Inner City With Style

For the past fifteen years, Linda Aguilar has been coordinating, promoting and coaching some of San Antonio's finest hidden talent.  These kids are not just entertaining, they are gifted.  They come to her at various stages. One twelve-year old girl was painfully shy when she began singing.  Through practice, exposure, and Linda's genuine loving care, and with God's blessings, she would remind you, the young singer flowered.  Today Harley Steele, and her long-time sidekick, Johnny Love can be found rehearsing together preparing for their next show.  Their talents are extraordinary, and you will notice right away that they have put much time and effort into their vocal performances.

Aguilar's non-profit theatrical group has evolved over the years.  She began with a group of two, then added a few more kids and began entertaining at a San Antonio nursing home.  Pretty soon, requests began coming for performances at community events.  Now her group, Inner City With Style is honored with requests to entertain at corporate fundraising events, TAMU-SA's last fall festival, city events like the recent Graffiti Wipeout Celebration, and even the New Year's Eve celebration at the Arneson River Theater.  Though the group performs free at these types of functions, it uses any donations to purchase music, costumes and materials to directly benefit the kids.

Groups like this with dedicated directors like Aguilar, who is a student at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, can be a springboard to a career in entertainment, a channel for talented young people to gain the experience and practice they need to become polished performers with confidence and stage presence. Youngsters like the extremely talented mariachi singer, Sebastian DelaCruz, a nine-year-old vocal prodigy who recently won the San Antonio Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza competition, the largest of its kind in Texas.  In any case, behind any one of the success stories of these talented children, there will be Aguilar, cheering, critiquing and praying every minute that they will have the opportunity to fulfill their true potential and share their gifts with the world.

Check out three of the many wonderful performances, posted on YouTube, by clicking on photo captions below:

Littlest Mariachi  

Johnny Love & Harley Steele

La Tejanita

Houston, we have lift off – The Mesquite launch successful

On March 9, 2011 The Mesquite, the student newspaper of Texas A&M University-San Antonio, was officially launched with a party which included special guests Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier and Mr. Tino Duran, publisher of La Prensa. Duran told those in attendance about his experience beginning a newspaper, and reminded Mesquite reporters and staff that he has an open door for them. Duran has supported Texas A&M University-San Antonio by making a large financial contribution, and is planning another donation of funds in the near future.

The first of many to come, Mesquite Source Awards were distributed to recognize the contributions made by those who have categorically supported the news process for TAMU-SA’s brand new student-run news outlet. Winners were recognized with certificates and “Branch Out” T-Shirts with the Mesquite News logo.

Drawings for prizes totaling several hundred dollars were held throughout the two-hour celebration.

• Comedy Club Tickets courtesy of La Prensa went to Gabriel Calderan, Marilyn Spell, Anaiah Liserio and Juan Garcia.
• Tymrak Enterprises donated several gifts; an I-Tunes gift card won by Betty Villegas, Best Buy gift card won by Chris Ramos, and a Valero gas card won by Michael Ruiz.
• Longhorn Steakhouse provided a gift card won by Jenny Rodriguez.
• The Egg & I donated several gift certificates, one of which went to Brandy Weitzel.
• Wireless Toyz donated a gift certificate won by Shaun Springfield.
• Several dozen lucky attendees also took home The Mesquite’s “Branch Out” t-shirts.

In addition to snacks and the celebratory cake, (TRIGAS?) provided helium and balloons added to the festive feel inside the Student Center at the Gilette campus.  Disc jockey and Mesquite reporter, Cornelius Ontiveros, provided equipment and music for the celebration.

Mesquite staff, reporters and junior reporters were on hand to walk students and faculty through the new Mesquite website on the projection screen, providing everyone a chance to see the extensive news, services and information now available at mesquite-news.com.