The Ranger, Feb. 2, 2018

R ANGER

THE

An independent forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926 and the Alamo Colleges since 1945 Volume 92 • Issue 9

Feb. 05,

2 0 1 8 Journalism-photography program at San Antonio College

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Library

Students can check out books, CDs, DVDs, book chapters, articles and other instructor-provided materials for two-hour increments at the reserve desk in Room 409 of Moody Learning Center.

The electronic reserve can be accessed on any internet-connected device at www.saclib.on.worldcat.

org/discovery. It features book chapters, articles, test reviews, instructors’ notes and other photocopied materials. A student ID and Banner ID are required to access the reserves.

Students can request books from any Alamo Colleges library to be delivered to Room 409 of Moody within 24 hours. See “Knowledge is free at the library” online.

Kathya Anguiano

Flyers symbolize safe space FERPA prevents college officials from having to report the status of students.

experiencing any problems,” Vela said in a Jan. 23 interview.

Faculty, staff and administrators are not required by law to disclose the information that undocuBy Kimberly Caballero mented students reveal to them about their status, kcaballero@student.alamo.edu Vela confirmed.

Flyers of a colorful butterfly floating above the “We are protected under FERPA, Family words “Migration is Beautiful” are posted outside Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which is a fedfaculty, staff and administrators’ offices on cameral guideline to protect students records at this pus. point. We’re not law enforcement.

The flyer is an invitation We’re not federal officials who are for DACA, Deferred Action for required by law to do certain things.

Childhood Arrivals, and undocu“We are a college, and we care mented students, to ask those who about our students,” he continued. have displayed it questions about “That’s the misconception their current status, academics or and the fear that’s out there.

Mariano Aguilar, (Undocumented students) don’t any other concerns.

Mexican-American studies The flyers, championed by and English professor want to be exposed for the fear that student success Director Mona someone may turn them in. That’s Aldana-Ramirez, are a way to let DACA and undocunot what we’re there to do. We’re there to help them.” mented students know there is a collective at this According to the U.S. Department of Education college that wants to help those students succeed website, FERPA “is a federal law that affords parents and graduate. the right to have access to their children’s educaPresident Robert Vela’s office is one of several tion records, the right to seek to have the records offices throughout campus displaying the flyer. amended, and the right to have some control over “This is a way to symbolize from a college perthe disclosure of personally identifiable information spective that students should feel safe and feel good from the education records. When a student turns about coming forward if they have any issues around 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at See BUTTERFLY, Page 2 their school, their academic progress or they’re

b utterflies “follow don’t borders.

Butterflies fly where they will.”

Art sophomore Shalyra Alleyne works on a linear form project for art Professor Alfonso Cantu’s Design 2 class Jan. 29 in visual arts. Alleyne and her classmates had to make a three-dimensional sculpture out of lines, for which Alleyne was using chicken wire. “I am not sure what I am making, but I am just trying to make everything flow together,” she said. “I want it to be looping and have the wires sticking up on the top.” Brianna Rodrigue

Faculty-student mentorship program formalizes connections

Administration amends PGR and replaces winwin agreement plan. kcaballero@student.alamo.edu

By Alison Graef

agraef@student.alamo.edu

Esther Pais, coordinator of the faculty-student mentor program and speech instructor, leads a discussion on mentors Jan. 10 in visual arts. Faculty were given tips on time management, including using office hours as a way to be available for mentoring. V. Finster said. “But we want to make sure every student has this mentorship.”

Fabianke said now that the program has been developed and piloted by faculty members, each

See MENTORSHIP, Page 2

discussed discipline-specific PGR rates and the new faculty continuous improvement plan. Lorena Torres Romero

Amendments made to PGR standards

By Kimberly Caballero

Each Alamo College is tasked with implementing program by fall.

At a board meeting Jan. 23, Jo-Carol Fabianke, former vice chancellor of academic success, spoke about the formalization and implementation of a faculty-student mentorship program that will begin at all Alamo Colleges fall 2018.

Fabianke said the mentorship program is intended to connect students to a faculty member in addition to an assigned adviser. She said faculty mentors help students with questions such as what it’s “going to take” to major in a particular degree at a four-year institution.

In an interview, speech Instructor Esther Pais, who has helped pilot mentoring at this college, said the primary purpose of mentoring is to retain students and help them complete educational goals, whether completing a degree, transferring or attaining a job.

Fabianke said many faculty are already connecting with and informally mentoring students, so the program would be formalizing and expanding a process that already exists.

“Many faculty do that anyway,” Fabianke

Faculty Senate President Julie Engel leads a Faculty Senate meeting Jan. 19 in visual arts. Faculty members

The college administration has replaced the win-win agreement plan with a continuous improvement plan for faculty who do not have 70 percent of students receive passing grades of A, B or C for back-to-back semesters.

The college executive team outlines the change in a Jan. 11 memo in response to a Faculty Senate statement adopted Dec. 8.

“Administration accepted the chairs’ recommendations to transition from the Win-Win approach to utilizing the Faculty Improvement Plan for PGR,” according to a Jan. 11 memo to Faculty Senate.

The memo was in response to a Dec. 11 memo from the Faculty Senate.

The new faculty continuous improvement plan for productive grade rates, known as PGR’s, gives faculty a semester to increase PGR’s if they fall below

the 70 percent standard.

“This plan will be used when a faculty member’s average PGR of all sections for the same course falls below 70% for two back-toback semesters,” according to the executive team’s memo.

The original win-win agreement plan included faculty improvement strategies such as limiting the number of classes faculty could teach the following semester and prohibiting them from teaching summer classes. It also required a faculty signature on the agreement plan.

The new plan omits the list of improvement strategies and no longer requires a faculty member’s signature.

The faculty continuous improvement plan is being implemented this semester, Faculty Senate President Julie Engel said in a Jan. 25 phone interview.

Faculty thought the original 70 percent PGR standard and winwin agreement were unfair and worried it hurt faculty morale.

Another concern was the potential to negatively impact their jobs.

“Faculty worried about pressure to lower standards and inflate grades to avoid a win-win agreement. They also expressed worry about how the win-win agreements may be used against them in some way, especially that it will lead to progressive discipline,” according to Faculty Senate’s memo.

A Faculty Senate survey was conducted in spring 2017 and distributed to 437 full- and part-time faculty, and 275 faculty responded.

According to the survey, 59.9 percent considered the win-win approach at this college to be punitive and 64.3 percent considered it to have a negative effect on overall faculty morale.

“The Faculty Senate welcomes working together with the administration to develop a fair and reasonable set of discipline-specific PGR rates that achieves the goals of student success while maintaining faculty morale,” according to the Faculty Senate’s memo to the executive team.

The Alamo College board of

See PGR, Page 2

2NEWS

www.theranger.org/NEWS

FEB.05, 2018

Nathan Thurman, technical director for the theater program; drama sophomore Craig Haddad; and drama freshman Fernando Fernandez place a motel sign in back of the set for “Bug” Jan. 29 in McCreless Theater. The play opens 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15. Admission with a SAC ID is $5, general admission is $10, other colleges, senior and military are $8. Deandra Gonzalez

‘Bug’ crawls to stage Feb. 15 The director chose a challenging play for a small cast.

BUTTERFLY from Page 1

By Katya Harmel

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The stage in McCreless Theater has been transformed to resemble a shabby motel room for the production of “Bug,” a play written by Tracy Letts, author of “August: Osage County.”

“August: Osage County,” Letts’ 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, was adapted into an Oscarnominated film in 2013 with Meryl Streep taking the lead role of Violet Weston.

“Bug,” which debuts at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, is a black comedy about paranoia, conspiracy theories and the development of an obsessive romance.

Theater Coordinator Paula Rodriguez, who has been an instructor at this college for 15 years, said this is one of the more challenging plays she has directed.

“The characters go through a lot of damage and change,” she said. “It’s hard for the actors to get into the skin of these characters. They cry, scream, suffer.”

Rodriguez said this is not a play for children because it contains profanity, drug use and mature subject matter.

The play, which was made into a film in 2006 starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon, follows the encounters of Agnes White, a waitress seeking refuge from her physically abusive exhusband, Jerry Goss. He is fresh out of prison and searching for her.

While hiding out in a motel room, Agnes is introduced to Peter Evans, a wandering Gulf War veteran with whom she becomes romantically involved.

Over time, Peter reveals a growing paranoia about conspiracies that include flying saucers and government experiments on soldiers.

Agnes is eventually influenced by Peter’s insanity and becomes paranoid herself.

Five actors have been cast in “Bug” with theater major sophomore Arianna Angeles for the lead role of Agnes White and theater major sophomore Ryan Willis playing Peter.

Each year, the directors in the theater program strategically pick three to four productions for the college to produce.

Rodriguez said she chose “Bug” because she

PGR from Page 1 trustees established 70 percent PGR as the district standard for classes with more than 100 students, but the college administration is also inviting discussion among chairs and faculty to create disciplinespecific PGR’s, according to the memo sent by the executive team.

Fine arts Chair Jeff Hunt thinks the amendment to the PGR standards and new faculty continuous improvement plan are steps in the right direction.

“I thought it was a really good first step,” he said. “I thought it was a pretty good compromise.”

A “migration is beautiful” flyer at the entrance of the office of President Robert Vela, symbolizes his office as a safe place for undocumented students and DACA recipients Jan. 10. The flyers are around campus on

Theater freshman Kyle Reed wires a lamp for the play “Bug” Jan. 29 in McCreless. The crew has been building the set since the start of the semester. Deandra Gonzalez was looking for a small cast show and she is a fan of Letts’ work.

She also wanted a project that would challenge her students while challenging herself.

She believes it is important for people to see “Bug” because her students have dedicated a great deal of time and energy into this play.

The crew is made up of theater students.

“They build and paint the sets themselves,” she said. “Students sew all of the costumes.”

Rodriguez said this college has one of the strongest theater programs in the state, and she wants audience members to see that.

“Bug” is at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15-17, 22-24 and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 18 and 25 in McCreless.

The cast will participate in a talk-back Feb. 22 after the show in which audience members will be able to converse with the cast and ask questions.

American Sign Language interpretations of the play will be provided Feb. 17 and 25.

Tickets are $5 with a SAC ID; $8 for other college students, seniors and military; and general admission is $10.

For information, call Rodriguez at 210-4860492.

Administrators encourage chairs and faculty to identify which disciplines need lower PGR standards, along with national trends supporting those standards, and then provide that information to the executive team by the end of the semester.

The 70 percent PGR standard stems from Texas’ benchmark standard, Hunt said in a Jan. 29 interview.

Dr. Said Fariabi, chair of math, architecture, physics, engineering, said in a Jan. 31 interview that overall faculty members are happy with the new continuous improvement plan and the administration’s invitation to discuss discipline-specific PGR standards.

“This is great, and the faculty are happier,” Fariabi said.

His faculty are looking into national trends to help determine a discipline-specific PGR rate to present to the administration.

“We just started this recently, and we’re looking to see how we can get that. But I know I can call individual colleges and ask them and they will tell me. It would be nicer if we can get it officially from some state-run data,” Fariabi said.

He referred to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Fariabi said his faculty has not been required to implement a win-win agreement in about two years.

any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (‘eligible student’).”

Vela said he proudly displays the “Migration is Beautiful” flyer outside his office.

“Every student deserves our attention and deserves our leadership and focus to ensure their success at the college,” Vela said.

Carmen de Luna Jones, offsite coordinator of Brackenridge Education and Training Center and member of the DREAMers advisory council, said in an interview Jan. 23 that it is not the job of faculty or staff to report undocumented students.

“That’s not our job to report, you know, who’s in our classes.

Our job is to teach. We’re not patrolling our students, other than making sure they are on the right path to a successful career,” Jones said.

“We have to follow FERPA rules. We protect all students’

doors of faculty, staff and administrators who want these students to know they can help them succeed and graduate without compromising their status. Nicole M. Bautista

information.”

About 200 migration flyers have been distributed to faculty, staff and administrators who want to be allies with DACA and undocumented students, said Aldana-Ramirez in an interview Jan. 31.

Aldana-Ramirez said the flyers have been on this campus since the fall.

There is a second flyer being distributed around campus and to all other Alamo Colleges bearing an image of a butterfly above the words “Keep Dreaming.”

The DREAMers advisory council, including Mariano Aguilar, Mexican-American studies and English professor, along with Aldana-Ramirez, and Mexican-American studies Coordinator Lisa Ramos are championing the second flyer.

The original flyer helped to influence the idea of the second flyer, Jones said Jan. 31.

It was created to specifically identify each Alamo College, Jones said.

MENTORSHIP from Page 1 college is tasked this spring with deciding how they will adapt and implement it.

She said colleges must decide which faculty members are going to be involved in the first phase, what mentoring will entail and how mentoring interactions will be documented.

In the pilot program at this college, which began in fall 2016, faculty mentors took responsibility for 15 student mentees. Pais said the students can be assigned based on their majors, or faculty can request students with whom they are already connected.

The pilot has grown from just 33 mentors to about 113.

At this college, faculty members who are assigned mentees receive students’ names, Banner IDs and contact information, and should send a “short and sweet” email to introduce themselves and initiate first contact.

Faculty members who already have mentees should email Pais their names and Banner IDs so she will know not to assign them to another mentor.

Pais said faculty should not be overwhelmed by the idea of mentoring 15 students because mentoring is not as intensive and time-consuming as it sounds.

“I want to show, hopefully everyone, how nonintimidating it really is,” Pais said. “I’m really trying to get people to understand what it is and what it is not because there is a lot of misunderstanding of what the expectations are.”

She said while mentoring is not required, some departments are encouraging faculty to become faculty-student mentors.

Pais said departments will eventually come up with their own agreement plans to personalize the goals and responsibilities of the faculty-student mentors.

Mentors at this college are provided a brief questionnaire to help them get to know mentees’

Aguilar said variations of the butterfly across the campus symbolize the idea that immigrants should be free to migrate across borders like butterflies do.

He also said all students, regardless of immigration status, are welcome at this college.

“The butterfly is a symbol of migration,” he said.

“Butterflies don’t follow borders. Butterflies fly where they will. When students see that butterfly symbol, they know it is an immigrant-friendly office, and they know they can seek advice or help, or they can just sit and talk,” Aguilar said Jan. 19 in an interview.

Aguilar said in a Jan. 31 interview both flyers symbolize the same message.

“I think anyone who’s displaying either of these is trying to show to the students that this is a safe place, that this is a place to find allies.”

For more information, visit http://www.alamo.edu/district/ daca/.

needs upon first meeting with them. The questionnaire lists a things a mentor can help with and helps students understand what a faculty mentor can do for them.

Pais said mentors are not meant to replace academic advisers. While advisers help students with the “nitty-gritty,” Pais said mentors can help students with questions about what classes to take simultaneously without being overloaded, what jobs a chosen degree will be useful for or if a chosen degree is the right one for them. She said mentors also serve as encouraging figures in students’ academic lives.

“I had faculty who I could depend on,” Pais said of her own educational experience. “Whether it was a question about ‘where can I go to for X?’ or their opinion on ‘this career choice for this degree,’ there was someone I could go to that I trusted, who I felt had my best interest in mind, and they helped me.”

Pais has been mentoring since last spring and took over leading the program from then-foreign languages Professor Tammy Perez, who helped begin the program in fall 2016. Pais mentors 25 students.

Pais knows firsthand how faculty mentors, or lack thereof, can influence a student’s college experience. When she first attended college, a professor whom she respected brushed her off when she confided about hardships in her personal life that were taking a heavy toll on her academics.

“She didn’t make me quit school, but it was just the last straw,” Pais said.

When Pais returned to college years later, it was a faculty mentor who helped cheer her on and guide her through university as a non-traditional student, and ultimately encouraged her to attend graduate school.

“Obviously, when it came to mentoring, I was in because I know what a faculty member can do or not do for a student,” she said.

Students who want a mentor or faculty members who want mentees can email Pais at epais@ alamo.edu.

EDITORIAL 3 www.theranger.org/EDITORIAL

f e b .05 ,2018

Letter: Transparency needed in search Alamo Colleges board of trustees:

Amanda Graef

Make faculty mentoring work Faculty mentors should be approachable; students should heed advice.

This college has piloted a mentor program since fall 2016, and a mentor program will be formalized and implemented in all Alamo Colleges by fall 2018.

Ideally, all mentors will be approachable and relatable. If students receive a mentor from their discipline, that mentor should be able to express their passion for that field and relay their life experiences to their mentee.

Mentors need to respond to the needs of their mentees in a timely manner to help their mentees avoid unnecessary stress.

While it is unfair to expect mentors to have the answer to every question, they should be able to work with a mentee to find the necessary resources.

Hopefully, mentors will be able to help students navigate the complexities of the college experience. Registration, navigating Canvas and maintaining a

feasible schedule are all aspects of life that students struggle with.

These mentors will not only be helping students with their academic affairs.

Eventually a student will open up to a mentor and personal issues will be discussed.

When students speak with their mentors, private information should remain confidential.

If students apply for an academic mentor, they should get one.

Even if students cannot get a mentor within their discipline, having a faculty mentor is still helpful.

Students who receive a mentor need to keep up communication with their mentor and be on time for appointments.

If students only contact their mentor when something bad happens, they won’t be able to build rapport.

Students will bear much of the responsibility for the success of this program by asking mentors for whatever help they need and then heeding that advice.

the faculty and students, who are the nucleus of the colleges, are not appropriately included on the committee.

This isn’t the first time that I’ve expressed concerns about not including opportunities for community, faculty and student input in its selection process of high-ranking candidate searches.

I was equally troubled with the process conducted by the University of Texas System when they vetted their candidates for UTSA president.

I was disheartened to hear that the Alamo The Alamo Colleges District chancellor search Colleges search committee consultant is recprocess is flawed due to the lack of inclusion and ommending a process that does not provide a transparency despite its status as a public instituthoughtful period of review, and that the board tion. will only submit one name for final consideration.

My office has initiated efforts to resolve these Thinking of the 80,000 students that the Alamo issues; however, we still remain conColleges serve, it would be respectful cerned with the current process. and considerate to the nomination On Dec. 21, my staff reached out to of a new chancellor to be vetted by discuss our concerns. current representation of the Alamo On Jan. 19, the committee chair and Colleges’ stakeholders. consultant met with my chief of staff, It is crucial to remember that Tomas Larralde, who relayed my coneach college campus has its own cerns that no one from Northwest Vista unique history and composition and College is currently serving on the search that faculty and student engagement committee and that only three members would further cement the mutual of the selection committee are faculty.

Menéndez vested interest in the outcome of After inquiring how the committee this important selection process as was selected, the consultant indicated that names primary stakeholders. were brought to the board and that the board had It is my opinion that doing this would ultimade the final recommendations. However, this mately empower the new chancellor to build process leaves very little opportunity for those bridges that further the mission of the colleges outside of the existing board and its network from with the support of the faculty and student base. even being considered.

While we applaud the effort to bring commuJosé Menéndez nity members to the table, we also recognize that State Senator, District 26

ONLINE NOW www.theranger.org Mortuary science program awaits blueprint approval for funeral home

By Frank Piedra

Contract workers with Vaughn Construction occupy Ashby House Jan. 31, the future site of the mortuary science funeral home.

V. Finster

STAFF Editor Alison Graef Managing Editor Kimberly Caballero

The mortuary science program is awaiting the green light to move forward with a funeral home.

The location, an apartment building that once housed campus offices, is in the blueprint stage until all city approvals are passed. It is located at 210 W. Ashby Place.

“We face the challenge of not being able to make many modifications to the building given the

location and the physical structure,” Dr. Jose Luis Moreno, mortuary science coordinator, said Jan. 25 in an interview. “We have to work within limitations.”

Some of these limitations could include removing essential support walls and a staircase to make room for a chapel, prep room and dress room.

He said a budget cannot be provided until the college gets city approval.

Visuals Editor V. Finster

Mega Lab offers workshops, resources

By Sergio Medina For information technology Director Usha Venkat, it is important students know the resources available in the Student Mega Lab.

Michele Tippit, lab coordinator and client support specialist, said the lab’s staff and work-studies are available to help students.

“It’s all about the student; we will help them,” Tippit said.

Panel discussion opens Black History Month

By Deandra Gonzalez This college will kick off Black History Month with a panel discussion 10:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m.

Feb. 6 in Room 218 of the nursing and allied health complex.

This year’s theme is “AfricanAmericans in Times of War.”

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4SPORTS www.theranger.org/PULSE

FEB.05, 2018

Men’s basketball determined to make playoff push despite controversy Opponents malfunctioning equipment and unsafe playing conditions should result in two Ranger wins, coach says.

By Dillon Holloway

dholloway12@student.alamo.edu

The second half of the season has kicked off and the Rangers’ playoff chances are up in the air.

A conflict regarding standings has added confusion to an already challenging season, men’s basketball coach Sam Casey said Jan. 23 in an interview.

The team is a member of the Texas Collegiate Club Sports League.

“We’re either in fifth place, eighth place or 10th place,” Casey said. “As I understand it, the top six teams in the conference make the playoffs.”

Casey referenced two games that he believes should be official wins for the Rangers.

“There’s a game that we played at St. Philip’s, and by rule, their shot clocks were not working,” he said.

Casey said a malfunction caused the shot clocks at St. Philip’s College to shut off once the count reached 6 seconds.

Both teams and officials were aware of the malfunction before the game.

By rule, if a home team has malfunctioning shot clocks, the game will still be played with the understanding that the away team be awarded a win regardless of the final score, Casey said.

The Rangers lost to the Tigers 95-89 Oct. 23 in the health and fitness center at St. Philip’s.

“We lost the game on the court, but by rule, that should be an automatic win — which changes the standings.”

The Texas Collegiate Club Sports League, also known as TCCSL, has league rules, schedules, scores and a section for league standings posted on its website, www.tccsl.org.

The league standings section, however, has been left blank.

“I think with the lack of leadership and lack of organization, it’s kind of becoming like the Wild West,” he said.

“That’s just not what college basketball is about.”

The other game in question was

against the Northwest Vista Wildcats Nov. 17 in the gym of Huisache Hall at Northwest Vista College.

During the game, a fight broke out in the stands, and play was permanently stopped.

“We had a game at Northwest Vista where their fans fought and the game couldn’t be finished,” he said. “For us, we believe that should be a win as well.”

Casey said the rules state when a safe area of play cannot be provided by the home team, and the game is called off, the visiting team is supposed to win via forfeit.

For the Rangers to make the playoffs, the game against Northwest Vista is especially crucial.

“The way they do the tie-breakers, it’s kind of strange,” he said.

“If you and I are tied, but I beat the No. 2 team, and you beat the No. 1 team, then you get in because you beat the better seed.”

Northwest Vista is the No. 2 team in the conference, making play with them a potential tie-breaker, Casey said.

Teams in the TCCSL play both inconference opponents and out-ofconference opponents, with the former holding more value when it comes to playoff scenarios in the case of a tied record between teams.

Northwest Vista and St. Philip’s also belong to the TCCSL. Casey said the Rangers record is officially 4-16 with a record of 1-9 inconference games, but should be 6-14 with an in-conference record of 3-9 if the league rules of forfeiture had been upheld.

Casey has sent multiple appeals to the league office regarding the two, but has not received a response, he said.

Casey also said he believes two teams within the conference may be playing ineligible players.

Casey did not name the two teams, but said he has sent requests to the league office for the team’s rosters,

Sam Casey, head men’s basketball coach, goes over an offensive play during practice with the team Jan. 23 in Candler. The Rangers played Our Lady of the Lake University Jan. 24, defeating the Saints 101-82. Brianna Rodrigue again with no response.

This college is scheduled to host the playoffs in April, Casey said.

Casey plans to push for an 11-team playoff bracket instead of a six-team playoff in the interest of fairness.

“My hope is that we have a single elimination tournament like every other college conference does in the country,” he said.

“I really won’t raise much of an issue at that point because everyone has a chance to win.”

Regardless, Casey said the team must make changes on the court.

Casey said he wants to start playing deeper into his team’s lineup and plans to use more press defense.

The press defensive style is designed to apply consistent pressure to the opposing team’s offense.

As far as offense goes, Casey said he has implemented a more conceptbased system for his players to follow as

opposed to standard plays.

“We don’t have a lot of A, B, C, D, E, F plays,” he said.

“So that gives them more freedom.

We’re trying to simplify things.”

Returning to the team from last semester is psychology freshman Hyshoné Fisher, who plays at the guard position and is the team captain.

Fisher said the team is using more of an attack mindset this semester.

“This semester, the thing that we’ve been doing is coming in hard every day,” he said.

“Play every day kind of like it’s your last day of playing.”

Fisher said the team has been ramping up the intensity at practice with a special focus on rebounding and defense.

Fisher said as the team captain, he has tried to lead by example for the new players joining the team this semester by coming in on time every day and

encouraging both old and new teammates alike.

New player Derek Miller, a criminal justice freshman who plays at the forward position, said his goal is to make a positive impact on and off the court.

“I think definitely bettering myself as a person, a student and a player,” he said.

“I want to help this team develop a good culture and atmosphere, and win some ball games.”

The Rangers played Victoria College Jan. 31, losing 122-82 in a conference matchup dropping the team’s official record to 5-17 and 2-10 within the conference.

The team’s next game will be on the road against the Schreiner University Mountaineers at 8 p.m. Feb. 5 in the Event Center in Kerrville.

Josh Moore, of the TCCSL league office, could not be reached for comment.

Three make team at volleyball tryouts To adhere to league rules, the team is still looking for players, coach says.

Criminal justice freshman Derek Miller goes up against a University of the Incarnate Word player and adds 2 points to the board with a minute left in the first half Jan. 22 at the UIW wellness center. This is Miller’s first season with the team. The Rangers lost 100-64. Brianna Rodrigue

and communicate on the volleyball court.

Rauel said he was pleased with the efforts of those who tried out.

By Dillon Holloway “They’ve got great potential,” he dholloway12@student.alamo.edu said. “All the skills are there, a little Women’s volleyball tryouts took rusty, but we can work it off.” place Jan. 24 in Gym 2 of Candler He said the biggest things he Physical Education Center, looks for in a player are attibut the team will require tude, hand-eye coordinamore players before tion and a good work the first game, coach ethic.

Pichardo Rauel Jr. Freeman said she said in an interview chose to join the team after tryouts conbecause she played cluded. two years in high school Rauel said the team and missed the sport. now has five players, but File She said she sees the volleague rules say teams need at least leyball team as a way to stay active. seven members.

Alegria said she has five years of The new players are education volleyball experience and chose to freshman Bellaneyra Avila Alegria join the team as a means of particiand kinesiology sophomore Lillie pating more at this college outside Freeman. the classroom.

Rauel could not provide the final The Rangers record for the seaplayer’s information. son sits at 3-4.

During tryouts, Rauel had the Their next game is against Trinity women run a series of drills that University 7 p.m. Feb. 8 in Webster tested their ability to serve, pass, set Gymnasium.