The Ranger, Sept. 17, 2018 by The Ranger

The anger Volume 93 • Issue 1 San Antonio College A forum of free voices since 1926

Sept. 17, 2018 WWW.THERANGER.ORG

MOVE Texas will sign up voters Sept. 25 The last day for registration is Oct. 9. By Liandre De la Uso sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The Crucible Drama sophomore Alexa Garza, playing Mary Warren, hugs and apologizes to Else Herrera, American Sign Language sophomore, playing Abigail Williams, after telling the truth in court during “The Crucible” practice Sept. 11 in McAllister. The play is based on the Salem witch trials

and was written in 1953 by playwright Arthur Miller. The play opens at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in McAllister. Other showings are at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12,13 and 18-20 and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 14 and 21. Tickets are $5 with an a student ID from this college and $10 general admission. Brianna Rodrigue

Students at this college will be able to register to vote at an event at this college Sept. 25 on National Voter Registration Day. MOVE Texas, formerly known as Move San Antonio, is planning to register thousands of college students across the state in a single day Sept. 25, National Voter Registration Day. National Voter Registration Day began in 2012 and is endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State, National Association of Election Officials and National Association of State Election Directors. “We are planning on registering thousands of students for the single day,” Sean Rivera, organizing manager for MOVE Texas, said. “We are going to be on basically every single college campus in San Antonio.” Students will need to have a Texas ID or Social Security number to fill out an application. The location of the MOVE table has not been announced

See VOTERS, Page 4

FIRE complains to district about proposed communication policy The education rights group cites violations of First Amendment. By Kimberly Caballero

kcaballero3@student.alamo.edu

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education emailed and sent express mail an eight-page letter to the Alamo Colleges board of trustees and presidents expressing opposition to a proposed communications policy. The C.4.1 (Policy) Communications proposal restricts communication between district employees and all media, including student media. The lengthy complaint focused on violations to employees’ First Amendment rights. FIRE is a “nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending liberty, freedom of speech, due process, academic freedom, legal equality, and

freedom of conscience on America’s college campuses,” the email states. The policy requires employees to receive approval from a college’s public relations department before speaking to any media, regardless of the topic. According to the policy, its purpose is to “establish policy, procedures and guidelines for public communication between Alamo Colleges District officials, employees, news media representatives and others requiring information concerning district issues, programs, projects, services and activities.” In two previous Ranger articles, faculty expressed concern over the policy. Tony Villanueva, president of Palo Alto’s American Association of University Professors, said “Media should have access to students and faculty without interference from policies that inhibit appropriate communication,” according to an Aug. 28 Ranger article.

Math Professor Gerald Busald said, “The main thing is: I don’t want faculty to be not able to give their expertise to the media — that’s bad for the district, in my opinion,” according to a Sept. 4 Ranger article. The FIRE letter states, “If adopted, the policy will violate ACD’s binding legal obligations under the First Amendment by restricting faculty members’ ability to communicate with the press and the general public on matters of public concern.” The email continues addressing “specific policy provisions of C.4.1 that would unlawfully infringe upon the First Amendment rights of ACD faculty.” One of the policy provisions FIRE constitutes as infringing is the provision under “Contact with the Media and Student Media.” The provision states “Employees must also direct all media requests to

the DSO Communications Office or their college PR office.” The email states “By effectively requiring faculty members to obtain administrative approval prior to speaking to the media, government figures, or external organizations, ACD has imposed a prior restraint on faculty speech.” In the email, FIRE references 391 U.S. at 572, Id. at 572-573: “Even if the faculty expression at issue is critical of ACD, it is protected if it involves a matter of public concern and can ‘neither (be) shown nor can be presumed to have in any way either impeded the teacher’s proper performance of his daily duties in the classroom or to have interfered with the regular operation of the school generally.’ FIRE continues, “If faculty do not communicate that they are speaking on behalf of ACD or its constituent colleges, they retain the right to disclose

their experience and position as part of their commentary on matters of public concern.” Under the policy, if an Alamo Colleges employee does not obtain approval from public relations to speak with media, the employee is not allowed to use a district title, time or equipment. The board’s Policy and Long-Range Planning Committee proposed the policy at its Aug. 14 meeting. It was scheduled to be listed on the regular board meeting agenda at the Aug. 21 meeting, but Kristi Wyatt, associate vice chancellor of communications and engagement, “confirmed Aug. 16 she and (the) legal (office) withdrew the policy for further review and possible modifications,” according to an Aug. 28 Ranger article. The policy is expected to be ready for the board or a committee as early as Oct. 9.

Staff Senate collects school supplies for elementary President encourages faculty to participate in delivery of supplies. By Sergio Medina

smedina104@student.alamo.edu

The Staff Senate is hosting a Back to School supply drive until Sept. 24, taking donations from students, faculty and staff to deliver to Antonio Margil Academy Sept. 26. In an interview Sept. 11, senior adviser Lenell Clay said everyone is encouraged to donate supplies such as pens, pencils, crayons, glue sticks, hand sanitizer, spiral notebooks, dry-erase markers and colored pencils. Drop-off locations include Room 260A of Loftin Student Center, Room 134 of the nursing and allied health complex, Room 136 of Chance Academic Center, Room 200 of Fletcher Administration Center, Room 123 of Gonzales Hall, Room 324B of Nail

Technical Center and Duran Welcome Center at North Main and West Park avenues. For a complete list of needed items and dropoff locations, visit Clay at Room 200 of Fletcher or call Nicole France, senior coordinator of outreach and recruitment, at 210-486-0934. The drive happens annually. “Every year, Staff Senate adopts an elementary school as our way of a service project and to give back to the schools in our backyard,” Clay said. “This year, we picked Margil Academy.” The basis for selecting a school depends on the financial situation of the institution. “We get a list of the schools,” Clay said. “We go after the most economically challenged ones in the group.” Margil Academy at 1000 Perez St. is part of the San Antonio Independent School District. “On the 26th, Dr. Vela and the Staff Senate,

we’re going to go to the school and pass out the school supplies to each one of the classrooms,” Clay said. During the College Council meeting Sept. 11 in the visual arts center, Clay encouraged those gathered to donate. “I need your help,” he said. “Please, please, please, get your employer, faculty and staff to help us with the school supply drive, and let’s take care of these children for this year.” Clay said having access to supplies promotes learning by encouraging otherwise dispirited students. “Their eyes light up,” Clay said. “They’re just happy to receive something. That goes a long way. “Always give back,” he said. “Remember where you come from.” President Robert Vela agreed with the impact of these drives during the meeting.

President Robert Vela at College Council Sept. 11 in visual arts encouraged faculty to attend and participate in the back to school supply drive for Antonio Margil Academy hosted by Staff Senate. Brianna Rodrigue “You hear it and you’re blown away,” Vela said. “The things that we take for granted that they so desperately need. “There’s a lot more need than the resources we have, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing what we do and continue making an impact in our backyard,” he said. “I really would like for you guys to come with us,” Vela said. “I want you guys to experience what we experience and how much it does matter.”

Sept. 17, 2018

WWW.THERANGER.ORG

CLASSROOMS ARE FOR LEARNING

NOT HIDING FROM GUNFIRE TIME AND TIME AGAIN, STUDENTS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT WE WILL SHOW UP TO END GUN VIOLENCE. WE CAN HELP CHANGE GUN LAWS AND THE LAWMAKERS WHO DECIDE THEM. ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TIME TO BE A

GUN SENSE

VOTER REGISTER TO VOTE AT

EVERYTOWN.ORG/REGISTER PAID FOR BY EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY ACTION FUND.

/readtheranger @therangerSAC

Sept. 17, 2018

@sacranger /therangervideo

WWW.THERANGER.ORG/OPINION

Opinion 3

Staff Editor Kimberly Caballero Managing Editor Sergio Medina Opinion Editor Austin P. Taylor Calendar Editor Andrea Moreno Social Media Editor Brianna Rodrigue Staff Writers Kathya Anguiano, Blanca Granados, Huguette Buduri, Esther Lopez Caballero, Brian Crane, Feliciano De Haro III, Liandre De la Uso, Jason Durant, Rogelio Escamilla, Julian Gonzales, Richard Hernandez, Geoffrey K. Hovatter, Jeremy Laborde, Mardio Lattimore, J. Lucio, Giovanni Maccarone, Alexandria Matus, Janie Medelez, Jackie N. Muralles, Lionel Ramos, James Russell Photo Editor V. Finster Photographer Deandra Gonzalez Photo Team Christina R. Emmett, Mitchell Gawlik, Dillon Holloway, Brittney Maria Moreno, Alan Torres Illustrator Amanda Graef Distribution Manager Brittany Polanco

©2018 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 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 (210-4861773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email (sac-ranger@ alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 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,

Amanda Graef

Don’t hinder exchange between faculty, media The proposed communications policy violates First Amendment. The Alamo Colleges District proposed a communications policy that would require faculty and staff to procure permission from their college’s public relations department before speaking with the media, student or otherwise. It is not uncommon for organizations or companies to train their employees on how to conduct themselves during media interviews, but that is not what this proposed policy does. In an Aug. 14 interview with The Ranger, Kristi Wyatt, associate vice chancellor of communications and engagement, said Alamo Colleges employees are considered to be speaking on behalf of an organization if their title is used in a news story. So if faculty or staff members want to freely discuss research or projects with the media, must they leave their credentials at the door? Dumb idea. Employees become experts in their area because of their association with the district. That’s called good public relations. Having employees check with PR before media interviews regardless of content is not a form of training; it is a method of control. As the proposal is currently written, it will stifle discussion students and the public can learn from. It also tramples employees’ First Amendment rights. See our story on

the policy on Page 1, and online read the policy and a lengthy, point-bypoint complaint to the district from FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Timeliness is one of the major tenets of news and if reporters are unable to quickly write relevant stories because of this proposal, they might have to move on. The ability of a reporter to write a timely article has been compromised. Again, a loss of good public relations. Getting information from specific sources also will become difficult if they have not passed the Texas Open Records Act course. District employees are already drowning under the pressure of district-mandated initiatives. What next? Will the district give the colleges funding to hire more public relations personnel to compensate for the increase in calls. The proposed policy does not inspire confidence in the district’s proclaimed allegiance to “transparency.” This district cannot claim to be transparent when its workers are gagged. No surprise the district web page titled “Compliance and Transparency” does not actually mention transparency. If the board of trustees wants to enhance its public image and live up to the promise of transparency, making sure employees can swiftly and effectively communicate with the news media is a good start.

Editorial

Viewpoint

WWW.THERANGER.ORG/OPINION

Show us the money; let us see how tax dollars are spent

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 210486-1773. Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Colleges 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.

It’s quite simple, really. We Texans have a right to know how our taxpayer dollars are spent. It’s our money. Kelley Shannon We, the people, Executive Director choose our govof Freedom of ernment. Our Information Foundation of Texas elected public officials represent us. They manage and spend our tax money. But we, the people, get to decide whether they are doing it well.

To do that, we need light shining on the workings of our government. But that essential element of our democracy is in jeopardy in Texas. Taxpayers are being denied information about government contracts with private companies and about tax dollars flowing into large nonprofit organizations. Why? Two Texas Supreme Court rulings in 2015 weakened the Texas Public Information Act and allowed this blocking of information. It’s conceivable that the court’s justices did not envision how wide the

Educators make or break success Mentoring and tutoring are among resources to encourage student success. Educators across the nation affect students in ways that are too often undervalued or overlooked. This was the message Dr. Victor Rios, sociology professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, delivered to faculty and staff at convocation Aug. 21 in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center. He said educators can impact students in such a way that their futures are filled with failure or success, depending on the environment an educator provides. Tutoring, mentoring and leadership programs all serve to build confidence in students. As the student advocacy center’s website states, “With just a little bit of help, students who might otherwise resort to dropping out of school can persist to complete a degree or certificate.” That is what it is all about: Impacting students in a way that will allow them, encourage them, to continue on the path of higher education in pursuit of greater life success. There can be many obstacles along the way. Fortunately, there are countless educators available for support and encouragement. On the flip side, colleges can hinder success when registration seems impossible, or an educator can negatively affect a student’s journey with a few passing words of discouragement. When negative words enter a student’s mind, those words can have a life-long impact. Students can become so frustrated they opt for taking off a semester or longer. That does not mean educators cannot be blunt and offer constructive criticism, but they should be careful with their power – the power of words.

Editorial

swath of secrecy would grow in the wake of their decisions. Now, in response, more than a dozen diverse organizations have come together to form the nonpartisan Texas Sunshine Coalition to ensure our government doesn’t operate in the dark. “The Texas Sunshine Coalition is dedicated to restoring the Texas Public Information Act to serve its intended purpose,” the coalition explains on its website at www.txsunshine.org. The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is a coalition member. Today, not only are the guts of public contracts with private firms often kept secret, but sometimes the final contract amount is, too, because companies argue it could put them in a disadvan-

tage in a future bidding situation. Contracts for a public power plant, police body camera equipment, college sports marketing deals, a holiday parade entertainer and many more spending agreements are off-limits to the public. Sometimes there are attempts to hide licensing and regulatory data or information about hiring decisions. In Austin, city officials argued they should be allowed to hide the identities of finalists in their city manager search because it would put them at a competitive disadvantage with other cities. Thankfully, that argument to the Texas Attorney General’s Office failed.

Read full viewpoint at WWW.THERANGER.ORG

News

Sept. 17, 2018

VOTERS from Page 1 for that day, but there will be volunteers all around campus. MOVE, standing for Mobilize Organize Vote and Engage, started as a small student organization at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2013. It is funded by monthly donations and contributors. The organization is split into sections. One focuses on voter engagement and registration, and the other advocates for issues affecting local politics. Texas historically has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country. The 2016 presidential election saw that of 50 states and the District of Columbia, Texas ranked 47 in voter engagement. “Millennials alone are larger than the baby boomers, and when you add Gen Z to those numbers, it only gets bigger,” Rivera said. “If we can find a way to mobilize this group, the government will have a more accurate representation of the people.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 27.3 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 24 participated in the 2016 election. Voters 45-64 saw turnout rates of 55.5 percent and senior voters 65 plus 65 percent. “I think there is definitely a sort of national mentality of voting not being a way of making impactful change,” said

Sebastian Waddy, a political science graduate of UTSA. “I would definitely like to see high schools, colleges and universities encourage more students to take part in democracy,” he said. Political Science Coordinator Christy Woodward-Kaupert is on the board of directors for MOVE Texas. “I’m a firm believer that you have to teach people how to vote, not tell them how to vote, because it becomes less intimidating when you show them what a ballot is.” Waddy has volunteered with MOVE Texas and has done work at this college. “San Antonio College students are some of the most politically enthusiastic students in the city,” Waddy said. “They’re very open-minded and they are welcoming. It makes it very easy to walk around and register students.” MOVE Texas has registered 10,000 students across the state, Rivera said. The registration deadline for midterm elections is Oct. 9. A race in Texas that is getting national attention is the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Early voting starts Oct. 22. Election Day is Nov. 6. Voting closes 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. For more information, visit movesanantonio.org.

WWW.THERANGER.ORG/NEWS

Speech workshop teaches students anxiety control Four additional workshops on public speaking are scheduled. By James Russell

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

People who speak in public can learn to overcome anxiety by taking advantage of the adrenaline rush they experience, a speech instructor said Sept. 5 in McAllister Fine Arts Center. Susan Cunningham spoke to about 30 students, including some enrolled in speech courses as well as other students trying to improve their public speaking. She led the first of a series of five speech workshops sponsored by the fine arts department. Cunningham opened with a quote from Mark Twain, “There is two kinds of speakers, those who are anxious and those who are liars.” The quote shows everyone is anxious. “Even the best performers have anxiety,” she said. Cunningham proposed the question to the audience, “Why does anxiety happen and what is happening to your body? Once you understand it, that is going to give you power.” The adrenaline rush people get standing in front of an audience puts the speakers in a vulnerable position, she said. She involved the audience by instructing them to demonstrate a power stance with hands on hips expanding their bodies. This technique is used to increase adrenaline in a person’s body.

Speech Instructor Susan Cunningham teaches a speech anxiety workshop, “Standing on Shaky Ground,” Sept. 5 in McCreless. Cunningham suggested when speaking publicly not to practice in front of a mirror, not to tell yourself you are nervous and not to picture your audience naked. Deandra Gonzalez Taking control of these emotions and using them to advantage is the key to becoming a good speaker, she said. Cunningham gave tips and tricks for dealing with anxiety, which should not stop someone from talking. For example, if a person has sweaty hands, keeping eye contact with the audience while wiping their hands on their pant leg could help. If a person has shaky hands, walking around the stage while giving the speech could help. Cunningham explained why she and the other speech faculty members continue to present speech workshops. “We wanted to give students more of an opportunity than what’s in our classes,” she said. “These workshops allow us to expand on topics, and we feel that students deserve an opportunity that goes deeper than just their teachers’ point of view and a really good chance to give them more.” The reason instructors teach students to speak in public is so their voices can be