Vol. 66, Issue 1
Est. 1981
August 29 - September 5, 2023
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline
/ThePaisano
@ThePaisano
@paisanomedia
paisano-online.com Stephen Saenz/The Paisano
Football Star supported despite DWI charge By Jessica McLaren News Editor oshua Cephus, a star wide receiver for UTSA Football, was charged with a Class A misdemeanor last month for driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of more than twice the legal limit. The charge arose seven months after he was arrested for a suspected DWI after rolling his car over near the main campus while returning from a nightclub last December. Following the accident, Cephus was promptly suspended from the UTSA football team. He did not attend the Roadrunners’ final game of the season — the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Fl. — though the exact reason for his absence
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was undisclosed at the time. Coach Traylor publicly supported Cephus in the months leading up to his charge. He commended him for his honesty and transparency and stated that he did not expect the player to receive any further punishment from the school. According to police reports, the accident occurred at 3:25 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9 on the corner of Babcock Road and UTSA Boulevard. Cephus told an officer he was coming from Privat Social Club, about three miles east of the crash site. He was traveling southbound on Babcock and tried to turn left at a green light when he “lost control of
his vehicle and proceeded to roll his vehicle over, coming to a rest at a nearby light.” Although cooperative, Cephus was reported to have glossy, bloodshot eyes, strongsmelling breath and slurred speech. He could not tell the responding officer what time it was. Cephus rated his sobriety a “five or less” on a scale of zero to ten, with zero being sober and ten being “the drunkest he had ever been.” He was arrested at the scene, although technical difficulties with the breathalyzer test prompted his release upon providing a blood sample, taken approximately two hours after the accident. San Antonio police obtained
a warrant for Cephus’ arrest in late June after receiving the results of his blood specimen. According to court records, the blood sample showed that Cephus’ BAC was 0.15 or higher. The legal limit for BAC in Texas is 0.08. Cephus was booked on July 10 but was released after posting his $1,500 bond. He has since hired two seasoned defense lawyers: Desi Martinez of Martinez & Associates and Marc LaHood of LaHood Law, who stated on his website that he has “successfully fought and won 4 DWI blood draw trials.” UTSA issued a statement on July 11 addressing Cephus’ suspension:
New platform gives students 24/7 virtual mental health care
By Jessica McLaren News Editor
services currently available for students include the Wellness360 clinic and UTSA’s 24/7 Crisis Helpline, which can be reached at (210) 458-4140, option three. TimelyCare’s “TalkNow” service,
UTSA launched a partnership with TimelyCare to provide virtual mental health and well-being services at no cost to students. The platform can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere in the U.S. through the TimelyCare app or website using any webenabled device. Through TimelyCare, students can access a variety of virtual care services from licensed professionals, including on-demand mental and emotional support, scheduled counseling sessions, health coaching and a plethora of digital health-based resources. Students will also have access to a moderated support community, where Dustin Vickers//The Paisano they can connect with their peers for further support. which provides on-demand mental The funding for TimelyCare was and emotional support, can be approved by the UT System Board used during a crisis or a minor of Regents in June as part of a $16.5 circumstance. It is available at any million investment to expand and time via phone, video chat or text enhance student mental health and messaging. safety resources at all UT academic The scheduled counseling, on the and health institutions. other hand, can be used to schedule “The [UT] System and the regents regular visits — up to nine per year have recognized that student mental — with a licensed counselor of health is a priority for our institution,” your choice. The platform allows UTSA Associate Dean for Student you to view the profiles of different Affairs Melissa Hernandez said. “It counselors and select one based is a concern amongst our student on their specialty and expertise, population, and we wanted to make availability and identity markers sure that care was accessible to such as gender, language or ethnicity. students and provide supplemental Furthermore, TimelyCare offers services in addition to services that psychiatric services which can are provided on the campuses.” be accessed through the app once The partnership with TimelyCare students have received a referral is intended to supplement, not from a TimelyCare counselor replace, the mental health services or Wellness360. Through these currently available on campus. The psychiatric services, students
can receive an evaluation and medication management for more severe mental health concerns. The app also provides students with a prescription savings card that can be used in place of health insurance. In addition to licensed care providers, students can access health coaching and digital self-care content on a wide variety of topics, including nutrition and healthy eating, exercise, sleep improvement, substance use, stress management and more. If a student needs further support, the app can connect them with low or reducedcost community resources in their area. Hernandez urges students to download the TimelyCare app, even if they do not need to access the services immediately.
“I would love to see every student have the app on their phone, so that when the need arises, it is easily accessible. Or if they encounter a friend who has the need, they can get them connected right away.” To get connected with a virtual licensed mental health professional, visit www.timelycare.com/utsa or download the TimelyCare app.
“Joshua Cephus was suspended from team activities in December 2022 and did not participate in the Cure Bowl. He was allowed to rejoin team activities in January after fulfilling the terms of his suspension. Any further actions will be determined by a student conduct committee.” Cephus’ pre-trial confrence is scheduled for Sept. 12.
In case you missed it: Summer News Recap By Jessica McLaren News Editor Do not let the summer break kill your flow. Between construction updates and new dining options, a lot has changed since The Paisano’s last print. Stay informed with our over-the-summer news updates, in case you missed them. Student housing UTSA has announced plans for its seventh oncampus residence hall, Blanco Hall, which will house up to 594 freshman and sophomores in both single and double-bed units. The new community will function as a livinglearning community, with educational resources and shared learning spaces such as a 2,000 square foot teaching kitchen and a 1,000 square foot nutrition research and learning
center. Upon completion of the project, UTSA will have reached 95% of its goal to have 5,400 beds on the Main Campus by 2025. Construction is expected to begin this fall near Chisholm Hall on Resident Lot 3 and continue until June 2025. To reduce parking disruptions, over 200 parking spaces will be reallocated to the north end of the Barshop Lot. On-campus dining
In the meantime, Roadrunners have several new options for dining on the Main Campus this fall. Prime Grill, now located in the Student Union Food Court, serves smash burgers, chicken tender baskets, grilled cheese, french fries and more. See ICYMI on pg. 2
Courtesy of HKS | Architects & Designers