THE PAISANO PRESENTS:

THE UTSA COLLEGE L IVING GUIDE:

PAISANO

IS COLLEGE WORTH IT? pg. 11

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MIXING CONCOCTIONS

IN THE RIVER CITY pg. 9

INTERNSHIPS: MORE THAN GETTING COFFEE pg. 7

CONTENTS4 College Roommates

7 Expanding Your Resume

8 Getting the Job

9 Trending: Cocktail Bars

11 College and its Cost

“The Good, the Bad, and the Culinary Impaired”

“Internships: More Than Getting Coffee”

“Dress for Success”

“Mixing Concoctions in the River City”

“Is College Worth It?”

“The Good, the Bad, and the Culinary Impaired”

As students transition from living at home to moving into a dorm on campus, roommate situations can become interesting life lessons. Fellow students comment on their roommates:

By Erin Boren

“Asian cuisine is one of my all time favorite foods, and when he unpacked a rice maker and several woks, I thought I was going to be in heaven! Then one night, he asked me if I had already eaten dinner because he was going to cook me stir-fry noodles. My heart skipped a beat, and I told him that I couldn’t wait. I looked in the kitchen and there were empty packages of Ramen noodles and hotdog weenies on the counter. It was at that moment, I knew that what I had imagined was nothing like what I was about to eat. When I took my first bite, I instantly thought I had been food-poisoned and wanted to vomit, but he was watching, so I had to swallow. I realized I should never eat homemade

Chinese noodles again.”Nick Mayorgasenior management science major, UTSA

“One became my best friend. We write snail-mail to each other since she moved to San Diego. The other one, I was super close with until she started dating the guy I had a fling with in the summer. When they started dating, she closed herself off from us and was never home. I think the fact that her boyfriend and I had a summer fling made her

uncomfortable.“Kelly De La Garzabusiness management major, UTSA alumna

“For my birthday, my roomie decorated my entire bathroom while I was asleep. She filled my shower top-to-

bottom with balloons, wrote all over my mirror and had streamers hanging all over the place. It made it a little difficult to get dressed, but it was worth

it.”Cori Keysophomore health science major,SAC

“Living at home is great because I’ve been able to save a lot of money. The only problem is that my little brother eats everything, and he’s bigger than me

so I can’t stop him.”Alyssa Dunnjunior infrastructure assurance and

information systems major, UTSA

The Good, the Bad and the culinary impaired

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“My roommate and I had an interesting first semester. I only saw him about three times and ended up spending about 99 percent of the semester staying in the dorms with a friend from high

school.”DJ Merinojunior government major, UT Austin

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Internships improve a re-sume and allow students to gain real-world experience. So what are some things to look for in an internship?

Tia Robles, a junior com-munication major, looks for “a great mentorship as well as be-ing able to network with oth-ers in my career field.” Robles states that “nothing helps more at learning how to do a job ef-fectively and efficiently than having a mentor to guide you.”

She adds that she likes being able to meet new people and network within the workplace. “It helps create a future founda-tion.”

Jacob Falcon, a senior Eng-lish major, wants to be a part of an organization that shares his same passions. “A dream internship for me

would be to intern for a profes-sional basketball team. Basket-ball really helped me through many adversities in my life. I would be honored to be a part of such an organization. Pay would not matter to me,” Falcon says.

Although Falcon is concerned about sharing the same passions and work ethic of other interns, some students are concerned about how they will provide for themselves while completing an internship.

Clifton Gomez, a senior pub-lic relations major, says that he looks for a paid internship. Many students are living on their own and have to pay for their bills, living expenses, transportation and other essentials such as groceries and gas. Gomez is not alone in his desire to get a paid internship.

Christian Corrales, the expe-riential learning coordinator at UTSA’s University Career Cen-ter, discussed his views on paid internships: “It’s like a double-edged sword. I always tell stu-dents to look at the content. Look at the general description of what the individual should be prepared to be engaged in. I frown upon for-profit corpora-tions that offer unpaid intern-ships because that falls within a very thin, grey area of them potentially getting into legal problems.”

The Youth Department of La-bor has a six-prong criteria that enforce for-profit companies to pay their interns. Unfortu-nately, one of the prongs states that the company should not have a direct profit or benefit from the intern’s work. “That’s

kind of hard to prove,” Corrales states. “I encourage students to ask the questions: What is it that I’m going to be learning? How am I going to be learning? And who’s going to teach it to me? Overall, that should give insight to the student to see if that’s what they want to do or not.

“An internship at whatever side–non-profit, for-profit, government, higher-educa-tion–should be about a learn-ing experience.”

Patrick Gathron, a senior communication major, looks for a fun, yet challenging envi-ronment. “I want an internship that challenges me to explore new realms and look at things in a way that I’ve never seen them before as they apply to my area of interest,” states Gathron.

Internships: More Than Getting Coffee

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By Amanda Dansby

ress and appearance is a huge piece of a successful interview,”

says Morris Ellington of em-ployee relations at UTSA’s Ca-reer Center. “Interviewers see with their eyes and that starts with the way you dress.”

Many applicants research, practice their handshake and tire over a well-written resume before an interview. Applicants may feel prepared for the ques-tions, but what should appli-cants wear? Business-formal or business casual?

While many wear business-casual to an interview such as dress pants and a polo shirt or a patterned dress, business formal is favored. Dressing ap-propriately can help a potential employee stand out among oth-er applicants.

Potential employees should consider dressing business-like, professional and conservative. “Over half of any interview is your appearance,” says El-lington. Once the interviewer greets you, the interview has already started.

Dressing for an interview is unquestionably important, but what to wear and how to style it is not always clear. Dressing in

business-formal rather than ca-sual can set an applicant apart from other applicants. For in-ternships and full-time posi-tions, business-formal dress is preferred. Business-casual may be worn for a part-time inter-view.

Clothing should be in neutral colors like black, navy and gray. These choices include cleaned and pressed suits for men and women. Basic dress shirts such as white, collared shirts are rec-ommended with suits. Subtle and conservative patterns are acceptable for suits and shirts.

Men’s ties should also be kept simple and color-coordinated with an applicant’s suit, if pos-sible. For example, different shades of blue could be worn with a navy suit. Tie clips are unnecessary, as they may dis-tract the interviewer.

It is important to pay atten-tion to every detail from head-to-toe. Shoes are a crucial part of the applicant’s appearance as well. “The first thing interview-ers look at is your shoes,” says Ellington.

Applicants should keep shoes business-formal as well. Men are advised to wear shined, conservative black dress shoes, while women should wear closed-toe, conservative shoes. Flats are acceptable, although

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Dress f o r SUCCESS

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By Janae Rice

Mixing Concoctions in the River City

Kristin Robertson, a bartend-er at Blue Box Bar, sticks a straw in the Tom Collins she’s making to taste. “This specific customer

asked for it to be sweeter than usual,” she says.

Like a chef, Robert-

son tastes

each drink she makes

before serv-ing it. The Blue Box Bar

is among many of San Antonio’s cocktail

bars that take drink-making to the level of

mixology. San Antonio is known for being the home

of the Alamo and the Riverwalk, but as the city grows, its night-life offers much more than just restaurants and bars.

The idea behind these new cocktail bars is to introduce

new flavors to bar goers. Cocktail bars like

Blue Box, The Brooklynite and Bar 1919 are serv-

ing not only drinks, but also using quality ingredients like fresh fruit and fine liquor to formulate classic, sophisticated cocktails. Although crafted cocktail bars have been around for awhile, they are becoming more popular in San Antonio.Blue Box Bar is the Pearl Brew-

ery’s only bar and has quickly become the neighbor-

hood hangout. “I’m

looking for a low

drama place and a good atmosphere,”

says Tatiana Torres, a communication major at

UTSA. “The drinks were a little pricey but it was totally worth it. All the bartenders really take their time making your drinks and are really friendly,” says Torres.

With apartments popping up around the Pearl, Blue Box gets busy on the weekends, but, according to bartender James Santos, that’s never a bad thing. Although Blue Box offers a specials menu on the wall, patrons are not restricted to those drinks. “It’s all about the customer. They are the menu,” he says. Patrons who come in and don’t know what to order can ask the bartenders to make a custom drink based on what flavors they like. “Savory or salty, we have the ingredients and we go on that,” says Santos.

Visiting Blue Box or other cocktail bars may make patrons change their concept of liquor

and how it’s used. “I had a lady come in that said she would never drink rum again. I said, ‘How about I make you some-thing without rum?’ And I made her a rum drink and she loved it. When she finished it, I told her it was a rum cocktail and now she’s not so biased.”

Like Blue Box, The Brook-lynite is known as a bar repre-senting a new wave of cocktail bars that focus on ingredients and the palette. “You notice a lot more demand for higher quality

food and drink,” says Rob Gourlay, a bartender at The

Brooklynite. Patrons unfamiliar with

cocktails can choose one of the drinks offered on the wax-stamped menu. The menu offers

many cocktails, such as Death in the Afternoon (absinthe and champagne) and classics like a Jack Rose or an Old Fashioned.

The Brooklynite does not just focus on ingredients in cocktails, but on all aspects of the bar’s environment. The bar is designed to make customers feel comfortable with antique furnishings, coffee tables and dimmed lighting. Cucumber infused water is served while patrons decide what to drink, and three food trucks are avail-able Monday through Saturday outside the bar.

The Brooklynite’s atmosphere

and drinks are reminiscent of the prohibition era, but if patrons are looking for a speak-easy, Bar 1919 is an establish-ment where speaking easy is a rule.

Bar 1919, as the name sug-gests, is a throwback to the prohibition era. The bar offers only one vodka because “There is only one vodka necessary for this establishment,” one of the 10 bar rules states.

“I actually prefer Bar 1919 over bars that resemble a club or speedy experience. When-ever I go to Bar 1919, I feel like a cool kid going underground,” says Christina Britain, a junior English major at UTSA.

Bar 1919 adheres to the prohibition milieu with rules

prohibiting patrons from order-ing modern drinks like a Cos-mopolitain or anything made with energy drinks. They offer drinks like the Moscow mule or an Apple Pie Martini.

“The drinks were a little pricey but it was totally worth it. All the bartenders really take their time in making your drinks and are really friendly.”Tatiana Torrescommunications major

By Janae Rice

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#?!*

Students question whether the college education is worth the money it costs in return.

“Fifty-seven percent of college students claim they are unhappy with what they receive in return for paying for a college education.”

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#?!*he term “worth”

can mean many types of values:

monetary, personal or some-thing measured by the esteem at which it is held. So what worth does a college education have? Is it worth the money for the edu-cation, experience or degree?

According to the Pew Re-search Center, a whopping 57 percent of college students claim that they are unhappy with what they receive in return for paying for a college education. Howev-er, among college graduates, 86 percent agree that they benefit from the personal experience. At what cost is the experience worth the money?

Why attend college?

There are conflicting opin-ions on the subject of pursuing a career right after high school graduation rather than packing up for college in the fall. After all, the non-traditional route of skipping college completely or becoming a college dropout has worked for many people including Rachel Ray, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.

While some people have the determination and will to succeed in their careers with-out the help of a degree, others blame lack of financial support for inhibiting their choice to obtain a college education. The growing college enrollment lessens the available financial aid funding per student, and there-fore, hinders the 48 percent of non-enrolled students the Pew report found could not afford to

continue their education. Also, some 34 percent of high school graduates claimed that higher education was not necessary for their career.

Apart from the number of students incapable of at-tending college for financial reasons or those without the need for college, there are also students who lack direction. Former UTSA student Bron-wen Kinzler-Britton left college for an internship opportunity in Los Angeles. “I was kind of itching for something different. Also, I had no idea if what I was going to school for was even what I wanted to do for a living,” Kinzler-Britton says. “I feel bad going to school and spending thousands of dollars on some-thing I don’t necessarily want to do.”

Like many people in her situa-tion, Kinzler-Britton muses that she may not be a “school per-son.” However, career-seekers should consider the job market statistics for those without a col-lege degree.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemploy-ment rate for high school gradu-ates without college experience, as of December 2012, is 8.1 percent compared to the 3.8 percent unemployment rate for college graduates with a bach-elor’s degree or higher. Even among those who have college experience or a two-year degree, the unemployment rate is still remarkably higher–6.7 percent.

Some high school graduates may believe the job market is too small and saturated with those carrying a college degree

to spend time and money in college. People with that opinion jump right into the career field with what they believe is a four-year head start.

But does that head start pay off when it comes to lifetime salaries? Most surveys report an overwhelming “NO.” The Pew report agrees with the majority, claiming that the average college graduate in a 40-year period earns about $650,000 more than the average high school gradu-ate.

The Pew Research Center cal-culated that the total earnings for a college graduate is esti-mated at $1.42 million versus the $770,000 of a high school graduate, producing a net earn-ings of $650,000. Then, subtract-ing an average of college tuition cost, not including room and

board, at $6,000 and foregone earnings of $94,000, a bachelor’s degree graduate has a net payoff of $550,000 more than that of a student who foregoes a higher education.

However, it is inevitable that exceptions do exist. Selected college majors and particular job market predictions, as well as the amount of loans neces-sary, all depend on personal circumstances and career goals.

Kinzler-Britton says this

about college education: “While I do think college is a great opportunity and obviously has even greater benefits, I definitely believe that college just isn’t for everyone. I have known some incredibly successful people who never went to college and are so content with life.”

Pay Up

The attitude toward complet-ing a college degree is one that changes with perspective, from teacher to student to parent. According to the Pew report, 94 percent of parents assume their child will attend college.

So, if the student decides to attend college, the question be-comes; how to pay for it? Only 22 percent of Americans believe that college is affordable; that

number has been dropping since 1985.

While 48 percent of the public believe the student or his or her family should cover the biggest burden of college expenses, 31 percent believe that it is the re-sponsibility of either the federal or state government.

Eric Cooper, Ph.D., director of Student Enrollment Services, states that within UTSA, 65-70 percent of students rely on finan-cial aid. He claims that there is a

“I feel bad going to school and spending thousands of dollars on something I don’t necessarily want to do.”Bronwen Kinzler-BrittonFormer UTSA student

IS COLLEGE WORTH IT? By Erin Boren

higher percentage of high-need students at UTSA than any other campus in the UT system.

“UTSA has always been a school of access,” says Cooper. “We’re always interested in help-ing students come to college and afford it.”

Consequently, the increas-ing dependence on financial aid and student loans leads to an in-crease in overall student debt af-ter graduation. The report finds that student loan debt, is on av-erage, a little over $20,000 per family.

With that impending debt, 27 percent of college graduates are working full-time jobs, yet underemployed, according to the Huffington Post. And with an underemployed job, it would take more than 20 years to pay off college debts.

Cooper stresses the impor-tance of graduating in a timely manner, which, traditionally, is four years. Every additional year adds weight to p o s t - c o l l e g e debts and, in some cases, fi-nancial aid may become unavail-able. “The feder-al government is really stressing that financial aid is a contract. They expect you to earn your de-gree in a timely manner. Legis-lation is changing to make sure students aren’t taking advantage of the financial aid system,” he says.

Additionally, 48 percent of graduates with student loans claim that debt has made it harder to pay other bills or make ends meet. Twenty-four percent of those with loans also admit that the debt has had an impact on the type of career they pur-sued. It is a difficult situation to imagine that college debt is driv-ing the future, rather than the dreams that brought students to pursue an education in the first

place. So is the stet worth it with

debt attached? As previously discussed, the Pew report finds in favor of the graduate, who will ultimately make enough money to pay off loans and still earn a greater amount than a non-grad-uate. It’s hard to say yes or no, since many variables factor into the final outcome.

One thing is for sure though: the price of college tuition and fees are continuing to climb and show no sign of slowing. College Board reports tuition and fees have increased 27 percent over the rate of inflation in the last five years alone.

Changing Attitudes

Despite the recipe for success that many college institutions seem to offer, the low expectation of the job market combined with the debt that more and more stu-dents seem to find unbearable is

becom-ing a threat to the es-teemed worth of a college e d u c a -t i o n . Twenty-six per-cent of workers b e l ie ve that they

would make the same money if they had a degree, while 22 per-cent of those with a degree be-lieve they would make the same amount without one. While this is not the majority opinion, high school graduates increasingly take alternate routes to careers.

Kinzler-Britton warns, “I am a big believer in taking some time after high school before going to a university. I wish I had. There is no rush; a degree will always be there.”

Non-traditional companies like Google and Zappos are tak-ing advantage of the creative

generation. There is a shift from linear, ladder-climbing careers to multiple movements between professions. Gone are the days of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. suits and ties. They have been replaced with themed dress-up days, laptops and nap rooms.

As previously stated, 86 per-cent of college graduates believe that the col-lege experi-ence was not only an edu-cational ex-perience, but one of per-sonal growth as well.

“I definitely think that a college educa-tion is worth something if not just the knowledge you gain, but also the experiences you have,” says Kinzler-Britton. “I had some of the most fun while I was in school at UTSA and met some of the absolute best people. I think that it is really unfortu-nate how expensive it has gotten to go to college.”

Of graduates who annually earn more than $50,000, 91 per-cent believe college was a good investment. That percentage drops to 73 percent for those earning less than $50,000. In other terms, the more a graduate makes, the more they contribute their salary to their college edu-cation. Nevertheless, non-col-lege graduates can still achieve high-paying jobs with the right connections.

Diploma as a Door Opener

UTSA’s Career Center de-termined that 35-48 percent of graduates got their jobs through networking. According to Mor-ris Ellington, project manager for the Career Center, “Network-ing and building a network of professional contacts is critical. ‘It’s not what you do; it’s who you know’ that really helps in this modern job market.” And this

networking comes from deter-mined students who force their foot in a door. “Employers like to see experience in a related field and look for internships. The more the better. One is good; two is awesome,” he says. Intern-ships can be a good foundation to start networking.

Like most college campuses, U T S A o f f e r s students s o m e -t h i n g valuable–a place to help them m a k e i m p o r -tant life-changing co n n e c-tions. As

Ellington says, “There are so many ways that we can connect students and employers togeth-er.”

In the modern job market, it may not be the particular diplo-ma that employers look at, but how a student spent his or her time achieving it.

Cooper also urges students to be mindful of their grades. “I think more employers will look at a transcript versus a diploma. Bad grades and more W’s on a transcript will raise red flags.”

Does Cooper think a degree is necessary? “I do, but maybe I’m not the average person. I was a first generation college student, but I also received a master’s and a doctoral degree. I wouldn’t be where I am right now without a college degree.”

Ultimately, college comes with a hefty price tag but also with op-portunities and experiences.

Kinzler-Britton says, “There are so many positives that come from a college education. It’s ac-tually hard to see many negative things that stem from getting a degree–other than the hole it leaves in your pocket.”

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“I definitely think that a college education is worth something, if not just the knowledge you gain, but also the expe-riences you have.”Bronwen Kinzler-BrittonFormer UTSA student

“‘It’s not what you do; it’s who you know’ that really helps in this modern job market.”Morris EllingtonProject Manager for the UTSA Career Center

shoes with a heel look best. Heels should be kept conservative—under three inches.

Personal appearance should be kept simple as well. Facial hair is acceptable as long as it’s kept trim and neat. In order to main-tain eye contact with the inter-viewer, women should pull long hair away from their face. It is also suggested that women wear simple, natural makeup and little jewelry. Loud or colorful jewelry may be a distraction for the in-terviewer.

Women wearing a dress or skirt may wear nude or black ho-siery. Patterns and colors are dis-tracting and should be avoided.

Clothing is not the only factor of a successful interview. Appli-cants should practice eye con-tact, posture, hand gestures and, most importantly, smiling. Smil-ing during an interview demon-strates enthusiasm and open-ness. Ellington says, “If you have a friendly personality, you are much more likely to give a good impression.”

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While many students at UTSA are required to participate in an internship, students tend to focus more on maintaining a high GPA than searching for an internship. However, employ-ers often look for more than just good grades.

“Get a leg up,” Corrales com-ments. “Make the effort to help yourself. The degree is part of the equation, but also get experi-ence.”

Corrales encourages students to participate in internships. A good internship, he says, is like the experience of learning how to drive.

“There are two parts to acquir-ing a driver’s license: the first part is the written test: how well do you know about what you need to know in order to acquire

a driver’s license?” Corrales says. “The second part is the actual driving part– get behind the wheel and demonstrate that you can drive a car.”

When it comes to hiring an employee, companies tend to consider interns before the tra-ditional external candidates. In-ternship programs have become a recruiting ground for future employees.

Corrales explains how some companies use their internship program to bring in a cohort of students and evaluate them dur-ing the internship to see if they’re a good fit for the company –much like the driving test before getting a license.

In some cases, the internship becomes an extended interview in which the company decides if they could potentially extend an

offer. “It ends up being a [trial-run].

When students graduate and go into the job market, more often than none, there is a high prob-ability that companies are going to hire those they know,” Cor-rales says.

UTSA’s Career Center works closely with those students who come in seeking employment and internship opportunities. Not only will they provide in-formation about an opportunity in your major and classification, but they also will make sure that you are placed in an environ-ment that piques your interest. Giving students options is one of the main goals when helping a student decide on an intership program.

To find out more, visit utsa.edu/careerservices.

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