The anger Volume 93 • Issue 10 San Antonio College A forum of free voices since 1926
Feb. 18, 2019 WWW.THERANGER.ORG
ASL program uses online software to enhance curriculum Students have access to ASL resource labs in Nail. By Marissa Macias sac-ranger@alamo.edu Students in American Sign Language and interpreter training courses use videos created in GoReact to turn in assignments that show their progress in signing. ASL students are required to record themselves signing and turn it into their professor for feedback.
“I have even more information as a teacher,” Coordinator Julie Razuri said Feb. 6. Through the online software GoReact, selfdiagnosing and receiving comments from professors has proved to be the best advancement in that curriculum, Razuri said. “Because ASL is visual, we’ve always had to turn in a visual format for homework and testing,” she said. Before computer software was created to do this, everything was turned in on VHS tapes, Razuri said.
With technological developments like CD ROMS, Dropbox, USBs and now online sharing platforms, the ways of distributing the course material continue to evolve, she said. GoReact also eliminates difficulties such as lagging and low quality videos, which were common in older technologies when students were assigned to self-record. The picture quality has gotten better and better, Razuri said. “Every word is on the hands, the body, the face,
so we need to see all of those things very clearly,” Razuri said. Part of the course curriculum requires students to sign alongside instructional videos while recording their movements. Students and professors can pinpoint when and where improvements need to be made while comparing the two videos side by side. “I have the original source, their side and their own self-analysis,” she said. “I can help in so many
See ASL, Page 2
Students say Alamo Promise unfair to the current hard-working ones Academic adviser says higher education should be free. By Sergio Medina smedina104@student.alamo.edu
Veterinary technician freshman Jose Banda rides a mechanical bull during the Campus Activity Board’s Wild West Rodeo Roundup Feb. 11 in the mall. Banda said he wanted to try riding the bull. Student organizations such as the Anime and Boxing clubs sold food and drinks. Mitchell Gawlik
Hardworking students with high GPAs should receive incentives such as lower tuition, four international students said in an interview Feb. 12. The feedback came after learning of Alamo Promise, a program that will cover tuition for incoming high school seniors in fall 2020. To qualify, students need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0. Tuition not covered by federal aid will be paid for by the “last-dollar scholarship.” Business freshman Anne Tabart said she was surprised at the few requirements needed for Promise. “I just find that, maybe, a bit unfair,” she said. “For example, a student who has a 3.0 and doesn’t have any aid because, I don’t know, his parents have money or whatever — if I was this student, ‘I am American, I have good grades and I don’t get anything?’ I just find that a bit unfair.” Environmental science freshman Caterina Beverati said the idea behind Promise can encourage more students to get a higher-education degree, dispelling financial or self-confidence worries. “But at the same time, I’d say they should also do something for the students that are good — good GPA or something like that,” she said. Business administration freshman Gustavo Gonzalez said, “I think it would benefit it more if, for the students that have a higher GPA and are doing good, for them to get more like a room or something so they don’t have to pay for, you know, housing or food or, you know, stuff like that.” He said Promise overlooks students
Faculty Senate discusses proposal to revive tenure Senators suggest productive grade rates should vary. By Rogelio Escamilla rescamilla69@student.alamo.edu A tenure reinstatement proposal will be ready for Faculty Senate President Lenny Irvin by the next meeting March 8, English Professor Patricia Portales, the Faculty Senate research sub-committee chair, said. Faculty Senate met Feb. 8 to provide updates on morale, the 70 percent productive grade rate and tenure reinstatement.
Tenure for new hires was removed in 2011 under former Chancellor Bruce Leslie. Any faculty who had tenure or were in the seven-year process of earning tenure were not impacted by the removal. In a faculty survey last semester, 84.2 percent of the 153 respondents agreed with the statement “I support the reinstatement of tenure.” One hundred and four of them selected “strongly agree.” Under the faculty morale section, 75 percent agreed with the statement “I make a difference at SAC,” while 38 percent agreed with
the statement “my contributions are appreciated at SAC.” Portales said faculty were shocked when tenure was removed from Alamo Colleges’ policy. She said new faculty often look for schools offering tenure when looking for a job. “The majority (of faculty) would like to reinstate tenure,” she said. “And we think it’ll attract and retain new faculty. We have a lot of faculty right now who are just on contract, and they’re very nervous about their job security.” A tenured position, according to the
See TENURE, Page 2
who do not file FAFSA. “I kind of feel like if you have to enroll in FAFSA, that’s kind of screwing a lot of people over because not everyone can do FAFSA — I can’t do FAFSA,” he said. “It’s kind of like they’re trying to do something good for the community, but at the same time, they’re kind of throwing this thing in the middle — kind of like a blockade.” Tabart said it’s more beneficial to encourage people who are already in. Cybersecurity freshman Bruno Bogado said outstanding students should be charged less tuition at their university of choice when transferring. “If they have a higher GPA, or they’re doing way better than the average student, then you should at least consider giving them a discount at another university,” he said. “A scholarship, definitely something that will help them out.” Academic adviser Fidel Bém said higher education should be free for all. “We are supposedly in a developed nation, first-world country, and we are asking — I’m not even talking about international students — we’re asking the citizens of this country to take out loans to get what should be a right — an education, a basic education,” Bém said. “K through 12 is not a basic education in this day and age. Even a bachelor’s degree is a basic education. “That is why things like Alamo Promise are wonderful. They’re aspirational, but it shouldn’t even need to exist,” he added. “Every student that comes here should have the ability to go to school and not have to worry about how much debt they’re going to be in, whether you’re indistrict, out-of-district or out-of-country. In a democracy, an educated population is an expectation of a democracy.”
English Professor Patricia Portales talks tenure reinstatement at a Faculty Senate meeting Feb. 8 in Room 204 of the Victory Center. Tenure is the status of indefinite employment protecting professors from termination because of speech and research. It was discontinued in 2011 under Chancellor Bruce Leslie. Amaru Ruiz
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News
Feb. 18, 2019
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ASL from Page 1 more ways once I understand their line of thinking.” Students have access to technology in two ASL/ interpreting resource labs, six recording rooms and three computer classrooms in Nail Technical Center. Having the labs readily furnished with the proper technological resources benefits students who do not have access to the internet at home. “It’s not just having the technology like GoReact, it’s having the technology available so that students have access to it in the classroom,” Razuri said. This helps students when they take the internship course requiring 336 internship hours with supervising mentors in interpreting jobs, she said. “Everything that the student learns through technology is a two-dimensional figure,” Razuri
said. “When they get in front of deaf people during their internship is when it’s all about three-dimensional things.” Lab hours are 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. every first Saturday of the month. Summer lab hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. For more information about American Sign Language and interpreter training, visit the college website or visit Room 114 in Nail. For advising, contact Chair Tom Cox at 210-4861106 or tcox@alamo.edu or Razuri at 210-486-1120 or jrazuri@alamo.edu. For more information on ASL labs, visit Room 110 in Nail.
Mortuary science hosts cremation certification seminar Cremation rates are expected to rise to 53.5 percent. By Alberto Ramirez sac-ranger@alamo.edu The mortuary science program had a cremation certification seminar Feb. 16 in Room 120 of the visual arts center taught by mortuary science Professor Mary Allen-Martin. Students who attended could earn a Certified Crematory Operator license offered by the National Funeral Directors Association. Fortyfive students had signed up at $160 each. The certification is intend-
ed for crematory owners or operators and licensed funeral home directors, but the certification does not require it. The license is a professional license that is attractive to owners and operators of crematories, Allen-Martin said Feb. 7. According to a 2018 report from the Cremation Association of North America, Texas went from a 30 to 40 percent cremation rate in 2013 to a 41 to 50 percent rate in 2017. And according to a 2018 report from the funeral directors association, the cremation rate will continue to climb to 53.5 percent, while the burial rate is projected to be only 40.5
TENURE from Page 1
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American Association of University Professors, is an “indefinite appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances.” This prevents a professor from losing a position because of speech, research or publications and “protects academic freedom,” according to AAUP’s website www.aaup.org/issues/tenure. “It entitles us to freedom in the classroom,” Portales said. “At an institution of higher education, we work on new research, whether or not we do the research here, that’s being done in our fields everywhere. We want to be on the cutting edge of our fields, and if we’re teaching some new aspect, we have to have that protection.” Jonathan Lee, interim chair of the MexicanAmerican studies, early childhood studies, sociology, social work and history department, said
percent. “Since cremation is more and more popular, more funeral homes have built crematories,” Allen-Martin said. Allen-Martin thinks the certification allows mortuary science students to explain the cremation process more accurately, improving the funeral service they can offer clients. Crematories at one time were only operated on cemetery grounds, Allen-Martin said. But as of Sept. 1, 2003, according to the Texas Health and Safety Code, crematories may be constructed “adjacent to funeral establishments.”
he does not think tenure should have been taken away and wants his colleagues to have the same opportunity he had. “We need to look at who does not have the ability to apply for tenure versus those who had the ability and judge if we think that is equitable,” Lee said. “In my department, of the nine people not on the tenure track, eight are women, and about half of those are women of color. The four who have tenure are men.” As for meeting a PGR of 70 percent, Lee — and most senators in the meeting — agreed the goal does not account for students who struggle more in certain courses than others. “Perhaps we need to be thinking about what’s a reasonable expectation,” Lee said. “There are a lot of things beyond an instructor’s control.” A possible solution senate members proposed is allowing departments to have varying PGRs.
#GoCodeSA
CODEATHON 2019 FRIDAY - SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22-24, 2019 TRINITY UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
Be a part of VIA’s GoCodeSA Codeathon, an event designed to bring together the best coders, designers, and tech minds in the area, and challenge them to turn bright ideas into smart transit innovation. GoCodeSA Codeathon is free for participants, to compete for cash prizes based on their work. Applicants must register as a group, each composed of at least two and at most five individuals. Tech-field judges will conduct reviews and select the top three entries. More than $10,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. Register at GOCODESA.com.
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Opinion 3
Staff Editor Sergio Medina Managing Editor Rogelio Escamilla News Editor Lionel Ramos Web Editor James Russell Staff Writers Breonica Broussard, Dean Contreras, Sandy Cordell, Travis Doyle, Julian Gonzales, Blanca Granados, Lilliana Guerra, Geoffrey Hovatter, Marlon Anthony Juarez, Marissa Macias, Janie Medelez, Sarah F. Morgan, Jackie Muralles, Matthew R. Perez, Alberto Ramirez, Michael Smith, Isacc Tavares, Samantha Woodward Photographers Mitchell Gawlik, Deandra Gonzalez, Brittney Maria Moreno, Brianna Rodrigue Photo Team Andrea Moreno, Amaru Ruiz Illustrators Raia Blankenship, Amanda Graef
©2019 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-3941. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. The Ranger news outlets, which serve the Alamo Community College District, are laboratory projects of classes in the
Raia Blankenship
Take precautions when on campus Call police escort services when alone at night. Safety concerns need addressing as a new parking garage begins construction where Lots 20, 21, 22 and 29 are located, limiting parking space throughout the college. The other lots and garages get crammed during peak hours, and getting around becomes more difficult with more traffic than usual, translating into safety risks. Crammed parking garages and parking lots, people parking in spaces farther from campus, in a rush to get to class or work — it turns into a hectic atmosphere. So here are some things to remember:
Drive safely. Sounds like a no-brainer, but with crowded spaces, maneuvering becomes more difficult, particularly in the garages. All drivers and pedestrians need to exercise selfresponsibility to ensure everyone’s safety. When backing out of a parking spot, go slowly and be aware of your surroundings. This is especially important in the parking garages as spaces are narrower. Additionally, take an extra moment to ensure the street is clear of traffic when entering or exiting the garages. Pedestrians, use designat-
ed street crossings to avoid delaying traffic by avoding accidents. Get here earlier. With less space to park, it takes more time to do so. Arrive here early to avoid being late to class. Carpooling is another way to mitigate traffic; organize with friends to make the most of one vehicle. Furthermore, should one wish to avoid parking altogether and have time to spare, use the college ID, now doubling as a VIA U-Pass, to commute on VIA buses for free. Getting here early — and leaving late, for that matter — comes with other caveats.
Editorial
Additional security risks arise when the campus is deserted. With the district’s open campus policy comes the uncertainty of crime being around the corner. Another advantage to carpooling is the sense of safety that arriving and leaving in company brings about. However, when you are alone, especially at night, try to walk with others, but if you have to, call 210-485-0099 to request a police escort. When it’s dark, stick to lighted paths and always have a phone at hand. In case of emergencies, call district police at 210-485-0911. Stay vigilant and remember: Everyone can contribute to making this campus safer.
journalism-photography program at San Antonio College. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations. The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger. org. News contributions accepted by telephone (210486-1773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email (sacranger@alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room
This college must improve website St. Philip’s can serve as a model.
212 of Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available by phone 210-486-1765 or as a download at www.theranger.org. The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Community College Journalism Association. Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words. Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persuasive or interpretative style. All viewpoints must be published with a photo portrait of the writer. Letters Policy: The Ranger invites readers to share views by writing letters to the editor. Space limitations force the paper to limit letters to two double-spaced, typewritten pages. Letters will be edited for spelling, style, grammar, libel and length. Editors reserve the right to deny publication of any letter. Letters should be emailed to sac-ranger@alamo.edu or submitted online. Letters also may be brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, mailed to The Ranger, journalism-photography program, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-3941 or faxed to 210-486-9292. Letters must be signed and must include the printed name and telephone number. Students should include classification, major, campus and Banner ID. Employees should include title and telephone number. For more information, call 210-486-1773. Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue because of high production costs. Where available, additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Ranger business office. Those who violate the single-copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and college discipline.
This college’s website could be extremely useful for students looking for information about campus events or important notifications. The keyword: could. As it stands, this college’s website is a hit or miss on the information’s accuracy, because the process of updating information and making changes is slow and unintuitive. To make updating the website easier, this college needs a dedicated webmaster team that is easily accessible to the public. Currently, each of the Alamo Colleges’ websites is maintained by their PR office. However, the specific process of updating the website varies among the five colleges. This college’s public relations menu of services states any change to the webpage can be expected to take between one to two weeks. In that amount of time, they could design a pamphlet with the change, print it and distribute it to each student, reach-
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ing a much larger audience than an outof-date website. On the website for St. Philip’s College, there is a dedicated help page where anyone can easily access the webmaster’s email to request a change. Johnny Rodriguez, senior digital media specialist at St. Philip’s, acts as that college’s webmaster. There is a team of about 12-15 people who manage webpages for multiple divisions, including each department. Once a request is made, if it is not immediate, it is sent to Rodriguez for approval. He said although the timeline varies depending on the request, the approval time is usually 10-15 minutes. Rodriguez is also able to make an immediate change on the spot. An example of an immediate change is if a faculty member leaves or is hired, or if a faculty member’s office location is changed. This college lacks the same effective
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Tech Store offers Apple products at a discount By Janie Medelez This college’s Tech Store’s next event, an appreciation day, is a oneday tax-free sale on select Apple products for faculty, staff and students 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 11 in Duran Welcome
Center. Only Alamo College students can make purchases at the Tech Store and take advantage of the best educational pricing program, Ana Ortega, store manager, said.
system because there is no clear department dedicated to updating the website as quickly as needed. Having a slow system of website updates can frustrate and mislead. This college’s risk management webpage, for example, was last updated Feb. 23, 2018, and the location is incorrectly listed as Moody Learning Center. Risk management — if you are wondering — is in Fletcher Administration Center. This college’s directory could also benefit from an update, as it is not userfriendly. If a student types in a professor’s name, the spelling must be exact or no results will show. Also, adjunct professors may not appear at all. This college needs to improve its website update time by creating a system similar to St. Philip’s, where each department can quickly get a change approved, and a change can be made immediately if necessary.
Editorial
Eco Centro showcases gardening at open house By Travis Doyle Ariana Fuentes, farm and garden coordinator of Sinkin Eco Centro, showed off a variety of seedlings and demonstrated the variety of plants grown at the center for various partnerships and events Feb. 6. The center brought in the seed-
lings for an open house that was a part of the spring 2019 Weeks of Welcome at this college. She said the center grows spinach, broccoli, various wild flowers and plants used to bring in pollinators. The center is also growing a variety of plants for events.
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Features
Feb. 18, 2019
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Cutter fails to read cow at rodeo View more rodeo photos at
Teen has competed in cutting contests since age 5. By Lionel Ramos
lramos174@student.alamo.edu
For those who compete, the sport of cutting a cow from the herd is not just another weekend outing with the family; it’s a way of life. “There’s not a season for it; it’s all the time,” said Haylee King, a 13-year-old from Abilene. She competed with her American Quarter Horse, Swingins Lucky Mate, in the National Cutting Horse Association cutting competition Feb. 9 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Haylee said she entered her first cutting competition when she was about 5 years old, and she’s been competing ever since. Cutting is a sport derived from the 19th century practice of cowboys separating a single cow from the rest of its herd while on the trail, according to the association website, nchacutting.com. The website explains cowboys, while on the trail, had with them a “remuda” or line of horses that followed close behind. Each horse was trained and used to complete a different task,
WWW.THERANGER.ORG and the cutting horse was an essential member to any remuda. The practice, though still widely used on ranches, is now one of the most popular equine sports in the world, according to the site. The site’s “spectators’ guide” says the rules allow the competitor 2½ minutes to separate two cows from the rest of the herd, one at a time. One cow should come from inside the herd in what’s called a performance run, and the other can be selected from the edges. Once the rider successfully isolates a cow, the rider puts the reins down and lets the horse “work.” Working the horse means allowing it to keep the cow away from the herd without any direction or help from the rider. The idea is to train the horse to fight the instinct a cow has to return to its herd, without showing aggression. The horse is judged on its “style and exertion used to keep the cow under control,” the site reads. There is not a solo competi-
tion; each competitor is allowed four riders of their choice to help contain the herd and keep it from running into the judge’s stands. Each competition can have from three to five judges. For only 2½ minutes of showtime, however, the sport requires a lot of time for both the rider and the horse spent practicing. For Haylee, that means sometimes waking up at 3 a.m. during the summer months to finish her schoolwork before the day gets hot. She said her schoolwork is her priority, but when she’s done, she saddles and works all six of her horses before moving on to her father’s horses. Normally, she practices four days a week, but the day can be long and exhausting, she said, sometimes ending at 10 p.m. just to wake up the next morning and do it all again. Despite a lifetime of practice however, there is no guarantee of winning. Haylee and Swingins Lucky Mate placed seventh out of seven competitors on her run
Haylee King, 13, allows her quarter horse, named Swingins Lucky Mate, to work unassisted as they compete at the National Cutting Horse Association cutting competition at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Feb. 9 at the AT&T Center. The goal is to allow the horse to control the cow without help from the rider. The event includes a carnival, livestock exposition, food contests, horse shows, pig races, a petting zoo and musical performances. Lionel Ramos Feb. 9 with a score of 128. “I lost a cow,” Haylee said during a phone interview Feb. 11, explaining her low competition score at the rodeo. “I drove the cow up, put the reins down and the cow got away. That was a really determined cow,” she said. She said riders have to read the cows and mentally separate “good” cows from “bad” cows and she did not do that. A good cow is one that will try to out-maneuver the horse, giving the horse a chance to
showcase its agility and intelligence, while a bad cow is one that will mindlessly run for the herd–effectively keeping the horse from performing. First-place was Brea Collier and Smartys Boon, Cypress, 150; second-place was Makenzie Cowan and Exclusive Thyme, Ardmore, Okla., 148; third-place was Will J. Bushaw and Velvets Revolver, Weatherford, 146.5. Haylee has competed in cutting competitions at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo every year since she was 7.
She said she expects to compete at the rodeo in Graham or Houston next, though she hasn’t decided. Meanwhile, she said the horses used in the competitions will take time to rest and do light exercise like trotting or walking. Haylee said the purpose of the exercise, is to get the horse’s muscles to stretch after the intense movement required while cutting. Haylee said she hopes to do better at her next competition.
Importance of milking demonstrated at show The breed of the cow determines how much milk can be produced in a day. By James Russell
jrussell65@student.alamo.edu
During a milking demonstration Feb. 9 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Kelsey Delahoussaye, 17, milked her 2-year-old jersey dairy cow Missy. In the rodeo, she hoped to win college tuition because of the quality of Missy’s milk. Delahoussaye said she has participated in the rodeo and the dairy business for four years in Liberty Hill, starting with her first jersey cow Molly, the 4-year-old mother of Missy. Delahoussaye takes care of her cattle by feeding, grooming and giving attention to general hygiene. “They’re not just animals. They’re more like pets and family,” Delahoussaye said.
Kelsey Delahoussaye, 17, milks 2-year-old jersey dairy cow Missy during a demonstration sponsored by H-E-B Feb. 9 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. James Russell
The breed of the cow determines how much milk can be produced per day. For example, a Jersey cows are the smallest breed of dairy cows and can produce five gallons a day. A Holstein cow can produce nine gallons of milk a day. If a dairy cow was producing milk to feed a calf, it would only produce one gallon. Eric Delahoussaye, Kelsey’s father, said, “Milking helps filter out any bacteria that could be in the milk and separates the colostrum from the milk. “Colostrum is the first bit produced that gives the newborn calf antibodies to protect against disease,” he said. Milking the cow relieves stress caused by the weight of the milk. “If dairy cows are not milked, they could get an infection from the buildup of bacteria,” he said.
Rancher Mark Miksch removes the milking machine from Padlicek, a Jersey cow, who produced 4 gallons of milk Feb. 9 at the San Antonio Stockshow & Rodeo. Miksch said he’s been showing children how to milk cows for 12 years. Deandra Gonzalez