More Than Meets The Eye

When you first arrive at the Southside Community Center, you think the building is probably abandoned. My first visit was on a Friday morning and all the doors were locked. There was no sign of life and I couldn't find any hours of operation. I decided to walk around the property to see if I could find anything. I peeked in one of the windows and I saw tons of chairs and tables stacked in the corner. "So what is this place all about," I said to myself. I figured if I came back a couple of hours later someone would have to be there. I came back around lunch time and I saw about fifteen people eating on picnic tables on the side of the building. I walked inside (the door was unlocked) and immediately could smell food cooking. In the kitchen there was soup on the stove and sandwiches on the counter. The Southside Community Center is a non-profit organization that helps out the less fortunate in the San Marcos area. The small group gathered around the picnic tables were mostly working men on their lunch break who came to get a free meal and see friends. Families also come to the center when they need help with food or clothing. The homeless even have a place here. Warm beds are offered to those with no place to stay. The Southside Community Center is constantly getting involved with the community. They offer a Thanksgiving feast every year, summer camps for children as well as various other activities.

Trash & Treasure

by: Caitlyn Y. McNabb

In these hard economic times, it is important to understand the way the market has shifted. More and more the underground, under-the-table market has become prominent and those businesses that once flourished now flounder and others have risen again. One way in which the market has shifted specifically has been to pawn shops.

At Cash Box Pawn, items that were once loved and have now outlived their purpose are sold at half the value to the store. Items include everything from MP3 players to guns to high impact tools and even a stuffed moose has found a home here.

However, it is not the items that have come to roost but the former owners that have taken advantage of Cash Box Pawn’s credit system. Not only can you buy and sell items, you can put up your personal items as collateral for loans up to $1,000. According to Cash Box Pawn employee Lex Saucedo, pawn shops are the oldest form of credit dating back to the 1600s.

Those that bring their personal items into the store desperately need these loans. While I camped out in the store on Aquarena Springs, one man fought with himself and one of the employees over two rifles that I later found he had used while he was in the military and one his grandfather had used on their farm. He eventually made the choice to leave the guns and take the money, knowing full well that he may never again see these things that meant so much to him. The man, who wished to remain anonymous, needed the money to get from month to month. As, according to Saucedo, many of the customers do.

Saucedo added that, especially during the recession, people from all walks of life come into the store. College students, single mothers looking to buy toys for their sons, bicyclists and musicians frequent this and the two other locations of Cash Box Pawn in San Marcos. One musician on this day entered the store looking for a good deal on a guitar with “character”. According to him, “a guitar that ain’t seen a pawn shop can’t play the blues.”

In the short amount of time that I spent at this store, it was easy to see that a wide variety of people use pawn shops as a way to keep afloat in this economic downturn, looking for treasures or just to clean out their garage. You can also discern from the type of business Cash Box Pawn is, that the customers that enter the store do so based on need.

Goodwill a store for everyone

Many think of Goodwill as a store strictly for the needy, myself being one of them. This is one of the few times I’m glad to say I’m wrong.

The pool of shoppers was very diverse. Just about every ethnicity and age group was there, from college students to senior citizens. The income level was broad as well. I noticed one couple load items into a Mercedes and another into an old Ford Aerostar. The demographic I noticed most were young parents, which is understandable because children are expensive. In these difficult economic times people are just trying to find a good deal. Whether rich, poor, young old, white or African American, the shoppers have one thing in common: Trying to save some money.

Goodwill has many things to choose from. With the exception of food, there is seemingly something for everyone. Need clothes, decorations or furniture? They’ve got you covered. If you want to find some exercise equipment, Goodwill can help you there too. Did you hurt yourself working out? Don’t worry because they have crutches and wheel chairs.

For those who don’t know, all the items in Goodwill are donated, hints the name of the store. Like any other store, the items are grouped by type in sections, like “Clothes” or “Home Decorations.” Most items are gently used, but some not so gently.

Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH)

As I came up upon 7th street and could see the building in site, I started asking myself why I was doing this again… A large case of anxiety came over me. Now I’m right in front of the door as I see the metal detector just on the opposite side of the door… That’s a good sign, right?

As I walked into the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), my anxiety slowly fizzled out.

I knew there were a large number of homeless people in the Austin area, but I had no idea how large that number really was until I saw the homeless shelter for my own eyes.
People were crowded outside the door just waiting for a chance to get inside from the heat.

As I made my way toward the front desk, I took a glance around the room and noticed that most people were just sitting around, waiting for something. I’m not quite sure what they might be waiting on, perhaps food because the food hall is right across the street, and it was near lunch-time.

Little to no conversation was really taking place. A few words here and there about the heat, sporting events coming up and old family stories, most, as you can imagine, are not the most pleasant of stories. In the back corner I could see beds stacked up to the ceiling. Although there wasn’t much space on the ground floor, it seemed like that’s where all the bed-mats get put during the night.

In the crowd of people I noticed an old African-American man wearing a beautiful St. Louis Cardinals hat. I went up to him and complimented him on his good-looking hat and asked him if he was a fan. He told me he was originally from St. Louis and had made his way down to Texas about 25 years ago with his brother.

In my opinion, I believe many homeless people make there way to Austin because the citizens of Austin are viewed as being very giving people, and for a person who is making ends meet from other peoples generosity, Austin seems to be a good place to flock to.

Cow County Cowboys

Texas weather has been record breaking this year. High temperatures and dry forecasts have put some parts of the state into the worst drought of the century. As the seat of Lavaca County, Hallettsville, TX has been hit hard. In a place of less than three-thousand residents, this small town relies on cattle and crops for income. No rain means no hay, no hay means starving cattle, and starving cattle means low income.
As cattle are being exported to other states with better weather, hay is being imported down. Driving through the country-side of ‘the cow county,’ cattle trailers can be seen heading north and hay trailers can be seen heading south. Hallettsville resident Randy Renken says prices are lower than they’ve been in a while. “Unhealthy feeder cattle are going for 65 cents a pound and healthy feeder cattle are going for 90 cents a pound. This is why Northerners are taking advantage,” Renken said.
Farmer Ronnie Holcom says agriculture during a drought is tough. “People find ways to make ends meet though. For instance, the corn harvest didn’t make so we made a little back selling corn stalk bails to ranchers,” Holcom said.
Tanks are going dry and pastures are turning brown. Lavaca County cowboys have no choice but to head to the auction barn with their herd. Even though selling out is a last resort, many ranchers had no other option. Hallettsville rancher John Pucirella expects the weather to change soon though. “As we all know, we rely on rain down here. I wish no harm to people near the coast but we need the rain to stay a float. Hurricane season is coming up and the weather should turn to our favor,” Pucirella said.

A Helping hand in need of a helping hand.

I was driving down Guadalupe Street one afternoon to go to AutoZone. I needed a new light bulb for one of my brake light which burned out the night before. This drive was a little different than usual as I got closer to my destination I noticed on my right a tall dark haired man wearing a dirty work shirt with some light blue jeans with oil stains on them. He was walking along the side of the road with a young boy holding his hand. I'm guessing it was his son whom he just picked up from the school bus stop because the boy was wearing a Spongebob backpack. The two were walking by a building with a sign in the front by a white mailbox saying "Southside Community Center." I thought to myself "wow you could really miss this building if you weren't looking for it," the building is all white and is need of some repairs like some new paint and some fixer uppers especially the front porch which is lopsided. The community center is a non-profit organization that services to local disadvantaged families. There was no sign of hours of operations in the front. But the building itself was a little disturbing because of the condition it was in. Just by looking at it you wouldn't think it was a place that helped the disadvantaged, but it does. The community center is not only open to disadvantaged families but to all disadvantaged. On any given day during lunch time you can see many gathered at the back picnic tables all conversing and enjoying thier lunches. Today, there was no such day as the building looked deserted and was locked, the lights were off and no aroma of food cooking was in the air. It was a week day so i expected somebody to be there. Inside looked almost as the outside, in need of some help. Being right off Guadalupe I can hear cars and feel the heat from the sun and the engines. Standing out front hoping somebody working here will stop to open the door. What if i was a family in need, how would i get some help from the organization if they are not here.

Greyhound Bus Station

On Thursday evening before the start of a three-day weekend, I visited the Greyhound Bus Station. Within the 30 minutes that my partner and I stayed, I found that most of the awaiting passengers were upset with the late arrival of the bus. One man was pacing back and forth , another passenger took out a book and one continually looked at his watch. I overheard a woman telling the teller that she was going to Memphis, Tennessee and needed to catch the bus at the right time to make the connection to another bus. Since this bus was late, she may risk missing the next bus. In the corners were plugs, which I guessed was a courtesy to those who wished to use their computers while they waited or perhaps plug in their phones, as a woman had done. Although there was a frustration with the late bus, I noticed that the Greyhound Bus Station may not be all that unreliable. They also offered other resources that I did not previously know about such as Western Union services to wire money from another place and Carts busses to transport San Marcos residents to places like Target and the Prime Outlets mall. Another interesting fact to note was that the store hours to the bus station were 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m yet there were busses scheduled for 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. which may leave passengers out in the dark without shelter to wait for the bus.

Mana's, down in the burrio

The tagline for Mana's Mexican food restaurant is "Down in the burrio," which is Spanish for neighborhood, and they aren't joking. To say Mana's is tucked away is an understatement. You practically have to be shown where the place is by someone who already knows, like it's the prohibition era and you're going to a speakeasy.

One thing I noticed about Mana's is it's cheap, but they give you larger portions than you could probably handle. When I looked around and took notes on who was around me I noticed a larger family with a few children running around, causing the ruckus that children can cause. The father figure had a tightly cropped military haircut, though it was graying on the side. He was wearing an air force jump suit that went right along with his disciplined, rigid demeanor.

I wondered how many families this place attracts. It's cheap, it's located in a residential area (one of the few in this town that doesn't cater primarily to upper middle class residents or college students), and it has a welcoming atmosphere.



A small caveat to that last comment. One might not guess about the welcoming atmosphere from the outside. However, anytime someone enters Mana's their apprehensions should disappear. The waitress was friendly, the food was good and it just felt like a nice place to be.

I thought about how the community surrounds Mana's literally, and if that's true for it figuratively. It's not a well-known place. I thought about how people in the neighborhood probably came here because it was a part of the community and the liked everything about it, the Zapata paintings on the wall, the Latin decorations, ect. Maybe I assume too much here, but I could see this place getting that kind of clientele, the ones who support a place because they feel almost like it's their responsibility to.

If I was to do a story on Mana's that would be my focus. Or maybe on the family owned resteraunt, and that advantages that brings (eg. the inexpensive food, the positive atmosphere, ect.) You might hear about mainstream cultural establishments in the news a lot, but it's the quiet, out of the way places that have the real heart that can attract readers and get people interested in their community.

Waiting on hope, one name at a time...

Photo by Julia Hankins

Hospitals are seldom happy places to hang out. Especially when there is a loved one involved, waiting infers much strain to the emotions. At the Central Texas Medical Center around 2p.m. on a Labor Day afternoon, few would wish to be waiting inside a hospital waiting room for an infinite amount of time doing nothing and living with insatiable questions and concerns.
As I place myself in this setting, I realize there are appeals to every emotion. Sixteen individuals sit and wait in what would be thought a cold room, however the temperature was quite warm. Amongst a sea of magazines and two televisions, patrons appear to be entranced in their own existence and stare blankly ahead of them. Remnants of long lost patrons are scattered around the room.
The irony of junk food scattered across a hospital waiting room is striking. Visitors sit in a sense of hopeless anticipation as they wait for their names to be called, and it appears that sense of anticipation gives way to dark food obsession as an only means of consolidation.
This experience also appealed to my sense of need. The two receptionists seemed to ignore our presence. There was no finite satisfaction for my needs, only temporary distractions. An adequate amount of sunlight became the only relief to my feelings of despair. It was my only access to enlightenment.
Heightened awareness of otherwise minute and insignificant details haunts everyone, even allowing one specific patron to call notice of another's absence. It was as if this patron envied the relief of their fellow stranger's name having been called and sought their defense. "She is in the restroom," the lady replied.
Experiencing a hospital waiting room on a sunny afternoon left me with mixed emotions, and mostly emptiness. A false sense of security came over me, and this feeling I never wished to feel again. May God be with them.

Green Thinking in San Marcos

You'd be quite surprised with what you'll find hidden behind the Hobby Lobby and a tractor supply store on Highway 80 in San Marcos. When first arriving to the Green Guy Recycling center, almost a sensory overload takes on your entire body. The impressive sight of old junk cars being lifted off the ground by giant machines and scrapped for metals. The sound beer bottles crashing against each other as they're being thrown into bins by patrons. Huge heaps of flattened cardboard boxes, and metals as far as the eye can see. The smell is reminiscent of a landfill. All of this is heard over the rumble of sorting machinery. Dusty hot air hits your face, and before you know it, your feet are covered in dirt (and sweat) as you're walking around from bin to bin.


After talking with operations manager of Green Guy Recycling, Jeremy Kay, it's apparent why this center is so busy. With more and more people becoming mindful of the environment, Green Guy Recycling can't seem to catch up with the demand of San Marcos recyclers. Green Guy Recycling takes materials that the City of San Marcos curbside recycling program does not accept, and also serves as the only means of recycling for some San Martians who live in apartment complexes or other areas that do not provide their residents with a recycling collection program.


While touring the facilities, my partner and I witnessed many residents drop off their recyclables. Some carried small bags of bottles and jugs, where as others brought mounts of metals in their trucks. In addition to offering free recycling services, Green Guy Recycling buys metal from customers as well. I wondered about the large stacks of crushed metals and plastics. Kay explained to me that due to the drop in market prices for materials, Green Guy Recycling has been holding off on selling their recyclables which consequently meant the materials just stay stored at the center.


As a commuter from Austin, I've never been to this specific recycling center. This experience has made me realize how something as seemingly simple as sorting materials and running a recycling center could be so complex, as well as give me a look into the need of larger and better recycling facilities to fit the fast growing number of citizens going green.

An ARCH for the homeless on the Front Steps of Austin

I’ll bet you never have to worry about where you are going to sleep or where you might get your next meal. Surely not, because you are a college student and you have meal trades and a dorm or apartment bed. But imagine, for just a second, what it would be like to lose everything and be out on the street wandering with nowhere to go and almost no help. I’ve always had this idea to either give up my sight and go blindfolded, or choose to live on the streets(and really live ON the streets) for Lent one of these years. Maybe that will happen when I’m financially stable and go through some kind of mid-life crisis.



Anyway, I took a trip to Austin the other day to visit Front Steps. It is run by the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. They strive to help accommodate those who are in need of the life basics. On their website their mission statement struck me the most, ‘We sincerely believe that homelessness is a journey, not a destination.’ I feel this solidifies their attitude towards helping the homeless get back on their feet or on with their normal lives prior to being out on the streets.


The first thing I noticed was that you have to be let in by an employee, and as soon as you walk through the door you pass under a metal detector. Right away the first thing I noticed was that everyone there looked similar to anyone else in a normal setting. Sure they weren’t wearing Gucci, or business suits, but on the whole there would have been almost no difference than if I had walked into the grocery store or other public place. A lot of men even had baseball caps, which I’m glad to see because the summer heat is still wicked. There were signs about the mission statements and mottoes in a few different areas and back against a far wall I could see about 50 or so folded, black sleeping mats, so I would assume they also offer a place for people, in need, to sleep. There were quite a few people in the center and a few times I felt like I was in the way. There were also people standing outside the center waiting to be let in.


The conversations I could overhear were only those that the clients(as the staff referred to them) had with the Front Steps staff. One lady asked about how a staff member’s wedding went, and another was asked how he had been, and how his trip had gone. I got a feeling that staff and clients build a relationship beyond a normal business transaction and that they actually get to know each other on a personal level.


I can’t say that I know everything I need to know, about the homeless, nor am I trying to claim I know the solutions and reasons these people are there. I don’t think I can begin to comprehend how someone can get to that point. However, by the same token, I can say that I won’t think twice about sparing some change next time it is asked of me. I’ll also do my best to spare change to organizations like ARCH/Front Steps who are clearly doing their best to help any way they can.


-Nick Kukowski

Green Guy Recycling Center Affected by the Economy

For our project Tina Phan and I decided to visit Green Guy recycling center in San Marcos, Texas. I contacted Jeremy, the operations manager and he was eager to set up an interview on the same day.

Jeremy gave us a tour of the site and introduced us to two dinosaur size piles that looked like, as he put it, junk. He explained that they were divided into ferrous and nonferrous metals. Ferrous metals are metals like cooper that can be sold and bought. It is metals like these that bring in the most revenue for recycling centers.

We followed him to huge shed, which was the only place with a roof. That is were the workers spend most of their time taking apart and categorizing metals. We met Danny, who looked like he had just taken a bath in car oil. He organizes brass all day and has worked for the company for five years. I was overwhelmed, I had no idea what hard work went into any of it. Jeremy ran into his office and came out with a lengthy list of metals categorized by grade and price.

Towards the end of the shed were wall to wall boxes of metal bails, crushed by a machine that works much like Wall-e, wrapped in plastic and tape ready for shipping. Jeremy explained that they have been there for months maybe years. The prices of metal have fallen so low, shipping to their buyers over seas, is not worth it. So they hold them and wait for a favorable market change.

Even though the recycling center is struggling it has not laid off any workers. It takes months and months to learn the many grades of metal. They consider the workers they have highly skilled and costly to replace. For now they have survived on projects like taking apart buildings. They operate during the day so they don’t use much electricity and they make their own bins to store materials. They also make money from plastic and aluminum cans. Luckily the demand for recycling businesses is high because of the growing green trend.

The Uncomfortable Wait For Help

The sounds of coughs, cries and sneezes resonated off the lobby windows as the dry smell of bandages and disinfectant filled the air. For patients waiting in the emergency room at the Central Texas Medical Center, tranquility and comfort are nowhere to be found.
Every so often, people would file in though the entrance to the waiting room and be asked to take a seat, only to be called back to the front desk minutes later to fill out the necessary paper work. Sometimes they would be called back a few additional times for even more forms.
There was a Hispanic mother and child sitting quietly by themselves, the young boy wearing a white hospital wristband and holding tightly to a small yellow blanket. Across the room, another woman worked to calm her anxious son, who was also wearing a wristband.
After some time, a man who had been sitting alone and nervously glancing around the lobby got up to limp to the water fountain for a drink.
There was a large, bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ hanging bolted to the wall, with an engraving above it that read "Fear not. For I am with you... Isaiah 41:10." Closer to the entrance was a large flat-screen TV, where an episode of the cable crime series NCIS showed a man shoot a woman point blank in the face.
Only the laughs and cheery voices of two elderly women broke out above the uncomfortable ambience. Though one sat in a wheelchair, their joyfulness provided a momentary lapse in the ominous wait.
It's no wonder people hate going to the hospital.

Jazz Jam Provides Insight to a Vibrant Community

Musicians and music students may be able to tell you about jazz, but I think jazz has to be experienced. This experience is available to anyone in the San Marcos area Wednesday nights at either Tantra or Coffee Pot, depending on the week, in an event called Jazz Jam. The first and third Wednesdays Jazz Jam is held at Tantra and the second and fourth Wednesdays Jazz Jam is held at Coffee Pot, and each week the event begins at 9 p.m. The scene at Tantra on a Wednesday night Jazz Jam is very relaxed and people can be seen sitting around scattered wire tables chatting with friends over coffee or tea, studying, or simply enjoying the music in the air over the sound of passing cars.
Jazz Jam is put on by Texas State music majors, however it is an open "jam session" where anyone with an instrument is welcome to play. Occasionally, the Jazz Jam attracts some local celebrities. The first Jazz Jam of the year saw an appearance by Kris Kamoura, an Austin jazz celebrity. Kamoura earns his living as a professional musician with no "day job." Kamoura is earning his degree in music at Texas State University.
For both musicians and non-musicians alike are attracted to Jazz Jams. Musicians can appreciate the complexity and free-form of jazz music and non-musicians can learn a thing or two from the musicians present.

THE ARCH: Haven for the Homeless

THE ARCH: Haven for the Homeless

The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) is a shelter that provides a place to sleep, eat, and even medical care for the homeless located on seventh street in Austin, Texas.

This front steps organization was formed in 1997 on the philosophy that every person deserves a safe place to call home. However, it was obvious that the need for shelter obviously outweighed what ARCH could provide, as there was an abundance of homeless congregating outside the doors.

The employees of ARCH were very hesitant to let our group walk around because of confidentiality issues for those that were there. However, we did not need to see the entire facility to get a feel for the shelter. The facility had two levels, with the bottom floor being used as a seating area and the top as a sleeping area where people slept on relatively thin mats.

Most people in the shelter looked slightly disoriented and tired. Many of them carried all of their belongings in the world with them and looked as if they may not know where to go next. The occupants seemed to have no recolection of personal space walking where they pleased even if that meant into the person next to them.

The shelter was surprisingly immaculate and had the smell of bleach, which was probably from the regular cleaning of the facility.

The occupants were all very different and ranged in age as well. Many people looked like they may have been through some hard times, while others looked like they were waiting on job interviews in full business suits. There were many older individuals, but at the same time people that looked like they could have been there with our observation group.

The ARCH is a place with employees who care about their job and helping others who have come across hard times. However, the main problem is the overcrowding in the shelter and where these people go if ARCH is at capacity.

-Jonathan Wachsmann

Donut shop provides different perspectives, ideas

For our listening post assignment, Brittany Bemis and I decided on a place neither of us never go to: Shipley Donuts.

Before you are quick to judge, claiming numerous college students grab donuts at similar places each morning, consider this: San Marcos consists of a variety of different people from children to senior citizens. This spectrum of residents can be seen at Shipley Donuts and most likely similar local businesses.

Upon entering the donut shop around 6:00 in the morning, Brittany and I noticed an older man sitting at the counter. It was obvious that he was a regular customer, as evidenced by him drinking from his own coffee cup (as opposed to the styrofoam Shipley cups given to customers) and the employees chatted with him as he got up every now and then to fill his coffee cup, looking out the window each time as if he was waiting for someone. Brittany noted that he would probably be an excellent source for local restaurant reviews or suggestions, as he appeared to be a knowledgeable San Marcos resident familiar with local joints.

No more than five minutes after Brittany and I had been sitting in the restaurant did a hurried businessman -- probably in his mid-30's -- walk in and order two sausage and cheese kolaches. Immediately I considered the contrast between the older man and the businessman: how one was leisurely enjoying his coffee while the other was in a bit of a rush, trying to get to work. This observation sparked some story ideas, from the comparison of these two extremes as mentioned to a story focused on retirement and today's economy, posing questions such as: How is retirement in today's society? Are people able to enjoy retirement in today's economic state?

Within 30 minutes, four very different men entered the shop. One was an older man, who seemed to had just woken up and was in a hurry, another was a younger, possibly high school-aged guy, grabbing breakfast before class. One man brought of the female employees breakfast, posing another proposition for a story idea: Working through school (Does the employee not have enough time to get food because she is working numerous hours? Does she have to work through school?).

Another middle-aged man, very friendly man who greeted us, walked into the shop and paid with exact change. He didn't even place an order and the employees had his food ready for him, indicating that he was probably a regular customer.

One other very important observation was the environment, which indicated the type of people who flock to the restaurant. Old posters and signs, including one that read "Microwave in Use: Persons Wearing Pacemakers Should Not Enter Area", may have indicated that mostly older residents might be the most prominent type of people who eat here. Additionally, the old menu and plaques indicating, according to Hays County and the San Marcos Daily Record, that Shipley was voted by residents as the best donut shop in town, suggested that it is a popular place that has been around for many years.

Based on our observations, Brittany and I can agree that several stories could come out of what we've seen and heard during our early morning visit to Shipley. The people who flock here could be excellent sources for a different types of stories and students can learn from the various perspectives customers and employees provide.

Patience Is A Virtue

Travelers wait patiently in the lobby of the San Marcos Station on a Thursday evening. Business is slow, much unlike the hustle and bustle of an airport. Ceiling fans spin and wobble slightly. Vending machines buzz. A man abandons his duffle bag and paces the floor, jingling the change in his pocket. Sodas are priced at $1.25 a pop. Yes, the pun was intended. A cell phone ringtone finally breaks the silence. The chorus of “Apologize” by OneRepublic plays and a woman anxiously answers the call.

For many Texas State University students, when mentioning “the bus”, they are most likely referencing the Bobcat Tram. How many of them would think of the Greyhound? How many know the San Marcos Station even exists, and that it serves Amtrak, Greyhound and CARTS (Capital Area Rural Transportation System)? Oftentimes, we hear about a security scare at an airport or an aircraft having to make an emergency landing. Seldom does news coverage revolve around a train or bus station. In 2008, Amtrak reported a ridership of more than 300,000 passengers in the state of Texas. With an average of close to 1,000 riders per day, who still uses this mode of transportation, which seemed to have fallen by the wayside?

On the wooden seats inside the lobby are various etchings, some as simple as ‘So-and-so was here’ to a confusing statement about the best mariachis in Brownsville. Numerous couples professed their love, such as Jessica and Jon (4ever). Sitting there quietly, my mind can’t help but wonder if they are still in love, if they were ever in love, or if it was Jessica’s wishful thinking that caused her to declare it publicly. It’s been more than a year since it was written. Where did they go? Did they go together? How long does 4ever last? In the end, it probably only matters that she loved him in that moment, enough for her to bust out a permanent marker and share her feelings with the world.

Trains and buses are becoming nostalgic, just like the pay phone that sits on the lobby wall. Maybe the people who come to this station have a fear of flying. It could be that they’re trying to travel with fewer security restrictions. In today's society, time is money. We want to get to where we are going, and get there as fast as we can. Those who travel through the San Marcos Station are a minority among today’s tourists. Vastly unnoticed, they get to their destinations with little attention, disappearing into cities and towns as silently as they arrived. All aboard!

-Amanda Martinez

Early Morning's at Shipley Do-Nuts

It might seem normal choosing a doughnut shop to visit but considering the fact that I do not like doughnuts, Shipley is not a place I would frequent, much less at 6 a.m.

When we showed up, there was one customer, an elderly gentleman, sitting at the bar with his own coffee cup that he refilled periodically. The two cashiers were both girls that appeared to be college aged. There was one man working, reloading doughnut trays, making coffee, etc.

Customers milled in, the drive thru bell was dinging. For 6 a.m., Shipley Do-Nuts was a rather busy place. The main customers appeared to be college students, businessmen, and elderly gentlemen.

Apart from myself, my partner and the two cashiers, no females entered the establishment during our listening post. (Although there may have been women in the drive-thru but we could not see the cars.) Which begged the question, why? Do women not enjoy doughnuts and coffee as much as men? Are doughnuts a male dominated food item? Are women so worried about being/staying thin that they do not eat doughnuts? Has society warped women's viewpoints of the "perfect body" to the point where they can no longer bear to be around carbs? Or was it just too early and women need their beauty sleep?

We'll never know, but it brought around some interesting questions.

About 20 minutes in to the listening post, one of the cashier's (assumed) boyfriend came in holding a Whataburger bag. She smiled and gave him a kiss and promptly took her bag to the back. What time did she come into work that morning? Too early to eat at home? Is she too busy working to have time to eat? Is she supporting herself through school, working long hours at the doughnut shop? Is she so sick of doughnuts she cannot eat them anymore? Or was she just craving Whataburger?

Not too long after a man entered, a true regular. He did not even speak to the cashier and she handed him a bag and he had exact change ready. How long has he been frequenting Shipley? Has he lived in San Marcos his whole life? He had the potential to be a good feature story, if those two questions proved to be true.

The typical clientele were mainly older men. Older people, in general, are not the focus of many media stories. This older gentleman, if he was a San Marcos local, would possibly know about the good restaurants and, if interviewed, could make for a great "Eat like a local" piece. Also, assuming he is retired, has his retirement changed since the economic shift? Was he able to eat breakfast out at Shipley's every day before and now can only afford once or twice a week? With the right questions it could lead to a great news/business piece.

In that same vein we thought about how we could learn about the community from this place. Since this is not a legitimate food place (i.e. grocery store, cafe, diner) you can gain insight about the local economy. If business is strong it proves the San Marcos economy is strong enough to afford frivolous purchases like doughnuts.

The Shipley listening post was both exciting and informative. It goes to show that journalistic inspiration can come from anywhere.

Brittany Bemis

The ARCH:  A Place to Call Home

On this holiday of labor, most are celebrating the fact that they have a job by taking an extra day off, but at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) the individuals are in search of a different kind of break.

Upon entering the ARCH, it was almost like entering the LBJ student center but instead of the hustle and bustle of students trying to make it to class, the people just wonder aimlessly with nowhere to go.

According to Dawn Perkins, Community Relations and Volunteer Coordinator, nearly 500 men and women are served there on a daily basis.  As the homeless enter, they are given a number to be identified by, and later the numbers go into a lottery.  Not your typical lottery with a monetary prize.  It is a lottery where the winners get a bed to sleep in for the night.  They also have a concession-like stand where they are provided with hygiene products, such as shampoo and body soap, in small, plastic ramekins for their day’s shower.

The smell of bleach indicates that the ARCH is an extremely clean facility.  In every corner there is someone scrubbing, and at 10:45 everyone is told to leave and return at 11:15 while the staff does some intensive cleaning.

Tony, one of the patrons at ARCH, said that he liked the facility because “they take care of y

ou” as he was walking at a fast pace as if he had somewhere important to be.

One thing that sparked an interest was an interview with a man named Chuck, who spoke of the implications of being homeless in Austin.  He said that the biggest concern among the homeless community was the law enforcement, and how much they try to suppress their presence in the streets during big events, such as South by Southwest, by arresting them for not having a valid I.D.

As we leave, we notice a long line wrapped around the street corner of people just waiting to be fed.

“There is no such thing as a skinny homeless person in Austin,” said Chuck.  “If there is, they are doing something they aren’t supposed to be.”

Visiting the ARCH was an eye-opening experience and brings on a sense gratefulness for having a job, a home and an education during these trying times.  

Behind the Scenes of Kerbey Lane

Intro to Kebery Lane

Kereby Lane established in 1980 has won numerous Austin’s Best awards such as best Austin's Best Breakfast for 2005 through 2009 as well as the Favorite Post-Show Rock Critic Hangout in 1994. This Unique place with 4 locations around the central Austin area attracts a diverse group of Austinites. After visiting and observing the Kereby Lane on South Lamar it is obvious the different types of people that enjoy the all natural food of this Austin favorite.

Observation

When you walk in you notice the bright colors on the walls and the local art work that is hanging for customers to observe and purchase if welling to pay. When you are waiting for an open table, which occurs quiet frequently at this well known establishment, you can read the array of posters that are there to promote local music performances as well as the awards won by Kereby Lane. The wait staff wears jeans and Kerbey lane shirts with no uniform, and they speak to the customers in a very casual friendly way and seemed to have experience from working here a long time.

The customers that are in the restaurant consist of everyone from young couples to young families as well as homosexual couples and a single older gentleman sitting alone reading a newspaper in the middle booth. This man seems comfortable in this spot and talks to the waitress with a more familiar tone. Max Singer, the host, informed us that this man is a regular and he is at this location 3 times most days.

Conversations

With the economy being in the state it is right now it is difficult to keep a small business up and running. Kereby Lane is not immune to this economic hardship but they have a good way of hiding it. Fortunately, after talking to Maura Cahill, a waitress for 3 years at the South Lamar location, we found that there have not been layoffs but that the company does not seem to being hiring as much as usual. Cahill said that it is good that the veterans are not losing their jobs but without the new, fresh employees bumming unwanted shifts off to other people is difficult.

Cahill also said that business seems to be doing just as well as last year. She has not had to get a second job or change her way of life. Everything seems to be going well for the current employees of Kerbey Lane and we can only wish the best for them and the wonderful hospitable restaurant; Kerbey Lane.

ARCH Shelter

Austin Recourses Center for the Homeless, also known as ARCH is a 100 bed shelter for homeless men located on 

seventh street in Austin, Texas.

This Front Steps organization is built to provide a place for the homeless to sleep and rest while in need. 

The need for homeless shelters in Austin were felt as soon as you get a block away from the steps of the entrance. 

There were people sitting outside the building huddled around this one electronic door that would only let people in 

one at a time due to capacity issues.

People for the most part minded their own business when they saw my partner and I walking into the shelter. 

After getting through the metal detector near the entrance we walked to the front desk to ask if we could observe the 

place for about half an hour. The people who ran ARCH were a little hesitant to let us walk around because they were 

so dedicated to keeping their occupants comfortable. There are two levels that the homeless can sit or sleep. There is an 

upstairs room where the beds are and a sitting area that wasn't well insulated and not enough seats.

For the most part people looked really tired and satisfied with the resting place they were in. Still, even with 

a roof over their head we could tell the amount of people that were in the shelter caused a little uncomfortableness. 

People had more with them than a casual person walks out the door with and the fact that I or my partner didn't have 

anything to carry in our hands seem to grab the curiosity of the occupants.

There was no particular way to categorize any of the people who stayed at the shelter. There were teenagers 

to elderly with a heavier influence on the elderly in the shelter and there were all different kinds of races that occupied 

the place. The one thing the many different people at the shelter all shared were the ignorance of anyone else who was 

next to them or in their walk-paths. It's hard to imagine your social skills being the most upbeat if you shared your place 

of rest with so many other people in the same need as you.

For the most part the shelter was clean but with the constant gain and loss of occupants it must be hard to 

keep the shelter in the same clean aspect as the last hotel you stayed in. One thing is clear about the ARCH shelter 

is the fact that the people working there are dedicated to keeping the occupants as comfortable as possible during their 

stay. The only thing that seems to be the problem is the need for more shelters like ARCH. Overcrowding of any place 

can make it less comfortable. 

The need is relevant and justified as soon as you walk in to a shelter and with ARCH being such a desired place it's 

hard to think that Front Steps won't try to find more shelter space for the many homeless in need of a place to stay.

-James McNeal

Good Food, Good People

Funk music radiates subtly throughout the room creating a lively vibe. Local flyers are pinned to a faded yellow wall in the corridor and pieces of artwork created by local artists are displayed with reasonable price tags attached. Shiny silver stools with dark green cushions line the front of a dining counter. Established in 1980, Kerbey Lane has been a popular local restaurant and hangout for years with awards to prove it.

The array of the patrons illustrates how Austinites are so diverse. From the young to the old and the tattooed to the clean-cut, all kinds of people from all walks of life frequent this joint.

Even though times are tough right now, the eatery has not been drastically affected. Menu prices rose a year ago, but the steady flow of people still occurs. Dressed comfortably in blue jeans, a Kerbey Lane t-shirt and an apron, Maura Cahill mentions that she has waited tables here for 3 years and has not seen a decline in her income. A hiring freeze has kicked in and her only dislike is the lack of coworkers to pick up her shifts. All in all, she likes her job and the laid back environment.

The staff contributes to the easygoing vibe that has made Kerbey Lane one of Austin’s favorite hotspots.

Denise Mamo, Info Gathering T/TH 11am