TUESDAY
September 14, 2021 VOLUME 111 ISSUE 6 www.UniversityStar.com
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
Search continues for arsonist responsible for Iconic Village fire SEE PAGE 3
Texas State Galleries explores split identities of cultures
Opinion: Students need to get vaccinated
185 Student-athletes honored for success outside of the game
SEE PAGE 4
SEE PAGE 6
SEE PAGE 7
COFFEE
FAMILY-OWNED
Owners behind local Asian restaurants find purpose in family By Brianna Benitez Editor-in-Chief stareditor@txstate.edu It's in his most tiring moments when David Lee thinks of his parents. "One thing I do see in my parents is that they still grind through it," Lee said. "Even if you're tired, and you're drained out, you still got to do it, because no one else will do it." Growing up, Lee saw firsthand the time and dedication that went in to running a business. His parents owned and operated numerous businesses, selling furniture and cell phones. As the co-owner, operator and chef of two local restaurants, Lee's life is fast paced. Between lending an extra hand with delivery orders to navigating the pandemic's impact on ingredient shortages, thinking about how far his family has come in their entrepreneurial endeavors keeps him motivated. Alongside his brother-in-law and sister, Hannah Choi, Lee opened up Umami Sushi, a Japanese/ Korean cuisine kitchen. The restaurant is housed in
the retail center located at 700 N LBJ Drive. A few weeks ago, the family opened their latest business venture Mochinut, located just a few doors down from Umami. A Californian-based franchise, Mochinut serves up mochi donuts and boba milk tea. Unlike a traditional donut, mochi donuts are made with rice flour, making their texture chewy and stretchy, similar to the texture of Japanese mochi ice cream. The bakery offers 30 different flavors of donuts, ranging from blueberry, caramel churro, guava and ube. A select number of flavors are offered at a time, with flavor selections rotating every three to four days. When it comes to tea, Choi said the shop's most popular seller is the brown sugar milk tea which is made with whole milk and contains tapioca pearls, brown sugar and topped with homemade whipped cream. Mochinut offers other milk tea flavors including green tea, ube and coffee. In October, Mochinut will start selling Korean street hot dogs, which are typically wrapped in sausage and cheese, coated with batter and breadcrumbs and
A Mochinut employee helps select a mochi donut for a customer, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in San Marcos, Texas. VANESSA BUENTELLO
Mochinut offers speciality boba teas, such as green tea matcha, on its menu, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in San Marcos, Texas. VANESSA BUENTELLO
SEE FAMILY-OWNED PAGE 5
Kahvie Cafe provides reusable coffee mugs in its merchandise section, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, in San Marcos, Texas. VANESSA BUENTELLO
Local coffee shops brew up community By Madelyn Weirich News Contributor With more than a dozen coffee shops adorning the streets of San Marcos, the city has a big market for caffeinated beverages. Spanning from Texas-born shops and CBD-based drinks to international franchises like Starbucks, each San Marcos coffee shop has its own crowd and committed customers, regardless of the masses of fellow competition. Kahvie Cafe is a newly opened coffee shop that prides itself on getting to know its customers. Christa Brewer, a barista for Kahvie Cafe, said the shop had a tough start when it opened, due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, the establishment has since grown into a community that cares for one another. “I think that's what makes us kind of unique is we really like to, you know, get to know our customers. We like to do some like customer connections, take pictures with them, do some personal like quizzes to get to know them and things like that. We like to really be personal with our customers," Brewer said. Brewer describes Kahvie as not the usual coffee shop. Rather than going for neutral, fall-like themes that coffee is usually associated with, Kahvie is a bright and upbeat cafe, according to Brewer. “Rather than like a chill vibe, we kind of have like an energetic kind of vibe,” Brewer said. “Everyone's kind of talking, we would say it's like a very, you know, relaxed environment, but open and kind of our goal is to always be welcoming to everyone that walks in here.” Community connections are a commonality at coffee shops throughout the area. Wake the Dead Coffee House is a local coffee shop that's been serving the San Marcos community since 2008. Located on Old Ranch Road 12, Wake the Dead is a home-like building with a stage and courtyard for live music performances, comedy nights and even chair massages. The shop is open until midnight every day. Peyton Leonard, a theater sophomore, is a regular customer at Wake The Dead and has even memorized the different drink options the coffee shop provides. Leonard said it's Wake The Dead's quirky community environment that keeps her visiting nearly every day. SEE COFFEE PAGE 2
KATZ BROTHERS
Brothers go from local kolache bakery creators to multi-business owners By Timia Cobb News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
Savhan Smith starts her morning off with kolaches from Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery. She's a regular customer and finds the shop's LBJ Drive location to be a convenient walk from her apartment to campus. “The kolaches are definitely different than your ordinary Shipley’s,” Smith said. “Compared to, like, Shipley's, their kolaches are way better. My apartment is like right there so, it’s like an easy little, on my way to campus, little treat.” The cozy kolache bakery was founded by Seth and Chase Katz in 2009 and features a variety of Czech Texas kolache flavors such as Philly cheesesteak, ham
and swiss along with vegetarian options. For over a decade, the brothers have worked to expand their entrepreneurial spirit and have since opened five restaurants throughout San Marcos. Dos Gatos was the brother's first business. Initially, the shop was solely run by them. The brothers always wanted to become business owners and the opportunity to start their own kolache bakery stemmed from one of their friends. “We had a family friend who ran a kolache bakery and was willing to share her secrets with us,” Chase said. “We felt like that was a good opportunity, we always want to try to bring something new to San Marcos.” With Chase being a Texas State alumnus, he said his love for the San Marcos community motivated him to
want to start his business in the local area. Since founding Dos Gatos in 2009, the brothers have opened a second location at 243 Wonder World Drive. They also own Pie Society, North Street Curry Shop and Zelick's Icehouse. “I definitely imagined it becoming more. I had no idea what it was gonna become," Chase said. New, inventive and diverse are the Katz brothers' establishments. Each restaurant provides something different for the community to try. Chase said a lot of thought went into each of the establishments and how they can be new and different from what San Marcos already offers. The brothers opened Zelick's in 2011 and decided to name the icehouse after their grandfather, Jack Zelick Katz, who
provided the brothers a loan that helped start Dos Gatos. The icehouse's location is originally home to the site of a 1930s gas station. It has since been renovated into a patio bar where guests can enjoy drinks, live music and games like horseshoe. “There was not a really great patio in town,” Chase said. “You got a lot of places that opened up after us, like Louie’s or Railyard or a couple of other places with patios, but really we wanted to have a great patio and a nice outdoor bar. So that was what we did, what we felt made Zelick's unique as well as the products we were serving. We're really focusing on Texas products, but also quality.” SEE KATZ BROTHERS PAGE 3
2 | Tuesday, September 14, 2021
The University Star
NEWS
Timia Cobb News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
FROM FRONT COFFEE Trinity Building 203 Pleasant St. San Marcos, TX 78666 (512) 245 - 3487
Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief: Brianna Benitez stareditor@txstate.edu News Editor: Timia Cobb starnews@txstate.edu Life & Arts Editor: Sarah Hernandez starlifeandarts@txstate.edu Opinion Editor: Hannah Thompson staropinion@txstate.edu Sports Editor: Sumit Nagar starsports@txstate.edu Design Editor: Viviana Faz stardesign@txstate.edu Multimedia Editor: Natalie Ryan starmultimedia@txstate.edu Engagement Editor: Eryka Thompson starengagement@txstate.edu Podcast Editor: Kim Davis Jr. starpodcast@txstate.edu
“It's almost like a family household vibe in a sense,” Leonard said. “It's like if you were just [to] go and chill in someone's backyard. It's kind of like that, rather than going up to a Starbucks barista and formulaically placing your order.” Having also worked for small businesses in the past, Leonard sees the effort the shop puts in to building community. She appreciates how intentional employees are with getting to know their regular visitors by meeting their dogs and engaging in conversation rather than rushing to make their orders as quickly as possible. “It’s more than just a coffee place … I always meet really cool, different kinds of people there. I think I've seen the most diverse group of people there, honestly," Leonard said. A number of other coffee shops decorate the San Marcos area, each providing a unique atmosphere catering toward specific niches and communities. Locally owned Lazy Daze, for example, takes pride in its CBD-infused coffee that allows customers to try caffeinated drinks that focus on lowering stress. India Earhart, a barista at Lazy Daze, loves providing unique coffee drinks knowing her customers drink it with the intention of wellness. “I drink it every day,” Earhart said. “Caffeine is more of an upper, and the Delta 8 or CBD helps with anxiety. I know a lot of people get like anxiety drinking coffee, so it kind of balances that out.” Mochas & Javas, another competing coffee shop with locations throughout San Marcos, can be recognized for its laidback, cozy style. The franchise has three local locations; one at 700 N LBJ
Texas State public relations and mass communication sophomore Christa Brewer makes coffee after taking orders from customers, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, in San Marcos, Texas. VANESSA BUENTELLO
Drive, another at 102 Wonder World Drive and even one located inside H-E-B on 641 E Hopkins St. Julie Walker, a psychology sophomore, has been a frequent visitor at Mochas & Javas for over a year, despite not being that big of a coffee fan. To her, the shop's positivity, gluten-free alternatives and hot chocolate are some of her favorite things about it. “I like to study here. It's very nice to just like sit and calm down,” Walker said. “It has very nice chill vibes where you can just sit and relax.” As someone who often takes advantage of the outdoor seating Mochas & Javas provides, she also loves seeing Bubble Believers, a Texas State alumnus known for blowing bubbles and speaking positive affirmations, at the street corner nearby the shop's LBJ location.
To her, the coffee shop’s welcoming atmosphere combined with the bubbles and affirmations creates the perfect environment for destressing after a long day of classes. Jordan Gray, the manager of Mochas & Javas’ Wonder World location, believes the shop's warm and homey vibe is a cherished investment to the San Marcos community, setting it a part as one of its greatest assets. "We want to just make it feel welcoming to everyone," Gray said. "Whenever people come to support our locally owned businesses, they're economically supporting their community as well. That money goes back into the community and back into like the families that actually live here." Timia Cobb contributed to this story.
Public & Internal Relations Nadia Gonzales PIR Director starpr@txstate.edu
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About Us
Texas State painting senior Makenna Hatter scrapes clay off her sculpture, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, at the Joann Cole Mitte Building. LAUREN LIGUEZ
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 HeraldZeitung. Copyright: Copyright Tuesday, September 14, 2021. 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.
San Marcos veterans and citizens place white roses on the 9/11 memorial during the 20 Year Remembrance Ceremony, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at City Hall.
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A chair with a blue and purple ribbon is displayed in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, which is observed on Sept. 10 every year to promote worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicide, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, at the Stallions. According to the American College Health Association, the suicide rate among young adults ages 15-24 has tripled since the 1950s. LILIANA PEREZ
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 | 3
The University Star
NEWS
Timia Cobb News Editor starnews@txstate.edu
ICONIC VILLAGE FIRE
Search continues for arsonist responsible for Iconic Village Apartments fire By Madelyn Weirich News Contributor
Investigators continue to seek public help as the search for the individual responsible for causing the Iconic Village Apartments fire remains ongoing. The fire broke loose in the early morning hours of July 20, 2018, killing five residents — Haley Frizzell, 19, Dru Estes, 20, David Angel Ortiz, 21, Belinda Moats, 21, and James Phillip Miranda, 23. Nearly 200 residents were also displaced. The fire was deemed to be intentionally set and the deaths of the victims have been ruled as homicide, according to investigators. A reward of $110,000 was raised in August 2019 in hopes of gathering information on the suspect involved in setting the fire. Funds raised for the reward was a collaborative effort among donations from the Houston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the City of San Marcos, the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, the Frizzell and Ortiz family combined and an anonymous donor. San Marcos fire and police departments, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have taken steps to solve this case over the last three years, including building and burning two replicas of the complex to predict how the fire may have started and progressed. However, San Marcos Fire Chief Les Stephens believes that until investigators receive a tip concerning the identity of the arsonist, the case is unlikely to move forward. Stephens said all possible avenues of solving the investigation have been exhausted. “That's the reason that we've offered the reward, and that's the reason we're trying to keep it in front of the community,” Stephens said. “We need someone to realize that they know something that they may not even realize it's significant. They may not realize that it's critical to the investigation, but it might be the one thing that really, you know, gives us the traction we need.” To those personally affected by the fire, finding the suspect is not only important to keeping communities safe, but also serves as a justice for the loved ones lost. Filmmaker and Texas State alumnus Brian BK Frizzell, whose younger sister, Haley, was killed in the fire, is currently working on a documentary about the incident in hopes of opening the eyes of potential informants to the suffering the arsonist has caused and encouraging people to
Firefighters monitor smolder July 20, 2018 following blaze at Iconic Village Apartments on North LBJ Drive. STAR FILE PHOTO
Workers demolish the burned Iconic Village apartments Jan.15, 2019 on North LBJ Drive. STAR FILE PHOTO
come forward with information. “This was an extremely violent act that turned people's lives upside down within a matter of minutes. And so, when you think about your loved one being part of that, it's an extremely difficult thing to recognize as being real,” Frizzell said. “We were looking that they had reached a peaceful end, they weren't aware of what was happening, and that they were just asleep and didn't ever know. And as far as I know, that wasn't the case for any of them . . . So, you know, it sucks
for all of us to know and to try to deal with that fact that our loved ones did experience it and had to know that they were about to die.” While Iconic Village's fire codes were up to date at the time of its construction in the 1960s, investigators discovered they lacked vital safety measures, such as sprinkler systems and functional smoke alarms that keep fires in modern buildings contained. “We've learned through the last 40 plus years, 50 years, that there are better
ways to do things and now we build things differently,” Stephens said. "That's the difference in this building, it wasn't that the building wasn't built correctly when it was built, it was just a different era, and the standards were different.” Businesses and apartments are now required to have working smoke alarms, a sprinkler system and clearly marked exits to prevent fires from getting out of control. Local institutions like Texas State keep up with fire safety recommendations, despite many of the campus’ buildings, such as Old Main, having been constructed in the 20th century. All the university's buildings contain sprinkler systems, fire alarms and clear exits to prevent massive infernos like the one at Iconic Village, according to Stephens. Miguel Pacheco, a residential assistant at the Chautauqua Gaillardia Complex who has acquaintances affected by the fire at Iconic Village, said the university requires fire prevention training for all first year and third year residential assistants. "They do demonstrations for us, teaching us how to use a fire extinguisher, teach you the proper way to use it, and the importance of having one, as well as doing this smoke training simulator,” Pacheco said. “But one of the big things in grandfathering in [buildings constructed prior to modern safety codes] is still adhering to certain policies and procedures continuing to update them even still.” While the disaster showed the importance of modern fire safety, it was little consolation to those affected by the fire, like Frizzell. Survivors and family members of victims have since filed lawsuits against the apartment's owners, property management company and manager. “[Many of us feel] a lot of anger toward the people that operate that building,” Frizzell said. “They don't warn you that the building was built before they were required to do any kind of fire safety. They don't warn you that the roof had metal on top of wood that just held the fire and pushed it down rather than going up. There was nothing to stop this thing from happening.” Anyone with tips about the Iconic Village fire, no matter how seemingly small, is encouraged to call 1-888-ATFTIPS (1-888-283-8477).
FROM FRONT KATZ BROTHERS
Chase Katz poses for a picture, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, at Zelicks Icehouse at 336 W Hopkins St, in San Marcos. RASIKA GASTI
The brothers' latest restaurant is North Street, a beer bar that also serves Indian-inspired dishes. Chase said the restaurant was a need due to the lack of Indian-inspired cuisine in the area. “We make Indian-style curries with what we say is approachable Indian flavors. There isn't another restaurant that's focused on Indian flavors. So, that was something that was important to us there, is bringing something different with the Indian flavors,” Chase said. Kira Brinton, a cashier for Dos Gatos, has worked for the bakery for more than half a year and previously worked at Zelick's Icehouse. She says each of the Katz brothers' restaurants is unique, but all feature a relaxed environment for customers. “There aren’t many icehouses in San Marcos, and I feel like Zelick's is a nice outdoor place and with North Street, there’s not a lot of Indian food options,
so that’s super fun,” Brinton said. Customer experience is an important part of each Katz brother location. Chase said the food served is only half of what makes guests come back. “What we're always saying is that the people that come into our establishments are our guests, and we're trying to give them a great experience from, you know, the minute they get out of the car in the parking lots till the time they leave," Chase said. After 12 years since starting their first business, Chase believes that he and his brother's accomplishments are solely tied to the people who have supported them and believed in their work. “The culture of our business is really important. It's all about the people that are coming to see us," Chase said. “So, I think that combo of unique places and offerings, great staff and giving guests a good experience has made it successful.”
4 |Tuesday, September 14, 2021
The University Star
LIFE & ARTS
Sarah Hernandez Life & Arts Editor starlifeandarts@txstate.edu
FINE ARTS
Texas State Galleries explores split identities of cultures By Aidan Bea Life and Arts Contributor The current exhibitions at the Texas State Galleries, on display until Nov. 12, feature work from artists Carissa Samaniego and Maria Guzmán Capron. The works of both artists deal with issues of identity, more specifically the mixed or split cultural identities of Samaniego and Guzmán Capron. Guzmán Capron’s “Olas Malcriadas,” loosely translated from Spanish as “naughty waves,” explores Guzmán Capron’s identity as an immigrant born in Milan, Italy to a Peruvian mother and Columbian father. “I came to the United States when I was 17, in the middle of my junior year of high school,” Guzmán Capron said. “I didn’t speak any English, only Spanish and a little Italian too because I did live in Italy for 14 years before moving to Columbia. I have been in the United States since then, I’m still trying to figure out what that means for who I am and how do I describe myself. I figure this out sometimes through my work.” Guzmán Capron creates what are known as soft sculptures, sculptures made of soft materials, often fabrics. The exhibit is made up of seven textile pieces, or “characters” as Guzmán Capron calls them, hung on the walls. One large figure also made of textiles lies on the floor in the center of the room. According to Margo Handwerker, director of the Texas State Galleries, one reason Guzmán Capron was featured in the exhibit was because of how her work challenges classical notions of what sculpture really is. “Some of them do look like paintings,” Handwerker said. “These seem so explicitly painting until you get close, and you realize they do have dimension. It’s one of the reasons the term ‘soft sculpture’ can be so much more successful in describing these types of works.” The only piece on display that is more of a traditional sculpture is “Mar,” the large figure in the middle of the room. Guzmán Capron named the piece “Mar,” which translates to “sea,” because she wanted the piece to resemble the size and depth of the ocean. “In some ways, the piece, the character, is kind of melting down onto the ground. I wanted it to be very flat,” Guzmán Capron said. “I had this image of this kind of piece on the floor being something that was letting go of a lot of things inside and these things would rise up to the walls and crash, almost like waves, and out of that the other characters are born.” A unique aspect of this exhibition is the colored walls of the room. Typically, art is displayed on all white walls, sometimes referred to as “the white cube," in order to “erase the space you are in,” according to Handwerker. In the case of “Olas Malcriadas’” the walls have been painted a variety of bold colors that both accentuate the pieces, but also give enhanced meaning to the art. “[The white cube] tries to devoid the space of any context which is not always successful because the ‘white cube’ is itself a kind of context,” Handwerker said. “So, what [Guzmán Capron] asked us to do was to paint the space. So, on one hand, it becomes a more aesthetically pleasing and supportive environment for the works; at the same time, it also makes the overall exhibition more installation-like.” Guzmán Capron said she has always wanted to display her work beyond the “white space” but has never had the opportunity to do so until now. In addition to looking at her cultural background, “Olas Malcriadas” also looks to the future, both Guzmán Capron’s and everyone else’s. She said the work is a resemblance to the person she is now. "There are so many parts of my life that are embedded in the work: Being a parent, caring, having a love for people and a love to share. I’m also
"Self-portrait as Hermes" by Carissa Samaniego on display at Texas State Galleries. Part of the exhibit titled "Coyote Ballad," the piece is inspired by Greek mythology and represents Samaniego's mixed identity. COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE GALLERIES
"La Camina Caballera" by Carissa Samaniego on display at Texas State Galleries as part of the "Coyote Ballad" exhibit. Much like the exhibit's other displays, Samaniego wanted to illustrate her mixed identity with a seat from an El Camino, a vehicle that is both a car and a truck. PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE GALLERIES
looking to the future; I’m inspired by the possibilities of it. What is to come, what can we be? I like the idea that we are always changing … to appreciate all those changes, the good and the bad that we have to go through and to be excited and participate in our own futures," Guzmán Capron said. One room over, Samaniego’s “Coyote Ballad” explores her own split identity, growing up both in New Mexico and Minnesota, along with her family’s history and connection to the land. She does so by using objects from nature and objects that have multiple identities. Samaniego uses the words “coyote” and “ballad” as two separate symbols that work together to describe herself and the work. To her, "coyote” represents many things. For one, “coyote” has historically been used as a derogatory term to describe someone of mixed ancestry. She uses “ballad” to refer to a form of storytelling popular in both American and Spanish traditions. Handwerker describes the exhibit as a “concept album,” meaning one must view the pieces together to get the full meaning. “In the way that maybe one or two songs can’t speak for the whole for the project they have to be seen in relation to one another to derive their meaning,” Handwerker said. “The meaning of this show is really tied to [Samaniego’s] selfdiscovery.”
Samaniego is a 15th generation New Mexican. Her family has seen New Mexico go from New Spain, to Mexico, to the U.S., first as the New Mexico Territory, and later the modern state of New Mexico. “We have never been considered real Americans,” Samaniego said. “I grew up partially in Minnesota, a New Mexican to a Minnesotan is a total foreigner, definitely not an American. I’ve never been able to reconcile that. It’s always been present in my world and is something that continues to come up in my artwork.” With “Coyote Ballad,” Samaniego uses an array of natural elements and objects with multiple identities to try and dissect her own identity and put it back together in a framework that makes sense to her and viewers of her work. The use of objects from nature references her family's outdoorsy lifestyle. The piece that perhaps does this most literally is “Conozco Coyote.” The piece consists of several coyote pelts that Samaniego has cut apart and then reassembled along with embroidery. The piece references a legend from Aztec mythology in which a woman is thrown down a mountain and breaks apart into many pieces. The woman is then reassembled, much like the coyote, and in doing so, finds power. “There are some Chicana feminist
scholars who like to use this symbol of having all your different parts when you are talking about your identity and having a mixed identity,” Samaniego said. “When you feel like you have all your different parts disassembled, the act of picking those pieces up and putting them together yourself and figuring it out is very powerful. There’s sort of this transformative process in doing so.” The piece "Self-portrait as Hermes” was also inspired by mythology, this time Greek. The piece is made of a pair of boots with duck wings attached to them mounted on a cottonwood stump that is painted pink. The ancient Greeks believed Hermes was the messenger of the gods, communicating between the mortal world and the heavens. Due to his dealings with the mortal and the immortal, Hermes is sometimes referred to as the “God of the in-between.” “With having a mixed identity comes the power to be able to navigate these in-between spaces because you exist in them,” Samaniego said. “You don’t belong to one place or another, but you can travel between. Coyotes can live anywhere and adapt. I thought I would make a ‘Self-portrait as Hermes’ to sort of connect myself and mixed identity to the way the in-between language has been talked about in Greek mythology.” Being an American of Hispanic origin is a big theme throughout “Coyote Ballad.” Samaniego uses the phrase “Americaña” to describe this cross-section of her identity. In an untitled piece on display, a pink neon sign reads “Americaña” with the accent above “ñ” flickering on and off to also read “Americana.” The piece that best represents “Americaña” is the seat of a 1985 Chevrolet El Camino decorated with embroidery titled “La Camina Caballera." The classic car comes from America, but the name itself "El Camino" is of Spanish origin, therefore, making it “Americaña.” Much like Samaniego, the El Camino has a mixed identity. “An El Camino is a car and truck, it’s sort of this mixed vehicle,” Samaniego said. “The name comes from ‘El Camino Real,’ the route that the Spanish took from Mexico through what is now New Mexico. I thought that was an interesting reference to what I was already talking about. I was also born in 1985 which is why I sought out that particular year.” Music that can be heard throughout the entire exhibit emanates from the seat. The song is by Maria McCullogh who is trained to play the violin in a variety of styles. Once again, much like Samaniego, the violin itself has a mixed identity. Depending on how the instrument is played it can be called either a violin or a fiddle. “The fiddle is a quintessentially Americana instrument,” Samaniego said. “But it is also a quintessentially Mexican instrument when you play it with mariachi. It is also a quintessentially Celtic instrument when you play it as a violin. I thought that the fiddle or the violin is a really interesting cultural object in terms of how it operates in different settings. It’s a shapeshifter itself.” Samaniego’s journey of self-discovery is ongoing. What is set in stone is that her family history is and will continue to be a huge influence on her work. “A lot of my work is about having a mixed identity,” Samaniego said. “As somebody who has ancestors with 15thcentury roots in what is now known as New Mexico and also German and Irish ancestors who came over in the 18th century, my own identity, being crafted from these dissimilar places of origin, is what assigns me as a ‘mixed’ person. My work is about that, it’s about understanding what that means and finding a visual language to represent that.” "Coyote Ballad" and “Olas Malcriadas" are free to view at the Texas State Galleries located inside of the Joann Cole Mitte building until Nov. 12.
The University Star
LIFE & ARTS
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 | 5 Sarah Hernandez Life & Arts Editor starlifeandarts@txstate.edu
FROM FRONT FAMILY-OWNED Mochinut sets out displays for the mochi donut flavors of the day, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in San Marcos, Texas. VANESSA BUENTELLO
deep-fried until golden brown. Oolong, jasmine and black tea will join the menu as well. Even with Mochinut being new to the area, Lee and Choi are already feeling the love. They've received customers from surrounding towns like Kyle and Buda and continue to sell out certain items, like the PB & J mochi donut, during daily business hours. Baylor Howerton, a STEM sophomore, discovered Mochinut after seeing one of her sorority sisters post about it on Instagram Stories. Howerton was interested in trying out the new bakery, specifically for its boba tea. "I love boba and I'm always looking for like a good boba place because it's really popular in Korea and Hawaii and that's where I used to live," Howerton said. "That's like authentic boba and like, it's just hard to find like good boba here. So, I wanted to give this a try." Prior to starting their own restaurant, Lee and Choi had spent years in the restaurant industry; Lee was a chef and Choi worked as a server. However, working in the industry long-term wasn't always part of their plan. The siblings went to college to study English and had dreamed of becoming teachers. Lee was set on wanting to travel the world and teach English. Choi also wanted to teach English and open up a daycare in Korea. "I actually went to Korea, did study abroad and then I taught kids for a while," Choi said. "But then I noticed that kind of was not my style and then I wanted to come back to America because I was born and raised here." After moving back home, Choi got married. At
the time, her husband and brother were working as chefs. She figured her experience working as a server in combination with her brother and husband's cooking skills was the ideal recipe to start their own restaurant. With her husband and brother being more handson when it comes to the food, Choi takes a behindthe-scenes approach, taking care of the restaurants' financials and inventory. While opening up a family restaurant wasn't part of her original career plan, Choi said the fast-paced environment that comes with running a business is a great fit for her. "It does get tiring sometimes, but at the end of the day, it's very satisfying," Choi said. "It's satisfying to see people enjoy your food, to see people post then leave really good reviews. Providing good food, providing good service and just making people happy like that gives me fulfillment also." They settled on opening Umami and Mochinut in San Marcos as they were familiar with the surrounding area — Choi went to school at the University of Texas and Lee went to Texas State. While the familiarity was one thing, they also noticed San Marcos was missing authentic Asian cuisine. "We've been to a few restaurants here, but you know, we just thought, it was just missing the authenticity," Lee said. While the journey of growing their businesses across the city has been rewarding, the ongoing pandemic presents daily challenges that make the tough job of running a restaurant more difficult. At the start of the pandemic, Lee and Choi's family business took a hit. Before starting Mochinut, the family was running Casa Choi, which was housed in the same location the bakery is currently in. Casa Choi served dishes inspired
by Korean barbecue and Mexican flavors like kimchi fries and bulgogi burritos. After nearly two years of running the restaurant, they decided to close it down. "It was really hard. The restaurant industry took a really big hit. Casa Choi had been open for almost two years. So, it was like, a brand-new business," Choi said. "We had employees and we couldn't keep up with it. It was, it was hard." Rather than deciding to reopen Casa Choi, the family was inspired to bring something new and different to San Marcos. After trying Mochinut for themselves, they thought it would be a cool, trendy business to introduce to the area. Opening up their own restaurants as a way to prepare for the future played an important role in their decision to do so. In their culture, Lee said, it's important for children to care for their parents once they are older. "Eventually, when my parents retire, we're going to be taking care of them, meaning financially. Whatever they need house, homes, cars, vehicles, groceries we'll be taken care of all of that," Lee said. As they embark on the journey of running Mochinut, their commitment to putting family over business remains the same. With Choi recently having a child of her own, opening Mochinut was an opportunity for the family to plan and care for the generations to come, Lee said. "Family, you know, we can go through fights, we can go through arguments and not talk to each other for a while," Lee said. "But, family always brings us together no matter what.”
6 | Tuesday, September 14, 2021
The University Star
OPINIONS
Hannah Thompson Opinion Editor staropinions@txstate.edu
Opinions in The University Star are not necessarily those of our entire publication, Texas State University’s administration, Board of Regents, School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Student Publications Board.
RELATIONSHIPS
Ghosting is the cowards way out By Mckenzie Siller Opinion Contributor
Imagine this. Your friend/significant other doesn’t text you back one day. You pay no mind to this, as people can sometimes get busy, and you think they will text back soon enough. But this soon enough drags into days, weeks and finally months. No matter how much you text, call or email, they never respond. What happened? You have unfortunately been ghosted. Ghosting is defined as the practice of suddenly ending all contact with a person without explanation. It is nothing new, but its prevalence is common in online relationships. According to a survey by Plenty of Fish, an online dating site, 80% of its users between the ages of 18 and 33 have been ghosted before. Ghosting is so common, MTV even has a show, "Ghosted: Love Gone Missing," dedicated to helping individuals contact former partners and figure out why they disappeared. To the person who does the ghosting, they may believe avoiding sticky situations is best for them. No yelling match, drama or tears. In some cases, ghosting could be tied to safety issues such as when someone repeatedly contacts another person after they’ve already expressed their disinterest with them. For friends, it may be too complicated to tell someone they don't want to be friends anymore. Or, it may be because the person perceives the relationship as toxic. Ultimately we may never know. What we do know is that the person who ghosted is avoiding confrontation and hurting feelings. People who ghost may generally believe that it is easier to vanish from someone's life than to have a real discussion. "I don't think [ghosting] is the perfect
VIVIANA FAZ
solution to anything, but sometimes it's what's needed. I have been ghosted and I have ghosted other people, but I am not proud of it," Sophia Simpson, a marketing senior, said. In a 2018 study, 25% of people have been reported being ghosted by a romantic partner and 40% of people have been ghosted by a friend. In the same study, it was found that people who have more of a destiny mindset toward their relationship (i.e., it was meant to be/destiny brought us together) find ghosting acceptable and even do it themselves. Meanwhile, people with a growth mindset, those who believe relationships take time and patience, find ghosting as an unacceptable way to end a relationship. Additionally, in this study, 22% of people who ghost have once been ghosted themselves. “I was ghosted after telling someone I was starting to catch feelings for them. I feel like most of us have at least
been ghosted once," Yainet Palmero, a criminal justice sophomore, said. "There is no tangible reason behind it, it's more that the other person’s feelings change, and they move on without communicating it.” Avoidance/withdrawal is rated as the worst way to end a relationship as it leaves the recipient with greater distress post-breakup, according to a study done on breakup strategies. A direct breakup, like an open discussion, was the most ideal way to end the relationship and left both parties on good terms. “In my opinion, [ghosting] shows bad communication but it speaks worst of the person [who ghosts]. Anyone who ghosts someone else is a coward," Palmero said. "Although I’m not the best at communicating my feelings, I am very honest. So, whenever I lose attraction to a previous partner or when it comes to friendships, I tell them that it’s over and give them a reason why.”
I have also experienced ghosting myself. My “best friend” of five years suddenly stopped all communication with me in my junior year of high school. In class, they switched seats away from me, avoided me at lunch and refused to acknowledge me. The first few days I was confused and hurt. I figured if they wanted to tell me something important, they would. I gave it time. But once three weeks rolled around, I knew the truth. The rest of junior year I spent questioning my worth, my identity and pretty much everything about myself. It took me two years to stop grieving for a dead friendship. And it took me three years to finally realize that the former friend ghosting me was not my fault. I am reminded of that pain whenever I see the former friend on campus or like the other day, on the bus. Someday I will forget about that former friend and the wound they left will stop hurting. People who ghost, besides for safety reasons, are immature and cannot handle responsibility. They could not be an adult and have an honest, open discussion about terminating a relationship. Instead, they run away. While my therapist says I have trauma from the incident, I will say that it broke my trust in friends but not my hope. Each time I make a new friend I hope that they are mature and comfortable enough, in any setting, to say what is wrong. After all, I cannot read minds. - McKenzie Siller is a biochemistry junior The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.
COVID-19 VACCINE
Students need to get vaccinated By Jacklynn Broussard Opinion Contributor The COVID-19 pandemic has been around for over a year with people contracting the virus every day. To help slow the spread of the virus, masks have been an adopted tool throughout the tumultuous year. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lifted mask mandates across the state, making it harder for public spaces to enforce masks — including our campus. Despite masks no longer being required on campus, students must get vaccinated and continue to wear facial coverings in order to ensure the health and safety of everyone this fall semester. More recently, vaccines have become widely accessible to the general public. Texas State has even hosted mass vaccination drives and continues to offer vaccines free Monday-Friday at the Student Health Center, making it easy for students to get vaccinated. The university has also launched a vaccine incentive program. Students who are currently enrolled and have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can enter a drawing to win prizes such as $500 or a red parking permit for the spring semester. Rheagan Brown, a communications disorder sophomore, said she had no trouble getting the vaccine when it became widely accessible. All she had to do was sign two forms of consent for both doses of the vaccine. “Both rounds of my vaccine were fine, the experience was fast and efficient. They had me in and out,” Brown said. “They also made sure to keep us monitored so that we didn’t have any side effects, and everyone was extremely friendly.” In addition to on-campus availability, local pharmacies have distributed all three types of vaccines to the public free of charge. With so many options available, students cannot make the
THEO JANUSKI
excuse that they can't find a vaccine location site as a way to justify their reasoning for being unvaccinated. An NPR/Marist poll reports one in four Americans would refuse to get vaccinated if offered. Vaccine hesitancy for some stems from how "fast" the vaccine was created in addition to possible unknown long-term side effects. However, COVID-19 vaccines were produced so rapidly because the virus's building block, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), had been detected in 2003. Additionally, according to Healthline, the COVID-19 vaccine was built on decades of research from both mRNA and adenovirus technologies. Seeing as SARS and SARS-CoV-2 are similar, scientists used research that was already conducted about SARS to help create the COVID-19 vaccine — proving it to be safe, effective and not rushed. Vaccines were officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as of Aug. 23. However, despite the accessibility and government approval of the vaccine, vaccine rates for young adults are low compared to other age groups. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported nearly 25%
of the 18-29 age group said they would not get vaccinated, with 23% of the group reporting unsure. Those who are unvaccinated are more likely to get COVID-19 and face severe symptoms. Although some may argue that vaccinated individuals are also susceptible to COVID-19, the vaccine is still the best solution to help against dying or getting severely ill. The Delta variant should be enough evidence to see how serious this virus is becoming. There are children and young adults in the hospitals right now fighting for their lives. Additionally, there is a lack of hospital resources and beds available due to a high number of COVID-19 patients, who are taking up room and resources from others also in need of medical attention. There have been studies to prove how the variant differs and holds more of an impact than regular COVID-19. The CDC reports the Delta variant as two times more contagious compared to the original strain of COVID-19. As of Sept. 10, there are currently 1,860 active COVID-19 cases in Hays County. There are 49 people currently hospitalized and of those, 38 are unvaccinated, making up 82% of
total hospitalizations. The county has had a total of 1,140 COVID-related hospitalizations and 333 COVIDrelated deaths throughout the pandemic. In Hays County, the 20-29 age group makes up the majority of overall confirmed COVID-19 cases with about 7,000. The 10-19 age group has the second-highest overall confirmed cases with over 4,000. There are some reasonable circumstances as to why certain individuals do not want to get vaccinated. For instance, some individuals have health conditions that prevent them from getting the vaccine. However, continuing to follow precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks and disinfecting surfaces will help keep those unvaccinated safe. Keeping up with these precautionary measures will help lower one’s risk of contracting the virus. However, just fully allowing yourself to be vulnerable is similar to wanting to purposely catch it. There is no shame in not having the vaccine, but it's important to consider the fact that everyone's condition differs. Texas State students need to entertain the idea of getting vaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective, and it is the number one tool to ensure that we continue to stay safe and have the opportunity to at least finish the semester with in-person classes. The Bobcat community must do its part to combat the pandemic. Get vaccinated and help keep case numbers low. - Jacklynn Broussard is a journalism sophomore The University Star welcomes Letters to the Editor from its readers. All submissions are reviewed and considered by the Editor-in-Chief and Opinion Editor for publication. Not all letters are guaranteed for publication.
Tuesday, September 14, 2021 | 7
The University Star
SPORTS 185 Student-athletes honored for success outside of the game
Sumit Nagar Sports Editor starsports@txstate.edu
ACADEMICS
By Carter Bordwell Sports Contributor
The Sun Belt Conference recognized 185 Texas State student-athletes for academic excellence during the 202021 school year. Of the total number of athletes recognized, 102 were named to the Sun Belt's Commissioner's List for earning a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the year. The remaining 83, who had a GPA between 3.00 and 3.49, were named to the conference's Academic Honor Roll. The number of student-athletes selected for this year’s honor roll tops last year by over 50 new athletes. “Texas State is tremendously proud of all 185 Bobcat student-athletes who were recognized by the Sun Belt Conference during the 2020-2021 academic year,” Director of Athletics Don Coryell said in a statement. “I believe the success obtained by each student-athlete is a great testament to our academic services as well as our academic standard set by each head coach.”
chain management. She also hopes to eventually earn a master’s in supply chain management. McCann is aware of the misconceptions people may have about student-athletes and their ability to be successful in both their academic and athletic careers. “Some of the misconceptions about student-athletes are that they have it easier than other students so they can focus on their sport, but we are required to put our academics before our sport,” McCann said.
“SOME OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT STUDENT-ATHLETES ARE THAT THEY HAVE IT EASIER THAN OTHER STUDENTS ... BUT WE ARE REQUIRED TO PUT OUR ACADEMICS BEFORE OUR SPORT,” -TORI MCCANN
JUNIOR SOFTBALL PITCHER Texas State then-freshman pitcher Tori McCann winds up to pitch to a Saint Louis batter during the first inning of a game, Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, at Bobcat Softball Stadium. KATE CONNORS
Junior softball pitcher Tori McCann, a business management major, understands the importance of grades and wants to eventually use her academic success to land a job in supply
All 12 returning players of Texas State's Women's Basketball team also earned a Sun Belt Academic Honor. Head Coach Zenarae Antoine said getting recognized for academic success is an important achievement and it's important for the team to support its athletes both on and off the court. “The quality of our student-athletes
Texas State then-junior guard Kennedy Taylor (3) looks around UTA defenders to find an open teammate to pass the ball to, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats won 66-45. KATE CONNORS
starts with the women on our team and their families," Antoine said in a statement. "We make sure that, as a coaching staff, we celebrate all of their successes in the classroom, on the court and everything in between.” Senior guard Kennedy Taylor, who has a year of athletic eligibility left, graduated in the summer of 2021 with a degree in mass communication. The stress of being an athlete while also managing school was initially challenging for her as a freshman. However, she said she soon learned how to prioritize both time on the court and in the classroom. “It has definitely gotten easier," Taylor said. "When I first came in as a freshman everything was fast paced. I didn’t really know how to manage my time, but as I have gotten older I have learned a system. I am a student first and an athlete second. I try to get everything
done before I go out on the court.” Taylor said her parents are a huge part of her success off the court as they made it clear that there are no excuses when it comes to academics. “It has been instilled in me ever since I was a kid that everything you do, you do with 1000% effort,” Taylor said. “Just because I came to college and the work is more rigorous, doesn’t mean I can use that as an excuse to not excel at the best of my ability.” The conference honor is important to Taylor because it represents how her hard work in the classroom has paid off. “It means a lot; it kind of goes to show you how hard work does pay off if you put the work in and I’m glad to see the Sun Belt recognizing academic accolades and not just athletics," Taylor said. "I feel like I have set the bar high for myself anything less than that is kind of letting myself down.”
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8 | Tuesday, September 14, 2021
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