NEWS
SPORTS
LIFE & ARTS
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LEGISLATURE REDRAWS DISTRICT MAPS
2024-2025 SPORTS IN REVIEW
ALUMNI TRIO PRODUCE FEATURE FLIM
TUESDAY
August 26, 2025 VOLUME 115 ISSUE 3
LAURA WALKER | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER
LEGISLATION
FEATURE
SJMC faculty remember Kym Fox Inside the Cap: By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
On the second floor of Old Main, it was not uncommon to see someone stop by Kym Fox’s office to chat. There was rarely a time Fox, professor of practice and graduate instructional assistant coordinator in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), was too busy to give her visitors — current and former students and colleagues — a smile or some encouragement. Fox died of cancer on July 19. For over 20 years, she led and coordinated Texas State University’s journalism program. Her dedication to journalism
JESSICA JAMES | COURTESY PHOTO
and storytelling inspired many of the people she mentored and worked with over the course of several decades. Fox’s work in the newsroom
spanned many years, from designer and copy editor at the Mesa Tribune to reporter and day metro editor at the San Antonio Express-News. She focused on child abuse and juvenile justice. Diana Fuentes, Texas State lecturer, worked with Fox as a night editor at the Express-News and said one of the main reasons they got along was due to their commitment to representing unheard voices. People trusted Fox to get their information and tell their story, and she did not betray their trust.
SEE MEMORIES PAGE 15
VOLLEYBALL
TXST looks to add one last Sun Belt title By Hope Monte Sports Reporter
Texas State volleyball is set to begin its journey for one last chance to compete and become Sun Belt Conference regular season champions in its final year in the SBC, backed up by the motto “win the day,” head coach Sean Huiet said. “Everyone’s going to be gunning for us, because it might be their last chance to play us. I think it adds a little pressure to us, but this group is up for the challenge,” Huiet said. “We haven’t talked too much about going to the Pac-12; our focus is on today.” Preparation for the road to a conference title will begin with four pre-conference tournaments packed with a variety of competitors, including two top 25-ranked teams, No.6 Stanford and No. 16 UCLA, during the Stanford Tournament from Sept. 19-21. “We knew this group was ready for the challenge, and we knew the goals they set aside in the spring, and so we wanted to give them that challenge,” Huiet said. “We wanted to bulk up the early part of the
season so we play some competition that gets us ready, not just to win the Sun Belt, but when we get to the NCAA Tournament.” In 2024, the Bobcats hurdled through the season with a record of 22 wins and 9 losses, despite a schedule that put them on the road for 13 games straight at the start of the season. This year, the Bobcats will have a more balanced home and away schedule,
providing a touch of extra comfort in comparison to last year. While the 2024 season marked the end of the line for two veterans in the 2024 SBC — Setter of the Year, Ryann Torres, and libero Alyssa Ortega — the new year brings several fresh faces to the squad, including four freshman recruits and three transfer players.
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MEG BOLES | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Texas State’s volleyball team huddles during the maroon and gold scrimmage, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025 at Strahan Arena.
Recapped
New legislation reshapes higher education By Ryan Claycamp News Editor
During its 89th Legislative Session, the Texas Government adopted a number of new laws that impact institutions of higher education. The Star has compiled a list of some of the bills and the changes they make. Senate Bill 37 SB 37, introduced by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), increases state control over Texas public universities and their administration. The new law changed the structure of faculty senates, which led to the overhaul of Texas State’s Faculty Senate. Texas State University System did not respond to a request to comment on the changes to Faculty Senate. The law would also require universities to cut minor programs in which fewer than 10 students have graduated in the last two years. SB 37 also allows for increased state oversight of course curriculum. The standards for curriculum under the bill require that classes: “are foundational and fundamental to a sound postsecondary education; (2) are necessary to prepare students for civic and professional life; (3) equip students for participation in the workforce and in the betterment of society; and (4) do not endorse specific public policies, ideologies, or legislation.” Critics of the bill claim it will undermine education and worsen education outcomes for students. “This bill infringes on the academic freedom to learn for the student and the freedom to teach and freedom to research for the professor,” Brian Evans, president of the Texas Conference of the American Association of University Professors, said.
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