4.10.18

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Vol. 57, Issue 12

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The Paisano

April 10 - April 17, 2018

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Campus Climate Team tackles bias on campus

By Gaige Davila Co-News Editor The UTSA Campus Climate Team (CCT) has launched a website to report bias incidents on campus. A bias incident is an act that targets individuals and groups on the basis of protected characteristics such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion or political views and affiliations.

The website, launched April 4, lists reports of recent bias incidents on campus. As of this article’s printing, four reports are listed; the most recent bias incident was reported on April 5 and is currently being investigated by UTSA PD. The first bias incident recorded on the CCT website was from March 27, when a poster was found in the Sombrilla from the David Horowitz Center, a conservative foundation. The foundation hosts Jihad Watch, a blog directed by author Robert B. Spencer, a known figure in the “counter-

jihad” movement, a political current guided by a common belief that the Western world is being subjected to “takeover” by Muslims, as defined by the Democracy and Security Journal.

The CCT reports incidents that occur on campus in violation of the university’s freedom of expression policies. Registered student organizations can distribute or post materials expressing opinions, but individuals or organizations not affiliated with the university cannot. The CCT is also responsible for removing the reported materials.

The CCT formed shortly after a national white supremacist group, Patriot Front, hung a banner from the then-named Student Union (formerly University Center) bridge on Nov. 15, 2017.

A poster from the group was found posted in the McKinney Humanities Building on April 3, 2018, according to the CCT Continued on page 2 See “Bias incident”

This poster appeared at a communal UTSA activities board. A posting by the same Samantha Ceballos/The Paisano organization last year prompted the development of the UTSA Campus Climate Team.

U.S. State Department chooses UTSA professor for language project in Russia

By Heather Montoya Assistant News Editor

Stephen Harrigan and Laurie Ann Guerrero in a panel discussion at the 2018 San Antonio Book Festival.

Samantha Ceballos/The Paisano

SA Book Festival

Sixth annual literary event draws prolific authors

By Samantha Ceballos Magazine Editor Last Saturday’s cold front did not deter literary fans from attending the sixth annual San Antonio Book Festival, where over 90 authors presented their literary works to crowds downtown at Central Library and at the Southwest School of Art.

“We need to counter what is deemed as our history.”

- Sandra Cisneros, author of “The House on Mango Street.”

Book lovers eagerly walked around trying to find their favorite authors.

Tents flapped in the wind, papers blew around, but the festival goers were in high spirits.

“This is not a time to be silent,” journalist and author Jorge Ramos said to a crowd of about 700 people. Ramos, the headliner for the festival, spoke about his new book, “Stranger: The Challenge

of a Latino in the Trump Era.” Ramos was in the national spotlight in 2015 after being escorted out of a Trump press conference. Then-candidate Donald Trump shouted for Ramos to “go back to Univision.” Ramos discussed immigration, racism and human rights at the event.

Ramos’ sentiments were echoed by other writers throughout the festival.

Sandra Cisneros, author of “A House on Mango Street” and founder of the Macondo Writers Workshop, also commented on the importance of young people’s actions. “We need to counter what is deemed as our history,” she addressed the crowded tent, challenging people to record what happened to them in their life.

She warned that if we do not document our stories then they never happened. “I never thought I’d be smarter than the president of the United States.

Now everyone is smarter than the president of the United States,” Cisneros said.

With the country going through difficult times, writers continued to encourage festival goers to create safe spaces and to continue supporting one another.

“Challenge everyone who tells you, you can’t,” stated Laurie Ann Guerrero in her panel with fellow San Antonio writers.

Continued on page 2 See “SA Bookfest”

Dr. Martha Sidury Christiansen, UTSA assistant professor in the department of bicultural-bilingual studies, will be traveling to Russia on April 13 for a two-week English Language Specialist project.

Christiansen is one of about 80 U.S citizens chosen each year to participate on an English Language Specialist assignment.

The project will focus on assisting Russian universities as they develop writing centers to aide English for Academic Purposes development for graduate and undergraduate students. as well as teach the academic community academic writing and research for the publication of international journals.

Even though Christiansen has spoken at conferences and held workshops before, this project is different from her previous experiences.

“This is the first time that I will be at a country attending six different universities, four different conferences and providing plenary and keynote speeches, featured workshops and consultations with university officials that are in charge of writing centers and writing programs,” Christiansen said.

Christiansen looks forward to this opportunity and the exchange of ideas.

“I look forward to the discussions on intellectual rhetoric and identity in writing. One of the main focuses of my participation is to present ways in which Russian scholars can be ready to publish in international journals, many which are based in English speaking contexts.”

In addition to the exchange of ideas while working on the project, Christiansen looks forward to learning about Russian culture, a culture she knows very little about.

“I look forward to being in a place so different from me, where I don’t understand any of the linguistic systems (oral or written,” Christiansen said. “I love putting myself in those situations. I look forward to the miscommunication, unintentional cultural faux pas because that is the way I truly learn about a culture.”

While the project is an opportunity for Christiansen to learn about Russian culture and share her knowledge with those in Russia, she does anticipate challenges involving unfamiliarity of

Photo Courtesy of Martha Christiansen

her audience. “I may have researchers, English teachers and graduate students together or separately. So it’s been a challenge to prepare for specific needs,” Christiansen said.

Christiansen also says she expects time to be a challenge. “Topics on academic writing, paraphrasing and publishing require more than an hour and a half to present and do a workshop on. It will be a challenge to provide a lot of information in an interesting, useful and practical way in such a short time.”

One thing that Christiansen does not anticipate as being a challenge is the recent political climate involving the United States and Russia. “While the Department of State is sponsoring the program, Russian universities are the hosts,” Christiansen said. “And every single delegate has been very welcoming about my visit.”

Christiansen’s experience with the English Language Specialist Project in Russia is likely to help her enhance her research and teaching just as her past experiences with linguistics and projects have helped her improve.

“My research and teaching become better when there is a cross-pollination of ideas between scholars from different kinds of institutions (such as technical or humanities) and countries,” Christiansen said.

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2 | news@paisano-online.com

UTSA Freshmen in the UTSA Honors College conducted research analyzing how elephants behave, interact, learn and stay active. With their research, the students proposed enrichment devices to the San Antonio Zoo. The zoo chose three of the proposed enrichment devices to develop and install. Once the enrichment devices are installed, students will have the opportunity to study how the elephants interact with the devices.

Texas Permian High School, a public school in Odessa, Texas, is experiencing overcrowding in classrooms. One precalculus class in the high school contains 63 students. The cause for this overcrowding is attributed to families that stayed in the area from the 2014 oil boom as well as the current increase in oil production.

U.S. On April 9, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the office of Michael D. Cohen, a personal attorney of President Trump. The FBI obtained business records, emails and other documents including receipts of payment to a pornographic film actress. An unrelated group of prosecutors obtained the search warrant used to enter Cohen’s office. President Trump responded to the incident as a “witch hunt.”

World Dozens of Syrians have died due to a suspected chemical attack on April 7. Aid groups have blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the suspected chemical attack.

The U.S. is working on verifying whether the attack used chemical weapons.

Business India is using a program called Aadhaar, which scans fingerprints, eyes and faces, to connect residents’ data such as for welfare benefits and mobile phones. This type of identification system raises the question of whether such technologies are an invasion of privacy. The Indian government has made the registration in the Aadhaar system mandatory for public and private services.

Photo Courtesy of San Antonio Book Festival

Photo Courtesy of San Antonio Book Festival

SA Bookfest Continued from Page 1 Children and teens were catered to throughout the festival.

Children authors, such as Cynthia Levinson, Xelena González and superstar Jason Reynolds, were present throughout the day.

Some events geared towards children were creating book-

marks, making a mummy book and more.

Robot races and rocket launches kept the teens entertained as well as a lineup of Young Adult authors, such as Neal Shusterman, Erika L. Sánchez, Naomi Shihab Nye and Holly Black spoke about their newest books.

Vendors and food trucks were

across from Central Library.

Vendors sold everything from candles to t-shirts.

The San Antonio Book Festival first began in 2013 founded

by Texas book Festival, Central Library and the Southwest School of Arts. Every year the festival has brought together authors from all over the country to present their works with read-

ers.

With a 25 percent illiteracy rate in San Antonio, the festival aims to help the youth find a love for reading. The organization hosts a fiction contest, allows students to introduce writers at festival events, organizes author visits to local schools and helps provide transportation for students.

Bias incident Continued from Page 1 website.

On February 15, a flyer advertising the launch of a magazine called “No Whites Allowed” was removed.

“It was not approved or authorized by the university and was not affiliated with any campus organization or event,” Joe Izbrand, associate vice president for communications and marketing, said in an interview with college news website Campus Reform, in March. “It was immediately removed.”

In an email announcing the website’s launch, UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said not every bias incident will be made public.

“We do not wish to make a practice of announcing these incidents each time they occur,” Eighmy said. “This only serves to bolster efforts by these outside groups to draw attention to themselves.”

Christi Fish, executive director of communications, said every bias incident that is approved will be recorded on the website and investigated by the university.

“If multiple people report the same incident, the incident will be logged once,” Fish

said. “In situations where an incident has the potential to impact the broader campus community, the university will proactively share it via social media, email and other channels.”

Fish also said that UTSA PD will be pursuing repeated offenders, like Patriot Front, who violate the university policy.

The CCT website will also allow students to report “interpersonal” bias incidents that occur at UTSA, whether personally experi-

enced or witnessed. Students can contact the Student Ombudsperson, the Office of Equal Opportunity Services, the Department of Title IX Services or the Behavioral Concerns Assistance Team.

The CCT website can be accessed at http:// www.utsa.edu/campusclimate/

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HU — The Sound of Soul

Thursday, April 12 , 7:30–8:30 PM UC Magnolia Room, 2.01.30 HU, a sacred sound and ancient mantra, has been sung for thousands of years for spiritual unfoldment. You’re invited to attend this event to experience singing HU, followed by contemplative time and facilitated spiritual conInfo: Mitziani: rbo233@my.utsa versations.

Presented by the Eckankar Student Organization

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A p r i l 1 0 - A p r i l 1 7, 2018

editor@paisano-online.com | 3

opinion The Campus Climate Team checks UTSA’s temperature Editorial The Campus Climate Team (CCT) recently launched a bias incident reporting website to collect information about potential threats to our community’s individual beliefs. As noted on the website, UTSA is one of more than 230 universities testing a bias reporting tool. The tool allows these universities to get a better grasp of the hate speech and division on campus. We hope the bias incident reporting tool will answer two questions: what instances of speech ought to be addressed and which instances are better left alone?

Though some of these messages on campus appear outrageous, our coverage leads us to

believe they are perpetrated by a small group of people, often not students, doing their best to make noise. Additionally, unreliable journalists, such as the Campus Reform team, have sensationalized non-issues, which stoke the fire by distorting and conflating incidents not representative of UTSA. The Paisano has covered questionable instances of “hate speech” and has wrestled with the same questions we hope the reporting system will answer.

We can certainly empathize with the administration’s catch-22 situation. If you ignore instances that may be viewed as hate speech, students will condemn the administration for condoning the message; if you address it, another group will claim infringement on First Amend-

ment rights.

Two points of criticism have surfaced: one, the effort is merely posturing and UTSA is not doing enough to address the potential threats and, two, the reporting tool is a slippery slope geared in the direction of suppressing free speech. In our view, there isn’t any use in trying to reason with these groups.

Their criticism is beneficial because yes, debate and discussion on these topics helps hold our university and community accountable, but in a era where most of the noise is made for retweets and likes, UTSA ought not to take these grievances too seriously. Reasonable minds know the job of our academic leaders is not to rectify every social ill that appears on campus, nor is it to act as the thought

The Paisano

police.

A nationwide survey cited in The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that 30 percent of college students think that certain hate speech should be prohibited to create a “positive environment.” This does not mean UTSA intends to prohibit certain speech, but it does mean it is a community concern. We believe a reporting tool is the most promising step towards discovering a solution to the problem that result from the “hate speech” the university will undoubtedly have to deal with in semesters ahead.

Social media provides 24-hour coverage of campuses, but these posts often latch onto select hot button incidents that are not representative of the student body.

Biased journalism then picks

US vs China: the negotiating firestorm Commentary

The Independent Student Newspaper for the UTSA Community

Have Something to say?

By Anish Rao Staff Writer For far too long America has fallen victim to China’s bad practices, whether it be unemployment from offshoring, product dumping, currency manipulation or even intellectual property theft. After many years of these abuses, there has been little punishment from the World Trade Organization (WTO) or the U.S. Previous presidents have tried time after time to act with China (TPP, Failure to Enforce WTO trade laws, 301 Petitions), but they have all been short lived and caused our trade deficits to grow larger.

As of 2017, our trade deficit with China stood at a staggering $375.2 billion. This number grows bigger and bigger every year as we continue increasing our imports from China. Just about every prod-

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up these incidents and conflates them, and soon enough local news and the university feel obligated to address the growing concerns. This is not the best way to deal with hate-speech.

Raw data, recorded reports and analysis of patterns sound like a far better approach.

We believe the bias incident reporting tool accomplishes this collection of data and in result will answer our two questions: what instances of speech ought be addressed and which instances are better left alone.

A collection of data is the best step to making informed decisions concerning bias incidents.

The Paisano supports the university’s efforts.

uct that is in the U.S. was manufactured in China, even if it was assembled or made in America, most of the plastic or other parts inevitably came from China. For example, Ford Motor Company’s Mustang is assembled in Michigan, but its mufflers and other parts can originate from a variety of places including China.

Let’s discuss exports from the United States to the People’s Republic. To get a product into China requires a gruesome process of customs checks by the different government agencies. Not to mention the flat 17 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) that is slapped on the retail value of every product exported into China. This means that on top of the transportation costs, a product like U.S. beef would be subject to a VAT tax, raising the consumer cost of the product even higher. For the U.S., this is much different. In some cases there is just a flat three percent tariff.

I believe this trade war talk is just that, talk. The threats of tariffs are being used as they should be to intimidate China into playing by the rules. Yes, they may retaliate, which is well within their rights.

However, if you look at the whole picture the U.S. is getting cheated by China, and it’s about time the U.S. tried to fix the problems.

Casual fascism Commentary

By Peyton Dillberg Contributing Writer After a white supremacist group hung a large banner unapproved by the university, which read “America is our birthright,” outrage ensued. Coalitions of students groups formed as a response to the group’s actions, as did the UTSA Campus Climate team and the Student Action Coalition.

The goal expressed by these groups is to promote a “safe” environment at UTSA by reporting on “bias incidents,” such as the

banner hanging. However, the underlying cause of this push for tolerance is superficial.

This is nothing more than a push for intersectionality through identity politics. It is another step in the wrong direction in ensuring one of the parent responsibilities of institutions of higher education, which is to forward the diversity of thought and promote the open and honest discussion of different ideas.

This move to ensure a “safe” environment under the guise of physically protecting the students is nothing more than a façade in order to quash free speech.

The idea that a white supremacist group putting up a banner creates an unsafe environment is nonsense. By no stretch of the imagination am I condoning their ideology, as I absolutely condemn the group, but the idea that their ability to express their evil ideology is not “safe” doesn’t

make sense to me. It is worth noting that without the banner hanging, this would not be a topic of discussion on campus as of now. The university has put great emphasis in various statements regarding their freedom of expression policies, but that’s not the issue.

This is an attack on free speech. No outrage came from the fact that the banner was not approved by the university to be hung; the outrage came in response to the group, the message and the ideology. Had this sign gone through all the requisite steps to be hung, the exact same outrage would be demonstrated today. This is an effort to suppress any ideas that may differ from the norms of left leaning talking points, and not only does it suppress conservatives on campus, it can create an unsafe environment for conservatives in general.

So many groups nowadays are quick to conflate conservative figures and organizations as racists, bigots, misogynists, transphobes, Nazis, white supremacists and so on. This is a growing issue, that administrators believe groups like Young Americans for Freedom will bring in tikitorch carrying provocateurs; that radical leftists are quick to conflate people from Trump (a lifelong democrat), to people like Ben Shapiro (an Orthodox Jew), as a Nazi. As we have all been told, we are to punch Nazis; they should not be allowed an opinion. This is what happens when conservative ideology is systematically suppressed in leftleaning universities that perpetually indoctrinate students.

Freedom of speech is a defining characteristic of being an American. It is the idea that we can discuss issues regardless of race, culture, sex, orientation or

background. It means I can say things like abortion is bad even though I am not a woman. It means I can say transgenderism is a mental disorder even though I am not a member of the LGBT community. It means I can say America is not a racist place, even though I am not black. I hold these beliefs on the basis of factual evidence. I’m always willing to openly discuss these ideas and am even willing to change my opinion on the basis of newly presented evidence.

Programs like Campus Climate only serve to further divide people among ideological lines, and Universities will continue to precipitously crack down on crimethink. Regardless of how you may identify, promoting the discussion of different ideas from both left and right, and even fringe groups such as Neo-Nazis, is the only way to ensure a truly safe environment.

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Have a real ‘summer’ body Commentary

By Kimiya Factory Staff Writer Suns out, buns out; literally. Along with the semester’s final responsibilities comes the mood to soak up some sun.

And along with that comes the incentive to bite into a cucumber and live a “healthy” lifestyle to reach “beauty.” You know, flat stomachs, flawless skin and whatever else the mainstream media dishes out concerning the summertime look.

I’m here to dump all of that down the drain, because mainstream beauty is nothing but an airbrushed social construction. Our ideas about beauty and health have been shaped by unrealistic notions of true self.

Skin naturally creates pimples, stomachs naturally roll over clothing and stretch marks are nature’s finest tattoo. It deeply saddens me to overhear conversations about strict workout regimens and tasteless diets all in the name of looking good. I’m not knocking healthy lifestyles

in any way, but they should only be carried out in the name of self-love.

If your idea of self-love is lounging poolside, scarfing a juicy burger while disregarding calorie count or blending a kale smoothie and watching the sunrise because it makes you smile, you’re conquering your idea of summer.

Abolish ICE Commentary

By Justice Loving Senior Copy Editor The temporary injunction against Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4) ended and a modified version of the law went into effect on March 13. While immigrant rights, civil rights and humanitarian groups will continue to fight the law in court, the harm being done by the law in the meantime demonstrates the need for something more: amnesty for all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The fight for immigration justice is occurring in many forms and on many levels. This multilevel approach is appropriate because it counters the overly simplistic narrative that regards immigration as an individual choice. In actuality, the top four countries from which

Photo courtesy of Johnny Silvercloud

“The Perfect Body” by Johnny Silvercloud

undocumented people come to the US—Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras—have been hurt immensely by U.S. foreign policy, creating the flow of refugees.

From national campaigns to defund and abolish ICE, to local campaigns to keep ICE agents out of schools, jails and courthouses, there are many efforts to protect people from one of the most vile and fascistic institutions in America. But it is not enough to be antifascist; we must also advocate and practice an altruistic alternative.

Any depiction of undocumented people as dangerous outsiders is disingenuous and inherently political. They live and work in our communities; they belong here as much as, or more than, anyone who lives here by mere accident of birth. Even the term ‘illegal immigrant,’ which presents itself as neutral, is not an observation but an insidious political claim that seeks to delegitimize and demonize a group of people who have done nothing wrong.

Moreover, it is a preposterous term. A human being cannot be illegal. ‘Illegal’ is a quality created and assigned by govern-

The Paisano Isaac Serna | Editor-in-Chief Editor@paisano-online.com Ethan Pham | Managing Editor Manager@paisano-online.com Kenyatta Battle | Editor-in-Chief’s Assistant

News Gaige Davila | Co-News Editor News@paisano-online.com Samual De Leon | Co-News Editor News@paisano-online.com

Summertime fine comes in all shapes, sizes, calorie intakes and skin types. Over the years, with the curves of my own body came the growing insecurity of the stretch marks that followed, and one day when the sun was shining bright and the pool was calling my name, I thought to myself “Who cares?”

Who the hell cares if I crave

ments to structure society. In the case of “illegal immigration,” the goal is to use militarized borders to maintain oppressive class structures and capitalist imperialism. Nazi occupation declared people illegal as did apartheid in South Africa; these are the rightful contemporaries of ICE and of anyone so comfortable in their own privilege as to thoughtlessly discard the humanity of millions by a semantic sleight of hand.

There is no shortage of human rights campaigns for our generation to wage, but as Texans and as San Antonians, we have a duty to actively fight for our neighbors and for our communities. We must join and support organizations such as Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Cosecha and the Texas Organizing Project in opposing SB4.

We must insist that any politician who claims to represent our communities represents all of us, including the undocumented.

We must support our fellow students and their families, who deserve more than ‘deferred action,’ not on the basis of their age or virtuousness but as a matter of basic human rights.

Online Kat Joseph | Multimedia Editor Multimedia@paisano-online.com Ricardo Rodriguez | Web Editor Web@paisano-online.com Oscar Torres | Assistant Multimedia Editor Brandon Armstead | Assistant Web Editor

Magazine Samantha Ceballos | Magazine Editor Magazine@paisano-online.com Diana Amaya | Assistant Magazine Editor

Sports

Heather Montoya | Assistant News Editor

Frank Leal | Sports Editor Sports@paisano-online.com

Arts & Life

Connor Zimmerlee | Assistant Sports Editor

Enrique Bonilla | Arts & Life Editor Arts@paisano-online.com Katrina Clements | Assistant Arts & Life Editor

Photo Chase Otero | Photography Editor Photo@paisano-online.com Ricky Galindo | Assistant Photography Editor

Advisory Board

Diane Abdo | Advisor Diane.Abdo@utsa.edu Steven Kellman | Advisor Jack Himelblau | Advisor Stefanie Arias | Advisor Sandy Norman | Advisor Red Madden | Advisor

Bluebell sometimes and salad at other times? I don’t mind if my stomach appears bloated in a picture that captures a moment of true happiness. I learned to love my stretch marks because they make me Kimiya. Had I been short a stretch mark, I might have loved myself that much less.

Bite into that burger, damn

it. Wear whatever the hell you want. Body positivity is a healthy lifestyle. Individual DNA sequences and distinguishing characteristics of nature attest, so do you and love yourself while doing it.

Letter to the editor I am the primary author of both GA 111 and GA 112. I am writing to inform you that some of the assertions present in your article, “Faculty Senate Votes to Discuss Alternative Grading System,” are simply untrue.

GA 111 is the resolution that announced the Student Government Association’s official stance on the plus/minus system, which was incorrectly stated as being blanketly against the plus/ minus system. Again, this was incorrect. The SGA’s official position, as articulated by GA 111 is amended, is opposition to the current implementation of the plus/minus system at UTSA. Later in the article, you mention that one of the options presented in GA 112 was “not using ‘A+’ grades.” This statement is simply incompatible with objective reality. GA 112 does not say this, and the only system I could conceive as being the source of a clerical error is Appendix A: Option 4—wherein we exclude all minus grades and “A+” is

weighted the same as “A.” Further, “if alternatives presented to the faculty senate are not approved, SGA proposed the plus/minus grading system be ‘implemented, mandated and standardized [sic] universitywide.’ SGA also discussed the possibility of abandoning the plus/minus system if no alternatives could be agreed upon.”

Allow me to offer some clarification: we recommend from the outset that the plus/minus system be standardized university-wide; we will only consider the notion of recommending the complete discontinuation of plus/minus if, and only if, the Faculty Senate and the SGA cannot come to an agreement or compromise on policy proposals.

Alex Sexton is the COLFA SGA Senator Elect of UTSA.

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Justice Lovin | Senior Copy Editor Ryan Nobles | Staff Maya Halabi | Staff Ryan Thompson | Staff Mackenzie Dyer | Staff Emily Hubbard | Staff Kimiya Factory | Staff Natalie Hollenbeck | Staff AJ Lopez | Staff Sydney Zamora | Staff Amber Chin | Staff Zachary Truesdale | Staff Ryan Garza | Staff Edward Monsibaiz | Staff Anish Rao | Staff

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The Paisano is published by the Paisano Educational Trust, a non-profit, tax exempt, educational organization. The Paisano is operated by members of the Student Newspaper Association, a registered student organization. The Paisano is NOT sponsored, financed or endorsed by UTSA. New issues are published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters, excluding holidays and exam periods. The Paisano is distributed on all three UTSA campuses — Main, Downtown and the Institute of Texan Cultures. Additionally, Paisano publications are distributed at a variety of off-campus locations, including Tri-point and a variety of apartment complexes near the UTSA Main Campus. All revenues are generated through advertising and donations. Advertising inquiries and donations should be directed to: 14526 Roadrunner Way Suite 101 San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210)-690-9301 © 2018, The Paisano The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Handbook of Operating Procedures states in 5.03 that: The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will not exercise control over the format or content of Student Publications, but will regulate distribution on campus. Student Publications will be free of censorship and advance approval of copy, and their editors and managers are solely responsible for editorial and content policies and decisions.

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arts@paisano-online.com | 5

Arts & Life Algorithmic anomalies

New Media Collective unveils exhibit exploring unchartered art territories.

A

Enrique Bonilla Arts & Life Editor

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Roadsign. Painting. Mural. Buy now! Go! Go! Go! The decentralized world we live in today is unrelenting.

There is a constant feed of numbers, shapes and words with meanings. There is more to take in as reality expands towards infinitum.

How do we create presence and importance in a world where our attention must be divided into increasingly smaller slivers?

In response to this shifting dynamic of mental concentration, UTSA’s New Media Collective will present “In Relation To.” “The UTSA New Media Collective (NMC), is a group of advanced New Media students and faculty who converge with artists from the community and beyond, to produce professional, but highly experimental evening-length, time-based art events,” Mark McCoin, assistant professor and New Media art program coordinator, explained.

Since its 2011 inception at the University of Colorado, NMC has since migrated to UTSA. “In Relation To” is a site-specific, interactive interdisciplinary event featuring installations and live performances created exclusively for the opening and closing dates.

The New Media collective will present the work of 18 artists. Attending “In Relation To” will place the viewer in a space that induces an experience through the use of sound, live video projection, ritual, social engagement, performances and sculpture. The various mediums are used to activate the space and engage viewers in a way that it would not have otherwise with more traditional forms of art.

“We really just want people to walk away with something instead of just looking at a painting for three seconds. New Media, performance and installation is the future of art. Our attention spans are not as great today; we live in a new digital age, and it is our responsibility as artists to find a way to work around those barriers and speak to people. I want people to feel as though they had discovered something for the first time,” Veronica Caceres said.

An artist and performer, Caceres is part of UTSA’s New Media Collective.

“The San Antonio art scene today is slightly conservative, and we want to challenge that.

It’s a very rare opportunity that students are given a platform (like Sala Diaz Gallery) and resources to make an installation happen,” Caceres said.

New Media, as the name implies, is a relatively new form of art that began to gain popularity around 2001, as the digital age

Preview of In Relation To

took its throne.

Prior to this, work such as the 1994 website, jodi.org, created

by European artists Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans were some early examples of New Media Art. Reminiscent of the dada art style of the ‘20s, these early works challenged the rigidity of the incoming digital age.

By manipulating the HTML code on which the internet is built on, Heemskerk and Paesmans showed that just like paint to canvas, the Internet could also be manipulated. It could be used as not just a means of delivering information but also as a piece of art. This ties a lot of New Media together; at the center of it all, it is based on algorithms. However, the style has grown to include non-digital aspects such as social interaction and performance.

Another characteristic that describes the style is appropriation of art that is forgiven among artists. Open source software and file-sharing networks give artists access to images, sounds, texts and other media without having to produce it oneself, but it is how it is presented by each artist that makes it a unique one-of-akind piece of art.

It is about what is happening in the now. It is not static much like reality is a constant ebb and flow.

“New Media is all about what is happening in contemporary art. My focus in new media is in performance, sound art and interdisciplinary installationsbut new media isn’t defined by one medium or practice, you can combine and pull from various disciplines and mediums,” Rebeka Hurst, BFA in New Media said.

Hurst’s works for the event explore human relation to material and the relationship between materials themselves. It analyzes the inherent value we choose to place on objects based off of presentation, appearance and context by exploring videos and objects in her piece to one another.

Explaining why this new media exhibit should captivate attention, the program’s coordinator McCoin said, “This is a chance to experience art that is decommodified and that’s difficult to do at any juncture of art in the world. Art is usually for sale, so this a chance for artists to create exactly what they want to do without having to worry about selling it. So in that context are not confined by a single discipline. We are able to combine disciplines, invent, create and explore new ways of thinking about and expressing art.”

“In Relation To” opens this Thursday, April 12 from 7-10 p.m. at Sala Diaz with special site-specific performances. The closing reception is April 27 and will also include special sitespecific performances.

Courtesy of New Media Collective

A pri l 10 - A pri l 17, 2018

6 | arts@paisano-online.com

Saving the best for last

Closing out the concert season with the Aria Competition Winners Concert.

Rudy Sanchez Staff Writer The UTSA Orchestra will be performing their annual UTSA Aria Competition Winners Concert, which will feature vocal competition winners performing with the UTSA Orchestra.

On April 22 at 3 p.m. the concert will be hosted in the UTSA recital hall and will be free of charge to all UTSA students as well a $5 admission fee for non-students.

This will be the final concert of the 2017-2018 season and will feature two soloists who have been named the winners of the UTSA Annual Aria Competition.

The winners who will be soloing in this year’s concert are junior soprano Isabella Garza, who will perform “Song to the Moon” from Antonín Dvořák’s opera Rusalka and senior soprano Ashley Logan, who will perform “Glitter and be Gay” from Leonard Bernstein’s 20th century operetta Candide.

The Overture to Candide and Schubert’s mysterious symphonic experience the

“Unfinished Symphony” will also be be featured in the concert’s repertoire.

In observance of San Antonio’s Tricentennial celebration, the UTSA Orchestra will include the world premiere of renowned San Antonio

al, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015. Hill will be in attendance for the world premiere of his work.

The theme for this concert season and this concert is Six Degrees of Separation, which is Left: Isabella Garza Right: Ashley Logan

“This theme is not that the world is all connected through random people, but rather, that a very small group of extraordinary individuals connects the rest of us through their special mark on the human race.”

-Dr. Dowdy Interim Music Dept. Chair and Orchestra Director composer Charlie Hill’s orchestral work entitled “The Missions.”

Hill’s work commemorates the five 18th century Spanish Missions along the San Antonio River that were designated as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Education-

inspired by the social psychological theory that everyone on Earth is connected by six social associations between people all over the world.

Dr. Eugene Dowdy, the interim Music Dept. chair and Orchestra director, interprets this theory

through a musical lense; all people are connected through common passions for art–the relationship between people is a mutual emotional experience through the universal language of music.

Dr. Dowdy describes the thesis of the concert, “In this way, outstanding music can make the world seem much smaller when many people are connected through those performances.”

To find dates for more UTSA music events, visit music.utsa.edu.

Courtesy of Dept. of Music

APRIL Art Party: City Colorific / Free 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

San Antonio Museum of Art SAMA and KRTU Jazz 91.7 collaborate to bring live music, gallery tours and

13 PARTY

cocktails.

Between Us: Bárbara Miñarro/ Free 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Clamp Light Artist Studios & Gallery

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Using textiles from her home in Mexico, Miñarro’s work discusses a body in migration.

Feelin’ Like a Champ / Free 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Revenant Gallery Multi-demensional artisit Raul Gonzalez’ collection focuses on achievement, drive

14 42

and winning. Recently creating a Fiesta medal combining designs of the Astros, Spurs and Whataburger.

14

Soccer Mommy / $7 8 p.m.

502 Bar Performing songs from their new album “Clean”, frontwoman Sophie Allison showcases their indie rock sound.

Community Yoga / Free 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

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Hays Street Bridge An all level friendly flow taught by teacher trainees who are about to graduate.

UTSA Orchestra’s Aria Competition Winners Concert in 2011.

Courtesy of Dept. of Music

To feature your event in “The Weekend” email the arts editor at arts@paisano-online.com

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A p r i l 1 0 - A p r i l 1 7, 2018

sports@paisano-online.com | 7

Sports UTSA baseball drops series to LA Tech ‘Runners fall short in an exciting three-game series

U

By Frank Leal Sports Editor

TSA baseball was red hot coming into the weekend series against Louisiana Tech, having won eight of their last nine games.

However, the ‘Runners had quite the challenge in front of them, as the LA Tech Bulldogs are 24-10 and are ranked 22nd in the nation. The Bulldogs are without a doubt one of the best teams in Conference-USA. The series didn’t disappoint in terms of excitement, but UTSA came up on the losing end of things in two of the three games.

After a slim victory over Texas State earlier in the week, the ‘Runners were hoping to ride their momentum into game one of the LA Tech series on April 6. Quite a few fans came out to the game, setting a new facility record with an attendance of 836 at Roadrunner Field.

Early in the ballgame, UTSA jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after Tony Beam and Chris Estrada both hit sacrifice flies in their at-bats to bring home a couple of runs.

In the bottom of the third inning, UTSA extended the lead to 5-0 by way of a wild pitch followed by a two-RBI base hit by Tony Beam. After the first three innings, it looked like UTSA was on the verge of running away with the ballgame;

Pitcher Karen Patel releases a pitch while the LA Tech dugout looks on.

however, LA Tech’s bats came alive, and they began to chip away at the lead.

In the fourth inning, LA Tech shortstop Dalton Skelton launched a home run over the

right field fence to fire up the Bulldogs and give LA Tech a little bit of momentum.

UTSA starting pitcher Karen Patel had been solid through the first three innings, but after giving up the home run to Skelton, he began to look a little shaky as he headed into the fifth inning. After a pair of throwing errors and a couple of base hits, the Bulldogs were able to cut the lead to just one with a score of 5-4. UTSA headed to the bullpen to replace Patel on the mound.

LA Tech left fielder Mason Mallard proved to be a thorn in UTSA’s side.

Corina Garcia Young/The Paisano

Mallard went 3-5 at the plate with four RBI’s and helped the Bulldogs take an 8-5 lead over UTSA in the eighth inning.

The ‘Runners were able to earn a couple of runs back in the bottom of the eighth inning to get within one, but they were unable to complete the comeback in the ninth. UTSA fell by a score of 8-7.

Game two was even more exciting than game one, and UTSA was able to win it in walk-off fashion in 11 innings.

Steven Dressler took the mound for the ‘Runners, and he logged his sixth quality start of the season. Dressler pitched all the way into the eighth inning while only giving up three runs on four hits and striking out three. However, he turned the ball over to reliever Derek Craft with the score knotted at three, so he would not get credited with the win.

With UTSA leading 3-1 in the top of the eighth, Mason Mallard of LA Tech hit a base hit to left field to bring in two and tie the game. With neither team able

to score in the ninth, the game headed into extra innings.

Derek Craft was stellar in his relief appearance and didn’t allow a single run in his 2.1 innings pitched. After keeping LA Tech off the board in the top of the 11th inning, Craft gave UTSA the opportunity to walk it off.

Joshua Lamb of UTSA smacked a double to lead off the 11th inning and get things started. After the next batter was hit by a pitch and second baseman Bryan Arias walked, the ‘Runners suddenly had bases loaded with no outs. UTSA first baseman Ben Brookover wasted no time and sent a base hit into left field to win the game by a score of 4-3. The team stormed the field to celebrate their first extra-inning walk-off win since 2016.

Although the third game was a 13-0 blowout loss, UTSA is still 9-3 over their past 12 games and will continue the season Tuesday, April 10, at home in a matchup against Stephen F. Austin.

A pri l 10 - A pri l 17, 2018

8 | sports@paisano-online.com

Athlete of the week: Trent Bowles

By Kenyatta Battle Editor-in-Chief’s Assistant When a person starts an endeavor, they are unsure about where they may end up.

At times, they may feel lost or afraid, but what keeps them going is their struggle, pain and passion for obtaining their dreams. For Trent Bowles, an outfielder for UTSA’s baseball team, the dream is to play major league baseball.

Bowles is a senior multidisciplinaires major at UTSA. His dream of becoming a major league baseball player began when he attended his first baseball game, and he has not looked back since.

“I went to an Astros game when I was a little kid, and since that moment I fell in love with baseball. I was like, ‘I want to be like one of those guys one day’,” Bowles said.

Growing up in Katy, Texas, Bowles started to play the game

Trent Bowles loads up in the batters box before the pitch.

when he was four or five years old, and his love for the game is the reason he has continued to play.

“I have been playing for 17-18 years,” Bowles said. “Strong passion and a love for the game, and it’s so much fun are the reasons I decided to stick with it.”

While attending Cinco Ranch high school, Bowles was able to achieve some memorable moments.

“I hit a walk-off grand slam in the playoffs. It was the first time

we had been in the playoffs in a long long time. So, it was pretty memorable and an emotional moment not just for myself but for the whole program,” Bowles said. “There’s no words to describe that feeling. It was just fantastic.”

Outside of playing baseball, Bowles has two different passions. “In high school I played football, so besides baseball, football is my favorite sport.

My favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys, and I enjoy watching

Corina Garcia Young/The Paisano

them. I am a big Jason Witten and Cole Beasley fan. I love the way they play the game,” Bowles said.

“I love the outdoors. I am an extreme sportsman. Hunting, fishing, hiking, whatever has to do with the outdoors, that’s another passion of mine. I would say you could call hunting and fishing my hidden talent, since I had to teach myself.”

After finishing high school, Bowles decided to attend UTSA. “First, I love the San Antonio area. My family and I love it.

I also love the coaches. Coach Marshall is a great man and he has done well with this program.

Coach Blair is an unbelievable coach too. He’s one of the best coaches I have ever had. According to Bowles, baseball has had such a profound impact on his life, that he hopes to give back to the game.

“Hopefully one day I can do what these coaches out here do.

I just want to find a way to make an impact on someone’s life the way Coach Marshall and Coach Blair have impacted mine. So that’s my biggest goal,” Bowles said.

Accodring to Bowles, joining the talented UTSA team changed him for the better.

“Little did I know these guys are really good too. It gave me a reality check really quick, and it taught me to be humbled coming out of high school. It also taught me how to be a man. It helped me grow up. I am really thankful and forever grateful for the game of baseball for giving that to me.”

For Bowles, baseball has played an important role in his life. He believes it is the hardest sport to play, but the ups and the downs of the game are why he loves it, and that love for the game makes him keep fighting to obtain his ultimate goal, which is to play until he is unable to play anymore.