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THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline
@ThePaisano
paisano-online.com
Spirit of the roadrunner
By Laynie Clark News Editor
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@paisanomedia
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new fall semester means a new Spirit of the Roadrunner duo. The Spirit of the Roadrunner program aims to recognize students who embody the “spirit of UTSA” while striving for the highest levels of academic achievement, campus involvement and community service. They demonstrate the Roadrunner Creed in their daily actions and serve as ambassadors to the university at various UTSA-sponsored events throughout the year. While the accreditation used to be given to one male and one female — known as Mr. and Mrs. UTSA — the program adjusted to match the values of the students; it is now “Spirit of the Roadrunner,” which has no gender determination. This year, one of the winners was Alessandro Espinosa, a computer science major whose platform initiative appealed to many students. “Better Together” focuses on connecting UTSA students with the greater San Antonio community. In collaboration with nonprofits, communitybased startups and local governing bodies, the university would provide a platform for external organizations to discuss their missions, along with opportunities for students to engage in their operations: either by working/volunteering or attending their events,” as described on UTSA’s website. While originally planning to transfer to the University of Texas at Austin, Espinosa felt a strong sense of home here at UTSA which ultimately led him to running for Spirit of the Roadrunner. “Initially, I was going to end up going to UT Austin for computer science,” Espinosa said. “I had gotten a full ride there and gotten accepted into their program called the ‘Impact Scholars.’ I thought for the longest time I was going to end up there. But then I started hearing from a recruiter about UTSA and the direction the school was moving in. I was intrigued. After a while, I was like ‘Yeah, this is where I want to end up. This is where I want to be.’”
Outside of UTSA, Espinosa has a strong appreciation for the city of San Antonio, especially because of his home-grown roots. “I am born and raised here in San Antonio, so this place is home to me and there is really a special kind of air about this place,” Espinosa said. “For me, this really is the biggest small town in America. I feel like this place has such a deep appreciation for its culture and its roots, and it obviously does a really good job of preserving its historical landmarks. This place really cares about where it comes from along with where it’s going, and to be a part of that, and to help promote the university that’s looking to blaze the trail for where this city can go on an academic and professional level, is very, very meaningful t o me.” As Spirit of
the
Roadrunner, Espinosa is confident that he will be able to serve his community thoughtfully. “With the accreditation of Spirit of the Roadrunner, I hope to really connect students to the greater San Antonio community, because as we grow, not only as an oncampus community but a general student body population, we’re going to start to get a lot of people not only from San Antonio but from other places in the U.S.,” Espinosa said. “Given the car-centric nature of how the city is designed, along with just the fact that it’s so big, it can be kind of difficult for students to find their place in it all, and find that community not only on campus but in the greater city area. I feel like the way that student involvement handles the promotion of student organizations and the fact that we have so many on campus, there’s a good amount of outlets for students to find their identity here at UTSA, but I feel like there’s maybe not much that the school has explored in regards to doing that for the San Antonio community.” “So with my platform, called ‘Better Together,’ I aim to make a keynote speaker series where we have people coming in from local nonprofits, local startups with a community orientation and local governing agencies to kind of come in and talk to students about what they have going on for San Antonio, what are they doing in the community and why they feel what they do is important.” As he begins his journey as Spirit of the Roadrunner, Espinosa remembers to stay true to the heart of the university while aiming to bring a fresh perspective on community involvement. “I want to make sure I maintain that Roadrunner spirit and focus on making the vibes good here, making sure to be friendly to everyone I meet and making this an inclusive environment. You know, this is Roadrunner Nation and I really feel like I have my friends here, found a family of sorts and that I have enough opportunities to succeed and make a meaningful impact.”
Courtesy of Alessandro Espinosa
Where to stream the election By Marisela Cruz Staff Writer
Today marks Election Day across the United States, a tradition rooted in the 19th century. In 1845, Congress established the federal law designating that elections would occur on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. This year, voters in San Antonio, Texas, are heading to the polls to participate in a pivotal electoral process. Polling places in Bexar County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters have access to over 300 voting locations, including schools, libraries, churches, city halls and community centers. UTSA also serves as a convenient voting site for students, faculty and staff. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their vote, ensuring that all eligible voters have the opportunity to participate. Election results are expected to be announced later tonight after the polling sites close. ABC News will provide comprehensive coverage
of the presidential election results; it can be viewed on traditional television broadcasts as well as streaming platforms like Disney+ and Hulu. San Antonio officials and local organizations have been working to promote voter participation while aiming for a smooth
Bexar County breaks early vote records By Marisela Cruz Staff Writer
Since Oct. 21, voting statistics in Bexar County have reflected a lowerthan-expected turnout compared to the last presidential election in 2020. With the growth of San Antonio’s population, 40% more people voted on the first day. Although there is an increase reflected, it i s not
Stephanie Cortez/ The Paisano
electoral process. For more detailed information on where to vote in Bexar County, residents can refer to a recent article providing a comprehensive list of polling locations across the county.
capturing all the votes. According to Election Administrator J a c q u e l y n
Callanen, active voters have been dropping off from the enthusiasm day by day. It is expected that Bexar County will end up with a turnout of 57% of registered voters. This shows an underperformance compared to past elections. This past Friday concluded early voting; it is recorded that 541,000 have cast their vote. This is more of a regular turnout since it was expected more people would vote. Although Bexar County has almost 250,000 more voters than in 2016, San Antonio is underperforming as a city. Overlooking the amount of people who are registered to vote, voting statistics reflect only a slight increase. Comparing mail-in and in-person ballots from the turnout from this current election to the 2020 election, there has been a 1.8% increase in participants. Callanen emphasizes there is still time to vote until Tuesday, Nov. 5, which is election day. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., voters can still cast their ballot for the 2024 presidential election, statewide elections and county-specific elections.