THE RANGER A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926
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Vol. 84, Issue 12
Hottest major
Jan. 29, 2010
setting college on fire
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COPE 7 COLLEGES RETAIN SOLO STATUS 4 STUDENT CHALLENGES BOOKSTORE SECURITY 14
2 • Jan. 29, 2010
People
The Ranger James Lazo
Getting in focus: Once yoga class begins in Candler, Professor George Ann Simpson guides students through focus and meditation exercises. Brandy Santos
Tyler K. Cleveland
On stage: Lecturer Mark Denison on trombone, music Chair Mary Lou Russell, music sophomore Jose DelaGarza and Professor Alice Gomez perform at the annual Faculty Potpourri Wednesday in McAllister. The next faculty recital is 7:30 p.m. Monday. Alison Wadley
Speech Stress: Suzanne Skinner goes over techniques to overcome speech anxiety, including positive self-talk, in McAllister auditorium.
Fund-raiser: Odyssey Nicole Whitney, reigning Miss Pridefest, poses for the camera during the second Annual Black and White Winter Ball Saturday in Koehler. The ball raised more than $1,200. Half will fund the John Garon Scholarship, named after the founder of the Gay and Lesbian Association at this college, which will be awarded to incoming freshman who claim gay, lesbian, bi or transgender status next fall, and the other half as a donation to the Texas Gay Straight Alliance Network. Go to www.theranger.org for more photos.
The Ranger • Vol. 84 • Issue 12
Jan. 29, 2010 • 3
The Ranger
A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926
2 People 4 News
4 Board votes to leave accreditation intact By Regis L. Roberts Photo by Tyler K. Cleveland
5 Faculty leery of memo of commitment
10 Wild West rides onto campus By Riley Stephens
11 Cheshyre Cheese Club’s open mic continues
By Victoria G. Ortiz
SAEP raises funds for Haitian victims By Mary Lerma Photo by Rennie Murrell
7 International students say study abroad By Ximena Victoria Alvarez
8 Premiere
Fire Academy burns to learn By Brandy A. Santos Photos by Julysa Sosa
9 RTF scholarship deadline draws near
11 Calendar 12 Editorials
Cartoon Inquire now about graduation Don’t wait for board’s invitation Information would be nice 14 Theft victim challenges bookstore security By Zahra Farah
By Marissa Cross
Basketball and volleyball slideshows Donate jeans for Haiti and save 25 percent on a new pair Civil rights activist urges student involvement Revised procedure changes approving moonlighting to informing Reno explains accreditation; board approves SPC building renovation Blotter
15 “The Boys in the Band” portrays gay life By Alexandria Maxwell Photos by Rennie Murrell
15 CIS celebrates anniversary with exhibit By Jacob Beltran
By John P. Kline
10 Adjunct faculty premiere artwork
People slideshow
By Reagan White
By Laura Garcia
6 Children may need help understanding Haiti’s tragedy
Online @ theranger.org
16 Library takes virtual approach By Melody Mendoza Photos by Alison Wadley
www.theranger.org
Go to www.theranger.org for news and information.
The Ranger
4 • Jan. 29, 2010
Board votes to leave accreditation intact
Tyler K. Cleveland
By Regis L. Roberts
individual- and single-accreditation models. With a unanimous vote from the He also was influenced by the board of trustees at Tuesday’s regular statements of concerned citizens, board meeting, the issue of adopting faculty, staff and students who a single-accreditation model for the addressed the board at the Jan. 12 district was closed — for now — in public hearing to receive the comfavor of the current structure. mittee’s report. Voting on whether to approve “When individuals will wait Chancellor Bruce Leslie’s recomthree hours to talk for three minmendation to keep the district’s curutes, that speaks volumes,” Leslie rent individual college accreditation said in making his recommendation model, and taking special care on to the board. this volatile subject, the board voted His primary influence in making by roll call, each member registering his final decision, he said, were the a vote of “accept.” findings of the Accreditation Review “What is clear from the report Committee, which was set up by is that the Alamo Colleges could Leslie in July after being directed by successfully thrive under either board Chair Denver McClendon to structure as it is people, not paper explore the pros and cons of mainassociations, which will ultimately taining individual accreditation verdetermine our collective success,” sus shifting to single accreditation. Leslie said in his recommendation The purpose of the committee to the board. was to pull the debate away from Leslie said the largest disincenemotional arguments to a more tive to pursue a single-accreditation data-driven approach, he said, and model was the potential the committee’s report loss of about $7 million was critical in getting to in Title 3B grants St. a recommendation that Philip’s College receives was best for the district, as a Historically Black colleges and students. College or University. Leslie said it was a “In this case, because good thing that the comthe potential loss of mittee took the time to grant funding would draft a detailed report be counterproductive www.theranger.org because, as District 5 Go online for a complete to fulfilling our mission trustee Roberto Zárate version of this story. and services to students, said, without that report, I recommend that we remain as a the people making the ultimate decifamily of individually accredited sion would have not known the risk institutions,” Leslie said. “However,” to St. Philip’s College’s Historically he continued, with responding Black College or University designagroans from the audience, “should tion and its annual $7 million in Title the HBCU and/or (Hispanic-Serving 3B grants. Institution) funding sources disap“As was said here, nobody knew pear, and especially if the collab— no faculty knew, no administraorative, synergistic culture we wish tion knew, no board members knew to develop has not been achieved, — about the entanglements around the board may wish to revisit this the issue of HBCU funding,” he said decision.” after the board meeting. After the meeting, Leslie said McClendon said besides the that in making his recommenda- committee’s report not being comtion, he drew from his own experipleted before adoption of the budget ences at institutions operating in in August as was originally planned,
Attendees at Tuesday’s board meeting cheer after the vote against single accreditation. the committee’s work lived up to his expectations. “Because we needed to get some clarification from the Department of Education, that’s the thing that took so long,” McClendon said. “And we wanted to make sure we got that before they came back with a final report.” Though the Jan. 12 forum was specifically set up so the board could hear from the public on the subject of accreditation, 13 individuals and this college’s Student Government Association spoke during Tuesday’s citizens-to-be-heard segment before the board voted. And in an odd turn of events, the district Student of the Month and Employee of the Month were both connected to the accreditation issue discussed later in the meeting. Psychology sophomore Tammy Kothe-Ramsey, who received the Student of the Month honor at Tuesday’s meeting, addressed the board at the Jan. 12 public hearing on behalf of the Student Government Association and, when Julianne Cantu, political science sophomore and SGA president, addressed the board Tuesday, Kothe-Ramsey stood behind her fellow SGA members. Denice Braziel, a mathemat-
ics and pre-engineering adviser at St. Philip’s and the districtwide Employee of the Month, used her time in front of the board to voice her opposition to the single-accreditation idea. Braziel is paid by the Title 3 money and warned the board that they would be losing not only her but many good employees if that money were lost as a result of taking on a single-accreditation model. “Please don’t take away our pride of the East Side,” she said to Leslie and the board. “Please don’t cause us to lose our Title 3 grants. Can I get an amen?” Braziel continued, “Please don’t let our work be in vain because it’s a passion, it’s not just a job.” Jeff Hunt, co-chair of the Accreditation Review Committee and chair of the theater and speech communication department at this college, said he was pleased with the process of exploring the issue and the outcome of the vote, but there are other related issues that are not settled. “I think those trust issues still remain,” Hunt said. “I think when we come to curriculum alignment and alignment of the services, I think we’re going to continue to have battles.”
The Ranger
Jan. 29, 2010 • 5
Faculty leery of commitment memo By Laura Garcia Chancellor Bruce Leslie issued a Memorandum of Commitment Jan. 20 to the Super Senate asking for signatures of the Faculty Senate chairs of the five colleges. Each refused to sign. The draft, dated Jan. 8, is in response to “research and dialogue centered on the accreditation structural issue” and states that the undersigned would pledge their commitment to work together as a family of colleges to better serve their collective communities and students. Leslie returned calls Wednesday, confirming that the draft was for discussion purposes only and was originally sent to Palo Alto College Faculty Senate president Mary-Ellen Jacobs, to distribute to the other colleges’ Faculty Senate presidents. She is the head of Super Senate. Because it was a draft, Leslie said it was intended only for faculty senates and others to whom he sent it. The chancellor also confirmed that the goal was for the senate presidents to edit, sign and return the draft in time for the Jan. 26 board meeting. He said the college presidents have also seen the draft and the material was derived from the Accreditation Review Committee’s report. This follows months of strained communication between the district and faculty, including an overwhelming vote of no-confidence early in the fall semester. More than 90 percent of the participating faculty at St. Philip’s College, San Antonio College, Northwest Vista College and Palo Alto College approved the no-confidence returns. Results were announced at a Sept. 15 board meeting. St. Philip’s College’s Faculty Senate went beyond the no-confidence vote and called for Leslie’s resignation during the citizens-to-beheard portion of the meeting. During the same meeting, the trustees followed this announcement with a vote of confidence in the chancellor and extended his contract for three years adding a $30,000 bonus. On Nov. 4, during a public forum at St. Philip’s College, board Chairman Denver McClendon said there was a “disconnect” in communication between the faculty and the
district trustees. George Johnson, St. Philip’s College Faculty Senate president, noted during a telephone interview Tuesday that the chancellor has made his intentions abundantly clear after his recent actions. He said, in short, that St. Philip’s College extended an invitation to the chancellor Nov. 6 to discuss issues, and the meeting with the senate lasted almost 2 1/2 hours. A month later, the chancellor outlined a written response to the vote of no-confidence and accreditation issues and gave it to a San Antonio Express-News reporter yet never mentioned that he met with the college, Johnson said. Leslie also sent his response in an e-mail districtwide. Johnson said this was misleading, implying that the colleges are all at bay. “We will not sign it,” he said. Jeff Hunt, San Antonio College Faculty Senate president, said in an interview Monday that the document the chancellor wanted faculty senates to endorse was not specific enough and compared it to signing a blank check. (The memo is available online at www. theranger.org.) He questioned the clarity of the memo’s third paragraph, which he said implies that the board of trustees and chancellor could review and modify programs and practices at the colleges. The memo reads, “We recognize that academic and administrative processes, procedures, programs, and practices will continuously be reviewed and modified as necessary to reach our goal.” The goal is defined, in the first paragraph, as “promoting student success.” Hunt said that while there may be points in the memo the faculty senates agree with, there just isn’t enough time to review the draft and share with the senates. Geraldo Guerra, Unified Staff Council president, said he was forwarded the memo to share with the colleges’ staff councils, but they were not approached for signatures. Faculty Senate president Paul Martinez of Northwest Vista College confirmed that he also would not sign the memo he received Jan. 21. Martinez said, during a telephone interview Tuesday, that in reading the memo, they
decided they wouldn’t have enough time to edit and sign it. He said they told the chancellor they appreciate it and are willing to work with him and the board. One of the figures in the memo that puzzled the Super Senate was the 6,000-plus students who the memo says attend more than one of the colleges every year. Last summer, faculty questioned the district’s inability to provide statistics on how many students are actually enrolled at two district colleges, Hunt said. “Where did they get that information? District offices have never been able to answer that,” Hunt said. Martinez said the memo implies that 6,000 students are being lost in translation while the chairs at his college don’t see this as an issue. Some believe that some of the 6,000 stems from students attending San Antonio College classes at Northeast Lakeview College. As of Jan. 26, Northeast Lakeview College has a spring enrollment head count of only 552 registered; however, 4,885 students attend classes at Northeast Lakeview. The district breaks the enrollment figures down between the college students are registered at and where they attend classes. For instance, if the place they are taking a class says MLC, then they would assume students are taking the class in Moody Learning Center at San Antonio College. Sonia Valdez, this college’s coordinator of measurement and evaluation, said that many of the 4,885 students are actually San Antonio College students but the numbers are preliminary, not differentiating between paid and unpaid. In the case of students taking both Northeast and San Antonio College courses, they might be counted twice or duplicated. San Antonio College has a head count of 24,810 with 22,083 stating that this college is where they attend classes. Valdez said she received these numbers from a district enrollment status report. Leslie presented the Memorandum of Commitment to college presidents during a private meeting Monday. SAC President Robert Zeigler declined comment. Efforts to reach Mark Sadler, Northeast Lakeview College Faculty Senate president, were unsuccessful. Jacobs declined comment.
The Ranger
6 • Jan. 29, 2010
Haiti, U.S. children cope with earthquake’s aftermath
AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive
Community children are closely related to those in Haiti, early childhood chair says. By Victoria G. Ortiz The Republic of Haiti is a Caribbean country on the island of Hispaniola along with the Dominican Republic. It is the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion, the poorest and least developed country in the Americas, and on Jan. 12, Haiti’s capital Porte-au-Prince was destroyed by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Imagine the White House demolished. The presidential palace in Porte-Au-Prince was destroyed. Forty-three percent of the Haitian population is children 14 years or younger. Parents may have wondered how their children would deal with such a crisis. The demand on aid in Haiti surpasses the amount of help being rendered. The media images of toddlers in soot-covered clothing walking barefoot over the rough rubble weighs wearily on the minds of families in San Antonio. Dr. Ellen Marshall, the chair of early childhood studies, offered some advice on answering a curious child’s questions about the images, as well as what long-term effects, if any, could affect children living in Porte-Au-Prince now. Marshall shed light on how the resilience of children greatly depends on inborn traits, such
as the values they’ve learned, their natural temperament and, of course, past experiences that may influence self-worth and behavior. Attitudes are contagious and Marshall advised that to keep young children from panic, it’s best that adults react calmly. The victims in Porte-Au-Prince will recover at different paces and require varied levels of counseling and psychological assistance now and in the future. Because Haiti suffered together as a large community, it is likely that sharing experiences and empathy will unify these children and help with recovery, similar to the U.S. victims of Katrina, 9/11 or even the adults who experienced the California earthquake in 1993. As for children in the San Antonio, Marshall offered this advice: “From a young child’s perspective (1-4 years), the images on T.V. are no different from what they experience in reality.” So if a child views an earthquake in Haiti, an earthquake at home becomes a scary possibility. Parents may want to ease anxiety by explaining that an earthquake of that magnitude is not likely in this community. Sandy Enders, early childhood professor, in the shared the experience she had with her 3 1/2-year-old grandson, Carter. Enders cautioned that she’d prefer to keep Carter from exposure to news like the earthquake in Haiti, but upon stumbling in on the images, the family was eager to explain in a child-friendly manner. Enders and Carter built a pretend city out of blocks and used small bears as people. They
Rennie Murrell
Children in Cite Soleil, Haiti, one of the capital’s worst slums, finish a bowl of rice and beans they shared as their only meal of the day on World Food Day, Oct. 16, 2003. shook the pretend city while Enders explained that during an earthquake the ground shakes and can knock down tall buildings. She also referred to Carter’s once-broken arm to help him understand that some people were injured during the earthquake. “Carter has been re-enacting the scene over and over again, processing what an earthquake is,” Enders explained. This is called play therapy. Parents can use tips like these to help children process new information. It’s also important for parents to be aware of any questions their children may have and understand it is beneficial to acknowledge children’s curiosity so they gain perspective in a positive manner. Haiti will continue to recover over the years, and today’s children are likely to follow the disaster at school. The roaming children on television, despite their geographic distance, are more closely related to the children in this community than one may initially think.
Group raises money for Haiti By Mary Lerma
Andria Chavarria, chemistry sophomore and president of the San Antonio Education Partnership, and education sophomore Silvia Jasso grill beef fajitas to raise money for the club Wednesday in the mall. Ten percent of the proceeds were donated to Haitian relief efforts.
With the recent disaster that has struck Haiti, many people have lent their hands to helping victims. This college is no exception. In honor of Valentine’s Day and to convey a message of love to the victims of the Jan. 12 Haitian earthquake in their time of need, Peer Educators is collecting donations through Feb. 12. Counselor Dawn McFadden, adviser to Peer Educators, is one of many who are helping to bring relief to the victims of Haiti. Peer Educators along with the Red Cross, churches and other organizations, have already set in motion a plan to raise money
and bring in donations to send to Haiti. Donation tables are set up in Loftin Student Center, as well as Chance Academic Center, when tables are not being used to sponsor representatives from transfer universities. Look for the posters of Haiti. Any amount of donation is encouraged, whether it is pocket change or dollar bills. Every little bit helps, McFadden said. Peer Educators welcomes anyone willing to lend a hand by donating or volunteering. All money raised will be sent to the Christian Haitian Outreach orphanage, where it will be used to supply the children with food, water, medical supplies, gasoline and fuel. For more information, call 486-1460.
The Ranger
Jan. 29, 2010 • 7 Photos by Tyler K. Cleveland
Yonggun Lee, engineering sophomore, poses with the flag of South Korea east of Moody Jan. 21. Lee moved to San Antonio from Incheon, South Korea, in 2005.
Internationals urge study abroad for U.S. students By Ximena Victoria Alvarez Being away from home can be hard, but living in another country with the unknown around every corner can be quite difficult. In the wake of the death and destruction in Haiti caused by a 7.0 earthquake Jan. 12, three members from the campus International Students Organization shared their stories. Anesa Sankar, 21, of Trinidad and Tobago; Yonggun Lee, 19, of South Korea; and Bilguun Ganzorig, 19, of Mongolia, reminisced about home and agreed on the one thing they miss the most: family and friends. Sankar, who has been in the United States three years, said, “I lost a family member last year. I really wanted to come back (home), but I couldn’t because of school and work.” She said she came to San Antonio College to major in nursing after a cousin came here and also because of the lower cost of community college. Travel costs can also be a burden for international students.“It’s a lot of money to buy a plane ticket,” Ganzorig said. He said he came to the U.S. to learn English, but he also appreciates the low tuition for international students here compared to university tuition. “There’s no point to spend thousands of dollars,” he said. Among the things he misses most are his
younger sister, Mongolian food and snow. “There’s no snow here.” Lee noted communication mishaps among the difficulties of living in a foreign country, “When I can’t speak English correctly, I get frustrated,” he said. Otherwise, Lee is focused on his studies to distract himself from thoughts of home. “I came here for studying. You know, I don’t even think of it until I graduate. But sometimes, when I have a problem I want to (go home),” he said. The three also encourage U.S. students to travel and study abroad. Lee said, “Just go for it. If you’re an international student, when you show your résumé to your country, it is going to be a plus getting a job. It will all be worth it.” Sankar added, “Just be really opened-minded about things. Join a lot of activities that are offered. Try to make new friends.” Ganzorig said, “Most of my friends are international students, and they help me from my loneliness. LOL, that was a joke.” Sankar agreed that most of her friends also are international students and members of college organizations. “I like it a lot,” she said. “I’ve had a good experience so far. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” The International Students Organization, formed in 2002, is led by Dil Shan, a student
Anesa Sankar, nursing sophomore, shows a postcard from her native country Trinidad and Tobago. Sankar moved to the U.S. in 2006. from Sri Lanka. The group has 25-30 members who participate in cultural and social activities. The college enrolls about 300 students from more than 60 countries. For more information, call Counselor Suzanne Borawski at 486-0359.
New
8 • The Ranger
Right: Retired firefighter Curtis Franz shouts out instructions to Chad Kursinsky and Chris Capo as they try to find a water hose in the dark with their tools and breathe with air masks. Students are trained to work under real-life situations.
Above: David Meissner secures his mask as he prepares to enter the building where he will be instructed on scenarios that could happen in a real fire.
Firefighter training in action By Brandy A. Santos
D
uring a tour of the first responders fire academy complex, professor Gary Fox, chair of protective services, said, “We burn it up.” Fox was talking about burning cars and buildings for training students in fire fighting skills. Visiting the academy, there’s a better understanding of how recruits in the academy train for disasters. Recruits train daily, roughly eight hours of hands-on experience plus lecture and reading. Most of the recruits are full-time students who attend the academy 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for day classes, and night classes meet 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. plus Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are taught the importance of fire safety with safety precautions, saving lives and lastly, saving property. That’s the fire department’s mission.
During the training, recruits suit up with full gear, which includes boots, fire pants, fire coat, gloves, mask, fire hood and breathing aspirator. When the recruits are not training, they are in the classroom studying materials that help reinforce their training. They cover the basic materials, which are quickly donning their uniforms, learning to set up a fire hose and refilling air tanks. The fire science program moved into the complex more than two years ago, but before then the fire science was nomadic. The first responders complex is at 15775 Interstate 35 South in Atascosa. With all of the open space, it gives the recruits room to burn things. The location is roughly two miles away from the highway. When driving up the dirt road there’s a towering off-white building that shows signs of fire damage. Fox looks forward to the completion of the
academy complex, which will provide the recruits enhanced training in specialized fields, such as swift-water rescue training. The gated complex shows off the acres that will be used to house training areas, such as the driving track, which will train fire engine truck drivers and paramedic drivers. There’s no set time for completion, however; it’s a work in progress for fire science. Because firefighting has areas of specialization, their equipment is specialized to suit their needs, such as the forcible entry door, a steel doorframe that allows training recruits to pry open doors with an axe. They also have personal alter safety system, PASS, alarm, which is attached to the air tank strap to help locate one another in a fire. The PASS alarm can save firefighters’ lives if they become disoriented in a fire. The goal of the fire academy is to be of assistance to people in need. For more information, call Fox at 486-0987.
Jan. 29, 2010 • 9
News Photos by Julysa Sosa
Texas Public Radio offers scholarship to RTF student By John P. Kline
Fire science students gather outside of the burn building waiting to begin training exercises.
Above: Lt. Joe Hernandez demonstrates how to properly recharge air cylinders as students look on. Hernandez has been a firefighter for eight years and is one of the lead instructors.
Left: Fire science student Chad Kursinsky lost his boot while finishing an exercise. Kursinsky was a good sport as his classmates and instructor teased him.
Feb. 15 is the application deadline for a $1,500 scholarship that will be awarded to a radio-television-film student at this college. Texas Public Radio, with the Alamo Community College District Foundation and L&M Bookstore, is sponsoring the scholarship. Applications are available now and will be accepted until 5 p.m. Feb. 15 at the reception desk on the first floor of the Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building. The award includes $500 for tuition and a $250 book voucher for each of two semesters for an enrolled or enrolling radio-televisionfilm student pursuing a degree at this college. “The scholarship was just a perfect fit for this program at SAC,” Kellie Fichter, TPR business and nonprofit relations manager, said Jan. 22. This is the second year the scholarship has been offered at this college, but TPR is no beginner benefactor. The public radio station previously sponsored a fine arts scholarship at the University of the Incarnate Word for five years, the B.J. McClain Scholarship Award. “However, because so few students applied, we felt that we were no longer fulfilling a need and opted to seek out the RTF scholarship at SAC instead,” Janet Grojean, TPR director of corporate relations, said. Grojean, along with TPR staff members Ernie Villarreal and David Martin Davies, are radio-television-film alumni from this college. Davies also was a reporter for The Ranger. “I’ve received scholarships from other radio stations, and they’re always a huge help,” said Joey Palacios, RTF sophomore and program director of KSYM, this college’s radio station. “We have this great nonprofit radio station providing excellent news coverage (KSTX 89.1 FM), and when they reach out like this and help us, it’s an amazing way of giving back even more to the community,” Palacios said. For information, call Markene Bennett, RTF program coordinator, at 486-1367. Additional information on the scholarship is available at www.alamo.edu/sac/scholar/.
The Ranger
10 • Jan. 29, 2010
Faculty shows off art By Marissa Cross The Visual Arts Adjunct Faculty Exhibition of 2010, which runs through March 12 in the visual arts center gallery, offers art forms created by faculty. “I really wanted to have this show because it’s very important for students to see faculty (art) work,” art Instructor Rebecca Dietz, curator for the exhibit, said Jan. 20. “We have strength in diversity in the art pieces,” Dietz said of the 41 works of art contained in the gallery. Roberta Buckles’ art consists of many different shapes and colors of oil paints gradually blended together to show forms of abstraction. Her works show an array of colors when viewed up close but have a blended appearance when seen from a distance. Buckles’ inspiration is drawn from a photorealistic style, she
said, with forms often overlooked and undervalued that tend to feel abstract. “All of my work is from small pieces of garbage,” Buckles said. They include pieces of plastic, paper and glass. Another artist whose work is included in the exhibit is Jessica DeCuir, who does mostly 2-D and performance art and sings in the band Hyperbubble. Mixed media and collages are considered 2-D art. In explaining the process involved in one of her displayed art pieces, DeCuir said she “took record covers, cut them up and put them together in a grid-like pattern.” The exhibit is open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-noon Saturday through March 12. For information, call 486-1030 or visit www.alamo.edu/sac/vat.
Wild West Round-Up to ride in Feb. 10 By Riley Stephens Food booths and a mechanical bull will bring the Wild West to this college during the Wild West Rodeo Round-up 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Feb. 10 in the mall. “We chose to have a rodeo as an event because we noticed that a lot of the students have never been to a rodeo before, and this was a way of bringing the rodeo to them,” student activities specialist Carrie Hernandez said Jan. 21. In case of bad weather, the event sponsored by the office of student life will be in the Fiesta Room in Loftin Student Center. “This year we wanted to have real cowboy food,” Hernandez said. “Cowboy food is food that you would find at Fiesta — candy
apples, cotton candy, sausage, fajitas and burgers, that kind of stuff.” A dance performance group from this college will demonstrate line dancing from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. The Todd Mankin Band of Fort Worth will perform from 11 a.m.1 p.m. The Student Government Association will have face painting available from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be a free cowboy caricature from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. A mechanical bull-riding station also will be set up. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo runs Feb. 4-21 at the AT&T Center and the grounds of Joe and Henry Freeman Coliseum. For information on the campus event, call Hernandez at 4860128.
Jan. 22, 2010 • 11
The Ranger
Creativity welcome at open mic night By Reagan White The community is invited to enjoy free coffee and cookies at the Cheshyre Cheese Club’s first Open Mic Coffee Night for this semester at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 in Loftin Student Center. Admission is free, and the microphone will be available in the round in Loftin for anyone wishing to showcase talents. Faculty in particular are encouraged to show off, pre-med sophomore Kristi Babbitt, club vice president, said Jan. 22. Those who want to perform should list the title of their act on the sign-in sheet when they arrive, she said.
Calendar
Performers will be given the spotlight on a first-come, firstserved basis. Any creative act is welcome. Past acts have included monologues, comedy, poetry and skits. Open Mic Coffee Night will continue March 26 and April 16 at the same time and place. The Cheshyre Cheese Club meets weekly to give students a way to connect and express opinions on current issues. Students are invited to attend club meetings for more information. Meetings are at 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays in Room 129 of Gonzales Hall. For information, call 486-0668. or call 486-0455.
Today
Thursday
SAC Transfer: Texas A & M-San Antonio 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in the transfer center in Moody. Call 486-0869.
SAC Event: President Robert Zeigler 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m. on KSYM 90.1 FM. Continues Thursdays. Call 486-1373.
SAC Opening: Ribbon cutting of the Chill Lounge 2 p.m. on the first floor of Chance. Call 486-0134.
Feb. 6
Tuesday SAC Concert: Faculty Recital 7:30 p.m. in McAllister auditorium. Call 486-0255.
SAC Volunteers: At least 50 needed, sponsored by Service-Learning 9 a.m.noon at the San Antonio Food Bank, 5200 Old Highway 90 West. Visit www. facebook.com/sacservice to register or call 486-0761.
Wednesday SAC Workshop: “I Can’t Believe He Just Said That” by Dr. Karin Wilking 2 p.m.-3 p.m. in McAllister auditorium. Call 486-0494.
www.theranger.org SAC Workshop: “How to Start a Business,” sponsored by Services for Women and Non-Traditional Students and the South Texas Women’s Business Center 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. in the Empowerment Center. Continues Wednesdays through March 3. Visit www.stwbc.com to register
Go online for full version of the calendar.
For coverage in Calendar, call 486-1773 or e-mail sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance.
12 • Jan. 29, 2010
Editorial
The Ranger Juan Carlos Campos
The Ranger
Editor Vanessa M. Sanchez Managing Editor Laura Garcia News Editor Zahra Farah Calendar Editor Sharon Hensley Photographers Tyler K. Cleveland, Sarah Janes, James Lazo, Rennie Murrell, Julysa Sosa, Alison Wadley Illustrator Juan Carlos Campos Staff Writers Ximena Victoria Alvarez, Jacob Beltran, Marissa Cross, John P. Kline, Mary Lerma, Alexandria Maxwell, Melody Mendoza, Victoria G. Ortiz, Brandy A. Santos, Riley Stephens, Reagan White Web Editor Regis L. Roberts ©2010 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, the student newspaper at San Antonio College, is a laboratory project of the journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications, published Fridays except during summer, holidays and examinations. News contributions accepted by telephone (486-1773), by fax (486-1789), by e-mail (sac-ranger@alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 212 Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available upon request (486-1765). The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press, the Texas Community College Journalism Association and the Associated Press.
Clarification
Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words. Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persuasive or interpretative style. All viewpoints must be published with a photo portrait of the writer.
The Jan. 21 story, “Snyder chosen to replace McLaughlin,” should have noted in the first sentence that cuts for next year’s budget are only a possibility.
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, e-mailed to sac-ranger@alamo.edu or faxed to 486-1789. Letters must be signed and must include the writer’s printed name, classification, major, Social Security number and telephone number. For more information, call 486-1773. Single Copy Policy: Because of high production costs, members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue. 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.
The Ranger
Opinion
Inquire now about graduation If you are eligible to graduate, The Ranger encourages you to apply. Take it from Nike; just do it. Commencement is scheduled early this semester: May 1 at the Municipal Auditorium. Graduation is a rite of passage. The field you are interested in might require advanced degrees, but that’s still a long way down the road. Celebrate the achievement of your first two years in college, even if it took five years — especially if it took five years to work in around a job, a family, a thin budget and time for yourself. Your perseverance should be rewarded. Stop and take a bow. Keep track of your degree program, and when you become eligible, apply for graduation. An associate degree looks good on a résumé when you are looking for scholarships, internships and jobs. It
shows you can follow through on a project and meet a standard of performance. Some car dealerships actually give a percentage off a buyer’s total price if the consumer is a recent college graduate. Some insurance companies will lower premiums with each new level of education attained. It’s easy, and there are three deadlines for applications to accommodate even the procrastinators. Through Feb. 26, you can apply through admissions and records, and through March 26, apply in the counseling office and major departments. A final deadline, April 22, will allow you to graduate, but you won’t be able to cross the stage at commencement. For more information, visit www. alamo.edu/sac/csd/grad/ or call the counseling office at 486-0122.
Don’t wait for board’s invitation Community organizations made their presence known during a public hearing Jan. 12 to gauge public opinion on the Accreditation Review Committee’s report of the possible single accreditation of the five colleges in the district. Of the 31 speakers, some representing themselves and many representing churches, community groups and faculty organizations, not one was in favor of single accreditation. Sure, it was nice to see so much support from the community now, just as the board of trustees was about to vote and could have changed the overall system of district colleges as we know it. But, where was the community’s presence when this preposterous idea was originally proposed by Chancellor Bruce Leslie? Or when he got together the Accreditation Review Committee and asked them to spend valuable hours
researching the pros and cons of such a change? While district faculty and staff have learned to keep a close eye on district governance, community groups rarely turn up at monthly district board of trustees meetings. Perhaps they are checking out the district Web site, watching the meeting from home on Channels 99, 98 or 21 or reading The Ranger. But, maybe not. Community groups like League of United Latin American Citizens and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People should not have waited so long to voice their opinions. The community as a whole should not have entered the fray earlier. What the community should do is keep up with what the trustees are doing and how they are voting. Better yet, be regular participants at citizens-to-be-heard sessions and let trustees know their views.
Jan. 29, 2010 • 13
Information would be nice During the Jan. 12 public hearing, Chairman Denver McClendon alluded to a communication problem at the Alamo Community College District. One small example of this manifested itself in a last-minute policy change regarding reporting outside employment. The policy as it was originally intended required faculty and fulltime staff to report outside income by Jan. 15. A last-minute change, which was updated Jan. 21, added classified staff to the list of people who needed to disclose outside income and specified that employees report such income to direct supervisors rather than college presidents and the chancellor. The adjustment in reporting requirement is not what we take exception to. Carol Riley, district ethics and compliance officer, said that requiring faculty and staff to report their outside income to the chancellor was “burdensome” and that their information would best be handled at the college level. That the district trusts the colleges to handle such information is a welcome reversal to the trend of increasing administrative control. And the process itself of reporting outside income is not asking too much, as two professors attested in interviews with The Ranger. However, the lack of communication McClendon alluded to is alive. Even President Robert Zeigler, who was receiving disclosure reports from people who no longer needed to report outside employment to him, did not know of the policy change until The Ranger contacted him about it. If the Alamo Community College District wants to move forward and become the best institution it can be, maybe decision-makers should start with simple measures like keeping everyone in the loop.
The Ranger
14 • Jan. 29, 2010
Theft victim challenges bookstore security By Zahra Farah International business freshman Alejandra Chavez said her backpack was stolen at 10:30 a.m. Monday from the San Antonio College Bookstore in the basement of Loftin Student Center while she was in line buying Scantrons. The bag contained two textbooks, two notebooks, an agenda and her car keys. Chavez said she placed her black backpack in a cubby provided by the store. She then picked up her Scantrons and stood in line to pay. When she returned to the cubby, her bag was gone. She told a cashier who called a manager who showed her the surveillance video and asked her to identify herself and her bag. “On camera, they showed a guy grabbing my bag and leaving the store,” she said. The manager called campus police. Chavez asked if the bookstore was going to pay her for the loss of her books, but the manager said they were not responsible for her belongings being stolen, Chavez said.
A sign pointing to the cubbies reads, “Bag Drop, please leave your stuff here,” and at the bottom of the sign in small letters it says, “The store is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged property, whether caused by bookstore or a third party.” “I don’t accept the idea of leaving your things in the open where people can take it and leave,” Chavez said. “It’s not my fault that my books were stolen.” At press time, store manager Amy Turpin would not consent to an interview because she said she had not yet received permission from the corporate offices of Follett Higher Education Group, which owns the campus store. A district manger said the corporate office is compiling a statement about policies, but it was not provided to The Ranger by press time. Later in the day, a housekeeper working in Fletcher Administration Center found one of Chavez’s textbooks and notebooks in a trash can in a men’s restroom. “There were also two other people’s books in the trash can, but she only found my number
(to call),” Chavez said. Chavez could tell from the video that the man who stole her backpack was beside her as she was putting her things in the cubby. “When I walked by him, I heard him mumble something, but I didn’t understand what he was saying,” she said. He was also in line in front of her, but he left the line before reaching the cashier. “When he left the line, that’s when I think he grabbed my bag,” Chavez said. She described him as an African-American with dreadlocks and a teardrop tattoo on his face. She said campus police advised her not to confront the suspect if she saw him again. Sgt. Ben Peña of the district department of public safety said Wednesday the case was under investigation and he could not say if the police have seen the video and could not comment on bookstore policy. Peña said rather than students leaving their stuff in a cubby, they should leave belongings with a friend. “If I ever go to the bookstore again, I will never leave my backpack in a cubby,” she said.
The Ranger
Jan. 29, 2010 • 15
All-male cast changes minority into socially accepted
Rennie Murrell
By Alexandria Maxwell A soul-searching production that reveals the true identities of nine young American men takes the stage at this college Thursday. This is the first play of the semester by the theater and speech communication department. “The Boys in the Band” is an off-Broadway play about a birthday party attended by a group of homosexual men. It was the first play to deal honestly with gay urban life, according to reviewer Margarita Landazuri at the Web site of Turner Classic Movies. Mark Crowley wrote the play in 1968 before the Stonewall Riots, which was a turning point in gay rights. The Stonewall Riots took place in a New York City bar on June 28, 1969. According to National Public Radio, gay patrons rioted after police raids. This led to the formation of the Gay Liberation Front, the first organization to openly use the word “gay” in its name, according to civil rights.org. The play and the riots made history by addressing the importance of accepting people for who they are, theater Instructor Paula Rodriguez, who is directing the campus production, said Tuesday. Rodriguez chose this play because she thought it was an important story to tell in 2010. “The cast and I talked about how far society has come in accepting people for who they are, (specifically) homosexual,” Rodriguez said. A challenge for the director is portraying
Theater sophomore Ray Seams and theater freshman James Bond rehearse for “The Boys in the Band” Wednesday in McCreless theater. The play opens Thursday. real-life situations. The style of the play uses realistic language and behavior, and Rodriguez has to make it look as if the actors are not acting. She wants the play to “make it look like real life as if you were peeking into a living room, peeking into someone else’s life,” Rodriguez said. She hopes the audience will come to the play with an open mind and know that the show is controversial and taboo for some. “These are real people with real emotions and reactions who feel deeply for one another.”
Because of the adult subject matter and mature language, this play is not suitable for young children. No one under 12 years of age will be admitted. “The Boys in the Band” will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Feb. 6 and 11-13, and at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and 14 in McCreless Theater. Admission is free for district students and employees with ID. General admission, $10; all other students, $8. For more information, call 486-0494.
CIS hopes exhibit raises technical awareness By Jacob Beltran The computer information systems department will have a reception for an exhibit commemorating its 55th anniversary from 10 a.m.11 a.m. today on the fourth floor reference section of the library in Moody Learning Center. Door prizes will be awarded at 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. “55 Years of Computer Training 1955-2010 Exhibition” will be on display until May, beginning on the second floor. “We’re hoping it will bring more attention to the department, especially because of the present need for IT students in the workforce,” Chair Rocky Conrad said Monday. “This is a good
opportunity for new students to meet alumni who have been through the program and want to learn more about the career.” In the second floor lobby is a timeline of the CIS department from its beginnings, offering courses under International Business Machines in the 1955 San Antonio College catalog. The timeline continues until 1975, when it became the data processing department, and moves to the walls inside the reference section, which continues from1975 to 1995. There is also a small display on the third floor of Moody, inside the library, are old calculators and International Business machines. In 1990, the data processing department changed to computer information systems. Five
years later, in 1995, the CIS department merged with business technology and became computer information service technologies. From 1995 to 2010 is on the fourth floor in the library reserve. Also in the reserve section is a time capsule-like display of early Apple and IBM computers. The Apple computers are from the collection of Nester Rivera, a computer lab technician in the CIS department. CIS became its own department again in 2000, while the business technology department became administrative computer technology. The exhibition hours are 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 486-1050.
The Ranger
16 • Jan. 29, 2010
Library gains students’ attention with virtual tactics Photos by Alison Wadley
By Melody Mendoza Oftentimes, the library is portrayed as quiet and deserted, with dusty shelves and tight-lipped librarians, but the college’s library is keeping up with the trends of this generation. With the library’s interactive Web site, Facebook page and Twitter account, the librarians are using new ways to reach out to students. There are many features on the library’s Web site that most students may look over. Students have access to the 150 databases, catalogs, e-books, journals and Web guides, not only in the library, but also off campus. All of these references are useful to find sources and research for college papers and schoolwork. Aside from all of the electronic references available online, students also can search for library books on the shelves. If the search is unsuccessful, there are two options: Suggest a book to add to the library by going to “Recommend New Items” or borrow a book from another library by clicking on “Interlibrary Loan.” Both are located on the left column of the Web site. A new feature is “Ask a Librarian,” which includes QuickChat, the librarians’ e-mails, and phone contact information. It also is on the left side of the library’s homepage. These choices come in handy if a student has a quick question about sources, books or online features. Along the right column of the library’s Web site is a series of daily updates. The first section includes scheduled classes for the day. If you missed a scheduled class, you could go to this link and find what was discussed. The next section has important announcements about the library and the campus, which gives students a variety of upcoming events
Paralegal sophomores Margarita Vargas, Shelbi Johnson, Bianca Balderas and Sarah Garcia are hard at work doing research for their legal research and writing class Monday in the reference section on the second floor of Moody. and bits of information. The “Spotlight” includes interesting facts that the librarians put up for entertainment and engagement. Each week, one “Database of the Week” is highlighted to help students get started in a search. Further down is “Library Soup,” the library’s online newsletter that comes out once a semester and is written by the librarians. Finally, the “New Titles List” shows students and faculty new books and resources available and their location in the library. Another major contribution to the online outreach is Elluminate, a distance learning feature coordinated by Librarian Celita DeArmond for students who are taking online courses, giving them an online version of library classes. Based on the students’ needs, DeArmond sets up audio and video sessions to replicate classes through a virtual classroom.
Reference Librarian Bob Singh assists nursing sophomore Samantha Withrow and radiotelevision-film freshman David Alcantar as they print copies Monday. The most eye-catching feature and one of the newest additions are the library’s Facebook and Twitter sites. Students can access these sites anytime by searching “SAC Library” to get updates and important information.
The sites are set up to automatically get updates from the library’s right column information bar. DeArmond said that because of the library’s vast selection of books and online resources, “as a community college, we rival four-year universities.”