Vol. 86 Issue 16 • Single copies free • April 2, 2012 • 210-486-1773 • theranger.org
Tuition absorbs fees for AF
This week Domestic violence leads to scholarship The Alamo Colleges board recognized a scholarship to promote awareness of domestic violence at its Tuesday meeting. The Kristine Meza Foundation donated $3,000 to the Alamo Colleges Foundation to offer the scholarship in memory of Kristine Meza, who was killed in a murdersuicide Feb. 11, 2011, at age 25. “It’s not easy finding the silver lining in such a horrible tragedy, but that’s just what we did by the grace of God,” Anastasia Salazar, president of the Kristine Meza Foundation, said. More information is online. Melissa Gonzales
Iran nuclear concern It is possible Iran can pose a threat using nuclear weapons, but the country also is surrounded by nations with that power, political science Professor Asslan Khaligh said Tuesday to an audience of 25. Campus minister John Feagins of the Methodist Student Center said the Hot Potato lecture “Does Nuclear Iran Pose a Danger to World Peace?” arose from the controversy about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. For the full story, visit www. theranger.org. Kirk Hanes
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Archaeology lecture
Daniel Osland, visiting professor of classical studies at Ohio State University, discussed “A Kind of Conversion: From Roman to Visigoth Emerita” Monday in the nursing complex. For the full story, visit www. theranger.org. Diana Palomo
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Alicia Sebastian (left) chants while Jessica Shittu and Tanya Farirayi hold a “We are Trayvon Martin” banner Wednesday at the UTSA main campus. Students marched to show their support for justice for the
shooting death of the teen Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla. “We felt it was an issue we needed to address,” Victoria Garrett, president of the Black Student Leadership Council, said. Riley Stephens
Early college grads first class Four students are graduating with two associate degrees this spring. Senior Carlos Castaneda of Travis Early College High his sophomore and junior years and treasurer for his School, is one of 10 students graduating from the pro- senior year. gram with more than 70 credit hours. After four year, things are now “outstanding” he said. One hundred students and five instructors made “Students are more cohesive with one another in regard up his class when he first to all grade levels.” By ROBERT joined the program in He also sees early college students taking MEDINA August 2008. advantage of college clubs and organizations. The program has “For example, I’m the president of Phi Theta rmedina116@student. alamo.edu increased annually by 100 Kappa. There are students in the Psychology students. Club at SAC, and they are going to use the labs, An early problem experienced by faculty and the gym and the library,” he said. staff was “getting the students to understand Castaneda is one of four students receiving Carlos Castaneda the responsibility of the rigor and challenges of two associate degrees this spring. “I asked … if an early college,” Principal Orlando Vera said. we could take an extra class that would qualify The school now has 351 students and 16 instructors. us for a second degree,” he said. “Our vice principal said The Texas Education Agency requires that high school ‘yes’ and they paid for us to take this extra class.” instructors be certified to teach at an early college proCastaneda will graduate with an associate degree in gram to ensure all educators “meet the needs of all learnliberal arts and one in general science. ers in today’s and tomorrow’s Texas classrooms.” He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology “At first, there were issues for building the early coland a master’s degree in psychology because he hopes to lege program up and our class was, of course, the guinea become a pediatric psychologist. pigs toward trying out different things for the school,” He has already been accepted to six universities but is Castaneda said. still waiting to hear from his top three choices, University “At first, that was a little weird because you see how of Texas at Austin, Yale and Notre Dame. high schools already have their traditions and they have Of a graduating class of 86 students, 51 also will gradeverything set up, what works for the students and what uate with associate degrees in the May 12 ceremony and doesn’t, and we were the first ones to experience that. So will participate in a high school graduation ceremony now that they’ve gone through us, the students, staff and June 14 in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center. the school itself have an agenda to fall under that works.” See related stories, Page 5 His classmates elected Castaneda class president for
The Alamo Colleges board of trustees unanimously voted to consolidate tuition and fees into a single cost at a meeting Tuesday. By JOSHUA At the FECHTER Audit, Budget and Finance jfechter @student. Committee alamo.edu meeting March 20, Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said the change was made to accommodate students enlisted in the military, who must pay fees out of pocket because the military covers only tuition. During a phone interview March 23, chief bursar Mary Hall said the U.S. Air Force does not reimburse the district for fees. During a phone interview Monday, Russell Gregg, chief of education and training at Lackland Air Force Base, said as of fall 2010, the Air Force will pay only fees related to coursework such as lab fees. Gregg said the Air Force would pay the new tuition rate if the board approved it. According to the minute order attachments, cost of attendance would not be affected by consolidating tuition and fees. Current tuition appraises one to six credit hours at a flat rate of $336 for in-district tuition, $1,008 for out-of-district tuition and $2,016 for out-of-state tuition. The general fee for students enrolled in one to six credit hours is $130. Students enrolled in seven or more credit hours pay an additional $56 per credit hour for indistrict tuition, $168 for out-of district intuition and $336 for out-of-state tuition. The general fee for students
See TUITION, Page 4
PAC president steps down Aug. 31 The Alamo Colleges board of trustees unanimously approved the retirement of Dr. Ana “Cha” Guzman, president of Palo Alto College, at its regular meetBy JOSHUA ing Tuesday. Her FECHTER retirement will be effective Aug. 31. jfechter @student. Guzman told alamo.edu The Ranger that after serving as president for 11 years, she felt she needed a new challenge. “I’m a builder. That’s what I love to do,” she said. She has been president of the
South Side college since 2001. Guzman said she has no plans to seek employment elsewhere. On Feb. 21, the Alamo Colleges board removed Guzman’s retirement from its agenda after she requested to stay at Palo Alto in an unspecified position until Jan. 6, six months after her effective retirement date. At the February meeting, board Chair Gary Beitzel said this violated board policy. At a special meeting Oct. 5, the board voted 8-0 to allow college presidents to take advantage of a 50
percent retirement incentive if they elect to retire by Feb. 28, 2013, six months before the end of the current two-year contract, Aug. 31, 2013. Presidents who participate in the program receive 50 percent of current salary for a year. A retiree cannot apply for a job in the district for two years after retirement. So far, Guzman is the only one of the four eligible college presidents to apply for the retirement incentive. In February, Beitzel said if Guzman continued working at Palo
Alto after her retirement, the board would have to create a new position. After that board meeting, Guzman said she still planned to retire but would rethink her options and bring her decision to the board at the March meeting. At that time, Guzman said she and Chancellor Bruce Leslie discussed another position for her at the college but did not specify the nature of the position. In a phone interview Wednesday, Guzman said she would not seek another position at Palo Alto.
People
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April 2, 2012
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Calendar For coverage in Calendar, call 210-486-1773 or email sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance.
Today SAC Meeting: Student Government Association noon-1 p.m. in health promotions office in Room 150 of Loftin. Call 210-486-0125. SAC Lecture: Speaker series with Elda Martinez and Javier Lara sponsored by the Teaching Academy Program Peers at 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. of Gonzales. Call 210-486-0665. Tuesday SAC Drive: Voter registration sponsored by Students United for the Dream Act 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-683-5879. Wednesday SAC Event: HealthFest sponsored by kinesiology and dance department and the Wellness Committee 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Gyms 1 and 2 of Candler. Call 210486-1025.
Luby’s, 911 N. Main. Email support@ the99spring.com SAC Men’s Baseball: SAC vs. University of Texas at Austin 10 a.m.noon and 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at Mission County Park, 6030 Padre. Continues 10 a.m.-noon April 15. Call 210-486-0126. April 16 SAC Event: Karaoke sponsored by the office of student life 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-4860126.
Biomedical sophomore Rene De La Fuente spars with music freshman Earl Lyons in kinesiology Adjunct Stephen Reyna’s Fencing 2 class Monday in Gym 1 of Candler. “This class is mixed with
advanced students and students who just want to repeat the class again,” Reyna said. The class meets at 1 p.m. MWF and a beginning class meets at noon MWF or 10:50 a.m. TR. Riley Stephens
SAC Event: Leadership “Listening” sponsored by the office of student life 2 p.m.-3 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Continues April 19. Call 210-486-0126. SAC Performance: Honors recital sponsored by the department of fine arts 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255. April 17
SAC Event: Spa Day sponsored by the office of student life 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-4860126.
SAC Event: Speak Out sponsored by the fine arts department 3 p.m.-5 p.m. in McAllister and theater in McCreless. Call 210-486-0255.
Thursday April 18 SAC Meeting: Student Activity Fee Committee 4 p.m.-5 p.m. in health promotions office in Room 105 of Loftin. Call 210-486-0126. SAC Performance: “A View from the Bridge” by Arthur Miller and directed by Charles Falcon 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. $2-10. Continues 7:30 p.m. April 6-7 and 12-14 and 2:30 p.m. April 15. Call 210-486-0255. Friday ACCD Holiday: Colleges closed for Easter. Continues through April 8. April 11 SAC Contest: Money Matters series “Dress for Success 4 Less” sponsored by the office of student life 11 a.m.-noon in Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-4860126. April 12 SAC Event: Mortal Kombat tournament 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in Bailey’s Cyber Café in Loftin. Call 210-486-0126. SAC Meeting: “The Media and You” by Marianne Odom at Presidents Roundtable at 2 p.m. in the craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0125. April 13 SAC Deadline: Last day to withdraw from a class for the semester with a grade of W. Call 210-486-0200. April 14 Event: Spring Action Training sponsored by MoveOn at 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in
SAC Event: Doubles ping pong tournament sponsored by the office of student life 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in Bailey’s Cyber Café in Loftin. Call 210-486-0126. SAC Event: Office of Student Life awards banquet 6 p.m.-9 p.m. in the round in Loftin. Call 210-486-0126. April 19 SAC Concert: Fredstock in memory of Professor Fred Weiss with featured artists Ruben V, J. Meridian, Terri Hendrix, Mob Barley, The Inhalers and Friends Like Us sponsored by music business program noon-6 p.m. in Lot 7 at Main and Courtland. Call 210-486-1380. SAC Event: Yu-Gi-Oh tournament sponsored by the office of student life 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0126. April 21 SAC Men’s Baseball: SAC vs. Texas A&M University 10 a.m.-noon and 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in College Station. Continues 10 a.m.-noon April 22. Call 210-486-0126. April 24 SAC Event: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 tournament at 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in Bailey’s Cyber Café in Loftin. Call 210486-0126. April 25 SAC Event: Leadership “Dealing with Adversity and Apathy” sponsored by the office of student life 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0126.
Above, J.R. Martinez talks to the audience Wednesday about coming to terms with his injuries. Visit theranger.org to read more about the presentation. Albert Penuelaz
Left, Lydia Rivera, American Sign Language sophomore, recites an original poem “Marjorie” March 23 in Loftin for Coffeehouse Open Mic Night hosted by Cheshyre Cheese Club. The next event is 6 p.m.-9 p.m. April 20 in the round in Loftin. Call 210486-0126. Donna Quintana Computer science sophomore Anastasia Walter speaks with Rocio Benavides, outreach coordinator, Texas A&M UniversityKingsville, about transfer requirements Wednesday in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. About 20 colleges, including University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas State University-San Marcos, were handing out information, talking with students about programs and answering questions. Nicole Henry
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Board cancels 2 races Unopposed candidates are appointed by acclamation. The Alamo Colleges board of trustees unanimously approved the cancellation of trustee races in District 6 and District 7 at the regular meeting By JOSHUA Tuesday. FECHTER District 6 trustee Gene jfechter @student. Sprague was the alamo.edu only applicant to file in District 6. Yvonne Katz, former Spring Branch ISD superintendent and president of Vision Into Action Associates, was the only applicant to file in District 7. District 7 trustee Blakely Fernandez is not seekiong re-election. According to the minute order, Sprague and Katz will be appointed by acclamation after the election May 12. Board liaison Sandra Mora said Sprague and Katz will take the oath of office at the regular board meeting May 12 or a special board meeting. District 4 trustee Marcelo Casillas moved the item for approval, and Sprague jokingly seconded it. “I think that’s a conflict of interest,” Gary Beitzel, District 8 trustee and board chair, said. Sprague withdrew his second, and District 9 trustee James Rindfuss seconded the motion, which passed
unanimously. The trustee race in District 5 is May 12. Ramiro Nava, principal at Neil Armstrong Elementary School in the South San Antonio Independent School District, is challenging District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate. The Ranger reported March 5 that Katz resigned from her position at Spring Branch ISD after she failed to inform that district’s board of trustees that she was a paid consultant for an energy-conservation company that she recommended to the district. The Houston Chronicle reported in an Aug. 4, 2004, article titled “Spring Branch board scolds school chief” that Katz earned $500 for every school superintendent she convinced to meet with Energy Education Inc., which expected to make $3.7 million from its five-year contract with Spring Branch. In a phone interview March 5, Katz said she did nothing illegal and saw no conflict of interest regarding her actions. She said the contract did not require her to disclose her relations with the company to the district’s board of trustees. In a phone interview Feb. 23, Fernandez said she supports Katz to fill the District 7 seat. For more information, call Mora at 210-485-0300.
Tutors earn certification for lab work Developmental lab adds student, employee art. A celebration March 23 recognized nine students who were awarded the College Reading and Learning Association certificate in tutoring developmenBy REBECCA tal reading SALINAS students. “It offers sac-ranger@alamo.edu us a little bit of an edge,” said Brittany Power, sociology Distinguished Graduate. “It gives us experience, builds our interpersonal skills, and we can learn about ourselves and incorporate that into our life path.” Criminal justice sophomore Diana Bacha said, “It opens many doors to us for our future.” For the first time in the lab’s history, tutors have received certification. The English developmental lab was created in the 1970s by the late Professor Emeritus Vivian Rudisill, who wanted to meet the needs of underprepared students when computers began to be affordable. Professor Juanita Luna-Lawhn, English developmental coordinator, was inspired to help. “It’s very important for me to reach these students because I know they have much to
English sophomore Amanda Gatti receives a College Reading and Learning Association Level 1 Tutor certification March 23 in Room 122 of Gonzales. Gatti thanked faculty and President Robert Zeigler for their efforts toward her success. Troy Renteria offer,” she said. In 2011, Luna-Lawhn was certified by the National Center for Developmental Education. The center provides services for professionals dedicated to serving underprepared and disadvantaged college students. “I did it because every year it gets more complicated to reach students,” she said. “Education has a serious problem nationally. Learning strategies are different than in the ’70s. Some students value texting more than listening to a peer’s essay. I don’t know how it got so difficult.” She listed obstacles to reaching students, including feelings of inadequacy, fear of work being presented in public, and lack of experience in academia and reading. “There’s a big gap between community and the classroom,” she said. “If I can bring their community into the classroom,
I would have broken borders.” Artwork presented in the lab was to embody the community. It included college photographer Leonard Ziegler’s graffiti enhanced by Photoshop. “They’re amazing artists,” he said. “They have more talent than I do in my little finger. I have a lot of respect for them.” Multimedia specialist Kevin Rayhons presented two pieces also in photography. Rayhons has his own process to manipulate photos and paint to create mixed media. Visual resource specialist Joan Fabian presented colorful artwork. “I was inspired by culture and how color can define cultures,” she said. Dance sophomore Bernale Johnson said, “Adding art makes the lab more interesting.” President Robert Zeigler praised the idea of adding art. “It’s a concept that needs to expand,” he said.
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From TUITION, Page 1 enrolled in seven or more credit hours is $135. The new tuition schedule will take effect in fall 2012. To view the schedule, visit alamo.edu and click “About Us,” “Board of Trustees,” “Meeting Agenda” and “Click here to access board meeting agendas.” The board also unanimously approved the purchase of student support system software from ThoughtWright, LLC, GradesFirst, for implementation at Palo Alto, St. Philip’s, Northwest Vista and Northeast Lakeview colleges. According to the minute order, the district will pay ThoughtWright $199,950 over a three-year period for an early alert system that “automates the organizing student support data and advising center management, early student alerts, assignment tracking, tutor management, appointment scheduling, and attendance tracking and student communication.” The minute order states the system was purchased and piloted at this college in 2011. In an interview March 23, Gary O’Bar, district director of purchasing, said the software was purchased Sept. 7 for $19,500. He said the minute order proposes amending the current contract with ThoughtWright to include all five colleges in a three-year contract. At the committee meeting March 20, Jo-Carol Fabianke, interim vice chancellor for academic success, said the system would help increase retention and student success. She said the software will make it easier for faculty members to notify students if they are not doing well in the class based on performance monitored over the course
of a four-week period. “It’s really to engage faculty more with students,” she said. The board also unanimously approved hiring the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp. to “support implementation of processes and procedures related to student loan delinquency prevention and default aversion.” According to the minute order, the corporation will provide a dedicated tollfree call center to refer loan borrowers for questions or counseling and provide a link to online resources for federal student loan borrowers that includes contact information, downloadable forms and other resources. The corporation also will contact borrowers via telephone, mail and email when borrowers no longer attend Alamo Colleges. Also, the board approved paying Numara Software Inc. $355,640 over five years to provide and implement its Information Technology Service Management Solution. According to the minute order, the software will “empower support staff to effectively manage service delivery, provide 24/7 customer problem reporting, enhance service quality and delivery and allow for the seamless transfer of work orders” between the colleges and district. The committee also unanimously approved this item. District 7 trustee Blakely Fernandez left the meeting after the board approved a new faculty salary plan, making all subsequent votes 8-0. The board will conduct its next regular meeting April 17 in Room 101 of Killen Center, 201 W. Sheridan. For more information, call board liaison Sandra Mora at 210-485-0030.
Chairs given reserved parking Chancellor describes chairs as “four-legged” administrators. An estimated 15 parking spaces have been reserved for chairs of departments, adding to the 25 already reserved for administrators in the 1,000-space parking garage. Tim Rockey, dean of conBy FAITH tinuing education and workDUARTE force development, said most of the reserved spots are in the fduarte3 @student. parking garage while others alamo.edu are closer to buildings where chairs have offices and teach. He said when chairs drive off-campus to attend meetings, they have a difficult time finding parking once they return and are unable to meet their classes on time. Students who face similar situations are frequently encouraged by administrators to simply plan better to get to campus earlier. While the garage was under construction, it was proposed as a salve to student parking woes. The college parking committee made the decision Oct. 12, 2007. But Jan. 24, 2008, it was announced that 24 spaces in the garage would be reserved for administrators and their visitors. The long-promised parking garage was to provide 1,000 new parking spaces, but the net gain was only 400 because new construction was slated for three student parking lots. During a March 9 town hall meeting at this college, Chancellor Bruce Leslie said of department chairs, “We try to split you between keeping one foot in the classroom and then putting your other three feet in the administrative role. I think on one level, we need to acknowledge that these are administrative roles.” Rockey said the upcoming Tobin Hill publicprivate partnership at North Main Avenue and
A new parking space is provided to the chair of kinesiology and dance in Lot 20 of Candler. Riley Stephens Evergreen Street will provide space for housing, offices and shopping and an 1,100-space parking garage. The garage will be built on the 100-space Lot 26 between Luther’s restaurant and the campus police department along North Main. David Mrizek, vice president of college services, said construction is expected to begin in June or July and be completed by fall 2013.
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Applications Great-great-uncle noted author for Travis like job interview Carlos Castaneda is credited with creating the Way of the Warrior approach to life in 1960s.
C
arlos Castaneda, a senior at Travis Early College High School, is the great-great-nephew of his namesake, the author of cult classics “A Separate Reality” and “A Yaqui Way of Learning,” among others, that chronicled his apprenticeship with a shaman in the Mexican desert. His 15 books, which describe magical experiences, Toltec rituals and experiments with the hallucinogenic drugs peyote and datura, proved controversial, but Castaneda’s following continues to grow a decade past his 1998 death. In his series of books, Castaneda relates the teaching of Don Juan Matus, a Yaqui sorcerer and shaman he met in 1960, Biblio.com reports. The shaman, a nagual or shapeshifter, shared Toltec knowledge with him. Castaneda’s account emphasizes three main elements of Toltec beliefs: • mastery of awareness and art of dreaming — description of the seer’s perception of luminous energy and bubbles of energy
Acceptance in the Travis Early College High School requires students to have passing scores in the writing, reading and math portions of the STAAR state exam; earn a grade average of 80 or higher and maintain a 90 percent attendance rate in eighth grade. In addition, students must be interviewed. “It’s like a job interview,” Principal Orlando Vera said. “We have a panel. We ask them, ‘Why do you want to come here? What makes you ready for this?’” References from the applicant’s instructors are examined during the screening process. Travis has become an external charter school, which allows it to receive Texas Education Agency funds and accept 25 students from outside the San Antonio Independent School District, the college’s partner in the early college program. Judson Early College Academy is a partnership between Judson Independent School District and Northeast Lakeview College. That early college is housed in a specially built building on the campus of Northeast Lakeview. For more information and to apply to the program, visit http://www.saisd. net/schools/travisearlycollege022/ index.php?option=com_content&view= frontpage&Itemid=1.
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around living things (a luminous cocoon) and ultimately, the source of these energetic lines, which are consciousness itself. • art of self-stalking — dealing with the world and actions in it. • mastery of intent — dealing with the primary force of the universe or the spirit or the means to move the assemblage point. He wrote the first three books while an anthropology student at the University of California, Los Angeles The naturalized citizen was born in Peru on Christmas Day in 1925 and immigrated to the United States in 1957. He earned a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. at UCLA. He was later stripped of the Ph.D. after being accused of presenting fiction rather than proper ethnographic research. His works sold 8 million copies in 17 languages.
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The Alamo Colleges trustees Tuesday “Instead of an electrician changing lightunanimously passed a measure contracting bulbs, they’re delivering mail,” he said. services to replace campus mailrooms effecDistrict 7 trustee Blakely Fernandez asked tive June 1. if it would be more expensive to run a properly The district will pay staffed mailroom internally. By JOSHUA FEJICO, LLC, and Two Strybos said he thinks it would cost 20 perFECHTER Step, LCC, franchisees of cent more. Mail Boxes Etc. Inc., about “You just made that up,” Fernandez said, jfechter @student. $76,625 for fiscal year 2012 laughing. alamo.edu and $306,500 each year for In an interview March 20, Strybos said the fiscal years 2013-15 to receive and sort incom- district could theoretically hire more staff for the ing mail to each college and delivmailrooms at each district facility, but er mail to each college and district the district is in a “hiring freeze.” offices. The Ranger reported Feb. 10, 2012, John Strybos, associate vice chanthat the district instituted a hiring cellor of facilities operations and freeze in August 2003. construction management, said that Since summer 2010, it has been because mailroom personnel are conreferred to as a hiring “chill.” sidered facilities staff, they would be Often positions at the colleges, John Strybos reassigned. particularly faculty, remain unfilled District 3 trustee Anna Bustamante asked if while positions at the district offices are filled those staff members would see a pay decrease or added. as a result of the reassignment. According to the staffing summary of the Strybos said they would not. Alamo Colleges budget for fiscal year 2011-12, District 9 trustee James Rindfuss asked how the district allocated a total of $188,953.15 for hiring a contractor and keeping current mailnine mailroom positions. room staff on the payroll would save the disIn a phone interview today, facilities supertrict money. intendent David Ortega said he and Strybos Chancellor Bruce Leslie said the district has have not discussed duties current mailroom not filled vacated positions, constituting savstaff will perform when contractors begin operings in lapsed salaries. ating campus mailrooms. At the Audit, Budget and Finance Committee According to the minute order, the contracmeeting March 20, Strybos said mailrooms are tors will offer individual mailboxes for private short-staffed, which has resulted in mailroom use, passport photograph services and basic closures at the colleges. postal supplies and services to students, faculty He said closures have caused delays in mail and staff. delivery. The contractors will pay the district 6 perStrybos said facilities personnel who travel cent of adjusted gross revenues. among the colleges deliver mail instead of perFernandez left the meeting early, making forming their assigned duties. the vote 8-0.
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SGA plans for meet Election set for A College president discusses the need to increase graduation rates.
Funding will come from conference fees, and administrators can welcome students at a reception at Koehler Cultural Center. The Student Government Association discussed with Team building events are expected to be in Loftin President Robert Zeigler March 23 ideas for the campus Student Center. becoming a host college for a regional meeting of student Business can be conducted in the conference room of governments. the nursing complex during the two- to three-day event. The SGA meets monthly with the Zeigler said it is a wonderful idea to give the college By DIANA college president for “Pepsi With the exposure because it is a beautiful campus. President,” but no Pepsi was availZeigler suggested Wong write a budget so he can assist PALOMO able at the meeting in the presi- Student Government with funding. Wong wants this to be dpalomo9@student. dent’s conference room in Fletcher specific so the Student Government won’t waste money alamo.edu Administration Center. from the funding. Jacob Wong, psychology sophomore and About 15 colleges in Region 6 might president of SGA, expressed concerns about attend a regional conference if it is at this Student Government an incident involving a visually impaired college. Association meets student waiting at a VIA bus stop next to the In other news, Zeigler said this college at noon the first early childhood development center, one is falling short in graduation. three Mondays of the block north of the main campus. Zeigler said the Texas Higher Education month in the health Wong asked if Zeigler can change the Coordinating Board tracks a cohort for promotions office, pickup areas for disabled students. Zeigler first-time-in-college, full-time students in Room 150 of Loftin said he would investigate; however, he the fall semester to see who graduates Student Center. For said it is a VIA expense or a school expense. in three, four and six years. The rates are more information, Student life Director Jorge Posadas said 5 percent, 7 percent and 8 percent. The call adviser Tiffany Cox, criminal justice he will check with disability support sergraduation rates are terrible, Zeigler said. professor, at vices if there are maps appropriate for the “The goal is to be a college of choice, not a 210-486-0835. visually impaired. college of convenience,” he said. In other news, SGA will conduct a leadIn other business, Dr. Jessica Howard, ership conference to discuss leadership retention, recruit- vice president of academic affairs, detailed what groups of ment, faculty and staff support and student and adviser distinguished graduates are working on. relationships. The conference will be at 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m. The first group focused on a Distinguished Graduate Fair April 18 and 10:50 a.m.-12:05 p.m. April 19. March 7 in Loftin. The second group worked on a QR code In the evening, lasagna, salad and bread will be served. for scanning by smartphones that will send students online Fruit, quiche and cheese danish will be provided the morn- to this college’s graduation page with videos of the graduates ing of the conference. explaining the significance of their achievements. Next, Wong announced the convention for Texas Junior The office of media services assisted students in the College Government Association March 29-April 1 in Austin. project. Currently, the Student Government is the vice president In the beginning of April, distinguished graduates will chair of Region 6 in the Gulf Coast region. receive caps and gowns. In other business, Wong said he wants this college to be They plan to take pictures in graduation regalia with the host school for Region 6 in the fall. friends for promoting graduation.
Students interested in running for Student Government Association can subm didate packets until 4:30 p.m. April 18 in the office of student life in Room 260 of Student Center. Open positions include president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and four missioners. Their terms begin Sept. 1 and continue through Aug. 31, 2013, and th be expected to attend training and planning sessions during the summer. SGA advisers Tiffany Cox, criminal justice professor, and Mark Bigelow, as coordinator of student life and activities, will review candidates’ final campaign on April 19 before campaigning begins April 20. Candidates can campaign April 20-May 4, and a candidate forum will be noonApril 30 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center. Online voting will be available through students’ ACES accounts April 30-May Results will be announced on the college’s website and ACES accounts May 7. Cox recommends candidates post fliers on bulletin boards, set up a table in the pus to answer questions and give out T-shirts. To be eligible to run, students must be: • Enrolled in this college at least six semester hours in the elected term of offic • Achieve and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 or above. • Currently not on administrative hold, scholastic probation or under suspens
BSA meets high demand in burger fundraiser Students from across campus followed their noses to the Black Student Alliance hamburger plate sale Wednesday in the mall. The alliance started setting up at 7 a.m. and started selling at around 9:15 a.m. Advisers Barbara Knotts and Judi Clark said although the alliance originally planned to start selling at 10 a.m., the demand from students required them to start earlier. “Whatever is cooked, they eat it,” Clark said. Clark said they were the busiest between classes, so they had to have some already prepared. Items included hamburgers for $2.50, cheeseburgers for $3 and a combo plate for $4.50. Combo plates included a burger, chips and a cup of lemonade.
The alliance stopped selling at around 1:30 p.m., but people were still asking for burgers while they were putting everything up, BSA member Sandra Nganou, biology freshman, said. The alliance made a profit of $271.44, Vice President Ria Thompson, political science sophomore, said. The alliance sold about 180 burgers, Clark said. In February, the alliance hosted a hamburger sale, and made a profit of $180, Clark said. The alliance meets every Wednesday in Room 400D of Moody Learning Canter. For more information, call 210-446-7159, email bsasac@ gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/SACBSA. Rebecca Salinas
Drama sophomore Jovi Lee Gonzales, history sophomore Travis Simpson and theater soph JillAnne Aden rehearse for a performance of “A View From the Bridge,” written by Arthur Mi directed by Instructor Charles Falcon in the auditorium of McAllister. Show dates are at 7:
Jewish, Christian cele
KSYM adviser John Onderdonk discusses suggestions for an on-air name for DJ Cheryl Gavia with James “Hot Mustard” Velten, host of morning show “The Sauce.” Donors could choose Gavia’s DJ name if their donation amount exceeded the previous person’s pledge. Power outages prevented the station from broadcasting until about 8:35 a.m. Wednesday. Onderdonk said Longwith had power, but the KSYM transmitter did not. J. Almendarez
This year, Passover and the Easter celebration will overlap, which commonly happens although the two holidays follow separate calendars. Good Friday will be on April 6 in commemoration of the crucifixion Jesus in the Christian practice. Good Friday is always celebrated for followers to reflect on death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nursing sophomore Jacob De La Garza said Catholics are not allowed to eat meat on Good Friday. Traditionally, Catholics were prohibited from eating fish on Fridays throughout Lent. Passover is a week long Jewish celebration, beginning Saturday, before the Easter holiday. Passover starts with a Seder meal, where family joins for dinner and worship. It is customary to provide gift baskets for the poor or for family and friends.
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disciplinary reasons. • Have completed the election packet. Students elected must: • Attend meetings noon-1 p.m. the first three Mondays of every month. • Lead and serve on at least one SGA committee. The committees begin each year for students to focus on projects. • Support SGA representatives who speak at the board of trustees meetings at 6 p.m. the second or third Tuesday of every month. • Attend SGA-sponsored events, including “Pizza with the President,” “Meet the SGA” and “Pepsi With the President.” The elected candidates will receive $500 stipend for books administered by the office of student life for the semesters of term in office. The inauguration of new SGA officers will be the first week of the fall semester. Cox said it is an excellent leadership opportunity to meet regularly with administration and represent a large student body. Student Government is the voice for concerns, needs and ideas of a diverse student body, Cox said. For more information, contact Cox at 210-486-0835 or Bigelow at 210-486-0134. Diana Palomo
The Morrison Collection is available in the reference section on the fourth floor of Moody. Riley Stephens
17th-18th century literature, periodicals in rare collection A former dean’s personal collection was the start of the collection.
Thursday-Saturday and April 11-14 and 2:30 p.m. April 15. Admission is $2 with Alamo Colleges ID, $8 for other students and $10 general admission. The box office opens one hour before the play begins. Cecilia Tornel
ebrations in step as in the beginning
On April 14, the last day of Passover, when he Seder meal includes lamb and bitter herb, he telling of the exodus of Egypt ends the tradion. It is set to occur again March 26, 2013. Easter occurs every year on the first full moon after the March 21 equinox and falls March 22 and April 25 of any given year. The date was set in 325 A.D. when Easter as used as the day to celebrate if the full moon ccurs on a Sunday, to avoid the overlap of assover. In modern culture, Easter is the Christian elebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some churches have special services on aster while others treat it like a general worhip. Mark Forester, director of Church of Christ, aid, “We celebrate the resurrection every day.” Catholics celebrate Easter following a 40-day
Lent, where a person decides to give up something for that time period or also offers to do something useful such as tutoring. Palm Sunday occurs one week before the end of Lent. Easter also has pagan origins stemming from the Eostara feast. The Easter bunny and eggs are fertility symbols derived from pagan practice, which also includes a bonfire ritual. The pagan celebration commemorates the resurrection of pagan god Tammuz, a descendant of the moon goddess and moon god. In modern times, people plan egg hunts for children and the bunny continues to symbolize Easter. The hunt sometimes involves finding candy, most of which is chocolate, and small treasures that fit in a plastic egg. Alamo Colleges will be closed for Good Friday. Kirk Hanes
Created in 1968, the year the library moved into Moody Learning Center, the Morrison Collection contains valuable books. The former dean of women at this college, Dr. Lois Morrison, started the By REBECCA collection. SALINAS A dean of women assisted all students but women sac-ranger@alamo.edu specifically while promoting education, leadership and character building. According to the 1963 college yearbook, El Alamo, Morrison was in charge of keeping attendance records, consulting students and also supervising clubs. After 14 years at this college, Morrison retired in 1963. She donated about 1,100 of the 4,200 items in the collection. As a graduate student, Morrison based her doctorial studies on writer Eustace Budgell. “She wanted to keep her personal library together,” Librarian Karen Balcom said. Balcom believes Morrison started collecting the items in the mid-1940s. Morrison graduated with a doctorate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where one professor sold her a copy of The Bee, an 18th century British periodical, Balcom said. Though none of the collection’s items are first edition, they are still very valuable, Balcom said. Balcom believes it is hard to put a value on the collection, but an appraiser estimated the collection was worth $221,800 in August 1987. In today’s dollars that becomes $444,503.99. The collection contains British literature pieces from the mid-17th to 18th centuries, with works from Edgar Allan Poe, Eustace Budgell and Joseph Addison, Balcom said. Items include periodicals such as The Spectator, The Tatler and The Bee, Balcom said. These periodicals were famous in coffee houses, where people got together and talked about politics, Balcom said. The Tatler started in 1709 and was published three times a week, The Spectator started in 1711 and was published daily and The Bee started in 1733 and was published weekly, according to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia. The Tatler still publishes in the form of a luxurious, fashion magazine. The old, stained paper makes a statement that newspapers have certainly changed over the years. What also fills the old-book-smelling Baskin
Suite are plays, journals and novels, which represent British society, Balcom said. A few pieces include “The Lady of the Lake” by Sir Walter Scott, “Christian Warrior Animated and Crowned” by Philip Doddridge, “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine and “The Dunciad” by Alexander Pope. “They are a reflection of what people were thinking or saying,” Balcom said. Items from the collection are not available for circulation, but can be viewed with supervision of a librarian in a special location, behind the stacks and near the librarians on the fourth floor of the library. Librarians are required to supervise viewers because it is important to avoid exerting pressure on or misusing the items. “They have to be preserved,” circulation technician Leticia Alvarado said. The collection is so fragile, items must be handled with white cotton gloves, Balcom said. The lights in the Baskin Suite are always on to prevent moisture. When college officials were discussing four-day work weeks two years ago, librarians were worried the collection would grow mold because of fluctuating lights. The items are supposed to be in a continuously cold temperature, but the actual temperature in the Baskin Suite is nowhere near that, Balcom said. In fact, the temperature should be 10 degrees lower, but apparently cannot be because of energy conservation measures. “It is not maintained like it should,” Balcom said. Balcom also admitted it takes commitment to preserve such material because of the importance and special attention to the material. Anyone who views the collection must have a picture ID and fill out an application at the reserve desk. The collection is mainly used by faculty and staff who need to research British literature. Balcom said researchers come from across the country to study literary text and criticism. Scholars use the collection because it actually gives readers an idea of the past’s “manners and morals,” Balcom said. The library and the collection are available 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. The library is closed on Sunday. For more information, call the reserve desk at 210-486-0582.
Editorial
8 • The Ranger
April 2, 2012
www.theranger.org/opinion
Editor Joshua Fechter Managing Editor Alma Linda Manzanares News Editor Faith Duarte
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Sections Editor Diana Palomo
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Photo Editor Ingrid Wilgen Photo Team Janell Arnold, Victoria Drumming, Nicole Henry, Eloy Hilburn, Alberto Penuelaz, Christopher Perez, Felipe Perez Jr., Troy Renteria, Cecilia Tornel, Donna Quintana Multimedia Editor J. Almendarez Video Team Dee Dixon, Valerie Salazar, Carmen Sanjuan, Riley Stephens Illustrators Alexandra Nelipa, Juan Carlos Campos Staff Writers Carla Aranguren, Jennifer Coronado, Melissa Gonzales, Kirk Hanes, Jennifer Luna, Alicia Millan, Silvia Millan, Ivie Okungbowa, Osita Omesiete, Janeka Porter, Rebecca Salinas Web Editors Jacob Beltran Robert Medina ©2012 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-4299. 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 journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications 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 (210-486-1773), 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 upon request 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
Alexandra Nelipa
Use library resources When the state cuts education funding, students not only pay more but face shrinking resources. In “Library loses databases” published March 2, The Ranger reported the library has discontinued 25 databases that cost a combined $79,153.34 in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 because of budget cuts. In fiscal year 2011, the library cut 13 databases, which cost $40,847.38. Among those was NewsBank, a database ranked No. 5 on this college’s 2008 list of mostused databases. It was a 2011 cut because of its high price tag of $17,340. NewsBank offered millions of current and archived articles from local to international publications. In 2012, the library cut 12 databases, totaling $38,305.96, including EBSCO’s PsycArticles, which cost $10,598 a year. PsycArticles contains more than 150,000 articles from 80 scholarly journals published by or in affiliation with the American Psychological Association. Is there nowhere else besides student services to cut?
According to the staffing summary of the Alamo Colleges annual budget for fiscal year 2011-12, the district allocated $319,937.28 to pay Chancellor Bruce Leslie’s salary. Despite cuts at the colleges, in the five years he has led this district, he has yet to miss out on a raise or bonus. His salary could pay for the discontinued databases four times over. Trustees need to explain why someone so cavalier about the quality of higher education for the vast majority of the city of San Antonio’s students is rewarded. Meanwhile, students watch as he forces cuts to print services, tutors, lab and library hours and now databases. College and district administrators constantly tout the importance of “customer service.” Here at the college, we call ourselves students. Lip service doesn’t create customer service any more than it creates transparency. Take advantage of resources still available while you can because apparently, even presenting evidence of need isn’t enough to save services in this district.
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 doublespaced, 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 mailed to The Ranger, Department of Media Communications, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-4299. Letters also may be brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, emailed to sac-ranger@alamo.edu 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.
Learn, love Texas stories San Antonio Living History Association and Communicate SA recreated the siege of the Alamo several times in the 13 days leading up to the anniversary of the fall of the Alamo in 1836. Communications and radio-televisionfilm students from this college provided technical support for the re-enactment. Any idea what life was like in 1830s Texas? Do you know why Texas fought a revolution? Armed with an Alamo Colleges ID, students can find answers by visiting the Institute of Texan Cultures without charge. Your ID also opens the doors to the San Antonio Museum of Art and McNay Art Museum. The Texana Room in the Central Library — a few blocks south of the college — contains valuable material on local and family history. Texas and San Antonio have a rich and detailed — and often bloody — history. For those fond of action, adventure and pioneering spirit, the
history of the Lone Star State has much to offer. Maybe you are among those who don’t care what happened before you were born. In an online essay by Peter N. Sterns, the American Historical Association offers two reasons for caring: History helps us understand people and societies, and history helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be. Learning the history of a place connects us to it. San Antonio alone offers a treasure trove of history, but the rest of the state is just as rich. For example, on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin is a statue of a woman firing a cannon. It commemorates Angelina Eberly, who kept the Texas Rangers from stealing government archives in the dead of night on President Sam Houston’s orders. He wanted the capital to be his namesake city. How can you resist stories about the characters who people Texas history?
Clarification
Corrections
In “Commitee approves new salary plan” in the March 26 issue, Dr. Brian Stout, said a merit-based pay schedule would not work. He said faculty members “who really don’t care” could theoretically cheat the system by giving students passing grades to achieve greater pay. Stout is a biology professor and Faculty Senate vice president at Northwest Vista College,
In “‘Golden Ass’ looks at prostitution, sex acts” in the March 26 issue, a description of attendance at a donkey show was incorrectly attributed to artist Julia Barbosa Landois. The text in the video “Indelible” should have been attributed to someone Landois interviewed. In “Library loses databases” in the March 5 issue, the amount of funds allocated for reserve textbook purchases was incorrect. The library plans to spend $135,000 for general textbooks. The library does not purchase reserve textbooks.
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. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single-copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and subject to college discipline.
April 2, 2012
Opinion
The Ranger • 9
www.theranger.org/opinion
District shorts colleges
Make dreams come true
Alamo Colleges opened the position of vice chancellor of academic success on Nov. 18, before Dr. Robert Aguero retired in December. The position closed Jan. 27. Thirty-seven people applied. In “Chancellor considers transferring faculty,” English Chair Mike Burton said there seems to be differences in the standards officials use in the hiring “chill.” Chancellor Bruce Leslie said there has been a collective effort by district officials for the past year and a half to determine what the full-time, part-time ratio should be for administration and support staff. Linda Boyer-Owens, associate vice chancellor of human resources, did not reply to a request for the
Vincent Perales, a former student Does his story sound familiar? at this college, is an example of the It should. As bills stack up, as benefits that can be reaped by imag- people struggle to complete an eduining a dream can become reality. cation or as families change, dreams In “Alumnus self-publishes tend to get shoved aside. his first novel” March 26, Perales Third-grade fantasies of painting, recounts writing his writing and rock starfirst story as a third dom finally fade away. More editorials at www.theranger.org. grader in detention. People wonder how He said he dreamed of they could have dared where his talent could to believe in the first take him, though he abandoned it place. Dreams never actually disapfor some time because he tried to do pear. It’s up to you to make it happen. what others expected of him. Whether you invite friends to a After rekindling his love for writ- home-cooked meal to show-off your ing and devoting nine months to a latest art project or star in a gallery project, Perales’ book, “The Blood opening in New York City with hunKnows,” is available for purchase at dreds of guests, you can keep your www.amazon.com. childhood dreams alive.
number of employees the district has hired since the hiring freeze in August 2003. It officially became a hiring “chill” in summer 2010. District will never gain trust from any of the colleges if they keep making exceptions for themselves. Colleges will always get the short end of the stick unless district realizes its management problem and gets its priorities straight. For students to succeed, district needs to hire faculty to educate in the classroom and librarians to operate libraries that offer a conducive study environment and proper materials. Unfortunately, district does what is best for district — not the faculty or students at the colleges.
Campus media under the radar It has been said that a commuter leader of the group decided to cast college cannot support a campus off KSYM and The Ranger as usable radio station or a weekly newspaper. media outlets because they are just Yet, here at San Antonio College, some campus thing no one cares we manage to sustain about. both. Two nationally recognized sourcKSYM 90.1 and The es of media are supported more by Ranger are two cam- the community than students on pus media sources campus so students are quick to that are a product of throw us under the bus. student commitment I don’t blame them for not knowand sacrifice. ing. I think it is the campus adminisViewpoint KSYM, broadcast- tration’s fault. by ROBERT ing since 1966, is the KSYM used to be broadcast in MEDINA oldest college radio Loftin Student Center for everyone station in the state. to enjoy until one day, an outside rmedina116@ Student volunteers company paid the office of student student.alamo.edu spend hours screen- life to broadcast commercial mateing music to keep the music fresh rial. and relevant to the times. Now, years later, the contract is Unlike commercial radio, you up, and student life has resorted to won’t hear the same Top 10 songs on paying outside performers to play repeat every hour. in the Fiesta Room A large amount of instead of having Read about programming is dedicatKSYM use its resourcKSYM’s pledge drive and The Ranger being ed to local and national es to get bands of the named the Best Allup-and-coming artists, same or better quality Around Non-Daily which provides the listo play for free. Student Newspaper tener with a look into the In an attempt to among two-year future of music. encourage students to and community KSYM has been inform themselves of colleges in Region named best music stathe goings-on around 8 of the Society tion by The San Antonio campus, student develof Professional Current for many years. opment classes should Journalists at www.theranger.org. Lots of effort is put be assigning students in to keep our listeners to read and report on informed about events their thoughts about happening in and around our com- what The Ranger is writing about. munity, and on campus. A little school pride and knowlThe Ranger, established in 1926, is edge delivered by a student’s peers also highly awarded and recognized will go a lot further than hour-long on a national level in many categories. lectures about the obvious like arrivThe editors sit in three-hour ing at class on time. meetings twice a week planning layI take advantage of what seems outs, budgets, future stories and edi- like an obvious choice for any stutorial ideas. dent wanting to be informed and Reporters spend hours a day per- involved in the community and the fecting style and making sure their college. stories are accurate and tightly writYet these resources are underused ten. by most campus organizations and Some stories are so interesting faculty. they have been picked up by largIn some instances, they are comer news organizations and in some pletely unknown to students at this cases even make national news. college. We have all of this history in two I can still remember my days in very well-known programs here on middle school, getting annoyed liscampus, but not very many people tening to the same 15 songs over and on campus seem to know or care. over again on commercial stations. I was at a Distinguished Graduate Then, during my freshman year of meeting where the self-elected high school, I discovered KSYM.
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Health
10 • The Ranger
April 2, 2012
www.theranger.org
Camera system in Loftin on hold The monitoring system would have been the third security system.
GREEHEY DEGREE-COMPLETION SCHOLARSHIP Our Lady of the Lake University offers a degreecompletion scholarship for first-generation college students who are studying business at one of the Alamo College campuses. Eligible students who transfer to OLLU will receive a scholarship that covers half of tuition costs. Features of the William E. Greehey Scholars Program: • Scholarship covers up to half of tuition costs • Complete a Bachelor of Arts in Management in two years • Attend classes held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings Students applying for the William E. Greehey Scholars Program must: • Have an associate’s degree in Business from an Alamo College or hold at least 60 hours • Be at least 23 years old • Be one of the first in the family to attend college Learn more Call: 210-431-3961 Email: transfer@ollusa.edu
411 S.W. 24th Street San Antonio, TX 78207 210-434-6711 www.ollusa.edu
Plans to install a third camera system in Loftin Student Center are on hold indefinitely, student life Director Jorge Posadas said March 23 because there was a discrepancy in allowing the office of student life to By FAITH install the system. DUARTE Posadas told The Ranger in February, there were fduarte3@student. plans to install a new camalamo.edu era system in Loftin Student Center that the office of student life could monitor. Two camera systems are already in place inside Loftin: Cameras throughout the student center send a feed to the district’s surveillance system overseen by district police, while a system inside the cafeteria sends footage to food vendor Selrico Services. “Our student population grew up with Virginia Tech, 9/11,” Posadas said. “They grew up with metal detectors in high schools and elementary schools and middle schools, so they grew up with a different sense of safety going through the public school system than we did.” In a reply to an email request for an interview with Posadas, he wrote March 9, “After backtracking, we may not be able to add the system. APD (Alamo Police Department) has returned my call; however, when Karen Gottfried in acquisitions did some leg work for me, she found the discrepancy.” The office of student life was taking bids, ranging from $6,000 to $18,000, for the system and installation, he said Feb. 14. “There was a concern from students about security, and so Student Government approached us and asked us to purchase the new system,” Posadas said. He said funding would come from the student activity fee, funded through the collection of $1 per credit hour per student. On March 23, Posadas said cameras would be installed in the service areas of Loftin, including Bailey’s Cyber Café on the second floor and to monitor the Fiesta Room, information desk, fitness center and the cafete-
“Students are students. Sometimes, they do things they shouldn’t be doing.” Jorge Posadas, student life director ria on the first floor. “Students are students. Sometimes, they do things they shouldn’t be doing,” he said. Posadas said cameras are “a subtle way to remind students, ‘here are some of the rules.’” The process to install the system began in the fall with Fabian Cortez, former special projects coordinator for the office of student life, who retired at the end of the fall semester. Posadas said when Cortez began investigating the installation of the third camera system, he told Cortez to ensure campus police allowed it. He said Cortez told him campus police would permit the installation as long as funding came from student life. Posadas said he spoke to Gottfried, contracting coordinator in the district purchasing office. She contacted the district police department and told Posadas the office of student life would not be able to install the system. He said he could not find the email that allowed the process of installing the system to continue. Deputy Chief Joe Curiel told The Ranger Wednesday that some of Posadas’ information was incorrect but declined to clarify. “Maybe Cortez asked the wrong person, maybe the person he asked left … I don’t know,” Posadas said March 23. He said the office of student life would not be able to move forward with the system unless there was verification from Alamo Colleges police. As of March 23, Posadas said the project is at a standstill, and he is waiting for a response. For more information, call the office of student life at 210-486-0125.
Health promotions office only for meetings The health promotions office was expected to provide students with health maintenance ideas after the college closed the health center; however, before that could happen, registered nurse Paula Daggett was reassigned to intake for meningitis docuBy JANEKA ments for all campuses PORTER in the district for incoming students and moved sac-ranger@alamo.edu to the nursing complex. Since then, Room 150 of Loftin Student Center has been used for Student Government and Student Activity Fee Committee meetings. A few health pamphlets sit on a shelf, but when not in use, the office is locked. The Ranger reported Aug. 29 the health center closed Aug. 8 because of budget cuts announced in January 2011. After that, officers in the district police department were to respond to emergencies on campus and assess whether a situation warranted EMS services. On Aug. 24, Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of student affairs, said that the health center would only offer advice on health maintenance, disease prevention and self-care. He said the center’s efforts at providing services would consist of lectures and pamphlets endorsing disease prevention through information booths in the mall. In January, LVN Josie Noriega retired, leaving Daggett in the office.
“We tried to open up the health promotions office, but then I was pulled to do meningitis and I’ve been the only one over here since. We were easy access for students and were used quite a bit, and it’s sad to see the service go,” Daggett said. Vela said it benefited the entire district for Daggett to be pulled from the health promotions office. “As a result, there may be some issues where we don’t have a full-time person at the health promotions office, but the office is there and we are still providing information,” he said. He said the college is not in a good financial position to hire someone for the office. Early this semester, fine arts sophomore Calvin Pressley cut his hand while in a drawing class. He went to the college health center’s old office in Chance Academic Center, but it was closed. Then he went next door to ask disability support services for a bandage. They had some, Pressley said, but they told him they were not certified to give him one. “I was very upset and I wish the health services were still on campus,” he said, adding student life could not help him either. Students can still go to the meningitis office in Room 101 of the nursing complex or the health promotions office for information. “We realize that the health promotions office suffered a little bit as a result, but we had to comply with state law,” Vela said.
NEWS
April 2, 2012
The Ranger • 11
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PAC veterinary program trains pet docs The Palo Alto College veterinary technology program has state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for students to succeed in the real world. The program does not offer public services, but students certainly get prepaBy REBECCA ration. “The students get a lot of SALINAS hands-on training,” Fonzie sac-ranger@alamo.edu Quance-Fitch, director of veterinary technology, said. Students first practice on training models, “so students get it right” before they work on live animals, Quance-Fitch said. One dog model’s name was Airway Jerry, which is used to help students learn about respiration. “Students get comfortable and then move on to the real model,” Quance-Fitch said. Students get practice with cats, dogs, horses, cattle, lab animals and even exotic animals, she said. The facility includes a computer lab, a clinical pathology lab, a parasitology lab, large animal facilities, surgery prep room, surgery Darwin
Chance, Shadow and Sassy
suite, recovery room and an anatomy/physiology lab. Students work as if they were in an actual veterinary clinic. In the parasitology lab, students are “working with poop,” Quance-Fitch said. The animals come from the local animal shelter and are vaccinated, spayed and neutered and treated for medical conditions Once treated, the animals are put up for adoption after every fall and spring semester. Previously housed at Brooks City Base, the 15,000-square-foot facility has been in a new facility at the South Side campus since 2008. Being on campus, the students have instant access to the library and other helpful facilities, Quance-Fitch said. The American Veterinary Medical Association has accredited the program since 1998. The association is a nonprofit group representing veterinarians whose mission is to improve animal health and enhance the veterinary profession. The program takes two years to complete, and the program admits only 50 students each Bruiser fall. A couple of requirements for future students are at least 80 hours of experience at a veterinary clinic and three letters of recommendation. Once the program is completed, students will receive an associate of applied science in veterinary technology. Having obtained an associate degree, students can take the Veterinary Technician Clifford National Exam and Texas state
exam to become an accredited registered veterinary technician. One hundred percent of the graduating class of 2011 passed their exams, Quance-Fitch said. This program is the only veterinary technology program in South Te x a s a n d one of a Lassie handful in the state. “For being a rare program, our program has cutting edge technology,” Quance-Fitch said. Because of a demand for veterinary technicians, the program and students are expected to grow, Quance-Fitch said. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinarian employment is predicted to increase by 33 percent from 20082018. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also states the veterinarian occupation is growing much faster than other occupations. For more information, call the Palo Alto College veterinary technology program at 210-4863355 or visit www.alamo.edu/pac/vet-tech.
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12 • The Ranger
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April 2, 2012
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Alamo Colleges Online planning causing confusion Committee aims to continue college’s online momentum. Psychology Professor Pam Hill and English courses. … Don’t be throwing around the word Instructor Denise Stallins heatedly debated the ‘legacy’ when we haven’t even defined what the semantics of legacy and canned online coursword means in this district.” es at a Teaching with Technology Committee Stallins said, “I don’t even like the word, meeting March 27. period. I think what they’re trying to go for is By J. President Robert canned classes and calling them legacy because ALMENDAREZ Zeigler and Dr. Jessica it makes it sound better.” Howard, vice president Hill said there is obviously no official definijalmendarez25@student. of academic affairs, tion of legacy when there is discussion about alamo.edu addressed concerns what the course is in a meeting with other about the district’s plans for the Alamo Colleges instructors. Online interfering with the progress of distance English Professor Dawn Elmore-McCrary, education at this college. Teaching with Technology Committee head, Dr. Robert Aguero, former vice chancellor said, “I think this is something we should probfor academic success, said in a forum Nov. 18 ably take up as far as a subgroup,” she said. the district strives to “propose and develop English Professor Carol Ann Britt said a plan that conceptualizes the systemization attendees should submit a list of roadblocks of online learning and which implements the for teaching online courses, including misconmost cost-efficient organization while under- ceptions of legacy courses, to communications standing the accreditation limitations of indifull-time adjunct Jerry Townsend. vidually accredited colleges.” Townsend said he would condense the lists During the Teaching with Technology comsubmitted by the committee members. mittee meeting, Hill said a legacy course is “a Elmore-McCrary said the committee should shell with a lot of content in it,” and the psycholtry to have these points identified and ready to ogy department at this college has been using present to Zeigler and Howard within two weeks. them for years. Townsend said in an interview Tuesday he After the meeting, Hill said she is a depart- and others on the committee are relieved the ment mentor for those teaching online and administrators at this college are receptive to blended courses, and she develops the legacy suggestions by the committee. courses by organizing course packs or e-packs He said College Council’s Feb. 14 discussion that are included with textbooks and aligning about the relevance of college Procedure I.1, them with syllabuses. Online Teaching Expectations and Procedure She said a course pack or e-pack is a sample for Expectations, which states that instructors instructional guideline for instructors, which must be able to meet with students within 24 includes slide shows, sample quizzes and flash hours of a request, is an example of the kind of cards to enrich contents of a particular textbook. roadblocks faced by online instructors. She said instructors have the option to modify Townsend said because of credentials and the guide if the modifications have the learning experience, some fields have to hire instructors outcomes required by the department. residing outside the city. Stallins said during the meeting, she is conHe said because distance education stucerned the district will encourage the use of dents can live anywhere, the procedure is canned courses as plans for the Alamo Colleges impossible to enforce. Online are developed because it’s relatively Dr. Jo-Carol Fabianke, interim vice chancelinexpensive to pay a faculty member to create lor for academic success, said in an interview a course that can be replicated and taught by March 13 that distance education models from lower paid adjuncts. many colleges, including the Colorado model, After the meeting, she said that a canned are being analyzed for potential use in the course is an online instructional model used Alamo Colleges Online. in for-profit institutions, such as the University Fabianke said, however, specific plans for of Phoenix, which requires instructors to use a legacy courses and other elements for the premade course, without the option to include Alamo Colleges Online, which aims to double or exclude material at a professor’s discretion. distance education enrollment by 2015, are Stallins said at the Nov. 18 forum, “These unofficial until a director for the new program canned courses that are being suggested are is hired. cheating factories. The students The district advertised the … are signing up for them position to current employbecause that information ees and the position on the canned course is closed March 27. already online. They can This college has Unduplicated online access the answers 178 instructors students in fall 2011: immediately.” online and 195 15,715 She said canned courses divided courses inhibit acainto 436 online secdemic freedom and tions. Unduplicated online do not foster quality Instructional students spring 2012: academia. t e chnology 15,866 During that forum, supervisor Aguero said legacy courses, Heather Cura not canned courses, would said during be used to teach in this district’s the meetonline classes. ing that she will Stallins said Monday that her concern about continue to train instructors about how the canned method of instruction stems from to use Instructure Canvas, an online learnDr. Eric Reno, Northeast Lakeview College presing management system, which is replacing ident, stating at the forum in November that the Blackboard Vista this fall. district is researching the Colorado model. She said the training is divided into four lesShe said the Colorado model emphasizes sons, which takes about eight hours. the use of canned courses taught primarily by While some instructors have completed adjuncts throughout the state, which she said their training, she said others have until midhas lower quality and higher cheating rates. October to learn how to use the program. Hill said to Stallins during the meeting last For more information about Canvas trainweek, “In this district, we have yet to define ing, contact the instructional technology and what a legacy course is. Now, I’ll go on record, innovation center at 210-486-0030 or visit I have used the term legacy course for five http://sacweb01.sac.alamo.edu/SAC/ITIC/ years and I say that my department uses legacy default.aspx.
Doubling tuition and student success Although Fabianke said the district has not officially made decisions about many variables concerning the Alamo Colleges Online, Aguero said in the forum Nov. 18 that a task force composed of two-thirds faculty and one-third administrators created initial suggestions for the program.
Fabianke expects it to be operational by fall 2013. The task force was disbanded in August. Reno said in November that the Colorado model for online education is being considered for replicative elements, particularly the method of charging double tuition for online students. He said students in Colorado were willing to pay double the tuition of face-to-face courses because online classes offer quality education. Other benefits shown in a PowerPoint presentation before the Nov. 18 forum were saving time and money traveling, the ability to complete assignments at a flexible pace and equal access to student services such as a virtual help desk, library services and orientation. English Professor Jane Focht-Hansen said at the Nov. 18 forum, “When you studied increasing tuition for the distance learning, did you survey students of our demographic and our economic background to find out their reaction to the possible doubling of their tuition for online courses? I think that’s a very important facet.” At the time of the forum, Reno said no research had been done comparing those variables. March 13 Fabianke answered questions about additional research in demographics by reiterating that many models for the Alamo Colleges Online are being considered as models for this district but did not mention other models being used. “It could be a barrier (financially),” Aguero said at the November forum. “But, frankly, we’re still a great deal. “Is the answer, therefore, because those students don’t have access, we shouldn’t do this?” he asked.
Zeigler invites progression Zeigler said to 16 attendees at the Teaching with Technology committee Monday, that this college does not have to wait for district to finalize its plans for distance education to continue progressing in its online course offerings. He asked the committee, “The result of those decisions (about the Alamo Colleges Online) is that you all feel that our distance ed program is suffering and essentially not getting the attention or not having the enthusiasm as it did before?” Attendees confirmed that feeling. Britt asked what direction the program is moving in. “Let me give you an honest answer ... right
now, I don’t know where we’re going,” Zeigler said. He said there is a lot going on at district with the hiring of a new director and the development of the Alamo Colleges Online, but he does not know what direction a new director will take the program. “So we’re wondering why do we have to wait on district?” Britt asked. “Why are we having to stop this momentum?” Zeigler said, “With this new plan for distance ed, I don’t think there’s any way we’re not going to be impacted. But if there are
ideas that we have that we can begin to do or continue to do or revitalize or whatever needs to be done, I’m all for it.” However, he emphasized that movement in distance education has to come from the committee. He said by taking initiative and making progress at the college level, it might be possible to influence the direction of the district’s new online plans. “What I worry about is as we start talking about centralizing … we don’t have enough wisdom as an organization to realize what needs to be centralized and what needs to be left alone,” he said. He invited the committee to compile a list of suggestions about distance education that can be shared. Howard said, “I wonder if the perceived sense that it hasn’t grown, that it’s stalled over the last two years, is a feature of the overall landscape.” She said capped classes and hiring practices within the college are districtwide and not applicable only to online teaching.
This college’s Internet success Helen Torres, director of partnerships and extended services, helped launch this college’s online program to national recognition in 2009. She said in an interview last semester that while she was director, the program tied with Scottsdale Community College from Scottsdale, Arizona for ninth place in the Digital Community College Survey at the Conference on Information Technology in February 2009. Torres said this college’s online programs began in spring 1996 with about 20 students. “We were the pioneers,” she said. Fabianke said again during a March 13 interview that techniques from all colleges, including using methods innovated by Torres, are being analyzed for potential use in the Alamo Colleges Online. Although Torres said many faculty members were worried about innovating the traditional methods of teaching, they eventually became essential to the success of the program and it was guided by a committee. “It was facultydriven,” she said. She said many people began to realize the major benefit to online programs: “It expanded access to education.”