Vol. 85 Issue 19
Single copies free
April 11, 2011
The Ranger A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926
Just
dance ENROLLMENT CAP 5 MONEY TIPS 7 NO SUMMER CHILD CARE 17
2 • April 11, 2011
The Ranger
The Ranger
A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926
Nursing sophomore Megan Garcia paints liberal arts freshman Chip Oster’s biceps brachii blue Wednesday in Chance, while anatomy Adjunct Holly Heckmann gives details. See story and photos online. Ingrid Wilgen
This issue
Photos by Tyler K. Cleveland
3 News
11
Last day to drop is April 18 By Joshua Fechter
4 Blotter 5 News Trustees discuss enrollment cap By Zahra Farah Photo by Tyler K. Cleveland
6
Professor illustrates Civil War in miniatures By Jennifer M. Ytuarte
7 Planning, oversight good in recession By David Espinoza Illustration by Juan Carlos Campos
8 Trustees agree on 70 percent retirement incentive By Zahra Farah
Senate questions summer advising for students By Melody Mendoza Photo by Julia Novikova
12 Out on The Strip Story and photos by Laura Garcia and Julysa Sosa
14
Magnets prevent doors locking
23
By Riley Stephens
By J. Almendarez Photo by Jennifer M. Ytuarte
17 Early childhood center closes for summer By Joshua Fechter
18 Editorials District delivers blow upon blow to faculty
House bill can get people out of the gutter
Online President reports on chairs decreasing across colleges By Zahra Farah
Early childhood’s 40th anniversary
19 Salvage classes
Board charges chancellor to explore capping enrollment
By Alma Linda Manzanares
before dropping
By Zahra Farah
Calendar
Chancellor calls shots
15 Student film celebrates hidden treasure of West Side
Letter to the Editor: We’re not all the same
Trustees say tuition, tax increase last resort to cover budget
By Alma Linda Manzanares Photo by Jennifer M. Ytuarte
20 Officials & Policies
16 Leaks can cause mold
21 Parking spot swap
growth
beneficial for clubs and college
By Riley Stephens Photo by Chelsea Von Peacock
By Julysa Sosa
By Zahra Farah
Professors evaluate Obama on campaign promises By David Espinoza
Viewpoint by Cyril Morong: Why is college so hard?
Cover: Ryan Pundt, UT-Austin communications freshman, and Mike Wulff, UTSA public relations junior, dance March 25 at The Saint. Julysa Sosa
The Ranger
News
April 11, 2011 • 3
Last day to drop is April 18 Students should be aware of six-drop rule and three-peat tuition, vice president says. By Joshua Fechter April 18 is the final day students can drop courses for the spring semester. For students enrolled in Spring Flex 2, the final day to drop is April 26. Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of student affairs, said students should be aware of the sixdrop rule and three-peat tuition before making a decision. The six-drop rule prevents students from dropping more than six classes over the course of a bachelor’s degree. Three-peat tuition requires paying three times the cost of the in-district rate the third time a student attempts a course. Vela said students should speak with the professor about dropping before they do anything else. Vela said if students insists on dropping, they should speak with the financial aid office, admissions and records and the counseling department to make sure dropping a course will not impact them negatively. “You have to do your homework before you drop a class,” Vela said. Vela said students sometimes drop a course without knowing the consequences of that drop and that speaking with those departments will help them make an informed decision. He said sometimes dropping a course is a good decision, but students should know the consequences.
Political science and economics Chair Paul Wilson said it is important for students to meet with their instructor if they are considering a drop so they can make an informed decision. Wilson said he has seen many students who were seeking a drop find out they were doing much better in the course than they thought they were. He said students should visit their instructors earlier in the semester if they feel there is a problem with how they are performing in the course so they may construct strategies to achieve higher performance in that course. Wilson said students should learn to put academics first and make sacrifices so they will see better academic results later on. Wilson said if a student does end up dropping a course, meeting with an instructor can act as a general advisement session, which can help the student and instructor discuss the student’s academic future. He said as an instructor, it hurts when a student drops a course because he wants to see success. “It rips a piece of my heart out every time,” Wilson said. Students must visit the department offering the course and fill out a drop slip from the department to drop. Instead of using a Social Security number, students must use a Banner ID. The department chair or instructor will sign the form after counseling the student that dropping the course could affect financial aid and the academic record. After that, the student will take the form to the admissions and records office in Room 216
of Fletcher Administration Center. The office will keep the forms to track student-initiated drops. The professor will assign a final grade of W for withdrawal from the course in ACES. The next day, the center for student information is supposed to receive a report automatically generated by Banner of all W’s assigned and officially withdraw the student. Online students who wish to drop a course must speak with the professor by e-mail or telephone to ask them to withdraw them from the course. Faculty members may only initiate a drop if students have missed more than two weeks of class during a 16-week semester. If students have behavioral issues, faculty members can submit a behavioral incident report form to the vice president of student affairs. Counseling Director David Rodriguez said an instructor may ask a student to leave a class for behavioral issues, but if the behavior continues, the instructor may take the grievance to the office of the vice president of student affairs. Rodriguez said the end result of the disciplinary process could be a drop. Students who need to drop all courses must go to the counseling center of the first floor of Moody Learning Center. For more information, call admissions and records at this college at 210-486-0700 or visit Room 216 of Fletcher Administration Center. Counseling is on the first floor of Moody Learning Center. The number is 210-486-0333. Financial aid is in Room 101 of Fletcher. The phone is 210-486-0600.
Engineering sophomore Jesus Gutierrez assists nursing sophomore Hope Ozumba in measuring her body mass index Wednesday in Candler during HealthFest. Go online for more photos from HealthFest. Carla Aranguren
Blotter
4 • April 11, 2011 SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE
Did You Know?
Emergency phones located on campus
March 30 — Individual reported three women arguing. All was found to be OK. Individual reported his sculpture had been damaged. Individual reported two pingpong paddles had been stolen. March 31 — Individual reported district property had been stolen off campus. SAPD report had been filed. April 1 — Individual reported an argument with his ex-wife. Individual reported a male subject was being disruptive during a play. April 2 — Officer assisted SAPD with an intoxicated man off campus. April 4 — Individual reported a suspicious note found on a chair. Note was found to be a poem.
Emergency phones are located throughout the campus including parking lots and elevators for students, faculty, staff and visitors. When the phone is activated, it’s directly connected to the Alamo College Police Department Emergency Communications Center. The center is staffed around the clock all year. If not working, call dispatch 210-485-0099.
Contact Info Emergency 210-222-0911 General DPS 210-485-0099 Weather Line 210-485-0189
Individual reported his vehicle had been burglarized and personal items had been stolen. No suspects were found. April 5 — Officer assisted SAPD with a vehicle accident off campus. Individual reported graffiti in a men’s restroom. No suspects were found.
The Ranger April 4 — Individual reported graffiti in a men’s restroom. No suspects were found.
Individual reported her vehicle had been damaged in a hit-and-run accident.
Individual reported someone had placed stickers in the restroom.
April 5 — Individual reported found property. The item was placed in the property locker.
Individual reported a man damaging a vehicle. A check of the area found no man or vehicle meeting the description.
Individual reported found property. The item was placed in the property locker.
April 5 — Individual reported injuring his finger in class. EMS was refused.
Individual reported his personal lock was missing from a gym locker.
PALO ALTO COLLEGE
Individual reported her vehicle had been stolen.
March 29 — Individual reported a man had hit him on his knee.
ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE
March 30 — Individual reported found property. The item was placed in the property locker.
March 30 — Individual reported her ex-boyfriend’s mother was yelling and cursing at her.
March 31 — Individual reported missing property. The property was located.
Individual reported his iPod had been stolen. No suspects were found.
April 1 — Individual reported he had lost his parking permit. Individual reported his personal items had been stolen from a classroom. No suspects were found. Individual reported her purse had been stolen. No suspects were found.
NORTHEAST LAKEVIEW COLLEGE
Individual reported his personal items were stolen from a classroom. No suspects were found.
April 5 — Individual reported being injured while playing football. EMS was refused.
Individual reported a man entering the office and making a threatening statement.
Individual reported injuring his eye in a basketball game.
Individual reported broken locks had been found in a trash can in a restroom.
NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE March 31 — Individual reported a woman asking for money. The woman was located and departed without further incident.
Individual reported found property. Item was placed in the property locker. April 3 — Officer assisted a man who was feeling ill.
Individual reported her parking permit had been lost. Individual reported a mirror from her vehicle had been stolen. No suspects were found. March 31 — Individual reported a man approached him and began arguing. All was found to be OK. Individual reported graffiti in a men’s restroom. No suspects were found. Individual reported found property. Item was placed in the property locker. April 1 — Individual reported found property. Item was placed in the property locker. Individual reported being injured during class. EMS treated the individual. April 4 — Individual requested the officer stand by while a student was told to leave class. SOUTHWEST CAMPUS
Officer reported a woman feeling ill. EMS arrived and treated the woman.
April 4 — Individual reported personal items had been stolen from a gym locker. No suspects were found.
March 31 — Individual reported her iPod had been stolen.
The Ranger
News
April 11, 2011 • 5
Trustees, presidents and other administrators listen to Vice Chancellor Diane Snyder’s budget presentation April 2. Tyler K. Cleveland
Trustees discuss enrollment cap By Zahra Farah Dr. Robert Aguero, vice chancellor for academic success, informed the board at the April 2 board retreat he plans to have an academic summit in May to bring in administrators and faculty to come up with ways to increase student success, develop innovative styles of teaching and reduce academic costs. A time and date have not been set. Aguero said compared to other Texas public universities and colleges, this district is not doing well. He said if it doesn’t change student success models, there won’t be progress. Aguero and board members showed interest in making it a requirement for students to take math the first semester and making sure students have clear degree pathways. Trustees discussed making this a policy. “Exactly,” District 1 trustee Joe Alderete said. Gary Beitzel, District 8 trustee and chairman, said students need to have a clear goal and not take whatever courses they want for fun. District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate said he heard of students maxing out their financial aid because they took more than 100 hours at an Alamo College. “This guy cost us three or four points,” Zárate said, referring to the number of momentum points lost for a student who doesn’t graduate. Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said HB 1 proposed 10 percent of funding for fiscal year 2013 should be based on momentum points, which means funding from the state would be allocated to districts with high transfer rates; students receiving associate degrees; success of students completing developmental math and English;
and first-time-in-college students completing Leslie said because of financial aid cuts, basic math and English. more people from four-year institutions would Even though this wasn’t approved, Snyder come to the colleges. said it is the future for college districts. Sprague said, “Maybe then word will get Alderete said the district needs to increase back to legislators we can only serve so many its 8 percent graduation rate. He said even the students” within the district’s budget. states average is horrible, at 11.6 percent. McClendon said the culture of community Sprague brought up the 30 percent of stu- colleges would change because everyone would dents who attend Alamo Colleges who are not not get accepted. even ready for remedial courses. Zárate said if the board is restricting accesHe recommended these students be placed sibility to community colleges; open enrollment in continuing education courses, so they can will not be a feature for community colleges. qualify for a technical Fernandez said she job, and once they’re liked Sprague’s ideas, but Trustees plan a board retreat 4 p.m.-9 p.m. May 9 to discuss confident in themselves, this is a huge impact and capping enrollment they can come back to could be detrimental to in Room 101 of Killen Center college and take courses the community if they at 201 W. Sheridan. for credit. were going to limit the The next regular board meeting is District 2 trustee number of students. scheduled at 6 p.m. April 19 in the same location. Denver McClendon said “We’re going to be a For more information, go to www. when Raymund Paredes, different institution,” she alamo.edu and click on Board of commissioner of higher said. Trustees and then Agendas. education, came to St. Dr. Anna “Cha” Philip’s College earlier Guzman, Palo Alto this spring, he said remedial education is a fail- College president, said she agrees with the ure across the country. idea. Instead of increasing taxes and tuition, the Too many students are lost in a developmenboard discussed limiting enrollment and allow- tal loop, but if the district caps enrollment, will ing only students with a degree plan to apply students who are in continuing education classfor admission. es miss out from one day becoming a lawyer. Sprague said this would save money because James A. Rindfuss, vice chairman and it would decrease the number of adjuncts and District 9 trustee, said those students will come developmental courses. back and become lawyers. He said the district shouldn’t “cut from here They asked Leslie to explore this idea and and there,” but serve students on first-come, get input from the community before the board first-served basis. votes on any tax or tuition increase. McClendon said they should just say straight Alderete said they need to explore more out they’re going to limit enrollment. options.
6 • April 11, 2011
News
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Professor illustrates Civil War in miniatures Story and photos by Jennifer M. Ytuarte Tuesday marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, when Confederate batteries, rows of four spoke-wheeled cannons, fired on Fort Sumter, S.C., beginning the “war between brothers” that led to the death of more than 600,000 Americans. History Adjunct Joseph Regan recently completed a Civil War diorama of 1,000 miniatures. The piece cost about $400 in figures, buildings, paint and structural supplies. The diorama is the centerpiece of the “American history room,” previously a guest bedroom in his home that displays “Civil War” and 29 other dioramas Five are the size of “Civil War,” four are 3-foot-by-2-foot World War I and World War II scenes, 10 are 30 inches by 20 inches — including one of the Alamo — and 10 are 12 inches by 18 inches. Regan began collecting and painting figures at 16. Revolutionary War and Civil War themed paintings, needlepoint and commemorative plates decorate empty wall space. Armoires and bookcases align flush along three walls and house hundreds of anthologies, picture books, memoirs and war accounts. The 5-foot-by-3-foot model took Regan more than a year to create and depicts a town under siege, complete with train station and farmers. Confederate troops are painted in various hues of brown, butternut and gray while Union soldiers have identical navy blue jackets and light blue pants. Historical accounts said Confederate uniforms were homemade, as were a mixture of clothing and boots gleaned from fallen Union soldiers on the battlefield. In one corner, a wagon trail brings supplies to Confederates, pup tents are set up and men can be seen chopping down trees and clearing terrain to build makeshift barricades against the approaching Union army. Further up the road, through the trees, a regiment of 165th Unit N.Y. Zouaves, dressed in blue shirts with red pants and hats, protects a Union battery from being overrun by
History Professor Joseph Regan stands behind his 5-foot-by-3-foot Civil War diorama, one of 29 he displays at home. None of the 1,000 miniatures are glued down. Confederate soldiers. On the opposite side of the model, Union troops secure businesses and roadways as they march through a town; a pair of horse-mounted generals leads the way. An engagement between dismounted cavalry shows tension as a standoff ensues at Seminary Ridge. Toward the middle of the model, Union soldiers defend “Little Hilltop,” an important landmark in the battle at Gettysburg, Penn. The overall display does not depict one
particular battle, but several scenes based on historic events. “I used to know Gettysburg better than I knew my own hand,” Regan said. Regan said the Civil War is unique. After the war ended in April 1865, within a generation, both sides were able to erect monuments at Gettysburg to honor great generals and fallen comrades. At home, Regan commands an army more than 10,000 strong of painted five-eighth scale combatants.
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April 11, 2011 • 7
Planning, oversight good in recession By David Espinoza From December 2007 to June 2009, the United States experienced the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, longer than any post-World War II recession. The Great Recession, as it has come to be known, resulted in the unemployment of 10.1 percent of people needing work and 3.1 million households submitting foreclosure filings. The National Bureau of Economic Research declared the recession over in June 2009, but close to two years later, many people are in the dark about what the situation really is. Is the recession really over? “It’s a technical issue,” economics Coordinator Bruce Norton said, noting that while the gross domestic product is beginning to rise again, albeit slowly, 13.7 million people are still unemployed. Norton said that unlike a classic recession, which follows a V-like pattern as the GDP falls to a point and then starts to rise again, the U.S. crisis went in a U-pattern, as the GDP began to stabilize and rise very slowly. Business Chair Val Calvert said, “While there has been growth, most would probably say we are still in a recession. “There are more consumers now than at the time of the Great Depression,” Calvert continued. “In our lifetime, we haven’t seen anything of that scale.” Sociology Adjunct Edgar Nandin said, “The biggest difference is technology.” Nandin said the country was becoming an industrial society in the Great Depression and is now a technological society going into the Great Recession. From November 2010 to February 2011, the unemployment rate fell from 9.8 percent to 8.9 percent, with 192,000 new jobs emerging in areas such as construction, health care and manufacturing. Norton said while the federal average is going down, unemployment in Texas had risen to 8.2 percent in February.
Juan Carlos Campos He said people should watch how they spend “It’s good practice to save at least six months their money. “Buy a clunker,” Norton said. “It’s of your annual income in case of emergenbetter to stay home and go to college for a brief cies,” Calvert said, adding housing prices have time without luxuries than to skip it entirely.” dropped significantly in many cities. Las While cutting spending, Norton Vegas dropped 26 percent in 2007. said people should also be saving. “Gas prices are just outrageous,” He said the savings rate of U.S citiCalvert said. She said gas prices have zens has risen, but more people savaffected Texas in a bad way because ing meant less people spending to of a lack of mass transportation. help the economy. Calvert said the average consumer Calvert said, “Americans have tradoesn’t really understand the situation ditionally not saved as much as in even today. See related other countries, such as Japan.” “It’s important to always buy a story online. Japan’s personal savings rate is house on a fixed-rate mortgage and about 30 percent, as opposed to the always know your bank balance,” much smaller 5 percent in the U.S. People are Calvert said. still struggling and paying more for consumer She also encourages students to take BUSI goods than in 2009. 1307, Personal Finance.
8 • April 11, 2011
News
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Trustees agree on 70 percent retirement incentive Chancellor supports higher incentive rather than layoffs. By Zahra Farah In a 6-2 vote at the April 2 board retreat, trustees agreed on a retirement incentive of 70 percent of base salary for one year for employees who retire by Aug. 31. To qualify, an employee must be 65 years of age with at least 10 years full-time service or have a combined 80 years of age plus years of service with the district. Those employees who opt for retirement between Sept. 1 and Jan. 4 will receive 50 percent of their base salary. Employees who plan to retire by Aug. 31 must notify their departments by May 31. Those who plan to retire by Jan. 4 must give notice by July 28. The original minute order called for an 80/50 percent incentive, but after two hours of discussion exploring other amounts and ideas, the board approved an incentive of 70/50 percent. Trustees who voted in favor of a 70 percent retirement incentive were District 2 trustee Denver McClendon; District 3 trustee Anna Bustamante; District 6 trustee Gene Sprague; Gary Beitzel, District 7 trustee and chairman; and James Rindfuss, vice chairman and District 9 trustee. District 4 trustee Marcelo S. Casillas did not attend because of a death in the family. District 1 trustee Joe Alderete and District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate voted against the proposal because they supported the original 80/50 percent incentive. Fernandez joked, let the record show, Zárate and Alderete agreeing. Other qualifications include: Employees’ salary must not exceed $95,000; the employee does not hold a grant-funded position; and the employee cannot apply for employment with Alamo Colleges for two years following the retirement date. Linda Boyer-Owens, associate vice chancellor of human resources, told the board retirees can’t come back for two years so they wouldn’t take the 80 percent bonus and return to the college immediately for full pay in another position. Sprague said he didn’t care if employees came back 12 hours later if they were going to be adjunct. No one moved to change the stipulation. Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said the two-year time frame was established because it would be hard to explain to taxpayers why big checks went to people who came back the next year for another job. Snyder said the district wants these employees back if
Trustee James Rindfuss argues for a 50 percent retirement incentive while Trustee Gene Sprague shows frustration at the April 2 board retreat. Photo by Tyler K. Cleveland the district has trouble hiring adjuncts, but to balance the budget, they need to implement the two-year parameter. Sprague said he didn’t understand why employees couldn’t just be considered for the adjunct hiring pool. He also suggested not giving retirees an option to become full-time faculty. Beitzel said depending on the employees’ retirement parameters, employees could only come back as adjunct because if they were fulltime, they could lose their pension. General counsel Retha Karnes said the district can’t bar retirees from ever coming back to the district because they would be discriminating against older employees, but she said she would get advice on whether returning employees could come back on a part-time basis. Boyer-Owens informed the board there are 449 employees eligible for retirement. Thirty-five of those are already active phased retirees, meaning they have started the retirement process, while 414 are active full-time employees. She said she has heard 162 employees and 15 phased retirees express interest. Eligible employees will be informed by mail. Employees who are in the phased retirement program can participate in the new incentive or continue in the phased retirement program. The number of full-time employees eligible
for retirement by college are 210 at this college, 76 at St. Philip’s and nine at its Southwest Campus, 35 at Palo Alto, 10 at Northwest Vista, and one at Northeast Lakeview. District offices have 73 full-time employees eligible to retire. There are 16 eligible phased retirees at this college, five at St. Philip’s and four at its Southwest Campus, four at Palo Alto, one at Northwest Vista, and five at district. The program will be closed to new participants May 31. The district plans to allocate $8 million of the current $15 million fund balance to support retirement, which would leave the district $7 million in its rainy day fund. The process would be on a first-come, first-served basis, and as soon as the $8 million runs out, the offer ends. Boyer-Owens said even though the district is taking $8 million out of the rainy day fund, this plan will save $9.4 million each year. A projected 153 employees plus 15 phased employees would deplete the $8 million fund. Snyder said only 25 percent of the vacated positions will be filled, which will be a major incentive to downsize as hiring will be only for critical positions. Snyder said the Dallas district and Del Mar College in Corpus Christi gave employees 80 percent of their current base salary, which proved to be successful for downsizing. One of this district’s 25 initiatives to cut costs established at the beginning of the fall semester was to implement a retirement initiative and a hiring chill, which was estimated to save $5.55 million. Snyder said to speed up the process, the district must implement this hiring chill. Rindfuss said the 80 percent payout is too high of a percentage, and that isn’t a fair situation for students, employees and taxpayers. He wondered if trustees should decrease employees’ wages by 8 percent to be able to keep everyone or increase taxes, which could cause taxpayers already in trouble to foreclose. He said either way, there needs to be more cost-cutting options on the table. On Aug. 19, the board increased the maintenance and operations tax rate by 6.23 percent to an effective rate of .096873 per $100 valuation. The board noted in the minute order that the new rate added about $5.77 to the tax on a $100,000 home. Fernandez said she felt like administrators were pushing trustees to make a decision two weeks before the regular board meeting April 19. On the 80/50 percent plan, McClendon said he felt “uncomfortable committing $8 million to it, and I’m voting against this.”
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Alderete said he wasn’t saying it was a bad cuts, operational cuts, dual credit and class size. plan, but he wondered about committing so Zárate also suggested possibly taking back a much money to retirement. 2 percent raise that went into effect in January Chancellor Bruce Leslie argued for the 80 2010 and was continued for this fiscal year. percent incentive to encourage people to leave Leslie disparaged the idea. rather than having to Rindfuss made a Chancellor Bruce Leslie and lay off people. He said motion for a 50 percent several vice chancellors will speak incentive for employees if the district has to lay about the budget at a town hall off employees, it would retiring Aug. 31 and 30 meeting 3 p.m. Wednesday be by last-hired, first-topercent for employin 218A and B of the leave. Leslie said he’s askees retiring by Jan. 4. nursing complex. ing the board to downsize McClendon seconded. in an appropriate way so the district only has to Alderete asked for more discussion because relocate employees to positions needed. “We’re he felt they were “waving a candy” around before asking the state to use their rainy day fund; we they even made final budget decisions. should do the same,” he said. Leslie said trustees decide the final budget in Fernandez said, “Frankly 80 percent is too July, but a decision on the retirement incentive high; that’s quite an incentive.” needs to be made now. “I don’t want to let 300 Zárate said this is not a fun time for anybody. people go,” Leslie said. The superintendents of public school districts Before trustees could vote, Fernandez asked are sending out letters firing employees. He said the presidents for their input. trustees need to look at consolidating the five Dr. Eric Reno of Northeast Lakeview College public relations departments across the colleges. said people are willing to take advantage of the A budget strategy map distributed at the retirement incentive. He said his college is desmeeting includes as a priority low enrolled/ perate to fill new positions and will be able to duplicative programs in addition to program with the retirement incentive.
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April 11, 2011 • 9 Dr. Ana “Cha” Guzmán of Palo Alto College said she will have tons of people retiring at her college and younger people filling those positions. Without a retirement plan, she will have to lay off young people who cost less. Legal counsel William Armstrong said the only system the district can use is seniority. He said the district has a “horrible” evaluation system and is working on a better one. Leslie said it’s harder to reassign and realign after layoffs. If they lay off junior positions, they will not see any productivity because junior positions cost less. Dr. Dawn-Elmore McCrary, this college’s Faculty Senate president, said she has heard from mature faculty that if they aren’t offered an incentive, “they will die at their desk.” President Robert Zeigler said because of budget pressures, he thinks the 80 percent needs to stay. Rindfuss withdrew his 50/30 percent motion. McClendon suggested a 65/45 percent incentive, but Leslie said it was too low. Trustees compromised on 70 percent. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 19 in Room 101 of Killen Center at 201 W. Sheridan.
10 • April 11, 2011
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April 11, 2011 • 11
Senate questions summer advising for students Vice chair says the board is misinformed on faculty release time.
district wants the college administration to may be affected the most. become chairs instead. Woodward-Kaupert said Early childhood studies Professor Linda district hasn’t said that. Lowman said this college is targeted “because By Melody Mendoza Biology Professor Teanna Staggs said the there are old people here and I’m sick of hearmerging is not even complete, but chairs are ing about it.” Faculty Senate members expressed concern already on the chopping block. Woodward-Kaupert said, “We serve 41 perWednesday for a reduction in academic advising Corona asked if the college would get in cent of the population in this district.” She this summer because of the district’s budgettrouble with program licensing boards if a pro- added that board members discussed layoffs at driven decision to consolidate departments. gram wasn’t advised the budget retreat also. Because departments are merging, there properly. Lowman said if the will only be one chair overseeing multiple proCheryl Startzell, EMS board decides to lay off grams, which will reduce the personnel availprogram manager and newer employees, in able to advise. medical assisting profive years, there will be Radio-television-film Professor John fessor, said specific prono department. “It’s like Onderdonk said there is not going to be an grams such as nursing shooting yourself in the informed person to advise students until prohave standards, and the foot,” she said. gram coordinators come back for convocation program accreditation Math Professor a week before the semester begins. can be taken away if the Susan Paddock told He said although the chair may be available, standards are not met. senators that the District the chair may not understand everything about Then the district would Curriculum Committee, a program as would the program coordinator. save money if the prowhich includes four Math Professor Susan Paddock says the Extensions for chairs’ 10.5 month contracts gram was eliminated, representatives from District Curriculum Committee wants to have been eliminated so there will be periods she said. reduce the core requirement to 42 hours each college, will vote at a Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday April 18 on reducing the in the summer when some departments will Hallmark Institute in visual arts. Julia Novikova not have either chairs or program coordinators and CareerPoint College, core curriculum from available for advising. two local for-profit instithe current 45 semester Another concern is that faculty who are tutions, would be the next go-to nursing pro- hours to 42 hours. She said this came from the teaching at adjunct pay in the summer cannot grams, senators said. HB 3025, which is an articulation of a recombe required to perform the same duties outside Woodward-Kaupert reported, “The district is mendation from the Undergraduate Education of class as faculty paid at a full-time rate. under the assumption that there are faculty on Advisory Committee to reduce the core requirePolitical science Professor Christy release time for advising student organizations ments to 36 hours. Paddock said the bill is inconWoodward-Kaupert, Faculty Senate vice chair, and we as a body are under release time.” sistent to say if it will be a 36-hour minimum or said, this is going to be a conscience issue for English Chair Alex Bernal asked if col- maximum for core requirements. She said this is faculty. “They’re obligation ends when their lege administrators explained that faculty are hope of speeding up a student’s graduation. class does,” she said, meaning that although not paid release time for these duties, but One proposal would reduce history and govfaculty paid at the adjunct rate are not Woodward-Kaupert replied no. ernment of each from six hours to three hours. obligated to stay after class, they Woodward-Kaupert said only senWoodward-Kaupert said this would “allow may feel for students’ in need of ate chairs at each college get release the three (hours) to be fulfilled, at least for govextra help. time. Out of 24 senators at this col- ernment, by taking ROTC.” The college has adopted a facullege, only chair Elmore-McCrary gets Also, computer competency is up for discusty-advising model after splitting the release time for her work with the sion to be eliminated. counseling faculty to allow half to teach senate. Business Chair Val Calvert said, “I’m not student development courses full Additionally, release time has OK with that.” She said students will not be See full story online. time. Students in arts and sciencbeen cut back for chairs, program employable because companies are not training es are now sent to departments for advising coordinators and other faculty performing spe- anymore, but expect students to come in with the same as majors in professional-technical cial duties in lieu of teaching classes. communication and computer skills. departments. The senate also discussed the 70 percent Bernal said the district should push back Woodward-Kaupert facilitated the monthly retirement incentive decided at the April 2 bud- because community colleges would be affected meeting in place of Faculty Senate chair Dawn get retreat. the most. He said universities could offer those Elmore-McCrary who was in Denver researchDr. Thomas Billimek, psychology and sociol- classes at a junior level, which is good for them. ing distance education. ogy chair, said this is a life decision for some Woodward Kaupert said, “It’s no longer Woodward-Kaupert said the district wants and it can feel like a “knee jerk” because the about a well-educated student; it’s about getto build this “super duper chair,” but they are decision has to be made so soon. ting them through quick and cheap.” going after the chairs’ release time. Because there are about 200 employees at Other areas up for discussion to cut is Math Professor Carlos Corona asked if this college eligible for retirement, this college Spanish at the freshman level and humanities.
12 • The Ranger
New
Gay bars considered a home away from home for many young people. By Laura Garcia and Julysa Sosa Lady Gaga blares from speakers and bright lights fill a dark nightclub. Inside The Saint, a club popular with gay patrons, welcomes all people with one goal in mind — having a good time. As “Bad Romance” heats up, almost everyone in the venue starts to sing along and thoughts of troubles melt away. Club-goers of all ages, sizes, races and genders, hit the dance floor. This is the scene March 25 at Main Avenue and Evergreen Street a few paces from the eastern edge of this campus. On a busy weekend night, an estimated 2,100 people bar hop, watch drag shows or sports, dance, drink or hang out on patios sipping sangria. The Saint is surrounded by smoke-free nightclub Heat, Sparky’s Pub and Luther’s Café, which are co-owned by business partners Randy Cunniff and Peter Becker. Heat was Cunniff’s first nightIced beer at Sparky’s Pub Laura Garcia club, opened in 2001. The pair took over Luther’s Cafe in 2007, opening an additional 12 hours a day. They opened Sparky’s Pub in January 2010. The business partners also own the building The Saint is housed in but don’t manage the club. Because of the nonsmoking policy at Sparky’s Pub, Becker said they were able to install better quality materials and electronics. Sparky’s Pub is a coffee and wine bar with a patio in the front. In the bar area, customers lounge on built-in booths, watch games or music videos on huge TV screens and play pool or darts. The pub is meticulously decorated with knickknacks and small-framed photos on the walls. Out back, customers hang out in a small patio by another bar and more TVs. The pub, which changes no cover fee, has a capacity of 319 people and on busy nights, a crowd lines up outside waiting to get in. Just one year ago, Heat switched to a nonsmoking venue. Cunniff and Becker explained they, along with the other businesses on The Strip, help host Gay Pride SA’s twice-yearly fundraisers. The Halloween Scary Fairy block party in October helped the Gay and Lesbian Association at this college provide scholarships. GALA was one of six beneficiaries, and members volunteer at the events. The Strip also hosts Gay Pride SA’s parade and festival each summer. “We always get a lot of support from the college,” Cunniff said. “President (Robert) Zeigler has been in the parade the past two years.” The Saint’s doorman and former student at this college, Luis “Louie” Hidalgo, 48, has been working at the club for 16 years. He said the gay bars are more than a place to have a good time. “It’s a safe haven,” he said, “a home away from home for a lot of these kids.”
Drag queen Tersa Matthews sings a ballad to a crowd of about 100 people He said this is a place where everyone can dress and act as they want and still be accepted, whereas, they might not be able to show their true personality at home. Rene Orosco, GALA’s public relations officer and media communications sophomore, said he and his friends frequent the clubs. “Before I joined GALA, the only thing I knew about was the clubs,” he said. Orosco said it gave him a sense of community and of being around similar people. Mark Rodriguez, 27, an Our Lady of the Lake business management graduate and bartender at Pegasus, next door to Sparky’s Pub, remembers his early days. He said initially, it’s the bars that allow people to come out and come to terms with their sexuality. He said the bars were there for him.
ws
April 11, 2011 • 13
A group of club patrons hang out at The Saint March 25. Julysa Sosa
North Main from the parking garage. Julysa Sosa
e at The Saint March 25. Julysa Sosa “You come to a realization of who you are and who you want to be,” he explained. “It’s basically your outlet to be who you are.” Rodriguez added that although he’s worked at Pegasus for about a year, he’s worked in several bars on The Strip, and each has its own atmosphere. He added that more straight men and women and couples come to gay bars because of better music, cheaper drinks and a more accepting environment. Hidalgo said one thing that sets The Saint apart among other nightclubs on The Strip is the variety of shows offered. “You don’t see it as a normal nightclub,” Hidalgo said. “We’re a show bar.” Becker said The Strip is the safest option for nightlife because there’s always something going on in one of the clubs or bars.
Security officer Ricardo”RJ” Bermudez watches a group asked to leave at 1 a.m. March 30. Julysa Sosa At about midnight March 29, Ricardo “RJ” Bermudez, 21, and three other security officers were paying close attention to swarms of bar-goers as they walked to well-lit parking lots. They watched for signs of trouble as dozens of people barhopped on the 1400 block of Main Avenue on a school night. Bermudez and his fellow armed officers responded to only a handful of disturbance calls, including an inebriated man causing a ruckus in Luther’s Café across Main Avenue and a possible armed suspect upset about another man who was thrown out of The Saint for hitting a woman.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
Calendar
14 • April 11, 2011
The Ranger
Early childhood’s 40th anniversary By Alma Linda Manzanares The early childhood studies department will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with “We stand for Kids Advocacy Day” and the Week of the Young Child with events today through Thursday. Information about early brain development, preventing child abuse, parenting and early intervention services will be available as part of “We stand for Kids Advocacy Day” 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday in the mall. Representatives from Precious Minds, Parent and Child Educational Services and Any Baby Can will answer questions for students. The event targets not only parents, but students who will be parents someday and students who have younger siblings, Dr. Ellen Marshall, chair of the department of early childhood studies, said. Marshall said it’s important to know this because “being with children is more than baby-sitting.” The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children to bring focus to the needs of young children and their families and to recognize early childhood pro-
grams and services that meet those needs. The early childhood center is celebrating with activities for young children attending the center and in the public. Events open to the public include a day at the park and a Fiesta celebration. At 9:30 a.m. Thursday, a Spirit Day Parade features Dr. Jessica Howard, vice president of academic affairs, as the grand marshal. The sidewalk procession around the early childhood center includes the children parading in T-shirts with designated colors for their classes, playing musical instruments and waving at whoever is around, Castillo said. Activities strictly for children of the center and their parents include Pajama Day on Friday. Children attending the early childhood center are encouraged to wear their favorite jammies to school. Today, children are expected to wear silly socks for events throughout the day including a Parent Appreciation Brunch, a Wish Wall project and favorite book day. From 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m., a light breakfast will show parents that the teachers appreciate them, Castillo said. “The classrooms also give little gifts from the
For coverage in Calendar, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance.
Event: A Night in Old San Antonio 5:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. La Villita. Tickets $1.50$12. Continues through April 15. Visit www.niosa.org.
Monday
SAC Meeting: College Council 2 p.m. in Room 120 of visual arts. Call 210486-0917.
District Deadline: Last day to withdraw from spring classes April 18. Call 210486-0700. District Deadline: Scholarship application April 15. Call 210-486-0963. SAC Performance: Honors recital 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210486-0255. Tuesday District Meeting: Committee meetings 5:30 p.m. in Room 101 of Killen Center, 201 W. Sheridan. For more information, go to www.alamo.edu and click on Board of Trustees and then Agendas.
teachers to the parents to remind them of their child,” she said. The Wish Wall project is set up in the lobby of the center to encourage parents to create a special symbol with a message of their hopes and dreams for their children or family. The favorite book event encourages children to share their favorite tales with classmates to show that literacy is important in the early years. Tuesday, children can support favorite teams as part of Sports Day, and a visitor from the San Pedro Branch Library will read to the children. Wednesday, children will dress in Hawaiian shirts or other themed-outfits for Hawaiian Day and also write special notes of appreciation to their caregivers. After the morning parade Thursday, the center will continue it observation with a 3 p.m. Fiesta on the playground of the center to end Week of the Young Child. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to participate in activities such as face painting, making cascarones, tossing beanbags and making sundaes. For more information, call the center at 210486-0530.
p.m. at Wyoming and Walters. Call 210486-2241. PAC Event: PACfest 11 a.m.-9 p.m. in central courtyard. Call 210-486-3125. Friday
Wednesday
Holiday: Colleges closed for Battle of Flowers. Weekend classes meet.
SAC Meeting: Psychology Club 2 p.m. in Room 642 of Moody. Call 210-486-2887
Event: Battle of Flowers Parade 12:45 p.m.-4 p.m. Visit www.battleofflowers.org.
SAC Meeting: Gay and Lesbian Association 3 p.m.-4 p.m. in Room 644 of Moody. Call 210-486-0673.
Saturday
SAC Meeting: Phi Theta Kappa Beta Nu Chapter 4 p.m. in Room 241 in Nail. Call 210-486-1136.
SAC Sports: Baseball vs. Rice University 10:30 a.m. at SAISD sports complex. Continues at 1:30 p.m. April 16 and 10:30 a.m. April 17. Call 210-260-6348. April 18
SAC Meeting: Kinesiology Club 3 p.m. in Room 142 of Candler. Call 210-486-0125. Thursday SPC Event: 2011 CultureFest 10 a.m.-4
District Registration: Maymester, continues through May 14. First summer session, eight-week session continues through June 4. Second summer session continues through July 9. Call 210-4860200.
SAC Performance: Guitar Ensemble 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.
April 19 District Meeting: Regular board meeting 6 p.m. in Room 101 of Killen Center, 201 W. Sheridan. For more information, go to www.alamo.edu and click on Board of Trustees and then Agendas. SAC Performance: Wind Ensemble 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.
Calendar Legend SAC: San Antonio College NVC: Northwest Vista College SPC: St. Philip’s College SWC: Southwest Campus PAC: Palo Alto College NLC: Northeast Lakeview College
The Ranger
News
April 11, 2011 • 15
Student film celebrates hidden treasures of West Side By Alma Linda Manzanares In a case of having all the pieces fall into place, three photography sophomores pulled together a $1,000 prize in a video contest. Each literally had a piece of the camera. Destiny Mata had the body of a Canon 7D, Juan Diego Espinoza had the lens, and Leda Garcia had a battery. Mata and Garcia are former photographers for The Ranger. The project, sponsored by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and the City of San Antonio’s Office of Cultural Affairs, was established to celebrate the online Neighborhood Discovery Tours, www.saculturaltours.com. Local student and nonstudent filmmakers were instructed to create pieces that captured the authenticity of each neighborhood. Awards were presented March 26 at the Guadalupe Theater. First prize of $1,000 in the student category went to Mata, who submitted her film “Working for Mi Gente,” in the West Side “Murals y Más” category. The film paid tribute to local businesses around Guadalupe Street and South Brazos
Photography sophomores Leda Garcia, Juan Diego Espinoza and Destiny Mata Jennifer M. Ytuarte Street, highlighting day and night activity. The “crew” shot the video the day before the Feb. 18 deadline. “The day we were initially going to shoot, Destiny decided not to charge the battery,” Espinoza said. “Her battery dies, and she’s running in and out of Giovanni’s Pizza. I’m taking shots with my camera, but we really needed the video, and it just didn’t work out.” Mata said she incorporated photo ideas to make every shot look like a still portrait.
“It was all spontaneous pretty much,” Mata said. “I knew I wanted to focus on food, culture, the murals, but toward the night, I had no idea what I was going to shoot.” After finding high school students break dancing that night, more problems arose during the six-hour editing process. Alejandro Rodriguez, former radio-television-film student at this college, informed Mata that there wasn’t enough footage to create the required minimum of a three-minute film. “When I saw the footage, there were only six shots, and I didn’t know what I was going to do with it,” Rodriguez said. “When I found the music, it got easier to make it flow so it turned out pretty good.” With the $1,000 prize, the students are going to get a Canon Mark 5D II camera for Mata, whose Canon 7D was stolen March 13. “I really couldn’t have done it without Diego and Leda because I would’ve been like a chicken without a head,” Mata said. The video can be viewed at vimeo. com/21735993.
16 • April 11, 2011
News
The Ranger
Magnets prevent doors locking By Riley Stephens
Geology Adjunct Dwight Jurena points out a water leak in Room 020 of the recently renovated chemistry and geology building. He said maintenance has tried to repair the leaks before, but the chemistry labs on the first floor keep leaking. Chelsea V. Peacock
Leaks can cause mold growth Chemistry and geology building experiences multiple leaks. By Riley Stephens In fall 2008, the chemistry and geology building was closed, gutted and renovated and finally reopened for fall 2010. In an email received March 31, John Strybos, associate vice chancellor of facilities operation and construction management, wrote the total project cost was about $8.35 million. On Sept. 22, 2009, The Ranger reported air conditioning and heating systems and the roof among reasons for the renovations. A year later on Sept. 16, 2010, The Ranger documented a list of problems, including leaks and mold. To accommodate fall classes, faculty and staff, who had decamped to the nursing education building and temporary labs in portables along Main Avenue, had moved in before the renovations had been completed. Geology Adjunct Dwight Jurena said mold could again be a problem for the building. Leaks from chemistry labs on the first floor have left brown stains on ceiling tiles and left bleached spots on the floor tiles in Room 020. Jurena said drips on his head, clothes and class materials have made it hard to lecture to his students because his materials get wet and hard to read. He said if the problem continues, mold could develop. Biology Professor Luis Rodriguez said mold could create health problems for people who don’t have good immune systems or
who have gone through cancer treatment. Jurena gave an example of where the leaks might be coming from. “The sinks in the labs upstairs are leaking down to the bottom floors probably with a mixture of water and chemicals,” Jurena said. Rodriguez said mold can grow in leaky drainage pipes, sinks or air-conditioning units. He said mold can grow in a few days or a few weeks depending on the species. Rodriguez said the ceiling tiles are a perfect environment for mold spores to feed. Jurena said ceiling tiles were replaced a few months ago, but the leaks left bleach stains on the floor. “Shortly after they replaced the tiles, the leaks appeared again,” Jurena said. “They told us it wasn’t harmful, and the contractor has to fix it.” Galaxy Builders oversaw building renovations. Jurena said this wasn’t the first time the leaks had appeared. “Last semester, the water lasted several weeks,” he said. Roger Stanley, chair of chemistry, earth sciences and astronomy, said the building has had problems with leaky sinks, but the warranty has covered them. “The warranty expires in the beginning of the next fall semester,” Stanley said. President Robert Zeigler said March 31 he had a meeting scheduled April 1 with the contractors and he would discuss the situation. After the meeting, he said that the contractors did not know about the brown water stains or possible mold growth, but it was something they were going to look into.
Employees in the newly renovated chemistry and geology building are still using magnets to keep classroom doors open to students. “Employees have access to all the doors if they teach in this department,” chair Roger Stanley said. But when students arrive to class, they have to wait for a professor to unlock the door with an ID card. Geography Professor Dean Lambert said, “I think they should have classroom doors open five minutes before class starts and keep them open during class.” He said it would be better to lock the doors from the inside in case of an incident involving the safety of the students. Lambert said if the magnets weren’t on the inside of the door, the Magnets are placed students interrupt lecover the strikeplates tures by knocking. of interior doors in the Lambert said he chemistry and geolthought the locks should ogy building to keep them from locking. not be on the outside of the doors. David Mrizek, vice president of college services, said, “The chemistry-geology building is the very first building that all the doors are designed to take the ID cards.” “Nursing (complex), Nail (Technical Center) and AIC (academic instruction center) have all been constructed for the system, but they only have it ready on the inside of the doors,” Mrizek said. “Our ultimate goals is to have all of the doors with automatic locks on all the campuses,” Mrizek said. Deputy Police Chief Joe Curiel would not provide information on security. “If I gave any information on how many police we had on campus or what time the building was open or closed, that would leave the campus vulnerable and put campus safety at risk,” Curiel said. In a couple of buildings to the north of chemistry and geology, McCreless theater has the controlled access system installed, but it is not operational. “See those doors right there?” Debbie Coates, technical director for theater productions, said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 17
The Ranger
News
April 11, 2011 • 17
Early childhood center closes for summer Staff takes a corresponding 25 percent pay cut. By Joshua Fechter Because of budget cuts, the early childhood center will not offer services during the summer semesters, which is expected to save the college $130,000. This means students with children will have to find child care services elsewhere if they plan to take classes. To cope with the summer closure, dental assisting sophomore Kierstin Norris said she and a classmate may take turns watching each other’s children. Norris said she does not have family in San Antonio to help with child care. Mortuary science sophomore Jarlend Nichols uses the center and said when he takes summer classes, he will arrange for his child to be left with his grandmother or another relative. Architecture freshman Mystique Boyce also uses the center and said she is going to take online classes so she will not have to worry about finding child care. As a result of the closure, the center’s staff will take a 25 percent pay cut because they will be working nine months instead of 12. There are 13 staff members working at the center. Chair Ellen Marshall said the center was costing the college too much, mostly in salaries, and enrollment in the center is typically lower in summer. For fiscal year 2011, the district allocated $326,372.86 in salaries for the center. Marshall said the center charges approximately $165 per child per week, currently cares for approximately 55 children and oper-
ates for 32 weeks. This means the center takes in approximately $290,400 per year from child care services. Marshall said the center also receives money through federal grants and reimbursement for contact hours students complete in their lab classes. For fiscal year 2010, the college closed the center for Summer 2 but continued to offer care in Summer 1. Faculty pay will not be affected. Marshall said there is one faculty member teaching a summer course, but because faculty are not considered a part of the center, their pay will not be affected. Interim center Coordinator Claudia Gonzales said the closure is a strain on staff who are having to make personal adjustments to accommodate the pay cut. “It’s hard, but it’s our goal to serve parents in the best way we can,” Gonzales said. Clerk Mary Ester Moreno said she does not know how she is going to handle the cut in pay. “It’s not good, but that’s the way it is,” she said. Marshall said the center coordinator and assistant center coordinator left in spring 2010 and summer 2010 respectively because they needed 12-month employment. The positions were lost, and the center did not replace them. Gonzales was appointed interim center coordinator. Marshall said the inability to fill those positions has affected the number of classes and teachers the center could provide for children. Marshall said this will be the first time the center will be closed for summer since it was established in January 1974. She said the decision to close the center for summer was final-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 “They are not operational at this time,” Coates said. District police Sgt. Alex Roman said similar access systems are installed at Palo Alto, St. Philip’s, Northwest Vista and Northeast Lakeview colleges and Southwest Campus of St. Philip’s. He said Buildings 6 and 7, the Diesel Technology Lab and classrooms at Southwest Campus, have limited access. Roman said, “Only those with the proper authority should have access to the rooms and labs.” Rafael Brisita, chair multi-modal transportation technology said, “The employees are required to scan their IDs to let the students inside the classrooms.” The nursing complex at this college uses the security system, but it is
ized in spring 2010 by the department and was not ordered by the administration. President Robert Zeigler said he did not want the center to close, but keeping it open for the summer is not viable. Zeigler said the center is not expected to generate profit or break even, but this year, it is important to cut the deficit the center has already accrued. Marshall said the center began notifying students about its summer closure during the Summer 1 session in 2010. Last summer, the center closed during Summer 2 in a budget-driven decision. Center staff worked in continuing education for those five weeks. Marshall said though the center subsidizes off-campus child care during the spring and fall semesters, it is not likely to subsidize offcampus child care during the summer. She said she realizes the closure will be an inconvenience for parents, but the center has a list of local child care centers that are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Alice Regala, interim program coordinator of the Ray Ellison Family Center at Palo Alto College, said a decision is expected April 11 on summer plans. Regala said if the center closes for any part of the summer sessions, staff on a 12-month contract will work in other departments at the college. Sharon Evans, coordinator of the child development center at St. Philip’s College, said the center had seen no impacts of budget cuts at this time. Northeast Lakeview College and Northwest Vista College do not provide child care services. For more information, call the center at 210486-0500.
only installed on the main east and west doors of the building. Stanley said employees who have access to the nursing complex don’t have access to the chemistry and geology building, and the chemistry and geology employees don’t have access to the nursing complex. He said the only employees who have complete access to both buildings is the facilities staff. Strybos said the chemistry and geology building was the first building with the controlled access system in every room. “Students don’t have access to the rooms unless their professor swipes their card,” Strybos said. “This is a global plan; eventually, all the buildings on all the Alamo College campuses will have the controlled access system,” Strybos said. He could not provide the cost of the Schlage system, saying some funding came from the last bond and some from the Alamo community.
18 • April 11, 2011
The Ranger
Editorial
Alexandra Nelipa
District delivers blow upon blow to faculty District administration is waging a war on faculty. These hardworking professionals are at risk of losing wages, respect and most of all their passion for serving the students of the Alamo Community College District. The district must deal with a severe funding shortfall, but cutting in classrooms and labs cannot continue. To think repeated cuts aimed at faculty won’t be detrimental to the quality of education in this district is a joke. Last summer, employees from the early childhood center suffered through closing for the second summer session. Now the center will shut down for the entire summer, and workers are being reduced to a nine-month contract. Some employees have already left, unable to survive on 75 percent of their previous incomes. Out-of-class resources from tutoring to valuable research materials are being reduced. The library has suffered a series of cuts, including the loss of dozens of databases, magazines and newspaper subscriptions. Now, librarians, too, are in the crosshairs. Pay for librarians will drop sharply when new hires enter as professional staff rather than as faculty as they do now. New hires will be expected to have the same education and do the same work for less pay than faculty librarians. The chancellor reaffirmed that decision to trustees in the April 2 board retreat. Renata Gibson, a Northwest Vista College adjunct librarian, informed the board March 22 that her pay will drop from $23,000 a year to just $15,000. That’s a painful loss to a new mother like Gibson. She is far from alone. The decision to operate a lottery for summer faculty
pay means no one knows yet what they will be earning this summer. Some may opt not to teach when they find out. Others are reeling from the announcement of lost released time for the next fiscal year. Regardless of constant reassurances to the contrary, pay cuts are well under way. Incentives are devised to induce the greatest number of long-term faculty (and some staff members) to retire. With them will go institutional memory, traditions of excellence and stability as a college. With all the streamlining and centralizing and aligning going on, faculty have been pushed out of all decisionmaking. Soon, this district will be run completely by people who haven’t set foot in a classroom in years. Department chairs will serve mainly as schedulers for adjuncts as dedicated to our institutions as substitute teachers. And they will be about as effective. How can an administrator holed up in a district enclave where students are never seen know how the population of St. Philip’s differs from that of Northwest Vista? What does a vice chancellor know about which textbook is better for students today? Is it any wonder morale is low? The faculty is composed of a great many teachers who have dedicated their lives to the service and education of students. Transparency, the silly buzzword district administrators are quick to parrot, is an illusion. The only thing transparent in this district is the rush to rid the colleges of their real value.
The Ranger
Editorial
Salvage classes before dropping Spring break is long gone while May is just ahead, which means it’s that time when many students may be falling behind in course work. By this time, students start to realize they’re lagging whether it’s falling behind with textbook readings or missing an assignment or two along the way. The drop date is around the corner, but don’t get too comfortable with the idea of dropping. Before making any decisions, think about what you can do to catch up in a week. The deadline for withdrawals is April 18. After that, we have another two weeks of classes and then finals.
Take out that wrinkled syllabus that serves as a bookmark. Find out what you’re missing and if you can make up those assignments. Then lay out a plan for the next month — study time, assignments, due dates and final exams. Dropping a class is no longer a simple process — fill out a drop slip, meet with the instructor or, if they are not available — by the way, everyone knows you have arranged it so they will not be available — meet with the department chair. From there, you turn in the slip to admissions and records, while the instructor must also assign a W to you in ACES.
Don’t forget, students cannot drop more than six times over the course of a bachelor’s degree. If you are a freshmen, don’t make dropping a habit because before you know it, you may be standing in line at the office of admissions and records wondering how you ended up on academic probation. On top of that, if you drop required courses too often, the three-peat rule can triple tuition. The out-of-state price rises $1,008 from the indistrict price for a threehour course. If there’s no way to save the semester, take the responsibility to drop the class yourself.
Chancellor calls shots During a strategic meeting March 28, Chancellor Bruce Leslie spent a day with an invited 159 community members, district and college administrators, faculty, staff and students in the Rosenberg Sky Room at the University of the Incarnate Word. Lunch was served at a catering cost of $1,900. The day was spent mostly in brainstorming sessions to find additional ways to cut costs or save money. Funny, that a scant 11 full-time faculty members and four adjunct faculty members were invited. Probably, the rest of the several thousand members of the faculty had to teach that day. And only 11 students of the more than 60,000 students enrolled in the Alamo Colleges attended. They, too probably had classes they couldn’t miss and jobs to report to. Incredibly, 23 staff members attended, but only two seem to have regular contact with students as they work in academic departments on college campuses. More than half work
in district locations where students are rarely sighted. Several others work on college campuses but in positions with minimal student contact. No wonder they were free to spend a full day off-site on a workday. Worse yet, it is akin to working in a vacuum. In the balance of the 159, a full 100 were district or college administrators. All these directors, managers, deans, vice presidents, associate vice and vice chancellors are charged with managing budgets. If they haven’t come up with ways to cut yet, how likely is a free lunch or an $85-an-hour consultant to help. Perhaps those on the ground at the colleges could tell you what they actually need to do the job. Perhaps students can suggest what they can do without and which resources they really need. But Dr. Leslie, why are you wasting people’s time on parlor games when you end up making the final decision anyway? Why not just poll and stop wasting people’s time and our money?
April 11, 2011 • 19 Letter to the Editor
We’re not all the same Editor: In The Ranger published Feb. 21 “Professor urges blacks to change negative media images” sticks out to me. Not all African-Americans are the same. Who still wears baggy clothes or grills anymore? Are there not any positive images of African-Americans in the media? Nelly, as you portray so badly in your article, runs a nonprofit charity. 4Sho4Kids is the foundation dedicated to his sister who died in 2005. The fundraising campaign was founded to inform Africans about bone marrow transplants and donors. Nelly also promotes another nonprofit group, Dosomething.org, which tackles teen hunger in America. Why was any of this not mentioned in your article? Better yet, received more media coverage? MTV has a reality show called “Jersey Shore” that airs every Thursday. The cast is mostly Italian. The show is made up of eight individuals, four girls and four guys who indulge in mainly alcohol, sex and partying. Do they depict their race/ ethnicity properly? Is that what we blacks should resemble? When observing other races in the media, we should not let one individual be a spokesperson for the entire race. Being president means you are the ruler of the free world. You have the ability to change the entire nation as a whole. That is a prestigious honor to have. I am glad we have a black president in the White House. Osita Omesiete Communications Freshman
Students might wonder why college, and SAC in particular, is hard. This might sound trite, but I think the faculty at SAC want students to achieve success in life and that means that classes have to be hard if you are going to learn and understand the concepts which provide a foundation for that success. See guest viewpoint by Economics Professor Dr. Cyril Morong online.
20 • April 11, 2011
Officials Chancellor: Dr. Bruce H. Leslie 201 W. Sheridan, Bldg. B, San Antonio TX 78204-1429 Work: 210-485-0020 Fax: 210-485-0021 E-mail: bleslie@alamo.edu District 1: Joe Alderete Jr. 1602 Hillcrest Drive, San Antonio TX 78228 Cell: 210-863-9500 Home: 210-434-6967 E-mail: jvajr711@aol.com, jalderete21@alamo.edu District 2: Denver McClendon 3811 Willowwood Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78219 Work: 210-281-9141 E-mail: denvermcclendon@satx.rr.com, dmcclendon2@alamo.edu District 3: Anna U. Bustamante 511 Ware Blvd., San Antonio TX 78221 Work: 210-882-1609 Home: 210-921-2986 E-mail: abustamante20@alamo.edu District 4: Marcelo S. Casillas 115 Wainwright, San Antonio TX 78211 No telephone number provided Board of trustees liaison: 210-485-0030 E-mail: mcasillas19@alamo.edu District 5: Roberto Zárate 4103 Buffalo Bayou, San Antonio TX 78251 No telephone number provided E-mail: rzarate11@alamo.edu District 6: Dr. Gene Sprague 14722 Iron Horse Way, Helotes TX 78023 Work: 210-567-4865 Fax: 210-520-9185 E-mail: sprague1@alamo.edu District 7: Blakely Latham Fernandez 755 E. Mulberry, Suite 200, San Antonio TX 78212 Work: 210-244-8879 E-mail: bfernandez35@alamo.edu, bfernandez@trpsalaw.com District 8: Gary Beitzel 15403 Forest Mist, San Antonio TX 78232 Home: 210-496-5857 E-mail: gbeitzel@alamo.edu District 9: James A. Rindfuss 13315 Thessaly, Universal City TX 78148 Home: 210-9828-4630 Work: 210-375-2555 E-mail: jrindfuss@alamo.edu
Presidents San Antonio College, Dr. Robert E. Zeigler 210-486-0959, rzeigler@alamo.edu Northeast Lakeview College, Dr. Eric Reno 210-486-5484, ereno@alamo.edu Northwest Vista College, Dr. Jacqueline Claunch 210-486-4900, jclaunch@alamo.edu Palo Alto College, Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzman 210-486-3960, aguzman@alamo.edu St. Philip’s College, Dr. Adena W. Loston 210-486-2900, aloston@alamo.edu
The Ranger
The Ranger Editor Zahra Farah Managing Editor Melody Mendoza Sections Editor Megan Mares Photographers Tyler K. Cleveland, Alison Wadley Photo Team Carla Aranguren, Marisa N. Montaño Garza, Jason B. Hogan, Rennie Murrell, Julia Novikova, Chelsea V. Peacock, Abiel Rodriguez, JungKeun Song, Ingrid Wilgen Illustrators Juan Carlos Campos, Alexandra Nelipa Staff Writers J. Almendarez, Ximena Victoria Alvarez, Krystal Barcenez, Jacob Beltran, David Espinoza, Joshua Fechter, Alma Linda Manzanares, Daniel Perales, Julysa Sosa, Riley Stephens, Dana Lynn Traugott, Valdemar Tejada, Jennifer M. Ytuarte Web Editor Laura Garcia
©2011 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 (210-486-1789), by e-mail (sac-ranger@alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available upon request by phone (210486-1765) or as a download at www.theranger.org. The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Community College Journalism Association.
Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words. Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persuasive or interpretative style. All viewpoints must be published with a photo portrait of the writer. Letters Policy: The Ranger invites readers to share views by writing letters to the editor. Space limitations force the paper to limit letters to two double-spaced, typewritten pages. Letters will be edited for spelling, style, grammar, libel and length. Editors reserve the right to deny publication of any letter. Letters should be 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 210-486-1789. Letters must be signed and must include the printed name and telephone number. Students should include classification, major, campus and Banner ID. Employees should include title and telephone number. For more information, call 210-486-1773. Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue because of high production costs. Where available, additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Ranger business office. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the singlecopy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and subject to college discipline.
The Ranger
News
April 11, 2011 • 21
Parking spot swap beneficial for clubs and college Contract results in more security during day and night hours. Photos and story by Julysa Sosa Every night about 10 p.m., after classes let out on campus, cars are packed into parking lots along North Main Avenue as the nightlife awakes on the eastern edge of the college. Businesses on The Strip on Main have an agreement with the college to use parking spaces late night. The agreement is with Suhrer Properties and includes the businesses Luther’s Café at 1425 N. Main Ave., Sparky’s Pub at 1416 N. Main Ave., The Saint at 1430 N. Main Ave. and Heat at 1500 N. Main Ave. The agreement states that the 107 parking spaces in Lot 26, 31 and 33 are “exchanged spaces” that Suhrer Properties can use at night in exchange for 107 parking spaces available to students Monday through Friday at Sparky’s Pub, Heat and The Saint. In addition to the exchanged spaces, the college rents 391 additional spaces for $1,173 a month. President Robert Zeigler said the college earns revenue from the rented spaces that is reinvested into parking maintenance and daytime parking attendants for the beginning of every semester. Zeigler said the only friction that has arisen from the agreement is when the crowds spill into other lots that aren’t under contract. He said they might have to rewrite the agreement if overcrowding continues. “We’re watching those spillovers.” With a district parking permit, students can park in any of the club lots during the day. Zeigler said district rules and regulations apply in the contractual relationship with the college and Suhrer Properties. The agreement is in effect from January 2010 until January 2013. David Mrizek, vice president of college services, said, “This is not a new agreement. We’ve been working with them for years,” he said. “The major change is allowing them to charge $1 for parking.” The dollar is used toward the monthly payment for the rental spaces and security guards to patrol the parking lots and ensure the area is maintained and cleaned. Co-owner Randy Cunniff said the agreement resulted from a 14-month negotiation with the district. Cunniff also compared the $1 charge to places downtown that can charge $12 or more
Co-owners Randy Cunniff and Peter Becker at Sparky’s Pub on Main Avenue
Kevin Blackman, kinesiology freshman at St. Philip’s College and a parking attendant for Black Tie Valet Services, collects $1 from a driver March 25 in Lot 26. Blackman works until 4 a.m. five nights a week. for parking. “It does help us,” he said. Crime during night use of the college lots falls under San Antonio Police Department’s jurisdiction instead of Alamo Colleges’ police. The clubs use the lots from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 p.m.–4 a.m. Friday through Sunday. To avoid confusion, the clubs begin charging $1 after most night classes have ended. Mrizek said the college would probably renew the agreement once it expires in 2013, “It’s been very good.”
A line forms outside as people wait to enter Sparky’s Pub March 25. The pub’s capacity is 319, and once capacity is reached, people can enter only as someone leaves.
News
22 • April 11, 2011 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 He said this could be considered a pretty calm Tuesday on The Strip. He said guards are prepared to respond to public intoxication, public indecency, illegal substance abuse, minors in possession or consumption of alcohol and even people trying to slip drugs into drinks, but mostly, they break up fights. In his 18 months of working “foot patrol,” Bermudez recalled being struck by vehicles a couple of times while trying to break up fights. But this sort of thing comes with the job, he said. Bermudez, a former student at this college, usually works from about 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. for Bexar County Protective Services, which is contracted to keep watch at Heat, The Saint, Sparky’s Pub, Luther’s Cafe and nearby clubs, Silver Dollar and Woody’s. Pegasus contracts its own security. He explained how officers must remember “proper use of force” and use tactics to keep everyone safe while also respecting the suspect.
He described it as a balancing act. “It’s a fun place to come out, but don’t get too comfortable,” Bermudez said. “You just have to be careful when you go out.” Cunniff and Becker said this is the reason the parking lot agreement with this college has been successful. They now have a security guard and parking lot attendant in every lot. The partners said the college administration reported that crimes in those lots have decreased by 80 percent and the San Antonio Police Department also compliments the arrangement because they’ve seen fewer vehicle break-ins and burglaries. “We get compliments all the time,” Cunniff said. Becker added that safety is good for business and makes it more likely customers will come out. And they do every night. Club and bar patrons leave the area with songs stuck in their heads, possibly new friends and even an old-fashioned hamburger from Luther’s Café or street tacos from a nearby truck.
The Ranger
Crossing Main March 30 Julysa Sosa
On The Strip The Saint 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day, 18 and up Luther’s Cafe 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. and sometimes later every day.
Pegasus 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day, 21 and up
Sparky’s Pub 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day, 21 and up, smoke-free
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Silver Dollar 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Tuesday-Saturday
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The Ranger
News
April 11, 2011 • 23
House bill can get people out of the gutter Advocates want safer, more convenient streets. By J. Almendarez It’s happened to everybody. A lonely biker on the street backs up traffic in a busy two-lane road. Horns blare, profanities fly and cars swerve dangerously close. According to City of San Antonio Ordinance Sec. 19-286, bicycles cannot be ridden on sidewalks unless they are ridden by law enforcement or emergency personnel. “You get caught in limbo,” architecture sophomore Patrick Norton, a frequent bicycle rider, said. However, HB 1105, also known as the Complete Streets Bill, which is under consideration by the Texas
House of Representatives is meant to provide “for the accommodation of pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, children, senior citizens, users of public transportation, movers of commercial goods and motorists on streets and highways.” According to www.biketexas. org, accommodations include sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, curb cuts, bike lanes, cycle tracks and other separated bicycle facilities, traffic islands and safety medians, and transit waiting area improvements. Companies would be encouraged to adapt these aspects into the planning of any new roads that use state or federal funding. Alma Saenz, whose daughter is speech sophomore Lea Saenz, said she frequently walks on the
Bikers at East Elmira and North St. Mary’s Jennifer M. Ytuarte sidewalks near this college. She said she would support more pedestrian-friendly walkways, also commenting that the
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sidewalks she uses “need a lot of work.” While the bill would not fund improvements for existing roads, any road that may use federal or state money for large amounts of reconstruction or repair is encouraged to better accommodate pedestrians. “It would be a lot safer,” Saenz said. According to www.biketexas. org, the bill would help encourage health by providing safer alternate methods of transportation, which would help reduce traffic, increase air quality and make cities more accessible to all people regardless of economic or physical disadvantages. Similar bills have been passed in 24 other states. The state of Oregon has taken pedestrian and biker safety into account while building roads since 1971. Most of the states, though, began passing Complete the Streets bills after 2000. For more information about HB 1105, visit www.biketexas.org/ en/advocacy/complete-streets. To read the bill in its entirety, go to www.legis.state.tx.us/ tlodocs/82R/billtext/html/ HB01105I.htm.
24 • April 11, 2011
The Ranger