02.05.19 by The Paisano

5 | Arts & Life

7 | Sports

Talking toxic masculinity

Athlete of the week: Charlotte Ellmore

Vol. 59, Issue 4

Est. 1981

February 5 - February 12, 2019

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Plus-Minus committee deliberates decision on grading system By Joseph Torres Staff Writer The Faculty Senate and Student Government Association (SGA) established a Plus-Minus Committee to discuss the grading system in its current form. The committee includes undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty members from multiple colleges at UTSA. Currently, a student’s grade point average (GPA) is calculated with a plusminus grade-symbol. The General Academic Regulations on UTSA’s website provide a thorough explanation of credits, their grading system and symbols. This is now being reviewed by the committee to establish consistency for grading criteria across all courses. “So far, we have discussed different grading

system options, including the current plus-minus system, changing it slightly or moving to straight grades,” Priya Prasad, assistant professor of mathematics and faculty senator said. “[They’re also discussed] the contexts and constraints of enforcing a consistent policy on grading by incorporating mandated language or standards into all course syllabi.” A lack of standardized grading criteria across all courses requires this attention. “The goal is to recommend to the Provost a system of grading that would be optimal and equitable to be enforced university-wide and help promote student success and on-time graduation. Keeping this in mind, we are proceeding carefully and trying to gather as much information as possible. Most importantly, there is a drive to establish

consistency with the grading system,” Prasad said. No deadline has been set for a decision from the Plus-Minus Committee. “This is a very important issue that requires a focused approach. We are not going to set an arbitrary deadline, but instead are focused on the quality of our work,” Prasad said. While the Plus-Minus Committee is deliberating the best solution, students are split between whether UTSA should keep the plus-minus grading system or to have it removed. “They should remove the plus-minus system. If you get an A- in class, that will affect your GPA by a few points,” Horace Henry, a sophomore public health major, said. The grade-symbol for an A+ and an A are both equal to 4.0 grade points, where an A- is equal to 3.67 grade points with the current system. This could

No deadline has been set for the Plus-Minus Committee to make decision for grading consistency.

adversely affect a student’s chances of maintaining a 4.0 GPA if their course uses the plus-minus system. “I’ve had classes where I’ll work hard to get an A+

but everyone will get a 4.0 even if they get an A-,” Layla Palmer, a senior communication major said. Jake Hooper, a junior public health major, agrees

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with Palmer, “I’m for the plus-minus system, if Continued on page 2 See “Faculty Senate and SGA continue collaboration”

Dreamers Resource Center celebrates one year anniversary By Alfonzo Mendoza Staff Writer

Dr. Eighmy and students pose in front of center.

Alfonzo Mendoza/The Paisano

UTSA expands on dopamine research By Steven Moul Contributing Writer Scientists at UTSA have recently uncovered a new relationship between the psychostimulant, cocaine and dopamine responses in the brain. This new information, which was published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, sheds light into how the brain reacts when there is added efforts into receiving a drug reward. Matt Wanat, an assistant professor of neuroscience at UTSA who published the article, believes that learning how the brain reacts to food rewards versus drug rewards is an important step in understanding drug addiction. Wanat

studies the neurobiology of motivated behaviors, specifically, dopamine responses in the brain. “The brain is a cluster of cells,” Wanat said. Dopamine starts with the brain. These cells are constantly working and communicating with one another. The way they communicate is through chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and endorphin that can be released by the brain and act on other cells. These releases create a ripple effect throughout the brain which can stimulate actions or inhibit responses to certain outside stimuli. “I hate to say that dopa-

mine just does one thing,” Wanat said. “It’s not like dopamine equals the pleasure center. It’s involved with a large number of things. It’s important for natural learning, movement, it’s important in motivation. It’s a modulator.” Dopamine responses in the brain are altered with drug addiction. Professor Wanat and head researcher Idaira Oliva’s experiment measured dopamine responses in rats that were trained to work for a drug reward. The experiment used voltammetry to measure chemical responses in Continued on page 2 See “Researchers explore effects of dopamine on the brain”

The Dreamers Resource Center at UTSA celebrated its one year anniversary on Jan 20. Following the Trump Administration’s announcement that it would end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protection status in 2018, many schools took to implementing and establishing resource centers for Dreamers’ students. Following the shocking announcement, UTSA President Taylor Eighmy sent out an email ensuring

all DACA students that they would remain protected by UTSA. “Given recent indications that DACA may not be resuscitated by Congress, it’s imperative we escalate the support we offer our Dreamers,” Eighmy said in Fall 2018. The anniversary event was held at the Dreamers Center within the Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion (UTSA Student Union 2.01.04) and brought in many students and faculty. Being one of the very first Dreamers Centers at a public university in Texas,

the center’s director, Courtney Balderas-Jacob, explained how many other Texas schools are reaching out and finding out how to create their own Dreamers centers. During the event, President Eighmy and director Balderas-Jacob said a few words on the importance of the program and thanked the Dreamers student body for their resilience and courage. “All of the students that I’ve met who are here, Continued on page 2 See “UTSA continues assisting DACA students”

Title IX coordinator seeks to raise awareness By Heather Montoya Co-News Editor UTSA’s director of Equal Opportunity Services (EOS) and Title IX Coordinator, Suzanne Patrick, plans to raise awareness of the office and the services it provides to UTSA students, faculty and staff. “I think it is always a challenge for students to understand what Title IX is and how that can be supportive to them, so that they are ultimately successful in their experience,” Patrick said. According to Patrick, a lot of students are unaware of what Title IX means, so raising awareness through training sessions, presentations, conversations with the

UTSA community and marketing campaigns are important. Patrick has been working towards raising awareness since her first day as director of EOS and Title IX coordinator on Dec. 17, 2018. “In the first week after break, I did four new trainings for peer mentors and campus rec folks. We participated in a convocation for the music department,” Patrick said. “We want people to know that we are very accessible and we are available to provide information and resources to the UTSA community including any student group that would like us to come speak or staff group, or anyone.” Patrick hopes that the trainings they provide

inform the UTSA community on what they do, what their process looks like and what resources are available. The EOS office primarily evaluates complaints involving discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, disability or sexual orientation. Title IX complaints include sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual violence and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) crimes such as dating violence, domestic violence and stalking. Depending on the complaint, the office will determine their approach to the situaContinued on page 2 See “Director of EOS provides discrimination training”

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UTSA Joel Saegert, a professor emeritus of marketing in the UTSA College of Business, passed away last week at the age of 74. Saegert was one of UTSA’s founding faculty members and retired in 2012 after being an educator and researcher for 36 years. A memorial service in Saegert’s honor will be held at 257 E. Bridge St. in New Braunfels, Texas on March 9 at 3 p.m.

Texas A civil rights group has sued Texas for advising counties to review the citizenship of tens of thousands of eligible voters with flawed data. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund filed the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges the state has “singled out for investigation and removal” the names of U.S. citizens who are registered voters because they were born outside the United States.

U.S. Despite being urged not to perform at a concert on Saturday night, Jussie Smollett made his first public appearance since his assault. Two masked men allegedly put a rope around the “Empire” star and R&B singer’s neck while using homophobic and racial slurs. “I’m not fully healed yet,” said Smollett, who is black and openly gay, “but I’m going to be, and I’m gonna stand strong with y’all.”

World A World War I-era German hand grenade was found among a delivery of potatoes shipped from France to a crisp factory in Hong Kong on Saturday morning. The muddy device was “in an unstable condition” because it had been discharged but failed to detonate, police officials said. Bomb disposal officers safely detonated the grenade on site.

Business Due to the record freeze, Amazon deliveries have been delayed. Amazon said it closed some buildings, including fulfillment centers across the Midwest that were affected by the numbing low temperatures. “We work hard to deliver on our fast, free shipping promise, but weather conditions are out of our control,” Amazon said in a statement.

Science A microbe-fighting protein helps control how much and how deeply fruit flies sleep, researchers reported in the February issue of Science. A protein called Nemuri is produced in the brains of fruit flies and helps the insects stay asleep. Researchers in Amita Segal’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine made the discovery while researching for genes that control sleep.

Researchers explore effects of dopamine on the brain

Continued from Page 1

the brain. “If we give a food pellet to an animal we can see there is a nice rise of dopamine to that food pellet. If the animal likens a cocaine infusion we can see there is a nice rise of dopamine to that,” Wanat said. The animals used a basic task - a lever press to retrieve the reward. “To look at how much effort an animal is willing to do, what you can do is have an animal press once to get a food pellet. The next time you’re go-

ing to have to press two times, the next time after that you’re going to have to press five times, then you’re going to have to press ten times, and then you’re going to have to press forty times,” Wanat said. “And you keep going up and up and up to a point where the animal says, ‘F*** it. I’m done,’ and that’s a very powerful way to get a measure of motivation. You can see how the dopamine signals change to these rewards as you change the cost.” The results showed that there was a disconnect

between the dopamine response in the brain when given drug rewards versus food rewards. In other words a larger dopamine response was given when working for a food reward than working for a drug reward. These results give insight into how dopamine works in the body. Dopamine research is important for learning more about drug addiction and processes that might aid research for illnesses associated with dopamine such as Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease

Faculty Senate and SGA continue collaboration

Continued from Page 1

someone gets a low A then it counts as an A [4.0] but if you get a 98 then it’s not really the same measured work.” Olive Scalise, a freshman psychology major, disagrees, “With the plus-minus system it’s harder to keep a higher GPA, I’d like to see them do away with it.”

The Plus-Minus Committee has already visited with the Chairs’ Council and Provost’s Council for their opinions. Prasad added that a student survey will be sent out soon to gather student opinion.

Director of EOS provides discrimination training Continued from Page 1 tion. ”For students, if it’s discrimination based on disability, it could fall under the American Disability Act (ADA), so students come with their concerns that they feel they may have an issue with on campus and we will look at it with them with that lense and then figure out how we can help them move through our administrative process to help redress those issues,” Patrick said. “We also work with students who are pregnant or have pregnancy related issues and we can help them. Academic support for that doesn’t fall under the ADA, it falls under Title IX.” The complaints the office receives may result in a consult, an administrative process that leads to a finding in the conduct office or interim measures. Students are able to file complaints through UTSA Police or SAPD, but they may also pursue an administrative process. “We meet with both parties to make a determination. We put out a finding report, and then we send that over to the conduct office for judication. We don’t actually judicate cases here, we just determine, in a very fair and impartial way what happened or didn’t happen,” Patrick said. If there are complaints that do not fall under a protected class, the office can refer the student to the right place to address the issue. Regardless of the complaint’s result, Patrick aims at ensuring excellent customer service and wants those who visit the office to feel like the process was fair and impartial. “I don’t think anyone likes to come somewhere and then be like, ‘I don’t know what happened,’” Patrick said. “Even if they have to get handed off to another office, I like to tie it up really neatly and hand it off so they don’t have to start all over from the beginning.” As director of EOS and Title IX coordinator, Patrick will oversee compliance with Title IX, monitor campus issues, work with various departments, provide Title IX training, participate in orientation, oversee all cases

in the process for the office’s investigators, provide support and resources and consult with various groups on campus. The EOS assistant director, two investigators and an analyst conduct the investigations and find support while Patrick focuses on monitoring and compliance. Patrick believes that her experience in higher education at Our Lady of the Lake University, St. Mary’s University, University of Maryland School of Law and The George Washington University School of Law has given her a good sense in how to get the point across to students. “I’ve been in higher education for a long time, almost 18 years, so I have a lot of experience working with various different student groups,” Patrick said. “I am always very cognizant of putting myself in their shoes and wanting people to have an easy experience even if something is a difficult topic.” Students who are not employed through UTSA can anonymously reach out to the EOS office through a hotline or online web form and can send an email to the office. “We do look into everything we get, whether it’s anonymous or not,” Patrick said. For more information or to report an incident, visit www.utsa.edu/ eos. To discuss an issue or incident with someone from the office, students can call 210-458-4120 or email the office at eos. office@utsa. edu.

affects dopamine production. People who suffer from Parkinson’s have 85 to 90 percent decrease in the amount of dopamine in their body which inhibits their movement. This research could lead to a better understanding of dopamine that could one day lead to a cure, or a better treatment for symptoms of Parkinson’s. People who suffer from drug addiction have to overcome greater costs to obtain drugs. “Drug addiction is a brain disease. It’s not just one part of the brain that’s misfiring, or not

acting appropriately. That part of the brain talks to another part that talks to another part that elicits change all throughout,” Wanat said. Understanding how the brain reacts to drugs when compared to food gives researchers a glimpse into how the brain functions when working for rewards. Currently there is no FDA approved treatment for psychostimulant addiction. Wanat hopes that his research will help scientists uncover more about addiction and treatments.

UTSA continues assisting DACA students

Continued from Page 1

who are Dreamers and undocumented, I just want to say to you, thank you for your courage, for being students with us and for wanting to get an education. You are the future of this country and the future of hope,” Eighmy said. One of the students in attendance was Maria Rocha, a UTSA graduate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and human development and a DACA recipient. “The Dreamers Resource Center is a safe haven for our undocumented student body perhaps the most resilient and self-sufficient students arriving to our college campuses today,” Rocha said. “Rescinding DACA in 2017 took a heavy toll on my academic performance as well as my physical and mental state of mind. His recent attempt in wanting to pass the BRIDGE Act was unsuccessful due to it not including a pathway for citizenship for DACA recipients and pushing for a southern wall. Obviously I would want

Suzanne Patrick named EOS and Title IX coordinator.

to see a solution that will not only benefit the 800,000 DACA recipients, but also those who did not qualify, did not apply and our families,” Rocha said. Going forward, the UTSA Dreamers Resource Center hopes to expand its outreach to students on campus, as well as aid other universities in establishing their own Dreamer centers. “By September of 2017, we had our first meeting and by January of 2018 UTSA had done an immense amount of due diligence and research on the ground exploring other centers to make sure that in Texas, as the flagship center of its kind, we were able to open and be successful this past year,” Balderas-Jacob said. For further information regarding the center and its future projects, students can call the Dreamers Resource Center at 210-458-7777 or email Dreamers@utsa.edu.

Photo Courtesy of UTSA

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opinion Give plus/minus system liberty or give it death Editorial UTSA should create a consistent grading system that is implemented throughout the university. The current plus/minus system can be helpful for some students, but detrimental to others. The plus/minus system can be a GPA booster for some students. For example, in plus/minus a high “B” is recorded as a 3.3 instead of a 3.0 as in a whole-grade system. The plus/ minus scoring system can also act as a place marker for students to distinguish high performance from poor performance. For instance, when students are in a class that does not use the plus/minus system, and all students receive a “B,” which is equivalent to a 3.0, then it may seem that each student grasped the information equally. Though the plus/minus system can be beneficial for some students, it can

also be detrimental for students taking classes with tough graders. The usual rebuttal to this is that students should work more diligently and strategically. However, there are teachers (especially in the STEM majors) who grade so strictly that it is difficult for students to get a higher grade than a “A-.” This grade would be equivalent to a 3.25. In a whole-grade system, that would be a 4.0. The plus/minus system is not perfect. It has many flaws, but the biggest problem with the system is still each department not adopting it. The plus/minus system can be beneficial to some students and detrimental to others, but the miniuses out number the pluses. UTSA should go back to a whole-letter system. Anything in between is not fair to students.

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The great wall of San Antonio Commentary

By Shelly Moreno Contributing Writer Why not celebrate this year’s Cinco de Mayo looking for a wall? No, not your bedroom wall or the bathroom wall. Nope, not the graffiti wall with the Loteria symbol of “La Escalera.” I mean the wall we have here in our city that has allegedly helped decrease crime, according to President Trump. Bring your tortilla chips and salsa. Bring the whole family down with the Loteria cards. This

search party is going to take quite some time. As a part of this community, I shall join the search party. San Antonians have taken it upon themselves to plan a very serious event to be held on May 5 to search for the city’s wall. This event was posted on a very important news outlet: Facebook. We all hear our most important news on Facebook like the revival of Jennifer Rivera. Don’t you just love it when your parents tell you news that they read on Facebook? I know, same. Such a great tool for news. Not only is the President’s information regarding the wall in San Antonio evidently proven by himself, he used this information to back up his claim to build a wall on the border. He takes this stand due to his

new found knowledge of some statistics that state how San Antonio’s crime rate has decreased due to its wall. If you have any intention to join the cause that shall change the future of our city, bring a flashlight to help us find it. Where is the wall you may ask? Well, it’s going to take about a million flashlights to be able to find such a wall. The only thing close to a wall in San Antonio is the Alamo, and we all know how that went. My dear fellow Latinos, join this movement today. We deserve to see a great wall. Maybe light up a “Virgen de Guadalupe” candle to light the way to the wall. Such a wall should not be missed by us. As a Latina, I put my foot down and ask for some support for this event. Bring some chur-

ros. Let’s have a great night at the Alamo as we look for a wall that’s clearly not there. Now, to my pleasant president, I have a few words for you. We San Antonians would like for you to send the coordinates of such wall. We’d like to commemorate such a sight. Mark the location in our phones in our favorites. Place some candles to appreciate the monument you have talked so much about. Please, we are all desperate to find this wall. We want to say thank you for all the great things you say you have done for our country, yet confuse our city with the border. What a great president you are to know your country’s border cities. Oh, have we finally come to this? Our city finally has something for our tourists to see.

What a great city, what a great wall we have in San Antonio. Yet, the only wall I know of is between our President and our voices. He just doesn’t seem to understand what we want.

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Point

By Alejandro “AJ” Lopez Co-News Editor Smooth-talking. Magnetic. Bright. Named “Mr. Up-and-Coming Republican” and dubbed “Kenndeyesque,” denoting a resemblance to John F. Kennedy. These are the types of characteristics you don’t normally associate with a serial killer, but then again, Ted Bundy was anything but a stereotypical serial killer. Between 1974 and 1978, Bundy assaulted and murdered numerous young women and girls. After more than a decade of denials, Bundy confessed to at least 30 homicides that he committed in seven states, but it is believed that the true number of victims is higher. Now, you may be wondering at this point in the article why I am writing about one of the most notorious serial killers in history. Well, I’m about to answer that. Let me first state this before continuing my argument: I am not in anyway endorsing Ted Bundy or any of his actions. With Netflix’s new documentary “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” and soon to be released film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” starring

Ted Bundy: charismatic and charming, or just a creep? Zac Efron, members of my generation are all coming to same conclusion: “Damn, he’s fine and charming as hell.” First, if you’re having these lustful thoughts of a serial killer, please find some help! Even Netflix had to tweet a reminder to users that there are “thousands of hot men on the service - almost all of whom are not convicted serial murders.” And secondly, while finding Bundy attractive is entirely wrong, you can’t help but see how charming of an individual he was. When a sketch of the suspect was released, many recognized the suspect as Bundy but could not believe it was truly him. Even detectives dismissed the possibility of it being Bundy because of how charming and nice he was. It was this same charm and gleaming attitude that allowed Bundy to become a formidable killer. He would use his handsome appearance and charisma to gain the trust of his young victims. Bundy would approach a young woman and bait her to his vehicle, fooling her with some kind of line. Then, in a heartbeat he would transform from a

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seemingly affable stranger to a murderous killer. Amanda Howard, an Australian author who has written several books on serial killers, stated in a interview that Bundy made us reevaluate who we consider our monsters to be. “We expect serial killers to be these snarling mad men. Yet, Bundy was an attractive young man who was highly intelligent. He was the antithesis of what we expect a serial killer to be,” Howard said. Bundy’s cool, Hollywood-like exterior allowed him to hide his predilection for violence. It was this same exterior that allowed him to elude the suspicions of the detectives and officers investigating his murders. Even after Bundy was incarcerated and on death row, he had many groupies that were enamoured with him. He had as many as 200 women in rotation as pen pals. While we can’t forget the smirk that made many women’s hearts flutter, we will always remember the horrendous acts he committed and the lives he stole. So please, obsess over Zac Efron instead of the man he is portraying.

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Ted Bundy isn’t special. He was able to alter the tone in his rhetoric to capture the attention of whom he was speaking to. Yet, this isn’t necessarily something he should be known for. Society perceives Bundy as the handsome and articulate psychology major who captured media attention. It made America wonder how such an average, heterosexual white male could do such heinous and evil things. Ted wasn’t as smart as the media gives him credit for. Whether it was being a subpar Boy Scout, or an average law school student, Bundy isn’t the genius you thought he was, and to say he lured women into his grips with his charm is untrue. With the recent release of new Ted Bundy films, people have negated the murders because they are so blinded by his “charm” and “mind.” Allowing a heartthrob like Zac Efron to portray Bundy makes him seem like he was a “ladies man” who lured his victims with his charisma and looks. If you look at the case itself, Bundy lured his victims by lying (ex: saying he has a broken arm or impersonating a police officer). When that wasn’t an option, he would attack them at helpless and vulnerable moments. Nobody would ever fall for the real Bundy. Plagued by insecurity, his constant shortcomings made him long for power. In high school he declared that he would one day be the president of the United States. He invested himself in Nixon’s republicanism and cared deeply about validation from his peers. His constant need for fulfillment carried over into his murders. Every time he killed, he thought he would feel gratifi-

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Counterpoint

By Alex Hanks Staff Writer cation, but he never did. Bundy wasn’t a slippery suspect who could evade the law at his own free will like he’s portrayed. There was no DNA testing technology in the 1970s. Serial killers were new to law enforcement and they weren’t suited with the capabilities to handle a case like Bundy’s. If he tried this in 2019, he would have been caught quickly. People are even romanticizing this monster. Bundy isn’t as handsome as he is made out to be. He is handsome in comparison to other serial killers, but why does that matter? I understand the fascination with the paradigm of serial killers. Although, in reality, most of them were societal outcasts who came up short in one aspect of their life or another. Ted Bundy isn’t an exception. Not knocking Zac Efron, but the portrayal of him as Bundy pushes a false narrative of somebody who Bundy never was. It’s destructive to glorify him as if he was somebody you would want to go grab coffee with; it is never okay to be thirsting over a literal mass murderer. Ted Bundy isn’t special.

The Paisano is published by the Paisano Educational Trust, a non-profit, tax exempt, educational organization. The Paisano is operated by members of the Student Newspaper Association, a registered student organization. The Paisano is NOT sponsored, financed or endorsed by UTSA. New issues are published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters, excluding holidays and exam periods. The Paisano is distributed on all three UTSA campuses — Main, Downtown and the Institute of Texan Cultures. Additionally, Paisano publications are distributed at a variety of off-campus locations, including Tri-point and a variety of apartment complexes near the UTSA Main Campus. All revenues are generated through advertising and donations. Advertising inquiries and donations should be directed to: 14526 Roadrunner Way Suite 101 San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210)-690-9301 © 2018, The Paisano The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Handbook of Operating Procedures states in 5.03 that: The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will not exercise control over the format or content of Student Publications, but will regulate distribution on campus. Student Publications will be free of censorship and advance approval of copy, and their editors and managers are solely responsible for editorial and content policies and decisions. Editors and managers of Student Publications will not be subject to arbitrary suspension/expulsion or removal from their positions within a Registered or Sponsored Student Organization (Student Organization) by the University because of student, faculty, administrative, or public disapproval of editorial policy or content. Student Organizations that distribute Student Publications are afforded the same rights and privileges as Student Organizations that do not distribute Student Publications.

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Arts & Life Talking toxic masculinity Mexican - American studies department to host discussion on toxic masculinity

By Kimiya Factory Staff Writer

he Mexican-American Studies Department of UTSA aims to inform and make changes to cultural stereotypes within Mexican-American culture by presenting an important dialogue: Toxic Masculinity. On Feb. 14 the Mexican-American studies department will be presenting a 15 minute round-table panel discussion at the National Association of Chicano Studies Conference in Houston, Texas. The discussion will begin with a presentation of the topic followed by personal introductions and stories. The remainder of the panel will open to the audience, encouraging sharing personal experiences or questions to UTSA scholars

Denise Frausto, senior, takes a stand.

who presented the topic. Senior Denise Frausto, majoring in Mexican-American Studies and also holding minors in African-American and Bi-Cultural studies, share the aim of such a complex discussion. “Toxic masculinity is one of those topics within the Mexican-American Studies culture that is very vivid and hidden, so we would like to talk about this; about how it affects us personally, culturally and generationally,” Frausta said. This will be the second year that the UTSA MexicanAmerican Studies Department will present an engaging discussion at the National Conference. Senior and President of the Mexican-American Stud-

A mural promotes education for a brighter future.

ies Student Organization (MASSO), Lukas Valdez, share his appreciation of the dialogue to be presented at the National Conference. “A lot of us are First Gen and Non-Traditional students; considering that UTSA hasn’t fully addressed being a sanctuary campus along with Latinx women being intimidated by ICE, the topic of toxic masculinity is needed to end a vicious cycle,” Valdez said. Frausto and Valdez are both 1st Generation students who proudly advocate for non-traditional students as well. “Toxic masculinity is a problem and by addressing it, for my kids, I will end that cycle generationally; my daughter can’t divorce her dad,” Frausto said.

Kimiya Factory/The Paisano

Popping off Cande Aguilar hosts gallery talk at McNay By Alfonzo Mendoza Staff Writer Brownsville native Cande Aguilar is revolutionizing the meaning of cultural imagery in the world of modern art. His work, displayed at the McNay Museum of Art, is part of his barrioPOP art collection that utilizes a set ideas and social norms that commonly exist in border towns and amongst Mexican-American communities. “BarrioPOP is more of cultural imagery, and having to do with culture from the border area here in Texas. The point is for people to feel connected to who they are and what they were. The idea is to juxtapose things from the general culture, [American and] Mexican-American, and come up with this contemporary voice that might be made in the barrio,” Aguilar said. The work showcases a variety of objects typically found in local Mexican - American neighborhoods, auto shops and mercados (markets). Aguilar constructs these objects and reintegrates them with vibrant colors that mirror a border town. An example of this is his piece that displays a family: a mother, a father and a boy made out of mufflers. The family is painted in a set of blue, yellow and green colors and are placed faceto-face with their hands extended, reaching out towards each other. His connection to mufflers goes back to his youth when he and his relatives fixed cars for his community. Raised in Brownsville, Texas, Aguilar recalls his time starting off as a musician. The first time he was on a stage in front of people was when he was 12 years old. He held an accordion and his godfather asked him to play a song. He describes the event as a life changing experience. He relates conjunto music to his art since both share Mexican and Ameri-

can influences. “I’ve always thought that conjunto music could be and was for me – a doorway into the arts,” Aguilar said. On Jan. 31, Aguilar showcased his installation at the McNay Museum of Art. He described it being “inspired by graffiti, street art, popular culture and border politics.” Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, Aguilar was aware of inequalities within American society and portrays some of his work as flimsy in order to capture that societal fragility. “Capitalism is something that can melt away if we don’t play our cards right and vote in the right direction. It can be a danger for a certain population in the country. It’s a political piece. I would like people to see the work and come up with their own interpretation. It’s a learning experience,” Aguilar said. On the official barrioPOP website, Aguilar described, “#barrioPOP is an amalgamation sprung by characters, colors & street phenomena that is my life immersed in popular border town culture; expressed through multimedia such as painting, image transfer, collage, photography, assemblage, digital collage, video & music.” Aguilar has captivated the world of art having displayed some of his pieces in museums all around the globe. For more information about his work and to dive deeper into his barrioPOP collection, visit his website at https://candeart.com/home. html.

Top: Colorful mercado signs line the wall. Bottom: The muffler family welcomes guests. Fonzi Mendoza/ The Paisano

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6 | arts@paisano-online.com

Big Sis Advice: A Tribute

Around the world in 80 minutes Dr. Rushforth receives grant for virtual reality technology

By: Kimiya Factory

By Alex Hanks

Staff Writer

Staff Writer Senior Lecturer of Spanish, Dr. Rushforth recently made a proposal that would utilize the use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in the classroom (USC) Institute for Creative Technologies with these immersive technologies. Upon his arrival at UTSA, he envisioned Roadrunners using this very same technology to learn. Dr. Rushforth’s first VR project received funding to purchase VR viewers that are utilized with your smartphone. The VR viewers allowed his Spanish students to visit culturally significant areas in the Spanish speaking world. The vast majority of language teachers are on board with this technology and believe it would enhance the learning experience.

Q. How long has this proposal been in the works? I had been thinking of using immersive technologies for instruction for over 10 years, but I learned about this particular grant in Fall of 2018. I owe a lot to Dr. Vanessa Hammler Kenon and the UTSA Office of Information Technology (OIT) for letting me know about the opportunity and encouraging me to apply. They have been strong advocates for making UTSA a place where students have access to innovative learning technology. Our goal is to use every resource we have to help UTSA students succeed.

Q. Has this technology been used in other classroom settings? Yes. I am not the only instructor here at UTSA that uses VR. There is a big push in the sciences to use VR. I have colleagues in the Colleges of

Education and Human Development, Computer Science and Engineering, all of whom use VR with their students.

Q. What opportunities and experiences will come with this new VR technology? I predict that VR technology will eventually be taken for granted in a similar way as we do with video and audio recordings. It will let people visit places and interact with people in ways that we cannot currently imagine, but in the future, those ways will seem completely normal. Perhaps classes will feel a bit like being on the Magic School Bus. Each class could be an opportunity to visit and interact with new environments that would be inaccessible in the ordinary physical world.

who are struggling financially by allowing them to purchase course materials. It seems obvious, but having the course materials is necessary to have the best learning outcomes. Conversifi is a digital platform that connects university students from Spain and Mexico with students in the United States via one-on-one video conferencing. Conversifi gives students a realworld application for the skills they are developing in class. The difference between Conversifi and other similar services is that it is free to the student. We are looking into other platforms such as ConversationExchange.com, which was started by UTSA alumnus Federico Balbi. Similarly, virtual reality allows people a chance to experience the sights of a foreign country in a way that does not require passports, plane tickets and other expenses.

Q. How will this technology be implemented into the curriculum and what classes will be first utilizing Q. What effect could this new technology? this technology have on study abroad programs? We plan to add VR tours as part of the culture component of our Spanish 1014 courses starting in Fall 2019. At first, the virtual tours will be instructor-directed activities, but I expect that after a successful pilot program, the students themselves will create VR activities for their peers.

Q. How has technology enhanced communication, especially in a foreign language and linguist classroom environment? The technologies that you mentioned reduce costs to the student. Digital textbooks generally cost less than a print edition, and those savings can make [a] difference for students

The first application we had in mind is as a recruitment and orientation tool for students considering a study abroad. The visual experience of a virtual tour of a study abroad destination could reduce the worry some students feel when they travel to an unfamiliar place. If students feel less anxious about traveling to a foreign country, perhaps they may be more willing to add that aspect to their university experience and will have a more positive experience while there.

Photo courtesy of Dominique Beltran

The moss that swing on the trees of the south still feel the fingertips of slaves that hugged them in the night; desperate to find the direction of the north. A mother’s swollen breast leaks milk for a child that she hates to love. Masters child. A young boy’s scars fresh from the lash ooze and run down his back like he does in his dreams. Away. Away from a friend whose hand was cut off while harvesting sugar cane. Away. From the blood of a man that trickled down and collected on the soil as a limp, brown body hung from a tree limb; still. Somebody’s father. Somebody’s brother. Somebody’s everything. Away from a skin color. A heritage that bring tears to his mama’s eyes everytime a whip lashes his rebellious back. How can I feel that? All of these years later? The moss of the trees blow and if you listen, you can hear them whisper the secrets of the south. Believe me, The south has its secrets too.

For my brothers and my sisters, Xoxo, Big Sis

Send your suggestions for Big Sis Advice to arts@ paisano-online.com

The Weekend

Visit

paisano-online.com

for podcasts, blogs, photo galleries and more.

February 8 - Black San Antonio/ Free 7 - 11 p.m. at South Texas Museum of Popular Culture Focusing on the establishment of our African-American community and the legendary nightspot the Keyhole Club. February 9- SAMSAT Family Fun Saturdays/ Free 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Port San Antonio See an array of exhibits depicting the world’s earliest innovations in computing, telecommunications and electrical power. February 9 - Vermicomposting for Beginners / $6 suggested donation 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Friedrich Park Learn how you can recycle your kitchen scraps into excellent soil for your plants, Mother Nature’s perfect recycling plan. Fee will cover all supplies, including red wiggler worms and small storage. February 10 - Brick Sunday Arts Market / Free 12 - 5 p.m. at Blue Star Arts Complex Local vendors will include rare vinyl record finds, custom art, photography, vintage clothing, pet goods and more for purchase. To feature your event in “The Weekend” email the arts editor at arts@paisano-online.com

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

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sports@paisano-online.com | 7

Sports Women’s basketball falls at home WKU and Marshall defeat the Roadrunners at home

Marie Benson searches for an open teammate to pass to.

By Lindsey Thomas Staff Writer

TSA (6-14, 1-7) fell to the Lady Toppers from Western Kentucky University (WKU) (13-9, 7-1) 81-62 in the Convocation Center, Feb. 1. Although the ‘Runners fell short, they finished strong in the final quarter, doubling WKU’s points earned in that quarter. The ‘Runners shot a field goal percentage of 52.3 percent with 29 total rebounds. UTSA had 44.4 percent on three-point field goals and five steals. UTSA found themselves down from the start as the Lady Toppers shot three, three-pointers. At the start, Marie Benson and Tija Hawkins dominated halfway through the first quarter, making up for all the points scored for UTSA with four points, respectively. WKU drained a shot right at the buzzer, leading 22-15 after the first. 12 of the ‘Runners shots were in the paint, with one three-pointer. UTSA came out into the second quarter

scoring 18 points and shooting 50 percent from the field. WKU quickly racked up nine points at the start. The Benson sisters, Marie and Barbara, combined for 14 of the ‘Runners points, midway through the quarter. The Lady Toppers walked off the court at the half, maintaining the lead 52-33. The Benson sisters totaled for 22 of the ‘Runners 33 points. M. Benson summed for six rebounds and Karrington Donald with three. Holding down WKU, the ‘Runners blocked off the Lady Toppers for three minutes, remaining scoreless until midway through the quarter as UTSA was down 65-39. Racking up points, WKU shot 28.5 percent of their 28 points from the field. As the quarter began closing in, UTSA was now up to 20 turnovers and down 72-44. M. Benson accounted for 15 points and seven rebounds, as B. Benson accounted for 13 points. Opening the fourth quarter, the ‘Runners and the Lady Toppers began fouling each other until M. Benson put up 11 points, outscoring WKU 18-9 for the quarter. UTSA went on a 7-0 run, gain-

ing momentum to close the scoring gap. UTSA managed to shoot 19 percent from the three-point line, finishing the game 81-62. Over the weekend, UTSA (6-15, 1-8) finished closely behind Marshall University (13-9, 7-2) in an overtime thriller. The ‘Runners fell 79-72 to the Thundering Herd in the Convocation Center on Feb. 2. UTSA shot 37 percent from the field with 45 rebounds. Hawkins shot a career-high with 26 points for the ‘Runners. The ‘Runners came out strong with a 4-0 lead over the Thundering Herd. Backto-back layups from Marshall kept the score close, before M. Benson increased the score to 15-11, as UTSA maintained the lead. With 17 seconds left in the half, M. Benson posted her 600th career rebound as a junior, becoming the eighth Roadrunner to reach this. The ‘Runners finished the quarter in the lead 15-11. The ‘Runners were on a roll, shooting 10-0 into the second quarter with 54.5 percent from the field. UTSA ran-down the clock, dominating the half at 30-19.

Jack Myer/The Paisano

The Thundering Herd came out on fire adding 4-0 to bridge the gap to seven. M. Benson bumped this gap by adding on two free throw shots. The ‘Runners continued to lead 45-38 into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter put the stands on their toes with back-to-back shots between the Thundering Herd and the ‘Runners. Hawkins ran out a jumper to push-start the quarter and Marshall came out and shot two three-pointers. Donald scored which brought the ‘Runners lead back up to five. The ‘Runners remained in the lead until 20 seconds remained, when a Marshall player shot a three-pointer, moving the game into overtime at 64-64. In overtime, Marshall outscored the ‘Runners 13-9, giving UTSA to another loss for the week. The game tied three times in the final period, but the ‘Runners were unable to hold their ground. The ‘Runners fell 79-72 to the Thundering Herd. The ‘Runners will play again on Feb. 7 at FIU. Tip-off will be at 10 a.m. CT.

Roadrunners compete in College Station By Ryan Garza Sports Editor

Patrick Prince jumps over a hurdle in the 60-meter hurdles.

Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics

The Roadrunners traveled with a partial squad to the Charlie Thomas Invitational at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium in College Station, Texas. After two days of action, the men’s team tied with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) for third place with 57 total points, while the women’s team placed 11th and ended with 14 points. Senior weight thrower Vincent Perez won his second gold medal of the season with a throw of 19.49 meters, a new personal record. With the win, Perez has moved into the number two spot on the Roadrunners all-time weight throw performers list, just 0.14 meters behind his older brother Victor Perez. Sophomore Andre

Douglas competed in the triple jump and long jump and was able to secure a first-place finish in the triple jump. The win was his third in the triple jump this season and his personal best with a leap of 15.67 meters. Douglas also placed 10th in the long jump with a mark of 6.88 meters. The men had a pair of second place finishes as senior Luca Chatham took silver in the 800-meter dash with a time of one minute, 51.24 seconds. Patrick Prince finished the 60-meter hurdles in second place with a time of 7.90 seconds. The women’s team had several Roadrunners finish with personal bests over the course of the two-day meet. In the pole vault event, senior Caroline Bellows cleared the 3.72-meter mark to beat her personal best

and secured a sixthplace finish. Sophomore Amber Boyd competed in the mile and the 3000-meter event and ended with two new personal records with times of five minutes, 2.14 seconds and 10 minutes, 35.59 seconds. In the pentathlon, junior Chase Whiting set a new personal record with 3140 points. Junior thrower Maia Campbell posted a career best in the weight throw with a throw of 18.13 meters and finished in fourth place. Campbell also had a fifth place finish in the shot put event with a throw of 14.35 meters. UTSA will be back on the track Feb. 8, when they head to Yeoman Fieldhouse for the Howie Ryan Invitational in Houston, Texas.

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8 | sports@paisano-online.com

Athlete of the Week: Charlotte Ellmore

Ellyson Ortega/The Paisano

Charlotte Ellmore prepares to pass the ball.

By Jose Bouquett Staff Writer

Choices define us. Each choice can lead you down a path of success or failure. Charlotte Ellmore made a choice that led her more than 5,000 miles from her home and family, but that choice led her to discover a new family and a new culture. The UTSA freshman point guard was born in Essex, England on May 12, 2000. She’s played sports all of her life including soccer, tennis and, of course, basketball. Her path towards basketball was relatively uneventful and fairly common, but it all began with a choice. Her mother Kate Ellmore asked her in the car if there were any other sports that Charlotte was interested in. Casually, she mentioned her interest in basketball,

and with one word she began a journey that led her into a whole new world. Soccer is a sport synonymous with England. There have only been 10 players either born or raised in the United Kingdom to make the NBA, and only two WNBA players. Charlotte was exceptional at both soccer and basketball, which left her with another choice. Soccer runs in her blood. Her father and grandfather each played soccer. Her grandfather climbed to heights of top tier English football with premier league regular, West Ham United. Ellmore herself compared her soccer abilities to that of Aaron Ramsey, the captain and first team mainstay of her favorite club, Arsenal. “I don’t know why I chose basketball, I just felt a better

connection with it,” Ellmore said. This unspoken connection turned out to be the right choice, and she took her talents to the Barking Abbey club team. Ellmore’s natural talent showed, as she has only played basketball for five years and helped guide her club to the Women’s Elite Academy Basketball League championship. Ellmore averaged 18 points, six rebounds and four assists per game which earned her MVP and WEABL Player of the Year honors. Her amazing athleticism was recognized, and Ellmore was called up for Great Britain’s under 18 national team. “It’s an incredible feeling,” Ellmore said. “Going out there, singing the national anthem every single time, it’s an amazing experience.”

Ellmore continued her impressive point guard play, averaging 12 points per game and catching the attention of a new Roadrunners coach. Second-year head coach Kristen Holt recruited Ellmore to UTSA and one major factor gave her the clarity she needed to choose the UTSA family. “Everyone in England, when you play basketball, you aspire to come to America,” Ellmore said. “When I came here I connected with the team really, really well. Being so far from home you really want that family feel.” A 4,000-mile move is daunting for anyone, but this move would prove especially difficult because of the culture shock that would come with it. One of the most difficult changes for Ell-

more when she moved was the similar but different language being spoken. Being born and raised in the U.K. comes with an entirely different set of words and phrases that Americans have no clue about. The reverse is true with British people, and this difference is evident when Ellmore is out with her teammates. What a majority of Americans would call a “cart” at your local HEB, Ellmore refers to as a “trolly.” The difficulty of leaving her family and her country took its toll on Ellmore, but she’s still focusing on her one goal. “I want to keep improving every year,” Ellmore said. “That’s the biggest thing for me and being able to contribute more to my team. I’m hoping next year I can contribute more than I am now.”

Men’s basketball on the hunt for first

Byron Frohnen dribbles for a layup in the paint. By Jack Myer Distribution Manager The UTSA Men’s basketball team hit the road last week with games against Western Kentucky University (WKU) on Feb. 1 and Marshall University on Feb. 3. Both games were highly contested and needed an overtime period to reach a conclusion. Sophomore guards Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace each turned in red-hot performances, but the ‘Runners settled for a split record on the road trip. The road trip began in Bowling Green, Kentucky against Western Kentucky. UTSA entered the

game at 12-9, and Western Kentucky at 11-10. WKU led 41-39 after the first half, but after 6 lead changes and a strong second half push by the Roadrunners, the game was tied at 78 at the end of regulation. In overtime, the Roadrunners failed to maintain the second-half momentum and were outscored 18-10, resulting in an 96-88 victory for WKU. Jhivvan Jackson was the silver lining of this loss, putting up 46 points and three assists in 44 minutes. Keaton Wallace contributed 26 points in 42 minutes. From there, the Roadrunners took on the Marshall Herd in

Ellyson Ortega/The Paisano

Huntington, West Virginia. The 13-9 Herd put up a strong first half, leading 46-38 at halftime, but UTSA dominated the second half, leaving the score once again knotted up at 92 after regulation. However, this time the Roadrunners outscored Marshall 24-14 in overtime, making the final score 116-106. The ‘Runners once more were led by a stellar performance by a guard, but this time it was Wallace who put up 45 points, seven rebounds, and went 11-12 from the free throw line while Jhivvan Jackson notched 30 points and nine rebounds.

Both Jackson and Wallace earned C-USA co-conference players of the week for their performances this week. The ‘Runners return home to play Florida

International University on Feb. 7 and Florida Atlantic University on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.

How to Interpret Your Dreams Spiritually Discover and share how our dreams are often more spiritual than we realize, and how to better interpret and gain helpful guidance from them.

Open Discussion — Free Booklet Included Thursdays, February 7 and 21 7:30–8:30 PM, SU Magnolia Room, 2.01.30

Info: Mitziani- rbo233@my.utsa www.EKSanAntonio.org Presented by the Eckankar Student Organization