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October 4,1994
Vo!ume17, Number 19
Serving the University of Texas at San Antonio Community
Turnout skimpy for student government election
By Cherie Rhoad
Acting Features Editor
Only 128 students voted in the recent Student Govemmentelections for senior, junior, and freshmen representative offices. All ofthe sophomore positions had been filled in elections held last spring.
The elections were held Sept. 28-29 at one polling place set up under the Sombrilla.
The senior and junior representative races were uncontested. Senior Melissa Pacheco and junior David Cantu were elected to represent their classes.
Six candidates vied for three freshman representative positions. Thecandidates were: Lindsey Truley, Lara De Geus, Judy Juarez, Michael Tamayo, Carissa Fowler, and Alex San Martin. The new freshman representatives are Lindsey Truly, Judy Juarez and Alex San Martin.
There was only one polling place on campus. According lo the Student Govemment Advisor, Terry Marshall- Schrader this was done because, "there was no funding for computer voting and we wanted lo alleviate the possibility of double-voting." .
Cindy Mikeska, Student Government Parliamentarian and Elections Committee Chair did not think the low voter tum-out was due lo a lack of publicity. She said, "We had fliers on all the SG bulletin boards in the HB and the Library. We had banners in the HB and under the Sombrilla announcing the election and we also publicized it al the Howdy Rowdy Bash," <:~ Candidates posted fliers on the kiosks around campus.
Students who wanted to vote just had to show their student ID and vote for the representative of their choice.
Top: Representatives from the university's four colleges display banners. Right: President Samuel Kirkpatrick processes with guest speaker Carlos Fuentes.
Post office, dorm staff cited in mail delays at Chisholm Hall
By Yvonne Mulhern
Acting News Editor
The quality and timeliness of the mailroom service at Chisholm Hall, UTSA's only dormitory, has been questioned recently by its residents. Complaints have also arisen over mail not being delivered on Saturdays. A mail clerk is scheduled to be hired by the end oflhe week of Oct, 3-8, Mail staff includes student workers, resident advisors and full-time staff Mail is handled by several members of the regularstaff Peg Layton is the managing director for Campus Housing at UTSA and oversees both Chisholm Hall and University Oaks.
Formerly the director for University Oaks alone, Layton took over the management position for both campus housing areas in late September. Layton is well acquainted with the problem of delayed mail. She attributes the problem of chronic lateness to re-routing by the [Kistal service in the UTSA area. Re¬ routing is taking place because under the current system postal carriers are assigned too much area to cover. Mail has currently been arriving between 3 and 4 p.m. in the aftemoon.
"A mail clerk can get (the mail) pul up in an hour or hour and a half the same day," Layton said. Unfortunately, however, the office closes al 6 p.m., so by the time siudents have discovered- they have a package, they have to wait until the next day to pick it up. "I've worked at college campuses a number of years," Layton said. "My experience has been that students usually feel like the mail is never there soon enough and I understand that. That's kind ofthe way
I feel, too, usually because you're expecting the mail and its really important. But I do notice that (the workers) are really committed to getting the mail (out) as soon as possible."
Ricky Armendariz, a resident of Chisholm Hall, had a negative experience with the campus mail service, however, in mid-September. "1 was sent a package from my brother in Brownsville, Texas," Armendariz said. "He lold me when il was sent. 1 went down to gel il and it wasn'tthere. I(lhought)maybehedidn'l send it off So I asked them, 'How do you know if a package is there?' and they said a slip is lumed in. There was no slip but he knew the package had been sent.
The package Armendariz was expecting contained important documents and money for books. The money was particularly imporlani l>ecause school had already been in session for several weeks. After a week, a frustrated Armendariz began phoning thepostofficeas well as Federal Express, but had no luck. He contacted his brother in Brownsville, who told him he had a receipt slating that Armendariz had received the package—even though he hadn't—and then proceeded lo give him a I -800 number for Federal Express, When Armendariz called the number, the operator informed him that he package had arrived in San Antonio.
"So I went back [lo the dorm room] and said, 'Look, I've been given the run- around foreight days," Armendariz said. "You told me you don't have it and there'snothingyoucando. Look through the box and fmd the package, (because) I'm not going Ihrough this again.' "
The clerk retrieved the package.
which had been there the enlire lime. The delay had occured because certified packages are to be logged, but the list of students awaiting mail was so long that Armendariz's name had been skipped,
"All they had to do was gel a highlighter," Armendariz said, "My brother paid $10 (lo send the package overnight) when he could have just sent a 29 cent stamp, and I would have gotten it five days earlier than I did. They're supposed to be hiring someone. All 1 know is, there isn't a mail clerk here loday."
Another Chisholm Hall resident, Cecilia Ortiz, described the mail service as being "really really slow. ¦ The post date on the mail will be a week earlier." She added that the mail is usually delivered in the dorms by slaff "anytime afler 7 p.m, at night, I hope (having more staff) will help,"  'ie said,
Elvin Bracken, also a Chisholm Hall resident, said that he received a slip staling that he had a package but when he went to the office there was no package. Other studenis claimed that the mail arrived at the dorms earlier in the aftemoon than 3 or4 p,m, "The mail usually arrives between 11 and 2," said one resident, who added that "everytime (1) go there someonedifferent is handling the mail,"
Regarding the addition of more mail slaff, Layton said, "We're going to go ahead and designate one person to do (the mail) and bring more consistency to il, I know there's been a concern about the delay in the mail, (but).. I honestly believe that the staff is working very hard to get that mail up as quickly as they get il, because I know ihat's a priority for them."
Voter registration drive to encourage young voters
A new registered student organization. Get Out To Vote (GOTV), is part of a nation-wide coalition entitled Youlh Vote '94, a broad coalition with a diverse membership ranging from national organizations lo local groups in Texas and San Anionio, With a wide spectrum of issue interests, constituents and goals, the coalition has come together behind one common goal: mobilizing young voters.
On the UTSA campus, GOTV has initiated a massive voter registration drive with a goal of 2000 new registered voters.
"Our primary goal is lo get students involved in the voting process," said Brian Johnson, GOTV coordinator, "In the April runoffs only eight percent of registered voters took part in the election.
"In the Applewhite referendum in August, only 19 perceni voted. With the research we' ve done we have c:ilculated that students have the potential to impact the upcoming Nov, 8 election from ten to 13 percent. Ten percent would win or lose an election for any candidate running in San Antonio,"
GOTV held a campaign workshop on Sept, 24 where students from UTSA, Trinity, and UT Austin learned skills ranging from event planning, mediaand press relation and how to get siudents to the polls in November, The training was lead by Bob Comeaux, a local political organizer with over 25 years experience in elections and unions, and Therese Heliczer, the national field director of Campus Green Vote, "This national training program gcve students the skills they needed to become politically active. Based on the attendance for the workshop, we have raised our goal of 2,0CX) new registered voters to 5,000 in San Antonio," said Johnson.
In 1992,43 fiercent of people between 18 and 24 years voted, a seven percent increase from 1988. This was the large.st increase al the polls since 18 year olds won the right lo vote.
Organizers of GOTV expect young voters' anger and concem aboutthe status quo lo prompt them to begin participating in the political process, Firsl, GOTV organizers expect young voter participation to increase because the number of young people making less than $ 13,000 per year has doubled in the last 15 years, and vouth unemployment is 14,1 percent, which is more than double the nalionai average.
Second, over 23 percent of young people have no health insurance and the percentage of young people in San Antonio without coverage is higher than the national average. Third, since 1980 federal funding for higher educalion has been cut by 42 billion dollars. Finally, in a recent poll, over 85 percent of people under 30 years of age consider themselves environmentalists.
The secondary goal of Youth Vote '94 and GOTV is to get free, non-partisan information to students throughout October, Daveela Wilson, coordinator ofGOTV, said, "Our coalition has broad lies wilh the College Republicans and the College Democrats as well as other groups in our community. We're not telling people what to vote for, bul I would like lo let people know about upcoming issues straight from each candidate's mouth. TheCongress elected in November will be deciding whether or not to re-authorize the clean drinking water acl, the safe drinking waler act, and the endangered species act. The people wc vote for now will be making decisions which impact our daily lives."
The Youth Vote Coalition is made up nationally by the National Campaign for Student Voter Registration, Public Interest Research Group, Campus Green Vole, Rock the Vote, the United States Sludeni Association, Project Vole, Citizenship Education Campaign and many other national groups, various campus and state .student associations. For more information contact Brian Johnson, GOTV coordinator, at 696- 2048.
Colleges collaborate for silver convocation
By Maria Teresa Gordon
Managing Editor
Students, faculty, administrators as 3' well as representatives from oihci D colleges and universities, gathered la.^i I Tuesday, Sep. 27 for the UTSA's first ^ Convocation lo usher in the .Silver g" Anniversary.
1 A collaboration of efforts from members of all four colleges and the administration helf)ed achieve the final results of the ceremony. Tlic event, which was free and open to the public. featured the presentation of thc mace and the presidential medallion and spotlighted the internatumai writer Carlos Fuentes.
UTSA's theme of "Shaping! thc Future" foreshadowed the con vocations purpose, Thiseventcertainlyestabhshcd several precedents.
Following the procession of faculty in their academicregalia. Dr. Richard f: W. Adams of the Anthropolojiy departmenlservedas university marsliall. £ind called the event to order. l;a'uliy r members donned robes witli hoods
2 signifying the colors of their rcspccii\c g- alma maters.
S Asst, Professor Linda A. Poetschke ^ performed the Naliorfal Anthem as ucll y as the Alma Mater accompanied by tlic g UTSA wind ensemble and the L I.S.X concert choir.
President Samuel A. Kirkpatrick welcomed the audience and quickly tumed over the stage to Chancellor William H, Cunningham of thc 11 System and San Antonio Mayor Nelson Wolff
Kirkpatrick referred to UTSA as "the country's most rapidly growini! melropoiilan university." He went on to explain that this anniversary niarkcvl i "coming of age for all." His address touched on the university's role to help preserve knowledge and as a reniindei of society's need to advance
J, Earl King, president ofthe UTSA Alumni Association presented the M.icc to the University Marshall, who will carry the mace in future academic events lo mark the solemnity ofthe occassion Adams received the gift made oi wood. stainless steel and gold plate Kint: described the signigicance of the nuicc including the four sides whichsyniholi/e the four academic colleges The niace was designed by Houston sculptor 1 ini Bailey who eamed his MFA from U IS.A in 1986.
Kirkpatrick was then presented w iih the Presidential Medallion by Tom C Frost, president of the Ll ISA Development Board. Thc brass medallion will be worn to siiinify the role and authority ofthe President of the University to future factions The medallion features the Univcrsity seal and the inscription "Presented b\ the UTSA Development Board in honor ol UTSA's 25th anniversary — 19W and was funded by the first seven presidents ofthe Development Board.
The highlight of the event was Carlos Fuentes whose speech entitled, ¦'.'\ Writer Looks Toward the 21 st Century" tackled problems ofa multicultural siKicty and offered an agenda of solutions Fuentes was introduced by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Raymond T. Garza as the author of 12 novels including "Old Gringo" and the recipient of numerous awards. Fuentes is also noted for his literary and political essays. Garza expressed appreciation for Fuentes' ability to "capture the complexities of Mexican society with insight and understanding."
The convocation was followed by a short reception.