The Paisano Volume 49 issue 3

}

Find out what to expect at this year’s Asian Festival page 6

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UTSA Women’s basketball falls to UTEP 67-56 page 8

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

{SINCE 1981}

Erika Cox was named the director of enrollment services by the UTSA Office of Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services after previously serving as associate director.

San Antonio Last Saturday, Jan. 25, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce publicly announced they will start a process to add the name of former Mayor Henry Cisneros to the SA International Airport.

Issue 3

January 28, 2014

HIV: Are you infected?

UTSA Edidong Adiakpan Staff Writer

news@paisano-online.com The San Antonio AIDS Foundation (SAAF), in collaboration with The Play Campaign and the Alamo Area Resource Center, administered free HIV and Syphilis testing to UTSA students on Jan. 22 at the H-E-B University Center parking lot.

“Students need to be aware that contracting STDs can happen to anyone. This event is good because it is free, fast, and students can get a lot of free stuff,” said Lisete Maldonado, a health educator intern for The Play Campaign.

The students began arriving for the free tests at 10 a.m.

Outside the SAAF testing van, an educational table designed

by The Play Campaign, had testing registration forms, free condoms, lubricants and See HEALTH, Page 3

Classes cancelled due to icy roads and freezing temperatures

Courtesy of Amaeda Lowe

Gov. Rick Perry told an audience at the World Economic Forum last Thursday that he supports decriminalization of marijuana and less strict policies that put smokers in jail.

U.S.

World Two white doves released by Pope Francis as a peace gesture to Ukraine, were attacked by a crow and a seagull in front of a shocked crowd.

Both the Main Campus and Downtown Campus were closed until 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24 as a result of dangerous driving conditions.

Gibson Hull Staff Writer

news@paisano-online.com UTSA’s alert system, Campus Alerts, informed students, faculty and staff on Thursday, Jan. 23, that winter weather

Tania Khan Intern

news@paisano-online.com

Sports The UTSA Men’s basketball team will host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at the Convocation this Saturday Feb. 1 at 3 p.m.

conditions caused all UTSA campuses to close beginning at 11 p.m., Thursday until 10 a.m., Friday. All classes and activities at the Main Campus, Downtown Campus and Institute of Texan Cultures were canceled during that timeframe. The closure was later extended to 5 p.m. on Friday Jan. 24.

By 10 p.m. Thursday, several

major roads in San Antonio were shut down due to icy conditions, including the Interstate 10 and Loop 410 interchange and the U.S. 281 connection to Loop 1604. The Texas Department of Transportation advised San Antonio residents not to drive that night.

CPS Energy reported that roughly 8,000 customers lost

power as a result of cold weather and wind.

The brief winter storm that blew in last Thursday included freezing rain, sleet and ice. By Friday the conditions had not improved. Hundreds of accidents dotted the city and many people were stranded in their vehicles.

The San Antonio Police Department reported 173 accidents, 414 minor accidents and 218 traffic-related calls during the stormy interlude from Thursday night to Friday afternoon, although only minor injuries were sustained.

The Texas Department of Transportation recommended reducing driving speed, maintaining a larger following distance, and using caution on bridges, ramps and overpasses.

In the event of losing control of a car, the driver should ease off the gas pedal or brakes and steer into the direction of the skid.

For the latest information regarding alerts on campus, check the Campus Alerts website at www.alerts.utsa.edu.

Recording UTSA history UTSA

What stemmed from a tragedy has grown into a unique project headed by the Retired Faculty Association (RFA) that seeks to archive the most memorable moments at UTSA and record its growth.

The death of former Dean of Fine and Applied Arts (now COLFA) and member of the RFA, Jacinto Quirarte, motivated the organization to create a project that would archive

UTSA Paul McIntier news@paisano-online.com

Dangerous weather

UTSA

Leisure area and spa for new Rec pool Intern

Texas

Police have identified Darion Marcus Aguilar as the shooter who killed two people at a Maryland mall on Saturday, Jan. 25. The cause of the shooting is still unkown.

{WWW.PAISANO-ONLINE.COM}

Rafael Gutuirrez / The Paisano

UTSA

Volume 49

UTSA since its birth in 1969 by preserving memories and testimonials from its founding members, alumni, faculty and students.

“We knew we had to do something,” said RFA President Dr. Marian L. Martinello. “We had been talking about needing to record all of this, but we never had gotten serious until we lost a very important member of the faculty.”

UTSA Histories Project’s main purpose is to collect memories and testimonies and preserve them for future study and interpretation. The UTSA Histories Project includes RFA’s Oral History Project, a proposal towards a commemo-

rative publication for UTSA’s 50th anniversary in 2019 by RFA historian Dr. David R. Johnson and a set of monographs that record aspects of UTSA’s growth.

“UTSA is unique in that it still has some of its founding faculty alive who can recall what happened in those early days,” stated Martinello.

“We hope this will go on forever, that we’ll have this fantastic body of information that maybe will not be so important to people today, but in 100 to 200 years from now those archive materials may be very important. How many universities have their founding faculty recorded?”

Provost John Frederick established the RFA in 2011.

Martinello proposed the UTSA Oral Histories Project. Once the proposal was accepted, the project began with RFA members and volunteers training in the proper techniques of collecting oral interviews under Dr. Sarah Z. Gould of the Institute of Texan Cultures.

Recording equipment, funded by President Romo, is available for checkout in the Office of the Dean of the Library for two weeks.

Currently the RFA is in talks with the Alumni Association representatives and faculty representatives to raise funds See HISTORY, Page 4

The UT System Board of Regents recently approved a $5.9 million budget to renovate the pool in the Recreation Wellness Center on UTSA’s Main Campus.

“It’s going to be a whole new pool.

What we’ve heard from the students is that they want lap lanes, a leisure area and a spa.”

Laura Munroe

Director of Campus Recreation The old pool, which closed November 2011, will be dug out and replaced by the new pool.

On Jan. 30, UTSA will meet with an architect to design the new pool, which is scheduled for completion by August 2015.

The original pool, which opened in January 2008, was plagued with construction problems from the beginning.

Although the pool was scheduled to open August 2007, excessive rain pushed the opening date back. When the pool finally opened five months later, bursting pipes caused several shutdowns.

According to Laura Munroe, Director of Campus Recreation, the problem was extensive: “About every three months another major pipe was breaking.”

During Spring Break of 2008, workers from SpawGlass, the contractor for the Wellness Center and the pool, repaired a broken pipe. Two months later, SpawGlass returned to repair four or five more pipes. “We were open but losing water,” Munroe said.

Since 2008, SpawGlass regularly repaired the pipes that were buckling underneath the pool. “They graciously came in every time and fixed everything, and never charged UTSA a dime,” Munroe said.

Finally, in 2011, SpawGlass told the university they would no longer repair the pipes because they felt their company was not responsible for the structural problems. The pool closed that November.

See RECREATION, Page 3

2

January 28, 2013

ADVERTISEMENT

NEWS

3 January 28, 2014

Health: preventing AIDS on campus Marcus Connolly/ The Paisano

Continued from page 1

The Recreation Wellness Center pool has been closed since the Fall 2011 semester. It is estimated that the pool will re-open in 2015.

Recreation: students can expect a new, better pool Continued from page 1

UTSA Facilities then hired engineering firm Walter P. Moore to conduct a forensics test on the construction. During the year-long study, the engineering firm looked at all construction plans, documents and photos. Their findings revealed that SpawGlass’ construction crews “never removed the clay from the area and packed it with select fill,” Munroe said.

Because of those findings, UT System attorneys are currently talking with all involved in the construction to determine who is at fault. In the summer of 2012, UTSA received permission to move forward with the new pool.

Once the architectural firm has been chosen, the design of the new pool will begin based on feedback from students.

The old pool, as well as the surrounding deck areas, will be completely excavated due to the buckling ground underneath.

According to Munroe, “It’s going to be a brand new pool.

What we’ve heard from the students is that they want lap lanes, a leisure area and a spa.”

One “wish list” item is a sauna, which would require erecting a building.

According to Munroe, the staff requested unisex changing rooms that can be used as a wet classroom for lifeguard classes. If the budget allows it,

the building could also house an additional room for a sauna.

One casualty of the pool renovations is the Lazy River, a feature that focus-groups in 2003 wanted for the original pool.

“We’re not planning on putting it back in,” Munroe said. “It was minimally used. It was used more by athletics, for walking against the current. Our group exercise classes used it for their exercising, but not very often.”

She added that the Lazy River was also expensive to maintain.

“One of the things we’ve asked for in the contract,” said Munroe, “is that we will have several open forums for students to come in and talk to the architect about what they want.

As soon we have that information, we’ll start advertising.”

“I think one of the things that’s so hard to understand, sometimes, is how long it takes to do anything,” Munroe added.

Once the firm is selected, the design process is expected to take six to eight months, with construction taking approximately the same amount of time.

Last spring, Munroe spoke with the UTSA Student Government Association (SGA) to find out what students wanted for the new pool. When pressed about specific requests, Munroe laughed. “They just want water!”

information on STDs. Free shirts were distributed in exchange for Facebook likes. The waiting time for the test and results was moderate.

“The thing about STDs is it doesn’t care if you are black, white, hispanic, gay, straight; it doesn’t discriminate. I would advise people to get tested every six months for STDs — especially HIV, depending on how many sex partners you have,” said Derrick Hudson, a health educator and Community Outreach Coordinator for The Play Campaign.

Hudson emphasized the importance of outreach to college students. “Events like this one are helpful, so students know that they can get tested for free. It spreads the word on how easy it is to get tested.”

More students than anticipated came to either get tested or collect free condoms.

One of the students standing in line to get tested was Anthony Gutierrez, an art major.

He had some previous experience with HIV/AIDS awareness when he worked with the city of Los Angeles to create a packet-style brochure with information on HIV/AIDS. The brochure was distributed to incarceration and medical facilities in downtown Los Angeles.

“I received an email from the UTSA Student Health Services that there was an HIV testing

happening on campus today, and I thought it was interesting. We need to be aware and accountable for our adult decisions; so even though I had a testing last year, I think it is good practice to get tested regularly and an encouragement to others to get themselves tested, be safe and responsible.

“I would advise students to get checked at least once a year.”

Recently, the UTSA Institute for Health Disparities Research in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Division of Community Pediatrics received $900,000 from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention for a joint project to prevent and reduce substance abuse and HIV/AIDS transmission among young adults in San Antonio.

The San Antonio AIDS Foundation offers free testing to all San Antonio residents Monday-Thursday at 8:30a.m.-4:00p.m., Fridays at 9 a.m.-1p.m., and Saturdays at 11:00a.m. - 3:00p.m.

They will be on the UTSA campus again to offer free HIV and syphilis testing on February 12, March 26 and April 23 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

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__NEWS

4 January 28, 2014

UTSAPD: POLICE BLOTTER DATE

CHARGE

1/26/14

5 Counts: Consumption of

alcohol by a minor

Changing campus monitors

LOCATION

Video monitors scheduled to undergo changes

Off Campus

UTSA Kevin Femmel Intern

1/25/14

Driving while intoxicated

James Bauerle

1/25/14

Driving while intoxicated

UTSA Blvd.

1/24/14

4 Counts: Consumption of

alcohol by a minor

University Oaks

HISTORY: preserving UTSA Continued from page 1

to support costly interview transcripts.

Archived material contains interviews with founding faculty. There are hopes to expand interviews to students, current faculty and community members.

Archives can be accessed through the Special Collections Department by appointment, and materials include collected photographs of the first set of students and buildings along with recorded interviews.

Students working on the project include a group of research assistants assigned by Johnson, and there are hopes to extend

it to all students who could access the material for further research.

“This project will never end, hopefully,” said Dr. Martinello.

“We are hoping to get staff and students engaged with this, and from those groups, volunteers can come forward to learn the simple techniques of collecting oral histories.

This can go on forever as long as the university exists in order to keep track of all the histories and stories that have made this university what it is and will make it what it will become.”

Dr. Adrian Derral Cheatwood will be presiding over UTSA’s

presentations at the Texas State Historical Association Annual Meeting on March 7, 2014 in San Antonio, which includes Dr. Martinello’s presentation, Photographic Evidence of Change in the University’s Development; David R. Johnson, University of Texas at San Antonio Retired Faculty Association, on The Origins of Texas at San Antonio; and Dr. Sarah Z. Gould, University of Texas at San Antonio Institute of Texan Cultures, on UTSA Founding Faculty Oral History Project.

news@paisano-online.com Major changes are coming for the 72 television video monitors at the downtown and main UTSA campuses. The monitors provide informative digital signage about campus events and deadlines.

The UTSA Provost Office has organized a committee to review the placement and effectiveness of the on-campus digital signage. They will suggest changes in the next few months.

Each monitor allows for approximately 10 to 15 seconds to grab attention, thus necessitating a need for clear, concise content.

One issue faced by OIT with digital signage on campus is that there isn’t a standard model that all departments can purchase.

The capabilities of the me-

dia players are splintered, with some monitors lacking the same durability or quality as others.

Select monitors on campus don’t support audio, and the ones that can output sound don’t regularly play video content.

Ernest Hernandez, Director of Video Technology at OIT, said that one step towards efficiency will be hiring a third-party vendor to inspect the monitors to see if they’re faulty or outdated.

He describes this inspection as a “one-time doctor’s report on the health of the network.” OIT will then start a communication campaign recommending new equipment for university departments to purchase, which will be a push towards standardization.

Changes like less static images and more student-driven video content are also on the way.

One suggestion is to have student-made videos broadcast across campus. “Float stuff out there, see if it’s working and experiment,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez praises how cre-

ative UTSA students are with online video services like YouTube and Vine.

“The coolest thing to do with digital signage is to open it up to students,” says Hernandez.

“I’d really like another outlet for them to put it on.”

Lectures from professors or guest speakers could also be broadcast. For example, students who can’t attend Randi Zuckerberg’s social media presentation this week could catch her entire speech while eating lunch in the UC. Lectures could be played outside the corresponding department, giving a second chance for students to take notes.

Hernandez believes that interest from students is important to validating changes OIT is in the process of making.

“If students want to put content on there, then we know digital signage is working.”

Interested in joining The Paisano News Team?

For more information contact: news@paisano-online.com and visit: www.paisano-online.com

OPINION

August 26, 2008

The Paisano

Opinion

5 5

January 28, 2014

{The Paisano} Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Matthew Duarte

Managing Editor: J. Corey Franco

News Editor: Sarah Gibbens

Arts Editor:

Jennifer Alejos

Sports Editor: Jakob Lopez

Web Editor:

Michael Turnini

Special Issues Editor: Erin Boren

Business Manager: Jenelle Duff

Senior Copy Editor: Beth Marshall

Photo Editor:

Rafael Gutierrez

{Staff Writers} Edidiong Adiakpan, Mohamed Ahmed, Chris Breakell, Jazzment Brown, Nick Castillo, Christina Coyne, Victor Gonzalez, Shelby Hodges, Randy Lopez, Patrick Martinez, Rafael Mendoza, Mario Nava, Chaney Shadrock, Sara Flores, Lorenzo Garcia, Rebecca Conejo

All A’s not created equal When UTSA opened its doors to students in the early 1970s, getting an A in class was a rare occurrence, and only the most outstanding students received the highest marks. Now, surveys of colleges around the country suggest that over 40 percent of the grades awarded to college students are A’s, while about 30 percent are B’s. Although grade inflation among colleges is well-documented, there has been little effort to fight the trend. Grade inflation is an institutional problem without an easy solution, and implementing an honest transcript would help employers hire students based on perfor-

mance instead of a flawed grading system.

In the 1960s a college student had only about a 15 percent chance of receiving an A for a course, resulting in an average GPA of around 2.5 for graduates. However, as more students are receiving higher grades, the typical student graduates with a GPA of around 3.0. Although it seems like the quality of college students is on the rise, students are actually studying less than they did in the past. Whereas a student going to college in 1961 would study for 40 hours outside of class, today’s typical student only studies for about 15 hours after they leave the

classroom.

Clearly — with grades on the rise and student effort on the decline — it is becoming more and more difficult for employers to differentiate between the students who put in the effort to succeed and those who are simply doing just enough to get by. All too frequently an employer will hire a recent graduate who, despite a transcript with seemingly high grades, is incapable of handling a 40-hour workweek.

Last year, Republican State Representative Scott Turner introduced a bill that would have required a college transcript to include not only the

Comic

In Small Doses. by: J. Corey Franco

Matthew Trevino, Daryl Smith, Vicente Cardenas, Marcus Connolly

{Contributing Writers} Julian Montez, Jose Quintero, Jasmine Rodriguez, Pete Torres, Renee Rendon, Mary Caithn Scott, Chance McDevitt, Chris Rodriguez, Rico Martinez, Matt Trevino, Marco Aquino, Kelsey Moreno, Megan Ball, Rohit Chandon, Kristen Carreon, Alex Camacho, Bianca Montanez, Alejandra Barazza, Matthew Tavares, Brittney Davila, Taylor Bird

{Contributing Photographers} Scott Cochran, Katherine Kish, Craig Garrison

{Interns} Erica Gonzalez, Paul McIntier, Tania Kahn, Amelia Reyes, Kristen Carreon, Kevin Femmel {Ads Manager} Kevyn Kirven

{Advisor}

Diane Abdo

{Advisory Board}

Steven Kellman, Mansour El-Kikhia, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman, Stefanie Arias 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:

{Letters to the Editor}

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.

Send letters to: Editor@paisano-online.com

Commentary

A part time consideration L a s t w e e k , while reading The Paisano, it came to my attention that Provost John Frederick was considering implement-

ing a five percent tuition increase for part time students as a means of getting UTSA to rise to “Tier One” status.

Any individual who regularly visits the UTSA campus or website is knowledgeable of UTSA’s preoccupation with achieving “Tier One” status. Personally, I have no qualms with the “Tier One” campaign and I applaud the fact that the university

be aware that employers will take note if its students are unable to compete in the workforce. An honest transcript would hold UTSA and its professors accountable, as well as its students who are looking to separate themselves from other job hunters. While the adoption of a plus/minus grading policy is a step in the right direction, an honest transcript would give employers the best gauge of how well a student performed in college. If Texas schools want their students to be accurately represented as they hunt for jobs, legislators and administrators would be wise to adopt an honest transcript.

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grade a student received in the course, but also the median or average grade for the course.

This would ensure that when an employer is looking to hire, they have the context for how well a student performed instead of just a number or letter.

Schools such as Dartmouth, University of Illinois and Columbia already implement such a system, known as an honest transcript. Although Turner’s bill passed the House with near-unanimous approval, it was never brought to the floor in the Senate.

While UTSA seeks Tier One status and attempts to increase its graduation rate it must also

is taking the initiative to build a successful and high-class school environment for students. However, I am worried that this particular step the university’s administration is taking to achieve “Tier One” status is inconsiderate of a vulnerable student demographic.

Contrary to popular belief, a majority of part-time students at universities are in that position due to

I find your “Commentary” in the January 14, 2014, issue of “The Paisano” very insulting and very discriminatory. I am very proud to be a Roadrunner who finished her BA Summa Cum Laude, finished her MA, was very involved in the life of the University, and has been a faculty member with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures for ten years, five of those as a Teaching Assistant. Let me tell you, I accomplished all this as a parttime student, at an age when most people think of retiring, having a family to take care of, and working.

I mentioned I was involved in University life. I was president of one student organization and of Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honor Society. I wanted to be more involved but I was not allowed to do so and was discriminated because I was not a full-time student.

I was not even allowed to apply for certain scholarships for the same reason. Once more discriminated! But in spite of everything I fulfilled my dream and I am living it now as part of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Ah, another thing, permit me to brag a bit! While being a parttime student I was invited and became a member of five honor societies and I received several important university and/or societies awards. I also managed to finish my Associate Degree in Italian at the University of

Maryland University College.

Let’s face it. Not everybody is lucky enough to finish High School and enter UTSA on a full-time basis. The luck is that they can continue their education, obviously important to them since they do it at a later date, as part-time students who have a family, hold a job, and are willing to dedicate to their studies the time they are able to.

How do you dare, young man, to imply that part-time students are practically worthless to the University and that they should be charged more for tuition? How do you dare to diminish the very important and worthy part-time students, the backbone of the University?

Tier or not!

I could also include the letter from my son who is very proud of what his mother accomplished as a part-time student and who was irate when he read your “Commentary” but I shall not. His writing is much harsher than mine!

Next time, think before you write to insult the part-time students of UTSA. It seems you consider them second class citizen but, believe me, they are not. They may not all be A students but ALL deserve the respect of the University at all levels.

economic hardships, as opposed to sheer laziness or lack of motivation to succeed. Students that pursue part-time college enrollment are either working full time or cannot afford to enroll full-time. For this reason, any tuition hike on that demographic of students is bad economics and immoral.

Putting additional economic burdens on students facing economic hardships will not lead to more students enrolling full time. Instead, it will lead to an increase in dropout rates at UTSA and will also deter working class students from seeking admission to the university. This will hurt student diversity at UTSA. With the high dropout rates and low enrollment rates this initiative will most definitely lead to, it is hard to see how it can be of good to the university’s “tier-one” campaign. Especially since one of the ways a university can achieve “tier-one” status is through student retention.

Apart from the faulty economics of raising tuition rates on poor students as punishment for being poor, the initiative is also somewhat immoral. It shows UTSA’s lack of empathy for the actual student population. If UTSA raises tuition on poor and working class students, it sends the message that the UTSA admin-

istration cares more about making a “tier-one” image for itself, than giving students access to an education.

That is unfortunate.

A compassionate solution to combating part-time enrollment in the student body is to offer more scholarships to low income students regardless of immigration status and allow housing fees and meal plans to be paid on an a scale based on income, regardless of immigration status. This is a better solution for students who have bleak choices like deciding between classes and food, shelter or other human necessities. This method will also motivate students to choose to stay and participate in UTSA. Hopefully the UTSA administrative body can invest in compassionate approaches towards improving the school environment and fostering success in the student body.

Gilberta H. Turner Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Edidiong Adiakpan Staff Writer

The Paisano

6

August 26, 2008

ARTS&LIFE 1

January 28, 2014

Creative Writing

Submission:

Afternoon Mornings

A dragon greets guests at last year’s event “Year of the Snake.”

Photo Courtesy of Matthew Trevino

Photo Courtesy of Matthew Trevino

Light taps, impatiently on the windowsill an unwelcome guest for bedroom activities

Two girls celebrate the new year with traditional dance customs at the Asian Festival.

Year of the Horse 2014

Rebecca Conejo Staff Writer arts@paisano-online.com The Year of the Horse will be celebrated this Chinese New Year at the Institute of Texan Cultures for the 27th annual Asian Festival on Saturday, Feb. 1.

Starting as a family reunion to welcome the Chinese New Year, the festival has grown to include other Asian communi-

ties and cultures from the Pacific Islands to the Middle East.

Opening ceremonies and a parade will kick off the festival, which will feature three different stages with various performances. Included in the lineup are the San Antonio Lion Dance Association, the Arathi School of Indian Dance and the Korean American Cultural Center of San Antonio Dance Team, along with UTSA’s very own Confucius Institute.

The festival will also showcase different styles of martial arts in the demo area, presentations on Chinese history and customs, as well as lessons on Asian cuisine from China, Japan, India, Pakistan and Indonesia.

Festival goers are invited to try different styles of AsianAmerican food from 15 different vendors across the San Antonio area, provided by Japanese, Korean, Thai, Laotian,

Philippine and other Asian tastes. Food and drinks will be purchased using $1 coupons available on site the day of the festival. Along with the performances, guests have the opportunity to wander the marketplace where merchants will be selling native clothing, jewelry and an array of souvenirs.

This is also the first year that the Asian Festival is partnering with the San Antonio Food Bank in their efforts to fight

Live without regrets, Learn without borders.

hunger in San Antonio. Festival attendees are asked to participate in the day-long food drive by donating non-perishable items such as peanut butter or beans for donation.

From henna tattoos to multicultural dance presentations, the Institute of Texan Cultures hopes to offer an immersion into Asian culture and a learning experience for the San Antonio community.

The 2014 Asian Festival will

Afternoon digestions avoid Recycled conversations Of weather and whether While silence breathes heavy Over Technicolor vapors Uninvited, the intruder seeps through the seams. faulty manifestations fade of sins remembered and parting curtains The day seats itself In a coffee spoon cradle Grounds soak while I shop for thicker blinds -J. Corey Franco

be held at the Institute of Texan Cultures from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Feb. 1. Tickets for adults 13 and older are $10 at the gate with advance tickets available at $8. Tickets for children 6- 12 are $5. Children five and under receive free admission. For more information on the festival, visit texancultures.com.

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ARTS&LIFE 2

The Paisano January 28, 2014

Artist channels nostaglic past arts@paisano-online.com Three days before opening night, Samuel Velasquez sits with paint-stained hands. His eyelids sag with a heavy look of fatigue.

As he talks, one can’t help but notice the hues of yellow, black and purple that make tiny constellations on his palms, contrasted with the bleak gray tabletop where he rests them.

With his deadline soon approaching, he begins to explain how he got wound up in the world of painting.

“At first I wanted to double (major) in psychology and fine arts,” explains Velasquez, but he was persuaded otherwise when an instructor saw his potential as an artist.

Around this time Velasquez was attending Palo Alto College while combating a love/ hate relationship with painting.

Velasquez admits he always doubted his artistic ability and frequently thought about pursuing other interests such as tattooing. “If I had to drop out I was going to get into that (tattooing),” he says.

It wasn’t until his last semester at Palo Alto when he enrolled in a painting class, taught by artist Lloyd Walsh: His attitude toward painting changed entirely.

For his final project, Velasquez was given free range to create two paintings that were inspired by his style. He ex-

plains that it was the first time in college that he felt connected to his artwork, “I was like ‘Wow, I really like this,’” says Velasquez.

It was during this time that Velasquez became more transfixed with the themes most often associated with tattoo work and graffiti, after he became interested in mural art.

“I had gotten a giant book of graffiti art from around the world and it blew my mind. So I think it was my own weirdness put into it and those three things came together.”

Shortly after, Velasquez transferred to UTSA to pursue a degree in fine arts and graduated in the spring of 2012.

Around this time, Velasquez had already started to make connections in the art community with artists such as Alex Rubio. The opportunity happened accidentally when a close friend, who was interning with Rubio at the time, showed him Velasquez’s work and the artist was instantly impressed.

Since then, Rubio has acted as a personal mentor to Velasquez.

Since graduating from UTSA, Velasquez has had work featured at R Gallery, Blue Star Art Gallery, Highwire Art Gallery and most recently at the Espresso Gallery for the exhibit “Nostalgic Dreams.”

In the exhibit, the theme of nostalgia is explored to take on a personal meaning for each artist featured in the show. “I have been putting little nostalgic things into my last paint-

{Local Events} Tuesday, January 28 10 a.m. Exhibit: “Diego Rivera in San Antonio” The San Antonio Museum of Art (200 W. Jones St.) presents a special exhibit featuring work from renowned Chicano artist Diego Rivera. The exhibit contains nine small pieces including prints and oil paintings portraying indigenous Mexican lifestyles. Admission is $5-$10. For more information, visit samuseum.org.

Wednesday, January 29 10 a.m. Exhibit: “Constructing the Stage: Artists from the Theatre Collection” The McNay Art Museum (6000 N. New Braunfels Ave.) brings the works of artists Timothy O’Brien, Ralph Koltai, Adrianne Lobel and Tony Straiges in the exhibit “Constructing the Stage: Artists from the Theatre Collection.” The exhibit focuses on stage production pieces from the 1970s and 80s. Admission ranges from $10-$15. For more information, visit mcnayart. org.

Jennifer Alejos/ The Paisano

Jennifer Alejos Arts Editor

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August 26, 2008

Samuel Velasquez stands next to a few of his pieces featured in the exhibit “Nostalgia Dreams.”

ings, so this time I wanted to make it about that,” says Velasquez.

In one of Velasquez’s pieces titled “Go Away,” the viewer is brought to a part of his childhood where various cartoon characters interact.

Velasquez pays close attention to small details in his pieces to help create a story. “I just started off with little sketches, and if I got them to look interesting, then I would build a scene around them,” says Velasquez.

A disgruntled Oscar the Grouch can be seen pouting with his usual demeanor while

a giant panda looms over the green muppet. Other cartoon cameos in the painting include Mrs. Brisby and the Great Owl from the 80’s flick “The Secret of NIMH” and the lovable Mr. Snuffleupagus from “Sesame Street” — only this time Snuffy appears to be glassy-eyed with an outstretched trunk reaching toward a pigeon who ironically sports a banana peel on its head.

Velasquez’s influences with graffiti show in his work, with bold florescent colors moving organically in the canvas. On his style, Velasquez describes it as “weird surrealism with crazy

colors.”

On designing his works for “Nostalgic Dreams,” Velasquez says, “I wanted the paintings to have a more fun feel to it, just so people can look at it and be like ‘I remember that.’”

“Nostalgic Dreams” will be on display at Espresso Gallery (529 San Pedro Rd.) until Feb. 10. For more information, visit facebook.com/espressogallery.

Thursday, January 30 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Exhibit: “Art in the Garden” The San Antonio Botanical Gardens (555 Funston Pl.) presents a unique exhibit featuring artwork from the Chicago International, Mid-South Alliance and the Texas Sculpture Group. The installation combines outdoor sculptures with the scenery of the botanical gardens. Admission ranges from $7-$10. For more information, visit sabot.org.

Friday, January 31 8 p.m. Theatre: “Suds” The Cameo Theatre (1123 E. Commerce) presents a 1960s influenced musical titled “Suds.” Starring Jovi Gonzalez and Jonathan Pennington, this pop-eccentric musical recounts the story of one girl’s mission to find love — but here’s the catch, all of the action takes place in a laundromat. Admission ranges from $15-$35. For more information, visit cameocenter.com.

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“Hula Hooping 101” is the newest group exercise class at the Rec that challenges students in a fun way.

Hooping into fitness: new exercise craze hits campus Jade Cuevas Staff Writer

arts@paisano-online.com At the UTSA Rec Center, one can always find a wide variety of workout options. From rock climbing, group exercise classes and even demonstration kitchen classes — the Rec offers it all.

However, there is one exercise class that is about to change the way students think about fitness and fun — the Rec’s premiere hula hooping

class.

Officially titled “Hula Hooping 101,” the class is all about “learning the basics of hula hooping, exploring new tricks and perfecting a new skill with this fun and unique fitness class with no prior experience required,” according to the Rec posters around UTSA. UTSA student Taylor Bird, who is well versed in the world of hooping and is spearheading this class, is excited about hooping coming to the masses and sharing her knowledge.

“There’s a huge hooping community,” Bird explains.

“There are a lot of hooping retreats all over the country. Fire hooping and LED hooping is really big right now. The community has definitely blown up — especially in the rave music scene — and it’s now expanded to people who want to be fit or people who want to dance. My mom even hoops now, since I hoop.” As an avid hooper, Bird decided to bring this community to UTSA. “This class was just an idea

that I had,” Bird says. “I was really passionate and enthusiastic about hooping, and there was no hooping club or anything like that, so I thought, ‘wow, there’s more I could be doing.’

Bird made her idea come to life by proving its validity to the Rec’s new director of fitness, Alyson Smith. After creating a sample workout plan — and a hula hoop for Smith — she gave a demo to the new director, who approved the idea. “It was really self-initiation, a little bit of ambition, and good tim-

ing that led me to teaching the class.”

Though hooping may seem like an abnormal workout option to most, it has gained recognition and is vastly growing.

UTSA senior Sabrina Cirilo is one of these followers.

“I saw people on YouTube and at music festivals who hoop and I thought, ‘They must be in really great shape to be able to manipulate the hoop in different ways,’” Cirilo says. “I thought the class was a fun and interesting approach to fitness and I love the artistic ability that comes with it as well.”

However, hula hooping isn’t all fun and games. It’s a serious workout. Just like any sport, constant practice brings great fitness benefits. “Not only will you look amazing while dancing and doing hula hooping tricks, it’s really a great core

workout,” Bird says.

According to Bird, hooping gives you much more than just some abs. “Through working out your core so much, it really improves posture and makes you feel more confident.” With a laugh, Bird continues, “If you can get up, dance with a hoop and blow their minds with a few tricks, you can do anything! You get a good core and cardio workout — and more confidence — so it’s a little bit of everything.”

Hula Hooping 101 can be found at the Rec. Center on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Blue Studio. Registration is required at IMLeagues.com/ UTSA. All spots for the class have been filled, with a growing wait list, but Bird says not to fear; a hula hooping club will be coming to UTSA soon enough.

SPORTS

8 January 28, 2014

{Sports Events}

UTSA SPORTS

UTSA falls to UTEP 67-56, fourth C-USA loss

Wednesday, January 29 8:30 p.m. Spurs The Spurs host the Chicago Bulls at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Thursday, January 30

Staff Writer

sports@paisano-online.com The UTSA Roadrunners women’s basketball team (11-8, 2-4 C-USA) couldn’t stop the powerful offense of the UTEP Miners (15-4, 4-2), losing 6756, their fourth loss in Conference USA at the Convocation Center on Saturday, Jan. 25.

Despite the great effort and dynamic game the Roadrunners developed, they were unable to catch the Miners, who took the lead early, and never relinquished it.

“I thought we worked hard, we did some good things, and our passes were effective. Defensively, we looked good and offensively. When we were aggressive and took the ball to the basket, I thought we looked the best,” UTSA head coach Lubomyr Lichonczak said.

UTEP forward Kayla Thorton brought many problems to the Roadrunners defense and offense. Thorton lead the Miners to victory and finished with 21 points, two assists, five offensive rebounds, 11 defensive rebounds and three blocks. Junior Guard Kamra King couldn’t deny the powerful offense of the Miners.

“They were two really good players — number five (Thorton) was real strong and aggressive — but we had to be able to match the intensity every time.

If we can be as physical as she is, it will make it a lot easier. If we can take someone like her out of the game it will make it a lot easier to go against players

that are big and aggressive.”

With the scoreboard 8-7 after the first seven minutes of the game, none of the teams had complete control of the ball; until the aggressive offense of the Miners led by Kayla Thorton took control. The Miners extended their advantage to 21-9 with eight minutes remaining in the first half. The Roadrunners tried to overcome that advantage, but finished the first half trailing by eight points, 34-26.

In the second half, the Roadrunners appeared to be on the right track, when senior guard Miki Turner put the ball in the basket with a jumper to cut the advantage to four points. But once again, the Miners extended the advantage to 12 points led by Thorton and Center Kristine Vitola. Vitola scored an impressive three-pointer to put the score 53-41, diminishing the Roadrunners’ hopes. UTSA was not able to overcome that advantage and finished the game losing by 11 points 67-56 and getting their fourth loss in the C-USA. Senior guard Kamra King led UTSA with 16 points, two assists, one block and three steals.

“We played with a lot of heart, we tried hard. We will have one more chance to play against them, and we will know what to expect next time.”

The UTSA women’s basketball team will try to return to their winning ways, facing Louisiana Tech (6-13, 1-5 C-USA) on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Ruston, Louisiana.

8 p.m. UTSA Men’s Basketball The Roadrunners host the Rice Owls at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Friday, January 31 2:30 p.m. UTSA Men’s Tennis The Roadrunners head to Dallas, Texas, to take on the SMU Mustanags at the SMU Tennis Facilities.

7:30 p.m. Rampage The Rampage host the Toronto Marlies at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Saturday, February 1 10 a.m. UTSA Women’s Tennis The Roadrunners host the McNeese State Cowgirls at the UTSA Tennis Center in San Antonio, Texas.

3 p.m. UTSA Men’s Basketball The Roadrunners host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.

6 p.m. UTSA Women’s Basketball The Roadrunners host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at the Thomas Assembly Center in Ruston, Louisiana.

Daryl Smith/The Paisano

Rafael Mendoza

UTSA senior guard Miki Turner goes up for a tough shot against an opposing UTEP Miner. Turner finished the game with 13 points and four assists.

7:30 p.m. Spurs The Spurs host the Sacramento Kings at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Sunday, February 2 10 a.m. UTSA Women’s Tennis The Roadrunners host the UTEP Miners at the UTSA Tennis Center in San Antonio, Texas.

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SPORTS

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January 28, 2014

The Rampage celebrate their miraculous comeback, showing poise and grit against the Grand Rapids Griffins, the number one ranked team in the Western Conference, coming back from three goals down to defeat them in overtime 6-5.

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE

Rampage defeat Griffins in 6-5 OT thriller Patrick Martinez Staff Writer

sports@paisano-online.com The San Antonio Rampage (15-21-2-4) staged a miraculous comeback against the Grand Rapids Griffins (28-13-2-2) despite being down 2-5 at the start of the third period to win in overtime 6-5 and snap a three-game losing streak in front of 4,994 fans at the AT&T Center Sunday, Jan. 26.

The first period was quickly paced throughout.

Jed Ortmeyer scored his seventh and eighth goal of the season in the first term, the first being the opening goal of the period; assisted by Quinton Howden and defenseman Jonathan Racine.

Center Landon Ferraro converted an exciting power play for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Ferraro tapped the puck backdoor on Rampage goalie Jacob Markstrom to complete the power play and tie the game at one apiece.

Ortmeyer scored his second goal for the Rampage in the first period just 24 seconds after the

Griffins scored their first. Ortmeyer joked, “I was at the right place at the right time.”

Right-winger Logan Shaw and defenseman Ryan Whitney assisted Ortmeyer as he hit the go-ahead goal after the post deflected the puck right into his shot zone.

The second period began with the Griffins aiming for second quarter revenge by tightening their defense, holding San Antonio to no goals.

Grand Rapids scored their first two goals of the second period within five minutes of each other. Forward Travis Novak scored his first goal of the season for the Griffins. The shot was off a rebound assisted by forward Alden Hirschfield, his first assist of the season.

Grand Rapids right-winger, Teemu Pulkkinen, scored points number 37 and 38 with two goals in the second period, the first of which came on a power play. The second goal by Pulkkinen was scored off his own rebound from the goalie.

The Rampage were down three goals going into the third, with little to no momentum. However, a quick goal by the Rampage two minutes into the final period turned things around. Right-

winger Joey Crabb’s slap shot started momentum that couldn’t be stopped.

Ortmeyer recollected, “We got that first one (of the third period) and a couple of power play opportunities and we were able to take advantage and grab momentum.”

The Griffins couldn’t find a rhythm as the Rampage defense sharpened. San Antonio held Grand Rapids scoreless until the end of the game.

A Rampage goal was scored with 15:42 left in the game by right-winger Bobby Butler on a power play. The score pushed the game within reach for San Antonio.

Another Rampage goal with 1:28 left by rightwinger John McFarland tied it. Intensity sweated through the pores of the players as both teams battled it out to get the final point of the period with just a little over a minute left.

A last-minute shot attempt was saved by Rampage goalie Markstorm with 21 seconds left to send the game into overtime with the score knotted up at five goals apiece.

It took four minutes and forty five seconds in a five-minute overtime for Rampage’s John McFar-

land to slap the puck in after rebounding his own shot in a break away to end the game.

The Rampage capped off a miraculous comeback on the back of stout defensive play and team determination, winning 6-5 in an overtime thriller to snap a three-game losing streak.

Rampage Head Coach Tom Rowe stated, “It was an unbelievable comeback. They were schooling us and the guys got going. It’s an enormous win for us.”

“It’s a motivating win for us. We are jelling as a team,” Ortmeyer added.

After the game, McFarland said of his team, “It shows character that’s in that (locker) room.

With 20 minutes left, you can always find a way (to win).”

With that exciting win, the San Antonio Rampage take their show on the road to battle division leaders the Texas Stars (27-12-2-3) on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

They come home to play against the Toronto Marlies (25-13-2-2) on Friday, Jan. 31.

Body Checking Bios: John McFarland

Roadrunners on the Road

Patrick Martinez

The UTSA Men’s basketball team (612, 2-3 C-USA) was handed its third consecutive loss against the UTEP Miners (14-6, 4-1 C-USA) 81-62 on Saturday, Jan 25 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.

The loss marks the third straight CUSA loss for UTSA after starting out with a promising 2-0 record.

UTEP Miner Julian Washburn led all scorers with 19 points, while Roadrunners Keon Lewis, Edrico McGregor and Hyjii Thomas each had 11 points each.

The Roadrunners will look to return to their winning ways as they host the Rice Owls (5-13, 0-5 C-USA) on Thursday, Jan. 30 at the Convocation Center.

UTSA Men’s Basketball

Staff Writer

sports@paisano-online.com

UTSA Men’s & Women’s Tennis

Daryl Smith/The Paisano

John McFarland, 21-year-old right-winger for the San Antonio Rampage, scored the last two goals —including an overtime goal with 15 seconds left—to beat the defending AHL champions, the Grand Rapids Griffins last Sunday, Jan. 26.

McFarland’s inspiring play has given the Rampage a bright spot in an otherwise low season.

McFarland has been playing professionally since the 2008-2009 season where he started out as a rightwinger for the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

The OHL is one of the three Major Junior Ice Hockey Leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League.

In his first season in the OHL, McFarland represented Team Canada in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he would win the silver medal. While with Sudbury, he was drafted 33rd overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers.

McFarland continued playing for Sudbury for three seasons before going to the Saginaw Spirit, another OHL team, for two seasons. His last OHL team was the Ottawa 67’s, where he played for one season.

John was then signed by the American Hockey League (AHL) San Antonio Rampage in the 20122013 season, but soon found his way to the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) where he played the remainder of the season and part of the next with the Cincinnati Cyclones. He was then abruptly called back up to the Rampage this past season where he is quickly cementing his place within the team.

McFarland was born April 2, 1992

Rampage right-winger John McFarland got his professional start in the OHL. He is quickly establishing himself in the AHL, scoring five goals and two assists with the Rampage.

in Richmond Hill, Ontario. In Richmond Hill, he grew up around hockey at the young age of four years old.

John looked up to his older brother, Paul, when he was a youngster.

Paul successfully played in the OHL where McFarland would eventually get to play.

“He’s kind of been my mentor, the

guy I always looked up to,” says McFarland of his brother.

McFarland has many hobbies that he enjoys. Of them he loves to golf, fish, visit his cottage, and spend time with family. McFarland prefers Chicken Parmesan as his pre-game meal, but he insists that steak and potatoes is his favorite dish.

McFarland’s favorite movie is “Coach Carter” along with “Invincible.” “It ’s very inspiring,” says the Rampage right-winger.

Judging by his last performance for the Rampage, many fans will undoubtedly find McFarland very inspiring.

The UTSA Women’s tennis team (0-3) suffered its third consecutive loss to the New Mexico Lobos (1-0) 5-2 on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the John E. Hoff Tennis Center at the University of Houston.

The sole Roadrunner victories came from Jacobea Junger and Miriam Rosell Canudas at the two top single spots.

UTSA will host McNeese State on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the UTSA Tennis Center. The Cowgirls have yet to play a match this season.

The UTSA Men’s tennis team (0-2) was defeated by the No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies (3-0) 6-1 on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Mitchell Tennis Center.

The Roadrunners have had a difficult start to the season, facing their second consecutive nationally ranked opponent.

The Roadrunners had a doubles victory with Joel Rubio and Tomas Stillman. The pair defeated the No. 20 ranked Aggie duo Jeremy Efferding and Jordan Szabo in a 6-4 upset.

Next, the Roadrunners head to SMU (2-2) to take on the Mustangs at the SMU Tennis Facilities on Friday, Jan. 31.

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January 28, 2014

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