Diversity Requireme Nt up for Revision
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Dive rsity requireme nt up for revision By JON SILBERSTEIN- cation requirements at Colby. The and the I requirement will require stu- The International requirement is a 'celebration of difference "There is no motion before the fac- .Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) dents pass a course that focuses on intended to create greater awareness approach." ulty at this time to charge the D LOEB submitted a proposal to department how diversity in the international con- and appreciation for other cultures Although the language of the requirement," wrote Yeterian. "Rather, NEWS EDITOR heads and program directors on April text has contributed to the "richness of beside students' own and to prompt requirement has been drastically the AAC is doing background work 3, hut the change is still far from being die human experience." students to "consider their experi- altered, it is unclear whether this on the feasibility of such a change For the first time in a decade, . completed. Complaints about the current ences in relation to a global context." change -will significantly affect stu- with regard to having sufficient Colb ' College officials are changing y s "flic AAC has recommended that Diversity requirement revolve around A proposal given to the AAC in dents' course loads. course offerings." core curriculum. In response to the the Diversity (D) requireirient be how vague it is and that it "celebrates 1999 by Associate Professor and Chair Before bringing the proposal to the "Departments are free to propose concerns of the Task Force on divided into two new requirements, a diversity." The AAC believes the SJ of the Philosophy Department Jill faculty, the AAC requested that new courses to fill the requirements," Institutional Racism, the Multicultural Social Justice (SJ) requirement and an requirement will remedy this problem Gordon/who served as the co-facul- department chairs and Presidents' wrote Yfeterian, "provided that they Committee (MAC), ^ Affairs the International (I) requirement by moving "beyond definitions of ty, co-convener" to the Task Force on Council submit their suggestions and do so within their existing staffing Committee on Race and Racism, and The proposed SJ requirement will 'diversity' as tolerance for and cele- Institutional Racism, is the basis for comments no later than Monday, allocation. There is no proscription on the growing dissatisfaction of ensure students take a course con- bration of difference" and instead fos- the AAC's current recommendation. April 16. Included in these sugges- the development of courses, simply ^American minority students, work is cerned with the political practices and ter a more complex understanding of Gordon's proposal similarly tions, department chairs are expected the need to stay within authorized currentl y underway that will signifi- processes that "legitimize and perpet- social structures that exclude and explained, "The current diversity to specify which courses in their cantl y change the Diversity require- uate structures of power, privilege, marginalize different groups in the requirement. ..promotes either an department will fulfill the and the I See DIVERSITY, contin- , SJ ment and as a result, the general edu- and oppression in the United States" United States. international approach to diversity or requirements. ued on page 3 GRANDE CONDEMNS COLBY FOR INSTITUTIONAL RACISM Recommendations made to change alcohol policy By JON SILBERSTEIN- areas, they still occur in private resi- dence rooms, suites and apartments. LOEB Warnings about the dangers of such NEWS EDITOK games have by and large gone unheeded. These games, which Dean of Students Janice A. encourage rapid consumption of alco- Kassman and Health Center hol in a short time period, are danger- Physidan Assistant Alden Kent have ous." drafted a report delineating ways to Kassman and Kent "recommend further curtail alcohol abuse at Colby. that drinking games be banned from Recommendations include a ban on (he campus entirel " Bates, Bowdoin, drinking games and the y. prohibition of and Williams have adopted similar hard liquor in all College residences, campus-wide bans. at campus events, and in the Kassman and Kent believe hard Marchese Blue Light Pub. The report alcohol can be particularly dangerous is an update to the 1995-1996 recom- because it is difficult to gauge its mendations from the Trustee "rapid negative effects Commission on Alcohol. (Recommendation #31)." Kassman and Kent believe contin- "Attempts to educate the campus ued work is needed in six areas ini- about the dangers of hard alcohol tially explained b . the y Trustee have not stemmed abuse," wrote Commission on Alcohol. One of the Kassman and Kent. The report con- sue recommendations was to pass fur- cluded that the majority of students ther legislation prohibiting drinking who are being treated at the Health games on campus. Center and the local hospital for alco- The Trustee Commission on hol poisoning are abusing hard alco- , Alcohol suggested "drinking games hol. be banned from all public areas According to the update, the num- , corridors, (lounges laundry rooms, ber of students who have visited the etc.) (Recommendation #23). " Health Center or hospital for alcohol- Thfe Commission also , explained related inddents has "risen dramati- "All participants in a drinking game cally this year." may be held accountable for the "We believe it is time to tighten actions of any individual player who polities even further," wrote Kassman engages in misconduct during or after and Kent. "We recommend a ban on JEFF NICHOLS/COLBY ECHC such an event. Partici pants who have use of hard liquor in all campus resi- contributed to the drunkenness of dences and at registered student func- Sand y Grande was an Assistant Professor in the Program in Education power and privilegesof Whiteness, and to govern through ' manufactured another, will likel y be held account- tions. Such a ban would need to be and Human Development at Colby front 1995-2000. In an open letter to consent' that led to my resignation at Colby." able. Room residents who provide a extended to the campus pub so that President William D. Adams, Grande explained: "It is the cumulative At her talk Grande spoke out against institutional racism at Colby location for drinking games have spe- only beer and wine would be sold." effects of the administration ' s efforts to deny the daily reality of racism and discussed how small New England schools can overcome the tradi- cial and additional accountability for Hard alcohol has also been banned at on campus, to impose a false harmony, to dismiss the saliency of the tional power strticttms inherent in academia. the actions of themselves and their Bates, Bowdoin, Hamilton, and guests (Recommendation #24)." Kassman and Kent 'conceded, See ALCOHOL , continued "While drinking games have been Woodman president Levings impeached banned successfully from public on page 5 Removal pending Pres idents' Council vote By JON SILBERSTEDSfrLOEB Specific portions of the SGA consti- hearing has led me to believe that there government and the residents of Spa to receive facelift NEWS EDITOR tution under Article V, Section I, were is little that cannot be summed up in a Woodman." By GAVIN O'BRIEN niture in the bottom," he said, "more cited in the articles of the impeachment written statement at this point." Mary Low Commons Leader STAFF WRITER students will go down there," and On Sunday, April 8, the Student and include: Failure to serve as an Levings claimed, "Being so late in Meade Barlow '03 joined Hughes at he hopes the new furniture will Government Association Impeach- appointed member to an all-College the year, I also question the purpose the hearing to impeach Levings. The Within the next few months, encourage students and professors ment Hearing Board, composed of committee; facilitate hall council, for such proceedings, and I strongly duo explained at the hearing that members of the Colby campus can to mingle during their lunch breaks, appointing chairs with Head Resident; members of Presidents' Council, voted believe that the underlying goal for Levings was guilty of the charges expect to see changes in the Joseph Additional tables upstairs will organize and run (at least) monthl to remove Woodman President Tom y one dorm president to file articles of brought against him and that neglect- Family Spa, Several small improve- also provide for eating and lounging Levings '01 from office, The Hearing hall meetings; co-produc*/ with the impeachment against another is moti- ing these duties were grounds for ments are planned, including the space. It is likely that one of the pool Board will present its recommendation SPB representative, newsletters twice vated out of more than simply good impeachment, addition of new furnishings tables and a video game will be to Presidents' Council at their next- per month listing Presidents' Council intentions. It is my opinion that there is Prior to the hearing Cattrell, non- throughout the Spa. removed to free up more room for meeting. Members of Presidents' issues; and work with head resident(s), a dangerous precedent being set when voting chair of the Hearing Board On the lower level, comfortable the new layout, Although the Council will then vote to remove or social/ cultural representative, and fac- charges of this nature are brought up requested statements from the Mary lounge furn iture will be added, arrangement of furniture will be dif- )<eep Levings In office, Levings has ulty associate /resident by one dorm president