Vol. 65, Issue 10

pension,

time

THE PAISANO

Sunflower Bean holds show in San Antonio with Blushing and grandma

Annual fire safety report shows increase in on-campus liquor violations, rape cases among other crime statistics

By Gauri Raje News Editor

UTSA recently released its 2022 Security and Fire Safety Report, which was completed in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Signed into law in 1990, the Act requires universities to “produce and make available certain policy statements and statistics about campus crime.”

In an introductory message preceding the report, President Eighmy explained that the report was compiled through a collab orative effort between various campus sectors, which included the UTSA Police Department, Equal Opportunity Services and Title IX, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Stan dards, and Housing and Resi dence Life.

Among other things, the report included annual crime statistics at both the Main Campus and the Downtown Campus in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Several categories of crime listed for the Main Campus saw a significant increase in num bers.

Liquor law violation arrests saw the most significant increase in 2021, with 119 cases reported on campus compared to eight in 2020. Liquor law referrals for discipline also saw an increase from four in 2020 to 28 in 2021.

Furthermore, rape cases reported on campus increased, going from four cases in 2020 to a total of 13 cases in 2021.

Other categories that saw an increase included burglary, which went up from eight oncampus cases in 2020 to a total of 24 on-campus cases in 2021.

Additionally, seven cases of motor vehicle theft, one case of fondling, two cases of aggra vated assault, one weapons law violation arrest and 37 drug law violation arrests were reported on campus.

The statistics for domestic vio lence, dating violence and stalk ing were also included and are listed under “Violence Against

Women Act Offenses.” A total of one domestic violence case, five dating violence cases and 18 cases of stalking were reported on campus in 2021.

Statistics for the Downtown campus did not see any sig nificant changes, except an increase in non-campus liquor law violation arrests, which went from zero cases in 2020 to 40 in 2021.

No cases of domestic vio lence, dating violence or stalking were reported on the Downtown Campus in 2021.

The report also included a Fire Safety Report, which detailed the fire safety systems at the six on-campus housing facilities, five of which are operated by UTSA Housing, as well as fire prevention policies, evacuation procedures, information on fire drills and fire safety education programs.

Based on fire statistics includ ed in the report, one fire each was reported at Laurel Village and University Oaks in 2021, and no injuries were reported.

UTSA one of 43 HSIs recognized for participation in Fulbright exchange program

By Gauri Raje News Editor

UTSA was awarded the Fulbright HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) award by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for its participation in the Fulbright Program. The program, which is run by the State Department, allows students and faculty to travel abroad for various activities using award opportunities. For students, the program offers the opportunity to pursue research, attend graduate programs or teach English abroad.

Andrew Chapman, who serves as the Fulbright Program Advisor at UTSA, pointed out the importance of UTSA as a HSI, adding that the multiculturalism of the many students applying is an important

attribute that adds to their application.

“With our students and our position as a Hispanic Serving Institution, we have lots of students who have multicultural upbringings, growing up in South Texas,” Chapman said. “[These students] have what isn’t necessarily to them an international experience, but it’s a multicultural one.”

“So we have lots of students … I ask them, ‘Have you traveled internationally before?’ And one answer that I get frequently is, ‘Well, I’ve just been to Mexico.’ And I tell them, don’t discount that, because [their] experience of traveling across the border might be very different than other students who have done it [by] vacations,” Chapman said.

UTSA is one of 43 HSIs in the

country to receive this award. With a total of 451 HSIs in the U.S., Chapman pointed out the award’s significance, adding that UTSA falls into approximately 10% of HSIs that were awarded.

Additionally, student applicants to the program have been met with success. Chapman explained that, of the approximately 10 students that apply every year, three to four get selected.

“I think [this success] points back to our status as a Hispanic Serving Institution,” Chapman said. “Our students are bringing in lots of experience from multicultural environments, specifically [due to our position] in South Texas. [So] many of our students are bringing in language experience and life experience.”

Spring 2023 registration begins for priority groups

By Gauri Raje News Editor

Registration for Spring 2023 started on Monday, Oct. 31, for priority groups including eligible veterans, honors college and business honors students, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students and Alternative Certifi cation Programs teacher certifi cation students. Undergraduates who applied for Spring gradua tion by Oct. 15 can register on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Over the next couple of weeks, registration will open for various categories of students starting with graduate students on Nov. 2. This will be fol lowed by registration for seniors, post-baccalaureate students and online-only programs, juniors, sophomores and freshmen.

Initial registration windows for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors are based on credit hours earned.

Open registration for all stu dents will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 16, and continue until Fri day, Jan. 6, 2023. Any students that miss their classificationspecific window will be able to register for classes during this time.

All students are encouraged to prepare for registration ahead of time and also ensure that they are aware of their registration window as well as holds and prerequisites which can be found on ASAP.

In order to plan out classes in advance, students can use the Class Schedule tool, which lists detailed information about classes being offered in Spring 2023 including the duration of classes, CRN numbers, etc. Stu dents can also make use of the Schedule Planner tool in ASAP to plan out their schedule and ensure the timing of classes does not clash.

Students are instructed to log into their ASAP accounts to reg ister for classes on their speci fied registration date.

PAISANO POLL Halloween Special

Matt

Q: What is your most memorable Halloween costume?

A: Last year, me and my girlfriend were a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Q: Favorite Candy? Sour Punch straws and Airheads.

Trey

Q: What is your most memorable halloween costume?

When I was [a] sophomore, I was a grim reaper, and I scared a bunch of people going trick or treating.

Guadalupe

Q: Favorite Halloween movie ? Watching old halloween movies [from the 90s].

Q: Favorite candy? Reese’s cups

Q: Favorite movie? Probably the Conjuring series.

for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community

Read the full article on Page 6 of the Arts & Life section

Cesar Soto/The Paisano

Daralee

Q: Favorite candy? Snickers.

Q: Favourite Halloween movie? Halloweentown.

Janani

over artist’s block

UTSA

On Oct. 27, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities named UTSA as one of four finalists for the 2022 Degree Completion Award, which aims to recognize universities that improve degree completion rates, maintain educational quality and support student success using new and innovative approaches. Since 2013, UTSA has seen a 41% increase in degrees awarded, a 16% increase in first-year student retention and a 10% increase in fouryear graduation rates, with 10% occurring among firstgeneration students.

Associate Professor of Instruction at UTSA’s University College Rebecca Schroeder will be joining the UTSA School of Data Science when it opens next semester in hopes of eliminating the barriers faced by students interested in pursuing the specialty. Data science, which can be applied to all academic disciplines, is one of the university’s primary focuses within its Academic Inquiry and Scholarship (AIS) courses, which provide firstyear freshmen and incoming students with 30 credit hours or less the opportunity to explore data science and analysis within their chosen field of study.

Texas

Several Texan voters have taken to Twitter to share their voting experiences in this year’s elections, with many reporting that their ballots were “switched” by the voting machine before they were printed. The Office of the Texas Secretary of State has reportedly denied these claims, explaining that this type of speculation is common around election time.

U.S.

On Friday, Oct. 28, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked by 42-year-old David DePape at the couple’s residence in San Francisco, California. DePape reportedly entered the home from the backdoor with a hammer and asked for the congresswoman herself. Authorities responded to the incident after receiving a 911 call from the 82-yearold who awoke to an intruder in his bedroom. DePape has been charged with assault and attempted kidnapping. Pelosi was treated for a skull fracture and other serious injuries to his right arm as well as both hands.

World

On Oct. 27, lawmakers in Tamaulipas voted to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the final state in Mexico to do so. The Mexican Supreme Court previously declared any laws preventing same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, although some states took many years to conform. “The whole country shines with a huge rainbow. Live the dignity and rights of all people. Love is love,” said Arturo Zaldívar, president of the nation’s Supreme Court.

On Sunday, Oct. 30, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a week of national mourning after at least 153 people were killed in Seoul by a crowd surge at a railway station. The stampede occurred in the nightlife district of Itaewon where tens of thousands of people gathered for Halloween festivities. Two Americans died during the incident, which killed a total of 19 foreign nationals. The national mourning period will last through Saturday, Nov. 5.

Any student from a U.S. uni versity who is also an American citizen can apply for the differ ent awards under the program.

Grants are awarded for a total of nine to 12 months and are dis tributed to students in the form of a monthly stipend that covers travel, food and housing, cost of education (if any) and interna tional health insurance.

Being the Fulbright Program Advisor is part of Chapman’s job at UTSA’s Office of Nation ally Competitive Awards. The office helps students as they ap ply for study abroad opportuni ties, research scholarships, etc.

One of the key parts of the ap plication process is the require ment to write a one to two page essay explaining how the student will “carry out the mission of the award they are applying to.”

“[As an FPA] our job is to help students through the appli cation process,” Chapman said.

“This would include anything from picking a country that [a student wants to apply to] and matches their career goals, to helping them explore ideas … for their essays and then every fall, I also organize a commit tee review in which we interview the students. And the interview’s really cool because it’s not a selection interview. We don’t say yes or no … it’s an interview so that we can nominate the students and we also give the students feedback on their application so that they can make edits before they submit it.”

Undergraduate students that apply must complete their bach elor’s degree before the schol arship starts being awarded.

According to Chapman, most undergraduate students submit their applications at the begin ning of their senior year, which ensures a seamless transition from college into the program. However, Chapman also works with students that have gradu ated from UTSA and still wish to apply.

Students can apply to over 140 countries around the world, as long as the country they wish to apply to has U.S. diplomatic representation. Thus, grants for certain countries may not be available due to political or health issues. Furthermore, opportunities for students will differ based on the country they wish to apply to, depending on the country’s criteria and expec tations from the partnership.

Along with helping students work on their application, Chapman also helps them con nect with faculty at UTSA who relate to the country and specific program that a student is inter ested in. This helps provide the student with additional guidance as they make the decision to apply. Furthermore, Chapman explained that the existence of a parallel Fulbright program for UTSA faculty serves to comple ment the student program.

“When faculty go [to] travel on these awards, I think they’re also very invested in the program and recognizing that students can have the same opportunities,” Chapman said. “So, a lot of them come back from their grants, and they become representa tives of both sides of the program.”

Finally, Chapman expressed the diverse nature of the Ful bright program as a whole.

“So, Fulbright is amazing at recognizing the different kinds of students that we have at universities throughout the U.S., and they want to send over rep resentatives that show a diverse group of students and show the rest of the world that.”

Housed in the Honors Col lege, the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards provides students from all backgrounds and majors with the help and guidance they need. For more information about the Fulbright program or the Office, students can email Chapman at Andrew. Chapman2@utsa.edu.

Early voting underway on campus

By Gauri Raje News Editor

Early voting for the 2022 gen eral elections will continue until Friday, Nov. 4. Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Registered voters in Bexar County can cast their ballot at the H-E-B Student Union Bexar Room (HSU 1.102) using a valid form of voter ID. Voting times for each day will vary and can be found on UTSA’s Rowdy Votes website.

National races appearing on the Bexar County ballot include the U.S. Representatives for Districts 20, 21, 23, 28 and 35, depending on the voter’s resi dential address.

On the state level, important races include those for state executive offices. For example, incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is challenged by Democratic nominee Beto

O’Rourke in an electoral race focused on issues like immigra tion, gun safety laws, abortion and tax policy, among other things. Other executive offices include Lieutenant Governor, At torney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land Office, Commissioner of Agriculture and Railroad Commissioner.

Other state offices up for elec tion include justices on the Texas Supreme Court, state Board of Education members, state sena tors and representatives.

Notable county offices on the ballot include that of Bexar County judge, a position that has been vacated and is an open seat after over 20 years.

The full generic ballot for the 2022 Texas midterms, including candidates, can be found online at https://www.bexar.org/Docu mentCenter/View/4570/GenericSample-Ballot-PDF.

Main Building repairs will help eliminate a history of water leaks

By Alex Fotschky Staff Writer

In July 2021, the university announced renovation plans to repair leaks on UTSA’s Main Building. Construction was expected to finish in early Fall 2022, but the work was delayed.

“We anticipate completion of this project in December [2022]. The change in completion date is due to a delay in lead times for roofing material and the necessary sequenc ing of install ing these materials,” Corrina Green, as sociate vice president of Real Estate, Construction and Planning, said.

Though the project has been delayed a few times, the “reno vation of the Main Building is going well,” Green said.

“Although we experienced minor delays, our team has done an excellent job ensuring we have the proper design solutions for challenges that arise,” Green said. “Our team has also worked closely with vendors to mitigate delays due to material delivery,”

Students who were not here pre-renovation most likely do not know what the renovation of the building was for. Green further explained the cause of the leaks in the building.

“The Main Building envelope was experiencing leaks,” Green said. “Our current renovations efforts are to repair and remedy the leaks and residual damages. These leaks were caused by original water proofing details and materi als that were not operating properly.” Green pointed out a lack of dif ferences between pre-construction and postconstruction, apart from the leak repairs.

“Our goal is to ensure the building envelope is free from leaks,” Green concluded. “The corrected building envelope will provide new warranties and ensure the functionality of our building for decades to come.”

You can find more informa tion about the renovation at https://facilities.utsa.edu/proj ects/main-building-enveloperepair-restoration/.

State of the City — Week of

By Dafny Flores Staff Writer

Assistant City Attorney for San Antonio James Kopp is seeking to withhold the release of public information on the case of seventeen-year-old Erik Cantu and ex-police officer James Brennand. On Oct. 2, Brennand shot Cantu in a McDonald’s parking lot. Three days after the incident, the San Antonio Police Department released a portion of graphic body camera foot age of the incident. As per the Texas Public Information Act, KSAT News requested the re lease of additional footage from Brennand’s and other officers’ cameras, as well as the police report. Kopp sent a letter to the Texas Attorney General asking if the public records could be withheld from the public under an exception in state law, as the Attorney General has the author ity to decide if records are liable to be released to the public. The Texas Attorney General has not responded to Kopp’s initial request at this time.

America Ferrera paid a visit to the West Side Avenida Guada lupe neighborhood to mobilize Latino voters for the Midterm elections. Future voters and participants were joined by Har ness — a company Ferrera cofounded — as well as When We All Vote and The Jolt to educate locals on voting on Oct. 29.

As flu season begins, an outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respi ratory illnesses is impacting

pediatric wards in the city. RSV targets children under the age of two and and infected infants have a 95% chance of survival.

Dr. Mandie Tibbal Svatek, a pe diatric hospitalist and associate professor at University Hospital, cautiously informs parents of the whereabouts and environ ment their children partake in to reduce the transmission of RSV and other respiratory viruses.

The University of the Incar nate Word’s women’s soccer team is accusing the university of contributing to inequality and inequity within the athletic department. In an anonymous speech, players expressed their frustration with the university, claiming they received unfair treatment. The women’s soccer team had to travel 500 miles to Thibodaux, Louisiana, to compete with Nicholls State by bus, while in the same week, the football team received a plane as transportation as they traveled to compete against the same opponent.

San Antonio will no longer be paying for daily transportation of asylum-seeking immigrants. The city paid more than $700,000 to relocate 2,538 immigrants in July, August and September. The service will now be provided by Catholic Charities. The Fed eral Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the city for bus and plane tickets.

In November, military person nel will receive free admission to the San Antonio Zoo. The ad vertisement is for all active duty, retired and veteran members.

Amber Chin /The Paisano

Amber Chin and Arlae Gamez Luna recently participated in the Fulbright Program

Photo courtesy of Andrew Chapman

Students walk by the Main Building, which has been under construction for over a year.

Riley Carroll/The Paisano

Scrap the STAAR OPINION

For years, teachers, students and parents alike have all voiced criticism of the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, more commonly referred to as the STAAR test. Given out by the State of Texas toward the end of every school year, the STAAR test decides if students can advance to the next grade. Starting as early as the third grade, students’ curriculum is centered around gearing them with the knowledge they will need to pass this test. Students are straddled with an intense review, packets thicker than some of the books in their current reading level and the stress that looms each coming day as the STAAR ap proaches.

According to an article published by KUT 90.5, educators have been vocal for many years about their disdain for the STAAR. Much of the curriculum is centered around preparing students for a test that is a poor reflection of the knowledge they will need in their education. In a vacuum, the test may be a decent way to assess whether or not students are ready for their next level of education, but

Kara Lee/The Paisano

in a “climate of limited resources,” where schools are fighting tooth and nail for every penny of their state funding, the STAAR is only another hindrance on the education of Texas’ children. Calls for the STAAR test

Icon turned political pawn

Commentary

By Jake Mireles Assistant Opinion Editor

In recent weeks, controversy has surrounded the songwriter, fashion designer and former billionaire Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — over his heinous claims across many forms of media about the Jewish and Black communities. He has lost considerable wealth and social capital over his ob scene crusade, and people are suffering because of it.

West has made many statements about the Jewish community on multiple news broadcasts and podcasts and social media like Twitter. Since claiming that he is “going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” in a now-deleted tweet, West has further doubled down with his an tisemitic rhetoric. During his interview with Chris Cuomo on the NewsNation broadcast, West claimed that he was being perse cuted and silenced by the “Jewish un derground media mafia,” a stance he has consis tently made during multiple media appearances, per a report compiled by the Anti-Defama tion League. West has also claimed that the doctor that diagnosed him with bipolar-disorder and prescribed him medication for the said disorder was also a part of the alleged conspiracy, according to the Jerusalem Times. Additionally, during his inter view with Lex Fridman, West took his usual antisemitic approach; however, when Jewish interviewer Lex Fridman pleaded with West on multiple occasions to single out the individuals who have wronged him, in place of attacking the Jewish people as a group, West adamant ly refused. This is the nail in the coffin for West’s hope to be seen as anything else than an echo of a very painful and hateful past.

Due to his antisemitic remarks, West has caused his music and fashion empire to crumble in a matter of days, and rightfully so. West has reportedly lost deals with Adidas — which accounted for approximately $1.5 billion of his net worth — Balenciaga, GAP and was even escorted out of the Skechers corporate headquarters — a Jewish owned corpo ration — after arriving unannounced. Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald and Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown have also cut ties with West after his remarks, spelling probable economic doom for Donda Sports — West’s sports market ing agency — according to coverage from The New York Times. In addition to this, America has seen a noticeable

wave of antisemitic actions and adver tisements. According to an article by Spectrum 1 News, Southern California has seen several antisemitic displays. This includes a group of individuals gathering on a San Diego overpass displaying banners that read “HONK IF YOU KNOW KANYE IS RIGHT ABOUT THE JEWS,” and other antise mitic banners while giving Nazi salutes to the horror of passing commuters. Bags of antisemitic leaflets were also found in the neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Westwood and Bel Air. In a matter of weeks, West has destroyed his empire and decimated his net worth but has caused extensive damage to something much more crucial; the stigma around antisemitic rhetoric.

In addition to these statements, West has also continued his harassment of the African American community, building off of his claim that their enslavement was “a choice.” One of the other incit ing incidents of his controversy was when West sported a “White Lives Mat ter” t-shirt at Paris Fashion Week while accompanied by conservative commen tator and employee of The Daily Wire, Candace Owens. This is not West’s first time profiting off of white supremacist imagery. According to The At lantic, West sold mer chandise displaying the Confederate Flag during a tour in 2013. Additionally, during his appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast, West falsely claimed that the death of George Floyd — which sparked mas sive amounts of protests and outrage in the summer of 2020 — was caused by a fentanyl overdose, and not by the malpractice of the Minneapolis Police Department — a popular white su premacist talking point — according to the New York Times. For justifica tion of the statement, West referred to a “documentary” produced by Candace Owens, of which the death of George Floyd was the subject. These statements have caused Floyd’s family to sue West for $250 million.

Kanye West has been credited as one of the most influential figures in the modern music industry, whose career has been rife with semantics and contro versy often embraced by his cult follow ing. His popularization of antisemitic and anti-Black rhetoric is volatile and has the potential to cause a great deal of pain and suffering to marginalized communities who have already endured too much. West’s sheer amount of influence over his large fanbase has the opportunity to grow these hate move ments in America, all over his narcis sistic desire for attention and fame. He should be rejected, ignored, denounced and deplatformed before more individu als are harmed by his dog whistle call to action.

to end have only increased on both sides of the aisle in the Texas Legislature. According to an article by the Dallas Observer, Fort Worth State Representative Matt Krause introduced House Bill 764, which would “give school districts the option to continue [with] the current structure, or shift to another method. Such as using national or state approved standardized tests,” due to the increased stress the STAAR has put on educators in the Dallas-Fort-Worth area in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The STAAR test is an outdated and unnec essary element of our state education system. Therefore, as citizens, we must demand our state legislatures call for its end or propose other alternatives and more appropriate measures to substitute its existence. We could also foster this change by voting. Currently, early voting is avail able until Nov. 4. Election day is Nov. 8.

You can find the contact information for your local representative’s office at https://house.texas.gov/mem bers/ and https://senate.texas.gov/members.php.

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you Commentary

By Jessica McLaren Assistant News Editor

Although leaving more than a three to five percent tip for your server might earn you some dirty looks at a European restaurant, that is certainly not the case in modern-day America, where patrons are expected to leave at least 18 to 20% on top of their bill. This is because most restaurants in the United States do not account for the cost of service when pricing menu items, leaving it up to the customer to decide how much their experience was worth.

There are many theories as to where the practice of tipping originated, many of which have strong ties to post civil war policies. One theory, discussed in a 2019 article from TIME, suggests tipping was introduced as a way for restaurant owners in the mid-1800s to hire emancipated individuals without pay.

Regardless of how it found its roots within America, tipping rose in popularity throughout the 19th century as the working class secured its foothold in the economy. The phenomenon was popular among restaurant owners and customers as many believed an hourly wage would not adequately incentivize customer service workers.

Tipping continued to spread across the U.S. for several years, but not without its fair share of pushback. In 1915, six U.S. states — Washington, Mississippi, Arkansas, Iowa, South Carolina and Tennessee — banned the practice with a promise to fine or imprison anyone who received a tip; however, all of these laws were repealed by 1926, and by 1942, the Supreme Court had ruled that tips belong exclusively to the employee who earns them.

In 1966, tips became

an official method of employee income with the creation of the “Tip Credit” system. This system allowed employers to pay tipped positions less than minimum wage so long as customer tips brought the wages to the federal requirements.

Today, employers can cash in up to $5.12 in employee tip credits per hour, and the minimum wage for tipped employees is $2.13 — a figure that has not changed since 1991, despite increases to the federal minimum wage in 1992, 1997 and 2007.

Notwithstanding its unpopularity, tipping has replaced most servicebased pricing models in American restaurants. However, many people still feel as though it is not their responsibility to pay the wages of service workers at the restaurants in which they like to eat. Nonetheless, anyone who has waited tables for less than three dollars an hour

labor and wages — just as the ingredients, kitchen appliances, utility costs and any other calculated expense. Therefore, the tip is not an opportunity to pay extra for great service but rather the freedom to pay less if you feel the service is subpar.

Of course, this begs the question of whether or not tipping culture in the United States has been taken too far, with guests often feeling pressured to tip at fastcasual eateries and coffee shops. In discussing this, however, the distinction between these kinds of establishments — where employees are usually paid at least minimum wage — and full-service restaurants is incredibly important.

will assure you that this school of thought is simply ignorant and uninformed. When you go out to eat, a service is performed for you by a group of employees who work hard to ensure that guests return because if they did not, nobody in that building would be able to pay their bills. The service, whether it meets your standards or not, has a set price according to

The pressure to tip felt outside of full-service dining is likely the result of lagging federal wage laws, although that is a completely different conversation. Similarly, the flawed tip credit system is not a valid reason not to tip at fullservice restaurants — it is simply an excuse. Remember that without it, you would not have a say in the service fee that you are charged. The service and pricing models currently employed by most U.S. restaurants have been in place for a long time. Any efforts to change this system must be directed where they will actually be heard, albeit if you do not like tipping, you are far less likely to enjoy the cost of service-included dining.

Currently, 43 out of 50 U.S. states allow tip credits. Thus, refusing to tip will not be perceived as abstinence from the system but rather as taking advantage of it and your server. If you pay for your meal at a full-service restaurant and do not tip, you are sending your server home short while allowing the system to continue as it stands today. So, to tip or not to tip? It is up to you, so long as you are okay with earning a reputation for it. My best piece of advice? Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

“. . .this begs the question of whether or not tipping culture in the United States has been tak en too far. . .”

Camila Martinez Rivera/The Paisano

OPINION

Herschel’s hypocrisy

$700 that he had later sent her.

By Malaki Lingg Assistant Web and Social Editor

Nationwide we are preparing for the conclusion of the 2022 midterm elections, with Democrats and Repub licans displaying the differing beliefs they support. Reproductive rights and access to abortions are some of the hotbed issues argued between the parties. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many Democrats are running on the platform that these rights need to become federally protected, while many running for office as Republicans are fighting to support the overturning. One of the many Republicans running under a strict “pro-life” platform is Georgia Senate nominee and former National Football League player Herschel Walker. Still, recent controversies have shown that Walker may not truly abide by the ideals he is promot ing and has put his checkered past into the spotlight.

On two separate occasions — Oct. 3, 2022, and Oct. 25, 2022 — women who have previously been in relation ships with Walker have revealed he had pressured them into receiving abor tions. According to a report from The Daily Beast, an anonymous woman has revealed that Walker pressured her and paid for her abortion in 2009, with her proof of said accusation being a receipt for a $575 medical bill and a check for

Commentary By Dafny Flores Staff Writer

Love is blind — all the abuse and trauma are covered by affection and intimacy. It is a simple term that allows people to ignore the warning signs of a love-struck relation ship. Over the years, the entertainment industry has romanticized abusive rela tionships. A common motif in an abusive relationship is alluring the viewers to fall in love with the characters through tropes and cliches. When love is finally in the air, the media will insert

During a radio interview after the ini tial accusations, Walker claimed, “This here, the abortion thing, is false. It’s a lie.” After denying the first accusations, a second woman claimed that Walker had pressured and paid for her to get an abortion in 1993 while he was married to his first wife, Cindy Grossman.

Walker’s hypocritical stance on abortion and his forceful tactics to make women receive them are not his only controversies. According to Inside Edition, in 2001in Irving, Texas,

interviewers to read his 2008 memoir “Breaking Free: My Life with Disso ciative Identity Disorder,” and that all the relevant information can be found within the book; however, the book fails to mention the allegation that he had held a gun to his ex-wife’s head as well as multiple other alleged violent altercations throughout his life. Walker repeatedly brushes off his allega tions and blames much of it due to his struggle with mental illness.

In light of the allegations, Walker’s son and social media influencer, Christian Walker — who was present during the 2001 wellness check — released a series of tweets on Oct. 3, 2022. In these tweets, Christian said, “You’re not a ‘family man’ when you left us to bang a bunch of wom en, threatened to kill us, and had us move over 6 times in 6 months run ning from your violence,” and “how DARE YOU LIE and act as though you’re some ‘moral, Christian, upright man.’ You’ve lived a life of DESTROYING other peoples lives. How dare you.”

The Paisano

Mason Hickok | Editor-in-Chief Editor@paisano-online.com

Laynie

Gauri

Riley

Luke

Kaitlyn

Walker’s home was subject to a well ness check by the police involving a domestic dispute with Grossman. The officer who had initially responded to the call claimed that “You could hear sirens coming from all around the city, trying to get there as quickly as they could, because we thought it was a very threatening situation,” and “She was giving us a credible story that he had threatened her with a firearm.”

Though Walker has adamantly disputed these claims. In multiple interviews, Walker has deflected questions telling

Herschel Walker has a long past of violence, abuse, lying and hypocrisy that has been corroborated by multiple women and family members. Every one, despite party affiliation, must ensure that a dangerous man such as Walker does not assume an elected po sition. Throughout his life, Walker has used his power, fame and influence to manipulate women. If given a position in government, Walker would con tinue to push his hypocritical ideals and further escape the consequences of his spotty past.

Is it love or is it abuse?

small yet drastic changes in the character’s relationship, leading viewers to secondguess their thoughts on the situation. How is Holly wood still feeding creepy, abusive relationships to its viewers? Some may argue that it raises awareness of the situation, but where is the character’s recovery? Not all viewers see the abuse in a fictional relation ship right away. For some, it could take years after the series ends or until someone mentions the warnings in the relationship. Years after “Pretty Little Liars” ended, viewers began analyz ing the abuse of power in the fictional relationship between the characters Aria and Ezra. Aria, a seventeenyear-old girl, met an older man, Erza, at a local bar, where they later hooked

up. Little did they know, Erza would become Aria’s new high school teacher. The show romanticized the causal glances across the school halls and private meetups. The show’s fans viewed Aria and Ezra as Romeo and Juliet, where in reality, Erza would abuse his power as an adult and as a teacher to see Aria.

After a couple of seasons in the show, it is revealed that Erza is a predator. He planned to get to know Aria and her friends to write a book about their friend’s disappearance. Aria’s distraught feelings over the situation were dismissed once the show was near its ending. Aria and Ezra ended up together even though their relationship began over something that would be legally considered statu

tory rape.

For the younger gen eration, the book and film series “After” heavily ro manticize abuse, power and everything in between in Tessa and Hardin’s relation ship. The constant manipu lation and accusations of cheating in the relationship are considered a form of “love.” Once individuals experience the feeling of an abusive relationship, they feel like they are obligated to stay in the relationship since Hollywood is selling a perfect love story.

To the entertainment in dustry, everything is fiction. Hollywood inaccurately portrays abuse in relation ships and rarely shows the aftermath of recovering from an abusive relation ship.

Too much pension, too little time

Commentary By Morgain Locke Contributor

Despite only being in of fice for 45 days, Liz Truss will likely be receiving a yearly pension of up to £115,000 ($113,655). This has sparked controversy among those who do not believe that someone who stepped down after less than two months in office should be eligible for any pension at all. While this outrage is understandable, whether or not she should be awarded any pension should be based on how she is planning to use it and her intentions to continue public service after stepping down — if she has any at all.

There are two types of pen

sions Truss may qualify for as Britain’s former Prime Minister: the Public Duty Cost Allowance, which is a reimbursement allow ance with a cap of £115,000 ($132,513) meant to fund activities related to continu ing public service efforts after leaving office. This can cover staff costs, office bills and charity work, among other necessary costs to be able to continue public du ties. The other is a personal pension distributed through the Parliamentary Con tributory Pension Fund, in which Truss could receive a yearly pension worth half of her annual salary, which was reported to be £84,000 ($96,792) at the time of her retirement. While that amount would not necessar ily set her up for life, it is certainly more than should be provided for someone who could not last even two months in office.

After only 45 days as Prime Minister, Truss should not be eligible for a lifetime personal pension. If she were to get any type of personal pension, it should directly correspond to the amount of time she was in office. An official that was in their position for years should be better compen sated for their time than someone that was only in office for a little over a month.

The Public Duty Cost Allow ance, however, should be awarded only if she plans to continue her work as a public servant, even if she

is not an active Prime Min ister. Whether she should be awarded the absolute most that is possible under the allowance is up for debate, though, since it is unclear how she would likely use it, but a small amount to fund her future endeavors ben efiting the public is reason able enough, as it would be benefiting the public more so than Truss herself.

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Arts & Life

Día De Los Muertos at Mission Marquee Plaza

By Nate Henneke Staff Writer

The 5th annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at the Mission Marquee Plaza took place on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Live music, colorful clothes and face paint lit up the night as the community remembered the lives of those lost. With a whole day of activities planned from 3 to 10 p.m., the event had plenty to offer, from free face paint ing to a screening of Guillermo Del Toro’s “Book of the Dead.”

Alongside the scheduled events, many small businesses took part in the celebration, with vendors selling everything from Las Dulces Calaveras (painted sugar skulls) to candles.

Besides the street tacos, the highlight of the night was the performance by the Latin orchestra Volcán, who started their performance at 7:30 p.m. and kept the crowd dancing for over an hour and a half. The suave lead singer of the orches tra entertained and engaged the audience throughout the

Getting over artist’s block

performance with his comical openness and beautiful voice. During their performance, the drive-in screen at the plaza was going through a slide show of the lives lost by this community in the last year.

Remembering those who are no longer among the living and celebrating their time on this planet is what Día de los Muer tos is about, and its significance in Latin culture comes from a long history of celebrating life in its embrace of death.

By Gauri Raje News Editor

Art made its way back into my life a couple of years ago when I started bullet journaling. The practice reignited the inner artist in me and expanded my definition of what it means to be an artist; however, it was not until two years ago that I started pushing my artistic capabili ties.

It all started in the summer of 2020, after graduating high school at the height of the pandemic. With three long months ahead of me, I started creating and posting digital fan art as I prepared to start university. I would gather pictures of friends and family, stills from my favorite K-dramas and photos of K-pop groups I was listening to, and trace them to create design-focused pieces.

Looking back, I do not think I ever considered my early work to be art. It was just a fun little hobby for me to unwind — my digital coloring book. And yet, it marked the start of my changing relationship with art.

I continued making fan art throughout the next couple of months. Over time, I felt like I was not growing as an artist. Everything I created felt repetitive and rigid. I was not motivated to create.

Finally, I realized it was time to move on to something different — something more chal lenging.

So, I decided to dip my feet into making digital portraits. Over the summer of 2021, my fan art evolved from designfocused trackwork to more elaborate and detailed drawings. I watched tutorials on YouTube and worked on improving my digital art, one step at a time. By the end of the year, I could see an improvement in my art. And trust me when I say this — there is nothing more rewarding than watching your rigorous practice pay off in your art’s steady improvement.

As my digital art began to improve, I had the urge to get better at sketching. I remember picking up a pencil to draw every chance I got — during free time, at night after I would finish studying and even between and during classes. With every new sketch, I felt more confident in my drawing ability. This newfound confidence even pushed me to try paint ing, a form of art that has eluded me for

all these years.

Finally, I was fully motivated to create art again.

During this time, I learned one of the most beneficial lessons as an artist — the importance of practice and consistency. Like many other activi ties, practice is the best way to im prove your art. Artistic inclination and talent are impor tant, but so is the will to get better and challenge yourself to try new things. For me, practice made a world of difference. I went from being a mediocre artist who often felt daunted by blank paper to one that could draw with ease.

Today, I find myself reaching for my sketchbook every time I feel over whelmed with something. What started as a simple hobby transformed into a love of drawing the things and people I like — friends, family, characters, actors or artists. To me, it is an indirect way of documenting what my life is like at the moment through the people I choose to draw.

Just like my bullet journal, my sketch books have become a time capsule of my art. I often find myself flipping through my older art, reminiscing back to my childhood, thinking of the young girl who loved creating art but let go of it at some point to focus on other things. She would be proud of the progress I have made, and she would be happy to see me weave creativity back into my life.

Of course, that is not to say I am fully satis fied with my art. I want to continue pushing my limits as an artist. I want to challenge myself to try some thing new whenever I get comfortable with my art. I want to keep growing as an artist and find new ways to express myself. Because that is what art is — a dynamic, ever-changing creative outlet.

Tuesday, Nov. 1:

Early voting is available from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 in the H-E-B Student Union (HSU 1.102). Visit @utsaengaged on Instagram for more information.

The Military Affiliated Collaborative is hosting the third annual Jacqueline Smith Foundation Thanksgiving Military Food Drive now through Nov. 17. Two donation boxes will be located at the Vet Lounge and CMAS Office in the John Peace Library (JPL 4.03.04 and JPL 1.01.14). The drive is looking specifically for canned food, boxed goods and non-perishable items.

UTSA Campus Recreation will be holding an Early Bird Challenger session from 7 to 9 a.m. on Nov. 1 at the Recreation Wellness Center. The challenger “is a circuit[-]like competition that is divided into male, female, and non-binary categories. The event consist[s] of different experiences that must be completed in succession.” For more information on the rules of the event and what the event will consist of, visit RowdyLink.

Have registration questions? Need to meet with a health professions advisor? Stop by the UTSA Health Professions Office during advising hours from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Tuesday in the Student Union (SU 2.02.04). Or drop by via Zoom from 9 to 11:30 a.m., 2 to 4:30 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. every Wednesday.

UTSA International Services is holding a “Study Abroad Virtual Open Office Hour” from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Nov. 1. For more information, visit RowdyLink.

Alvarez Student Success Center is hosting a “Career Kit Workshop: Interview ing Excellence (Beginner)” from 12 to 1 p.m. on Nov. 1 online. For more informa tion, visit RowdyLink.

Rinconcito de Esperanza is hosting a Día De Los Muertos Celebration from 4 to 11 p.m. on Nov. 1 at 816 S Colorado St.

Wednesday, Nov. 2:

Clay Fusion will be having a meeting at 11 a.m. this Nov. 2 in the ceramics stu dio. Clay Fusion meetings will be held every other Wednesday. For more informa tion, visit @clayclubutsa on Instagram.

The Westside Community Center is hosting a Día De Los Muertos Altar event from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 2 at 1310 Guadalupe St. UTSA’s Prefreshman En gineering Program will be hosting a table space where you can build an altar based on STEM. For more information, visit RowdyLink.

The Pearl will hold a free Dia de los Muertos event from 5 to 9 p.m. on Nov 2. “Pearl will honor the traditional Mexican holiday that remembers loved ones who have passed with multiple altars/ofrendas, children[’s] activities, live music, art installations and more.” For more information, check out Visit San Antonio’s website.

Thursday, Nov. 3:

Join the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for their general meeting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 3 in the Engineering Building (2.04.06). This semester’s other meetings will be held on Nov. 17 and Dec. 1. For more informa tion, visit RowdyLink.

UTSA Fellowship of Christian Athletes is hosting a Dodgeball Tournament from 7 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the Convocation Center. Pastor P will be a guest preacher. For more information, visit @utsa_fca on Instagram.

Friday, Nov. 4:

Volunteer with My Sister’s Keeper and the African Student Association from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Whataburger Resource Room.

Saturday, Nov. 5:

UTSA Gamma Beta Phi (GBP) will be holding a Fall Panel Discussion at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the Main Building Auditorium (0.104). The six featured panel ists will include Defense Lawyer Marc Lahood, President Sahil Khoja, Advisor Janelle Kohler, Secretary Andrew Rivera, Military Officer Derek Leggio and Public Relations Officer April Barrios. For more information, visit @utsa.gbp on Instagram.

Monday, Nov. 7:

UTSA Student Affairs and First-Generation and Transfer Programs’ “First Gen Family Virtual Social” will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 online. For more information, visit RowdyLink.

Tuesday, Nov. 8:

UTSA’s Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department is hosting “Chew on This: ‘How do we calm the electrical storm that is epilepsy?’ - Chat with Dr. David Jaffe” from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Nov. 8 in the Loeffler Room (BSB 3.03.02). For more information, visit RowdyLink.

The “Nation First-Gen Celebration Day and Kick-Off” event hosted by FirstGeneration Transfer Student Programs will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the Central Plaza - Food Tabling 6. For more information, visit Rowdy Link.

Join the Pre-Law Association for their final guest speaker of the fall semester from 4 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 8 online. “We’ll be learning about child welfare law, family law, and juvenile law.” For more information, visit RowdyLink.

UTSA Air Force ROTC Detachment 842 is hosting Air Force ROTC GMC Leadership Training which will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the Recreation Field Complex - South 5 near the Recreation Wellness Center (RWC).

“Extra flight drill time for Air Force ROTC GMC Cadets will be conducted for continuation in the ROTC program.” For more information, visit RowdyLink.

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Cultura

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Raje uses pencil and gouache to depict portraits and landscapes.

An ofrenda at San Antonio’s International Airport.

Artists of UTSA

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Arts & Life

Mixed emotions on the ‘Doctor Who’ season finale

bring the Cybermen down and save Kate Stewart.

By Ismail Hussain Contributor

This article contains spoilers. Jodie Whittaker’s swansong episode ofJodie Whittaker’s swansong episode of “Doctor Who” aired last Sunday, Oct. 23. The episode was called “The Power of the Doctor.” Honestly, I had mixed feelings. While it might have been Jodie Whittaker’s best, I am annoyed that in his three years as showrunner, Chris Chibnall was only able to write a handful of decent episodes.

With it being the British Broadcasting Corporation’s centenary, the abundance of homages to the past made it feel like the 60th-anniversary special. Seeing Tegan, Ace and the multi-doctor cameos were a great touch and Chibnall found a way to incorporate them while making them an integral part of the story. The ending where Graham assembles a support group for the Doctor’s former companions, with a surprise appearance of Bonnie Lang ford’s “Mel” and William Russel’s “Ian Chesterton,” showed how far the show had come when he found out the Doctor regenerated as a woman. For context, the basic premise of the show is a timetraveling alien called the Doctor who can regenerate and change every part of their body, including gender and race.

The episode had some heartfelt mo ments between Ace and the seventh Doc tor, and Tegan with the Fifth, the latter also referencing Adric’s death in the story “Earthshock” when Tegan was trying to

And who could forget the Master’s Rasputin dance as Rasputin? That is a moment I could never forget. Or the referencing of Nitro 9, Ace’s signature weapon, and how it never used to work on time. In many ways, the episode

think she is the Colin Baker of new Who. Unfortunately for Baker, she is a great actor who was extremely unlucky, just like Colin. Now admittedly, I have not seen all of Baker’s run — I have mainly watched “Trial of a Timelord” and a handful of other episodes and clips here and there. But even I noticed that if Baker

addressed something that lingered in the back of my mind – the Doctor having left companions behind. Also, the Doctor’s regeneration was nice and heartfelt. Hon estly, it is weird that the Doctor took this long to regenerate outside the TARDIS — at least since 2005 — and spare some damage.

Unfortunately, Chibnall’s era was not my favorite. “The Timeless Child” was poorly handled and pointless. The first season showed how unimaginative new villains could be and led to the entire reversal of the no-old monster’s rule. Flux was passable, and a handful of episodes were stuff I genuinely enjoyed, like “Demons of the Punjab,” “Rosa” or “Spyfall.” Sacha Dhawan’s “Master” was great, especially in this episode. The TARDIS was overcrowded for most of the tenure, so no one really had any substantial character development. I will never forgive a wasted opportunity to have some decent Muslim representation — Yaz’s religion was mentioned a hand ful of times. She gets an episode about the partition of India and another about giant spiders, where the Doctor meets her family, and that is it really.

was everything that I wanted and more, somewhat of a multi-doctor story with a mix of the original 1963 through 1989 and the revived era. I also loved how Paul McGann got some time to shine.

But this was not just a great episode, it was Whittaker’s last. Like many, I

was given good writing and the ability to act, he would be able to shine. Baker’s denouncing of the timelords showed how great Baker could be. Whittaker also had her moments in the episode, like when she sees Tegan and Ace and feels sorry for having left them for decades, which

I am excited for Russell T. Davies’ sec ond tenure as showrunner, especially with the shocking regeneration of David Ten nant at the end. I want to see how Tennant is used, particularly as he is officially confirmed as the Fourteenth Incarnation and not merely a previous Doctor. And I want to see how Ncuti Gatwa puts his own spin on the Doctor, but I also feel Whittaker didn’t get the multi-doctor episode feature she deserved.

All I can do is wait until the 60th anni versary in Nov. 2023, and hope the show becomes great again. Especially with the big budgets and the Disney+ deal.

Delve back into the ‘Game of Thrones’ universe

the iron throne. As a result, the kingdom divides between people who think a woman has no place as ruler and people who think she is capable — which is the minority.

By Jenna Taylor Staff Writer

This article contains spoilers.

After the last season of the four-time Emmy awardwinning show, “Game of Thrones,” the fanbase was left missing the show and rewatching it over and over. Therefore, it was exciting for the entire fan base when the first episode of the prequel, “House of the Dragon,” aired on Aug. 21.

“House of the Dragon” takes place 172 years before “Game of Thrones” and focuses on the Targaryen fam ily, specifically King Viserys and his firstborn daughter, Rhaenyra. The main storyline that occurs throughout the season was who the rightful heir to the throne should be after King Viserys eventually passes.

At the beginning of the season, King Viserys names Rhaenyra as the next in line to the throne. This causes uproar not only with his younger brother — who was supposed to be next in line for the throne — but also with the entire kingdom as a woman has never sat on

“House of the Dragon” has a very in teresting way of pulling real-life struggles that our world still faces today, and presenting them in the context of a society that dates back thousands of years. The idea that a woman should not take on a leadership role because she is less ca pable than a man of doing so is a common phenomenon in America. Just this past presidential election, we nominated the first female vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. The U.S. has yet to elect a woman as president and this show displays a lot of the same criticisms against women who have unsuccessfully tried to run for president.

This season of “House of the Dragon” absolutely lived up to my expectations as a “Game of Thrones” fan. I loved getting to see Rhaenyra’s strength and per sistence on her path to her rightful place on the throne. Rhaenyra is also one of my favorite characters of all time — she flies her dragon around and talks back to

even the most intimidating men. I found ways to relate to her even though she is a princess from a medieval era. Overall, I anticipate the arrival of many more seasons of “House of the Dragon,” and would highly recommend that everyone watch it, even if you have yet to see “Game of Thrones,” because it is an entirely different cast and time period.

The “House of the Dragon” is available for streaming exclusively on HBO and HBO Max.

Sunflower Bean returns to San Antonio

By Cesar Soto Staff Writer

Four years had passed since the New York power rock trio Sunflower Bean played in San Antonio — until last Friday, Oct. 28, when they brought the bands Blushing and grandma to take the stage at Paper Tiger. It was a very intimate show featuring these three bands and a crowd that fully embraced them, celebrating live music in more ways than expected.

First up was Blushing, an Austin-based dream pop, shoegaze band that features two husband and wife duos — Christina Carmona on lead vocals and bass, Noe Carmona on guitar, Michelle Soto on guitar and background vocals and Jake Soto on the drums. Once the band took the stage, it was apparent how much chemistry exists between the four musicians.

There were plenty of moments where the band showed their joy by playing through their discography over their 30-minute set. During their more power ful moments, the two women would fall to their knees, shredding their guitars alongside each other while the two men kept playing away on the same page. Their music’s more indie rock style contrasted nicely with Christina Carmona’s ethereal

vocals. The entire band was completely in tune with one another, providing a great start to the show.

The second artist to take the stage was grandma. A multi-instrumentalist based out of Atlanta — who writes, performs, produces and mixes all of his music — brought along a live band to bring his vision to life. Hilariously coming out on stage to the recording of a recent viral New York City press conference where the mayor declared war on the rats, he and his band were very light-hearted on stage. Cracking jokes throughout their 30-minute set about things like stopping at Buc-ee’s to get a smoked brisket sandwich only for it to mess him up, his first time in San Antonio was one he was ready for.

The musician performed on stage with black baggy pants and an even bag gier black coat and did so with so much swagger. Even with the small stage not allowing the most movement, he truly had the best energy of the night, command ing the stage with the excitement he put into his performance. There were even unexpected moments, like when he would pull out a trumpet in the middle of some tracks and completely nail that part of his performance. While the songs ranged from rock to indie pop to occasionally even

funk, they all felt like songs that came from one person’s DNA. No two songs of his sounded remotely the same and with tracks performed like “Downtown Life” and “Blue Atlanta,” it was great fun to see an artist that is unique in the approach they take with their music.

The night’s headliner was Sunflower Bean, touring to promote their newest album, “Headful of Sugar,” which was released this past May. They began their set by performing songs off that album, with the title track being an early highlight of what all three band members would be capable of doing for the duration of the set. The trio, consisting of Julia Cumming on lead vocals and bass, Nick Kivlen on guitar and backing vocals and Olive Faber on drums, go through an array of subgenres within their rock music. Delving into indie rock, psychedelic rock and even punk rock, Cumming’s voice proved to be perfectly suited to all of them.

They said that they missed being in San Antonio after such a long gap and their excitement to premiere all their new tracks for the audience was evident.

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By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

UTSA basketball will start their 2022-2023 schedule at the beginning of November. After challenging season performances and weaker conference play, the men’s and women’s teams hope for stronger performances. Though neither team has had a deep run in the tournament in several years, changes in the offseason give the Roadrunners hope for this upcoming season.

The men finished second to last in the West division with a 10-22 overall record and went 3-15 in Conference USA. The only team with a worse record was Southern Miss, who UTSA lost to in the first round. The men are coming off a far more disappointing season than the women and also did not add too significant of additions. Starting guard Darius McNeil and closer Djieu Dieng are no longer on the roster, as McNeil transferred to Troy and Dieng declared for the National Basketball Association’s draft. Dieng contributed 341 points last season, and McNeil added 178 points and 53 assists. However, UTSA did add John Buggs III, Carlton Linguard Jr., Massal Diouf and DJ Richards, who they hope might fix UTSA’s defensive problem and lack of consistent scoring.

The first game for the men will come on Nov. 2, which is an exhibition game against Schreiner. They will then play five regular season games before host ing the 210 San Antonio Shootout from Nov. 25-28, featuring teams such as UIW, Dartmouth and Grambling State. The Roadrunners will start well and likely lose a maximum of one game in November as they will not play a team

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that matches their talent level. At the beginning of December, UTSA goes on the road to play New Mexico and Pac-12 school Utah. The Roadrunners will play their first C-USA opponent on Dec. 22, where they will host North Texas. There will be 19 more conference games to end the season schedule on March 2 before the conference tournament on March 8-11.

The men had a 15-11 record in the 2020-2021 season; however, they lost in the tournament’s second round. Coach Steve Henson is entering his seventh year at UTSA. Despite winning C-USA coach of the year in 2017-18, Henson

The transfer from Big-12 school Kansas State is seven feet tall and helped lead his high school team in back-to-back years to the state tournament. With some extra scoring help for Germany, the Roadrunners can go further than they ever have before.

UTSA needs to get back to being above .500, and this year a 12-8 con ference record is not unrealistic. The ‘Runners can make some noise come the conference tournament.

The women did win their first tourna ment game against UTEP; however, they lost in the second round and had the worst record in the West division,

but with the new additions to the lineup, those losses will be overlooked. Jordyn Jenkins, a transfer from the University of Southern California, was added to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List and named to the Conference USA Preseason All-Conference Team. She was named the Pac-12 Most Improved Player as she led the Trojans in total points.

The women were picked to finish ninth of the 14 total teams in C-USA in the coaches’ preseason poll. Kyra White is another USC transfer who can make a big impact in the Roadrunners’ season. Though she did not have as significant an impact with the Trojans as Jenkins, White is a former three-time all-state first team honoree and won the 2019 6A state championship at Converse Judson. Unlike the men, the women will have multiple proven players to share the ball and score when needed.

The women’s schedule starts Nov. 7 at Stephen F. Austin, then the team will play Big-12 member TCU on Nov. 16. The first game at the Convocation Center will be the 20th against Abilene Christian. The Roadrunners will then participate in the Las Vegas Invitational tournament on Nov. 25 and 26. The conference schedule will begin against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 29 and will conclude on March 2 against Charlotte.

has never gotten the Roadrunners past the second round, adding a little more pressure to this upcoming season.

Jacob Germany is the biggest returner for UTSA. The senior from Kingston, Oklahoma, led the team in points per game (15.2), rebounds per game (7.3) and blocks per game (0.8) while also adding 10 double-doubles on the season. Erik Czumbel and Lachlan Bofinger are also key returners; however, neither averaged more than 4.8 points per game. The addition of Linguard Jr. is vital.

winning just three conference games and having a 7-23 overall record. Though the women matched the men with just three conference wins, winning the first round of the tournament was a positive end to the season. Red-shirt sophomore Elyssa Coleman averaged 7.9 points for UTSA but is now a year older and is ready to take the next step to become a leader on the team.

The women lost LaPraisjah Johnson (8.5 ppg) and Jadyn Pimental (8.2), the two highest leading scorers on the team,

A drastic record improvement such as a 14-6 C-USA record is not unrealistic, and where the men will attempt to win a game or two, the women have added pieces that can get them to the final round in the West side of the bracket.

There is pressure on the men’s team to get to 10 wins in the conference, and if they can win two games in the tournament, the season is a success. The women are now expected to win at least a game, and if they can make noise in CUSA, they will be right on schedule with the program rebuild.

Soccer wins season-finale over UTEP

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

UTSA ends the regular season with two straight wins, including a 1-0 win over UTEP on Oct. 28. The Road

runners (9-5-4, 4-3-3 C-USA) aggression on offense helped defeat the Miners (4-11-3, 1-7-2) as they had 15 shots to UTEP’s eight.

Nine of UTSA’s shots came in the first period, while

the defense held UTEP to just two. Anna Sutter made the only goal of the game in the 18th minute. Marlee Fray had a free kick, and Miner goalkeeper Mariah Scott saved the ball; however, after throwing it back into play, Sutter took control and launched it in for the 1-0 lead.

The two teams shot the ball six times each in the second period. UTSA held UTEP scoreless to win the game. The Roadrunners had nine corner kicks to the Miners two, and the Runners held a 54% possession advantage throughout the match. Sutter had three shots which led UTSA. The Roadrunners still trail the all-time series against the Miners 2-8-2.

The top eight teams in the Conference USA standings make the conference tournament, and the ‘Runners sixth seed finish pairs them with the number three seed, who is yet to be determined.

The sixth-place finish is also the highest in UTSA program history.

UTSA will play in the C-USA tournament on November 1 through 7 in Charlotte, North Caro lina.

Volleyball extends losing streak to seven games

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

UTSA volleyball lost its seventh straight game against No. 21 Rice and North Texas. This match was the second time this season the Roadrunners (7-16, 2-9 C-USA) lost to these two teams, and in turn, UTSA finds themselves at the bottom of the Conference USA standings.

The ‘Runners played nationally ranked Rice (20-2, 10-0) on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Convocation Center. The Owls outscored the Roadrunners 75-38 in the three-set sweep. UTSA took their only commanding lead of the evening in the first set after they jumped out to a 6-2 lead; however, the Owls came back and took a 9-8 lead, and the two teams went back-and-forth until Rice closed on a 6-1 run, winning the set 25-18. Casu Günaydin had a set high for UTSA with six kills.

Rice continued their late run into the second set, taking an 11-6 lead to force UTSA to call a timeout. After an other late Roadrunner timeout, Rice closed on a 5-3 run to 25-12 and went up 2-0 in the match. The Owls ended the ‘Runners’ hopes quickly as they jumped out to a 16-5 lead in the third set. UTSA only managed to score three more points as they lost the third and final set 25-8.

Günaydin led UTSA with nine kills on the night, and Alicia Coppedge had eight. Mekaila Aupiu had 15 of

the ‘Runners’ 25 assists, while Rice had 43 team assists. Danyle Courtley led the Owls with 13 kills to help lead Rice to a second sweep against UTSA on the season.

UTSA lost its first game of a two-game road trip to North Texas (12-13, 6-4) on Oct. 30. Having lost to the Mean Green in five sets two weeks prior, North Texas played with more dominance winning in four sets. UTSA won their only set in the first. The Roadrunners jumped out to a 9-5 lead, forcing North Texas to call a timeout. UTSA extended that lead to 22-14; however, the Mean Green rallied back to trail 24-23 and nearly tied the game. UNT had a serving error to give the ‘Runners their only win.

There were 15 ties in the second set and seven different lead changes. As the teams tied at 23, North Texas rattled off two points to win the set 25-23 and tie the match. Coppola had four kills in the second set.

The Mean Green went up 6-1 in the third set to force UTSA to call a timeout. UTSA returned with a run of their own and took an 11-10 lead where UNT called a timeout. The score was tied at 17; however, North Texas went on an 8-2 to win 25-19.

The final set was once again tight as the ‘Runners attempted to extend the match to a

Coach Derek Pittman and the team watches the soccer game.

fifth set. The two teams were tied at 15 until North Texas went up 20-17. They would go on to win the set 25-22 and the match 3-1. Aupiu had 23 assists, while Courtney Walters had 22 along with team-high three aces. The two combined for 45 of the 48 total UTSA assists. Coppedge had 12 kills, her sixth double-digit kill game of the season.

UTSA will play against UAB at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics

Photo courtesy of Jeff Huehn/UTSA Athletics.

Coach Carol Price-Torok pep-talks her team during a timeout in their match against North Texas.

John Buggs III speaks infront of the fans at Rowdy Jam last Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Jacob Hernandez/UTSA Athletics

Sports

Men’s golf place sixth at The Clerico, Women finish fall season at Jim West Challenge

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

The men’s and women’s golf teams had separate competitions last week. The men traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to participate in The Clerico, while the women went to San Marcos for the Jim West Chal lenge. The men finished sixth out of 12 teams, while the women finished 14th out of 15 teams.

Hunter Bott led the Roadrunners at The Clerico on Oct. 24 and 25 (par-71/7,000 yards). After the first day of the tournament, the ‘Runners were tied for third overall with Bott scoring a 1-under-par 70 and David Harrison right behind at an even-par 71.

The men’s team fell to sixth place, with Bott still leading the way, tied for 13th with a 4-over-par 146. The course was shortened to 36 holes due to weather conditions on Monday. Bott posted a 76 on the second day and finished with five birdies, including a birdie on the 364-yard, par-4 first hole. Christian Fanfelle, who finished first for UTSA in the three meets prior, also had five birdies and came in second for the Roadrun ners with a 7-over 149. Fanfelle jumped five places on

the second day, landing him tied at 24th overall.

Harrison fell 21 spots to tie for 30th place and finished with an 8-over 150. Freshman Brayden Bare was two shots behind Harrison and tied in 40th place. Bare had a birdie on the 388-yard, par-4 second and 133-yard, par-3 sixth holes, which helped give him a 10-over 152 (79-73). Jack Wehman was the final Road runner in the lineup, tying in 45th place in the 71-man field and earning a score of 11-over 153 (76-77).

The Roadrunners’ score of 592 (292-300) landed them in sixth place, one stroke behind Texas State at 591 (297-294). South Alabama won the team title (292-288–580) and Luke Kluver from Oklahoma won the individual title with a 5-under 137.

The women went to the Jim West Challenge on Oct. 23 and 24, where Camryn Carreon led the ‘Runners to a 14th overall finish (301-301-291-893). Carreon finished with a score of 3-under 213, after a 2-over 74 on the first day of the match, which launched her 16 spots on the second day to finish tied for eighth. This was Carreon’s 10th time placing top 10 in her colle giate career. Carreon also matched her record score of

67, which featured seven birdies and had 12 total for the competition.

Daniela Abonce was second for UTSA and finished with a 3-over 219 (71-76-72), tying for 31st. Three dif ferent Roadrunners finished in the 70s. Olivia Williams tied for 70th and carded a 14-over 230 (80-76-74), while Morgan Ellison was one stroke behind, tying for 72nd with a 15-over 231 (76-77-78). Lauren Rios was the final ‘Runner, finishing 79th (84-80-82—246).

UTSA competed against eight nationally ranked teams and was the only team from Conference USA. No. 27 Oklahoma State won the team title with an 855 (285-282-288), just two strokes ahead of No. SMU at 857 (294-280-283). Carla Bernat won the individual title with a score of 8-under 208 (70-73-65).

The women have concluded their fall portion of the season and will start back up in the spring semester. The men have one final competition, which will take place on Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. at the Saint Mary’s Invitational in Pebble Beach, California.

UTSA finish with strongest conference showing in years

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

After multiple seasons ending in disappointment, the UTSA cross country team placed sixth in the women’s race, followed by fifth in the men’s on Saturday, Oct. 29, in Denton, Texas. The men had a pair of top-20 finishes at the Conference USA championship, which featured Colton Stunkard and Jake Smith earning third-team allconference honors.

Stunkard has led the ‘Runners in every race he has run, and that was no different as he placed 15th with a time of 25:02.3 in the 8,000-meter race. Fifth-year senior Jake Smith was not far behind, finishing in 18th place and crossing the line at 25:19.1. The two led the men’s team to their best C-USA finish since 2011.

UIW transfer Spencer Herbstritt finished in 27th place with a time of 26:12.0. Idol Ramon was the fourth fin isher for UTSA, crossing the line with a time of 26:34.8, placing him 33rd. Gabe Hernandez and Landon Blan kenship finished 37th and 38th with times of 26:48.9 and

26:56.5, respectively. Harrison Wade was the seventh man for the Roadrunners, crossing in 41st place at 27:08.3. OJ Ruiz and Cade Cunningham were the final two ‘Runners to cross the finish line. Ruiz came through in 44th place in 27:21.2, while Cunningham was 53rd with a time of 28:18.9.

Charlotte won the C-USA team title with just 31 points, while Nick Scudder led the 49ers with the individual title finishing the course in 23:58.5. UTEP finished in second place with 62 points, while Middle Tennessee came in third with 69 points. Rice was the fourth-place team, 14 points ahead of UTSA, scoring 121.

The women also had their best finish since 2013 with the help of three top-30 performances. Luzaan de Wilt (27th), Madison Henry (28th) and Abbygail Balli (29th) finished 22:52.4, 22:56.9 and 22:57.6, respectively. This is the second race this trio has run together, which guided UTSA to sixth place.

What to know about

By Maddie Cortez Staff Writer

It was 2014; we had the big three — Manu Ginobli, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. They won several champi onship titles. Life was good.

For a while, the Alamo City became cozy in their confidence of who was defending the Spurs’ name; however, that confidence has taken a hiatus due to the young, unknown and renovated Spurs team that now represents San Antonio. With fan uncertainty comes many questions: Which players do we keep an eye on? How do they plan to rebuild? How high or low is their potential? Here is what you need to know about the 2022 Spurs rebuild.

Earlier this summer and for the first time in franchise history, coach Gregg Popovich welcomed three firstround picks, all 19 years of age. On top of that, 10 out of 17 players are 23 years old or younger. This youthful ar rangement will require Coach Pop’s expertise and some pulled-in help. Brett Brown joined the coaching staff this offseason from the Philadelphia 76ers, and according to FanNation, his purpose will be to “[help] with youth de velopment and [deal] with the lifestyle of being a coach on a losing team.”

It was anticipated that the Spurs would not make it far, and Coach Popovich agreed. “Nobody here should go to Vegas with the thought of betting on us to win the championship,” he semi-joked. Furthermore, Popovich framed his approach for the season, and as expected, he is taking the fundamental approach. One could say that the five-time championship-winning coach prefers a fresh group. In the climate of the NBA, the “Gregg Popovich method” can be overlooked, especially with the media highlighting fancy, stylized plays. Coach Popovich’s coaching M.O. emphasizes basic, fundamen tal basketball. He wants ball movement, people move ment and unselfish basketball. This method can be easily instilled with a roster full of newcomers, and so far, it is working. The silver and black have won five of seven games in the regular season.

As previously mentioned, San Antonio welcomed three first-round draft picks — forward Jeremy Sochan, guard Malaki Branham, and guard Blake Wesley. Sochan is the Spurs’ highest draft pick since Tim Duncan in 1997. The 6-foot-9 power foward is part of the starting five this season and is anticipated to be a top defender for the team. The other starters include Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Josh Richardson, Jakob Poeltl and Devin

Chante Dixon was the fourth finisher for the ‘Run ners, crossing the line at 23:30.0 and landing her in 41st place. Brooke Veltman finished in 46th place with a 23.41.8, while Savanah Lopez came in 49th place with a 23:58.5. Lilly Morill rounded out the lineup for the ‘Runners, coming in 58th place and running a 23:34.3 through 6,000-meters.

Charlotte completed the sweep by also winning the women’s team title with 26 points. Middle Tennessee came in second with 54 points, while Rice finished with 79. FIU was in fourth place with 142 points, and UAB was just two points ahead of UTSA with 156, placing them fifth. Ruth Jerubet from UTEP won the individual title with a time of 20:42.9, while Charlotte had five run ners in the top eight.

UTSA will compete in the NCAA South Central Re gional on Friday, Nov. 11, in College Station, Texas.

Spurs team

Vassell if he was not out for injury. If there is any player you want to keep tabs on this season, Johnson would be your guy. He has been leading the team offensively by averaging 24 points per game and secured a season-high of 33 points against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 28. Un doubtedly, he will quickly fill an alpha role if he hasn’t already. The rest of the starters have infused stability and promise into the lineup’s essence. The players have the foundation for what is needed to generate effective plays, continue growth and become championship-bound once again.

As much as the unique roster is a conversation piece, it should also be noted that this is the 50th season for the San Antonio Spurs. Many celebrations will follow this significant year, such as returning to the Alamodome to challenge the Golden State Warriors, traveling to play in Mexico City and Austin “to deepen the team’s regional fanbase,” and offering gifts for attendees at select games. There will be other events for themed game nights, like hosting a 2014 Championship Night. It goes without saying that the Spurs care for their fans and regardless of status, San Antonio loves their silver and black.

(Left) Madison Henry, Luzaan de Wilt and Abbygail Balli running as a pack. (Right) Colton Stunkard leading the way for the men. Stunkard finished third-team All-Conference USA.

Photos courtesy of Conference USA.

Men cross country team places fifth, women sixth in C-USA champions hip