Vol. 96 Issue 5 St. Mary’s University Student Newspaper 11.12.08

The Rattler

Page 3

Native American Heritage celebrated through art.

Art and Culture

Page 13

Students pray for an end to the death penalty.

Prayer for Prevention

Page 8

Barack Obama faces several challenges.

The Road Ahead

Keeping Connected

Elections, avatars, and relationships

link rattlers together.

News The Rattler

2 11.12.08

News in Brief

On Campus Off Campus

Students to celebrate with a Powwow

Saturday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.Alumni Pavilion, Pecan Grove

The Native American Student Association, United San Antonio Powwow Associa-tion and St. Mary’s Student Government Association will host their 5th Annual Learn-ing Traditions Powwow. The event wil be held in celebration of American Indian Heritage Month.

The community is invited to attend for food, crafts, dances and music. Admission is free.

Lin Great Speaker Series beginsTuesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.University Center, Conference Room A

Tuesday is the beginning of St. Mary’s Lin Great Speaker Series. This year’s topic is “Green or Gone? What is our environmental future?” The series is part of a community service project and is free to the public.

The first speaker is David Orr, a distinguished professor at Oberlin College and the Uni-versity of Vermont. He authored the books Earth in Mind, The Nature of Design and Design on the Edge. Attendees can purchase his books and have them signed after the lecture.

International Education Week approaches

Sunday, Nov. 16 – Friday, Nov. 21Campus wide

The theme of this year’s International Education Weeks is “We Have Only One Earth: An Environmental Challenge.” Presentations will hosted by the International Education Programs Department. Students will be sent updated information on these events via e-mail.

SOURCE: sxc.hu.com

Palin responds to anonymous criticismSince the end of her vice presidential campaign, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been accused of not knowing what countries were involved in NAFTA or that Africa was a continent rather than a country. Aides to Sen. John McCain were the alleged sources of these attacks.

Palin called the attacks “cowardly,“ saying that the sources were “jerks.“ She said that the accusations are lies and that her comments were taken out of their original context.

SOURCE: CNN News

Congolese soldiers aided by Angolan troops

The United Nations reported that troops from Angola joined Congolese troops in Goma to fight rebel forces in the nation. The participation of Angola aroused national fears of the insurgence spreading to other parts of Africa.

U.N. officials are attempting to hold peace summits. However, the rebels have not been invited to participate.

SOURCE: International Herald Tribune

SOURCE: wikimedia.commons.org

Craddick runs against new competition

As head of the House of Representatives, Tom Craddick runs for his fourth term. Eight other candidates are running to take his place. Of the runners, five are Democrats and four are Republicans.

Craddick’s fundraising helped him earn his position in 2003. He was the first Republican speaker Texas has had since 1871.

SOURCE: Associated Press

Recently reelected official removed from position

Zavala County Commissioner David A. Lopez has been removed from office for allegedly assaulting another commissioner. Lopez and Commissioner Raul Gomez were involved in a confrontation over the use of an office in the County Road and Bridge Department. Gomez suffered two cracked ribs and bruising.

Lopez, who was reelected on Tuesday, was subsequently removed from office by a state district judge. County Judge Joe Luna is looking for a replacement for Lopez.

Lopez said he would be filing an appeal so he can maintain his position.

SOURCE: San Antonio Express NewsFront cover design by Jon Mike Hernandez

University receives grant for neighborhood revitalization projectSt. Mary’s University has received a grant of approximately $600,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist in creating improvements to the areas surrounding the campus. The grant will be used to establish a resource center on campus for revitalization of the neighborhoods.

The project marks a step in the university’s Vision 2012 plan to be more active in community outreach.

Beginning with the 1915 celebration of American Indian Day in New York, there have been efforts to set a calendar date to rec-ognize the contributions of Native Americans.

President George H. W. Bush designated November as American Indian Heritage Month in 1990 with a presi-dential proclamation. In 1994, President Clinton continued the proclamation and similar announcements have been made yearly since.

According to the United States 2000 Census, about 1.5 percent of the population claims to be American Indian and Alaskan Native alone, or in combination with one or more other races.

In celebration of American Indian Heritage Month, the St. Mary’s University Native American Student Association is sponsoring several events

in November. One event, they sponsored

in part, was the Andean co-operative lecture presented

by Cathie Joslyn, an artist, ac-tivist and professor at Clarion University in Pennsylvania.

Joslyn’s presentation showcased artwork from co-operatives in the Andean Mountains, which allow tex-tile artists to market their cre-ations to tourists and people outside their villages.

“These people make these works, and they produce a lot of beautiful art, but they have no one to sell it to,” said Joslyn.

She described organiza-tions that unite village artists and provided them with pro-duction goals and outlets to stores in the cities.

Joslyn, who sells her own textile works and has pieces displayed in Clarion Univer-sity, described her trips to Ghana, Bolivia, Ivory Coast and Peru.

“One of the things that

inspire my work is nature,” said Joslyn. “I’m also in-spired by travel, languages and literature.”

Joslyn said she was in-spired to go to the Andes by a book she read as a child. Now she encour-ages others to use literature as inspiration.

“Go to libraries and read books,” she said.

After her lecture, Joslyn al-lowed attendees to view her artwork up close, along with other Andean art. Her display of dolls, tapestries, screen-prints and weavings show-cased her talents and a diverse culture connected through art.

This was only one of the presentations that cel-ebrates American Indian Heritage Month.

Events will be held throughout the month and there are exhibits of artifacts and Native American Art that can be seen in the Louis J. Blume Library and Charles Francis Hall.

NewsThe Rattler

311.12.08

Photo by Paulina Fernandez

Archaeologist Al McGraw shares his knowledge of impor-tant finds in the San Antonio area.

Students celebrate American Indian Heritage MonthBy Ari RiveraNews Editor

Photo by Davlin Hamel

Cathie Joslyn holds a small loom with incomplete weavings she set up for her presentation. Joslyn’s lecture covered her explorations of Peru and other countries.

Lecture revisits San Antonio history

The Southern Texas Archaeological Association (STAA) hosted a series of lectures with Al McGraw and Stephen Black, Ph.D., on Nov. 8.

The lectures focused on historical artifacts of prehistoric southwest areas of Texas, as well studies about the food and cultures of the ancient peoples who occupied those areas.

Held at the AT&T center, the lecture was open to the community.

Prior to the event, junior criminal justice major Kate Garrison said that she was looking forward to the lecture.

“I hope to learn something new at the lecture and also get extra credit for my class,” said Garrison.

Extra credit for various anthropology and archaeological courses were not

exclusive to St. Mary’s students. In fact, many students from other universities, like Trinity University freshman business major Ben Carroll, attended the lecture.

“I’m here because of a class, but I’m interested to hear what it is they have to say,” said Carroll.

McGraw’s lecture focused on the ancient lands of Yanaguana and how area groups specifically changed the cultural landscape of San Antonio.

Bruce Polkinghorne, a 15-year member of STAA, attended the lectures and said he has always been excited about these types of events.

“Having been associated with STAA for as long as I have, I consider myself to be somewhat of an amateur archaeologist,” said Polkinghorne. “I really enjoyed the lecture, especially since it informed me more about my hometown of San Antonio.”

Black lectured on the burned rock

middens, or the accumulation of fire-cracked rocks in the southwest, and what they can tell anthropologists and archaeologists about the people who made them.

Black, an anthropology professor at Texas State University, and 30-year member of STAA shared his expertise with the community and stresses the importance of Texas anthropology and archaeology.

While many students at the lecture said they were in attendance for extra credit purposes, Our Lady of the Lake University anthropology professor Jennifer Rice, Ph.D., said that she believes that such presentations “encourage students to get involved in archaeology.”

Black said he agrees “It is important for people in Texas to understand the people of the past and where we all came from.”

By Jaime PerezSenior Staff Writer

According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corportation poll taken Oct. 31 – Nov. 1, 64 percent of Americans oppose the Iraq War, showing that Iraq was and continues to be a prominent issue.

St. Mary’s University‘s Institute for Diplomacy and Strategic Initiatives hosted the lecture “The Road Ahead in Iraq” with retired Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez presenting the possible future of U.S. involvement in Iraq.

Sanchez’s lecture focused mainly on U.S. strategy to date.

Sanchez said he believes that now it is more important than ever for the government “to be honest with America,” especially concerning missions.

“False expectations don’t allow us to make sacrifices, which don’t give us enough resources and could have us lose out on windows of opportunity, which could be important to the success of the mission,” said Sanchez. “We as a nation have always looked at these missions as clear cut; there is nothing clear cut about them.”

Sanchez stated that he believed

the U.S. government made a major strategic mistake by attempting to operate “under the radar” in Iraq.

Sanchez gave examples of past wars, which he considered to be fought “under the radar,” like Operation Desert Storm.

According to the National Security Archive, Operation Desert Storm started on the morning of Aug. 2, 1990, after the Iraqi Republican Guard invaded Kuwait. A ceasefire was called on Feb. 28, 1991 the day after Kuwait City was liberated.

Sanchez also cited U.S. involvement in Haiti and Panama as examples of warfare with minimal cost but great success.

Sanchez emphasized that he believed the U.S. has a “moral and legal obligation” to stay in Iraq.

He added that the U.S. would not be able to sustain the forces that are currently in the country.

Freshman business accounting major David Cantu described the explanation as “general.” However, he acknowledged that the speech was true to its title.

“There is much more important information he could have touched on.” he said. “However, the title of the speech is ‘The Road Ahead in Iraq’ and he did talk of this.”

News The Rattler

4 11.12.08

Potential future for Iraq discussed

Photo by Emily Scruggs

Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez speaks to students about future U.S. involvement in Iraq and describes problems he perceives with the current situation.

By Dominica GarciaStaff Writer

Courtesy of wikimedia.commons.org

Many Americans are concered about our future in Iraq. Nations across the globe are anticipating the moves of the next president.

NewsThe Rattler

511.12.08

Amid the rapid raising of placards, the diligent use of parliamentary procedure and the abundance of crisply pressed business suits, diplomacy and compromise echoed through the halls of the University Center conference rooms.

The 12th Annual Model Organization of American States, held on campus Nov. 6-8,

was the stage for noteworthy progress toward understanding of the importance of Inter-American issues.

The conference was host to over 12 different universities from across the United States and Mexico. Twenty-three countries were represented in a total of five different committees, including: the Committee for Hemispheric Security and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Students researched and

represented the views of their designated countries, participated in caucuses and debates and submitted and amended various resolutions in each of their committee rooms.

The St. Mary’s delegation was able to pass a series of resolutions and was proud to have one of their own, senior international relations major Angela Rivera, elected as next year’s secretary general of the conference.

University Hosts Model OAS

St. Mary’s delegates pose for a final photo culminating a successful conference. Students represented the coun-tries of Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico.

Delegate of Panama, senior international relations and economics ma-jor Vanessa Colon, presents her resolution to be debated at the General Assembly.

Left: St. Mary’s delegates representing Mexico discuss the crisis in French Guiana. Right: Delegate of Costa Rica, senior international relations major Angela Rivera raises her placard, voting on one of the many resolutions to be passed.

By Analicia PerezAssistant Photo Editor

Photos by Analicia Perez

News The Rattler

6 11.12.08

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Students are met with registration problems

This year, Gateway’s online registration was wrought with obstacles for some students.

Oct. 29 was the last day of priority registration for seniors.

It was also the day that many juniors discovered they could register before their assigned days if they already had their personal identifi-cation numbers (PIN).

However, these ju-niors found their sched-ules cleared and had to register again.

On the morning of Oct. 30, the alloted day for juniors to register, the Gateway system did not function.

After 20 minutes of students being un-able to log in, the ma-jority registered with no problems.

“I thought registering was a piece of cake,” said junior sociology major Kar-ina Gonzales. “I did it in 10 minutes.”

However, some students en-countered problems when trying to register.

Several students of all classifications said that they had difficulty signing up for their spring semester classes.

Some issues were minor, such as not being credited with a prerequisite course in which a student was current-ly enrolled or a student having a hold on their account.

Those challenges required a trip to the Registrar’s Office for manual regis-tration or a visit to the Business Office to lift holds.

Other students faced more trouble trying to sign up, and registration had to involve faculty members.

“Gateway dropped all of my class-es,” said junior exercise and sport sci-ence major Sarah MacKay. “I have to wait until [a week from now] to regis-ter, so I had to e-mail professors to get added into classes.”

For the freshman class, students were unable to access Gateway on Nov. 6, their first day to register. They were instructed to go to the Registrar’s Office in St. Louis Hall with their ID

cards and sched-ules in order to sign up for classes.

Over 430 fresh-men registered on the first day of regis-tration for the spring semester, topping last year’s number.

“One year ago, on the first day of priority regis-tration for fresh-men, 303 students registered,” said

Registrar Christina Villanueva “Stu-dents’ inability to access Gateway did not, in any way, prevent them from registering.”

The Registrar’s Office sent e-mails to all non-law students informing them that registration can be done in the office, if Gateway should fail in the future.

Students will need their IDs, PINs, registration schedule and a prepared schedule for the next semester.

“Students should also check to make sure that no holds exists that will prevent them from registering. If they have done this, students should not have any problems registering even if Gateway is unavailable,” said Villanueva.

“They can always visit our office and we will be there to assist them.”

By Ari RiveraNews Editor

Many students faced difficulties as they attempted to register for the 2009 spring semester.

“[Students] can always visit our office and we will be there to assist them.”

- Christina F. Villanueva

Office of the Registrar

CommentaryThe Rattler

711.12.08

Mappa Mundi

Photo by Vivian Esparza

Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States and the first African American elected for that office on Tuesday night.

The historic end of a long election

The Somali Crisis

By Alfonso de la TorreCommentary Editor

The election is finally over, and it has ended in an undoubtedly his-toric fashion. The elec-tion of Barack Obama as president of the United States is a moment that will go down in history, as he is the first African American to be elected into the oval office.

Yet, how did he achieve this unprecedented victory when only four years ago he was a little-known senator from Illinois?

Certain factors that helped him in-clude his charisma, great speaking skills and emotional appeal. It was his incred-ible ability to inspire and rally people in support of his message.

The key factor, however, was that he not only inspired them but he also turned his campaign into tangible support and into a grassroots effort that rewrote notions on how elections could be won.

Local efforts were made by supporters who contacted their neigh-bors, used the internet as never before

and raised money from thousands who only gave small amounts but, in combi-nation, clearly gave Obama’s campaign more spending power than McCain’s.

Obama ran the right campaign for the right time. If we take into consideration the current economic crisis, an incredibly low approval rating for President Bush and the apparent overall weakness of the Republican Party, the circumstances benefited the Democratic campaign.

Although these combined reasons contributed to his victory, 46 percent of the American people were not convinced and voted against him.

In spite of this, the magnitude of his accomplishment is undeniable.

Unfortunately, so is the magnitude of the challenges he must face.

Aiding him in governing is his ability to unite people. But perhaps his biggest asset is his judgment, which he demon-strated by having the foresight to see an unnecessary war where others did not.

Perhaps another reassurance is his broader perspective in what we hope will be the fresh approach, which will be brought to the White House

under his administration. Yet, there are factors that can make

us nervous about his ability to tackle the important issues he will face in office. Of course, his inexperience has been a point of constant criticism. While that might not be an insurmountable hindrance, it might very well be a serious problem.

With a global economic crisis, two wars and energy problems among many others, one of his weaknesses may be the expectations that have been placed on him. Because these problems do not have easy solutions, he is likely to disappoint many supporters.

Withdrawing from Iraq will be more difficult than some would like to think and the war in Afghanistan will still require more sacrifices.

Even though we can not be sure what tomorrow will bring, we can hope that there will at least be an attempt to lead this country out of difficult situations and into its full potential.

The campaign season is over and the time has come to put it behind us so we can tackle these issues together as a nation.

Keily Rivero

Sen. Barack Obama was elected president after nearly two years of campaigning.

In Africa, a continent sadly recognized for its genocide in Darfur, political unrest in Zimbabwe, civil war in Congo and Somalia’s political and social crisis have inexplicably been relegated to a less-central place in our minds.

According to Human Rights Watch, Somalia is today “the most ignored humanitarian crisis in the world.” For the last 15 years, Somalia has been the only country in the world without a gov-ernment. Any attempts within its borders to exer-cise some authority have been so unfortunate that none can be rightly called governments.

Somalia is much more than what the movie “Black Hawk Down” shows; it is a nation that had a role during the Cold War, when then-president Siad Barre, imposed a socialist regime. Today, it is an important place in the war on terror, given its role as battleground for Islamic fundamentalist groups.

Yet, what is most sad is that the fundamental-ists have never been in Somalia before the U.S. government conveniently helped them to get in-side the country.

In 2006, after more than a decade of infight-ing, Somalia had the possibility of developing a government of its own led by a moderate Islamic group: the Islamic Union of Courts.

Rather than support this administration, the U.S. accused the Islamic group of having ties to Al-Qaeda and supported Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia to fight the Islamic group. As a result, the only real chance of stable government that the So-malis had in the last years faded away. It did not matter that this invasion triggered the previous decade’s infighting, or that it turned Somalia, al-ready torn by war, into the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time.

The Union of Islamic Courts is not perfect. But there is no real evidence of ties to Al-Qaeda. As imperfect as it was, it was better than the chaos in which Somalia was living. But the result of U.S. intervention was not just a return to the past; it al-lowed the real Al-Qaeda to start operations in the country thanks to the rage and anger that the U.S. intervention generated among the Somalis.

Today, Somalia’s life expectancy is less than 50 years. There is no way to report its Gross Domes-tic Product, although several estimations point out that is probably less than the U.S. household’s expenditure on dog food. Mogadishu, the capital, is practically deserted. Thousands have died be-cause of the violence and even more due to the dire poverty and malnutrition in which the con-flict has led its population to live in.

When I read Thomas Hobbes’ description of the state of nature as a lawless land where “life is nasty, brutish and short,” I can only think of one place: Somalia.

8 11.12.08

Commentary The Rattler

Source: everystockphoto.com

Barack Obama will need to make tough decisions regarding economic policy.

Economics we can believe in

“Tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment – change has come to America,” declared President-elect Barack Obama in his victory address on Nov. 4. Change, has in fact, already come to the United States since Obama’s election.

President-elect Obama is the first African American to be elected president. Through his charisma and zeal, Obama has inspired U.S. citizens of several generations to re-engage in the political process and has inspired a whole new generation to become involved in the political process.

President-elect Obama’s campaign was based on change and hope for a better future.

He has made proposals for ending the war in Iraq, implementing tax reform, reviving the economy, reforming education, and restructuring healthcare financing. He has also pledged to put an end to the Iraq war, deal with Iran and address immigration reform.

However, this is a large and challenging to-do list.

I wonder how much change we can rea-sonably expect from the Obama presidency.

Those of us who have been supportive of Obama run the risk of being disappointed by the pace and scope of these socio-political changes. Historically, changes of this type tend to be complex and slow in evolving.

Nearly 200 years passed between the founding of this nation to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Over another 40 years passed from that time to the election of Barack Obama, the nation’s first African American president.

Franklin D. Roosevelt required most of three presidential terms to restore the econ-omy following the Great Depression. The political process, complexity of the issues, special interest groups, and limited resourc-es will all be barriers to the changes Obama is proposing.

Obama’s most meaningful accomplish-ment to date may be that he has restored national confidence that meaningful change can occur. As president, he will need to main-tain this confidence and initiate changes that may extend well beyond his own presidency to complete.

Some relevant questions to ask would be: How will Obama prioritize these changes? Will he select tasks that can be

easily accomplished so as to emphasize the possibility of change and reinforce the nation’s confidence? Or will he select tasks that are challenging, but of overall greater importance to the nation?

I think that these next four years will be interesting to observe. The prospect of a

“ground-up” government which works for and with its people leaves me optimistic for the future. Even if President-elect Obama cannot deliver all of the things that he has promised, if he can change our attitudes toward government efficacy, this will be an enormous accomplishment.

James Hopkins

Examining the promise of change: The challenges for Barack Obama

Alfonso de la Torre

Illustration by Jaymee Baxley

The classical economists of the 19th century re-garded recessions as painful, yet necessary, rear-rangements of the economy. They believed that, in the long run, mar-kets will clear and

growth will resume stronger, to which John Maynard Keynes, the most influential economist during the Great Depression, answered: “In the long run, we are all dead.”

Well, we are not dead (yet), but the current financial crisis will not fade away on inauguration day. President-elect Obama has an in-credibly difficult challenge ahead of him: to restore confidence in markets, restructure the system of taxation, develop alternative forms of energy (which, by the way, is very different from ‘energy independence’) and, ultimately, alleviate the country’s balance of payment deficits.

Can all of this be done in one single term? Unfortunately, the

answer is no. Yet, Obama’s most important task is fully attainable during these next four years: to re-shape the way we understand eco-nomics. Can he do it? Yes, he can.

Whether a supporter or a detractor, no one can question Obama’s ability to inspire people and rally them behind a com-mon cause. That ability, to the surprise of many, will prove to be a valuable asset in Obama’s economic policy.

President-elect Obama needs to remove the fear of taxation that Americans have while mak-ing clear that government is not Orwell’s Big Brother. He needs to empathize with the American who sees taxation as wealth redistri-bution and show him or her that when the government builds roads and provides services like secu-rity, those who benefit most are those who are more economically active or have more assets that could be stolen.

But most importantly, Obama needs to address the credit freeze while blocking Congress’ attempts to impose regulation on everything,

from how to trade derivatives to the color of your credit card. Obama needs to tell us that more or less regulation is not the solu-tion, but that right regulation is the answer. The next president needs to move the debate on regulation from a discussion about quantity to a dialogue about quality.

The new administration needs to impose transparency in financial markets and responsible manage-ment of the public debt. It needs to embrace free trade when it is fair and make it fair when it is not. The problem with free trade is the agreements that implement it, not free trade itself. If Obama, as some of his supporters expect, be-comes an anti-free trade president, his term will be less like Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s and more like Herbert Hoover’s.

The financial crisis will not stop on inauguration day; neither will it soften during the first months of the Obama presidency. But it can be lessened over the next four years. Change can happen, but it will take some time.

Terrorism. That single word triggers many dif-ferent reactions in a varied spectrum of people. Unfor-tunately, the current decade is leaving us with some concepts about terrorism that have been misunder-stood by many.

Terrorism is much more than a group of fundamen-

talist Islamic people bombing an American embassy; it is spread around the world in different forms, sizes and shapes. Indeed, terrorism is not only about religion, and to make that analogy would be too superficial.

As a matter of fact, terrorism can be related to nationalism, social inequality or ethnicities.

Certainly, terrorism is a systematic use of terror as a means of coercion. It is a des-perate measure of minority groups, which, unable to negotiate their ideas through dia-logue, express them with a series of violent actions that are intended to create chaos and a horrific feeling of vulnerability; the U.S. experienced that during 9/11, but the Amer-ican society has not been the first one to go through it.

Today there are several groups world-wide making use of terrorism in order to impose their beliefs and rules. In Spain, the separatist group “Euskadi ta Askatasuna” (ETA), which means Basque Fatherland and Liberty, came into existence several years ago. ETA’s main objective is to become an independent state, since the “Basque Country” is currently a part of Spain. Spanish people have been exposed to terror over many decades, suffering car bombs and other surprise attacks, killing hundreds of innocent people.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been operating in Colombia for 40 years, kidnapping, murdering and creating chaos in Colombian society throughout that time. Its main objec-tive is to create a socialist revolution just like the one held in Cuba in 1959. However, the revolution has lost its real sense due to the changes in recent history.

The FARC has been weakened in the last years, especially during 2008, due to the liberation of important hostages like Ingrid Betancourt—an ex-presidential candidate—who was kept by the FARC for six and a half years.

Nevertheless, the FARC is still far from being defeated and the Colombian gov-ernment has united forces with the U.S. in order to eradicate the subversive forces ex-isting in the rural areas of the country. One of the important factors that prevents the

Colombian government from defeating the FARC is the strong relationship the it has with drug trafficking.

Drug lords support the FARC, contribut-ing to its budget while receiving as a con-tribution the protection of their drug plants spread in the Colombian jungle. /the FARC is a demonstration that terrorism worldwide is much more than a small group complain-ing about something. Terrorist groups are well organized and are related to many other groups that usually are connected to illegal activities, such as drug trafficking.

Together with the aforementioned terrorist organizations, there are several of them still active worldwide, such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Ireland, the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Colom-bia, the Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) in Algeria, the Palestine Liberation Front in Palestine, the Peruvian Communist Party—Shining Path (PCP-SL) in Peru and many others. All of them may have different motives, which may range from separatist intentions and political ideologies to religious fundamentalism.

In fact, the U.S. has to deal with a vari-ety of terrorist groups that hold separatist, ideological and fundamentalist points of view; this war is not close to its finish.

However, it is a must for Americans and people around the world to sustain this war without using the same tools terrorists use. What are they? To fight fundamentalism with more fundamentalism, is one of them. Indeed, to use God as a moral justification to go to war against terrorism would be the same justification other fundamentalist people use for their evil purposes.

To do that would make us as evil as those who perpetrate those actions. Hence, since fundamentalism cannot be fought with fundamentalism, terrorism cannot be fought with terrorism.

And, terrorism is not only matter of weapons of massive destruction and other similar items. On the contrary, terrorism can be inflicted through several meth-ods, even in the most pacific way: through normal conversation.

Throughout the 2008 elections, people have been accusing the President-elect

Barack Obama of being a terrorist and a socialist. Those messages, regardless of their real intent, could be considered as a terrorist action. Why? To inflict terrorism is to use terror as a means of coercion.

Hence, if those who said that president-elect Obama was a terrorist intended to “persuade” electors to vote for another can-didate, they used terror—the idea of a “ter-rorist and socialist president”—as a means of coercion through the creation of fear.

It is more important for us to reject those negative behaviors. In that way, we can re-ally contribute to the war against terrorism.

Terrorism is something that goes further than Al Qaeda, and the world needs to fight against it, but not with more terror.

To practice counter-terrorism is not to use terrorism or to fight it with the same fundamentalism that some terrorists show.

That is definitely something that governments around the world should keep in their agendas. It is important to keep the military as a means to protect society from harm, but legally, and with respect to human rights.

911.12.08

CommentaryThe Rattler

Terrorism: The old, powerful weapon of fear

Alvaro Zapatel

Photo illustration by Analicia Perez

Terrorism has claimed millions of lives around the world long before 9/11: From the ETA in Spain to Hezbollah in Lebanon, from Shining Path in Peru to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the use of fear as a political weapon is widespread around the world.

From religious fundamentalism to violent separatism, the threat of terrorism encompasses much more than Al-Qaeda.

As most of us are aware, St. Mary’s isn’t ex-actly in the most prestigious part of town.

The houses, as cute and quaint as they may be, are actually shelter to the many un-

employed and financially unstable families that inhabit the area.

As Christians, we’re called to aid the poor and St. Mary’s should

be the first to partake in being in-struments of God’s salvation. In addition, a lot of good can result from our care.

Did you ever think that if our influence made that large of an impact on the people of this area, then, in turn, they may want to at-tend St. Mary’s? Yes, that may be far-fetched, but anything is pos-sible if you believe.

Knowing that, it should be through our involvement, our reaching out, that we can be the foundation for change.

10 11.12.08

Commentary The Rattler

The RattlerEditor in ChiefElizabeth Ruiz

Managing EditorChristine Le

Layout/Design ManagerJon Mike Hernandez

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Commentary EditorAlfonso de la Torre

Features EditorSarah Mills

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Faculty AdvisersMargaret LuevanoBrother Dennis Bautista, S.M., Ph.D.

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For more information, call the newsroom at (210) 436-3401.

Realignment of forces in CongressBy now, every-

one realizes that history was made on Nov. 4. What we might be over-looking is that the transition of pow-er from one presi-dent to the other is a risky endeav-

or that involves the changing of agendas and policies—something that the economy and foreign af-fairs will not slow down for.

Not since the days of Franklin Roosevelt and the Great Depres-sion has America faced a more anticipated and important transi-tional period from one president to the next. Obama faces many chal-lenges from day one, including the promise to deliver change, which will certainly be something he will be held responsible for throughout his presidency.

Yet, Obama also has the major-ity support of the Senate and the House, something that many pres-idents have not had the luxury of obtaining. What exactly does this mean for President-elect Obama? The passage of his agenda and pol-icies will be more widely accepted and the process to enact will be much smoother and quicker. Even many Republicans, who are tired of Bush policy, will side with Obama and, in doing so, side with change.

On the other hand, a Democrat-ic majority in Congress also poses

challenges to the future Obama administration. During the last campaign, Obama was signaled as a politician who was never able to express his disagreement with his party. As a president, Obama can-not afford to be charged with the same accusations.

While policies regarding the Iraq war or healthcare reform will

not generate much tension, discus-sions regarding what to do with the economy are likely to arise.

We are at a time in history when America has exhausted many avenues to find a solu-tion to the economic problems that plague our country and our world. It is apparent that we can-not continue on the same path, but

must re-map a completely new direction in Washington.

President-elect Obama has the tools and resources to do exactly this, and how he will use them and what will result is yet to be seen. All we can do as Americans is wish him the best for our country’s and our world’s sake, political ideolo-gies left behind.

Source: everystockphoto.com

The realignment of forces in both the House and the Senate can be as important as the election of the new president.

The results of the election promise to transform the political landscape for the next four years.

Miguel Angel Garcia

Why St. Mary’s students should care about the surrounding neighborhood

Dana Traugott

Photo by Nicolas Campana

St. Mary’s should be committed to transforming the surrounding community.

The Rwandan Genocide is infamous in the West for the terrifying death and destruction between two racial groups.

It even inspired the critically and commer-cially successful movie “Hotel Rwanda.”

Though they are not as well known, the same racial conflict has spawned dozens of other wars and conflicts since the Rwandan Genocide.

Goma, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on the Rwandan border, is a city with a history of suffering tied to those conflicts.

The city’s suffering began with the Rwandan Genocide in 1994.

Thousands of refugees swarmed into the city and overwhelmed available supplies and housing.

The refugee crisis eased two years later, but the city barely had time to breathe before the first of two Congo Wars erupted.

The wars led to an eight year period characterized by an incredible loss of life both within Goma and across the country. A tenuous peace treaty was signed in 2003.

The story could and should end there, but that period of peace once again gave way to racial conflict as a former General, Laurent Nkunda, formed a rebel faction and began to fight against the military.

Nkunda is a Tutsi-sympathizer who sees the Congolese government as a government lacking the will to defend the Tutsi minority from Hutu attack, thus, to him, he is merely defending his people.

The United Nations, DRC military and several militias contained Nkunda until last month. On Oct. 26, Nkunda’s forces made a strong push for Goma.

The DRC military folded under the assault and retreated. The United Nations was helpless and lost several field bases to the rebels.

Civilians, distraught by loss of life and property, rioted against the lack of protection by the UN forces.

The European Union has not answered the calls for reinforcements. Civilian aid agencies fled the area.

That list of bad news is only tempered by Nkunda. He signed a ceasefire with Goma in his sights, leaving the situation in Kivu tense and unresolved.

There must be a way for the West to not appear inept or powerless in Africa.

Since the Rwandan Genocide, we have continually ignored the

terrible crises, which have resulted in the killing of the innocent and weak across the African continent.

The United Nations, burdened by bureaucracy and a tendency to be constantly overstretched, cannot police Africa alone. Unfortunately, other agen-cies such as the European Union or African Union seem incapable or uninterested in dedicating resources and personnel to the conflict.

The West once again finds itself watching murder, rape and terror from a safe distance.

There were lessons in the Rwandan Genocide, lessons of inaction and the terror that can breed when people do not

move to protect others. Those lessons go unheeded over 10 years later across Af-rica not only in Kivu, but also in Darfur.

The West needs to decide if, even in a time of economic crisis and uncertainty, we can stand to once again shield our eyes against injustice and bloodshed.

That’s the easy path, a path we walked once before, a path that allowed hundreds of thousands to perish while the entire world watched on, and though we won’t admit it, that is the path not only of eco-nomic weakness, but moral weakness.

We’re going down that path, though. Past piles of bodies, we’re walking and trying our hardest not to notice the people crying out to us.

1111.12.08

CommentaryThe Rattler

“The spirit of faith will become a spirit of confidence in God, a spirit of zeal, a spirit of courage and generosity.”

These words were written by Blessed William Joseph Chami-nade in 1824. As we walk past Marianist men and women every-day, there is an unspoken feeling of respect that resounds in our gentle smiles to the kind faces that return the

smile of compassion. Their spirit of faith in living the Bible verses “do-

ing whatever He tells you” is seen through their passion to help, educate and love the people of God. Whether it be at Mass, basketball games or simply outside the University Center, the Marianist brothers, sisters and lay members never fail to make you feel like an equal.

They live their lives by the values of community, growing to foster each other’s unique gifts that we have been given by our creator. How do I know this to be true? I have witnessed it first hand for the past year.

I began attending St. Mary’s with one mentality: I was here for an education. However, in this past year, I have gained so much more than that, and I owe much of my gratitude to the Marianist community.

I was not as aware of who the Marianists were be-fore I came here, but within my first week, I desired to learn more about the community that fosters growth.

If you walk into Casa Maria for a Tuesday-night dinner, you feel the warmth you would receive if you were walking into your own home.

When I enter the Marianist Residence, I experi-ence a great admiration for the men and women who have given their lives for the love of God, devoting themselves to the mission that Mary has given them: “Do whatever he tells you.”

Also, little do we know that many lay Marianists walk among us, continuing the mes-sage of Father Chaminade: “With a spirit of zeal, courage and generosity, we are able to walk with the spirit of confidence.”

The Marianists have given me courage to nurture my gifts and to know that I do not succeed for myself but for the hope of all to learn and walk with me in one mission: to grow from one community and foster the development of many others.

For any Marianist who reads this article, I would like to say, “Thank you.” Your self-sacrifice, pas-sion and love have helped many to know what their mission is and how to share it through your example.

I encourage you, my fellow students, to look around you as you walk to class and see the kind faces that walk with you: their smiles never-fading, with the hope of you knowing that they will never disappear.

Francesca Garcia

“Do whatever He tells you”

Kenneth Howell

Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Student reflects on the Marianist call for service and compassion.

The West should not close its eyes and ignore the humanitarian crisis taking place in Goma.

Source: sxc.hu, everystockphoto.com

The violence in Congo is becoming one of the greatest humanitarian crises in Africa.

12 11.12.08

Features The Rattler

The Peanut Gallery

Where do you volunteer?

During the month of giving thanks and giv-ing back, many students take advantage of volunteer opportunties. We want to know:

“Today I volunteered with Upward Bound. Helping out makes me feel like a good Christian.” - Lisa Ibekwe, junior biology and psychology major

“I did Habitat for Humanity with the softball team. I liked how we got to meet the members of the family.” -Lauren Miller, sophomore undecided major

“In California, I raised money for kids to go on college tours. The program helped me out so much I felt like I had to give back.”

-Payton Reiff, freshman entrepreneurial studies major

Theme of thanks thrives on campus

To get more students involved in community service, the Service Learn-ing Center (SLC) collaborated with Student Development to launch a competition for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs).

After each semester, whichever RSO earns the most community service hours will win a prize. There will be a bulletin board in the University Cen-ter displaying the hours that each RSO has completed. Nov. 24 is end of this semester’s contest.

Paul Herrera, assistant director of the SLC, says that he hopes this motive will help the university meet the goals of Vision 2012

“We’re excited that the university is pushing the Vision 2012, so we’re really happy that this is going to be part of the

mission,” said Herrera. Vision 2012 is a university initiative

to help expand community outreach globally and locally through the inspira-tion of faith and Marianist values.

“Now we’re really focusing on the fact that since we are a Catholic institu-tion, then we really need to focus on ser-vice and how to promote the service,” said Herrera.

To help fulfill this vision, the SLC provides many volunteer opportunities for students.

Many of the community service events during the end of the semes-ter are focused on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One of the largest events that the SLC will participate in is the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner.

“A lot of elderly and disabled people go, and the homeless are welcome. You really get to see a good mix of people

who would otherwise not have a warm turkey thanksgiving meal,” said Her-rera. “It’s a great cause.”

Krystina Irvin, civic engagement co-ordinator, agrees with Herrera that No-vember is a great month to get involved with the community.

“One of the greatest ways to give thanks to what we have been given is to give to others,” said Irvin.

To motivate students, Irvin points out that students have an extended holiday break, so they are not crunched for time. She also encourages students to team up with a friend.

“For some of these activities, you’re more than welcome to sign up a friend or a family member to go along with you, but they don’t necessarily have to be connected to St. Mary’s directly,” said Irvin. “You don’t necessarily have to do it solo mission.”

By Sarah MillsFeatures Editor

As the season of giving approaches, the Service Learning Center promotes Vision 2012, offering students several opportunities to give back to the community.

Getting Involved The Service Learning Center offers various ways to get involved during the holiday season.

“Miracle on 36th Street”Nov. 12 to Dec. 17Campus-wide

As part of the “Miracle on 36th Street,” an annual toy drive organized by the Service Learning Center (SLC), University Police Department and University Programming Council, students are encouraged to place unopened toys boxes around campus beginning Nov.12. All gifts will be donated to children from Loma Park Elementary and Chaminade Apartments. Toys are needed for children up to 15 years old and will be collected until Dec.17. Once toys are collected, the SLC is asking that students volunteer to help wrap the gifts.

St. Vincent de Paul’s KitchenNov. 2311 a.m. to 1:30p.m25 volunteers needed

St. Vincent de Paul’s Kitchen is part of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a volunteer member organization that works to help the homeless and low-income families. Located downtown, the kitchen serves approximately 900 meals a day to those in need and they also provides bag lunches in the San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry, Inc. (SAMMinstries) shelter who cannot make it to the St. Vincent de Paul’s Kitchen. Volunteers will be needed to help serve and prepare food.

Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving DinnerNov. 2710 a.m. to 12 p.m.30 volunteers needed

To serve a full Thanksgiving dinner to an estimated 25,000 people, the annual Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner relies on approximately 4,000 volunteers. The Service Learning Center (SLC) is asking for students and faculty to sign up to volunteer for this historic event that started in 1979. Volunteers will do tasks such as food preparation, serving the food and crowd control. The SLC will spend two hours at the dinner. Transportation to this event will be limited.

Habitat for Humanity InternationalNov. 2230 volunteers needed

A monthly volunteer opportunity, this Habitat for Humanity community service event is asking for students to help construct homes. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has provided more than 1.5 million people with affordable shelter. Because the families who receive the home must make monthly mortgage payments and invest hundreds of their own labor hours into building the houses, any help that they receive from volunteers goes a long way. The Service Learning Center is expecting 10-15 spots for other students to be open.

Illustrations by Jon Mike Hernandez

Students gathered for an evening of fun and cultural exchange as they experienced the food and music of Cyprus during this semester’s first International Night.

The inaugural event was held on Oct. 29 and was hosted by the newly reinstated In-ternational Students Organization (INSTA).

The organization, which has been inac-tive for four years, seeks to become an active part of the campus community once again.

INSTA’S president, sophomore econom-ics and international relations major Alvaro Zapatel, said that the goal of INSTA is to “emphasize a good awareness of the diver-sity here on campus.”

International Night is one of the events that the organization hopes will enable them to do just that. When organizing the social event, INSTA randomly selects a theme country that is or has been repre-sented by international students attending the university.

“We bring music from that country, we bring food, we bring everything we can from that country just to expose the community to engage in that culture for at least a night,” explained INSTA secretary and freshman marketing major Lorna Cruz.

Junior education major Christina Savva, a student from Cyprus, had the opportunity to highlight her culture on campus through International Night.

“This is the first time I was able to reach people I didn’t know and it’s exciting,” Sav-

va said. “I like opening people’s minds and this is a good opportunity to do that.”

Students from several other countries, including Egypt, India, Lebanon, Honduras, Peru and Nigeria, attended the event.

INSTA members said that they felt that such a diverse environment would be ben-eficial to the university as a whole.

“Something I find about American cul-ture is that it tends to be closed up,” said Savva. “The international student groups around campus aim to change that, things like this is a small way do that.”

For sophomore engineering man-agement major Mathew Zamaripa, In-ternational Night successfully brought students together.

“I actually got to meet a lot of new people, so if you see this as a networking social gath-

ering I think that’s a good place for people to do that,” said Zamaripa.

Even after many had left, those who stayed watched students demonstrate danc-es from their native countries, an improvised activity that the students seemed to enjoy.

As the event came to an end, INSTA in-vited everyone to the upcoming monthly International Nights to attempt to bond as a diverse campus community.

In response to INSTA’s promo-tion of increased awareness of interna-tional cultures and influences, Savva believes that the efforts are positive and enlightening.

“The more and more I discover more cul-tures, the more and more I discover we’re a lot alike.”

FeaturesThe Rattler

1311.12.08

Photo by Robin Johnson

After praying for the end of the death penalty, sophomore theology major Luis Jose Barajas makes the sign of the cross.

New event features country of international students

Students pray for abolishment of death penalty

By Keily RiveroStaff Writer

Expressing their opposition to the death penalty, members of University Ministry and sev-eral students came together on Nov. 7 to pray for the end of capital punishment.

Texas leads the nation in the number of death row executions since 1976.

“I think it’s important for people to know the issues and be aware of what’s going on, because the death penalty is something we really need to work towards abol-ishing,” said senior interdisciplin-ary major Annie Alejos. “Its not only hurting lives, but families. It’s a cycle of death.”

Alejos helped lead the prayer under the Barrett Me-morial Bell Tower along with Brother Brian Halderman, S.M., the minster for social justice of University Ministry.

“We started having prayer this month to bring social justice and awareness in respect to church’s belief,” said Halderman. “It’s important in Texas with high- rate death penalties. In this month alone there have been

six executions.”According to the Texas Depart-

ment of Criminal Justice website, as of Dec. 31, 2005, there were 3,254 offenders facing the death penalty in 38 different states.

Those opposed to the death penalty argue that it does not deter crime and can be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

“I think our system should be a system of rehabilitation. I don’t think that killing them is teaching them a lesson,” said Alejos. “Cruel and unusual punishment shouldn’t be an option.”

Alejos added that she under-stood why some families of victims often feel as if the death penalty does them justice.

“I know that if I ever lost a family member because someone murdered them, I’m sure I would have those feelings,” she said. “But I don’t think it’s my decision to say if they should live or die.”

Students attending the ceremo-ny observed the prayer written by Sister Grace Walle, F.M.I., D. Min., campus minister for the School of Law, and reflected on the Marian-ist emphasis on the death penalty as inhumane.

“It sounds cliché that no one is

perfect, but no one is perfect and no one has the right to take anyone else’s life no matter what anyone’s done,” said theology sophomore Luis Barajas. “God is merciful and he loves everyone.”

Halderman said that the prayer was held as a religious expression against the death penalty. It is also an initiative to bring more expo-sure to a monthly effort emphasiz-ing Marianist beliefs and hopes.

To increase awareness about the death penalty, Halderman and Walle are working to get students involved on this issue and have plans to eventually take students to Huntsville where executions take place.

“Our next program is called ‘Prevention, Not Execution,’ a seminar about people with men-tal disease and how we could help and prevent those who commit the crimes,” said Walle.

Although the prayer is just one of the ways in which Haderman and Walle are trying to increase awareness, Walle sees it as an im-portant event to teach and honor.

“We held the prayer in order to remember both those being executed and people who have committed crimes.”

By Sarah MillsFeatures Editor

The Rattler

14 11.12.08

Upon hearing about the presidential elec-tion of Sen. Barack Obama, world leaders made their congratulatory phone calls to the freshman senator from Illinois.

International newspapers from around the world printed the election result as their front-page news, even special souve-nir editions with the president-elect gracing the cover.

St. Mary’s students studying in London were offered a glimpse of the international interest level that the election drew.

“I’m not sure if it’s always like this, but it was definitely a huge deal,” said junior political science major and study abroad stu-dent Whitley Zachary. “It came up as a great conversation point with people who were genuinely interested.”

The faculty and students who knew they would be abroad on Election Day took the extra measures to vote and mail in their ab-sentee ballots. Though many of them voted, the process was not simple for some.

Kathleen Amen, a librarian in the Louis J. Blume Library who teaches the London students courses on the history of WWII and sports, does not know for sure that her vote was counted because of ambiguous direc-tions on her mail-in ballot.

“I heard that maybe I needed to put post-age on it, although the way I read the instruc-tions it didn’t sound like it was needed. So I don’t know if my ballot got counted or not,” she said.

Zachary said that filling out the absentee ballot was a convenient way to vote. “It was probably easier than voting at home, it just

had to be planned for much more ahead of time,” she said. “I didn’t have any problems at all and sent it in about two weeks before Election Day.”

Although she was able to take part in the electoral process, Zachary said that her first time voting was not as it would have been at home.

“It was my first time to vote, so it was a little less involved than voting at home might have been and that’s kind of sad,” said Zach-ary. “But the process of this election over the last two years was definitely engaging.”

The students were so engaged with the political news from the U.S. they said they found themselves talking about it with Lon-doners and others from around the world.

Junior English-communication arts major Erica Leal was able to witness the level of in-terest in the elections at her workplace where she has an internship.

“My coworkers asked me one day who I was voting for, and when I told them ‘Obama’ they said ‘Good for you, your coun-try needs him. For the sake of your country you’d better hope he wins.’”

It wasn’t just her coworkers who were in-trigued with the potential outcome. National media such as the BBC had a heavy concen-tration of coverage on the election news.

“The day of the election, I was amazed be-cause that’s practically all there was on BBC news,” said Amen. “And they usually have such a variety of world and UK news. But it was almost wall-to-wall US election news.”

Even the mundane stories made their way over the Atlantic, such as “Wardrobe-gate.”

The election was also an effective way for the students to have political discussion with people from around the world about their

p re -f e r r e d candidate.

“For most of the people that I have talked to over here from all over the world, it seemed that everyone agreed that Obama was our best chance. From their point of view, McCain was to close to Bush, who they are definitely not fans of,” said Zachary. “I was pro-Obama from the beginning, and I think seeing an international point-of-view encouraged that.”

Amen said that the preference of can-didates seemed to tilt dramatically toward Obama. “I don’t think I talked to a single per-son over here who wanted McCain to win, although in some of the discussions I had, a preference wasn’t mentioned,” she said.

Even news outlets were not shy about re-vealing a preference for a candidate.

“The day after, every paper in London had Obama on the cover. One of the head-lines was ‘The day America became a little bit cool again.’”

Although they experienced a realignment of the electorate from television screens and headlines rather than in their home states, Leal was positive about their unique election experience. “Overall, I’m glad I got to be a part of the election all the way from London, it was amazing to witness history in the making in a different country.”

By Elizabeth RuizEditor in Chief

Witnessing history abroadStudy abroad students witness inter-national reaction to election result.

The Rattler

1511.12.08

Graphic Illustration by Jon Mike Hernandez

Top left and bottom left photos by Erica LealPhotos Courtesy of Flickr.com

The result of the presidential election caused strong reaction around the world. Top left and bottom left: Study abroad students watch the result of the election in London.Top center: London newspaper Metro had Nov. 5 headline “The day America became a little bit cool again.” Top right and bottom right: Japanese newspapers feature the election results as major news items. Bottom center: Sarah Onyango Obama celebrates the victory of her step-grandson in Kogelo, Kenya.

16 11.12.08

Features The Rattler

Thanksgiving dinnerfor vegetarians, too!

Who said that vegetarians could not have a Thanksgiving dinner, too?

Although turkey is the center-piece of most Thanksgiving meals, many vegetarians fill their platters with “tofu turkey” which is sea-soned tofu molded in the shape of a loaf and filled with stuffing.

For those who want other vegetarian options, we have compiled four recipes that are vegetarian-friendly and, of course, tasty.

Vegan nut roast, a recipe pulled from peta.com, takes about an hour to make and does well as the main dish for Thanksgiving.

Potato soup, a recipe submitted by freshman English communica-tion arts Brissa Renteria, makes a great appetizer to complement the

vegan nut roast. This recipe is de-licious whether you are a vegetar-ian or not and will help keep your guests warm.

Renteria also submitted the recipe for creamy, chocolate veg-etarian pudding, because no meal is complete without dessert.

Pierogies are similar to dump-lings and are filled with cheese and potatoes. This recipe was submit-ted by freshman psychology ma-jor Stephanie Sicilliano, who has been making this recipe since she was young.

“I love perogies, I have helped my mom make them since I was little just like she used to do,” said Sicilliano. “They are delicious fam-ily tradition that we enjoy and are of Ukrainian and Polish origin.”

Feel free to cut out these reci-pes whether you are a vegetarian or just experimenting, we hope you enjoy!

By Sarah MillsFeatures Editor

Graphic Illustration by Jon Mike Hernandez

FeaturesThe Rattler

1711.12.08

While apple cider and egg nog are ideal for the holidays, hot cocoa is a winter staple that many drink to warm up.

Although the terms “hot cocoa” and “hot chocolate” are often used interchangeably, the drinks differ in how they are prepared.

Hot cocoa is made from cocoa powder mixed with either water or milk, while hot chocolate is traditionally made by melting chocolate bars into milk.

Whatever the method, both versions origi-nate from the cocoa bean.

According to a study from Cornell Univer-sity on pubs.acs.org, the cocoa bean was dis-covered earlier than previously recorded.

The bean, whose origins are believed to have come from the Aztecan Empire, was ac-tually discovered 500 years earlier in a village in Honduras.

The cocoa known today is different from the chocolate that the Aztecs drank. Often consumed cold, the chocolate drink was fla-vored by chili powder or even wine, creating a distinctly bitter flavor that was more similar in richness to hot chocolate.

However, according to whatscook-ingamerica.net, when the Spaniards brought the blends back to Europe, they sweetened the drink with sugar and milk, giving rise to con-temporary hot cocoa.

Hot cocoa has been sold in stores all over the U.S. with chain stores like Target and Wal-Mart selling their own versions of the seasonal favorite.

After years of being the winter comfort-drink of choice, this beverage has gone up-scale with exotic flavorings and brands.

Starbucks, for example, sells three dif-ferent gourmet versions of hot cocoa in their coffeehouses.

However, gourmet hot cocoa can also be high in calories. For instance the grande size of the Starbucks’ versions made with 2 percent milk contain more than 200 fat calories, 20 grams of fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol and 50 grams of sugar with carbohydrate contents ranging from 50 to 70 grams.

Those who are conscious about keeping up with the holiday fun need not worry. The traditional store-bought versions of hot cocoa typically contain less than 150 calories with 20 calories from fat, 20 grams of sugar and no milligrams of cholesterol when prepared with water.

Classic brands such as Swiss Miss have also introduced diet versions, containing only 25 calories with zero calories from fat, two grams of sugar and zero milligrams of cholesterol.

For those looking for a little more to their hot cocoa, flavoring the drink is as easy as mixing it with maple syrup, vanilla, mint or coffee granules. You can also garnish with whipped cream, cinnamon sticks or, of course, marshmallows.

With the weather changing, The Rattler taste-test team thought it only appropriate to try various versions of hot cocoa to de-cide which would be worth to stock up on for winter.

Photos by Analicia Perez

SWISS MISSIndulgent Collection, Dark Chocolate Sensation

A close contender for first place, this hot cocoa says that it is the “most decadent way to indulge your chocolate craving.”

Staff says: The aroma of this cocoa was very strong and comforting. The drink itself was smooth and rich. Although it was prepared with water, it did not have a watery consistency. It had a dark color and tasted as if it came straight out of a coffee house.

NESTLE ABUELITAMexican Style Instant Chocolate DrinkStaff Favorite

This hot cocoa promises an “authentic Mexi-can style” drink mix, which typically has a sweet, cinnamon taste.

Staff says: This mix had a light color and smooth texture with a delicious, unique flavor. The cinna-mon flavor was not too strong and was consistent with every sip. It reminded several staff members of the hot cocoa their mothers used to make.

MARKET PANTRYRich Chocolate

This generic Target brand of hot cocoa mix was described as “a rich and creamy treat” and offered various suggestions to enhance the simple drink.

Staff says: The aroma was not as strong or as rich as the others. It had a stout flavor and a tradi-tional appearance. There was nothing that made this hot cocoa stand out from the rest, but will do the job if on a budget.

SWISS MISSSensible Sweets, Diet

A healthy spin-off of the classic Swiss Miss, this hot cocoa was described as a “reward” with a “silky-smooth sip.”

Staff says: We could smell the artificial sweet-ener from the beginning and approached this hot cocoa with much apprehension. This cocoa is defi-nitely not a reward and tastes more like water with sweetener than it does chocolate. It was very wa-tery and had an artificial sweetner aftertaste.

The Rattler staff puts a cold weather classic to the test.

Hot cocoa still a favoriteBy Jaime PerezSenior Staff Writer

18 11.12.08

Features The Rattler

Photo by Analicia Perez

After students spun the “Good for Something” ferris wheel, they were allowed to add personal touches to their paint splatters on paper.

Everyday objects found in artwork

A donated art piece from a student includes recycled materials such as CDs and foam.

Photo by Analicia Perez

By Jaime Perez Senior Staff Writer

Art lovers, such as languages professor Eva Bueno, Ph.D., are determined to show that “junk” can be beautiful and that ideas don’t have to be recycled.

Bueno debuted her first art ex-hibit Renewed, Rebuilt, Recycled: As-semblage & Collage on Nov. 6 in the main floor of the Louis J. Blume library.

The collection, on exhibit un-til Nov. 30, features artwork cre-ated with unconventional and recycled materials.

Bueno uses found objects such as Barbie dolls, tree bark and watches to create eccentric pieces of art.

“I picked up this stick off the floor while I was walking my dog. I liked how the corners of the dead bark reminded me of bird nests, so I made it a part of this painting as a tree,” said Bueno.

Most of Bueno’s art is three-di-mensional and varies in influence and composition.

“In the past, I have painted and used regular materials for my art-work,” she said. “This collection is much more personal because I use materials I found on the street, in

a garbage, or things given to me by friends.”

Born and raised in Brazil, Bueno says her family taught her about the importance of conservation and uses her experiences as a child as influence for her art.

“As a girl, I was taught that we don’t throw anything away. I think it is a real shame that we don’t reuse the resources that we do have,” said Bueno. “I wanted to show that junk could be beautiful.”

The theme of recycling was echoed throughout the exhibit with hand-made flowers donated by various organizations and stu-dents from the campus. Newspa-pers, plastic bottles and bottle caps are just some of the objects that were used to create the various blossoms in the exhibit.

According to Brian St. John, program coordinator and assistant professor of the art department, the exhibit is different from other exhibits that have previously been displayed in the library.

“The show has a great sense of whimsy and fun that is only unique to Bueno,” said St. John. “It has the feeling of a carnival with all the vibrant colors.”

St. John described the exhibit as

having a carnival-like atmosphere, which was embodied by “Good for Something,” a piece that splattered paint on a blank piece of paper by spinning a bicycle wheel, or “ferris wheel,” and shoes with small con-tainers of paint inside of them.

Bueno also gave attendees the opportunity to spin the wheel themselves, allowing them to cre-ate their own unique paint splat-ters on the paper canvas.

“It’s really cool that she has also made us a part of her art show,” said freshman math major Monique Mendoza.

Mendoza, who attended the opening reception for class, said she enjoyed the recycling as-pects and the contrasts between dark and bright colors that Bueno utilized.

“We appreciate the things that we have and throw away and take for granted the things that we get,” said Mendoza.

The exhibit, which entertained both students and teachers, also surprised many of Bueno’s friends. Terry Chandler, a friend of the art-ist, was in awe of Bueno’s talent.

“Eva invited me and I’m just so surprised,” said Chandler. “I didn’t know she could do so many things. She is so versatile.”

Photo by Analicia Perez

Artist and languages professor Eva Bueno, Ph.D., sets up her “Good for Some-thing” ferris wheel before she allows members from the audience to have their turn at creating art.

EntertainmentThe Rattler

1911.12.08

Entertainment ConnectionWhat fads are you rolling with?

Source: barnesandnoble.com, rockaholic.com, myfirstgossipblog.files.wordpress.com, rottentomatoes.com, rightontheinternet.files.wordpress.com, amazon.com, trashionsta.net, farmto.static.flickr.com; Top Right: Photo by Sarina Gamez

Avatar messengers & alternate lives--are you game?

Morissey & Marr oversee production of new Smiths

compilationWeb site markets Japanese music

to International audience

Get connected with the Calendar to see what to watch this week

Project Runway’s Siriano shows new line in Laredo

20 11.12.08

Entertainment The Rattler

Really, YouTube? Someone is actually watching this right now.

Massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) offer computer-savvy players the ability to fly over buildings, chat with friends and participate in bat-tles against blood-thirsty enemies.

Three-dimensional interactive online games, such as “IMVU,” “Second Life” and “World of War-craft,” focus on virtual avatars (computer generated copies of the gamers) and their interaction with other players.

The interaction between ava-tars and their environments has led to the growing popularity of MMORPG’s and, according to senior exercise and sport science major Jessica Aguilera, word of mouth had a lot to do with it.

“One of my friends asked me to try [“Second Life”] and was surprised because it was really detailed,” said Aguilera. “I didn’t expect it from a digital game.”

The detailed complexity of

the games has led to the com-bined total of 45 million users, a population easily larger than that of Texas. However, de-spite the popularity, some feel that the games do not warrant such attention.

“They don’t really interest me and even if they did, I don’t have time to play,” said junior psychol-ogy major Yannell Amaro. But Amaro also admits to possibly giving the online games a chance if she actually had the time to play them. Senior music major Joe Tarv-er who plays “World of Warcraft,” agrees, citing money as a major reason why people do not play.

“I would definitely play more if I had the time or money for it,” said Tarver. “For many people, the drawback is having to pay to play.”

Unlike the “World of Warcraft” franchise, “IMVU” and “Second Life” do not require a user to pay to register for an account with the game.

However, “IMVU” and “Second

Life” offer the option to purchase a premium membership, which offers extra features like homes and vehicles.

The premium membership may be worth the price for some as a means of enhancing the gaming experience and interactions.

“A lot of people have a game network of friends,” said Aguil-era. “It’s like a fantasy Facebook or Myspace, for some.”

“IMVU” and “Second Life” have promoted the interaction be-tween players more so than any other game.

These games focus on players meeting and talking to other play-ers, rather then going on other missions or “quests.”

However, freshman interna-tional business major Allan Fisch-er said he does not understand or believe that these games deserve such prominence or popularity in the gaming community.

“I just don’t understand why people play it,” Fischer comment-ed. “I’d prefer to play in reality.”

Virtual communities turn social life into game

Source: everystockphoto.com

By Jaime PerezSenior Staff Writer

“Youtube Secrets From Internet Guru (YouTube secrets) Learn the Secret of the Power of Youtube! “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZOf32L6gxc&feature=bz302 Viewed Sunday, Nov. 9, 9:36 p.m.Views on YouTube: 22, 154

Economy lull got you down? Did election euphoria wear off?

No need to fear, because the seemingly fictitious apparition that haunts families when they answer voice-operated market-ing calls, the ghouls that scribe the leaflets that magically ap-pear on your door and render paper cuts and probably the real

anthrax killer have all joined forces to create the concoctive internet marketing device of the ages.

The video posted by Mark-DeMoney (apparently a How-ard Huges-esque guru), seems to be made of excerpts from biblical films shown in Sun-day schools. In flashes of gold text, the video claims, “I have more riches than King Solomon’s mines.”

On a link to their blog the sage scribe of the YouTube se-crets claims, “I created multiple streams of income through hun-dreds of affiliate programs in my time on the Internet and have made a full-time income since July 2000.”

Based on the 22,154 views this video has seen, the damage has been done. Another viewer has been suckered out of two minutes and 11 seconds of life.

By Elizabeth RuizEditor in Chief

EntertainmentThe Rattler

2111.12.08

The Smiths are back, but not with an album full of new songs or a reunion tour. The band, famous for its hits “How Soon Is Now?” and “This Charming Man,” is out with a new compilation called The Sound of the Smiths.

This release comes in both a single and two-disc “deluxe” version, offering the lis-tener either twenty one and forty five songs from the band’s five-year career.

The album does not contain any new ma-terial from the band. In fact, they have re-peatedly refused offers to reform, with little indication that they will have a change of heart in the future.

However, The Sound of the Smiths stands out because this was a project overseen by the Smiths’ songwriting pair Johnny Marr and lead vocalist Morrissey.

Morrissey is expected to release

his next solo album, Years of Refusal, in February, 2009.

The nice thing about compilation albums is the appeal of convenience.

For a longtime fan, it often means having all of the favorites pulled into one collection. For the new listener, having a collection of songs from a band’s entire discography pro-vides a rather nice sampler.

Apart from the aforementioned reasons, there seems to be nothing else to make Sound stand out as a “must-have”. The longtime fan is better off making their own mix CD or buying Hatful of Hollow or The World Won’t Listen, if they haven’t done so already.

However, the new listener might find this latest compilation to be more appealing, as will any members of the older generations who foolishly got rid of their old records.

But overall, it would be better to just download the tracks suggested by other fans or start with the self-titled debut and prog-ress forward.

By Cristina GonzalezSenior Staff Writer

Source: i155.photobucket.com

Rhino Records releases the new hits album for iconic band, The Smiths, titled The Sound of the Smiths.

THE TOUR GUIDE

San Antonio was alive with the sound of music two weeks ago when the Involuntary Movement Tour made a pre-Halloween stop at The White Rabbit. The tour, which played to a packed club, was headlined by New York-based band Bayside-a band that is no stranger to the Alamo City or to the White Rabbit.

Joining them for the ride, which is running well into next March and jumps across the pond to Europe in De-cember, are Valencia, The Matches and The Status.

The show itself was a treat. As far as independent band showcases go, this is a tour that should not be missed. The benefit of being in a small rock club means a more intimate setting, though perhaps at the cost of one’s hearing. (A tip: Take earplugs and expect a head-ache. These boys play loud).

Although they are on their second major tour, the boys of The Status (man-aged by Bayside’s Anthony Raneri) show they have what it takes to make a definite name for themselves.

Their catchy debut CD, So This Is Progress, is a must-listen. Singer Ben Grant has a voice you want to keep listening to, and though one can probably point out the various influences that might have gone into the songs, it doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of any one thing.

“Can You Hear Me” will probably wind up on a lot of love-themed mix CDs; Danny Grant’s bass work in “The Wake of What’s Been Done” ensures that the song will stick long after you hit the “stop” button.

The only downside of seeing The Status play live is how short their set was. But keep an eye on this band; they are a group destined for great things within the scene.

Valencia and The Matches are equal-ly talented and provided a great second and third act. It will be interesting to see them return on their own tours, and if the crowd they drew was any indica-tion of the strength of their Texas fan-

base, then there should be no doubt on the chances of their return.

As for Bayside, to say that they have strong support here is an un-derstatement. The crowd was abso-lutely charged up from the first note of “Boy,” the first song off their newest record, Shudder.

The best part of their performance is the mixture of new and old songs. Unlike other bands which focus solely on playing songs from the most re-cent works, Bayside weaves fan fa-vorites with new material, with the crowd shouting every word right along with Raneri.

At points, it nearly felt as though the audience was louder than the actual band, but the guys seemed to enjoy ev-ery minute of it.

All in all, the Involuntary Move-ment Tour was far from a disappoint-ing show. The crowd came to see good music and have a good time, and that is exactly what they got.

It was a pleasure to be in the pres-ence of musicians who gave their all, and it will be exciting to hear these bands when they pass through San

Antonio again.

Famed Englishmen rearrange classic tracks for a new compilation.

Smiths expand discography

By Cristina GonzalezSenior Staff Writer

22 11.12.08

Entertainment The Rattler

New portal markets Japanese music to the worldBy Jacqueline MendezSenior Staff Writer

Entertain YourselfThursday, Nov. 13iPods, iPhones, & Macs in EducationPodcast, audio & video workshopStMU Academic Tech. Services Dept.12 p.m., Charles Francis Hall #102

Saturday, Nov. 15Eckman’s Card, Comic & Toy Show15th anniversary collectibles show 9 a.m., Live Oak Civic Center

Monday, Nov. 17Zombie HolocaustDavid FlintPaperback Book ReleaseBorders

Friday, Nov. 21TwilightMovie Premiere

Saturday, Nov. 14Fall U.S. TourCopeland, Lovedrug, Lydia, & Lights7 p.m., White Rabbit

Monday, Nov. 18“When the World Comes Down”All-American RejectsCD Release

For the avid Japanese music listener in the States, an information search on artists and coveted albums out of Japan used to re-semble the old needle-in-a-haystack routine. Unless fans were lucky enough to locate a nearby specialty store, music from the Far East was truly a rare find.

With the debut of its Web site, Japan Mu-sic Entertainment (www.jp-musicet.com), the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), a group dedicated to the develop-ment of an international Japanese music market, seeks to improve these chances.

Available in the Chinese and English lan-guages, the Web site serves as a portal to the latest, most up-to-date information on Japa-nese music. With top 10 lists, interviews and free videos to boot, Japan Music Entertain-ment is a well-rounded resource for casual fans outside of Japan.

Colorful and neatly organized, if a bit cluttered, the site sports numerous points of interest. Weekly top 10 lists rank the hot-test songs and albums, currently topped by Mr. Children for “Hanabi” and acclaimed Queen of Japanese Pop Music Namie Amuro for Best Fiction, respectively. Newly released songs and albums are also up for perusal.

Another must-see section is the site’s Lead Read, which spotlights an especially informative and in-depth article each week. Current-posted interviews include celebrat-ed artists L’Arc~en~Ciel and Koda Kumi.

RIAJ works in conjunction with ORI-

CON STYLE, another Japanese music-cen-tered Web site, to keep the site updated and fresh. Much of the news and information available on the site was, in fact, translated from ORICON.

Future plans for the Web site include its expansion into a multilingual production—available to Japanese music fans all around the world.

Although it is still new and in need of a bit more development, Japan Music Enter-tainment serves its purpose well. As a basic, user-friendly guide to Japanese music, the site will satisfy casual fans.

Japanese music enthusiasts, however, will likely find the weekly updates to be old news and will, instead, gravitate to more established, up-to-date resources to obtain

their daily dose of Eastern tunes.Nevertheless, with a few keystrokes and

a couple of clicks on a mouse, the average Internet-user can easily find a wealth of in-formation on Japanese music—or any kind of music, for that matter.

Web sites like Japan Music Entertainment have paved the way for music to be shared and celebrated internationally.

Developing Web site embarks on the journey to establish a steady source of Japanese music and music news.

Source: asianamericanmedia.org

Japan Music Entertainment features interviews and songs from pop/rockers L’Arc~en~Ciel, who made the list of Japan’s 100 top pop artists for 2003.

2311.12.08

EntertainmentThe Rattler

Student gets seat at Project Runway star’s show

Photos by Sarina Gamez; Graphic/Illustration: Jon Mike Hernandez

Photo by Sarina Gamez

Senior psychology major Sarina Gamez hit it off with Project Runway winner Christian Siriano as he tries to make a steal of her purse.

Project Runway: Season Four winner Christian Siriano displayed his Spring 2009 collection Nov. 6 at the Mall Del Norte in Laredo, Texas.

Three models from Laredo walked the high-end boutique store Joe Brand mod-eling Siriano’s collection, ranging from $700 pants to $1,000-plus dresses. Siria-no did not reject a photo-op or refuse to sign an autograph for a fan until he got into his getaway car and told a fan he had to leave.

At first sight, the former hairdresser appeared sincere, smiling and laughing with each fan. A petite person standing at five feet, Siriano possessed a down-to-earth personality. An admirer even baked him a chocolate cake, which he gladly received and said, “God, I can’t wait to eat this!”

At the collection showing, the store raffled several prizes including tickets to see his collection in New York City dur-ing Fashion Week, an autographed photo of Siriano with Heidi Klum, a Project Runway custom-designed T-shirt and a signed Season 4 Project Runway DVD.

Siriano played his own music while signing and taking pictures. Songs such as Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” and Katy Perry’s “Hot ‘N Cold” seemed to be his favorites as he was spotted moving his hips and shoulders side-to-side.

By the end of the night, the reality TV star was seen rubbing his eyes and would take trips to the back of the store where the employees said he was “busy.”

The Maryland native was Project Run-way’s youngest winner and fan favorite at the age of 21. The two-and-a-half years spent at the American Intercontinental University in London and internships

with fashion icons Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood seemed to have paid off.

Now, at the tender age of 22, he has already designed dresses for Victo-ria Beckham, Whoopi Goldberg and Anne Hathaway. He also created Heidi Klum’s dress that she wore to the 2008 Emmy Awards.

Tim Gunn, one of the hosts on Project Runway, commented on Siriano’s tal-ents, calling him “his generation’s Marc Jacobs.” From London to Laredo, Siriano brings a new edge to fashion and has a “fierce” attitude to prove it.

By Sarina GamezStaff Writer

Sports The Rattler

24 11.12.08

Basketball teams are ready for the upcoming season

For Patterson, incorporating herself to the team and style of play has demanded hard work.

She said, “As a freshman point guard, I have to quickly adjust to a position of authority,” she said.

This season, one of the team’s keys to meet their goals this season is improving their defense.

“I feel that defense win championships. That’s what we are working on; we are a defense-oriented team,” said Benford. “Points will come, but defense is where we work.”

With St. Mary’s University’s undefeated record, the team will demand their opponents to bring their “A”- game to beat the reigning champions.

The Rattlers will begin the 2008-2009 season in the Incarnate Word

Basketball tournament facing Angelo State University first on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Men hope for conference winIn the 2007-2008 season, the

Rattlers won the Heartland Conference title which led them to the first round of the NCAA South Region tournament, finishing with a record of 17-13.

This year, the team is looking to build upon last year’s success.

The outlook for the new season is one of confidence displayed by senior and pre-law major, Ronald Tata.

“I want to go further this year, I want to win Regionals,” said Tata.

In regards to the competition, Tata is confident in their upcoming performances. “[The team will] cut through this conference like a hot knife through butter,”

he said.For Lorenzo Anthony, senior

and exercise and sports science major, consistency will help the team realize their goals.

He says, “What we want to do is win conference; win the conference tournament and go to regionals,” said Anthony.

“But, our ultimate goal would be the Division II National Championships.”

Darren Lee, a transfer from Stockton, California and corporate finance and risk management major says, “It is important for the team to be optimistic, to take it one game at a time and not get discouraged because we have a young team.”

The upperclassmen will have vital roles as leaders.”

This season, the Rattlers will count on nine freshmen and three

transfer students to add depth to the team.

Due to the many additions to the team, the players and coaches are working hard to integrate the new members to the current style of play.

“It wasn’t easy at first, but after playing with these guys, I have more confidence in these players,” said Tata.

Transfer students, like criminal justice major Curtis Mitchell, will look to make an impact from the beginning.

With previous collegiate- playing experience, their role to the team will be an important asset.

Mitchell says he will “work to be a strong player and help the freshman get adjusted to the physical play.”

This year, St. Mary’s was picked to finish third in the

conference according to a pre-season poll of coaches and sports information directors in the Heartland Conference.

In the same meeting, two seniors, Lorenzo Anthony and engineering major Nick Morey, were named to the pre-season all-conference team.

Anthony said he is happy to be recognized but that he has additional aspirations.

“The ultimate goal is to be First Team All-Conference.”

The Rattlers will kick-off the season when they travel to Pensacola, Florida on Nov. 15 to face the University of West Florida.

Photo by Analicia Perez

The men’s team look to make an impact this season.Photo by Analicia Perez

The Rattlers practice defensive drills and improve upon team camaraderie.

Continued from page 28

SportsThe Rattler

2511.12.08

International star is on the move again

By Chris FiloteoSports Editor

By Brissa RenteriaStaff Writer

David Beckham is known as one of the greatest soccer players in the world. His value amongst teams everywhere is always shifting for the better.

Since his move to Los Angeles in 2007, Beckham has not produced as much as some L.A. Galaxy fans would like. With 30 league games in the U.S., Beckham has scored only five goals. At the age of 33, David Beckham is trying to consistently play soccer at a high skill level.

On Oct. 28, A.C. Milan picked up Beckham on loan for $1 million. Beckham has insisted this transfer will not affect the L.A. Galaxy.

Beckham made history signing a five-year, $32 million multi-year deal in 2007, including many incentives, like a percentage of jersey sales with an option to purchase a Major League Soccer (MLS) team once his contract is over with the Galaxy.

He is the only MLS player that has the capability to opt out of his contract with two years remaining.

According to SI.com (the Sports Illustrated Website), MLS contracts are owned by the single-entity league instead of the individual teams; the league usually controls the option years, not the players.

This means Beckham is an exception to the rule. Accompanied by his wife Victoria, Beckham brings along fame and publicity to the U.S. soccer scene.

Perhaps Beckham can upgrade his mediocre play with the move to first-place holders, A.C. Milan. Since the MLS’s off-season is long (from November to March- April), Beckham can reshape his style and prepare for the next MLS season.

Beckham plans to keep his family in L.A. while he plays in Italy. He does not want to disrupt his family’s life; his children are established in schools and his wife has ties to the community.

Beckham’s goal when he first arrived in

the states was to develop MLS into a world-class league. He does not want to leave as a failure.

Also, he is reportedly making more money in incentives than his playing salary.

There is no reason for him to leave an opportunity at that level. One of Beckham’s main focuses is to maintain his spot on the English National Team in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.

The former English captain wants to preserve his legacy and prove to fans he is capable of leading England to a World Cup title.

England has only won the World Cup title once, in 1966, and Beckham wants to break that dry spell.

As long as Beckham keeps his word, there is no reason to worry about him leaving temporarily.

This will benefit the American Galaxy players because of the different style of play Beckham will bring back from Europe.

Student athletes are limited in what they can eat, how much free time they can have, how they schedule their day, what classes they can take and perhaps more importantly, how they carry out their personal relationships.

Some athletes may struggle to main-tain relationships because the balance between school and free time is difficult to maintain.

According to Stress in College Ath-letes by James Humphrey, 12 per-cent of male athletes and seven per-cent of female athletes’ stress comes from relationships.

Freshman softball player and educa-tion major Kristy Candelaria said that making sacrifices is key.

“It is something that you know from the beginning; you are in a sport that takes up a lot of your time, and you won’t be able to spend as much time

with them,” she said. “Friends and boy-friends and girlfriends have to make that sacrifice too.”

She also said that coaches enforce rules to keep the athletes focused.

In the past, she has had coaches who will not allow any distractions on the field or court because it would greatly affect their performances.

Upon being exposed to a newer lifestyle and work schedule, incoming freshmen have to consider if they are ready for the types of sacrifices and commitment required for a relationship in college.

“It’s a big sacrifice but also a great re-ward,” said Candelaria.

While the athletes sacrifice much of their free time, they do spend the time invested in their sport to create a family atmosphere within the team.

Seen at the Diamondback Café in groups, team members are frequently in each other’s company whether on or off

the field or court. Teammates know each other well

because they are together for the ma-jority of their day. Taking similar class-es, constantly practicing and playing games side-by-side allows them to share similar experiences and easily relate to one another.

As a result, this interaction and familiarity with teammates can alleviate some of the stress while promoting good teamwork because players feel more comfortable and reassured when they have others going through the same situations as they are.

“It’s cool because they are like a second family,” said Candelaria.

St. Mary’s may be smaller than oth-er schools, but it is no different when it comes to their athletic programs.

Competition remains the same and it’s clear that these athletes have done their best to separate their personal lives from their athletic careers.

How different is David Beckham from other MLS players?

Source: wikimedia.com

Beckham fine tunes his game while on loan.

For love, or for the love of the game?Personal relationships affect student-athlete performances.

Sports The Rattler

26 11.12.08

Spurs fans anticipate new players will step upIf you’re a basketball fan, you’ve

probably heard the last name Hill.

Perhaps you’ve also heard of Farmar and Mason, two surnames held by basketball greats. These names are shared by three of the four newest Spurs.

While they may not be as familiar as former UCLA star Jordan Farmar of the Los Angeles Lakers, Grant Hill of the Phoenix Suns, or former New York Knicks great Anthony Mason, Desmon Farmer, George Hill and Roger Mason are an essential part of the Spur’s new youth initiative.

Hill, Farmer and Mason join undrafted rookie Anthony Tolliver as the newest acquisitions for the Spurs this season.

Hill became a member of the squad after his selection in the first round of the 2008 draft. Mason joined as a free agent after a highly successful ‘08 season with the Washington Wizards.

Farmer signed after a brief stint as a member of the now-defunct Seattle Supersonics in ’07.

Tolliver, a 6’8” 240-lb. center from Creighton University, brings needed frontcourt depth to a lineup currently plagued with the injuries of Ian Mahinmi and Fabricio Oberto.

During the 2008 summer league, Tolliver was considered by scouts to be “a good rebounder, a sound defender [and] extremely intelligent.” He also possesses adept passing skills.

These strong qualities should play perfectly into Gregg

Popovich’s complex defensive strategies. During his senior year at Creighton, Tolliver averaged 13.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. In six preseason games, Tolliver averaged 7.7 points and 5.2 rebounds while averaging 20 minutes per game.

Hill, a 6’2” 180-lb. point guard from Indiana University–Purdue University in Indianapolis (IUPUI), is a solid backup point guard to eventually replace the aging Jacque Vaughn behind Tony Parker.

Hill is a strong scorer and good defender but needs to learn how to better play the point guard position. At IUPUI, Hill averaged 21.5 points, 4.3 assists and an impressive 1.8 steals.

During the preseason, Hill played only three games averaging 8 points and 3.3 assists in 19 minutes.

Mason, a 6’5” 212-lb swing guard from Virginia, will sufficiently fill the vacancy left behind by Houston -bound Brent Barry. Mason can be a deadly three-point shooter, which he demonstrated in his first regular season game with the team, making three of four from behind the 3-point line and scoring 12 points.

As a member of the Wizards last season, Mason averaged 9.1 points

per game regularly filling in for the often-injured Gilbert Arenas. In six preseason games with the Spurs, Mason averaged 7.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.5 minutes.

Finally, Farmer, a 6’5” 220-lb. guard from USC, might have the most experience of the newly added players. After playing in only eight games for the Seattle Supersonics in 2007, Farmer joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers averaging 24.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists along with 41.8 percent three-point shooting.

During his seven preseason games, Farmer led the Spurs in three-pointers, making 13 of 28 attempts. He also averaged 8.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in only 18 minutes a game.

Farmer may be the perfect swingman the Spurs are searching for to fill in for the injury-barraged Manu Ginobili.

While the newest Spurs may not be as famous as some of the players of their namesake, they will learn from their present teammates who, like them, remain underrated players this early in their career.

These players named Ginobili, Parker and Bowen all exceeded expectations.

By Chris ChildreeStaff Writer

Source: everystockphoto.com

Spurs head coach Greg Popovich re-organizes veteran players and utilizes fresh talent of new additions. Spurs face off against the Houston Rockets on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the AT&T Center.

SportsThe Rattler

2711.12.08

Team concentrates on productive off-season

Photo by Robin Johnson

Team captain Rachel Calderon wants to maintain a consistent work ethic throughout the off-season.

The women’s tennis team is concentrating on a productive off-season this fall.

The women want to continue the suc-cess of last year’s team which advanced to the semifinals of the Heartland Confer-ence tennis championships.

The absence of graduating Senior Hayley Harris, who was named to the All-Heartland Conference team last season, will affect the Rattlers, but this team is preparing for a great spring season.

This team is concentrating on training and team chemistry to achieve their goals.

The Rattler sat down with team captain, criminal justice pre-law major and junior Rachel Calderon for an interview.

What is the most important goal for the team in the spring?“It will be different with the new addi-tions to the team. Tennis is an individual sport and is hard to work on teamwork, but we can overcome that. Teamwork is important.”

What is the team’s strength?

“We should definitely be in shape because of all the off-season training we are doing. Since we only have one tournament during the fall, we work on endurance to better our conditioning.”

Is there anything special the team does before practice?“Right before practice starts, we cover most of our gossip talk amongst our-selves. While we stretch we talk about what is going on in our lives.”

Do you think the team is cohesive enough to advance far in the spring?“Yes, I think we have two good freshmen, Kelly Cooper and Erica Carmona and the team is beginning to become stronger. Little by little we are building our team for the better.”

What is the most important point covered in practice?“I think repetition is important in becoming a better player. The more we work as a team and help ourselves, the better we will be.”

Do you all hang out after practices, or outside the classroom?“Yes, after morning practices we have breakfast as a team and once we are done with our evening practices we go to the café to eat dinner together.

Occasionally we will have movie nights and hang out and sometimes we go out for sushi together.”

Do you think that helps with team unity?“Definitely, we can cheer each other on and motivate one an-other because we know each other’s personalities.”

How does Coach Ian Ward motivate the team?“He really pushes us to become better players. He is harsh on us sometimes, but he wants to push us more and more. It’s a good thing.”

Do you feel you are a stronger player now than you were before attending St. Mary’s?“Yes, high school was much easier be-cause the competition wasn’t as fast and the girls weren’t as built as in col-lege. Here I had to learn to become humble because of the higher level of competition.”

The Rattlers will have to wait until spring to show everybody they are ready to advance deep into the Championships.

By Chris FiloteoSports Editor

Photo by Robin Johnson

Dani Aranda concentrates on keeping her serve consistent.

Photo by Robin Johnson

Freshman Kelly Cooper wants to improve her game during the off-season to better the chances of the Rattler team.

28 11.12.08

Page 25

David Beckham heads to Italy for two months.

Page 27

Page 25

International star moves

A look at how the women’s team is getting ready.

Rattler tennis interview

How do student-athletes deal with relationships?

Personal issues in sports

Rattler SportsVol. 96 Issue 5 St. Mary’s University Student Newspaper 11.12.08

Photo by Analicia Perez

The men’s team huddles before practice to motivate each other. Both men’s and women’s team are ready to dominate the Heartland Conference.

After successful season, teams look ahead

By Ivonne AguilarSenior Staff Writer

Women’s team brings their “A” gameAfter a successful 2007-2008 season, the

Rattlers are working hard to continue their strong play this year.

Last season, the team took home the Conference title, advanced to the NCAA South Central Region Tournament and earned a national ranking of 24th in the nation. They also held a season record of 25-5 and broke the school record with 24

consecutive wins.In a recent Heartland Conference poll

conducted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the St. Mary’s team was picked to take the Heartland Conference Championship once again.

The poll also named senior English- communication arts major Natalie Gamez to the Heartland Conference Player of the Year in the 2007-2008 season.

This year, the Rattlers look to maintain their dominance in the

Heartland Conference. Senior speech communications major

Ashton Benford said she wants to continue the success from last year and go further.

Freshman newcomer and industrial engineering major DeAnne Patterson feels excited about the team and upcoming season. One of her goals is to win the Division II National Championship.

With many returning on the team this year,

Cont. on PG 24, SEE “BASKETBALL”

Men and women’s teams are ready to dominate the Heartland Conference.