¦l*j*i^''»''^V':-^Tr'^V*rf^"-. *¦¦
mmm
SPEC COLL BOXED LD
53 13 . A3 F3 47
PAi^ARO
January 20,1998
On-campus alcohol abuse on the rise at UTSA
Rachael Hill
Managing Editor
Drug use and alcohol abuse are a nationwide phenomenon among young people. UTSA's siudent popu¬ lation is no exception to that trend.
According to university po¬ lice chief, Ron Seacrist, drugs are not as much ofa problem on campus m^— as alcohol and the issue of "binge drinking."
While most UTSA stu¬ dents live off-campus, Chisholm Hall and the University Oaks apartments are homes to approxi¬ mately 2,000 students. Both resi¬ dential communities are consid¬ ered campus properties, so the UT System's zero tolerance policy toward drugs applies. Any stu¬ dent caught in possession of drugs, whether he or she is found guilty or not, can be automatically expelled. ^^~'
Seacrist explained, how¬ ever, that UTSA's problem with binge drinking is not as severe as it is at other universities. "This is basically a com¬ muter campus, so we don't really have the events on campus that I've seen at other universities, where you have 5,000 people or 10,000 people show¬ ing up for parties or things like that."
According to a web page pro¬ duced by Join Together, a national or¬ ganization, focused on drug and alco¬ hol awareness and prevention, binge drinking is defined as "five or more drinks at a time for men (and) four or more drinks for women" consumed in
a short period of time. The issue has received press afler the deaths of sev¬ eral students across the country in binge-drinking related events last year. Education, Seacrist says, is a key and under his direction the police depanment has worked wilh several other entities on campus to help spread the word aboul the dangers involved
"I know one student who says he hasn't been sober for a month. He drinks every night, and he is here as an athlete. He can't even run anymore."
-Ryan Walters, UTSA sophomore
in heavy drinking.
The message has not reached some siudents, however. Students liv¬ ing in university housing are witnesses to what really occurs there. Accord¬ ing lo Ryan Wallers, a 20-year-old UTSA sophomore who recently moved out of Chisholm Hall, knows of some students who consume alco¬ hol in iheir dorms despite the hall's "dry" policy.
Walters has heard some stu¬ dents bragging about consuming up to thirty beers in one nighl. "I know one siudent who says he hasn't been sober
for a month. He drinks every night and he is here as an athlete. He can't even run anymore."
Drugs, while not as prevalent on campus as alcohol, are also an is¬ sue faced by university police and ad¬ ministration. Peg Layton, director of university housing, says she is aware of some drug activity in the dorms and B>— apartments, but that close commu¬ nication with the police helps to curb abuses.
"The police department here is terrific. Often, we may hear about it (drug possession) first, and theii we immediately call in police support, since obviously we can't confiscate it, the response time has been terrific," Layton stated.
Marijuana is the most com¬ monly confiscated drug on cam¬ pus, according to Seacrist. "We've had both felony and misdemeanor drug charges here. The incidences "¦" of drugs are very, very small here related to the population." As po¬ lice chief for the past three years, Seacrist has worked to put a slop to drug activity.
An undercover drug opera¬ tion conducted during his first six months at UTSA resulted in the arrest of 14 people for the sale of drugs, ev¬ erything from "marijuana to pills to cocaine," but since then the level of problems has decreased.
While drugs are outright for¬ bidden, according to Layton, students over 21 are permitted to drink ^Icohol
Continued on page 3
Student Governmisnt spring elections look to fill vacated positions
Gary Wright
Editor
Student govemment will hold in- house elections Jan. 28 to fill 11 posi¬ tions left vacant at the end of the fall '97 semester.
The available positions include par- liamentar- ian, record¬ ing secre¬ tary, corre¬ sponding secretary, historian, one fresh¬ man repre¬ sentative, one sopho¬ more repre¬ sentative, three junior representa¬ tives, and two graduate representa¬ tives.
Accord¬ ing to Juay Juarez, stu¬ dent govem¬ ment presi¬ dent, the po¬ sitions were vacated for
several reasons, such as medical diffi¬ culties, the pursuit of other interests or members failing to make the required GPA to hold their position.
All three junior representative posi¬ tions were left vacant as a result of the former representatives moving up in
classification to senior level.   Two graduate representative positions were not occupied during the fall '97 semes¬ ter.
Juarez said Ihe amount of turnover in student government membership is not uncommon. "A lot of times people will be overcommitted in certain things, they may have to drop something or
Gary Wright/The Paisano
Student govemment preaident Judy Juarez awaits elections to fill allvacant offlcaa. Juarez remains optimistic about the spring semester.
for the open positions, the actual elec¬ tion process will be conducted entirely by the current, elected student govem¬ ment members, except for Juarez.
The in-house election process is used to avoid costly and time- consum¬ ing general elections said Juarez. "It (the election) is creating a bit of a time crunch for us (student govemment)," Juarez stated. "We are having to put time and effort into these in-house elections when we could be working toward ad- dressing other p r o b - lems."
In spite of the set¬ backs the vacant po¬ sitions are creating for student govern-
their grades might be suffering." "Ideally, when you get into office
you need to complete Ihe entire term,
but a lot of times it doesn't work out
that way."
Although all students who meet the
requirements are encouraged to apply
ment, Juarez remains optimistic about the spring semester. "It is a large amouni of people to lose and it puts us (student governmeni)"at a disability right now," said Juarez. " But I think if we get qualifled individuals we will be able to come back strong."
Volume 21 Number 2
^/^M^MOo)KKo}(M]fl):t}IbT]^
Gary Wright/The Paisano Seventy-one year old Geraldine Bizor (far right) celebrates Martin Luther King Day with family and friends as the approximately 30,000 participants pass in front of her home on M.L.K. Dr. Bizor, who has lived her whole life in the neighborhood says she is happy to see the parade grow bigger every year. "Martin Luther King was a great, great man and he worked for everybody," she said.
University looks to open new campus in Alamo City
Jennifer Naples
Staff Writer
Since its advent in 1969. UTSA has upheld the privilege of be¬ ing the only public four-year higher educational institution in San Antonio. But as Ihe saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." And 1998 jusl might mark the end of the prospects of UTSA continuing as the only four-year state-funded institution in the Alamo Cily.
None other than Texas A&M is finding itself in thc political arena for the right (and funds) to build a cain¬ pus next to Palo Alto College in the
city's South Side. ;    ^	
Unlike its exist¬ ing campuses, Ihis would be Texas A&M's first venture in an urban setting.
State Senator Frank Madia has been a strong advocate ofthe idea, initi¬ ating the need to study the feasi¬ bility of building an A&M campus and   providing
proper funding. ¦¦^~^^~~
Harold Oliver, legislative assistant lo Madia assures, "Bringing A&M (to SanAntonio) will not impede siudents al UTSA. It (A&M) will serve a dif¬ ferent constituency." Tentative loca¬ tion of the campus in South Bexar Couniy will serve many "agricultural communities" both in San Antonio and surrounding areas.
Proposed funding for thc pro¬ spective campus is already being dis¬ cussed. Oliver disclosed the estimated cost al $23 million for construction of the Texas A&M campus, which was derived from the cost of the UTSA downtown campus plus inflation. He states, "Our goal is to use thc House Bill 92, which allows the use of rental, hotel, sales tax...for allotted funds. The city of San Antonio can generate an average $55 million in sales tax." ll is reasoned that the citizens of San An¬ tonio would support funding a higher education campus if using thc tax dol¬ lar.  Oliver elaborates on "the neces-
"Bringing A&M (to San Antonio) will not impede students at UTSA. It (A&M) w"l serve a different constituency."
"Harold Oliver, legislative assistant to state senator Frank Madia
sity to take this out for election soon." Concerted elTorts arc being made to get this issue on thc November ballot.
Has it been overlooked that the UTSA Downtown campus is placed strategically to serve students ofthe city's South Side? Concerns arc raised by UTSA officials as to whether Ihcrc are enough students and funds to suppon a second four-years institution. The established UTSA downtown has funded a third building which would bring the capacity to .3500 students. Furthermore, the greatest conse¬ quence, according lo Raymond T. Gar/a. UTSA Provost and Vice Presi¬ dent for Academic Affairs, "would be  . . competition be¬ tween two schools for lim¬ ited resources."
Thc most efficient use of lax dollars in the higher education needs of San An¬ tonio should bc Ihe focus of thc issue. Gar/a ac¬ knowledges Ihe diversity of pro¬ grams that poten¬ tially could be of¬ fered should ^~^^"~ Texas A&M lo¬
cate in San Antonio. "In the long run, I could see us partnering wilh A&M. sharing a joint campus wilh each sys¬ tem bringing its strengths to the area," he said. Garza emphasizes that Ihis idea would be inconceivable in the next five years. "What is best for San Antonio is that we suppon one school adequately and not two schools inad¬ equately," he said.
Allhough UTSA may not want to "roll out the red carpet" for the onward marching Aggies, it may be best to look al the big piciure. As Oliver explains. "San Antonio has been limited lo liberal arts schools. Conse¬ quently, Austin has a larger population of educated workforce."
Expressing reassurance that San Antonio can definitely sustain two state-supported universities, Oliver says that bringing Texas A&M Univer¬ sity to San Antonio "will allow us to compete nationally for high-tech jobs."
Study finds
Greeks
among
heaviest
drinkers
College Press Service
ITHACA, N.Y.— When it comes to partying hard, fraternity leaders may be setting a dangerous standard, a new survey suggesls.
Fraternity leaders tend lo be among the'heaviest drinkers and most-oul- conlrol partiers, according to research¬ ers at Cornell University and Southern Illinois Universiiy at Carbondale. Their national survey of 25,411 siudents at 61 institulions reveals that Greek lead¬ ers are helping to set norms of binge drinking and uncontrolled behavior.
"We found lhal the leaders of Greek societies were among the worst of¬ fenders with respect to binge drink¬ ing," said Philip Meilman, direcior of counseling and psychological services al Cornell and one of three researchers involved in lhe study. "These are the very individuals we would hope would be most concerned about liability and legal issues, as well as other serious consequences related to drinking. But surprisingly, we found that the more involved a person is with Greek life, the higher the drinking level."
To a lesser extent, researchers also found sorority leaders were heavier drinkers.
For the survey, students were grouped according lo their degree of involvement in fraternity and sorority life: those who were in leadership po¬ sitions, those who were actively in¬ volved members (but not leaders), those who attended functions only, and those who had no involvement in Greek life. Researchers asked students to report binge drinking episodes, the average number of alcoholic drinks they con¬ sumed per week, the adverse conse¬ quences they experienced because of drinking or drug use, and the beliefs they hoM aboul alcohol. The survey found:
• Seventy-four percent of fratemity leaders reported episodes of binge
Continued on page 3
A&E:
Atari's back with X-treme racing
pg-7
Sports:
UTSA Baseball friends & family pull together... and build a fence pg. 8
Features:
students study abroad
pg.4
-" --
M*aai
mtm