NEWS
SNAP CHANGES AFFECT HOW FAMILIES SHOP PAGE 2
LIFE & ARTS
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY STAR CELEBRATES 115 YEARS OF JOURNALISM
WOODARD LOOKS BACK ON CAREER AFTER 900TH WIN
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TUESDAY April 14, 2026
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 28
BASEBALL
‘THIS IS WHERE I STARTED’ STARTED’ Mora makes Bobcat history, becomes new home run king of San Marcos AYDEN OREDSON & CARSON RODGERS | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Texas State’s baseball team surrounds senior third basemen Chase Mora (2) in celebration after his 37th home run, Friday, April 3, 2026, at IrvineRasmussen Ballpark. Mora is the new all-time program leader in home runs.
By Blake Leschber Editor-in-Chief
When Chase Mora first visited Texas State via FaceTime, he knew he had found his family. Now, five years later, he’s Texas State’s all-time home run leader. On April 3, the senior infielder hit his 37th career home run, surpassing future MLB Hall of Famer and Bobcat alumnus Paul Goldschmidt’s record set in 2009. “It’s pretty cool; I mean, anytime you’re in a sentence
with Paul Goldschmidt, you’re doing something right, and that’s a future Hall of Famer, so I couldn’t be more excited,” Mora said. Mora started his baseball career at just three years old, playing T-ball and Little League. At seven, he started playing travel ball, and his dad, a former college baseball player, coached him. “My dad being my coach growing up, he pushed me to go give it my best every day,” Mora said. “So I think a lot of [the love] came from him
and his love for the game and passing it down.” Family is a crucial part of Mora’s baseball career so far. The dream began with his family, and it came full circle when they were in the stands watching him make program history. “That’s what you dream. You want to do it in front of your family, the people that believed in you at first and the people that got you there,” Mora said. “Just being able to
AYDEN OREDSON | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Texas State senior third basemen Chase Mora (2) watches his home run against Georgia Southern, Friday, April 3, 2026, at Bobcat Ballpark. Mora is the new alltime program leader in home runs. The Bobcats lost 9-8.
SEE RECORD PAGE 7
COUNTY
UNIVERSITY
Vanilla Bean Market temporarily closes By Arabella DiChristina News Editor
The Vanilla Bean Market temporarily closed after the Hays County Judge’s Office notified the owners that the Hays County Historic Courthouse would no longer accommodate them. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra sent a notice to Vanilla Bean Market’s owners on March 31 stating the Judge’s Office is reassessing how events are structured and taking a step back from hosting on courthouse grounds based on the overall impact to the courthouse environment. Co-owners of the Vanilla Bean Market for six years, Cooper Philpot, Texas State alumnus, and David Ixtabalan, civil engineering
senior, said the notice was a long time coming due some negative feedback from local businesses and communication issues with the Judge’s Office. “We used to be able to have a yearly contract with the courthouse, and that’s changed over the past year,” Philpot said. “It’s kind of on a month-to-month basis and the communication has been kind of thinned out for sure.” For the past year, Vanilla Bean has heard negative feedback from small and local businesses stating that the market is harming their sales, according to Philpot. “Some of these businesses don’t take us very seriously because we don’t have a brick and mortar and we want them
Grad PLUS loans end, raises student concerns By Ca’Myah Robinson News Contributor
The Department of Education moved to eliminate the Graduate PLUS Loan program after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act pulled funding.
STAR FILE PHOTO
A booth at the Vanilla Bean Market allows locals to free hand a Boa Constrictor, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in downtown San Marcos.
SEE MARKET PAGE 3
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025, causing the Department of Education to eliminate the Graduate PLUS Loan program and implement loan caps for other programs. After the changes go into effect on July 1, 2026, student loan applications for the upcoming school year could be impacted.
SEE LOANS PAGE 2 FEATURE
Diana Fuentes remembered through support for journalism By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF SALGU WISSMATH
Executive director of Investigative Reporters & Editors Diana R. “DeeDee” Fuentes, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in San Antonio.
In the 30 years she knew Diana “DeeDee” Fuentes, Terry Bertling, associate professor of practice, said Fuentes taught her to emulate her generosity and kindness toward others. Whether it was carrying food for stray cats, cash for homeless people or advice for
aspiring journalists, Fuentes, lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), had endless support for others and knew them by name. “I love those stories,” Bertling said. “I never saw her [give stray cats food and water], but when I read that in Scott [Huddleston]’s obituary, I thought, ‘That is so DeeDee, just helping always in
every way.’”
Fuentes died on March 20 from injuries following an accidental fall after attending a freedom of information conference in Washington, D.C. Her passion, mentorship and influence toward professional journalism spanned about 50 years.
SEE MEMORIES PAGE 6