Est. 1981
Vol. 70, Issue 3
Fe b r u a r y 11 - Fe b r u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 2 5
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline
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$1.25M DONATED to feed UTSA students By Khoi Nguyen Staff Writer
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ocal philanthropist Harvey E. Najim has donated $1.25M to the San Antonio Food Bank to feed UTSA students. Representatives from UTSA and the San Antonio Food Bank celebrated in the Main Campus Student Union on Jan. 29, announcing the donation will be divided over the next 10 years, with $125,000 going to the food bank each year. Amidst rising food prices, it comes as part of a larger mission to fight food insecurity at UTSA and in San Antonio. The SA Food Bank distributes millions of pounds of food to over 500 organizations across Southwest Texas, including UTSA. Najim’s donations will help supply the Roadrunner Pantry, an on-campus resource providing students with free food, at both UTSA’s Main and Downtown Campuses. Najim has also announced monthly food drives in conjunction with his donation. “Students will no longer have to choose between tuition, books, gasoline for the car and food. I don’t want them to make that choice,” Najim said. Najim’s relationship with UTSA has been marked with significant financial contributions. His previous donations to UTSA include $3 million to establish UTSA’s Career Advancement Center, $2 million to expand it to UTSA’s Downtown Campus and $2 million committed to
Armin Suljovic/Kara Lee/ The Paisano
the Roadrunners’ Football program. His donation to the San Antonio Food Bank is the latest installment among these contributions. “It’s tough to feel secure when your stomach is growling and you’re hungry,” Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank, said. “So the opportunity to really nourish students, make sure they have access and a resource to get nourishment here on campus is pretty incredible.” In a 2024 study from the Government Accountability Office, nearly a quarter of college students experienced food insecurity in 2020. The study found that among food-insecure students eligible for SNAP benefits, 59% did not take advantage of them. Rising food prices pose another obstacle in access to food. According to Nerdwallet’s review of the Consumer Price Index, food prices have risen 28% since 2019. Part of the Roadrunner Pantry’s mission is ensuring that students are aware of the resources they can access — the pantry being one of them. “Getting the word out there about the pantry is the best way to help us fight food insecurity,” Esperanza Regalado, a student assistant for the pantry, said. Since its opening in 2017, the pantry
now averages 200 visitors per day — offering goods, like peanut butter, bananas, water and toilet paper for free. While the number of visitors has grown, the pantry encourages more students to make use of its provisions. “A lot here goes to waste, so might as well have people take advantage of it,” Sebastian Legorreta, another student assistant, said. Cooper points out that stigma may deter students from using the pantry. “People feel like they’re failing or have done something wrong,” Cooper said. “There’s no shame. If you need help, the food pantry is going to be there to help.” Though many of its resources are supplied by the San Antonio Food Bank, the Roadrunner Pantry also relies on community support to maintain its services. Students volunteer — stocking and cleaning up the pantry — or donate. Last fall, the pantry raised over $22,000 in a friendly competition with Texas State’s pantry. Additionally, the
Feeding Futures Society, a newly formed student organization, seeks to drive community effort against food insecurity by supporting the pantry and organizing volunteer opportunities. “We rely a lot on our community,” Regalado, who is also an officer of the society, said. “Having these helping hands helps us accomplish our mission even more.” The Roadrunner Pantry can be accessed at 1.04.06 in the Student Union for the Main Campus and at 1.306 in the Durango Building for the Downtown Campus. To volunteer at the pantry, students can sign up on RowdyLink or email RoadrunnerPantry@utsa.edu for more information. The San Antonio Food Bank can be found at 5200 Historic, Old Hwy 90. More information can be found at safoodbank.org.
Roadrunners protest against ICE High school students protest By Izabella Hernandez Staff Writer
President Donald Trump’s administration rescinded restrictions that prevented Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 20 from entering and conducting raids on schools, churches, hospitals and other public service facilities. In efforts to carry out his deportation agenda, Trump has instructed ICE to cement a quota of 1,200 to 1,500 arrests per day. UTSA’s Office of Legal Affairs sent out a mass email on Feb. 4 updating students and faculty on the institution’s policies regarding increasing immigration enforcement in schools nationwide. “With guidance from the UT System, we have an update and resources to share regarding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and our institution. As a Texas educational institution, UTSA must follow all applicable s t a t e and federal laws and UT System policies regarding cooperation with federal authorities,” the email states. “We will carefully review any request from authorities on a case-by-case basis and will consult with the UT System
as needed.” Following the protest at City Hall on Feb. 5 when San Antonio Independent School District students walked out of class in protest of ICE raids in schools, the grassroots coalition Right to Rebel organized a protest on Feb. 6. UTSA students gathered under the Sombrilla to protest UTSA’s cooperation with ICE as a part of Trump’s executive order to carry out mass deportations nationwide. A student at UTSA, who has decided to remain anonymous, heard about the protest through social media and shared their thoughts on why it was important to attend. “I think it’s important to speak for the people that can’t be here,” the student said. “I think it’s honestly really just outrageous that we are punishing the people that keep the economy growing and the people that just want a better life. That should be something to admire, not something that should be pushed down.” The email also provides additional resources provided by the Office of Legal Affairs containing information about steps to take in a potential interaction with external law enforcement officers, including federal immigration officers, on university property.
against Trump at city hall By Marisela Cruz Assistant News Editor
On the steps of City Hall, a student spoke in front of their peers and said, “I dream of a day where there is not any violence and there isn’t any hate.” The steps below were filled with students, teachers and other protesters speaking out about their fear and frustration amid all the new executive orders President Donald Trump has issued. Chants and cries regarding change and safety for all filled the street of 100 Military Plaza. Students projected their voices to keep children safe, protect human rights and keep immigration enforcement out of schools. One student in particular said that he is tired of how “the bureaucratic system control[ing] us. We have a right to be able to have abortions. We have a right to choose where we live, and we have a right to vote!” A teacher reassured the unified group of students among their classmates with a message stating, “You are the next generation that’s going to make a difference.” San Antonio Independent School District students and grassroots coalition Mujeres Marcharan organized the walkout to protest against recent executive orders: the federal funding freeze, the end of birthright citizenship and the banning of all gender-affirming care for people under 19 years old. Pride flags, Mexican flags and
protest messages on various banners and boards crowded City Hall on Feb. 5. “No to deportations — Keep families together” and “Money for hormones not war” were among the messages San Antonio students carried with them. On Jan. 20, Trump issued many of the executive orders that San Antonio students are protesting. SAISD Superintendent Jaime Aquino said, “There was a spike in absences the day after parents learned of the news.” City Councilman Jalen McKeeRodriguez attended the protest to show support for San Antonio students. McKeeRodriguez, who is Black and openly gay, shared his fears for his safety alongside the students’ concerns. “My heart hurts that they’ve lost a lot of the innocence that they’re owed, and they have to be out here worried and advocating for themselves and for their futures,” McKee-Rodriguez said. As a former high school math teacher, McKee-Rodriguez found inspiration within students’ passion for change when running for office. McKee-Rodriguez also emphasized that he hopes that the students of San Antonio know “that there’s people who are here for them, and this generation is not left on their own.” Another protest was held in Pica Pica Plaza this past Saturday as a continuation of the protest to stop the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies.