the ranger feb. 20, 2009
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The Ranger print editionTRANSCRIPT
RANGERServing San Antonio College and the Alamo Community College DistrictFeb. 20, 2009 Volume 83, Issue 15
Single copies free A forum of free voicesTHE
Jeff CorwinAnimal handler on campus Feb. 27
Page 6
Darfur womenface rape Page 3
Extremeengineering, extremelearning
Page 5
Choosing a career?Meet the majors
Page 8
By Melissa Toscano Lazcano
Allen McDougall, intoxilyzer technical supervisor, instructed 14 police officers during the 40-hour intoxilyzer certifica-tion course concluded on Feb. 13 at the law enforcement training academy.
All 14 police officers enrolled in this course were certified to operate intoxi-lyzer devices.
The six-minute test requires the per-son being tested to exhale into a tube for at least six seconds to determine alcohol concentration in the body.
This course involves a controlled drinking test of three alcohol doses pro-portionate to each officer’s body weight.
The doses were taken in 15-minute intervals within a 45-minute period.
The intoxilyzer measures the alcohol in the blood, he said, and the results introduced in court are valid data.
A select team of officers conducted the blood-alcohol readings through breath tests on the second day of the course while the rest of the team conducted their test the following day.
The officers were asked to eat lunch 30 minutes prior to drinking, he said. The drinks were either Crown Royal whiskey with Coke, or Tito’s Handmade Vodka with orange juice, but the officers were not required to finish all three doses.
“If you drink on an empty stomach,
you feel sick,” McDougall said.Instructor Tom Wettstein supervised the
controlled drinking test and explained the rules as he distributed a required orange vest to the participating officers.
Wettstein told the officers they were not allowed to carry firearms, drive or smoke.
Wettstein instructed them that if they got sick, to “run outside and puke in the grass.”
Two officers are stationed per intoxilyzer device to conduct two blood-alcohol breath readings; the second reading is conducted after a 15-minute interval.
While conducting the intoxilyzer test on Officer Gerstner of the Georgetown Police Department, Officer Gonzalez of the Pharr Police Department said, this is the same pro-cess for a “real life situation.”
The officer is instructed to wait 15 minutes
to observe the person in question, he said.“If they go to the restroom, we have to
start the 15 minutes again,” he said.The individual may try to deceive the test
results by rinsing or diluting the levels of alcohol inside their mouth, he said.
The Texas Department of Transportation says, “The legal limit for intoxication in Texas is 0.08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC).”
The average alcohol level of a person arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Texas is 0.15, McDougall said.
He said dentists agree a person can have a tooth extracted and not feel any pain at a blood-alcohol level of 0.15.
“People think it’s a right to drink and drive,” he said.
For more information, visit www.texas-dwi.org.
www.theranger.org • The Ranger2• Feb. 20, 2009
Officials
Presidents
Chancellor: Dr. Bruce H. Leslie201 W. Sheridan, Bldg. B, San Antonio, TX 78204-1429Work: 485-0020 Fax: 208-8149E-mail: [email protected]
District 1: Dr. Bernard Weiner929 Manor Drive, Ste. 7, San Antonio, TX 78228 Work: 735-9151 E-mail: [email protected]
District 2: Denver McClendon3811 Willowwood Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78219 Work: 281-9141 E-mail: [email protected]
District 3: Anna Bustamante511 Ware Blvd., San Antonio TX 78221Work: 882-1603 Fax: 927-4557E-mail: [email protected]
District 4: Marcelo S. Casillas115 Wainwright, San Antonio, TX 78211Home: 922-6815 Fax: 923-3167 E-mail: [email protected]
District 5: Roberto Zárate4103 Buffalo Bayou, San Antonio, TX 78251Phone: Not availableE-mail: [email protected]
District 6: Dr. Gene Sprague14722 Iron Horse WayHelotes, TX 78023Work: 567-5544 Fax: 520-9185E-mail: [email protected]
District 7: Charles Conner13306 Hunters Hollow, San Antonio, TX 78230Home: 493-7176 Fax: 493-7909 E-mail: [email protected]
District 8: Gary Beitzel15403 Forest Mist, San Antonio, TX 78232Home: 496-5857 E-mail: [email protected]
District 9: James A. Rindfuss109 Laburnum, San Antonio, TX 78209Home: 828-4630 Work: 375-2555 Home Fax: 832-8292 Office Fax: 375-0301 E-mail: [email protected]
San Antonio College, Dr. Robert E. Zeigler486-0959, [email protected]
Northeast Lakeview College, Dr. Eric Reno486-5484, [email protected]
Northwest Vista College, Dr. Jacqueline Claunch486-4900, [email protected]
Palo Alto College, Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzman486-3960, [email protected]
St. Philip’s College, Dr. Adena W. Loston486-2900, [email protected]
Tuskegee Airmen were trailblazers, speaker saysInstructor wants to train students to enter Rube Goldberg contestWomen of Darfur now most vulnerable, panel saysVice chancellor: Central receiving concept outdated
When you see this symbol, go to
www.theranger.org for more info.
Online
Blotter Contact InformationEmergency222-0911
General DPS485-0099
Weather Line485-0189
Allen McDougall, intoxilyzer technical supervisor, brings orange juice and cola to the four police officers tak-ing the controlled drinking test under Instructor Tom Wettstein’s supervision on Feb. 11 at the law enforce-ment training academy. Fourteen police officers obtained the intoxilyzer certification Feb. 13.
Drinking for course credit
By Rennie Murrell
About 1:30 p.m. Jan. 29, a male allegedly exposed his genitals to a female in a gym at this college.
The names of the individuals involved in this incident have not been released, Sgt. Ben Pena, district department of public safety, said.
Dr. Robert Vela Jr., dean of student affairs, said in an e-mail, “This is a confidential student discipline issue; I am not able to comment.”
“This case and charges against the alleged ‘flasher’ have been sub-mitted to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for further prosecu-tion,” Pena said.
This case is now up to the dis-trict attorney’s office to prosecute, he said.
Indecent exposure is a Class B misdemeanor.
According to Section 12.22 of the Texas Penal Code, an individual found guilty of a Class B misdemeanor shall be punished by:
(1) a fine not to exceed $2,000;(2) confinement in jail for a term
not to exceed 180 days; or(3) both such fine and confine-
ment.Any student, faculty or staff who
may witness a crime, suspicious per-sons or activity on campus should immediately call authorities.
Do not confront the individual.If you do not have a phone, use
one of the emergency phones on cam-pus. Look for the flashing blue lights.
If no emergency phone is nearby, leave the area.
San Antonio College
Feb. 4 – A staff member report-ed students arguing with her in Fletcher. All found to be OK.
An officer reported two juve-niles on campus. Juveniles released to parents.
Feb. 5 – An individual report-ed found property in Chance. Item placed in property locker.
An individual reported lost per-sonal property.
A non-district related individ-ual issued a criminal trespass warning in chemistry-geology.
Feb. 6 – An individual reported damage to a district vehicle.
An individual reported a ver-bal disturbance between her and another female in Loftin. All found to be OK.
An individual reported found property. Item placed in prop-erty locker.
An individual reported a verbal disturbance involving a fellow employee in nursing and allied health from the previous day.
An individual reported missing district property in McCreless.
Feb. 7 – Non-district related individual detained for criminal trespass in Lot 21. Case filed with Bexar County DA.
An individual reported broken window and theft between $20-$200. No suspects.
Feb. 9 – An individual report-ed a male asking for money. Male not located.
An individual reported an irate male in the area by Moody. All found to be OK.
An individual reported the theft of a backpack, containing between $50-$500. No suspects.
Palo Alto College
Feb. 3 — An individual reported found property. Item returned to owner.
Feb. 4 — Reported stolen items in Lot 2. Individual reported found property. Item placed in property locker.
Feb. 5 — An individual reported found property. Item placed in property locker.
A non-district related individual issued a criminal trespass warning.
An individual reported grafitti on district property. No suspects.
Feb. 6 — An individual reported found property. Item returned to owner.
An individual reported a verbal disturbance involving two students
An individual was arrested for an active warrant, resisting arrest, and possession of marijuana. Case filed with DA.
Feb 8. — An individual reported grafitti in the men’s restroom. No suspects found.
Feb. 9 — An individual reported receiving numerous unwanted phone calls.
St. Philip’s College
Feb. 4 — A suspended individual reported personal vehicle being stolen out of Lot 18. There are no
suspects.
An individual reported damage to personal vehicle in Lot 9.
Stolen property recovered in Lot 9.
Feb. 5 — An individual arrested for an active warrent.
Feb. 7 — An individual reported found property. Item placed in property locker.
Feb. 9 — An individual reported missing district property. Item located.
SAPD advised of a dog in a vehi-cle. The vehicle was not located.
An individual reported theft of per-sonal property between $50 and $500. No suspects.
An individual reported a verbal disturbance between a male and a female. All found to be OK.
An individual reported being assaulted by a female. Female issued citation for assault.
Southwest Campus
Feb. 4 — An individual reported a male and female arguing in a lot. Female located and all found to be OK.
Feb. 9 — An individual reported damage to personal vehicle in Lot 6. No suspects found.
Northeast Lakeview College
Feb. 4 — An individual reported found property. Item placed in property locker.
Feb. 5 — An individual reported found property. Item placed in property locker.
An individual reported a hit and run in Lot 6. The case is closed.
Feb. 6 — An individual reported found property. Item placed in property locker.
Feb. 9 — An individual reported found property. Item placed in property locker.
To report a crime,call 485-0099
Emergencies 222-0911 Building Emergency
486-1235
DPS seeking flasher from gym incident
Melissa Toscano Lazcano
www.theranger.org • The Ranger3 • Feb. 20, 2009
ASL Talent Show and Silent Auction
Accessible to deaf and hearingaudiences
$5 donation/admission fee
benefitsscholarship fund
7-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21,
SAC’s McAllister Auditorium
For info, call 733-2071
By Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle
Everyone has a moral obligation to join the movement and take action in stopping the geno-cide in Darfur, a member of the grassroots non-profit organization Save Darfur said Feb. 11 in the Fiesta Room in Loftin Student Center.
“There is silence and people need to know,” Deri Ricard said. “What you do matters.”
She spoke to a crowd of about 90 after a 12-minute documentary “Violence Against Women and the Darfur Genocide,” based on the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war in Darfur, Sudan.
The event was a live webcast event sponsored by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Save Darfur Coalition. More than 200 faith-based advocacy and human rights organizations from around the world participated in the event.
The documentary featured testimonials of women and young girls being tortured and raped by the government-backed Janjaweed militia. Sexual violence is being used as an instrument of genocide.
Women tell of being raped multiple times and in front of their children, according to women interviewed in the video.
In the matriarch Muslim tradition of Darfuri soci-ety, women hold a strict code of loyalty and chastity.
When a woman is raped, it brings great shame to the family.
Many women and young girls are being aban-doned by their families because of the stigma, according to the video. A live panel discussion was also broadcast after the film.
Panelists included moderator Gloria E. White-Hammond: actor Maria Bello; lawyer Kelly Dawn Askin; John Heffernan, director of the U.S. Holocaust Museum; and Niemat Ahmadi, a Darfuri liaison who is also featured in the documentary.
Askin discussed the legalities of establishing rape as a war crime and prosecuting and convict-ing Janjaweed leaders in international tribunal courts. An arrest warrant for Sudan president Omar al-Bashir is anticipated by the end of this month.
Ahmadi described mothers who refuse to feed
daughters who have been raped and mothers who refuse to breast feed babies being born out of rape.
“The crisis has turned our lives upside down. The war in Darfur actually is being fought in women’s bodies,” Ahmadi said dur-ing the webcast.
She fears for her life and has narrowly escaped two assassination attempts by the government to pre-vent her from speaking out against the war.
An estimated 400,000 civilians have been killed. After the end of the discussions, Ricard said, “Rape is at the heart of the genocide.”
She said Darfur must be a prior-ity in the international community, which must demand justice and hold those accountable for the suf-fering.
She urged the audience to sign petitions to be sent to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to keep Darfur near the top of
their priority list. To sign the petition, log on to sanantoniofordar-
fur.roots or savedarfur.org/women.Ricard is organizing to have a group of
supporters of the Save Darfur coalition march in the upcoming International Women’s Day march March 7.
Anyone interested in getting involved can call her at 269-2967.
You can also view the documentary at ushmm.org.
To express moral support to the women of Darfur, leave a message at 888-473-7885. Messages will be
played over the radio in the refugee camps in Darfur. To make donations to the resettlement
needs of refugees in the San Antonio area, call Dr. Ria Baker at [email protected] or 990-0428.
Items needed are personal care products, clothes and household items. English-as-a-second language volunteers also are needed.
By Lea Thompson
The renovation and addition to the visual arts center is estimated to begin in May 2010, John Strybos, associate vice chancellor of facilities operations and construction management, said Wednesday.
The project originally had been scheduled to begin this semester, but a delay has been caused by more immediate construction needs, Strybos said.
Strybos said remodeling of the chemistry-geol-ogy building, which is expected to start in May, was a priority.
The department of chemistry, geology and earth sciences has moved classes into the nursing education building but is still offering labs in the chemistry-geology building.
Funds from the Alamo Community College District’s 2005 bond issue paid for the architectural plans for visual arts, but Strybos said the college does not have enough available funds to complete both projects.
Strybos said the current estimate needed for visual arts is about $8 million.
The visual arts faculty presented a list of prob-lems in the building last year to the college budget officer, David Mrizek, vice president of college services.
The list included roof leaks, faulty air condition-ing units and outdated wiring.
After reviewing the list, college officials and architects agreed that the building needed a major expansion and upgrade.
Since the building’s construction in 1991, the gallery and many of the classrooms and offices have experienced leaks during rainstorms.
Architect Donna Johnson of Durand-Hollis Rupe Architects Inc. has presented proposals and models of what the building will look like after remodeling, but the design plans are not complete for other buildings.
Once the current remodeling plans are carried out, the department can begin moving to existing space in other buildings, or modular buildings if necessary.
An earlier plan to move the department into portable buildings near the site of the former motor pool building has been scrapped, Strybos said.
Instead, the visual arts department will move to space that becomes available in other buildings once current remodeling is completed, he said.
A new security system will be installed in visual arts as well as cameras to monitor the gal-lery and prevent theft.
Some professionals will not show their works at the gallery because of security reasons in the past, Chair Richard Arredondo said Feb. 2.
The outdated track lighting in the gallery will be replaced with energy efficient halogens, and a new timer will control the lighting more effectively.
Architects also plan to install a new energy-efficient heating and air conditioning unit and new windows.
Arredondo said architects also plan to cre-ate a two-story addition on the east side of the building, which would allow the ceramics and art metals programs, now housed at Koehler Cultural Center, to join the rest of the visual arts department.
The addition would also provide space for more restrooms and a new digital gallery.
By Alice Gonzalez
Counseling advisers are available in the BioSpot, a facility where biology students can get additional help from professors, peers and private tutors.
Students who are seeking counseling in nursing and biology are able to meet with pre-professional advisers who are trained to help with questions, Professor Rafael Torres, BioSpot director, said Feb 11.
Schedules are available in the BioSpot for students interested in speaking with a counselor, and appointments are not necessary.
“Counseling has been avail-able for students in the BioSpot for about four semesters now,” Torres said.
Counselor Amy White is the only counselor staffing the BioSpot, and she is available from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. on Wednesdays.
She specializes in counseling students inter-ested in nursing, but can also answer any gen-eral question regarding other degrees.
Counselors in the BioSpot are there to pro-vide general counseling to the students regarding courses they should take, courses that transfer to a four-year university and dates to apply, Torres said.
Students are usually asking questions about transcripts, repetition of courses, the application process for entering the nursing program and classes they should take together, White said Monday.
Students also inquire about applying for finan-cial aid and anything else that could help them with the costs, White said.
Nursing information meetings are at 1 p.m. in the counseling center on Wednesdays. The infor-mation meetings are open to any student needing more details about the nursing program, White
said. Interested students can sign in at the registration desk.
“My heart is with the nursing students, and they are welcome to visit me outside the BioSpot any time,” White said.
Students can get counseling information on dental and medical careers through the transfer center.
“Students should be knowl-edgeable with the application to professional school because it’s a
long process, and students need to take charge of their career. Plus knowing what courses to take in advance can only improve the students ability to better prepare for more advanced courses,” White said.
Students can get further assistance to profes-sional school by contacting the medical school or visiting the transfer center, White said.
The BioSpot is open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday in Room 350 of Chance Academic Center.
For additional counseling, contact White at 486-0351 in Room 133 of Moody Learning Center.
Speaker urges grassroots action to stop Darfur genocide
Visual arts improvements on drawing board next
BioSpot offers advising Professors, peers and private
tutors offer help to preprofession-al students plan for degree. For more information, call the
BioSpot at 733-2039.
See second story.
People www.theranger.org • The Ranger4 • Feb. 20, 2009
Melissa Toscano LazcanoPig parts: Palo Alto agricul-ture Instructor Weldon Wrigs and agriculture s o p h o m o r e Tiffany Wilson help 9-year-old Emily Seeker from Brenham identify a pig’s ear during the Swine Skillathon at the 60th annu-al Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 10. The rodeo continues through Sunday.
Bull ride: P h o t o g r a p h y freshman Raquel Peña rides the mechanical bull during the Rodeo Roundup featur-ing a mini rodeo with club booths Wednesday in the mall.
Rock ’n’ roll: Shinji Mimura, foreign languages fresh-man, parodies Creed’s “Arms Wide Open” with music fresh-man Sebastian Casanova, left, and computer science freshman Isaac García during karaoke in Loftin Monday.
Tyler Cleveland
Melissa Toscano Lazcano
By Vanessa M. Sanchez
Brother Joseph Liedecke, campus minister at this college’s Catholic Student Center, said he thinks broadcasting is a great way to attract Catholics and others to religion. “I think you need to keep up with times,” Liedeck said. “To spread the Gospel, you have to explore every avenue you pos-sibly can.”
The Catholic Church has long
used mass media to spread its message through the newspa-per Today’s Catholic and local Catholic television station CTSA.
Liedecke, who said he was just starting to understand more of technology, said he has yet to see any of the videos and only found out about them two weeks ago.
“I think it’s a way to move forward.”
Liedecke said he was interest-ed in showing the new material at the Catholic Student Center.
Richard Arredondo, visual arts chair and devoted Catholic, said he was not surprised to hear
the news about the pope and said he supports it.
Arredondo said using the YouTube channel is fine for the Catholic Church to reach out because youth do not completely understand their religion.
He added that some parents may not take their children to catechism school and others are “out-of-culture Catholics” who attend church strictly on holi-days.
These people may not have time to go to church so they can view other news from the pope via the Internet, he said.
Arredondo compared the
ways Pope Benedict and his pre-decessor Pope John Paul II con-nected to their audiences.
Though Pope Benedict is using a different method to reach more people, while keeping up with the times, Arredondo said, it was more personal when Pope John Paul II traveled to meet with people.
When Pope John Paul II trav-eled to Mexico, he connected with the poorer people who may not have access to computers, Arredondo said.
“When people see the pope in person, it means a lot more than on a computer,” Arredondo said.
He said using YouTube to broadcast to the youth would work in the richer countries but not as well in the poor areas of the world.
Arredondo said there is an increase among youth in funda-mental and protestant denomina-tions, and it is possible that the pope could be using YouTube as a mode of communication to branch out to those who may want or need closure, Arredondo said.
To view all of the videos of Pope Benedict XVI, visit www.YouTube.com and search for Vatican.
By Ralonda R. Green
Engineering students turned a phys-ics lab into a shop class Feb. 6, trading in textbooks for tools and appliances.
Astronomy Instructor Alfred Alaniz likes to call it Fun with Physics Fridays.
Science and engineering students use their skills to repair broken appli-ances or to develop innovative projects with the leftovers, Alaniz said.
He added Fridays will be used for field trips, to show movies or for tinker-ing in the lab.
“We are going to take apart appli-ances and try to fix them,” he said. “If we can’t, well, then I know what’s wrong with them, or we’ll have spare parts for projects.”
Alaniz said he and the students want to help support recycling on campus to compel science and engineering stu-dents to think of inventions that create fun with recycling.
“We have such free sunlight here in South Central Texas,” he said. “I’m going to try to get my students to do projects that have to do with solar, try to be ‘green.’”
Alaniz wants them to make machin-ery such as can or plastic crushers.
All of this, Alaniz said, is to motivate the students into learning and putting
that learning into action. “There’s so much energy in some of
the kids. When you don’t want to study, then you occupy your mind some other way, then you really are still studying, you’re still learning,” Alaniz said.
Alaniz hopes that when the Fun with
Physics Friday is established, he and his students can encourage individuals to allow him and his crew of students to fix them. They could salvage things like power supplies or electrical plugs.
“Those are always handy for proj-ects,” Alaniz said.
Engineering students Nathan Herrington, Dustin Edwards, Gary Popov, Emilio Gonzalez, Josue Cruz-Lambert and Christopher John-Duncan Arauz gathered to disassemble a variety of appliances.
Laid out on lab tables were a power drill, CD player, VCR and an oscilloscope, an electronic test instrument that allows signal voltages to be viewed.
They used screwdrivers, hammers and other tools, including a power supply to check the function of the drill without using batteries.
The goal was for the young engineers to open up the nonworking machines to figure out what could be wrong and fix them.
Edwards, who worked on a broken drill along with Gonzalez, said Fun with Physics Friday is great for those who just like to tinker with things and build things.
Edwards said he is a tinkerer at heart who used to play around with his motor-cycle and car. “I’m sort of a grease mon-key; my dream is to work on cars.”
Arauz and Popov worked on the CD player. They opened it to find out why the sliding tray was not working and
used tools to move the slot back and forth. Cruz worked on a VCR, display-ing the components.
Alaniz said the project shouldn’t cost anything. “We either use tools that we own, or we will be using tools that the physics department has for their labs. So we’re just playing it by ear whenever we get whatever.”
Alaniz also said he wants the engineer-ing students to work with the Astronomy Club to maybe build things powered by solar energy.
Physics, engineering and architec-ture Chair Jerry O’Connor praised
the program for its benefits. “First, show them how things work. Second, develop trouble-shoot-ing strategies, and third, see a
concrete view of course materials,” O’Connor said.
Alaniz said, “We’ve got lots of
little things that people don’t realize they’re learning, so that’s the best way. We’re tricking them into learning. They’re learning and they don’t know it.”
To get your vacuum cleaner fixed, donate spare parts or for more informa-tion, call Alaniz at 486-0060 or stop by Room 237 of Chance at 1 p.m. Friday or his office in Room 106 of the nursing education building.
The Ranger • www.theranger.org Feb. 20, 2009 • 5
Catholics offer differing opinions of pope on YouTube
Engineering students rebuild, recycle appliances
Mechanical engineering sophomores Emilio Gonzalez and Dustin Edwards and fresh-man Josué Cruz-Lambert work on an inefficient power drill with astronomy Instructor Alfred Alaniz supervising during Fun with Physics Friday Feb. 6 in Chance.
Melissa Toscano Lazcano
Method may be less effective in poorer
countries.
Accunet/AP photos
Pope Benedict XVI
See Rube Goldberg
Psychology sophomore J.C. Flores, left, foreign languages freshman Shinji Mimura, liberal arts freshman Bradley Ford and computer sophomore Mike Wright laugh their way through an answer Wright gave at the Dating Game Feb. 13 in Loftin.
Dating game nets iPods
By Giselle Guadron
Two couples won the Dating Game hosted by the Black Student Alliance Feb. 13, but nobody won a “date.”
The four received a box of chocolates and iPods after a game patterned after television programs such as “The Dating Game” and “The Newlywed Game.”
Radio-television-film sophomore Rachel Henderson was the bachelorette chosen from a field of four answering questions behind the curtain.
Psychology sophomore J.C. Flores, a crowd favorite, was the bachelor chosen.
He gave his iPod to Bachelor No. 3, foreign languages freshman Shinji Mimura, to allow Mimura to enjoy music.
The male and female contestants who chose Henderson and Flores left before they could be interviewed, and organizers of the event did not remember their names.
Their microphones did not magnify the voices of the contestants, so many in the crowd could not hear the questions they posed to the hidden bachelors and bachelorettes.
Tables in the cafeteria of Loftin were full and students were standing to see the event.
After a few technical difficulties, the game opened with the theme music from the old TV dating game show.
In the first round, a bachelorette asked ques-tions to four eligible bachelors, who were com-puter sophomore Mike Wright, liberal arts fresh-man Bradley Ford, Mimura and Flores.
She was sitting behind a curtain and the four men on the other side answered her questions as the audience applauded and laughed.
The question that was most important to the bachelorette was, “Black History Month is hosted by the Black Student Alliance, and I want to know how important is it to remember black history in our society?”
Flores, Bachelor No. 4, responded, “Black History Month is family, unity. They broke their backs for us.”
“There was Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Obama. They fought for civil rights. Black History Month is a movement.”
He received applause and cheers. The bachelorette said she chose Flores because
of his response to that question. Round 2 involved a bachelor asking ques-
tions to four bachelorettes: premedicine sopho-more Martina Vallego, music business freshman Haly Lam, RTF sophomore Josette Martinez and Henderson.
The question that had the audience eager to hear the responses was, “If I were broke would you want me to give you a heartfelt CD or borrow money from my mom to take you out?”
Bachelorette No. 1 Martinez answered that she’d rather have him as a friend if he was going to be broke.
Her response got the audience to cheer and laugh.
Some audience members even commented aloud that if he were to borrow money from his mother once that he would get used to it and it would become a habit.
He ended up choosing Henderson, who later said that she entered the game for fun.
Media services Chair Barbara Knotts, adviser to the Black Student Alliance, said in an inter-view after the game that there is no commitment required between the students and that they do not have to go out on a date.
There was a pre-selection done on partici-pants, but some did not come to the event.
Knotts had to scramble to find participants.She started asking audience members if they
would be last-minute substitutions. All the questions that are asked by the bach-
elor or bachelorette were OK’d before they were asked.
Knotts said this event was open to all students who wanted to participate.
She recalled the first dating game three years ago had a round for gay students.
“This year there were not enough students participating to have numerous rounds,” she said.
Leda Garcia
By Dani Williams
The American Sign Language interpreter train-ing department presents its third annual ASL talent show and silent auction, a scholarship fundraiser Saturday.
The silent auction begins at 6 p.m. preceding the talent show from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. in the audito-rium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.
The department is asking for a donation of $5.The faculty and students of the interpreter
training department will present the talent show and silent auction.
Reynaldo Rodriguez, secretary, said the talent show has been planned since January.
In the past, the department has auctioned trips, hotel stays, massages, a day at a beauty salon and alarms for homes, Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said this year’s featured donated items are a computer, a desk, ice cream set, an M&M dispenser, purses and jewelry and additional items.
“We’re not really sure how many people will
be in the talent show, but we have never had a problem getting people to perform in it,” Rodriguez said.
The show will be accessible for the hearing- impaired as well as the hearing, Rodriguez said.
“There aren’t many places for the deaf to go, so when we put on a show everyone comes out,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said there will be an interpreter for the audience.
“Teachers and students will perform and pos-sibly some alumni. We’re not sure yet,” Rodriguez said.
A $500 scholarship from the Rea and Barbara Hinrichs Scholarship Fund will be awarded.
The couple, parents of ASL Chair Lauri Metcalf, live in Denver and have been very supportive of the deaf community.
“At the least, two students will be receiving these scholarships,” Rodriguez said. Last year, two students were awarded.
For qualifications and requirements, students may check with the department at 486-1106.
By Lea Thompson
The department of music and humanities offers 24 concerts this semester, giving performers stage experience and allowing students an opportunity to appreciate musical performances by students, faculty and guests.
Many classes within the department require con-cert attendance.
Private applied music, music literature and music theory classes require students to attend a minimum of four recitals.
All other classes in the department require attendance at three. Recital attendance makes up 10 percent of the semester grade in all of these courses, according to a departmental policy.
The recitals expose student audiences to genres of music that they might not usually hear and help reinforce what is being learned in class, interim Chair Mary Lou Russell said Feb. 9.
Students performing are able to gain professional confidence and experience.
Faculty is “not required to perform, but many do out of sheer love of music and performing,” she said Wednesday. “It comes out of their own time.”
The department gives these suggestions for eti-quette at concerts.
Audience members must arrive at concerts on time. Once the recital begins, doors stay closed until the end of the first performance.
Students must stay for the entire recital. Those arriving late or leaving early will not receive atten-dance credit for class.
Guests should enter the auditorium quietly and pick up a recital attendance form at the door if they need credit for attending.
Completed forms are collected at the door and are sent to department faculty for recording.
Performers deserve the audience’s respect and complete silence during a concert, Russell said.
Russell and the department’s guidelines instruct guests to avoid moving around, talking or using elec-tronic devices during a concert.
Cell phones and pagers should be silenced before the concert begins.
“The performers can hear the audience just like the audience can hear the performers,” Russell said.
Parents of young children should sit near exits so they can leave if the children become noisy.
At a recital, applause should be held until the entire piece has been completed.
There are often several different movements within a performance; early applause can disrupt the performer. If you are not sure when to applaud, wait to hear the audience clap first.
Food and drinks are not allowed in the audito-rium.
Photography and tape recording during concerts are forbidden without the approval of the depart-ment, according to the policy.
There are an average of 100-150 attendees per performance, and there are 21 remaining perfor-mances this semester.
For information on performances, see www.accd.edu/sac/music/musiccalendar.htm or call 486-0255.
By Tyler Cleveland
Eight student interns from Palo Alto’s agriculture and horticulture program will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for helping to run the 60th annual Stock Show and Rodeo at the AT&T Center and Freeman Coliseum.
Working 11 days from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., horti-culture and landscape design freshman Anna Vogler and agriculture freshman Brittany Barnes check in horse trailers as they come in from around the country and Canada, identifying the horses using their health certificates, issuing vehicle permits, assigning stalls, and helping owners in any way they can.
“It took me three nights to adjust,” said Vogler about the work schedule. “The first two nights were really hard and your brain goes into a fog.”
The girls sleep from 7 a.m.-4 p.m., doing their homework while waiting for trailers. “Our teach-ers know what we are doing out here,” said Vogler. Barnes and Vogler said they have not had any con-flicts with their school work.
All scholarship money is provided by the San Antonio Livestock Exposition Scholarship Committee,
which awarded $8.5 million in scholarships, grants and premiums to interns and student competition winners last year, with a total of $87 million awarded since 1989.
Tony Magaro, chairman of the Scholarship Committee, said the committee’s mission is to help encourage and support young students in their inter-est and pursuit of agriculture careers in college.
All eight of the interns plan on using the schol-arship money to earn an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Barnes and Vogler said the money hasn’t been a major motivation for their work. “I just wanted to help my professor,” said Vogler, referring to agricul-ture Instructor Weldon Riggs, who has arranged the
scholarship opportunity for Palo Alto’s students since 2000.
“He’s helped us out with a lot of stuff along the way,” Barnes said.
“It’s been a great expe-rience,” said Vogler, “just meeting the competitors and seeing the horses.”
Vogler and Barnes hand-ed off their schedule to the second duo of interns Feb. 13, training agriculture sophomores Brooke Keller and Atascosa native Karleen Lazalde for their 10-day rou-tine until the rodeo’s end
Sunday. “It’s hard work, but I’m used to it,” said Lazalde,
who cares for horses at her family’s ranch in Atascosa. “I’m excited.”
While young women are checking in horses, the guys can be found emptying trash cans, scrubbing
restrooms and spraying horse stalls. Wildlife management sophomores Jason Brister
and Fabien Sanchez helped train agriculture science sophomore Bryan Tejeda and horticulture science freshman Ricardo Lupiean who work the last 10 days of the rodeo.
“It’s fun, and the experience is good for you,” said Tejeda on his first night, “especially with people you’ve never met, it teaches you to juggle a bit.”
The boys are trained by K.D. Ranch out of Stockdale, the company responsible for cleaning all of the rodeo grounds.
Beginning about 10 p.m., the guys will sometimes clean until 6 a.m., “depending on the amount of stalls we have to clean,” Brister said. “One night we had over 200.”
All eight of the interns have treated the experience as one they won’t soon forget.
“It will probably take me three days to reverse the cycle once this is over,”
Vogler said. “I’ll sit up in bed and say, ‘trailer!’ and think, ‘Oh wait, I’m at home.’”
Wildlife management sophomores Jason Brister, left, and Fabien Sanchez push dirt Feb. 13 at Horse Barn No. 2. Since a young age, Sanchez has participated in rodeo activities, including entering swine in competitions.
Horticulture science freshman Ricardo Lupiean picks up trash Feb. 13 at Horse Barn No. 2.
PAC students lasso rodeo internships
Feb. 20, 2009 • 76 • www.theranger.org Premiere
Spontaneous answers to probing questions draw laughter, cheers
from crowd.
Music recitals open to all, but please follow etiquette
Cell phones create distractions to performances, chair says.
Horticulture and landscape design freshman Anna Vogler, left, and agriculture freshman Brittany Barnes do homework while waiting for trailers at the registration office Feb. 10.
Tyler Cleveland
San Antonio Livestock Exposition Scholarship Committee has given
$87 million since 1989.
ASL talent show funds scholarships
By Martin Herrera and Jeff Reese
In its fourth year of programming, San Antonio College’s Fine Arts and Events Series will shed light on wildlife and forest conservation when Jeff Corwin, host of Animal Planet’s “Jeff Corwin Experience,” gives his “Tales from the Field” lecture at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in McAllister Fine Arts Center auditorium.
Admission is free and open to the general pub-lic. Children under 5 will not be admitted.
Dr. Alice Johnson, dean of learning resources and the chair of the SAC-FACES committee organiz-ing the event, said the series is meant to “broaden the horizons” of students by exposing them to people or experiences they might not encounter otherwise.
Past events from the series have included performances of the San Antonio Symphony and speeches from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Edward James Olmos and Morgan Spurlock, an indepen-dent filmmaker known for the “Supersize Me” docudrama.
“Just attending those kind of talks is illuminat-ing for the students,” Johnson said.
The committee receives a $25,000 allocation annually from the president’s office to produce events throughout the year.
Johnson said it is becoming increasingly more difficult to attract people who create such a wide community interest within that budget, especially when it is not the only event they produce in the year.
Johnson is hoping to build partnerships with multiple funding sources to ensure the program’s continued growth and success.
Pointing out the state of the economy, Johnson acknowledged the difficulty she faces in doing that.
“Every single entity that raises money to do whatever their mission is, they’re all having trou-ble getting the funds in because people are hanging on to their money,” Johnson said.
Kathryn Armstrong, coordinator of special proj-ects, said Corwin will bring 12 to 14 reptiles ranging in size from that of a dinner plate up to 6 feet and will give a presentation on eight of them. Corwin will also answer questions from the
audience.The host of his Animal Planet show since 2000,
Corwin received the 2004 Emmy for best performer in a children’s series.
Armstrong said she enjoys Corwin’s show because of the clear enthusiasm he displays for his work.
“You can tell this is Jeff’s passion. You can see it in his face,” Armstrong said. “It makes me excited to see other people get excited about what they’re doing, whether it’s journalism, photogra-phy or whatever.”
According to the Animal Planet Web site, Corwin is a native of Massachusetts and is well-known for his work in wildlife and conservation.
The South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell, Mass., credits Corwin as the “driving force” behind their interactive exhibit entitled “EcoZone,” which focuses on the southeastern Massachusetts ecosystems.
Corwin earned a bachelor’s degree in anthro-pology and biology from Bridgewater State College and was later awarded an honorary doctorate in public education from the same institution. He also obtained a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries conservation from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, the Animal Planet Web site stated.
The host of various wildlife programs on sev-eral networks, Corwin has also published “Living on the Edge: Amazing Relationships in the Natural World,” which is now in its fifth edition.
Corwin has another book slated for release this spring titled “100 Heartbeats,” which highlights the plight of endangered species.
Armstrong plans to attend “Tales from the Field” and encourages others to do the same.
“There’s something about him that can’t be seen in a phone conversation or a written inter-view,” Armstrong said. “You can see the commu-nication of passion. You can see for yourself the transmission of the passion.”
That transmission of passion Armstrong speaks about is evident in her changed outlook toward some forms of wildlife.
An outdoor enthusiast herself, Armstrong is actually uncomfortable being near reptiles.
“You can be a fan of outdoors and not like rep-tiles,” Armstrong said. “Ten years ago, if I would have seen a snake, I would have tried to go kill it, but as I’ve watched the show, I’ve gained a respect for the place all animals have in wildlife.”
Doors open at 6 p.m. and seating is limited.For more information, call Johnson at 486-0901
or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Corwin experience in McAllisterFamed wildlife show host and
author to tame exotic reptiles and audience on campus.
Today
SAC Event: Coffee night and open mic sponsored by Cheshyre Cheese Club at 6:30 p.m. in Loftin. Free for SAC students, $1 public. Call 486-0649.
SAC Performance: Church and the Guilding Clouds gospel concert at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of McAllister. Free for students with SAC ID; $1. Call 486-0127.
Performance: “Icarus’ Moth-er” and “Action” by Sam Shepard at 8 p.m. the Jane and Arthur Stieren Theater at Trinity University. Contin-ues 8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thurs-day. Call 999-8515.
PAC Event: Informational meeting about the international student volun-teers every hour on the hour from noon-6 p.m. Call (310) 936-1734.
Saturday
Event: Mardi Gras Bash 7 p.m.-11:30 p.m. at Her-mann Sons Hall, 525 S. St. Mary’s. Call 573-3403.
Event: Annual Henry B. Gonzalez Public Service Award Ceremony “Changing Lives Through Public Service” at 10 a.m. in Room 120 of visual arts. Call 486-0883.
Event: “Weekend Family Adventure: Build It!” 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Witte Musuem, 3801 Broadway. Adults $7, seniors $6 and children $5. Call 357-1900.
Monday
SAC Event: Hang Out 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Methodist Student Center, 102 Belknap. Continues Mondays. Call 733-1441.
SAC Transfer: University of Texas at San Antonio 9 a.m.-11 a.m. in the second floor lobby of McCreless and appointments 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the transfer center. Call 486-0864.
Tuesday
SAC Transfer: St. Mary’s University 8:30 a.m.-11 a.m. in
the second floor lobby of McCreless and appointments 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the transfer center. Call 486-0864.
SAC Transfer: Our Lady of the Lake Uni-versity 9 a.m.-noon in the second floor lobby of McCreless and appointments
noon-1 p.m. in the transfer center Call 486-0864.
SAC Hot Potato: “Staying Cool in an Economic Meltdown” by Emilio Lira
12:15 p.m. at Methodist Student Center, 102 Belknap. Call
733-1441.
SAC Performance: Latin Jazz Combo at 12:30 p.m. in the
auditorium of McAllister. Call 486-0255.
Wednesday
SAC Event: Transfer-fair 9 a.m.-noon in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 486-0864.
SAC Event: Infor-mation table on eating disorders provided by Peer Educa-tors 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in mall or in the Fiesta Room in Loftin in case of rain. Call 486-1448.
SAC Event: Dental Festival 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. in the lobby of the nursing and allied health complex. Call 486-1502.
SPC Performance: 21st season of the San Antonio Symphony-in-Residence concerts at 11:10 a.m. Contin-ues at 9:45 p.m. and 11:25 a.m. on Feb. 27-28. Call 486-2887 or 486-2587.
SAC Event: Catholic Mass by Father Luis Leal, OP. Sponsored by Methodist Student Center and Catholic Student Association at 12:15 p.m. in Room 120 of visual arts. Call 733-1441.
SAC Performance: Brass Ensemble at 2 p.m. in the audito-
rium of McAllister. Call 486-0255.
Thursday
SAC Transfer: University of the Incarnate Word 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the second floor lobby of McCreless. Call 486-0864.
SAC Performance: Jazz ensemble at 2 p.m. in the audito-rium of McAllister. Call 486-0255.
Reading: Poetry reading by Stephan Burt at 7 p.m. in the gallery of Dicke Art Building of Trinity University. Call 999-7516.
SAC Performance: Faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of McAllister. Call 486-0255.
Feb. 27
SAC Performance: Choral concert at 1 p.m. in the audito-rium of McAllister. Call 486-0255.
Event: Transfer Day at Texas State University-San Mar-cos. Call (512)245-8871.
SAC Deadline: Deadline to apply for com-mencement in Room 216 of Fletcher. Call 486-0701.
Feb. 28
Event: Habitat for Humanity 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Methodist Student Center, 102 Belknap.
Continues March 21. Call 733-1441.
March 1
SAC Performance: Guitars Galore at 2 p.m. in the audito-rium of McAllister. Call 486-0255.
Presidential Movies
JFK (1991) Kevin Costner, Jay O. Sanders After Kennedy’s assassination, New Orleans district attorney takes it upon himself to figure out what really happened when he suspects that the public isn’t being told everything.
Nixon (1995) Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen Describes Richard Nixon’s life through his college career, his defeat at the hands of Kennedy and his eventual move to the Oval Office.
W (2008) Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Banks Shows George Bush’s life through his wild college years, military career, his time as gov-ernor of Texas and his election to the White House.
Dave (1993) Kevin Klein, Sigour-ney Weaver Through an uncanny resem-blance, Klein becomes the president of the United States after the real man falls into a coma. He proves capable in the office and falls in love with the First Lady.
The American President (1995) Mi-chael Douglas, Annette Benning Douglas is the hugely popular president of the United States. However, after his wife dies, he meets and falls in love with an environmental lobbist, giving way to attacks on his character when he runs for president again.
Frost/Nixon (2008) Frank Lan-gella, Michael Sheen After three years of refusing to speak about the Watergate scandal, Nixon decides to have an all-inclusive interview to repair his reputation. Despite purposely picking a breezy television personality, Nixon finds more than he bargained for in Frost.
Thirteen Days (2000) Shawn Driscoll, Kevin Costner Set during the Cuban missile crisis. When intelligence of Rus-sians setting nuclear weapons on Cuba is found, President Kennedy must balance between showing that America is strong enough to handle the threat and preventing a nuclear war.
For coverage in Upcoming, call 486-1773 or e-mail to [email protected] two weeks
in advance
Calendar LegendSAC: San Antonio CollegeNVC: Northwest Vista CollegeSPC: St. Philip’s CollegePAC: Palo Alto CollegeNLC: Northeast Lakeview CollegeSWC: South West Campus
Upcoming8 • Feb. 20 2009 www.theranger.org • The Ranger
By Jade Villarreal
Career services will be hosting a Meet the Majors fair from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday in the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center.
Meet the Majors will consist of a mix of 13 departments and student organizations that will be present to give students information about their programs and possible career opportuni-ties.
Career services was formerly known as the job placement center.
Linda Moreno, career guidance specialist, stressed the importance of the semiannual fair and why students should attend in an interview Wednesday.
“Meet the Majors is important because stu-dents will learn more about the programs we offer here at SAC,” she said.
Career services has sponsored this event every
semester, though the name has now changed from the Career Fair to Meet the Majors.
Moreno especially hopes students who are undecided about their majors will attend the fair and talk to instructors to make better career decisions.
“Some students are not aware of everything that’s offered,” she said. “There are certification programs that some departments offer or two-year programs and academic programs.
“Some students may not be able to get their associate degree, but they can get their certification in something in the meantime,” she said.
“Some people don’t know this and they’ll learn more if they come out to Meet the Majors.”
Departments that will be present on Thursday will be American Sign Language, computer information systems, math, sociology, early childhood studies, and visual arts and technol-ogy.
The human resources and international busi-
ness programs will be present as part of the busi-ness department. TALC, the Teaching Academy Learning Communities, which helps education majors, will also be participating along with the student organization Teaching Academy Program Peers. The Go Green Committee will be present as well.
Julie Engel, counselor and coordinator of career services, advises students who attend the fair to ask instructors about the projected finan-cial outlook of their chosen careers in light of the nation’s current economic situation.
“I think Meet the Majors is a great time to talk to instructors about what kind of job you can get in the field, if it’s in demand, what the salary is and so on,” she said.
“When we have our students do their career research projects, we have them look at the salary and outlook of their chosen career. It’s important to see if it’s phasing out or where it stands, especially now.” she said.
For more information, call career services at 486-1042.
Meet the Majors showcases programs, organizations
Edgar Puente
Edga
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Coordinator suggests asking about job potential in various fields.
The Ranger • www.theranger.org Feb. 20, 2009 • 9
By Melissa Toscano Lazcano
Kinesiology Professor Andreia Brown encourages students to start living a healthy life and believes it’s her calling.
Born Nov. 12, 1956, Brown drew disbelieving stares from her students in KINE 1304, Healthful Living, when they asked her age on their first day of class.
José Rivera, liberal arts sophomore, who cycles to and from school, said he saw Brown exit with a class before he worked out in the fitness room for rec-reational hours last semester. “I thought she was like in her 30s,” Rivera said.
Brown said in a Feb. 10 interview, as a child she couldn’t run or play with her mother, Ethel Lee Belton, who was born with six holes in her heart and needed oxygen. “Watching my mother suffer the way she did really inspired me to become the health freak that I am today,” she said. “And I wanted other people around me to be healthy.”
Her mother was a plain-tiff in Belton v. Gebhart in 1951 in Claymont, Del., one of the civil rights cases combined in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit (no relation).
Brown accepted the Charles Hamilton Houston Sr. Pioneer for Justice Award on behalf of her mother in 2004.
Her other inspiration is martial artist Bruce Lee, causing her to take up martial arts starting at age 16.
From 1989 to 1992, Brown lived in Germany, where she taught physical fit-ness to the German national football team
and danced professional cancan. “My sister teases me,” she said, referring to how she taught nutrition to the neighborhood kids.
Brown said it is important to take a for-mal nutrition class to make informed choices. Students nowadays think they already know every-thing; however, adver-tising is affecting them, she said. “It’s pretty frus-trating when you know what’s good for a person, you really want to teach a person, but they’re not compliant.”
She alerts her students to heart disease, cancer and stroke, the leading causes of death in the
United States.Brown said the No. 1 excuse to not
get physically active is not finding the time in a busy lifestyle. People don’t take control of their lives, she said, until
something bad happens.She told her kids growing up that just
as they made time to brush their teeth, they also should make time to exercise every day. “You just have to make time. You have to set aside 30 minutes of 24 hours in a day’s time to possibly walk. If you can’t walk, do something physically active.”
An instructor here for nine years, Brown does weight training at home and instructs eight kinesiology courses, including KINE 1109, Cardio Kickboxing.
Her daughter, Tai Ingram, an alumna of the University of the Incarnate Word, and other students accompany her to run the bleachers every Sunday at Blossom Athletic Center.
Mother’s poor health inspiration
Students complain about lack of enforcement of campus smoking ban
Kinesiology Professor Andreia Brown runs the bleachers with kinesiology sophomore Eddie Jalomo at Blossom Athletic Center Sunday. While her students think she is only 30 years old, Brown is actually 52. She invites anyone to join her at 5 p.m. Sundays at Blos-som Atheletic Center, 12002 Jones Maltsberger Road.
Six Steps to a Healthy Heart•Don’t smoke or use tobacco
products. •Check blood pressure regularly. •Read
labels to avoid saturated fats and cholesterol. •Stay active.
•Maintain proper weight.•Have regular checkups.
American Heart Association
Photos by Tyler Cleveland
By Henry Chavarria
On Monday, Student Government Association held its first monthly open forum in Loftin Student Center cafeteria to focus on student sugges-tions, concerns or kudos.
Though some among the 20 stu-dents attending used the forum’s microphone to request a new arcade game or to say they have no prob-lems, there were students who respected the process.
Daniela Serrel, president of the International Student Association, expressed concern about tuition for members of her organization. “Whether we take three semes-ter hours or 18, we are still being charged tuition at one standard rate. How is this fair? And what can we do to change this?”
SGA President Julianne Cantu replied with full respect and sincer-ity, “I know it’s very difficult trying to put yourself ahead and achieve your goals with tuition being as steep as it is.
“It’s an unfair mentality for peo-ple in the administration to think that international students have the money to pay higher tuitions simply because they are studying abroad.
“What we can do is get together, both ISA and SGA at our meeting next Monday and come up with a plan to present to the president of SAC with our concerns.”
One student anonymously filled out a suggestion slip stating, “People can be more polite on campus. It really is a nice campus on a sunny day, but will it kill some students to be more polite and smile every once in a while?”
A common concern among stu-dents was the smoking ban and how it is not being enforced properly.
“What good is a smoking ban if smoking is inevitable for much of the student body?”
Freshman Kelly Gallo complained that because of the ban, there aren’t any ashtrays for smokers to dispose of their cigarette butts properly.
“I’m a nonsmoker and agree with a smoke-free environment, but what good is it if there are cigarette butts everywhere we look around campus. This is by far not what a smoke-free campus should look like,” he said.
Cantu replied, “The administra-tion is always busy handling all sorts of business, so it is up to the students to stand up, have a voice and bring it to the administration’s attention by taking surveys, starting a petition or simply attending SGA meetings on Mondays.
“We hold these open forums so that we can help you solve your own concerns.”
Another major problem was that many students who have been at this college for many semesters do not know where to go if they need basic college survival tools, such as where to make copies, print a paper or use an ATM.
To solve this problem, SGA is working on a “survival guide” to help students solve their most fre-quently asked questions.
Students offered plenty of kudos on the landscaping around campus, small classroom sizes and how the new SGA is encouraging students to get more involved in the campus.
The next SGA open forum will be at 1:30 p.m. March 16 in the cafeteria.
The student government meets at 2 p.m. Mondays in the craft room of Loftin.
For more information, call Cantu at 267-7469.
Kinesiology Professor Andreia Brown walks with her husband, James Brown, and kinesiology sophomore Eddie Jalomo at Comalander Stadium Feb. 15.
StaffEditor
Martin HerreraManaging Editor Trey RandolphOpinion Editor Brianna RobertsPhotographers Tyler Cleveland
Melissa Toscano LazcanoPhoto Team Leda GarciaIllustrators
Juan Carlos CamposFred NockroesEdgar Puente
Production Manager James Bosquez
Production TeamRegis L. Roberts
Staff WritersHenry A. Chavarria, Rolanda R. Green, Alice Gonzalez, Giselle
Guadron, Rennie Murrell, Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle, Jeff Reese, Vanessa M. Sanchez, Lea Thompson, Jade
Villarreal, Dani WilliamsWeb Administrator
Charles CimaCirculation
Eddie San Miguel
The Ranger, the student newspaper at San Antonio College, is a laboratory project of the journalism classes in the Department of Jour-nalism-Photography, published Fridays except during summer, holidays and examinations.
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Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persuasive or interpreta-tive style.
All viewpoints must be published with a photo portrait of the writer.
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EditorialsLibrary resources abound for those in know
Debate on marijuana healthy for society
Unfinished gravel lots looking really good
Opinion10 • Feb. 20, 2009 www.theranger.org • The Ranger
RANGERTHE
Fred Nockroes
Massachusetts has become the 13th state to lessen penalties for someone possessing less than an ounce of marijuana.
A crime once punishable by jail time, offenders in those states will now only face a fine and maybe community service. In Massachu-setts, minors in possession will have to participate in a drug aware-ness program.
Critics of the new law character-ize it as the watering down of mor-als, a slippery slope leading to the demise of society.
Supporters argue the law has been too severe in its punishment, with a conviction causing long-term harm to otherwise law-abiding citizens.
A conviction makes students in-eligible for financial aid and the job seekers are turned down for jobs
for which they would otherwise qualify.
The weight on governmental bud-gets to incarcerate offenders would be lifted, argue its supporters. That is certainly an attractive argument in these tough economic times.
A long-term health risk from the smoke aside, marijuana temporarily impairs the senses. A local billboard a few years ago argued “It takes 10 seconds longer to respond to ‘hey, stupid.’”
When combined with a high-risk activity such as driving, the con-sequences of use can be lethal to more than just the user.
Prohibiting its use while engaged in such activities is certainly appro-priate and necessary.
Asking the question, “Have we gone too far?” is certainly worth the debate.
Students are not taking full ad-vantage of the resources provided to them by the college.
The amount of time spent finding unreliable Internet articles or hunt-ing through textbooks only to find minimal information is completely wasted considering the available valuable alternatives.
Many students overlook a huge resource available in the middle of campus: the library.
The adage “you get out of it what you put into it” definitely applies to education, and the library offers enough resources to allow students to put in an awful lot of work.
The result could be truly excel-lent work.
The value of this college’s library extends far beyond books.
The resources available allow students more than enough assets to complete any assignment.
The library’s Web site has most of its resources listed, and also provides selected links to reli-able resources on varying topics throughout the Web.
The library has 150 databases available for students needing
research materials or even pho-tographs for a project, as well as research classes that teach students how to use these databases.
The databases provide students free access, thanks to fees paid to the services by the college, to a wealth of archived information, articles and photos students may reference for projects and assign-ments.
And you can access it from home or anywhere on campus.
There are also DVDs and videos available. Textbooks are available for reserve and two-hour checkout.
An interlibrary loan program called TexShare allows students to get materials from other local and state libraries that are not available at ours.
The options for obtaining needed materials are wide open for stu-dents resourceful enough to take advantage.
The librarians are always on duty during library hours, as late as 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and on weekends, too.
Students just need to take advan-tage of this amazing resource.
On the way to where you left your ride somewhere near Timbuk-tu, you pass several empty lots with signs reading “property of ACCD” and you wonder, briefly, what those lots are for.
Here’s the answer: No one really knows yet.
These days people who take the bus or ride a bike to get to school seem to have it easy. The rest who drive to school have to find parking in the limited and shrinking lots.
Sitting around campus are several empty lots and several empty build-ings owned by the college. They are doing nothing except taking up valuable space that could be used for parking.
Eventually, something will hap-
pen with these spaces. But until those plans are made, there are a lot of empty lots and lots of full park-ing lots.
So, while the administration is deciding what to do, why not turn them into parking lots? They don’t need to be paved, just a gravel lot with a sign saying “parking” will do. People won’t complain as long as they can park their cars. It’s not a permanent fix to a permanent problem, but it buys a little time for everyone.
Students might not complain anymore. Administrators wouldn’t have to listen to students complain. And possibly best of all, teachers wouldn’t have to listen to as many “I couldn’t find parking” excuses.
Feb. 20, 2009 • 11www.theranger.org • The Ranger
Over the last eight years, it’s been a little tough for me to feel any sense of national patriotism. After feeling i n d i g n a n t
over the Bush adminis tra -tion for the
first term, I simply threw up my hands and said “whatever” over the last term.
I wasn’t proud of my apa-thy, but saving myself from head-aches took precedent over trying to rationalize our government’s direction.
So in August of 2008, I sur-prised myself when I would stop what I was doing to watch a slightly awkward kid from Baltimore make Americans col-lectively regain a sense of national pride.
In a local bar, I watched Michael Phelps’ 100-meter but-terfly Olympic run and found myself marveling at not only the physical ability of the human body, but also at the perfect strang-ers cheering and con-gratulating each other when Phelps edged out Milorad Cavic by a hundredth of a second.
It’s not often that Americans can agree on something, especially when it comes to what is typically the trite world of professional sports.
Yet here we were, strangers standing shoulder to shoulder with a pure pride swell-ing in our chests.
Some of us learn a skill and turn it into a talent. Michael Phelps didn’t have to take the roundabout way.
He was born with a body custom made for swimming. From his disproportionate torso to his oversized feet, there was really only one calling for Phelps.
Had he shunned his natural talent and led a normal life, he would merely be another 20-some-thing carrying out his daily rou-tine in Baltimore.
He didn’t take that route, and through his sacrifice and hard work, he became a symbol that caused America to collectively stand a little bit taller.
After his performance, Phelps received the praise and monetary rewards that would be expected from his historic display.
Yet as he stood there with his eight gold medals, and the media and endorsements deals began to queue up before him, he remained a 23-year-old boy who had yet had the chance to become a man.
So was it any surprise when the photo of Phelps smoking mari-juana began to circulate?
Looking back at Phelps both at the Olympics and in his career prior to the global spotlight, it’s not so surprising to see him now make a mistake.
He already had a DUI on his record and had shown that he par-took in the party lifestyle when not in training.
When the media was fawn-ing over his every move at the
Phelps made me proud to be American again
Viewpoint byJames Bosquez
Op-Ed
Editor:In the Feb. 6 edition of The Ranger, the
article written by Theodore Knapinsky “Need Help with Algebra: Check out Two Labs” does not adequately portray the assistance offered by the SLAC lab.
Knapinsky quoted Thomas Hungerford as saying, “Students can schedule 30-minute sessions, and they cannot be scheduled back to back.”
While this statement is factual, it does not inform students of the full range of services available to them and is taken out of context.
Students are able to make two appointments per subject per day. The sessions are 30 minutes each with a break between repeat sessions.
We offer tutoring services not only in math but in many other subjects as well.
In addition, we offer test proctoring and a full service computer lab.
Knapinsky quotes Isaac Elizondo of the math lab as saying, “In the SLAC lab, the students must have completed home-work prior to seeing a tutor.”
This statement is not accurate and essentially makes no sense as students who are having difficulty may not be able to complete their homework on their own.
We do not do the student’s home-work for them, but the majority of the students who come to us are here for help on some sort of assignment.
Our lab is open for tutoring from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday.
We have 17 tutors covering every-thing from the basic math and English courses to ethics, criminal justice and chemistry.
We make appointments up to two weeks in advance to ensure tutor avail-ability, but we regularly take walk-ins if an opening exists. We emphasize the appointment system merely to ensure availability as our services are in high demand.
SLAC staffSan Antonio College
Editor:It’s commendable to decriminalize
or complexly re-legalize the relatively safe, socially acceptable, God-given plant cannabis.
It goes double for allowing sick citi-zens to use cannabis. One reason to stop caging humans for using cannabis that
doesn’t get mentioned is because it is biblically correct since Christ God Our Father, the Ecologician, indicates he cre-ated all the seed-bearing plants, saying they are all good, on literally the very first page.
The only biblical restriction placed on cannabis is that it is to be accepted with thankfulness (see 1 Timothy 4:1-5).
Stan WhiteDillon, Colo.
Editor: On Monday, the Student Government
Association met in Loftin Student Center.
They passed out little cards ask-ing students for their concerns around campus.
The speakers of the SGA were very prompt and happy to read any ques-tions received; however, when it came to student concerns they spent their time defending themselves rather than addressing the concern.
The excuses they gave were that they are very busy people with a life outside of campus.
One student brought up a concern about a lack of pay phones on campus.
The SGA response was, “Does anyone here not have a cell phone?”
That is a very condescending response. The issue is not whether a student has a cell phone; there are many people who cannot afford cell phones.
At the same time, what about the student whose cell phone dies or they have lost it and they need to contact a ride?
What if they have an emergency and need to reach a family member and they cannot find a pay phone and do not have access to a cell phone for whatever reason?
This meeting was represented as being a way to address student concerns; however, they played the politician role and defended themselves without offer-ing any clear answers, and happily read any questions that they received.
How disappointing that the people who are elected to represent the student body, those who seek out these posi-tions, feel that they are much too busy to deal with problems.
No one forced them to sign up for the SGA. They chose it, and now they have a responsibility to fulfill their duties, not complain about any criticism or con-cerns they receive.
What is their purpose then?Rebecca Archer
Pre-nursing Sophomore
Olympics, he would respond to their questions with short, quick answers, nothing more than a slightly despondent kid wanting to get back to listening to his rap music.
We all know what we did at that age or what we were wit-ness to.
Phelps was flawless in the pool but made a minor mistake out of it, and suddenly the puritanical fist of American fickleness came slamming down.
Whether you see the smoking of marijuana as an indication of moral bankruptcy or as a storied piece of American culture, the law sees it as a simple misdemeanor.
This means Phelps’ “deplor-able” act ranks right up there with excessive speeding or spray painting on a wall.
Yes, Phelps should have been warier of his surroundings and should know that everywhere he goes, all eyes are upon him.
Furthermore, Phelps should have known that his million-dollar endorsement deals would likely be in jeopardy should he get caught stepping out of line.
However, in four years when Phelps has another bonanza of gold to hang around his neck, I’d like to think he’ll be standing there no longer a boy but as a man who was overcome and learned from his mistakes.
Whether you buy into the ultimately fleeting sense of pride that any sports victory creates, there is little room for arguing that Phelps’ performance this past summer was a celebration of the capacity of the human body.
And for the briefest of moments, it was also a celebration of that oft elusive American spirit.
LettersSLAC offers more
SGA not focused
Cannabis ‘a gift’
Juan Carlos Campos
By James Bosquez
The Rangers faced their toughest test of the semester Saturday against the Fighting Ducks of CyFair, overcoming a 20-point halftime deficit to win 77-69.
Head coach Aaron Tavitas had his team implement a man-to-man full court press to overcome the 45-25 halftime score, he said Wednesday in an interview. The team finished with 16 steals and 16 assists on 26 baskets.
Sharpshooter Mark Green had a career high 31 points, including five 3-pointers. Green’s jumper with 4:15 left in the game gave the Rangers their first lead of the second half 61-60.
Johnny Taylor continued his inner dominance, recording another double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds. He also contributed five blocks to further cement his defensive presence in the paint. A.J. Govan had 23 points.
All of the Rangers’ points were scored by the starters, but the bench’s contribution on the defensive end was key in the win.
Tavitas implemented his bench to avoid any lapse in defensive pressure. This gave the starters a chance to rest after having to exert constant pressure to get themselves back into the game.
This was the second game between the two teams in just four days, as the Rangers defeated the Ducks 60-51 Feb. 11.
The Rangers had obstacles other than their opponents in that hard fought victo-ry. Injuries and more than a few question-able calls by the officials kept the game close down to the final minutes before the Rangers managed to seal the 60-51 victory with efficient free throw shooting.
Taylor once again filled his low post role, playing all but the final nine seconds of the game. Taylor finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
“He’s our most consistent big man, and we need him out there,” said leading scorer Dermon Smith, who finished the game with 21 points.
During a time-out, Taylor showed initia-tive by taking the grease board to draw up a defensive scheme, assuring that he would be in the right spot on the next trip.
“J.T. (Taylor) did everything and more that we asked of him,” said Tavitas.
Defense kept the Rangers from ever falling significantly behind. Despite the teams’ early struggles to find its offensive rhythm, they were able to force turnovers on CyFair by playing the passing lanes and forcing traveling violations with swarming double teams.
The Ducks took the lead in the second half 38-40, coming back from a halftime defi-cit of 27-20. Taylor then went to work, block-ing shots and attacking the offensive glass for
put back layups to regain the lead.Once time became an issue, the Ducks
had to foul to stop the clock, and Smith coolly sunk six free throws to clinch the win.
The game had a physical flow from the opening tip, resulting in numerous fouls and a cascade of bodies hitting the floor.
A scary moment came when a layup attempt by Smith was blocked and sent him sprawling to the floor. He lay in a heap briefly before jumping back up and shaking off the brutal spill.
“I won’t lie; it hurt, but I’ll be all right,” Smith said after the game.
Not all the players were as lucky as Smith, as CyFair guard Trey Richmond was fouled by Rangers forward Cedric Jones early in the second half. Richmond collapsed beneath the basket and lay motionless for nearly three minutes, occa-sionally screaming out in pain over what appeared to be a knee injury.
Richmond was eventually carried off the floor by teammates but could put no weight on his injured knee.
The Rangers’ final game will be played at Palo Alto College against its team at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The team will then travel to the University of Texas at Arlington to com-pete in the 2009 National Championship Campus Series Regional Basketball tour-nament Feb. 27-March 1 for a chance to go to the NCCS finals in Detroit.
The Coach
Ragin’ Rangers
The Players
The Cheerleaders
The Dance Team
The Pep Band
Rangers fight through two close games against CyFair.
Marketing freshman Mark Green goes up for a layup against CyFair Feb. 11.
A.J. Govan goes up for a layup against CyFair College in Candler Feb. 11. The Rangers pulled off the win against CyFair 60-51 that night and 77-69 Saturday in Houston. They are 18-2 for the season and remain undefeated in the semester after defeating Northwest Vista College Wednesday.
Photos by Tyler Cleveland
Pulse12 • Feb. 20, 2009 www.theranger.org • The Ranger