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EDITOR: VICTORIA OLGUIN | @STMURATTLERNEWS | FEB. 17, 2022
Students exhibit their Rattler pride on Amazon TV series THE RATTLER
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VICTORIA OLGUIN NEWS EDITOR
As high school seniors and transfer students from all over the world fill out college applications, many question which university will be the right fit for them. With over 25,000 universities in the world, it can be challenging to choose the right destination. To help with this process, St. Mary’s University has had the opportunity to showcase its beautiful campus and amazing opportunities to prospective students. “The College Tour,” an Amazon TV series showcasing various colleges around the world, will be visiting the St. Mary’s campus and interviewing students to share their experiences at the university. Many students have already stepped up to proudly display their gold and blue colors. “I feel honored just to represent my school just on behalf on how much they’ve done for me. Just in regards to how much they’ve helped me and how much they’ve helped me become the young man that I always wanted to be,” senior engineering management major, Tromance Washington said. Washington, a first-generation college student from Wisconsin, was one of the students chosen to represent the university. By sharing his story in “The College Tour,” he hopes to inspire prospective students to work towards their dreams through the opportunities offered at St. Mary’s. “I’m the first one to go to college in my family and also the first engineer. If you fear something, you should do it two times as [fast] because fear... sometimes it’ll stop us from being our best self. I learned that at St. Mary’s, you never can be comfortable. You always [got to] be able to
jump into something and just try it. Even if you fail, that’s something you learned,” Washington said. Though Washington is the first in his family to attend college and is studying a rigorous subject, he believes St. Mary’s has allowed him to succeed in his courses and is preparing him for his goals. “Engineering is tough. It really is tough and St. Mary’s, they help you to where if you don’t know something, you could learn it with the small class atmosphere. Anything and everything you want to do, you can here in San Antonio,” Washington said. The environment here at St. Mary’s has allowed Washington to discover himself, express himself and even foster meaningful relationships. Having been a prospective student himself, Washington decided to attend St. Mary’s University for the family spirit he found at the Marianist-Catholic institution. Being one of only three Marianist institutions in the world, the family spirit found at St. Mary’s is hard to find anywhere else. “I chose St. Mary’s because it felt like the most like home. They welcomed me in,” Washington said. “I love the connection at St. Mary’s. The connections and the family feel. I would say that I can’t walk around campus with two headphones in. I’m always walking and talking with somebody and there’s always someone checking up on me, seeing how they can help me with my future and also me seeing how if there’s any way I could help them.” Washington continued. As a senior, Washington believes he can successfully represent St. Mary’s and felt like the role of representing the university was one he could do well. “I feel that I’ve found my gift through here and also just throughout the people
that have helped me here. My gift is connecting with people and connecting through communication, and I feel that me being able to best represent St. Mary’s through that way, I’ll be one of the best people to do that,” Washington said. Freshman engineering science major, Olivia Rojas, also feels enthusiastic about representing her university. “I’m very excited to be representing the school. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity and I’m grateful to be a part of it. I want to showcase how great St. Mary’s is and what it is like going to school here. I have enjoyed my experience here so far and I want to let other people know they will have an enriching college experience,” Rojas said. For Rojas, the tight-knit family spirit found at St. Mary’s also influenced her to join the community. Through small classes and professors who care, St. Mary’s has allowed many students to succeed. “That sense [of] community is what I love about St. Mary’s. The tight-knit community creates a strong learning environment. Our smaller size allows for students and professors to really get to know each other. Professors and faculty are approachable and ready to help students understand the material and help with any other aspects of their education,” Rojas said. “Building these relationships not only helps us do better academically, but it also opens us up to opportunities in projects, research and much more,” Rojas continued. Students at St. Mary’s are grateful for the opportunity to represent their school with the world and hope to welcome new students soon. To learn more about the university or “The College Tour,” visit www. thecollegetour.com.
Law professor attempts to end racism in sports industries VICTORIA OLGUIN NEWS EDITOR
In times of joy or crisis, sports have had the power to bring people together from all over the world, creating a sense of unity throughout the years. Many Americans have continuously gathered with family and friends during sporting events like the Super Bowl, where they feast on foods like chicken wings, hotdogs and sandwiches while watching American football. Though the positive effects sports have created are evident, the underlying issues of racism that persist within sports have revealed themselves over the years. Since the 1900s, racism has affected many within sports. Jim Crow laws prohibited Black people from participating in university sports, and the Major League Baseball and National Football League prohibited Black people from playing. Minorities have constantly been excluded from sports and opportunities, and have experienced segregation within teams. Only three of the current NFL teams out of the 32 have a Black head coach, even though around 70% of the NFL players are Black. Now, in early February of 2022, Coach Brian Flores for the Miami Dolphins sued the NFL after being fired over racist and discriminatory motives. This occurred after Stephen Ross, the Miami Dolphins owner, offered to pay Flores $100,000 for every
loss the Miami Dolphins had. This term, known as “tanking,” is a devious way to advance in the NFL draft. However, when Flores refused to follow this strategy, he was seen as the “angry Black man” who was “difficult to work with” and was fired. Flores had experienced difficulties with the NFL before, as he and other Black coaches were denied positions as head coaches, general managers and other leadership positions. Flores has believed that he was only interviewed due to the Rooney Rule, which requires for minorities to be interviewed but not necessarily hired as a head coach. This instance on racism in sports is nothing new, and it is something that St. Mary’s law professor, David Grenardo, J.D. has been looking into. In his law article published by Harvard Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law, “It’s Worth a Shot: Can Sports Combat Racism in the United States?” Grenardo discusses possible solutions to help end racism in sports. According to Grenardo, using these three E’s can help end racism in sports: “Education and Experience that occur Early in one’s life.” Children as young as the age of four can start to develop racial biases, which is why it is important to begin educating others on valuing differences, diversity and the effects of racism through courses and interactions. Education on this topic should be mandatory
Graphic by Kasha Casiano
for players, coaches, referees and even parents according to Grenardo with courses that contain the history of racism, messages from famous athletes and coaches and skill development of skills like empathy and bias recognition. In his article, Grenardo also acknowledged that providing minorities access and opportunities for leadership positions in sports can bring sports a step closer towards a more just system. Just like Grenardo has taken the steps towards a more just community where racism is not tolerated, the St. Mary’s community continues to practice inclusion and equity within the campus, shaping and preparing leaders to do the same beyond. To learn more about Grenardo’s discussions and works over racism in sports, contact Grenardo at dgrenardo@stmarytx.edu.