The Summer Prospector (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 7, Ed. 1 Friday, August 7, 1970 Page: 1 of 4
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Prospector and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the University of Texas at El Paso.
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THE SUMMER
Proposal given to Smiley
*
make
for
the
Chicano studies program to be
recommended by MECHA group
By Frank Macias
TWIGSTOCK happens tonite in the Triangle and is sure to recall to mind the
Illinois Speed Press Concert of last month, pictured above. For more
information on Twigstock see page 3. (Photo by Pat Ellis)
Opening of dorms
delayed by strikes
By Charlie Mayfield
Last Wednesday, a meeting was held in Room 102 Union West to assess the
current crisis of the unfinished dorms.
The crisis started last spring with the striking by plumbers first, then sheet
metal workers, and finally the insulators. The result of the strikes was to put the
building of the dorms fifty days behind schedule.
Mr. Jim Hunt, Chief Construction Inspector for the University of Texas System
on assignment to the residence halls being built, estimated that the first six floors
of the new men's and women's dorms, Barry and Kelly Halls, respectively,would
be ready by Sept. 1.
After hearing Mr. Hunt's report, the members of the meeting agreed to place
first priority on the building of rooms, after the rooms were built then installation
of air conditioning and insulation and finally the Commons Dining Room.
Members of the meeting also discussed methods of feeding the residents of the
new dorms during the month of September while their dining Commons is being
built. Some of the methods suggested were contracting with Hawthorne House
serving in Miner's Hall, and extending the serving hours in Bell Hall.
Mr. Marshall Pennington, Vice-President of Business Affairs and chairman of
the meeting concluded by saying, “The routes that will have to be taken as a
result of the delays will depend on the actual completion date of the residence
halls and commons. The construction is going to be pushed! Cooperation of
everyone is sought, above the all the patience and understanding on the part of
the students. When the first students move into the new dorms there will still be
many inconviences (air conditioning not fully operative and construction
proceeding, as fast as possible, while students are moving in the dorms) but we will
iron out as many of these inconviences as possible."
Members of the meeting besides Pennington and Hunt were Professor Oscar
McMahan of the Faculty Building Committee, Dr. Gerald Barber of the High
School Equivalency Program,. Mr. James Griffin the New Housing Director, and
Deans Jimmy Walker, Larry Hamilton and Louise Resley.
Packets almost ready
In a letter to students last week Registrar C.J. Cervenka said that those who filled
out requests for courses last April may pick up their packets of classes and cards
starting the week after next.
Packets may be obtained between August 18 and September 1, from
8:30-4:30, in the Apache Room of the Union.
The letter also stated that students who cannot personally pick up their packets
may reserve their classes by sending a card or letter to the Office of the Registar
instructing them to do so. The address for such correspondence is: STELLAR,
Office of the Registar, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79999.
Cervenka added in the letter that he thanked the students for their
co-operation in participating in STELLAR (System To Eliminate Long Lines At
Registration).
"It is only through the help of all persons involved that any process or system
will work with any degree of success. I am confident that when the system is fully
operational in about a year and a half from now all persons involved will reap
many benefits from the automated process."
Cervenka concluded by saying, "Fees for the students' program of courses will
be paid in the Ballroom of the Union at an assigned time during the period of
September 9-11."
Equal Opportunity
Commission created
An organization known as the El Paso Mexican-American Equal Opportunity
Commission was recently formed as a result of the desegregation case concerning
El Paso and Coronado High Schools.
The reason the Commission was organized was to alleviate the problem of a
communication failure between the El Paso community and the Justice
Department of the Federal Government, discovered when the segregation case
began. By being a communications center to the Justice Department for the
community, the Commission plans to rectify the situation. Two main areas,
education and employment, will be in the scope of the Commission.
The Commission will act as a mediator because the Mexican-American in El
Paso generally does not know where to file discrimination complaints pertaining
to education or employment. “Situations such as El Paso and Coronado High
Schoolshave been allowed to exist because of the failuie of the Mexican-American
community to complain to the Justice Department," said the Commission. The
Commission went on to explain that "because of this failure to complain,
discrimination in employment practices have persisted despite the fact that it is
illegal. In order to be corrected, discriminatory hiring practices must be reported.
Both education and employment discrimination is a crime punishable by Federal
Courts.
"Even cases of failure to promote persons because they are Mexican-Americans
are illegal. Individuals or corporations are subject to fines for promotion
violations," concluded the Commission.
The Commission requested that any person, feeling he or she had been the
subject of discrimination in education or employment, please contact the El Paso
Mexican-American Equal Opportunity Commission at 566-6711, extention 40.
Continued on Page 3
Another reason for the Chicano
Studies Program was the fact that there
are four times as many Anglo students
as there are Chicanos in graduate
school. (All forementioned statistics
were taken from a print out of the
Office of Institutional Studies of U.T.
El Paso.)
The proposal when accepted will be
governed by the “Mesa Directiva"
(Board of Directors).
Hernandez then went through the
highlights of the proposal. The Chicano
Studies and Activities Program shall
consist of all members of "La Mesa
Directiva" and their constituents. All
programs, committees, projects created
by the Board, all personnel hired by the
Board for the purpose of assisting "La
Mesa Directiva", all faculty, Chicano
students, and all administration directly
involved in the affairs of the Board are
also part of the Chicano Studies and
Affairs Program.
"La Mesa Directiva" is the main
governing body of the Chicano Studies
and Affairs Program..’ It shall be
composed of 15 members. One-third of
the board will be made up of students,
one-third faculty, and one-third will be
from the community.
The Board shall have the authority
and responsibility to submit proposals
with appropriate budgets to the
President of the University, and if
approved, shall be held solely
responsible for the establishing and
administration of the programs policies,
personnel, and budget.
It shall also have the sole authority
to create, implement,
recomendations and review
addition, deletion and/or
VOL. XXXVII NO.7 EL PASO, TEXAS FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 1970
amendment of courses in the Chicano
Studies Program. Specifically it will
review, and recommend to the
President the appointment and
dismissal of all personnel in the
Chicano Affairs Program, including
administrators, faculty, and staff.
"La Mesa Directiva" shall be
consulted on all private, governmental
and university programs which are
designed to help minority group
students whether the program be
academic, social, economical, or
cultural. The Board shall also have the
authority to investigate all cases of
discrimination or inequalities against
Chicanos within university programs at
U.T. El Paso, and subsequently submit
a report to the President for review.
The Chicano Studies Committee
shall have the sole authority to make
recommendations to "La Mesa
Directiva" on the creation
implementation, development, addition
and/or deletion, reform or modification
of the curriculum of the Chicano
Studies Program. It will also have sole
authority to recommend the
appointment or removal of any
professor instructing a course of the
Chicano Studies Committee.
The Chairmen of "La Mesa
Directiva" shall represent the Chicano
Activities Committee before the Board,
University officials, civil authorities and
students.
Monday at 1:00 MECHA will present
a proposal for a Chicano Studies and
Activities Program to President Joseph
Smiley and the administration. MECHA
is the officially recognized
representative of Chicanos at U.T. El
Paso.
In an interview with Bert Hernandez,
Chairman of MECHA, and other
student members, the MECHA proposal
was discussed. Other members involved
in the discussion were David Morales,
Joe Medina, Donald Lopez, Chris Perez
and Ray Sarabia. The proposal is being
submitted in order to help the
Mexican-American student in college.
"The need for a Chicano studies
program is evident for obvious
reasons," said Hernandez.
Some of the reasons were: Chicano
Students compose 63% of the
provisional students on campus;
second, of 3,300 Chicanos on campus
42% are freshmen, 21% are
sophomores, 16% are juniors, 12% are
seniors. It can easily be seen that in
1969 only half of the freshmen went
on to their sophomore year. 12% of the
total student body are Spanish surname
seniors. 12% is 392 Chicanos as
compared to the total number of
seniors, 3,266.
In 1969 only 96 of these 392
Chicano seniors graduated. The reason
given for such a large drop out rate was;
10% because of marriage, 20% because
of military duty and 70% because of
financial problems. Under the Chicano
Activities Program a financial aid
committee would be established.
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University of Texas at El Paso. The Summer Prospector (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 37, No. 7, Ed. 1 Friday, August 7, 1970, newspaper, August 7, 1970; El Paso, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1620566/m1/1/?rotate=0: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas at El Paso.