R ANGER
An independent forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926 and the Alamo Colleges since 1945 Volume 92 • Issue 16
THE
April
16,
2 0 1 8 Journalism-photography program at San Antonio College
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ELECTIONS
All trustee incumbents are opposed in the May 5 general election for single-member Districts 5, 6 and 7, and the special election for District 9. Early voting is April 23-May 1. The boardwalk portables at Northwest Vista College are an early voting location. Trustees serve six-year terms on
the nine-member board. District 9 is an unexpired term, which ends in 2020, left by the death of Jim Rindfuss. District 9 trustee Joe Jesse Sanchez was appointed by five board members Nov. 7 to fill the vacancy until the next regularly scheduled election. Go online to read candidate interviews. Alison Graef
Freshman finds beauty in struggle with help of advocacy center Students can access food and clothing after filling out two forms. By Victoria Lee Zamora sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Cyber security freshman Elizabeth Deluna, 19, says she isn’t poor. She just needs help. That’s what drove her to take advantage of this college’s student advocacy center for food, cloth-
ing and personal hygiene products beginning in February. “I don’t know what you consider being poor is, but I know that I don’t fall under that category,” she said March 28. “I am very fortunate for the things that I have and the roof over my head.” As Deluna clipped on her H-E-B name tag while running on four hours of sleep, she sat on the floor of her Tobin Lofts apartment looking
Social work sophomore Gerardo Martinez stocks shelves at The Store, managed by the student advocacy center, in Room 326 of Chance. Although the San Antonio Food Bank donates items, Martinez said “students really build this thing up.” Eligible individuals can visit twice a month for food and clothing and once a month for hygiene products. File
close to defeated. “I want to throw in the towel, find a job that pays well and live my life not struggling like the way I am now,” she said. Her hazel eyes glistened as she said, “But there is beauty in the struggle. I know that everything I am going through now will definitely be worth it when I cross that stage and get my degree that I have been working so
See BEAUTY, Page 2
Vice chancellors talk change management, transition of power By Alison Graef
agraef@student.alamo.edu
Dr. Thomas Cleary, vice chancellor for planning, performance and information systems, said to expect some anger and disapproval during the transition of power from Chancellor Bruce Leslie to incoming chancellor Mike Flores, president of Palo Alto College. Cleary and Associate Vice Chancellor Linda Boyer-Owens presented on change management at a special board meeting and chancellor retreat April 7 at the workforce center of excellence. Flores was announced incoming chancellor at a Feb. 8 board meeting. Leslie announced his retirement at the Oct. 23 board meeting and will stay until Sept. 30 to help with the transition. Cleary said most people say they want change, but they are much more reluctant when the reality sets in that change creates uncertainty and requires them to adapt. “People don’t like uncertainty,” Cleary said. “People want to know what is going to be different.” Cleary said change must be “socialized” to promote positive reactions through clear communication of what the change is and how it will affect people. “Change is personal,” Cleary said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about Dr. Flores. People want to know about the agenda.” He said reaction to change is a process. It can start with anger or disapproval, then goes to anxiety before leading into ambivalence or anticipation. He said it ideally results in acceptance and enthusiasm. He said it is best for the transition to the new chancellor to be done quickly because if Flores’ agenda is solidified, employees will be able to relax. He said employees are already wondering how the new chancellor will affect initiatives such as the Alamo Institutes,
See CHANGE, Page 2
Chemical engineering sophomore Eric Allee burns a piece of wood using a solar contractor and the sun while Benjamin Uresti, academic lab tech at the MESA center, records the temperature April 10 north of Chance. The highest temperature recorded was 730 degrees. The SAC Undergrad Research
Program made the solar contractor. The 8-foot satellite dish was donated from Moody, and they added a 97 percent reflective, insulating film. Allee said the next step is to build a stand for the dish, and they hope to generate electricity to see how efficient it can be. Brianna Rodrigue
Dual credit increases still plague Alamo Colleges’ budgets Northwest Vista was the only college with net savings at the end of FY 2017. By Zachary-Taylor Wright sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The district experienced unexpected enrollment growth in fall 2017 that didn’t lead to incremental tuition revenue because of disproportionate tuition-exempt enrollment. This prompted a $6.2 million budget amendment proposal and could lead to tuition increase and charging dualcredit students tuition. The $6.2 million budget amendment proposal was presented to the board of trustees at the Dec. 5 Audit, Budget and Finance Committee meeting at Killen Center, which included a $4 million transfer from the fund balance, the dis-
trict’s financial reserve, and $2.2 million in rollover from multi-year accounts, which include student success funds and student activity fee savings. Rollover from multi-year accounts will be rolled over to the colleges and the fund balance transfer will be distributed between the colleges and district support operations. In an interview after the committee meeting, Dr. Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said it is uncommon for the board to pull from the fund balance two years in a row. However, because the board agreed to pull $5 million from the fund balance during the FY 2017 budget process and didn’t spend it all, she felt better about requesting $4 million from the fund balance for FY 2018.
In an interview Dec. 6, chief budget Officer Shayne West clarified student activity fee savings are rolled over to their corresponding college accounts, meaning this college’s student activity fee savings are rolled over to this college’s fiscal year 2018 student activity fee. By law, those funds are restricted to student activities. According to a presentation from Snyder, the district experienced an unexpected 3.4 percent growth in headcount enrollment and a 4.2 percent growth in contact hours. Snyder said tuition revenue is only up $1 million despite the unexpected enrollment increase because tuition-exempt enrollment is growing disproportionately to tuition-paying enrollment. When District 2 trustee Denver
McClendon asked Snyder how much tuition-exempt, dual-credit enrollment was costing the district, Snyder said she did not have that information with her and would present it to the board in February. In an interview after the committee meeting, Snyder said about 14,000 dual-credit students are 100 percent tuition-exempt. Tuition-exempt, dual-credit enrollment is costing the district about $30 million in tuition loss. The board debated the prioritization of dual-credit students over native students at a special board meeting Oct. 7 at Palo Alto College, where Snyder warned that increasing tuition-waivered enrollment, lowering state appropriations and increasing maintenance and operation costs warrant a tuition increase. The board describes students who
enroll directly at one of the Alamo College as native. Maintenance and operations costs will increase because of the Alamo Colleges’ expansion from the $450 million Capital Improvements Plan approved by voters in May. During the special board meeting, Snyder said she was able to avoid promoting a tuition increase in the past because of consistent tax revenue increases, but the maintenance and operation cost increase will warrant raising tuition if the board does not raise the tax rate. McClendon opposed a tuition increase at the October meeting and remained consistent in his opposition at the committee meeting Dec. 5, saying the current cost-share model with dual-
See BUDGET, Page 2
2NEWS
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CHANGE from Page 1
tenure, the single-accreditation model, and the use of FranklinCovey programs such as “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and “The 4 Disciplines of Execution.” Boyer-Owens presented the Prosci ADKAR Model, a model used for change management in organizations. Boyer-Owens said responsible change needs leadership, project management and the “human side of it,” which is change management. “It is personal,” Boyer-Owens said. “We don’t change the organization. We change people one at a time, and we have 5,500 employees, so they’re all going to change at a different pace.” The Prosci model has five steps represented by the acronym ADKAR, awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, reinforcement. The first step is “Awareness of the need for change.” Boyer-Owens said awareness was accomplished through communication about the transition process from Leslie to Flores. She said the next step is to have employees
BUDGET from Page 1 credit high schools could hurt native students. According to a Feb. 27 article from The Ranger, two board members urged the Texas Legislature to further compensate the district for dual-credit students during the Feb. 20 Audit, Budget and Finance Committee meeting. District 6 trustee Gene Sprague, defended the tuition waiver by saying the Legislature would not appreciate the decreased dual-credit enrollment that would occur if the district began charging those students tuition. In an interview after the Dec. 5 committee meeting, Snyder said there were multiple “levers” the board could move to accommodate the dis-
APRIL 16, 2018 desire the change. “That’s probably pretty easy with this change,” she said. The next step is knowledge. Boyer-Owens gave examples of questions employees probably have: “How do I fit? Where are we going to go? What’s my part? What will things look like a year from now with Flores as chancellor?” “It’s really critical that we communicate, we share everything we know, we’re totally transparent,” Boyer-Owens said. Next in the Prosci model is ability, where employees start functioning under the new model mandated by the change. Finally, the reinforcement phase is usually a one- to two-year process. “You turn your back and everybody has gone over the wall back to the old process,” she said. She said it’s important to monitor for regression and be willing make adjustments to the new system. District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate said he is excited to maintain the “momentum” the board has had over the years.
trict’s growing costs and decreasing revenues, including expanding out-of-district enrollment, increasing international enrollment, increasing native-student tuition and instituting a partial tuition exemption for dual credit students. Snyder said the international programs are advertising more, and the district’s expansion of Alamo Colleges Online could increase tuition revenues. According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s FY 2017 online résumés for each Alamo College, the district charges 246.98 percent the peer group average for out-of-district tuition. The résumé states the district charges $7,170 in annual academic costs for out-of-district students taking 30 semester credit hours, where the peer group average is $2,903.
BEAUTY from Page 1 hard for.” Elizabeth works 40 hours a week as a checker at H-E-B while being a full-time student at this college. Living with three roommates in the on-campus apartment complex, she pushes herself to make ends meet. “Sometimes, what I’m doing isn’t enough. I work full time, save and budget as much as I can, but it’s not enough. It never is,” she said. She supports herself on a $10-an-hour salary. Her rent is $600, which includes furniture, electricity, water and Wi-Fi. On top of rent, she pays for her cell phone and puts money aside for bus fare or Uber because she does not own a vehicle. As Deluna packed a homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she said, “Money does not grow on trees. This last paycheck after paying bills I was left with $32.44 to live off of until my next paycheck.” Flustered, she said eating Top Ramen and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches gets tiresome. Deluna does not qualify for financial aid. She had no choice but to find a way to support herself. “I honestly wish I could live back with my parents,” she said. “To have that support would make my college experience far more enjoyable.” There comes a time when asking for help is the only option, she said. “I’m not one to depend on anyone,” she said. “I hustle and make it on my own always. When I heard about the advocacy center, I didn’t know if I would qualify for that kind of help.” The Store was established in fall 2016 by social work Professor Lisa Black. “We know students are struggling. Faculty and staff members see it everyday. This college’s main focus is not just on academics. We care about the well-being of our students.” The program initially started off with four interns and now the advocacy center has 10. “This program benefits everybody who attends this college, even the faculty. Everyone goes through financial crises,” Black said April 11. Applying to qualify for the services takes no
more than 20 minutes, Black said. “Regardless if you make more than $22,000, which is the food bank’s guidelines to qualify, not SAC’s, we don’t turn anyone away who needs help,” she said Deluna said getting food and other items there is quick and easy. “The center has a food pantry called The Store, case management services and a clothing closet,” she said. Social work sophomore Gerardo “Jerry” Martinez, who is interning at the advocacy center, is familiar with students who come in and get what they need. “Fridays are typically our busiest days. We normally see about 10 students throughout the day,” he said April 6. “All college students need help, and the fact that we can provide them with food and clothes could be reason they continue to pursue a college degree.” The store restocks Tuesday mornings with donations from the San Antonio Food Bank. Donations from anyone are welcome throughout the week, Martinez said. “The first items to go are the vegetable items, along with our meat selection,” he said. Deluna goes twice a month for food. Each trip supplies her enough food for about 2 ½ weeks. “They have snacks like chips and popcorn but also ground turkey and frozen vegetables, so I can definitely make a meal for myself,” she said. She gets clothing once a month. The selection may not be the “trendiest” but jeans and T-shirts are what Deluna grabs. “I know this part of my life isn’t permanent,” she said. “I am very thankful for SAC’s advocacy center.” She plans to continue getting help from the advocacy center and encourages other students who are “in the struggle” to not feel ashamed or embarrassed. The student advocacy center in Room 323 of Chance Academic Center is open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. the first Saturday of the month. Students who qualify can pick out two bags of food and one bag of clothing twice each month. For more information, call 210-486-1003.
EDITORIAL 3 www.theranger.org/EDITORIAL
April 16, 2018
Don’t lose freedom of expression The diversity experienced in college can help students gain global points of view. Amanda Graef
Free tuition encourages graduation Students should be able to prioritize a full-time course load over a full-time work load. Free tuition for community college students would be an incredible accomplishment. In a country where earning an associate degree at a public community college can rack up bills of more than $5,000 after tuition and books, free tuition would be nothing short of a miracle. Many students who attend the Alamo Colleges are working part- or full-time while taking upward of six credit hours per semester. If a student is working full-time and enrolled full-time, that student is working 40 hours per week and attending class, studying or doing homework for an additional 12 to 30 hours per week. It is true that hard work teaches discipline, but at what cost? Grades can suffer immensely if a student is working to pay for tuition in addition to supporting themselves or family. A college education is the top priority for young students venturing into adulthood:
dreams of pursuing a career they are passionate about and that can pay for shelter, transportation, electronics and food. It can be difficult for students to expend the focus and energy needed to excel in academics if they are making work the priority. It also puts those students at a disadvantage for collecting the opportunities paid for in campus life. Who has time for Phi Theta Kappa or Chicanx when they are too busy trying to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads? Students who adjust the formula with a parttime course load are extending the length of time it takes to get through college. Officials of the Alamo Colleges should continue the discussion to bring free tuition to this city. Give students of all backgrounds a chance to put academics before full-time workloads. Students who do not have to focus on working longer hours to pay for tuition have more time to study, complete assignments and attend class. Students will finally be able to focus on the ultimate goal: a degree.
may be active on campus is to log onto Orgsync to see which clubs have posted within the semester. However, only students have access to see this campus’s site within Orgsync, and not all active clubs use the site. If regulation is desired, then perhaps guidelines should be added to the current policy instead of putting a limitation on who can express their freedom of speech on this campus. “Students have the right to express their views in accordance with the First Amendment and for intellectual development,” as stated by the student handbook, under “My Campus Life and Resources.” To gain intellectual development here, there needs to be room on this campus for open dialogue, so that students can have the opportunity to express their views at full potential. How can we gain knowledge of another person’s point of view if it is being limited? Open dialogue allows students to engage in debate and share diverse ideas present in the community and around the world. This college should not silence opinions that are unpopular. If SGA’s suggested policy is the path this campus chooses to follow, then those who pass the policy must assure that off-campus organizations who want to come express their points of view on our campus have an accessible and regularly updated list of current and active student organizations who could pose as a student sponsor. But perhaps first, before any changes are made, make a stronger effort to survey a large percentage of students on the proposed change.
Freedom of expression and public assembly are not only fundamental rights, but also essential components for those who are navigating their way through college and trying to make sense of differing points of views. The Student Government Association will be meeting April 19 with President Robert Vela to propose a change in this campus’s public assembly policy. Currently in the policy, any organization or group who wants to hold a public assembly on this campus must contact the student life/ activities office to reserve a space that does not intrude or interfere with academic programs or administrative processes. The proposed policy, based on one from UTSA, says organizations that want to come on campus need to be sponsored by a student organization. It is reasonable to have a group of students who support an organization’s cause and want them to be there. However, not all student organizations on this campus are active. For example, in the past Young Democrats have been active, while College Republicans have not, which could bias who appears on this campus. Aside from not being active, many campus clubs do not share their current status with the public, which would make them hard to get in contact with. Currently, the only way to view clubs that
ONLINE NOW www.theranger.org Rangers send Cowgirls packing, advance to conference tournament
Dances, artwork honor indigenous culture
Student Government Association lacks officer applicants
By Dillon Holloway
By Maya R. Williams
By Austin P. Taylor
Fighting to keep their conference tournament hopes alive, and without Destiny Solis, kinesiology freshman and Rangers’ starting guard, it seemed likely the Rangers would need to pull off a big performance to advance past the Southwest Texas Junior College Cowgirls. Fortunately for the Rangers, big performances were in vogue during the team’s 83-62 blowout victory over the Cowgirls April 11 in Candler Physical Education Center. Three Rangers scored in double figures, including Jordan Foster, criminal justice sophomore and guard, who led all scorers with 24 points. Foster connected on a total of eight field goals, including three from beyond the arc.
About 300 people attended the Indigenous Culture and Art Festival April 7 at Mission Country Park. The event was part of San Antonio’s tricentennial celebration. The event cost $34,000, which was funded through a tricentennial grant, fundraisers and a raffle. Visitors could play an archery game, browse arts and crafts and watch indigenous dancing.
The election for new officers of this college’s Student Government Association will be April 26-May 4. The results of the election will be announced May 7. The election will be conducted through ACES. All students of this college will receive an email that will direct them to the online voting page. Students will see the email as early as 5 p.m. April 26. SGA adviser Nicole France said voting will be opened early because the system will not be able to email every student at the same time. Five applications have been turned in to SGA advisers. The officer positions that have applicants are treasurer, vice president, president and historian. Applications for secretary, parliamentarian and two commissioner positions have not been turned in.
STAFF Editor Alison Graef Managing Editor Kimberly Caballero Sports Editor Dillon Holloway Staff Writers Kathya Anguiano, Katya Harmel, Thomas Macias, Sergio Medina, Andrea Moreno, Jeff Riley, Maya R. Williams, Victoria L. Zamora
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Manuel Cruz, member of Kalpulli Ayolopaktzin Tejaztlan, celebrates indigenous culture with native drum, song and dance April 7 at Mission County Park. S.M. Huron-Dixon
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April 16, 2018
Student boxers get ‘real’ in show Governing body for Olympic-style amateur boxing sanctioned the event. By Thomas Macias sac-ranger@alamo.edu
“It’s the real deal,” is the way head coach Hector Ramos of this college’s boxing club describes the SAC Boxing Show, an outdoor event 11 a.m.-1 p.m. April 16 in the mall. The SAC Boxing Show will be a series of boxing matches, or a “fight card,” that will pit members of this college against each other in exhibitions open to the public, Ramos said in an April 10 interview. The event provides this college’s student boxers an opportunity to showcase to their peers the skills they have been honing, he said. Ramos said the event gives participants the experience and thrill of competing in a public venue. Fighters will be within 5 pounds of each other’s weight and will be matched according to skill level, Ramos said. Ramos said each boxing match will consist of three 1-minute rounds. USA Boxing, the national governing body for Olympic-style amateur boxing, has sanctioned the event and will provide the ring and referees from San Antonio and throughout South Texas, Ramos said. Referees know to keep the fights
safe, he said. Boxer safety is the highest concern for Ramos who said he would rather a boxer emerge unhurt than victorious. Ramos said coaches from his family’s San Antonio South Side boxing gym also will be providing the “corners,” the personnel who advise fighters from corner stations during matches and provide water. Ramos said the SAC Boxing Show has been an annual event since 2010, and he has headed it since 2011. “We always draw a nice crowd,” Ramos said. Ramos, a former professional boxer, said in his boxing career, he was a member of the All-Air Force, All-Armed Forces, and U.S. Olympic boxing teams and held a No. 1 amateur ranking three years. To determine who will compete in the match-ups, Ramos said he noted which boxers are attending training and how they are progressing through workouts and sparring sessions. “I see their reflexes, see that they keep their guard up, don’t close their eyes, don’t turn their backs,” he said. “If they stay within those things, they might have an opportunity for someone to have a good match for them.” Ramos said he refereed a series of simulated boxing competitions the week before the showcase. These simulations in a controlled and safe envi-
Boxers on this college’s boxing team work on jabs, parrying, balance and defensive stances while paired with teammates April 9 in the dance studio of Candler. The boxers prepared for the SAC Boxing Show April 16, an intersquad competition 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the mall. Thomas Macias ronment allowed him to see how the student boxers perform under pressure. Based on the student boxer’s performance and demonstrated skill levels, Ramos said he determined the pairings for the fight card. Ramos said there is a process students undergo as they become serious
about competing in the boxing show. Boxing may begin as a diversion or stress relief for classes, Ramos said. In the course of undergoing boxing workouts, students find they are losing weight or putting on muscle, and then decide to proceed to sparring and competing in the ring, Ramos said.
“Some of the boxers start to work out; they like the excitement,” he said. “It’s like a roller coaster or bungeejumping. And the next thing you know, they’re up in there, they’re performing, and next they know, they’re smiling because it’s over, and they say, “‘Wow, I did it.’”
Cheech chats over brunch
Fredstock becomes Fiesta event
Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the president’s fund.
Music business students coordinate live concert as “final exam.”
By Kimberly Caballero
By Sergio Medina
Hispanic celebrity Richard “Cheech” Marin will speak at a Fiesta Brunch, “Chilaquiles con Cheech,” April 25 to raise money for the president’s unrestricted fund to help disadvantaged students. The event will be 10 a.m.-noon at Pearl Stable, 307 Pearl Parkway. The event is part of this college’s Multicultural Conference and the city’s tricentennial celebration, San Antonio 300. The Multicultural Conference is an official Fiesta San Antonio event that brings “writers, artists, musicians, scholars, and professionals together to illuminate multicultural issues within education and society,” according to the Alamo Colleges website. The tricentennial marks 300 years since this city was founded by the Spanish. “San Antonio’s 300th anniversary is an opportunity to discover our shared cultural heritage, commemorate our storied history, recognize our progress, and collaborate on our bright future,” according to www.sanantonio300.org. An author, actor, director and part of the famous comedy duo Cheech and Chong, Marin is also an art collector. Marin starred in the comedy “Born In East L.A.” and had a recurring role in NBC’s show “Lost.” He recently published a memoir titled “Cheech Is Not My Real Name ... But Don’t Call Me Chong.” Marin will speak at the event about his extensive Chicano art collection, said Mike Burton, chair of English, humanities, education and journalism-photography. That department sponsors the Multicultural Conference. All proceeds will go to the president’s fund, which can be used for students “identified by the college as having extreme situations of financial need,” said Richard Farias,
Fredstock, the annual music festival produced by music business students, will open April 22 as an official Fiesta San Antonio event for the first time. Since 2010, the festival has been coordinated by the music business program at this college. The festival was named after the late Fred Weiss, former music business coordinator who started the music business program in 2005. This year, the festival will take place noon-8 p.m. April 22 in Lot 7 east of Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building. “Last year, we had to pass the test,” music business Coordinator Donnie Meals said in an interview April 4. To qualify to be a Fiesta event, the event must be staged three consecutive years at the same location. Fredstock met the requirements, Meals said. “We’re going to be the first Sunday of Fiesta every year,” he said. Being a Fiesta event means better advertising, Meals said. For example, Fredstock was listed in an article titled “6 traditions that make Fiesta special” on foxsanantonio.com without public relations efforts from Meals. The band lineup this year includes Hickoids, Los No. 3 Dinners, S.A. Blue Cats, Claude “Butch” Morgan and King Pelican. The festival is free. “We’re not about making money,” Meals said. “We are about giving the student true hands-on practical experience. “Fredstock is an offshoot of our program. Since it’s the music business, that means we don’t take people out to play guitar or sing.” The emphasis lies in teaching how to market music products, such as recordings and live shows, he said. Fredstock falls under the latter category. “My part is more on the technical side,” Meals said. “I teach audio production, both studio and live.”
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Marin director of advancement and community engagement. “It’s a discretionary fund that Dr. (Robert) Vela can use. “He uses it only for students directly so it doesn’t go to programs or operations,” he said. “It goes directly to individual student need.” Burton gave examples. “It’s for students who need a little help getting across the finishing line,” he said. “Maybe they need onehundred bucks to keep the electricity on or pay their rent so they don’t have to sleep in their car for the last month of school.” Some faculty are sponsoring students. Tickets are $50 for students, faculty and staff from this college. Three of those faculty are Gerard Robledo, coordinator of the natural sciences tutoring programs and English adjunct; Alex Bernal, English professor; and Dr. Lisa Ramos, history and MexicanAmerican studies professor. Other faculty or staff are encouraged to purchase tickets for students to attend. Marin’s presentation will be streamed live in Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center for students who cannot see him speak inperson at the fundraising event. Tickets are $100 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at www.alamo. edu/sac/Cheech-Brunch/. For more information, call Burton at 210486-0649 or email gburton@alamo.edu.
Among the courses Meals teaches is MUSB 1371, Live Sound for the Music Business. Students in this class will oversee stage setup at the festival, managing live sound. “That’s all we’ve done all semester long — talk about doing Fredstock,” Meals said. “So that’s going to be like their final exam. It’s not all just theory. Theory is super important, but we’ve got to go beyond that. You know, you learn by doing. “I started Fredstock so they could then apply what they learn in our classes. The crowd doesn’t know that. They’re just thinking it’s a nice concert, you know?” Music business sophomores Carter Cadenhead and Alejandro Dozal said in an interview April 4 they are both participating for the first time. Cadenhead said this college has provided him an opportunity to work with professional equipment in a real-life situation such as Fredstock. “This is the first time I get to set up physical things and work with PA (public address) systems,” he said. Dozal said the festival being a Fiesta event does not add extra pressure on him. “I just see it as an event,” he said. “It’s a better learning opportunity than just reading books.” Meals said he recognizes the effort and enthusiasm of his students. “For every performer in the music industry, there are nine people supporting that one person, and that’s the people we’re teaching,” he said. Additionally, Meals said his students are graded on their professionalism and performance during the festival. The event will be streamed live on this college’s radio station KSYM 90.1 FM. Students taking MUSB 1341, Concert Promotion and Venue Management, also will participate. Their tasks include coordinating with the city and vendors, Meals said. To reserve a space at the festival, vendors pay a fee of $75, if selling arts and crafts, or $150, if selling food. All proceeds go to the music business program. Meals said vendors can contact him for reservations. For more information on Fredstock and vendor reservations, call Meals at 210-486-1380.