Vol. 72, Issue 2
Fe b r u a r y 3 - Fe b r u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 2 6
Est. 1981
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community
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Demolished texas museum reopens
Marisela Cruz/The Paisano
(From left to right) UT San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy, Associate Vice Provost Monica Perales, Centro President and CEO Trish Debarry and President for Academic Affairs Heather Shipley.
By Natalia Vázquez Felgueres Staff Writer
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fter 18 months of being closed to the public, the Institute of Texan Cultures, a museum dedicated to exploring Texas’ cultural heritage, has officially reopened at its new location in Frost Tower. After more than 50 years housed at the Texas Pavilion — one of the only remaining structures built for the 1968 HemisFair — the museum was shuttered in 2024 amid concerns over structural deterioration and rising maintenance costs, with UT San Antonio announcing plans to relocate the institution. The Paisano spoke with Monica Perales, Associate Vice Provost at the Institute of Texan Cultures, who said, “We do have a new location, but all of the things that the ITC has been known for — telling the stories of the people in Texas, sharing that culture with the greater state and the world, engaging storytelling — all of that is the same. “We are just now doing it in this location, and we are excited to see this as the opening of a new chapter. We are carrying the torch forward.” The pavilion, designed by architect William M. Peña, was granted to UT San Antonio after the World’s Fair end to accommodate the ITC. In February of 2024, the UT Board of Regents granted the City of San Antonio conditional approval to purchase or lease the property. Though the pavilion was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places that same year, the university declined the nomination, later proceeding with the demolition of the site in 2025.
The decision was initially met with significant pushback from the Conservation Society of San Antonio, which petitioned to designate the building as a State Antiquities Landmark and filed a lawsuit against UT San Antonio and the city to halt demolition. A deal eventually struck between the parties, and the project progressed as planned. Plans to redevelop the downtown area into a large-scale sports and entertainment district began circulating publicly in early 2024. Though highly contested, Project Marvel was ultimately approved by the San Antonio City Council last November. The project includes plans for a new Spurs arena on the former Texas Pavilion site, which spans a 13.5-acre parcel, as well as an expansion of the Henry B. González Convention Center, a new hotel tower and upgrades to the Alamodome. “It’s an exciting point for the history of the museum,” head curator at the ITC, Bianca Alvarez, said. “I see this very much as our sandbox and an incubator space for ideas and experimenting with content or innovative ways of
presenting material.” The modernization, spearheaded by UT San Antonio, took about a year and a half to complete. The institute now occupies a smaller footprint, moving from 180,000 square feet in the aging pavilion to an 8,000-square-foot space featuring two galleries centered on core Texas stories. Alvarez confirmed that all artifacts formerly housed at the Texas Pavilion are now stored at a newly constructed, climate-controlled Archives and Collections facility in Leon Valley. “Collection stewardship is a priority for us,” she said. “Preserving not only the stories, but the artifacts for generations to come.” While the institute is awaiting a permanent residence, the museum is currently located on the first floor of Frost Tower. Perales added that admission is free for all UT San Antonio students, faculty and staff.
Student observation on ICE tension in San Antonio
By Maria Wence Staff Writer Over the past several weeks, tensions between locals and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in San Antonio have risen, prompting recent protests downtown and student walkouts across schools. Protesters stood united against ICE’s actions, which include the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis and the detainment of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and his father. City residents worry about what could happen next due to ICE’s presence. Dating as far back as May of 2025, ICE has detained many immigrants outside the San Antonio Immigration Court after their court hearings. In late May, at least three children, along with two adults, were detained and restrained with zip ties in court. During a drug-bust raid at an after-hours club in November of 2025, ICE detained more than 140 immigrants who were lacking permanent legal status at 5939 San Pedro Ave. In January, ICE agents were seen waiting outside a San Antonio Independent School District
campus. A week before that incident, on Jan. 27, a south-side neighborhood witnessed federal agents approach a home near the 3000 block of Commercial Avenue and West Ansley Boulevard. A San Antonio federal municipal courthouse that processes immigration cases is currently surrounded by ICE detention and processing facilities. The Department of Homeland Security Task Force was also formed, a collaboration between the Federal Bureau of Investigation San Antonio and the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio field office. Bexar County law enforcement agencies now have formal authority to assist in federal immigration enforcement. This caught the attention of a UT San Antonio global affairs major, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. “I’ve been disappointed to see that our local city leaders have not taken a proper stance against ICE,” the student said. Referring to the city council meeting that took place Jan. 22, where residents spoke out against ICE, the student continued, “To see such a weak response and non-existent actions from local officials is extremely troubling. Most recently, they have held a city hall to listen to the public; however, listening is not the approach when your constituents are being treated without any respect for their existence.” No solution was created to address these concerns. According to UT San Antonio’s Institutional Research and Analysis webpage, 60% of the student body is Hispanic, and many are first-generation. “While I am appalled at ICE actions, I cannot say I am surprised,” the student commented. “My parents are permanent residents, and it does worry them to see the policies that the current administration is setting about deportations.” The interviewee claims they have not seen an emotional shift in students on campus. “I have not seen an impact on students in terms of safety or fear,” the student said. “Some are like me, completely against ICE and their actions, some are indifferent and some are supportive.” However, local protests have caught the student’s eye. “Student walkouts and protests are great,” the student reflected. “They show that the community is aware, and their effectiveness is subjective, but I do believe it puts pressure on the federal agency.”
One protest occurred this past weekend, on Jan. 30, where students from more than 20 high schools walked out of class to join a protest in Travis Park. As ICE enforcement continues impacting residents across the city, the student described how “close connections get very scared to leave their house and will only go out for work and necessities,” calling it “disheartening to see people live in fear even when they are ‘doing the right thing.’” The student emphasized that immigration is not just a political issue but instead a community-wide concern for cities such as San Antonio, adding that the actions of ICE are “a blatant disregard, mistreatment, insensible and inhumane” way of approaching immigrant families and U.S. citizens. While protests will continue, the student’s concern is for the lack of effort from local leaders, but they hope that speaking up will spur accountability, humanity and tranquility.
Carlos Craig/The Paisano