NEWS PRELIMINARY ENROLLMENT FIGURES BREAK RECORDS PAGE 2
OPINION
SPORTS
EROSION OF ISLAM LIBERTIES PUTS RIGHTS AT RISK
GOALKEEPER’S RETURN GIVES NEW CHANCE TO LEAD
PAGE 4
PAGE 6
TUESDAY
September 8, 2026 VOLUME 115 ISSUE 36
CITY
Recent river injuries highlight importance of water safety Recent water-related injuries in the San Marcos River have experts and residents reassessing water safety. On Aug. 5, a 70-year-old woman from Austin died after diving underwater at Rio Vista, and in March 2025, a 17-year-old died after being trapped underwater for around two
minutes near Cape’s Dam. At around 4:24 p.m. on Aug. 25, the University Police Department received a report of an injury behind Kirby Lane. Officers located a female student who had sustained injuries after jumping from the waterfall. She was later transported to Ascension Seton Hays in Kyle for medical treatment. No other injuries were reported, Cat Hoyt, alternative
FOOTBALL
FEATURE
By Arabella DiChristina News Editor
program coordinator for UPD, stated in an email to The Star. Christian Lopez, deputy director of watershed studies at the Meadow Center and a lecturer in the department of geography and environmental studies, said the river can be misleading, as it may look calm. Yet upon entering, the current will start pushing. “Some people become caught off
guard by the current on their first time [in the river] ... I think just knowing that it is a moving, living system and when you enter that system, you are going to be subjected to that energy,” Lopez said.
SEE SAFETY PAGE 2
MEG BOLES | MANAGING EDITOR
The San Marcos River flows through Rio Vista Park, Sunday, April 19, in San Marcos.
‘Cats and Roadrunners Film student returns to American Ninja Warrior with a new perspective set for high stakes game By Anaiya Brannon
Life & Arts Contributor
By Jackson Grettler The tide has started to turn in the I-35 Showdown as the Texas State Bobcats look for a third straight victory against the UTSA Roadrunners, this time with the rivalry returning to San Marcos. After dropping the first five meetings of the showdown, the Bobcats have won the last two, including a 43-36 shootout victory at the Alamodome last year. Texas State became one of five away teams to beat the Roadrunners on their own turf since UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor took over in late 2019.
A Texas State senior film student, Aidan Gonzales, took his passion for film-making to the popular sports reality show American Ninja Warrior (ANW), working both behind and in front of the camera. Now, he enters his next challenge: his last semester of college. ANW, a long-running television series, tasks contestants with completing challenging obstacle courses for the chance to win a one-million-dollar prize. Gonzales appeared in both seasons, 17 and 18, taking time off from Texas State to compete.
SEE PREVIEW PAGE 6
SEE TV PAGE 3
Sports Reporter
PHOTO COURTESY OF AIDAN GONZALES
Falls Hall toilet floods dormitory UNIVERSITY
By Ca’Myah Robinson News Reporter
A Falls Hall resident at Texas State returned home to a flooded area after a toilet malfunctioned in the dorm across the hall. Peyton Faour, education freshman, said she arrived to see her room partially filled with toilet water on Aug 19. A ball valve from the bathroom toilet across the hall malfunctioned, causing water to burst and cover the floor of the hallway and two dorm rooms. Staff were notified and shut off the water supply while alerting maintenance. The toilet was repaired AIDEN FRITSCHE | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR while affected areas were Texas State Falls residence hall, Friday, Sept. 4, in San Marcos. Falls cleaned and dried, according Hall was built in conjunction with Sayers Hall in 2014. to Kate Gannon-Cullinan,
Housing and Residential Life executive director. “The issue was contained to a single suite area,” GannonCullinan said. “No students were displaced, and residents were able to return to their rooms that evening.” The incident started in the dorm across the hall when one of the residents’ toilets burst. Faour said she arrived to see water spilling into her dorm and had to wait about four hours while maintenance fixed the incident. “It was [about] a foot deep,” Faour said. “My whole foot was sunk into [the water].” The water that filled a part of the hallway only managed to reach the shared space where Faour’s mini-
fridge was kept, leaving the bedrooms dry. Suite residents used towels to help slow the water from reaching kitchen appliances. However, Faour said some of the belongings in the dorm did end up water damaged. “All of our rugs are messed up, and some of my roommates’ shoes got messed up,” Faour said. Texas State did not compensate the students for any items damaged in the incident due to its housing contract policy. They were given fans that night to help reduce the possibility of mold and were able to stay in their room. Faour said they haven’t experienced any other issues since the incident occurred.
SEE DORM PAGE 2