Newly-elected City of Brownsville mayor Juan "Trey" Mendez (fourth from left) ran the last meeting of his nine-year tenure on the Texas Southmost College board before he is sworn in as mayor July 2.
By Juan Montoya
It was February 17, 2011.
Juan "Trey" Mendez had been elected to a six-year term as a Texas Southmost College trustee only the year before. But on that day, the meeting of the community college trustees was held at the TSC Fine Arts Center because it was expected that an overflow crowd was expected that would not fit in the board meeting room Gorgas Hall.On the agenda, the seven trustees were going to decide whether the community college would remain in the "partnership" with the University of Texas System as a hybrid UTB-TSC, or to return to its original mission as an independent community college as it had been 20 years before.
The Fine Art Center was full of pro "partnership" partisans that had aligned with former UTB-TSC President Juliet Garcia. Only a continent of pro-community college wearing "Save TSC" T-shirts lined the very back of the cavernous auditorium.
Everyone though that new trustee Mendez was the weak link in the foursome (Kiko Rendon, Adela Garza, Rene Torres and Mendez) who favored the independent community college. The pressure was on him to go along with the three who favored staying in the partnership and transferring the assets of the college to the UT System, in other words, to dissolve it.
So when Mendez made the motion in front of the pro-partnership mob to "preserve" the community college, the crowd exploded with a roar."All hell broke loose," Mendez recalled Thursday during his last day as a TSC trustee days before he is sworn in as the new mayor of the city of Brownsville. Fittingly, his last meeting as trustee was held at the Fine Arts center, too.
"People came up to the stage and called us all kinds of nasty things. Only the small group in the back of the center cheered. I confess that it was me who funded the purchase of the 'Save TSC' t-shirts."
As we remember correctly now, even after the vote the pressure was applied on Mendez. A priest close to Garcia had gathered scores of students and pro-partnership adherents and marched on his law office. He threatened to "destroy" Mendez personally and professionally. The banking community and important political figures including the state representative and the state senator favored dissolving it.
But on Thursday's farewell to Mendez, each member of the board shared an anecdote of their time with him on the board, from Garza, who was there the nine years he was there, to Eva Alejandro, the newest board member.
Each expressed their belief that Mendez would carry the same determination and perseverance in his term as mayor Brownsville.
TSC President Dr. Robert Rodriguez said he had decided to come to TSC after he saw the sense of community among the board members and said that the community college that Mendez saved was now on its way to return to its former glory.
Enrollment is at its all-time high since it achieved independence, Rodriguez said. Today, it is the fastest growing community college in Texas, and it is offering more and more opportunities to students in the community.
TSC President Dr. Robert Rodriguez said he had decided to come to TSC after he saw the sense of community among the board members and said that the community college that Mendez saved was now on its way to return to its former glory.
Enrollment is at its all-time high since it achieved independence, Rodriguez said. Today, it is the fastest growing community college in Texas, and it is offering more and more opportunities to students in the community.
Mendez, in turn, said that he wanted to return TSC to its original mission, to lower tuition for students from university-level to make it affordable to local students, and to take it back to the level of greatness it had been.
"When I was growing up as a kid in Brownsville I never thought I would ever be a trustee, or for that matter mayor of the city. I has been a dream come true. I will only be a phone call away."
17 comments:
Boy Wonder will disappoint. He's not a leader, never has been, always a go along. smh.
South Texas College in McAllen is fastest-growing. STC has an enrollment of approximately 31,000 students and a staff of 1,600 working across six campuses.
Texas Southmost College has enrollment of barely 7,000 and one campus.
Why lie, Montoya? smh
To 7.21
Boy wonder will run circles around you, you fucking moron, just wait and see.
I still have my "SAVE TSC" t-shirt. As I remember it, that group led by the priest that protested at Trey's office happened after the vote to dissolve the partnership, not before. I remember the February 17, 2011 TSC Board of Trustees meeting at the TSC Arts Center. It was mayhem, chaos, an almost riot when the decision was announced to separate from UT. You would have thought everyone had lost their minds the way the good citizens of Brownsville were running around, literally running around like chickens with
their heads cut off. I was "chocked". It was the best decision ever.
Fastest growing and largest are not the same. You need to learn to read. What is the growth rate at South Texas College in McAllen v. TSC? Until you know the answer you have nothing to say.
Adela Garza speaks about Juan Trey Mendez like he is Mighty Mouse. Here I come to save the Day. They EXPECT Trey to make Downtown the only place in Brownsville, TX and give TSC millions of dollars in land just like Tony Martinez did for Julieta Garcia at UTB. Mark my words people. A Lot sooner than later. You been warned. We are into Bankruptcy very soon that or an increase of taxes. Of course they will blame the previous city government and then take millions for themselves.
This picture does show dignity. Dress like that all the time! Pride!
Trey’s down fall will be Adela Garza. The crooked Hillary Clinton from the ghettos of Laredo
TSC can barely keep the lights on. South Texas College and McAllen are thriving and experiencing tremendous growth. The only thing thriving in browntown is massive corruption. The citizens of brownsville just elected nurith Galonsky who is the person behind the casa de nylon scam. Her daddy paid for every Southmost vote. You get exactly what you deserve.
Remember the referendum?
Separation won over unification.
¡VIVA TSC!
THANK YOU
Ribbit!
Hopefully the new Mayor will keep some of his campaign promises one being that he will make Sunday bus service available to Brownsville residents. We desperately need bus service on Sunday's but bus director Norma Zamora has always refuse to offer this much needed services. So Mr. Mendez, please don't forget about us that have begged for this service for many years.
Just another Mexican in Mexicantown; business as usual or should we say corruption as usual?!
Looks like the whites are getting a bit nervous their boy wonder might flip!!!
Trey had forgotten where he came from
(Boy Wonder will disappoint. He's not a leader, never has been, always a go along. smh.)
I'm so betting, that you are so right.
Eldelasprietas.
Buckle your seat belts Browntowners. There is an incompetent young Mr. Magoo at the wheel.
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