Vol. 65, Issue 2

THE PAISANO

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

Vigil and speakout held in San Antonio to demand justice for Tyre Nichols

By Laynie Clark Managing Editor

On Saturday, Jan. 28, San Antonio’s chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) organized a vigil and speakout at Martin Luther King Plaza to demand justice for Tyre Nichols.

Nichols was pulled over on Jan. 7 by police officers in Memphis who stated that he was driving recklessly. Video surveillance shows the officers opening Nichols’ door and wrestling him to the ground as he says, “I didn’t do anything.” The footage shows Nichols breaking free and running in the direction of his mother’s home when the officers begin assault-

ing him; he died three days later in the hospital.

Chris Banks, member and organizer of PSL, spoke out against the justice system.

“Ask yourself, where are the good cops,” Banks said. “Don’t talk to me about a good cop.

Your good cop means nothing if that cop ain’t speaking out …

Your good cop means nothing to me and nothing to us if they won’t stand with the people.

Tyre Nichols [was] beat to death on video; where are your good cops? There is no good cop in a racist system.”

Guest speaker Lloyd Kuykendoll shared his feelings on the importance of unity and community.

“... If you look around, you see different diversities,” Kuyk-

Charter aims to codify justice reforms

endoll said. “All of us coming from different communities, letting them know that our voices will be heard and we’re not going to be quiet … We’re not going to let them tell us what justice is. Justice is leaving the young man alone … You can’t get justice once you’re in the grave.”

Kuykendoll also explained why it’s important to show up and fight.

“We’re fighting to make sure that if any of us are stopped by the racist police that we are still going to see another day … It’s all voices that need to come together right now … We are standing together in unity.”

Former Bexar County judge joins UTSA in non-faculty role

By Gauri Raje News Editor

Earlier this month, UTSA announced that former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff will be joining the university in a non-faculty role. The university announced the appointment in an official statement on UTSA Today.

“Furthering a commitment to public service and engaging students in the ideals of citizen government, former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff will bring his 50 years of political involvement to The University of Texas at San Antonio community, beginning this spring,” the announcement reads.

Wolff, who was appointed to the office of Bexar County Judge in 2001 after then Judge Cyndi Taylor Krier resigned to accept an appointment as a regent of the University of Texas System, went on to serve five full terms in the office.

Prior to serving as County Judge, Wolff represented Bexar County in the Texas House of Representatives from 1971 to 1973, and the Texas Senate from 1973 to 1975. Wolff also served as a member of the San Antonio City Council from 1987 to 1991, and as

the mayor of San Antonio from 1991 to 1995.

Wolff explained that it was during his time in the Texas State legislature that his connection with UTSA first began.

“I was able to get a lot of funding for UTSA early on, so I followed their development right from the very start, and I’ve been supportive of them,”

By Chloe Williams Web and Social Editor

San Antonio Justice Charter is a coalition led by ACT 4 SA, an organization working to shrink the impact of overpolicing and mass incarceration in Bexar County, and Ground Game Texas, whose goal is to increase participation in democracy. The coalition also collaborates with Immigrant Legal Resource Center, SA Stands and MOVE Texas.

According to the current San Antonio City Charter, at least 20,000 signatures from current San Antonio citizens are required to put something on the ballot. On Jan. 10, the coalition turned in over 38,000 signatures, and they fully expect the charter to be listed on the ballot as a “single measure (proposition)” for the May 6 election. If passed, the amendment aims to decriminalize marijuana and abortion, ban no knock warrants and chokeholds and adopt a “cite and release”

policy for nonviolent, lowlevel offenses.

Executive Director of ACT

4 SA Ananda Tomas recounts that the group formed when “criminal justice organizations gathered to discuss how to get cite and release codified after failure to even have it heard on the city council floor.”

“In these conversations also came the need to decriminalize marijuana and other criminal justice-centered initiatives — such as the failure of the city to actually make the banning of chokeholds law, rather than an SAPD policy that can change at any time,” Tomas said. “What further pushed us was the fact that certain candidates on the November ballot — such as Marc LaHood for District Attorney — wanted to end the cite and release program and believed that even the smallest amounts of marijuana should be arrestable offenses. Plus, we knew after the overturning of Roe v Wade and the trigger ban in Texas — we as the community had to take action.”

See Charter on Page 2

Wolff said. Wolff announced his retirement from elected office last year and began considering other options, including the non-faculty position at UTSA.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do when I first an-

nounced I wasn’t going to run again, and so, there were a lot of options, a lot of ways to do it, but I felt this was the best use of my time,” Wolff said.

“What remaining years I have left, I felt this was the best way to spend them. To be of some use and benefit to future generations.”

In his new nonfaculty role, Wolff will be giving lectures and talks to students at UTSA, drawing on his experience with public work and his business career. Some of the areas that Wolff hopes to share his knowledge in with students include public policy, business, political science and public health. Furthermore, Wolff explained that the subject matter of his lectures and talks will vary depending on what different professors would want him to cover.

Along with his position at UTSA, Wolff was also appointed to a professorship at St. Mary’s University, his alma mater.

“I hope to be able to inspire students to really become involved in their communities, whether it’s in private life or whether it’s in public office or whatever and to play a positive role,” Wolff said.

Photo Courtesy of Judge Nelson Wolff

The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) implemented the cite and release initiative in July 2019, and since then, it has avoided 6,235 bookings when a citation was issued rather than an arrest. According to the SAPD website, they have also saved over $4.7 million in booking costs since implementation. Of these citations, 63.2% were for the possession of zero to two oz of marijuana. Codifying this initiative would ensure “cite and release” could not be removed by future city councils or district attorneys.

Of the 3,021 citations issued on marijuana counts, 2,132 were issued to people of color. According to the San Antonio Justice Charter’s website on decriminalizing marijuana, “These [citations and arrests] disproportionately targeted Black and Hispanic community members. To promote justice and avoid waste of tax dollars, we want to redirect resources towards real public safety solutions.”

According to a News4SA article, no-knock warrants and sleeper holds have been banned by SAPD since 2020, and chokeholds have been banned since 2014. Regardless of these bans, the Justice Charter hopes to codify them into law. That way, the bans cannot be removed or changed by following police chiefs.

In the last election, Texas voters in five cities voted to decriminalize marijuana. While the legalization of marijuana would have to pass at the state or federal level, the passing of the charter would “direct the police department to stop issuing citations or making arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession.”

In the decriminalization of abortion, the charter states, “City of San Antonio police officers shall not investigate, make arrests or otherwise

enforce any alleged criminal abortion, except in the circumstances identified in Section 177(d);” the circumstances listed include when “coercion or force is used against a pregnant person [or] in cases involving conduct criminally negligent to the health of the pregnant person seeking care.”

Another key part of the charter amendment is the creation of a “Justice Director” position; this position would be appointed by the City Council, including the Mayor and District Representatives. According to the charter, the justice director will “fulfill the city’s social justice three-part mandate of reducing the City’s contribution to mass incarceration, mitigating racist and discriminatory law enforcement practices, and saving scarce public resources for greater public needs.”

Tomas describes the end goal of the petition and charter to “reduce unnecessary arrests, stop discriminatory and dangerous police practices, and save scarce public safety resources so they can be reinvested back into the community for other initiatives like violence interruption programs, afterschool programs, mental health services, better street lighting and more.”

“Further than this, we would be the first city in Texas to decriminalize abortion, making us a beacon for women’s rights across the state — hopefully serving [as] a model for other Texas cities to follow,” Tomas said.

Tomas and the San Antonio Justice Charter encourage all to read the policy language and get registered to vote. San Antonio’s General Election day will take place Saturday, May 6, 2023. More information about the Justice Charter is available at https://www. groundgametexas.org/en/campaigns/sanantonio.

Second semester of Film and Media program brings new courses and faculty

By Mason Hickok Editor-in-Chief

For John Herrera, teaching his first semester of the Basics of Screenwriting course happened by chance. Herrera, a professional screenwriter in California, was teaching a writing course online when he met several UTSA students.

“I was actually teaching online, at a website called writingpad.com, and I had a couple of students who were friends of the other professor teaching this [course], Rebeca Gomez,” Herrera said. “They actually recommended me for [the job]. I interviewed, and that was how it came up. It was because I taught somewhere else.”

Some of Herrera’s credits include “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Nancy Drew & The Hidden Staircase” and “The Vampire Diaries,” to name a few. The Fall 2022 semester was his first at UTSA, and with it came the opportunity to be a part of a unique program — one that gives a film school education, on a local level, to a diverse range of students.

“That was one of the things that attracted me to this,” Herrera said. “Because I like the idea of teaching at a university, but I really loved the fact that this was, for a lot of people, who [were] maybe the first in their family to go to school, that’s just amazing. My dad was that in my family; it’s great to be a part of that.”

In its first semester, the program had 71 students registered under the major. Program Director Dr. Paul Ardoin described how that number grew

by the end of the semester

“Well the first thing that is changing is more students,” Ardoin said. “We started as a large program this semester. I think we had 71 students on the first day of classes. And then, by the end of the semester, I got an update that we were up to 93.”

Ardoin described the steps the program must take before transitioning to the College of Liberal and Fine Arts.

“It’s gotta go to the fac-

going to University College. So they are making the money, and COLFA is spending the money. And so to see this level of support from COLFA is really encouraging.”

Furthermore, in 2022, the program received a Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) grant to assist with the renovation of the film production hub inside the McKinney Humanities Building. The location currently houses an editing room, several workspaces, an equipment room and a green screen space outfitted with industry-grade lighting.

Dustin Vickers/The Paisano

ulty senate to be approved; it’s gotta be approved by the Texas Coordinating Board … all the way up this long line that really does take two years to happen,” Ardoin said.

Despite the program not yet falling under the umbrella of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA), Ardoin praised COLFA for their support in budgeting for the program.

“The COLFA dean has given us a budget and then given us things beyond that budget for individual events,” Ardoin said.

“The reason this is significant is that these aren’t even technically COLFA students. Currently, everyone is in University College. Which means all of the student funds and fees are

Several new faculty members also joined the program for its second semester. Ernest Hernandez, who works for the Office of Academic Innovation, is teaching a section of Digital Video Production. Another faculty member new to the program is Guillermina Zabala Suarez. Having previously worked as a Media Arts Director for SAY Sí for 17 years, Zabala Suarez has been ingrained in media culture.

At UTSA, Zabala Suarez is teaching three courses: Digital Media Production II, Digital Video Production and Film and Medicine, the latter of which is a new course. Zabala Suarez worked closely with Ardoin and Dr. Serife Tekin from the Medical Humanities department to design the Film and Medicine course syllabus. Several other organizations helped with the course, including San Antonio Metro Health and the Westside Community Partnerships Initiative.

Next phase of JPL renovation includes cutting down on book storage

By Gauri Raje News Editor

Last semester, phase one of the Heart of the Campus Project was completed with the installation of floor-to-ceiling windows on the John Peace Library’s (JPL) third floor. As previously reported by The Paisano, the project’s next phase involves evaluating on-site books, removing stacks, adding new furnishings and recarpeting. This will be followed by cutting down on the university’s in-house book collection.

University Librarian Dean Hendrix and his team have collected feedback about the project from students multiple times, including through LibQUAL and focus groups with students.

“We’re talking about valuable space … students telling us they need more study space; students telling us they need more collaboration space,” Hendrix said. “We have this physical building … the JPL is a block of concrete; you can’t blow out a wall and easily create more space. So we have to work within the confines of the floor plan.”

The team has also presented its plans and data about the library’s collection usage to various groups, including the

Academic Council, the Faculty Senate and Student Government Association.

“We’ve talked to all these constituents and continue to talk to them,” Hendrix said. “We’ve had individual conversations with faculty members that may have some concerns.”

“We [had] some faculty that said [they’d] … like to have an individual meeting, but once we had those individual meetings [and] they got to ask their individual questions about their individual research area, then they felt fine with it,” Hendrix added.

A disciplinary approach is being taken when considering and evaluating which books will be housed at the JPL. For example, disciplines like chemical engineering, whose materials Hendrix describes as being mostly digitized and online, would not require having a considerable on-campus inventory.

On the other hand, materials pertaining to disciplines like languages and philosophy, where “monograph is still an important part of the research process,” will not be removed in considerable numbers.

Guillermina Zabala Suarez at work in the Film Production Hub.

A new standard for police misconduct OPINION

Editorial

The city of Memphis, Tennessee, has been holding its breath for the past couple of weeks, awaiting the release of body camera footage from the Memphis Police Department after a routine traffic stop resulted in the death of Tyre Nichols.

According to an article from The New York Times, five members of the Memphis Police Department have been charged with second-degree murder, among additional charges, for the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. It is worth noting that the officers involved were terminated, investigated and charged before the body camera footage was released to the public, according to the Wall Street Journal. Officials from the Memphis Police Department urged citizens and protestors to remain calm ahead of the release of the body cam footage, with Police Chief Cerelyn Davis going on record saying that the actions of the officers were “a failing of basic humanity towards another individual,” according to an article from Yahoo News. The family of Tyre Nichols has also expressed the need for calm, with Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells stating, “We want peaceful protests … that’s what the family wants. That’s what the community wants.”

From top G to cell G

Commentary

By Nate Henneke Staff Writer

If you have interacted with social media in the last six months, chances are you have heard of the former world champion kickboxer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate. The dysfunctional duo has amassed a rabid following of young men online by purposefully spreading controversial and misogynistic takes on topics such as the roles of women and men in society, while also flaunting their fleet of supercars and harem of models. This image of hatred that the Tate brothers have tried so hard to create has given them fame, and to say the least, the Tate brothers are no strangers to controversy.

In August of 2022, Instagram took a stand against the Tate brothers. The media giant banned both brothers, with a combined following of over five million people. TikTok quickly followed Instagram’s lead so the Tate brothers could not spread hate on their platform as well. This seemed like a fitting end for what was another personality online getting their five seconds of fame, but their story took an unexpected turn in December 2022. Both brothers were arrested in Romania on charges of sex trafficking and rape, a country they intentionally selected to be their home, that also conveniently has relaxed laws surrounding human trafficing. A popular online theory posed that the arrests were the culmination of online trolling from none other than Greta Thunberg, although Romanian authorities deny this.

Nearly a month later, the Tate brothers are still in prison with allegations of rape and assault dating back to 2016. It was only a matter of time before the law caught up with them. The coming trials will expose these two brothers for the misogynistic and abusive men that they are. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, Andrew Tate’s impact on the way women are viewed and regarded online has changed. Misogyny has become a trend. The women that Tate has abused and taken advantage of have reached a point where they are not scared to come forward about the disgusting crimes committed by Andrew Tate.

When a misogynistic and violent man gets turned into a role model for young men, there are many problems that can arise. For example, teaching young men that power and violence go hand in hand. Instilling toxic ideas about what it means to be a man into developing men will have serious consequences. If action had never been taken against the Tate brothers, there was no telling how much more misogynistic content they would have spewed by now. Justice is being served, and that is the bottom line. Regardless of the trial’s verdict, this incident has shown the world that behind those gaudy shades and supercars is a sad joke of what being a man really is.

Unfortunately, Tyre Nichols’ case is just the latest in a trend of police misconduct. According to an article from The Guardian, “US law enforcement killed at least 1,176 people in 2022, making it the deadliest year on record for police violence since 2013 when experts first started tracking the killings nationwide.” Regardless of whether all of these incidents place the responding officers at fault, policing is one of, if not the only career where this level of violence not only lacks heavy scrutiny at all levels but is widely accepted as neces -

sary to maintain law and order.

The body camera footage released by the Memphis Police Department of the encounter was harrowing. No human should have to experience the level of violence and brutality that Tyre Nichols experienced on that fateful night. The Memphis Police Department and the Memphis District Attorney’s office made the right decision when they swiftly terminated and charged the officers involved; however, as citizens, we can now expect nothing less when it comes to investigating and punishing police misconduct. This must be the standard for how police officers are held accountable for their actions nationwide, and we must urge our representatives at all levels to enforce these actions as such.

You can find the contact information for your local representative’s office at https://house.texas.gov/members/ and https://senate.texas.gov/members.php.

You can find the contact information for your federal representative’s office at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative and https://www. congress.gov/members/find-your-member.

Restricting the wrong rights

Point vs Counterpoint

By Riley Carroll Arts & Life Editor

The government is taking away our rights like nobody’s business, but not the lethal liberties that claim the lives of many. Women have lost reproductive freedoms, and TikTok has been banned on all government devices and many public university networks. Meanwhile, one of the only rights that are being firmly protected doubles as the United States’ leading cause of death for children and teens: firearms. A social media app should be the least of our concerns.

So, what exactly can be accessed through TikTok? In his letter to state agencies, Texas Governor Greg Abbott explained that data indicating “when, where and how [users] conduct internet activity” can be shared with

Commentary

the Chinese government and pose a security threat.

Of course, it is understandable for the government to worry about cyber security in confidential state matters, but for public universities to take part in the TikTok ban is unnecessary, especially when the government bans a social platform that acts as an entertainment source and an informational news source for millions of people on personal devices. Though using TikTok as a news source is not the most reliable choice, restricting access to this information under the guise of privacy protection can limit personal freedoms and access to information.

Furthermore, the TikTok ban at public universities only limits activity while connected to campus WiFi. If the Chinese Communist Party wants to access college students’ data through TikTok, they may do so the majority of the time that we are not connected

to Air Rowdy or similar networks. Not to mention, the U.S. government likely has the same data accessibility through American-owned social platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more. When the idea is deconstructed, banning TikTok seems purposeless — and it essentially is.

“The state’s decision to ban TikTok seems like an overreaction,” UT Austin student Gabriel Orellana told the Austin-American Statesman. “So many apps and websites these days are collecting our data and personal information so it seems normal at this point.”

Hard-working college students should not have to cough up thousands of dollars to attend a university that confines social media usage on their electronics like an overprotective parent — we are fully capable of deciding what to restrict for ourselves.

Bye bye Blackboard

By Regina Robert Staff Writer

In this new era of online learning, many educational institutions have implemented the use of learning management systems (LMS). Amongst them is UTSA, which currently uses Blackboard Learn, but will switch to Canvas starting Fall 2023. According to the university, this change is meant to match “the needs of [UTSA] students as well as [the university’s] broader goals to be a model for student success.” While the change could be a positive step up from Blackboard, it will no doubt

cause some trouble among the faculty and students. One of the biggest obstacles for both will be learning how to navigate the new platform. Even though almost everyone has a basic understanding of the technology and its uses, it can be tough for some. This is a problem that becomes prominent on the first day of the semester. Even after multiple semesters, many of the professors on campus have difficulty with Blackboard, either with how to use it accordingly or where to find the assignments and material they had uploaded. In addition to causing problems with professors, this has presented an issue with students. Many students have become accustomed to the LMS their school used during the

COVID-19 pandemic. Some schools used Blackboard, Canvas or Google Classroom to accommodate teachers, students and parents. Some students are excited about using Canvas since it was the LMS their school used during that year and a half of being stuck at home, and it helped them keep up with their education. Others have absolutely no experience with Canvas and have become heavily accustomed to Blackboard, either because of their high school experience or because it is what they have used throughout their entire college career. Either way, some students will be happy and excited about this transition, while others will struggle to learn a new LMS.

Kara Lee/The Paisano

Grace Robinson/The Paisano

“It was only a matter of time before the law caught up with them. The coming trails will expose these two brothers for the misogynistic and abusive men they are”

Kara Lee/The Paisano

Do cops have a place in our classes? The Paisano

Editorial Board

By Jake Mireles Opinion Editor

Across the nation, School Resource Officers (SROs) have become a common sight in the educational setting. SROs are “sworn law-enforcement [officers] with arrest powers who [work], either full or part-time, in a school setting. Nearly all SROs are armed (about 91 percent, according to federal data), and most carry other restraints like handcuffs as well,” according to an article by EducationWeek. School districts nationwide have looked to contract SROs as a deterrent against school shootings amid the growing epidemic of gun violence in the United States. This maintains a certain sense of security that a “good guy with a gun” will be on the premises to aid other law enforcement in ending a confrontation with a school shooter, should the situation arise; recently, however, SROs’ presence in schools have come under heavy scrutiny for their involvement

and conduct when it comes to handling student incidents. This raises the question: Are SROs doing more harm than good in an educational setting? In its simplest form, an SRO’s purpose is to ensure the safety and security of the campus they serve.

Despite this, SROs have been found to be at the center of questionable force and misconduct complaints on multiple occurrences. According to an article from The New York Times, “In Orange County, Fla., in November, a school resource officer was fired after a video showed him grasping a middle school student’s hair and yanking her head back during an arrest after students fought near school grounds. A few weeks later, an officer assigned to a school in Vance County, N.C., lost his job after he repeatedly slammed an 11-year-old boy to the ground.” These incidents largely arise when schools rely on SROs to discipline unruly students instead of resorting to traditional administrative punishment like in-school suspension or parent contact.

Additionally, an SRO’s presence has directly led to the death of a student

According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, School Safety Officer

Eddie Gonzales was charged with the murder of 15-year-old Manuela “Mona” Rodriguez after he “fired into

a fleeing vehicle in late September after a fight between [Rodriguez] and an unidentified 15-year-old girl one block from Millikan High School.” Rodriguez was struck by the SRO’s gunfire, leaving her with injuries that resulted in her death. While these incidents are only anecdotal, they represent a trend of questionable conduct that raises doubts surrounding the effectiveness of the program. While an SRO should ensure the safety of the community they serve, time and time again their presence has resulted in an escalation of violence.

SROs have been popularized as a solution to the epidemic of school shootings that have ravaged the United States. Their effectiveness in solving this problem has come into question, with research showing that SROs “do little to reduce on-campus violence or mass shootings,” according to the National Education Association.

SROs have proven to be a fearinducing presence to the students they are supposed to protect. Therefore, school districts should not allow the utilization of SROs to discipline students and instead should explore other avenues to ensure the safety of their student body.

Permanent consequences of temporary trends

Commentary

By Sam Wendorf Staff Writer

The internet is no stranger to trends in appearance and body modification. The ideal body shape changes every decade, piercings and tattoos are more acceptable now than they ever have been before, and freedom in self-expression continues to grow. While these changes happened gradually in the days before the internet and social media were mainstream, a fad can now take over in the span of a few months or even weeks if it goes viral.

While most style choices can be easily left behind when they fall out of fashion, like hair dye or minor piercings, some take body modification to the next level. Teenagers and young adults are seeking cosmetic surgery in record numbers, some as young as 13 years old. While this may seem like a good idea now when these procedures are popular, many young people lack the foresight and life experience to understand just

Commentary

what permanence means. When social media moves on, they will be left to deal with the consequences of their body modification for the rest of their lives. Some of these consequences may be as minor as occasional discomfort or a body shape that is no longer seen as the ideal, while others can be debilitating or even fatal.

Two especially harmful procedures that have grown in popularity with those who do not research the risks of getting them done are the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), which takes fat from elsewhere in the body and injects it into the buttocks, and the BrightOcular iris implants, which inserts a colored disc in front of the iris to change the color of the eyes.

BrightOcular implants may seem safe enough at first glance. It is an implanted, incredibly thin and soft silicon disc that covers the iris so the eye appears to be a different color. This disc may be removed in another procedure, so it is technically reversible; however, the damage these implants can cause will never be undone. The iris is a fragile muscle, and the silicon discs rub against it every time the eye moves, slowly wearing it away.

At first, this may not seem noticeable, but over time it will rupture the iris, destroy the pupil and blind the victim. Even if this does not happen, it can cause other long-term vision defects that will reduce or eliminate visibility. What seemed at first like an easy way to change one’s eye color can cause an irreversible disability and derail the course of an entire life.

The BBL’s implications are worse. It aims to increase the size of the buttocks by taking fat from other parts of the body where it may not be wanted. Many consider this a better alternative to synthetic implants, as it is allnatural and the body should not reject the injection; however, it is more dangerous by far than any other butt-enhancing surgery. When injecting the fat, surgeons must be very careful not to go too deep into the tissue, as there are relatively large arteries located throughout the rear that lead directly back to the heart. If any fat is injected into the bloodstream, it will return to the heart and kill the patient. Unfortunately, many cosmetic surgeons are not careful. This complication happens in as many as one in every 3,000 patients,

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

Laynie Clark | Managing Editor Manager@paisano-online.com and Gauri Raje | News Editor News@paisano-online.com

Jake Mireles | Opinion Editor Opinion@paisano-online.com

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

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

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

Dustin Vickers | Photo Editor Photo@paisano-online.com

Grace Robinson | Graphic Editor Graphic@paisano-online.com

Marcela Montufar Soria | Multimedia Editor Multimedia@paisano-online.com

Jenna Taylor | Magazine Editor Magazine@paisano-online.com

Genevieve Vega | Distribution Manager Distribution@paisano-online.com

making it the most fatally dangerous cosmetic surgery that can be done in the modern day. About 3% of all cosmetic surgeons who have performed this surgery have had a patient die this way. Having a bigger butt is not worth this insane death toll.

These procedures are dangerous enough that the risks should stop any potential victim in their tracks; however, many of the people who seek these procedures simply do not look into these risks. It is popular and sounds good on paper, and famous people are getting them done with stunning results. For many, this is good enough. But permanently altering the body should never be taken lightly, and it should not be an acceptable trend.

Some body mods are perfectly fine and can make a person feel amazing in their own skin. Tattoos, hair dye and piercings can be excellent forms of self-expression. But this is where it should stop. Needles and pigment should be the only tools we need. Risking our lives to make our bodies fit the standard is not and should never be okay.

Does Gen Z follow the herd?

By Luna Infante Staff Writer

As a generation, we have lost our ability to think for ourselves, our ability to form our own opinions and our confidence to feel safe vocalizing them. Our unlimited access to social media and the internet gives us the opportunity to take glimpses into people’s lives, experiences, stories and beliefs. Everyone’s opinions are being shouted at us from behind

screens, and we do not dare disagree with favored views. We want to be in good standing with these people even though they are strangers, and nearly imaginary. This is because, as a generation, we have an emerging mentality of “us vs. them.” Gen Z has struggled to grasp that life is not so black and white.

Growing up with social media has had a lot of benefits: we can communicate with a broader scope of people, share our meaningful moments and find funny and relatable content to consume throughout the day. We also hold the answers to

every little thing in the palm of our hands, right? We have access to everyone’s expertise in every subject, and every post on social media must be true. Especially if it comes from the most popular influencers and creators, my favorite YouTuber believes gun ownership should be illegal, and millions agree with them, so I agree with them too. If my favorite creator tells me a specific skincare product is bad for me, they must be right. As social media grows more popular, so does the amount of baseless nonsense being thrown out at young, impressionable minds.

People now have the ability to express themselves in any way they would like online; however, this is not always a good thing. Often we feel like decisions are made for us and opinions are formed for us. Someone said something offensive a few years ago? I’m not allowed to like them anymore? Got it. As a generation, we feel ashamed to vocalize our opinions and our true thoughts because the majority of us have a fear of getting “canceled,” rejected and torn down

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Empowering women one collective at a time ARTS

UTSA senior runs collective supporting local female-owned businesses

UTSA Businesses

By Genevieve Vega Distribution Manager

“Hello Gorgeous” illuminates the extraordinary store with a clear sign of support and empowerment for local female entrepreneurs.

Elysia Collective Co., located off of Wurzbach Rd., is a small storefront currently housing 16 unique, local, female-owned businesses. This admirable shop is owned by UTSA senior Emily Howell. Not only does this young entrepreneur own the Elysia Collective Co., but she also owns and operates Emily Grace Designs Co., selling products ranging from t-shirts and sweatshirts to jewelry and more.

Howell’s story begins when she was just in middle school and started her own photography business.

“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” Howell said.

She then worked as a project coordinator for Tuck and Bundle, a company that sells baby wrap carriers. These experiences, in a way, laid the foundation for Howell’s skills which she later applied to Emily Grace Designs Co., a business idea that came to fruition just after she graduated high school in 2020.

“It’s kind of like an accident business honestly… I got an iPad and then I got a Cricut, it was COVID[-19], so I was trying to find things to do,” Howell explained.

After support and encouragement from her friends, she started selling her homemade stickers on Etsy, “But when-

ever I started putting shirts and sweatshirts on Etsy, it really took off.”

A year later, she started her first collection, leading to the need for a storefront. While searching for a storefront to house Emily Grace Designs Co., she ran into some prob lems. The spaces she came across were always either way too big or too small for her lik ing. So, in search of her perfect Goldilocks fit, she decided to create her own storefront. Since she did not need the entire space

nesses and see how things go?

And honestly, it’s been great. It’s such a supportive community, and it’s been so fun,” she explained. With her determination, it took Howell only six months to

make her dream a reality.

While both her business and the storefront are a dream come true, her success did not come without its fair share of struggles. Fresh out of high school and living in a small apartment, Howell came across her first is a really big thing, especially when you’re selling

home, taking up some of her parents’ game room, but that

duced custom, made-to-order products. Saving her sales profits, she was able to release her first collection. But the obstacles did not stop coming. While trying to open Elysia Collective Co., her plan to tear down a wall to provide an open-concept atmosphere was met with a heavy load of permit requirements. Even so, her headstrong attitude got her through, and she was still able to open up in time for the winter of 2022.

Of course, Howell’s story does not end here. This ambitious young entrepreneur has much more up her sleeve.

“I have a new idea like every week … I’m an idea girl,” Howell replied when asked about her future business ventures.

However, one of these ideas, in particular, stands out to her the most: an event venue.

to herself, she began to think of creative solutions. Having numerous friends who also own small local businesses, she came up with the Elysia Collective Co.

“It’s kind of like a dream of all of ours to be in a storefront. So I was like, what if I just collaborate with other womenowned busi-

Tuesday, Jan. 31:

Learn about the symptoms of opioid overdose and how to administer the life-saving overdose-reversal medication Narcan at an “Opioid Overdose Prevention: Narcan Use Training” hosted by the Center for Collegiate Recovery. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Window Lounge of the Student Union (SU 1.02.00).

UTSA Student Activities and UTSA Multicultural Student Center for Equity and Justice will host a “Downtown Lantern Festival” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UTSA Downtown Campus in the Bill Miller Plaza (501 W Cesar E Chavez Blvd.).

Andrew Brownell will perform a “Guest Recital” from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the UTSA Recital Hall.

Join UTSA PEACE Center and UTSA Wellbeing Services for an interactive workshop about stalking, “Stalking 101,” from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Student Union Willow Room (SU 2.02.12).

UTSA Wellbeing Services and Student Assistance Services will host a “Healing After Trauma” event to “discuss skills on how to heal and cope after experiencing a traumatic event” from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Buckeye Room (SU 2.01.31).

Wednesday, Feb. 1:

From 1 to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Magnolia Room (SU 2.01.30), UTSA Wellbeing Services will host an “Anxiety and Depression Toolkit” to provide “tips and skills on how to handle feelings of anxiety and depression.”

Join the English Language Center for “Coffee and Conversation,” where “international and domestic students gather and build intercultural connections” from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Mesquite Room (SU 2.01.24).

The Black Leadership Advisory Council and UTSA Multicultural Student Center for Equity and Justice will host a “BHM Kickoff” in honor of the beginning of Black History Month from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Student Union Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28).

Thursday, Feb. 2:

Meeting on the first and third Thursdays of the month is the Eating Recovery Group hosted by the Center for Collegiate Recovery. The event will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the John Peace Library Recover Center (JPL 4.02.08).

UTSA College of Education and Health Development will host a “COEHD Student Success: Anxiety and Stress Management Workshop” from 3 to 4:30 p.m. online. RSVP on RowdyLink.

Join the Terry Scholars Student Organization and UTSA Honors College to “learn how to prepare yourself to become a successful professional” with “Professional Week” from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Graduate School and Research Building (GSR 1.204F).

The American Medical Student Association will host an “MCAT Study Session” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Student Union Oak Room (SU 2.01.20).

Friday, Feb. 3:

“Let’s Taco ‘Bout Your Technical Skills, presented by Core4ce,” hosted by UTSA Carlos Alvarez College of Business, will take place from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Alvarez Student Success Center (BB 2.01.08). Learn “how to effectively communicate your technical knowledge in a simplified way during career fairs, networking events, interviews and more.”

What is your “Alcohol IQ?” The Center for Collegiate Recovery will host “an interactive group experience [where attendees can] learn how to recognize and pour a ‘standard drink,’ measure alcohol and how to drink responsibly” from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Student Union Ash Room (SU 2.03.06).

Monday, Feb. 6:

The Bold Scholars Program will host “Money Management” to “learn the best ways to budget and save our money” from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Guadalupe Hall MultiPurpose Room.

“Food of the Gods: Culture, Chemistry and Desire Chocolate Tasting for FYE Students” hosted by UTSA University College and UTSA Honors College will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Student Union Oak Room (SU 2.01.20).

Tuesday, Feb. 7:

Join UTSA Campus Recreation for their “Early Bird Competition” from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Recreation Wellness Center. The challenger is a “circuit-like” set of exercises that must be completed in succession.

UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) will host “COLFA Taco Tuesday” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the COLFA Student Success Center (MH 376).

The Biomedical Engineering Society and Makerspace Innovators present a “Slicer and 3D Printing Workshop” that will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Science and Engineering Building Makerspace (1.150).

UTSA Campus Recreation will host their “Night Owl Competition” from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Recreation Wellness Center. The challenger is also a “circuit-like” set of exercises that must be completed in succession.

enough. She had tion suitable for a higher capacity, eventually leading her to the Elysia Collective Co.

Howell valiantly overcame was funding. Due to this, she primarily pro-

This dream of hers would allow her to host a variety of events ranging from business meetings to weddings. She also has big plans for the future of her current businesses, hoping to someday expand to locations throughout San Antonio and eventually branch out to other areas in Texas, such as Austin and Houston.

Until then, make sure to check out her new self-care collection dropping February 3rd at the Elysia Collective Co. (11858 Wurzbach Rd.) and find her businesses on Instagram @ elysiacollectiveco and @emilygracedesignsco.

Both ethical and econonomical

SA Gems

By Lauren Hernandez Contributor

Hash Vegan Eats serves as a striking contrast to much of San Antonio. When I arrived on a Friday afternoon there was a rowdy event going on across the street that was typical of most South Texas gatherings. Beer was being poured, BBQ was being served and streets were lined with people waiting for their fix. But Hash Vegan Eats, a vegan restaurant and non-alcoholic bar on the Southside of San Antonio, stands out as a truly unique restaurant and experience, especially against the backdrop of festivals like these. Roger Sanchez, co-owner of the restaurant, explained that Hash is built upon the foundation of “being both ethical and economical.” This concept is shown in every detail of Hash Vegan Eats, from the reusable straw in my water cup to the group of teenagers playing Mario Kart on couches in the back of the restaurant.

Hash Vegan Eats was supposed to have its grand opening in March 2020 but pushed it to October because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When discussing opening up his own vegan restaurant, Sanchez explained that “it’s just a natural thing, you know? That’s just how we wanted to run a business.”

Because Sanchez and his brother had managed several restaurants and bars in the past, they took notice of and disagreed with many of the practices in the restaurant community. They did not want to be a business that told people to “get out of here!” Just because they were homeless or struggling. Sanchez’s goal with Hash was to create a safe space for everyone in San Antonio, and he explained that as a recovering addict himself, if he had access to a place such as Hash Vegan Eats in his early years of recovery, getting help would have been much easier.

Although Hash Vegan Eats has a no-alcohol policy, their non-alcoholic cocktails truly legitimize Hash Vegan Eats as a bar. Because of this, Sanchez believes it is essential to host events as any bar would. During nights like the Venus Twins show, where a hundred kids are standing outside moshing to the music and another twenty are inside warming up, drinking tea and mocktails, it is evident that

See Hash on Page 2

Genevieve Vega/The Paisano

UTSA Businesses

By Naydine De La Fuente Contributor

Arts & Life

Stranded Coffee: An oasis of blends

UTSA alumnus-run business located on S. Alamo St.

Coffee is one of the most essential and delicious delicacies a college student can enjoy. It is there for comfort during the long tireless nights and provides motivation in the early mornings. San Antonio is a city that is home to many local coffee shops including that of UTSA alumnus, Jorge Codina, the proud owner of the local coffee shop Stranded Coffee.

The creation of Stranded Coffee began with Codina and his fellow business partners, Michael Hildebrand and Benjamin Graves. Codina’s journey started at San Antonio College, where he obtained his associate degree in music. Then, in 2015, he joined the Roadrunner family and graduated from UTSA with a marketing degree in 2018. UTSA aided him in his business journey as he gained a lot of knowledge through the many experiences he faced and the countless people he met.

Codina first fell in love with the craft of coffee after

Ketchup or Mustard?

Mac DeMarco releases new road-trip-inspired project

Continued Hash

going on a transformative trip to Seattle in 2014 with his two business partners and a current employee. During this trip, they stopped at a coffee shop in San Francisco where Codina tried his first cup of pour-over coffee.

“This cup of pour-over coffee completely changed the game for me and sparked an interest in coffee I didn’t know I had,” Codina said.

After this experience, he began investing his time in practicing the craft of coffee and getting inspired by the many coffee shops that surrounded him. When Codina graduated from university, he began working a day job but decided to fully invest his time in what he was genuinely passionate about — coffee. He attended his first pop-up event with one of his current business partners and began serving coffee for the first time, and little by little started to invest more in his business.

In April 2021, the vision of Stranded Coffee finally became a reality when it opened in downtown San Antonio. There were a lot of obstacles that came with wanting to start a business, the pandemic being one of them, but Codina ended up finding the iconic

Reviews

By Malaki Lingg Assistant Web Editor

Mac DeMarco released his last album, “Here Comes The Cowboy,” nearly four years ago in 2019. After a long wait between projects and an indefinite pause on his North American tour in late 2022 to work on new music, he finally released his new instrumental album, “Five Easy Hotdogs,” on Jan. 20, 2023.

DeMarco wrote “Five Easy Hotdogs” while on a crosscontinent road trip, leaving his home in California, heading

Hash Vegan Eats is not only a bar, but a staple in many communities and scenes around San Antonio. Hash has hosted punk, metal and hip-hop shows, Dungeons & Dragons matches, market days and more. They are always willing to collaborate with people and help them host their next event to benefit the community.

When I asked Sanchez about success, he explained that he is “just always striving to be better.” He is proud of what he has done for San Antonio, and he believes that “San Antonio is more ready for things

than we give it credit for.” When his restaurant is always busy and he wakes up to news articles about what he is doing for his community, it reassures him that he is indeed on the right path.

At this point in the interview, Sanchez looked over at the chaotic event down the street, saying, “it’s so crazy over there; it gives me so much anxiety,” but sitting in Hash Vegan Eats, surrounded by art

trailer that Stranded Coffee now uses to sell their delicious beverages. Codina’s love for music and coffee is what mainly inspired the brand of the business, which created a very unified and unique community where individuals can feel nostalgic over the punk rock music scene. The owners and employees have a very genuine and personable character to them and thoroughly enjoy speaking to their customers about their shared love for music through caffeinated drinks and creating stronger bonds with their customers. Stranded Coffee also prides itself in its annual Warped Tour-themed event, where its coffee shop sells seasonal drinks inspired by the traveling rock music festival.

Many obstacles come with starting your own business like funding and finding the right crew. Codina’s advice for anyone wanting to venture out and create a business of their own is to not be afraid to start small, not burn bridges and always be consistent. Overall, Stranded Coffee provides an amazing experience for individuals everywhere, from the delicious drinks to the welcoming community and amazing staff. So, if you want to support a fellow ‘Runner and a local small business, make sure to check out Stranded Coffee the next time you want a tasty drink or treat; you will not be disappointed.

For more information about Stranded Coffee, visit their website https://www.strandedcoffee.com/ or their Instagram page @strandedcoffeeclub.

east to New York, and then looping back toward the Pacific Northwest — vowing he would not return home until he had an album. Each song is named after the city he was in while writing it; this is visible in the tracklist, starting with “Gualala,” California and ending in “Rockaway,” Oregon. The album’s namesake, “Five Easy Hotdogs,” was seemingly inspired by the 1970 Bob Rafelson film, “Five Easy Pieces,” starring Jack Nicholson. In the film, Nicholson’s character hitchhikes across North America, hoping to start a new chapter in his life, which perfectly describes the process DeMarco took to develop this album. Continue reading at paisano-online.com

Food for thought: Solace in ‘Bones

and All’

Cannibal horror-romance film depicts identity and isolation

from local artists and delicious smelling food, it is safe to say that a restaurant where “no alcohol is poured and no animals are killed” is a welcome change to San Antonio.

Reviews

By Eunice Rodriguez Contributor

Warning: This article contains spoilers

“Bones and All” beautifully and unsettlingly portrays trials in life, such as identity and isolation, hidden in a gory, heart-wrenching love story. “Bones and All” is an adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ novel directed by Luca Guadagnino, starring Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet. Since the film, many are recognizing up-and-coming actor Russell and her talents alongside Chalamet, as this is his first horror-romance film. Although centered around cannibalism, the cast and Gudagnino do a phenomenal job of immersing viewers and illustrating isolation and identity in this body horror, road trip adaptation.

The film opens with the main character Maren, played by Russell, at a sleepover with her friends from her new school. Things take an unexpected turn when Maren gives in to her hunger and bites off one of the girls’ ring fingers, causing hysteria. Maren flees from the sleepover to her home, and her father opens the door, knowing all too well what his daughter has done. They begin their escape to another town, sticking to a previously determined, meticulous plan. We then learn that this has not been Maren’s first time eating another human.

They settle into their new home, and when morning comes, Maren wakes up to her father gone. All that is left is money, a map, a tape and her birth certificate. It is her eighteenth birthday. Her father was counting the days until he no longer had to deal with her. Maren has become completely abandoned for the same reason her mother left her as a child— being an “eater.”

Maren is alone, lost and sees herself as a monster stuck in an “eater” lifestyle she did not choose or want. So, she sets out to find her mother and listens to her father ’s tape in hopes of getting some answers about who she is. Along the way, Maren meets Lee, played by Chalamet, and discovers he too is an “eater” upon seeing him covered in blood from mouth to toe. They begin traveling together, come across various other “eaters,” kill together and fall in love. We also learn more about Lee and the similar struggles of identity and isolation he faces, such as his sexuality, gender expression, abuse by his father and being exiled by his mother. In the end, Maren and Lee’s love extends beyond what they thought they were worthy of, and they are able to find themselves through one another; however, their journey ends as a forbidden love story.

If you are a fan of Chalamet and his work, this is another great film by him. Russell shines and you can see her natural talent seep through the screen. A great film for lovers of horror and romance. “Bones and All” was released on Nov. 18, 2022, and Guadagnino did a remarkable job having viewers find solace in these characters and film through stunning cinematography storytelling and casting.

Eric Treviño/The Paisano

Eric Treviño/The Paisano

Dustin Vickers/The Paisano

Dustin Vickers/The Paisano

Spurs lose overtime thriller against Phoenix

Sochan drops 30-point career-high against the Suns

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

SAN ANTONIO – As stated before

the 2022-23 season, the goal for the San Antonio Spurs was to develop young talent and build confidence to go toeto-toe with any team in the NBA.

Despite the 14-36 overall record, the Spurs have kept their end of the bargain.

The Spurs fell to the Suns 128-118 in overtime on Saturday evening in the AT&T Center. Though down-to-the-wire losses may feel disappointing, Jeremy Sochan dropped a career-high 30 points, shooting three of six from three and snagging eight rebounds.

Keldon Johnson led the game with 34 points in 41 minutes. Johnson has come alive, having dropped a career-high 36 points just 10 days ago.

“Tough way to lose, but I am really proud of what they did,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

The Spurs never led in Saturday night’s game and trailed by as many as 13 points early in the fourth quarter. The young San Antonio squad closed the quarter on an 18-7 run to force the extra period.

San Antonio’s run was jump-started with five points from Stanely Johnson. After a defensive stand, Johnson was passed the ball for an open fast break layup to cut the score to 95-90, forcing a Phoenix timeout.

After hitting another 3-pointer, Johnson made a driving layup to cut the score to 103-100. Jakob Poeltl blocked Suns’ forward Torrey Craig’s layup, with Johnson getting the ball and scoring another layup to trail by one.

Down by 3 -points with 59 seconds left, Johnson drove the ball to the basket, scoring a 2-foot jump shot and getting fouled. The Kentucky alum drilled his free throw, tying the game at 110 and sending it to overtime.

Suns’ guard Chris Paul had 31 points in the win, while teammate Mikal Bridges had

25 points, eight of which came in overtime.

Though the overtime loss can be crushing, the Spurs see these situations as growing pains and will use these learning experiences for future seasons.

“It’s not going to be perfect; it’s going to have its ups and downs,” Sochan said. “I just try to stay in the moment and do the best that I can do. Being part of this organization where they trust me, believe in me, help me, I think it’s a lot easier.”

Sochan becomes the youngest player in Spurs history to score 30 points in a game. The 19-yearold is ahead of schedule in terms of development, and Johnson, now four years into the big leagues, has seen great improvement in his scoring, going from 12.8 points per game in his second season to 21.5 points per game in his fourth season.

“We’ve been getting better and better; I’m proud of each and every single one of them,” Johnson said. “It’s tough in the NBA; it’s professionals. We just have to continue getting better, and I feel like we’re right there.”

After three more home games, the Spurs will travel on a 9-game road trip. Without any playoff expectations – or a playoff reality – San Antonio can expect their player development to continue to grow and show bright spots for the future.

“We are way better than we were a month ago, two weeks ago,” Johnson said. “I feel like, you know, we’re getting better and better. That’s all I can really ask for my teammates.”

MBB: Roadrunners swept by North Texas in season series

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

DENTON – North Texas guard Tylor Perry knocks down back-to-back threes to withstand a UTSA upset, pulling away 63-59 on Thursday night in The Super Pit.

Jacob Germany’s 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench helped find the Roadrunners in another close ball game against the current second seed in Conference-USA.

Thursday’s loss adds to seven in a row for the Roadrunners. With a 1-10 C-USA record and 7-15 overall, UTSA finds itself at the bottom of the conference standings.

The ‘Runners kept North Texas in their sights, trailing 34-27 at the half.

UTSA outscored the Mean Green in the second half, having their best shooting night since their last victory on Jan. 5.

With 4:38 left in the second half, John Buggs III made a three to pull the ‘Runners within one point. Perry countered Buggs III with a three of his own, then made another on his next possession.

Down five points with 42 seconds remaining, UTSA guard Christian Tucker went to the free-throw line and knocked down the first attempt. After missing the second, Tucker grabbed his own rebound and made a put-back layup to bring the Roadrun-

ners back within two, trailing 61-59.

Aleu Aleu made a defensive stand on North Texas’ next possession by blocking a shot with 13 seconds remaining. The Mean Green regained the ball and sent Perry to the foul line, where he swished his two free throws.

DJ Richards heaved up a final desperation shot, though it clanked the back iron, resulting in the 4-point loss.

Along with Germany’s 15 points, Buggs III added 13 points, going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, while Richards had 12 points of his own with two three- pointers.

Perry led the game with 21 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the 3-point line. The senior is currently seventh in the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 45.9 percent from three.

UTSA matched the Mean Green in 3-pointers made with six while also having two fewer turnovers than North Texas, keeping them within striking distance.

North Texas advances to 17-5 on the season, with an 8-3 record in league play.

Japhet Medor was sidelined for his third straight game with an ankle injury.

MBB: LA Tech takes down UTSA in high-scoring second half

By Rylan Renteria Contributor

SAN ANTONIO – After a lowscoring first half, LA Tech took off in the second half and handed UTSA their 8th straight loss, winning 66-55 on a rainy Saturday afternoon in the UTSA Convocation Center.

With this loss, UTSA extends their conference-leading losing streak to eight and brings their record on the season to 7-16, with an abysmal 1-11 record against Conference USA opponents.

Isaiah Adoo-Ankrah led the Roadrunners with 14 points and 6 rebounds while going 4-of-9 from the three-point line. Teammates Christian Tucker and John Buggs III each added 13 points.

Japhet Medor, UTSA’s leading scorer in points per game with 13.7, returned midway through the first half after missing the last three games with a foot injury.

Though the Roadrunners’ most important offense cog returned to the court, UTSA lacked offensive production, scoring a season-low 18 first-half points. Roadrunners missed their first

seven shots from beyond the arc. Addo-Ankrah ended the dry spell with the team’s first three with 9:58 remaining in the half.

LA Tech’s shots began to fall in the second half as the gap widened to as much as a 12-point lead just three minutes into the period. Tucker and Adoo-Ankrah managed to break the Bulldogs’ run with threes of their own. LA Tech maintained their lead and came out with the victory 66-55.

“I feel like we just need to put a lot of pieces together and go on more runs,” Medor said. “Less stops and less droughts as a team; just the little things.”

Despite the disappointing conference record, the players remain faithful to the coaching and will stay intact for the remainder of the season.

“We’re bought into the system and bought into the coaches,” Medor said. “I feel like everything else will speak for itself later on in the season.”

UTSA takes on Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at the E.A. Diddle Arena.

Courtesy of NBAE/Michael Gonzalez

SPORTS

King finishes runner-up in the Houston Invitational

By Luke Lawhorn Sports Editor

HOUSTON – Amaya King finished with the silver in the women’s shot put event on Friday afternoon as UTSA competed in the Houston Invitational in Yeoman Fieldhouse.

The throwers were the highlight of the day for the Roadrunners, having five top-eight finishes.

King starred in her third meet as a ‘Runner with the second place finish.

The Purdue transfer recorded a season-best throw of 15.06 meters (49-5) to secure her runner-up position. King opened the day with a mark of 14.35m (47-1), which sat her in third place through the first round. After the three foul throws and a 13.89m (46-7) on her fourth attempt, King finished with her highest mark on the sixth and final throw of her short UTSA career.

Paul Bouey finished in fifth place in the men’s shot put. The Chile native opened with a throw of 15.53m (50-11.50) on his first attempt and a 15.52m (50-11) on his second. Bouey’s best mark would come in the third round, where he would reach a distance of 15.67m (51.05).

Jorge Ayala, who also competed in the men’s shot put, finished in eighth place with a distance of 15.44m (50-08).

Isabella Simonelli and Acacia Astwood competed in the women’s weight throw, placing sixth and seventh, respectively. Simonelli finished with a best throw of 17.11m (56-01) in her fifth attempt, while Astwood claimed a best of 17.09m (56-01) in her fourth attempt.

Gabe Hernandez and Michael Paredes represented UTSA in the men’s mile. Hernandez managed to finish the eight laps with a time of 4:31.62, landing him in 12th place. Paredes followed closely behind, finishing in 13th place and clocking a time of 4:32.12.

Savanah Lopez placed eighth in the women’s mile, the highest finish for any woman racer for the Roadrunners. Lopez closed with a time of 5:22.45, while teammate Chante Dixon came in 10th place with a time of 5:25.15.

UTSA will travel to New York City this Friday-Saturday, Feb. 3-4, to compete in the Scarlet Knights Open.

WBB: UTSA fails to end its losing streak

SAN ANTONIO – UTSA basketball dropped their fourth game in a row against North Texas 54-51 Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

Jordyn Jenkins led the team with 27 points, her 11th 20-point game of the season. Coleman and White each added six points in the loss.

The Roadrunners (4-15, 2-8 C-USA) have not beaten North Texas since the 2018-19’ season. The Mean Green (7-13, 4-6) snapped a two-game losing streak of their own with Thursday’s victory.

UNT tipped the ball their way to get first possession. Throughout the first frame, North Texas held the lead over the ‘Runners, which never fell short of a three-point difference, largely thanks to UNT’s Quincy Noble’s 3-pointer.

UTSA’s Elyssa Coleman, Alexis Parker and Kyra White each made a basket in the first quarter. A free throw from Jenkins totaled the Roadrunners seven points, though they trailed the Mean Green by eight points.

Sidney Love scored within the first 30 seconds of the second quarter, followed by two points awarded to the

This week’s matchups

1/31/23

Men’s Golf at Sea Best Invitational

2/1/23

2 p.m. Women’s Tennis at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi

2/2/23

7 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs WKU

7 p.m. Men’s Basketball at WKU

2/3/23

Track & Field/Cross Country at Scarlet Knights

Open

1 p.m. Men’s Tennis vs New Orleans

2/4/23

Track & Field/Cross

Country at Scarlet Knights

Open

11 a.m. Women’s Tennis at Lamar

2 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs Middle Tennessee

5 p.m. Men’s Basketball at Middle Tennessee

2/5/23

11 a.m. Men’s Tennis vs UCSB

12 p.m. Women’s Tennis at Sam Houston

2/6/23

Women’s Golf vs Paradise Invitational

2/7/23

Women’s Golf vs Paradise Invitational

‘Runners by UNT’s Tommisha Lampkin, tipping the ball into the basket in an attempt to tip it away from Jenkins.

Jenkins scored a total of eight points during the second quarter, tying the game at 17. North Texas closed on a 6-4 run to go into halftime up 25-21.

Opening the third quarter, the Mean Green was quick to add on points with two baskets. Parker, who had not scored since the first quarter, made the first 3-pointer for UTSA.

Each team took a defensive stand, keeping the game scoreless for nearly two minutes.

North Texas maintained its lead into the fourth quarter. A three from Jenkins and Siena Guttadauro closed the score within two points.

After a hard foul, Jenkins was sent to the line, where she drained a pair of free throws to tie the game at 46.

UNT answered with baskets of their own, asserting themselves with full control. UTSA was unable to regain the lead, falling 54-51.

Fury FC Comes to San Antonio

By Nate Henneke Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO – An action-filled night was guaranteed with over 20 MMA fights booked for Fury FC 73 held at Cowboys Dancehall. There were several fights that stood out among the dozens, like the main event ending with a spectacular TKO comeback by Josh Walker in the final round via rear flying knee into a swift assault of punches.

The TKO by Walker was not the only ending that had the crowd on their feet. Amateur fighter Joe Perez who fired back from being struck with a killer

head kick that quickly led to his decisive victory over Drew Lopez, a highlight that could be careerdefining. Perez should be a name to look out for in future fights with his strong striking ability and grit; he is sure to be an exciting fighter to keep in mind.

The co-main event followed in a similar fashion to the main event, with Anthony Ivy submitting Austin Jones via rear naked choke in the third round to break a five-fight losing streak. Ivy came into this fight as the underdog, yet proved that he could

defeat higher-ranked opponents like Jones in a true test of his skill. This event also marked the third MMA win for rising lightweight Kody Steele, via a dominant decision over Sam Kilmer.

This event was televised and promoted on the UFC fight pass, and UFC president Dana White has said that he is looking to promote more MMA events in Texas in the future. The success of Fury FC 73 in San Antonio could open all of Texas to the potential increase in MMA events.

Kylar Royer/The Paisano

Courtesy of UTSA Athletics/ Erik Williams

Kylar Royer/The Paisano