political activism By Madyson Sanchez Life & Arts Reporter Editor's note: City Councilman Ed Mihalkanin's comments do not reflect values or opinions on behalf of Texas State University or the San Marcos City Government. Young Conservatives of Texas and University Libertarians were unavailable for comment. According to data released April 2019 by the United States Census Bureau, turnout for 18-to-29-year-old voters went from 20% in 2014 to 36% in 2018, the largest percentage point increase for any age group. Young voters in the U.S., specifically those attending a college or university, account for half of the voting population. With Election Day Nov. 5 in San Marcos, student government associations at Texas State are encouraging students to register to vote and voice their opinions. Ed Mihalkanin, Place 3 San Marcos City Councilman, spoke about the importance of students being active in local government. "As a general rule in the United States, if someone begins to be politically or civically active at a younger age, they are more likely to be civically engaged their entire life," Mihalkanin said. For the past few weeks, voter registration opportunities were held by Texas State Student Government on the main floor of Alkek Library. Leadership Institute is an organization with intentions of turning students into leaders. The group held "Call To Action" Sept. 24, National Voter Registration Day, at LBJ Student Center 3-3.1 to provide an opportunity for student voter registration oncampus. The event featured the League of Women Voters during an interactive workshop to encourage students to be civically engaged in the San Marcos

community. According to Student Government's Twitter, @txstsg, Texas State University registered more voters than any other school in the state of Texas. "Students are impacted by local government every single day," Texas State Alumnus and City Council Place 1 candidate Maxfield Baker said. "Even though (Texas State) students think they are only here for a couple of years, they are still impacted by local decisions daily." The Student Organization Council at Texas State offers students opportunities to be politically active and aware by joining campus political organizations like College Democrats at Texas State, University Libertarians and Young Conservatives of Texas. Political groups can be seen on The Quad or accessed through the Student Organizations Council on the LBJ Student Center website. "I believe everyone should have a say in how their life is governed," marketing senior and member of Young Democratic Socialists of America Cody Rutz said."It's especially important (to vote) when it comes to local elections because it tends to have the most influence over your life." For the upcoming local election Nov. 5, several individuals will be running for Place 1 and Place 2 on the San Marcos City Council. Residents of Hays County may vote in the LBJ Student Center during the early voting period of Oct. 21 through Nov. 1. "Anything I would say to my fellow citizens, I would say to myself as well," Mihalkanin said. "Be an informed citizen. Know the issues, and know the candidates." For more information about voting at Texas State or the upcoming election, please visit the Texas State Student Government website at studentgovernment.dos.txstate. edu.

s t n e s Pre

7 1 . t c O Tickets Available at UniversityStar.com/StarStories

Storytellers

Frannie Sheinberg Glynis Christine Daniel Guerrero John Sculley

Amani Seay Derek Dillard Jessica Soukup Jonnie Wilson

"Make up a story. For our sake and yours forget your name in the street; tell us what the world has been to you in the dark places and in the light. Don’t tell us what to believe, what to fear. Show us belief’s wide skirt and the stitch that unravels fear’s caul.” ― Toni Morrison, The Nobel Lecture In Literature, 1993 Supported by a grant from the Office of Equity and Inclusion, as well as a sponsorship from Texas State Common Experience. Trigger warning - Some stories include descriptions of abuse, mental illness, sexual assault and other issues.

The University Star

6 | Tuesday, October 15, 2019

ELECTION FAQ CAN I VOTE? Anyone registered to vote in Hays County by Oct. 7 may vote in this election. Home address adjustments—including a county change—must be done Oct. 7 to be eligible to vote. To see if registered to vote in Hays County or not, visit the secretary of state "am I registered?" site.

voters must go to their designated precinct listed on their voter ID or secretary of state website. Voting precincts have changed to comply with the maximum number of 5,000 registered voters per precinct, including 110, 113, 114, 115, 120, 121, 122, 123, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 220, 221, 222, 224, 235, 227, 228, 231, 233, 336, 340, 337, 338, 443, 446, 444, 445 and 448. WHAT AM I VOTING ON? There are eight state amendments, Voters affected by the change will two San Marcos City Council places receive a new voter ID November and Hays County propositions to 2019. vote on this election season. State propositions include WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING an amendment permitting an WHEN I VOTE? individual from holding more than one office as municipal judge, allowing increased distributions to available school funds and allowing the transfer of a law-enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances. San Marcos City Council Place 1 and Place 2 are up for election. City council positions are three-year One form of photo identification is terms. Place 1, held by Lisa Prewitt, has required to vote. Accepted forms of Maxfield Baker and Mark Gleason identification include a Texas drivers on the ballot. Incumbent Saul license, Texas election certificate, Gonzales is running again for Place Texas ID, Texas handgun license, 2, alongside “LMC” Lisa Marie U.S. military ID, U.S. citizenship certificate and U.S. passport. Coppoletta and Devin Barrett. Any of these identifiers expired up to four years is acceptable. WHERE DO I VOTE? During early voting, registered For more information on the voters can head to the ballot at any election, visit https://hayscountytx. precinct, including the LBJ Student com/departments/elections/currentCenter. However, on Election Day, year-elections/.

2019 ELECTION

GUIDE SAMPLE BALLOT

EARLY VOTING SCHEDULE MONDAY, 10/21 - FRIDAY, 10/25 SATURDAY, 10/26 MONDAY, 10/28 - WEDNESDAY 10/30 THURSDAY, 10/31 - FRIDAY, 11/1

Preview Ballot 09/23/2019 12:03:14 2019 General Election

Elección General de 2019

November 5, 2019

5 de noviembre de 2019

Sample Only All Contests Sólo Prueba All Contests

Hays County, Texas

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Condado de Hays, Texas

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State Estado

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 6 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 6

City of Austin Ciudad de Austin

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 1 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 1

Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

Special Election, City of Austin, Prop. A Elección Especial de la Ciudad de Austin, Proposición A

The constitutional amendment permitting a person to hold more than one office as a municipal judge at the same time. Enmienda constitucional que permite a una persona ocupar más de un cargo como juez municipal al mismo tiempo.

The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Enmienda constitucional que autoriza a la Legislatura aumentar en $3,000 millones la cantidad máxima de bonos autorizada para el Instituto de Prevención e Investigación del Cáncer de Texas. For A Favor

For A Favor

Against En Contra

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 2 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 2

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 7 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 7

Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

The constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board in an amount not to exceed $200 million to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas. Enmienda constitucional que prevé la emisión adicional de bonos de obligaciones generales por parte de la Junta de Desarrollo de Recursos Hídricos de Texas por un monto que no exceda los $200 millones, para brindar asistencia financiera para el desarrollo de ciertos proyectos en áreas con dificultades económicas. For A Favor

The constitutional amendment allowing increased distributions to the available school fund. Enmienda constitucional que permite mayores distribucciones al fondo escolar disponsible. For A Favor Against En Contra

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 8 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 8 Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects.

Against En Contra

Enmienda constitucional que prevé la creación del fondo de infraestructura contra inundaciones para ayudar a financiar proyectos de alcantarillado, mitigación de inundaciones y control de inundaciones.

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 3 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 3 Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster. Enmienda constitucional que autoriza a la Legislatura considerar una exención temporal de los impuestos ad valorem de una parte del valor de tasación de ciertos bienes dañados por un desastre. For A Favor Against En Contra

For A Favor Against En Contra

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 9 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 9 Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state. Enmienda constitucional que autoriza a la Legislatura eximir de impuestos ad valorem a los metales preciosos guardados en us depósito de metales preciosos con sede en este Estado.

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 4 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 4 Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

For A Favor

The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual income tax, including a tax on an individual's share of partnership and unincorportaed association income. Enmienda constitucional que prohíbe la imposición de un impuesto sobre la renta individual, incluido un impuesto sobre los ingresos de una persona participante en una sociedad o en una asociación no incorporada. For A Favor

Against En Contra

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 10 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 10 Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

The constitutional amendment to allow the transfer of a law enforcement animal to a qualified caretaker in certain circumstances. Enmienda constitucional para permitir, en ciertas circunstancias, la transferencia de animales de las fuerzas del orden a un cuidador calificado.

Against En Contra

State of Texas Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 5 Enmienda a la Constitución del Estado de Texas, Propuesta 5

For A Favor

Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

Against En Contra

The constitutional amendment dedicating the revenue received from the existing state sales and use taxes that are imposed on sporting goods to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Historical Commission to protect Texas' natural areas, water quality, and history by acquiring, managing, and improving state and local parks and historic sites while not increasing the rate of the state sales and use taxes. Enmienda constitucional que asigna los ingresos derivados de los actuales impuestos estatales sobre la venta y el uso aplicados a los artículos deportivos, al Departamento de Parues y Vida Silvestre de Texas y la Comisión Histórica de Texas para proteger las áreas naturales, la calidad del agua y la historia de Texas mediante la adquisición, gestión y mejoramiento de los parques y sitios históricos estatales y locales, sin aumentar la tasa impositiva sobre la venta y el uso.

Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

Shall a city ordinance be adopted that requires that a sale, lease, conveyance, mortgage, or other alienation of Cityowned land for any existing or future youth, recreational, or professional sports facility or any existing or future entertainment facility be approved by a supermajority vote of council (9 of 11 members) and also be approved by the voters at an election for which the City must pay; requires that any site development permits and variances related thereto be approved by a supermajority vote of council (9 of 11 members); requires that site development permits and variances related thereto be approved by the voters at an election for which the City must pay, if the sale, lease, conveyance, mortgage, or other alienation of City-owned land for the facility has not already obtained voter approval; requires that the facility post payment and performance bonds and pay ad valorem taxes, or payments equal to the amount of ad valorem taxes; and requires that all information concerning such sale, lease, conveyance, mortgage, or other alienation shall be disclosed to the public?

89299

Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

8 A.M. - 5 P.M. 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. 8 A.M. - 5 P.M. 7 A.M. -7 P.M.

SAN MARCOS EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS HAYS COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER

¿Será adoptada una ordenanza de la Ciudad que requiere que cualquier venta, arrendamiento, traspaso, hipoteca, u otra enajenación de terreno que es propiedad de la Ciudad para cualquier existente o futura facilidad deportiva juvenil, recreativa, o profesional, o para cualquier facilidad existente o futura de entretenimiento sea aprobada por un voto de super mayoría del consejo (9 de 11 miembros) y que además deberá ser aprobada por los votantes en una elección que la Ciudad deberá pagar; requiere que cualquier permiso y variación para desarrollar el sitio relacionado a lo mismo serán aprobados por los votantes en una elección que la Ciudad deberá pagar, si la venta, arrendamiento, traspaso, hipoteca, u otra enajenación de terreno propiedad de la Ciudad para la facilidad no ha previamente obtenido la aprobación de los votantes; requiere que la facilidad provee garantías de pagos anticipados y ejecución de contratos y que pague impuestos ad valorem, o pagos equivalentes a la cantidad de impuestos ad valorem; y requiere que toda información pertinente a dicha venta, arrendamiento, traspaso, hipoteca, u otra enajenación sea revelada al público?

712 SOUTH STAGECOACH TRAIL HAYS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT/ LIVE OAK HEALTH 401 BROADWAY ST. #A

For A Favor Against En Contra

Special Election, City of Austin, Prop. B Elección Especial de la Ciudad de Austin, Proposición B Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

SINAI PENTECOSTAL CHURCH

Shall an ordinance be adopted that prioritizes the use of Austin's Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue by continuing the City practice to spend 15% of the Austin Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue on cultural arts and 15% on historic preservation, limiting the City's spending to construct, operate, maintain, or promote the Austin Convention Center to 34% of Austin's Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue, and requiring all remaining Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue to support and enhance Austin's Cultural Tourism Industry to the potential exclusion of other allowable uses under the Tax code; and requires the City to obtain voter approval and public oversight for convention-center improvement and expansion costing more than $20,000,000? ¿Será adoptada una ordenanza que priorice el uso de ingresos del Impuesto Hotelero Sobre Hospedaje de Austin continuando la práctica de la Ciudad de gastar 15% de los ingresos del Impuesto Hotelero Sobre Hospedaje de Austin en las artes culturales y 15% en preservación histórica, limintando gastos de la Ciudad para construir, operar, mantener, o promover el Austin Convention Center a 34% de ingresos del Impuesto Hotelero Sobre Hospedaje de Austin, y requerir que todos los ingresos restantes del Impuesto Hotelero Sobre Hospedaje sean para apoyar y realzar la Industria de Turismo Cultural de Austin con el potencial de excluir otros usos permitidos bajo el Código de Impuestos; y requiere que la Ciudad obtenga aprobación de los votantes y supervisión del público para gastos de mejoras y expansión del centro de convenciones que cuesten más de $20,000,000?

208 LAREDO ST. TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY - LBJ STUDENT CENTER 301 STUDENT CENTER DRIVE

For A Favor Against En Contra

For A Favor

City of Buda Ciudad de Buda

Against En Contra

City of Buda General Election, Position 1 At-Large (Place 1) - Uncontested Race Declared Elected: Lee Urbanovsky Elección General de Buda, Lugar número 1 en general (lugar número 1) Incontestado Declarado Elegido: Lee Urbanovsky

ELECTION DAY

NOVEMBER 5

City of Buda General Election, Single Member District C (formerly Place 2) Elección General de Buda, Distrito Uninominal C (antes lugar número 2) Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno. Terry Cummings Jeffery K. Morales

7 A.M. - 7 P.M.

Read Both Sides of the Ballot / Leer ambos lados de la boleta

Preview Ballot 09/23/2019 12:03:14 2019 General Election

Elección General de 2019 5 de noviembre de 2019

Page 2 of 2

Condado de Hays, Texas

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City of Kyle Ciudad de Kyle

ESD #9 Distrito de Servicios de Emergencia

City of Kyle General Election, City Council, District 1 Elección General de la Ciudad de Kyle, Ayuntamiento, Distrito número 1

Hays County Emergency Services District No. 9 Special Election, Proposition No. 1 Elección Especial de Distrito de Servicios de Emergencia Número 9, Proposición número 1

Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno. Yvonne Flores-Cale Dex Ellison City of Kyle General Election, City Council, District 3 Elección General de la Ciudad de Kyle, Ayuntamiento, Distrito número 3 Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno. Amanda L. Stark Robert Rizo City of San Marcos Ciudad de San Marcos City of San Marcos General Election, City Council, Place 1 Elección General de la Ciudad de San Marcos, Ayuntamiento, Lugar número 1 Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno. Maxfield Baker Mark Gleason City of San Marcos General Election, City Council, Place 2 Elección General de la Ciudad de San Marcos, Ayuntamiento, Lugar número 2 Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno. Saul Gonzales "LMC" Lisa Marie Coppoletta Devin Barrett

Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

Adding the area within the city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction of the cities of Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, and Creedmoor, and the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the cities of Uhland, Austin, and Dripping Springs, to the extent those areas are within Hays County and not already within the boundaries of Hays County ESD No. 9, Hays County ESD No. 2 and North Hays County ESD No. 1, to the Hays County ESD No. 9, and that area assuming its proportionate share of the outstanding debts and taxes of Hays County ESD No. 9, if the area is added to the District. Agregar el área dentro de los límites de la ciudad y de la jurisdicción extraterritorial de las ciudades de Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, y Creedmoor, y la jurisdicción extraterritorial de la ciudades de Uhland, Austin, y Dripping Springs, hasta el punto de que dichas áreas estén dentro del Condado Hays y que al momento no sean incluidas dentro de los límites de Hays County ESD No. 9, Hays County ESD No. 2 y North Hays County ESD No. 1, para que sean parte de Hays County ESD No. 9, y que dicha área asuma su parte proporcionada de la deuda e impuestos pendientes de Hays County ESD No. 9, si el área es agregada al Distrito. For A Favor

Headwaters MUD Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales Headwaters Municipal Utility District of Hays County Special Election, Proposition A Elección Especial del Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales de Headwaters, Proposición A

City of Woodcreek General Election, Mayor - Uncontested Race Elección General de la Ciudad de Woodcreek, Alcalde - incontestado

Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

Gloria Whitehead City of Woodcreek General Election, City Council, at-Large Elección General de la Ciudad de Woodcreek, Ayuntamiento, en general Vote for none, one, or two. Vote para ninguno, uno, o dos. Brent H. Pulley Chrys Grummert Charlie LeCompte WISD Distrito escolar Wimberley Independent School District General Election, Place 4 Elección General del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Wimberley, Lugar número 4 Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno. Suzanne White Will Conley Wimberley Independent School District General Election, Place 5 Uncontested Race Elección General del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Wimberley, Lugar número 5 incontestado Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno. Joe Malone

CENTRO CULTURAL HISPANO - 211 LEE ST. HAYS COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER - 712 SOUTH STAGECOACH SAN MARCOS ACTIVITY CENTER - 501 EAST HOPKINS ST. SAN MARCOS FIRE STATION #5 - 100 CARLSON CIRCLE SAN MARCOS HOUSING AUTHORITY/ CM ALLEN HOMES - 820 STURGEON DRIVE STONE BROOK SENIORS - 300 SOUTH STAGECOACH TRAIL TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY – LBJ STUDENT CENTER- 301 STUDENT CENTER DRIVE KYLE

Against En Contra

City of Woodcreek Ciudad de Woodcreek

Vote for none or one. Vote para ninguno o uno.

SAN MARCOS

Sample Only All Contests Sólo Prueba All Contests

Hays County, Texas

89299

November 5, 2019

Designating the Headwaters commercial defined area. Designar el área definida comercial de Headwaters. For A Favor

ACC CAMPUS HAYS - 1200 KOHLERS CROSSING KYLE CITY HALL - 100 WEST CENTER ST. TOBIAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - 1005 EAST FM 150 WALLACE MIDDLE SCHOOL - 1500 WEST CENTER ST.

Against En Contra

Headwaters Municipal Utility District of Hays County Special Election, Proposition B Elección Especial del Distrito de Servicios Públicos Municipales de Headwaters, Proposición B Vote for or against. Vote a favor o en contra.

The issuance of $138,500,000 bonds for water, wastewater and drainage system facilities to serve the Headwaters commercial defined area and the levy of taxes in payment of the bonds. La emisión de $138,500,000 en bonos para instalaciones del sistema de agua, aguas residuales y drenaje para brindar servicio en el área definida comercial de Headwaters y la imposición de impuestos para el pago de los bonos. For A Favor Against En Contra

BUDA

BUDA CITY HALL - 405 EAST LOOP ST. BUDA ELEMENTARY UPPER CAMPUS - 300 SAN MARCOS ST. AUSTIN BELTERRA CENTRE - 151 TRINITY HILLS DR. DRIFTWOOD FIRE STATION #2 - 15850 FM 1826 LEDGESTONE SENIOR LIVING - 13150 FOUR STAR BLVD.

The University Star

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 | 7

MARK GLEASON

PLACE 1 MAXFIELD BAKER

When the floods of 2015 devastated our community, everyone including Bobcats pulled together to help each other in restoring our homes and properties to be clean, safe, and livable. My neighbors and I have benefitted from the volunteer spirit of Texas State University students through the tremendous efforts during flood clean up and Bobcat Build. As a City Council candidate, my vision for San Marcos includes: -wisely spend tax dollars and promote fiscal accountability -lower property taxes which benefits homeowners, business owners, and renters -attract good paying jobs protect our beautiful rivers and greenspaces -preserve our existing neighborhoods -promote the history and heritage of San Marcos -grow local businesses and support entrepreneurs -ensure responsible, sustainable growth and development -support multi-modal transportation The future is bright for San Marcos! I look forward to leading our community as your next City Council member. Thank you, Bobcats, for your consideration. I ask you to vote for Mark Gleason.

DEVIN BARRETT

I’m a TXST alumnus, class of 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Political Science. I also operate a small local business and serve as a Planning and Zoning Commissioner. We need to address our affordable housing crisis, social justice issues, and ensure that we protect our water resources. San Marcos needs representation that will confront these issues head on, update the community about ongoing and future projects, and guide our city towards healthy growth. Our community cannot afford luxury apartment complexes, we cannot ignore our overcrowded jails full of low-level offenders, and we should not compromise our aquifer or river for the sake of economic development. As your Place One Representative, I will approach policy questions from an empathetic perspective to make sure we’re considering all the tangible impacts of a decision. Whether you’re here for a degree, or here to stay, San Marcos is your home now and I hope to earn your vote this year. You can visit www.BakerforSMTX.comto learn more about my platform, or sign up to volunteer. I will be on campus for the first day of early voting on October 21st, and look forward to meeting you.

PLACE 2

My name is Devin Barrett and I am a student at Texas State University in my fourth year studying political science. I am running for City Council Place 2 so that students can get a voice in San Marcos, so that we can solve the problems in student housing and parking. We have increasing issues with the state of the student housing complexes in San Marcos; from the fact that we are paying on the first of August but aren't allowed to move in until almost the end of that month. On the City Council, I would work to establish a Renters Commission to provide oversight and resources so that we know what we are signing for and holding properties accountable. If elected, I would be a voice for every student and citizen of this city so that we aren't just residents, but locals that feel apart of this unique community. I have been a member of the San Marcos Human Services Advisory Board since the spring of 2018 and Model Arab League at Texas State since freshman year, both give me the experience needed to bring our issues to the council and give us a voice in San Marcos.

LISA MARIE COPPOLETTA I have been involved in San Marcos for thirty years. I ran for City Council twice as a student. It is perplexing to me why current City Council keeps redirecting residents to the Austin City Council when disaster strikes. If City Council desires affordable housing and a walkable city, we must have an organizational body situated in San Marcos. Austin is a long walk for a Tennant’s Council. B.A. and M.A. Southwest Texas State University in Communication Studies. I was a speech communication professor for three decades teaching first generation students, veterans, and those with disabilities. I passed an ordinance notifying students signing a lease that they live in a flood zone. I would implement text alert systems to warn students of manhunt incidents such as the SWAT situation at Bracewood earlier this fall. I would also lobby that Texas State is more proactive to cancel class during flash flood events. Texas State Students You’ve Got A Shark On YOUR Side!

SAUL GONZALES I am Saul Gonzales, a lifelong resident of San Marcos. I am currently serving as the city council member Place 2. I have seen our city and university grow over the last 50 years. The vitality of the city and university are extremely important to me. I have had 3 children graduate from Texas State and my daughter will graduate in December. I believe cooperation and communication between the city council, students and university staff is essential for the health of San Marcos. My goal, as your councilman, would be to work with the university to solve issues the students have with parking, housing and safety concerns. I would particularly like to see the San Marcos police and university police work together to protect our students and citizens. I have worked to provide housing solutions while protecting the integrity and beauty of our downtown area. I have voted to increase business interests and expansion to San Marcos, these would provide technology and business job positions to promote our college graduates to stay in our city. I want to encourage our students to be a part of the life of the city. I am a native San Marcan and want to ensure the beauty and cleanliness of the river while protecting our aquifer and native species. Early voting will be on campus from October 21st to November 1st. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th. Please vote for me, Saul Gonzales, father and friend of students.

The University Star

8 | Tuesday, October 15, 2019

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The University Star

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 | 9

SPORTS

Claire Partain Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball dominates weekend with fourth straight sweep By Cade Andrews Sports Reporter Texas State volleyball secured their fourth-straight sweep with two easy wins over the weekend, sweeping Georgia State on Friday and Georgia Southern on Saturday at home. The wins, which marked their ninth sweep of the season and eleventh win in the past 13 games, moved the 'Cats to 14-7 and 6-1 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Bobcats took Strahan by storm and swept Georgia Southern 25-10, 25-15, 2513 for their 18th consecutive conference win at home on Saturday. Georgia Southern dropped to 6-11 and 1-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. The 'Cats kicked off the first set with a 14-3 advantage before Georgia Southern burned their second timeout. The following two sets they stayed hot as they gained an early lead in both sets. Georgia Southern kept the third set closer coming back from a 17-6 deficit before scoring six of the next eight points to cut the margin to 19-12. The Bobcats stopped the Eagles in their tracks, however, blowing the match out with a 6-1 run to finish the set 25-13. Head Coach Karen Chisum said that the team swept both Georgia teams by landing kill after kill and taking an offensive stance. "That was (an) all-around good match for us," Chisum said. "We hit .449, so

you cannot complain about that, and we kept Georgia Southern from getting in any kind of rhythm. We served well and had nine aces. If there is one thing we have to improve, it is our blocking, but that will come." The Bobcats recorded a season-high hitting percentage with 49 kills on 89 swings and nine errors. Texas State took the game in kills (49-23), hitting percentage (.449-.139), assists (41-22) and aces (9-1). The sweep came after another commanding win at Strahan on Friday for the annual Pink Out match. The 'Cats dominated Georgia State from start to finish on Friday, sweeping the Panthers 25-10, 25-6, 25-17 to improve their home winning streak to six. Chisum said the team had a solid performance but could always do better and praised the crowd turnout for the Pink Out game. "I told the kids that we are pretty good and steady right now but by November we still have to be better," Chisum said. "We dominated and had very few errors. That was great, and we really had a great crowd tonight. I am glad as we raised money for breast cancer awareness." Freshman outside hitter Lauren Teske led the team with nine kills, while junior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott was just behind with eight kills, a .438 attacking percentage and a match-high five blocks.

PICK 'EM

Sophomore Jillian Slaughter hit a matchhigh .778 after recording seven kills. Sophomore Emily DeWalt paced both teams with 29 assists and recorded four digs, three kills, two aces and two blocks. Senior outside hitter Cheyenne Huskey led the team with 11 digs and added six kills and four blocks. DeWalt said her teammates' adaptability is the reason she was able to make plays and set them up for kills. "My teammates were always ready for the set no matter where I was," DeWalt said. "The passing struggled in the beginning but we picked it up and they were ready and dominated tonight. Our loss against Arkansas State lit a fire under our butts to be better." The team has used that loss and the pressure of conference play to practice even harder than before, junior libero Brooke Johnson said. "We have increased the intensity in our practices lately," Johnson said. "Now that it's conference, it's more motivating to get in the gym because we know we have to win." Texas State will finish its home stretch next weekend with 6:30 p.m. matches against Troy Friday and South Alabama on Saturday. For more information and updates on everything Texas State volleyball, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

"NOW THAT IT'S CONFERENCE, IT'S MORE MOTIVATING TO GET IN THE GYM BECAUSE WE KNOW WE HAVE TO WIN" - BROOKE JOHNSON, JUNIOR LIBERO

SOCCER

Editor's note: The University Star sports and editorial staff, as well as a guest picker each week, predict the outcomes for the coming week of the college football schedule. This week goes as follows. Louisiana-Lafayette @ Arkansas State 7:30 P.M. Oct. 17 at Centennial Bank Stadium, Jomesboro, AR. Michigan @ Penn State 6:30 P.M. Oct. 19 at Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA. Temple @ SMU 2:30 P.M. Oct. 19 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, University Park, TX..

JAKOB R. RODRIGUEZ (14-7)

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Louisiana-Lafayette Penn State SMU

CLAIRE PARTAIN (14-7)

SPORTS EDITOR Louisiana-Lafayette Penn State SMU

COLTON MCWILLIAMS (13-8)

SPORTS REPORTER Louisiana-Lafayette Penn State SMU

ANDREW ZIMMEL (13-8)

SPORTS REPORTER Louisiana-Lafayette Penn State SMU

GUEST PICKER: BELLA LOPES, Engagement Editor of The University Star Guest picker record: last set by Corey Benbow, student government president (12-9) Arkansas State Penn State SMU Last Week's scores: 24-14 ULM | 34-27 Oklahoma | 33-30 Baylor

Soccer ups win streak to three against Louisiana By Aidan Bea & Caleb Howell Sports Reporters After a lackluster seven-game losing streak earlier in the season, the Texas State soccer team won their third-match straight with a narrow 1-0 win over the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns at home on Friday. The Bobcats’ record now stands at 7-52 overall this season and 3-2-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. The team continued to show their dominance over Lafayette with the win, moving to 6-1 all-time against the Ragin’ Cajuns. The lone goal of the game came 25 minutes in off of the foot of junior midfielder Mackenzie Smith, who placed the shot off an assist from senior forward Kaylee Davis. A deflected shot from Davis off the bottom center of the goal was recovered by Smith, who then secured the ball and put it into the net to give the Bobcats the 1-0 lead. Smith credits her goal to practicing shot recovery with Davis. “It felt really good,” Smith said. “We’ve really been working on following each other’s shots, so it felt really good to be there and be able to finish Kaylee’s shot.” Despite taking 12 shots as a team, Smith’s goal was the only score of the match, something that has put the ‘Cats in jeopardy earlier in the season. Smith said that the team still has improvements to make offensively. “I definitely have faith in my team but we need to score more,” Smith said. “We need to make more opportunities for ourselves.” Despite losing the game, the Cajuns held possession for most of the game and attacked the goal relentlessly. The game was salvaged on the backs of the Bobcat defense, who kept Lafayette at bay despite intense offensive pressure from the Cajuns. Senior goalkeeper Heather Martin said that the team's defense is the most consistent part of the team, and each player maintains the back line to keep the other team out of the goal. “We definitely felt the pressure, but I would say that they (the defenders) handled it well, they always do,” Martin said. “They’re the most composed group of girls under pressure that I’ve ever seen.” Martin weathered the storm herself,

finishing the game with seven saves to secure the team’s third shutout in a row. She said that the team was focused on keeping their momentum coming into the game. “We came in (and) we knew we needed a win,” Martin said. “We knew we needed to keep this streak rolling, and we knew that it was important to keep our momentum. These girls knew how important it was and they obviously rose to the challenge and put it away.” Lafayette played stingy defense throughout the game under the leadership of sophomore defender Gwen Mummert, only allowing six shots on goal in the game. Head Coach Kat Conner said that the team was aware of Mummert’s solid defense and developed a plan to combat her. “We know she is their organizer in the back and we know that she does a great job of getting them to understand where to play, but we also know that when they play the three back it leaves her a little exposed,” Conner said. “So we were actually looking to try to get in behind her and kind of get her on the run a little bit.” The ‘Cats have managed eight goals in the past three matches, more than all of the goals combined earlier in the regular season. Conner attributes quicker gameplay to their recent win streak. “I think it’s a little bit more focus and grit that we’re trying to push and go towards the goal quicker than we normally (do),” Conner said. “We’d sometimes like to put passes together and now we’re just looking to go a little bit faster.” After an 0-2-1 early conference record, the ‘Cats are aware that each game counts as they attempt to salvage their season and advance to postseason, Conner said. “Right now I think the whole focus all of us are having is to punch that ticket one more time,” Conner said. “We’re trying to get our ticket to go to the postseason tournament, so that’s the main focus. Each game, one-by-one, (we’ll) punch the ticket and see where we go in the first week of November.” The ‘Cats are now 3-2-1 in conference, with the win against Lafayette contributing to postseason qualification. The Bobcats must continue to rise to the challenge and climb the Sun Belt standings as they look to keep up their win streak at Coastal Carolina on Friday.

The University Star

10 | Tuesday, October 15, 2019

SPORTS

Claire Partain Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu

FOOTBALL

Mistakes plague Bobcats in first conference loss By Dedrick Johnson Sports Reporter After two straight wins and a week of rest, the Bobcats were unable to tie for first in conference, losing 24-14 at home against the University of LouisianaMonroe late Thursday night. Texas State lost their win streak on a nationally-televised stage and took a step back to 1-1 in conference play with a 2-4 overall record. ULM wasted no time getting points on the board, kicking off the game with an easy 75-yard march down the field to put them up 7-0. Monroe running back Josh Johnson finished this drive off by punching it in from the goal line on a 1-yard touchdown run. Johnson entered this game leading the Sun Belt in rushing and kept his momentum with 114 yards and two touchdowns against the 'Cats. Offensively, the Bobcats were able to put together solid drives but couldn’t find ways to get the ball in the endzone. The 'Cats ended their first drive with a turnover on downs after an incomplete pass. Throughout the course of the game the offense had several issues with the snap, pass protection problems and costly dropped passes. The offense still needs to step up and find ways to put the ball in the endzone, Head Coach Jake Spavital said. “We have to figure out how to move the football,” Spavital said. “Offensively we are playing pretty poor right now, so we have to get back to the drawing boards." The Bobcats' first touchdown came in the second quarter from true freshman running back Calvin Hill, who hit the outside and got in the endzone from three yards out to making the score 147. The touchdown was Hill's second collegiate carry. A surprise came for the 'Cats as the time ran out of the third quarter when

Freshman Calvin Hill, (22), celebrates after scoring his first collegiate touchdown Oct. 10 against Louisiana-Monroe at Bobcat Stadium. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS

Junior quarterback Gresch Jensen, (2), passes the ball downfield to an open receiver Oct. 10 against Louisiana-Monroe at Bobcat Stadium. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS

starting quarterback Gresch Jensen was replaced by sophomore Tyler Vitt. In his first snap of the game, Vitt threw a dot to sophomore receiver Trevis Graham Jr. across the middle for a 62-yard touchdown to tighten the score at 17-14. Graham said the play was a huge momentum swing for the team and says that the play was even more special because he and Vitt were previously roommates. “We’ve been working this play all week and when I got the call, I knew it was going to be a big play,” Graham said. "We are so close, and we are always hanging out, (so) it just felt like we were playing backyard football. The game was sealed late in the 4th quarter after Vitt threw an interception and the Warhawks ran the clock out to

conclude the game 24-14. The Bobcats were plagued with injuries throughout the game, with several of their key players on both sides of the ball missing crucial game time. Starting quarterback Gresch Jensen was benched after one too many sacks caused him to miss the second half for concussion protocol, shaking up the entire lineup of the game. Sophomore running back Caleb Twyford also left the game after the first half, but not before leading the team in rushing with 78 yards off of 10 carries. It was challenging to get into a groove with many important players hurt, according to Spavital. “It was tough to get into a rhythm when we are moving and shuffling so many guys,” Spavital said.

Texas State's defense kept up their reputation with another solid performance, coming up with two key turnovers to keep the ball out of Warhawk hands. Senior Jashon Waddy caught his second straight interception in two games off of a deep ball early in the game. Another turnover came from a stripped fumble forced by sophomore defensive lineman Nico Ezidore, which was quickly scooped by senior linebacker Clifton Lewis for a 26-yard run. Senior linebacker Bryan London III, who was out last game due to minor injuries, came back with a vengeance Thursday night to pace the team with 11 tackles. London also made history by recording his 400th career tackle during the game, putting him in the Texas State record books as only the third Bobcat to reach this mark. Lewis said that he enjoys playing alongside London and believes he makes a big impact on the team. “Bryan has been the captain for our team for 4 years," Lewis said. "When he steps on the field it gives our team a boost.” The 'Cats will go on a 16-day break with another bye week, giving them time to get everyone healthy once again as they look to turn things around on the road against Arkansas State on October 26.