Boyette Petition Supports Same-Sex Ceremony
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td Black Sticking to it Nose knows Index ·Field hockey wins two Medicial school A&E 87-9 Deacon Notes 82 m hosts experiment Briefly A2 Editorials A8-12 Calendar 88 Scoreboard 85 , on common cold Classifieds 89 Sports 81-6 1News/A2 Visit our Web site at http://ogb. wfu.edu j ' ( Boyette Petition supports same-sex ceremony By Heather Seely apologizes · · · Senior Reporter Sophomore Anne Kohlenberger, the chairwoman for Student Associa tion For Equality and a member of to D the Gay-Straight Student Alliance, said she is frustrated with students' inability to contact members of the By Brad Gunton board of trustees. Her frustration is sparked by the board's recent recom Assistant News Editor mendation that the Wake Forest Bap In the midst of the debate surround tist Church not hold a same-sex union ing WFDD's journalistic freedom, ceremony. Sandra Boyette, the vice president for ButKohlenbergeris among anum university advancement, has met with ber of students from four different groups who are doing something the staff of the public radio station in order to nisolve the differences between about it: the station and the administration. How SAFE, GSSA, Amnesty Interna ever, not all station employees are sat tional and the Women Initiative for isfied with the conclusion. Support and Empowerment have The need for the meeting arose after joined together to circulate a petition to voice student opposition to the Boyette told the station Sept. 8 that it board's decision. was to restrict its coverage of a trustee committee's report on a same-sex union The groups plan to present the petition to the board when it meets ceremony in Wait Chapel to the Sept. 30 and Oct. L university's press release and to inter By press time, students had col views with Kevin Cox, the director of lected 600 to 800 signatures by going media relations. This request is the first door-to-door Sept. 22, Kohlenberger time the administration has told the said. Students started circulating the station how to cover a news story. petition after a meeting of the four According to MikeJanssen, a WFDD groups Sept. 20, attended by more reporter, the station's main purpose in than 40 people. Mainly students com the meeting was to prevent a similar posed the audience, but a few faculty situation from arising in the future. and friends of Susan Parker and uaur goal is to work out~ policy so .. Wendy Scott, the couple that r~-- .... this never happens again;" Jans!!eo-I!!J!d. -.,, quested a same-sex covenant cer "We have statements within the station emony, also attended. that deal with this, so it's unfortunate Three students sign petitions atthe SAFE meeti_ng held Sept.: 20; Th~ ~tlfion states that · do not support the · · Parker and Scott were featured of trustees' decision concerning same-sex ceremonies. Many students are upset with the board's decision and say that See Boyette, Page A5 it violates the university's anti-discrimination policy. See Petition, Page A6 Elections draw No lounging around to keep spaces By Lisa Hoppenjans Residence Life and Housing and Student Life personnel is taken into consideration and Contributing Reporter /I Sometimes there is a divergence of record numbers weighed on a point system by the committee. assessment between the groups, and By Lauren McSwain This fall, the university continues its fourth Teresa Radomski, an associate professor of Old Gold and Black Reporter year of residential review for student organi obviously there will be a conflict.~~ music and the chairwoman of the Student "It's a joy to see the next zations that have been granted lounges or Teresa Radomski Life Committee, said, "Sometimes there is a Students were given the op legislature coming together." block housing. The Student Life Committee Student Life Committee Chairwoman divergence ofassessment between the groups, - ··''' ', . ' and obviously there will be a conflict. We try portunity to cast their ballots Clint Watson began this initiative in 1996. · twice during this past week as "Part of .the reason for establishing tlie · to weigh all ofthese things and I think, frankly, both Student Government and SG Speaker of the House lounge review process in 1996 was the recent The evaluation is composed of nine criteria: thatit is a fair process and that in these conflict the Resident Student Associa allocation oflounge space to national sorori judicial history; membership size and longev situations the student groups are given the tion held fall elections. ties," said Mike Ford, director of student ity; community service; facility care, mainte benefit of the doubt." SG and RSA reported record all, of the 17 seats designated for development. "With the addition of sorori nance and safety; fiscal responsibility; contri Based on the information it receives, the highs in voter turnout this year. off-campus representation have ties and several non-Greek groups receiving bution to residence hall community; space committee issues commendations, recommen SG elections, held Sept. 21, were become at-large seats. these spaces as the fraternities had been, the utilization; intellectual and cultural life; and dations or warnings to the organizations. This historic not only for the record But it seems that dissatisfac Student Life Committee feltthatitwas time to academic history. past spring, eight residential groups were turnout, with as much as 76 per tion with university policies has establish a review process for all organiza Since 1996, all of the university's 23 student reviewed. cent in Johnson Residence Hall incited some students to decide tions using lounge space and block housing." residential organizations have participated in Although most of these groups received and 69 percent for Bostwick to get more involved in deci The evaluation process stipulates that each the process. Each organization submits a self commendations, two groups were asked to Residence Hall, but also for the sion-making on campus by run organization using a lease lounge or block evaluation regarding the criteria. This report "unprecedented amount of ap ning for SG,Jones said, because housing will be reviewed every three years. and information provided by the office of See lounge, Page A4 plicants to run for the different this year all 17 of the available positions this year," said senior off-campus seats were filled in Khalid Jones, the SG president. the general election. Elections Across the board, the number were held of candidates on the ballots was Six-story building plan angers neighbors for seats in unusually high. Twelve seats the general were not filled Sept. 21, with legislature most of those extra positions By Jay Cridlin we enter this capital campaign," Ander and also coming from Piccolo Residence Assistant News Editor son said. "The whole question of people freshman Hall, Polo· Resi~nce Hall and being upset about it, which is a kind of seats on the North Residence :Hall. The ap The university has temporarily put on normal process as you begin to look at Honor and plication process for at-large ap hold a proposed expansion of the Graylyn building something, is going to be at the ( Ethics pointment to those seats begins Conference Center that has drawn a very least delayed." Jones Council and today and will be completed by strong negative reaction from nearby Murphy Gregg, a Vern on Avenue resi the Student the end of the month. residents in recent weeks. dent whose house sits 25 yards from the Budget Advisory Committee. By around Oct. 2, SG leaders The proposed four-story, 36,000- proposed addition site, said that the pro Jones attributes the sudden expect that all 94 positions in the square-foot building would have ex posal could drastically reduce the value increase in applicants this year 1999-2000 SG legislature will be panded the university-owned conference of the homes in the neighborhood. to the greater interest in off filled. "It's a joy to see the next center by adding 36 new hotel rooms, a "For a lot of the folks right down this campus representation, presum· legislature coming together," parking lot and another conference hall. road, this house is possibly the big~est ably caused by students' con said junior Clint Watson, the SG However, residents of Vernon Avenue, investment they have in the world," cerns over the RLH off-campus speaker of the house. which runs alongside the Graylyn prop Gregg said. "You put a 65-foot wall up in policy instituted recently. The RSA, which held elec erty, have spoken out about the damage somebody's back yard, you're almost Off-campus students are al tions Sept. 17, also enjoyed a that such an expansion could cause the condemning them to stay there forever, lotted 17 seats in the 75-person record voter turnout this year in neighborhood. unless they want to rent their house." SG legislature for representa almost all buildings, filling the According to John Anderson, the vice Gregg, a university alumnus and sup tion, but according to Jones, highest number of hall govern president for finance and administration, porter, says he believes that the univer nowhere near that many ever ment positions ever, leaving only the university's decision to delay the sity has acted without considering the run for the available seats. two vacancies across campus. expansion was based more on "capital impact of its actions. All remaining unfilled seats RSA, which belongs to an in campaign priorities" than the negative "Nobody in the neighborhood is re are made available to all stu· tegrated system ofhallrepresen response from Vern on Avenue residents. ally saying we're down on Wake Forest dents as at-large seats, which are tatives across the country, is the "The project is on hold, and it's on hold doing something over here," Gregg said filled by SG appointment.