News: Voter Rally
Opinions: Students should vote
Life and Arts: Railroad Remedy
Sports: Basketball
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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2022 VOLUME 112 ISSUE 12 www.UniversityStar.com
DEFENDING THE FIRST AMENDMENT SINCE 1911
VOTING
Hays County General Election 2022 voting guide The General Election is on Nov. 2. Early voting began on Oct. 24 and will continue until Nov. 4. The University Star has compiled a guide for everything you'll need to know before heading to the polls in Hays County.
Voting Locations
All polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. *denotes polling locations open for early voting. San Marcos • *Broadway (Christus Trinity Clinic), 401 Broadway Street #A • Brookdale San Marcos North, 1720 Old Ranch Road 12 • Calvary Baptist Church, 1906 North Interstate 35 Frontage Road • Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos, 211 Lee Street • Dunbar Center, 801 Martin Luther King Drive • First Baptist Church San Marcos, 325 West McCarty Lane • *Hays County Government Center, Conference Room, 712 South Stagecoach Trail • *LBJ Student Center, Texas State University, 601 University Drive • Promiseland Church, 1650 Lime Kiln Road • San Marcos Fire Department Station #5, 100 Carlson Circle • San Marcos Housing Authority/ C.M. Allen Homes, 820 Sturgeon Drive • San Marcos Public Library, 625 East Hopkins Street • Sinai Pentecostal Church, 208 Laredo Street • South Hays Fire Department Station #12, 8301 Ranch Road 12 • Stone Brook Seniors Community, 300 South Stagecoach Trail Kyle • *Arnold Transportation Building — HCISD Admin, 21009 Interstate 35 Frontage Road • Austin Community College — Hays Campus, 1200 Kohlers Crossing • *Kyle City Hall, 100 West Center Street • *Live Oak Academy High School, 4820 Jack C. Hays Trail • *Main Office, HCISD Transportation, 2385 High Road, Uhland • Precinct 2 Office, Hays County, 5458 FM 2770 • Simon Middle School 3839 East FM 150 • Tobias Elementary School 1005 East FM 150 • Wallace Middle School 1500 West Center Street • *Yarrington — Hays County Transportation Department, 2171 Yarrington Road
Texas State Honors College displays an ofrenda as part of the Día de los Muertos tradition, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, at Lampasas Hall. PHOTO BY CARSON WEAVER
CULTURE
Honors College spreads Día de los Muertos spirit By Carlene Ottah Life and Arts Contributor Every October, the Honors College decorates an ofrenda with colorful butterflies, electric candles and paper marigolds, continuing its Día de los Muertos tradition and allowing students and faculty to spread culture across campus. Michelle Sotolongo, Honors College academic adviser, sets up an ofrenda, or altar, each year. This year, the ofrenda dedicates itself to the 19 children and two teachers who were killed in the Uvalde shooting in May. "I think the ones that are like the most impactful and also, maybe some that our students and campus community can relate to maybe a little bit more easily or recognize," Sotolongo said. Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 during which families celebrate the lives of their deceased relatives and loved ones. Ofrendas are set up by families who celebrate Día de los Muertos to
guide their deceased loved ones to the celebration of their life. On the altars sit photos of the deceased along with their favorite items, food and toys for children. Sotolongo said the Lampasas ofrenda did not have a theme until two years ago. She found that the themes reminded students, faculty and staff that they are all connected. Last year, the ofrenda was dedicated to the Indigenous children whose remains were discovered in British Columbia, Canada. The year before, it honored Black and brown lives lost to police violence. Sotolongo does not set up the ofrenda on her own. Edie Monceaux, a secondyear graduate assistant at the Honors College, printed out the pictures of the Uvalde victims and helped student coordinators organize them on the ofrenda. While there were no strict guidelines on setting up the decorations, Monceaux loves how the ofrenda came out in the end to tell a story. "I love how [the ofrenda] is displayed with all the Uvalde victims and students have put a few butterflies on the altar,"
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HISTORY
Family of first Black TXST graduate seeks recognition By Nichaela Shaheen News Editor
Buda • *Buda City Hall — Multipurpose Room, 405 East Loop Street, Building 100 • Hays Hills Baptist Church, 1401 North FM 1626 • McCormick Middle School, 5700 Dacy Lane • Southern Hills Church of Christ 3740 FM 967 • *Sunfield Station, 2610 Main Street
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Monceaux said. "So, I'm just glad that it's not only beautifully put together, but I'm glad that students feel, you know, comfortable and proud enough to represent their loved ones." Monceaux said student coordinators' friends and family have stopped by the altar in previous years. Students have also been inspired by the Honor College's ofrenda to make their own. Since it is Monceaux's first year helping organize the ofrenda, she learned about the holiday and the meanings behind each decoration. "I learned a lot about this tradition, this holiday, what it means," Monceaux said. "I just learned a lot about — I just keep saying culture — but I feel I'm just happy to learn about another culture other than my own and really embrace it, and you know, just I was glad to be invited to partake in it."
Texas State alumna Shirley Harris poses for a portrait during her time as an elementary school teacher, 2013, in San Antonio, Texas. Harris, the first Black Texas State graduate, was a teacher for over 40 years. PHOTO COURTESY OF DWIGHT HARRIS
On a spring day in 1967, Shirley Harris walked across the stage and received her diploma from Southwest Texas State. With her family in the crowd, she became the first Black student to graduate from Texas State. Shirley, who died in 2018, has yet to be recognized for this achievement by Texas State and it has become the mission of her brother, Dwight Harris, to get her the recognition he believes she deserves. “I knew my mom and dad were really proud of her and I was always proud of her. She and I had always argued about who was the smartest because she was the first one to graduate from college,” Dwight said. “I just thought, after she passed away, there needs to be some recognition for her whether she likes it or not and so I'm really doing it just for my family’s namesake.” Southwest Texas State College became integrated in 1963 after Dana J. Smith filed a suit against the school in 1962. Texas State's president at the time, John G. Flowers, sent a letter to Smith citing the whites-only provision in the charter establishing the college for the decision to reject her. It was her high school adviser Mr. Grant and her Texas State adviser Dr. Martin who motivated her to apply.
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