The Rattler February 10, 2010 v. 97 #7 - St. Mary's University

02-10-10 Features The Rattler 9www.stmurattlernews.comCulture CalendarEuropean opera and ballet in cinemaFeb. 11 - Feb. 14Santikos Embassy 14 theater will be showing thenewest and most famous opera productions in highdefinition and surround sound.Chocolate DayFeb. 13Just in time for Valentine's day, The San Antonio BotanicalGarden will celebrate the history of chocolatewith food demonstrations, chocolate samplesand informational booths.Valentine's Day dldies danceFeb. 14Take a trip to the historic Guadalupe Theater fora Valentines dance featuring a number of localrhythm and blues artists.Asian Festival - Year of the TigerFeb 20Visit the Institute of Texan Cultures for this festivalwhich showcases respective Asian cultural entertainmentas well as cuisine from more than a dozenFar Eastern countries.Compiled by: Stephen GuzmanNews of the WeirdMaximum capacity reachedIn Johannesburg, South Africa, a school bus driverwas arrested for cramming 49 students into a 16passenger minibus on their morning commute toschool. The 26-year-old school bus driver was foundto have a blood alcohol level five times above thelegal limit and was arrested by officials.Msnbc.comTwinkie bandits caughtJames M. Denoon and Anthony Stout stole $300worth of snacks from a bakery truck in Tennessee.The pilfered goods included Zingers and Twinkies.The sugar craving crooks were not hard to find asthey left a path of footprints in inch high newly fallensnow. Police apprehended the thieves and theywere charged with theft under $500 as well as fortwo previous accounts of auto burglary.Sfgate.comSloping walls cause residents to evacuateThe Hills of Rivermist in San Antonio, Texas wasa recent center of controversy as 91 homes wereevacuated due to a collapsed retaining wall. Centexhomes, the company that built the retaining wallassures home owners that the failure of the wall occurreddue to unique soil conditions and is thereforean isolated event. The city of San Antonio willbe looking into the incident further and plans toimplement stricter enforcement concerning futurewalls and permits.Mysa.com"Life is too short,and you have to be happy."University salad chef shares her story, what she enjoys about her job and her take on life.By Analicia PerezPhoto EditorAmidst the mid-day hustle and bustleof the cafeteria, there is one voice thatrings out loud and clear, “Salads! Get yourfresh salads!”With the ring of a bell and a warm, invitingsmile, Ann “Shirley” Perez whipsup delicious, nutritious and fresh saladsfor St. Mary’s students.“Shirley always makes my day happier— I love her!” says junior international relationsmajor Lauren Sanchez.A San Antonio native, Perez has been inthe restaurant business all her life. Growingup, she helped out at her parents’ restaurant,along with her two brothers.When her parents passed away, Perezwas left in the care of her best friend Joanna’smother and stepfather. They becamea second family to her and she and Joannahave been best friends for over thirtyyears now.“She's my best friend, she's my sister,”said Perez.When greed within the family tookover, Perez was left without work andwent through one of the most trying timesof her life. But with a strong faith and determinedspirit, she faced her struggleshead on.“God only gives you so much to carryon your cross,” said Perez. “I've had ithard, but I make the best of what I have inlife, because life is too short, and you haveto be happy.”“Sometimes I'm real sad,” said Perez,“but when I come to work — I'm happy,”she added.Taking great pride in her work, Perezhas left jobs where she felt managementwas degrading its workers or refusing todiscard spoiled products.“I didn’t want to be a part of that,” saidPerez.She has now been with Aramark for 11years, transferring 6 years ago from TrinityUniversity.Perez sees her job as much more thanserving hungry students and she especiallyenjoys learning about the variouscustoms and traditional foods of the internationalstudents on campus.“I love my work, I love the students.You all are like my children and I get tokeep you for four years. Ya’ll make myday,” said Perez, smiling.When she is not at work, Perez loves togo fishing with friends or spend time withher two dogs, Max and Precious.Her one message to students is, “If youever have the opportunity to do something,if it's the right thing for you andyou just hear that inner voice, you go forit! Don't ever deny yourself that right. Lifeis too short.”Stranded pup saved by ship crewStranded on an ice floe, a brave dog survived a 75mile trip and below 31 degree weather in the BalticSea. A research ship crew spotted the dog and successfullygot him safely on board after a rescue missionthat entailed taking an inflatable dinghy intodangerously cold water. The dog, now dubbed Baltic,has been adopted by the crew of the “Baltic.” Hestays close to the mechanic who rescued him fromthe ice floe and enjoys sausage breakfasts everymorning with the crew.Msnbc.comCompiled by: Katie O’DonnellPhoto and graphic illustration by Analicia Perez