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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 2003)
AGGIELlf THE BATTALIJ ed by predictions! —Denise Sck; iezone.com/ the world a niuchsni; sy to talk to someone st hurdle friendships the time difference, empts to make it ease it is any where in the es maps of time zones tr specific countries.lt sz where daylight sar 1. The Web site feature laylight and where it; es given in 12hourfa of the infonnationis re the Web site isloaa I lent tool for anyone n regarding time.lt ime zones and prova the military keepsta s to be explained, nation can be found site has against it ish ents. While (headset- provided free of the page design. Sots cross due to the adsi mh the trouble,^ nvaluable tool to any ir who knows some® Denise Sck? O n ORS * MITSUBISHI ^ MOTORS e up and drive ranteed ^ <rovaf+* ^ e Coupe 340| 1 ANDERAT8.9%lW MEf,r0f 'i r, NO DEROGATORY CRED^ STATE THE BATTALION Monday, April 28, 2003 State tries to remedy free speech concerns By Lisa Falkenberg THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The sophomore creative writ ing student applied time and again to hold forums — on cen sorship, on lead, arsenic and chil dren and even one event compar ing campus administration to Saddam Hussein — at the student union at the University of Texas at El Paso. Time and again, he was denied. The student union wasn’t in one of the two “free speech zones’’ on campus. After months of tangling with administrators and a net of bureaucratic application proce dures required to give a speech, Ruben Reyes sued the school’s administrators and the University of Texas System Board of Regents for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights. His battle, one of many at universities across the state, caught the attention of state law makers, who are pushing a bill through the Texas Legislature intended to cut down on the use of designated speech zones and other limits universities place on free speech rights. “Unfortunately, Texas univer sities are not meeting their obliga tion to provide a free learning environment for students,” said author Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso. “This bill ensures that universities provide students with a chance to express their ideas without fear of being arrested or disciplined unfairly.” The concept of so-called “free speech zones” caught like wild fire at colleges and universities across the country over the past two decades. Universities argue the zones facilitate orderly expression. Students say such zones stifle debate by limiting access and by allowing adminis trators, often the dean of students, to make the final decision on what speech gets heard. Reserving the zones, which may be required weeks before the event, is also problematic, stu dents say, because it’s often impossible to demonstrate over timely events. Students at UTEP aren’t the only ones bucking free speech regulations. University of Texas students successfully challenged the school’s policy of allowing demonstrations only in certain areas. Since February, the entire campus has been open to speech es and demonstrations. Students at the University of Houston said their lawsuit had the opposite effect. The Pro-Life Cougars student organization won their first legal battle last fall when a judge ordered the group be allowed to display graphic pictures of dead fetuses in one of the university’s main thoroughfares. UH original ly refused to allow the display outside of four designated “free speech zones.” But the anti-abortion group sued again shortly afterward, claiming that a new UH policy, which limited speech to only four designated zones, was more unconstitutional than the previ ous one. a This bill ensures that universities provide students with a chance to ex press their ideas without fear of being arrested... — Rep. Norma Chavez D-EI Paso “Thirty-five thousand people and there’s these four small areas and that’s it,” said law student and Pro-Life Cougars chairman Jonathan Saenz. “It sent the mes sage to the students that your speech isn’t that important. We can put you in an area over here and you’re just going to have to deal with that. “It’s contrary to what a lot of people think the college experi ence is about — challenging what you believe and what others believe.” A fifth speech area is available to students without reservations, but picketing, displays and sound equipment are prohibited. UH spokesman Mike Cinelli said the new policy is constitu tional because universities have a legal right to regulate time, place and manner of speech. “The idea that this campus is not open to free speech is just not accurate,” Cinelli said, but he added that universities have the right to limit demon strations or displays that could “disrupt the academic mission of the university.” At UTEP, students say admin istrators have used intimidation tactics such as summoning cam pus police to supervise demon strations and threatening adminis trative action against students who push the limits on speech. “What they use is this phrase: ‘Would you like to endanger your relationship with the universi ty?”’ said Reyes, a politically active student who is running for city council in El Paso. “They are becoming more strict, more Draconian with their limitations.” A UTEP university spokes woman said administrators could not comment on pending litiga tion although Schafer was quoted in the El Paso Times in March shortly after the lawsuit was filed saying the university supports “the free exchange of informa tion and expression.” Some legal experts say the concept of speech zones is sim ply unconstitutional. VICTOR’S Quality Mens & Ladies Boot & Shoe Repair www.seniorboots.com 3601 Texas Ave. 1 mite north of campus Hours Mon.-Fri. 8-6:00 Sat. 9-3 846-4114 Attention Ags! Part-time positions available in large insurance agency. Starting at s 8/hr. Hours available: Morning Shift 9am-2pm M/W/F or T/TH Afternoon Shift lpm-6pm M/W/F or T/TH Sales Assistant Position - Duties include helping sales staff with marketing & insurance proposals. Customer Service Position - Duties would include answering the phone, helping to start insurance policies, and servicing accounts for existing cus tomers. Both positions require availability to work every 1/3 Sat 10am-2pm. 3.0 or higher GPA preferred. When applying, please reference what shift you are applying for and what days you are available to work. Please send resume to: The Liere Agency 1101 University Dr. East, Ste. 100 College Station, TX 77840 University Tire 3818 S. College, Bryan 846-1738 5 Qts. 10-30 Pennzoil •Valvoline $ 16 95 Turn Rotors or Drums Pack Bearings when possible New pads or shoes Lockheed union votes in new contract to end strike FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - The union I striking for better wages and relief from high medical insurance and prescription drug costs at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. voted Sunday on a new contract proposal Ithat it anticipates will offer a better health insurance package than the one it turned I down two weeks ago. Representatives of the 4,000-member NEWS IN BRIEF Machinists Union local and Lockheed Martin agreed early Saturday morning to a new contract proposal. Pat Lane, president of Machinists Local 776, called a meeting of the union mem bership for 2 p.m. Sunday at Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Lane wouldn't divulge details of the con tract or say whether he would recommend its approval. A majority vote is required for approval of the contract. The strike, the third since 1984, began on April 14 after about 4,000 1AM members voted against accepting a proposed contract with wage increases that some union mem bers said would be sharply cut by higher health care costs. One of the most objectionable provisions, according to workers, was a change requir ing greater co-payments on prescription drugs by workers. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics President Dain Hancock said that a 107 percent increase in health care costs was the reason that health insurance benefits were tightened. Oil & Filter Change Limit one per customer. Not valid with any other discount or offer. ! *79 95 Front or Rear Brakes Limit one per customer. Not valid with any other discount or offer. | _ 2 Wheel Alignment 4 Wheel Alignment 1 $7 095 $>1095 Meter for Freon Level Test for leaks (freon extra) $ 29 95 Air Conditioner Check Limit one per customer. Not valid with any other discount or offer. 3995 $49 ® (most cars & light trucks) Computerized Front End Alignment ■ Limit one per customer. ■ Not valid with any other discount or offer. MSC TOWN HALL • MSC FILM SOCIETY and 2006 Class Council present... Mujkt Under The'Stars J (NUTS) Tuesday, April 29,2003 6:30 pm - 12:30 am Spence Park (behind Koldus) LIVE MUSIC with Mourning After and Silver Smith DRIVE-IN STYLE MOVIE 8:30 pm: Shrek 10:30 pm: Armageddon Food/Popcorn all night long (Don’t forget your blankets) Tickets on sale at the MSC Box Office $ 5/ticket Check it out at http://classcouncils.tamu.edu/2006/nuts.html Li