Serving the University of Texas at San Antonio Community
TUESDAY
March 15, 1994
Volume 17, Number 9
Texas' ONLY Independent Student Newspaper
HB suffers costly damages from leaking roof
By Brian Wheeler
Editor-in-Chief
The Division of English, classics, and philosophy may soon see an end to their wet weather problems. The divi¬ sion office on the fourth fioor has suf¬ fered ceiling, carpet, and equipment dam¬ age as the result of their roof leaking since the start of the semester.
Jan Lowe, administrative assistant for the division, said, "It (the leaking) started early in January. We've been covering deslcs and book shelves with plastic to prevent further damage in case it rains again."
Lowe stated that ceiling tiles had fallen on desks and chairs but that no one was injured since the areas were not occupied.
The only equipment damaged .so far was a computer printer which filled with water and became unrepairable.
Lowe said, "The printer was not in¬ sured, so we'll (the division) have to pay for the replacement."
Carpet and ceiling tiles damaged by the water were also uninsured according to Emest DeWinne. associate vice presi¬ dent for business affairs.
DeWinne said, "We are normally not insured against damages toequipmenl." He explained the state university system policy against having insurance . Re¬ pairs or replacement'costs are expected to come from university funds. Univer¬ sity vehicles are also uninsured except
for liability.
He stated that in the case of a disaster striking a public university, the state legislature would appropriate the money to affect repairs. He expressed concem that a facility such as the University Center may not be covered under such circumstances.
DeWinne said, "Right now we are researching if the University Center needs to be insured and how to do it."
Contrary to Jan Lowe's report that the Division office roof had been leak¬ ing since early January, Robert Gardner, superintendent of construction and main¬ tenance, said, "We've known about the problem for two or three weeks."
When told of Lowe's time frame re¬ mark, Gardner stated it could have been that long.
When asked why the repairs had taken so long, Gardn^^ replied. "We have to have someone write the specifications for the contraci irs. We've had other priorities and we only had one person available to write the specs."
Gardner stated, "We're going to wait until the roof is repaired before we fix the ceiling tiles and carpet."
He stated that contractors had as¬ sessed the roof last week and bids were due this Monday.
The cost of the repairs will not be determined until a contract is awarded.
PIGS challenge university posting policy
Plastic covers the shelves and desks In the Dhrislon ot Engiish, classics, and philosophy. The ceiling tiles, carpet, and a printer have been damaged by water from the leaky HB roof still unrepaired. Con¬ tractors assessed the roof last week and shoukl begin repairs during the next month.
New Student directory not expected until fall 1994
Rachel Dupnik
News Writer
Politically Incorrect Gay Siudents (PIGS), a registered student organiza¬ tion, ischallenging one of the university's posting guidelines claiming that it vio¬ lates students' first amendment rights to free speech. The controversy surfaced when PIGS submitted a series of flyers tothe university for approval. Although the group has submitted 10 flyers, only one flyer has not been approved for posting. ^^—
objectified women as being sexual ob¬ jects. It was the sexist nature of the language that was of concem to me."
Reynolds did not deny or approve the flyer; instead, he scheduled a meeting with the Student Organizations Com¬ mittee (SOC) to address the policy on Mar. 9.
Miles Sims, SOC member, stated. "We went over the wording in the policy that was in question. The meeting was to get input from us. what we thought, what our concems would be as students. It .^____^__^-_     was not a
By Leigh Ann Griffin
Associate News Editor
UTSA has contracted with TCS En¬ terprises to produce a student/faculty directory to be released in October 1994.
According to Robert Burdick, asso¬ ciate vice president for university com¬
munications. Student Govemment con¬ tracted with TCS pubUshing company to produce directories for a two year period (1992-94).
The 1992-93 directory, however, was issiied in March 1993, six months after the targeted date. By the time the direc¬ tory was made available for distribution, several cut-out coupons sold to advertis¬
ers had expired.
No directory was released for the 1993-94 academic year. Burdick said, "When they (TCS) came to us last fall, they were already behind. We didn't feel they could produce a directory that would be of much benefit to the institu¬ tion or the advertisers." Rather than produce a directory that was not going
Education takes tougher look at segregation
By Coiiege Press Service
WASHINGTON—The Depaitment of Education has reaffirmed its intention to rely on tougher standards outlined in a 1992 Supreme Court decision when it reviews state plans for desegregating their higher education systems.
At the same time, state officials also were put on notice that they had an obligation to strengthen and enhance historically black institutions.
"As part of our analysis, we will pay particular attention to ^y plan that pro¬ poses tock)se or merge historically black institutions," said Norma Cantu, assis¬
tant secretary for civil rights. "We will scmtinize any action that might impose undue burdens on black students, fac¬ ulty or administrators or diminish the unique roles and traditions of such insti¬ tutions."
The announcement came at a time when the state of Mississippi is consid¬ ering a plan to close one black college and make another historically black in¬ stitution a unit of a predominanUy white college in response to a desegregation case.
An estimated 2,0(X) students carry¬ ing signs that read "Save Our Schools" recently marched from Jackson State
New registration optiori available at UTSA
Uw Univernty (rf Texas at San An¬ laaio win expand tts r^gistnttkxi pn>- cen by instahii^ 13 touch-tone lele- pbmes this qiing to give students the optkmofregtttermgoncampusbyiele- pliaie. The telqibones will begin oper- aing on ^)ril 4. the start of r^istratMNi for die sunnier 1994 sesskm.
TUrteenttlqiioneswlllbemstalled. 12 M UTSA and one at UTSA Down¬ town, Cypress Tower. 1222 N. Main. Poor phone phones wyi be uMiriled on the ground flows of the Mnitkiacqrfnary Stw&s Building and the Scmice Buil^g; two phones each andthe ground fkxxs of die Arts Build- i^anlAeltonanUes-BimnenBidld- iag. QoepbawteeaciinMtdlatknwill be accessMe to penons with <fisatMli- ties.
iach of die tdephones will be con¬ nected to the John Peace Libnay Buikl- k^ by a (beet line. No (&ding will be aecewaiy, a connectkxi will be made ¦ntnmaiirslly wiien tte phone is picked
m-
UHA wffi cooteK to (^Eer touch-
tooe r^saaikn by v^te ide{rfione.
^Oer^arielqjhone touch-tone leg-
iatratkm. ifthe lines are busy, the cidkr win hear a busy signal and must con¬ tinue to redial umil a phone connectkm is made.
Operating hours for the on-campus flhatttta beginning April 4 wiU be Mkm- days and Tuesd^s. 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and9:30-l90:30p.m.:Wedne8daysand TlHvsdays, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and 8:30- 10:30 p.m.: Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 pjn. and 7 pjn.-1:30 a-m.; Satindays, 9 a.m.- 9pjn., and Simdays. 1-10 p.m.
"The new system wiU be interactive which means that studenu will have to be ready to input die necessary registra¬ tion informittkm by pushing buttiais when Ihey are prom{N(iid by voke direc- tiom," said John Brown, director ci UTSA's office of admisskms and leg- istrv.
Studenis should have their chiMct) (rfcowses ready before they plan to use the on-c»npus|rfioneregistiali(m lines, sakl Brown.
"I recommend tfiat students have twoor three altemativescouiso in mind for the time slots they wait to register for." sakl Brown.
University to the state Capitol in Jack¬ son, Miss., to protest the plan.
In June 1992, theU.S. SupremeCourt ruled that Mississippi had not done enough to remove the last vestiges of segregation from its higher education system. The ruling in the U.S. v. Fordice case overturned a 5th Circuit Ccxirt of Appeals decision that said Mississii^i had met its obligation to dismantle a system of official segregation. The case has been remanded back to U.S. District Court, where it is pending.
Blacks had argued that relying on standardized test scwes and letting white and black students decide which sch(X)l they wanted to attend was not enough to correct inequities in the system.
Duplication of programsat both white and black colleges also has contributed to the creation of separate systems of black and white education, although white schools receive more money and have more prestigious programs than historically black colleges, the plain¬ tiffs argued.
Cantu said the department would use the 1992 Supreme Court decision in examining whether six states—Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia — had met their obligations to dismantle all remnants of segregated systems of higher educa¬ tion. The states have implemented plans to desegregate their systems, but the department's Office for Civil Rights has not yet made a determination of compUance with Title VI of Ihe Civil Rights Act.
In the 1980s, the Office for CivU Rights determined that eight states — Arkansas. Delaware. Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, South Carolina and West Virginia — had implemented desegregation plans that were in compliance with Title VI. How¬ ever, Cantu wamed that the Office for Civil Rights will take "appropriate ac¬ tion" consistent with the Fordice deci¬ sion if it receives information that ves¬ tiges of segregation continue in any of those eight states.
to be very useful to anybody, Burdick suggested that they wait for about nine months, in order for the university to gather all the necessary infoimation that was needed to go into the directory for the foltowing academic year.
The student directory will not cost the university or students any money. All costs will be paid for TCS. "We're getting a directory for firee, and the com¬ pany is making money because it's sell¬ ing advertisements. It wouldn't do this for nothing. So we're getting a directory and the company is getting some profit. In our future contracts with eidier this company or oUier companies, we will negotiate a rebate in terms of the prof¬ its," said Burdick.
Students should keep their l(Kal tele¬ phone number current with the admis¬ sions and registrar's office to ensure it will be accurately listed in the new direc¬ tory.
Those who wish to keep their number unlisted in the directory should contact the admissions and registrars office and request to have that information re¬ stricted.
More than 21,000 copies ofthe 1994 directory will be distributed in October.
The uni- "/^ ^^^ ffj^ sexist Datursof the lan-
versitypost- ... , . „
ing vo\xcy9uage that was of concern to me. consists of    —Richard Reynolds, director of student activities and the UC
twelve guidelines for maierial ^—^-^^—'—— that may be posted by registered student organizations. The PIGS' flyers chal¬ lenge guideline #10 which reads, "No item may be posted that contains mate¬ rial that is obscene, vulgar or libelous of gender, sexual orienlation, racial, ethnic or religious group."
Kelley O'Lane Ramotowski, PIGS president, said, "I think that part of the policy is someone's politically correct tag."
The university has submitted some of PIGS' flyers to UT office of the general council before appro ing them. How¬ ever. Ramotowski said that the latest flyer in question, " 10 Lines Overheard . In A Dike Bar," did not go through that process but still took approximately two and a half weeks to be returned. Other, flyers received approval within 24 hours.
Richard Reynolds, director of stu¬ dent activities and the UC, was con¬ cemed with one ofthe statementson that flyer. He said, "Since the posting policy talks about libel, the concem was that the language (in the flyer) was libelous towards women as a group because it
negative meeting, just con¬ cern for Ihe uni¬ versity
'——•——'••—'—"-^——^    commu¬ nity."
Reynolds said that the SOC suggested thai the pohcy be reviewed and said that he will forward those recommendations to Karen Whitney, assistant vice presi¬ dent for student life, and Bobbie Her¬ nandez, vice president for .student af¬ fairs.
Ramotowski confirmed the group's contact with the American Civil Liber¬ ties Union (ACLU). She said Ihc ACLU has been consulted, and "there is a pos¬ sibility they will accept a case in regard lo the posting policy al the state level." "Richard Reynolds has been very hon¬ est with us and he has tried to be fair." she said.
Reynolds said that the situation has been a leaming process. He said. "We have had a gCKxl working relationship with them in reviewing our policy and trying to evaluate the policy and how we apply them."
On Mar. 10. Reynolds approved the flyer in question and the group is al¬ lowed to post it.
Students and tMuRy can expwienoe the convenienoe Of a hot eepieMO I
The GfwM Amwmn Espresso vending ctand recently opened m the hmR ateo rt the HB.
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