The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 28, 2003, Image 5

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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