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SPECIAL EDITION Serving San Antonio College since 1926
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Volume 88 Special Edition • April 30, 2014
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Grand Opening President Robert Zeigler and Lanny Sinkin, executive director of Solar San Antonio, visit after the unveiling of a mural created by artist Luís López, a Tobin Hills resident, April 22 at William R. Sinkin Eco Centro. In memory of Sinkin, former student and eco-activist who passed away earlier this year, guests wore green bow ties. Neven Jones
Unlikely student succeeds as college president By Bleah B. Patterson
bpatterson13@student.alamo.edu
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tudents might be surprised to find that Dr. Robert “Bob” Zeigler thinks he wasn’t a good student in high school, that he was never the type to map out his future, nor did he intend to climb the proverbial ladder or dream of being a college president. “I wasn’t a good student,” he said. “I didn’t like school and I didn’t get anything out of it. I liked to fish, read and shoot pool. I guess you could say pool was my sport.” The college president said in an April 23 interview he found his path to success as a student of this college. As he fast approaches retirement by the end of this academic year, he stopped to reflect on his decisions and achievements. “The teachers here are the people who really inspired me to go into education,” he said, explaining he was a business major when he enrolled. “I realized after awhile it wasn’t for me; I was more interested in history and political science.” After attending Alamo Heights High School, he considered himself finished with school, so he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After his service stint, his father asked him to try just one semester. “I believe I had better teachers at SAC than anywhere else through my entire education,” he said. English Professor Arsenne Blondin made a big impression on Zeigler. “She was very interesting and very good,” he said. “She would work you hard, but I came out of high school unprepared.” Zeigler said he didn’t like school. “I just didn’t try,” he said. Blondin made students write and rewrite papers, which helped him to feel better prepared for college. Zeigler also recalled a history professor who inspired him. “Both teachers saw my love for literature, political science and history and helped me cultivate them.” That inspiration and preparation saw him through his bach-
President Robert Zeigler reads a passage from former President Ronald Reagan’s television address Jan. 28, 1986, about the Challenger 7 disaster during a memorial for the crew Jan. 30 in the Challenger Center. The shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven aboard, including Commander Francis “Dick” Scobee for whom the center is named. Carlos Ferrand elor’s and master’s degrees. He ultimately earned a Ph.D. In 1971, Zeigler returned to this college to join the history faculty. So how effective a teacher did the man who disliked school become? Zeigler laughed and said he likes to think he was a good teacher. “I was demanding, but I don’t think I was rigid,” he said. “I lectured a lot, and we wrote lots of essays — one for every test — but I also had them do a lot of group work and I asked questions.” Zeigler was not expecting the future he faced. “When I came here as a faculty member, I thought I’d spend
my life teaching, then I was elected to Faculty Senate and, eventually, Faculty Senate president.” With the arrival of a new college president in 1993, the thencurrent vice president decided to return to the classroom, and Zeigler was tapped as interim. “I thought it was going to be like a six-month gig, but, no, the opportunities opened up. I applied and got the job.” Through his tenure, Zeigler was present for major changes, technology being the biggest. “When we used to have registration, it would take three days in the gym, and we’d have punch cards. The computers we used took up whole rooms and couldn’t do nearly as much as your iPhone can now.” Zeigler praised the integration of technology into education for the ease it brings to a student’s journey through higher education. “Students can use technology to gain a wealth of knowledge,” he said. “The downside, though, is sometimes we rely on technology so much, we lose sight of the discipline that comes with the drudgery.” He said there is so much information accessible today faculty members are more important than ever to students, helping them discern the valid from the “junk.” “That’s why we need teachers. We can’t just rely on technology,” the one-time college telecourse coordinator said. “People forget that you need to use technology to achieve an end; technology is not the end.” He said in light of recent controversy over e-books replacing physical textbooks, he recognized the importance of technological advance, “but you have to be careful.” “There are benefits, but you have to be willing to deal with the pitfalls, too,” he said. Zeigler said he acknowledges the shifting environment in the
See PRESIDENT, Page 3