The Retriever VOL. XXV, NO. 5 PUBLISHED BY THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY OCTOBER 10,1989 rights come under fire Slurs spark UMBC hosts demand for targets clinic Great Debate action

by Craig Bangert by Craig Bangert by Tara Beard and Juan Ordonez . editorial staff editorial staff editorial staff ; i Concerns by pro-choice advo- The young woman stood before Despite the university's message of cates that medical services at a a microphone stand in the middle tolerance, the discovery of racist and sexist Baltimore area clinic that provides of the auditorium, the first in a long slurs on the walls of the Chesapeake would be disrupted by the line of right-to-life and pro-choice residence hall has led some students to right-to-life group known as Oper- advocates prepared to ask questions demand that the administration take ation Rescue turned to relief last of the two men who had just stronger measures to curb acts pf Saturday after a so-called "rescue" finished debating the abortion intolerance. attempt never materialized. issue. Disturbed by what they see as a lack While pro-life supporters turned Adjusting the microphone, she of concrete guidelines for dealing with such up at the Planned Parenthood clinic started her question in a soft, even incidents, several students met with on North Howard Street in Balti- voice. representatives from the offices of Student more early Saturday morning, they "What about the bill of rights for Affairs and Residential Life on Thursday conducted a peaceful, mostly the unborn?" she asked Bill Baird, in the same hall where the slurs were uneventful protest. promoted in advertisements for the reportedly found. The meeting, says Pro-choice leaders were prepar- event as "the father of the abortion Assistant Vice President for Student ing for as many as 500 anti-abortion movement." Affairs Wilber Hicks, was called by the demonstrators to hit the clinic, but "Your arguments for abortion Office of Residential Life so that the were unsure if demonstrators would don't fly in the face of someone like administration could "could hear the attempt to prevent patients seeking myself who was to be aborted, and student responses and try to ease the abortions from entering there, they I just celebrated my thirty-fifth tension." said. birthday," she said. But the meeting did not satisfy all of On Wednesday, Bebe Verderay, Her voice rising above the out- the students that attended. "If the univer- Legislative Director of Planned burst of applause generated by her sity is so much for tolerance, then [it] Parenthood of Maryland, said there comment, she continued: "I want should have something specified, some- was a good chance that a demon- to know how you justify your thing concrete in a policy," which indicates stration, rather than a rescue, would actions?" Voice still rising: "I want the punishment for such behavior, says take place. Verderay said she to know how you justify your pro- Anthony Brown, the director of minority thought that protestors would be choice stand, and ..." shouting affairs for the Student Government and less likely to subject themselves to now, in indignation, "I want you Black Student Union member. arrest since the trials of those . to tell me why I should have been The UMBC's "Resolution on Acts of arrested last July for blocking killed? Violence and Extremism which are access to a Baltimore County clinic ". . .and why people like Joe Racially, Ethnically, Religiously or Polit- are set to begin this week. Scheidler, who was only protecting ically Motivated" says that the university Verderay said that calls went out my life, should be derided [for his "strongly condemns any bias or stigma early last week to pro-choice sup- anti-abortion views]? against individuals" on the basis of such porters asking them to meet at the "I want to ask you why?" motives. It mentions that the suspect "will North Howard Street clinic early Such was the tone of the debate be subject to swift campus judicial and Saturday and be prepared to keep that took place last week between personnel action, including possible expul- the doors open to whatever clinic Bill Baird, director of three clinics sion or termination, as well as to possible might be targeted for a which disseminate State criminal proceedings," but only if it demonstration. information and perform abor- involves "criminal acts of destruction or On Friday night, Verderay tions, and Joseph Scheidler, Exec- violence against the person or property of learned that the targeted clinic utive Director of the Pro-Life others." would be the Howard Street Action League. Often emotional According to Black Student Union location. and occasionally rowdy, the discus- President Vicky Adams, also present at the Pro-choice advocates began g- sion focused on the morality and meeting, the discussion "turned into a assembling at the clinic site shortly legality of abortion in America. screaming match," after the administration after 6 a.m. Saturday and formed p Baird, who was the impetus failed to guarantee that punitive action a line on either side of the clinic behind a 1972 Supreme Court would be taken against the perpetrators doors to facilitate patient access. ruling on the right to which if they are caught. Adams says that those Meanwhile, a large contingent of was cited as a basis for the 1973 that engage in intolerant behavior leave the Baltimore City police, who accord- decision legalizing abortion, and victim "emotionally scarred." ing to one officer had cordoned off Scheidler, who worked to get an But an administrator who attended the the 600 block of North Howard Right-to-lifer prays for police preventing him from stopping abortions at Baltimore clinic. Illinois law passed which requires meeting, Director of Residential Life Karla since late Friday evening, lined up abortion clinics to meet the same Nurczyk, explains that the administration in the middle of the street to keep standards as hospitals, a case to be cannot guarantee the expulsion or any pro-choice and right-to-life suppor- heard by the Court this fall, often other form, of punishment until the suspect ters separated. Women charge sexism traded barbs and taunts with one is indeed found guilty, noting the need for At about 7 a.m., the first anti- another during the formal debate. due process. Furthermore, she describes abortion protestors arrived at the by Craig Bangert concerning the constitutionality of Scheidler began his presentation the meeting differently, calling it "positive clinic and walked through the line editorial staff be represented solely by men," they wondered. by citing polling data from the exchange," though recognizing some of choice supporters unnoticed. Boston Globe which showed that people were "occasionally angry." The Student Event Board's selection of Bill Lisa Hutchins, a member of the Women's One man, a minister who refused Union and one of the authors of the letter, said 78 percent of the respondents would Besides the lack of guidelines for such to give his name, was asked if he Baird and Joseph Scheidler as panelists in "The keep abortion legal in limited matters, students maintain that the admin- Great " touched off a controv- later that while she could appreciate that SEB was there to participate in the had signed a contract with the speakers, it circumstances. istration has not responded adequately to demonstration. "Is there a right-to- ersy of its own even before the event got "Abortion is dividing the nation the Chesapeake incident. "I'm kind of fed underway. should have consulted with the Union after life protest here this morning?" he concerns were raised about the lack of a woman because it is an issue of life and up with the administration as far as the asked. "I just wanted to see what In a letter published by The Retriever last death," Scheidler claimed. "Most way they act towards the situation," says week, members of the Women's Union charged speaker. was going on down here," he said. "I think it's a good they did try [to find a Americans would ban the vast Steve Mathews, also a BSU member. Dozens of demonstrators soon the SEB with "gross oversight" on its selection majority of abortions that are "They say they're involved — I want to of two men as panelists. woman], but [they] should have told me that converged on the site, congregating they tried," she said. performed in this country," he said. see it." on the opposite side of the street "One need simply examine an introductory "Ninety-two percent of the abor- "Students have done their part, and [the psychology text, review the annals of the state Hutchins said the Women's Union found out from the clinic. When four of the that Baird and Scheidler had been picked for tions that are actually performed . administration] keeps telling us to have group tried to make their way past and federal law, [and] peruse history to realize .. would be banned if the American faith in the system. . . . Well, they didn't that, by far, it has been men who have the debate at their Sept. 18 meeting and "was the pro-choice line surrounding the disgusted" when it was discovered that a woman people were allowed to vote on this do their part," Adams adds, explaining that interpreted, written about and ruled on the administration failed to get the police clinic, police quickly moved in to participant had been excluded. issue," he continued. "The dye-in- prevent them from passing. women's lives," they wrote. the-wool abortionists want abor- involved. ". . . for a topic which so intimately and (see PROTEST, page 2) inextricably involves women, how can a debate (see SEXISM, page 4) (see DEBATE, page 3) SEB provides varied entertainment Inside entertainment,"says Valentine, who by John Bunch gives the film series as an example. Capital punishment will not UMBC professor helps staff writer deter crime. Cyprio! students. "We're showing Clockwork Orange Opinion, page 6. j Arts & Entertainment, page "I don't think students know we and^.T." Valentine contends that diversity 11. exist,"says Student Events Board The Trashmonsferlitters him- Sonnlag takes it on the chin. (SEB) Special Events chairperson, is "built into the structure of the Letters, page 8 SEB. Within each of the chairs we self all the way to the big Dominic Valentine. "We want screen. people to know that we're here and have specific audiences we're shoot- ing for. We program for everybody, Arts & Entertainment, Women's Rugby catches on that we're here to provide entertain- page 11. Sports, page 13. ment and that they can be involved, all of the various elements that that there is a place where they can make up the UMBC community. affect their campus life, commuters Our money comes from every as well as residents." student here, so everybody deserves Greeks collect funds The SEB was formed two years to be represented in some way." ago by a merger of the SGA, Special The SEB receives its budget from Events and Films Committee, and a percentage of the student activities for hurricane victims the University Center Programs fee paid by every student. It also Board. receives some money from the students and faculty to make con- "They wanted the SGA to focus University Center. by Mary Ann Richmond tributions to the relief project. more on political issues of the "SEB is not a funding organiza- staff writer ^^^ According to Sapia, ATO will be University,"explains SEB's execu- tion,"explains Thompson, "but it holding a roadblock at Maiden tive chair, Debbie Thompson. "And can co-sponsor events." Campus Greek Letter Organiza- Choice and Wilkens Ave. on Tues- then they wanted to have a major Commenting on the growth of tions have begun a fund-raising day, October 10 to help raise funds. programming body, responsible the SEB, Valentine says, "The drive to aid the South Carolina On Wednesday October 11, the solely for events, so that the SGA biggest improvement this year is victims of Hurricane Hugo, Greeks will be holding what Sapia wouldn't spread itself too thin." that we have a constant variety of because, according to ATO presi- refers to as a "quadathon" at 1 p.m. Valentine adds, "It also gave things happening. Last year we were dent Ralph Sapia, "we have a in the University Center plaza. They students a more active role in bogged down with procedures. We responsibility to the people." will be conducting games of musical programming." had just started this whole new Fund-raising, which was planned chairs, with the music provided by Describing the new organization, thing called SEB. We had good at an inter-Greek council meeting, a DJ from one of the fraternities. Thompson points out, "Chairper- programs, but they were few and began last week and will include The cost to play will be a one-dollar sons are selected through an appli- far between." several different activities. The first donation to the relief fund for each cation and interview process with "We had a couple of bummers," program to raise funds involves round of play. Tanya Wince, Inter- a committee made up of represen- admits Valentine before explaining Greeks "walking around with Greek Council chair, will also be tatives of the Program Board and how SEB had booked Third World buckets," says Coordinator of there to accept contributions from for Quadmania last year, but the the SEB." But she adds, "Anyone Greek Affairs Mary Beth Schoch. campus organizations. can be on an SEB committee." event was rained out; they had also The Greeks will be in the various In addition to money, the Greeks engaged Colorado Democratic campus dining halls, the Pub, and SEB Executive Chair Debbie Thompson poses with a friend. "We're here to provide quality (see GREEKS, page 2) entertainment, as well as diverse (see SEB, page 2) the Rat witk-buckets for hoth