University Star

Students are fighting to keep their eyes from the digital clocks that line the classrooms on campus. As the sun hangs a little longer in the sky, the urge to spend time outside the classroom becomes nearly unbearable.

While students are forcing themselves to attend class, study hard and complete the final stretch of the semester, the parks around San Marcos are beginning to beckon hundreds of people every day. Make sure to explore what San Marcos has to offer this summer.

When classes finally wrap up in May, many students will stick around to squeeze in a few extra summer classes or log some work hours for spending money. It is during this peaceful time on campus students will have three months to bury their winter clothes deep in the closet catacombs, head outside and soak up some sun.

Sewell Park, the familiar stomping ground for many students, is at the heart of spring and summer activities. When temperatures begin to sit comfortably above 100 degrees, the spring-fed San Marcos River provides a safe haven for many local park dwellers. The park is littered with outdoor volleyball and basketball courts, and provides open space for Frisbee players, many grills and picnic tables for all of the burger gurus out there.

Whether you are one of the many locals lining the streets of Aquarena to catch a bus, drive a car of your own or simply watch the road from afar, it is common to see massive inner tubes hanging out of windows as people flock to the river. Students will start to notice classmates wearing swimsuits under nearly every outfit. People will start bringing extra bags to class with them that contain the usual park dweller’s survival kit complete with sunscreen, sunglasses, books, magazines and a Frisbee or two.

During the busy spring and fall semesters it can be very difficult to find time to mingle with strangers and make a few new friends. While “student traffic” at Texas State is nearly nonexistent in the summer and the local parks are full of people, San Marcos becomes a thriving oasis for friendships and good memories.

When the sun sets and the crowded riverside becomes a quiet place, people head home, wash the tanning oil from their bodies, put on some comfortable clothes and head into town. The Square, a popular hangout for students and San Marcos locals, becomes a nightly social convention where people can kick back and relax after a long day under the sun.