The Ranger Nov. 8, 2013

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Volume 88 Issue 8 • Nov. 8, 2013

210-486-1773 • Single copies free

Heads up Drop date next Friday The last dates for students to withdraw from classes with a W and no penalty reflected on their transcript are: Nov. 15 for 16-week fall semester. Nov. 22 for Start 2. Dec. 2 for Flex 2.

Students must confer with their instructors about dropping and the instructors must enter a W for the student’s grade in ACES.

Katherine Garcia

Spring registration starts Monday Next week, registration begins for the spring semester.

Web registration opens for 16-week classes and Flex 1 and Flex 2 classes opens Monday.

Students with 46 or more credit hours can register Monday, students with 31 or more hours can register Wednesday and students with more than one credit hour can register on Nov. 15. All students can register Nov. 18.

Start 2 registration begins Jan. 13.

Students who register Monday through Dec. 19 must make a payment or sign up for a payment plan

by Dec. 19. Students registering Dec. 20-Jan. 10 must make a payment by Jan. 10. Students who register Jan. 11-20 must make a payment on the same day they register.

Students can pay in person by 5 p.m. at the business office in Fletcher or by 11:59 p.m. online using ACES. Students who don’t make a payment by their specified deadline will be dropped from their classes.

Students must register online at aces.alamo.edu.

Katherine Garcia

Raises on agenda The Alamo Colleges’ board of trustees will discuss possible raises for full-time faculty and administrators in a board retreat 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday in Room 218 of the nursing and allied health complex.

During a board retreat July 13, Linda Boyer-Owen, associate vice chancellor of human resources and organizational development, presented the possible income increases beginning January. The pay increase was recommended to keep the Alamo Colleges’ salaries within the top three among eight large Texas Community colleges.

A 4.8 percent increase was recommended for all full-time faculty, and a 3.7 percent increase for administrators and staff.

The salary increase will be selffunded through cost-saving initiatives districtwide.

The meeting includes a citizensto-be-heard session.

Carlos Ferrand

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Administration considers moving to four-day workweek The college would be open, but classes will not be offered.

By Emily Rodriguez

erodriguez734@student.alamo.edu

A proposal to eliminate Friday classes by making a four-day workweek was discussed with Student Government Association officers Oct. 29 and is being considered by the college executive team.

The Student Government Association officers learned of the proposal during a briefing with the college administration. SGA meets with President Robert Zeigler; Robert Vela, vice president for student

and academic success; and David Mrizek, vice president of college services, to be briefed on current issues, so they can discuss it during their regular meetings.

Andrew Hubbard, SGA president and business administration freshman, said in an interview Sunday the association will not decide on a stance on the proposal until it has been discussed at a regular meeting and surveys have been conducted.

The proposal was discussed at the Nov. 4 meeting of SGA.

Zeigler said in an interview Nov. 1 the proposal is in its preliminary stages and nothing has been decided.

“It’s something that we were looking at, but we haven’t even thoroughly discussed it with department chairs,” he said. “If we do, it would be Monday-Wednesday, TuesdayThursday schedule.”

Zeigler said the reason behind the proposal is to give students Fridays off to study and would allow faculty to have meetings and work on professional development.

“I’m not sure if the (proposed) scheduling is workable. I’m not sure

we have the space during the four days to compress stuff. There’s just a lot that we need to work out. It’s just a thought,” he said.

The idea has been talked about for years, but is now getting a closer look to see if it can be implemented, he said. “It’s just a thing that we had decided after we had talked about it. There was no magic moment. We just decided that it was time to see if we could possibly do it,” he said.

The change would not save the college money because the college

See WORKWEEK, Page 11

Veterans ask nothing but respect

By Paula Christine Schuler pschuler1@student.alamo.edu

signed by Gov. Rick Perry June 10.

The State Board of Education will hold a final vote on the new requirements for high school graduation Jan 31.

“I believe that if implemented correctly, thoughtfully and by design that this legislation could actually be transformative in the way that it helps

Veterans are estimated to be just under one-sixth of the students attending this college.

Jennifer Alviso, director of disability support services and veterans affairs, said the office of veterans affairs serves more than 3,000 veterans. Enrollment this semester is 19,442.

Alviso said veterans have to self-report their veteran status, and they may or may not opt to use education benefits through the offices of veterans affairs or disability support services.

Counselor Rosa Marie Gonzalez said it is impossible to generalize about veterans. They are all as different and unique as civilians.

“There are a certain percentage who do come back with issues they need to really deal with such as anger, depression, adjustment to family. Those are things that I don’t think are across the board,” Gonzalez said.

“If you think about it, in the military, you’ve got a tight-knit group, and they deploy or discharge and go home and try to integrate back as a person into a whole different set of experiences.”

Veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder and struggle

See HB5, Page 11

See VETERANS, Page 10

Math freshman Bryan Davila Mendez, math sophomore Knovie Warren and psychology sophomore Chris Marcet dance to a mix song during SAC’s Got Talent sponsored by student life Wednesday in the Fiesta Room. Warren performed again solo and won first place and a Kindle Fire. Monica Lamadrid

HB5 could end developmental courses Texas House Bill 5 changes graduation requirements for high school.

By Neven Jones

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

With the passing of HB5, every high school in Texas will be required to partner with at least one institution of higher learning and offer college preparatory courses either at the high school or online, a retired administrator from Northside Independent

School District, told faculty during Employee Development Day Oct. 30.

The target audience for these college preparatory courses is 12th grade students who are not college-ready, Dr. Sarah McAndrew said.

Completion of the courses means college entrance with no remedia-

tion at the college level, McAndrew said.

The statute mandates that K-12 work with higher education, but nobody seems to know anything about it, McAndrew said.

A key concern of people who work in higher education is high school students graduating without all of the tools they need, McAndrew said.

HB5 was passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature and

Cyber security threats expanding, expert says College networks three times more likely to be infected with malware than government or business.

By Michael Peters

mpeters28@student.alamo.edu

Cyber security is transitioning from small, local problems to global issues affecting nations, Arne Saustrup, senior manager of network and operations for the Alamo Colleges, said during a presentation

“Network Security and the Alamo Colleges: Think Globally, Act Locally” Oct. 28 in the nursing complex.

Saustrup cited the National Defense Industrial Association’s list of the Top 5 national security threats. Cyber attacks ranked third behind biothreats and nukes but ahead of climate change and transnational crime.

“This isn’t so much about me getting a worm on my PC; we’re talking national security here,” Saustrup said.

The Affordable Healthcare Act, or Obamacare, website has been in the news lately, and Saustrup referenced a Computer Reseller News story that talks about spammers targeting it as an opportunity to take advantage of people.

“The spammers out there are targeting these things,” Saustrup said. “I predict some of you may have already gotten them. In the next six months

See SECURITY, Page 11

2 • Nov. 8, 2013

People

www.theranger.org/people

Criminal justice Professor Marshall Lloyd informs students Tuesday at Methodist Student Center of the growth in acceptance of legalizing marijuana in the U.S. Lloyd said that in 2013, possession of 1 ounce of marijuana is allowed for medical use only in states such as Montana, Arizona, California and New Mexico.

Only Washington and Colorado have decriminalized marijuana for personal use. Monica Lamadrid

Three of the original five Power Rangers Jason Lee Scott, David Yost and Walter Emanuel Jones perform the morphing call from the series “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” Oct. 25 at the Alamo City Comic Con in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The morphing calls in the program summoned their powers and superhero costumes. Monica Lamadrid

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO The University of Texas at San Antonio is your first choice for a top tier education. UTSA provides you a world of ideas, diversity and culture with more than 140 undergraduate and graduate degree options.

Transferring to UTSA is easy. Go to applytexas.org and apply now.

SCHOLARSHIP

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Nov 1, 2013

JAA Scholarship

Aide Rose Tadefa reads “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” to children touring the Scholastic Literacy Caravan Nov. 1 at the early childhood center. Children received a free book appropriate for their age group and interest. The caravan travels to special events for parents and children to board and participate in free activities designed for literacy-building. The next event is scheduled for 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Carver Branch Library, 3350 E. Commerce. For story, visit theranger.org. Casey Alcala

Nov 1, 2013

Spring 2014 Deadline is Nov 15, 2013 Learn more at

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Criminal justice freshman Elizabeth Valdez prepares for a speech about music Tuesday in the botanical gardens at Palo Alto, which were dedicated and opened Oct. 10. Valdez, who works and studies in the botanical gardens often, says it’s a relaxing place.

Daniel Arguelles

News

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Adjuncts argue against one-textbook proposal

By Emily Rodriguez

having their own identities,” Townsend said. “We don’t have the same kind of students that (Northwest Vista College) has, for example; and they don’t have the same kind that we have. If we chose a textbook, it would not be as appropriate for their students as they would choose.”

Townsend said a reason behind the district’s agreement is to lower costs for students.

Amanda Martin, Adjunct Faculty Chair and English adjunct, said another reason district is in favor of the agreement is to prevent students from having to buy another textbook if they retake a course at another college.

Townsend said administrators should not have a role in deciding textbook usage.

“Our academic integrity is really in question. People are making decisions on how to choose textbooks; it’s not their business,” he said. “They’re busi-

erodriguez734@student.alamo.edu

In response to the district’s one-textbook per course proposal, media communications Adjunct Jerry Townsend was elected by Adjunct Faculty Council to draft a position paper against the agreement during their meeting Oct. 29.

The one-textbook agreement would require faculty of the five Alamo Colleges to agree on which textbook will be used for each course offered.

This college offers 734 courses of which 100 are unique to this campus. The other 600 course textbooks will have to be decided before April in time for fall 2014.

Council members agreed the agreement would take away the freedom of faculty at each college to choose how to teach courses.

“It’s a serious issue of academic freedom and it’s a serious issue of individual campuses

Amanda Martin, English adjunct and chair of Adjunct Faculty Council, explains the district’s reasons behind the one-textbook agreement Oct. 29 in Loftin. Emily Rodriguez ness is to find the money so that we can do the job and help us with programs and to bring new ideas. The textbook is the curriculum, and that’s our province

as faculty members. That is not the province of administrators on a campus level or particularly the district.”

The council members asked if there are data that the district has found that would support the agreement.

Townsend said he is yet to see any data, and as this has become a data-driven college district, there must be data to support the agreement.

Adjunct Faculty Council is not the only faculty body against the agreement. Faculty Senate members also voiced their disapproval of the textbook proposal during their Oct. 2 and Wednesday meetings.

The draft was completed and was read by Martin to members of the Faculty Senate Wednesday.

After changes have been made to the draft, it will be sent to college administrators and adjuncts.

Adjunct Faculty Council drafts morale survey

By Emily Rodriguez

erodriguez734@student.alamo.edu

A survey will be circulated through ACES email today and will be available until Nov. 22 to adjunct faculty and college administration to analyze changes in morale.

Media communications Adjunct Jerry Townsend completed a draft of a morale survey he proposed the Adjunct Faculty Council conduct in their meeting Oct. 29.

The survey, has 10 questions and will judge adjuncts’ attitudes on their treatment and will help the council determine what issues should be addressed.

The proposal was made during a Sept.

22 meeting after a discussion about whether morale among adjuncts has dropped.

“If we determine that morale is a major issue, then we will attempt to take that up with the college administration and see what can be done to improve things,” Townsend said in an interview Oct. 31.

Townsend attributes the drop in morale to the reduction of hours taught by adjuncts to save money. Adjuncts can teach up to 11 hours. He described a proposal in January that did not go into effect but would have

limited adjuncts to teaching fewer than 7.5 semester hours.

An interpretation of rules from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas indicated adjuncts who taught 7.5 hours or more would have to pay into the system and the college would have to match their contribution. Department chairs were asked to justify any adjunct teaching more than 7.5 hours in an effort to reduce the number of hours they taught.

Townsend said the plan did not go into effect but still impacted adjunct morale.

“The message was that adjuncts really didn’t matter. They would cut our hours to save money and have more adjuncts,” he said. “The other thing that wore on morale was the decision to save money by eliminating or declining to renew the contracts of 31 full-time adjuncts. It took many of the best adjunct faculty out of the mix.”

Townsend, who retired in 1998 after teaching here 20 years, had taught journalism 12 years as a full-time adjunct until this semester in which he teaches only two classes.

Question 10 on the survey asks adjuncts to identify an administrative member or col-

lege leader who is sympathetic to the interests of adjunct faculty.

Townsend said there has been a drop in adjunct support in the board of trustees since the retirement of Ruben Flores, dean of evening and extended services, and the 2012 departure of Jessica Howard, vice president of academic affairs.

“Those were two people who really cared deeply about the welfare of adjuncts and there’s no one who’s really stepped into the picture and taken up that job,” he said.

“Flores for many years was someone who spoke up in administrative meetings for the best interest of adjuncts. He was responsible for really creating the Adjunct Faculty Council so there was a voice.”

“Jessica Howard, I would say her role was that she had been an adjunct not very many years before she became chairman of the music department then eventually was selected to be academic vice president,” Townsend said. “As a vice president, she was a sympathetic ear. Many of the initiatives we brought to the administration she was enthusiastically supportive of and was definitely a friend to adjuncts.”

Nov. 8, 2013 • 3

SGA weighs in on four-day class schedule proposal Members debate redoing the Sweet Treats survey to get more results.

By T. L. Hupfer

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The Student Government Association informed members Monday that the college administration is considering offering classes between Monday and Thursday only.

The administration asked for SGA to get feedback from students.

Some of the members were for the change while others thought that it should be an option.

Music business sophomore James “Tank” Lowe used his son’s grade school schedule as an example.

After dropping his son off, he has to take classes between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. If classes were offered in four-day weeks, he would be limited on available classes. His decision was that it should be optional for each student.

Psychology sophomore Jacob Wong was for the change, saying it would be “beneficial.” He said the four-day week would make give him an extra day to be at work.

In 2011, the U.S. Census report determined that 71 percent of the nation’s college undergraduates were working, and one in five of those students worked at least 35 hours a week.

A couple of members said it would make it easier and less time-consuming for their long commutes to school, while a few other students preferred shorter class sessions in the 50-minute Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule.

SGA also discussed Sweet Treats in which SGA handed out surveys and candy Oct. 31. The survey was meant to see how many students are having problems around campus.

Andrew Hubbard, SGA president and business management freshman, said they had good results from the event.

Five questions were on the survey about the Alamo cash card, financial aid, ACES, ACES email and advising. The first question on the survey, however, seemed to cause controversy.

A few students thought, “I have had a positive experience accessing money that is granted to me through the Alamo cash card,” was too vague.

Because of the confusion and wanting a wider range of student input, SGA is considering redoing Sweet Treats with revised questions and handing out the surveys around campus.

More information about Sweet Treats will be given at SGA’s next meeting at noon Monday in the craft room in Loftin.

Use ACES to stay informed.

By Christopher A. Hernandez sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Students who don’t check their ACES emails will be left in the dark.

“Students should regularly check their ACES account to stay informed about what is happening around the college,” public relations Director Vanessa Torres said.

ACES is used to connect students to the college and district.

Torres said students receive important updates regarding activities around the college, district announcements and updates about enrollment and payment deadlines.

“A weekly e-newsletter is sent out to all enrolled students on campus,” Torres said.

She said the email provides

information about upcoming events, scholarships and happenings around campus.

In the Oct. 10 notice, the upcoming events were “An Evening with Rita Moreno,” transfer fair, art exhibit in the visual arts center, and Coming Out Week. It also featured the Tom Sandoval Rey Feo Parent/ Child Scholarship, Cyber Security Awareness Month and the president’s holiday card contest.

“The district administration uses different methods of communication to inform students of valuable information related to different departments,” Mario Muñiz, district director of public relations, said.

Muñiz said the district has an obligation to inform students of federally required announcements, such as the drug-free and smoke-free campus policies. He said the district also informs students

living

study

A network with many connections Use cents to budget fashion sense of emergencies and payment reminders for tuition.

Muñiz said the district informs students of emergencies through crisis communication, which are sent out by the district police department.

“The district tries to keep all students informed. We try to communicate to students through different formats like email and the KSYM radio station,” Muñiz said.

Students can access ACES email on portable devices, Usha Venkat, director of information technology, said.

She said students access their ACES email through the use of cell phones, but students aren’t automatically notified when they receive an email.

Venkat said one goal is to create a mobile interface for ACES, which would allow students to send and receive email using a cell phone.

By Adriana Ruiz

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Want to stay up-to-date with the latest fashion trends but have only $20 in your pocket? Avoid the high-priced fashions at malls and get in touch with local secondhand clothing stores.

There is nothing new about college students living on nickels and dimes, and for some, a fashionable wardrobe is at the bottom of the list. But finding fashionable deals doesn’t have to mean breaking budget.

Shopping at secondhand clothing stores such as Plato’s Closet with three area locations, and Buffalo Exchange, 145 W. Olmos Drive, which offer name brand items at up to 70 percent off regular prices, is a great place to start when shopping on a budget.

Communications freshman Aurianna Diaz-Bristlin said she shops at Plato’s Closet because she finds name brand clothing from Forever 21.

She said the most she has spent at Plato’s Closet was $10 on a pair of Guess jeans.

“It’s a bargain,” Bristlin said.

If you’re shopping on a really tight budget, try rummaging through your local thrift

store. Thrift stores may take a little more time and patience, but if you’re lucky, you may find a fashion steal.

Psychology freshman Mary Miranda said she likes shopping at thrift stores because it’s cheaper.

“I found a Banana Republic coat for $2. It was worth it,” Miranda said.

Miranda said she likes to shop at her favorite thrift store on Mondays because they have 50-cent sales.

If you are looking to complete a full outfit, try Texas Trash Clothing Exchange.

Cheryl Richmond, owner of Texas Trash Clothing Exchange, 1710 McCullough Ave., said the store carries a little bit of everything from $5 band T-shirts to vintage ‘70s style party dresses.

“You can come in and find a full outfit for about $20,” Richmond said.

Texas Trash Clothing Exchange offers students a 10 percent discount with a valid student ID. For more information, call Texas Trash Clothing Exchange call 210-259-6028, Buffalo Exchange at 210-832-8838 and Plato’s Closet at 210-979-7711.

4 • Nov. 8, 2013

News Chair: Read to improve reading www.theranger.org/news

App offers new format for notes

Start with personal interests to help establish the habit.

By Bleah B. Patterson

Students can now study and take notes online.

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

By Christopher A. Hernandez sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Taking notes with pencil and paper is a thing of the past, as Edtech relaunched eFaqt, a new online app that is designed to help students improve study skills. EFaqt was relaunched on Oct 8.

“There are thousands of people who are learning how to take notes the wrong way. This app will improve efficiency with organization and skills on notetaking,” said CEO and Founder Christiaan Henny in a video chat Tuesday.

Henny said with the relaunch of eFaqt he hopes to gather thousands of new users and provide a user-friendly environment.

He said a trial run or beta test of eFaqt was introduced to local businesses, banks and insurance companies before the relaunch. This gave an opportunity for professionals to provide feedback on what needed to be improved.

“The major improvement made to eFaqt is the design, speed and engagement with users. We provided eFaqt to become a more consumerfriendly environment,” Henny said.

“Practice makes perfect” is the mantra Professor Mike Burton, chair of English, reading and education, uses to advise students trying to improve their reading skills.

If students want to improve reading skills, they have to read, he said.

“There’s a proverb in the Bible that says, ‘The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,’” Burton said, adding a student should not start reading a textbook or Shakespeare unless it’s their preference.

“Read what interests you.

Read something that makes the marks on the page turn into ideas,” Burton said. “It amazes me people who can look at a music score and hear the music play. Reading is

very much the same way, but it’s still a process, and it can still be a chore.”

Reading is important because it gives students the feeling of how language works.

Reading is a skill most people can practice and improve. “It makes it doubly difficult to read something that doesn’t interest you. Start with the fun stuff,” Burton said. “Read out loud; it slows you down and makes you think about what you’re reading.”

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Motivational techniques, Burton explained, are the most common means used to encourage students to read, such as reading out loud to themselves and reading what interests them.

“The point is to get students reading and keep them reading until they don’t ever want to stop,” Burton said.

Being adept at reading will give students more confidence as they advance in academic careers, Burton said.

“The point is to get students reading and keep them reading until they don’t ever want to stop.”

Mike Burton, chair of English, reading and education

Speech team offers a spotlight Members learn confidence as speakers while competing in six categories locally and nationally.

By Bleah B. Patterson sac-ranger@alamo.edu

In the spring, this college’s speech team was ranked fifth among 76 teams at the National Speech Tournament.

This April, the speech team is anticipating the National Tournament in Denver, Colo.

Students interested in joining the speech team should make an appointment with speech coach Jolinda Ramsey.

“The speech department is looking for students with a willingness to be the center of attention, the desire to perform and confidence,” fine arts Chair Jeff Hunt said. Hunt was formerly coach of the speech team.

Any students of this college can join.

Students should come to an appointment prepared with a small audition piece, such as a speech,

an essay, a poem or any monologue, Hunt said. preparation for the National Tournament.

“Outside of that, she (Ramsey) will mold you “It is a huge time commitment,” Hunt said. into a really confident speaker,” he said.

“Students should not join halfheartedly.”

The speech team participates in 11 events dur“Jolinda makes an effort to meld her schedule ing the school year and each with the students, so the rehearsstudent is allowed to choose six als are rarely at a set time,” Hunt “Speech teams are categories to enter through the said. “She plans them week to great exercises academic school year. week.” and experience The categories are public The speech team will compete for anyone looking speaking, an informative and forin a state tournament, a regionals to be a lawyer, an mal style of speech; interpretive tournament and nationals tourspeaking, a dramatic style such as nament in spring. actor or even a poetry or slam poetry; and impro“Speech teams are great exerjournalist.” visational speaking, a method cises and experience for anyone Jeff Hunt, where students are given prompts looking to be a lawyer, an actor, fine arts chair and must deliver an unprepared or even a journalist,” Hunt said. speech.

“You’re constantly writing and The speech team travels all over the state for rewriting on very current, significant and controcompetitions against both two- and four-year colversial topics.” leges.

Ramsey’s office is in Room 209 of McAllister The speech team will also participate in 12 comFine Arts Center. Her office telephone number is petitions during the school year, 11 tournaments in 210-486-0496

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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO The University of Texas at San Antonio is your first choice for a top tier education. UTSA provides you a world of ideas, diversity and culture with more than 140 undergraduate and graduate degree options.

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Spring 2014 Deadline is Nov 15, 2013 Learn more at

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Nov. 8, 2013 • 5

Four colleges show enrollment decline

By Kathya Anguiano sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Despite Alamo Colleges initiatives to increase enrollment, there was still a decline in this year’s headcount.

After marketing campaigns, advertising in newspapers and recruitment efforts, it is clear that it was not just student disinterest that affected preliminary numbers.

In fall 2012, this college had a headcount of 19,640 students, not including Flex 2, which is counted with spring semester numbers.

St. Philip’s College enrolled 10,313 students, Palo Alto College had 8,568 students, Northwest Vista College had 15,992 students and Northeast

Lakeview College had 5,322. for planning, performing and Only one college’s numbers information systems. increased this year. They all Cleary said since the state seemed to decrease with this was put on a “revenue diet” college at of almost $50 19,442 stumillion, the Alamo Colleges dents, St. amount of revEnrollment Philip’s at F2012 F2013 enue for the dis10,245, Palo SAC 19,640 19,442 trict went from Alto at 8,443, 43 percent in SPC 10,313 10,245 Northwest the year of 2002 PAC 8,568 8,443 Vista at to 25 percent for NVC 15,992 15,970 the fiscal year of 15,970 and NLC 5,322 5,405 Northeast 2013.

Lakeview at Because of 5,405. these education cuts, Alamo “We had looked into these district was forced to limit secnumbers as well, and we saw tion offerings. that it’s not just a state trend However, Cleary believes for enrollment decrease but the decrease in enrollment is a national trend,” said Dr. because more jobs are availThomas Cleary, vice chancellor able; therefore, students are

!

entering the workforce.

“As a district, the last thing we want to cut is student course sections and offer less because we cannot afford to offer anymore,” Cleary said.

Cleary said students attending school are doing the best they’ve done with attending class, completing assignments and keeping passing grades.

The productive grade rates increased from fall 2010 at 72.6 percent to fall 2012 at 76.2 percent and course completion grades increased from fall 2010 at 86.9 percent to fall 2012 at 89.9 percent.

Cleary declaims, “It’s just sad to have motivated students while receiving deep cuts from the state.”

Faculty Senate focuses on technology trouble

Members of Faculty Senate classes. Senators renewed a For full voiced frustration with a varilament of the slow death of coverage, ety of tech problems, cuts in tenure and displacement of course sections and the onethe college seal. logon to textbook policy in courses Technology complaints theranger.org. across the district. The senate included student ACES email met Wednesday in the visual landing in faculty junk folders arts center for its monthly meeting. and adding a second email login; the continSenators discussed increase in class size ued lack of access to campus Wi-Fi and insufhere and the attendant disparity in pay with ficient expansion plans; and resistance to faculty at other district colleges with smaller added faculty Canvas training for standard-

izing courses and a 10- to 12-hour training for students for online courses.

Faculty rejected a biometric identification verification for online students as ineffective and unnecessary.

District suggestion plan manager James Searles and Carlos Escobar, human resources organizational development analyst, presented on Alamo Ideas, a virtual suggestion box. Senators complained a slow response time discouraged submissions.

Mortuary science more than dead bodies

By Cassandra M. Rodriguez sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The mortuary science program provides education and training for students who want to work in the funeral industry as embalmers and funeral directors.

For those who are not familiar with the program, “it seems like all we deal with is dead bodies. But what people fail to realize is that dead bodies are associated with live ones,” Felix B. Gonzales, chair of the mortuary science department, said.

Each semester, 45 students are accepted into the two-year program, although only 15 are expected to graduate this semester.

The drop in completion rate can be attributed to the difficulty of handling the emotional stress that comes with the profession and misperceptions about the program. “There is a lot of misinformation about what we do,” Gonzales said.

Some go into mortuary science wanting to be a medical examiner, performing autopsies, but this is not part of the funeral industry.

Gonzales said the first semester provides clarity about what mortuary science is. In the second week, students spend a day in a funeral home so they can find out early if they would like to continue.

Most students will drop the course in the first semester, he said. The subject matter can be complicated and difficult so applicants must score at college-level because of intense note-taking and reading.

Mortuary science sophomores Stephanie Caranza, Zulcoralis Rodriguez and Andrea Rogers examine a pair of human skulls in their human anatomy lab Oct. 7 in Nail. Daniel Arguelles Studies include the psychology of grieving, funeral laws in Texas and compliance with regulations. Students also learn about the accounting necessary to properly handle the business of a funeral home.

The associate degree trains students to be both a funeral director and an embalmer. Students interested in funeral directing but not embalming can get a certificate.

To provide students the best training and education, faculty members are licensed funeral directors and embalmers working part time at funeral homes.

The program has a 100 percent job placement rate.

Embalming involves the chemical pro-

cess of replacing blood and body fluids to temporarily preserve the body. Students must be familiar with the anatomy and diseases because germs remain after death.

Students get hands-on experience in restorative art classes where they learn to reconstruct faces by studying a certain order all faces have. This skill allows embalmers to restore a damaged body so it can be presented for viewing.

It takes a very “special kind of person,” Gonzales said, because they will be around death everyday but cannot dwell on it.

Noting morticians realize that life is limited, Gonzales advised, “Make it a point to enjoy life.”

Graduate without debt, scholarship recipient tells Travis students

By Adriana Ruiz

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Incoming high school students across the U.S. planning to enroll as college freshman in fall 2014 can apply for the Gates Millennium scholarship through Jan. 15.

During a workshop Oct. 17, Travis Early College High School students met scholarship recipient Katherine Sickle who shared application tips. “College is expensive and it’s only getting more expensive,” Sickle said.

According to College Board, the average cost per semester for a public; four-year state college is $8,655, public, four-year out-of-state college is $21,706; and private, four-year college is $29,056.

Sickle shared advice on how to apply for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, a good-through-graduation scholarship awarded to 1,000 students across the nation each year to use at the college or university of their choice.

Sickle, who has served on a scholarship committee, said committee members look for leadership in a scholarship application. Volunteering, being a mentor and extracurricular activities are a good way to show leadership, she said.

For essays, Sickle said, “It’s so important to put yourself in those essays. Tell your story; everybody has a story.” Sickle’s story includes the University of Texas at San Antonio where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s degree in education with an instructional technology specialization. She is an elementary school teacher.

Students asked what to do when a parent is unwilling or unable to help with scholarship applications.

She said to find anyone willing to help and referred students to Café College, 131 El Paso St., where students can get free advice, guidance and workshops in English and Spanish. Sickle held back tears as she shared her solo struggle but thanked her aunt who served as her mentor.

The goal for the workshop was to help students who may have fears about paying for college, said Sylvia De Leon, public administration professor and coordinator of the scholarship workshop. De Leon said she invited Sickle because she wanted to “make sure students heard a story of someone who has finished school without any debt.”

Today, there are about 37 million borrowers with debt, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. From the 37 million Americans with outstanding debt, almost 40 percent are younger than 30.

About 66 percent of the class of 2011 had an average debt of $26,600, the Project on Student Debt reported.

Students who default can face serious consequences. Collection fees could be added to the overall balance, they could lose financial aid eligibility, 15 percent of students’ paychecks can be deducted, state and federal tax refunds could be lost, and students lose eligibility for deferment and forbearance plans.

De Leon said she worries about young people getting into debt and wants to educate students on applying for scholarships. “I want them to first try scholarships and grants, then loans as a last resort.”

Anastasia Santos, a junior at Travis Early College High School who is enrolled in a dual credit human resource management class at this college, said she hopes to go to law school on the Gates Millennium Scholarship. “I found it very helpful and definitely something I’m going to look into,” she said.

For more on the Gates Millennium Scholarship, visit: www.gmsp.org. For more information on Café College, visit: www.cafecollege.org.

HACU promotes paid summer, fall internships Nov. 18

By Kathya Anguiano sac-ranger@alamo.edu

In an information session Nov. 18, students will learn about summer federal and corporate internships that pay $470-$570 a week.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, a non-

profit organization whose mission is “to champion Hispanic success in higher education” and increase education for Latinos, will highlight internships open to anyone.

Rene Gonzalez, senior executive director of student services, is scheduled at 1 p.m. Nov. 18 in the

MESA Center in Room 204 of Chance Academic Center.

“Most federal internships are not designed to get jobs but to educate students,” he said. “However, with corporate internships, one third to half of the interns get offered jobs when they graduate.”

Ten- to 15-week internships work on research assignments or projects with sponsors such as Broadcasting Board Governors, U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Department of Labor.

Nov. 15 is the deadline for spring 2014 internships, Jan. 9-April 25;

Nov. 1 is the early deadline for summer 2014 internships, May 30-Aug. 8; and the regular deadline is March 3. Applications for fall 2014, Aug. 22-Dec. 5, can be submitted between March 3 and June 13.

For more information, call 210692-3805 or visit HACU.net.

Pul

6 • www.theranger.org/pulse

Spurs ticket discount with college ID Select games start at $5.

By Cory D. Hill

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Attention Spurs fan, the basketball season has begun and ticket prices do not have to be the reason students cannot enjoy some of the fun.

The Alamo Colleges is offering discounted Spurs game tickets for students, faculty, and staff, but there are a few rules students need to know.

Ticket Master representative Bruce Radley said, “Alamo Colleges students are able to purchase discounted tickets, with a valid school ID two hours prior to tipoff at the northeast box office at the AT&T

Center.”

Students must purchase tickets at the box office window. Tickets bought over the phone or online are not eligible for the student discount.

Depending on availability, students can purchase up to two tickets per ID holder for selected games starting at $5 for upper level and $40 for lower-level seats, Radley said.

Games against high demand teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Miami Heat, will not be available for discounted purchases.

Games eligible for tickets will be announced and listed via the AT&T Center’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.

These discounts also can be applied toward Rampage tickets using the same guidelines.

Silver Star tickets are not available for student discounts but are being considered, Radley said.

For more information on Spurs games and discounts, call the AT&T box office at 210-444-5000.

Jeremy Daum sponsored by Soler’s Sports leads the Día De Los Muertos 5K race Saturday at McAllister Park. Daum went on to win the race with a time of 15:22 and said he runs 100 miles a week. Daniel Arguelles

Business communications sophomore Andrew Butler throws down a dunk d Rangers vs. Cardinals game Wednesday in Gym 1 of Candler. Daniel Arguelle

Corpus Christi race participant Donny Paterson laces up as his wife, Vanessa Paterson, applies white paint. The Patersons also ran in the April 15 Boston Marathon and crossed the finish line seconds before the bomb went off. Daniel Arguelles

Cecilia Iniguez, founder of the Día De Los Muertos 5K race, gets her face painted by her friend Melissa Jo Belovoskey-Castillo before the race Saturday at McAllister Park. There were 740 runners signed up to take part in the event. Daniel Arguelles

Meditation sessions help students relax Students can calm, refocus and recharge their minds in health promotions office.

By Jahna Lacey

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The office of student life is presenting “I-Rest” meditation sessions 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Tuesday and

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urt

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Dec. 4 in the health promotions office in Room 150 of Loftin Student Center.

“The methods of meditation to be presented are relaxation techniques, such as breathing deep, slow breaths to relax the muscles and focus on the mind,” education support specialist Erika Peña said.

“Stretching will help loosen the muscles and tendons. It is important to stretch because it allows you to be

more aware of your body.”

Peña said meditation is an effective process in handling stress.

She said the meditation sessions will be a good opportunity for students to destress as they will be able to relax without consistent what-ifs.

Meditation can help with allergies, anxiety disorders, heart disease, pain, high blood pressure, sleep problems and substance abuse, she said.

The meditation sessions will be an hour long, and the health promotions office will provide mats. Students should bring their own mats in case the office runs out, she said.

“Meditating can help students clear away information overload that has built up

from everyday stress,” Peña said. “The most important part of meditation is to find yourself and be at peace with yourself. Being aware of the breaths you take will help you in the long run.”

Peña said students can gain a new perspective on stressful situations, focus on the present, increase selfawareness and reduce negative emotions.

“Breathing can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance,” Peña said. “Meditation benefits both emotional wellbeing and overall health. It can help carry you more calmly throughout the day.”

Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 210-486-0158.

Lady Rangers lockdo UIW’s Lady Cardinals Lady Rangers notch first victory, improve to 1-3.

By Michael Peters

mpeters28@student.alamo.edu

The final seconds are ticking down and the Lady Rangers have the ball.

Fire science sophomore Jennifer Gonzales races down the court as the home crowd goes wild. Gonzales streaks toward the hoop and drops a layup as time expires.

The final buzzer sounds and a weight is lifted from the shoulders of the Lady Rangers.

This was the scene Wednesday night in Gym 1 of Candler Physical Education Center as the Lady Rangers achieved their first victory of the season.

While those 2 points were insignificant to the final result, a 51-28 victory for the Lady Rangers over the Incarnate Word Lady Cardinals, it symbolized the Lady Rangers finishing the game strong.

The Lady Rangers entered the game 0-3 on the season, and two of those losses were blowouts.

The other loss, coming against the Northwest Vista Lady Wildcats, was a game the Lady Rangers perhaps should have won. They made a few

costly mistakes in the final m their 51-47 loss to the Lady which made finishing We game strong against Incarn all the more important.

Forris Phillips, this colleg en’s basketball coach, said win finally got the monkey back.

“The first home game, w close and didn’t finish,” Phi “I’m proud of all their hard w I’m really happy for them.”

It was a balanced effor Lady Rangers as everyone on ter played and scored, whi point of pride for Phillips.

Phillips said the team hard all week after a tough 8 on the road to the Victori Lady Pirates.

While the Lady Rangers g convincing victory, the team plenty to work on going forw The Lady Rangers comm turnovers while shooting 8-20 foul stripe, which equates to 40 percent. On a positive note Rangers forced the Lady Card

lse

Nov. 8, 2013 • 7

Rangers cruise over Cardinals Men’s team defeats UIW 83-70 to claim first victory of the season.

By Michael Peters

mpeters28@student.alamo.edu

during the first half of the es

Business communication sophomore Andrew Butler sped down the court and soared above the Incarnate Word Cardinals’ defense for an electrifying dunk, getting the home crowd roaring and on its feet.

The dunk gave Butler two of his team-leading 24 points during the Rangers 83-70 victory over the Cardinals Wednesday in Gym 1 of Candler Physical Education Center.

Butler’s early dunk set the tone for the Rangers’ first victory of the season, bringing their record to 1-3.

What a difference a couple of weeks can make as Butler was the epitome of frustration during the Rangers’ 87-68 loss to the Northwest Vista Wildcats in their home opener Oct. 23.

“I feel a lot better,” said Matt Ramirez, coach of this college’s men’s basketball team. “This was the first time this season we completed the game for an entire game.”

Particularly early in the first half, the Rangers forced the Cardinals into several turnovers that led to easy transition opportunities.

“The defense stepped up and forced turnovers,” Ramirez said.

Despite taking the loss, the standout performer of the game was engineering management senior Jon McMillan of the Cardinals.

McMillan was relentless as he constantly worked hard to pull down rebounds on his way to scoring 25 points in a losing effort

Kinesiology sophomore Elijah Martinez is the first 10-mile runner to cross the finish line Saturday during the SAC Boot Camp. Robbin Cresswell

Engineering management senior Jon McMillan rises above civil engineering sophomore Leo Dupre for a 3-point attempt for the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals Wednesday during the Rangers’ 83-70. Daniel Arguelles for the Cardinals.

Civil engineering sophomore Leo Dupre helped Butler lead the Rangers’ offensive attack by contributing 16 points. Nine players scored for the Rangers while four hit double figures. Fire science sophomore Bobby Lusk added 11 points, and biology freshman Rey Esquivel contributed 10 points to the Rangers’ victory.

The Rangers led by as many as 16 points in the first half before a string of turnovers allowed the Cardinals to close the gap to 7 by the end of the first half at 36-29.

More hard work from McMillan and timely buckets from sports management fresh-

man Dean Leija, son of former WBC super-featherweight boxing champion Jesse James Leija, kept the Cardinals close in the second half before the Rangers were able to extend the lead to as many as 20 points late.

While the Rangers put in a good performance overall, this season’s trend of poor free-throw shooting continued as they shot 60 percent from the stripe going 11-18 for the game.

The Rangers have a bye next week while the Cardinals have a home game versus the Southwest Texas Junior College Cowboys at 8 p.m. Wednesday at McDermott Center.

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Graphic design sophomore Bea Garcia charges down the paint as she attempts a layup during the first half of the Lady Rangers’ 51-28 win over University of the Incarnate Word Lady Cardinals Wednesday in Gym 1 of Candler. Daniel Arguelles committing 37 turnovers.

“The turnovers are killing me,” Phillips said. “Luckily, UIW didn’t turn it into points,” Phillips said.

The Lady Rangers are on a bye next week, and Phillips hopes to get the

turnover situation corrected with the extra practice time.

Phillips believes the key to cutting down the turnovers is for his players to stay calm and take what the defense is giving them.

While the Lady Rangers are on a bye next week, the Lady Cardinals, with a record of 1-2, will play host to the Southwest Texas Junior College Cowgirls at 6 p.m. Wednesday at McDermott Center.

On your mark ...

Sixth annual SAC Boot Camp raises about $2,500 for Kinesiology Club, scholarships.

By Lorena R. Rivera sac-ranger@alamo.edu

More than 200 participants joined the sixth annual SAC Boot Camp 5-mile and 10-mile run sponsored by the kinesiology department Saturday.

The race started promptly at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Leon Creek Greenway Trailhead, behind the Drury Inn on Loop 1604 and Interstate 10 West.

Runners of all ages came out to support the kinesiology department.

Professor Brad Dudney said about 60 of the runners were from the community, and the other 150 were students.

“The most exciting thing about the run is that the majority of our students have never done a real race like this, and the feedback we got was that they really enjoyed it,” Dudney said.

The annual event raised about $2,500. Last year’s totals were higher because more runners participated.

Proceeds help fund Kinesiology Club members’ travel to the Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Convention in Dallas next month. It also funds a scholarship for K-Club members.

K-Club members spent most of the semester gaining sponsors for the boot camp run.

Several area sponsors joined in on the cause, including Bill Miller Bar-B-Q and Main Street Pizza & Pasta.

This year’s participants did not receive medals.

Instead, a raffle went on during the race for all participants.

As soon as runners crossed the finish line, they placed the bottom half of their number badge into a basket for a raffle. The prizes were donated gift baskets and gift cards.

An assortment of snacks,

Haleigh Hunter-Galvan, left, O'Connor High School student and mom Liza Hunter-Galvan are first 5-mile runners to cross the finish line. Robbin Cresswell including bagels and fruit, was available for the race supporters and runners. Also, water stations were along the route.

Some of the classes in the kinesiology department required students to participate in the event. The event served as a final grade for some students.

Students from KINE 1306, First Aid, were able to receive credit for class tardiness if they staffed the first aid stations on the route. Also, K-Club members passed out T-shirts and gave information to the runners.

Kinesiology sophomore Tyler Pennington has been a member of the K-Club for the past three years and has run in previous races. He was unable to run this year because of an ankle injury.

“I do this because it’s a great way to volunteer with the community, network and it’s great exercise,” Pennington said.

Kinesiology sophomore Elijah Martinez was the first to cross the finish line for the 10-miler in 1:01:40. Martinez was also the first to cross the finish line at last year’s event.

His goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

SAConnected

8 • Nov. 8, 2013

www.theranger.org/calendar

Thanksgiv-ukkah!

Turkey gets 5 into Alt2Hunger

Rare calendar event merges first day of Hanukkah with Thanksgiving Day.

By Neven Jones

By Paula Christine Schuler pschuler1@student.alamo.edu

Film shows food origins

By Jahna Lacey

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The office of student life is presenting the video “Food, Inc.” 10 a.m.-11:35 a.m. and 1 p.m.-2:35 p.m.

Wednesday in Room 150 of Loftin Student Center. “’Food, Inc.’ examines corporate farming big businesses that are producing meat in the United States,” education support specialist Erika Peña said. “It talks about food that is unhealthy in a way that is environmentally abusive to both

animals and employees.”

Peña hopes the video makes students aware of what they eat and what they put into their bodies.

“The reason why a lot of people are against animal products is because organizations have the animals in small cages.” Peña said.

“For example, they have 30 chickens in tiny cages and small, confined spaces.

The documentary looks at where people get their food and how big corporations are inhumane toward ani-

mals.”

Peña said the second segment of the video looks at industrial production of grains and vegetables. The documentary shows how food companies profit from heavily using petroleumbased chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers and promotion of unhealthy food consumption habits by Americans.

Free snacks and coffee will be served. Admission is free and open to the public.

For more information, call 210-486-0158.

Today Weekend Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

This year’s Thanksgiving holiday is extra special for people of the Jewish faith.

The first day of Hanukkah is Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28.

Rabbi Elisa Koppel of Temple Beth-El said, “Many in the Jewish community are really excited because they can celebrate with family because it happens during Thanksgiving.”

She said the paid time off work for Thanksgiving is a rare opportunity for families to gather who normally would not be able to celebrate the Jewish holiday together.

Hanukkah is about remembering Jewish identity. “It is a good story of a small people overcoming a big army,” Koppel said, adding it brings more consciousness to the celebration of Thanksgiving, being thankful.

“Greco-Syrians attacked to conquer Israel,” Koppel said, explaining the history of Hanukkah. “The Maccabees, a family of soldiers, fought back to keep the land and freedom of religion.”

While Hanukkah has fallen during Thanksgiving in the past, it is extraordinarily rare for the first day of the

Jewish celebration to fall on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, it will be more than 1,000 years before the beginning of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving Day coincide again.

Mark Ingram, board member for Temple BethEl, said the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, so dates change in relation to the secular calendar used in the United States.

Ingram said Hanukkah is celebrated at home mostly, much like Thanksgiving in mainstream America.

Both are days of commemoration and thanks for historical events. He said most in his congregation probably will just observe both together. Hanukkah is not a synagogue-based holiday like the Jewish High Holy Days, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur or Passover.

“It gets a lot of attention because it is so close to Christmas,” he said.

This year’s calendar will not likely disturb usual traditions and travel plans for Jewish families. “It’s just a coincidence,” he said.

Temple Beth-El, 211 Belknap Place, is on the north side of this college and shares use of parking Lots 1 and 2 with the college.

No Chaser” 7 a.m.-8 a.m.

Saturdays.

Students in a music busiDonnie Meals, music ness class are selecting the business program coordinafour bands for the 16th annutor, suggested the collaboraal Alternative to Hunger funtion to KSYM because learndraiser sponsored by campus ing how to select bands is one radio station KSYM 90.1 FM. of the course objectives in his MUSB 2309, Alternative to Hunger will be 6 p.m.Record Industry.

10:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at Pegasus, 1402 N. “(The goal is) getting the students to Main Ave. All the proceeds collected will understand what groups work well with othgo to the San Antonio AIDS ers. It’s not about getting all of Foundation. your favorite bands. It’s a matRead the full Bands scheduled to play ter of putting on a show that’s story online at cohesive,” Meals said. are Austin Forrest 6 p.m.-6:50 theranger.org. p.m., I Am The Seer 7 p.m.Admission is $5, or a 7:50 p.m., Donella Drive 8 donation of five cans of food p.m.-8:50 p.m. and headliner admits one person and a froSnowbyrd 9 p.m.-10 p.m. zen turkey admits five people. Guests must Kris Zabrowski, Snowbyrd’s bass player be aged 21 and older to enter. and KSYM DJ, hosts jazz show “Straight For more information, call 210-486-1366. sac-ranger@alamo.edu

SAC Volunteer: Donate unwrapped toy as part of Angel Tree project for Will Rogers Elementary school students in Room 260 of Loftin. Continues through Dec. 9. Call 210-486-0598.

Event: Jefferson Outreach’s 22nd annual fundraiser fashion show and luncheon 10:30 a.m. at Oak Hills Country Club. Tickets $50 in advance at http://jeffersonoutreachstyleshow-zvents. eventbrite.com. Theme is Roaring ’20s. Call 210-349-5151.

Event: Worst karaoke singer contest sponsored by Mix 96.1 5 p.m.-10 p.m. at Club Rive, 245 E. Commerce.

21 and older. Prizes offered. Call 210-2224700.

SPC Event: “The Ballad of Emmett Till” 8 p.m.-10 p.m. in Watson Fine Arts Theater.

Students and faculty $5, general admission $10. Continues 2:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 17. Call 210-4862205 or email vhardy@ alamo.edu.

Saturday

Event: Honor Our Veterans featuring children’s choir and “Candy Bomber” 10 a.m. at South Texas Regional Airport, 700 Vandenburg, Hondo.

Free admission. Call 210-804-1804.

SAMA Event: “Great Books Seminar: Tale of the Heike” Socratic discussion sponsored by the Symposium Great Books Institute 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Meet at San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones. $15 for members, $25 for non-members. Call 210-978-8121.

Sunday

Event: UTSA doctoral candidate Mario Longoria on “The 201st Fighter Squadron: Mexico Joins the Fight in World War II” 2 p.m.4 p.m. at Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 East César E. Chávez. Call 210-4582300 or visit www.texancultures.com/ events/.

SAC Transfer: University of Incarnate Word advising 9 a.m.noon in transfer center in Room 107 of Moody. Call 210486-0864.

Trinity Event: “Trinity University Recycles” as part of America Recycles Day 10 a.m.2 p.m. Find out how the college recycles and see a collection of difficult-to-recycle material.

Call 210-999-8406.

SAC Event: Bizarre magic with Brian Brushwood 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in Fiesta Room of Loftin.

Call 210-486-0126.

NVC Exhibit: “The Body is the Canvas” exhibit curated by Sarah T. Roberts 8 p.m.-10 p.m. in Palmetto Theater. Call 210-4864527 or visit www. alamo.edu/nvc/pca.

SAC Transfer: Texas A&M University-San Antonio advising 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in transfer center in Room 107 of Moody. Call 210-4860864.

SAC Meeting: Association of Information Technology 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. in Room 207 of Nail.

Call 210-486-1072.

SAC Meeting: Cheshyre Cheese Club noon in writing center in Room 203 of Gonzales. Continues Tuesdays. Call 210486-0668.

NLC Nomination: “Starfish Awards.”

Nominate staff or faculty member who has made a difference in Room 131 of student commons.

Include short essay with nomination. Drop off nomination in student commons or email clegras@alamo.edu.

Volunteer: Weed Wednesday at Hardberger Park 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Help pull weeds and plant native plants.

Continues Wednesdays.

Call 210-201-3292 or email wendy.leonard@ sanantonio.gov.

NLC Event: Fall career fair 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in opportunity mall. Practice with mock inter views, review your résumé and explore more than 25 employers seeking to hire college students.

Call 210-486-5612.

SAC Event: StressOut Day sponsored by office of student life 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the mall. Relieve stress with inflatable gladiator jousting. Call 210486-0125.

Deadline: Postmark deadline for contest entries for Poetry on the Move. Submit one to three poems, limit of 10 lines per poem.

Ages 18 and older.

Mail poems to VIA Metropolitan Transit, Jerri Ann Jones/ Community Relations Coordinator, P.O. Box 12489, San Antonio, Tx 78212 or call 210362-2381.

SPC Event: Career Fair 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Heritage Room of campus center. Call 210486-2397.

SAC Meeting: Society of Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science 2 p.m.-4 p.m. in MESA Center in Room 204 of Chance. Continues Thursdays. Call 210486-0085.

SPC Event: Contextualized art opening 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. in Building 1 of Southwest Campus, 800 Quintana Road. Call 210-4862015.

Event: Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Health and Fitness Expo 11 a.m.7 p.m. at the Alamodome, 100 Montana.

Continues 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Nov. 16. Visit www. runrocknroll.competitor. com/san-antonio/expo.

SAC Event: Open Mic Coffee Night, sponsored

by Cheshyre Cheese Club 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. in Loftin. Call 210486-0125.

PAC Event: “Las Nuevas Tamaleras” one-act holiday comedy 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. in performing arts auditorium. Tickets $5-$15.

Visit www.alamo.edu/ pac/tamaleras.

Reminder: Last print issue of The Ranger for the fall semester.

Coverage continues at www.theranger.org.

Nov. 16 Event: “Ramp it Up: Skateboard Culture in Native America” exhibit and family activities 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 E. Cesar E. Chavez. Call 210-458-2300.

Nov. 18 SAC Event: International Education Week events starting with Confucius Institute IEW Festival 10:30 a.m. in Loftin. Continues through Nov. 22. Visit www.alamo.edu/eventDetail.aspx?id=35545 or call 210-486-0016.

SAC Performance: Guitar Ensemble concert by fine arts 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.

Nov. 19 SAC Performance: Early Music Ensemble concert by fine arts 12:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.

Nov. 20 SAC Event: Fashion show noon-1 p.m. in Fiesta Room of Loftin.

SAC Event: Presidential Honors Ceremony 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister.

Register 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Call 210-486-0885.

Nov. 22 Event: ¡Ay Corona! 6 p.m.-9 p.m. in Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe.

Holiday party and wreath exhibition. Call 210-351-2171.

Nov. 24 SAC Performance: Heart of Texas concert by fine arts 3 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255 Nov. 25 SAC Performance: Percussion Ensemble concert by fine arts 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.

Nov. 27 SAC Performance: Latin Jazz Combo by fine arts 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.

Nov. 28 Reminder: Thanksgiving. Colleges closed Nov. 28-Dec. 1.

Nov. 29 Event: Mercado de Paz 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Esperanza Peace and Justice Center 922 San Pedro. Over 100 vendors. Continues through Saturday. Call 210-228-0201 or visit www.esperanzacenter.org.

Dec. 2 SAC Performance: Choir concert by fine arts 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister.

Call 210-486-0255.

Dec. 3 SAC Performance: Orchestra concert by fine arts 7:30 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-0255.

Performance: “Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses” 7:30 p.m. at Majestic Theater, 224 E. Houston. Tickets starting at $37.50. Call 210-226-5700.

!

For coverage in SAConnected, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance.

www.theranger.org/editorial

Nov. 8, 2013 • 9

.org

the

ranger

Editorial

Editor Carlos Ferrand Managing Editor Emily Rodriguez News Editor Katherine Garcia Pulse Editor Michael Peters Opinion Editor Paula Christine Schuler Calendar Editor Katrina Dela Cruz Staff Writers Kathya Anguiano, M.J. Callahan, Priscilla Galarza, Christopher A. Hernandez, Cory D. Hill, T. L. Hupfer, Neven Jones, Jahna Lacey, Henry M. Martinez Jr., Bleah B. Patterson, Cassandra M. Rodriguez, Justin Rodriguez, Lorena R. Rivera, Adriana Ruiz, Diana M. Sanchez Photo Editor Monica Lamadrid Photographers Casey Alcala, Daniel Arguelles, Raquel Estrada Photo Team Ana Victoria Cano, Daniel Carde, Celeste Christy, Robbin Cresswell, Hosanna Diaz, Marina Garcia, Osita Omesiete, Kirsten Simpson, Marie Sullins Illustrator Alexandra Nelipa Production Manager Mandy Derfler Multimedia Editor Riley Stephens Advertising Manager Patricia McGlamory Circulation Manager Albert Zuniga Alexandra Nelipa

©2013 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 Fridays except during summer, holidays and examinations.

The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger.org. News contributions accepted by telephone (210-486-1773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email (sac-ranger@alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center).

Advertising rates available upon request by phone (210-486-1765) or as a download at www.theranger.org.

The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Community College Journalism Association.

Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words. Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persuasive or interpretative style.

All viewpoints must be published 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 210-486-9292.

Letters must be signed and must include the printed name and telephone number.

Students should include classification, major, campus and Banner ID. Employees should include title and telephone number. For more information, call 210-486-1773.

Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue because of high production costs.

Where available, additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Ranger business office.

Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single-copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and subject to college discipline.

MetaMedia

Emergencies need coverage Accidents happen on campus.

Ranger photographers are sent because it is our duty to record what happens to keep the community informed. Sometimes, the information we provide can help prevent accidents.

The photographers need to be as close as possible to get a good perspective on the accident as long as they are not in the way of the emergency medical technician or blocking exits.

At the same time, photographers need the cooperation of the police officers and the emergency technicians on the scene to get the right information and to be able to determine news value.

Not all accidents are newsworthy.

The photographer has to record what is happening and collect the information to make an accurate report. The decision on whether to publish is made later in collaboration with editors.

In this situation two things collide, the First Amendment and the right of privacy.

Put money in education, not chancellor’s pocket $60K retention incentive and salary increases result in significant gain for Leslie, not students.

The “vision” statement in the strategic plan for students, employees and community of the Alamo Colleges reads, “The Alamo Colleges will be the best in the nation in student success and performance excellence.”

Yet, with funding shortages in the student learning assistance center, staff was reduced from about 37 to 16 and the English lab hours have been cut by two-thirds, as reported by The Ranger Sept. 13 and Oct. 10.

There is a lack of improvement for disability access and a lack of annual cost-of-living raises for employees.

Leslie But big money is being spent on a retention incentive for Chancellor Bruce Leslie as well as a significant increase in his base salary since 2009.

Big money to the tune of a $60,000 fouryear (2009-2013) retention incentive and a base salary pay increase from $313,663 in 2009

to what trustees anticipate will be $369,229 in fiscal year 2014 as part of a districtwide pay increase.

“He has done a great job,” District 5 trustee Roberto Zarate said of Leslie, adding the bonus (retention incentive) reflects the board’s satisfaction with Leslie’s performance.

Perhaps, $313,663 base salary should be enough for the chancellor.

His $60,000 incentive and $55,556 salary increase could do a “great(er) job” if applied directly toward what really contributes to “student success and performance excellence.”

Then maybe funding could come faster for items that come closer to fostering academic success: extending tutoring lab hours and making improvements for disability access, hiring tutors and improving faculty and staff salaries — all budget items that directly connect with students.

Trustees, who hold the purse strings for the public money that funds this district, should make sure their expenditures actually contribute to the mission.

Register now or forget later Paramedics and campus police wheel a gurney to an ambulance after a student lost consciousness.

People may expect privacy when out in public, but the reality is privacy is terminated when people walk out of their homes or any other private establishment.

If a person has an accident in a public area, photographers have the right to photograph and document the situation.

It is not the job of EMTs and police or fire officials to protect the privacy of individuals by denying reporters and photographers the access they allow bystanders.

Officials also cannot ignore the First Amendment rights of the media or anyone else.

Registration begins Monday for students with 46 or more credit hours.

Next week, registration begins for the spring semester.

Students looking to register for 16-week classes, Flex 1 and Flex 2 can sign up on the following dates.

Students with 46 or more credit hours can register Monday, students with 31 or more hours can register Wednesday and students with more than one credit hour can register Friday.

All students regardless of hours completed can register beginning Nov. 18.

Start 2 registration begins Jan. 13 for all students.

Classes fill up fast, so it is important for stu-

dents to register as soon as possible.

That way, students can still add or drop classes without being penalized.

But make sure to mark the calendar and pay for those classes because if the payment deadline comes and goes without paying, all those classes will be dropped.

Students who lose all the classes they registered for will have to start all over and hope to find spots in the classes they need and that suit their schedules.

Students unsure about what classes they need should visit a counselor or get advising in the major department.

Don’t forget to double-check home and email addresses in ACES. That way, the college can remind you of your payment deadline or a canceled class.

Correction In “Easier Wheelchair Access to McAllister Needed” in the Oct. 4 issue of The Ranger, Sherrie Shivley’s name was spelled incorrectly.

News

10 • Nov. 8, 2013 VETERANS from Page 10 with classroom situations can receive acknowledgement and accommodations by checking in with the departments, Alviso said.

She said staff are ready, willing and able to help, and individuals with PTSD have the right to preferential seating and other accommodations.

According to ptsd.va.gov, the Veteran Affairs website, PTSD is caused by exposure to war, terrorism, violence, abuse or disasters. Symptoms include sleeplessness, forgetfulness, loss of trust, changes in beliefs, avoidance behaviors, nervousness, panic attacks, flash backs, nightmares, and needing to have a way to leave a situation.

History freshman Justin Reed served in the Air Force at Langley, Va., and said his transition back to civilian life has not been hard. “I knew exactly where I was going to go and what I was going to do,” he said. “I had family support and friends.”

Reed said when he mentions in conversation that he used to serve in the military, people usually thank him. “I’m not used to it,” he said. “It’s all a little weird. I don’t feel like I should be praised for my service because there are a lot of people who gave more than I did.”

Architecture sophomore John Garcia said he sustained traumatic brain injury from an explosion and lives with PTSD. He served in the Marine artillery and did two one-year tours in Iraq. He also spent two

Steven C. Price Sr. said reconnecting with family is the hardest part of transitioning out of the military. years in a hospital here as a wounded warrior with daily therapies including memory exercises and speech therapy.

He discharged from Brooke Army Medical Center and the military in October 2012 with 100 percent disability.

He said the experience has changed who he is. “I would rather be by myself any day, any time,” he said.

He said professors’ attitudes can give him challenges, such as a literature professor because of how he raised his voice at students and would not let Garcia sit in the back of the class. It made him so uncomfortable, he dropped the class.

Another veteran, photography sophomore Steven C. Price Sr. said, “The transition to what we call the real world was quite brutal.”

Price served more than nine years in the Army and became sergeant prior to his discharge in 1988.

He still appreciates the camaraderie and brotherhood, the

mutual understanding of each other in the service.

He said transition is different for disabled vets and those for whom the military furnished benefits such as travel, education and health care and did not take a physical or mental toll.

He said the hardest thing is adjusting to friends and family.

“The closest people to you are the ones who don’t understand and want you to get back to normal,” he said.

“By telling them what I saw and did, they will think I am (expletive) crazy.”

In the long run, he said, “I remain silent. If I tell them, they think I’m (expletive) up. If I don’t tell them, then they think I’m (expletive) up because I won’t say anything.”

Price described a recent brief encounter with a young student at Dewey and Belknap.

Price said he was standing out there smoking. For the first time in all the years he has attended this college off and on, a young student walked up to him and said, “Thank you for your service, sir.”

He said, “I was shocked.

I walked away and cried. He broke the silence for me. He acknowledged the burden of my service.”

His eyes got wet again telling the story over coffee on the second floor of Moody Learning Center on Nov. 5.

As to the one thing he wants people to know, he said, “Talk to me. Tell me thank you. Maybe I’ll reach a place where I can think what I did was OK.”

Veterans Day events Monday in mall, Loftin

By Katherine Garcia

kgarcia203@student.alamo.edu

In honor of Veterans Day Monday, this college will have a Recognition of Veterans event 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the mall. The event, sponsored by the office of student life and the veterans affairs office, will start with a procession to a wreath-laying by the veterans memorial north of the geology and chemistry building.

At 10:45 a.m., people should line up west of Candler to join the processional to the memorial.

President Robert Zeigler and Sen. Leticia Van de Putte are scheduled to speak, and the San Antonio College Music Association will perform the national anthem. The public is welcome.

Helen Torres, Staff Council president, will present medals to veterans.

Veterans have been invited via email to have

free coffee at 8:30 a.m. in the employee lounge of Loftin Student Center. Students can express their gratitude to veterans on bookmarks set up at a table in the mall. From 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., students can make their own dog tags and red, white and blue tie-dyed T-shirts.

Nikki Stephenson, a work-study student in the veterans affairs office in the Balditt Counseling Complex on the first floor of Moody Learning Center, said it’s patriotic and honorable of the college to celebrate its veterans. “It’s nice that the school is taking pride in their veterans,” she said.

Individuals wanting to honor specific veterans can submit a photograph to the office of student life in Room 260 of Loftin for exhibiting on the first floor of the student center. For more information, call Carrie Hernandez, senior specialist for student success, at 210-486-0128.

www.theranger.org/news

Understanding veterans begins with simple respect As an Army veteran, there have always been a few things I find annoying in my interactions with non-veterans.

Sometimes it’s their choice in fashion, but most Viewpoint often it’s the questions I’m

by Daniel asked that make me wonCarde der whether we’re from the same planet. sac-ranger@ A few weeks ago as alamo.edu I was checking my ACES account, I came upon an email about SAC’s Veteran’s Day celebration. I opened it, interested in what our school would be doing on the day we, as a nation, choose to honor all veterans — dead and living.

I then read one of the events is “make your own dog tags,” and could not help laughing to myself. It has always baffled me that people who never served in the military wear dog tags as a fashion accessory.

Young children, I understand, wanting to wear them. But for adults who have never served to wear them, especially out of their shirt, I don’t understand. It’s like wearing a toe-tag for a corpse as a fashion item.

In my second week of basic combat training, I made the mistake of not properly wearing my dog tags. I’d just put my shirt on and had a tag remain visible because it was caught on my collar. Next thing I know, I am standing “at-ease” next to a wall with a drill sergeant strangling me with my own tags.

After nearly a minute of being berated with words that would make Chuck Norris cry, which was only made worse with my inability to answer him, he finally let me go, saying he wasn’t in the “killing mood.”

I fell to the ground gasping for breath with a clear understanding that the only time my tags are to be visible, unless I am changing, is when I am dead.

Another fashion I don’t get is wearing military-like clothing. It’s a uniform we wore daily with great pride and removed once our mission was over. It’s something we’d work in, we’d fight in and possibly die in. It’s not something we’d wear casually out and about.

So when I see people wearing militarylike clothes, I find it as hilarious as seeing someone not in the medical field wearing scrubs or a lab coat out in public.

The uniform, as with the dog tags, are things we earned the right to wear.

Alas, the questions.

Here are some that are OK to ask: “What branch were you in? What was your job? Where did you get stationed?

What was your overall experience?”

I have no problem with those.

They don’t invade my privacy nor show a lack of consideration.

They also leave me with an opportunity to either share more of my experiences or keep my answers short and sweet to end the conversation.

More often, though, I am asked questions like these: “Did you join because you didn’t know what you wanted to be in life? Were you not smart enough for college?”

I knew what I wanted to do in life, and enlist and serve my country was it.

“What’s it like to kill someone, seriously, what’s it like? How many people have you killed?”

First, not all veterans have been in engagements with the enemy. Second, why would someone think this is a good question?

“Why didn’t you join the (insert other branch) — they are better than the Army?”

Not all of us joined to do the same thing, and insulting any branch is not OK from a civilian. We veterans have an inter-branch rivalry, but we still take each other’s back in any fight. We have earned the right for the rivalry.

“Did you lose any friends in the war?

What was it like to watch your buddies die?”

Just because I volunteered for the military doesn’t mean I am then instantly devoid of emotion. This is like asking you to relive the worst moments in your life for my curiosity.

“Is it like ‘Call of Duty’? What’s your kill ratio?”

A video game? You seriously think the military could possibly be like a video game? Oh yeah, I’ve been killed thousands of times. Good thing life is full of respawns.

“Have you ever been blown up? Do you have PTSD?” Not every veteran has PTSD, and if I do, why would I want to talk to you about it?

“How brainwashed are you? How many anger issues do you have because of the Army?”

These are seriously loaded questions, implying I have to be psychologically damaged just from serving. I often find myself fighting the urge to throat-punch the asker.

“Do you know my friend Jodie McPogue?”

There are roughly 2.2 million people in the military — even if they are in the same branch that is still more than one in a million chance — so, no, I don’t know them.

I also like to make something up for the answer: “Oh yeah, Pvt. Jodie McPogue! He’s the guy who wet the bed and always cried himself to sleep.”

News

www.theranger.org/news WORKWEEK from Page 1 and services would still be open, but classes would not be offered.

The proposal will be discussed throughout the spring semester by the college executive team and the department chairs.

Once a plan is in place, the board of trustees must approve.

“We do a four-day week in the summer. Some departments have their classes on a four-day schedule because of the nature of the way the classes or the disciplines work. All of those things would come after we make a decision, but we’re not there yet,” Zeigler said.

English Chair Mike Burton said Thursday the four-day workweek would be detrimental to the English department’s students.

The department is teaching four-hour courses to accommodate changes in developmental English and reading courses.

Burton said if the college switches to a four-day workweek, English flex classes will have to meet two days a week for three hours and 20 minutes.

If the college remains open as it is now, flex classes can still meet three times a week for two hours and 15 minutes a class.

Burton said although the fourday workweek could give students more flexibility to balance work and school, it would not be a good idea to give students a three-day weekend every weekend.

Business Chair Val Calvert said in an interview Nov. 7 moving to a four-day week would be a good idea because of the high rate of student absenteeism on Fridays.

Most classes within the business department are scheduled for Monday-Wednesday, Tuesday-Thursday schedule.

“Students are our clientele or customers, you have to look at what they’re telling you. What they’re showing you is that they don’t want to be here on Fridays,” Calvert said. “When you’re serving a segment of society we have to base our services and products on their aspirations, not necessarily our own.”

Nov. 8, 2013 • 11

Many renovations at SAC

By Riley Stephens

office of technology services.

Two upcoming renovaRenovation projects con- tion projects include the first tinue throughout buildings and second floors of Fletcher on this campus and more are Administration Center and scheduled to begin as early renovation of the Bennett as the spring semester.

House.

David Mrizek, vice presiMrizek said renovation dent of college services, of Fletcher’s first and second said renovations to Moody floors, to start in spring and Learning Center are near finish in 2014, will help to completion. create a better entrance to “We’re still in the process the campus. of finishing the Moody on “We are going to close the the outside. There are some big open space by the bursar bricks that need and create a big to be replaced open atrium for Read the full on the walls,” the entrance,” story online at Mrizek said.

Mrizek said. theranger.org.

The college M r i z e k has spent $18 said renovamillion renovattions to the ing the seven-story building Bennett House include a new that houses counseling, the ramp for Americans with library, computer labs, cre- Disabilities Act access and an ative media services and the elevator to make it easier for rstephens20@student.alamo.edu

HB 5 from Page 1 students,” she said.

The current diploma plans for high school students would be replaced under HB5 with a new graduation program called the Foundation High School Program.

The new program would require high school students to take core courses and declare a major by choosing an endorsement, McAndrew said.

Parents would need to accompany students as they choose their endorsement.

Students can change majors, but they must pick one when they enter their freshman year, McAndrew said.

Endorsements the students can choose include science technology engineering and math; business and industry; public service; arts and humanities; and multidisciplinary studies, McAndrew said.

The core requires students to take four credits in English, three credits in math, three in social studies, three in science, one in physical education and one in fine arts, two credits in a

housekeepers to access the second floor.

The Bennett House is used for music classes.

The elevator on the bottom level of the crosswalk between McCreless and Gonzales halls is waiting for the architect to approve the plans, John Strybos, associ-

ate vice chancellor of facilities operations and constructions management said.

He said the date for renovations of the elevator has not been set.

It was flooded during the Memorial Day downpour that also flooded the lower level of McCreless.

foreign language and five credits in approval if the district develops electives. the program in partnership with It would be a challenge to come an institution of higher education, up with a way to make these require- McAndrew said. ments fair to the smaller districts “There is no course that we teach because they have fewer resources, right now in Texas public schools McAndrew said. that has not been approved by the Every school must offer the cours- State Board of Education,” she said. es required for students to complete “Don’t you think they are going to one endorsement. If have courses on Eagle the school could only Ford shale and frackA public input offer one, it must be ing? Of course, they session will the multidisciplinary will.” be 9:15 p.m. endorsement.

It does not make Nov. 20 at the Students could sense for these also earn a nationcourses to be dual Texas Education ally or internationally credit because the Agency, 1701 N. recognized business, high school stuCongress Ave., industry certification dents taking them in Austin. or license, McAndrew are not college-ready, said.

McAndrew said.

The certification makes it possible A high school student taking for high school students to graduate, college prep courses must meet find a job and go to college without the Texas Success Initiative college taking out student loans, McAndrew readiness benchmarks on an exam said. given by the Texas Higher Education With school board approval, a Coordinating Board upon compledistrict would be able to offer credit tion of the college prep course to for an apprenticeship or other train- meet the end-of-course requireing without State Board of Education ments, McAndrew said.

SECURITY from Page 1 you’ll get an email; it’s going to say go to this site to check out cheaper health issues. They’re going to absolutely use current events that are going on; they’re going to absolutely target based on these things.”

Continuing with the global scale of cyber security, Saustrup spoke about Stuxnet. Stuxnet is a “very sophisticated” computer worm designed to attack Windows and also Siemens industrial control systems.

“It is highly probable Stuxnet was created by the CIA and Israeli intelligence,” Saustrup said. “And it was targeted after Siemens industrial control systems that controlled industrial centrifuges used in uranium enrichment by the Iranian government. (It) looks like it was highly possible this was a state-sponsored malware attack designed by us and the Israelis to attack, basically, the development of the Iranian bomb.”

Saustrup referenced a Campus Technology magazine story, which reported networks run by colleges and universities are three times more likely to be infected with malware than networks in government agencies or businesses.

“We’re trying to balance security with access and openness for everybody,” Saustrup said.

“The idea is that you guys walk on campus and you expect your smart phone to work,

President Robert Zeigler; Chancellor Bruce Leslie; David Mrizek, vice president of college services; Robert Vela, vice president of student and academic success; and District 7 trustee Yvonne Katz unveil the new plaque that will hang in Moody Learning Center during the rededication ceremony Oct. 10. See “Moody is rededicated after renovation” online. Emily Rodriguez

Arne Saustrup, senior manager of network and operations for the district, shows the spike of network traffic during his lecture Oct. 28. Emily Rodriguez you expect your laptop to work … but you’re operating in an environment that’s three times more likely than a business to be infected. You need to take care of yourselves; you need to be cautious with what you do here in the university environment because it’s an inherently less secure environment than a business or national agency.”

Saustrup said the security approach at the Alamo Colleges is to follow the Educause best practices. According to educause.edu, educause is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education through the use

!

of information technology.

“No single defense is 100 percent effective,” Saustrup said. “You want to create overlapping defenses at every level of IT architecture.”

Saustrup spoke about Internet access controls that look for easily identifiable unwanted traffic.

“We also block global address space used by bad actors,” Saustrup said. “There’s known blocks of Internet out there, most of them associated with former iron curtain countries, Communist China, North Korea; you’re probably not going to North Korean websites: We can live without that piece of the Internet, so we block it off.”

Saustrup emphasized the importance of having a powerful firewall system that searches outbound and inbound Internet traffic for wellknown intrusion signatures.

“When you’re surfing out, you’re being scanned by our firewall for 1,503 signatures,” Saustrup said. “It changes weekly; new signatures come down and old ones fall off. Inbound connections coming into our servers are scanned for 3,982 signatures.”

Because of the notable email issues plaguing the Alamo Colleges lately, this was a big topic of discussion for Saustrup.

“In the past 12 months, the biggest security issues we’ve had here have all been related to email; they all started with an email,” Saustrup

“The electricity in the elevator was short-circuited and is going to be replaced,” Mrizek said. “The elevator is currently dead, and we need to replace the grid.”

He said the flooding in McCreless is from drainage issues and the way the ground slopes.

The bill would impact everyone since it changes the criteria to graduate high school, President Robert Zeigler said.

“It has some opportunities for us to seal relationships, create more alignment and really work more closely to get students through the pipeline starting early, which we all know is important,” he said.

This would cut into enrollment in developmental classes and departments would not be offering as many sections at this college, English Chair Mike Burton, said.

“It looks like the high schools will be taking over a big chunk of our responsibility for developmental education,” Burton said.

English Professor Ernest Tsacalis said, “This will potentially have us outsource college prep, the developmental program, to the high schools who were already graduating many students who came to us unprepared.”

English Professor Alexander Bernal said he is concerned the humanities may be considered dispensable so students can graduate sooner.

said.

Saustrup spoke about “really authentic” phishing emails containing the Alamo Colleges logo, department names or individual names.

“Spammers are going to try to find a way to trick you into giving up your authentication information,” Saustrup said. “We have seen highly intelligent students, faculty and staff all fall victim to these tricks.”

The Alamo Colleges uses Symantec antivirus protection software.

“We have central servers to get all the latest stuff from Symantec and push that out,” Saustrup said. “For Alamo Colleges assets, we want to get this workstation protection on them.”

Saustrup says that social engineering attacks are one of the Alamo Colleges’ biggest challenges.

“They’re acting like a Facebook alert. They’re tapping into our social behavior to get us to reveal information about ourselves — bank accounts, email accounts, you name it. These are active, very clever attempts to trick you.”

Saustrup said Alamo Colleges policy is that nobody from college or district IT, nor administration, will ever send email asking for account information.

Students can report suspicious emails to this college’s help desk at 210-486-0777 or by email at sac-helpdesk@alamo.edu.

Premiere How to land a stage role 12 • Nov. 8, 2013

By Bleah B. Patterson sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Students with a flair for the dramatic and eager to earn a part in this college’s next theater production should have no fear — literally.

“Confidence is really all that we’re looking for,” fine arts Chair Jeff Hunt said. “Everything else can be taught.”

Visit theater Coordinator Paula Rodriguez’s office in Room 129B of McAllister Fine Arts Center or watch for audition notices and pick up audition packets from the director up to five weeks prior to production.

Packets contain detailed information so students can see if they can meet the time commitment and have monologue suggestions and a copy of the script. Only students are eligible, Hunt said. Faculty only participate if students do not fit the part or drop out, Hunt said.

“This has only happened once since I’ve

been chair because we have such great students and theater majors,” he said.

At audition, students should have a prepared monologue and leave inhibitions at home. “We’re just looking for someone who can portray the character,” Hunt said. “The tough aspect of theater is that sometimes it can be discriminatory.”

He said the director is often forced to stay within the confines of a particular character, “however, if students come confident and ready to perform, we will make room for them in our production.”

Auditions for fall ended in summer; however, for the spring production of “When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder,” auditions will be Nov. 19-21.

“We want to teach and mold great performers,” Hunt said.

For more informaion, call 210-486-0492.

The cast of “The Boys Next Door” rehearses a scene as theater Professor Charles Falcon directs Monday in McAllister. Daniel Arguelles

Fighting stereotypes

By Bleah B. Patterson sac-ranger@alamo.edu

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IN THEATRES FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

www.theranger.org/news

Drama students are learning to walk the fine line between portraying real people and stereotypes.

They are preparing for a production of “The Boys Next Door” in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Nov. 16 and Nov. 21-23. Sunday matinee performances are at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 17 and 24.

“The Boys Next Door” is described as a comedic and heart-warming approach to mental illness.

Over the years, this play, written by Tom Griffin in 1985, is continuously adapted to remain current.

“The Boys Next Door” tells the story of Jack Palmer, a social worker who allows his professional life to take over his personal life, particularly in his attempt to help four boys with mental health problems.

Drama freshman Esau Perez plays Arnold Wiggins, a man in his early 20s who longs for independence despite his diagnosis of OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

“Reading through the script, I realized that I wanted the opportunity to capture this unique role,” Perez said. “Arnold is a very nervous person, and I definitely want to portray his character without seeming like a nervous actor, and I didn’t want to offend anyone. I needed it to be genuine.”

Drama sophomore Andy Silva comes to his role with experience. He plays Barry Kempler, a 21-year-old schizophrenic who suffers with depression. “I did this show in high school and was lucky enough to land the same role the second time,” Silva said.

Even with that background, Silva struggles with the portrayal. “I’m not 100 percent comfortable with it. On stage, I have to keep in

mind it’s all acting,” Silva said “I take a light approach to my character’s illness. I don’t want to portray any stereotypes.”

Director Charles Falcon advised students to “get out of their heads” and, instead of simply reciting their lines, to take a moment to feel the character and to become them.

During rehearsal, emotions rose as students strove to place themselves in their character’s shoes, empathizing with their experiences and expressing their physicality.

Drama freshman Brian Hill portrays Norman Bulansky who experiences his world with a child-like innocence and forthrightness.

“I didn’t know anything about the play beforehand,” Hill said. “But the more I got into it, the more I decided I didn’t want to play the stereotype. I wanted people to know people like Norman are real.”

Drama sophomore Gabe Mendez portrays the fourth housemate, Lucien P. Smith, who also faces mental challenges.

With one week until the curtain rises, students and director alike anticipate a comedic, warm and touching production that will help the audience identify with the characters.

“These men are struggling to be normal, to be independent.” Perez said.

“It might look funny, and it might feel funny to us, but everyone should try to remember that it’s actually happening in the real world,” he said.

Hill added, “People like our characters really exist. They have goals just like everyone else, and I hope that we do a good job of portraying that.”

Silva said, “I hope that people understand where my character is coming from in the end, and I hope they cry with him.”

Tickets are $2 with a college ID, $8 with a military ID and $10 general admission.

For more information, call 210-486-0597.

We print like your grade depends on it.

It’s that time of year when project deadlines are right around the corner. So come to The UPS Store.® We’ll give your presentations a polished look you can be proud of. Because when there’s a grade at stake, nothing helps like a little professionalism.

Visit us at: Northeast Lakeview College/Facilities Building Northwest Vista College/Texas Persimmons Building Palo Alto College/Facilities Building San Antonio College/Fletcher Building St. Philips College/Sutton Learning Center St. Philips College Southwest Campus/ Workforce Center for Excellence Building The UPS Store® locations are independently owned and operated by franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc. in the USA and by its master licensee and its franchisees in Canada. Services, pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. Copyright © 2013 The UPS Store, Inc.

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