The Ranger Nov. 19, 2012

This week

Jeff Schnoor, top left, participates in a Student Activity Fee Committee meeting Oct. 12. Monica Correa

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Campus closesfor holidays

Alamo Colleges will be closed

Thursday through Sunday for

Thanksgiving and reopen Nov. 26.

Offices at all district colleges

will close Dec. 24 for winter break

and will reopen Jan. 7.

Classes for the spring semes-

ter begin Jan. 22 after the Martin

Luther King Jr. Day holiday Jan. 21.

For more information, visit

alamo.edu/calendars.

Rebecca Salinas

Last day to drop with W Tuesday

Tuesday is the deadline for stu-

dents to drop classes with a W.

Students must meet with their

course instructor to decide if drop-

ping a course is best for them before

the instructor can drop them from

a course, David Rodriguez, director

of counseling, said.

Instructors can drop students

only for exceeding the number of

absences allowed by the college

attendance policy.

After the census date, students

cannot drop courses using from

their ACES account.

“The reason for meeting with

the instructor is because nobody

wants students to drop classes

unless it’s absolutely necessary,”

he said.

Rodriguez said when students

meet with their instructor, they can

discuss options, such as extra credit

opportunities, to prevent the drop.

If students are dropping all

their courses for the semester, they

must see a counselor, he said.

“If a student is at the point

where they’re dropping everything

for the semester, many times there’s

something significant going on

other than just academics and we

want to see if there is any assistance

we can provide,” Rodriguez said.

Although course drops do

not affect a student’s GPA, they

do affect financial aid, academic

progress and the cost to repeat the

courses, he said.

A three-peat penalty charges

out-of-state tuition for a course

taken three or more times, and

the six-drop rule allows only six

dropped courses during a stu-

dent’s undergraduate career.

For more information, call the

counseling center at 210-486-0333.

Alma Linda Manzanares

By JENNIFER [email protected]

A student appointed to the

Student Activity Fee Committee,

which oversees the allocation of

about $400,000 in student fees,

shares the same name as a person

with a criminal background that

includes three convictions for theft,

a felony conviction for burglary and

one conviction for writing hot checks

that resulted in a year in jail.

The committee member, addic-

tion counseling sophomore Jeff

Schnoor, maintains he is not the

person listed in Texas Department

of Public Safety documents with 16

variations of the name and two birth-

dates.

“That’s another Jeff Schnoor,” he

said Tuesday.

He declined to provide a reporter

his birth date and full name.

After his appointment by the

Student Government Association

in early October, Schnoor told the

committee Oct. 12 in introducing

himself that he had been president

of student governments at St. Philip’s

College, Palo Alto College and the

University of Maryland at College

Park.

The University of Maryland at

College Park could find no record of a

former student named Jeff Schnoor.

No one at Palo Alto College could

confirm his serving as a student gov-

ernment president.

In an interview Tuesday, Schnoor

admitted that he had been student

government president only at St.

Philip’s, which he said was in 2003,

and that he only helped student gov-

ernments at College Park and Palo

Alto. He said he would provide docu-

ments from College Park, but had not

done so by deadline.

“I’ve helped over at Palo Alto and

University of Maryland and some

other colleges,” he said.

A St. Philip’s dean of student suc-

cess secretary confirmed by tele-

phone Tuesday that Schnoor had

been a student government presi-

dent at St. Philip’s.

Public records show that the

person using a version of Schnoor’s

name has had seven arrests dat-

ing back to 1991 and as recently as

March 16, 2012. This person served

over a year in state prison.

The arrests for theft were report-

ed in Tom Green County. A mug shot

obtained from the county sheriff’s

office bears a strong resemblance to

Schnoor.

The first arrest was in 1991 for

Class C theft of less than $50.

The next arrest for this person was

in 1992 for a Class B theft between

$50 and $500, which resulted in three

months probation.

An arrest in 1996 for a person

using his name was a first-degree

felony for burglary of habitation of

more than $200,000.

The person using Schnoor’s name

received 10 years probation.

On Nov. 1, 1999, a person using

one of the 16 versions of Schnoor’s

name in DPS records was arrested

for writing $2,688.77 in bad checks,

pleaded guilty and was jailed for 457

days, according to records from the

119th Judicial District in Tom Green

County.

In September 2000, a person

using Schnoor’s name was arrested

in Tom Green County for unauthor-

ized use of a vehicle.

The most recent arrest for a per-

son with a variation of that name was

March 16, 2012, for driving with an

invalid or suspended license in Tom

Green County.

See DISABLED, Page 4

See COMMITTEE, Page 4

By PAULA CHRISTINE [email protected]

Some mobility-chal-

lenged students at this

college have questioned

whether moving the office

of disability support services

to the first floor of Moody

Learning Center Aug. 1

serves their best interests.

They complain of diffi-

culties with access, an inad-

equate cell phone signal in

the office and a VIAtrans

drop-off point that is often

blocked by other vehicles

and difficult to use in the

rain.

They say mobility issues

with construction projects

underway all over campus

add to frustration.

Education sopho-

mores Mariana Solis and

Meloday Magallanez, kine-

siology sophomore Zachry

Arambula and liberal arts

sophomore Charlie Shivley

at different times asked the

same question, “Why did

DSS have to move?”

DSS moved to the first

floor of Moody Learning

Center Aug. 1 from the first

floor in Chance Academic

Center, a building designed

for ease of access, to be near

the office of veterans affairs.

“I thought they were

going to turn that place into

something else,” Arambula

said of the space in Chance.

“I went by there (Chance

Room 124) the other day,” he

said. “It was just empty.”

Solis, Magallanez and

Shivley expressed puzzle-

ment on why the office of

veterans affairs was not able

to move into Room 119 of

Chance, near the old DSS

office.

Students and staff report

cell phone service is poor

in Moody with only two cell

service providers with sig-

nals reaching indoors to the

DSS office spaces.

On Aug. 1, DSS students

met with Emma Mendiola,

dean of student affairs, at

their request. The content

of the meeting remains

confidential, except that it

included location change

concerns, Magallanez said.

She quoted Mendiola

responding to student con-

cerns by saying, “I had to

move my office too, and the

paint wasn’t the paint I want-

ed, but I dealt with it.”

DSS assistant Delia De

Luna attended the meeting

and corroborated this quote.

In an interview with

Mendiola Nov. 7, Mendiola

learned Magallanez inter-

preted her comment as

suggesting the paint on the

walls was comparable to

their challenges navigating

campus with wheelchairs

and canes.

“There is no comparison,

but yeah, I’m not going to

make light of their abilities,”

Mendiola said. “We have

to find some place in the

middle so they can do for

themselves.”

Mendiola said she has

been working for Alamo

Colleges for about 20 years

and she spent her first three

years in DSS. Her back-

ground includes a master’s

degree in social work.

“I would never want to

insult someone by assuming

that they can’t do for them-

selves,” she said. “That was

one of the lessons they taught

me when I worked in DSS.”

Mendiola’s impression

of the Aug. 1 meeting was

that student questions and

concerns were answered and

students felt better when the

meeting was done.

She was surprised to

learn the Magallanez had

said later, “This campus

seems to not give a crap

about us.”

Mendiola said Alamo

Colleges wants to educate

the whole student, not just

the academic part of the stu-

dent, but the whole person

Disabled students frustrated with access

Committee member denies arrest records

Liberal arts sophomore Charlie Shivley and his wife, Sherrie, wait for a VIAtrans shuttle Wednesday east of Moody. Access for the shuttle is blocked by a district truck parked in the tow-away zone. Sergio Ramirez

Charlie Shivley

Single copies free • 210-486-1773 theranger.org Vol. 87 Issue 9 • Nov. 19, 2012

Calendar

People Nov. 19, 20122 • The Ranger

For coverage in Calendar, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail [email protected] two weeks in advance.

Today

Deadline: Rental Returns deadline for

Fall/Flex is Dec. 18. Call 210-733-5960.

ACCD Registration: Open registration

for spring semester.

SAC Workshop: Adobe Illustrator spon-

sored by the student technology center 8

a.m.-9 a.m. in Room 542 of Moody. Call

210-486-0160

SAC Advising: Texas Lutheran 9 a.m.-

noon on the fi rst fl oor of Chance.

SAC Advising: Texas State 9 a.m.-noon

on the fi rst fl oor of Chance.

SAC Meeting: Student Government

noon-1 p.m. in craft room on Loftin.

Continues Mondays. Call 210-486-0133.

SAC Meeting: Men’s Bible study 1

p.m.-2 p.m. at the Church of Christ

Student Center, 301 W. Dewey. Continues

Mondays. Call 210-736-6750.

SAC Meeting: Parkour Club at 3 p.m.

in Gym 1 of Candler. Continues Thursdays.

Call 210-486-1023.

SAC Performance: Choir concert

sponsored by fi ne arts at 7:30 p.m. in

auditorium of McAllister. Call 210-486-

1030.

Tuesday

SAC Meeting: Campus Crusade for

Christ now called “Cru” 1:30 p.m. in

Room 004 of Chance Academic Center.

Continues Tuesdays.

Wednesday

SAC Meeting: Ladies Bible study

1 p.m.-2 p.m. at the Church of Christ

Student Center, 301 W. Dewey. Continues

Mondays. Call 210-736-6750.

SAC Meeting: Gay Ally and Lesbian

Association 3 p.m. in the faculty and staff

lounge of Loftin. Continues Wednesdays.

Call 210-201-4252.

SAC Meeting: San Antonio Immigrant

Youth Movement at 4 p.m. in Room 101

of Gonzales. Continues Wednesdays. Call

210 849-8066 or visit www.facebook.

com/saiym.sac.210.

Friday

Event: 23rd Annual International

Mercado de Paz Peace Market 10 a.m.-

6 p.m. at Esperanza Peace and Justice

Center, 922 San Pedro. Continues through

Friday. Call 210-288-0201 or visit www.

esperanzacenter.org.

Nov. 26

St. Mary’s Drive: Miracle on 36th

Street Toy Drive sponsored by campus

police department 7 a.m.-noon in con-

ference Room D in University Center.

Continues through Dec. 21. Call 210-

436-3668.

SAC Advising: Texas A&M University-

College Station 1 p.m.-4 p.m. on the fi rst

fl oor of Chance.

Nov. 27

ACCD Deadline: Last day to withdraw

for 14-week fall session.

SAC Advising: University of Incarnate

Word 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the fi rst fl oor

of Chance.

Nov. 28

SAC Advising: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

9 a.m.-11 a.m. on the fi rst fl oor of Chance.

SAC Event: Foosball Tournament spon-

sored by student life 1 p.m.-2 p.m. in the

craft room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0128.

SAC Event: Teaching Academy Program

Peers speaker series: “What Can I Do

Today to be a Great Teacher Tomorrow?”

by Sylvia Lovelace, teacher for the San

Antonio Alliance, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. in Room

129 in Gonzales. Call 210-486-0658.

Nov. 29

Deadline: Fourth installment pay plan,

33 percent of tuition and fees due. Call

210-486-0201.

SAC Meeting: President’s Roundtable 2

p.m.-3:30 p.m. sponsored by student life

and student government in craft room of

Loftin. Call 486-0128.

SPC Event: Career TechED Expo 2012

sponsored by applied science and technol-

ogy division 4 p.m.-8 p.m. in building I at

Southwest Campus. Call 210-486-7015.

Nov. 30

Trinity Performance: Christmas

Concert sponsored by the music depart-

ment 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. in Laurie audi-

torium. Call 210-999-8212.

SAC Event: “Harvest the Empire” and

“Illegal Movie” screening sponsored by

San Antonio Immigrant Youth Movement 3

p.m.-5 p.m. in Methodist Student Center,

102 Belknap. Call 210-849-8066.

SAC Concert: Percussion Ensemble

sponsored by department of fi ne arts at

7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of McAllister.

Call 210-486-0255.

Dec. 4

Deadline: Last day to withdraw for fall

Flex 2 session.

Dec. 5

SAC Event: SAC holiday tree-decorating

celebration sponsored by student life 11

a.m.-1 p.m. in Loftin. Call 210-486-0128.

SAC Event: Snow Day sponsored by

student life 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in mall. Call

210-486-0128.

Dec. 7

SAC Event: National Cotton Candy Day

sponsored by student life 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in

Loftin. Call 210-486-0128.

Dec. 10

SAC Event: Final examinations for the

regular 16-week fall session. Continues

through Dec. 15.

Left: Nursing sophomore Edric Filpo asks Chancellor Bruce Leslie if more signs can be put up around campus where parking is available during Chat with the Chancellor Thursday in the faculty and staff lounge of Loftin. Leslie said Filpo would need to get in touch with Dr. Robert Vela, vice president for academic and student success. Riley Stephens

www.theranger.org/people

Above: Liberal arts freshman Angela Winston and Victoria Estrada, who attend Travis Early College High School, win a shirt during National Distance Learning Week in the mall. The information booth was set up to give information to students about the online classes that this college provides. For more coverage, go online to theranger.org Monica Correa

Below: Kathy Ma, program specialist at UTSA’s Confucius Institute, helps liberal arts freshman Homer Sandoval into a king’s costume during a Chinese Culture presenta-tion Tuesday in Oppenheimer for International Education Awareness Week. The presentation included other activi-ties such as calligraphy, mask-painting and paper-cutting. Monica Correa

Left: Architecture freshman Jean Pierre jumps in and out of a 200- pound tire before executing 10 tire lifts Wednesday in the mall. Pierre attended different stations as part of a promotion for activities the kinesi-ology department offers in Candler. Vincent Reyna

By FAITH [email protected]

Leaders of campus organizations and co-

workers who have worked closely with former

student life Director Jorge Posadas did not have

much to say about his departure Nov. 9.

As director of student life for more than

six years, Posadas worked with student lead-

ers through Presidents Round Table, Student

Activity Fee Committee, Student Government

Association and campuswide activities such as

Antojitos Festival, Octoberfest, Rodeo Roundup

and FunFest.

While Posadas was director, the office of

student life established a formal dinner and

awards ceremony each spring to honor the

most outstanding members of student organi-

zations.

All of these events were produced with the

help of the staff of the office of student life.

Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of academic

and student success, confirmed Nov. 12 that as

of Nov. 9, Posadas was no longer an employee

of the college, but declined to specify details

because “it’s a personnel matter.”

Although Posadas declined to comment

after The Ranger contacted him at his home

Wednesday, he said he was “looking at a few

options” for legal representation.

Emily Kahanek, assistant coordinator of

special projects, was named interim director of

student life Wednesday, Vela said.

Multiple phone calls to student life secre-

tary Mary Schlabig; student activities specialist

Carrie Hernandez; and Jacob Martinez, assis-

tant coordinator of leadership and activities,

were not returned.

Mark Bigelow, assistant coordinator of lead-

ership and activities, declined to comment and

directed questions about Posadas to Vela.

“Because it’s very sensitive, I asked them just

to refer them (questions pertaining to Posadas)

to me,” Vela said.

Psychology sophomore Jacob Wong, Student

Government Association president, declined to

comment Nov. 12 when asked about Posadas.

Wong had worked with Posadas since 2010,

while Posadas was still nonvoting chair of

the Student Activity Fee Committee. Posadas

resigned over the summer and was replaced by

Emma Mendiola, dean of student affairs. Wong

also led campus tours under the direction of the

office of student life.

SGA Secretary Justin Wideman, biology

sophomore and activity fee committee mem-

ber, also declined to comment Nov. 12.

The president of Gay Ally Lesbian

Association, which has sponsored campuswide

events such as Coming Out Week, expressed

sadness at Posadas’ departure. “It is always sad

to see someone leave,” GALA President Rene

Orozco, advertising and public relations sopho-

more, said. “Some things can’t be helped.”

Orozco said students should be a top prior-

ity for the next director of student life.

Charlie Castleman, program director for col-

lege radio station KSYM 90.1 FM, said, “I didn’t

know the man personally, but from what I had

seen, he seemed to be a very malicious and vin-

dictive person who had an agenda of his own,

and I didn’t think that was in line with what the

students wanted.

“I think that we need more equal represen-

tation of the student population on commit-

tees like the Student Activity Fee (Committee),”

Castleman said. “It seems to be that a few

students have all of the power when it comes

to deciding what the students’ money is being

spent on, and (this situation) is not representa-

tive of the actual population of the students.”

Mendiola said Wednesday about hiring a

director of student life that, like any college

employee, the person in that position should be

“student-friendly” and “responsible.”

“Any of our roles here, I think, are extremely

important in terms of the growth that we would

like to see in our students,” Mendiola said. “A

lot of times, that means being able to be a lot

like good parents without diminishing the adult

status of our students.

“No matter what role we’re in, in an edu-

cational institution, we all teach to a certain

extent, and so being able to do that in a positive

way, I think, is important.”

Posadas created controversy during his six

years as student life director.

He presided over closed meetings of the

Student Activity Fee Committee, which handles

an estimated $400,000 budget that is generated

through the collection of $1 per credit hour

per student. College President Robert Zeigler

ordered the meetings to be open Nov. 16, 2011.

In February, the committee met without

a quorum and approved $5,721.97 for four

organizations. A meeting was canceled in May

because of a lack of a quorum.

In April, the committee proposed a student

activity fee budget of $800,000, which included

a line item of $70,000 for a second student

newspaper. The budget would have required

doubling the activity fee and approval from the

district board of trustees.

Posadas received local and national cover-

age after telling a Ranger editor in an email

Oct. 17, 2011, that he would “negotiate an

appropriate fee” for interviews. After Posadas

demanded a fee for Ranger interviews, Vela

accompanied Posadas in an interview with The

Ranger in February “to ensure a good interview

process,” Vela said Feb. 9.

For more information, call Vela at 210-486-

0931.

Rebecca Salinas and Alma Linda Manzanares

contributed to the story.

By CARLOS [email protected]

According to a sur-

vey taken by the Student

Government Association, the

top two things students like

most about this college are

the professors and the activi-

ties provided for students.

The top two things stu-

dents like most about this

district are financial aid and

security.

Four areas students have

the biggest issues with are

financial aid, parking, con-

struction, and counseling.

SGA presented the infor-

mation to President Robert

Zeigler during the monthly

Pepsi with the President Nov.

8.

The group collected 186

surveys during their Sweet

Treats event Oct. 31 in the

mall.

Students who filled out the

four questions on the survey

were rewarded with candy.

Secretary Justin Wideman

explained that the issues for

both district and this college

mirrored each other because

students are blaming both

equally.

Another popular issue stu-

dents had was “administra-

tion,” but the responses gave

no specifics to who or what

part of the administration.

It was clear that students

liked receiving financial aid.

“They (students) like that

they get money to help pay for

college,” Wideman said.

Wideman said he was

compiling all the surveys

and that the results would

be presented at the Student

Government meeting Nov. 12.

They were not presented

at the meeting, and afterward,

Wideman said they were still

being compiled.

In other news, Vice

President Mike Martinez, told

Zeigler that SGA would be

adding two new officers.

A historian is needed to

document activities and

events for future SGA mem-

bers to see what the organiza-

tion has done, Martinez said.

A parliamentarian will be

active during SGA meetings by

maintaining order and ensur-

ing that all student govern-

ment rules are being followed.

This position will keep the

meetings moving forward and

productive, Martinez said.

Zeigler agreed.

“I think you need some-

body to help run and manage

the meetings. I think that is a

significant step … too many

meetings are not well-man-

aged and they just ramble

on,” Zeigler said.

With the new positions,

SGA will be able to “effect

more students and really

give them a more rounder

voice,” commissioner Maura

Callahan said.

With the addition of two

new officers, SGA is request-

ing an additional $2,000 a

semester to their budget start-

ing in the spring semester.

“It depends on where it

would be and if we have it,”

Zeigler responded. “It may

have to wait until the next

academic year.”

SGA will amend their con-

stitution to reflect the new

positions regardless of a bud-

get increase for next semester.

“We need them for state

(conference),” President

Jacob Wong said.

Dr. Robert Vela, vice presi-

dent of academic and student

success, asked SGA to reach

out to students at the Central

Texas Technology Center in

New Braunfels.

A majority of the students

at the center are SAC students

and are interested in being a

part of SGA and leadership

roles, Vela said.

“They want to engage with

us,” Vela said.

Zeigler added that SGA

should also reach out to stu-

dents at Travis Early College

High School taking dual credit

courses at this college about

getting involved with SGA.

“Those are our students

as well … it would be good

for them and good for us,”

Zeigler said.

NewsNov. 19, 2012 The Ranger • 3

Student leaders, staff mum on departure

SGA reveals feedbackAssistant coordinator named interim student life director

By FAITH [email protected]

Emily Kahanek, assistant

coordinator of special proj-

ects, has been appointed

interim director of student life

while the college begins the

process of filling the

position, Dr. Robert

Vela, vice president

of academic and

student success,

said Wednesday.

Vela said the

director of student

life position would

be posted inter-

nally before look-

ing for potential

employees outside of the col-

lege.

The college’s executive

team would need to approve

the position before giving it to

human resources before post-

ing it, he said.

“Every position must be

vetted through our college

executive team before we can

submit it for posting,” he said.

The executive team will

more than likely begin the pro-

cess the week of Nov. 25 and

“will probably take a few weeks

after that to get it posted.”

The position of student life

director is vacant because the

employment of Jorge Posadas,

the director since 2006, ended

Nov 9. College officials will not

comment on the reasons for

Posadas’ departure.

Kahanek said Thursday

in an interview that she was

hired in March 2011 as ser-

vice learning coordinator for

the office of civic engagement,

which operates under the

office of student life.

She said she will continue

to work as a coordinator while

serving as interim

director of student

life.

One event

Kahanek organizes

includes the OxFam

hunger banquet,

which takes place

once a semester.

Students draw cards

representing differ-

ent income classes

and are provided with meals

depending on the cards they

draw.

There will be no interrup-

tion of student life events,

Kahanek said. She said stu-

dent life will “continue to pro-

vide excellent programming

for our students and making

sure that we have a continu-

ous stream of great events.”

Kananek came to the col-

lege in February 2009 for the

college Alumni Association

coordinator after having

been a senior public rela-

tions coordinator for H-E-B

Grocery Co. She resigned in

September 2009 to pursue a

master’s degree in education

at the University of Texas at

San Antonio.

For more information, call

the office of student life at

210-486-0125.

Former student life director is considering legal representation.

Student life events will continue as planned.

Emily Kahanek

www.theranger.org

Jorge Posadas at a men’s basketball game Feb. 11, 2009 File

Justin Wideman, biology sophomore and Student Government Association secretary, says survey results from Sweet Treats reveal students are happy with the number of campus police but are unhappy with administration during Pepsi with the President Nov. 8. Riley Stephens

Student Government Association asks for a budget increase to add two officer positions.

By PAULA CHRISTINE [email protected]

On Oct. 26, a heavy thunderstorm sent

students trotting, hopping and ducking

between buildings.

The library was full of warm bodies seeking

shelter, but just outside at the drop-off point

nearest disability support services about 3

inches of deep water and pouring rain proved

too much to manage with a wheelchair.

DSS assistant Lolly Espinoza said a stu-

dent she did not wish to identify called the

office to report her challenge during the

worst part of the storm.

Fifteen minutes after the call, VIAtrans

driver Jerry Crandall got soaked through

shoes and shirt while assisting liberal arts

sophomore Charlie Shivley, who uses a

wheelchair, with boarding.

The VIAtrans is a public transportation

service that can be used by anyone with dis-

abilities seeking access to events or classes

on campus. About 15 students registered with

the office of disability services use VIAtrans

regularly.

The VIAtrans drop-off point nearest the

new DSS quarters on the first floor of Moody

Learning Center is at the main second floor

entrance on the east side of the building in

parking Lot 16.

Shivley is usually accompanied by his wife,

Sherrie Shivley, and they both said they have

consistent problems with the new location.

At least four to five times weekly, she said

they arrive to find the drop-off point blocked

by cones, construction materials or drivers.

She said she asks people to move their

vehicles, but they do not always make room.

Charlie Shivley said, “They (faculty) get

mad because we are not in class or late.”

He said consistent delays accessing the

drop-off point in good weather frustrate him

so much he now chooses to arrive at 6:30 a.m.

and wait for buildings to open.

Shivley said he prefers the old DSS location

on the first floor of Chance Academic Center

because it had a broad doorway, open view

and short, level distance between the doorway

and VIAtrans drop-off point in Lot 19.

Limited shelter is available for those who

must wait in wheelchairs at Moody. To access

the VIA trans, students must pass through

concrete pilings, yet another hurdle for wheel-

chairs. Other students have difficulty maneu-

vering stairways to the drop-off that have been

overgrown with ivy and often littered.

TV broadcasting sophomore Anthony

Cavallini said he does not use VIAtrans for

access to campus because he has other trans-

portation resources.

Access to the VIAtrans drop-off point near

the new DSS office doesn’t affect him, and he

doesn’t mind the relocation.

“Things are bigger now, more space I

noticed,” he said. “I mean we’ve got to have

change at one point.”

News Nov. 19, 20124 • The Ranger

of each student attending Alamo Colleges.

“We have to educate them about life,” she

said. “I’m sorry it came across as unsympa-

thetic. That’s not how I feel.”

The director of DSS, Maria Gomez, said

the office combined with VA because they

serve a shared population. She said laws for

veteran benefits made the DSS and VA pro-

grams compatible.

The Vocational Rehabilitation and

Employment VetSuccess Program autho-

rized by Congress in Title 38 Code of Federal

Regulations, Chapter 31, is an example of

these laws. Also, disabled veterans are pro-

tected by the Americans with Disabilities Act

just as civilian students with disabilities are

covered.

Gomez said the VA office serves about

2,000 students, and the DSS office serves

about 2,000 students in an academic year.

Many of these students are a shared popu-

lation between the two offices because so

many veterans are disabled, Mendiola and

Gomez said in separate interviews.

She said the shared student population

was the major reason for the move.

“There was a time when there was no con-

struction,” Mendiola said. “Suddenly there

was money available and we had to act fast.”

Both Mendiola and Gomez said, the idea

to combine VA and DSS was first mentioned

20 years ago. Mendiola said the opportunity

appeared unexpectedly.

When asked about design of the new offic-

es for DSS, Mendiola said she and Dr. Robert

Vela, vice president of academic and student

success, were required by the district admin-

istration to perform a very quick turnaround.

David Mrizek, vice president of college

services, said Thursday that facilities funds

were identified for moving counseling, veter-

ans affairs and DSS during the summer.

The time allotted for use of the funds

did not allow for a more thorough vetting of

design plans for the project, Mendiola said.

Mendiola described a female student who

came to this college needing an adult changing

table, and the presence of her male attendant

excluded women’s restrooms as an option.

Mendiola said, “We went above ADA regu-

lations.” She said restrooms in the DSS offices

in Moody can accommodate a student with

special hygiene needs requiring an attendant.

Old DSS space in Chance will be reno-

vated to provide more classrooms.

The new DSS space moved to combine all

campus counseling components on the same

floor — mainstream, VA and DSS

“We thought we were making a nice situ-

ation,” she said. “Not everybody agreed with

that.”

Limited cell phone service has been a

challenge for some students as reported by

Magallanez, Arambula, De Luna and Gomez

in separate interviews.

De Luna is working with Sprint to work

on a possible deal for a signal booster for

Moody’s first floor.

A canopy promised by this college to DSS

to shelter the ramp from parking Lot 16 to the

east entrance to Moody has not materialized.

Mendiola said the need to bring materials

into Moody for construction on upper floors

was delaying the canopy construction.

She said some things cannot be controlled.

“All students have the right to voice their

opinion,” Gomez said. She agreed some stu-

dents vocalize their frustrations.

Mendiola agreed with Gomez regarding

students’ rights to speak their mind and said

she hopes students will come and speak with

her after they have spoken with the director

of DSS.

Wheelchairs and storms don’t mix

Music sophomore Jesus Interiano walks education sophomore Melody Magallanez to class Monday northwest of Chance. Sergio Ramirez

www.theranger.org

DISABLED, from Page 1

COMMITTEE, from Page 1

By REBECCA [email protected]

The Adjunct Faculty

Council needs to focus on

getting more members, Chair

Jerry Townsend said Tuesday

in the monthly meeting.

Townsend, journalism full-

time adjunct, said he wants to

meet once more this semester

to recruit members so they can

move forward with an adjunct

leadership conference.

“We need to take care

of our own structure first,”

Townsend said. “If we’re going

to do something ambitious

as a districtwide leadership

meeting of adjunct faculty ...

we need to have a good, strong

committee of several people to

work on that.”

Townsend said he does

not want to commit to details

of the conference when the

council does not have many

members to work on it.

“If we have to do it next

year, then we have to do it next

year,” he said.

Townsend said more peo-

ple from other colleges would

come if there is at least one

adjunct from each college

working on the event.

English Adjunct Amanda

Martin said she wants adjuncts

to email her ideas for a survey

on activities for the conference.

She said she wants ideas for

activities, location and time to

be submitted by mid-to-late

January to have the conference

around March.

The conference survey says

topics of discussion include

the value of an adjunct coun-

cil, professional development

and salary. Also on the survey

is a place for adjuncts to sign

up to present a seminar.

Townsend said the con-

ference will be to encourage

adjunct council development

at other colleges.

He said his previous idea

of having an adjunct summit

“got people riled up.” He said

the conference will be a more

graceful way of handling busi-

ness.

Possible locations include

this college, the Region 20

Education Service Center,

1314 Hines Ave. or Northeast

Lakeview College.

In other news, the deadline

for application for the El Éxito

award is Nov. 30.

The award from the Bob

and Mary Zeigler Adjunct fac-

ulty Professional Development

Fund is for adjunct faculty who

have taught a minimum of two

courses at this college during

the semester nominated. Any

faculty member can nominate

an adjunct, and adjuncts can

nominate themselves.

Applications can be turned

in to Cynthia Price, program

coordinator for the Murguia

Learning Institute and Bob

and Mary Zeigler Fund chair,

with a letter of reference for

the adjunct’s chair or program

coordinator, a peer and a stu-

dent.

Applicants also need a

statement of accomplish-

ments and reasons they are

being nominated and a sum-

mary of teaching responsibili-

ties from the last four years.


Price at 210-486-0756.

For more information on

applying, call Townsend at

210-486-1780.

Adjunct Council needs more members to stage conference

1999 arrest 2004 2012 arrest

Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of academ-

ic and student success, said in an interview

Thursday afternoon, “We don’t require criminal

background checks for students to attend our

college. We don’t limit anybody’s participation

in the college because of it. A lot of our students

do have criminal backgrounds.

“We realize students may have made mis-

takes in the past, but it should not keep them

from being active members of a college. If a

student has a concern, they can always file a

complaint with my office, and we will investi-

gate it thoroughly,” he said.

While Vela said he could not comment spe-

cifically on a member of the committee, he said

the five students and two alternates do not have

access to the $400,000 of student funds that they

allocate. The student activity fee is highly regu-

lated, with checks and balances where no single

person has the ability to take funds, he said.

“There is a lot of protocol that goes into mak-

ing sure the money goes where the committee

wants it to go. Ms. Mendiola, as chair, her office

makes sure that the money is routed to the right

and appropriate departments,” he said, referring

to Emma Mendiola, dean of student affairs and

the nonvoting chair of the committee.

Jacob Wong, psychology sophomore and

Student Government Association president,

who appointed Schnoor as a student represen-

tative for the committee, said Wednesday, he

looks at applicants’ accomplishments but does

not fact-check them.

He said he has the authority to remove

members of the committee who intentionally

provide false information.

“I can address the situation, and I can remove

them if it is something I find out later,” he said.

After learning of the criminal past of a per-

son using versions of Schnoor’s name, Wong

said he would want to look at the time frame in

which the incidents happened.

Wong said Schnoor is taking the commit-

tee work seriously. “He does research, he has a

binder, he collects all the information, and he’s

been very balanced and fair.”

He said he would talk to Schnoor and

Mendiola.

“It’s a concern when you’re dealing with

money, especially money of the students. …

There can’t be any sense of impropriety or mis-

management of funds because we are governed

by state law,” Wong said.

Mendiola was unavailable for an interview

by deadline.

Schnoor said Tuesday he was involved in a

lawsuit with a man from Temple involving Texas

Airsoft Safety Organization. Airsoft is a hobby

similar to paintball. He attributed the confusion

over his name to the other party in the lawsuit.

That information could not be confirmed.

In a video posted on YouTube Sept. 18, 2010,

after an airsoft game, a person identified as Gray

Wolf, who looks like Schnoor, details an elabo-

rate military background.

In the video, Gray Wolf says he served 26

years in the military and says he served in the

Marines and Army.

He spent 4 ½ years being a Marine because

he “didn’t want to wait for someone to die or

pass away to get promoted.” Therefore, he went

into the Army and served as a Ranger.

Gray Wolf also said he was an instructor for

scuba diving at the John F. Kennedy School.

He then said he was a U.N. peacekeeper and

has been to Albania, Serbia and Bosnia.

Gray Wolf said in the video that he went into

the military when he was 16½ years old by sign-

ing a waiver. He said that he was an orphan and

got emancipated at 15.

Schnoor told the Student Activity Fee

Committee Oct. 12 that he served in the mili-

tary 16 years.


No priority for students here at Tobin Lofts

By ALMA LINDA [email protected]

The district is looking into another public-

private partnership for the development of a

central administrative building at Playland Park,

2222 N. Alamo St., John Strybos, associate vice

chancellor of facilities operation and construc-

tion management, said Tuesday.

Strybos said about 450 district administra-

tion and staff are housed at three locations: 811

W. Houston St., 201 W. Sheridan and 7990 Pat

Booker Road.

On July 17, 2008, the district gained owner-

ship of the 12.644-acre property from the San

Antonio Water System at a cost of $4.13 million.

Strybos said along with the administrative

building, he anticipates that there would be a

parking garage. “I would expect one if we need

parking for 450 employees and to develop the

land the correct way,” he said.

Strybos said the development partners also

could determine what they want to use the prop-

erty for, such as apartments or retail.

He said he expects a proposal will be made

for the approval to issue a request for quali-

fications for the public-private partnership

at the Building, Grounds and Sites Selection

Committee meeting Dec. 4 and the Alamo

Colleges regular board meeting Dec. 18.

Strybos said if the proposal is approved, the

request for qualifications would be sent out in

January. A public and private partnership is the

involvement of a private enterprise in the form

of management expertise or monetary contribu-

tions or both in government projects aimed at

public benefit.

Strybos said if the district moves to a central

location at Playland, the three properties that

currently house district administration and staff

would become surplus property that could be

sold or redeveloped into apartments.

“What Alamo Colleges’ goal would be will

depend on the partners in the public-private

partnership,” he said.

At the Sept. 25, 2008, Buildings, Grounds and

Sites Selection Committee meeting, Chancellor

Bruce Leslie proposed that Playland Park could

function as a unified district headquarters and

serve as an opportunity to partner with local

business and government. Leslie also proposed

that the facility could be used to train students

in culinary arts and massage therapy.

The estimated $116 million price tag drew

objections and criticism from Faculty Senate

and the Adjunct Faculty Council at this college,

and the proposal was dropped from the board’s

December 2008 agenda.

Leslie said in an interview Thursday that

in 2008 he was proposing ideas to the Alamo

Colleges board of trustees based on his expe-

rience as chancellor of Houston Community

College System.

“I was saying to the board that we could com-

bine several things in this location and because

it’s in the city, it could give greater visibility to

some of these programs,” he said.

Leslie said because of such a strong opposi-

tion from the faculty, staff and students, “with-

out of thinking of the advantages,” the proposal

was dropped. “We even had a student come and

say something about ‘Dr. Leslie, the only reason

he’s recommending this is because he wants to

be able to have a massage and a taco,’” he said.

“There’s a passion here around keeping

things where they are and if you change some-

thing you’re diminishing the institution, and

that’s not true at all. The fundamental issue has

got to be what can we do to make the students’

the most full and richest experience that they

can possible have,” Leslie said.

Currently, Playland Park provides 650 extra

parking spaces to make up for a shortage caused

by construction projects that have taken away

about 450 parking spaces.

Parking spaces are limited in Lot 16 for

remodeling in Moody Learning Center and in

Lot 21 as a staging area for expansion of Scobee

Planetarium and the Challenger Learning

Center. Lots 26, 33 and 31, near Main Avenue

and West Evergreen Street, are also closed for

construction of a garage and the Tobin Lofts

public-private partnership.

District wants public-private partnership for PlaylandA central administration building for 450 employees may be built.

About 70 applications have been submitted.

College Council discusses spring break leave for staff

www.theranger.org

By REBECCA [email protected]

Staff Council President Anelia Luna said the

United Staff Council has submitted a proposal

to Chancellor Bruce Leslie for staff members in

this district to get the first three days of spring

break off during the College Council meeting

Tuesday.

Luna said the Alamo Colleges are the only

colleges to be open three days of the week

classes do not meet for spring break.

“You could be more productive in a way that

a lot of people have to make special arrange-

ments and leave part of the time anyway for

their children,” Luna said. “A lot of the people

gone affects the work of the ones that are still

here.”

According to the academic calendar, all

administrative offices will be closed March

14-17. Classes are dismissed March 10-17.

In a phone interview Thursday, Dr. Adriana

Contreras, deputy to the chancellor, said

Thursday that the topic was discussed in the

presidents and vice chancellors meeting Nov.

12. She said the proposal was taken into consid-

eration and more research is being conducted.

Luna said in a phone interview Thursday

that she does not know when or if Leslie or the

Alamo Colleges board of trustees will make a

decision.

Zeigler said the staff in the Alamo Colleges

have fewer days off than the rest of peer dis-

tricts by three or four days.

“Taking this step and making this move will

put us in line with our peer colleges,” Zeigler

said. “I think it is a good proposal … It seems to

be a reasonable request.”

In other news, Zeigler said the college exec-

utive team is pleased with the placement of the

college seal on a base west of Moody Learning

Center.

The seal will be in a marble base with a

slanted top near the west entrance to Moody.

“Of course, all we need to do is figure out

how we’re going to pay for it,” Bill Richardson,

kinesiology and dance chair, said.

The two college seals on the college monu-

ment west of Gonzales and McCreless halls

on San Pedro Avenue were removed in April

after Alamo College’s logos were placed on top

of them in 2010. The other seal is on the wall

of the executive conference room in Fletcher

Administration Center.

In other news, allied health Chair Stella

Lovato said the Faculty Evaluation Committee

is going to delay the deadline for recommen-

dations for new full-time faculty evaluations

to Jan. 18. The evaluations are based on the

new full-time faculty job descriptions that were

passed at the Sept. 18 regular board meeting.

The committee is working with Dr.

Raoul Arreola, a consultant from the Faculty

Evaluation Resource Center, to determine new

standards to evaluate full-time faculty.

Lovato said chairs thought the evaluation

process was “moving too quickly and some

of the departments did not have time to ade-

quately work on it.”

Lovato said District Council of Chairs gave

the motion to Super Senate Friday and to Dr.

JoCarol Fabianke, interim vice chancellor of

academic success.

Dr. Dawn Elmore-McCrary, co-chair of the

Faculty Evaluation Committee, initially wanted

to have the evaluations done by the end of this

month.

In other news, Faculty Senate President

Larry Rosinbaum announced math Professor

Hoan Duong is this college’s Piper Professor

Nominee.

Rosinbaum said paperwork still needs

to be finished, but the citizens committee is

almost ready to turn in all paperwork to Minnie

Stevens Piper Foundation.

Nomination forms are due Nov. 21, and the

winner will be announced May 1.

Susan Espinoza, director of college and

grants development, said she wants people to

share interesting information with her about

Duong to make the presentation to the founda-

tion more interesting.

Jacob Wong, Student Government

Association president, said SGA is considering

Duong as an adviser. Criminal justice Professor

Tiffany Cox and English Professor Sharon Argo

are current SGA advisers.

In other news, College Council will not meet

in December because Zeigler said he did not

see a need for one.

For more information, call Project

Coordinator Robin Collett at 210-486-1956.

Susan Espinoza, director of college and grants development, asks for members to share informa-tion on math Professor Hoan Duong to contribute to his statewide nomination in the Piper Professor competition at College Council Tuesday in visual arts. Rebecca Salinas

By ALMA LINDA [email protected]

Students from this college who apply to

live in Tobin Lofts upon completion in fall

2013 will have the same priority as other

local college students, general manager

Renee Cavazos said Wednesday.

Tobin Lofts, a four-story complex being

built through a public-private partnership

at North Main Avenue and East Laurel Street,

will include a 225-unit residential space, a

961-space parking garage and 12,000 square

feet of commercial space, with Luther’s Café

as anchor tenant.

The project includes construction on the

north and south sides of West Evergreen.

The lofts are scheduled for completion

in August.

Students from other colleges and univer-

sities, such as the University of Texas at San

Antonio, University of the Incarnate Word

and Trinity University can rent apartments

in Tobin Lofts.

“If a person from Incarnate Word comes

and leases before a SAC person, then it’s

going to come to the person who came first,”

Cavazos said. “SAC has no upper hand in

leasing.”

She said about 70 applications have been

submitted for Tobin Lofts since the leasing

office began accepting applications Nov.1.

The lofts will provide 552 beds for stu-

dents in furnished apartments with all bills

paid. There will also be 65 beds available

for families and employees in a building

connected to a parking garage that will be

constructed in Lot 26 at Evergreen Street

and Main.

Prices range from $875-1,050 for a one

bedroom, one bath apartment; $675-775 per

person for two bedrooms, two baths; $525

per person for four bedrooms, two baths;

and $575 per person for four bedrooms, four

baths. Some units in the student area have

up to four beds, so if students do not have

roommates, the leasing office will match

roommates based on a questionnaire.

Applications are available in the leas-

ing office 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in Room D402 of

Building 19 of the continuing education

annex, 309 W. Dewey Place, or online at

www.livetobinlofts.com.

A model of a full-size bed, sofa, dresser,

desk and office chair is expected to be avail-

able in the leasing office.

For more information, call 210-486-1817.Floor plan for a one-bedroom in Tobin Lofts Courtesy

By AMANDA [email protected]

Student parking isn’t expected to get any

better for the spring semester.

Parking spots are limited because lots are

partially closed to provide for the remodeling

of Moody Learning Center and as a staging area

for expansion of Scobee

Planetarium and con-

struction of the Challenger

Learning Center.

Lots 26, 33 and 31 near

Main Avenue and West

Evergreen Street are also

closed for construction of a parking garage and

the Tobin Hill Lofts, a public-private partnership.

For extra parking, students and faculty still

will be able to use 650 parking spots at the dis-

trict-owned property that formerly was Playland

Park at 2222 N. Alamo about 1.4 miles from this

campus. Playland parking is open from 7 a.m.-6

p.m., and a shuttle will run between the lot and

Fletcher Administration Center. The shuttle will

run every 15 minutes throughout the day. The

last pickup from this campus will be at 6 p.m.

“Instead of student roaming around in

the garage and parking lots, which could lead

to students being late for classes, we decid-

ed to have more avail-

able parking options,”

Vanessa C. Torres, public

relations director, said.

Students with a park-

ing permit who take

night classes will be able

to park in faculty parking lots after 5 p.m.

Students who bought an annual parking

permit for $50 in the fall will not need a new

permit. Parking permits for the spring semester

are $30, and $18 for the summer. In the fall,

permits for parking lots will remain $50, but a

permit to park in garages will be $200.

To avoid parking charges and hassles, stu-

dents can purchase a five-month semester

bus pass for VIA Metropolitan Transit for $35.

Students can buy a parking permit and semes-

ter bus pass in the business office in Room 201

of Fletcher Administration Center.

The bus pass can be used to ride VIA buses

at any time during that period.

By CARLOS [email protected]

Study locations can play a

big role in a student’s academic

success.

The environment a student

chooses to study in must be a

place where someone can focus,

student development Professor

Suzanna Borawski said.

“To learn anything, you have

to be able to focus,” Borawski

said.

Distractions are not limited

to just loud noises. Loud colors

or décor can be a distraction

as well.

“I do not think students real-

ize how important it is to have

that place to go to and just be

with their studies and not have

a multitude of different distrac-

tions,” Borawski said.

Students need to realize how

important it is to step away from

other things going on in their

lives to study, she said.

Environment is important

when studying, but how and

when students spend time on

the material is equally impor-

tant.

Students taking 12 hours a

semester should devote 24 hours

a week to studying, Borawski

said.

This breaks down to slightly

over three hours a day of study-

ing.

Students should try studying

for an hour and a half to two

hours at a time. Take a break and

come back to it later, Borawski

said.

“A marathon study session

for four hours or five hours is

really not the best way process

all of the information,” Borawski

said.

Borawski also said that

reviewing material within 24

hours of a class is the best way

to get the information into the

long-term memory.

With Moody Learning

Center under construction

and extremely loud at times,

Borawski suggests San Pedro

Springs Park.

Just across San Pedro Avenue

on the west side of the campus,

the park has benches and picnic

tables that students can use to

study.

“It is a place that someone

can go to escape from campus

and just be out in nature, and

that kind of lends itself to calm-

ing you down,” Borawski said.

There are a few spots to study

in peace right here on campus

as well.

In the patio area surround-

ed by Loftin Student Center,

McCreless Hall and the Gonzales

Hall, students can find benches

and tables to study.

On the second floor of the

nursing complex, students will

find benches, cushioned chairs

and tables.

The large windows in the

entrance give students great

natural light to go along with

silence.

Another warm and quiet

location for studying can be

found in the lobby of the audi-

torium in McAllister Fine Arts

Center.

In the lobby, student can

even find a few desks to sit at.

The floor is carpeted in case stu-

dents want to sprawl out and

read.

The area is extremely quiet

and much like the health com-

plex, with large windows provid-

ing good light for reading.


Environment can determine success of study efforts

Adjunct’s book traces African-Americans’ military history

For more information on purchasing parking

permits and bus passes, call 210-486-0201.

Playland lot to continue offering parking reliefParking attendant Roy Ramirez helps to guide vehicles to the correct parking spaces Thursday, in the parking garage. Riley Stephens

www.theranger.org

Communication design sophomore Jordan Anascavage takes out materials for his class Thursday in Lot 9 north of visual arts. Monica Correa

Fall, Start Two , Flex 1, Flex 2

Final Exam ScheduleMonday, Dec. 10(MWF and MW)Class Time7 a.m. — 7 a.m.-9:30 a.m.10 a.m. — 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.1 p.m. — 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m.3:50 p.m. — 3:50 p.m.-6:20 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 11(TR)Class Time8 a.m. — 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m.10:50 a.m. — 10:50 a.m.-1:20 p.m.1 p.m. — 1:40 p.m.-4:10 p.m.1:40 p.m. — 1:40 p.m.-4:10 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 12(MWF and MW)Class Time8 a.m. — 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m.11 a.m. — 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.2 p.m. — 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m.2:25 p.m. — 2:25 p.m.-4:55 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 13(TR)Class Time6:30 a.m. — 6:30 a.m.-9 a.m.9:25 a.m. — 9:25 a.m.-11:55 a.m.12:15 p.m. — 12:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.3:05 p.m. — 3:05 p.m.-5:35 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 14(MWF)Class Time9 a.m. — 9 a.m.-11:30Noon — noon-2:30 p.m.

Note: Final exams for evening andweekend classes are given during classhours. Department chairs can schedulefinal exam dates that do not conform tothis schedule.

A campus map is available at alamo.edu/sac.

By INGRID [email protected]

During World War II the fight for equality

drove many African-Americans into military

service.

This historical narrative of the African-

American experience in the U.S. Armed Forces

is told in a recently released book by history

Adjunct Isaac Hampton.

“Many thought ‘they can’t deny me equal

rights if I die for them, if I serve them, if I fight

for them,’” he said Tuesday in an interview.

The book is the culmination of Hampton’s

research for a capstone research paper when

he studied for a master’s degree from Texas

Southern University.

The paper highlighting views of black offi-

cers and their experiences in the ROTC began

a seven-year journey that ended with a book:

“The Black Officer Corps: a History of Black

Military Advancement from Integration through

Vietnam.” The book documents African-

American military history from 1946-1973.

The voices of African-American officers

and soldiers who served this country line the

pages with oral accounts that may have been

lost had it not been for Hampton’s pen.

Hampton’s research led him to the National

Archives at College Park, Md. While there, he

said he found a glaring hole in the literature.

“When I went to the national archives to do

research, one of the long-time archivists said,

‘Isaac, what you are looking for is not going to be

in any archives — this is too much of an embar-

rassment to the institution to write it down.’”

Hampton said he knew he had captured the

voices of African-Americans who have served

under the shadow of American apartheid.

The book focuses on the African-American

officers’ experience and documents how the

Black Power movement influenced African-

Americans serving during the Vietnam era.

Hampton an Urbana, Ohio, native, obtained

a Ph.D in 20th century U.S. history from the

University of Houston in 2008.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1988-

1991 and currently is the command historian

for U.S. Army South. As command historian,

Hampton writes living history.

Hampton has performed more than 300

oral interviews that encompasses civil rights

advocates from the 1960s, soldiers, Marines

and airmen ranging from the lowest rank to

generals and admirals.

Hampton has been invited to speak at this

college Feb. 26 during Black History Month.

The book, published by Routledge, is avail-

able at Amazon.com, www.routledge.com and

on the shelves at Barnes & Noble.

History Adjunct Isaac Hampton

san antonio’s best apply online today

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san antonio student housing.com


www.theranger.org

Premiere8 • The Ranger

Nonperishable food items can be donated in Room 238A of Nail or in

collection boxes throughout campus through November.

Diamonds in the afterlifeBy PAULA CHRISTINE [email protected]

The remains of a cremated adult

can be turned into about six carats of

diamonds.

This and other trendy facts were

included in a lecture Nov. 7 at the Witte

Museum, just down the hall from dead

people still telling their stories through

multimedia and interactive technology

in Mummies of The World, The Exhibit.

“The dead are in,” Dr. Michael C.

Kearl, a sociologist and author, said.

He said that in the last 40 years of his

research in death, dying, time and other

issues, he has seen a shift in trends

regarding beliefs about immortality

created by two major changes — the

mobility of the American population

and technology.

He said the trends are clearly visible

in the arts of popular culture.

Tim Burton is just one of the media

personalities bringing death into enter-

tainment with films such as “Corpse

Bride,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and

“Frankenweenie.”

Digitizing historical music lets living

musical artists join with popular dead

artists on new music, such as Nat King

Cole and daughter Natalie Cole in the

song “Unforgettable.”

Technology allows movies to com-

bine dead with living actors, such as

in “Forrest Gump,” a June 1994 movie

set in the 1960s where living actor Tom

Hanks playing Forrest Gump shakes the

hand of President Kennedy.

He also noted the prevalence of

skulls on T-shirts, shoes, jewelry, post-

ers and more.

“Belief in immortality is higher now

than the last 40 years,” he said.

Belief changes are shifting, such as

changes in funeral traditions, he said.

“How you deal with the dead is at

the core of moral belief systems,” he

said.

Egypt is famous for its mummies, but

he said the motivation behind their ritu-

als is common to many cultures and time

periods throughout history.

He said death was considered per-

manent and the vast majority of the

dead were usually not remembered by

name in a few generations.

Even today, most people do not

know about their great-grandparents.

This created the desire in many cul-

tures for tombstones and other items

that would create remembrance.

He said since families generally

stayed in the same area, this made

sense.

Today tombstones are not that suc-

cessful at helping people remember.

Families are on the move, away from

family gravesites.

He said the message has changed.

Instead of simply wanting to be remem-

bered, he said the dead and the liv-

ing are hoping to continue to interact

somehow, some way.

Without a grave to visit, Americans

are trying new things empowered by

technology.

Now, services are offering the dying

choices to arrange for videos and birth-

day cards or other kinds of messages to

be sent in the future to their families

and career audiences.

He said the living and survivors are

creating new ways to feel connected

with the dead.

The dead actually have their

own manager in Hollywood, Curtis

Management Group.

“The dead can continue to work,

as long as earnings continue,” he said.

Examples he named included Elvis

Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Albert

Einstein.

This desire for connection is the

motivation behind new trends includ-

ing turning cremains (cremation

remains) into diamonds, sending cards

and videos or calling someone after

death.

Tombstones are able to post the

deceased Facebook page, he said. Curtis

Management Group and families can

authorize the use of voice-cloning tech-

nology so voices of the dead can still

read scripts for new movies and com-

mercials.

Some plan to continue their legacy

in other ways.

In life, James Doohan played Scottie

in “Star Trek” television and movies.

Kearl said Doohan chose to be launched

into space.

Kearl said Clyde Tombaugh discov-

ered Pluto and is on a space vessel

headed there now.

The inventor of the Frisbee had his

ashes added into the creation of several

Frisbees after death, and Pringles snack

inventor Fred Baur wanted his ashes

resting inside a Pringles can.

Maybe a diamond is not so unusual.

Kearl said 35 percent of funerals in

the United States were cremation in

2010, and states such as Washington

and Hawaii have a 70 percent crema-

tion rate.

Websites for LifeGem,

DNA2Diamonds and Cremation

Solutions suggest a diamond would be

a kind of portable tombstone able to be

taken with survivors wherever they go.

They offer dozens of choices for

memorial jewelry for diamonds and

ashes, urns and FAQ pages for questions

about the process and other aspects of

cremation.

Questions, answers and comments

after the lecture were diverse.

The first audience member said she

had donated her body to science and

would never allow her family to have it.

Another talked about touring the

huge cemeteries on the East Side of San

Antonio.

“In the Texas Hill Country, there is a

Republican only cemetery,” Kearl said.

The audience responded with laugh-

ter as they did several times throughout

the presentation.

Kearl ended by saying, “It is a

democratization of the afterlife that is

happening now.”

By AMANDA [email protected]

The mortuary science department and the

Catholic Student Association will sponsor food

drives throughout November.

The mortuary science department raised more

than 800 pounds last year.

The department has conducted a food drive

for more than eight years and collected more than

8,000 pounds of food.

Professor Francisco E. Solis is in charge of col-

lecting nonperishable foods.

“We used to have boxes out in each department

before, but we just don’t have the resources to put

boxes out in each department anymore,” Solis said.

Solis encourages other students and depart-

ments to donate.

“We used to donate to St. Vincent De Paul

Society, but now we donate all the food to the Phi

Theta Kappa food pantry,” Solis said.

If students or departments wish to donate,

there will be a box in the department office in

Room 238A in Nail Technical Center until Nov. 30.

The Catholic Student Association’s drive

through November is the third drive the group has

participated in this semester.

“For the month of November, we will distribute

evenly who we donate to, which is the San Antonio

Food Bank, SAC (Phi Theta Kappa) food pantry,

and the family that we adopted,” campus minister

Joseph Liedecke said Wednesday.

The association has been doing this for more

than 11 years, he said.

The November drive will be through with

boxes distributed throughout the campus and at

the Catholic Student Center, 312 W. Courtland

Place.

Boxes will be collected at the end of the month.

The association helped Student Government

Association and the office of civic engagement

with a food drive Nov. 12 and 13 in the mall.

The association also had a food drive last

month, “Trick or Treat so Others Can Eat,” that

brought in six large boxes of nonperishable food.

For more information from the mortuary sci-

ence department, call 210-486-1135.

For more information on the Catholic Student

Association, call Liedecke at 210-736-9306 or visit

https://orgsync.com/30743/chapter or www.arch-

sa.org.

For food pantry information, call 210-486-0431.

Groups work to fill upfood pantries

www.theranger.org/ premiere

Less than one box of food was collected for Student Government Association and Catholic Student Center food drive Tuesday in the mall. Nothing was collected Monday. Maura Callahan, SGA commissioner and communications sophomore; Mike Martinez, SGA vice president and anthropology sophomore; and criminal justice freshman Megan Halbardier pose for a photo taken by Catholic Campus Minister Joseph Liedecke. Monica Correa

Mummies of The World, The Exhibit at the Witte Museum Courtesy

Students are encouraged to donate food for two organizations.

The exhibit at the Witte Museum is open

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays,10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays,

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays

and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.

Call 210-357-1900.

Nov. 19, 2012 • 9Premiere

Design students show their work

By LUCIA [email protected]

This year’s communication design exhibition will be on dis-

play through March 8 on the second floor of Longwith Radio,

Television and Film Building.

Richard Arredondo, communication design program coordi-

nator, said the purpose of the exhibition is to display the work of

students in the program.

The exhibition, which opened with a reception Thursday, is

composed of hand-executed illustrations and computer-gener-

ated digital prints, Arredondo said.

Because the projects came from multiple communication

design classes, there were no specific guidelines.

Full-time and part-time faculty from the program selected

the 70 projects for the exhibition from more than 100 projects

submitted.

The projects on display were created by students in the com-

munication design program during the fall 2011 and spring 2012

semesters, Arredondo said.

The program, one of five in the media communications

department, provides animation, web and illustration courses,

Arredondo said.

The two-year program leads to an associate of applied sci-

ence degree, and students can also earn a Level 1 certificate that

provides basic training and skills through specific courses that

may lead to entry-level employment.

The program also offers an advanced skills certificate.

Graduates may find careers in publishing, art direction,

graphic design, illustration, animation, web design, multimedia

development, special effects, storyboarding, and advertising.

For information, call 210-486-1031.

Students show ingenuity in saving time, money

Nonperishable food items can be donated in Room 238A of Nail or in

collection boxes throughout campus through November.

Diamonds in the afterlifetion rate.

Websites for LifeGem,

DNA2Diamonds and Cremation

Solutions suggest a diamond would be

a kind of portable tombstone able to be

taken with survivors wherever they go.

They offer dozens of choices for

memorial jewelry for diamonds and

ashes, urns and FAQ pages for questions

about the process and other aspects of

cremation.

Questions, answers and comments

after the lecture were diverse.

The first audience member said she

had donated her body to science and

would never allow her family to have it.

Another talked about touring the

huge cemeteries on the East Side of San

Antonio.

“In the Texas Hill Country, there is a

Republican only cemetery,” Kearl said.

The audience responded with laugh-

ter as they did several times throughout

the presentation.

Kearl ended by saying, “It is a

democratization of the afterlife that is

happening now.”

www.theranger.org/ premiere

Less than one box of food was collected for Student Government Association and Catholic Student Center food drive Tuesday in the mall. Nothing was collected Monday. Maura Callahan, SGA commissioner and communications sophomore; Mike Martinez, SGA vice president and anthropology sophomore; and criminal justice freshman Megan Halbardier pose for a photo taken by Catholic Campus Minister Joseph Liedecke. Monica Correa

Communication design Professors Brook Rosser, Qing Liu and Joel Knocke set up the program’s student exhibit Nov. 9 in Longwith. Monica Correa

Exhibit displays 70 projects from multiple communication design classes.

By NICOLE A. [email protected]

Just like the White Rabbit from

Lewis Carroll’s book “Alice’s Adventures

in Wonderland,” time is essential for

college students.

When starting college, many stu-

dents need time they do not have

because their social lives override their

study time.

For students to balance school,

work and a social life, they do odd

things to save time and money, such

as pulling all-nighters, focusing less on

appearance and finding ways to save

money on gas.

For sports management sopho-

more Nicholas Stevenson, pulling all-

nighters usually results in a B grade or

higher on tests.

On the other hand, many college

students have their own way to con-

quer all-nighters.

Education sophomore Afton Barber

sticks to a routine that works for her by

alternating sleeping with studying.

She alternates writing for 30 min-

utes and sleeping for 30 minutes

throughout the night, she said.

She said she does that so she will

not be so tired in the morning.

Appearance also takes time in the

morning before going to school. The

decision is whether to wake up early

and pick out an outfit or just throw

something on.

Anthropology sophomore Krystal

Solano said, “To save time, I tend to

brush my hair back in a ponytail and

throw on the first T-shirt or tank top

I see.”

Sydney Peterson, American Sign

Language interpreting sophomore,

said she also saves time in the morn-

ing by coming to school comfortably.

“I never really dress up for school,”

she said. “I’m always in running shorts

and tennis shoes for the most part.”

Communication design sopho-

more Mandy Derfler, production

manager for The Ranger, wears mis-

matched ankle socks she grabs from a

drawer each morning.

“I am too lazy to fold them,” she

said.

She said once she drew out two

that matched and found that so odd,

she almost put one back.

Since this college doesn’t offer stu-

dent housing yet, most students have

to commute to campus whether it’s by

bus, bike or motor vehicle.

Student housing will be

available in the fall. The

Tobin Lofts, located

at the North Main

Avenue and East

Laurel Street, will

be open to students

from any college.

Some students

find odd ways to

save money when it

involves transporta-

tion.

Physical therapy

sophomore Jonathan

Fowler said, “I steal the

lawn mower gas out of

the shed when I’m running

low in my truck. I don’t think

my dad has picked up on that

yet.”

Food is fundamental for every-

one, even college students. When

money is tight, many students can

still find free food around campus,

David Rodriguez, director of counsel-

ing, said.

Various events on campus provide

food and refreshments such as punch

and cookies that students can take

advantage of, Rodriguez said.

Students can also receive free food

from the Phi Theta Kappa food pantry.

The pantry is open to students and

employees at this college. The pantry

is open noon-3 p.m. Wednesdays and

Thursdays.

One of the things the college

encourages is sharing resources such

as textbooks, Rodriguez said.

Students save money when

they share or sell their books

to their friends or other

students instead of

paying full price at

the bookstore,

Rodriguez said.

The exhibit at the Witte Museum is open

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays,10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays,

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays

and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.

Call 210-357-1900.

Nov. 19, 201210 • The Ranger Editorial

Congratulations to the students at this college who received honors in the 2011-12 academic year.

In fall 2011, spring 2012 and summer 2012, 5,997 students received honors, and 267 of them participated in the annual honors ceremony Tuesday in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.

Those students have excelled in their studies and put hard work and dedication into their aca-demics to receive such a high level of distinction.

Students received honors in four categories.President’s Honors are for students with 12 or

more semester hours in a semester and a grade-point average of 4.0 and cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Honors are for students with 12 or more semester hours with a GPA of 3.5-3.99 in with a

cumulative GPA of 2.0.President’s Part-time Honors are for students

with 6-11 semester hours and a GPA of 4.0 and cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Part-time Honors are for students with 6-11 semester hours and a GPA of 3.5-3.99 in the cur-rent semester with a cumulative GPA of 2.0.

These students excelled despite the chal-lenges most students face — too little money, too little time and too many distractions.

They did their best on assignments, turned them in on time and made their academic responsibilities a priority in their lives.

They serve as an example for others.Stay focused and finish this semester with

good grades so you can be eligible for next year’s honors ceremony.

Beginning in spring, incoming students will have to complete mandatory online modules before admission as part of MyMap, or My Monitoring Academic Progress, a stu-dent success initiative.

Modules include “Paying for College,” “I-CARE,” “Assessment Information” and “Test Preparation.”

Upon completion of the four modules, stu-dents will be required to take a quiz and are expected to score a minimum of 60 to pass each module.

A score of a 60 is the equivalent of a letter grade of a D minus, a grade most universities will not accept when students transfer.

To promote student success, the bar needs to be raised to a higher standard.

The modules teach basic skills that all first-time-in-college students need to know, so it’s important to make the experience accessible for students.

If students are expected to earn a 2.0 minimum GPA to transfer, the expectations should be the same for MyMap.

Kudos for honors

Raise expectations

Recognize adjunctsAdjuncts sometimes receive the short end

of the stick. When the district passed out raises to faculty for 2012-13, officials didn’t include adjuncts.

Then this year, administrators considered limiting adjuncts to teaching loads of 7.4 units or less to avoid the expense of contrib-uting to adjuncts’ retirement.

But now the Bob and Mary Zeigler Adjunct Faculty Professional Development Fund pro-vides recognition for the hard work adjuncts exhibit.

Part of the fund is the Èxito award, which gives $250 to one adjunct each semester who exhibits exemplary work.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 30.

Another part of the fund supports profes-sional development for adjuncts and con-tinuing education faculty at this college.

The fund allocates a total of $2,000 this year for professional development, and each award can be up to $250.

Professional development activities include workshops, conferences or seminars.

These awards are the few recognitions adjuncts qualify for.

Adjuncts are essential to this college.This college has 332 full-time faculty mem-

bers and 468 adjunct faculty members teach-ing this semester.

Adjuncts deserve every bit of financial encouragement they can get.

Juan Carlos Campos

www.theranger.org/opinion

©2012 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 news outlets, which serve the Alamo Community College District, are laboratory projects of journalism class-es in the Department of Media Communications at San Antonio College. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations.The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger.org.News contributions accepted by telephone (210-486-1773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email ([email protected]) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available upon request by phone (210-486-1765) or as a download at www.therang-er.org.The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Community College Journalism Association.

Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and com-munity members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words.Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, per-suasive or interpretative style. All viewpoints must be published with a photo portrait of the writer.

Letters Policy: The Ranger invites readers to share views by writing letters to the editor. Space limitations force the paper to limit letters to two double-spaced, typewritten pages. Letters will be edited for spelling, style, grammar, libel and length. Editors reserve the right to deny publication of any letter. Letters should be 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, emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 210-486-9292.Letters must be signed and must include the printed name and tele-phone number. Students should include classification, major, cam-pus and Banner ID. Employees should include title and telephone number. For more information, call 210-486-1773.Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue because of high production costs.Where available, additional cop-ies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by con-tacting The Ranger business office. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single- copy rule may be subject to civil and crimi-nal prosecution and subject to college discipline.

Editor Alma Linda Manzanares

Managing EditorRebecca Salinas

Calendar EditorJennifer Coronado

Photo EditorRiley Stephens

Photographers Monica Correa, Vincent Reyna

Photo TeamGloria Fernandez De ClementsSergio Ramirez, Carolina Vela

Multimedia EditorIngrid Wilgen

Illustrator

Juan Carlos Campos

Production ManagerMandy Derfler

Production AssistantJason Hogan

Staff WritersCristina Carreon, Angelo Thomas Dixon, Chelsea Driskell

Lucia Espino, David Espinoza, Carlos Ferrand Edgar Garcia, Kirk Hanes, Jennifer Luna,

Beau McCarter, Patricia McGlamoryAdam Meza, Ivie Okungbowa, Osita Omesiete

Diana Palomo, Felipe Perez Jr. Janeka Porter, Christina Quintanilla, Amanda Rios

Paula Christine Schuler, Nicole A. West

Web Editor Faith Duarte

CirculationDawn Mayen

I was born in

Mexico City 23

years ago, but in the

summer of 2001, I

became a Mexican-

American.

From the

moment my fam-

ily and I stepped

in this coun-

try, I loved and

embraced every-

thing about it. It became my home.

The attacks of 9/11 hurt my heart

as it did any other American. As a

minority, I felt the aftermath of how

immigrants, from all backgrounds,

were viewed.

It was not until I started high

school that I learned the reality and

the obstacles of my legal status.

I joined the JROTC program at

Fox Tech High School, and, as my

rank got higher, more and more Army

recruiters contacted me.

I was more than willing to enlist

but they always required a “paper”

saying I was an American. Why wasn’t

my patriotism

and love for this

country enough?

The year 2007

was bittersweet. I

worked hard and

graduated with

honors and in the

Top 10 percent

of my class, but

again my legal status kept me from

scholarships and opportunities.

At a time when the anti-immi-

gration subject was more aggressive,

even frightening enough to consider

going back to Mexico, San Antonio

College opened the door.

This college is giving me the

opportunity for the quality higher

education that brought my family

and me to the U.S. in the first place.

It was at this college where I

learned about the DREAM Act

through the Students United for the

DREAM Act.

I didn’t want

to be a SUDA

member at first

because I was

afraid to let every-

one know my

legal status, so I

supported the

organization with

donations and signatures.

As the DREAM Act movement was

growing, the negativity toward immi-

grants began to disappoint me. I felt

as if we were going back in time to the

civil rights movement.

After the DREAM Act’s failure, I

realized the need to show others how

many of us DREAMers are here, and

who we really are.

I “came out” and became undocu-

mented and unafraid.

The pursuit of happiness is not

illegal, and this is exactly what I am

doing.

I am undocumented because I

don’t have a paper saying I was born

or naturalized in the U.S., but in my

heart, I have adopted this country as

my home.

I don’t understand why some

people don’t accept that the U.S. is

the most immigrated country, and

unless they are a true-blooded Native

American, they probably have immi-

grant blood within them.

This recent election revealed more

than the name of our next president;

it unveiled the importance of minori-

ties, especially Latinos/Hispanics.

Latinos/Hispanics “came out” to

show that we are more than what

others imagine, and they represented

all of us who did not have the privi-

lege to vote.

I qualify for the Differed Action for

Childhood Arrivals policy, which will

grant me a work permit.

I can look for a job that will at

least pay minimum wage, and yes,

some undocumented immigrants are

still getting paid less than minimum

wage.

With a decent paying job I can

help my parents with my college

tuition or any other expenses.

The DACA policy does not give

me a documented status, benefits or

permission to go out of the country,

as many might think.

For now, I know that I can con-

tinue my education, but I don’t know

what is going to happen after gradu-

ation or in the years to come.

I will never forget where I come

from, and a paper will never make me

more American than what I already

am.


No need for paper to be an American

“I will never forget where I come from, and a paper will never make me more American than what I already am.”

www.theranger.org

Writer’s nephew, Mark. Courtesy

End financial aid delays

Editor:

This is a letter to the president, chan-

cellor and board of trustees of the Alamo

Colleges to hear and act upon the pleadings

of those students at SAC who undergo the

long process of verification to receive their

financial aid funds.

This is a letter in regard to the lack of

duty from the financial aid staff and depart-

ment members.

We believe that the amount of time that

is given to students on how long the verifi-

cation process will take is an extreme and

ridiculously long wait.

In my case, it has been a penalizing cru-

cial wait of more than 15 weeks (reaching

the total amount of a whole semester).

We are exhausted of waiting for the

financial aid department to accomplish

their job and desperate to receive attention

from those in a higher position who are

able to fix our problem.

I have sent various letters to the presi-

dent and director of the financial aid office

at SAC, but nothing has been done up to

now.

It’s time for everyone to know how poor

is the attention being given to those stu-

dents in our situation, in my situation.

Will the college pay for my personal

items that I have had to pawn in order to go

through this long wait without my financial

assistance?

Will the college pay for the debts I have

gotten into for borrowing money to pay for

my expenses?

Or will you finally do something about

it, Mr. President?

Irma Ledezma

Science Freshman

Letters policy:

The Ranger encourages readers to voice

their opinions by submitting letters to the

editor.

Letters should be emailed to sac-rang-

[email protected].

Letters also can be submitted at

theranger.org.

Click “contact us,” then click “submit a

letter.”

Letters must include a printed name

and telephone number. A student’s major,

classification, campus and Banner ID need

to be included.

Letters should not exceed two pages.

Letters

Viewpoint by LUCIA ESPINO

[email protected]

Dear Mark,

If you are reading this letter, it is because your

father thinks you might just understand what your

crazy uncle is trying to say.

As I write this letter, you have yet to reach your

second birthday.

By the time you read this letter, my youth will have

long since passed and yours will be gaining steam.

To the young man I love with all my heart, I want to

share some of my 32 years of wisdom with you.

As you get bigger, you will begin to understand

the power of physical strength. Later you will begin to

understand your strength within.

Your father was always a physically strong fellow, but it was his inner

strength that I will always remember. If he has not yet told you his story,

then he will someday — a story of true strength and the price that comes

with it.

My big brother, your father, lost his big brother when he was a young

man. When Marco passed at age 13, your dad was only 11, but he felt he

needed to grow up overnight.

He protected me from the harsh reality of life. He protected me from

losing my childhood.

He gave up his childish ways so that I could keep mine.

I woke up and he was my only brother.

It was difficult to comprehend at age 9, but your father made sure that

I remained a child full of wonder.

Even at a young age, when the world had been unfair to him, he

remained kind and full of heart.

You must always remember that true strength is not found in force, but

rather in compassion. Be kind, Mark, even when the world is not.

The world is a big and scary place, but just do not let it scare you, little

buddy. Fear is a good thing, but you must be able to separate fear of fear

and fear of doing what is right.

I remember being young and believing that the most important thing

was fitting in. I would have done almost anything to be cool.

I can remember a time in high school when I joined in with a group

who were laughing at someone for being different.

At that moment, I felt like I was one of the popular kids.

I saw that student later that day in the hall. I was hoping he would not

recognize me, but he did. I could see the hurt in his eyes, and the truth

was that I was not any different than he was.

There will be many times in your youth when the right thing to do

seems unpopular. Doing what is right may not bring you reward or accep-

tance, but it will bring you peace.

As you get older, the weight of this world grows along with you. Most

of that weight you carry around is because you’re trying to be something

you’re not.

Trust me, Mark, it is hard enough to be yourself, let alone someone else.

Be comfortable in your own skin, and never apologize for who you are.

One truth in life is that you will wake up you and go to bed every night

you.

Love that person you see in the mirror and allow him to smile back at

you as often as possible. You must know by this point in your life that you

are loved, and you are learning to love others beyond your family. Open

your heart and try to live a life through love.

When love finds you, do not be afraid to love another. I had a love once

that I believed was going to last forever, and when forever ended, I was

certain my world was over.

The nature of love can leave you feeling sick at times. If you find your-

self heartbroken just remember that the same love that broke it is the

same love that will mend it.

When your heart is broken, remember to be a man and cry. Do not let

the ways of the world dictate your love.

This world is a pretty amazing place, so try not to focus on the shad-

ows it casts. Laugh as much as possible. Find joy in the hardest times

because, believe it or not, you will be laughing about it later.

Do not take yourself or this world too seriously. One of the greatest

traits that any person can have is the ability to laugh at themselves.

One time your grandmother and I tried to drive the family van into a

low-clearance parking garage.

We made it through the entrance, and that was as far as we got because

our van was taller than the height of the ceiling.

We had cars behind us honking, and people in the parking garage

laughing at us. When we finally got the van unstuck, we saw the mangled

luggage rack on the top.

We looked at each other and just started laughing. We looked like fools,

but nobody got hurt, and the world kept on turning.

When you tumble down, get up and laugh — after all it is kind of funny.

Do not be mad when the world laughs at you because you will have your

chance to laugh at the world.

Always remember that life is a journey. Everything that has a begin-

ning must have an end. Try to enjoy the path between the two.

Dream big and never say you cannot do something.

Da Vinci once said, “If someone tells you that you cannot paint, then

by all means paint.”

Always believe in yourself and understand that you will fail. It does not

matter that you fail, it only matters that you get up. Thomas Edison tried

1,000 times and failed before he finally created the light bulb.

Life is not about anything other than living it. Keep you eyes, heart and

mind open to it. Live your life for the dash.

The dash is that little mark on a tombstone that is set right between

the date of birth and the date of death. Actually, it is hyphen, but it’s a

dash to me.

It is the only part of a tombstone that has any significance.

When you are old enough, you may have more questions, and I will be

there. I will always be there.

Your Uncle, Los

Letter to my nephew about life, love, laughs

Viewpoint by CARLOS FERRAND

[email protected]

By OSITA [email protected]

The new Challenger

Center and remodeled

Planetarium will open in the

fall, and no one is more eager

to enjoy the amenities the

new facility has to offer than

astronomy Professor Alfred

Alaniz.

“I am most interested in

the top floor open observa-

tion deck,” he said Oct. 2.

Alaniz has been looking at

the sky from the top floor of

the parking garage.

“During the design pro-

cess, I requested a platform

that my students can mea-

sure the sky from,” he said.

David Mrizek, vice presi-

dent of college services, said

the top floor of the observa-

tion deck will be about 36

feet tall and have an area of

about 2,376 square feet.

The center will be the

second tallest building on

campus. The tallest is Moody

Learning Center with seven

stories.

The planetarium is being

remodeled, increasing the

size and adding more seating

and restrooms.

Building of the Challenger

Center started May 2 and is

scheduled to be finished by

fall.

The Challenger Center

will have activities that edu-

cate students in science,

technology, engineering and

math fields.

Challenger Learning

Centers are programs to equip

students with knowledge,

confidence, and skills to bet-

ter themselves and the nation,

reports the official website for

the Challenger Center.

There are 45 other

Challenger Centers in the

country with three in Texas.

Houston is home to the first

Challenger Center, which

opened in August 1988. It

was opened by families of the

crew that were lost from Space

Shuttle Challenger/STS-51L,

which exploded 73 seconds

after liftoff Jan. 28, 1986.

Alaniz asked planetari-

um Director Bob Kelley for

telescope piers, electricity

and data inputs. A pier is a

telescope base, and the data

inputs allow access to the

Web, among other uses.

Students attach tele-

scopes to the permanent

piers that face Polaris, the

north star, he said.

Alaniz said he believes

the San Antonio community

is going to benefit from the

center with emphasis on stu-

dents who have not entered

high school.

“We have to get students

attracted to science, technol-

ogy, engineering and math-

ematics early because they

tend to deviate around the

age of 10,” he said. He said all

the STEM fields will be able

to gain from the center.

Alaniz said students at

this college can anticipate

acquiring greater knowledge

for astronomy. “You can

study it freely; all you have to

do is go outside,” he said.

A possibility of remote

access to telescopes located

in Marathon might be avail-

able, Alaniz said with elation.

This opportunity was

made possible by a pro-

fessor from Sul Ross State

University in Alpine, he said.

He said it’s dark out in

West Texas and one can see

exactly what is going on at

the moment. It’s dry and

there are clear skies year-

round, he added.

This will allow this col-

lege to see images through

telescopes in Marathon with

remote or manual access via

display at this college.

“I’ve gotten so used to

having the planetarium. Now

that’s gone I’m having with-

drawal symptoms,” Alaniz

said jokingly.

Alaniz said he is currently

using computer software in

his classes to suffice for not

being able to take classes to

the planetarium.

For more information,

call Alaniz at 210-486-0060.


Professor awaits reopening of planetariumTower will make Challenger Center the second tallest building on campus.

www.theranger.org

Renovations to the outer shell of Scobee planetarium Aug. 1 Ingrid Wilgen

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By OSITA [email protected]

This digital age is rapidly

moving toward flash memory.

Microsoft co-founder

William “Bill” Gates has said

he expects DVDs and Blu-rays

to become obsolete within the

next 10 years, according

to a Jan. 11 article on

Techtron, a tech-

nology blogging

website.

In an Oct.

26 article from

Time Tech,

Time maga-

zine’s technolo-

gy website, Philip

Schiller, senior vice

president of world mar-

keting at Apple, said, “Old

technologies are holding us

back,” in reference to why

optical drives are removed

from the next generations of

Mac computers.

Fun with Physics Friday has

a use for them. Fun with Physics

Friday provides weekly activi-

ties for students that can consist

of anything from dismantling

lawnmowers to building home-

made lava lamps.

The activities take place

1:30 p.m. every Friday in the

MESA Center in Room 204 of

Chance Academic Center.

All students are welcome to

participate. Fun with Physics

Friday is collecting reflective

discs for their latest project.

The goal is to collect 700

discs to attach to a 10-foot sat-

ellite dish to reflect the

sun’s rays to gen-

erate heat at its

focus point.

A s t r o n o m y

P r o f e s s o r

Alfred Alaniz

compared the

phenomenon

to sunrays hit-

ting a magnify-

ing glass, then cre-

ating heat.

This is only the beginning,

Alaniz said.

“If we accomplish this, we

can do many other things like

purify water, add more power

to solar panels and burn torti-

llas,” he said jokingly.

Thirteen white collec-

tion boxes have been placed

in departments around the

college. As long as the discs

are still reflective they can be

used, he said.


Alaniz at 210-486-0060.

Fun with Physicsneeds shiny discs


Trupti Biplabketan Jain, Michigan

State University Fulbright visiting

scholar, said one-third of the world’s

poor population live in India during

her lecture Nov. 8.

Room 218 of

the nursing com-

plex was almost

full as about

five professors

brought classes to

her lecture titled

“ M i c r o f i n a n c e

and Impoverished

Women: Status,

Challenges and

Prospects,” spon-

sored by the

department of ser-

vices for women

and non-tradition-

al students.

Jain showed a picture of women

who were helped by a microfinance

institution; she said they were just a

handful of all the women the institu-

tions want to help.

Jain said these women were like

many others: They grew up to get

married and have children, but they

did something different.

After seeing the economic

struggles their families were going

through, they decided to ask the bank

for a loan, but they were denied.

“The banks think that poor peo-

ple are not bankable,” Jain said. “This

is a regular story of life in India.”

“Microfinancing is banking for the

poor, not poor banking,” Jain said.

It is an economic development

tool, and its objective is to assist the

poor out of poverty.

Jain said microfinance institu-

tions funds

first came

from private

corporations,

now they also

come from

the interest

earned on

lending.

The gov-

ernment is

not giving any

money for

lending but

it provides

grants to take

care of administrative expenses, Jain

continued.

Microfinance institutions give

small loans to low-income people,

with very low interest and no collat-

eral, to be invested in those people’s

new business with the expectation

that later they will be able to pay it

back.

“It is a business of trust,” Jain said.

Even though microfinancing is a

new concept, India has the biggest

percentage of outreach with 15 to 20

percent of the poor in a microfinance

program.

“Microfinance institutions are

doing more than just providing

the money,” Jain said. “They are

approaching the people, show (them)

how to start a business and (how to)

keep their business.”

Jain said these institutions orga-

nize groups in the same economic

level, but with different occupations,

gender and interest.

Although these programs con-

centrate on helping women become

financially independent, the institu-

tions also help men who are willing

to learn about microfinance.

“Women that join these groups

also need the support of the men to

be successful,” Jain said. “Men are

also benefiting from the success of

the women in the program.”

Jain said that not enough funds

and low financial literacy from the

members in the groups are the main

problems for these institutions.

“Too much money in the hands of

the group, when they are not ready,

just doesn’t work,” Jain said. “The

groups are not only dealing with eco-

nomic issues, but also with social

issues.”

The microfinance institutions

work with the group to identify their

needs, aspirations and obstacles.

They assist the members to over-

come their obstacles and achieve

their goals, Jain said.

Jain explained how by empower-

ing women, these institutions also

empower the communities.

These microfinance institutions

empower women by enhancing their

contributions to their household

income and increasing the value of

their assets, Jain said.

This will reduce poverty rates and

allow households to spend more in

education, which helps with a better

attendance in school and lower drop-

out rates, Jain continued.

It will also allow women to spend

on their health care to improve

maternal health, nutrition and lower

child mortality rates, Jain said.

Sara Samano, disability support

services counselor, asked, “How long

a process will take?” referring to the

time between the institutions putting

a group together, until the group is

ready to use the money on their own.

Jain said it depends on the group’s

participation and willingness. “We’ve

had groups that take 17 years to be

ready and open their own business.”

Roxana Avendano, American Sign

Language sophomore, said, “I like the

idea that it is mostly women, but that

(it) is also community-based.”

Jain said she admires the com-

mitment of the staff at the empower-

ment center because it was reflected

in the smile of the women who had

overcome their struggles with the

support of the center and the college.

The most important teaching Jain

will take back to her community is

“helping the elder women in terms of

acquiring education,” she said.


Mircofinance helps empower women in IndiaEmpowered women mean an empowered community, a Fulbright visiting scholar says.

“Women that join these groups also need the support of the men to be successful. Men are also benefiting from the success of the women in the program.”Trupti Biplabketan Jain,

Michigan State University Fulbright

visiting scholar

“Our way to discipline a child here in the center is redirection. If we want a child to walk and not run, we say, ‘Use your walking feet,’ instead of saying, ‘Stop running.’”

Teresa Robledo,early childhood center teacher

Fulbright scholar Trupti Jain from Michigan State University talks about microfinance and women in poverty in India Nov. 8 in nursing. Carolina Vela

www.theranger.org


Although corporal punishment is legal in

Texas schools, it is not being implemented,

Alice Laffere, education program coordinator,

and Teresa Robledo, early childhood center

teacher, agree.

In Springtown, they seem to not agree on

this.

According to an Associated Press article, two

teenage girls suffered bruises after they were

paddled by a male assistant principal.

Their parents did not complain about the

punishment itself, but instead that the school

violated the policy that an educator of the same

sex as the student should be the one adminis-

trating the punishment.

According to the Texas Education Code,

Section 37. 0011 Use of Corporal Punishment,

corporal punishment means the deliberate

infliction of physical pain by hitting, paddling,

spanking, slapping, or any other physical force

used as a means of discipline.

Laffere, said corporal punishment is still

legal, but it varies from state to state and district

to district.

Teachers are required to have a discipline

curriculum, but they cannot administrate cor-

poral punishment if it is not within the district’s

policy.

Laffere has been teaching for more than 26

years and said, although it was very common

years ago, hardly any school practices corporal

punishment as discipline now.

Corporal punishment in schools can be

traced back to the 1977 Ingraham v. Wright

Supreme Court case, Laffere said.

Two male students, James Ingraham and

Roosevelt Andrews, stated that they had been

paddled in school an excessive amount of times

and with excessive force violating their right

under the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits

use of unusual punishment.

The students argued they were not given

previous notice of the

punishment, going

against the 14th

Amendment, which

requires due process

of law to protect the

individual from mis-

taken punishment.

The Supreme

Court stated the

Eighth Amendment

protects people

charged or convicted

of a crime, and the due process clause of the

14th Amendment does not require notice or

hearing prior to imposition of corporal punish-

ment as that practice is authorized.

Robledo said the early childhood center

does not use corporal punishment as a disci-

plinary measure.

Robledo said it is not used simply because it

is prohibited as a minimum standard for licens-

ing requirements by the Texas Department of

Family and Protective Services, but because it

does not help the child’s discipline.

When a child is being punished in a physi-

cal way, the child either becomes afraid of the

person giving the punishment, does not take

it seriously or often repeats the same mistake

for which the original punishment was issued,

Robledo said.

“Our way to discipline a child here in the

center is redirection,” Robledo said. “If we want

a child to walk and not run, we say, ‘Use your

walking feet,’ instead of saying, ‘Stop run-

ning.’”

Redirection shows children the right behav-

ior instead of focusing on unacceptable behav-

ior, Robledo continued.

Robledo also said even if parents approve of

corporal punishment,

teachers at the center

are not allowed to

administer it.

According to the

Texas Education

Code, Section 37.

0011 Use of Corporal

Punishment, to pro-

hibit, allow or rein-

state corporal pun-

ishment on a student

as a disciplinary mea-

sure a student’s parent, legal guardian, or other

person having lawful control over the student

must provide a written, signed statement to the

board of trustees of the school district in the

way stated by the board.

Leslie Garza, public information officer at

Harlandale Independent School District, said

the district does not require written permission

or approval from the parent because corporal

punishment is not being used.

The Harlandale 2012-2013 student-parent

handbook states corporal punishment can

be used as a discipline management tech-

nique alone or in combination with other

techniques.

Garza said corporal punishment is not

enforced at the district, even if stated in the

handbook. Suspension and expulsion are some

examples of their disciplinary measures.

The Center for Effective Discipline is a non-

profit organization that educates the public

about the effects of corporal punishment in

children and alternative ways of discipline,

Deborah Sendek, the center’s director, said.

People used to see children as miniature

adults and were working at a very young age

especially during the Industrial Revolution,

Sendek said.

Children were expected to behave, work,

and be punished as adults, Sendek said.

Psychologists are studying how children

think and comprehend, as they get new results,

the way children are treated should be changed,

Sendek continued.

Children are being educated to avoid violent

relationships, bullying, and to prevent domes-

tic violence, but at the same time an older

male or female is allowed to hit them at school,

Sendek explained.

According to the Associated Press, the

Springtown school district changed the policy

to expand, but not void, corporal punishment.

Now, opposite sex administrators can carry on

the punishment as long as a same-sex school

official is present.

Sendek said 30 states in the U.S., and the

District of Columbia, banned corporal punish-

ment from their schools.

In the remaining 19 states, it is still legal and

is more likely to happen in rural cities, Sendek

said.

Even if is not being allowed, the fact that it’s

still legal puts society several steps back from

the right direction, Sendek continued.

This is more than a disciplinary issue,

Sendek said, “It is a human rights issue; it is not

OK to hit people, especially children.”

For more information, call the early child-

hood center call 210-486-0530 or the education

program at 210-486-1275.

Paddling in schools still legal but not allowedCorporal punishment is legal in 19 states, including Texas.

By KIRK [email protected]

Service learning has decreased in the num-

ber of courses and volunteering opportunities

since moving to the office of student life in

August 2010 because there are no stipends or

bonuses to fund it, said Emily Kahanek, assistant

student life coordinator and director of the cen-

ter for civic engagement.

Kahanek said, and the college’s website

states, the goal of service learning is to for stu-

dents and professors to gain experience in a field

and give to the community. “Service learning

gives no additional pay. It takes a special profes-

sor to get involved with service learning without

compensation,” Kahanek said. “Professors can

choose whether or not to participate in giving

service learning courses.”

She said the program currently has five

professors and eight courses. Kahanek said no

information was available from previous semes-

ters of service learning classes and professors.

Art history Professor Debra Schafter said

students enrolled in service learning often get to

intern in the field of the service learning course.

Schafter also implements student learning as

an optional addition to her course, ARTS 1304,

Art History Survey 2.

Enrolled students are required to intern

at San Antonio Museum of Art, McNay Art

Museum, Artpace and Contemporary Art. Only

students approved by these museums and gal-

leries end up in the service learning component

of Schafter’s class.

Two students from the art history service

learning class recently participated in “Chalk It

Up,” one helping out with children and another

organizing with the event. “Chalk It Up” is an

annual arts festival on Houston Street from

Artpace and teaches people to build murals.

Students will earn a certificate for completed

service hours based on instructor requirements.

Mortuary science Professor Mary Mena

requires 48 hours in six weeks of service learning

for mortuary science while Schafter requires 32

hours of service learning in her art history course.

Mena said students receive grades for their

student learning experience. “Students will go

to different assigned funeral homes,” Mena said.

They will assist funeral home directors with

graves, escort them to a chapel and sit with the

funeral home director when making funeral

arrangements. Mena said service learning is

almost completed for her fall course, and she

intends to continue it in the spring.

In the past, sociology Professor Terri

Slonaker has been involved with service learn-

ing. Slonaker said she was not able to do it this

semester but she hopes to do it again in the

spring. Slonaker said students volunteered at

local hospice agencies, rehabilitation facilities

and played center activity bingo.

Sociology Adjunct John Algeo teaches a soci-

ology course in New Braunfels. Algeo said service

learning is optional for his class, and 18 hours of

service learning would allow participating stu-

dents to drop their lowest grade.

Students are also required to write sum-

maries in his course that apply sociology terms.

For more information, call Kahanek at 210-

486-0127 or visit http://www.alamo.edu/main.

aspx?id=4824.

Health Nov. 19, 201214 • The Ranger

Service learning an opportunity to get experience for careers

Complex carbs fuel the body By FELIPE PEREZ [email protected]

Some diets say carbohydrates are healthy;

others eliminate them from their programs.

So are carbs good or bad?

If you ask Wellness Coordinator Chris

Dillon, the answer is both.

Complex carbohydrates are the good

carbs.

Complex carbs are great for athletes

because of the source of energy they provide.

“Complex carbs are time-released bits of

energy; they help with your digestive track,”

Dillon said.

Good sources of complex carbs are 100

percent whole-grain cereals, bran cereals,

green vegetables and fresh fruits.

Complex carbs are good because they

help people feel full with few calories.

Simple carbs are carbs that are bad.

“Simple carbs are more of your quick fix

— sugar right now where you spike up and

then hit a wall an hour later,” Dillon said.

Simple carbs are bad because the empty

calories are converted into fat.

Breakfast is often called the most impor-

tant meal of the day.

“I could ask six out of 10 students if they

had breakfast this morning, and their answer

would be no,” Dillon said.

Need help with making the proper choic-

es on what to eat for breakfast?

“Egg whites, with a slice of 100 percent

whole-grain toast, and some oatmeal,”

Dillon said.

“Within the egg whites slice up green

peppers or spinach, and for another protein

source you can have low fat turkey bacon

with a glass of 100 percent fruit juice.”

Not everyone thinks about the nutritional

value of everything they feed themselves.

“Think of your body as a car,” Dillon said.

“Carbs are the fuel that make it run.”

“If we don’t put the right nutrients into

our body, you are not going to be as mobile

and function at your peak,” he added.

For information, visit the kinesiology depart-

ment’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.

com/sackinesiology. Call 210-486-1010.

www.theranger.org

GoANG.com/TX 1-800-TO-GO-ANGTalk to a recruiter today to learn more.

THIS ROAD TO

SUCCESSIS 25,000 FEET UP. The men and women of the Air National Guard serve part-time,

which gives them the chance to dominate their full-time civilian

career fields as well. You’ll develop the kinds of high-tech skills

employers value, while receiving generous benefits and wearing

our country’s uniform with pride.

Juan Carlos Campos

By DIANA [email protected]

Veteran Valentin Martinez, a retired major in

the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department Support

Division, went back to school at the age of 45.

He wants others to know the value of an edu-

cation and giving back by volunteering.

He attended this college from 1982-85, com-

pleted 150 credit hours and received associate

degrees in law enforcement, criminal justice and

public administration.

He was president of the United Mexican-

American Association while he was a student

here.

He served more than 50 years in the Marine

Corps, Army, Air Force, Texas Army National

Guard and Texas State Guard and was awarded

three Purple Hearts and two Bronze Star medals.

Martinez is the founder of the All-American

Armed Forces Parade Association, Memorial

Service Detachment, U.S. Military Veterans

Parade Association and Alamo Silver Wings

Airborne Association.

Also, he is one of the founders of Military

Order of the Purple Heart Alamo Chapter 1836.

Martinez volunteered a total of 5,000 com-

munity service hours.

He attended Lanier High School and was a

member of the JROTC.

He dropped out of high school to join the

Marine Corps at the age of 16. He eventually

earned a GED on May 1, 1966.

He appreciated the military lifestyle because it

provided him clothing and three meals a day. He

didn’t live that lifestyle until he joined the military.

“The military was the answer because life

was hard,” he said.

“GI bill was the answer to all the veterans and

retired,” Martinez said.

The GI bill encouraged him to get an educa-

tion.

“We wanted to advance in ourselves in life,

and college was the answer,” he said.

“Age doesn’t matter make a difference,

whether you’re young or old, to attend college,”

he said.

Don’t be the average guy, always try to do

more than what you have, Martinez said.

Martinez said he is dedicated to continue

serving the country until his last day on Earth.

“I want to thank God for all these years in life

and all that I’ve done,” he said.

Martinez said, “Con Dios todo, sin Dios

nada,” meaning, “With God everything, without

God nothing.”

He encourages students to stay in college

because it will pay off.

By FELIPE PEREZ [email protected]

The dance program will stage a Works in

Progress show Dec. 7 highlighting routines stu-

dents will be performing for their Spring Show.

The Works in Progress show will take

place at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 in the auditorium of

McAllister Fine Arts Center. The performance

is open to the public, and tickets are $5 and

can be purchased at the door.

This is the first year the program has done

a Works in Progress show in which students

perform routines they have prepared for the

Spring Show May 10.

Money raised from Dec. 7 event will be

used to send members of the Dance Club

to dance workshops at Sam Houston State

University in Huntsville. Twelve students will

attend the workshops Jan. 24-27.

The dance program moved from the kinesi-

ology department and became part of the fine

arts department this fall.

“The biggest difference being part of the

fine arts department is being able to collaborate

with the theater department dancers,” kinesiol-

ogy Professor George Ann Simpson said.

More than 100 students taking dance

classes will be in the show. Students from tap,

jazz, ballet, lyrical, modern dance and the

dance performance class will be performing.

“Any time you do something for the first

time, it’s always very exciting. This show is no

exception,” Simpson said.

For more information, call 210-486-1021.


Veteran values education

Works in Progress set for Dec. 7Veteran and graduate Valentin Martinez

www.theranger.org

Dance sophomore Yana Lee and the rest of the dance performance class rehearse a routine for Works in Progress Tuesday in Candler. Monica Correa

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Blue lights and colorful laser

beams brightened the Fiesta

Room of Loftin Student Center

while music blasted as student

models walked down the run-

way Wednesday for the seventh

annual fashion show.

The theme of the fashion show was

“San Antonio SAC in the City,” which Carrie

Hernandez, student life event coordinator, said

was a reference to the television series, “Sex in

the City.”

The fashion show was sponsored by the

office of student life and funded by the Student

Activity Fee Committee.

Hernandez helped students organize and

stage the show.

Student Government Association President

Jacob Wong, psychology sophomore, and SGA

commissioner Laura Belalcazar, criminal jus-

tice sophomore, emceed the show. SGA Vice

President Mike Martinez, anthropology sopho-

more, served as the DJ.

Belalcazar was the coordinator for the event,

which featured 14 student models, 10 females

and four males who auditioned in October.

Before the show, the female models fixed

their hair and makeup in the Fiesta Room, and

the male models got ready behind black drapes.

Some of the female models had makeup

applied by cosmetologist Cynthia Garza who

volunteered to help.

Biology sophomore Kim-Briana Lorine, who

is the Phi Theta Kappa president, was a model

in the show.

“It’s a fun event. I watched it last year and

thought I’d try out this year,” she said.

Most of the models had two business outfits

and two eveningwear outfits.

The first part of the fashion show was

dedicated to a contest hosted by Generations

Federal Credit Union.

The bank donated $20 to each model to

spend at Goodwill.

The models had to assemble an outfit suit-

able for business attire with the $20 budget,

and the winner would receive a free iPad from

Generations Federal Credit Union.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money to

dress nice,” Kimberley Blohm, student brand

ambassador from the credit union, said.

As each model came out from the black

drapes and struck a pose, noise of the crowd

increased.

Business freshman Terrell Stewart walked

the runway in a black suit with a black and red

tie. The audience reacted with whistles as he

posed.

To choose the winner, Blohm asked for

the audience to

applaud for the

outfit they liked

best.

The mod-

els lined up on

the stage, and

Belalcazar asked

each one to step

forward.

The audience

replied with whis-

tles and applause

for all models, but one model, early childhood

sophomore Michelle Negrón, received more

applause than the others.

Negrón won the contest for business attire

she bought from Goodwill. She said many of

her family members told her that she should be

a model, and that’s why she decided to partici-

pate in the show.

Negrón wore a white blazer, black blouse

and white pants for her business attire.

Graduate Lizzie McDonald, who participat-

ed as a model in last fall’s fashion show, came to

show her support as a spectator.

“I had the most fun with the other girls, and

we rehearsed a lot,” she said.

McDonald described this year’s fashion

show atmosphere as glamorous, sassy and

exciting because of the decorations, music and

lasers.

Before the models came out in eveningwear,

students continued to line up outside the Fiesta

Room to gain entrance. Each student had to

sign a sign-up sheet for the student life office.

Many stopped at the refreshments table for

free lemonade and popcorn.

For the eveningwear portion of the show,

the female models wore dresses and the male

models wore suits.

The eveningwear was either the model’s

own clothing or

borrowed from

Arden B in North

Star Mall, Wong

said.

The store man-

ager of Arden B,

Amadilia Galindo,

also attended the

fashion show.

The female

models took turns

sitting on a cube

chair behind the drapes waiting for their turn

to walk.

When it was their turn, two male models

opened the drapes, and one held out his hand

and led the model to the runaway where she

showed off her dressy attire.

Three of the female models designed their

own dresses.

Education freshman Sierra Rose Solano and

liberal arts freshman Susan Maghami designed

black dresses, and business sophomore Sonya

Love created a mustard halter-top dress.

Each model posed with the four male models

who served as a backdrop, and Belalcazar play-

fully described them as the “girls’ accessories.”

As the show ended, the models posed for

photos by audience members.

Behind the black drapes, cookies cut as mar-

tini glasses, heels, shoulder bags, and shirts that

read “San Antonio SAC in the City” were pro-

vided for the models by the office of student life.

Wong referred questions about the cost of

the production to Hernandez, who could not be

reached Thursday.

Feature Nov. 19, 201216 • The Ranger

Nursing sophomore Nicole Herrera and business admin-istration freshman Karen Ibarra help Negrón get ready.

Liberal arts sophomore Jon Martinez stands vigil while business sophomore Sonya Love walks the runway Wednesday in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Martinez helped the contestants step down during the fashion show.

Liberal arts freshman Gladymar Nieves walks a runway during a fashion show Wednesday. The office of student life sponsored the seventh fashion show “SAC in the City” in the Fiesta Room of Loftin.

Early childhood sophomore Michelle Negrón wins the seventh fashion show and an iPad while the runner-up, business administration freshman Karen Ibarra, cheers loudly.

www.theranger.org

Story by Nicole A. West • Photos by Riley Stephens

Lights!Glamour!Fashion!

Documents

The Ranger Nov. 19, 2012