UTSA UTSA Assistant Professor of Geology Marina Suarez has been awarded a $478,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to research paleoclimatology (the study of the earth’s climate in the distant past). Suarez plans to conduct her research around Cretaceous rocks in China, Spain, Utah and Texas.
THEY PLAY, STUDENTS PAY BUT IT’S NOT ALL
Texas According to a review compiled by The Texas Tribune, of annual financial reports submitted to the NCAA by all eight public universities in Texas that play in the highest level of college football, the Football Bowl Subdivision. The schools collected $27 million in student fees that went to athletics in 2008. In the 2015 fiscal year, that number had more than doubled to $57 million. (Private colleges also have to submit records but are not required to make them available under the state’s open records laws.)
U.S. The Justice Department canceled a hearing intended to settle the publicized dispute between Apple and and the F.B.I. about the agency’s request that the tech company create a “backdoor” for secured iPhones. Such a backdoor would allow the F.B.I. to access password protected phones. Following the cancellation, the Justice Department stated it “might no longer need Apple’s assistance to extract data from the device.”
Science Comets may have been responsible for bringing the noble gases to Earth. According to the publication “Earth and Planetary Sciences,” a shipment of a crucial part of the planet’s chemical inventory arrived during the Late Heavy Bombardment about 600 million years after the start of the solar system — when the moon (and supposedly Earth) was pummeled by debris from the outer solar system as the giant planets abruptly settled into the current orbits.
ABOUT FOOTBALL... UTSA students pay more in athletic fees than students at other universities pay. However, the athletic departments of those universities are just as — and often times even more — reliant on student fees and university funds to break even than UTSA’s Athletic Department is.
See Page 6 Graphic by Fabian De Soto , The Paisano
E-cigarettes Students save on textbooks with discouraged OpenStax-UTSA Libraries partnership in new PSA
“OpenStax has saved students $66 million since 2012 and will save students $39 million this academic year alone”.
Adriene Goodwin News Assistant
Dani Nicholson
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, OpenStax
@hey_adreezy news@paisano-online.com
Jesus Nieves Contributing Writer
@ThePaisano news@paisano-online.com Jaswanth Kintada, Treasurer of UTSA Student Government Association (SGA), is currently leading the campaign for a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about e-cigarettes. The objective of the PSA is to inform students on the effects of tobacco products, as well as keep UTSA a tobacco-free campus. UTSA has been smoke and tobacco free since June 1 2014, and prohibits the use of any tobacco products. Ecigarettes, or e-cigs, are on the list of tobacco products that are banned on campus. However, a February 2016 article from Consumer Reports notes that e-cigs neither contain nor emit tobacco. While e-liquids do not contain tobacco, they do contain a chemical called propylene glycol, that is mixed with the addictive substance nicotine. E-cigs have grown in popularity due to their stylish look and the gamut of flavors available. See PSA, page2
Since 2012, OpenStax has saved students $66 million in textbook costs.
Katelyn Wilkinson Staff Writer
@KatelynMarie11 news@paisano-online.com UTSA Libraries has partnered with OpenStax, a non-profit Rice University initiative funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that provides free textbooks to students. “Our mission is to increase access to education. We believe in academic freedom, so we ask faculty to review our textbooks and decide for themselves if they will be a good fit,” says Dani Nicholson, the associate director of marketing and communications at Openstax. Aligned with the same goals of cutting student expenses and increasing access, UTSA Libraries has partnered with OpenStax. According to Nicholson “Once an instructor adopts an OpenStax textbook, students will potentially save hundreds of dollars and possibly perform better in their courses because they have access to materials on day one of class.”
OpenStax is a non-profit organization funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The group has developed over 20 free, peer-reviewed textbooks for introductory college courses and is in the process of developing more. These textbooks are available to instructors at any institution and are completely free; however, DeeAnn Green, the UTSA Social Sciences Librarian, says that UTSA Libraries’ collaboration with OpenStax will benefit UTSA by giving the university access to OpenStax’s experience and proficiency in open-educational resources as well as OpenStax’s free consultation, workshops and grant programs. This collaboration, according to Green, will help UTSA become more proficient in open-educational resources, which will lead to more accessible education for all students. “UTSA libraries’ partnership with OpenStax will lay the foundation for quicker expansion and growth in open textbook adoption at
Andrea Velgis , The Paisano
UTSA,” Green said. “The partnership’s main goals are to ease the financial burden from purchasing traditional textbooks and ultimately help with student retention and success.” “OpenStax has saved students $66 million since 2012 and will save students $39 million this academic year alone,” says Nicholson. wIn terms of the nonprofit’s reach, she explained that at least one OpenStax textbook is in use at one in 5 colleges and universities in the United States. Alluding to beginning of semester challenges, Nicholson went on to say that OpenStax benefits students by providing access to course materials on the first day of class while saving hundreds of dollars in course-material fees. Junior Richard Hillman, a criminal justice major and sociology minor, said he loved using an OpenStax textbook in one of his classes last semester. Hillman, a veteran, said that he had to wait on funding and fell behind in his classes
because he could not buy textbooks. He dropped one course altogether because the materials were over $300. The only class he was able to keep up with was the sociology class that used an OpenStax text because it was free and available the first day of class. “I love the fact that the [OpenStax] books are all digitized because you can copy and paste and make your own reviews for exams. Openstax is much better than traditional textbooks,” Hillman said. UTSA Libraries sponsored a workshop with OpenStax on Feb 29 during which 10 faculty members applied to use OpenStax textbooks in their classrooms. According to Green, these faculty members will adopt low-cost or free materials in their classrooms.. If their applications are approved, instructors will begin using OpenStax materials Fall 2016.
2 NEWS March 22 - March 29, 2016 Women’s Studies Institute celebrates Women’s History Raquel E. Alonzo Staff Writer
@raquelalonzo94 news@paisano-online.com
Photos courtesy of Jessica Gonzales
UTSA Boulevard Project to install new turn, bike lanes, to alleviate traffic Johnee Jasso Staff Writer
@johnee_thegreat news@paisano-online.com Last week, Transportation & Capital Improvements (TCI) met with both curious and concerned citizens at Carnahan Elementary School to discuss the City of San Antonio’s UTSA Boulevard Project. Capital Projects Manager David McBeth addressed the planned improvements, the impact on local residents and the project schedule. One of the main concerns raised at the meeting was about the medians to be installed on UTSA Boulevard. The medians will force drivers coming from UTSA, apartments, housing communities and businesses to turn right onto UTSA Boulevard – the only areas to turn left will be the intersections, which could be problematic for drivers outside of the Breckenridge Avenue Lot 5 and Maverick Creek housing. UTSA students are likely aware of the construction. The Hausman Road Project is still currently underway to reconstruct the roadway
to four lanes from 1604 to I-10 and construct a 10foot concrete hike and bike trail on the south side of the roadway. Hausman Road has been under construction since December 2013. Construction began on UTSA Boulevard in July 2015 and is currently between Edward Ximenes Avenue and I-10. The UTSA Boulevard Project will extend the construction from Edward Ximenes Avenue to Babcock Road. The project will be split into two phases: Babcock Road to Edward Ximenes (South side, approximately seven months) and Babcock Road to Edward Ximenes (North Side, approximately 12 months). The project will extend the roadway to four lanes – two each way to include a raised median with left turn lanes. The project includes new concrete 10-foot shared use path and drive approaches on each side, with new American Disability Act wheelchair ramps at all intersections, approved for pedestrians and bicyclists. The intersections at UTSA Boulevard/Babcock and Roadrunner Way/George Breckenridge will have new
traffic signals and pedestrian crosswalk markings. Additionally, the project will install underground storm drainage with street inlets. During the meeting, a UTSA faculty member pointed out the difficulty for emergency vehicles to access emergency hotspots, such as University Oaks. The fire department, for example, is located on Babcock Road, and it seems with the construction, nearly impossible for a fire truck to make a U-turn around a median. “The widened lanes will allow emergency vehicles enough space to make a U-turn around the medians, if need be,” McBeth responded, and speculated possibly shifting the entrance to Breckenridge Avenue Lot 5 parking directly across from Maverick Creek housing, allowing a left turn. Construction on Hausman Road is anticipated to complete in April 2016. The UTSA Boulevard Project is estimated to be complete in October 2017.
KEEP
G ING A BOLT OF ENERGY
GREAT-TASTING ENERGY SHOT FROM NATURAL INGREDIENTS
GLUTEN FREE • TAURINE FREE • NON-GMO FIND NERGIA AT HEB IN THE NATURAL SECTION
UTSA’s Women’s Studies Institute (WSI) began celebrating Women’s History Week in 1986. Since then, it has transformed into a month-long celebration of women. The objective was to offer more courses to students on topics about gender and sexuality. WHM at UTSA covers the history of gender, race, ethnicity, class, religion and ability. Events began on Tuesday, March 1 with the “Women’s History Month Program”. Events offered include: “Mercurial Attraction: The photographic work of Cara Lee Wade” that showcased two works that included discussing the legacies of those Wade lost to Alzheimer’s disease; “Lost in a Valley with a Dog: How We Find and Make Com-
munity” in which Jewelle Gomez discussed her advocacy of rights for queer women of color; and “A Woman’s Place is on Stage” that showcased five women and their spoken words about subjects such as race, gender and love. On Thursday March 3, “The Republic of the Unlettered: A People’s Intellectual History of Law in the Spanish Empire” panel took place in the Assembly Room in the UTSA library. Dr. Bianca Premo, a professor at Florida International University in Miami, discussed her book upcoming book “The Republic of the Unlettered” during the panel. Her book covers the Enlightenment and how enslaved people in Spain, such as women and indigenous inhabitants, could not read or write. This led to authority figures forging signaturesresulting in those enslaved to sue in record numbers. “The Republic of the Unlettered” explores these civil
litigations about forging signatures on documents. Premo refers to German philosopher Immanuel Kant in her book and his ideas about the Enlightenment. Additionally, she discusses the various schools of Enlightenment such as Scottish, radical and Colonial. Premo mentions her love for Jonathan Israel’s novels and how he believes in the Spanish-American Enlightenment. Premo also covers how slaves began to get ideas on how they were being tricked by attending court hearings. Her panel featured extensive knowledge on the history of law in the Spanish empire. There will be more opportunities to attend a WSI Women’s History Month event from Tuesday, March 22 through Thursday, March 31. More information on events offered is avilable on utsa.edu/WSI
PSA to discourage e-cigarettes, meanwhile tobacco policy is unenforced
“Students do not take into account they are still smoking nicotine components within the (e-cig) product”. Jaswanth Kintada, UTSA SGA Treasurer
While e-liquids found in e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, they consist of a chemical that is mixed with nicotine, which causes addiction. Fabian De Soto, The Paisano
continued from page 1 The National Cancer Institute estimates that “more than 7,000 have been catalogued, ranging from bacon to peanut butter chocolate,” which creates concern that e-cigs are made to appeal to young adults. The main objective of the tobacco-free campus policy is to lower the rate of college students smoking cigarettes and consuming other tobacco related products. According to Kintada, “our objective is to focus on actual tobacco products and educate students on the health risks of tobacco.” Although there is no tobacco in e-liquids, the purpose of the PSA, in practice, is to warn against the addictive qualities
of compounds in e-cigs. “(Students) do not take in account they are still smoking nicotine components within the product,” said Kintada. “E-cigs are easier to use and have a better taste than cigarettes,” stated senior Craig Orrell J.R. “They help me wean off of cigarettes and make me feel a lot better.” Various entities ranging from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to the United States Surgeon General have sought to determine if there is a definitive link between vaping with e-cigs and their effect or influence on cigarette smoking. As of yet, most results remain inconclusive. E-cigs are not yet approved
by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). SGA will continue to research the effects of e-cigs, and their PSA should be ready for release some time in May. Other organizations on campus including Active Minds, Public Health Student Association, Student Health Services, UTSA Dining Services, Pre-Med Club and the Psychology Club have been actively involved with spreading awareness of tobacco products and the possible effects of e-cigs. Despite this current campaign, there have yet to be any citations for violating UTSA’s tobacco-free and smoke-free policy.
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OPINION
3
March 22 - March 29, 2016
The Paisano Cure the beaches of litterbugs infestations Editor-in-Chief: Mia Cabello
Managing Editor: Randi Gilmore
News Editor: Caroline Traylor Arts & Life Editor: Brayden Boren Sports Editor: Brady Phelps Web Editor: Michael Turnini Photography Editor: Fabian De Soto Magazine Editor: Jade Cuevas Business Manager: Lizzette Rocha Distribution Manager: Patrick Martinez Marketing Director Social Media Coordinator: Madeline Harper
Advertising Marketing Liaison: Jenelle Duff
Editorial
Each spring, South Padre Island draws crowds of college students from all over the country for Spring Break — 2016 was no exception, 25,000 visitors flocked to the 2.3 square mile island. With a population of less than 3,000 people, South Padre Island hosts these Spring Break visitors, but at a hefty price to the South Texas coast ecosystem. South Padre Island’s legal beachside consumption of alcohol causes college students to haul their containers in bulk, only to leave them in the sand without a second thought. Additionally, because these visitors only come to play, the longterm effects to the ecosystem are largely overlooked. Unfortunately, the locals, the ocean, and the once-aesthetic beaches are left with the mess. Despite the threat of ticketing by state troopers, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials, Texas
Gaige Davila
News Assistants: Alex Birnel, Alyssa Gonzalez, Adriene Goodwin
Arts & Life Assistants: Anthony Suniga
Justice Lovin @ThePaisano
Web Assistants:
Thus far four states — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Photo Assistants: and Washington — have Ethan Pham, Andrea Velgis legalized the recreational use of marijuana in defiance Special Issues Assistant: of the continuing federal Urub Khawaja prohibition. These states have done this not through Business Assistants: Will Stansky the traditional legislative process, but through the Distribution Assistant: arguably more democratic Kevin Prichard use of ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments. STAFF citizens voted Justice Lovin, Claudia Jimenez, Because Christopher Breakell, Robert directly for these policy Avila, Marina Vences, Johnee changes, if the federal government were to enforce Jasso, Lyanne Rodriguez, Memorie Johnson, Katelyn federal drug laws it would be Wilkinson, , Raquel Alonzo, something of a thorny issue Chris Herbert, Aidan Watson- as to enforce current federal Morris, Miles Boyle drug law would violate the principles of democracy. In another of the more MARKETING TEAM liberal states — California — Sam Patel, Kesley Smith, another, and a very different Catherine Adams, Celina Kat Joseph, Ricardo Rodriguez
Perkins
CONTRIBUTORS Taiwo Adepoju, Bryan De Leon, Diego Ramirez , Jessica Gonzales
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law has recently been passed. Sometimes referred to as the ‘right-to-die’ law, under this legislation doctors are able to prescribe terminally ill patients, who are of sound mind and who request the option, so called ‘fatal prescriptions.’ Now, what do these apparently disparate laws have in common? Both laws are instances in which a conflict between the rights of the individual and the powers of the state have been resolved in favor of the individual, a decision in line with principles worth examining. When the state takes on a prohibitory role, it does not actually stop things from happening, but rather puts in place a punishment intended to discourage the behavior. In a democratic society this is a necessary, but is not always a good thing. There are times, as in the cases of segregation and gay marriage, when the belief system of the majority, or else of the representative class, becomes public policy. The problem is that when the law is used to enforce subjective moral prejudices,
it exceeds any reasonable standard of fairness. The majority of people cannot and will not ever experience the excruciating pain of terminal illness and so have no right to say what a person should do under the circumstances. Because marijuana legalization affects a larger portion of the population than physician assisted suicide it shows this more effectively. Only so many people, in this case those convicted for possession of marijuana, can be made into criminals for offences that affect no one other than themselves before the state loses its authority, which is why under the current status quo there is a significant number of people who openly disregard these laws and for whom the worst consequence of doing so is getting caught. As individuals, we are born into the world with an absolute freedom. In nature, law is a matter of need and ability; one must do what one must do, and can only do what one can do. But by forming societies, we make certain sacrifices for
certain privileges; these are the laws of the state. A sacrifice that offers no privilege, then, is not a sufficient premise for law. In these specific cases that is what has happened; those who make the laws give up little and those who would break them see little benefit. The state should not be a punitive instrument, it should not be a tool by which some individuals control and coerce others. The role of the state is to protect the rights of the individual — all individuals, not just the social and economic elites — not to restrict those rights. Law is not a matter of ethics or morality, but of having an explicitly recorded social contract with which individuals comply, because it is in their own interests to do so. Government has nothing to do with right and wrong and everything to do with power, which, if it is to be legitimate, must be exercised in a careful, egalitarian way.
Satire
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for their environmental crimes. This small, viral attempt to hold these litterbugs accountable for their actions is one small step in a greater need for Spring Break regulation in South Padre Island. This is another. The two-week spring break is reported as South Padre Island’s busiest time frame, along with the summer months of June
Robots terrorize athletic and coaching staff and facilities
Diane Abdo
Steven Kellman, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman, Stefanie Arias, Diane Abdo, Red Madden
not only callous attitudes to recycling but also of an internalization of immediate gratification at the cost of long-term consequences. While this pollution is usually treated as a Spring Break norm, this year’s increase in trash on the beach has resulted in a spike in social media posts about the pollution, outing the visitors
Commentary
Assistant to the Managing Editor:
Sports Assistant:
Photo Courtesy of Brownsville Scrapaper Inc.
Does the law matter when the left is right?
ASSISTANTS
Annette Barraza, Elizabeth Davis
Parks and Wildlife game wardens and the watchful flight of two drones, spring break partiers caused massive beach pollution on South Padre Island. And though glass containers are illegal —giant signs serve post the $500 fine — by the end of the break and the middle of the summer the South Padre beach is sprinkled with plastic, aluminum and glass containers alike. The pollution of the beaches by vacations is part of an attitude problem. Millennials — often seen as a beacons of environmental hope who embody progressive ideals — fail at the most asinine task: picking up their trash. Perhaps this generation has been messy from the start. But in this regard, their parents should not have to pick up after them. Overall, the litterbug phenomenon prominent on vacation spots is indicative of
Robert Avila @robssatire
Monday, in what was reported as a freakaccident, the as-tall-as-a10-story-building UTSA Athletic-Coordinator-Robot demolished the UTSA tennis facility, courts and the men’s tennis coach. Onlookers could only stare in horror as the robot designed to make UTSA’s athletics successful, accidently jumped up and down over every single court, spraying asphalt and chunks of earth into the air, kicking over the adjacent tennis facility, and crushing a helpless coach under it’s heel. When asked about the incident in a press conference, human UTSA Athletic Director Lynn Hickey repeatedly stated the impact
was a complete accident caused by a malfunction in the robots circuitry, and denied that it had anything to do with the tennis team’s 2-13 record. Further reports state that while the men’s head coach survived the crushing and is expected to make a full recovery, his contract was lost beneath the rubble of the broken Earth. The contract demolition is only the latest episode in the 100-foot-tall university robot’s employment history. Last year the athletics department repeatedly denied reports that former head football Coach Larry Coker would be dismissed following the teams 2015 season. Witnesses however, described seeing the giant mechanical marvel blow air at Coker, causing trees to uproot and send him cascading into the ground. The Athletics department responded to the robots upheaval, stating that it was only a mistakenly placed engine cooling. In an incident in which the robot grabbed the hat off Coker’s head, throwing it thousands of feet
into the sky, Hickey replied the robot was only testing the hat’s aero-dynamicity for the coach. After Coker’s unexpected departure from UTSA in January with more than three years left on his contract, his neighbors began reporting a giant metallic figure looming outside for hours over the former Head Football Coach’s home, blocking any natural sunlight from entering his residence. A week after the incident, Coker would reach a settlement with the university. A visibly shaken and palefaced Coker, in an interview over his termination and acceptance of a settlement much less than the full value of his original contract, stated that he has no animosity towards the university and only wishes the best for the team. New football head coach Frank Wilson repeatedly denied reports of him using his persuasion expertise to recruit extreme-sized freshman for protection, despite records of a lunch with
120-foot-tall Oklahoma linebacker Tornado Ally. Wilson urges fans not to take his statement earlier this year about awakening the “sleeping giant” at UTSA literally. UTSA men’s basketball coach Brooks Thompson and his entire assistant staff were released last week, after posting the worst record in team history. The staff went politely without incident under the watchful eye of the athletic-coordinating robot. UTSA states the athletic-coordinator-robot was designed at-cost to make UTSA athletics a larger, stronger, conference presence that will look to inspire as many athletic donations as possible. The robot, which all athletic departments in the country now use, contains no human emotion as a cold and efficient piece of machinery, will hopefully raise UTSA to more wins and increased financial success.
and July, making stricter regulation a bittersweet affair: Sweet ensuring the beach to maintain its attraction as a Texas hotspot, bitter by discouraging sales that the small island thrives off of. Roadrunners, littering is a party foul. Get rowdy responsibly.
Spring break is blue on the island
Gaige Davila @ThePaisano
I spent my nine interim days of spring break freedom sick and bedridden at home, on South Padre Island, Texas. Being a local from the area, I have enjoyed my fair share of spring break debauchery and was indifferent to the wild times I was reportedly missing out on. Don’t get me wrong, the Island is a paradise. The carefree “living the dream” lifestyle resonates with locals and tourists alike, where responsibilities are always cast away to the next day. South Padre Island attracts a disparity among the people who are universally attracted to its culture, who execute their new found lack of responsibility very differently: those who partake in the laidback “toes in the sand” culture, or those who let loose without regard for others. It’s why I moved away in the first place: there’s only so many “spring breaks” you can endure. The supposed lawlessness of South Padre Island must be taken with a grain of salt, where I urge those returning to UTSA to remember that spring break is just that: a break.
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4
March 22 29, 2016 This Week In- March Print: By Annette Barraza
Crossword: Anatomy edition
Crossword designed by Annette Barraza, The Paisano
OPINION
Photo Poll How accessible do you think drugs are on the UTSA campus?
A survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that 47 percent of college students have tried recreational drugs at least once, and 30 percent admitted to using it in the
past year.
Across
“I know people who deal drugs but it's not anything that's done on campus. Off campus there's more accessibility.”
Down
1. Brain injury; most commonly the result of a blow to the head. Common symptoms include nausea, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, disorientation and headaches 2. Can be due to a stress fracture in the bone for runners Across or people that have increased their exercise intensity too 2. Usually caused by overworking tendons in the elbow, quickly 1. injury associated with degeneration and overuse of the largest tendon in the body that connects cald results in inflammation 3. Injury involving the anterior cruciate ligament, most muscles at the back of the lower leg to the heel bone commonly tears during the sudden act of stopping and 2. usually caused by overworking tendons in the elbow,changing results indirections inflamation or a hard impact to the side of the knee 4. Displacement of one or more bones at a joint Down 5. Injury involving overstretching or even rupturing a ligament and stresses a joint 1. brain injury; Answers most commonly the result of a blow to the head. Common symptoms include nausea, online! 6. Stretching or pulling a muscle or tendon; usually the headaches dizziness, difficulty concentrating, disorientation and result of overuse of muscles and tendons paisano-online.com 7. Complete or partial break in a bone 8. A region of injured tissue or skin in which blood capillaries have been ruptured; a bruise 1. Injury associated with degeneration and overuse of the largest tendon in the body that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to the heel bone
Arianna Rodriguez Freshman, kinesiology
“Marijuana is pretty accessible but other drugs aren't as available.”
Jacqueline Ma
Freshman, business finance
“Considering I don't have any right now, they're not very accessible.”
SPECIAL FEATURE STATEMENT FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD CONGRESSMAN JOAQUIN CASTRO MARCH 14, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 35th anniversary of The Paisano, the windependent student newspaper at the University of San Antonio (UTSA). For three and a half decades, dedicated, talented students have run every aspect of the paper’s publication. From reporting, to editing, to managing the paper’s budget, it’s the driven young
people at UTSA who have made The Paisano’s success over the years possible. Each week, 7,000 copies of The Paisano circulate on campus, expanding students’ horizons, challenging their thinking, and enriching campus life. Thanks to the Paisano, learning at UTSA doesn’t end when students leave the classroom. A vibrant, free press plays
a vital role in American society, and The Paisano fosters a welcoming community where the next generation of journalists can cut their teeth and hone their craft. Enthusiasm and a desire to learn are the only prerequisites for joining the paper’s staff. Even for alumni of The Paisano’s team who pursue careers in fields other than journalism, the lessons
in leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurship learned during their time with the paper serve them well. I applaud the members of The Paisano’s staff, past and present. Their legacy lives on at UTSA, and will continue to do so for years to come as future classes take up the torch – and pen – at The Paisano. I yield back.
In fact, many of those candidates spent the week prior to the election (or longer) walking through student housing, both on campus and off, to talk to as many students as possible and visited not only organizations in which they are members (as Avila contends) but any student organizations willing to have them speak. How does Avila expect candidates running for student government to share their positions and platforms with students? I have learned about the current presidential candidates’ positions by reading articles published in online journalism formats and watching the candidates on TV. News organizations have
invited those candidates to debate and then have publicized those debates. While UTSA now has a nascent TV station, few students know how to access the station. Thus, the only journalistic source they have access to on campus is the Paisano. How can Avila criticize the candidates for their approach to publicizing their positions and recommendations for change when the only campus news source for students has made little effort to determine what the candidates’ platforms and ideas are and to share those with students? A responsible journalist would seek out the candidates, find out their positions, and share those with reader-
ship so that students can make informed choices. I can understand an average student not knowing what the candidates’ positions are, but surely, reporters for the Paisano have enough skills in investigative journalism to locate the candidates and quiz them about their stances. If the candidates for SGA have failed UTSA students, so has Avila in failing to ask the candidates to articulate their positions. Sincerely, Ann R. Eisenberg, Ph.D. Interim Dean of the Honors College
Zachariah Boston Junior, physics
“Depends on who you know.”
Aaron Burnette
Freshman, kinesiology
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: I was disappointed in Robert Avila’s article Student Government Association Hoping for Record-Low Voter Turnout. Although Avila claims (in the print version, if not the online version that I read) that his piece is satire, I found none of the humor or exaggeration one typically finds in a satirical piece. Instead, I found an unfair and uninformed critique of the 2016 candidates for the Student Government Association (SGA). Avila faults the candidates for providing limited information regarding their positions and argues that the candidates purposely kept their positions secret, speaking only to the organizations in which they are involved.
“Pretty accessible. However, it depends on what you're looking for and who to ask.”
Rachel Loeffler Senior, accounting
“I think that on campus there is less of a chance of getting drugs than off campus.”
Samuel Haley
Freshman, undeclared
Photos and quotes by Claudia Jimenez, The Paisano
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ARTS & LIFE
Arts & Life Events Calendar: Wednesday 3/23 6 p.m.
32nd Annual Juried Student Exhibition A juried competition featuring recent work by UTSA undergraduate and graduate students. Selected works represent the full range of materials, methods and techniques, ranging from traditional processes to contemporary digital photography and video. UTSA Main Art gallery (Art Bldg. 2.03.04).
Thursday 3/24 7:30 p.m. Graduate Conducting Recital: Colin Varville Graduate student Colin Varville conducts each choral ensemble in separate and joint performances in this free concert.
Saturday 3/26 8:30 a.m. César E. Chávez March for Justice The UTSA Department of Social Work, Student Council and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of South Texas will meet to celebrate César Chávez with a short program about his life and work at UTSA’s downtown campus (Buena Vista Building 1.322). Chávez Legacy and Educational Foundation will have a community program at the corner of Guadalupe and S. Brazos Street. Individuals with UTSA are encouraged to be there no later than 9:30 a.m. and look for the UTSA Banner to find their designated spot in the march.
Saturday 3/26 8 p.m. Sheer Mag Following in the tradition of The Bee Gees, Oasis and The Allman Brothers, the Brothers Seely conspired to create a rock ‘n roll band to end all rock bands. The sheer magnitude of the endeavor required the recruitment of a daring drummer, a fearless lyricist and a diva who could party good AND write the rent check, and so we have New York’s Sheer Mag visiting Paper Tiger (2410 N. St. Mary’s) this weekend along with fellow band Laffing Gas. Tickets are $8 and can be bought at the door or online at papertigersa.com.
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March 22 - March 29, 2016
ASTROLOGY: b e l i e v e
it or not?
This question has endured as long as humans have cognitively existed, and some of our earliest ancestors probably posed this question themselves — although their inquiry would have been phrased less technically. Human existence on Earth has been incredible, given the infinite amount of circumstances that had to be just right in order to sustain life.
“What does it mean to be a cosmic citizen?” Elizabeth Davis Arts & Life Assistant
@ThePaisano arts@paisano-online.com To this day, it remains a mystery as to how elements first formed, comprised of the exact proton-to-neutron-toelectron ratio, which permitted the emergence of the most fundamental components of life. Then, to consider our own human evolution as we branched away from our four-limbed knucklewalking predecessors, matters become even more astounding. The very notion that we could be, and had to be, interconnected to this unusual cycle of events seems only reasonable. We are, after all, a product of the madness. The basic ideology surrounding astrology grew out of the relationship between our planetary alignment and the corresponding environment here on Earth. When some of the earliest humans gazed upon the stars, certain constellations became visible at particular locations during Earth’s orbit around the sun. Through diligent observation of these trends, our ancestors were eventu-
ally able to forecast which crops would subsist best or when they would need to prepare for colder temperatures and seasonal floods. The correlation between Earth and sky — and human recognition of this correlation — provided us with a necessary tool in survival. The skies allowed us to predict with some degree of accuracy how to better live here, how to measure time and how to comprehend our infinitesimal presence in the discernable cosmos. Human nature lends itself to selfishness though, and it was truly inevitable that we took this relationship a step further. Astrological belief is rooted in the fact that our astronomical location goes beyond the predetermination of our climates, seasons and crop successes — that it can preset how we exist and behave throughout the course of our lives. The term astrology is taken from the Greek roots “astron” and “logos,” respectively translated as star and word/speech, or “star talk.” Astrology can be traced back to as early as the third millennium B.C.E. in Mesopotamian regions, and throughout history, astrological practitioners were utilized to
advise royalty and empires as to which courses of action were to be taken during times of war and plight. The Zodiac calendar sections Earth’s annual orbit around the sun into increments of 30°, effectively delineating 12 distinct archetypes of human personality and livelihood in the spirit of “as above so below” in regard to our very being amongst the stars. Take, for instance, a person whose birthday falls on May 31. His/her placement upon the orbital spectrum predicts that he/she will develop into a communicative, intellectual and sometimesverbose human being. The “truth” within these predictions feels comforting. Astrology enables us to feel a connection to this lifetime, as if our existence holds actual weight as thanks to our origination amidst the starry skies. But is this simply delusion? Are we fundamentally evading the truth when we take these messages to heart? In light of recent technology and a better understanding of our cosmic whereabouts, it is important to note that our astronomical position has shifted immensely since
the Middle Ages, when the Zodiac signs were first set in stone. Our Earthly orbit today reflects little of what those initial Zodiac signs predicted, and the constellations we currently observe no longer correspond to the constellations which Sagittarius, Leo, Pisces and the others were originally based upon. Constellation size matters little to astrology, considering the fact that some star groups, like those of the enormous Virgo, are split up to level out the playing field. A portion of Virgo and Scorpio stars were used to fill in the gaps constituting the smallest constellation, Libra, which in turn, allowed each of the 12 Zodiac date ranges to be relatively equal, and to occupy an entire year’s worth of days. There is even a 13th constellation, Ophiuchus, which Earth frequently passes through and goes utterly neglected in astrological lore. Not only is this outlandish — it’s completely invalidated. Nonetheless, there are many today who still believe in the wonder of the “star talk.” Statistics reveal that nearly a third of Americans accept astrology as truth. Some even
go as far to assume that astrology is “very scientific.” In defense of astrology, it can be explained that one’s fate is not hopelessly written in the stars. One’s astrological horoscope may be compared metaphorically to one’s genetic heritage; it cannot be changed, but we can do what we may with what we are given. The astrological horoscope is simply a map of those potentials and limitations, and astrology helps decide how best to make the most of those potentials and work within limitations. We as human beings want so desperately to believe that we are special, that we were put here (or have evolved up to this point) with a definitive purpose and reason, and that there are greater forces at work within our lives — when much of science preaches the contrary. This does not go to say that we are meaningless, but that as of yet, we must acknowledge that we do not know for certain the reasons for our very nature and existence here. As twenty-first century humans, we have a choice to make: progress with science, or look to the stars for answers.
HANGOVERS & HEADBANGING Spring Break doesn’t just mean sunburns and lazy days to the Lone Star state; it also brings the largest amount of bands in one place at one time at SXSW, as well as a smothering of garage-rock scenesters and bands from California label Burger Records invading San Antonio’s Paper Tiger music venue.
Photos taken by Brayden Boren.
6
March 22 - March 29, 2016
SPORTS
Roadrunners rely on student fees
UTSA has second highest athletic fees among Texas FBS programs UTSA ATHLETICS Brady T. Phelps Sports Editor
@PaisanoSports1 sports@paisano-online.com The Texas Tribune recently launched a project titled Ballpark Figures that publishes financial reports from the eight public universities in Texas that play in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Ballpark Figures reports that UTSA Athletics sustained a $13.2 million loss over the course of the 201415 academic year; however, this figure doesn’t include subsidies (student fees and monetary transfers from the university), which are recorded as revenue by UTSA Athletics for accounting purposes. When accounting for these sources of funds, UTSA Athletics recorded a profit exceeding $600,000 in 2014-15. The vote that approved the increase in athletics fees was conducted in September 2007. Out of roughly 4600 students who voted, 65.9 percent were favor of the proposal. This effectively doubled the school’s maximum athletics fee from $120 to $240 per semester for full-time students. Last year, UTSA Athletics received more money directly from student fees than any other public university’s athletic department in Texas – except for Texas State University (TXST), whose undergraduates paid an average of $674. TXST’s athletics program
Side Notes UTSA Track & Field Five UTSA track & field athletes finished in the top-3 of their respective comeptitions at the UTSA Invitational over spring break. The women’s team finished in fourth place, while the men finished fifth place out of seven competing teams.
UTSA Tennis The women’s tennis team plays Lamar at home on Wednesday, March 23 at 2 p.m. They have won only one of their last four, but three of their last six matches. The men’s tennis team will play Incarnate Word at home on Friday, March 25 at 2 p.m. Their last match, scheduld for Sunday, March 20 against VCU, was cancelled due to rain.
received 17.3 million in student fees last year and $6.7 million from the university to mitigate its deficit of almost $23.5 million. There are only two athletic programs at Texas public universities that recorded a profit last year – Texas A&M and the University of Texas – neither of whom received money from student fees or the universities themselves. Of the other six programs, Texas Tech University (TTU) Athletics was the closest to breaking even without receiving subsidies; they recorded a deficit that exceeded $807,000. $3.2 million in student fees and
one million dollars given to TTU Athletics by the university actually made TTU Athletics a profitable program. The athletics department at the University of Houston (UH), a C-USA rival, recorded $18.8 million in independent revenue last year – $5.8 million more than UTSA. However, UH’s expenses totaled $45.4 million – roughly $19.2 million more than UTSA’s expenses for 2014-15. To account for the deficit, UH Athletics collected $7.3 million in fees from its students and another $18.7 million from the university for a total of $26 million.
The University of North Texas (UNT) received roughly $20 million in subsidies last year, with $10.7 million coming from student fees and $9.3 million from university funds. UNT’s independent profit was approximately $11.2 million. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Athletics program also received more subsidies than independent revenue in 2014-15. UTEP took in over $5.9 million in student fees and $8.5 million in university funds for a total of $14.4 million in total subsidies – compared to $13.9 million in independent revenue.
From the outset of the expansion of UTSA’s athletics program, UTSA Athletics considered student fees vital to its sustainability. The total contribution to UTSA athletics by students in 2014-15 actually came up $800,000 short of the figure projected in UTSA’s 2008 Athletic Initiative Business Plan. The “Exit Strategies” section of the business plan stated, “If the Football Program experiences significant operational deficits that cannot be funded by sustained external funding, corporate sponsorships, and student fees, the University’s Administration
will consider a number of exit strategies, up to and including terminating the Program.” Considering the specific mention of student fees and the numbers included in the university’s plan to expand UTSA Athletics, the program seems to be on stable financial ground relative to comparable schools and initial projections. UTSA students may pay more athletic fees than other universities’ students, but other universities’ athletic departments are just as – and often even more – reliant on student fees and university funds to break even.
Comparison of revenue sources among FBS programs in Texas
Revenue in dollars
Men’s basketball finishes 5-27
Coach Thompson’s tenure ends after a decade UTSA MEN’S BASKETBALL Bryan De Leon Contributing Writer
@PaisanoSports1 sports@paisano-online.com Soon after UTSA’s men’s basketball team met a firstround exit in the Conference USA Tournament, Lynn Hickey relieved Head Coach Brooks Thompson of his responsibilities. The Roadrunners (527, 3-15 C-USA) opened tournament play against the Florida Atlantic (FAU) Owls (8-24, 5-13 C-USA) in Birmingham, Alabama on Tuesday, March 8. Despite getting outrebounded all night, the Roadrunners managed to stay even with the Owls at 28 points apiece in the paint. But UTSA ultimately lost 82-58, allowing the Owls to shoot 49 percent from the field while hitting less than 40 percent of their own shots. Christian Wilson left early in the game with an injury and was unable to return. As the second leading
scorer and assist leader for the Roadrunners, Wilson’s absence was a major hindrance to the offense. Wilson also led the team in free throw attempts and steals and had the second highest defensive rebound total. After trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, the Roadrunners cut the lead to two with free throws from Ryan Bowie; however, a last-second shot by FAU’s Marquin Botley stretched the lead to four at the break. In the second half, UTSA was outscored 51-31. After a 13-2 run by the Owls, the Roadrunners trailed by double digits for the rest of the evening. On Thursday, UTSA announced it was parting ways with Thompson. Thompson’s ten years of service makes him the second-longest tenured coach in program history. Thompson amassed a 133-178 record over 10 seasons with UTSA and coached the team to a 2765 since it joined C-USA
in 2013. UTSA recorded one NCAA tournament appearance under Thompson in 2011 in which they beat Alabama State in the first round, but were later defeated by Ohio State in the second. However, this brush with success was never replicated during Thompson’s term as head coach. For his last season, the team sported a dismal .156 winning percentage and an average scoring differential of 11.9 in favor of the opposing team. The firing comes just two weeks after former football head coach Larry Coker insinuated to the San Antonio Express-News that his resignation was less than amicable. In the case of Thompson, however, it is clear that Hickey wanted to take the program in a different direction. Lynn Hickey and UTSA Athletics have begun a national search to find Thompson’s replacement.
Former Head Coach Brooks Thompson and his team rest during a timeout at a home game in January.
Brooks Thompson and his assistants convene during a timeout.
Sophomore guard Christian Wilson drives the net against UTEP. Brady Phelps, The Paisano
SPORTS
7
March 22 - March 29, 2016
Rampage suffer organizational failure
Only Spurs Sports & Entertainment can save them
RAMPAGE HOCKEY COMMENTARY Brady Phelps Sports Editor
@PaisanoSports1 sports@paisano-online.com This weekend, the San Antonio Rampage missed an opportunity to extend their most recent losing streak to nine games, instead defeating the Grand Rapids Griffins 2-0 on Sunday. The season-high eightgame losing streak dated back to a 3-2 loss in Stockton, Calif. on Feb. 28 – the final game of the Rampage’s annual rodeo road trip. Upon returning from the road trip, the Rampage lost every game of a five-game home stand and two more on the road before returning to the AT&T Center on Sunday, March 20. Center Sam Henley and defenseman Nikita Zadorov were the goal scorers in the Rampage win. Rampage netminder Spencer Martin was credited with the 31save shutout, and Grand Rapids goalie made an impressive 39 saves to keep his team in the game. The Rampage have only two wins in their last ten games and six in the last 20. Their .439 points-earned percentage places them dead last in the Pacific Division. Only three teams in the American Hockey League (AHL) have worse points-earned percentages than the Rampage. Rampage Head Coach Dean Chynoweth is likely concerned about his job security as this will be his fourth straight season to miss playoffs as an AHL head coach – all with the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliates. Chynoweth hasn’t been
given the shiniest tool set in his first season in San Antonio. Last summer, ESPN placed Colorado 25 out of 30 in a ranking of the quality of NHL organizations’ prospect pools. Hockey’s Future currently has them at dead last in the league in terms of overall prospect quality. Despite having strong goaltending strength throughout the organization and a wealth of solid young defensemen, the Avalanche’s prospect pool lacks game-breaking offensive talent outside Mikko Rantanen, who is currently on the NHL roster. Rantanen, a 19-year-old rookie winger from Finland, was a dominant force in the AHL this season with 52 points in 44 games – a Rampage franchise rookie scoring record. After injuries and trades decimated the Rampage’s center depth, Rantanen was moved to the middle of the ice in an experiment that was orchestrated by Avalanche and Rampage management, according to Chynoweth. After injuries decimated the Avalanche roster, Colorado recalled Rantanen on Sunday, March 20 and gave him a chance to slide into the NHL forward group. The porous defensive style that persists throughout the Avalanche system has the Rampage’s penalty kill efficiency at fourth worst in the league. The Rampage have a respectable 10-9 record when outshooting opponents this season, but have lost 15 of the 45 games in which they’ve been outshot. The fact that the Rampage are outshot so frequently suggest organizational
Brady Phelps, The Paisano Rampage mascot T-Bone reaches out to the hockey gods in desperation before the Rampage take the ice.
Rampage forward Borna Rendulic flexes his stick and puts the puck on net at home against Lake Erie.
Rookie Rampage forward Mikko Rantanen takes a faceoff in a home game against the Lake Erie Monsters.
problems – the Avalanche are well-known among NHL followers for being a low-event offensive team that passes up low-percentage shots in favor of holding out for more likely chances. The problem with this approach is that it relies on high shooting percentage and stellar goaltending, which is not typically sustainable over a full season of play. Some teams, like the New Jersey Devils, have success with this offensive approach because their defense is able to limit scoring chances against. But the Avalanche consistently surrender more scoring chances than any other team, likely due to former franchise goaltender and current Head Coach Patrick Roy’s defensive systems. Roy started his NHL coaching career employing a man-to-man defensive zone style that is usually better suited for junior hockey. Whether or not the Avalanche system is partly to blame for the Rampage’s deficiencies this season, the Avalanche should no longer be given autonomy over the Rampage’s staff and personnel. The Rampage marketing staff should be commended for their ability to continue to attract viewers despite the team’s sub-par on-ice product. The average attendance through 31 games is 5,976 attendees, good for twelfth in the league – not stellar, but 70 attendees above the AHL average of 5,906. But Spurs Sports and Entertainment (SS&E), one of the most decorated and revered organizations in all of
professional sports, should not be satisfied with impressive attendance numbers. The time has passed for SS&E to intervene and give San Antonio hockey fans something to cheer about for once. SS&E, one of the most progressive organizations when it comes to using analytics for internal evaluation, has a lot to teach the Avalanche management, if the Avalanche management is willing to listen. The Avalanche are run by the aforementioned Roy and General Manager Joe Sakic – both former athletes who won Stanley Cups together while playing in Colorado and were brought together a few years ago to reinvigorate the struggling Avalanche. The problem with this arrangement is that neither Sakic nor Roy has the managerial experience needed to bring a franchise back to prominence, and holding them accountable will be tricky because of their beloved status among Colorado fans. Roy and Sakic may well continue to run the Avalanche into the ground, but the Rampage shouldn’t have to suffer from Colorado’s lack of vision and poor decision-making. After all, the San Antonio Rampage are still owned by the most professional and forward-thinking ownership group in professional sports. SS&E may not know much about hockey, but they know winning, and they know that you have to put the right people in place to do that.
In an act of solidarity, Rampage forward Sam Henley sticks up for a teammate by fighting a Lake Erie Monster. Shelby Rose, The Paisano
BLO CK BL OC K
8
March 22 - March 29, 2016
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LOST CAT
R E W A R D
Help bring Alfie home! $1,000 reward Alfie is a gray & white DSH neutered male, 14 pounds, MICROCHIPPED. Lost 8-11 a.m. Wed., March 2, day after primary election day, from 78249. m He may have inadvertently jumped into a vehicle and gotten a ride out of his neighborhood. Alfie has a distinctive FRECKLE on his right pink nostril. Long white socks, white nose, cheeks, chest and belly.
res 2 young women who may be UTSA students rescued a cat from the side of I-10 between De Zavala and UTSA Blvd. sometime between March 4 and 12. Are you the good samaritans who picked up this cat? Alfie is VERY FRIENDLY, will respond to his name. If you have seen Alfie or have him in your possession, please call 210-641-0625 or 263-7833 You can download the PetSCAN QR app or any microchip scanning app from the Google Play Store and use it to scan Alfie’s microchip to confirm his information before contacting us.
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