OBSERVER Vol. 8 No. 5 November 17, 1997 Page 1 SUNY President Bowen Facing Possible Firing Controversial women’s conference raises the hackles of conservatives; trustees will decide issue tomorrow Nate Schwartz A Dangerous Across Intersection scene of three collisions Abigail Rosenberg Page 3 Ottaway: Powerful Words Can Shake Up the World Article 19 of Human Rights Declaration focus of walk Nate Schwartz Failings of Kline Food Redressed by Reps Menu plans and quality control need work, Food Committee says Andy Varyu Page 4 Behold Y’alls: Variety of Lectures, Films, Theatre Await the Savvy Student Calendar of Events summarizes the good, the bad, and the ugly with astounding perspicuity and wit “Best Kept Secret” “Outed” by Expert on Contraception Report from Planned Parenthood Kyra Carr Page 5 “Total Theatre” at Bard: Pelleas and Melisanda an Integrated Arts Triumph Modern melding of drama, dance, and music renders tragedy fluid, hypnotic Eric Fraser The Zine Scene More Noted from the “Underground” Elissa Nelson and Lauren Martin Page 7 Album Review The Usual Atmospheric Stuff? Electronica Joel Hunt Page 8 Movie Review: Boogie Nights: Thirteen Inches of Family Values Abigail Rosenberg Cartoon Page 9 Jesus Christ Superstar: Do You Think You’re What They Say You Are? First Bard Musical in 20+ years plays to capacity audiences and standing ovations Caitlin Jaynes Page 10 Horoscope The Effects of the Moon Nicole DiSalvo Restaurant Review The Stabl-izing Force of Foster’s Stephanie Schneider Page 11 Education in South Africa Stifled by Agenda and Demands of the Rich PIE student laments Mandela’s condemnation of protests, government capitulation Michael Canham The Case Files Roasting the Sacred Cows David Case Page 12 Classifieds Observer Editorial Policy Page 13 Letters to the Editor Page 15 Women’s B-ball Aims to Rain the Long Bombs Jeremy Dillahunt Don’t Fence Me In—Touché Jeremy Dillahunt Winter Sports Schedules With Marienthal, Men’s Basketball Nabs Fidelity Jeremy Dillahunt Tae Kwan Do Students Earn Black Belts Jeremy Dillahunt Page 16 Bot-Man Seven Years in Annandale-on-Hudson Chris Van Dyke and John Holowach "News is whatever sells newspapers; The Bard Observer is free." ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY, 12504 NOVEMBER 17, 1997 ISSUE 5, VOLUME 8 SUNY President Bowen Facing Possible Firing Controversial women's conference raises the haekles of conservatives; trustees will decide issue tomorrow By NATE SCHWARTZ. Design Editor bcr 15, when asked about the pussibility of Bowen being fired, Botstein expressed doubt President Roger W. Bowen of SUNY New and commented that from the beginning he Paltz may lose his job when the fiftt:t.:n­ has b~en willing to "stand up <lnd defend what member State University of New York happcned ... cxprcss some solidarity." He in fact Board ofTrust~.:es meets in Rochester tt)mor­ ·wrote . several letters to local and 11<1tlona! row. Tht.:y may nrc tlw President in response newspapers (one was published in The New to his positi<m on a one-day Women's York Times last S<1turday), and asked Susan Studies conference, "Revolting Behavior: Gillespie, Vice President fur Public Affairs and The Challenges uf Women's Sexual Development, to contact the ACLU Clnd urge - Freedom," held November 1 at SUNY New them to rebuke a statement made by Paltz. Workshops on safe sadomasochism Governor George E. Pataki on the conference. and women's sex toys were offered along In his statement, issued on November 5, AND THE FLAMES WENT HIGHER... Muslim Students Organization (MSO) and Jewish Students with 19 other workshops on topics ranging Pataki called it "outrageous" that the New Organization (JSO) hosted an "Arabian Nights" party 1n the Albee Social on Saturday, November 15. from HIV education to marriage and sexual­ Paltz administration " ... allowed the expen­ ity in Africa. The former two and a perfor­ diture of tax-payers' dollars for activities mance by artist Shelly Mars entitled which do nothing to further higher educa­ "Whipla:-;h: Tales of a Tomboy" became focal tion." Pataki said that he had asked Thomas points of controversy which led to a call for Egan, Che~irman of the SUNY Board of Bowen's resignation or firing by Trustee Dr. Trustees, to investigate the matter and was Candace de Russey and Assemblymen asking "for his recommendations on hnw to Thomas Kirwan, R-New-burgh and John prevent this kind ot activity from happening Guerin, R-Kingston. on a SUNY campus again." The twenty-first annual conference was The New York Civil Liberties Union one of dozens of conferences which take (NYCLU) sent a letter t;::, Pataki un place at the university. The day began with November 10, writing, "When ... you use keynote panelists, allowed participants _to your authority as Governor to investigate attend three workshops of their choice, and scholars because of the content of their A Dangerous Across concluded with the Mars performance. expression or the subject matter of their Intersection scene of three collisions President Leon Botstein has been moni­ conferences and when you suggest that on tht: toring the story closely and has spoken with offt:nsive ideas should be silenced By ABIGAIL ROSENBERG, Opinions Editor Bowen. In an interview on Saturday, Novcm- S1DRY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Since the beginning of the fall '97 semester, there have been at least three collisions ;:~t the intersection of Route 90 an.d Kelly Road, (also known as d1e southern entrance to B::trd at & Defacings the. blinking light). According to Allen Josey, Director uf Novel Faces, Facings, Student Activities, since September two collisions involv­ ing Bard students have been officially reported and another accident has been. acknowledged unoffici~llyJ which did not involve Bard students. The speed lim.it for most of Route 90 is .55 mph, but at the blinking light intersecrion, rhc speed limit drops to .30 mph. The drastic reduction in speed, in addition to motorists wh0 do not observe the posting and the substantial amount t)f traf~ fie that slows to turn into the Bnrd entr;;lncc or onto Kelly Road, has created a dangerous situation that the..! Bard com~ munity has addressed in the p<l5t and will continllc to <lddress in the furure. According ro Dick Griffiths, BarJ Physical Plant Direct0r and a judge for the town of Red Hook, about five years ago there was no blinking light at the intersection. After multi­ ple accidents, Bard notified the state which finally erected STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 QUICK WORK: 1he new. deKiine sign suffered strategic deletions last week. wh~e a plaque on the symbol of the raised list wasffioLJnted to the Old Gym. 2 THE BARD OBSERVER NEWS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1997 SUNY President Bowen Facing Possible Firing CONTINUED FROM PAGE Oi'JE · fercnce concern the blurring of the difference «ctivitics would take on cmnpus, Botstein said. theory that public monies should not be used for between schobrship and commercial or self~ such expression, you have crossed significantly aggrandizing ventures. The speaker in the work­ An editorial in the November 11 New York Times beyond the bounds of appropriate criticism.'' shop on sex tuys for women, for instance, set up a ("Free Speech at New Paltz") criticized Pataki's Coinciding with Pataki's statement, <m op-ed vending area and offered these toys for sale, while handling of the issue, concluding, "A punitive which denounced the conference ran in The Wall the speakers on sadomasochism offered informa· strike against Mr. Bowen would have a chilling Street journal. The piece, entitled "A Syllabus for tion after the session on how to joif1 local s/m orga­ effect on academic freedom in the SUNY sys­ Sickos," by Roger Kimball, Managing Editor of nizations. Reptying to a query about the sex toys tem." Botstein asserted that on one hand, the old The New Criterion, expressed that rhe events <1t Botstein advised, "Let's not go overboard and take <1d<1ge purports th:-it the first question to be asked New Paltz: hnd nothing to do with free speech, and this too seriously... I'm he1ving a sense of irony at every meeting of trustees is "do we have the challengt:d tbt.: SUNY trustees tu hold Bowen (!bout it ... Thcy h(!ve a right to Jo this ... " right president?" but that dismissing Bowen accounuble for what he regarded as one of many "What I find more disturbing is the weakness of would be an cmb(!rrassment to SUNY. Of three possibilites-the issue of firing Bowen is not "festivals of politicized sexual libertinagc" which voices in defense ... There's a lot of hypocrisy here ... have become ''cverydo-1y occurrences in many edu­ raised, a vote is defeated, or a vote succeeds in sex and violence are bought and sold on the cational and cultmnl institutions." removing him-Borstein would preft.:r the second street. .. New Paltz didn't invent it," Botstein said. Botstein's· letter sent to The New York Times Nicole Maccarone, one of several Bard sludents so that Bowen's supporters can back him and took issue with Palaki's view anJ argu~.:d th<H "uni­ who atte11dcJ the conference, reported that the show their strength. Bowen commented on the versities, both .state and privntc, must remain bul­ audience members consisted of n mixture of com­ political movements behind the controversy in warks of frt.:t; expression where dissent, the munity members, fr1culty and students. "I thought it the November 13 Herald~Record piece: "My read unpleasant and even the un;JCccptable are dis­ is, the real issue here is not me. There's an agenda cussed and debated. No one ... was asked to agree that's much larger and more ambitious, and ulti­ or forced to listen.