The Paisano Vol. 44 Issue 3

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

09.07.2010 Vol. 44 Issue 3

The

Paisano

Celebrating Thirty Years of Independent News with a Brand New Design

University approved as early voting site Christopher Connell

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Weekly Beak

Unauthorized flyers stuffed in

UT gets $9 million supercomputer The University of Texas at Austin is getting another supercomputer in a $9 million system expected to support more than 1,000 research projects, the school and other groups announced Monday.

UT joined with the government’s National Science Foundation and other partners for the Texas Advanced Computing Center to acquire a new Lonestar system. Another UT supercomputer, known as “Ranger,’’ was dedicated in February 2008.

“As we did with the Ranger supercomputer, we want to make Lonestar a showcase system for researchers in Texas and throughout the world,’’ said UT President William Powers Jr. TACC, in partnership with Round Rock-based Dell Inc., Intel Corp., Mellanox Technologies and DataDirect Networks, Inc., will use an HPC system involving applications running on the NSF TeraGrid, according to a statement Monday.

The new system is expected to replace the current Lonestar and will offer greater capabilities.

The new supercomputer will be made available for limited use in December and for general use by TeraGrid allocations early in 2011.

Bachelor of Public Admin degree approved The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved the bachelor of public administration degree for The University of Texas at San Antonio.

The new program is part of the College of Public Policy, which is located at the university’s Downtown Campus. Classes are set to begin in fall 2011 with an estimated enrollment of at least 40 students.

From Oct. 18 - Oct. 29 UTSA will conduct early voting. Voters must register by Oct. 4 to be eligible to vote in the November election.

The Nov. 2, 2010 Joint General, Special and Bond Election may be the biggest state election for UTSA students. This year students will vote for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

The current governor, Republican Rick Perry is running against

Voters need to register by October 4 to be eligible to vote in the Novemeber election.

Democrat nominee Bill White, Libertarian nominee Kathie Glass, Green Party nominee Deb Shafto and write-in candidate Andy Barron.

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst is running against Lib-

ertarian candidate Scott Jameson and two San Antonioans Democrat Linda Chavez-Thompson and Green Party Herb Gonzales, Jr. Voters will also have the chance to vote for Texas Attorney General. Republican

Greg Abbot is running against Democrat nominee Barbara Ann Radnofsky and Libertarian Jon Roland.

This will be the second time since 2008 that UTSA has served as an early voting location.

See ELECTION, Page 3

Web Exclusive

CANstruction team collects 4500 cans William Wise

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Courtesy of Army ROTC

The Paisano and Study Breaks have had unauthorized flyers inserted into some of last week’s issues. The flyers call for the removal of a professor and expressed concern over the possibility of the professor receiving tenure. The Paisano did not authorize the insertion of these flyers, and ad space for the flyers were not paid for. Students with complaints should contact the Paisano directly.

File Photo/The Paisano

campus publications

ROTC Cadet Casey Gregg (right) is awarded a Bronze Star for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Check www.paisano-online.com for

UTSA partners with Japanese University The University of Texas at San Antonio and Kumamoto University of Japan signed a cooperative agreement establishing an institution-wide program of exchange and collaboration in areas of interest on Friday Sept. 3.

The agreement promotes interest in the research and teaching of both institutions and deepen the understanding of the economic, cultural and social issue environments at both universities. Faculty and students will collaborate in research, teaching and participation in study abroad programs.

UTSA has formed approximately 50 global partnerships. This is the first formed with Kumamoto, San Antonio’s sister city. Kumamoto gave gave the San Antonio Botanical Garden its Japanese garden in 1989.

Aside from Kumamoto, San Antonio has eight other sister cities: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; Chennai, India; Guadalajara, Mexico; Kwanju, South Korea; Monterrey, Mexico and Western Galilee, Israel.

Collecting over 4500 cans the UTSA CANstruction team began to work on their design after last year’s competition.

Designers and philanthropists, American Institute of Architects, Society for Design Administration and the San Antonio Food Bank, held the 5th annual national design competition, CANstruction, in North Star Mall to nourish the people without food security and challenge the construction designers of San Antonio.

The challenge: to build a structure composed primarily of nonperishable food items, which will be donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.

The competition required that all structures be self-supportive and use no adhesives. In a unique activity to serve the community of San Antonio, the UTSA team – Harrison Pierce, Albert Franco, Audra Biediger, Samantha Singel, John Michael Storey and Stephanie Estrada – began their task soon after last year’s competition.

“In the beginning of the design, there was a sudden realization that it‘ll come together,” UTSA team leader Pierce said. “We all made a commitment to the limitations such as schedules. In the year that it took to work on the project, we worked during the summer in Dr. Eisenberg’s

garage and, from then on, made many modifications to the design. A huge amount of responsibility and leadership came together.”

They envisioned “Wrangling Hunger” as their group theme.

“It was a collection of ideas,” Pierce said. The structure incorporates UTSA colors to represent the students and alumni that contributed to the gargantuan effort needed to complete the project. “We actually had a UTSA alumnus working for H-E-B donate materials and advice. St. John’s Lutheran Church along with friends, family and community were also contributors to our project, and our advisor, Kevin McClellan, pushed us for group effort.”

Although daunting, the challenges that came with the competition were overcome by the team’s strengths.

“Financially, it was a huge endeavor to collect the materials we needed,” Pierce said.

“We asked around for donations by sending newsletters as fundraising. In total, we collected 4500 cans.”

Color-coded cans were meticulously chosen for the design of the structure, and the technical support came from months of planning.

The structure was a technical achievement due to the work from the team of students. The remaining competitors belonged See CANS, Page 3

Source: Associated Press and UTSA Today

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NEWS

The Paisano

September 07, 2010

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ELECTION: Voters to elect Governor of Texas among others From Page 1 KATHIE GLASS - Libertarian

RICK PERRY- Republican

William Wise/The Paisano

ANDREW BARRON -Write-In

UTSA CANstruction team used over 4500 cans during the competition.

Abortion: Against Abortion Education: Prayer in Texas public schools Taxes: Abolish state property taxes and increase sales tax Immigration: All men are created equally.

This means all men must live by the same law and if we allow and encourage illegal citizens to live illegally, there is no law.

DEB SHAFTO -Green

Federal Law: Nullify some federal laws as unconstitutional (e.g. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) Immigration: Utilize National Guard soldiers to prevent immigrants from crossing the borders and restrict all taxpayerfunded benefits including government education to undocumented immigrants

BILL WHITE - Democrat

Abortion: Only for rape, incest or maternal health Bankruptcy reform: Limit Chapter 7 Education: Start a pilot voucher program in Texas Guns: For concealed handgun ownership Immigration: End the notion of sanctuary cities

Sources Election Information: http://www. sos.state.tx.us/elections/ Candidate Sites: http://www.andybarronforgovernor.com http://www.kathie4guv.com

CANS: Only 2 college

competitors at event

with architectural firms. Out of 14 competitors, only two were colleges: San Antonio College and UTSA. “It was a measure of success,” Pierce said when he was found out that there was experienced builders and designers in the competition.

“If there wasn’t the right amount of awareness, then the food bank still receives the food items;

that is an amazing achievement,” Pierce said.

“By separating the responsibilities among the team, the sum of all parts contributed to another achievement.”

According to the San Antonio Food Bank, statistically over 37 million people used a food bank for emergencies last year.

http://www.rickperry.org Death Penality: Against death penality Immigration: Support immigration reform that allows full integration into our society for those who have already established productive lives here Education: Provide a physical environment that is supportive and not waste resources on administrative overhead

Economy: Invest in infrastructure Education: Reduce barriers to higher education Health care: Reduce costs of insurance Energy: Diversify sources of energy and reduce dependence on foreign oil

http://electdebshafto.org http://www.billwhitefortexas.com

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Photo Poll How do you deal with parking on campus?

Andrea Perez Freshman/ Biology “I walk to school from oncampus housing.”

OPINION The

The Paisano

September 7, 2010

Letters to the Editor

Mosque debate should be a non-issue After reading the two letters to the editor from Aug. 31 about the “ground zero” Islamic community center, I had to offer a letter in favor of the center.

The only arguments I’ve heard offered by opponents of the center are based on emotions and fear.

“This is a ‘victory mosque’” or “This is disrespectful and offensive to victims of 9/11.”

I’m sorry but freedom of speech and religion come with the certainty of being offended. If we blocked everything that offended us, we’d end up like Saudi Arabia.

The people who bombed the WTC are not the same people who want to build this community center. My Christian friends are not the same people who bomb abortion

clinics. If we attack every group of people on the basis of something a few individuals do who claim to represent that group, we’d have a revisiting of the Japanese-American internment camps during WWII. I find it very sad that the same individuals who attack this Imam and paint him as a terrorist would just as soon be crying persecution if this was a Church.

The opponents of this center are nothing but fear-mongering, hypocritical, prejudice bigots who fail to understand that there are other citizens in this country besides just them and other people who died on 9/11 than just White Christian Americans. Muslim Americans also died as well both in the initial bombings and in the rescue mis-

sions.

This issue is a non-issue. No group of people should have their rights cut out because some of us don’t like what they do or say.

To those who are offended by this center, I have only one thing to say. I’m offended by the way you treat fellow citizens.

As an atheist, I support this Imam and all moderate Muslims just as I support all moderate religious individuals. I hope the building of this center goes forward and is a symbol of the tolerance of America.

Kinberly Bellah Freshman/ Psychology “I take the shuttle.”

Evans Okotcha Freshman/ Undeclared “I don’t have a car. I walk to campus.”

Aaron Peters Freshman/ Fine Arts “I take shuttle 22.”

non-Muslims understand Islam and Arab culture. It is not an insult to those who died in the World Trade Towers. No one is singing praises for Bin Laden and his minions.

The Imam who is heading this endeavor is a partner with our foreign service, who goes overseas and tells other Muslims about Islam in America, often mentioning that he has more freedom in America practicing Islam than he would in a Muslim country.

Muslims have been in this country even before it was country; the idea that we only will tolerate people if they are like “us” is not in the American multicultural spirit that I grew up in.

When immigrants come to America, they’re supposed to “assimilate.”

As someone who has lived overseas for half of his life I know how hard this actually is, especially when you

Instead, it is the media, which is absurdly skewed to the political right, that has fanned the flames of this rubbish. Well, mainly it was Fox News and the other usual suspects, but the “mainstream” (“liberally-biased”, as some misguided people would claim) media has done more harm than good by acting as if there is an actual controversy.

Then there are those truly distasteful politicians who, smelling a fantastic wedge issue upon which to run, have gone as far as to compare Muslims to Nazis and claim that Islam is a cult.

As for those who claim that having an Islamic community center near Ground Zero is “distasteful” and “disrespectful,” I have to wonder how they feel about the already

Joseph Tidline

Interim News Editor: Christopher Connell

Features Editor: Arianne Evans

Arts Editor: Ruben Mercado

Sports Editor: Vanessa Elizarraras

Photo Editor: Burk Frey

Graphics Editor: Robert Calcagno

Web Editor: Robyn Lorkovic

Staff:

look, dress and talk differently than the locals. But it is not impossible; it just takes time, and you never forget where you came from, nor should you.

Every culture and religion adds to our American society and makes us stronger. Yes, there are parts of Islam that the average American has no real understanding of things - like the covering of women’s hair and body, Jihad and the Prophet Mohammad’s life. This is why we need places like the Cordoba cultural center, so we can at least know their reasons behind their beliefs.

So I ask anyone who is against the mosque near ground zero to please remember Muslims are not the enemy!

Jon Andresen Freshman

existing mosque and the strip club, which are far closer to Ground Zero than this community center will ever be.

It is also humorous to see (well, read) people claim, with a serious face (well, text), that president Barack Obama is a Muslim because he “defends” them, and not Christians.

Certainly Christians need defending in a nation such as ours where they vastly outnumber those of other faiths, and even those of us without faith, and are constantly under attack by the evil, elitist, liberal soldiers of, uh... evil.

Furthermore, to argue that “Christianity has been beaten to a pulp” because, unlike the last president, this particular corporate puppet is not constantly praising your

The Bird Seed by Megan Lovelady

Editor-in-Chief:

Kevyn Kirven

Media is to blame for controversy The people who oppose the Islamic community center in New York City are bigots. No, not most of them, not a minority of them, but all of them. They are all bigots.

Why do I say they are bigots?

Their nonsensical arguments say it all. The bigots claim that this “mosque” is an affront to those who died on 9/11. They say it is an act of fundamentalism, of “political correctness” upstaging “righteousness,” when what they really mean is that they don’t like how brown people with different religions can also take advantage of their Constitution-given rights as citizens of the United States of America. It is racism and religious intolerance in its purest, vilest form.

However, the fault lies not with the easily manipulated public.

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Diversity makes America a stronger country What many people seem to not understand about the New York mosque is that it is not a Islamic and Al Qaeda monument. Islam did not attack us on 9/11, rather, some very radicalized religious criminals motivated by U.S. foreign policy who happened to be Arab and Muslim.

Ground Zero is hallowed ground for all Americans who remember that dark Tuesday morning, but it in no way was a religious motivated attack. If Islam was honestly at war with the West, it would be WW3, not low intensity guerrilla warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan. The ideology of Al Qaeda, worldwide Jihad, is quite extreme even by other Muslim Jihadi standards.

The Cordoba house wants to be a conduit between non-Muslim Americans and their Muslim neighbors by being a cultural center to help

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Interns:

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Advisor: Diane Abdo

Advisory Board: Steven Kellman, Mansour El Kikhia, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman, Matt Stern The Paisano is published by the Paisano Educational Trust, a non-profit, tax exempt, educational organization. The Paisano is operated by members of the Student Newspaper Association, a registered student organization. The Paisano is NOT sponsored, financed or endorsed by UTSA. New issues are published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters, excluding holidays and exam periods. All revenues are generated through advertising and donations. Advertising inquiries and donations should be directed towards: © The Paisano 14545 Roadrunner Way San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210)690-9301 Fax: (210)690-3423 E-mail: paisanoeditor@sbcglobal. net

chosen deity, would be hilarious, if it weren’t so depressing.

At best, this “debate” is nothing more than a manufactured controversy. At worst, it is a brutish, ugly manifestation of the racism lurking within our country.

Horace Deans Sophomore

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Letters must be less than 400 words and include the writer’s name, classification or title and telephone number. The Paisano reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Paisano meetings every Monday @5:30p.m.

Crystal Colin Junior/ Kinesiology “I keep my car parked in the resdential parking lots.”

Cristina Rogers Freshman/ Undeclared “I get to campus early and park.”

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Features

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The Paisano

September 7, 2010

Sign here, initial there?

The importance of reading your lease contract Joey Alabbassi

paisanofeatures@sbcglobal.net You find the perfect apartment and can’t wait to move in and start your new life. You sign that contract, put in the deposit, and get your keys.

Yay! Did you read that contract? Did you know you just signed away your life? Your car can be repossessed if you miss rent, your pets could be taken away, and your belongings gone?

Okay, not really, but you could miss out on a lot if you don’t read your entire contract.

The following are four apartment complexes around UTSA’s main campus. Find out about their floor plans, rates, and what apartment complexes aren’t telling you, as well as some interesting words from a leasing agent about reading that contract.

The Outpost: For $280 in fees and the deposit, and up to $869 for a 1-bed/1-bath (1B1B) or down to $529 for a 4B4B. You can enjoy cozy living here with free Internet and cable, a swimming pool, entertainment center, fitness center, and even a theater

Arianne Evans

room!

“I love living here. It’s so convenient and close to school and to IH-10,” freshmen biology major, Jessica Corraso said.

The Reserve: You won’t find a 1B1B here, but if you can find a roommate, you can enjoy living here for about $595 a month in a two, three or four bedroom apartment, after $300 in fees and deposits, of course.

The amenities here include a computer lab, fitness center, free tanning, a pool, entertainment center, and for your convenience, individual leases.

“On a nice day, I can manage to walk to school! It’s great living here,” junior architecture major, Monica Davis said.

Avalon Place: The only green community around here.

“I absolutely love living here.

I’m a senior and ever since my freshmen year, I’ve always been hopping between different apartments, and this is by far my favorite one! It’s safe, clean, and the administration are always helpful” senior communication major, Amy Anderson said.

Avalon Place amenities include recycling services, a fitness

with them, and another offers $50 off after every six months of paying your rent on time.

Reading your contract isn’t just important because of these hidden deals, it’s just as important to read them because of important information you might need to know involving rules and regulations that you might not be aware of.

For example, most apartments will allow you to have more than one car per resident in an apartment, but they won’t allow motorcycles. Or, how goldfish will apply to that $200 animal deposit fee. If your car isn’t getting towed, you’re getting fined for cigarette butts on the ground.

Some complexes will even make you sign some sort of a document literally stating that they are not responsible for you, your health, or your personal possessions, even during a robbery.

“Hardly anyone who rents an apartment or house will ever read their contract, because to them it’s just a list of do’s and don’ts,” says local leasing agent Ray Gonzalez.

“However, I can understand the excitement of college

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Do you find yourself tweeting on Facebook? Do you find yourself updating your status with twitter’s trending topics like: #imjustsaying or #dontjudgeme?

If so, you are single handedly responsible for killing Facebook.

Since making its name known in February of 2007, twitter has been taking over television, radio

center, a study room, a pool, volleyball and basketball courts, and free tanning, among a list of other things. For a 1B1B you can live green for $899 a month, $700 for 2B2B, or $625 for 4B4B. University Oaks: After $200 for the deposit and fees, University Oaks offers a 1B1B apartment for $998 or a 2B2B for $686 a month.

“It’s not the biggest apartment in the world, and it’s a little expensive living on my own, but it’s very convenient to be able to walk to school everyday, instead of having the hassle of trying to find impossible parking,” says sophomore engineering major, Mike Donald.

These might seem like good deals, but you can find even better deals if you actually go through and read your contract.

Most of the time the management at apartment complexes won’t tell you of the “re-lease deals” they offer, or the “paying on time” deals.

For example, two of the three apartments mentioned offer a carpet cleaning after each new lease you sign. Another apartment offers $150 off after re-leasing

students wanting to hurry out of their parents house for the first time and move into their own apartment, so they often either skim over the first page of the contract, or avoid it completely and sign it without any knowledge of not-so-common rules and regulations that particular apartment complex might have,” Gonzales said.

“Some apartments might have the price that’s within your budget, and just enough living space, but they could also have obscure rules like not being able to go out onto your balcony or patio after a certain time. Most apartments offer pest-control, but without your knowledge, as in, they will knock on your door and if you don’t answer they can just unlock your door and walk in, so sometimes it’s important to either read the contract or ask questions that might concern you,” adds Gonzalez.

Taking an extra five minutes to sit down and read your contract before you sign it has the potential to save you from a world of trouble.

Reading your contract does have its benefits besides knowing what you’re getting into. You might find something you don’t agree with or understand, so you can ask for them to elaborate more on that issue. Or, if you feel like a daredevil, sign it and hope you don’t get caught with anything you’re not supposed to.

I prefer Facebook #dontjudgeme

and my life. Before I even had a twitter, I found myself using tag phrases from twitter. What is it about Twitter that makes it so special? What’s all of the excitement about?

Everyone is abandoning Facebook, and for what; to find out what type of meat I’m going use in my spagetti tonight? #CmonSon. Facebook is the place where you can share pictures and

then make rude comments about said pictures.

It’s the place where you can like someone’s status just to unlike someone’s status. What happens when you forget your best friends birthday on twitter, nothing.

Facebook tells you in advance.

Twitter doesn’t remind you to tell your best friend happy birthday.

Where else can you become a

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fan of “if you don’t talk to me in public, don’t talk to me on Facebook?”

I know it’s convienent but what is the point of updating your status through Twitter? Some people have different sets of friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Why not tell us something new in case we are friends on both networks. #iknowright.

I can’t say I don’t enjoy reading

people’s tweets on Facebook. I also won’t admit that I have a Twitter just to stalk celebrities.

I realize that using the phrase, “killing Facebook, “ may be a bit on the extreme, but its place in social networking is slowly declining. Be that as it may, if I see another trending topic that was made for Twitter on Facebook, I’m going to have to hurt somebody. #EARringsALREADYoff.

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ARTS

The Paisano

September 7, 2010

Artistry Still Exists in Today’s Music

Creative Corner Viva

By: Fedora Stakes The earth is alive with blooming souls Each flower has a color to which perfectly it glows As the sun beams down upon these beautiful creatures It powers and illuminates their most gorgeous features Then a soft breeze comes and they all start to dance A beauty some never see, since they just take a glance

Allison Tinn paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net Performer or artist? Through the mist of thoughtless rhymes and empty lyrics, we still have a beacon of originality awaiting us with upcoming musician Jason Reeves.

Reeves, who describes his music as “honest and real,� has co-written albums with not only “Bubbly� artist Colbie Callait, but also writes and performs his own songs as well.

Reeves is currently working on his Helium Hearts tour and is excited to be stopping by UTSA for a performance.

When a friend let him listen to Bob Dylan and James Taylor for the first time Reeves knew he wanted to start learning how to play guitar and write music. He found his calling. Reeves said the inspiration came from “the fact that all they [Dylan and Taylor] had was a guitar, and with only one instrument they could tell a story and evoke so much emotion.�

During a trip to California from his home in Iowa, Reeves went to meet his producer, Mikal Blue, where on his first night he was introduced to Colbie Caillat. Immediately they had a connection, leading to their collaboration on Caillat’s album Coco, also produced

by Blue. Reeves credits Caillat with his extended stay in California saying, “I was only going to be in California for a couple of days and now I have been there for 5 years.�

When asked if he believed that working with other artists has allowed him to grow

Two Men Outside a Cafe Jason Reeves is up in the air.

as an artist himself Reeves response was, “I definitely do! The best way to learn art is with other people.� Reeves considers himself “very lucky to have met her [Colbie Callait], she is someone who I have connected so well with.� The experience with Callait was, according to Reeves, “The most surreal thing ever. We actually have worked together to write all her music.�

In 2007 he released Magnificent Adventures of Heartache, and the album was an immediate iTunes sensation. With the success of his 2007 album, Reeves was signed

by Warner Brothers Records.

Although constantly on the road, Reeves loves the adventure. “I never really had a home,� said Reeves, “I have been everywhere so it doesn’t bother me.�

His inspiration comes “from being alive.

Water Cooler

MTV finally got it right this year by picking the baddest bitch alive to host the VMA’s. On September 12, Chelsea Handler will be hostCan the VMA’s ing the notorious MTV Video Music Awards handle their where if something crazy is going to happen, newest host? it will.

Chelsea says it best however, “Everyone knows that when you think of rap music and hip-hop, you think of ‘Chelsea Lately,’ and Robyn Lorkovic that’s why I will be hosting [the VMA’s].� paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net Personally, I couldn’t be more excited about this. Not only is this a huge stepping stone for a comedian, as past hosts have included Eddie Murphy, Roseanne Barr, Jamie Foxx, and

Things that have happened to me directly, I write as these things happen to me.�

Contributing to Reeves growing success are his singles “Helium Hearts� and “Someone Somewhere�, just to name a few, but the road to success has not been an easy one.

The realities of being a starving artist have existed since picking up his first guitar and writing his first song in high school. At the age of 26, Reeves is still working hard and is excited about the journey ahead. “Be insanely patient,� said Reeves. “Figure out what you want to do and don’t give up... do what you love. If you do, it makes everything worth it.�

Jason Reeves will be at the UC fountain courtyard on Wednesday, September 15 from 8:00pm to 10:00pm. One can also check out Jason at www.jasonreeves.com or at myspace.com/jasonreeves.

Russell Brand, but it just goes to show that Handler’s career is steadily rising to the ranks of pretty healthy credibility.

And as an added bonus, you know she won’t hold back in the celebrity mishap joke department, which will hopefully include some jabs towards the whole Kanye-Taylor Swift craziness from last year.

So if you weren’t pumped up about the VMA’s already hopefully this will give you something to look forward to. After all, where’s the fun in Hollywood if you can’t poke fun at the meat and bones behind it.

by: Edward Silguero A man was walking out from a local cafe after having his daily coffee and morning paper.

In fact he was a state official who at the time promoted policies which won the citizens over, making him a respectable and popular individual.

It is unclear where the magnate was headed, but out of nowhere another well-respected gentleman bumped into him, knocking his newspaper out of his arms, onto a damp street.

Out of a fit of rage the first man called his lawyer (who, upon hearing the phone ring twiched his arm, punching his wife in the face) and sued the other man, taking his clothes and wife and family pet.

Then a customer (who was sitting in the cafe having a drink) called his lawyer, and sued both the men for blocking his view, instantly making him a millionaire.

In all the frenzy the cafe owner (who had been witnessing everything from the start) ran out the store, taking the mans phone to call his lawyer, which resulted in the confiscation of the first mans shoes (The store owner in fact, was getting tired of his own shoes which were becoming too worn.)

While everyone was arguing and beating each other to death, a man walks out of a building across the street. Laughing hysterically, he walks up to all the men and sues them all for a good time.

If you’re interested in submitting a poem or short story to The Paisano, send your contribution to: paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net

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Professors That Rock:

UTSA Professor Marco Cervantes, aka Mexican Step Grandfather in action.

The Mexican Step Grandfather provides higher learning hip-hop Jenelle Duff paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net When you hear the words Mexican Step Grandfather, an image of a wise abuelo sitting in a rocking chair, waiting to tell stories of days passed to eager niños and niñas automatically starts playing on the movie screen of your mind.

Mexican Step Grandfather is actually the stage name of UTSA professor Marco Cervantes, a San Antonio based MC/DJ/Producer. He’s a social/political rapper who has been in the local music scene for quite some time, having produced two albums and several collaborations. Just last year, he was awarded a Ford Fellowship for his scholarly work on Black and Chicano cultural intersections and was voted San Antonio Current’s hip hop artist of the year.

In this week’s Professors that Rock series, Marco Cervantes sparks more interest as he opens up about life as the Mexican Step Grandfather and his love for music and Black & Chicano cultures.

At what age did you realize that you had a passion for music?

Really young, elementary school age, I was really into music, all kinds of music. My parents were playing everything, you know, from traditional Mexican music to rock, Spanish, soul; that kind of stuff. So I was into that. It was later around like junior high, at age 13, that’s when I actually began writing my own stuff. I wanted to do hip-hop. My parents were really into music. My dad was a drummer. He used to be in a band where they played rock, blues and soul music, so that’s where I kind of get some of the musical stuff. On my mother’s side, my mother was a musician. In her family, all of my uncles were musicians. My grandfather was also a band leader in Corpus Christi.

How did you come up with your stage name “Mexican Step Grandfather”?

Yeah, that question comes up all the time. What I was actually doing with that name was it was a title of a book that I was working on because I wanted to be a fiction writer. And it was really talking about my own grandfathers, because most of my family are Tejano. They’re from Texas, but I had both

of my grandfathers, on both sides, were step-grandfathers.

So my connections, people would say, “Well how are you connected to Mexico?” My family’s from Texas but you know my two Mexican step grandfathers were from Mexico so there’s sort of a connection there. But I never finished the book and I was DJ-ing at the time using my own name, which had been my real name and I decided I needed something a little bit more catchy, I guess. I was playing around with the name, thinking well maybe I’ll just use it as my DJ name and see what happens. I ended up using it and it got all of this attention, and all of these articles I started seeing in the newspaper and stuff.

So that caught on and I’d always done rap. I took a break from DJ-ing for a while when I started doing more of my own stuff, because I was in a group before. I started saying, okay, I want to go do some solo stuff and I decided to just go ahead and use that name. I’d already been using it as a DJ and I felt it fit because of a lot of the subject matter I talk about, which is like brokenness between Mexicans and Mexican Americans a lot of times. You know there’s sort of a divide because of legislation and things like that, a cultural divide as well. So I found that it might be a way to make some commentary on some of this stuff, divided cultures, maybe bringing them back to think that you know, we’re all kind of linked together in a weird of kind of way.

What message are you attempting to convey through your music?

Bringing a sort of awareness that Mexicans and Mexican Americans have so much in common. Like I said, because of legislation and cultural differences, there has been a divide.

Where are you from? Are you from here? Are you from you there? That sort of thing goes on but the music allows me to reach out to people from both sides. I’ve gone to Mexico, done shows there and I find that music has been a good way to bring cultures together. The interesting thing is that through hip-hop alone, I’ve gotten the opportunity to see how hip-hop has infused so many cultures together and not just Mexicans, or Mexican Americans, but Black culture as well. You know a big part of hip-hop, the creation of hip-hop, has a long history in Black Americans and not just in the U.S., but also around the world. So yeah, pretty much, that’s what I’m trying to do politically as far as bringing those two cultures together, but also awareness to some of the social/political factors that kind of create a sort of block from opportunities. Like why aren’t these opportunities there in education? Why aren’t more cultural considerations being taken into the education process?

Why is it only just one history that we’re getting a lot of times?

So with the music I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to give multiple histories and as well book shows where I’m getting other artists who are doing the same thing. And its away from commercial mainstream. I have no desire for any of that and a lot of artists that I work with, the same thing, it’s to relay a message because mainstream music isn’t really doing it. Hiphop really isn’t doing it right now. A lot of the messages are troubling and very limiting. They kind of give a narrow way to the point of hip-hop, they give the youths the idea that well, if I want to do hip-hop, I have to talk about this, I have to talk about that and it just creates a lot of confusion. I think we should break that.

How many albums have you recorded to date?

I have one that I’ve done all by myself. I did an EP, then I did an album in 2008, so those two are the ones that are just me.

I did another album with another group called Revolts of the Sun. I did an instrumental album called Inner Stations. When I was younger I was in a group, we didn’t put out an album, we put out a single but it was actually on mainstream radio when I was in high school. Back then I thought I was going to be a big pop star or whatever, but then I took a break. But as far as my own stuff, only two, the EP and the album.

Recently you acquired your Doctorate. In what area is it?

English. It’s in the English department but within this English Ph.D program there’s emphasis on Latino Studies. That’s the route I chose so that gave me the opportunity to look at Latino literature but also music as well. And what I did, my dissertation was on Latin-Texano cultural interconnections through fiction, poetry, type of music so a big part of it was music.

Luckily for me because you know that’s like my passion, my love, music so it was a really interesting study to do given how

Machete Slices Into the Action Movie Review Kristoffer Hellesmark paisanoarts@sbcglobal.net

“Machete,” the new film by Robert Rodriguez, native Texan and maker of such cinematic experiences as “Sin City,” “Grindhouse,” and “Spy Kids” brings us a new cinematic experience armed with nothing but a machete and a badass attitude.

“Machete” can only be described as an “experience” because it’s not a film you’re likely to remember years from now, but while in the theater you’re having a heck of a good time! Robert Rodriguez has really outdone himself when it comes to the sheer number of things he throws at the screen to entertain his audience. In the first five minutes there must have been seven or eight decapitations, two naked women and Steven Segal returning to the silver screen as Torrez, the Mexican drug lord with a penchant for samurai swords.

“Machete” tells the story of an ex cop turned Mexican day laborer after a run in with a Mexican druglord, who is hired to assassinate the anti-immigration Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro) by a mysterious man named Booth (Jeff Fahey). But as Machete is about to pull the plug on the Texan Senator he is double crossed by the very people that hired him and a manhunt for Machete starts on the streets of Austin. With some help from fellow immigrants on both sides of the law called “The Network,” Machete escapes and unleashes a brutal

ARTS

The Paisano

September 7, 2010

rampage against his former boss.

From the very start it’s established that Machete is one brutal Mexican and that’s really all you need to know going in to the movie.

Filmmakers are somehow still able to find inventive ways to kill bad guys and Rodriguez is one of the better one’s when it comes to choreographing a really badass kill. At one point in the movie, Machete is trapped in a hospital when bad guys come looking for him. Machete’s ingenious escape plan: stab a guy, drag out his intestine and use it as an escape rope to rappel down safely to the ground.

The film’s actors are a joy to watch because you can see that they had a good time making this movie, especially Robert DeNiro and Jessica Alba who fill the dialogue gaps of the silent killing machine that is Machete.

The weakest of the actors was surprisingly Lindsay Lohan who (even though she sheds her clothes) remains uninteresting and acts merely as eye candy.

Machete doesn’t bring anything new to the table of exploitation action movies but remains very faithful to the grindhouse movie formula that it satirizes. Machete isn’t quite as entertaining as Rodriguez’s last experiment, “Planet Terror” but definintely brings the braindegrading slushy slices and dices promised by the title.

If Inception was the intellectual main course of the summer then Machete is the long awaited cartoonish dessert that’s bad for you, but you still love it!

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I grew up, you know, and my own cultural history. It allowed me to revisit a lot of things and helped me understand why I am the way I am and how I turned out to be this way. But, yeah, it’s in the English department and I just finished it like four weeks ago.

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment as it relates to your music?

I’d probably say getting the album done. That was one thing that I kind of wanted to do. I’ve always been in groups like I said, but I’ve never had the opportunity to totally control my own album, like the way I wanted it to sound, all the lyrics and so that was, I think for me a big one. Another one that I always tell people is going to Mexico and performing. It’s kind of a history that a lot of Mexican American performers have.

They go to Mexico and it’s like it’s the Mexican culture or whatever. But it actually does feel really good to me to actually go to Mexico and perform my material, and have people really getting into it. But yeah the album, probably for me right now is the biggest. You know, one good thing, too, is that last year, San Antonio Current (which is a music entertainment magazine), voted me best hip-hop artist for last year, 2009. So that was a kind of a surprise actually. I’d been doing all of these shows and stuff, so I guess that’s one the reason they voted.

There’s a lot of little things that keep doing this. Hopefully bigger things will be in the future.

What advice would you give to current music majors, or anyone that’s pursuing a career in music?

Um, I would say keep at it. I guess it depends on what kind of music you’re doing but just keep at your passion and keep studying. You know there’s that balance that I think is hard for a lot of people, including myself, to handle but keeping that balance, taking care of your studies but also pursing your passion. Those two things are most important. Getting past the different expectations that you have for school, like you have to get your Bachelor’s and your Master’s and Ph.D. For me, I wouldn’t have been able to do all of that, I think, if I hadn’t had the passion part of it so I would say find that equal sort of comfortable balance.

What are your goals for the future?

Continue teaching, I’m hoping to stay here a long, long, long time. I’m hoping to move up the ranks from Assistant to Associate to full-time Professor. Also, I really want to bring more events to UTSA. One of the things that’s coming up now is the Black & Brown Feminism Hip Hop Conference so that’s going to be in March and I want to continue doing events like this.

What this event is going to do is allow people from all around, like all around the world we sent out invitations and people have been responding like crazy. But pretty much, people from all around write an essay to send, or a performance, work of art, something demonstrating their view, their reading of Black & Brown Women in Hip-Hop Media, how hip-hop’s being performed, how hip-hop’s being appreciated, how people are viewing hip-hop, how people are dancing, the videos…like anything involving Black & Brown Women in hip-hop it would be a place to have that discussion. So it’s just one of the things, I’m hoping to bring more stuff like that, more events like that and I’m glad, I think that having this job allows me to do that.

Musically, I plan to do more albums. I’m going to keep doing it as long as I can. I’m not going to stop. I feel lucky that I don’t have to rely on sort of this idea of having a record label or anything like that. I can just put out stuff whenever I want to. I am my own record label basically so that’s pretty much what I have in store … moving up in the academics as well as doing more musically.

In which store can we find your albums?

They’re in the local stores here in San Antonio. They’re at some places in Houston as well but that’s about it. It’s available for free online at www.bandcamp.com. Yeah you can download it for free online and I think I’m going to do a lot of stuff like that…as long as people are getting it, that’s really my main concern and not how much money I make. Of course it’s nice to make enough money to buy the next album but I’m not really doing it for money. I’m more concerned with getting the stuff out.

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September 7, 2010

SPORTS

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UTSA in compliance with Title IX Brandon Hawkins

File Photo

paisanosports@sbcglobal.net

With football practice starting on Sept. 7, the Roadrunners will look for players to become leaders on the field.

Players set sights on first practice

Roadrunners will focus on adjusting to the demands of college football

Stephen Whitaker

paisanosports@sbcglobal.net Friday marked the first and last time media could speak with members of the Roadrunner football team since they became full-time students.

“Practice will be hard. Lot of young guys who don’t know what to expect, a few of us have experience, but the majority are brand new freshmen coming in to campus,” sophomore offensive lineman Brady Brown said.

“I think it will take some time to get acquainted with each other.”

The first practice will be a learning experience for every player in different ways. For freshman defensive back Darrien Starling it will be the adjustment to a new system and a new style of practice.

“The tempo will be faster, and it is on a timed schedule. In high school it was a loose-leaf practice; the conditioning was way harder than in high school.” Starling said. “It’s

a transition, but at the same time, I am used to it. I have to step my game up and stay on track.”

The first practice will serve to bring out the leaders of the team.

“It’s not who’s talking the most; it’s who is showing how to work things out. As long as you’re putting out 100 percent, leadership will come through with actions,” freshman offensive lineman Drew Phillips said.

Phillips wasn’t the only player who will reveal his leadership through his actions; it seems to be a trait shared by most of the players.

“It’s different because there are no leaders on the team yet, no certified captain; everybody’s going to go out there and give it their all,” freshman defensive back John Walker III said.

“See what everyone’s got and make sure we put everything together.

Once we put it together, it will be awesome.”

Walker’s biggest adjustment has been acclimating himself to life at

UTSA after a productive career at Humble High School.

“It doesn’t feel real, like I am finally in college, time to start putting in the work for the 2011 season. I don’t think it’s kicked in yet, but I am so excited,” Walker said.

For fellow freshman Starling who played his football at John Tyler High School the transition is hard, but not like the practices.

“The transition has been cool; it’s real different as far as people go, but as far as everything else its pretty cool.” Starling said. “The competition is tougher, but high school in east Texas helped me out because I was going against people with division one skills.”

Once the pads are on and the whistle blows, the players will put everything out of their minds and focus on getting better.

“If you’re going to be in the hot sun, you might as well work your butt off,” Walker said. “That’s my mentality.”

The inaugural 2011 Roadrunner football season is rapidly approaching and the buzz on campus is growing noticeably louder.

Coupling a common rallying point with additional revenue opportunities, UTSA football certainly bodes well for the future publicity of the university as it aims to compete at the top level and strive for Tier I status.

There’s just one problem: the addition of the football program could knock UTSA out of Title IX compliance.

Passed in 1972, Title IX is a law that requires federally-funded academic institutions to provide equal athletic opportunities to male and female students. The spirit of the law is to ensure that female athletic interests aren’t shut out or overshadowed in administrative consideration by male sports.

The law is essentially comprised of a three-pronged compliance test – equal participation opportunities, proportional awarding of athletic scholarships and equal athletic program components (i.e. training facilities, travel allowances, recruitment budget, etc) – and the university must pass at least one of the tests. The charge of maintaining Title IX belongs to Athletic Director Lynn Hickey.

Prior to the addition of the men’s football team, UTSA’s male-female student athlete ratio was actually swayed in favor of the women; this wasn’t a co-

incidence. Always looking a few steps ahead, Hickey explained that both “the women’s golf (added in 2004) and soccer (added in 2006) teams were included not only to address the wants of the students, but also with consideration that men’s football might be added in the future.”

UTSA football currently has only 26 scholarship players on the roster, which doesn’t tip the balance just yet, but the number will grow to a total of 60 scholarships as recruits fill out the team over the next few years. That’s only while they compete at the NCAA FCS level; UTSA is looking to eventually compete at the more prestigious NCAA FBS level by 2014 - that means the roster will swell to 85 scholarship athletes.

“It’s important to not only demonstrate a history of providing for equal opportunity (to both sexes), but also to develop a plan for the future,” Hickey said.

Hickey also explained that the University is looking into women’s swimming, lacrosse, bowling, equestrian, crew and/or sand volleyball as potential additions at a to-be-determined date.

“The challenge in adding any sport is securing adequate competition, determining student interest and raising the funds for new facilities.” Hickey said.

To assist her in this continued task, Hickey has assigned Deputy Athletic Director Elizabeth Dalton to oversee Title IX compliance and associated research. A more concrete plan –including a student interest survey-- will begin emerge by spring 2011.

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