June 2009, I stood over my uniforms with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a box of matches before putting them in the attic. Though I would never wear them again, they were a part of me and I had gotten away from self-destruction after I began journaling on my second deployment.

Sometimes writing a news article for the University Star is like giving birth. A reporter will research and work for hours, then struggle to get all the words right for the deadline. The day comes, and the article slides out of the press, ready for the world to see. The story will survive for a week or so as people discuss the issues if it is good. If the article's bad, it dies before the next day's paper. But rarely does a story go national.

Comments for our website go through an approval process before they are posted. In the past, there were a few instances of confusion concerning why certain comments were approved why others were not.

              I proudly present to you the Spring 2011 editorial board of The University Star. We have three new faces and two old ones that have switched positions. I made the announcement in our last Glimpse into the newsroom podcast (note: shameless plug), but the blog was a surprise hit last time (maybe it was just the pictures), and I figured we’d do this again.

ASG president Mel Ferrari vetoed the senate's controversial handgun legislation Wednesday. The senate passed legislation that disagreed with Texas State's current policy against allowing people with concealed carry licenses to carry firearms into classrooms. Thus, the vote was in favor of handguns in classrooms. Below is Ferrari's official concealed carry memorandm.

The University Star, like every newspaper, has its ups and downs. Our mistakes are made in front of thousands and possibly immortalized on the Internet. However, our triumphs typically go unnoticed.

I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the talent at The Star. This week we had two photos place in the national Associated Collegiate Press photo excellence contest. Out of the 938 entries and 30 winners from universities across the nation, two were from The Star.

It seems every sports fan is well aware of the buzz about the possible shifts among athletic conferences in the Big 12, the Big Ten and the Pac-10. The most recent reports have Nebraska saying it will move to the Big Ten from the Big 12. There's been talk about the Oklahoma and Texas teams (with the exception of Baylor) leaving to join the Pac-10.

Hello from the News desk.

Orientation is a time for meeting new people, the people who will be your fellow Bobcats for your coming years at Texas State. As you become aquatinted with this beautiful campus which you will call home, please become familiar with The University Star.

Hello from the Trends desk.

Orientation is a time to become familiar with the trends and traditions of Texas State. I am happy to be a small part of that tradition as editor of the Trends section for The University Star.