LIFE & ARTS
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‘A BRUNCH OF DRAG’ RETURNS TO SAN MARCOS
BMU PRESIDENT DISCUSSES BLACK ORGANIZATIONS
TEXAS STATE OUTLINES IMMIGRATION POLICY
TUESDAY February 11, 2025 VOLUME 114 ISSUE 21
DAMPHOUSSES REFLECT ON 37 YEARS OF LOVE By Sydney Seidel
Life & Arts Contributor
Despite having different memories of how their first date went, Texas State President Kelly Damphousse and First Lady Beth Damphousse celebrated their 37th anniversary on Jan. 21. They hope their story can be one of inspirational advice for students navigating relationships. Kelly moved from Canada in 1985 to attend Sam Houston State University, but he didn’t know his way around Texas very well. When a friend invited him to a Baptist Student Union camping retreat, he accepted. Having never been to church, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Halfway through the service, a girl stood up and began singing. Kelly remembers turning to his friends and asking two questions: “Who was she?” and “How many times a week do you guys do this?” Soon, he began attending church weekly. Kelly and Beth remained friends at first because Beth was in a relationship. When Kelly discovered she was newly single, he knew his time had come. “I got on my motorcycle and drove to her house and said, ‘Hey Beth, I heard what happened and just wanted to let you know I am here for you,’” Kelly said. “And then that was the beginning of everything.” Beth, who initially was hesitant about the “wild” Canadian boy who drove a motorcycle and wore leather chaps, was cornered by a woman from
their church who took a mentor role with Kelly and convinced her to give him a chance. On their first date, as Kelly remembers, he picked Beth up on his motorcycle and took her for ice cream. When he dropped her off at her triplex, he asked, “That went pretty well, right? We should date.” After she said, “Okay,” he said, “So that means we’re getting married.”
After they had married, Beth convinced him to continue his education despite his uncertainty as a first-generation student. He received his green card and began his academic career at the University of Alabama. During this time, they also had their two daughters, Kayleigh and Kristen.
SEE LOVE STORY PAGE 3
Right swipe, wrong intentions TXST students TXST community discusses online dating culture By Lucciana Choueiry News Editor
Trigger warning: this story contains mentions of dating violence. Texas is the ninth-most dangerous state for online dating in the U.S., according to a study by the Privacy Journal. From the likes of Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, dating apps are one of the most prominent ways to meet romantic partners – specifically among college-aged individuals. The Privacy Journal ranked all 50 states on
online dating risks, giving Texas a score of 51.53 out of 100. In Texas, reports linked to online dating include 4.4 romance scams, 278 cases of identity theft, 329 fraud incidents, 336 registered sex offenders, 781.5 cases of sexually transmitted diseases and 431.9 violent crimes. How do these numbers play out at Texas State? To find out, The University Star asked Texas State students and alumni about their experiences with dating apps—what’s working, what’s not and what risks they’ve run into.
SEE DATING APPS PAGE 9
share green and red flags By Marcus Bracken
Life & Arts Contributor
Green and red flags are signs that determine how people form new friendships or pursue romantic relationships. While green flags are characteristics or traits that would cause an interest in pursuing a relationship with someone, red flags are attributes that would cause someone to avoid another person. The University Star reached out to Texas State students about their green and red flags through a social media poll posted on its Instagram page.
SEE COMMUNITY PAGE 2
Couples share how they met at Texas State By Carlene Ottah Life & Arts Editor
Each year, The University Star reaches out to couples on Instagram through answers from a social media poll and about how they met at Texas State. The Star spoke with four couples about their love stories and what brought them together.
Victoria Soto and Spencer Gage Victoria Soto, anthropology doctorate, recently completed her masters degree in anthropology in spring 2024 and was invited to the 20th anniversary of TXST’s anthropology program at Hays County Barbecue. She recorded a TikTok asking people who in the department would get the drunkest and Spencer Gage, archeology graduate, responded, but they did not meet again until later that night. “I went to go rally people to come inside and
dance, and [Gage was] the only person that accepted because everybody else stayed outside to hang out,” Soto said. “Then we danced.” Soto later searched Gage’s Instagram after he did not come to the afterparty, and they hung out. They were good friends for five months, visiting each other’s places and cooking and shopping together. He asked her out one day, and she agreed the next week. “We just we work so well together,” Gage said. “We keep each other on track. We we don’t really ever fight, and when we do have little disagreements, we square it up pretty quickly.”
LISA GAGE | COURTESY PHOTO
SEE RELATIONSHIPS PAGE 3
Archeology graduate Spencer Gage (Left) and anthropology doctorate Victoria Soto (Right) stand on the Faust Street Bridge, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in New Braunfels.