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The Ranger, the student newspaper at San Antonio College, is a laboratory project of the journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications, published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations.
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This week
Matthew Tillery, Randy Pike and Padraic “Pad” Kelly, San Antonio Living History Association volunteers, protect their ears from the sound of a cannon blast during a re-enactment of the
siege of the Alamo Feb. 25. They were firing at volunteers portraying Mexican forces trying to infiltrate the mission. Read the story on Page 6. Nicole Henry
Vol. 86 Issue 15 • Single copies free • March 5, 2012 • 210-486-1773 • theranger.org
@TheRangerSAC
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By JOSHUA FECHTER
jfechter @student.alamo.edu
Deadline Friday for graduation
Students who want to walk
the stage at commencement May
12 must submit an application to
admissions and records in Room
216 of Fletcher Administration
Center by Friday.
Students who do not plan to
walk the stage may turn in appli-
cations until May 12.
A student may apply for spring
2012 graduation if fewer than six
hours are left in the degree plan
and those hours will be completed
during the following summer.
To graduate, a student must
have a cumulative grade-point
average of 2.0 or higher in all
coursework that applies to the
degree.
Students must have completed
a minimum of 25 percent of all
course work at this college, be in
good academic standing in their
final semester and submit an offi-
cial transcript from all previous
institutions attended.
Commencement will be at 10
a.m. May 12 at Freeman Coliseum,
3201 E. Houston St.
For more information, call
Counselor Rosa Maria Gonzalez at
210-486-0864 or visit the gradua-
tion advising office in Room 124 of
the early college program building.
Joshua Fechter
Offices open longer
Counseling, admissions, reg-
istrar and financial aid offices at
Alamo Colleges now offer more
hours to accommodate students
in evening courses and those who
have free time only on weekends.
Offices at each college are
now open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first
Saturday of each month.
Offices also are open 8
a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays at Palo
Alto, Tuesdays at this college,
Wednesdays at St. Philip’s and
Thursdays at Northwest Vista and
Northeast Lakeview. Hours other
weekdays for all offices are 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
Jacob Beltran
Ballot applications for board due todayToday is the last day to submit ballot applica-
tions for the Alamo Colleges board of trustees
election May 12.
Seats in Districts 5, 6 and 7 will be on the bal-
lot. Candidates must live in the
district they plan to represent.
Applications can be filed for
a place on the ballot 8 a.m.-noon
and 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the office of
the chancellor/board liaison, at
201 W. Sheridan.
To view board responsibilities, visit www.
alamo.edu, click “Board of Trustees” under “About
Us,” then “Board Policies” and see B.5.1 board
responsibilities.
Board liaison temporary election administrator
The office of the board liaison is acting as the
election administrator for the Alamo Colleges
board of trustees election until the district hires a
new general counsel.
In a phone interview Monday, Chancellor
Bruce Leslie said the office of legal services han-
dled past elections, but because district general
counsel Retha Karnes left in January, the office was
understaffed.
He said paralegal Pat Meurin is the only staff
member in the office of legal services.
Leslie said allowing the office of the board
liaison to handle the election will give applicants
greater access to staff who can receive applications.
He said if the office of legal services handled
the election, only Meurin would be available to
receive applications.
He said once the district hires a general coun-
sel, the office of legal services will resume its
responsibility as election administrator.
Leslie said he hopes to have a candidate for
general counsel to submit in time for the regular
board meeting March 20.
Chancellor, ethics officer see no conflict of interest
Leslie said he does not think the chancellor’s
office acting as election administrator for board
elections constitutes a conflict of interest.
The board hires the chancellor, approves his
salary and charges him with achieving objectives.
Leslie said he does not handle the applications
personally nor does he approve applications or
endorse candidates. “The primary reason isn’t
management; it’s service,” Leslie said.
District ethics officer Eddie Cruz said there
may be a perceived conflict of interest, but that
there is not one.
“Elections have to be handled,” he said.
“There’s no room for mistakes.”
Trustees seek, reject re-election
As of Thursday, District 5 trustee Roberto
Zárate was the only sitting trustee to have submit-
ted an application.
Zárate said he submitted his application
Feb. 24, and board liaison Sandra Mora said she
received Zárate’s application Feb. 27.
District 7 trustee Blakely Fernandez told The
Ranger Feb. 23 that she would not seek re-election.
In a phone interview, Fernandez said her fam-
ily and Tuggey Fernandez LLP, the law practice she
established in May, prevent her from dedicating
the time necessary to serve on the board.
“I’m juggling too many things,” she said.
Fernandez said she supports Yvonne Katz, for-
mer Spring Branch ISD superintendent and presi-
dent of Vision Into Action Associates, to fill the
District 7 seat.
In a phone interview Feb. 22, District 6 trustee
Gene Sprague said he would submit his applica-
tion within a few days.
For more information, call Mora at 210-485-
0030.
The priority deadline for students to apply for
Alamo Colleges Foundation scholarships for the
2012-13 academic year is April 15.
However, students may apply until Sept. 15.
The application process
opened Jan. 17.
According to the dis-
trict website, scholarships
are available for first-time,
transfer and current students.
The scholarship website provides students with
links to the application, eligibility and require-
ments, essay and application tips and a list of the
foundation scholarships.
Students are required to complete one appli-
cation per academic year to be considered for
scholarships.
Scholarship coordinator Irene Fuentes said the
majority of scholarships are awarded during the
spring semester.
The remainder of the money is awarded to stu-
dents who apply later in the fall semester.
Students who are awarded scholarships must
maintain the same or higher grade-point average
to receive an award.
For the 2010-11 academic year, the foundation
awarded $250,965.
Fuentes said the foundation awarded
$152,961.31 during fall 2011.
To access the application, go to www.alamo.
edu/mainwide.aspx?id=5531 or visit the scholar-
ship office by appointment from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in Room 213 of
Koehler Cultural Center, 310 W. Ashby Place.
For more information or to schedule an
appointment, call Fuentes at 210-486-0963.
Scholarship deadline April 15
By JENNIFER CORONADO
Calendar
People March 5, 20122 • The Ranger
www.theranger.org/people
For coverage in Calendar, call 210-486-1773 or email [email protected] two weeks in advance.
Today
Exhibit: “Darwin: How One Man’s
Theory Turned the World on Its Head”
in Kathleen and Curtis Gunn Gallery at
Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway. $6-8
with a $5 surcharge. Continues through
Sept. 3. Call 210-357-1910.
SAC Deadline: Applications accepted
for Teaching Academy Program Peers
scholarship. Continues through
Wednesday. Call 210-486-0658.
SAC Deadline: Proposals accepted
for student activity fee funds. Continues
through March 22. Call 210-86-0125.
SAC Deadline: Applications accepted
for Texas Public Radio Scholarship.
Continues through April 15. Call 210-
486-1637.
SAC Event: Karaoke 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-
486-0125.
SAC Meeting: Student Government
Association noon-1 p.m. in health promo-
tions office in Room 150 of Loftin. Call
210-486-0125.
SAC Recital: Wind and brass 2 p.m.-
3 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call
210-486-0255.
SAC Meeting: Glee Club 2 p.m.-4
p.m. in faculty and staff lounge of Loftin.
Continues 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Thursday. Call
210-486-0126.
Lecture: “All Roads Lead to Rome”
by Dr. Richard Talbert sponsored by
Southwest Texas Archaeological Society
and classical studies department
7:30 p.m.-8:45 p.m. in Room 126 of
Chapman at Trinity University. Call 210-
999-7653.
Performance: Symphony orchestra
concert 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. in Ruth Taylor
Recital Hall in Room 114 of Dicke-Smith
at Trinity University. Call 210-999-8212.
Tuesday
SAC Meeting: Campus Crusade for
Christ 1:30 p.m. in Room 113 of chemis-
try and geology. Continues Tuesdays. Call
210-486-1233.
SAC Event: Phi Theta Kappa induc-
tion ceremony 7 p.m. in auditorium of
McAllister. Call 210-486-0668.
Wednesday
SAC Event: Flag football 1 p.m. at
San Pedro Springs Park with sign-up
at least one day in advance. Call 210-
486-0125.
SAC Meeting: Psychology Club 2
p.m. in Room 502 of Moody. Continues
Wednesdays. Call 210-486-1258.
SAC Meeting: Black Student Alliance
2:30 p.m. in Room 400D of Moody.
Continues Wednesdays. Call 210-446-
7159.
SAC Meeting: Gay Ally Lesbian
Association 3 p.m. in faculty and staff
lounge of Loftin. Continues Wednesdays.
Call 210-486-0673.
Thursday
SAC Event: “Cancer Prevention and
Women” workshop sponsored by services
for women and nontraditional students
and UT Health Science Center 1 p.m.-
4 p.m. in empowerment center, 703
Howard. Call 210-486-0455.
SAC Recital: Latin Jazz Combo 2 p.m.-
3 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister. Call
210-486-0255.
Friday
SAC Meeting: Onstage Drama Club
noon-1 p.m. in McCreless theater.
Continues Fridays. Call 210-486-0492.
Saturday
SAC Event: Healthy Body/Healthy
Home fair sponsored by continuing edu-
cation training network 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in
Oppenheimer. Call 210-486-1428.
Event: Luminaria: Arts Night in San
Antonio 7 p.m.-1 a.m. at HemisFair Park,
200 S. Alamo. Call 210-212-4999.
Sunday
Recital: Symphonic wind ensemble con-
cert 3 p.m.-5 p.m. in Ruth Taylor Recital
Hall in Room 114 of Dicke-Smith at
Trinity University. Call 210-999-8260.
March 12
Spring Break: Classes dismissed
through March 18. Colleges closed
March 15-18.
March 21
SAC Event: “Criminal Justice Road to
Success” 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Room 218 of
nursing. Call 210-486-1313.
March 23
SAC Event: Coffeehouse open mic
night sponsored by Cheshyre Cheese
Club 6 p.m.-9 p.m. in Loftin. Call 210-
486-0125.
March 24
Event: McNay Print Fair 10 a.m.-5
p.m. in Leeper Auditorium, 6000 N.
New Braunfels. Continues noon-5 p.m.
Sunday. Free with admission. Call 210-
824-5368.
March 27
SAC Event: “Techno Junkies Guide to
Communication” speech workshop 2
p.m.-3 p.m. in McCreless theater. Call
210-486-0496.
March 28
SAC Lecture: J.R. Martinez sponsored
by Fine Arts & Cultural Events Series 7
p.m.-8 p.m. in auditorium of McAllister.
Call 210-486-0901.
James Card tries to photograph the moon with his cell phone through the telescope’s viewfinder Feb. 25 in Lot 21 southwest of Scobee Planetarium. The planetarium closed Feb. 26 for renovation and construction of the Challenger Space Center. Carmen Sanjuan
Christina De La Haya, art and education sophomore, sculpts a bowl Tuesday in Koehler to replace one she created during the fall and broke. De La Haya plans to teach elementary school. Ingrid Wilgen
The Rev. Hector Grant of East St. Paul United Methodist Church reads works by female African-American authors Tuesday in the craft room of Loftin. Grant read Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Women” in celebration of the African-American experience during Black History Month. Ingrid Wilgen
P h l e b o t o m i s t Sylvia Bonales of South Texas Blood and Tissue Center gets liberal arts freshman Bryan Gonzalez ready for a blood dona-tion Feb. 27 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Riley Stephens
The student ambassadors pro-
gram is looking for volunteers to be
the face of the college.
The program will be outlined
in a meet-
ing at 2 p.m.
Thursday in
Room 305G of
Fletcher Adm-
i n i s t r a t i o n
Center, Mona Aldana-Ramirez, direc-
tor of retention support services, said.
The Black Student Alliance resur-
rected the program in the fall with
ideas to improve financial aid dis-
bursement.
Student volunteers signed up to
work outside the financial aid and
business offices Nov. 21-Jan. 10 to tri-
age lines and give students direction
on where they needed to go to resolve
their issues, Aldana-Ramirez said.
She said students are currently not
required to be working, but on occa-
sion she has seen volunteers assisting
students.
Aldana-Ramirez said the meeting
will cover procedures for the volun-
teers to resume duties.
She said 23 students attended a
four-hour training session Nov. 9-10,
and about 11 were able to assist in
the program.
“Last semester, everything came
to a head, the budget constrictions,
the low staff, the long lines of stu-
dents, and this fantastic group of stu-
dents stepped up and said, ‘There’s a
need; we can help,’” she said.
Students volunteered from two
hours to more than 20 hours in the
fall semester, Aldana-Ramirez said.
“It was ‘do what you can, when
you can.’ Anything helps,” she said.
Aldana-Ramirez said the idea that
students wanted to help other stu-
dents “navigate
the maze” was
a profound
initiative that
helped admin-
istrators decide
to continue the
program.
“We need more help desperately,”
Aldana-Ramirez said.
She said although the college is
not able to hire, opportunities can
be created for students to help other
students.
“The fact that we are severe-
ly understaffed — that might not
change for a while — and when you
have students stepping up and want-
ing to help, that speaks volumes,”
Aldana-Ramirez said.
President Robert Zeigler and Dr.
Robert Vela, vice president of student
affairs, oversee the ambassadors pro-
gram.
Vela said the program operates
primarily out of his office, and he is
expecting about $6,000 in funding for
incentives. He said the funds would
be used to purchase badges, pins,
royal blue blazers and awards for the
ambassadors.
Aldana-Ramirez said students are
eligible to receive up to $200 and
special designations during gradu-
ation in accordance with the hours
students volunteer.
“There is a
little bit of money
involved, not a
whole lot, but it’s
a way of saying
thank you. Thank
you for being here
and using this as
your extracurricular activity and giv-
ing back,” she said.
This semester, ambassadors
will assist when Army veteran J.R.
Martinez comes to lecture at 7
p.m. March 28 in the auditorium of
McAllister Fine Arts Center.
Martinez, winner of “Dancing with
the Stars” and former cast member
of the soap opera “All My Children,”
came to San Antonio for rehabili-
tation for burns suffered during his
service in the Iraq War.
Aldana-Ramirez said ambassa-
dors will greet attendees and act as
the face of the college, welcoming the
community.
In addition, the ambassadors will
get reserved seating for the event,
she said.
Ten students signed up to con-
tinue in the program this semester,
Aldana-Ramirez said.
“When students signed up for this,
there was no guarantee that they were
going to get any money.
They were just doing it out of the
goodness of their heart,” she said.
Ambassadors must have good
communication skills and be people-
friendly, willing to help those in need,
self-motivated and solution-oriented.
Ambassadors will gain commu-
nity service hours and a chance to
refine leadership skills, develop net-
working skills and improve public
speaking skills.
Aldana-Ramirez said being part
of the program gives students the
opportunity to mix with various
groups of people.
“You really don’t know who you’re
going to get coming through the
doors,” she said.
Applications are available in Room
305F of Fletcher.
Aldana-Ramirez said working
hours vary depending on when a stu-
dent has the time to volunteer.
“The next step would be institu-
tionalizing it even further so that we
can continue a tradition for years
to come and build capacity to help
many more students for semesters to
come,” she said.
For more information, call 210-
486-1419.
NewsMarch 5, 2012 The Ranger • 3
www.theranger.org
Ambassadors search for face of college
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The student ambassadors program fills the gap caused by “the budget constrictions, the low staff, the long lines of students,” director says.
By ALMA LINDAMANZANARES
“We need more help desperately.”Mona Aldana-Ramirez,
director of retention support services
Suggestions to improve
the college are recommended
by performance excellence
advisory groups, referred to
as PEAGs, and fine arts Chair
Jeff Hunt said. Hunt coordi-
nates seven advisory groups
introduced in September
2010 as part of a change man-
agement model.
Visit www.theranger.org
for the full story.
Alma Linda Manzanares
A year after high school,
Kristine Meza moved from her
hometown in Laredo to Austin.
She lived there for a year, then
moved to San Antonio.
She started working at IBC
Bank where she met her best
friend, Anastasia Salazar, now
president of the Kristine Meza
Foundation, formed to pro-
mote awareness of domestic
violence after Meza was killed
in a murder-suicide Feb. 11,
2011, at age 25.
Visit www.theranger.org
for the full story.
Melissa Gonzales
Sister recalls violence that ended Kristine Meza’s life
PEAGs ‘perfect illustration’ of shared governance
The Alamo Colleges is searching for a new general counsel
after Retha Karnes left the district in January.
Chancellor Bruce Leslie said he is serving on a search com-
mittee with district ethics officer Eddie Cruz;
Linda Boyer-Owens, associate vice chancel-
lor of human resources and organizational
development; Gary O’Bar, district director of
purchasing; Don Adams, chief of police; and
Pamela Ansboury, associate vice chancellor of
finance and fiscal services.
Leslie said about 19 candidates submitted applications
during a search that was open to internal and external candi-
dates. He said no internal candidates applied.
Leslie said he does not normally serve on search committees,
but the general counsel reports to the chancellor’s office.
He said he approves candidates before they go
to the board of trustees for official approval, but
because he serves on the search committee, the
committee will submit a recommendation directly
to the board.
Leslie said he hopes to have a candidate for
general counsel to submit in time for the March
20 board meeting.
According to the staffing summary of the budget for fiscal
year 2011-12, the district allocated $130,427.00 to the position of
general counsel.
According to the district website, the general counsel is
responsible for monitoring the district’s compliance with consti-
tutions, laws and regulations; supervising and disposing of legal
matters in areas including employment, insur-
ance, contract development and negotiations,
commercial transactions, real estate and leasing,
purchasing, construction, intellectual property
law, technology law and student matters.
The counsel must have expertise in the devel-
opment of policies and procedures, and respond
to routine inquiries from district and college personnel in the
form of written legal opinions and discussions with various
councils, committees and individuals at all levels of the district.
News March 5, 20124 • The Ranger
www.theranger.org
President says there is no timeline for accreditation.
Northeast Lakeview resubmits application to SACS
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Need Change?
Northeast Lakeview College resubmitted
its accreditation application to the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Feb. 15
after the Alamo Colleges board of trustees
approved the college’s annu-
al financial report for fiscal
years 2009-10 and 2010-11 at
its January meeting.
The Ranger reported in
December 2009 that SACS
denied Northeast Lakeview accreditation pri-
marily because it did not have an independent
audit.
At the Audit, Budget and Finance Committee
meeting Jan. 17, Dr. Eric Reno, president of
Northeast Lakeview, said SACS considered the
fact the college did not have an auditing pro-
cess separate from the district “a deal breaker.”
In a phone interview Feb. 27, Reno said
it usually takes new institutions a while after
they open to attain accreditation, but he said
he could not specify a time period because
the association operates on a first-come, first-
served basis.
“If UT (Austin) opened tomorrow, it would
take them from four to seven years to get
accredited,” he said.
In a San Antonio Express-News article pub-
lished April 13, 2005, Reno said that accredita-
tion is a two-year process, but Monday, Reno
said it depends on how many other institutions
are applying ahead of Northeast Lakeview.
The college opened in fall 2007 and oper-
ates under this college’s accreditation to offer
financial aid.
Independent auditing firm Ernst and
Young LLP gave the college an unqualified
opinion, signaling proper handling of finances
during the Jan. 17 Audit, Budget and Finance
Committee meeting.
Reno said after SACS evaluates Northeast
Lakeview’s application, the agency will send a
team to visit the campus.
Gilbert Castillo, director of institution-
al research, planning and effectiveness at
Northeast Lakeview, said 4,657 students attend
classes at Northeast Lakeview and are reg-
istered through Northeast Lakeview and this
college.
He said 769 students are registered solely at
Northeast Lakeview.
Reno joined the district in August 2004 to
oversee establishing a fifth college and building
the new campus.
District searches for new general counselChancellor Bruce Leslie hopes to submit candidate to the March 20 board meeting.
By JOSHUA FECHTER
jfechter @student.alamo.edu
By JOSHUA FECHTER
jfechter @student.alamo.edu
Dr. Eric Reno, president of Northeast Lakeview, said Jan. 17 at the Audit, Budget and Finance Committee meeting in Killen that Northeast Lakeview had to resubmit its application for accreditation in February. On Feb. 15, the college resubmitted its application to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Ingrid Wilgen
For a full list of duties performed by the general counsel,
visit http://www.alamo.edu/main.aspx?id=12607.
College President Robert Zeigler reiter-
ated his support for The Ranger and for
the college newspaper’s First Amendment
rights in a meeting Tuesday in the presi-
dent’s conference room.
“Having The Ranger
on our campus is a real
value added to all of us,”
Zeigler said. “It helps us
see things that aren’t so
good. It helps us see things from a perspec-
tive we might not see otherwise.”
Zeigler called the meeting to discuss a
petition signed by club members asking for
an investigation into The Ranger.
Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of stu-
dent affairs; Ranger editor Joshua Fechter,
journalism sophomore; Ranger adviser
Irene Abrego; and media communications
Chair Marianne Odom attended along with
a Ranger reporter.
Zeigler said Jacob Wong, president of
the Student Government Association, pre-
sented the petition at a Feb. 17 Pepsi with
the President meeting.
Wong also presented
the petition at a Feb. 23
Presidents Round Table, a
monthly meeting of club
presidents.
The petition calls
for “an open apology to
the students, a greater
openness to all submis-
sions, the taking of a
truly objective and unbi-
ased stance, the creation
of a section within The
Ranger for retractions and corrections, and
the immediate cessation of the tabloid-
esque behaviors, such as personal vendet-
tas and dissemination of information.”
The petition charges, “Those who wish
to declare open dissent to any portion
of any printed portion of The Ranger are
either rejected, or printed in a neutered
version, wherein the voice of dissent is
weakened.”
“We do encourage people to submit let-
ters to the editor,” Fechter told Zeigler and
Vela Tuesday.
Reporters’ bylines in printed Ranger sto-
ries include email addresses of editors or
The Ranger’s email, [email protected].
Feedback is also encouraged via tele-
phone at 210-486-1773 and visits to the
Ranger newsroom in Room 212 of Loftin
Student Center.
Three methods of communication are
available online in the form of letters to the
editor, news tips, which can be submitted
anonymously and comments on stories.
The Ranger also encourages guest view-
points and comments on its Facebook page
and on Twitter. The newspaper’s policies on
letters to the editor and guest viewpoints
are printed on the editorial page of each
issue.
The petition states, “The Ranger has
taken a stance against the SGA, and has
falsely represented them, slandered them,
and printed false information concerning
the spoken words and activities of mem-
bers of the SGA.”
Zeigler said SGA members say they
believe The Ranger constantly targets them.
Fechter said The Ranger reports on activi-
ties of campus organiza-
tions to hold them respon-
sible and accountable for
their actions. “It’s not to
target them,” he said. “It’s
because these are govern-
mental bodies.”
The news media’s
role as watchdog results
in editorials about pub-
lic officials. “It’s accepted
that it’s common prac-
tice,” Fechter said.
Vela said public offi-
cials should recognize criticism against
governmental bodies is not personal. “If
I took every criticism personally, I’d be a
miserable man,” he said.
Zeigler said he and Vela will meet with
SGA members to discuss the petition at 4
p.m. Tuesday. Zeigler said he sees no reason
Pepsi with the President, meetings among
Zeigler, Vela and SGA members, shouldn’t
be open to the public.
Fechter noted student government
should not withhold information from the
students they are tasked to represent.
“They’re not holding out on us,” Fechter
said. “They’re holding out on the public.”
NewsMarch 5, 2012 The Ranger • 5
www.theranger.org
An excerpt of Page 2 of the peti-tion detailing grievances against The Ranger submitted to President Robert Zeigler Feb. 17 by the Student Government Association president. To view the full petition, visit www.theranger.org.
By FAITH DUARTE
fduarte3 @student.alamo.edu
President affirms support for Ranger
The confusion over the definition of a quorum
is over.
A Feb. 27 amended update of district Procedure
F.2.3.1 defines what constitutes a quorum for
Student Activity Fee Committee
meetings.
It now
says, “For the
purpose of
this commit-
tee, a quorum to transact busi-
ness must consist of (1) a total of
at least 5 members (2) with a plu-
rality of those
m e m b e r s
present being
voting student
members and (3) at least one
faculty member being present.”
President Robert Zeigler,
who approves decisions made by
the committee, told The Ranger
Tuesday he will approve awards from a Feb. 2
meeting because the members “acted in good
faith” even though a quorum did not exist. Two stu-
dent members and a student alternate conducted
business without the presence of faculty members.
In a phone interview Tuesday, Eddie Cruz, eth-
ics and compliance officer for the district, said Dr.
Adelina Silva, vice chancellor for student success,
approached him for clarification.
Silva told The Ranger Feb. 20 she would seek
legal interpretation of a quorum.
The procedure originally stated, “For the pur-
pose of this committee, a quorum consists of any
combination of members with a plurality of stu-
dent members present.”
Cruz said in a Feb. 14 phone interview that he
understood a quorum for the nine-member com-
mittee exists if a minimum of three student mem-
bers and two faculty or staff members are present.
Dr. Robert Vela, vice president of student affairs,
told The Ranger Feb. 20 he
understood a minimum of five
members constitutes a quorum
as long as a student majority
exists.
Zeigler told The Ranger in
a Feb. 13 phone interview it
seemed the procedure required
the presence of faculty and stu-
dent members.
In a Feb. 2 Student Activity
Fee Committee meeting, anthropology sophomore
Michael Martinez, nursing sophomore Daniel
Having and Jacob Wong, psychology sophomore
and Student Government Association president,
met in the absence of employee members and
awarded $5,721.97 to four student organiza-
tions. Charles Falcon, theater and speech com-
munication instructor, and Deidra Flynn-Dobson,
American Sign Language instructor, were absent.
Missing student members were theater soph-
omore Jonathan Scheel, psychology sophomore
Rebecca Ross and speech communication sopho-
more Leonard Herbeck. Student life Director Jorge
Posadas, nonvoting chair of the committee, ruled
that three students constituted a quorum and
maintained no faculty or staff members needed to
be in attendance.
For more information, call the office of student
life at 210-486-0125.
By FAITH DUARTE
fduarte3 @student.alamo.edu
Eddie Cruz
Ethics officer rules on quorum
An increase in the budget has allowed the col-
lege library to begin ordering books this year, but
databases discontinued in 2010-11 and this aca-
demic year will not be repurchased.
The library has a bud-
get of $450,000 for 2011-
12, which will provide new
books and materials.
Funds allocated for
reserve textbook purchases alone will be $135,000.
Book ordering has begun and will continue
throughout the year.
“We are back in the business of buying books,”
Librarian Steven Dingman said.
Orders will include reference books, books for
circulation and e-books, digital books available for
students for download to personal computers.
Librarian Eileen Oliver said the library’s goal
was to order about half of the materials by the end
of last fall, but said, “It doesn’t always work out
that way.”
The library’s materials budget was about
$620,000 two years ago, but Oliver says the budget
plummeted to $330,000 last year because of budget
cuts statewide.
The library has discontinued 25 databases that
totaled $79,153.34 in the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years.
In the 2011 fiscal year, the library cut 13 data-
bases which cost $40,847.38.
NewsBank, a database that ranked No. 5 on this
college’s list of 20 most-used databases in 2008,
was cut in 2011 because of its price tag of $17,340.
NewsBank offered millions of current and
archived articles from local to international levels.
In 2012, the library cut an additional 12 data-
bases, totaling $38,305.96.
The biggest database cut that year was EBSCO’s
PsycArticles primarily used by the psychology
department, costing $10,598 a year, Dingman said.
EBSCO’s PsycArticles contained more than
150,000 articles from about 80 scholarly jour-
nals published by the American Psychological
Association.
“The database loss really limits student access,”
psychology Chair Thomas Billimek said.
Billimek said it is harder for students to do
research without the necessary journals.
It is a disservice for the approximately 1,500
psychology majors when they transfer because
they will be uneducated about the database,
Billimek said.
Since PsycArticles was cut, Billimek has not
seen a negative effect on the program, but he
expects to see one later in the semester.
Dingman said, “We tried to cut the databases
that affected the least number of students.”
Nursing databases, such as Ovid, are expensive,
but are valuable, Dingman said.
Ovid contains the respected, essential academ-
ic journal, American Journal of Nursing.
“We have to have it for accreditation. You can-
not not have the most prestigious academic jour-
nal in a field,” Dingman said.
“The library purchases the databases, but the
databases are for everyone,” Dingman said.
Thousands of students require their use for
homework.
As for irritated students looking for discontinued
databases, Dingman said, “We are not the bad guys.”
In 2010, Gov. Rick Perry cut budgets by 10 per-
cent. In January 2011, the college was instructed to
cut an additional 2.5 percent.
In 2011, the education deficit was expected to
be $15 billion, which eventually grew to $27 billion.
Professors can schedule a session for a librarian
to teach a class how to use the databases.
Library hours are 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday
through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 9:30
a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. The library is closed Sunday.
Databases can be accessed at www.alamo.edu/
sac/library. Off-campus access requires a Banner
ID.
For information on how to use databases, call
the reference desk at 210-486-0554.
Library loses databasesLarger budget for 2011-12 will increase book acquisitions.
By REBECCA SALINAS
Renovation of the second floor of Moody
Learning Center is expected to begin in the
summer.
The current reference area will shift
to the north side of
the building, and
the reference area
will be turned into a
reserve area, librar-
ian Stephen Dingman said.
Renovation of the north side of the
building is scheduled for July and should
be completed by November. The south
side renovation, the future reserve area,
will begin in November and be complet-
ed by February 2013, librarian Thomas
Kuykendall said. The southern portion
of the library also will have newer, larger
classrooms, he said.
“The renovations will have considerably
more, nicer places for students to study,”
Kuykendall said. He also said a coffee shop
will be installed in the northeast corner of
Moody.
Currently, there are single unisex rest-
rooms, but a larger restroom area will be
added in the southwest corner.
“The library needed a renovation for a
long, long time,” Kuykendall said.
The last library renovation was on
the third floor of Moody in 2009, total-
ing $2,009,684. The college received a tax
anticipation note of $23 million for renova-
tions; $5 million for renovation of Scobee
Planetarium and $18 million for renovation
of Moody, David Mrizek, vice president of
college services, said. A tax anticipation
note is a short-term municipal bond, which
will be paid back on future tax revenue.
The fourth floor renovation will begin
in March 2013 and be completed by
November 2013, Kuykendall said.
Fourth floor additions include student
study areas and a small stage for perfor-
mances and will hold the library’s special
collections, Kuykendall said.
SGA president, student leaders call for investigation.
Library upgrades Renovation will add expanded classrooms and study space.
By REBECCASALINAS
The next Student Activity Fee Committee meeting is 4 p.m. April 5 in the health promotions
office in Room 150 of Loftin. The deadline for
submission of proposals is March 22.
President said decisions made at the committee’s Feb. 2 meeting are valid.
www.theranger.org/ premiere
Premiere6 • The Ranger
Richard Steen, computer network security sophomore and volunteer with San Antonio Living History Association, fires a shot at Mexican troops attempting to infiltrate the Alamo Feb. 25 during a re-enactment of the siege of the
Alamo. Steen’s character, John the Free Man, represented all African-Americans who participated in the Battle of the Alamo. Nicole Henry
Gary Lunistra as Col. Juan N. Almonte and Roger Valdez as Gen. Manuel Fernandez Castrillon lead Mexican troops while real estate agent Kirk Scott portrays a drummer for the Mexican side against the Texians during a re-enactment of the siege of the Alamo Feb. 25 in Alamo Square. Troy Renteria
Percussionist Betty Peters plays with doll figures as she hits a loose board making the toys dance to entertain the crowd Feb. 25 in front of the Alamo. Peters taps her feet along to the music her band is performing. Troy Renteria
Restaurant manager Roger Valdez, as Gen. Manuel Fernandez Castrillon, leads realtor and drummer Kirk Scott and Mexican troops through Alamo Plaza in a march in front of the Alamo. Scott performed a battle drum line to show the intensity of the battle. Troy Renteria
Dan Phillips, retired truck driver and San Antonio Living History Association volun-teer, inspects a rifle to ensure it functions properly before a re-enactment of the siege of the Alamo Feb. 25. Nicole Henry
Texians fire a cannon three times at Mexican troops in a re-enactment of the siege of the Alamo Feb. 25. Troy Renteria
Amanda Maloney, Lorel Smith and Roger Valdez march in a re-enactment of the siege of the Alamo. Maloney carries her son Collen and Smith carries a doll. Valdez portrays Gen. Manuel Fernandez Castrillon. Troy Renteria
March 5, 2012 • 7www.theranger.org/ premiere
Premiere
If you are among those who wonder why your
classmates, friends and relatives are glued to
Facebook, researchers may have the answer.
The social network has become the most popu-
lar website on the Internet,
allowing developer Mark
Zuckerberg to become a bil-
lionaire with a net worth of
$17.5 billion as of November
2011.
Facebook will file for an initial public offering in
May that will value the social network between $75
billion and $100 billion. The service has amassed
more than 845 million users globally.
In a new study, researchers at the University of
Milan found that Facebook has a positive effect on a
person’s emotions.
“Facebook is sort of magnetizing. It satis-
fies a human need for socialization,” psychology
Professor Karen Douglass said. “It’s a
self-esteem booster.”
The Italian study was conducted
with 30 healthy students from the
University of Milan ranging in ages
from 19 to 25.
In this study, the students were
exposed to stressful and relaxing situ-
ations.
A three-minute slide show of nat-
ural phenomena, things that occur naturally with no
scientific explanation, provided the relaxing condi-
tion and mathematical tasks provided a stressful
condition.
During each, sub-
jects were exposed
to their personal
Facebook accounts.
P s y c h o l o g i s t s
found from their physical and physiological
responses, such as breathing rate, brain activity
and pupil dilation, that Facebook gives students a
certain pleasure and arousal that keeps them on
Facebook.
“Facebook is an immediate response,” Douglass
said. “We usually post things that make us feel good
or post things that we don’t feel good about, but the
response that we get satisfies the need that we can-
not get in reality,” she said.
The results of the study are found in the journal
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., in New
Rochelle, N.Y., Dec. 22.
Not everyone agrees, however, on the effects of
using Facebook.
Hui-Tzu Grace
Chou’s and Nicholas
Edge’s study also
in the journal
C y b e r p s y c h o l o g y,
Behavior, and Social Networking says people who
spend a lot of time on Facebook looking at their
“happy” friends are just as likely to become unhap-
py from it.
Published Feb. 9, the study was conducted at
Utah Valley University in a survey
of 425 students about the quality
of their lives. Students were asked
how many “friends” they had on
Facebook, and how many of those
people were actually their friends.
As it turns out, the students who
spent more time on Facebook and
were friends with a lot more people
they didn’t actually know agreed to
statements such as “mwany of my friends have a
better life than me.”
Because Facebook is concerned with one’s
image, hundreds of people talk about how happy
they are online, how exciting their lives are, and how
great things are going for them.
This can makes one’s perfectly ordinary day
depressing.
“When people are posting pictures of themselves
and not their meals, pets or children, they do not
generally post pictures of themselves when they are
unhappy,” ABC News said.
On the flipside, however, those who spent time
with their actual friends in face-to-face situations
were much less likely to believe their friends had
better lives.
By JANEKA PORTER
Encampments of the ghosts of the Alamo
appeared on the grounds of the Cradle of
Texas Liberty Feb. 25.
The San Antonio Living History Association
and Communicate SA
joined forces for the
176th anniversary of
the siege of the Alamo
to present the story of
tragedy and heroism.
More than 100 costumed volunteers of
the living history association recreated the
ambiance of 1830s Texas.
Dressed in navy blue and gray, common
19th-century clothing, the volunteers played
the roles of Texians, Tejanos and Mexican
troops for area residents and tourists in
Alamo Plaza, to honor the memory of the
combatants of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo.
Robert Medina, vice president of
Communicate SA, said “Communicate SA
assists local area nonprofits with audio,
video or web components at events like this
one.”
Medina, a media convergence sopho-
more at this college and a web editor for
The Ranger, added that not only does the
re-enactment involve radio, television and
film students but also communications stu-
dents who gain valuable work experience
and training in the field.
Tuesday, the actual anniversary, “Dawn
of the Alamo” is presented 6 a.m.-7 a.m. and
“Fall of the Alamo Anniversary” 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Rob Wilkerson, as Captain Baugh of the
New Orleans Greys, has been a member
of the association for more than six years.
“SALHA has been doing (the re-enactment
of) the Alamo for more than 20 years; our
goal is to keep our history alive for future
generations.”
In addition to the re-enactment, mem-
bers of the association used the day to teach
the public about the historic battle and life
and politics in the 1830s.
Wilkerson explained that Alamo Plaza
was inside the walls of the mission at the
time of the battle.
He told some tourists about the battle
cry of soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto
April 21, 1836, when the Texians routed the
Mexican army and captured Gen. Antonio
López De Santa Anna. “That’s why the cry of
‘Remember the Alamo,’” he said.
Children interacted with the characters
and played music with the Celtaire String
Band, a Texas band that plays Civil War,
American Celtic and Old-time Texas tunes
around the state.
For more information on the San Antonio
Living History Association, visit http://www.
mysalha.org/rgardenrtx/index.html or call
210-826-8229.
For more information on Communicate
SA, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/
CommunicateSA/115060455243084.
By SILVIAMILLAN
Costumed re-enacters ‘Remember the Alamo’
Alamo. Steen’s character, John the Free Man, represented all African-Americans who participated in the Battle of the Alamo. Nicole Henry
RTF students assist with audio, video and web components.
Texians fire a cannon three times at Mexican troops in a re-enactment of the siege of the Alamo Feb. 25. Troy Renteria
Moody Facebook
Art by Alexandra Nelipa
The logo for the 2012 pledge drive for college radio station KSYM 90.1 FM was selected Wednesday in a staff meeting from designs submitted by digital design students. Donors of pledges of $35 during this year’s drive, March 26 –April 1, will receive a T-shirt emblazoned with the logo by graphic design sophomore Pete Brown. Visit theranger.org for the full story.
Researchers find positive and negative responses to social network.
March 5, 20128 • The Ranger
www.theranger.org/opinion
Editorial
On Feb. 14, eleven same-sex couples par-ticipated in an equal rights protest organized by the Direct Action Network of San Antonio before a midnight mass wedding at the Bexar County Courthouse.
The Rev. Joe Sullivan, psychology professor who began the mass wedding tradition, asked for same-sex couples to leave the courthouse steps because they did not have marriage licenses.
Offended by Sullivan’s behavior, attendees Julie Pousson and Shari Kubik spoke before Bexar County Commissioners Court Feb. 21 to propose opening the free wedding ceremonies to other officiates through a lottery system.
Pousson and Kubik did what citizens should do when they are confronted with a problem: They took action by voicing their concerns with public officials.
The encouragement of active participation in the community is omnipresent and occa-
sionally nauseating because of heavy repeti-tion. It permeates every level of the national discourse from presidential candidates seek-ing election to local charities soliciting volun-teers and donations.
After wading through all of the self-serving political jargon, people tune out and unfortu-nately, the message of participation remains unheard or ignored.
Let Pousson and Kubik serve as good exam-ples to the rest of the public.
If you find the status quo harmful, address it with your representatives or other public officials.
If you appreciate your representatives’ per-formance, support them at the polls.
If you dislike your representatives’ perfor-mance, vote them out or run for office your-self.
Take part in peaceful action to promote what you believe is right and lead by example.
Act to promote rights
Stay informed; speak upFaculty, staff and students should attend
committee meetings before attending reg-ular Alamo Colleges board meetings to stay informed on action items that may be approved without discussion.
In Jan. 25’s “Board approves talent man-agement software, energy loan,” the Alamo Colleges board of trustees unanimously approved a string of minute orders with no discussion, despite significant decisions rep-resenting almost $500,000 in expenses at the Jan. 24 regular meeting.
District 7 trustee Blakely Fernandez was absent, making the votes 8-0.
Items approved included the purchase of the Banner HR Talent Management Suite, a system that helps institutions track employ-ee training and development and faculty and staff evaluations, according to Sungard Higher Education’s website, and a software migration to a server hosted by Innovative Interfaces Inc. to maintain access to each col-lege’s library catalog and materials.
The district will pay Sungard $469,800 over three years for the Banner HR Talent Management Suite.
The software migration to Innovative Interfaces Inc. would cost the district a one-time fee of $12,000 for migrating data, an annual hosting fee of $7,788 and annual
maintenance fee of $45,512.Gary Beitzel, chairman and District 8 trust-
ee, said trustees discussed many of the items approved during the Jan. 17 committee meet-ings.
He said rather than repeat the discussion, trustees prefer to move through action items quickly during regular meetings.
Staying informed prevents people from being manipulated. People should speak up at the citizens-to-be-heard segments and exercise their First Amendment rights or dis-agree on issues that they deem unnecessary.
With the current state of the district, a state of continuous budget cuts and possible end to tenure, dissatisfaction is written on the faces of everyone.
Employees have the chance, but don’t often enough take advantage, of expressing concerns at college meetings, and then no one presents these concerns to the board.
All it takes is one voice to ignite a dozen.Employees need to stand up for them-
selves and fellow employees. Students need to stand in support of employees.
Attend the March 13 committee meeting and sign up for citizens-to-be-heard at the March 20 board meeting.
Stay informed; speak up; and let’s improve this community.
Juan Carlos Campos
Editor Joshua Fechter
Managing EditorAlma Linda Manzanares
News EditorFaith Duarte
Sections EditorJennifer M. Ytuarte
Photo EditorIngrid Wilgen
Photo Team Janell Arnold, Victoria Drumming,
Nicole Henry, Eloy Hilburn, Alberto Penuelaz, Christopher Perez,
Felipe Perez Jr., Troy Renteria, Cecilia Tornel, Donna Quintana
Multimedia EditorJ. Almendarez
Video TeamDee Dixon, Valerie Salazar,
Carmen Sanjuan, Riley Stephens
Illustrators Alexandra Nelipa, Juan Carlos Campos
Staff WritersCarla Aranguren, Jennifer Coronado, Melissa Gonzales,
Kirk Hanes, Jennifer Luna, Rachel McKee, Alicia Millan, Silvia Millan, Ivie Okungbowa,
Osita Omesiete, Diana Palomo, Darrell Payne, Janeka Porter, Rebecca Salinas,
Matthew Schiffmacher
Web Editors Jacob BeltranRobert Medina
©2012 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-4299. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.The Ranger news outlets, which serve the Alamo Community College District, are laboratory projects of journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications at San Antonio College. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations.The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger.org.News contributions accepted by telephone (210-486-1773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email ([email protected]) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available upon request by phone (210-486-1765) or as a download at www.theranger.org.The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Community College Journalism Association.
Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and com-munity members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words.Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persua-sive or interpretative style. All viewpoints must be published
with a photo portrait of the writer.
Letters Policy: The Ranger invites readers to share views by writing letters to the editor.Space limitations force the paper to limit letters to two double-spaced, typewritten pages.Letters will be edited for spelling, style, grammar, libel and length.Editors reserve the right to deny publication of any letter. Letters should be mailed to The Ranger, Department of Media Communications, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-4299.Letters also may be brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 210-486-9292. Letters must be signed and must include the print-ed name and telephone number.Students should include classifica-tion, major, campus and Banner ID. Employees should include title and telephone number. For more infor-mation, call 210-486-1773.
Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue because of high production costs.Where available, additional cop-ies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by con-tacting The Ranger business office. Newspaper theft is a crime.Those who violate the single-copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and subject to college discipline.
March 5, 2012 The Ranger • 9
www.theranger.org/opinion
Viewpoints
After spending all 21 years of my life in San Antonio and only leav-ing Texas once to visit California at the age of 8, I’ve been raised in a
place that has many Mexican traditions along with the tradi-tions of other cultures such as German and Irish.
I’ve never actually been deep into any culture, and traditions such as making enchi-ladas and homemade tortillas have never been a big part of my life growing up.
Hispanic, Spanish, Latino and Chicano are all words I wouldn’t use to describe myself. I’m not Spanish because I’m not from Spain; I’m not Latino because I don’t relate to Latin America; and Chicano is a radical title, something I’m not.
Yet, I would fit into one of those categories on a government form or job application. The only reason I call myself a Mexican-American is because my lineage is based in Mexico, but that’s far back in history.
During a family “what are we” discussion, my aunt said she never wanted us to call her Hispanic, rath-er Mexican-American. She felt the term Hispanic was a reference to people from Spain, and not to the Mexican-American population in general. My mother and grandmoth-er agreed but didn’t see us avoiding the classification.
When my mother went to Thomas Jefferson High School in 1962-63, there was still a large amount of prej-udice against Mexican-Americans with pronounced accents.
My mother said she would pro-nounce her “sh” sound as a “ch”
sound, and when she spoke, her teachers got mad at her for not speaking proper English and speak-ing Spanish.
So I wasn’t forced to speak Spanish growing up. My family never passed down the tongue to my brothers because it wasn’t socially accepted at the time.
We’re not the only ones though.During my ENGL 2322, British
Literature 1, class I met other Mexican-Americans who were in the same situation.
We’re Mexican-Americans, but we have neither the deep culture nor the language, and so we had to take it upon ourselves to learn Spanish on our own if we learned it at all.
I’m proud of what I’ve learned to speak thus far, but I still have a way to go before sounding natural.
When I was in grade school, I remember eating Spanish rice and asking my mother what it would be like to be Hispanic. She laughed and said, “But you are Hispanic,” and that was how I discovered my heri-tage: by eating Spanish rice.
In high school, I was asked by my Spanish teacher to attend a Mexican culture celebration at Municipal Auditorium.
As a mariachi band performed, it seemed everyone in the audience sang along with songs they played, as I sat silent. I couldn’t recognize a single song, aside from “Volver Volver,” but even then, it was sung differently than I remembered.
Thankfully, I’ve never truly come under fire from any prejudices, espe-cially living in San Antonio.
But I’ve never felt like a Mexican, or like I even belong to one specific culture for that matter. I’ve just felt like an American in these United States.
Discovering a cultural identity
Consider other options than transferring faculty
I am addressing an issue that affects students, faculty and the whole community from the “Chancellor considers transferring
faculty” article by J. Almendarez in the Feb. 13 issue.
I am unfamil-iar with the process of hiring faculty and administrators for a community college.
I have to be in sup-port of the faculty, our professors, because they are the ones advising us as we take
the necessary measures to make a better future for ourselves. Another option should be considered, or involve the students in reaching a viable solution.
It’s a horrible feeling to realize a professor you have trusted and created a connection with is being transferred.
To me, it’s like an artist leaving a piece and allowing another artist to continue the work, which could
possibly change the direction of the entire piece.
I feel that our newly hired, full-time professors should have the chance to finish the future master-pieces they have started.
If a professor has the desire to spread vast knowledge and experi-ences to students on different cam-puses, they have the right to do so.
I am not protesting against adjunct teaching nor discouraging it, but having a professor located full-time on campus makes it easier to clear up any class problems or seek advice.
I am not saying it’s impossible to be done with adjunct professors, but their accessibility is limited. The student and professor have to make time out of their busy schedules just to communicate.
Logically, I think having more full- time professors on campus is not only beneficial to the students but also for the community in the long run.
J’son Tillmon is a journalism sophomore.
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Viewpoint by JACOBBELTRAN
Guest Viewpoint by J’SON TILLMON
Health March 5, 201210 • The Ranger
Study abroad plans ahead
Nursing students learn many roles
GREEHEY DEGREE-COMPLETION SCHOLARSHIP
Our Lady of the Lake University o� ers a degree-completion scholarship for � rst-generation college students who are studying business at one of the Alamo College campuses. Eligible students who transfer to OLLU will receive a scholarship that covers half of tuition costs.
Features of the William E. Greehey Scholars Program:
• Scholarship covers up to half of tuition costs• Complete a Bachelor of Arts in Management in two years • Attend classes held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings
Students applying for the William E. Greehey Scholars Program must:
• Have an associate’s degree in Business from an Alamo College or hold at least 60 hours
• Be at least 23 years old• Be one of the fi rst in the family to attend college
Learn moreCall: 210-431-3961 Email: [email protected]
411 S.W. 24th StreetSan Antonio, TX 78207210-434-6711www.ollusa.edu
www.theranger.org
District scholarship funds are decreasing
for students to travel abroad, the coordina-
tor of international programs said Feb. 8 at
a meeting about programs this summer and
proposals for 2013.
Maria Rivera said in
2010, the study abroad
program was award-
ed $30,000 from the
Alamo Colleges Foundation for scholarships.
But in 2011, it dropped to $25,000, and in 2012,
to $17,000.
Eighty-four students were selected from
100 applications for five trips abroad.
Thirty-eight were awarded scholarships of
$200 to $1,000 in 2011-2012. Of those 38, six
will travel to China, six to Europe, 11 to Italy,
nine to Japan and six to Spain.
Others are expected to pay by loans, finan-
cial aid or payment plans.
Students pay tuition and study abroad
costs, including lodging, meals, airfare, in-
country transportation and museum admis-
sion fees.
Rivera said the district wants to set tuition
for these courses between $3,000 and $4,000
and have them last from three to five weeks.
The deadline for 2013 proposals is May 31.
Carol Fimmen, director of international
study abroad, said a course has to have a con-
nection to the destination, and the teacher
must have visited the site.
Rivera said the proposal must have two
faculty members on the trip for safety,
Fimmen said when two faculty members
do not attract at least 20 students for a class,
they can combine the program with another
faculty member with the same program.
Faculty cost is built in the students’ tuition
cost, Rivera said.
A co-leader can also attend, much like an
internship, but the expenses will be out of
pocket and they will not be paid a salary.
A sample budget must be created for stu-
dents.
Rivera said students who apply for 2013
must have a 2.5 grade-point average and sub-
mit an essay on how traveling abroad will
change the student’s life.
Computer information Professor Shen
Jiang said, “I want the students to experience
the culture and language in addition to stan-
dard terminology access.”
Jiang participated in study abroad in 2010,
and students visited Tianjin, China, a sister
college.
Architecture Professor Ana Sterner hosted
a program to Italy three consecutive years.
This summer, students will visit Florence
to observe architecture from the Renaissance.
Upon their return, students are required
to write a journal and present to the class
what they learned about architecture and the
impact of the trip on their lives.
For more information, email Rivera at mri-
By IVIE OKUNBOWA
Nursing and pre-nursing students learned
about the many roles today’s nurses fill in a
special daylong nursing convocation Feb. 23 in
the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.
Speakers’ topics
ranged from legal con-
cerns to drug regula-
tions, post-graduate
education to transition-
ing into the first nursing job.
“Technology is good, but patient care is
better,” Jocelyn Andrews, attorney and reg-
istered nurse at South Texas Veterans Health
Care System Hospital, said.
She stressed the importance of striving for
outstanding patient care. “Nurses are getting
away from patient care and focusing more
on charting,” she said. She presented nursing
students and faculty with various roles in the
nursing field from the legal point of view.
Dr. Sarah Williams, president of Texas
Nursing Association, emphasized the impor-
tance of furthering students’ education to pur-
sue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing
for better opportunities in the workforce.
Former student Ben Garza gave students
his perspective on transitioning from being a
student to a nurse in the field.
A graduate panel of recent graduates and
former students offered strategies for success.
During breaks, students participated in
drawings for prizes donated by the nursing
faculty. Prizes included stress reliever devices,
scented lotions and items for the home.
Hurst Review Services provided a review
course for the National Council Licensure
Exam and shared tips with students for
increasing their chances for scoring higher.
Other speakers, such as Christine Nichols,
flight nurse at the University of Texas Health
Science Center; Linda Garza, certified dia-
betes educator from Christus Santa Rosa
Children’s Hospital; and Melissa Roman, dis-
ease management from OptumHealth Care
Solutions, Inc., introduced new roles in the
nursing profession and answered questions.
Bexar County Drug Court Magistrate Ernie
Glenn and Janice Lopez, nurse supervisor at
the Restoration Center, presented legal aspects
of the nursing profession as well as informa-
tion on drug and substance abuse in the field.
Lopez introduced students to the Texas
Peer Assistance Program for Nurses, which
offers encouragement and assistance to nurs-
es under substance abuse or substance depen-
dency, experiencing anxiety disorders, major
depression and other mental disorders.
Lopez described the approach to substance
abuse in this field and the options available for
nurses dealing with abuse treatment.
For more information on the program, call
the Texas Nursing Association at 800-862.2022.
Representatives of Texas Tech University,
Grand Canyon University, the University of
the Incarnate Word and Our Lady of the Lake
University offered assistance to nursing stu-
dents interested in further education.
Representatives from Project Quest Inc.
offered information on assisting students with
tuition, child care and books. The nonprofit
is funded by the City of San Antonio, Bexar
County and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Project Quest, which has provided assis-
tance for more than 130 nursing students
at this college, also provides guidance on
employment opportunities, résumé building
and counseling. The organization invites stu-
dents from this program to attend its applicant
information sessions at 1 p.m. March 12 and
March 26 at Sacred Heart Civic Center, 2123 W.
Commerce St.
For more information, call recruiter
Valentina Arevalo at 210-630-4690 or email
Nursing Instructor Cathy Darr, chair of
the nursing student development committee,
expressed her satisfaction in the 13th nursing
convocation. She said the nurse’s role of bed-
side patient care has changed and expanded
drastically in the last decade, and students
need to be aware of multitasking roles.
Darr said faculty and the Texas Nursing
Association are working closely with students
to ensure an outstanding education.
“Students have an active role in putting
this program together,” she said. “It’s hard to
do student development when you don’t know
what students need.”
By CARLAARANGUREN
The Reds men’s baseball season was set to
begin Feb. 4 but two separate weeks of unex-
pected rain put the season on hold in San
Antonio.
Despite the break, the
men’s baseball team won
two of three games over
the Texas A&M Aggies at
Sanchez-Spencer Field
to secure a tie for first place with UT-Austin in the
Gulf Coast South conference of the National Club
Baseball Association.
The Aggies were ranked first in the division
last year with a 21-8 record.
The name of this college’s team was changed
from Rangers to Reds in the fall after student life
Director Jorge Posadas eliminated the Ranger as
a mascot.
The 10 a.m. Feb. 25 game kicked off the first
full weekend of club baseball for the SAC men’s
team, and the team’s performance proved they
were able to contend with nationally ranked
teams in the NCBA.
The Reds dominated Game 1 to beat the
Aggies 4-2.
The game started a bit shaky as business
freshman Jacob Holland started off the first
inning with a wild pitch, hitting Aggie Clay Balch.
Holland hit Aggie Vaughn Miller in the
fourth. Later, Miller blasted a two-run homerun
in the top of the sixth.
But the Reds’ started off strong offensively,
scoring two runs in the first inning off two
errors in the outfield, and the Reds’ defense
kept A&M from scoring in the first five innings.
Tied at 2 in the bottom of the sixth, the Reds
were able to bring in two more runs capitalizing
on six stolen bases in that inning with a total of
eight stolen bases for the game.
The Aggies failed to make anything hap-
pen in the seventh, resulting in their first loss
against the Reds this season, 4-2.
Holland allowed seven hits and struck out
five players in seven innings.
Game 2 was scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.
but was moved up to 12:45 p.m. to complete the
back-to-back doubleheader.
Game 2 belonged to A&M 4-1, as they held
the Reds 4-1.
The visiting team held the Reds to only one
run in the fourth.
International business freshman José Santos
sent it over the left field fence for his first of two,
out-of-the-park homeruns in the series.
The Reds had six errors in Game 2, which
played a big factor in the loss.
The Reds began Sunday’s game scoring two
runs in the second inning but the Aggies quick-
ly struck back, scoring two runs in the top of the
third to tie the game at 2.
After that, A&M remained scoreless for the
rest of the game while the Reds added two runs
in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth.
A solo homerun from Santos in the eighth,
his second of the series, closed out Game 3 with
the Reds on top 7-2.
The Reds’ defense, combined with the pitch-
ing of accounting freshman Ryan McBride,
secured the series win.
“Pitching was great,” coach Sam Gallegos
said. “Ryan (McBride) pitched nine innings,
and you really don’t see that. He did a good job.”
McBride struck out seven batters and
allowed only three others to get on base during
the last six innings or 20 at bats of Game 3.
The Reds rallied in the fifth inning, with six
players getting on base, scoring two runs.
“This is our first time to actually get on a
field in the last two weeks just because it’s been
rained out for us, and to come and play like this,
actually shows what kind of talent we have,”
Gallegos said.
The series is the first between the two teams.
Texas A&M coach Andrew Smith said the
Reds were determined. “They definitely came
out to play, and the Aggies didn’t.”
“The difference was our situational hitting,”
Smith said. “We had guys on base and we didn’t
capitalize, and our pitchers gave up a lot of free
walks.”
Smith credited the Reds’ pitching and all-
around team preparation for the victories.
“Their pitchers came to play. They knew what
they were doing,” he said. “They attacked our
hitters, and we didn’t really know what to do.”
The Reds and A&M will meet again April 21
in College Station.
Gallegos talked about the series and what he’s
expecting ahead. “I knew how good of a team we
are,” he said. “That first game showed it.”
Gallegos said errors killed the Reds in the
second game. “This last game is what I expect
all the time,” he said. “I know how good the
defense is.”
Gallegos pointed to key players in the series
and their contributions to the team. “We have so
much confidence in our catcher, Colt Tillman,”
he said. “He’s actually calling the pitches, which
helps us concentrate on everything else.”
“Pepé (Santos) can hit the long ball when he
needs to, so, you don’t want to give him a fast-
ball because he’ll turn on it and go.”
The Reds will play the Lone Star College-
Montgomery Mavericks at 10 a.m. March 10-11
at the Sanchez-Spencer Field, 6030 Padre Drive.
The Mavericks had a 15-16 record last season
and were ranked No. 11 nationally after 15 games.
However, their season took a turn for the
worse “because of personal player circum-
stances,” according to the NCBA 2012 preview
guide.
Go online to theranger.org for the series
summary of Week 6: San Antonio College vs. the
University of Texas in Austin.
PulseMarch 5, 2012 The Ranger • 11
www.theranger.org/pulse
Pitcher Ryan McBride and first baseman Travis Polk attempt to throw out an Aggie player during a Feb. 26 baseball game. San Antonio College defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 7-2. Felipe Perez Jr.
Reds emerge victorious against Texas A&M
After two weeks of rain, men’s baseball is on the right track.
view video of sac boxing at the golden gloves at www.theranger.org�
News March 5, 201212 • The Ranger
www.theranger.org
There are 250,854 identity theft victims in the United States, according to the U.S. Census results in 2010.
In Texas, there are 24,158 identity theft victims, making the state the second largest state in identity theft victims.
“Identity theft involves an element of holding
oneself out to be someone else by use of information that identifies them individual-ly,” criminal justice Professor Dexter Gilford said.
While nothing can protect you from iden-tity theft, you can minimize your risk by pro-tecting your Social Security number, treating your trash and mail correctly, looking for secure websites, using strong passwords, verifying sources before sharing informa-tion, and protecting your purse and wallet.
Shredding sensitive documents is one way to reduce your risk of becoming an identity theft victim.
The empowerment center and Generations Federal Credit Union will spon-sor a community identity theft prevention event 9 a.m.-noon Saturday at the empow-erment center at Howard and Evergreen streets.
“It’s something that we see a lot in the
news now, and companies send mail with people’s information on it to the wrong house,” continuing education specialist Abby Gonzalez said.
“Most people have old bank statements, credit card statements and old work forms and are too scared to throw it away,” she said.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, the best way to find out if your identity is stolen is to monitor your accounts and bank statements each month, and check your credit card report on a regular basis.
How do thieves steal an identity?• Dumpster diving — they rummage
through trash. • Skimming — stealing credit and debit
card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
• Phishing — false financial institutions or companies send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal informa-tion.
• Changing your address, billing state-ments diverted to another location by com-pletely changing your address.
• Stealing — stealing wallets and purs-es, mail, bank and credit statements, pre-approved credit card offers and personal records.
What should you do if your identity is
stolen?Filing a police report, checking your credit
reports, notifying creditors and disputing any unauthorized transactions are steps you must take immediately to restore your iden-tity.
What can you do to fight identity theft?Awareness is effective. Be aware of how
information is stolen and what you can do to protect your identity, monitor your personal information to uncover any problems quick-ly, and know what to do when you suspect your identity has been stolen.
“Security is everyone’s responsibility,” Usha Venkat, director of information and communication technologies, said.
“A way to protect yourself on the Internet is using strong passwords combined with letter and numbers,” Venkat said. “Don’t share your passwords, and when access-ing websites where sensitive information is asked, make sure they are secure sites.”
“When browsing the web, secure websites start with ‘https,’ and check for the lock icon in the window of the browser,” she said.
For more information on the shredding event, call 210-486-0455.
For more information on identity theft, visit www.FTC.gov/idtheft or www.alamo.edu/sac/ots and click on the security link.
By JANEKAPORTER
Photo illustration by Alicia Millan
