Joe Gow Makes National News New Frat Fights Misconceptions, "Bimbo" Study Leads Professor to Talk Radio by Chad R
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Volume No. 85 September 29,1993 Issue No. 3 # FIAT_ _ LUXLâurleMcFaddga THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ALFRED UNIVERSITY Joe Gow makes national news New frat fights misconceptions, "Bimbo" study leads professor to talk radio by Chad R. Bowman, contributor Greek policy An AU professor and MTV advocate in A rewrite this fall by Bob Quarteroni, 'The last thing I want is censorship," by Catherine Williams, contributor executive director of public relations, Gow said. "We need to be more aware last year's cable debate received There have been many misconceptions that cut the study to its bimbo quick of the images. We need to be more national attention recently for a study about the new fraternity, Alpha Delta criticizing MTV's portrayal of women. made national headlines. critical and analytical rather than Omega, and why its members think AU Enter Joe Gow, director of "Wriggling, jiggling bimbos—that's hysterical." needs another fraternity. communications studies program, to MTV! So says study ripping videos for 'The reason I got into this was to Members of the fraternity say that they WOR radio in New York. Introduced sexism," reads the headline from the comment on media. That's why this is are a co-ed, co-campus (AU and Alfred as a "hip young college professor" New York Post. so exciting. The real benefit is this State College), non-alcoholic fraternity criticizing MTV, Gow quips, "Thanks Gow said, "The pictures distort it, but makes me a better teacher in who just want to act as an alternative to for the hip. I need to keep up my the story's there...it has the figures." communications." • what's already here. image." Greek life coordinator Paul Kingsbury Photo by Catherine Williams says his only objection to Alpha Delta Gow has spent the last two weeks on Omega is that there is a policy stating that radio programs in Harrisburg, Toronto, no local additions can be made to the Hartford, Rochester, Buffalo and two Greeks at AU. New York stations. Gow also appeared « "Legal liability is another issue. We on ABC and CBS network radio. The would have to take on liability for Associated Press wire service picked •Mi'.m F* m**M « students who aren't even from our up the story, as did several large 18 campus," Kingsbury said. "As of right newspapers, such as the Washington now, Alpha Delta Omega is considered a Post, NY Daily News and NY Post. community sponsored organization and "This is about teaching...to a bigger is not affiliated with the university." Fraternity continues pg 7 class," said Gow. All this attention stems from a study Gow wrote in early 1991 which analyzed the top 100 music videos of Students offer the 1980's. After waiting two years, the solutions to Journal of Communication decided the •H 11 pajHHPi : study was "not strong enough to liK * •••MM ,X®3t ? :Jf I i EW cable problems warrant publication." mÊÊÊmÈÈÊm by Susanne Dunn, managing editor i|8|J ---pSfiSS The study found that men mm§BfiffHHH AU administrators were put in the outnumbered women in lead roles four spotlight at the Sept. 14 student senate to one, but women were twice as ••K meeting to discuss the cable issue. common in supporting roles. In Richard Ott, Provost, Sue Strong, ¡818• 119B11fciI -'Hi -HI 6I31 t .. : . iMi I Associate Provost and Sue Smith, dean addition, the study concluded that Rashaan Jordan (far left) runs for his second touchdown in of residence life, attended the meeting videos portray most women as Saturday's 30-20 victory over Ithaca. Story on page 9. to get feedback from students. "bimbos." Dick Weeks, engineer of the Alfred Cable Company, also attended the meeting, although he was not invited. 1993-94 merit Students expressed concerns about Liberal Arts College inequality in cable billing. They will be charged the same amount, $150, scholars set whether they live with one person or six. seeks reaccreditation AU watermark "The university requires six in a suite and two in a residence hall room. It's by Jon Baum, contributor by Kari Jermansen, contributor not like we have a choice," said Matt A degree from an accredited university doing what we say we are doing." AU now has one of the largest popula- Gardner, president of the Student impresses an employer, which makes To see if these goals are met, a compre- tions of National Merit Scholars (NMS) Cable continues pg 6 AU's quest for reaccreditation impor- hensive self study is done which in its history. It is estimated that 5% of tant. Every 10 years, AU undergoes analyzes the school and its departments. this year's total enrollment, of 2,310 are reaccreditation by the Middle States To distribute the workload, a steering scholars. Association of Colleges and Schools. committee is set up and the research is Recently, the requirements for keep- This year, the MSA will examine AU to divided into five sections: the mission, ing a scholarship, which at AU includes determine whether the school meets academic programs, student services, free tuition, room and board, and book accreditation standards. resources and equipment, and finance. fees have been upgraded. The mini- One standard set by the Commission The first step taken by specialized mum grade point average that is on Higher Education in its manual, work groups appointed by the steering required to keep the scholarship has Characteristics of Excellence in Higher committee is to accumulate data increased from 3.0 to 3.3. Education: Standards for Accreditation, through mailing surveys. These sur- In response, Provost Richard Ott states that the school must have "clearly veys, which were sent to students and replied, "With the exceptional opportu- stated missions, goals and objectives faculty in each research area last spring, nities that AU offers the scholars, we appropriate to the institutions resources asked whether the needs of the depart- expect them to perform exceptionally," and the needs of its constituents." ment were being met. The number of NMS applicants to AU According to Christine Grontkowski, The results are then analyzed and has increased greatly over the past dean of the college of liberal arts and compared with the mission goals to years. There were 20 applicants for sciences and AU reaccreditation chair- determine if they are consistent with 1990,39 for 1991,44 for 1992 and 78 for person, these missions include "a each other. Approximately 20percent of this year. As a result, almost 100 commitment to academic freedom, the surveys have been returned, but scholars are currently enrolled. Two quality education and affirmative Grontkowski believes that this is not years ago, AU enrolled 15 NMS, 27 last action." bad, stating that lower returns usually year and 39 this year. The admissions Grontkowski said that the purpose of mean fewer overall complaints. department limited this year's fresh- reaccreditation is to "make sure we are Audrey Doberstein, president of men class to a maximum of 40 scholars. Reaccreditation continues pg 6 Merit Scholars continues pg 6 Editorial Fiat Lux • September 29 • Page 2 ggg Steve Johnson's resignation Feature Piloto Ell en Sawtell highlights African-American faculty retention problem at AU by Carlyle Hicks, contributor The sudden resignation of Steve way: "They have a hard time recruiting Johnson saddened many who had because of where they are. This is not gotten to know and respect him. an ideal area for Black people." For Moreover, his resignation highlights cultural entertainment, many staff the problem that AU has had in members travel to Buffalo or recruiting and retaining African- Rochester. American faculty and staff. Currently, An added problem is that faculty and there are only a handful of African- staff end up doing various jobs outside Americans working in various of their fields. Many double as departments across campus. advisors to the increasing number of This problem has plagued AU. In the African-American students who want Several key administrators and Dick Weeks, an Alfred Cable Co. fall of 1989, students arrived on to turn to someone they can relate to campus to find that Lydia Thompson, culturally. This often leads to burnout. engineer attended the September 14 senate meeting to discuss the first director of minority affairs, Kevin Jones, instructor in French and the cable issue. According to a letter from Gerald Brody, dean of had resigned. Equal Opportunity head basketball coach, said "We are students, AU will make "a commitment to initiate a better situa- Program counselors Roosevelt Brown called upon to do other duties outside tion" for students by the next academic year. and Kimberly Gladden both resigned of the areas we were hired for." later in the year. This fall we have lost Yet another reason is the lack of Karen Podsiadly, Walter Mosely, and opportunity for professional growth. Johnson assumes new Steve Johnson. Because of AU's small size, there is less It is hard for AU to recruit and retain opportunity to move up the academic African-Americans for several reasons. ladder. This situation is not unique to staff position at Howard The first is location. Very few African- African-Americans. However, it does Americans have ever heard of Alfred. add to the problem of retention. by Catherine Williams, contributor Senior Jennifer Hallman expressed a The small number of African- Steve Johnson, former director of arts conference in Cincinatti, Ohio, and to a oft-heard sentiment in that "Alfred is Americans faculty and staff also makes programming and events, is now on Hip Hop concert in Rochester, New so isolated." them, as Coach Jones put it, "highly staff at his alma mater, Howard York.