The Paisano Vol. 45 Issue 11

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

04.05.2011 Vol. 45 Issue 11

The

Paisano

Effective or immoral?

Recent abortion exhibit on campus sparks controversy

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P6: Learn to spend money

P9: ‘Friendly Spot’ review

“You can’t turn a blind eye to the innocent.”

“Better a doctor’s office than a clothes hanger in an alley.”

These were just some of the comments students heard as they passed the Justice for All organization pro-life exhibition March 29 and 30.

Maureen McKinley, a staff mentor for Justice for All, said the main reason for the exhibit at UTSA, and at many other universities, was to create conversations about abortion.

“The exhibit is tasteless and immoral; it lies to make a point.”

Mary McGovern Senior biology major

P11: Time out with coaches

Schools transition to e-books

“The reason we are here is to create dialogue among students on abortion. We believe some injustices need to be seen to be understood; people need to see the reality of the situation,” McKinley said.

The Justice for All organization, based out of Wichita, Kansas, was founded in 1993.

The organization started its pro-life exhibits in 2000.

“We regret the need for the photos, but that is the only

way to learn; it is the life of a child that is on the line,” said McKinley.

Student reactions to the exhibit varied. Some found the two-story exhibit grotesque while others thought the graphic photos are necessary.

“The exhibit is tasteless and immoral; it lies to make a point,” Mary McGovern, senior biology major said.

Others felt that the exhibit showed the reality of abortion.

“I think the pictures are gross, but it proves a good point,” undeclared major Amy Mayer said.

At the exhibit UTSA’s own pro-life organization, The Right to Life, distributed pamphlets and answered questions.

“Most abortions happen at the college level,” Koki Nikoi, junior biology/psychology major, and member of Right to Life said.

The organization, whose slogan is “from the womb to the tomb,” meets every other Tuesday to fundraise for women’s shelters.

“Students think we are trying to take away a vital resource women have,” Synthia Perez, freshman pre-nursing major said. “We want to inform women, to provide resources and respect them.”

See EXHIBIT, Page 4

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See DIGITAL, Page 3

Maureen McKinney, Justice for All staff mentor, and field intern Claire Rice speaks to Ed Peters as he is walking by the exhibit about their images and message on abortion.

‘Read Malawi’ agreement signed

Melanie Canales

Allison Tinn

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Burk Frey\ The Paisano

President Ricardo Romo and Malawi ambassador Steve Matenji shake hands after ‘Read Malawi’ project is signed which will provide Malawi children with five million books.

In Malawi, where the literacy rate is 62.7 percent, UTSA’s promise to provide educational materials and teacher training through a $13 million grant, the “Read Malawi” project.

On April 1 President Ricardo Romo and Malawian ambassador Steve Matenji signed an agreement of cooperation to promote the long term relationship between Malawi and

UTSA. “This agreement is the first of its kind with a country in Africa,” Romo said. “As a result, we officially have an agreement with one country in every continent.”

UTSA holds agreements with over 20 countries, which gives students more opportunities for education and study abroad programs.

See MALAWI, Page 3

Students worry about COLFA Ramsey Rodriguez

paisanonews@sbcglobal.net Students in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) are concerned about a disturbing trend. At several universities across the country, the popularity of a liberal art’s degree is beginning to decline.

From the University of Minnesota, to SUNY Albany and the University of Florida, administrations are making cuts to programs and re-shaping course structure in liberal arts.

“The limitations on course offerings, where they exist, come from lack of classroom space and lack of funding to hire additional assistant, associate and full professors,” Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies Christopher Wick-

Monica Trevino

It began with the music industry transitioning into digital technology. After discovering the significant impact of portable music, observers have been taking steps to digitize textbooks and eventually terminate print textbooks.

E-books will provide hyperlinking and multimedia functions. With hyperlinking, a student can click on a word within the text, linking to a website to reinforce the meaning of the concept.

Multimedia functions can provide a link to a video website such as YouTube, or it can provide its own video clip on the page. Students will also be able to search for keywords within the textbook to find meanings quicker.

Currently, digital books offered at UTSA can be accessed using CafeScribe, a delivery platform that allows faculty to interact with students using the digital textbook and allows students to share notes and discuss the content with other students online.

“This can really enhance the student’s learning experience. Our platform, CafeScribe, marries the benefits of social networks with the value of electronic textbooks.

“Imagine the same content, pagination, with richer sharing tools, in-book notes, all aggregated by a single click,” Director of the UTSA bookstore John Palmer said.

Joseph Tidline\ The Paisano

Samantha Burns

Student COLFA council gather in front of the sombrilla to hold the ‘COLFA Funeral’ to represent the downfall of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts. ham said.

“These are both issues with a long history and are not a consequence of the current national climate that has led to program closures at other institutions.”

Since COLFA is the largest college with the second largest budget, any cuts would affect smaller departments within the college. Rumors were already circulating about curriculum cuts in the humanities,

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classics, and foreign language departments for Fall 2011.

Some changes in curriculum did occur, but they were driven more by low enrollment than budgetary issues.

“Some programs in COLFA, namely classics and German weren’t graduating enough students,” Dr. Michael Almeida, the philosophy and classics department chair said. “The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in Austin gave us two options: eliminate or combine. Now we have the BA in Humanities and the BA in Classics as Classical Studies in Humanities.”

All majors in the foreign languages have also been combined.

See COLFA, Page 4

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NEWS

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April 5, 2011

Taliban militants bomb shrine

DIGITAL:Doubt rises due to technical glitches From page 1

Allison Tinn paisanonews@sbcglobal.net

A Sufi shrine in central Pakistan was attacked April 3 by two suicide bombers, leaving 42 dead, at least 80 wounded and 30 in critical condition.

This bombing, linked to the Pakistan Taliban, was the most recent attack on places of worship. The Taliban militants have taken responsibility for this bombing.

They have also attacked Shiite, Sufi and Christian minorities in the past and have said they will carry out more in retaliation of government operations against their people in the northwest.

Earlier in 2010, a team of gunmen and suicide bombers killed 93 people in attacks on two mosques belonging to the minority Ahmadi sect.

In October of the same year, a bomb was planted on a motorcycle that killed five people at a Sufi shrine in the town of Pakpattan in Punjab province. In the same month, two suicide bombers attacked another shrine in the country’s largest city, Karachi, killing at least eight people.

The attack that occurred Sunday was at Sakhi Sarwar, a Sufi shrine in a village outside the southern Punjab city of Dera Ghazi Khan.

More than 1,000 people were at the shrine when the bombers detonated the explosives they wore on their bodies as vests. One bomber was unable to detonate all explosives on his body and was treated for major burns and contusions before being arrested.

Cost reductions for students and portability will also benefit students.

“For students, digital textbooks can be a cost-saving option for their course materials.

From the bookstore perspective, we’re looking to provide as many affordable options to the students we serve, whether recommended or required by faculty,�

Palmer said.

Junior criminal justice major Cynthia Anderson agreed that digital textbooks could save students money. “Well, they’re cheaper, which is my motivating factor. You can rent them for a specific time and it costs a lot less than actually buying a book,� Anderson said.

E-textbooks also allow students to download multiple books at a time and store them on their computer or mobile device. “It also makes my bag much lighter,� Anderson said.

Though it was a quick transi-

tion for the music industry, shifts to e-textbooks may take longer because students are more cautious with their book purchases. “It is likely that the traditional print book will be around for some time. The printed book still provides a level of intimacy and portability that is preferred by many students,� Palmer said.

Assistant Professor Seok Kang agreed that print books would not be eliminated completely. “E-book is not going to completely replace paper books.

The use of e-books does not mean the extinction of print books,� Kang said. “I would call it supplementary displacement because e-books will offer advantages, and because of those advantages many people will prefer e-books.�

One of the major reasons people prefer print books is that they have a tangible object to hold in front of them and they can physically turn the pages. “I didn’t always like my ereader because I wanted the experience of opening the book

and turning the pages,� Anderson said. “It’s like I was missing something.� This problem is insignificant because she found a way around it. “But then I alleviated that part because I got a case for it that opens like a book,� Anderson said.

Other problems that arise with digital textbooks are the readers’ short attention span and the technical support e-textbooks require. “Paper book readers can read more in detail than when they read e-books, Kang said. “Reading textbooks directly is more effective reading than e-book reading.�

Although problems exist with digital textbooks, Kang believes these are problems to which students can adapt. “The trend is changing; more students will get used to reading books online, but their reading style will be different, Kang said. “It’ll be more search-based. It’ll be more practical, and students will get used to multi-tasking.�

Digital textbooks are gradually becoming popular with students, so only a minor impact has been made in the textbook market.

For this reason, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, discussion is taking place between some companies and college leaders to require students to buy e-textbooks from colleges.

Students would be required to pay a course-materials fee, which would buy e-books for all the courses in the student which are enrolled. The goal of this fee for e-books is to reduce overall costs to students. The e-book broker, Courseload, is conducting tests at a handful of colleges to determine the effects of the incorporation of e-textbooks in students’ tuition.

The future of print textbooks is not definite, but students’ use of e-books is likely to increase. “The days of e-book will come soon, very very soon,� Kang said.

MALAWI: $13 million grant unlocks potential From page 1 Romo said the agreement between UTSA and Malawi “will be developing cellphone-based education programs for Malawi grade school teachers, collaborative projects involving support for Malawi small businesses and expansion of microenterprise projects, collaborative projects that assist in the expansion of Malawi tourism and possible projects in the field of computer science, engineering and medicine.� “I am convinced that this

project will help the children understand the world around them,� Matenji said. “It will make education fun for both the children and their teachers, it will encourage them to remain in school and take their education seriously and it will help them refrain from risky behavior that has led many to contract the HIV virus and AIDS.�

The goal of the “Read Malawi� program is to encourage improvement in literacy rates of children in the Southeast African region. This project will provide Malawi schools with 120 titles in

books and print 5 million books and teachers’ guides for 1,000 elementary schools in Malawi.

The books will be written in English and in Chichewan, the primary native language in Malawi.

Romo’s only stipulation is that the books be distributed to the most rural areas of Malawi and the schools within the most need of the help. “This will help us unlock the potential of our children‌ and help us make the world a better place to live,â€? Matenji said, “one child at a time.â€?

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Malawi ambassador Steve Matenji speaks about the benefits the $13 million grant will have on children.

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COLFA: rumors fly on budget issues

Athletes’ academic progress expected to improve Burk Frey\The Paisano

From page 1

Angela Marin

paisanonews@sbcglobal.net A University of Central Florida study published on March 14 revealed that UTSA produced the second lowest Academic Progress Rate (APR) 885 of the 68 teams participating in the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

This season UTSA made NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship for the first time since 2004, but fell below the NCAA’s recommended 925 APR. The NCAA does not require that participating teams meet the 925 benchmark to be eligible for the tournament, but U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics are pushing for a reform that does.

“If we weren’t allowed to compete in the NCAA tournament this year, a lot of people would be impacted by that decision that weren’t here when that low APR was earned,” Associate Athletic Director of Academic Services Colin Howlett said.

“I think the positive is that the NCAA is trying to legislate good behavior among its institutions, its coaches, and its students, and that is a very difficult thing to do.”

A university’s APR is calculated based on the scores for the

April 5, 2011

Richmond center Dan Geriot backs down Kansas forward Thomas Robinson in a NCAA men’s basketball tournament game. UTSA’s basketball team had the second lowest academic progress rate among 68 teams participating in the 2011 NCAA tournament.

last four years.

The NCAA considers an APR a “real-time assessment of teams’ academic performance.”

They award two points each term to student athletes who meet academic eligibility standards and who remain within the institution.

A team’s APR is the total points earned by the team at a given time divided by the total points possible.

“Before our current staff got here there were a couple of years where the APR was very low, but once this year’s APR is put on, one of the bad years will fall off,” Assistant Basketball Coach Dan O’Dowd said.

UTSA will have an APR of 927 this spring when the current season’s APR is factored in, which slightly surpasses the recommended figure.

Howlett says if the NCAA were to require the 925 APR to compete, they would likely implement it on a certain “time lag” so schools would have time to adjust.

The athletic department and coaching staff have measures

in place to ensure that athletes are on point academically.

Each coach is assigned three to four players to meet with periodically about upcoming tests, assignments and projects. Athletes also report to academic counselors, have mandatory study hall and are required to attend class.

“We really try to remind them that the reason they are here is to get an education,” O’Dowd said.

“I just don’t think it’s fair to the kids that are here now because they have done what is expected of them on the court and in the classroom.”

Howlett is confident that UTSA is prepared and would not have a problem if the NCAA decides to enforce the no tournament play rule.

“If they decide that they think this is a fair penalty and they clearly describe what’s required of everyone, then that’s on the school and I would understand where the NCAA had to make that move,” Howlett said.

“Students who would otherwise have graduated with a BA in French or German will be able to earn a B.A. in Modern Language Studies and the specific concentrations in the Bachelors of Music will not be listed individually as concentrations,” said Wickham. “The curriculum has changed only a little. So students should prepare themselves for changes in the labeling of these degrees and for minor changes in degree requirements.”

Proposed budget cuts hitting UTSA will generally affect student financial aid and special programming.

“The department merger really wasn’t a budgetary problem,” said Almeida. “The discussion comes up, but we’re always reassured that programs won’t be cut.”

“No faculty are losing their jobs; nobody is being fired; no departments are disappearing,” said Wickham. “There are no cuts to the instructional budget of the college.”

The administration has made efforts in sustaining an emphasis on the college of liberal and fine arts. Rather than cuts to programs and courses COLFA is seeing an opposite trend. Santikos Theaters recently donated $50,000 in scholarships to COLFA while an approval was made for the inclusion of ART 1013 into the core curriculum.

“The college stresses to the upper administration on every possible occasion the need for

Monica Trevino

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Student COLFA Council put on display for the death of COLFA more faculty and more classroom space,” said Wickham.

“There is now an active Student COLFA Council that is in contact with the dean’s office about college matters.”

The COLFA Council recently held a COLFA Funeral on Feb. 21 to raise awareness about the recent cuts to the liberal arts around the country as well as to promote the importance of the liberal and fine arts on campus as well as around the city. Their final meeting will be Tuesday, April 19 at 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Chicano/a Room (UC 2.01.40).

The college of liberal and fine arts’ monthly newsletter, “ILLUMINATIONS,” can be accessed on the COLFA website.

EXHIBIT: Images from exhibit banned from local universities From page 1 To the surprise of some, most of the students at the exhibit were males.

“Males can also have an opinion. It does take two people to create a baby,” Nikoi said.

“This so called exhibit is disgusting.

What is anybody getting out of this?”

Grayson Diaz, sophomore engineering major, said.

“They are just trying to cause drama and tension and get people fired up,” Victoria Garrett, senior history major, said.

“Why don’t we educate our children on sex? The issue here seems to be more about education. If people knew about sex properly, they wouldn’t have to do

things like this (abortion exhibit),” Aaron Cruz, sociology graduate student, said.

Justice for All displayed their profile exhibit through the Right to Life.

Outside affiliates who use a registered student organization to promote their message or products must follow posting guidelines which do not allow material to be displayed if the material, is obscene, vulgar or libelous.

In this case, how does someone judge the obscenity or vulgarity of an image based on context?

In 2001 the abortion images displayed were banned by UT Austin, and again in 2002 at the University of Houston campus.

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The Paisano

Editor-in-Chief: Joseph Tidline

Managing Editor: Vanessa Elizarraras

News Editor: Allison Tinn

Assistant News Editor: Ramsey Rodriguez

Features Editor: Joey Alabbassi

Arts Editor: Ruben Mercado

Assistant Arts Editor: Graham Norwood

Sports Editor: Stephen Whitaker

Photo Editor: Burk Frey

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Ads Manager: Kevyn Kirven

Business Manager: Jenelle Duff

Interim Web Editor: Dan Rossiter

Interns:

Dyan Lofton, Angela Marin, Ramsey Rodriguez, Sergio Rios

Staff: Eric Becerra, Samantha Burns, Robyn Bramwell, Dylan Crice, Brianna Cristiano, Graham Cull, Kristoffer Hellesmark, Victor H. Hernandez, Kayla Larsen, Megan Lovelady, Dana Messer, Cliff Perez, Katy Schmader

Contributing Staff:

Kristen Acosta, Maritza Avelar, Paty Castro, Morgan Colhoff, Matt Dargan, Micheal Gardiner, Nina Hernandez, Charles Horvilleur, Mark Muniz, Kelsey Nichols, HeeSun Park, Lindsey Sumrall

Advisor: Diane Abdo

Advisory Board: Steven Kellman, Mansour El Kikhia, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman, Matt Stern The Paisano is published by the Paisano Educational Trust, a nonprofit, tax exempt, educational organization. The Paisano is operated by members of the Student Newspaper Association, a registered student organization.

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Editorial

The Paisano

Airlines must ensure quality Southwest Airlines Flight 812 was just another routine flight between Phoenix, Ariz., and Sacramento, Cal. on April 1. The passengers aboard were not prepared for the ceiling tiles to dislodge and collapse on them.

Thankfully, only minor injuries have been reported after the accident but the event led to massive investigations into the condition of 80 other Boeing 737-300s. Cracks have already been found in two more planes.

This begs the question: is cheap and efficient more important than quality? In this time of recession,

Commentary

the answer seems to be yes. According to Southwest Airlines, their crafts fly Southwest aircraft fly an average of 6 flights per day.

Airline companies need to make intelligent choices about the safety and maintenance of heavily - used public transportation. If they decide profit supersedes human condition, then it should be our civic duty to abstain from doing business with those unwilling to spend a larger percentage of their revenue on repairs.

It’s a positive sign that Southwest has cancelled all flights for these other crafts to ensure that all of the

OPINIONPhoto PollP5

planes are in proper working condition.

However, if the oil spill last year has taught us anything it’s the ability to be honest and to have a certain extent of foresight. In 2008, the Federal Aviation Administration fined Southwest $10.2 million for knowingly flying 46 jets that were overdue for fuselage inspections.

The airline industry might take pride in the amount of inspection each plane undergoes, but they must account for the ever-increasing age of this machinery and investigate new and alternative resources that improve safety.

Gruesome photos do more harm than good

I walk out of the BB and head to JPL to find a mid-morning snack between classes. Directly behind Sombrilla’s fountain, I notice giant posters and small groups of people huddled together in what seems to be deep discussion. From afar, the images on the posters aren’t quite clear.

Upon closer inspection, what I find is horrific. A huge picture of a bloody, 10-week-old, aborted fetus is laid out on what looks like a marble surface. Its heartbreaking disfigured head is just larger than a dime; a picture of the coin is even placed on the right as a point of reference. Above this graphic image, in big white letters, is the question, “Why?” Why?! Why did Justice For All come here and ruin my appetite?

People are eating only 30 feet away from this ridiculous presentation.

Why should students be forced to look at these gruesome photos of death without warning or choice?

As I approach to inquire, I find a lovely young, obviously pregnant, woman seated before the exhibit.

She is engaged in heated debate.

I jump in. She explains to me that the purpose for the show is to spark conversation about the controversial issue and surface what many would rather have kept behind closed doors.

It wasn’t until after speaking with members of this organization when I realized that they were asking me the wrong question. Instead of “Where does life begin?”, it should have been “When is it alright to kill?” Our society justifies killing every day with capital punishment and war.

My personal philosophy about abortion is actually quite simple.

When people discuss the issue, the first question asked is usually “Are you pro-choice or pro-life?”

The topic isn’t really that black and white. Most of us are well aware of the potential circumstances involved when a woman, or couple, is deciding what to do about an unplanned pregnancy.

Since 1973, American women and couples have three options when figuring out what to do when this often times unfortunate situation arises. The ideal option is to carry the child, birth and raise him or her for 18 years. If the future child is as lucky as the one growing inside of the woman I spoke to, his or her parents are married, in love

and working. The second option is to carry the child and give him or her up for adoption. Adoption is a traumatic, yet more acceptable alternative to the third, abortion.

The problem is that many times when someone pro-choice speaks to someone pro-life, he or she hears “anti”-choice. People who are pro-life often hear pro-“death” instead of pro-choice. I am not pro-death or anti-choice. I believe that we all have a right to life once we’re born. Before that, it’s none of my business.

I see the life vs. choice debate as blades spinning in a lawn mower.

We try to eliminate the abortion problem like a weed infestation on our lawn. You can temporarily rid weeds with a mower, but eventually they’ll grow back. Our time would be much better spent attacking this issue at the root: lack of resources, poverty, lack of education, abuse, etc.

If you don’t believe in abortion, don’t have one. If you cannot have an abortion, why try to make the painful choice for someone else?

Robyn Bramwell Staff writer

San Antonio needs better alcohol laws so discouraging to me that I know this law will not change a damn thing, and some 50-60 year old guy who gets to make these laws thinks it will. I am also positive this law will only lead to more ticket writing and paperwork on the frustrated cop’s end, and more pissed off drivers (still drunk) in the streets. And you read it yourselves! One out of 12 people knowingly and admittedly drive after drinking. The only solution to this horrendous problem is to take driving out of the equation entirely.

And having a university in a big, street-filled city, and making it a dry campus is the stupidest idea that has come from a group of collegiate people. You can almost blame them for the new-to-drinking students cause. You force us to drive off campus to get wasted and then drive back to campus to pass out.

Do you see the common factor in

Jennifer Freeman

Sophomore / mathematics “My friends had just moved in together, and on April 1 they posted a break-up message on Facebook.”

Kimberly Estrada Sophomore / criminal justice

“I told my conservative parents I was pregnant and getting an abortion. I’m from a small town, so the priest actually called me to talk me out of it.”

Megan Haines Freshman / business

Letter to the Editor Is not changing anything, to fix something, the way of the old and supposedly wise?

This letter is in regards to the article about San Antonio’s drunk driving problem.

First off, I’d like to give my condolences. What a shame such a young officer’s life was taken abruptly. It is also a shame that San Antonio officials thought it was right to close its busiest intersection on a Monday, during rush hour. Everyone was returning from spring break, making it impossible to get to UTSA. Whose brilliant idea was that?

Probably the same person who decided to extend the “no refusal” law to every weekend would stop the drunk driving.

Now, I’m only a mere 18 years old, I, surely cannot be as smart as the members of Congress who, I learned in politics, are older than the majority of citizens? It is then

What’s the best April Fool’s prank you’ve done or heard of?

this silly equation? It is the driving!

So give the students (21 years of age, of course) a safe, walkingdistance away, place to get drunk so they can stumble back home and put no one else in danger. Gee, if a college student can figure this one out, city officials shouldn’t be so surprised when the public opinion on them is terrible.

So, good luck with this new law; it must have taken lots of thinking to decide this was the best course of action. Let’s just hope another officer of the ‘law’ does not have to die before members of congress, city council, or whoever take some real action to abolish pointless laws, and write new ones that bring some good change to the public.

“My cousin left a fake positive pregnancy test at her parents’, left a few days, and came back with a fake marriage certificate and photos from the ‘wedding.’”

Andre Jones Junior / chemistry “We opened up a bunch of tampons and dipped them in ketchup, and put them on someone’s car we didn’t like.”

Meghan Herrick Freshman

The Paisano encourages new comic submissions!

Ariana Bandy

Freshman / business

“Putting sugar in the salt shaker.”

Send to paisanoeditor@sbcglobal.net

The first three letters to the editor will win free movie tickets!

Kevin Tsai Graduate / electrical engineering “My girlfriend sent me a text saying, ‘I hate you; we are done.’ I replied immediately before I scrolled down and saw the ‘APRIL FOOLS!’ “

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FEATURES The Paisano

April 5, 2011 Here’s How-to: How to not buy those pretty shoes Joey Alabbassi

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College students get into bad habits of spending too much money and making common mistakes Kelsey Nichols

paisanofeatures@sbcglobal.net

Y

ou’re walking through the mall and pass by a store window that makes you pause.

A shinning, bright light is glowing behind a black leather jacket.

It’s calling your name, it’s a “I must have it” item.

Do you walk in and buy it or walk away? If you’re like most college students, you probably walked in and made an impulse buy.

What do students spend the majority of their money on? It is expected for students to buy different things; though in reality there are a couple of items the majority of students can’t seem to refrain from buying.

According to StateUniversity. com “a student spends more than $13,000 per year on average, 19% of which is discretionary. That adds up to a substantial $211 per month

of discretionary spending.”

“Students probably wouldn’t stop spending unnecessarily because a lot of people’s parents support them at least to some extent,” Elyse Blechman said.

Parents have a contribution of an average of $154 a month, according to StateUniversity.com Other students such as Anthony Herrera, freshman business major, shared views similar to that of Blechman.

“Students spend their money on drugs and alcohol when they go out at night,” Herrera said.

Even though the stereotypical college student spends money on alcohol, Andrea Albert, freshman political science major, offered insight into how students are spending their money.

“I feel like everyone spends their money at Starbucks and on Red Bull.

In college, caffeine is something you can not live without,” Albert said.

It’s hard to save money while at-

tending classes and constantly eating food on the go. Students such as Corbin Marak, sophomore political science major, try to find ways to save their money.

“A big thing is to decide if it is something you need or something you want,” Marak said.

For example, though college students need to eat, they do not need to eat fast food or food from restaurants.

This is why it is so difficult for students to save their money; even buying lunch between classes a couple times a week is a way to spend money almost unconsciously and automatically.

Entertainment and personal care are other large expenses for college students. They spend $474 million in music sales, $658 million in theatre tickets and $341 million on video games, according to StateUniversity.com Students can and should attempt to budget their money. By reduc-

ing expenses over a large period of time, the overall outcome should be self rewarding.

Along with a personal budget, you can write down everything you buy right after you buy it. This essentially has the same effect on your spending as counting your calories. It will force each purchase to be done consciously.

Simple tricks to prevent the justification of an unnecessary expense could be to bring a lunch or a couple of snacks onto campus each day.

This will gradually reduce the desire to buy lunch.

Purchase a coffee machine and make your own coffee. In a short amount of time the overall cost will be reduced dramatically.

Not only are you aware of how other students are spending their money, but now you can consciously become aware of your spending as well. Restaurants, Starbucks, alcohol, etc. do not need to be an everyday expense.

paisano-online.com

We’re all adults. But we’re also college students. And what do college students love to do?

Spend money!

This week’s features theme is all about budgeting and money management.

So let’s get to it!

Over 70 percent of college students apply and get a credit card. Credit cards are meant to sucker you into debt, so for now, avoid credit cards unless you really need one. Students usually graduate college with more debt than cash.

If you decide you just have to have that Xbox, save as much as you can until you can pay for it cash.

Budgeting might seem something that only adults do, but if you learn to budget now it will help you more than you think in the long run. Knowing how, when and where to spend money could help you avoid impulse buying and buy big-buck items in the heat of the moment.

I never use my savings unless it’s an emergency and I can’t transfer money over more than once a month.

Call your bank and ask them to put a limit on savings-to-checking transfer. Usually there’s already a limit, but this way you can only do it once a month and it will be less enticing to always transfer cash.

Another way to hold back is to have a savings account at another bank. This way you won’t always see that “spend me” money every time you log into your online banking.

The Paisano Paisano The

2April 5, 2011

FEATURES

P7

August 26, 2008

Budget your $$$ Dyan Lofton

paisanofeatures@sbcglobal.net

Money management 101 Morgan Colhoff

paisanofeatures@sbcglobal.net Money management is a vital skill for a college student, but most don’t realize it’s important until after they have made a few mistakes.

The accessibility to cash comes in many different forms: federal grants, loans, credit cards and even family members. Students’ easy access to funds can potentially be their biggest enemy.

When students max out credit cards on a wardrobe and casually spend all of their leftover loan money on an Xbox or an iPad, they don’t realize their decisions bring harsh consequences.

Yasmina Codina, a senior Mexican American studies and anthropology major, thinks that students’ spending habits are very inconsistent.

“They spend more at different times of the year with the big chunks of money coming in, such as tax refunds and pell grants,” Codina said.

When big lump sums of money are put into students’ hands, they immediately start thinking of the items they can spend it on. Many don’t think of creating an emergency fund by putting the money

into a savings account.

Let’s say a student receives a check for $1,300 from what is left over from his or her student loan.

With this amount of cash in his or her hands, he or she may not realize that this is still a loan, and this is money that must be paid back later.

The student must learn to weigh a want and a need. The money should be spent only on items they need during the course of the semester, and this does not include a designer purse or a video game.

A good way to avoid wasting this money is to budget it at the beginning of the semester, keeping in mind all of the college essentials.

Eleanna Ocampo, graduate student in Spanish translations, says students should “have a management plan to see how much money they need for the semester. Balance out how much they need for rent, food, gas, etc. They should split up these plans weekly and monthly.”

Credit cards bring another budgeting battle because they can either be helpful or dangerous.

Ocampo says that credit cards are “good for building credit, but for some people it can be bad because they will spend and then get this huge bill.”

This large bill accrues interest, and if a student can afford to pay only a little over the minimum payment required, he or she could be in credit card debt for years.

In an article from Forbes.com, Scott Reeves writes, “Some young adults have trouble with credit cards and view the credit limit as an invitation to spend what they consider to be their money.”

The limit is there, but it is irresponsible to spend the entire amount. Maxing credit cards harms credit scores, which can potentially cause problems when later trying to purchase a car or a home.

There are many important basic tips for every college student to remember.

Create a monthly budget and stick to it.

Before making a purchase, decide if it is a want or a need.

Evaluate if having a credit card is the right choice.

If it is, do not abuse its maximum limit.

Be conscious of what is being spent from loan funds.

If these basic rules are followed, students will learn how to manage their money, and this skill will be invaluable long after they graduate.

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Budgeting is often a major concern for college students. According to Student Finance Domain, a money management website, “Creating a student budget plan is an important step every student can take to assess his or her financial wellness.”

Assessing your finances, setting financial goals and prioritizing your expenditures are fundamental steps that will help college students take control of personal finances.

Students question the idea of budgeting, but what do they really know about it? According to American Financial Solutions, a debt counseling agency, budgeting allows a person to take control of their money instead of the money controlling them.

According to Student Finance Domain constructing a budget “will tell you if you’re living within your means. Many people don’t realize they’re living far beyond their means until they’re knee deep in debt.”

Professors in UTSA’s finance department provide their advice.

“You always want to keep track of what you’re doing, keep track of your money, and you want a better idea of how you spend your money,” Professor Donald Lien, said. “Small expenditures here and another small one there [can] become a big number.”

He suggests students should monitor their accounts and [bank statements] carefully.

College students who say they are “broke” may have legitimate reasons.

“The majority of my funds go to gas, food and clothes,” senior

political science major Deneva McCullough said. “I don’t have a budget, but I spend my money on what’s necessary for the most part. I do like to buy clothes occasionally.”

Some students, however, do budget.

“I usually budget my spending every week, ranging from lunch on campus to other activities outside of school with friends,” junior accounting major Jacory Brasfield said. “I found in doing so, I’m more efficient with my funds.”

Junior communication major Karla Campos takes a different approach to budgeting. She budgets by “picking the biggest payments.

The mortgage, car payment and utilities. And total it up and divide it by how many weeks are in a month and put that away until it is due.”

Other ways that Campos mentioned are “to cook more at home than [to] go out” and she sets money in a separate account that she saves.

“A budget can help you meet your savings goal,” according to American Financial Solutions. “Following a realistic budget frees up spare cash so you can use your money on the things that really matter to you instead of frittering it away on things you don’t even remember buying.”

The Student Finance Domain provides additional advice. “After going through the process of creating a student budget plan or personal budget plan, many people realize that they actually don’t have enough money to pay for all their expenditures. [But] with planning, you can have what you need and save to meet your goals.”

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P8

ARTS

The Paisano

April 5, 2011

Fun times at the Drafthouse

Ruben Mercado paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net

Celebrity Jenga

Ramsey Rodriguez

Katy Schmader/The Paisano

paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net

Have you or anyone you know been guilty of cinematic addiction?

Some people have watched a movie so many times they have memorized the lines.

In an effort to combat this obsession with dialogue head on, the Alamo Drafthouse established monthly movie quote-along events.

Much like a sing-along, a quotealong is when the famous lines from a classic or cult film are displayed as subtitles for everyone in the audience to “quote” along to. With the help of the staff, every quote-along and special movie event creates its own special environment, specific to the movie itself.

This past February, the Alamo Drafthouse screened the 2001 cult comedy “Super Troopers” throughout the month. As patrons walked in, the Drafthouse crew handed out fake mustaches for everyone to wear inside the theater.

A few minutes after we sat down, another crew member walked around handing out blue and red glow sticks with bits of string to tie them together. Headlights were swinging above our heads whenever the Vermont State Patrol hit their sirens before a game of “repeat” or “cat game.” Before the movie even started, a couple of moviegoers got to face off in a syrup-chugging competition, which we were assured was really iced tea.

In March, I attended the screening of 1995’s classic teen comedy, “Clueless.” Attendees wore boas, and couples shared margaritas and appetizers as they waited for the movie to start.

Everyone got into the nostalgic spirit as the rampant “whatevers” and “as ifs” reminded the audience of why this movie was so crucial to adolescent development in the late

Wa t e r C o o l e r

A view of Alamo Drafthouse from the outside. The Drafthouse was recently named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the top 10 theaters in the nation and is well-known for its regular events that add to the cinematic experience.

1990s.

On March 27, I went to my favorite quote-along to date. The Alamo Drafthouse screened Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 violent epic, “Pulp Fiction,” at their Park North location.

I completely underestimated the drawing power of this event as the 7:30 p.m. viewing was sold out by the time I tried to buy a ticket. Luckily, seats for the 10:00 p.m. show were still available. The Drafthouse

crew handed out cap guns before the movie began, letting everyone perform their own rendition of “Ezekiel 25:17.”

The crowd was also entertained with a twist competition as 5 Dollar Shakes and Big Kahuna Burgers were ordered all around.

The month of April appears to have the cure for the common film addict with more quote-alongs and special events. Visit www.drafthouse .com

to look up show times for the “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Princess Bride” quote-alongs and other special events including a sneak preview of the indie film, “Austin High.”

Paisano meetings are Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Come write for us!

Much like the game of Jenga, the media builds celebrities up and watches the nation see the celebrities’ reputations and fame improve.

There is fun, laughter and enjoyment. Yet there is also fun when the inevitable collapse happens.

This past weekend Charlie Sheen made his tour debut, which was an enormous disaster. As people booed and left early during Charlie’s bizarre antics, one has to wonder why he has been getting so much attention at all.

The media was on Charlie’s side during the good times, but were just as excited to see him totally self-destruct over the last couple of months.

Charlie Sheen is hardly alone in this category. Britney Spears had her crazy phase, and it was all you could hear about for months. Lindsay Lohan has some kind of insanity happening every few weeks, and you can bet it’s going to be on the front page somewhere when it does.

The question is: why? Why do people get so much enjoyment out of not only living vicariously through these people who honestly aren’t better than we (just richer,) and then find some kind of perverted enjoyment out of seeing their lives fall apart?

They’re people, too. I would venture to say you wouldn’t be as fascinated by a neighbor or coworker going through Charlie Sheen levels of self-destruction. You would probably just be a little freaked out.

So the next time you pick up a tabloid to read about Lindsay Lohan’s 90th stint in rehab, consider that all you’re doing is feeding into the machine that is promoting it in the first place.

ARTS

The Paisano

April 5, 2011

P9

Paisano Eat & Drink

Every week the Paisano reviews a different local restaurant.

This week, we review...

Burgers, chips and beer contribute to the friendly, laid-back atmosphere that makes Friendly Spot so appealing to locals.

Katy Schmader

paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net

T

he Friendly Spot is not the stereotypical, obnoxious college hangout filled with loud rock music and clouds of smoke. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. There isn’t a name that could fit this icehouse better.

The Friendly Spot is reminiscent of what the perfect back porch should feel like. Brightly colored aluminum porch chairs are scattered across a large gravel patio. Every chair is filled

with friendly faces, some people sparked in deep conversation, others laughing among friends. Dogs lie at their masters’ feet and wait patiently as their humans converse. Children giggle and run up and down the playground while parents watch from a distance while visiting with one another. Local bicyclists roll up and lock their bikes to the surrounding fence and bike racks, stopping for refreshments before making their trip home.

The whole place has a backyard neighborhood block-party vibe to it;

Katy Schmader/The Paisano

Katy Schmader/The Paisano

The Friendly Spot - Come hungry, be friendly

Like a comfortable neighberhood back porch, The Friendly Spot welcomes patrons to a relaxing evening of conversation, food, drink and basketball on the screens. Events such as this are common at The Friendly Spot.

a welcoming place to sit with friends, or to meet new ones. You walk in and you feel like you know everyone. The bar is great for sitting outdoors on a cool summer night, but they also have some indoor seating for those who just can’t stand the heat.

There always seems to be something going on at the Friendly Spot.

Spurs games or other sports entertainment play on the giant slab outdoor cinema.

Crowds of spectators group around cheering for their favorite team.

Jerseys of different colors come together in friendly competition. When there isn’t a game playing, a crowd still gathers to catch a movie. And

if that’s not exciting enough, on Sundays The Friendly Spot serves brunch with two-dollar Mimosas all day! There’s even a side stage for live music.

In addition to everything else, the Friendly Spot has recently been named one of the top 20 restaurants in San Antonio. This little icehouse definitely fits in perfectly with Southtown’s environment.

Located down South Alamo Street, the spot is right in the middle of First Friday with probably some of the best seats in the house.

The Friendly Spot won’t even break a poor college student’s budget! There is almost nothing on the

menu over eight dollars. The alcohol is cheap and there always seems to be some kind of special running. If it’s not $2 Shiners on Thursday or $3 Blue Moons on draft on Tuesday, other local brews are on special. And with over 180 different brews with 24 on draft, there is something for everyone on the menu.

The Friendly Spot is open Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.

Go to paisano-online.com for more stories!

Band with an Iron Liver Nina Hernandez

paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net

Iron Liver is a metal band co-founded by senior information systems and information insurance and security major Daniel Walker.

The band has played live once, but they’re working on an EP and hope to go on the road as soon as the EP is recorded. The next concert is scheduled for the Big Texas 420 Fest.

“I would consider Iron Liver an extremely progressive band because our roots are in thrash,” Walker said. “I don’t think music should stay the same. My goal as a musician is to always create original music, always push the envelope and evolve.”

Walker said the most influential bands for him are Pantera, Slayer, Lamb of God and Mastodon.

“We wouldn’t exist without them,” Walker said. “At the same time, we want to evolve music from what we’ve learned and make it more concise, clear and available to a wider audience more marketable.”

Walker and Iron Liver vocalist Tony Smith, are originally from Oregon. Walker came to San Antonio for two reasons: to become involved in the local music scene and to attend UTSA. In 2009, Smith followed and the two started Iron Liver.

“We require [Smith] to enunciate the lyrics so they can be understood without being read,” Walker said. “I’m so excited about this band. It’s very special. We have such a melding of different styles.”

The final lineup consists of Walker on guitar, Smith on vocals, award-winning guitar player Dillon Hogan on bass and Rob Howe on guitar. Walker and Howe trade off playing rhythm

and lead guitar, and Hogan occasionally steps away from the bass to play guitar on certain tracks.

“I’m playing with the best musicians I’ve ever played with in this band,” Walker said.

“I can write something so technical and they have no trouble playing these songs—no trouble playing any of the riffs.”

Walker said it was pure luck that he was able to secure Hogan as the bass player.

“For such a phenomenal guitar player to play full time bass in our band is such an honor,” Walker said.

Iron Liver’s first single is titled “T-Rex” which Walker said is based on a true story.

“Sometimes it’s just me writing lyrics, and then Walker reads them and writes the music,” Smith said. “Other times he’ll play a riff and I’ll start writing lyrics to it. We have so many different influences that it makes it more original.”

Walker is a glass-blowing apprentice in addition to student and guitarist. He believes that the recycling of glass will benefit the environment in the future. Walker has also collaborated with an artist back in Oregon to create a comic book series, which explains some of more obscure lyrics in the eventual EP. The comic will be projected behind the stage during shows, along with headlines from newspapers.

“We feel like the music has to be top notch no matter what,” Walker said. “But if people come to a live show, even if they don’t like the music, they’ll be dazzled by the usual effects they see.”

Next week in the Paisano • Preview of the upcoming UTSA performance of Cyrano De Bergerac • Preview of the play The Vagina Monologues coming to UTSA • Coverage of The Artistry Company’s show to benefit the Battered Women and Children’s shelter • Coverage of UTSA professor Greg Elliot’s art exhibit

P10

The Paisano

SPORTS

April 5, 2011

Indoor Track outrunning rest of Southland Conference Sergio Rios

Matthew James drove in seven runs over the weekend against the Islanders.

Roadrunner baseball sweeps Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Stephen Whitaker paisanosports@att.net

Fresh off a victory over number 19 ranked Baylor, the Roadrunners returned home for a weekend series with the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders in the latest installment of the I-37 Rivalry.

Entering play on Friday, the Islanders were riding an eight-game winning streak and sat in a three way tie for third place. The Roadrunners had just one win in conference but were trying to build on the win at Baylor.

The Roadrunners carried the day Friday by scoring six runs in the first two innings and tying a season high with 19 hits.

The Islanders cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth with two runs, having already scored one run in the fourth, but a seven-run bottom of the fifth for the Roadrunners proved enough for the win.

On a sun-drenched Saturday, the starting pitchers for both teams threw a scoreless duel until the bottom of the fifth when Matthew James led off with a walk and then

came around to score the first run of the day on a two-out Riley Good double that gave the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead.

The Roadrunners held the Islanders scoreless in the top half of the sixth and used a couple of walks and some timely hitting to -upping the advantage to 4-0.

The Islanders got a run back in the top of the seventh off a sacrifice fly, but three runs down would be as close as they got before the fireworks happened in the bottom of the seventh.

Following two quick outs, the Roadrunners were able to load the bases for Matthew James, who sent a ball flying over the left field fence for a grand slam home run that gave the Roadrunners an 8-1 edge going into the eighth inning.

The Islanders would get their final run of the day on a home run that made the score 8-2.

The Roadrunners got the sweep Sunday by erasing an 8-0 deficit with the help of a season high four home runs and pulling out a 14-10 win over the Islanders.

In a hotel room in Norman, Oklahoma, All-American Richard Garrett Jr. set out to fill up his room’s set of trashcans with ice.

He had been sitting on a bus for eight hours and needed an ice bath to relax his body in preparation for the Southland Conference Indoor Championship.

Although his tall, imposing figure seemed composed behind his white headphones, he and the rest of UTSA’s men’s track and field team knew they could not leave the Indoor Championship without a sixth consecutive ring.

“I woke up that morning pumped, but I was nerve-wrecked,” Garrett Jr. said.

That day, he was hounded by recurring images of a bad meet weeks before, something he vowed never to let happen again. Even his textmessage signature served as a reminder to himself - and his teammates - that he would not disappoint again - Never Again.

On this day though, early wins by sophomores Keith Bedford in the high jump and Tyler Williamson in the long jump set the pace, and the Roadrunners never looked back.

“I told the guys that we wanted to start off strong,” team captain and two-time winner of the triple jump event, Devon Bond said.

Before the end of the meet, three more birds would win events for a conference record tying, six individual titles, with sophomore Taylor Reed winning the pole vault event, added to Albert Cardena’s victory in the mile and Garrett Jr.’s gold in the shot put.

Garrett Jr., a sophomore criminal justice major, also set a personal record with his mark of 61 feet, eight inches (18.81 m).

“Typically, the rule that I have is

Burk Frey/ The Paisano

Brianna Cristiano/ The Paisano

paisanosports@att.net

The Roadrunner track team, shown here in an outdoor competition, has won six consecutive Southland indoor championships.

that a third of your team will do below average, a third above average and a third average,” Director of track and field and six time indoor Coach of the Year Aaron Fox said.

“This time, there was no below average.”

Overall, the Roadrunners finished the two-day event with a school record of 153 points, 42 points ahead of second place UT Arlington. The point total is also the second best in Southland Conference history, trailing Lamar’s 1983 mark of 164.

“Throughout the meet we had no clue we were up by that much,” Garrett said. “Really, we were just concentrating on our events and supporting each other.”

“We do anything we can, motivational wise, to help our teammates win,” added Bond, the 2010 Conference Newcomer of the Year. “We yell, we shout...we don’t care who’s in that building.”

UTSA’s well balanced track team and part-time cheer squad also included 13 other athletes earning points.

When Garrett Jr. was asked about the team’s success, he stated, “Coach [Fox] tells us not to do it for

paisano-online.com

ourselves; he says to do it for your teammate because you will quit on yourself, but you won’t quit on your team.”

Now, this pack of tight-flying - or running - birds have set eyes on winning their first back-to-back outdoor championship in May. “We’ve done six in a row, but outdoors we are yet to win a back-toback, so that’s kind of the goal this year,” Fox said.

For now though, the Roadrunners will continue training like a team chasing its first coyote, until the hotel room ice hunts and ensuing victory laps signal otherwise.

UTSA to Host Inaugural Spring Football Game To complete the spring practice and give the fans a taste of football five months before the home opener, the Roadrunner football team will hold its inaugural spring game at two o’clock on Saturday, April 9 in the Alamodome.

Admission is free and parking will be available for $5 in Alamodome Lots A and B.

April 5, 2011

SPORTS

P11

The Paisano

Time out with the Coaches on the Links Men’s golf coach in first head coaching job, Women’s golf coach building program into has experience from time as assistant

perennial conference contender

Work in Progress April: month of opportunity Stephen Whitaker paisanosports@att.net

Editor’s Note: This is the sixth in a series of stories on UTSA coaches.

Stephen Whitaker

File Photo

Men’s Golf Head Coach John Knauer has lived golf. Before coming to UTSA in 2008, Knauer was an assistant coach for the Arizona Wildcats, a national golf power.

Knauer recently sat with the Paisano to talk about golf and life.

What is the best part about being a coach at UTSA? I think it is the chance to build my own program within a growing athletic department. Something new is happening here every day, and it is exciting to be a part of it.

When did you decide to become a coach?

Going into college I had a chance to play golf at Division III schools or go to Texas A&M. I thought I was going to be a business tycoon but I was struggling. I changed majors and let the doors open. I was able to get an internship as an assistant at A&M and then that grew into a paid assistant coach at A&M. When not coaching the Roadrunners, what do you do?

There is not a lot of time off from golf, but when I do have time off, I spend time with my two little girls. I spend any time off at home.

What would you do if you

File Photo Graham Cull/ The Paisano

paisanosports@att.net

Men’s golf coach John Knauer

Women’s golf coach Carrie Parnaby

couldn’t be a coach?

I have thought about that. I don’t know what I would do; this job is a 24-hour-a-day job.

Who is the biggest influence on you?

Coach Bob Ellis. He gave me my start; he helped me get in as a coach. Rick LaRose at Arizona treated me from day one like I was a head coach; I won an award for assistant coach of the year thanks to coach LaRose.

What is the moment in sports you are most proud of?

While I was at Arizona we made the 2000 National Championship tournament at Auburn University.

We made the cut by two strokes.

We weren’t really in the running for the title, but we shot 19 under par and finished in third place with two freshmen on the team.

Editor’s Note: This is the seventh in a series of stories on UTSA coaches.

Stephen Whitaker paisanosports@att.net

Since Carrie Parnaby took over as the second head coach in the history of UTSA women’s golf, the program has developed into a power within the Southland Conference.

Parnaby took some time away from the course to talk to the Paisano.

What is the best part about being a coach at UTSA? To me the best part would have to be that our program is fairly new.

It seems the whole athletic program is on the rise. It is just an exciting time to be a part of UTSA, especially with women’s golf program. We have been steadily improving and that’s really exciting.

When did you decide to become a coach?

My senior year at Tennessee, I got injured and my coach took me on two trips as a student-assistant. I got to see the other side of things.

Since that point I have kind of pointed my career to coaching. I played professionally for a few years and from there it kind of evolved.

If you couldn’t be a coach, what would you be doing?

I would have done something related to golf. I would have been a teacher or I might have played longer. My major was in marketing but I definitely would have done something in golf.

Who is the biggest influence in where you are today?

I would say my dad. He instilled a really great work ethic in me and I have just always been a hard worker.

What do you do when you aren’t coaching the Roadrunners?

If you play golf, golf is kind of your life, but I am usually playing golf or trying to spend time with my family up in Dallas. I have a young niece and nephew, and I try to hang out with them quite a bit. I am a big family person.

Next Week: men’s tennis coach Jeff Kader and women’s tennis coach Erin Scott

paisano-online.com

I don’t know about you, but I am happy it is April.

April is the month that Major League Baseball begins, unless you’re a fan of the Houston Astros; their season always starts in May. April is the beginning of the NBA playoffs. Some years, Texas is lucky to have three teams make the playoffs. This year could be one of those years as long as the Rockets keep winning and either the Hornets or Grizzlies lose a couple of games. If that doesnt happen, Go Spurs and Mavs.

If you aren’t a fan of the pro game, there is always UTSA athletics. Baseball and softball are in full swing with multiple chances to catch them play.

April is also Fiesta. In honor of Fiesta, the Roadrunners will play their inaugural spring game in football on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Alamodome. It’s a taste of September in April. By the way, it is free to get in but parking is $5. UTSA has to get money somehow, right?

Back to that Fiesta thing. It began as a way to celebrate the anniversary of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto back in 1891 but more on that in two weeks.

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The Paisano

paisano-online.com

April 5, 2011