Vol. 103, No. 10 - 10/28/2015

r Vol 103

Residence halls offer improved digital cable

Oct 28, 2015

rattler

Issue 10

the

A S T. M A R Y ’ S P U B L I C AT I O N S I N C E 1 9 2 4

FITNESS & HEALTH

HALLOWEEN BOOZE & DONT’s

ALEXIS ZEPEDA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Students living in the residence halls of St. Mary’s now have access to digital cable television in their rooms and in the study lounges, and, although there are many advantages and most students are happy with the changes, there have also been some problems with the new system.

On Sept. 23 residents at St. Mary’s received an urgent email from their hall directors stating that Time Warner Cable CONTINUED ON PG. 2

COMMENTARY

Stereotypical costumes cause controversy CLAUDIA CARDONA STAFF WRITER

A quick glance at any costume in the female section of a Halloween store displays the stark difference between female and male costumes, with almost any character or job outfit transforming into a more sexualized version for women.

These adult costumes are not a recent CONTINUED ON PG. 6

Students are reminded to drink responsibly and be safe this Halloween season. Take precaution and plan ahead before hitting the streets on this festive holiday. | Photo by Sara E. Flores

Students are encouraged to take precautions in alcohol consumption this Halloween.

ALLIE BEEDLE SPORTS EDITOR

As the semester winds down and the holiday season approaches the social scene gets bigger and the potential for danger

Students volunteer, despite weather barrier Students, faculty and staff participate in an all day service event held every fall that involves cleaning up beaches.

JASMIN RIVERA STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 16 St. Mary’s students made their way to Port Aransas, Texas for the yearly Adopt-A-Beach event.

The Adopt-A-Beach event is held once every semester, but St. Mary’s only

CONTINUED ON PG. 2 VENDING MACHINES Vending machines on campus now offer healthy options and easier forms of payment. PG. 3

precautions and making smart choices before during and after a party can prevent fun nights out from becoming a nightmare for students.

A few things to consider before going out are companions, means of transportation and being aware of limits.

Going with a group is a great idea but

ENTERTAINMENT

Florence and the Machine and Drake pack their bags and head to the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Several artists come to perform at Austin City Limits (ACL), but they probably look forward to the food and rowdy crowds they will come across as well. This year’s ACL weekends had almost identical lineups, with highlights from each set. Drake performed Saturday night both weekends, and had one of the biggest crowds ACL has ever seen.

More people attended the growing music festival than in any other year. In the weeks preceding the event, the festival was

Austin City Limits, bucketlist music festival KAYLIN BALDERRAMA STAFF WRITER

October is one of the best months of the year for music fans in Texas because popular artists such as The Weeknd, GREEKS GIVE BACK Greek life students discuss philanthropic work and community service events. PG. 13

CONTINUED ON PG. 14

CONTINUED ON PG. 12 BODY POSITIVITY Advertisers promote unrealistic body types, causing low self esteem in females. PG. 7

THIS ISSUE

Inside THIS ISSUE

participates in the fall. St. Mary’s has been participating since 2007.

A total of 36 people participated including students, staff and faculty, but this year was different. The event organizers announced that, due to a red tide, the yearly Adopt-A-Beach would be rescheduled from Sept. 26 to Oct. 16.

Many other schools, however, were unable to participate on the rescheduled date, making the experience different than

and bad decisions increases.

Students take to bars and houses to celebrate almost anything, but, while a good time can be therapeutic for an over stressed student in need of a night out with friends, it can also become dangerous. On average 1,825 students die from alcohol- related unintentional injuries and over 97,000 students are victims of alcohol related sexual assault or date rape each year. Taking

2 NEWS

EDITOR: PAIGE GANDARA-VALDERAS @RATTLERPAIGE

SNAP | FEATURED PHOTO

THE RATTLER IS HIRING! Entertainment Editor News Editor Sports Editor Layout & Design Editor Copy Editor Advertising Manager Assistant Photo Editor Interactive PDF application available online. Applications are also available on our door at UC 258.

APPLICATIONS DUE OCT. 30

THE RATTLER

FINAL SEMESTER MEETING

TUES, NOV 3 UC 258 5 PM

STANDARDS The Rattler upholds the Mission Statements of St. Mary’s University.

The publication follows the Canons of Responsible Journalism, the Associated Press Stylebook and the Student Publication Policy. The Rattler is a member of the Associate Collegiate Press, the College Media Association and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

POLICY ON NEWSPAPER THEFT Due to high production costs, members of the St. Mary’s University community are permitted one copy per issue.

Where available, additional copies may be purchased (for 50 cents each) by contacting The Rattler newsroom.

Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and/or subject to university discipline.

St. Mary’s student, Jasmin Rivera (left), walks the streets of San Antonio at this year’s Zombie Walk Sunday, Oct. 25. | Photo by Paige Gandara-Valderas

FROM “ADOPT-A-BEACH”

previous years. Marcy LaBossiere, the civic engagement coordinator, mentioned the red tide could cause health issues.

“It can be difficult to breathe, and we didn’t want any students to have any breathing issues,” LaBossiere said. “It was for health precautions.”

Students had different reactions when they found out the date was changed.

“I was very happy because I didn’t sign up early enough for the first scheduled event,” Samantha Ramos, sophomore management major, said.

However, others did not have the same thoughts.

“I don’t think it was beneficial at all,” Christopher Martinez Jr., freshman psychology major, said. “We were supposed to go with our FAM [Faculty Academic Mentoring program] group, but, since it was cancelled, I was the only one that went.”

The rescheduling also turned what is typically an all-day event into a half-day event. That meant less time for community service and fun.

That, however, did not stop students from making the best of the situation.

Every student that was there was more than happy to be cleaning the beach and finding some interesting things.

FROM “TIME WARNER CABLE”

EDITORIAL STATEMENT The content published in the Rattler is the responsibility of each respective writer.

The views expressed in the staff editorial reflect the views of the majority of the editorial staff.

MISSIONS Grounded partially in the Marianist values of family and community, we maintain an open forum for discussion. We strive to produce quality content that informs, not inflames; encourages, not discourages.

We must be sensitive, not sensationalistic; reasonable, not ridiculous; balanced; not bitter.

Time Warner’s update gets mixed reactions from students. | Graphic by Brandon Leonard

will be switching the television systems from basic cable to digital cable. No direct changes were made in the residents’ rooms (they were made at a remote location) and no new cable boxes were necessary for the upgrade.

Once the change was made, all students needed to do was run a new channel scan in order to get all the new channels working on their TVs. The only on-site work that

Stephanie Baron picks trash on the shore of Port Aransas, Texas. | Photo by Paige Gandara-Valderas

“I found a stingray corpse, a syringe and socks … oh yeah, and a diaper,” Ramos said.

The most exciting part was not the found items, but the dinner students received for their hard work. After the service project, students were taken to the famous Whataburger in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is famous for being the first one ever built and the only two-story location.

Even though this was one of the many highlights, there were other favorable parts to the trip.

“The trip there and back was my favorite part because it was a pretty good bonding experience,” Holly Basaldu, freshman speech

communication major, said.

The event was not only fun, it was beneficial for the environment and the students who participated. Some students were from out of state and others had never been to the beach.

“There are a couple of reasons that we do this event every year,” LaBossiere said.

“One of the main reasons that we still do it is because we have first generation students, and [it] gives them the opportunity to go to the beach. The other part is to expose the students to service opportunities by the ocean and to environmental and sustainability issues.”

Time Warner Cable performed was to fix the TVs in study lounges that were not working after the upgrade, like the ones in Founders Hall.

Although they are all working now, cable services in the Founders study lounges were out for about five weeks. Savanna Monterrey, freshman marketing major, had to bring her own TV from home since the ones in the lounges did not have cable for so long. There are some students who are unhappy with the update because not all TVs are compatible with the new system.

Ismael Luevano, freshman computer engineering major, is disappointed because his TV does not have a built-in digital tuner.

In order for his TV to work with the new update he would have to go out and buy one for about $35. Without a digital tuner, students will only have three channels available to them.

“The new system update does not really benefit me and seems kind of like a waste because there’s only two or three shows that

I watch,” Luevano said. “Since my TV does not work, I just use the TVs in the lounges to watch my shows.”

Although some students like Luevano are having problems with the system, others are pleased with it. There is a greater range of channels to watch, and residents now have access to channels such as HBO and Showtime.

“The update is really convenient because now it is a lot easier to find all of my favorite channels, especially because our hall directors emailed us a new channel guide,” Jennifer Guerra, sophomore international business major, said.

“The upgrade is definitely a luxury and we can now compete with other universities as far as cable provided within the halls,” Samantha Garcia, Founders Hall director, said.

Now that students have digital cable available to them, they have access to more channels and the quality is much clearer than before.

NEWS 3

STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

POLICE BLOTTER

OCTOBER

OCT 4, 2015 Theft of $500-$1500 from building property was reported in Moody Hall. Case is active.

OCT 6, 2015 Possesision of a BB gun was reported in Lot W. Case is closed/ exceptionally cleared.

OCT 7, 2015 Terroristic threat was reported in St. Louis Hall. Case is active.

OCT 15, 2015 Felony warrant arrest was reported in Lot T. Case is cleared by arrest.

OCT 16, 2015 Burglary of vehicle was reported in the Center for Legal and Social Justice Center. Case is active.

On-campus fitness classes motivate students CINDY DEVINE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Alumni Athletics & Convocation Center at St. Mary’s provides free access to gym equipment, court areas, a track and a rock-climbing wall. However, students can enroll in several exclusive classes. These classes require a fitness pass, a system that gives access to classes that are not offered with the gym membership.

The fitness pass is available to anyone in the community. There is a free trial for classes before choosing to buy the membership.

If they like the class, they can continue by purchasing the fitness pass.

Three classes offered this semester include Zumba with Angelica Castaneda, CrossFit with Armando Diaz and Boot Camp Fitness with John Roberts.

A swim class is offered as well, but does

not require a fitness pass. Students looking to improve in specific areas should consider attending classes regularly.

“The more effort you put into the classes, the more you get out of it,” Karyn Williams, director of campus recreation and Alumni Athletics & Convocation Center, said.

For enthusiastic persons, fitness passes can be purchased again after the initial 20 classes are completed.

The fitness pass is doing well so far, with several students providing positive support.

“Usually, my first class has one or two people, but my first class with the fitness pass had 13 people,” Angelica Castaneda, senior elementary education major, said.

“The price seems like a lot initially, but in the end, the classes and experience are worth it,” Neil Zamora, junior accounting major, said. Zamora purchased a fitness pass last year and is excited to renew his membership

OCT 18, 2015 Death of natural causes was reported in Marianist Residence and Chapel. Case is closed/ exceptionally cleared.

OCT 20, 2015 Forgery was reported in St. Louis Hall. Case is active.

OCT 22, 2015 Harassment was reported in Founders Hall. Case is active.

OCT 23, 2015 Consumption of alcohol by a minor/ open container was reported in Leies Hall. Case is closed/ exceptionally cleared.

Curtis Kador uses his credit card on the machines in Founders Hall. | Photo by Rosa Jiheun Han

St. Mary’s students work out at their weekly Zumba fitness class. | Photo by Paige Gandara-Valderas

and join the Zumba class.

“The class I went to was different than other classes,” Erika Luna, sophomore international business major, said. “The instructor was really involved and she had an uplifting spirit.” Luna has attended two classes so far.

Williams and the faculty at the AACC hope to add more classes to the fitness pass system.

“We are always looking for instructors, especially at the college level,” Williams said. “Students respond more when fellow students teach the classes.”

Students and other members of the community can teach classes in their certified area by contacting Williams in AACC 2150 or John Roberts or Michael Ackel in the Fitness Center. The AACC is open to new instructors and ideas for classes.

The fitness pass offers a variety of new experiences at a convenient price.

“I just hope people take advantage of the fitness pass,” Castaneda said. “It’s a great way to get a good workout at a low cost.”

Students, faculty and staff can purchase the fitness pass for $35 and access about 20 classes. Other non-St. Mary’s members can purchase the pass for $40. Purchases can be made by cash, credit or checks in Nina Owens’ office in AACC 2145 or from a class instructor. Owens or the instructors will direct those interested toward www.

IMLeagues.com/stmarytx where they can sign up. Fitness passes are valid through the end of Spring 2016.

Campus vending machines offer credit card convenience JASMIN RIVERA CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Students in the law school and Founders Hall can now use credit card-friendly vending machines that base prices on the weight of the purchased item.

These vending machines, placed in Spring 2015 as a trial run, offer more food options for students looking for something different than the usual Chick-Fil-A, Subway, bookstore, Pod or Pub offerings.

“Not all residence halls have the same foot traffic,” Erick Buenrostro, senior computer science major, said. “Founders has a lot of residents, which gives an accurate representation of the machine’s popularity.”

Buenrostro is the president of the residence hall association and took part in the committee that placed the vending machines in both buildings. Residents and students are starting to realize and appreciate the differences between the old

machines and the new ones.

“The new vending machines allow you to get breakfast, ice cream, sandwiches and other refrigerated or frozen foods,” Jonathan Jimenez, freshman business management major and Founders Hall resident, said.

However, not all vending machines are the same. Buenrostro mentioned the law school vending machines have salads that are replaced daily because the items are selected based on the maintenance of the machine.

Buenrostro hopes all the old vending machines will be replaced with new vending machines. Even commuters believe having new and upgraded vending machines is a good idea.

“Personally, I am a commuter and my options are limited,” Alexa Leal, senior political science major, said. “Considering that I work, vending machines facilitate the access to various foods, and you get them in a timely manner.” All vending machines

should be replaced in every building, Leal said, and she agreed that the new machines are convenient and safe.

Other students do not know that there are new vending machines around campus.

“I don’t think it’s necessary for every building to have vending machines,” Amber Wilson, senior history major, said.

Even though she did not know about the vending machines in Founders Hall and the law school, she agreed that more vending options could be a good idea.

These new vending options are made available to students as a test run to see how the student body adjusts and responds to them. The law school no longer has access to the vending machines this semester, but Chaminade Hall currently has one in its remodeled basement area. Some other projects include adding ice machines.

Adding new vending machines around campus is an ongoing project, and, if popular enough, could become permanent.

Fitbit watches help provide healthy encouragement and guidance to community KAYLIN BALDERRAMA STAFF WRITER

The FitBit is a smartwatch that is changing the way people see fitness by monitoring the user’s activity throughout the day and providing analytics to help reach fitness goals.

Being healthy and active is a growing movement, and, with the prevalence of mobile phones and computers in society, more and more people are turning to technology to help them get into shape. FitBit’s have made getting healthy easier and people are loving it. Because of this trend, the FitBit Company

has currently sold more smartwatches than Apple.

In 2007, James Park, CEO, president and co-founder, and Eric Friedman, chief technology officer and co-founder, took notice of the capability of small sensors in wearable technology. Both men traveled to Asia in hopes of finding the perfect product design, and after two years, FitBit launched its first portable tracker.

The original design of the FitBit, was a small tracker that could be clipped onto a piece of clothing. As more and more people began to buy the product, Park and Friedman decided to make their portable tracker into

a watch. One thing that set the watch apart from others was its Bluetooth functionality.

FitBit notifies users of incoming cell phone calls with a silent buzz.

In 2011 the product was recalled for causing skin rashes and encountered a privacy problem. FitBit’s website allows personal information sharing to help keep track of health progress, but typing people’s names into a search engine allowed for access to their profiles and all of their information.

Over the years, FitBit fixed these mistakes, and the watch is now surging in popularity.

People all around the world are buying FitBits and these smartwatches can easily

be found on the wrist of many students at St. Mary’s. The bookstore began selling them last semester and could not keep them on the shelf. However, they are still being offered and students may use their bookstore accounts to purchase one.

“We had stopped ordering FitBits for a while because bookstore accounts were closing,” Sonia Cisneros, merchandise purchaser in the bookstore, said.

Klaudia Erazo, freshman marketing major, has owned a FitBit since the beginning of this year. Although Erazo does not believe the FitBit has improved her health, she does believe that it helps her maintain it.

OPPORTUNITY IS OUR MISSION

St. Mary’s University prepares students for success by providing excellent internship and hands-on learning opportunities that employers expect.

The Catholic and Marianist University | www.stmarytx.edu

WHY BECOME A

MARIANIST? While working on a degree in Catholic school leadership, Sister Nicole Trahan, FMI, was drawn to the Marianists. “Their mutuality and collaborative spirit fit with my values and way of looking at the world,” she says. Her vocation has given her “a life filled with joy.”

Sister Nicole serves at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton, Ohio, and is national vocations director for the Marianist Sisters.

IS A MARIANIST LIFE OF SERVICE, COMMUNITY AND PRAYER RIGHT FOR YOU? Learn more today. Contact Bro. Tom Wendorf, SM twendorf@sm-usa.org Sr. Nicole Trahan, FMI ntrahan@gmail.com

BROTHERS – PRIESTS – SISTERS

marianist.com

6 COMMENTARY EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Tamara Garcia Managing Editor Daniel W. Perez Copy Editor Travis Bowles Advertising Manager Valerie Perez Design Editor Sara E. Flores Web Editor Brandon Leonard Photo Editor Mat Martinez Assistant Photo Editor Julia Ewalefo News Editor Paige Gandara-Valderas Features Editor Midori Gonzalez Commentary Editor Sofia Zanetta Entertainment Editor Manuela Gonzalez Sports Editor Allie Beedle Faculty Adviser Brother Dennis Bautista, S.M., Ph.D.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Rattler welcomes letter to the editor.

Letters should not exceed 500 words and must include writer’s name, classification, major and telephone number. Editors reserve the right to edit submissions for length, grammar, spelling and content. For more information, call the newsroom at (210) 436-3401 or email rattlernews@gmail.com.

CHECK US OUT ONLINE WWW.STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

STAFF EDITORIAL Hurricane Patricia is the strongest hurricane that has been recorded thus far. Patricia was forecasted to impact Mexico’s Pacific coast and impacted the southwestern region of Mexico and caused locals and tourists in the city of Cuixmala to evacuate. Friday evening the hurricane began to raise concerns, winds were measured at 165 mph causing mudslides, uprooted trees and other forms of destruction.

Patricia seemed to be growing worse

by Saturday according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. “The hurricane center’s final advisory on what had been described as a potentially catastrophic storm came hours after Patricia had been downgraded to a tropical depression, sapped by mountainous terrain, with 35-mph sustained winds according to CNN. Over 10,000 people were evacuated and the prevention procedures helped save lives. Mexico was fully prepared for the worst possible outcome. We have these wonderful, luxurious tourist destinations, but then there is half the population that is living in different degrees of poverty,” Anthony Perez, a representative of Save the Children in Mexico City, said. “A lot of these homes, especially in the rural areas, are made of flimsy materials. With the wind being so strong and then there being so much rain ... many of these families will probably be losing everything.”

EDITOR: SOFIA ZANETTA/ @RATTLERSOFIA Sources from halloweencostumes.net costumeexpress.com costumecraze.com

FROM “COSTUMES”

phenomenon. Rather, they have been around for decades but as society becomes more openly sexual, Halloween costumes do as well.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to dress up in a revealing costume. It is wonderful to have a night where most women can feel comfortable and confident in clothes they normally would not wear.

If a woman wants to wear a short dress and heels, who has the right to stop her?

Any self-proclaimed feminist should be ashamed of body-policing another woman.

A woman wearing a long dress should be equally respected as a woman wearing a short one.

But the issue with sexualized Halloween costumes is not about the woman deciding to wear one, it is in the ideas these costumes perpetuate.

It’s important to recognize why these costumes are sexualized while most men’s costumes are not. The answer lies in the fact that the world views women, no matter their profession or background, as sexual objects.

Most popular women’s costumes are based on professions, e.g. nurses, teachers, pilots, firefighters and so on. While a woman can wear whatever she chooses, it’s important to remember that these costumes were made with the male gaze in mind.

A nurse costume is sexualized because the patriarchy cannot separate a woman’s profession from her sexuality. The message these costumes send is, “Hey, your profession is a joke to me because I will always see you as a sexual object before

anything.”

These costumes often intersect with racial stereotypes. Anyone can easily find a “sexy” Mexican, Native-American, Asian, Black or Indian costume.

These costumes completely disrespect various cultures, and they also fetishize women of color, who are too sexualized every other day of the year. These costumes erase the fact that Native American women are more likely to experience much higher levels of sexual violence than other women in the United States. Approximately 40 percent of Black women report coercive sexual contact by the age of 18 according to the Department of Justice.

Promiscuous Halloween costumes are making their way into the teen and children sections of costume stores. Not only do these costumes feed into pedophilia culture,

they also start instilling certain ideas of beauty and sex in girls at a young age.

Of course no one is forcing young girls into choosing these outfits, but does anyone really want to be the Cady Heron of their friend group? There is a tremendous pressure to dress up promiscuously to satisfy their friends and the boys they want attention from.

The women who decide to wear these costumes are not degrading themselves. The ideas behind these costumes are oppressive and degrading.

There is no way to win either way a person may be criticized for dressing like a prude or for being too provocative. This is the last thing anyone wants to think about on such a fun holiday, but it is still important to have a critical conversation about these costumes and the ideas they embody.

Body standards weigh down on female empowerment Danielle

Saenz

STAFF WRITER

The body positive campaigns need to recognize all women — all ethnicities, sizes, height, weight, women with and without disabilities, health-related weight issues, sexual orientation, and transgendered women — because they are all worthy of praise and recognition of beauty in society.

Trends and fads come and go, however women’s appearances and bodies are subjected to the same treatment as fashion and makeup trends. Women’s bodies are treated like they are temporary

fashion trends that can be changed through extreme diets, plastic surgery and other modifications instead of being beautiful the way they are. There are women who suffer from medical conditions that cause them to be overweight or too thin.

Women are bombarded with dozens of images daily telling them how they should look, instead of reinforcing they are beautiful the way they are. Though the straight, white, male dominated society pushes women to look a certain way, women are also to blame.

Several women put each other down by criticizing each other’s looks and body shape.

Women should support and love their bodies and the bodies of other women as they are.

Curves are “in,” as seen in pop culture with more songs emerging about women’s

Source from dailyperricone.com

bottoms, breasts and thighs; comparing and valuing women based on particular parts, rather than the woman as a human being.

The female body acceptance revolution has taken full force in the past few years, with more curvy women popping up in modeling, television and movies. Women with over exaggerated curves such as the Kardashians, Nicki Minaj and Meghan Trainor are just a few that have been leading the body positive campaign.

What is supposed to be a revolution of female body positivity has turned plus size, and curvy women into a fetish. In society this has created body wars between thin and fuller figured women. Attacking Victoria’s Secret’s “The Body” campaign, which featured thin models, Lane Bryant featured their own “I’m No Angel” campaign featuring plus-sized women, with hourglass figures and large breasts and hips.

Lane Bryant received praise from the media for attacking Victoria’s Secret’s use of thin models. Neither of these campaigns is healthy for young girls and women, both are representative of female oppression that pushes women to look a certain way in this patriarchal society.

There is nothing wrong with having curves or being overweight, the problem is when this leads to attacking another female for her looks. The questioning begins with who sets these standards of beauty and why society is currently settling for these trends.

In the words of Portia De Rossi, “You have to somehow at some point take control and shift the focus and decide who you are, what you can contribute to the world. What you do and say is so much more important than how you look.”

COMMENTARY 7

STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

Assisted suicide provides patients with options Blake

Vera

STAFF WRITER

At the beginning of October, California governor Jerry Brown signed a legal measure making the state the fifth in the country to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients, sparking controversy nationwide as the issue of euthanasia as a whole is re-introduced to the debate over choice of death.

Many people view the right of terminally ill people to consciously decide to avoid pain or ease their death as an implicit liberty that must be upheld. In 2012, 42 percent of Californians died while in hospice care, and a third of these people were only under such care for less than a week.

While one of the goals of hospice is to ease the time patients have left, the emotional pain and suffering experienced by patients and loved ones cannot be ignored.

The terminally ill are supposed to be made comfortable during hospice as patients go through their last stride. Because of this, the decision to end suffering should be seen as comforting the situation as a whole. Since it is their right to choose whether or not to undergo treatment, it should also be their

Star Wars trailer sets ignorant fans on racial quarrel Travis

Bowles

COPY EDITOR

The new “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” trailer, released Oct. 19, met with wild fanfare, but some fans struck back against the cast’s diversity.

The latest The Force Awakens trailer broke the record for views within 24 hours garnering roughly 128 million views, according to Entertainment Weekly. This was followed by ticket preorders crashing a multitude of websites, and everyone turning to social media to share their reactions and thoughts. However, the discussion turned to the dark side as some fans claimed the new movie’s diverse cast was an act of white genocide.

White supremacists and selfproclaimed men’s rights activists used the #BoycottStarWarsVII tag to promote claims of the movie supporting a sinister multicultural agenda, misappropriating white media and stealing roles that would traditionally go to white males. Some also took shots at director J.J. Abram’s Jewish heritage, calling him an anti-white Jewish activist. Many argued that if white people are not good enough to appear in the films, then they would not be in the theaters to watch the film either.

The hashtag started trending quickly, but not under more claims of racism. Instead, several fans commandeered the tag while defending the casting as a step forward for the films. The past six films have been criticized for their lack of lead female or minority roles.

right to choose whether or not they are to suffer until they ultimately pass away.

There are many reasons why someone would opt for physician-assisted suicide over painfully awaiting death. In addition to the prolonged, often excruciating physical experience, depending on the ailment the patient is suffering from, there is also an extreme emotional toll on both patients and their loved ones.

Many people also view it as a responsibility of the physician to offer euthanasia as an alternative to harm. Doctors are supposed to prevent the maximum harm that can be experienced by patients.

That being said, if there is nothing left to prevent the patient’s passing, preventing the maximum harm should include physicianassisted suicide.

The purpose of physician-regulated suicide revolves around the peace of mind that should come with the doctor’s expertise.

Because physicians are experts in the medical situation concerning patients, they should also know the best course of action to take when dealing with suicide. Physicians will help ensure that nothing goes wrong with the process. Regulation is key.

Physician-assisted suicide minimizes harmful emotional and physical suffering that is experienced by both the terminally ill

and their loved ones.

The bottom line is that everyone is entitled to a peaceful and dignified death, something that is denied to many around the world because it is out of their control.

This situation, however, can be controlled by the wishes of the suffering individual.

In particular, the original trilogy was driven almost entirely by a white male cast, with the main character, Luke, having to fall for his sister because there are apparently no other women in the entire galaxy. The only prominent roles portrayed by minorities were Lando Calrissian and Darth Vader, played by Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones respectively.

The prequel trilogy took steps to fix this by adding more female and minority roles.

Some even lauded the fact that Maori actors were given the chance to shine in a few different roles, like bounty hunter Jango Fett played by Temuera Morrison.

However, others panned the attempt, citing the fact that most minorities only showed up as villains, comic relief or tertiary characters.

It was still a move to further diversify the galaxy; one that has come to fruition in the latest film, which now has a plethora of genders and races in lead roles compared to previous films.

While this caused concern for some, the vast majority of fans and critics are celebrating this move forward in the film franchise. A vision best summed up by Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper.

“Science fiction is powerful because it envisions a future for all of us,” Klepper said. “It’s an allegory for the people we can become, one that encompasses a multitude of voices and perspectives.”

Inaccurate media portrayal of Latinos calls for societal reform

Actors John Boyega & Daisy Ridley recieve comments on roles | Source from salon.com

The workers who lack recognition and are discriminated against | Source from blogspot

The use of euthanasia is a moral topic heavily debated today | Source from quadrel.com

Manuela

Gonzalez

ENTERTAINMMENT EDITOR

Although the idea of immigration and the conditions regarding their move from country to country, be it for political, social or economic reasons, has been changing and evolving, many factors remain stagnant and the debate rages on.

Why are people so afraid of immigrants?

What does our society do to make itself available for immigrant perspectives?

What would be the consequences of a whiter America, and is the country open to recognize this? As presidential debates have kicked off and polemic jargon is being tossed around, the time is perfect for establishing how it is the U.S. has failed Latinos nationwide.

Latinos in the U.S. are under constant judgment and jurisdiction all over the media, resulting in an endless string of stereotypes and bad imagery that must eventually be dealt with. Misconceptions about lifestyles, language barriers and education are just some of the mishaps that derive from the spread of false information through large media corporations.

Being depicted on TV mainly as criminals, with Latina women mostly hyper-sexualized and exhibiting almost identical personality traits, there is a subliminal message the U.S. is sending its Latino citizens. The message is that the only way to get Latino perspectives showcased is if it is to repurpose the life of an old Colombian drug lord for Netflix, or

to have a series based around the concept of the stereotypical Latina maid. These act as extremely limited narratives.

Furthermore, there is a consistent back and forth in this country about the value of Latin American individuals in general.

Advertisements during presidential campaigns inform on how important these people are for the U.S. vote and the ads identify how much money is invested into the domestic economy. However, there are conservatives, such as Donald Trump, who boldly make blanket statements about how much better the country would be without Latinos. How are Latinos supposed to reconcile these conflicting views?

Currently, the anti-Latino rhetoric trend reached a peak with Donald Trump making it almost fashionable to use the Latino population as a scapegoat for most of the country’s problems. Promoting the “make America great again” slogan, which sounds more and more like, “make America white again.” Surprisingly, Trump is not the first to express this sentiment.

The idea of simply dividing immigrants into good ones versus bad ones was first exemplified in the Immigration Act of 1924, which was about keeping the so-called bad immigrants like Africans, Italians, Jews and Asians out, while fast-tracking the arrival of people from England, Ireland, Sweden and Germany, who where considered good immigrants. The extreme racial issues in this country have been spilling over through the years without anyone bothering to really tackle the root of the problem, leading to the mess found now.

People feel the U.S. is becoming too Latino and assume that everyone is traveling across the border using a “coyote.” In reality, most of these families have been living in the U.S. for hundreds of years. In fact, though forgotten by some, Texas was a part of Mexico, as were California and other regions of the U.S. Many families simply never moved when the border shifted around them.

Believe it or not, not all Latinos are the same with everyone sharing the same cultural background, speaking the same Spanish or occupying the same jobs. Few people are mooching off the government, but are working hard for their bread, just like the next person. The difference is that, while whiter neighbors are lauded for their efforts, many Latino counterparts are criminalized through the media lens.

For a nation that ardently professes to being a melting pot, the most important thing any U.S. citizen can do is educate themselves on culture and political relations and critically digest what news networks and TV shows are feeding viewers about the illegal immigrants that are destroying our country.

Not everything is as it seems on the surface, and a nation without Latinos is a nation few would want to live in.

San antonio Halloween Events SARA E. FLORES LAYOUT AND DESIGN

No one wants to spend Halloween stuck in their dorm rooms. San Antonio offers a variety of events and shows to attend on Halloween. Some events are a short car or bus ride away from campus — some may take a little more planning. Six Flags’ Fright Fest and Sea World’s Howl-O-Scream events are two of the priciest events happening in San Antonio, but the once a year experience is worth the money. Fright Fest consists of five different haunted houses in the park that can be accessed with the purchase of the more expensive admission tickets. At 5 p.m. the park turns into full scare mode. Howl-O-Scream at Sea World also consists of many scare attractions, the most anticipated one being a new haunted house created by the director of “The Blair Witch Project”, Robin Cowie.

One of the most classic Halloween shows will be at Woodlawn Theatre — only nine minutes from campus by car.

Ticket prices for the Rocky Horror Show are based on seating in the theatre. Downtown event Bud Light Halloween Fest is free and is located along the River Walk. Attendees can also view a Halloween parade, and enter a costume contest to possibly win the $1,000 prize. Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, located across the street from the Alamo, is presenting a special edition Haunted Adventure exhibit. Two way passes and trip combos can also be purchased for their neighbor attractions — 4D moving theater and Louis Tussaud Wax Museum.

Fright Fest six Flags 23 min Drive 90 min Via 82/94 $66.99 Admission w/ Haunted House $59.99 Admission w/o Haunted House

Howl-o scream sea world

Rocky pictur

20 min Drive 65 min Via 89/620

9 min Drive 23 min Via 9

$69.99 Day Pass

$50.00 Row $35.00 Row

Sara E. Flores

horror re show

90/520 A-D E-M

t

bud ight halloween fest

Ripley’s Haunted Adventure

15 min Drive 36 min Via 82

16 min Drive 39 min Via 82

FREE

$20.99 Single Ticket $23.99 2 Way Pass $28.99 Triple Combo

10 FEATURES

EDITOR: MIDORI GONZALEZ/ @RATTLERMIDORI

Greeks give back in mass community effort

The greek life community on campus detail their experiences of giving back to the community with their respective chapter.

MIDORI GONZALEZ FEATURES EDITOR

At St. Mary’s, greeks are known for promoting their brotherhoods or sisterhoods and for upholding certain guidelines within their chapters including high standards of excellence.

Currently there are over seven greek organizations on campus including Sigma Phi Epsilon, Delta Zeta Alpha Phi, Chi Phi, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha and Omega Delta Phi. Each organization promotes different philanthropies that give back to the community.

Delta Zeta was founded at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Their national philanthropic cause is speech and hearing.

The sorority gives monetary donations as well as item donations. At St. Mary’s, the Omicron Alpha chapter pledged to donate $5,000 to the Starkey hearing foundation through the Hike for Hearing program.

Erica Gallardo, senior accounting major, discussed how giving back to the community has impacted her life.

“I saw myself change from a quiet little girl to a grown women that is ready to take on the world,” Gallardo said. “By giving back to the community, I have grown into a leader and am proud to be who I am today.”

One of Delta Zeta’s most popular events at St. Mary’s is their annual bowl-a-thon.

Bowl-a-thon has been held for the past 15 years, and last year was the most Delta had ever donated, raising almost $5,000.

“The proceeds went to our national philanthropy which is the painted turtle camp,” Gallardo said. “Each year, every member is responsible for creating a team that raises $160. We charge each player with bowling, a shirt and a donation.”

Alpha Phi was founded at Syracuse

University in Syracuse, New York. Their national cause is the Alpha Phi Foundation, which focuses on women’s heart health.

Denise Vargas senior Spanish major, shared what it feels like to help out for a good cause and how she relates to it.

“The Alpha Phi Foundation has a big impact on my life because my family has a history of cardiac problems,” Vargas said. “Our foundation not only donates money to cardiac hospitals, but they also have programs that educate women on cardiac care. My family has a lot of history with cardiac problems, so it means a lot that I am helping prevent and improve people’s hearts.”

Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Their national philanthropy is Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The program consists of the big brother or sister guiding the younger sibling and serving as a mentor to them.

Rodrigo Ruiz, sophomore sociology major, provided insight as to how the program works and what it does for

young kids. “[The child] can be someone who is troubled, who has problems at home or is living through poverty,” Ruiz said. “[It] basically helps anyone who might also need help with school or socially.”

“

By giving back to the community I have grown into a leader and am proud to be who I am today.”

Erica Gallardo Senior accounting major

Ruiz mentioned how, nationally, Sigma Phi Epsilon has also started an oath to end sexual assault.

“The Live Your Oath campaign is aiming to end sexual assault,” Ruiz said.

“Members sign an oath basically saying that they’re aware of sexual assault and that they’re not going to commit it.”

Often times, greek organizations will team up together to have socials with or do events for a greater cause.

HALLOWEEN MAKEUP TRY THIS FUN HALLOWEEN INSPIRED LOOK FOR A UNIQUE MAKEUP STYLE. ZOMBIE LOOK

1. CLEAN YOUR FACE BY USING A FACIAL CLEANSER BEFORE APPLYING MAKEUP. 2. USE FOUNDATION OR FACE PAINT THAT DOES NOT MATCH YOUR SKIN TONE. TO GET THAT PERFECT ZOMBIE LOOK, IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK PALE. 3. TO APPEAR LIFELESS, USE A DARK EYESHADOW AROUND YOUR EYES OR SMEAR PENCIL EYELINER TO MAKE BAGS APPARENT. 4. APPLY BLACK POWDER LIGHTLY TO YOUR CHEEKBONES TO WASH OUT SKIN COLOR. 5. DRY OUT YOUR LIPS BY APPLYING A DARK LIPSTICK OR PAINT COLOR. 6. OPTIONAL, BUT TO MAKE APPEAREANCE MORE GHASTLY DRAW VEINS ON SIDES OF FACE USING A PAINTBRUSH AND BLUE PAINT. 7.FAKE BLOOD IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP. COSTUME STORES SELL FAKE BLOOD PAINT OR IT CAN BE HOMEADE USING FOOD COLORING AND CORN SYRUP.

Delta Zeta promoting alcohol awareness. (left to right) Katherine Mallon, Lauren Ybarra, Natalie Uriegas, Lianna Ybarra and Madeline Parker. | Courtesy of Delta Zeta

Compiled by Midori Gonzalez

McNair Scholar program aims to help students achieve higher education goals JOSHUA MADRID STAFF WRITER

The McNair Scholars Program at St. Mary’s University was developed in an effort to help low-income minorities make it to graduate school.

The program was founded in 1996 in honor of Ronald Ervin McNair, an astronaut for the Challenger space shuttle. McNair was a minority from a low-income family who was also a first generation college student.

Due to all of his accomplishments, as well as having a Ph.D. in physics and becoming an astronaut, Congress decided to honor his life by starting the program to help more students like him achieve new heights.

The director of the McNair Scholars Program at St. Mary’s Jennifer Zwahr-Castro said the goal of the program is to prepare undergraduate students with the tools that will make them more competitive when applying for graduate school.

“The idea is that the grant targets students for assistance, who are underrepresented in the professoriate,” Zwahr-Castro said. “We

know that when we look at the professoriate across America, we know that it is still more male than it should be, and more white than it should be, if it were to reflect the U.S. population.”

The McNair program is designed to target students who are low-income, first generation in their family to go to college and members of underrepresented groups.

Students are chosen based on whether they have strong academic potential, they have completed sixty hours in college credits and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. “For eight weeks during the summer, our scholars are engaged in original research, either with faculty members here or faculty members from other places,” Zwahr-Castro said. “They get paid for doing that. The idea is that we provide the funding that allows them to devote an entire summer to doing research, which is one of the things that help you get into graduate school. We are fortunate that university provides room and board for the McNair Scholars over the summer.”

During the actual school year, McNair

Scholars attend workshops that help develop the skills necessary for their success as graduate school applicants and help them to succeed while there. Every scholar is paired with a faculty mentor from their specialty area, and may attend free classes to help improve scores on the GRE while getting fees for graduate school applications and the GRE reduced or completely waived.

Genesis Calderon, senior English and psychology major, praised the way the program prepared students for graduate school.

“They encourage, strongly, that you look at programs,” Calderon said. “They kind of make you do the research on the programs that you want to apply to, which you should be doing already if you’re interested in graduate school. It’s just really helpful to have the: who, what, when, where, why.

Basically what you should be looking for. If I had tried to do this on my own, I wouldn’t know exactly what to look for.”

Chantelle Ruidant senior sociology major, who has been with the program for about a year, discussed his experience

with the McNair program. Ruidant had the opportunity to go to the University of California, Berkeley to present her research.

While there she met likeminded individuals as well as graduate students in programs that are interesting to her.

“I think McNair is a great opportunity for undergraduate students to understand graduate school,” Ruidant said.

Ruidant added, “How to do it. How to get in. How to apply. That you can do it no matter what. It’s also a really good head start into research. They give you the opportunity to publish your own original research, which is a big deal at an undergraduate level.”

The McNair scholar program is designated to help students of all different backgrounds, especially minorities, receieve the oppurtunity to get a higher eudcation at the doctorate or masters level.

CHECK US OUT ONLINE WWW.STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

FEATURES 11

STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

Students divulge some inexplicable paranormal experiences Halloween is a fun time of year consisting of fun parties and getting dressed up. But for some, Halloween is considered a fright fest.

MIDORI GONZALEZ FEATURES EDITOR

Known as one of the most celebrated holidays of the year, Halloween has finally arrived. Halloween means dressing up, going out, and attending fun events. Although this event can be fun, it is also known for being the spookiest time of year. Students at St. Mary’s discuss their scariest experiences with the paranormal.

Daniella Muniz, senior biology major, currently works at a WellMed clinic that is located off 410 and Babcock. Muniz considers herself a skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, but experienced a change of heart after strange events occurred while she was working.

“I was doing my work while sitting with the nurses and [our main] physician’s door kept opening on its own,” Muniz said. “We kept closing it, but the door would keep opening forcefully.”

Muniz recalled that the physician was not in his office that day so he couldn’t have been the one opening and closing the door.

“WellMed has been open for a while,” Muniz said. “Rumor has it that there’s a ghost that is there, but I don’t know much details.”

UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 29TH -The twelfth annual alumni association golf tournament will take place at the Quarry Golf club. The proceeds will be donated to Alumni Association Scholarship program.

NOVEMBER 2ND -The All Souls day mass willl be held in the Guadalupe Chapel and 11:20-12:10 classes will be canceled.

NOVEMBER 10-12TH -Business week kicks off by hosting guest speakers in the field. Students receive the oppurtunity to network and an award ceremony will also be held to recgonize outstanding students.

NOVEMBER 14TH -Texas regional bowl ethics will have students from all over the nation compete in debates based off controversial issues.

For a list complete list of upcoming events go to the St. Mary’s campus calendar at: www.stmarytx.edu/campus-calendar/ Compiled by Midori Gonzalez

Alejandra Cardenas, junior biology major, said that she has friends on campus who have shared their ghostly experiences while living in certain dorms on campus.

One close friend of hers mentioned that her stuff would move around and loud noises would be heard.

“I was told that there was a guy who lived in a dorm on campus who would sit outside his door and make chicken noises,” Cardenas said. “He would play with weird stuff and worshipped Satan.”

Taylor Pollock, senior history major, explained her weird experiences while exploring a mission in Goliad, Texas back when she was in fourth grade.

“We were playing around like fourth graders do, and we were in one of the rooms there and felt chills go up our spines [when we] saw a man in the corner,” Pollock said. “I wasn’t scared because I had family members die there. I had family members massacred by the Mexican soldiers during the Texas revolution.”

Pollock claimed that people have been known to report seeing red eyes there during the middle of the night and masses of moving black.

Whether or not the supernatural exists is up for debate, but now is the perfect time to get out and find out what spirits may or may not be roaming the halls of St. Mary’s and San Antonio.

Then a decision can be made on whether the undead spirits exisit or if they do not exist.

Students decorated their door using a very similar design to famous Canadian rapper Drake’s album “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” released in early 2015. | Photo by Juilia Ewalefo

THE STYLE CORNER

SEE EXAMPLES ONLINE AT

stmurattlernews.com

Midori Gonzalez - Features Editor The wind howls, the moon is beaming, the night is chilly and often foggy, so a typical October night. As the spooky season approaches and Halloween gets closer, it’s important to stay warm during these nights.

Winter fashion is never easy, especially when the weather is constantly changing in a city like San Antonio.

Mornings tend to be the coldest part of the day. For a winter look, try wearing a nice button down dress shirt with a vest in a neutral color such as black or blue.

To dress it up, add statement jewelry such as earrings or a bold necklace.

For a more comfy look, bust out a favorite spirit jersey with a cute, minimalistic scarf and some riding boots.

This is the perfect way to pull of the lazy girl look. In other words, the perfect way to look cute without trying.

Also consider switching a scarf for a beanie cap. Curled hair is the perfect way to finish off this look.

Since it is Halloween, there are plenty of fun ideas to try out this time of year. An example of this could include Catwoman from the Batman comics and movies. It is simple to pull off.

Buy some leather leggings, a tight black top and cat ears. With these essentials, looking like Catwoman will be a breeze.

Don’t forget the smoky eye makeup and

mask.

A cute costume idea for a duo of friends can be Thing One and Thing Two from Dr. Seuss.

To rock this look, wear long red socks, a red skirt and a customized shirt with either Thing One or Two written on it. For shoes, wear white Converse or Vans.

Any costume can be stylish, as long as individuality is expressed through the costume.

However, make sure to avoid fashion mishaps by avoiding clothing that is too tight or too revealing. Not only is this trashy, but a guarantee for a fashion disaster. Keeping all this in mind, Halloween should be a fun event.

Do it yourself costumes should not be overlooked because they are much cheaper and more convinient than purchasing an expensive costume. Just make sure that the costume is creative and appropriate, not tacky. Pinterest offers great ideas for coming up with some nifty ideas.

Try watching movies for character inspiration and ideas. Also consider taking a popular outfit and tailoring it to have a sense of uniqueness.

As fall comes to an end, its time to get rid of brighter colors and start opting for darker colors for winter.

Keeping this in mind, winter fashion will be easy to pull off.

12 ENTERTAINMENT

EDITOR: MANUELA GONZALEZ/ @RATTLERMANUELA

Play lauds late peace activist comes to St. Mary’s PAIGE GANDERA-VALDERAS NEWS EDITOR

Rachel Corrie’s story is brought to the stage by St. Mary’s theater department.

Rachel Corrie was an American peace activist who, before moving to Palestine for a college assignment, lived in Olympia, Washington. She was a passionate advocate for peace in the world and focused on correcting violence and advocating for human rights.

When she moved to Palestine, over 40,000 Palestinian people died every day due to war and the abuse of their human rights.

Corrie was 23 years old when she was killed on March 16, 2003. She died protecting the home of a nonviolent Palestinian family from an Israeli bulldozer. She had only been there for two months at the time of her death.

Corrie’s story touched the hearts of many, including the St. Mary’s community, who then decided to create a play based on the written accounts from Corrie’s emails and diary. The writings helped shape published books, plays and dramatic readings.

Although these writings were scattered, the books and plays formed a clear outline of Corrie’s story and the trials she and others faced.

Bernadette Hamilton-Brady, who first attended a production of this play at the Royal Court in London during a semester

abroad in 2005, directed the St. Mary’s production of “My Name is Rachel Corrie.”

Taking 23 St. Mary’s students along, the group was captivated by the one-woman show and wanted to bring it back to St. Mary’s.

However, it wasn’t until this fall that they were able to bring it to life. HamiltonBrady changed it by having eight actors play Rachel Corrie instead of one, giving the play an artsy feel. Hamilton-Brady also thought casting eight students would help them connect to Corrie more easily since their ages correlated with Corrie’s age.

Hamilton-Brady enjoyed the words extracted and edited by Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner, which also influenced her decision to bring this play to St. Mary’s.

She thought it was an inspiring experience to take a deeper look into the character’s thoughts and emotions. The production is a mixture of Corrie’s personal joys, triumphs, struggles, fears and hopes for the world.

“My Name is Rachel Corrie” will be performed at the AT&T Center for Information Technology, room 108 at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22-25 and 27-29. Admission is $10 for a general ticket, $7.50 for military and seniors and $5 for students with a valid St. Mary’s ID. There will also be Rachel Corrie T-shirts for sale. All proceeds will go to the St. Mary’s theater department.

Every October “Austin City Limits” goes to Austin, and rarely leaves a bad impression on attendees. | Photo by kaylin Balderrama

FROM “ACL”

a popular topic of conversation throughout St. Mary’s.

“Any time people are able to come together through music, it creates a positive environment,” Ruben Dominguez, senior English communications major, said. “It was a brilliant experience and something that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.”

ACL certainly lived up to its hype by presenting many big names such as 21 Pilots, Halsey, The Strokes, Hozier and also A$AP Rocky. People of all ages were able to enjoy the various shows and enter the venues as well.

Future performed solo during the first weekend and then joined Drake during his night slot to perform some songs from their newly released album, “What a Time to be Alive.” Although this performance was called one of the best ACL performances, Drake brought J. Cole out during the second weekend. This was unexpected and almost outdid his first performance.

The Strokes’ performance was notable

because it was their last concert of 2015, to the dismay of thousands of fans. Florence and the Machine followed The Strokes and moved the crowd when Florence gave a speech about lifting people up.

C3, the company that manages ACL, included a variety of music to satisfy their growing fan base. Although festival veterans debated the overwhelming number of newer bands representing the younger demographic, the overall rapport expressed excitement over the musicians, who engaged with their audience in more ways than they usually would.

Rapper A$AP Rocky, celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday of weekend one by throwing milkshakes at the crowd.

The rapper also performed at night for an impromptu ACL late-night show, which was just as thrilling as his earlier performance.

Purchasing tickets for ACL 2016 is already an option. Early bird tickets go on sale Oct. 20, and regular admission tickets will go on sale sometime next April.

More information about next year’s lineups and tickets can be found at www. aclfestival.com.

Abstract concepts engage viewers through collections of three renowned artists

| Photo by Julia Ewalefo

JASMINE BERMEJILLO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The “Stripes, Disks, and Slippage” art exhibition premiered at the second floor of the Blume Library early October and will remain on display through Nov. 20, and features three renowned artists Richard Morgas, James Raska and Larry Graeber.

The Richard Morgas collection features a series of beautiful, abstract landscapes.

He expressed his journeys and life events throughout these works. His visual pieces are mostly executed on wooden panels,

each representing a mentally recorded event within his life.

What is unique about this collection is the combination of abstract process and color, using a simple yet expansive color palette.

Extending his thoughts on life and death through his written word, Morgas is driven by the rigor of the traditional vocabulary of composition.

James Raska, much like Morgas and his take on landscapes, brings into focus the concept of location through his discs in color, exemplifying round and definitive shapes. This artist depicts his work with

precise placement of the discs to activate their surroundings. He tries to place them at a location where comprehensive influences fuse one with the other and their surroundings. In this way, Raska tries to design an aspect of human nature.

In contrast, Larry Graeber’s pieces of “Principles of Elements” represent his appreciation toward resolute artifacts.

His artwork is configured by his psyche and experience based on his own senses and interaction with the world. Always setting aside cardboard and wood, Graeber concluded they hold a valuable degree

of possibility that he can portray in his sculptures. He expressed the importance in matriculation of the materials as they respond to activation.

“One cannot simply force these materials, it is circumstantial to manage and not override,” Graeber said. The viewer gets a true glimpse of Graeber and his simplistic technique. Unlike other art shows, this exhibit features very abstract work.

The St. Mary’s community can catch this diversified art show as usual, in the second floor of the Blume Library through the month of November.

ENTERTAINMENT 13

STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

Telemundo series honors the late Cuban Queen of Salsa

| remezcla.com

MANUELA GONZALEZ ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Telemundo, the major Spanish news and entertainment network, recently released a groundbreaking television series based on the life of the renowned “Queen of Salsa” and legendary Cuban icon, Celia Cruz.

Preceding her battle with brain cancer and consequent death in 2003, Cruz left behind a legacy within the Latin American community through her tremendous voice and salsa hits. Also known as the “Guarachera de Cuba,” Cruz was born in La Havana in 1925, starting her career with the infamous Afro-Cuban “Sonora Matancera,” creating a sound that reflected a specific Cuban musical aesthetic.

From there, Cruz carried her own in a largely male dominated musical field. When Fidel Castro assumed power in Cuba, she

moved permanently to the U.S. with her husband, trumpeter Pedro Knight, where she would eventually join the famous Fania All Stars, a group composed of the most respected salsa musicians of the time.

In 1990 Cruz won a Grammy for best tropical Latin performance, and in 1994 Bill Clinton also awarded the National Medal of Arts to Cruz. She would later be inducted into the Billboards Latin Music Hall of Fame.

In 2004, her final album, “Regalo del Alma,” won a posthumous award at the Premios Lo Nuestro for best album release of the year.

That same year, the densely Cuban populated New Jersey region of Union City heralded its annual Cuban Day Parade by dedicating the Celia Cruz Park in her honor, along with a sidewalk star dedicated to her legacy. Aside from New Jersey, there are four other similar dedications to Cruz around the world.

Consequently, the next year saw a musical

titled after her infamous catchphrase “Azucar!” open in Tenerife before touring the world. A museum exhibit under the same name followed, hosted by the National Museum of American History, which displayed her costumes, photos, videos and music. More recently, another musical dedicated to her life played at the offBroadway venue, New World Stages in 2008.

With an official U.S. postal stamp in her honor, a personal google doodle and other museum exhibits, the memory of Celia Cruz lives on.

The show on Telemundo is another stride in honoring the iconic Cuban singer, and, surprisingly enough, her Afro-Cuban and Afro-Latina heritage, which does not get enough recognition in mainstream Latino media.

Starring actress Jeimy Osorio as Celia, also of Afro-Latina descent, this show not

only tells the amazing story of Celia Cruz, but also provides well-needed exposure to the African heritage within the Latino community. Featuring Latino actors of color within a diversified cast, both ethnically and linguistically, the show’s premiere proved the ability to market a much-needed collective of diverse actors by garnering a whopping 1.92 million viewers the week the series launched. With such a positive response, it is of little doubt the success of the show will peak anytime soon. Between the historical accuracies, beautiful cinematography and fluidity of the actors in question, “Celia” is not a series to miss.

Catch new episodes Mondays through Fridays at 7 p.m., central time, exclusively on Telemundo. For the benefit of fans, the network also uploads each new episode the day after it airs on their website telemundo. com, available at the touch of a finger.

FRIGHTENING FILMS FOR GETTING IN THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT

EVIL DEAD II (1987)

THE HAUNTED MANSION (2003)

| moviepilot.com

Although not necessarily a ‘scary movie’ akin to the rest of those mentioned on this list, “The Haunted Mansion” portrays a rich Halloween spirit filled with good costumes, characters and scenery. | movins.com

CARRIE (1976)

A cult classic, “Carrie” follows the life of a social outcast sheltered by her mother and her mother’s extreme religious views, up until things go awry at the senior highschool prom. | thepurpledon.com

“Nosferatu,” released in 1922, is set in the town of Wisbourg, where estate agent Mr. Knock finds a house for Count Orlock who turns out to be evil incarnate, and wreaks havoc on the town. | moviereviews.com

POSSESSION (1981)

ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968)

SCREAM (1996)

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)

Dealing with ideas of visiting demons that encroach on the bodies of their victims, “The Possession” revolves around a girl who purchases an antique box at a yard sale, completely unaware that an ancient evil spirit resides within it. | coub.com

“Rosemary’s Baby” leads a young couple through their move into a new apartment surrounded by odd neighbors and haunting experiences, up until the wife becomes surprisingly pregnant with what she suspects to be the son of Satan. | bloodyroom.com

A horror film favorite, “Scream” deals with the upsurge of a serial killer within a small town. Centering on Sidney Prescott, the murders begin to string back to the death of her mother one year prior to the film’s start. | coub.com

If zombies and action are of interest this Halloween, “Night of The Living Dead” is another horror classic to watch. Zombies attack the citizens of a town, making for an action-packed film. | denofgeek.us

Probably the most famous face of classic horror, Bruce Campbell stars in this three part horror classic, fighting off demons in creepy woods and possessed girlfriends.

NOSFERATU (1922)

Compiled by Manuela Gonzalez

14 FITNESS & HEALTH

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK

HOCUS POCUS A season must is to watch the classic Hocus Pocus at least once before Halloween is over. This year turn your Halloween movie marathon into a mini workout and follow these rules as you watch Hocus Pocus.

Everytime someone says the word “virgin”

15 pushups

Everytime Billy looses a body part

10 squats

When Winifred says “Book”

30 second plank

Everytime a spell is cast

12 lunges

Each time Mary smells children

5 burpees

Everytime Binks attacks someone

30 second wall sit

Everytime Sara flirts with a guy

15 crunches or sit ups

Everytime Winifred says “sisters”

20 jumping jacks

Compiled by Allie Beedle

EDITOR: ALLIE BEEDLE / @RATTLERALLIE FROM “ALCOHOL AWARENESS”

going with too many people can make it difficult to keep track of or keep an eye on everyone. Groups of 3-5 people are the best sizes to keep track of and maintain order.

It is also important that the people in the group know, trust and respect each other.

Do not take the random person from your biology class that seems really nice; instead go with people that can be categorized as friends.

All social outings like parties and bar hopping take place off campus, which brings up the importance of transportation.

A DWI in Texas costs close to $17,000 after court costs, bail, car towing and impounding fees — DUI fine, and alcohol education courses are all tallied. More than 1,000 people in Texas are killed in alcohol related crashes every year. According to the Texas Department of Transportation people between the ages of 16-24 account for 30 percent of DUI related crashes in Texas, and Bexar county has the second highest number of DUI involved crashes at 2,134.

Harris county is number one with 3,020.

Avoid these tragedies by figuring out transportation before outings. Drivers should be designated or cab fair should be planned before the night begins. UBER phone numbers and applications can be programmed into phones to prevent complications in communication. There are many places that offer free rides to those who are under the influence, and many bars will pay for a person’s cab home. Driving or getting into a car with someone who is under the influence should be prevented to protect everyone.

When going out, students must use common sense to prevent dangerous situations. Never leave drinks unattended and never accept drinks from strangers. If a drink is offered it should come straight from the bartender’s hands. If suspicious of a drink being drugged, the best course of

action is to call it a night and go home.

Limitations should never be experimented with. Over consumption can lead to many problems including violence, poor decisionmaking and alcohol poisoning.

Alcohol consumption severely impairs one’s ability to make good judgments. Forty percent of violent crimes happen under the influence. More than 500,000 students a year are assaulted by another student who has been drinking. Roughly 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 had unprotected sex while intoxicated, and 100,000 reported being too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex. On average it takes two to three hours for one drink to leave the body. About 5 percent of 4-year college students are involved with police or campus police as a result of their drinking.

The over consumption of alcohol can quickly turn a good night into a horrifying trip to the emergency room. On average six people die from alcohol poisoning each day in the U.S. Thirty-one percent of college students met criteria for alcohol abuse and 6 percent for alcohol dependence.

Some of the life-threatening signs of alcohol poisoning are vomiting, pale or blue tinted skin, confusion, awake but unresponsive, slow or irregular breathing, seizures and hypothermia.

If these symptoms are noticeable in a friend, certain precautions should be taken.

They must remain awake and sit up, then they must consume water and stay warm laying down on their side. Breathing should always be monitored and they should never be left alone.

If the symptoms become severe, the best thing to do is call 911. It is better to be safe than sorry when the health and safety of another is in danger.

When students go out, five contacts should be programed in as Emergency Contacts. The iPhone’s health application’s medical ID tab allows for syncing of

emergency contacts. You can also enable contacts to show up when the screen is locked, so someone can simply slide to unlock, press emergency, medical ID and see the contacts that have been assigned and the relationship to the person in need of assistance.

Make sure someone from the group knows an additional way to reach emergency contacts for precaution reasons.

If you find yourself on campus and in need of assistance, campus security can be reached at (210) 431-1911.

Another option is the on-campus emergency phones, which are the tall blue poles with blue lights on them located by every dorm and also spread out around campus. By simply pressing the button, campus police will be dispatched.

Campus police also take extra measures to teach ladies 13 years old and up basic selfdefense and situational awareness through RAD classes. This course is 12 hours, broken down into three days, starting Nov. 3, then continuing on Nov. 10 and 17.

Each session starts at 5:30 p.m. and goes until 9:30 p.m. Students interested in taking the course should contact Sargent Ken Schmidtling of UPD. It is also important to understand the responsibilities of going out. Offering assistance can be considered a responsibility when going out. Do not be silent.

The idea of bystander intervention is the notion of enlisting bartenders, bouncers and peers in helping others if inappropriate behavior becomes a problem. If you see someone who is in need of help do the right thing and step in.

Going out and having fun is not a bad thing, but it is important, as young adults and college students, to remember the most important thing is safety for everyone.

Blowing off steam and going on an all weekend binge is different and it is important for students to remember that safety is the highest priority.

The healthy way to indulge during this holiday season ALLIE BEEDLE SPORTS EDITOR

The holiday season is fast approaching which can be daunting for those who have worked hard to shed extra weight this year.

However, researchers say all the panic and anxiety over holiday weight gain is not necessary.

While people dread the holiday weight gain, on average people only gained 1.5 pounds, according to a 2009 study by a Texas Tech professor. The weight can add up fast, but less than two pounds is not a substantial weight gain.

The two tricks for avoiding holiday weight gain while still enjoying the holidays are to not be afraid to give in to temptation, and everything in moderation.

These two tricks are important to remember when debating whether or not to indulge.

Giving into the overwhelming temptation of pumpkin pie is not a bad thing. That overwhelming smell of pumpkin pie only comes once a year, and, by all means, eat some of the care package Halloween candy.

Remember to set limits—do not eat the whole pie in one sitting or the entire bag of mini-Reese’s in less than a day.

Sacred fitness oaths are not being broken by giving into the temptation of sweets, and guilt should not be an option. Guilt and negative attitudes toward indulging can actually lead to stress and then more

weight gain, and, at times, depression. Pie deprivation on Thanksgiving is just cruel.

It’s as simple as replacing indulgence with some physical activity later.

Spend an extra 10 minutes in the gym or run an extra mile jogging. Remember to be cautious and informed about what treats are consumed. Simply look up how many

calories are in treats and figure out a plan to burn off the excess.

Simple preparation and education can change the amount of weight gained during the holidays. Being realistic and not being overly restrictive with holiday diets will vastly improve attitudes when sitting down for a holiday dinner.

HEALTHY PUMPKIN PIE CRUST

PIE

1.5 cups almond flour 1 egg 2 tbsp butter

1 can organic pumpkin 1/2 can coconut milk 1/2 cup raw honey 2 eggs 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

- combine all ingredients in a blender until fine and then press evenly into a pie pan

- blend until smooth and pour into pie crust -Bake at 350 degrees for 50 min

SPORTS 15

STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

Women’s golf close out fall season with 3rd consecutive 2nd place finish ALLIE BEEDLE SPORTS EDITOR

The women’s golf team closed out their fall season with a third consecutive second place finish at Dallas Baptist’s Invitational, showing that the players can hold their own against some of the conference’s toughest opponents while helping propel their team to the top.

The women all had outstanding performances this season with sophomore Kelly Contreras winning a Conference Player of the Week award as well as freshman star Maria Regina Gonzalez winning two Player of the Week awards in her first season with the Rattlers. Both Contreras and Gonzalez tied for fifth on the individual leaderboard in the invitational, shooting a 141.

Another stand out performance came from freshman Paige Weiss who had a fantastic finish to the season carding an even-par 72 in the final round, which helped place her in the top 30 for the tournament.

Gonzalez’s performance this season not only earned her multiple Player of the Week

awards, she also broke records after shooting a 66 in her final round.

She broke a course record along with a St. Mary’s record for a single round. Gonzalez went on to win the title after finishing a 3-under-par 139 at the West Texas A&M Invitational Oct. 5.

The Rattlers finished last season fourth out of seven in the conference tournament with red shirt sophomore Allison Howarth leading her team with an average score of 75.60, the program’s best single season scoring average. Howarth also won the Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year award. The Rattlers now have a four month break before their season starts back up on Feb. 15 when they host the St. Mary’s University Invitational.

The Rattlers will have five matches in the spring before the Heartland Conference tournament begins mid April. The team hopes to put second place behind them and reach the top spot. With this in mind, the players are taking no time to bask in their accomplishments as they start preparations for their upcoming spring season.

WOMEN’S GOLF

GAME RECAP

GAME RECAP

VOLLEYBALL

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Photo by Julia Ewalefo

Photo by Julia Ewalefo

vs Angelo State

vs Newman

LEADERBOARD

L 2-3

LEADERBOARD

Kills Channing Hankins (11) Digs Tori Estrada (30) Blocks Lauren Holman (7)

Goals

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL NOV 13

NOV 14

NOV 14

NOV 21

NOV 18

@ MIDWESTERN STATE l 7 PM

SPRING 2016

Kristal Williams Heather Dawson Natalie Rodriguez

NOV 13

@ TEXAS WOMAN’S l 6 PM

@ TX A&M KINGSVILLE l 2 PM

@ COLORADO MINES l 9 PM

@ REGIS l 6 PM

VS TX A&M KINGSVILLE l 7:30 PM

FEB 15-16

MAR 7-8

NOV 24

NOV 27

FEB 22-23

MAR 14-15

NOV 27

NOV 28

ST MARYS INVITATIONAL DOMINION COUNTRY CLUB

TIM TIERNEY PIONEER SHOOTOT VALLEJO, CA

VS LEWIS-CLARK STATE l 6 PM

MIDWESTERN STATE INVITAIONAL WICHITA FALLS, TX

ST EDWARDSNINVITATIONAL AUSTIN, TX

Pecan Grove Review NOW OPEN written by students, faculty, and staff of St. Mary’s University

VS ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO l 5 PM

z Short fiction z Essays

z Graphic shorts z Scenes from play

z Poetry

z Flash fiction

z Creative non-fiction

SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE TYPED FOLLOWING THESE GUIDELINES: z Prose should be no more than 5 double-spaced pages per selection. z Poems should be no more than 40 lines per selection. z Graphic shorts can be collaborative. z Spanish submissions must include an English translation. z Each piece must be titled. z The submissions must include a cover sheet with the following: z name z title of work(s) & category z cell phone # z permanent address NOTE: DO NOT TYPE NAME ON MANUSCRIPT. SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT A COVER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. PLEASE USE STMU EMAIL ADDRESS FOR SUBMISSIONS.

address questions to Dr. Romo, faculty moderator, at iromo@stmarytx.edu

VS MISSOURI S&Tl 3 PM

VS MISSOURI W. STATE l 3 PM

Soccer seniors say farewell at home Both men’s and women’s soccer programs said farewell to seniors during victorious senior games.

TO SUBMISSIONS SUBMIT UP TO THREE OF THE FOLLOWING:

W 3-0

ALLIE BEEDLE SPORTS EDITOR

Final home games for men and women’s soccer teams this season gave the graduating senior players something special to remember their last season by.

In total, 13 soccer players are graduating and, for those seven men and six women, their last collegiate home games were a victory.

Both teams had outstanding performances. The women dominated the field with a 6-1 win over Oklahoma Christian University sealing their four game win streak while the men battled out their senior night to finally take the win 2-1 in overtime.

While ending collegiate athletic careers can be difficult for many athletes, the

“

I’ll always be grateful to my teammates and the coaching staff for their continuous support throughout the year.”

Alex Gonzalez

soccer seniors are also viewing their time as a part of athletics with thankfulness and embracing all they learned on and off the field. The players shared some of the memories they will keep close as they transition to postgraduate life.

“It brings back memories to my first game as a freshman,” Alex Gonzalez, senior English and communication arts major, said regarding the match-up on Oct. 17 at the Sigma Beta Chi Field. Gonzalez recognized the gift of college athletics and will take away a lot more than just four years of competition.

“I made great friends and experiences.“ Gonzalez said. “I’ll always be grateful to my teammates and coaching staff for their continuous support throughout the years.

I certainly developed as a player, but, more importantly, as a person.”

The importance of the senior players was evident in the women’s incredible 6-1 win.

“It doesn’t have to be a senior game for the girls to work hard and support the seniors … but you can really tell by the score of the game how much they all care about us,” Karly Moe, senior exercise and sport science major, said.

Moe said what she will remember most is not just her time on the field, but the time off the field spent making memories with her teammates. One particular memory was of the time all 30 players got together while they were traveling to play a late-night game of charades. Moe said, for her, the most important lesson she learned during her four years is the discipline it takes to be a college athlete. “Being a college athlete “is like having a full time job,” Moe said.

“You have to make sure to be able to perform your best, and, on top of that, be able to preform your best in the classroom,” said Moe. But for both teams the season is not over yet, and both teams still have four more games to play before conference tournament starts in early November.

RATTLERS GO MAD SPORTS 16

STMURATTLERNEWS.COM

Athletes, cheerleaders and students gathered on Oct. 15 for the annual Rattler Madness. Rattler Madness kicks off basketball season by introducing players and spotlighting cheer and dance teams with special performances.| Photos by Julia Ewalefo

ALLIE BEEDLE SPORTS EDITOR

This October, Rattler Madness once again kicked off the 2015-2016 basketball season. This year’s performances included the softball team, Code Blue Dance Team, Rattler Cheerleaders and the men and women’s basketball teams. There were games and prizes given away by the Student Activities group as well as music provided by 106.9 and DJ Jamin J Javi.

The event offered students an opportunity to show off their Rattler Pride and put their fangs out at St. Mary’s annual pep rally. For Rowdy Rattler leader and junior biology pre med major Adam Parra, it is one of the best parts of the semester.

“It’s a good way to get everyone together and excited to be a Rattler” said Parra.

The Rowdy Rattlers used Rattler Madness as an opportunity to unveil their new “Rowdy Rattler” section banner. The banner will now be placed at section 16 in the Bill Greehey Arena. This will be designated as the St. Mary’s official student section from this point forward.

Junior cheer captain, Karla Martin also

shared her thoughts on how Rattler Madness brings the St. Mary’s campus community and athletics together.

“I think Rattler Madness is good for our community because its one of the few events that our campus hosts where our students all come together and show their Rattler Pride,” Martin said.

“The athletic teams tend to all perform so many fans of all the teams come to watch their friends and show support.”

Even St. Mary’s University classic mascots came out to celebrate. Fr. Chaminade, Rattler Man and the oyster bake male and female oysters made appearances. All four of St. Mary’s beloved mascots participated in a dance off.

The performances were the center of the event with multiple performances from cheer and Code Blue Dance Team who both wowed the crowd with their almost all new squad. Both Rowdy Rattler leader, Parra and cheer captain, Martin said that when it comes to performances the women’s softball team hits a home run every time. “The softball girls always kill it,” Parra said.

Martin said that the softball performance is always one of her favorites commending

them on their stellar dance. “They always get super creative with their dance and it looks like they have fun!”

“We honestly didn’t practice much. We practiced maybe 3 or 4 times in the morning in our press box after morning workouts, and twice in the main gym in the evenings.”

Sophomore second baseman Sydney Paredes said her team’s shining old school versus new school performance. “Our assistant coach gave us the idea of the 90’s music versus the new music, she put the track together,” Paredes said. “Rattler Madness is always a fun experience for us. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say it was a blast.”

Even head coach, Donna Fields jumped in on the action and performed with her team. “We all really wanted her to be a part of it and I think that’s the main reason she decided to join in,” Paredes said.

The team is looking forward to their upcoming spring season beginning in early February. Paredes says fans can expect a lot from the team this year, “We had a great season last year and we are striving to do even better this season.”

The softball team was not the only team

to put on a show. The men and women’s basketball teams got in on the action by the men dancing to “Whip and Nae Nae,” a popular dance move. The women’s team also joined in doing a short performance staring one of the player’s daughters. The dunking completion between the men’s team got the fans off their seats and cheering to see which player would make the biggest splash. The men’s first home game will take place on November 18 at 7:30pm against Texas A&M Kingsville and the women’s on November 24 at 6 pm against Lewis Clark State.

Softball’s sophomore, outfielder and exercise and sports science major Keanna Cisneros said, “Coming from an athlete, it feels good to see all the other students come out and support us. Seeing that they want to get involved with their athletics is comforting.”

“It feels good to know you’ll have some fans in the stands and they’ll know your name from when they introduced you at rattler madness. ,” Cisneros said.

Rattler Madness is a loved event by students, athletes and faculty that truly shows St. Mary’s Community spirit each year.