----~ -~---·-.,-~-~ TI-IE E·TRIE WEEKLY "The real heart of a university is freedom to express and to crticize." - George W. Starcher, university president Volume XXXII, Number 24 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 April 7, 1998 Election Reported Sexual Cont;roversy Assault Investigated Already Campus in Midst of Writing New Policy Regarding Those Crimes JAMIE SMITH Retriever Weekly Staff Writer JAMIE SMITH Charles Fey, vice president for Retriever Weekly Staff Writer Student Affairs, said "all the play­ The SGA election season has ers involved" had been drinking. only just begun and already candi­ UMBC police are investigating "Alcohol played a serious role," dates are at odds. allegations of a sexual assault in a he said. At stake in this argument is campus apartment over spring The alleged crime was preceded whether some political hopefuls ave en etnever ee y ta break, the first reported crime of by a series of highly-publicized at­ will get their names included on the Traffic at Hilltop Road and Willsens Avenue increases as this nature during the school year. tacks at College Park - one as­ ballot - generally an easier way students leave campus for the day. The incident comes as adminis­ sault, one sexual assault and one to be elected than as write-in can­ trators are reworking the campus rape during March - that have left didates. A possible outcome of the policy for dealing with sex crimes, women fearing for their safety. controversy is the elimination of all New Traffic Design to a months-long effort that is de­ Meanwhile, at Towson Univer­ but one presidential ticket from the signed to make UMBC's resources sity, which is closer in size to list. more victim-friendly. UMBC, there have been no re­ At the candidates' meeting last Ease Drivers' Woes No charges have yet been filed ported rapes so far this year, none Wednesday, which is mandatory for in connection with the alleged last year and one in 1996. That was thpse who want their names on the TRACY SOLTESZ chosen because of its increase in March 26 assault, and campus po­ an acquaintance situation involving ballot, several students showed up Retriever Weekly Editorial Staff congestion during mid-day and lice Chief David Yohman would alcohol, according to Corporal late. When the same thing hap­ peak traffic hours that has led to a release little information about the David Stallard of the Towson cam­ pened in 1996, the tardy candidates The Maryland State Highway rising accident rate in the area. incident or even whether it would pus police. were forced to run as write-ins. Administration (MSHA) hopes to Construction for the roundabout be termed rape. He declined to say "Those factors are usually in­ This time, the Election Board, clear up traffic congestion and con­ will begin in mid-May and, weather how many suspects officers have volved in the majority of rape situ­ which runs the event, decided to be fusion for UMBC students and lo­ permitting, will be completed but said the occurrence was not de­ ations in just about every college more lenient and let the latecom­ cal residents by constructing a new sometime in the fall of this year. scribed as a gang rape and "was not or university campus," he said. ers remain on the ba11ot. roundabout just outside campus. Although Hilltop Road will be a violent situation." Reported rapes at UMBC are President William Barnes, who The roundabout, a smaller ver­ closed for some period of time dur­ "We're in the middle of the in­ comparable to Towson's numbers. is running for reelection, did not sion of a regular traffic circle, will ing construction of the circle, vestigation," he said. "You have a . In 1996, the most recent statistic, agree with the ruling. Saying the be constructed at the intersection of Wilkens Avenue will remain open victim and you have an accused, police received one report of a rape, decision was a violation of the Hilltop Road and Wilkens Avenue. to local traffic throughout the en­ and both of them fully have rights. and in 1995, no reports. There were SGA's Election Policy - which Community Liaison for the MSHA tire project. Until we've completed the investi­ four in 1994. SEE ELECTION, PAGE 4 Linda Singer said that thisarea was SEE TRAFFIC, PAGE 3 , gation, there's not.much we can say "We've had few incidents.of about it. ... We have 1aboratory re­ sexual assault at UMBC, thank­ sults, and there's some other things fully," said Yohman, who attributes Left: A student we need to do." SEE ASSAULT, PAGE 3 votes at last year's SGA elections. Phi Beta Kappa Installed Candidates who arrived late for ELAINE R. ELGAMIL sixty faculty and staff members, last week's Retriever Weekly Staff Writer who were granted membershi__p in meeting may be their undergraduate days. eliminated from As UMBC strives to become rec­ During the ceremony, honorary election ballots ognized as a technology based uni­ Foundation Memberships were versity, the installation of a Phi Beta granted to provost Jo Ann and forced to Kappa charter professes the Argersinger, professor ~f biologi­ run for office as university's active role in liberal cal sciences Robert Burchard, Di­ arts education. In a ceremony on rector of the Center for the Humani­ March 16, Vice President of the Phi ties Daphne Harrison, president Beta Kappa Society, Joseph Gordon Freeman Hrabowski, UMBC's first entrusted the charter to UMBC's SEE CEREMONY, PAGE 4 PAGE2 THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY -NEWS April 7, 1998 , Relationship-Building Goal o~ International Program PAT FURGURSON Retriever Weekly Staff Writer UMBC faculty, alumni, and the office of International Student Services are "building a rich international image" on campus ac­ cording to UMBC president Freeman The Killing of the Mascot Hrabowski. At the University of Illinois, support is "Students, and their parents, are increas­ growing to eliminate Chief Illiniwek, the ingly aware that being exposed to other cul­ colle_ge's mascot. The student senate re­ tures is a part of a good education," said cently approved a resolution with a ma­ Arlene Wergin, director oflnternatl.onal Edu­ jority vote declaring its intentions to re­ c a ti on Services. Even if they do no~ go tire what it calls an offensive symbol that abroad, exposing domestic students to· other demeans Native Americans. cultures and languages will help them real­ __ ,., / fhe resolution further supports the ize the impact of the new gJobal realities they ·proclamation drafted by members of the will face upon graduation. university's anthropology and history de­ And while the campus has a reputation for partments, who said that the mascot has attracting a racially and culturally diverse become more of an embarrassment than community, there are many growirig oppor­ of symbol pride. tunities for resident students and faculty to . File Photo University President Free~an Hrabowski·speaks with Taiwan officials during "The time has come to reconsider an trnvel and study abroad. Several members his travels abroad. · issue that has been sitting on the table for of the UMBC faculty even serve as consult- a long time," said Dari Littlefield, a his­ an!s to other countries. UNAM, w}Jich boasts a total of 300,000 stu- hibit in the Library Gallery. tory professor. "The issues need to be aired "For ipstance, in econol)lics, [professor] dents with about "'80,000 at its main campus. '"UMBC - U Must Be Chinese' that's a publically." Alan Sorkin does work in health related eco- · He described the highlight of his trip as nieet­ joke I hear in Montgomery County when I Although university trustees acknowl­ nomics in Asia," said Hrabowski. "We pro- · ing with UMBC students currently attending speak to students there," said Hrabowski, re­ edge that efforts to kick the mascot off duce educational films in Spanish-and French the school wlio are majoring in languages, ferring to common perGeptions of UMBC. "I campus have intensified, they believe for use overseas [and] International affairs biology and interdisciplinary studies. tell them this place looks like the Plaza of there is still more support for keeping him experts in our history department provide ex- Hrabowski has already traveled across the Nations at the UN when classes change." ·around. pertise." globe, primarily in Asia. He has represented The majority of international students at "He embodies the fighting spirit of the Hrabowski explains that the main goal of American education during the Young Tri­ UMBC are from Asia. However, according Illini and is a wonderful symbol of our the UMBC's international focus and outreach lateral Exchange, 'Yhich aimed to bring to Wergin, they do not have it as easy as some athletic teams," said Trustee Judity Reese. is to "build international relationships with a people from Germany, Japan and the US to­ American students may think. Wergin said John Lynn, a history profesor who variety of universities ~round the world in gether so they could share and learn from that these students must stay in school full avoided his department's recent vote on order to provide students and faculty more each other the common problems faced jn time while paying out-of-state tuition during the issue, agrees. Lynn believes that the opportunities for study,-to travel and learn of education, the environment, business, poli- their undergraduate· years without financial university could actually use the mascot other cultures." • tics and the media. aid. Helping those students get along is part 'to teach students more about Native This "relationship building" effort has "What I learned is that we human beings ofWergin's job and the mission for the Inter­ American culture.