TUESDAY
January 31, 2023
VOLUME 112 ISSUE 19 www.UniversityStar.com
UNIVERSITY
YDSA students campaign for higher student worker wages By Carlota Pulgar News Contributor Many services offered at Texas State are run by student workers who subjectively, may not be paid a livable wage, giving the title "broke college student" a new meaning. The Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at Texas State is seeking to raise wages for student workers to at least $15 an hour. The organization launched its labor campaign on Nov. 17 with a press conference and informational picket. YDSA Co-chair Andrew Maglich, a political science sophomore, wrote the proposal and the chapter voted to make it their official campaign. Maglich, a former Alkek Library student worker, said he liked the job but struggled to compensate for the lack of pay. "I worked at Alkek. It's a great job if the pay was livable," Maglich said. "I really enjoyed working at the library, I think there's a lot of good that comes from it. You can provide a lot of good services to people, but it just doesn't pay enough for people to be able to do that and live."
Texas State communication design senior Chinny Egbuna observes students entering the building, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2023, at Joann Cole Mitte Building. She checks if students enter the art galleries' and records how many enter with a clicker device.
During his time as a student worker, he saw a merging of departments which affected his job and workload. This led him to realize the lack of a voice for student workers on campus. "It was a decision that was like, fully opposed by every single student worker I talked to about it," Maglich said. "That was one driving factor to where I kind of realized that there's a lot of discontent in on-campus positions where student workers are not being paid enough, but they also don't have a voice on the job." Noah Jefferson, a biology senior, worked as a desk assistant for the Department of Housing and Residential Life from his freshman year up until last semester. He was paid $9.50 an hour and said employees were told they were replaceable by the department when they complained about treatment. "In my job the first point of contact for the dorms was the student workers, that front desk is the first person they’re going to," Jefferson said. "Pretty much every amenity that Texas State offer is done under the assistance and labor of students." Larry Adisa, a communication studies senior, has worked as an orientation leader and as a PACE peer mentor. He was paid $10 an hour as a peer mentor and said student workers are integral to Texas State. "They are basically like the blood of the campus. They basically keep everything running. The rec student workers, LBJ front desk student workers — everywhere is student workers," Adisa said. "So we have to make sure that student workers are taken care of because you always have to remember like, we're also going to classes. They always tell us that we should put our academics first, but we can't put our academics first if we're not being paid a livable wage." Despite the pay, Adisa believes there are positive opportunities that come from working on campus like building connections and honing skills. Still, he believes there should be more benefits. "We should definitely pride ourselves on doing more than just the bare minimum for students, especially here at Texas State," Adisa said. "We need to have some more benefits to working on campus [like] if you're working during lunchtime, they give you meal swipes or if you're working a job for the entire school year, they give you $200 in Bobcat Bucks." According to Madeline Davila, director of the Office of Payroll and Tax Compliance, there are a lot of factors that go into the pay grade of student workers. "It all depends on the position and also federal guidelines," Davila said. "How much you're going to get paid an hour above the minimum [wage] depends on your duties, responsibilities and your position that you held as a student worker."
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PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING
PROMOTION
THEATER
San Marcos theater company tells story of love in upcoming play By Brianna Chavez Life & Arts Reporter Love, tears and laughter are in the air at Broke Thespians Theatre Company in San Marcos, Texas, as the company gets ready for its opening production of "Love/ Sick" on Feb. 10 at the Price Center. Written by playwright and actor John Cariani, the story is told through nine vignettes that each present different couples in different stages of their relationship. Starting with a love-at-first-sight encounter and ending with a divorced couple running into each other, the short plays express love in all of its forms. The universal story of love that anyone can relate to is what co-director and co-founder of Broke Thespians Theatre Company Mitchell Oden loved about "Love/Sick." Compared to Cariani's popular play "Almost, Maine," "Love/Sick" is a darker yet even more hilarious play. Oden said that it will leave audiences emotional. "'Love/Sick' shows the successes, failures and hardships of a relationship and will make you cry laughing," Oden said. "Crying both ways, happy and sad."
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Texas State finance freshman Braden Gregory shoots for a chance at free tution, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Strahan Arena. PHOTO BY SARAH MANNING
Texas State Athletics offers free tuition for half-court shot By Rhian Davis Sports Contributor
Broke Thespians Theatre Company rehearse lines and go over cues for "Love/Sick." PHOTO COURTESY OF BROKE THESPIANS THEATRE COMPANY
At each of the remaining men’s and women’s basketball home games, one randomly selected student will have the chance to make a half-court shot and win one semester of free tuition. The tuition will be awarded for the fall 2023 semester with a max payment of $4,611. If the winning students already receive scholarships from Texas State, that dollar amount will be subtracted from the half-court tuition winnings.
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