R ANGER
THE
An independent forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926 and the Alamo Colleges since 1945 Volume 92 • Issue 8
nov. 13,
2 0 1 7 Journalism-photography program at San Antonio College
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Holidays
Staff Senate’s “Turkey Trot” giveaway is Nov. 17 in the faculty and staff lounge of Loftin Student Center. A Thanksgiving-themed potluck style lunch for staff will offer turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and stuffing. “This is more for the get-together than it is for the prizes,” Lenell Clay, Staff Senate Vice President, said.
“People like prizes, so we will provide that to them.” When staff signs in for the Turkey Trot, they can sign up for the Angel Tree gift drive by picking an ornament with the name of a student from Beacon Hill Elementary. Staff Senate will go to Beacon Hill Elementary Dec. 15 to deliver the gifts from the Angel Tree. Sasha D. Robinson
Trustees cast five votes to appoint Joe Sanchez to the District 9 position Nov. 7 in Killen. Dr. Gene Sprague, Denver McClendon and Board Chair Yvonne Katz did not vote in favor of Sanchez. Lorena Torres Romero
Former Harlandale administrator named District 9 trustee The new trustee didn’t know this college was on accreditation warning status. By Zachary-Taylor Wright zwright9@student.alamo.edu
After a 3 1/2 hour executive session, Joe Sanchez, juvenile probation department administrator and former subordinate to the board chair, was appointed to the interim District 9 position by five board members at the special board meeting Nov. 7 at Killen Center. Board Chair Yvonne Katz, District 7 trustee, hired Sanchez as the director of personnel in the Harlandale Independent School District while Katz was the superintendent. Sanchez retired from the Harlandale district in 2006 as the assistant superintendent of administration. “I hired this man,” Katz exclaimed with a smile to district general counsel Ross Laughead after the board meeting. Sanchez said he is capable of voicing opinions that may be in opposition
board trustees the
to Katz, regardless of their previous working relationship. “Dr. Katz is very professional,” Sanchez said. “I don’t think if we have any kind of different views, I don’t think she’s going to take anything personal. Not anymore than I would. … in order to clean a cat, you’ve got to rub them the wrong way first.” In an interview after the special board meeting, Sanchez said he has held positions on a board but not at the college level. He predicted being a board member at the college level will carry a “different set of responsibilities,” saying he is a teacher but also a learner. In an interview with Sanchez Nov. 5, Sanchez said the board has done an outstanding job working together, citing as an example the May 2017 bond issue passing by 70 percent. The bond issue was passed by 67 percent of 10.71 percent of eligible vot-
of
ers in this city. Sanchez said his only interest is to continue the good work the board is already doing, and he had no particular issues he wanted to address at this college or Northeast Lakeview College at the time. Sanchez said he hadn’t followed the board for “years and years,” but he said it was obvious by reading the literature that the board has been working together well given the success of students and the graduation rates. In an interview Sept. 19, District 8 trustee Kingsbery said he would like to see a trustee concerned with “real” student success rather than the state’s definition of student success, which he said is focused on graduation numbers and metrics. Kingsbery said having a new trustee who is willing to “work with the consensus” would be nice. He said the ideal candidate would be able to listen to the board, understand
Board Chair Yvonne Katz and Chancellor Bruce Leslie congratulate Joe Sanchez on his new position as District 9 trustee Nov. 7 in Killen. Lorena Torres Romero where the board is coming from and support the board’s efforts. However, Kingsbery said he would prefer a candidate that wasn’t going to
“rubber-stamp” everything. “The discourse is important,” Kingsbery said. “That’s what creates the
See TRUSTEE, Page 2
Board chair refuses to release survey Chancellor job A trustee is pleased with the timing of the bond issuance. By Zachary-Taylor Wright zwright9@student.alamo.edu
The Alamo Colleges board of trustees discussed the results of a privately conducted survey during the board meeting May 16, which they refuse to release to the public. The Friends of Alamo Colleges political action committee commissioned and paid for the survey. Board Chair Yvonne Katz, District 7 trustee, said she wanted to present the survey results sooner but could not until the election was over. Katz said 73 percent of people surveyed supported the $450 million bond issue passed May 2017, and she said people became supportive of the bond after hearing more information. According to the Bexar County voting results, 67 percent of voters supported the bond issuance and 33 percent voted in opposition. The results state that 112,405 county residents voted on the bond issue, with 75,123 voting in favor and 37,282 voting in opposition to the bond. According to the Bexar County Elections Department website, there are more than 1,049,400 registered voters in the county. Katz said she knew how many people
350 1,067
People surveyed for canvassing data
Ideal minimum number of people surveyed for canvassing data
5.3% 3.5% Margin of error in conducted survey
Maximum ideal margin of error
were surveyed but would not release the information in an interview May 26. In an interview Nov. 8, Katz estimated there were about 400-500 people surveyed. In an interview Nov. 3, District 1 trustee Joe Alderete said he didn’t understand why Katz would not provide the information, saying the information should be made public under the Texas Open Meetings Act because some of the information was divulged at a board meeting. In an interview Nov. 8, Katz said the survey was proprietary information for the specific-purpose committee, saying she already said the survey would not be released but she could provide a few
pieces of information about it. The Ranger submitted an information request for the survey Oct. 19. Nancy Kempf, district public information office, responded Nov. 2, saying “the political action committee was a private, not a governmental, agency, and therefore, its documents are not subject to the Open Records/Public Information Act.” Another board source said 350 people were surveyed, which leaves the survey with an approximated 5.3 percent margin of error. In an interview May 31, David Crockett, chair of the political science department at Trinity University, said four-digit
See SURVEY, Page 2
description amended as search announced San Antonio Chamber of Commerce wants a seat on the chancellor search committee. By Zachary-Taylor Wright zwright9@student.alamo.edu
Reconvening after a two-hour closed session, trustees unanimously approved modifying the chancellor’s job description and reimbursing themselves for travel in an open session that lasted only one minute and 35 seconds. The modification at the Nov. 8 special board meeting at Killen Center adds Chancellor Bruce Leslie’s initiatives to the job description. According to the minute order, the job description was altered to “… strengthen the alignment of the Job Description with the current strategic priorities of the Alamo College District.” The job description has been amended to include the development and enhancement of Alamo Advise, Alamo Enroll, Alamo Institutes and Alamo Confidence and “other current or future initiatives.” It requires the chancellor to “act as a ‘disruptive leader’ with positive and collaborative approach to evaluating district effectiveness and formulating best practices and innovations to achieve the vision to be the best community college in the nation in student success and performance excellence.” Board Chair Yvonne Katz, District 7 trustee, on Nov. 7 said the job description was amended to include the initiatives because they want a new chancellor who will pursue the board’s vision. The board of trustees approved the search for a new chancellor Oct. 23 after Leslie announced his retirement. Katz said the board wants a chancellor who is educated on the district. “If they don’t educate themselves on our policy, they don’t need to apply,” Katz said.
See DESCRIPTION, Page 2
2NEWS
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NOV. 13 , 2017
SURVEY from Page 1
mittee to conduct the survey. According to the Friends of Alamo Colleges numbers are ideal for a sample size intended to PAC political expenditures, the specific-purpose represent Bexar County. committee spent $24,165 on polling of $197,200 Crockett said a margin of error of 3 or 3.5 perraised in political contributions. cent is ideal, saying he has seen polls conducted Several of the architecture firms contracted with margins of error as low as 2.5 percent and as with the district for the Capital Improvement Plan high as 4.5 percent. projects donated to the specific-purpose comIn an interview Nov. 3, District 1 trustee Joe mittee. Alderete said he did not have a copy of the survey Ford, Powell & Carson Architects and Planners because he was not worried about it. Inc., the district’s top-rated architecture firm, Alderete said he knew Katz and District 6 contributed $1,000; Alamo Architects contributed trustee Gene Sprague were involved with the $3,000; O’Connell Robertson contributed $3,700; specific-purpose committee. and Pfluger Architects contributed $2,000. Mike Beldon, chair emeritus of Alamo Colleges The district’s highly skilled workforce proFoundation, was the treasurer of the specificgrams and graduation rates were important to the purpose committee. people surveyed, Katz said; For instance, the age Beldon said he was tangentially involved with of facilities in the district was a concern for the the survey and the specific-purpose committee people surveyed. because he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, Katz said the college presidents had a 70 perbut he said it was feasible for Katz to be involved. cent credibility rating with the citizens in the “I would be surprised if she wasn’t involved community, saying the presidents are like princibecause she certainly had a strong interest in pals of other school districts because people don’t making sure we got the bond issue passed,” know whom the superintendents are, but they Beldon said. know the principals. Beldon said he sent all pertinent information Katz said the board of trustees had a 70 perfrom the committee to William Raba, president cent positive credibility rating among the people and vice chairman of the board for Raba Kistner, surveyed. an engineering services firm. Katz said 54 percent of people surveyed At an Oct. 18 Capital Improvement Plan celviewed the chancellor credibly but only 6 percent ebration, Raba detailed his relaof people surveyed knew who tionship with Katz, mentioning the chancellor is. the two have worked together. Alderete thanked Leslie and “Last week, we’re at an A&M the college presidents and staff event, and Dr. K is in front of for their efforts and commendme,” Raba said, asking Katz to ed the board on their timing in hold up her purse adorned with holding the bond election. orange feathers. “She gets next to In an interview with The an intersection, and the feathers Ranger May 16, Leslie said start coming off of her purse. I Alderete’s statement was in refstepped out in the street trying erence to Senate Bill 2, which to grab them and to save them. would have limited the district’s Cars are going all over the place, taxing power. Mike Beldon, and there were actually three The bill would have chair emeritus of Alamo increased the right of taxpayaccidents that took place.” Colleges Foundation ers to ratify the operation and In an email to employees Feb. 28, the district states “Texas elecmaintenance tax rate. tion law prohibits the use of district resources … Senate Bill 2 stated, “If operation and mainteto advocate for or against the bond.” nance taxes on the average residence homestead The email clarifies that “senior district officials increases by more than 4 percent, an election will be assumed to be speaking in their official must be held to determine whether to ratify the capacities despite any disclaimer, and should operation and maintenance tax rate … ” therefore avoid advocacy even in their private The law currently states that an operation capacities.” and maintenance tax increase of 8 percent would According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bexar allow the public to petition to vote on the tax County had a population of 1.9 million after the rate. July 2016 federal census. The proposed bill also states, “If a governing A 95 percent confidence level, the industry body of a district adopts a combined debt service, standard for polling, and a 3 percent margin of operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate error would require the board to survey 1,067 that exceeds the rollback rate, an election must residents to accurately represent the opinions of be held to determine whether to ratify the tax rate Bexar County residents. adopted for the current year … ” A 2 percent margin of error would require that The bill was on the agenda for the special 2,399 residents be surveyed. legislative session but did not pass in the Texas Katz said the survey met “all levels of statistical House of Representatives. standards for evaluation.” Board members have expressed concern that District 5 trustee Roberto Zarate said a public the legislation will be on the agenda for the 2019 relations firm was hired by a political action comTexas legislative session.
be I would “if she surprised wasn’t
involved because she (Katz) certainly had a strong interest in making sure we got the bond issue passed.”
DESCRIPTION from Page 1 Priscilla Camacho, vice president of education and workforce development for the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, attended the board meeting Nov. 8 to ensure “industry has a seat at the table and their voice is heard.” Camacho said the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce attended the meeting to hear what alterations were being made to the chancellor’s job description, saying the chamber wants to see a chancellor who is visionary and flexible. She said the chamber is interested in a chancellor who “will look at current programming and majors or whatever courses they are, and if they’re
not working, if they’re not leading to students actually being able to get those career pathways, then maybe they don’t need to exist.” Camacho listed advanced manufacturing in transportation, health care and biosciences, education, information technology, cyber security and hospitality as the biggest industries the chamber would like to see Alamo Colleges pursue and expand. Camacho said the chamber is interested in participating in the new chancellor search committee with other industry leaders. She said Joe Krier, former San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
president, was part of the search committee that selected Leslie, so the chamber would like to have the current chamber President Richard Perez on the next search committee. The new job description requires the chancellor “ensure that the needs of higher education and ISD partners, as well as business, industry and community partners are met and continuously strengthened in collaboration with their leadership.”
R
ead the full job description at www. theranger.org
Great speakers are active listeners, media executive says The final speech workshop for the semester will be Nov. 14 in McAllister. By Dillon Holloway sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Knowing the differences between hearing and listening makes a great speaker and will ultimately help determine career success, a former student of this college and current vice president of a media production company said Oct. 25 in McAllister Fine Arts Center. “You really only truly listen when you can internalize a message without letting interference alter the message,” C.L. Cobb, vice president of operations for Myriad Global Media, said to about 30 students during the fourth installment of the “Improve Your Public Speaking” workshop series sponsored by the fine arts department. The final workshop, featuring Helen Dear, president of Porter Loring Mortuaries, is 3-4 p.m. Nov. 14 in the auditorium of McAllister. The workshop is open to all students. Cobb’s talk was labeled “Listening: the True Art of Communication.” Cobb attended this college 1992-95, and in 1994 was awarded the Phi Rho Pi National Championship in extemporaneous speaking. He worked as a sports television anchor, producer and director for stations KGNS-TV in Laredo, KMOL-TV in San Antonio; KBTV in Beaumont and KIFI-TV in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Cobb also worked as a communications specialist for Daniel Barrera & Associates 2005-2015. Cobb explained the difference between listening and hearing. The act of hearing is simply the act of allowing sound to enter the ear canal and register as a sense, he said. “Listening is something that you consciously choose to do. Listening requires concentration, encoding and filtering out interference.” Cobb said personal bias is a form of internal interference. “How many of you have heard of a guy named Donald Trump?” Cobb asked the audience. “So how many of you, whether it is Twitter, something that you read, something you saw on television, or something that your friends told when they begin to go into the latest thing that the commander-in-chief has said or done, automatically you’re like ‘oh, that’s no good …’? A truly good listener will be able to listen to the message and begin to internalize it before they start to form opinions on it.’” The skill of active listening is to evaluate all the information in a quick manner, Cobb said. If someone allows their internalization to the first part of a message to cloud the actual message, they are missing the message as a whole, he said. Cobb said the key to avoiding messages becoming clouded is to make an effort to properly internalize the entire message.
TRUSTEE from Page 1 better decisions.” In an interview after the special board meeting, Sanchez said he was aware that Northeast Lakeview College is in the process of obtaining accreditation “which is a darn good thing,” and he wants to meet with the college presidents to determine their vision for the different colleges. Sanchez was not aware that this college, which falls in District 9, is on warning status for accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. SACSCOC found this college and St. Philip’s and Northwest Vista colleges in violation of six Comprehensive Standards, including branding, leadership policy, handling of transfer credits, and the calculation of grade-point averages during a site-visit September 2016. After the special board meeting, Kingsbery said the board members could not remember how the appointment voting process should go and had to read the policy, causing the closed session to last longer than expected. After the executive session, Katz opened the
C.L. Cobb, vice president of operations for Myriad Global Media, shares his experiences as a former student at this college with speech students and how his persistence helped shape his future. Cobb spoke during a speech workshop Oct. 25 in the auditorium of McAllister. Aaron Garcia “The one part of the speech that I wish I could give you is a magic formula,” he said. Cobb said actively listening comes down to the effort put forth by the individual. Cobb challenged the audience to change the way they listen and to seek mentors. “The best advice I can give you as you try to build your education and careers is to seek out mentors,” he said, “The mentors aren’t going to seek you out, and as they give advice and criticism you have to have that extra concentration, encoding and effort to internalize their messages.” Psychology sophomore Marco Guzman said he attended the workshop for the extra credit offered to students in speech classes but was happy with the results. “I wanted the extra credit, but I’m actually really happy that I came to this,” Guzman said in an interview after Cobb’s speech. Guzman, who performs in a local metal band, Lucid City, said he plans to incorporate active listening into his psychology studies and his music career. Justin Blacklock, instructor of speech communication and director of forensics, coordinated the series of workshops. Blacklock said he liked the way Cobb tied the business aspect into his speech. “That’s why we are doing these guest speaker series — to not just have another teacher from the department doing a workshop but someone who is not only in the business community and has experience with how this looks in practice but also has experience here at SAC before going and putting it into practice.” Cobb, along with the other guest speakers, is appearing at the workshops without charge to the college, Blacklock said. “They just do it out of the kindness of their hearts,” he said. For more information on speech workshops, contact Blacklock at jblacklock@alamo.edu.
floor for nominations, clarifying that each board member may vote once for each nominated candidate. District 4 trustee Marcello Casillas nominated Sanchez, District 6 trustee Gene Sprague nominated William Wendell Hall and District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate nominated Charles Marshall Eads. Katz repeated the list of nominated candidates and reminded the board each could cast one vote. District 2 trustee Denver McClendon and Katz laughed as she suggested the board members think carefully before casting their votes. A five-board member majority is required to appoint a trustee, and the voting process repeats until the majority is reached. In the first round of voting, four board members voted for Sanchez, three members voted for Hall and one voted for Eads. Katz called the board to vote again, reminding them to think carefully about their vote. Sanchez received the five-member majority from all board members except McClendon, Katz and Sprague, appointing him to the interim District 9 position.
EDITORIAL 3 www.theranger.org/EDITORIAL
NOV. 13, 2017
Trustees, tell constituents what board is up to The law should not be what motivates you to share information.
J. Carbajal
Advisers need to study the needs of students PINs are one of the problems, but advisers need to learn programs first. The advising center needs a new game plan. Students completing 15, 30 and 45 hours will have to see an adviser to obtain a personal identification number, or PIN, to register for spring classes beginning today. The procedure debuted last fall and was a disaster. Forcing students to meet with their advisers can be an inconvenience. It doesn’t help when students have to wait an hour or longer to be seen. Some students waited to be seen and didn’t even get in. The front desk representative gave PINs to students instead. Advisers have hundreds of students to oversee. The 30-hour mark to meet with an adviser is a great way to touch base and
follow up with students, but 15 hours is too soon. Some students who start college have an idea of what to pursue but others don’t. Those are just a few of the problems. The main problem is the advisers don’t know the college’s programs. The advisers’ job is to offer the best course of action to get to graduation or transfer. We used to have a printed college bulletin that explained all the programs and courses of study. It was an easy reference for students, faculty and staff. The digital version doesn’t seem to be adequate for advisers’ needs. Advisers don’t know enough to direct students to different degree plans. They need to brush up on what the college offers and how various programs work so they can actually help students. Scheduling and program flexibility attract potential students. The advising department needs to understand that.
make to the board. The interviews for student trustees were open to the public. So why were the interviews for the District 9 trustee behind closed doors? District 7 trustee Clint Kingsbery said it’s because this session is for “adults.” The appointed student trustee is an adult. Don’t disrespect her, the students she represents and the public by pretending these interviews are above them. The public should not have to fill out a Freedom of Information Act request so they can see who might be chosen to represent them on the district’s governing body. You are funded by tax dollars. You are beholden to the people who pay those taxes. So serve them so they can take part in this district’s business. The idea that constituents shouldn’t be allowed to take part in, or at the very least observe, this process is not practicing transparency.
The board of the Alamo Colleges doesn’t seem to understand what it means to be transparent. When an organization is transparent, it usually means they’re willing to openly discuss matters of importance. Trustees have proven they aren’t willing to do this. Conducting the interviews for District 9 candidates behind closed doors is ridiculous, and so is the justification for doing so. Trustees said they wanted these interviews in closed session so they could protect the candidates from any liabilities associated with personal statements. These people are vying for public office. Their constituents have the right to know the personal statements they
Letter: Setting an example Editor: The subject of “Big Brothers Big Sisters Program Impacts Local Youth” in the Nov. 6, 2017, issue of The Ranger is not talked about enough and should be given more attention. We have college students trying to impact the lives of children, a perfect example of the expansion of higher education and community service. The participants have the audacity to make a difference and break down some
of the barriers of our diverse world. This program should be commended and supported for its success, and students should be encouraged by the initiative. You learn, then you lead; wisdom is not given, it is received. You can be the difference. Thank you for giving back to those who need it most. Steven Graham Accounting Sophomore
ONLINE NOW www.theranger.org Public relations professional urges students to take advantage of opportunities
By Shamona Wali Students at this college should not be discouraged because they are not studying at a prestigious four-year university for their first two years of college, the director of communications for UT Health San Antonio told a public relations class Oct. 25. “Toward the end of my high school career, I realized that going to college and getting a higher education was going to be all up to me,” Catherine Duncan said. “I started off at San Antonio College with the determination that I will get out of here no matter what it takes.
STAFF Managing Editor Austin P. Taylor Web Editor Zachary-Taylor Wright Features Editor Alison Graef Pulse Editor J. Del Valle Staff Writers Sarah Centeno, Tania Flores, Dillon Holloway, Sasha D. Robinson, Alan Torres, Shamona Wali
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Men’s basketball team lose to Trinity university club intramurals, 81-72
Kinesiology freshman Jordan Mayorga, sports management freshman Eric Brehm and psychology freshman Hyshone Fisher triple-team Cole Jackson, business junior at Trinity University, Nov. 6 in Candler. Jackson passed the ball to a teammate, but the Rangers managed to get the ball back. The Rangers lost 72-81, giving Trinity its first win of the season. Brianna Rodrigue
By J. Del Valle Trinity University men’s basketball club team had their first win after starting with a 0-4 record this season. The game shifted when certain calls by the referees played a huge part in the loss for the Rangers Nov. 6 in Candler. “Our team couldn’t play aggressively on defense without being called for a hand check.” Sam Casey, men’s head basketball coach, said.
Visuals Editor Deandra Gonzalez
Altar honors people who have died of HIV/AIDS By Sarah Centeno More than 50 students and faculty gathered in Chance Academic Center Nov. 1 to celebrate Día De Los Muertos, marking the first time this college’s observation has been dedicated to those who have died of HIV/AIDS. Día De Los Muertos is an annual celebration to honor the spirits of the dead, observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries Nov. 1 and 2, according to dictionary.com. History Professor Marianne Bueno was in charge of the event.
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Diego A. Rios, business operations manager and former student at this college, poses with his daughter,
Nov. 13 , 2017
Sophia Rios, 6, and wife, Stephanie Porto, May 8, 2016, on St. Thomas. Courtesy of Diego A. Rios
Former student weathered Hurricane Irma in Virgin Islands Islands still face years of recovery. By Alison Graef
agraef@student.alamo.edu
D
iego A. Rios, 33, former student at this college, moved to the Virgin Island of St. Thomas in January 2016 with his wife, Stephanie Porto, and 6-year-old daughter, Sophia Rios, after accepting a position as business operations manager for Wyndham’s Margaretville Vacation Club on the northeast edge of the island. When Hurricane Irma threatened to strike the Virgin Islands, Rios obtained airplane tickets to get the family’s visiting relatives off the island, but ticket prices were so high that he decided to shelter with his family at the Margaretville resort. “We would have spent thousands just to get out of the island,” Rios said. “It just wasn’t an option to get out beforehand. A lot of flights were getting canceled. A lot of tourists were trying to leave. It was a bit chaotic. So instead, we just prepared for everything.” Rios and his family gathered two weeks of food and water. When Irma hit the island Sept. 6, the family sheltered at the resort with other employees and about 150 guests. Through the resort’s hurricane-proof windows, the family witnessed the torrential rain and furious wind. “We put our daughter in the restroom toward the back of the room, and we just hoped that the doors wouldn’t blow open, or something wouldn’t hit the windows or the roof wasn’t blown off,” Rios said. “You get that sense of: ‘Am I going to be all right? Are we going to be OK? Is this going to be enough for us to survive?’” Rios said the force of the hurricane was greater than he could have imagined. “You hear about hurricanes, how bad they are. You see the videos,” Rios said. “But once you are here in the eye and you start seeing the wind, the force, and you can’t see more than a few feet in
H
front of you, that’s when you know.” As the storm battered the island, Rios said their ears kept popping as if they were in an airplane. The resort lost electricity and running water. The family stayed at the resort for seven nights. Rios said misinformation and rumors circulated without access to the internet, phones, newspapers, radios or televisions. “It was all word-of-mouth and rumors,” Rios said. “Just pretty much horrible stories like the island going into chaos. They never turned out to be truthful, but of course at that moment, you don’t know. That’s the only information that you have.” After four days of being cut off from the world, people at the resort discovered a nearby hill had Verizon cell service. Rios borrowed someone’s cell phone to let relatives know they made it through the storm. He said the No. 1 priority was to get off the island. “Every day we’re trying to make a new plan to find a way out,” Rios said. “And every day it changed.” Rios said community formed among the people at the resort. Both guests and staff helped with responsibilities such as distributing clean linens and clearing paths. Everyone worked to ensure the people around them were doing well. On Sept. 12, the family evacuated by speedboat to Puerto Rico. Each person was allowed one piece of luggage. Rios, who was already employed at the Puerto Rico Margaretville resort, said he planned to see family on the mainland and then return to Puerto Rico to continue working. Two days before their scheduled flight, news came that Hurricane Maria would hit the island Sept. 20. The family, which already had tickets, packed their carry-ons and flew to Texas the afternoon before Maria hit. “I was still awake from the trip from Puerto Rico to Texas when I learned that the island had lost all electricity,” Rios said. “And we didn’t think it was
elp Rios’ co-workers recover by visiting www.gofundme. com/4he2c9s.
Diego A. Rios and his wife, Stephanie Porto, drive through Fourwinds Plaza on St. Thomas Sept. 8 after Hurricane Irma. Courtesy of Diego A. Rios going to hit that hard, but it turned out to be bad. And so that kind of eliminated the plan of moving to Puerto Rico.” Tired and weary from the experience, he and his family were in a restaurant when they ran into two of the guests from the resort. “We were shocked to see each other, and it became a cathartic moment,” Rios said in an email. “Irma will always connect us.” Rios, his wife and daughter stayed with various family members in this city for a month and a half. “After two weeks, you start thinking, you know, ‘All right, what next? Our lives as we knew them before are gone,’” Rios said. “It’s like you write something and then erase it, and nothing’s left.” With Puerto Rico destroyed, they moved to Pompano Beach, Fla., where Rios now works at Wyndham Palm Aire. “It’s been just a whirlwind going through this whole storm,” Rios said. “Pretty much every day you didn’t know how the next day was going to look. Three months ago, I was in St. Thomas. A month later, I thought I was going to be living in Puerto Rico. And I ended up in South Florida.” Rios said many of his friends and acquaintances who were long-term residents of the islands chose not to leave after the storms passed. “A lot of people that I know are still there,” Rios said. “Every day they have to take showers with just a bucket. They have to try to charge their phones whenever they can or live off of their generator. ... People have to learn to live with just the minimum.” Former student Lauren Barrera, 28, is moving to Atlanta to help some of the Puerto Ricans who came to the mainland for assistance. Barrera said it was hard to leave her job, which she loved, but felt called to help people affected by the hurricanes. Barrera said it’s important that the continental
Diego A. Rios and his family are evacuated by speedboat from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma Sept. 12. Courtesy of Diego A. Rios U.S. doesn’t forget about the destruction in the Virgin Islands. “I just don’t want these people to feel like they have been abandoned or they’re not getting the care that they need in order to just grasp onto some sort of life again,” Barrera said. Barrera said a volunteer who was in Puerto Rico before, during and after the hurricane hit told her stories of what it’s like on the island. She said money essentially has no value right now on the island because banks are not operating, and rats are contaminating relief food, making it unusable. “During the hurricane, there was so much water that it flooded the cemeteries, and a lot of the caskets rose and washed away,” Barrera said. She said Puerto Rico is facing years of reconstruction after the devastation. As a case manager, Barrera will help those affected by the storm get their lives back on track. Barrera said people can help by searching online for organizations that are assisting with recovery efforts. Additionally, she said many local organizations are collecting food, clothing and other basic necessities for people affected by the hurricanes.