1.30.18 by The Paisano

6 | Arts & Life

8 | Sports

Cuidad, a crecer: Break a leg

UTSA baseball on the brink of a new season

Vol. 57, Issue 3

Est. 1981

January 30 - February, 6 2017

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SJP Activism on and off campus

Graphic by Amber Chin/The Paisano

UTSA experienced an increase in sexual assault and harrasment report statistics from 2015 to 2016.

Sexual assault and harassment reports increase at UTSA The silent protest featured students with a name of a Palestinian child imprisonment victim

Justice Lovin/The Paisano

By Justice Lovin Senior Copy Editor The UTSA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held a silent protest in the Sombrilla on Jan. 23 to raise awareness of the many Palestinian children who have been imprisoned by the Israeli military (IDF). The protest followed events on and off campus at which the group hosted Dr. Luke Peterson who spoke about his research on media representation of the Israel Palestine conflict. At the first event, held on Friday, Jan. 19 in the Travis room, Dr. Peterson spoke to students about the history of and media narratives surrounding the Israeli settlement movement. This was followed by a Q&A session with students. The next day, Saturday, Jan. 20, Dr. Peterson spoke at SJP’s annual “A Night of Hope for Gaza” fundraiser dinner. At this event, he spoke about Ahed Tamimi, the 16-year-old Palestinian girl who became a symbol of resistance when she was arrested by Israel after a video of her slapping an IDF soldier went viral and also spoke about how neoliberal economic policy has shaped the Israel Palestine conflict. “(Israel) has become a military technocratic state, marrying war-making industries and capitalism in a unique way. That makes them very valuable for other military institutions, including and especially the one here in the United States that wants to also capitalize on their research and development; … the actual implementation of deadly technologies against a captive population,” Dr. Peterson said. The event was hosted by SJP president and senior anthropology major Maureen Kaki, who spoke about her own experiences and identity as a Palestinian. The event raised approximately $10,000 for the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance, a group that provides medical aid, clean water, educational funding and project funding for communities in Gaza that have been devastated by Israeli military strikes. Then on Tuesday, Jan. 23, SJP held a silent protest in the Sombrilla. Around a dozen SJP members stood on either side of the walkway through the tables with tape over their mouths. They held signs with the names and ages of imprisoned children written on them. “We are demonstrating against the imprisonment of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons. Who are subject often without any kind of reasonable process to military law,” Kaki said, placing the protest in the context of SJP’s goal to “give a more nuanced perspective of the quote unquote conflict (between Israel and Palestine).” Ammar Musa, an SJP member and mechanical engineering major at UTSA, also participated in the protest. “These kids don’t have voices. Their childhoods are ripped away from them. They can’t speak for themselves, so we’re out here telling their story,” Musa said.

By Heather Montoya Assitant News Editor UTSA’s 2017 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, listed five incidences of rape on campus, one incident of rape off campus, four incidences of fondling and one incident of statutory rape were made at UTSA’s main campus in 2016. In 2015, two incidences of rape and two reports of fondling were made at Main Campus, and one incident of fondling were made at Downtown Campus. Leonard Flaum, director of the UTSA Equal Opportunity Services (EOS) and Title IX coordinator, said more students are going to EOS to report sexual violence since the #MeToo movement. “The majority of students that come to us, they are not coming to us to use

“The majority of students that come to us, they are not coming to us to use our process to find someone responsible. They are coming to us to get assistance so they can succeed in school, because the majority of our sexual violence issues don’t occur on campus, and the perpetrator is not a student.” - Leonard Flaum Director of EOS

our process to find someone responsible,” Flaum said. “They are coming to us to get assistance so they can succeed in school, because the majority of our sexual violence issues don’t occur on campus, and the perpetrator is not a student.” Any student who has been assaulted —on or off campus—can go to the EOS and Title IX office for services. “That can be in the form of academic relief, meaning that if the student has to miss classes because of what happened or they have to have medical appointments, court dates, if psychologically they are having difficulty concentrating on their school work, they can come to us,” said Flaum. Continued on page 2 See “EOS assists students”

Supreme Court Justice visits UTSA By Isaac Serna Editor-in-chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s inspirational account of her life elicited applause throughout her presentation to the UTSA community, but when President Taylor Eighmy said, “She is the first Latina to sit on the high bench,” the audience began cheering. “That gives me goosebumps, and I’m already noticing that some of you have tears,” Eighmy said to the standing room only audience. Sotomayor was familiar with San Antonio warm welcomes. She recounted a moment during the launch of her book “My Beloved” when she knew she had to visit the city. “When I was in Austin, busloads of people came to see me from San Antonio. I was so deeply touched that people did that, I made a promise,” Sotomayor said. “I told them the next time I came to Texas, San Antonio would be my first stop.” Sotomayor accepted UTSA’s longstanding invitation to visit the campus. Her request to visit was described by Eighmy as, “the easiest question I’ve ever got in my life.” Sotomayor addressed the roughly 500 UTSA students, faculty, staff and community leaders who packed the Retama Auditorium Thursday. She walked the aisles as she answered questions, patting shoulders and shaking the hands of audience members. Before she began her presentation, she visited with another 500 persons in the overflow room. Sotomayor exemplified what UTSA

Gaige Davila/The Paisano

Supreme court justice Sonia Sotomayor high fives UTSA president Taylor Eighmy.

advocates and supports: a first-generation Hispanic graduate who reached success through perseverance. “It’s okay to say you’re not as smart as someone else. It’s not okay to say you don’t work as hard as someone else,” Sotomayor said. “Perseverance can overcome a lot of things. “I lived my life goal to goal. I started with ‘I’m going to be a lawyer,’ and ‘someday, I’m going to be a judge,’” Sotomayor said. “The first thing I had to do was go to college, and I had to finish college because no one in my family had ever finished college.” Sotomayor credited her desire for higher education to her mother, whose determination to get an education began when she was young girl in Puerto Rico and observed students leaving the

Gaige Davila/The Paisano

college that was near her home. Her mother later joined the military and moved to the U.S. The dream followed her. Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1976 and earned her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor at the Yale Law Journal. She described her approach to school candidly. “I studied as hard as I could,” Sotomayor said. “I went to get help in studying because I didn’t write English well. I had a professor who helped me learn how to write English well and I did all that I needed to do to become a top student.” Among the audience members were Continued on page 2 See “Sotomayor speaks”

J A N U A RY 30 - F E B R U A RY 6, 2017

UTSA UTSA President Taylor Eighmy announced two new initiatives: the Initiative on Diversity and Inclusion and Campus Climate Conversations, on Jan. 24. The Initiative on Diversity and Inclusion will work toward creating opportunities for students, faculty and staff to discuss issues related to creating an inclusive environment. The Campus Climate Conversations initiative is an effort to raise issues involving the climate for underrepresented groups at UTSA.

Texas At least 48 LGBTQ candidates are running for Texas offices this year. This number is three times more than any other election cycle in state history. Candidates and experts think the proposed bathroom bill, which was not passed, is the cause for the rapid increase in LGBTQ candidates running for office.

Sotomayor speaks EOS assists students Continued from Page 1 Continued from Page 1 UTSA professors whose message to their students does not veer far from Sotomayor’s. “I think it’s great to have a person who has a similar Hispanic background that inspires students to achieve their goals by showing them you don’t necessarily need to know where you’ll be at the end,” politics and law professor Javier Oliva said. “If you go one step at a time with your preliminary goals, you will be accomplished.” Nine students were selected to ask Sotomayor a question. For some, it was personal. Terralyn Wilburn commented on a challenge she and Sotomayor shared. “I have prediabetes, so I was interested in how (Sotomayor) lives with hers and maintains it,” Wilburn said. Sotomayor addressed a range of personal issues such as her father’s battle with alcoholism, her own womanhood and her Latina background. State Representative Diego Bernal was impressed with

Sotomayor’s connection with the audience. “I’m here as an admirer,” Bernal said. “You rarely get opportunities like this. I was just surprised to see her. She was so accessible and down to earth. “When the president was just talking about her before she came out, the response of the students and the crowd was the appropriate measure; that was the right metric. It obviously meant so much to the students here.” After Sotomayor’s speech, Eighmy presented her with a UTSA first-generation-college T-shirt, which Sotomayor said she’d wear with pride. Sotomayor reminded students they are at the university to learn. She asks herself each day two questions: What did I learn? Did I do something nice for someone? “I really do believe that the only way to grow is to learn and to use that learning in some way to make a contribution, and where that takes you is a lot farther than where you started,” Sotomayor said.

U.S. Florida police officers accused of using excessive force are claiming protection under the state’s “stand your ground” law. The law, passed in 2005, was meant to allow citizens to defend themselves without fear of legal repercussions. The use of the law to protect police officers is highly criticized. Out of all U.S. states that have a similar law, Florida is the only one that has used it to protect the police.

The EOS will contact faculty to ensure that students who are victims of sexual assault do not suffer academically. The University’s Title IX process is used to investigate student-on-student incidents to determine if the assault occured and, if so, to hold the assaulter responsible. “Sexual violence is considered a form of sexual harassment. The university has a sexual harassment policy: under the sexual harassment policy, we can find someone responsible, and then that student would be sent to student conduct,” said Flaum. For student-on-student incidents, the first part of the investigation is getting the story from the victim. The next step is getting the story of the accused, giving him or her a charge letter and giving him or her the opportunity to respond to the accusation. “Both students can submit evidence and provide us with witnesses. We’ll interview those witnesses, and we’ll take all of that information, and we then make a determination using a preponderance of evidence standard,” said Flaum. The preponderance of evidence standard has been used in investigating sexual assault cases at UTSA since 2011. Once the EOS makes a determination, the accused is referred to the Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS) and is placed in front of a review board who reviews the EOS investigation. The accused has the option of accepting responsibility for the charge or electing a hearing

“We have a very good support system here on campus; faculty, staff, the advising center, all of those offices work with us to assist our students” - Leonard Flaum Director of EOS where the evidence is presented to a hearing officer. The EOS can take measures to separate the students to ensure the accused does not come in contact with the victim during the investigation. “We still have to give all our students due process, so the person that is accused still has rights, so yes we’ll take them out of the classroom, but what we’ll do is we’ll arrange with the faculty member a way for them to complete the course work.” UTSA police responds to sexual assault that occurs on campus and will help students report assault to the San Antonio Police Department if the incident happens off campus. UTSA police can also transport students to the hospital for an exam and contact the Rape Crisis Center to assist students who have been assaulted off campus. “We have a very good support system here on campus; faculty, staff, the advising center, all of those offices work with us to assist our students,” said Flaum. Students seeking help, contact the EOS and Title IX Office in the North Paseo Building 5.130 or visit their website, utsa.edu/ eos, for more information.

Career fairs come to campus

World Protests occurred in cities throughout Russia on Sunday due to the lack of choice in their upcoming March election. The lack of choice would ensure Vladimir V. Putin a fourth term as president. Aleksei A. Navalny, the anticorruption opposition leader, orchestrated the protests and was detained and charged with organizing an illegal gathering. 240 other protesters across Russia were also detained. Navalny was barred from running in this election due to his arrest for protesting last June.

Business Original negotiations between the U.S., Canada and Mexico regarding NAFTA were supposed to be done by the end of 2017. The deadline was then extended to the current deadline of March 3. However, the negotiations of important issues, such as those that affect the auto industry, have not progressed much and may extend into 2019. Prolonging negotiations may influence elections in Mexico and the U.S.

Students and employers fill the walkway and pitch themselves at a previous UTSA career fair.

By Samuel DeLeon Co-News Editor For the past 20 years, the UTSA Career Center has held two of the most popular events on campus: the STEM Career Fair and the All Majors Internship and Career Fair. This semester, 66 employers have registered for the STEM fair, and 100 employers have registered for the All Majors fair. On Feb. 8, UTSA’s Convocation Center will hold the STEM fair from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the All Majors fair from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students are asked to download the Career Fair Plus app to see the various employers registered and view the location of each employer’s booth inside the Convocation Center. “Both career fairs are great opportunities for students to meet employer representatives, network, get ideas about internships and careers and apply for jobs,” said Program Manager of the University Career Center Morris Ellington said. “(Students) can expect a very busy, fast paced environment with the many employers present.” The career fairs are designed to be the premier networking event for the university and require all

students to come in professional dress. This semester, the Career Center is putting an emphasis on its use of the Career Fair Plus app. The app comes with event info, a map of the fair, a list of employers attending the fair, contact information for the fair organizers and a “Career Fair 101” checklist of recommended preparation tips for students attending the event. “The app can be found by doing a search at either Apple (App Store) or Google (App Store) for Career Fair Plus,” said Ellington. “It also provides detailed information on every employer, majors sought, positions available and much more.” Preparation before the fair is necessary to make the most of the experience. Some students prepare weeks in advance to memorize their elevator pitches and rewrite their resumes several times. “I had several people review and critique my résumé about a week before the fair,” said senior management science major Erica Perez. “The night before the career fair, I practiced my elevator speech and printed out copies of job descriptions which interested me the most.” Senior cyber security major Devon Gorse said, “To prepare, I

made sure I had an up-to-date résumé, as well as an idea of what my interests were. Researching the companies I was interested in was helpful as well, as it helped show some initiative and overall interest in their company and its values.” The career fair is not exclusively for seniors; people of every education level and classification can benefit from attending. Ellington suggests young visitors attend to begin career planning and discover potential career paths. The result of attending is the opportunity to explore potential career paths or find employment through an internship or full-time job offer. “An open mind and a willingness to learn and talk to professionals allowed me to make some networking connections and later got me a summer internship,” Gorse said. “I think a lot of students don’t realize that some recruiters just want a normal human interaction, much like us. Professionalism is important, but being able to express your skills in a relatable way has allowed me to be successful in getting an internship and later a job.” Perez said the fair was, “A very beneficial experience. Recruiters were very kind and helpful. Ultimately, I was able to receive

Photo Courtesy of UTSA

two interviews which resulted in full-time offers upon graduation.” The Career Center recommends attending one or more of their career fair prep workshops, which run Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. The full workshop schedule can be found on careercenter.utsa. edu/handshake-login if students conduct an event search. The career fair is an opportunity for students to make impressions, but Ellington reminds students to follow-up with company recruiters. “Often times, recruiters will schedule interviews with people they meet at a career fair,” Ellington said. “If so, students need to show up for the interview! Most employers have a no-tolerance policy towards no-shows.” The success of a student experience at the career fair relies on their ability to relax, show confidence and make a connection with people. Gorse suggests students, “Find a healthy mix of professionalism and relatability. You’ll find it easier to sell your skills and experience if you are true to your interests.”

J A N U A RY 3 0 - FEBR U ARY 6 , 2017

Roadrunner Café expands menu options amidst student complaints

Kenyatta Battle/The Paisano

Left to Right: Roadrunner Café allows students to voice their concerns on napkins and post it on their Napkin Talk’ bulletin board. Students wait in line at The Roadrunner café, the on-campus dining facility for UTSA.

By Kenyatta Battle Editor-in-chief’s Assistant In response to student complaints, the Roadrunner Café added new features over winter break, including a panini press, more non-carbonated drink options and more desserts. “Changes occur on regular basis to best meet needs and request of students,” Director of Services Burt Reynolds said. “‘Napkin Talk’ provides an invaluable medium for interaction, with menu additions and changes frequently occurring as a result of this feedback.” A few students said they enjoy the Roadrunner Café overall because of its convenience and the employees’ courtesy. However, they also felt the recent changes to the Roadrunner Café did not help to fix the problem. Maria Cardenas Cardona, junior psychology major and resident assistant at Chisholm Hall said, “The problem with the café is they serve the same thing over and over, and sometimes they make it worse. “So, by adding new sodas, they are not addressing the

real problem.” Cardona further suggested that the café add more fruit and improve the salad area. Angela De La Cruz, a sophomore art major and resident assistant at Chisholm Hall, who claims she was a victim of food poisoning from the Roadrunner Café on several occasions, also expressed her frustration with the café and said the new appliances and amenities did not fix the problem. “I wish the time and effort they used on getting a new machine was put into possibly fixing some of the ways they store the food or the quality of the food,” she said. “As a victim of food poisoning, the best thing to hear is not we have new drinks.” Several students believe UTSA’s administration should hire a new caterer, or at least have a trial run with other caterers once the Aramark, UTSA’s current food service provider, contract ends in 2020. “The caterer must be the problem because the food is not good,” Braylon Fox Smith, freshman science major, said. “It’s on UTSA’s administrators to make sure students are getting what they deserve. I have heard more bad things than good things (about Aramark), so maybe it’s

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time to try something new.” Sophomore finance major Brysen Streeter expressed his frustration with the UTSA administration’s lack of transparency with students. “UTSA should do what is best for students. The student should have a choice of what food we eat. I feel like (UTSA administrators) should tell us what plans are available or talk with student’s representatives to see what is best,” Streeter said. “They are not eating the food. We are! And we should be able to decide what we want. We give them our money and I feel like for us to get basically prison food is not fair. I want them to eat the food for a whole month straight and see how they feel.” Herbert Ganey, director of the Student Union, explained that students must take the initiative to see changes at the Roadrunner Café. “It’s the students voice that is ultimately going to be the thing that guides this process,” Ganey said. “The students have to be the ones to say ‘we need some improvement.’” Ganey said other food service provider options for UTSA are Sodexo, Chartwells, Bon Appetit Management Company and others.

Your Spiritual and Creative Potentials

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J an u ar y 30 - F e bru ar y 6, 2018

4 | editor@paisano-online.com

opinion Sotomayor’s wide approval is worth exploring Editorial UTSA’s high profile visit from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor moved the audience. Her can-do advice was inspiring, as was her humble background. Unfortunately, only students selected before the presentation were permitted to ask Sotomayor a question. The personal questions were interesting, but UTSA students missed the opportunity to ask Sotomayor more substantive questions. Of course, questions about cases before the court would be inappropriate, but questions related to the judicial process would be permissible. For example the Paisano would have liked to have asked this question: You’ve enjoyed wide approval as a federal judge; you were appointed to the U.S. district court by George H. W. Bush. before your Supreme Court appointment by Barack Obama. Why do you think both parties had faith in you? Sotomayor’s wide approval is remarkable in light of the past party contention over U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil

Gorsuch’s appointment. The Senate Republicans’ unprecedented refusal to give Obama’s appointment Merrick B. Garland and the Democrats’ opposition of Gorsuch’s confirmation spotlight the conflict between parties concerning Supreme Court appointments. The Supreme Court is the final judge in all cases involving laws of Congress and the Constitution. Its impactful rulings have political consequences, but they’re not politically motivated. Sotomayor’s balanced appointment history is ideal because, at least on paper, it demonstrates Congress’ confidence in her neutrality and her ability to apply the law in respect to the Constitution. Sotomayor’s impressive accolades and personal achievements mesmerized her UTSA audience, but the opportunity to hear about the confirmation process from a justice appointed by both sides would have been valuable. Sotomayor isn’t your average celebrity, she is the 111th person to sit on the Supreme Court. Her life is inspirational, but there’s more to learn from her. Substantive questions would be a nice compliment and certainly appropriate for a university community.

Fake woke, real woke

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited UTSA on Jan. 25, 2018.

Gaige Davila/The Paisano

The Paisano The Independent Student Newspaper for the UTSA Community

Commentary

By Kimiya Factory Staff Writer Woke. The four letter word of 2017, made famous in Childish Gambino’s hit song Redbone. “Staying Woke” has become a wave everyone wants to get on. But really, what defines being or staying “woke?” Most believe woke is being “in the know” or pushing the parameters of mainstream knowledge and manifesting one’s own opinion. Ongoing debates and theories such as Kimberly Crenshaw’s Intersectionality or Frank Wilderson’s Afro-pessimism are topics a self-proclaimed woke person considers credible. Though I am aware of those topics and others that follow, I hate to rain on the parade of the woke ones reading this article—but it’s about to storm. Everyone ready? Obnoxious laptop stickers with the aim to ruffle feathers and well-versed clapbacks to racist tweets on Twitter does not make you woke. As someone who polices racist Twitter trolls and who has an obnoxious laptop sticker, I am in no way

tooting my own horn. However, I find it appalling that with world at our fingertips, the effort put forth for social change ends at our fingertips. Everyone wants to claim the word woke, but where the hell is the action? As college students with debt up to our ears and dreams we chase every day in 9 a.m. classes, what do we really have to lose? College students’ civic engagement pales in comparison to that in the ‘60s. They participated in freedom rides and sit-ins all for a greater good, which the generations to follow seemed to have forgotten. It is easy to identify a racist or a homophobe, but what are you going to do about it? Becoming truly woke is the answer. I’m going to redefine woke for anyone who reads this and is willing to start over: woke is the act of acting, not tweeting about acting. Woke is going to your nearest lower income area, getting your hands dirty by planting a tree or becoming a part of children’s lives who yearn to be woke, too. Woke is smiling at someone who looks like they’re having a rough day or implementing the theories you admire into your everyday life, not just being aware of them. Woke is confronting the worker in the grocery store who follows you around because you happen to have brown skin and are on your way to purchase whatever is in your hand. So let’s be woke and not let the blood, sweat and tears of the past be shed in vain.

Have Something to say? Write a letter to the Editor! Send your letters to Editor@paisano-online.com

No fam’ is an island Commentary

By Justice Lovin Senior Copy Editor On Jan. 14, police arrested David and Louise Turpin after their 17-year-old daughter escaped from the house where she and her 12 siblings were confined. While people around the country have rightfully responded with horrified condemnation, much of the horror ends prematurely, critiquing the particular situation without acknowledging the social and material conditions

that produced it. Specifically, the Turpins were able to go unnoticed because they pulled their school-aged children out of public school and instead homeschooled them without any apparent oversight. The Turpins were further enabled by the distance they maintained from their neighbors. The underlying horror of these events is that it could happen without anyone noticing, and that is only possible because of the increasing atomization of our society, that is, the tendency to see ourselves as separate individuals rather than interdependent members of a collective. It was by removing themselves from society at large, opting out of public schools and isolating themselves from their neighbors, that the Turpins were able to do what they did.

There is, after all, no such thing as a true individual. Even archetypical American individualists, such as Thoreau or Christopher McCandless, have been dependent upon the kindness of others. We are all dependent upon others. Not one of us built the roads we drive on or grew the food we eat. Every benefit and privilege we enjoy can be in some way attributed to the work we collectively do for one another. Individuality is not a quality people have, but rather it is a way of relating to others. You cannot be an individual without being distinct within some group. Individuality within the collective builds upon your cultural identity. Individuality apart from the community erases the culture that identity is built upon.

The movement towards atomization must be understood to be combated, and it can only be understood in its political and economic contexts. The logic of capitalism says each of us makes a discrete individual contribution and that it is the contribution that matters, leaving the people who contribute to be treated as nothing more than interchangeable parts within the economy; it values us according to our capacity to work. Capitalism sells us individuality as though it is freedom but actually undermines freedom by making us precarious, unable to assert ourselves against a power structure that controls our access to the things we need—food, housing, medicine; everything. Combating atomization requires us to build stronger

communities, and we can do that by pushing back capitalism and privatization. That means providing all children with the education they are guaranteed and further guaranteeing access to healthcare not just for children but for everyone. If the members of this family, parents and children alike, had been seeing a doctor even once a year this never could have happened. Having strong communities does not merely prevent harm as it would have in the case of the Turpins; strong communities also provide support for everyone within them and recognize the value of people as people, not just for their ability to do work.

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editor@paisano-online.com | 5

San Antonio: the (big) little city that could

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Commentary

By Mackenzie Dyer Staff Writer San Antonio’s future is bright. In 2016, the city was listed by The Huffington Post as one of the five most underrated cities in the United States along with places like Pittsburg, Birmingham, Raleigh and Salt Lake City. The Huffington Post report, which gathered information

from a Condé Nast “Traveler,” ranked San Antonio as number three on the list. It included the Briscoe Western Art Museum, the Pearl Brewery Complex, the Spanish Colonial Missions and Hotel Emma as a few of the many exciting destinations that are propelling San Antonio’s fame as a “destination city.” San Antonio’s progress has been evident in recent years and is something I find highly accredited to its growing millennial population. From chic coffee shops to the Alamo to an expanse of outdoor activities, San Antonio’s attributes encompass much of what a big city has to offer and yet maintain a small-town feel. In comparison to its large, friendly and also densely

millennial-populated neighbor Austin, San Antonio’s story is an unfolding one, infused with history and authenticity. As a native Houstonian, I had not thought much about spending time in our good ‘ole Alamo City until moving here this past August. I discovered that San Antonio is indeed a city that’s true to its rich culture. So, in the kindest wording possible: move over Austin, San Antonio is where it’s really at. Following my comparison of the two cities themselves, The University of Texas at San Antonio is frequently viewed as a secondary option to The University at Austin for those seeking higher education. Despite this, I find there to be more equality amongst these

Commentary

By Brandon Armstead Assistant Web Editor This month, the controversial whistleblower Chelsea Manning announced her run for the United States Senate for the state of Maryland. The former army private was found guilty of leaking 700,000 classified military documents and videos to Wikileaks, where sensitive government related information is dumped. It was the largest leak in U.S. military history. She was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 35 years in prison, during the last days of Barack Obama’s presidency, he commuted Manning’s sentence. Manning’s reason for disclosing the documents according to ABC was “to spark public debate… she didn’t think leaking them would threaten national security.” Similar to how the Pentagon Papers released during the Vietnam War changed public opinion, Manning wanted to release information to change perceptions about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, in this cyber age, information is vital. Foreign nations and organizations opposed to the U.S. could have potentially used that information to their advantage. The documents leaked contained names, battlefield reports and diplomatic correspondence. I question if the former

visitors. The Pearl Brewery Complex is the epitome of repurposing a historic site into a modern-day mix of high-end retail ventures that cater to all ages. It’s no wonder why San Antonio ranks as the most popular location for conventions nationwide according to a 2016 Smart Meetings article. As specific locations and lifestyles cater to different people, one city or school is no better than the other at the end of the day. I only wish to say I am not alone when I feel San Antonio deserves more recognition than it gets. Go Spurs Go, Birds Up and remember the Alamo, y’all.

The Paisano

Great, another unqualified politician intelligence analyst can be trusted with top secret information after her seven years in prison. Obama did not pardon her sentence but commuted it. In other words she wasn’t forgiven for her actions, she no longer had to serve the rest of her prison sentence. I am not a fan of Chelsea Manning running for office. Not only is the former army private’s history with classified documents dubious, but she also lacks any governing experience. Ever since the election of Donald Trump, people have come out of the woodwork believing all you need in order to govern is fame. Earlier this month, after a powerful speech by Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globes, it was suggested Winfrey run for the 2020 presidential election. Ultimately, she said, “it’s not something that interests me. I don’t have the DNA for it.” And this is exactly the point. Some people are not fit for the job, not because of their race, gender or politics, but because they lack the qualifications to make a competent political leader. We have grown so distrustful of politicians that we’d rather elect someone on television or Twitter than someone in a law office. Why not promote the Ron Paul and Bernie Sander types? There are many adequate candidates with experiential knowledge about the government. Yet, in an era of mass surveillance, a powerful military industrial complex and an overall discouragement of whistleblowers, people’s faith in the institutions of “old” have withered. The general public look to cure the decrepit system by taking a gamble on a political outsider. For better or worse this is where we stand as a society.

institutions than is readily apparent. Although the Austin campus is the flagship of the University of Texas System, which in turn makes it larger, more established and more difficult to be admitted to, the San Antonio campus offers lessexpensive tuition, significantly better financial aid and a more diverse, authentic community. No other city offers such an expansive palette of history and modern amenities as does San Antonio: it is home to the iconic Alamo, within whose walls lie the stories of epic Texas heroics. Only here can one find the best breakfast tacos, a gateway to the beautiful Texas Hill Country and the Riverwalk—a delight that winds through the heart of the city beckoning year-round

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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 © 2017, 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.

J an u ar y 30 - F e bru ar y 6, 2018

6 | arts@paisano-online.com

Arts & Life Ciudad, A Crecer: Break a leg

By Enrique Bonilla Arts & Life Editor

Theaters revived breathe new life into the arts community.

aried in design, history and audience, theaters have long been a part of San Antonio’s cultural history. These staples in our community tell stories through their architectural design, their programs and the audiences. Each theater birthed in very different circumstances and with different social ideals for their time; segregation was once a part of the theater community in San Antonio–a very sad part. 90 years ago you could see stark seperation in communities. Things have changed however. Our community celebrating the tricentennial and Dreamweek 2018 was a sign that our community is becoming more inclusive. 3-D movies have replaced dramas and operas in the mainstream and the word “theater” is understood as the place where you overpay to see a film. People of all backgrounds can use the theater as a place to share culture. As the city continues to grow and new audiences meet old cultures, one can see the theater adapt to the change. These theaters of yesterday offer a different experience than the smaller 200 cap rooms you’ll find most local bands or productions playing on a Friday evening.

Chase Otero/The Paisano

Top: Backstage at the youth production of The Lion King. Bottom: An intense staredown backstage.

Theaters are a unique part of our performance arts community. These places serve as a launching pad and incubator for creative minds to work together and grow. They create dialogues about issues affecting society through their programming. They impact youth community engagement and bring out those traits in future showbiz superstars. They signify a healthy economy with diverse communities that can afford pricier entertainment. Some theaters in our community have really stepped up recently to show their adaptation to this shifting city. In the Deco District you’ll find indicators of a theater and its staff adapting to a growing city. The Woodlawn Theatre, built in 1946, once hosted the premiere of “The Alamo” starring John Wayne and has seen many changes of ownership. In 2012 it was remade as a non-profit organization whose original purpose was to offer musical productions. As the city has grown in the past six years, the theater has come quite a ways including various kids-programs, work opportunities for acting/dancing/ singing teachers and art shows to aid growth. “One of the big things here is if a kid comes and wants to take classes, we’ll find a way to make it work for them. Every kid needs some sort of outlet, and if they

have a passion for theater, we wanna make sure we nurture that,” says Christopher Rodriguez, executive/artistic director for the Woodlawn. Through a small tuition, scholarships and volunteers, the kids’ program molds to the child working on their talent and the Woodlawn caters to specific areas. “What’s great with the kids program is, originally, we had kids just doing the shows–which is great, but we were also getting requests for ‘my kids just wants to take an acting lesson’ or ‘just a dancing lesson.’” Through their Leg Up program, Tuesdays through Saturdays, actors from the community teach private acting or dancing lessons and Woodlawn staff share their passion with future thespians. Woodlawn staff also visit local schools for their Performance Outreach Program or P.O.P. to train actors after school to put on a production at the end of their semester. All Woodlawn actors and musicians, volunteers who are part of the staff, work anywhere from seven to ten at night for five to six weeks of rehearsing to produce six mainstage musicals. This year the Woodlawn adds the element of art to their programming by converting their front lounge to an art space for post-show socials. Every production will also host pride nights where tickets are sold for $24 with the code PRIDE that includes preBy Aurelio Minesinger Staff Writer

The art lover’s guide to February’s first friday.

Ana Hernandez Burwell in her studio.

Aurelio Minesinger/The Paisano

If on Feb. 2 you find yourself weaving through the bustling crowds of Blue Star complex or along the crowded sidewalks of South Presa and South St. Mary’s, you will come across some very unique galleries and art openings that will be celebrating San Antonio’s Tricentennial. The First Friday of the month will mark the opening of some very special shows to the public. Chiefly, Blue Star Art Museum will be hosting the opening of the second segment of Common Currents, a group exhibit organized by the Tricentennial Commission, consisting of 300 artists and marking the 300th anniversary of San Antonio’s establishment as a city. Common Currents will feature work from prominent UTSA alumni, as well as current UTSA MFA candidates and undergraduates. Among those whose work will be displayed at this

Column

show socials with complimentary food from Luther’s Cafe. They will also host college nights with complimentary food shows for $10 with a student ID. The Woodlawn can see the community changing, and with patrons of all socioeconomic backgrounds, they’re adapting to change in the city. A few miles away in the heart of downtown you’ll find the Aztec theater. The theater has seen many faces, been saved from demolition in the past and is recognized as the only surviving example of a Meso-American Revival style theatre. It has seen the days of vaudeville, was used as a large-format movie theater and was reopened in 2015 as part of Live Nation, a publicly traded live entertainment company that gave a new breath of life to the old theater through music and other live entertainment. Theaters and venues with capacities like the Aztec Theatre, Majestic Theatre or Tobin Center seat anywhere from 1,500 to around 2,500, making them the happy medium because they allow for more ticket sales. However, the Aztec is also the only theater in the San Antonio market whose layout allows for a full general admission standing room. This capacity and layout is important because it makes entertainment from more mainstream acts accessible. Artists and managers recognize this as a place where they can still get their guarantees without selling out too quickly, but not have to worry about filling a room like the AT&T Center and have the audience standing room experience they want their artists to have. “On one hand we saw our role as helping the market grow as a whole. Before the Aztec was returned to a musical venue you really had to think where is a show like Built To Spill and the Afghan Whigs or Social Distortion–where are these artists gonna play once they’ve reached a place in their music career where they can sell out Paper Tiger and sell 750 tickets easy?” asked Libby Day, Marketing Manager for Live Nation at the Aztec. “Being owned and operated by Live Nation has also given us the chance to bring artists to San Antonio who have never played here before and has helped with the radius clause issue that we used to see with Austin. You know you’d see a band stop in Dallas, Houston and Austin, but they wouldn’t come to San Antonio because we’re 60 miles from Austin and that’s within the 100 mile radius clause, but because Live Nation has a heavy hand in tour routing, this allows us to bring artists who otherwise would not due to some contractual issues.” The market for entertainment in San Antonio is growing at an immensely fast rate. This means that in order to keep the building alive for this caliber of entertainment, the Aztec has had to change to adapt. Samuel Panchevre, local developer and owner of the Aztec plans to add four floors of office space into a 55-room hotel with a restaurant and terrace. Originally plans had been drafted in 2015 for more affordable housing in the same space, but due to the onerous property taxes, as Panchevre described it will be turned to a boutique hotel to offset the cost. Panchevre recently stated on a MySA article that, “it’s really, really hard for us to make the numbers work when we have to pay taxes on the building like that.” Running a theater is expensive. Similarly, a common complaint is that the Aztec caters to a certain income bracket, but it’s not cheap to bring acts such as Marilyn Manson or Miguel to San Antonio. The majority of ticket sales go to the artists and Ticketmaster fees go to Ticketmaster. Those ancillary revenues like $10 cocktails, VIP upsales or venue merchandise are really the revenues that keep the venue afloat–and nobody wants the liability that is a crowd of people drunk off of $3 tallboys.

Continued on page 6 See “Ciudad” opening is Verena Gaudy, a current MFA candidate at UTSA. Her work will consist of two helmet-like structures with knobs and spikes to represent the conflict between “the Spaniards with their bullets and the Indigenous peoples with their spearheads.” These sculptures, like many of Gaudy’s other works, explore conflict through abstraction. Another MFA candidate at UTSA, Martin C. Rodriguez, will perform at the Blue Star Gallery exhibit opening. The remnants of his performance will be housed in gallery four of the museum, along with its documentation. Another highlight for First Friday this month will be Presa House’s opening for OUR TURN, a show featuring the work of a number of gallery preparators, the “unsung blue-collar individuals who traditionally work behind the scenes installing

the alternating artworks and exhibits found in museums, galleries and other art venues.” The showcase will contain work from a number of UTSA alumni and students. Among them are John Dalton Atkins, whose work looks at connections and hyperbolic arrangements; Rhys Munro, a painter inspired by architecture and cubism; and Ana Hernandez Burwell, a muralist and painter who draws influence from her work as a gallery preparator and from the world around her. The list is extensive and each participating artist was asked to submit one new work, so there will be plenty to see. Ultimately, this First Friday will be the kick off to an exciting month and a strong predecessor to CAM, or Contemporary Art Month, another highly anticipated event during the month of March here in San Antonio.

J a nu a r y 3 0 - Febru ar y 6, 2018

arts@paisano-online.com | 7

Manifestations from the black mirror John McFadden presents the art that lives in social media.

By combining his personal social media timeline, cell phone photography and online advertising amongst other sources, John Mcfadden manifests his thoughts using vinyl lettering, digital banners and lots of gold streamers. The work is “centered on connection, be it between imagery, text, found and massproduced objects, I seek to create narrative contingencies by linking information,” McFadden said. His exhibition, “Doesn’t Have a Clue” debuts on Thursday, Feb. 1, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Terminal 136. McFadden is currently an assistant professor of printmaking, at the University of Kentucky. A Texas State University graduate with a BFA in printmaking, and a

Ciudad

BA in French, he later received his MFA in printmaking from Edinburgh College of Art in the UK. As a Houston native, McFadden is very conscious of the space that he uses. “I design each of my installations to be specific to the space I’m showing it in, so while I may recycle imagery and text, I won’t present it in the exact same way in my next exhibition. The work is something that is constantly in flux and I think it makes each exhibition more of an experience… overall, the gallery creates an experience versus a space where you would walk from one piece to another,” he said. This copy and the art is largely taken from and influenced by social media posts, cell phone photography and online advertising,

Continued from page 6

Along with adapting to change financially, new events like KSYM’s Band Merch Night hosted by Jeanette Muñiz this past weekend. Here, the audience could support 40 bands invited to sell their merch and also catch some local music on the Aztec stage signifying more local art involvement for the venue. This is rare as most touring acts cannot allow local bands on the bill unless their ticket quotas are met. As the theatre grows and more people recognize the value of investing in entertainment and culture, more local artists will be able to use the Aztec as a launching pad for their endeavors because they will be able to say to that touring manager, “yes, we can sell 500 tickets.” The more we can train ourselves as a community to not expect cheap entertainment we’ll see people attending more local shows because if a show at the Aztec is $35 with $10 cocktails and people are willing to go, then they won’t bat an eyelash when it comes to $10 local shows with $5 beer+shot combo. Day puts it in perspective by explaining that, “the Aztec does take a brunt of that negative patron experience where people are complaining about prices, but the way I look at negative feedback is benefit to the community and market

Left: Courtesy of Oscar Moreno Right: [MS 355], [Z-1215-B], UTSA Special Collections

The Weekend Feb

Creative Creatures: Broken Hearts Club/ Free 6 -11 p.m. Creative Creatures

Artists present works inspired by songs they identify with heartbreak.

Topo Chica / Free 9 p.m. El Luchador Dreamy punk locals alongside UNIT, Lloronas, and True Indigo. Magik Reader’s Theatre Book Drive / Free 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Magik Theatre

Reeadings of stories of Hispanic heritage featuring Diana Lopez who will be reading an excerpt from her book–and critically acclaimed movie–Coco.

Chocolate Fest / Free 12 p.m. Market Square Food booths, working artists, specialty vendors, and entertainment out on the plaza. Black Market Days: Arts, Crafts & Karaoke / Free 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Victoria’s Black Swan Inn

Collection of eclectic and spiritual vendors including henna and body art, alongsode karaoke performance.

To feature your event in “The Weekend” email the arts editor at arts@paisano-online.com

Staff Writer

to name a few. “From the sourced information, look for connections between the objects and information seeking out what is real and a facsimile.” So while social media is a continuous stream of snapshots into people’s lives, McFadden searches for something deeper, and uses what he finds on his social media accounts in his installations. For instance, the title of the Exhibition comes from a comment that McFadden saw on Facebook. Initially, McFadden used imagery and text from news articles that he found on Facebook. McFadden then expanded on this, rather than just using articles found on Facebook, he started to use people’s comments on Facebook in regard to the articles. According to McFadden, “it was a natural

as whole when you have more people that are willing to spend money. It’s not called the live music scene; it’s called the live music business. It’s a business. It has to be. If not the artists don’t get paid, the promoters don’t get paid, the booking agents don’t get paid, and then nobody wants to do it anymore. So the more we encourage patrons guest and fans as whole to really put their money where their mouth is the more artists that people want to come to San Antonio actually will.” As the city changes we can see some venues stepping up as places for dialogue. The Guadalupe Theater focuses on a place where Latino culture is preserved through art, dance, music, theater and symposiums. They recently held a lecture over the Santa Muerte: A Folk Saint In Texas film which includes Malgorzata Oleszkiewicz-Peralba, Ph.D. professor of Latin American Literary and Cultural Studies at the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures for UTSA. The small capacity theater which is part of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (GCAC) also serves as an academy of the arts serving the underserved in our community. It is recognized as one of the prominent educational programs for traditional and contemporary Latino art forms in San Antonio. As we see theaters stepping up to face new challenges in the growing city, it’s also important we recognize those theaters who are making a comeback during SA’s influx of development. The Alameda on the west side

Left: A full house for Chevelle at The Aztec Theatre. Right: The historic Alameda Theatre circa 1955.

By Devin DeLeon progression to then start using peoples comments to the posts and then looking at posts made to different groups including myneighborhood association’s Facebook page.” His inspiration is digital output we organically create. He draws from “social media, especially the comment culture that exists on Facebook and Twitter. I (even) keep a folder on my computer full of screenshots of posts, comments, and imagery that I think might work in an installation or print.” “Doesn’t Have a Clue” will be available for viewing, hashtagging, and boomeranging until Feb. 17. See a preview of “Doesn’t Have A Clue” on our instagram: @paisanomedia

was recently approved for a $9.2 million preservation and development alongside partners at Texas Public Radio, Bexar County and La Familia Cortez Restaurants. The Alameda was constructed in post-WWII prosperity where people of color on the west side would arrive in their sunday best with shined shoes and new vestidos to watch acts like Vicente Fernandez and Cantinflas. It’s Mexican influenced design also shows the pride of the Chicano community of the 1940s and 50s. Sadly, the Texas hasn’t joined this current conversation of theater development. You’ll find what remains of the Texas downtown: it’s 91 year old facade jutting from the the Republic Bank building. We all play a part in this community of arts and culture. Whether you’re in line at the Majestic or the Empire to see La La Land or The Color Purple, maybe your daughter is pulling the curtain behind the scenes at the Woodlawn for the Lion King, perhaps you’re stage diving at the Aztec to Exodus, or admiring the beauty of the tiled Alameda box office you breathe life to these places by engaging them. And these places breathe life back into our communities. The story is not over. Readers are encouraged to not only attend these productions, but get involved in these spaces. Act. Stage manage. Play music. Write a play. Join the Lyric Theatre here on campus if you are eligible. You are all part of this conversation and have a chance to write your story into the history of this city’s blooming theater community. Break a leg.

sports@paisano-online.com | 8

J a nu a r y 3 0 - Febru ar y 6, 2018

Sports UTSA baseball on the brink of a new season Where UTSA stands amongst C-USA in the preseason

Former Roadrunner Skyler Valentine swings through the zone.

By Ryan Garza Staff Writer

ith baseball season less than three weeks away, teams around the nation are gearing up for the 2018 season. Southern Mississippi and Rice ran the table in C-USA last season and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament as a result. This season, everyone will be seeking to earn a chance at a conference championship and a shot at getting a tournament bid. Charlotte (2017 Record: 3424, 18-12): Charlotte was one of the few teams in the conference who had a good regular season. However, they weren’t selected for the NCAA tournament even though they were able to notch two wins in the Conference USA Tournament. The 49ers have a handful of key players returning to the team this season including, last season’s All C-USA Freshman Matt Brooks. Florida Atlantic (2017 Record: 35-21-1, 18-12): The Owls finished the regular

Tristan Ipock/The Paisano

season tied with Charlotte for the third best record in the conference, but like most teams in C-USA, they too were left out of the NCAA tournament. One key player to watch is infielder Tyler Frank who some are regarding as a top draft pick this summer. Florida International (2017 Record: 31-27, 15-15): The Panthers managed wins over Miami and Mississippi State last season, but after a disappointing showing in the conference tournament FIU was on the outside looking in. FIU lost three of its best offensive weapons from last season, which means that third baseman Javier Valdes will have some shoes to fill as the teams new offensive leader. Louisiana Tech (2017 Record: 36-20. 17-13): Like conference foe FIU, the Bulldogs had some decent wins over Arkansas and Mississippi State but lost two straight in the CUSA tournament and were left out of the big dance. LA Tech lost eight of their top hitters from last season, so most of the offense will come from new faces this season. Marshall (2017 Record: 2529, 12-18):

Pitcher Cade Bullinger takes his warm-up throws.

Marshall didn’t have a strong year, as they ended the season with a losing record and were only able to win 12 conference games, which kept them from participating in the C-USA Tournament. Offense is what kept the Thundering Herd from being great last season, so look for a strong bullpen and improved offense this season. Middle Tennessee State (2017 Record: 24-31, 10-20): MTSU had a losing record and only ten conference wins, which kept them from participating in the conference tournament and put an end to their dismal 2017 campaign. The pitching is what kept MTSU from being a good team last season, but with a new pitching coach, look for the Blue Raiders to have a rebound year. Old Dominion (2017 Record: 37-21, 19-11): The Monarchs had the secondbest conference record, but they ended up going 1-2 in the conference tournament, which some say is the reason why the 37-win team missed out on a trip to the national tournament. ODU looks poised to make a run at the conference crown with plenty of new players ready to make an impact.

Tristan Ipock/The Paisano

Rice (2017 Record: 33-31, 16-14): Rice started off the year with a 13-15 overall and 4-11 in conference play, but closed out the season on a scorching 14-4 run, eventually becoming C-USA Champions. They ended up all the way in the Regional round but were eliminated by College World Series runner-up LSU. The Owls snuck their way to a championship last season, but can they build off of last season’s success and make another run? Southern Miss (2017 Record: 50-16, 25-5): The Golden Eagles had a 50 win season and had the best record in the conference but lost in bitter fashion to Rice in the conference championship. Southern Miss did just enough to earn themselves a bid in the national tournament but fell just short to Mississippi State in the regionals. Southern Miss lost some key pieces in the pitching staff but expect the offense to keep this team in the mix all season long. UAB (2017 Record: 24-31, 9-21): The Blazers got off to a fast start, going 11-5 to begin the

Former infielder CJ Pickering takes a swing.

season, but the injury-bug bit UAB, and they ended up missing out on the C-USA tournament. After so many injuries hurting the team last season, UAB is hoping for a much healthier 2018. UTSA (2017 Record: 29-28, 15-15): With big wins over Texas Tech and Baylor, the ‘Runners were making a strong push for the conference crown, but facing a tough Southern Miss team in the first round of the conference tournament sent the Roadrunners home early. First baseman Ben Brookover and second baseman Bryan Arias hopes to lead the team offensively while pitcher Steven Dressler will seek to hold down the bullpen. Western Kentucky (2017 Record: 16-39, 6-24): The Hilltoppers had the worst record in the conference last season and are hoping they can turn things around this upcoming season. Ryan Thurston lead the team in strikeouts last season and will look to keep things rolling for the 2018 season.

Tristan Ipock/The Paisano

9 | sports@paisano-online.com

J an u ar y 30 - F e bru aar y 6, 2018

Athlete of the week: Jake McDaniel

Image courtesy of UTSA athletics

Jake McDaniel clears a hurdle.

By Frank Leal Sports Editor After receiving the honor of freshman MVP in his first season as a Roadrunner, UTSA sophomore Jake McDaniel is poised to improve even more this season. The talented decathlete is on the rise and is now a major part of the track & field team. McDaniel hails from Houston, Texas, where he began doing track and field in sixth grade. Despite not enjoying it at first, McDaniel decided to stick with the sport. “I really liked the challenge and how there’s no mastering track & field. You can get faster and faster or jump farther and farther. It’s all based on time or distance,” McDaniel said. McDaniel attended Langham Creek High School, where he competed in the high jump, triple jump and long jump while also competing in a few running events. In his sophomore year of

high school, McDaniel earned the title of district champion in the high jump event en route to being named team MVP. After high school, McDaniel had a tough time choosing where to continue his education and track career; he nearly chose to stay close to home and attend Rice University. “It was tough, but at the end of the day my heart was at UTSA,” McDaniel said. “The school is on the rise and they also had the degree I was looking for. I met the athletes here and everything, and I just loved it.”

“At the end of the day my heart was at UTSA.” - Jake McDaniel McDaniel wasn’t always a decathlete, and says he transi-

tioned into one once he got into college. “I was always athletic but never outstanding at one particular event, so the coaches thought I would make a good decathlete because I’m decent at multiple events,” McDaniel said. Being a decathlete means competing in ten different events. The decathlon consists of the 100-meter run, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500-meter run. As you might imagine, being a decathlete requires multiple skill sets. Of all the events comprising a decathlon, McDaniel says high jump is his favorite to compete in. “High jump is one of my strengths, and I wanted to go somewhere big for high jump initially,” said McDaniel. As a student at UTSA, McDaniel is a business management major. “I started off as a criminal justice major but quickly real-

Jake McDaniel with his freshman MVP award.

ized that wasn’t for me,” said McDaniel. “I want to do real estate. Whether commercial or residential I’m not sure yet, but real estate is where I’m headed.” McDaniel has always been a natural athlete. Aside from track, he also played basketball and football growing up. The two sports continue to be his favorite to play and follow. “I like to play basketball and watch football. I’d say college more than professional too,” McDanel said. When it comes to basketball, McDaniel describes himself as a shooter. “I can knock it down all day, but I don’t have handles. I just shoot,” he said. When McDaniel is not running, jumping or throwing, he enjoys relaxing and hanging out with friends. “I don’t have much free time, so when I do get some it’s nice to take some time and just relax,” McDaniel said. “I also like to ride my motorcycle around. When I’m home my dad and I like to ride together.” Although McDaniel is only a

Image courtesy of Jake McDaniel

sophomore, he says his experience in competing for the Roadrunners has been fantastic. “Traveling and getting new equipment is probably my favorite part of doing track,” McDaniel said. “Last season we got to go to New York and that was really cool. We stayed right by Times Square.” McDaniel states that track has played a pivotal role in his life. “Track has taught me the importance of work ethic and how to overcome adversity in any type of situation or relationship,” McDaniel said. “It’s also taught me how to prioritize.” As the track team begins their spring slate of meets, McDaniel will be looking to shine once again during his sophomore season. The track & field team will continue their season Feb. 2 when they head to College Station to compete at the Charlie Thomas Invitational.

A look at the 2018 MLB hall of fame inductees

Chiper Jones hits a ground ball up the middle.

By Connor Zimmerlee Sports Assistant Every January, the baseball world turns their attention to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) as they cast their votes on who will be immortalized in the baseball Hall of Fame. Highly regarded as the most prestigious moment in one’s career, election to the Hall of Fame is an outstanding honor that is understandably difficult. For the 2018 class, the BBWAA elected four players to the hall: Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Trevor Hoffman and Vladimir Guerrero. These four had their names announced for the 2018 class. All four men enjoyed illustrious and successful careers and are well deserved members of the hall. Chipper Jones: First-ballot 2018 was Jones’ first year on the ballot, and it’s safe to say the results were more than he could have expected. The minimum percentage of votes needed to be elected is 75 percent, a mark which Jones shattered by appearing on an astounding 97 percent of the ballots cast. One could even make the argument that Chipper deserved to be an unanimous decision, and his career numbers would definitely back up this claim. Over his 19 year career, Jones managed a .304 batting average while compiling 2,726 hits and 468 home runs. Along with these impressive numbers, Jones was an eight time all star and also took home the National League MVP in 1999. Jim Thome: First-ballot Thome, like Chipper Jones, saw himself elected to the Hall of Fame his first year on the ballot. While he may not have gotten a whopping 97 percent of the ballots like Jones did, Thome’s name still

Keith Allison/Flickr.com

appeared on a respectable 90 percent of the ballots. Thome put together a lengthy 22-year career that saw him play for six different teams. Despite the numerous teams and lengthy career, Thome never slowed down. His 612 career home runs are good enough for eighth on the all-time list. He won a Silver Slugger award in 1996 and hit more than 40 home runs six times, further showing his pure power at the plate. Trevor Hoffman: Third year on the ballot Widely regarded as the best closer of all-time before Mariano Rivera came along, Hoffman deservedly had his name called for the 2018 class. Hoffman appeared on 80 percent of the ballots cast, illustrating his pure dominance on the mound. Over his 17 year career, Hoffman amassed a whopping 601 saves, a total only bested by the aforementioned Rivera. With the game on the line, he was the last person you wanted to face. He was a lethal weapon out of the bullpen, as the second he stepped on the mound the game was all but over. Hoffman ended his dominant career with an eye-popping 1,133 strikeouts and a 2.87 earned run average (ERA). Vladimir Guerrero: Second year on the ballot With one of the most iconic swings to ever grace the game of baseball, Guerrero finds himself one of the newest members of the Hall of Fame. A notorious bad-ball hitter, no matter what you threw at Guerrero he would hit it. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than his career .318 batting average and 2,590 hits. Guerrero was also a nine time all-star, an eight time Silver Slugger winner and the American League MVP in 2004, further proving his incredible ability at the plate.

J a nu a r y 3 0 - Febru ar y 6, 2018

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