the
HOMECOMING EDITION ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY | FEBRUARY 15, 2017 VOLUME 41 | ISSUE 3
INSIDE: HILLTOP VIEWS CELEBRATES 30 YEARS Hilltop Views was first published Feb. 16, 1987. Throughout our 30-year history, we’ve evolved and grown tremendously. In the photo on this front page is our original paper with our original masthead. Over the years, hundreds of issues
have been published, a website was launched and countless hours of sleep missed. We thank everyone who has helped over the years. Check out inside for more anniversary coverage!
2 LETTER FROM EDITOR
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
LETTER FROM THE
EDITORS
This is a special week for not only St. Edward’s University, but for Hilltop Views as well. Feb. 16 of this year marks the 30th anniversary of the newspaper. Since 1987, we have reported on a number of stories, from tragic deaths, to changes in university administration and world events and how they affect our local community. Being at a college newspaper, there is constant turnover — which is only natural as students graduate and move on. It is impossible to speak for everyone who has worked on the Hilltop Views staff since 1987, but in reaching out to past editors while preparing this special issue, we can say everyone we talked to is proud of their time at the paper and the contribution it has made to the St. Edward’s community. For every issue, for every semester and for 30 years, we pour our hearts and efforts into publishing the best paper possible even with full course loads and strict time constraints. We have used this platform to not only report the news, but also to spark challenging conversations among students and faculty and for that, we could not be prouder.
The student newspaper was first published in 1888, and has undergone numerous changes over the years but the values of truth, clarity and transparency have not wavered. We want to thank all of the people who have laid the groundwork for Hilltop Views since 1987. We especially want to thank all staff, editors and faculty members involved with Hilltop Views over the past 30 years. The success of this news publication is also largely owed to the support of the student body and faculty who consistently grab print copies every Wednesday and read online as well. We pledge to continue pursuing excellence in journalism.
Sincerely, Jacob Rogers & Rosemond Crown Editors-in-Chief Hilltop Views
HILLTOP VIEWS
hilltopviewseditors@gmail.com 512-448-8426
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Jacob Rogers Rosemond Crown
NEWS EDITORS Victoria Cavazos Andrea Guzman
LIFE & ARTS EDITORS Dustin Gebel Gabrielle Wilkosz
PHOTO EDITORS Lorna Probasco Sabrina Rohwer
DESIGN CHIEF Paula Santos
SPORTS EDITORS Amanda Gonzalez Bridget Henderson
VIEWPOINTS EDITORS Kenny Phipps Sully Lockett
DESIGNERS Adrian Gonzalez Carmen Viloria
COPY EDITORS Hayley Bell Colette Guarnier Laura Irwin
3001 S. Congres Ave. #964 Austin, TX 78704 VIDEOGRAPHER Rashad White
ADVERTISING MANAGER Brian Celis
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Lauren Ibarra Myrka Moreno
FACULTY ADVISOR Jena Heath
Hilltop Views is the student newspaper published by the School of Humanities and serves the St. Edward’s University community. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the university, whose mission is grounded in the teachings and doctrine of the Catholic Church. Hilltop Views welcomes all letters to the editor. They can be emailed or dropped off at Andre Hall 117. Letters may be edited for space, grammar and clarity. Letters will be published at our discretion and anonymous letters will not be printed.
NEWS 3
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
Down with scaffolding, up with Pavilions: Campus construction progressing By MYRKA MORENO @myrkitty
The long-awaited Pavilions Residence hall is opening this Fall, but concerns about delays still abound. Christopher Johnson, associate vice president of master planning, said everything is on schedule and that no one should be worried. “Things can always happen, but all our contractors for our big projects are saying they will have it done before the [Fall 2017] semester starts,” Johnson said. The new upperclassmen dormitory is set to house 436 students, as well as 12 resident assistants and two professional staff members. The Pavilions will include a “Grab ‘N Go” dining area instead of the Village’s Hunt cafeteria. The purpose is to encourage students to cook for themselves in their dorm room kitchen, according to Johnson. “It’s more apartmentstyle living.”
SABRINA ROWHER/HILLTOP VIEWS
In the past few weeks, the unsightly scaffolding on Main Building has slowly been removed.
Apart from the residence hall, there are a few additions that will soon be finished as the 2011 master plan reaches its finish line in May. Part of the scaffolding on the front of Main Building came off recently, revealing clean stone and new roofing. Main Building, as well as the new operations building will be finished in April, said
Johnson. The operations building will be the new location for St. Edward’s University Police Department, facilities, copy center, post office, campus safety, master planning and construction and purchasing. “We need those facilities in order to take care of the campus, but they don’t necessar-
ily need to be up on the hill,” said Johnson. Instead, the new building will be downhill, next to the fine arts building and the lower soccer field. The location sparked some controversy with the Sherwood Oaks neighborhood, out of concern that the 18-wheeler trucks that will drive on neighborhood streets to make deliver-
ies and other services to the operations building. Back in August, the residents held a “stroller protest” to show their opposition. The master plan committee will hold a forum this month “to give them an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns,” said Johnson. While the university cannot “accommodate everything,” they are committed to maintaining a strong relationship. While this master plan wraps up in April, a new one is already in the works. There are already a few things on the agenda. Facilities for athletics and theater arts will progress, according to Johnson. Parking has been a prevalent issue for students and surrounding neighborhoods, as many without permits park along St. Edward’s Drive. “Parking is not necessarily where we need it, and that is one thing the master plan needs to look at. We have huge areas of parking
that are not used and we have other areas where parking is overflowing.” “If we could just maintain the areas that are beautiful and then work on some of our areas that are not so pedestrian friendly. Just make it so wonderful, from a pedestrian standpoint,” he added. The goal would be to make campus so pleasant that students would not mind walking or riding a bike from a far parking space. Although concerns of delays cannot be completely dismissed, Johnson says everything is coming together and very little was not accomplished. “Quite a bit of the envisioned goals were actually achieved,” said Johnson. ”It says a lot of Dr. Martin’s leadership.” Before the semester ends, students can expect to have a new operations building up and running. They will return in the Fall to freshly completed living facilities and a lot to explore.
Stakeholders considered as committee forms, revises Strategic Plan 2022 By ANDREA GUZMAN @dreuhmarie
In his first update of the spring semester regarding Strategic Plan 2022, President George E. Martin said, “the only certainty about the university’s future is that it will be more challenging than any time we’ve experienced in our past.” The announcement, sent via email to the St. Edward’s community, laid out work the steering committee for Strategic Plan 2022 will complete in the coming months. One of the committee’s assignments is to have a draft of the plans ready for Martin by May. According to Martin, strategic plans are formal assess-
ments of institutions that are used to determine how to proceed in the coming years. This plan departs from the typical decade-long endeavor of strategic plans at St. Edward’s. “We’ve come up with shorter plans for that now because things are changing so much faster and some other reasons too,” Martin said. “Basically it will establish the directions in which we should be moving forward in 2022.” The directional statement of the plan deals with Holy Cross values, student experience, growth, sustainability and exchange between the university and the Austin community. Addressing these topics is the steering committee,
sociation President Jamie Cardenas sits on the committee to represent the student body. “I think what’s “THE ONLY CERTAINTY ABOUT really going to be interesting within THE UNIVERSITY’S FUTURE those [directional statements] is that IS THAT IT WILL BE MORE they all play off of each other. We’re CHALLENGING THAN ANY going to be workshopping to see TIME WE’VE EXPERIENCED IN how can we take this into the future OUR PAST.” PRESIDENT GEORGE E. and not just have ideals, but impleMARTIN ment them and ensure that we are acwithin the committee will tually achieving these things,” work in their respective areas Cardenas said. “It’s a fun and the steering committee process, it’s really exciting to be part of these conversations will convene as a whole. Student Government As- to look into how to better the
which consists of faculty, staff, students, administration and alumni. Sub-groups
SEU experience five years from now, because as we continue to better the institution in the future, it kind of says something about our own degrees that we’re getting now.” The examinations of the plan will encompass various aspects of life at St. Edward’s. One such aspect of the plan includes the Master Plan, which is expected to be completed this year. Noting the next steps for the new strategic plan, Martin said that Sasaki Associates, a consulting firm and sub-committee of the steering committee, will oversee development of the Master Plan. Sasaki has been hosting listening sessions with students, faculty, staff, students and neighbors to the univer-
sity since October. Mike Kelly, who lives in the surrounding neighborhood of St. Edward’s and attended the neighborhood forum last semester voiced criticism against the university. “I was surprised that the administration was not present… it just seems odd to put a consultant who doesn’t know anything about that in front of a public audience; it’s an interesting form of interface with the community,” Kelly said at the forum. University officials said the forum was for Sasaki to listen to ideas relating to future plans. The Board of Trustees will meet in September, where a refined draft of Strategic Plan 2022 will be presented.
4 NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
Munday Library to begin archiving nearly 130 years of student publications By JACOB ROGERS @jacob_rogers01
Soon every past student newspaper from St. Edward’s University will be online. The Munday Library will digitize every newspaper from St. Edward’s since the original campus paper, The College Echo, published in 1888. Converting 129 years of student-news history into digital format will be a long process, says Archivist and Public Services Librarian Megan Blair. In 2002, the University of North Texas launched a program called The Portal to Texas History with the goal of providing an online gateway to historical items. In 2007, the portal es-
tablished the Texas Digital Newspaper Program to digitize newspapers. This project began after Blair contacted the program and applied for a grant in August 2016. The university received $1,000 from the grant to digitize the papers, and according to Blair, scanning each page costs a little over $1. Blair says that the university will start with the oldest papers and work toward 2004. Hilltop Views has maintained digital copies of all print editions dating back to the fall of 2004 and has granted permission to use them for this project. “Digital technology has gotten so much better now
Enter to Win a Free Semester of Housing Enjoy Free Food Take a Selfie in Our Photo Booth
issue will be OCR readable,” Blair said. OCR stands for optical character recognition, a software that allows users to type in a search term or keyword and see if it appears in the newspapers. “There is a lot we can get from ARCHIVIST AND PUBLIC SERVICES LIBRARIAN MEGAN BLAIR the newspaper,” Blair said. “It’s valuable for hishelp us with preservation,” 1892, 1919-1920 and 2004- torians, it’s valuable for families.” 2016. Blair said. The papers will be accesOver time, additional issues There is a large gap in papers from about 1892 to of the paper will be added as sible on The Portal to Texas more money becomes avail- History, a website hosted by 1919. UNT. It is unknown whether able. The Munday Library will there were any St. Edward’s “They have to unbind them, newspapers published during carefully scan them, then they provide a link on their webthis time, or if they were lost will correct them, and every page for the St. Edward’s that we have the standards and stuff in place so that we can scan these items and create digital copies that will
to history. When the website launches later this spring, users will be able to search from 1888-
“THERE IS A LOT WE CAN GET FROM THE NEWSPAPER. IT’S VALUABLE FOR HISTORIANS, IT’S VALUABLE FOR FAMILIES.”
community. The library will also make announcements as new items are uploaded. “We’ll eventually extend it out to the St. Edward’s University high school, the military academy and alumni newspapers,” said Blair. By putting the papers in the portal, a larger audience is able to witness the history of the university. “It will also be great for people who can’t get to our campus. They’ll be able to access it from anywhere that they have the internet,” Blair said. The library asks anyone with copies or information about student publications before 1920 or during World War II to contact them.
WIN A PRIZE WORTH
up to $5,000!
Stop by Residence Life’s tailgate tent at Homecoming and Family Weekend. Meet your friends there, bring your family and get details about The Pavilions — your new apartment complex.
Feb. 18
11 a.m.–3 p.m. Residence Life’s Tailgate Tent Alumni Gym Parking Lot Learn more at stedwards.edu/hilltop
NEWS 5
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
INTERVIEW WITH
KATHLEEN WILBURN From minority to majority: Female students mark 50 years at St. Edward’s By AMANDA GONZÁLEZ @Amanda620DG
East Hall is celebrating 50 years of existence as a residence hall, and its first residents were trailblazers. Named after Alice Kleberg East, who provided construction funds, this residence hall housed the first female students of St. Edward’s University half a century ago. In 2008, Kathleen Wilburn, associate professor of management, published a book “Maryhill College for Women: Catalyst for Change,” which documents the integration of Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) onto campus grounds in the 1960s. Her inspiration for writing the book came from looking at photographs from that time period with Amata Miller, IHM, who has served on the Board of Trustees for decades, and previously was a professor of economics and statistics in the 1970s. “Sister Amata sighed and said, ‘It’s really sad, because it’s part of St. Edward’s history, and it will never be told’ … and I thought well, I could write a 20-page paper and put it in the archives,” Wilburn said. “Two years later, it ended up being a book at St. Ed’s.” As the Civil Rights Movement initiated various laws granting women and minorities a college education, St. Edward’s explored its admissions options to increase the amount of federal funding the university received for aligning with the coordinate education model of inclusion. In 1964, University President Raymond Fleck wrote letters to multiple orders of religious women who could be interested in helping to administer and teach higher education to
COURTESY OF KATHLEEN WILBURN’S BOOK
St. Edward’s was once divided into two coordinate colleges.
women. Fleck wrote in a letter dated March 11, 1965 saying a women’s college of St. Edward’s would “fulfill a real need for Catholic higher education for women in the Central Texas area,” where they could “pursue additional graduate work at the University of Texas.” After much negotiation and planning, the Sister, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary officially accepted the invitation to staff the women’s college at St. Edward’s on June 8, 1965. Prior to this time, only men received a higher education at what was known as Holy Cross College. In the fall of 1966, the first female class of simply 75 women were separated into the new Maryhill College. Both coordinate colleges were officially under the St. Edward’s University name, but one was well-established and the other was not. “These girls were now down the hill [at East Hall] competing with guys [of Premont] when they didn’t have enough money to have the kinds of organizations that a coordinate college actually had,” Wilburn said. Studying mostly teaching and nursing, the women were cared
for by five nuns of the IHM, which can be thought of as a female equivalent to the Congregation of Holy Cross. The administration center for Maryhill College was located on the first floor of Sorin Hall, and the Sisters lived on the second floor, similar to how the Brothers live in St. Joseph Hall. “The Brothers were open to change,” Wilburn said, referring to their motto: Walk by faith, not by sight. “They recognized that they would have to accept women, and they weren’t willing to let the mission of education die.” Although the men and women technically attended different colleges, all students shared classes because that was the more feasible option than having separate faculty to accommodate the small student size of women. Wilburn’s book includes stories of panty raids and other challenges the community of women faced. Headlines from The Hilltopper (presently Hilltop Views), suggest the women were not welcomed by their male counterparts, who felt these ladies were “invading” their campus. Wilburn can relate to this no-
tion of fortitude the women must have felt when she too was discriminated against while applying for a graduate assistantship to earn her master’s degree in English at her alma mater the University of New Mexico. She challenged her dean’s remarks about her being in college only to find a husband, reminding him of federal laws passed that said he couldn’t discriminate against her for being a woman. “I think back to that, and I think back to this,” Wilburn said, holding the book in her hands. “The girls pushed back a little bit, realizing that education wasn’t just for men. They could choose what they wanted to do in life.” The Maryhill College women persevered, and in the spring of 1970, the first, and only graduating class of women received their diplomas — two in fact, one from Maryhill College of SEU and another from St. Edward’s University. Wilburn says that by this time, “women had become accepted on campus,” and there was also at least one woman serving as an editor of The Hilltopper. By the 1970-1971 academic year, there were no longer two coordinate colleges, but rather the coeducational institution known today. This integration of women students paved the way for other educational endeavors, such as the MBA graduate school program (1970) and the CAMP migrant student assistance program (1986). In response to the passage of Title IX, St. Edward’s Athletics expanded to include scholarships for women, as well. Volleyball and basketball were introduced in 1974, while softball formed in
TIMELINE University President Raymond Fleck proposes coordinate system for SEU
Affirmative Action: Equal education access to historically excluded groups (women, minorities)
Maryhill College established at SEU with 75 female students
Maryhill College has 177 students and builds Teresa Hall
Coordinate colleges phased out; SEU becomes co-ed institution
1964
Pope John XXIII, Vatican II allow religious women access to education and professional vocations
1965
1965 1965
Higher Education Act: Federal student aid programs are administered
1967
Maryhill College has 147 students and additional staff
1969
Maryhill College has 206 students (46 seniors)
1972
Title IX: Education programs cannot exclude/ deny benefits based on gender
1966 1968
1970
1989 and soccer in 1990. Tennis came in 1999 and golf in 2003. In Fleck’s founding letters, he believed that the enrollment number of female students would “eventually reach 800,” which was about one-third of the student population of the 1960’s. Five decades later, wom-
en make up 61.5 percent, nearly two-thirds, of the total 4,237 student population. “No one understands how difficult it really was for women to be accepted in colleges and universities,” Wilburn said. “Without Mayhill College, St. Ed’s might not be here today.”
6 SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
Campus Rec. revamping intramural sports culture By KENNY PHIPPS @kenny_phipps
At the beginning of this semester, Campus Recreation transitioned from organizing intramural sports leagues to hosting open gym sessions instead. This dramatic shift in the intramural program is part of an effort to create a better culture for sports on the St. Edward’s University campus, Director Andy Lemons said. Campus Rec. now offers soccer Tuesdays from 6-10 p.m., basketball on Wednesdays, and open gym on Sunday nights. The response from students has been “generally positive” with about 50 students showing up regularly, Lemons said. A major factor driving the shift was the schedule of intramural games. “We had high numbers of forfeits with our Sunday-only intramural offerings, so we moved the programs to the weeknights,” Lemons said. This period of open gyms is meant
to create a “culture where students were used to playing some team sport activities during the weeknight time slots,” Lemons said. The transition grew out of a collaboration between Lemons, Assistant Director Clint Jones and Intramural Coordinator Preston Campbell. In the coming weeks, students will have the option to join intramural leagues once again, which are already being promoted to the student body. The schedule for these programs is yet to be released, but leagues will operate on Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Sunday’s in an effort to increase participation and build on the foundation these preliminary weeks are attempting to build. The most popular intramural sports are volleyball, basketball and soccer. Dominic Del Fierro, a freshman, participated in the intramural basketball league last semester. It was a “nice way to meet more people, and wasn’t too competitive either,”
he said. Del Fierro plans on joining the leagues again this semester when they become available. In 2014, the Alumni Gym underwent renovations thanks to a corporate donation from the University Federal Credit Union. The new wooden floor provides a space for club volleyball and basketball teams to practice and compete. Since neither the NCAA teams, nor the club or intramural sports have lights on the field, practice and game times are limited to the daylight hours, especially in the winter months, or are moved to venues such as the RCC and the Alumni Gym. The overall goal
of the intramural program is to increase participation among students in order to build a cooperative community, Lemons said. “I’m hopeful this effort will generate the interest we want to create a positive intramural community for the Hilltop,” Lemons said.
SPORTS CALENDAR Home sporting events for: Thurs. 2/16 - Tues. 2/19
THURSDAY 2/16 Women’s Basketball vs. UA Fort Smith @5:30p.m. *Pavilions $5,000 Prize Winner announced at halftime Men’s Basketball vs. UA Fort Smith @7:30p.m.
FRIDAY 2/17 Baseball vs. Colorado Mines @1:30p.m.
SATURDAY 2/18
SABRINA ROHWER/HILLTOP VIEWS
Intramural leagues open again in upcoming weeks.
Visit us online at
HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM WHERE YOU’LL FIND BLOGS, VIDEOS, WEATHER AND ADDITIONAL COVERAGE FROM ALL OUR STORIES!
Rugby vs. UTSA @11:30a.m. Baseball (DH) vs. Colorado Mines @12:00p.m. / @2:00 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Rogers State @1:00p.m. *SEU Royals announced at halftime Men’s & Women’s Tennis vs. Laredo CC @1:30p.m. @Austin Tennis Academy Men’s Basketball vs. Rogers State @3:00p.m. *SEU Athletics Hall of Fame Induction at halftime
SUNDAY 2/19
Follow us on Twitter:
Follow us on Instagram:
Like us on Facebook:
@HilltopViews
@HilltopViews
facebook.com/ hilltopviews
Follow us on Snapchat
@HilltopViews
Baseball vs. Colorado Mines @12:00p.m Lacrosse vs. Sam Houston State @1:00 p.m.
LIFE & ARTS 7
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
PREVIEW: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ to enchant stage with timeless romance GABRIELLE WILKOSZ @G_Wilkosz It’s Austen in Austin as director Robert Tolaro and cast collaborate to portray one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time. Based on the novel by Jane Austen, Jon Jory’s “Pride and Prejudice” will run at Mary Moody Northen Theatre Feb. 16 - 26, with a first showing Thursday that’s perfect for a belated Valentine’s Day outing. In the role of Elizabeth Bennett, senior Madison Kay Williams plays a liberally minded young woman who values good sense and social justice. For Williams, it’s a matter of “breathing fresh life into a character that’s been portrayed for 200 years.” “We had one of the world’s foremost scholars on Jane Austen [visit us], and she was like, ‘Elizabeth Bennett is one of the most beloved
characters in all of literary history.’” Williams said. “I was like, ‘Cool, no pressure.’” As Williams’ enigmatic love interest, Mr. Darcy, senior Roby Attal had a similar experience playing a beloved role that also originates from the 1813 novel. ”Darcy represents that mask that so many men of this time period had to wear to keep poised, stay proper,” Attal said. “I’m like, ‘OK, is he like a Bruce Wayne kind of character? Like where am I going to go with this guy?’” Also in the
COURTESY OF BRET BROOKSHIRE
David Warner earned the “Man of the Series” title for scoring 356 runs in five One Day Internationals.
cast, associate professor of theatre David Long has stepped into the limelight to portray Elizabeth’s (William’s) father Mr. Bennett, and has been training with Williams and Roby in preparation for opening night Thursday. ”As an actor in the show, I am constantly impressed by the exceptional work and dedication of our student actors in addition to the extremely talented guest artist and designers,” Long said. “Our production... is a fast-paced adventure of love and intrigue that will undoubtedly please even the most devoted Austen fan.” Tickets for the 20162017 season and “Pride and Prejudice” can be purchased online at https:// w w w. s t e d w a r d s . e d u / mary-moody-northen-theatre or the Mary Moody Northen Theatre box office at (512) 448-8484.
HILLTOP VIEWS MEDIA POLICY Editor’s Note: In the St. Edward’s University Student Handbook is the Hilltop Views Media Policy. This details what Hilltop Views does and protects the newspaper and reporters from any prior review from the university.
The University administration does not censor Hilltop Views or conduct prior review of print or digital content. The role of the faculty adviser for Hilltop Views is to guide students as they learn professional practices. The faculty adviser does not censor content or conduct prior review.
Hilltop Views is the student newspaper and website published by student journalists in the School of Humanities and serving the community of St. Edward’s University. The opinions expressed in the print and online editions are not necessarily those of the University, or of the student body as a whole.
Editors, reporters and managers of Hilltop Views may not be arbitrarily suspended or removed because of student, faculty or administrative disapproval of editorial content or policy. Student journalists at Hilltop Views are required to comply with the publication’s Ethics & Guidelines policies, posted on the publication’s website. Failure to do so may result in suspension or dismissal from the staff.
St. Edward’s values Hilltop Views as a way of fostering discussion and intellectual inquiry across the campus community. Hilltop Views can make faculty, staff and administration aware of student concerns and help students better understand the roles all members the community play in their educational experience.
- Student Handbook, adopted 2015
8 INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS WITH By MYRKA MORENO @myrkity
Before Nancy Flores began her professional journalism career, she worked at Hilltop Views. Now, she works at the Austin American-Statesman as the community affairs reporter and columnist. “In junior high, one of my teachers was a broadcast journalist. She was from the Philippines, and she spoke Spanish... ,” Flores said. “She was sort of the first person that I met that was somebody who was a woman of color teaching in Eagle Pass, Texas who had a journalism background.” This teacher is the person who first introduced Flores to journalism and led to her involvement with the school paper in high school. After that, the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) scholarship persuaded Flores
to attend St. Edward’s. Since St. Edward’s did not have a journalism minor at the time, Flores majored in communication with a specialization in media arts and broadcast journalism and minored in English writing and rhetoric. To make up for the lack of journalism courses, Flores joined Hilltop Views. Flores worked as the copy editor before becoming editor-in-chief the following year. Additionally, she interned for the St. Edward’s Alumni magazine and later landed an internship at the American-Statesman. “I would have never thought that more than a decade later [I would be working there],” Flores said. “Keeping your connections is very important.” The summer before her junior year, Flores got an internship at the El Paso Times which jump started her career. After graduating in May 2003, Flores
By VICTORIA CAVAZOS @viacavazos
COURTESY OF JESSIE COLLINS
Former editors Tommy and Jessie Collins are proof that Hilltop Views doesn’t just produce news, but apparently romances, too. The couple met almost a decade ago when Tommy was working at HV as sports editor and Jessie as viewpoints editor. Although they both tell the story a little differently, the common thread is HV’s current faculty advisor, Jena Heath, who supported the couple throughout their years at the university. While they were working at HV, Tommy and Jessie’s exchanges were not sweet. Tommy had been promoted to editor-in-chief and was in charge of making sure the paper ran smoothly. According to the couple, Jessie “missed her deadlines a lot,” provoking more headaches than romantic yearnings in her colleague. “I had always thought he was incredibly handsome even though I drove him insane,” Jessie said. It was shortly after Jessie graduated when the pair’s future began to foment. In August of
received the Poynter Institute Fellowship and Hearst Newspapers Fellowship. The Poynter Institute post-graduate fellowship was a summer-long “bootcamp” training that helped Flores learn what she needed to know before heading into a real newsroom. “I basically would get assigned to a different newspaper anywhere in the country...to get the experience of what it’s like to work in a small media company, and a medium newspaper and a major newspaper,” said Flores. Flores also worked in Mexico City for Cox Media Group for three years where she got to cover the Mexican presidential election of Felipe Calderon. She has been working for the AmericanStatesman for seven years and is a board member for the National Association of His anic Journalists (NAHJ), where she is working to boost diversity in newsrooms.
Yunuen Bonaparte/NAHJ
2009, Tommy was about to begin his last semester at St. Edward’s and he’d reached out to Heath to talk about what the newspaper would be like in the months following. Tommy recounted to Heath his run-in with a bee, that, according to him, “was not a big deal.” He had been stung and had an allergic reaction, which, although not nearly as close-to-fatal as Heath would later describe it, turned out to be incredibly fateful. According to the couple, Heath had relayed her slightly exaggerated version of the bee-sting story to Jessie, suggesting that Tommy was in a precarious state. Jessie thought it serious enough to reach out to Tommy, who she hadn’t spoken to since her graduation several months prior, and the two began dating shortly after. “[Heath] was stirring the pot a little bit I think,” Tommy said. “I guess she saw something in both of us that was compatible, something that hadn’t occurred to us while working together for a couple years, but clearly she was right.” Both Tommy and Jessie also credit their former advisor Michele Kay, who had encouraged
them to get involved with the paper, and their experiences at HV have carried into their professional lives as well. Now Tommy divides his time between teaching English at the Austin Tennis Academy and running a tech startup called mytennislessons.com, an online marketplace that connects Tennis players to coaches all around the country and Jessie is the Director of Communications for The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Austin. “Writing defined college for me and it has now defined my career,” Jessie said. “[Tommy and I ] are both in some ways still writing and still very awkwardly laughing about the way we got together.” The couple has a daughter named Amelia, who will be two in March. Above all, they credit Jena’s influence and Hilltop Views for landing them where they are today: happily married for nearly three years. “Jena really and truly is the reason that I reached out to Tommy. She’s the reason that I dated and then married him,” Jessie said. “Basically my newspaper advisors have determined the course of my entire life.”
INTERVIEWS 9
FORMER EDITORS By GABRIELLE WILKOSZ @G_Wilkosz
In the seven years since she graduated, Claire Cella has gone from the being a student on the hilltop to a communications coordinator in Wyoming, “nestled up into the mountains.” Working for the Wyoming Outdoor council, Cella manages their social media platforms and acts as the council’s inhouse graphic designer. Cella said much of the graphic design experience she received was from time spent in the newsroom at St. Edward’s. “I think that my experience in journalism has kept me close to media and taught me how to craft various messages for different audiences,” Cella said. “I think that’s also another reason why I’ve been so successful in my various roles is because of Hilltop Views.”
Dania Woo/Dallas Morning News
By JACOB ROGERS @jacob_rogers01
Tristan Hallman says he has his dream job now as the city hall reporter for the Dallas Morning News, but he credits a lot of his success to his time at Hilltop Views. Hallman served as a news editor and later an editorin-chief of Hilltop Views before graduating in 2011. But journalism wasn’t his passion when arriving to St. Edward’s University in the fall of 2008. Majoring in political science and picking up a minor in journalism, Hallman knew he wanted to cover politics. “When I first got there, I had no interest in being a journalist,” Hallman said. “I kind of thought I’d be doing something in politics and I was kind of interested in journalism as a hobby.” Writing his first article about sports, Hallman said
it wasn’t a great first experience. The article he wrote was edited in a way he didn’t like. However, that didn’t stop him from writing. Over the years, Hallman covered a range of topics, including student deaths and breaking news. One of Hallman’s favorite memories is sneaking into Ragsdale after a water pipe broke to interview an administrator. After life at Hilltop Views, Hallman went on to serve in a number of jobs and internships including with The New York Times. Four years ago, Hallman got the job he always wanted, covering local politics in Dallas. As for Hilltop Views turning 30 years old, Hallman said he didn’t know the paper was that old. “It felt like an experiment when I was there,” he said. “We didn’t have a website when I first got there.”
Cella’s beginnings were humble. A girl from a small town in New York, she moved to Texas after high school. Before beginning her undergraduate studies in the southwest, Cella interned at a small weekly newspaper in New York. She says the experience prompted her to attend her first Hilltop Views meeting as a freshman. “I remember being very scared and nervous going to the first Hilltop Views meeting,” Cella said. “It was dominated by a lot of upperclassmen and everyone was coming from different backgrounds with different experiences.” In the following semesters, Cella went on to become an entertainment editor, sports editor and news editor before taking on the role of editor-in-chief. Now as a communications coordinator and free-
By AMANDA GONZÁLEZ @Amanda620DG
Anthony Geronimo and Joe Taylor were co-sports editors at Hilltop Views from 1999-2001. Now they cover Super Bowls and Texas championship games. Geronimo is a Omaha, Nebraska native who genuinely enjoyed interviewing athletes at campus sporting events. Taylor was an honor student and collegiate
JACOB ROGERS/HILLTOP VIEWS
baseball player from Austin who focused on adding commentary to sports articles. The coaches’ “open-door policy” was what Geronimo appreciated most. “They were always kind and gracious to allow us to spread their team goals and highlight their accomplishments,” he said. Taylor said that being involved with Hilltop Views felt like being a part of “a second athletic team” because of how much time they spent practicing their craft of sports writing. “It was really a fun time because everything was changing and there was a lot of content,” Taylor said. “St. Edward’s was turning a corner, and becoming the university they had always envisioned.” The influx of international student athletes at the turn of the millennium amplified campus sports culture, while 9/11 provoked memorable analysis and classroom discussions. Together, the communication majors found a strong balance between reporting and commentary for Hilltop Views, and explored opportunities to learn about broadcasting on television and radio. Geronimo interned at the local CBS
lancer, Cella said she continues to seek out journalism “as a source of reliable information.” “I’ve always looked at journalism as being the place to go when you need the story told straight,” Cella said. “Coming from the inside, I know it’s been awhile since I was a news editor or a news writer, but I still think there’s integrity in the industry. “
COURTESY OF CLAIRE CELLA
affiliate KITV News and then traveled to New York for a summer dual internship with the Madison Square Garden Network and Fox Sports in 2001. Taylor interned for Fox 7 Sports and had a part-time job as a radio broadcaster. Both were also public address announcers for SEU Athletics. Both pride themselves on being consistently passionate about sharing sports stories. In the world of broadcasting, you have to stand out – either for being the most positive personality at a press conference like Geronimo, or being intensely entertaining over radio like Taylor. Now, Geronimo is a sports producer with CBS Austin covering Texas athletics across the country, including Super Bowl LI. Taylor is the founder/director of Broadcasting for Number 9 Productions, and play-by-play broadcasts at Texas sporting events. Although the social media tools and other media resources they use for their jobs today were not available to them as Hilltop Views sports editors, Geronimo said the duo always enjoyed being “young, hardworking journalists who had fun telling the truth.”
10 VIEWPOINTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
EDITORIAL Original editorial published Feb. 16, 1987: Student press: What should it be? By VINCENT CHEVES MANAGING EDITOR
Volume 1 Issue 1: This issue marks the birth of the Hilltop Views. It seems rather appropriate that the in-depth focus of this first issue is student life. The student newspaper is an essential element of student life and the overall university community experience. Or at least it should be. Therein lies the focus of this editorial: what is the purpose and function of a student newspaper in the context of a university community? Ideally, a column
such as this one would not be necessary because, ideally, the purpose and function of a student newspaper should be the same as that of any other newspaper, student or otherwise. That this column is even being written is indicative of the current alarming state of the student press, not only at St. Edward’s but nationally as well. The Campus Chronicle, a publication of the College Press Service, mailed out the following release: “It’s been an amazing first half of the school year. The Campus anti-apartheid movement - and administra-
SABRINA ROHWER/HILLTOP VIEWS
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Hilltop Views.
tor’s reaction to it - took an ominous new turn. A new law made applying for student aid a whole new ball game. Scores of campuses began what promises to be
a national slashing at the number of courses students can take. Some hot majors cooled. The administration warned new aid cuts are coming this semester. And
the toughest crackdowns on student behavior since the fifties began. If your readers don’t know about these and the hundreds of other national college news stories that broke since September, they might not be able to do too great a job planning the rest of their college careers. Still another semester full of news is coming.” So that is where the Hilltop Views currently stands: poised on the brink of another semester’s events, developments and projections. Our purpose is to report the news and present information of interest and of use to our readers. Our function
OUR VIEW
is to report and present accurately and without bias whatever is deemed newsworthy and appropriate in the context of the St. Edward’s community. The Hilltop Views does not create issues; it merely reports them. This is our duty, our purpose and our function. It is our goal for the Spring semester to give our readers the information and news they need and deserve, and we fully intend to just that in a timely, professional manner.
@hilltopviews
Independent journalism, student or otherwise, more important than ever Each week the editorial board reflects on a current issue in Our View. The position taken does not reflect the opinions of everyone on the Hilltop Views staff. This week’s editorial board is composed of Editor-inChief Jacob Rogers and Viewpoints Editors Sully Lockett and Kenny Phipps. At Hilltop Views, our goal has evolved even as we remain committed to our original mission: reporting the news on the Hilltop without bias or error. But now, it’s more than that. The world is a different place than it was 30 years ago, but in some ways, it’s exactly the same. Misin-
formation is still as damaging to democracy as it was then; it only gets produced
— with the world we live in, and the ability to look up anything we’ve ever written, we have to be journal“WE ARE WORKING ists in our actions. FAITHFULLY WITH YOU AND We at Hilltop FOR YOU TO ACCURATELY Views are committed to factTELL THE STORY OF OUR based, informative UNIVERSITY AND OF THE reporting that will WORLD AROUND US.” ultimately benefit the students and disseminated faster and faculty here at St. Edthan ever now. It’s no longer ward’s. enough just to be student It is essential to any journalists, playacting a role democratic environment,
our university included, to maintain and support an independent press. At St. Edward’s, we haven’t always been the best at that. In fact, Hilltop Views was not a completely independent news source until relatively recently. However, with the freedom to work independently comes the freedom to fail both the student body and ourselves without diligence, focus and hard work. As we see in the world today, branches of government must operate independently of each other to ensure the fair and just operation of the government as a whole — it can’t just be a series of interlocking parts, all given
their marching orders from the top. In the same way, the independence of the institution of journalism must also be assured for the smooth functioning of democracy. Who else will expose corruption and failure when higher powers would sweep it into shadow? Who else will keep the electorate informed, so that they may make informed choices in voting for the future of the country? It all starts here, on the Hilltop. We are working faithfully with you and for you to accurately tell the story of our university and of the world around us. As an independent stu-
dent publication, our readers can be assured that our information is accurate, factual and timely, not subject to the whims of the administration, individual faculty members or anyone else. This is the most important aspect of our publication. We pledge to report the news as faithfully as we know how, to be as fair as we can be and to keep the St. Edward’s community informed. We’ve been going strong for 30 years now, and with hard work and determination, we hope to serve you faithfully for another 30 plus.
HOMECOMING 11
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
THINGS TO DO OFF-CAMPUS DRINK
FOOD
Magnolias Cafe Kerby Lane Diner Home SLice Pizza Brentwood Socia House-British Bakery Picnik-Paleo Friendly The Beer Plant-Vegan Torchy’s Tacos
Points of Interest
The Townsed Ego’s Lounge The Roosevelt Room Drink.Well Kitty Cohen’s Firehouse Lounge King Bee Lounge
Graffiti Park at Castle Hill Mount Bonnell Zilker Botanical Garden Umlauf Sculpture Garden Cathedral of Junk Mayfield Park Cottage and Gardens Zilker Park
12 MAP
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2015 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
EVENT MAP
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2015 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
MAP 13
14 HOMECOMING
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
EVENTS FOR HOMECOMING FRIDAY GOLDEN GUARD MASS (Invite only) 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel
GOLDEN GUARD LUNCHEON (Invite only) 11:30-1:30 p.m. at Ragsdale Center, Mabee Ballrooms
HILLTOPPER BASEBALL VS. COLORADO MINES 1:30 p.m. at Lucian Hamilton Field
CAMPUS TOURS 2-5 p.m. Meet at the Main Building Front Steps
MEN’S ALUMNI TENNIS MATCH 3-5 p.m. at Strohmeyer Varsity Tennis Courts
BROTHER ROMARD BARTHEL, CSC, ‘47 MEMORIALCEREMONY 3-3:30 p.m. at Fleck Hall Courtyard
OUR HOLY CROSS HERITAGE PRESENTATION 3-4:30 p.m. at McCarthy Room, Fleck Hall 305
SEU ALUMNI HONORS CEREMONY (Invite only) 5:30-7 p.m. at Global Events Center in Jones Auditorium
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND MARINE SCIENCE IN THAILAND 6-7:30 p.m. at Carter Auditorium, JBW Natrural Sciences Center - South
WELCOME BACK CELEBRATION (Senior students $15, Adults $25) 7-9:30 p.m. at Ragsdale, Mabee Ballrooms
THEATER PERFORMANCE: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Mary Moody Northen Theatre, ticket needed
CASINO NIGHT (Students free w/ SEU ID, Guests $15) 7:30-11:30 p.m. at Austin Sports Center, 425 Woodward Street, Austin
SATURDAY GAME DAY TAILGAITING 11-3 p.m. at UFCU Alumni Gym Parking Lot
SEU ROWING ALUMNI AND BOAT HOUSE DAY 9-11:30 p.m. at Off Campus-Austin Rowing Center
HILLTOPPERS AND FRIENDS HOSPITALITY DAY 11-3 p.m. at UFCU Alumni Gym Parking Lot
RUGBY GAME 11:30-2 p.m.at Lewis-Chen Family Field
HUMANITIES ON THE HILLTOP 11:30-2 p.m. at Munday Library
HILLTOPPER BASEBAL VS COLORADO MINES Noon at Lucian Hamilton Field
HILLTOPPER BASKETBALL DOUBLE-HEADER (Ticket needed for guests) Recreation and Convocation Center: 1 p.m.-Women, 3 p.m.-Men
ATHLETICS HALL OF FALL RECOGNITION During halftime of men’s basketball game at RCC
HILLTOPPER TENNIS Austin Tennis Academy, 6800 Spanish Oaks Club Blvd, Austin, TX 1:30 p.m. Women’s and Men’s teams
CAMP 45TH ANNIVERSARY 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Ragsdale Center, Mabee Ballrooms
GRAPHIC DESIGN SENIOR EXHIBITION 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Fine Arts Gallery
ST. EDWARD’S HIGH SCHOOL ALL CLASS REUNION ($25) 6-9 p.m. Ragsdale Center, Mabee Ballrooms A and B
HOMECOMING 15
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
AND FAMILY WEEKEND SATURDAY (Cont.) 50TH REUNION FOR THE UNIVERSITY CLASS OF 1967 ($25) 6:30-9 p.m. at Fleck Hall 305
45TH AND 40TH REUNION FOR THE CLASSES OF 1972 AND 1977 ($25) 6:30-9 p.m. at Ragsdale Center, Mabee Ballroom C
RUGBY ALUMNI AND PARENT DINNER (Invite only) 6-9 p.m. atUFCU Alumni Gym
GOLD REUNION FOR THE CLASSES OF 2007 TO 2016 7:30-9:30 at Doyle Cortyard, between Doyle and Premont Halls
SUNDAY HOMECOMING MASS 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Ragsdale Center, Mabee Ballrooms
FAREWELL BRUNCH (Adults $17.50, SEU students $15, Children 4-11 $10, Under 3 Free) 11:30-1 p.m. at UFCU Alumni Gym
HILLTOPPER BASEBALL VS COLORADO MINES Noon at Lucian Hamilton Field
CLUB LACROSSE GAME 1 p.m. at Lewis-Chen Family Field
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE THEATER PRODUCTION Various Times at Mary Moody Northen Theater, ticket needed
RING CEREMONY 2-3 p.m. at Ragsdale Center, Mabee Ballrooms
Source: stedwards.edu/homecoming
16 PHOTO ESSAY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 | HILLTOPVIEWSONLINE.COM
HOOFING THROUGH THE PAST The Hilltop Views editors rummaged through our photo archive to find photos from past Homecoming memories.