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The University Star •

San Marcos prepares for potential freezing temperatures

Update:
Texas State University has resources in place to help the community navigate freezing temperatures in San Marcos.
According to an email from Texas State Emergency Management, students, faculty, and staff can stay informed about campus delays and closures by signing up for TXSTATE Alerts. As of 3:25 p.m. on Jan. 7, no closures are expected. 
Emergency Management also recommends regularly checking the Safety and Emergency Communications website for updates and weather safety tips. Recommen...
The University Star •

Turning loss into lessons

The Dalton family founded a nonprofit in 2017 to support foster children, but after the death of their son Ethan, a Texas State finance senior, their commitment to helping all at-risk youth has grown stronger than ever.
Ethan was beginning his senior year at Texas State when he died from accidental fentanyl and alcohol poisoning on Sept. 1, 2024, while he was in Colorado.
Ethan had a deep passion for baseball, cherished playing video games with his younger sibling Ace and was dedicated to fitnes...
The University Star •

Lorenzo Gonzalez elected to City Council Place 5

*Results are complete, but unofficial.
Lorenzo Gonzalez was elected to serve his first term as council member for San Marcos City Council Place 5 in the Dec. 14 Runoff Election.
With 424 votes (50.72%), Gonzalez beat his opponent, Roland Saucedo (49.28%), by a margin of 12 votes. The seat was previously held by Mark Gleason, who did not run for reelection.
Gonzalez said his main goal in running for the city council seat was to be more accessible to residents.
“What I’ve been saying all along on...
The University Star •

Over 40 buildings lost power on Texas State’s campus

A city-related power issue caused several buildings at Texas State University’s San Marcos campus to lose electricity on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Associate Vice President for Facilities at Texas State Dan Costello said 45 buildings lost power from around 9:30 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. 
The city of San Marcos supplies electricity to Texas State through multiple feeders. According to Costello, the university lost connection to one of its main feeders, cutting power to Trauth-Huffman Hall and all buildings eas...
The University Star •

Sights & Sounds festival scales back for 2024

The Sights & Sounds of Christmas festival, traditionally held over eight days across two weeks, will be condensed to a single day for the 2024 season.
Since 1987, the Sights & Sounds of Christmas festival has drawn locals and visitors from across Central Texas with live music, carnival rides and a variety of food vendors. However, Elva Zdeb, president of the board of directors, said the carnival vendor responsible for the rides announced they would not operate this year, prompting the board to p...
The University Star •

TXST plans for on-campus housing as enrollment increases

As enrollment grows, Texas State is adding two new dorms and introducing plans to accommodate on-campus housing options for upperclassmen.
Texas State’s on-campus housing currently fits 9,042 students, including the recently opened Alamito and Cibolo Halls, according to Bill Mattera, executive director of the Department of Housing and Residential Life (DHRL). By 2027, that number is projected to increase to 11,300 with the addition of Canyon Hall and a second Hilltop Housing complex.
Texas State...
Her Campus •

Inside The Crowd: Covering Campus Protests From The Heart Of The Action

Media pass, check. Notepad, check. Pen, check. Phone, check.I stand at the edge of the crowd, feeling the familiar pulse of anticipation before a protest unfolds. Covering protests has become routine in my role as news editor for The University Star, yet each event carries its own atmosphere – its own kind of intensity. Today, it’s the pro-Palestine rallies that have drawn people in. Green and red flags ripple in the air, and a collective energy fills the space; students raising their voices in...
The University Star •

Texas State revises 2024 Annual Security and Safety Report

Texas State released a revision of its 2024 Annual Security and Safety Report showing a decrease in burglary and hate crimes on Nov. 4 as compared to its original publication on Sept. 26. 
Hate crimes in 2023 changed from seven to four. The count went from five vandalism cases: three based on sexual orientation, one on religion, two based on race, along with one intimidation case related to sexual orientation to one vandalism, one intimidation, one larceny/theft, all based on sexual orientation,...
The University Star •

Burn ban lifted in Hays County

Hays County lifted its burn ban, allowing residents to resume outdoor burning following recent rainfall, on Thursday, Nov. 7, according to a Hays County press release emailed to The Star. 
The release stated Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra lifted the burn ban because the rainfall resulted in favorable moisture conditions. Hays County Fire Marshal Steve Seddig said these conditions provide an opportunity for people to clear potential fire hazards from their properties. 
Seddig also reported a sur...
The University Star •

Demonstrators spark counter-protest of hundreds at TXST

Trigger Warning: This story contains references to offensive language
Update: Texas State sent the following statement to The Star via email at 3:29 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6.
“Texas State University’s (TXST) highest priority is the safety of our students, staff, and faculty at all times. As a public institution, TXST supports the First Amendment and is required by state law to uphold freedom of speech in public areas on our campuses, even if such speech may understandably offend some members of ou...
The University Star •

Voters approve $439 million road bond for Hays County

*Results are complete, but unofficial.
Hays County voters passed Proposition A (Prop A) in the 2024 General Election with 64,422 (55.75%) votes to approve and 51,130 (44.25%) to reject. 
Prop A is a road bond that calls for the county’s use of $439 million to work on the maintenance, construction and operation of 27 county road projects.
Since the road bond was approved, property taxes would go up by about 2 cents for every $100 of a home’s value, according to the proposed road bond plan. This w...
The University Star •

Amanda Calvert elected Hays County district clerk

*Results are complete, but unofficial
Amanda Calvert (DEM) has been elected to serve as the district clerk for Hays County to serve her first term from 2024-26.
With 62,266 (52.48%), Calvert beat her Republican opponent, Philip Muzzy (47.52%), by a margin of 5,892 votes.
Calvert said she wants accountability to be high on the list of priorities for her as district clerk. 
“Accountability and getting experience in that office and applying and making sure we’re in compliance with everything,” Calv...
The University Star •

FBI, SMPD investigate threatening anti-Harris flyers

At least three reports of anti-Kamala Harris flyers have been filed with the San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) according to San Marcos Communications in an email to The Star.
According to SMPD, they are working with the FBI to investigate the incidents and find the individuals responsible.
The flyers read: “YOU have been identified and are now in our National Database of miscreant Harris supporters, either by social interactions with your neighbors who are on our investigations team, or by yar...
The University Star •

Pro-Palestinian organizations call on Damphousse to apologize for use of ‘antisemitism’

Organizations from the Texas State, Austin and San Marcos community gathered at the Stallions statue condemning Texas State President Kelly Damphousse for calling pro-Palestine graffiti antisemitic on Monday, Oct. 28. 
The groups involved in the press conference were the Texas State Palestine Solidarity Committee, Texas State University Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), Palestine Solidarity SMTX and the Austin chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations. 
Amanda Smith, an activ...
Her Campus •

The Life of an Expat: From Beirut to Texas

The smell of cardamom coffee mingled with the sound of gossip as the sun dipped below the Beirut skyline. My grandmother’s voice cut through the noise of the crowded kitchen, reminding me to bring more za’atar from the cupboard. Life here had a rhythm, a sense of belonging tied to the scent of spices and the sound of voices overlapping in warmth. Lebanon, with all its imperfections, was home. But in 2019, everything changed. I moved to Texas, and almost as soon as I arrived, the pandemic hit. Ri...
The University Star •

Demonstrators spark counter-protest of hundreds at TXST

Trigger Warning: This story contains references to offensive language
Update: Texas State sent the following statement to The Star via email at 3:29 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6.
“Texas State University’s (TXST) highest priority is the safety of our students, staff, and faculty at all times. As a public institution, TXST supports the First Amendment and is required by state law to uphold freedom of speech in public areas on our campuses, even if such speech may understandably offend some members of ou...
The University Star •

Hays County district judge accused of unlawfully asking for students’ votes

Tanner Neidhardt, a professor in the School of Criminal Justice and an incumbent running for Hays County district judge, is being accused of violating state law for attempting to influence students to vote for him in the upcoming general election using his Texas State email. 
Tyler Key, an attorney at the Key Law Office, the same firm where Neidhardt’s Democratic challenger Alicia Key works, emailed The Star documents related to Neidhardt’s violation.
In an Oct. 21 email to his students, Neidhar...
The University Star •

Residents sue Hays County over handling of road bond

Four Hays County residents are suing Hays County over an alleged Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) violation when approving a road bond election.
The Hays County Commissioner’s court approved placing a $439 million road bond election on the Nov. 5 ballot on Aug. 13.The lawsuit seeks to stop the county from taking any further action to implement the road bond, even if it is approved by the voters.
“Commissioners failed to include the public in shaping the bond package, unlike previous bond proposals...
The University Star •

First-time voters and non-voters discuss elections

As the general election draws near, Texas State students are preparing to make their voices heard at the polls, with some eager to cast their first votes and others choosing to sit this one out.
Carly Fisher, music education freshman, grew up with her parents’ voices echoing the same message: voting isn’t just a right, it’s a responsibility. That belief is what pushed her to register to vote in Denton County as soon as she turned 18 and what’s taking her to the polls next week.
“I think there’s...
The University Star •

San Marcos to return to Stage 3 drought restrictions

San Marcos will return to Stage 3 drought restrictions effective Oct. 27 for the first time since July 2023.
This is also the first time the city reaches this stage since San Marcos changed its restriction policy in April.
The press release from the city of San Marcos stated Stage 3 drought restrictions are triggered when critical water sources, including the Edwards Aquifer, Canyon Lake and the Alliance Regional Water Authority, drop to levels that demand urgent conservation measures.
The San M...
The University Star •

Hays County General Election 2024 voting guide

The general election is on Nov. 5. Early voting began Oct. 21 and will continue until Nov. 1. The University Star has compiled a guide for use before heading to the ballot boxes in Hays County.
What’s on the ballot?
The following federal, state and local elections are featured on ballots in San Marcos. For a view of the sample master ballot listing all races in Hays County, visit the Hays County Election website.
Federal
U.S. President/Vice President
 
U.S. Senator
U.S. Representative, District...
The University Star •

The Davenport discontinues ‘A Brunch of Drag,’ sparks community concerns

Once a month, A Brunch of Drag brought the San Marcos queer community together at The Davenport. On Sept. 22, the event held its final show before the venue shut it down.
Eileen Dover, drag artist and performer, hosted A Brunch of Drag every fourth Sunday of each month for the past two years at The Davenport on South Guadalupe Street. She said the last show, which celebrated the event’s two-year anniversary, was sold out, which typically consisted of 125 to 150 people.
A typical Brunch of Drag s...
The University Star •

Texas State, San Marcos community hold protest and vigil in solidarity with Palestine

Texas State students and community members gathered at the Stallions statue on Tuesday, Oct. 8, to hold a protest and vigil in solidarity with the people of Palestine along with civilians in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria who have died since Oct. 7, 2023.
Texas State’s Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) and Texas State’s Young Democratic Socialists of America organized the almost four-hour long protest that started with speeches and ended with prayers and a vigil. Over 30 people gathered around the...
The University Star •

San Marcos High School cleared after false threat

San Marcos High School (SMHS) has released students after clearing the active threat lockdown on Sept. 24.
“We have zero reports of any injuries at all of any sort,” Les Stephens, San Marcos Fire Department fire chief said.
No shots were fired and no casings were found, according to Stephens. 
According to a San Marcos Consolidated ISD (SMCISD) press release, the report was a false threat. While students are cleared from the school, the investigation is still ongoing.
“SMCISD is working with the...
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