TUESDAY
January 24, 2023
VOLUME 112 ISSUE 18 www.UniversityStar.com
HOUSING
In preparation for next semester, oncampus housing limited to freshmen By Blake Leschber News Reporter On Dec. 12, the Department of Housing and Residential Life (DHRL) sent an email to students stating that with another expected rise in freshman enrollment for fall 2023, there will be not enough space for anyone else in the dorms. This means that all non-freshman students will need to find off-campus housing. “We anticipate the demand for first-year student housing will fill all available housing assignments,” Bill Mattera, executive director of Housing and Residential Life, said. “So we notified returning students as soon as possible that our demand would likely exceed the ability to offer them spaces.” Mattera said that the decision is based on the current number of applications, demand and capacity which does not support non-freshmen being able to live oncampus next year. “We make our decisions based on applications, anticipated demand and available bed capacity,” Mattera said. “As we work with our university partners in admissions, it is clear that the beds currently held by returning students will be needed to accommodate the first-year class anticipated for fall 2023.”
SEE HOUSING PAGE 2
Texas State Hilltop Housing Complex construction, Monday, Jan. 23, 2023. PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING
AGRICULTURE
Texas State Freeman Ranch welcomes new cattle donation, Willy Wonka By Haley Velasco
Assistant Life and Arts Editor
With the determination for student success, Willy Wonka, a Santa Gertrudis cattle breed, was donated to Texas State's Freeman Ranch in hopes of boosting opportunities for students and gaining a step in the right direction to making Texas State an R1 institution. As owners of the Buena Vida Cattle Company, a cattle company that raises Santa Gertrudis cattle, Kevin and Heather Blewett donated Willy Wonka so Texas State’s Department of Agricultural Sciences can begin breeding about 40 Santa Gertrudis purebreds. The Blewett's also donated $523,000 to Texas State in October during Step Up For State to support agricultural science research, leading to the Blewett Agricultural Research Project. The funds were distributed throughout the department and Willy Wonka was the next big donation to further research. Heather Blewetts passion for helping students succeed is displayed in the donations. “We wanted to help out Texas State and the students,” Heather Blewett said. “[Texas State has] got a great program — the agricultural program. I've employed several Texas State students over the years and wanted the [agriculture] department to have hands-on experience with the cattle. This benefits Texas State and it benefits the breed as well.” Willy Wonka is a Santa Gertrudis cattle breed, a native Texan beef cattle that originated in the early 1900s at King Ranch and is known for withstanding Texas heat due to being drought and insect resistant. Willy Wonka stops to look around while being fed, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at Freeman Ranch in San Marcos. Willy is a Santa Gertrudis cattle that was donated to Texas State's Department of Agricultural Sciences for research. PHOTO BY JOHN GAMEZ
SEE AGRICULTURE PAGE 3
SPORTS RECAP
Volleyball season ends in bitter-sweet fashion By Kobe Arriaga Sports Reporter The Texas State volleyball squad put together another strong season in the 2022 campaign, finishing with a 14-2 record in the Sun Belt Conference and 24-7 overall. The successful regular season record for Texas State resulted in the top spot in the West Division and set the Bobcats up for a deep run in the conference tournament. Texas State was on a six-game winning streak heading into the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Tournament and managed to pick up two crucial victories against Louisiana and South Alabama to propel the Bobcats to their sixth-straight conference championship appearance. It was a bittersweet ending to the 2022 season for Texas State, though, as the Bobcats ultimately fell short in the championship game against the top seed in the Sun Belt Conference, James Madison University.
SEE SPORTS RECAP PAGE 3 Texas State Volleyball celebrates after scoring a point during a match against James Madison University, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Strahan Arena. The Bobcats tied the weekend series 1-1. STAR FILE PHOTO
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