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BILL WOULD REQUIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK WITH ICE
TRACK AND FIELD CONTINUES HISTORIC SEASON
FRESHMEN DISCUSS THEIR JOURNEYS TO TXST
TUESDAY June 3, 2025
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 1
CITY INSTALLS TEMPORARY FENCES AT RIO VISTA PARK BLAKE LESCHBER | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A Lion’s Club employee takes tubes from an exit-only access point to their collection van, Sunday, June 1, 2025, at Rio Vista Park. By Ryan Claycamp News Editor
The city of San Marcos installed temporary summer fencing at Rio Vista Park on May 22. City council approved the installation of the fences during their May 20 work session to manage park access and better enforce the single use container ban over the summer. The fencing is part of the city’s “Managed Access Test Plan,” (MATP) where areas deemed key access points will be staffed on the weekends, but not from Monday-Thursday, except during holiday weekends, as that is when large amounts of people visit the river from out of town.
“I stress that this is a test. The fencing infrastructure is not permanent,” San Marcos Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales said during the work session. “Some of our long weekends also incorporate a Monday or Thursday.” Gonzales said the reason the test is at Rio Vista and not another riverfront park, or all of the riverfront parks, is because Rio Vista is where a large amount of violations of the single use container ban and other ordinances are occurring. “It is our belief that we will get better compliance through managed access,” Gonzales said. “Because it is a test plan we will see if we need this up ... throughout the year. It may be that we only
need the fence up during the summer season.” During public comment in the work session, Kileigh Reed, the owner of Wild Rice Studio and a board member for The Eyes of the San Marcos River spoke in favor of managed access at Rio Vista. “I was in attendance... at a Monday morning cleanup, and it was astonishing to see how much trash was left,” Reed said. “I beg you to take a look at what is going on at Rio Vista and create a managed access program, so we can all have river parks that we enjoy.”
Mermaid Society dives into new environmental programs for river By Cady Clements Life and Arts Reporter
Glittering mermaid costumes made of household items flooded the town square as the Mermaid Society of Texas introduced two new programs at the eighth annual Mermaid Capital of Texas Festival on May 17. The festival hosts the theme of “Uniquely San Marcos: Past, Present, and Always” each year. It reminds people of the city’s uniqueness because of the San Marcos River and the need to protect it. With this goal in mind, the Mermaid Society implemented changes this year and last that aligned with protecting the river and creating community. The festival previously took place in September. However, July
SEE RECREATION PAGE 3
TXST offers AI tools in certain classes By Lesdy Hernandez New Reporter
MEG BOLES | MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
A woman dressed as a sunflower mermaid rides on a float in the Mermaid Promenade, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in downtown San Marcos.
Holbrook, founder and executive director of the Mermaid Society, believed the festival’s new switch to May could ring in summer while also
sharing information on how to keep our river clean during the summer months.
SEE COMMUNITY PAGE 10
Texas State softball season in review By Adrian Ramirez Assistant Sports Editor
Heading into the 2025 season, two things were simultaneously true for Texas State softball: Expectations were sky-high and nobody quite knew what to expect. Hard to imagine, but that’s the product of a program coming off of a Sun Belt Tournament championship victory and NCAA regional championship appearance, all while boasting a completely new look on the field this year. Here is a look back on the Bobcats’ 2025 season. The 2025 season was filled with ups and downs. From rattling off seven and eight game winning streaks early in the season, but dropping crucial conference series against RHIAN DAVIS | MANAGING EDITOR top teams in the Sun Belt, to sweeping Louisiana-Monroe on the final weekend of conference play to win the Sun Belt Keely Williams, junior outfielder, celebrates during the game regular season championship and finally being eliminated against Missouri State on Friday, March 8, 2025, at Bobcat in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament, the Bobcats Softball Stadium. never quite found their stride for an extended time.
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Texas State has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) tools throughout campus and some classes as concerns over AI’s role in higher education grow. While Texas State does not have an official AI policy, the Division of Information Technology has initial guidelines for students and faculty on information security, data privacy and academic integrity when using AI in classes and curriculum. Kimberly Conner, Texas State IT digital strategies lead, said with the use of AI engines continuing to grow in the workforce and academic world, AI has an important position in higher education. Conner emphasized the importance behind students understanding the baseline of AI run technology and its growing capabilities. “I’m not saying everywhere, I’m not saying in every class, but I’m saying it has its place, so that we can properly prepare our students, ensure they’re marketable and they’re informed,” Conner said. “While my generation may face uncertainties, it is imperative that we empower subsequent generations with the knowledge skills and abilities they need to understand this tool.” In April, Texas State integrated Perplexity.ai Enterprise Pro, an AI-powered search engine and research assistant that provides real-time answers using current web information for Texas State students, faculty and staff at no additional cost.
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