TUESDAY March 21, 2023
VOLUME 112 ISSUE 25 www.UniversityStar.com
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
SPEECH
RAs punished after University Season ends in first Star opinion column published round of By Blake Leschber Assistant News Editor
On Oct. 7, The University Star published a column about overpopulation on campus and its effects. In the column, the writer interviewed three resident assistants (RAs) to discuss the topic. After the article was published, the RAs were punished for talking to the media with written warnings. On Jan. 13, the warnings were removed from the RAs' accounts. According to UPPS 06.05.02, Texas State employees are required to contact either their supervisor, the director of the Office of Media Relations or the assistant vice president for University Advancement Communications before talking to the media. Since the RAs did not follow this policy, they were given a
written warning on their accounts. One of the RAs, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said that they were not notified of this policy in their training and that this warning could have had possible dire effects on their employee accounts. "During training, there wasn't really any mention of [the policy] from anyone," the RA said. "In the case of this interview, if my name were to be mentioned, that would be probation if there was somebody else that had a write-up, then they could be terminated at that point." Sandy Pantlik, vice president for marketing and communications, said that the consequences for employees who do not follow the media policy are decided by the employee's supervisor. "The consequences of not following a university policy are handled in
accordance with the appropriate process, as determined by the status of the employee and policy concerned," Pantlik told The Star in a written interview. "Generally, if a disciplinary action is deemed appropriate, that is made at the discretion of the employee's supervisor." After attending mandatory meetings and having reports put on their files, the RAs turned to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). FIRE is an organization that helps people who believe that their First Amendment rights were violated. They primarily but not exclusively work with college students and campuses. The organization worked with the RAs to try to get the warnings removed from their accounts.
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WNIT
PHOTO BY ALLISON MENDOZA
Texas State graduate guard Ja'Kayla Bowie (15) dribbles the ball, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at Strahan Arena.
By Kobe Arriaga Sports Reporter Graduate guard Kennedy Taylor knocked in a season-high seven 3-pointers in an 89-79 loss for Texas State (23-10, 13-5 Sun Belt Conference) in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament against Stephen F. Austin State on Thursday (27-6, 15-3 Sun Belt Conference). The Bobcats shot 56% from three as a team and knocked in twice as many threes as the Ladyjacks, who totaled seven.
STAR FILE PHOTO
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A resident assistant helps students check in to their dorm during move-in.
COMMUNITY
Remembering Ernest Kimble: the Burger King legend By Haley Velasco Assistant Life and Arts Editor Ernest Kimble woke up around 5 a.m. every morning for over 30 years to walk to his job at Burger King in San Marcos. He was living in a Best Budget Inn and had medical issues such as bad eyesight and knee pain, but he never went to work without determination and a smile. On Feb. 15, Kimble died at 57 years old. The cause of Kimble's death is currently unknown. For now and until a vigil can be organized, friends and former co-workers are remembering Kimble and his greatest moments. From cracking jokes to bonding from work gossip, Kimble was always known as the right-hand man at Burger King, even with all of the circumstances that he had encountered with 20-30-minute daily walks to work and 12-14-hour shifts. "When I first started, Mr. Kimble was quiet and respectful, and he would goof around at times, but he was such a hardworking man," Rae Carroll, Kimble's former Burger King co-worker said. "You know, everyone has a story and I always wanted to know how he ended up in San Marcos, but I never asked because I didn't want to put his head in a space where he didn't want to be. It's like Burger King was his getaway." In 2018, Kimble was nominated for assistance from Season for Caring, an organization within the Austin-American Statesman that allows readers to give to Central Texans in need. The organization utilizes Central Texas community service organizations to find people to help. In 2018, Kristina Delgado, San Marcos resident and health specialist PHOTO COURTESY OF LYNDA M. GONZALEZ
Ernest Kimble keeps an eye out for customers at his job at Burger King in San Marcos in Dec. 2018.
for Community Action Inc. of Central Texas, a non-profit organization that provides resources such as health care, education and job training, found out about Kimble and reached out to his managers to see how to help. Kimble was awarded a year's worth of rent in a new apartment in 2019. At work, he continued to uplift his coworkers. "He never made you feel uncomfortable, he never made you feel bad and if you were having a bad day, he would do what he could do to make you feel better," Jennifer Ruiz, Kimble's former Burger King co-worker, said. Kimble instilled golden friendships through laughter. Juan Yanez, another one of Kimble's former co-workers, believes that Kimble's playful personality made it easier for the friendship to form into something special. "We got so comfortable with each other like it was like I was talking to one of my best friends," Juan said. "The things he does that makes you laugh and the things he says, especially when I brought my wife around, he'd be like, 'oh, that's my girl,' and when he'd see my kids, he'd be like, 'these are my kids.'" Juan had been working for Burger King for about eight years when he realized that the business did not care for its employees as much as it did the money. Even after more than 30 years of working at the restaurant, Kimble was still making $8.75 an hour.
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