Vol. 65, Issue 12

THE PAISANO

‘Tres Culturas, Un Puerto Rico’ event honors Puerto Rico’s three cultures

University celebrates first-gen students with week-long event

By Gauri Raje News Editor

Last week, UTSA hosted “First-Gen Fest,” a week-long event featuring various programs to celebrate the university’s firstgeneration students, while also providing them with help and guidance as they navigate col lege.

The fest kicked off on Mon day, Nov. 7, with a Major/Career Exploration Workshop and a virtual First-Gen Family Social.

The festival’s main event took place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the UTSA Central Plaza and com memorated National First-Gen Day. Several other events were held throughout the next two days. The fest ended on Veterans Day with a First-Generation Veteran Identity Workshop, which was aimed at recognizing military veteran students who are also first-generation..

“45% of our students are firstgen, and 15% of our students are military affiliated … we have several veteran students who are

also first-gen and so, we wanted to acknowledge that,” Tammy Wyatt, vice provost for student success, said.

Currently, UTSA offers its first-generation students a vari ety of resources, the most nota ble being the university’s First to Go & Graduate Program, which falls under the larger FirstGeneration and Transfer Student programs offered. Through the former, first-generation students can connect with a peer mentor who is also a first-generation student at UTSA. In addition, students are also assigned a faculty coach, who works with students and peer mentors to provide further guidance and assistance.

“[Peer mentors can help stu dents] talk ... through experienc es that they may have had that were similar … any struggles … challenges or any highlights,” Wyatt said.

Any first-generation student who meets the requirements can apply to be a peer mentor.

‘Sex Talk 2.0’ creates safe space for sexual health discussions

Abortion:

In California, voters approved an amendment to add “reproductive freedom” to the state’s constitution, which includes abortion, contraception and other pregnancy-related matters. A similar amendment was passed in Vermont that protects an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy, liberty and dignity. In Kentucky, voters rejected a measure that stated there is no state constitutional right to abortion. In Montana, voters defeated a measure that declared infants born at any developmental state to be legal persons deserving of medical care.

Marijuana: Voters in Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota faced citizeninitiated measures to legalize marijuana. The initiative was approved in Missouri and defeated in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota. The initiative was also approved in Maryland, where representatives left it up to the voters to decide. Missouri also proposed an initiative that would enact a 6% tax on recreational marijuana to fund certain programs.

Voting-related policies: Connecticut approved an amendment to allow in-person early voting, as it previously did not provide voters with this option. In Michigan, voters approved an initiative establishing certain voting policies as rights in the state constitution. These policies include nine required days of early voting, state-funded prepaid stamps, an absentee ballot tracking system and more. Voters in Arizona and Nebraska decided on measures regarding voter identification requirements, and voters in Ohio approved an amendment to prohibit local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote. In Colorado, voters approved a proposal regarding presentation of income-taxrelated initiatives on the ballot.

By Jessica McLaren Assistant News Editor

On Wednesday, Nov. 9, UTSA Wellbeing Services hosted its biannual sexual health education and violence prevention panel in the Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28).

“Sex Talk 2.0,” which takes

especially with the open and honest environment that Sex Talk provides.

“On the questionnaire itself, we have it written to where [students] can ask us anything, judgment-free and we say this in the beginning before we even start answering questions at the panel [and] if anyone is be ing disrespectful, they will be asked to leave,” Singh said. “I don’t have any tolerance for that … I have no problem calling someone out … especially if I let them know beforehand.”

Singh further explained that although some sex-related questions can certainly generate a laugh, it is important to take them seriously in the context of sexual health and wellbeing.

Enslavement, servitude and criminal punishment: Voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont decided on whether to repeal language from their state constitution that allows for enslavement or servitude as a form of criminal punishment or, in Vermont, as a form of debt repayment. Alabama, Oregon and Tennessee approved the initiative to change the wording, while Louisiana rejected the measure.

In the weeks leading up to the panel, students had the op portunity to submit anonymous questions through an online questionnaire. Wellbeing Educa tion Coordinator Jamie

this helps to relieve some of the pressure students may feel when asking questions,

“Whether this is a joke or not, I can’t treat it that way because that’s how you get those unhealthy environments,” Singh said. “[We] provide information . . . that’s truly the goal [of Sex Talk].”

Workers rights: Although a final determination has not been made, Illinois is on track to protect workers’ rights with Amendment 1, which states that workers have the right to organize and bargain collectively. The amendment would also prohibit any law that interfered with this right.

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community

Camila Martinez Rivera/The Paisano

place once every semester, serves to create “a safe space for students to ask questions about sex as it pertains to their health and wellbeing.” Last week’s discussion involved a panel of sexual health experts from San Antonio Metro Health, Planned Parenthood, Kind Clinic, Opera tion Brave, BAE-B-SAFE and a woman-owned local business, Love Shack Boutique.

Singh believes

What

passed during last week’s elections?

Last week, UTSA hosted “First-Gen Fest” to celebrate its first-generation students.

Photo courtesy of KC Gonzalez, senior associate director of academic strategic commnications

Jessica McLaren/The Paisano

During “Sex Talk 2.0,” panelists answered any ques tions students had about sexual health and wellbeing.

UTSA

UTSA’s Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security has launched a new mascot to “promote a more secure nation through cybersecurity awareness, prevention and defensive efforts.” Among other things, the mascot will serve as a way to introduce K-12 children to cybersecurity terminology, defense strategies and cybersecurity principles, all of which will contribute to increased awareness about cybersecurity.

Texas

During a World War II commemorative air show in Dallas, six people were killed in a midair collision between two vintage military planes. The incident was captured on videos showing the two planes — a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra fighter — collide and crash into the ground before being engulfed in a fireball. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the incident.

A federal judge from North Texas declared President Biden’s loan forgiveness program unlawful for failing to follow federal procedures and allow for public comment before the program’s announcement. The lawsuit was filed by Job Creators Network Foundation on behalf of two borrowers who disagree with the program’s eligibility criteria. The lawsuit alleges that the borrowers in question did not get a chance to voice their disagreement.

U.S.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday that the U.S. would sanction a transnational network that is supplying Russia with military technology for its war in Ukraine. Yellen further explained that 14 individuals and 28 entities would face sanctions as she spoke at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) was reelected to the Senate after defeating Republican challenger Adam Laxalt. Masto’s win secured Democratic control of the Senate for the next two years.

World

An explosion in central Istanbul, Turkey, has left six people dead and 81 injured. According to the country’s internal minister, the blast occurred at 4:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 13, and the suspect has since been arrested. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast yet.

Over the course of the week, several activi ties were held, with the fest’s main event taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at the UTSA

All peer mentors receive a compensation salary for their work, which is funded by institu tional dollars.

“It’s great because it supports not only the student that’s being mentored, but it also supports a student [peer mentor] through on-campus employment,” Wyatt said.

The First to Go & Graduate program also teams up with several offices across the uni versity to help students navigate different aspects of college. Of note is the program’s collabora tions with Financial Services to provide assistance with financial aid and help students as they fill out their FAFSA forms.

Through the First to Go & Graduate Program, the univer sity aims to provide assistance to incoming students; however, current students who would like to take advantage of the services can do so at any point in time.

One of the ways that incom ing first-generation students are made aware of the program is through freshman orientation. While this serves as the primary method to do so, the university is also engaged in “other outreach efforts,” Wyatt explained.

Along with the First to Go & Graduate program, UTSA also has the First-Generation Living Learning Community, which “offers an inclusive living environment while fostering a sense of belonging for resi dents.” Through this initiative, first-generation students can also participate in various workshops and events. In order to be a part of the program, students can in dicate their interest when filling out their Housing Application.

“[The First to Go & Graduate and the First-Generation Living Learning Community] work re ally well together — they work in tandem … so that not only are we able to help students in the classroom … but also [help them feel like] they’re connected to UTSA, connected to the uni versity in general, connected to their major and their college,” Wyatt said.

As previously noted, the First to Go & Graduate program

Once the panel finished dis cussing each of the anonymous questions, they opened the floor to questions and general discus sion. Topics discussed during the panel included how and when to use condoms and other contraceptives, STI testing and its stigma, how to talk about sex with your partner and where to access sexual health resources on and off-campus.

is primarily geared towards incoming students to help them navigate the university. On the other hand, the First-Gen STEM Scholars program is another opportunity for first-generation students who are further along in their journey at UTSA. Spon sored by USAA, the program provides eligible first-generation junior and senior students en rolled in STEM majors with the opportunity to receive an annual scholarship of up to $5,000. As with the First to Go & Graduate program, students also receive support from peer mentors and faculty coaches.

“Through [the First-Gen STEM Scholars program], we’re working on the latter end of [the] college career … we’re able to help [rising juniors and seniors by providing them with] fund ing to get through,” Wyatt said. “[The] financial assistance also helps them [and] maybe they’re able to focus less on working outside of the institution, or it allows them to work fewer hours so that they [can] start to think about some of those careerengaged learning opportunities … those high impact practice opportunities that are so impor tant.”

All of these opportunities are a part of what Wyatt describes as an “institution-wide approach” to support first-gen students at the university, with 45% of en rolled students at UTSA identify ing as first-generation. Over the years, UTSA has seen measur able increases in retention rates and graduation rates for first-gen students. For example, the sixyear graduation rate for first-gen students at the university has seen a 14% increase, going from 37% in 2017 to 51% in 2022. Similarly, a 15% increase was seen in degrees awarded annu ally to first-gen students, which went from 2,215 degrees in 2017 to 2,539 degrees in 2022.

Any students interested in learning more about the program can contact the First-Generation and Transfer Student Programs team via email at fgtsp@utsa. edu.

State of the City— Week of 11/15/2022

By Gauri Raje News Editor

The San Antonio City Council passed a vote of no confidence against Councilman Clayton Perry. On Tuesday, Nov. 8, Perry was accused of being involved in a hit-and-run while intoxi cated. The incident took place on Sunday, Nov. 6, and the accu sation that followed prompted Mayor Ron Nirenberg to call for Perry’s resignation should the accusations prove true. While the Councilman’s sobriety was not tested on the night of the incident, body cam footage from the night appeared to show Perry intoxicated. On the same day that the footage was released, an arrest warrant was issued against Perry. He turned himself in but was released on bond. Follow ing the vote, Perry will take a sabbatical while a temporary replacement will be appointed in his place.

A San Antonio police officer was physically assaulted during an attempt to break up a fight in the 1100 block of East Com merce Street. Officers responded to the assault in progress at 1:43 a.m., arriving to find a large group fighting. The officer in question suffered minor non-

life-threatening injuries, and a 32-year-old man was arrested for the assault.

A suspected home intruder died after sustaining gunshot wounds in the 200 block of Hazel Street. The homeowner is said to have found the intruder at the back door and fired two shots, which struck the intruder’s chest. This is an ongoing inves tigation.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, sup porters of the local nonprofit Footbridge Foundation attended the inaugural Off-the-Leash event at Casa Hernán Cantina, where they made botanas to raise funds for vulnerable cats and dogs in San Antonio. All proceeds from the event will be used to help the Foundation establish its first surgery center for animals in Spring 2023.

Last weekend, commu nity members participated in a Thanksgiving giveaway on the city’s East Side. Volunteers helped distribute turkeys and two free Spurs tickets to every car in line. The giveaway, hosted by Reverend James Robinson, was for families who may not be able to afford a Thanksgiving meal this year.

The event also provided students with free STI test ing on behalf of San Antonio Metro Health, as well as other resources from the organizations involved, such as condoms and information on where to find long-lasting contraception. For more information about UTSA’s Wellbeing Services and the as sistance it provides to students, visit utsa.edu/students/wellbeing

By Gauri Raje News Editor

On Wednesday, Nov. 9, UTSA announced that it will partner with the Alamo Colleges District to build on existing programs aimed at providing a “more seamless transfer pathway be tween the two institutions.”

The new Promise-to-Promise program is offered to students who transfer from any of the Alamo Colleges to UTSA. Under the program, students can start at any of the five Alamo Colleges and transfer to UTSA to complete their four-year degrees. Throughout their time at both institutions, educational costs for students enrolled in the AlamoPROMISE program will

be covered as they transition to UTSA’s Bold Promise Program, and they will be eligible to have their tuition and fees covered for up to two academic years at UTSA.

The new program is being piloted this fall and will be avail able to eligible students admitted to UTSA in Fall 2023.

The new partnership builds on the existing Alamo On-TRAC partnership established in 2018 and the Alamo Runners pro gram, which has existed since 2015.

For more information on UT SA’s partnership with the Alamo Colleges, visit https://future.utsa. edu/transfer/alamo/.

Photo Courtesy of Alamo Colleges

The new Promise-to-Promise program, which builds on the Partnership between UTSA and Alamo Colleges, was announced during an event at the Alamo Colleges District Support Operations Building.

Several organizations tabled around the Denman Ballroom in the time leading up to to the panel.

Photo Courtesy of Demetrius “DJ” Johnson, associate director of academic coaching and mentoring

Central Plaza.

Chloe Williams/The Paisano

Gen Z defies voter turnout stereotypes OPINION

Editorial

As the 2022 midterm elections wrap up around the nation, one factor was immensely contra dictory to the predictions and polls of major news networks — Gen Z voters turned out in massive numbers, keeping the momentum they had during the 2020 election.

Younger generations have historically had low voter turnout. In comparison, older generations have long been credited as the most active voting population and one that has immense influence over the outcomes of elections. However, these past two elections have been an anomaly. Democrats across the nation have praised Gen Z for staving off the Republican “red wave,” with President Joe Biden saying, “I especially want to thank the young people of this nation, who — I am told, I haven’t seen the numbers — voted in historic numbers again and just as they did two years ago,” according to an article by Al Jazeera. Young voters were motivated to come out en masse to support the protection of their freedoms, the fight against the growing epidemic of gun violence, the implementation of student debt relief programs and to further address the climate crisis that

plagues our planet. This voter mobilization also contributed to the election of Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress to represent Florida’s 10th Congressional District.

However, while Gen Z did show up to the polls in record numbers across the nation, there were some

Risking our lives should not be trendy

Commentary

By Sam Wendorf Contributor

The Kia Challenge is the latest in a long string of TikTok trends. It is hard to miss trends — one person will do something that gains attention, and others follow, hoping to garner the same attention regardless of the consequences. It is an unfortunate side effect of the prevalence of social me dia. Bandwagons are easy to build and easier to join. Most trends are harm less — a sound or a dance will gain popularity, and hundreds or thousands of users will mimic them in their own style. But sometimes trends can be dangerous.

This is the case with the Kia Chal lenge, which resulted in the deaths of four teenagers from Buffalo, New York. This trend began with a video that showed users how to steal Kia cars with little effort and few tools. Most who see videos like this dismiss them or use them to research the faults in their own vehicles, but some take this information as permission — or even an invitation — to put it to the test for the sake of internet fame. A group of teenagers who accepted this “invita tion” — Marcus Webster, Swazine Swindle, Kevin Paune and Ahjanae Harper — broke into a Kia car, took it onto the highway and crashed while speeding in the stolen vehicle.

The driver and a fifth passenger, whose identities have been protected, survived and learned one of the hardest lessons possible; however, this is not a lesson taken into account by those still deciding to partake in internet trends like these. Young people, especially teenagers, do not yet have a fully de veloped sense of caution. It is easy to dismiss others’ suffering; after all, what are the chances the same thing would happen to them? Low enough, they as sume, to make fifteen minutes of fame worth risking their lives. These as sumptions contribute to the injury and deaths, not just of teens on TikTok, but of anyone who partakes in these sorts of crimes for entertainment, whether it be theirs or the audience they garner online.

Another contributing factor is the algorithms TikTok uses. A video that gains a lot of attention will be shown

Commentary

to more and more users, which allows trends to be born. As stated before, this is harmless most of the time. But when a trend encourages crime or bodily harm, the rapid spread of the challenge becomes a problem.

While the teams responsible for content checking in any social media company will inevitably crack down on posts that can harm innocent people, these posts will often reach millions of users before they are taken down. It is not the long-term survival of the chal lenge that causes the real damage. A person only needs to get an idea once before they decide to follow through. Every view is another potential victim, and attempting to ban a trend will not undo the many views it received before it was deleted.

There is no easy way to police these videos. The only faultless method would be to review every single video that is uploaded before allowing it to go out, and this is not possible with the sheer number of posts being made every day. A better way would be for those in charge to pay more attention to videos that get rapidly popular.

The media, especially news sites and commentary channels, tend to report on dangerous topics long before the platforms on which they were born de cide to do anything about it. It can take days or weeks for social media sites like TikTok and Instagram to identify a problem and fix it, while individual us ers notice those problems the day they are posted and report them to those with the authority to do something about it.

The issue lies in the speed and severity with which those authorities react. It is not fast enough. It is not enough in general. Teens make bad de cisions without fully understanding the consequences of their actions — that is a part of growing up. It is the job of those who run public forums to keep them safe. Trends like these are dan gerous, and it is the responsibility of the adult world to make sure they are taken care of before they can lead to tragedies like the deaths of four teens participating in a TikTok challenge.

regions where voter participation was still notice ably lower, including Texas. According to an article from KXAN, Travis County saw early voting numbers lag behind the levels they reached during the 2018 midterms. The Houston Chronicle also reported that Houston-area universities saw decreased levels of early voter turnout, which was assumed to be a sign that they struggled to engage and mobilize younger voters.

While Gen Z voter turnout surpassed expectations during this election cycle, the younger generation of Texas must strive to continue this momentum. If you registered to vote in the 2022 midterms but did not cast a ballot by Nov. 8, please consider voting in 2024. American elections are most effective when input is considered from all demographics, including young people. In order to initiate the change we want to see, we must act by voting in our elections.

You can check your voter registration status at: https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/.

You can fill out a voter registration application at: https://vrapp.sos.state.tx.us/index.asp.

From red tsunami to red ripple

Commentary

By Jake Mireles Assistant Opinion Editor

With the conclusion of the 2022 midterm elections, one thing has been made clear: the “red wave” of GOP victories predicted by many news outlets and political commentators as being unavoidable, never came. Criticisms about inflation and fears of a new crime wave were levied by Republicans on a national level, which complemented a Democratic legislature and executive who have failed to pass many of the campaign promises they made in the 2020 election due to fierce resistance from the opposition. As a result, many thought it was almost inevitable that Democrats would severely underperform and a party shift in Congress would be the consequence. This never came to fruition, so how did the Republican Party, who touted rhetoric about a “red tsunami” for months leading up to the midterms, blow their lead so severely?

While Democrats were widely expected to underperform in the midterms, one aspect greatly helped slow the surge of conservatism — there was a significant disparity in the quality of candidates chosen by the Democrats and the Republicans, many in battleground states where these selections would be extremely costly. A key player in these selections was none other than former President Donald Trump. Trump endorsees had the benefit of his cult following, often sailing through their primary elections with little resistance; however, once they were put up against the Democratic candidates who ran on more popular policies, it was clear that these Trump-adjacent Republicans fell short. This was seen in the race for the Pennsylvania

senate seat between Trumpbacked Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and Democrat John Fetterman. Oz, who Trump handpicked, was plagued by bad press and campaign mishaps. He was portrayed to be an elite, charlatan Republican who was disconnected from the problems of every day Pennsylvanians. While Oz did run a relatively successful campaign against Fetterman, even using the stroke Fetterman had endured during his campaign to his advantage, Fetterman’s victory signifies that a grassroots, locally renowned candidate who runs on populist policies like legalizing marijuana, protecting abortion rights and improving access to healthcare will draw more voters in than an endorsement from the former president. This can also be seen in the Arizona Senate race between Republican nominee Blake Masters — a Trump-endorsed candidate — and Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly. According to a report from CNN, days before Masters won the Republican nomination, his team scrubbed his website of possibly controversial stances and positions. These include statements that the Democratic Party was trying to “import a new electorate,” a talking point with whitesupremacist ties that claims the purpose of immigration is to diminish the political influence of native-born Americans. During his campaign, Masters also attempted to distance himself from controversial stances on abortion and the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. In stark contrast, Mark Kelly was a strong incumbent candidate who proved to be a worthy adversary for Masters. Kelly, who benefitted from the fame of being a NASA mission commander, ran on more popular and tangible positions: lowering prescription drug costs, creating more jobs for the state and cutting taxes for

working-class Arizona families while continuing to tax corporations. These policies, along with the stigma surrounding Masters as a Trump-endorsee, contributed to keeping Arizona — a state that had been considered red since the turn of the century until 2020 — blue.

Candidates like Oz and Masters have discouraged disaffected Republican voters from showing up to the polls and have only served to galvanize the Democratic voter base to come out in droves against them. As a result, many conservative commentators have come out against the former president and have heavily criticized him for being the main contributor to the Republican Party’s failure in the midterms.

In a recent tweet, Ben Shapiro — host of the “Ben Shapiro Show’’ and Editor Emeritus of the conservative news outlet The Daily Wire — claimed that “Candidate quality matters. Gravity applies, and certain candidates may be able to defy gravity for a short period of time, but it usually doesn’t last for long. Pick better candidates, win more races. Stop playing stupid games.” This may be a sign that the Republican Party will soon look to move past the volatility and unstable nature of Trumpism, as it is costing them key elections that they should, in theory, have little problem winning. The Republican Party severely overplayed its hand when it came to their increasingly radical stances on abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights and election denial, which caused many Republican voters — looking for a return to civility — to reject the candidates put forward by Trump, while also galvanizing the Democratic Party’s voter base to show up in unusually high numbers for a midterm election and vote defensively against these volatile candidates.

Beto falls behind in making Texas blue

By Nate Henneke Staff Writer

Regardless of political stance, there were many important people to vote in this past election. In Texas, the race for governor came down to two men: Democrat Beto O’Rourke and Republican Greg Abbott. O’Rourke lost by a margin of nearly 10%, making this election a rude awakening to all who thought Texas

would go blue.

While O’Rourke has plenty of positive qualities that he used to gain the support of young voters, he has experienced the misfortune of being a Democrat in Texas. He has served as a representative for the 16th Congressional District since 2013, but every time O’Rourke attempts to shoot for the stars, he is quickly put back down by the traditionalistic Republicans

that seem to control Texas — reminiscent of 2018 when Beto decided to run against Republican senator Ted Cruz and lost a very close election by a margin of 2.6%.

Dethroning a Republican in Texas might be one of the most challenging tasks a politician could face in America, and it has become clear that appealing to young voters is not enough. The sad truth here is that Texas is not ready to

elect Democratic officials, and it may never quite get there as long as older voters continue to lean right. The political landscape of Texas is still controlled by Republican voters and officials, and as long as that stands true, O’Rourke will struggle to be elected as anything more than a district representative.

Kara Lee/The Paisano

‘‘The issue lies in the speed and severity with which those authorities react’’

OPINION

Commentary

By Luna Infante Contributor

Disney has officially presented its first plus-size female lead in the short “Reflect,” which debuted on the Disney+ show “Short Circuit.” The film centers around Bianca, a young ballerina, and her struggles with body image. Although the short was released in September of this year, it has be come a trending topic on various social media platforms recently. There have been mixed reactions from the public regarding this film. Many watchers are ecstatic, celebrating Disney’s milestone in diversifying the representation of lead characters; however, there has also been backlash following the short’s release, many worrying that Disney failed to properly showcase plus-size

Commentary

representation by centering the film around the main character’s weight. For years, Disney has attempted to diversify its characters; however, there have been many missteps in this process. Three times, Disney has failed to represent Black leading characters properly. In the films “The Princess and the Frog,” Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” and “Spies in Disguise,” Disney interrupted their attempt at showcasing diversity by dehumanizing their Black leads. In all three films, the Black leads spend more than half of their screen time in differing inhuman forms. One turned into a green frog, one became a blue ghost and one transformed into a pigeon. These depictions are prime examples of Disney’s failure to truly include and represent more diversity. This is done yet again in the “Reflect” short film. Although creating a plussize lead was a step in the right direc tion, the character’s struggle centers around her weight. If Disney wants to truly be progressive in including differ ent body types, it should create a film featuring a plus-size lead with a story

plot that does not center around their body weight.

Disney’s “Reflect” was a film with a positive tone, and the message it delivered was inspirational. The film demonstrates that insecurity and selfdoubt should not stop someone from living their life. At the end of the film, Bianca overcomes her negative feel ings and dances happily.

Although this short was encouraging and sent a positive message, and some supporters felt it set a good precedent, it still fell short in properly exhibiting diversity through its lead character. To truly bring diverse characters into the spotlight, Disney needs to improve their plots and storylines. There needs to be more diversity in representa tion, and Disney has the ability and platform to create films to bring that diversity to the screen. When will all of our differences finally be celebrated properly? When will everyone feel represented on the big screen?

Laying waste to our future with elderly officials

By Morgain Locke Contributor

The 117th Congress saw an average age of 58.4 years for members of the House and 64.3 years for Senators. As young voters turn out in near-record numbers, our representatives only seem to be getting older. So why are these older lawmakers allowed to hold our future in their hands when they will likely be gone before their impact is fully known? An age cap needs to be set on elected officials to limit the damage that could be done by out-of-touch and timeworn politicians.

The average life expec tancy for people living in the US in 2021 was reported to be 76 years by the CDC. Per a 2021 article from FiscalNote, thirtyfive elected officials in the 117th Congress were 76 years or older. There are more Congressmen over the average age expectancy than there are Native and Asian Americans combined, as there are only six Native Americans and 21 Asian and Pacific Islander Congress men. Though 35 people may not seem to be too many, the largest represented age group by far is just below that range, with over 40% of the Senate being between ages 60 and 69. Additional ly, the oldest current senator, Dianne Feinstein of Cali fornia, is 89. For reference, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed when she was 31

years old. We have lawmak ers today that were well into adulthood at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. We also broke the record for the oldest elected president twice in a row, with formerPresident Donald Trump taking office at age 70 and current-President Joe Biden at 78 immediately after. If President Biden were to win a second term, he would be 86 by the time he finally left office.

Lawmakers should be people who will be alive to experience the consequences of their actions. These older Congress members will not be here when the ocean levels rise and increased natural disasters lay ruin to afflicted communities. They have no reason to care for the future of our generation when they can continue to enjoy the short-term

Body hair is nothing to be

Commentary

By Sam Wendorf Contributor

When a person thinks of taking a shower, their thoughts most often go to shampoo, sponges and body soap. Perhaps they have one of those long brushes for their back or a loofah to get a nice, bubbly lather going. But a shower tool considered a must-have by many, especially women, is a razor.

In modern American society, it is normal for women to see body hair as something that must be cleaned off. To the aver age person, smooth legs and spotless underarms are beautiful, and ensuring you are groomed below the belt for a date you expect to go well is a necessary part of life. But why?

Shaving has been around as long as human civiliza tion. Cavemen and cave women shaved to make sure parasites such as lice and mites had nowhere to hide. Egyptians shaved to

appear more civilized. It was in Roman times that the practice began to appeal more toward women, and it was in Elizabethan times that the removal of body hair on parts of the body exposed by clothing — at the time limited to the face and neck — became the precursor to what it is to day. A great deal of history stands behind the habit. But this is the modern day, and it is time to rethink how we view our bodies.

It is a surprise to no one that men and women face very different standards re garding appearance. Gender determines what clothes we wear, the way we style our hair and how we practice hygiene. It is a huge part of our identity as individu als; however, what should not be a requirement is the alteration of our natural bodies to conform to what history has decided the expression of our genders should be.

For men, this is easy — they are not usually expect ed to get rid of body hair to appear masculine. Some shave their faces or heads, but this is tied to personal preference or occupational restrictions requiring facial

hair to be trimmed for hygienic reasons, such as those in the medical fields.

It is no more masculine to be without a beard than to have one. Most of the time, arm and leg hair are left out of that conversation entirely.

For women, it is a dif ferent story. Perfect legs are ones that have smooth, bare skin. Faces must not have unsightly mustaches, and pubic hair is a realm of landscaping on its own. We are taught from an early age that body hair is gross, and if we want to be beautiful, we need to get rid of it. This creates substantial body image issues throughout our lives. Discomfort can arise when a woman forgets to shave her legs for a few days and stubble starts coming through. It has become an uncommon sight for hair to be present when a woman wears a shirt that exposes her underarms. Even for those who have not made a habit of shaving, there can be a feeling of shame while wearing shorts that expose dark hair around their thighs and calves. And this shame is not the only issue.

Shaving can also create

benefits they give them selves through tax breaks and corporate lobbying. The ones making laws that affect our future should be people that will also be living in that future; however, we still need representatives experi enced in the political field, so Congress being made up of the younger generations is not the expectation. At some point, a line needs to be drawn between those that are “experienced” and those that just need to retire.

We cannot continue to allow people well beyond their years to lay waste to our government. An age limit for political figures needs to be adopted to encourage a new generation of representatives to step forward and make laws that benefit our country and our future as a whole.

The Paisano

Editorial Board

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

Laynie Clark | Managing and Opinion Editor Manager@paisano-online.com and Opinion@paisano-online.com

Gauri Raje | News Editor News@paisano-online.com

Riley Carroll | Arts & Life Editor Arts@paisano-online.com

Luke Lawhorn | Sports Editor Sports@paisano-online.com

Kaitlyn Rosas | Multimedia Editor Multimedia@paisano-online.com

Chloe Williams | Web and Social Editor Web@paisano-online.com and Socialmedia@paisano-online.com

Camila Martinez Rivera | Photo Editor Photo@paisano-online.com

Genevieve Vega | Distribution Manager

Business

Luke DeMario | Business Manager Business@paisano-online.com

Assistant Editors

Malaki Lingg | Assistant Web Editor

Jessica McLaren | Assistant News Editor

William Barnes | Assistant Multimedia Editor

Marcela Montufar Soria | Assistant Multimedia Editor

Dustin Vickers | Assistant Photo Editor

Grace Robinson | Assistant Photo Editor

Jake Mireles | Assistant Opinion Editor

Staff

Nate Henneke | Staff

Maddie Cortez | Staff

Dafny Flores | Staff Eric Trevino | Staff Guissel Mora | Staff

Jada Thomas | Staff

Regina Robert | Staff

Alex Fotschky | Staff

Zahara Latson | Staff

Misty Olawunmi | Staff

Stephen Saenz | Staff

Jenna Taylor | Staff Caroline Puckett | Staff

Kara Lee | Staff Cesar Soto | Staff

Andrew Christianson | Staff

pain and skin problems. Anyone who has used a ra zor knows how easy it can be to nick the skin, creating tiny cuts that sting for hours afterward. These cuts can lead to infection, just like any other wound. Razor burn can occur, inflaming the skin and conjuring red bumps all over the nowhairless area. Ingrown hairs are the bane of smooth skin — a punishment for shaving at the wrong angle. These consequences are not always severe, but they are unpleasant in all respects. Women should not feel the need to deal with these things to feel beautiful. As we have all heard repeated ad nauseam throughout the internet, societal beauty standards can be harmful. More than that, it is the distortion of self-image that is harmful. We are born with hair. It grows on our bodies throughout our lives. We should not believe that something so natural is ugly and that we must get rid of it. There should be no shame in being human. Be ing human is beautiful, and we should embrace every thing that comes with it.

Diane

The Paisano is published by the Paisano Educational Trust, a non-profit, tax exempt, educational organization. The Paisano is operated by members of the Student Newspaper Association, a registered student organization. The Paisano is NOT sponsored, financed or endorsed by UTSA. New issues are published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters, excluding holidays and exam periods. The Paisano is distributed on the UTSA Main Campus. Additionally, Paisano publications are distributed at a variety of off-campus locations, including Tri-point and a variety of apartment complexes near the UTSA Main Campus. All revenues are generated through advertising and donations. Advertising inquiries and donations should be directed to: 14526 Roadrunner Way Suite 101 San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210) 690-9301

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Arts & Life

Honoring Puerto Rico’s three cultures

‘Tres Culturas, Un Puerto Rico’ combined song and dance to unify Puerto Ricans Cultura

By Camila Martinez Rivera Photo Editor

On Nov. 11, 2022, the Sociedad Heren cia Puertorriqueña put on the “Tres Culturas, Un Puerto Rico” event. This event’s purpose was to bring together the three cultures that make up Puerto Rico. The sto ries of the natives known as Taínos, Span iards and Africans were beauti fully told through song and dance.

The presen tation started off with the sound of the coqui — a native frog — filling the room. Then it transitioned to a tribal dance called “Ara’huaca Danza Taina.” During this performance, a man in a tribal costume — a feather head piece, beaded anklets and a red breechcloth — performs a tribal dance to a drum-heavy song. The song playing was

amplified by the performers’ clapping, stomping, expres sive movements and the sound of his beaded anklets.

Next, the Spaniards were introduced. The Span iards came to Puerto Rico looking to conquer and found themselves en tangled with the Taínos. The next song and dance that played was Bomba.

men danced together, cheer ing and singing along with the music. The Spaniard dances were far more romantic and lively than the powerful dance

Negra,” or the Black Majesty. Her costume consisted of an all gold dress and jewelry. Her dance was made up of tribal movements and cheer ing sounds. During her performance of the song and dance, the band and additional dancers joined her on the stage, grow ing the performance. As the music got louder, so

Bomba is a well-known dance in Puerto Rico.

Women came out in big skirts in the colors of the Puerto Rican flag, and the men in traditional clothing — straw hats and a sash with a white star on it. The music played along with Bomba is lively with Guiros, bongos, congas and guitars. The women and

of the Taíno.

The next dance was per formed by a strong African woman, called “La Majestad

did her dance and the audience started cheering loudly with the song.

Finally, the three dif ferent groups turned into one after years of coexisting. The last performance was a grand dance incorporating the tribal movements of the Taínos and Africans with the Spaniards’ romantic dance. It was truly

Concluding with a tribute

a beautiful representation and celebration of the culture that is Puerto Rico. During this performance, those in their seats got up and danced in the aisle. The band also got up and came to the front of the stage to celebrate. There was a special moment between the percussionist and the dancers in this final song. The two took turns performing solos, and as they each went to the front, they would bow to the drum mer and the drum mer to the dancer. Overall, the “Tres Culturas, Un Puerto Rico” event was a celebration of Puerto Rico’s culture and rich history. The three distinct cultures came together in their final performance, with an incredibly lively audience, performers and band. Al though the audience was all in separate seats, the room felt united.

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ stays true to origins and remembers Boseman

“Black Panther:

By Laynie Clark Managing and Opinion Editor

“Without the Black Panther, Wakanda will fall.”

Marvel Studios shocks the world yet again with their new est release, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The highlyanticipated film has audiences weeping in their seats and well after their departure from the theater.

After the heartbreaking pass ing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, fans were skeptical about how Marvel would be able to continue the “Black Panther” legacy. Fortunately, Marvel decided to proceed with making the new film without recasting Boseman, which left fans won dering how they would honor Boseman’s presence without forgoing the storyline.

Forever” begins in the Wakan dan nation on a somber note as the characters are seen mourn ing the death of their fallen Black Panther, who is repre sented through hand-painted murals on the sides of buildings and personal en gravings on the casket. Music by Ludwig Göransson drifts through out the scene, leaving the au dience in a nos talgic state of remembrance and sadness as they recall the brilliant work Boseman accomplished for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

In the film, the world is con verging on the vital vibranium resource housed inside Wakan

discreet plans of their own. The antihero, Namor — played by Tenoch Huerta — is introduced to the audience as the leader of a population native to the ocean. His peo ple’s history is tied to greater Mesoamerican history, which is seen in their costumes and language. Like Wakanda, the underwater city, of Talokan also happens to be rich in vibranium, and Namor will go to great lengths to protect it.

Unlike the previous film, “Black Panther: Wakanda For ever” centers its storyline around Shuri — played by Le titia Wright — and a new face to the MCU in RiRi Williams, played by Dominque Thorne.

The daring life of a parody polka player

genre definitely is a weird one. On Nov. 4, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” directed by Eric Appel and starring Daniel Rad cliffe, was released.

By Malaki Lingg Assistant Web Editor

Over the past few years, the biopic genre has slowly become saturated with films on influential musicians — “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman” and “Elvis,” to name a few. Music and film lovers are becoming engrossed in the biopic trend, excitedly waiting for what features come next; however, the newest addition to this

The film takes an emerging niche within the biopic genre and flips it on its head. While the film is seemingly styled as if it is based on a true story, the majority is made up. Throughout the runtime, Radcliffe experiences incredibly exaggerated grief, alcoholism, abusive relationships, fame and a run-in with fabled kingpin Pablo Escobar. “Weird” Al Yankovic became famous for making parody songs, and his film seemingly follows the recipe to a T. The film constantly switches between be ing a musical, a drama and an action movie toward the end, which helps accentuate the bizarreness Yankovic sought to display.

Alongside the wacky escapades that en sue throughout the film’s runtime, there is a surprisingly large all-star cast, including actors such as Rainn Wilson, Jack Black, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Will Forte, Julianne Nicholson, Evan Rachel Wood and Conan O’Brien. For a film that may fly under the average person’s radar, it seems like everyone in Hollywood wanted a part in its making.

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is an exciting, fresh and funny take on the traditional biography. Yankovic’s comedic writing for the film shined to the point where one could not predict what outland ish event would occur or which celebrity would be made fun of next.

Continue reading at paisano-online.com.

The pair feed off one another perfectly as they weave their way through persistent raids by the government. Addition ally, Shuri’s relationship with Ramonda is the stronger link in the film. As a mother, Ramonda urges Shuri to search for a way to create another Black Pan ther, but Ramonda is aware of the greater forces at play with Namor.

While the film exceeded all visual and emotional expecta tions, the action scenes were rather lackluster. Outside of a few notable fight sequences at the beginning, the action lacked originality and depth, leaving a stench of dissatisfaction in the air; however, this is not surpris ing, seeing as this is a running theme in the newer Marvel productions like “Thor: Love and Thunder.”

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a film that pays its respects to Boseman while stay ing true to the original content. With a step up in visual quality and attention to legacy, the film nicely concludes this fourth phase of the MCU.

Wakanda

da. Queen Ramonda — played with power by Angela Bassett —consistently converses with other nations to reassure them

Wakanda is not dangerous and will not use their abundance of vibranium to create weapons, though the other nations have

Grace Robinson/The Paisano

Grace Robinson/The Paisano

Camila Martinez Rivera/The Paisano

Camila Martinez Rivera/The Paisano Reviews

Camila Martinez Rivera/The Paisano

Tuesday, Nov. 15:

Clay Fusion is hosting an art sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 14 and 15 at the Sombrilla on UTSA’s Main Campus.

UTSA Prefreshman Engineering Program will hold a “Community Breakfast Meeting” from 9 a.m. to noon on Nov. 15 at La Villita in the Du rango Building at the UTSA Downtown Campus (1.116).

A Krispy Kreme Fundraiser will be hosted by Global Brigades from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the Central Plaza at Food Tabling 1.

There will be a “Healing after Trauma” event from 1 to 2 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the Student Union (2.01.32) hosted by the Rowdy Warrior Military Veteran Alliance, UTSA Wellbeing and UTSA PEACE Center.

UTSA Symphonic Band will perform “Celes tial Bodies” at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the UTSA Recital Hall.

Wednesday, Nov. 16:

Clay Fusion will hold a general meeting from 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 16 in the Ceramics Studio.

Thursday, Nov. 17:

UTSA’s new magazine club, Zine Club, is host ing its first meeting as an official student organi zation. Meetings will take place at 7 p.m. every

Reviews

Arts & Life

Selena Gomez’s ‘My Mind & Me’

Reviews

Thursday and at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of the month. Visit @zineclubutsa on Instagram for infor mation on the location.

Friday, Nov. 18:

The HCaP Student Success Center will hold “The Art of Saying No: Establishing Boundaries” event from 12 to 1 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the HCaP Student Success Center (MS 2.02.36).

UTSA Wellbeing is hosting an “Art of Wellbe ing” event from 1 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the Student Union (2.01.30).

Rowdy Thespian Association presents: “Con nected” by Lia Romeo from 4 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 18 and from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 in the Business Building Richard Liu Auditorium (2.01.02).

Saturday, Nov. 19:

UTSA Gamma Beta Phi needs volunteers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 19 to help assemble tur key boxes for families in the community. Visit their Instagram page @utsa.gbp for more.

Monday, Nov. 21:

The Society for Human Resource Management at UTSA is holding its November Guest Speaker Meeting featuring Dawn Cunningham. The event will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 in the Business Building Large Lecture Hall (BB 2.01.06).

Concert recaps

Read more at paisano-online.com

By Cesar Soto Staff Writer

By Riley Carroll Arts & Life Editor

By Dafny Flores Staff Writer

The portrait of a celebrity is misinterpreted by everybody. The casual seekers, obsessed fans and artists themselves all view the mural from different perspectives. Selena Gomez shared her life story in “My Mind & Me.” The Apple TV original documentary takes a deep dive into six years of her life, where mental health is heavily emphasized.

Within minutes of “My Mind & Me,” viewers see two dif ferent sides of Gomez. The film begins in Paris in 2019, where Gomez is heading to an event. It then shifts to preparations for her Revival Tour in 2016. Casual mentions of self-criticism and self-esteem affect Gomez during her preparations until she breaks down backstage. Finally, in a heartfelt crisis, Gomez pleads, “When am I going to just be good enough by myself? When am I going to be good enough — just me by myself, not needing anybody to be associated with?”

It seems the foundation from childhood stardom to her superstar status has negatively influenced Gomez’s mental health. The limelight has constructed various personas that she cannot seem to recognize herself. Throughout the documen tary, Gomez gives voiceovers of her diary entries to express her perspective on stress, depression, agony and her effort for change. Although Gomez does not face her battles alone, she becomes lonely and misunderstood by others. The appeals of her mother reveal a lack of communication as Gomez is diag nosed with bipolar disorder after her mental breakdown. The support from her close friends is passive, not active. Gomez discussed her feelings, but the lack of support, empathy and physical touch from her friend group impacted her.

The documentary touches on Gomez’s philanthropy efforts. Gomez had the opportunity to travel with WE Charity to Ke nya to see the schools she helped raise money for. Viewers see Gomez in a valuable state — she is recovering from her previ ous mental state. The visit to Kenya plays an important part in her life. This is where Gomez discovers what she should be doing in life — to be a philanthropist; however, her dream is crushed when reality sets in — she is a pop star. She has to work and provide content to everyone, despite it negatively affecting her mental health.

Director Alek Keshishian brought out the side Gomez initiated — everyone deals with life’s struggles. Through the streets of her hometown of Grand Prairie, Texas or her diary entries, Gomez took control of her narrative. While the documentary did not touch base on her Lupus diagnosis as one might have hoped, fans gained a different perspective of their idol. As a result, “My Mind & Me” contributed to the subgenre of celebrity documentaries by providing a different point of view.

A rendition of ‘The Brothers Grimm’ Story

UTSA student makes artwork series inspired by ‘The Brothers Grimm Story’ On Display at UTSA

By Samantha Ysaguirre Contributor

Kayla Calderon, a junior art major at UTSA, is creating a print collection of storybook-like illustra tions following anthropo morphized animals. The collection is meant to take on various symbols of humanity and what it means to be human in all aspects.

Calderon shares how her inspiration struck for the series, claiming she was inspired “both stylistically and thematically by “The Brothers Grimm” story and “Town Musicians of Bremen,” which is a group of animals who travel to the titular city in hopes of being viewed as musicians and humans.

Calderon shares her love for the concept of the outsider’s view and the experiences that make us human — from little things such as our favorite foods to our tastes in music. It is, in fact, one of the main con cepts she concentrates on and is conscious of.

“The subject of human ity, or looking at society from an outsider’s view, has always intrigued me,” Calderon said. “I’m always conscious of the things that make us overtly ‘human’:

how we interact, how we have favorite foods or songs, how we experience life and both positive and negative emotions, and how unique that can be for every individual. There was always something extraor dinary about that.”

As for the process of putting each composition together, Calderon stays open-minded in her design, ensuring the audience’s unique experiences are felt through the print.

“When making the pieces, I wanted each design to be open-ended to accommodate how unique moments in life may come across to any person,” Calderon said. “For ex ample, when I put the sheep and wolf characters together to represent something like innocence meeting wisdom, one viewer may view such a meeting as positive. In contrast, another may view it as a negative one.”

As an artist, Calderon hopes others come across the series with their own experiences in mind and re member the parts that bring them to life. She states, “Overall, I wanted my pieces to come across as a lighthearted sort of comingof-age story that can hope

fully remind any viewer of their life journeys.”

As for her first initial in teraction with “The Broth ers Grimm” story, Calderon shares how the traditional stories were adapted into Disney movies such as Tangled.

“I heard about them, primarily due to many of their old stories adapting into Disney features, which I grew up loving. ‘Beauty and the Beast was always a favorite of mine, but I also remember loving ‘Mulan,’ ‘Lilo [&] Stitch,’ and ‘Tan gled,’ though ‘Tangled’ is the only one based on ‘The Brothers Grimm’ stories out of these,” Calderon said.

“Town Musicians of Bremen,” a song by Pigpen Theatre Co., also inspired Calderon. She explains how throughout her aca demic career in the arts, her inspiration from the two always stayed, sharing, “The Grimm tales just luck ily and coincidentally kept popping up from school assignments to movies to songs for me.”

Calderon’s work is cur rently unavailable for view ing or sale but is in hopes to be on sale next semester at a stand during the UTSA Printmakers club.

Samantha Ysaguirre/The Paisano

Riley Carroll/The Paisano

Cesar Soto/The Paisano

Turnstile at the Aztec Theatre. The Garden at the Aztec Theatre.

Calderon’s work drew inspiration from “The Brothers Grimm.”

Is UTSA football underrated?

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

UTSA is having another his toric football season, sitting comfortably amongst their conference opponents with an 8-2 overall record and 6-0 in Conference USA for the second straight season. Not only do the Roadrunners have the best record in C-USA, but they have a two-game lead as they defeated sec ond-place North Texas, who is 5-1, owning the tiebreaker if UTSA were to lose before the conference championship game. What separates UTSA this season and UTSA last season is that by week seven in 2021, UTSA was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll (No. 24) and was ranked in the second edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings (No. 23), which posted this past week on Nov. 8.

The two main ranking systems in college football are important as they give national attention and set up matchups for bowl games. The AP Top 25 College Football Poll con sists of more than 60 writers, broad casters and analysts who cast their votes based on who they think are the top 25 teams in college football. This poll starts before the season with preseason rankings and continues throughout the season, releasing every Sunday afternoon. The College Foot ball Playoff Rankings come from a 13-person committee that uses metrics such as analytics, eye-test and other tactics to vote for the top 25 teams. Those rankings are released every Tuesday evening starting in Novem ber. Once the playoff poll comes out, no other poll matters, as the sacred committee dictates who plays who in bowl season.

The Roadrunners managed to move up to No. 15 in the AP Poll a year ago before losing their season finale to North Texas, finishing 11-1 in the regular season. UTSA went unde feated until the final game last season, almost making it seem as if the com mittee “had” to rank the Roadrunners as the football community would riot if — at the time — undefeated UTSA did not get their national recognition. More than any other sport, col lege football is dictated by its “blue blood.” Brands run the sport, espe cially based on the conference a team plays in. A C-USA team will not get the benefit of the doubt over any team from the Power Five conference. As a Group of Five school, UTSA will only be ranked if it is completely ob vious even to the fan with no football knowledge.

ners lost to were ranked at time of play, and the Houston game was not only the season opener, but went to triple overtime. The Knights played Tulane on Saturday, making them the only ranked opponent they have beaten. Not only are the records similar, but UTSA has had a much more demanding out-of-conference schedule than either UCF or Tulane. Tulane defeated No. 23 Kansas State by one touchdown and barely beat Houston, 27-24, also in over time. Tulane’s first loss came from Southern Miss, who is a part of the Sun Belt Conference, which is widely considered the worst football conference in all of FBS. Tulane also just lost to UCF at home. With both losses coming at home, they should look worse to the committee.

According to the 2022 College Football Strength of Schedule Rankings, UTSA is ranked 79th in strength of schedule to Tu lane’s 84th. UCF is 67th; how ever, UTSA has dominated their conference while the other two teams struggle in theirs. With the Roadrunners having a clear path to a conference title, they should be looked at as more dominant.

UTSA sports recap Nov. 8-15 Football

UTSA football soundly defeated LA Tech 51-7 on Nov. 12. The Roadrunners now clinch a home conference championship game with a win on Saturday against Rice.

Soccer

The Roadrunners played in their first NCAA Tournament match in 12 years against TCU. UTSA lost 3-1 after their historic run to the Conference USA title.

Volleyball

Paisano

As of Week in 10 this college foot ball season, only two Group of Five schools (No. 17 Tulane and No. 22 UCF) are ranked in the playoff rank ings and are both from the American Athletic Conference, which UTSA will join in the 2023 season. Tulane sits with an 8-2 overall record, while UCF is 8-2, same as the ‘Runners. The Knights’ two losses are from Louisville and East Carolina. The combined record of those two teams is 12-6, while the two losses from the teams UTSA lost to (Houston and Texas) are 11-7. Though the records are even, both of theteams the ‘Run

Florida State and Kentucky are ranked 23 and 24 in the play off rankings, with the Seminoles having three losses and the Wild cats having four. Kentucky plays in the South Eastern Confer ence, considered the top confer ence in all of college football. Kentucky’s out-of-conference schedule is laughable compared to UTSA’s, with the combined record of their out-of-conference opponents being 13-16, and six of those wins coming from Youngstown State, which is an FCS school. Although Florida State has had a tougher strength of schedule, they are not even going to go to their conference championship as they have lost three conference games.

UTSA has played good football against some pretty good teams. As the season gets closer to an end and their wins go up, there is no reason they should not be ranked by the next edition of the polls.

UTSA soccer ends season against TCU

TCU defeated UTSA 3-1 in NCAA Tournament

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

UTSA soccer lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night 3-1 against No. 5 seed TCU at Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. The Roadrunners made their first ap pearance in the tournament in 12 years after pulling off three upsets to win the first Conference USA Championship in program history.

The Horned Frogs outshot the Road runners 16 shots to three; however, UTSA managed to block six of TCU’s

shots. The first goal was scored in the 12th minute and was an own goal by UTSA, giving TCU the early 1-0 lead. The Roadrunners were able to tie the match with a goal from Sasjah Dade in the 24th minute. Kendall Kloza fired a corner kick toward the goal, and Dade managed to head the ball into the net. UTSA was kept on their heels in the second half, with TCU taking 19 more shots. The defense held the tie until the last 10 minutes of the game, where the Horned Frogs’ persistence paid off.

TCU scored in the 82nd minute by Brenna Brosam and again in the 84th minute by Camryn Lancaster. With UTSA’s own goal, the 3-1 lead with five minutes to go was too much to overcome, ending the Roadrunners’ overachieving season.

The 35 total shots from TCU broke down the UTSA defense. Meanwhile, the six total shots from the Roadrun ners were not enough to keep up. Goalkeeper Mia Krusinski had a career-high 11 saves.

Volleyball played their final two games of the season. The ‘Run ners lost to UTEP on Thursday in four sets. UTSA bounced back with a 3-1 win against LA Tech, led by Hunter Coppola with 23 kills.

Cross Country

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to the Dale Watts Cross Coun try Course and competed in the South Central Regional meet. The men finished 13th led by Colton Stunkard and the women finished 18th led by Abbygail Balli.

Basketball

The men’s basketball team trav eled to TAMU-CC on Nov. 11. After going into halftime with the lead, a big second half run by the Islanders gave the ‘Run ners their first loss of the sea son with a final score of 75-55. UTSA avenged their loss on Nov. 14 with a 66-59 home victory against St. Mary’s. Jacob Ger many and John Buggs III led the team in scoring with 14 points each.

Cross country ends season at NCAA South Central Regional meet

33:36.0.

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

After having the best confer ence finish in a decade, the men’s and women’s cross country teams returned to the Dale Watts Cross Country Course and competed in the NCAA South Central Regional meet on Friday morning. The course is a familiar one to the Road runners, having run five meets at the course in the last two seasons.

Colton Stunkard led the men to a 13th-place finish out of the 27 teams. Stunkard finished in 33rd place on the 10,000-meter course with a time of 31:50.5. This was the fifth meet of the season where Stunkard finished first for UTSA.

Senior Jake Smith was the second finisher for the Roadrunners, cross ing the line at 32:11.2. Just over two 20 seconds behind Stunkard, Smith finished in 43rd-place. Idol Ramon was third for the Roadrunners, coming in 87th place with a time of

Seniors Harrison Wade (34:11.4) and Spencer Herbstritt (34:14.0) finished 115th and 116th. Landon Blakenship finished the course with a time of 34:19.5, closely behind the two seniors, which landed him 121st. Gabe Hernandez was the final competitor for the men, finish ing 136th with a time of 35:01.4.

The men combined to finish 13th overall with 394 points, just 20 be hind Abilene Christian. UTSA was one point ahead of UT-Arlington, who was ranked eighth in the region coming into the meet. Power Five schools, such as TCU (17th) and LSU (23rd), finished behind the Roadrunners. Arkansas won the meet with 49 points, while Texas finished second with 55 points.

Abbygail Balli led the women to

18th-place out of 27 teams. Balli came through the 2900-meter split in 105th place, and teammate Madi Henry was 106th. The two picked up the pace in the second half of the race, with Balli finishing 72nd overall with a 22:16.8 through 6,000-meters and Henry finishing 90th with a 22:40.0.

Luzaan de Wit was the third fin isher for UTSA crossing the line at 23:01.8 in 104th place. Brooke Velt man (23:27.4) and Chante Dixon (23:30.5) finished 126th and 128th. Freshman Savannah Lopez was the sixth runner for UTSA, coming in 144th-place with a 23:48.1. Lily Morrill rounded up the women’s lineup finishing the course in 24:38.2, landing her 159th-place.

Arkansas won the women’s side with 49 points, claiming both titles in the South Central Region. Texas also claimed second in the women’s race with 102 points.

Ramon was the only male runner for UTSA to run the regional meet in back-to-back seasons as he was the top finisher for the ‘Run ners a year ago.

Commentary

Stephen Saenz/The

Photo courtesy of RJ Sports

Colton Stunkard running towards the finish line.

Sports

UTSA volleyball ends season with a win over LA Tech

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

The disappointing volleyball season ends after a 3-1 loss to UTEP on senior night and a 3-1 win over LA Tech in the season finale.

In the final home season game, the Roadrunners (8-10, 3-11 C-USA) hosted the Miners (15-11, 9-4) and lost in four sets, 3-1, on Thursday night. Cansu Günay din led the ‘Runners with seven kills, while Kelsey Carpenter and Hunter Coppola had six.

UTSA won its only set of the night in the first set 26-24. The set featured 13 different ties, and UTEP took its largest lead at 18-14, which caused UTSA to call timeout. The Miners took a timeout of their own with a 19-17 lead. The Roadrunners trailed 24-23; however, they managed to get three kills in a row to win the set. Carpenter had two of the last three kills, including the set-high five kills.

The ‘Runners would only get 39 kills the remainder of the match, getting outscored by 36. UTEP won the second set 25-15. The Miners came out on top 3-0 and

never looked back. The score was 15-11 until UTEP rattled off a 10-4 run to win the set and tie the match 1-1. Mekaila Aupiu had six assists in the set.

The third and fourth sets carried on the momentum. In the third, UTEP led 21-10 and went on to win 25-13. UTSA had just five kills in the set.

UTEP led the fourth set 10-1; however, the ‘Runners were able to cut the lead to 12-7. The Miners went on a 13-4 run to win the set 25-11 and the match 3-1. Sara Pustahija and Torrance Lovesee had 25 kills amongst themselves for the Miners. UTEP’s Hande Yetis and Ashlynn Barnes combined for 41 assists on the night. UTEP also held UTSA to a .042 hitting percentage.

UTSA ended their nine-game losing streak on Saturday afternoon against LA Tech. The Roadrunners defeated the Lady Techsters (11-18, 4-10) in four sets. Coppola played her final game and notched a gamehigh 23 kills for UTSA. Ava Camacho had 20 digs on the day.

The ‘Runners won the first set 25-20 after starting out hot and taking a 12-7 lead. Coppola had a set-high five kills, while Aupiu had 13 assists.

UTSA took a 9-2 lead early in the second set, forcing the Lady Techsters to call a timeout. The Roadrunners went on to win 25-19, with Coppola leading with nine kills in the set, which was the highest in her career. UTSA also held the Lady Techsters to a .053 hitting percentage.

LA Tech led wire-to-wire in the third set after jump ing out to a 9-3 lead. The Lady Techsters led 23-9, giving UTSA time to cut the lead to 23-12. However, an error on the Roadrunners ended the match 25-12 and made the series 2-1, UTSA.

A set-high seven kills for Coppola led the ‘Runners to win 25-19. After the score was tied at four, UTSA built up an 11-7 lead causing LA Tech to call a timeout. Despite the Lady Techsters cutting the lead to one at 1514, UTSA closed on a 10-5 run to win the set and the match 3-1. Aupiu had 15 assists.

The Roadrunners now head into the offseason. With new recruits and the young players gaining more expe rience, UTSA looks to make a big jump in performance for the 2023 season.

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

DJ Richards led UTSA in scoring in the 75-55 loss on Friday, Nov. 13, at the Dugan Wellness Center. The Roadrunners (1-1) kept the game close in the first half, having a three-point lead at halftime.

The two teams were tied at 36 at the under-16 media timeout; however, the Islanders (1-1) offense was sparked and managed to go on a 13-0 run and in creased their lead to win 75-55.

UTSA shot 33.3 percent from the field in the game, including 24.1 percent from three in the second half. TAMU-CC shot

poorly in the first half as well; however, they shot 58.62 percent from the field and 38.46 percent in the second half, outscoring the ‘Runners 50-27 in the second 20-minute period. Richards was the only Roadrunner in double-figures scoring, while teammates Jacob Germany and Japhet Medor both had nine points. Richards and Josh Farmer led the team in rebounding with five each.

The Islanders started the game with a 9-0 run following Germany’s turnaround layup to have a seven-point lead going into the first timeout. A three-pointer made by Isaiah Addo-Ankrah cut the TAMUCC lead to five. Richards made his first

points of the game off a three pointer to push the Roadrunners to trail by just two points.

UTSA tied the game at 20 with a little over five minutes left in the half off a John Buggs III jump shot thanks to a steal from Addo-Ankrah. The teams exchanged baskets until Richards made a three-point shot with six seconds remaining to put the Roadrunners ahead 28-25 going into halftime.

The ‘Runners kept the momentum going early in the second half, taking their largest lead at 36-28 after a Buggs II three; however, an immediate 10-0 run by the Islanders gave TAMU-CC the lead

back.

Germany tied the game at 41 with 12:20 left to play. Then, the Islanders broke out a 13-0 run led by Isaac Mushila with eight points. UTSA could never regain the lead and found themselves down by as many as 24. The final score was 75-55.

Mushila led the game with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Trevian Tennyson added 19 points for the Islanders. TAMU-CC had 34 points in the pain to UTSA’s 18.

UTSA will host three home games be fore hosting the 210 San Antonio Shoot out. The next game will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 14.

Dustin Vickers/The Paisano

Hunter Coppola