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T h e S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Te x a s - P a n A m e r i c a n
SGA hopefuls to present at forum
March 30, 2006
Marijuana penalties cause debate By LUKE KOONG The Pan American If students at The University of Texas-Austin have their say, being caught with marijuana on campus won’t be such a big deal. Referendum 2 in a recent campus-wide election calls for softer penalties for individuals caught with marijuana on the UT-Austin campus, penalties matching those meted out for students caught with alcohol. While 64 percent of the students who voted want a change, there is no guarantee the measure will go through. “It’s up to what can be legally done,” said Omar Ochoa, president of UT-Austin’s Student Government (SG), adding that the final say will come from the UT Board of Regents. “Just because the referendum passes doesn’t mean the Board will pass it,” he said. “This student group, if they want to continue on in the chain, has to take it on to the next step. It’s not going to magically appear on the agenda just because it passed.” Currently, anyone caught with an illegal substance, such as marijuana, is referred to Student Judicial Services and subject to dismissal from the university and residence halls. Those caught with alcohol only face educational sanctions.
By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American
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BEHIND THE WHEEL Referendum 2 was pushed onto the ballot by Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), an organization based out of Denver, Colo. According to its Web site, SAFER is sponsoring a movement “in which the private adult possession and use of marijuana is treated in the same or similar manner as the private adult possession and use of alcohol.” While not promoting the use of marijuana, members are trying to spread the word that it is a safer substance to use compared to booze.
Ed Martinez/The Pan American
While the first round of local primary elections may be over, The University of Texas-Pan American’s Student Government Association is gearing up for some elections of its own. Wednesday, students had a chance to hear candidates for college senator and senator-at-large state their platforms. Today at noon, it will be the presidential and vice-presidential candidates’ turns. Current senator for the College of Science and Engineering Anupama Reddy encourages students to attend the upcoming forum, as it is a critical part of the election process. “Before they vote, they get to hear what these candidates are running for and what their goals are for the next year,” Reddy, who helped organize the forums, said. In the coming days, students should check their preferred e-mail addresses for a link that provides an SGA election pin number that they need in order to vote in the elections taking place April 3-7. While the decisions are ultimately up to the students, Reddy says SGA has its own hopes as far as a new president is concerned. “As far as president goes, we’re looking for good leadership skills; someone who can take care of the association,” she said. Reddy, who is not running because she graduates in December, says in her one year as part of SGA, she has learned a lot about what it takes to contribute. “SGA takes a lot of time. So at the same time as far as school goes they should be able and willing to put in a lot of time and effort into SGA,” she said. Though it may be a lot of work, there are several people to make sure the job gets done. According to Reddy, there will be six senators at-large elected; their job is to make sure the voice of the student body is represented. College senators will also be elected, with the number of senators representing each college dependent on the population of students in that college. There is one senator for every 800 students in a college. Joey Nichols, a senior biology major and outgoing SGA vice president, said that voting says a lot about student involvement on campus. “I think this year we have worked very hard to strengthen the voice of the students of UTPA,” Nichols said. “A larger turnout in the elections is reaffirmation that our efforts to reach out to the students and to involve them in the workings of the university are perceived as effective.” Still, Nichols noted that a large turnout of candidates could cause a bit of a problem when it
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Search for provost continues By SANDRA GONZALEZ The Pan American When you lose something you’ve had for quite a while, it’s never easy to find a replacement. Nonetheless, The University of Texas-Pan American is well on its way to finding a new provost and vice-president for academic affairs to replace Rodolfo Arevalo. A search committee is at work. “President Cardenas has appointed the search
committee composed of faculty, as recommended by the Faculty Senate, a vice president, an interim dean, representation from various academic areas and other offices that work with this position, and a student,” said Ala Qubbaj, committee co-chair and associate professor of mechanical engineering. At their first meeting, held Wednesday, the committee reviewed the position description and finalized the advertisement set to be released
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Sandra Gonzalez/The Pan American SEARCHING - Teofilo Ozuna (left) speaks to Ala Qubbaj at a committee meeting on Wednesday.
Terry speaks on gay activism By CAROLINA SANCHEZ The Pan American
Joel de la Rosa/The Pan American ACTIVIST - Jamiel Terry speaks to a crowd of 60-70 at the Student Union Theater on Wednesday night on his life as a gay activist.
The University Program Board (UPB) and the Hello World Committee brought Jamiel Terry, “one of the most intriguing gays of 2004” according to Out Magazine, to talk about his personal experiences and gay activism. Although some of the ads promoting this event were destroyed in protest, many people attended the event. “I was greatly saddened and dismayed that
some professors and students are so close-minded and not willing to listen,” said Adan Nieto, chair of the Hello World Committee. “Professors are here to enlighten us and open the minds of students, not close them off.” He went on to explain the reason for Terry’s visit. “The idea of bringing this speaker to university was born because we felt it’s an issue that needs to be talked about,” added Nieto. Terry feels that his story, while one-of-a-kind, is relevant to many people.
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