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February 6,1996
Volume 19, Number 4
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TASP test scores big with student computer users
By Kathy Karmes
Contributing Writer
A new method of taking the Texas Academic Skills program (TASP) test is available to UTSA students who are required to take the test and need to receive quick results. The computer administered TASP test is conducted on campus through National Evalua¬ tion Systems, Inc. (NES).
Academic counselor Don     ^^ Dancak said the new system will help students who need to have results quickly.
"Students have the opportu¬ nity to take the reading and the math TASP on the 'computer and the objective part of the writing," Dancak said.
UTSA is one of 12 testing centers in Texas that adminis¬ ters the test on a regular basis. The other testing centers are Austin Community College, Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, Eastfield College in "~" Mesquite, El Paso Community College, North Harris College in Hous¬ ton, Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacodoches, Texas Tech University in Lubbock, University of Houston, University of Texas at Ar¬ lington and University of Texas at Brownsville.
Several provisions require students to take the TASP.   According to the
1995-96 TASP Test Registration Bul¬ letin these include degree seeking stu¬ dents entering or enrolled in a Texas public college or university as a full time or part time student; all full time or part time teacher education students, whether enrolled in a public or a pri¬ vate university in Texas; students want¬ ing admission to an upper level institu¬ tion or program in Texas that requires the TASP test as part of the admission
"Students have the opportunity to take the reading and the math TASP on the computer and the objective part of the writing."
- Don Dancak, academic counselor
requirements. Deaf students who have not received credit for at least three semester hours of college level work prior to fall 1995 are required to meet the basic skills testing requirement by taking the Stanford Achievement Test instead of the TASP Test.
Dancak said students who do not take the TASP in the required time period will not be able to attend Texas
public colleges.
"Any student who fails to take the TASP test during the designated se¬ mester will not be permitted to re- enroll or enroll in any other Texas public institution ofhighereducation," Dancak said.
Although most students are required to take the TASP, some are exempt. These include students who have re¬ ceived credit for at least three semester hours of college level work , prior to fall 1989, students
who are enrolling or are cur¬ rently in a certificate program that contains fewer than nine semester hours, students who are blind and received credit for at least three semester hours of college level work prior to fall 1995, students who have met qualifying standards on the American College Test (ACT), Scho¬ lastic Assessment Test (SAT), or the exit level Texas ^ Assessment of Academic
Skills (TAAS) test. According to the 1996 Computer Administered TASP Test Bulletin, the test is offered at least once a day, excluding some weekends and holi¬ days. Registration for this test is done by telephone only. Registration is done through NES in Austin, not through UTSA. The fee for taking this test is $85. A total of five hours of testing time is provided.  But individual test
Gary Wrigjit/llie Paisano
ShJdont govemment president Kristi Hail has worked hard to get UTSA as an offlelal poliing sight for ttw pTMShict. as well aa MMdcbig sure students c«i srrtsr ttts institiite of Texsn Cultures for free.
Students with their 1. D. enter free at Institute of Texan Cultures
By Stephanie DuMcic
Opinion Coordinator
UTSA studente will no longer have to pay for admission at the Institute of Texan Cultures when
they show their	
valid student ID
Beginning in November, The process studonts woro assosod a to Pboiish the $4 fee when they went to
Ir^udTnu the Institute Students
voicing their concerns to Student Gov¬ ernment Presi¬ dent Kristi Hail.
"Beginning
in November, "^    '' '''¦'iii     '<"
students were assessed a $4 fee when they went to the Institute of Texan
Cultures. Students brought diis to Stu¬ dent Oovemment's attention. I met with Dr. Sam Kirkpatrick and infonned him of the fee and the students' opin¬ ions. Three weeks later, the week of flnals, the fee was gone," Hall said. ' '" The Insti¬
tute of Texan Cultures is a branch of UTSA. Parfc- ing will also be fireewithagen- eral parking permit.
Hall said, "We want stu¬ dents to con .: and utilize their student government.
brought this to SG's atten¬ tion ... three weeks later, the fee was gone."
- Kristi Hall, SG pres.
Together we can make chan^ to bet¬ ter the University."
UTSA now an official polling sight
By Stephanie Dubick
Opinion Coordinator
For the upcoming primary elec¬ tions in Apnl, students will be able to cast their vote right here on cam¬ pus.
"At the beginning of November, we sponsored a table under the HSS building to encourage people to vote. Students exfH-essed that they wanted to vote on campus," said Student Government President Kristi Hall. "I petitioned the Bexar County Elections Department to establish the UTSA campus as the designated location for voting in the next election.
A memo was sent to the Univer¬ sity administration requesting ap¬ proval for reconunendation. It was approved by Bexar County, so UTSA will be a voting location for the precinct," Hall said.
The immary elections run from late Febnary to April. Early voting begins Feb. 21 and ends Mar. 8, and election day is Mar. 12. Ifthere is a run-off, early voting is Apr. 1 -S, and the run-off election is scheduled for Apr. 9.
Approval must be granted be- fme each election. Hall said, "My hope is for UTSA to continue being a voting location for the Presiden¬ tial election in No\ ember."
Student Govern ment worked for this because of student interest Approval took approximately two weeks. Hall f' d, "Stuttents re¬ quested this, ano we want to have better representation of collegiate student concems in community is¬ sues and elections. The election will have a better tum-out among college students."
Gary Wright/The Paisano
The Presidential Honor Guard of the United States Air Force performed at UTSA on Monday, Feb. 5.
sections are not timed. The time may be used to work on any or all three sections of the test. The reading and mathematics sections are done on the computer; however, there is paper provided for the writing pprtion of the test.
Unofficial results of the test are received the same day. The official score is usually mailed within one week
Students who have not passed all parts of the test or who have been exempted must enroll in at least one remedial course each semester until they pass all parts bf the TASP test. Degree credit is not given for remedial courses, and grading is on a credit or no credit basis. Although these courses are not included in the student's grade point average, students may not drop a
UTSA offers several remedial courses; ENGOlOl (WritingReview). ENG0103 (Basic English). MAT()1()3 (TASP Review), and MAT 0113 (El¬ emental Algebra).
Students who have any questions about TASP regulations or remedial courses should contact their adviser or the Tomas Rivera Center for Student Advising.
of NES receiving the writing sample.     remedial course and must attend class.
Lack of light, returning to school triggers winter blues
By Judith Forman
College Press Service
Due to the winter weather condi¬ tions, coming back to school, and rela¬ tionship issues, some people become depressed. "Seasonal Affective Dis¬ order," or SAD, is a severe depression that individuals may get during the season.
Dr. Beverly Alexander, Counsel¬ ing Center director at UTSA said the disorder is caused by lack of light and it is not as common in San Antonio, as in other northem slates.
"It has do with light and when the weather is cold and dark, so we don't get as much of the disorder here," Alexander said. "When you are not out and around as much some people tend to get depressed."
An estimated 25 million people who suffer from some type of winter de¬ pression, according to "Winter Blues " by Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Winter depression comes in two degrees of severity, said Dr. Fred Turek, chair of Northwestern" s department of neurobiology and physiology. Turek, who is also director of the Center for Circadian Biology & Medicine at NU, said some people with mild winter depression suffer from the "Winter blahs," while others suffer from SAD.
Quincey Thoeni said she discov¬ ered she had SAD even before it had a name. Thoeni, who attended the Uni¬ versity of Michigan, transferred to the University of Florida to relieve her depress 3n. In 1991, she moved to Evanston, 111., for three years with her husband while he was a seminarian al Seabury-Westem Theological Semi¬ nary. Her husband also had SAD, said Theoni.
"We used light treatment," said Theoni, who has done a lot her own
research on SAD. "We figured it was worth the $400 to buy a light "
She said the light, which has strength equal to l(X) candles, as well as treat¬ ment through antidepressants, helped relieve her symptoms such as depres¬ sion, irritability and fogginess.
Now, Thoeni and her husband live in Albany. Ga., where she is the assis¬ tant fitness direcior for the YMCA of Southwest Georgia.
"Living in the South has really made a difference," she said. "I feel more
^iJiaslo'dowith light and when the weather is cold and dark, so we don't get as much of the disorder here. When you are not out and around as much some people tend to get depressed."
- Beverly Alexander
normal, like myself."
Turek, who has studied how sea¬ sonal changes and the length of days affect humans' and olher animals' re¬ productive cycles, hibernation and migration, said lack of sunlight—not cold temperatures—may bc a major cause of winter depression. He said aboul 15 years ago, scientists began to notice that people suffered from the symptoms of clinical depression more in the winter than in any other season.
"What is causing the blahs? It's a complex set of conditions, and we don't have an answer," Turek I, looking out atthe view from his o e window. "Look, it's already dark out. I'm get¬ ting depressed just looking outside,"
he joked.
Turek said exposure to artificial bright lights, such as thc ircatnient Thoeni received, has curbed depres¬ sion for some people.
"After many clinical i als. it has been found that bright light seems to be an effective treatment tor winter de¬ pression," he said. "How il works, we don't know, but it's an eft'ectivc treat¬ ment."
Dr. Miepje DeVr>er. a psychiatrist at NU's Counseling anil Psychological Services, said artificial light isan ideal treatment lor SAD.
"These are special lights with par¬ ticular wavelengths," said DcVryer "You sit in front of these lights at a particular distance tor aboul an hour each day, with your eyes open In a week or so, most people can tell il it makes a difference."
Symptoms of the 'winter blahs" include minor depression and olher behavioral changes, such as minor weight gain, oversleeping, tiredness, inactivity, increased stress and irrita¬ bility, illness and sadness, he said.
A recent Chicago Tribune article said that many people with thc mild winter blahs start overeating in Octo¬ ber, consuming about 220 extra calo¬ ries a day. People gain an average of 5.5 pounds in the winter season, as they eat more carbohydrates, Ials and sugars. Some scientists say they think this may be related to an animal in¬ stinct to bulk up before thc 'scarce' winter season.
Eric Haar, who has worked al Dan' z Cookies for over a year, said there is a marked increase in cookies sales when winter sets in.
"Some people, when ihcy get de¬ pressed, find comfort in fcx)d," Haar said, "Everyone likes to slay in, and we deliver. During the spring thaw, there is a little decline in business."
Continued on page 3.