Vol. 65, Issue 6
Est. 1981
February 28 - March 7, 2023
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline 1 | News
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@PaisanoMedia
3 | Opinion
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7 | Sports
5 | Arts & Life
UT System ceases new diversity, equity and inclusion policies across its campuses Unclear how this move will affect UTSA’s existing DEI policies
‘‘It signals to me that they don’t want us to vote’’
New bill introduced in Texas Legislature proposes banning universities as designated polling
Mason Hickok/The Paisano
By Mason Hickok Editor-in-Chief
T
he University of Texas (UT) System Board of Regents has ceased all new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies across its campuses. Additionally, the Board of Regents has asked for a report of all existing DEI policies from school leaders. Kevin P. Eltife, the chairman of the Board of Regents, made the announcement last Wednesday, as reported by the Austin American-Statesman. The action comes while Republican lawmakers criticize DEI initiatives in higher education as affecting university hiring processes. The Vice President of UTSA’s
Student opinions on TikTok ban
Office of Inclusive Excellence is Myron Anderson. The Paisano worked to set up an interview with Anderson with the help of the University Relations to discuss diversity in hiring practices. Joe Izbrand, the chief communications officer who handles the media, said that Anderson could not meet and that he “has very limited time on his calendar right now because of the projects he’s working on.” Instead, Izbrand commented on UTSA’s hiring. “UTSA’s hiring practices are consistent with state and federal employment and non-discrimination laws,” Izbrand said. “We will continue to fulfill our legal obligations while working to bring the brightest academic
and research minds to UTSA to advance social mobility and economic prosperity for our students and our community.” The Paisano previously reported on the faculty senate discussing academic freedom and tenure concerns. In their session, UTSA’s approach to what will occur in the Texas Legislature was described as being “thoughtful and deliberate.” While it remains to be seen how the directive from the UT System will affect UTSA’s existing policies around DEI, The Paisano again wanted to try and speak to Anderson for this story. Izbrand told us that Anderson’s availability remains unchanged.
Red McCombs, generous donor to The Paisano Educational Trust, passes away at 95
“I think its kind of an odd thing to focus on ... they probably could have focused on something more important.”
Red McCombs, pictured at the opening of The Paisano Media Arts Center.
“It was honestly a good idea that they banned it just because it was very distracting.”
“This is a shocker to me. I didn’t know TikTok was banned [on campus]. I think it’s good and bad. ”
“I don’t really have any opinions on it.”
Watch the full video on YouTube at PaisanoOnline
By Gauri Raje News Editor San Antonio businessman and philanthropist Billy Joe “Red” McCombs, a generous donor to The Paisano Educational Trust, passed away at the age of 95, according to a statement from his family. “The entire McCombs Family is heartbroken to announce that our father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Red McCombs, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. As he drew his last breath peacefully at home, he was surrounded by family that loved and adored him,” the statement read. As a businessman, McCombs owned 50 car dealerships under the Red McCombs Automotive Group at one point, the Texas Tribune reports. He also owned the NFL team Minnesota Vikings and the NBA team Denver Nuggets. Furthermore, he owned the Spurs basketball team at two different times and is credited with bringing the franchise to San Antonio. He also founded Clear Chan-
Diane Abdo/The Paisano
nel Communications, now known as iHeartMedia and headquartered in San Antonio, with Lowry Mays in 1972. McCombs was also known for his philanthropic efforts. He donated $50 million to UT Austin in 2000, prompting the university to name its business school after him. In 2005, McCombs and his foundation donated $30 million to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. McCombs was a supporter of college journalism. He was one of the early major donors to the capital campaign to build The Paisano Media Arts Center, the 3,000-square-foot building where The Paisano is produced. He cut the ribbon to open the building in 2014 and made an additional four-year donation to support The Paisano’s mission to educate future professional writers and entrepreneurs. The Paisano’s newsroom is named in honor of the Red and Charline McCombs Family Foundation.
“It seemed like it was targeting college students directly and trying to suppress their power at the ballot box”
Camila Martinez Rivera /The Paisano
By Gauri Raje News Editor Earlier this month, State Representative Carrie Isaac, a Republican representing Texas’ 73rd district, introduced House Bill 2390 (HB 2390) in the Texas House of Representatives. The bill proposes banning college campuses from serving as polling sites for elections. As a polling site and location for early voting, UTSA is one of the universities targeted under this new bill. “It seemed like it was targeting college students directly and trying to suppress their power at the ballot box,” Bella Nieto, a senior political science major at UTSA, said. Nieto is a part of Texas Rising, a nonpartisan grassroots organization “empowering young people through issue advocacy and voter registration.” At UTSA, the organization tables during election season to get students registered to vote, provides students with infor-
mation about the elections and reminds them to vote. “People are turning 18 every day, so it’s important that organizations like Texas Rising, like Move Texas, like Jolt, that they’re reaching these people,” Nieto said. “I think that young people have a lot of power when it comes to elections.” Having a polling site on campus is a convenient way for college students to vote despite their hectic schedules. Furthermore, Nieto discussed the convenience of early voting at UTSA as a student. “It’s really easy, especially during early voting, because there’s not much of a line,” Nieto said. “So you can just take 15 minutes to go vote and then go to class. It’s especially good if you live on campus or if you don’t have a car because you can just go and do it. And during early voting, it takes like maybe 15 minutes and you’ll be good to go.”
See Voting on Page 2
SGA provides budget updates, amends by-laws in recent general assembly By Gauri Raje News Editor In last week’s General Assembly, the Student Government Association (SGA) provided updates to its annual budget and amended its bylaws. The meeting started with an update from SGA President Jasmin Paquet-Durand Ford, who encouraged members to apply for executive positions without hesitation, adding that anyone interested should reach out to her in order to get a full picture of the responsibilities that come with the different positions. Updates from Vice President Shaca Sweet and other members of the executive cabinet, including Treasurer Marc-Anthony Medina, followed this. Medina presented updates to the SGA budget, a responsibility that the treasurer has to undertake every month. Based on
the slides presented, as of Feb. 2, 2023, the current balance stands at $22,857.61. Recent SGA expenses include the Rowdy Prize Cab giveaways, a February 2023 SAC meeting in Austin, SGA Rack Cards and expenses for last week’s UTSA Day at the Capitol. Executive updates were followed by updates from the executive directors and committee reports. The Assembly then adjourned for recess, during which Paquet-Durand Ford encouraged senators to engage with the student body. After the Assembly resumed, SGA senators had the opportunity to vote on amendments that were proposed to the SGA by-laws. The first amendment proposed was to By-Law II, which deals with SGA elections. Read the full article at paisano-online.com