NEWS
SENIOR 30S
LIFE & ARTS
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PAGES 6 - 8
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TXST CANCELS SHUTTLES FOR ADVOCACY TRIP
GRADUATING STAR MEMBERS SAY THEIR GOODBYES
STELOS SCHOLARS, HONORS COLLEGE PAINT NEW MURALS
TUESDAY April 29, 2025
VOLUME 114 ISSUE 31
“I DON’T WANT TO RAISE PRICES” Local businesses discuss potential tariff effects
ANABELLE ELLIOTT | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
Fernando Bramhall makes drinks at Senza Maeso Tasting Room and Bar, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in San Marcos. By AnaBelle Elliott News Contributor
As the Trump Administration’s 90-day pause on the newly announced tariffs runs out, local businesses are thinking about how they will adjust operations to plan for the future. While the 10% blanket tariff on most imported goods remains intact, uncertainty over the recently announced potential higher tariffs, which are still being negotiated country by country, has caused many local business owners to consider their current sourcing strategies, pricing
models and long-term plans. On April 2, the Trump Administration announced a 10% blanket tariff on imported goods from most countries. On April 9, the administration announced a 90-day pause on the mentioned higher tariffs, with an exception to China. “The 10% blanket tariffs are highly unusual within foreseeable history,” Matthew Flynn, assistant professor of finance and economics at Texas State, said. Flynn said the impact of tariffs will depend on the exposure of the
business and how easy it is for the importers to pass through costs to the businesses. “Tariffs are gonna increase the cost, generally, of importing things from other countries,” Flynn said. “And then they’re going to ship these goods down to the local businesses. And so if the cost can be passed on, what we find is that generally companies do that. So if you are willing to pay more, they’re gonna try to charge you more.” Flynn said competitiveness can play a part in the local businesses’
choosing sourcing when dealing with these changes and thinking about their pricing. Professor and Chair of the Haiyong Liu Department of Economics said while there is a lot of uncertainty about how the discussed tariffs will affect businesses, locals won’t feel a significant difference short term, especially if the businesses cater to the local consumer. He said overall, some people will be helped and some will be hurt.
SEE ECONOMY PAGE 2
Inside the Alumnae reminisce years at SWT Capitol: Senate Bill 37 By Cara Cervenka & Sydney Seidel Life and Arts Reporters
Proposed bill could weaken academic freedom By Ryan Claycamp Assistant News Editor
“Inside the Capitol” examines key bills from the 89th legislative session that impact the Texas State and San Marcos communities. The session began on Jan. 14 and ends June 2. A bill in the Texas legislature would require sweeping overhauls to how public universities function in Texas. Senate Bill 37 (SB 37), introduced by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), would increase the state government’s control of many aspects of universities such as: more oversight on course curriculum, final say in hiring of faculty, ability to cut minor programs with low enrollment and an easier path to fire tenured faculty. SB 37 is one of the first 40 bills in the Senate, meaning it’s one of the top priorities of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. In a press release after the Senate passed the bill on April 15, Patrick said the bill attacked the faculty senate at the University of Texas, calling it a “rogue faculty senate” that “foolishly questioned the Texas Legislature’s authority over higher education.”
SEE EDUCATION PAGE 3
When Sue Kaulfus, a home economics alumna, was little, she spent her summers in San Marcos. Her parents were teachers finishing their degrees, and she grew up in town until she was about six years old, when the family moved to a small place called Woodsboro, Texas. She always remembered those summers, running barefoot near the KAREN CERVENKA | COURTESY PHOTO old practice fields, not knowing yet that the city of San Marcos would Cars parked outside what is now the one day become such a big part of administration and theatre building, January 1973, at TXST. her life. In 1961, Kaulfus returned to start Hornsby Hall, a small student-run her college career. She moved into co-op at the top of the highest hill on
campus, where students cooked their own meals and cleaned their own rooms. She still remembers it clearly. “I was getting as far from home as I dared,” Kaulfus said. “But once I got there, I felt like I was in the right place.” Kaulfus didn’t have a minor, which was common at the time. She worked at The Lair, the campus bookstore, earning fifty cents an hour. That job changed her life. She worked with the sweatshirts and school supplies, while her future husband worked on the book side. They got married after her junior year.
SEE ALUMNI PAGE 11
Redeem Team turned dream team By Editorial Board
After receiving 11 awards at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) for the 2023-24 year, our editorial board strived to improve. That’s when our 2024-25 Slack chat name was born. The Redeem Team had three main goals going into this year: To incorporate video elements along with our coverage, win more awards and become the number one news source for Texas State and San Marcos. At the start, we hit the ground running, covering countless stories and protests following the 2024 election. We delivered live coverage of the local elections and produced a 14-page special issue, breaking down every candidate and key issue to help readers make informed choices at the ballot box. That same week, when the official street preachers arrived on campus, The Star was first on the scene. Our reporting didn’t just inform the community — it became a source for national fact-checkers like Snopes. Our editors stayed on the ground until the situation deescalated,
ALLISON DRINNON | MULTIMEDIA REPORTER
The Star editorial board hold a copy of the papers, Monday, April 14, 2025, at the Fighting Stallions.
interviewing students, campus authorities and counter protesters to bring our readers clear, balanced coverage of the unfolding events.
SEE EDITORIAL PAGE 4