The Paisano Vol. 47 Issue 2

Gas chambers still used in American system see page 6

UTSA rules I-35 rivalry see page 11

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

January 24, 2012

Volume 47

Issue 2

Tuition costs increase again Richard Rowley Intern

UTSA is requesting a 3.1 percent tuition increase for fiscal year 2013 and a 2.9 percent increase for fiscal year 2014, according to the university’s Tuition and Fee Proposal. Students enrolled full-time (12 semester hours) at UTSA for the spring semester last year paid $3,521 in tuition and fees. They saw that number climb to $3,679 when they returned in the fall, an increase of 4.5 percent, or $158.

The continual upward climb in tuition expenses has many students, and anyone responsible for paying the skyrocketing education costs, wondering when it will end, or even if it will end at all. The answer to these and other related questions may not be all that reassuring, but understanding why the problem exists can at least provide some perspective.

UTSA is hardly alone. Public universities across the state, and across the nation, are experiencing similar problems. The reason for the increase, at least in the case of public universities in Texas is, to a large extent, deregulation.

The state legislature began discussing the idea of deregulation in 1984, but did not take action on it until 2003, when the lawmakers found themselves staring at a $10 billion budget shortage in the face.

According to Elizabeth Young of

Brianna Cristiano / The Paisano

news@paisano-online.com

UTSA students are paying up to $2000 more for their last semester before graduation than their first semester of their freshman year.

the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the legislature reacted to the budget shortfall by cutting spending rather than increasing taxes. One result of the budget cutting measures was the deregulation of tuition and fees at public universities statewide.

The legislature was essentially faced with a losing proposition. Raising taxes would increase revenue, but it would also risk creating an angry backlash from millions of Texas voters. By choosing an option that included deregulating tuition at public universities, they risked angering only a relatively small percentage of that

population.

Deregulation both reduced state funding for public universities and shifted tuition-setting authority to public university governing boards, according to a report by the University of Texas Board of Regents Office of Public Affairs. In other words, the state reduced spending on public higher education and allowed individual boards of regents to set their own tuition levels.

Young also points out that even though tuition increased nearly 32 percent in the four years preceding deregulation, the rate of increase jumped

to a staggering 47 percent in the first four years after deregulation.

Nationally, tuition costs have risen an average of eight percent per year since 1958, doubling every nine years, according to College Board statistics.

The increase is referred to as “college inflation.”

Compared to the rate of inflation for the economy as a whole during that same time period, college inflation has varied from less than the general rate of inflation for six of those years to more than six times the rate of inflation in 1959.

Over all, college inflation during

Burk Frey

east campus.

The construction will also include a new visitor information booth accessible from the roundabout, which will replace the booth situated along Peace Blvd. “We expect the visitor booth to be open on the Peace entrance in August 2012,” David Gabler, Associate Vice President of the Office of Communications said.

As part of the project, Peace Lot will be converted into a green space intended to beautify the campus and serve as the center of a new multibuilding quadrangle. Current UTSA shuttle and VIA stops in the area will be moved to spots along the perimeter of the green space, while the lawn itself is slated to be used as a gathering and recreational area. The space was funded with unspent power plant monies.

Road improvement disrupts parking Web Editor

Brianna Cristiano / The Paisano

web@paisano-online.com

UTSA’s college of architecture helps students gain employment by providing opportunities to distinguish themselves.

Architects face high unemployment rate Erica Cavazos Intern

news@paisano-online.com According to a recent report from CNN, graduates with a major in architecture have an unemployment rate of 13.9 percent, the highest among recent college graduates. For more experienced architects above the age of 30, the unemployment rate dips to 9.2 percent.

The study, conducted by the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, suggests that the “collapse of the construction and home-building industries in

the recession is to blame.” The article implies that architecture is currently a poor choice of major, but how accurately is the industry portrayed in the study?

“Architecture degree holders looking for work are a relatively small percentage of the overall college-educated job-seekers out there,” said architect and senior lecturer at UTSA’s college of architecture, Rick Lewis.

“I would suggest that the CNN’s premise is not really an apples to apples portrayal of the ways the various disciplines of higher education were grouped for the article.”

See ARCHITECTURE, Page 2

that period increased at a rate that tended to be 1.2 to 2.1 times the rate of inflation.

This means a freshman starting school this spring and finishing four years from now can expect to pay $1,500 to $2,000 more for the last semester of full-time enrollment than he or she did for the first semester.

In other words, as the cost of tuition increases, that same freshman can expect to pay four times as much to send each of his or her children to college.

“The increases in the cost of tuition at UTSA have not resulted in a budget surplus for the school,” said UTSA Chief Communications Officer David Gabler. “There are a number of reasons [for the increases in operating expenses], but one of the main reasons is the cost of paying competitive salaries to attract qualified faculty.”

Gabler continued by pointing out that by cutting state funding for public higher education, the legislature is effectively passing the cost of higher education to students and their families. This threatens the ease of access to education, especially for lower income students.

Whatever the causes for tuition increase - austerity-driven deregulation by cash-strapped states across the country or increases in faculty salaries, or both - one thing seems certain: the upward shift in education costs is not showing signs of slowing down any time soon.

UTSA is starting a construction project that will improve the flow of campus traffic when finished, but create parking shortages until then. On Mar. 10, the university will close Peace Lot (formerly Lot 3) to reconstruct the campus entrance at 1604 and Peace Blvd.

Upon completion in August, the entrance will feature a roundabout similar to the one on the south side of campus. The roundabout is designed to ease traffic congestion on Peace Blvd. by eliminating the four-way intersection and stop signs, and allowing quicker access to the nearby Bauerle Garage (also under construction) and

“During construction, shuttle routes that currently stop in (Peace Lot) will be modified. Some stops will be moved to the current shuttle stop area at Ford Lot (formerly Lot 7). The VIA stop will also be relocated during construction.

Options are currently being reviewed,” Gabler said.

The green space, scheduled to be completed in November, and Bauerle Garage are part of the UTSA Master Plan, approved in 2009, which calls for nearly all surface parking to be replaced with green spaces and parking garages.

However, with Peace Lot’s permanent closure in March, and the Bauerle Garage not to be completed until August, current Peace Lot patrons must relocate to other parking areas such as the North Garage.

See ROUNDABOUT, Page 2

Mexico and the American recoil Victor H. Hernandez Paseo Editor

paseo@paisano-online.com The value of a single human life is immeasurable. On the other hand, the cost of taking one is not. The price for killing someone depends on many factors. For example, is the target a journalist or a drug dealer? Is he or she a judge? What’s the price for a hit on a law enforcement agent? Does it matter if he or she is a corrupt one, or a law-abiding one?

These questions were hypothetical some years ago, but now they are cold business inquiries, subjected to laws of the market such as the number of people willing to kill, but most

important, by how lucrative might the killing in question is. These are, of course, not common questions in the United States, but common a couple of hundreds miles south, in the Mexican side of the border.

I know this because I’ve been there, and although I don’t have the bills, it is said that the overall cost is low. Drug cartels pay their members two thousand dollars to kill a police officer, a thousand dollars for a regular howdo-you-do neighbor, or local dealer— not that killers know the difference.

This absurd price for taking a man’s or a woman’s life does not spring out of thin air. It is the result of poverty, a distressing lack of values, but most important, what seems to be unlimited amounts of money that come from

the United States.

It is not only cocaine and meth addicts who fuel the cartel’s operations south of the border. A great percentage of the cartel’s income comes not from hard-drug users, but from people who buy marijuana, in places very similar to UTSA. The influence that societies hold within us, consumers, imposes a responsibility that has seldom been seen at another time. The free market allows our few dollars to weigh like millions, because after all, markets are hundreds-of-million-strong. Our purchasing power is the most direct tool to trigger change, and it should not only be used to foster development but first of all, to prevent suffering.

See MARIJUANA, Page 5

2

News

The Paisano

January 24, 2012

ROUNDABOUT: From Page 1

discount for permit holders willing to upgrade. “Beginning Mar. 1, the parking office expects to offer a one-time opportunity for faculty/staff ‘R’ and ‘A’ permit holders to upgrade to a garage permit for the Tobin Ave. Garage, allowing for a 50 percent discount on the upgrade cost for the remainder of the year, as long as permits are available,” Gabler said. Normal annual pricing for the Tobin Garage is $464 for students and $726 for faculty. A faculty/staff “A” permit is currently $303.

Even for those who can afford the upgrade, availability will still be an issue for the remainder of the spring.

The new garage and its 1200-spot capacity will result in a net increase in parking spots in the area, but not until August.

In the meantime, UTSA has announced that Spring 2012 permit holders that they must either move to a farther lot or purchase a Tobin Garage permit. “No one contacted me (personally) about my options. I heard about the plans in the ‘grapevine’ and then read the article on UTSA Today,” White said.

For Fall 2012, the university has proposed a modest four percent increase to the price of garage permits, including the new Bauerle Garage. The fall rate is expected to be $755 annually.

Burk Frey / The Paisano

According to Gabler, certain permit holders can also ask for a pro-rated refund. “The Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations allow a permit holder to return a permit and receive a prorated refund provided that certain conditions are met, including the return of the permit before Mar. 1,” Gabler said.

Not everyone is pleased with the change. Professor Deanna White, who has parked in Peace Lot for 31 years and has served on the Parking and Transportation Committee, was one of those forced to move.

“I changed to the (Tobin) Garage because I physically can not walk from across campus where the ‘A’ parking will be and teach four classes,” White said. “I agree that the entrances to the university need to be improved. However, eliminating the only surface parking lot on the north(east) side of campus is the most ridiculous move that I have seen on this campus in 31 years.”

White’s concern is for non-tenure track professors and staff who have low salaries, and are being forced to move and possibly upgrade to a much more expensive garage permit. “I am thinking about the faculty and staff who can not afford the price of garage parking. To me, this decision says to those people, ‘You do not count in the future of UTSA,’” White said.

However, the university will offer a

A new roundabout is slated for construction that will replace the Peace lot on the campus’s north side.

Brianna Cristiano / The Paisano

No more Peace Lot

Architecture students struggle to find employment, but they find that their hard work and expertise may be transferable to other career paths.

ARCHITECTURE: Certifications help grads From Page 1

The two majors with the lowest unemployment rate, according to the study, were health care and education. The study points out that these areas have a wider variety of career paths that can easily transition from public service to private practice and sales.

“Human health and student educating are social priorities that can’t be deferred like the building of new works of architecture can be,” Lewis said. In other words, architects cannot work if there’s nothing to build.

So what does this mean for UTSA’s architecture majors? “Here in San Antonio and Texas in general, our graduates have fared better than much of the rest of the country,” Lewis said.

However, Lewis admits that local architecture and interior design firms—which once predominately provided graduates with internships and start-up jobs—have not been able to hire recent architecture graduates for durable or sustainable jobs due to the decline of demand. This leaves graduates having to settle for less

attractive entry-level positions.

“I would be quick to add that this situation is not exclusive to UTSA graduates,” Lewis said. “By my impressions, graduates of all eight of Texas’ accredited schools of architecture are struggling to get and keep jobs, compared to the pre-recession economy of the southwest where most of our graduates have tended to live and work after college.”

With the job outlook looking bleak for aspiring architects, the college of architecture is enhancing its traditional architecture curriculum by offering additional credentials such as certificates in design, planning and preservation specializations.

“Such certificates serve to distinguish graduates’ educational backgrounds as they seek careers in everything from governmental public works to non-profit organizations,” Lewis said. “An additional career edge benefiting a growing number of our master’s degree students is being realized in the form graduate research assistantships by way of grants be-

ing awarded to professors within the college.

Lewis adds that such research experience is known to be conducive to helping graduates land that all-important first job out of school—experience always counts when seeking a job.

Architecture graduates who are unable to find work in their field may have to look to other options.

Lewis suggests that the skills learned from a degree in architecture are easily transferrable to other fields.

“The prospect of post degree career latitudes most certainly exist with an architecture education viewed as one of the most diverse and demanding curriculums within any university,” Lewis said. (to continue reading the rest of this story go to paisanoonline.com)

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Opinion

6 The Paisano Editor-in-Chief: Allison Tinn

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January 24, 2012

Editorial

Nazi methods used in American system The shaking becomes unbearable as they are pulled into the room and with the first step inside the distinguishing smell of death and carbon monoxide hits their senses. The fear eventually becomes overwhelming causing them to urinate and defecate on themselves.

The door closes to the small chamber only big enough to fit three bodies uncomfortably, yet 12 have been thrust in. The sound of a hiss fills the chamber and the real pain begins.

The same process the Nazis used during the holocaust to kill their victims is still used til this day to euthanize animals who are aggressive, sick even animals deemed “perfectly fine” but were not lucky enough to be chosen for adoption.

Once the gas is released the animals initially begin feeling dizzy, which causes distress and fights break out

within the chamber while other animals paw at the window. This lasting roughly one minute.

Then the whimpering begins as the monoxide begins to burn their nose, throat, eyes and mouth. The cries turn into wails as the pain becomes unbearable, all this lasting another 45 seconds.

Eventually most of the animals die: however, shelters and animal farms cram too many animals into the chamber and not all the animals die.

The animals surviving then must go through the process again until they are finally pronounced dead.

When a criminal is executed for a capital crime the common method of death is the lethal injection, a more humane technique. Although there is evidence that animals suffer distress in the chambers, gas chambers are still viewed as an acceptable means for euthanizing.

Only 13 out of 50 states have banned the use of carbon monoxide to euthanize animals: Wyoming, Washington, Virginia, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Oregon, New Jersey, Maryland, Maine, Florida, Delaware, California and Arizona.

This inhumane act has not been banned all across the nation because it is cost effective. It is cheaper to kill 12 dogs at once than spend the money to euthanize each animal humanely with an intravenous anesthetic.

There are 5 to 7 million animals picked up or dropped off at shelters, and of those 3 to 4 million are euthanized. Major city shelters such as the ASPCA use the injection method to euthanize animals, but even if only one shelter or one animal farm uses the carbon monoxide method, that is still one too many.

Photo Poll

What was your new year’s resolution and have you kept it?

Jessica Gonzales Sophomore/ psychology

“To start getting fit and no I have not kept it.”

Commentary Incarcerating equal opportunity I recently heard an interview with a highly acclaimed civil rights lawyer, advocate and legal scholar, Michelle Alexander, whose book “The New Jim Crow” highlights the mass incarceration rates of the U.S. and the disproportionate rates of minorities in prison.

After 1972, the incarceration rate has sky rocketed from 350,000 people to over 2 million people. Of those people, for every 100,000 of them, the black imprisonment rate is 2,290, for Hispanics and Latinos, 742, and for Whites, 412, according to sentencingproject.org.

Alexander explains in her book that these individuals are labeled as felons and are subjected to employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food

Ootsah Life

stamps and other public benefits and exclusion from jury service. Basically, the old Jim Crow laws that once were pressed on African-Americans are just repackaged in this new form of mass incarceration.

According to Alexander, the U.S. incarnates people at a level 6-10 times greater than any other industrialized nation. The U.S. Census bureau stated that, White people are 72.4 percent of the population, Black people are 12.6 percent, and Hispanics and Latinos make up 16.3 percent.

Prisons do not rehabilitate people.

There have never been large epiphanies of people saying, “Wow, I am sure glad that I was forced to live like an animal in a cage. I am now rehabilitated and ready to re-enter society as a productive citizen.”

Even more alarming, there is no evidence that minorities sell or use drugs any more than their white counterparts. Can you imagine if nice, white middle class neighborhoods and college campuses (mostly white) were

subjected to the same rigorous policing as minorities in poor neighborhoods? There would be an enormous and alarming influx of white felons in the prison system. Of course, that will never happen.

What makes these statistics so depressing is that they show America still has a long way to go in terms of racial equality. While many people like to think that racism is behind us, numbers like these show that there is still room for growth in this country.

I hope that our criminal justice system will see that we are spending over 50 billion dollars a year to an idea that simply does not work. Until then, enjoy doing your drugs from the comfort of your safe and nice suburban home.

Cliff Perez Contributing Writer

Ray Min

Freshman/ business management “To get all A’s and I don’t know it has only been a week of school.”

Jiang

Freshman /civil engineering

“To improve my english because I am new here and make more American friends.”

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Senior/ biology “To have more fun and yes I have kept it.”

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Lillian Garza

Sophomore /communications “To make the most out of every situation and yes I have kept it.”

Photo poll: Brianna Cristiano

Features

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January 24, 2012

Paseo Features Macedonia: a struggle for recognition The Paisano

As an international student at UTSA, I stand as a representative of my country and culture. I come from the Republic of Macedonia, which is in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, in southeastern Europe. Throughout history, my country has been a target of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman conquests, but now Macedonia, birthplace of Alexander the Great and Mother Teresa, faces a very different threat.

Macedonia dates from ancient times. It saw its glory days under Alexander the Great (323 BC) as it became the world’s greatest Empire spreading from Europe to India and North Africa.

At the dawn of Christianity, Macedonia became the cradle of literacy. St. Cyril and Methodius from Solun coined the first Slavic alphabet, later known as Cyrillic, in Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine.

The Gospel according to Luke, the third of the four Gospels in the New Testament, was also written in Macedonia. In medieval times, Macedonians created their kingdom under Tsar Samuel. Later they fell to the powerful Ottoman Empire and struggled five centuries under Ottoman rule.

After the Ottoman Empire began to weaken, many of the oppressed countries started to build ground for uprisings. So did the Macedonians.

However, at the beginning of the 19th century the neighboring countries started to have territorial aspirations towards Macedonia. The Balkan Wars started. Blood was spilled yet again. Vulnerable Macedonian territory was up for grabs.

In 1913 the Bucharest Treaty divided Macedonia among Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. The land that was torn from Macedonia consisted almost two-thirds of the existing territory.

However, struggling Macedonia entered the 19th century with great loss. After World War II, Macedonia joined Socialist Yugoslavia under the communist leader Marshal Tito.

Economic changes started to mold the territorially young nation. But, as Tito died, so did Yugoslavia. The former Yugoslav republics charged their guns, and wars were tearing the Balkans.

The only country that succeeded peacefully was Macedonia. Removing all socialist and communist ideals, the Macedonians declared an independent and sovereign country with democratic standards—the Republic of Macedonia. It is safe to say that the Macedonians have played an important role in the world. Now, recent events have distorted and modified the sovereignty of this ancient country.

The United Nations declaration for the uni-

Courtesy of Nikola Dimitrov

paseo@paisnao-online.com

Courtesy of Nikola Dimitrov

Contributing Writer

versal right of self-determination of sovereign countries did not apply to Macedonia. Why? The Republic of Macedonia is recognized virtually everywhere under its constitutional name, except for one country, Greece. As a huge chunk of Macedonia went to Greece, they fear that Macedonia will claim its land if it is recognized by its constitutional name.

The 90s were a transitional period for Macedonia, the economy was staggering as it transitioned from a socialist to a capitalist market. Because of corruption, many factories were shut down. Unemployment skyrocketed and people were in despair. Common things in transitions, many will say.

Macedonians looked at Europe for a helping hand. Joining the European Union became a high priority for most heads of government. But things were not that easy for Macedonians. Our country could not enter the EU or NATO under its constitutional name, the Republic of Macedonia. A Greek veto knocks any hope for European membership.

Greeks say that Macedonia simply does not exist, and we the Macedonians cannot use our name. This is the same Macedonia that you have read so far.

Self-determination does not come easy for all nations. Modernization of Macedonia’s largely obsolete infrastructure is happening slowly and foreign investment does not keep pace with neighboring economies. Many with the best skills seek employment abroad.

After the breakup with Yugoslavia, Macedonia was deprived of secure and protected markets and embargoes followed. The year 1995 was a good beginning. The economy started to improve. The 2000s were reformist times. Economic growth was on the rise, laws were created for easing impediments for foreign investment, tax incentives, shareholders rights, a 10 percent flat tax for corporations and many more. With an educated labor force, Macedonia is a paradise for investments.

Being Macedonian has been an affirmation of my existence. I believe in a world where differences are reconciled with reason and democratic principles, every individual should contribute to a diverse and peaceful world.

UTSA has a growing population of international students that add to the diversity of the student population. This academic community is a great way to see the world as a global village.

I urge students to step out of intellectual apathy or ignorance and accept learning about other cultures, as they make this world beautiful. Only then will we make a secure future for generations Top to bottom, S.t John Kaneo Monastery from the13th century. A byzantinto come and ourselves. As Gandhi said, “Be the ian bridge. City of Ohrid and Ohrid Lake, one of Europes deepest lakes.

Main square in the capitol Skopje for Independence day in 2011 . change you wish to see in the world.”

Courtesy of Nikola Dimitrov

Biljana Jovanova

7 5

Courtesy of Nikola Dimitrov

January 24, 2012

Marijuana: 45,000 dead in Mexico From Page 1

The billions of dollars spent on drugs in the United States finance the drug cartels that perpetuate a devastating war that threatens the lifestyle of millions of people in the neighboring country of Mexico— my home country. Not discussing this issue is in effect, supporting the drug trade and perpetuating the cruel and systematic attacks on the lives of neighboring brothers, sisters, and business partners of the American people.

More than 45,000 people have been killed in Mexico due to the war on drugs—more than six times the number of coalition soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to CNN. The country has fundamentally changes, as well as the public discourse and personal concerns of its citizens.

The numbers are staggering. In 2010, more people died in Ciudad Juarez, a Mexican city in the border, as a result of the drug war, than in the entire territory of Afghanistan in the same year. These numbers are not gratuitous, or accidental. They are the result of drug trafficking between to neighbors, accelerated by grotesque profit margins.

A little more than $800 worth of heroin or cocaine in Mexico will bring in as much as $100,000 on the streets of Atlanta or Houston, much more if the city is up north. That is a return of 125-times the initial investment. It is my belief that there is no number of police officers, judges, helicopters or raids that can compete with such enormous profit revenue, tax-free.

According to data from the Mexican government, “85 percent of the weapons seized from the drug cartels are bought in the United States,” where buying an high caliber gun, say an assault riffle, is protected under the second amendment.

The drugs and the people go north. The money and the guns go south.

When I came to the United States, I realized how pervasive drugs were in the college environment. It seemed to me that many people my age held drug use as a lifestyle. It was not that they had a smoke every week or two; their dorms and apartments were shrines dedicated to weed.

Bob Marley loomed over every wall in every apartment—not that there is anything wrong with that.

Truth be told, after a couple of months in the United States, I identified myself as a libertarian.

Like many others, the legalization of marijuana seems to me an important step towards the fight against the failed war on drugs. Its consumption seems almost harmless; nonetheless, I am absolutely convinced that smoking marijuana without it being locally grown, or consuming hard-drugs, contributes to one of the worst social problems this continent has ever experienced.

Regardless of where the product comes from, either Colombia, Jamaica, Hawaii, or California, it is very likely that the drugs were processed and handled by the same people that are shooting casinos and kidnapping young men and women, the Mexican drug cartels.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “Marijuana use is now ahead of cigarette smoking on some measures. A 2010 survey showed that, 21.4 percent of high school seniors had used marijuana in the past 30 days, while 19.2 percent smoked cigarettes.”

At the same vein 1.6 million people, 12 or older, are addicted to cocaine while more than 114 million Americans have tried drugs at least once. Information obtained from

cartel’s bank accounts suggests that marijuana is the liquid currency of the organization, along with cocaine sales in bulk.

People who buy drugs, without thinking their origin, are responsible for the slaughter of thousands of innocent parents, sons and daughters.

The mindless consumerism that is behind the acquisition of drugs enforces suffering and injustice, that, as Appiah mentions, is an attack on “the value of human life, and the value of particular human lives, the lives people have made for themselves, with the communities that help lend significance to those lives.”

Human rights are being violated every day by gangs of criminals financed by consumers throughout the United States: college students, young couples, the occasional pot smoker. This cannot stand. There is a moral imperative that if we are not going to benefit our neighbors, we should at least cause no harm with our choices.

If consumers were giving the money to rapacious Mexican drug traffickers they would think twice.

The reality is that they do so, but not directly. Drug dealers act as middlemen. They supply drug-addicts with their fix and are members of the community, in many instances even friends that mask an overarching problem. Money given to them for drugs of unknown precedence should be taken as blood money.

While talking to my friends and family that are still in Torreon, my hometown, I am overwhelmed by the impression that slowly, people have been accustomed to massacres and heinous crimes. Young people do not go out at night, neither do the adults. Bars and restaurants are imposed heavy quotas from drug dealers despite the fact that many customers stopped going because of

fear of being caught in a cross-fire, or being in an establishment that is at odds with the criminals in question.

Policemen and judges that try to resist the cartels are given backhanded job offers: they must agree to be in the cartel’s payroll, or else.

Homeless and mentally-ill men are tortured and brought to drug-traffickers parties for amusement. In the rural areas, priests that advocate for the defense of indigenous tribes, also menaced by drug dealers, are threatened or shot. Journalists are buried alive under the Mexican desert.

These people are good people. I know them. They are outstanding sons, fathers, mothers and daughters. All of them belong to a community devastated by what seems to be an uninterrupted demand for drugs that brings exorbitant amounts of money to criminals.

The innocents that die every day are human beings that deserve dignity and the chance to live without the terror that the drug dealers impose indiscriminately with the implicit support of the American drug consumer; some of who are friends and students at UTSA. This is an impending ethical dilemma of our time. Consumers need to appreciate the ideological implications of their behavior. All consumers, even those who dwell in illegality, might not submit to the laws of their country, but they might just agree to the higher rights of peace, justice and over all, life.

I invite anybody interested in creating awareness to join me and other students at UTSA in a student group dedicated to creating awareness about the responsibility of smoking mariJuana from unknown sources.

We might even have some tequila.

The Paisano

January 24, 2012

Arts&Life

Campus Calendar

ITC brings in the year of the

Ongoing Events: Beethoven Festival: San Antonio Symphony (*editor’s choice)

DRAGON Arts&Life Assistant arts@paisano-online.com the water dragon makes an appearance once every 60 years, and with it follows a year of change and prosperity.

Celebrate the year of the water dragon at the year’s 25th annual Asian Festival.

UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures will host this annual festival that began as a traditional family reunion to celebrates the Chinese New Year and has since then grown to include other Asian communities in celebrating their cultures.

The Asian Festival is an opportunity for San Antonio’s Asian communities to showcase their culture and traditions through various modes, a favorite being their authentic dishes.

What better way to celebrate the year of the dragon but with a few steaming bowls full of kimchi, lumpia and tom yam goong. The festival will offer authentic Asian-American food from 15 vendors carrying a wide spread of dishes.

A staple dish associated with the Asian cultures featured at this festival includes kimchi. During the fall 2011 semester UTSA’s East Asia Institute hosted its inaugural Kimchi Festival in honor of the national dish of Korea.

Kimchi can have a variety of ingredients ,but it most commonly includes pickled cabbage, spices, peppers and a protein.

This authentic dish is also, surprisingly,

The San Antonio symphony will be playing Beethoven’s 6th and 7th symphonies at the Majestic Theatre. Prices will vary.

Convergences: the Sculpture of Larry Graber File Photo

and Jessica Ramirez

served chilled.

Another dish that may appear at this year’s celebration is lumpia, a traditional filipino dish similar to egg rolls. They are commonly filled with finely minced pork, beef or vegetables and served with an authentic sauce similar to sweet and sour sauce.

Tom Yam Goong, or spicy shrimp soup, is another dish festival goers can cross their fingers for. This classically Thai dish is a combatant of flavors including incredible spice and sourness, along with a variance of potent herbs.

Depending on the chef, this versatile dish may include fish, chicken and prawns amongst many other ingredients.

Besides the delectable Asian cuisine, the festival will also include a plethora of live cultural demonstrations such as music, workshops and dance performances.

The Philippine dance performance is the most anticipated event of the festival. The group performs two dances during their set including the national dance of the Philippines called Tinikling. Tinikling is reminiscent of jumprope, but instead of rope, bamboo poles are used. Instead of using the typical arrangement of two bamboo poles, last year’s performance used six. This meant that the performers had to navigate through the six poles each cycling through various motions. Needless to say, the Filipino performers never cease to impress, especially with their other

Poet Jessica Helen Lopez to read on campus Melissa Lopez

Contributing Writer arts@paisano-online.com Poet Jessica Helen Lopez has slammed her way to national recognition status in poetry and creative writing. Her love of public readings and performances brings her to San Antonio as she makes an appearance in UTSA’s Creative Reading Writing Series, Jan 27.

Friday’s event is free, and it will consist of a lecture and a reading of Lopez’s

first collection of poems, “Always Messing with them Boys.” The speaker will also take any questions at the end of the reading. Lopez began her writing career as a poet attending and competing in what is referred to as slam poetry competitions.

“I am working for performance, and I will always promote that. It’s a valid form of art in a hybrid sense. There is always the issue of page vs. stage or academic vs. slam poets. Spoken word poets have gone on to teach at the college level,” Lopez says.

Recent work from the local sculptors will be on display through March 3 at Unit B gallery.

Posada’s Broadsheets: Of Love and Betrayal

For only $10 festival goers can partake in celebratory events honoring Asian culture . UTSA students can receive a discount with valid ID.

[*editor’s choice]

The UTSA gallery will be displaying 54-original prints by Guadalupe Posada. Gallery opening reception Jan. 25, 6-8 p.m.

Four Emerging San Antonio Artists

Gallery Nord presents the work of four emerging San Antonio artists: Mark Cheikhet, Esteban Delgado, Enrique Gutierrez and Ernesto Ibanez.

Maddy Rosenburg

A visiting artist from the Southwest School of Arts Printmaking department that will be featuring handmade books from her monoprints.

Exhibit is on display until Feb. 19

Thursday Jan. 26 File Photo

Katy Glass

7

This year’s Asian festival takes place on Sat. Jan. 27. The event starts at 10 a.m. and continues all day, don’t miss it!

performance of the Philippine folk dance “pandanggo sa ilaw. ” In English, this phrase means fandango with light. The highlight of this dance is the women who gracefully balance lit candles on the crown of their heads while performing. This seemingly dangerous dance is performed with sheer grace and attracts hordes of festival-goers to the foot of their stage.

The Asian Festival with be held this

Saturday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Institute of Texan Cultures. Tickets bought in advance are $8 for Adults 13 and older and $5 for children 6-12.

At the gate, Adult tickets are $10 and child tickets are $5. Children 5 and under are free.

Advance tickets are available at ITC Store and at TexanCultures.com. For additional information, call (210) 4582300 or visit TexanCultures.com.

7 p.m. Cine en el Barrio: Pepe & Santo vs.

America [*editor’s choice]

The film, showcasing at the Guadalupe theater, follows Pepe on a quest to fullfill his grandmother’s dying wish.

6:30 p.m. GET REEL FILM: Tarzan and Jane Regained. . . Sort Of [*editor’s choice]

The McNay will be showcasing Warhol’s first feature film. Admission is $5 for non-members

7:30 p.m. A Clockwork Orange [*editor’s choice]

Texas Public Radio will be sponsoring Kubrick’s dark 1972 classic. Tickets are $10 -$12 and the Bijou Theatre

Friday Jan. 27 She was a member of the 2008 National Champion UNM Lobo Slam Team and has been a member of the Albuquerque’s Slam Team three times.

Lopez has been a participant in many programs dedicated to helping others, such as The Writing Institute for Youth, VOCES. She has been a featured instructor for the 12th annual Las Mujeres 2007 conference; performed at Poesia Sin Fronteras in 2009; participated in the Albuqueque Pride GLBQT Poetry Slam, called Outspoken in 2011; and currently teaches poetry and creative writing at Robert F. Kennedy Charter High School in Albuquerque, N. M. Lopez’s writing delves deep into the psyche and forces the audience to gain new perspectives on the power of words. When poetry is spoken or recited, it is intended to evoke emotion.

Lopez’s use of syllabic techniques,

such as dactyl and anapest stressing of pertinent syllables is effective. Lopez also effectively uses what is called the caesura in her readings, which is a natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usually near the middle.

Lopez’s intended timing and rhythmic readings are not be “messed with.”

This is serious writing; Lopez writes eloquently yet is gritty; her poetry is her personal truth.

She speaks of her youth, her past, her experiences, and the border town in which she grew up; her work is personal but captivating.

In “Always Messing with Them Boys,” she focuses on issues of love, the men in her life and she tells the audience what truly makes her special: her thoughts.

In the following stance, taken from her poem, “I Would Love Like this if I Were You,” she writes:

7:30 p.m. Jessica Lopez

Jessica Lopez will be the featured speaker as a part of the 2012 Creative Reading Writing Series. She will be reading from her first set of poems, “Always Messing with Mother.” The event will take place in BB 2.06.04

10 a.m. Annual Asian Festival [*editor’s choice]

The Institute cf Texan Cultures will be celebrating their 25th Annual Asian festival. For more information check out the article on page 8.

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

See POET, Page 8

Do more with less: Katy Schmader Arts&Life Editor

arts@paisano-online.com Revolution Apparel’s philosophy is simple: “Our lives are defined not by what we own, but who we love, what we do, and how we impact the world.” They certainly have a good point.

As Americans, we consume way too much stuff. We buy and buy and buy.

In fact, the average person consumes twice as much as he or she did 50 years ago. In the last three decades alone, one third of the planet’s natural resources have been gobbled up. As Americans,

we make up 5 percent of the world’s population, yet we devour more than 30 percent of the world’s natural resources. Seems a little selfish, huh? As we buy more and more goods, stuffing our house to the brim with these things, we in fact are not getting any happier.

Americans as a whole might be missing out on the bigger picture.

This is where Shannon Whitehead and Kristin Glenn come in. Whitehead and Glenn are backpacking travelers, tea lovers, closet philosophers and bike riders, but more importantly, they are looking for a better way to fulfill our needs.

See REVOLUTION, Page 8

Photo Courtesy of Revolution Apparel

two entrepreneurs turn heads with their apparel

The Versalette, shown above as a scarve, can be altered to be wore 14 other ways, including as a dress, a tunic and a handbag.

Arts The Paisano Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! offers a new twist on take-out 8

January 24, 2012

Maddie Garner Staff Writer

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! opened on UTSA Blvd. a little over a month ago. Since then the food truck has been a great success.

“The biggest surprise is how welcomed we’ve been. We served about 25 customers on opening days.”

Adrian Guerra

Owner of Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner it is for the mouth. The wrap is cone shaped, narrow at the bottom with an opening large enough to eat with a fork or enjoy as a taco.

Guerra credits his passion for food as the inspiration for each menu item.

“I don’t have a background in cooking.

I have a background in eating. I know what I love, so I learned to cook what I

love to eat.”

Every menu item is named after a member of Guerra’s family. The “Mimi Melt”, named after Guerra’s wife, is a fried chicken tender sandwich with slices of cheese and bacon served on Texas Toast. The “Mas/Mas”, named for Guerra’s sister-in-law, is a grilled chicken sandwich served with a tangy

Sit among the lilies at the McNay Carly Cirilli

Contributing Writer arts@paisano-online.com The McNay Art Museum is notably filled with beautiful and delicate pieces.

But what’s even more beautiful is the adoration exuding from the staff and the patrons, and the feeling of respect and love for art-made obvious by immaculate rooms, lovely displays and impressive collections-envelopes as one walks through McNay’s pristine galleries.

Every Thursday, entrance into this world of art is free thanks to HEB. With that the free admission, visitors are invited to participate in a focus talk led by the Director of Education for the McNay, Kate Carey. Each focus talk centers around one piece of art, and last Thursday’s discussion was over the McNay’s version of Claude Monet’s painting, Nympheas (Water Lilies).

At the beginning of the discussion, Carey told the group of curious onlookers, “Here at the McNay, we like to encourage visitors to have a conversation about a particular work of art or about a particular artist.” Audience members gladly converse with her about the painting. One woman said it exuded a feeling of tranquility and serenity. A gentleman thought “Water Lilies” represented a wonderful balance between light and nature. Another gentleman said he thought the painting looked sporadic, as if it took no effort to create.

He received angry, disbelieving stares.

Monet painted approximately 250 versions of “Water Lilies” over the course of 25 years, and the canvas in the McNay’s collection is dated between the years of 1916-1919. Inspired

by Japanese artwork, Monet was fascinated with light and its effect on nature.

Some “Water Lilies” are dark, as if they were painted at night. Others are light and airy, but they all lack dimen-

sion, which is why Monet is considered an Impressionist; he painted differently than his contemporaries.

Carey then asked us where we recognized “Water Lilies” from. Apparently, it’s everywhere. Answers ranged between books, tote-bags, calendars and magazines. She referenced the Mona Lisa and stated that a singular painting that’s so widely known loses its meaning over time because it’s printed everywhere, but with “Water Lilies,” which has so many different versions, a person never knows exactly which Water Lilies he or she is looking at.

Located in the artificially lit Zilker Gallery at the McNay, Water Lilies is part of the collection of The Tobin Theatre Arts Fund and is one of approximately 20,000 pieces of art in the museum. Although it should be bathed in natural light as Monet intended it to be, “Water Lilies” is exquisite- not sporadic.

POET: to slam at UTSA’s Creative Reading Writing Program From Page 7

“I’d be Bogart without the ego, Orson Welles without the selfishness. I would color your world with all of the creative energy I could muster. If I were a man I’d be debonair and strike your fancy; the Lawrence Olivier of glittering desert and silk tents, yellow flapping yards of fabric, curling around the breeze, curling around the dry sun that festoons your desolate sky.”

Jessica Helen Lopez joins a long list

of writers who have previously been featured at the Creative Writing Reading Series, such as Bruce Mahart, Catherine Bowman, and John Phillip Santos, who will be the upcoming guest reader on Feb 17 at 7:30 p.m. The series gives students the opportunity to work closer with writers who are knowledgeable in their craft.

The rhythmic and passionate plea that is felt through reading Jessica Helen Lopez’s words permeates. “My po-

ems are completely confessional, from a first person point of view that is mine”, she says.

Lopez will read from her work entitled, “Always Messing with Them Boys” in the UTSA Business Building (BB 2.06.04) on Jan 27 at 7:30 p.m. Don’t miss out on this reading and a once-ina lifetime opportunity to meet Jessica Helen Lopez, poet extraordinaire.

check out www.paisano-online.com for more exciting stories

Brianna Cristiano / The Paisano

Just a few blocks from the UTSA 1604 campus on Roadrunner Way, food trucks are rolling in to serve students and nearby businesses a new twist on take-out. The newest food truck, Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! transforms traditional tacos and sandwiches into original creations worthy of a TV cooking show.

“My passion comes from making something unique and tasty. I find it gratifying to be artistic with food,” said Adrian Guerra, owner of Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Combining passion with innovation, Guerra delivers truly unique flavors that come alive in every menu item.

Guerra’s signature dish, also called “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner”, lies somewhere between a taco and a wrap.

This enticing creation brings a subtle blend of peppery, yet sweet flavors to fried crispy chicken tenders wrapped in a thick handmade tortilla.

Before cooking, Guerra marinates the chicken tenders in jalapeño juice for 24 hours. “Marinating the chicken in pickled jalapeño juice brings out the jalapeño flavor, yet minimizes the heat,” adds Guerra. The tenders are then coated with a blend of ground almonds, sesame seeds and corn flakes that are seasoned with just a hint of sugar and chili powder. The “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” is served atop raspberry chipotle slaw and finished off with a slice of fried avocado and a Southwest Chipotle sauce.

The “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” is as much a feast for the eyes as

Brianna Cristiano/ The Paisano

arts@paisano-online.com

At only $5, the “Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!” jazzes up the ordinary chicken taco.

mix of jalapeño, cilantro and cheddar cheese served on a French roll. Guerra reinvents the B.L.T by replacing bacon with fried avocado in “Bianca’s A.L.T”, named after his daughter, Bianca, who works in the food truck with her dad.

“We may start naming items after our pets pretty soon,” adds Bianca.

Sadly, the only family member who doesn’t have a dish named after himself is Guerra. But he’s working on that.

“I’ve been thinking of creating a country fried ribeye with cilantro sauce,” states Guerra.

A former San Antonio high school teacher, Guerra opened Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! one month ago

and says the response so far has been great. “The biggest surprise is how welcomed we’ve been [by the community]. We served about 25 customers on opening day.”

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! is open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Prices range from $3 to $4. “We aimed to price our food so that you can get a great meal for around five bucks,” said Guerra.

Guerra’s bold approach to cooking promises distinctive cuisine, but it’s his enthusiasm and passion that keep customers lined up at Winner! Winner!

Chicken Dinner!

REVOLUTION: apparel advocates environmentally friendly clothing From Page 7

After traveling for two years, both were around the age of 25 when they hit a quarter life crisis. What were they going to do with they rest of their life?

Whitehead and Glenn, neither with a degree in fashion, joined heads to create Revolution Apparel, an apparel company that is committed to providing consciously sustainable clothing.

Whitehead tries to explain how the whole idea began. “Kristin called me; she said I want to do something different . . . let’s do it together.”

Together they have traveled all over looking for an answer to creating a sustainable clothing line. The entire line is made up of 10 different pieces that can be worn 100 different ways, including a maxi dress that converts to long dress, short dress, and skirt, as well as a pair of shorts, a pair of pants, a cardigan, a camisole, a tunic, leggings, and vest.

Imagine taking 10 individual pieces and replacing an entire wardrobe, without losing the ability to look fantastic.

Each piece is environmentally friendly, and made without any harmful chemi-

cals. The entire product line is made entirely from fair traded goods, from the cotton, to each individual button. The Versalette, their first creation, is made from 100 percent recycled cotton, and can be worn over 15 ways, including as a handbag and dress.

“When we first started coming up with this idea, we knew we didn’t want to sell something unethically. And it had to be green,” Glenn said.

These environmental entrepreneurs hope to change the way people look at their clothing; in fact, Glenn says, “It is our number one goal.”

Whitehead and Glenn are excellent examples of how you can accomplish anything with a little bit of passion and heart.

As for creating a men’s line, Whitehead and Glenn say it is not out of the realm of possibilities, but they have their hands full with the current 10-piece clothing line.

The Versalette will be available online in March at www.revolutionapparel.me

The Paisano

January 24, 2012

Sports

9

Carly Cirili

Contributing writer sports@paisano-online.com With over 20 years of coaching experience, Scott Slade is an undeniable asset to UTSA’s track & field program.

A Buffalo, NY, native, Slade has been at UTSA for seven years as the associate track & field head coach.

He has helped lead the Roadrunners to six straight Southland Conference titles.

Despite his impressive resume and numerous personal accomplishments, Slade’s main concerns are the pro-

gram, the athletes and the promotion of UTSA as a desirable university.

Slade must be doing something right because in July of this year, he will be helping coach Team USA at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) under-23 Championships in Mexico City.

Occuring just before the Olympics, the NACAC Championship is a preview of talented track & field athletes.

It is a competition that Slade is proud to be involved with as part of the coaching staff.

“It’s not about me. I want to get UTSA’s name out there,” Slade said. Slade also mentioned head track and field

Work in Progress Football and Futbol Stephen Whitaker Sports Editor sports@paisano-online.com San Antonio suffers from a national perception that it is a oneteam town. This is because the Spurs are the only major league team in town.

While there is only one team that can claim membership in a major league based in the Alamo City, that doesn’t mean the city suffers from a lack of professional teams.

New teams will soon be added to the list that includes the Missions of Minor League Baseball’s AA level Texas League, Rampage of the American Hockey League and Silver Stars of the WNBA as 2012 marks the birth of two more professional teams in San Antonio.

In March, the San Antonio Talons

GET INTO THE GAME

Write For the Paisano Meetings every Thursday 5:30 P.M. The Paisano office

coach, Aaron Fox, who was appointed to the United States International coaching staff two years ago.

“That’s two coaches in the last three years from UTSA. It’s a great recruiting tool--sports are such a visible side of any university,” Slade said. “I want to give recognition to UTSA’s track program.”

When asked what he thought about living in Texas, Slade said, “When a person thinks about Texas, it’s about the Longhorns and the Aggies. I want it to be about the Longhorns, the Aggies and the Roadrunners!”

of the Arena Football League will play on a field half the size of a regulation gridiron. The Talons will play in the Alamodome, but there should not be a conflict with UTSA football since the Talons season runs from March to July.

When the Talons, newly relocated from Tulsa, OK, take the field for the first time on March 10, it will mark the return of pro football to San Antonio for the first time since 1995 when the Canadian Football League’s San Antonio Texans shut down.

A month after the Talons’ season begins, San Antonio’s other new team will take the pitch for the first time when the San Antonio Scorpions begin playing in the North American Soccer League.

The Scorpions will open up on April 7 on the road at the Atlanta Silverbacks. Their first home game will be April 15 at 8 p.m. at Heroes Stadium against the Puerto Rico Islanders.

For fans in San Antonio, these additions to the sports family will bring another opportunity for entertainment.

Courtesy of Jeff Huehn / UTSA Athletics

UTSA cross country coach appointed to Team USA staff for NACAC championships

UTSA distance running coach Scott Slade will use his knowledge to help Team USA at the NACAC Under-23 championships to be held in Mexico City, Mexico this summer.

10

Sports

The Paisano

January 24, 2012

Henry Anderson Staff Writer

Stephen Whitaker Sports Editor

sports@paisano-online.com

Brianna Cristiano / The Paisano

UTSA 80 Northwestern State 62 The Roadrunners used a balance of shooting, rebounding and timely turnovers in an 80-62 win over the Northwestern State Demons at the Convocation Center, Wednesday Jan 18.

The Runners’ strong defensive front kept the Northwestern State Demons from ever posing a threat offensively.

UTSA jumped to a quick 18-8 lead at the start of the first half.

Tyler Washington led the Demons to within four with only a few minutes left in the half.

Junior guard Michael Hale III and the Roadrunners took over from there.

Hale knocked down a crucial three pointer and a momentum changing two pointer.

Towards the end of the game, the Demons were turning the ball over continually, but even so the Roadrunners only had 7 points on turnovers.

The Roadrunners were up by a com-

manding 23 points with just two minutes remaining.

The Demons were led by Shamir Davis with 17 points and three rebounds, Louis Ellis with 10 points and three rebounds. William Mosley racked up 15 points and a commanding 12 rebounds.

Five Roadrunners scored double digits; Jerome Hill with 12 points and four rebounds, Hale III with 10 points and four rebounds, Johnson III with 21 points and three rebounds, Igor Nujic with 11 points and five rebounds, and Kannon Burrage with 14 points and seven rebounds.

UTSA shot 44.8 percent; whereas NWSU shot 34.5 percent. The Roadrunners also shot 63.6 percent from behind the three-point line.

“I think our team is really maturing and doing a good job in figuring out what it takes to win at this level,” Head Coach Brooks Thompson said following the game.

UTSA 80 Texas State 75 The Roadrunners entered Saturday’s contest with rival Texas State near the top of the Southland west division standings. The Bobcats were near the bottom, but when it comes to rivalry

Jeromie Hill dunks the ball for two of his 24 points scored against Texas State. The Roadrunners prevailed 80-75

games, records get thrown out.

Aside from the Roadrunner fans in attendance, the fourth largest crowd in Strahan Coliseum history went home on the wrong side of the score.

The Roadrunners used a doubledouble from Jeromie Hill and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch to pull out an 80-75 victory in the latest installment of the Orange vs. Maroon I-35 series.

“Coming out here and seeing all their fans got my adrenaline up,” Kannon Burrage said. “They told us how big it is, (almost) like Duke-North Carolina.”

The rivalry between the two schools is big to some extent, though few know about it outside the local area.

“I told (Burrage) it was like AlabamaAuburn for our level schools ,” Thompson said.

For Hill, there was the memory of last season’s trip to San Marcos during which the Roadrunners held a late lead before losing to the Bobcats.

“All I could remember was coming in here last year and having a small lead,” Jeromie Hill said. “Then they came back and won.”

With that memory from last season fresh on his team’s mind, Thompson knew that getting a win would be tough.

“I expected that they would make a run,” Thompson said. “Texas State is a good team but it was a good experience to come in and win here.”

The Roadrunners made 64 percent of their shots in the first half and led 49-38 at the intermission.

“It was a hard fought game,” Burrage said. “We were happy to come out with the win.”

The second half was much more defensive as the Bobcats tried to claw their way back into the game while the Roadrunners tried to hold them off.

The win improved the Roadrunners’ overall record to 12-7 with a conference record of 5-1.

The Roadrunners will host a nonconference game with Jarvis Christian on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

Brianna Cristiano / The Paisano

Roadrunners defeat Demons, Bobcats

Ashley Gardner drives to the basket against a Texas State defender. The Roadrunners

Runners win seventh straight contest over rival Bobcats Madelyn Garner Contributing Writer

sports@paisano-online.com One win away from her 200th victory, UTSA women’s head coach, Rae Rippetoe-Blair, continues to combine youth with experience to create a winning formula.

Saturday’s game marked the seventh straight win against Southland Conference rival Texas State. The Roadrunners’ 67-53 victory came despite long scoring droughts at the start of the game.

The Roadrunners raced out to an 18-8 lead created by freshman guard Kamra King, senior forward Ashley Gardner and sophomore guard Judy Jones, who together scored 14 of the 18 points.

The Bobcats got back in the game by attacking the basket and holding an

11-4 advantage at the free-throw line.

The Bobcat surge helped shrink the gap and, by the end of the first half, the score was 28-21, UTSA. The Roadrunners played tough team defense to hold the Bobcats to 4 of 26 shooting for a 15.4 percent field-goal percentage, a season low for a UTSA opponent.

Three-point shooting and field goals were virtually deadlocked between the two teams in the second half. A 9-1 advantage at the free-throw line and junior forward Cori Cooper’s strong inside presence enabled UTSA to pull away and cement the win.

Cooper scored a season high 18 points and credited Blair’s relentless drilling about defense. “That’s what got us going again in the second half,” Cooper said.

“It’s the best we’ve played all year.

Our defense has been pretty consistent. We took quick shots and our offense worked the drive,” Blair added.

January 24, 2012

The Paisano

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The Paisano

January 24, 2012