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Transcript of Oct. 22, 2010 The Ranger
NEW CAMPUS COMING? 3
DRIVE NOW, TEXT LATER 4
LICENSED TO DESTROY 9
The RangeRVol. 85 Issue 6 Single copies free Oct. 22, 2010
A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926
SPREADSHIGH DRAMA
VIRUS
The Ranger •2 • Oct. 22, 2010
A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926The RangeR
3 News Trustees wary of planning for North Central campus Story by Laura Garcia
4 Blotter Cell phone use restricted, texting prohibited Story by Riley Stephens Photo by Jacinta Nicole Gaskin-
Paulsen
5 News Health Center cuts hours, services Story by J. Hernandez
Photo by Rennie Murrell
6 Clubs and administration join forces for graduation Story by Joshua Fechter
7 .Senate educates trustees on damage from budget cuts Story by Zahra Farah
8 Dallas sheriff: Being first is just fine Story by Stefania Malacrida
Photo by Noel Bracy
9 Learning to destroy Story and Photos by Alison Wadley
10 Calendar
12 Premiere Virus spreads in Loftin Story by Abiel Rodriguez Photo by Noel Bracy Faculty go zombie Story by Stefania Malacrida
13 Editorial
Trustees’ vision impaired Letter to the editor: Wrong way to success
14 Officials and policies
15 Two robberies prompt warning Story by Riley Stephens
Orionids meteor shower reaches peak Story by J. Almendarez
Pumpkin picking Photo by Julysa Sosa
16 Premiere Fiesta Finale Story and Photos by Julysa Sosa
This issue
Columnist opposes deficit spending, tax deductions Story by J. Almendarez
College team takes steps to prevent diabetes Story by J. Hernandez Academic Council rejects opt-out of SAC-ALL Story by Zahra Farah Banner complicates adjunct schedules Story by Zahra Farah
Two trustees travel to Canada for conference Story by Laura Garcia
Hilda Fuentes dances in a Tabasco, Mexico-style during a Fiesta Mexicana Ballet Folklórico show Oct. 15 in McAllister. Julysa Sosa
Cover photo: Theater majors Alan Galvez and Lucille Wilson pose Tuesday to demonstrate their haunted house roles. Julysa Sosa
Online
The Ranger Oct. 22, 2010 • 3News
By Laura Garcia
Chancellor Bruce Leslie presented the board
of trustees Saturday with options to address a
growing gap between higher enrollment and
shrinking financial support.
His answer to the district’s growth: Add a
new campus funded by a bond election and
reduce the probability of capping enrollment at
Northwest Vista College.
Trustees suggested raising tuition to $3,000 a
semester and asking students to travel to other
colleges or offer more online instruction.
The board retreat was Saturday in Huisache
Hall at Northwest Vista College and heated
discussion pushed the end of the meeting until
about 3:15 p.m.
Leslie warned trustees in the retreat that
focused on the district’s future, if the adminis-
tration doesn’t pursue planning the 145.5 acres
designated for a North Central campus, the dis-
trict might have to turn students away.
The site purchased in four parcels in spring
of 2005 is west of Interstate 10 and north of 1604
near the Kendall County line and Camp Bullis.
The chancellor said Northwest Vista was
built in 1995 to support 12,000 students and
is quickly reaching its maximum enrollment
with about 13,000 students attending classes on
campus or taking online classes.
Architect Doug Lowe, president of Facility
Programming and Consultants, presented
the board with a demographic study of where
each of the five colleges draws its students and
potentially how many students would attend
the proposed campus. He estimated the new
campus would have a similar growth pattern in
enrollment to Northeast Lakeview College and
he supported the addition of a new campus,
saying that most of the growth in the city has
been in the Northwest.
The campus would not be a full-fledged
college until much later and would operate as
a branch of Northwest Vista. Leslie said that
even if the district constructs three additional
buildings and a parking garage as planned in
Northwest Vista’s master plan, it would be too
overcrowded.
Board Chair Gary Beitzel questioned the type
and height of new buildings. “So it seems like
if you go up, it may be more cost-effective than
building a whole new campus,” Beitzel said.
Leslie’s response was that there is only so
much capacity at Northwest Vista and that the
district could look into acquiring about 40 acres
across the street, but they would have to be
careful about it “unless you create a bridge or
something.”
Leslie referred to a side street, not Loop 1604.
District 2 trustee Denver McClendon noted
that Northwest Vista looks like a ghost town on
nights and weekends and perhaps the college
should look into offering more sections during
those time periods.
Vice Chairman and District 9 trustee James
Rindfuss said he didn’t know the land was so
close to Camp Bullis and questioned Lowe
about growth near U.S. Highway 281, but this
was not in his study.
District 1 trustee Joe Alderete Jr. said the
district was looking at population growth but
might be neglecting the district’s job of develop-
ing the workforce within Bexar County.
Alderete also asked about the possibility of
building another site within the county and said
he was concerned about the district “trying to
just hop around and follow the growth.”
District 5 trustee Roberto Zárate said, “I
think we need to refocus.” Zárate reminded the
board of the district’s mission of providing edu-
cational access to students in the county.
Leslie then asked the board to consider
directing him to do pre-planning and explore
the possibility of a bond election, a process that
he says would take about two years.
He said even if the process starts soon, the
district would still need two to three years to
plan the buildings. He said it would be five or six
years before a new campus could open.
Even though space remains to accommo-
date a larger enrollment at the other four col-
leges, Leslie said, many students who attend
Northwest Vista would not want to drive 30
miles to Northeast Lakeview College.
“It seems to me like we are in very dire straits
financially,” Blakely Latham Fernandez, District
7 trustee, said during the retreat.
State appropriations have been in decline
for years, and the colleges effectively turned
away students this semester when 1,500 sec-
tions were canceled as the district attempted to
cut $12 million from the budget.
In February 2005, voters rejected a $450 mil-
lion bond package, which included plans to
consolidate health career training from this col-
lege and St. Philip’s College in the South Texas
Medical Center. In November 2005, a revised
bond package, which kept health career training
intact at the colleges, passed. It included $125
million for Northeast Lakeview College. Leslie
said a new bond could help pay for the construc-
tion and planning of a new campus and fulfill the
other colleges’ need for renovations.
Rindfuss made it clear he was against chang-
ing the district’s open-door policy and said, “If
we try to cap enrollment, that’s almost insane.”
Instead, he suggested raising tuition to quell
the district’s financial problems and that even
if students pay $3,000 a semester, the district
would still be the lowest cost tuition in the area.
McClendon said, “So you’re saying put it on
the backs of the students?”
Rindfuss replied, “We need not apologize if
we have to restructure the way we do business.”
McClendon described the possibility of cap-
ping enrollment a “tragedy.”
An annexation plan for the seven counties in
the district’s service area would create increased
tax revenue and would allow students residing
in those counties to pay in-district tuition rates.
Residents in these counties, who pay twice the
tuition that Bexar County students pay, would
have to vote on the plan.
Annexation can take years, Leslie said, and
reported that Austin Community College spent
12 years trying to annex surrounding counties
and came across competition for territory when
Round Rock wanted to build its own college.
Leslie asked trustees whether they wanted
him to pursue a bond election and develop-
ment of a North Central campus, but trustees
were wary of proceeding. “Can we wait 10 years
before we go out with another bond election to
include the North Central campus?”
The question, he said, is do you support a
strategy that caps growth because if you cap,
you are going to have repercussions.
The board ended the discussion with a deci-
sion to collect more information. Leslie said
they could plan another retreat later if trustees
want to pursue a North Central campus.
The board will meet for its regular meeting at
6 p.m. Oct. 26 in Room 101 of Killen Center, 201
W. Sheridan. The October meeting was post-
poned a week to allow board members to attend
an Association of Community College Trustees
conference in Canada and assure a quorum for
the meeting. Trustees return Oct. 23.
For more information, call 210-485-0030 or
log onto www.alamo.edu for an agenda of the
meeting.
Trustees wary of planning for North Central campusBoard explores capping
enrollment, annexation and a bond election.
4 • Oct. 22, 2010 The Ranger
Tip of the week
Fact: 36 items were reported lost or found
last month.
The lost and found is at the police office at each
college. The campus police office at this
college is at 1601 N. Main and is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call
dispatch at 210-485-0099 to report lost or found property.
For more information,visit the police department
web site at http://www.alamo.edu/district/dps/seclinks/prevention.htm.
SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE
Oct. 11 — Individual reported a
vehicle being burglarized in the
parking garage. No suspects.
Oct. 13 — Individual reported
an odor of gas in the nursing
complex. All found to be OK.
Individual reported his vehicle
being burglarized in Lot 14.
Oct. 15 — Individual reported a
strange odor in Chance.
Oct. 16 — SAPD reported a male
who appeared to have been
injured falling in Luther’s lot.
Individual reported a person
having a seizure in Fletcher.
EMS treated.
ST. PHILIP’S
Oct. 9 — Individual reported a
female arguing computer regu-
lations in Sutton. She departed
before the officers’ arrival.
Oct. 11 — Individual reported
damage to her personal vehicle.
Oct. 15 — Male in Norris with
an active warrant and was trans-
ported to the magistrate’s office.
PALO ALTO
Oct. 11 — Individual reported
the tailgate had been stolen
from his truck. No suspects.
NORTHWEST VISTA
Oct. 11 — Individual reported
being injured during class in
Palmetto. EMS refused.
Individual reported feeling ill in
Lot 8. EMS treated.
Oct. 14 — Individual reported
damage to personal vehicle in
Sea World overflow lot.
Oct. 15 — Individual reported a
personal vehicle being burglar-
ized in Lot 10. No suspects.
NORTHEAST LAKEVIEW
Oct. 11 — Individual reported a
snake in a commons classroom.
Oct. 14 — Individual reported
feeling ill in building 8300. EMS
treated.
Oct. 15 — Individual reported
students in library after closing.
Blotter
ContaCt InfoEmergency222-0911
General DPS485-0099
Weather Line485-0189
Lost and found
The district police department
displays items in the lost and
found Tuesday. Rennie Murrell
By Riley StephenS
A state law banning the use of handheld devices
in school zones went into effect Sept. 1, 2009. New
signs between this college and Travis Early College
High School warn students not to use their cell
phones under penalty of a fine.
There are three signs at Courtland Place and
Howard Street and one sign at Dewey Place and
Howard that read, “Cell phone use prohibited; up
to $200 fine.”
Oct. 15, the San Antonio City Council approved
an ordinance, or city law, banning texting while
driving. District 4 Councilman Philip Cortez admits
to using his phone to text and drive in the past. “I
think we have all done it,” he said.
Despite the practice, Cortez pushed for the
ordinance to pass. He said he couldn’t wait for the
2011 elections in November because he hopes the
ordinance could become a state law.
“We have secured the support of state Sen.
Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, in the 2011 vote. I
think there is an opportunity that the bill will pre-
vail,” Cortez said.
State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, said, “I
believe it should be a model for other communities
and other states.”
She failed to pass a bill in 2009 that would ban
reading, writing and sending of text messages while
operating a motor vehicle. “It’s not just the act of
texting; it’s the act of texting while driving. It affects
both the pedestrians and the drivers,” Zaffirini said.
The rules are simple. “If you go into a school
zone, you can’t use your phone for anything,”
Cortez said. “If you’re not in one, you can use your
phone but you cannot text, use your e-mail, or go
online, etc.”
He said he hopes with the new ordinance in San
Antonio, the use of texting while driving will slowly
decrease the number of fatalities on the road.
Cell phone use restricted, texting prohibited
Traffic control engineers Juan Mendoza, stand-
ing, Juan Medina, left, and Adrian Licea erect
signs Oct. 15 around Travis Early College High
School. Jacinta Nicole Gaskin-Paulsen
The Ranger Oct. 22, 2010 • 5News
By J. Hernandez
Be careful on campus because if
you get injured, the nurse won’t be
coming to help, and if you get sick
and want to visit the college health
center, you might find it closed
while the health center coordina-
tor attends a meeting elsewhere.
Tuesday, an employee suf-
fered a seizure in the admissions
and records office in Fletcher
Administration Center. Under a
new protocol, college health center
Coordinator Paula Daggett, who is
a registered nurse, was unable to
assist. Also, that morning, a profes-
sor in Chance Academic Center
reported a student entering his
classroom and falling to the floor
in a seizure.
On May 27, David Mrizek, col-
lege services vice president, sent
a mass e-mail stating a student or
employee at the scene of an inci-
dent should call district police.
DPS will gather information
and follow their procedures for
emergencies. The college’s execu-
tive team approved the change.
Along with the new procedures,
the office of student life decided
to interpret the Texas Board of
Nursing’s Interpretive Guideline
for LVN Scope of Practice Section
301.353 and Rule 217.11(2) that
requires “an LVN to practice under
the supervision of a RN, advanced
practice nurse, physician, podia-
trist, dentist or physician assistant”
more narrowly than previously.
Because of this reading, when-
ever Daggett has to leave for a
meeting, lunch or anything else,
everyone in the college health cen-
ter has to leave and the health cen-
ter must be closed. Dagget has also
been tasked with overseeing some
student club activities, duties the
office of student life are respon-
sible for.
Jorge Posadas, student life
director, said, “(LVN) Josie Noriega
can’t provide health care unsuper-
vised. Paula Daggett’s license lets
Josie work.” For years, LVNs allowed
the health center to provide hours
to accommodate day, evening and
weekend students. The medical
regulations are not recent addi-
tions but were added to the state
nursing guidelines in September
2004 and revised in January 2006.
Posadas was unavailable to com-
ment on why the college has not
acted until now.
This college’s executive team,
composed of the college presi-
dent, vice presidents and deans,
reviewed the additional guidelines
in late spring and implemented
them during the summer.
“Because of budget cuts, stu-
dent services generally suffer,”
Posadas said. However, Posadas
is in a position to do something
about it by using the student activ-
ity fee each student pays at a rate of
$1 per semester.
Posadas said a safety concern
has caused the recent changes to
the health center. He said Noriega
and Daggett are not trained first
responders, so they cannot leave
the health center to help students
or faculty in an emergency.
When asked about not being
able to assist the employee seizing
Tuesday and Posadas saying she is
not a first responder, Daggett sim-
ply said, “I’m a nurse.”
Students are not happy about
the situation. “I almost don’t
want to go here anymore,” said
library sciences sophomore Loree
Morgan, who is a disabled student
and depends on the center daily.
Without the health center, Morgan
does not know whether she can
stay at this college. “I’m not blam-
ing Paula, but where do I go where
I can get my needs met?”
International business sopho-
more Sara Gabel said, “Why do
they want to take something we’re
using?”
Delia A. De Luna, student ser-
vices assistant for disability sup-
port services, said, “The concern is
these students don’t have anything
that is accessible.” The office of
disability support services is locat-
ed next door to the health center
because of reliance on the its ser-
vices. De Luna wants to know where
students can go when services are
not provided. “I can’t understand
why they’re not there like they used
to be,” she said.
“Parents and students feel com-
fortable because there’s a health
center.” De Luna questioned if DPS
is qualified to determine when
to call EMS and also if students
should be billed for the EMS call if
not requested.
For more information, visit the
center in Room 119 of Chance or
call 210-486-0222.
Health center cuts hours, services
Donna Deming, associate director of records, prepares to lower a
gate to block the view Tuesday as district police and EMS technicians
render aid to an unidentified staff member during an emergency in
admission and records. Rennie Murrell
Nurse is restricted to care within the center.
6 • Oct. 22, 2010 The Ranger
By Joshua Fechter
In Presidents Round Table Oct.
14, this college’s administration
met with club presidents to discuss
promoting graduation through the
organizations as a service com-
ponent.
President Robert Zeigler; Dr.
Jessica Howard, vice president of
academic affairs; and Dr. Robert
Vela, interim district director of
center for student information,
called the special meeting to focus
specifically on graduation.
Howard said students who
graduate with an associate degree
statistically do better when they
transfer to a university than those
who transfer without completing a
degree plan.
“Graduation is one of our most
important initiatives at SAC,” she
said.
“When students become a
junior or senior and have that
degree, it will distinguish them
from everybody else in their field
who are looking for a job,” she said.
Howard encouraged clubs and
organizations to take part in pro-
moting graduation, though none
are required to participate in the
initiative.
Howard said she wants gradua-
tion to become integral to campus
culture.
“We want it promoted all of the
time through cells of student activ-
ity,” she said.
Howard suggested organiza-
tions could adopt an academic
department and encourage teach-
ers to promote graduation in the
classroom.
“If you want to capture stu-
dents, the only way you can do it is
in class,” she said.
Zeigler said the club’s ideas do
not have to be complicated as long
they get the message out.
“It’s just a matter of trying to
keep it in front of people so they’re
aware that graduation is important
and that it is relatively easy to do,”
he said.
Zeigler said graduation could
be promoted on a word-of-mouth
basis.
“Just think about if every mem-
ber of every club talked up gradu-
ation and the huge impact that
could have across the college,” he
said.
News
Clubs and administration join forces for graduation
The Ranger Oct. 22, 2010 • 7News
By Zahra Farah
District 1 trustee Joe Alderete and District 7
trustee Blakely Fernandez learned about con-
sequences and cuts the colleges face because
of board and district administration decisions.
At Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting, sen-
ators spent about three hours in a question-and-
answer session with the two trustees who joined
the board in May. They were informed $12 mil-
lion in cuts for fiscal year 2011 left the colleges
scrambling and cutting many student services.
At the Aug. 19 regular board meeting, trust-
ees passed 6-3 a 2011 operating budget with a
5-percent tuition increase in spring 2011 and a
property tax increase that adds $5.77 per year to
a home valued at $100,000.
District 3 trustee Anna Bustamante, Alderete
and Fernandez voted against the increase.
Cuts here include a loss of 50 percent of tem-
porary employees and note-takers for students
with disabilities; cuts in hours and tutors in math,
English and SLAC labs; cuts in library hours and
databases and job placement services; and a
stronger push for a 50-50 adjunct-faculty ratio.
Alderete told senators he wanted a clear
list of the negative impact faculty and students
have faced so he can present this information to
the board because Alderete said he was told by
district administrators “nothing was supposed
to impact the students directly.”
That comment raised a big laugh.
Alderete asked faculty if a communication
problem exists between departments and the
college because in a meeting he attended with
the five college presidents, they approved cuts.
Counselor Steve Samet advised Alderete to
take into consideration that college presidents
are appointed by the chancellor.
Math Professor Carlos Corona said the dis-
trict passes Alamo Colleges’ operating budget,
then the monies are dispersed to colleges to
figure out how to make the money stretch. He
said the problem is each college’s needs differ;
the college is left to make hard decisions, which
leaves everyone, in the end, suffering.
Fernandez said she was not aware of the
direct cuts to student services because specific
information is not being reported to the board.
Fernandez said the information trustees
receive comes from the administration unless
she gets a call directly from a parent. She told
senators she wanted to hear “concerns you have
so we can be a part of the solution.”
Alderete said he told Chancellor Bruce Leslie
he was not going to “flat out get information
only from administration.”
“I’m here to listen to different opinions,” he
said. “We are policymakers not administrators …
we can’t cast things without the whole picture.”
Senators thanked Alderete and Fernandez
repeatedly for being willing to hear “our side …
and not think we’re only disgruntled employ-
ees,” business Chair Val Calvert said.
Last spring, Faculty Senate invited then-new
trustee Fernandez to a special called meeting
Feb. 10, but she canceled saying board policy
prohibited it without another trustee present.
Senators tried getting trustees Gary Beitzel
of District 8, Roberto Zárate of District 5 and
then-board Chair Denver McClendon of District
2 to accompany Fernandez, but all declined.
Zárate added, in a Jan. 29 e-mail, “It is
beyond my role and responsibility to meet
with either staff and faculty. This protocol is to
maintain an objective viewpoint when making
decisions.”
Senators, at the time, questioned whether
trustees care about making informed decisions.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Calvert said her
department has a shortage of full-time faculty,
with a 30-70 full-time-to-adjunct ratio, and one
program has 7 percent full-time faculty. Calvert
said the shortage prevents students from receiv-
ing enough advising and assistance in labs.
Samet said job placement was important,
helping students connect with the workforce and
internships. Also, the cut in temporary employ-
ees, which includes work-study students, adds
greater financial burdens to students and could
factor into keeping them out of college.
Alderete said he was upset to hear of job
placement being cut. “This really bothers me;
we were not communicated this as a board.” He
continued, “We need the full facts.”
Corona said in developmental math courses,
students require an extra lab hour. He said he has
no problem with an extra lab hour, but with the
number of students in developmental math, there
is not enough lab space or tutors. He said if some-
thing is added to the curriculum, the department
should have the resources to fulfill those needs.
For two years, chairs have had to deal with
course alignment across the district, E-syllabus,
Banner, learning outcome measurement and
other new initiatives. Bill Richardson, kinesiolo-
gy and dance chair, said some of them are good,
but he’s barely “swimming up stream.” He said
he wants trustees to know “we fight through it”
and “bring it in the classroom,” but department
chairs are worn out. “Things are moving too
quickly,” he said.
Chairs in the meeting nodded in agreement.
Fernandez accepted some blame because
some initiatives have been approved since she
took office, “My apologies on what this is doing
to your job.”
Senate educates trustees on damage from budget cuts
8 • The Ranger News
By Stefania Malacrida
When Lupe Valdez was elected
sheriff of Dallas County in 2004,
she broke many ceilings. She is the
only female sheriff in Texas, the first
Hispanic and the first “out” lesbian.
For Valdez, being the first is some-
thing she got used to long before
her election. She has been in law
enforcement more than 35 years, and
in a field dominated by men, she was
often the only woman in almost every
hierarchy she belonged to and every
training or class she attended.
Valdez began with one of those
recollections in her Coming-Out
Week lecture Oct. 14 in the audito-
rium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.
“About 25 years ago, I was in
Quantico, Va., for an undercover class
as a federal anti-terrorism agent,” she
said. “Being the only female, I had an
advantage — there was no line for the
women’s bathroom,” she joked, trig-
gering a loud laugh in the audience.
“When I came out of the bath-
room, I heard one FBI top manager
saying as loud as he could, ‘I’ll be
blankety-blank-blank if I ever have to
take orders from someone who has
to sit down to pee.’ In that moment,
I promised myself that I would never
allow another person to be publicly
degraded that way,” she said.
Now Valdez runs a metropolitan
jail system with about 2,000 employ-
ees, many who verbally attacked her
during her campaign because of her
sexual orientation.
“My opponents delved farther
and farther into the negative, coming
out with offensive slogans,” she said.
“When I took office in 2004, those
people were terribly afraid to be fired.”
Not only did Valdez not fire them,
she worked to change their minds.
“The revenge has to stop with us,”
she said.
“Sexist people, racist people think
we minorities would behave the same
way they treated us, but we have to
look beyond our hurt egos.”
This positive attitude was eventu-
ally successful for Valdez. “We ran as
if we were losing,” she said, adding
that it was amazing to “think that a
Democrat, a woman, a Hispanic and
a lesbian would dare run for sheriff in
Bush’s backyard.”
Nevertheless she ran, carefully
considering when to play the gay-
card. “I wasn’t out publicly at that
time. Only a few people knew that I
was a lesbian,” she said.
The news, however, began to
spread. Sooner or later, she had to
come out, before her opponents
did it for her. “I remember entire
nights spent with my staff, discuss-
ing whether to come out or not, and
how.”
She delayed as long as she could.
“I wanted to make sure that my sexu-
ality wasn’t the first thing they knew
about me,” she said. “I wanted to
convey the message that the skills
and the motivation are the important
things, regardless of one’s sexual ori-
entation.”
Finally, Valdez came out during
a press conference in the simplest
way she could. ‘Yes, I’m a lesbian,’ I
said. ‘And what’s the big deal? Don’t
35 years experience count?’ And we
went ahead speaking about the pro-
gram,” she said.
Valdez recalled the victory in 2004
as an unexpected joy not only for
her but also for the many minorities
she represents. In 2008, she was re-
elected. At 63, she wants to run again
in 2012. If she loses, she will find
another way to serve the community.
“But to tell the truth, I’m very
popular,” she smiled.
Dallas sheriff: Being first is just fine
Cadet Logan Huesing uses a claw to cut into a car Monday at Texas Auto Salvage.
Sheriff Lupe Valdez references “The
Interpreter” talking about overcom-
ing bias Oct. 12. Noel Bracy
Cadet Lt. Jesse Borroel uses a cutter to remove a car roof while Instructor Tom Miller super-vises and cadets Greg Carrillo, Robert Sanchez and Victoria Recio watch.
Cadets Pearl Pearson and Josh Capps prac-tice cribbing and air bags to safely raise a vehicle during an extrication exercise Monday.
Oct. 22 2010 • 9News
Story and PhotoS by aliSon Wadley
One minute, you’re driving, and the
next minute, you’re spinning wildly out
of control.
Your car hits an embankment and you
begin to roll.
When the vehicle comes to a halt, you
realize you’re trapped.
The floorboard is above you, and you
have no way of getting out.
This is a job for firefighters.
“All fire equipment is designed to
destroy, not repair,” fire science Instructor
Eddie Bramhall said.
He is a retired captain from San
Antonio Fire Department.
This college’s First Responders Fire
Academy is down a quiet road about 2
miles off Interstate 35 in Atascosa County.
As a part of Basic Fire Suppression
class at the academy, cadets learn basic
tasks necessary to assist in extrication
from motor vehicle accidents, the most
common rescue call.
Cadets use various air tools and hand
tools such as splitters, cutters, pick axes
and glass saws to cut up cars while learn-
ing vehicle extrication.
They also use air bags to raise vehicles
off the ground and cribbing to support
the vehicle once it is raised.
He said they practice vehicle extrica-
tion techniques so they can get a feel for
how heavy the tools are and have a basic
idea of how to use them, but they will
learn to use them in-depth once they are
employed with a fire department.
This is one of many exercises in the
40-hour-a-week course offered at the
academy.
Basic Fire Suppression counts for 27
credit hours and can be applied to an
associate degree in fire science from this
college.
To become a firefighter, EMT train-
ing is required. For more information on
EMT training, visit http://www.alamo.
edu/sac/ce/mycaa/emt.html.
For information on First Responders
Fire Academy, call academic unit assis-
tant Rita Ogden at 210-486-1692.
Learning to destroyCadets Lt. Jesse Borroel, James Rogers and Lt. Brent Lowak clean up after vehicle extrication exercises Monday.
Cadet Logan Huesing uses a claw to cut into a car Monday at Texas Auto Salvage.
Cadet Logan Huesing uses a glass
saw to cut the windshield out of a car
Monday at Texas Auto Salvage.
Above, Cadet Logan Huesing uses a spreader to remove a car door while fire science Instructors Tom Miller and Capt. Cheryl McCall supervise, Cadet Greg Carrillo holds hoses at the ready.Left, Cadets Tripp Christopher and James Rogers and fire science Instructor Tom Miller remove the windshield from a car after cutting it with a pick ax and glass saw.
Cadets Pearl Pearson and Josh Capps prac-tice cribbing and air bags to safely raise a vehicle during an extrication exercise Monday.
The Ranger 10 • Oct. 22, 2010 Calendar
Today
SAC Event: Job Fair 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the
Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call 210-486-0135.
Saturday
SAC Event: PC on Call clinic 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
at Port of San Antonio, 312 Clarence Tinker.
Call 210-486-3412.
Monday
SAC Meeting: Astronomy Club 1 p.m.-2
p.m. in Room 111 of chemistry and geology.
Call 210-486-0063.
SAC Comedy: Oxymorons troupe 11 a.m.-
noon in Loftin cafeteria. Call 210-486-0125.
SAC Club: Cheshyre Cheese at 3 p.m., Room
100 of Gonzales. Call 210-486-0125.
Lecture: Trinity’s DeCoursey Lecture Series
presentation of “Biodiversity and the Future
of Life” with Pulitzer Prize recipient Edward O.
Wilson at 7:30 p.m. in Laurie Auditorium, One
Trinity Place. Call 210-999-8201.
SAC Meeting: Society of Mexican-
American Engineers and
Scientists at 3:30 p.m. in the
MESA study center in Room 204
of Chance. Call 210-486-1309.
Tuesday
SAC Worship: Campus Crusade for
Christ at 1:30 p.m. in Room 119 of chemistry
and geology. Call 210-486-1233.
SAC Meeting: Society of Women in
Engineering at noon in MESA center in Room
204 of Chance. Call 210-486-1309.
SAC Meeting: Teaching Academy Program
Peers 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m. in Room 128 of
Gonzales. Call 210-486-0665.
Wednesday
SAC Meeting: Gay and Lesbian
Association at 3 p.m. in Room 613 of Moody.
Call 210-486-0673.
SAC Lecture: “Healthy Relationships”
hosted by health center 11 a.m.-
noon in the Craft Room of Loftin.
Call 210-486-0222.
SAC Sports: Women’s and
men’s basketball vs. NVC. Women’s at
6 p.m., men’s at 8 p.m. in Candler. Call
210-486-0125.
SAC Event: Health screenings by Wellness
Committee and Affordable Lab 7 a.m.-9
a.m. in Room 126 of Candler. Appointment
required. Call 210-588-8779.
SAC Meeting: Society for the Advancement
of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
at 3 p.m. in MESA center, Room 204 of
Chance. Call 210-486-0342.
Thursday
SAC Sports: Women’s volleyball vs. NVC at
7 p.m. at NVC. Call 210-486-0125.
Oct. 29
SAC Event: “Women in Policing” with San
Antonio Police Department recruiting from
9 a.m.-noon in Loftin. Call 210-486-0422.
SAC Event: 3-on-3 basketball 1 p.m.-4
p.m. in Gym 1 of Candler. 210-486-0125.
Oct. 31
PAC Event: Children’s Halloween celebra-
tion at 1:30 p.m. in Children’s Library in
Ozuna. Call 210-486-3561.
Calendar Legend
SAC: San Antonio CollegeNVC: Northwest Vista CollegeSPC: St. Philip’s CollegeSWC: Southwest CampusPAC: Palo Alto CollegeNLC: Northeast Lakeview College
For coverage, call 210-486-1773 or e-mail
[email protected] two weeks in advance.
Join the Student Leadership Institute!
Accepting Applications for the Spring 2011 Semester
Meet new people and make new friends
Explore new interests Learn new or enhance current skills
Network and gain experience related to your field of interest
Be exposed to leadership opportunities on campus and in the community Build your resume
Visit: www.alamo.edu/district/sli Call: 210.485.0790
The Ranger Oct. 22, 2010 • 11
utdallas.edu
Are YouConnected?
utdallas.edu/connect
Connect your two year associate’s degree with a four-year bachelor’s degree at UT Dallas. Lock in tomorrow’s tuition at today’s prices for four school years through our guaranteed tuition plan. Get ac-cess to early advising and start planning your move today. Go to UT Dallas’ Comet Connection website for details and to report your intention to join.
create your future
Join Us for Preview Friday!Designed exclusively for transfer students, Preview Friday is an event that allows you to mingle with other transfer students and view a detailed presentation about transferring, financial aid, scholarships and campus life. It also gives you an opportunity to talk one-on-one with an advisor in your major to learn how you can make the smoothest transition to help you reach your academic goals.
Register online for the date you’d like to attend and get more information regarding Preview Friday and other events at utdallas.edu/enroll/events.
Directions to the UT Dallas campus are available at utdallas.edu/directions.
2 - 4 p.m. Oct. 22Nov. 5Feb. 11
2010 - 2011 Preview Friday Dates
12 • Oct. 22, 2010 The RangerPremiere
By Stefania Malacrida
For one night, teachers will toss aside chalk and
red pens and don vampire’s teeth or witch hats, not
to torture their poor students, but to perform in the
Halloween Faculty Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in
the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.
All of them will be dressed in the best Halloween
tradition.
“Last year, we had ‘Sweeney Todd.’ It was an awe-
some makeup,” piano Professor Mary Lou Russell
said.
“This year, we will have zombies and German
character’s outfits such as ‘Hans und Franz,’” Russell
said. As far as the music, Russell revealed, “I’m play-
ing Bach ‘Toccata & Fugue in D Minor’ — always a
winner!”
Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue” on pipe organ and
“The Phantom Of The Opera” are some of the gothic
melodies in the program. The orchestra also will
play other types of popular music such as the Rolling
Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
Between one piece and another, a series of
sketches from major comedies will entertain the
audience.
The tickets cost $5 for students and $7 for adults,
and the department also accepts donations.
Music Chair Mark Denison said the reason for
the concert is to raise money for scholarships.
“The event finances two $500 scholarships
for two music students who stood out during the
semester for talent and commitment,” he said.
“The names will be announced at the end of the
concert, and this will be the pivotal moment of the
night,” Denison said.
Denison anticipated that he will wear a funny
dress, “a sweat suit based on a ‘Saturday Night Live’
character. I can’t tell more. It’s a surprise,” he said.
During the evening, a lottery and a number of
jokes will assure fun for everybody.
“The spirit of the whole evening is basically to
have fun,” Denison concluded. “But the scholar-
ships are for real.”
The concert is organized by the music, theater and
speech communication department and includes 12
instructors: Denison, Russell, Terry Muska, Peter
Kline, Andrew Gignac, Cynthia Sanchez, Jeff Hunt,
Peter Carey, Jim Kalson, Janet Tracy, Owen Duggan
and Madeline Elizondo.
Other participants include Jorge Posadas and
Tyler Archer of student life; Dr. Jessica Howard, vice
president of academic affairs; and student chamber
singer Rene Solarzano.
For information, visit http://www.alamo.edu/
sac/music/musiccalendar.htm.
By aBiel rodriguez
An unknown virus turns
Loftin Student Center into a
sick ward for the dying.
From 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Oct.
29-30, Loftin Student Center
will be filled with people
infected with an unknown
virus in the fourth annual
haunted house presented
by the Onstage Drama Club
and the office of student
life.
Virus, this year’s theme,
will lead the brave and
immune through various
stages of a viral infection.
If all the hype in the last
five years over a bird flu
pandemic make you scoff,
remember, a virus turned
everyone into blood-thirsty
zombies in “28 Days” and
almost gave the U.S. Army
reason to blow a small ebo-
la-ridden town off the map
in “Outbreak.”
The drama club didn’t
want to give away too much
but provided a brief descrip-
tion of the haunted house.
Onstage Drama Club
adviser Paula Rodriguez
said, “One room will have
people in the beginning
stages of being infected with
the virus, while another will
have people completely
taken over by the virus.”
Students from this col-
lege get in free with a college
ID. The general admission
fee is $5.
Because of the graph-
ic nature of the haunted
house, children under the
age of 6 will not be admitted.
“It might be too scary for
them,” Rodriguez explained.
“There will be blood, zom-
bies and people screaming.”
The haunted house
is directed, built and per-
formed by students.
Anthony Diaz, president
of the Onstage Drama Club,
said, “We have people from
Psych Club, OnStage Drama
Club and people from the
office of student life partici-
pating in the event.”
Students who have
taken stage makeup classes
will help make the event
feel authentic by applying
makeup to the actors.
The effects in the haunt-
ed house include lighting
and audio but won’t include
haze and fog machines
because they tend to turn
on smoke alarms, Rodriguez
said.
The themes for the
haunted house have been
different each year since it
started.
The first year’s haunted
house was asylum-themed
followed by “Terror in the
Toy Factory” and a “Bloody
Ball at Dewey Mansion” last
year.
A portion of the proceeds
will help fund a trip for the
Onstage Drama Club to New
York City to attend work-
shops and see Broadway
plays in May.
This college’s haunted
house offers a less expen-
sive alternative to other
Halloween events in the
city.
Prices for haunted
houses like The 13th Floor
and Nightmare on Grayson
range from $14.99 to
$29.99.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
and Sea World also have
Halloween-themed events
that could cost as much as
$58.99 to enter the parks.
For more information,
call the office of student life
at 210-486-0125.
Faculty go zombieAnnual haunted
house is infectious.
Drama sophomore “Z.” Badillo practices his zombie
moves by pretending to attack drama freshman Andy
Silva on Oct. 8 outside the visual arts center. Noel Bracy
Virus spreads in Loftin
The Ranger Oct. 22, 2010 • 13Editorial
Trustees’ vision impairedAlexandra Nelipa
Parking at this college is problem-atic every semester, and there are many instances when students become so discouraged, they give up.
The district needs to look at each college individually when it comes to parking decisions.
This college has 3,760 parking spaces, according to a 2009 survey by Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc.
This is only 1,985 more parking spac-es than at Northeast Lakeview College whose enrollment is 5,252 students compared to this college’s 22,498 stu-dents.
Where is the fairness trustees talk about?
If trustees approve increasing the price of parking permits to $50 next week, the district should use the money for more officers as well as addressing the lack of parking.
The district police reported that based on other institutions the ideal officer-to-student ratio is 3.8 officers per 1,000 students.
Also, this district provides only 0.98 officers per 1,000 students as reported at the board budget retreat on May 15.
Last week alone on this campus, there was a report of a robbery and an assault and robbery — both in broad
daylight and one in a heavily traveled area. There is an obvious need for a higher profile by police.
Public transportation also needs some serious exploration, so students who can’t afford the $50 parking permit will still have a means of transportation to school.
It’s clear from this weekend’s retreat that trustees don’t fully appreciate the financial hardships students today face.
This is not the golden age of American economy that many of the trustees experienced growing up and attending college.
This is the generation that cannot expect a better life than their parents.
Hard times makes for hard choices.Because so many more students are
affected by the permit increase than the citation increase, the district should sharply increase citations rather than permits. Let those who choose to violate rules pay the consequences.
There is still time to weigh in on the decision. Trustees are expected to address parking at the regular board meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 201 W. Sheridan.
Sign up before 6 p.m. to address the board in the citizens-to-be-heard seg-ment of the meetings.
Letter to the Editor
Wrong way to successEditor:
The Texas Legislature seems likely to
lead Texas colleges down the wrong path in
the name of success. True success must be
earned, not legislated nor administered.
Who wouldn’t like to be successful? I
know any success I might have is inexorably
linked to my students’ success. Thus, I feel
compelled to strive to do all I reasonably can
to ensure their success. Even so, there are
many things I can’t do for students. I can-
not attend class for them. I cannot remem-
ber for them. I also cannot make learning
more important to them than their latest text
message. These are things students must do
themselves.
Recent and proposed initiatives by the
Texas Legislature regarding funding for com-
munity colleges have caused college admin-
istrators to increasingly track “student suc-
cess” and push for better numbers. However,
success seems to be narrowly defined as
productive grade rate without consideration
of actual learning.
It has been said that San Antonio College
is not as “successful” as our peers. While our
PGRs might not be at the same level as our
peers, I would argue that it well might be that
our standards are higher. I hope there is no
great push to make medical schools more
successful and I doubt that CPA exams or bar
exams will be made easier to accommodate
a different type of student with a different
type of expectation. (A significant percent-
age seem to expect success as a reward for
attendance.)
Administrators probably have no choice
but to push for more and more student suc-
cess. I would argue, however, that any state-
ment that we should expect to achieve a
really significant increase in student success
but should not lower standards is either naive
or disingenuous. I would expect that the
“pressure to pass” will be especially strong on
adjunct and nontenured faculty.
I would like to add that none of this has
made me bitter or “burned out.” I still love
what I do and feel honored to have spent the
last 31 years teaching at such a great school.
I just hope what I am expected to do does
not change so drastically that I no longer love
what I might be forced to do.
Gerald Busald
Math Professor
14 • Oct. 22, 2010 The Ranger
Chancellor: Dr. Bruce H. Leslie201 W. Sheridan, Bldg. B, San Antonio, TX 78204-1429Work: 485-0020 Fax: 208-8149E-mail: [email protected]
District 1: Joe Alderete Jr.1602 Hillcrest Drive,San Antonio, TX 78228 Cell: 863-9500 E-mail: [email protected]
District 2: Denver McClendon3811 Willowwood Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78219 Work: 281-9141 E-mail: [email protected]
District 3: Anna U. Bustamante511 Ware Blvd., San Antonio TX 78221Work: 882-1603 Fax: 927-4557E-mail: [email protected]
District 4: Marcelo S. Casillas115 Wainwright, San Antonio, TX 78211Home: 922-6815 Fax: 923-3167 E-mail: [email protected]
District 5: Roberto Zárate4103 Buffalo Bayou, San Antonio, TX 78251E-mail: [email protected]
District 6: Dr. Gene Sprague14722 Iron Horse Way,Helotes, TX 78023Work: 567-5544 Fax: 520-9185E-mail: [email protected]
District 7: Blakely Latham Fernandez755 E. Mulberry, Suite 200,San Antonio, TX 78212Work: 244-8879E-mail: [email protected]
District 8: Gary Beitzel15403 Forest Mist, San Antonio, TX 78232Home: 496-5857 E-mail: [email protected]
District 9: James A. Rindfuss109 Laburnum, San Antonio, TX 78209Home: 828-4630 Work: 375-2555 Home Fax: 832-8292 Office Fax: 375-0301 E-mail: [email protected]
Officials
San Antonio College, Dr. Robert E. Zeigler486-0959, [email protected]
Northeast Lakeview College, Dr. Eric Reno486-5484, [email protected]
Northwest Vista College, Dr. Jacqueline Claunch486-4900, [email protected]
Palo Alto College, Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzman486-3960, [email protected]
St. Philip’s College, Dr. Adena W. Loston486-2900, [email protected]
Presidents
Guest Viewpoints:
Faculty, staff, students and
community members are wel-
come to contribute guest view-
points of up to 450 words.
Writers should focus on cam-
pus or current events in a critical,
persuasive or interpretative style.
All viewpoints must be pub-
lished with a photo portrait of
the writer.
Letters Policy:
The Ranger invites readers
to share views by writing letters
to the editor. Space limitations
force the paper to limit letters
to two double-spaced, typewrit-
ten pages. Letters will be edited
for spelling, style, grammar, libel
and length. Editors reserve the
right to deny publication of any
letter.
Letters should be mailed
to The Ranger, Department of
Media Communications, San
Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro
Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-4299.
Letters also may be brought
to the newspaper office in Room
212 of Loftin Student Center,
e-mailed to sac-ranger@alamo.
edu or faxed to 210-486-1789.
Letters must be signed and
must include the printed name
and telephone number. Students
should include classification,
major, campus and Banner ID.
Employees should include title
and telephone number.
For more information, call
210-486-1773.
Single Copy Policy:
Members of the Alamo
Community College District
community are permitted one
free copy per issue because of
high production costs.
Where available, additional
copies may be purchased with
prior approval for 50 cents each
by contacting The Ranger busi-
ness office.
Newspaper theft is a crime.
Those who violate the single-
copy rule may be subject to civil
and criminal prosecution and
subject to college discipline.
Editor
Laura Garcia
Managing Editor
Zahra Farah
Calendar Editor
Jennifer M. Ytuarte
Photographers
Tyler K. Cleveland, Rennie Murrell,
Julysa Sosa, Alison Wadley
Photo Team
Katie Bordini, Noel Bracy,
Christopher Michael Brown, Dave Crockett,
D.L. Gonzalez, Karla Iruegas, James Lazo,
Henriette Mutegwaraba,
Nicole Jacinta Gaskin-Paulsen,
Pam Ramsey, Jenny Robles,
Carmen Sanjuan
Illustrators
Juan Carlos Campos, Alexandra Nelipa,
Fred V.M. Nockroes III
Staff Writers
J. Almendarez, Jacob Beltran, Kristina Coble,
Joshua Fechter, Roxanna Flores, J. Hernandez,
Rachel McKee, Stefania Malacrida, Megan Mares,
Aaron Nielsen, Creshawna T. Parker, Daniel Perales,
Abiel Rodriguez, Riley Stephens
Production Manager
Melody Mendoza
Production Assistants
Krystal Barcenez, Jason B. Hogan
Web Administrator
D.A. James
©2010 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1300 San Pe-dro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-4299. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
The Ranger, the student newspaper at San Antonio College, is a laboratory project of the journalism classes in the Department of Media Communications, published Fridays except during sum-mer, holidays and examinations.
News contributions accepted by telephone (210-486-1773), by fax (210-486-1789), by e-mail ([email protected]) or at the editorial office (Room 212 Loftin Student Center).
Advertising rates available upon request by phone (210-486-1765) or as a download at www.theranger.org.
The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press As-sociation, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Commu-nity College Journalism Association.
The RangeR
The Ranger Oct. 22, 2010 • 15Premiere
By J. AlmendArez
The Orionids meteor shower will be at its peak
through today.
This meteor shower appears annually when Earth
passes through dust left behind by Halley’s comet.
The comet is visible with the unaided eye from
Earth every 76 years, and its last pass close to Earth
was in 1986. It will appear again in 2062.
Planetarium Coordinator Bob Kelley described
the event as being similar to “bugs on a windshield.”
Watching a meteor shower away from city lights
will typically increase the visibility of meteors, but
the moon, which becomes full at 9:38 p.m. today
creates a less than desirable condition for meteor
sightings because, Kelley said, “The moon will just
be too bright.”
Moonrise tonight is at 7:33 p.m., and the moon
sets at 8:18 a.m. so it will be in the sky all night.
Because the full moon will overly light the sky,
the visibility of meteors may be reduced to five to
10 meteors an hour, but the shower can produce as
many as 25 meteors per hour.
While Kelley warns of the possibility of a lacklus-
ter celestial show, he said that it still may prove to be
a worthwhile event.
He said the meteors will likely take one to two
seconds to burn in the atmosphere.
Most will appear white, but some of the brightest
ones will appear yellow or green. Kelley credits color
variations to the mineral content of the comet dust
as they chemically react to the atmosphere.
The highest concentration of meteors will be
between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. and can be found by look-
ing directly overhead and slightly west.
While the constellation Orion will be visible on
the eastern horizon at 11:30 p.m., only meteors
burning toward the west will be seen so early.
Kelley does not recommend using binoculars or
a telescope during the shower because they will nar-
row the scope of the sky and reduce the chances of
meteor sightings.
Information about monthly astronomical events
can be found at http://www.alamo.edu/sac/ce/
scobee/skyline2.html.
Orionids meteor shower reaches peakThe full moon may interfere
with viewing, coordinator warns.
Pumpkin picking: Biology
sophomore Carlos Castany looks
for a pumpkin to pick out for the
Halloween costume pumpkin carv-
ing contest during Oktoberfest
Wednesday in the mall. The con-
test is from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct.
29 in Loftin. Julysa Sosa
By riley StephenS
Two robberies, one with an
assault, occurred this week, but
police are not releasing informa-
tion on the incidents as they are
under investigation.
An Oct. 13 crime alert e-mail
warned of a robbery reported
between McCreless and Gonzales
halls in which a student reported
two unidentified individuals stole
his personal property at 2:30 p.m.
Campus police also received a
report at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 15 about
a student who was physically
assaulted by three males.
On Oct. 15, The Ranger report-
ed a Gateway-to-College student
saw the victim of the robbery
talking to the three assailants
prior to the robbery near Dewey
and Belknap places.
The eyewitness said the victim
was seen playing with a handheld
gaming device and showing off a
“nice phone.”
He moved west on Dewey with
the assailants.
The eyewitness said he heard
people yelling about a fight and
the victim started to run eastward
on Dewey.
When the victim was next
seen, he had blood dripping from
his face, his eye was red and swol-
len, and he was bleeding from
his nose.
Sgt. Ben Peña of the Alamo
Colleges police said Tuesday
there have been no additional
assaults reported.
Because the robbery is still
under investigation, Peña did not
want to reveal the specifics of
the robbery but said the num-
ber of people located near the
area where the robbery occurred
is something that doesn’t happen
often.
“There is no reason why it
happened here and not anywhere
else. They (robberies) just hap-
pen,” he said.
Peña said students shouldn’t
put themselves in situations
where they can be a victim and
should stay in public areas with
people they know.
“We offer tips to students
online and in The Ranger,” Peña
said.
The e-mail alert suggests
using the buddy system when
walking on campus.
To report an incident, call
the police dispatcher at 210-486-
0099.
Two robberies prompt warningAlamo Colleges police offer tips to increase
individual safety.For more information
on crime prevention, visit http://www.alamo.edu/district/dps/saclinks/prevention.htm.
16 • Oct. 22, 2010 The Ranger
Story and PhotoS by JulySa SoSa
Ballet Folklórico Fiesta Mexicana,
a group of 38 dancers from Monterrey,
Nuevo León, Mexico, per-
formed traditional danc-
es last week to celebrate
Hispanic Heritage Month.
The men whirled
onstage with pairs of
machetes, and the women
twirled while balancing
on their heads bottles and
trays of filled water glasses.
The office of student
life sponsored the troupe, which cost
$15,000, for three performances and a
three-hour Oct. 16 workshop in the gym
of Candler Physical Education Center.
The dancers performed at Northeast
Lakeview College Oct. 14 and at 11 a.m.
Oct. 15 in the mall at this college.
The group also performed at 7:30 p.m.
in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts
Center for a crowd of about 300.
The dancer’s colorful costumes and
fancy footwork represented styles of
dance from different regions of Mexico.
One unexpected dance routine, that
originated from Nayarit, Mexico, incorpo-
rated quick movements with machetes, or
large heavy knives.
The dancers cut the air with the
machetes in synchronized
motions in front of their
bodies, between their legs
and daringly threw them
into the air and caught
them in time with the
music.
This style of dance was
used by men to show off
their skill in field work. The
women waved the folds of
the skirts of their vibrantly colored dress-
es, while balancing brown glass bottles
on top of their heads and fanning them-
selves.
Carlos Juarez, one of the male dancers,
said he has been dancing for most of his
life and has made it a family tradition.
“Es halgo que puedo hacer con mi
hijo,” he said in Spanish. “It’s something
that I can do with my son.”
Premiere
Hilda Fuentes
dances while bal-
ancing a liquid-
filled bottle on her
head Oct. 15 dur-
ing a performance
of Fiesta Mexicana
Ballet Folklórico in
the auditorium of
McAllister.
Dancers from Fiesta Mexicana Ballet Folklórico dance to “El Chinito Koy Koy” balancing trays of glasses and bottles on their heads.
Fiesta FinaleMexican folklórico group
travels to San Antonio for wrap of Hispanic Heritage Month.