The Paisano Volume 50 Issue 5

JazzAlive brings classic jazz to San Antonio

page 7

Roadrunners host UTSA volleyball classic page 9

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

{SINCE 1981}

The San Antonio Water System will pull more than 16 billion gallons of water from the CarrizoWilcox Aquifer and is set to vote on a $3.4 billion pipeline to run from Burleson County.

Texas A federal court is expected to reach a decision on a Texas Voter ID case that was filed after the state passed Senate Bill 14-a, a law that requires voters to show ID such as a driver’s license, passport or concealed handgun license

U.S. Omar Jose Gonzales was arrested last Friday after scaling the White House fence and breaking in with more than 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete.

World The U.S. and its allies struck ISIL targets in Syria early Tuesday morning, less than a week after President Obama authorized a military campaign against the terrorist group.

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Texas politicians exchange blows and make promises in Austin

RowdyLink still cumbersome three years after premiere UTSA Penny Blalack Intern

news@paisano-online.com The Texas Tribune Festival was held at the University of Texas at Austin from September 19 - 21. A Texas-sized crowd flocked to the capital to hear the panel of over 200 speakers discuss state and national issues. Panelists of politicos addressed immigration, higher education, health care, transportation, energy and the future of Texas politics. Speakers included Gov. Rick Perry; U.S. Sens Ted Cruz and John Cornyn; state Sens Wendy Davis, Leticia Van de Putte and Dan Patrick; Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst; and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. Coverage of the Texas Tribune Festival is available on The Paisano’s Facebook, Twitter, Storify and Instagram accounts.

UTSA’s dean of libraries. In her first five years at UTSA, Dr. Maloney has pursued a tier-one agenda.

UTSA’s new students may not know that the John Peace Library was a construction zone last year.

Now that the last hard hat has left the building, students can enjoy the renovated second floor of the JPL. The pearl of the renovations is the GroupSpot study space, a state-ofthe-art facility aimed to stimulate interactivity between students. The space

Launched in 2010, RowdyLink — also known as CollegiateLink because of its domain name — was created to help the officers of UTSA’s student organizations manage and grow their membership. However, three years after its implementation, student feedback about the usefulness of the site is lukewarm at best.

“I’d compare it to a cult; you’ve got to be introduced to it. You can’t just figure it out on your own.” That’s how Andrew Sposato, president of the UTSA Green Society here, described RowdyLink.

“I think it’s a great tool for new students if they can figure it out,” stated Sposato. “But it’s not very userfriendly, so it’s not as great for spreading the word as it could be.” He added that the Green Society rarely uses their RowdyLink page to contact its membership since most students prefer to use Facebook.

Zack Dunn, president of the Student Government Association, had a similar experience. “In the beginning, I wasn’t the biggest fan.

It’s a lot to take in at first, and there’s just so much there.”

Dunn believes that although RowdyLink has a high learning curve, the time and effort he spent learning how to use the website have been worth it. “It’s

See LIBRARY, page 3

See ROWDYLINK, page 2

UTSA’s Dean of Libraries drives librarial innovation forward

UTSA Boulevard expansion project to reduce vehicle-cyclist accidents

The afternoon rush hour on UTSA Boulevard.

UTSA Anthony Mendoza Staff Writer

news@paisano-online.com

Since UTSA’s inception, the university has grown exponentially. The student population has increased; this means more cars traveling through campus.

UTSA Boulevard has become a traffic-heavy area, which presents problems for local and student bikers.

The fast-paced traffic creates a hazard for students who cross the road and ride their bike. Fortunately,

Marcus Connolly / The Paisano

San Antonio

2014

Marcus Connolly / The Paisano

Gov. Rick Perry has announced an investment of $9 million from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund and the UT System for SpaceX, for a private space launch facility to be built in Brownsville.

September 23 - September 30

A UTSA student browses the stacks of the John Peace Library.

steps toward improving student safety are in progress with the widening of UTSA Boulevard and new bike lanes.

The estimated $19 million project that should take about 2 years is funded through TXDOT, the city of San Antonio and the NPO, a federal funding metropolitan organization that takes federal funds and allocates them to local projects. The UTSA Boulevard project plans to widen the road to four lanes from I-10 to Babcock with additional new striping and added bike See PROJECT, page 2

UTSA Rachel Browne Contributing Writer

news@paisano-online.com

UTSA accepted the Tier One challenge in 2009 when the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board earmarked UTSA and six other institutions as viable for Tier One status.

That same year, Dr. Krisellen Maloney, who previously served as an associate university librarian for digital services and technology planning at Georgetown University, became

Highlighting UTSA’s student organizations: Activists

Daryl Smith / The Paisano

UTSA

Vol. 50, Iss. 5

UTSA Robert Avila Contributing Writer

news@paisano-online.com

Students for the Right to Life Goal: To defend life from conception to natural death. We believe that human life begins at concep-

tion. While our main energies are toward the pro-life movement and end of abortion, we are also interested in discussing other life issues in our society: Our mission is to preserve the dignity of all human beings.

Why: We believe there is a need to be vocal and effective in spreading our message because the consequences of not doing so are literally life or death.

Membership: Anyone who shares our view of life and is willing to join is welcome.

At meetings, we typically discuss a specific life issue or discuss ways for us to get the word out for our cause.

We also have a service event every month such as helping at pregnancy crisis centers or volunteering at homes for the elderly.

How to contact: Message us at https://www.facebook. com/RightToLifeUTSA

MOVE UTSA Goal: We want to change what democracy means to this generation by empowering individuals who have been silenced. We take a grassroots non-partisan apSee ACTIVISTS, page 3

ARTS - The Hillel Organization Jewish student group Hillel is excited for the new semester.

The organization’s officers have big plans for the fall. page 7

U.S. Department of Defense grants $300,000 to UTSA for ‘mind controlled’ drone research

UTSA Mariam Adamjee Contributing Writer

news@paisano-online.com After receiving a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Unmanned Systems Laboratory (USL) of UTSA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will begin its research of interactions between humans and machines.

The USL lab focuses on developing methods for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to receive and act on commands given by human brain waves processed through an electroencepha-

logram (EEG) cap.

Project director and UTSA professor and department chair of the College of Engineering Daniel Pack explained that the project encompasses the three areas of the USL’s research: enhancing human and machine interactivity, improving the ability of UAV’s to coordinate with each other and developing seamless connections among complex mechanical systems.

The research initiative team is lead by Pack and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Yufei Huang, an expert in computational neuroscience. The team plans to See DRONES, page 3

WEB - Rock Across the Pond

SPORTS - UTSA v. FAV

Tired of hearing mainstream rock? Check out “Rock Across The Pond” and discover some great rock bands from the UK. Online @ paisano-online.com

UTSA football visits the Florida Atlantic Owls.

Sept. 27 @ the FAV Stadium

Please recycle this newspaper!

NEWS

2 SEPTEMBER 23 - SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Project: increase in cyclistvehicle crashes alert councilman

RowdyLink: how does the social media service for

From Page 1

From Page 1

lanes. Still, additional bike lanes do not necessarily ensure safe conditions for local riders.

“Drivers (need) to slow down and follow the safe passing laws that say drivers must keep a safe distance between the car and the bicycle,” advised Councilman Nirenberg. “There’s a lot of speeding on UTSA Boulevard, there are congested parts, and people need to be real cautious because we know that UTSA is a growing area and there are residential communities in that area. We know the road will be under increasing demand, so share the road.”

In addition to the expansion of UTSA Boulevard, Nirenberg noted that new sidewalks around UTSA, safe roadway crossings and even better multimodal mobility is a foreseeable improvements to UTSA infrastucture in the future. Still, the university’s population will continue to grow, and Nirenberg has plans to create a thriving student-oriented community around each of UTSA’s campuses.

“I think everyone recognizes that UTSA is on a steep upward trajectory to become a premier institution, not only within the UT system but also nationally,” remarked Nirenberg on UTSA’s potential. “So I’m very interested in building an ecosystem around the university that is conducive to it becoming a Tier One school, and being a Tier One school means

it must have great campus life for students, and great academic life for staff and faculty.”

Nirenberg plans to create an ecosystem around UTSA that will ultimately create a safer environment , which will allow students to not rely so heavily on automobile transportation.

Building local coffee shops, retail centers, and restaurants will create an ecosystem where students can have available resources within arm’s reach. Nirenberg hopes the future development of UTSA will attract new students and families to establish roots and facilitate the development of the northwest corridor.

Still, making UTSA more habitable and safer is done in small increments, and the UTSA Boulevard reconstruction project seeks to achieve the goal of safety and mobility that is more efficient. One of the councilman’s suggestions for achieving this is to create easily noticable, lime-green bike lanes for cyclists.

“We recognize that more and more people are choosing to use their bike to get to work, to get home, to get to class,” remarks Nirenberg on campus safety, “so it is vitally important, especially around a university, to provide safe bike paths for people, to give people options to live a healthy life and to reduce congestion on roads.”

student organizations measure up after three years?

pretty easy to edit things, which saves us time. Updating things, editing things, just the general interface really. Once you get down into it, it’s very simple.”

The president of the Vietnamese Student Association, John Nguyen, had a similar opinion to Dunn’s. “It’s pretty useful to be linked to the school website and have all of the organizations filed under it,” said Nguyen. “It’s just a little hard to use because nothing’s organized in a way you’re used to. But other than that, I think it’s still a good, useful tool.”

a lot there. And I mean a lot — constitutions, rosters, everything. It’s a good way to get a glimpse of (UTSA) culture in a way,” Sposato explained.

When RowdyLink’s functionality was compared to group pages on sites like Facebook or Twitter, the representatives had mixed opinions on how well RowdyLink measured up – especially when considering its ability to recruit new members.

“It’s definitely subpar because other sites already have all the utilities Rowdylink’s trying to develop,” stated Nguyen. “But I think RowdyLink could be a po-

“I think it’d be nice if there was some inclusion of all the events somehow. There are so many, and it’d be helpful to have them all available on just one page” Andrew Sposato

President of the UTSA Green Society

According to Lydia Bueno, associate director of student activities, a total of 311 active organizations use RowdyLink. That number continues to rise every semester as more students work to get involved in campus life.

To Sposato, the catalog of UTSA’s different student groups is one of RowdyLink’s best features. “It’s all in one place. And once you can navigate it, there’s

tential contender due to the fact that it’s linked into the school network. It’d be more official.”

Expressing a similar view, Dunn stated, “RowdyLink is more of that professional, university kind of co-facilitated platform. Facebook, Twitter – those are more personal, and I don’t really think you can compare the two types fairly.”

For Sposato, RowdyLink’s

biggest drawback is its lackluster notification system.

He explained that the ability to create and invite people to events, one of the most important features for organizations, is extremely easy to use in Facebook but tediously difficult to use on Rowdylink.

When asked what improvements could be made to the site, all three representatives agreed that the main focus of Student Activities should be making the site more accessible to new users. A close second was providing an organized, single-page overview of upcoming events that wasn’t cumbersome to read or navigate.

“The information is very segregated,” said Sposato.

“I think it’d be nice if there was some inclusion of all the events somehow. There are just so many, and it’d be helpful to have them all available on just one page.”

Nguyen’s solution to these problems would be restructuring the website’s interface and adding a suggestion box, as the latter would allow students to contribute more personally to the development of the site. Sposato suggested the creation of a guidebook or a single calendar that would list all the events available for students to attend.

“It’s silly,” Sposato commented on RowdyLink’s usefulness to student organizations, “but not completely ineffective.”

Fight night between Texas gubernatorial candidates draws little blood or attention

TEXAS Rohit Chandin Staff Writer

news@paisano-online.com Senator Wendy Davis and Attorney General Greg Abbott, two Texas gubernatorial candidates, met for a debate hosted by Univision on Friday, Sept. 19. Although the politicians’ responses may have sounded rehearsed – almost robotic – the debate highlighted the stark differences between the candidates.

However, Davis and Abbott do share some ideological similarities: they both criticized the federal government for failing to keep the Texas border safe, and they support increased border protection, the death penalty, drug testing for people seeking state assistance and improving the public education system.

Neither Davis nor Abbott addressed the rising costs of college tuition.

Davis began on the offensive, dubbing Abbott’s courtroom defense of 2011 education budget cuts as “just dumb.” Abbott avoided stating his personal opinions on the budget cuts.

However, he argued for reforming the education system to make Texas schools number one in the nation.

To continue reading, please visit us online at www.paisano-online.com

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NEWS

3 SEPTEMBER 23 - SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Activists: student orgs. lend a voice for causes Library: tracking the progress of UTSA’s Dean of Libraries over the years From Page 1

proach to politics, personally asking individuals to register to vote and make their own choices.

Why: So much individual struggle is connected to community challenges that begin with lack of representation and accountability in government. Our generation has been told that they don’t matter. We want to change that mindset.

Membership: Everyone is welcome to join. Currently, meetings are centered on voter registration and getting individuals empowered to vote; however, we discuss cultural competency, activism and leadership. We are a group of young people who do serious work, but we also have fun.

How to contact: We meet at 6 p.m. every second and last Tuesday of the month in the Alamo Lounge. Or message bela.kriger@gmail. com

Students United for Socioeconomic Justice (SUSJ) Goal: We invite students to question social and economic norms. We help them take control of their education by asking questions such as “why is student debt so high?” We encourage (the spread of) curiosity, critical investigation and knowledge.

Why: Understaning our society can expose the root causes of injustices and inequalities. People need to be informed and able

to speak out against these things so that they can fight for a better system for future generations.

From Page 1

holds 20 tables, each table is equipped with five laptops and a 46-inch monitor — an ideal set-up for group collaboration. GroupSpot is a component of Dr. Maloney’s vision to shape the atmosphere of UTSA’s libraries into a sociable, wired experience.

For example, the clusters of comfy chairs all over the JPL aren’t there by chance; they fit into Dr. Maloney’s design, which emphasizes communal space. The renovations in the library correspond to recent trends higher education that emphasize student collabora-

Membership: Anyone who is not happy with what they see in the world and wants to learn how to change it.

At meetings, we discuss world events, the roots of world problems and who is affected and why. We also plan rallies, panel discussions and open discussions about our material.

How to contact: Find us on RowdyLink! utsa.collegiatelink.net/organization/susj

Feminist@s Unite Goal: We are a new organization on campus that seeks to contribute to the feminist discourse at UTSA.

tion to improve retention rates and critical thinking skills.

The Guardian news website summarizes an educational study on group learning from the Institute of Education at London University saying that, “Pupils became more focused on their work, and the amount of thoughtful discussion between children more than doubled in many classes.”

Keeping in line with the trend of socially focused libraries, Dr. Maloney helped create the Blue Crew. “Ask us anything,” they say — but who is “they?”

The Blue Crew is a team

of UTSA librarians who are stationed throughout the JPL. The Blue Crew system allows students, both on and off campus, to ask the librarians questions without returning to the help desk. Since the program’s inception, there has been a 300 percent increase in inquiries. Because of the success of the Blue Crew, the UTSA library system was awarded the John Cotton Dana Award, which recognizes libraries for their superior public relations efforts.

In addition to Dr. Maloney’s initiative to create a more interactive learning environment, she has led

the university in its transition from a book and printfocused library system to a technology-focused one. In fact, UTSA’s Applied Engineering and Technology Library is the nation’s first bookless college library.

While shelves of the JPL can hold approximately 750,000 books, UTSA’s online library includes 3,008,140 e-books.

Dean Maloney has done more than bring national recognition to UTSA — she has served as one of the leaders of a fundamental shift in the management of collegiate libraries.

Drones: a peek into the UTSA Unmanned Systems Laboratory From Page 1

Why: We want to complement the already great women’s study program on campus. A big part of women’s studies and feminist practice is organizing feminist communities so we can learn from one another. We also want to continue the traditions of past women’s organizations on campus.

complete its first phase by March 2016. The team includes undergraduate, masters and doctoral students.

The team is working on drone flight simulators which allow masters and doctoral candidates to see whether or not their control algorithms will function correctly when programmed to hardware.

The team convenes every Wednesday to share findings and thoughts on research methods. Each week, one member of the research group creates a presentation, and the group provides feedback. Masters’ student Prasanna Kolar said, “We are very open with our comments. We accept all comments, and then we implement them as needed in our research.”

Membership: We are a non-exclusive organization. At meetings, we discuss feminist readings, its practices and practical applications. We hope to have feminist lectures at each meeting and organize tabling and future events.

As a new organization on campus, we are looking for members who want to help us expand and grow.

How to contact us: https:// www.facebook.com/FEMINISTASUNITE

Kolar is an unconventional student. After receiving an undergraduate degree from India and working as a software engineer for approximately ten years, Kolar returned to school for a Master’s degree from UTSA because controls robotics piqued his interest.

Another member of the team, doctoral candidate in electrical engineering Negar Farmani, received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Iran.

With previous experience in bioelectrical engineering, Farmani now focuses on control engineering because of her interest in mathematics.

“We have access to each other’s knowledge, so to speak, and then we help each other out. It is very cooperative, and that is something that I like.” Kolar said,

when commenting on the dynamics of the group.

Farmani explained, “It seems that we work independently in our project, but [our work] is related to each other’s. Each of us working on one part and connecting all of them together to form a big project.”

The team’s emphasis on learning, cooperation and versatility in the field of engineering is evident. The researchers hope that the novelty of their research will make great contributions to society.

“We hope that the military uses what we are going to be developing,” Kolar stated, mentioning that the quadcopters they are developing can also be used for rescue operations, “not just wartime, but also everyday stuff.”

Established in 2012, the Unmanned Systems Laboratory will be one of the first institutions to dive into new research for BrainComputer Interface (BCI).

Although the project is still in its very early stages, Pack declares that the results of the first stage will determine the need for follow-up stages in research.

“In terms of schools who are studying the cognitive capability of humans and interfacing it for machines, in our case cooperative machines, we would be the first one who would be working on this,” says Pack.

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{The Paisano} Editor-in-Chief: Sarah Gibbens

Managing Editor: Jakob Lopez

News Editor:

Lorenzo Garcia

Arts Editor:

Beth Marshall

Sports Editor: Jonathon Garza

Web Editor:

Michael Turnini Special Issues Editor: Jade Cuevas

Business Manager: Lizzette Rocha

Photo Editor:

Marcus Connolly

Senior Copy Editor: Paul McIntier

External Affairs Manager: Hector Torres

Social Media Manager:

OPINION

The Paisano

4

September 23- September 30, 2014

Editorial

Marching for climate change: Is it enough?

Last weekend, over 300,000 people took to the streets of New York City to call for greater action against climate change. The march was prompted by the U.N. Climate Summit beginning Sept. 23.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked business, government, finance and civil leaders from around the world to present ideas to “reduce emissions, strengthen climate resilience and mobilize political will,” according to the U.N.’s website.

The New York City protest was one of the largest climate change protests to ever take place. Similar marches also took place in cities such as London and Paris and as far away as countries such as Papua New Guinea.

With such a diversity of

concerned activists flocking to the streets to demand change, it seems that we as a people have finally discovered a passion for the world in which we live.

A comment on a New York Times article from a protest participant painted a different picture. “I’m both heartened and disheartened by what I saw. It was bolstering to see such a mass of people from all over the world come together and demand action. However, I would need more hands than I have to count how many people I saw clutching name-brand bottled water while participating in the march.”

Environmentalists have disparaged bottled water as a product that exploits both the consumer and the environment.

It isn’t just bottled water that has slipped into the hands of those demanding change.

In the few short days following its release, the iPhone 6 has already reached sales of 10 million. This is a new record for Apple, a tech company that already dominates the market on smartphones.

While the new iPhone 6 has some minor upgrades, consumers need to ask themselves if it’s really worth it to support a company that is infamous for poor working conditions and environmental degradation. The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs in Beijing released a 46-page document in 2011 accusing Apple of inappropriately disposing of hazardous waste.

Of all the pictures taken

‘I’ll just sit here’

and shared on social media at this past weekend’s march on climate change, how many of those were done with an iPhone?

The failure to see a connection between an iPhone and environmental degradation is just as dangerous as reckless environmental legislation.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average U.S. citizen produces more than four pounds of trash every day. That’s more than 1,400 pounds of trash annually for one person in a country with more than 313 million people.

To see real change, we must stop reckless consumption. Recycling may be a great way to slightly reduce waste, but recycling plants still produce harmful, polluting byproducts.

Not everyone may be able to travel to the Arctic to research conservation, but we can all make small, powerful differences in our lives.

The most influential and wealthy members of society may be the ones making the most crucial decisions during the U.N. Climate Summit, but we shouldn’t ignore our responsibility as consumers.

We simply have to be more conscious of our habits.

It’s not always easy to carry a reusable water bottle all day, and sometimes carpooling can be inconvenient. But these are the small sacrifices that need to be considered.

The plan to save the Earth must start with the people, but as Ki-moon stated, there is no Planet B.

by Christopher Breakell

Rebecca Conejo

{Staff Writers} Alejandra Barazza, Patrick Martinez, Rafael Mendoza, Paulina Rivero-Borrell, Mohamed Ahmed, Rohit Chandan, Mia Cabello, Anthony Mendoza, Megan Jenkins, Lonnie Harris, Kate Kramer, Penny Blalack, Madi Jones {Staff Photographers} Daryl Smith, Vicente Cardenas {Contributing Writers} Christina Acosta, Matthew Tavares, Jane Powers, Therese Quinto, Kate Kramer, Acacia Nawrocik-Madrid, Cameron King, Pavela Bambakova, Sebastian Oates, Robert Allen

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Steven Kellman, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman, Stefanie Arias, Diane Abdo 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.

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14526 Roadrunner Way Suite 101 San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210)-690-9301 {Letters to the Editor}

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Send Letters to the Editor to: editor@paisano-online.com

Commentary

T i r e d o f s t a n d i n g w i t h We n d y D a v i s

Almost a year ago, Sen. We n d y Davis inspired women across Texas by standing on her feet for 11 hours to filibuster a law that placed unnecessary control over a woman’s body.

The pink running shoes in which she stood became a symbol for standing up for one’s beliefs and her face became a recognizable image of hope for Texans who were tired of politics as usual.

Despite her efforts, the Texas Legislature eventually passed the law, but many still considered that night a victory for women. Finally, it seemed, politics was changing for the better and women would have a say in the laws that directly affect them.

Unfortunately, this celebration of women’s rights may have been premature.

Since her famous filibuster, Davis’ appeal has been in decline.

During a debate held last Friday, Sept. 19, in the Rio Grande Valley, Davis went head-to-head with her gu-

bernatorial opponent Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Her responses can best be described as rehearsed, and neither candidate’s responses offered new, insightful information about where they stand.

Both candidates did agree that however bipartisan support is needed to better serve Texas. This statement might have been more believable had they stopped the debate to simply hug it out.

When President Barack Obama first announced his candidacy in 2008, politics and pop culture became one and the same. Whether you

supported him or not, you knew who he was and who you would be voting for.

Obama had the unique ability of energizing first time voters — voter turnout was at an all time high as a result.

Is Wendy Davis our Texas Barack Obama? She almost could have been.

A poll conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune found that Abbott is almost 12 points ahead of Davis, a lead he has consistently held.

Not voting for a top two candidate is usually a vote wasted. While voting should be an ideological expression

of one’s democratic desires, real change can be better effected by giving a candidate a marginal advantage.

This November, I’ll still be voting for Davis in the hopes that she might put her pink running shoes back on and really stand up for Texans, but until she becomes more personable and inspiring, she will lose the race to the governor’s mansion.

Sarah Gibbens Editor-in-Chief

6

September 23-September 30, 2014

The happiest place to work Megan Jenkins Intern

Marcus Connolly/ The Paisano

arts@paisano-online.com

When UTSA alumnus Daniel McTyer, 24, first visited Disney World in 2010, he expected long lines and high prices. Instead, he found himself on a fastmoving roller coaster of self-discovery.

“I figured it would be an average theme park experience,” McTyer said, “but I was surprised at how much attention to detail there was to everything – how beautiful the experience was.”

Shortly after McTyer returned from his trip, he learned about the Disney College Program from a recruiting session at UTSA and was inspired to apply.

After a web and phone interview, McTyer was one of about 4,000 college students chosen to intern for Disney during the Fall 2011 semester.

McTyer chose to attend the Disney World program in Orlando, Fla., rather than the Disneyland program in California, because it was cheaper and participants were not required to take classes.

However, McTyer, who took two classes, advised that everyone in the program take them all “because

you will end up learning a lot about yourself and the world around you.”

The classes met once a week and lasted three hours each. McTyer was enrolled in “Leadership and Innovation,” taught by an inspiring Air Force Academy instructor, and “Creativity and Innovation,” where the students were “actually encouraged to play with Legos.”

All of the Disney classes are ACE (American Council on Education) accredited, so with the help of an academic adviser, they can count toward a degree plan.

While McTyer, a senior economics major, doesn’t know exactly how the courses he took are being used for his degree, he certainly doesn’t regret taking what he refers to as “two of the best classes I’ve ever taken.”

The Disney College Program does not focus on a specific person’s major, McTyer explained, but on work experience and enthusiasm for the company.

McTyer, who worked at Six Flags Fiesta Texas from 2007 to 2013 and at SeaWorld San Antonio for the past two summers, had no problem meeting those two qualifications.

“I really like the whole environment,” McTyer said of working at theme parks.

“Most of the people are really happy and excited to be there, so you get a good opportunity to show off a more creative side of how to make the guests’ day even better.”

McTyer, who was assigned to parking, loved

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being able to brighten the guests’ days. “My favorite memories were doing really crazy parody spiels on the trams,” he said. “I would sing a parody of ‘It’s a Small World’ that went, ‘It’s a short ride to your car. It’s a short ride to your car.’”

McTyer’s job, or ‘role’ as they call it at Disney, was one of 20 positions that are available for college students. The positions are divided into six categories: operations, lodging, food and beverage, retail/sales, recreation and entertainment. During the application process, applicants may express interest in a role, but the positions are not guaranteed.

“When they first told me what my exact role was going to be, I was a bit nervous because now I’m responsible for people’s 1,000-pound missiles,” McTyer said. “But, it actually ended up being more fun than I thought it would be.”

McTyer worked about 35-60 hours a week, but he explained that the hours depended on the role and whether it was a busy season or not. However, he said his hours were always arranged so that he had enough money for rent and then some.

The dorm rooms were small, McTyer admitted. He had three roommates, one of whom he shared a bedroom and bathroom with.

The Disney interns are also expected to meet some strict requirements concerning image. All tattoos must be covered in a tasteful manner, and only ear-

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lobe piercings are allowed for female employees. No outside brands should be worn as part of the Disney uniform – this includes eyeglasses and sunglasses. In addition to these requirements, males and females also have separate lists regarding hair, fingernails and makeup. They get as specific as appropriate fingernail length and types of facial hair that are permitted.

McTyer said that getting to work with people from all around the world was the biggest eye-opener.

“What I’ve learned most is how to interact with people from all over—how, on the one hand, there are a lot of differences,” he said, “but at the same time, I’ve also realized how similar the human experience is.”

“The program gives you a sense of perspective,” he continued. “It’s the happiest place on Earth but also one of the most demanding places because you’re serving people from all across the world.”

The Disney College Program also helped McTyer decide on a career.

“Before, I was on the fence about what I wanted to do, but the Disney program gave me a clearer vision,” he said. “It pushed me harder to do something in management and in theme parks full time, especially for Disney World.”

Currently, McTyer is applying for the Disney College Program for the Spring 2015 semester, which he hopes will lead to a fulltime position.

ARTS & LIFE Column Corner:

Movies Nathaniel Archer Contributing Writer

arts@paisano-online.com Unlike the Greek masks that are often associated with “drama,” the mask that Michael Fassbender wears in the film “Frank” does not have a frown or a smile. It’s an oversized, peach-colored mask that wears a constant nondescript facial expression.

The film mainly focuses on a mask-wearing musical genius and is told from the perspective of Jon, played

by Domhnall Gleeson. He’s an ambitious but truly awful songwriter who meets Frank after accidentally becoming the keyboardist of the “Soronprfbs,” Frank’s loyal band. Jon leaves his day job to record an album with the band in the Irish countryside in hopes of finding musical popularity.

Social media plays a big role as Jon’s tweets pop up from time-to-time. The audience sees Jon’s Twitter followers rise from 20 to almost 10,000 over the course of the film as he exploits Frank’s quirkiness and creative spirit.

Not content using only musical instruments, the band goes outside to record incidental sounds – a tree branch breaking, a piece of metal clanging on the ground. The resident sound mixer, Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal), shoots these into a soundboard as the band plays more conventional instruments. Their creations aren’t what would be considered mainstream or even likable. One of the film’s best jokes is when Frank

admits that he wants to be liked by others, and he plays what he considers his most likable song – an ill-advised, wonderfully dissonant piece of electronic pop.

The band’s sound is defined by dissonance – chords, sounds and beats meet each other to create melodies that defy any sort of classification. This dissonance is ultimately the film’s most defining trait.

One character describes Frank as the “sanest person he ever met.” The audience later learns that the two met in a mental hospital. Clara and Jon consistently fight for Frank’s affection, but the two are eventually shown to be kindred spirits. There’s also an inherent irony when Frank decides someone is “weird” considering that he showers, sleeps and eats while wearing a giant papier-mache mask.

“Frank” is undeniably weird. But this gives the film a comic edge that few can match. There’s an undercurrent of madness to all of “Frank” that allows it to go beyond the average indie film. The humor comes from a place of great discomfort but also an amazing sense of fascination.

Fassbender is so good at playing this lovably insane musical genius that the audience stops wondering what lies beneath his mask.

The film’s most likable moments were saved for last in a scene that is tinged with darkness but also wonderful and poignant.

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ARTS & LIFE

September 23-September 30, 2014

Jazz is alive at Jazz’SAlive

Daryl Smith/ The Paisano

EVENTS CALENDAR

Festival-goers enjoy the jazz music and pleasant weather on a relaxing Saturday afternoon.

Jennifer Vannoy Staff Writer

arts@paisano-online.com The 31st annual Jazz’SAlive festival was held in Travis Park (301 E Travis Street) on Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21.

Local radio station Jazz 91.7 hosted the free, twoday jazz festival. Every patch of grass was covered with lawn chairs and blankets occupied by people enjoying the vivacious atmosphere.

The festival lineup was one for jazz connoisseurs.

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Acts started as early as 11 a.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday, but the performances continued well into the evening. The main acts (Marlena Shaw and Eddie Palmieri on Saturday and Nicholas Payton and The Yellow Jackets on Sunday) put on toe-tapping, hip-shaking performances.

With more than 11 Grammy Awards combined, the headliners have made history in the jazz music industry. Jazz lovers and nonjazz lovers alike were in for a treat.

Not into jazz? Don’t let the upbeat drums and wild

saxophone fool you. The Jazz’SAlive festival was designed with everyone in mind.

Over 30 tents were set up around the perimeter of the park. In the center of the park was the larger main stage. On one side of the park, food tents stretched as far as the nose could smell. On the opposite side, tents for homemade bags and different clothing items were set up. There were even activities for the kiddos: a rock-climbing wall, carnival-style games (with prizes!), face painting and a caricaturist. The twinkling

lights of the tall buildings surrounding the park provided a feeling of relaxation and bliss.

Even if jazz really isn’t your thing, any music lover would have had a blast. Simply walking around the park at dusk with pretty lights all around is enough to make anyone want to check it out.

The bouncy and lighthearted music is sure to keep you entertained, even if it’s just background music while you get your face painted.

Hillel is an internationally recognized Jewish student organization that encourages its members to take pride in their Jewish heritage and connect to other people in the community who share their beliefs. UTSA Hillel Director Samantha Mazuz

and intern Natalie Steiner shared their semester goals.

“I’d like to see our membership grow because I know there are more Jewish students here, and it would be nice to build that community,” Steiner said.

“I’d like to see more involvement and the student body to grow,” Mazuz noted. “I’m building a relationship with Hillel International and the professionals out in the field, so it’s really nice to get ideas.”

From weekly tabling on campus to facilitating their first meeting of the semester, the team has been

working hard to reach all Jewish students on campus.

The group also provides bimonthly lunches on campus so Jewish students can get to know each other while enjoying a meal.

“We are planning some community-wide events at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) to bring students from all different schools together and working hard to put dates on the calendar,” Mazuz said.

This semester, the leaders at Hillel are planning for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the two holiest days associated with Judaism. The leaders will also be providing rides for students interested in attending service and sharing that time together as a unified group.

“As we grow in future

Thursday 9/25 Terror on the Plaza (329 Alamo Plaza), one of San Antonio’s newest haunted houses, will be opening its doors for the Halloween season starting Thursday, Sept.

25. The four-story building has been completely renovated to highlight some of San Antonio’s biggest local legends, such as La Lorrena and the Donkey Lady. The event begins at 7:00 p.m., and ticket prices start at $24.99. More information is available at terrorontheplaza.com.

Friday 9/26 Starting Friday, Sept.

26, The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center (GCAC) will be celebrating its 20th anniversary of Rio Bravo. The performance will feature the GCAC Dance Company, international director Juan Carlos Gayton and San Antonio’s own film star Jesse Borrego. Ticket prices range from $15$50, and more information on performance times and admission packages can be found at guadalupeculturalarts. org/rio-bravo-20th-anniversary.

Friday 9/26 – Sunday 9/28 Head over to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (200 E Market Street) to celebrate the comic arts in San Antonio. Comic book artists, writers and publishers, along with many movie and TV actors will be there to sign autograph and pose for pictures.

You will also have the opportunity to purchase your favorite comics and collectibles. This 3-day event runs Friday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. ($30), Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. ($40), and Sunday 11

a.m. – 6 p.m. ($25). To purchase tickets, visit alamocitycomiccon.com/ tickets.

Friday 9/26 – Sunday 9/28 If you feel daring, head over to Seaworld (10500 Sea World Drive) for a trip through one of their many haunted mazes, including their new maze ICU: Intensive Care Unit. Stay a bit later and enjoy a drink at the bar Blood Thirsty, or visit one of the new bars, Ports of Skull or Rehab. The park is open Friday noon. – 11 p.m., Saturday from noon – midnight, and Sunday from noon – 11 p.m. The frights start at 7 p.m. each night. For ticket pricing and more information, visit seaworldparks.com/seaworld-sanantonio.

Sunday 9/28 National Drink a Beer Day Celebration On Sunday from 11 a.m. to Monday at 2 a.m., The Hangar (8203 Broadway Street) will be offering Happy Hour pricing all day long on alcoholic drinks.

Stop by to unwind after a long week at school or work and celebrate National Drink a Beer Day. You can visit thehangarsa.com for more information.

Monday 9/29 Do you love Queen Bey and her man JayZ? If so, stop by Alamo Drafthouse Stone Oak (22806 US Highway 281 N) to enjoy a night of singing along to your favorite tunes. “Beyonce & Jay-Z: The Bey-Z on the Run Sing Along” starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $14. Visit drafthouse. com/stoneoak for more information.

A new year for Hillel

Beth Marshall Arts Editor

arts@paisano-online.com The group leaders of Hillel are providing an oncampus space for Jewish students to feel a sense of belonging.

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years, I’d like to see more events happen here at school for the holidays,” Mazuz said. “Just to know that we’re here and supportive as a resource is really important.”

Mazuz recently moved to San Antonio from Linwood, N.J., where she and her husband were heavily involved in the Jewish community.

Prior to her time in New Jersey, she spent a few years in Israel.

“I had the opportunity to teach at a college as a professor, I traveled with over 80 students to Israel (and) I spoke at the annual Birthright Gala honoring the president of the Birthright Israel Foundation in New York City,” Mazuz said.

Mazuz’s passion for bringing students together

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and strengthening the Jewish community wherever she goes is apparent. She is ready to engage the San Antonio community.

“The chutzpah (boldness) of a true Israeli shines through when they say, ‘Our doors are always open, and we are family.’ I wish all American Jews felt this way, but they should know that the doors of our community are open, and we want them to feel a sense of home,” Mazuz said encouragingly.

The Hillel team is working hard to reach as many students as possible this semester and revamp the program.

“The new year falls when school starts, so, for me, the new year is like a new chapter,” Mazuz said. “We always say between New Year and Yom Kippur, you’re sealed in the book of life. So this year we are starting a new Hillel and a new page, and it’s exciting.”

To get more involved in the San Antonio Jewish community, like and join the page “REAL Hillel at UTSA” on Facebook, or contact Samantha Mazuz at samantha@sahillel.org.

8

September 23-September 30, 2014

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SPORTS

9 September 23 - September 30, 2014

Roadrunners make most of UTSA Volleyball Classic

Daryl Smith /The Paisano

UTSA VOLLEYBALL

Sophomore outside hitter Dajana Boskovic gets ready to spike the ball against the Houston cougars. Boskovic helped the Roadrunners secure their first homeopener win.

This year’s UTSA Volleyball Classic featured some stiff competition. Houston, Louisiana State University and Baylor gave fans quite a show in the Convocation Center this past weekend.

After earning a huge upset victory on the road earlier in the year against Texas A&M, the Roadrunners stumbled for five straight losses. Desperately seeking a spark to get them on top before conference play, a trip home is just what the defending Conference USA ham-

Roadrunners on the Road UTSA Men’s Tennis The UTSA men’s tennis team opened its 2014 fall season by winning three matches at the Marco & Co. Catering Islanders Open last Friday, Sept. 12.

In the main singles draw, junior Jacob Rother battled back from a 2-6 setback in the opening set to beat Josip Smoljan of Incarnate Word, 6-4, 6-3, in the final two panels of his opening match in the round of 32. Rother, a San Antonio native who transferred from Indiana, advanced to the round of 16 where he fell to Guillaume Rauseo of Texas A&MCorpus Christi, 6-0, 6-1.

The Roadrunners return to the court this weekend with a split squad competing at both the St. Mary’s Quad Invitational and the Rice Fall Invitational in Houston.

UTSA Women’s Cross Country Emily Perez placed second in her season debut and helped lead the Roadrunner’s women’s cross country team to a runner-up performance at Friday’s UTSA Ricardo Romo Classic.

The junior from Mission covered the 5,000-meter trail in 18:35.9 and was a little less than five seconds behind individual champion Sanie Raines of Texas, who won the meet in 18:31.2.

Stephanie Wangui was one spot behind her teammate with her time of 18:57.3 for her second consecutive top-three performance to open the season.

The Roadrunners will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Ken Garland Invitational in Denton.

pions needed.

“Coming back home is such a relief,” explained UTSA Head Coach Laura Groff. “We set up our preseason to play some tough competition; unfortunately, it worked out that we didn’t have any home games until our tournament.”

The action kicked off Thursday evening as the Roadrunners took on the Houston Cougars. The first set was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, featuring 16 ties and eight different lead changes, but the Roadrunners managed to squeak by with a 30-28 victory.

Freshman outside hitter Marijeta Runjic and junior defensive

specialist Annie Kunes led the way with seven kills and eight digs, respectively. The Cougars started the second set off hot and didn’t look back, winning 25-19 in a set they never trailed. Houston’s Courtney Warren and Kadi Kullerkann led the Cougars with a combined 22 kills.

The Roadrunners grinded out another close victory in the third set, 25-21, and finished the Cougars off in the fourth set, 25-12.

Houston lost their freshman setter, Keandra McCardell, midway through the fourth set to a head injury and the team never seemed to recover. After five straight losses,

ing to a 25-18 win.

With their backs against the wall after intermission, the Bears responded in the third set, taking a 25-18 victory. Baylor started the match on a 5-1 run and UTSA was unable to catch up.

The Roadrunners came back in the fourth set to finish off the upset of the Bears in a strong way. Feeding off the energy of the crowd, UTSA started the set on fire, quickly storming to a 12-1 lead. Baylor called multiple timeouts throughout to recoup but to no avail.

{Sports Events} Tuesday, Sept. 23 All day, UTSA Womens Golf The Roadrunners will travel to Walcott, Colo. to compete in the Golfweek Conference Challenge.

Wednesday, Sept. 24 All day, UTSA Women’s Golf

Daryl Smith /The Paisano

The Roadrunners will wrap up their Golfweek Conference Challenge.

The Roadrunners celebrate after taking the final set against the Baylor Bears, winning 25-9.

The Roadrunners took the final set 25-9, posting an attack percentage of .417 and holding Baylor to .037.

“I can’t tell you how much we needed this win for our confidence,” Groff. “We have come so close to beating so many good teams that are ‘better’ than us, so this is a good win for our program and our players going into conference play.”

When asked about the advantage of the home crowd, Coach Groff said, “It really helps. I challenge the students and fans to come out and see what we’ve got to offer. If you come once, you’ll come back again.”

The next match for the Roadrunners at the Convocation Center will be Sept. 26 against Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m.

Friday Sept. 26 7:00 pm, UTSA Volleyball The Roadrunners host the Florida Atlantic Owls at the Convocation Center.

Friday, Sept. 26 7:00 pm, UTSA Soccer The Roadrunners will take the pitch again against the UAB Blazers in Birmingham, Ala. at West Campus Field.

Saturday, Sept. 27 6:00 pm, UTSA Football The Roadrunners hit the field in Boca Raton, Fla. to face the Florida Atlantic Ows.

Sunday, Sept. 28 1:00 pm, UTSA Volleyball The Roadrunners will take on the North Texas Eagles at the Convocation Center.

STANDINGS

Spurs working out former Heat player SAN ANTONIO SPURS

C-USA Football

East Division Overall/C-USA 1. Old Dominion (1-0) (3-1)

Sebastian Oates Contributing Writer sports@paisano-online.com

2. Middle Tennessee (1-0) (2-2) 3. UAB (0-0) (2-1)

As basketball season draws near, The Paisano takes a minute to look at some interesting player movements during the Spur’s offseason.

On Sept. 17, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, reported that the Spurs will conduct workouts this week with free agent small forward Michael Beasley.

Beasley, who most recently played for the Miami Heat, witnessed first-hand the power of the Spurs offense during last year’s NBA finals. The reigning NBA champions will look for Beasley to help them sustain the legendary level of offensive efficiency they displayed in the finals into this upcoming season.

If signed to the Spurs, Beasley will be a solid back-up for emerging star Kawhi Leonard.

The back-up small forward position was a weak point for the Spurs last year who suffered when Leonard went down with a non-displaced fracture of his right hand during a Jan. 22 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

San Antonio struggled in the fourteen-game stretch when their starter was out, winning only eight games.

Although Beasley does not possess the defensive prow-

4. Marshall (0-0) (4-0) 5. Florida Atlantic (0-0) (1-3) 6. Florida International (0-0) (1-3) 7. Western Kentucky (0-1) (1-2)

West Division Overall/C-USA D. Clarke Evans/NBA Photo

Robert Allen Contributing Writer sports@paisano-online.com

the Roadrunners finally found the victory they needed.

“It feels really good. They (Houston) are a big, physical team,” junior Annie Kunes said. “We had to match their intensity, and we knew if we came home and just played our game in front of our fans, we could win.”

UTSA’s winning ways came to an abrupt end Friday evening against LSU. In a close set resembling their first set against Houston, the Runners found themselves on the short side of a 27-25 loss to the Tigers.

The Roadrunners bounced back in the second set, earning a 2521 victory. Senior middle hitter Dempsey Thornton recorded three digs, and sophomore outside hitter Dajana Boskovic added three kills.

The third and fourth sets would ultimately belong to LSU as the Tigers fought their way to decisive 25-20 and 25-18 victories.

UTSA held the lead in both sets, but strong runs towards the end of the sets from the Tigers pushed them to a win in the Convocation Center.

“We’re really having to fight hard in every match,” said senior Dempsey Thornton following Friday’s loss. “With tough competition early on in the season, we learn the value of competing before conference play. Eventually we’ll learn how to finish, and we’ll be unstoppable.”

In the last day of the UTSA Classic, the Roadrunners faced off against the Baylor Bears and looked unstoppable.

With an LSU loss still fresh in their minds, the Runners entered the match with a chip on their shoulder. In front of a crowd of nearly a thousand fans, UTSA took the first set, 25-22. The set featured 14 ties and six lead changes.

Thornton racked up eight kills playing with an obvious intensity, high-fiving and cheering on her teammates throughout the set. The Roadrunners did not let their foot of the gas in the second set, cruis-

The San Antonio Spurs are looking to provide backup to star forward Kawhi Leonard. Leonard won the 2014 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award and looks set for another solid season.

ess or overall skills of Leonard, the free agent has a wide variety of offensive skills that complement the Spurs’ sharpshooting offense.

In his lone college season, Beasley showed that he has the power to score inside and the skill to shoot from outside. His performance at Kansas State resulted in him being the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Although he has yet to find a home in the NBA, in his last year with Miami, Beasley scored 7.9 points per game in only 15.1 minutes. In fact, per 36 minutes last year Beasley

averaged 18.9 points, over three points more than Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard.

Beasley, who has not been the most consistent player during his six-year career, will work out later this week with the Spurs, who have become the NBA’s model organization.

San Antonio could be the place for Beasley to live up to the expectations that were placed on him when he first entered the league.

The Spurs will begin their preseason overseas as part of the NBA Global Games schedule in Berlin, Germany

on Oct. 8.

After their seven-game stint in Europe, the Spurs will host the Miami Heat on Oct. 18 in their preseason opener.

1. Louisiana Tech (1-0) (2-2) 2. UTEP (0-0) (2-1) 3. Southern Miss (0-0) (2-2) 4. UTSA (0-0) (1-2) 5. North Texas (0-1) (2-2) 6. Rice (0-1) (0-3)

10

September 23 - September 30, 2014

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