5 | Arts & Life
7 | Sports
The anti-highlight reel
Vol. 57, Issue 6
Roadrunners announce 2018 signing class
Est. 1981
The Paisano
February 13 - February 20, 2018
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline
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A historic UTSA voter turnout of over 6,000 Roadrunners suggests a large number of the student body is against raising athletics and transportation fees.
By Samuel De Leon Co-News Editor The athletics and transportation fees at UTSA will not be raised for students next academic year. More than 6,100 students, the largest voter-turnout in UTSA history, cast their ballots during the two day voting period. Both proposals to increase the fees were voted down. “I am very appreciative that so many Roadrunners came out for the referendum vote,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said. “It is vitally important to have participation in this democratic process and use the results to better understand our students’ viewpoints and areas of concern. We will carry this knowledge forward as we work toward
supporting our athletic programs and their role in helping to build UTSA’s reputation beyond San Antonio and Texas.” The athletics fee will remain $20 per semester credit hour, with a cap at 12 hours ($240), and the transportation fee will remain $20 per semester. UTSA athletics’ campaign of “Be the Why in Yes,” had little effect on the student body’s opinion, as 4,734 students voted against the athletics fee increase. “I felt, as I believe many students did, that the athletics fee increase is not a priority at the moment,” sophomore cybersecurity major and SGA senator Michael Barbosa said. “Lots of students go into debt for their education, and this was a hard sell. I don’t think of this as the student saying ‘No’ to athletics, but a ‘Not right now’ to a fee increase.”
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Amber Chin/The Paisano
Students reject fee proposal By Isaac Serna Editor-in-Chief
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Some students felt the athletics campaign was not fairly run, with signs posted around campus emphasizing voting “Yes” for the increase.
“The mission of UTSA Athletics is to serve as a front door and source of pride for the university. ” - Lisa Campos, UTSA Athletic Director “The historic voter turnout and overwhelmingly negative response to the proposed athletic fee increase, in spite of a wellfunded, corrupt and highly uninformative marketing campaign
UTSA alumni and students share their thoughts on the result of the fee increase vote over Twitter.
run by the athletic department should serve as a reminder to the UTSA administration of what students’ real priorities are,” sophomore finance major and SGA secretary Montana Meeker said. “In future development of tuition and fee proposals, the administration should work harder to ensure they are focusing on what students want, and involving them in the process.” Comments made by both SGA members are their own and not representative of SGA’s view. Although the athletics department’s campaign did not succeed, Athletics Director Lisa Campos believes the students voted in their best collective interest. “I am looking forward to exploring ways we can seek a deeper engagement with the student body and learn more about how we can best serve its
Graphic by: Chase Otero
needs,” Campos said in an email. “The mission of UTSA Athletics is to serve as a front door and a source of pride for the university. We are committed to providing opportunities for the entire Roadrunner family and the local community to connect with UTSA and to build the national reputation of our institution.” The transportation fee has not increased in nearly a decade. The athletics fee was last increased in Fall 2013. The transportation fee still serves as the primary funding source for the Campus Service Transit. SGA’s GA 104 noted the current transportation budget deficit is no longer sustainable. Tuition and fee proposals are docketed to be reviewed every two years.
The history of black brother and sisterhood in America Black History Month Panel discusses fraternities and sororities in African American history By Kenyatta Battle Editor-in-Chief’s Assistant During Black History Month, UTSA will host a panel for Black History Month discussing the importance of black fraternities’ and sororities’ history and importance. Organized by Karla Broadus, UTSA director of African American studies and senior lecturer in the interdisciplinary learning and teaching department, this event will host a panel of black professionals who found their experience in these fraternities and sororities to be beneficial. “I feel there’s some rich history that is not being explored or understood. So, I came up with as many chapters of fraternities and sororities that I could get to talk about their chapters and their history,” Broadus said. “Too often we think of fraternities and sororities as only doing step shows and partying, but we don’t understand the purpose behind all of them, and how they started and where they started. So, I thought we needed to en-
compass that in our history.” Broadus believes people are unaware of the community service and resources made available by fraternities and sororities. “The forefront of these fraternities and sororities is community service,” Broadus said. “Community service is usually not even paid attention to when it comes to these groups. “Also, nobody highlights the scholarship opportunity: how many black students have been able to go to college because of all these organizations over the years that have existed? Each one of these organizations are giving away thousands of scholarships.” Broadus also said she created this event so people of color can know that there are many successful black professionals. “There are thousands of educated people with degrees that look like us—people of color. There are more than anybody could count,” Broadus said. “I want people to understand that there are a bunch of profes-
Members of the UTSA chapter of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity pose at an organized social event.
sional black people out there, and nobody’s paying attention to all those educated people. “One of the state reps from Dallas came and he said, ‘San Antonio has more educated blacks than almost any place.’”
Broadus is not trying to encourage students to join fraternities or sororities, but she wants to make inform students about the resources available to them. Broadus designed the event to make students aware of the his-
Photo Courtesy of Brittney Tisdale
tory of these organizations and not be distracted by the stereotype of the “party group.”
Continued on page 2 See “The importance of Black Greek life”