TUESDAY July 9, 2024 VOLUME 114 ISSUE 2 www.UniversityStar.com
Clean up your own mess Group picks up trash left in San Marcos River
Can’t stop, won’t stop
By Cassandra Tamez Life and Arts Contributor Zach Halfin and Derrick Lee, Texas State alumni, began the Eyes of the San Marcos River, an environmental group aimed at preserving the San Marcos River. A decade later, the group grew into a grassroots organization whose river clean-up efforts reinforce city-wide protection of the focal point of San Marcos.
Ordinance not seeing desired effects PHOTO BY MANDALYN LEWALLEN
Crushed can left in the grass, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Sewell Park.
By Lesdy Hernandez News Reporter
SEE CONSERVATION PAGE 9
PHOTO BY MARISA NUÑEZ
Volunteer Mary O’Hara separates trash, Sunday, July 7, 2024, at Rio Vista Park.
The amount of litter has not decreased since the inception of the single-use container ban in San Marcos, according to several conservation groups in the community. The Reuse at the River Ordinance, otherwise known as the can ban, went into effect on May 1 prohibiting glass or single-use beverage containers in designated areas around the San Marcos River and parks. According to San Marcos’ website, only reusable drinking containers are permitted along the river banks and in certain “No Zone” areas, among those is the San Marcos River and parts of City Park. Signs marking the designated “No Zones” and “Go Zones” are set up around the river and city parks to alert patrons of the rules.
Also under the can ban, there is a size restriction on ice coolers to 30 quarts per person on designated river and park areas. Christina Lopez, grant coordinator of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and co-founder of the River Education and Stewardship Alliance said since it has only been two months that the ordinance is in effect, it is not shocking they haven’t seen any decrease of litter in the river. “There actually has been a pop-up volunteer effort that goes out down to Rio Vista Monday mornings at 6:30 a.m. to help the park crews clean because there’s just so much trash left along the banks in Rio Vista,” Lopez said. The group Lopez is referring to is The Eyes of the San Marcos River, a nonprofit organization that organizes river cleanup events and raise awareness on the litter issue around the river.
SEE ENVIRONMENT PAGE 3
Arnold and Smith Halls close, potentially face demolition
By Lucciana Choueiry News Editor Editor’s Note: The former Smith Hall Resident Assistant quoted in the story has requested to stay anonymous as they plan to still work for the Department of Housing and Residential Life and do not want to risk losing their job. Arnold Hall and Smith Hall, two resident halls that have housed Bobcats since the 1960s, sit in the outskirts of the LBJ Student Center. Now, their storied histories will come to a close as the Department of Housing Residential Life (DHRL) have shut Arnold Hall sits abandoned, Monday, July 8, 2024, on campus.
them down. Beginning fall 2024, Arnold and Smith Halls will no longer house freshmen. The reason for the closures is rooted in preserving “the university’s flexibility moving forward,” according to Executive Director of DHRL Bill Mattera in a written interview with The University Star. “TXST is carefully considering its next steps related to housing growth. With the opening of Alamito and Cibolo Halls this fall, we have made the decision to assign no residents to Arnold or Smith Halls for the fall 2024 semester,” Mattera wrote.
SEE HOUSING PAGE 3
Paris Bound: Badal set to compete at 2024 Olympics By Jacob De Luna Sports Reporter Texas State sophomore sprinter Taejha Badal is set to compete for her home nation of Trinidad and Tobago in the women’s 4x100 relay event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The relay team, consisting of Badal, Leah Bertrand, Reese Webster and Reyare Thomas, qualified for the Olympics on May 5 at the IAAF World Relays.
Badal said when the possibility of making the Olympics arose, she was thrilled. “It was amazing, the first time I realized I had a shot was when I made it to World Relays [in the NACAC U23 Championships] the year before coming to Texas State,” Badal said. “I was an alternate and ended up placing fifth in the country. I realized I was a part of the pool.”
SEE TRACK & FIELD PAGE 5
PHOTO COURTESY BY TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS
Texas State sophomore sprinter Taejha Badal prepares to run off the line at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Saturday, June 8, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.