The Rattler April 29, 2009 v. 96 #11

Vol. 96 Issue 11
The Rattler
St. Mary’s University Student Newspaper
04.29.09
SGA
Securing Campus
Recent disturbances have
students asking for cameras
Page 6
Cramming for Finals
Students offer tips on how
to survive finals week
Page 16
Chevelle Backstage Pass
An exclusive interview with
drummer Sam Loeffler
Page 22
Behind Closed Doors
SGA presidential candidates
cause controversy with
election violations
Page 3
News
2 The Rattler
04.29.09
Police Blotter
4/16/09
Sick/injured person at the AT&T
Center. EMS was refused and person
released on own.
4/17/09
Minor in possession and disorderly
conduct in Adele Hall. County
citations issued and referred to
Judicial Affairs.
4/19/09
Burglary of motor vehicle in Lot B.
4/22/09
Sick/injured person at the AACC.
Lacerations to the face from a fall,
Student Health Center provided
treatment and student released
4/24/09
Disturbance in Financial Aid Office.
Disruptive student escorted from
facility. Referred to HR and Judicial
Affairs
Damaged property in the Pecan
Grove. Truck backed over a light
pole.
4/25/09
Damaged property in Lot R. Tires
slashed.
Disturbance in Lot H, uncooperative
student.
4/27/09
Sick/injured person in Dougherty
Hall. Student cut and bleeding. EMS
was refused, transported to Student
Health Center for further medical
treatment.
Index
News
Commentary
Features
Entertainment
Sports
2-6
7-11
12-18
19-23
24-28
Contact Us:
210-436-3401 (office)
210-431-3407 (fax)
rattlernews@stmarytx.edu
Cover design by Jaime Perez
Michelle Myers, a member of the San Antonio Gender Association and part of the Human Rights Campaign, speaks on her experience as a part of
Breaking the Silence on Tuesday, April 14. The event focuses on maintaining rights for members of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered
community. Photo by Analicia Perez
News in Brief
New staff appointed for
the coming school year
The university has hired new staff for a variety of positions.
Pecan Grove Review’s
release pushed back
Final blessing ceremony
for seniors next Friday
The 2009 issue of the university literary
magazine, The Pecan Grove Review, has been
delayed and will not be published until fall.
Technical problems with the printer have
forced a delay of the publication.
Friday, May 8, 7:00 p.m.
AACC Bill Greehey Arena
The final blessings will be given to the graduating seniors in the Bill Greehey Arena. Baccalaureate Mass is a part of the long-standing
traditions of the Catholic church, but all faiths
are welcome for the prayers and blessings.
Tanuja Singh, Ph.D., has been appointed
as dean of the Business School; Winston Erevelles, Ph.D., was chosen to be dean of the
School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science and Rev. Rudy Vela, S.M., is now vice
president for Mission and Identity.
Graduating seniors who were to be published
are asked to e-mail Professor Diane Bertrand
with a permanent mailing address so the issues can be mailed after publication.
Students planting trees in
honor of soldiers
New strain of the flu virus
found in San Antonio
Early voting began for
Mayor and City Council
University of Incarnate Word students that
are members of the Student Veterans Association will be participating in tree planting
ceremonies with the Peace Tree Project of
South Texas.
Two teenagers in the San Antonio area were
found to have swine flu, a new virus that is a
combination of the bird, human and pig strains
of flu. The infection they had matches to the
infection found in Mexico that has led to several deaths. The number of confirmed cases in
the United States have risen to 20. The United
States declared a public health emergency on
Sunday, April 26.
Early voting by personal appearance for San
Antonio Mayor and City Council members
started on April 27 and will continue until
May 5.
Source: Associated Press
Source: Mysanantonio.com
The tree plantings will be in honor of fallen
soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait.
Source: Mysanantonio.com
Submissions of poetry, short fiction and nonfiction for the 2010 issue can be submitted to
Professor Bertrand at her office CT 412. For
submission policies, please e-mail her at dbertrand@stmaytx.edu.
Ring blessings for seniors will also be available that day at 6 p.m. in Treadaway’s
Guadalupe Chapel.
The last day for a mail ballot application is
May 1. Election day is May 9 and results will
be shared May 14.
News
04.29.09
The Rattler 3
SGA election results causes student dissension
By Melody Mejia
Senior Staff Writer
New student body officers may
have been inaugurated earlier this
week, but the widely-contested
campaigns that produced them
have ended with students challenging the results. Recalling the
failed Bush v. Gore presidential
election of 2000 the student elections officials–so far without public comment–disqualified the leading vice presidential candidate after she won more than 60 percent
of the vote.
In the meantime, opponents to
presidential winner Tania Ramirez
claimed she had overspent election
code finance limits by producing
campaign t-shirts at lower costs
across the border in Mexico, bypassing Student Government Association (SGA) spending ceilings.
Ramirez denied the claim, saying
she was hardly the first to do so,
and her position was effectively
upheld by the elections committee,
which declared her the winner late
Thursday, April 23.
But that declaration came only
a week after candidates Gabriel
Hernandez and James Eades filed
that charge and others in a 21page affidavit against Ramirez, the
top vice presidential vote winner
Amanda Osuna, candidate Vincent
Astudillo and the SGA.
“I feel Tanya and I didn’t do
anything wrong.”
- Amanda Osuna, junior
Criminal justice major and
VP candidate
Hernandez and Eades cited
an array of violations of the elections code which they said harmed
their campaign. The irony is that
elections officials Thursday then
effectively eliminated both Hernandez and Osuna from their
election bids, then declared Eades
vice president-elect, after he polled
only 38 percent of the vote. They
did so without public comment.
Osuna said Sunday night that
Interim Dean of Students and SGA
advisor James Villareal told her
she had been disqualified for three
violations of the election code that
had nothing to do with the affidavit. Election authorities eliminated
Osuna as vice president because
she twice appeared in the University Center atrium, the site of voting, in violation of the campaign
code. Osuna maintains that she
had permission from student election officials both times to enter the
atrium, but the student elections
panel held otherwise. Election officials who made that determination
could not be reached for comment,
but Osuna said the decision confused her.
“Out of the [three years] I’ve
been here, I have never seen anyone be disqualified for these reasons,” she said. “That’s what
kills me about this whole thing,
I feel Tanya and I didn’t do
anything wrong.”
By Friday morning, April 24, a
challenge sprang up literally overnight from Osuna supporters on
Facebook. They lashed out at SGA
authorities for failing to discuss
the matter publicly, and urged Facebook users to express their disappointment to interim dean of
student James Villareal and to join
a protest they staged in the quad
Friday morning to add to a petition
supporting the election of Osuna.
Claudia Charbel, a junior majoring in English-communications
arts, said Osuna supporters intend
to force a re-vote “so that those
who voted for Amanda can then
again vote for Amanda and show
their support and not just have six
people [the student elections court]
decide what 60 percent of the student body already decided.”
Charbel derided the student
elections committee for effectively
declaring Eades to be vice president, with no public discussion
until the 5 p.m. Thursday e-mailed
declaration. That declaration, and
the failure to articulate its reasons,
forced challengers onto Facebook,
she said. The declaration of Eades’s
win without mention of Osuna’s
election victory amounted to “a
slap in the face,” said Charbel.
“This is our first step,” she
said. “Getting a petition and going
about from that. That’s all we can
do for right now. I have everyone I
know trying.”
Hernandez and Eades had allegedly reported an array of improprieties on the part of their
opponents and SGA, from overspending on campaign materials,
to violating other sections of the
election code. Though the complaint has been dismissed, whether
the affidavit has any merit remains
unclear, partly because student
elections officials and the student
body president James Escamia, refused to discuss them.
Escamia said it’s up to the student elections committee to decide
whether to discuss their findings
publicly, and “as of now, there
hasn’t been a consensus for that.”
On the other hand, Escamia
acknowledged that the elections
code and the SGA constitution
need revision, apparently because
of issues arising from the election.
“I certainly do feel that the information in our constitution has
left loopholes that determined the
election code needs to be revisited
for next semester,” said Escamia.
At the same time, Villareal said
that the elimination of Osuna was
decided by student election judges
for reasons other than those cited
in the affidavit, reasons which Villareal, too, would not disclose.
Student lands job on Wall Street despite recession
By Allison Hernandez
Staff Writer
As the economy sags and many stay in
school to avoid job-hunting in a recession,
one student survived the demise of former
investment house Lehman Brothers to land
a job in financial services, thanks partly to a
group that supports students of color.
Senior Ricky Diaz, who majors in corporate finance and risk management/financial services, scored a prime internship this
past summer. From early June to late July
of 2008, Diaz worked at Lehman Brothers,
the now defunct major Wall Street company. The internship led to a job offer that
he received before even walking the stage
for commencement.
The organization that played a large role
in Diaz’s internship is Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains minority college students for summer internships
that can result in full-time jobs in large firms
specializing in banking and corporate law.
Diaz served his internship at Lehman Brothers with fellow interns from Ivy
League schools such as Princeton, Harvard
and Yale- competition which Diaz said made
him want to work harder.
“SEO finds talent where the banks don’t
look for talent,” said Diaz. “So if I would’ve
lost my chance with SEO, then I would have
lost my chance because these firms don’t
look for people in smaller schools.”
Diaz said because his prior work experience had been only doing physical labor and
working in retail, SEO provided him with
intensive training before he began his internship. Diaz was given 72 hours of training online and then Lehman Brothers flew
him to New York. He worked in Manhattan
at Lehman Brothers’ headquarters in Times
Square, where he received another week of
more extensive training.
That week of training ranged from the basics to more complicated finance, Diaz said.
When training ended, because he was not
licensed to trade, he gained experience by
listening in on trade executions and learned
about everyday transactions between sellers
and buyers.
Despite the training he received, Diaz
still experienced a sense of excitement when
he officially began.
“When I first witnessed the high-pressure
environment with Lehman Brothers and my
own co-workers losing millions of dollars,
I started having doubts myself,” said Diaz.
“But all that changed when I felt that I could
really work hard and succeed in this field.”
A week after his eight-week internship
was up, Diaz was offered a position with Lehman Brothers. But when the company went
bankrupt on Sept. 15, the job went, too.
“I felt like I was on top of my game when
I got the offer, but when Lehman Brothers
went bankrupt, I was scared for a couple of
weeks–I was on cloud nine for a while, then
I was back to reality.”
Then, Barclays Capital reviewed Lehman
Brothers’ original 33 interns, narrowed them
down more and then offered jobs to a select
few. Diaz starts work by the end of June as
a capital markets first-year trading analyst
and will then rotate around different trading desks until he finds a fit. He said he will
begin with a yearly salary of $70,000 with a
$15,000 relocation bonus and the potential
for a year-end bonus.
Even as Diaz saw his own hard work pay
off, he recalls seeing the hard work of other
interns go unnoticed or overlooked, and he
realizes how fortunate he is to have had an
internship opportunity that led to a job.
Out of 92 interns at Lehman Brothers,
three were SEO-sponsored. From that group
of 92 interns, 33 were subsequently offered
a job, including two of the three SEOsponsored interns.
Diaz could have waited to go into the
field as an inexperienced college graduate,
but he said that applying for the internship
and having that extra experience made him
more confident in this unstable economy.
Diaz said the SEO internship program
opened doors and afforded him opportunities to advance in banking.
“People from Texas don’t always think
they can make it on Wall Street, but I try and
recruit and let people know that there is an
opportunity out there,” said Diaz. “Since
SEO opened the door for me, I want to continue to open doors for others.”
Diaz is enjoying his last month of college
life before he flies to London on June 28 to
train at Barclays Capital headquarters for a
month. He will then go back to Wall Street
to begin work in the trading world.
Pleased about his future, Diaz feels he
has found the secrets to his success.
“All it really takes to succeed is to have
great personal skills and to be willing to
learn and help yourself,” he said. “I never
thought I’d be living in the Big Apple, but I
love the city.”
4 The Rattler
News
04.29.09
Make-A-Wish helps student meet Holy Father
By Lauren Sanchez
Staff Writer
The end of the semester signals the coming of summer fun for most students, but
for one student, it will be a chance to meet
the pope.
Alyssa Trevino, a freshman biology major from Harlingen, will visit the pope next
month to fulfill a four-year-old wish she
made at age 15 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. On June 7, Trevino will leave for
Rome with her family to meet Pope Benedict
XVI and to see first-hand some of the sites
of Rome, such as the Colosseum and the
Trevi Fountain.
Her audience with the pope, with a group
of six other Make-A-Wishers, will come
June 10.
Trevino’s trip to see the pope is a milestone in a longer journey that at one point
threatened her life. At birth, she was diagnosed with heart disease.
Her introduction to the Make-A-Wish
Foundation came through Sarah Clunie, a
nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, whom she has known for the past nine
years, as a result of her treatment.
Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes
to children with life-threatening medical
conditions who have reached the age of two
and a half but are under the age of 18, according to its Web site. The organization
says it has funded some 177,756 wishes,
from traveling to exotic parts of the world,
meeting a favorite celebrity, experiencing
exciting career fields or receiving the gift of
a shopping spree.
“At first, I was really scared [to make a
wish],” said Trevino.
That may have been a holdover from a
moment two years earlier when, at 13, her
illness took a serious turn.
“It got to a point when it was open heart
surgery or transplant list,” she said.
With the support of her parents and
younger brother, she underwent open heart
surgery, which proved to be successful.
When Make-a-Wish later raised the possibility of granting a wish of her own, Trevino
realized this was her chance to do something
she might not otherwise achieve.
That’s when Trevino wished to go to
Rome to meet the pope, at the time John
Paul II, whom she admired.
“He was so special and everything he did
was for everyone else,” she said. “He didn’t
care about himself. He would do everything
for the children and the poor. He would do a
lot for the youth because he always said the
youth was the future.”
Because John Paul II died on April 2,
2005, Trevino will now meet Pope Benedict
XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 by the
papal conclave. Trevino is both excited and
nervous about her meeting.
“I think I’ll probably be really scared and
I might cry, because it’s like meeting a celebrity,” she said.
Trevino said her experience with her illness also moved her to major in biology. While she lived with heart disease as a child,
she noticed that people treated her differently because they didn’t understand the illness
or what she was going through.
“Usually, I wouldn’t tell people,” she
said, “because I want people to know me for
who I am.”
She said she hopes to use her biology
major toward becoming a pediatric cardiologist, so that she may help similarlysituated kids through the things she went
through herself.
“I think it’ll be easier for a child to go
through, once they’ve learned [their doctor
has gone through the same thing],” she said.
“Also I feel like that’s my purpose, because
I really want to do it so bad…ever since I
was little.”
Trevino will meet the pope at the Vatican
June 10 along with her family, who continue
to stand with her through thick and thin.
“It’s cool because I can be able to say
they’ve gone through the same stuff I’ve
gone through because they’ve always been
there,” she said.
Someone else who has always been there,
she said, is her best friend since the age of
seven, Esther Leal, a freshman music major.
Leal recounts when she first met Trevino.
“She started taking classes at my mom’s
studio and I’d steal her from the back. We’d
always play and run around the whole
place–so she doesn’t really know how to
play piano,” Leal added jokingly.
When Leal learned that Trevino was going to see the pope she replied, “I was, like,
that’s awesome. I know that’s been her
dream since forever.”
Freshman biology major Alyssa Trevino will get the opportunity to meet Pope Benedict XVI
this summer. Courtsey Wikimedia Commons
News
04.29.09
European
study abroad
program
locations
N
London, England
The Rattler 5
Innsbruck, Austria
Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
Students have been able to study anywhere in the world, but these locations are the ones offered by St. Mary’s, and now fewer students signing up to study abroad since the economic
down turn. Graphic illustration by Amanda Rodriguez
Economic crisis affects study abroad programs
By erica Leal
Staff Writer
Study abroad programs at the
university seem to be feeling the
effects of the recession this year,
with the number of applicants
for one program dropping almost
by half.
According to Minita Santizo,
director of international programs,
the campus’ London study abroad
program has taken a particularly
hard hit.
“We usually have 30 to 40 applicants every year and end up
taking 20 students for the London
program,” she said. “This year, we
had 20 applicants and have 12 students going so far.”
The Spain program usually
draws 30 to 40 applicants as well,
she said. This year, there were only
20. The good news, she said, is that
14 students have already signed
up to go to Spain next spring (including one from the University of
Dayton), which is about the same
number as there are this year.
“Luckily the Spain program
can pick up [more] applicants
in the fall,” said Santizo. “So
we have more time to promote
that program.”
Numbers are also down for
the Innsbruck, Austria, program.
According to Associate professor
Monica Parzinger, the program
“had 40 people show interest, but
only seven are going so far.”
“It might be because financial
aid does not apply to this program
as it does in the fall and spring programs,” said Parzinger.
While only 20 students showed
interest last summer, the program
signed up 10–again, almost half as
many as are going this year.
The study abroad programs
range over a variety of choices. The
main programs are London in the
fall, Spain in the spring and Innsbruck in the summer. Students can
also choose to study independently nearly anywhere in the world.
The London program costs
$24,735; the Spain program,
$22,000; and the Innsbruck program $8,840. The prices include
most expenses: lodging, transportation, insurance and other benefits. Though such study programs
can be expensive, the benefits almost always outweigh the costs,
advisers say.
“[What students] need to realize is that studying abroad is an
investment and will benefit them
in the long run,” said Santizo.
Professor Richard Pressman, a
former Spain program director, is
even more emphatic about such
programs’ importance.
“Personally, I think studying
abroad should be a requirement
for everyone,” Pressman said. “It
is a life-changing experience, and I
have watched students grow and
gain a great amount of confidence.
If students have the opportunity,
they should take the chance now.
It might not be available for them
the next time.”
According to Associate professor Camille Langston, director of
the London program, the main reason students are not applying may
be the state of the economy.
“Many students are waiting to
apply till 2010,” she said, while
orientations are already underway
for the fall program.
Valeria Escobedo, a junior English major and past London study
abroad student, agrees that the
economic crisis plays a big role in
fewer applicants as well, but she,
too, is emphatic about the programs’ importance.
“I would assume that many
students would get very discouraged in trying to pursue looking
for money when everyone is struggling to make ends meet,” she said.
“Despite the struggle, this will be
one of the greatest highlights of
their college career, and definitely
worth every drop of sweat.”
To encourage students to sign
up, past London program students are helping in recruiting
efforts. Others have shown their
work at London program information meetings and at the recent
University Research exhibition,
Langston said.
Christine Duchouquette, a
junior English major, said her time
in the program was exceptional.
“The semester I chose to study
abroad in London was the single
most worthwhile decision I have
made since I came to St. Mary’s,”
Duchouquette said. “I had the opportunity to travel the world, meet
new people, strengthen friendships and intern at a fostering and
adoption charity. I have no regrets
about the sticker price of the trip,
nor the amount of money I spent
while in London and traveling
throughout Europe.”
According to Santizo, the cost of
the program depends on the number of students that are willing
to participate.
“The cost is figured on the
amount of students,” Santizo said.
“If the ideal number of students
isn’t met, it is up to the university
administration to decide whether
to keep the program still going. We
have had only one incident when
a study abroad program was not
able to go and that was the year
9/11 happened.”
Linda Gonzalez, a sophomore
international relations major, applied to the London program for
the fall semester, but could not because money was short.
“It was a tough decision for me
to turn it down, but neither my
parents nor I had the funds to participate,” Gonzalez said. “Maybe I
can apply again, but it was really
just too expensive for my family
and me right now. It’s just a shame
that not all students have the opportunity due to financial issues.”
Duchouquette urges students
who may be hesitating to apply.
“The best advice I can offer to
students thinking about, or planning on, studying abroad is that it’s
a once in a lifetime opportunity,”
Duchouquette said. “London and
most of Europe is student-friendly,
meaning many European cities
offer discounts on food, entertainment and accommodation to
students. Although the cost of the
program makes many shy away
from it, there is no better time to go
than now.”
At this point, all three programs–London, Spain, and Innsbruck–are going despite the variable numbers, Santizo said.
“The more students that attend,
the cheaper we can get the rates
for the cost of the whole trip,”
she said. “St. Mary’s students are
complimented every year abroad.
We never have problems, and it is
important we give this rewarding
opportunity to our students.”
Students interested in the programs may contact the Office of
International Education Programs
for more information.
News
6 The Rattler
04.29.09
Security cameras possibility for next school year
By Denice Hernandez
Copy Editor
A series of car break-ins on campus left some students upset, the
Student Government Association
(SGA) asking for security cameras
and administrators making efforts
to address the issue.
Some 17 car break-ins occurred
on campus last semester, with seven of them all occurring on Nov. 19,
according to the annual University
Police incident report. Most of the
break-ins, including two cases of
property damage to vehicles, were
located in the Outback parking lot
O, with others along the northwest
and northeast side of campus in
lots F, D, G and T.
Although only seven break-ins
were reported this spring– five
of them occurring in the month
of February alone– it is double
the number of break-ins from last
year’s spring semester. Updates
in the incident report show that
there have been no attempts of
vehicle break-ins since the middle
of April.
Among the semester’s victims
of vehicle crime was SGA member
Alexandra McCoy, who said her
car had been keyed from the front
to back panel. Friends of hers had
belongings stolen from their vehicles and tires slashed, she said.
McCoy, chair of the SGA student development committee,
was among those who have asked
administrators to consider installing security cameras for residence
parking lots as a way to improve
campus safety.
The proposal came after SGA
research showed that about 60 percent of students surveyed thought
there was adequate lighting on
campus which made them feel
safe walking at night. But half of
all students also have vehicles on
campus and when it comes to the
break-ins, some are concerned.
“We decided to come together
because we recognized there was
a problem that students were unhappy with,” said McCoy. “[We]
would like to see better lighting in
the Outback, more security on the
Culebra side of the Outback and
hopefully some cameras for the
Outback and freshman halls.”
Student Development Vice President Kathy Sisoian brought SGA’s
concerns to a Board of Trustees
meeting in April and says she’ll
get administrators to conduct a
safety walk early in June instead of
waiting until the fall. She also told
SGA that once Founder’s Hall is
complete there will be new efforts
to assure the safety of students and
their vehicles.
Sisoian said the completion
of the new residence hall should
bring better lighting and, if needed, more will be considered.
Rebeckah Day, vice president
for administration and finance, said
she is making sure that the campus
safety committee determines what
needs improvement after evaluating police incident reports and the
amounts and types of claims made
to insurance companies.
It’s often difficult, Day added,
to have an open campus that’s entirely safe. The safety committee is
suggesting that students make sure
to lock their vehicles and refrain
from keeping personal belongings
inside to prevent any temptation
for burglary.
At the safety committee meeting to be held April 30, Day
said she’ll suggest a parking lot
lighting evaluation.
Students hope there will be more signs and cameras, such as the one located by the bookstore, on campus next year. Photo by Robin Johnson
Installation of security cameras
would serve more as a means to
track down suspects more easily
and conclude at what times breakins and vehicle damage are more
likely to happen, according to Day,
but might not ultimately prevent
these things from happening.
Nevertheless, “Safety is one
of our prominent concerns,” said
Day. “And we are in the process of evaluating if additional
cameras would improve parking
lots safety.”
SGA President James Escamia
said he is satisfied with the administration’s response.
“I do feel that progress is being made,” said Escamia. “Students need to feel safe at all times
on campus, especially when we
are focusing on the progress of
our education.”
End of year awards given
By Ari Rivera
News Editor
The final awards for this school
year have been given to a group
of hardworking individuals.
On Wednesday, April 15, the
campus hosted Distinguished
Leaders Night to celebrate
students and staff that have
worked hard and have been
model leaders in their roles in
the community.
Awards given included Greek
Man and Woman of the Year, RA
of the Year and STARS of the
Year. Other awards were given to
the leaders in campus recreation,
New Student Orientation, University Ministry and volunteers
in the phonathon.
The most prestigious and
competitive honor was the Presidential Award. Every year graduating seniors apply to receive this
honor and in the end only 14 are
selected from the applicants.
Presidential Awards
Congratulations to the winners
of the Presidential Award for the
2008-2009 school year.
Anna Alejos
Peter Houhoulis
Jon Erik “AJ“ Arjanen
Daniel McCarthy
Amanda Benavides
Laura Salas
Megan Freasier
Veronica Sosa
Frank Gonzalez
Ariel Vinas
Lance Gossen
Braxton Watson
Berta Gubi
Sarah Weynand
Source: www.stmarytx.edu/student_recognition/
Ari Rivera / The Rattler
Commentary
04.29.09
Take steps, remember footprints
Staff Editorial
The Rattler
With graduation around the corner,
many undergraduates will soon be “set
free” into reality, whatever that may be
for them. Hopefully these students will
take a few memories with them to hold
not only as memories of their years at St.
Mary’s, but also as valuable reminders of
lessons learned that can be applied for
years to come.
Hopefully, when they think of all
of the people they have met, they will
remember how beautiful diversity is
and say hello to the stranger walking
by them.
They will remember pulling all-nighters in their room with a couple of Red
Bulls and a blank screen on their computer and will be able to persevere through a
first year as an entry level professional.
They will remember every single complaint they made about the university
and will hopefully realize that there will
always be little annoyances in life.
They will remember the small classes
they had and will think of all the stupid
and wise things they heard their classmates say and will remember to appreciate other’s ideas, no matter how wacky
they may be.
They will remember each event, fundraiser or game they helped create and
will remember to put their two cents in
while working as a team.
They will remember the journey of
friendship with those who they thought
they would never be friends with and
will remember to make time and sacrifices for a buddy or two.
They will remember each tree they
planted, every piece of graffiti they
painted over and each hour they spent
doing community service and will remember to never forget those who are
waiting to be helped.
They will remember every month they
scrambled money together to buy lunch
or to pay rent and will remember to be
frugal even if they become insanely rich.
They will think about the years they
spent getting their degree and will hopefully feel well rounded and ambitious,
rather than just prepared to jump into
a career.
Most importantly, they will picture
some of their best professors, and some
of their worst, and hopefully be inspired
to use their knowledge to help others,
rather than just focusing on their own
lives forever.
Good luck in your future, graduates. Continue to grow and hold your
memories dear.
what they said
“
We have gone through
a difficult period... it is
now time to put it all
behind us.
Jacob Zuma
leader of the ANC party in South Africa after
winning the general election. April 15.
The US seeks a new
beginning with Cuba.
President Barack Obama
speaking at the summit of the Americas about
the US-Cuban relations.
We are very, very
concerned.
Thomas Abraham
World Health Organization spokesperson,
explaining the seriousness of a mutation of
swine flue that has killed 68 people in Mexico.
Eleven cases have been reported in the United
States, two of them in San Antonio.
”
Illustration/ Jaymee Baxley
The Rattler 7
Mappa
Mundi
Invisible
BY ALFONSO DE LA TORRE
Many of us have seen the poverty and violence in Africa, a continent ravaged also by
AIDS, political corruption and authoritarianism. Yet, few are aware of the children in Northern Uganda, a nation that was successful in
controlling the AIDS epidemic but has nevertheless been taken hostage by the brutality of
the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a Christian
terrorist organization.
Indeed, while pictures of starving children in
Mali are circulating around the Internet and videos of the genocide in Rwanda can be easily found
on YouTube, few know about the tragedy involving the children abducted by the LRA- children
who are younger than any of our undergraduate
students and are forced to kill dozens of people.
The conflict in Uganda has been taking place
since the beginning of 1987, with the LRA displacing more than a million people from their homes.
Concretely, the LRA seeks to establish a government
“based on the ten commandments” and claims inspiration from the Holy Spirit as the justification for
its existence.
Just last December, after attempts to reach
peace talks with the Ugandan government failed,
the LRA attacked a Catholic Church in Northern Congo and killed 45 people, chopping them
into pieces and spreading them throughout the
church. This attack, which took place on Dec. 28
of last year, was part of the denominated ‘Christmas massacres,’ which included the killing of
almost 500 people, most of them Catholic, on
Christmas day.
The conflict in Uganda has gotten media attention since 2004 when it was revealed that the
children in Northern Uganda were being abducted
and used as soldiers, trained and forced to kill in
order to avoid being killed themselves.
The brutality with which some of these children
can act is truly astonishing and, at the same time,
heart-breaking. Yet, these children are invisible
for many reasons. They are invisible because their
own army denies its existence. They are invisible
because there are no statistics or records of their
existence. But more importantly, they are invisible
because most of us have chosen not to see, closing
our eyes to their tragedy.
For a Western world greatly concerned with
radical Islam, we seem to forget that fundamentalism can be as strong and vicious in practically
any faith tradition. We will find ourselves twisting
the message and virtues founded from faith into
something that impoverishes any sense a moral
responsibility. The story of the LRA and its coward
use of children, a story largely neglected by those
whose eyes are only fixated on the Middle East, is
a tragic example of this principle.
8 The Rattler
Commentary
04.29.09
The Rattler Letters to the Editor
Editor-in-Chief
Sarah Mills
Managing Editor
Christine Le
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News Editor
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Chris Filoteo
Photo Editor
Robin Johnson
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Brother Dennis Bautista, S.M., Ph.D.
Standards
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of St. Mary’s University. The publication follows
the Canons of Responsible Journalism, the
Associated Press Stylebook and the Student
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The Rattler
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Editors reserve the right to edit
submissions for length, grammar,
spelling and content.
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For more information, call the
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Student presents new facts to Benita
Veliz article, suggests different approach
I read Alfonso de la Torre’s commentary
printed on April 8 regarding the potential deportation of Benita Veliz. As a student of world
political and legal affairs, I would like to present additional facts regarding this matter.
Mr. de la Torre made a very passionate argument on behalf of Ms. Veliz, who came to
the United States with her family when she
was eight years old. According to the commentary, Ms. Veliz has never been classified
as a legal resident and now faces deportation.
However, there were many factual inaccuracies
in Mr. de la Torre’s argument that are worth
bringing to light.
Mr. de la Torre suggested that Ms. Veliz “inherited status as an undocumented citizen,”
and that her choice to believe in the spirit of
the U.S. Constitution classifies her as an “undocumented citizen” rather than an illegal
alien. Though Ms. Veliz was moved to America
by her family as a child, she has no inherent
rights to citizenship or legal residency, nor is
“undocumented citizen” a real status. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allows only three categories of residential status:
U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, and illegal alien. Ms. Veliz falls under the final category, despite her longstanding history in the
community and her contributions to society.
According to the U.S. Code, Title 8, Subsection 1302 (8 USC 1302), immigrants aged 14 or
older who have not been registered under the
Alien Registration Act and who will remain in
the U.S. for 30 days or longer must apply for
registration (e.g. become documented).
Since the age of 14, Ms. Veliz has actually
been in violation of American immigration
laws and is therefore seen as a person breaking federal law. Though she may not have
harmed others, as Mr. de la Torre asserted, ICE
does consider illegal immigration to be a major
crime, especially in our post-9/11 world.
The fact is, Ms. Veliz is in violation of immigration law and therefore liable for the associated penalties, including deportation.
I am not a monster. I understand that Ms.
Veliz is in a tough position. No person wants to
be forcibly removed from the community he/
she calls home, and I certainly do not wish that
on anyone. However, Mr. de la Torre’s emotionbased plea will not change things. What our
law says today is that Ms. Veliz has committed
a crime and must leave the U.S.
We cannot ethically pick and choose when
to enforce our laws and when to look the other
way. But we can try to change these laws if we
disagree with them.
The laws of today do not have to be the laws
of tomorrow. Ms. Veliz can investigate her options to secure legal American residency in the
future. The rest of us can take action, too. I urge
everyone to become informed, vote, write to
your elected officials, get involved in associations and political movements and empower
yourselves to create change.
oppose President Obama’s tolerance of abortion. However, in the process he equates “respect for the dignity of human life” with the
abortion question alone—something that the
Catholic Church itself does not do.
If one supports the prosecution of adventurous wars, continues to use the death penalty
(more than any other industrial society), and
refuses to provide universal health care (thereby allowing thousands to die), but opposes
abortion alone, does that make one a respecter
of human life?
The PPC is guided by the teachings of the
Catholic Church and is required to have at
least one representative from University Ministry on its staff. In fact, it presently has two.
Like the Catholic Church, the PPC is concerned
about all facets of the dignity of human life, not
just one.
Christopher Stevenson
International relations graduate student
Congratulations to Sean Stilson for the courageous and well-written article in the April 8
issue of The Rattler concerning the lack of life
issues in the President’s Peace Commission
presentations this semester. I, too, am very disappointed that such important issues basic to
Catholic Christian identity were not presented
in a university that claims to have a Catholic/
Marianist identity. Surely, they should have
a place in any peace and justice discussion. I
hope that more of these types of articles will be
published in future Rattler editions.
President’s Peace Commission looks into all aspects of human dignity, not just abortion
I am happy to see that The Rattler, in the
person of Sean Stilson (4/08/09), is paying
such close attention to what the President’s
Peace Commission does. We need more people like him to take seriously the sessions of
the most-attended non-sports programs of
St. Mary’s University.
Mr. Stilson expresses a concern that the
PPC is not Catholic enough because it does not
Richard S. Pressman, Ph.D.
President’s Peace Commission
Not enough ‘life’ issues present at the President’s Peace Commission, Chaplain agrees
Bro. Paul Metzger, Ph.D.
Chaplain, Greehey School of Business
Skin color and nationality, two different aspects
“Race: White,
Latino/Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Black, Asian
or Other.”
We have all
had to fill out
forms like these,
Lorna
maybe
even
Cruz
with more options available,
such as “Caucasian” or “European.” This has always bothered
me profoundly. Instead of making these different classifications
clearer, they only confuse people
even further and merge two forms
of classification that should, in my
opinion, be kept separate: skin color and nationality.
When filling out these sorts of
forms, I would like to bubble in
both “white” and “Latino/Hispanic” because I am, in fact, of
white skin color and was born in
Honduras. One’s nationality and
one’s skin color usually do not
have much of a significant correlation, especially in such a globalizing world, where there are so
many cross-cultural marriages.
Have you ever met a tall, fairskinned, green-eyed individual
and later found out that they were
from a place in South America?
Or a short, dark-haired, darker-
skinned person and found out that
they were from Italy? If not, let
me tell you it happens quite often.
This is because, again, the fact that
you were born somewhere does
not mean that you are of certain
physical characteristics.
Take Latin America as an example–we have both the Spanish
influence and the earlier indigenous tribes that merged together,
which is why you can find short,
darker-skinned Bolivians or tall,
green-eyed Cubans. The same
goes with dark-skinned French or
light-skinned South Africans.
This is why mixing classifications of skin color (white or black)
where people are from Latino,
Pacific Islander or Asian backgrounds defeats the purpose of
having these classification systems. Many of the options overlap.
By having them all together, there
is not a true picture reflected by
the statistics.
Call me rebellious, but I have
always been tempted to mark
“Other” and write “Human” as
my race. Maybe next time I will.
After all, they are not classifying
me appropriately anyway.
Commentary
04.29.09
The Rattler 9
Procrastination lowers grades, not Facebook
I’m
going
to take you on
a journey.
This is a journey to a world of
fantastic reports,
sensational studies and astoundKenneth
Howell
ing conclusions.
This is a world
that exists in the
headlines of news stories you see
every day. This is a world that
produced one particular headline
attached to one particular study
that has broad implications for a
very important part of your day–
visiting Facebook.
Yes, Facebook–did you check
yours today? Get a friend request?
Maybe you were assaulted by dozens of quiz results you really have
no interest in? Good times, good
times. You might not be aware of
a recent study of 219 Ohio State
University students that found Facebook users have lower GPAs by
0.5 points and spend 10 less hours
studying than their astute and
productive non-Facebook using
friends. I bet you had no idea the
amount of pain you were inflicting
on your future by using Facebook.
It looks so innocent and fun. What
a terrible trap we’ve wandered
into, woe is me, and so on and
so forth.
What strikes me most about this
study is the media reaction. Ignoring the old adage that correlation
does not imply causation, this
study exploded onto every internet
news site I wandered onto, badgering me with headlines about how
my use of Facebook is connected to
statistically lower grades. I would
click away in shame and horror
only to find myself looking at another headline wagging its long
finger at me and clicking its tongue
in a “tut, tut, tut” noise.
If we can escape our mutual
shame for a moment, let’s look
at this correlation closely. First
and most obviously I must repeat
that correlation does not imply
causation. The statistical attachment of Facebook use to a general impact on grades is not indicative of a particular fault on the
part of Facebook. For example, I
think something you and I might
share is a finely honed capability
to procrastinate.
The fact that Facebook is an
outlet for procrastination does not
change the fact it is my procrastination that is causing the real
problem. I certainly do not need
Facebook to practice my procrastination skills, as there is any number
of things I can do to avoid work.
I firmly believe that Facebook
is an excellent tool to develop networking skills. Though you might
use your Facebook now to send
your friend some “flair” or comment on a picture, these are social
skills that are best taught by personally going through the process
of, obviously, socialization. Sites
like Facebook and MySpace are
termed “social networking” sites
for a reason. They are informal
tools for individuals to connect
and interact with one another.
The study, though interesting,
should not have been used by media outlets so concretely to broadly
implicate Facebook users. The actions of a person are largely driven
by personality traits that are not
necessarily attached to the existence of Facebook.
Additionally, positive traits
exist in the day-to-day use of
A recent study showed that Facebook users have lower GPAs.
Facebook that might not be so
obvious, even to someone who is
using Facebook. Now, with that
in mind, go Facebook in peace my
brothers and sisters.
Well, do some work too if you
have to.
Senior Commentary
It’s over. My last press
weekend of my undergraduate career is coming to an
end. Over 30 of my valuable weekends have been
devoted to this campus’
student newspaper. I know,
I have no life. The truth is,
Kimberly
Vela
though, I don’t know what
else I would have done
on those days.
Looking around, I realize I am the last
one standing. I am the last member of the
editorial board who fondly remembers the
Francisco Era; the last member to remember
when the newspaper looked antiquated instead of hip.
The Rattler and I have been through some
tough times. In my short career, I’ve seen
over 20 people occupying the Macintosh
computers around me; three of them quit
unexpectedly, three of them I politely let go,
and one of them disappeared suspiciously.
The Rattler frames every story I tell from
my undergraduate years. Once, I was locked
out of my room in Treadaway Hall in a towel,
no RA in sight. Where did I have to be? The
Rattler. The only time I’ve ever been called
a nasty five-letter word to my face? When I
worked at The Rattler. With all the stress I’ve
endured for this rag, I’m surprised I don’t
have any ulcers.
Why, then, have I stayed on staff
so long?
I am a journalism junkie, and I am not
ashamed. While most people will tell you
they joined the newspaper either because of
its social or résumé benefits, my reasons expand well beyond these realms. Friends have
come and gone from the staff, yet I remain.
And as far as a résumé, I’m not even pursuing a career in communication. Awesome.
The philosophy, the battle cry, of journalists around the world is what has me
hooked. What other field acts as a watchdog and a platform for the people? Journalists are able to inform the masses, congratulate leaders, spotlight individuals and
critique institutions.
On a personal level, the thrill of pursuing
a story or igniting a story idea can be experienced only through journalism. The entire process is fulfilling: crafting the idea,
following leads, interviewing community
members and piecing together a developed
story. Each step allows a new way to zeroin on the emotions, intentions, plans and
thoughts of people.
Our student newspaper also allows for
the growth of individuals and of the community. We publish stories and photos from
new and seasoned writers and photographers; we enable previously unheard students to have a voice on campus.
The Rattler will always need students,
but the reality is, students need The Rattler.
I’ve seen students transform before my eyes
as they developed voices for themselves
through writing. Words cannot describe the
pride that emanates from students who experience seeing their own words in print.
Through the newspaper, students learn how
to break out of their shells, how to communicate through words and photos and how to
interact with our administrators and faculty
without intimidation.
Staff are not the only people who benefit
from the paper. Readers often clip out stories
about their organization and express gratitude to see their quotes and photos in blackand-white.
For the past four years, I have contemplated what I would write in my senior column. At the moment, I can’t think of any eloquent words of wisdom to share. All I can
say is this: whatever your passion may be,
pursue it because even at its worst, it will be
what gets you through the day.
Thank you, The Rattler newspaper; you
have done more for me than even I understand. To all the staffers and editors past and
present, thank you for enriching my life; to
everyone I ever interviewed, thank you for
taking the time to let me learn about you.
For every past deadline, misattributed
byline, scrutinized pica, crashed server, disgruntled letter and exhausted late night, I
have learned something. What more could
I have asked for?
Commentary
10 The Rattler
04.29.09
Auto companies abide by government impositions
Our
central
government
in
Washington is no
longer just spouting populist rhetoric. Rather, they
have taken their
intimidation tacMax
tics to the next levSokoloff
el in a despicable
show of power.
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, after 31 years of service with
the company, has been forced to
relinquish control of the firm by
President Barack Obama’s administration. In addition to demanding his removal, the central planners have also mandated that GM
has 60 days to magically become
solvent, or declare bankruptcy.
However, I am a little confused
on this. The administration said
that in order to receive more bailout money, Wagoner had to go.
But if GM files for bankruptcy,
should it not need any more bailout money?
So where does all of this leave
the common stockholders of GM?
Last time I checked, it is the shareholders who decide who will be on
the board of directors. What is going to happen to the bondholders
and preferred stockholders when
GM goes into bankruptcy? Will the
government bend the rule of law
and go to the front of the line?
Chrysler, another recipient of
government control money, has
also been informed by our central planners that it must merge
with Italian auto maker Fiat. I am
sure that the career bureaucrats in
Washington have plenty of experience with mergers and acquisitions. It is unprecedented for our
government to mandate a merger
between two United States firms,
much less one with a foreign firm.
Washington is now setting
industrial policy and is relying on the U.S. taxpayer to prop
up this dangerous experiment.
This type of government behavior is something we should all be
apprehensive of.
In addition to interference by
the central government in the free
markets, the state bureaucracies
are getting involved as well. The
Peoples State of New York just recently announced a new “millionaires” tax. Brilliantly named, this
tax is aimed at individuals making
$300,000 or more. And I thought
that raising taxes in a recession
was mortal error.
River City
Update
A look at mayoral candidates
BY CHRIS CHILDREE
No one in San Antonio can say that they will be proud
to move on to a new mayor when the glorious four years
of the Phil Hardberger administration comes to an end.
Hardberger may, in fact, go down as the greatest mayor
this city has ever had.
With elections every two years, limiting this mayor’s effective policies makes no sense. We should be able to keep
him, or any other effective leader, in office until they begin
to lose their effectiveness. Following this election, it will be
permissible. It’s just too bad that arguably our best mayor
will be the last to face the two-term limit.
The main four begging for your vote on Election Day
will try to make you believe they can do an even better
job than our current mayor. I don’t believe it. All of these
candidates are the opposite of Hardberger: polarizing figures whose ability to get the job done will be hindered by
their detractors.
Moody’s, a financial ratings
firm, recently downgraded the
credit ratings for all U.S. municipalities. This means that the ability
of cities to service their debt payments is in question. Barney Frank
(D-MA), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, in an
effort to prop up reckless spending at the municipal level, recently
called for legislation to encourage
this bad behavior. Chairman Frank
proposed the creation of an Federal Deposit Insurance Corporationtype institution to insure the debt
of these mismanaged cities.
I was recently reading through
the historical New York Times and
was struck by the similarities between the early 1930s and today.
The articles I came across one after
another were of the government
trying different solutions to “fix”
the economy or legislation being
rushed through Congress in an
effort to “stop the bleeding.” The
articles covered issues about taxes being raised, companies being
propped up, massive government
spending and different people objecting. Even then, those who were
objecting were given only one line
or so in the column.
So, where does all of this leave
General Motor’s CEO was forced to step back from his position. Source:
WikiMedia Commons
us? Given the events of the past
few weeks, I fear that we are
heading toward a very precarious
ledge. Perhaps the initial problem was in the financial sector,
Diane Cibrian, one of the two current councilwomen in
the race, is hated by many in the city, including anti-toll
road activists who state that she has flipped and flopped
her position on the issue of toll roads. They dislike her so
much that they have begun a campaign to recall her from
her city council seat and highlighted a free trip to Cancun
she accepted from a developer. Of course, she dismisses
all these charges and states that she will run the mayor’s
office like Hardberger.
Upon visiting her campaign Web site, an annoying advertisement floated across the screen. Once I eliminated
this aggravation, I saw two articles upfront that blatantly
attacked her opponent Trish DeBerry-Mejia rather than
state her own plans for the city, which can be found after
another link is clicked. Once I clicked this link, that annoying advertisement floater returned. It did not stop me. I
read the issues and ideas laid out and they were as simplistic as possible. It seemed as though little time and effort
was put into this main source for information about the
campaign. If she is elected, I hope that is not the way she
will run the city.
Sheila McNeal, the other councilwoman, appears to be
a joke candidate. She literally entered the race in the last
hour and her campaign “priorities” are listed on her Web
site as three measly sentences devoid of substance. Like
Cibrian, she is also involved in misdeeds. At the taxpayer’s expense she had graffiti removed from her fence in her
but government meddling has
exacerbated the problem to the
point where, sooner or later, it will
affect everyone.
“Sunrise” residence by city workers, while neighbors were
left to paint over the graffiti on their fences at their own
expense. I do not consider her to be a serious candidate.
The two remaining candidates, former councilman
Julian Castro and businesswoman Trish DeBerry-Mejia
seem to be the only two in the race without ethics issues.
Both have very informative Web sites that clearly explain their positions on the issues and include blogs that
reflect information about the campaign. However, the
race between the two seems to be a partisan battle in a
non-partisan election.
While both candidates want to increase jobs, revitalize
infrastructure and bolster the police and fire departments,
a big difference between the two is the question of unions:
DeBerry-Mejia tends to oppose organized workers while
Castro generally supports it. It’s a difference that has been
a point of disagreement between liberals and conservatives
for over a hundred years. These labels affixed to either
may insert partisanship into the mayoralty and judging by
federal and state government, this is not a good thing.
I’ll leave it up to the voters to decide, I won’t make an
endorsement. If you vote, please make an informed choice.
While our next mayor will probably be a downgrade from
Hardberger, we deserve the best of the available especially
since this individual will face a tough road in regard to the
financial crisis.
Commentary
04.29.09
President shamefully “looks forward”
From the very beginning, I supported President Barack Obama as
a foreign observer of
the electoral process.
Among other aspects of
change, I wanted him to
Alvaro
take another route with
Zapatel
the government’s policies towards Guantanamo and its prisoners.
The president-elect, at that time, confidently said he would close the prison.
A feeling of vindication invaded me.
After all, we all are humans and deserve a humane treatment despite our
actions, right?
Yet, I was not right. Last week, the
CIA declassified important documents
regarding the tortures that several agents
committed to “soften” the prisoners’ endurance. Stressful situations like impeding the prisoners to sleep for 11 days and
exposing them to insects or other phobias
were some of the “scientific methods” the
agents used.
President Obama addressed the issue with a nice euphemism, saying that
this was a time “of reflection, not retribution.” In other words, he wanted to “look
forward, and forget past problems.”
Where is Obama’s coherence? The advocates of these actions argue that there is a
judicial justification–which is a clever use
of words and terminologies–and dismiss
the agents’ responsibility in the problem.
Truth be told, the defense these advocates
make is very “third-world-like.”
These excuses are the same excuses
from some people in South American countries, like Peru or Chile, who
disregard human rights abuses, arguing that “there always were orders
from above.”
I am neither a lawyer nor a soldier, but
there is always a limit to actions. It is true
that there is a chain of command in the
military and that a soldier must follow
the orders from their superiors. Yet, a soldier is not a zombie. A soldier has critical
thinking and knows the limits between
what is legitimate and what is not. Indeed, torture is not a legitimate method
for a legal war–if there is such a term.
Obama said that “at a time of great
challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time
and energy laying blame for the past.”
Certainly, that is a shameful comment.
How can a democrat–in the pure sense
of the word, not the partisan affiliation–
say that? If he wants to know what we can
gain, I can tell him that we can gain a lot:
the reinforcement of our human rights,
the ratification of the idea that “not everything goes on the war against terror,”
the respect towards the rule of law and
the recognition of U.S. legitimacy worldwide. In actuality, there is a lot to win and
it is not a waste of time.
What kind of moral authority or legitimacy can exist if the government covers up these crimes? Two weeks ago the
Peruvian judiciary–a third-world, stillweak system–showed a great deal of independence, institutional operation and
respect for the rule of law condemning
former president Alberto Kenya Fujimori
for crimes against human rights.
As the head of the chain of command,
Fujimori ordered the creation of a death
squad that was allowed to torture, kidnap and kill any “suspect” in the war
against terror in that country. Hence,
there will always be people accountable
for these abuses.
If Eric Holder, attorney general of the
United States, says that it would be unfair to judge the CIA agents, what about
those who were the intellectual authors
of these tortures? There must be a respect
for human rights, above all.
If this basic premise is not followed,
we will be exposed to a system that is capable of doing whatever it takes to preserve “freedom” and “democracy.” Mr.
Obama, I don’t think that anything would
be gained if someone from your family
suffered from those treatments and demanded compensation. At least dignity
would be gained and that is enough for
anyone here in the United States, Iraq or
any other part of the world. Democracy
and freedom start there and, as a democrat, you should know that.
Baha’i faith experiences persecution
By Peggah Hemmat
Staff writer
Baha’u’llah in Persia founded the Baha’i faith in the midnineteenth century. The faith grew out of Iran with the exile of
Baha’u’llah to various places in the Ottoman Empire including
Baghdad, Constantinople, and finally Akka in modern day Israel. Baha’is have since spread all across the world and the faith
is now the second-most widespread religion on Earth.
Baha’is view Baha’u’llah as the most recent in a line of
Prophets, or manifestations of God stretching through time,
that include Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, Krishna, and
Moses. Baha’u’llah taught the unity of God, of religion and of
mankind and is the religious teacher for the modern age.
Within Islam, Muhammad is viewed as the Seal of the Prophets. For many Muslims this means that any person claiming to
be a prophet is heresy. In many Islamic countries Baha’is are
persecuted for their beliefs, especially in Iran, the country of the
faith’s birth.
The Egyptian Court ruled that Baha’is are not allowed to
have a national identity card. These cards require one to sign
their religion as one of the three officially recognized by the
“Because they cannot receive national identity
cards, Bahai’is are unable to receive regular
citizenship rights such as education or healthcare.”
- Peggah Hemmat
state: Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Because they cannot receive national identity cards, Baha’is are unable to receive regular citizenship rights such as education or healthcare.
Recently a reporter claimed that a Baha’i is an apostate and
should be killed. This has raised a heightened hate towards the
Baha’is and has forced them to flee their homes, which they
were ordered not to return to by the police. People are acting
in such behavior because they don’t truly understand what the
Baha’i faith really is.
It is frustrating that countries would do this to a peaceful
religion, but in the Baha’i writings we are told that this is part
of God’s plan. As world citizens we need to fight for the rights
of the Baha’i members that are not as lucky as we are to have
such religious freedom.
The Rattler 11
letters from the
Flip-side
of reason
Comfort Zones
BY CRISTINA GONZALEZ
I am a girl in a wheelchair, not so much fashion-conscious as fashion-sensible. As a general
rule, short skirts and I do not get along at all.
There’s just too much public embarrassment at
risk for me!
Recently, however, I began to wonder
if maybe my reluctance towards wearing
skirts that sit a bit above the knee was really
as bad as I thought. Summing up the courage, I pulled on the shortest denim skirts I
owned and paired it with a set of tights and a
favorite shirt.
The results of this little experiment were
mixed. I looked and felt ridiculous, but the experience didn’t kill me. I was even able to ignore my self-consciousness for a few moments
at a time.
It has been a long and tired cliché that life is
short, but the truth is exactly that. Life is short
and fast-paced; making the most of it requires a
little effort. Opportunity might knock, but you
also have to be willing to go outside and look
for it. You have to put yourself in the world if
you want to make a difference in it. Oftentimes,
that means stepping well outside of your personal comfort zone.
I will be the one of the first to admit that
this is far easier said than done. We create and
keep comfort zones to feel safe and secure in
the world. They help us keep equilibrium when
things around us seem terribly out of place.
They are good things, comfort zones, but if
you prevent yourself from ever leaving it, who
knows how many rewarding experiences you
might miss? How many of us would have a
fulfilling relationship or career if we constantly
refused to take that chance of stepping out and
presenting ourselves as we completely are to
the world?
My friends, in this final piece before we part
for summer, I offer up a challenge: take a huge
step outside of your comfort zone. Keep no reservations, save those for restaurants and hotel
rooms. Try something new. Go out for that job
you’ve always wanted or finally ask your crush
out on a date if they’re single.
Even if the experience doesn’t go the way
you like, your crush says no, if you don’t get
the job, or even if you find you look ridiculous
in a new outfit; don’t give up or run straight
back to the comfort zone. I promise you will
learn something from the experience and about
yourself–and that, above all else, is a reward in
itself.
Features
12 The Rattler
04.29.09
Accessories that will make your room too cool for school
Retro-inspired
multi-headed
bedroom lamp
For only $25, this chic
lamp from Linens n’
Things will not only bring
light to your room, it will
add mood and a relaxing
ambiance to your work
space. It is great for evenings focused on reading and homework, or
just chilling out to some
groovy music.
Handcrafted
artwork
For a bit of individuality, invest in a piece of
abstract art. Though this
piece was bought in Tokyo
for $60, you can purchase
your own funky art at local dealer shops in your
neighborhood.
Cooling off in comfort, style
By Jaime Perez
Features Editor
As the summer heat slowly approaches, students
are looking for new ways to stay cool. What better
way to do so then starting with your own room?
Freshman biochemistry major Vince Ancona, a
Dougherty Hall resident has transformed his own
sanctuary with a few simple accessories and said
that no matter what time of the year it is, a comfortable and organized room is always important.
“It looks exactly like my room back home. I just
need a place where I can spread my books on the floor
or invite people over without having them step over
my clothes,” Ancona said.
To make his room a relaxing space to beat the heat,
Ancona has tried to infuse his room with neutral
colors. From the art piece he purchased from Tokyo,
Japan, to the posters of his favorite bands and televisions shows, he has tried to make his space both calm
and inviting.
“I needed a place to hang out, and how fun is it
to see white walls every day?” Ancona said. “I like
the different colors coming together that don’t really
overpower a person with how flashy it is.”
However, according to Ancona, the greatest advice
he can give other students who want to have a room
to “chill in” is to stay organized and clean.
“It’s really an easy way to have your room looking
nice. I use bins to keep organized, but I also try to pick
up after myself every day.”
Flat screen
television
What’s a dorm room without a TV? Many flat screens
can run up to $1000, but
this Visio Plasma Television
was purchased for only
$400. The purchase price
is worth it for a couple of
hours out of the sun.
Photos by Robin Johnson
CULTURE CALENDAR
Identifying Genes
April 30 - May 13
Witte Museum
Discover what it takes to be a world
changing geneticist as you locate
and identify genes from human
bodies for a night of fascinating
scientific knowledge with John
Blangero, Ph.D.
San Antonio
Calligraphy Guild
Exhibit
April 5 - May 26
Los Patios
The San Antonio Calligraphy Guild
invites the community to display and
sell their own calligraphic art to the
surrounding public.
Conception/
Realization: James
Hetherington Recent
Works
April 17 - May 16
Bihl Haus Arts
Explore James Hetherington’s use
of steel and aluminum in his twodimensional works.
The Dinosaur Musical
A German Evening
April 28 - May 30
The Magik Theatre
May 1 - May 2
Majestic Theatre
Travel back in time to the Cretaceous
period, the time of the dinosaurs as
the herbivores and carnivores work
together to fight extinction in this
pre-historic musical comedy fit for
audiences of all ages.
Conductor
Sebastian
LangLessing and the San Antonio
Symphony invites San Antonio for
a night of European culture with
an enchanting night of Germanic
masterworks.
04.29.09
Features
The St. Mary’s University Marian Guard simulates an urban operations mission to provide
valuable experience in preparation for a future in the the army. Photo by Analica Perez
Simulation trains soldiers
By Christine Le
Managing Editor
Armed with M-16 A2s and a mission
to conduct a cordon and search of an industrial building in order to capture highvalue targets, the ROTC cadets carried out
a simulation in an attempt to obtain valuable experience working in a contemporary
operating environment.
At 1900 hours on April 24, the St.
Mary’s University Marian Guard conducted the simulated urban operation on the
campus grounds.
The Marian Guard, a special unit and
extension of the ROTC’s basic curriculum,
is a means for students participating in the
ROTC program to learn ranger-type tactics
in order to better develop themselves as
combat officers.
“We follow in the tradition of fostering
the education and training of our cadets,”
said Capt. Michael Martinez, assistant professor of military science and Marian Guard
advisor. “Marian Guard is an outlet for
these students to practice their infantry tactics and leadership abilities which, in turn,
shapes them into more desirable candidates
in their pursuit to obtain commission.”
Marian Guard first sergeant and junior
international relations major Kristopher
Levy, who helped in the development of
the program and the simulation, which took
place last Friday evening, emphasized the
importance for him and his peers to receive
the first-hand experience of dealing with urban operations.
“It sets you apart from those who participate in the regular ROTC curriculum,” explained Levy, who is expected to take on the
role of commanding officer of the Marian
Guard next semester. “The goal is to get the
cadets better prepared for their training for
the Leadership Development Assessment
Course as well as for when they actually enter the army.”
For freshman physics and math major
John Korban, an MS1 in the army ROTC and
member of the Marian Guard, he recognizes
how he is “getting an immense amount of
preparation being a part of this program,”
which is something he knows he can learn
from and use to his advantage.
Commenting on the efforts displayed by
the Marian Guard, Martinez is “proud to be
working with these men and women who
will be serving this country” and believes
his contribution to their training is wellworth the time spent as their advisor.
“I hope that they get a lot of value from
this experience,” said Martinez. “It’s an
honor to be working with them.”
The Rattler 13
14 The Rattler
04.29.09
Students embrace Earth Day
Group educates about world issues,
gives volunteers opportunity to spend
night in cardboard box
By Lorna Cruz
Commentary Editor
The International Relations Society held two big events
in celebration of Earth Day on April 22: the Human Rights
Bazaar and Box City. The idea behind both events was to
raise awareness about various issues that the world is facing, from global issues to those in San Antonio.
With help from the Congress of International Students
and other advocacy organizations, the bazaar was held in
the Quad with each organization focusing on an issue or
human right that they wanted to create awareness about.
The organizations, which included Black Student Union,
Amnesty International and Phi Beta Delta, each had a table
set up with information and flyers on their issue of choice
for people to read.
Some of the organizations had petitions available to
sign, visual displays of statistics associated with their issue,
crafty magnets, bookmarks and other items with messages
of peace in order to raise funds for the organizations.
The rights and issues addressed ranged from the world
food crisis to state-less refugees and the rights of indigenous people. Freshman engineering management major
Sofie Hepburn said that she enjoyed the Human Rights Bazaar.
“The bigger and better-publicized it can get, the more
students would attend and join the
causes,” she said.
As the day progressed, the
displays received a lot of interested students and faculty who left with a little
more awareness.
“This is what college is about, presenting students
with information and making them aware so that they can
then be active and do something about it,” said graduate
student Jennifer Butler, president of the International Relations Society.
In the evening, Box City, Earth Day’s second event was
held in Chaminade Field. At 7 p.m., dozens of donated cardboard boxes were unloaded and students began building
their own cardboard box houses. The one policy that the
organizers asked attendees to respect was not to bring any
cell phones, laptops or other items that were considered
“luxuries” or “commodities.”
Graduate student Philippe Nassif, a member of the International Relations Society and one of the organizers
behind Box City, said that they had estimated an hour for
building the houses, but that it actually took more than
two hours to build them, partially because the wind kept
blowing them away.
After night classes and evening jobs, more and more
people joined the event for story sharing and bonding.
“It was quite the experience, finding out what it’s like to
not have a ceiling over your head,” said Nassif.
There were a total of about 15 to 20 people toward
the end of the night and they slept, each in their own cardboard house, until about 6:30 a.m.
Top Left: Freshman marketing major Patricia Terrazas, sophomore political science and speech communications major Denise Barrera and sophomore
sociology and undecided business major Fernando
Armendariz get comfortable in their new home.
Bottom Right: An exhibit at the Human Rights Bazaar
discusses the importance of creating safe living environments in countries that have failed to remove
dangers such as land mines remaining from wars past.
04.29.09
The Rattler 15
Top Left: Senior biochemistry major Gabriel Hernandez goes retro by adding a
disco ball to his make-shift
home for the night.
Top Right: Students learn
about the effects of the economic crises on food prices
worldwide at the Human
Rights Bazaar.
Bottom: Gathering the final scraps of cardboard,
the newest residents of Box
City work together to create
their new home.
Photos by Analicia Perez
Graphic Illustration by Amanda Rodriguez
Features
16 The Rattler
The
lighter
side of...
Newspaper Memories
BY JAIME PEREZ
As the end of the year
steadily approaches, it is
time for the sappy rambles
of a sad newspaper dude.
Usually, for those who
have
experienced
this
strange journey of deadlines
and press weekends, we
reminisce at all the times we
laughed, cried and fought in
this small room.
It was no different for
me. For hours on end, I
have pulled my hair and
complained non-stop, much
to the annoyance of my best
newspaper pals and section
editors, about articles turned
in late.
I have goofed off, much
to the anger of the best
newspaper editor in the
world, and have been badly
bruised by plastic Easter eggs
pelted toward my direction.
I
have, occasionally,
stayed on task and impressed
myself with the ingenuity of
my newspaper page designs–
only to feel embarrassed later
for thinking they were any
good in the first place.
I have stayed late, many
times until two in the
morning, finishing articles or
having my face two inches
from the screen, trying to
figure out if the picture is
exactly one pica away from a
story or article.
I have participated in
a team of students, all
deceptively different in
appearance, yet remarkably
alike in craziness, in order to
accomplish a single goal.
I have heard the criticism
and the praises of a paper
that has been the result of
sweat and tears. Yet, despite
all this, we still go and
continue to watch ourselves
do it all over again.
04.29.09
Group shares culture with food, music
By Jaime Perez
Features Editor
The Mexican Student Association (MSA) has
extended its hands and welcomed its community
through song, games and food.
These customs were part of an event held in order
to promote and celebrate the group’s heritage with
the rest of the campus. According to Vice President
of MSA and sophomore marketing major Erika Barro,
the group was primarily interested in sharing their
values and traditions.
“We wanted to get back to the roots and values that
shape every unique person here. We are in this room
right now to learn and celebrate the variety of our culture,” said Barro.
The event resembled a Quermes, or a carnival that
features mariachi singers, Loteria (a game similar to
Bingo) and a wide variety of food and beverages like
enchiladas and Aqua Frescas (a fruit-based drink). According to freshman English-communication arts major Diana Garcia, the diverse culture was a welcomed
change living in San Antonio.
“It is really awesome to be heard and do something different on a Tuesday night,” said Garcia. “I
love the food. It is so Mexican; it’s not the fake TexMex food.”
On April 14 the Mexican Student Association held a Quermes, featuring traditional Mariachi
performers. Photo by Jaime Perez
SGA expands environment efforts
By Michelle Tello
Staff Writer
In celebration of Earth Day, the
Student Government Association
(SGA) held the first tree and grass
planting event in five years as part
of their “Go Green Week,” on April
21 and 22. Twenty volunteers lent a
hand to Physical Plant by helping
plant trees and grass in the Outback parking lot.
“We’ll have more grass on the
parking lot and more student involvement,” junior political science major and vice president of
SGA Tania Ramirez said.
Sophomore international relations major, Karla Bayona thought
the event would benefit the campus by beautifying it.
“At the same time it sets an example to the community around us
to help save our planet,” she said.
Recently, SGA’s Recycling Task
Force has made plans to expand
their efforts to be environmentally friendly by approving to put
additional recycling bins around
Going Green
Easy advice to make
your life greener
Lower the thermostat– Not
only will you see less dollars
on your electric bill you will
also lower your energy consumption.
On April 22, sophomore political science major Bernice Duke, junior
criminal justice major Alyssa Austin and Amanda Osuna helped clear
debris at the Outback parking lot. Photo by Robin Johnson
campus next semester.
The new bins differ greatly from
the current recycling centers SGA
put around campus in January.
New bins are optioned to be 18 gallon Sterlite storage totes which SGA
hopes will be placed in the offices
and departments all over campus.
The task force is still making decisions in regards to what can be
recycled in the bins and how they
will be serviced, but SGA president
James Escamia hopes the new efforts will satisfy student demand.
Escamia also hopes their expansion plans will be funded through
grants rather than being added on
to student tuition.
The next Recycling Task Force
meeting is open to all students and
falculty and will be held April 30 in
the Physical Plant conference room.
Reuse your water bottle–
Many times the water in your
water bottle comes from the
same source as tap water. Reusing bottles will help cut the
use of petroleum production.
Ride a bike– If you use a car
for any travel need then you
can save hundreds of dollars
by just investing in a environmentally friendly bike.
Buy green– Purchase products that use recyclable materials. Less pastic bottles or
allumnim being made will reduce your carbon footprint.
Source: www.divinecaroline.com
Features
04.29.09
The Rattler 17
Student sees success in more than just numbers
Student gives update on
his weight loss battle
By Joshua Dunn
Staff Writer
The semester has passed and I
would like to inform you all that
my current weight is 290 pounds
and that I have a body mass index
of 39.
While I have not reached my
specific weight goal, I have nonetheless recognized weight loss
throughout this experience. With
that said, I am still not ready to
give up; I will continue to try and
get healthy.
Up to this point, it has been a
constant struggle. I realize it would
not have been worth doing if it was
easy. I am currently fighting 18
years of bad eating habits and low
self-esteem. Thanks to my counseling and assistance at the Student
Health Center, I have been able to
gain more in confidence and grow
as a person.
Some methods that helped me
in my diet are trying not to think of
it as a “diet.” Instead, I have seen it
as just eating a healthy amount of
food for my age and height.
These days, we easily binge on
food without even thinking about
it because of its availability. When
I catch myself overeating, I stop
and remind myself that I am eating an excessive amount of food
and should stop.
Another important fact is exercise. Do what you find fun and
exciting. For me, that’s going for
a brisk walk. I put on my headphones and escape into my own
little world.
Make sure you also actually set
aside a certain time to exercise. I
know I was more likely to go walking if I told myself that I will go at
8 p.m., after my favorite television
Outside the classroom
A spotlight on faculty
Evelyn Mitchell, Ph.D.
Photo by Denice Hernandez
show. I changed during the commercials and right when it ended,
I was out the door.
Find a good time for you and
stick with it. I found mine and I
will continue to try and get healthy
knowing that it is going to be hard.
Being aware of support of friends
and family will help you reach
your goal weight.
The thing that should matter
above all else is your happiness.
I know I can finally say that I am
happy, which is something I have
not been able to say for quite some
time.
I feel that St. Mary’s is my home
and the students, faculty and the
services they provide here are
my support on my life’s journey.
I hope you all can or do feel the
same knowing that you have all
types of resources at your fingertips. You only need to reach out for
the help.
Before
You have been involved in the past with geophysical
surveys that assess the amount of water in underground
caves, what are you trying to determine and who does this
research affect?
“My specific area of interest is hydrogeology and cave science.
I think that part of the reason I like these areas is because a
lot of people have the out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude as far
as what goes on underground; if they can’t see it then they
don’t have to think about it. What I study is the activities we
do above ground like the way we dump and construct things,
and how that affects the hydrology, cave systems and the
wildlife in those areas. It ultimately affects us in the end too
because the hydrology reaches the surface in the city as we
pump water from the ground.”
How would your research and collaborations with your
students and peers benefit the various communities?
“This last spring I went to Jalisco, Mexico and did geophysics
surveys where I was looking in the ground with different
equipment trying to find how much water was in the soil
in a rural area in Mexico where they have very little water
supply. We were working to try and determine how much
groundwater they had, the quality of the water, and if it was
possible to supply water to the village that way. I am also
starting a study and working this summer with Lisa Duran,
who is a student here, in trying to quantify how much carbon
dioxide comes into the atmosphere from caves because caves
actually put out carbon dioxide and its part of the process of
how the rocks degrade. What we are going to do is try and
measure the San Antonio area and see how much is coming
out of those caves into the air.
After
Photo by Robin Johnson
You are currently completing your second semester at St.
Mary’s University as a professor of environmental geology,
what do you enjoy most about your job?
“What I love most about teaching this subject is the fact that
a lot of students are really interested in the environment. It is
very topical in the news right now and many of the students
come up to me outside of class to ask questions that I don’t
always even expect but are very valid points of views to discuss
these days. I enjoy teaching because a lot of the students are
interested and want to learn and that makes it fun. We have a
lot of issues that need to be resolved, so the more they know,
the better decisions they can make.”
As an environmental geology professor, you have unique
vantage point into the “green” movement. What do you
believe to be the best way to conserve and protect our the
environment?
“Recycle! I have a wonderful blue bin that the city of San
Antonio provided, and not only do I recycle but I have also
trained my husband to recycle, even though he was resistant. I
always try to make informed decisions about everything I buy
because one thing that is becoming more obvious as we have
more consumers in the world is that when we are buying, we
are voting for what products we want. And if you are voting for
green products by buying green products then you are going
to be encouraging that market to produce more of those green
products. I want to burn as little fossil fuels as possible and
encourage that form of technology development because the
more we are buying energy efficient technologies, the more
we will have that developed.”
Compiled by Denice Hernadez
Features
18 The Rattler
04.29.09
Pass finals with “A-plus” tips
By Allison Hernandez
Staff Writer
Coffee? Check. Flash cards? Check. Late
nights spent stressing out? Double check. Finals
are just around the corner and, like an old campus tradition, many students will find themselves
spending many late nights during study week and
finals week doing some last minute cramming for
their exams.
While some students do work best under pressure, others take the stress-free route and set aside
extra time to study. Some students even have tips
to help get them through finals.
“Review your old tests. See how much content
is from the book, the professor’s notes or from the
lecture,” advised junior entrepreneurial studies
major Rebecca Uribe. “From there, decide to dedicate at least two full nights– three to five hours of
studying before the test.”
Just as easy as it is to open a book, students often find it just as easy to take a break from studying to log onto Facebook, YouTube or other favorite Web sites. While surfing the Internet, a helpful
hint is to visit some other sites that will actually
help with studying material.
“I Google things that the book doesn’t make
clear and watch YouTube videos over certain concepts–you’d be surprised how much good information is on the Web,” said junior biology major
Damiana Pena.
Along with searching for useful information
online, Pena has another method that has pulled
her through many hard tests. “I make up acronyms to help remember lists and I always go over
all the practice tests and answers,” she said. “After
reading a section, close the book and try to recite
what you read like you are teaching it to someone
else who doesn’t understand and always use the
CD-ROM that comes with your book.”
Now the dilemma of where to study surfaces.
Some students find it easier to study with a group
of friends surrounding them, while others find
that groups can be a little distracting and prefer a
nice quiet place.
“Depending on your personality, I would say
Peanut
Gallery
As final exams approach, students are looking for new tips
to study effectively, so The
Rattler wants to know,
How do you study for
final exams?
to pick a place where you can study – just you,”
said Uribe. “It can be at Starbucks, a restaurant,
your room, the library or somewhere where it
is peaceful and quiet.”
Sophomore marketing and entrepreneurial
major Aaron Cantu has found that the quieter
study surroundings have been what work best
for him, but he doesn’t rule out having study
partners either.
“I think studying in a quiet atmosphere is
always best,” said Cantu. “If people are running in and out of the room it’s kind of hard,
but groups are always good, too.”
There are students who find it helpful to
have some music, as well as a little boost of energy, to get them through finals. “Personally,
I like listening to light classical music, and if
I have enough time, I re-write the notes I’m
studying,” said sophomore marketing major Mike Segura. “Other than that, those
five-hour energy shots work well for allnighters.”
Of course, what is a finals week without a trip to the local coffee shop? It
seems that during exam time, one is
just as likely to run into their friends
at the Starbucks in the Medical Center as they are to bump into them
at the mall or the local weekend
hangout. Senior English-communication arts major Carla Rodriguez likes to take advantage of
the coffee shops around town
during exam time.
“I love coffee shops. I make
sure not to spend way too much
time studying and take lots
of breaks,” said Rodriguez.
Whatever your study rituals may be, make sure to
try out some of these useful tips, get some rest,
take a deep breath and
go ace those end-of- thesemester exams.
Photo by Robin Johnson
Martin Peña
Diego Fernadez
Kyle Seymour
Political Science,
Junior
Biology,
Freshman
English,
Sophomore
“I read everything
10 times and I lock
myself in the room.
I also drink a lot
of coffee to stay
awake. If I don’t
stay in my room, I
usually go to Starbucks because my
girlfriend likes to
study there.”
“If I have exams or
finals, I try not to
procrastinate. I usually try to study in
my room or in the
library where I could
get help from a tutor
if I don’t understand
something. It’s also
important that its
really quiet.”
“I have to stay
away from any
of my friends, so
I won’t get distracted from my
work. I also take
advantage of the
library because I
can be by myself in
one of those study
rooms.”
Entertainment
Jazzin’ up the show, San Antonio Fiesta goes out in style
04.29.09
By Christine Le
Managing Editor
Fiesta-goers returned to the university for something quite different than
Oyster Bake after the Pecan Grove
opened to the public Friday, April 24.
The air was cool as children played
Frisbee in the grass underneath the
shade of the pecan trees. No one had
to stand uncomfortably in the heat
shoulder-to-shoulder. There wasn’t
any spilled beer and bottles littering
the ground.
In fact, the only sounds to be
heard weren’t from musicians performing country and rock music or
vendors selling turkey legs. Rather,
people came to relax and enjoy the
performances made by young musicians from around San Antonio,
not to mention Grammy-winning
saxophonist, composer and arranger
Gordon Goodwin.
Among those participating in the
concert was the St. Mary’s Jazz Combo, the University of the Incarnate
Word Jazz Ensemble, the San Antonio
College Jazz Ensemble and the U.S.
Army Medical Command Band Mojo.
The event, sponsored by the Music
Department at St. Mary’s University
and the San Antonio Fiesta Commission, is one of the oldest jazz festivals
and is dedicated to presenting the finest jazz music to the public.
“Jazz Festival is a way for St.
Mary’s University to bring worldrenowned jazz artists to perform for
San Antonio,” said Bobby Baiza, senior music education major and lead
The Rattler 19
alto saxophonist of the St. Mary’s
Jazz Combo. “It gives both the campus and the community a chance
to witness the performances of
great composers.”
Goodwin, this year’s Fiesta Jazz
Artist for the 47th Annual Fiesta World
Class Jazz Concert, has worked within the television and film industry
his cinematic scoring and orchestration craft can be heard on such films
as The Incredibles, Gone in 60 Seconds,
Enemy of the State, Remember the Titans
and Armageddon.
“It was amazing being directed
under him,” said Baiza. “He gave the
ensemble advice on rehearsing and
performing–something that I would
have never been able to experience if I
were going to any other university.”
Having built a larger-than-life
reputation for his composing, arranging and music instrumentation
skills, Goodwin made a considerable contribution to the success of
the event as the concert enjoyed a
great turnout.
“To work with one of the greatest
musicians in the world was a great
opportunity,” said Adam Casiano,
senior music education major and
principle French horn. “It allowed
students, professors and the community to witness the performance of a
fine musician and be brought back to
the roots of jazz.”
After a week of busy Fiesta festivities that filled the streets of downtown San Antonio and the grounds
of St. Mary’s University, the Jazz
Band Festival brought the Alamo
city’s celebrations to a calming,
memorable close.
Gordon Goodwin rocked the house with his smooth style and saxophone skill, adding to the success of the
2009 Jazz Festival. Photo by Analicia Perez
entertain yourself
MOVIE RELEASE
X-Men Origins:
Wolverine
Hugh Jackman, Liev
Schreiber, Ryan
Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch
MAY 1
Flashback to Wolverine’s mysterious life journey, the steps that
would unknowingly lead to his
initiation into the league of mutants known as X-Men.
CD RELEASE
Outer South
Conor Oberst
MAY 5
His fifth solo album and second
record released on Merge Records, Outer South provides the
talented 29-year-old with more
reason to hit the road this June.
What makes this record even
more special though is the major
writing and vocals contributed
from the solo artist’s bandmates.
ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Desserts for
Study Break
University Ministry
APRIL 27 - MAY 1
Center for Life
Directions
As Finals Week quickly approaches, UMin eases the stress of students with a variety of treats during these last days of Study Week.
Take a break and enjoy!
SAN ANTONIO
Discover Cibolo
2009
Discovery Challenge
Ropes Course
MAY 9, 9 a.m.
Discovery Church,
Cibolo, TX
This flea market and chili-cook
off is bound to keep you busy all
day with car shows, live bands
and crafty booths.
CONCERT
Jack’s Mannequin
Matt Nathanson,
Erin McCarley
MAY 10, 6 p.m.
Stubb’s Bar-B-Q,
Austin, TX
Before embarking on a major
summer tour with the Fray, Jack’s
Mannequin makes a quick return
to the music capitol after playing
here only six months ago.
20 The Rattler
Entertainment
04.29.09
Drew’s lively performance highlights Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens
HHHHH
Dir. by Michael Sucsy
Starring Drew Barrymore
and Jessica Lange
By Jaime Perez
Features Editor
The HBO feature “Grey Gardens,” which is based on a 1975
documentary of the same name,
serves as both an example of and
exception to acting for cable network movies.
The film is a dark portrayal of
the lives of Edith Bouvier Beale
and her daughter Edith “Little
Eddie” Bouvier Beale, aunt and
cousin, respectively, to Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis.
Set in 1974, when the Beales
lived in their dilapidated 28-bedroom estate, they are approached
to film a documentary about the
lives of the Kennedy’s relatives.
What the film crew discovers is a
bitter mother and daughter’s fall
from the social elite.
For those who were fans of the
documentary, the film adaptation
follows closely to the original and
Little Eddie (Barrymore) and Older Eddie (Lange) look out the window of their 28-bedroom estate as the
health inspector declares their home ‘inhabitable.’ Source imdb.com
gives viewers an opportunity to
see the two ladies in their prime
and their descent into squalor. The
scenes are beautifully cut together
and transition smoothly from their
excessive nightlife in their youth
to their later years living in a dirty,
cat-infested house.
The stark differences are made
even more painful with the artistic
direction of costumes and scenery in the 40s and 70s. Both decades are represented accurately
and attractively.
They provide a sense of realism
to the picture and, in the case of
Little Eddie, a sad portrait of a
middle-aged woman who has not
come to terms with her age.
Drew Barrymore gives the most
surprisingly versatile and dramatic performance of her career
so far. She successfully conveys
the reckless youth of Little Eddie’s
heyday while also effectively presenting a dejected woman with
aspirations to be a star. Her performance is both sad and touching as
we sympathize and even root for
Little Eddie’s character, despite
her eccentricities.
Jessica Lange gives an equally
shocking performance as Big Eddie,
especially in old age. Her make-up
and prosthetics combined with her
enormous acting ability makes for
a convincing elderly woman in her
70s that seems no different than the
average grandma.
Unlike the two main characters,
the film had little flaws.
It effortlessly presented the
heartbreaking tale and made the
actresses out to be exactly what
both Eddies always wanted to
be: stars.
Soloist catches wind of lighthearted audiences
Soloist
HHHHH
Dir. by Joe Wright
Starring Robert Downey, Jr.
and Jamie Foxx
By Denice Hernandez
Copy Editor
The Soloist is based on the true
story of the Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez who was inspired to write a column about
Nathaniel Anthony Ayers when
he encountered him playing a
two string violin on the streets of
Los Angeles.
Lopez, played by Robert
Downey, Jr., is working hard to
keep his flow of writing alive
for the biggest newspaper in
California until he befriends
the homeless musician, played
by Jamie Foxx, and is immediately drawn into his lovable and
sincere character.
He then begins to learn more
about the intriguing past of Ayers who was a student at Julliard
for two years until he developed
schizophrenia and then ran away
to live on the streets.
His passion for music is unlike anything Lopez has ever
seen or felt, and his talent is even
more remarkable.
A genuine bond develops between the two and Ayers is no longer just an idea for a story. Lopez is
determined to get Ayers the medical attention he needs but in doing
so, he compromises their friendship. As Lopez is trying to change
the life of this troubled musician,
he finds himself being the one who
is transformed.
Although there are very emotionally intense moments, there is
a good share of light hearted humor throughout the entire film.
Even at the verge of tears you will
be able to muster a chuckle or two.
The movie is very eye opening as
it depicts what life is like for the
90,000 homeless people living on
the streets of Los Angeles. It is
also filled with unique and quirky
characters that you cannot help but
want to reach out to.
The Soloist warms the heart and
captivates the soul. It is a story
of the human spirit and the undying passion for the things we
love in life. Everyone will enjoy
this movie as it captures the extraordinary power of music and
the even more endearing power
of friendship.
This film reminds us that our
lives can be changed by the most
unlikely of people in the most unexpected ways.
Anyone can access Lopez’s column on the Los Angeles Times’ Web
site. Lopez has also published a
book about his experience with Ayers titled The Soloist: A Lost Dream,
an Unexpected Friendship, and the
Redemptive Power of Music.
Former child prodigy Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx) touches the
soul of reporter Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.), causing him to take a
glimpse at his own life. Source rottentomatoes.com
04.29.09
Entertainment
The Rattler 21
The Tour
Guide
Band strikes like tidal wave
BY STEPHANIE SANDERS
Juggling the lives of recording artists, traveling musicians and philanthropists, Death Cab for Cutie is true to its audiences and
show no fear in career pursuits. Source Google images
Death Cab successful in risk-taking
By Denice Hernandez
Copy Editor
Death Cab for Cutie has just released
their new EP album Open Doors in stores
this month with four unreleased tracks,
each with the same recognizable instrumentals and mix of somber, yet delightful tones as their sixth album released in
May of last year titled Narrow Stairs.
Death Cab continues to show their
fans that they aren’t afraid to take creative risks. Every song recorded to these
albums are directly from their studio,
making these tracks the most intimate
and daring collection among all their
other albums.
Their lyrics continue to grow deeper
and more honest with songs like “You
Can Do Better Than Me” and one of their
EP tracks “My Mirror Speaks.” Death Cab began their 2009 tour in
February with several shows in Japan,
but their show in Philadelphia in April
kicked off their spring U.S. tour.
They will only be making one visit to
Texas at the Austin Music Hall on May
1, and will be performing with opening
acts Ra Ra Riot and Matt Costa. You can
stay updated with them as they continue
their tour throughout July by logging
on to their Twitter page. Their last two
shows will be in Washington, their
hometown state.
While on tour, vocalist Ben Gibbard
and tour mate Nathan Willett from Cold
War Kids are teaming up to record how
many miles they cover and are encouraging fans to donate $1 for each one. The
profits made will go to Water Wells for
Africa, a non-profit organization that collects funds to install working water wells
and pay for drinking water in impoverished villages in Africa that are in serious
drought conditions.
Amber Pacific, an emotionally-melodic
band who at one time held a spot among the
top 100 artists on the Billboard charts only to
slip away out of the scene, makes their San Antonio comeback Sunday, May 10 for a $12 show
at Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar.
Being out of the picture for so long and
undergoing serious band reformation, these
Washington-state pop/rockers are fighting for
their right to put the Amber Pacific name on
the map.
The seven-year-old troupe rides the long
road accompanied by Houston Calls of DriveThru Records, the one-year-old Fight Fair
of Triple Crown Records and Farewell of
Epitaph Records.
Amber Pacific, recently released from Hopeless Records due to a completion of their contract, are leading the way after catching a bit
of bad luck after their fourth stint on the Vans
Warped Tour in 2007.
The quintet experienced some uneasiness in
the winter of 2007 while traveling with Hawthorne Heights.
A mere week before the band toured
through Texas, Hawthorne Heights’ guitarist
Casey Calvert passed away after an accidental
combined drug intoxication.
Without a doubt, Amber Pacific and the rest
of the lineup agreed it was best to cancel the
tour out of respect to Hawthorne Heights.
Shortly after playing a show in May of the
following year, lead singer Matt Young left the
band when he had a change in heart regarding
career goals. Young is currently in pursuit of a
career as a school principal.
As far as touring is concerned (a big concern of mine), it was not long before Amber
Pacific was ready to return to the public eye.
Their only form of contact was through their
MySpace blog.
“We have been strangers to the road for
far too long, in fact, this has been the longest we’ve been home in four years and we
are damn near crazy. One can only play so
much Halo before realizing their lives consist of music and the road,“ said a post on the
blog nearly a month after Young’s departure
in 2008.
A year later, Amber Pacific fights the good
fight and are prepared for any challenges down
the road. Their fresh attitudes, new vocals and
long-awaited third full-length album should
allow the band to reconnect with audiences,
new and old.
22 The Rattler
Entertainment
04.29.09
Chevelle’s Pete Loeffler (left) and Dean Bernardini (right) end with a roar of
chants and screams after a lengthy setlist of fan-favorites. Photo by Robin Johnson
Chevelle steals stage at
Fiesta Oyster Bake
By Stephanie Sanders
Entertainment Editor
Chevelle drummer Sam Loeffler anticipated what turned out to be without a doubt a
successful performance at the annual Oyster Bake. Overdosed on adrenaline, fans
reached out for Chevelle’s raw energy and
hard music. It was San Antonio’s way of
saying, “You rock!”
How did Chevelle obtain this opportunity?
“It was a big coincidence that we were going out on tour. We missed a few opportunities in the past due to writing. I’m glad
it worked out in time.”
Was there ever a time that you felt you did
not want to play music?
“I started playing drums at age 14; Pete
was 12. I don’t think there has ever been
a time.”
Lead singer Pete Loeffler sang songs such as “Vitamin R,” “The Red” and “Panic Prone” as well
as songs from their upcoming album. Photo by Robin Johnson
Who has influenced your musical
aspirations?
“Back when we were kids, we were into
punk. Pete was specifically influenced
by Depeche Mode, The Cure and Alice in
Chains, all bands with really strong singers. We are a lot of little parts from a lot
of hard rock songs. That’s what we find
interesting; we wear our influences on our
sleeve. If you’re fans of rock music, you’ll
be able to relate.”
What are your thoughts about being the
headlining band for an event that kicks off
Fiesta for all of San Antonio?
“It’s funny...now I remember going to Oyster Bake before! I’ve been twice. It’s really
good to be a part of any party.”
How does Chevelle want San Antonio to
remember them as?
“We are a straight up rock band. Texas is
probably the biggest state for rock, and we
just love being in Texas. I hope people are
fans of the band, and hopefully we can introduce other people to our music.”
Is there anything that fans might not know
about you or the band that you want them
to know or would like to share with them?
“We’ve always tried to keep our private life private without giving away too
much. Politics and religion are kept out.
Our band is whatever they get out of the
music, whatever they read into. The mystery is kind of a good thing.”
Where do you see yourselves in 10 years?
“It would be ideal if I enjoyed doing what
I’m doing right now. I literally have done
hundreds of thousands of miles of touring.
I don’t even know the number of shows.
I don’t know if I can imagine doing another 10 years, but I can’t imagine doing
anything else.”
04.29.09
Entertainment
The Rattler 23
Low Oyster Bake attendance, Fiesta off to rainy start
By Stephen Guzman
Staff Writer
Rain showers before Fiesta Oyster Bake 2009 may have reduced attendance, but the two-day event ended in success.
The morning of April 17 began with scattered rain showers and heavy winds. As a 60 percent chance of precipitation
grew to 100 percent, housekeeping, maintenance and alumni
volunteers worked against the hindering weather conditions,
struggling to keep stages and equipment dry.
“The rain made it a lot tougher for us and [volunteers] trying to set up,” said Juan Ojeda, lead electrician for the event.
“It really worried me.”
Heavy rainfall concerned housekeeping crew leader Norma Valle as well, who thought the Alumni Association “would
stop everything and cancel the event.”
Steve Rosenauer, Executive Director of the Fiesta Oyster
Bake and Associate Director of Alumni Relations, also worked
through the rain. “When I was on the grounds standing in
about two inches of water, I thought, ‘Oh no!’”
Nevertheless with a “rain or shine policy,” Fiesta Oyster
Bake workers and volunteers remained focused that the event
would continue.
“The real credit goes to our volunteers as well as our physical plant staff,” said Rosenauer. “Everybody kept working
through the rain and stayed focused and, fortunately, the sun
came out and the rain stopped.”
According to Rosenauer, the Fiesta Oyster Bake attendance
on Friday was down “a few thousand people” due to the rain.
Rosenauer approximated that the attendance on Friday was
about 7,500 to 10,000 as opposed to the usual 12,000 to 15,000.
Senior Political Science major Erika Lopez, attendee of Fiesta Oyster Bake since her freshman year, chose to attend another event Friday due to the rain.
“It was gross!” said Lopez. “I didn’t want to walk around
in my heels.”
Early morning showers and a mirrored forecast of 60 percent chance of rain promised for yet another disappointing attendance on Saturday.
“We were thinking, ‘oh boy,’” said Rosenauer. “But the sun
came out again by 10 in the morning.”
Still, Lopez, who attended Saturday afternoon, said there
were a lot less people. According to Lopez, “by 3 p.m., it’s usually shoulder to shoulder.”
With a reduced attendance at Fiesta Oyster Bake 2009,
students are concerned about scholarship funds raised from
the event.
“The turnout really worries me,” said Danielle Oviedo,
sophomore undecided major. “The funding for Oyster Bake
goes toward [student] scholarships, and I figured that we
would lose out on a ton of money.”
Rosenauer assured otherwise. According to Rosenauer, every year money is put into the Alumni Association Endowment
Fund. Rosenauer stated that with this endowment fund, which
began in the mid-seventies, the Alumni Association hoped to
“build up a legacy so that it’s able to generate money every
year.” Currently, Rosenauer said the fund totals more than $6
million, which means that even if attendance is down, there’s
still money available that generates for scholarships.
Rosenauer remains confident that Fiesta Oyster Bake 2009
was a great event and “very successful considering all the
[bad] weather we had.”
Attendance and profit statistics will be fully calculated
by mid-summer and will be available to students in the
fall semester.
Fiesta-goers attend Oyster Bake despite rain predictions for both Friday and Saturday. It is estimated that up to 5,000 less people attended the event.
Photos by Analicia Perez
Sports
24 The Rattler
The Outdoor
Corner Series
By Chris Filoteo
Sports Editor
With summer upon us, Texas is one
of the best states to cast a line. While
temperatures increase, so does the
opportunity to hook different types
of fish.
Home to numerous top-rated lakes,
Texas has several ideal fishing locations
within 50 miles of San Antonio. My
favorite neighboring lake is Calaveras
Lake, which is 20 miles south
in Elmendorf.
The cost to get into the park is
inexpensive and you can fish all day long.
With abundant fish in the area, you can
spot largemouth black bass, red drum,
hybrid striped bass (stripers), channel
and blue catfish at Calaveras.
Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW)
introduced the red drum to the lake
from saltwater and bred them to live in
freshwater to increase the population
of fish.
This process has been extremely
successful and fishermen/women around
the area have noticed.
I caught my personal best red drum,
which was 42 inches long and weighed
22 pounds, several years ago.
That moment was one of the best I
have ever experienced because it took me
more than 30 minutes to reel it in.
Red drums are known for their
strength and are inclined to break fishing
lines often; therefore, it is necessary to
use heavier lines and rods in order to
land bigger fish.
The peak fishing period for all of the
fish ranges from March through August.
Similar to all lakes, Calaveras has several
hot spots to fish from a boat.
The “crappie wall” is a structure in the
middle of the lake that serves as a barrier
for a funnel which flows toward the hot
water discharge area of the power plant
on site.
This wall is no more than a couple feet
wide and 80 yards long, but is the best
place to find red drum. However, you can
be just as successful fishing from the bank
if you don’t have access to a boat.
Using bait such as tilapia and perch
is the best method to catching red drum
from the shore, but you can still hook
many different fish, particularly catfish.
With summer right around the corner,
I know how I will be spending my
vacation. Remember, a bad day of fishing
is much better than a good day at work.
04.29.09
Team’s future uncertain after defeat
By Chris Childree
Senior Staff Writer
Coach Pop’s new playoff “strategies”
have put his team in good standing while
leaving his opponents sitting in a hole.
The coach prominently displayed his
keys to victory during the Mavericks versus
Spurs first-round playoff series.
These included playing Matt Bonner,
the Mavericks’ sixth man (the trophy was
obviously given to Jason Terry too early),
for extended periods of game time and
designating him as a clutch shooter at the
end of game four.
His play was previously lauded during
game one when his insertion into the contest
prevented a win by a Spurs team poised for
victory; coming off an amazing overtime
win on the last night of the regular season.
Bonner is disastrous for his team on the
court by missing easy shots, putting no
effort into grabbing boards and constantly
committing inexcusable fouls.
This is why the Mavericks can’t help but
laugh when he steps on the court and why
they will ultimately hang Bonner’s jersey
high into their rafters upon his retirement.
Coach Pop also did a good job of limiting
Spurs star rookie George Hill’s effectiveness
at the most critical point of the season, by
forcing him to remain on the bench during
most of the first three games of the series.
He was allowed to play during game
four, but luckily for Pop his performance
was limited to only two three pointers.
The Mavericks’ leading defensive
stopper Bruce Bowen was allowed to
start in game four at the expense of Roger
Mason, Drew Gooden and Ime Udoka, who
all remained on the bench for long periods
of time, causing low offensive output from
the trio (a combined three points).
It’s a shame for Pop that Tony Parker
was allowed to score 43 points during game
four, increasing his scoring average to 24
points per game for the series.
Parker was supposed to remain on the
court laying on his back since Eric Dampier
threatened him before game four, but Parker
and Duncan alone were just not enough to
compete with the Mavericks.
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen
Coach Popovich coach a series as effectively
as he did during this season’s first round.
The last time was probably back in
2007, when he was still coaching the Spurs
and when he utilized his roster to the
maximum, knowing the difference between
a benchwarmer and a starter.
Some may say it was easier for Pop
this time because superstar guard Manu
Ginobili missed the entire series.
But Ginobili also missed 38 of the Spurs
82 regular season games, almost 50 percent,
Matt Bonner and Roger Mason, Jr. need to step up their performance off the bench if the
Spurs want to advance far into the playoffs. Photo by Robin Johnson
and the Spurs were still able to win the
Southwest Division and grab the number
three seed.
Without a doubt, Pop’s performance
made the biggest impact on the
team’s play.
They were simply outcoached and
outnumbered and those are usually the
ingredients for defeat; the same result the
Spurs experienced in 2000, which was
the last time they were eliminated in the
first round.
Sadly, Pop may have coached his final
game and might be without a job after
the summer, but Spurs fans will always
remember the good he brought to the team;
even though he destroyed the season in
2009 with help from a squad owned by a
blithering numbskull, Mark Cuban.
It’s a shame that Popovich may not be
able to coach in the next round, since he is
not officially the coach of the Mavericks.
It may be best if he resigns from his
current job title. Spurs fans may be more
optimistic with someone like Avery Johnson
on the sidelines with a fresh roster rather
than a coach and two players seemingly
helping their supposed opponents.
Sports
04.29.09
The Rattler 25
David Beckham will play his last season in U.S.
By chris Filoteo
Sports Editor
After playing an eventful spring
while on loan with AC Milan,
David Beckham is moving back
to Los Angeles to play for the LA
Galaxy soccer team.
While many fans were hesitant
about his move to Italy because
they weren’t sure whether he
would return to the United States,
Beckham was actually trying to
stay in Italy and didn’t plan on
returning to the U.S.
The Galaxy, which signed
Beckham in 2007 for a record fiveyear deal worth $32 million, had
every intention of having him
finish his contract in the states.
However, that was two years
ago; a time when Beckham thought
he could make a difference in a
country not known for its soccer.
Beckham will remain on AC
Milan’s roster until May 31, when
his loan extension expires.
The Galaxy and AC Milan spent
most of the spring trying to sign
Beckham, but he decided to honor
his contract with the Galaxy.
Beckham’s first game back in
the United States will be July 16
against the New York Red Bulls
due to the international transfer
window opening July 14.
Because of his lengthy loan to
Italy, Beckham will only play in
13 of the team’s 31 total games
in 2009.
According to newsvine.com,
Beckham will meet his obligation
with the Galaxy and play the 2009
season, but after that he’ll exercise
the option to buy himself out and
sign for AC Milan in January 2010.
Beckham tried to revamp the
soccer scene in the states, which
was his goal when he first signed
with the Galaxy.
However, Beckham has proven
to be just one of many famous
players to travel to the states and
not be successful.
The time he spent with the
Galaxy was mediocre due to
many injuries and exhaustion
from playing on different teams:
England National Team, L.A.
Galaxy and AC Milan.
Wanting to concentrate for the
2010 World Cup, Beckham believes
playing in Italy will better his
chances than playing in the states.
At 33, Beckham has one more
chance to show soccer fans he is
capable of playing at his highest
level in a World Cup.
Unlike his play for club teams,
he has struggled in World Cups
and it seemed the only thing
Beckham was able to accomplish
was bringing fans to watch
the games.
The
Galaxy’s
average
home attendance in 2008 rose
about 25 percent since 2006
according to insidesocal.com,
but that was the only success
Beckham experienced in the
United States.
Despite all the hype Beckham
brought with him, he still didn’t
accomplish what he set out
to do.
Other than making a lot of
money, he failed miserably in his
attempt to revitalize U.S. soccer.
How will his teammates
embrace him after trying to stay in
AC Milan?
Midfielder Landon Donovan
gave
Beckham
the
team
captain’s position when first
arrived in 2007, but now the
captain role will be relinquished
once he comes back to play for
the Galaxy.
Although Beckham was
named to the Major League
Soccer (MLS) All-Star game last
season, I believe that was just for
attendance purposes.
Everywhere Beckham plays,
he draws a massive crowd, but
is that enough when signing
someone to a record multimillion dollar contract?
Beckham enjoys playing in
front of large audiences, but
seems to hardly deliver on
his performance.
He has scored almost as many
goals while on loan for AC Milan
the past few months than he has
the entire time he played for
the Galaxy.
Apparently, the Galaxy only
cares about the crowds he can
draw and nothing more.
Superstar David Beckham signs autographs at Wellington Airport before a
game for the Los Angeles Galaxy . Photo from wikimediacommons
European soccer heads into final stages of tournament
By ivonne Aguilar
Senior Staff Writer
Soccer fans worldwide will watch the
best players in the world compete for
the Champions League Championship
for the best team in Europe on May 24 in
Roma, Italy.
The Union of European Football
Associations (UEFA) Champions League is
the epitome for European football clubs.
Each year, football clubs from European
countries such as England, Spain, Italy,
Germany and Holland play in competitive
qualifying rounds until the final match
in June.
Currently, Real Madrid, from Spain, leads
with nine total wins followed by AC Milan
from Italy with seven, and Liverpool from
England has five.
This year the four clubs remaining in the
semi-finals are FC Barcelona, Chelsea FC,
Manchester United and Arsenal: Manchester
United and Chelsea FC played in last years
championship match.
Each team will play two games, one
home and one away. The highest aggregate
score advances to the final; aggregate
scoring is the total amount of goals scored in
both games.
FC Barcelona heads into the semi-finals
as leaders in their own league, La Liga.
When they face off against Chelsea
FC, Barcelona’s offensive style can be a
threat to Chelsea with their forward trio
of stars: Leonel Messi, Thierry Henry and
Samuel Eto’o.
As for Chelsea, the runner up of 2008
Champions League also looks likely to make
the final.
The squad will not count on Ricardo
Carvalho, Portuguese central defender
for the first leg of the semis due to a
hamstring injury.
“I like Manchester, but I think Chelsea is
going to win,” said Julian Nunez, freshman
criminal justice major.
Manchester United, the defending
champions, and Arsenal will play for a
chance at the final match. Arsenal’s starting
striker, Robin Van Persie will not be able to
play due to an injury.
With all the speculations by the media of
who will be crowned the UEFA champions,
Chris Echavarria, freshman, criminal justice
major commented on his prediction, “Man
U because they’re stacked. They have good
communication and they are all around
the best.”
The Champions League final will be
played on May 27 in Italy.
Sports
26 The Rattler
04.29.09
Boxing star retires after legendary career in ring
By brissa Renteria
Senior Staff Writer
Oscar De La Hoya answers questions before his historic loss
against Manny Pacquiao in December 2008. Photo from
wikimedia commons.com
Ten world titles, boxing’s most
popular fighter and a Latin legend.
All of this history came to an end
in an announcement made by Oscar
De La Hoya outside the Staples Center
next to his Golden Boy statue.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s
over,” the East Los Angeles native said
before hundreds of fans on ABC news.
“It’s over inside the ring for me.”
His retirement came months after
his defeat by Manny Pacquiao, his
fourth loss in the last seven fights.
The last formidable opponent
he defeated was Fernando Vargas
in 2002.
As he ages and his skills slowly
diminish, De La Hoya’s losses
increased throughout the years from
opponents such as Felix Trinidad
and Sugar Shane Mosley, to Bernard
Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
De La Hoya finished with a record
of 39-6 and 30 knockouts when he won
his last title in 2006.
“This is the love of my life, boxing
is my passion, boxing is what I was
born to do,” continued De La Hoya.
“When I can’t do it anymore, when I
can’t compete at the highest level, it’s
not fair. It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to
the fans, and it’s not fair to nobody.”
The crowd empathized with his
remarks, which gave him a large
amount of gratitude as they applauded
him at the Staples Center.
De La Hoya took his career and the
life of boxing to a whole new level that
had not been seen before.
As he continued to win early in
his career, boxing became not just
another sport, but a way of life for the
Latino community.
His decision saddened many, but
De La Hoya continued his speech with
a smile for all and credited his wife
Millie Corretjer and business partner
Richard Schaefer for helping him
realize what “life is all about.”
This was not to say he was letting
his fans down, but simply how he
was going to resume his life with
different priorities.
He, however, has definitely felt the
hardship he took on with his career.
De La Hoya also says he
understands why athletes have such
Sports in Brief
The Valero Texas Open changes dates, men’s golf team wins
Heartland Conference Championship
After an incredibly successful run in the fall, the Valero Texas Open, one of the most historic tournaments on
the PGA TOUR, is proud to announce a shift in schedule, placing the PGA tour’s top tournament in charity giving
in a much-coveted spring date as part of the FedExCup competition.
Beginning in 2009, the Valero Texas Open will be played May 14-17. The 2008 Valero Texas Open was held
again this year at the award-winning Westin La Cantera Resort during the week of Oct. 6-12. The 2008 Valero Texas
Open champion, Zach Johnson, won the tournament.
With tremendous support from Valero’s business partners, the 2008 Valero Texas Open was the most
successful in the tournament’s 87-year history.
Together with the Valero Texas Open Benefit for Children Golf Classic, the Valero Texas Open contributed
a record total of $8.5 million to charity–this fundraising total keeps the Valero Texas Open among the most
charitable tournaments on the PGA TOUR.
Jeff Rein fired a two-under par 70 to take medalist honors and helped St. Mary’s University overcome a
12-stroke deficit after the first round and win the Heartland Conference men’s golf championship by six strokes
at the Slick Rock Golf Club Tuesday.
Rein became the sixth Rattler to win the Heartland Conference Tournament Championship with a threeround total of 204. He finished the tournament with a two-under par 70 in the final round after opening the
tournament with rounds of 66 and 68. The tournament victory was his first as a Rattler in his first season on the
team.
The Rattlers will return to action on May 4-6 at the NCAA South Central Region, which will be played in
Allendale, Mich.
Source: www.valero.com and Derek Smolik
Chris Filoteo / The Rattler
a difficult time giving up something
they are passionate about, while
not performing at their best in
the end.
He reminisces about this often and,
like many athletes has said as well,
“things are just not the same anymore
and we cannot do anything about it.”
Although many knew he was not
doing well in the latter part of his
career, numerous fans in the box offices
were still buying tickets for his fights.
He was mostly famous on HBO,
which broadcasted 32 of his fights,
more than any other boxer, and had
generated millions in profits for the
cable network.
In my opinion, De La Hoya’s name
will never cease to be heard from the
mouths of fans and sports figures.
Thousands will continue to talk
about him because he could be one of
boxing’s icons of the century.
He may say this is the end, but it
is just the beginning of a new edition
for boxers.
Someone else must now do all
that he has accomplished, and that
is something we will have to wait
patiently for.
04.29.09
Sports
The Rattler 27
Football draft make, break current college stars
Draft day is crucial for
teams looking to improve.
By paul Saldana
Staff Writer
After the first-ever 0–16 season, the
Detroit Lions hope the April NFL draft
can help get the franchise headed into a
winning direction.
I think the picks from 1–3 are locks.
Quarterback (QB) for the University
of Southern California Mark Sanchez’s
draft stock has been rising all spring, so
Denver should trade up to get him.
Denver needs this pick because of
their recent trade of former first-round
pick, QB Jay Cutler, to the Bears.
Brian
Orakpo,
defensive
end
from the University of Texas and B.J.
Raji defensive lineman from Boston
College should make the most impact
with picks in the latter part of the
top ten.
In order to give former No. 1 pick
Alex Smith, QB, one more year to prove
himself as a starter, I think San Francisco
will draft an offensive tackle to help
him out.
Smith has had four different offensive
coordinators in the past four years, so
maybe this year will be different.
As for America’s team, the Dallas
Cowboys do not have a first-round pick
because of a trade last season to the
Detroit Lions for wide receiver (WR) Roy
Williams in return.
With the recent release of star WR
Terrell Owens, strong safety (SS) Roy
Williams and the trade of corner back
(CB) Antony Henry the Cowboys need
help in the secondary and receiver spot-two, vital skill positions.
The Cowboys have the No. 51 pick
with this pick and I hope they trade up in
order to make an impact next season.
If they don’t then they can possibly
land Ohio State’s Brian Robiskie at
number fifty-one.
Hopefully, the Cowboys will make
a smart decision to replace veterans
Owens, Williams and Henry with some
young rookies in the secondary and
receiver positions.
The Cowboys have 10 picks on the
second day, which should be plenty
to fill necessary spots. The Cowboys
aren’t looking for another draft bust, like
linebacker Bobby Carpenter a couple
seasons ago.
It’s hard to predict which of the first
round picks this year will not work out,
but as of now it seems to be running
back Knowson Moreno (RB), from
Georgia, and RB from Ohio State Chris
“Beanie” Wells.
It will be hard for these players
to make the transition to the NFL
because as of now they don’t appear to
fully understand how defenses in the
NFL work.
As for Stafford, he should have a
long career, but the only way I see him
becoming a bad choice is if the Lions
don’t handle the situation properly.
The Lions are known for making poor
choices on players and trades when it
comes to draft day.
Many other teams rush to try and
draft the next superstar, but only few of
the players ever pan out.
The Lions are notorious for not
handling their picks correctly, but
perhaps they have learned from their
mistakes and are ready to move towards
a winning direction.
Top draft “busts”
The Rattler’s top five all-time draft
busts of the past 10 seasons:
Paul Saldana:
Chris Filoteo:
1. Tim Couch
Browns 1999
1. Akili Smith
Bengals 1999
2. Akili Smith
Bengals 1999
2. Charles Rogers
Lions 2003
3. Courtney Brown
Browns 2000
3. Ron Dayne
Giants 2000
4. David Carr
Texans 2002
4. Mike Williams
Lions 2005
5. Tim Couch
Browns 1999
5. Joey Harrington
Lions 2002
Chris Filoteo / The Rattler
“When I started working with Kim, I learned what it was
like to work with someone who had a high standard of
professionalism and integrity.” Robin Johnson
“My freshman year would have been impossible
without you, you have the kindest heart I have known.”
Sarah Mills
“It was upperclassmen like her that kept me passionate
about journalism. A great friend and editor, she
helped teach me the importance of leadership and
commitment.” Christine Le
“The Rattler won’t be the same without your smile,
your laughter and your random outburst of boy bands
song. I love you Kimbalina! You’ll be missed.”
Katie O’Donnell
“Kim, you were an exceptional boss, co-worker,
confidant, and conspirator. Moreover, you will always
be one of my most valued friends. Here’s to the futuremay it be full of beards, owls, pies and fun!”
Nicci Vargas
Sports
28 The Rattler
THE
HOT
04.29.09
Outfielder leads
division in home
runs, nears record
SEAT
Arlynda Flores, senior exercise
sports and science major, has 23
homeruns this season, one more
than Sandy James of Angelo
State University.
Flores has at least seven
more games to try to break the
NCAA Division II national record
of most homeruns in a single
season set by Carmen Paez of
Florida Gulf Coast in 2007 with
28 homeruns.
She is also just one homerun
away from tying the St. Mary’s
school record.
Flores a junior from Uvalde is
quite the student-athlete.
She’s scoring big off the field
as well as an Honor Roll student
with a 3.67 GPA.
Photo by Analicia Perez
Featuring:
Kelly Baker
Softball Catcher
Classification: Sophomore
Major: Exercise and
sports science
What kind of music do you enjoy
listening to? “I like all kinds of
music, but I enjoy hip-hop and
country the most. My favorite
artist is Stoney LaRue.”
Describe your experience on
becoming the first female to
play tackle on your high school
football team? “It was really
fun and I will never forget that
experience. I started playing
football in the fourth grade all
the way through my senior year
in high school, so it wasn’t such
a big deal for me.”
What are your goals after
you graduate? “I am going
to graduate school to get my
master’s in physical therapy.
After that, I want to become
a
physical
therapist
for
a university.”
What is the most important idea
you have learned from Coach
Donna Fields? “To have a really
good work ethic. She pushes us
hard and wants us to be the best
we can be.”
Who is your favorite professional
football player? “Jason Whiten
because he plays for the
Cowboys and he is a great
tight end.”
Compiled by Chris Filoteo
The Rattlers practice in hopes of winning the Heartland Conference tournament on Thursday April 30. Photo
by Patricia Terrazas
Source: Lucha Ramey, rattlerathletics.com
Softball team is second in conference
By michelle Tello
Staff Writer
Working hard from the beginning, the
women’s team stepped out onto the softball field
to reach the point where they currently stand.
The team’s record in the Heartland Conference
is 18-5 and their overall record is 28-28.
They are currently in second place in the
Heartland Conference behind St. Edwards
University. “To make it to regionals we have
to win all of our games from here on out,”
said sophomore general business major
Lauren Miller.
With practices consisting of mostly hitting
and defensive drills, the team has a good
chance at winning the Heartland Conference
tournament.
The team, along with their coaches, have
an open-door policy according to assistant
coach, James Kling, which improves the team’s
communication and allows the coaches to assist
the players in improving their game.
By having this open-door approach, the
players get to express their concerns and ideas
to their coaches.
The team has 14 returning players this
season, which is an advantage to have
when trying to win the first-place spot in the
Heartland Conference.
Kling and sophomore exercise and sports
science major, Lea Province, right-fielder,
believe the team’s biggest competitor is St.
Edwards University, since they currently have
the number one spot.
The team had a rocky start at the beginning
of the season after losing some of their seniors
due to injury, but Head Coach Donna Fields
and Kling still had a lot of talent to work with.
Kling felt as though the hardest part at the
time was putting all the talent together, making
adjustments and rotating players around.
The team, with the help of their coaches,
has made a lot of improvements this season,
especially with their “pitch calling.”
“In the beginning we had a tough time with
losing, but we overcame it,” said senior exercise
sports and science major Nikki Flores, who is
an outfielder for the team.
Province believes that the team “can go all
the way” if they stay consistent.
The team has been fortunate to not have any
major injuries, but some players feel they have
to work on their communication and correcting
small errors on the field in order to reach their
full potential.
Game after game, the team learns more about
themselves. Flores believes the teams strengths
are their charisma and their strong bond.
“Coach Fields believes in us and pushes us
because she knows our potential,” said Miller.
Coach Kling hopes the team continues to
gain confidence when going into the Heartland
Conference tournament on April 30.
Recent game results
WOMEN’S TENNIS:
Apr 20: at Heartland
Conference Championships
results: 2nd-7
Apr 6: at Grand Canyon Invitational
results: t9th-18
Softball:
Apr 25: * at Incarnate Word (Game 2)
WIN score: 9-0 [30-30]
Apr 25: * at Incarnate Word (Game 1)
WIN score: 9-0 [29-30]
MEN’S GOLF:
Apr 20: at Heartland
Conference Championship
WIN results: 1st-8
Apr 6: at UCO/Kickingbird Classic
results: 3rd-18
BASEBALL:
Apr 25: * Incarnate Word
WIN score: 10-8 (10 Inn.) [32-15]
Apr 24: * Incarnate Word (Game 2)
LOSS score: 0-1 [31-15]
Apr 24: * Incarnate Word (Game 1)
WIN score: 3-2 (10 Inn.) [31-14]