The Ranger Feb. 12, 2010

The RangeR

Busting, Roping & Shooting IT’S THE RODEO

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926 Single copies free

Vol. 84 Issue 14 Feb. 12, 2010

TWO DIE IN ACCIDENT 5

BEST MOVIE KISSES 24

PUT UP YER DUKES 31

TWO DIE IN ACCIDENT 5

BEST MOVIE KISSES 24

PUT UP YER DUKES 31

Busting, Roping & Shooting IT’S THE RODEO

2 • Feb. 12, 2010 The Ranger

Chancellor: Dr. Bruce H. Leslie201 W. Sheridan, Bldg. B, San Antonio, TX 78204-1429Work: 485-0020 Fax: 208-8149E-mail: [email protected]

District 1: Dr. Bernard Weiner929 Manor Drive, Ste. 7, San Antonio, TX 78228 Work: 735-9151 E-mail: [email protected]

District 2: Denver McClendon3811 Willowwood Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78219 Work: 281-9141 E-mail: [email protected]

District 3: Anna U. Bustamante511 Ware Blvd., San Antonio TX 78221Work: 882-1603 Fax: 927-4557E-mail: [email protected]

District 4: Marcelo S. Casillas115 Wainwright, San Antonio, TX 78211Home: 922-6815 Fax: 923-3167 E-mail: [email protected]

District 5: Roberto Zárate4103 Buffalo Bayou, San Antonio, TX 78251E-mail: [email protected]

District 6: Dr. Gene Sprague14722 Iron Horse Way,Helotes, TX 78023Work: 567-5544 Fax: 520-9185E-mail: [email protected]

District 7: Blakely Latham Fernandez755 E. Mulberry, Suite 200,San Antonio, TX 78212Phone: 244-8879E-mail: [email protected]

District 8: Gary Beitzel15403 Forest Mist, San Antonio, TX 78232Home: 496-5857 E-mail: [email protected]

District 9: James A. Rindfuss109 Laburnum, San Antonio, TX 78209Home: 828-4630 Work: 375-2555 Home Fax: 832-8292 Office Fax: 375-0301 E-mail: [email protected]

Officials

San Antonio College, Dr. Robert E. Zeigler486-0959, [email protected]

Northeast Lakeview College, Dr. Eric Reno486-5484, [email protected]

Northwest Vista College, Dr. Jacqueline Claunch486-4900, [email protected]

Palo Alto College, Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzman486-3960, [email protected]

St. Philip’s College, Dr. Adena W. Loston486-2900, [email protected]

Presidents

Guest Viewpoints:

Faculty, staff, students and

community members are wel-

come to contribute guest view-

points of up to 450 words.

Writers should focus on cam-

pus or current events in a critical,

persuasive or interpretative style.

All viewpoints must be pub-

lished 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, typewrit-

ten 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 mailed

to The Ranger, Department of

Media Communications, San

Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro

Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-4299.

Letters also may be brought

to the newspaper office in Room

212 of Loftin Student Center,

e-mailed to sac-ranger@alamo.

edu or faxed to 486-1789.

Letters must be signed and

must include the writer’s print-

ed name, classification, major,

Social Security number and tele-

phone number.

For more information, call

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 busi-

ness 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.

Editor

Vanessa M. Sanchez

Managing Editor

Laura Garcia

News Editor

Zahra Farah

Calendar Editor

Sharon Hensley

Photographers

Tyler K. Cleveland, Rennie Murrell, Alison Wadley

Photo Team

Scott Aranda, Scott J. Bajeck, Jennifer Charo,

Sarah Janes, James Lazo, Marisa N. Montano,

Julysa Sosa, Robert Stofa

Illustrator

Juan Carlos Campos

Staff Writers

Ximena Alvarez, Jacob Beltran, Marissa Cross,

Michelle Gaitan, Natasha Gregory,

Joshua Sanchez Guerrero, Steffany Gutierrez,

John P. Kline, Mary Lerma,

Alexandria Maxwell, Robert Medina,

Melody Mendoza, Celeste Nentwig, Victoria Ortiz,

Amanda M. Rios, Brandy A. Santos, Tamara Sayles,

Riley Stephens, Michelle Tymrak, Reagan White

Production Manager

Jason B. Hogan

Web Editor

D.A. James

Circulation

Destiny Mata

©2010 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-4299. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. The Ranger, the student newspaper at San Antonio College, is a laboratory project of the journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications, published Fridays except during sum-mer, holidays and examinations. News contributions accepted by telephone (486-1773), by fax (486-1789), by e-mail ([email protected]) or at the editorial office (Room 212 Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available upon request by phone (486-1765) or as a download at www.theranger.org. The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press, the Texas Community College Journalism Association and the Associated Press.

The RangeR

The Ranger • Vol. 84 • Issue 14 Feb. 12, 2010 • 3

Online @ theranger.org

People slideshow

Religious centers

Blotter

Calendar

ObituariesFred LudwigJesse S. CabreraCarol Connor

Go to www.theranger.org

for news and information.

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926The RangeR

www.theranger.org

2 Policies and officials

4 BlotterAttacksBy Laura Garcia

5 Fatal student accidentBy Zahra Farah

6 News Values, social media disclaimer approved By Laura Garcia

Photo by Alison Wadley

7 No additions to parking, but permit fee could riseBy Brandy A. Santos

8 Upcoming Black History Month events

9 State and federal laws expose textbook practicesBy Laura Garcia

Photo by Scott Aranda

10 CSI updateBy Vanessa M. Sanchez

Photo by Rennie Murrell

11 Club sandwichBy Celeste J. Nentwig

Photo by Rennie Murrell

12 Seminar to examine criminal justice opportunitiesBy Amanda M. Rios

Communication center offers help, scholarship By Alexandria Maxwell

13 Panelists to discuss publishing pointersBy Reagan White

22 ArchitectureBy Michelle E. Gaitan

14 People

16 Premiere Hats, boots take a shine to stock showBy Zahra Farah

Photos by Julysa Sosa, Jennifer Charo,

Alison Wadley and Robert Stofa

18 Cows, pigs, llamas —oh my!By Melody Mendoza

Photos by Brandy A. Santos, Julysa

Sosa, Alison Wadley, James Lazo,

Tyler K. Cleveland, Scott J. Bajek and

Sharon Hensley

20 Red Rover collects student activities inputBy Zahra Farah

23 Forget your heart, your head shoves you into loveBy Michelle E. Gaitan

24 Best all-time movie kissing scenes ... By Laura Garcia and Reagan White

25 Valentine’s Day memories: good, bad and uglyBy Zahra Farah

21 Calendar

26 Editorials

District, college-level disconnect continuesProblem-solvers talk to each otherSuspend violent students now

30 Pulse

31 Put up yer dukes By Riley Stephens

Photo by D.A. James

4 • Feb. 12, 2010 The RangerBlotter

SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE

Feb. 1 – An individual reported a

suspicious person.

Feb. 2 –An individual reported

graffiti in the men’s restroom.

Facilities department advised.

An individual reported found

property. Item placed in property

locker.

Feb. 3 – An individual reported

burglary of a vehicle.

An individual reported a physical

altercation with another person

on the first floor of Moody.


someone smoking in the fi rst fl oor

of Moody. Subject smoking found

to be under the age of 18. Citation

issued.

An individual reported theft of

surgical equipment from nursing

department.


someone smoking marijuana in

the first floor Chance women’s

restroom. Search of area did not

find anyone.

An individual reported feeling ill.

Campus nurse made location.

EMS arrived and transported indi-

vidual.

NORTHEAST LAKEVIEW

COLLEGE


found property. Item placed in

property locker.



property locker.


theft of cell phone. No suspects.



property locker.

NORTHWEST VISTA COLLEGE

Jan. 30 – An individual reported

a disturbance in Cypress.

Everything found to be OK.


a suspicious person. Everything

found to be OK.


a suspicious person. No one

located.

An individual reported a suspi-

cious person. No one located.

An individual reported found

property. Item placed in property

locker.


seeing smoke in wooded area

near Cypress. Search of area

proved to be steam coming from

boiler room adjacent to Cypress.

Everything found to be OK.

An officer assisted another agency

with individual wanted for war-

rants.


suspicious person.


suspicious person.

PALO ALTO COLLEGE



property locker.

An individual reported being

injured. EMS not required.


being injured. Campus nurse

arrived and treated.

An individual reported burglary of

vehicle. No suspects.

An individual reported burglary of

vehicle.

An individual reported theft of

personal property.


feeling ill. Campus nurse arrived

and treated individual.


person smoking. No one located.

ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE

Jan. 30 – An officer reported a

vehicle failing to stop at a posted

stop sign. Citation issued.

Jan. 31 – An individual reported

found property.


having a seizure. EMS arrived and

treated individual.

An officer reported an abandoned

vehicle with driver’s door ajar.

An individual reported a male had

presented what appeared to be a

counterfeit bill.


hit-and-run incident. No suspects

or witnesses.

An individual reported a hit-and-

run incident while parked in Lot

15. No suspects or witnesses.

CONTACT INFOEmergency222-0911

General DPS485-0099

Weather Line485-0189

BY LAURA GARCIA

Two assaults occurred before 11 a.m. Feb.

3, one at San Antonio College and another at

Northwest Vista College.

The assault on this campus occurred at 10:35

a.m. on the first floor of Moody Learning Center

and was not random. The incident occurred

because of a conflict between the victim, David

Martta, and the suspect, Jack Mandaville, and

no weapons were used. Martta’s injuries were

not life-threatening. Mandaville was arrested

that day and charged with assault. He was

booked and released the same day on a $1,600

bond, according to a Bexar County Magistrate

clerk.

Sgt. Ben Peña of district department of pub-

lic safety said the case is ongoing.

Meanwhile at Northwest Vista College,

another assault occurred at 10:45 a.m. in a

women’s restroom in Palmetto Hall.

The female student described the suspect

who confronted and assaulted her as a white

male, late 30s to early 40s, about 6 feet tall, heavy

build, dark complexion, brown hair, unshaven

with a small scar near his right eye. The suspect

was wearing a red shirt and dark jeans.

She reported that the suspect was accompa-

nied by a man wearing a dark security uniform.

He had a utility belt with a radio on it. There was

a gold-colored badge with a gold-colored name

tag that read “Swanson” affixed to his shirt.

No arrest was made and no more informa-

tion is available to the public. If you have any

information about any crime, Peña said to call

campus police at 485-0099.

Two assaults in the district on the same day

The Ranger Feb. 12, 2010 • 5

By Zahra Farah

Pre-nursing freshman Briaramae Francis,

20, and Scott Foss, 22, psychology freshman,

were killed in a traffic accident at 3:30 a.m.

Sunday on Loop 410 near Perrin-Beitel Road.

Francis and Foss stopped to check on a car

that appeared to have been in an accident, said

Alicia “Nikki” Johnson, 21, who was asleep in

the backseat of Francis’ Ford Explorer.

Francis and Foss got out of the Explorer

to see if they help anyone inside the vehi-

cle, which turned out to be abandoned on a

westbound lane on Loop 410. Another vehi-

cle, which tried to avoid the abandoned car,

swerved, then struck Francis and Foss and

threw them 60 feet, Johnson said.

Johnson awoke when the vehicle hit the

Explorer from behind, she said.

“I was asleep and I remember waking up to

see this guy get out of his car and start cussing.

Then I close my eyes for a second and hear

tires screeching, and then I remember being

hit.

“I jumped out of the car expecting to see

Briar and Scott, but they weren’t there,” she

said. “I thought they were assisting people

from the (abandoned) car.”

Johnson started to cry, but thought Francis

would return shortly because her vehicle had

been hit. When police and an ambulance

arrived, Johnson assumed her friends were

talking to the police.

“It wasn’t until I was moved to a detective’s

car that I found out my two best friends were

hit and thrown over the edge,” she said.

Students who knew the pair praised their

humor and good nature.

“Scott and Briar together were phenom-

enal people. I can’t think of any other way to

describe them,” Daunn Bradley, English soph-

omore and friend of Francis and Foss, said.

“They were funny people, they were kind

people, they were loving people,” Bradley said.

“I want Briar to be remembered by the fact

she could make anyone laugh. She had a som-

ber face, but when she gives you eye contact

she would make you laugh.”

“Scott should be remembered as a honest

person and for always having someone’s back,”

she said.

Despite their sadness over the loss, Bradley

and Johnson laughs as they looked back at

all the crazy but funny memories they shared

with Foss.

“Scott should be put in his own category,”

Bradley laughs. “He liked to dance inappro-

priately.”

His friends said Foss had a laugh that would

make people expect him to talk in an inside

voice.

“Nope, he didn’t know the word quiet,”

Bradley said.

“He was always there when you needed

him,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Foss hated to be alone and

never was far from his best friends.

“Every time he called, he would brighten up

my day,” Johnson said.

When Johnson was walking to a police car

that night, she saw something familiar on the

freeway.

“I saw Scott’s shoes,” she said.

“This is something I wish upon nobody

because what I feel right now is horrible,”

Johnson said.

Francis had this quality about her that she

could make someone laugh even when they

wanted to cry, Bradley said.

Bradley met Francis when they were 14

at Robert E. Lee High School. She said she

remembers Francis staring at her.

“I wasn’t intimidated. I was wondering why

she was staring at me,” she said.

Francis came up to Bradley and told her she

was in her group for class and from then on,

the two clicked.

“From then on, I’d go to her house and she

would go to mine. We were inseparable for two

years,” she said.

For Bradley, not being able to see Francis

brought her unbearable pain. When she found

out what happened, she said she collapsed in

her mom’s lap screaming and crying and trying

to tell her what happened.

“I felt numb; wait, numb doesn’t even

describe it. Sometimes I blank out and I won’t

remember what I’m doing or what I’m saying,”

she said.

She said she does not know what to do with

her hands or how to function knowing that

Francis is not around anymore.

“Things like this shouldn’t happen to good

people,” she said.

Journalism sophomore Will Underhill said

he was Francis’ boyfriend.

They met about a year ago through mutual

friends and were together for four months.

Underhill said with Francis, he did not feel like

he had to put up a facade.

Bradley said Underhill made Francis ridicu-

lously happy.

“She appreciated me. She was someone I

could be happy with. We had a lot of potential,”

he said.

Underhill learned of her death from a

phone call from one of Francis’ cousins. He did

not believe it at first, until he drove to Francis’

house and saw cars and a news station vehicle

out front.

“After I saw her father talking to a newsman

with a camera, that’s when it hit me personally

that I wasn’t going to see her again,” he said.

“Briar was the first girl I ever took home to

meet my mom,” Underhill said.

During New Year’s Eve, Underhill could not

help but think how great the year was going

to be.

“I felt like it was going to be awesome,” he

said. “I was glad I got to be her boyfriend. I

loved her.”

Johnson had to tell the families what hap-

pened to their children.

“Besides losing my friends, the worst part

was being the messenger and telling their

families what happened,” Johnson said. “Every

time I close my eyes, I still see flashing lights

and what happened.”

Johnson said to cherish friends because

“you never know how long you’ll have with

them.”

“That night, I saw them and they were gone

with a blink of an eye,” she said.

Underhill said that night when Francis

stopped texting him, he wanted to know why

he was not getting a response.

“I was trying to talk to her, but she was

already gone,” he said. “Cherish what you have

because you don’t know what you lost until it’s

gone.”

Two students remembered after fatal accident

A service for Briaramae Francis is scheduled for

11 a.m. Monday at Greater Tree Mount Temple Baptist

Church, 787 G. St.

A service for Scott Foss was Thursday at Holy

Cross Cemetery under the direction of Puente and

Sons Funeral Home.


By Laura Garcia

Parking illegally on ramps in the garage

and in faculty lots will get students ticketed,

members of the College Academic Council were

informed Tuesday.

President Robert Zeigler said about this time

in the semester, students start getting careless.

“There are places to park. They may not be

close, but there are places,” Zeigler said.

Students parking on ramps are a safety con-

cern and campus police are ticketing offenders

and leaving warnings that the next time, they

will be towed.

In response to complaints from faculty,

Zeigler agreed to ask the district department of

public safety to pay more attention to students

parking in faculty lots.

Moving to online safety, public relations

Director Deborah Martin introduced a social

media disclaimer to be posted on the college

Web site above links to the college’s Facebook

and Twitter accounts.

The disclaimer, which warns against visitors

younger than 18 and the links to non-college-

related sites that may potentially be offensive or

inappropriate, was approved.

Martin said Valerie McCoy, coordinator of

communication in public relations, plans to

compile a Web page of all existing social media

links. The page would list current club and

organizations’ Facebook, MySpace and Twitter

account links.

Also approved, after lengthy discussion, was

a set of core values to be posted under the vision

and mission on the college Web site.

The council adopted the district’s set of val-

ues, which are integrity, communication, com-

munity, academic freedom and accountability,

and added shared governance, with a definition

to be provided at a later date.

The discussion centered on whether the dis-

trict values conveyed the importance of teach-

ing and learning.

Zeigler said the council could not reject the

district’s values but had the option of keep-

ing the additional San Antonio College values,

which were chosen with input from college

employees. They were accessibility, employees,

excellence, integrity, intellectual freedom, stu-

dents, and teaching and learning.

English Professor Dawn Elmore-McCrary

said she objected to the wording of some of the

college values because they are not values.

Astronomy Professor David Wood, chair of

the Competency Committee, proposed adding

“performance” to the six college competencies

required for graduation because some mea-

sures of learning cannot be otherwise catego-

rized.

The other competencies are written com-

munication, speech communication, mathe-

matics competency, reading comprehension,

critical thinking and computer literacy.

These are being measured for every student

in classes taught by full-time faculty.

The council will vote on adding perfor-

mance as a seventh competency at the next

meeting, March 9.

Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of student

affairs, clarified plans for the Center of Student

Information. The center’s single database sys-

tem came about partially because of concerns

for “serious security breaches,” Vela said. “Some

people had access to everything.”

He said implementation of Banner software

was driving the operation, and with the new

software, it became clear that five separate

back-end admissions and records processes

were unnecessary.

The backend operations work with admis-

sions processing, receiving transcripts, prepar-

ing transcripts to send, setting up registration

for every term and determining the academic

standing of students.

He said the consolidated system would hurt

the college while things are getting off the

ground because seven San Antonio College

employees would be reassigned to the center,

but they volunteered for the project.

The employees who remain at the college

can focus on customer service.

“It’s a lot of work,” he said. “They made the

commitment, and I’m pleased we are directly

involved.”

He said he envisions admissions and records

employees who would have knowledge of finan-

cial aid processes and be overall “enrollment

specialists” at the counter. They would be able

to handle any scenario.

Vela said the move was for efficiency and not

a cost-saving measure. He said that eventually,

the service end would improve. He said consoli-

dation of the district’s financial aid operations

would be next.

Vela announced that next fall, payment

plans would be available online. Students wish-

ing to set up payment plans have been required

to stand in long lines at the beginning of the

semester along with students paying tuition

and fee bills with cash and checks.

In other news, the president announced that

for those who had not heard yet, the college is

to remain separately accredited and would not

change Chancellor Bruce Leslie’s study of single

accreditation of the five colleges in the district.

He referred to the board’s Jan. 26 unanimous

vote to retain single accreditation.

This statement was followed by a round of

applause.

Values, social media disclaimer approved“Performance”

is proposed for seventh college competency.

Usha Venkat, director of information and comumunication technologies, discusses a need to reduce e-mail storage space

during an Academic Council meeting Tuesday in the nursing and allied health complex.

Alison Wadley


By Brandy a. SantoS

The No. 1 question on everyone’s mind is

parking. “Can I park there?” or “How about

over there?”

David Mrizek, vice president of college ser-

vices, said that parking would depend on when

construction will be done in the various areas.

“There are various projects being worked

on like roofing of Nail Tech Center and remod-

eling of the CG (chemistry-geology) building,”

he said Wednesday. “If they

are done by the summer,

it will relieve some of the

parking situation.”

“But on the other side

of the coin, the campus is

waiting for money to come

in to remodel the children’s

center (early childhood center), which is need-

ed, and Fletcher Administration Center. Then

it can take several more months for construc-

tion to be completed.

“Only if there is extra money coming in will

the projects get done, but if not, then construc-

tion will be at a standstill,” Mrizek said.

He said the college does not have plans to

create more parking.

The campus is landlocked, which means

the college has a limited number of lots to use

and no room to build more.

However, neighboring businesses, such as

San Pedro Playhouse, PJ’s, Silver Dollar and

Park Place West, an open parking lot, have

agreed to let students use their lots during the

day to help ease the pain of parking.

Students can also park at Flores Marriage

Family Counseling on McCullough and Park

avenues, clubs The Saint and Heat at Main and

Evergreen, club Atomix at 1902 McCullough

Ave, and the Dewey Lot off Dewey and

McCullough.

Mrizek warned against abusing handicap

parking and reminded about carpool parking

in Lot 19.

He said students may not be aware that 22

handicap spaces are on the first level of the

parking garage. These are not marked on the

parking map on the college Web site.

“Collegewide, we have an overabundance

of handicap parking, but students are not

always truthful when it comes to using those

spaces,” he said.

“It’s very wrong to see a capable student

take a handicap space when there are students

with real need for handicap parking.”

Tickets for parking in a handicap space

without the proper permit are $50 – $200.

The college has 19 spaces for students who

carpool in Lot 19.

“The campus made a hard push for car-

pooling, but due to students work schedules,

class schedules and family, it was tough for

students to find a middle ground,” Mrizek said.

Sgt. Ben Pena of DPS stated concerns of

carpooling need be addressed to Dr. Robert

Zeigler, this college’s president.

After this year, students may want to con-

sider carpooling, Mrizek said.

“There’s a chance of parking permit prices

going up,” he said.

The cost of a permit is $21.

Efforts to confirm an increase in permit

price were unsuccessful.

No additions to parking, but permit fee could riseConstruction aggravating already

tight parking conditions.

Fee for

violating

handicap

parking is

$50-$200.


Today

SPC Lecture: Robert Darden with Black Gospel Music

Restoration Project 10 a.m. Watson auditorium. Call

486-2303.

SAC Event: Dating Game 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the round

in Loftin. Call 486-0593.

Tuesday

SAC Lecture: “Money Management 101” 9:25 a.m.-

10:40 a.m. in the Craft Room of Loftin. Call 486-0480.

SAC Mardi Gras: Fat Tuesday featuring Dixieland Band

11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the round in Loftin. Call 486-0589.

SPC Performance: San Antonio Symphony-in-

Residence open rehearsal 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. in Watson

Auditorium. Continues Feb. 18 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and

2 p.m.-4 p.m., Feb. 19 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and Feb. 20 10

a.m.-noon. Call 486-2704.

Thursday

SAC Concert: Regency Jazz Band 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the

round in Loftin. Call 486-1035.

Feb. 20

SPC Concert: San Antonio Symphony-in-Residence

Finale 8 p.m. in Watson auditorium. Call 486-2704.

Feb. 23

SAC Oratory: African-American Read-In 10:50 a.m.-

12:05 p.m. in the craft room of Loftin. Call 486-0661.

SPC Event: Soul Food Fest noon-1 p.m. in Heritage

Room in Campus Center. Call 486-2EAT (486-2328).

Feb. 26

SPC Event: African-American Mother and Daughter

Conference. $10 admission. Call 486-2508 or 486-

2430.

Feb. 28

SPC Event: Gospel Fest and Closing Ceremony 4-7

p.m. St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 1310 Pecan Valley

Drive. Call 486-2887.

Black History Month

Henry “River City Slim” Perez, guitars and vocals, fronts the Rhythm Kings Feb. 5 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Rounding out the band are Danny “Danny O” Orneles, keyboards and piano; Roy Perez, bass guitar; and Daniel Zertuche, drums.

Dr. Delia Bullock, of UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, speaks about methamphetamine in the presence of HIV infection Tuesday in the Fiesta Room of Loftin.

Rennie Murrell

Alison Wadley

Alison Wadley

Upcoming

Students, above, watch a screening of “The Quilt’s of Gee’s Bend” Tuesday in visual arts.

The documentary about the women of Gee’s Bend, a rural community in Alabama, dis-

cusses how they made the best of the materials they had, it didn’t matter to the women if

materials didn’t match. Art Professor Marlene Hoover led a discussion in conjunction with

the screening sponsored by the Black History Month Committee. Below left, Hoover said

prints of the quilts, such as this one by Jessie T. Pettway, are being sold.Alison Wadley


By Laura Garcia

Federal and state laws are mandating that

bookstores and colleges provide more informa-

tion on textbooks so students can shop early

and make wiser choices in where and what to

purchase.

The textbook provision of the federal Higher

Education Opportunity Act requires publishers

to provide the net price at which the publisher

would make the material available to the cam-

pus bookstore; copyright dates of the three

previous editions; if any, with a description of

substantial revisions, whether it is available in

any other format, including paperback; and the

price of that material.

The act also requires publishers to sell sup-

plemental material unbundled so that students

can purchase a used textbook and pay for an

online pass code separately rather than buy the

pricey new-edition bundle.

Also required is the publication of ISBN

number or International Standard Book

Number of the textbook material in course

schedules. If this information is not available

they must post “to be determined.”

This federal mandate goes into effect July 1.

So what does this mean for faculty and stu-

dents at San Antonio College?

Faculty should decide on textbooks sooner

and stick with those book adoptions because

otherwise students will purchase incorrect text-

books from retailers that may not allow returns,

Amy Turpin, manager of the San Antonio

College Bookstore owned by Follett Higher

Education Group, said during the Feb. 3 Faculty

Senate meeting.

Another reason to turn in book adoptions

early is for students who just completed the

course. Students will not be able to sell a book

back for as much money if the bookstore isn’t

sure it will be able to sell that many the next

semester.

The faculty deadline for book adoptions is

March 15 for summer and April 15 for fall.

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill

1096, which states that there must be a notice

available to students that informs them that

they are not obligated to buy textbooks through

a university-affiliated bookstore.

A new state bill, HB 2504, requires universi-

ties to provide public, online access to course

information and be no more than three-clicks

from the college home page.

Beginning this fall, instructors need to post

their syllabuses and student evaluations along

with required or recommended reading mate-

rial.

To comply with this tight deadline, the dis-

trict administration is setting up templates for

instructors.

Dr. Jessica Howard, vice president of stu-

dent affairs, confirmed that the district is cur-

rently working on the template during a Feb. 9

Academic Council meeting.

Both bills require faculty to specifiy if their

textbooks are recommended or required for the

course so students can gauge their need to buy

the book.

Turpin planned to attend a meeting of

department chairs to get the word out on dead-

lines and raise awareness of the new laws.

Turpin urged faculty to turn in book adop-

tions sooner so students who sign up for fall

courses will purchase the right book and text-

book material will hit the shelves before the

semester starts.

She confirmed in an interview Tuesday that

the earlier the bookstore is given the adop-

tion, the sooner they can determine how many

books they are able to buy back from students

for maximum value or 50 percent of what they

paid.

Until then, the bookstore may turn away

students once they have met their quota or

give them less for the textbooks because they

cannot guarantee they will sell them the com-

ing semester.

During the Feb. 3 meeting, political science

Professor Christy Woodward-Kaupert ques-

tioned whether adopting new books is even a

regular occurrence.

Senate Chair Jeff Hunt said that some

departments change books every year.

Hunt brought this news to Academic

Council members Tuesday and called on fac-

ulty to have book adoption decisions by early

April.

“It’s all going to happen really quickly,” he

added.

Turpin announced during the senate meet-

ing that the bookstore was looking into offering

textbook rentals but would need to get the idea

approved by district.

State, federal laws expose textbook practices

College bookstore manager Amy Turpin discusses book adoptions at a Feb. 3 Faculty Senate meeting in visual arts.

Scott Aranda


By Vanessa M. sanchez

The center for student information is staffed

by employees from district colleges who agreed

to or volunteered to work there, Elaine Lang,

director of enrollment services at Northwest

Vista and a team leader, said Monday.

The center for student information, 8300 Pat

Booker Road, will house all the back informa-

tion of admissions and records and financial

aid, such as processing requests for transcripts

and setting up registration.

Her team of eight employees from all colleg-

es except Palo Alto began working at the center

Feb. 1 and are building the critical components

of Banner, a new system to replace the current

system Passport, until it is complete.

They are working on temporary status until

the transition is complete, then the positions

will be posted internally for people to apply for

permanent positions, she said.

Dr. Lina Silva, vice chancellor for student

success, is managing the center but declined an

interview with The Ranger. However, she told

Lang to contact The Ranger for an interview

after more information was requested from

workers at the Pat Booker site.

Lang said her team is testing Banner to make

sure all parts, such as financial aid, human

resources and accounts payable, work together

before it goes live when the student module

begins.

The district will go live before fall registra-

tion begins in April, which “will allow any stu-

dent to register at any college within two clicks

of a button,” Lang said.

Lang said that Banner’s student module

would allow students to quickly access classes

needed for their degree plan and the colleges

that offer them.

“What’s most exciting to me is this system

is 21st century technology to help students do

what they need to do quickly,” she said.

Lang said she volunteered for this job:

“I’ve been a part of this for the past 18

months and am thrilled to do this work.”

The Banner implementation began in

October 2008, and Lang was part of the team

that identified a company to help prepare for

Banner.

“I was part of 12 people along with Beitzel

(District 1 board member Gary Beitzel) to work

on a change to help students,” Lang said. “During

that time, we described how we serve students

and how we could serve students better.”

Dr. Thomas Cleary, vice chancellor for plan-

ning, performance and information systems,

developed a group for the Banner implementa-

tion process, which consisted of district employ-

ees and a trustee representative, she said.

Their job was to identify companies that

could help the district with the Banner system.

The group reviewed proposals in October 2008

to evaluate which would be best to work with

that would best help students practices.

The Smart Group, a worldwide business

based in Pennsylvania, is contracted to travel

here to help work with the project. “We couldn’t

have done it without them. They have been

invaluable,” Lang said.

“We’ve been asked to dedicate our time for

90 days to organize, to figure out the best way

to staff the Center of Student Information,”

Lang said.

Lang said Julie Pace, vice president for col-

lege services at Northwest Vista College, asked

her if she was interested in this job.

Lang said another group began on the first

week of January because they had to begin

sooner for the fall schedule. They also work for

90 days and in same location.

She said information used in choosing

Banner generated from student complaints at

each of the colleges.

Some of the complaints commonly made

were: Why do students have to call each col-

lege for information? Why do students have to

call every college in the district they applied to,

to activate their application and financial aid

information?

Student focus groups have given input over

the past four years, she said.

In an e-mail, she said about 5,000 students

are cross-enrolled at more than one college.

She said cross-enrolled students had to con-

tact the bursar’s office to assure they were not

charged for attending multiple colleges.

Lang said she does not have an exact num-

ber of students who had trouble with being

overcharged, but the district is acting proac-

tively through the center so this problem does

not continue.

Everything such as admissions, financial

aid, accounts payable, will be in one database,

instead of five separate systems by July, she said.

She said every person working at the center

was notified about the job, asked if they wanted

to take the job, and then began working.

She said Silva and each college’s vice presi-

dent for either student success and student

affairs notified the employees who were asked

to go.

Lang said, “Every person on our team is here

because they wanted to be here. It’s an honor

to build a system to service maybe 100,000 stu-

dents. That’s an opportunity of a lifetime, and it

makes me go home knowing I did a good job.”

CSI team leader thrilled to be at Pat Booker siteRennie Murrell

The center of student information, which will house part of admissions and records and financial aid from all the district

colleges, began moving temporary district employees to the renovated Albertsons facility on Pat Booker Road Feb. 1.


By Celeste J. NeNtwig

As the sandwiches grew with

additional toppings, so, too, did

students’ knowledge of cam-

pus organizations at Northeast

Lakeview College’s organization

rush Feb. 2-3.

Student activities Associate

Director Crystal Willis came up

with the idea of having each orga-

nization offer students visiting

their table a part of a sandwich,

such as bread, luncheon meat,

cheese and an assortment of top-

pings.

“At each rush, we try to include

food items to encourage students

to visit as many tables as possible,”

she said.

At the student activities table,

students received a plate and a

card that they could have stamped

at each table.

The card could be returned

with eight stamps and the stu-

dent’s name and phone number in

exchange for a thermos and entry

into a raffle.

“The winner will receive an

iPod,” Willis said.

The organizations’ overall goal

was to make students aware of the

many clubs available on campus,

and to gain membership.

“I was previously unaware of

all of the clubs,” freshman Rebecca

Gomez said. “I signed up for the

Psychology Club and the Campus

Crusade for Christ.”

Another organization on hand

was the Earth Matters Club, which

organized in 2007.

The co-sponsors, Jennifer

Marks and Patsy Villareal, said

their membership is primarily

gained from the rush.

Eleven campus organizations

and seven businesses participated.

Along with the campus organi-

zations, businesses set up tables to

inform students of their services

and products.

Dora Talamente of the South

Texas Blood and Tissue Center col-

lected cheek swabs for DNA pro-

files to enter into a bone marrow

donation bank.

She said about 30 students

signed up during the two-day

event.

Among them was student

Adam Herzig, who said, “This was

my first rush, and the South Texas

Blood and Tissue Center was the

most interesting table. I signed up

to donate.”

The sandwich and stamp

encouraged students to stop to

talk with members or advisers for

each club and sign up for e-mail

announcements.

Justin Blatchly, a member of

Campus Crusade for Christ, said,

“Last year, membership increased

by about 10-15 students, and this

year, 65 people showed interest.

The sandwich idea was an interest-

ing way to get people to visit each

group.”

Club SandwichEducation freshman Catherine Overby and her husband, Corey Overby, discuss sign-in procedures with Crystal Willis, associate director of student activities, Feb. 2 at Northeast Lakeview.

Photos by Rennie Murrell

Radiology sophomore Gloria Nuncio helps prepare a sandwich for liberal arts freshman

Donavon Potts during rush week Feb. 2 at Northeast Lakeview.


By AmAndA m. Rios

Government careers as special

agents and uniformed division

officers will be the focus of a semi-

nar co-sponsored by the criminal

justice department and the career

services office from 10 a.m. to 1

p.m. Feb. 25 in the Fiesta Room of

Loftin Student Center.

Mark A. Flake, special agent

with the Department of Homeland

Security, U.S. Secret Service San

Antonio office, will offer students

advice on the two career areas,

including differences between the

fields, qualities needed for suc-

cess, degree plans and training.

“I believe that this ... will

give the students a wider range

(of educational options) in the

criminal justice field,” Linda R.

Moreno, career guidance special-

ist in career services, said Feb. 1.

Criminal justice Instructor

Tiffany Cox said Monday, “I believe

that this a great opportunity for

the criminal justice students.

“They will talk to someone who

is actually in the field and learn

from their experiences.

“It’s a rare opportunity, and

students who are interested in

these fields of law enforcement

should definitely attend.”

For more information, call

Moreno at 486-0142 or e-mail

[email protected].

Seminar to examine criminal justice opportunities

By AlexAndRiA mAxwell

Stressing over a presentation? Now there is

a lab for that.

The Strain Communication Center offers

students the opportunity to record their pre-

sentations and allows instant viewing of the

recording to help students see the strengths

and weaknesses in their performances.

The theater and speech communication

department opened the center in Room 205 of

McAllister Fine Arts Center in fall 2009 and is

now offering a scholarship to those who qualify.

In the Strain Communication Center, stu-

dents can research topics, work on outlines,

meet in groups to rehearse presentations, get

PowerPoint guidance, work on visual aids and

get one-on-one tutoring.

Students also have the opportunity to record

their performance and view it instantly to see

how it looks from an audience’s point of view.

Radio-television-film sophomore Adan

Lopez said Monday he likes how small the lab

is and the fact that it has Macintosh computers

and offers free printing.

Business management sophomore Richard

Perez used the lab last week to watch his

performance recorded in class with a fellow

student.

Perez said he was able to see the strengths

and weaknesses of his work. He found that he

used the words “umm” and “ugh” and consid-

ered that a weakness but overall was happy

with his presentation.

Perez said he would be coming back to the

lab to watch the final version of the perfor-

mance to compare it to the previous recording.

The lab was created in honor of theater

and speech communication Professor Barbara

Strain.

Chair Jeff Hunt said, “Our beloved col-

league, Dr. Barbara Strain, believed in giving

students every opportunity to learn and flour-

ish. Our communication center was designed

and developed with this goal.”

Strain taught theater and speech at this col-

lege for almost 40 years before dying suddenly

of a brain aneurism May 2, 2008.

In the center, students will find 12 comput-

ers, six Macs and six PCs, three round tables

with four seats to a table, a television with VCR

attached, a white dry-erase board and a printer.

Students are allowed five free pages of printing

and 10 cents per page after. Here students also

can purchase VHS-C tapes and white poster

boards for $3 a piece.

“Best use I’ve seen is students doing research

for projects,” speech Professor John Skinner

said. “It’s a great place to study; it’s quiet and a

place to sit and read without being disturbed.”

The room in prior years was used as a small

classroom for low-enrolling classes, he said.

The department is offering the Dr. Barbara

Strain Scholarship to all drama and speech

majors.

Applicants must be declared majors with an

overall grade-point average of 2.0 or above and

with a 3.0 GPA in their major. Applicants also

must be enrolled as a full-time student and be

enrolled in at least one speech or drama class

per semester.

The scholarship application for the 2010-11

academic year has an early deadline of Feb. 15;

final deadline is May 31.

Completion of the scholarship applica-

tion, including transcripts and letters of rec-

ommendation, is needed prior to deadlines.

Incomplete or late applications will not be

considered, according to the Strain Scholarship

Web page, http://www.alamo.edu/sac/theatre/

Scholarships.htm.

The Strain Communication Center is open

noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

For information, call 486-0494.

Communication center offers help, scholarship

Agent with Department of Homeland Security will offer advice on careers.

A heavily armed police officer stands guard at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., March 18,

2003, after the Homeland Security Department raised the national terror alert.

AccuNet/AP/Charles Dharapak


By Reagan White

The Cheshyre Cheese Club will

sponsor a panel discussion on

“How to Get Published” from 2:30

p.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 18 in the theater

in McCreless Hall.

There is no admission charge,

and the event is open to the public.

Guest speakers will share their

experiences with writing and pub-

lishing.

One of the guest speakers, Jen

Knox, is a tutor in the college’s writ-

ing center.

Knox, who has a master’s

degree in creative non-fiction from

Bennington College in Vermont,

is a fiction editor at Our Stories

Literary Journal and has pub-

lished a memoir,

“Musical Chairs.”

Knox plans to

share her experi-

ence with the “art

of publication” as

well as her per-

spective on writ-

ing realistically, she said Feb. 2.

Another speaker, H. Christine

Lindbloom, is a writing manager at

Complete That Manuscript, where

she works with authors to help

them create a public persona for

their audience to connect to.

This includes helping authors

choose where to advertise and how

to design their Web sites.

Lindbloom said the public

persona is based on the personal

choices of the authors and where

they want to go

with their writ-

ing.

She gave the

example of an

author who pre-

sented herself as

a cat lover. The

woman included some informa-

tion about her own pet cats in the

jacket of her book.

“Even though it was only three

lines in the book, it gave the audi-

ence something to connect to,”

Lindbloom said.

Lindbloom also is offering her

services as an editor to audience

members, to show them how a

professional editor operates.

“We all romanticize getting

published; (Lindbloom’s) willing to

make it real,” English Instructor

Jane Focht-Hansen said Jan. 29.

“If you’re toying with the idea

of getting anything published, you

should go,” Focht-Hansen said.

Event organizers were hoping

to schedule a third speaker for the

event, but said details were not

available by The Ranger’s deadline.

The Cheshyre Cheese Club is

hosting the event to encourage

novice writers and give them use-

ful advice, Focht-Hansen said.

“We want to get in our stu-

dents’ faces and say, ‘You can do

this if you push yourself,’” she said.

For more information, call 486-

0668.

Panelists to discuss publishing pointersCreating a public persona includes advertising and

Web sites.


Rough ride: Nursing sophomore Jennifer McClean rides the mechanical bull during the Wild West Rodeo Roundup Wednesday in Loftin.

Photos by Tyler K. Cleveland

Practice: Music education sophomores Danielle Martinez and Steve Duenez play the baritone to composer Richard Wagner’s “Funeral March” during Peter Kline’s Music Ensemble 1132 class rehearsal Feb. 5 in McAllister. The Wind and Brass Ensemble concert will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 24, in the auditorium of McAllister.


Service: Nursing sophomore Jisna Saji signs up for an e-mail list for Hospice Compassus during the Service Learning and Volunteer Fair Wednesday in Candler. Saji wants to study pediatrics and sees com-munity service with children as an opportunity to gain career experience.

Jump: Business freshman Christina Wasaff of the Lady Rangers wins the jump ball against the Palo Alto College Lady Palominos Feb. 10 in their 47-42 win in Candler. Their next game is 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at St. Philip’s College.

Giving back: Business sophomore Allen Evans talks with Shannon White, program and clinical director of the Center for Family Relations, during the Service Learning and Volunteer Fair Wednesday in Candler. Recently laid off, Evans sees community service as a way to give back to the community.


Telescope: Astrophysics sophomore Andrew Mooso prepares a grinding stone that will carve the 10-inch mirrors for a telescope Feb. 10 in Chance. The Astronomy Club hopes to complete the telescope by the end of the semester.

16 • The Ranger PremierePremiere

By Zahra Farah

V andi Vann, 19, from Burnet does not shy away from

“bling.” Vann, who has been showing pigs at the San

Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo since she was 3, loves

the glitter and glam sported in cowgirl attire.

The 61st San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, which kicked off

Feb. 4, had many cowgirls dressed in jeans decorated with spar-

kly studs on the pockets and sides. Merriam Webster Dictionary

defines “bling-bling” as “flashy jewelry worn especially as an indi-

cation of wealth.”

Vann’s blue and black stone necklace cost $150; her boots,

made out of stingray but in zebra print, cost $400; and add in her

diamond-studded jeans and diamond-studded belt, and Vann’s

outfit cost about $1,000, she said.

“Being a cowgirl comes natural to me,” Vann said. “This is how

I normally dress. It’s an everyday kind of thing.”

For many cowboys and cowgirls, the clothes they wear are their

way of life. Many wear cowboy boots and cowboy hat because they

symbolize who they are and where they come from.

Mary Sparkman, 73, dressed in a yellow and black striped

leather jacket, has been a part of the rodeo circuit for 35 years.

Sparkman and her husband, Glenn Durn, in his 80s, compete at

cooking five-course meals over an open fire. The two travel with

their Western-style wagon, which is more than 125 years old.

Sparkman was born in the country, owns a ranch in the country,

and will always be country, because that is who she is, she said.

“For real cowboys, the most expensive thing they wear is their

hat and shoes,” Durn said.

His hat and boots are each worth $300.

Living on a ranch, breeding animals and raising cows is how

the majority of ranchers live. Kendall Colvin, 6,

showed her 1½-year-old heifer, a cow that has not

given birth, and won first place. Colvin’s family

breeds animals on their ranch, Bricken Oak Ranch,

in Seguin.

Traci Colvin, 41, Kendall’s mother, gets her

children involved in the rodeo at a young age.

Kendall, dressed in pink cowboy boots and a pink

top, picked out her own outfit for her first animal

showing.

“The diamond studs and silver on my belt are

handmade,” Traci Colvin said.

Her jeans cost about $75 and her belt was

between $200 and $300. Colvin said it was expen-

sive because it takes time to detail the leather,

stitch the silver lining and add the diamond studs.

Most of the detailing on her pants and belt was handmade.

Pendants and necklaces range from $50-$300; boots run from

$200-$1,000; and hats run from $50-$1,000, she said.

Cowboy boots and hats are pricey but tend to last a long time.

John Locke, 31, has been breeding cows and bulls since he was

10. He describes cowboy clothing as practical for living on a ranch.

Hats and long-sleeve shirts protect ranchers from the sun; jeans

Hats, boots take a shine to stock show

Patrons Larry and son, Brad Koether, check out Aussie hats sold by Scott Hession from Down Under. The Koethers came from Floresville to enjoy the rodeo together as a family.

Alison Wadley

Members of the Hill Country Trail Ride gather to play a game in the AT&T Chute tent Feb. 4. Many of the members traveled from around Texas to attend this year’s rodeo.

Boot fashion was on display at the Texas Star Marketplace at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 6 with some custom designs from Twisted X Boot Express.

Robert Stofa

Julysa Sosa

Premiere Feb. 12, 2010 • 17Premiere

“For real cowboys, the most expensive thing they wear is their

hat and shoes,” Durn said.

His hat and boots are each worth $300.

Living on a ranch, breeding animals and raising cows is how

the majority of ranchers live. Kendall Colvin, 6,

showed her 1½-year-old heifer, a cow that has not

given birth, and won first place. Colvin’s family

breeds animals on their ranch, Bricken Oak Ranch,

in Seguin.

Traci Colvin, 41, Kendall’s mother, gets her

children involved in the rodeo at a young age.

Kendall, dressed in pink cowboy boots and a pink

top, picked out her own outfit for her first animal

showing.

“The diamond studs and silver on my belt are

handmade,” Traci Colvin said.

Her jeans cost about $75 and her belt was

between $200 and $300. Colvin said it was expen-

sive because it takes time to detail the leather,

stitch the silver lining and add the diamond studs.

Most of the detailing on her pants and belt was handmade.

Pendants and necklaces range from $50-$300; boots run from

$200-$1,000; and hats run from $50-$1,000, she said.

Cowboy boots and hats are pricey but tend to last a long time.

John Locke, 31, has been breeding cows and bulls since he was

10. He describes cowboy clothing as practical for living on a ranch.

Hats and long-sleeve shirts protect ranchers from the sun; jeans

are made out of tough, thick denim, which is hard for animals to

tear; and the boots protect ranchers’ shins.

“Everything you wear is designed to keep you comfortable,”

Locke said.

“Wearing Wrangler jeans is tradition,” he

said. “Everything fits right when you’re riding

your horse.”

Since the recession, some booth vendors at

the stock show say they have seen a decline in

clothing sales.

Joseph Hannabach, 77, and his daughter,

Carolyn Hannabach, 46, said they have seen a

30 percent drop in sales from last year. They sell

customized boots that range from $500-$1,200.

At the Las Vegas Rodeo show this year, the

Hannabach family lost $30,000. Their profit did

not cover the expenditures.

“Some people were crying because they

couldn’t make their booth payments,” Carolyn

Hannabach said, adding some people are hold-

ing on to their money.

Even though times have been hard, Hannabach said she would

not trade her profession for anything else.

“If I had to sit in a cubicle, I would go crazy,” she said.

The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo continues through Feb.

21. For more information, call 225-5851 or log on to www.sarodeo.

com.

Hats, boots take a shine to stock show For 17 years, Jane McInnis and Morris Gwin, volunteers for the Rodeo Ambassador Committee, show off their rodeo attire.

Jennifer Charo

The Churchell brothers Brandon, 7, Patrick, 4, and Michael, 9, pose at the cattle barn. They’ve attended the rodeo since they were tod-dlers and will be joining the Future Farmers of America next year.

Jennifer Charo

Joseph Hannabach

Ashley Mackie, 20, and Brendan Livada, 21, show off their Western wear during the Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 6. Mackie and Livada have been attending the rodeo since the age of 9.

Jennifer Charo

Kyffin Duke, 4, shows off his cowboy outfit.

Julysa Sosa

Members of the Hill Country Trail Ride gather to play a game in the AT&T Chute tent Feb. 4. Many of the members traveled from around Texas to attend this year’s rodeo.

Julysa Sosa


By Melody Mendoza

Although many people

attend the San Antonio Stock

Show and Rodeo to enjoy the

food, culture, rides and animals,

there is one group that follows

their passion for showing ani-

mals.

Children and teens crowded

through the Auction Barn on

the rodeo grounds Saturday at

the AT&T Center east of down-

town, waiting for their chance

to show off their training and

animal care at the junior live-

stock exibition.

“My favorite part of show-

ing is getting prepared,” Mike

Lageschaar, 17, said. “I love the

anticipation of who’s going to

win.”

Getting prepared means

feeding and grooming, and

training an animal to respond to

a tether, called “halt to break.”

The judges look at many

components when they review

the cattle and its handler,

known as a “shower” (rhymes

with mower).

“They look at dairy charac-

ter and sharpness,” Lageschaar

said. “They like tall cows with

long necks, a deep body and

long ribs.”

Not only do the judges ana-

lyze the cattle’s appearance,

they also look at how the shower

maintains the animal, he said.

After the showers walk their

animal around the show pen

once, they position the animal

using a show stick to square up

the animal’s feet.

Trust and training play a

major role in the animal’s per-

formance during show time.

“I train everyday,” Becca

Vizza, 18, said, holding her

1-year-old steer.

Trust between the animal

and its owner comes with time,

she said.

Nineteen-year-old Vendi

Venn said, “I walk my pigs every

day; I feed them every day.”

Although preparation is

a key factor in showing, fam-

ily is also important. Showing

becomes a family tradition and

event.

Asked if his daughter will

show, John Locke, 31, laughed,

“Well, she’s only 21 months old,

but she will show one day.”

Showing isn’t just a hobby

but a way of life for these fami-

lies.

Vizza accompanied 3-year-

Premiere

Cows and pigs and llamas – oh my!

See Page 19

Alex, 5, drops for 10 push-ups for Sgt.

Guiermo Barrera as her mom, Kelly Noe,

watches Saturday at the recruiting tent

during the San Antonio Stock Show and

Rodeo. By successfully completing 10

push-ups, Alex was able to chose whatever

item she wanted from the recruiting table;

she chose a pencil. Right, Logan Pilgram

and Seth Muse embrace a new friend at

the petting zoo. Pilgram and Muse, both

age 8, from Lytle Elementary School, and

their classmates were chaperoned by vol-

unteers from the Lytle FFA.

James Lazo

Alison Wadley

Grant Franklin, 2, pets a doe in the petting zoo Feb. 6 at the San Antonio

Stock Show and Rodeo. This year was Franklin’s first rodeo event.

Julysa Sosa

Emily Thurman was asked to help carry a 12-hour-old newborn calf. Tracy Kash and son, Gus Kash,

have been showing heifers and cows at the Stock Show and Rodeo for five years.

Brandy A. Santos

The Ranger Feb.12, 2010 • 19

old Levi Algea as a chap-

erone in his first show-

ing. He led a steer who

towered over the small

child. In this age class,

all the participants win

prizes and no one is

ranked. This gives chil-

dren the opportunity

to show before they are

old enough to compete.

After the show, father

Rick Algea carried Levi

while his mother, Lynda

Algea, explained, “He’s

never been afraid. He

goes out to the ranch

and feeds them and

plays with them.”

Where many partici-

pants compete, many

winners come out smil-

ing. “I won first place,”

6-year-old Kendall

Colvin said, waving her

first-place ribbon in her

age class for her 1-year-

old heifer. Hours and

dates of the rodeo are at

sarodeo.com.

Cows continued

Shane Stoval and his horse “Boonlight Dancer” cut up the dirt during the opening rounds of the cutting competition.

Scott J. Bajek

Powe Acosta and her sister Carmen ride Power Feb. 6 at the

Carnival of the 61st Annual Stock Show and Rodeo in a park-

ing lot at the AT&T Center.

Tyler K. Cleveland

Agricultural science sophomores Jason Brister and Dave Parma of Palo Alto College identify various pig meats for

Sage Sale, 14, of Nueces County during the swine skillathon Feb. 9 at the 61st San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

Eighteen students of Instructor Weldon Riggs at Palo Alto College volunteered to help run the skillathon, which

tested youth through age 18 on their knowledge of pigs, awarding the most skilled senior a $12,000 scholarship.

Lauren Fontenot, 14, leads one of her red brangus calves to a trailer Feb. 7. She won a blue ribbon for first in class

red brangus at the stock show and was packing up to go home to Lake Charles, La.

Tyler K. Cleveland

Sharon Hensley

From left, Chantal Jimenez, 9, and Elizabeth Kampmann, 10,

attempt the “Flat Loop” at the San Antonio Stock Show and

Rodeo Feb. 6. The lasso trick requires a hand and wrist tech-

nique to make the lasso twirl.

Julysa Sosa


By Zahra Farah

Student life has adopted a program

called Red Rover, an inventory program

used to gather students’ interests from

their Facebook page to discover activi-

ties and events students are truly inter-

ested in.

Student life offices have been using

this program for two years. Incoming

students who attend orientation are

asked voluntarily to sign up for Red

Rover through Facebook, so the student

life staff knows what incoming students

are interested in.

The program then sends the student

an e-mail on what clubs to join that

meet their interests, helps connects stu-

dents who have the same interests and

tells them about organizations that deal

with their major.

Student life reported that 1,636 stu-

dents are signed up to Red Rover.

The program helps connect students

because it is easy to get lost in a big

school, Jorge Posadas, director of stu-

dent life, said Feb. 9.

The Red Rover system cost $12,000,

he said. It is paid by the student activity

fee, for which students contribute $1

per semester hour when they enroll.

The program gathers the interests of

students and sets up a cloud. A cloud

numerically lists what students are

interested in and also gives the percent-

age of how many students appeal to a

certain activity or event. The bigger the

font used, the more students favor it.

“This is how we figured out students

were interested in golf,” Posadas said.

The college formed its first golf team

in the fall semester and it placed fifth

in the nation at the National Collegiate

Golf Tournament in Las Vegas.

According to Red Rover, the top four

interests of students at this college in

numerical order are music, movies, bas-

ketball and dance. This is why Loftin

Student Center has so much live music

and is always having a large crowd,

Posadas said.

Sophomores or students who do not

take orientation have no way of con-

necting with Red Rover.

Aaron Tavitas, assistant coordina-

tor for student leadership activities and

men’s basketball coach, said that by

catching students when they are fresh-

men they will be able to get everyone

from this time forward.

“In order to plan for the budget for

next year, we have to see what students

want,” he said.

If students who did not do orienta-

tion add student life to their Facebook

page, it would be hard for student life to

gather their information because they

would have to do it manually.

“We’re a two-year school that deals

with nontraditional students, so Red

Rover helps get their interest in,” Tavitas

said.

After student life figures out what

students are attracted to, then they can

set up the budget for the event.

Each student life coordinator has to

set up a budget for the event, figure out

how many participants will attend and

make sure it meets the guidelines of the

Council for Advancement of Standards

of Higher Education.

Events have to touch on students’

intellectual growth; offer diversity

meaning exposing students to differ-

ent cultures; spiritual awareness mean-

ing understanding personal and group

value behaviors; and healthy behavior

and leadership development.

“We look at the costs, if students

will show up and if it meets standards,”

Posadas said.

Auxiliary funds from video game

sales, vending machines and the book-

store are also used for events.

Money for the Chill Lounge locat-

ed in Chance Academic Center came

from those funds. The cost of the lounge

was $12,358.56. Furniture for the Chill

Lounge was purchased from a vendor

contract set up by the district, which

guarantees colleges the lowest prices for

furniture, Posadas said.

“If students want to tell us their

interests, they can send an e-mail. Their

voice is always stronger,” Posadas said.

Students can e-mail Cyber Café Web

master Ronald Smith at rsmith84@accd.

edu.

Red Rover collects ideasMeet the KSYM DJsWhat is your DJ and real name? I go by nEuROTI-

CA but my real name is Victoria Acevedo.

What’s the name of your show and what time does

it air? The Toxic Takeover 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Fridays

What kind of music is played on your show? From

7 to 8 o’clock, is a variety of

rock such as alt, pop punk,

metalcore, dance rock,

even a bit of grunge. From

8 to 9 o’clock, it’s house,

trance, techno and indus-

trial. Either way, you can’t

get it on regular radio.

What is the funniest

thing that has happened

while on air? I had to beg

people to call in for some

ABA tickets (amateur bas-

ketball) during a giveaway. I guess it’s either Spurs or

bust for some people.

What got you interested in radio? I wanted some-

thing to do with my spare time and getting into radio

seemed like a good idea.

What underground or local band do you enjoy

listening to? Right now, I really like Lackluster. They

were on our “Live on KSYM” show a few weeks ago and

enjoyed the pop punk sound. As far as more national

acts go, no one can beat my love for Jack’s Mannequin

and Silverchair.

What would people be surprised to know about

you? Despite my vast intellect, I am actually incredibly

immature and a bigger pervert than most guys.

What is your favorite thing about being on air?

Spinning good tunes to anyone who will listen.

What has been your favorite moment so far from

your show? All the phone calls I had received when

giving away 311 tickets made me realize that people

actually do listen to me.

What new CD will listeners hear on your show

and what’s so good about it? Motion City Soundtrack.

The Minnesota quintet is back yet again, this time with

their major label debut “My Dinosaur Life.” The album

is poppy and catchy at best, and at worst it is your

prototypical, emo-driven pop punk band. As far as the

musicianship, the drums stand out the best among

all the instruments, the guitarmanship is simple yet

effective, with the bass not all that noticeable. The

vocals, although strained, work well with the content

and emotion driven by the lyrics. The album was pro-

duced by Mark Hoppus and that fun Blink 182 feel is

definitely there.

Recommended if you dig this: Say Anything and

Something Corporate.

Victoria Acevedo

21 • Feb. 12, 2010The Ranger Calendar

Today

SAC Deadline: Applications accepted

for Teaching Academy Program Peers

Scholarship. Continues through noon

March 3. Visit www.tappatsac.blogspot.

com.

SAC Deadline: Applications accept-

ed for Texas Public Radio Scholarship.

Continues through Monday. Call 486-

1367.

SAC Deadline: Women of Vision

Scholarship Essay Contest sponsored by

the women’s center. Continues through

Feb. 22. Visit www.alamo.edu/sac/wc.

Call 486-0455.

SAC Event: Adjunct Faculty Exhibition

in visual arts. Continues through March 6.

Call 486-1034.

SAC Donation: Peer Educators collect-

ing money for Christian Haitian Outreach

Inc. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Room 120 of Chance.

Call 486-1448.

SAC Deadline: ProRanger program

applications. Call 486-1701.

Event: Chocolate Festival 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

at HEB Central Market, 4821 Broadway.

Continues Saturday and Sunday. Call 368-

8600.

SAC Event: Virtual Reality Gaming 1

p.m. in the Cyber Café of Loftin. Continues

Fridays. Call 486-0128.

Documentary: “Human Terrain: War

Becomes Academic” 7 p.m.-10 p.m. in

Room 040 of Northrup at Trinity University.

Call 999-8169.

Meeting: San Antonio

Astronomical Society 7:30

p.m. at Christ Lutheran

Church, 6720 Broadway.

Visit www.sanantonioas-

tronomy.org.

Saturday

NVC Workshop: “The 7 Habits of Highly

Effective College Students!” 5:15 p.m.-

9:15 p.m. in Room 121 of Cypress. Call

486-4007.

PAC Event: PC Repair Clinic 10 a.m.-3

p.m. at Port of San Antonio, 312 Clarence

Tinker. Call 486-3412.

SPC Concert: Faculty Recital 8 p.m. in

the auditorium in Watson Fine Arts Center.

Call 486- 2205.

Sunday

Event: Water Symposium: New Ways of

Looking at Water 8 a.m. in the confer-

ence center of Holt at Trinity University.

Continues 9 a.m. Feb. 15-16. Visit www.

salsa.net/peace/water.

Monday

SAC Transfer: Texas A&M-San Antonio

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the transfer cen-

ter of Moody. Continues 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tuesday in Chance. Also 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Wednesday in Chance. Also 8:30 a.m.-

4:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in the transfer center of

Moody. Call 486-0869.

SAC Transfer: Our Lady of the Lake

University 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in Chance.

Continues 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 23. Call

486-0869.

NLC Event: Auditions for Fiesta/Earth

Day Spring Daytime Festival and Variety

Show 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 p.m.-6 p.m. in

performing arts. Continues Tuesday. Call

486-5318.

SAC Workshop: Aracely Flores, travel

accountant for Alamo Colleges, discussion

of travel reimbursement and procedures 2

p.m.-3 p.m. in the craft room of Loftin. Call

486-0128.

SAC Concer t:

Instrumental Ensemble

7:30 p.m. in the auditorium

of McAllister. Call 486-

0255.

Lecture: “Confucian Role

in Ethics: A Moral Vision for the Global

21st Century” by Confucian scholar Henry

Rosemont 8 p.m. in Chapman Auditorium

at Trinity University. Call 999-7191.

Tuesday

SAC Transfer: UTSA 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in

Chance. Call 486-0869.

SAC Meeting: Astronomy Club 12:30

p.m.-1:30 p.m. in Room 142 of Chance.

Call 486-0063.

SAC Meeting: Campus Crusade for

Christ 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. in the craft

room of Loftin. Continues Tuesdays. Call

381-0991.

SAC Transfer: St. Mary’s University 4

p.m.-6 p.m. in Chance. Continues 8:30

a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday. Call 486-0869.

SAC Event: “Court Reporting as a

Career” by administrative computer tech-

nology 6:15 p.m.-8 p.m. in Room 202 of

Nail. To RSVP call 486-0513.

Lecture: “Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why

We Need A Green Revolution And How It

Can Renew America” by New York Times

columnist Thomas Freidman 7:30 p.m. in

Laurie Auditorium, Trinity University. Visit

www.trinity.edu.

Wednesday

SPC Concert: Symphony-in-Residence

Young People’s Concert 11:10 a.m.-12:10

p.m. in Watson. Continues Feb. 19 9:45

a.m.-10:45 a.m. and 11:10 a.m.-12:10

p.m. To RSVP call 486-2704.

SAC Event: Women4Women brown bag

conversation noon-1 p.m. in Room 105

of the empowerment center, 703 Howard.

Call 486-0455.

SAC Meeting: Society for the

Advancement of Chicanos and Native

Americans in Science 2 p.m. in Room 144

of Chance. Continues Wednesdays. Call

486-0060.

SAC Workshop: “It’s as Easy as 1, 2, iii”

facilitator Dick O’Neal 2 p.m.-3 p.m. in the

auditorium of McAllister. Call 486-0494.

SAC Meeting: Architecture Club 4

p.m.-5:30 p.m. in Room 251 of Chance.

Continues first and third Wednesday. Call

486-1300.

SPC EVENT: Symphony-in-Residence

Master Class in French 7 p.m. in the

Morgan Gallery of Watson. To RSVP call

486-2704.

Film: Coates Library Cinema Series

“Troubled Water” 7 p.m.-9 p.m. in Room

040 of Northrup at Trinity University. Call

999-7213.

Thursday

Event: College Day at the San Antonio

Stock Show and Rodeo. Free grounds

admission with current college ID. Call

225-5851.

SAC Event: President Robert Zeigler

7:30 a.m.-8 a.m. on KSYM 90.1 FM.

Continues Thursdays. Call 486-KSYM.

SAC Transfer: Wayland Baptist

University 10 a.m.-noon in Chance. Call

486-0869.

SAC Meeting: Bible study and free

lunch 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. at Methodist

Student Center, 102 Belknap. Continues

Thursdays. Call 733-1441.

SPC Event: Symphony-in-Residence

Cello Master Class 7 p.m. in the Morgan

Gallery of Watson. Reservations 486-

2704.

Feb. 19

SAC Deadline: Last day to withdraw

for Flex 1.

Calendar Legend

SAC: San Antonio CollegeNVC: Northwest Vista CollegeSPC: St. Philip’s CollegeSWC: Southwest CampusPAC: Palo Alto CollegeNLC: Northeast Lakeview College

For coverage call 486-1773 or e-mail [email protected] two weeks in advance.

www.theranger.orgComplete calendar online


Architecture keynote connects students, wellness

By Michelle e. Gaitan

Six members of the American Institute of

Architecture Students at this college attend-

ed the AIAS Forum 2009 Connections in

Minneapolis, Minn., over the holiday break,

Dec. 29 through Jan.1.

The architecture club started five years ago

and has grown to about 17 members now.

The AIAS Chapter at the University of

Minnesota and the American Institute of

Architecture of Minnesota hosted the forum,

which attracted nearly 600 students and profes-

sionals.

The six students from this college who

attended were chaperoned by Instructor Nicolas

Reisen and his wife, Lisa Reese.

A $500 prize was awarded to the Architecture

Club having the highest percentage of members

in attendance, club Vice President Raymond

Flores said.

The college program and student club offer

students interested in an architecture career

opportunities and hands-on experience needed

to succeed.

This year’s theme was Connections.

One of four keynote speakers was Esther

Sternberg, M.D., the director of the Integrative

Neural Immune Program, who spoke on the

connection between architecture and mental

and physical health.

Architecture sophomore Marina Amya

said Sternberg also talked about the relation

between a building’s color and a patient’s atti-

tude and how having a pleasing environment to

heal in can impact a person’s health.

Workshops included graphic rendering,

portfolio design and architecture photography;

students were given a choice in workshops.

They were able to take tours of the city and

visit buildings such as the St. Paul Cathedral

and the Walker Art Center.

Students also were involved in a Firm Crawl

in which they used mass transit independently

to visit local architecture firms.

Club Treasurer Zachary Wright said, “Sitting

in a classroom where you know everyone wants

to be is a rewarding experience.”

Students from UTSA, University of Houston

and the University of Texas at Arlington also

attended.

In 2008, club members attended the AIAS

Forum in Colorado and in 2010, hope to go to

Toronto. The AIAS meets every first and third

Wednesday from 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. in Room

251 of Chance Academic Center.

For more information, call Program

Coordinator Richard Armstrong at 486-1307.

By Melody Mendoza

The number of students enrolled in the

Alamo Colleges for the spring semester has

increased 12.1 percent in the last year.

The total number of students attending the

Alamo Colleges increased from 53,236 in spring

2009 to 59,513 for this semester as of the Jan. 27

census, the 12th day of classes.

Increased recruitment and outreach con-

tributed to this increase, the vice president of

student affairs at Palo Alto explained.

Faculty and student affairs staff throughout

the district are engaged in College Connections,

an outreach tactic that informs high school

students about the registration process, Mike

Flores said.

“We go to area high schools and teach stu-

dents how to apply to a public institution,”

Flores said.

“We give an orientation, assist students with

the Apply Texas application, provide placement

testing at the high schools and give advising and

information about financial aid.”

Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of student

affairs at this college, added the program also

advises on applying for scholarships.

He said area high schools are assigned to

the colleges based on geography and to avoid

overlapping efforts.

Another major cause of the enrollment

increase is the economy, Flores said.

“Because the economy is down, students

are realizing that they need to obtain education

and better skills and training because the work

world is competitive,” Flores said.

Vela said often those students turn to com-

munity colleges.

Flores said the Alamo Colleges not only offer

lower tuition, but also a variety of courses and

scheduling options.

“We offer more classes, on and off campus,

online courses and in different formats,” he

explained.

The enrollment at Palo Alto College has

increased from 7,601 students in spring 2009 to

8,047 for this semester.

St. Philip’s College enrolled 9,741 students in

2009 and 10,731 this semester.

Northwest Vista College registered the larg-

est jump in enrollment — 22 percent — from

11,944 students in 2009 to 14,584 this semester.

Northeast Lakeview College grew 18.9 per-

cent from 3,763 in spring 2009 to 4,562 students

this semester.

That refers to the college where students

attend classes.

A district institutional research enrollment

status report issued Jan. 26 shows 552 students

enrolled at Northeast Lakeview and 4,885 actu-

ally enrolled at San Antonio College but taking

courses at Northeast Lakeview.

Northeast Lakeview is not yet accredited and

is unable to offer federal financial aid so the

credit is awarded through this college.

Finally, San Antonio College enrolled 20,187

students in 2009, and 21,589 enrolled this

semester.

Vela said, “The Alamo Colleges, in general,

are able to provide quality education at a good

price.”

Increased recruitment means increased enrollment

Club wins $500 prize for the highest percentage of members in attendance.

Vice presidents credit College Connections for the growth

in district enrollment.

“Sitting in a classroom where you know everyone wants to be is a rewarding experience.”

Zachary Wright AIAS treasurer


Visit www.ujwsac.net to download an applicationfor the 26th annual program.

The deadline is Feb. 26.

Forget your heart; your head shoves you into loveBy Michelle e. Gaitan

It races, it skips, it stops; we all know how a

heart in love reacts. The face flushes bringing

heat and color.

But what about your brain?

Scientists are uncovering the chemical

response the brain experiences when falling

in love.

Chemicals in the brain go to work producing

that uplifting feeling we call love.

The heart races with adrenaline and the

excitement of it all comes from a chemical

released in the brain called norepinephrine.

Along with high amounts of the neurotrans-

mitter dopamine, that simulates pleasure, parts

of your brain become more active.

According to Helen Fisher, an anthropologist

at Rutgers University, using an MRI shows the

ventral tegmental area and the caudate nucleus

light up in response to seeing a loved one.

The MRI helps to show the chemical path-

ways in your brain.

The caudate nuclei is “the mind’s network

for general arousal, sensations of pleasure,

and the motivation to acquire rewards,” writes

Fisher in her book “Why We Love: The Nature

of Chemistry and Romantic Love,” which is why

being in love is so desirable.

Your brain’s chemicals create height-

ened attention, hyperactivity, sleep-

lessness and exhilaration.

All these feelings and bodily

reactions from being in love

can have some acting a little

obsessed.

When people fall madly in love, they hardly

have any time or leave room for much of any-

thing else.

That’s where the heightened attention comes

from and the inability to focus your attention on

anything but the one you love.

Biology Instructor John Fardal here said

people vary in their neuro production; neuro-

hormones respond differently to what they see,

feel and smell.

Further research has discovered that anoth-

er neurotransmitter called serotonin is affected

by dopamine when a person falls in love.

Dopamine seems to suppress serotonin,

which causes lower levels of the neurotransmit-

ter in the brain.

A study by Italian researchers has showed

that people who have just fallen in love

and people with obsessive compul-

sive patterns both showed low levels

of serotonin.

This could be why

people in love often obsess

about their partner.

Oxytocin and vasopressin are the brain

chemicals that slow the surge of feelings caused

by the other chemicals in the brain.

These two chemicals are associated with the

feeling of contentment.

Fisher believes that oxytocin and vasopres-

sin interfere with the effects of dopamine and

norepinephrine.

From intense feelings of love and passion

comes the more relaxed contentment of attach-

ment, hopefully resulting in a long and healthy

relationship.


Best all-time movie kiss...Student picks

1. “Spider-Man”2. “Titanic”3. “The Notebook”4. “Never Been Kissed”5. “Princess Bride”

Faculty and staff picks

1. “Gone With the Wind” (tie)1. “Pride and Prejudice” (tie)1. “Cinema Paradiso” (tie)4. “From Here To Eternity”5. “In and Out”

By Laura Garcia and reaGan White

This is a tough one. Of all the chick-flicks,

romantic comedies and classic love stories,

which ones did students and faculty think is the

most romantic celluloid kiss?

Drumroll please.

The majority of students voted hands-down

for the upside down Spider-Man and Mary Jane

Watson’s romantic kiss in the rain in the 2002

“Spider-Man” action film.

Faculty and staff were a different story, with

movies ranging from sweet or lusty to romantic

and surprising.

The top kiss actually consisted of a tie

between the “Pride and Prejudice” remake, the

classic “Gone With the Wind” and an Italian film

called “Cinema Paradiso.”

Notable runners-up for student voters

included “Pretty Woman,” “Avatar” and “Detroit

Rock City.”

It seems faculty and staff didn’t forget car-

toon and animated kisses as runners-up includ-

ed robots EVE and WALL-E in “WALL-E” and the

two dogs in “Lady and the Tramp.”

Faculty and staff also wanted to pay homage

to the kissing scene in “Brokeback Mountain”

and “Notorious,” which is said to be the longest

kissing scene in a film.


By Zahra Farah

Students around campus were asked about

their most memorable Valentine’s Day experi-

ence, and to share their most embarrassing, sad

or heart-felt moments with fellow students at

this campus.

“This person who was really into me bought

me a stuffed animal and clothes. I felt bad,

because I didn’t want anything to do with this

person. I still kept the stuff, though.”

Robert Banda, music freshman

“I was working at a rose shop for Valentine’s

Day. At the time my husband was courting me.

One Valentine’s Day night, I was working and

my husband was waiting outside for me, I don’t

know how long, but when I got to my car there

was a really sweet card on the window shield.

All of a sudden, my husband steps out of the

shadows, and I realize the card was from him.

It was borderline stalking, but I liked him. Three

kids later, I guess it worked.”

Jennifer Medrano, education sophomore

“In sixth grade, I had a girlfriend, and she

broke up with me right before the sixth-grade

Valentine’s Day dance. I still went to the dance,

but with my mom.”

Quincy Edwards, psychology freshman

“Since my birthday is two days after

Valentine’s, guys feel the need to break up with

me. That’s why I never had a Valentine.”

Tiffani Bara, liberal arts freshman

“My girlfriend broke up with me on Saturday.

She didn’t even tell me. She had a picture of

another guy with her on her MySpace. It was the

default picture.”

Kevin Orozco, criminal justice freshman

“I had two Valentines and they didn’t know,

because they lived across town from each other.

I ended up choosing the prettier one with the

better gift.”

Josh Balderas, fire science sophomore

“This guy and I were talking (dating); he got

me a ring and balloons. It was a promise ring

that showed he really wanted to be with me.”

Bianca Hernandez, psychology freshman

“My boyfriend lives in Ohio, and I was going

to mail him a present, but instead I decided I

wanted to be a part of the present. I’m going to

fly to Ohio and spend five days with him.”

Chelcia Dunn, liberal arts freshman

“I was waiting for a bus with a chick, and I

called the bus station to find out when the bus

was coming. I told her the bus was coming at

3:14 p.m. She then starts calling the bus sta-

tion to find out for herself, and I say, ‘Didn’t I

tell you?’ She said, ‘Yeah.’ I try to reach for her

phone to hang up; she then punches me in the

throat.”

Theodore Davis, psychology freshman

“In 2007, I had to put my 2-year-old puppy

down, because when (the veterinarians) were

taking X-rays (after the puppy swallowed a ten-

nis ball), it showed a blood vessel was wrapped

around his esophagus. As he was slowly getting

bigger he was strangling himself in the inside.”

Justin Bissell, mortuary science sophomore

“I didn’t get a Valentine’s card when I was in

the fifth grade.”

Kenneth Jerkins, mortuary science sopho-

more

“I got my first kiss on Valentine’s Day when

I was 12.”

Raven Roberts, RN nursing sophomore

“In middle school, I was putting my books

in my locker and randomly a guy runs up to me

and gets down on one knee to propose. I told

him no, but he kept asking so then I said yes, so

I got the ring. He was jumping up and down, all

excited, then he ran away.”

Valerie Constancio, nursing freshman

“When I was a junior in high school, I hated

Valentine’s Day, but for some reason I decided to

bring flowers for the girl I like. She didn’t come

to school, so I was carrying flowers around the

whole day. I just gave them to my teacher and

said it was for her. She ended up giving me good

grades.”

Fernando Mullen, education freshman

“I was having dinner with my family, but I

wanted to go out with my friend Chris. He told

me he was already at the movies downtown, so

I rushed my parents to finish eating. When I got

to the movies he wasn’t even there. I had to wait

two hours for him to come. I had to pay for his

movie. While we were watching the movie, he

ended up accidentally spilling my drink on me,

and afterward he asked for $5 to put gas in his

mom’s car.”

Sharon Ruiz, education sophomore

“My sophomore year of high school, in class

people were being delivered Valentine’s stuff

at the end of the day. I was the only one in my

class to get a teddy bear with balloons. I was

surprised, because it was from my crush. I knew

I liked him, but I didn’t know he liked me.”

Cynthia DeLeon, speech therapy sopho-

more

“It’s just another day to me.”

Marcel Hughes, kinesiology freshman

“Freshman year of high school, my friend,

our girlfriends and I went to a Rascal Flatts con-

cert during the rodeo.”

Joseph Puente, RTF sophomore

Valentine’s Day memories: good, bad and ugly

Illustrated by Juan Carlos Campos

The Ranger 26 • Feb. 12, 2010 Editorial

Juan Carlos Campos

Rumors and questions unneces-sarily traveled like wildfire through-out the district this week, exposing the lack of communication inher-ent in the system and the lack of concern for employee morale.

A handful of district employees were reassigned to a new Center of Student Information in the remodeled Albertsons facility on Pat Booker Road that temporarily housed Northeast Lakeview College while a campus was being con-structed.

Faculty members of the Alamo Community College District had no solid answers for why the district chose to move some admissions and records employees from each college to Pat Booker Road.

With little to no information, district employees had to rely on gossip traveling at light speed from campus to campus.

Faculty and staff worried students might have to drive throughout Bexar County all the way to Pat Booker Road to make class changes, pick up transcripts and conduct busi-ness with the financial aid office. That is a sign of student-oriented employees.

For an organization as big as this district, someone

should have taken the initiative to provide clear announcements to prevent rumors from starting rather than have to stamp out mis-communications.

Isn’t it the job of district pub-lic relations to keep constituents informed about changes at the col-leges?

The idea that personnel were being reassigned with a day’s notice, no clear idea even on the part of college officials of how many employees would be moved or the impact of the move on student services — as was being rumored — left employees in limbo, bounc-

ing between feelings of dread, disbelief and displeasure.The 2008-09 Personnel Register reports salaries for

eight employees in the district office of public relations at $473,016.72.

Half a million dollars for what?The district public relations office continues to be a

weak link in this organization. At a time of so much change, growth and reorganization, employees need strong com-munication ties with decision-makers so they will not have to rely on the grapevine.

Because when rumors start to fly, productivity suffers.

District, college-level disconnect continues

Site of the Center of Student Information in the newly remodeled

Albertsons facility on Pat Booker Rd. Each college across the

district sent volunteers last week to help jumpstart the new site.

Rennie Murrell

The Ranger Feb. 12, 2010 • 27 Editorial

Last week’s com-plaints by faculty and staff about potential problems with con-tracted housekeepers is representative of one of the most pervasive problems in the college district: a lack of open communication.

A fear of conflict or apathetic skepticism?

A college is made up of individual people who each have a stake in the overall perfor-mance and health of the institution.

Speak up. If any-one suspects abuse or waste of taxpayer money, report it to the proper chair or super-visor. Let the authori-ties investigate and take

the appropriate action if necessary.

Don’t simply shake your head and bemoan a lack of a profes-sional environment. Instead, be mature and notify someone with the authority to effect change.

The college has a hierarchy and every employee should make use of it for problem-solving.

While cleaning, housekeepers some-times have to move things so if furnish-ings or equipment are slightly out of place, don’t become suspi-cious immediately.

Ask. You won’t know until you do.

Harassment of a female stu-dent Feb. 1 escalated into a full-out brawl among her boy-friend and three assailants in the parking lot. She did not escape without her own set of bruises.

This isn’t high school. If your priority here isn’t to get an education, you don’t need to be here.

The three should be sus-pended immediately, and it shouldn’t even require a dis-cussion.

Attaining an education has become more difficult as tuition skyrockets and the economy stalls. Fearing vio-lence and intimidation on the college campus is not helping.

You don’t have to endure harassment.

If someone’s attentions make you uncomfortable and

they ignore your requests to be left alone, it’s up to you to take the first steps to protect-ing yourself.

Report harassment imme-diately. Inform the nearest employee and ask them to call the department of public safe-ty. The campus police are here to serve and protect.

The couple who was assaulted felt threatened all morning, and the female stu-dent said she was trying to avoid the suspect’s advances since the previous day.

We need to have faith in our own ability to stand up for ourselves and take advantage of the systems in place to pro-tect ourselves.

If someone hassles you, report it by calling 210-485-0099. Don’t wait for cuts and bruises.

Problem-solvers talk to each other Suspend violent students now


Editor:

Everyone connected with San

Antonio College owes a lot to

The Ranger for its uniquely infor-

mative reporting on the strange

doings of our chancellor and

board of trustees. No other news

source has come anywhere close.

As usual, The Ranger has done

its part.

Now it’s time for the rest of us

to do our part. On Saturday, May

8, an election will choose new

trustees for the Alamo Colleges

in election Districts 1, 2, 3, and 7.

The term in office for each trustee

is six years, and the board of trust-

ees, collectively, is our chancel-

lor’s boss. This isn’t an election to

let slide. As always, this city’s big

dogs would prefer that everyday

people not even know that there

is an election, let alone what’s at

stake.

But in District 1 where I live

I’ve already got my candidate.

Young Tyler Ingraham is a credit

to this school (he’s a SAC gradu-

ate) and to his generation. For

Tyler, education is more than the

numbers under somebody’s bot-

tom line, and he can explain why

in eloquent English (as opposed

to corporate gobbledygook). You

can learn more about Tyler or

join his campaign by looking up

“Tyler Ingraham” on Facebook, by

e-mailing him at tyleringraham@

gmail.com, or by calling campaign

headquarters at (210) 281-1102.

Still, even if Tyler wins, he

can’t turn everything around by

himself. So c’mon, you vatos: do

the right thing! Go to www.bexar.

org/elections and follow the links

to find out whether a trustee is

being elected where you live. If so,

make sure you’re registered, mark

May 8 on your calendar, and learn

exactly where you must show up

to vote.

Then inform yourself. Keep

reading The Ranger. Press your

local candidates to spell out what

they intend to do about your edu-

cation. Don’t let them hand you

the usual guff. Then show up on

May 8 and vote your conscience.

Help Tyler Ingraham put the

“community” back in our funky

community colleges! The eyes of

Texas are upon you.

Stephen Badrich

English Professor

LettersWho’s watching your neighborhood?

Editor:

In “Senate discusses two-fer trustee policy” in the Feb. 5 issue, The

Ranger quotes Jeff Hunt, Faculty Senate chair from San Antonio College,

as saying that “ … all of the college presidents refused to sign the draft

[memorandum of commitment].”

I believe a quick survey of all the presidents would show that not to

be the case. Mr. Hunt must have been misquoted.

Eric Reno

President, Northeast Lakeview College

Editor’s Note: The Ranger stands by its reporting. Dr. Reno did not

return a call from The Ranger by press time.

The Ranger reporting in question

Letters


By Michelle TyMrak

Sunday was Storytime at the Central

Library sponsored by the American Sign

Language department of San Antonio College.

Storytime was signed by David-Lee

Raymond, lab technician in the department

of American Sign Language and interpreter

training, and former student Chad Golden.

Both are deaf.

The stories were then translated by Ariel

Johnson and Jonathan Galloway, students at

the college.

After teaching the audience some ASL

history, he signed a children’s book called

“Where’s Pup?” by Dayle Ann Dodds, illus-

trated by Pierre Pratt.

He made the audience of 40 children and

adults laugh through his animations and

enthusiasm.

Members of the communities of Northwest

Vista, St. Philip’s and this college were among

the participants.

Raymond started the show with introduc-

tions and showed photos that demonstrated

advancements that have made it easier for

deaf people to live the most normal life pos-

sible.

He included vibrating alarm clocks and

texting.

After the story, Raymond signed, trans-

lated by Ariel Johnson, “Have you learned any

new signs or seen any that you recognize?”

The audience then began to participate

and learn signs for words such as horseback

riding and puppy.

After Raymond, Golden came forward to

tell the audience of his past and a few jokes.

The audience seemed to have a great time

laughing with him.

After the show, the audience had a chance

to interact and socialize with Raymond and

Golden, as well as each other.

The ASL department will be continuing

Storytime at 2 p.m. on the first Sunday of

every month on the third floor of the San

Antonio Central Library, 600 Soledad St.

For more information, contact the Central

Library at 207-2500 or 207-2534.

American Sign Languange storytellers David-Lee Raymond and Chad Golden ad lib a story Sunday on the third floor of the Central Library.

Photos by Marisa Montano

Storytellers David-Lee Raymond and Chad Golden perform

for the American Sign Language department on the third

floor of the Central Library.

Storytime every first Sunday at Central Library

30 • Feb. 12, 2010 The RangerPulse

Kinesiology sophomore Kassy Larios celebrates a point against the Trinity Tigers.


Kinesiology sophomore Kassy

Larios stretches with astro-

physics freshman Kristi Funari

before the Lady Rangers’ three-

game win against Trinity. Larios

burned her leg in the begin-

ning of the Lady Rangers’ Jan.

27 game against Southwest

Technical Junior College.

Kinesiology sophomore Kassy Larios goes up for a kill against the Trinity

University Tigers Feb. 4 at Trinity. The Lady Rangers won in three games

and faced the St. Philip’s College Tigers Feb. 11 in Candler.

Nursing sophomore Samantha Fematt and American Sign Language sophomore Stephanie

Muñoz celebrate a point in the Lady Rangers’ three-game win against the Tigers.

Astrophysics freshman Kristi Funari hits a kill.

Lady Rangers serve up win against Trinity

31 • Feb. 12, 2010 Pulse The Ranger

April boxing event awaits college approvalBy Riley SteephenS

The student life office is orga-

nizing a boxing event for April,

pending college approval.

“We’ve still got to work out

some details,” President Robert

Zeigler said Wednesday. “It’s still

being discussed; it’s not verified.”

Zeigler said he still needs to dis-

cuss the event’s potential impact

on student health and safety with

student life Director Jorge Posadas.

Students must be trained and

coached for at least one month

before they can box, Carrie

Hernandez, student life activities

specialist, said Feb. 3.

All participants must train at

least 30 days at a local gym before

they can be eligible for an event.

The office of student life is

already signing up students who

want to participate in the boxing

event.

As of Tuesday, fliers were

scattered throughout the college

advertising the search for amateur

boxers. The event is 11 a.m. to 1

p.m. April 9 in the mall. The dead-

line to sign up is Feb. 22, according

to the flier.

“The event is not going to be

advertised until it goes through

legal,” Hernandez said Feb. 3.

However, Zeigler said

Wednesday that all details have

not yet been worked out, including

legal issues.

The South Texas Amateur

Boxing Association is working with

student life to plan the event.

“Safety is our No. 1 concern,”

the association’s president, Mark

Calo-oy, said Wednesday. “It’s

approved but still in the works; it’s

almost locked in.”

Skip Wilson, association secre-

tary, said Wednesday, “It’s in the

preliminary stages.”

“If San Antonio College doesn’t

have coaches to provide the stu-

dents with, then we will,” Wilson

said.

The event is open to men and

women, and students must be in

good academic standing to par-

ticipate, Joe Ruiz, student life clerk,

said Feb. 3.

“This is going to be an Olympic-

style event,” Ruiz said.

Calo-oy said the event is strict-

ly a sub-novice event, with three

rounds.

Each round will be one minute

in length. Weight limits and USA

Boxing rules and regulations will

apply.

“In the 25 years that I have been

here, I have never seen an event

like this,” Hernandez said.

For information, call 486-0128.

The National Police Athletic League Championships take place at the Municipal Auditorium Oct. 23. The tournament consists of three

rounds of boxing with single elimination.

D.A. James

The RangeR

Documents

The Ranger Feb. 12, 2010