NEWS
CITY COUNCIL PASSES TENANT’S RIGHTS ORDINANCE PAGE 3
SPORTS
LIFE & ARTS
BOBCATS LOOK TO REBOUND AGAINST DUKES
STAR STORIES SPEAKERS SHARE EXPERIENCES
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TUESDAY
October 28, 2025 VOLUME 115 ISSUE 12
FEATURE
HONORS COLLEGE WELCOMES LOVED ONES DURING
DĺA DE LOS MUERTOS
An ofrenda sits in the Honors College, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, in Lampasas Hall. This year’s ofrenda theme showcases the Aztec belief that departed souls return as butterflies and hummingbirds.
By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
Among the sparkly skulls and yellow-orange marigolds, an abundance of paper butterflies and hummingbirds surround the ofrenda in Lampasas Hall. Each aerial animal carries the name of a departed loved one on its body, holding their spirit to visit the living and provide guidance. Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an annual Mexican and Latin American tradition that takes place Nov. 1-2 and commemorates the dearly departed. Friends and families celebrate by creating ofrendas, often decorated with portraits of deceased loved ones and offerings of food, flowers and candles to guide them to the living. To honor the holiday, the Honors College in Lampasas Hall prepares an ofrenda centered around a theme. Michelle Sotolongo, Honors College advisor, said this year’s theme is centered around butterflies and hummingbirds. “There’s a lot of symbolism attached to those two animals and images in different cultures, but when it comes to the Day of the Dead, it is part of the pre-Hispanic tradition or belief that our ancestors, our loved ones and spirits would return to visit during this season as butterflies or as hummingbirds,” Sotolongo said.
SEE OFRENDA PAGE 8
ISABELLE CANTU | ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Firing of Alter, other administrative decisions, lead guest lecturers to withdraw from speaking
UNIVERSITY
By Ryan Claycamp News Editor
At least three academics, including two potential research consultants, have withdrawn from or declined offers to speak to or work with history classes at Texas State since Sept. 10. The guest lecturers cited reasons
such as the firing of former Associate History Professor Thomas Alter, course audits and fears of retaliation as reasons for rejecting the opportunity. Historian Michael Phillips and coauthor Betsy Friauf, coauthors of “The Purifying Knife: The Troubling History of Eugenics in Texas,” were
the most recent people to deny speaking at Texas State, when they rejected being research consultants for one of John Mckiernan-González’s, director of the Center for Southwest Studies at Texas State, classes. “I’ve been in Texas State, since 2013 and I probably invited at least
two other faculty, two other academics and other people to come to campus [a year],” Mckiernan-González said. “So, if I were to average that out, I think I would be, probably four a year. So that’s maybe 40 people I’ve invited to campus.”
SEE FREE SPEECH PAGE 3
FEATURE
HOCKEY
Ice Ice Baby: A Bobcats get creative with look at Texas closet-made costumes Edee Dillard, Clark Kent Edee Dillard, marketing freshman, State hockey said her Clark Kent costume idea By Kosi Omenkeukwu Life & Arts Contributor
By John Lysaght Sports Contributor
To the players, coaches and volunteers, Texas State hockey is far more than just a club team. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, the team gathers at the Northwoods Ice and Golf Center for the few chances they have for ice time. It’s located in a dimly lit parking lot in a nondescript shopping center in northwest San Antonio. Practice starts at 10:30 p.m. when most of the businesses in the area have already closed down, about two dozen young men show up, clad in street clothes with their oversized hockey bags. They will practice past midnight, learning plays, doing reps in drills and fine tuning their game. The players bring their own padding, pay for their own jerseys and equipment, drive their own cars and prepare for their next scheduled game, all on their own dollar. If a stick, for example, breaks during practice, it could cost as much as $400 for a replacement. It might appear to be a lot of work for a club sport, but for those who are a part of Texas State hockey, it has become worth it. It’s truly a family,” Miyoko McDonald, social media coordinator
SEE CLUB PAGE 5
Instead of breaking the bank on Halloween costumes, several Texas State students are finding creative ways to repurpose clothing items they already have into new ideas for the holiday. The University Star posted on its Instagram to ask students about what items from their closet they are repurposing for Halloween this year.
came after watching Superman in the theaters with her mom. After saving a similar look from Pinterest, she realized she already owned most of what she needed. MEG BOLES | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR “I bought the tube top,” Dillard said. “Everything else is stuff that I Marketing freshman Edee Dillard already had.” poses with her Superman costume,
SEE STUDENTS PAGE 8 Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 at LBJ..
Dry season could intensify ongoing drought ENVIRONMENT
By Arabella DiChristina Assistant News Editor
As the dry season approaches, the ongoing stage three drought in San Marcos could worsen. The city of San Marcos has been under stage three drought restrictions for over a year, limiting residential water use. San Marcos is approaching dry season after experiencing an already dry October, according to the deputy director of the Spring Lake Education Program, Miranda Wait. According to Wait, although the San Marcos River is currently at stage three drought restrictions, the San Antonio Pool, part of the Edwards Aquifer, is in a stage four drought. “[October] is supposed to be one of the wettest months. That’s kind of scary thinking, considering that, just looking GRACE DARCY | STAR PHOTOGRAPHER at the current flow for the aquifer here in San Marcos, it’s The San Marcos River sits in Sewell Park Thursday, Oct. 23, at 88 and we’re in stage four drought ... We should be above 2025, in San Marcos. Sewell Park was founded in 1917 and is 100 at the minimum, closer to 200 for it to be normal or named after mathematics professor S.M. Sewell. healthy flow,” Wait said.
SEE DROUGHT PAGE 2