Coffe ehouse vandalism investigated, causes reduced hours E-mail between Bates By BRAD KASNET it now only opens about halfway. Tuesday through Sunday from 2 to 10 it will take to get Communications ASST. NEWS EDITOR Colby Security and the Waterville p.m. Events already scheduled in the. the coffeehouse Police have been notified of the inci- coffeehouse will also be unaffected, as reopened 24 hours After a spate of vandalism and dent and the College is looking into the live music series will continue as a day short of writer and conserva- theft, the Mary Low Coffeehouse -\yill filing an insurance claim to recover planned and the SPB Coffeehouse catching the people now be closed each night between the some of the damages caused. Committee will continue scheduling responsible for the tive student sparks hours of 11 p.m. and 9 a.m. As a result, Associate Director of other events for the coffeehouse as well. vandalism. "It's The coffeehouse had been open 24 Student Activities Learme Burnham While students have been disap- such a. waste for political controversy hours a day since it was renovated in made the decision to close the pointed by the change, Rogers said the everybody to have summer 2002. The decision to close Coffeehouse at night and the student vandalism has been most upsetting to it closed," he said. By KATERUSSO the coffeehouse at night stemmed body was alerted on Feb. 23 in an e- many who frequent the coffeehouse. Burnham was out NEWS EDITOR from two separate incidents that took mail__ from SPB Coffeehouse "Nobody minds the closing as of town and could place over the course of this academic Committee Chair Tom Rogers '04. much, people seem to understand. A not be reached for A mistakenly sent email by Bates year. Problems began in August when Rogers estimates that the damages lot of people seem really outraged comment. - Communications and Media Relations several couches were stolen before could be in the range of $1,200 to that the vandalism occurred," he No one has come Staff Writer Doug Hubley intended for most students were on campus. $1,500. It appears that all of the dam- said, "I didn't think it would get such forward with any his superior, Director of Communications A second, more serious incident ages that occurred over Jan Plan a big reaction." new information Bryan McNulty, found its way into the occurred over Jan Plan break, some- break took place at the same time by He also noted that the vandalism since the e-mail inbbx of Vice President of Bates' time between Jan. 29 and Feb. 1. The the same person or group of people. has made more work for the was sent to the stu- Republicans Oliver Wolf '06. The e- A/V proj ector was ripped down from Although the coffeehouse will Coffeehouse Committee when they dent body last mail was in response to a request Wolf the ceiling and stolen; a microphone close at 11 p.m. most nights, the are planning events and as a result it week. Anyone with had made to the Media relations office and two microphone stands were hours will be extended for any sched-^ takes more time to prepare the coffee- information on the to publicize the Maine College stolen, as well as another couch. Two uled events. Rogers said he has house " for events. They have had to vandalism is asked Republicans Youth Leadership School of the window screens were slashed, already received a request for a late- borrow a new projector from Media to contact Burnham Event. Hubley's e-mail to McNulty stat- a speaker was broken, apparently, as night event and just about any event Services, which is no longer kept in in the Office of ed, "[Wolf] has drafted a press release it was being removed from the ceil- could be scheduled beyond 11 p.m. the coffeehouse and must be set up Student Activities for a GOP training institute his bunch of ing, and the sliding door in front of The change will not affect the hours and taken down after every event. at ext. 3338. DANA EISENBERG/THE COLBY ECHO thugs is hosting at Bates next the coffee counter was broken so that of the kitchen, which will remain open Rogers said he doesn't know what A student relaxes in the coffeehouse during new hours. week...This really seems, pretty far afield for an event that we would publi- cize, but that may just be my socialist tendencies talking. What do you think?" Recent club proposals Cholkingssupp ortgay marriage Wolf, offended by the e-mail he mis- takenly received, wrote to McNulty in ' aversion to Hubley words. Wolf wrote at Presidents Council "At , best, it offends me that [Hubley] would react to me in this manner. By JUSTIN DEPRE bilities already handled by the CVC, Referring to my 'bunch of thugs' is CONTRIBUTING WRITER and that possible members of this new hardly a professional way to conduct On Sunday February 22 club would still get done what they business with a student group seeking Presidents' Council convened and var- want under the CVC. assistance. At worst, it proves our worst ious proposals were heard from differ- Lindsay Lanier '04, senior class assumptions that the College and its ent members of SGA. In the course of representative, made the third motion staff are actively working against the the meeting four proposals out of a and proposed that the Presidents' interests of College Republicans total of nine were voted upon by Council approve the establishment of because of their political agenda." members of the Presidents' Council "Students for a Free Tibet" as an offi- "It offended me, I thought that regarding the establishment of new cial student program at Colby. [Hubley] hated us at worst," said Wolf. clubs at Colby. Three of the four pro- This program has international Despite what Wolf and President of posals were passed and will go into credibility as well as already being Bates' Republicans Andrew Simon '04 effect. established at several colleges. To reg- believed to be an offensive and unpro- ister and become an official chapter of fessional criticism of their organization, SFT each chapter in the U.S. and they feel the incident will yield positive Canada must pay a yearly fee of $100. results for Bates' Republicans. Both [clubs] Students for a Free Tibet works in sol- Simon explained that the Bates idarity with the Tibetan people in their Republicans met with Hubley and appear to be struggle for freedom and indepen- dence. This proposal passed on a vote NOAH DALAZS/THE COLBY ECHO organizations After Bush s' speech against same-sex marriages, Bridge students produced chalkings around campus. Continued on Page 3 of 23-0. that will fulfill Todd Lohsen '06 of Mary Low certain niches of made the fourth motion that the Presidents' Council approve the estab- Equitable treatment f orSo dexho and Colby employees student interest... lishment of the "Colby Surfing Club." The budget of this club proposed employees versus treatment of Sodexho not compare this to pay and job benefits Although Sodexho employees at By ALLYSYON RUDOLPH Derek Taff '04 would be used for the purchase of employees are unfounded , "In my received by Colby-employed staff, Colby are not part of a union, Avasthi ASST. NEWS EDITOR ¦ SGA President equipment for club members as well department I have both f employee's because "it's very technical. We don 't pointed out that "we have very good as a portion of the budget being donat- A continuation from last week s' article. from Sodexho and Colby]. We treat want to be giving inconect information," relationships with unions across the ed to non-profit organizations that Although some students on campus them equally," Avasthi stated, Avasth i also -addressed tire student's country," and that Sodexho employees The second motion of the evening promote surfing on a national level. have expressed concerns that Sodexho, tie went on to explain that opportuni- concerns that employees are discouraged at Colby "never wanted to be," part of a was made by Roger Tiao '04 of Foss, The "Colby Surfing Club" was Colby's catering and dining serv ice, is ties for career growth are actually from developing relationships with stu- union. "1 would be surprised if Sodexho who proposed that Presidents' Council approved by a vote of 19-4. unfair to its workers, Director of Dining greater for Sodexho employees than for dents. "That 's not true at all ," Avasthi said. employees at Colby would want to approve the establishment of "Project "Both [clubs] appear to be organi- Services Varun Avasthi said "this is not Colby employees. For example, the "We have several employees and students unionize because it prevents the honest, Team" as an official student organiza- zations that will fulfill certain niches the case at all." Avasthi , who is general manager at Thomas College that are on a first name basis." He added open, easy conversation they would tion at Colby. of student interest, which we hope will employed as a manager by Sodexho,- is started working part time in the dish ' that student employee contact is an impor- have with management," Avasthi said, This motion was not passed on a have the larger effect of making stu- in close communication with both room at Colby. Furthermore, because tant aspect of good customer service. "We Avasthi also pointed out that Colby vote of 23-0. The reason for this was dents more satisfied with (he extracur- Sodexho employees at Colby and the Sodexho is a national enterprise, encourage employees to engage in con- does, in fact, maintain some degree of that the activity of this club already ricular options they have available to larger, national Sodexho corporation.