april 21, 2016
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Defending the First Amendment since 1911
THURSDAYAPRIL 21, 2016
www.UniversityStar.com
VOLUME 105 ISSUE 58
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DOES DRINKING COFFEE MAKE YOU A DRUG ADDICT?
FOOD
CITY
See COFFEE on Page 3
By Brigeda HernandezSenior News Reporter
@brigeda_h
The San Marcos City Council will make a final decision May 3 on a controversial potential development at Lindsey Hill, located at the corner of W. Hutchison Street and Moore Street.
The Planning and Zoning Commission denied the devel-oper’s request to change the land’s use from Public District to Planned Development Dis-trict on April 12. When the issue comes before City Coun-cil, the members will have an opportunity to overturn the commission’s decision, but only with a supermajority.
The project would include a 120-room hotel, up to 17,000 feet of retail space and 164 multi-family housing units.
“Our goal at this particular location is to help San Marcos complete the experience of showcasing its most precious and distinctive assets,” said David Lerman, developer of the proposed project.
Lerman said San Marcos is an especially unique loca-tion along the IH-35 corridor because communities along the highway contain a lot of necessities, but there is not much variety from one town to the next.
He said creating the con-cept for Lindsey Hill was an organic process, and inspira-tion came from the site itself.
“The challenge to anybody who’s considering acquiring this site is to figure out how you create the proper transi-tion and linking experience between downtown and the historic neighborhoods,” Ler-man said.
The Lindsey Hill property lies adjacent to the historic district, and many residents have expressed concern as to whether or not the location is suitable for a larger develop-ment such as this one.
At Planning and Zoning’s public hearing, concerns over approval of the project were
Debated Lindsey Hill development awaits decision from city
See DEVELOPMENT, Page 2See TRIBUNE, Page 2
A student studies with a latte at Mochas and Javas on April 20. PABLO MEJIA STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
By Lesly De LeonASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
@LeslyD28
The Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Tribune, Emily Ram-shaw, answered questions and shared advice with mass communication students.
Ramshaw visited as part of the SJMC Digital Entre-preneurship Speaker Series and answered questions from Rebecca Larson, digi-
tal media graduate student and teaching assistant, and audience members.
Journalists should be pro-fessional, dedicated and will-ing to work hard at any task editors assign them.
“No job should be too big or too small,” Ramshaw said.
Reporters in the digital age must be able to collabo-rate with coders, graphic de-signers, multimedia produc-ers and all people on staff
to create a story package.Stories don’t have to be
told in multiple formats, such as story package in-cluding a video, a podcast and an interactive graphic. It’s better to tell the story in the best-fitting format, she said.
"Tell me the story in one way, in the best possible for-mat for that story, and I'll be happy," Ramshaw said.
Reporters must consider which format would com-municate the story they’re working on in the best way possible, she said.
Social media is a news tool useful to gather and
share news, Ramshaw said. Twitter is where journalists and policymakers com-municate with each other, but Facebook is where the general population commu-nicates.
"We have the responsibil-ity to make sure our stories are where the people are," Ramshaw said.
Ramshaw shared her opinion on how journalists
can use social media as a tool and the balance between sharing and oversharing.
Journalists have to be smart with their social me-dia personality, she said. She thinks how much of their personal lives or political opinions they share depends on their comfort level.
People active on social media want to relate to the journalists they follow as someone human, not just a news provider or an expert on policies. Displaying per-sonality on social media is good, Ramshaw said.
As an example, Ramshaw said she shared her experi-ence as a new mother on social media and received positive responses.
However, Ramshaw said journalists should not be partisan on social media. Sharing political affiliations via social media can limit job opportunities. Texas Tribune editors have turned down re-porter fellowship candidates because of the partisanship shown in their social media.
"Be smart,” Ramshaw said of journalists’ actions on so-cial media. “Be thoughtful, don't be snarky.”
Michael Royal, electronic media sophomore, said he heard of the event from a Mass Communication pro-fessor.
“I really wanted to know how to hone my skills as a blogger and what can I do to really gain an audience,” Royal said. “I thought she was really awesome. I really love the speaker series.”
Royal said Ramshaw’s speech was informative and he received good pointers, especially on how to use social media.
“I’m going to reflect on my social media and make sure I’m not partisan,” Royal said. “Make sure I stick to the story and not necessarily my opinion.”
Ramshaw said Texas Tri-bune staff produce inves-tigative journalism which holds government officials accountable and partner
Editor-in-Chief of Texas Tribune shares advice with students
Becky Larson interviews Editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, Emily Ram-shaw, on April 20 at Old Main.
ANTONIO REYES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CITY
UNIVERSITY
By Bri WatkinsNEWS REPORTER
@briwatkins17
San Marcos residents who fell victim to major flooding last year had the chance to speak with the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team, otherwise known as BR3T, about any unmet needs in the middle of their recovery.
BR3T is a designated long-term recovery nonprofit or-ganization that reaches out to meet the needs of flood survivors in Hays, Blanco, Caldwell and Guadalupe counties.
Miguel Cardiel has been a Hays County resident for 30 years. He said his roof was destroyed by the winds during the Memorial Day weekend f lood and came to the meeting to get more information.
“Every time it rains now, it comes into my home and everything is wet,” Cardiel
said.Although there is still
much work needed to be done, the counties are on a road to recovery, he said.
BR3T board member Ru-ben Garza said frustration can be common because of the slow process to rebuild. He used an analogy to com-pare patience with the res-toration and building a car.
“We’re having to add all the systems to it,” Garza said. “It takes a little bit to build a car, to get it up and running, so for those of you that have been frustrated, its going to take patience and a little bit of more patience, but we are making progress and we are moving forward, and with God’s love in action, we’re going to fix a lot of houses in this community and others across the counties.”
Rich Hildreth, BR3T vol-unteer, said he is thankful for each member in the organiza-tion as well as the community
in general.“Disaster brings out the
best in the community,” Hil-dreth said. “If you look at what has been accomplished over this last year, we have brought out the best. I’m not saying ‘we’ as in BR3T, it’s the people of San Marcos, Wimberly, Martindale and all other counties that we have covered.”
Vickie McCuistion, Trea-surer of the Board for BR3T, was part of the transition team appointed to help develop the organization following the floods. Their mission is to extend their help to families and individuals to aid recovery from the 2015 Memorial Day weekend and Halloween weekend floods.
“It was the Memorial Day flood that spurred the orga-nization of this committee, but the idea is that it will be in place for any future disaster,” McCuistion said. “So that when something like
that happens, we already got the infrastructure in place to manage it.”
At the public meeting, Hil-dreth spoke upon what needs are still to be met.
To restore affected areas of the county, Hildreth said money, materials and man-power is needed. BR3T is looking for organized groups to volunteer their help to achieve these goals.
“The most important group that we need to work with is general community,” Hildreth said. “It’s the net-working and partnership that is going to get things done.”
He said the secret to BR3T’s success is its partner-ships. The group’s structure is made up of committees working together through the rebuilding process. Committees include case management, construction, emotional support and an unmet needs table to help fund the process to get neces-
sary resources to help clients.St. Bernard Project is one
of the partners that partici-pates with BR3T to help re-construct the damage within the community’s infrastruc-ture. The organization is a part of the Construction and Unmet Needs Committee, which was started four days
after the Memorial Day week-end flood, said Construction Coordinator Chris Laugelli.
“So far we have built 13 homes, and we’re always looking for clients,” Laugel-li said. “Anyone who needs help or wants to volunteer or donate, we definitely urge them to reach out to us.”
BR3T addresses unmet flood recovery needs
Communications and Outreach VISTA Rich Hildreth spoke at the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team's monthly public meeting Wednesday, April 20 at the Dunbar Recreation Center.
DARYL ONTIVEROS MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
NEWS UniversityStar.com@universitystar
2 | Thursday, April 21,, 2016 The University Star
Anna Herod, News Editor@annaleemurphy
expressed. Detractors cited potential increases in traf-fic congestion and flood-ing risks as well as possible damage to the character of historic neighborhoods.
“When the sinkhole hits San Marcos, it will hit in-ternational news,” said Lisa Marie Coppoletta, environ-mental activist.
Ty Stonecipher, water resources management senior, said studies have shown a link between other new developments in the area and increased flood-ing. He heard about the Lindsey Hill development through Coppoletta, and began working to raise awareness throughout the community.
Stonecipher said al-though the development would affect San Marcos as a whole, it would especially affect those who live in the historic district. Since college students have little interaction with those resi-dents, he was not surprised at the lack of knowledge on campus.
“That’s one reason I knew a lot of the students hadn’t heard about it,” Stonecipher said. “Because students don’t really check the city meeting minutes, they don’t read too much
about the town, and that’s something I would actually like to change.”
Stonecipher said both students and residents of the historic district were very enthusiastic and eager to get involved,.
“You may only live here for three to five years,” Stonecipher said. “But what you do here affects those of us that want to live here for the rest of our lives. There’s a really powerful force just sitting right here, all of these students, and it can be harnessed into something good that’s posi-tive change for the com-munity.”
Another concern raised by those who oppose the de-velopment is the structure may be used for student housing. While developers have listed rules to ensure this does not happen, resi-dents agree there will not be a way to monitor the situation.
Although the communi-ty sees negative effects the project could have, Stone-cipher said there could be some positives as well, such as the developer’s plan to preserve green space and providing the opportunity to bring new businesses to San Marcos.
Those who spoke in sup-port for the Lindsey Hill development said it will help increase walkability, which is also a goal of the developer.
“We’re trying to achieve a walkable community here,” Lerman said. “Of all the places in Central Texas, San Marcos can ac-tually do it because you’ve got some vital components already in place.”
Lerman said it is impor-tant for the community to fully understand the proj-ect. He said the develop-ment team spent 14 months meeting with residents and city officials, and overall the response was positive.
Until the application was officially submitted to the city, Lerman said he didn’t see a large opposition.
If the Lindsey Hill proj-ect is denied, the land can still be developed in a dif-ferent way. Lerman said he is unable to comment about any future plans the company may have.
“This community is your community for now,” Stonecipher said. “And you do have a lasting effect on this community, and you are very important to this community. Your voice matters.”
DEVELOPMENT, from front
TRIBUNE, from front
The Lindsay Hill Project has caused concern among residents who feel the development would destroy the historic neighborhoods of San Marcos.
DARYL ONTIVEROS MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
with other news organiza-tions for projects.
Ramshaw said media is concentrated in the East Coast, especially New York, which is dangerous. A gap in the journalism in-dustry means decreased lo-cal and regional coverage.
As a nonprofit news organization, the Texas Tribune website includes a list of all revenue sources of funding online. Editors also include a disclaimer in all stories relating to any organization that provides funding to the organiza-tion.
"Funders play no role in the journalism we pro-duce," Ramshaw said.
The Texas Tribune has been successful in part be-cause its revenue streams are varied, she said.
Texas Tribune also re-ceives revenue from host-ing events, such as the Tex-as Tribune Festival. Most of the events are free to public and feature Tribune staff interviewing local and state government officials. Audience members have the opportunity to speak to elected government repre-sentatives at events.
There are not many cir-cumstances where an aver-age citizen can ask elected officials questions directly, Ramshaw said.
Ramshaw said Texas Tri-bune editors don’t draw a large distinction between the business side and jour-nalism of the organization.
"We're breaking down those barriers and not in a way that present any ethi-cal challenges," Ramshaw
said.Larson said it was honor
to have Ramshaw visit and have the opportunity to in-terview the Editor-in-Chief.
“I interviewed Evan Smith, former Editor-in-Chief, at Mass Comm week, so it felt like a natural progression to interview Emily,” she said.
Larson believes the advice Ramshaw shared concerning social media resonated with students.
“I felt like the students were really interested in her and what she has to say,” Larson said. “I think that’s partly just because of her fantastic reputation, partly because she’s really well spoken and she’s a badass woman in digital journal-ism, so that’s awesome.”
By Bri WatkinsNEWS REPORTER
@briwatkins17
Faculty and students in Texas State’s geogra-
phy department actively contribute work to NASA through a partnership with Jacobs Engineering.
Among different proj-ects, students work to geolocate areas in images captured by astronauts from the International Space Station.
The geography depart-ment has been able to provide important insight to the center, said Nathan Currit, associate professor and director at the Texas Center for Geographic In-formation Science. Over the years, astronauts from the ISS have collected and archived photographs of Earth.
However, no one was keeping track of what areas they were photographing, he said.
“There are things that can be learned from these images, but only after we can find out where these images are from,” Currit said.
Science and remote sensing groups try to geo-locate the areas in images collected by astronauts.
They catalog the pic-tures and identify geo-graphic features to find the longitude and latitude.
Jacobs Engineering hired Joseph Aebersold, geographic information science senior, and Andi Hollier, geographic re-source and environmental studies senior, to geolocate uncataloged imagery from their site.
Aebersold and Hollier catalog images from cer-tain space station missions
and report it to Jacobs em-ployees, who then report to NASA.
The intent is to use them for scientific purposes, Currit said. Data from as-tronaut photographs are a source for analyzing en-vironmental changes and potentially monitoring natural disasters as they unfold or the following recovery efforts.
Aebersold said the internship has been eye-opening and beneficial.
“It can be like a little puzzle, trying to figure out where you are on Earth, and then see cool photos like the space shuttle, the aura of the Earth and pho-tos of the moon,” Aeber-sold said. “We are eager to show them what we can do as long as it falls in line of what they are looking for.”
Hollier said she and Aebersold locate center points on uncatalogued images and make it easier to identify features.
“We will put them into a database where you can inquiry them later,” Hollier said. “We do geo-referenc-ing as well, which is putting a latitude and longitude on the pixels of the image so it’s a little more accurate on assigning coordinates to an image.
Hollier said the intern-ship has been a fun experi-ence and she just accepted a summer internship with NASA.
“You don’t really get to see (the astronaut’s) per-spective every day,” Hol-lier said. “Usually there’s a humanistic perspective whenever you’re learning to research. With the as-tronaut photography and catalogue you get to go through and see the whole picture.”
Jacobs Engineering Group secured its $1.9 billion contract with the NASA Johnson Space Center in 2013. Through this contract, Jacobs Engi-neering executives wanted to collaborate with minori-ty-serving institutions.
Texas State officials entered into a $5 million agreement in 2014 to col-laborate with Jacobs Engi-neering executives for the next five years.
Faculty members are also contributing to re-search and projects. Cur-rit is working on a project with Justin Wilkinson, a geomorphologist who fo-cuses on landforms.
Wilkinson, a former Ja-cobs Engineering Group employee who became a faculty of practice at Texas State. He studies megafans which are major continen-tal land features that help build the continents.
“Wilkinson identifies landforms, and I help identify upstream drain-age areas that contribute sediment to the megafan,” Currit said.
Currit said the collabo-ration provides students and faculty with great op-portunities and he believes the partnership with Ja-cobs will continue to grow.
“The real opportunity we have here is for fac-ulty and students to find a friend in NASA, get an inside peek at how they work, an inside peek at the things they are doing and an inside peak at perhaps some of the externally funded opportunities to do research that you can find with a NASA friend to collaborate,” Currit said. “This is available for any-one on campus.”
Geography department brings expert insight to NASA
The geography department at Texas State collaborates on some projects with NASA.ANTONIO REYES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
UNIVERSITY
COFFEE, from front
By Erin O’DonnellLIFESTYLE REPORTER
@1erino
With finals around the corner, many underclassmen are work-ing hard to make it to sum-mer vacation and graduating seniors are about to take the world by storm.
However, 42 percent of col-lege students will never read another book after they gradu-ate. While this may seem like a sad statistic, it’s not hard to understand why. After college, there is no incentive to read anymore.
These numbers should not discourage students from read-ing. In fact, with so many great books out there, it’s hard to figure out which are worth reading and valuable to un-derstanding the world.
To help students, I have compiled a list of the top five books every student should read before they graduate.
THIS SIDE OF PARADISE F. Scott Fitzgerald The first book that pops into your head when you hear F. Scott Fitzgerald’s name is The Great Gatsby. While that book has excellent merits, This Side of Paradise proves Fitzgerald’s success is not a fluke.
The story can still resonate with students today, as it is about a Princeton graduate who discovers how different life is after college—something many of us will face shortly.
1984 George OrwellSince 1949, Orwell’s tales of a dystopian future have been captivating audiences with its bleak depictions of a future of erased individuality.
Hannah Rodriguez, English junior, said 1984 is one of her favorite books of all time.
“I still get shocked when people say they have not read this excellent book,” Rodri-guez said. “It’s not often a book can outlive the date it predicted the world to be terrible and still be frighteningly accurate.”
She said shades of 1984 can
even be seen in the world today.“With the way politics are
run in the world, I am afraid a future like this may not be too far ahead,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not something to get worked up on, but if more people read this book, they may understand exactly how the world and the media shape our po-litical structure, and in turn, shapes humanity.”
HAMLET William Shakespeare We have all read a Shake-speare play or two, but Hamlet is one everybody should read at least once in their lives.
The theme of the play re-lates to how we accept our personal responsibilities for our thoughts and actions.
Every character is a force to be reckoned with, and is not always who they appear to be in the story. While the ending has been well-known for a few hundred years, there is a deep-er meaning when you know the thoughts of the characters in the scene, as well as the actions leading to the finale.
This is an incredible tale of revenge at its finest, yet it makes you wonder if Ham-let’s actions paid off
THE STRANGER Albert Camus Camus’ absurd tale of human nature and actions will stick with audiences. The Stranger helps shape the importance of personal choices and how strange the universe can be.
Ashley Parker, English freshman, said her outlook on life changed after reading the book.
“I just knew I would never be able to see the world in the same light again,” she said. “Camus’ writing just ingrains itself in you and makes you realize how strange and mys-terious the world is sometimes, and that you can be just like his narrator and just feel indif-ferent to it all. It can be a lot to take in.”
THE BELL JAR Sylvia Plath The Bell Jar is Plath’s only novel. It is about a young woman’s descent into insan-ity. A heartbreaking tale that will leave readers speechless and haunted long after the last page is turned.
Elena Lara, English sopho-more, said she had to put the book down while reading it for the first time.
“I was crying too hard,” Lara said. “I could not believe all that Esther went through, and to know that Plath based it on her experiences with mental illness just crushed me.”
It’s a hard book to digest, but Lara said she was able to continue reading it and even recommends it to potential readers.
“These are feelings and thoughts people deal with every day, and it just breaks me,” she said. “ I recommend it to all my friends so that they can have a different view, and enlighten them on feelings and emotions they may not com-pletely understand.”
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Thursday, April 21, 2016 | 3The University Star
LIFESTYLE UniversityStar.com@universitystar
Carlie Porterfield, Lifestyle Editor@reporterfield
By Denise CervantesASSISTANT LIFESTYLE
EDITOR@cervantesdenise
According to a poll conduct-ed by Harvard University, 54 percent of Americans over the age of 18 indulge in a steamy hot cup of coffee every day.
Caffeine is defined as a drug which stimulates the nervous system. This fact raises the question: could we all possibly be addicted to that savory caffeinated beverage?
Julie Eckert, Student Health Center assistant di-rector, said although caffeine is a stimulant, it is safe to drink in moderation.
“People usually recognize it as safe by the FDA,” Eckert said. “You can have about 300 to 400 milligrams a day, which is roughly about three cups of coffee a day. It is seen as moderate and aver-age consumption.”
Trevor Bowersox, engi-neering freshman, said caf-feine is a part of his daily routine.
“It’s the first thing I do in the mornings,” Bowersox said. “I go grab my cup of coffee. It just wakes me up
and I feel good to go.” Bowersox said he does
not feel as if he has a de-pendency on caffeine, but would much rather have it than not.
“I don’t feel like I couldn’t live without it,” Bowersox said. “It’s just there to help me get through the day. I could skip my coffee on a Saturday, when I get to sleep in, and be fine.”
Eckert said it is possible to be dependent on caffeine, but it is not damaging to a person’s everyday life.
“People can have a de-pendency on it,” Eckert said. “They may be jittery and those kind of things, but it isn’t life threatening. Most people don’t have any kind of dysfunction from having an addiction to caf-feine.”
Valerie Santamaria, interdisciplinary studies junior, said it is difficult to cope without caffeine in her system.
“I would call myself a coffee addict,” Santama-ria said. “It’s so hard to go without it. Depending on the day I will drink, at the minimum, three cups. It helps me get work done. ”
High-calorie caffeine
beverages may affect a person’s sleeping pattern and stress management, Eckert said.
“It can kind of sabotage your stress management technique,” Eckert said. “Because people grab caf-feine in order to concen-trate, and some of those drinks have a lot of calo-ries and sugar, it can create insomnia depending how much they’re using and how high it is in calories.”
Eckert said coffee is not addicting in the same sense as tobacco, heroin or al-cohol because it does not affect a person’s mentality.
“Caffeine is just a mild form of a drug addiction—it isn’t serious like the other drugs,” Eckert said. “It’s generally recognized as safe. But if people are hav-ing issues with it, like (their sleeping habits), then they may think about cutting back.”
Santamaria said she does not see herself cutting back on her caffeine intake any-time soon.
“I love coffee,” Santama-ria said. “Death before de-caf, for sure. I’m probably always going to crave it.”
LITERATURE
Top five books to read before you graduate
MADISON MORRISS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERFive English professors and students chose five books for students to read before they graduate.
By Stacee CollinsLIFESTYLE REPORTER
@stvcee
City officials are working to rebrand San Marcos with mermaids. It only makes sense for the town’s unique culture to be showcased in a mermaid art gallery at the Chamber of Commerce.
The San Marcos Art League is in charge of as-signing artists to the rotating gallery about every month. Mark Lambdin, the league’s president, said he chose mer-maid-themed art because of San Marcos’ recent rebrand-ing efforts.
“It’s kind of a way of using the mermaids to bring aware-ness to the river and helping keep it clean,” he said. “It’s such a beautiful river.”
Lisa McPike Smith, Hep Cat Artworks owner, is the artist behind April’s gallery.
“She is not primarily a mermaid artist, but she does have a lot of pieces that have mermaids in them,” Lamb-din said. “Her pieces are just the coolest little pieces in the whole wide world, I think.”
McPike Smith said the mermaid inspiration came from her experience seeing the aquamaids perform at Aquarena Springs as a child.
“I had a piece I made that kind of symbolized the breaking of that tradi-tion,” she said. “I glued all these pieces back together. It seemed like it was a good tribute to what no longer is Aquarena Springs.”
McPike Smith coins her artwork as mixed-media assemblages. For example, she has assorted German bisque dolls and handmade ceramic pieces into different environments.
“A lot of the dolls are bro-
ken and chipped,” she said. “I still find them beautiful, and they have such quality to them.”
McPike Smith said the broken ones are valuable to her specific style because if a doll’s body is missing, she is always able to throw a mer-maid tail on it. Other objects included in the mermaid as-semblages are shells, pearls and other unique trinkets.
The mermaid pieces at the Chamber of Commerce are whimsical with a hint of menace, she said.
“Mermaids originally weren’t supposed to be sweet and beautiful. They were sup-posed to be scary,” McPike Smith said. “But, there are mermaids that are good and watch over shipwrecks and sailors out at sea.”
Although McPike Smith does not actually believe in mermaids, she appreciates the imagination and magic behind the idea. The mer-maid theme is mysterious and dark, yet light. She fo-cuses a lot of her artwork around symbols that evoke this type of feeling.
Margaret Lindsey, Cham-ber of Commerce member-ship director, agrees the artwork is quirky.
“Lisa (has worked) in a lot of different mediums over
the years,” Lindsey said. “The way I would describe it is whimsical.”
Lindsey said the works add a nice touch to the Chamber of Commerce.
“I love having something on the walls here. It’s in-teresting,” Lindsey said. “I think it’s kind of neat that we have something like this.”
Some of McPike Smith’s river-related works include dragonflies and flowers. However, mermaids are her main focus.
“I love San Marcos and I have that nostalgic kind of love for it,” McPike Smith said. “The mermaid thing is a good branding for our city, and I think it’s kind of good at the ecological standpoint. It’s the thing that makes this town so great.”
Mermaid Society SMTX promotes taking care of the river, McPike Smith said. Similarly, her mermaid art encourages awareness of the river’s importance.
“We’ve got to conserve our water and take care of it,” McPike Smith said. “It hits home for me. So, I’m just trying to spread a little bit of awareness about con-serving our natural spaces and resources.”
Mermaid art gallery makes a splash at Chamber of Commerce
ART
By Mikala EverettASSISTANT OPINIONS COLUMNIST
@mikala_maquella
It is safe to assume most college students are not
looking to die anytime soon. However, a startling number of scholars do not wear seat-belts. The faction of “educat-ed” young adults who don’t wear seatbelts are a danger not only to themselves, but to others around them.
To enroll in college, one must have suffered through four years of high school to receive a diploma or obtain a General Educational Devel-opment certificate amongst other things. In high school, most Americans had to take basic science classes where students learned Newton’s Laws of Motion.
When thinking about seatbelts, Newton’s first law of inertia comes to mind.
An object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an equal and opposite force. Therefore, if people do not wear seatbelts in the car, their delicate, jelly-roll bodies will be flip-flopping everywhere in the correct circumstances.
Seatbelts were put in place not for display or fashion features, but to protect individuals riding in a car. Far too often I have wit-nessed folks getting into my car without putting on the seatbelt. That’s fine if you want to play with your life like. However, I do not wish to be that dumb.
Not only does the lack of a seatbelt affect the body bag not wearing a seatbelt, but also others in the car. In the case of an accident, the person who is not wearing a seatbelt will be flung around the car. Their body can possibly harm or kill others before being ejected out of the window. Doesn’t that sound like a fun time?
No one likes being in a bad car accident, but the use of a seatbelt increases a per-son’s chance of survival by 45 percent. It has been seen time and time again that wearing a seat belt can save your life, yet many people are still not wearing them.
I have a friend who does not like to put on seat belts. Every time he gets in my car, I stare him down until he does. When he gets in the car and does not immedi-ately put his seat belt on, I cannot help but imagine his broken, bruised and very dead body lying a few feet in front of my car.
With his teeth lodged in the back of the front pas-senger’s skull and his foot jammed into my upper spinal cord, not only would he be a goner—we would be too.
It is unfair to yourself and others to not wear a seat belt. No matter what angsty or sincerely depressed emo-tions arise, the car is not the place to release frustrations and put people at risk.
The seat belts were put in place to counteract the laws of motion and to protect the individual in the seat. It would be extremely chaotic if no one ever wore a seatbelt, and our streets would be lit-tered with tossed bodies.
Put on your damn seatbelt.
—Mikala Everett is a mass communications sophomore
OPINIONS UniversityStar.com@universitystar
4 | Thursday, April 21, 2016 The University Star
Brandon Sams, Opinions Editor@TheBrandonSams
The University Star is the student newspaper of Texas State University and is published every Monday and Thursday of the spring and fall and every other Wednesday in the summer semesters. It is distributed on campus and throughout San Marcos at 8 a.m. on publication days with a distribution of 6,000. Printing and distribution is by the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.
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Texas State Universi-ty has been a pillar of progressive social
values and inclusivity, unfortunately its name-sake is everything it’s not: a regressive wasteland of outdate ideas and it’s time to clean it up.
Universities are often both heralded and lambasted as progressive institutions, even in the red state of Texas many notable universities oper-ate against the stream of socially conservative val-ues. Yet, when it comes to transgender issues there is more work that needs to be done.
“Currently the Student Health Center does not provide any hormone therapy for the transgen-der community,” Health
Promotion Specialist Arlene Cornejo said. “We have been considering expanding our resources to accommodate the growing needs of the com-munity.”
Accommodation is one thing, acceptance and authenticity is another. Currently, the only univer-sity in Texas that covers transition related medical expenses such as hor-mones is the University of Houston. Texas States in-clusion of gender identity in its non-discrimination policy is an important step in the right direction, but more things need to be done to make them feel like they have a place that cares.
Unfortunately, when transgender students
leave the relative safe space of the university, things are as bleak as one would imagine. The Transgender Law Center is one of the leading legal resources regarding the trans community. The organization rates states gender identity policy based on four criteria: marriage and relation-ship recognition adoption and parenting laws, safe school laws and policies and non-discrimination legislation. Out of a pos-sible score of 16 Texas rates as negative three-fourths when it comes to protections; indicating that the laws and policies the state does have are meant to work against the transgender community.
This is the next battle
for equity and person-hood in America. In this raging culture war, after the dust settles and the social progressives signal another victory, hopefully the future for the trans kids of today will look a lot less bleak than those who came before them.
Last year while support-ers of the gay community were screaming “love wins” transgender people were being murdered with impunity. According to a Human Rights Campaign report, there were more transgender homicide vic-tims in 2015 than in any recorded year. The people murdered were almost exclusively transgender women of color, the most vulnerable among the community members.
In fact, the date from 2013-2015 shows that 87 percent of the people murdered were trans-gender women of color. Even worse, not a single purported hate crime was prosecuted and none were even reported as hate crimes.
While lawmakers are worried about who’s piss-ing in which bathroom, people are being assault-ed; yet, because they are different than the relative “normal” they are deemed unworthy of respect, and by proxy undeserving of life. The mass violence is what epidemics are made of. It is the vision of culturally-sanctioned violence. It is transmi-sogyny, the confluence of transphobia and misog-yny: the hatred, indiffer-ence and discrimination toward trans women, gender non-conforming people and others on the feminine-of-center end of the spectrum.
Love didn’t win last year when the bells rang for marriage equality. Frankly, love has never won. Society continues to hate and loathe those who are different than what it defines as the norm, and until that definition is all inclusive love will only be a fleeting fantasy. It is time to let love in and let love win. Respect and compassion go a long way.
To navigate this hellish world with poise and tempered anger the way the transgender commu-nity has, given the all too unkind way society treats them takes a certain assuredness, strength and resilient self-love. Celebrate that, Bobcats, and aboard the transgen-der acceptance train to make Texas State a true, inclusive community.
THE MAIN POINT
SATIRE
SAFETY
Un-silencing and spotlighting the T in LGBTQIA
Buckle up, bucket heads
NINETTE SOLIS STAR ILLUSTRATOR
By Jeffrey BradshawOPINION COLUMNIST
@jeffbrad12
For around 4.5 billion years, the earth has
been doing its earthy thing, but it only took us around 300,000 years to ruin it.
The human species is inept. There is no possible way for our species to utilize our unique brains to figure out the massive environmental problems facing the planet. The only way to cut the un-healthy tie between fossil fuels and us would be to use another source of energy. If only free energy could fall out of the sky or something.
This planet is unique, as far as we know. There-fore, we must sterilize every single person to save planet Earth from ourselves.
We were given a beautiful gift and we have continuously spat in its face. In 1989, Exxon Val-dez ran around in Alaska spilling oil all over the untouched wilderness. We let this happen and we are lucky Mother Nature can’t slap us in the face.
We started the practice of agriculture around twelve thousand years ago, and even with all of our supposed intelligence,
the Dust Bowl struck in the 1930s. The Dust Bowl was a result of poor soil practices which caused massive storms ruining many lives. If only we could have prevented this tragedy by having some practice with farming…
The number one prob-lem facing this planet is the overuse and misuse of resources, and people are the only ones doing this. Therefore, we must steril-ize everybody. This would be very hard, but I think chemistry would be the answer. We could develop a chemical and spray it
from airplanes. Of course, there may be some side effects to this planet-saving chemical, but if the aim is to rid the worlds of humans, then this should not be a big problem.
The human intelligence can only go so far. We have gone to the moon, but can’t even recognize the dire situation Earth is in. Humans do not deserve the one-of-a-kind planet we have inher-ited. We must sterilize everyone now. As this last generation gets into its golden years, they will have no one to take care
of them, speeding up the retribution Earth craves.
This may sound cruel to kill off our own species, but it is neces-sary to save the Earth. People like Ted Cruz who deny climate change further prove the neces-sity to sterilize everyone. This practice would be artificial selection and we could select the stupid genes to breed out. How-ever, we are all stupid so the only way to artificially select the right genes out is to sterilize everyone.
With all the nonsense our species has created,
it is time to say enough is enough. For example, the movie Wanted could not have been made by a spe-cies designed to survive.
The good thing is the chemical needed to rid the world of the human parasite would take some time to develop. There-fore, everyone reading this will not have to be the last generation.
If you love this planet, you can agree sterilization of the species is the only answer.
—Jeffrey Bradshaw is a political science junior
Humans suck, lets get rid of them
RACHEL BOSTICK STAR ILLUSTRATOR
MARIA TAHIR STAR ILLUSTRATOR
The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State University Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State University.
OPINIONS UniversityStar.com@universitystar
Brandon Sams, Opinions Editor@TheBrandonSams
Thursday, April 21, 2016 | 5The University Star
FINANCE
By Cris RiveraOPINIONS COLUMNIST
@cris_rivera13
As tax season draws to a close, anxiety runs
rampant in people’s bodies as they shuffle to get forms in on time, and done cor-rectly.
Consequently, this leaves people more susceptible to scams run by con artists and thieves, who obviously lack any sense of morality. These scams seem some-
what plausible under nor-mal conditions. However when they are added with the stress of filing taxes, the same scams become very real.
Once you know what to look for, it becomes a simple matter of identify-ing when you are being met with a scam. It is important to first take a second to calm any anxiety induced by an unknown party contacting you about finances and taxes. Take
a breath, sit down and attempt to remain calm before looking for the com-mon signs of a scam.
The IRS has an entire page dedicated to identify-ing common scamming practices, and to specifi-cally tell the public what it will never do if investigat-ing tax issues. The biggest item on the list is the IRS will never call people be-fore first sending a notice and bill in the mail. A random caller claiming to
be the IRS and asking pay-ment through PayPal is not something the real agency would do—that’s just shady.
Another big tell is the IRS will not employ scare tactics to add anxiety to the situation. Scammers use scare tactics such as threatening to bring in the FBI to raid your home in an attempt to induce panic and irrationality. This is remedied by simply calm-ing down and realizing no one would call to inform of
a raid in 30 minutes. Lastly, the IRS will never
ask for a payment over the phone with no way to appeal the amount, or by a specific form of payment. Payments due to a taxing issue is a professional pro-cess done in person.
No one denies how scary the IRS is, but as a govern-ment institution, it does operate professionally. If it falls anywhere short, red flags should go up and ending the call is the best
move to make. Texas State has been
marred over recent years with IRS scammers trying to take advantage of vulner-able students. Remember, just like a break up, only children do important busi-ness over the phone.
—Cris Rivera is a com-puter science freshman
Don’t get scammed, Bobcats
Jessica KingOPINIONS COLUMNIST
@JessCheyKing
Most young women steadily begin to
worry over their looks and future prospects. In 2010, the Bupa Health Pulse conducted a 12 country survey on aging concerns between men and women. The studies show women care a lot more about their looks than men.
Men and women as a whole have different fears when it comes to get-ting older. According to research, men tend to fear impotence versus women whose concern leans more towards being physically pleasing.
The typical cliché regard-ing women and aging is a middle-aged woman sitting in front of a mirror conceitedly poking and prodding at a few harmless wrinkles with a tear in her eye. According to senior living Care, lack of attrac-tiveness is the number one aging fear.
Many women tie their self-esteem with their physical appearance. Once their breasts start reacting to gravity and nature takes it’s course with wrinkles and achy joints, depression can quickly ensue.
Due to this, women spend countless dollars on facial creams and night masks guaranteeing drastic results much like gym memberships.
According to Laurie Jacobs, director of the Jack and Pearl Resnick Gerontology center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, “Women are always,
unfortunately, more con-cerned about whether they appear old. Your sense of appearance is associ-ated with your functional status”
However, despite the trite belief older women are vain, many fear much more in regards to aging than their attributes.
These fears are, for example, being alone, not being financially secure, health issues and becom-
ing a burden on family. Though all of which are valid fears, sometimes women can grant their uncertainties too much power.
Some could say women worrying about appearanc-es could go hand-in-hand with their fear of being alone—especially if they feel they have to compete with a younger generation.
When finances come into question, men tend to
be much more secure due to income like social se-curity and pension, which disproportionately benefit men over women. Even if a woman is married, once her husband passes, she could be in trouble.
This connects with the fear of being a burden on family. Few cultures, such as American, view care for the elderly as an affliction, so imagine how a single woman in her 50’s must
feel.Considering the fears
of financial destitution, becoming invisible and a burden on family, it is no wonder why so many women are desperate to prevent and reverse the aging process.
To a degree, fear of growing old is a threat to a woman’s survival. A case can easily be made by go-ing above and beyond for looks this is effort to thrive
in a superficial world. It’s better to have a
laugh line indicating a life lived to the fullest, than to be like a strange lady on the internet who never laughed or smiled to avoid wrinkles. Love yourselves, ladies, and life will be dandy.
—Jessica King is a psychology major
BEAUTY
MARIA TAHIR STAR ILLUSTRATOR
Women and the fear of fleeting beauty with age
CAMPUS
By Jeffrey BradshawOPINIONS COLUMNIST
@jeffbrad12
Springtime should change the landscape of
Texas State with wildflow-ers.
Here in the Hill Coun-try, it is the one time of
the year that feels tolerable outside—wildflower season.
In most parts of the state, people can only see wildflowers on the side of highways. This sight is always breathtaking, but it is not as magnificent as seeing a field covered in wildflowers. The Texas Hill
Country is truly gifted with this spectacular natural display.
Unfortunately, the only flowers we tend to see in the landscaped areas of campus are well-manicured flowers from a store. There should be more Texas wildflowers on campus so
students and faculty can enjoy their beauty.
There are many land-scaped areas around campus that make it beautiful, but it could be more so with the addition of Texas wildflowers. We all know about the Texas bluebonnet, but there are
an astonishing number of other beautiful wildflowers.
By implementing flow-ers on campus, people can also see some flora they might not be familiar with. We should support anything encouraging state pride.
Many students, includ-ing myself, are from cities where there are not many opportunities to experience wildflowers. I was amazed when I came to Texas State and went hiking and saw the wildflowers. School officials should add more wildflowers on campus so students can experience the beauty of Texas.
We should all have pride in our wildflowers, especially since we go to Texas State University. The university has its own of-ficial flower, the Gaillardia, but you do not see them on campus. The Gaillardia is a beautiful flower and would make a great decoration for our campus.
Two dorms are actu-ally named after flowers: the previously mentioned Gaillardia and Lantana. It would be great to see each dorm decorated with a dif-ferent wildflower.
One great aspect about wildflowers is they are na-tive to this state. They do not require as much water
making them better for the environment. People do not have to replant these flowers each year. I have already seen plenty of na-tive plants around campus and it is time to go one step farther and plant more wildflowers.
Workers are currently finishing the project in front of Commons Dining Hall. This project has a lot of concrete area, which could have been perfect for a wonderful collection of wildflowers. There are many places on campus which would be perfect for hosting wildflowers.
We are going to continue to grow as a university and should start incorporat-ing wildflowers into the landscape design of dorms and buildings.
Wildflowers have made Texas famous , and they could make the university famous. Ranging from blue to red to pink to orange, wildflowers are truly a magnificent sight and we should bring their beautiful colors on to Texas State.
Lastly, I want to remind landscape designers or future construction project workers to paint with all the colors of the wind.
—Jeffrey Bradshaw is a political science junior
RACHEL BOSTICK STAR ILLUSTRATOR
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CLASSIFIEDS
SPORTS UniversityStar.com@universitystar
Paul Livengood, Sports Editor@IAmLivengood
6 | Thursday, April 21, 2016 The University Star
Autumn AndersonASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
@aaautumn_
The Bobcats took a 3-0 loss to the No. 24 ranked Baylor Bears, their last non-confer-ence opponent of the season.
Losing to the Bears marks Texas State's 17th loss overall. The Bobcats record is now 27-17 on the year, and 6-9 in the conference.
The Bobcats have lost the last six meetings against Baylor and are 16-38 all-time against the Bears.
Both teams went scoreless in the first four innings of the game. Baylor got their first three runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Kyla Walker, freshman out-fielder for the Bears, scored the first run of the game un-earned off of a wild pitch.
Linsey Hays, redshirt se-nior outfielder, hit a double bringing in Sarah Smith, senior infielder, and Jessica Scoggins, sophomore out-fielder.
The Bobcats made their first two hits of the game in the sixth inning. Both teams
went scoreless the rest of the game.
Kelli Baker, senior second baseman, and Kimberlin Na-ivar, junior first baseman/outfielder, each got one hit for Texas State.
Randi Rupp, sophomore pitcher, threw for 4.2 innings. Rupp struck out two batters and only allowed four hits. This loss is Rupp's ninth loss of the season.
Quincy Charleston, junior pitcher, threw for 1.1 innings and struck one batter out.
The Bobcats committed two errors in the game, one by Ariel Ortiz, sophomore shortstop, and one by Corina Liscano, junior third base-men. The two errors by Texas State were the first commit-ted since March 26 against UL-Monroe.
Coming up for the Bob-cats is a three-game series this weekend against the South Alabama Jaguars at home. The two teams have a double-header on Saturday, one game at 1 p.m. and the second at 3 p.m. The final game of the series will be played on Sun-day at 11 a.m.
BOBCATS LOSE TO BEARS 3-0SOFTBALL
STAR FILE PHOTO
By Matt PerrySPORTS REPORTER
@Matt_Sperry17
Matt Perry: What got you into softball?Kelli Baker: When I was about four or five, I was up in Ohio, and I watched two of my cousins play a baseball game. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I told my mom and dad that I wanted to sign up for that. So they signed me up to a league when I was five years old and I fell in love with it back then.MP: Who is your biggest
inspiration?KB: I’d have to say my
dad because him and my mom got married early and started from nothing. He’s worked really hard to provide for the family, and I’ve been fortunate to be able to play this game and travel. He and my mom traveled to all of my games which is a really awesome feeling for me.
MP: What brought you to Texas State?
KB: The softball coaches contacted me and I
came up here and loved the university. I loved the coaches and the girls, and they had a great physical therapy program, which is what I ended up majoring in. I just love everything about Texas State.
MP: Since coming to Texas State, what is the most exciting thing you’ve experienced?
KB: Honestly, I guess just all the ups and downs of softball. It’s not al-ways good and it’s not always bad. Just having your teammates and your coaches there as a second family, getting to go through the highs and lows, putting in all the work and striving for one common goal—it’s been a real blessing.
MP: What has been your biggest achievement?
KB: Being able to represent this university for four years. I know not a lot of people get to play for all four years. A lot of people transfer, but I’ve been blessed to be here for four years and continue on.
MP: What’s been your big-
gest challenge?KB: Being a student ath-
lete and the time and demand. The amount of energy and effort it takes to be an athlete and on top of that, the same amount of energy if not more to be a student and keep up with your classes. Especially during sea-son, when you’re travel-ing and missing a lot and maintaining those relationships with your teachers and friends.
MP: What’s your favorite place to travel?
KB: I don’t know if this is considered traveling, but my favorite place to play is in Austin.
MP: What is your favorite food?
KB: I love Chinese food.MP: What are some hobbies
you enjoy in your free time?
KB: There’s not a lot of time where I’m not playing softball, but I like to relax and be chill.
MP: Do you have a favorite sports team?
KB: The Houston Texans.MP: Did you play any other
sports besides softball
when you were young-er?
KB: I played volleyball and basketball. I ran track and did pole-vaulting.
MP: What is your biggest fear?
KB: I think my biggest fear would have to be disap-pointment.
MP: Do you have any sib-lings?
KB: Yes. I have an older sis-ter who is married and has a beautiful baby girl who is almost one-and-a-half, and then I have a little sister who is a freshman at Texas State.
MP: What would you like to do after you graduate?
KB: I’m going to Hardin-Simmons University to get my doctorate in physical therapy.
MP: What would you say your favorite season is?
KB: Summer, without a doubt. Being out in the sun and getting to try to hide my softball farmer’s tan as much as possible.
KELLI BAKERSOFTBALL INFIELDER
Brooke PhillipsSports Reporter
@brookephillips_
Many athletes dream of being able to pursue the sport they love in college. The athletes lucky enough to do so are on a team filled with play-ers from all different places and backgrounds. However, on the Texas State baseball team, there are two athletes who come from the same city and neighborhood.
Braden Pearson, sopho-more left handed pitcher, comes from Georgetown, were he moved to in seventh grade.
Moving to another town as a teenager was not easy, but Pearson’s fears quickly eased as soon as he stepped foot in his new neighborhood, where he ultimately would meet his best friend.
Pearson says Alec San-chez, junior right handed pitcher, was his first friend when he made the big move. Sanchez started off as a neighbor, then turned into a best friend, before finally being a teammate.
Pearson and Sanchez played on the same baseball team throughout high school. However, Sanchez, is a year older and was the first to go off to college.
While Texas State is only an hour away from George-
town, Sanchez committed here for his freshman year of college. When Pearson was still a senior in high school looking to going to college, he looked to Sanchez for advice.
“Alec came to Texas State his freshman year of college, and honestly, he was a big part of why I came here,” Pearson said. “He said he loved it here. He transferred his sophomore year, but then he came back this year and is playing now.”
Pearson looked to not only Sanchez but his peers on the high school baseball team as he sought advice to make his decision.
“It was instrumental early on because a couple of his high school buddies that were older than him committed to Texas State,” Brian Pearson, Braden’s father, said. “The idea that he could be some-what close to home so his parents and friends could see him play and also knowing some of the guys on the team was helpful.”
Watching Braden play is exactly what the Pearsons have done, supporting him at every game they were able to.
“You want your kids to do well and excel and do better than you did,” Brian Pearson said. “It’s always exciting to see Braden come in and get to pitch against quality players.”
Being neighbors, both the
Pearson and Sanchez fami-lies have grown close over the years. Not only does Braden Pearson’s family support him at games, but they cheer on Sanchez from the stands as well.
The baseball field is not the only place where Braden Pearson and Sanchez spend
time together.“Hunting is what we always
do,” Braden Pearson said. “Sometimes once or twice a week we usually also go out and play golf.”
Braden Pearson has always been an outdoorsman. Back in Georgetown, Braden Pear-son lives only a few short
minutes away from the near-est lake, where he likes to go fishing, wakeboarding and jet skiing.
“He loves to be outside to hunt and fish,” Brian Pearson said. “He loves to keep busy and his friends think he has the personality and is a funny kid to hang around.”
As Bobcats, Braden Pearson and Sanchez have become teammates on the baseball field, roommates and most importantly, have created a lifelong brother-hood.
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Thursday, April 21, 2016 | 7The University Star
SPORTS UniversityStar.com@universitystar
Paul Livengood, Sports Editor@IAmLivengood
BASEBALL
WOMEN’S GOLF
STAR FILE PHOTOBrandon Pearson hangs out with his teammates in the bullpen during a game against Nevada April 8.
By Matt PerrySPORTS REPORTER
@Matt_Sperry17
After six top 10 finishes this year, the Texas State women’s golf team came into the Sun Belt tournament looking to erase the past two years and win it all.
Texas State did just that, and won first place in the tournament with a team score of 895.
Maty Monzingo, junior, individually won first place for the Bobcats with a three-round score of 221.
The first round for the Bob-cats landed them in second place with a team score of 301.
Lora Assad, senior, Rak-sha Phadke, junior, and Monzingo shot three-over par 74.
Assad had three birdies, 11 pars, two bogeys and two double-bogeys.
Phadke had 15 pars and three bogeys for her first round.
Monzingo had two birdies, 11 pars and five bogeys in her first round.
Millie Saroha, junior, shot an eight-over par 79 for her first round. She had two bird-ies, seven pars, eight bogeys and a double-bogey.
Anne-Charlotte Mora, freshman, shot a 10-over par 81 in her first round. She had one birdie, nine pars, six bogeys, one double-bogey and a triple-bogey.
The Bobcats needed to strike on the second day, and
that’s exactly what they did. They shot a second-round
team score of 297, which was the lowest team score of the day.
Assad shot a six-over par 77 in her second round. She had 13 pars, four bogeys and a double-bogey.
Phadke shot a one-under par 70 for her second round. She had three birdies, 14 pars and a double-bogey.
Monzingo shot a two-over par 73 in her second round. She had three birdies, 11 pars, three bogeys and a double-bogey.
Saroha shot another eight-over par 79 in her second second round. She had two birdies, nine pars, five bo-geys, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey.
Mora shot a six-over par 77 in her second round. She had two birdies, 11 pars, three bogeys, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey.
The Bobcats as a team sat atop the leaderboard after the second day. Troy sat in sec-ond place, 12 strokes behind.
The third and final round brought great things for Texas State. If the team could play well, the past two years of being runner-up would end.
The Bobcats finished the final day by shooting another team score of 297 to clinch their first place title.
Assad finished with a one-over par 72 in her final round. She had three birdies, 11 pars and four bogeys. She finished with a three-day total of 223.
Phadke finished with an eight-over par 79 in her final round. She had 11 pars, six bogeys and a double-bogey. She had a three-day total of 223.
Monzingo finished with a three-over par 74 in her final round. She had two birdies, 12 pars, three bogeys and a double-bogey. She had a three-day total of 221, and fought her way through a playoff-hole to beat Shania Berger, sophomore for Ar-kansas-Little Rock.
Monzingo won the tourna-ment outright for Texas State.
Saroha finished with a 14-
over par 85 in her final round. She had two birdies, six pars, seven bogeys, two double-bogeys and a five-over par on one hole for a three-day total of 243.
Mora finished with a one-over par 72 in her final round. She had four birdies, nine pars and five bogeys for a three-day total of 230.
The Bobcats finished with two of their five players in the top three, so it was no surprise they would win this tournament.
After being second after the first round, they came back with a goal to win the tournament.
The overall score of 895 beat everyone else in the Sun Belt for the right to be confer-
ence champions. Next up for Texas State is
the NCAA Regionals in early
May, with the location to be determined.
Bobcats are Sun Belt Conference Champions
PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS STATE ATHLETICS
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