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It has been accepted for inclusion in Columbia Chronicle by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. columbia chronicle Science ·scandal sinolders By Kelli Kirkpatrick· "We proceeded with 'due Dean of Student Services Her­ diligence,"' President Mirron mann Conaway has a stronger In a dispute likened in inten­ Alexandroff said. "No influence response. He said the statement sity to Watergate, college ad­ was brought to bear on this com­ meant that "the Science Depart­ ministrators lifted the suspen­ mittee. They were absolutely in­ ment did not handle the matter in sions of four studeniS accused of dependent of pressure ... anyone the way the Dean's Committee assaulting an instructor. who says otherwise is lying determined it should have been Those suspended were senior through his teeth." handled." Troy Ford, 25, sophomore James Executive Vice President Bert Lerman says, however, that Howell, no age given, sophomore Gall agreed. "Collectively, we the situation was mismanaged Mitch Goldman, 19, and junior owe a debt of gratitude to the outside her-department. Liza Suarez, 24. committee. Democracy within "All I wanted was for some­ A Dean's Committee spent the college is indeed possible and body in this school to pay atten­ two days investigating the inci • does work." tion to Phil. Miller; to give him dent and hedged on whether an However the controversy is some moral and emotional sap- Chrunicle/ Dou!! l~ s Huh assault actually occurred. How­ still alive. port and to make Troy Ford, and " We're not bi8C;k. We're African-American," Jeaae Jackaon Jr. told a crowd ever, the committee agreed that A statement by the Dean of only Troy Ford, write a letter of during a apeech at the Hoken Student Center March 18. three of the students engaged in Student Services office, express­ apology." · "completely objectionable" be­ ing the committee's concern Lerman wrote Conaway prior havior towards science instructor about the Science Department's tothesuspensionnoticescriticiz- J ack son ' s son reI ay s message ·Philip Miller. management of the incident, has ing his involvement. been vigorously protested by ''I'm ~ery d~ssatisfied with the B Anne Marie Obiala tomuch,youwon'tgrow. It'snot :>Tc~ rre~--·Au Science Department Chairperson manner m whtch your office IS Y a calamity not to be with dreams Zafra Lerman. handling the situation," she unfulfilled. It is a calmity not to In a letter to John Schultz, wrote. "If you will not stop [a African-Americans must dream," Jackson said. ChairPerson of the Fiction Writ­ student) from harassing students, motivate themselves to take an "We can be whatever we want ing,Department and of the Com­ I will have to seek another cause active pan int heir political and to be," he added, referring to his mittee, Lerman wrote: " ... A of action." school communities, Jesse Jack- father's 1988 presidential Cam· statement has been made criticiz­ Conaway countered that dis­ son Jr. said while speaking at the paign. Jackson said race should ing the Science Department, and ciplinary matters are not vested in Hokin Student Center March 16. not be a factor in one's success in I find it odd that any such com­ faculty members, but in the ad­ Jackson's visit was sponsored life. ment would be allowed to stand ministration. by the African-American AI- He said he travels around the without a representative being Continued on page 2 liance. He spoke before a stand- city trying to convince students to given the opportunity to defend ing room on! y crowd. get off drugs and to spend time the deoartment. "Without a dream, Columbia studying to improve their chances "As chairperson of the College students, you're walking of a better life. [American Chemical Society) dead. You can't possibly amount Continued on page 2 Human Rights Committee, I have Zafra Lerman often witnessed the abrogation of Gay club's debut meeting an accused's right to testify on As a result, all suspensions their own behalf; in my work I fails to draw membership were lifted. In addition, Ford, have seen this practice in Chile, Goldman and Howell are re- Somalia, Turkey, the Soviet By Anne Marie Obiala ready been reached. It's time not quired to submit written Union and South Africa. I am to tolerate that anymore. apologies to Miller, and Ford may · very surprised to see it happening The first meeting of the gay \ "Not every gay and lesbian is not participate in extracurricular at Columbia College." \' \ and Lesbian Association March ready to face the kind of violence activities. Suarez was cleared of Schultz said the statement was ~ 22, which was intended to be a I faced. It might drive some fur­ all wrongdoing. not meant to be an "accusation," \ membership drive, had a "very ther into the closet," Bapstadded, Top administrative officials butratherasanexpressionofcon- . \ . .:, poor turn out," President Erik referring to the fmger-pointing expressed pleasure that due cern. Moreover, a member of the i .J Karas said. and shouting during his film. In process was scrupulously ob- department (Philip Miller) did in- . h . Karas, a freeshman, was his film one man goes home with served. deed testify. john Sc u 1tz surprised to find Columbia did another and strangles him. Bapst not have a gay and le$bian club. was an actor in the ftlm. "I think there are a great number Bobbie Stuart, director of the College attains ''Verses'' of gays and lesbians at Columbia Hokin Student Center, said, College," he said. "Some students were immature in By Stuart Sudak no matter .how unpopular that ac­ According to Smith, 'The The club would be what the their response." tion would be with Khomeini and Satanic Verses' is a hot topic off members want it to be. "It'll be a Karas said the club could act As copies of Salman. others in the Islamic world. place to tell what it's like, to share Rush die •s 'The Satanic Verses' the campus but it has yet to as a support group or participate "It's every person's right to information and make them feel inactivities such as raising money became available in wider dis­ generate much student interest. choose widely from conflicting like they're not alone," Karas for AIDS research, participating tribution last week, Columbia "We haven't had many stu­ opinions offered freely to them dents asking for the book and if said. in a "coming out" parade an a gay College library and bookstore of­ through books," Schellhorn said. Don Bapst, who graduated in ficials had mixed opinions over it's not popular at this time how and lesbian pride parade, annual Follett's bookstOre manager January, said he experienced a events in Chicago. the censorship issues that peri­ can I realistically assume they Mike Smith, who has not read the blatant example of discrimination odically kept it off bookshelves will want to buy it a month down "We need leaders, but we also book but is familiar with the con­ at Columbia. "I screened a play sinceRushdie's condemnation by the line," he said. need people behind the leaders," troversy, said that risk factors at the Hokin that showed two men Iran' s Ayatollah Ruhollah Student Jeff Copeland Karas said. He added that stu­ other than censorship will weigh kissing. People started shouting Khomeini. echoes Smith's sentiments. dents interested should not heavily in his decision to order "I was never interested in slurs like, 'Get this s_t off.' hesitate to come to the meeting. Library Director Mary 'Satanic Verses.' About 50 percent were shouting Schellhorn said she has received reading 'Verses' since the begin­ They will have an open door "Freedom of expression and 'Faggot-- kill him.'" copies of the book last Tuesday ing of the controversey, though I policy. "We're not going to say if the right of the individual to see no reason to ban it," Bapst said there has 10 be they walk in the door they're and said it is in the public interest chooso his own reading materials "communication between for all librarians and booksellers Copeland, 21, a senior in jour- should be entitled to everybody, • nAii• m.,.irl homosexuals and people who fear tomakeavailableRushdie'sbook Smith said. Continued on page 3 them. The breaking point has a!- Continued on page 2 pf,G[ ? Columb1a Chron1cle March 27, 1989 Columbia Events Activist struggles for refo m Wedntlday, Marcb 29 Friday, Marcb 31 The Television Arts Society Visiting artist Ann McCoy will hold a meeting in room 1509 will lecture in the Ferguson By Shari Mannery nothin& without sttuggle. That is be bas the power to lynch me, of the Michigan building at noon. Theaue at 4 p.m. All Welcome. why I get so ronfiiJ!ld when we that's my problem. Racism is Social activist Kwame Toure say we are Americans like simplyamaaerofpower." formerly Stokely Carmichael, everybody else. The rest of In conclusion, Ture told the told an overflowing crowd in Americans don't have to go students, "'Thereisnopersonwho Columbia's Ferguson Thealeron March 20, that the problems of through what we do to be called is free of cultural values.