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GLBTQ gives students a second chance at prom page 7
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UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game page 8
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio
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Volume 48
Issue 12
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WORLD
LAST LIGHT UP
UTSA Former U.S. Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, who represented San Antonio for 14 years, will be donating his Congressional papers to UTSA’s Libraries.
Texas
April 16, 2013
Far East faces threats from North Korea Amanda Dansby Web Assistant
Crystal Poenisch
Contributing Writer news@paisano-online.com
Smoke restrictions begin June 1
North Korea has loaded and fueled at least two mobile ballistic missiles on its eastern coast according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap and satellite imagery obtained by United States intelligence. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byungse stated that the possibility of a missile launch by the North Korean government, headed by communist dictator Kim Jongun, is “very high.”
Three bills currently in the Texas Legislature – HB 216, HB 313 and SB 315 – would allow individuals to register to vote online.
Texas Targeted
As of press time, two bombs have killed at least 3 and left at least 144 injured at the Boston Marathon Monday, April 15.
Higher Education The House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee approved, by a 7-1 vote, a bill that would allow guns on college campuses.
History This week in 2000, UTSA announced an academic restructuring plan that would, among other things, expand the number of colleges from four to six.
Sports The UTSA softball team will play at home against Seattle April 19 and 20. Baseball will host Sacramento State April 19-21.
news@paisano-online.com
Starting June 1, UTSA will make all of its campuses smoke-free and tobacco-free environments. This process will be carried out by the UTSA Tobacco-Free Task Force, who will make all three UTSA campuses smoke-free by June 1, 2014, according to official statements by UTSA Today. “The UTSA Staff Council has worked for several years for common ground on a tobacco-free and/or smoking ban on campus. The Council has also discussed how UTSA might implement the new policy to achieve the best possible outcome,” said the UTSA Staff Council Chair Gregory Frieden. “Ultimately, this is a health issue. We want all faculty, staff and students to be healthy.” Changes to UTSA’s smoking policy have been ongoing since 2012. As a result of several research grants received from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), several buildings on campus became smokefree areas on Aug. 31, 2012 due to the CPRIT policy, which requires buildings housing CPRIT-funded research to be smoking-free. Buildings affected include the Biotechnology Building, Sciences and Engineering Building, Applied Engineering and Technology Building on the UTSA Main Campus and the Monterey Building on the UTSA Downtown Campus. Along with those changes, President Ricardo Romo also established the UTSA Tobacco-Free Task Force, whose goal was to update UTSA’s guidelines on smoking in the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP). “Many state institutions have been tobacco-free for many years. I believe that as a state institution, we should do
Will Tallent / The Paisano
U.S.
Erin Boren and David Glickman Editor and News Assistants
See SMOKING, Page 2
NATION
Arkansas pipeline bursts, leaked tar sands soil area Aaron Zachary
Contributing Writer news@paisano-online.com In Arkansas last month, a 22 foot long, 2 inch wide rupture fromed in the 65-year-old Pegaus pipeline. Over several days, the pipeline dumped thousands of gallons of oil into residential Mayflower, causing evacuations of 22 homes and soiling about 6,000 cubic feet of land. State Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said Wednesday, April 10, “The pipeline rupture is substantially larger than many of us initially thought.... We still do not know how much oil was released. We still do not know the exact makeup of the crude itself, of the chemical solvents used in the transportation process.” While monetary damages are not yet known, health in and
around the 22-house evacuation zone may be on the decline. Several cases seem to contradict Exxon’s reports that the air is safe to breathe outside the cleanup area. Sherry Appleman, who lives outside the evacuation zone on Lake Conway, said that on the night of the leak she “couldn’t breathe” and that her “throat and nose and eyes were burning really bad.” According to the Huffington Post. April Lane, chair of school health and safety with the Faulkner County Concerned Citizens Advisory Group, has performed her own investigation of the air quality. “A lot of the released chemicals—benzene, hydrogen sulfide, toluene—are still extremely toxic, especially to children, the elderly and pregnant women, at very low levels….Claiming that the air is okay is simply inappropriate and unsafe,” said Lane, ac-
cording the Huffington Post. At the center of all this is the Northern Route Approval Act. The act would approve TransCanada Corp’s proposed pipeline, which would cross the Canadian-United States border and carry oil from Canada’s oil sands, the world’s 3rd richest oil deposit, through the rest of the already approved sections of the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline would start in Nebraska and transport the crude tar sands to refineries in Texas. Environmental and national concerns have kept the bill in a nearly four-year hiatus in Congress, including a veto in 2012 by President Obama because, according to The New York Times, he was not given enough time to adequately review it. Environmental activists are urging the Obama administration to extend the public review from 45 days to something more
apt to help weigh the economic benefits against the environmental impacts. The Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and 350.org, are at the forefront, calling for 120 days of public review in light of the spill. “A 45-day comment period ... is entirely inappropriate in light of so many unanswered questions surrounding the Mayflower disaster,” the green organizations wrote in a public letter to the U.S. State Department. On the opposite end of the pipeline lie Texas refineries. If the Keystone XL pipeline is approved, the same type of oil and tar sands that were spilled in Mayflower would be transported through the Lone Star State. The Senate and House are both in the process of approving the Keystone XL pipeline. A final decision is expected by July, or August.
Texas residents were startled to find out that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was aiming missiles at several U.S. cities. According to a war room map, Austin, Texas was among those targeted cities, which also included Los Angeles, Calif. and New York City, N.Y. according to CNN. “Austin, Texas is a very important city in America,” Gov. Rick Perry said in an online interview with CBS. “Anytime you have a country that has access to nuclear weapons, you need to treat it as a very real threat.” “Economically what has happened in Texas over the last decade has made this city an epicenter for a lot of technology, a lot of economic development, and I think the individuals in North Korea understand that Austin, Texas is now a very important city in America as do corporate CEOs and other people who are moving here in record numbers,” stated Gov. Perry. Aaron Marsales, a junior business management major stated, “It doesn’t really faze me at all, it’s Korea. I heard they did this like ten years ago too. I really don’t know what to think about it other than I think it’s a joke.” Brian Rhodes, a senior anthropology major, also thinks that the threats on Austin are . “I just don’t think it’s going to happen. They don’t even have the technology to do it at this point. My whole theory is that Kim Jongun is basically trying to bolster his reputation with people, kind of, solidify his position by making the rest of the world fear his country so he’s blowing a lot of smoke,” stated Rhodes. Rhodes continued, “I think that a lot of it is a big smoke screen. I think they also wanted to get a lot of the embargoes raised, for instance, the US to trade with them by saying ‘hey look now we’re a major nuclear power etcetera, but it doesn’t scare me much.” Instructor for English for International Students at UTSA Bonnie Smith had a few words to say about the situation, as well. “I think that North Korea is like a spoiled child wanting attention. We always give them money, and then the government always uses it on their ridiculous agenda,” stated Smith. See KOREA, Page 3
NEWS
2 April 16, 2013 WORLD
Tension in the Middle East after Israel attacks Gaza Julia Brouillette
Staff Writer news@paisano-online.com On April 2, tensions rose in the Middle East after Israel carried out an airstrike in Gaza, a Palestinian territory, in the first bombing raid between the two countries since a ceasefire was signed last November. The airstrike, which involved two warplanes, struck two open areas in Gaza. According to Israeli military officials, the airstrike caused no casualties or damage. The day preceding the airstrike, rockets were fired into southern Israel from Gaza. This action was triggered in reaction to a three-day hunger strike among Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails. The prisoners claimed Israel was responsible for the death of a fellow Palestinian inmate. This is not the first time a conflict has occured between Isreal and Gaza. In the Six Day War of 1967, Israel seized Gaza, and Israeli settlers lived there until 2005. Since then, there have been repeated rocket attacks on southern Israel.
One of the most recent incidents took place while President Barack Obama was on a four-day trip to Israel and the West Bank — his first visit there since assuming office. The Associated Press reported that two rockets were fired from Gaza while the president was in Jerusalem on April 1. On April 4, President Obama met with Palestinian authorities to urge them to make peace. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has made several trips of his own to Israel to engage in peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Sources told the Associated Press that Kerry is strongly in favor of making amendments to the 2002 Arab Peace initiative, which states that Palestine will guarantee peace if Israel withdraws from the territories it captured during the Six Day War, including Gaza. “In terms of whether peace is going to happen… Personally, I doubt it,” said Dr. Monsour El-Kikhia, chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at UTSA. “Israel doesn’t want to give up the land. There’s no interest in giving up any part of the West Bank.”
In a speech earlier this month, President Obama urged a group of Israeli students to lead a grassroots movement for peace. However, according to El-Kikhia, this has not been a successful strategy in the past: “Obama tells Israelis to ‘apply pressure on the government,’ but since when has that ever happened?” As far as the United States is concerned, “Israel determines America’s foreign policy more than America does” El-Kikhia noted. “The United States is a pivotal player, but Israel is in control.” El-Kikhia stated yet another reason for doubt: “Israel has used the United States for its own purposes, and America really seems to be quite impotent and unable to do anything about it” he continued. “There is no ‘no’ for Israel when it comes to what it wants from the United States.” Kerry has committed the United States to a multimonth diplomatic effort to resolve the issue, according to The Washington Post.
SMOKING: Transition period to last one year From Page 1
everything in our power to assist our students, faculty and staff to strive for healthy habits,” said Frieden. “I believe that this is the right direction for UTSA.” Dianna White, a writing composition professor, commented, “This is not about people’s health, it is about the university’s perception in the research committee and it’s about money — money for research and how they (UTSA) look when people come on campus and see people smoking.” According to UTSA Today, the task-force’s top recommendation was addressing the smoking ban through a transitory period, during which students will be allowed to smoke on permitted surface parking lots, which exclude the Ximenes Ave., Ford Ave. and Laurel Village lots. “While the Student Government Association (SGA) does support President Romo and his decision making for the university, we also recognize that the student body was split on this issue,” said Zack Dunn, who was recently elected President of UTSA’s Student Government Association. “In order to effectively represent all students, SGA believes that we should allow tobacco free electronic cigarettes as well as having designated smoking areas on campus that are strictly enforced. This would give those residential students, regular stu-
dent smokers and those faculty and staff who choose to smoke, some options to work with,” Dunn said. “It’s a good policy because when you walk out of a building, breathing the smoke is nasty; it’ll be nice to breathe clean air,” sophomore accounting major Megan Murray said last semester. The task-force’s other recommendation is expanding and clarifying which tobacco products will be prohibited on campus in the HOP. The new handbook will prohibit all forms of tobacco products, including cigarettes (herbal, electronic or otherwise), hookah water pipes and smokeless tobacco. Although some administrators and students have come out in favor of the ban, there are many students and faculty who are less optimistic about a tobaccofree campus. “When I came here you could smoke in the classrooms, and that’s a little extreme,” White said. “But when you’re out in the open I think that’s infringing on rights. When I first came here it was a commuter school, so students came to class and then they left. I’m afraid that [students and faculty] are going to lose our sense of community. I’m going to come and do just what I have for my job, then I’m going to leave.” “It’s unethical to take away someone’s choice to smoke or not,” communication major Joey Cabrera said in September. “I’m going to continue smoking
regardless.” Speaking again for SGA, Dunn continued, “We understand there are many perspectives that come into play with the administration’s decision, such as our research funding or building regulations, but we believe the allowance of tobacco free electronic cigarettes on top of enforceable designated areas is the best compromise to this situation.” Starting June 1, 2013, a transitional group will be present to ease UTSA staff and students into the new policy. From that time until May 31, 2014, smoking will be restricted to locations outside a 100-foot perimeter around buildings, structures and plazas. The UTSA police department declined to comment on specifics of the policy and its enforcement. However, a discussion at the April 5 Faculty Senate meeting focused on the probable policy of self-enforcement. At the meeting, Misty Sailors, Secretary of the General Faculty, cited the UT Austin policy: “Enforcement of the policy will be achieved primarily through education, awareness and a sprit of cooperation.” As of June 1, 2014, UTSA will become a smoke-free campus, with the exceptions of approved tobacco research projects or authorized performances utilizing tobacco in its artistic production.
Write for News Meetings Every Wednesday Paisano Office 14545 Roadrunner Way Next to Hookah bar and Cantina email: news@paisanoonline.com
NEWS
3 April 16, 2013
KOREA: Diplomatic actions taken to ease tension From Page 1
When asked about her perception of the validity of the bomb threats Smith said, “I think it’s possible and I think it would be really interesting if it happened. Would we annihilate them? Would it be the beginning of World War III?” Professor Smith is also concerned about the affect such attacks will have on her international students. “The people I’m most concerned for are the South Koreans because I have South Korean students and they
hate that their countrymen are not part of their lives, so just the division bothers them,” Smith said.
A Global Affair According to U.S. intelligence, the missiles currently situated on the east coast of North Korea are most likely Musudan missiles with a 2,500 mile range. While it is believed that North Korea does not yet have the technology to create a nuclear warhead small enough to attach
to a mobile missile, the Musudan missiles could still be highly explosive and cause severe damage to South Korea, Southeast Asia or Japan, all of which are within its firing range. North Korea has yet to demonstrate the technological capability to successfully launch a missile with a range that could include Hawaii or the U.S. mainland. However, North Korea has recently stated that it will be reopening its Yongbyon nuclear reactor “without delay.” According to White House
officials, the Obama administra- down. tion will continue to take the sitThis is not the first time North uation in North Korea very seri- Korea has threatened nuclear ously and attempt to cool down proliferation or the launch of rhetoric and pressures from all ballistic missiles. North Koparties involved rea has been practicing a tactic While U.S. officials are at- referred to as “brinkmanship” tempting to avoid conflict, since 1991, with confirmed United States Defense Secretary nuclear weapons and ballistic Chuck Hagel said“We have ev- missiles tests in 2006, 2009 and ery capacity to deal with any action North Korea will take, to protect this country and ” the interests of this coun- Thomas Bellows try and our UTSA Asian Studies allies.” The United States Navy is preparing to deploy a land-based missile most recently in February 2013. defense system, titled Terminal On previous occasions, North High Altitude Defense System, Korea threatened to produce to the U.S. territory of Guam nuclear weapons or launch atin order to prepare against a tacks until the United States possible medium range and agreed to reduce economic highly explosive missile attack. sanctions against them, and proAmerican satellite and radar vide economic aid and oil. systems are also set on North This tactic of brinkmanship Korea’s east coast in the event was used frequently by Kim of a launch. South Korea has Jong-un’s late father and predeprepared missile defense forces cessor Kim Jong-il, and is beequipped with a radar defense lieved to be a possible reason for system to both of its coasts, North Korea’s recent actions. while Japan’s missile defenses Kim Jong-un replaced his fahave been deployed in Tokyo. ther in 2011, and has reiterated U.S. radars have the capability to anti-American sentiments. He detect a missile’s trajectory sec- that the development of nuclear onds after launch. weapons is a necessary defense Admiral Samuel Locklear, against “American aggression.” head of the U.S. Pacific Com- In December 2012, North Korea mand, stated that the U.S. would successfully launched a satellite not want to shoot down missiles into orbit using a rocket, vioheaded for open sea. In the case lating United Nations’ resoluof a missile launch headed for tions. In response, the U.N. ima U.S. ally, interceptor missiles posed strict economic sanctions would attempt to shoot them against North Korea which have
“A launch at Japan would cause significant retaliation and incinerate North Korea.
been considered an act of war by North Korea - the claim behind their recent rhetoric and military threats. North Korea’s history of threats led U.S. officials and political scientists to question a North Korean attack. According to Dr. Vaidya Gundlupet, a UTSA political science professor who specializes in international security, international relations, international institutions and South Asia, the reopening of this nuclear reactor could have extreme consequences. Gundlupet is not convinced North Korea will launch, and if so, it would not target a United States ally or territory. “North Korea is a country with very little power against the U.S.…every time North Korea negotiates, it pushes the envelope to the extreme but then stops just short of that.” Another possible reason behind North Korea’s recent actions, according to Dr. Thomas Bellows, who specializes in Asian studies at UTSA, could be that Kim Jong-un is “trying to show that he is as tough as his father and solidify internal rule.” Both professors feel that North Korea’s actions are more about negotiation and internal politics. According to Bellows “a launch at Japan would cause significant retaliation and incinerate North Korea.” North Korea’s most recent threat against South Korea happened on April 15, where Kim Jong-un threatened to bomb South Korea without warning, according to Reuters.
OPINION
4 {The Paisano} Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Katy Schmader
Assistant to Editor: Erin Boren
Managing Editor: Stephen Whitaker
News Editor:
Matthew Duarte
News Assistants: J. Corey Franco David Glickman
Paseo Editor: Sarah Gibbens
Arts Editor:
Jennifer Alejos
Arts Assistants: Wilfredo Flores Janae Rice
Sports Editor: Sheldon Baker
Sports Assistants: Delaney Marlowe Mario Nava
Photo Editor: Will Tallent
Photo Assistant: Vince Cardenas
Web Editor: Natalie Frels
Web Assistant: Amanda Dansby
Business Manager: Jenelle Duff
Senior Copy Editor: Alyssa Torres
{Staff Writers} Bridget Gaskill, Christina Coyne, Randy Lopez, Alex Camacho, Shelby Hodges, Stephanie Barbosa, Council Royal, Julia Brouilette, Paulina Rivero-Borrell, Nick Castillo
{Staff Photographers} Ruth Olivares, Alyssa Gonzales
{Contributing Writers}
April 16, 2013
No need for concealed weapons on college campuses
On April 11, the Texas’ Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee voted seven to one to allow concealed handgun license holders to carry weapons into college buildings and classrooms. The new bill, entitled House Bill number 86 would allow college and univeristies to opt out. The almost unanimous vote
reflects a desire to see concealed handguns on public university campuses state-wide. There is no place for guns on school property, regardless of what Texas legislators say. With the number of mass public shootings on the rise, many Texans are concerned and are eager to find a way to promote public safety. Permit-
Feel free to speak your mind, just not here
T h e Miami Marlins’ b a s eb a l l club, a member of Major League Baseball’s National League, has spent the last year doing its best to alienate the fan base of South Florida. In that span of time, the Marlins have opened a billion dollar stadium paid for largely with taxpayer money. In addition to that, the Marlins conducted a fire-sale of their players, highlighted by a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays that sent the Marlins’ best pitcher and infielder to Canada with prospects sent by the Blue Jays in return. Then the Marlins lost their home opener at Marlins Park, 2-0, to the Atlanta Braves on April 8 before a less-thancapacity crowd of 34,439. Before the game, three Marlins’
fans, fed up with the direction of the team, showed up wearing t-shirts critical of the team’s management. Dan Barton was one of the men who wore a shirt that said “Marlins Baseball, helping other teams get better since 1998” in reference to the Marlins trading away their entire 1997 World Series winning team a year later. Another man in the group had a sign that said “Free Marlins.” A writer from the Palm Beach (FL) Post interviewed the three men just a few minutes before they were ejected for what the Marlins described in a general statement as “causing a disturbance.” The Marlins added that the accused were asked multiple times by Miami-Dade police officers to show their IDs, which the fans did not do. It was at that point, according to the Marlins, the men were asked to leave. According to both WSVNTV in Miami and the Palm Beach Post, the ejected fans were not causing a scene
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It’s no secret that the United States likes to be number one in the world. During the summer O l y m pics of 2012, the United States ranked number one in gold medals; it took more gold medals than China, Russia, Great Britain, Germany and especially Finland. But, if you take a look at these countries who also won gold medals at London, and compare them educationally to the United States, the United States
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is way down the list in science and is even worse in mathematics. There is something that needs to be done if the United States wishes to put its education system at number one. If it could be done, it would possibly raise the long run productivity levels to a place where the economy would grow by almost one trillion dollars a year, faster than its is current growth. This would allow the public debt to be paid, which is what most Americans would love to be able to do. It is all about creating human capital-talented people, skilled workers, people who can accomplish a great deal. That is what this country needs. Unemployment rates
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also to voice their disdain when the team isn’t playing up to their full potential. The ballpark or stadium should be a place where people can go to make noise in support of their favorite team along with intimidating the visiting team. The sports arena is a social forum for people to come together if they can afford the ticket (another issue for another commentary). Teams must be more mindful of the fact that the stands around the field of play are better when the fans are having a good time and not worried about being kicked out for their support being misconstrued by the home team for causing a disturbance. The land of the free should also include our sports arenas. We pay for the ticket, let us tell it like it is. Stephen Whitaker Managing Editor
Thank you, Good Samaritan until I got home. I came back to campus to see if by some miracle someone had turned it into the lost and found with the UTSA Police Dept. I’m grateful that this story did have a happy ending. I wanted to write to tell the person “thank you” for doing the right thing - the machine is
by homeowners associations. In order to effectively address our water management concerns, our government must offer incentives to home builders and HOAs to encourage the use of mulch and native plants in home divisions.
Commentary Can USA be number 1 in the field of education
{
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tain disappointments with how things were run. Now, as in the case of the Marlins fans, it seems that people aren’t allowed to voice their opinions at the stadium if the team doesn’t agree with it. Rather than kicking the fans out for having negative signs that they didn’t agree with, the Marlins should have allowed the fans to wear their shirts and hold up their signs as long as the fans didn’t get confrontational with other fans around them. Teams have the right to remove anyone from their stadiums if that person is breaking any stadium rules or causing a problem. What was the problem with three unhappy fans wearing shirts displaying displeasure with their team? Unhappy fans are part of sports. The trick is to try and make as many of those fans happy, which the Marlins failed to do. For the fans, it is their duty to support their team through wins and losses but
Letters to the Editor
As a Texas resident I am very concerned with our pending water crisis. I reside in a Northern San Antonio subdivision and witness daily the endless expanse of water gulping, glistening green yards, maintained by homeowners and enforced
Amanda Dansby, Janae Rice, Erin Boren, Sheldon Baker, Marcia Perales
Steven Kellman, Mansour El-Kikhia, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman
would make any task for police enforcement much more difficult. In an emergency situation, enforcement has to get to the root of the problem quickly and efficiently; there is no room for vigilantes – licensed or not. It’s time to bring intelligent conversation to the gun-fight.
priceless when it comes to my medical care, and it would have been very expensive and time consuming to get it replaced. So thank you to the awesome Roadrunner who helped me out! Kenneth Pelton sophomore psychology
Water conservation is important to the area
{Interns}
{Advisory Board}
The ironic thing is that it is possible that the men were kicked out during the singing of the National Anthem, which contains the line: “land of the free.” While it cannot be proven they were kicked out during the anthem, there is no denying that their ejection brings into question what a person can and cannot say at a sporting event. It is not the first time that a team has removed fans from the premises for bringing signs that had negative comments. In Oct. 2009, the Washington Redskins, a National Football League team, introduced a rule that outlawed fans from bringing signs and banners to FedEx Field. The rule was unpopular after the Redskins ejected some fans; even ones with pro-Redskin banners and the Redskins amended their rule a few weeks later to allow some signs and banners. In the past, it was possible for fans to bring signs and banners that supported their team as well as signs that voiced cer-
My faith in the honesty of UTSA students was affirmed on March 28 when I dropped my constant glucose monitor (CGM) in one of the lecture rooms in McKinney Humanities. I had just received this new unit that same week from my endocrinologist. I did not realize I had dropped the monitor
{Contributing Photographers}
Diane Abdo
No virtual reenactment could train for a real emergency. Allowing guns onto university campuses only increases the chances for violence. While gun-carriers feel as if they are being helpful, they create more chaos, making a dangerous situation more dangerous. Authorizing concealed license carriers on campus
Commentary
Julian Montez, Philip Taele, Eric Mondragon, Jasmine Rodriguez, Beth Marshall, Pete Torres, Renee Rendon, Mary Caithn Scott, Chance McDevitt, Chris Rodriguez, Mark Zavala, Aaron Zachary, Crystal Poenisch, Rico Martinez
{Advisor}
ting the carry and use of deathly weapons is not the answer. According to the Dec. 31 Department of Public Safety reports, Texas has 461,724 active concealed license holders. Texas residents can obtain a license after a 10-hour certification course, but the course could not possibly teach them how to react in an emergency situation.
are already two or three times higher for those who do not graduate high school compared to those who hold a college diploma. What can be done about improving this country’s educational system? First, bringing good quality teachers into the classroom. That means identifying effective teachers, compensating them and not keeping the non-effective ones. A recent study by two economists from Harvard and Columbia tracked 2.5 million students over 20 years. The study concluded that replacing a bad teacher for a good one generates about $250,000 more in lifetime income for the average
classroom. This means that if you leave a low quality teacher in a position for ten years rather than replacing him/her for a good quality one you are talking about $2.5 million lost in income. There is a real demand for charter schools so that people can chose what kind of teaching they wish to receive. The charter school movement is beginning to have an effect on about five percent of students who now attend a charter school. These privately managed schools are paid for by the government and set up with government authority. Perhaps this is the way the United States has to go to with education.
I support the Texas Water Development Board allocating half of all water management funding toward conservation projects. Taylor Mason sophmore political science
After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ educational system has almost completely been transformed by the charter model, and the impact in that city has been noteworthy. New Orleans’ school system is no longer at the bottom when compared to the rest of the country. We can see New York and Washington D.C. having similar results where charters are making their way into the educational system. It is time for San Antonio and the rest of the country to catch up. Alex Camacho Staff Writer
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editor@paisano-online.com
Letters must be less than 400 words and include the writer’s name, classification or title and telephone number. The Paisano reserves the right to edit all submissions.
PASEO
5 April 16, 2013
Japan:
Facing economic uncertainty Alex Camacho Staff Writer
paseo@paisano-writer.com Japan, the world’s third largest economy, is next on the list of countries verging on financial ruin. Since the early 2000s, Japan has accumulated vast amounts of debt with one of the highest GDP ratios in the world. Today, the average monetary exchange rate between Japan and the U.S. is 100 yen to one dollar.
“They’re doing what they can to kick-start growth when there has been none for a long time...” Christine LaGarde
Director of the International Monetary Fund Recently, Japan has attempted to shock its economy out of slow economic growth and deflation by implementing aggressive stimulus plans. In a process known as quantitative easing (QE), a central government bank creates money, which it then uses to increase the money supply by purchasing financial assets.
It’s this Keynesian approach to economic decline that Japan will use in the hopes of sending its economy on the road to recovery. Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who recently took office, called for a “rocket-like start towards economic recovery.” He has appointed Haruhiko Kuroda, the new president of the Bank of Japan, who backs his approach. Through the devaluation of the yen, Abe wishes to step away from deflation and shift towards his goal of two percent annual inflation. His aim is to boost economic growth by encouraging spending. His idea is simple: if you know prices will increase in the near future, you will be more likely to spend now rather than wait. In theory, it is an easy way to promote consumption and investment. Abe has promised to put an end to wasteful spending and claims he intends to focus economic investment in three areas. The first is the region that was affected in March 2011 by the tsunami. The second is making improvements to the country’s aging infrastructure, which claimed the lives of nine Japanese citizens in a fatal tunnel crash last December. Thirdly, Abe wants to quakeproof schools and hospitals. Abe and Kuroda can’t miraculously make Japan’s corporate
giants more competitive on the world stage, such as making Sony competitive with Samsung in the smart phone market or Toyota making significantly better cars than Hyundai. Still, these Japanese policies to devalue the yen could give those companies an advantage in the global marketplace in terms of their cost structure. Christine LaGarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, recently defended Japan’s political actions. She stated to CNBC, “They’re doing what they can to kickstart growth when there has been none for a long time, and to make sure that credit flows into the real economy so that investment can start again.” Japan is an example of what the U.S., as well as the rest of the developed world, could become if they do not move out of a long period of economic stagnation. Many developed countries are struggling with similar issues such as their public debt and the increase of welfare cost due to their aging population. In many forms, Japan can be seen as a test case for developed countries. With a similarly aging population, Japan’s economic model will become a model for success, or a cautionary tale.
While every country deals with currency and fiscal issues, and all have problems that must be solved, the European Union has taken a unique approach to implementing the Euro. To explain, a comparison between the European Union and the United States will clarify. The United States, while composed of 50 states, is a single federated entity founded in 1776, and shortly thereafter the same legislative body that founded the U.S. provided the dollar ($), using a decimal system, would be the official legal tender in the United States.
The United States is relatively young when compared to countries in Europe, but its method of first becoming a sovereign state before minting an official currency is historic. The Euro is different in this respect. The European Union is comprised of various sovereign countries, each with its own governments and, prior to the Euro, its own currencies. When conglomerated into the European Union, these countries remained as such, and are not directly under a single governing body. When the Euro was introduced in 1999, in
Dismal future for the €uro
Rico Martinez
Contributing Writer paseo@paisano-online.com The Euro (€) is the official currency of 17 countries within the European Union. While some 27 countries are part of the European Union, only 17 use the Euro. These countries are referred to as the Eurozone. The European Union is not a single political entity, like the United States of America, but instead a combination of various countries with different economies, governments, banks and fiscal situations.
May 29, 2013!
part to solidify and stabilize Europe and its varying economies, some countries chose to adopt it and some did not, resulting in the formation of the ‘Eurozone’. So what does this mean for the Euro and all those involved? Dr. Boyka Stefanova, associate professor of political science at UTSA, specializes in European Politics. She shared the pros and cons of the Euro to help answer this question. One major strong point of the Euro is that there are approximately 500 million consumers currently using the Euro in what is now the largest trading
economy in the world. However, the Euro is used only within the Eurozone, and this zone is becoming smaller. Countries such as Greece and Italy could revert back to their previous currencies. This may lessen the stability of the Euro overall, but such a problem is offset by the remaining countries such as Germany, which continues to grow economically and is a major fiscal power within Europe. Still, it is difficult to employ an official currency without a federal structure to back it up. This gives rise to the question: should the whole of Europe
consider federalization? According to Stefanova, the Euro does indeed possess the “political willpower” to remain in circulation in the future, though it is a “work in progress.” What can the U.S. expect if the euro declines or collapses? The current exchange rate between the U.S. and the Eurozone is one euro for every U.S. dollar. With free trade markets across the Atlantic, larger corporations can expect higher profits while workers will struggle to maintain wages if the euro depreciates.
ARTS&LIFE CAMPUS
7 April 16, 2013
Arts Assistant arts@paisano-online.com Laughter, applause and music filled the ballroom galleria of H-E-B University Center South on April 12 as students made their way to the end-ofthe-year event of choice—Second Chance Prom. The 3rd annual Second Chance Prom is an event created by the GLBTQ to give UTSA and local high school students a chance to attend prom with whomever they choose — free from judgment or persecution. “A few of our members had discussed how they were denied access or weren’t allowed to go to their proms as an official date with their partner,” explains Roy Garza, an undeclared freshman and the event’s organizer and coordinator. “We wanted to do something about it.” Due to the amount of discrimination against samesex couples attending proms throughout the country, the group felt that creating another prom would be fitting in order to have a safe and friendly space. Many students are not comfortable — or allowed, in some instances — to attend their prom with their partner of choice. “(In high school) I just went with friends,” recalls Joseph Salinas, a sophomore pre-biol-
ogy major. “I just avoided that whole fiasco of taking somebody that would have caused a stir, so Second Chance Prom here on campus is a very unique opportunity that I’m very thankful for.” Second Chance Prom was one of GLBTQ’s main events and doubled as a closing event for the academic year for the group as well. “It’s been great and it grows every year,” says Garza. “More and more people attend despite us not being able to advertise in high schools. We do keep it a public event so if high school students do want a second chance, they can come here and be loved.” This was evident, as more and more students arrived, some in more casual dress and others in the ensemble of his or her choice. This year’s theme was “Alice in Wonderland,” and mushrooms, card soldiers and flowers adorned the walls of the ballroom while red balloons bounced around the floor. “It’s a really good idea; I love what the group did,” says John Poplawsky, a senior anthropology major. “I’m really proud that this actually happens at UTSA.” GLBTQ is one of the largest groups at UTSA with roughly 100 active members. The group consists of four different committees: social, po-
litical, fundraising and QT or queer and trans, each focusing on that particular aspect of the group. Members of GLBTQ can choose to be active in whichever committee piques their interest, but many of the members are active across each committee. “The GLBTQ promotes the well-being and equal treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer and any other sexual or gendered students on campus,” explains Sarah Price, a senior anthropology major and the group’s current president. “We try to hit the political aspects of the community; we try to hit the social aspects and we also try to educate people about the lesser known identities such as transgendered and queer,” says Price. With the close of another successful Second Chance Prom, students can anticipate the event to return next year. The event will be open and free to the public, as it has been in past years. “Everybody is welcome,” says Garza. “Free food, awesome music and admission is free. What’s not to love?” GLBTQ has an open-to-thepublic general meeting every Wednesday at 7 p.m., with its final meeting for the spring semester on May 1. For more information on GLBTQ, visit facebook.com/GLBTQ-of-UTSA.
GLBTQ provides students with a second chance at having the prom they wanted but couldn’t have before.
Vince Cardenas / The Paisano
Wilfredo Flores
Vince Cardenas / The Paisano
GLBTQ offers a night of second chances
Students join in a group dance at the Second Chance Prom.
6 April 16, 2013
ARTS&LIFE {Local Events} Tuesday, April 16 10 a.m. Exhibit: “Pasión Popular”
San Antonio Museum of Art (200 W. Jones St.) presents “Pasión Popular: Spanish and Latin American Folk Art from the Cecere Collection.” The exhibit features almost 400 pieces of ethnographic art donated to the museum by Peter B. Cecere including religious paintings, masks and toys. Admission is $5-$10.
Students At Work
Jennifer Alejos / The Paisano
Wednesday, April 17 10 a.m. Exhibit: “Witte Museum’s Annual Fiesta Exhibition”
The UTSA Gallery features work from students in all concentrations at the XXIX Annual Student Exhibition.
Jennifer Alejos Arts Editor
arts@paisano-online.com Walk into the UTSA Art Gallery and be greeted by a life-size clown, a floating head seated on a red wagon and more innovative works from undergraduate and graduate students. The UTSA XXIX Annual Student Exhibition features work from many talented students including Jane Liang, Jose Cardenas, Harry Sturgeon, Anna Isabel Cantu and Evan Wagoner. In this semester’s exhibit, one can find portraits, pottery, sculptures and paintings, all of which complement each other.
This year’s Best of Show went to Jane Liang for her pieces “Still (The White Heart)” and “A-Side.” Each are made of oil on canvas and follow the photorealism style of painting with dedication to detail and naturalness. Both pieces appear delicate and dainty while maintaining elegance with the idea of the female figure and the symbolic nature of women. In “Still (The White Heart),” the figure’s dress is white, which may be symbolic of purity; yet, her pose is awkward and somewhat contorted. Her stance contrasts with the formal lady-like nature of
women. The color palette includes hues of mauves, grays and white undertones — all contributing to the idea of purity. The woman is fair-skinned, although her facial features are hidden behind her dress; only a few strands of dark brown hair peek behind her shoulder. The garment appears stretched along the figure with her feet tangled inside the dress. The delicate folds in the dress are a testament to how skilled Liang is in this style with each wrinkle being visible in the garment. The opaqueness in the piece alludes to the depth of the dress while revealing the figure underneath the frock.
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In “A-Side,” Liang takes an everyday object like dirty laundry and strips it down to its simple beauty. Liang reveals that the painting is symbolic of the woman figure. She says, “Clothes are very intimate to people and that’s how I relate to figures.” The laundry consists of floral prints paired with lacey camisoles and other articles of clothing. The fabrics flow on top of each other, creating the appearance of movement and looseness.
Liang’s attention to the details in the fabrics is inspiring and creates an overall visually pleasing addition to “Still (The White Heart).” (to continue reading this article, go to paisano-online. com)
The Witte Museum (3801 Broadway St.) presents their annual Fiesta exhibition. The main emphasis for this year’s exhibition will be on the military, with works including coronation robes of the Duchesses of the Armed Forces and historic photographs depicting the military’s participation in past Fiesta celebrations. Admission is $7-$10.
Thursday, April 18 10 a.m. Exhibit: “Fiesta, Fête, Festival” The McNay Art Museum (6000 N. New Braunfels Ave.) presents “Fiesta, Fête, Festival,” an exhibit displaying various objects from numerous festivals from around the world in comparison with San Antonio’s Fiesta celebrations. Admission is $5-$10.
For the week’s full calendar, visit: paisano-online.com
SPORTS
8 April 16, 2013
Stephen Whitaker / The Paisano
FOOTBALL
The Roadrunners’ first season playing in Conference USA begins this fall.
UTSA wraps up spring camp with third annual scrimmage Nick Castillo Staff Writer
sports@paisano-online.com The Roadrunners concluded their football spring practices on Sunday, April 14 with their third annual UTSA Football Fiesta Spring Game. About 2,056 people were in attendance, including fans as well as members of the 2014 recruiting class, at Dub Farris Stadium. Quarterbacks Eric Soza and Zach Conque led the offense with 309 passing yards. Conque outshined Soza during the
game, throwing for 181 yards with one passing and one rushing touchdown. The highlight of Conque’s afternoon occurred in the first quarter when he threw a 60yard touchdown to wide receiver Kenny Bias for the first score of the game. “From the first practice to now, 15 practices deep, I’ve taken advantage of the reps and really learned,” said Conque. “I’m gonna make mistakes, but today I felt really comfortable in the offense.” Soza had a decent day; he threw one touchdown and accumulated 128 passing yards.
Soza’s big moment happened at the end of the game when he threw a 51 yard touchdown pass to Josiah Monroe. Even though Soza had a subpar day, he was satisfied with the team’s performance. “There was some good, some bad but that’s why we don’t play for another couple months. Defense played well, offense had our times but we can always improve, that’s what we’re planning on doing.” Wide receiver Kam Jones was given the bulk of touches. Jones led the team in rushing with 39 yards and a touchdown. Jones also caught three passes for 22 yards.
“Coach said he wanted to get me more touches as the spring went on. Today, the offense opened up and I got about five or six,” said Jones. “He [Jones] needs to be involved, when he touches it, it can get exciting. He can run it, he can throw it and he can catch it. He’s the kind of agile guy you love to have,” said Head Coach Larry Coker. Although the offense scored 31 points, the defense was the most impressive. The defensive secondary showed great improvement from last season. “We’re a lot better on defense especially in the secondary. The
corner play is a lot better. I’m excited about where we are going,” said Coker. Linebackers Jens Jeters and Steven Kurfehs led the team with 18 combined tackles. The defense took advantage of mistakes made by both quarterbacks and collected three interceptions. Now that the spring practices have concluded, the ‘Runners will focus on their upcoming season in Conference USA. The Roadrunners are still a work in progress. When asked if the team was Conference USA ready, Coker said “no, but we better get ready. Now
it’s all about us. We got to have great work in the weight room; we got to have a great opening game for one. The main thing is to get stronger and more confident. I think with the eight wins last season, we left the season with a lot of confidence, but now we got to build off that in the offseason.”
In Football
UTSA starts the season August 31 in New Mexico against the NMSU Lobos. The home opener is September 7 versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Jeff Huehn / UTSA Athletics
BASEBALL
MAKE YOUR SUMMER COUNT.
UTSA is now 4-6 in thier last 10 games with 20 games left in the season.
Cal State Bakersfield sweeps UTSA
‘Runners fall to 4-7 in Western Athletic Conference, eighth in league Nick Castillo Staff Writer
sports@paisano-online.com The Roadrunners traveled to Bakersfield, Calif. this past weekend to play CSU Bakersfield (CSUB) in a three-game series. CSUB entered the weekend as the top team in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with a 6-3 WAC record and a 21-13 overall record. In game 1 on Friday, April 12, the ‘Runners struck in the first inning with an RJ Perucki home run to give UTSA a 1-0 lead, but CSUB tied the game in the bottom of the second inning. CSUB added two runs in the fifth and another three in the seventh to extend their lead to
6-1. The ‘Runners then made a valiant rally in the ninth inning. UTSA loaded the bases and was able to score two runs to shed the CSUB lead to 6-3, but CSUB pitcher Taylor Aikenhead was able to stop the ‘Runners rally and UTSA lost 6-3. CSUB starting pitcher Scott Brattvet held the UTSA offense in game 2, on Saturday. Brattvet allowed one unearned run in seven and two-thirds innings of work. UTSA scored their lone run in the top of the second on a Mike Welborn RBI single. CSUB answered UTSA’s run with four runs in the bottom of the second. CSUB added a run in the sixth, three runs in the seventh and two runs in the eighth and defeated the ‘Runners 10-1 In the series finale on Sunday,
UTSA rallied to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth, however, CSUB completed the sweep by defeating the ‘Runners 6-5 on a walk-off single by catcher Frank Martinez. The sweep drops UTSA’s overall record to 19-16 and puts them in eighth place in the WAC with a 4-7 record. UTSA travels to Beaumont to play the Lamar Cardinals (2611, 6-6 Southland) Wednesday night.
In Softball
Get ahead this summer with UTB’s transferable credits and exciting curriculum. Get productive, earn some fast credits near the beach, and advance your career.
SUMMER DEADLINES: May registration deadline: April 30 Classes begin May 13 Summer I registration deadline: May 21 Classes begin June 3 Summer II registration deadline: June 27 Classes begin July 11
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WE’LL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Roadrunners softball loses all three games to the New Mexico State Aggies. {Please visit the Paisano-online.com to read the recap}
Visit utb4u.com or call 956-UTB-4YOU.
BROWNSVILLE
SPORTS
9 April 16, 2013
SPURS
Delaney Marlowe Assistant Sports Editor
sports@paisano-online.com “I came in today just thinking we were going to take a yearbook photo,” said Edison High School senior Adrian Hernandez, “and it ended up being that we were the Team Up champs... I was just overwhelmed.” The Team Up Challenge is an annual student led, community service based program put on by the Silver and Black Give Back, which is a public charity that works in association with Spurs Sports & Entertainment. This year, 20 local elementary, middle and high schools were selected as semi-finalists and each were awarded $2,500 to put their community service project into effect. On Friday, April 12, Hernandez and his peers in the Team Up Challenge club at Edison High School became one of the five schools in San Antonio to be named Team Up Challenge champions by Silver and Black Give Back. In past years, Team Up Challenge champions have participated in projects ranging from building outdoor learning centers to publishing a book on good character traits. For Edison High School, however, their plan was much more simple. “Our project consisted of us visiting colleges and universities and getting to know what it’s like to be a college student,” said Hernandez. “Also, the second part of our project was to bring some middle school students to our campus and give them an idea of what they want
to do once they get into high school and what they want to set their careers in.” The Team Up Challenge has participants from over 24 San Antonio school districts, and each year, some of these schools are able to put their projects into effect within their community. According to Hollis Macdonald, the community responsibility coordinator for Silver and Black Give Back, becoming part of the Team Up Challenge is quite simple. “We have five categories [for participation]: arts and culture, environment, education, health and wellness and uniformed services. The projects just have to fall into one of those five categories... the most important thing is that we have a student voice and student leadership. It’s really teaching the kids how to be engaged citizens.” Being named one of the Team Up Challenge champions, however, comes with more than a sense of pride in doing something great for the community. The Team Up Challenge champions from each school were
“I came in today just thinking we were going to take a yearbook photo.” Adrian Hernandez
Edison High School senior
awarded $20,000 to continue their projects in and around San Antonio. Much of the implications of the award did not fully sink in until one of Edison’s faculty advisors, Ben Mendoza, took a moment during the celebration to congratulate the students. “We want you all [students] to take this $20,000...this means that you all can continue to do this for the next ten years. For some, that’s your little brother or your little sister being able to go and carry this out. I know you all don’t understand it right now, but this is crazy... so celebrate it and enjoy this moment because this is never going to happen again, something like this for your school,” said Mendoza. The donation that Silver and Black Give back awarded Edison High School will enable the students to plant seeds in the minds of middle schoolers for years to come and will grow into a love of learning and a desire to go to college. According to Mendoza, the Team Up Challenge club will be taking middle school students to UTSA next school year to teach them how attending a university can change their lives. “It’s very overwhelming to know that all of our hard work paid off. From the start, it was rather difficult to get the process started, but once we got it started, it just kind of flowed through and came out perfect,” said Hernandez. “Mentoring the students just gave me aspirations that this is what i want to do with myself [for a career].”
Katie Funk/ Spurs.com
Silver and Black give back to San Antonio Schools
Edison High School students celebrate thier $20,000 reward from Silver and Black Give Back with the San Antonio Rampage mascot T-Bone.
ADVERTISMENT
10 April 16, 2013