4.11.17

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BY ts UTSA studen R FO ts UTSA studen

Vol. 55 Issue 12 APRIL 11 April 18, 2017 /PaisanoOnline

/ThePaisano

@ThePaisano

@PaisanoMedia BFA exhibitions showcase UTSA’s artists

Does Trump care about the Syrian people?

www.Paisano-Online.com

Chelsea Taylor receives Spirit of Service

Arts & Life Pg.8

Opinion Pg.4

Sports Pg.9

New parking lot under construction

Photo Courtesy of the Hurd.House.gov

Congressman Will Hurd, representative of the 23rd district of Texas

Photo Courtesy of the UT System

Dr. Juliet Garcia, senior advisor to the Chancellor for community, national and global engagement

Tristan Ipock, The Paisano Diane Abdo, The Paisano Trees were dragged away during parking lot construction.

ONE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER REMAINS TO BE CHOSEN Isaac Serna News Editor

@ThePaisano news@paisano-online.com Two of the three commencement speakers for the Spring 2017 graduation ceremony have been chosen. UTSA will welcome both Dr. Juliet Garcia and Congressman Will Hurd to address the new graduates. Congressman Will Hurd, representative of the 23rd district of Texas, will speak at the May 13, 4 p.m. ceremony. He will address the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning; College of Business and College of Engineering graduates. “I very much look forward to speaking at UTSA’s commencement ceremony,” Hurd said. “UTSA produces some of the best and brightest my home town has to offer.” Hurd was born and raised in San Antonio. He attended John Marshall High School before leaving for Texas A&M University. Before being elected to the 114th Congress, Hurd was an undercover CIA officer and a senior advisor to a

cybersecurity firm. “As a former computer science major, I particularly enjoy seeing the cybersecurity program continue to grow and mold our next generation of industry leaders. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Class of 2017,” Hurd said. Dr. Juliet Garcia, senior advisor to UT System Chancellor William McRaven for community, national and global engagement, will speak at the May 14, 2 p.m. ceremony which includes both College of Education and Human Development and College of Sciences graduates. “I was thrilled to be invited to speak at UTSA’s commencement ceremony in one of my favorite cities, home to one of the most dynamic, exciting campuses in the country,” Garcia said. Garcia served as president of UT Brownsville (UTB) for 22 years. She played an integral role in the creation of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She was the first Mexican-

American female to head a U.S. college when she was named president of Texas Southmost College, which later became UTB. Time magazine named Garcia one of the top 10 college presidents in the nation; in 2014, she was named one of the top 50 world leaders by Fortune magazine. “UT San Antonio plays a pivotal role in preparing the next generation of human capital in a city poised to be the next major metropolitan area in the United States. We know that San Antonio’s future is inextricably linked to the success of UTSA,” Garcia said. “A hallmark of the culture at UTSA is that it honors its history and tackles the challenges of the future, and that makes it a very special place.” The speaker for the May 13, 10 a.m. ceremony has yet to be chosen. This speaker will address the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, College of Public Policy and University College graduates. Traditionally Dr. Ricardo Romo, former UTSA president, served as the

keynote speaker for 56 of 59 graduation ceremonies since December 2008. Exceptions include George C. Wright, President of Prairie View Texas A&M University spoke at one of the May 2012 ceremonies; Julián Castro, the San Antonio mayor at the time; and Nancy Kudla (President of the Kudla Family Foundation) who delivered speeches at two different ceremonies in May 2013. The primary goal of commencement speakers is to inform and inspire graduates. For some students, a new speaker is welcomed. Drake Brown, senior political science major, believes inviting Hurd was a good decision. “I saw Congressman Will Hurd speak at my girlfriend’s graduation at St. Philip’s College in 2015. His speech was solid; he spoke about not giving up,” Brown said. Joe Izbrand, chief communications officer for UTSA said the third speaker for the May 13, 10 a.m. ceremony will be announced soon.

Molly Crowder Contributing Writer

@ThePaisano news@paisano-online.com Limited parking availability is a common complaint among UTSA faculty and students. Many students and visitors complain there are not enough spots available and the lots are always full. To solve this problem, UTSA has begun constructing two new parking lots. In doing so, UTSA has razed a green space and cut down trees on campus. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to cut down more trees. Trees are very beneficial to the environment, so cutting them down doesn’t seem like the best move,” said Erin O’Brien, TA II of the communication department. Some students however, welcome the creation of additional parking spaces. “We definitely need more parking spaces,” Liana Trevino, freshman nursing major, said. “The reason many students are late to class is because they can’t find a spot.” “I think there are plenty of trees around UTSA to make up for the ones that will be cut down,” Mario Spinelli, sophomore mechanical engineering major, said. The new parking lots being constructed will

create 400 new spaces for UTSA faculty and staff. The lot near Tobin Ave. will create 275 spaces for residents with “H” parking permits. The lot near the business building will add around 125 new spots for employees “A” parking and

“Trees are very beneficial to the environment, so cutting them down doesn’t seem like the best move.” -Erin O’Brien, TA II of the

communication department 24 hour reserved parking permits. Combined, these projects will cost the university around $3 million to be funded through parking strategic reserves. More parking spots are required to compensate for UTSA’s growing population. Although students can expect parts of the Ford and Ximenes lot to be closed for the summer, the additional parking lots are set to open by the first day of classes next fall.

UTSA professors discuss Texas death penalty in light of Supreme Court ruling Taiwo Adepo Staff Writer

@ThePaisano news@paisano-online.com Texas maintains the ability to use the death penalty, but must adopt a more modern standard following an overturned death sentence by the U.S. Supreme Court. “Texas is always going to support the death penalty, that is who we are. This is our culture,” said Henry Esparza, a political science and geography professor at UTSA. “I think it makes

us feel good when we put someone to death, but it’s important to be consistent within our Constitution and I don’t think that we are.” On March 28, 2017, in Moore v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the standards Texas uses when considering the execution of a convicted murderer if that person is found to be mentally deficient. In a 5-to-3 decision, the Supreme Court found that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

sentenced Bobby James Moore, the petitioner

“Texas is always going to support the death penalty. This is who we are. This our culture.” -Henry Esparza,

political science and geography professor

believed by the majority of the Justices to be mentally deficient, to death citing illegitimate reasons: borderline IQ scores; outdated medical standards (Texas Court was using the manual on mental retardation from 1992); and adaptive skills such as the ablity to make plans, mow lawns, wear a disguise (to hide his identity during a robbery in 1980) and play pool for money. Despite these capabilities, Moore suffers from borderline intellectual disability according to the

Tristan Ipock, The Paisano

prosecution’s psychologists who testified at the trial. Moore was convicted for the murder of James McCarble, an employee at a Birdsall Super Market in 1980. According to Mario

Salas, an African American studies professor at UTSA and a former special

See Texas, page 2


o

2 UTSA In Fall 2017, UTSA will offer its first complete online degree program for a B.B.A. in cybersecurity. Meant to attract students not living in San Antonio, the online degree program will offer the same materials and have the same requirements for the current on-campus degree program.

Texas On Monday, Texas senators considered Senate Bill 148, which would repeal the voting requirement for language interpreters to be registered voters in the same county they are providing services. For Spanish-language readers, Texas already requires electoral material to be presented in Spanish. However, for Asian or other Pacific Island language speakers, voting may present a language barrier.

U.S. The Trump administration has implied future military intervention in Syria is a possibility after the recent missile strike. Fifty-nine U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles destroyed a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical attack that U.S. intelligence believes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out against his own people–including children. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has stated the U.S. will defend innocent civilians from places all over the world and implied the Trump administration will be open to humanitarian efforts as well.

World Russian President Vladimir Putin has not backed down from his support of Syrian President al-Assad, to whom he has provided military support in the Syrian Civil War. The Trump administration will be discussing the issues that have risen out of Syria with Putin throughout the week; however, media pundits’ hopes are limited on what each administration will accomplish, because Iran has allied with Syria and Turkey has allied with Russia, which gives strong foreign support to Syria.

NEWS

April 11 - April 18, 2017

Mayoral candidates talk social justice Diego Lopez Staff Writer

@ThePaisano news@paisano-online.com San Antonio mayoral candidates had the opportunity to address several important issues including the lack of voter participation, community and police relations, an increase of fear among undocumented immigrants, implementing environmentally sustainable policies, housing policies and public transportation policies. The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center hosted the Mayoral Forum on Social, Economic, Gender and Environmental Justice on Sunday, April 9. The event was sponsored by Esperanza, Domesticas Unidas, San Antonio Gender Association, PolitiQueers, Southwest Workers Union, Black Lives Matter UTSA, Spectrum UTSA, Liberty League of San Antonio, RAICES and MOVE SA. The participating mayoral candidates were District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg, Antonio Diaz, Rhett Smith, John Velazquez and Stephen Lucke. Mayor Ivy Taylor did not attend due to a prior commitment. Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Manuel Medina was not in attendance, despite telling Esparanza he would be. Medina failed to contact any of the organizers in advance, leaving many

of the staff and crowd confused. Each sponsor had the opportunity to discuss an issue and ask the candidates a couple of questions. Issues addressed at this event included the importance of living wages and reliable public transportation. Everyone on stage except for Rhett Smith answered yes to incrementally moving towards a $17 an hour minimum wage. Stephen Lucke, one of the candidates, proposed “free bus passes for everyone below a certain income.” Lucke, a health and wellness enthusiast and professional from the eastside, has developed a low-profile campaign around education, health, environment and cannabis reform. “One thing that stood out to me about the candidates was how passionate Stephen Lucke was about his city. The issues that I care about most are immigration reform, marijuana reform and education,” said sophomore business major Helen Ramos. Black Lives Matter UTSA (BLMUTSA) discussed overpolicing in predominantly colored communities, decriminalizing marijuana, cracking down on human trafficking, demilitarizing the SAPD, addressing food deserts and developing community gardens and

Texas death penalty remains despite Supreme Court ruling continued from page 1 education teacher, using adaptive skills to determine intellectual ability is not sufficient. “We have a lot of people who have a disability but are able to do some work. If they could mow the grass or pick up trash that still doesn’t mean they are not disabled.” At age 13, Moore could not comprehend the days of the week, the months of the year or how to tell time. He failed all his classes and dropped out of school. His father then kicked him out of the house and he lived on the streets as a teenager. “This boy never had a chance,” Esparza said. “In our state, I think sometimes, it becomes you are innocent until proven broke. And because money tends to buy justice, this poor boy never had a chance.” Esparza said he wasn’t trying to excuse Moore’s crime because, to him, the issue of victims’ rights is very important. Texas executes death row inmates more than

any other state. Since 1976, 1,398 inmates have been executed in the U.S.; approximately 37 percent, 518, of these executions occurred in Texas. According to current death sentences by race in 2016, 17 blacks, six whites, four Latinos and three Asians add to the population of current inmates awaiting execution in the U.S. According to Salas, race plays a key role in determining who receives the death penalty. Salas added, judges aren’t culturally sensitive and jurors are not well educated in Texas. “There is a lot of ancient way of thinking in this state. People think they are still on the frontier where they can just gather a mob of folks and have them pass sentence on someone without much understanding of what they are actually doing,” Salas said. Following the Supreme Court ruling, states must use standard statistical error rate to assess IQ test scores. According to the Supreme Court, the Texas standards were an unconstitutional outlier.

grocery stores. BLMUTSA asked the participants if they would support a biennial review of the SAPD and a review council chaired by citizens; everyone on stage voiced support of the idea. They all agreed increasing trust between residents and police is key to a healthy relationship between law enforcement and community. “Today, we spoke to the mayoral candidates about what we’d like to see from them as far as police reform and criminal justice reform,” BLMUTSA President Tabbi Austin stated. “We really want a large amount of transparency and accountability when it comes to data collection and record keeping.” “We want to reinforce the idea of community control of the police. Especially in areas where the police force does not represent the community,” said Ashley Billiard, treasurer of BLMUTSA. After Harris County implemented their new marijuana policy (no arrest or charge when caught with less than four ounces if the person pays a fee and attends an education course), many suspect San Antonio residents may begin to push for a similar policy. “Because of UTSA, San Antonio does have a large influx of Houston youth. So, I think if we can get the

NEWS April 11 - April 18, 2017 Q&A: MIRANDA MILLER Miller is a Human Resources Management senior at utsa. she is the former SGA senior senator who authored a resolution to address campus sexual assault and harassment. see Opinion page 4

students involved in city politics, hopefully they’ll be able to put pressure on them, so that they do start decriminalizing marijuana,” Austin said. “The criminalization of marijuana really targets black and brown bodies. When we see a decrease in the criminalization, we’ll see a much more vibrant youth, especially among minority communities,” stated Billiard. The issues pointed out by BLMUTSA, Domesticas Unidas and the other organizations in attendance are derived from consideration of structural inequalities in the city of San Antonio. A structure that several of the candidates are a part of. Only 3.6 percent of 18 to 35-year-olds voted

during the 2015 municipal election. The average age of a San Antonio voter is 63; the average age of a San Antonio resident is 34. “The cure to civic disengagement isn’t just lowering the age to vote; it’s energizing people who are just sitting on the sidelines.” Eighteen-year olds in this community have 60 percent less voice at the polls because they’re simply just not participating. We have to make voting easier for the people who are eligible to vote now,” stated Councilman Nirenberg. The candidates will be working hard to increase turnout among younger voters before the election on May 6. Early voting starts on April 24.

What prompted you to write this resolution? Were there any particular events that occurred that motivated you to take action?

Why is this topic important to you? Why should the UTSA community care about this issue?

Sexual assault and sexual harassment hits extremely close to home to me. Not only have I been assaulted before, but I know so many women who were victims, and men too. These individuals who were told it was their fault or feared the repercussions of accusing someone they knew with no hard evidence. They have to live with that, often times still in the same organizations as their attacker, or same dorm and that can be hard. Not only do they have to process what happened, but share that space with the same person who caused that trauma. The attacker often faces at most- a slap on the wristor maybe a meeting with EOS, but that’s assuming it even gets that far. UTSA should care about this because of the statistics. One out of five women and one out of 16 men are sexually assaulted while on campus. A lot of these students are miles away from home. Over half of those cases aren’t reported to the police. Those victims are being failed. They’re being failed because somehow along the way, those victims don’t feel comfortable enough to report, don’t feel safe enough to report, or just don’t feel justified enough to report. This needs to change.

Q:

What can students do to combat sexual assault in their community?

Education on rape culture. It exists and I don’t care what so called “meninists” say. The more people know that certain things shouldn’t be expected such as sex after a date; that men can be raped and taken advantage of; feminism isn’t equivalent to man-hating; privilege of all sorts exists and several other things. The more we educate our men and women the more we’ll ultimately help them. Instead of worrying how we face the problem, we’re preventing the problem.

Q:

What emotions did you feel when writing this resolution? How did you feel after it passed? Were any other SGA members involved who you would like to credit?

I was scared of the feedback that I would receive from my peers but I actually got a lot of support. I even got feedback that it needed to be more aggressive in order to be taken seriously. I got a lot of questions asking if this was in response to the Romo situation to which I responded, “this is bigger than even him, and the world doesn’t revolve around him,” knowing that after this passes things like that will hopefully stop. Incidents will be reported, and behavior like that will absolutely not be tolerated. I’d like to thank Rebecca Conejo, Alwyn Matthews, Aileen Montana, and most of all, Frankie Trynoski who helped me shape this since I tend to ramble and am not the best legislation writer. They encouraged me that this was an amazing idea and invested their full hearts into it as well.

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#68 among young universities Assistant News Editor

I was prompted to write this resolution because I have met so many girls who were sexually assaulted or harassed in some way, and either never reported it because it was someone they knew and were pressured into not reporting; or did report it but the process ultimately led to nothing or the report got so lost in all the bureaucracy that nothing was ever done.

Photo Courtesy of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center featured art on the flyer for their Mayoral Forum.

UTSA Ranked

Samuel DeLeon

Photo Courtesey of Miranda Miller

Q:

3

@realsamdeleon news@paisano-online.com

UTSA continues to strive for success, boosting a higher rating on the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. “This is a tremendous accomplishment, one that you should be very proud of,” Acting President Pedro Reyes said when addressing faculty. “Without the commitment of each of you to deliver a world-class experience to our students, either in the classroom or through the vital support of our staff, UTSA would not be included in this elite grouping.” Last year, UTSA was ranked 77th in the young universities category and this year the university jumped to the 68th spot. THE examines at a university’s teaching

methods, research, number of citations of the school’s research, international outlook and industry income. UTSA also made it on the list for top ranked universities in the world and top ranked universities in U.S. colleges. An important metric to consider is the number of citations from UTSA research. When compared to other UT System schools, the number of citations of UTSA research rivaled that of UT Dallas and UT Austin. Not only has UTSA recently made groundbreaking developments in cancer, but it has also recently received a grant of $5.29 million to further study region of the brain involved in motor movement. Additionally, UTSA continues to hold the title of the top cyber-security program in the nation.

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Is there anything else you’d like readers to know on this subject?

The fact that someone looked me in the eyes then said to me, “Hey, my frat currently has three pending sexual assault cases, want to be the fourth ?” then laughed when I was offended and continued to tell me it was “just a joke”. Then he was featured on Humans of UTSA. Sexual aggressors comes in all shapes in sizes. They can be women too. If you are a victim, you aren’t alone, and it isn’t your fault. You were taken advantage of. Sexual assaults aren’t about sex, they’re about power as well. You can be the bravest, happiest of souls and still be a victim. Please speak out about it.

Interview conducted by Caroline Traylor

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OPINION

April 11 - April 18, 2017

Actions speak louder than words Commentary

Helen Stransky @ThePaisano On the early morning of April 4, chemical warfare ensued in Khan Sheikhoun, Syria. Witnesses of the attack reported seeing bombs dropped from war planes. Upon impact, the nerve agent caused a large yellow cloud— immediately stinging the eyes of people nearby. "It was like a winter fog," a witness recalled "they inhaled the gas and died," said the witness, according to the BBC. The symptoms

of the nerve agents that targeted the community of Khan Sheikhoun included “redness of the eyes, foaming from the mouth, constricted pupils, blue facial skin and lips, severe shortness of breath and asphyxiation.” It is estimated that 84 people were killed—at least 27 of the victims were children. More than 545 people were injured in the attack; however, the number of casualties and injuries is expected to increase due to the nature of the chemicals that were released. President Trump addressed the United States at The White House Rose Garden two days after the attack and expressed his change of heart regarding the nation’s foreign policy on Syria. He opened up and spoke about how deeply the attack affected him. "I will tell you that attack

on children yesterday had a big impact on me—big impact," he stated. He added, "al-Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack." However, his subsequent actions did not match his words. In response to the chemical attack, President Trump launched 59 missiles targeting the Syrian government controlled airbase, Al Shayrat Airfield. Although the administration was not completely certain the chemical attack was carried out from the airfield, Sec. of State Rex Tillerson stated the administration had a "very high level of confidence" that the Syrian government, under the

leadership of Bashar alAssad, was responsible for the Tuesday attack on Khan Sheikhoun. The question of sincerity regarding the President’s emotions is a pressing one. Why would the Commander-inChief profess a seemingly mournful response to the attack in Syria shortly before launching almost 60 Tomahawk missiles to a region recovering from a chemical attack? Does our President truly care about the people in Syria if we are no longer accepting refugees and still have the travel ban in place? The answers to these questions may never be completely answered by President Trump. But, what we can refer to are his actions. Currently, the actions taken by the Trump administration do not reflect ones of compassion

THE 40TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 24th SESSION DATE: March 30th 2017 Authors: Miranda Miller, Rebecca Conejo, Alwyn Mathew, William Franklin Trynoski II, Aileen Montana, Sponsors: Carolyn Campa, Natalie Torresday, Larissa Reyna, Katie Falconer, Jerry Sharp, Joe Sanders, Brett Davidoff, Carlos Chavez

GA 106 This Resolution Shall Henceforth Be Known As the “Call for Evaluation of Procedures pertaining to Sexual Assault and Harassment PURPOSE To recommend the stand to denounce acts of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment, and stand in solidarity with victims of such acts. 1 2 3 4 18 195 6 207 21 8 229 23 10 24 11 25 26 12 13 27 14 28 29 15 30 16 17 31 18 32 19 33 34 20 21 35 36 22 37 23 38 24 39 25 40 26

WHEREAS: Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution of The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Student Government Association reads: “[The duties and responsibilities of the SGA General Assembly shall be:] To review discuss, consider, and take any necessary action through legislation on all issues which concern the campus or students”; and WHEREAS: Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault reporting procedures should be encouraged WHEREAS: Understanding the role of SGA in representing the student body and voicing their even against peers, as peer pressure should not dictate the silencing of victims; and opinions, it is important for us to address concerns from students regarding sexual assault and/or WHEREAS: It is our as and members of the UTSA community to continually address harassment based on imperative current facts personal testimonies. concerns of Sexual Harassment; and WHEREAS: Approximately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in WHEREAS: college; and Complaints of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault should be taken seriously by any department and organization with consideration of the victim’s feelings and well-being; and WHEREAS: Over 63% of Sexual Assault cases are not reported to the police and more than WHEREAS: Policies regarding Harassment and Assault should be updated 90% of Sexual Assault victims Sexual on college campuses doSexual not report sexual assault incidentsto1; and reflect current standards and areas lacking clarification, such as reporting procedures and counseling for aftercare, shouldfor benot evaluated andinclude resolved WHEREAS: These reasons reporting butand; are not limited to fear for their safety,18 their socioeconomic status, or their occupation, as well as a possible fear for and/or of the person 19 WHEREAS: Should the 85th who committed the act; and Texas Legislature pass laws pertaining to the improvement of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment policy including but not limited to SB 969, SB 970, and 20 HB 2232, we should seek toletquickly seamlesslyorinclude them be into our existing procedures WHEREAS: We cannot friends,and classmates, co-workers peer-pressured into remaining 21 and; silent on matters as cases of sexual assault and harassment as in 8 out of 10 cases2, the victim 22 knew or was commonly associated with the person who sexually assaulted them; and THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Student Government Association of the 23 WHEREAS: Sexual Sexual proceduresand should be encouraged University of Texas at Harassment San Antonioand believes theAssault acts ofreporting Sexual Harassment Sexual Assault 1 Ibid even against peers, as peer pressure should not dictate the silencingbehavior of victims; should be fiercely denounced as unacceptable and/or inappropriate and and should not be 24 25 tolerated under any circumstances; and WHEREAS: It is our imperative as members of the UTSA community to continually address 26 concerns of Sexual Harassment; andRESOLVED: That the Student Government Association THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER 27 will work to further promote and improve health and counseling services offered on campus WHEREAS: Complaints Sexual Committee; Harassment and and Sexual Assault should be taken seriously by28 through the Student Health of Advisory any department and organization with consideration of the victim’s feelings and well-being; and 29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That Student Government Association will continue to 30 WHEREAS: Policies regarding Sexual Harassment Sexualand Assault should be updated advocate for Sexual Assault policies that better protectand students members of the UTSA to reflect current standards and areas lacking clarification, such as reporting procedures and 31 community. counseling for aftercare, should be evaluated and resolved and; 32 33 34

27 28 29 30

WHEREAS: Should the 85th Texas Legislature pass laws pertaining to the improvement of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment policy including but not limited to SB 969, SB 970, and HB 2232, we should seek to quickly and seamlessly include them into our existing procedures and;

31 32 33 34

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Student Government Association of the University Texas at San Antonio believes the acts of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault 38 Andrew of Hubbard should be fiercely denounced as unacceptable President of Student Government Association and/or inappropriate behavior and should not be 39 tolerated under any circumstances; and The University of Texas at San Antonio 40

35 36 37

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Student Government Association will work to further promote and improve health and counseling services offered on campus through the Student Health Advisory Committee; and

38 39 40

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That Student Government Association will continue to advocate for Sexual Assault policies that better protect students and members of the UTSA community. 2

https://www.nsopw.gov/en-US/Education/FactsStatistics?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

35 36 37

Graphic by Tristan Ipock, The Paisano

toward the people of Syria. In fact, a notable moment of his presidency was an executive order that indefinitely banned Syrian refugees from entering the United States—including the beautiful babies. To have a President that acts purely on impulse and emotion is a frightening reality to accept. No matter how heinous a crime may be, it should be expected that our president makes

strategically informed decisions rather than knee-jerk reactions to satisfy primal desires of punishment and revenge. It is apparent the Syrian people and their children our president claims to care about so deeply are ultimately unimportant to him. His actions speak louder than words.

Pepsi ad falls flat Commentary

sooner. Pepsi pulled the ad after tremendous social media backlash and universal revulsion. The company had this to say in a statement, “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, Jessica Salinas we missed the mark and @ylwbird we apologize. We did not intend to make light of Last week, Kendall any serious issue. We are Jenner single-handedly pulling the content and ended police brutality, racial violence and tensions halting any further rollout. We apologize for putting with a can of Pepsi. Kendall Jenner in this The American fashion position.” model and television As Jenner is the face of personality was featured the ad, she will be blamed in a short-lived Pepsi for Pepsi’s misdeeds. In advertisement. Jenner actuality, the entity to played a (meta)model blame is capitalism. who casts aside a photo The ad appropriated shoot and accompanying and trivialized social blonde wig to join a justice movements such diverse rainbow of street as Black Lives Matter to protestors against police sell soda; it was an out-ofbrutality. Jenner saunters through touch attempt to appeal to a young and diverse the crowd on an invisible audience. catwalk. She approaches a Billion dollar line of stoic police officers; and then, she gives a good- corporations such as Pepsi looking officer a flirty smile are not concerned about what’s good for the public; and a can of Pepsi. they are concerned The officer opens WHEREAS: SexualtheHarassment andonly Sexual Assault reporting with what’s goodnot fordictate the silen can and takespeers, a drink. even against as peer pressure should them—making money Cheers erupt among the through ads necessary. WHEREAS: It is our as any members of the UTSA co crowd of protesters and imperative everyone of hugs each other. concerns Sexual Harassment;The andcompany’s pathetic attempt to promote “unity, The officer turns to and understanding” WHEREAS: Complaints of peace Sexual Harassment and Sexual A his cop buddy to smile only caused outrage and of the vict anddepartment shrug his shoulders any and organization with consideration revulsion. in a ‘what can you do’ WHEREAS: Policies regardingThrough Sexual the Harassment and Sexu manner—as if he is helpless police to the power sugar waterand appropriation reflect currentofstandards areas lackingofclarification, such a brutality and racialand resolved and and Jenner’sfor carbonated counseling aftercare, should be evaluated violence and tensions in charm. order to sell their products, WHEREAS: Should the 85th Texas Legislature pass laws per Jenner did it! these harrowing issues that but no America's decades Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment policy including have plagued America for long struggle with police HB 2232, we should seek to quickly and seamlessly include th decades are diminished to brutality, racial violence and; a two-minute caricature. and racial tensions is Pepsi certainly missed over—if only the power of THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Student Gover its mark. Pepsi had been realized University of Texas at San Antonio believes the acts of Sexual

should be fiercely denounced as unacceptable and/or inapprop tolerated under any circumstances; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the St will work to further promote and improve health and counselin through the Student Health Advisory Committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That Student Government A advocate for Sexual Assault policies that better protect student community.

Andrew Hubbard

President of Student Government Association The University of Texas at San Antonio


OPINION

5

April 11 - April 18, 2017

The Paisano The takeaway from a president's departure Editor in Chief: Caroline Traylor Managing Editor: Ethan Pham News Editor: Isaac Serna Arts & Life Editor: Raquel Alonzo Sports Editor: Frankie Leal Web Editor: Ricardo Rodriguez Photography Editor: Tristan Ipock Magazine Editor: Jade Cuevas Multimedia Editor: Kat Joseph Editor in Chief Assistant: Ryan Thompson Managing Assistant: Raquel Zuniga News Assistant: Samuel De Leon Arts & Life Assistant: Enrique Bonilla Sports Assistant: Wylie Kuykendall Photography Assistant: Chase Otero Magazine Assistant: Sam Ceballos Multimedia Assistant: Oscar Torres Senior Copy Editor: Jessica Salinas Business Manager: Will Stransky Marketing Director: Valery Assad Social Media Coordinator: Kristy Olson Advertising Marketing Liaison: Jenelle Duff

Editorial Former President Ricardo Romo’s departure was a tumultuous and confusing time for UTSA. During challenging times, it’s important to look for opportunities to grow, ways to improve and silver linings. Romo’s ouster prompted a meaningful dialogue around sexual misconduct in our community. It is imperative

for our community to discuss and understand what’s appropriate in the workplace and show respect (and basic human decency) to people in the workforce. While the circumstances that elicited this dialogue – both on campus and on social media ­– were unideal, students now have an increased awareness of sexual harassment. Another consequence of Romo’s resignation (while

Commentary

Justice Lovin @ThePaisano If you’ve spent more than a semester or two at UTSA, you’ve probably been approached by someone who invited you to a Bible study or devotional get together held by one of the more than two dozen religious organizations at UTSA. It’s an experience so

ubiquitous that it produced a student documentary called "Religion in Rowdyland" that explores the unique religious climate of UTSA. Without getting into theology or the doctrinarian roots of evangelism, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the experience from a pragmatic standpoint. Often, these invitations are well-intended gestures of good will motivated by sincere belief. The evangelist offers a complete stranger the opportunity to join in a meaningful social ritual; in these cases, it is a selfless act of friendship. I prefer to think of all such encounters this way— better not to speculate too much about the intentions of others.

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Unfortunately, not all proselytizers are created equal; the grace, sincerity and (if all else fails) brevity that redeem some are balanced out by the few who seem to do it because they were told to or have a quota to meet. And that’s the problem with evangelism: the shock of the realization that the two of you aren’t participating in the conversation as equals, that it’s totally impersonal. College is a place for people, even complete strangers, to come together and discuss serious topics, but it’s important to do so in good faith. All participants in a discussion must be willing to change their position in the face of evidence and a good argument, and must acknowledge one another as equals who, until it is proven otherwise, have come to their positions honestly as the result of their experiences. The objective of a discussion or debate should never be to win, but rather, to learn to see

Graphic by Tristan Ipock, The Paisano

from another perspective and to share your own; it is a collaborative attempt to understand some truth. And because this is a fairly serious commitment, we don’t tend to engage this way with complete strangers. In fact, ironically, through their abuse of social niceties to force people into onesided conversations about religion, the proselytizers are making people less likely to engage in those conversations. Religion itself is neutral; it is a cultural resource that can be used in many ways. It offers both the discipline

of monastic orthodoxy and the excessiveness of megachurches, the tolerance of Quakers and Buddhists and the hate of so many religious extremists. Ultimately, regardless of sect or faith one should never treat another person as a means to an end but always as an end in and of themselves. As people, we each have our own lives and goals, and by disregarding that proselytizers undermine the social contract that allows mutual cooperation.

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students who had ever attended an event on campus. The door is now open for more guest speakers to impart their wisdom on new UTSA grads. Graduating from college is a significant feat and should be celebrated accordingly. Congressman Will Hurd and Dr. Juliet Garcia’s commencement addresses will be a welcome breath of fresh air.

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David Guel, Emi Ferrer, Ethan Pham

Diane Abdo

at the time) and Nancy Kudla (President of the Kudla Family Foundation) delivered speeches at two different ceremonies in May 2013. Of the 59 ceremonies between December 2008 and May 2015, Romo gave the commencement address for 56 of them. While Romo was certainly beloved among many students, hearing him speak was not a novel experience for most

The problem with proselytizers

Chris Herbert, Aidan WatsonMorris, Benjamin Shirani, Danielle Throneberry, Abby Sharp, Justice Lovin, Jesus Nieves, Alex Birnel, Taiwo Adepoju, Jeremiah Hobbs, Diego Montoya, Gaige Davila

Josh Zollicoffer, Jess Thomas, Samantha Jones, Sheldon Baker, Sofia Trevino, Diego Lopez, Carlos Hughes

certainly more frivolous) is the opportunity for new commencement speakers. Since December 2008, President Romo was the keynote speaker at UTSA’s commencement ceremonies. There were a few exceptions: George C. Wright, President of Prairie View Texas A&M University spoke at one of the May 2012 ceremonies. Julián Castro (the San Antonio mayor

Letter to the editor On behalf of La Raza Faculty and Administrator Association (LRFAA) when La Raza Faculty and Administrator Association (LRFAA) was founded 30 years ago, the organization sought to voice the concerns and perspectives of UTSA Latina/o students, faculty and staff in university governance, program development and student and faculty initiatives. While some improvements have been made, UTSA continues to exclude key stakeholders and to be unrepresentative in the areas of academic leadership, faculty hires and, most recently, its selection of the next president of UTSA. As stated in a December 2016 SA Express-News editorial, the lack of Latina/o representation from campus students, staff or faculty on the presidential search committee for one of Texas’ premier Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) should have prompted the UT System to rethink the search committee’s makeup. At the time, LRFAA leadership met with Dr. Steven Leslie, UT System Vice-Chancellor and UTSA search committee chairman, to explain similar concerns. LRFAA voiced its opposition to the “dark search,” in

which the broader UTSA community—including students, alumni and San Antonio community leaders—would not have an opportunity to even know the final candidates prior to the selection of the sole finalist. LRFAA members also communicated what we would like to see in a candidate and volunteered to serve on the committee. Our concern for the lack of transparency was directly stated, and we asked Dr. Leslie to consider naming additional members to the committee. These requests were all denied and the process was not changed. The search committee does not reflect the majority population of the university, the city, the county or the region, or serve the University’s mission as an HSI. Although the 15-member search committee has two Latino representatives external to the campus, UTSA Latina/o students, staff and faculty are not represented. With the top three university positions —president, provost and vice president for research —currently being led by interim appointments, the university’s future is at a tipping point. Students who fill classes and pay fees and alumni who are asked to contribute to the university’s development

needs do not have a voice in the process. Faculty and staff who remain committed to improving retention and graduation rates do not have the opportunity to question or provide feedback on the finalists. All of the key constituents—those who will be most impacted by the decisions of whoever becomes the next president of UTSA—are not part of the selection process. Also concerning is the notion that an internal candidate did not recuse himself from the process of selecting the UTSA members serving on the presidential search committee, but is still eligible to be considered for the post. The UTSA presidential search process lacks transparency, is not inclusive, neglects community voice in the search and deserves greater scrutiny of its protocol. In order to claim a stake in the closed search process and provide a voice for the UTSA and San Antonio community, LRFAA held two community forums in which students, staff, faculty and community residents could voice their perspectives and criteria for UTSA’s next president. What we heard from participants and what LRFAA endorses is that: UTSA needs a president from the outside who can bring a fresh set

of eyes to addressing the and promoting universities challenges. underrepresented faculty. Because of the lack of Latina/o tenure-track transparency, a leader with faculty constitute only 14 no ties to the campus would percent while the student be best for all parties. population is 51 percent UTSA needs a Latina/o. Although president who has consistent with national experience with a multitrends, UTSA should lead campus university. UTSA the nation in this regard. downtown has been UTSA needs severely neglected and has a president who is not been utilized as the committed to creating true gem that it is. The next pathways of leadership president must recognize for underrepresented the historical foundation administrators at UTSA. of the university and must With transitions in realize that access to the leadership across the university is essential to the university, someone who mission. Investing in the is committed to leveraging downtown campus must be the wealth of talent that a primary aspect of the next goes untapped in this president’s strategy. community is essential for UTSA needs a creating transformation president who understands across the university and in the city, county and this community. university’s demographics. Fundamentally, the We can ill afford a leader next UTSA president must who does not understand be someone who sees —and does not value—the the potential of UTSA Mexican American culture, and of San Antonio. history of leadership and The next president must activism, politics and be prepared to include education that has uniquely Latina/o representation at contributed to the social all levels and not overlook and economic fabric of San its primary constituents or Antonio and South Texas. lock out the perspectives A leader with a proven of those who have helped track record of student to bring this university to initiatives and programs where it is today. that have increased the graduation and retention rates of students from this Written by: demographic is vital for the Enrique Alemán, Jr., Ph.D. university’s success. Roger Enriquez, J.D. UTSA needs a Lilliana Patricia Saldaña, president who can hit Ph.D. the ground running with Vangie Aguilera, Ed.D. respect to recruiting


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April 11 - April 18, 2017

ARTS & LIFE

ARTS & LIFE

San Antonio hosts fifth Maverick Music Festival Jessica Salinas Senior Copy Editor

@ylw_bird arts@paisano-online.com The fifth installment of Maverick Music Festival boasted bands such as Bastille, The Naked and Famous, De La Soul and Young the Giant on April 7 and 8. Maverick took place at La Villita Historic Arts District in downtown San Antonio. Maverick Plaza hosted the main stage. Local artists, bands and DJs were featured on the Arneson River Theatre and the Juarez stage. La Villita featured the Bizarre Bazaar: a collection of local street vendors selling food, drinks, clothing and vintage knick-knacks. Inside Maverick Plaza, the festival offered little in the way of food. Local vendors offered four flavors of gorditas and fruit cups.

Senior music student astounds viewers during recital Carlos Hughes Staff Writer

@ThePaisano arts@paisano-online.com The guitar is a beautiful instrument. It’s an instrument that has been used in some of the most iconic music ever created. It demands patience and rigorous practice to coax the wondrous elaborate riffs from it. Ariel Alba, a senior music major with a focus on performance on guitar at UTSA has dedicated years of practice to the instrument. He had a senior recital this past Friday.

The Arts Building Recital Hall was bustling with friends, relatives and strangers eager to see Alba and his guitar. Looking sharp in a grey suit, Alba, who started practicing in Nuevo Laredo when he was 13 years old began with a guitar rendition of Johan Sebastian Bach’s Suite for Cello No.3. He played a piece by renowned Italian classical guitarist Mario Giuliani. He proceeded with pieces by Brazilian composer Heitar Villa Lobos, John Dowland, Tomas Marco and Manuel Maria Ponce. Alba played each riff and

measure with passion while looking elated during each minute of his senior recital. The recital hall was almost silent. The only noise that greeted spectators’ ears was Alba’s guitar. He finished his performance with “Estrellita” by Mexican composer Manuel

Ponce. A song by a Latin composer was a fitting ending to a performance that had eclectic pieces from composers from a variety of countries. Once Alba finished strumming the final note, thunderous applause ensued. Even more admirable than his playing is his passion for guitar and music. Alba wants to use his degree in music to give back to his hometown in Laredo. “I want to Tristan Ipock, The Paisano

work on both sides of the border and give back to the community,” he said. Alba wants to teach guitar and music. Alba chose to attend UTSA because he has extended family here; his immediate family in Laredo are about three hours away. After Alba receives his degree, he plans to compete in some guitar competitions and audition to be a musician for Cirque du Soleil. Many guitarists have influenced Alba, but his two main influences are classical guitarist Marcin Dylla and Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman.

He attributes the passion and soulfulness that Friedman plays as a huge inspiration for his craft. He is a huge admirer of Marcin Dylla calling Dylla an “artist” whose romantic playing reminds him of “Fredric Chopin but on the guitar.” Alba offers some sound advice to anyone about to pick up an instrument: “Be patient. Because it takes time to master any skill. Hang in there and dedicate some time to it, and build good habits.”

One of the festival’s sponsors was Cerveza Pacifico. The brand plastered the festival with advertisements and yellow 12 ounce cans. Various vendors gave out free beer salts and koozies. Generationals, Book of Love, De La Soul and headliner Young the Giant were Fridays lineup at La Villita. Irvine, Calif. natives Young the Giant admitted to the crowd the band had never been to San Antonio before. The band performed every song off its 2016 album, “Home of the Strange” except for “Elsewhere.” Lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia’s rich and resonant voice cut through the audience chatter during softer tunes such as “Titus was Born,” “Firelight” and “Art Exhibit.” Young the Giant commandeered the crowd from start to finish with

Managing Editor Assistant @SiriuslyRaquely arts@paisano-online.com

“The House on Mango Street” returns to the Classic Theatre this month due to popular demand. Amy Ludwig’s adaptation of the Sandra Cisnero’s novel first performed at the Classic Theatre in September last year. The adaptation’s ample praise has prompted another round of performances from April 6-15. This production has eight cast members, six of whom take on numerous roles. Since there are only a few seconds in between scenes, a minimal amount of props are used throughout the play. To signify the actor has taken on a different

role, that person might be wearing an apron or a hat they weren’t wearing before. The script was almost word for word from the book. “The House on Mango Street” is a Bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, in which Esperanza tells her heartwarming and heartbreaking story of growing up on Mango Street. Esperanza, her sister and her friends explain the importance of growing hips, “they are good for holding a baby when you’re cooking.” Cisneros portrays domestic abuse through Sally, a young girl who gets trouble with her father for talking to a boy. “He just forgot he was her father between the buckle and the belt.” Cisneros highlights sexual

harassment through a scene between Esperanza and a coworker “…he said it was his birthday and would I please give him a birthday kiss. I thought I would because he was so old and just as I was about to put my lips on his cheek, he grabs my face with both hands and kisses me hard on the mouth and doesn’t let go.” Many scenes within this novel resonate with Chicanas, who can sympathize with Esperanza and her desperation to escape Mango Street. Bella Villarreal, who plays young Esperanza, does a fantastic job of conveying all the emotions a child feels when embarrassed to call their house a home. The setting of the novel and the play is in Chicago, where Cisneros lived for

some time as a child. While attending the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Cisneros started to experiment with writing from her own experiences rather than trying to imitate the white male voices of the traditional literary

Cast of “The House on Mango Street.”

canon. Cisneros has become a leading figure of the Chicanx literary movement. She is best known for “The House on Mango Street” and “Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories”. In 2015 Cisneros was awarded

Enrique Bonilla Arts & Life Assitsant @ThePaisano arts@paisano-online.com

Each first Thursday of the month, art walks are held in the King Williams Cultural Arts Districts. On April 6 the arts department hosted their opening reception for “Faculty Selects” at Terminal 136 in the Blue Star Arts Complex. The exhibit showcases highlights of 18 artists who currently teach art and art history at UTSA. Professors exhibited a wide range of mediums at the free art show held biannually. Typically the show is

held on campus, but due to scheduling conflicts, it was moved to the downtown UTSA gallery Terminal 136. “This is a secondary gallery we use for student exhibitions, jury exhibitions and international exhibitions,” said participating artist, Ty Wilcox. “Faculty Selects” is an opportunity to immerse oneself in the breadth of talent among the faculty of the department of art and art history of UTSA. Off campus, art professors are active members of the arts community. Many have participated in residencies around the globe includ-

ing the annual Blue Star sponsored Berlin residency where the institute selects four artists residing in Bexar County to live in Berlin and work with the

“The News” by Ken Little.

Künstlerhaus Bethanien gallery in Berlin’s vibrant art district. Andrei Renteria is one

Level up

the National Medal of the Arts by President Obama. Cisneros currently resides in central Mexico. To purchase tickets for “The House on Mango Street” visit classictheatre. org.

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hits such as “Something to Believe In,” “Apartment,” “Mind Over Matter” and crowd favorite “Cough Syrup.” The latter is one of the songs the band is most known for with oft-quoted lyrics, “life’s too short to even care at all.” While beautifully crooning, Gadhia occasionally played a mean cowbell and wistful ukulele. The encore saw Gadhia don a dazzling sequined jacket over his blue denim jumpsuit. To the delight of the crowd, Gadhia slid across stage during “Silvertongue.” The band ended the set with its first single and crowd favorite “My Body.” The foot traffic in Maverick Plaza increased from Friday to Saturday. Hours after Swimming with Bears took the stage at 2 p.m. on Saturday, fans sported the band T-shirts for sale at the merch table.

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Swimming with Bears recently toured with Panic! At the Disco and Weezer. SWB will play Shady Grove in Austin on April 20. Saturday saw a better line-up with Carla Morrison, Minus the Bear, The Naked and Famous and Bastille. Morrison certainly brought her special brand of Mexican indie-pop to the Maverick Plaza. Morrison was the only pure Spanish act—right at home among the San Antonio Spanish culture, but out of sorts with Maverick’s increasingly indie-alternative vibe. The Naked and Famous hails from, according to vocalist Alisa Xayalith, “Middle-Earth.” Or rather, New Zealand. T/N/A/F performed “Higher” (off its new album, “Simple Forms”) among “No Way” and other songs. The band closed its set with its most

popular song, “Young Blood.” British indie pop band Bastille was Saturday’s headliner. The band played a good mix of songs from both albums, including nine songs off its second album released in 2016, “Wild World.” During “Flaws” lead singer Dan Smith promenaded through the crowd and crooned atop the VIP platform (this reporter’s heart admittedly skipped a beat at the singer’s proxim-

7

ity). Bastille performed hits such as, “Bad Blood,” “Laura Palmer,” “Things We Lost in the Fire” as well as recent singles, “Good Grief,” “Send Them Off ” and “Blame.” The band closed the festival with the popular and boomingly infectious “Pompeii.” Next year, Maverick moves and expands into Hemisfair Park as the official music festival for the San Antonio Tricentennial.

Bastille playing at San Antonio’s Maverick Festival.

Jessica Salinas, The Paisano

Terminal 136 displays installations by UTSA art faculty

‘The House on Mango Street’ returns by popular demand Raquel Zuniga

April 11 - April 18, 2017

Info: Mitziani: rbo233@my.utsa.edu Justin: 832-244-6502 www.Eckankar-Texas.org Sponsored by the Eckankar Student Organization

participant who has been active in the Blue Star district, showcasing work at the “Homage” exhibit during contemporary art

Enrique Bonilla, The Paisano

month in March. He has also participated in the Blue Star sponsored Berlin residency at the Künstlerhaus

Bethanien gallery. Renteria spoke on future plans for mural work and his indigenous justice inspired lithograph, El Salto Temido y Acariciado and the work of his colleagues. “I think the show demonstrates the high caliber of instructors that we have. A lot of these artists have been funded by national and international organizations.” The arts and arts history department at UTSA have been recognized by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and Artpace among many more. The recogni-

tion and support from highly acclaimed institutions is well deserved, considering the diverse and high-caliber oeuvre at Terminal 136. Faculty Selects will be on display at Terminal 136 until April 22, free of charge. Displaying artists include: Richard Armendariz, Christie Blizard, Gregory Blizard, Gregory Elliot, Ovidio Giberga, Buster Graybill, Jayne Lawrence, Ken Little, Mark McCoin, Ben McVey, Michele Monseau, Juan De Dios Mora, Katie Pell, Andrei Renteria, Libby Rowe, Kent Rush, Humberto Saenz, Ty Wilcox and Jason Pearce Willome.


8

ARTS & LIFE

April 11 - April 18, 2017

Spring 2017 BFA exhibitions showcase UTSA’s artists Leah Feneley Staff Writer

@ThePaisano arts@paisano-online.com

Nathan Hughes

Paulina Escobar-Cotera

Paulina Escobar-Cotera, a Mexico City native who currently attends UTSA, has a strong interest in the printmaking, drawing and

Derek Schneeberger

Derek Schneeberger focuses his paintings on his personal and emotional reflections.

Nathan Talamantez

Nathan Talamantez is a fine arts major interested in photography, ceramics and performance/video. TICKETS AVAILABLE >

Nathan Hughes’ focus within the art department at UTSA is painting. “My paintings are multimedia works that I have rebranded as my own version of the 1980s’ NeoExpressionist movement,” said Hughes. The multimedia aspect of Hughes’ artworks is demonstrated as collage with written text, which adds a transformative fluid meaning. The artist

uses text to evoke the viewer’s emotions; he wishes to “create a new vernacular” by transforming the original meaning of the text into his new desired meaning. Within his multimedia painting “The Space between the Living and Dead,” Hughes uses torn pieces of obituaries and string to convey the idea of boundaries between the two realms. He be-

lieves the space is thin between the living and the dead and that crossing over is inherently easy. Nathan Hughes’ multimedia painting “The Space between the Living and Dead” is currently showcased at the 33rd Annual Juried Student Exhibition located within the Main Art Gallery on UTSA’s Main Campus.

painting. The artist uses her works to comment on the sociopolitical concerns between two neighboring countries: Mexico and the United States. She hopes to inform and persuade her audience to be engaged in these pertinent issues. When creating her codex inspired piece “La Muerte,” Escobar-Cotera was influ-

enced by her grandfather, a codex enthusiast. “I learned about this after I started creating my own codices, and it pushed me to continue my work; in a way also bringing me closer to him,” said Escobar-Cotera. “La Muerte” is used as a medium for the artist to critique contemporary society, politics and eco-

nomics by comparing these issues to those of the Aztec civilization. “I’m interested in exploring political narrative through a historical context, making connections between the past and the present,” said EscobarCotera. “Through this connection, we find that these issues are recurring.” More of Paulina Escobar-

“One can feel an artist’s passion or anger through the construction of the piece, and those feelings can resonate with the viewer,” said Schneeberger. “Things such as a passion for painting or the anger from a familial dispute are normal moments in life that I wish for the viewer to understand.” Schneeberger conveys

many relatable emotions within his works, but the feeling he expresses the most is stress, which he has suppressed since his youth. He believes stress is the emotional origin which leads him to a spectrum of various emotions. The artist uses three elements to create his artworks: shape, line and color. “The shapes within my

pieces correspond with the emotional status I currently feel,” said Schneeberger. “Lines within the background represent misguided directions and spontaneous compulsions, while the foreground lines and shapes represent direction and order. Finally, color is connected to the emotional status.” Schneeberger creates his

artworks in the moment of inspiration. He does not know what his paintings will be until they are finished.

After switching his major from in pre med, Talamantez decided to pursue his true passion in the arts. Talamantez focuses on the subject matter of nature and the human body; the artist has always been interested in the human body, but he is now “admiring it and not trying to understand it.”

The piece “Self-Contained” focuses on the human body, but the meaning of the piece is not physical admiration. Talamantez uses the piece as a way to portray the boundaries we establish for ourselves, and how we conform to a social mold that is difficult to break from.

Talamantez was involved in a solo show at the Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex, which included his piece “El Tejas.” The entire show conveyed the idea that we as individuals see the world in a very digital way. The artist wanted to express this idea, while making his experience in downtown San Antonio

physical rather than just a cherished mental experience.

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“Made in America?”: Painting on dried grub worms

“The Space between the Living and Dead”: Collage with newspaper and paint

“La Muerte”: Ink on paper

Cotera’s artworks can be viewed on her website paulinaescobar.com.

“Reforma Educative”: Screen print

“Untitled”

“Layered Feelings”

“Self-Contained” “El Tejas”


SPORTS

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April 11 - April 18, 2017

Chelsea Taylor honored with Spirit of Service award

"I love being a part of

something bigger than myself"

Taylor poses on the track ready to explode off the blocks.

Frankie Leal Sports Editor @panchitoleal05 sports@paisano-online.com Over the course of four years, UTSA senior Chelsea Taylor has blazed a trail of excellence. With one month left to go in her college career, it’s safe to say Taylor has left more than a mark at UTSA; she’s left a legacy. From volunteering for the homeless to running the 4x400 relay, the 21-year old track star does it all. Last week, Taylor had the honor of being recognized with the C-USA Spirit of Service award. The award is a fine testament to her hard work and dedication in the classroom, community and everything else that goes beyond the batons and track spikes. “I don’t do any of what I do for the recognition, but I was still very appreciative to get it,” said Taylor about her newly awarded honor. Over her four years at UTSA, Taylor has received more than her share of accolades, but the Spirit of Service award is one which really encompasses what she’s all about. Aside from finding herself atop the podium at many track and field events, Taylor also finds herself atop the Dean’s list thanks to her academic excellence. Even as a full-time athlete and captain of the track team, she’s managed to maintain a 3.7 GPA in the classroom. “School is just something that has always been so important to me,” said Taylor. “My parents were always very strict with me about school growing up, so when I came to college it just translated.”

Taylor is a management science major in the College of Business and has plans to pursue a MBA in the fall. “People always say do what you're passionate about, and for me that’s business,” said Taylor. Taylor came to UTSA with plans to pursue an education in the finance field; however she quickly realized the area wasn’t for her and she decided to follow her heart instead. “I’m a people person and I need to interact with others, so I changed my major,” she said. The decision paid off, and Taylor couldn’t be happier. “Event management is my passion” she stated. “I love planning, coordinating schedules and logistically getting all the parts of something moving as one. It’s so exciting to me,” said Taylor. As she’s set to graduate next month, it’s clear she’s found her niche. When Taylor is not on the track or doing homework, you can probably find her out and about the city volunteering for a variety of organizations. Taylor is very involved with her community, and makes it a point to dedicate her very limited free time toward volunteer work. “I can’t really explain why I love volunteering so much,” said Taylor. “I just love being part of something bigger than myself.” Taylor regularly takes part in six different volunteer organizations, yet she still jumps at any new opportunities she finds. As a result, she’s compiled hundreds of hours of community service as a UTSA student. “My biggest passion when it comes to volunteering are young girls, kids and the homeless,” said Taylor.

Photo Courtesy of Darnell Porter

Just last month, Taylor took part in a project in which she and others made hundreds of lunch bags, went downtown and passed out meals to the homeless. “It was awesome. I really loved it,” said Taylor. In addition to everything else, Chelsea Taylor is also currently crowned “Ms. Black UTSA.” Taylor uses this platform to volunteer and motivate young girls. “I talk to middle school girls mostly. I try to help them with self-confidence and self-love along with educating the community around them about the dangers

Taylor poses on a UTSA bench.

of eating disorders and body shaming,” said Taylor. “Many middle school girls struggle with accepting themselves and their bodies, and it’s something I struggled with too at that age,” said Taylor. By doing this, Taylor hopes to be a light to middle school girls who are struggling. Even though Taylor is a special person off the track, it’s important to remember how talented she is on it. Despite not starting track until sophomore year of high school, Taylor managed to find success within the sport quickly.

“I was kind of forced into it just because I have long legs,” said Taylor lightheartedly. “I didn’t want to do track, but I ended up doing really well at my first meet. After that I officially joined the team.” In just three years, Taylor became good enough to earn a spot on the Roadrunner track team and become a college athlete. After finding success and working hard her first two years, Taylor was name captain her junior year for the 2015-2016 season. “I really enjoy leadership roles,” said Taylor. “It’s just

who I am as a person.” Of course, being captain has tons of responsibility, but if there’s anyone who can handle it, it’s Chelsea Taylor. “Being captain is challenging at times just because there’s so many personalities and different people. Everyone is not always going to be the best of friends” said Taylor. As her second season as captain continues, the conference track meet looms in the near future. So how does she do it? How can Taylor do so many things and do them all so well? “I live by the motto if there’s a will there’s a way.” Taylor said. “People always tell me I have too much on my plate, but I just love to stay busy, and I love everything that I do.” Whether it be school, volunteer work or track, Taylor gives 100 percent in everything she does. “Sometimes I wish I could calm down,” Taylor said with a laugh. “But I just can’t. I want to do everything.” At first glance she’s just another student athlete, but there’s more than meets the eye. Taylor’s got a big brain, long legs,and a heart of gold. “I give because I want to give.” said Taylor, “I give because it’s in my heart to give.”

Photo Courtesy of Darnell Porter


SPORTS UTSA women's golf places second in Mexico

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Frankie Leal Sports Editor @panchitoleal05 sports@paisano-online.com Last week, the UTSA women’s golf team travelled to Mexico to compete in the “Hawkeye El Tigre Invitational.” Big schools such as Kansas, Ole Miss, and Washington made the trip across the border to the scenic, coastal city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. All in all, there were 79 players from 14 schools that competed in the tourney. Junior captain Nikki Long has been having an

April 11 - April 18, 2017

incredible season. She kept it going at the invitational by finishing in the top five for the third time this season. Long finished tied for fifth place while her teammate Julie Houston finished in the top 10 with a tie for ninth. Long finished the tournament with an impressive one over par after shooting a 71 in the final round. “The course was beautiful but difficult,” said Long. “Most of the holes had water, and the greens were very sloped.” Even though Long and Houston posted the best two finishes for UTSA, the other women

The team takes a group photo with their trophy.

weren’t far behind. Madison Kidd and Aimee Ponte both finished in the top 20, while Becky McGeehan rounded out the team of five at a tie for 31st with a 10 over par. “We really played this course solid,” said Long. “That’s why we almost came out on top.” UTSA finished the tournament a single stroke behind Washington to take home the second place finish. Washington finished the tournament with a score of 873 while the 'Runners came in at a collective score of 874. “We were disappointed

Photo courtesy of UTSA Athletics

that we lost by just a single shot, but we shot one of our best tournament scores, and we’re happy with the way we played” said Long. Perhaps one of the reasons why Washington was able to stay in the lead as a team was Wenyung Keh. She shot an incredible score of 66 in the final round to propel Washington to the victory. The UTSA golf team participated in the tournament in years past, but it was the first time playing internationally for this group. Like most tournaments, the trip

was supposed to be strictly golf-oriented, but they may have lucked out just a bit. “It was so much fun,” said Long. “Our flight actually got moved so we got to stay an extra day and go to the beach. It was awesome.” The players were able to enjoy the white sandy beaches of Puerto Vallarta and unwind after a tough but successful tournament performance. The UTSA women’s golf team has quietly been having a great year, and after their performance in Mexico, they’re among the favorites to win the confer-

ence tournament. The C-USA conference tournament is just around the corner, and Long believes the team has a real shot at winning all the marbles. “We’re really peaking at the right time,” she said. If Long and the rest of the team is able to keep playing the way they’ve been, they have a good chance of winning it all. “Last year we sort of fizzled out near the end,” said Long. “But this year, I’m looking forward to finally getting a ring.”


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