OPINION
LIFE & ARTS
SPORTS
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THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO EXPRESS FREE SPEECH
REVIEW: ‘NOVOCAINE’ IS A BLOODY GOOD TIME
FOOTBALL INTRODUCES NEW WEIGHT ROOM
TUESDAY
March 25, 2025 VOLUME 114 ISSUE 26
Community members protest for ceasefire in Palestine
By Ryan Claycamp
Assistant News Editor
Members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Palestine Solidarity SMTX (PSSMTX) and the local community gathered
on The Square to protest for a ceasefire in Gaza on Sunday, March 19. The protest was advertised as an emergency protest to “Stop the Genocide” to address the deportation case of Mahmoud Khalil and Israel resuming military action in Gaza after ceasefire negotiations broke down. “Israel and the U.S. have decided to violate the ceasefire
DIEGO MEDEL | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
San Marcos city council member Amanda Rodriguez leads a chant at the Stop The Genocide protest in downtown San Marcos, Sunday, March 23, 2025.
agreements with Palestine, and they’ve begun bombing civilian areas again,” Jack Thornton, an organizer with PSL, said. “Groups around town want to quickly rally and let the current administration know that the public does not stand by this decision.” The protest attracted around 30 attendees, who protested the Trump Administration’s war in Gaza and demanded that San Marcos City Council pass a ceasefire resolution. San Marcos Place 6 Councilmember Amanda Rodriguez spoke at the protest. She called for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine and said she would vote in favor of a ceasefire resolution. “I feel like any oppressed person, any marginalized person’s liberation, our freedoms, our human rights, are inextricably linked to the liberation of Palestine,” Rodriguez said. PSSMTX and the Palestine Solidarity Committee at Texas State began calling for a ceasefire resolution at council meetings at least a year a year ago. Since then, a resolution was never added to the council’s agenda for a vote. Rodriguez said she believes public pressure could help get it on the agenda and ultimately passed.
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New market aims to redefine SMTX nightlife By Diego Medel
Engagement Editor
Under the glow of streetlights and the hum of music in a San Marcos parking lot, students browsed thrift racks, watched fire dancers and sipped drinks. The inaugural Vanilla Bean Night Market — a collaboration between Vanilla Bean Market, Bikini Hill Run Club and EDEN Nightclub and Cocktail Lounge — took place March 20 in EDEN’s parking lot on West San Antonio Street, marking what its organizers hope is a new chapter for nightlife in the city. Born from a shared desire to create more inclusive and engaging nightlife experiences, the market brought together three distinct communities: thrifters, runners and the late-night crowd. For Randall Martinez, co-founder of Bikini Hill Run Club, the night
market represents an opportunity to fill a gap in the city’s social scene. “We just wanna bring different experiences to San Marcos that you can’t find,” Martinez said. “You could go to Austin — there’s a whole bunch of stuff to do. You could go to San Antonio — there’s a whole bunch of stuff to do. But there’s a gray area in between those two cities, and that’s where we’re trying to fill the void for the people in the area.” The market featured more than 15 vendors offering everything from vintage clothing and handmade jewelry to cold-pressed juice and snow cones. Entertainment included a live DJ and fire-dancing performances by PyroFlow ATX. Attendees also had the chance to join Bikini Hill Run DIEGO MEDEL| ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Club for its Thursday night tradition Fire Spinner Katarina Rose of Pyroflow ATX performs at the Inaugural Vanilla Bean — a two-mile run through downtown. Night Market, Thursday, March 20, 2025, outside of EDEN. The market was held in collaboration with the Bikini Hill Run Club and EDEN Night Club & Cocktail Lounge.
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Parking enforcement increases in SMTX IKEA to open new location in SMTX
By Candace Taggart News Reporter
San Marcos is updating downtown parking with a new enforcement device and resident surveys aimed at improving accessibility and managing demand. “The survey is designed to help us better understand parking habits, challenges and the needs in downtown San Marcos,” Charles Campbell, multimodal parking initiatives manager said. “We want to hear directly from residents and visitors, employees and students to help shape the future for parking policies and improvements.” There are two surveys: one for the general public and one for downtown business owners and both close on April 18. The general survey asks about how, why, where and when people park downtown, and what they think about ideas like more paid parking and other enforcement methods. According to Campbell, the information gathered in the survey is a critical component in helping the parking advisory board make a recommendation to the city council on parking management strategies. “The insights can propose policies, infrastructure improvements that enhance availability, support economic development and ensure a well-managed, efficient parking system that meets the community needs,” Campbell said. Amanda Alexander owns Southwest Training at 212 San Antonio St. Alexander said she had to make an agreement with nearby businesses to share parking, allowing her employees and customers to use their lots
By Elizabeth Redman News Reporter
A 15 minute parking sign, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.
IKEA is expected to open a new small-scale store in San Marcos in spring 2025, possibly offering an alternative to how students furnish their spaces. According to a press release from the company, the new store will be in the San Mar Plaza shopping center at 917 SH-80 N, which is 0.8 miles from Texas State’s campus. “Covering approximately 35,000 square feet, IKEA San Marcos will showcase ‘local living’ solutions, tailored to local preferences that reflect the unique everyday needs of the San Marcos community. This store will offer more than 2,500 products on display,” the company wrote in the press release.
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ISABELLE CANTU | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
based on each business’s hours of operation due to limited parking in downtown. “Parking is a challenge. It’s helpful, utilizing our neighbors, but [overall] it’s challenging because of the apartment complexes of downtown and students,” Alexander said. “When [students are] gone, there’s plenty of parking, but when students are in session, they don’t park in the apartment complexes or the complexes did not build enough space.”