THE STAFF
Editor & Social Media LiaisonMackenzie Conant
Section Contributer/WriterNatalia Valenzuela
Assistant EditorPaige Heller
Section
Contributer/WriterAudrey Patton
Layout DesignerKlarysa Saldana
Section Contributer/WriterBlair Villarreal
Section (Alumni) Contributor/WriterAaron Rios
PhotographerMatthew Jurenovich
Section Contributer/WriterDanna Ramos
PhotographerMarco Trujillo
Contributing Writers | Susanna Alford, Brenna Perez, Jacky
Zavala
Susanna Alford, MA, Faculty Advisor
Dr. Trey Guinn, Faculty Contributor
EDITOR’S NOTE
Photography by M Jurenovich
Hello & welcome back to this special Spooky Season edition of RED! As I reflect on past Halloweens I spent as a kid, I remember them fondly. The shopping trips with my mom for a costume, the Halloween parties in elementary school, the trek around my neighborhood to the houses with the good candy. Every year, I was met with more colorful memories than the year before. Those are the days I associate with feeling the most like a kid. My cares were few, and my head was full of wonder. My biggest concern was hoping none of my friends had dressed up in the same costume as me. Isn’t that interesting? As kids, we aren’t yet consumed with the heaviness that “real life” infuses into our lives.
It excites us to put on a costume and for one night pretend to be someone else; someone we aspire to be or admire. Maybe it’s a foreshadowing of the vocation we will one day pursue in the throes of adulthood. But our minds cannot even fathom that yet because our priority is to remain in our innocence for as long as possible. I think we could take notes from our younger selves. That even though we are now managing the chaos and excitement that is adult life, that we should also never forget what it was like to be a kid. To let ourselves remain in those moments of peace we are given for just a while longer. Because those will be the moments we will remember and will sustain us.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS 4TH EDITION OF RED AND MAKE THE MOST OF THIS SPOOKY SEASON. Mack
Spooky
Photography by M Jurenovich
KUIW DANNA RAMOS
KUIW is the university’s very own student-run internet radio station! Here, students have the opportunity to host their own radio show and not only showcase their music taste, but also develop an on-air personality! Our goal is for students to have fun, but also to gain a skill that could help them in the future!
My favorite thing about being a part of KUIW has definitely been being able to mix my passions for communications and music. I grew up being very musically driven, loving going to concerts and being part of choirs for over
our community
12 years, so having the chance to work in something I love is truly a blessing!
This is my second semester serving as program director and I couldn’t ask for anything better! I’ve been able to work with so many students from so many majors, collaborated with other Comm student media, networked with outside businesses like Paper Tiger and Big Texas Comic Con, and the best of all: I’ve gotten an immense amount of support from the Comm Arts faculty and student body.
This semester, we are so happy
to have Aaron Rios as our new music director and so many new faces joining! We are already working on events to host this semester and the next, with our next one being our Event DJ Training on October 23rd. KUIW is always looking for volunteers who are wanting to be more involved in the department and who want to gain experience in new settings!
Overall, KUIW is an open and safe space for everyone! We love to have people of all majors join and host their own show or help us DJ at events. We are always open to help each other by learning and growing!
Danna’s top 7 songs
MISS OUT
ADVISING DAY
NOV. 1 | 12-3 pm | AD 265
Need help with your spring 2025 schedule? Join us for advising day! This event is where you meet with your advisor to discuss classes along with grabbing some food and hanging out with everyone!
OCT. 30 | 12-3 PM | SEC
Your favorite time of the week is back! Stop by the bake sale hosted by Lambda Pi Eta to help raise funds for events! Grab a sweet treat while heading to class and grab some for friends!
NOV
Come hangout with fellow students and teachers before supporting the football team! Hosted by the event planning class at the UIW football stadium, there will be games, food, and a lot of fun! Hope to see you there!
A Haunted Bonds: of Wonder and
Bonds: A Halloween and Togetherness
by Brenna Perez
OPINION
Spooky
EMBRACE THE JOURNEY:
JOURNEY: Choices & Growth
by Jacky Zavala
Spooky Season
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9
BIG Chipotle & SZAfan
Photography by M Trujillo
by Natalia Valenzuela
Football has been my whole life for as long as I can remember. I was on a constant cycle of playing in the fall which led to spring training that was followed by summer training in preparation for the fall season again. Throughout my teenage years, I worked night and day to pursue my dream of playing college football.
My senior year of high school, I committed to the University of Northern Colorado. Growing up in Dallas, Texas and always being around my family, I knew moving almost 900 miles away from home was going to be a change. The environment was nice, and I enjoyed my time there. I still keep in contact with a few friends I made there to this day.
After a couple years of playing in Colorado, I transferred to a small town in Louisiana. I attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. It was a great experience, but I knew after a few semesters I wanted to finish off my college career somewhere else. I came into contact with UIW’s head coach and decided to move my life here to San Antonio in January of 2024.
Coming to UIW was
one of the best decisions I ever made. I am majoring in Communication Arts in hopes of pursing career in sports management. Being the new student in a classroom full of people who have known each other for years was intimidating at first, but I soon came to realize how welcoming and friendly everyone is. The professors and students care and are there for one other in the Comm department. It is definitely a completely differently environment, one that I have never experienced before.
As for my team, the bonds that I have built here do not compare to my old schools. Everyone is very uplifting, positive, and
JAREN MITCHELL
helpful which motivates me to do better. We are friends outside of the field and I am grateful to be part of this community.
I will be graduating in May of 2025. I do not have a set in stone plan for what will happen next, but I do believe God has a plan for me. My overall college experience has treated me well, but I am excited to see what the future holds and what my next chapter will be. A phrase that I believe in and live by is “control the things you can control”. Life is full of obstacles and challenges, but it is also a blessing. It is important to stay true to yourself and make the most of everyday.
HALLOWEEN VIBES
by Audrey Patton
The time is now! We are in the month of October which means it is officially spooky season! Baking spider web brownies, mummy rice crispy treats, and candy apples can bring so much joy to every household. I find myself loving the nostalgia that Halloween season always brings. The smell of a pumpkin spice candle and the movies on the tv bring me back to my younger days growing up looking forward to picking out my costume and of course trick or treating.
Deciding on my costume was definitely what I looked forward to most. When I was younger my mom would always ask me what I wanted to dress up as, one year I responded with “I can be a princess any day, so I can’t be that.” That year I decided on being Daphne from Scooby-Doo so my childhood dog, Charlie, would not be left out. Memories like these stick in our heads forever and give us hope to create ones like this with loved ones.
The city of San Antonio has so much to offer for all people to immerse themselves in the holiday spirit and bring nostalgia to them.
At Natural Bridge Caverns’ inaugural Cavern Fall Bat Fest they are hosting a free, kidfriendly event that takes place every weekend in October to honor fall and Halloween’s favorite animal, bats!
LIFESTYLE
There will be many things to see and listen to such as live music, a bat-themed scavenger hunt, mini maze, and Instagram worthy picture opportunities. On October 26 and 27, there will be free trick-or-treating and seasonal treats that you might not want to miss out on. Boo Fest is a not-so-scary Halloween event that Six Flags Fiesta Texas offers for a funfilled, family-friendly experience. There are family-friendly rides and a trick-or-treat path for the whole family to take part in! If you are interested in stopping by this event will take place September 7 through November 3.
Fiesta at Six Flags is going all out! If you are looking for a terror zone with terrifying live acts, haunted homes, and scare zones as dusk draws in you have come to the right place. Check out the recently opened scary homes that showcase “Stranger Things” and “The Conjuring!” This spooktacular event takes place September 7 to November 3.
If you are looking for other events coming soon do not worry! There will be several other seasonal gatherings such as a Zoo Boo, a Halloween themed play at the San Pedro Playhouse, Ghost tours and more!
LIFESTYLE
S E C T I O N
what’s our community up
Take a look at our Culture Calendar for all of our October Events
CLOSING REMARKS
As I was glancing at my calendar, just now, I acknowledge that there is so much more work to do, with only half the semester left to do it, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t get done.
Upon reaching our halfway mark for the semester, how are you feeling? Is it bittersweet, knowing you’re halfway there, approaching the finish line? Or is reaching this point, accompanied by feeling overwhelmed, considering some of our missed deadlines, upcoming assignments, never ending to-do lists, and so much more?
Like many of you, there are many hats I wear, across our UIW (COMM)unity. As grateful as I am for the opportunities and support, I am nowhere near my end goal. So, reaching this point of the semester, my emotions are heightened. Questions I tend to ruminate around this time, are usually, “Have I dotted all of my I’s, and crossed all my T’s?” Seasons of darkness and lows, are those I ruminate over too.
So, my encouragement for you, the reader, is to not make the same mistakes I have made. Choose alternative patterns and approaches for coping with mid-semester rollercoasters.
1. Don’t allow your past to define who you are. As your emotions are heightened, and stress overwhelms you, take a deep breath, go for a walk, of if you’re like, my colleague and friend, Dr. Guinn, go outside, and run. Run as far and as fast as you can, because here at UIW COMM, the limit does not exist.
2. Channel your inner champion and supporter. Some of us are great at supporting our circle of champions, but not so great at supporting and advocating for ourselves. Like how we believe in others, it’s time for us to believe and advocate for ourselves.
3. Follow your heart, while also listening to your head. If you have a goal, but unfamiliar with the path, to help you achieve it, raise your hand, and ask a question. Don’t miss out on opportunities, because they scare you. Embrace being uncomfortable.
For some of our readers, these 3 approaches may seem cliche or too simple to do. So, my dare to you then, is do them, and write back to me. I’d be curious to hear more about your experience, following you experimenting with these approaches. I’d also be curious to learn more about any additional approaches you have toward tackling the mid-semester rollercoaster!
So, to all of our readers out there…
Congratulations! You’ve reached the halfway point, and I am so proud of you, for being willing to do so, and doing so!
Dr. Guinn, if you’re reading this, they did it. They laced their boots, to hike up Adulting Mountain.