The Ranger, April 1, 2019

The anger Volume 93 • Issue 13 San Antonio College A forum of free voices since 1926

April 1, 2019 WWW.THERANGER.ORG

Civic-duty leave approved for adjuncts, part-time staff Faculty Senate and Adjunct Faculty Council want sick leave also.

By Sergio Medina smedina104@student.alamo.edu

donation to the Emergency Bank,” the procedure reads.

The Alamo Colleges board of trustees These employees are allowed to donate to approved providing paid leave for civic duty the bank. and emergency leave bank benefits to adjuncts, For Amanda Martin, Adjunct Faculty Council continuing education instructors and part-time president, and Lennie Irvin, Faculty Senate presistaff. dent, their mission is to provide sick leave benThe district board of trustees approved the efits to adjunct faculty. changes during the March 19 regular board “I think I can say: Personally, I think it’s a posimeeting at Killen Center. tive thing that they’re giving any kind of leave,” Work-study students are not included in the Martin said March 26. changes.

“We are also moving through a proposal that’s Under revised procedure D.5.3.1, adjuncts, been supported by the Faculty Senate for leave continuing education instructors and partrelated to illness.” time staff will be provided paid leave when The resolution was proposed Nov. 16 by the attending civic duty, such senate and reads: as jury duty or subpoena “Adjunct faculty memcompliance. bers should be eligible for For the Alamo Colleges, 4.5 hours of paid leave per the projected annual cost for course per semester. this change is $13,977.

This would mean no Similarly, policy D.11.1 deduction from their salary was amended to allow to cover pay for a substiChancellor Mike Flores to tute (about $28 dollars per establish procedures to perAmanda Martin hour). mit leave bank participaFurthermore, these Adjunct Faculty Council president tion for adjunct faculty, CE hours would be noninstructors and part-time accruable and classified employees. as “Personal Leave,” and would encompass The reviewed procedure D.11.1.1 establishes all types of leaves and absences (i.e. illness, that adjuncts, CE instructors and part-time staff bereavement, civic duty, military duty, percan apply for time from the emergency leave sonal matters, and professional development). bank after completing six months “in active Leave would be documented when applicaassignment,” which the policy refers to being ble, using the ‘Request for Leave’ form currently equivalent to 180 calendar days. used by Alamo Colleges District employees.”

Additionally, adjuncts, CE instructors and Irvin sent a memo containing this resolution part-time staff employees will be able to apply Nov. 21 to the United Faculty Senate. if they have “exhausted all accrued (vacation, Per the memo, the district expanding emerpersonal and sick) leave or because of a previous See LEAVE, Page 2

“I think I can say: Personally, I think it’s a positive thing that they’re giving any kind of leave.”

Criminal justice sophomore Daniel Rodriguez and liberal arts sophomore Robert Rivera practice parkour routines March 26 east of McCreless. Rivera has been practicing parkour for a year while Rodriguez has been practicing for about eight years. Rodriguez said they were practicing because the weather was great. Mitchell Gawlik

Office of student life has new director Joshua Gutierrez, 8; Jacqueline Urquizo, 4; Leonel Gonzalez, 5; Amelia Rose, 6; Piper Pena, 7; and Marielle Gavito, 4; close the groundbreaking ceremony March 22 at Scobee. The children from the early child care center helped break ground for the micronauts center for pre-K through third grade to participate in a STEM and space exploration program. Amaru Ruiz

His goal is to improve student engagement.

By James Russell jrussell65@student.alamo.edu Jacob-Aiden Martinez has been selected as the director of the office of student life in the division of student success.

Martinez was previously the director of student conduct and Title IX for four years September 2015 through March 2019.

The selection occurred before spring break, Martinez was offered the position midFebruary, he started his new job March 18.

Martinez graduated from Palo Alto College with an Associate of Arts in criminal justice August 2006 and in sociology August 2007.

He graduated from St. Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice May 2008.

Martinez obtained a Master of Education December 2009 from The University of Texas

March 26. “It’s not official and I would have to get approval, at San Antonio and is cur- but that is one solution,” rently enrolled in Texas Tech He said, “I hope to get stuUniversity for a doctorate of dents interested in the events education. around Loftin Student Center.”

Martinez served as coorMartinez said he wants to dinator of stuput students first dent success May by improving their 2011-September first-year experi2015. ence by encouragHe has been working them to engage ing in higher educawith the office of tion for 12 years. student life.

“I wanted to While plans move back into OSL Martinez have not been finalto help create a posiized, Martinez said tive college experience and by the OSL is moving. being more engaged with stu“The old fitness center will dents,” he said. be the new office of student life, Martinez wants to improve and renovations will be made in the quality of engagement summer, maybe,” he said. with strategic opportunity in In 2007, the office was and out of class. moved to the second floor of He plans to make activi- Loftin Student Center as part ties accessible to online and of a $170,000 project architecnight students by improving ture students worked on. the resources on campus.

The renovation will return One way would be to the office to its former location increase staff hours, he said after renovation in 1992.

Centers will provide child care, space immersive learning in 2020 Early childhood center classrooms will have playground access.

By Lionel Ramos lramos174@student.alamo.edu The John L. Santikos Micronauts Center and the early childhood center will provide a comprehensive program that combines nationally accredited early childhood education, and experiential learn-

ing for students of this college in the early childhood studies program, said President Robert Vela March 22 during a groundbreaking ceremony south of Scobee Education Center.

“The curriculum for the early childhood center will implement the micronauts program,” Vela said, explaining the two buildings will be physically connected to facilitate an interactive, science, tech-

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News

April 1, 2019

LEAVE from Page 1 gency leave bank benefits does not go far enough.

“We believe a reasonable and humane policy to offer paid leave to adjunct faculty is the right thing to do,” it reads.

In the memo, Irvin also encouraged

presidents of the Faculty Senates in the other colleges to pass similar resolutions, if not the same.

That will amplify the effort as it progresses through the district’s executive teams, Irvin said March 27.

He said he has to check with the

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other senate presidents to see if they passed similar resolutions.

Irvin said the next step is having the United Faculty Senate come up with a joint resolution from the college senates and present it to administrators.

“I feel like it’s better when we’re unit-

fields),” he said. nology, engineering and mathematics program for By getting parents engaged, Varner said, the children ages 4-9. chances of young students transitioning from the Rick Varner, director of Scobee Education micronauts center to the Challenger center and Center and future director of the micronauts centhen to a college classroom, increases dramatically ter, said in an a phone interview March 21, the – especially because many of the STEM activities center is just like the Challenger Learning Center the children are immersed in lead directly to proalready in place in Scobee but will be aimed at a grams in the Alamo Colleges. younger, more creatively active age group.

The micronauts center will also take reservaIt will cater to students grades pre-K–3, instead tions from school groups 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. proof middle and high school students like the viding the same services, and an option to add the Challenger Center. planetarium to their reservation package.

“When kids do make-believe, they engage in The early childhood center, a separate entity immersive learning,” Varner said. despite the close relationship with the micronauts He said the experience at the center would center, will provide a low to no-cost child care not simply be a field trip for young students, but option for current students at this college who an opportunity to play astromay not have child care or the naut and scientist with engagmoney to pay for a daycare. ing activities that are packStudents at this college in aged thematically with space need of child care are subexploration, and aligned to ject to the Child Care Access the state’s Texas Essential Means Parents in School Knowledge Skills, or TEKS. Grant and can enroll a child in Rick Varner the early childhood center for Like the Challenger cenDirector of Scobee Education Center ter, the micronauts center will $15-$20 a month compared allow students to engage in to the average prices for comwhat Vela called “full-blown missions.” mercial child care ranging from $160-$215 per This will be achieved through simulationmonth, according to the college website. based missions led by trained flight directors in For more information on the grant, and requirefully immersive space stations and mission control ments to qualify, visit the early childhood care cenrooms and will be the beginning of a “cradle-toter site at www.alamo.edu/sac/about-sac/collegecollege” pathway for the young students in STEM- offices/early-childhood-center/ and click on the related fields. early care and education grant information link.

“We are trying to get the kids and parents on “Parents don’t have to leave their child across the pathway from the start,” Varner said. “Give town,” Vela said. them the vision.”

“There’s a sense of comfort there,” he said, addHe said parents might see their child excel in a ing the center is hoping to add a drop-in option, STEM-related field at an early age, such as 4 years so student-parents can drop their child off, take old. some classes and pick their child up without leav“So maybe the parents will think of their child ing campus.

‘Hey, maybe he or she would be good at engineerThis will also open up a child care option for ing’ – I say ‘he or she’ because many girls are still students who can only take evening and weekend pointed in different directions (from STEM-related classes.

“When kids do make-believe, they engage in immersive learning.”

WWW.THERANGER.ORG/NEWS ed,” he said. “It just works better when it’s all of us. We will see where it goes from there.”

The approved policies are available under Section D: Personnel at www. a l a m o. e d u / a b o u t - u s / l e a d e r s h i p / board-of-trustees/board-policies/.

Ann Coldwater, faculty director of the early childhood center and CCAMPIS project director, said one of the biggest highlights of the new early childhood center is the playground and how easy it will be for students to access it.

“Children are being distracted more and more by screens,” Coldwater said, explaining the playground will help mitigate a growing disconnect with the real world in children by being built around the exploration of nature with all five senses.

The playground will be certified by Nature Explore, a national nonprofit striving to “help nature become an integral, joyful part of children’s daily learning” and will not include any plastic.

In addition, each classroom will have a door opening directly to the playground, a perk unavailable to the children housed in the early childhood facility who have to take an elevator to access the playground, she said.

The building of the centers was made possible on May 6, 2017, when Bexar County voters approved a $450 million capital improvement bond to fund renovations and new construction projects throughout the Alamo Colleges.

According to the Bexar County website, there were 75,128 votes for the bond and 37,285 votes against it, resulting in 66.83 percent who voted being in favor of funding the multimillion dollar project.

Of the total funds, $83 million were allotted to this college for seven budgeted renovations or new construction projects.

Among those projects are the micronauts center, early childhood center and a new five-level parking garage expected to be finished in spring 2020, which were allotted a combined budget of $20 million, according to the Alamo Colleges District website www.alamo.edu/about-us/ourdistrict/CIP/.

The micronauts center will be supplemented with a grant of $500,000 provided by the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, a fund of the San

“I feel like it’s better when we’re united.”

Lennie Irvin

Faculty Senate president

Ann Coldwater, faculty director of the early childhood center and CCAMPIS project director, rallies the crowd at the ground breaking ceremony March 22 at Scobee.

Coldwater said the new childhood center and John L. Santikos Micronauts Center will promote learning and complex play in children. Amaru Ruiz Antonio Area Foundation.

“It is very possible that without the Santikos award, the micronauts center would not have been built,” Varner said March 21.

In an interview at the ceremony, Vela said the center would be “too small” without the grant.

Chaye Peña, director of outreach and recruitment and mother of second-grader Piper Peña, 7, said she and her daughter are looking forward to participating in the activities offered by the new facilities, particularly the micronauts center.

Chaye Peña said she likes the “cradle-to-college” idea.

“I think it’s important that kids know what a college environment is like, so it’s not so big and intimidating when they get there,” she said.

She said the micronauts program is a good way of developing that perspective in children.

Both the micronauts and early childhood centers will be completed by fall 2020.

Sierra Gonzales, 10, jammer for the San Antonio Sugar Skulls, leaps over art sophomore Lilliana Guerra, blocker for the Heart of Texas Skaters, during the office of student life’s Fempower Body Positivity Fair March 27 in the mall. The fair was organized to promote Women’s History Month and female body positivity. Mitchell Gawlik

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Opinion 3

Staff Editor Sergio Medina Managing Editor Rogelio Escamilla News Editor Lionel Ramos Web Editor James Russell Staff Writers Dean Contreras, Sandy Cordell, Travis Doyle, Julian Gonzales, Geoffrey Hovatter, Marissa Macias, Janie Medelez, Sarah F. Morgan, Jackie Muralles, Alberto Ramirez, Michael Smith, Isacc Tavares, Samantha Woodward Photographers Mitchell Gawlik, Deandra Gonzalez, Brittney Maria Moreno, Brianna Rodrigue Photo Team Andrea Moreno, Amaru Ruiz Illustrators Raia Blankenship, Amanda Graef

©2019 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-3941.

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 classes in the journalism-photography program at San Antonio College. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations.

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

Amanda Graef

Director must strengthen student, administration bridge Incentivize student participation by providing valuable activities.

The use of new technologies is also a method of improvement. Student life recently implemented a suggestion box in Room 256 of Loftin Student Center, which is helpful, but there are even more tools available in this digital age.

Increasing the use of social media polls is one example of how the office can better reach out to students.

Increasing activities involving students could build a stronger sense of community.

In a classroom setting, it is easy for students to get caught up in completing assignments one after another. Some classes require students to interact and work together, while in another, a student might

Student life has a new director, Jacob-Aiden Martinez, who is tasked with facilitating a smooth connection between students, clubs and the college.

The director can strengthen this connection by figuring out how to get more students involved in on-campus activities. Martinez has said he wants to add more fun opportunities for students to interact with the office, which is a positive step.

Like any bridge that is widened, when more opportunities to communicate with the office exist, suggestions — and subsequently changes — are easier to make.

Editorial

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Letters should be emailed to sac-ranger@alamo. edu or submitted online. Letters also may be brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, mailed to The Ranger, journalismphotography program, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-3941 or faxed

It is important to engage in conversations that encourage equality and opportunity.

Among us live women who are acting for a better world.

Right now, in Sweden, student Greta Thunberg, 16, is protesting and raising awareness about climate change, demanding her government lower Sweden’s rate of carbon dioxide emissions.

Her actions inspired and mobilized thousands of young people worldwide, who have begun replicating her example, calling for their governments to follow similar measures.

Because of her actions, Thunberg has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

It is important to celebrate women’s achievements.

Women such as New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, whose sorrow is visible as she comforts relatives of the Christchurch mosque shooting victims.

Her government moved swiftly to ban assault weapons, such as those used in the

to 210-486-9292.

Letters

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.

Community College District community are permit-

The “last-dollar scholarship” will be covering the tuition gap that financial aid does not cover so students do not have to pay for it themselves.

Giving incoming freshmen — former high school seniors — free tuition is a great idea.

However, the criteria to qualify under the Alamo Promise program are a low standard, in a manner

be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Ranger business office. Those who violate the single-copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and college discipline.

sexual harassment, assault or rape and double-standards for behavior and dressing.

Surviving all that is an achievement, too.

So don’t just celebrate women during Women’s History Month. Promote and advocate feminist causes year-round.

Make an effort to call out injustices, harassment and abuse when they happen. Don’t turn away and leave a woman to fend for herself.

Attend events, rallies and protests that advocate women’s fight for equality.

Sometimes, the sheer number of participants can gain attention for a cause.

Most important, remember and celebrate the women in your life and in your community who are trying to make a difference.

It comes down to this: Women deserve better, and we all need to pay attention. The fight for equality is one we must all rally behind constantly.

Editorial

Change criteria for Alamo Promise Editor:

tion costs. Where available, additional copies may

massacre. She refused to name the perpetrator, which some media outlets did not hesitate to do.

That level of empathy is exemplary.

For many of us, it’s closer to home.

Some of us have been raised by single mothers — mothers who made sacrifices to improve their children’s lives.

Some of us have been positively impacted by women who have acted as mentors, instructors and advisers.

Women are our sisters, cousins, friends, girlfriends, wives, daughters and grandmothers.

Feminism is inclusive. If you believe in equity and equality and understand that feminism is not an us-versus-them scenario, we all stand together respectfully.

The fight for equality becomes easier.

It’s great that we have Women’s History Month each March to recognize the contributions of outstanding women.

But think of how many women are affected by the wage gap,

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these events.

As the new director, it is imperative Martinez considers implementing strategies that not only give students an outlet for stress but provide quantifiable value.

To be clear, this should not be the purpose of all student life activities. It is extremely beneficial to host events where the only goal is helping students unwind.

However, creating more opportunities for students looking to wring value out of extracurricular activities is crucial.

If the new director can accomplish some of these goals, then the bridge between this college’s students, clubs and the college will be stronger.

Women’s History Month is over, advocating for women isn’t

rates available by phone 210-486-1765 or as a download at www.theranger.org. The Ranger

leave a lecture without having spoken.

This classroom environment is typical, yet inconsistent with the district’s goal of building leadership skills.

Allowing students a space to build these leadership skills — teamwork, communication and problem solving — outside of a classroom can enrich their college experience.

These skills can be tracked and measured. If students choose to participate, they would have material to dress up a résumé.

Placing this tangible value at the end of the bridge would provide an incentive for students to participate in

of speaking.

A 2.0 GPA being where they draw the line for applicants is quite low and one can surmise that this will cause complications when it comes to funding the program funding the Alamo Colleges has not entirely gotten sorted out yet.

The district intends to make this program permanent and is seeking funding from the city and county along with private resources.

Their goal is to increase the college-going rate and mean to tell the community that they believe in them.

They should narrow the criteria a bit more to make the program feasible and truly be permanent so that it can help college-going citizens of San Antonio.

Sophia Ansari Journalism Sophomore

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April 1, 2019

Features

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‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ addresses human nature Audiences should look forward to a contemporary comedy, the director said.

By Sarah F. Morgan sac-ranger@alamo.edu The theater program will open “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at 7:30 p.m.

April 4 in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.

The show will continue at 7:30 p.m. April 5-6 and 11-13 and at 2:30 p.m. April 7 and 14.

Theater Coordinator Ronald Watson is directing the comedy.

The play written by American playwright Christopher Durang premiered in 2012 and won a Tony Award for Best Play in 2013.

The play is about three siblings: Vanya, played by drama freshman Ernesto Dominguez; Sonia, played by drama sophomore Alexa Garza; and Masha, played by biology sophomore Saphire Mendez.

Vanya and Sonia are the two older siblings who, after spending most of their adult lives nursing their ailing parents, sit at home in boredom.

Their lives are thrown in the air when their actress sister, Masha, decides to visit with her companion Spike, played by drama sophomore Greg Sokol, and sell their home.

Other characters are the maid Cassandra, played by drama sophomore Sabrina Polanco; and Nina, played by drama sophomore Alyssa-Erika Gomez.

Watson and the On-Stage Drama Club attended a performance of this play May 2014 in Houston and appreciated the references to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, he said. “(The play is) just really emblematic of people who like to complain a lot but never really do anything about (their problems).

Vanya, played by drama freshman Ernesto Dominguez, argues with Sonia, played by drama sophomore Alexa Garza, about who should make coffee in the opening scene of “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” March 25 in McAllister.

Deandra Gonzalez

And that’s what happens in most of Chekhov’s plays,” Watson said March 25.

The play has a lot of modern jokes and references that keep it fresh, Watson explained.

There should be no issues with language as the play is set in modern times, Watson said.

“I just think this play is about human nature and how easy it is to be complacent …

(We) accept life the way it is and do not take charge of our lives and create the lives that we want,” Watson said. “Although the characters are older, I think a lot of people can relate to that.”

Tickets are $5 with an Alamo Colleges ID; $8 for other colleges, military, or senior; $10 for general admissions; and $5 with a high school ID. Tickets can be purchased only at the door.

For more information on the theater program, call Watson at 210-486-0491.

Nick “Professor X” Zook, radio-television-broadcast sophomore, introduces himself on air March 26 in the KSYM studio. KSYM 90.1 FM will host the annual pledge drive April 1-7. The goal is to raise $35,000. Listeners can call 210-486-1373 to make donations. Brianna Rodrigue

Theater Coordinator Ronald Watson critiques actors on their roles for ”Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” March 25 in McAllister. Watson said he wanted to direct this play because it’s funny and the other productions this year were dramas. Deandra Gonzalez

Masha, played by biology sophomore Saphire Mendez, tells her siblings Sonia, drama sophomore Alexa Garza, and Vanya, drama freshman Ernesto Dominguez, that she wants to sell the family home during practice for the play ”Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” March 25 in McAllister. The comedy revolves around three middle-aged siblings, two who live together and the third who visits them at the family home. They argue, discuss new relationships and talk about selling the house they grew up in. Deandra Gonzalez