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ranger Serving San Antonio College since 1926
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Volume 90 Issue 16 • April 11, 2016
210-486-1773 • Single copies free
Ethnic studies build pride not revolt, teacher says Page 8
Late VP’s duties split among 4 President expects to fill position by Sept. 1. By Kyle R. Cotton
kcotton11@student.alamo.edu
With the recent death of David Mrizek, vice president of college services, this college must now begin a search for a replacement and make
plans in the interim. President Robert Vela has decided to forego naming an interim vice president of college services and distributed Mrizek’s responsibilities among himself and three administrators in the interim as a search for a replacement begins. Vela will be responsible for bud-
online now
get, facilities, EcoCentro, Scobee Education Center and operations of the office of vice president of college services. Dr. Lisa Alcorta, interim vice president of student success, will be responsible for construction, grants and emergency management. Dr. Jothany Blackwood, vice presi-
dent of academic success, will be responsible for information technology and facilities management. Dr. Kristine Clark, chief of integrated planning and performance excellence, will be responsible for instructional effectiveness and research. Clark, who was originally sup-
posed to leave her position at the end of the semester and have her responsibilities shifted to Blackwood, has agreed to stay on through the summer as this college goes through its transition to its next vice president of college services. Prior to Mrizek’s death, all of his
See VP, Page 7
Tuition rate increase put on hold for now
SGA parliamentarian, members criticize the quality of dining services
64 dance courses to be deleted under appeal By R. Eguia
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Dance departments across the state have synchronized forces because 64 courses are scheduled for deletion at the end of this semester. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has published its spring 2016 Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual with 345 courses scheduled for deletion at the end of this semester. The manual is the official list of approved courses for general academic transfer to public universities that may be offered for state funding by public community and technical colleges in Texas. George Ann Simpson, coordinator for the dance program at this college, said she worked with many other dance departments across the state to begin the appeal process for the deletions. Some of the dance courses scheduled for deletion satisfy part of the 18 hours required for an associate degree in dance at this college. “Every dance instructor in the dance department at this college was going to lose at least one class if we did not petition for those classes to remain,” Simpson said. Read the full story at www.theranger.org.
In sync Fine arts sophomore Federico Gonzalez-Vidal, president of the Asian Pop Society; biology freshman Miguel Espinoza; pre-pharmacy sophomore Quintin Longoria; and linguistics freshman Sara Felix dance synchronized at the Maid and Butler Cafe April 6 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Vincent Reyna
Dual credit task force nears end
Pledges $60k record
Fiscal services department provides insight on funding background.
By Tim Hernandez
By R. Eguia
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Recommendations generated by the dual credit task force over the course of six meetings are being synthesized into an inclusive blueprint that will be presented to high school superintendents then the chancellor for further review and funding considerations. The academic success team for this district organized the task force when House Bill 505 removed the coordinating board’s authority to regulate dual credit programs. Standards will be generated by independent community colleges across the state. High school dual credit teachers, liaisons, principals and superintendents from 15 school districts in the college district’s service area shared experiences with dual credit staff from this district to provide insight on the needs of the expanding program. Educate Texas, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening public and higher education system, facilitated six meetings with task force that investigated access, advising, rigor and most recently, resources. On March 31, the task force concentrated on dual credit resources, both academic and fiscal. “Once we have determined what this program is going to need to provide quality instruction and be successful, we are going to have to figure out how to pay for it. Government mandates do not come with funding,” Jo Carol Fabianke, vice chancellor of academic success, said. The end of the meeting was dedicated to a presentation
by this district’s fiscal services department explaining how dual credit has been funded in the past and why it needs to be reformed. Pamela K. Ansboury, associate vice chancellor of finance and fiscal services, said dual credit has traditionally been paid for by contact hour funding. The chief budget officer for this district, Shayne West, explained why the state Legislature funding for this district has significantly declined from almost 80 percent of the budget to its current 25 percent when the Legislature switched from formula funding to the current threepronged approach. The Legislature grants $1 million to every community college system in the state and then districts receive funding they earn through student success points and contact hour funding. Student success points satisfy 10 percent of funding while contact hour funding accounts for 90 percent. West illustrated the student success point model, which gives points to student accomplishments. The district receives one student success point when a student earns the first college credit in math, reading and writing or completes 15 credit hours or 30 credit hours. The district receives two student success points when an associate degree is earned and 2.5 points when a STEM degree is earned. The district decided to not charge dual credit students in 1989 when dual credit was first offered because legislative funding made up almost 80 percent of the budget, Fabianke said. Now legislative funding contributes about 25 percent
See DUAL CREDIT, Page 7
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
With more than $60,000, this year’s annual pledge drive in support of campus radio station KSYM 90.1 reached a record high. The annual pledge drive, which ended Sunday, is the 23rd in the station’s 50 years. While the final tally is yet to be determined, the KSYM staff is excited about the results. KSYM’s Program Director James “Hot Mustard” Velten said the annual goal has been $50,000 and this year’s donations have been exceptional. “The staff and all the volunteers work more during the week of pledge drive because we all understand the importance of college radio,” Velten said. Pledged donations can be brought to the KSYM studio Monday through Thursday in Room 201 of Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building. The KSYM studio hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Friday morning, the station was visited by President Robert
Vela, and former president Robert Ziegler, both of whom were guests on Velten’s show, “The Sauce,” and made donations to the radio station. Funds from the pledge drive will be used to pay expenses, such as music licensing fees and equipment for the station. For more information, call 210486-1373.
SAConnected
2 • April 11, 2016
www.theranger.org/calendar
Cleanup Dental assisting sophomore Karen Reyes positions a rinn instrument, which helps align the patient’s bite for an X-ray of the teeth, on the anterior side of a child mannequin’s mouth March 24 in a treatment room in the dental suites of the nursing complex. The procedure is done as if the student is treating a new patient, and Reyes is getting information about the child’s dental history. Aly Miranda
Graduation
Business sophomore Jamie Alexander receives assistance from Leisa Anderson, a secretary at this college, March 28 in the Welcome Center. Students picked up graduation cap and gowns from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mar. 28 to April 1 in the center. Feeling good about finally graduating, Alexander will cross the stage on May 14. After receiving the cap and gown, students check out to get their tassel and more. Students had the week to stop by and receive the items and ceremony information. Hillary E. Ratcliff
Laser
Physics department assistant Tatiana Plavans talks to Dwayne Bohuslav’s Architectural Design 2 students about laser cutter lab policy and procedure Wednesday in Room 019 of Chance. The students are learning how to use the laser technology to make precise, computer-programmed cuts through thin wooden boards to be used in 3D models. Alison Graef
spring/start 2/flex 2 final exam schedule Time class meets
Time of final exam
6:30 a.m./7 a.m. 9:25 a.m./10 a.m. 1 p.m.
7-9:30 a.m. 9-11:30 a.m. 1-3:30 p.m.
Noon/12:15 p.m. 3:05 p.m./3:50 p.m.
Noon-2:30 p.m. 3:50-6:20 p.m.
8 a.m. 10:50 a.m. 1 p.m./1:40 p.m.
8-10:30 a.m. 10:50 a.m.-1:20 p.m. 1:40-4:10 p.m.
May 9 MW/MWF
MW
May 10 TR
May 11 MW/MWF
MW
8 a.m. 10:50 a.m./11 a.m. 1:40 p.m./2 p.m.
8-10:30 a.m. 11 a.m-1:30 p.m. 2-4:30 p.m.
2:25 p.m.
2:25-4:55 p.m.
today tues
SAC Event: Week of the Young Child art exhibit reception 9:30 a.m. on third-floor children’s area of Moody. Art on display until Friday. Call 210-486-0530. SAC Meeting: Student Government Association noon-1 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0133.
PAC Transfer: University of the Incarnate Word & Texas A&M-San Antonio recruiters 9 a.m.-noon in student center. Call 210486-3131. SAC Event: Career internship and job fair 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Students should dress professionally. Call 210-486-0772.
SAC Event: Rosary by the Catholic Student Association 12:15 p.m. in the Catholic Student Center. Email catholicstudentassociationsac@ gmail.com.
SAC Event: Hot Potato lecture, “Evolution vs. Creationism” 12:15 p.m. in Methodist Student Center. Call 210-733-1441.
SAC Meeting: Cheshyre Cheese Club 1:30 p.m. in Room 203 of Gonzales. Call 210-486-1433.
SAC Meeting: Campus Crusade for Christ 12:15-1:15 p.m. Room 002 of Chance. Call 210-486-1233.
SAC Meeting: Society of Women Engineers 3-4 p.m. in Room 204 of Chance. Email ashleerose25@gmail.com.
SAC Meeting: Student Social Work Association 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Room 650 of Moody. Email hernandezatexas@yahoo.com.
May 12 TR
6:30 a.m. 9:25 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 3:05 p.m.
6:30-9 a.m. 9:25-11:55 a.m. 12:15-2:45 p.m. 3:05-5:35 p.m.
May 13 MWF
9 a.m. Noon
9-11:30 a.m. Noon-2:30 p.m
Final exams for evening and weekend classes are given during class hours. Department chairpersons can schedule final exam dates that do not conform to this schedule.
NVC Meeting: Pre-health delegation 3:30-5 p.m. in Room 301 of Live Oak. Email vgutierrez118@student.alamo. edu.
SAC Meeting: College Council 2-3:30 p.m. Room 120 in visual arts. Call 210486-0957. SAC Sports: Twoday softball tournament 3 p.m. at Lyons Field, 6300 N. McCullough. Call 210-4860129.
wed PAC Event: “IT Mobile Services Wednesday” for students requiring technical support 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the student center annex. Call 210486-3790. SAC Event: Week of the Young Child character day with guest readers 9:30 a.m. in early childhood center. Children are encouraged to dress up as their favorite storybook character and bring their favorite book. Call 210486-0530. SAC Event: “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” international men’s march to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence, 11 a.m.-noon beginning in mall and ending at empowerment center. Call 210-486-0455. PAC Event: Conversation with Rosie Castro, civil rights activist in San Antonio, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Room 101 of Ozuna library. Light refreshments. Call 210-486-3557. PAC Event: Counseling services open house 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. in Room 100 of student center. Call 210-4863750. SAC Meeting: Students for Environmental Awareness 2 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro. Call 210-563-0447.
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fri
PAC Event: Annual PAC student art exhibition opening reception 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Gallery 100. Exhibition continues 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday through May 6. Call 210-486-3205.
NLC Event: Indoor soccer tournament registration deadline to sign up as a free agent or as a team in Room 131 of student commons. Games begin Monday. Call 210-4865404.
PAC Transfer: Texas State University recruiters 1-3:30 p.m. in student center. Call 210-486-3131.
SAC Event: Week of the Young Child spirit parade pep rally 9:15 a.m. in mall. Call 210-486-0530.
PAC Transfer: Texas A&MSan Antonio recruiters 9 a.m.1 p.m. in student center. Call 210-486-3131.
SAC Meeting: Asian Pop Society 2-5 p.m. in craft room of Loftin. Email apopofsac@ gmail.com.
SAC Sports: Seven-on-seven coed soccer league for those who registered 3-7 p.m. at Olmos Basin Park. Call 210486-0125.
SAC Event: “Fiesta De La Tierra” simulated space mission 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Scobee with Mexican botanas and non-alcoholic drinks. Open to the public. $20. Call 210-4860100.
SAC Event: Staff Council’s “Fiesta like there’s no Tomorrow” 1-3 p.m. for staff only in faculty lounge of Loftin. Call 210-486-0128. SAC Event: Lip Sync Battle 7-10 p.m. in the auditorium of McAllister. $5. Call 210-486-0255.
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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 Counseling center offers wide range of services www.theranger.org/news
April 11, 2016 • 3
Services include suicide, grief and LGBT counseling. By Rebecca Flores sac-ranger@alamo.edu
It’s no secret that many college students have a lot to deal with. Balancing school, work, family and college can be overwhelming. It is important for students to know there is help out there. The counseling center at this college offers many helpful services for students and the best part is, their services are free and confidential. The counseling center has three full-time counselors, two part-time counselors and three graduate-level interns who are eager to help. Students can seek help for psychological issues, personal concerns, interpersonal issues and crisis interventions.
Examples of these issues are depression, anxiety, suicidality, substance abuse, identity, stress, selfesteem, sexuality, relationship concerns, communication skills, sexual assault and death of a loved one. “Counseling can help address problem areas of concern that could interfere with their academic and or social development in college,” Counselor Yvonne Schilling said. “Counseling is an interactive process that allows students the opportunity to explore whatever concerns they encounter in college with a trained professional who will try to help them gain insight about their situation and experience personal growth to enhance retention.” Aside from counseling on a stu-
dent’s personal issues, the counseling adjusting to civilian life and attendcenter also collaborates with a variety ing to school. of support groups. A support group specifically for A lesbian, gay, bisexual and international students is offered For transgender supthose adjusting to a port group provides new culture. Counseling is a friendly and safe Students can an interactive space for LGBT stuexchange their process that dents to connect shared experiences allows students and support each adjusting to anoththe opportunity to other. er culture, includexplore whatever An early childing homesickness. concerns they hood development A poetry theraencounter. support group is py support group Yvonne Schilling, is available for stualso available for Counselor students to talk dents who would about the challenges like to share poems they face being a parent and student and express what the words mean which builds support networks. to them. A veteran’s support group, led by The counseling center accepts a veteran, is available for veterans walk-ins or scheduled appointments to discuss specific issues they face for any students seeking help.
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From Brownsville to New York City Teacher tells of her love of history and MexicanAmerican studies. By Tiffany Anne Bermea sac-ranger@alamo.edu
This college’s newest history professor wants students to know the importance of Mexican-American studies. Brownsville native, Lisa Ramos moved to New York when she was 18 to attend Columbia University. “It’s really interesting, a lot of passionate, dedicated people. I learned so much,” Ramos said. She spent 13 years in New York, attending graduate school as well. Coming from Brownsville to New York was a major culture shock. “I wanted to leave Texas. I wanted to see the world,” she said. “I was always reading books about people in other states, people in other countries and I wanted to be in the middle of all of that.” Ramos chose New York because she wanted to go to the East Coast. She felt that New York was a diverse state and wanted to be surrounded by people of different cultures who spoke different languages. Ramos had two friends from Brownsville who went to Columbia University, so she knew it was possible to leave home. Her college experience at Columbia was different from what she expected. The classes were harder and she had to ‘buckle’ down. “I had to learn how to absorb a lot of information really quickly because the amount of work was two to three times what I had known in high school,” she said. Ramos was inspired by the Students of Color organization. The organization was fighting to bring Latino and Asian-American studies. Ramos says they were passionate people and she wanted to have as much pride in her heritage. “I learned a lot about myself and learned how to be more independent,” she said. Ramos has always had a love for history as well as humanities. In school, she always did very well in those subjects. Ramos loves to read even if it’s not for leisure time. When going to a doctor’s office or anywhere, she tries to find some-
The counseling center also offers on-call counselors in the event of an emergency during college almost immediately during regular office hours on campus. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every first Saturday of the month. “Students may request a certain counselor or they can be assigned to a counselor who has expertise in the area of concern to meet the student’s needs,” Schilling said. Individual counseling sessions are free and confidential. These sessions can go up to one hour, and are scheduled once a week. Call 210-486-0334 or visit the counseling center on the first floor of Moody Learning Center.
Ethnic studies build pride, not revolt, teacher says By Wally Perez
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Lisa Ramos of Mexican-American studies details program history April 5 in the Methodist Student Center. Vincent Reyna thing to read, even a flier, just so that she can learn something new. “I’ve always been very fidgety and reading novels and history books, that kind of stuff just fascinated me always,” Ramos said. Behind her love for history. Ramos wants to figure out why people do the things that they do. “I love people and trying to figure them out,” she said. “Trying to figure out what motivates them, why they make decisions when they change their mind.” Ramos taught writing classes at Columbia as well as at Barnard College, which is connected to Columbia. She taught at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station. This is the first community college she has taught at. Ramos is one of the history professors trying to revive the MexicanAmerican studies program here. The old program fell apart after a few years, so they’re trying to bring it back in their own way, she said. For fall and spring semesters, Ramos will be teaching MexicanAmerican History 1 and 2. She wants students to feel welcomed into her classroom and engaged. “It’s not just about the
content, it’s not about learning about important figures in MexicanAmerican history, but how to communicate, how to see history from different angles,” she said. “Not to see history as a bunch of boring facts, but as a very dynamic process of people making decisions they didn’t know at that time made an impact from those decisions.” Ramos said she wants her students to understand the reasoning about the decisions that were made. The class will cover the history of San Antonio, almost 300 years. Parents and grandparents forget to tell their children about the history of San Antonio and how it came about, she said. “There’s so many people who don’t know about this, about the bravery and how hard MexicanAmericans had to fight just to get into schools. Just to be able to pass from the first to second grade,” Ramos said. She wants to teach students about the lost and hidden history that people forgot. The Mexican-American studies program will have a center in the fall in Chance Academic Center Room 100 where students can meet with teachers and speakers so that they can learn more about the history
and the importance of the culture whether or not they are MexicanAmerican. Ramos is also working to create workshops for sixth through 12th graders. The Mexican-American studies program hosted a screening of “The Head of Joaquin Murrieta” March 28 in Room 218 of the nursing complex. The movie focus on legendary Mexican outlaw, Joaquin Murrieta, and takes place sometime in the 1850s during the California Gold Rush. People from all over the world went to California and things got very chaotic. Mexican-Americans had to compete with Euro-Americans, Anglos and Asian Americans. The movie draws attention to lynching, a topic mostly forgotten by Mexicans. “There were MexicanAmericans who were lynched in high numbers,” Ramos said. Filmmaker John J. Valadez wants to bring in the forgotten topic of lynching of Mexican-Americans in the Southwest. The movie brings up a topic that is normally ‘slipped under the rug’. Ramos wants to bring back the forgotten history for her students. For more information, email Ramos at lramos175@alamo.edu.
In 1968, student walkouts all over the U.S. Southwest, including Texas, and more famously, East Los Angeles, helped originate Mexican-American studies across the country, a professor said to about 35 students during the Hot Potato lecture Tuesday in the Methodist Student Center. Lisa Ramos, Mexican-American studies professor, said 1968 was an important year, not just in East L.A., but also across the country. AfricanAmericans were protesting, the Black Panthers had risen; it was a radical period, she said. “Education, not eradication, were popular signs during protests in L.A.,” she said. Students felt they were culturally deprived. “My father was 18 at this time and he told me you didn’t speak Spanish in school,” she said. “If you did, you were punished by being slapped with rulers or holding bricks.” Students had a list of demands that included adding a curriculum for “people like us,” that taught about struggles and triumphs of their ancestors. They also wanted access to college courses because vocational tracking kept some students from taking certain courses based on their backgrounds, she said. Before the 1960s, a lot of people of Mexican descent tried to blend in to the U.S. by claiming they were white. In the 1960s, it was about emphasizing the indigenous. “People of Mexican descent got tired of being told they were foreigners,” Ramos said. “They would say things like, ‘What do you mean go back to my country? I am of indigenous blood, this is my country.’” The courses implemented had to do with instilling pride in people who were taught they were inconsequential. Critics argue that students who take them leave with a hatred toward white people, she said. Some say it promotes racial resentment, victimhood or even overthrow of the U.S. government. “I have yet to hear of a Chicano studies course where students want to lead a revolution after leaving the class,” Ramos said, laughing.
Prem
4 • www.theranger.org/premiere
Celebrate Earth every day, organizers encourage School day’s annual observation should have evolved into caring for the Earth, event planners say. By Hillary E. Ratcliff sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Remember back in the days of elementary school, the lesson plan worksheets and activities on renew, reuse and recycle? Remember the cute, short stories about a little kid learning the importance of replanting a tree or starting a garden? Those lessons were intended to instill the good teachings to take care of the planet we inhabit. Those lessons fell only within the week of or on April 22, Earth Day. We’ve grown up, and lessons from Earth Day have became integrated into the standard curriculum. Celebrating Earth Day became less of a classroom thing and more of an outside celebration of the day. However, many have forgotten about Earth Day and its real meaning, especially now considering there are more “Go Green” campaigns than ever. Since April 22, 1970, Americans have celebrated Earth Day to raise environmental awareness. Every year, millions participate in Earthfriendly campaigns.
At this college, members of Students for Environmental Awareness and volunteers at Sinkin EcoCentro recognize Earth Day every day, not just April 22. Starting April 18, this college will host several events through April 23. Lisa Cervantes, president of SEA and environmental science sophomore, said extending
Earth Day into a whole week of awareness activities and celebration eliminates the limitation of trying to fit it all in to one single day. Students will have the opportunity to be re-educated about responsible recycling habits, gardening techniques and learning new healthy alternatives. On April 18, SEA will bring back a SACtacular favorite from last year, a recycling game that teaches people which receptacle recyclable material belongs. The game helps combat waste problems on this campus and within people’s homes. Informing people about the proper way to recycle and helping them understand why it is vital for our society will cut down on waste being dumped into landfills. “It is ridiculous how they come across trash bins that were 50 percent lost recyclable material that could have been half a bag of trash compared to two bags of recyclable material,” said environmental science sophomore Megan Kendrick, who completed waste treatment analysis with SEA. The weeklong schedule of events is meant to make Earth Day more than a one-day observance, and to encourage everyone to act more enviroment-friendly every day.
EcoCentro home to environmentalism Students for Environmental Awareness plan Earth Day activities. By Hillary E. Ratcliff sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Environmental science sophomore Megan Kendrick said she hated watching the land near her home in Spring Branch be torn up for another Wal-Mart Supercenter. So Kendrick asked herself, “What can I do to make a difference in the environment?” At this campus, Students for Environmental Awareness is a trying to make a difference. The group, naturally meets, at the Sinkin EcoCentro. EcoCentro was named after San Antonio’s biggest advocate for solar powered buildings, William R. “Bill” Sinkin, who passed away in 2014. Sinkin was involved until his last moment; working to ensure EcoCentro would be the spot for nature’s difference makers. More than two years since its opening on Earth Day, April, 22,
Illustrations by Estefania B. Alonso
2014, EcoCentro is a center not only for this college’s students, but for the community. The community garden is a growing work space filled with ideas, projects and the labor of both members of SEA, students and locals. The space is open to anyone who wants to learn gardening techniques from Director of Service Steven Lewis or Julie Cornelius, continuing education program coordinator. This semester, SEA has been taking strides to increase the presence of recycling on this campus. At the beginning of the semester, students took a rusted outdoor trash can to be restored to a recyclable bin. They spent hours and days removing rust and painting. The blue trash can now sits as a
prototype outside EcoCentro. Lisa Cervantes, SEA president and environmental science sophomore, and several others met with the Alamo College Sustainability Committee and President Robert Vela about more receptacles for recycling. The committee is open to more recycling on campus, but there are some road blocks. There is a cost issue, because new developments take the time and labor to implement, as well as maintain the receptacles once placed on campus. Until the bins are approved, Cervantes said they just have to constantly address the issue with the committee and President Vela. SEA con-
tinues to make progress on the hydroponic watering system it began in February. The watering system will be presented during the ReEnergize Conference April 22 to fellow college environmental groups and the community. SEA will participate in Earth Week, PAC Fest April 21 and King William’s Fair April 23. Cervantes said she knows the recycling presence will be stronger at this year’s parade since they were at the event last year. The groups involvement during Fiesta is part of Fiesta Verde, a movement to make this spring’s festivities a greener celebration. The group also reaches out to younger generations through the Boy Scouts of America. For more information about EcoCentro, call 210-486-0417.
Earth Week events
April 18 Every Day is Earth Day Festival presented by student life 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the mall Tour 1-2 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro Build your own rain barrel workshop 2-3 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro April 19 Hot and cold composting demonstrations 2-3 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro Tour 4-5 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro Sierra Club meeting 6:30-8 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro April 20 FunFest with aguas frescas fundraisers 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the mall April 21 Native plants for water conservation 2-3 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro Tour 4-5 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro PACFest with volunteer recycling team 6-10 p.m. at Palo Alto April 22 Re-Energize renewable energy conference 9:30 a.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro EcoExchangeEdu environmental sustainability conference 2-5 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro Corona Visions/Electronics Recycling 2-5 p.m. at Sinkin EcoCentro April 23 King William’s Fair and Parade with volunteer recycling 9 a.m.-6 p.m. in the King William District Email SEAchangeinSA@gmail.com
miere
April 11, 2016 • 5
Butterflies feed on fruit for the sweet juice. The San Antonio Zoo held Monarch Fest March 4-6 to celebrate the butterfly migration. Visitors learned about butterfly biology and ecosystem. Photos by Robert Limon
S.A. champions monarchs This city was honored as the first monarch champion city in the U.S. for taking action in preserving the life of butterflies. By Hillary E. Ratcliff sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The “Texas funnel” is the final passage for migrating monarchs coming from northern and eastern North America before traveling into Mexico. Within the Texas funnel is the I-35 corridor, cities and towns along Interstate 35 running through Texas. Along this popular highway frequented by thousands of cars is a common route for the butterflies. There are plenty of restaurants and hotels along I-35 for travelers to stop at for rest and refueling; the same cannot be said for monarchs. A population of butterflies is trying to survive diminishing food sources and habitats as a result of deforestation and project developments. As businesses and populations continue to grow along the I-35 corridor, more and more land is turned into subdivisions, shopping centers and paved roads. The blossoming land of wildflowers has now been laid over with cement, brick and mortar to support encroaching developments. Unfortunately, cement will never be a replaceable food source for any species. In an effort to keep Texas, specifically San Antonio, a pit stop for monarchs, several city leaders have started an innovative campaign to keep the I-35 corridor active. Starting in fall 2015, Mayor Ivy Taylor was approached about signing the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayor’s Monarch Pledge to protect the monarch butterfly in cities and municipalities. The pledge holds participating cities and municipalities responsible for educating citizens on monarchs’ declining population, and promoting their preservation. To become a participating city or municipality, a mayor has to agree with at least three specific federation actions. To join the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge Leadership Circle is an agreement of eight or more actions. There are 24 actions falling under three categories: communications and convening, program and demonstration gardens, and
becomes polluted with particles carried by the rainwater. In junctions complying with the federation’s system changes. 24 actions, the San Antonio River Authority In Texas, 30 cities and municipalities have has started planting gardens on its property to participated in the pledge, but only become a food source. one has committed to all 24 Juan Carlos Campos “The monarch flying in the actions. sky can spot the gardens from The federaabove and is immediately tion honored attracted,” said Garza, informaSan Antonio tion specialist at the San Antonio as a Monarch River Authority. Champion City Here at this colin December. lege, the Sinkin From fall 2015 EcoCentro has a butuntil Dec. 15, 2015, terfly garden that conTaylor and city offitinually attracts monarchs cials were ensuring and other butterfly species San Antonio environdaily. Steven Lewis, director of service mental organizations at Sinkin EcoCentro, and his colleagues and local companies said they have has seen up to 10 monarchs will help with the mayfrequenting EcoCentro’s garden in a day. or’s commitment. Going along with the terms of Taylor’s pledge is the chance of restoring and creating new habitats for monarchs to once again frequent. Here in San Antonio, multiple city organizations, environmental groups and locals are taking on the challenge to make this city a premier hub within the Texas funnel. The San Antonio River Authority had a booth March 4-6 at the Monarch Festival at the San Antonio Zoo educating children and adults on rain gardens. At the event, representatives Michelle Garza and Lee Marlowe explained rain gardens’ effect on the fluctuating population of monarchs. They had an interactive demonstration of how rain runs off rooftops into the streets and the San Antonio River. Using a spray bottle of water, Marlowe sprayed the building within the model. From there the water ran down the gutter onto the land. Some of the water drained into the street, some into the grass, and some grazed the edge of nearby gardens. The problem with this is that the water was going to waste and not probably being reused. Any water draining from buildings near the river is going directly into the river’s water system. Slowly over time, the river
A monarch caterpillar sits atop a milkweed branch, a beneficial plant to the butterflies.
A monarch butterfly rests on milkweed flowers to extract nectar from the buds. Despite chillier mornings, San Antonio presents optimal weather conditions for maintaining gardens and landscape to support migrating monarchs. At the San Antonio Zoo, the Butterfly Exhibit opened March 4 during the Monarch Festival. The exhibit is open daily at 9 a.m. Admission is $1.50 after zoo admission.
6 • April 11, 2016
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Editor Kyle R. Cotton Managing Editor Mandy Derfler Assistant Managing Editor – Features Wally Perez Staff Writers Tiffany Anne Bermea, R. Eguia, Rebecca Nicole Flores, Tim Hernandez, Melissa Luna, Jerico Magallanes Hillary E. Ratcliff, C.J. Tavera, Alexis D. Vega Photographers Brandon A. Edwards, E. David Guel, Aly Miranda, Vince Reyna Photo Team Janell Arnold, Alison M. Graef, Raffy Gubser, Robert Limon, Ryann Palacios, Areana Rodriguez, Video Team Jose Arredondo, Alejandro Diaz, Juan Carlos Campos
Katelynn Alexa Garcia, Ty-Eshia 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, 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 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, 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.
Take time to raise tuition, trustees Matching tuition to operation costs is risky and not supportive of students. A proposed tuition increase has been put on hold by the board of trustees with the exception of four programs. The trustees unanimously voted to postpone the increase, slated for the fall semester, to thoroughly vet concerns about discouraging full-time students. This is a good decision. Making education harder for students to access should not be taken lightly. Higher tuition means lower-income students will have to work more to afford classes, which means fewer students will take a full-time course load. Already, most students enroll in school part-time to be able to work to support themselves and their families. The days of financial aid paying for school, books and living expenses are gone. Students are lucky to get tuition covered. The proposal as it stood even made part-time enrollment less appealing. A breakdown of tuition to individual credit hours means students won’t have incentive beyond their own ambitions to take more than one class a semester. Under the current system, a student pays for six hours even if they enroll in only three, but the incentive is there to enroll in two courses. This means faster program completion. On the other hand, it will certainly be less expensive.
During a special board meeting March 28, the trustees voted to increase tuition for nursing and fire science at this college and Northwest Vista College’s digital media and digital video and cinema production. Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said this is to offset increasing costs to run these programs. This especially hits hard for fire science, which is seeing a $500 increase, almost double the $600 students are currently paying. Snyder says the increase will include the cost of uniforms and other equipment this semester’s students have to purchase separately. This sounds like a good plan on the surface, but will all departments start having separate tuition based on operation costs? Will biology, with its lab equipment and experiments, cost more than an English literature class? Will art students’ pencils, charcoal, paint, paper, clay, canvas, ink — the list goes on — be provided with the payment of tuition? A higher tuition, no doubt. Singling out programs based on cost is risky. Students could be dissuaded from enrolling in more expensive programs in spite of aspirations, and even deterred from enrolling altogether, creating even fewer full-time students. The trustees have a lot to think about, and thankfully, they don’t have the same sense of urgency as Snyder to implement the full proposal by next semester. Take all the time needed.
viewpoint Don’t let autism define you How I overcame my struggle with Asperger’s syndrome and stopped isolating myself. Imagine as a child the only thing you ever really wanted was to understand your peers and socialize with them. Viewpoint by You can’t, however, Kyle R. Cotton because your kindergarkcotton11@student. alamo.edu ten teacher at a religiousbased private school told the other students not to interact with you as if something was wrong with you. This was what it was like for me to grow up with Asperger’s syndrome, a higher functioning form of autism. Today, I’ve come a long way from being that alienated kid, and most who interact with me today don’t even know I have autism unless I point it out. Despite the gains I’ve made in self-improvement over the years, the pain still lingers of being treated like an outcast and not understanding why.
When my mother found out my kindergarten teacher was treating me as if I had leprosy, she immediately removed me from the school. After being isolated by that kindergarten teacher, I began to isolate myself. Once I started public school, I met some wonderful teachers who saw my potential. My life started to get better, but other children still bullied me because of my awkward social skills. This extended to teammates in Little League who openly mocked me. Yet I was still the first to congratulate or encourage them to keep their heads up after a loss. The bullying confused me. I didn’t understand why the other children did it, which often led to fighting. I would ask and plead for them to stop, but to no avail. To overcome this, I put myself in a position to strengthen my communication skills. Whether it’s acting, journalism or participat-
ing in a team sport where members must put the team before themselves, I sought to improve my condition and not to be defined by it. Now I’ve found my niche and have wonderful people in my life who understand that I’m more than just a condition, I’m a person. Acting and journalism in particular forced me to become confident. Being on stage forced me to mimic emotion and learn to pick up on social cues. In journalism, I learned to think critically and interact with fellow staffers and sources on a daily basis. I’m no longer the child the teacher tells the class to stay away from as he eats his breakfast at a small table alone. I’m a confident leader who will not let the world define me by my condition. No matter what, don’t let anyone define you by your particular version of autism. You are a human being with amazing potential just waiting to come out. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. There is a reason they say autism speaks: Once you find your voice, nothing can stop you.
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Math pilot class set for fall New two-in-one developmental classes are in session. By R. Eguia
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English Professor Juanita Luna-Lawhn is piloting a two-in-one developmental integrated reading and writing class combo this semester that will replace what used to be INRW 0305. The INRW 0420 Ready Set Go class combines a four-week non-course based option, INRW 0020 with INRW 0420. The class began with 16 students; four of those students have since dropped, but Luna-Lawhn is confident that the remaining students will prosper. She said the class has been interesting, “but that’s the purpose of a pilot: to learn. I have learned a lot for the fall.” The first four weeks of the developmental pilot class is dedicated to a writing workshop of sorts. “The writing process begins with talking, listening, reading and then finally writing. The first steps to writing are frequently lost, but listening and talking to others is an integral part of the writing process.” Luna-Lawhn has taught a developmental English course every semester of her 44-yearlong teaching career. She said developmental courses are her favorite classes to teach because she can see the students develop their writing skills and become excited about writing. “Students are traditionally resistant to writing until I prove to them that I value what they have to say and then they trust me to help them improve,” she said. “My goal is to make every student feel like their entire life is about writing,” Luna-Lawhn said. She said this hybrid class is the best thing that could happen for students because it satisfies all the developmental English requirements in one semester, which is a more realistic goal for students to accomplish. Luna-Lawhn said the language of the new hybrid non-course based option class structure brings on new expectations and she is learning to let go of the old language, which harbored old expectations. She said it is critical for students to understand that the door to education is being closed right in their faces if they do not take this class seriously. “If students want to be successful in this developmental course, they will have to be engaged in the class and understand that there is no right or wrong way to write.” Students who appear in class unprepared don’t feel the pressure of the doors to education closing to them. She said the most important thing is to get students to move forward and to understand the importance of moving forward. Math Professor Mary Lennon said the latest developmental math class, MATH 0005, will be piloted this fall. Lennon called herself the unofficial developmental math expert and looks forward
VP from Page 1 responsibilities were handled by Vela while he was out fighting mantle cell lymphoma. “It’s just too much,” Vela said of his experience handling Mrizek’s responsibilities alone. “These are critical offices that need a lot of attention and we have a much better workload distribution now to be able to ensure none of these offices or decision points are compromised.” Vela said the national advertisement for the position should be posted in the next week or two. During the 30-day period after the advertisement is posted, Vela will assemble a team to review the applicants and reduce them to three to five finalists who will come to campus for interviews.
to when she has time to advise and keep students on the math track since new developmental class structures do not require constant lecturing. She said the math track has been more complicated to navigate as different majors require different math training. MATH 1332, contemporary math, is math for liberal arts majors. Then there is MATH 1414, College Algebra, for STEM majors, which requires MATH 0220 or MATH 0320, or an ALEKS score of 80-100 or a passing TSI score. Students have the option to learn in a traditional classroom or through ALEKS. ALEKS, Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces, is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to determine what a student knows and doesn’t know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics they are most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure topics learned are also retained. MATH 0305, Pre-Algebra examines ALEKS objectives 1-14. If a student successfully satisfies all 14 objectives, they can test out of the other two possible developmental levels. Students enrolled in the new MATH 0005 will be dual enrolled in MATH 0305, PreAlgebra, at the same time with the same teacher. This class is conducted four hours per week while MATH 0305 is eight hours per week. Lennon said, “It is hard to see what is working and what is not when the programs are changing so quickly and so consistently.” She said there is a push to reduce the developmental math classes to two courses, subsequently archiving four developmental math classes. The department is under a lot of pressure from the state because the state does not want to pay for courses that are not for college credit, Lennon said. Lennon said there is a lot of paperwork involved with making changes to developmental classes, and most of the math department’s suggestions for developmental math course changes are not accepted by the coordinating board. The new MATH 0005 is the ALEKS instruction equivalent to MATH 0305, Pre-Algebra. It was created so students could chose between an ALEKS or traditional lecture-based class. Lennon said this course has about an hour lecture and the rest is heavily ALEKS-base. “It’s self-paced and it really encourages students to be a little more confident. The students are self-motivated and they learn patience and concentration,” Lennon said. She created a developmental math flow chart that organized the six developmental math courses offered by the TSI and ALEKS score they earned. Lennon said, “We can’t take any more content out, so getting the developmental classes down any further might be less successful, but I am open to anything.”
Vela expects to have someone in the vacant position by the end of summer or Sept. 1 at the latest. Vela said the selected applicant will need to have a big picture mindset when it comes to institutional effectiveness, making sure the budget and various projects lineup with the strategic plan for this college. “I anticipate that we will have some internal applicants as well as some external as part of a national search,” Vela said. “Institutional knowledge is an important piece for SAC, but that’s not the only factor. It’s one of the factors. It just depends on the applicant and what they bring to the table when they interview and be able to demonstrate their understanding and skillset around this leadership opportunity.”
DUAL CREDIT from Page 1 of the district’s budget and the rest of the budget is funded by tuition, grants and local taxes. Fabianke said the dual credit programs are unsustainable under this current model if the district wants to expand. “When dual credit students attend a regular college class for free, they are taking the slot of a student who would have paid for tuition,” Fabianke said. “We would like to see how ISDs receive their funding to better understand how we could share these costs.” The district lost nearly $15 million in waived tuition fees through the dual credit program last year. Fabianke said that number will grow as more students enter the program. The group discussed other successful models of financing dual credit programs in the region, which range from flat fees to full tuition price. Some best practice dual credit programs in South Texas community college systems qualify for federal and state grants so their programs are huge, Fabianke said. Catherine Hoffman, dual credit liaison for Lytle ISD, said that when 54 students at her school tested college-ready and qualified for dual credit classes, only two enrolled because it cost $150. She said she paid for books out of her own pocket when four of her students could not afford them because Lytle ISD’s annual book budget for dual credit classes was used in one semester. Fabianke is concerned that students might enroll in dual credit outside of their district if they know one district is free while another district charges. If high school students could use financial aid, their Pell grant eligibility clock would begin ticking, posing more concerns for the final blueprint plan to cover, Fabianke said. Ansboury said there is never going to be enough money to pay for everything and the district’s budgets will reflect the district’s priorities. The task force decided that finance data specific to their ISD would provide better insight on what kind of shared costs could potentially be forged, which Ansboury said she will provide.
April 11, 2016 • 7
Fabianke said that the size of an independent school district will determine the amount of money they could potentially contribute to dual credit programs. Denise Devora, associate program officer of STEM for Educate Texas, oversees the organization of the blueprint document that will be dispersed between this district and 15 service area superintendents. She said they were not able to get to all agenda points because the conversations at the task force meetings were so robust. Devora and her team will host a webinar April 14 for the task force to review and provide feedback on final touches and unattended topics that will be added to the blueprint document before the superintendent presentation May 9 at St. Philip’s College. Those recommendations from superintendents and CFOs will be integrated into the dual credit blueprint and presented to Chancellor Bruce Leslie and vice chancellors, who will ultimately determine changes for fall 2017, Fabianke said. She said the district is examining the benefits of accreditation with the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment. The alliance works to ensure college courses taught by high school teachers are as rigorous as courses offered by the sponsoring college. It is the only accrediting body for concurrent enrollment partnerships and is dedicated to ensuring programs like dual credit adhere to high standards so students experience a seamless transition to college and teachers benefit from meaningful, ongoing professional development. Fabianke said other states have already adopted this accreditation by choice or state mandate and she suspects it will become the standard in this state in less than five years. Fabianke said about 10 percent of the students that qualify for dual credit in our service area actually pursue it, but that number is expected to grow by 72 percent from 8,884 students this year to 15,319 in 2025, according to the presentation by West.
8 • April 11, 2016
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Tech store set to sell Apple, Dell
NLC science seeks path to success
By Christie Tavera
By Hillary E. Ratcliff
If you have visited the welcome center recently, you will see an adjacent, empty shell space that will soon be home to the college tech store. On March 22, trustees approved the execution of a proposed campus reseller agreement with Apple Inc. that would enable the store to offer Apple products and accessories. Usha Venkat, director of information technology at this college, said Apple will not be exclusive. Other products such as Dell will be sold as well. “It does not restrict our store from other products,” she said. Business sophomore Myriam Hernandez was glad to hear that. “Apple, to me, is complicated. I like the fact they will offer other products.” The store is in its logistical and planning stages. As far as a timeline for opening, Venkat said they are tentatively looking at May. “There are many benefits to having a tech store on campus,” Venkat said. Nursing freshman Jose Torres agrees. “It will save Alexandra Nelipa time for students instead of having to go to the mall and waiting in line.” As part of the store’s long-term business plan, several community and campus tech initiatives are in the works. In addition to the sale of tech products, the store will showcase the latest technology. Services will be added, such as free training designed to help users familiarize themselves with the latest tech. Hernandez said, “I like that something is being done to help students learn.” In addition, she was excited to hear that product discounts would eventually be available to students. Other services include repairs, try-before-you-buy and system recommendations.
A place at Northeast Lakeview College for students who are struggling in science courses is designed to erase the dark cloud hovering over their heads. Two professors noticed some of the students enrolled in anatomy and physiology courses were having difficulty in a high-risk course. The science study center at Lakeview has been designed for students to raise course grades from failing to passing. Biology professor Karla Kosub-Coronado and Thomas Neil McCrary, chair of science and kinesiology, are focused on helping. Before the center opened, McCrary was taking time out of his office hours to help tutor his students. A professor formerly at Northwest Vista, McCrary worked out of Lakeview’s temporary setup in an old Albertsons grocery store, until 2008 when the new science building opened. Once the department was up and running, McCrary and his science colleagues continued to use office hours to help students. “It is required that we have at least 10 hours of office hours,” Kosub-Coronado said. Upon moving into the new building, space was allotted for the science study center; where both professors have their tutoring sessions with students. Kosub-Coronado and McCrary use the center to help students improve grades in labs for anatomy and physiology. The center provides lab models and
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Department’s mission is to raise student’s grades, learning. sac-ranger@alamo.edu
other resources. A work-study psychology student monitors the center. Data collection shows students who stop by the center have considerable changes in grade average. Out of 469 students who never visited the center, 147 made an F and 111 made an A on lab exams based on data collected through the check-in station in the center. These students could meet the criteria to fit into the Early Alert System, a system based on class grade, participation, attendance and tardiness. McCrary said it is hard to accurately know whether a student will potentially fail a high-risk course only three weeks into the semester. By the three-week mark, students have not been administered any exams or many quizzes. The early alert does allow professors to be aware about students struggling in high-risk science courses, so proper advising can take place early. Upon detection of who and what classes are at risk of failing, professors start stressing the need to come into the center for help. Kosub-Coronado’s and McCrary’s only incentive is a student’s grade. A student who has gone to the center 10 or more times is less likely to receive a failing grade as opposed to an A and a B on lab exams. They chose not to offer extra credit for showing up for tutoring sessions out of fairness to students who may want to participate but are unable to attend. Kosub-Coronado said students have dropped or stopped attending her anatomy and physiology course, but still come
back to retake the course. She has had former students who failed the first time come back and make up past mistakes by taking advantage of opportunities in the center. McCrary recalled two times he went into the hospital and was attended by former students. “In my mind I’m thinking, what grade did you make in my class?” McCrary said. In one encounter, the attending nurse told McCrary she did not pass his course, but took some time away and later repeated the course. Kosub-Coronado said its anatomy and physiology course is a college-level science course, where about 85 percent of the students enrolled are pre-nursing. Passing is vital for students to progress into nursing programs such as the one at this college. Kosub-Coronado and McCrary said they will never change the pace of their anatomy and physiology course to achieve higher success rates because to them that is not how you learn science. “Students barely getting a passing grade in the course will not be re-taught the fundamentals taught in anatomy and physiology,” Kosub-Coronado said. As Lakeview continues its accreditation process, Kosub-Coronado and McCrary are hoping to gain more faculty and staff to support the rigorous science department. By increasing the staff, the department can start hiring tutors for anatomy and physiology, chemistry and biology. Someday in the future, KosubCoronado and McCrary hope to have a fully equipped center to aid students in passing the rigorous, high-risk science courses.