Kara Ramer, Staff Illustrator

Students are pushing toward the peak of the college summit with finals on the horizon, but remember to study hard and tough it out to close the spring semester strong.

Bobcats only have a few weeks left in their classes until textbooks will be shoved aside and tubing will make its official debut across San Marcos. The editorial board would like to give students one last piece of motivation before finals and offer advice to those who will be moving on to the professional world.

Illustration by Grace Perkins

The generosity and support of alumni is crucial to an institution’s success, but a major culture shift will have to happen at Texas State before graduates feel the need to give back to the university.

According to an April 18 University Star article, the Alumni Association is putting together a strategic master plan to outline ways to strengthen ties with Texas State graduates. Kim Gannon, alumni executive director, said the plan aims to improve engagement by creating and building strong connections in order to instill a desire to give back to Texas State.

After the tragedies that struck the country last week, students have made the right move by decorously and selflessly looking to aid those who have been affected.

Many Texas State student organizations have found charitable causes and fundraisers to support in response to the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing and the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. The bombing resulted in the deaths of three people and injured more than 200 others, according to an April 22 ABC News article. The West explosion resulted in 14 fatalities, approximately 200 injuries and ruined or outright destroyed several homes, buildings and offices, according to an April 22 Huffington Post article.

The time has come to finally address and reinstate an alternative-transportation service at Texas State.

The Students with Alternative Transportation program was first put into action in 2000 and received $18,500 in student service fees for operations each year it ran, according to a Sept. 29, 2009 University Star article. The S.W.A.T. safe-ride program was dismantled in fall 2009 to reallocate funds toward research efforts within the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center on campus.

Texas State athletics officials recently hired Danny Kaspar, the state’s winningest men’s basketball coach over the last six years, and the expectations for a successful program could not be higher.

Former coach Doug Davalos’ contract was not renewed after seven seasons, according to a March 18 statement released by Texas State athletics officials. It was time for a change in the Texas State men’s basketball program after seven straight seasons with more losses than wins, zero tournament appearances and only three conference tournament victories.

Illustration by Emmanuel Ramirez

Although the newly rerouted Bobcat Tram stops are temporarily relieving many frustrations for students, transportation services officials should develop plans to keep several of the routes permanently diverted away from The Quad.

If ever there were a reliable bridge between the university and the city, it was Councilwoman Kim Porterfield, Place 1.

Porterfield, who recently announced she would not be running again for city council after her term expires this November, has been a vital link between the university and the city for six years. She has spearheaded initiatives with positive effects. Both entities were impacted especially by her work with the city’s Comprehensive Master Plan. Porterfield will continue serving students through her Texas State position as director for community relations and will devote more time to the Youth Master Plan, according to an April 9 University Star article.

Students can finally spend their money and time taking more pertinent university classes when the physical fitness and wellness requirements are knocked out of the general core curriculum beginning fall 2014.

In life, sometimes it seems the second a student moves up in a grade, graduates or leaves an entity entirely, the atmosphere changes. Some of the most frustrating rules and regulations a student was required to obey suddenly become a thing of the past. This type of phenomena is about to hit home with many upperclassmen who will see the PFW culture shift happen before their eyes at Texas State. Any upperclassman enrolled in fall 2014 will still have to fulfill two PFW class requirements, while incoming freshmen will have the opportunity to sit on the sidelines and opt out.

The newly elected Associated Student Government president and vice president are in the perfect positions to help implement and carry out rational initiatives for the betterment of students, faculty and staff members.

Texas State is in a precarious position. The university is amid a race to tier one status, which could be the key to improving Texas State’s image and shedding its reputation as a regional, commuter school. However, with each stride the university makes toward the finish line, poor decisions and planning hold back Texas State on its dash to prestige.

In the interest of student safety and operational efficiency, transportation services officials should be commended for their plans to reroute buses beginning April 8 away from Sessom Drive to Woods Street.

Some of the trams will be rerouted for the next two weeks to avoid increased construction on Sessom Drive, according to a March 28 University Star article. The Post Road, Mill Street, Wonder World and interurban tram routes will drop students off at the new terminal on Woods Street. In addition, the Blanco River, Aquarena Springs and Bobcat Stadium routes will temporarily disembark at Beretta Hall. However, students on the LBJ and Ranch Road routes will continue to be dropped off at The Quad bus loop.