TUESDAY September 24, 2024 VOLUME 114 ISSUE 7 www.UniversityStar.com
Overcrowding at Texas State requires some RAs to share rooms with freshmen By Jacquelyn Burrer News Contributor Due to Texas State’s recordbreaking freshman class and a lack of on-campus housing, some Resident Assistants (RA) are now required to live with a student roommate if
needed based on availability. At the start of the fall semester, there were 52 freshmen living with their RAs as their roommates on campus. As of Sept. 9, that number now sits at 22 students, according to Bill Mattera, Director of Housing and Residential Life (DHRL).
Mattera said the department plans to relocate all freshmen living with a resident assistant (RA) to different rooms. The timeline for this change is still unclear but the goal of completing it is the end of the fall semester. “We want the RA to go back to having the room because that’s our
preference,” Mattera said. “The other piece is that the student wants to get settled. If they’re living with an RA roommate in Sterry [Hall] and they get reassigned, we want to get them there, so they can start building the community and getting settled as soon as possible.” SEE HOUSING PAGE 3
Give them hell: students form first co-ed spirit fraternity By Jamin Ochoa Life and Arts Reporter On Texas State Bobcats football game days, a group of students fill section 119 of UFCU Stadium. With X’s painted over their eyes, large doll-like smiles painted on their faces and “Texas State” spelled out on their abdomens, they cheer a reminder that San Marcos is the Bobcats “hell house.” Hellcats is the first co-ed spirit fraternity at Texas State. It was started by Joaquin Marquez, an animal science junior and Hellcats director of leadership. He envisioned the organization to be a fraternity designated to supporting anything athletics. The organization prides itself on having pride and spirit for the Bobcats and getting students involved both on campus and in supporting athletics.
PHOTO BY JAMIN OCHOA
Hellcat pledges Kendyl White (Left) and Kyle Moore (Right) cheer on the Bobcats, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at UFCU Stadium.
“I love athletics, and I love going absolutely crazy in the student section,” Marquez said. “We embody everything that Texas State Athletics has to offer as far as traditions and spirit and pride in our university.” Andrea Tablada, pre-med freshman and Hellcats pledge, is excited about the fraternity. She supported athletic events in high school, and a goal of hers was to join an organization like Hellcats in college. Tablada said she realized it’s more than going to games and having fun, as she found a sense of community. “You have to have pride in your school, and you have to have some type of connection and belonging,” Tablada said. “If you go to Texas State, I feel like you’re here for a reason.”
SEE SPIRIT PAGE 6
TXST loses almost $1 million from canceled debate By Emma Hall News Contributor Texas State University lost approximately $975,000 million in preparation costs to host a presidential debate, which was ultimately canceled in June. Texas State announced it was scheduled to host the first of three presidential debates this election season. Three months before the Sept. 16 debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) released Texas State from its contract, following the Biden-Harris campaign refusing participation in all CPD-hosted debates. Although the university first estimated the cost to be $5 million, after further examination through other universities, the final estimated cost to prepare the site to host the debate was about $10 million, according to Eric Algoe, executive vice president for operations and chief financial officer. Algoe said the university planned to raise funds for the debate through state grants and donations but halted those efforts in June. Texas State canceled the fundraising campaign before securing the necessary money.
SEE ELECTION PAGE 3
PHOTOS BY KATHERINE REA, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MANNING
(Left) McKenna Wells and her band, The Trips, perform a song during the Bobcat Jump event, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Railyard Bar and Grill. (Right) Marshall Wells and his band, The Trips, performs for Bobcat Jump Music Fest, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Railyard Bar and Grill.
Brothers host long-awaited multi-genre music festival By Cara Cervenka Life and Arts Reporter On Sept. 19, two brothers saw their musical dream come to life. What started as an idea to support local artists evolved into a night of food, music and fun that left a lasting impression on the community. Bobcat Jump featured a diverse lineup of musicians from genres like rock, country, folk and rap. Locals attended the festival from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. It invited artists of varying experience levels and styles to perform, with the goal of fostering community and celebrating San Marcos’ vibrant music scene. Sammy Wells, history senior, and Marshall Wells, computer information systems alumnus, are local musicians familiar with the San Marcos music scene. Planning Bobcat Jump since this August, the brothers founded the event with
ILLUSTRATION BY JARELL CARR
the intent of creating a memorable music festival that fosters community. “We thought it’d be fun to try and make something of our own, invite all of our friends who also play music and just try to make a fun night,” Sammy said. Throughout the night, attendees experienced a constant flow of live music. The artists had staggered performance times to ensure that every act got a chance to perform for a crowd. “[Musicians] love the music they’re making, and they love playing for people in this town because it’s a community,” Sammy said. Marshall was instrumental in organizing the event. He worked with alcohol vendors and restaurant managers, created fliers and stickers and distributed no-charge cards.
SEE MUSIC PAGE 6