Serving thf  University oe Texas at San Antonio Community
TUESDAY
Anm. IS, 1993
Volume 16, Huit^r 6
Texas' ONLY Independent Student Newspaper
Candidates file for Student Government
By Brisn Whsslw
Acting News Editor
The deadline for appUcatkins to stu¬ dent government (SG) pcsitkms closed Apr. 8 widi a small roster of candidates nmning for positions.
SG officer posts are president, vice president, treasurer.iecoidingseaetary. corresponding secretwy, parliamentar¬ ian, and historian.
The criteria for officer positions are a 2.5 grade point average, good academic standing with the univeiaty, and a mini¬ mum of nine semester hours if an under¬ graduate or six semester hours if classi¬ fied as a graduate student Candidates wanting to tun for president or vice president must also have a minimum of 60 semester hours.
Officers are required to contribute a minimum of three office hours each wedc. Officers attend weekly meetings to discuss campus issues and attend a leadership retreat to wwk on committee agendas.
Student class representatives serve as a voice for their peers to the univer¬ sity and make up the SG along with officers. There are a maximum of three seats available to each class with vacan¬ cies filled either by student elections or SG in-house elections betweoi regular student elections. Senior, junior, and sophomorerqiresentatives are all elected during April each year. Freshmen and all seats still open are elected in Septem¬ ber.
The SG elections will be held Apr. 19 and 20. Election results will be posted the following day. The candidates for SG this year ae: president—Matthew Stem and Jason Dias; vice president- Kim Szaika; treasurer—Dai^ Hartman and Danielle Bush; lecording secre¬ tary—Kristi Hall; corresponding secre¬ tary—^Jason Broz; parliamentarian— David Kiik and KimbeilyDoody; histo¬ rian—DanialHeamandCarolyne Price; seniOT representatives—Tracy Fowler, Christqiher Hurley, Carrie Cass and Teresia Herro; junior representatives— Michael Peterson. Mkhael Harrington and Missy Deleon; sqihomore repre¬ sentatives—Cynthia Mikeska and Lisa Lott Freshmen rqiresentatives will be elected in die fall. Up to three rqiresen- tarives may be elected for each class.
Kimberly Doody, incumbent pailia- mentaiian. said, "I feel it's vital tor stu¬ dents to vote so they can choose the direction of the next student govern¬ ment"
The unedited campaign statements for presidential .candidates and vice- presidential candidate appear as follows. Presidential candklate statement: Matthew Stera
Student govemment (SG) shoukl be responsive to students. In other words, Fm for change. The agenda of the SG
shoukl be set, directed, and driven by students. This requires a govemment that is in touch with students, in touch with reality.
For instance, SG officers fail to com¬ prehend our partdng crisis because they enjoy the elitist privilege of reserved partdng spaces. While we meander hours each month around the parking mates of UTSA, fighting for spaces, running lo classes angry and frustrated over the lack of services fcH- which we have paid, the SG officers drive peace¬ fully to his or her secured space just stqis away from the university center, oblivious to the daily problems of stu¬ dents. I'll do away with such privileges, starting with these parking spaces.
To be a rqnesentative, one must live the life of the peq;>le he or she repre¬ sents. To lead, one must listoi, and feel and reqxNid. and then act on behalf of those with whom he or she has lived.
The presklent of the SG must re- sponi to the changing needs of the stu¬ dents and the university. This univer¬ sity has embarked on the develcqmient of a downtown campus. What has been the student input? I will assure you that your voice is heard on die issue as in all otfier significant developmoit matters. No longer will the student vok:e be muted.
As the student population grows and continues to diversify, we must assure that this university attoids to the enrich¬ ment of educational opportunities for
all. Unaffiliated students must be heard as much as students who are members of organized student groups. As SG president. I will develop channels of communication to accomplish this goal. We'll start by establishing two satellite SG complaint and suggestion tables, one inside the HB, anodier under the Sombrilla. Weekly, you'll have input into the affairs which affect your educa- tkmalUfiB.
I do not contend that student govem¬ ment is the most important institution in directing oiir educational destinies. It certainly is not What I hope to do is make student govemment one contribu¬ tor to a better life at UTSA. A better life at UTSA, will in tum, promote our indi¬ vidual careers presently and, if we suc¬ ceed, lastingly.
1 ask for your vote. I ask for a mandate for change. Send a message that studenu at ttie UTSA deserve to reap all ttie benefits of an enriched aca¬ demic and collegial experience. To¬ gether, we can assure ttiat we get Uk most for our tuition and fees. We de¬ serve no less. We can make UTSA more ttian just ttiat place on 1604 where we go to school. We can make UTS A a true marketplace of ideas.
Presidential candklate statement: Jason Dias My Feltow Smdents,
My decision to run for presidem of .ttie Student Govemment (SG) is based upon a sincere desire to faithfully repre¬
sent die concerns of the UTSA student body. I believe the platform I developed addresses ttie most fimdahiental interests of UTSA students. However, ttie im¬ provements I would like to see on cam¬ pus will only be a realistic goal if 1 can claim to, have the support of ttie student body. Therefrae, the first step is to vole in ttie SG elections, and if you agree witti ttie folkming sample of changes and improvements, I woukl like to be your q)okesperson.
1) THE COST OF FOOD: A regular hamburger at Huebner Rd. Burger King is 39 cents. At ttie UTSA Burger King ttie same item is 79 cents. Three miles sqiarate ttiese two Burger Kings but ttiere is a 40 cent difference in ttie pice. This is only one example, but the cost of food on campus is entirely too high. If elected I will actively urge ttie UTSA Adminis¬ tration to make food prices on campus commensurate witti Uie college student's budget
2) Expanding the financial aid, bur¬ sars, and veterans administration offic¬ ers' capabilities during registration and for ttie fust several weeks of each new semester. I am not a mattiematics major
(in fact fractions still scare me) but 4 computer terminals at die Financial Aid Office are not enough for a school this size. Students would rather see extra terminals on tables in ttie hallway, ttian see lines ttiat stretch into ttie cafeteria.
3) If elected I would urge ttie UTSA administration to {Hovide stiidents wiUi a
detailed report on how ttie fees we pay are used. A chart in the lilxary or ttie school newspaper would suffice. This is our money, we should know how it is being spent.
4) PARKING: Partdng continues to be a major problem. However new partdng lots will still be far from ttie campus and will involve sacrificing more of the atbactive natural landscape ttiat surrounds UTSA. Therefore, if electsd I would urge ttie UTSA administratkxi to consider solutions to the partdng prob¬ lem ttiat will preserve our trees and wildflowers but will adequately address ttie needs of students ttiat drive to school. Perhaps expanding ttie Parte and Ride services beyond Crossroads mall to nxMe locations. Ask yourself ttiis question: Which is closer, your favorite mall, or UTSA?
I urge everyone to participate in ttie 3G elections.   I did not "end up" at UTSA, I chosi. to come here. lamfHoud of our school, ttie student body, ttie faculty and Uie academic and aUiletic standards of Uiis university. However, we can be proud of our school and si¬ multaneously endeavor to improve it So, ifyou are sick of paying 60 cents for acan of soda ttiat is 50 cents everywhere else in America and if you are tired of needing a compass to find your car, I would like to be your president. Thank you and God Bless you, Jason M. Dias
Vtec-prcsidentlal candidate state¬ ment: Kim Szarka
Why is nmning for ttie student govem¬ ment (SG) important to me?
The SG is an important and effective Ixidge between the students and the ad- nunistration at UTSA. SG should be accessible to anyone who has a problem; it is ttie voke of each and every student at the univasity . As your vice-presi¬ dent, I want to feel ttiat she/he can voice their concems to me, and ttiat every effrat is made in resolving ttiose con¬ cems.
Why should you vote for me? As I mentioned above, I will do ev¬ erything in my power to make you, Uie student feel that you are an active mem¬ ber of UTSA. I will maker every effort to be as accessible as I can to you, and no proUem will be seen as too small or too insignificant for me to investigate.
If elected as SG vice-president, I will push for the following changes:
1. Making Uie administration morc responsive to students needs. For ex¬ ample, I have stood in Uie long line at the registrar's office when only one person was wmldng Uie desk. I would wortc towards getting additional help added to cut down on ttie time ttiat a student waits in line.
2. I will lobby for earlier moming hours at ttie campus bookstore. The bookstore does not open until 8:00 a.m., which makes it hard for students who have an 8:00 a.m. final exam to buy their exam materials that moming. Also, the campus bookstore is owned by Bames and Noble, who alsoowns the Bookstop. I will investigate ttie possibilities of al¬ lowing students to purchase discount cards, as can be done at die Bookstop, that could be used when purchasing text- bo(Ag.
3.1 will tobby to have an information sheet conceming what constitutes date r^ie permanentty affixed to every dor¬ mitory room and apartment on campus. 4.1 am sure Uiat every student feels the same alarm as I do regarding re¬ cenUy proposed library cuts. I wiU be a vocal activist in ensuring ttiat library funding is not cut.
5.1 will work towards mending Uie Inidge between Uie SG and Uie Paisano. I believe Uie Paisano is an important and effective tool in letting students know what Uieir SG officers are doing fw Uiem.
In ctosing, Uie above mentioned list is by no means a complete one. Your input is vital, and to facilitate Uiis. 1 will be walking around the campus this week asking for your advice and guidance. Your views and concems are important to me, so please feel free to share Uiem witti me when I approach you. Thank you for your time, and please vote on Apr.   19OT20.
Senate Bill 177 targets professional students
By Jwim Dwnidovlch
Contributing Writer
A new bill recendy tqiproved by the Texas Senate could force some students to pay out-of-state Uiition for dieir credit hours.
Senate Bill 177, spon.^cred by Sena- torCartParicerofPortArthur, proposes to rid ttie state university system of "pro- fesskxial smdents" by chai^g non- resklent biition rates on credit hours taken above ttie number oi hours re¬ quired by ttie student's degree plan. Currendy ttie bill calls fcr ttie maximum number df excess hours aUowable 10 be set at 38.
On Thurs.. Apr. 1, die Senate ap¬ proved die bill in a unanimous vote and sent it to die House of Represenatives for consideration. The bill has been re- fenedtottieHouseCominitteeonHigher Education, but a hearing has not yet been schednkd.
Tom Cane, president of die UTSA Stiident Govemment (SO), dunks duu Senate Bill 177'is a piece (rf legislation dial hasn't been ttiought duough very thoroughly." He went on to comment diat" as U is written. I dunk die biU is
flawed. There are not enough specifics and it throws too much bureaucracy into the system. It [die bill] needs more care¬ ful consideration."
Among the students affected by the bill would be any stiident who changes his/her major after pursuing 39 or more hoiBs in another degree plan. The bill woukl also discourage students fiom tiddng courses outside dieir degree re¬ quirements. CunenUy. state resklents pay $24 per credit hour, while non- resklente are charged $162.
Dr. BobiHe Hemandez. Vke Presi¬ dent for Stiident Affairs fbr UTSA, has some concems about the bill, especially about die potential effect on students. She mentioned ttiose in die military, who may lose hours due to die many moves required by their careers. Hemandez alsociteddienumbertrfokler students at UTSA "who have degrees, butjust like 10 come back 10 sch »land take courses because it is somedung duu interesttdiem."
"I have a PhD., but I might at some point like to go bade 10 school Old take courses," Hemandez sakl. "I wouldn't want to pay out-of-state tuition, because I feel like that would penalize me. be¬
cause I have well over any hours sug¬ gested in here [die bill]."
The only exception the bill provides for are haidship cases in whkh ttie Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board woukl make a raling. However, diere is no definitxNi wittiin Uie bill of what determines a hardship case or die process by whkh a student coukl ap¬ peal to the Board on the basis of hard¬ ship. Many students on campus have expressed concem Uiat ttie registration process may become more time con¬ suming due to die appeals process.
In an analysis by ttie Legislative Budget Board, it was approximated dial 4,632 persons "enrolled in undergradu¬ ate courses at general academic institu¬ tions after having prevkusly enrolled for excess semester credit hours of un¬ dergraduate courses at such institii¬ tions." A total of 410,706 persons were enrolled in the state university system after the Fall 1992 census day headcount
Cane has been lobbying Uie Senate in Austin since he furst became aware (rf Senate Bill 177. He says dial "if a stiident wants to express their (^linion, we have die munes and phtNie numbers
of all die members of die House Higher Education Committee. They [shidents] can come in to die SG office and use our phones tocall and let ttiese peopit know what their opinton is. Ifyou have a good point and make it logically, you wiU be listened to." The SG office is located on die second floor (rf ttie University Cen¬ ter in die StudeM Activity Complex.
When asked her opinion of the bill, Hernandez sakl, "I h(^ Uiat it will not go ttuough or Uut it woukl certainly be modified in some way." Cane feels dut many issues the bill does not address need to beconiironted such as how CLEP hours will be counted, and how non- traditional students will be affected.
"What if you want to tiike exba courses to help prepare yourself for your career fieM or just to enhance your general knowledge?" Cane asks. "This is an issue of accessibility. We nuy be harming peoi^e more dum we are he^ ing diem."
UTSA is in Distikt 123 and is rqxe- senied by Frank J. Corte, Jr. Those wishing to expiess dieir opinion may write: 3410 Fredricksburg Rd.. Suite 3(». San Antonk), TX 78229, or caU (312)463-0646.
Dr. Bobby Hsmandsz, vies prMMMN for siudoM affairs, oxpraaaaa ooncam abotit Sanata BIN 177 and Ha Impact on caitaln atudania.
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