GThe
UILFORDIAN
Students at Forum Split on
Question of Co-Ed Milner
Peter Smith
Managing Editor
Guilford students gathered for 90 min
utes in the cafeteria Thursday night to
debate thequestion of converting the Milner
Residence Hall to a co-educational living
facility, but were unable to reach consen
sus as a variety of students expressed con
cerns over the issue.
"I thought the meeting went pretty well,
but I really do not know what we will
decide about making Milner co-ed," said
Richard Ford, associate dean of students
for housing. "The sentiment tonight seemed
to be split right down the middle."
The meeting, which was sponsored by
the Quality of Residential Life Task Force,
lasted for 90 minutes and featured a pres
entation by Richard Ford concerning the
current and proposed housing allocations
by gender of Guilford's 1130 main cam
pus students.
The debate is mainly centered around
the college's current limited ability to meet
the requests of approximately 424 Guilford
on-campus residents who wish to live in
co-ed living facilities.
Carter Talks on War in the
Eric Longley
Staff Writer
With the United Nations' January 15
deadline quickly approaching, Campus
Minister Max Carter is troubled.
In Carter's view, war "does not work."
He is a pacifist, steeped in a religious
tradition of non-violence. "Quakers have
not resisted even personal harm," he said.
On account of the Mideast situation,
Carter has taken part in many activities
since the school year began to address
questions of war and peace. He sponsored
a forum in October dealing with the Gulf
crisis. He was "very impressed with the
quality of the questions" which students
askedat the forum. These questions showed
the students to be "informed and thought
ful" about the crisis.
Two other forums heldat about the same
time dealt with conscientious objection.
Head to Head: The Debate Over Arts and the NEA
Vol. 75, No. 11
Currently, 52.4 percent of Guilford on
campus students request co-ed living fa
cilities, 37.5 percent request single-sex
"traditional" facilities, and 10 percent
request single-sex "quiet" facilities, ac
cording to the most recent housing con
tract forms completed by Guilford stu
dents.
Guilford currently has the capacity to
provideonly 380 co-ed spaces despite the
recent request by 424 students for the co
ed option. In addition, Guilford has the fa
cilities to provide 450 single-sex spaces
when only 384 students request the single
sex option.
By providing 75 additional spaces in
Milner, it is believed that current student
needs will be better addressed as the number
of co-ed spaces will be increased to meet
the campus demand.
Milner was considered as a first option
over other residence facilities at Guilford
because it is the largest and most recently
renovated hall on campus.
But although changing Milner to a co-ed
facility could help meet student demand,
the proposal has met stiff opposition from
various members of Milner. They argue
More recently, Carter spoke about consci
entious objection at Milner Hall in front of
about 40 students.
"It was a real pleasant surprise," Carter
said, "to find a very supportive and recep
tive group full of impassioned concern."
Carter has placed posters in Founder's
Hall offering counseling to students con
sidering conscientious objector status. He
has advised 17 or 18 students about their
possible status as conscientious objectors.
In the week before Christmas break, he
talked to one or two students every day.
These students held "quite a range" of
views. All of them had moral, not politi
cal, scruples about serving in the Persian
Gulf. Some were Christians who said they
"wanted to take seriously Christ's teach
ings." Others were non-religious but l-.ad
ethical doubts about war.
As for activities this semester, the Of
fice of Campus Ministry is sponsoring a
Guilford College, Greensboro, N.C.
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Forum panelists (left to right) Troy Clossen, Helen Mulhern, George
Segebade, Scott Thornhill and Laura Deßlois/photo by Eric Tomberlin
that changing Milncr's current single-sex
status would displace 75 males who have
chosen Milner for its unique status as an
all-male traditional hall. Likewise, by al
lowing 75 females to reside in the once
traditional all-male facility, certain Milner
residences believe the "special residential
hall community" or "fraternity of men"
would be damaged or destroyed.
Furthermore, 70 percent of Milner's
current residents do not want Milner to go
co-ed, according to Troy Clossen, the hall
director of Milner, who helped conduct a
survey of Milner residents earlier this year.
"A strong majority of current Milner
residents oppose Milner going co-ed," said
Middle East
Conscientious Objector's Support Group,
whose first meeting will be next Thursday.
J. Neil Armstrong, the chairman of a loca
draft board, will discuss what draft boards
would look for in applicants for conscien
tious objector status. Carter thinks Arm
strong's visit will provide a wonderful
opportunity for would-be objectors.
Carter does not think it likely that there
will be a draft. The military, he said, does
not want a draft because of the morale
problems that might be caused by unwill
ing conscripts. Carter says a draft might be
possible in the event of "a shooting war
that's highly protracted" and which results
in high casualties. In addition, a draft
might be instituted if the United States
ends up maintaining a huge military pres
ence in the Middle East
The volunteer military, said Carter, is
see CARTER on page 4 >■
Jan. 14,1991
Clossen, a junior from Fort Worth, Texas.
Personally, I am opposed to Milner going
co-ed because of the time and effort I have
spent since I was a freshman in helping
make Milner staff and the hall special. We
are really making progress now."
Said David Ameen, a Milner RA, "The
decision to make Milnerco-ed was brought
up three years ago because of the amount
of damages and other problems with the
residence hall. We have worked to change
those problems now. Milner has made
significant improvements since then, so I
do not really think the issue of converting
see MILNER on page 4 >■
INSIDE
• Threat of War in the
Middle East is
Gaining Dangerous
Momentum 2
• Student Shows
Exhibit of Pictures of
West ...5
• Life in Hell 8
• Laura Seel Returns
From Hiatus 8
• Year-Round
Basketball? 11