NEW OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AIMS TO MAKE CAMPUS GREENER
SEE PAGE 2 SEE PAGE 7 TRACK AND FIELD KICKS OFF SEASON WITH TOP MARKS
SEE PAGE 4 ARAB CULTURE CLUB SHARES CULTURE THROUGH WEEKLY MOVIE NIGHTS
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TUESDAY JAUNARY 28, 2020 VOLUME 109 ISSUE 18
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
www.UniversityStar.com
CITY COUNCIL
City official tweet leads to ethics trial
PAPER BEAR
SAN MARCOS BUSINESS TO CLOSE AFTER 41 YEARS
By Daniel Weeks Assistant News Editor A tweet from San Marcos Councilwoman Jocabed "Joca" Marquez prompted a formal ethics complaint, currently being investigated by the Ethics Review Commission. Nov. 6, 2019, Marquez published a tweet on her personal account criticizing affordable housing developers. “All the developers seeking to make big profits in SM from ‘affordable housing’ all have the same look: White, male, tall, wear blue blazers, money hungry, and emotionless… AND It feels damn good to vote against their proposed developments," Marquez said. Real estate manager and San Marcos resident Phil Hutchinson noticed this post and proceeded to attend the following City Council meeting Nov. 19, 2019, giving a brief speech during the public comment period. He referenced the tweet during his speech, accusing the post of containing bias and stating Councilwoman Marquez can not make objective decisions. SEE CITY COUNCIL PAGE 3
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Texas State University student Sarah Saldana looks at a board game section, Thursday, January 23, 2020, at Paper Bear. PHOTO BY HANNAH THOMPSON
By Brianna Benitez Assistant Life & Arts Editor
(Top) Texas State senior guard Nijal Pearson attempts a game-winning three-pointer vs. UTA with 2.2 seconds left on the clock, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Strahan Coliseum. (Bottom) Nijal Pearson reacts after missing a potential game-winning three-pointer vs. UTA, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Strahan Coliseum. PHOTOS BY JADEN EDISON
Texas State loses at the buzzer to in-state rival UTA By Dedrick Johnson Sports Reporter In front of a packed crowd Saturday evening, the Bobcats snapped their fourgame win streak against in-state rival the University of Texas at Arlington with a 64-62 loss at the buzzer in Strahan Arena. The team moved to 12-9 on the season and 5-5 in the Sun Belt. Texas State was able to make a couple of key runs, including an impressive 11-2 run to start the game off. UTA’s aggressive style of play led them back in the game several times after being down throughout the course of the game. UTA threw a 1-1-3 zone look at Texas State for most of the game, forcing the Bobcat offense to go cold in the second half. With about five minutes left to go in the SEE MEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE 7
A distinct aroma of incense fills the air as a fantasy world of hidden gems and must-haves scatter the shelves of the shop. Located at 218 N. LBJ Dr., sits a store full of creativity, charm and community. A store like no other, Heartworks Co. Paper Bear, has become the place where the community connects with items they never knew they needed. Heartworks Co. Paper Bear was founded in 1978 by Carol Powers and was originally known as Heartworks Co. At the time, Powers was a recent graduate of The University of Texas at Austin. Powers said she had trouble finding a job and decided to open up a store to sell handcrafted items such as jewelry and pottery. Once the store gained popularity, Powers said she began stocking unique and quirky items influenced by customer requests. As the store expanded in inventory, Powers decided to set up an additional store named Paper Bear, stocked with stationery items such as cards, journals and other paper products. Eventually, the two stores formed into Heartworks Co. Paper Bear. Despite the name merger, customers referred to the store as Paper Bear. In 1988, Powers increased the retail space by opening up the current store’s location which at the time served as a large gift shop. It was during the Great Recession when Powers decided to consolidate the merchandise of both locations into one store. After serving the San Marcos community for 41 years, Powers decided to retire and close down Paper Bear. Powers said she has been trying to retire for the last 15 years, but it was not until the past five years that she felt she was ready to let the store go. When Powers began notifying the community that she would be closing down the store, she said she received a much bigger reaction than expected. She said the community’s reaction allowed her to realize that
Store front of Heartworks Co. Paper Bear located on 218 N LBJ Dr. PHOTO BY BRIANNA BENITEZ
people’s lives are intertwined with the store. “They’ve brought in their children and their grandchildren and have created this connection with the store that I never really thought about,” Powers said. With the store closing, Powers said
"THEY’VE BROUGHT IN THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN AND HAVE CREATED THIS CONNECTION WITH THE STORE THAT I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT" -CAROL POWERS,
FOUNDER OF PAPER BEAR she will miss the interaction with her customers the most. She said many customers have made the store their own personal getaway from reality. “A lot of people would come in during their lunch break and it would be a great way for them to de-stress or to come in and get away
from things,” Powers said. Despite the tears and disappointment brought with the announcement of the store’s closing, Powers said customers have been understanding and have expressed their happiness for her. In addition to serving as a store for the community to shop, Paper Bear has been a store for the community to sell. Lisa McPike Smith has been selling beads and other ceramic goods to Paper Bear on and off for 30 years. McPike Smith said she found out about the store while she was a student at Southwest Texas State. “It was one of those cool little shops that I happened to find,” McPike Smith said. While at Southwest Texas State, McPike Smith said she studied ceramics and would purchase beads and wire material from Paper Bear to make jewelry. In 1989, McPike Smith received her first professional gig from Paper Bear when she sold skull-shaped ceramic beads to the store. Although she is disappointed, she will no longer be able to sell her work to the store, she said she is relieved Powers will finally be able to retire. “It’s sad that I’ll be missing out on that part of my successful business life, but I know Carol wants to move on and I think it’s a good thing,” McPike Smith said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and something good will take its place.” Indica Smith is a San Marcos native and grew up shopping at Paper Bear. She said her mother was a jewelry maker and would buy beads and wires from the store. Smith followed her mother's footsteps and began to make jewelry herself with supplies from Paper Bear. Smith said she worked at Paper SEE PAPER BEAR PAGE 4
The University Star
2 | Tuesday, Jaunary 28, 2020
NEWS
Chase Rogers News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
EXPANSION Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487
Editorial Staff 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
Turner Construction was contracted to facilitate the Hays County Jail expansion and the construction of the new public safety building, recently receiving a $106.4 million public safety bond package in 2016. PHOTO BY CHASE ROGERS
Multimedia Editor: Jaden Edison starmultimedia@txstate.edu Engagement Editor: Isabella Lopes starsengagement@txstate.edu
PR Team Bianca Landry PR Director
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Trinity Dayton PR Specialist
Nadia Gonzales PR Specialist
Full-Time Staff Director: Laura Krantz, laurakrantz@txstate.edu Student Publications Coordinator: Mayra Mejia, mm1894@txstate.edu
Advertising Staff Ethan Hunt starad1@txstate.edu 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, Jan. 28, 2020. 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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County jail expansion to be completed mid-2020 By Sandra Sadek News Reporter Hays County is in the midst of completing works on its county jail expansion and new public safety building after receiving a $106.4 million public safety bond package from the county in 2016. Known as Proposition 1 on the 2016 ballot, the bond passed with 51.1% of the votes. The total budget of the project will be divided between the jail expansion and the new public safety building, at $60 million and $40 million respectively. The bond will add a total of 121,600 square feet to the county jail and 80,800 square feet to the Hays County Law Enforcement Center. The expansion is scheduled to complete spring 2020. According to San Marcos Chief Deputy Mike Davenport, the ontrack construction will expand the jail's intake of inmates, the infirmary, kitchen and add housing for youthful offenders. The Hays County Master Plan for this project indicates these areas have been deemed either unsafe, undersized or in constant need of repair. Laurel Lowke, management sophomore, was arrested with her boyfriend Dec. 31, 2019, around 10:30 p.m. for trespassing while on a walk to H-E-B. She said the police did not ask them any questions or read them their rights before taking Lowke and her boyfriend to the Hays County Jail. Lowke, who was placed in a holding cell for 18 hours, described the conditions as "horrible." "At first, it was me and two other girls, but by the end of the night, I think
there was 11 of us in there," Lowke said. "We're in this like very, very small holding cell. The lights were bright and they were on the entire night and there was no clock so I didn't know if it was night or day while I was there." Lowke explained one woman, who was placed in the same cell later in the night, started projectile vomiting. She said no one came to clean up or help the woman. "I felt like an animal almost in a cage, it just was a bit inhumane the way that they place people," Lowke said. "I understand that it's not supposed to be comfortable, it's not a vacation by any means, but it was really nasty for the most part." The newly expanded common area will soon be able to hold 1,000 inmates; however, it will not have 1,000 beds to house them in. There are currently 308 beds and the bond will add 192 new beds, bringing the total to almost 500 beds. "We're looking at future growth so we don't have to do this again for quite some time," Davenport said. Under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, minors—those under the age of 17—serving time in jail must be kept separate from older inmates to reduce their risk of prison rape. According to Davenport, the jail originally built in the 1980s did not provide adequate housing for minors, needed to respect federal law. "Right now, we have (minors) in a separate section of the jail and it's not efficient because we have dead space at times," Davenport said. The expansion will also allow the county to reduce the number of inmates
sent to other counties in the area for housing. As of May 2018, Hays County has agreements with nine counties that house inmates they do not have space for and over 100 inmates are regularly housed in other counties. In 2016 alone, this process cost the county $2 million. Since 2014, the inmate population has increased by 82% versus an only 16% increase county-wide. "The counties furthest away will be the first inmates we bring back, just for logistical purposes," Davenport said. "So we probably won't send any to Fort Bend County or Bell County just because they are the farthest away. That will cut down our transportation time and stuff like that." The expansion could also include added communication systems with technology company Securus, an agreement recently voted 4-1 by the Hays County Commissioners Court. A new public safety building is being added near the current Hays County Government Center and is projected to be completed by late summer 2020. The new building will house the law enforcement offices, including evidence, the communications center, the emergency operations center, the sheriff's office administrative staff and detectives. According to Hays County Communications Manager Laureen Chernow, the overall project is under budget but the county can not make promises about whether there will be leftover money until completion. Chernow explained the county also has a contiguity fund with extra money in case unexpected costs arise.
CONSTRUCTION
Alkek renovation brings innovation By Antonia Rainey News Reporter Alkek Library's renovations are nearing completion on the first, second and seventh floors, with total completion slated for the end of spring 2020. Currently, there are two projects underway with general renovations: the first through fourth floors and the seventh floor with the remodeling of the Wittliff Collections. General renovations of Alkek started with the fourth floor, consisting of new study furniture, A and B conference rooms for faculty and staff, rooms for library institution classes and upgraded restrooms. The third floor also has new study furniture and a remodeled checkout desk. The checkout desk, in addition to loaning out reserved textbooks and
materials, will now rent out various equipment such as laptops, calculators and skeleton models. Also, the Graduate Commons room is a new private study space that is card accessible to Texas State graduate students. The second floor has a new center service desk with the purpose of giving students research and IT assistance. Renovations are still underway on the second and first levels, including the construction of a Starbucks on the second floor that is estimated to be completed by the end of 2020 spring semester. Technology resources will be provided on the first floor, such as an IT Assistance Center help desk, a MakerSpace containing digital tools such as 3D printers and Raspberry Pi boards, a remade YouStar Studios and an area for virtual reality.
Completion of the first floor is nearing completion and is estimated to be open by spring break this semester. Associate Vice President and University Librarian Joan Heath said the technological renovations of Alkek Library allow students to use the library resources to build future skills. "With these technology spaces on the first floor we give an opportunity to students, no matter what their major is, to have some exposure and actually develop a skill set in some of these digital technology areas so it can help them with work they're doing for here at the university, but even more so once they leave the university," Heath said. The Wittliff Collections is another renovation project in the library. Located on the seventh floor, the museum specializes in collecting and displaying southwest culture through music, SEE CONSTRUCTION PAGE 3
The University Star
Tuesday, Jaunary 28, 2020 | 3
NEWS FROM FRONT CITY COUNCIL Hutchinson said he believes Marquez exhibited ethnicity bias in the following council meeting. “After the speech I waited to see if there was any backpedaling on social media afterwards and there was not. I showed up at the next city council meeting listening for the same thing," Hutchinson said. "What happened at that meeting was a developer with an affordable housing project (came before the council). He was white and wearing a blue blazer, and Joca voted against. (Marquez) has basically said in her tweet than an applicant’s ethnicity is a factor in her decision, so I think she should step down or be removed." Hutchinson worries that Marquez's denying of developers in this way could harm San Marcos's reputation, subsequently disincentivizing prospective low-income housing projects. "The issue of affordable housing is close to my heart, so part of the concern I had with Joca's tweet had to do with her suggestion that the city council should or could control the amount of profit a developer might make when they bring affordable housing projects to San Marcos," Hutchinson said. "If we remove the profit motive for developers, our odds of getting good projects goes way down. The community of folks doing tax credit or other types of affordable housing projects is small, and word will get out that San Marcos is a difficult town to deal with. It's not for Joca to say what constitutes ‘big profits’” In response to the criticism she received, Marquez said her nowdeleted tweet was in reference to a system rather than a particular person. “People are always thinking that it's about a person but it's really not about a person, it's not about a white person - it's about a system," Marquez said. "A system of whiteness that has oppressed people of color and has gentrified our city that is just seeking to make big money—that's what it was." Following the Nov. 19, 2019 City Council meeting, Hutchinson submitted a formal ethics complaint to the San Marcos Ethics Review Commission on Dec. 12, 2019. The complaint states Marquez’s tweet violated the city’s Ethics Ordinance code 2.421. “It is the policy of the city that all city officials and employees shall conduct themselves both inside and outside the city's service so as to give no occasion for distrust of their integrity, impartiality or devotion to the best interest of the city and the public trust which the city holds," Hutchinson said. The Ethics Review Commission held an executive session Jan. 6 to discuss the complaint, voting to hold a public hearing to further discuss the situation. Marquez reposted the previously deleted tweet, defending the message by stating its intentions were to address systematic oppression. Clayton Bradshaw, graduate student, said Marquez’s statements follow the ethics ordinance by prioritizing the needs of San Marcos citizens. “She is not exhibiting discrimination but rather protecting people from it. Focusing on this tweet instead of the arguments made in council chambers distracts us from the task at hand," Bradshaw said. "In fact, it follows it closely by demonstrating that she handles ‘each administrative problem objectively and empathetically.’ The problem that many seem to have is that her empathy lies with the people of San Marcos, not the outside developers who with to exploit those people.” The Ethics Commission’s public hearing will take place Jan. 29. city council appointed the Davidson Troilo Ream & Garza law firm as special counsel to advise the commission during the process of considering Hutchinson’s complaint. San Marcos City Council meets every first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. The agenda can be accessed through the agenda center on the City of San Marcos website. News Editor Chase Rogers contributed to this article.
Chase Rogers News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
FROM PAGE 2 CONSTRUCTION photography and literature. Renovations will include a new entryway, Saltillo tile and additional gallery space. Wittliff Collections Director Coleman said he is excited for students and visitors to see the new changes to the Wittliff. “It's going to be a bigger, more beautiful space. It already was a nice, beautiful space but now it'll be even more,” Coleman said. “So there will be more exhibitions to see when visitors come to the Wittliff, we will have more on display, more collections on display, more going on for people to see.” Coleman said the highlight of the renovation is the expansion of the Lonesome Dove Gallery along with the new Texas Music Gallery, which he sees as being attractive to visitors and
students who value creative outputs and are interested in learning about different musicians. “I think that's going to be really exciting, especially for students to see, because we are trying to celebrate a lot of different creative impulses here in the Southwest and Texas, and obviously music is a big part of that," Coleman said. "I think it would be really great for people to come see artifacts and objects from musicians that they know, or maybe they'd like the music but don't know all the different artists that we have.” Lyric Pullman, biology junior, is a frequent visitor to the Alkek Library and said while construction was bothersome at first, he sees the benefits in the
renovations. “(The construction) was uncomfortable at first because you'll be in a quiet area and then you would hear a bunch of noise. But, they are renovating it for the better and they are almost done too. So while it can be annoying at times, I know it’s for a better purpose and I know it will make our library look a lot better,” Pullman said. General renovations for Alkek Library plan to be done around spring break of this year. The Wittliff Collections renovations plan to be finished around the end of spring semester. Students can find more information about the renovations and changes to the Alkek Library at the Alkek website.
Alkek Library renovations continue with total completion slated for the end of spring 2020. Among new additions include a Starbucks which will be located near the second-floor entrance. Starbucks will become one of two locations of its kind on Texas State's campus, with the first being located on the first floor of the LBJ Student Center. PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON
RESEARCH
Texas State professors look to advance artificial intelligence By Ziek Sanchez News Reporter Researchers are developing a more advanced, eco-friendly, power-efficient and compact form of artificial intelligence technology in their new project. Computer science professors Ziliang Zong and Yan Yan are developing AI technology that can learn from its mistakes, recognize speech, possess language recognition capabilities and identify unique faces are only some of the different types of AI that are becoming prominent in the world of technology. AI, in theory, can eliminate the need for humans from participating in dangerous and performing tedious tasks like driving and fighting in wars. It could even eliminate the risk of human error when calculating important measurements. Although the use of AI in the world has a beneficial future, it can be difficult to widen its reach into everyone’s lives. Limitations such as large amounts of data to process, large amounts ecounfriendly power consumption and non-compact hardware space all hinder the progression of implementing AI into devices such as a smart watch, smart phone and other popular mobile devices. Researchers Zong and Yan hope to tackle these problems and make way for improved AI technology. Zong said his team is trying to move AI into a more advanced and efficient state of being, surpassing barriers that often hinder past examples. “We are trying to solve the problems with current AI research,” Zong said. “For example, AI deep learning models are very big. They cannot be loaded into mobile devices like cameras and drones. To load this information into
edge devices we would have to make the AI model very small and non-resource intensive and non-power hungry because mobile devices don’t run on powerful enough batteries. We’re looking to improve traditional AI and make it more efficient for edge devices.” Zong and Yan’s research project “Interpretable Multi-Modal Neural Network Pruning for Edge Devices” will be funded by a $500,000 grant from the division of computer network systems of the Nation Science Foundation, an independent agency promoting
"WE’RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE TRADITIONAL AI AND MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT FOR EDGE DEVICES" -ZILIANG ZONG,
TEXAS STATE COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCHER AND PROFESSOR the progression of sciences related to improving health, prosperity and welfare. The project’s goal is to develop compact and accurate AI that can fit inside and be powered by “edge devices” such as
modern day mobile technology. The AI will be created to think like a human by using text, video and audio all at once. The team composes of Zong, Yan and three doctoral students who will work to design the AI’s neural network to use the minimal amount of information needed to operate. Yan said AI that can use significant amounts of information can allow itself to increase efficiency and usefulness. “We are trying to provide multi-modal learning for edge devices. An AI that can use and combine different kinds of information,” Yan said. “For example, we have things like video, audio and tasks information. We’re trying to find the answer on how do we combine all of this information and utilize it with AI” Cody Blakeney, computer science doctoral student, said AI that lives on smart devices could be a very useful application to have if it was easier to have access to. “AI models can be very difficult for computers to run,” Blakeney said. “What I do on the project will help reduce the size that the model needs to operate with, increase the speed at which the AI can operate and make it so worse and older hardware can be able to run it." As the project advances Zong and Yan hope to recruit undergraduate students to help assist the progress of the project. The professors are set to present their paper detailing the project at the 2020 Winter Conference on Applications of Computer Vision in March of this year. For more information on the Interpretable Multi-Modal Neural Network Pruning for Edge Devices project visit the National Science Foundation’s page detailing the project.
The University Star
4 | Tuesday, Jaunary 28, 2020
LIFE & ARTS
Laura Figi Life & Arts Editor starlifeandarts@txstate.edu
FROM FRONT PAPER BEAR Bear's jewelry counter for seven years after she turned 18. “It was the best job I’ve ever had and the experience itself will always hold a close place to my heart,” Smith said. Smith said she is heartbroken that the store will soon close its doors. Once the store closes, Smith said she will miss the people who worked at Paper Bear the most and hopes she will be able to stay in contact with them. “As sad as it is to see it go, I understand that sometimes things come to an end,” Smith said. Paper Bear’s unique atmosphere is what intrigued Smith to continue to shop at the store. She said it is a store where she can find things she would not be able to find anywhere else. “The majority of my apartment looks like it has come from the store,” Smith said. “The store has inspired how my home is and how my home feels.” Throughout the years, Paper Bear’s charisma has captivated the hearts of the San Marcos community for both locals and those new in town. Pam Stephan, Paper Bear customer, was introduced to the store 20 years ago. At the time, Stephan moved to San Marcos from Fort Worth after her husband had been hired as a professor at Southwest Texas State. Stephan was a member of University Women, a social club for women whose husbands worked at the university. She said Paper Bear was one of the first places the women of the club recommended that she visit because it was the most interesting shop in town. Stephan said when she stepped into the store she was amazed at the eclectic atmosphere and the variety of items in the store. “They had things that would bring up good memories and stuff that were forward and futuristic looking,” Stephan said. “Somehow it all worked together despite the wide range of clientele.” Stephan said she is sad to see Paper Bear go, for it has become a touchstone for individuals to express their own personalities. “All of the people that shop in there certainly come from the broad spectrum of our community,” Stephan said. “The store has something that appeals to everybody in this town.” Stephan said she had always thought of Paper Bear as an institution of the city and was shocked when she heard it would be closing down. She said the store was almost like a community center and would run into someone she knew each time she visited. “People just don’t shop there, they visit with each other, recommend things and have a good time,” Stephan said. “It’s like a little social hub.” Powers plans to officially close the store at the end of March. However, she said she has received several offers from people interested in purchasing and taking over the store. Although nothing has been finalized, Powers said she hopes things work out and she will find someone to keep the store running. For more information on Paper Bear visit its website paperbear.com or follow it on Instagram @paperbearsm.
CULTURE
President of ACC and communication studies senior Dania Sherian watches an episode of Al Hayba on Netflix, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, during the club's weekly movie night. PHOTO BY ABBY GUTIERREZ
Arab Culture Club shares culture through weekly movie nights By Abby Gutierrez Life & Arts Reporter Arab Culture Club aims to promote cross-cultural understanding and share the Arab culture and language through weekly movie nights and coffee hangouts with the Texas State community. ACC first began fall 2018 and this is the second semester they are putting on weekly movie night events. Vice President of ACC Grace Todd, international studies junior, said ACC is hoping these events will bring people together, spread cultural awareness and share news about the club. “We want to create a fun environment for people who are of Arabic descent and who aren’t, who want to learn Arabic to come together and celebrate Middle Eastern culture, Arabic food and movies,” Todd said. ACC movie nights are every Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Centennial 106. Todd said the club is currently watching season one of the “Arabic telenovela” called Al Hayba on Netflix first premiered in 2017. Todd said watching Al Hayba has given her good practice in strengthening her understanding of the Arabic language, and she encourages everyone wanting to learn the language to stop by and watch with them. “The more I watch the easier it is to get into it,” Todd said. “But that’s just the key to learning any foreign language, watch the TV shows.” Noha Mohama-Akkari, faculty adviser for ACC, said she believes the movie nights are a perfect way to learn about the Arab culture. “The shows also introduces the culture by showing the way they live, how they dress on a daily basis,” Mohama-Akkari said. Mohama-Akkari said one of the
reasons why the club has wanted to make a bigger presence on campus and share the Arab culture with the Texas State community is because of her experience in seeing a recent increase in international students taking interest in the Arab culture. “There are more Arab students here who can promote the culture and at the same time help other students be acquainted with the Arabic language,” Mohama-Akkari said. Because there can be misunderstandings and misconceptions about many cultures, Mohama-Akkari said it is good for there to be cultural conversations and for students to share their cultural background with others. “When you have international students, they would love to communicate with native students who are from the same country,” MohamaAkkari said. “It’s good for both sides. It helps both sides to know each other better.” President of ACC Dania Sherian, communication studies senior, said she has seen a lot of people who are interested in the club and learning Arabic around campus. “I’ve seen a lot of students who are interested (in the club) even non-Arab students,” Sherian said. “So many people are becoming aware there are people from different places, different cultures and different religions, and that is a good thing.” Todd said another reason why ACC wants to share the Arabic culture is to help provide a better understanding and accurate perception of the Arab culture. “In this modern era when the Middle East is pretty targeted by western society—which is awful—an Arab Culture Club on campus where people can come, ask questions and get a better understanding of the culture as
President of ACC and communication studies senior Dania Sherian points to a poster advertising the club's Middle Eastern Movie Night. PHOTO BY ABBY GUTIERREZ
opposed to what they may hear from the news or family (is important),” Todd said. Todd said one of the biggest reasons why she decided to attend Texas State was because of its diverse community. “I think it’s crucial to being a human being is being exposed to different people and making cross-cultural friendships,” Todd said. “That’s how the world is, it’s not just a certain type of people.” ACC welcomes anyone interested in learning about Arab culture. Todd said the club is hoping to increase their participation and its number of members, so that in the future they are able to put on bigger events like fundraising on The Quad or bringing speakers to talk about different Arab countries and cultural customs. “Someday we’d like to have some sort of buffet quad (event), where we’d all eat Arabic food and learn about the culture,” Todd said. “We haven’t gotten there yet, but we’re on our way. One step at a time.” For more information contact ACC president Dania Sherian at dms254@ txstate.edu.
The University Star
Tuesday, Jaunary 28, 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.
MAIN POINT
You need us and we need you By The Editorial Board Collegiate journalists live through the stories they tell and the people who share their stories with them. Student newsrooms, while you remember people, places and things that go wrong, on Student Press Freedom Day, we remember you. When a story runs, journalists have the opportunity to change lives. We take that job seriously. Some see our passion for spreading truth as a platform for hate, but they could not be more wrong. We value the institutions and people we cover and hold ourselves to the highest level of accountability. What we do comes from a place of love, a sense of duty and an optimistic hope for the future. Sometimes, however, that future comes with uncertainty. Rebecca Liebson, a reporter from Stony Brook University's The Statesman, broke a story involving the firing of over 20 professors. Instead of being praised over her work, she was criticized over her ethics and her objectivity was called into question. When looking through the lens of a fair, objective, factual and universal truth, student journalists are often hit where it hurts most: their hearts and funding. Harley Duncan of The Flor-Ala, the University of North Alabama's student newspaper, reported that professors were in direct violation of Title IX policies. Duncan's reporting brought justice to several women who were sexually harassed by a professor. The articles revealed the university’s need to hire a
full-time Title IX coordinator and set a precedent of accountability. Despite the outcome, The Flor-Ala's adviser, Scott Morris, was fired and the publication was scrutinized for the articles. Staff members of The University Star were threatened with numerous forms of violence following publication of an
losing university funding, like Rutgers University's The Daily Targum, who had its student fee funding cut. As recently as Dec. 9, 2019 the University of Colorado Boulder’s media college announced that it will stop funding its studentrun newspaper, the CU Independent, at the end of the school year. Instead,
MAIN PO NT
O
opinion piece in 2017. The Star was the subject of talks about defunding following the publication of the column. However, none of this stopped us from continuing our proud print tradition. Many student newspapers are being turned into lab papers—a newspaper created in a faculty-led class—or
administers are opting for a more facultyled “student multimedia enterprise” to launch next fall. Student journalists are held to the same standard as professionals because they are uninhibited by student status. Student newsrooms offer aspiring media professionals the chance to do real work
that matters and impacts real people. In August, when Kurt Volker resigned as the State Department’s special envoy for Ukraine, Arizona State's student newspaper The State Press broke the story, beating national and regional papers across the country. Across the country, student newsrooms have successfully filled the gap within local, state and national outlets to deliver truth. However, even being the tip of the spear can prove a daunting task. Staff members of the historic and decorated, The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University's studentrun newspaper, received numerous comments from the journalism community for their coverage of a student protest and their methods of reporting. After what was likely a horrific experience for The Daily Northwestern, the sun continued to rise in the following days. News continued to break. Meaningful action continued to take place and the surrounding community still needed to be covered. That's what our jobs are all about. Student journalism is not always pretty, but it's not supposed to be. Every newsroom has a horror story, as they should. Like all mistakes, they allow the practitioners a chance at redemption and we get that every time we walk into the newsroom or have our name attached to a story. Defend the First Amendment, 'til the very end.
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Sexual assault needs to be redefined By Amira Van Leeuwen Assistant Opinion Editor Law enforcement needs to reeducate society and themselves on what constitutes a reportable sexual offense. The system has showcased an unclear pattern with handling reports of sexual assault and that is unacceptable. Roughly 81% of women and 43% of men have experienced some form of sexual harassment throughout their lifetime. Too many women find themselves being picked apart while reporting their attack and then getting turned away at the last minute feeling like the whole situation was their fault. Law enforcement has been marginalizing victims of sexual assault for a long time and it ends now. Women and men should never be more afraid of reporting a crime over experiencing it. Instead of focusing primarily on the assault, law enforcement should shift their focus towards educating the general public on what validates a reportable sexual offense and restore the meaning of sexual assault within the status quo to avoid the fear of reporting. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, or RAINN, states, “sexual
assault is characterized by sexual contact of any kind without the consent of the victim.” Sexual contact of any kind includes rape, attempted rape, unwanted sexual touching or forcing someone to perform sexual acts against their will. Even so, not all instances are deemed worthy of being categorized as “severe enough” to qualify as a “true” sexual assault. Not only is this claim absurd, but it is also disheartening for victims who are willing to speak out. The Me Too movement has succeeded in shifting focus onto the experiences of sexual violence survivors and shown just how common sexual assault remains. However, despite the societal influence MeToo has unfurled upon society, many critics have raised their eyebrows at the alarming increase in accusations nationwide, and for good reason. While the organization has increased the amount of reported crimes, it has had little effect on crimes that were actually cleared by police, giving ammunition to those who oppose and criticize the movement. Many victims who have reported a sexual assault incident have been overlooked by law enforcement due to the level of severity, or lack thereof. Men and women already hold different
views on what exactly constitutes sexual harassment. Men are often left confused over their actions which they perceived to be harmless, while women who report sexual harassment are deemed overly sensitive. This is not, and will never be, a “boys will be boys” scenario. The idea that men do not realize their intolerable behavior is alarming. Yet, it is hard to imagine such a crime against humanity until you endure it. According to a startling statistic from RAINN, the majority of sexual assault victims are younger people, with 54% of victims falling between ages 18-34. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center found that 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report their assault. More than likely, it is because victims in college might think their allegation may be swept under the rug. The disappointing reality of ignoring serious allegations occurred close to home last September, as Texas State officials announced the university misreported Clery reportable offenses on the annual Campus Security Report Reform. Vice President of Finance and Support Services, Eric Algoe said there were six reported rapes in 2016 and zero
in 2017. The updated data reflected a staggering miscalculation of 21 reported rapes in 2016 and 15 in 2017; revealing 30 previously unreported rapes and shocking the community of San Marcos. Unfortunately, sexual assault will remain a force to be reckoned with at Texas State. The massive misreporting of sexual assaults has only enhanced the degradation of victims attending the university and brought unease to the student body. Texas State should feel endless shame. Regardless, it does not change the fact that law enforcement needs to express the meaning of a reportable sexual offense. If a woman or man comes forward with a charge, it should be taken seriously. The brutality or gruesomeness does not matter, what matters is the degradation one feels after experiencing a sexual offense of any kind. The Me Too movement has given victims a safe outlet to share their stories, but there is more work that needs to be done in respecting their experiences and allowing them to feel validated. Law enforcement can make the change necessary for providing victims a safe place to speak up.
ILLUSTRATION BY JADEN EDISON
4 | Tuesday, Jaunary 28, 2020
The University Star
01/21 ANSWERS
The University Star
Tuesday, Jaunary 28, 2020 | 7
SPORTS
Claire Partain Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Women's basketball can't finish in double-overtime heartbreaker By Cade Andrews Sports Reporter In a heartbreaking finish that has become formulaic for women's basketball this season, Texas State went 0-2 on the weekend in their Alabama road trip. The Bobcats fell to Troy 84-50 Thursday night and went to double overtime with South Alabama on Saturday before the 78-76 loss. Texas State remains winless in the Sun Belt Conference (0-8) but have had the lead at the half for six of the eight conference games. Despite being ahead by a whopping 23 points at the 8:21 mark in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats were once again unable to finish as the South Alabama Jaguars took control with a 32-point quarter to take the win in double overtime. The Jaguars began a full-court press to throw off Texas State's rhythm, which proved effective as they outscored the Bobcats nearly 3-to-1 in the fourth quarter. South Alabama went 11-of-22 from the field in the fourth and hit 8-of-15 from the line. USA's Savannah Jones connected on the rare four-point play, but Texas State's sophomore forward Da'Nasia Hood kept the lead alive by splitting two free throws to keep the lead at 67-64. Jones came up big again for the Jaguars, however, as she knocked down the game-tying three with four seconds left to send the game into overtime. USA scored the first five points of overtime, but the Bobcats responded to tie it back up. Texas State then had three different chances to win the game on the last possession but came up short. The Bobcats also failed
The Texas State women's basketball team lost to Troy on Saturday night, increasing their losing streak to eight games. The Bobcats have yet to win a conference game. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS
to tie the game in the second overtime but came up short on two shots and the Jaguars took the game 7876. Four players reached double digits, with Hood reaching a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Junior Avionne Alexander landed a careerbest 16 points, while sophomore Kennedy Taylor performed a near double-double herself with 16 points and nine assists. Senior Brooke Holle finished out the double-digit scorers with 14 points. In their first matchup against Troy, Texas State once
again started out hot with a 17-13 lead after the first quarter but ultimately lost 84-50 to the Trojans on Thursday. Troy quickly took over, scoring over 20 points in both the second and third quarters. The Trojans outscored Texas State 50-14 in the paint and also dominated on the boards, out-rebounding the Bobcats 65-27. Despite allowing the most points all season, the Bobcats forced 20 turnovers, their highest in Sun Belt play. Junior forward Jayla Johnson led Texas State with 10 points, while senior guard Bailey Holle scored eight points on 2-of-3 from the field. Sophomore guard Kennedy Taylor recorded five assists in the game. Texas State is still seeking their first conference win this season as they head into a home game against the University of Texas at Arlington. UTA currently has a 12-8 record and is sitting at second in the Sun Belt Conference with a 6-2 record. The Bobcats went 0-2 against the Mavericks last year, including a three-point loss at home. If the Bobcats can keep their cool in the final minutes of play, they have a chance at their first win of conference play this season. The Bobcats will take on UTA on Saturday at 2 p.m back in Strahan Arena. Before the game, Texas State will recognize the 2019 Volleyball Championship team, who finished first in conference and traveled to the NCAA Tournament this season. For all things Texas State women's basketball, be sure to follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
TRACK & FIELD
Track and field kicks off season with top marks By Claire Partain Sports Editor Texas State track and field combined to win two events and take home 14 top-ten Sun Belt performances at the Red Raider Invitational on Friday. The meet, which hosted competitors from the Big 12, Pac 12 and Conference USA, marked a trend of early-season top marks as they continue towards the Sun Belt Indoor Championships. The Bobcats took home the gold in each of the 3,000-meter competitions, nearly sweeping the women's race with first, second, fourth and seventh place finishes. Freshman Riley McGrath hit the finish line first with a top 10 SBC time of 10:27.93, followed by runner-up junior Esmeralda Fuentes with a time of 10:29.07, a fourth-place finish in senior Abby Steinhauser at 10:40.89 and an 11:00.59 time for seventh-place senior Leslie Romero. On the men's side, junior Cade Michael led another near-sweep with a top time of 8:42.30, putting him at fifth in the Sun Belt. Junior Chase Bracher came in third in the race with a seventhplace Sun Belt time of 8:47.14, and senior Johen Deleon followed suit in fourth with a time of 8:54.15. Senior Jaylon Jorge placed in the top five for two throwing events, including a fourth place throw of 16.59 meters in shot put and fifth place mark in weight throw (19.9 meters). Jorge now ranks second in the Sun Belt in shot put and third in weight throw and said he feels good about his early-season performance. "I'm starting off very good and I feel pretty strong," Jorge said. "My techniques where I need it to be, and I just need to be bold, take risks and get some throws out there." Jorge started out hot, earning third place in weight throw at the teams' first meet, the Navy Invitational, and second at the UAB Vulcan Invitational. Jorge said his goals for his senior season are to make it to Nationals for the first time in his career. "Right now I feel really strong, but I know there's a lot more work to do for my last season," Jorge said. "I had what it took last year, I just didn’t really get good marks in my meets. Moving forward, I'm just working on getting stronger in the positions I need to hit for my throws and just getting those marks that I need to go to Nationals." Other top Sun Belt finishers include the women's 4x400-meter relay team, consisting of sophomores Kattiana and Ariana Ealy-Pulido, sophomore Sadi
Giles and freshman Paige Kimble. The team finished the race with the secondbest time in conference (3:50.20). Ariana also joined her sister at the top of the Sun Belt charts in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.67 seconds. Giles said that top finishes in the indoor season are even more promising because they show promise for faster times in the outdoor season. "The only thing that’s different is indoor is just the beginning, so everybody’s progressively getting faster," Giles said. "In outdoor everybody’s reaching their peak, so that’s why when people are fast indoor you wonder how they’re going to be outdoor." Six of the team's top finishers in the meet were freshmen. In addition to McGrath, Kimble and Jorge, freshman Alexa Venezuela logged the Sun Belt's second-best time in the women's 200 meters with a seventh-place finish of 24.49 seconds. Freshman Dias Redmond took fourth in the men's weight throw (14.93 m) and freshman Daniel Chase cleared 1.98 meter's in the men's high jump for a top five Sun Belt ranking. Jorge said that having a leadership position has been rewarding and that younger teammates listen to athletes with experience. "We are pretty young but I feel like our leadership is really pushing us forward," Jorge said. "Our leaders on the team aren't very vocal: we're more lead by example, but when we do speak, they listen. Our young guys have a lot of talent, they just need to be put in the right direction." The 'Cats also did well at their first two meets of the season, earning 13 top three finishes and four gold medals at the Navy Invitational Dec. 7, 2019 and eight first- and second-place spots at the Vulcan Invitational Jan. 11. Giles, who took home the gold at both of the first two meets of the season in the women's 60-meter dash, said that while their first meet of the season was focused on having fun, the second gave them a good look at what the Indoor Championships will be like. "We've just been trying to get in the groove of things," Giles said. "(Head coach Jody Stewart) told us for the first meet just to have fun, and then we did really well as a team overall which was just a good way to set it off. At the second meet everybody from conference was basically there, so we got a good look on how the Sun Belt Conference Championship would be. I think we have a pretty good chance of winning just based off of that meet because
Sophomore Ariana Ealy-Pulido grabs a baton in the 4x400 relay on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, at the Red Raider Invitational in Lubbock. PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS
Texas State senior Jaylon Jorge competes in the men's weight throw competition on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2020, at the Vulcan Invitational. PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS
everybody was there." Giles also said that the team's goal is to focus on teamwork as the women's team looks to make a four-peat at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships and the men's team searches for a second consecutive Outdoor Championship. "Our goal as a team is just to be able to work for each other," Giles said. "Last year I think we wanted to work for each other, but there were new people so we were kind of just getting used to it. I think this time we need to connect more and just know that it's not just for us, we need to win for each other and if we do that we’ll do well." The 'Cats will hit the road to Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8 for their final test before the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships kicks off on Monday, Feb. 24.
"OUR GOAL AS A TEAM IS JUST TO BE ABLE TO WORK FOR EACH OTHER." -SADI GILES,
SOPHOMORE MEMBER OF THE TRACK TEAM
The University Star
8 | Tuesday, Jaunary 28, 2020 Claire Partain Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu
SPORTS FROM FRONT MEN'S BASKETBALL second half, UTA slowly pulled away until they reached a game-high 60-51 lead. However, a series of far-fetched shot opportunities and quick gameplay led the 'Cats to a quick 9-2 run, including a four-point play by Nijal Pearson. With just a two-point deficit, each team landed two free throws and the Bobcats got one last look with the ball on their side in the final six seconds of play. A pass inbounds to senior forward Eric Terry set up the last-second shot for senior guard Nijal Pearson, but the ball bounced off of the rim and UTA took the 64-62 win. Just one game after Pearson became the program's all-time leading scorer, the Bobcats wanted a win against their rivals, according to Head Coach Danny Kaspar. Before the game, Pearson was recognized as the all-time leading scorer; seconds after the game, he was seen signing autographs for the seventh and eighth graders of Owen Goodnight Middle School. “I really wish we could’ve won this game," Kaspar said. "It would’ve put the punctuation mark on Nijal’s accomplishments." Pearson led the team on the day with a game-high 26 points, shooting 8-16 from the field. As time ran out, Pearson was unable to get the final potential game-winning three-pointer from the left wing in the last second of play. Pearson said that the high-stakes shot was disappointing because he had the opportunity the ability to land it. “That play hurt my heart,” Pearson said. “I got the look I wanted; I take that shot every day of the week.” The Bobcats shot 42% from the field and 31% (5-16) from behind the arc on the evening. Junior forward Isiah Small recorded a double-double with 11 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, but said he
was unhappy with his performance. “Honestly I played terrible and we could’ve won this game if I played better defense,” Small said. “This game is on me.” Kaspar said that the team is disappointed with themselves after a season-high crowd turnout but have to move on to future games. “We’re down because we had a good crowd out there and we want our fans to be happy,” Kaspar said. “We have to pick ourselves up moving forward.” After this heartbreaking loss, Pearson said that the locker room is fine and must remember that this is a long season. “The goal is to be where we want to be in March,” Pearson said. “In March, we want to be the best team we can be.” The Bobcats have 10 more conference games to go on the year and will look to turn things around Thursday at home as they take on the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Texas State last saw ULM less than two weeks ago in a road match, taking a slim 64-63 win Jan. 16. Pearson reached his all-time record in the ULM game and dropped a game-high 23 points, clinching the win with the team's final four points to edge them over the Warhawks. Despite the win, the Bobcats played tight with ULM, trailing for most of the first half. Texas State dominated in fastbreak play (11-0) and steals (6-0), also out-rebounding the Warhawks (32-31). The 'Cats will need to up their scoring accuracy against the long-range play of ULM, but they have it made on the stat board, leading in nearly every category but three-point percentage and assists per game. Texas State will take on the ULM Warhawks at 7 p.m. on Thursday in Strahan Arena.
Texas State junior Isiah Small pushes through UTA defenders to shoot a layup for the Bobcats, Saturday, Jan 25, 2020, at Strahan Arena. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS
Texas State sophomore Mason Harrell shoots the ball over UTA Jabari Narcis to score for the Bobcats in the first half, Saturday, Jan 25, 2020, at Strahan Arena. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS
Theta Chi fraternity members cheer for the Bobcats, Saturday, Jan 25, 2020, in a basketball game between Texas State and UTA. Theta Chi was one of several Greek groups who came to the game for the Greek Life Attendance challenge. PHOTO BY KATE CONNORS
Texas State mascot Boko the Bobcat watches a Bobcat floater attempt with the Texas State cheerleaders, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Strahan Arena in a game vs. UTA PHOTO BY JADEN EDISON