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Volume 91 Issue 13 • March 6, 2017
210-486-1773 • Single copies free
NAACP member demands college autonomy
Three marches, one exhibit
Page 3
Page 4
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TCCTA lobbyist addresses community college concerns
Meteorologist says tornadoes are difficult to predict African festival video at www.theranger.org Magazine journalist reads at Trinity University Center encourages CLEP for testing out of classes
PAC helps DSS students gain employment Students with disabilities take pride in being college students. By Zachary-Taylor Wright zwright9@student.alamo.edu
equipment around here and they didn’t even take the gear out of your (office).”
The disability support services center at Palo Alto College described the success of the Project Access program and plans to expand it at Palo Alto and to other Alamo Colleges at the regular board meeting Tuesday at Killen Center. According to the presentation, Project Access is designed to teach students with intellectual disabilities at Palo Alto College hirable skills, culminating in the acquisition of a general office Level I certificate. Chancellor Bruce Leslie said the program is unusual because it offers students with disabilities hirable skills. Leslie said most higher education programs for students with disabilities focus solely on social skills and are not degreeearning, but Project Access offers job-creating courses. According to the presentation, Project Access was launched in August with seven students enrolled in six credit hours and is experiencing a 100 percent student persistence rate by this semester. Students who participate in Project Access take a total of 16 credit hours over three semesters with the opportunity to
See BURGLED, Page 7
See ACCESS, Page 7
Music business program Coordinator Donnie Meals looks over his desk after campus investigators left his office Wednesday in Room 116 of Longwith. Meals’ office was one of four broken into overnight. Kristel Orta-Puente
Longwith burgled; equipment safe Cash, credit card and laptop were stolen. By James Dusek
jdusek3@student.alamo.edu
Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building was broken into late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. Housekeeping reported the incident to the police between 6 and 7 a.m. Wednesday. Though doors, cabinets and a lockbox were pried open, the majority of the building’s valuable equipment and studios remained untouched. Seven doors on the building’s first floor were opened. Small marks on the corners of the doors suggest a flat-head screw-
driver was used to open them, Donnie Meals, music business program coordinator, said. The offices of Meals; Markene Bennett, radio-TVbroadcasting program coordinator; Joel Knocke, communication design program coordinator; and Judy Kabo, academic unit assistant, were burgled. Meals confirmed a collegeissued MacBook and $80 of his personal cash from an envelope in his desk had been stolen. Kabo reported a missing purchasing card, a credit card issued by the district for department-related purchases. A lockbox in Kabo’s office was pried open, but she could not confirm if anything inside
was missing. Kabo said her door, desk drawer, cabinet and the lockbox were opened. The burglar or burglars pried open two doors to access the hallway containing the disturbed offices. In doing so, they bypassed the equipment room and two other offices. “It’s their path that I find surprising,” Meals said. The equipment room contains audio and video equipment worth thousands, Meals said. “Very odd, to just break into offices,” John Onderdonk, radio-TV-broadcasting professor and KSYM faculty adviser, said to Meals. “We’ve got a lot of
Seven doors were pried open when Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building was broken into. James Dusek
Campus-carry policy still under discussion
Reading between the lines
The law will affect community colleges this fall.
To avoid being bamboozled by fake news, students need to read past headlines, keep personal biases in check and find sources that corroborate the story, a librarian told students Feb. 23 in a workshop at this college. A group of 16 students discussed the rising prevalence of fake news stories with Dehlia Wallis, coordinator for the Honors Academy, and Celita Avila, a reference librarian, in the Honors Academy of Chance Academic Center. “Fake news used to be
By Wally Perez
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Individuals at the Alamo Colleges should expect to see — really, not see — students, faculty or staff carrying concealed handguns come August. The campus-carry law, which allows handguns on university campuses and other locations associated with institutions of higher education, has been in effect at four-year universi-
ties since Aug. 1. Community colleges, such as the Alamo Colleges, have had an extra year to strategize and prepare for the law. District General Counsel Ross Laughead heads the campus carry committee and said members had a chance to look at what the fouryear institutions have done and potentially mirror their implementation of the law. The University of Texas system is one of the
Students learn to identify fake news. By Austin P. Taylor sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Wally Perez universities the committee has monitored, as well as the Texas A&M system and Texas State University. Laughead said the chief
See CARRY, Page 7
trapped in the tabloids, but that changed when the internet came around,” Avila said during her presentation, “Battling the Scourge of Fake News.” Avila proposed three key questions to the students. “How do you keep up with current events? What does a reliable source look like? Can you define the word truth?” she asked. For three minutes the students discussed these questions among themselves. A majority of the students cited social media as their main source for news. Others cited their phone’s newsfeed. For a reliable news source, the students began
listing basic principles and concepts such as “citation of sources” and a “fair and balanced report.” No one seemed to agree on the definition of “truth.” Some simply said truth is the facts, while others tried to ground the concept of truth by looking at what that word means in the context of the news. Avila discussed President Donald Trump’s attacks on the media, specifically this tweet: “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @ NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @ CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!” “While this is troubling, it’s nothing new,” Avila said.
See FAKE, Page 7
People
2 • March 6, 2017
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Ash Wednesday
Caleb Martinez receives ashes from Father Brian Garcia of St. Ann’s Church during the Ash Wednesday Mass Wednesday in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. More than 50 attendees participated in the ceremony that celebrates the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is practiced for 40 days leading up to the celebration of Easter. During the practice, focus is on self-reflection, prayer and acts of charity. Michelle Delgado
Capoeira
Below: Justin Ramirez, deaf support specialist freshman, kicks his leg over Capoeira Luanda performer Rollie “Forguete” Rockett at the African Festival Feb. 23 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. They were performing a Capoeira game, which is a form of Brazilian martial arts that combines dancing, fighting, acrobatics and music. The African Festival was part of Black History Month. Brianna Rodrigue
On the ropes Criminal justice sophomore Annette Hernandez takes advice from kinesiology Professor Dawn Brooks at the battle ropes station during a physical conditioning class Wednesday on the tennis courts. Students in the class are training for the upcoming CrossFit competition, the Back Yard Beast, on April 7. Deandra Gonzalez
Fat Tuesday Left: Business administration sophomore Nicholas Delaunay puts a Mardi Gras theme hat on certified STEM adviser Javier Vargas Tuesday at the Mardi Gras Celebration in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. The Campus Activities Board hosted the celebration featuring free Mardi Gras beads, masks, popcorn and cake along with traditional jazz by the Bob Black Trio. Brianna Rodrigue
today
tues
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SAC Workshop: Study smart skills 9-9:30 a.m. in the SLAC lab in Room 707 of Moody. Continues 10:30-11 a.m. Saturday. Call 210486-0165.
SAC Workshop: Test-taking skills 8:30-9 a.m. in the SLAC lab in Room 707 of Moody. Call 210486-0165.
SAC Event: Alcohol Awareness 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the mall. Call 210-486-0217.
SAC Event: Karaoke Monday 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0128. SAC Event: Pingpong tournament 1-3 p.m. in the game room of Loftin. Sign up in Room 256 of Loftin. Call 210-486-0125. SAC Meeting: Beta Nu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa 2-3 p.m. in the craft room of Loftin. Call 210486-0058. SAC Workshop: Time/stress management 6-6:30 p.m. in the SLAC lab in Room 707 of Moody. Continues Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-noon Friday and 1-1:30 p.m. Saturday. Call 210-486-0165.
thur
fri
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SAC Event: Women’s History Month film fest 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0992.
SAC Event: Planetarium public showings 6-9:30 p.m. in Scobee. Admission $2 for students and staff, $5 for adults, $4 for children 4-17, seniors and military. Call 210-486-0101.
Event: Family Storytime: Australian Animal Tales 10-10:45 a.m. in the gallery of the San Antonio Museum of Art. Call 210978-8100.
SAC Event: Volunteer Fair 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0137.
NLC Workshop: Professional Communications and Customer Service 10-11:30 a.m. in Room 218 of student commons. Call 210-486-5612.
SAC Workshop: Note-taking skills 2:30-3 p.m. in the SLAC lab in Room 707 of Moody. Call 210486-0165
SAC Lecture: “Justice for Our Neighbors” at the Hot Potato luncheon 12:15-1:15 p.m. in the Methodist Student Center, 102 Belknap. Call 210-733-1441.
PAC Event: Lego family fun 5-7 p.m. in Room 101 of Ozuna. Call 210-486-3100.
SAC Event: Volleyball vs. St. Philip’s 7-9 p.m. in Gym 1 of Candler. Call 210-896-4353.
SAC Event: Women’s basketball vs. St. Philip’s 6 p.m. in Gym 1 of Candler. Men’s basketball at 8 p.m. Call 210-740-2541.
PAC Meeting: Student Government Association 2-4 p.m. in Room 101 of Ozuna. Call 210486-3129.
SAC Meeting: Social Justice League noon-12:30 p.m. in Room 150 of Loftin.
SAC Event: Free HIV testing by San Antonio AIDS Foundation 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the mall. Call 210-486-1262.
SAC Workshop: Math anxiety 2-2:30 p.m. in the SLAC lab in Room 707 of Moody. Continues 10-10:30 a.m. Wednesday and 1-1:30 p.m. Friday. Call 210-4860165. PAC Meeting: Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society noon-1 p.m. in Room 200 of San Jacinto. Call 210-486-3125.
NLC Workshop: Emotional intelligence in the workplace 2-3:30 p.m. in Room 218 of student commons. Call 210-486-5612.
PAC Meeting: Future Educators of America 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Room 104 of Medina. Call 210486-3660.
SAC Event: Men’s basketball vs. OLLU at 8 p.m. in Gym 1 of Candler. Call 210-486-0129.
SPC Event: TX FAME open house 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in Building 8 of the workforce center of excellence, 800 Quintana. Call 210-486-2300.
NVC Meeting: Student Government Association noon2:30 p.m. in Room 122 of Cypress. Call 210-486-4812. SAC Meeting: Asian Pop Society 2-5 p.m. in the craft room of Loftin. Call 210-365-1244. Event: Art Party: Star Dreaming 6-8 p.m. at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Call 210-9788100.
Event: Meditation in the Japanese Gallery 10:15-11 a.m. in the San Antonio Museum of Art. Call 210-978-8100.
sun
Event: Daylight saving time at 2 a.m. Turn clocks forward one hour. Event: Gallery Talk: Museum Highlights 11 a.m.-noon at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Call 210-978-8100. Event: Gallery Talk: Of Country and Culture noon-1 p.m. at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Call 210-978-8100. ACCD Closing: Campuses closed through March 20 for spring break.
File
Estefania B. Alonso
For coverage in People, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail sac-ranger@alamo.edu two weeks in advance.
News
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March 6, 2017 • 3
NAACP member demands colleges’ autonomy Nettie Hinton urges board to leave academic success to colleges. By Zachary-Taylor Wright zwright9@student.alamo.edu
Nettie Hinton expressed her frustration with how the board of trustees handled the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ recommendations at the Feb. 28 board meeting. Hinton, a member of the NAACP San Antonio branch and a 1957 St. Philip’s College graduate, reminded the board that they were elected to their positions and asked they remember their mission to empower the community and represent the diverse demographics of this city, saying the community has been highly diverse for 300 years or more. “Everybody knows about cookie cutters,” Hinton said. “You get a whole bunch of cookie dough, and you get your cookie cutter, and you stamp away at it. You come out at the end of that process with some wonderful cookies, but they’re all looking the same. The diversity in your mission means the campuses of those Alamo College District cannot be cookie-cutter campuses … We are not cookie-cutter people. Those are not cookie-cutter campuses,” she said. Hinton urged the board to leave academic success to the faculty and staff of the
colleges, saying the board needs to reinforce the colleges’ autonomous control of coursework. Hinton emphasized the importance of diversity in this city to the board, saying it is exceedingly important and helped her succeed at the University of Texas at Austin when she wasn’t particularly welcome there. Hinton earned a bachelor’s degree from UT-Austin, saying she was considered a “precursor” during her time at UT-Austin because she was the first black woman to enroll and earn a degree from the university. Hinton said she is proud to have been educated by St. Philip’s College because of its historically black college status. Hinton attended the Jan. 17 board meeting and frequently held up a petition to the audience. The petition, started and circulated by the NAACP San Antonio branch, contained more than 820 signatures. The petition cited the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ Comprehensive Standard 3.11.2, which requires an institution to “provide a healthy, safe and secure environment for all members of the campus community,” and Standard 3.11.3, which states an institution must maintain facilities
Nettie Hinton, member of the NAACP San Antonio branch, tells the board of trustees to allow autonomy in response to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ recommendations Tuesday at Killen Center. Hinton reminded the board why they were elected and expressed the importance of diversity in San Antonio. Brianna Rodrigue that serve the institution’s “educational programs, support services and other missionrelated activities.” The petition states the violation of these standards by the district is evidence the board was not accommodating SACSCOC’s
District guides CIP information
Giving direction Melody Hull, American Sign Language and interpreter training professor, takes her American Sign Language 1 class around this campus Feb. 27 to learn how to name the buildings and give directions. In Hull’s class, the students communicate only by signing to each other when they have questions or answers. Brianna Rodrigue
The district office of legal services is the official district contact for the May bond election. By Zachary-Taylor Wright zwright9@student.alamo.edu
The district sent a memorandum Monday to all employees of the Alamo Community College District explaining the “legal and ethical guidelines” for discussing the May 6 bond election. According to the email attributed to District General Counsel Ross Laughead, it is proper for Alamo Colleges employees to inform the public about the bond issue. Employees cannot express favor or opposition for the bond issue with district or college resources or while on payable district hours. According to the email, “public resources, including your (employees’) time on the job, district mail, email, telephones and information technology, may not be used in any way to advocate for or discourage the passage of the bond measure, but only for strictly factual information.” The email broadly defines advocacy to include terms like “needs,” “requires” and any subjective wording. Individuals cannot be encouraged to vote for or against the bond election during work hours, but they can be encouraged to vote on the bond election without bias. The email suggests employees “consider adding a disclaimer to your personal email or social media postings: ‘Please note this message is personal, rather than official college district business, and was created using personally owned equipment and accounts on my own time.’” According to the email, citizens and other “interested individuals” should be directed to the bond election website or the official district contact. The official contact for the bond election is the office of legal services. Any factual information employees wish to share with Alamo Colleges attribution must be approved by the office of legal services or obtained directly from the bond election website. According to the email, “during bond elections, most complaints filed involve improper use of public resources for advocacy. This use is an individual criminal misdemeanor.” For more information about the bond issue or how to attain approval for factual information, call the district office of legal services at 210-485-0059.
Comprehensive Standards. The petition said the board should better maintain the colleges, downsize the plans for the new $55 million district support office and remove all mention of FranklinCovey materials from board policy.
Forum on accreditation leaves questions The six issues have been resolved, but the colleges are awaiting approval. By Grace Reyes
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The six issues the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges pointed out as violations of accrediting standards have been resolved individually. The president’s office held a student forum for Northwest Vista College students on Feb. 27 to discuss the six issues. The six issues included the branding, leadership policy, handling of transfer credits, distinction of colleges, academic policies and Title IV. “We have built up a case for each one of the issues to submit to SACSCOC,” said Ric Baser, president of Northwest Vista College. The Alamo Colleges board committee is awaiting SACSCOC confirmation on having the date expedited as early as June. “We are waiting right on that determination,” Baser said. “We are hoping that we will get a response in March so we can submit the report some time in April,” he said. Students who participated in the forum expressed their concern about the accreditation to the board. However, the panel reassured students that all credits that have been earned at the Alamo Colleges are considered accredited.
“The credits that you earn here, regardless of the status, are still accredited to an accredited institution,” Baser said. According to an article from the Rivard Report, a no-confidence petition from the staff and faculty of Northwest Vista was signed in September about Chancellor Bruce Leslie, and it raises the question to students of whom to trust. “Even the staff members here don’t have confidence in him,” said John “Jack” Johnson, business administration sophomore. Leslie “How do they expect students to have confidence in him if the staff doesn’t even have confidence in him?” he said. “I came here to find out about the failure of leadership and lack of oversight,” said Randy Robinson, liberal arts sophomore. “I know that some of the faculty didn’t like the leadership, so I wanted to come here to hear both sides of the story,” Robinson said. Johnson asked how the district plans to restablish confidence in the students in regard to the no-confidence petition. Baser addressed this concern by explaining that it’s out of his control. “We can’t handle how this process works; we can’t control it. It’s a normal process of the accreditation agency to determine some issues and give out a
warning,” Baser said. Leslie added more to this statement by explaining three points that make Alamo Colleges great. The three points are Alamo Colleges have the lowest in default rates in student loans in the country, have more student degrees and certificates than any other community college in Texas and have a AAA bond rating. “There’s no quality issue, and that’s where people need to have trust and confidence in, and not lose sight of these details,” Leslie said. After the meeting, Johnson was unhappy with the answers and wanted to know more about budgeting. “They said the tuition was not going to rise and that was directly contradicting from what I learned from the last meeting,” Johnson said. Johnson also wanted to know what was so important to the bond proposal when this college, Northwest Vista and St. Philip’s colleges are in danger of losing accreditation. Others who led the forum were Debi Gaitan, vice president of student success; Dr. Thomas Cleary, vice chancellor of planning, performance and information technology services; and board Chair Yvonne Katz. For more information on accreditation, visit www.alamo.edu/nvc/accreditation.
Prem
4 • www.theranger.org/premiere
Archi domin
Pecan shellers’ strike remembered
Architecture fi speak about
Thousands of women stood up against repugnant conditions to make change.
By Samantha L. A
sac-ranger@alamo.ed
By James Dusek
zealous dedication to political causes. In the 1930s, San Antonio The woman, Emma workers — mostly MexicanTenayuca, was well-known in American women and girls — local politics for her participashelled half the nation’s pecans tion in protests and unions. in miserable conditions. She was an organizer and Shelling plants, mostly conmember of the National Workers centrated on the West Side, were Alliance, an organization formed poorly lit and ventilated. If there by the Communist Party. were windows at all, they didn’t Her grandparents were avid open. readers of the news and raised With each breath, a fine dust her to be aware and passionate from the pecans filled the workabout politics. ers’ lungs. Gould said Tenayuca’s grandThe scratchfather would es on their often take her to It shows that acts lungs drastically Plaza del Zacate, of discrimination increased the where Mexicanwere not simply workers’ susAmerican worktolerated by ceptibility to the ers would gather Mexicanalready devasto discuss poliAmericans. tating tuberculotics. Lisa Ramos sis that plagued When she Mexican-American San Antonio. was 16, she studies coordinator Dr. Sarah joined a picket Gould, lead against Finck curatorial researcher at the Cigar Co., another industry with Institute of Texan Cultures, said mostly female workers, which at the time there were already resulted in her first arrest. machines that could shell After high school, Tenayuca pecans, but they were expensive helped organize the Ladies — more expensive, at least, than Garment Workers Union, where Hispanic women willing to work she organized meetings, wrote for 6 or 7 cents per hour. leaflets and encouraged workers In January 1938, the plants to demand better pay. lowered workers’ already mea“What’s amazing to me is she ger pay to 5 or 6 cents per was young,” Gould said. “She pound — the final blow for the was just out of high school, and sick, underpaid workers. About she was able to speak in front of 12,000 workers, mostly women, a group of people confidently walked off their jobs Jan. 31. and in an encouraging way.” The strikers chose a 22-yearThough Tenayuca is insepaold woman to be their strike rable from the story of the strike, leader. Her nickname among she was only the strike leader for Mexican-American workers a short time. was “La Pasionaria” — “the pasShe stepped down because sionate one” — because of her she feared her associations with jdusek3@student.alamo.edu
the Communist Party would be a detriment to the cause. An article from the San Antonio Light referred to the strikers as “communistic agitators” who sought to “seize control” of the workers and their families. According to the article, a statement from police Chief Owen Kilday read: “If this unfortunate condition would come to pass, these workers would be forced to form long parades, the red flag would be prominently displayed and they would sing the Internationale.” For 37 days, pecan shelling came to a halt in San Antonio. Hundreds of strikers were arrested, stuffed into jails far too small for such a capacity. Many strikers were publicly beaten by police. In March of that year, both sides agreed to a settlement. A wage of about 7 cents per hour was settled upon. It was less than the strikers had hoped for, but they didn’t expect to get more than that. Wages were increased drastically later that year with the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which introduced a federal minimum wage of 25 cents per hour. Subsequently, MexicanAmerican women were no longer less expensive than machines, and human pecan shellers were soon replaced. Despite the bittersweet end-
ing, Dr. Lisa Ramos, coordinator of Mexican-American studies, said the strike was important in part because it demonstrated the willingness of MexicanAmericans to fight for their rights. “It shows that acts of discrimination were not simply tolerated by Mexican-Americans,” she said. Ramos said women are often written out of textbooks, and recognizing the work and struggle of women such as Tenayuca is an important part of understanding America. “If MexicanAmericans are left out of the textbooks, Mexican-American women are even more left out,” she said. Although the workers were ultimately replaced, Gould said the strike was nonetheless a valuable event with a lasting impact. “Their victory was short,” Gould said. “I think that the big question that people are often left with when thinking about the Pecan Sh e l l e r s’
Strike is: ‘Was it a victory, or was it not a victory?’ “I think that in a sense, it was a victory, and the reason is that this strike got huge media coverage,” she said. “These little brown women were being beaten by the police … it got a lot of media coverage, and it brought a lot of attention to this kind of injustice.”
Illu Est strat efa ion nia s b B. y Alo nso
’’
An article from the San Antonio Light emphasizes Tenayuca’s communist connections Feb. 11, 1938. Courtesy
try, and a male’s wage for al Slay was unaw tecture is a malewas surprised wh was only one of room made up of
Three marches, one exhibit Local art exhibit celebrates city’s unity in diversity. By Solomon A. Wilson sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The city’s department of arts and culture is hosting its “United We Are One” exhibit to celebrate the unity of San Antonio’s cultures until March 10 at Plaza de Armas Gallery. The exhibit comprises 121 individual art pieces that range from collages of historic civil rights moments to sculptures depicting the city’s ability to come together during three major annual marches that honor Martin Luther King Jr., International Women’s Day and Cesar Chavez. “It celebrates how San Antonians have come together in the name of equality,” Javier Flores, assistant marketing manager of the gallery, said. “Thinking about everything going on, people are wanting to have their voice heard,” said Kimberly Hopkins, a local street photographer with three of her own original pieces displayed in the exhibit. Some of the art will be available for purchase through the artists. “It shows how the community appreciates their local leaders,” Flores said, as he described the exhibit’s deep roots.
San Antonio is known for hosting some of the biggest marches in the nation, and this exhibit brings that spirit to life The celebration of civil rights milestones and leaders is showing a progressive leap toward San Antonio’s future. People such as Mayor Ivy R. Taylor also have visited the gallery, admiring the
works of art from her city’s artists. The free exhibit is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday to all ages. The gallery is located at 115 Plaza de Armas St. Call 210-207-1435.
This college w Madeline Slay, ow Slay Architecture, 28 in Room 218 o March is Wom and Slay will be s thriving in nontra Slay designed struction of the p for the city of San market at the Vin four acres on the land and Oppen on this campus. Ac
Prepare to Women’s History event offers makeup help and manicures. By J. Carbajal
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The office of student life will sponsor “Pamper Me Day” 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 29 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center. The event is to celebrate Women’s History Month. It is free and open to women and men. Four masseuses will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, Carrie Hernandez, senior student success specialist, said Feb. 23. There is no limit to how many students will be
miere
March 6, 2017 • 5
itect ‘slays’ field nated by men
Women’s suffrage is first an issue in the Texas Constitutional Convention of 186869 when Titus H. Mundine of Burleson County proposes that the franchise be conferred upon qualified persons without distinction of sex. The committee on state affairs approves, but the convention rejects it 52-13.
1868-69
firm owner will her success.
Alonso
du
1875 — In the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875, the enfranchisement of women is brought up again but is referred to suffrage committee and goes nowhere.
will host a lecture by wner and president of , 9:25-10:45 a.m. March of the nursing complex. men’s History Month, speaking about women aditional fields. d and oversaw the conpublic safety headquarters n Antonio, a Whole Foods neyard, a development on e Natural Bridge Caverns nheimer Academic Center
for suffrage A timeline of women’s voting rights in Texas. Research by Kimberly Brown Infographic by James Dusek
ccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make 82 per-
cent of a male’s wage in the architecture industotal of 82.5 percent of a ll career types. ware as a child how archi-dominated industry and hen she went to school and a few women in a classf men.
Struggling
In a May meeting in Dallas, Rebecca Henry Hayes of Galveston initiates the organization of the Texas Equal Rights Association. The association soon has auxiliaries in Denison, Dallas, Fort Worth, Taylor, Granger, San Antonio, Belton and Beaumont.
“As a woman, you cannot have a chip on your shoulder,” Slay said in a phone interview Feb. 26. “Men will respect you. My biggest clients are men. … It’s empowering. … Women can do anything we want. We can rule the world if we want to.” Slay, who had been exposed to 1893 construction since she was a young girl, has owned her architecture firm for 16 years. “There are not a lot of women that own firms in San Antonio,” she said. “From when I started, there is half a dozen of us and they’ve all been around as long as I have so I Jess A. Baker of Granbury introam not seeing a huge change there, duces a bill to the state House of but I am seeing more women in big Representatives to enfranchise women. firms holding different positions.” On Feb. 21, sculptor Elisabet Ney and Slay earned a bachelor’s degree Helen M. Stoddard, president of the in environmental design at Texas state Women’s Christian Temperance A&M University and has offices in San Union, speak on the behalf of this bill Antonio and in Laredo. but the resolution is not adopted. Along with running two offices, Slay was elected to the city council in Balcones Heights in 2012 and served on the board of 1907 directors for the city of Balcones Heights Planning and Zoning Commission. She later became chair of the commission. “I’m an architect and I own my own business and I’m successful. … I don’t get work because I’m a woman. I get work 1916 — The name of this organizabecause I do a damn good job,” Slay said. tion is changed to the Texas Equal Call 210-486-0455 or email chorSuffrage Association, and Minnie Fisher ton17@alamo.edu. Cunningham of Galveston is elected president.
1895 — A bill to enfranchise women is introduced in the Texas House of Representatives but is referred to the committee on constitutional amendments and again goes nowhere.
1896
1912 — In February Mary Eleanor Brackenridge becomes the president of the newly formed Equal Franchise Society in San Antonio.
1915
1918 served, she said. Masseuses will get to as many people as they can through the duration of the event. Each turn will be Primary elections are open to female around eight minutes. voters in Texas. In 17 days, 386,000 Two massage women register to vote in the July 26 chairs from the health Democratic primary. Since Democrats promotions office will dominate the state, primary suffrage is be there for student almost equal to full enfranchisement. use. Along with a self-serve nail polish station, there will also be representatives of Mary Kay Inc. at the event with makeup tips. Call the office of student life at 210-425-0125.
The Texas Equal Rights Association ceases to function.
1903 — The Equal Suffrage League of Houston is organized in February by sisters Anette, Elizabeth and Katharine Finnigan. Soon a similar organization is established in Galveston. In December, delegates from the two organizations meet in Dallas and form the Texas Woman Suffrage Association.
o be pampered
Biomedical sophomore Rene De La Fuente gets a massage from massage therapist Ella Lunesz on Spa Day March 4, 2012. File
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The House of Representatives passes women’s suffrage 90-32, but it fails because the bill needs a two-thirds majority to pass.
1919
In June the federal women suffrage amendment is submitted to the states, and on June 23 the state Legislature convenes in a special session. On June 24, the House ratifies the federal amendment 96-21. On June 28, the Texas Senate approves it and Texas became the ninth state in the union to ratify the 19th Amendment. 1920
The 19th Amendment is ratified and becomes federal law
Source: “Woman Suffrage” by A. Elizabeth Taylor in Handbook of Texas Online.
Editorial
6 • March 6, 2017
.org
the
ranger
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Editor Zachary-Taylor Wright
Managing Editor Michelle Delgado News Editor Emily Garcia Features Editor James Dusek Calendar Editor Grayce Trevino Staff Writers Samantha L. Alonso, Bismarck D. Andino, Ashley Bailey, Nicole M. Bautista, Kimberly Brown, J. Carbajal, Rachel Cooper, J. Del Valle, S.R. Garcia, Maria Gardner, Elena Longoria, Mario Parker Menchaca III, Maritza Ramirez, Grace Reyes, Sasha D. Robinson, Jayondra Spann, Austin P. Taylor, Jakoby West, Solomon A. Wilson Photo Editor Brianna Rodrigue Photographers Noah Acevedo, Deandra Gonzalez, Alison Graef, Aly Miranda Photo Team Zaeva Mercado, Kristel Orta, Christy Romero Renee Talamantes Multimedia Editor Brandon A. Edwards Video Team Christian Erevia Illustrators Estefania B. Alonso Wally Perez Social Media Promoter Miranda Holden ©2017 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 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 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, Journalism Program, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-3941 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.
Wally Perez
Lead students in, not out Under-educated students should be given a chance at college. Here’s an idea: people who aren’t prepared to enter college should be prepared to enter college. The I-BEST program, which is now proposing to expand to all of the Alamo Colleges, provides students who score below eighth-grade levels with occupational training for in-demand industries. What they don’t provide, however, is a clear path for their students into higher education. Students who fail the Accuplacer are being put into I-BEST where they are taught skills they probably could’ve learned on the job anyway. Vocational training is fine, but it’s unfair to treat it as the only option for those who have been failed by their high-school educators — or those before high school. People who aren’t ready for col-
lege should be taught necessary skills, then led back to where they wanted to go in the first place: community college. Instead, I-BEST is being treated as a terminal option for such students. Take the classes, go get a job, go away. Somehow, the idea that people should be encouraged to continue pursuing education is a controversial one among the board of trustees. District 6 trustee Gene Sprague would have you believe that if someone is unprepared to begin college after high school, college just isn’t for them. He claims developmental courses, which prepare students to continue college, are a waste of money. Instead, he claims, under-educated applicants should be tossed into the I-BEST program, where at least they’ll learn to weld. Education for the educated; burn scars for the rest of you.
Now, college certainly isn’t for everyone, and some may be happy to get free, practical education in a new career, but for those who might want to continue education beyond the training I-BEST currently gives, the path should be clear. Use I-BEST as a bridge into education and careers, not an island where you put helpless rejects and forget about them. Workforce training is an option — and not at all a bad one — but not the only one for people who were at one time unprepared to begin community college. By all means, expand I-BEST to all the colleges, but in doing so, use the program as a means of both providing students with practical skills as well as acclimating them to the campuses, encouraging them to continue pursuing their education, and providing them a clear pathway to that education. It’s what we do.
TSI test not worth fighting for Colleges need to design an entrance exam that’s written at a college level. A lot of things strike a logical mind as nonsensical around the district and this college, but one thing the district can’t be blamed for is the joke of an entrance exam the state has been peddling. It’s odd the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills has been replaced by end-of-course exams, but the TSI assessment — which a student could opt out of on the basis of TAKS scores — has yet to catch up. If the two are equivalent, why is the latter being thrown away five years after the former? This pathetic assessment of skills leads to students who are not thinking at a college level and are incapable of thinking critically being placed in courses that should be
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too advanced for them, but graduation pressures and student retention requirements force faculty to lower course quality to accommodate unprepared students. It’s tragic to witness college students in English courses who don’t know what a thesis statement is or students in math classes who can’t solve for “X” in a basic linear equation. Spending two weeks learning to produce a bibliography with Modern Language Association style citations cannot be the best use of anyone’s time. Wasting time reviewing high school skills with college students may lead to a higher graduation rate and retention — any students with a semblance of high school education can ace the courses — but it holds this college back from producing the Ivy-League quality students it once did.
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The colleges and public should not exert their energy fighting for the retention of a poorly crafted state project that fails to perform but direct their energy toward curing the ulcer that is the current education system at its core. If this assessment is binned and our chancellor is hell-bent on creating new district positions, let him hire a vice-chancellor-of-successfully-testing-the-academic-level-ofincoming-students … and success.
correction In “Mortuary science getting funeral home,” the mortuary science program at this college is not licensed through San Antonio Mortuary, 703 Palo Alto Road. The program is licensed as San Antonio College Mortuary.
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CARRY from Page 1 executive — in this case Chancellor Bruce Leslie — would be allowed to make reasonable rules or regulations in consultation with students, faculty and staff but could not have the general effect of prohibiting the licensed carry of concealed handguns on campus. “We’ve been discussing the law since the purpose of the committee is to implement the statutory requirement so the chancellor has a consulted process in effect,” Laughead said. Although the deadline is approaching, nothing is set in stone yet, and Laughead wasn’t able to give specific details regarding what the Alamo Colleges will be doing. Research is still being done, and the committee hasn’t presented anything to the board of trustees. “I have yet to deliver a report in regards to what we plan to do since we haven’t gone through that process yet,” Laughead said. The process includes the chancellor hearing the committee’s recommendations and making the rules for the implementation of the law. The board has 90 days to
change the rules by a twothirds vote if necessary. The board is required to change what the chancellor does if needed, which is what the statute requires. “We’re complying with the statute. Whether or not we have any additional bells or whistles, I don’t know yet,” Laughead said. Laughead said it’s premature to say if the colleges will have sensitive areas and buildings on the campuses. This college is home to Travis Early College High School and the early childhood studies center, which are both considered sensitive areas as high school students walk around the campus on a daily basis. Temple Beth-El is also in proximity of the college, which provides space for a religious school for 3-yearold children up to 10thgrade students. Laughead said the committee has evaluated what four-year universities have proposed as well as statutes that already apply to limitations where guns can be in general for guidance. “We want to evaluate everything,” Laughead said.
“Politically, it looks like the Legislature is going to look at all of this since it has to be reported to the Legislature after it’s adopted,” he said. “We’re anticipating the Legislature is going to look at what happens and perhaps pass laws again.” Laughead attended two meetings Jan. 26 in Austin, which were the Texas Association of Community Colleges and the Texas Association of Community College Attorneys, to get as much information as he could in search of any rules they may propose. He wasn’t able to obtain any information that may be useful in the future, but expects something to be coming fairly soon as August is fast approaching. “This is the input process, so it’s up to the chancellor, then up to the board,” he said. Laughead guessed a final proposal will go to the board in March or April since the deadline is August, and there needs to be time to implement it among the colleges. There is no open carry allowed on campuses.
Project Access Instructor Cindy Morgan speaks to the board of trustees Tuesday at Killen about expanding the Project Access program at Palo Alto College and other Alamo Colleges. The program helps students with intellectual disabilities develop skills, earn a general office Level 1 certificate and have postsecondary educational access. Brianna Rodrigue
ACCESS from Page 1 stack certificates after completion of the program. Project Access Coordinator Cindy Morgan said the program will expand to 12 or 13 students after the first cohort of seven students completes the program in fall. Activities will be offered in the summer for students finishing the program. Morgan said she would like to see other colleges in the district incorporate this program. Morgan said the second cohort of students will begin the program in fall and the third will begin in the spring 2018 semester. District 8 trustee Clint Kingsbery said he has a connection to these kinds of programs. Kingsbery said his mother worked with severely disabled students during her time as a teacher and congratulated Morgan and Sylvia de Hoyos, disabled student services instructor at Palo Alto College, on their efforts. District 1 trustee Joe Alderete asked how involved parents are with the students in the program. De Hoyos said the parents are high-
ly engaged, saying she has developed a bond with the students, but parents are working on classwork with the students at home. De Hoyos said the students work with notetakers, allowing students to take work home and review it with their parents. However, de Hoyos reminded the board the courses offered in Project Access are college courses, saying the material covered in the courses is not changed to accommodate the students with intellectual abilities. Only the format is changed. De Hoyos said the students in the program are college students and they want to be identified as such. District 5 trustee Roberto Zarate said he is glad to see the gap between high school and post-secondary education for students with disabilities. Zarate questioned where the funds for the program are coming from. Palo Alto President Mike Flores said the program is funded by Palo Alto College’s institutional funds. Morgan said she would like to hold an open house for the program in May to scout interested students for the next cohort.
March 6, 2017 • 7
Reference Librarian Celita Avila gives a lecture on fake news to Honors Academy students Feb. 23 in Chance. She discussed how to battle fake news by identifying which headlines in the mainstream media are fake and how to deal with others sharing fake news. This was Avila’s first time speaking about fake news, and she has been studying fake headlines since the presidential election. Deandra Gonzalez
FAKE from Page 1 “The media’s relationship with power has always been rocky at best.” She moved on to a graph produced by Buzzfeed, showing how engagements with sources of fake news surpassed engagements with credible sources during the 2016 presidential election. The headlines for the fake stories tended to be juicer than their mainstream counterparts, such as “Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President, Releases Statement.” That article from the website Ending the Fed had 960,000 engagements, based on the Buzzfeed data. The mainstream story that had the most engagements was from the Washington Post: “Trump’s History of Corruption is Mind-Boggling. So Why is Clinton Supposedly the Corrupt One?” However, the piece only had 849,000 engagements in the months leading up to the election. Avila showed the transcript from a National Public Radio interview with George Lakoff, a University of California, Berkeley, linguist. In the interview, Lakoff shared his theory on why Trump labels CNN, The New York Times and other media outlets as fake news. “When Trump calls news fake, then, that word implies that the news isn’t serving its basic purposes,” he said. “It means that the story is intended to serve something other than the public good,
and that the author intended to falsify the story.” After Avila had highlighted the meaning behind the president’s use of the phrase “fake news,” she initiated a group exercise. She displayed three stories and had five groups sniff out the false story. The first story described Inishturk, an island in Ireland that is committed to accepting American immigrants. The second was a conspiracy to give Ohio to Hillary Clinton during the voting process. The third story was an alleged statement by Trump’s Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos. “I was so excited to see the president’s approval rating hit 40,” DeVos told reporters. “Just knowing that well more than half the country is with him gives us a great sense of confidence moving forward.” After a few minutes of quiet debating, the assembly reconvened. Four of the groups said the second story was false; one group said that the third story was the culprit. All three of the stories were false. The first story was written by a leftist website called Winning Democrats. The Christian Times Newspaper, a conservative site that has since ceased publication, wrote the second story. The final piece, DeVos’ quote, was written for the Borowitz Report, a satirical column for The New Yorker. The quote was fabricated for comedic purposes. Avila introduced eight
BURGLED from Page 1 James “Hot Mustard” Velten, academic program coordinator and program director at KSYM, was on the air when police arrived and was unaware of the break-in. He said he arrived at 6 a.m., and around 6:30 or 6:40 a.m., district police arrived after being called by housekeeping. As of Wednesday morning, police and
steps anyone could take to avoid letting fake news slip past them. Readers should: • Consider their sources. • Read beyond the headlines. • Check the author. • Make sure there are other sources that support the story. • Check the publication date of the story to ensure the information is relevant. • Make sure they know whether it’s a joke. • Check their own biases. • Consult an expert. Avila asked students to keep an open mind about stories as well as people, that don’t conform to their political views. “Don’t unfriend friends who’re on the opposite spectrum, but be aware of this trend,” Avila said. She demonstrated the real damage fake news can do. The Comet Ping Pong is a pizzeria in Washington, D.C. The establishment was the subject of a fake news story that implicated Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, in the trafficking of minors. The story said his base of operations was The Comet Ping Pong. After reading the story, Edgar Welch walked into the restaurant with an assault rifle and began firing. While no one was harmed, the incident caused panic throughout the area. “If I’ve helped in some small way, I’ve done my part,” Avila said. Avila’s entire presentation can be found at: http://sacguide.libguides.com/fake.
KSYM had not yet been able to confirm whether there is security video of the incident. Police were also unable to disclose any time frame for when the break-in occurred. Meals said classes were to continue as scheduled. Longwith is at Courtland Place and Main Avenue at the northeastern corner of this campus.
8 • March 6, 2017
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Student, faculty geared toward closing STEM gender gap Women represent less than 40 percent of the science and engineering workforce. Nicole M. Bautista sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Chemistry Professor Usha Krishnan teaches a general chemistry class Feb. 28 in chemistry and geology. Women in STEM departments are under-represented, but Krishnan has been full time since 2004. Deandra Gonzalez sentations but were resistant in letting her be more hands-on with projects. “I think that they are not aware of our capabilities and they are not aware that they are not letting us be more hands-on,” Cerda said. Alaniz said, “There should not be any limits for women, it should just be based on a person’s ability.” Being a woman should not be an issue, Cerda said. “If you want to go to a school, you should not feel scared,” Cerda said. “You should feel empowered to improve.” Exposing children — female or male — to STEM by at least age 10 will make it easier in the future for both genders to work together in the field, Alaniz said. Inserting children into STEM and inspiring them with role models will help push them to reach their goals. “I know why men and women want to do STEM stuff,” Cerda said. “Because it’s fun. Seeing more women in STEM positions will encourage future generations to pursue similar routes.” As of 2015, there were 1,818,000 women employed in science and engineering occupations compared with 4,590,000 men in the
same fields, according to the NSF survey. The importance of encouraging the curiosity, exploration and innovation of today’s children will aid in closing the gender gap. Those with a STEM career create a lot of items people use in everyday life. For example, most people use technology advances such as GPS systems or surveillance cameras, which can be created by a male or a female. Alaniz said engineers serve large groups of people by building or devel-
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About 40 percent of jobs are filled by women in science and engineering, which makes up 60 percent of jobs in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — according to a survey by the National Science Foundation. However, millennial women are working to push their way through to break barriers and change expectations for future generations. “From the basics, STEM is mostly a maledominated field so having to compete with men we have to work extra hard to put ourselves into the field,” mechanical engineering sophomore Natasha Upadhaya said. The U.S. Census Bureau found only 6 percent of the mechanical engineering workforce in 2011 was female. “Just knowing that really empowers us to want to reach into that field and be considered equal to the male dominance,” Upadhaya said. Upadhaya grew up in Nepal, where she said it was unheard of for women to be considered in the engineering field. “When I moved here, I realized women are allowed to have the same type of opportunities as men,” Upadhaya said. “I noticed there are not a lot of women in this field, so I used that as a fuel to kind of help myself go into STEM.” Male stereotypes, sexism, being advised poorly and a lack of role models are key challenges that women face when attempting to enter the STEM field, said Alfred Alaniz, professor of astronomy and physics. Alaniz helps advise this college’s evergrowing chapter of Society of Women Engineers, which has 20 active members. SWE helps to empower women to overcome common challenges, encourage women to succeed, advance in their career goals and not be intimidated by obstacles. “It is a little hard to be a STEM major, but it’s not impossible,” said Upadhaya, who is a member of SWE. Crista Cerda, president of SWE, said a room full of men intimidated her when she walked into her introductory engineering class. “I came into the door and I saw a bunch of guys and Natasha and thought, ‘Maybe I do not belong here’,” Cerda said. “You get into a lot of doubt: ‘Do I really want to do this?’” Cerda said once she began interacting and learning with her male counterparts, she realized that “we are kind of the same and we can help each other.” However, she did have to battle the challenges of male stereotypes and sexism. When working in teams, many of her male classmates let her type and read pre-
oping something; in that sense, it’s more empowering. “I want to be a civil engineer with an emphasis in water resources, because all of us need water; and water — it’s such an essential resource,” Cerda said. The gender gap is apparent even here at this college; there are currently no female engineering professors and SWE is lacking a female adviser. Dee Dixon, mathematics, engineering and science achievement center coordinator, advises SWE members as often as she can. Dixon is responsible for the whole MESA center, which makes it difficult for SWE members to establish a one-on-one advising relationship, Upadhaya said. Cerda said female engineering students at this college would love to have a female engineering professor. “They have been in the workforce, and even if they haven’t, they can relate to us more,” she said. “Having them guiding us would make it easier for us to succeed instead of us just trying to look for answers in different places and with different backgrounds.” Overall, Alaniz thinks the direction of students interested in STEM is correct, as long as we keep funding and supporting them. “I think it looks great,” Alaniz said. “From what I see in SAC students and what I see in conferences, I see the numbers going up compared to when I was an undergrad; it is improving.” Men dominate most of the fields in STEM but not all. From the same NSF survey, women outnumbered men 3,412,000 to 1,471,000 in science and engineering health occupations. Goals are obtainable. It is all about being determined and committed, Cerda said. “Yes, it will be difficult, but if you have a passion or you want to learn about something, don’t stop because you are a woman,” Cerda said. “There are opportunities and potential in all of us, and some of us have different talents. But, if we come together and we help each other, then we can overcome challenges and improve ourselves and improve others.” For more information or to become a member of a STEM-related club, visit the MESA Center in Room 204 of Chance Academic Center or call 210-486-0085.
Museums and learning centers The Doseum Hosts programs for a wide range of age groups at the intersection of STEM and the arts. Scobee Education Center/Challenger Learning Center Students can tour a model mission-control center and participate in simulated launch situations. Make San Antonio Offers automotive tools, a laser cutter and a 3-D printer for all ages. SASTEMIC Delivers services that teach and inspire students, highlighting the importance of STEM education and how STEM jobs build up families and the economy.