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Volume 90 Issue 10 • Feb. 8, 2016
210-486-1773 • Single copies free
Access, STEM hot Pizza topics By Jerico Magallanes ranger@student.alamo.edu
Students raised concerns about resources for non-STEM majors and access for disabled students Wednesday during Pizza with the President, an open forum with President Robert Vela sponsored by the Student
Government Association. Social work sophomore Daniel Gonzales voiced his concerns about the complication of going between McCreless Hall and McAllister Fine Arts Center. “SAC has failed to comply with that issue,” Gonzales, who is in a wheelchair, said of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990. Vela said this college will work with any students who have difficulty accessing a building or classroom. “We will move that class to a more accessible area for that student,” he said. After the forum, Gonzales said he wasn’t convinced nor
There’s more to love than you might think Page 4
online now
was he optimistic about this college’s and the district’s progress on student disability access on campus. For example, he said some classes must meet in the auditorium of McAllister and theater of
See PIZZA, Page 7
SGA represents students’ interests
National media dilute the message, S.C. photojournalist says
Aspen Institute’s draft report recommends focus for Alamo Colleges Report notes faculty ‘initiative fatigue.’ By Kyle R. Cotton
kcotton11@student.alamo.edu
Criminology freshman Nikoli Berggren and volunteer Michael Peace prepare the filling for chorizo and egg tacos at the 38th annual Cowboy Breakfast. Student volunteers began working at 2 a.m. to prepare food. The
breakfast is the unofficial kickoff to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Proceeds benefit St. Philip’s College’s culinary arts program. Go online for more photos. Kyle R. Cotton
SPC students rustle up Cowboy Breakfast tacos Event benefiting college’s culinary arts program sets record as it spurs the rodeo season. By Kyle R. Cotton
kcotton11@student.alamo.edu
For 38 years the Cowboy Breakfast has been the unofficial kickoff of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, and this year, the breakfast set a record for most tacos served. “Nothing is official yet since they have to go through and catalog all the tortillas, bags and wrappers, but we know that we set it since there hadn’t
been a previously established record,” St. Philip’s College ChefInstructor Frank Salina said. Salina said 50 students volunteered starting at 2 a.m. Jan. 29 for the breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed their time. “I had about a dozen students who didn’t want to leave, so after we were done cooking, we just hung around till 9 a.m.” The students served a variety of tacos, including bacon, cho-
rizo, sausage, beef and potato and egg tacos. Chef Wil Thorton said students in the college’s culinary arts program have been volunteering for the last 22 years. “This event is really all about the students,” Thorton said. “Every year, they come out to volunteer and have a good time.” Proceeds from the Cowboy Breakfast benefit St. Philip’s culinary arts. Last year, the breakfast generated $12,000 for the program.
Salina expects to see the donations this year total between $5,000 and $12,000. “It’s a lot of fun; it’s a bunch of cowboys getting together and cooking for the community,” said Bill Wiseman, Cowboy Breakfast volunteer of 30 years. “It’s completely changed over the years, and the introduction of the chef school has made it all the better,” he said. The 66th annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo runs through Feb. 27 at AT&T Center.
Levar Burton at SPC Thursday “Reading Rainbow” star shares the power of storytelling. By R. Eguia
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Levar Burton will speak at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Watson Fine Arts Center at St. Philip’s College. The lecture is free and open to the public. The lecture, titled “The Power of Storytelling: Written, Spoken, Lived,” is presented in part by the San Antonio Martin Luther King Jr. Commission and as a part of the St. Philip’s President’s Lecture Series. Burton’s breakout role was as Kunta Kinte in the television miniseries “Roots.” He went on to play Geordi Laforge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and served as host and executive producer of the PBS children’s series “Reading Rainbow.” In 2011, Burton formed RRKIDZ with “the mission of bringing a passion for read-
ing to every child, everywhere.” According to readingrainbow.com, RRKIDZ offers its library of books, videos and games for the Web, iPad and Kindle Fire. Burton recently launched the most successful Kickstarter campaign ever, which raised $1 million in less than 11 hours and $6.4 million in total to complete RRKIDZ with supplemental learning available for teachers and students. The President’s Lecture Series is presented once in the fall and once in the spring on St. Philip’s campus. Past lecturers include FUBU founder and Shark Tank cast member Daymond John; this city’s police Chief William P. McManus; and documentary filmmaker and writer, Roya Hakakian. “We like for the topics in the lectures to link to what is going on in our communities,” said Beautrice M. Butler, director of enrollment for St. Philip’s College and a member of the series committee.
Courtesy Typically, the committee provides recommendations to the president for review and approval, but this time was different. “My co-chair, Nina McGrath, had an opportunity to have a phone interview with Levar and his team and mentioned PLS,” Butler said. “With a few conversations and approval from our president, we selected him to be our speaker.” Groups of more than 50 people must RSVP to www.alamo.edu/spc/pls-rsvp/.
Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program in partnership with Achieving the Dream, two national organizations focused on student success in community colleges, suggests the leadership of the Alamo Colleges focus on its two most recent Initiatives, AlamoAdvise and AlamoInstitutes. That focus will also relieve “initiative fatigue” within the district. The two organizations conducted a site visit Nov. 3-4 to collect data and meet with district leaders, faculty, staff and community partners. Its draft report, released by district Jan. 27, states the organizations usually come back with a list of concerns for leadership to prioritize. However, in the case of the Alamo Colleges, the report recommended simply, “to zero in on its most important current initiatives and communicate … that singular focus as the institutional priority.” “Alamo Colleges has already identified its big bets to improve student outcomes —advising systems and guided pathways — and made significant commitments in time, energy and staffing to provide the opportunity to bring The next big thing AlamoAdvise and can’t be to add AlamoInstitutes another big thing. to scale across its Anonymous, institutions. The Aspen Institute draft challenge is now report comment to ensure that faculty and staff at all levels understand that is the singular priority and to give them the time and the support to fully implement these critical reforms.” The report advises the Alamo Colleges leadership to develop an explicit engagement strategy that evolves with the implementation of AlamoAdvise and AlamoInstitutes. The report emphasized this focus by noting fatigue from all the initiatives the Alamo Colleges has implemented in the last decade to create a unified institutional mission focused on student success and access. The report said while most of the initiatives have been successful, many faculty members, advisers, vice presidents and deans feel the scattered nature has been problematic. The report included the following anonymous quotes: “We are a mile wide and an inch deep.” “The strategy map changes every time we see it.” “The next big thing can’t be to add another big thing.” “We don’t have time to become great at anything.” “We follow the flavor of the month.” Aspen and Achieving the Dream stated its interviews with faculty and staff revealed the need for more time to focus to put these programs into action and emphasized faculty and staff only want to achieve quality. “The nation’s most successful community colleges — including Aspen prize winners Santa Barbara, Santa Fe, Valencia and Walla Walla — have all created that sense of urgency by concentrating on a few top priorities, communicating them clearly and repeatedly, and focusing on implementation until the work is completed,” the report said. “This is an opportunity to be capitalized upon: faculty and staff want to be excellent.”
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SAConnected
2 • Feb. 8, 2016
www.theranger.org/calendar
Boning up
Nursing sophomore Tanya Hernandez studies for, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Wednesday at the BioSpot in Room 350 of Chance. The BioSpot helps students study and prepare for class. It is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and offers free coffee for visitors. Vincent Reyna
Winner, winner Business administration freshman Felix Garza draws from a bucket of balls to win a redeemable prize in the mall Wednesday. Garza won a buy-one-get-one-lane-free for Bowlero, formerly AMF Country Lanes. The booth was run by teaching graduate Toby Nunley. Vincent Reyna
Showing concern Lisa Black, president of Faculty Senate, reacts to news from English Chair Mike Burton on losing credit hours to St. Philip’s College because of a difficult registration process at this college, Wednesday in Room 120 of the visual arts center. Robert Limon
Wanted
today tues Deadline: Last day to withdraw from 16-week semester for a 70 percent refund. PAC Event: Nursing program advising session with UT Health Science Center-San Antonio in one-on-one, 15-minute appointments 8 a.m.-noon Room 114 in Palomino Center. Call 210-486-3664. SAC Event: HIV and Hepatitis C testing, education and information distribution on AIDS Awareness Day sponsored by the San Antonio AIDS Foundation 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the mall. Free. SAC Event: MESA new member orientation 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Room 204 of Chance. Call 210-486-1825. Continues Tuesday with the addition of 6 p.m.
Deadline: First day to withdraw from 16-week semester for a 25 percent refund. Continues until Feb. 15. PAC Transfer: Texas A&MSan Antonio recruiters 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in student center. Call 210-486-3131. PAC Transfer: St. Mary’s University recruiters 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in student center. Call 210-486-3131. PAC Film: Black History Month Series: “Selma” 9:3011:45 a.m., noon-2:15 p.m., 2:30-4:45 p.m. in student center annex. Free. Call 210486-3125. PAC Transfer: University of Texas at San Antonio recruiters 10 a.m.–2 p.m. in student center. Call 210-486-3131.
SAC Meeting: Student Government Association noon1 p.m. in Craft Room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0133.
SAC Event: Mardi Gras celebration 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-4860125.
SAC Meeting: Club AMAR 3 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0601.
SAC Meeting: College Council 2-3:30 p.m. Room 120 in visual arts center. Call 210486-0957. PAC Event: “Dodgeball Sport Day” sponsored by campus recreation 2-3:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. Event: Spring Fling Chili Cook-off 4-6 p.m. at softball stadium parking lot. St. Mary’s University. Call 210-431-4379.
Network administrator sophomore Jamie Fenner asks Javier Arguello, San Antonio Police recruiting officer, about joining the police department Tuesday in the mall. Arguello distributed wristbands, pamphlets and pens to those who visited his table. He provided applications to interested students. Visit www.sapdcareers.com. Wally Perez
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SAC BHM: Buffalo Soldiers encampment 9 a.m.-noon in the mall.
PAC Event: Rodeo day hosted by the Lone Star Ag Club 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the central courtyard.
PAC Transfer: Texas A&M University-San Antonio recruiters 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in student center. Call 210-486-3131. PAC Event: IT mobile services are available for PAC students requiring technical support 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the student center annex. PAC Event: “Table Tennis Open” sponsored by campus recreation 1-3 p.m. in the gymnasium. SAC Transfer: MESA Presentation: Applying for fall transfer 3 p.m. in Room 204 of Chance. Call 210-486-1825. SPC Event: Ash Wednesday services 8:30-11:30 a.m. St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 12:303:30 p.m. St. Gerard’s Catholic Church.
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Deadline: Census Date for spring Start II session
SAC BHM: Dating Game 11 a.m. in cafeteria of Loftin. Free. Call 210-486-0598.
SAC Performance: Dallas Black Dance Theatre sponsored by the SAC Fine Arts and Cultural Series 7 p.m. in McAllister auditorium. Free. Call 210-486-0255.
PAC Transfer: Our Lady of the Lake University recruiters 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in student center. Call 210-486-3131. Event: Second Thursday with art, music, food and drinks 6-9 p.m. Continues second Thursdays. McNay, 600 N. New Braunfels. Call 210-824-5368.
Deadline: Registration for “Evening for Educators: German Exports” 5-8:30 p.m. Feb. 18. Teachers earn three hours continuing education credit. $5 members, $15 nonmembers. McNay, 600 N. New Braunfels. Email education@ mcnayart.org.
Event: Heart to Art: A Dozen Poses sponsored by Ryan Foerster & Jamie Alexander 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Brick, Blue Star Arts Complex. Minimum $5 donation at door for 18 or older.
Event: Art Party Gallery Talk and Art Party: “The Juiciest Tomato” 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free with museum admission. Continues second Fridays. SAMA, 200 W. Jones Call 210978-8100.
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Event: Trinity in focus: open house for prospective students and families to meet professors and current students and attend session on admissions, internships, study abroad and campus life. 7 a.m.-4 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University. Event: MathCounts for middle school students 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. in Conference Room A of University Center, St. Mary’s University. Call 210-436-3244 or ggomez18@stmarytx.edu. SPC Event: Young Leaders Conference, workshop sessions for high school seniors and juniors 8 a.m.-noon in Watson auditorium.
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SAC Event: Passport 2 Fitness contest offering health promotions office and office of student life. Pick up a passport from the fitness center, help desk or health promotions office in Loftin. Log activity and verify it each week. Continues through April 22. Call 210486-0127.
Lecture: Darwin Day Lecture with Eugenie C. Scott, former director of the National Center for Science Education, on controversy around the theory of evolution 7:30-9:30 p.m. Room 282 of the Center for Sciences and Innovation.
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SAC Event: STEM Week. Continues until Feb. 19. PAC deadline: Student trustee application deadline 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Room 101 in student center. PAC Transfer: University of Texas at San Antonio recruiters 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in student center. SAC Meeting: Society of Women Engineers 3-4 p.m. Room 204 of Chance.
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For coverage in SAConnected, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance. Visit theranger.org for more upcoming events.
News
www.theranger.org/news
Feb. 8, 2016 • 3
Integrated reading and writing developmental classes ‘real success’ 2014 English refresher data shows a 78.5 percent success rate in a higher level course at this college. By R. Eguia
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
This college piloted the current structure of developmental reading and writing classes in fall 2013 and officially launched in spring 2014. Data on the performance under this new structure in 2014 was published last week showing a 78.5 percent success rate in college-level courses at this college. Before 2014, developmental reading and writing classes were offered independently. Students would test into one of four developmental reading classes or one of two developmental English classes. English Chair Mike Burton said the fail rate in developmental English and reading classes used to be immense. Now developmental reading and writing classes are integrated. A student is placed in INRW courses after they take the TSI exam and do not meet college-level requirements for English or reading.
The TSI exam is a computerized test that will evaluate reading, writing and math skills to determine placement into college courses. It is required for most first-timein-college students at the Alamo Colleges since 2013. Once a student is determined to need developmental English or reading classes, they must enroll in the INRW refresher course, an eight-hour series of workshops that ends with an essay assessment that will determine which level of developmental classes a student will enroll in. All refresher courses are free for students because they are not forcredit college courses. Burton said about half of the students who complete the INRW refresher course advance at least one more level than the TSI exam initially placed them. “Refresher courses place students more accurately than just a TSI exam score alone,” Burton said. A student may be placed at one
of three levels beginning with the entry-level developmental class INRW 0305. The next level is INRW 0420, and the final level is a hybrid course called English Ready Set Go, which transitions developmental students into college-level English 1301. This course includes four weeks of INRW developmental training. Students who successfully complete the course will be automatically enrolled in a 12-week college-level ENGL 1301, Freshman Composition class. The integration of the developmental classes came after a national push to accelerate students through developmental courses and reduce the number of remedial courses, Burton said. INRW Coordinator Michelle Garza said the process “has been fun. Before this, it was so confusing for so long.” Garza coordinates the INRW Word Play lab in Rooms 118 and 122 of Gonzales Hall. The writing center and Word Play lab were separate until this semester.
Nursing freshman Huda Omer writes a paper in the English lab Wednesday in Room 203 of Gonzales. The lab is open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Word Play, the INRW Center, is open 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday. To schedule tutoring, call 210-4861616 and 210-486-1433 or visit Rooms 118, 122 and 203. Areana Rodriguez The Word Play lab is dedicated to developmental reading and writing students and is also open to all students who reserve a tutoring appointment. Garza said English and reading tutors are trained the same way and can help students in both labs.
For appointments, call at 210486-1616. “Students need human interaction,” Burton said. “Writing is interpersonal,” he continued. “We don’t want computer programs to baby-sit students.”
South San High School joins 10 early college partners District announces plan to include next high school in project. By R. Eguia
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Adjunct faculty members Randi Wayland and Dr. Gustavo Valadez Ortiz deliberate potential amendments to the adjunct handbook Wednesday during the Adjunct Faculty Council meeting in Room 129 of Gonzales. Read the story on www.theranger.org. Alison Graef
Distinguished graduates prepare to soar Selected students will promote graduation at several events and be honored online. By Tiffany Anne Bermea sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Students who earn their program’s distinguished graduate nomination will receive a variety of honors including a special graduation cord and a special ceremony. The deadline for the distinguished graduate applications was Monday. Students had a chance to apply toward the end of the last semester. Each department selected the winning candidate by Wednesday, when names were submitted to a student success representative. All students who are selected or denied are notified by email. Applicants needed a minimum GPA of 3.2 and plan to participate in the graduation ceremony this May. They also had to be available to participate in events promoting graduation. Students who applied to be distinguished graduates had to submit an application including an essay explaining how their experience with their major at this college has influenced their path toward graduation. Students were to write a biography that will be posted online and submit an inspi-
rational quote with the name of the original author. They also needed to sign a statement that they are willing to participate in service projects to promote graduation. If they choose not to complete the requirements, the result could be a rescindment of the award. “These are events that are during graduation push week,” said Lauren Sjulin, coordinator of student success. Although there aren’t that many events going on, Sjulin said, “right now, there’s transfer and career fairs that they can volunteer for.” Service projects run from late February through mid-April. Sjulin said on Tuesday, “There are 55 applications that are going to different departments.” When a distinguished graduate is selected, they will receive a graduation cord, their names will be added to the Distinguished Graduate department plaque and they’ll receive a formal certificate and a T-shirt. Students also will have their picture, biography and inspirational quote on this college’s website and will have a president’s reception in their honor. Contact Chaye Peña in the office of the vice president for student success at apena259@ alamo.edu or Sjulin at 210-486-0393.
South San High School is the 11th high school to partner with Alamo Colleges for early college high school programs and the fifth high school to partner with Palo Alto College. South San students who are interested in the early college option must submit a student commitment application by the end of spring to be considered for 2016-2017 South San Early College High School. Two colleges are still accepting applications, Seguin Early College High School until Feb. 12 and Comal Independent School District Memorial Early College High School until March 11. The first class enrolled in the early college program at South San High School last year was composed of 137 students. Those students began their first college-level course at the high school in January, Janice Hernandez, South San public information officer, said. “Many of the students in the first class will be the first-generation college graduates in their family. The parents have been very supportive and are motivated by the program to make sure their kids are successful,” Hernandez said. Monica Ayala-Jimenez, Palo Alto director of high schools, said about 85 percent of freshmen who began the program last spring are attending at least one class on the Palo Alto campus. Dr. Jo-Carol Fabianke, vice chancellor for academic success, said the Alamo Colleges will be partnering with Judson High School next. Judson Independent School District already has an early college academy partnered with Northeast Lakeview College and will now extend this partnership to Judson High School next. Fabianke is part of an unofficial cross college task force that works with superintendents from various K-12 school districts to coordinate dual credit efforts in all high schools. She said the Texas Legislature has recently expanded the margins of dual credit so that earning college credit in any high school is more accessible. The task force has been working with an organization called Educate Texas that assists in policy development for high schools and community colleges to speed up the availability of dual credit classes to all high school students.
“We have been meeting together to develop recommendations for our district since December,” she said. “We will continue into March.” All South San students are eligible; there is no minimum grade-point average, only a willingness to complete school and be a first-time ninth-grade student in the fall of this year who met all requirements for promotion from eighth to ninth grade. Applicants must take the TSI exam in addition to submitting the application to be placed in appropriate college level courses. The TSI exam is a computerized test that will evaluate reading, writing and math skills to determine placement into college courses. It is required for most students who will be first-time-in-college students since 2013. Students cannot pass or fail the TSI assessment. A student will either be enrolled in a collegelevel course that matches skill level or placed in the appropriate developmental course to improve for success in college-level courses. The student commitment application includes a full essay requirement and teacher recommendation forms. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Only 175 South San students will be admitted into the early college. All applicants will be interviewed and selected in an open lottery process. Students selected for the Early College Academy must attend a mandatory two-week Summer Bridge program at Palo Alto scheduled for July 25-Aug. 6. The application form can be downloaded at www.southsanisd.net/Page/3944.
Early college high schools
• South San High School with Palo Alto • Harlendale High School with Palo Alto • Judson Early College Academy With Northeast Lakeview • Comal ISD Memorial Early College High School with St. Philip’s • SAISD Brackenridge Early College High School with St. Philip’s • St. Philip’s College Early College High School with SAISD on St. Philip’s campus • Seguin Early College High School with St. Philip’s • New Frontiers Charter School with Palo Alto • Travis Early College High School with this campus • Somerset Early College Leadership Academy (ECLA) with Palo Alto • Southside Independent School District Early College High School ACES with Palo Alto
Prem
4 • www.theranger.org/premiere
There’s more to love than you might think Psychology, sociology and chemistry all play big parts in that special feeling.
Next, similar socioeconomic class, age, nationality, political/ethical views and other factors also contribute to what people look for when they’re attracted to someone, she said. By Wally Perez Physical attraction is another key part of attraction; it’s gperez239@student.alamo.edu said that men and women actually rate physical attraction as Imagine talking to someone attractive; the heart may race, the No. 1 factor when looking for a partner, she said. palms may sweat, a sense of nervousness and a warm fuzzy “Body chemistry is the final step in attraction; this feeling may occur in your chest. includes that feeling of a spark between two people which This may seem like the generic feeling of emotion when our hormones are responsible for,” Hill said. people meet that special someone, but there’s more to it Once these connections have been made and both parthan that. ties agree to, they can move on and build a There are different factors that cause relationship from there if desired, she said. We believe these these feelings or sensations psychologiThe happy, warm feeling that people ‘fairy tale’ narratives cally and chemically. think of is also not always the case. exist in life because Some say it was love at first sight, or There is a drastic change and depiction we’ve read stories they just knew they met the right person. of what love is and why it’s there when that depict and Psychology adjunct Pamela Hill has social behaviors are brought up in the taught human sexuality at this college for conversation. idealize true love. six years and said love is quite the mystery. Brittany Chozinski, sociology profesBrittany Chozinski, “There is not a single set definition of sor at Northeast Lakeview, said that we sociology Professor love; we often think of romance, passion would never fall in love if we had never or a longing when we think of it,” Hill said. heard of it. “What some people may not realize is that love can exist “We believe these ‘fairy tale’ narratives exist in life without these ideas.” because we’ve read stories that depict and idealize true love,” The idea of passion and romance can usually be seen with Chozinski said. young couples, while intimacy and commitment are seen “Take Romeo and Juliet for example — it’s a story about with older mature couples, she said. two teenagers who have a four-day relationship and are Hill said attraction is the first step in the journey of love. responsible for six deaths, yet we think of this as an iconic There are four principles that contribute to the initial love story; you have to be told a love story before you can stage of attraction. believe in it.” “First, people are usually attracted to someone they see People also tend to think of love as a sort of social glue; it every week,” Hill said. “Someone like a coworker or a classcan be a means of holding our social lives together, she said. mate are common persons of interest.” “Social contexts of which people are raised in also contribute to emotions; if you grow up in a caring family, chances are you’ll grow up to be a caring person and vice versa,” Chozinski said. Chemistry Professor Usha Krishnan found the connection of love and science to be interesting. “When you think about love, you sometimes meet people who say it was love at first sight, or that they just
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knew that they met the right person,” Krishnan said. “When you get that sensation or that feeling of anxiety, or that fast-paced heartbeat, what’s actually happening is that there are a cocktail of chemicals being released in your brain.” These chemicals are neurotransmitters. These are chemicals in the brain that communicate information throughout our brain and body. There are many hormones that create the sensation of love. Chemicals that contribute to these feelings include dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine, endorphins and serotonin, which are referred to as “feel good” chemicals, she said. “The same kind of chemicals are found when a person is addicted to something like drugs,” Krishnan said. “In a sense, addiction is related to the feeling of love.” It also explains the feelings of sorrow or depression when there is a breakup in a relationship. These painful feelings are similar to the feeling of an addict going through withdrawal symptoms, she said. Although the topic was not something Krishnan had thought about, she believes it’s intriguing. “ Us u a l l y, when you talk about science, it’s more along the lines of something that can be measured or being able to conduct proof for something,” Krishnan said. “Maybe one day we can find the right person just by measuring the right amount of a certain chemical.”
Chocolate set to flow Trinity University hosts the Chocolate Festival for students, faculty and staff. By Tiffany Anne Bermea sac-ranger@alamo.edu
If chocolate is the key to your heart on Valentine’s Day, a festival that provides free samples of the sweet concoction may be the right place to warm up for the holiday this year. The chocolate festival, hosted by the Student Programming Board at Trinity, is one of the school’s most popular events, according to the university website. The festival will be from 2:30-5
Running with heart Deadline is Thursday for students running in 5K to support people with disabilities Valentine’s Day weekend. By Hillary Ratcliff
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
This college is putting together a team of individuals for the first time to participate in the 27th annual Cupid’s Chase 5K run 10 a.m. Saturday at O.P. Schnabel Park, 9606 Bandera Road. The Cupid’s Chase 5K, sponsored by Community Options Inc., is a national event to support people with disabilities. The race always takes place the Saturday before Valentine’s Day and was named Cupid’s Chase because Valentine’s Day is a day to spread and show love, said Regional Vice President Chandy Davis of Community Options San Antonio. The 5K honors disabled people with love and care, Davis said.
Community Options selected 31 cities across the country to host the race. San Antonio is one of five cities in Texas. All cities will have the race on Saturday starting at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. on the eve of Valentine’s Day. Davis has been with the company for 12 years. Out of all the fundraisers, she finds Cupid’s Chase to be the most extraordinary. She said the event helps “put out community awareness,” and described those the event supports as “the fabric of their communities.” The San Antonio chapter supports 70 peo-
p.m. Friday on the Memorial Coates Esplanade at Trinity is free to the Trinity community, including students, faculty and staff. Esther Kim, coordinator for student programs, said, “We have student organizations participating, and 16 competing in the competition, including Filipino Student Association, Tiger Stand Band, Zeta Chi, Indian Student Association, Women in Computing, Alpha Epsilon Delta and a handful more.” These organizations will serve free chocolates at the festival. They will include chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate fondue, various choc-
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olate cakes, brownies, white chocolate cheesecake, peppermint bark and cookies. “It is funded through the Student Programming Board each year, but the chocolate is made and ordered through Aramark on campus,” Kim said. The university will host competitions such as chocolate bake-offs, including a contest to find who can bake chocolate with the most exciting recipe. The other competitions include presentation, taste and creativity.
ple with disabilities. Proceeds from the 5K will help fund their care and activities such as a trip to this year’s Special Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Of this year’s $4,500 campaign goal, 65 percent had already been raised as of Feb. 2. The local chapter expects 200 people to participate, including the 70 clients and their families. As of now, 80 to 100 people are registered to race. Marisa Martinez, intramurals coordinator at this college, said students had asked her about any running events for the semester. As there is no track team here, Martinez
Kim said will receive a $ place will receive third place winn gift card.” There will also dic songwriter Joh “We chose thought he was entertainer,” Kim The Chocolat spring traditions For more in Esther Kim, coor programs, at ek 210-999-7547.
found an event that sup and gave running enth participate in this seme “This gives faculty the opportunity to par especially those who alone,” Martinez said. The registration fe college’s team, and the is Thursday. Students can expe detailed information to the event, waivers an To sign up, visit th in Room 260A of Loftin more information, call 0129 or email mmartin To register as an ind race applications are $3 For information ab call 210-212-4969, e comop.org or visit ww schase/. The Comm Antonio office is at 26 101 North.
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Feb. 8, 2016 • 5
Searching for love in the information age Mobile dating apps continue to evolve. By R. Eguia
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Popular mobile dating app Tinder has coined the term “swipe right” now used in casual conversation as a phrase to describe the acceptance of something. The phrase is also seen on screen T-shirts in any mall and was recently used as the title for a column dedicated to “online dating for the real world.” Yet after talking to many users of various mobile dating apps on campus, almost 100 percent of those willing to talk about their experiences were unwilling to go on record with those experiences. An anonymous female student summed up why: “No one is who they really are online.” She said she has used traditional mobile apps Tinder, PlentyofFish and Okcupid with nominal success. She recalls being “catphished” by a man on Okcupid. According to the Better Business Bureau, catphishing is a new label for an old scam. It refers to someone who ations by Estefania B. Alonso claims to be seeking a romantic attachment but who is really d, “First place winner setting someone up for $100 gift card, second financial fraud. e a $50 gift card and “I found the profile picture he used on a gay porn site ner will receive a $25 and asked him about it,” the student said. “He had ripped the greasy six-pack picture from the site to attract people.” o be music by comeMore recent mobile dating apps have been introduced hn Raymond Fisher. to curb these criticisms, like Hinge, which prides itself on him because we matching participants with friends of friends unlike traa great and funny ditional mobile dating apps that match people based on m said. preferences and location. te Festival is part of Holly Holmes, a psychology major graduating this at Trinity. semester, talked about her experience on OKcupid. nformation, contact rdinator for student kim1@trinity.edu or
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“I thought I was going to end up with someone from online dating because I was online so much when I was single but my inbox was always flooded,” she said. “Women receive tons more emails than men. Some messages tried really hard, like pages of poetry and compliments, and some people just sent a message that said ‘hey. ’ How are you supposed to respond to that?” A newer mobile dating app launched in 2014 called Bumble, known as the feminist app, eliminates this criticism by allowing only females to initiate a conversation after a “match” has been made. Computer science sophomore Clement Fleming has never used any mobile dating apps, but he said he understands why people do it. “There is nothing like a first approach,” Fleming said. “Meeting someone in real life and feeling all five senses. That’s how real love happens. There is nothing like it.” A new mobile dating app launched in 2014 called Happn aims to localize matchmaking by linking people who have actually crossed paths in real life. Happn requires users to link their Facebook account and promises to never publish exact GPS locations of users, only the places where they have crossed paths with another Happn user. Ray ONeil, KSYM radio’s “Night Moves” co-host, said he refuses to use the apps. He referred to the mobile app Plenty of Fish as Plenty of f ***. ”That’s just how men and women work. They want to stack the promiscuous deck. People get caught up with instant gratification and these apps make it so easy to cheat,” ONeil said. Adultery and infidelity are a huge criticism mentioned by many users of these apps. Apps like Ashley Madison, designed for users who are looking to cheat on a spouse are in demand. Avid Life Media, Ashley Madison’s parent company, claims that regardless of the recent hack, people are still using the service. Hundreds of thousands allegedly signed up following the hack in August of last year which leaked more than 25 gigabytes of company data, including user profiles. ONeil said he is not “vanilla” and there are plenty of community groups that cater to his sexual preferences like polyamorous swingers, BDSM enthusiasts and various other non“vanilla” community needs that supersede a need for a dating app. Mobile dating apps like FarmersOnly, Gluten-Free Singles and TallFriends also cater to various niche markets.
Sociology Professor Cynthia Flores-Martinez said these niche market apps could be good for developing relationships because so many similar interests are already shared. Flores-Martinez teaches a chapter on online dating in her SOCI 2301, Marriage and the Family, course. The previous textbook did not include this chapter. Data included in that chapter said, “Based on a sample of 2,252 adults, 38 percent of Americans are single and actively looking for a partner have used online dating. Of these, 66 percent have been on a date with someone they have met online. Almost a quarter of those have met their spouse or long term partner using these apps, “according to a Smith and Duggan 2013 study. “It’s very relevant. I think children who grew up with the internet will likely use the dating apps even more than they are currently being used if mobile app designers and companies continue to evolve and change to people’s needs,” Flores-Martinez said. Match Group, the company behind dating apps Match and Tinder, filed to go public in 2014. The filings show Match generated $888.3 million in revenue in 2014, and $483.8 million in the first six months of last year.. “I am not judging people who use them; I am just old school,” ONeil said. “I lived without this technology for so long it just feels like there is something lost. There is something so organic about meeting someone in the universe. I don’t want to be on the prowl.” That is the main distinction of looking for love or letting love find you.
Senior prom
District 4 seniors to dance the day away at Palo Alto College. By Rebecca Nicole Flores sac-ranger@alamo.edu
An estimated 350 senior citizens are expected to put on their boogie shoes and attend a dance full of fun, food, music and laughter at this year’s District 4 Senior Sweetheart Dance, hosted for the first time by Palo Alto College, said Timothy Salas, chief of staff for District 4 City Councilman Rey Saldaña. Saldaña encourages local seniors ages 60 and older to attend the dance 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday at the PAC gymnasium, Salas said. Although the dance is usually at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, construction led to its relocation. Jerry Arellano, director of public
relations at PAC, looked forward to the event on campus. “This is an opportunity for Palo Alto to collaborate with community partners to allow older generations to come celebrate on our campus,” Arellano said.
Sara and Ysrael Garcia, from the Willie M. Cortez Senior Multi-Service Center, plan on attending the dance. “We are going to go as the King and Queen from Willie Cortez, and we are honored,” Sara Garcia said. “I have a new dress that is long and
very lovely. My daughter helped me pick it out.” Guests will not only enjoy music provided by a DJ, but will also be entertained by a mariachi band of students from South San High School. Selrico Services will cater a lunch that includes roast beef, mashed potatoes and a roll. To RSVP, email district4@sanantonio.gov or call 210-207-0880. Students wanting to volunteer with the city’s senior services should call Angel Lerma at 210-207-5843.
6 • Feb. 8, 2016
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Managing Editor Mandy Derfler Assistant Managing Editor – Features Wally Perez Staff Writers Tiffany Anne Bermea, Sarah Duffy, R. Eguia, Rebecca Nicole Flores, R.A. Gallardo, Tim Hernandez, Melissa Luna, Jerico Magallanes, Angie Saenz, C.J. Tavera, Jeff Tomecsko, Alexis D. Vega Photographers David Guel, Hillary E. Ratcliff, Vince Reyna Photo Team Janell Arnold, Brandon A. Edwards, Alison M. Graef, Raffy Gubser, Robert Limon, Aly Miranda, Ryann Palacios, Aaron Ricon, Areana Rodriguez Video Team Jose Arredondo, Alejandro Diaz, Katelynn Alexa Garcia, Jon Hernandez, Ty-Eisha Johnson Illustrators Estefania B. Alonso, Juan Carlos Campos Alexandra Nelipa Copy Editor Carlos Ferrand Distribution Manager Shelly Delgado
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©2016 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 782124299. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. The Ranger news outlets, which serve the Alamo Community College District, are laboratory projects of journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications at San Antonio College. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations. The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger. org. News contributions accepted by telephone (210-486-1773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email (sac-ranger@alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available by phone 210-4861765 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 emailed to sac-ranger@alamo. edu. Letters also may be brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, mailed to The Ranger, Department of Media Communications, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-4299 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.
Juan Carlos Campos
President needs to plan logically Adjuncts shouldn’t be sacrificed to poor budget projections. An ivory tower is how the surrounding neighborhood, whose average household income is $12,000, describes this college, President Robert Vela said. An ivory tower refers to the isolation of academia from surrounding community. What would those families think if they knew Vela said he is not too worried about a $4 million shortfall, which represents 6.2 percent of this college’s $65 million budget? For a $12,000 household, that’s the equivalent of losing $744 from their yearly earnings, or almost 75 percent of one month’s earnings. That could be disastrous for one of these families. Vela says he is planning to reach out to those disenfranchised households. We hope that he can and that sensitivity to their economic disadvantages keeps him from overestimating the college budget again.
Missing a budget projection by $4 million isn’t something you should just shrug off as if you forgot your wallet when you go to lunch with friends. This college’s enrollment has shown a decline the last few semesters despite the rapid growth of San Antonio. So why budget for an extra $4 million this fiscal year? That potentially could cost adjuncts their jobs or the slashing of more college services. That will prove even more valuable to a disadvantaged student than the average student. And please don’t let this lead to yet another tuition increase. The very adjuncts who could be lost could be the very instructors who are best suited to work with economically at-risk students. They may be the ones involved making sure that these students do not give up on their dreams. To put this shortfall into perspective, under the current tuition rate, $4 million
could pay for a 12-credit course load for 4,813 nearby residents, or 25 percent of the total reported registered students as of Jan. 6, according to the most recent information technology service update from Thomas Cleary, vice chancellor of performance, planning, accreditation and information systems. Sure, the operations and financial aid budgets are completely separate, but the significance of this budget shortfall still stands. If Vela truly wants to help these families who feel their neighborhood campus might as well be in another dimension when it comes to their dreams, he should make sure such a significant budget shortfall never happens again. If it does, it should not be the adjuncts who suffer but the accountants and administrators who failed to make an accurate projection based on the enrollment trends of this college. It’s hard to shrug off a budget shortfall, if it’s your neck on the line.
Kudos to INWR Listen to Aspen Losing noncredit courses saves time and money. For some students the biggest barrier to success when entering college is having to go through the refresher programs that eat away at students’ time and money. With a national push to accelerate refresher courses, this college’s integrated reading and writing program, in just a couple of years, has become an amazing success. The fact that the program focuses on moving students on to their English core as soon as four weeks rather than wasting a semester on hammering away at concepts students could have already wrapped their head around is a god-send. There are students who are working and putting themselves through community college who want to move on as quickly as possible and being stuck in a 16-week, noncredit refresher course could deter them from continuing. Perhaps the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board should take notes from the INRW program as students have exceeded the testing level. English Chair Mike Burton said, “Students need human interaction. Writing is an interpersonal. We don’t want computer programs to baby sit students.” This approach has led to the great success of this college’s integrated writing and reading program.
Too many initiatives leave employees spinning. A report from Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program found faculty are suffering from “initiative fatigue” from the mountain of new programs piling up over the last 10 years. Between AlamoAdvise, AlamoInstitutes, “Four Disciplines of Excellence,” Wildly Important Goals, Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” eLumen and the reporting of student learning outcomes, online educational resource, the integration of English and reading remedial classes, the Texas Success Initiative exam, Early Alert for students who aren’t doing well, midterm grades, submission of grade spreadsheets at the end of the semester and whatever else we forgot because we’re exhausted just listing it: Teachers don’t have time to teach. The people who suffer from these overwhelming burdens
are not just the overworked faculty, but the students who lose time in and out of classrooms because a teacher has to take time away from class to explain some random quote of the day, regurgitate district propaganda or create spreadsheets on grade progress for adults who should be capable of self-monitoring. But that’s not the only reason faculty are feeling jaded about the changes enacted recently. The report hit home when it said Aspen prize winners succeed because they not only focus on one or two priorities, but because they focus on “communicating them clearly and repeatedly.” Communication is a luxury in this district. Decisions are approved behind closed doors and imposed without anyone knowing they were coming. Efforts to ooze success have created an atmosphere of discontent and apathy. To succeed, the district needs to lighten up and communicate.
News
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Feb. 8, 2016 • 7
Low gas prices relieve consumers U.S. fracking causes a glut in the global crude oil market driving prices down. By Tim Hernandez
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Students at this college have felt some relief thanks to the downturn of gasoline prices in the last half-year. As the new semester gets underway, some students voiced their appreciation for the additional funds in their monthly budgets. Biology sophomore Victoria “Tori” Meza said she could tell she had extra funds at the end of each month. “I save the excess money in case of an unexpected emergency. I do use some of the savings to buy some treats for my dogs and to occasionally do something relaxing,” she said. Marketing freshman Megan Alcala, who has a spouse and a 1-year-old daughter, said, “I can tell we have money left and I usually spend it to buy more groceries for the household.” Kinesiology freshman Patrick Elizondo said he feels a little freer in his spending. “I go out to eat or perhaps buy some more clothes. Before I had to be more careful with spending.” Civil engineering sophomore Alex Zavala said, “I notice I’m saving more on gas. It’s helpful, especially now with school starting. It helps pay for books. I feel like I don’t have to stretch my dollar as much as I used to.” Several factors have caused the price of gasoline to drop to $1.58 a gallon within the last six months. Political science Professor Suzanne Martinez said, “One factor is national and state policy has helped
to bring about reduced gasoline prices and this helps consumers across social economic lines.” She referred to the lifting of government restrictions on the use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, by the American oil and gas industry and its impact on the crude oil global market. Additional crude oil, which was previously unavailable on the market, created a glut on the global market driving the price of a barrel of crude down from about $48 per barrel in late July 2015 to about $28 on Jan. 20, 2016. During the fracking process, a drilling rig is used to drill down into the ground and then a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected into shale rock formations. This process fractures the shale rock causing it to release natural gas and crude oil contained within the rock. Fracking is far less expensive than deep well drilling operations, which attracted investors and almost overnight the race was on for natural gas and crude from these new operations to market to show a profit as quickly as possible. In April 2011, a barrel of crude sold for $113.57. By mid-February 2014, the average price dropped to $109.59 and, by late July, the price dropped even further to $101.63. But the true impact would not be felt until 2015. By mid-March the price of crude
oil had dropped to about $42 per barrel. In early May, the price of crude was $61.83 per barrel, most likely because of speculation regarding summer travel, but the comeback didn’t last past the end of the month and the price of oil began to drop further. By late August, the price was $38.44 per barrel. In early to midOctober the price of crude had risen back up to almost $50 per barrel, again most likely driven by speculation regarding travel during the holiday season, but the price of gasoline at the pump continued to fall to $1.92 per gallon, down from $2.04 at the beginning of the month. On Jan. 22, the city wide average for a gallon of gasoline in San Antonio was $1.61, a significant decrease of 96 cents, or 37.4 percent, from the $2.57 average price per gallon for June 2015. 2015 also saw the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran that have been in place since the Carter administration during the late 1970s. A great amount of speculation has been voiced surrounding the impact that Iran, now free to participate in the global crude oil market, will have on crude oil prices in the near future. Many pundits fear that this latest change in the global landscape will only serve to drive the price of crude oil to all time-lows and will impact the stability of the stock market. Not all experts share the same fear regarding the possibility of further crude oil price drops in the near future because of Iran’s re-entry into the global market.
Damon Ornelas, radio-television-broadcasting sophomore, fuels his vehicle before class Tuesday at the Valero on San Pedro across from campus. “I’m glad the prices are down because it is less of an impact on my wallet,” Ornelas said. “But I’m also curious how they are able to be low. What are we sacrificing?” Ryann Palacios “If we’re not depending as much on Middle East oil, then that can be a positive for the U.S.,” Martinez said. “It provides the U.S. a little more leverage if we are free from political restraints associated with national interest based on business markets.” Economics Professor Cyril Morong said some people are saving the money against the future because they might be unsure about the permanence of the reduced gas prices. “Iran will have an impact,” Morong said. “Any slight increase in supply means a big drop in price. The extra oil from Iran is an example of that.” The New York Times international business reporters Clifford Krauss and Stanley Reed reported on Jan. 18 that the prospect of Iranian oil entering the global market caused the price of a barrel of oil to drop further below $30 per barrel.
The oil and gas industry has cited dropping crude oil prices for layoffs and more are expected in 2016, Nathan Bomey of USA TODAY wrote Dec. 31. How much the average consumer concerns themselves with these issues may vary, but Professor Thomas E. Billimek, chair of psychology and sociology, said, “Most people are probably happy that prices have come down so much. I can’t imagine that people would be upset about oil companies making less money.” “I don’t know if the general population has a real concern about these types of things. In a lot of ways, we are insulated from those things unless we are directly impacted by them,” he said. All price data was sourced from: http://kpho.membercenter.worldnow.com/category/213277/historicalprice-charts-feed
Dropping crude price causes concern By Tim Hernandez
that money would go to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.” The downward trend in crude oil prices How much impact the drop in crude oil over the last seven months has caused con- prices has on the oil and gas industry job cern over future prospects among students market is yet to be seen, but Professor Ronald enrolled in the oil and gas technology pro- K. Brown, the program’s lead instructor, said gram at Palo Alto College. “The production side is the area that is being Valentino Casias, a sophomore in the pro- hit. The process side is coming up because gram, said, “I got concerned about it a little. of the need for more refinery workers to proMr. Alvarado reassured me cess the influx of crude in the that the training would help in market.” other companies. Other fields Brown told his students For more other than oil.” not to be overly concerned information, call Casias had kept his eye on about the changing demand oil and gas the oil industry as a possible for new employees in the oil technology at new career field and opted to and gas industries. (210) 486-3330. enroll before prices dropped. “The training allows them “The boost in the oil to go across industries,” industry made me decide to check out the Brown said. “Utilities such as CPS Energy and program,” he said. “I had been watching it for SAWS, and chemical companies like Dow, awhile.” Dupont, the big ones, do have a need for Another sophomore in the program, people with the skills taught in the program. Samuel Richard said, “I graduated high school Brown mentioned one graduate who is during the height of the boom. I didn’t know working at Calumet Specialty Products what I wanted to do with my life. I heard Partners, near South Presa, making six figures. about the program and decided to give it a PAC began offering the program in the shot.” fall of 2013 in support of the Eagle Ford Shale Richard shared Casias’ concerns. “At first, fracking operations. The program is a stacked maybe it made me a bit nervous, but when I model program designed to take two years met people in the field, they told me to relax to complete. During the first four months, and that I would be able to find a job.” students earn an entry-level certificate that is Richard is willing to travel for work but did applied to the associate degree. set some limitations for himself. “If I wasn’t The Texas Workforce Commission Skills able to find a job locally, I would be willing Development Fund provided the college with to travel to find a job in the country or even $300,000 for training equipment. The trainoutside of the country,” he said. ing equipment provides hands-on experience “I wouldn’t be willing to travel to the for students that is consistent with industry Middle East to work, because I think a lot of standards. sac-ranger@alamo.edu
“There are times when you want to cry, there are times when you want to scream and there are times when you want to laugh because you are so happy,” President Robert Vela said of student emotions. Vela addressed concerns at Pizza with the President Wednesday in the Fiesta Room. Tiffany Anne Bermea
PIZZA from Page 1 McCreless, and wondered how this college could relocate those courses. Social work student Rebecca Palmer voiced concern about a lack of resources for “underprivileged degrees” in non-STEM programs. Vela, who said he prefers to use “STEAM” to incorporate the arts in the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, said, “We have advising pods for all institutes.” He encouraged students to take pride in their studies and “have a plan and be active with your advisers.” Dr. Lisa Alcorta, interim vice president of student success, offered to speak with Palmer after the forum about assistance on how to pursue her career. Alcorta studied social work at Our Lady of the Lake University. SGA President Harley Williams asked for progress
on the new Veterans Victory Center. Vela voiced a desire to include all military service members such as active duty, despite the name. Social work student Ryan Mixon asked about resources for homeless students, in particular those battling hunger. Vela said this college offers a food pantry program that students can participate in. Vela also addressed prices in the cafeteria and how this college is working with Lancer’s Hospitality Food Service to find both affordable and diverse options. Liberal arts student Ashley Cortez asked for advice for students who are parents or have begun a career and are returning to school. Vela recommended time management, stress management, commitment and staying motivated. Mixon returned with a question about open carry and its application on this
campus. Vela said this college will have to respect the law starting in fall 2017. Until then, Vela said he is working with Alamo Colleges’ attorneys to prepare this college. SGA Secretary Frederico Gonzalez-Vidal said there was a “pretty good turnout.” About 60 people attended the hourlong session. Gonzalez-Vidal also said SGA Treasurer Chris Lopez is working with Vela and the Alamo Colleges board of trustees on disabled access on campus. Prior to the forum, SGA members encouraged students to sign motivational banners. Education student Jake Crevino wrote “fighting for a better cause as one” on a banner that reads “this is what community-engaged means to me … ” Crevino said he wrote his message because it “takes more than one person to make an impact.”
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8 • Feb. 8, 2016
Pulse
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Above: Ranger guard Cody Hasting’s impressive defense forces Wildcat forward Rick O’Neal into a turnover midway through the first period Wednesday in Huisache Hall at Northwest Vista College. Hastings’ consistent defensive efforts weren’t enough to slow down the Wildcats as they cruised to a 107-70 win over the Rangers. Brandon A. Edwards
Right: Criminal justice sophomore John McVea goes up strong against Wildcat center Dave Martin Wednesday in Huisache Hall. McVea had a heavy workload in the Rangers 107-70 loss tonight tallying up 20 points and eight rebounds, two rebounds shy of a double double. Go online for more photos. Brandon A. Edwards
Ranger guard Calvin Henly adjusts out of shot to set up Ranger center John McVea for an easy 2-point basket Wednesday in Huisache Hall. This play helped the Rangers spark a late first half comeback against the Wildcats cutting a 20-point deficit down to just 9 points. Brandon A. Edwards
Kinesiology sophomore Cody Hastings is fouled hard Monday by UIW shooting guard Ethan Gonzalez. Gonzalez was initially charged with a flagrant two foul, but after brief official discussion, the foul was reduced to an over-the-back foul. The Rangers lost to the UIW club team 97-84. Brandon A. Edwards
UIW guards Jack Becker and Marcus Perez and center Matt Casillas attempt to disrupt criminal justice sophomore John McVea’s put back lay-up Monday in Candler. UIW’s stingy defense held the Rangers to just 8 points in the first 5:20 of regulation. The Rangers were unable to recover and fell to the UIW club team 97-84. Go online for more photos. Brandon A. Edwards