For new college students, the first weeks of classes consist of navigating a new campus and building relationships with like-minded people. Foster youth students, however, sometimes find themselves under more difficult circumstances, as college students with traditional family backgrounds ca…
While strolling campus near the end of each fall and spring semester, it is routine to watch seniors pose under the UAC arch as the shutter of a camera opens and closes at rapid speed. Not long after, graduation photos with colorful visual elements make their way to social media and save-the…
From Madam C.J.Walker’s hair care products to Rihanna’s diverse Fenty makeup line, Black female entrepreneurs have played an enormous role in creating blueprints for Black-owned businesses to succeed.
In the early days of the pandemic, when small businesses were forced to close their doors and grocery store shelves were emptied by frantic shoppers stocking up for quarantine, brothers Davis and Patton Jones began to wonder what it would be like if San Marcos had not been as prepared as it was.
Embedded within neighborhoods, tucked away behind the allure of shopping outlets and the bright lights of The Square rests hundreds of historical homes displaying clues to the local families, travelers and stories that established the rich 200-year-old history of San Marcos.
Every year, hundreds of Central and South American migrants risk their lives in pursuit of entry into the U.S. for a better life. Crossing often means trying to survive punishing heat, miles of desert, unknown waters and dangerous predators. Some end up successful, while others, just miles s…
Records once dangled from the ceiling as music memorabilia lined the walls, while the smell of incense filled the room and melancholy tunes of blues drew customers in. Recognized as a true haven for music fans in San Marcos, Bobby Barnard's Sundance Records and Tapes rocked the city's soul.
With her long black hair, signature red lipstick and gold-gilled swimsuit tail, Jessica Mejía, better known as Sirena del Rio, the Indigenous Mermaid of the San Marcos River, is bringing the serene waters of the river to children in a virtual setting.
Chocolates, stuffed animals and roses have returned to the bank statements of San Marcos residents as the season of love kicks in. While spreading Valentine's Day love and joy comes with health risks this year, local businesses are exploring creative and safe ways to make it happen.
The transition from undergraduate to graduate school is a huge step. There is more work, less structure and the ever-pressing dilemma of figuring out how to pay for it. These factors push some students to rule-out graduate school as an option; however, some view them as necessary obstacles i…
For nearly a year, social distancing rules and mask mandates have compromised the day-to-day leisure and comfort people are accustomed to. As cases of the virus fluctuate and the long-awaited vaccines are distributed, students are finding themselves burnt out from the nation's new way of life.
With a lengthy application process and over 100 degree programs to choose from at Texas State alone, stepping on the path toward graduate school has served as a daunting task for some students.
Black History Month serves as a time for communities from all racial backgrounds to celebrate and preserve Black history through art, activism and education. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, student organizations have still made it a point to honor Black excellence through esteemed principles …
Female artists and creatives of Hays County will have their time to shine as the San Marcos Price Center begins preparations for its third annual International Women's Day exhibit.
The mermaid has been the unofficial mascot of San Marcos for decades, inspiring the town’s art, conservation and education scenes. Now, the state legislature is working to make the city's mermaid roots official.
From saying farewell to finals in the fall to the excitement of a New Year's toast, Texas State students from across the country have committed to maintaining an active lifestyle as they head into 2021.
After dedicating years of education to brain research and psychology, Dr. Carmen Westerberg, an associate psychology professor at Texas State, was awarded $300,000 to fund her upcoming study exploring the effects of sleep on memory retention and formation.
The average American visits the doctor four times a year, making the experience a relatively routine part of life. A team of Texas State professors hope to make that process more efficient and accurate through the emerging field of computational medicine.
The Texas State community honored the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 19 with its first-ever virtual celebration in 37 years.
Before stepping foot into the clinical lab of Ascension Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle, Gilbert Swink sat fully clothed in personal protective equipment, including a mask and a face shield, ready to run another set of COVID-19 tests.
Prior to working for the Texas State String Project in 2019, Rachel Watson underestimated how much joy and solace she would find watching kids she taught improve over time.
Walking across the commencement stage and participating in Texas State’s river jump tradition were two celebrations Amy Matthis looked forward to when first starting at Texas State in 2016.
Three Black Texas State students share old memories and lessons learned from their respective hometowns, as well as how their stomping grounds molded them into the people they are today.
Students were prepared to create life-changing experiences abroad, dreaming of eventually returning home to their loved ones to share stories about people they met and lessons they learned while living in their international utopias.
After a 10-month hiatus due to COVID-19, The Brunch Club has rejoined the San Marcos entertainment scene with its "3 G's"— good food, good people and good vibes.
Editor’s Note: “-30-” has traditionally been used throughout journalism to indicate the end of a story. Each semester, The University Star encourages its graduating seniors to write a Senior 30—a farewell piece to our readers—indicating the conclusion of a journalist’s time as an active memb…
Editor’s Note: “-30-” has traditionally been used throughout journalism to indicate the end of a story. Each semester, The University Star encourages its graduating seniors to write a Senior 30—a farewell piece to our readers—indicating the conclusion of a journalist’s time as an active memb…
Now that the last essays have been written, projects have been submitted and final exams are graded, students are making plans to travel home for the holidays to find relief and comfort after a long and challenging semester.
Two Texas State professors are working to improve children's education through a computer science research project focused on a collaborative and relational way of problem-solving between humans and computers.
In an effort to celebrate inclusivity and diversity, the Texas State community is being called upon to help rename the San Gabriel and Angelina Hall dormitories, along with two streets on the Round Rock campus, after distinguished Black and Hispanic/Latinx members throughout university history.
Living in a time when virtual events are a common part of everyday lives, a group of Texas State art students working on their thesis teamed up to display their latest work in a new virtual art exhibit.
Driving up the hill on LBJ Drive, there is a restaurant where customers are greeted with a front door decked out in graphic stickers and a dining room where colorful umbrellas hang from the ceiling.
Through its archway of bright, unapologetic prose, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf,” lit up the Zoom stage Dec. 5 with a student-run production dedicated to the colorful lives of Black women.
Prior to March, when students imagined holiday celebrations, monitoring virus cases and having to wear masks at family gatherings was not what they, or their loved ones, envisioned.
In her many years as a performer, musical theater Program Head Kaitlin Hopkins has learned through experience how overwhelming, emotionally taxing and stressful the life of an artist can be. Eight years ago, after witnessing her students seek help for stress-related health issues, she set ou…
This holiday season, the LBJ Student Center staff is on a mission to make sure everyone has access to this comfort, regardless of whether or not they can afford it. It is in this spirit that donations of new socks for women and children will be accepted at the front desk of the LBJ Student C…
After jokes and banter between two best friends at Austin City Limits in 2019, the idea for a podcast aimed to give back to its community through comedic relief was born.
Known for its forward-thinking fashionistas, hands-on industry experience and packed-house fashion shows, Texas State's Fashion Merchandising Association (FMA) showcased the latest 2020 designs and trends in a new light during its first-ever virtual fall fashion show.
For some Indigenous peoples, an Election Night poll by CNN categorizing race by white, Latinx, Black, Asian and “something else," served as an indication of how an Indigenous heritage often comes with a feeling of having one’s very existence erased.
Equipped with mounds of compost and members who are not afraid to get their hands dirty, Texas State's waste management composting program, Bobcat Blend, is on a mission to create and maintain a sustainable campus community.
For 35 years the San Marcos River Foundation has functioned as a network of environmental activists committed to preserving the unique and delicate ecosystem of the San Marcos River.
Texas State's Student Foundation and the Dean of Students Office recognized university community veterans the morning of Nov. 11 during its annual Veterans Day Commemoration ceremony.
Scribbling out countless verses in piles of spiral notebooks, Marcus Peoples, a public administration alumnus, spent his years at Texas State crafting his language into what would become his first children’s book, "Proud to be In Between".
From his experience as a migrant farmworker to becoming the host of ABC's "What Would You Do?", broadcast journalist John Quiñones kicked off the first day of Texas State's Diversity and First-Gen Week with a discussion on adversity, journalism and family as Common Experience's LBJ Distingui…
The downtown San Marcos art community is providing an abundance of resources to local artists looking to display, perform and sell their art, while also conducting art extracurriculars for the expressive youth.
In an effort to celebrate and recognize alumni who have excelled both professionally and personally, Texas State has awarded several Bobcats with the Distinguished Alumni and Young Alumni Rising Star awards.
In an effort to stimulate a spirit of inclusivity and community on campus, Texas State's Student Government works to showcase its second annual Diversity Week, Moving From Words to Action.
It was a cold February night earlier this year when local psychedelic indie band Wezmer celebrated like it was the end of the world.
Texas State's First-Gen Proud will provide first-generation students with educational resources and opportunities through a series of virtual and in-person events during the university's third annual First-Gen Week.
While in the midst of a normal day lounging around, Gracelyn Economidis, a family and consumer science junior, received a shocking direct message on Instagram.
