On Sept. 16, Texas State student Austin Salyer was killed after negligent gunfire struck through his room at The Lyndon apartments in San Marcos. He was a 20-year-old junior studying criminal justice and minoring in military science. Austin was also a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi-Theta lota chapter and was currently serving in Texas State's Army ROTC with plans to serve as an officer in the U.S. Army after graduation.
It's in his most tiring moments when David Lee thinks of his parents.
Dressing up as a cowboy for his own kid-friendly YouTube channel wasn't necessarily the post-grad career plan John Havard had in mind.
Hours before she was scheduled to be in class, Arianna Apodaca began her trek to campus, pacing herself on the hills and stairs, bearing the effects cancer and chemotherapy had on her body.
Located just off The Square on North LBJ Drive, Pho Tran88 is serving up traditional Vietnamese dishes at a price suitable for a college budget. Upon walking in, customers are greeted with modern decor and a friendly staff ready to cater to their cravings.
Proclamations of self-love partner smooth beats and rhythms on Tiera Deniell's first studio album, "To Whom It May Concern." Written as a testimony to her past experiences with love, Deniell showcases what she sees as the most important type of love: the love for yourself.
Board game fanatics and cat lovers alike will get the opportunity to take on the roles of some of the internet's most famous cats in the brand-new game, CATastrophe.
After moving away from Iowa in 2011, Kileigh Reed found herself in San Marcos where a strongly established and welcoming yoga community was present at the time. 10 years later, Reed is on a journey to create her own version of this welcoming yoga community through the founding of Wild Rice Studio.
Sharing the beauty of Mexican American culture through stories of shocking social injustices and steadfast hope, the 2021 recipients for the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award reflect on the growing impact of their work.
As the technological era booms and virtual reality (VR) technology continues to improve, associate professors Kenneth Smith and Grayson Lawrence teamed up to discover ways in which VR technology can make an impact in clinical settings.
As the end of the spring semester arrived on Texas State's campus and students began preparing for finals, the Student Association for Campus Activities (SACA) hosted its third annual Gaillardia Fest, a celebration dedicated to students, letting them unwind before end-of-year stress kicks in.
Striding high onto CBS Television City's golden stage, snatching the mic stand and singing to the skies, Texas State alumnus Graham DeFranco, after years of dreaming up his destiny, wrote his name in lights as one of the top 16 finalists in "American Idol" 2021.
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…
As a queer person of color, Jamie Saucedo never had a teacher in school who he felt represented him. Although he had goals of becoming an educator, he found it difficult to picture himself at the front of a classroom, feeling discouraged without a role model he could look to for guidance and…
As viral trends surged across social media amid COVID-19, Texas State content creators take to the web, finding success through their virtual profiles.
On the fourth floor of Alkek Library, a quote from an anonymous student and sexual assault survivor displayed in the Students Against Violence (SAV) installation reads, "Start believing us. It doesn’t matter if he was a ‘nice guy’ and your experience is different. What he did to me was real."
Ever since he would sneak a Barbie CD player out of his sister's room to listen to his dad's favorite albums from bands like U2, The Police and Talking Heads, Eli Josef has had a passion for music.
Students stereotypically labeled "long-term English learners” are painted in broad strokes as having two main characteristics: Being recent immigrants or children of immigrants and only speaking a non-English language at home.While these characteristics may apply to some students, they are b…
With rising heart rates and sweat sliding down their spines, the cast members of Texas State's spring musical production, "Spring Awakening," is exploring sex and sexuality while singing through masks, dancing across distances and adapting its timeline after a cast member tested positive for…
A short drive from Austin, a city recognized as “The Food Truck Capital of Texas,” San Marcos has its own food truck scene where street vendors pull from their cultural traditions to introduce new flavors to the community.
After years of testing his endurance and toughness in sweat-generating sparring matches as an amateur boxer, Texas State alumnus Roger Maximo Gonzales has unlaced his gloves to create artwork inspired by childhood cartoons and celebrity legends.
With wagging tails and slobbery smiles, pure excitement is filling the hearts of San Marcos Regional Shelter rescue dogs as volunteers storm in to partake in its Dog's Day Out program.
A new eatery in San Marcos is drawing locals in with its modern spin on traditional Mexican food and aromas of freshly made vegetables, various meats and spice-filled salsas.
Inspired by the works of Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, Issa Rae and Jordan Peele, three Texas State alumni are paving the way for filmmakers by highlighting the experiences of Black culture and brotherhood in their new film, "Hierarchy".
At the end of a long school day, after whiteboards are wiped clean and students return home, Texas State's buildings continue to stay bright overnight. While campus walkways stay lit during all hours of the day, it comes at a higher price than one might think.
Heather Tran was walking near The Square when she was confronted by three male students pulling at their eyelids to mock her monolid eye shape.
With hopes of creating a safe space for career questions, receiving professional advice and building bonds with peers, a new club at Texas State has embarked on a journey to empower women interested in business.
The singer and rapper known as LAUX. (pronounced “low”) often finds herself waking up from a dream, good or bad, struck by inspiration for her next musical experience. She eventually makes her way to the bathroom counter, her mind and writing hand flowing in unison, and works to introduce he…
As part of Texas State's Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program, female writers of all backgrounds have routinely gathered around a table in Flowers Hall to engage in challenging debates, construct innovative narratives and hone their individual crafts.
Seth Jones vividly remembers times as a kid when he would ride a bike through his Dallas neighborhood. His mother earnestly warned him not to go beyond the last mailbox at the end of his block.
Tucked away on the northwest side of San Marcos, colorful eclectic art lines the walls, handmade crafts sit atop display shelves and the smell of burning incense fills the air at Studio San Martian — a vibrant place in which artists and art lovers alike can create freely and feel supported b…
Various San Marcos businesses, ranging from coffee shops to local thrift stores, have taken different approaches to Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order calling for the lifting of Texas' mask mandate and full reopening of businesses.
With one hand clutching her suitcase and another wrapped around her daughter's tiny palm, Fatema Zohra bravely boarded a flight to the U.S. from her home country of Bangladesh, embarking on her journey as a first-time U.S. resident and student mother.
When Jalen Stephens made his way to San Marcos by way of the south side of Chicago, he set out to accomplish two things: Serve the community and create impactful music.
As Winter Storm Uri brought below-freezing temperatures all across Texas, it also sparked a need for action among many stranded Texas residents.
A day after Winter Storm Uri hit Texas, local business owner, Shane Billiot, like most San Marcos residents, woke up to sheets of white snow along the streets of his neighborhood and no electricity in his home.
The idea of San Marcos is intertwined with the river, home to beautiful aquatic wildlife and a safe haven for residents who have splashed around in it since youth — an oasis of calmness, connection and community.
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 …
