Volume 72, Issue 11

THE PAISANO

ICE detains computer science Student

By Amanda Fuentes Assistant News Editor

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently detained UT San Antonio student Jaime Cabriales Carlos . In an r/UTSA post, user spotted-rabbit, who alleged to be Cabriales Carlos’ sister Casey Cabriales, stated that he was taken from a location near his home.

“He was taken about two minutes away from his house, not on the UTSA campus,” the user stated. “When they pulled him over they did not give him any reason as to why, just told him to get out of his car and took him.”

The user also stated that the offcers who pulled Cabriales Carlos over told him to turn off his phone and that the family only found out because Cabriales Carlos was able to send a quick text to his father. The user also stated that she and the rest of Cabriales Carlos’ family are located hours away from San Antonio.

“We live about 4 hours away from him, so we wouldn’t have known right away,” the user explained.

Casey Cabriales also created a gofundme where she continued to provide details on his situation and explained that Carlos has no criminal record.

“He was detained on March 28th at around 10 AM by ICE and taken into custody,” Cabriales wrote in the gofundme post. “My brother is a hardworking and caring son and older brother who has always been dedicated to building a better future. He has been pursuing his education and working toward growing his own website design and development business. He has no criminal record and has spent his entire life in the United States.”

According to Cabriales Carlos’ LinkedIn, he obtained a Bachelor of Science in computer science from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and is pursuing a master’s degree in the same feld at UT San Antonio. His LinkedIn also indicated that he specializes in website creation for small businesses and nonprofts at Cabriales Web Studio, which he has led for the past three years.

ICE’s website confrms that Cabriales Carlos is in custody at the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center but does not provide his inmate number. The facility can be contacted at (830) 254-2000 for more information regarding visitation and individuals in detention. The offce can be reached at (830) 254-2500.

This is a developing story that The Paisano will continue to investigate.

Advisor answers questions directed to student gov’t

By Marisela Cruz

UT San Antonio’s Student Government Association has delayed its elections, violated its constitution, made fnancial documents inaccessible online and failed to provide a progress report on its initiatives on its website. The Paisano reached out to the Student Government Advisor Chanteà Swinson-Rhoe to request an in-person interview.

Swinson-Rhoe’s initial response to the inquiry was stated in an email to The Paisano.

“At this time, all media inquiries should be directed to the Offce of University Strategic Communications,” Swinson-Rhoe stated. “They will be best positioned to assist you with information and interview requests. You may contact Joe Izbrand, Associate Vice President, Communications and Marketing.”

Upon inquiring when an in-person interview would be coordinated, Izbrand responded detailing his role in coordinating the interview.

“As I mentioned in previous emails, SGA asked that you submit questions in writing for their consideration,” Izbrand

explained. “I have also conveyed to them your follow-up request for an interview. I don’t yet have an acknowledgment. Please keep in mind that SGA is an independent student group and our team does not manage their media relations, we simply work to convey information between parties.”

None of the questions sent by The Paisano were answered in person. They were instead answered in a statement prepared by Swinson-Rhoe and SGA President Michael Valdez. Some questions were answered individually, while others were answered in a joint response.

“The decision to hold elections after Spring Break was made to promote more student participation, readiness, and effective administration of the election,” Swinson-Rhoe wrote.

The Paisano requested the SGA’s detailed budget reports from 2022-2026. Swinson-Rhoe explained the SGA’s budget had not been published online for the past six years due to technical diffculties.

“The Student Government website is currently under construction to ensure the university meets accessibility requirements,” Swinson-Rhoe reported. “The current SGA budget will be uploaded by the end of the semester, and a team is also working to retrieve, format, and post budgets from previous years.”

SGA initiatives for the spring 2026 semester can be found under the “Major Initiatives” tab on their website. The initiatives that were addressed in the statement provided to The Paisano include Mental Health First Aid, Menstrual Hygiene Products, Student Government Discovery Task Force and Student Programs. Valdez and Swinson-Rhoe provided the status of the initiative’s progress this semester.

In their statement, Swinson-Rhoe and Valdez reported that the SGA held two mental health frst aid training sessions. For menstrual hygiene products, the pair noted some buildings on Main Campus have dispensers. Next steps of the Student Government Discovery Task Force are being analyzed by current executive board members and previous senators.

Valdez and Swinson-Rhoe detailed

SGA’s involvement in student programs

“SGA plans and implements or collaborates in student focused

programming throughout the year including, Homecoming festivities, State of the Student Body, Earth Day, Field Day, and the 50th Anniversary of the University Life Awards,” Valdez and Swinson-Rhoe stated.

Valdez clarifed the SGA’s protocol on how the student organization is supposed to document its work.

“SGA has designated chairs and offcers who are responsible for specifc areas, and they communicate with appropriate university leadership and the SGA advisor,” Valdez stated. “Each executive board member reports their projects and proposals, which then are documented in the SGA meeting minutes.”

The SGA has listed on their website all the vacant positions. The Student Body Vice President, Academic Affairs Committee, Downtown Affairs Committee, Student Affairs Committee, Director of Outreach, Director of Student Health and Executive Director are all vacant. Valdez specifed the cause of the vacancies.

“SGA may have vacant positions at times because it is a student-led organization, and student involvement can change throughout the academic year,” Valdez explained.

Valdez and Swinson-Rhoe stated that the student offcials need approval from the university in its decision making. There was no mention of the student body at UT San Antonio in the statement.

“Elected student offcials represent student interests, bring issues to the attention of administration, propose legislative resolutions, and make recommendations,” Valdez and SwinsonRhoe stated. “However, many outcomes are dependent on university policies and administrative approval.

There was no mention of requiring the student body’s input to enact change in the SGA. Instead, Swinson-Rhoe’s position was highlighted. “Chantea’ Swinson-Rhoe serves as the Student Government Association’s advisor and provides guidance on university policies and procedures,” Valdez and SwinsonRhoe explained. “Her role is advisory in nature and is intended to support student leaders in understanding institutional processes.”

This is a developing story that The Paisano will continue to investigate.

SNAP now restricts sugary products

By Itzy Ruiz Sepulveda Contributor

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has implemented new restrictions limiting what recipients can buy using their Lone Star Card. As part of the new regulations, recipients can no longer buy sugary or sweetened products. On April 1, SNAP cuts were offcially implemented.

Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter requesting a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services to prohibit the purchase of unhealthy food with SNAP benefits. FNS approved the waiver, which led Abbott to sign Senate Bill 379 into law. “Make Texas Healthy Again” is Abbott’s initiative that coincides with the restrictions on sugary products.

restrictions.

San Antonio Food Bank representative Becca Smith discussed the SNAP cuts and possible outcomes. Smith explained that it is important for the food bank to help families out with the new candy restrictions because the SNAP candy cuts target children and families.

“A lot of these items are convenient and easy to grab,” Smith said. “The risk is that the restrictions might feel punitive to families who are already navigating signifcant food

“Texas will ensure the health and wellbeing of Texans by directing taxpayer dollars to food with real nutritional value,” Abbott said. “By restricting unhealthy food purchases using SNAP benefts, we are laying the foundation for a stronger, healthier Texas.”

The new SNAP restrictions limit candy bars, gum, taffy, fruits and nuts that have been crystallized, caramelized or dipped in yogurt. Any beverage that contains fve grams or more of added sugar or any amount of artifcial sweetener will also be cut from SNAP.

With these implemented restrictions, attention is turning to how local support systems will react. Operating separately from SNAP, the San Antonio Food Bank distributions are not subject to SNAP

Smith detailed how, although the restrictions are now in place, preventing unhealthy behaviors is more challenging.

“Behavior change is complicated, so just by making these kinds of restrictions doesn’t mean that it is going to lead to healthy behavior choices,” Smith stated. “For families to be able to implement healthy behavior choices, they need access to affordable foods, skills to prepare for it and an environment that is going to support those choices.”

Smith is also Director of the Community Health and Nutrition Education, where she oversees the Culinary, Health and Education for Families program. The CHEF program offers a variety of healthy recipes, teaches culinary classes at schools and partners with SAISD by providing a seven-week chef program.

“We have a lot of recipes where we are looking at affordability, accessibility and making it kid friendly,” Smith said.

CHEF aims to bridge the gap between access and education as families adjust to the new restrictions. For recipes or to fnd more information on culinary classes, visit the San Antonio Food Bank website, chefsa.org/.

Fiesta’s new $5 entry fee

By Johnpaul Buwule Marketing Manager

In a 7-4 San Antonio City Council vote, Fiesta de los Reyes — the largest free Fiesta event bringing about 250,000 guests — will require a $5 entry fee for certain hours.

To run and operate Fiesta, it costs about $1 million. The nonproft that organizes the event — Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation — generates revenue through sponsorships, booth rentals and drink sales. Before the event increased security measures, including screenings, security and insurance, the event generated $85,000 in net proceeds. The newly added measures caused the organization to operate Fiesta at a net loss.

The organization incurred $143,000 in security measures costs following the 2024 and 2023 shootings at the event. The organization was unable to raise its usual $85,000 in scholarships in 2024 because it focused on fundraising for additional security measures. This year, experts predict that security costs will rise to $730,000 after spending $690,000 in 2025.

In a City Council agenda sheet, the new rule will apply to anyone 13 years or older during certain hours of the day.

On Monday through Thursday and the frst Friday of Fiesta, a $5 fee will be administered after 6 p.m. On weekends

and the second Friday, the $5 fee goes into effect at 1 p.m.

While the City Council has approved this item, Fiesta de los Reyes has made the frst two days of the event, April 17 and 18, free of charge.

The projected revenue for this year’s Fiesta is $400,000. Since the City Council will collect 25% of any revenue that is beyond the organization’s secured $250,000, the Council will be pulling 25% from the $150,000 left over from the expected revenue. This leaves the Council with $37,500 added to the city’s budget. While the city’s $5 fee will help cover the costs for Fiesta, business owners have questioned the implications of the fee on the once-free event.

Small business owner Thelma Gonzales, who operates G’s Gonzalez Gift Shop in the Historic Market Square, detailed the risks of the $5 fee.

“It risks reduced foot traffc, harming small businesses and limiting access to families who have visited this space freely for decades,” Gonzales explained.

Additionally, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKeeRodriguez, District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo and District 6 Councilman Ric Galvan voted in opposition to the item.

“It will deter folks from going, enjoying the culture, the music and the community that ultimately has built and shaped the City of San Antonio,” Castillo said. Fiesta will take place from April 17-26.

Artemis II, space race begins between U.S., China

By Alex Blumenthal Contributor

The crew of Artemis II successfully landed down on Earth, following their 10-day mission around the moon, in which they traveled the farthest distance in human history. Along with captivating millions around the world, this trip led to many discoveries and implications for the future of NASA and space exploration.

NASA’s Orion spacecraft launched on April 1 and returned back to Earth on April 10. The voyage surpassed the previous record set by Apollo 13 for the farthest traveled space mission, traveling a distance of 700,237 miles. The Artemis II astronauts consisted of Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency. This mission was NASA’s frst to the moon since 1972.

The mission’s goal was to test how the Orion spacecraft would operate in a deep space environment to prepare for future missions to the moon and eventual Mars exploration. Throughout the mission, updates were posted on NASA’s YouTube, and livestreams of the spaceship were conducted so that the public could follow along in real time.

As reported by the New York Times,

State of the City Week of 04/17

By Marisela Cruz News Editor

Not subscribed

bans, old city structures uncovered by archeologists and a tax preparer being convicted.

NASA’s Artemis program has commenced a space race against China. The U.S. and China are simultaneously planning moon colony construction around 2028 and 2030, respectfully. The objectives of this mission were to collect data and observe the Earth’s moon, as detailed in NASA’s mission report. According to the New York Times, astronauts on board Artemis II viewed a solar eclipse; this revealed a much fatter surface than the side that is visible to Earth. The voyage also led to the discovery of never-before-seen hues of brown and green from minerals just under the surface, revealing that the moon is more colorful than scientists thought.

The spaceship’s takeoff was viewed around the world. During takeoff and splashdown, major TV networks paused their programming to show Artemis II. Baseball and soccer games also displayed the voyage on their jumbotrons, and the internet fooded with updates from the mission. The New York Times discussed how these images produced from the 10 days will serve as inspiration for the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Koch described the overview effect, a term referring to the perspective shift that comes with seeing the Earth in its totality.

“Everything else outside of it is completely inhospitable,” Koch said. “You don’t see borders, you don’t see religious

Judge pauses smokeable hemp ban

Texas’ latest hemp ban went into effect on March 31, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of the 459th district court temporarily halted the ban. A state rule went into effect on Tuesday last week to ban natural fower hemp products. The new rules are in line with Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order from September. Guerra Gamble’s ruling comes from numerous hemp businesses suing the state on their attempts to limit THC products. The pause is supposed to last two weeks until the injunction hearing.

lines, you don’t see political boundaries. All you see is Earth, and you see that we are way more alike than we are different.”

This mission hopes to eventually lead to a permanent human presence on the Moon. Future Artemis missions plan to build a moon base and advance

Courtesy/Joseph Cruz

Historic city structures uncovered near ballpark Construction for a new minorleague baseball stadium has broken ground and uncovered foundational remnants. The remnants consist of two residences, one of the residences was once the Newton house, a home to a former San Antonio mayor. Colonel Samuel Galitzin Newton is the homeowner of the settlement discovered by archeologists. A portion of the San Pedro acequia system was also uncovered. As reported by Express-News, the discoveries will potentially lead to new historic sites.

Tax preparer convicted for fling false returns

Natasha Sheree Banks Brown, who runs a tax preparation business, is now being convicted on 11 counts of fling false tax returns. She used fraudulent deductions from clients’ tax flings and put the money from the returns into her bank account. Authorities looked into Brown’s business, Tasha’s Total Tax Service, in December 2020. Investigators found Brown included fraudulent deductions and credits increasing her clients tax refunds. U.S. District Judge David Ezra is scheduled to sentence Brown on July 13.

OPINION

Abandoning Undergraduates

The UT San Antonio merger and Strategic Planning Initiative are vain fronts made to infate the campus’ self-importance and relevance. Future doctors and scientists coming from the self-declared “preeminent public research university” are being ignored in favor of the university’s public image. Undergraduate pre-med students struggling to register for their required courses cannot easily connect with research opportunities nor have open access to UT Health resources, while administration boasts big-idea plans and neglects the details.

Undergraduates have reaped nothing from the university’s expansion except surface-level bragging rights from attending the third-largest research university in Texas and parking passes now working at select lots on the UT Health campus. The two joined universities have remained fundamentally separate when viewed past the public relations veil. Tuition, fees, stipends, academic calendars

and professors are not shared between the campuses. Events are also secluded to one campus.

The College of Sciences’ events calendar rarely advertises events scheduled at UT Health and gives no details or external links to learn more. Undergraduate premeds who default to this resource miss out on conferences, seminars and workshops they are eligible to attend. Pre-med undergraduates must dig through the UT Health events calendar to fnd events open to them, indirectly dissuading them from networking across campuses.

To pre-med students, clinical exposure, shadowing, research and hands-on

learning are as important as their classroom material, none of which have become easier to access post-merge. The Research Department at UT San Antonio lacks centralized resources for students to access opportunities. Undergraduate students have resorted to forming clubs as a crutch to fll the gap and fnd the experience they need. The merge could have alleviated this issue — by facilitating connections between undergraduates and UT Health personnel — but fails to even consider it. Instead, students rely on word-of-mouth, scattered faculty websites and department announcements for experience.

Disorganized course registration only

‘Dam’ good gas station

By McKenzie Siller Assistant Opinion Editor

Buc-ee’s sets itself apart from other gas stations by simply being better. With other gas stations, cleanliness is questionable and unprotected hotdogs, drying under the heat lamps, are concerning. Buc-ee’s does not raise these concerns.

Buc-ee’s is a beloved stop on any Texas road trip. With its wide variety of snacks, any person with a craving leaves with a full belly. Buc-ee’s has aisles of prepackaged goodies that are familiarly found in other gas stations, but it also has its own snack brand. This includes, but is not limited to, Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets, spiced pecans and various fudge favors. They also have freshly made barbecue sandwiches, chopping their brisket right in front of their customers, as well as their own selection of pickled goods, preserves and jams. All products are individually wrapped, packaged and put on display. However, good food alone does not make a satisfying pitstop.

The bathrooms are also unmatched. They always have a high level of cleanliness throughout opening hours. Buc-ee’s claims to keep exceptional facility hygiene. Furthermore, Buc-ee’s has a great number of stalls, limiting the possibility for a line to develop. Moreover, the doors to each stall fll out the door frame, with little to no open space, depending on the Buc-ee’s someone visits. There is minimal concern for being spied on through the cracks of a stall.

Buc-ee’s does not just take from surrounding communities; it gives back.

Having a massive building stocked with rations is pointless if it is closed during a crisis. When Temple, Texas, was hit with a tornado, Buc-ee’s was an open shelter

worsens the pre-med students’ journey. The biology premedical sciences concentration adds 38 hours of courses, including six courses that are semester specifc — Advanced Physiology I, Clinical Anatomy Laboratory I, Advanced Physiology II, Clinical Anatomy Laboratory II, Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Pathology, and Advanced Clinical Medicine and Pathology. Failure to enroll in any of these courses could delay graduation by up to a year, yet UT San Antonio registration turns a blind eye to waitlist counts. A university wanting to advance as “world-class” cannot ignore these systemic barriers impacting its students.

The university is focusing on the wrong things to strengthen students, by prioritizing decades-long plans without a care for next semester. If the university wants to boast interconnectivity, the COS needs to bridge undergraduates to UT Health. Pre-med students are being stunted, and it is time UT San Antonio stepped up.

Sad, semi-aquatic excuse

By Cooper Bryant Staff Photographer

Buc-ee’s is nothing short of a cultural

afoat. Do not be the change the gasstation world does not need; cut the place in half, or at least ax the fourth of the store dedicated entirely to the mascot.

Speaking of which, as far as American iconography is concerned, the Bucee’s beaver is one of the most boring, uninspired and lazy campaigns put forward yet. At least have the presence of mind to give it a remotely interesting name or an accent; something more than a red cap and an expression about as tasteful as bread dipped in warm water. In fairness, however, soggy bread is exactly what to expect at a Buc-ee’s.

People praise Buc-ee’s for its food selection but miss a vital biasing factor — hunger. For those outside the beau monde, the Buc-ee’s experience is most commonly on a road trip, and whatever they purchase is likely the frst thing they have eaten in hours. This can easily make a lukewarm, lamp-heated sandwich seem like Michelin star excellence. Pair that with fatigue and a nice bathroom to get the false sense of quality maligning the franchise.

bathrooms are just about the only thing worthy of credit. Sure, they are nice, but again, a tradition is disrespected. Half the fun of a gas-station is the gamble of bathroom quality. Buc-ee’s robs this experience from the customer, effectively ensuring that a hazmat crew is at the ready for any sighting of bacteria.

Buc-ee’s fips the traditional distastefulness of a gas station for a thin veneer of quality; underneath the gold-plated toilets lies a mundane exemplifcation of everything wrong with corporatism. For the sake of moral decency, try a mom-and-pop.

Texas rewrites history to further right wing agenda

By Adrix Tankersley Contributor Editorial

The Texas State Board of Education is pursuing a complete overhaul of the state’s social studies curriculum, affecting over fve million Texas students. The overhaul prioritizes Western Christian culture and downplays the impact of people of color throughout history. This move is meant to further the Make America Great Again agenda, and other red states, such as Florida, are attempting to do the same.

The lesson plans will instead focus on Texas and U.S. history alongside biblical stories. It will also attempt to gloss over critical points in American history, such as the slave trade and the Trail of Tears. The BOE is waging a war on history, ignoring basic facts in favor of pushing a white-washed agenda. The new curriculum will propagate a new wave of Christian Nationalism in the Lone Star State, where schools are an Orwellian nightmare of misinformation.

There have been clashes over education in Texas throughout the decade. In 2022, Republicans delayed a vote over a proposed curriculum featuring critical race

theory, claiming it was essentially leftwing indoctrination. Now, a little more than four years later, they attempt their own indoctrination by suppressing actual history in favor of religious and white nationalist propaganda.

The Texas educational system has been faltering for years. Children, especially in low income areas, are deprived of access to proper education across the state. Texas has redistributed money from public schools to vouchers for private, religious institutions. These vouchers were disproportionately awarded to white students, who already attended private schools. The program excluded some Islamic private schools, which sparked a lawsuit from parents this year.

Texas Democrats attempted to pause the overhaul. Not because of the potential harm the new content could bring, but because of suspicious donations to historical advisor Donald Fraizer’s private institution: the Texas Center. Texas Public Policy Foundation, a right-wing think tank that has lobbied Texas policy for the past thirty years, recently awarded a $70,000 grant to the Texas Center at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas. The director of the Texas Center, Donald

Frazier, was recently appointed as one of nine historians to advise the social studies overhaul. Clearly, there is a political infuence on the overhaul.

After reports of the grant began to circulate, Democrats on the board wrote a strongly worded letter demanding further

passed, the lesson plans will go into effect in 2030. Texas is riddled with educational inequality. Republicans on the BOE are exploiting this to rewrite history to further their Christian nationalist ideology. While the Democrats on the board grovel, refusing to take real action to protect history. The children of Texas will be subjected to daily, state funded propaganda if this curriculum is approved.

OPINION

The Strokes’ disappointing comedown

late 2025, the frontman Julian Casablancas Casablancas’ behavior in recent years can

THE PAISANO

Editorial Board

prepared for the level of diffculty it takes to get into a class until it is too late, and registration is open to everyone.

Registration for any STEM student is just as stressful as “The Hunger Games.”

Pre-med students sit and wait for class selection to open, only to see that all the classes they need have disappeared within the frst few days; students are left running to academic advisors, hoping an override can be done. Usually, there is nothing that can be done.

Pre-med students, in particular, are placed on a track that has semesterspecifc courses. Missing any course could force a student to graduate a semester late. To address this problem, advisors have started to discourage biology students

meetings with academic advisors, who have to override the system for students to get put in classes. If students somehow pass the obstacle course that is fnding correct classes on the registration site, they are now met with the oh-so-evil waitlist. Once on the waitlist, students must monitor their Outlook email like their lives depend on it. Students then have a 24-hour timeframe to accept an open seat before it is obtained by another desperate peer.

Registering at UT San Antonio is not for the faint of heart. Keep friends close and 7 a.m. alarms closer or say goodbye to the chance of getting into any important classes next semester. May the registration be ever in your favor.

Disregarded, dehydrated incarcerations

By Cooper Bryant Staff Photographer Commentary

It is hard to breathe — lungs gasping for air and eyes fuzzy from caked-on sweat — no water in sight, only a beating sun. This is not the story of a damned sailor; it is the reality thousands of inmates in Texas prisons face every summer. An ongoing lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice alleges the obvious truth: Texas is, yet again, blatantly violating the Constitution.

The Eighth Amendment explicitly states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fnes imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inficted.” Since 1970, courts have found entire prison systems unconstitutional, such as Georgia’s in a 2024 case, and the current Texas system is no exception. Inmates have to endure contaminated drinking water, tortuous mental facilities and especially excessive heat. More than 80,000 Texas inmates swelter in 90° or more heat for months at a time without air conditioning and are frequently left for dead.

Offcials attempt to cover themselves from these deaths by citing supposed discrepancies in medical terminology and the existence of preexisting conditions — including some that are either “unspecifed” or would make no difference in a heat-related death — but these counters hold

no water. Other than the thousands of complaints from inmates and cut and dry evidence of underfunded cooling systems, bodies often have no recorded temperature at the time of death. Even when they do and are confrmed as heatrelated deaths by autopsy, offcials continue to deny wrongdoing, only admitting negligence under the penalty of perjury. A 2022 Brown University study

over technicalities does not get them far enough, offcials can always count on woeful pleas about money to get them by. Time and time again offcials claim that the TDCJ lacks the funds for adequate A/C. Although true, they willingly ignore the fact that the Texas legislature continuously fails to pass any legislation requiring A/C in prisons, while providing a fraction of the actual cost estimate. Statewide A/C’s would require the TDCJ to spend an additional $1.5 billion, a drop in the bucket compared to the billions wasted on the border. In addition, the TDCJ has shown no interest in pushing for said funding, instead happily acting like a clueless pyromaniac standing

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The TDCJ could not care less about the Constitution and is far more concerned with saving its own skin. They not only allow excessive cruelty and death, but they fail to act on a founding American principle. Revolutionary Thomas Paine expressed the view of the Founders succinctly: “An avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty.” Here is a hint: If the presiding judge calls the defense “plainly unconstitutional,” a better side worth fghting for must exist. In a time inundated with constitutional disrespect, urge lawmakers to uphold this country’s true beliefs.

Te Paisano is published by the Paisano Educational Trust, a non-proft, tax exempt, educational organization. Te Paisano is operated by members of the Student Newspaper Association, a registered student organization. Te Paisano is NOT sponsored, fnanced or endorsed by UT San Antonio. New issues are published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters, excluding holidays and exam periods. Te Paisano is distributed on the UT San Antonio Main Campus. Additionally, Paisano publications are distributed at a variety of of-campus locations, including Tri-point and a variety of apartment complexes near the UT

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ARTS & LIFE

c nd m sense

Songs, spring, sexual health

Bird On The Street Week of 4/14

By Amanda Fuentes Assistant News Editor

As spring quickly turns to summer, students have been registering for classes and clinging to their favorite songs as the unwelcome presence of fnals creeps in. Some students detest the season’s change, while others embrace summer’s emergence. Students spend the semester’s last month soaking up campus resources.

This week on Bird on the Street, The Paisano interviewed sophomore psychology major Laura Saunders, freshman biology major Chase Hollingsworth, freshman biology major Caitlin Colunga and senior kinesiology major Noah Reed.

Have you registered for classes yet?

Many students have procrastinated the chore, while others have had both positive and negative experiences registering for classes. Saunders explains that she has not yet registered for classes, and Colunga is in the same boat.“I have to get on that,” Colunga confessed, continuing to explain that last semester, “It went pretty easy.”

Hollingsworth and Reed had conficting experiences.

“Registering for this semester was almost impossible, and my advisors ignored me for two months,” Hollingsworth

Health and Wellness 360

Near the Recreation Wellness Center is one of the best resources on campus. Students can fnd free condoms, educational pamphlets and more with assistance from the friendly staff. Wellness 360 is UT San Antonio’s clinic, which offers free STI testing and treatment to all UT San Antonio students.

Tabling on campus

Many UT San Antonio clubs that table year-round on Main Campus offer free condoms, birth control and more to students passing by. My Sister’s Keeper, an organization that advocates for reproductive rights and is run by junior health, aging and society major Darielle Davis, regularly hands out Plan B. They provide information on a wide range of topics, including reproductive justice and health disparities among women of color. The Secular Student Alliance often hands out creative and fun condoms to students, ranging from bubblegum favored to tattooed designs.

Fourth Floor John Peace Library

the quiet halls of JPL’s four foor, students will fnd an eloquent condom machine that gets reflled throughout the semester. Students can take as much as they need, so

any ‘Runner that wants to prepare for phallic-focused intimacy should pay the dispenser a visit.

Costco

Although a little further away, in a time crunch, Costco is there. The store sells Plan B for roughly $5-6 in the pharmacy section with no membership required. Sales are limited to two packs per person, but it is still a great resource and a relatively cheap option. The closest location to UT San Antonio is at 5611 UTSA Boulevard.

Online Resources

The online platform mistr ships and consults PreExposure Prophylaxis and that takes all kinds of insurances. Another great resource is the STD Testing and Treatment on 2140 Babcock Rd., where appointments can be booked online. Planned Parenthood operates the location and offers a variety of services, including testing for chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, trichomoniasis and more, while also providing contraceptives.

For all the college students struggling to fnd a resource that works for them, these are great options, and these conversations and places are meant to be utilized for students.

SSA offers sexual health resources

By Amanda Fuentes Assistant News Editor

During the latest Secular Student Alliance meeting on April 9, it was clear that the group members shared a common value: respect. The meeting had a topic-related group discussion structure. During the discussion, club members shared their opinions and thoughtfully considered each other’s ideas, even ones that conficted with their own.

Before the discussion commenced, an offcer presented resources that the organization offers. The presentation featured sexual health resources including distribution of condoms, emergency contraceptives, pregnancy tests, dental dams, daily contraceptives and feminine hygiene products. Condoms and emergency contraceptives are the organization’s most plentiful supplies, which are handed out on Tuesdays and Thursdays when SSA tables on campus.

Last week’s discussion topic was on unlearning religion. Deconstruction centered this topic; according to the presentation slides, it is the act of critically unlearning religion and dismantling previously held beliefs from religion. During the discussion, subtopics were presented to give the group talking points.

One of the talking points prompted members to explain why they deconstructed. One meeting attendee said they were compelled to leave because of the racism that they saw in the church. Many other members talked about childhood experiences that stained the church’s reputation in their eyes.

Even though the group frequently bonded over their similar religious experiences, their discussion topics are diverse and there are often non-religious-based meeting topics proposed by group members.

Clara Clasen was among the attending members and explained that sexual health and advocacy for

reproductive rights are priorities for the organization.

“Separation of church and state is what our main focus is. Reproductive justice is related to separation of church and state,” Clasen clarifed. “Because a lot of it is affected by the religious right [who are] trying to suppress things like birth control. It’s religiously motivated.”

SSA was formed to create a community for nonreligious students on a campus with dozens of religious groups and frequent pro-life protesters. However, the group is inclusive and welcomes individuals of any faith who are dedicated to protecting the freedom of religion and separation of church and state. The organization also values free speech, science-based education and equality.

Ackerman lights lesbian limerence

By Cruz Delgado Managing Editor

Her spoon incessantly shovels sugar from a shabby sack in her room’s stark shadow, yet Julie, played by the director, cannot sate her hunger in Chantal Ackerman’s 1974 flm “Je tu il elle.” Following a breakup with her lover, Julie contends with an aching void that she desperately tries to fll — with sugar, a truck driver and fnally her former lover — within the flm’s 86-minute runtime. Ackerman’s lighting and blocking brilliantly convey the limerence that Julie experiences until her 13 minutes of orgasmic catharsis.

Upon Julie’s introduction, Ackerman frames the main character off center in a medium close-up shot, accented with drab lighting that spotlights the sugar she eats. Food replaces Julie’s sexual thirst, or at least pathetically attempts to. Eventually, the sugar spills and a naked Julie dives deeper into the covers; she has not entirely quenched her lust. Ackerman’s dark lighting masterfully mimics the despairful soul of Julie — creating a sense of off-kilter unfulfllment. The frame is never entirely occupied due to a desolate production design with details that are further drowned out by the dismal, shadowfavoring lighting.

Julie needs her former lover, or at least that feeling brought about by her, so she ventures onto the side of a road. She meets a married-with-kids truck driver and follows him for the night. This second sequence of the flm takes up the majority of the runtime, but unlike the frst and fnal part of the flm, lighting does not play as pivotal of a role. The technical grandeur shown in the frst act becomes second to the already minimal, and at times lackluster, character work. The sequence demonstrates a distinct tonal shift in the story until the climax, in which Julie gives the truck driver a hand job and Ackerman shoots the scene in close ups to emphasize the voyeuristic role that the audience holds in Julie’s desires — a return to Ackerman’s commanding direction.

Kitana Lourens of Musée credits Ackerman as a flmmaking pioneer — after all, the Belgian flmmaker is the tenacious, rhythmic mind behind “Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels.” However, Ackerman’s second act tangent is faccidly contrived, rendering a frail flm until she fnds her footing with one of the most legendary scenes in flm history. She combines ethereal white lighting, the self-assured steadiness of the camera and euphonious, raw sound design to depict Julie’s reunifcation with her former lover and cinema’s frst onscreen lesbian sex scene.

To contrast the flm’s opening setting, Ackerman shoots the two lovers with a bright white light so their two bodies turn into one form: desire unbound. There is no diegetic sound from events occurring off screen. Instead, the sound of sheets moving under the weight of the women’s pleasure adorn the soft cries of pleasure. Julie’s longing has been ridded but only temporarily, for the flm ends with her leaving her lover once again. Her yearning cannot be escaped, she must merely sleep with it on her bare mattress that sits on the foor alongside her bag of sugar.

ARTS & LIFE

‘And just like that,’

alumna opened Love Shack Boutique

By Cruz Delgado Managing Editor

Selling adult toys as a party saleswoman and moonlighting as a student studying sociology, UT San Antonio alumna Amy Gonzalez did not anticipate opening a sex toy shop called Love Shack Boutique, but that is exactly what the people demanded of her.

“If everybody was buying Pampered Chef, I would have been selling Pampered Chef, but sex sells, and people were buying that stuff,” Gonzalez proposed. “Then I graduated, I transferred to UTSA. I graduated in 2007. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m just gonna focus on my career,’ but I couldn’t. People would be like, ‘No, you know, we want to see if you can still do a party and order stuff.’

“Everyone would say the same thing, ‘There are no nice stores here in town.’ And so, I went to every store here in town and I was like, ‘Yeah, they’re trash. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going in those stores.’”

The store’s soft, white lighting fusing with fourishes of lavender and pine aromas ignites curiosity. The shop’s stimulating palette adorned with pinks and purples along with frisky novelties embellishing the walls encourage a playful, open-minded approach when one peruses the inventory.

“Bright, colorful, and then we’re just welcoming everybody,” Gonzalez graciously bragged. “It doesn’t matter how you identify. It doesn’t matter what you consider yourself. We just create a safe space. We welcome everybody that comes in, and then we educate.”

Love Shack Boutique’s sales foor only comprises half of the shop. The real magic happens in the leftward room. Couches along with reading material allow for a casual, self-guided Sex Education 101 course, while rows of folding chairs allude to the collective experience of guest lectures.

“No one’s getting education, but people are wanting that,” Gonzalez exclaimed.

“The menopause classes are a great example. It’s just education. We’re talking about that. People are like, ‘People don’t talk about this.’ I’ve had sex therapists come in and teach. People don’t know how to go about doing that. It needs to be a continuous conversation and

Paisano

people are curious. Same thing with like [people will ask], ‘You know that movie they had a vibrator. I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, we saw that.’ ‘Sex and the City,’ they talked about sex toys too.”

The infuence of Carrie Bradshaw and her crew on having positive conversations about sex rang true in the shop’s holy grail: a photo of the “Sex and the City” cast signed by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. Hernandez, who carries the title of certifed sex educator, resonated in particular with the sex life columnist Bradshaw.

“I would say probably Carrie,” Hernandez claimed. “I would say because she was looking for love. She wanted to be committed to somebody, and she was going back and forth with that relationship, but she worked. She loved what she did. I love what I do. I love my store. I’m very passionate about what I do.”

Love Shack Boutique has two locations. One is located at 1580 Babcock Rd. and the other brick-andmortar can be found at 10038 Potranco Rd. Both locations are open Monday-Thursday from 12-8 p.m. and on Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m to 8 p.m. Love Shack Boutique is closed on Sundays. Check out their website at theloveshackboutique.com for future events or to purchase merchandise.

For Monzerrat Vejar, nudity is art

By Regan Williams Multimedia Editor

San Antonio artist Monzerrat Vejar focuses on nude art and nude modeling. She studies art at UT San Antonio. The Paisano had the opportunity to interview Vejar about her work.

Vejar began modeling in nude about a year ago. She described what inspired her to pursue modeling and doing nude art.

“I was just naturally drawn to making or drawing humans, specifcally in the nude,” Vejar recalled. “That’s what we had to do in a lot of our classes. So it just became one of the main things I drew, specifcally women. I just love humans, and drawing them has always been really healing for me, in a way, because, struggling with body issues as a kid, I never really felt beautiful.”

Vejar went on to discuss how modeling and drawing people in the nude can provide someone with confdence.

“I also [have] recently been modeling for about a year at this point, and it’s just given me so much confdence in

itself,” Vejar refected. “Just seeing other people draw me as well, and being able to draw them, it really connects you well to other people.”

Doing things naked, including modeling, can be talked down upon due to societal norms, but getting undressed in front of everyone can be an empowering experience that the non-nude model may not have.

“It does give me a sense of freedom,” Vejar explained. “There is no strict guide for getting into nude art and modeling, so that was freeing, trying to fnd your way into that industry.

“I think it should be viewed as art and not sexualized in a way a lot of nude media is,” she later claimed.

Trying out nude art can be intimidating, even for Vejar, but she feels the benefts outweigh initial struggles.

“The biggest gain that I’ve experienced myself and have heard from other models, is just the confdence you feel afterwards, just being secure in your own body and seeing every artist’s interpretation of how they view you can be eye-opening,” Vejar discussed.

San Antonio locals can also get into nude art or modeling at the Coppini Academy of Fine Arts as they are always looking for nude models.

Vejar discusses this art center is also where she paints, adding, “It’s a [$25] fee if you’re not a member, but you just go in and paint whoever’s modeling that day.”

This is an art form that accepts anyone who is interested, whether that be in the modeling or art aspect.

“All body types, art skills are welcome, and you will see a lot of varying levels, from beginners just practicing, to painters busting out the whole entire oil paint set,” Vejar shared.

Students can check out Vejar’s art on her Instagram @beetlesaint to learn more about her passion for nude art.

Little shop of theater students

By Marisela Cruz News Editor

The UT San Antonio Dramatic Arts Program held their frst production at the Buena Vista Theater at the Downtown Campus, opening on April 10. The cast, composed of college students across the city, claimed their spotlight in the university’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

UT San Antonio students put together the grand “Little Shop of Horrors” stage, decorated with nostalgic details reminiscent of the original 1982 play. The set took nearly a month to bring together. The overarching exterior of Mushnick’s fower shop was a mobile fxture, inside the shop were signs, tables, plants and windows all created by the students. Props of the Audrey II plant were borrowed from the off-Broadway production as detailed by the show’s director Professor Bradley Freeman Jr.

Freeman explained that this was the perfect show to put together as his frst play. He described bringing together the production as a manageable production to put together.

“We were looking for a good frst show to do, and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is really nice,” Freeman said. “It is, although it doesn’t look like it. It actually is a fairly simple show. There’s only one set, and there’s not too many cast members, so ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ just felt like the most ideal show to do as our frst show.”

Directing the play is a gratifying experience for Freeman. He detailed how putting the show together was a memorable experience.

“This is arguably my favorite musical. It’s been a dream of mine.” Freeman exclaimed. “Now I actually get to direct it. I got to sort of put my vision on it, and we also were able to bring down one of the original cast members from the show back in 1982, Martin Robinson, to help us direct and give us a clue into how the show originally came together.”

Robinson is a famous puppeteer who created, built and performed the original Audrey II puppets in the 1982 off-Broadway production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” His presence on set provided a bit of magic, according to Freeman. Robinson left some props from the original play for the UT San Antonio production to use in their play.

The ensemble cast dazzled in their portrayal of the classic characters from “Little Shop of Horrors.” Seymour Krelborn played by Angel Reyes, Audrey portrayed by Clarissa Cortez and Mr. Mushnick by Joaquin Lopez all had electric chemistry on stage. Cortez was ecstatic to make her UT San Antonio acting debut in her all-time favorite show.

“When I saw that UTSA was putting on ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ I had just transferred to UTSA,” Cortez exclaimed. “I’m a marketing major, but I had seen that they had just started the performing arts program and that they were accepting auditions from all majors, so I just had to try out.”

Cortez lit up the stage, complimenting her co-stars’ iconic performances. Reyes was spot on as Krelborn with his perfectly demonstrated quirky, clumsy character maneuvering across the stage. Lopez portrayed Mr. Mushnik comedically and masterfully throughout the night, keeping an engaging momentum to his performance.

The voice of Audrey II, portrayed by sophomore performing arts major Devyn LeSane, appeared in the show numerous times while delivering a captivating voice for the large plant puppet on stage.

“I’m usually a screen actor, and Denzel [Washington] is one of my favorite actors, but one of his pieces of advice is to always start with the stage, because the stage teaches you to be loud, and that way you know how to be quiet on screen,” LeSane detailed. “So I wanted to do this to make me a better screen actor but also just wanted the experience and to be Audrey to a show that was made in the 60s, so to have a Black voice actor in the 60s was huge for that time.”

Levi Villarreal impressively played Orin Scrivello and six other characters in the show and demonstrated a range of personality in all of them, getting in and out of costume for each part he played in the show. He is able to fulfll the roles without a worry in his mind.

Regan Williams/The Paisano

taking the bull by its horns

By Nalani Cox Staff Writer

AN ANTONIO — UTSA

Sbaseball won its series against the University of South Florida, 2-1 over the weekend at Roadrunner Field.

The Roadrunners were riding a fve-game win streak before dropping the series fnale. UTSA maintained a comfortable lead on Friday and in the frst game of Saturday’s doubleheader, but lost steam during Saturday’s evening game. The weekend victory moves UTSA to 4-0 in American Conference series.

Game one

In the second inning, sophomore utility Caden Miller put UTSA on the board with a bases-loaded hit by pitch, forcing Diego Diaz to home base. Once UTSA gained the

lead, it rode the wave of momentum for the next seven innings. Senior outfelder Drew Detlefsen scored a three-run double, scoring freshman infelder Aidan Eshelman, sophomore infelder Jordan Ballin and Miller. South Florida scored two runs in the third inning and another run in the ffth, but UTSA continued adding to its lead, ending the ffth inning with a 9-3 advantage. In the ninth inning, sophomore outfelder Christian Hallmark was sent home for the fnal run, fnishing UTSA’s 11-3 win.

Game two

UTSA started off strong in the bottom of the frst inning when Miller scored after a hit by pitch. Eshelman increased the lead to 3-0 with his frst double, sending Jacob Silva and Ballin home in a close play. The ’Runners increased the lead when Miller

hit a two-run home run and again with a two-run double from Hallmark, making the score 7-0. The Bulls put themselves on the board with a home run in the ffth inning and another in the sixth inning. Senior stopper Sam Simmons protected the lead, recording three outs during the top of the eighth with the bases loaded. South Florida scored its fnal run in the ninth inning and suffered a 7-3 loss.

Game three

In anticipation of the weather, Sunday’s game was moved to Saturday. The game started promisingly as Ballin drove in Hallmark. During the bottom of the second inning, Diaz ran to home base when he collided with South Florida catcher Lance Trippel. Trippel got in Diaz’s face when Miller and Eshelman ran in to defend him. There was a delay as the umpires met to

discuss the play, which may have cost UTSA momentum.

“It’s just good old-fashioned baseball. I’m backing up my teammate. They’re backing up their teammate. There’s nothing to it. It was a fun day of baseball,” Miller said when asked about the incident.

South Florida immediately scored two runs in the fourth inning and continued to add to the lead after that. In the ffth inning, the Bulls scored four more runs and scored their fnal run in the top of the ninth inning. UTSA was shut out after the frst inning.

UTSA will play its next game against Baylor University on Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. The next home game series will be against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on April 17 at Roadrunner Field.

UTSA thwacks Lamar in regular season finale

By Jasmine Williams Editor-in-Chief

SAN ANTONIO — UTSA women’s tennis defeated Lamar University 5-1 on Saturday at the UTSA Tennis Center, snapping its four-game losing streak.

The ‘Runners (9-10) trounced the Cardinals (9-11) in near-perfect fashion. Singles play started strong for UTSA, with the frst four points earned in succession. The Roadrunners faltered in the ffth match, as Lamar scored its lone point, but UTSA recovered in its fnal singles match, earning fve points to Lamar’s one. Due to the damp weather and a dominant performance from UTSA, the doubles matches were cancelled.

“I thought the energy was really good, and I thought everybody gave great effort,” coach Ki Kroll refected after the match. “They’re trying as hard as they can, and that’s what we want. We just want them to play their game style, play as hard as they can.”

Freshman Laia Tarazona Peyro put the Roadrunners’ frst point on the scoreboard. The Spain native defeated Lamar’s Eva Gumenyuk, 6-1, 6-1. Junior Akari Tomoyose fnished soon after with a shutout set and a 6-2 win against Martina Alcaino, securing the second point of the match. Freshman Celine Absawi’s skill set far outshone the Cardinals’ Arina

Gudovskaya, as Absawi prevailed, 6-2, 6-1.

UTSA nearly suffered its frst loss of the match during sophomore Valeria Sanchez’s game against Luana Paiva. Sanchez grew frustrated as she repeatedly got too close to the net, leaving herself unable to volley Paiva’s shots sent toward the back of the court. Sanchez ultimately bested Paiva, 6-3, 7-6. The sixth match went to Lamar as sophomore Milica Milosavljevic lost her game 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to Varvara Popadina, setting the overall score at 4-1. Milosavljevic struggled to get her serves over the net and return the ball in bounds against Popadina.

The Roadrunners ended on a high note with sophomore Natalia Castaneda Guerrero’s 7–5, 6-3 victory over Cardinals’ Savannah Bijlsma. Extended rallies stretched the match. While some shots barely cleared the net, others soared high above, momentarily slowing the match’s pace.

“I’m happy with all my players. They work hard. They put out the effort,” Kroll shared. “I just think, overall, we’re doing good. We’re getting better in a lot of different things on the court, and it’s showing up in our matches.”

UTSA will next compete in the American Conference tournament from April 16-19 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center in Houston, Texas.