The College News 1989-2-2 Vol. 10 No. 7 (Bryn Mawr, PA: Bryn Mawr College, 1989)
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Bryn Mawr College Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College Publications, Special Bryn Mawr College News Collections, Digitized Books 1989 The olC lege News 1989-2-2 Vol. 10 No. 7 Students of Bryn Mawr College Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.brynmawr.edu/bmc_collegenews Custom Citation Students of Bryn Mawr College, The College News 1989-2-2 Vol. 10 No. 7 (Bryn Mawr, PA: Bryn Mawr College, 1989). This paper is posted at Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College. http://repository.brynmawr.edu/bmc_collegenews/1401 For more information, please contact [email protected]. VOLUME X Number February 2, 1989 Plenary: quick quorum; new Code adopted Denison WOOS Myers & family tives and freshwornen to understand? Karen Tidmarsh believes that the BYBEfflSTROUD However, when Carrie Wofford voiced this con- Sophomore Humanities Seminar, which is cern by calling the proposed Code "an Honor being offered for the first time this semester, It may have been the beat Plenary any- Code for juniors and seniors, not for sophomores "wouldn't have happened without her [Dean one remembers We reached quorum—400 and freshmen," suggesting that newer students Myers'] leadership and encouragement." people-by 7:15, COLOR held a bake sale with might not have the background and experience to When Dean Myers first came to Bryn Mawr, chocolate chip cookies and lemon pound cake, Ka- interpret a more generalized i Code, two she strongly believed that the College needed ty Coyie's band, "Kate and the Electric Fish" was freshwornen responded with some of the most to' 'focus more on interdisciplinary [courses] hot, and President McPherson danced on stage passionate speeches of the evening in favor of the and 'general education'." The Humanities with Katy to "Johnnie R Goode" Also, six resolu- resolution. 'Tm a freshman," said Jennifer Pifrman. Seminar is one step towards that goal. tions were passed. At &00 there were over 500 ■When you get to be about eighteen years old. Dean Myers feels that her greatest disap- people present and some were string on the nocr you oome to college to develop your own system pointment was "the failure of the diversity quorum was held for almost four hours. Linda of morals, which you do not need handed to you requirement." She is particularly frustrated Friedrich saki, 'Apathy is dead" onaplate" "Trust us as well," said Abigail Evans that she hasn't "articulated a rationale that It is only at Plenary that the Honor Code may "Bryn Mawr is a place to grow... You can't dic- would generate consensus" among the be amended, and now we have what is practically tate which way to grow;' One specific rule, members of the faculty. a new Honor Code. The text in the student hand- however, was reinserted Jen and Karen agreed to In her Convocation speech, Dean Myers book from page 80 to page 83 is no longer part of a friendly amendment to insert a phrase from the said,' 'You have shown me how foolish it is to the written document. The resolution submitted old Honor Code"Students are not to reveal the short-circuit discussion, consultation, and by Karen Kerr and Jennifer Spruill replaces four form, content, or degree of difficulty of an exam' dialogue and how counterproductive it is in pages of specific rtanorCode rules and regulations to the section on exam procedures in the Appen- the long run to be impatient with or to with six paragraphs of philosophy. dix to the Code After amendments, the resolution distrust democratic process." Dean Myers The philosophy is not unfamiliar to Mawrtyrs. passed 387 to 90, with 14 abstentions. believes that her tenure at Bryn Mawr will The six new paragraphs speak of trust, freedom, Linda Friedrich and Lome Kim presented their MEIKOTAKAYAMA make "a big difference" in her leadership responsibility and respect—what Jen Spruill style. She believes that Bryn Mawr's complex resolution in an amended form. Originally, they "I DON'T HAVE ANY WISDOM TO described as the "general concepts" of honor. had written "Acts of prejudice, such as racism, and seemingly inefficient way of dealing with Karen and Jen stressed that they hoped to make homophobia, classism and ableism, are devoid of GIVE BRYN MAWR because it is problems are "healthy and, in fact, for the the Code less specific and more general. They fefl respect and therefore, by definition violate the already so wise," says Dean Myers as long term, better." She plans to include that the current Code, by Bating specific "dds" and Social Honor Code" The rewritten version was she smiles about becoming the first discussion with all of her constituencies, "don't's" itself violated the basic trust on which it longer, and used the phrase "acts of cfccrirnination woman president of Denison especially the students, in her decision- depended and harassment" to distinguish thought and University. making process at Denison. Eleanor Dickey was the first to ask a question: speech from action Dean Myers now strongly believes that Why had the sentence, "Any policy not approved students can't have a good education without Many of the speakers were concerned that a BY LINDA P. FRIEDRICH by the vote of the Undergraduate Association shall clause against racism would make the Honor diversity. "Pluralism will be sought after" at not fall under the jurisdiction of the Honor Board," Board into "thought police" Denise Tuggie stressed Denison in the upcoming years. In Dean inserted at Plenary in 1987, been removed? Karen in a speech in favor of the resolution that it was not lYlichele Myers views her position as the Myers' eyes the fraternity and sorority and Jen looked at each other in apparent surprise about thinking, but about acts She reminded those first woman president of Denison Universi- system at Denison are "part of an for a moment Finally Karen said "We're present that the Sisterhood had withdrawn from ty with pleasure and excitement, but regrets ethos... [which is] not open to diversity and amenable to, uh, returning it." This sentence was the Honor Code two years ago because its leaving Bryn Mawr. When asked to give Bryn pluralism." Although the curriculum at reinserted by friendly amendment later in the members did ict feel protected by the Code. This Mawr advice for the future, she responded, Denison is much more diversified than Bryn evening. resolution, she felt, could begin to address that pro- "I don't have any wisdom to give Bryn Mawr Mawr's, its student body and faculty are not. Beth Posner also asked a particularly significant blem. This is about acts," she said "You can think because it is already so wise.'' One of Dean Myers' top priorities is to recruit question: Why was there no mention in the new anything you want" The resolution passed Dean Myers' tenure at Bryn Mawr has a wider spectrum of students and faculty to Honor Code of racism, sexism rorEphobia, able- At ten pm,, after the first three resolutions had been unusually short—only three years. Denison. ism or classism? What political agenda did Karen been passed Plenary began to be tiring and Deans are usually expected to stay at Bryn Dean Myers will begin her presidency at and Jen have in mind, leaving out any mention of frustrating. The counters were asked to check for Mawr for a minimum of five years. Although, Denison at a time when the University is issues which have dearly been important con- quorum;407 people were still present Linda urg- according to Mary Patterson McPherson, "ready to take the good which they have and troversies at Bryn Mawr, both historically and in ed everyone to stay until all the resolutions had "we both thought [of] her taking a good col- move one step higher." Presently, Denison the past year? Karen responded, "I don't think we been voted upon The fourth resolution, to lege presidency in [the] next few years,'' Dean enjoys an excellent academic reputation have any political agendas. Certainly mt. I think it establish a Student Security Head and Council, Myers was not considering leaving this soon. regionally. They have been building a facul- was more of a spiritual one, actually;' Jen hoped was very nearly a thirty-second resolution; "Do She was recommended for the position by so- ty of good scholars and teachers Dean Myers that the generality of the new Code would allow people need this read to them?' Linda asked meone outside Bryn Mawr, and Denison ap- hopes that Denison will become a nationally it to encompass these issues From the floor there was a loud chorus of "NO!" proached her. On January 20, Denison known liberal arts college during her The debate for and against adopting the new Someone moved to call the question and the mo- University announced that Dean Myers will presidency. To achieve this goal, she will Honor Code was reasonable, civil, and often elo- tion was passed Linda called for a vote on the assume their presidency this summer. work hard to recruit top students to the quent In favor of the new Code, Amy Wall said, resolution, and the counters had begun to count President McPherson believes that Dean ■ University. "Well have to do a lot more talking and a lot more votes when Karen Ken got up to speak against the Myers "has done more in three years than After only three years here, Dean Myers sharing and a lot more continuous work, and it resolution at the "Pro" microphone Judith Tabron most people who come from the outside do in and her family are once again in a period of might be a pain in the neck, but I think it's worth objected "We called the question V\fe passed it five years." In particular, the President transition.