The Paisano Volume 53 Issue 4

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

{SINCE 1981} /thepaisano

UTSA UTSA Assistant Professor of Biology, Kirsten Hanson is the principle investigator for a $670,000 grant awarded from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop preventative antimalarial treatments. Despite medical progress in combatting malaria, the mosquito-borne illness kills nearly half a million prople annually, many of them from sub-Saharan Africa.

Texas Steven Weinberg, a Nobel prize winning professor at UTAustin stated that he would ban guns from his classroom, regardless of the campus carry law. Weinberg says that he expects to face lawsuits in response to his declaration but believes that he will win.

This led lawmakers to question UT System Chancellor William McRaven on how he will handle professors like Weinberg and enforce the new gun policy. McRaven has stated that he expects at least one of the universities within the UT System will be sued over its “gun-free zone” rules either by campus carry opponents or supporters.

U.S. The 2016 presidential race is on its way to being the most expensive in American history.

The candidates and political groups supporting them raised over $837 million in 2015; nearly half of this money came from super PACS, which have no limitation on contributions.

New filings show that the Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Marco Robio and Ted Cruz campaigns raised the largest sums.

World The Zika virus has been declared an international health emergency. The untreatable viral outbreak is linked to birth defects in thousands of Latin American babies. Officials say the virus has “spread explosively”.

PIZZA COUPON INSIDE !

Volume 53 @ThePaisano

Issue 4

February 2 - February 9, 2016

@paisanomedia

www.Paisano-Online.com

Downtown students pay the same fees, call for the same services Alex Birnel

News Assistant

@alexbirnel news@paisano-online.com Students and other members of the Downtown UTSA campus are petitioning for on-campus childcare.

This fraction of students has started a Facebook petition called “UTSA Downtown Campus Matters Too.” Many students at the downtown campus struggle to find childcare while juggling class and keeping obligations. The exhaustion of balancing an education with

parenthood is what led social work graduate student Bianca Ramirez to organize herself and other studentparents to call on the university to expand services.

Anne Folmar, an administrative associate at the Child Development Center, the non-profit entity that provides childcare on the main campus, explains that the tuition they collect operates like an advance. Annually, a portion of students’ tuition is allocated towards operational costs at the center. The non-profit then charges parents a monthly fee of $609 for children

aged 6 weeks to 35 months and $562 for children aged three to five years. They then use that money to reimburse the university.

Beyond the economics, Ramirez explains that alleviation is the reason this service is desperately needed.

For her, it is a personal, as well as group issue. She explains, “Being a single mother is one of the most challenging things I have ever endured; it is not easy trying to balance parenting and student-obligations at the same time while also working to support your family.”

Once upon a time, that

lack of relief almost derailed her education. Ramirez explains that although she now has some support with childcare during her classes, in the past she did not.

“It was very difficult trying to focus on my classes and homework. I can honestly say that if it was not for child care I probably would not be in graduate school right now or have a bachelor’s degree,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez is not alone in expressing exasperation. The reality for student-parents bears a common thread of difficulty.

Bisrat Sium, a social work

student at the downtown campus explains what it is like to lack campus support.

“It was very difficult during my first semester here at the downtown campus.

There are not many childcare centers and it was a challenge for me to find someone to care for my daughter while I went to school. There were times I had to bring my daughter to presentation panels or classes so I could attend,” she expressed.

Another student, Armando Fernandez, is anxious to see something done.

See Downtown, page 2

UTSA’s Child Development Center (pictured) is a non-profit that students and faculty may enroll their children in. For financial aid recipients, various types of financial aid can cover childcare costs.

Downtown students are calling for childcare at their campus.

Fabian De Soto, The Paisano

Graduation plans stalled: Required courses not offered each semester Katelyn Wilkinson Staff Writer

@katelynmarie11 news@paisano-online.com When registering for spring classes, Roy Dixon, a senior computer science major, learned he would be unable to graduate in May as planned.

“I could have graduated this semester,” Dixon said.

“However, one of my core courses is not being offered until Fall 2016.” When he went to the department chair, Dixon was told, “That’s how the schedule is.”

Under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and university guidelines, required courses do not have to be offered every semester; however, there are options for students who need those core classes to complete their degree.

Dr. Steven Levitt, COLFA associate dean for undergraduate studies and curriculum, said that courses have to meet certain standards in order to become available to students. For instance, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requires a minimum enrollment of five students in graduate courses and 10 students in undergraduate courses for the class, required or otherwise, to be offered.

Levitt said, “the UTSA Provost’s Office holds colleges and departments accountable for instructional efficiency metrics.”

These metrics measure the efficiency of courses

with low enrollment usually undergraduate courses with fewer than 20 students enrolled and graduate courses with fewer than 10 students enrolled—and create standards based on their findings, which help determine the enrollment guidelines for courses offered in any given semester.

Required courses, under certain circumstances, can be exempted, but courses that do not meet these guidelines are generally cancelled.

Planning with an advisor is the best way to avoid a delayed graduation date caused by an unavailability of required courses. Academic advisors will generally know which courses are offered in particular semesters.”

Additionally, a “Courses Offered in the Past 3 years (by Semester)” link on ASAP shows students when and how often courses have been offered previously to help students plan.

For one semester, the combined cost of attendance for one class and housing is upward of $12,000 — a costly consequence of poor planning.

If students close to graduating find themselves in this situation, Levitt advises students to “work through their advisors, and in coordination with department chairs, and to petition for possible substitutions for required courses not being offered in semesters students need to graduate.”

Hydration stations alleviate environment and fees Katelyn Wilkinson

“I could have graduated this semester. However, one of my core courses is not being offered until Fall 2016. ” Roy Dixon Senior computer science major

Levitt encourages students to consult with their advisors to avoid expensive graduation stalls.

Daniel Earles , The Paisano

Staff Writer

@katelynmarie11 news@paisano-online.com Students have been reporting an unusual taste in the hydration station water that could be caused by hard water from the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, according to UTSA Facilities.

Financed by the Green Fund, an organization dedicated to making the campus more sustainable and supported by a $5 fee included in student tuitions, hydration stations are an environmentally friendly alternative to water fountains and are intended to reduce students’ carbon footprints. By allowing students to refill water bottles rather than repeatedly purchasing plastic bottles that are harmful to the environment, hydration stations are an eco-friendlysolution to drinking water.

Dr. Afamia Elnakat, professor of environmental science, sees the hydration stations as a great investment for UTSA that also encourages social interaction. “I see students using them all the time and, as an environmental engineer, it is an opportunity to see less plastic bottles used on our campus.

More so, I have seen students, faculty and staff from different departments interact while waiting to fill their bottles.”

Elnakat was the faculty advisor of the no-longeractive student organization, “The Movement,” which brought hydration See Students , Page 2

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February 2 - February 9, 2016

Students report strange taste from hydration stations continued from page 1 stations to UTSA under the leadership of former student Travis Jourdan.

While hydration stations are intended to reduce the use of plastic bottles, they simultaneously reduce tuition.

“Water fountains sometimes drip; they are faulty,” Chair of the Green Fund Committee, Ashley Pollock said.

“They are just old most of the time. The hydration stations ensure that the water is actually being drunk by a person, which decreases the water bill, which decreases our student fees.”

Pollock was pleasantly surprised with the plans

to install a new hydration station in the Center of Professional Excellence in the Business Building.

“It was a success for us [the Green Fund] because, in the business world, being sustainable is kind of a hard concept to push towards, so for them to have come to us asking for the funding made us excited that they are instilling that type of knowledge in their students.”

While the hydration stations have environmental and economic benefits, many students have reported that the water from the hydration stations tastes unusual.

“The water tastes odd,

The Green Fund is a $5 fee students pay each semester allocated towards sustainability efforts.

Lyanne Rodriguez, The Paisano

like it’s stale,” says Karly Wilkinson, a senior sociology major. “It kind of makes you wonder how often they are cleaned.”

Assistant Director of Facilities Customer Services Scott Reuter, said, “When they were initially installed, we cleaned the hydration stations as needed, oftentimwes daily. However, due to the hard water and mineral deposits that occur naturally in San Antonio’s water supply, we are transitioning to a daily maintenance plan.” Reuter also stated that the hydration stations are sanitized using an allpurpose cleaner and “have antimicrobial protection on key components to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.” Maintenance additionally performs a bi-annual general inspection of the hydration stations during which the filters are changed.

In a recent inspection, Reuter said that facilities noticed some deposit buildup in the drain basins of some units that could cause an odor. Facilities is, however, “looking at an eco-friendly product to prevent the buildup of deposits and eliminate potential odors that may result from the buildup.”

Students can submit service requests if they believe a station needs maintenance; the stations have the UTSA facilities number, (210) 458-4260, posted on them in case a student does have a complaint.

NEWS

Downtown students forced to balance babies, books continued from page 1 “It would be great to have child care on campus. My wife and I are both students at UTSA and we have to take turns taking care of our son when we go to our classes,” Fernandez said. “Trying to balance being a student, work, and family is hard in itself and this would be a great way to remove some of the barriers that come with being a student-parent.”

The childcare Ramirez and others are pushing for connects back to earnest ambitions and efforts at self-betterment for themselves and their children.

“I wanted to go to graduate school to further my education, advance my career and make a better life for my son and me,” Ramirez said.

To make these hopes a reality, student-parents are calling on the uni-

Bab

versity to make things equal.

A Downtown Campus Task Force has been commissioned to address these sorts of demands. Andrew Hubbard, SGA representative and member of the Downtown Campus Task Force is aware of the issue, but states that they do not have anything concrete at this moment.

President Romo’s office is also aware of the demands, but explains in an interview with KSAT that the main campus comprises ninety-three percent of the population and the downtown campus only comprises seven percent.

Joe Izbrand, UTSA’s chief communications officer, in the same interview expresses that the administration is “welcome to the opportunity to con-

ies

tinue those discussions.”

At the moment, the disparity remains.

“Many students feel that it is unfair because we pay the same tuition and yet do not have access to many of the same services offered at the main campus,” says Ramirez.

That is why she organized “Downtown Campus Matters Too”. Ramirez feels that student voices hold a lot of power and students should advocate for significant issues like this.

The group will be holding a rally on Wednesday, Feb 3. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Sombrilla Plaza at the Main Campus.

For more information on how to sign their petition and show support, visit and like their Facebook page.

Boo

ks

Daniel Earles, The Paisano

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4 [The Paisano] Editor-in-Chief: Jakob Lopez

OPINION

Students organize for babies to be supervised Editorial The grass roots movement

Managing Editor: rallying to offer childcare at Mia Cabello

News Editor:

Caroline Traylor

Arts & Life Editor: Brayden Boren

Sports Editor: Brady Phelps

Photo Editor:

Fabian De Soto

Special Issues Editor:

UTSA’s downtown campus has caught the attention of university officials and garnered support from many students.

Although no resolutions have been made, this movement is an archetype of student-driven change that is healthy for an emerging,

Web Editor:

Michael Turnini

Business Manager: Lizzette Rocha

Patrick Martinez

Marketing Director: Randi Gilmore Advertising and Marketing Liason: Jenelle Duff Social Media Coordinator: Madeline Harper

{Staff} Kat Joseph, Claudia Jimenez, Annette Barraza, Christopher Breakell, Alex Birnel, Robert Avila, Justice Lovin, Andrea Velgis, Alyssa Gonzales, Urub Khawaja, Diego Ramirez, Gaige Davila, Marina Vences, Johnee Jasso, Lyanne Rodriguez, Memorie Johnson, Katelyn Wilkinson

{Contributors} Daniel Earles, Anthony Suniga, Chris Herbert, Aidan Watson-Morris, Janette Lopez, Jose Santos, Elizabeth Davis, Ethan Pham, Kevin Prichard,Taiwo Adepoju, Anthony Suniga

{Marketing}

Robert Avila Staff Writer

If you are one of the many students, professors and faculty who commutes to campus, you may have already noticed the traffic created by major construction around UTSA. Drivers should expect to adjust again because, starting next week, all roads leading to UTSA will be closed including the access roads from I-10, leaving UTSA only accessible by a single-lane dirt road off Hausman.

The original construction is part of a two-year project commissioned by the City of San Antonio and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to expand UTSA Boulevard, Hausman Road, Babcock Road and Cook Road from two lane roads into four traffic lanes.

All construction projects are expected to be completed by fall 2017; however, the excessive road closures and detours have made it difficult for current UTSA commut-

© 2016, The Paisano

it should be receptive to students concerns and help meet their needs.

UTSA has two campuses, but only one has a childcare option.

Located on the Main Campus, UTSA’s Childcare Development Center enrolls young children of many UTSA faculty, staff and students.

ers to arrive and leave campus. Due to the amount of complaints received because of the duration of construction, the city has voted to expedite construction plans by six months with hopes of finishing by fall 2016. To do so, all roads leading to UTSA will have to be shut down until the project’s completion, with detours in place to lead traffic to the one-lane unpaved campus-entrance road off Hausman.

The road, which will be christened Tier-One Road, will be accessible to drivers directly from Hausman and veers dangerously off-road from the bridge near JV Bacon Road and into the Leon Creek Greenway Park. Orange safety cones and a highly reflective heavy-set officer waving a traffic wand will be placed to direct drivers to the detour.

Once in the often-flooded Leon Creek, drivers must circumvent the currents and follow the path created by three bulldozers and debris on a Thursday afternoon. Drivers will be expected to share the road with the walkers, runners and bikers who often use the trails in the area for recreational exercise. Heavy foot traffic from New Year’s resolutioners can be expected to puff through-out the month

of January but, will dwindle by mid-February.

The city is advising all users of the uneven, weedinfested Tier-One Road to weld grill-guards onto the front of their vehicles, considering that deer population in the area has gone up significantly in the past few years. Other hazards such as falling trees, deep treacherous ravines and packs of wild coyotes can be avoided by driving quickly and keeping all vehicle windows and doors closed. To best serve the needs of the student body, the UTSA bookstore will be selling 13000 Lumen LED vehicle attachable spotlights, recommend for late night study sessions in the JPL or early morning calculus tests.

Despite haphazard planning, hazardous conditions, lack of any lighting and increased reports of missing people in the area, the rough, makeshift, unfitfor-normal-vehicle-travel dirt road is still expected to be faster than waiting in current construction traffic around UTSA as well as to take significantly less time than finding a parking space on campus.

has burdened the students with a very large athletics fee.

It is I believe the second highest fee, preceded only by the automated service charges responsible for funding our “administrative, library, and academic programs”.

This athletics fee is roughly 150% the amount of the library resources fee, and 130% of the student services fee which also serves as funding for sports in the form of intramural sports -which are by far more important to the general student population.

It is disgusting that UTSA claims a vigorous effort to reach tier 1, yet the priority is not to focus on providing funding for graduate students, research expenses, site licenses for important software, and other critical educational support.

The $120 increase of the student fee maximum for athletics to support the football team represents about $3.5 million per semester (estimating that student population averages at least 12 credit hours). That’s full tuition and fees for about 736 students per semester, or 328 PhD students stipends so that they could do research full time, truly pushing the university to tier 1.

Currently doctoral and masters students struggle to find funding so that they can spend more time working on their research.

The football team’s portion of the athletic fees could fund more PhD students than the science departments even have the means to support in

terms of lab space.

All of the above estimates do not even factor in the summer semester’s revenue.

I do not mention any income the program generates because it is irrelevant if it is not enough to negate the need for an increased student fee.

I think that the UTSA students and board need to take a hard look at what is important, and what they want the university to become. All of the top 30 D1 football teams have average attendance numbers more than double UTSA’s. This 2014 — 27,000 average attendance number is a 22% decrease since 2011, which means we would need a 28% increase now just to get back to where we were 5 years ago.

We should bear in mind that universities like Princeton, Yale, MIT, Columbia, and Harvard are the absolute top institutes in the nation — I don’t think it’s because of their athletics.

UTSA has the potential to have a global impact through science and education.

I encourage those who donate to the university to carefully select the department and cause in which they would like to benefit with as much specificity as is possible.

Letter to the Editor

I believe that the university should be comprised of students, faculty, and their support.

What I mean by this is that anything that does not BEN{Adviser} EFIT the students’ education, Diane Abdo or assist the faculty in educating the students is a poor {Advisory Board} allocation of time and money.

Steven Kellman, Jack The administration is presHimelblau, Sandy Nor- ent to enhance and enable man, Stefanie Arias, Diane Abdo, Red Madden the functioning relationship between student and educator, and should not be a hinThe Paisano is published by the drance.

Paisano Educational Trust, a nonprofit, tax exempt, educational With respect to both of my organization. The Paisano is operated by members of the Stucriticisms ­— I do not know dent Newspaper Association, a registered student organization. all the financial details ins The Paisano is NOT sponsored, and outs. financed or endorsed by UTSA. New issues are published every This is simply how I perTuesday during the fall and spring semesters, excluding ceive these systems, and I holidays and exam periods. would be more than happy to The Paisano is distributed on all three UTSA campuses — Main, be convinced that the current Downtown and the Institute of Texan Cultures. Additionally, Paipolicy is of greater benefit if sano publications are distributed at a variety of off-campus locait is done so with unbiased tions, including Tri-point and a quantifiable data. variety of apartment complexes near the UTSA Main Campus.

The first issue I have is All revenues are generated with the new Peoplesoft systhrough advertising and donations. Advertising inquiries and tem. This system has been donations should be directed to: implemented and requires even doctoral students and teaching assistants to turn in 14526 Roadrunner Way weekly time sheets in which Suite 101 the hours reported in no way San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210)-690-9301 determine the amount of money paid.

If I report working 80 {Letters to the Editor} Letters must be fewer than 400 hours I am compensated no words and include the writer’s differently than if I report 20. name, classification or title and This system is a burden telephone number. The Paisano on the administration of inreserves the right to edit all dividual departments, stusubmissions. dents, and faculty in addition to being an egregious waste Send letters to: of paper. For a university that charges a fee for supporting editor@paisano-online.com “green” changes this seems awfully self contradictory.

Second, the football team Mia Mitchell, Savan Pate, Kesley Smith, Celina Perkins, Catherine Adams

top-tier university.

The efforts of the downtown campus’ students demonstrate the positive type of change that college students are capable of generating when they organize.

Because UTSA promotes itself as a welcoming and accommodating university to non-traditional students,

The on-campus childcare, in addition to being relatively affordable in comparison to other childcare options in the 1604/ I-10 area, is a convenient option for students who take classes on the main campus and require convenient childcare for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old.

Considering only seven

percent of UTSA students attend classes at the downtown campus, it’s understandable that the amenities would vary from one campus to the other.

But to apply the vogue aphorism and show support for their cause, downtown students matter — and their babies matter too.

Construction produces creative, dangerous detours Sometimes, making the grade misses the point Satire

Jade Cuevas

Distribution Manager:

February 2 - February 9, 2016

Jacob Przyojski

UTSA Ph.D student, inorganic chemistry

Commentary

Justice Lovin Staff Writer

With the beginning of a new semester comes new courses, new professors and with them new grading systems for students to adjust to. Some professors prefer to assign letter grades, others rubrics with specific point allocations, but in most - if not all - cases, there is an attempt to make a quantified evaluation of an abstract phenomenon termed ‘learning’—a Sisyphean task if ever there was one.

Can one be fully confident in the surgeon who got a B in biology? What if the better recognized, more experienced surgeon made a C in the same college course?

And what of the pharmacist who made a C in chemistry - would it be better if it was a C+?

In work as in life, study does not stop because class time is over; learning takes time, and knowledge takes on new meaning in new contexts, building with accumulated experience.

Say you get an A in American Literature, that’s ten out of ten, 100 percent. Does that mean you know everything there is to know about American publication history? I assure you it does not. One hundred percent does not mean one hundred percent - it is an arbitrary standard set by the professor, and it’s going to vary between semesters, between professors and even from day to day.

This is no mere ideological quibble either, studies have demonstrated numerous

practical flaws in the grading system. Grades incentivize intellectual laziness and dishonesty by creating a setting in which risk-taking can jeopardize your grade—and thus your success in the class and, potentially, in life—while offering nothing more than the chance to learn something new.

Under the current system, it appears the first priority is not to produce a well-educated population, but rather competent employees; a degree is nothing more than a training certification for white-collar workers.

Perhaps worst of all, grades imply that there is a right answer in times when there is not. This might seem less true for math and the sciences where there is often a correct answer, but even in those cases, approaching the subject matter from a position of skepticism can lead to a more complete understanding. Science, after all, is a method for producing knowledge, not a set of facts to be memorized.

What’s more, studies have found when students are given a text and told they will be graded on comprehension performed worse than students given the identical text but not told they will be graded.

At the point that measuring impedes the progress being measured, it is necessary to reform our methods. We must clarify for ourselves: what is the purpose of an education?

For the moment, our culture is stuck on objectivity; we celebrate the STEM fields, we worry and fret over standards and statistics. But just as the Age of Reason came and went, so too will our age of science and technology. Someday, focus will return to the subjectivity of experience, and people will again recognize the futility of trying to measure with units of inconsistent and ever changing size.

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ARTS & LIFE

Wheels provide students speed, fun

Bikes

Anthony Suniga Contributing Writer

@ThePaisano arts@paisano-online.com There are many reasons why rolling to and around campus is popular. So popular, that at times it seems there is a bike, longboard, scooter or skateboard every few feet.

Freshman engineering major Justin Fonseca rides his bike to and from school, despite owning his own vehicle.

“One of the reasons was definitely to avoid the freshmen fifteen that seems to get so many other students,” Fonseca explained. “It was four miles to and from the engineering building every day,” said Fonesca.

Transportation via bike is a cost-efficient, healthful method of moving around in your day to day life.

Cruising up those hills on campus may just shed some of that holiday weight.

Freshman art student Magaly Cantu, stated that riding her bike was the best way to get on campus from her University Oaks apartment.

“It took too long to walk, roughly twenty minutes, and parking is really expensive,” Cantu stated. “Riding bikes around campus is fun, but it’s mostly uphill.”

Safety, however, is a principal concern for many cyclists.

A growing concern is that students who ride bikes or boards mix with drivers about as well as orange juice mixes with freshly brushed teeth—not the best. One day riders and drivers might be able to get along, but we may be completely hovering around by then.

Senior Aaron Levy, who is a part of an on-campus ministry group, expressed why he rolled his way into the long board community on campus.

“It’s a great way to meet new people and also tell people about Jesus,” Levy stated.

However, Levy also discussed the occasional conflict he rides into with the everyday pedestrian.

“Sometimes people change direction out of nowhere, and you have to bail,” Levy revealed.

Anthony Suniga, The Paisano

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The popularity of rolling through campus has created a bit of an issue between riders and the everyday pedestrian.

Freshman biology major Valerie Ramos expressed that she had a minor collision with a pedestrian while on her way to class.

“I was trying to get their attention, but I couldn’t in time,” said Ramos.

Despite this incident, Ramos was quick to recommend riding bikes to those who live on campus.

Terrell Scruggs, a guard for the UTSA basketball team, longboards around campus every day and says that longboarding is a much better method of getting to class than just walking around, barring the possibility of injury.

Scruggs told his fellow teammates about the fun times he has had rolling around campus, and said that some of his teammates now have plans to buy a longboard.

“If you’re interested in it, you should definitely try it!”

Scruggs exclaimed.

The days of students merely walking around campus may soon dwindle as students speed their way around campus.

Anthony Suniga, The Paisano

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February 2 - February 9, 2016

ARTS & LIFE

Arts & Life Events Calendar: Friday 2/5 10 p.m.

Chulita V inyl Club The Bang Bang Bar (119 El Mio Dr.) welcomes Chulita Vinyl Club this Friday to celebrate its one year anniversary spinning records. If you’re into vinyl, it’s about time you check out this San Antonio dive bar. And what better occasion than to listen to Chulita Vinyl Club, the all-girl vinyl club native to Austin, TX? Come meet the girls and listen to their favorite records, or just grab a drink. 21+ only.

Friday 2/5 9 p.m.

Jessie Frye Get your music fill on Friday from 9 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. at 502 Bar (502 Embassy Oaks).

Denton, TX native singersongwriter and pianist Jessie Frye is one of three acts to perform Friday night. along with local San Antonio bands The Uprising and Tera Ferna, back from their 2016 Resolutions Tour with a new album. Tickets are $5 at the door. 21+ only.

Saturday 2/6 8 a.m.

Paramour

Annette Barazza, The Paisano Internationally renowned Baroque violinist Rachel Podger has established herself as a leading interpreter of the music of the Baroque and Classical periods. Podger has performed as a soloist and guest director with many of the world’s top ensembles and in 2007 founded her own group Brecon Baroque. Podger’s residence at UTSA included a Baroque performance practice lecture and a performance with the UTSA Chamber Orchestra.

Rachel Podger brings international talent to UTSA Renowned baroque violinist caps residence with performance

Annette Barazza Staff Writer

@ThePaisano arts@paisano-online.com A music celebrity has been causing a buzz at UTSA. No, not Justin Bieber, though the guest did choose to perform a piece by the pop star.

Rachel Podger, the Baroque violinist, taught master classes, gave lectures, performed in solo recitals and even performed with the UTSA orchestra.

Over the last two decades, Podger has established herself as a leading interpreter of the Baroque and Classical music periods.

Last year, she became the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize.

She has toured internationally, is a celebrated soloist and director and has recorded several ensembles.

In between her presentations, Podger explained what the Baroque style entails.

“For those of you with perfect pitch, you’ll notice that the Baroque pitch is different and thus produces a different resonance,” Podger explained.

“In addition, each sonata has a different tuning. In some cases, the instructions require you to deliberately mistune the strings.”

Each one of her performances was met with applause and a standing ovation.

At some point during the applause, she would walk off stage and then walk back on stage; the number of times she did this correlated with how long and loud the audience applauded.

Miss Boyd, orchestra instructor at Bernal Middle School, explained that Podger plays on a Baroque instrument, different from modern violins in that it

“Her performances have been profound and inspiring.

She has connected with our students in a deeply meaningful way.”

Stacey Davis

Music theory faculty member

The University Center is bringing a piece of New Orleans to you this coming Thursday. Head over to the UC Lawn and enjoy all that Rowdy Gras 2016 has to offer, including free t-shirts (while supplies last), giveaways, live jazz music, a parade and delicious New Orleans style food. If that’s not enough for you, head on over for the day time celebration at 11 a.m. in the UC Paseo, where DJ Ephlat and food tasting will get you in a Rowdy Gras mood.

changed the music department with her spirit, generosity and her humor,” Davis explained.

“Her performances have been profound and inspiring. She has connected with our students in a deeply meaningful way.”

Dr. Eugene Dowdy, director of orchestras at UTSA, had similar accolades to give to Podger.

“Change means something can’t be the same,” Dowdy stated. “That’s what Rachel has done to us since she has played here.”

At a solo recital Thursday morning, Podger could be seen wiping the tears from her eyes.

At the final performance, Podger acknowledged, “It’s been amazing to get to know the faculty, all these amazing people and see these amazing—am I allowed to call them kids?

No? Ok—these adults play.”

Movie Review

Cuts within scenes are sparse and unpredictable— often occuring in the middle of a line of dialogue—but their use is made more meaningful by editor Jonathan Alberts’ conservative approach.

The best scene in the movie tells two stories simultaneously as Kate Mercer looks at old photographs on a projector.

Never cut, the shot asks the audience to empathize both understanding Geoff’s old relationship and sympathizing with Kate: essentially the same decision faced by Geoff himself.

The movie’s slow, deliberate pace makes its story all the more compelling, adding complexity to its characters and infusing tension and subtext into brief, simple scenes. Visuals are symbolic without being heavy-handed.

Kate Mercer is framed against an open landscape to convey her feelings of insignificance and helplessness, shot close and with her interlocutors obscured when she is unable to communicate.

‘ 4 5 Ye a r s ’

Looking for a nice place to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning? Paramour Bar (102 9th Street, Suite 400) opened last year and it has been drawing crowds for its signature cocktails and ambiance, though it looks like Paramour has another reason for its growing success. Starting at 8 a.m. and running until 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, Paramour is now serving a selection of coffee and tea. If you’d rather stop by during the week, the coffee bar opens at 7 a.m. and remains open until 4 p.m.

All ages welcome.

Tuesday 2/6 6 p.m.

Rowdy Gras!

lacks a chin and shoulder rest, just like those in the baroque period.

“It is rare that any violinist chooses a specific style like Baroque,” Boyd stated.

“It was amazing to play on the same stage as her,” exclaimed Clarence Bumanglag, a freshman second violinist.

Throughout her performances, Podger would take a deep breath before beginning each piece and entrancing the audience with her facial expressions.

During her performance with the orchestra, she conducted the orchestra with her expressions and movements while playing her own instrument as well.

Music theory faculty member Dr. Stacey Davis should take the credit for inviting Rachel Podger to UTSA. “In the short time Rachel has been with us, she has

Aidan Watson-Morris Contributing Writer @md_reviews arts@paisano-online.com

Andrea Velgis, The Paisano

Evening of poetry at The Twig Kevin Prichard Contributing Writer

@ThePaisano arts@paisano-online.com On Sunday, Jan. 31, The Twig Bookshop in The Pearl in downtown San Antonio had the privilege of hosting an “Evening of Poetry” with renowned poets: Director of the Trinity University Press, Barbara Ras, Poet-in-Residence Dr. Wendy Barker and professor of creative writing at UTSA, Pearl LeWinn.

To open the evening, and reading to a sizeable crowd of around thirty, Ras read a few of her poems, namely “The Cone-Bearer” and “Washing the Elephant.”

She explained that she had several sources of inspiration for “Washing the Elephant,”

including a memory of watching the Ringling Brothers Circus elephants parade through New York at two in the morning and an art video depicting two young boys reverently washing a water buffalo with painted ears.

The poem describes her contemplation of guilt and desire, both of which, like an elephant, appears large and looming, yet demand care.

Ras concluded her segment with “Manu’s arms,” which describes her recollection of a basketball game rudely interrupted by a bat’s flight around the stadium.

Dr. Barker then took the stage, opening on a somber note with “Composition in Gray,” which she wrote soon after her mother died. However, it still rings true for her with the recent loss of one of

her friends. Since the loss of her friend, Barker said, “(She hasn’t) been able to write anything good yet.”

Barker then read a few of her other poems, including “Apology for Blue,” “Teaching Mrs. Dalloway” and “I hate telling people I teach English.”

The poems ranged in style and tone and describe a variety of topics, from the peculiar and relatively short history of the color blue to a light-hearted venting of her frustrations outside the classroom.

In an interview following the reading, Barker discussed some of her biggest challenges in her 50-year teaching career.

To finish reading, visit paisano-online.com.

“45 Years” is an object lesson in the art of patient filmmaking.

The story focuses on the Mercers, an aging couple (played by Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay) about to celebrate their 45th anniversary.

The film starts with the news that the body of Geoff Mercer’s ex-girlfriend—who supposedly died hiking in the Swiss Alps with Geoff while the two were still together— has been recovered after 50 years.

“45 Years” benefits from the writing and direction of Andrew Haigh, as well as Lol Crawley’s remarkable cinematography. Charlotte Rampling has already won numerous awards for her superlative performance.

Shots linger, often deliberately obscuring what seems to be the focal point of a scene. The film does not turn away from silence and stillness, instead it amplifies diegetic sounds and uses the landscape as a character.

To finish reading, visit paisano-online.com.

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SPORTS

7

February 2 - February 9, 2016

UTSA beats La. Tech UTSA wins first match UTSA MEN’S TENNIS

UTSA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Chris Herbert Contributing Writer

@HerbieGibbs sports@paisano-online.com Entering Saturday afternoon’s contest, the UTSA women’s basketball team was coming off two consecutive losses to Conference USA (C-USA) opponents Florida Atlantic (FAU) and Louisiana Tech.

The previous game, a loss to Louisiana Tech, was a heartbreaker. The Roadrunners lost three of their starters to foul trouble and were scoreless in overtime, losing 72-82.

In spite of the tough loss, the Roadrunners would defeat the Southern Mississippi Eagles 47-41 on Saturday, marking their first win in four meetings against the Eagles.

Senior forward Mathilde Hergott led all scorers with 13 points (5-8, 1-2, 13 pts), forced two turnovers and recorded two rebounds.

Sophomore guard Crystal Chidomere went 5-for-11 from the field for a total of 10 points.

Redshirt sophomore forward Jayla King led the Southern Mississippi scorers with 10 points (5-10 FG) and 6 rebounds. Junior guard Tajanay Veiga would finish with 9 points (3-8 FG) and 7 rebounds.

One of the keys to the Roadrunners’ victory was their cohesive defensive play. Constantly disrupting the Eagles’ passing lanes, they totaled 21 turnovers and scored 21 of their 47 points off turnovers. ”Depending on the team we play, it’s kind of hard to

shoot the gaps…so it’s kind of hard on the rotations, but we’re pretty good at it,” Hergott commented. “We know that when we in play in the zone, we get a lot of stops.”

Another key factor for the Roadrunners was the shooting from reserve Sophomore Guard Carlie Heineman, who finished the game with 9 points as she went 3-for-6 from the three-point line.

“When Carlie is in the game shooting, we don’t

five minutes of the second quarter and finished the first half leading 27-22.

The Roadrunners trailed until late into the third quarter when senior center Dempsey Thornton made two free throws, bringing the score to 35-34.

From that point on, the Roadrunners kept their lead and held the Eagles to seven points in the fourth quarter.

“It’s good to win at home… the whole team and crowd going… it makes us

Kat Joseph, The Paisano Junior Alana Heard surveys her options against Louisiana Tech.

even go rebound…we know it’s going in,” said Hergott about her teammate’s success. “If she misses, it’s usually 1 of 5 shots. We fully believe in her.”

In the first quarter, the Roadrunners were in complete control, shooting 58 percent from the field and recording 7 steals.

However, the Eagles went on a 10-3 streak in the first

feel like we’re doing something right, said Hergott after the win.

The Roadrunners (7-12, 3-6 C-USA) will continue to improve on their record on the road as they face C-USA opponents Western Kentucky (17-3, 8-1 C-USA) on Thursday, Feb. 4, and Marshall (14-6, 4-5 C-USA) on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Robert Avila Staff Writer

@robssatire sports@paisano-online.com After starting the season with an 0-3 record, the UTSA men’s tennis team won its first match Friday at home against LouisianaLafayette (ULL) in a hardfought 4-2 victory.

UTSA pulled ahead early, winning all three of the men’s doubles matches to clinch the doubles point.

Senior Diogo Casa then led the team in singles with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 win against Louisana’s Arthur Libaud to bring the team to an early 2-0 lead.

The Ragin’ Cajuns answered back to tie the score 2-2 as Vlad Kramarov defeated Eric Buchalter 7-3, 7-6, 5-7 to win the fourth position and Will Huyton beat Mark Ginting 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to take sixth position match for ULL. Needing two wins to clinch the victory, freshman Takeru “TK” Watanabe rallied from a second set loss to defeat Eric Perez 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.

The decisive match then turned to aggressive shotmaker Christian “Gio” Carrillo, who fought his way back from a close tiebreak loss in the first set to win the match 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, sealing the 4-2 win for UTSA. Carrillo said the win was a team effort, as throughout the match, the team’s motto “On it!” could be heard yelled by members of the team – both on-court and off – in support of their teammates. “Our team takes pride in being one of the closest teams,” Car-

Brady Phelps, The Paisano Christian Carrillo smiles wide after clinching the match for UTSA.

rillo said. “Whenever somebody’s down, we pick them right back up.”

Head Coach Rodrigo da Silva praised the team’s effort in their win and had similar remarks on the tight-knit team. “Tennis is an individual sport,” said da Silva, “but as a team, when

we are all out here, everyone affects each other. The energy is contagious.”

The Roadrunners’ next match, a home match against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at noon. Admission is free for everyone.

Brady Phelps, The Paisano Takeru Watanabe celebrates earning a point in a close match against LLU.

8

SPORTS

February 2 - February 9, 2016

Super Bowl L is a matchup for the ages NFL FOOTBALL

Jose Santos Contributing Writer

@PaisanoSports1 sports@paisano-online.com The Denver Broncos will face off against the Carolina Panthers in the historic 2016 Super Bowl, the first in which two former firstoverall draft picks will face off against each other at the quarterback position.

The game will star veteran Peyton Manning, drafted in 1998, and Cam Newton, drafted in 2011. At 39, Manning will be the oldest quarterback ever to play in a Super Bowl.

The Broncos faced plenty of adversity this season, but came in clutch, winning 10 games by seven points or fewer and finishing the season with a 12-4 record.

Manning battled a foot injury at the beginning of the season but continued to play, despite the injury’s seemingly negative effect to his game.

Manning broke the NFL’s all-time career passing yards record in November, but was benched against the Chiefs after completing

only 5-of-20 passes while recording a fumble and 4 interceptions.

Backup quarterback Brock Oswieler came into the season and played well, managing to finish what Manning started, leading the Broncos to the top of the AFC to clinch home field advantage as well as a first-round bye. However, with Manning healthy in time for playoffs, the fourseason Bronco was the obvious start.

With help from the league’s top-ranked defense and 15 points from field goals, Manning led the Broncos to victory over the Steelers in their first playoff game. The following week in the AFC Championship, the Broncos edged past the Patriots with a 20-18 win.

The Carolina Panthers rose to the top of the football world unexpectedly, earning a league-best 15-1 record. After finishing the previous season with a 7-8-1 record, Carolina improved significantly on both defense and offense. Their defense had a league-best 39 turnovers in the regular season and added nine more

Photo courtesy of Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez and the Carolina Panthers Teddy Williams ran track at UTSA before earning an NFL roster spot.

in two playoff games. Two key players on the defense, inside linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Josh Norman, have excelled this season. Kuechly is among the best at his position in the NFL. Norman has received a reputation as a shutdown cornerback, having to step up his game as

talk of his elite playmaking ability has led to him being a feared target for receivers across the league.

Norman’s next challenge is to face QB Peyton Manning, a player he has looked up to his whole life.

“If I even get the ball from him,” Norman explained, “if he throws an interception

or something and the guy allows me to be there for it, I’m probably going to bow to him. That’s how much I really think about the guy.”

Newton, the heart and soul of the Panthers, has the ability to take over a game at any time. He’s had an impressive year, racking up a league-high 45 touchdowns – 35 through the air and ten on the ground.

Newton is the early favorite for NFL MVP; winning the Super Bowl and NFL MVP honors would make him the first quarterback to win the Heisman, FBS National Championship, NFL MVP, and Super Bowl.

It’s likely this Super Bowl will be Manning’s final game, as time has put wear and tear on his body.

He can’t depend much on his arm anymore, but his football IQ still makes him a top threat. One last title would certainly be a storybook ending to one of the most phenomenal careers in league history.

This game also has historical implications for UTSA. If Carolina wins, cornerback Teddy Williams will be the first UTSA alumnus to earn a Super Bowl ring.

This year’s game will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (home of the San Francisco 49ers) and will be televised on CBS on Feb. 7. CBS aired the very first Super Bowl in 1967, and has acquired the rights to air the game for its 50th anniversary. This year’s Super Bowl is on track to break record number of viewers with CBS streaming it live online.

Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m., but CBS will show pre-game programming starting at 11 a.m. eastern time, so there will be plenty of entertainment leading up to the game. The halftime show will feature British group Coldplay and Beyoncé, who have collaborated in the past (and are sure to entertain).

Both teams have had a long season and only one can finish on top. Can fivetime NFL MVP Peyton Manning pull through one last time for the Broncos?

Or will Cam Newton and the Panthers start a new legacy for the franchise and give fans a glimpse of the league’s future? Tune in this Sunday at 6:30 p.m. to witness history.

Spurs’ Style Succeeds SPORTS COMMENTARY Anthony Sinuga Contributing Writer

@PaisanoSports1 sports@paisano-online.com

Brady Phelps, The Paiano Senior Alena Shichkova has struggled early this year, but won her first singles match this weekend.

UIW, St. Mary’s can’t match UTSA tennis UTSA WOMEN’S TENNIS Robert Avila Staff Writer

@robssatire sports@paisano-online.com UTSA’s women’s tennis team closed out a twomatch weekend with wins over both St. Mary’s and Incarnate Word (UIW).

In Saturday’s home opener against nationally ranked St. Mary’s, the Roadrunners nearly swept their opponents in a decisive 6-1 victory.

After nabbing the doubles point for UTSA, the Roadrunners dominated in singles, winning all but one of their matches. UTSA junior Miriam Rosell Canudas led the team in a dominating 6-2, 6-1 first position singles performance against Cristina Lopez of St. Mary’s.

Sunday’s away match against UIW also ended with a 6-1 victory for the Roadrunners.

The only Roadrunner to lose her singles match on Saturday, senior Alena Shichkova, rebounded on Sunday to beat UIW’s Vic-

toria Kareh 7-6, 6-1. The win was her first of the season.

Senior Roadrunner and UIW transfer Nicole Karaklis had a strong weekend, winning 6-2, 6-1 against St. Mary’s Tyra Timm and 6-0, 6-3 against UIW’s Sarah Savedra.

UTSA tennis now has two women who are undefeated in singles matches thus far: senior Jacobea Junger and junior Lina Hallgren.

In fact, both Junger and Hallgren are also undefeat-

ed in doubles play.. Junger has won four consecutive matches alongside Canudas, and Hallgren has won four straight playing with freshman Charlene Tiwari.

UTSA’s other doubles team, comprised of Shichkova and Karaklis, has yet to win a doubles match this season.

The women’s team is now 3-1 on the season and will look to continue its winning streak on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at Abilene Christian.

Photo courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images Head Coach Gregg Popovich is instrumental to the Spurs’ success.

The San Antonio Spurs have not missed the NBA playoffs since Gregg Popvich became head coach and Tim Duncan was drafted first overall in 1997.

There is much more to the story than meets the eye. The Spurs have scouted, drafted and trained their team in an effort to make it the powerhouse it is today.

Popovich is accompanied by a great coaching staff and front office. President of Sports Franchises and General Manager R.C. Buford has given Popovich a lot of room to run the team the way he sees fit.

Chip Engelland is also a name worth mentioning.

Engelland has been an assistant coach with the Spurs since 2005, specializing as the team’s shooting coach.

Englland, who has been loyal to the Spurs, is credited for helping Kawhi Leonard to develop his outside game.

The Spurs are notorious for drafting well. They will draft for a current need or do a “draft and stash” – where they draft foreign players and allow them to develop overseas for a few years. Tiago Splitter, for example, was drafted in 2007, but didn’t actually come over to the states until 2010.

The Spurs have obtained some players through the draft that have made their team what it is today. They hit it big in the second round of the 1999 draft when they selected a 22-year-old from Argentina, Manu Ginobili, with the 57th overall pick.

In 2001, Tony Parker hit the scene when he was drafted 28th overall in the first round. Duncan, Ginobili and Parker, known as the “big 3,” have been instrumental in shaping the team.

Many NBA teams are formed when star players join together to form “Superteams,” such as the 2007 Celtics, 2010 Miami Heat and the 2014 Cleve-

land Cavaliers. The Spurs have not been ones to chase down star free agents, but have chosen players who fit well in their system.

In 2008, the Spurs drafted a point guard named George Hill from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) with the 26th pick in the first round. George Hill was a solid contributor for the Spurs from 2008-2011, averaging 10 points per game, and was one of the best defenders on the team. Hill was very athletic, had a long wingspan and was a solid guard to come off the bench in place of Parker.

Perhaps Hill’s biggest contribution to the Spurs came during the 2011 draft when the Indiana Pacers saw his potential and agreed to trade their 15th overall pick – Kawhi Leonard, a 6-foot7 small forward from San Diego State – for Hill. From the start, Leonard was a defensive machine who could guard just about any player – exactly the kind of player the Spurs had been missing. Now, through extensive training, he has become a threat on both ends of the court. Hill is a quality player, but considering Leonard is the reigning defensive player of the year and is currently second in MVP votes, the Spurs are not spending much time thinking about what their team would look like with Hill in the lineup.

Many players have found their keeps as solid role players for the Spurs. Popovich is known for getting contributions out of young players; prime examples are point guard Patty Mills and shooting guard Danny Green.

Green had a tough time adjusting to the NBA. He was drafted in 2009 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round with the 46th overall pick. After playing only 20 games in his rookie season, he was waived by the Cavaliers, eventually making his way into the DLeague.

In Nov. 2010, the Spurs took a flyer on Green, only

to waive him after he played only two games. Green was officially re-signed by the Spurs in March of 2011 and has since made his way into the starting lineup. Now, Green ranks second alltime for 3-pointers made by a Spurs player and has become one of the league’s best defensive players at the shooting guard position.

After they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA finals, the Spurs’ years of dominance seemed like they were coming to an end as they were getting older.

But in more recent years, the strong scouting system of the Spurs has injected the system with another wave of youth, with the additions of Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Patty Mills, Jonathan Simmons and Boban Marjanovic (all 30 years old or younger).

Simmons is a good example of how the Spurs scout the right players and mold them into NBA contributors. Simmons went undrafted in 2012, but was quickly picked up by the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ D-League team. After two years of developing with the Toros, he was called up to the Spurs. Simmons brings energy and athleticism to the Spurs that will be key come playoff time.

Some NBA teams try to buy success through the free agent market, but the Spurs have taken a different approach. The Spurs have shown what it means for a team to make their players as opposed to the players making the team.