Est. 1981
Vol. 65, Issue 8
THE PAISANO
March 21 - March 28, 2023
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /ThePaisano
/PaisanoOnline 1 | News
3 | Opinion
$87 million student housing project could affect parking space
Approximate location of the new residential complex at the intersection of Barshop Blvd. and Tobin Ave.
By Gauri Raje News Editor
T
he UT Board of Regents recently approved UTSA’s plan to construct a new residential complex. The $87 million Student Housing Phase IV project was announced over a year after the university opened Guadalupe Hall. The university currently offers five on-campus housing options — Guadalupe Hall, Alvarez Hall, Chisholm Hall, Laurel Village and Chaparral Village. Students also have the option of University Oaks, which is operated by Campus Living Villages, a private thirdparty company. Spanning 162,500 square feet, the new residence complex will feature 600 beds, with a mix of “single and double occupancy units.” The project is expected to be completed by June 2025. Upon its completion, the Main Campus will have a total of 5,183 beds — satisfying 95% of the university’s goal to add 5,400 beds on campus by 2025. “The new residence hall will be similar to Guadalupe Hall and will be designed with
Map courtesy of UTSA
student success in mind,” Josh Gerken, assistant vice president of Campus Planning, said. “It will house first-year students and will include community amenities such as study spaces, multi-purpose classrooms, conference spaces and prayer and meditation rooms. Also, because students voiced a desire for single room options, there will be a mix of single rooms and double rooms in the new residence hall.” According to Gerken, the complex is being designed for the first-year student experience. It will house freshmen and sophomores and will include “common spaces for study and community-building activities,” UTSA Today stated. The new residence hall will be located at the intersection of Barshop Blvd. and Tobin Ave., potentially affecting existing parking in the area. “The new footprint will displace some existing parking spaces, but resident parking in front of the new residence hall will remain for the convenience of our on-campus residents,” Gerken said. For more information about UTSA Housing, visit https:// housing.utsa.edu/.
New grant will help support first-generation Latino students By Gauri Raje News Editor On Monday, March 20, UTSA announced that it would receive a $2.4 million grant from the Hector and Gloria López Foundation to “provide full tuition assistance for 15 Latino first-generation college students” at the university. The announcement was made at an event in the Student Union attended by President Taylor Eighmy, Provost Kimberly Andrews Espy, UT System Board of Regents Vice Chairman James C. “Rad” Weaver, UTSA Student Gov-
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ernment Association’s Executive Director Zachary Nepote and Sergio Rodríguez, CEO of the Hector and Gloria López Foundation. “Beginning in the Fall of 2023 and for the next five years, López Scholars will receive support for tuition and fees, as well as other resources including mentorship, tutoring, housing, study abroad programs, paid internships, leadership development and more,” the university’s official press release stated.
See Grant on Page 2
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5 | Arts & Life
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Students, faculty and staff head to Austin for UTSA Day at the Capitol By Gauri Raje News Editor Last month, students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to visit the Texas Legislature in Austin on the occasion of UTSA Day at the Capitol. “UTSA Day at the Capitol is an opportunity for the university to share its rapid, upward trajectory with state leaders and decision makers by showcasing the positive impact UTSA has on our local and state economies,” Jason Hassay, associate vice president for government relations, said. According to Hassay, since the university receives a considerable amount of funding from the Texas state Legisla-
ture, it is important for the university to “engage with the legislative process and for elected leaders to understand the value UTSA brings to Greater San Antonio and to Texas.” “We wanted to highlight the transformational research being conducted, shine a spotlight on the amazing faculty and staff that help the university to achieve academic accolades and introduce some of our exceptional students,” Hassay said. Some of the university’s accomplishments highlighted
this year included its recent R1 designation and the opening of the new School of Data Science. Student Government Association (SGA) President Jasmin Paquet-Durand Ford was one of the student body members that participated in the trip to Austin.
“This was definitely one of the top three moments of my entire presidency” See Capitol on Page 2
Photo courtesy of UTSA
Traffic signs along Brenan Avenue signal shared roads feedback is being utilized to help inform future university placemaking opportunities, and Among several ongoing Brenan Avenue is included in initiatives underway at UTSA, these areas.” the Office of Sustainability Gerken further explained has begun work to encourwhat the next step in the Brenan age alternative transportation Avenue proposal process would efforts on campus. As a result, look like. Brenan Avenue, which connects “Our next step is to present Brackenridge Avenue to the this information to university Loop 1604 access road, will see leadership and share opportunisignificant changes in ties for promoting the coming years. safety and walkBrenan Avenue ability on Brenan used to sit on the Avenue,” Gerken Main Campus’ exterisaid. “Our goal for or, but now, it more or this year is to utiless divides the camlize the remaining pus. While primarily grant funding for a two-lane road, it the installation of grows to four lanes additional features as it bends between in order to emAlvarez Hall and phasize pedestrian Laurel Village. The safety.” current proposal, put Dr. Greg Grifforth by the Office of fin, an associate Sustainability, would professor of urban eliminate vehicle trafand regional planfic on Brenan Avenue A “bike friendly campus” sign sits on Mason Hickok/The Paisano ning at UTSA, and reserve space for the North entrance to Brenan Avenue. described the need pedestrians and alterfor a democratic native transportation methods approach to decision-making “Some of the most common such as bicycling, skateboards around sustainable projects. ones for future placemaking inand scooters. In addition, the “What I envision [and] hope cluded space types for all kinds Office of Sustainability placed for is a future that is fundamenof people for socializing and signs along Brenan Avenue tally democratic,” Griffin said. studying, relaxing spaces with warning drivers of pedestrians comfortable amenities with a and bicyclists. See Sustainability wide choice of food and drink, Last semester, the Sustainon Page 2 and shady, cool green spaces ability office hosted several that are more rural feeling. This place-making events to garner By Mason Hickok Editor-in-Chief
public opinion on the proposed changes to Brenan Avenue. Assistant Vice President for Campus Planning Josh Gerken described some of the reception. “The workshops had a great turnout from UTSA students, faculty and staff, and we were able to identify numerous themes from these conversations,” Gerken said.