Vol. 65, Issue 5
Est. 1981
THE PAISANO
February 21 - February 28, 2023
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline 1 | News
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3 | Opinion
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embers of UTSA’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) counter-protested several pro-life demonstrators in the Sombrilla Plaza this past Wednesday. The demonstrators frequent the UTSA campus and often display several pieces of imagery around their table. The Dean of Students and Vice Provost for Student Affairs, LT Robinson, described the process that outside organizations are encouraged to take when tabling on campus. “We recommend that groups from outside the university reserve common outdoor spaces for expression through Student Union Event Services but cannot require it,” Robinson said. “Additionally, we request an advance reservation to display exhibits to ensure that space is available but must remain viewpoint neutral on the content of their expression and their plans to arrive to campus.” Kaeden Boudreaux, a cochair of YDSA, described the counter-protests of the demonstrators dating back to last semester and how YDSA coordinates their efforts. “We as an organization began counter-protests last semester,” Boudreaux said. “We are openly and proudly proabortion; they have the right to be there, and we have the right to stand against anti-abortion groups who wish to protest the rights to basic healthcare. [So,] we organize people to come
out, and counter-protest [and we] provide resources to our members and [the public].” Last semester, YDSA and several other organizations held a march through campus. The protest ended at the Rowdy Statue, where the group’s demands were read. While Boudreaux says the demands were given to university officials at the protest, they
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By Gauri Raje News Editor
are unsure of UTSA’s plans to address them. “To the best of my knowledge, UTSA has not put out any public support to reproductive health care,” Boudreaux said. According to the Texas Education Code, Section 51.9315, “an institution of higher education shall ensure that the common outdoor areas of the institution’s campus are deemed traditional public forums.” Therefore, the Sombrilla would be considered a public forum per this designation. A note from the Office of the President further describes this matter. “This designation means that any individual or group — even those not affiliated with UTSA — can engage in free speech activities on campus. Members
Academic freedom, tenure among faculty senate talking points In the wake of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s top priority Senate Bills, UTSA’s Faculty Senate gathered to discuss academic freedom and tenure, among several other talking points. This past Friday, Carlos Martinez from the Office of the President spoke to the group about Patrick’s proposed senate bills in the Texas Legislature and UTSA’s place in those discussions. In addition, UTSA has a representative, Jason Hassay, in the state capital that communicates on behalf of the university. While faculty expressed their concerns and confusion about the university leadership’s silence on the proposed senate bills attacking critical race theory (CRT) and diversity, equity and inclusion ,
Additional attempted motor vehicle thefts reported on Main Campus
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‘This is deeply political and ideological’ By Mason Hickok Editor-in-Chief
of the general public are no longer required to be invited to campus to undertake these expressive activities at UTSA. However, the law does not mean that individuals may say whatever they wish, wherever they wish. UTSA may, and does, reasonably regulate the time, place and manner of expression to ensure that it does not disrupt the ordinary activities of the university.”
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YDSA leads counter-protest to pro-life demonstrators By Mason Hickok Editor-in-Chief
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Martinez urged caution and to avoid speculation. In speaking about the outcomes of bills and when they would be finalized, Martinez expressed that it is a process. “We likely will not know the end result of this until the middle to the end of May,” Martinez said. “The strategy of ours is very thoughtful [and] deliberate.” Martinez frequented the term “energizing the other side” when describing the discussions that might occur around the bills and their future outcomes. “There will be an attempt to energize the other side,” Martinez said. “Be thoughtful and deliberate about how and when you respond.”
See Faculty Senate on Page 2
Students were notified via email of more attempted motor vehicle thefts on Monday, Feb. 13. These reports come a week after four similar incidents were reported. “We have some very strong leads that are being actively pursued by our investigators. Additionally, patrols of parking lots have been heightened to deter any other attempted thefts,” UTSA Police Department Chief Stephanie SchoenKylar Royer/The Paisano
born said in a statement to The Paisano. The new incidents were reported in Resident Lot 4, Ximenes Lot and the East Campus Lot. These locations differ from those of the incidents reported a week earlier. On the other hand, the targeted vehicles still included Dodge Chargers and Chevrolet pickup trucks, along with Ford and GMC trucks. Report any additional information about the incidents or suspicious activity to UTSAPD at (210) 458-4911.
‘Informal conversations with influential people’ SGA President speaks on increasing visibility, connecting with students and the upcoming election cycle By Gauri Raje News Editor In an interview with The Paisano last week, Student Government Association (SGA) President Jasmin Paquet-Durand Ford reflected on the past year, recounting the organization’s triumphs, changes in its constitution and working to bridge the gap between the university and students. “I would say overall, the past year has been wonderful. It has been challenging on a personal level [and] it [has] been challenging on an organizational level … but I am really proud of everyone in the organization,” Paquet-Durand Ford said. Visibility on Campus In her interview with The Paisano last year, PaquetDurand Ford expressed the desire to increase Student Government’s interaction with students. Having joined SGA during the pandemic, when many of the organization’s operations were conducted online, Paquet-Durand Ford explained that coming back in person benefitted the organization’s visibility and engagement with students. One of the ways that the organization has worked on increasing engagement under Paquet-Durand Ford’s leader-
ship is through tabling. The organization also co-hosted a watch party for the UT Austin vs. UTSA football game last semester. According to PaquetDurand Ford, this was a great way to connect with students in a more informal setting. “[The watch party] was about creating that sense of community and belonging as we all come together and [saying] ‘Oh, by the way, we are student government,’ as an afternote,” Paquet-Durand Ford said. The organization’s liaisons have also been beneficial in keeping the organization informed about various departments or organizations at the university while also conveying information from SGA back to their respective departments and organizations. Currently, SGA has several liaisons, including a student veterans association liaison, a student athletics liaison and a student disability liaison. “They have done a lot in terms of bringing that information to us and keeping us in the loop, and also [sharing what we do] with their colleagues,” Paquet-Durand Ford said. Finally, the organization has increased its social media presence over the last year.
“I think [social media] only goes so far, but for this generation, [in] today’s day and age, that is definitely one of the most effective ways for us to engage with students,” PaquetDurand Ford said. Elections and Student Voter Turnout Apart from day-to-day engagement, student voter turnout for SGA elections tends to be considerably low compared to the university’s total student population. A total of 744 students — 2.45% of the student body — participated in SGA’s spring elections last year.
See SGA on Page 2
“I would say overall, the past year has been wonderful” Photo Courtesy of Jasmin Paquet-Durand Ford