nov. 13, 2009, issue of the ranger

THE RANGER

WORLD TOILET DAY 5

GOLF TEAM 5TH IN NATIONALS 10

IPOD VS SCHOLARSHIPS 14

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926 Single copies free

Vol. 84 Issue 9 Nov. 13, 2009

Alamo Colleges

Student Centers

2 • Nov. 13, 2009 The RangerBlotter

San antonio College

nov. 1 - Officers assisted in locat-

ing a lost male in nursing and

allied health.

nov. 2 – An individual reported a

suspicious female in the bookstore

in Loftin.

An individual reported damage to

a district sign in a parking lot.

An individual reported graffiti in

the elevator in nursing and allied

health.

An individual reported vehicle

damage because of an accident in

the parking garage.

nov. 3 – An officer assisted SAISD

Police with an incident at Travis.

An individual reported theft of a

personal laptop.

An individual reported a suspi-

cious male in the parking garage.


a personal vehicle in the parking

garage.


a personal vehicle in a parking lot.

At approximately 5:40 p.m. an

individual reported an aggravated

assault in Lot 2. The assault was

between acquaintances. The vic-

tim received non-life threatening

injuries and was treated at the

scene then later released at a local

hospital. The assailant was arrest-

ed and charged with aggravated

assault and criminal mischief.

nov. 4 – An individual reported

personal property being stolen

from the bookstore in Loftin.

An individual reported a distur-

bance in Chance.

An individual reported a stolen

personal vehicle from a parking

lot.

An individual reported a suspi-

cious person in Fletcher.

An individual reported an illness

in a classroom and departed cam-

pus.

An individual reported a person

pacing back and forth in front of

Moody.

An individual was taken into cus-

tody for violating an active crimi-

nal trespass warning.

An individual reported locking

keys in a vehicle in the parking

garage.

nov. 5 – An individual reported

seeing three males smoking mari-

juana near McCreless.

An individual reported theft of

personal property in Moody.

An individual reported theft of fuel

from a vehicle in a parking lot.

ContaCt InfoEmergency222-0911

General DPS485-0099

Weather Line485-0189

www.theranger.orgComplete blotter online.

The Ranger • Vol. 84 • Issue 9 Nov. 13, 2009 • 3

Only online @ theranger.org

People slideshow

How to becomea police officer

SAC Cares to engage students, faculty in community service

Student-designed toys for children’s museum

CIP celebration marks completion

H1N1 prevention explained

Skipping class for writing lab

Letter:Biology missing at major fair

Go to www.theranger.org

for news and information.

The last print edition for the semester will be Nov. 20.

A forum of free voices serving San Antonio College since 1926The RangeR

www.theranger.org

2 Blotter

4 People

5 World Toilet Dayflush with sanitation awarenessBy Trey Randolph

6 Conner retires,board spot openBy Jason B. Hogan

Board fears low morale will lower student success By Jason B. HoganPhotos by Destiny Mata

7 Councilquestions confidentialityBy Vanessa M. SanchezPhotos by Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle

International Weekaims to increase cultural awarenessBy Zahra Farah

8 PremiereAlamo Collegesstudent centersStory and photos by Laura GarciaPhotos by Laura Garcia, Henrietta Mutegwaraba and Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle

10 Pulse Golf team placesfifth at nationalsBy Regis L. RobertsPhotos by Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle

11 Calendar

12 EditorialCartoonAdd students to send listCollege value declines with budget decreasesStill a ‘community’ college

14 OpinioniPod vs. scholarshipsBy Trey Randolph

15 Guest ViewpointFall of Berlin Wall as seen from Soviet UkraineBy Aivars Norenbergs

16 BackpageHunger issues oflow-income worldwideStory by Zahra FarahPhotos by Deborah Harrison

4 • Nov. 13, 2009 The RangerPeople

Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle


Bon appétit: Jennifer Garcia-Valdez, culinary arts and restaurant

management sophomore from St. Philip’s College, explains her group’s

recipes to judges at the 14th annual turkey tasting contest Wednesday

at Central Market at 4821 Broadway.

Celebrate: Administrative secretary Corina Vera; Rosalinda Castillo, secretary in human resources;

and project coordinator Edith Casias celebrate at a party for the completion of the capital improve-

ment program Nov. 6 at Pearl Stable. Alamo Colleges completed $450 million in improvements

made possible by a 2005 bond issue. See story online.

Sit back, relax: Nursing sophomore

Karen Larios gets a foot massage

from Shana Watkins during Spa

Day Nov. 5 in the craft room of

Loftin. The office of student life

sponsored Spa Day and hired the

Living Touch Therapeutic Spa to

participate.

Food drive: Business sophomore Hanna Carothers paints a box to help

promote a food drive for needy families outside Loftin Nov. 4.

Overflow: An overflow of water drains from the pool in Candler as Professor

Brad Dudney assesses the situation Nov. 5. Dudney canceled his class. The

pool was opened Nov. 6 with no malfunctions.



Destiny Mata

The Ranger Nov. 13, 2009 • 5

By Trey randolph

A toilet-shaped house in Suwon, South Korea;

the world’s largest public restroom in Chongqing,

China, with more than 1,000 toilets spread

over 32,000 square feet; and the Toilet Seat Art

Museum in Alamo Heights are a few of the

diverse and sometimes humorous toilet-related

items presented by engineering Coordinator Dan

Dimitriu in a presentation to his students every

year for World Toilet Day, Nov. 19.

The presentation even includes pictures of

toilets on the International Space Station. The

two toilets on the station, thanks to the unique

requirement of having to operate in zero gravity,

cost $19 million each, according to space.com.

Dimitriu shows the presentation as a light-

hearted way to make his students realize the

connection between engineering and toilets, as

well as to highlight the world sanitation issue.

“I raise awareness,” Dimitriu said. “It’s fun

also. Just think about it: We go to the bathroom

every day, several times a day, and we don’t

think about it.

“That’s one of the fantastic engineering mar-

vels that really was made possible by engi-

neers,” he continued. “It’s still developing with

all kind of new inventions and ideas.”

World Toilet Day is “to celebrate the impor-

tance of sanitation and raise awareness for the

2.5 billion people (more than a third of the world

population) who don’t have access to toilets and

proper sanitation,” the day’s Web site reads.

Basic sanitation, according to the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, is described

as “having access to facilities for the safe dis-

posal of human waste as well as having the

ability to maintain hygienic conditions, through

services such as garbage collection, industrial/

hazardous waste management, and wastewater

treatment and disposal.”

Improper disposal of human waste can lead

to water-borne diseases. The CDC states 88 per-

cent of diarrhea cases worldwide “are linked to

unsafe water, inadequate sanitation or insuf-

ficient hygiene.” Other water-borne diseases can

cause malnutrition, skin infections and organ

damage. In 2007, diarrheal diseases because

of improper sanitation were responsible for

more than 425,000 outpatient deaths in Ghana,

according to Ghana’s newspaper, The Statesman,

ranking it as the fifth most common cause of

death in that country. Intestinal worms, another

by-product of poor sanitation, ranked eighth.

Upper respiratory infections — 50 percent more

common in areas with inadequate sanitation —

ranked second only to malaria.

By comparison, of the top 15 causes of death

in the U.S. in 2006 listed by the CDC, there is no

mention of diarrheal diseases. The top cause of

death, heart disease, claimed 631,636. The fifth,

accidents and unintentional injuries, 121,599.

Pakistan’s The News International reported

Oct. 28 that 630 children die each day from

water-borne illnesses. It added that of the 1.8

million people who die from diarrheal diseases

annually around the globe, 90 percent are chil-

dren under age 5.

According to the U.N. Human Development

Report 2006, “The transition from unimproved

to improved sanitation is accompanied by a

more than 30 percent reduction in child mortal-

ity.” Improved sanitation is defined by the World

Health Organization as “a sanitation facility that

ensures hygienic separation of human excreta

from human contact,” such as a flush toilet

instead of an outhouse.

World Toilet Day events are in 17 countries,

such as India, Libya, Zimbabwe and Cameroon,

and three U.S. cities, Seattle, Milwaukee and

Portland, Ore. Events include seminars on prop-

er sanitation as well as participation in “The

Big Squat.” Participants squat for one minute

to acknowledge the need for proper sanitation

worldwide.

Since 2002, Cintas Facility Services has

awarded the America’s Best Restroom award.

Any restroom in the United States is eligible, and

the public determines nominations. The win-

ner for 2009 was the sumptious Shoji Tabuchi

Theater in Branson, Mo..

For more information on World Toilet Day

and America’s Best Restrooms, visit www.world-

toiletday.com and www.bestrestroom.com.

World Toilet Day flush with sanitation awarenessWorldwide 2.5 billion people

don’t have access to proper sanitation systems.

The ladies room at Shoji Tabuchi Theater in Branson, Mo., earned America’s Best Restroom 2009 award.

The men’s lounge at the theater includes a billiard table.

Courtesy photos

6 • Nov. 13, 2009 The Ranger

Former chairman, trustee retires

Board fears low morale will lower student success rate

www.theranger.orgGo online for extended ver-

sions of both stories.

By Jason B. Hogan

District 7 trustee Charles Conner admitted, in hind-

sight, that the board and district administrators could

have done a better job in establishing solid

communication with faculty and staff.

In a telephone interview Nov. 6, the trust-

ee, who resigned Oct. 28, praised the district

colleges as educationally driven but called

employee reactions mostly miscommunica-

tions on their part.

He said information supplied by the

board and district was consistently met

head on with nothing but incivility, unnec-

essary harshness and constant accusations

that created chaos.

The town hall meetings being conducted at each

of the colleges have been a positive factor in taking a

step in the right direction for better communication,

Conner said.

By Jason B. Hogan

The Alamo Community College District

board of trustees, district administrators

and the five college presi-

dents gathered Saturday for an

annual retreat to collaborate

efforts to increase student suc-

cess and achievement.

The problem that the board

and administrators found dur-

ing the retreat is that enroll-

ment may be up well above

average by more than 8,000

students, but Faculty Senates

and Staff Councils have said morale across

the district has decreased along with it,

and officials worry that it will affect class-

room productivity by faculty and student

achievement.

Dr. Thomas Cleary, vice chancellor for

planning, performance and information

systems, said the town hall forums have

produced positives because faculty and

staff have been given an environment to

vent and more information has come out

into the open. At the past two forums — at

this college and Palo Alto College — board

representatives and district administra-

tion said they realize they have the same

expectations for student success as faculty

and staff.

The board has scheduled the final two

forums at Northwest Vista and Northeast

Lakeview colleges for Monday and Tuesday

from 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

Dr. Federico Zaragoza, vice chancellor

of economic and workforce development,

said the district has a chance to be proac-

tive or “continue to eat at each other.”

The Ranger Nov. 13, 2009 • 7

By Zahra Farah

International Education

Week gives students at this col-

lege time to reflect and increase

their awareness of different cul-

tures and diversity, said Suzanna

Borawski, counselor in this col-

lege’s international students office

and adviser to the International

Student Association.

Events run Monday through

Thursday.

The observance kicks off for

students, faculty and staff from

noon-2 p.m. Monday in

the board room at Killen

Center, 201 W. Sheridan

St.

Keynote speaker

will be Dr. Sara Jackson,

professor of inter-

national business at

the University of the

Incarnate Word.

Students may learn about

study-abroad opportunities in

Europe, Japan and Costa Rica, as

well as language courses offered at

this college from 11:30 a.m.-1:30

p.m. Tuesday in the Fiesta Room of

Loftin Student Center.

The International

Student Association will

sell sausages from 10

a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday in

the mall.

Students from India,

Mongolia and Vietnam

will speak about their

customs, languages and

political systems from 11 a.m.-

noon Wednesday in Room 120 of

the visual arts center.

Maricarmen Esper, education

freshman, will discuss her book,

“How to Educate in Ethical Values,”

from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday.

The film, “Afghan Women: A

History of Struggle,” will be shown

from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday

in Room 120 of the visual arts

center.

The film captures the resilience

and courage of a group of women

who risk their lives daily in the

struggle for political, economic

and social equality.

For more information, call

Borawski at 486-0116.

By Vanessa M. sancheZ

A revised district computer security agree-

ment was presented to the College Academic

Council Tuesday, but members still disagreed

with some of the language.

Psychology Chair Thomas Billimek objected

to wording concerning breaching confidential-

ity of access codes by negligence, saying that

it needed clarification on who decides what is

“negligence.”

He also protested the

requirement to abide by the

district’s policies and proce-

dures that include restric-

tions on computer use for

anything other than college

or district purposes.

He said that even

though, “I can use my

home computer for work,”

employees cannot use their

work computers for some-

thing as small as online

banking.

Billimek continued, “I’m not going to sign it

if it’s vague.”

Usha Venkat, director of technology and

communication, who presented the revised

agreement, said the district allows “incidental

use” of computers by employees, though others

found that term vague.

Jorge Posadas, director of student life, said,

“A lot of nice stuff comes up when we pull up

cheerleader” in a search engine, when search-

ing for cheer uniforms. As council members

laughed, he explained that this is an example of

computer use that could be misconstrued and

illustrates the need for clarification.

In addition, Posadas suggested a depart-

ment chair or supervisor should determine

what constitutes negligence.

Librarian Candace Peterson objected to

what she called a confidentiality agreement in

the document that she said had nothing to do

with computer security.

This college’s president,

Dr. Robert Zeigler, said

administrators will try to

get some answers to these

concerns.

In a report

from the

C u r r i c u l u m

Review and

E v a l u a t i o n

C o m m i t t e e ,

Vernell Walker,

dean of profes-

sional and technical education, said

the kinesiology and dance depart-

ment at this college is to add KINE

1338, Concepts of Fitness and Wellness, to the

college inventory.

The CREC report stated that the class will

be accepted by the University of

Texas at San Antonio’s transfer

plan and is already offered at the

other four colleges.

She also said that the history

and humanities department pro-

posed a new Associate of Arts

degree, which she said will be

listed as “with a concentration in

history.”

The change, according to the

report, is to help students who

aspire to becoming a social studies teacher at

the elementary level or secondary institutions.

Computer agreement in dispute over confidentiality

International Education Week aims to increase cultural awareness

Vernell Walker, dean of professional and technical educa-

tion, talks about new courses at the Academic Council

meeting Tuesday.

Photos by Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle

www.theranger.orgGo online to read interviews with

international students.

Program includes film, lectures and culture

presentations.

Dr. Thomas Billimek objects to vagueness

and a double standard in a draft agreement.

Academic Council also discusses new classes, parking and

end of capital improvements.

www.theranger.orgGo online to read about

the council’s discussion of parking and accreditation.

Unfinished center contrasts with othersA room that has yet to be renovated in the Loftin. Originally planned as a game room, it is

now set to be a fitness room.

Loftin photos by Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle

Architecture sophomore Eduardo

Rodriguez and nursing sophomore Rusty

Covell play pingpong Tuesday in Loftin.

Health care freshman David Murray, com-

puter science sophomore Ryan Ferrell,

and architecture freshman Michael

Gonzales play a game of Xbox Tuesday in

the cyber cafe in Loftin.

By Laura Garcia

Construction of Loftin Student Center is at a stand-

still and has been for almost two years.

Phase 1 of renovations, which included moving the

student life offices to a corner of the second floor and

a modernization of the interior, began Sept. 12, 2007.

Funds were spent on specialty furniture, an informa-

tion desk, building curved walls with bar-height laptop

seating and a new paint job.

It was supposed to include a bookstore annex and

game room before production halted.

The project cost $170,240 in student activity

fees with an additional $198,000 from district’s 2006

Maintenance Tax Notes. The project total is $352,000.

John Strybos, vice chancellor of facilities, said they

got a surprise once they pulled up the floor and also

that the needs of the students changed. Student life

Director Jorge Posadas said the floor was uneven and

that would have blown the budget.

Posadas said the game room that was originally to

go in the now vacant space on the south side of the

first floor is now intended as a mini fitness room. He

says that it’s hard to get into fitness classes and that

the conditioning rooms are available only when there

are no classes so it is difficult for students to find time

to work out.

Since moving the arcade off the second floor, the

video games and pool tables have occupied the north

end of the cafeteria, adding to the cacophony.

A bookstore annex, conference room and a couple

of student life offices also will occupy the space next to

the fitness room. Posadas said he plans to have a few

workout machines and mirrors added to the space.

The cost has not been determined, but Posadas said

that there are student activity fee funds available.

Kinesiology Chair Bill Richardson said that if the fit-

ness center will benefit students then that is fine. He

added that there should be a monitor present to sign

in students and ensure they are using the equipment

properly so that they don’t get hurt. He

added that students should wear workout

clothes.

Posadas also plans to update the

Fiesta Room by adding theater lighting,

a sound booth and mini stage similar to a

black box theater. A remodeled informa-

tion booth under the stairway and new

paint are also in the works to be added

in Phase 2.

“We are trying to use every inch of the

building,” he said.

Posadas said new plans are in place for Phase 2 and

are awaiting a district architect’s designs. He said they

have the $30,000 and at this point are just waiting for

a draft of the blueprints. Then Strybos will send out

bids. Right now, there is no completion date for the

renovations to come.

“I hope it’s as soon as possible,” Posadas said.

Strybos said that district architects are currently work-

ing on the project, but has no idea when the work will

begin.

He said there are easily 10-15 events a week ranging

from live entertainment, sporting events, workshops

to fairs and karaoke free. The 22,028 students enrolled

at this college pay $1 per credit hour in student activ-

ity fees.

Even with an uncompleted student center, there

are an abundance of amenities. There are pingpong

and pool tables, arcade games, big-screen TVs for

video game use, and Bailey’s Cyber Café

equipped with new Macintosh comput-

ers. The café is open until 5 p.m. except

on Fridays when it closes at 4:30 p.m.

“We’re going to take care of them,”

Posadas said. “We want to make sure that

they get the best.”

A number of intramural sports

teams are beating out some four-year

universities in competition, the Student

Government Association is active on- and

off-campus and other student clubs and organizations

are fundraising nonstop.

Still students are kicked out of the building by 6:50

p.m. even though cafeteria hours are from 7 a.m.-7

p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

Friday and won’t be extended, Posadas said, because it

would mean longer hours for housekeepers.

For information or suggestions, call student life at

486-0125.

www.theranger.orgGo online for details of student centers

at the four other colleges.

8 • The Ranger Across the district

Nov. 13, 2009 • 9

Unfinished center contrasts with othersA room that has yet to be renovated in the Loftin. Originally planned as a game room, it is

now set to be a fitness room.

Loftin photos by Priscilla Reyna-Ovalle

Northwest Vista College photos by Laura Garcia

St. Philip’s College photos by Henriette Mutegwaraba

Palo Alto College photos by Laura Garcia

Northeast Lakeview College photos by Henriette Mutegwaraba

Palo Alto College

ing on the project, but has no idea when the work will

begin.

He said there are easily 10-15 events a week ranging

from live entertainment, sporting events, workshops

to fairs and karaoke free. The 22,028 students enrolled

at this college pay $1 per credit hour in student activ-

ity fees.

Even with an uncompleted student center, there

are an abundance of amenities. There are pingpong

and pool tables, arcade games, big-screen TVs for

video game use, and Bailey’s Cyber Café

equipped with new Macintosh comput-

ers. The café is open until 5 p.m. except

on Fridays when it closes at 4:30 p.m.

“We’re going to take care of them,”

Posadas said. “We want to make sure that

they get the best.”

A number of intramural sports

teams are beating out some four-year

universities in competition, the Student

Government Association is active on- and

off-campus and other student clubs and organizations

are fundraising nonstop.

Still students are kicked out of the building by 6:50

p.m. even though cafeteria hours are from 7 a.m.-7

p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

Friday and won’t be extended, Posadas said, because it

would mean longer hours for housekeepers.

For information or suggestions, call student life at

486-0125.

Northwest Vista College

St. Philip’s College

Northeast Lakeview College

Across the district

10 • Nov. 13, 2009 The RangerPulse

By Regis L. RoBeRts

Vegas was good to this college’s

golf team.

Coach Angela Olivarri said

two graduating team members

were encouraged by the team’s

fifth-place finish in the National

Collegiate Golf Tournament last

weekend in Las Vegas to continue

playing at a four-year university.

She said the team finished only

four points behind the fourth-

place team.

The eight-member team —

broken up into two-person teams

for the tournament’s format —

competed against 52 teams from

37 colleges and universities in the

tournament Nov. 6-8.

Only two community colleges

entered, including this college,

Olivarri said. Schools came from

all over the United States, she said

“from Hawaii to New York.”

Jorge Posadas, director of stu-

dent life, said he was impressed

with how well this college did

compared with such prestigious

schools as the University of

California-Los Angeles, Rutgers

University and Syracuse University.

Because the team bested many

well-established teams from bigger

schools, Olivarri said members are

more confident that they will qualify

for those teams when they transfer.

The format of the tournament

was a two-person scramble, mean-

ing that teams are divided into

two-person teams that play togeth-

er. Both players drive the ball four

times each, and the members play

from the best lie, or where the ball

lands, Olivarri said.

Players were given a day to

practice at the Silverstone Golf

Course, allowing them to become

comfortable with the intricacies of

the course, she said.

Silverstone was a challenging,

beautiful course, she said, but the

day of practice got them accus-

tomed to it.

She also said the weather was

good for the most part, aside from

an hour or so of cold and windy

conditions Sunday.

The team is finished competing

for the remainder of the semester,

but Olivarri said another tourna-

ment is expected in the spring.

Tryouts will be next semester,

and the young team’s success has

garnered interest from three high

school seniors who have asked

about joining the team, she said.

New golf team wins fifth place in Las Vegas tourney

Player success brings attention to college.

Director of student life Jorge Posadas introduces this college’s golf team at the Academic

Council meeting Tuesday in Room 228 of nursing and allied health complex.


Nov. 13, 2009 • 11The Ranger Calendar

Today

SAC Election: Student Government

Association voting deadline at midnight.

Vote at www.sacweb.accd.edu/student-

councilvote. Call 486-0667.

SAC Drive: PEOPLE Club “Teddies for

Tots” teddy bear drive benefiting Christus

Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital, drop-

off in Room 124 of Chance. Continues

through Dec. 4. Call 486-0022.

SAC Drive: Peer Educators peanut but-

ter donations benefiting San Antonio Food

Bank, drop-off in Room

120 of Chance. Continues

through Nov. 20. Call 486-

0022.

SAC Drive: Cheshyre

Cheese Club third annual

Thanksgiving Food Drive

benefiting student fami-

lies. Drop-off boxes in

Loftin help desk, Moody library, Fletcher

welcome desk, English, music and history

departments. Continues through Nov. 24.

Call 771-2571.

SAC Writing Center: New tutors, oper-

ation hours and more appointments 8

a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday and Thursday, 8

a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday,

8 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Friday in Room 203 of

Gonzales. Call 486-1433.

SAC Event: “The Twilight Saga: New

Moon” voucher pick-up 8 a.m.-10 a.m. in

the craft room, after 11 a.m. in the office

of student life in Loftin. Call 486-0125.

SAC Event: Student Talent Show noon-

1 p.m. in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Call

486-0125.

SAC Event: Outdoor movie “Harry Potter

and the Half-blood Prince” 7:20 p.m.-

10 p.m. in the mall.

Call 486-0125.

Saturday

SAC Event: “Women 4 Women”

Relationship Retreat 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in

Room 105 of the empowerment center.

Call 486-0455.

SAC Tourney: Racquetball benefiting

kinesiology scholarships 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

in the racquetball courts, $5. Call 486-

1029.

District Event: PC clinic 10 a.m.-3

p.m. at Port of San Antonio, 312 Clarence

Tinker. Call 486-3412.

Monday

SAC Registration: Early online regis-

tration for spring 2010 at

8 a.m. Visit www.alamo.

edu/sac/sacmain.

SAC Event: United

Methodist Student

Movement worship service

11 a.m.-noon in Methodist

Student Center, 102

Belknap. Call 733-1441.

SAC Meeting: Mexican-American

Engineers and Scientists 2:30 p.m.–3:30

p.m. in Room 144 of Chance. Call 486-

0125.

SAC Concert: Guitar ensemble 7:30

p.m. in the auditorium of McAllister. Call

486-0255.

District Event: “International Week

Kick-Off” noon-2 p.m. in the Sheridan

board room, 201 W. Sheridan. Call 486-

0116.

Tuesday

SAC Meeting: Black Student Alliance 2

p.m. first and third Tuesdays in Room 624

of Moody. Call 486-0589.

For coverage in Calendar, call 486-1773 or e-mail [email protected] two weeks in advance.

Calendar Legend

SAC: San Antonio CollegeNVC: Northwest Vista CollegeSPC: St. Philip’s CollegeSWC: South West CampusPAC: Palo Alto CollegeNLC: Northeast Lakeview

www.theranger.orgComplete calendar online.

The Ranger 12 • Nov. 13, 2009 Editorial

The Ranger, the student newspaper at

San Antonio College, is a laboratory project

of the journalism classes in the Department

of Media Communications, published Fri-

days except during summer, holidays and

examinations.

News contributions accepted by tele-

phone (486-1773), by fax (486-1789), by

e-mail ([email protected]) or at the

editorial office (Room 212 Loftin Student

Center). Advertising rates available upon

request (486-1765).

The Ranger is a member of the Texas In-

tercollegiate Press Association, the Associ-

ated Collegiate Press, the Texas Community

College Journalism Association and the As-

sociated Press.

Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, stu-

dents and community members are wel-

come to contribute guest viewpoints of up

to 450 words.

Writers should focus on campus or cur-

rent events in a critical, persuasive or inter-

pretative style.

All viewpoints must be published with a

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The RangeR

Juan Carlos Campos

The Ranger Nov. 13, 2009 • 13Opinion

At the Faculty Senate meet-ing Nov. 3, Carolyn Kelley, presi-dent of the Tobin Hill Community Association, proposed a deal that would add two additional five-story buildings to this campus.

The first building would be strictly used as a parking structure, and the second would be a multipurpose facility for nonchain restaurants, office or class space, apartments, student housing and an event venue.

Political science Professor Christy Woodward-Kaupert said she opposed it as it would be hypocriti-cal because of the senate’s opposi-tion to development on the Playland Park site proposed for a new district headquarters.

Faculty Senate Chair Jeff Hunt said he agreed, in part, but liked the idea.

The two proposed construction sites are entirely different affairs.

Board members and district offi-cials will use desperately needed dis-trict funds to develop the Playland property, while the Tobin Hill plan is a donation to the college to be built on the Park Place lot owned by the college.

This will benefit students, not a bloated district administration.

No one can argue with our need for more parking.

The 1,000-space garage we have didn’t add much space when build-ings replaced three student lots.

And classroom space is at a pre-mium in the morning hours.

Of course, we will incur some expense either in finish out or main-tenance, but don’t be so quick to say no.

The Alamo Colleges work on a budget that consists of many factors, some items we need and some items we want; still, there are guidelines that need to be fol-lowed before one can obtain some extra money for technology.

This college, especially because it houses the largest group of the 60,000-plus students in the district, needs money for technology to improve student suc-cess. But, for some reason, we cannot get funding because there isn’t enough to go around the five colleges and district.

The faculty and staff at this college, however, are singing and dancing for it, literally.

Employees of this college are putting on a talent show and silent auction to raise money for technology. Three win-ning departments will each get a projec-tor valued at $2,000.

This is sad.Once again, the faculty and staff are

doing something proactive while the dis-trict does a song and dance.

These people work hard in the inter-ests of our students, but because the district shorts this college when funding, they have to give up what little free time they have to perform in a fundraiser in which they hope to cover the cost of three projectors.

What’s efficient about that?Other colleges do not have as high a

ratio of tenured faculty members and are housed in newer campuses than this col-lege, but the district always seems to find money for those colleges. Here many of our needs go unmet.

Northwest Vista released 45 computers once their warranties had expired; how much did it cost to replace them?

Something has to change.For years, there was no money for

equipment, but plenty for technology. Now that well has dried up also.

The students of this college deserve more. The chancellor wants the Alamo Colleges to be national models.

Well, this isn’t the way to achieve it.What’s the value of a college that can-

not fully support academic and student success anyway?

Students get wind of events and important dates by clicking through Web sites for the district, college, student life, The Ranger and Facebook or MySpace accounts for individual clubs and organizations.

Sometimes, they hear through word-of-mouth or stumble across a flier on campus bulletin boards.

Hopefully, by that time, it’s not too late to actually attend an event.

The college and district need a better communication system to alert students of services and oppor-tunities available to them as well as a reminder for drop dates, appli-cations for graduation deadlines, speaker series and sports schedules.

The campus has an abundance of events planned, but often, students are unaware of them unless they trip over them.

For example, a sexual heath talk Oct. 29 in Loftin Student Center drew only five students — two were Peer Educators who surely knew the

risks of STDs and two were covering the event for The Ranger.

A speaker from the UT Health Science Center said that more than half of all sexually active people will have an STD by age 24 with most unaware they are infected. With information this important to get out, it seems a pity that no one knew.

We need a unified calendar or message system to reach all stu-dents, online, evening and San Antonio College students attending Northeast Lakeview College in addi-tion to our traditional students.

Don’t expect students to check several sources daily to get the infor-mation they need from their col-lege. Get the information out there quickly and in one place.

The district has been harping about customer service for years but can’t seem to master the basics of communication, publicity or adver-tising.

College value declines with budget decreases

Senate is wrong to equate Playland, Park Place plans

Give students a little notice

14 • Nov. 13, 2009 The RangerOpinion

The office of student

life will host the annual

student talent show from

noon to 1 p.m. today in

the Fiesta Room of Loftin

Student Center. Students

will once again show off

their talents, ranging from

singing to dancing and

more, for the chance to

win one of four iPod Nanos.

The question has been raised again and again

by The Ranger – what do iPods have to do with

education? They are given away as prizes for

seemingly every event on campus these days.

Did an Apple truck drive by campus and lose

a box? Are we getting them at a discount since

we apparently buy so many? Who decided iPods

were the end-all solution for prizes across cam-

pus, and more valuable to the average student

than financial assistance?

With my love of music, I often say I’d be

lost without my iPod, but does it really help

me navigate through the years of school? The

answer, quite simply, is no.

Sure, it’s nice to be able to walk across

campus lost in my own thoughts with any

number of my favorite musicians providing the

soundtrack. It helps me mentally organize my

day and even relax before or after classes.

Last year, as in many years prior, the prizes

for winning the student talent show were schol-

arships. Last year’s winner, former communi-

cations major Jon Coker, was awarded a $500

scholarship. Who made the decision that iPods

were more worthwhile to a student than money?

An 8-GB iPod Nano retails for $149, accord-

ing to the Apple Store Web site. Four cost about

$600. Why not use the $600 toward scholarships

for the winners?

Who can’t use a little help with tuition?

Considering that many students attend com-

munity colleges such as this one to save money

on basic courses, the availability of scholarships

for performing well in the talent show should be

an obvious choice.

According to the National Center for Education

Statistics, a division of the U.S. Department of

Education, 66 percent of all undergraduates

received some type of financial aid in the 2007-08

school year, including grants, student loans, veter-

ans benefits and work-study jobs.

While an iPod is a nice prize, it is a luxury

item. Basic economics states luxury items are

purchased once all other needs — food, shelter,

bills, etc. — are satisfied. Education is not a

luxury; in this day and age, it is almost a neces-

sity for success.

Awarding scholarships instead of iPods

would help students toward furthering their

education instead of just providing background

noise.

Student life’s Web page says its mission is “to

foster student learning and student develop-

ment.”

Providing scholarships instead of iPods

would be the first step, by hopefully, taking

some of the mental strain away from paying for

college. Every little bit helps, right?

iPods provide background entertainment, not educational support

Viewpoint by Trey Randolph

Check out the Department of Media Communications

Where Creativity and Technology Meet

/Programs inDigital Design

JournalismMusic BusinessPhotography

Radio-Television-Broadcasting

/Student MediaKSYM Radio

The Ranger/The Ranger Online

For more information, contact:Marianne Odom, Chair

Department of Media CommunicationsLoftin Student Center 204

Department: 210-486-1765Office: 210-486-1786

Fax: 210-486-1789E-mail: [email protected]

Nov. 13, 2009 • 15The Ranger Opinion

The unified German

nation this year is cel-

ebrating the 20th anni-

versary of the fall of the

Berlin Wall. In Germany,

festivities to honor this

event have been planned

throughout the year start-

ing back on May 7.

To me personally,

only one date drastically

changed my worldview — Nov. 9, 1989. It was

the date when the Berlin Wall fell. I was a senior

sergeant in the Soviet Border Guard Forces of

the former Soviet KGB.

At that time, we were stationed in the beauti-

ful city of Odessa in Ukraine (not Texas). After

the evening guard duty and a hearty meal, I

and some of my comrades were watching TV,

and we could not believe what we saw on the

nightly evening news: the Berliners with ham-

mers and pick axes in hands were knocking

down the Wall!

Some of them were actually climbing on the

wall and were waving to the people on the other

side, West Berlin. The East German police this

time around did not aim their guns at anyone.

On the contrary, they didn’t do anything.

They appeared unarmed and were simply

watching what was going on.

One of our officers walked in and said to us,

“Comrades, the Wall is going down! Who knew it

would happen in our lifetimes!”

Soon the whole room was filled with other

border guards — very good friends of mine.

Everyone wanted to see this benchmark of his-

tory.

I asked, “If the wall is going down, will there

be nothing to guard anymore? We should all

go home!” Some shouted in agreement; some

exclaimed that they wanted to get married,

and this event would be a good cause to do it

sooner.

Usually, in the military, there was always an

answer to every question one might ask. This

time, many of my comrades were looking at me

and each other in disbelief.

Nobody said anything. Nobody knew what

to say.

My brave comrades in arms, who could

assemble and disassemble the AK-47 assault

rifle in 20 seconds; who made a decision in a

split second; who would run into fire to rescue

another soldier, on that evening, did not know

what to make of the new reality.

The fall of the Berlin Wall affected us not

only collectively, but also personally. From the

collective point of view, it is important to note

that the whole doctrine of the Soviet border

protection scheme was replaced.

Many personnel stationed in western Soviet

Union were moved to the eastern parts of the

country to guard borders with China, and to

the South, borders with Iran, Afghanistan and

Turkey.

On a personal level, everyone had to decide

what the Wall’s fall meant.

Some, who lived more in Soviet mainstream

culture — Russians and non-Russians alike —

became angry because they feared the end of

the Soviet state, the only socio-political order

they knew, might come rather quickly, but

everything new they viewed with suspicion.

Others, who came from the peripheries of

the Soviet empire, like myself, where ethnic

minorities prevailed, held more nationalistic

views on how things in the future should be

done in the country.

The common denominator was the follow-

ing: The fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989,

marked the new time during which to welcome

social, political and economic changes in the

Soviet state in order to undo the wrongs that

the Communists during the regime’s 70-year

rule committed politically, economically and

ecologically toward Russians and non-Russians

alike.

Aivars Norenbergs has been a reserve learning

resources specialist in the library since 2003. In

the early 1990s, he studied English at the Defense

Language Institute at Lackland Air Force Base.

In 1995, he emigrated from Latvia, and in 2000,

became a U.S. citizen.

Fall of Berlin Wall as seen from Soviet Ukraine

Guest Viewpoint by Aivars

Norenbergs

Courtesy

Aivars Norenbergs in Soviet Border Guard 1988-90

16 • Nov. 13, 2009 The Ranger

By Zahra Farah

At the first Hunger Banquet at this

college, more than 60 students

experienced what life is like for

the wealthy, the middle class and

people who barely get one meal a day.

“Fifty percent of the world’s population

makes $2.70 or less a day,” said theater arts

freshman Sebastian Carter and

emcee for the Hunger Banquet

Nov. 5 in the visual arts center.

Banquet participants from this

college and Texas A&M University-

San Antonio were divided into

groups ranging from the wealthy,

middle class and the poor.

Carter told the audience the

wealthy class makes up only 15

percent of the world’s population, while the

middle class compose 35 percent of the world’s

population.

“The high-end population make up to

$12,000 or more a year … the middle-income

population make $987-$11,999 a year,” he said.

As participants entered, they donated either

$5 or five cans of food. Then they randomly

picked a card from a basket indicating which

class they would be representing. The wealthy

sat at a table placed in the center overlooking

the poor audience members who had to sit on

the floor. The middle-class audience members

sat at tables placed to the sides.

The banquet collected 126.7 pounds of food

and $259 in donations toward the Phi Theta

Kappa Food Pantry, said service-learning coor-

dinator Audrey Grams.

While the majority of audience

members waited for the presenta-

tion to begin, the wealthy audience

members were waited on immedi-

ately, served fresh salads on china

plates, cold glasses of iced tea or

water, and bread. The poor audi-

ence members sitting cross-legged

on the floor watched intently.

“I feel the inequality here,” said Debbie

Benavides, psychology junior at A&M-San

Antonio. “It’s weird I didn’t get food at a food

banquet.”

Carter told the audience that for 50 percent

of the world’s population, it is not uncommon

to walk 5 to 10 miles a day to get water. Many

children never attend school, and tenant work-

ers have to give 75 percent of their income to

the land owner.

“This is awkward,” said Rose Torres, soci-

ology-psychology senior at A&M-San Antonio.

“Being Hispanic, we normally had rice, beans

and tortillas — not a five-course meal like this.”

Jon Lugo, a premed sophomore at this col-

lege, said, “I think if you look at our plates, we

are still ungrateful. Some of us are unhappy to

get what we got.”

Participants in the Hunger Banquet, a benefit for the college food pantry, eat in groups separated by income levels.

Photos by Deborah Harrison

Rich land, poor man

A five-course meal, at top, was served to the participants

representing the wealthy; beans, rice and tortillas were

served to the middle class; and the poor had to line up

for a bowl of rice.

Hunger Banquet illustrates health, nutrition, access issues

of low-income worldwide.

www.theranger.orgGo online for an extended

version of this story.

Hunger not only a Third World problem

KSYM 90.1 will have its 12th annual Alternative to Hunger drive starting

at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 at Casbeers, 1150 S. Alamo. Call 486-1374.