Latest news with #TrinityUniversity
Axios
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Interview: Mayor Ron Nirenberg closes out eight years
As Mayor Ron Nirenberg prepares to depart the office this summer, he's leaving San Antonio with more affordable housing money, transportation plans, a workforce development program and, most recently, major proposals to bring sports and development downtown. Why it matters: Nirenberg is set to be San Antonio's longest-serving mayor since the 1980s. He's reaching his term limits at a time when a major project proposal to move the Spurs downtown hangs in the balance and when the city faces fluctuations in federal funding. State of play: The city has clashed with the Texas Legislature on local control and lost millions in federal health funding under the Trump administration. Catch up quick: Nirenberg will head back to Trinity University in August to work as a distinguished communications professor. San Antonio's next mayor will be either former Air Force undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones or former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, who are competing in a June 7 runoff election. Both have strong ties to Democratic and Republican party politics, respectively. The big picture: Nirenberg tells Axios he sees his major successes as: Recent expansions of Pre-K 4 SA and the creation of the taxpayer-funded Ready to Work program during the pandemic. Plans for two VIA rapid bus lines, including one that will run from the airport to the Missions, to create something like a mass transit system for San Antonio. The passage of the city's first true affordable housing bond alongside upgraded housing goals. The $2.5 billion overhaul of San Antonio International Airport, which includes a new terminal under construction. We sat down to talk with Nirenberg about recent news affecting the city. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. We're getting into the home stretch of the Texas legislative session. Are there bills out there that give you concern for the city and its residents? State Republicans are "eroding self-governance in local communities, particularly urban communities where public opinion is clearly not on the side of the culture wars they're waging. "There's a bill called HB 19 that would essentially prevent every urban community in the state from issuing debt to support basic infrastructure." How do you personally think a mayor should toe the line between working with state officials and pushing back when you represent a blue city in a red state? "We have a perfectly fine relationship with the state when we're working together on a common cause and when we have reasonable debate. It would be a perverse relationship with the state if the expectation is, when they abuse our citizens, we shut up about it." How should the city position itself heading into future years of the Trump administration? You have cuts to services and jobs that could harm locals and local institutions, and maybe the city budget and certain projects. "We're going to have to continue to get through the rough waters ahead, and that's the concern I have for the next mayor — that these are very challenging times coming up economically. … We're gonna have to triage our priorities and our resources accordingly." Recently, proposals to bring the Missions and Spurs downtown have left some people feeling like downtown will become too expensive for everyday residents. Do you share those concerns? "We've gotten a handle on ensuring there's a proper balance to the housing development in downtown that is a mix of affordability and market rate and everything around that. The reason for getting our fundamentals and getting our priorities straight … is so that we can do the things that major cities do to build quality of life." If the Spurs move downtown, how much do you think the city should contribute or not to a new arena, and what type of fund(s) should it be if the city does contribute? "I believe that visitor taxes are a suitable source. … I do think none of this will happen without significant contributions from the Spurs and from private equity. The reality is this is not going to be coming from residents' property taxes." What advice would you give to San Antonio's next mayor? "Continue to work hand in hand with (city manager) Erik (Walsh) and his team. "This city works best when the mayor and the council are working in partnership with the staff. … It doesn't work so well when elected officials are only interested in scoring political points."
Forbes
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
From the Pitch to the Polls: Student-Athletes Are ALL IN
From the moment I could move my legs, my parents learned to dodge what they affectionately dubbed my 'kick-y foot.' As soon as I could run, they registered me for my first soccer camp and when I kicked my first soccer ball, they knew the nickname would stick. Since that first camp, soccer became an obsession. I was always dribbling through hallways, juggling in the backyard, and turning every patch of grass into my personal field. Soccer wasn't just a game; it was my constant peace. It taught me to embrace the grind — chasing down goals and finding resilience through every win and loss. The more I played, the more I realized that soccer was more than a game — it was teaching me lessons that would shape my future both on and off the field. However, like many high school athletes, I felt a little lost when I entered the recruiting process for college athletics. There were so many decisions to make and I wasn't sure where I belonged. What I did know was that I wanted a school where I could grow as both an athlete and a person. Trinity University in Texas ended up being just that. Now, as a junior entering my final season in the fall, I can see that the game has forever changed my life, helping me approach each new challenge with a sense of clarity and determination. Nina Pollak (#17 - Midfielder) in action during Trinity University Women's Soccer's 5-0 win over Southwestern University in San Antonio, TX, Fall 2024. Looking back at my freshman-year self, I was somewhat of a curious, 'wide-eyed idealist'. I was determined to make a difference, but like many new students, I wasn't sure where to start. Then, early in my first semester at Trinity, I had what I can only describe as a moment of serendipity. I wandered over to a table in our student center with a banner that read 'MOVE Texas.' Honestly, I was initially drawn in by the display of colorful stickers and candy, but somehow I stumbled into exactly what I was looking for. This moment marked the start of blending my love for sports and my desire to create change in the world around me. As I came to find out, 'MOVE Texas' is a nonpartisan civic engagement organization that works to empower young people to vote and shape their communities. As an aspiring political science major from Washington, D.C., this felt like a perfect fit — a way to channel my determination and make an impact on campus. So, I jumped in and volunteered to help start the first student-run chapter of MOVE Texas at Trinity. Nina Pollak registering students to vote at Trinity University's National Voter Registration Day event in San Antonio, TX, Fall 2023. The experience of starting our chapter felt like building a team from the ground up. It started small — convincing a few friends to help me run a voter registration table. Soon, students started calling me 'voter girl' and coming to me for all things related to voting. In many ways, this journey mirrored my experience on the field: the long hours of practice, the setbacks and losses, and the small victories that added up over time. Our chapter grew, and through it, I saw how civic engagement, just like soccer, is a team sport. Both have taught me how to unite people, inspire action, and create lasting change. Today, I am the proud founder and president of the first student-run chapter of MOVE Texas at Trinity University, an organization with more than 100 members. Through our work, we have registered hundreds of student voters, organized annual National Voter Registration Day events, and brought in community leaders for a semester-long speaker series. Because of our chapter's efforts, this past year I was honored to be named in the ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll — a national recognition from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization empowering students to take action in civic learning and voter engagement initiatives. I've always felt that my two worlds — athletics and civic engagement — mirror one another in meaningful ways, each shaping who I am and how I see the world. As my soccer team prepares to join the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) in Fall 2025, I saw an opportunity to connect my passions. Eager to make a real difference, our MOVE chapter teamed up with ALL IN to set a new standard for student-athletes. Combining my love for soccer with my dedication to civic engagement, we introduced the ALL IN Athletic Conference Challenge to the SAA. Now, "SAA Votes" is a platform that empowers student-athletes like me with the tools and resources they need to inspire voter engagement within our conference and beyond. Trinity University Women's Soccer, led by coaches Dylan Harrison, Spencer Valdispino, and Andy Williamson, preparing for their Elite 8 matchup against William Smith College in the 2024 Division III NCAA Tournament in Scranton, PA. Soccer taught me how to fight for what I care about, and civic engagement showed me how to direct that passion to enact tangible change. My journey as a soccer player and civic leader has taught me that the same drive, teamwork, and resilience fuel success on and off the field. Just as we compete, student-athletes can come together to drive real change. Across the country, we are leveraging our visibility and influence to promote social change in ways that go far beyond the game. Today, let's celebrate all the student-athletes excelling in their sports and leading positive change in their communities. To all of us, on the field, in the classroom, and in the world at large, happy National Student-Athlete Day!
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Don't Think Too Hard About Gum
At the turn of the 20th century, William Wrigley Jr. was bent on building an empire of gum, and as part of his extensive hustle, he managed to persuade the U.S. Department of War to include his products in soldiers' rations. His argument—baseless at the time—was that chewing gum had miraculous abilities to quench thirst, stave off hunger, and dissipate nervous tension. But he was right: Scientists have since found that gum chewing can indeed increase concentration, reduce the impulse to snack, alleviate thirst, and improve oral health. Perhaps that's why people around the world have had the impulse to gnaw on tacky materials—roots, resins, twigs, blubber, tar made by burning birch bark—for at least 8,000 years. Today, gum is again being marketed as a panacea for wellness. You can buy gum designed to deliver energy, nutrition, stress relief, or joint health; scientists are even developing gums that can protect against influenza, herpes, and COVID. Ironically, this new era of chewing gum is manufactured with a distinctly modern ingredient, one not usually associated with wellness: plastic. By the time Wrigley began his business venture, Americans had grown accustomed to chewing gum sold as candy-coated balls or packaged sticks. The base of these chewing gums was made from natural substances such as spruce resin and chicle, a natural latex that Aztecs and Mayans chewed for hundreds if not thousands of years. Unfortunately for 20th-century Americans, the chicozapote trees that exude chicle take a long time to grow, and if they are overtapped, they die. Plus, cultivated trees don't produce nearly as much chicle as wild trees, says Jennifer Mathews, an anthropology professor at Trinity University and the author of Chicle. In the 1950s, chicle harvesters began struggling to meet demand. So gum companies turned to the newest innovations in materials science: synthetic rubbers and plastics. Today, most companies' gum base is a proprietary blend of synthetic and natural ingredients: If a packet lists 'gum base' as an ingredient, that gum most likely contains synthetic polymers. The FDA allows gum base to contain any of dozens of approved food-grade materials—substances deemed either safe for human consumption or safe to be in contact with food. Many, though, are not substances that people would otherwise think to put in their mouth. They include polyethylene (the most common type of plastic, used in plastic bags and milk jugs), polyvinyl acetate (a plastic also found in glue), and styrene-butadiene rubber (commonly used in car tires). The typical gum base contains two to four types of synthetic plastics or rubbers, Gwendolyn Graff, a confectionery consultant, told me. Everything we love about gum today is thanks to synthetic polymers, Graff said. Polyvinyl acetate, for example, strengthens the bubble film. 'If you blow a bubble, and it starts to get holes in it and deflate, that's usually an indicator that it doesn't have polyvinyl acetate,' Graff said. Styrene-butadiene rubber creates a bouncy chewiness that makes gum more likely to stick to itself rather than to surfaces like your teeth. Polyethylene can be used to soften gum so it doesn't tire out your jaw. Gums with only natural polymers 'can feel like they're going to fall apart in your mouth,' Graff said. Plastic gum, though, also falls apart, in a way: Gum chewing has been linked to microplastic ingestion. In a study published in December, U.K. researchers had a volunteer chew on a piece of gum for an hour, spitting into test tubes as they went. After an hour of gum chewing, the saliva collected contained more than 250,000 pieces of micro and nano plastics—comparable to the level of microplastics found in a liter of bottled water. In a study presented at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society (which has not yet been peer-reviewed), a graduate student's saliva contained elevated microplastic levels after she chewed several commercially available gums, including natural ones. The research on gum chewing and microplastics is still limited—these two papers effectively represent analysis of just two people's post-chew saliva—but gum chewing has also been correlated with higher urine levels of phthalates, plastic-softening chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors. Scientists are still learning about the health impacts of microplastic ingestion, too. Microplastics find their way into all kinds of foods from packaging or contamination during manufacturing, or because the plants and animals we eat absorb and ingest microplastics themselves. As a result, microplastics have been found in human livers, kidneys, brains, lungs, intestines, placentas, and breast milk, but exactly how our bodies absorb, disperse, and excrete ingested plastic is not very well studied, says Marcus Garcia, who researches the health effects of environmental contaminants at the University of New Mexico. Some research in mice and cultured cells hint that microplastics have the potential to cause damage, and epidemiological research suggests that microplastics are associated with respiratory, digestive, and reproductive issues, as well as colon and lung cancer. But scientists are still trying to understand whether or how microplastics cause disease, which microplastics are most dangerous to human health, and how much microplastic the body can take before seeing any negative effects. The answer could affect the future of what we choose to eat—or chew. Ingesting tiny plastic particles might seem inevitable, but over the past 10 years or so, Americans have grown understandably fearful about bits of plastic making their way into our food, fretting about microwaving food in plastic containers and drinking from plastic bottles. Gum has, for the most part, not triggered those worries, but in recent years, its popularity had been dropping for other reasons. In a bid to reverse that trend, gum companies are marketing synthetic gum as a tool for wellness. Just like Wrigley, they are betting that Americans will believe in the power of gum to soothe nerves and heal ailments, and that they won't think too hard about what modern gum really is. For anyone worried about swallowing still more plastic, after all, gum is easy enough to avoid. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
29-03-2025
- Health
- Atlantic
Don't Think Too Hard About Gum
At the turn of the 20th century, William Wrigley Jr. was bent on building an empire of gum, and as part of his extensive hustle, he managed to persuade the U.S. Department of War to include his products in soldiers' rations. His argument—baseless at the time—was that chewing gum had miraculous abilities to quench thirst, stave off hunger, and dissipate nervous tension. But he was right: Scientists have since found that gum chewing can indeed increase concentration, reduce the impulse to snack, alleviate thirst, and improve oral health. Perhaps that's why people around the world have had the impulse to gnaw on tacky materials—roots, resins, twigs, blubber, tar made by burning birch bark—for at least 8,000 years. Today, gum is again being marketed as a panacea for wellness. You can buy gum designed to deliver energy, nutrition, stress relief, or joint health; scientists are even developing gums that can protect against influenza, herpes, and COVID. Ironically, this new era of chewing gum is manufactured with a distinctly modern ingredient, one not usually associated with wellness: plastic. By the time Wrigley began his business venture, Americans had grown accustomed to chewing gum sold as candy-coated balls or packaged sticks. The base of these chewing gums was made from natural substances such as spruce resin and chicle, a natural latex that Aztecs and Mayans chewed for hundreds if not thousands of years. Unfortunately for 20th-century Americans, the chicozapote trees that exude chicle take a long time to grow, and if they are overtapped, they die. Plus, cultivated trees don't produce nearly as much chicle as wild trees, says Jennifer Mathews, an anthropology professor at Trinity University and the author of Chicle. In the 1950s, chicle harvesters began struggling to meet demand. So gum companies turned to the newest innovations in materials science: synthetic rubbers and plastics. Today, most companies' gum base is a proprietary blend of synthetic and natural ingredients: If a packet lists 'gum base' as an ingredient, that gum most likely contains synthetic polymers. The FDA allows gum base to contain any of dozens of approved food-grade materials—substances deemed either safe for human consumption or safe to be in contact with food. Many, though, are not substances that people would otherwise think to put in their mouth. They include polyethylene (the most common type of plastic, used in plastic bags and milk jugs), polyvinyl acetate (a plastic also found in glue), and styrene-butadiene rubber (commonly used in car tires). The typical gum base contains two to four types of synthetic plastics or rubbers, Gwendolyn Graff, a confectionery consultant, told me. Everything we love about gum today is thanks to synthetic polymers, Graff said. Polyvinyl acetate, for example, strengthens the bubble film. 'If you blow a bubble, and it starts to get holes in it and deflate, that's usually an indicator that it doesn't have polyvinyl acetate,' Graff said. Styrene-butadiene rubber creates a bouncy chewiness that makes gum more likely to stick to itself rather than to surfaces like your teeth. Polyethylene can be used to soften gum so it doesn't tire out your jaw. Gums with only natural polymers 'can feel like they're going to fall apart in your mouth,' Graff said. Plastic gum, though, also falls apart, in a way: Gum chewing has been linked to microplastic ingestion. In a study published in December, U.K. researchers had a volunteer chew on a piece of gum for an hour, spitting into test tubes as they went. After an hour of gum chewing, the saliva collected contained more than 250,000 pieces of micro and nano plastics—comparable to the level of microplastics found in a liter of bottled water. In a study presented at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society (which has not yet been peer-reviewed), a graduate student's saliva contained elevated microplastic levels after she chewed several commercially available gums, including natural ones. The research on gum chewing and microplastics is still limited—these two papers effectively represent analysis of just two people's post-chew saliva—but gum chewing has also been correlated with higher urine levels of phthalates, plastic-softening chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors. Scientists are still learning about the health impacts of microplastic ingestion, too. Microplastics find their way into all kinds of foods from packaging or contamination during manufacturing, or because the plants and animals we eat absorb and ingest microplastics themselves. As a result, microplastics have been found in human livers, kidneys, brains, lungs, intestines, placentas, and breast milk, but exactly how our bodies absorb, disperse, and excrete ingested plastic is not very well studied, says Marcus Garcia, who researches the health effects of environmental contaminants at the University of New Mexico. Some research in mice and cultured cells hint that microplastics have the potential to cause damage, and epidemiological research suggests that microplastics are associated with respiratory, digestive, and reproductive issues, as well as colon and lung cancer. But scientists are still trying to understand whether or how microplastics cause disease, which microplastics are most dangerous to human health, and how much microplastic the body can take before seeing any negative effects. The answer could affect the future of what we choose to eat—or chew. Ingesting tiny plastic particles might seem inevitable, but over the past 10 years or so, Americans have grown understandably fearful about bits of plastic making their way into our food, fretting about microwaving food in plastic containers and drinking from plastic bottles. Gum has, for the most part, not triggered those worries, but in recent years, its popularity had been dropping for other reasons. In a bid to reverse that trend, gum companies are marketing synthetic gum as a tool for wellness. Just like Wrigley, they are betting that Americans will believe in the power of gum to soothe nerves and heal ailments, and that they won't think too hard about what modern gum really is. For anyone worried about swallowing still more plastic, after all, gum is easy enough to avoid.
