The Paisano Vol. 47 Issue 13

Rescheduled for Luminaria May 5 see page 8

UTSA ending time in Southland Conference see page 12

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

April 24, 2012

Volume 47

Issue 13

Smart phones are becoming harder for thieves to steal thanks to new technology.

Intern

news@paisano-online.com Smart phone theft is on the rise.

Now, a new government initiative is being implemented to reduce the profitability of smart phone theft and protect millions of smart phone users across the country.

The cell phone theft prevention initiative includes several weapons. The first is a database, available later this year, that would allow cell phone theft victims to call their service providers and block the stolen cell phone from being used. The service providers must participate in the service for this option to be available to customers.

Smart phone makers and wireless providers will educate users on what they can do to protect themselves and their smart phones from theft. Lock/

even death.”

So, what happens to all the stolen cell phones? They are either used by the thief, or sold for cash to an unsuspecting or unscrupulous buyer. Either way, the stolen phone will need to be flashed (reprogrammed) in order for the new owner to use the phone discretely.

Making it difficult for thieves to flash stolen cell phones is at the heart of the government initiative. By partnering with local law enforcement agencies and several major wireless service providers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint, the FCC hopes to dramatically reduce the number of cell phone-related violent crimes.

The program is expected to expand over the next 18 months into a global effort. The major cell phone providers participating in the initial phase of the program account for 90 percent of the cell phone service in this country.

Alamo Cup goes to Washington Ryan Branch News Editor

news@paisano-online.com

Student Services Fee pays for $9500 SGA vacation retreat Daniel Crotty Paseo Assistant

news@paisano-online.com UTSA’s Student Government Association (SGA) was given a budget of $47,650 for the 2011-2012 academic year. The funds go toward a variety of expenses for the organization. The SGA’s expenses are paid for with money collected from the Student Services Fee, which UTSA students pay every semester as part of their tuition. 45 percent, or $21,593, of the SGA’s budget goes toward officer stipends, a leadership-building trip, the SGA banquet and retreats in the fall and spring. The SGA’s LeaderFund receives an additional $9,000 on top of their annual budget.

The remainder of the budget is devoted to the golf cart parade, office operations, public relations, the University Life Awards and various expenditures related to committees. A more detailed copy of the budget is available upon request at the SGA office on campus, which is located next to the Subway in the University Center (UC).

UTSA students taking 12 hours of coursework during the spring 2012 semester paid $184.80 for the Student Services Fee. This fee not only pays for the SGA’s budget, but the budgets for the other UTSA-sponsored organizations as well.

Together, these other organizations such as the Campus Activities Board, the Greek councils, Honors Alliance, Student Organization Council, UTSA Ambassadors and VOICES, receive around $146,000 from the Student Services Fee. In regard to how the money is spent, Student Government Association President Xavier Johnson said SGA achieved several goals this year.

See YOUR MONEY, Page 3

‘Rooster’ hosts UTSA Republican forum Hannah Smothers Staff Writer

news@paisano-online.com

Ryan Branch / The Paisano

The University of Washington took home the Alamo Cup by winning the 2012 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC) hosted

by UTSA’s Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS). The second and third place teams were from the United States Air Force Academy and Texas A&M. Every year, teams from around the country compete in 10 regional competitions. The winning teams from those regional competitions go on to compete in the national competition.

“The CCDC program is kind of like March madness, but with computer stuff,” the CIAS’s Associate Director of Technology and Research Dwayne Williams said. “We have qualifying events that feed into regionals. The winners of the regionals come to San Antonio for the National Championship. The CIAS hosts and executes the National Championship event, but we also oversee the rest of the program.”

Each school is allowed one team

SGA members in their office in the University Center.

A lab similar to the ones used in the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition hosted by Deloitte.

of up to eight students. Each team is given a fully functioning small business network that they must secure and defend. Each gets exactly the same

network and uses the same hardware so that no team has an advantage over the other.

See ALAMO CUP, Page 4

The UTSA College Republicans hosted their first forum in two years, which included 32 Republican political candidates currently running for office. Each candidate gave a twominute overview of their qualifications and platform, and answered questions that were written by the College Republicans group. The candidates ranged from tax assessors to sheriffs to candidates running for a seat in the House Representatives.

On April 18, College Republicans Chairman, Ian “Rooster” Jacobson, opened the forum with a brief speech about several stereotypes he believes are applied to the Republican Party.

Hannah Smothers / The Paisano

Richard Rowley

locate/wipe apps can be performed remotely; many cell phones already have password capability. The initiative will educate and encourage the public to take advantage of this feature.

The initiative was put in place because of dramatic increases in the number of violent crimes involving cell phone theft in major cities across the country. According to the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), 40 percent of all robberies in New York City involve cell phones.

Between 2007 and 2011, there was a 54 percent increase in cell phone theft during robberies in Washington, D.C. alone. Studies of other major cities show that cell phone robberies account for between 30 and 40 percent of all robberies. FCC officials point out that, “robberies are, by definition, violent crimes, and there are many instances of robberies targeting cell phones resulting in serious injury or

Alyssa Gonzales/ The Paisano

Burk Frey/ The Paisano

Smart phones outsmart thieves

Chairman of the College Republicans Ian Jacobson.

“We’re greedy, we’re fascist, we’re racist; that’s what I’ve learned about myself after years of being a Republican,” Jacobson said.

See FORUM, Page 3

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YOUR MONEY: Where is it?

“Bringing alcohol to Chili’s on campus, convincing UTSA to build a Starbucks at the downtown campus, creating a waitlist program for registration and removing a FERPA violation,” Johnson said.

Johnson also explained that the SGA is helping plan football games, coordinating a sustainability forum, improving the planning of the University Life Awards and creating a stronger presence on campus.

SGA Treasurer Darnell Thomas also added to the list of their achievements.

“SGA has gotten half-price perishables at the C3 convenience store in the last hour of business, doubled the number of tailgating spaces at the Alamodome (from 30 to 70), started double-sided printing, passed the transportation referendum and (the campus) will be getting more hydration stations in the fall,” Darnell said.

The SGA also collected and answered student concerns involving these issues.

“This year, we utilized such methods as Roving Surveys given across all of campus, surveys, polls, tabling

for student concerns, going to student organizations’ meetings and face-toface interaction with various constituents,” Johnson said.

We also increased our Facebook presence as well as other social networks to try and reach out to more students as well. The individual members and representatives also held focus group meetings and other discussions as well as a presence at various campus events getting feedback and other heavily populated student meeting areas.”

According to the SGA’s constitution, the purpose of the organization is to, “Promote student rights and responsibilities; promote cooperation and partnership among the students, student organizations, and the University faculty, staff, and administration; promote the interests of student life; promote education and learning; review and make recommendations on matters affecting the university community; provide for the exchange of information, ideas, and opinions; foster a sense of university community; and develop leadership opportunities for students.”

Thomas explained the purpose of

the SGA is to “serve as the representatives of the student body to university administration.”

UTSA students are expressing mixed feelings about how SGA is representing them within the university.

“SGA is worth it. I believe if you inform enough people about a problem, then you will get what you want,” senior anthropology major Destiney Hennington said. “I feel that they represent me on campus. I feel I can be represented more if I involve myself in the organization.”

Hennington also explained why she is not yet involved in the SGA. “I didn’t know enough about the organization or where it was located.”

Hennington said. She also proposed that SGA should, “go around campus and talk to people. It’s more personable.”

Some students think the SGA does not need the money they receive.

“SGA doesn’t deserve the $47,000 they receive each year,” senior health major Elena Martinez said. “The last time I heard from them, a guy was trying to get elected. He wanted to get rid of the cats on campus. I told him no because I like the cats.”

SGA itemized budget 2011-2012 •

Officer Stipends & Student Worker Salary - $6,357

•

Joint Sponsorship Activities - $1,850

•

Forum/Committee Expenditures - $900

•

Office Operations - $1,125

•

UT Student Advisory Council - $250

•

Public Relations - $4,750

•

SGA Institute - $5,907

•

FIRE Freshman

•

SGA Banquet - $3,350

•

Fall SGA Retreat - $9586

•

Spring SGA Retreat - $250

Involvement - $1,000 •

University Life Awards - $7,800

•

Golf Cart Parade - $4,525

Hannah Smothers / The Paisano

From Page 1

Ian ‘Rooster’ Jacobson opens the UTSA College Republican forum.

FORUM: Candidates stump at UTSA From Page 1

His speech provoked laughter and applause from audience members as they settled into their seats and prepared for the candidates to take the stage.

JP Bosco III, College Republican treasurer, was responsible for introducing the candidates to the audience and posing the questions. The candidates had 30 seconds to answer before the sounding of a bell indicating that their time was up. The candidates were organized into groups according to their respective offices and were brought on stage accordingly.

Several UTSA alumni were among the candidates, including Alma Perez-Jackson, who is running for Texas State Representative for District 125.

Jackson grew up on the south side of San Antonio in a family of eight children. After 10 years of taking two classes a semester, summer school and night classes, she graduated from UTSA with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2005.

“There are eight children in my family, and five of us now have college degrees,” Jackson said, “We didn’t accomplish all that we have with the help of affirmative action, we did it on our own.”

Jackson, raised in a household with what she describes as “tight finances,” claims she never could have imagined

being back at her alma mater giving a speech as a political candidate.

Other UTSA alumni in attendance as candidates were Robert Behrens, Juanita Vasquez Gardener and John Clamp.

College Republicans’ Vice Chairman Austin Hagee closed the forum with a brief speech thanking the candidates and audience members for attending.

Following the formal proceedings of the forum, many candidates chose to stay and answer any questions by the audience members.

Jacobson, who was the main organizer of the event, said he felt “very relieved” at the close of the forum.

“I was incredibly stressed coming into this and was really nervous about how well attended it would be, but I feel like the event went well,” Jacobson said.

UTSA freshman Matt Lesicko was one of the Roadrunners in attendance at the forum.

“I would like to see more events like the Republican forum; it’s interesting to see such a wide range of political candidates come to UTSA and reach out to college students and young voters,” Lesicko said.

Jacobson and the College Republicans urged students to vote and take an active role in politics, no matter what party affiliation students may have.

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The Paisano April 24, 2012 4 ALAMO CUP: UTSA hosts seventh annual cyber competition “The small business that we give the team is functional, but not secure,” Williams said. “There may be 40 different ways to break into that machine, and it is the team’s job to come in, secure the system, maintain the services that we tell them to and operate this small business.”

Competitors must also face attacks from the Red Team, a group of hackers that tries to undermine each team’s network. This gives each team experience with the difficulties that they might face in the real world, experience that may not be able to obtain elsewhere.

“Another problem we saw is that a lot of times the academic programs didn’t provide tactical experience,” Williams said. “They might have a couple of labs, but very few students will have actually sat down and looked at malicious traffic or been attacked and been able to respond to it. Those are some of the things that we have integrated into the competition.”

The competition is defensive only: Teams cannot attack one another to gain an advantage. There is a specific reason for that rule.

“The teams that come in here are training to go work for say, Wal-Mart,” Williams said. “You get hired by WalMart, but you are not paid to attack K-Mart, at least not publically. You are paid to defend Wal-Mart. The greatest demand out there now is for people that can secure and defend a network.”

Some of the past year’s winners came from very small schools such as Baker College out of Flint, Michigan, which won the competition in 2008 and 2009.

“The group from Baker College is the far end of the spectrum of people who are really into this,” Williams said.

“A group of individuals that trained as a team, according to them, for probably between 10 and 20 hours every week for a year. They absolutely came in and dominated the competition. Every single one of those kids, when they

left, had fantastic job offers.”

UTSA has hosted the CCDC annually since its creation in 2005.

“The first year we did CCDC it was just a regional event,” the CIAS’s Associate Director of Technology and Research Dwayne Williams said. “We had five schools in the state of Texas only. That was kind of the prototype of the event. We went from a regional effort in 2005, and in 2006, we actually went national with it on a limited basis, and it’s grown ever since.”

The CCDC is designed to level the

Coins like this one from the Cyber Patriot Competition are handed out to participants.

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playing field so that students who are interested in this career path would be able to test their mettle in the cyber arena.

“The initial concept came out of a National Science Foundation sponsored meeting,” Williams said Lance Hoffman and Ron Dodge wrote a paper and said, ‘We would like money to put on a conference and at that conference the goal is going to be to discuss this issue: Can you create a cyber-security competition? Something that is fair and equitable so that a

Ryan Branch / The Paisano

From Page 1

4/6/2012 1:17:35 PM

school like MIT, a school that has billions of dollars in endowment funds, doesn’t have a huge advantage over ‘Podunk state’. “ Another incentive for students interested in pursuing a career in cyber defense is that this career field is growing at 28 percent per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“There are a number of companies that will move your name to the top of their lists because they know you have been exposed to a stressful environment; you have the ability to work on a team; and you’ve got the communication skills, practical skills, and technical skills,” Williams said. “It is absolutely not uncommon for students to leave the nationals with more than one job offer. We had five or six kids last year that had job offers in the six-figure range.”

Companies will often recruit students at every level of the competition as well. Some companies like Facebook, Zynga, Microsoft, and Deloitte will often compete to recruit the same student. So the demand for students with these skillsets is high.

“The fact is, nobody really has a good handle on how many people we need (in the cyber security career field); it is just more,” Williams said. “It is not one of those career fields that is just going to go away.”

For more information on the CIAS, NCCDC, and the cyber security career field visit their website at http:// cias.utsa.edu/.

The Paisano

April 24, 2012

The Paisano Editor-in-Chief: Allison Tinn

News Editor: Ryan Branch

News Assistant: Matthew Duarte

Paseo Editor:

Victor H. Hernandez

Paseo Assistants: Daniel Crotty Sarah Gibbens

Arts Editor:

Katy Schmader

Arts Assistant: Erica Cavazos

Sports Editor:

Stephen Whitaker

Sports Assistant: Richard Castillo

Photo Editor:

Brianna Cristiano

Ads Manager: Kevyn Kirven

Business Manager: Jenelle Duff

Web Editor: Burk Frey

Staff:

Sylvia Alejandro, Henry Anderson, Jed Arcellana, Daniel Corona III, Dylan Crice, Emily Grams, Alyssa Gonzales, Annie Highfield, Joshua Morales, Cliff Perez, Dylan Bynum

Contributing Staff:

Charles Horvilleur, Morgan Kennedy, Casey Lee, Kathleen Palomo, Matt Bailey, Victoria Garcia, Stephen Gonzalez, Vanessa Osteguin, Kate Bartanusz, Valeria Perez, Doug Richter, Hannah Smothers

Advisor:

Diane Abdo

Advisory Board:

Steven Kellman, Mansour El Kikhia, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman

Interns:

Madelyn Garner, Carly Cirilli, Richard Rowley, Melissa Lopez, Erica Cavazos 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. The Paisano is NOT sponsored, financed or endorsed

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Opinion

Editorial

Fighting repeated drunk driving offenders Laws are getting tougher on drunk drivers. Just last year, Bexar County adopted the “No Refusal” policy, applicable for every day of the year. But with so many laws in place that punish drunk drivers, how is it that a man who has been arrested 12 times for drunk driving is making headlines in the San Antonio Express-News?

Carlos Faz, the Express-News reported, is one of the worst drunk driving offenders Bexar County has ever seen. He had his first offense when he was 25, and on April 1, he received another arrest for driving while intoxicated. Faz is now 61.

The Express-News reported that Faz now has to take a pill three times a week, which makes him nauseous if alcohol is consumed. He also has to

use blood-alcohol monitors to ensure he will not drink and drive. All of this will cost him about $1,000 a month.

Add that to the $150,000 that was needed for him to post bond.

According to dwi.com, a directory of DWI attorneys, penalties for DWIs in Texas are fines that are not to exceed $2,000, jail time of no less than 72 hours--but no more than six months-- and community service. In 36 years, Faz has spent a total of nearly three years in jail.

Only now has Faz been mandated by the courts to get professional help for his apparent drinking problem.

The bottom line is that after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, becoming physically ill, and the use of blood-alcohol monitors, Faz was still able to find his way behind the

Commentary Hope through all the problems There are many things on a college student’s mind at any given moment.

The four plus years of studying, testing, essays, social life, jobs and everything in between certainly take their toll on a person. All of that is done with the hope that there is a better future on the horizon after an education is completed.

There are issues in our country that will never be resolved. The economy will always fluctuate. Our education system will always need improvement.

Poverty will always be present. Even more certain is that there will be disagreement on how to solve those issues.

College students are the most necessary solution to this problem. Hope and an individual’s potential are things that are immeasurable, but a college student entering the world with a positive and anticipatory outlook on life is invaluable. Those dreams and passions are what changes the world.

Pessimism seems to be the standard outlook on a troubled world. The world cannot be fixed, so why should

we even try? Why should we care about problems that will never seem to be fixed? The simple answer is people.

The one thing that connects us all universally is that we’re all human beings, and we all face similar struggles in our everyday lives.

The world is filled with more challenges than solutions, and many people find themselves overwhelmed by those challenges. Failures, big and small, await every person, but in those failures are the greatest lesson. People who change and affect the world are the people who have failed the most.

They learn from their struggles and move forward.

One thing I know for certain is that the world can be made a better place.

I believe wholeheartedly that the students at UTSA and of this generation have the capacity to move the world forward. I believe that the world being handed over to us is one that needs strong and intelligent people who see the world from different perspectives.

Every person will die someday, and few people will ever be remembered for the amount of money that they made. Instead, the people that are remembered are the ones that impact others and change lives. They see the potential in others and build them up.

Changing the world doesn’t start with

Commentary The War on the Augmentative Over the past 40 years, I have watched and listened with dismay as the augmentative “-er” has been displaced by the work-around “more + adjective.” For example, the augmentative of “clear” is “clearer,” but it is now common to hear “more clear.” Oh, how that grates on my ear! Circa 1970, I recall a TV commercial for margarine used “more” rather than the simpler “-er” solution. It struck me at first as a malapropism, a desire to advertise by calling our attention to such an obvious and noxious gaffe. But nobody else seemed to mind. In fact, after that, the trend seemed to accelerate on TV (in TV shows as well as commercials ) and in common speech. I hear UTSA students say it all the time now.

Even more alarming has been the mixing of the two forms in one breath, as in “more clearer” (sic). Hard to say whether this is linguistic transition or confusion. Perhaps some speakers believe that “more” added to anything simply intensifies their meaning, even

if the sentence already contains an augmentative. One would think that parental correction of “more better” (sic) spoken by young children would be enough for them to generalize to all such barbarous constructions and drop the “more,” but no. It gives me shivers that a college student, an educated person among his or her peers, could speak this way let alone write this way.

Is using “more + adjective” incorrect? Well, no. Not when adding “-er” would make the word cumbersome.

That’s what I learned in English grammar class in grammar school (one reason it was called grammar school to begin with back then). We wouldn’t say “cumbersomer” (sic), for example.

The rule is simple. One syllable adjectives augment with “-er.” Two syllable words generally add “-er” unless the result is awkward. How hard is that?

Apparently English speakers in America spontaneously and unconsciously recognize a standardizing pattern in “more + adjective” and after all,

wheel. Though repeat drunk driving offenders are not extremely common, harder laws need to be created to get those extremely dangerous menace to societies off the roads.

Drug and alcohol rehabilitation can be mandated by a Texas judge in “extreme cases” according to dwi. com, but there needs to be a law that puts a cap on the amount of offenses one person can have before the state sends them to a rehabilitation center or worse.

Unfortunately, the State of Texas cannot catch every person who gets behind the wheel after drinking, but stricter laws should be put in place to ensure a repeat drunk driving offender of 12 times is taken off the road.

Either that, or they should lose their license permanently.

some grand program or policy. The world changes by people taking an interest in others and helping them.

I’m graduating this semester, and this is the last commentary that I will have the privilege of writing for The Paisano. In many ways, I owe a great amount of gratitude to the people at The Paisano, because they have given me a voice and platform to speak many of my ideas and opinions on the world.

Many people don’t know that The Paisano is a completely self-supported newspaper that receives no money from the university whatsoever, and we’re one of the few college newspapers that are able to do that in the entire country. The Paisano is by far one of the greatest organizations at UTSA, and I would encourage anybody who is interested to stop by at a meeting.

I nervously did a couple of years ago, and I quickly found out that the warmest and nicest people most certainly work for The Paisano.

Photo Poll

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What stories would you like to see in The Paisano?

Zieph Kasrawi

Junior / chemistry/biology “I would like to see stories about students that are making a difference, motivational stories.”

Eliana Briceno

Senior / sociology/Spanish “SGA budget and how our money if being used for the school.”

Alex Fis Cliff Perez Staff Writer

linguistic change is inevitable when the masses speak, even if it sounds like George Orwell’s “Newspeak.” Alas, the two forms now coexist. We understand the person who says “simpler,” “harder,” “greener,” but how long can these last with the “more + adjective” daily assault? How long will it be before the next sequel to the films “Dumb and Dumber” and “Dumb and Dumberer” (sic) will be “Dumb and More Dumb”?

(Not the best choice of films, but you get the idea.)

And don’t get me started on the ubiquitous “two times” instead of “twice”, saying “Have a nice day,” when it’s night, and the dehumanizing use of “which” for persons in clauses instead of “who,” as well as referring to a child as “it.”

Nancy Membrez Native-speaker of American English Associate Professor of Spanish, UTSA

Senior / chemistry/biology “News and what is going on in the world, not media crap.”

Esmeralda Silva

Graduate student / public policy “Policy changes.”

Nestor Hernandez Sophomore / finance

“What UTSA’s goals are in the future internationally.”

More articles and media content at: paisano-online.com

Juan Pablo Castrellon Sophomore / finance

“I would like to hear more about the local news.”

Photo poll: Kate Bartanusz

Paseo

The Paisano

April 24, 2012

Truth and lies in green advertising Erica Cavazos

UTSA’s budget planning and developement includes suggestions from staff, faculty and students to improve conservation.

Intern

paseo@paisano-online.com

A few years ago, green was just a color, not a movement or a way of life. Now many people are “going green,” which means they are making an effort to be more environmentally conscious by using products that claim to be green.

These alternative products tend to be more expensive, all for the sake of saving the environment.

The origin of the word “green” is closely linked to the Old English verb “growan,” which means, “to grow.” Does green really mean growth in today’s society?

Because of the recent industrial trend of “going green”, there has been a phenomenon called “greenwashing,” which is a term spun-off from “whitewashing” (a coordinated attempt to hide unpleasant facts, especially in a political context). According to Greenwashingindex.com, greenwashing is the same premise as whitewashing, but in an environmental context.

Greenwashing Index’s mission is to “keep advertising honest” by having people rate products in

terms of the products’ eco-friendly claims. Greenwashing Index’s rating system is entirely based on public input. The site encourages people to rate ads of products and services based on the use of misleading words or graphics.

The website shows companies that are authentic in their claims, such as O.B., which delivers on its claim to save waste by eliminating the applicator on its tampons.

Other products, however, are dismissed as ridiculous, such as Ortho, an “eco-friendly” insect killer.

As ridiculous as it can be, greenwashing is far from a joke.

Greenpeace, a non-governmental environmental organization, is campaigning to bring awareness to the greenwashing of products and services with their project StopGreenwash.org.

“Some businesses are genuinely committed to making the world a better, greener place. But for far too many others, environmentalism is little more than a convenient slogan,” says the introduction to

UTSA plans for the future

StopGreenwash.org.

Throughout the organization’s website, readers can find many resources concerning greenwashing and even examples of ads that Greenpeace deemed as inauthentic. One such ad is a Walmart commercial that features two girls in a field of flowers. They talk about how their cotton t-shirts are also partially made out of recycled plastic bottles.

Much like promises of effective weight loss and instant beautification, most claims of being eco-friendly are only gimmicks.

Painting a product with a green brushstroke isn’t going to help it save the world. Buying “green” products doesn’t make someone an activist. Consumers should not let themselves be fooled by the dazzling greenery of a package or the pretty, reassuring words on the labels. Closely examine each “green” product to see its true color.

- six new hydration stations to but built next semester - turn off desktop computers when not in use - install airdryers in all restrooms - motion sensors for all lighting - double-sided printing for course syllibi - dril and install water wells owned by UTSA - salvage broken chairs and desks - recycle leftover food for composting - adjust air conditioning in classrooms and offices - remove light bulbs from soda machines - turn off parking lot lights during daylight hours

Sarah Gibbens/ The Paisano

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Burk Frey / The Paisano

Greenest housing: Avalon and The Estates

The Estates, foremly known as Aspen Heights, came in second as the greenest UTSA neighborhood, second to Avalon Place. Green amenitites are offered in both neighborhoods.

Teresa Largent Contributing Writer paseo@paisano-online.com

Everyone has heard the phrase, “Go Green,” but it’s how one responds to the phrase that matters. Going green has become a popular trend over the years as people, organizations and politicians create awareness about the effects of human life on Earth’s environment.

While living green may seem like a hassle, it is not as challenging as you may think, and it significantly benefits the environment. Getting started is probably the most difficult part, but every little change counts.

Our everyday lives have a great impact on the environment. Vehicle emissions cause air pollution. Excess

water and energy-use depletes the Earth’s natural resources. Trash and litter contaminate land and water, which can adversely affect the quality of plant, animal and human life. Unfortunately, environmental protection is often not a priority in the lives of many people.

Although research shows that some young people are not concerned about environmental issues, many young students have made an unconscious “green” decision: to live in apartments.

The majority of college students choose to live in apartments rather than houses for a variety of reasons, such as lower prices, temporary housing and a close-knit community.

Apartments offer all of those amenities, and living in one can also be the first step to becoming green.

Apartments are beneficial for many reasons. They are significantly smaller than houses, making them easier to heat and cool. Because apartments are smaller homes, residents generally don’t produce as much trash. A smaller apartment means fewer hazardous cleaning products, reducing air pollution. Almost all apartments plant trees and other plants for curb appeal, which benefit the environment without any effort from residents.

While living green requires conscious lifestyle changes, living in an apartment is an effortless way to protect the environment.

After a lengthy search for the greenest UTSA student apartment, the winner is Avalon Place. With 452 recycling bins (one per unit), Avalon Place leads nearby apartments in green initiatives. Avalon not only supplies recycling bins, it also encourages residents to live smart through a program called Generation Impact, which provides multiple tips on how to live green. Generation Impact informs residents about simple steps to save energy and water, encouraging them to consciously change their habits.

Avalon also supplies energy-efficient appliances in every apartment, including energy-saving light bulbs and air-conditioning units. The entire clubhouse is made with eco-friendly materials, such as cork flooring, recyclable glass countertops and bamboo.

Avalon joined The Nature Conservancy in the Plant-a-Billion fundraiser for Earth Day. Every dollar raised plants one tree in an effort to protect and preserve nature.

Because Avalon is within walking distance to the UTSA Main Campus, and also provides a shuttle, residents are encouraged to reduce vehicle emissions by using student transportation. In an effort to save paper, Avalon offers an online portal where students can apply and sign their lease online.

Although Avalon Place is the most eco-friendly apartment in the UTSA area, it does have some competi-

tion: The Estates (formerly known as Aspen Heights). The most notable aspect of The Estates is its House for a Home program, which donates a portion of each resident’s rent to povertystricken children in Africa. Residents are making a global impact simply by paying their rent.

Like Avalon, The Estates provides its residents with eco-friendly amenities. All appliances are energy-efficient, as well as the windows, which are double paned for increased insulation. The Estates also uses energysaving light bulbs. The carpet in every home is made from recycled material.

The Estates provides dual-flushing toilets to reduce water use. These toilets have a different button for each type of bodily waste.

Other qualities The Estates shares with Avalon include online rental applications, shuttle service and daily trash and litter clean up. Both Avalon and The Estates use CPS Energy, an electric company that regards the environment as a high priority (despite the community’s growing demand for power), and promotes energy efficiency by offering rebates to energyefficient customers.

Whether you live in a house or an apartment, living green only takes a few simple steps. Make a conscious effort today to preserve the Earth’s environment.

Need Peace? Hope? Joy? www.mybiblepromises.com

Arts&Life Alamo drafthouse brings the ‘chocolate factory’ to the big screen The Paisano

April 24, 2012

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Melissa Lopez Intern

arts@paisano-online.com Everyone’s got a golden ticket at the screening of the original “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” at the Alamo Drafthouse on Stone Oak, Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m.

The Alamo Drafthouse is known for its audience interaction by using themes introduced in the movie that is screened.

Wonka fans will be in for a treat.

To create the perfect setting for the movie, two of the film’s original actors, Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee) and Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), will be making an appearance at the show for

a Q&A session. Every audience member will receive an autographed poster with their ticket as a special souvenir to take home with them.

The audience will experience a world of pure imagination as they travel back in time to a place that could only be created by Oompa Loompas and the insane candy-making master, Willy Wonka, played by Gene Wilder.

Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka brings a touch of magic and hilarity to the character that generations have grown up loving.

The Alamo Drafthouse adds an element of the fantastical to the movie screening with bubbles that will float throughout the theater, candy and other specialty items on the menue and the usual sing-alongs and quoting

Food for thought:

Stimulating food for your brain Richard Rowley Intern

arts@paisano-online.com It’s coming— that time of the semester when college students look forward to putting finals week behind them. No matter the number of finals a student has, final exam week condenses the stress of the previous 15 weeks into a compact one-week package. At no time during the semester do students use their brains more in a shorter period of time than in that last week.

The kind of food a person eats can have subtle but important effects on

how well the brain functions when it’s needed most. Foods to stay away from, even though they may seem to help, are foods high in carbohydrates or other stimulants. They may seem to activate the brain, but they often have side effects that are counterproductive when a person is trying to concentrate. They can make it difficult to focus, and foods high in refined sugar can ultimately lower mental and physical energy levels if the body is having difficulty metabolizing them.

There’s good news, though, if you are willing to pay the ultimate price and part with the potato chips and Twinkies. Some food will actually im-

of the film’s memorable scenes among the audience.

The film takes the viewer on an awesome adventure with the children, Charlie Bucket, Veruca Salt, Mike Teevee, Violet Beauregarde, Augustus Gloop and their families to Wonka’s factory where “nobody ever goes in and nobody ever comes out.” Where a chocolate river flows and the interior is made up entirely of candy.

Reliving your childhood is what this screening is about. Even young children who have never seen the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” will likely gaze in amazement at not only the then-advanced visual effects and cinematography, but also Wonka’s absurd but profound wisdom— all in a world of pure imagina-

prove the brain’s ability to function in its full potential during finals week.

But whether you’re just trying to pass a test or make an investment in your mental future, the kind of food you eat can make a difference.

A study done by neurologist Gene Bowman at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland supports the idea that eating certain kinds of food can improve mental function and reduce the chances of neurological disorders later.

Researchers discovered that participants who had higher levels of vitamins B, C, D, E, and omega-3 fatty acids in their blood were less likely to experience brain shrinkage as they aged. On the other hand, participants who had high levels of trans fats (used in margarine, fast food and some processed food) were more likely to suffer from cognitive disorders.

So, what kinds of food should you

tion where children disappear, one-byone, to be taught a moral lesson.

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” is a much loved musical that is jam-packed with humor, imagination, insight, touching moments and so much fun! The special screening of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” at the Alamo Drafthouse at Stone Oak is a one of a kind event for adults and children alike to enjoy. Don’t miss out on all the fun.

For further details about this special screening visit http://drafthouse.com/ movies/action_pack_the_willy_wonka/san_antonio.

have nearby when you’re cramming for that final exam? According to the Directory Journal’s Health Journal, there are several foods that are especially effective at improving brain function.

Blueberries are high in antioxidants, which help prevent certain kinds of cellular decay caused by free radicals.

Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which improves brain function in the short term and have been found to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Flax seeds also contain high concentrations of fatty acids, which help the brain thrive.

Mixed nuts such as peanuts, walnuts and pecans are also high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Eggs are rich in choline, which promotes brain function.

Candy-lovers can take a breath of relief as dark chocolate, an antiox-

Watch out for The Paisano’s Summer Issue, and continue to look for coverage online.

Good luck on finals!

Scan this code (on the right) with your smart phone and a QR app, to read these articles online!

idant-rich food, has been shown to improve focus and concentration And finally...coffee, the “brain food” of champions.” Coffee in moderation decreases the chances of your brain disintegrating. But before you rush out to Starbucks to pump up your IQ a couple of notches, you need to know that just about everything else they add to your coffee can counteract any cognitive advantages of the coffee itself. Also, stimulants like caffeine come with their own set of negative consequences (insomnia and increased anxiety for example).

There are many things that will help improve brain function. Brain food is an often overlooked but effective way to clear your head and take full advantage of all the other things you’ve no doubt been doing to improve your chances of surviving the final, the most difficult week of the semester.

Arts&Life

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The Paisano

April 24, 2012

Campus Calendar Ongoing Events Photo Courtesy of Luminaria

“Picasso, Amigos y Contemporáneos”

Night in San Antonio Luminaria brings artists to San Antonio’s stomping grounds Carly Cirilli Intern

arts@paisano-online.com In 2002, Paris, France introduced “Nuit Blanche” (or “white night”) as a way to bring art out of the gallery and make it more accessible to the masses. Several years later, San Antonio mayor Phil Hardberger brought the idea overseas, and now, in its fifth year, Luminaria brings in an annual attendance of over 21,000 visitors.

Since the birth of this international event, Luminaria has become a local staple in San Antonio.

As the single largest free event in town, Luminaria will showcase over 80 artists and per-

Texas A&M University San Antonio’s newest exhibit features 97 works by Picasso and his friends. Approximately half of these have never been seen outside of Spain, so it is an excellent opportunity to check out some beautiful work. The exhibit will take place through May 20. Admission to the exhibit is free.

Ricardo Romo “Family Traditions” (*editor’s choice)

“Family Traditions,” an exhibition of photographs by Dr. Ricardo Romo are now on display at the Witte Museum. Romo’s images capture the Easter holiday. The exhibit will run through May 27 and is included in museum admission

Tuesday, April 24 formers this year. The event encourages artists to collaborate, as the HemisFair Park grounds are transformed into an innovative and interactive contemporary art space available to all artistic disciplines. This year, in an attempt to show off the best of the best, Luminaria hired six outof-town professional curators bringing in such artists as Cathy Cunningham Little, and UTSA alumnae Gissette Padilla and Jennings Shefield.

Expect to be graced by Ballet San Antonio, San Antonio Jazz Ensemble and 12-year old flamenco dancer Mia Angela de Lourdes as well as many others.

Jazz Poets of San Antonio and Gemini Ink will be rocking the microphones with local literature.

Theatrical performances from Proxy Theatre Company and Crawling with Monsters will be present along with many others.

Luminaria is an excellent example of the vast amount of community musical talent, stockpiling gifted musicians that are sure to impress.

Hip-hop artist Mexican Stepgrandfather, country artist April Hall and her band, jazz rockers Royal

Punisher and Dixon’s Violin are just several of the almost three dozen musical groups to perform throughout the night’s festivities.

The duo Blacktop Legends will play at Luminaria for the first time this year. UTSA grad student Christian Umana, the MC and producer of the team, said of the event, “We feel excited and anxious. Performing at an event this large is something that you only dream about as a kid.”

Their music is “authentic hip-hop” that hits close to home.

Luminaria is on May 5, 7 p.m. - 1 a.m. at HemisFair Park in downtown San Antonio. Food vendors will be present for those with a hankering for good, local eats. Talented artists will be present for those looking to engage in an active, imaginative community of inventors.

In the words of Umana, “We’re hoping everyone comes out and supports… all of the artistic talent that San Antonio has to offer.”

For more information, visit Luminaria’s website at luminariasa.org.

6 p.m. Explosions in the Sky (*editor’s choice) The Austin based instrumental band takes stage at Backstage Live. Admission is $21

Thursday, May 3 6 p.m The Train Labeled the Greatest Train Movie, The Train kicks off the series at Sunset Station. The film is based on the factual book “Le front de l’art” by Rose Valland.

Watch as a German colonel attempts to ship stolen pieces of art from French museums during World War II.

Want an event in our calendar? Email your event to arts@paisano-online.com

April 24, 2012

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April 24, 2012 Work in Progress Opportunity knocks for San Antonio

Stephen Whitaker Sports Editor

Scott Cochran / The Paisano

sports@paisano-online.com

UTSA’s Casey Selsor sends the ball flying off his bat Saturday during action against Southeast Louisiana. The Roadrunners won the game Saturday, 9-3, but lost the series.

Roadrunners miss opportunity to win series against second place Southeast Louisiana, lose two of three Carly Cirilli Intern

sports@paisano-online.com The Roadrunner baseball team had a chance to win an important series against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions when they stepped onto Roadunner field Sunday.

They had a chance to win, up 2-1 in the fifth inning but the Lions showed UTSA why they are the number two team in the Southland Conference as they scored one in the top of the fifth to tie the game at two runs apiece. The Lions took the lead in the eighth when Sam Roberson scored from second base on a Ben Hernandez RBI single with two outs in the inning.

The Lions would add another run in the top of the ninth to take the game by a score of 4-2 and the weekend series with two wins out of the three games played. Dylan Hills was named the

winning pitcher for the Lions. Logan Onda was given the loss for the Roadrunners.

The Lions used three Roadrunner errors in Friday’s game to win 5-2 after overcoming a 1-0 Roadrunner lead early in the game. The Roadrunners scored their first run in the bottom of the first when Ryan Dalton hit a solo home run over the left field wall. The Lions scored their first runs in the sixth inning when they scored three runs on two Roadrunner errors.

The Roadrunners scored their second run in the seventh inning, but the Lions relief pitching kept the Roadrunners from scoring another run and held on for the victory. The Lions’ Andro Cutura picked up the win. Stefan Lopez earned a save for the Lions by pitching the ninth inning. Casey Selsor took the loss for the Roadrunners.

The Roadrunners got their only win of the weekend on Saturday when they

scored six runs over the course of three innings to win 9-3.

Saturday’s game began with both teams scoring quickly. The Lions scored two runs in the top of the first on a pair of run-scoring doubles. The Roadrunners countered in the bottom of the first with two runs of their own.

Both teams scored a run apiece in the third inning before the Roadrunners had their big innings.

The Roadrunners scored three runs in the fourth inning, two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth. Earning the win for the Roadrunners was Michael Craft. The losing pitcher for the Lions was Jordan Hymel.

The Roadrunners find themselves two games back of the eighth and final spot for next month’s Southland tournament in San Marcos. They will take a break from the Southland to play Baylor, Tuesday, April 24 at Wolff Stadium.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

The Oakland Athletics, or A’s, have a problem. Well, they have a few problems.

They play in a 44-year-old stadium that they share with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and they desperately want to leave that stadium for a new field of dreams.

They would like to build their new stadium in San Jose, California, a city on the southern tip of San Francisco Bay. The problem is the San Francisco Giants own the territorial rights to San Jose, and they don’t want to let the A’s move in and build a stadium that would infringe on the Giants’ territory.

It has gotten to the point where legal teams are building on each side and there seems to be little to stop what could be a historic decision by MLB on territory of teams, something few in the game want to see.

Enter San Antonio, Texas, the second largest city in the second

largest state in the union. San Antonio can offer a fan base ready to support Major League Baseball, if given the chance. If there were a moment for San Antonio to step up and join the big league table, it’s now.

The time has come for someone or some group in San Antonio with at least $300 million (The A’s are valued at $295 million) to step up and bring Major League Baseball to town.

For the A’s, relocation is nothing new. A move to San Antonio would mean their fourth city in their 111-year history after starting in Philadelphia in 1901 where they were founding members of the American League and where they played until the 1954 season.

In 1955 they moved to Kansas City, MO where they played until 1967. They moved to Oakland in 1968 and flirted with moving to New Orleans in 1979.

If San Antonio wants to prove to the rest of the nation that it is a big league city and reclaim its place among the great cities of America, then its going to need someone with money and a belief that the San Antonio Athletics will be better for baseball and the country than the Oakland Athletics or San Jose Athletics.

Upcoming Home Games April 24

Baseball

April 27 & 28

Softball

vs. Baylor (Wolff Stadium) 6 p.m.

vs. Nicholls 6 p.m./2 p.m.

May 4-6 vs. Nicholls 6, 2, 1 p.m.

May 1

May 12 vs. Texas State 2 p.m.

vs. Houston 5:30 p.m.

May 17-19 vs. Lamar 6, 2, 1 p.m.

May 10-12

May 23-26 SLC tournament

SLC tournament at UTSA

at San Marcos, Texas

ADVANCE YOUR FUTURE THIS SUMMER. Take advantage of the May minimester, Extended Summer, Summer I and Summer II curriculums at the University of Texas at Brownsville while you’re enjoying being back home or visiting the beach. Take a class in biomedicine, transnational studies, science, technology, mathematics or education, or simply get some basics out of the way. We make transferring credits easy.

VISIT UTB4U.COM TODAY! REGISTRATION DATES: May session — May 1 - May 10 Extended Summer — May 1 - May 10

Summer I — May 1 - May 24 Summer II — May 1 - July 6

Visit utb.edu or call 956-UTB-4YOU.

April 24, 2012

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April 24, 2012

UTSA closing out final season in Southland Conference before move to Western Athletic Conference on July 1 Stephen Whitaker

tive Southland championship.

The Roadrunners experienced another conference championship repeat when the women’s golf team held onto their trophy and earned another trip to the NCAA tournament to be contested next month.

Around the time that women’s golf tries to advance in the NCAA tournament, both baseball and softball will be trying to earn their way to their respective NCAA tournament through winning the Southland crown in their sports. Softball will have the chance to do it at home as UTSA is the host institution. Baseball will have a tougher road as they will have to knock off a stiff group of competition in San Marcos.

Whatever happens in the Roadrunners’ remaining time in the Southland, there is the knowledge that on July 1, 2012, the teams will be facing new

Sports Editor

Michael Hale will be one of the Roadrunner basketball players who will transition from the Southland Conference to the Western Athletic Conference.

ball teams took center stage in the hearts and minds of the student body.

The men were trying to make it back to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament while the women were trying to win with six newcomers.

Both teams took the school on a wild ride. The men returned to the conference tournament to defend their title, but the women’s team saw their run of 12-straight trips to the

conference tournament end. They suffered through a rough February where the wins were just out of reach.

The men saw an 11-point lead evaporate in an overtime loss to McNeese State in the first round of the conference tournament, ending any hope of a return to the big dance.

While the basketball teams fought for tournament berths, the men’s indoor track team outran the competition to capture their seventh-consecu-

Courtesy of Southland Conference

On Nov. 11, 2010, UTSA accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) effective July 1, 2012. At the time, July 1, 2012, was praised as a historic day for the university and indeed it should be.

On that day the school will heed the words of Horace Greely when he said “Go West, young man,” and trade exotic locales like Nacogdoches, Texas and Thibodaux, LA for San Jose, CA and Moscow, Idaho.

The Roadrunners listened and when the opportunity came to say goodbye to the Southland Conference UTSA took advantage.

The impending move made the 2011-12 academic year the final time the Roadrunners would compete in the Southland, their home for the last 20 years.

When the year began, UTSA had five teams set to defend their conference crowns from the 2010-11 year.

Two of those champions, soccer and volleyball, got the chance to defend theirs first. Soccer fell in the Southland tournament semifinals by a score of two goals to none against Stephen F. Austin.

Volleyball saw one of its best seasons ever come to an end against archrival and fellow-Southland exitee Texas State in the conference finals. The Roadrunners swept 12 straight conference matches in the regular season, but near the end they seemed to lose momentum before making a run to the finals.

The fall season was also marked by the first season of UTSA football. The long anticipated program finished 4-6 with a lot of the games coming down to the final play.

After the winter break, the basket-

File photo

sports@paisano-online.com

challenges in the WAC. Among those challenges will be whether the conference collapses around its new members.

As the Roadrunners fought for championships in the Southland, the WAC did its best to stay afloat as news broke of a potential football merger between the Mountain West conference and Conference USA. Speculation ran wild as UTSA’s name came up as a potential invitee to the new mega-conference. The Sun Belt Conference might also be an option for the Roadrunners though at this time there is little credibility to rumors of another conference move so soon before the official joining of the WAC by UTSA. That is something to be decided off the fields and courts of play. The only thing UTSA can do is make sure to take care of itself.

UTSA’s women’s golf team stand with the Southland Conference trophy after winning it for the second consecutive year.

April 24, 2012

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