The Ranger, Oct. 29, 2018 by The Ranger

The anger Volume 93 • Issue 6 San Antonio College A forum of free voices since 1926

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San Pedro from Candler to West Park will be closed for construction as early as December. Construction will change the San Pedro entrance to this college. Go online for a map of proposed construction. Rogelio Escamilla

College to add parking garage by spring 2020 A new garage will be built on the site of the tennis courts. By Austin P. Taylor

ataylor160@student.alamo.edu

Construction of this college’s new parking garage is set to begin in January. “Ideally, we want to have construction underway by the end of December,” John Strybos, associate vice chancellor of facilities and construction management, said in an interview Oct. 22. The new garage will be constructed on the site of the tennis courts south of Candler. Spending for this college’s third parking garage was approved as part of the 2017 CIP budget request at the Jan. 17 board meeting. A budget of $20 million was approved to fund construction of the garage. As a result of the construction, parking Lots 20, 21 and 22 will be converted into streets with limited parking. Lot 29 will be demolished. In an Oct. 23 interview, Facilities Director David Ortega said this was so the college would remain compliant with fire code. Lot 20, formerly Myrtle Street, will serve as a new entrance from San Pedro Avenue onto campus. The current entrance on West Park Avenue will be demolished. Drivers will still be able to

enter the college on Maverick Street. The estimated number of parking spaces to be closed because of construction is 405 spaces. Parking Lots 20 and 22 serve this college’s faculty. No lot has been designated to serve the faculty being displaced by the construction. Strybos said no funds have been allocated to pay for replacing the tennis courts, but the current plan is to build new tennis courts on West Dewey Place, where the community engagement annex sits between the Methodist and the Church of Christ student centers. If that happens, Strybos said the annex buildings would be moved to a new district regional center by Interstate 10. All employees of this college in those buildings would need to relocate to new offices on campus. Kinesiology Coordinator Brad Dudney said he is trying to secure courts for program use at McFarlin Tennis Center in San Pedro Springs Park. The new early childhood development center will be “adjacent to the garage,” Strybos said. “I believe the center has been located far enough away that car fumes aren’t a concern,” he said. Strybos said construction will begin in late December and is planned to finish in spring 2020.

Mechanical engineering sophomore Natalia Arias applies icing to a sugar skull during Día De Los Muertos Altar Making 101 Oct. 23 in Chance. Human skulls were traditionally used by indigenous peoples to celebrate the dead. The transition to using sugar in lieu of bones for the skulls occurred in the 17th century with the arrival of colonial missionaries in North and South America. V. Finster

SAPD investigates former district police officer for family violence The officer was fired from Alamo Colleges police department. By Liandre De la Uso

ldelauso@student.alamo.edu

Marlon Go, a former Alamo Colleges police officer, is under investigation after being arrested Sept. 16 and charged with

assault by strangulation of a family member. His employment with the district police department was terminated Oct. 12, Deputy Chief of Police Jesse Trevino said Oct. 19. Go had worked in the patrol division at Northwest Vista. His shift was 2-10 p.m. He

had been employed since May 2013. According to a police report from the San Antonio Police Department, Go was at his home in Helotes with his girlfriend when his estranged wife arrived. According to the report: His wife became upset and

slapped him. Go retaliated and slapped her with an open hand. Go’s wife attempted to call the police but had her phone taken away. The victim threw Go’s watch, which was on the countertop, breaking it, and Go proceeded to strangle her. The victim was brought to the hospital Sept. 17 and report-

ed heavy bruising on her neck and difficulty with motion. Go was arrested and released on bond. He was immediately put on administrative leave after Alamo Colleges became aware of the incident, Trevino said Oct. 19. Trevino confirmed the reports in an interview.

“We do a very thorough background check,” Trevino said. “There’s a very extensive process that we go through before we hire. He was a good employee, never had any issues to my knowledge.” No indictments have been handed up by the district attorney’s office in the case.

Chicken visits early childhood studies center Engagement coordinator raises chickens in his backyard. By Julian Gonzales sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Two-year-olds in the early childhood studies center on Oct. 3 gathered around a visiting chicken named Henrietta. The children enjoyed the company of Henrietta because she showcased the theme for that period. The children were studying farm animals. “We were talking about farm animals in our classroom with our 2-year-olds,” Al Ortiz, early childhood teacher, said.

He said the “interesting live experience” showed children what real animals are. Joseph Liedecke, student engagement coordinator, is a friend of Ortiz and was asked to bring one of his chickens into the classroom. Liedecke has been raising chickens since he was a child. “Henrietta lives in my backyard with 14 other chickens,” Liedecke said. “I guess you could call it a hobby.” He also sells their eggs for $4 a dozen.

Henrietta will turn 3 years old in November. He displayed a poster that contained information about Henrietta’s eggs and coop. Her eggs are blue and gray. Studying farm animals is important to the children when it can jog their memories of certain objects, Ortiz said A memory of the chicken at that young age could disappear from the brain, but at least the children might know what a chicken looks like, Ortiz said Henrietta remained calm in

Student engagement Coordinator Joseph Liedecke brought a Plymouth Rock chicken named Henrietta to show to the 2-year-olds at the early childhood center. Julian Gonzales Liedecke’s arms, and the children were calm as well. It’s hard to get the children’s full attention when their “attention spans are hard to grasp,” Ortiz said. The experience for some of the children went from excitement to amazement as they got to pet Henrietta. For information on the early childhood studies center, call 210-486-0530.

News

Oct. 29, 2018

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New division tracks performance excellence IPPE records improvement efforts at all levels. By Kathya Anguiano sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Pre-nursing freshman Armando Mendez practices percussion Oct. 22 outside Loftin. Mendez plays percussion as a hobby and plans to find an independent drum corps to participate in. V. Finster

Two years ago as the college worked toward keeping accreditation, Dr. Robert Vela, college president, started a division that would centralize the data. The division of integrated planning and performing excellence is where things like accreditation, institutional effectiveness, data by units and all information needed for student assessment can be found. Some four-year institutions, such as the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas at Austin, have already implemented such a division into their data gathering but not a lot of two-year institutions have, making San Antonio College more like a four-year institution, Dr. Francisco Solis, dean of performance excellence, said. “Rather than to have all the data in different areas, what we’ve done is created an area where the specific answers are centralized in one office,” Solis said. According to IPPE’s mission statement, not only does this division prevent duplicate reports, it ensures that all data is gathered to help the on-going process that prepares the college for reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and

Frank Solis, dean of performance excellence, launches T-shirts before the start of convocation Aug. 21 in McAllister auditorium. Brianna Rodrigue positions the college for other expectations regarding local, state or national accountability. “Prior to this office, those processes all existed; they just weren’t integrated and people didn’t make sense of them on campus,” Solis said. “I think that as we are going through this process, with the Baldrige Award, our SACS accreditation and the ASPEN Award, it validates what (President Robert) Vela has created in our division.” For the college to continue its Baldrige journey, keeping certain metrics helps design, coordinate and monitor the processes and strategies to be able to respond to opportunities for improvement that come from data-based

evidence. For example, at the end of a course, an instructor must record each student’s performance on a three-point scale of failed to meet expectations, met expectations and surpassed expectations for each of the course learning outcomes. From that material, each class’s rating is devised. The benchmark is 70 percent passing. Students who withdraw from a class are counted as not having passed. Faculty whose classes fall below 70 percent must design a plan for how they will attempt to improve the course score, addressing the results of each learning outcome.

‘Little Figures’ win national competition, meet book author Four local students attended the Mathcounts Math Film Challenge National Competition in Washington, D.C. By Kathya Anguiano

the math video competition because all of them enjoy math and science A group of four students called “Little and are very empowered to think that Figures” from the local National Society girls can excel in math and science just of Black Engineers San Antonio Junior as boys do,” Shawne Zakaria, Iman’s Chapter, who created a video about mom, said. a math problem for the Mathcounts For the competition, the team had to math film challenge national competiselect and solve one of several hundred tion and won, got to meet “Hidden math problems and use a short 5-minFigures” author Margot Lee Shetterly ute video or film to teach and show real at a President’s Lecture at St. Philip’s world application of the selected math College Sept. 20. problem. The group includes Breanna “Making the video was one of the Hutchison, eighth grade, BASIS North best experiences I’ve had with NSBE. Central; Londyn Hall, eighth grade, I really loved working with my friends Keystone School; Iman Zakaria, sevand creating a video that was unique enth grade, Tejeda Middle School; and innovative,” Londyn said. and Lindsey Simmons, ninth grade, To qualify for the competition, the Brennan High School. film had to make the top 100 after genThe math competition started in eral public voting on the Mathcounts March, with nationals May 12-15. website. The “Little Figures” team was They decided to become a group No. 1 by a large margin. when they “I was came across able to expea math probrience a diflem that ferent side aligned with of teamwork WWW.THERANGER.ORG a theme from and how the book and much fun movie “Hidden Figures,” thus calling math can be,” Breanna said of her expethemselves “Little Figures.” rience while making the video. “The girls wanted to participate in Once qualified, the top 100 were sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Read “St. Philip’s hosts ‘Hidden Figures’ author” at

Little Figures Iman Zakaria, 12, Londyn Hall, 13, and Breanna Hutchison, 13, shake hands with Margot Lee Shetterly, author of “Hidden Figures” after the President’s Lecture Sept. 20 in Watson at St. Philip’s. The Little Figures is a math team of San Antonio middle schoolers who created a video inspired by the African-American women in the movie “Hidden Figures” and were the 2017-2018 winners of the Math Film Challenge. The challenge was to create a video about solving a math problem in a real-world setting to get students excited about math. The video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEtKUR9X0ng. Deandra Gonzalez judged and narrowed to the top 20 and then the top four received an allexpense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national finals competition in May. “We had a lot of fun and it was hard, I’m not going to lie, but it was nice working with people and getting to know each other better. Definitely a bonding experience,” Lindsey said. The “Little Figures” film passed the two rounds of judging and the girls

were able to visit D.C. and won first place along with $1,000 scholarships each. “During the video, I learned a lot about teamwork and learned how to understand different math vocabulary and how to handle more complicated problems,” Iman said. After the film competition, the girls were anxious to meet the author of “Hidden Figures” at the St. Philip’s lecture.

“Ms. Shetterly told us to ‘never give up; always stick with your dreams’ and hearing that from another AfricanAmerican woman just like me was very inspirational,” Iman said. The “Little Figures” are working on a second film for next year’s competition and are hoping to have a second win. The video created by “Little Figures” can be found at https://videochallenge. mathcounts.org/winning-videos.

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Oct. 29, 2018

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Opinion 3

Staff Managing Editor Sergio Medina News Editors Liandre de la Uso, Rogelio Escamilla Opinion Editor Austin P. Taylor Calendar Editor Andrea Moreno Social Media Editor Brianna Rodrigue Staff Writers Kathya Anguiano, Huguette Buduri, Kimberly Caballero, Feliciano De Haro III, Jason Durant, Julian Gonzales, Blanca Granados, Richard Hernandez, Mardio Lattimore, Giovanni Maccarone, Janie Medelez, 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 Micaela Avila

Amanda Graef

Take advantage of events on campus Activities include arts, recreation, fairs and lectures. Students attending community colleges are led to believe they must complete necessary courses to graduate or transfer to a university as quickly as possible. However, students should not be scheduled so tightly they miss out on great experiences outside the classroom. This college offers a wide range of free or inexpensive events, such as plays, concerts, recitals, exhibits, fairs, lectures and recreation. Students should join clubs or organizations because membership can broaden students’ perspective. The Campus Activity Board sponsors Screamfest and Into the Streets and helps

with SACtacular. The sixth annual SACtacular with a Día de los Muertos theme will be 5-9 p.m. Nov. 2 in the mall. CAB also sponsors résumé “Into the Streets,” giving students volunteer opportunities. The Methodist Student Center, 102 Belknap Place, has weekly discussions on topics of the day on Tuesday. Some future discussions will include “What United Us: Enduring Values Still Endure” and “Decolonizing the Tricentennial: Remembering our Indigenous.” A career fair is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 14 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center. This gives students a chance to find a job or internship with companies that visit

this college. Students should bring a résumé and dress for the office. There are more clubs and organizations, such as the Gaming Society, Anime Club, Boxing Club, journalism and Student Government Association. Among academic clubs are those focused on astronomy, biology, social work, psychology, engineering, architecture and journalism. These groups aid in networking, finding internships and exposure to field work. Women’s and men’s basketball and volleyball players can join to compete with other colleges or universities. Students will have the chance to learn and have volunteer opportunities while enjoying their time attending this college.

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 (210-486-

Provide meaningful active shooter training Until meaningful policy changes are enacted, this college needs to provide training.

1773), 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

In America, 65 school shootings have been reported throughout 2018. This is a persistent problem in this country, and elected officials seem to determined to avoid answering this basic question: What can we do to protect our constituents and their children? In the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting Feb. 14 in Parkland, Fla., the surviving students led efforts to pressure lawmakers to reform America’s gun laws. They wanted bans on assault weapons and enhanced background checks. When they returned to school after spring break, the school gave them clear backpacks. Currently, what you can do to make sure you’re prepared for an active shooter situation is attend either a face-to-face or online training courses. These courses vary in both instructional material and depth, so try to attend multiple courses. Understand what the courses

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Protect your devices; use college tech services

brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, mailed to The Ranger, journalismphotography 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.

Sergio Medina

smedina104@ student.alamo.edu

By 2020, humanity may have supercomputers with processing power close, if not equal, to the capabilities of the human brain. That means capable of about 19 trillion calcula-

tions per second. With that in mind, it is evident computers and smartphones cannot be considered as playthings any longer. Now these devices form part of our

have in common and use their difference to form questions for the instructors. A list of steps you can take to make sure you are ready for an active shooter situation can be found at https://www.ready.gov/ active-shooter. Active shooter presentations have been provided at this college, but there are no scheduled training sessions this semester. Training sessions at this college have to be scheduled by faculty or staff. These courses are highly informative to students, the largest demographic of the Alamo Colleges, and should be made readily available. Shootings don’t just happen in school and you need to know how to react in any situation. An active shooter presentation should be made available through ACES. Much like the Title IX training, students should be required to go through this training. Until these acts of violence stop occuring at schools, steps need to be taken to educate those who are most vulnerable to these attacks.

daily lives whether used for simple matters, such as finding the weather forecast, checking the movie schedule or zeroing in on the location of the closest pizzeria, to more serious matters, such as banking, file-sharing and communicating in the workplace. Just as our capabilities expand with these devices, so does our need for further privacy. Those files that were previously kept in our file cabinets at home — our records, photos, contacts, financial information — have now moved to a digital space. Just as people protect their homes with locks and security systems, so should our cyberspace be protected.

The information on your devices needs protection because, ultimately, it is you who will be compromised if they are breached. People should educate themselves on ways to protect devices, whether it is a home or office desktop computer, a laptop brought to campus for homework or the smartphone in your pocket. This October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and if there is ever a time to become conscious about security on the digital setting, this is a good time to start. The Tech Store at Duran Welcome Center at Park and North Main avenues, for example, offers services exclusively to students, faculty and staff of the Alamo Colleges. If you have a problem with a virus

or malware on your computer, preventing you from doing homework or other tasks, pay them a visit. They charge $20 to fix that problem. Alternatively, if you’re looking for advice on how to protect your computer — the antivirus program to use or perhaps a program to use for homework — visit the office of technology services on the seventh floor of Moody. Simple matters, such as setting up email or learning to work with Canvas or ACES, are offered for free. The transition from physical to digital has come to pass. Communication and multitasking continues to become easier as technology advances. What is kept in a digital format is precious; it is important to keep it safe with a level of care that matches its value.

Oct. 29, 2018

Paint meets body as artists practice for competition Texas Body Paint contest is Nov. 10 in Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. By James Russell sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Courtesy of Beyond the Canvas

The practice of painting designs and patterns onto the human body is known as body painting and is an ancient artform still practiced today. Beyond The Canvas, a local nonprofit organization, held a get-together for artists Oct. 18 called a “paint jam” in Alamo City Studios, a multi-functional facility that serves multiple clients. Alamo City Studios, 1113C E. Houston St., rents spaces for projects. The organization was founded in 2010 by Tomás Vasquez, the director who handles the media, hosting, graphic designing and promoting. During this event, six artists practiced for the Texas Body Paint Competition Nov. 10 at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Craig Tracy from the TV show “Skin Wars” on the Game Show Network will be a guest judge at the body painting competition. Moona J. Weaner will be a guest judge as well. She was the 2014 and 2016 Living Art America Champion and 2013 Australian Body Art Festival winner. The theme for the 11th annual competition is “arcade classics.” Co-organizer Josh Macias, who graduated from this college with an Associate of Arts in photography has been with Beyond The Canvas since 2014. “Body painting is one of the oldest

Features

art forms. Before writing on walls, there was art on the body,” Macias said. “It’s been pushed in this box of taboo of being overly sexualized. But once you see the transformation from start to finish, it becomes a living piece of art. “My position as lead photographer is to immortalize that moment,” Macias said. “This is art that goes down the drain one or two hours after. To capture that moment and make it memorable is what makes photojournalism important.” Event Coordinator Rebecca “Reds” Rojas started her career in the body paint industry as a canvas, then quickly became an artist designing patterns and a paint palette. Her skill landed her in second place at the 2017 Texas Body Paint Competition. Rojas was introduced by a friend to Beyond the Canvas when she was a freshman here in a painting class. Rojas found through being the canvas that painting is a relaxing experience. “Being covered in paint is a chance to be out of character for once. It’s why this is such a big stress-reliever,” Rojas said. When Rojas begins her layout for painting, she goes through step-by-step sketches in her head. First, she lightly sketches patterns on the body. Second, she applies a base coat of paint. Third, she adds a medium layer to the base. Fourth, she outlines the spe-

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Liberal arts graduate Rebecca Rojas paints mechanical engineering freshman Brandon Puni during a paint jam Oct. 18 at Alamo City Studios. Artists from Beyond The Canvas practiced for the Texas Body Paint competition Nov. 10 at Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Courtesy photo by Dean Adam Contreras. cific patterns in the design. Fifth, she adds details and finishes the design. She creates her body art mentally first so she can skip sketching the design. “Normally, you would have to sketch out everything before, but with body paint, you can just jump straight into painting,” Rojas said. Rojas’ canvas is her husband,

mechanical engineering freshman Brandon Puni, and he has been for four years since Rojas took up body painting. She painted the famous 1981 arcade game Galaga on her canvas. The project took her about six hours. She painted from the torso up for practice. This is the design she will enter in competition. Puni, who said he is a shy person,

World Music Concert transports audience across globe The hour-long concert is an insight into international culture. By Blanca Granados sac-ranger@alamo.edu This college’s music program offers a trip around the world with the World Music Concert Oct. 29.

Music Professor Cindy Sanchez said the concert will include all the student and faculty ensembles in the music program Oct. 18. Sanchez said students should attend this concert because there will be so much variety. “It’s not like going to a trumpet recital where you hear the same trumpet play for an hour,” she said. “This is mariachi, and it’s singing, and guitar,

so many kinds of things that will be interesting.” This concert will take you to Brazil, Mexico, Germany, France, Japan and Africa, she said. All the music performed will be classical. The music program has been preparing for this concert since the beginning of the semester, she said. There will be two choirs, the Concert Choir and the Chamber Choir. The Chamber Choir is made