5 | Arts & Life
7 | Sports
Flying through NASA country
Athlete of the Week
Vol. 58, Issue 4
Est. 1981
September 11 - September 18, 2018
The Paisano
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline
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@ThePaisano
@PaisanoMedia
www.Paisano-Online.com
Bird is the word Michael Schwarzpach riding a Bird scooter.
Ben Shirani /The Paisano
By Ben Shirani Staff Writer Bird, a Santa Monica, Calif. company, brought new options to UTSA commuters for the Fall 2018 semester in the form of pay-by-the-minute electric rideshare scooters commonly called “Birds.” Four of the Bird scooters arrived on Aug. 21 for the first day of classes. The company, or people who had signed up to charge scooters, left the first batch of scooters in strategic locations chosen to attract students as they walked to campus. “You get a kick out of it. It gives you something to look forward to on the way to class,” said junior business major Jona-
than Millan. Ten or more of the Bird scooters were left near campus on Aug. 22 for the second day of classes, foreshadowing the business’ pension for rapid growth. Explosive growth has gotten Bird into trouble in the past. Bird was ordered to pay it’s hometown of Santa Monica, Calif., $300,000 in fines after a criminal complaint alleged that the company failed to secure the property permits. The scooter company is now required to maintain an operating license with the city of Santa Monica, and some other cities have followed suit. The e-scooters hit the streets of Austin, Texas, on July 2017 followed by a flood of complaints. According to KVUEABC, on Aug. 21, a woman
using a wheelchair had her pathway blocked on the sidewalk leading to UT Austin’s West Campus. The woman has come across the scooters blocking her path not once but four times in one day. The city of Austin, however, chose not to pursue criminal charges and opted to negotiate a business agreement with the scooter company. This includes a requirement that the company maintain an operating license as well as undergo a review by city officials every six months. Austin is now home to 2,000 Bird scooters. The San Antonio Express News estimated that in July 2018 there were 150 Bird scooters for use in the San Antonio area. For the time being, the operation of e-scooters is not regu-
Bird scooters parked on campus.
lated by the city of San Antonio, and the scooters have given residents cause for complaint. “They are flying through crowds. They were going way too fast for where they were. They shouldn’t do it if they’ve got any sense at all,” said a local bicycle shop salesmen who asked to remain anonymous. Bird is scheduled to begin offering the option for cities to designate areas where the scooters are not permitted. The company has proactively designated popular walking areas in San Antonio off-limits to their scooters. However, the majority of UTSA students interviewed view the scooters positively. “It was super fun. We just rode it around on campus. We’ve seen
Ben Shirani /The Paisano
them downtown at the Pearl and have never had the chance to ride them before, so we tried yesterday, and it was super fun. If they use it properly, it’s a good thing. If they hurt themselves or are not respectful of property, then that’s a problem,” said recent graduate and community health major Olivia Schmelter. Some students point out that Bird scooters could help alleviate some of the problems associated with parking availability. “Parking is difficult; you buy a parking pass, then you can’t really find anywhere to park. With Bird, even when you park at the farthest lot, you can hop on one of these and get to class,” Millan said.
Bookstore goes bagless Students can purchase items without using plastic bags By Kaylee Boggan Staff Writer UTSA’s on-campus bookstore is going bagless. Students will no longer be given a bag unless they request one when making purchases at the bookstore. UTSA hopes that limiting the use of plastic in the bookstore can reduce the university’s carbon footprint. John Palmer, director of the UTSA Rowdy Campus Store, hopes that decreasing the number of plastic bags on campus may contribute to reducing the street litter and improving recycling operations. “Currently, less than five percent of plastic bags are recycled annually in America, and single-use plastic bags are the fifth most common single-use plastic found in the environment,” Palmer said. “Going bagless raises awareness of things we can do each day to
become better stewards of the environment, and it makes a positive impact,” Palmer said. “We’re proud to be part of a growing shift among companies and cities across the U.S. to reduce waste and the amount of plastic trash entering landfills. Studies show it will take 500 years or more for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill.” “Several campus services have been working together to identify ways to eliminate or reduce the use of plastic on campus,” Palmer said. “In support of this sustainability effort, we’re encouraging students to skip the plastic shopping bag when they make a purchase in the campus stores.” Junior English major, Destine Pelcher, supports the bookstore going bagless. “Recycling and no longer using bags at UTSA will be another step towards saving our environment from pollu-
tion.” Palmer wants others to make an effort to preserve the environment and offers tips for how to do so. “Spread the word and bring reusable bags to the campus store and everywhere you shop,” Palmer said. “Place recyclables in recycle containers. Use reusable water bottles and coffee cups.” According to Palmer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers some tips on greener living as well: use boxes instead of wrapping paper or use wrapping paper made from recycled content. Also avoid dumping motor oil down the drain, recycle plastics in your area and try to reduce the amount of household hazardous waste products such as paints, oils and batteries. For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/ environmental-topics/ greener-living.
Alexander and Chavez after marriage ceremony.
Renato Lopez /The Paisano
Roadrunner wedding
Alexander and Chavez join in matrimony On Sept. 8, Gary Alexander, UTSA 1999 alumni, married Laura Chavez at the Alamodome parking lot while Roadrunner fans were tailgating before the game against Baylor University.
Alexander proposed to Chavez during a UTSA tailgate last season before UTSA faced Marshall University on Nov. 18, 2017.