Bates College SCARAB The Bates Student Archives and Special Collections 4-4-2006 The Bates Student - volume 135 number 21 - April 4, 2006 Bates College Follow this and additional works at: https://scarab.bates.edu/bates_student The Newspaper of Bates College Since 1873 Faculty Sponsors Series of Discussions Addressing Hate Incidents EMILY RAND CONOR HURLEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Last Wednesday evening, In response to recent events and members of the Bates communi¬ discussion about racism on campus, ty gathered in the Chapel for an the Brooks Quimby Debate Society open discussion regarding the re¬ convened an emergency debate cent acts of hate and bias on cam¬ pus. The talk was the final portion to discuss a proposal to institute a of a three part community action hate speech code at Bates. A hate hate/bias response college admin¬ speech code is a codified restric¬ istrators organized following the tion on speech that is determined events last week. Part one con¬ to be offensive or hateful. sisted of a giving students targeted Arguing in favor of the code by the hate incidents a forum to were Julie Otton ‘08, Ryan Creigh¬ express their experiences in the ton ‘07, Mike Metzger ‘06 and Bren¬ form of message boards posted dan Jarboe ‘08. Otton gave the first around campus. For the second part of the program, faculty and speech of the night, in which she students made short speeches contended that racism is a “specific opposing the bias indcidents last problem at Bates and... the admin¬ Tuesday afternoon. istration has the burden to address CONOR HURLEY sions Wylie Mitchell explained people calling with questions,” Dean Reese opened the dis¬ it.” The crux of the argument, for ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR the minute drop as a result of he noted of the thousands of cussion by inviting attendees to Otton, was the right of students to “a few more acceptances and a applicants who will be receiv¬ read and consider the messages feel safe, citing that it is illegal “to Concluding another applica¬ few less applications,” though ing the “small letter” this week. posted on the walls of the chapel. shout fire in a movie theatre” as a The messages contained the ac¬ tion season, Bates mailed over he said both changes were mi¬ Of the accepted applicants similar restriction on the notion of counts of hate bias students had 4,000 regular decision letters to nor. Mitchell believes that quality, written on boards posted in the li¬ unlimited free speech. students. Of the 4,481 total ap¬ “I feel like the quality is geography and diversity are brary and Pettengill over the past Michael Neville-O’Neill '07 plications, 225 were admitted very strong, a measure that the well represented, citing that week. opened for the opposition, which early decision and 1,137 were students who weren’t admitted over 45 states and 50 countries “When things happen on our also included Rakhshan Zahid admitted in the regular decision were very strong applicants,” are represented in the accep¬ campus," Dean Reese said, “it is '07, Katie Celeste '06 and Vaibhav pool. he noted. Mitchell said he had tances. Among the acceptances, typical for our campus to come Bajpai '07. Neville-O’Neill argued This year’s acceptance rate already started to receive calls 200 “U.S. multi-cultural applica¬ together and discuss them.” Re- that a speech code does not solve of 30 percent was a slight de¬ several hours after the decision tions” were accepted, while 100 crease from the previous year’s letters had left his office. “I an¬ See CHAPEL DISCUSSION, page 5 See HATE CODE DEBATE, page 6 29 percent. Dean of Admis¬ ticipate that there will be some See CLASS OF 2010, page 6 Middle Eastern Scholar Discusses Bates Senior and Lewiston Resident Honored with Politics of Islamic Fundamentalism CHRISTINE ARSNOW world and Muslim policies, has ad¬ that attempts complete integration Stringfellow Awards STAFF WRITER vised members of Congress as well of Islamic religion and politics. Nasr as senior policy makers and execu¬ noted that declaring complete coex¬ ALEXANDRA KELLY This sense of social justice Last Tuesday, as part of Islam tives in the private sector. istence is a bit of an overstatement; STAFF WRITER was visible as early as Stringfel- awareness week, Islamic scholar Nasr’s lecture addressed Is¬ just as it would be false to assert that low’s junior year at Bates, when Vasi Nasr delivered a lecture titled lamic Fundamentalism, explaining Western government is totally sepa¬ Bates senior Amanda Harrow he organized a sit-in at a local res¬ “Contemporary Issues in the Middle the drive behind the success of this rate from religious influence. In and Lewiston resident Jake Grin- taurant that would not serve peo¬ East and Challenges for US Policy.” movement. Islamic Fundamentalism, Islamic Fundamentalism, however, dle were awarded the Stringfel¬ ple of color. “It was his first foray Nasr, a leading expert on the Islamic Nasr related, is a form of government minimal distinction between these low Awards for Peace and Justice into social activism, and he never two societal regions exists. for their outstanding work in the looked back,” said Rachel Herzig, INSIDE THIS ISSUE Nasr discussed the allure of this community. Following a potluck Acting Director of the Office of the form of government. Islamic Funda¬ dinner and introductions from College Chaplain, in her introduc¬ Darfur Protest Planned Dying to Be Thin mentalism offers a form of cultural those who nominated them, the tion to the awards. A few years liberation to a society that has been recipients gave short speeches re¬ later, he earned a reputation for for Lewiston Kendall Herbst inspects a me¬ oppressed for centuries. Nasr noted garding their work and were fol¬ being “a formidable critic of the that although most Middle Eastern lowed by an address from recently social, military and economic poli¬ Bates students and Lewiston dium she loves, and the eating disorders that it engenders. She countries received political auton¬ retired executive director of the cies of our country and a tireless residents plan a protest against the omy about 50 years ago, they still Maine Council of Churches Thom¬ advocate for racial and social jus¬ Genocide in Darfur for April 30. critiques style and investigates its intersecting social and artistic ob¬ snuggle to obtain recognition as a as Ewell. tice,” she said. “William Stringfel¬ The protest will coincide with the culture distinct from Western influ¬ The award was established low spoke for the need for justice "Rally to Stop Genocide" in Wash¬ ligations. Page 7 ence. Fundamentalism provides an six years ago in honor of William in this world, for compassion.” ington, D.C. “anti-Western model for cultural in¬ Stringfellow ’49 by the Office of the This year, the honorees earned Page 5 dependence.” Chaplain. Each year, it recognizes the Stringfellow Award through a Speech Codes Pair of Track Athletes Fundamentalist governments, one Bates student and one Maine dedication to activism in the com¬ Nasr related, are often a response citizen “whose lives and work munity. Harrow ’06 works with Qualify for Nat'ls to societal frustration. In the Middle have been dedicated to the pro¬ the New World Coalition and Jonathan Browher explores the East, years of war and injustice have motion of peace and justice,” says Women’s Resource Center at Bates greater implications that need to Kathryn Moore '07 and Keelin brought about the degradation of a the Chaplain’s office. “Like String¬ and is a member of the Emergen¬ be considered before Bates imple¬ Godsey '06 put together stellar per- society that once paralleled the West fellow himself, award winners are cy Medical Services board. She ments speech codes. Browher formaces in women's track's first in social, scientific and cultural prog¬ distinguished by their courageous has worked on various campaigns, voices concerns over the threat meet of the outdoor season. ress. The failure of Muslim states to and sustained commitment to re¬ such as Maine Won’t Discriminate, such codes can pose for freedom deliver their citizens from this frus¬ dressing the systemic, root causes and with community groups fight¬ of speech. Page 12 tration led people to seek a more of violence and social injustice, ing for gender equality and against Page 3 inspirational government. While their dedication to engaging and racism. Allison Vander Zanden '06 opposing ‘the powers and princi¬ Forum.2 News.5 Arts.7 Sports.12 See ISLAMIC SCHOLAR, page 5 palities’ of this world.” See STRINGFELLOW, page 6 FORUM TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2006 Cfje patesi g>tubent Letters Alumni Council Speaks on Racism Issues A Note From the Disease that Ravished Bates mate expressions of dissent. Their MIKI SISCO express one concern which in milky pink bottles and dented To the Editor: only purpose is to hurt and to cre¬ STAFF WRITER no way renders my recognition green aluminum cans lined the At an Alumni Council meet¬ ate a climate of fear. unappreciated. Indeed, I would shelves of dorm rooms rather ing on Saturday, April 1, 2006, we We want to take the oppor¬ Distinguished members of the be thoroughly disappointed if than Moxie or Dr. Pepper. Even if learned of the recent incidents of tunity to express our support for academic world, I speak to you you, the students, had welcomed only for a short time, I made Pep¬ racist, ethnic and anti-Semitic graf¬ student leaders, faculty and admin¬ now, the students of Bates College, my arrival, a mere sniffle severe to Bismol and ginger ale the new fiti on the Bates Campus, as well istration working to find an appro¬ in ineffable gratitude.