The Guadalupe Cultural Center is Different Now : Comment

From Alfredo Santos, doctoral student at UT/Austin and a newspaper publisher from Uvalde, Texas:

I am reading with great interest your series on the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.

Pa que vez como han cambiado las cosas: Two years ago, I was helping Jaime Martinez put together the program for the Cesar Chavez banquet that always proceeds the march. We were running behind and there were last minute changes to be made. The closest place I could think of that had a copier was the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Over the years I had always donated space and sometimes even sold spots for different events they sponsored in some of the newspapers I publish. So I said to myself, pa que son los friends si no te pueden ayudar en un bind? I dashed over the Guadalupe and explained that I needed to redo a brochure and was in a bind for time. Without blinking an eye the staffers who were still at the office working late on some other project showed me to the copy machine y me aranque con mi business. En un tris tras, I resolved the problem y como decia Jackie Gleason, ". . . and away we go." I managed to get the brochure back on time and distributed.

Ahora hay te voy: Last week I was in San Antonio and suddenly my cell phone rang. It was the printer in Austin. I was having a newspaper printed and there was a technical problem. (There are always technical problems.) I always carry a memory stick with me with the important files of the moment por que, pues tu sabes, nunca sabe uno . . Otra vez, I said to myself, where can I can my hands on a computer? Pues the Guadalupe! Me aranque pa ya and tried to hook up with someone who could help me. But this time instead of welcoming faces y orale pues, I sensed that something was different. It was quiet. It too clean, if you know what I mean. (No habia extra posters, flyers, o leaflets como antes. I asked for someone by name and he was summoned. We went out the door and upstairs and I explained my situation with the printer. He looked over his shoulder and then at an imaginary microphone in the wall and said, No puedo. I can't help you today." I thought it was a strange response wondered what was up. After a couple of moments tense silence I decided to leave. Me despedi and walked down the stairs thinking, algo esta pasando aqui.

Now I read your series and I think I understand: Two and Two equals Nine, I was out of line because I didn't read the sign, new boss at work this time!