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Since 1874, Nebraska’s Oldest College Newspaper hursday | December 3, 2015 Volume 149, Issue 13 Students speak up he in battle for justice LAUREN WAGNER in feces on the wall of a residence hall. Students started a hunger strike, boycotted and the football Staf Writer team refused to play until Wolfe resigned. Owl Wolfe announced his resignation Nov. 9. At Doane, the campus organization IDEA (Inclu- Student Congress selected Nov. 17 as a “blackout sion, Diversity, Equality, Access) is focused on dis- day” for social injustice. cussing diversity and other issues related to race. Students were requested to wear all black to IDEA members and other Doane students attended stand in solidarity with students at the University of the Black Lives Matter protest on Nov. 19 at the Uni- Missouri, as well as other social injustice incidents versity of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL). The speakers around the world. were composed of UNL students of diferent races. That event at Doane brought with it the question Even in the cold, the crowd gripped large signs of whether there are racial tensions on campus. scribbled with messages like “DON’T BE A BY- Sophomore Kennerly Benraty said that Doane has STANDER.” Others raised balled ists in the air. been tricked into believing it is a diverse campus. “It seems that we have to teach our little black Benraty said that compared to other campuses, boys to buckle up their bulletproof vests rather than Doane does not have as much racial tension. Rather, tying their shoes,” said one of the speakers at the rally racial misunderstanding is very prominent at Do- about police brutality. “So make sure you stand still ane, Benraty said. because while you’re grabbing for your cell phone, 83 percent of students enrolled at Doane are pre- they’re grabbing for their guns.” dominantly white, according to a survey done by Benraty believes students at Doane don’t express Forbes. racial slurs with the intent of cruelty, he said. He said Five percent of the student body is Hispanic or that his friends have used racial slurs jokingly, but Latino. Benraty immediately expressed to them that it was Only three percent are African American. never OK to say racial comments in any context. The conversation of racial injustice started when Benraty said that there was so little diversity Missouri police oicer Darren Wilson shot and among faculty and staf members, and minority- stu killed unarmed Michael Brown in 2014, after Brown dents often don’t feel accepted because they have no robbed a convenience store and tried to escape. one above them they can culturally link to. Brown was shot six times. Education professor Marilyn Johnson Farr be- Brown’s death sparked riots in Missouri and ex- lieves racial tension exists at Doane, but it is unspo- panded the national conversation of racial tensions ken. to college campuses. “It’s always present, and part of it has to do with More recently, racial tensions heightened on col- how one identiies himself,” Johnson Farr said. “I lege campuses. At the University of Missouri, inci- can’t walk around 24/7 thinking that I’m not a per- dents of racial slurs and disruptions were reported son of color, and for some people that’s uncomfort- on campus. Their President, Tim Wolfe, took no ac- able. People make a lot of assumptions or judge- tion after students brought the issues to his atten- ments based on their own lack of experience.” tion. Following his lack of action, a swastika was drawn see INJUSTICE, p. 3 “I don’t need or want your apology; I just want your voice. We are a generation of change, regardless of color. Once you implement that, things like the Missouri protest, and when the entire country joins in, solidarity happens. We’re inally getting somewhere, but we have a hell of a long way to go.” Kennerly Benraty- sophomore Sophomores Kennerly Benraty, left, Jordan Zonner, center and Aspen Green, right, attended a “#Black LivesMatter” rally at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Nov. 19. Benraty, Zonner and Green are all part of a stu- dent group, IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, Access) that is focused on discussing diversity and other issues related to social justice. Courtesy Photo/IDEA Aspen Green/The Owl Senator works for campus recycling ANTHONY ANDERSON be recycled, he said. Staf Writer Havenridge plans to help students understand what can be recycled by When it comes to recycling, Doane is placing signs on the four planned recy- a little late. cling bins that explain what can be re- That’s what freshman Jenne Yule cycled. thinks in regards to Doane’s current re- To get students more involved in re- cycling policy, she said. cycling, Havenridge said she has brain- Junior Student Council senator Sha- stormed with other people ways to make na Havenridge agrees, but she said it’s recycling fun. not too late for Doane to change its cur- “I worked with a small group in my rent procedure. communications class, and we came up Havenridge said in the past people with ideas to talk to housing and make a have tried to change Doane’s recycling game of it, like recycling wars and who- policy, but then it became complicated. ever turns in the most recycling gets a Too complicated to continue trying, she prize,” she said. said. Recycling is important because it is a But now, Havenridge and Student small thing one can do for a cause big- Congress are trying again. She said her ger than oneself, Yule said. She said she interest in this project stemmed from believed Doane needed to do more to be- her passion as “an environmentally come a greener campus. Cassandra Kennedy/The Owl friendly person.” “[Recycling is] not promoted around “I work at 9th Street Grill, so I am not Doane Student Congress senator Shana Havenridge, junior, calls herself an “environmentally friendly campus, and it is still a big issue,” Yule always able to express and complete my person” and because of this has taken on improving Doane’s recycling program as her project for Student said. “We are creating a future not only ideas through some of our green groups Congress. Student Congress wants to increase the amount of education, and recycling bins themselves. for ourselves, but for future genera- like WACO and Roots and Shoots,” she tions.” said. “So I wanted to re-evaluate the re- clude the purchase of four new recycling re- served on President Jacque Carter’s sustain- Laungani said for student’s who share cycling project.” ceptacles on campus, two on the north side ability council, has had a number of conver- Yule’s opinion, that change came through de- After Havenridge talked to StuCo presi- and two on the south side of campus. sations with StuCo members about Doane’s manding action. dent Rachel Lukowicz, a new environment In addition, Havenridge said she contacted recycling, he said. “The most important thing from a student committee headed by Havenridge was Jason Spencer, who is in charge of recycling Laungani believes some of the problems perspective is to demand action from your formed. at Crete’s Public Works Department, about with Doane’s current recycling implementa- friends, demand action from your professors, The project, which has been allocated the city’s current recycling program. tion include that not every building has recy- demand action from your administration,” funds by Doane’s green committee, will in- Biology professor Ramesh Laungani, who cling bins, and students don’t know what can he said. 2 News doaneline.com he Owl staf wishes you a happy holiday! Coupled through commitment Military couples ight through distance to stay together ANNA FLORES ships, those issues become Yokel said she admired Staf Writer heightened, especially when that Wright aspired to serve the couple isn’t together, he his country from a young age. A hot summer night wel- said. As Wright is beginning his comed Jillian Walmer as she Some couples get married, life in the Marines, Yokel is left for a night out. others have chosen to break getting her education, major- It was that night that up and still others choose ing in psychology. Yokel said Walmer would meet the man long-distance relationships. she planned on marrying she would marry. Freshman Emily Yokel is Wright within the next few He was standing over in in a long-distance relation- years, but she wanted to have a corner, talking to a group. ship with her boyfriend she her degree for security. Her friend told her he was met as high school sopho- She said they were a team the “Air Force Guy.” more. and always there for each Walmer said her mom told During his Basic Combat other. her at a young age to never Training, she received only Henn has served for four date a soldier or a cop, but one letter from Erik Wright. years active duty and has two she knew she would break “I am writing at the speed more to go until his contract - is up, Walmer said. the rules for Oicer Derekof light,” it read. “We just in Henn. ished the initial drill, and we Walmer said that if Henn After a month of dating, got some extra time to square wanted to make a career out Henn got deployment or- away some gear. I love you so of the military, she would fol- ders. Walmer said she was much, sweetheart, just know low him after her graduation. nervous and doubtful of their that. I got two of your letters, “I don’t think people give commitment, so they broke but haven’t had time to read enough credit to people who up for a brief period.

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