GThe
UILFORDIAN
Serendipity: More restrictions to keep the tradition alive
Courtney Roberts
News Editor
Although spring is several months away,
Student Union has already planned
Guilford's annual Serendipity celebration,
four days of music, food and fun.
This year we'll see tighter restrictions
on students because of previous years'
problems with vandalism and alcohol
abuse. Each student will be permitted only
one guest and greater emphasis will be
placed on alcohol awareness.
In years past, students were allowed
more than one guest. However, "Last year
we had more non-Guilford students on
campus than Guilford students," said Ser
endipity Chairperson, Tony Jones.
Jones stated that the committee had to
remedy the problem of the school's liabil
ity. The more guests that attend, the more
responsibility the school must take to pro
Appellate Board overturns two sentences, upholds two
Jacob Stohler
Editor in Chief
The Guilford Appellate Board last week
reduced the sentences of two freshmen
suspended from school on drug charges
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The panel at Thursday's forum "should we fltht?" in the gallery
discussed U.S. options in the Middle EasVphoto by Charles Almy
Vol. 75, No. 3
tect them. This year, students will be held
personally responsible for whomever they
bring on campus, thus decreasing the
school's liability.
The more "outsiders" on Guilford prop
erty, the greater the chance for vandalism.
Last year several art sculptures in front of
Hege-Cox were destroyed and several
buildings were vandalized. This year
security guards will monitor the entrances
and check a list of students and their guests
to help control the problem.
Another issue addressed by Serendipity
Committee is the alcohol policy.
"Lastyear was out of control. There was
a tremendous amount of under-age drink
ing. Freshmen were walking around with
armbands and getting away with it. This
year is going to be the deciding year on
whether or not Serendipity stays at this
school. A lot of faculty would like to see
Serendipity gone because of the school's
while upholding the suspensions of three
others. The five were found in a Milner
room the night before classes began with
marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The students' original sentences were
set by the Judicial Board in accordance
Guilford College, Greensboro, N.C.
liability," said Jones. "If an under-age
drinker gets hurt, there goes our endow
ment."
The committee's goal is to focus on
making Serendipity safer for those who
don't drink and offering alternative activi
ties for those who don't.
In the past, non-imbibing students may
have felt that Serendipity was jus t a drunken
brawl, but the committee intends to change
this so that everyone will be comfortable
and have an enjoyable time.
"In the past there really wasn't anything
offered to those who didn't drink. This
year, faculty and students want to see more
active events. Last year there was just jello
wrestling. We want to get student organi
zations and residence halls involved too,"
said Jones.
Last year featured a school-sponsored
trip to the mountains on Serendipity week
end. The trip was for those students who
with a new "One Strike, You're Out" pol
icy adopted by Community Senate at the
end of last year. Under the new policy,
conviction for use and/or possession of
illegal drugs carries automatic suspension.
This case was the first to be tried by the
Judicial Board this year and at the same
time was the first test of the school's new
policy.
The Judicial Board, under the direction
of Dick Dyer, issued a brief on the five
students' sentences. According to the brief,
two students successfully appealed their
suspensions and were given a lesser charge
of disciplinary probation for the remainder
of the semester. The board refused to
overturn the suspensions of two others
who appealed, both of whom were already
on disciplinary probation stemming from
an incident during summer school.
The sentencing of the students under the
new policy spurred a student rally and
petition drive two weeks ago on the steps
of the library. Organizers of the rally
expressed their opposition to both the policy
and the way in which this particular case
was handled.
"The recent suspension of these stu
dents—and the precedent thus set for fu
ture enforcement," said a statement sheet
distributed at the rally, "are intolerable to
Sept. 24,1990
felt the pressures to drink at Serendipity to
be too great or for those who simply didn't
want to deal with the whole Serendipity
scene.
The faculty is having a large voice in the
planning of Serendipity, but even the fac
ulty differs on what it wants out of Seren
dipity. These alternatives range from de
leting Serendipity from the social calendar
to, making it a day occasion, to making it
an international event.
"We are lucky to be having Serendipity
this year," said Jones. "There are going to
be a lot of restrictions, but it's not because
we want to lessen Serendipity as a celebra
tion, but to allow us to keep having it"
Jones said, "We are having restrictions
in order to preserve the tradition. This year
Serendipity will try and fulfill everyone's
needs, not just music and partying."
At this Serendipity there will always be
an alternative for every student.
us, to the Quaker principles of this institu
tion, and to the very principle of justice."
The statement asserted that there was
insufficient evidence to justify the sen
tences and that the Residential Life staff
and Judicial Board were simply eager to
test the new policy. Wednesday, represen
tatives of the group presented Senate with
a petition signed by some 400 people call
ing for a review of the policy. Senate is
organizing a debate Oct. 3 to discuss the
merits and weaknesses of the policy.
Drug policy under
debate 2
Tom Huey begins
year as playwrite in
residence 5
Football goes 2-0 ..10