Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio
04.19.2011 Vol. 45 Issue 13
The
Paisano
SEXUAL ASSAULT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES P6: Eco friendly products
Sergio Rios
Students set rules for social networking Angela Marin
paisanonews@sbcglobal.net The growing popularity of social networks and blogs over the past several years has created a unique dilemma for many universities. While some schools have explicitly stated their policies on online posting and sharing, most are faced with the duty of assessing potentially problematic cases individually to determine whether the student is in violation of any rules or regulations. Many students at UTSA have profiles on social network sites, write blogs or post videos to YouTube, but do they know what the rules are? “Things that could get a student in trouble are threatening violence, saying something discriminatory, or harassing. It’s very much on a case-by-case basis,” Associate Director of Student Judicial Affairs, Todd Wollenzier said. “We have to look at it to see if it’s freedom of speech or if it violates one of our codes of conduct.” Section 202 of the student code of conduct states that disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student for a violation that relates to “the time, place, and manner of expression or expression-related conduct.” Students who violate the code of conduct can be subject to punishment ranging from disciplinary warnings to expulsion, depending on the action. See NETWORKING, Page 2
New safeties coach Perry Eliano.
Football coaches fully staffed after resignations Ramsey Rodriguez
paisanonews@sbcglobal.net UTSA football will begin its inaugural season this fall, on Sept. 3 with the opening
Lisak found in his 20-year research that “offenders on campuses - just like men in prison for rape - look for the most vulnerable women.” In a college campus, freshman female students are targeted and sexually victimized because of their limited experience with alcohol. Trend college sex predators know intimately well. In fact, college-aged rapists typically do not use knives, guns, or physical force to commit their offense. Alcohol is the weapon of choice. “I think guys sometimes use alcohol to try to take advantage
game against Northeastern State. The Roadrunners have drilled and practiced throughout the spring semester preparing themselves for the final stretch this summer while the coaching staff has mentored the young football program and readied themselves as well. Along with the players’ conditioning and training, Head coach Larry Coker has had to fill a full-time coaching staff after dealing with resignations by assistant coaches David Ross this past fall and Mike Menefee back in February. “I have the utmost respect and loyalty toward Coach Coker, UTSA athletics and the football profession,” Ross said. “This was a difficult decision. My enthusiasm for the game of football is not at the level it needs to be and this young program deserves more than I could give right now.” Ross and Menefee were part of the initial staff hired by Coker in April 2009. Ross quit his position for personal reasons while Menefee resigned to pursue a private business opportunity. See COACHES, Page 2
of girls,” Kari Greguska, a 24year old college graduate, said. “They just keep buying drinks with the hope that by the end of the night we are too intoxicated to stop them.” Another factor compounding the already jagged fault lines of sex crimes is the stigma associated with sexual assault cases. “Most girls tell themselves that they won’t be one of those girls that allows that to happen so they don’t tell anyone because they’re embarrassed,” Dana Sottodeh, a sophomore communication major, said. “If I was ever in that situa-
tion (sexually assaulted), I really don’t think I would want to talk about it to total strangers; it’s a sensitive subject,” added Greguska. “For a girl, it’s probably the worst fear, but it’s also the one we would want to talk about the least.” The Department of Justice report also concluded that it is usually the victims of sexual assaults that end up transferring universities, while the alleged perpetrator stays in school.
See ASSAULT, Page 3
File Photo
P10: Softball sweeps
Burk Frey/ The Paisano
P9: ‘The Hooch’
The trouble with sexual assaults on campus starts with alcohol. Then it rumbles through dorm rooms, echoes in underbreath conversations, but it never reaches the boys in blue. A recent report funded by the Department of Justice found that roughly one in five women who attend college will become the victim of a rape or attempted rape by the time she graduates. That same report also warns that only five percent of sexually assaulted victims report the incident to authorities. Although UTSA’s 2010 Security Report declares five forcible sex offenses from 20072009 (three in 2007, two in 2008, zero in 2009), statistically, many more may have gone unreported. According to the Center of Public Integrity, official university figures on sex crimes “don’t begin to reflect the scope of the problem.” Experts in the field believe this is due, in part, to the prevalence of alcohol and sex in a college environment. College culture condones alcohol and heightened sexuality, both male and female, although female promiscuity is accepted to a lesser degree. This attitude is perhaps best exemplified in MTV’s hit show, Jersey Shore. These two factors create “a perfect storm for sex assault issues,” stated David Lisak, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, in a recent NPR news investigation.
Graphic by Robert Calcagno
paisanonews@sbcglobal.net
Student votes implement a $5 green environmental fee into tuition that began in spring of 2011.
Becoming more ‘green’ $5 at a time Dyan Lofton
paisanonews@sbcglobal.net One of the most buzzed about topics today is how we can resourcefully take better care of our environment. Students are now required to contribute to this matter, by funding the green charge. “The Green Fund will allow students and UTSA to invest in the environment the most
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precious and delicate resource there is,” Xavier Johnson, president of the Student Government Association, said. The green environmental service fee was implemented into students’ tuition spring of 2011. “The fee was implemented in a student vote through a campus-wide election last spring. See GREEN, Page 2