E

El Espejo

Bridging the digital divide: Connecting the least connected

Free Speech in San Antonio is Free

Economic inequality: The saga continues for Eastside residents

CONTENTS
Staff 4

Editor’s Letter 5

Arts & Life 7

Community 15

Outside the Loop 31

Life in motion 35

Footprints 53

Beauty and fashion 59

Where to Go 65
Our Staff Editor-in-Chief : Marcellius Caviness
Copy Editor: Kevin Castro
Design Editor: Krystal Nycole Garza
Photo Editor: Peter Michael Maciel

Contributors:
Jose Arredondo
Alyssa Cantu
Josiah Cuellar
Desiree Espericueta
Fernando Garza
Jessica Hurtado
Victoria Martinez
Sofia Medina
James Miller
Melissa Ramos
Christopher Rodriguez
Ami Sarabia
Christie Tavera
Liliana Teran
Stephanie Torres
Emily Twyford

Adviser: Donna Pazdera

Director of Student Media: Jenny Moore

El Espejo is an annual magazine run by students at

Texas A&M University-San Antonio

The views expressed in El Espejo do not necessarily represent the views

of Texas A&M University-San Antonio nor its employees.

4
From
The
Editor
As we set sail on the maiden voyage of El Espejo, our mission is to represent the city, its
colorful history, cultures and residents, with clear and concise reporting, to give readers
an honest reflection of San Antonio.

This is about pride, integrity and respect for San Antonio and its thousands of residents
and villagers who have been unheard and underrepresented for far too long.

Other magazines have been produced with similar content and ideologies focused on the
diversity, liveliness and prosperity of San Antonio but none from the standpoint of the
newest, and least expensive university in the area. With motivated, talented writers rep-
resenting all the suburbs, neighborhoods, zones and barrios of the city, the Espejo staff is
committed to bringing the kinds of stories they themselves have been waiting to tell and
read.

This is not about, nor written for academia. This is for the people: the mothers and
fathers, tias y tios, family members and friends--that have supported the long hours re-
searching stories, interviewing and transcribing, writing and rewriting the stories that tell
the tales of a celebrated yet divided city on the cusp of its tricentennial.

With stories covering everything from farming to fashion, tragedy to inequality, peligro
to destino, these pages and overflowing with the heart and soul of not only the contrib-
uting members, but community residents as well. For the mothers catching multiple
buses to and from work to make ends meet, for the fathers working two jobs to send their
kids to college, for the grandparents dedicating days and nights to see their family future
flourish--this is for you. For the families struggling to keep the heat on and food on the
table, for the unheard, underappreciated communities fighting to keep their street lights
on and their children from being swallowed up by the deadly vices of crime--THIS IS
FOR YOU!

For all the communities battling poverty, crime, degradation, dehumanization, desolation
and gentrification, we write these stories to remind you, “You and not alone.” This is El
Espejo, Spanish for The Mirror. We are the reflections of this colorful community. We, as
a collective community, will only change the negative aspects of this city if we are willing
to work together to make the change we believe is necessary. Challenge yourselves, chal-
lenge your neighbors, challenge your local, city and state leaders, to be the change you
believe in. As individuals we are many voices distorted in the crowd but together, we are
one voice that demands to be heard.

Peace & Blessings,

Marcellius L. Caviness

5
Graphic Essay 8

7
8
A mural advertising business for “Alamo Welding & Spoiler”. Many businesses on the southside use graffiti as a means of advertisement because it is cheap and effective.
 9
A wall covered by many graffiti pieces from multiple artists. Many graffiti artists are known for using symbols to represent their identity.
10
Local graffiti art painted on the side of a business near southside San Antonio. Many of these paintings are inspired by the culture that surrounds the city.
 11
A graffiti mural painted on the side of a building by an artist named “Lucky”.
12
A graffiti mural by an unknown artist on the southside of San Antonio. For many residents in the city, graffiti serves as a form of voice.
 13
A graffiti mural by two artists who refer to themselves as “Veronica” and “Smile”.
Ghosts in the wilderness 16

Protecting campus critters 18

Economic inequality 20

Free speech is free speech in SA 24

Bridging the digital divide 26

Millennials are breaking up with cable 28

15
 Ghosts in the Wilderness:
graves of slaves, city fathers
rest on campus land
By: Krystal Nycole Garza
Rows of headstones being hidden by overgrown vegetation at Mitchell-Mauermann cemetery. Photo provided by Dr. Rodolfo
Valdez.
Rows of headstones are hidden by the
overgrown vegetation around them. No
longer polished and pristine, cracks on
the stone faces, forest green moss and dirt
fill the crevices. Names of the deceased
have faded but their memories are still
alive.
The oldest grave dates back to 1853 and
belongs to Milam Mitchell, son of Asa
Mitchell, former owner of the land which
the Texas A&M University-San Antonio
(A&M-SA)campus now resides. The
university owns about 700 acres of land,
and part of it includes the Mitchell-Mau-
ermann cemetery.
Most students have no idea of the ceme-
tery’s existence.
16
One of the region’s most prominent fam-
ilies rests on the A&M-San Antonio cam-
pus. The graveyard rests about 3.4 miles
from the Central Academic Building.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Asa Mitch-
ell moved to Texas with his wife Charlotte
Woodmancy and son Nathan. Both Asa
and his son fought in the battle of San
Jacinto, known by historians as the decid-
ing battle of the Texas Revolution.
“Asa Mitchell came to San Antonio from
Washington County around 1839-1840,
because he acquired land,”said Francis
Galan, assistant professor of history at
A&M-San Antonio.
After the death of his wife in 1830, the
elder Mitchell remarried a women named
Emily Brisbin. Between his two marriages
he fathered 14 children. Asa and Emily
moved to Bexar County after acquiring
land on southside of San Antonio.
Using slave labor, the Mitchell family
cultivated the land, built a ranch and
two-story farmhouse.
“Asa Mitchell actually has more land than
just this one plot. He has another piece
along the San Antonio River. He initially
came to Texas with the Stephen F. Austin
settlers, so he’s an original settler,” said
Amy Porter, associate professor of history
at A&M-San Antonio.
Mitchell - Mauermann Homestead, photo provided by Dr. Rodolfo Valdez.

In 1949 the farmhouse was destroyed by
a fire.
Since then, the Mitchell home has been
abandoned. The insulation hangs from
the ceiling and lays scattered throughout
the floor. The decaying wooden bones of
the house are completely exposed, wires
run loose like vines, the paint has chipped
off the walls and the doors are open, leav-
ing the home vulnerable to the elements.
The name Mauermann was inherited into
the Mitchell family by marriage of Ella
Mitchell to Gus A Mauermann. Their son,
Gus Bernard Mauermann, became the
mayor of San Antonio from 1942-1947
serving two terms during World War II.
Gus B Mauermann is also buried on the
premises along with the Mitchell family.
In a newspaper article from the San An-
tonio Evening News published Oct. 20,
1948, Burl Ross talks about his time on
the Mitchell Ranch as a former slave with
his family. There are still descendants of
the Ross family living in Bexar county.
Mitchell’s owned, nor is there informa-
tion on where the slaves and farm work-
ers are buried.
“There are no grave stones, there no
tombstones there’s nothing marking
where these people were buried. And
there’s also Hispanic workers Mexi-
can-American, Mexican immigrants who
worked on the ranch who are also buried
“The decaying
there,” said Philis Barragan, assistant pro-
fessor of history at A&M-San Antonio. wooden bones
A&M-SA owns the land surrounding the
house and cemetery, but the cemetery is
of the house
still owned by the Mitchell family, who
are responsible for providing the upkeep
of the cemetery. As of 2007 the Mitch-
are completely
ell-Mauermann cemetery was designated
as a historic Texas cemetery.
exposed, wires
It’s important for us to remember our
past and know where we come from. The
run loose like
Mitchell-Mauermann Cemetery holds
sorties of war, politics, bondage, agricul- vines.”
ture and family.

Aside from family members, there are

also slaves buried on the property. There
are no records on how many slaves the

17
 Team Studies How to Protect and
Respect Campus Critters
By: Jessica Hurado
A group of feral hogs walk alongside a pond near Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
A couple of semesters ago at Texas A&M
University – San Antonio, I was walking
to my car along the sidewalk parking
on University Way, and I was looking
at the landscape behind the wire fence
when I spotted something, looking at me,
camouflaged among the grass and trees.
I took a good look at it and assumed
that it was a coyote: grayish light brown,
medium size and a small head, and not
a dog behind the fence. I took my phone
out and took a picture and video of it
because I found it interesting.
It isn’t surprising that the A&M- San
Antonio campus, which sits on 700 rustic
acres, is surrounded by wildlife.Two
professors are working to share as much
information as possible with administra-
tors so they can plan to protect wildlife as
the campus grows.
According to Dr. Rodolfo Valdez,
assistant professor of biology, there are
a dozen primary animals in South San
Antonio. A&M – San Antonio has about
eight of them.
18
There’s a small deer population, due to
over hunting that isn’t managed prop-
erly, according to Valdez. Surprisingly
we have bobcats, that are extremely shy.
There’s also coyotes and a small popu-
lation of foxes seen around as well as
skunks, armadillos and cottontail rabbits.
Valdez conducted research on feral hogs
to understand their behavior due to the
development of the university. Feral hogs
are omnivores, and there’s certain fruit
trees, that we have, that they like to eat
as well as grubs. What they’ll do is look
for soil in areas that are grassy and that’s
where they find grubs. As they forage
with their snouts, the digging causes
damage. If the damage done is in the uni-
versity’s perimeter, it gets repaired. The
university has hired trappers to get rid of
them. Once you trap them in one place
they’ll relocate, which makes it difficult
for trappers.
Feral hogs will move around depending
on the time of the year and where the
food sources are.
“I focus on water sources just because I
know where I’ve found them and seen
them. I see their scabs, their feces, their
tracks and you can also see areas where
they’ve been spending the evening and
nights,” said Valdez. “So, if you track pe-
riodically you can tell where most likely
they’ll be.”
Feral hogs like to wallow, so they look
for one of the many water resources that
gets muddy to allow a layer of mud to
cover themselves. Once the mud dries it
traps all the parasites and when the dust
sheds it helps remove ticks and insects.
There’s a wallow pond, located on the
northeast side of campus close to the
dorms.
Valdez explained that near water sources
there are paths that have been created
by wildlife; as they travel you can see
their paws or tracks. This way he select-
ed some areas where there would likely
be animal activity and placed his trail
cameras, that detect movement and take
pictures.
“In the far south from here there’s a lot
of coyote and hog activity and we have
found evidence that supports that the
coyotes are actually hunting the hogs. We
have a situation where we found multiple
tracks and you can see the tracks of the
coyotes and the hogs intersecting,” said
Valdez. “We have photos that show the
animals in action chasing each other out.”
Therefore, coyotes are helping with the
feral hog population and to control that
there must be a predator that’s hunting
them, making the coyotes an extraordi-
nary alternative.
Marissa Narvaez, senior majoring in
biology and vice president of the biology
club, stays late every day at the university
and has seen feral hogs and coyotes. Nar-
vaez said that as long as they don’t hurt
her or anyone else she’s okay with animals
around campus.
Professor Sara Weaver, biology lecturer,
teaches ornithology, the study of birds,
has field trips on campus to teach stu-
dents about detection and identification
of the bird species that are on campus and
the various habitats that are out there.
The bird species vary. There are birds that
are well adapted to human development
and changes and nest on campus build-
ings. The birds that don’t handle develop-
ment are found away from campus where
they have adapted using the native habi-
tats, such as the thorn scrub. There’s also
grassland species that can be found out
in the open areas and on campus like the
sparrows and meadowlark. Some of the
species that are tied with water resources
like the waterfowls and shorebirds, can
be found on the ponds that are found on
campus, depending on the location.
The house finch, great-tailed grackle and
some swallows are a few of the birds that
are adapted to human development and
changes.
“The species that do better on campus
with disturbance will increase in number
because they’ll have an increase in that
habitat, so we’ll see more,” said Weaver.
As the campus continues to expand some
of the thorn scrub areas and habitats will
be removed and replaced by buildings
and parking lots. So, the native species
that are currently in these locations, the
ones that don’t do well with disturbance,
will decrease because their habitat will be
disintegrated and removed.
Weaver and Valdez are working togeth-
er with the university to preserve some
of the native habitats, so they can try to
maintain the diversity.
“We think its beneficial for the students
to have these native species around. It’s
almost therapeutic for some and import-
ant for the wildlife as well that they have
these habitats,” said Weaver. “Dr. Valdez
has been working to try to keep a corri-
dor on the east side of campus because
we have some proximity to Mitchell Lake
Audubon Center, which is not far from
here and that land is protected.”
To the east and south of the university
there are some water resources that would
be important for the campus to preserve
like some of the thorn scrubs and habitats
so it can provide for the native species,
and make a connection with the protect-
ed areas.
Mexican free-tailed bats can be found on
campus which are unique to the south
area. These bats are very adaptable and
utilize buildings, bridges and caves but
are mainly found inside buildings roost-
ing, during the spring and summer when
it’s breeding season.
Students, when asked if they have en-
countered any animals on campus, said
their main concerns are getting hurt if
they encounter one. “I am wary about the
feral hogs because I’ve heard they’re ma-
licious, so they could be dangerous,” said
Christina Santos, junior sociology major.
It is advised that students keep their
distance from these wild animals, if they
encounter them, even though they’re not
interested in people. It’s for human and
wildlife safety.
The message is to make a campus where
students respect and appreciate nature.
19
 Economic inequality:
The saga continues for
East Side residents
By: Marcellius L. Caviness
As San Antonio gears up for its tricenten-
nial, beautification efforts are underway
in strategic areas of the city. In an attempt
to attract potential developers, business-
es and home buyers to find stability in a
struggling economy, its citizens are facing
a blinding disadvantage: San Antonio
ranks No. 1 among major cities with a
vast economic inequality.
There’s the new Loop 410-Highway 151
interchange on the Northwest side, the
San Pedro Creek and the Southwest
School of Arts. These efforts have put
hundreds, if not thousands of people to
work building new pathways, creative
office spaces, lavish hotels and opulent
lofts downtown.
Unfortunately, the city has failed to
address the gross inequality that has
plagued San Antonio for decades, partic-
ularly on the East Side. This undeniable
truth continues to make national head-
lines.
Home to the AT&T Center, Willow
Springs Golf Course and the Martin
Luther King March, the East Side has
suffered for decades without essential
resources for progress.
“No resources leads to no opportunities.
Studies show, you are already at a disad-
vantage if you grow up poor,” said Frank
Patrick, longtime East Side resident and
graduate of Sam Houston High School.
In a 2012 report by Pew Research, Rich-
ard Fry and Paul Taylor found that San
Antonio leads the nation in economic
inequality based on their Residential In-
come Segregation Index (RISI). Essential-
ly, this index represents the separation of
20
low-income communities, with their low
wage earning power and potential, below
average property taxes and subsequent
low education standards, leaves poor
communities continuously perpetuating
and reproducing the cycle of poverty
and an education system that prepares
students for a blue-collar existence.
“Sam Houston High School doesn’t teach
students how to start a Fortune 500
company but they at least teach students
how to balance a checkbook and use a
computer to have the basics of survival
and the basics of becoming an adult,” said
Walter Perry, Sr., East Side resident and
community activist.
In 2009, the city was awarded a $90
million government grant by the Obama
administration to jumpstart its growth
efforts. This materialized as the East Side
Promise Zone (EPZ). Designed to pro-
vide “ladders of opportunity,” the mon-
ey was intended to rejuvenate the area
through educational opportunities and
job creation, while driving down crime
rates and improving the quality of life
with innovative community engagement
programs.
“The whole function of the Promise
Zone, the movement, the initiative, was to
revitalize the East Side. It was to get those
people who ordinarily would be forgotten
the resources and the tools for them to
help themselves,” said Perry.
The Promise Zone, covering 22 square
miles, consists of 10 struggling ZIP codes
just east of downtown including 78202,
78203, 78205, 78219, 78220 and 78222,
home to over 80,000 residents who’ve
endured economic hardships, low prop-
erty values, struggling businesses and an
education district that took its fight to the
Supreme Court and lost.
“Teachers in the Northside ISD would
not teach at schools like Sam Houston.
Our teachers took the jobs they were
offered so we ended up with bottom of
the barrel education compared to schools
like Clark and Churchill,” said Patrick
referring to schools in more affluent parts
of the city.
This glaring inequality can be seen all
across the city. From the wealthiest
area, Kendall County, where the average
household income is above $200,000 to
the poorest sections, most inside the EPZ,
whose median
household income rests near $22,000, the
dissociation between privilege and pover-
ty continues to expand.
Though separated by only a few miles,
these communities are worlds apart.
“There’s no reason why the East Side still
looks the way it looks when there’s been
well over $100 million that has flowed
through this community. Not one dime
was allocated for infrastructure,” said
Perry.
The Spurs Cast a Long Shadow
The $240 million facility opened in 2002
as the SBC Center. In the heart of the East
Side. The franchise got $41 million in
federal tax subsidies with the securing
A Martin Luther King Jr. memorial made for the community.
of $160 million in tax-exempt municipal
bonds. The Spurs have found everything
they could ask for in a home, expansion
possibility and low property taxes.
With most residents in the EPZ surviv-
ing on public assistance, tickets to Spurs
games are luxuries most can not afford.
According to Ticketmaster, depending
on the popularity of their opponents,
seats in the “nosebleed” sections of their
arena can cost fans from $30-$65 each,
while seats near the floor can cost $1,500-
$2,000 and season tickets could cost
upwards of $15,000. This incredible reve-
nue stream continues to fund a franchise
estimated at $1.5 billion
Through its Spurs Foundation, the
franchise attempts to give disadvantaged
children a chance to attend games and
interact with players and coaches during
“Read to Achieve” events. They donate
to local charities to help with books and
good reading habits, yet there are no local
businesses in the shadow of the arena to
help stimulate growth of the area.
“They’re finding new ways to push long
term residents out of their homes and
transforming these areas into modern
profit enterprises,” said Perry.
Faith-based organizations
“Church is the most enduring successful
organization in the Black community,”
said Victor Roberson, senior communica-
tions major at Texas A&M-San Antonio
and lifelong East Side resident.
Amid the strife of transformation and
the generations of families desperately
searching for answers and solutions to
crime, gangs, education and scarcity, the
church has remained head and shoulders
above the conflicts and adversity. With
36 churches within the East Side Promise
Neighborhood (EPN), most have closed
or have declining memberships, one in
particular has grown exponentially in the
eye of the economic storm.
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church
stands as a gleaming representation of
how a business can survive in the worst
of economic times. This congregation,
which has expanded exponentially, con-
tinues to thrive while the surrounding
property value plummets.
Though the church seeks to engage with
the community through multiple out-
reach ministries, fundraisers, revivals and
events, it fails to enhance the life of the
neighborhood. Instead focusing more
on outlying areas and parishioners who
travel to the East Side for the Sunday
morning worship service, who have the
discretionary funding to finance the busi-
ness’ advancement.
With a large portion of the area living
below the federal poverty line, their con-
tributions are minimal. This has changed
the perspective of the church to focus
more on the benefactors of the congrega-
tion, instead of the
families within walking distance who
exhibit the greatest need: the children and
the elderly of the Wheatley Courts.
“They don’t control the money going into
those coffers every Sunday, what bank
is it going to? What’s the bank’s interest
in the community? Are they putting the
money back into the community?” Rob-
erson replied when asked about the moti-
vation behind the business of religion.
Despite the decline of the surrounding
area, Antioch has increased its footprint
by building a 22,000-square-foot sports
complex and community center. The
structure, which was meant to serve as a
practice home for the WNBA’s San An-
tonio Silver Stars, simply reinforces the
impression that their connection, com-
mitment and loyalties, lie outside of their
own community. The team relocated to
Las Vegas in 2017.
Community Development
With the Choice Neighborhood Initiative,
the city plans to flatten the dilapidated
Wheatley Courts housing complex and
key surrounding areas inside the EPZ,
21
to make room for a more gentrified surface of the generations of unbalanced
mixed-income housing community. resource allocation that has created the
Spearheaded by local, state and federal gorge between wealthy and withering
contractors, the plan is to transform the neighborhoods in San Antonio.
landscape and implement affluent shops,
expensive condos and luxury apartments, “We need to move in. We need an exodus
where communities of color seek to keep back to the East side. There are some
their homes, heritage and legacy in tact, beautiful homes and neighborhoods
while working diligently to break the con- here,” said Perry.
fines of unequalivilance.
El Espejo intern, Christopher Rodriguez
“You have people that are in charge of contributed to this story.
vital funding and resources that don’t
know the community. The only thing
they know about the community is what
they’ve been told,” said Perry.
With projects like EastPoint Promise

“You have
Neighborhood, designed to improve the
quality of life for East Side residents, de-
velopers have been tasked with creating
the types of jobs people on the East Side

people that are in

can do. While these companies are mak-
ing use of vacant lots, these additions do
nothing to address the financial disparity
families continue to endure.

charge
“It’s a morale issue. Try looking at the
same vacant lot, with trash in it for 40
years and nothing has changed. My view
is only going to be that vacant lot,” said

of vital
Perry.

Solutions
This is a marathon, not a sprint. The type
of change necessary to reverse gener-

funding and
ations of inequality are monumental
indeed. While the city and county focus
on the future, it’s the past and present that
remain in the most danger.

More and more families will soon have

to find new accomodations within the
failing economy of the East Side. While
resources
that don’t know
a multi-million dollar platform rests at
their doorsteps, the community is being
dismantled block by block. Through
community partners like San Antonio
Growth on the East Side (SAGE), East

the
Side Promise Neighborhood, the San
Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) and
the United Way, much needed growth
and development is scheduled but will

community.”
not benefit current residents trapped by
generational poverty.

“We need to resocialize ourselves. That’s

where the revolution is, it’s social,” said
Roberson.

These initiatives are only scratching the

23

Free Speech in San Antonio, is free
San Antonians no longer have to worry
about a price tag dangling from their
right to assemble in the streets or public
spaces.
San Antonio leads the nation in economic
inequality which doesn’t come at a sur-
prise. With the imbalance comes major
issues: housing, inadequate education and
inferior circumstances. However, activists
and public officials believed these issues
can’t be addressed if people’s first amend-
ment rights are stifled.
City council unanimously voted on
March 1 in favor of reforming the
11-year-old law that required an applica-
tion fee of $75 and an additional estimat-
ed amount — that could cost thousands
— issued by the San Antonio Police
Department (SAPD). The old ordinance
also stated that citizens can march on the
sidewalk without a permit, but if San An-
tonians do not comply, they could receive
hefty fines that can be as high as $500.
24
By: Jose Arredondo
The new ordinance is completed online as
opposed to citizens going through SAPD.
It’s available in English and Spanish, and
most importantly, it’s free of charge. San
Antonians can apply for the permit 15
days prior to the free speech event. The
revision was a collaborative effort be-
tween SA Free Speech Coalition, District
1 Councilman Roberto Trevino, City
Attorney Andy Segovia and SAPD.
With the reform in place, certain commu-
nities can feel more inclined to exercise
their First Amendment Rights.
“We are glad they removed the barrier
of cost, that is going to benefit the most
vulnerable communities which would be
communities of color or those of who live
economic segregated communities,” said
Joleen Garcia, spokesperson for SA Free
Speech Coalition.
Why did the reform come about?
On Feb. 7, 2017, Trevino issued a City
Council Consideration Request (CCR)
to review the marching ordinance. This
came after a group of protesters ap-
proached Trevino after they were asked to
leave San Antonio International Airport
for protesting Donald Trump’s proposed
Muslim travel ban.
Trevino discovered the ordinance lacked
clarity and the application process was
complicated. Those seeking to apply had
to go through SAPD which posed as
a problem for activists for one reason:
intimidation. Another obstacle was the
non-existent Spanish options, since San
Antonio is predominantly Latino.
This resulted in spontaneous assemblance
without a permit: Women’s March against
Hate, SATX4 Black Lives Matter March
and the anti-Senate Bill 4 (SB4) march.
“Whose streets,” Barbie Hurtado, activist
asked anti-Senate Bill 4 (SB4) marchers
on Sept. 1 at Milam Park.
Matter March and the anti-Senate Bill 4
(SB4) march.
“Whose streets,” Barbie Hurtado, activist
asked anti-Senate Bill 4 (SB4) marchers
on Sept. 1 at Milam Park.
“The City needs to do away with this idea
of making decisions in city hall. I think
it’s important that city comes out of their
walls and where they normally do busi-
ness and come out to the community,”
Garcia said.

“Our streets!” they shouted back as they
took the streets.
SB4 allows law enforcement to question
the immigration status of citizens and
work with U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE.) If law enforcement
does not comply they could receive a civil
penalty.
Since the streets are paid for by taxpayer
dollars, activists believe the streets are
theirs. During the final City Council B
Session of 2017, council members shared
the same concerns. Shirley Gonzales,
District 5 councilperson, challenged
SAPD and City Attorney Andy Segovia
with a simple question on spontaneous
marching.
Trevino said this is a great example of a
city and its citizens coming together and
creating a policy that benefits everyone.
He and city officials expect more march-
es, rallies and dialogue. He drew attention
to San Antonians not wasting any time
to exercise their First Amendment rights:
March for Our Lives on Saturday March
24. Over 5,500 people participated in the
march that addressed assault rifles and
called for stricter gun laws.
“One of our biggest responsibilities here
at City Hall is to ensure that everybody
has a voice here,” Trevino said. “We
welcome people who want to speak up,
we welcome people who want their voices
heard, and we’ll do everything to protect
that.”

“How are people supposed to march

on a sidewalk, when there are no plac-
es to walk on but the street?” Gonzales
asked as activists applauded her. “Streets
are public spaces paid for by taxpayers’
money.”

Garcia, and many say it’s safer to march

“Over 5,500 people

in the streets because sidewalks in San
Antonio aren’t kind to folks — especially
those in wheelchairs. participated in the
march that
addressed assault
Making Free Speech Gratis
r
Trevino praised current Mayor Ron rifles and called fo
Nirenberg for taking action when he stricter gun laws.”
came into office. The process to revise this
ordinance took 13 months and a main
component was election season. Trevino
and public officials wanted to be method-
ical and careful tackling the issue of free
speech.

This meant, city officials coming out

to the community to meet with people
who have concerns. Garcia wants the
city to continue that approach because
she believes it produces results. The City
Attorneys called their final meeting with
the Coalition, on Dec. 5 at the Esperanza
Peace and Justice Center, their most ef-
fective. The meeting had over a hundred
people that included SAPD, City Attor-
neys and activists.
25
 Bridging the
Over a quarter of a million San Anto-
nians live in a desert.

While it may not be the kind with cacti,

buzzards or sweeping vistas of sand, it is

Digital divide:
deadly nonetheless for those who fail to
navigate its pitfalls.

For many, like Monica Gonzales and her

four children, the entire situation is a pro-

Connecting the
verbial Catch-22 - broadband access in
her area is too expensive, unreliable, and
comes with prohibitive data caps which
make it unusable for modern needs.

However, without internet access these

least connected
families struggle to accomplish everyday
tasks according to the San Antonio Inno-
vation and Technology Committee.

“When my kids have a homework [as-

by: Melissa Ramos and James Miller
signment] we have to go to the library so
they can do it,” Gonzales said. “We spend
so much of our time traveling between
our home and the library that could be
spent doing other things, but I know it’s
important they do well in school.”

In many cases, it’s cost prohibitive for big

internet service providers like Comcast,
CharterSpectrum, or Google to expand
into these communities: They’re below
the financial income median, below
the density population ratio and most
importantly running the fiber optic cables
through the rocky soil is expensive. Even
with federal grants, state and local pro-
grams designed to make these expansions
more affordable, thousands of families
across the seventh largest city in the Unit-
ed States rely on public internet access.

San Antonio ranks 19th from the bottom

of the list of major US cities for internet
access, only furthering the already wide
economic segregation faced by residents.

Internet is comparable to everyday essen-

tials like water, food or electricity.

These serve as basic and crucial needs in

which our lives revolve around. We rely
on water, food and electricity to get ready
for work or school, to cook and to stay
functioning. It encourages students to
apply for colleges, complete homework
assignments, read books and use it as a
reference tool as this makes a student’s
research basic, simple and quick.

26
Staying connected is also an import-
ant for anyone applying for a job. Most
employers will ask for an email address
in addition to a phone number. Internet
is one of the most important sources
through which a person can gather data,
pay bills, keep in touch with your child’s
teacher or with your family. The list goes
on and on. Meanwhile, a large population
of
Internet is comparable to everyday
essentials like water, food or electricity.
These serve as basic and crucial needs in
which our lives revolve around. We rely
on water, food and electricity to get ready
for work or school, to cook and to stay
functioning. It encourages students to
apply for colleges, complete homework
assignments, read books and use it as a
reference tool as this makes a student’s
research basic, simple and quick.
Staying connected is also an import-
ant for anyone applying for a job. Most
employers will ask for an email address
in addition to a phone number. Internet
is one of the most important sources
through which a person can gather data,
pay bills, keep in touch with your child’s
teacher or with your family. The list goes
on and on. Meanwhile, a large population
of San Antonio’s residents lack the access
come homes.
Although the Lifeline plan has drawn
criticism from the two of the five Repub-
lican F.C.C. commissioners and some
lawmakers, there are positive results in
our own city as well. In 2015, Carlos Bri-
ones, A Texas A&M-San Antonio
student and communication major was
hired by a Dallas based company that
helped to roll out the Lifeline program in
San Antonio.
The employees would pick up their phone
inventory when it was ready and head out
to different parts of San Antonio to reach
out to people about the Lifeline program.
Anyone interested in the service would
have to fill out an application to see if
they qualify and if they did, they were
handed a refurbished phone with minutes
to use the phone and unlimited text.
For two years, Carlos was a witness to the
positive results in the Lifeline program.
“Assisting someone in need has impacted
me so much that I would like to start a
similar program to Lifeline when I gradu-
ate. I have seen the internet and technolo-
gy change people’s lives,” said Carlos.
dren behind.”said Jordana Barton, senior
advisor for community development at
the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas - San
Antonio Branch.
In several reports dating from 2013, data
shows a major digital gap. There is not
only a digital divide across the United
States but in San Antonio and most of the
bordering cities of south Texas.
As active members of our city there is
a lot that we can do to help bridge the
digital divide to the Internet. We can vote,
donate old or unused technology, work
with your community agencies and get
the word out about free programs and re-
sources offered by community organiza-
tions. Whether we are talking about water
or the Internet, digital access is essential
to our everyday life.
“Lack of
broadband

In September 2017, the program ended

to do any of these things. There is an
obvious and ongoing digital divide in San
Antonio that must be united.
In 2013, the Obama Administration
announced a program, ConnectED, to
connect 99 percent of the students from
kindergarten through 12th grade to high-
has inhibited
and Carlos was laid off. He said he was
never given an explanation of why he was
laid off. He just knew that the inventory
the student’s
of phones that he used to pick up were no
longer available. ability to
participate in
Fast forward to 2018 and the digital di-
vide is still alive in San Antonio. SA2020,

the economy,
speed Internet in classrooms and libraries a local nonprofit organization that
over the next five years. originated in 2014, is hoping to bridge
this gap. The organization’s goal is to have

and over and

In 2015, Obama announced a new initia- homes with computers and internet by
tive program, ConnectHome, builds on 2020.
his ConnectED initiative. ConnectHome They recently released its 2017 impact

was a broader effort to close the digital
divide and help low-income Americans
succeed in a technology-driven society
and expand high speed broadband to all
Americans.
In addition to the initiatives that were
established in 2014, the Obama adminis-
tration rolled out one of its own programs
to assist with the digital divide in 2016.
A program known as Lifeline included
repurposing a $2 billion-a-year phone
subsidy for broadband services in low-in-
over.”
report that tracks the city’s progress in
various cause areas to improve conditions
within San Antonio communities which
includes the issues of digital access and
income segregation.
Several programs have been initiated in
the city since then and more are in the
works.
“Lack of broadband has inhibited the
student’s ability to participate in the econ-
omy, and over and over, what I see is the
homework divide that is keeping chil-

27
 Millennials are
Breaking up with
Cable
By: Liliana Teran
San Antonio hairdresser, Alyssa Romo,
broke up with cable back in 2015. She
had ended her four-year relationship and
was left to pay all the bills herself. Two in-
comes suddenly became one — so saving
money was her top priority. Cable was the
first thing to go.
For many people going without cable is
not an option but Romo had good rea-
sons to part with it.
“It’s expensive, there’s nothing good on
TV and I don’t have time,” she said as she
shrugs her shoulders and gives a blank
expression of dissatisfaction. Whenever
she does manage to make time for “Net-
flix and chill”, she gets in her onesie, grabs
her wineglass, popcorn and her sister’s
Netflix and Hulu login. We all know that
one person who leeches off others for
their streaming account.
Apart from Netflix and Hulu, Romo has
a free trial for Amazon Prime (Amazon
Prime provides new student users a free
six-month-trial. All you need is a school
email and credit or debit card.). This
means she is currently paying zero dollars
for video streaming. All she pays is $40
for internet through AT&T.
The 28-year-old is just one of many
millennials who are cutting the cord from
cable. New Nielsen research on the media
habits of the 18-to-34 age group suggests
that the decision to go without cable or
satellite service and rely exclusively on
28
internet streaming video might last only
until millennials start families or are
more financially stable.
Cable is the dominant mode of TV de-
livery for all age groups, but nearly a fifth
of younger adults don’t subscribe and are
content to connect their TV to the inter-
net or use antennas for broadcast.
Romo, being single and having no chil-
dren, fits this description. But we wanted
more answers from millennials in differ-
ent situations.
Jesse Ryder, 33, went four years without
cable until his kids started demanding it.
“Once my kids got older, I knew it was
time to get cable. It can be pricey, but I
did it for them,” he said with a smile while
strategically keeping one eye on both his
children as they ran around the Pearl dog
park on a recent Sunday afternoon.
As a family man, Ryder attempts to do
what he can to keep his children happy
and entertained long enough for him to
“jump in the shower and return some
emails.” Cable provides his kids with
multiple stimulating and educational
channels to choose from and he enjoys
his movie and sports package, all which
are at an extra cost.
Like many who try to save where they
can, Ryder bundled his services; phone,
cable and internet, however he still
coughs up $115 a month for AT&T cable.
Ryder also pays $8 a month for Hulu.
“Watching TV with my family has always
been something I enjoy,” Ryder said as he
held hands with his 11-year-old daughter
who was using his arm as a swing. Sitting
down and watching TV with his wife and
children allows him to bond and create
“family time,” which is very important.
Michael Julius Jr, 34, is also a family man
with cable. He pays “about $100 a month”
for a Time Warner Cable bundle that
includes phone, internet and cable. On
top of that he also pays $11 a month for
Netflix. “I like having many choices,” he
said.
Unlike Ryder, Julius has cable for his own
viewing pleasure. “I like cable because the
variety of news, TV shows, movies and
sports.” This means his 2-year-old has no
influence on whether he has cable or not.
“She’s too small for TV right now,” he said
as he pointed to his daughter’s stroller
where she was sleeping.
“I’ve had cable my whole life” he said as
he tilted his head back to take moment to
think about his anwer. “Ever since I was
a little boy. I’ve always had cable.” I could
tell by the expression on his face that even
his own answer was shocking.
History major Sean Sterling, 29, has been
without cable for the past three years. “I
don’t have time to sit down and watch TV.
So I think it’s pointless paying a bill that’s
overpriced for something I hardly use.”
All Sterling owns is an Amazon TV Fire
Stick that he purchased for a one time $50
fee.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick, like Netflix
and Hulu, allows you to stream TV shows
and movies online. Difference is the Fire
Stick doesn’t have a monthly fee.
added that streaming online allows you to
“access the programs that only you want
to watch.”
In the end it appears that people are
going to pursue the more affordable op-
tion. Millennials face paying an average
monthly cable bill of $105—with chan-
nels they don’t watch or want—or paying
about $55 for internet and a Netflix or a
Hulu subscription.

“Everything I miss I can eventually see

online or via Fire Stick,” he said as he
scrolled up and down his Fire Stick app
to show me his online account. When
he does get the urge to watch a certain
program on TV, like the Superbowl, he
makes his way to a local bar with his
friends, or to a friend’s house. “Mostly
a bar,” he said as he laughs at his own
statement.

Aside from the Fire Stick, Sterling also

mooches off his friend by using their
Netflix account. That means he pays zero
dollars for streaming and like Romo
only pays for internet. And since he has
roommates, his share for the internet is
only $25 a month. It’s no wonder why this
millennial cut the cord.

One thing is certain, cable is a tougher

sell to millennials. Media consumption
habits are changing fast especially among
young adults ages 18 to 34. Many do
without it once they live in their own
homes or have children. According to
Nielsen research, millennial households
without children are the least likely to
have cable. Instead one quarter use the
Internet or antennas.

Dr. Brian Brantley, communications

professor has his own input on why mille-
nials are pulling the cord. “Easiest reason
is money,” he said. The “second reason”
he said is “digital content that’s available
through internet.”

According to Brantley, whether you

choose Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, or any
other internet streaming option, getting
to watch what you actually want is now
possible. Not just that, but it’s easy. All
you need is an internet connection and
a streaming service. “20 years ago we
didn’t have so many options,” he said. He

29
30
Puerto Rico will rise again 33

Death of the American Farmer 34

On the open road 37

Rockport strong 41

31
PUERTO RICO
se levantará de nuevo
( will rise again)

By: Victoria Martinez

O
A broken tree is spread across a road after being uprooted by Hurricane Maria.
Nancy Lopez places plastic bags over the
windows and towels under the doors to
keep the water from coming inside the
house.
Lopez recalls hiding inside her bedroom,
crouched down away from the windows,
while holding her adult daughter tightly
for the maximum protection within the
safety of the concrete walls.
“I was very scared; right away my elec-
tricity turned off, there was a lot of wind
and it was very scary. The wind scared me
the most,” Lopez said.
On Sept. 20, 2017 Puerto Rico, the third
largest island of the United States, was
struck by a Category 5 hurricane named
Maria.
This is the first time Lopez, 58, has spo-
ken about her experiences with Maria,
one of the worst hurricanes in the history
of the island.
Maria’s winds that were over 150 mph left
countless Puerto Ricans without run-
ning water, electricity, and destroyed and
flooded buildings.
Before the storm hit, Miranda Elizabeth
Santiago Rasche’s grandfather offered to
evacuate their family from Puerto Rico to
San Antonio. The family decided to stay
put.
“It was intense, we have a lot of family
there. Nobody wants to leave because
this is their place,” said Rasche a junior
communication major at Texas A&M
University-San Antonio.
After Maria hit, it took three weeks for
Rasche and her family to receive a text
message from their relatives. It took an-
other week before they heard their voices
over the phone.
“To finally get in contact with everybody
was truly a blessing because you go days
without knowing and without hearing
anything.”
Lopez uses the word “desesperado” (des-
perate) frequently when asked about her
state of mind.
Outside her damaged home, people
weren’t able to pass because of the flood-
ing. The main streets were blocked off by
giant light poles on the ground with high
volumes of water everywhere. Street signs
were scattered all over.
She saw tons of cars flooded with water
inside including her daughter’s car. The
patio cover over her condo was demol-
ished, the palm trees that once were in
front of her home disappeared, including
her plants.
“Todo, literalmente todo estaba en el sue-
lo (everything, literally everything was on
the ground) . . . I felt very desperate and
vulnerable during this time. For 51 days I
had no electricity. I was locked up in my
house and when the night was coming I
would secure myself in the house for my
own safety,” Lopez said.
She mentioned if you were to fly over the
island today, you would see bright blue
plastic tarps, which are replacements for
missing roofs.
Lopez said the main cities are up and
running, but the center of the island
where poor residents live are uninhabit-
able. There are still people without roofs,
running water and food.
“In my opinion, I wish the government of
Puerto Rico would be more prepared . . .
just in case this happens again.”
33
The Death of the
American Farmer
An open field on a clear sunny day, an irrigation system situated in a field.
By: James Miller
Someone killed the American farmer.
Nobody saw the perpetrator, nor found
the weapon used, but grisly murders in
rural America are becoming a common
sight.
According to the U.S. Department of Ag-
riculture, 4.8 million farms have vanished
since the agency first started keeping
statistics on farming in 1935. Despite the
alarming loss of American farms -- 330
a week -- production has nearly quadru-
pled over the same timespan.
The culprit is easy to identify, if you look
closely. It doesn’t take Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle’s, Sherlock Holmes, to see the evi-
dence mounting, nor does it take Poirot
to point out that blood is on their hands.
The fertile patchwork of family-owned
farms, which once saturated the land-
scape of rural America, have slowly
vanished. Now, in the wake of foreclo-
sures and bankruptcies, begins the era of
modern agribusiness.
What happened? You may ask.
Federal regulations have altered the rules
34
of the game, shifting power from the
individual farmer to the “Wal-Marts” of
farming – Agribusinesses.
“My daddy was a farmer. He plowed
mules, and everybody said he was a
mighty good farmer,” says Charles Mer-
cer, an 86-year-old small-town cotton
farmer from Burnet County, Texas.
Mercer’s baggy red and white tartan shirt,
stained yellow with age and sweat, hides
his gaunt frame as he shuffles slowly out
of his pickup truck toward his old barn
which once housed 7 tractors, a harvester,
and two tippers - but today houses only
memories and a single rusted John Deere.
“You did what you had to do in them
days, plowing with a mule, one row at a
time.”
“I remember I hated pickin’ cotton as a
youngin. You hoped by sundown that
you’d picked enough for a quarter,” Mer-
cer mumbles laughingly on his childhood
growing up on a cotton farm in the’30s.
“You didn’t have to be rocked to sleep at
night, you were plum tired.”
At the turn of the 20th century, nearly 40
percent of the U.S. population lived and
worked on farms. Today, less than 2 per-
cent of Americans live on an operational
farm.
The few independent farmers who remain
are made up of old-timers in their 50s,
60s, and 70s, men and women who know
no other way of life. These farmers des-
perately hang-on for as long as they can
under the weight of modern agribusiness-
es who, like buzzards circle dying farms,
waiting for their chance to swoop in.
Agribusinesses, major food multination-
als, and seed companies like Monsanto
and DuPont wholly control the industry,
leaving farmers like Mercer unable to
compete.
In the opening half of the 20th century,
seeds were the product of small farmers
and public-sector plant breeders, today
the seed conglomerates use lawyers as
weapons in their constant attacks on the
small farmer.
 Armed with intellectual property laws
and regulatory restrictions they control
the industry and maximize profits by
eliminating farmers’ rights and competi-
tion.
“We got our first tractor when I was 14
years old. You had to sign up for it and it
took about six weeks to come. You had
to take a package deal, and you got the
whole thang for twenty-seven hundred
dollars.” says Mercer as he pours a cup of
coffee into his stained John Deere green
mug. “You can’t even buy seed for that
nowadays.”
Seed companies like Monsanto and
DuPont have forged unparalleled unions
which have effectively rendered market
competitiveness a bygone of the past.
Through cross-license proprietary and
consolidated research and development,
the major seed companies are strength-
ening the market power for the few, and
at the cost of the many - a trend that has
many farmers referring to agribusinesses
as “farming cartels.”
Under the current structure, it is not
economically feasible to operate a small
family farm in the United States, and
according to Farm Aid - a special interest
group focused on advocacy for the Amer-
ican farmer - the result is 330 farms are
pushed out of business every week.
“The Howard and Powell families used
to run them farms,” Mercer says pointing
toward the empty lands north and east of
his own struggling farm. “Problem is the
youngins can’t live on farming anymore,
they all live in the cities now anyways and
rather sell off when their parents pass.”
According to the U.S. Department of Ag-
riculture, less than 6 percent of farmers
are under the age of 35. Each passing
year, the farming industry becomes more
centralized in the control of a few major
companies; companies who have the
money and resources to deal with the
ever increasing regulatory pressures.
According to the United States Environ-
mental Protection Agency, should the
current trend continue, a small handful
of agribusinesses will control the entire
farming industry by 2030.
Hollis Taylor was born on his family
farm east of Lampasas more than eight
decades ago, and he’ll be the first to tell
you that hard work doesn’t cut it any-
more, as few banks are willing to lend the
much-needed money to compete.
“Well, all I know is I was born here 82
years ago. I don’t know what year my
daddy and mother bought it, but I’ve
been on it ever since.” says Taylor, a life-
long peanut farmer. “I know when my
daddy used to go to the bank to get some
money to run the farm on, he didn’t ever “Problem is
want much. He’d have to go two or three
times before the banker would ever let
him have a few dollars. But now it’s just the youngins
can’t live on
a different world than when I come up.
Those were the good ole days, ain’t no
more of them anymore.”
farming
While many readers may ask, so what?
They may even point to other industries
anymore, they
affected by technological advancement
and time.
all live in the
These are valid arguments, but what do
you say to the mechanic who used to ser-
vice the tractors before farming died out
and shut his business down?
What do you say to the police force which
cities now
staffed 20 officers in the small town’s
height, only to fold under the weight of
the encroaching big city and dwindling
anyways and
population?
What do you say to the local grocer who
rather sell off
stocked their shelves with fresh produce,
before they shut down? when their
or the school teacher who used to teach
classes of 30 students, but after the small
school closed now substitutes up the road
parents pass.”
at the city school?
The simple truth is that when farms go
dry, so too do the countless communities
they build and sustain. Places like Pettus,
Falfurrias, Mathis, Refugio, Skidmore,
and countless others died years ago under
the weight of the collapse of farming...
Who will be next?
35
On the open road:
How the world
moves for
13 cents a mile
By: James Miller
An empty Izuzu truck parked outside.
He says he’ll miss the feeling of the open
road. He’ll miss the fresh air. He’ll miss
chasing the New Mexico sun on I-10, or
running from the West Virginia moon
across I-64. To him, it was never a job.
To him, it was never a sacrifice - it was a
calling.
“Somewhere along the line, I think the
world forgot how essential this calling
really is,” he says over the dancing smoke
of his cigarette and the obsidian black
coffee. “They used to know.”
Nearly everything Americans need
to make it from one day to the next is
hauled on the beds of trucks. The cars
we drive, the food we eat, the fuel we use,
the medical supplies we depend on, and
beds that keep us warm at night; luxuries
which are made possible by the determi-
nation of the forgotten. By the men and
women like Fred Hughes, 78, of Birch
River, West Virginia.
He speaks with a slow and aging West
Virginian drawl that brings credence to
his wise words. Known by the trucking
handle “Pawpaw,” he’s an old timer with
more than eight million miles under his
belt - or the equivalent of driving around
the circumference of the earth 321 times.
“The older I get, the more I realize how
important we really are, how important
our time really is. Make sure whomever
you give it to is important, make sure
whatever you do…you love it.” Hughes
says with misty eyes as “Take it Easy” by
the Eagles softly plays over the radio of
“The older
his aging Peterbilt truck.
He knows his days on the road are limit-
ed. His gray beard holds no secrets, nor
false hope. Most of his peers have long
I get, the
since hung up their hats.
“My days are numbered, but the world
more I
doesn’t stop wanting. They’ll still be wait-
ing. Problem is, who’s gonna be there to
deliver? Where are the next generation of
truckers?” Hughes laments while shaking
realize how
his head.
The next generation of truck drivers
important
trickle into the industry with ever de-
creasing numbers each year. For green-
horn drivers like Thomas Hibbs, 20, of
we really
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, trucking is not
so much a choice as it is a means to an
end.
are, how
“Some days it sucks, some days it’s awe-
some.” Hibbs laments while waiting for
his cargo to be loaded onto his semi. “If
important
you don’t mind being away from home,
which no one really does, then this could
be an alright situation.”
our time
Hibbs didn’t grow up wanting to be a
truck driver, for him driving was a last
resort, outside of oilfield work, which
really is.”
paid a decent salary for a kid without an
education.
“Got my girlfriend pregnant our Sopho-
more year in school, and figured I’d do
37
A Dedicated Contact Services (DCS) truck from Oklahoma at rest in a parking lot.
the right thing and marry her.” Hibbs says
laughing. “I love her to death. I wanted
to give her the world, you know? But
McDonald’s ain’t gonna pay enough for
living, so I got my CDL and hired on with
this company.”
The quality of life in trucking depends
on the mental toughness of the men and
women behind the wheel; a toughness
that old-timer Hughes says is disappear-
ing.
“Damn shame! But you get what you pay
for. I’ve seen a lot of things out here, peo-
ple used to have respect for ya, but not
today. It’s all changed.”
When asked what the difference was
between truckers today and those of his
generation, Hughes pointed to the lack of
modern truckers growing up on the folk
hero trucker tales.
Truck driving hit its boom in late ‘60s
and ‘70s, when outlaw country songs and
blue-collar movies paid homage to the
growing industry, turning truckers into
folk heroes. Today, much like those long
forgotten songs and movies, the drivers
feel like they’ve been cast away, to spend
their days in the dollar bin of society.
38
They feel forgotten.
Commercial trucking has always been
vital to our nation’s economic prosperity.
The industry has long played a significant
role in mitigating economic stress during
national emergencies. This was evident
during the wake of hurricanes Harvey
and Irma, as supply lines were shut down,
and yet somehow truckers continued to
arrive.
“I pulled about five thousand miles
hauling loads into Houston after Harvey.”
Hibbs said. “Those trips ran me dogged,
but I know that the people in Houston
were grateful.”
Our economy is contingent upon these
men and women to deliver an estimated
20 billion tons of commodities daily. A
US Department of Transportation study
cited that 80 percent of all freight trans-
ported annually in the United States,
Mexico and Canada owe their arrivals to
18 wheels and a strong cup of coffee.
“If truckers all got up and left tomorrow,
there would be martial law within three
days,” Hughes says with a pointed finger.
“People don’t care about us, until they
can’t buy soap, or the food shelves run
dry.”
The food industry, healthcare industry,
transportation industry, waste removal
industry, retail industry, manufacturing
industry, banking and finance industries,
and many more would collapse with-
out the steady hands and strong backs
of truck drivers; drivers who spend, on
average, upwards of 330 days a year on
the road.
Despite their significant role in society
and our national economy, truckers are
the unheralded heroes among us. There
is no national trucker holiday, no trucker
appreciation week, no hearty handshake
nor thanks for service extended.
A disenfranchised segment of the popu-
lation, truckers have no national union of
significance or advocacy groups to repre-
sent their national interests. In fact, most
long haul companies actively suppress
union membership. Worse still, over-the-
road truckers seldom have the time to
voice their concerns at the ballot box.
“Less than 2 percent of licensed CDL
(Commercial Driver’s License) drivers are
registered to vote, and less than 50
percent of them actually vote. We’ve got
no political clout. Nobody up on Capi-
tol Hill working for us. They don’t need
to,” he says as he stares out of the front
windshield of his 8-by-10-foot cubicle on
wheels.

In fact, about the only interaction truck-

ers have with the rest of society comes in
the form of frustrating honks or uncour-
teous lane changes.

“Four wheelers are always cutting us off

or passing on the right. I get at least one
or two ‘one finger waves’ a day.” Hibbs
laughs. “Part of me wants to yell out my
window, ‘Hey! How about a ‘thank you’
instead.”

Most Americans take for granted the in-

tricate system that allows them to partic-
ipate in the seemingly mundane day-to-
day they’ve grown accustomed to. When
Americans wake each morning, they just
assume things will be today, as they were
yesterday - the privilege of life in Amer-
ica. Very few have truly pondered and
appreciated the sheer logistical complex-
ity underlying the infrastructure which
keeps ensuring that our “today” continues
to remain like our “yesterday.”

Hibbs said he plans to truck for a few

more years, before ultimately moving into
real estate.

“Big dreams for a greasy handed kid,

huh?” Hibbs says rhetorically. “Maybe I
will, maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll end up out
here in my old age wishing things were
different.”

When asked how much longer he expects

to keep trucking, the wrinkles around
Hughes’ smile lift revealing a near tooth-
less grin. Responding in that West Virgin-
ia twang, “My excuse for being out here
still? I have another friend on the other
side of that-there hill that I still need to
see.”

The average truck driver will drive

between 11 to 14 years, amass 2 million
miles over-the-road, deliver an estimated
368 million tons of goods, go through
two divorces, and drink an estimated
20,075 cups of coffee.

39
By : James Miller & Josiah Cuellar
Shattered remains pile up from a home on the Key Allegro. A ladder shows that some work is being done.

As the sun broke through overcast skies devastating—Category 3. When Harvey

and the wind blew in from the gulf, a hit Rockport it was gaining momentum,
tattered flag waved brilliantly over an epi- despite already being a Category 4.
taph erected to the memory of Hurricane
Harvey near the coastline of Rockport, Despite the pleas from the mayor and
Texas. A simple commemoration etched local officials, many in Rockport ignored
into a plaque reads, “Here lies Hurricane the call to evacuate.
Harvey: August 25th, 2017.”

When the second-most ferocious hurri-

cane in United States history is zeroing in
“In total, For the citizens of Rockport, the day
started the same as any other. Coffee
poured into recyclable cardboard cups at

88 people
on the place you’ve called home for more Sunrise Market, a rickety mom and pop
than 30 years, an aging condominium service station and bait shop near South
along the cape might seem like a less than Water Street. Stray dogs weaved in and
ideal refuge; but that is exactly where out of traffic in the early morning chill,

would
Michael Jordan (not the Hall of Fame fishermen waded in waist-high water
basketball player) sought shelter during praying for the “big one,” and school
the onslaught of Hurricane Harvey. buses rolled through neighborhoods on
schedule.
“We heard the warnings, like everyone

perish.”
else, but owed it to Katrina fear monger- Little did the sleepy coastal city know,
ing. By the time we realized that it was Harvey would wreak havoc as it made
going to come hard... it was too late to do landfall three times over a span of six
anything but ride it out,” Jordan recounts days. Like a deadly Yo-Yo, it taunted
with a machismo that can only be found the Lone Star State with ferocious winds
in Texas. exceeding 157 miles per hour.

When Hurricane Katrina sideswiped At its peak, three feet of rain water inun-
New Orleans, the eye wall had begun to dated Rockport leaving over two-thirds of
collapse and with it the winds slowed. By the city beneath a foamy mix of salt and
landfall, it was a milder—yet still freshwater. In total, 88 people would

41
A house covered in spare plywood after having its windows broken by the hurricane.
perish as damages exceeded the city’s $4.3
million dollar annual budget nearly 50
times.
As Harvey took his final bow dissipating
eight days after landfall, $125 billion in
damage laid in its wake, according to the
National Hurricane Center. In quantifi-
able terms, Harvey’s financial impact was
larger than any other natural disaster in
U.S history, apart from Katrina.
In the Wake
Swiping at mosquitos on an unusually
warm February morning six months
removed from that fateful day, Jordan
shared how Harvey brought both de-
struction and media attention to the
small city – leaving only the destruction.
“The media, FEMA, even the people
forgot about us,” said Jordan. “A lot has
slowed down, and the progress is nearly
at a standstill.”
While in-state volunteering has slowed in
unison with vanishing media coverage,
The First Baptist Church of Rockport has
remained dedicated to gutting, mucking
42
and rebuilding homes in the wounded
city. With support from across the coun-
try, including college students who opted
to spend their spring break volunteering
in Rockport, progress has been slow.
Corey Mccleskey, a college student
“For most spring
volunteer from Berry College in Rome,
Georgia, detailed the volunteer effort
breaks, people
pouring into the state. Mccleskey is one
of the more than 300 volunteers assisting
were saying let’s
in Rockport with recovery efforts.
go to the beach
and hang out. I’ve
“For most spring breaks, people were
saying let’s go to the beach and hang out.
I’ve done that for a couple and I don’t
remember them at all,” said Mccleskey.
“This is the second time I’ve done hur-
done that for a
ricane relief and it’s just memories that
you’ll never forget.”
couple and I don’t
remember them at
The tragedy of a hurricane doesn’t rest
in the category, wind speed, damage, or all.”
death toll generated on impact; rather, the
real tragedy rests in its effect on the lives
of the people who will forever remember
a date.
Through the coastal winds a tethered flag still waves over a makeshift epitaph, the twisted wood forms a cross. The site stands amid
the ravaged landscape caused by Hurricane Harvey, 909 South Water Street.

43
Behind the mask 46

Jaguar women make futbol a priority 49

Who’s got next? 51

45
 Behind the mask:
Inside the Jaguar suit
By Victoria Martinez
Here at Texas A&M University-San Anto-
nio, General the Jaguar weighing in at 360
paws, with paws the size of 14 inches, and
was born and raised in San Antonio.
Probably the most obvious challenge of a
mascot would be the condition of wear-
ing the costume especially with hot Texas
weather.
“Weighing
“The suit is like any other suit, HOT.
With the black fur in the hot air of San
Antonio, I make sure that I am well
in at 360
hydrated before any event,” General said,
via email.
Spoiler alert. Before you get to know the
background and experiences about Gen-
eral, sorry guys I wasn’t able to find out
exactly who General the Jaguar is.
paws, with
paws the
The real question is how can General rep-
resent A&M-San Antonio without bump-
ing into a wall resulting in going viral
on the internet? To answer that, General
is taken care of by mascot handler and
cyber security junior Italia Schmidt.
size of 14
“I basically go everywhere the General
goes . . . I am the eyes,” Schmidt said.
inches.”
She mentions about speaking for General
and letting people know when to stop.
For example, if General needs a break she
makes it happen. General and Schmidt
have codes to let each other know when
it’s time for a water break and fresh air.
The Struggle is Real
With any type of job you face the best
and worst moments from it. According to
Schmidt, the benefits of her job is she at-
tends all of the events on and off campus.
“I am very involved with the school and I
get to experience new things that I haven’t
46
done before. I enjoy it!”
This job also involves becoming a lead-
er and telling others what’s acceptable
and what’s not. Schmidt mentions the
worst part of this job is having authority
towards others.
“I don’t want to be the bad guy, but I have
to be the voice for the mascot.”
There is more than one costume for
General and in order to keep those clean
they’re taken to the dry cleaners.
“We send the General’s suit off to the
groomers to get him the proper spa/
groom for his beautiful fur.”
Adventures during Events
During the year General and Schmidt are
actively attending events on and off cam-
pus, communities and other schools.
Fiesta time in San Antonio is the busiest
time for Schmidt helping General. She
mentioned “working every day” during
these events. If anyone attends fiesta
events, be on the lookout for General
along with Schmidt.
During a parade along the San Antonio
River, a challenge they encountered is
when the driver suddenly accelerated and
almost catapulted the mascot into the
San Antonio River. Schmidt had to save
General.
The first time General wore the costume
he was a part of an event for dogs around
the community to come out on campus
for a walk/run mile with their owners.
General was faced with one of his fears:
dogs.
Poor General, the dogs probably thought
he was a giant chew toy.

Communication Junior Victoria Martinez and The A&M University-San Antonio
mascot, General the Jaguar.
Who is the Jaguar?
When asked how Schmidt describes Gen-
eral in her own words she responds with
diva and silly.
“It’s always fun and an adventure. Defi-
nitely I became close with the mascot.
I always make sure that they’re OK. We
became really close.”
Though there are multiple students inside
the suit, General’s identity will NEVER be
revealed. Just in case something happens
with the first person there is always a
back up plan.
In high school usually most students
know who is inside the costume. Only a
few people on campus know and that’s
because they work with General.
“They want General to be its own person.
They don’t want someone to think that
there’s someone in the suit. General is its
own person,” Schmidt said.
Sarah Vasquez, Recreation Sports market-
ing assistant told me about the qualities
they look for when it comes down to
choosing who will be the mascot repre-
senting A&M-San Antonio.
Long term goals, in a few months the uni-
versity could be looking for a new mascot
and more handlers to assistant General.
“When we are looking for someone who
wants to be General . . . you have to be re-
ally involved with [A&M-San Antonio] in
order to be more involved as the mascot.
It’s a lot of responsibility, you’re the image
for the school,” Vasquez said.
General takes pride in representing the
college dedicating his life and personality
into the suit.
If you’re interested to apply for the up-
coming mascot, contact the Department
of Recreation Sports for more informa-
tion at 210-784-1349. They are located
in the Central Academic Building (CAB)
Suite 103.
47
By: Sofia Medina
There’s something to be said for having
a dream so big, so peculiar, that you just
throw yourself into it and see what hap-
pens. That’s just the dream that Valeria
Cazares, a bilingual education junior and
president of the team, has for the future
of Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Women’s Soccer.
Cazares is one of the inaugural students
from class of 2020 and was not aware that
the campus did not offer a women’s soc-
cer team. At a young age, she always had
an interest in the sport, played the game
in her high school’s soccer team and also
plays for a league outside of school
She was eager enough to begin a wom-
en’s soccer team at TAMUSA in order to
allow other women who have the same
interest to fulfill their passion for soccer.
Far from the brightly lighted fields, every
team must start somewhere. For TAMU-
SA women’s soccer team, the start is at
Palo Alto College practice field.
The anxiousness and motivation was in
the air as the players met up for the first
time. The sky above them was a baby blue
color and on the field were the players
who have aspired to be a part of TAMU-
SA women’s soccer team.
Being at a small campus has been the
challenge the team has been facing. “We
do get people to come at least once or
twice every other week, but getting them
to stick to us, to come to most of the
practices and being committed is hard,”
Cazares said.
Players remained with high spirits as they
took their first step in crystallizing the fu-
ture for the Jaguar Women’s Soccer team
knowing that today a child in kindergar-
ten will have the opportunity to play for
the team.
The women’s soccer team is current-
ly competing in an indoor 7v7 league
around San Antonio, where only seven
of the players are on the field throughout
the whole game.
Cazares’ main focus is for the team to
become an official 12v12 league where 12
players get to show off their talents and t
echniques on the field.
“Because it’s starting, I want to support
the school and the team that one day it
will be a 12v12 league,” Dennise Marti-
nez, a freshman player said.
In addition to becoming a larger league,
the team will have the opportunity to
compete within the Texas Collegiate
Soccer League and to get all matching
uniforms.
In total, there are only 12 Division III
University teams who compete in wom-
en’s soccer in Texas. Cazares and her team
aspire to be lucky number ‘13’ in a few
short semesters to go against other uni-
versities such as, Trinity University, UT
Dallas and 10 others.
Ryan Day, vice president of the men’s
soccer team, has advised Cazares in every
way possible to get the team going. His
job is to be available when the team needs
advice, guidance and mentorship.
While Day is doing something for the
men’s soccer team he always advocates for
the women’s team as well. Day is enthu-
siastic for the team’s future, “when you
have members who care about the success
of a club, success is inevitable.”
Cazares believes that the growth of the
team rests not in the current players,
but in those girls across the state in one
day will call Texas A&M University-San
Antonio home.
“when you have members
who care about the
success of a club, success
is inevitable.”
49

ids that live in the Alazan and
Apache Courts area don’t have many
options after school. There’s no mall
or movie theater, and the nearest
bowling alley is in another ZIP code.
What is there to do in one of the
poorest ZIP codes, 78207, in San
Antonio? One of the more popular
options is to hoop — play basketball.
The Inner City Basketball Court
sits on the corner of South Trinity
and Vera Cruz streets. A black fence
surrounds the blue concrete court
shaded by a colossal roof.
“We wanted to maintain our grass-
roots-ness, so we don’t get any
money from the city, state or govern-
ment,” said Patti Radle, co-executive
director at Inner City.
For decades the court has hosted
basketball leagues, tournaments and
clinics but its main use is pickup
basketball. Kids, teens and adults run
games all day and night while the
number 67 VIA Bus rolls by, and the
music from the raspa truck making
its rounds sounds off at the Alazan
Courts.
‘Who’s Got Next?’
By: Jose Arredondo
“Who’s got next,” one guy asks every-
one seated in the bleachers.
Then he follows up with another
important question, “What’s count
(what is the score)?”
The court’s birth
Patti and Rod Radle, executive direc-
tors at Inner City, faced an obstacle
when they decided to incorporate
basketball in their organization in the
early ‘70s. There were no accessible
courts in the area at the time, so the
Radles transported the West Side
youth to Providence High School’s
basketball gym for practice and
games.
The basketball league was only for
elementary school kids, but teenagers
were involved in other ways. Rod
Radle taught local teens how to ref-
eree and coach the younger children.
However, the commute posed as an
issue for the low-income neighbor-
hood.
‘“It was a pain in the neck to run bas-
ketball outside of the neighborhood,”
A basketball player sizing up his opponent on the court at night during a pick-up game.
Patti Radle said. “So we asked a local
grocer Juan Ruiz, who was really involved
in the community, about a property next
to us.”
Radle asked Ruiz if she could rent the
property to build the basketball court,
and he agreed, as long as there wasn’t
grocery store involved. Ruiz charged the
Radles a dollar a year for the property in
the mid ‘70s. Radle said the community
felt ownership of the court but thought it
was missing one component: a roof.
“In South Texas the temperatures can get
extremely warm so Rod and I thought of
this idea to have a cover,” Radle said.
This unique idea required help from the
city, but in order to move forward, the
Radles needed to own the property. They
asked Ruiz for a price on the property
and his lawyer told them $8,000, which
was out of the Radles’ price range. Then
Ruiz received another message from Juan
almost immediately after their meeting.
“He (Juan) wanted me to tell you . . .”
Radle recalled the memory as she choked
up. “He wants to give the property to you
free of charge.”
Radle and company were extremely
grateful for Ruiz’ gesture. So much, that
she held a dedication ceremony for the
court and invited Ruiz but he declined to
attend because he didn’t want any credit
for the creation.
The roof was the finishing touch for a
soon-to-be safe haven in the barrio.
Inner City’s Impact
Troy Lopez, 24, first stepped on the con-
crete court at Inner City when he was 4
years old. His dad played there in young-
er days and it was inevitable for Lopez
hoop there. He played in the leagues and
often hooped after school, but more im-
portantly it kept him out of trouble.
“I feel like if we had more parks, it would
be better for our youth, because right
now, kids are more into drugs,” Lopez
said. “When we were younger, you would
see kids walking around with basketballs
and now, you see kids walking around
with blunts.”
Lopez and many others were molded
by Inner City. Orlando Mendez-Valdez,
grew up in the Alazan Courts, and wit-
nessed horrors such as stabbings, shoot-
ings and other negative influences. His
response? Basketball.
His list of accomplishments on the
basketball court: San Antonio Express
News Player of the Year in 2004, 2009
Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year,
an award obtained by NBA guards Derek
Fisher and Courtney Lee, and he also
led Western Kentucky to the Sweet 16
in the NCAA Tournament. He’s been a
professional basketball player for the last
nine years and currently plays for Soles
de Mexicali — a Mexican professional
basketball team.
Mendez-Valdez’ first time playing or-
ganize basketball was at Inner City in
elementary school. He, like many others
from the barrio feel obligated to give back
to the community. Last summer he held
a free basketball clinic at Inner City for
kids from the 78207 ZIP code.
“It was an honor to be able to do some-
thing like that and it was truly humbling
experience to see kids actually wanting
to come to learn, “ he said. “Playing
basketball was my escape and helped me
become who I am.”
Radle says people give back because they
understand what it was like growing up in
area plagued by poverty and opportunity.
She thinks the sport of basketball nour-
ishes the low-income neighborhood and
teaches the youth life skills they probably
wouldn’t learn anywhere else.
Mendez-Valdez and Lopez both agreed
with that notion.
“I’m using skills that I learned through
basketball on the daily at my work,” Lo-
pez said.
51
How skin tone changes perception 54

Dreaming with eyes wide open 57

53
 How skin tone
changes
perception
By Christie Tavera
In the 1980s I attended public schools in
San Antonio. My school was filled with
all nationalities, and as kids, skin color
meant nothing. What mattered was which
new Garbage Pail Kids cards you had,
buying 10 packets of Lucas from the ice
cream truck after school, and playing the
new Mario Brothers game on the first-ev-
er Nintendo game system. Will Smith
emerged on the scene with “Parents Just
Don’t Understand,” and THAT was every
kid’s anthem at the time – no matter what
skin color you had.
Growing up on the southside of San An-
tonio, I never saw myself as any different
than the rest of the Hispanic population
that lived there. My grandma would take
us to the library off Nogalitos every Satur-
day and afterward we would head over to
the “Brownie House,” as my little brother
would call it. Grandma would treat us to
a sweet tea and some brownies from Bill
Miller’s - still one of my favorite places for
sweet tea in Texas.
My grandparents lived off Zarzamora,
just a few streets down from the SAS
Shoe Factory. We would spend count-
less weeks and weekends at their house.
It was our favorite place to be: A small
two-bedroom house with crawl space
underneath. I have fond memories of
hearing my grandfather under the house
during the winter wrapping the pipes so
they wouldn’t freeze during the few cold
snaps. He would knock on the floor above
him and we would giggle and knock back
from inside the house.
54
As a kid though, I never realized the dif-
ferences in my grandparents. My grandfa-
ther was Hispanic and fluent in Spanish,
although he barely spoke it. He had dark
skin, much darker than my grand-
mother’s, and could fix anything you put
in front of him. He was born and raised
in the heart of downtown San Antonio in
the 1930s. My grandmother, however, was
from a large family of nine brothers and
sisters in Dickson, Tennessee. She grew
up in a simple wooden house surround-
ed by woods with no running water or
electricity. She was a strong-willed and
strong-minded Caucasian woman, noth-
ing like the rest of her family. She and my
grandfather were incredibly different in
cultures and backgrounds, but I never
noticed such trivialities.
Tragedy struck in the spring of 1989
when our Dad was relocated to Wright
Air Force Base in Fairborn, Ohio. We
moved to a land with no tamales, tortillas,
barbacoa, fajitas and worse, no Big Red.
We had no idea how they ever survived in
this foreign state without such resources.
Although the move was a cultural shock
to us, we still fit into this all-Caucasian
community. My brothers and I could pass
as Caucasian because of lighter colored
skin. Me and my youngest brother were
the fairest with green eyes. Our other
brother just looked like he had perfect
genes for tanning and it went well with
his brown eyes, so we integrated with no
issues or no worries.
Fast forward to 2001. After returning to
San Antonio, and at the age of 23, I met
and married the man of my dreams. He
was born and raised in Tampico, Tamau-
lipas, Mexico, dark and handsome with a
Spanish accent. In 2002 we had a daugh-
ter who favors her father with pecan-col-
ored skin, brown hair and brown eyes. In
2013, we welcomed our son who favored
me more. His skin is somewhat lighter
but he’s like his uncle. He can tan well. He
maintained the dark eyes but his hair is a
dimmer, dirtier brown.
As a family we never saw ourselves as
diverse or unique, we were just family.
However, in the past year people started
seeing us as different. In four separate
instances we have been sitting at a restau-
rant, meal is done, and we are getting
ready to pay when the waiter or waitress
will ask us, “Is the check all together or
separate?”
We didn’t think of it the first time it
happened, but the next few times we were
puzzled. This was new. I mentioned it
to my husband who was in tune to it as
well. After some discussion we realized,
I was the one throwing people off. They
thought I was just dating the guy with the
two kids. Or maybe they thought we were
just friends and his two kids were there? I
was baffled.
One semester, I had a professor who
looked right at me during a lecture and
said, “It is the white, rich, land-owner and
businessman who is trying to ruin our
country.”
After class I drove home in tears. My
skin was white, my husband and I
owned a small business and we had
just bought a small piece of land to
build a new house. I felt guilty, but for
what? I was devastated.
In November 2016, a woman named
Lena Dunham wrote an essay in
response to Hillary Clinton’s loss. She
didn’t know me, but she had no issues
looping me into her rant:
“It’s painful to know that white
women, so unable to see the unity of
female identity, so unable to look past
their violent privilege, and so inocu-
lated with hate for themselves, showed
up to the polls for him, too.”
life, and I strive to understand it.
What I do understand is unity.
As my grandparents did before me, I
chose to live with a spirit of unity. I
don’t claim to know it all – I am no
scholar by any stretch of the imagina-
tion, but there is one thing I do know:
Tearing someone, anyone, down is
destructive.
Building and edifying is what moti-
vates and affects change. I have seen
it in my own marriage and in my own
relationships. If it works on a small
scale, imagine what could be done
on a grander scale when all colors,
cultures, races and backgrounds speak
life instead of death.

Who in the hell did this woman think

she was to call out and generalize all
women of white skin color? I was
crushed.

What is so devastating is that over

the last few years words like white
supremacy, white privilege, and white
power have been thrown across every
media platform and used as negative
verbiage directed towards people as-
sumed to have a certain mindset and
character.

Whether I like it or not, the rhetoric

spewing against me, and all white-
skinned people is society’s silent
attempt to redefine a word to associate
it with acts of evil discourse. White is
not a color anymore.

White is now a dirty word. White

represents ugliness. White is now a
mental state in which one lives. This
word has morphed over the past two-
to-three years so much that people
with white skin (including the afore-
mentioned Lena Dunham) speak out
against white-skinned people. Is this
more harmful than helpful? What are
the consequences?

I think some have yet to see how this

will unfold, but I can already see it
manifesting within small spaces of my

55
 Dream ing w i th
e yes wide o p en :
A love s t o r y i n
th e making
By Ami Sarabia
It’s true when people say you “don’t forget
how people make you feel,” every per-
son that comes into my life has made an
impression on me.
I met a boy one starry night who en-
chanted me. I had seen and heard of him
before this night. People would whisper
about him behind his back, but I never
cared for all the myths and tales. Those
who didn’t know him thought he was
stone cold. His tanned skin, rosy cheeks
and bright eyes always captivated me.
I never knew what he was thinking, he
appeared to be a mystery that I was so
eager to solve.
Sometimes I wonder if I had ever caught
his attention before this night. He never
approached me or dared to talk to me
before, why today? I thought to myself.
We had mutual friends and the conversa-
tions of our perky friend helped break the
ice. He threw his head back as if he was
a little kid everytime I would make some
lame movie reference. We shared awk-
ward glances that turned into soft smiles.
We talked for hours and somehow lost
track of time, I was completely smitten.
As the night began we had a couple of
drinks and the laughs continued. As the
night was ending I was ready to say good-
bye. He grabbed my hand and said “come
with me.”
“Where are you taking me,” I replied.
“Do you trust me,” he asked.
“Not really, I barely know you. What if
you’re a psycho killer,” I said.
“C’mon you know me, you know I’m not
a killer,” he said and for that split second,
I had become vulnerable.
Failed relationships and self doubt
creeped into my brain. All I had ever
known was broken promises and pretty
lies. Time after time I had lost the desire
to open up to anyone. I couldn’t open up
to anyone even if I wanted to. My heart
was delicate and in smithereens many
times before.
Something about his sparkling eyes made
me trust him. He held my hand and took
me to the tallest building in the city as
he said, “C’mon I want to show you the
view.” He pressed the elevator button him. Sometimes I still wonder if he
to the highest floor he knew, our eyes ever thinks about that night.
interlocked. With drinks in our hands we
saw the entire city with its bright lights I admit I’m not brave either. I didn’t
and in that moment, I thought “he must
tell him all the things I was thinking
have brought other girls here.” There
and feeling, but how could I? My own
were sirens and doubts in my mind, but
I couldn’t help but to ignore them all for fears got the best of me and I decided
the rest of the night. I was better off forgetting about it too.
As we saw the breathtaking view we Before this night I wasn’t able to open
shared secrets we were afraid of telling up to anyone in a long time. It made
others. “I haven’t shared this with anyone me remember that it was okay to be
else but you” he said. It felt like in a short vulnerable. Maybe some people are
time we felt comfortable with each other only meant to pass by your life to just
sharing our dreams and fears. to leave an impression or a memory,
that makes you smile years later. Every
After our view, we went to the building’s
time you see me I hope you remember
lobby where there was a bar. After some
drinks we sat outside watching the stars that starry night.
and everything around us. I made fun of
his funky socks and his laugh grew louder
and louder.
We started walking through the city and
he desperately finds my hand to hold.
His grip was gentle and firm all at once.I
“It felt like in a
didn’t want to let go.“Close your eyes,” he
said. short time
I was wonderstruck so I closed my
eyes. We stopped walking and he
we felt
gently tucks my hair behind my ear.
He placed a flower behind my ear and
comfortable
I felt his embrace as he tightly held my
hand. It felt so pure. with each
He gives me a ride in his car and takes other sharing
me to my destination. I checked the
time, which read 2 a.m. The night had
turned into day so fast. “I had a great
our dreams
night” he messages me and tells me
goodnight. I stayed wide awake won-
and fears.”
dering if I was dreaming all along.
Our paths crossed again and this time
it was not so magical. Maybe it was
the alcohol I told myself, maybe he
forgot and it was all a mistake for him.
Is it possible to like someone so fast? I
felt so much all at once.
His coldness and lack of words after
that night upset me. Did he not feel
the same way? Maybe the alcohol
made him brave, I thought. I felt so
stupid for holding on to something
that probably didn’t mean a thing to
57
Beauty and the blush 60

Savvy shopping 62

59
 Beauty and the
blush: From
concealer to color
By: Ami Sarabia
The beauty trends seen on New
York,Paris and Milan fashion week
are the trends that usually influence
the new trends that will take over the
year. This year, was filled with noth-
ing but 80’s and 90’s nostalgia (think
Madonna and Gwen Stefani). Models
were seen with electric colored make-
up wearing neon blue, orange, pink
and green on the eyes and lips. Their
skin was dewy and fresh. Their lashes
were thicker and bolder. Their hair
was accessorized with scrunchies,
yes..scrunchies and claw clips! Some
designers went for a braided look and
some went for the “wet look” with
hair slicked back. Whether you want
to create a date night look, or a music
festival look these trends are all-inclu-
sive and a fun way to experiment with
makeup.
The following *are recommended
products
Electric colored makeup- Ditch the
neutrals and the warm-toned shadows
and make a statement with bold col-
ors for your eye looks. As seen on the
models in New York Fashion Week,
designers choose electric pink shadow
on the lids. Makeup artist Ariel Tejada
posted a makeup look he created for
Kim Kardashian, sporting an electric-
blue winged liner look.
*Nyx Cosmetics Vivid Brights Liner
60
in Vivid Sapphire, $7, nyxcosmetics.
com, Urban Decay Electric Palette,
$15, urbandecay.com , Huda Beauty
Obsessions Palette in Electric, $27,
sephora.com
Glass Skin/Porcelain- Say hello to the
J.Lo-inspired dewy makeup look this
year. Skin is in! And less is more when
creating the “glass skin effect” on your
face. Simply cleanse your skin, apply
some toner and put on some moistur-
izer. For the extra glow you can apply
a face oil for an extra boost of shine.
Once you apply your foundation you
can add your favorite highlighter on
the high points of your face to create
the flawless glass skin look.
*Josie Maran Argan Oil, $17, sephora.
com,Colourpop Super Shock Cheek
Highlighter in Wisp, $7, coulourpop.
com, Garnier SkinActive Micellar
Cleansing Water, $6.79, target.com
Bold Lashes- Harpers Bazaar spotted
thick long lashes at the Christian Dior
runway on NYFW. The thick and
dramatic lashes on the runway are
proof that the Twiggy inspired look
is timeless. You can achieve this look
with layers of mascara or you can try
false lashes.
*Ardell Cluster Wispies #600, $3.99,
ulta.com, KISS True Volume Nat-
ural Plump Eyelashes, Ritzy, $2.96,
walmart.com, Maybelline The
Colossal Spider Effect Mascara, $7.99,
ulta.com
80’s-90’s hair accessories- According
to Vogue magazine, the claw clips
dominated the Alexander Wang fash-
ion show. Designers like Alexander
Wang and Tom Ford were styling their
models with nostalgic hair accessories
that included; claw clips, headbands,
headwraps and head comb head-
bands.
*Headcomb headbands, $7, amazon.
com, Scunci Effortless Jaw Clips,
$3.99, amazon.com
Multi Use makeup- Multifunctional
and monochromatic makeup will
be seen more this year, whether you
use your blush as lipstick,bronzer as
eyeshadow, lip liner as eyeliner. Mul-
tifunctional beauty products are great
for the girl on the go or for traveling.
Keep your shade range or peach, pink
or purple matching your eye look
with your lip, or cheeks to achieve the
monochromatic look.
*thebalm How ‘Bout Them Apples?
Lip and Cheek Cream Palette,$35,am-
azon.com, Stila Convertible Color
Dual lip and cheek cream, $25,sepho-
ra.com, Jordana Triple Play in 01
Nude Peach, $4.99, jordanacosmetics.
com
A collection of makeup accessories situated together. These items include sponges, brushes and makeup palletes.
Red lipstick- Red lipstick is the classic
beauty staple every woman needs. You
can wear a red lip with bold makeup,
or you can wear a simple eye look
with red lips. Either way, red lipstick
never goes out of style, it is seen every
year in every major fashion show in
the world. Milan, Paris, New York,
every designer pairs a red shade with
a look during fashion week.
*Mac Cosmetics, Ruby Woo, $17, Ky-
lie Cosmetics Mary Jo K Matte Liquid
Lipstick, $17, ILUVSARAHIixColour-
pop Ultra Matte Lip Arriba!, $6.50,
colourpop.com
Inclusive beauty- Rihanna released
her beauty brand Fenty beauty in 2017
and took the beauty community by
storm when she released 40 shades of
foundation. Most foundation shades
can only be found in light, medium
and dark leaving out undertones in
various skin tones. “I also wanted
things that girls of all skin tones could
fall in love with. In every product I
was like, ‘There needs to be something
for a dark-skinned girl; there needs
to be something for a really pale girl;
there needs to be something in-be-
tween.’ she told Refinery 29. There’s
red undertones, green undertones,
blue undertones, pink undertones,
yellow undertones—you never know,
so you want people to appreciate the
product and not feel like: ‘Oh that’s
cute, but it only looks good on her.’”
Inclusivity is not a trend, it’s a move-
ment and 2018 is the start of beauty
brands recognizing dark-skinned
women who are not represented in
brand products.
*Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Filter
Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, $34,
sephora.com, NARS Natural Radiant
Longwear Foundation, $49, sephora.
com, Maybelline Fit Me!, $5.99, target.
com
Glitter- Brands like Stila and Too
Faced are releasing new collections
with more glitter than ever. Glitter
dominated the Spring Kate Spade and
Oscar De La Renta runway shows
with models wearing glitter not only
in their eyes but their cheeks and lips.
Makeup artists were adding rhine-
stones to their glitter looks to amplify
the
*Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and
Glow Liquid Eyeshadow, Diamonds
Dust,$24, sephora.com, Urban Decay
Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner, $20,
sephora.com
61
 Savvy shopping: Where
to find the flair at fair
prices
By: Sofia Medina
Fashion is just like history; it repeats
itself. Many of the styles from the
1960s-1990s have made their way back
including the bell bottom and high waist-
ed jeans.
For fashion blogger, Ari Alvarez-Tostado,
fashion is a way to express yourself. For
her staying trendy means always giving
your looks a personal touch while keep-
ing up with the current style.
Alvarez-Tostado is ecstatic for the spring
season, “Nowadays we are seeing such
mix of styles, retro looks and personal
fashion that i feel this spring will be a lot
of fun!”
Spring 2018 will feature bold floral prints,
sweet pastel colors, all things denim with
some throwback twists according to local
clothing shops such as Solana Zoe, Mon-
tage and Couleur + Blinde.
With these three local stores, you can find
unique stylish trending clothes for an
average price that ranges from $30-$80.
Bianca Fuqua, owner of Solana Zoe,
16600 Huebner Road states that the floral
print is so popular. “It’s just been a strong
trend since last year,” Fuqua said. “And
people seem to like it.”
Colors play an important role if you are
a fashionista. For this spring, the best bet
will be to add some soft pinks and light
colors, like a bouquet of pastel and neu-
tral flowers to your closet. “As far as col-
ors, lilac, lavender and millennial pink,”
said Shelby Guevara, owner of Montage,
423 W Grayson St.
62
To be a little extra with some spark in
your jeans, you may need to take a double
look in your closet because anything
embellished will keep you right on the
denim trend especially with all the pearl
adorning that is hot right now.
Anthony Ryan, owner of Couleur +
Blinde , 4704 Broadway St. knows his
fashion, “pants this year are going to jew-
“For this spring,
eled out,” he said.
In addition, delicate and dainty gold
jewelry will be a go to, to compliment any
outfit. Anything simple will be stylish for
the best bet will be
your day and night look. Layering any
necklaces together will make the look fun
to add some soft
and trendy.
pinks and light
Now, if you want something that pops
out, fringe earrings with colorful threads colors, like a
or beads will add the cherry on top to
your outfit. Guevara says that anything bouquet of pastel
colorful fringe or tassel earrings will be in
for the spring. and neutral
Moving on to shoes, putting on the right
shoes is what will complete your outfit.
flowers to your
As of now, you can say goodbye to sti-
lettos and hello to the fashionable comfy
closet.”
mules. Mules are slip on shoes that come
in different styles depending on what
you’re going for, whether it be for a casual
or a dressy look. (flat mules or chunky
heel mules) Ryan claims that practicality
is the go to now and the mules are per-
fect fit for that.
 63
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Mel’s brews’ food and kids’ stuff, too 66

Top 10 of the best pizza places around

town 69

Top 10 movie theaters 70

65
Mel’s Brews, Food and Kids’ Stuff, Too
By Melissa Ramos

1
Sideliners Grill
15630 Henderson Pass, San Antonio, TX 78232
Pros: beer, food, kid friendly, pet friendly, indoor/outdoor tvs, outdoor patios, open
play sand volleyball
Cons: at times volleyball courts are reserved for tournaments
Price: $-$$

2 The Friendly Spot

943 S Alamo St., San Antonio, TX 78205
Pros: local beer, snacks, kid friendly, pet friendly, indoor/outdoor tvs, outdoor play-
scape
Cons: limited food selection
Price: $-$$

3 Brick at Blue Star Arts Complex

108 Blue Star, San Antonio, Texas 78204
Pros: local beer, local artist shops, kid friendly, pet friendly
Cons: eateries are outside the building, arts market only Sundays
Price: $-$$

4 The Cove
606 W Cypress St, San Antonio, TX 78212
Pros: local beer, organic food, kid friendly, pet friendly, outdoor patio
Cons: can get pricey
Price: $$-$$$

5 Hurricane Grill & Wings (city base)

2611 SE Military Dr. Ste 108, San Antonio, TX 78223
Pros: beer, food, kid friendly, indoor/outdoor tvs, outdoor patio
Cons: chain food, no pets allowed
Price: $-$$$

66
6
The Historic Pearl Brewery
303 Pearl Pkwy #300, San Antonio, TX 78215
Pros: local beer, food, kid friendly, pet friendly, outdoor patios
Cons: too many choices
Price: $-$$$

Rainforest Café

7 110 E Crockett St, San Antonio, TX 78205

Pros: beer, food, kid friendly, rain forest theme
Cons: no pets allowed, chain food, can be pricey
Price: $$-$$$$

Freetail

8 4035 North Loop 1604 W, San Antonio, TX 78257

Pros: local beer, food, kid friendly, pet friendly, scenic views
Cons: too many dogs on the patio can cause a ruckus
Price: $-$$$

9
Blue Star Brewery
1414 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78210
Pros: local beer, food, kid friendly, indoor tvs, outdoor patio
Cons: dining area is small
Price: $-$$$

10
Bowlero
13307 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216
Pros: beer, food, kid friendly, arcade games, plenty of tvs
Cons: chain food, can get pricey
Price: $$-$$$$

$= under $10
$$= $11-$30
$$$= $31-$60
$$$$= above $61

67
 Slice of San Antonio
Top 10 of the best pizza places around town
By Fernando Garza

10. Ember’s Wood Fire Grill & Bar (9818 W Interstate 10, San Antonio, TX 78230)
Just right off I-10 and near another San Antonio favorite place (Mama Margies) is Ember’s an American food place that features
some great pizza. They have a great selection of pizzas but the most popular one is the ‘Chicken Pesto’ which includes basil pesto,
tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh chicken and topped off with parmesan. It’s worth the wait, although we are on the topic of pizza they
have some bomb jalapeno macaroni and cheese.

9. Il Forno (122 Nogalitos St., Antonio TX 78204)

Located in South Town is this wonderful, beautiful and very affordable restaurant. Although they are a delicious Italian place they
have such a great Margherita Pizza that only includes the basic ingredients like pomodoro, mozzarella & basil. Il Forno takes a sim-
ple pizza recipe and somehow make it the best Margherita Pizza in San Antonio.
8. Rio de Gelato (102 Navarro St., San Antonio 78205)
Located right down the street from the Alamo is Rio De Gelato, a location that serves mainly ice cream and pizza. They offer large
slices or large pizzas, whatever you’re in the mood for. The veggie pizza is great, the toppings are not only fresh but the sauce is rich
in flavor. I recommend sharing when you get a large pizza. Once you’re done you can walk it off by walking around the beautiful
downtown area.

7. Sapore’s Pizza (6422 Babcock, San Antonio 78240)

The location of this one is next to, ironically, two other pizza places but this place deserves to be recognized more since it has some
great pizza. They even sell it by the slice for when you’re on the go. There you can personalize your own pizza or get your basics
from supreme to pepperoni extreme. The serving of slices is very handy for when you’re on the go and need a quick bite. They also
feature other kinds of Italian foods.

6. Yaghi’s Pizzeria (5910 Babcock Rd, Ste 104, San Antonio)

Another good pizza places located just a few miles from the last one! This place is right next to an HEB and in a busy shopping
center. They feature a great lunch deal with a slice and a free drink; it’s amazing for when you’re craving a pizza for lunch. They also
have other things such as cheesesteaks and chicken wings to pair with our pizza.

5. Southtown Pizzeria (728 S Presa St, San Antonio, TX)

Southtown is filled with good pizza spots and this is just another out of a few. This pizzeria has an amazing atmosphere to sit there
and enjoy your personal pizza. The ingredients are so fresh you’ll be wanting to come back and also try pairing with a caesar salad,
you won’t regret it. The crust of this pizza is light but so tasty that it satisfies.

4. Fratello’s Ristorante Centro Citta (115 Plaza De Armas, Ste 107, San Antonio, TX)
This place was great, a definite comeback and a great environment. The ‘Quattro Formaggi Pizza’ (Four cheese pizza) is to die for.
It’s made out of fontina, provolone, fresh mozzarella and reggiano parmigiana. You’ll want to order another to go! This is also an-
other Italian place that has other dishes and you’ll love the coffee they brew up in there.

3. Main Street Pizza & Pasta (1906 N Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212)
If you’ve never had a ‘White Pizza’ then I recommend you come check out at Main Street. It’s not your typical pizza because it has
no red sauce instead it includes olive oil, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, fresh garlic, parsley, oregano, basil & black pepper. Down
the street from San Antonio College so it’s always filled with students because they know it’s really good. It has a cute outdoors
incase you want to study and enjoy the breeze.

2. Stella Public House (1414 S Alamo St, Ste 103, San Antonio, TX 78210)
Stella is featured at the Blue Star Complex in the South Town part of the city. The service is amazing here and the pizza is just as
great. This places takes a twist on the classic pepperoni and makes it their own. Including jalapeno cheddar pepperoni, smoked
mozzarella and chipotle tomato sauce. It’s super juicy and probably one of the best pizzas’ in San Antonio. P.S. Try the Mac and
cheese too!

1. Gallo Pizzeria (164 Castroville Rd, San Antonio, TX 78207)

This pizza place had a classic feel to the aura and had the perfect pizza to go with it. They have a basic selection of pizza but it’s the
freshness of the place that makes you fall in love. Super cheesy, saucy and fresh ingredients, what else can you ask for? It’s a busy
place but very recommended, I would invest in a trip here soon. It won’t cost much either for such good pizza they have great low
prices.

69
 Top 10 Movie Theaters That Go Beyond
the Traditional Movie Experience
By Desiree Espericueta

1) Casa Blanca
Before, after, or instead of the movie, you can entertain your friends and family in the 16 state-of-the-art bowling lanes while en-
joying in-lane food and bar service. Bowling pricing is $5 a game per person or $30 lane rental per hour, with a 6-guests maximum
per lane. Shoe rental is $4 per person. In addition to theatre classic concession items, Casa Blanca also offers café dining choices,
Starbucks coffee as well as a gelato ice cream bar. For your movie experience enjoy in-theatre dining service in your spacious reclin-
ing seat with table extension. Servers will stop by and collect your drink and food order, then bring it to your table. Movie tickets
range from $7 to $14 per person. Food and drink orders are sold separately. Located at 11210 Alamo Ranch Pkwy, San Antonio, TX
78253.

2) Alamo Drafthouse Park North

Forget dinner and a movie, it’s all about dinner AT the movie where every meal is prepared from scratch specifically for you. Alamo
Drafthouse offers a multi-course menu apart from the traditional concessions. “Drafthouse” is in the name for a reason. Alamo
Drafthouse prides itself on serving only the finest craft beers and supporting the best microbreweries. You can find 30 beers on tap
in addition to a full selection of handcrafted cocktails, bottled beers, soft drinks and milkshakes. The Drafthouse also offers special
events you won’t find anywhere else like Quote-Along events where you can enjoy a break from the no-talking-during-a-movie
policy and yell out your favorite lines. This theater is one of the few in San Antonio that enforce an Age Policy: 18 and up; Children
3 and up will be allowed only with a parent or guardian until 6:00 p.m. After 6:00 p.m., children 6 and up will be allowed only with
a parent or guardian. No children under the age of 3 will be allowed and families with loud children will be asked to leave. But
because of this policy the Drafthouse offers Baby Day on Tuesday afternoons for regular shows that start before 2:00 p.m. For baby
day shows the lights are kept up a bit and the sound down a bit. Infants are welcome to these shows for free. The Alamo Drafthouse
Park North is located at 618 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78216.

3) Palladium
The Palladium is the only theater that offers VIP seating. Follow the grand staircase upstairs to the mezzanine (also known as The
Mezz) level for an elevated luxury movie theater experience. The Mezz offers fine-casual food options and hand-crafted drinks with
a complimentary bowl of popcorn. Enjoy your film while seated in the private VIP luxury recliner seats. These private seats are
designed for couples and feature a call button for in theatre food and drink service. Even the front row is now something special
with the new luxury double lounger. These private seats are designed for couples and also feature a call button for in theatre food
and drink service. Food and drink orders are sold separately. The VIP seats at The Mezz are for 18+ moviegoers only. Movie ticket
prices range from $7 to $16 per person. The Palladium is located at 17703 West Interstate 10, San Antonio, TX 78257.

4) Silverado 16
To expand beyond the traditional movie theater setting Silverado 16 offers a Barco Escape experience. The experience is a fully
immersive panoramic presentation that uses multiple screens and projectors to deliver a premium movie experience unlike any
other. In addition to a panoramic presentation Silverado 16 offers unique seating. The D-BOX Motion Code™ system adds a new
dimension to your movie experience. It allows moviegoers to live the action on screen by creating movements in your seat perfectly
synchronized with the onscreen action. Movie ticket prices range from $7 to $17.50 per person. Located at 11505 W Loop 1604 N,
San Antonio, TX 78254.

5) Alamo IMAX Theatre

At the heart of the Shops at Rivercenter you can find Alamo IMAX. Rivercenter is the premier shopping, dining and entertainment
destination on the world-famous River Walk in downtown San Antonio. Rivercenter features more than 100 retailers including six
restaurants, Macy’s, and a 1,000 room Marriott Hotel. When you need a break from all the shopping you can visit the IMAX theater
where bigger is just the beginning. Every element in the IMAX theatre is designed and positioned to create an intense experience
that’ll ensure movie magic.

70
The concession stand at
Santikos Casa Blanca Enter-
tainment.

The seating arrangement

inside Alamo Drafthouse.

Santikos Palladium IMAX-

San Antonio. The columns
were inspired by ancient
Roman archetecture, from
which the theater also draws
its name.

Santikos Silverado 16-San

Antonio. Silverado 16
drew inspiration for its
design from south-texas
culture.

Bags of popcorn in the con-

cession

71
6) Santikos Bijou
Watch the latest independent or art films at the San Antonio’s only art house theatre. Santikos Bijou caters to a sophis-
ticated adult audience and is an age restricted theatre. Children ages 12 thru 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Children under 12 are not admitted at any time. Movie ticket prices are $7 or $9.50 per person. Located at 4522 Freder-
icksburg Road Wonderland of Americas Mall San Antonio, TX 78201.

7) Dollar Movies 16
Dollar Movies 16 offers multiple discount movie days that make a family outing to the movies economical. Monday is
Seniors Day; each ticket is $1.50 all day. Tuesday is Discount Day; each ticket is $1.25 all day. Anyone can save everyday
with the Early Bird discount; each ticket is $1.50 for the first matinee show time of the day. Although this theatre offers
the traditional movie experience the real eye catcher is its low pricing. In addition to the ticket savings, everyone can
also save at the concession stand with the many discount combos Dollar Movies 16 offers. Located at 5063 NW Loop
410, San Antonio, TX 78229.

8) Mayan Palace
Relax and enjoy your film in total comfort in one of the luxury electric recliners that allow guests to fully recline. This
theater has recliners in all auditoriums. All showtimes at this theatre are reserved seating. Numerous domestic and
imported varieties of cold beer and wine are available. Enjoy them in the lobby or take them into the theatre with you.
Located at 1918 SW Military Dr, San Antonio, TX 78221. Movie ticket prices range from $5 to $12 per person.

9) City Base
Before or after the movie enjoy some game time at the arcade attached to the movie theatre. The arcade features games
that are not typically found in traditional movie arcades. This arcade has bowling, laser tag, and rock climbing. In addi-
tion to the concession classics City Base offers snacks like Takis, Chamoy, and Picositas Belts. Movie ticket prices range
from $4 to $14 per person depending on showtimes. Located at 2623 SE Military Dr., San Antonio, TX 78223.

10) Mission Park Drive-In

The original Mission Drive-In opened on March 27, 1948 on Roosevelt Avenue at Mission Parkway. In March 2007
it was announced that the theater would be closing its doors. With the help of the City of San Antonio’s Department
for Culture & Creative Development (DCCD) the historic venue was given a new life and a new name: Mission Mar-
quee Plaza. The open “marquee plaza” provides over an acre of community gathering space. Slab Cinema provides free
outdoor movies on the original screen. Lawn chairs and blankets are recommended. Food trucks are available on movie
nights however everyone is welcome to bring their own food and drinks. The 2018 movie schedule begins on 05/05
featuring COCO and is scheduled to run a variety of movies through 11/17/2018.

72
Santikos Bijous Cinema
Bistro

Cinemark Movies 16. A local

favorite for cheap-dates.

Santikos Mayan Palace 14.

The Mayan Palace’s design
was influenced by Mayan
design.

City Base Cinema 10.

Mission Marquee Plaza. A

southside favorite for res-
idents during the warmer
months.

73
 El
Espej m a g a z i n e

Art work by Krystal Nycole Garza

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