St. Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s campus weekly • 48th year, No. 21 April 22, 1997 • St. Mary’s City, MD 20686 BSU repeats election A day at the carnival after findings of fraud three minutes as the election forum guide­ KEVIN FRANK staff writer lines required. Finally, the complaint re­ quested that Tonette Sivells and Nicholas The Black Student Union held new of­ Abrams both be reprimanded for their role ficer elections last Thursday, amid impli­ in the election fraud, and the complaint cations of election fraud. BSU President called for a new election. Tonette Sivells admitted distributing ab­ These complaints were submitted to the sentee ballots through Vice President-elect BSU at a special meeting called on the Nicholas Abrams after the initial vote tally night of April 14. President Sivells ran the had been counted. In the second election, meeting. She read off the charges in the Mark Hershfield, who had lost by one vote complaint and answered them in front of in the original tally, won the post of secre­ the BSU. tary. The formal complaint had charged that The race for secretary in the original on one occasion Sivells had said to April 7 election was an especially close Hershfield, “If you ever run for any office one between Hershfield and write-in can­ on this campus I will personally make sure didate Mariam Toure. It was announced you lose.” Sivells explained that this quote to the candidates that the write-in candi­ had been taken out of context. date had won by a vote of twenty-one to As for the absentee ballots, she had twenty. This initially raised Hershfield’s thought that the “no member shall be de­ suspicions, because he knew that only nied their right to vote” clause of the BSU thirty-one voters had been present at the constitution to necessitate absentee bal­ election. lots. Nicholas Abrams had been given the Hershfield lodged his complaint with ballots by President Sivells because he Director of Minority Affairs Osaro happened to be going to visit members of Ighodaro, the BSU’s advisor. The com­ the BSU who had not voted. plaint, witnessed by five active members Sivells pointed out that there had been of the BSU and Hershfield, outlined sev­ no limit on questioning, only a limit on the eral grievances. President Sivells and length of the candidate’s speech. She Vice President-elect Abrams were accused explained that she had seen the election of distributing absentee ballots to active because the BSU had no regular Parlia­ Photo by Hilary Woodward members that had not been at the election mentarian this year, and as a graduating Face painters, funnel cake vendors, men on stilts, reggae bands, forum after the initial vote tally in order to senior, she should have been unbiased. rides, dancers, food, and amusements were featured at World change the results. Candidate Toure has When Sivells read the part of the com­ Carnival last Saturday, not been implicated in the incident. plaint that requested that she and Abrams The complaint also listed several more be reprimanded, she laughed and said, minor grievances. The election forum and “Well...” After outlining the complaint to Programs VP Coy Nesbitt the election itself had been run by Sivells the BSU, Sivells read two letters from instead of the BSU Parliamentarian, as SGA President Jim Wood. The letters require by the club’s constitution. Ac­ called for new elections to be held quickly resigns post unexpectedly cording to a flyer distributed to candi­ in order to correct the “procedural mis­ tensive experience in programming, and dates, the election was supposed to have takes” made in the first election. NEIL IRWIN SGA leaders are confident that she will been finished by eleven o’clock on the More irregularities were uncovered news editor night of the election, but candidates were when Sivells then opened the floor for handle the execution of end-of-the year Vice President of Programming Coy programming and next year's budget pro­ not notified of results until the next day. questioning on the matter. During the Nesbitt resigned suddenly Tuesday, cit­ Also, although Toure was not on the questioning, it came out that the initial cess effectively. ing the pressures of the end of the year. The vice president of programming is in ballot, she was allowed to speak before the ballot tally was sixteen to sixteen, and it SGA President Jim Wood appointed Trish charge of coordinating campus events, election, contrary to the rules of the elec­ was only after a recount that the vote stood Slater to serve out the year as Acting VP of tion forum. The complaint also charged seventeen to fourteen. Sivells counted the and chairs the programs board which pro­ Programming, a move confirmed by the vide money for club-sponsored events. that the questioning of Mark Hershfield absentee ballots with a different set of Senate. after his speech at the BSU election forum witnesses and in a different place than the Editor-in-chief Charles Sutton contrib­ Nesbitt’s move was highly unexpected, uted to this report. was too lengthy and the mediator (Sivells) original ballots. When Abrams passed out coming just weeks before the end of the should have stopped the questioning at Continued on ELECTION, page 7. year and immediately before World Car­ nival and the spring Inside Res Life to allow Saturday Programs Board bud­ get process. “The please be ready amount of time that SH O W 1.0. returns on trial basis was left in the semes­ JWUST BE 21 ter was a minute point TO ENTER Beginning next semester, Res Life will ing an extra day before the start of classes to me. The important allow students to return on the Saturday could alleviate some of the pressures of point was whether I before the first day of classes instead of moving back in. Nesbitt could effectively con­ ♦ S t . M a r y ’s C o u n t y B a r T o u r Sunday. If students use the extra time for exces­ A look at the good, the bad, and the ugly ol tinue to be vice presi­ To defer the costs of cafeteria meals and sive partying, or if other problems result, area watering holes. Page Four dent of programming. I wasn’t sure, so room fees for the day, students returning Res Life warns, the option will not be ♦ Provost Search rather than letting programming go lax, I Four provost candidates met with students early will be charged $25 if they live in the continued. decided to step away from programming in the past two weeks. Page Seven residence halls and $16 if they live in the SGA President Jim Wood, who pushed and concentrate on graduating,” said townhouses. hard for the change, said, “I would encour­ OPINION .............................................................. 2-3 Nesbitt. He says he decided to resign on ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT........................ 4,6 Due to student requests, Residence Life age all students to bhave responsibly on Tuesday and had not been planning the NEWS ....................................................................... 7 is allowing early returns this semester on this day so that the privilege can be kept.” F EA T U R E S.............................................................5 move for very long. a trial basis. Students had argued that hav­ - compiled from staff reports SPO R TS....................................................................8 Slater comes into the position with ex­ ■! The Point News E d it o r ia l April 22, 1997 The Point News Search for new provost creates need for a new statement St. Mary's College of Maryland Lower Charles Hall of job description including greater communication Phone: (301) 862-0213 Few attended the recent meetings designed for students to professors and curriculum changes. This is evidenced by alterations Email: [email protected] interview and question the four finalist candidates for the made in next year’s course catalog involving the Legacy require­ Charles Sutton Provost position. Despite the poor turnout at these events, the ment. The consolidation of the two courses into one left many Editor-In-Chief presence of students at other happenings has been larger than students surprised as some will now be required to switch to next Sarah Loff Assistant Editor usual. Because of this, one may assume that lack of student year’s catalog if they have not yet taken Legacy I. Darren Buck involvement is not due to general apathy but rather the absence Another change in next year’s catalog involves the St. Mary’s Advertising Manager of interest in certain topics. Project. As of now, there is no definite plan for how this project will Neil Irwin If there was a search to fill a position such as that of the Dean work or what will be expected from its participants. Because of this, News Editor or Director of Residence Life, students would most likely have students are confused and apprehensive about taking part in the new Ellen Scheible a greater interest because there is greater interaction between endeavor. Students are assured that the St. Mary’s project is similar Features Editor the students and these positions than with the provost. Because to, but not exactly the same as the Honors Project already in place. In Alisa Bralove of this, these is an obvious need for the new provost, whoever addition, the Honors Project itself is supposed to undergo certain Editorial Editor Amy Sehm an he or she may be, to become more active and prominent in modifications as well, which only furthers the confusion. A & E Editor dealing with the student body.