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Serving the University of Texas at San Antonio
J Volume 14 Number jT 1
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Gang experts discuss increasing violence
By Robort Sehsnnorhom News Editor
An active gang member, a Bexar county prosecutor and a UTSA sociol¬ ogy professor addressed a group Nov. 13 on the rapidly growing gang problem in San Antonio.
The symposium, ^xxisored by die Mediodist Student Movement, was led by Adrian Vega, junior and student in¬ tern for the group. "We just feel that it's something that is important and needs to be addressed," he said.
Chris, a member of alarge local gang, spoke about his expoiences as a gang member over the last three years. "Youths like myself, diey join gangs mainly for protection from getting jumped. Some people get invdved be¬ cause diey feel that gangs are like fam¬ ily," he said.
"I've seen many friends get hurt, get shot. I've been to many funerals for my friends," Chris said.
Chris says he would like to get out of the gang, but diat he fears what the gang might do to him if he does. "When you want to get out they will really try and kill you. I've seen friends die from getting 'jumped out.' After witnessing that, I don't know how to get out."
Dr. Avelardo Valdez, professor of sociology, spoke from his perspective as
a sociologist and his woik with heroin addicts around Soudi Texas. " Most adolescents are involved in some type of peergroup,"hesaidaddingthat through interaction widi peers adolescents fu^t begin to carve their personal niche in life.
"All of us, at this stage, do things diat we can't do again in our lives," Valdez said. He noted that gangs are developing among middle class youth, but made a general distinction between diese gangs and those of the inner city.
"In terms of inner city kids in poor neighborhoods, the gangs don't exist in relation to other institutions. In other areas and other income levels, you have other institutions in the community that surround the gang such as your famUy, your church, your school. So, although you may be doing things on your own, kind of crazy things even, you're re¬ strained by diese other institutionsaround you and they act to socialize you," he said.
"What is happening in many inner city, poor communities is what is called a social dislocation. These institutions that we had before are breaking down and die peer group becomes the most important thing."
Chris admitted during the sympo¬ sium to committing a number of felony crimes. "I myself have done Uiings like
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A meeting i.s planned tor Nov. 16 M St. M ify's University from 11;30 ajn. iKJ 1:3Q p.m. All 23 schools in the .South Texs« area b^ve been invited lo attend. Thi: agenda is set to deal witii the first phase. According to Reinhart, response for the program has been positive, $5 n^Mesent^ves are expected to auend die upcoming conference.
Dr. Avelardo Valdez, professor of sochilogy at UTSA, speaks about the reasons behind the rise In gang activity.
drive-bys, things 1 know I would never think of doing. 1 don't know why. It's not to be cool. It'sjust fear of me getting rolled out or beat up out of the gang because 1 didn 't do what they wanted me to."
Russell Mitchell, assistant district attorney, has been a prosecutOT for five years and in the juvenile division for nine months. Hisexperiences with gang members parallel the views of Chris and Valdez.
Mitchell cites a lack of supervision as one of the main causes of juvenile gang membership. "Most of the guys who are in gangs come from families where Ihey don't have a father figure. They have a mom who is probably busting her tail the best she can to make money to support her chUdren. A lot of these kids don't have anything else to do."
Though Mitchell feels, as does Valdez, that more resources should be directed toward rehabditation and pre¬ vention, he feels that his efforts al pros¬ ecuting chronic repeat offenders are of¬ ten di warted by the leniency of die Fam¬ ily Code enacted by the Texas Legisla¬ ture.
"You bust your butt to put the case together. You bust your butt to get a jury to convict somebody. Then they're sent to the Texas Youth Correctional facility, and the kid just sneers at you and says
' Yeah, r 11 see you in about six months.'"
Bodi Chris and Mitchell have ob¬ served an increase in gang activity Uiroughout die city. "Ifyou would watch every school for just a day you would see gang involvement," Chris said. "It isn't just the East side. It's everywhere, every color."
Mitchell graduated from MacArthur High School in 1978 when there was virtually no gang activity on campus. Now he sees more cases of kids taking guns and knives to campus coming out of MacArthur and die Northeast high schools than other areas.
The prognostication of all three ex¬ perts is grim. Gangs are prevalent throughout die cily, especially in middle and high schools. Even the members who want to get out often feel diey can't, the support sUTiclures dial in die past helped lo thwart gang tendencies have deteriorated in many communities and the judicial system is over burdened and lenient. Still, Mitchell believes dial the problem is not as severe as the media make il out to be.
"What 1 have found," Mitchell says, "is that most of the violence that occurs with gangs happens within gangs. Un¬ fortunately, (some oO the people Ihat gel killed are the sisters, brothers and parents of the gang members;"
Grant funds new biomedical projects
By Gerry Garza Staffwriter
The Minority Biomedical Research Support Program (MBRS) has been awarded a four year, $3,000,000 grant to work on three new projects. Also MBRS is soliciting for another five research projects and an additional fund of $1,700,000.
During the past 12 years, UTSA's MBRS has been funded by die National Institute of Healdi to work on nine re¬ set h topics. These involve ongoing research in biochemistry, information processing, organic chemisti7, biophys¬ ics, genetics, molecular biology and neu¬
robiology.
Twenty-eight research positions are available, but only 18 spots have been filled. The process of selecting MBRS candidates is based on academic records, interviews, letters of recommendations and a desire to pursue a career in bio¬ medical research.
Undergraduati s may earn $6,000 an¬ nually and graduate students receive a stipend of $7,500 plus tuition and fees. Through sponsorships graduates and undergraduates attend MBRS sympo¬ siums, where they present their research findings. Undergraduates work 16 to 20 hours per week during die regular school year and full-time during the summer.
Graduates work part-time throughout the year.
UTSA established the MBRS in an effort to increase die percentage of mi¬ nority biomedical researc h sc ienti sts and to strengdien die universiy's scientific research capacities.
The program place, ninority students into research positions. The guidance and opportunity for experience the pro¬ gram offers, prepares students to con¬ tinue their education in graduate or medi¬ cal school.
"It's a dual purpose program," says Dr. Andrew Tsin, MBRS director and UTSA professor of biochemistry.  "Il
supports faculty research and provides training for minority students."
Certain ethnic groups are more prone 10 certain diseases, and, because of the rapid growth of many minority popula¬ tions, there is a pressing need lo leam more about their health situations. Asa result, programs such as MBRS encour¬ age more minorities lo enter the bio¬ medical fields.
So far Ihe program has been success¬ ful at acquiring funds and expanding the faculty research projects. Also, die re¬ search students have a 90 perceni accep¬ tance rate into graduate and medical schools.
Ktatt Phillips and Atlyla Marrero share the ambiance of the Homecoming bonfire on Saturday evening, Nov. 16. KTFM radk> statton broadcasted Ihre from the event. The blaze was visible from Loop 1604 and Interstate 10.
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