NEWS
WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
BLACK
Edwin Black requests
Edwin Black visited
campus Nov. 4-5,2014.
Continued from Page I
with the decision to bring Black.
Black had come in 2011 to
give a presentation based on
his book "The Farhud-Roots of
The Arab-Nazi Alliance in the
Holocaust." Some members of
the Giulford community at that
time construed his presentation
as Islamophobic and
disrespectful to the Palestinian
community on campus.
In response to that previous
Guilford visit, SJP organized a
peaceful walk-out at the Nov.
4 presentation. Prior to the
beginning of the talk, they filled
the East Gallery and stcxrd or sat in complete silence, many
wearing signs with the names and ages of Palestinian
children killed in Israel's recent incursion into Gaza. They
waited imtil shortly after Black began his presentation.
Then they got up and left.
"Is this what Guilford has taught you?" called out Dean
of Continuing Education Rita Serotkin as the students
exited the room.
"Yes, what Guilford taught me was to uphold our core
values ... of justice and equality," said SJP head WaHd
Mosarsaa, after the event. "The whole purpose of this
walk-out was to tell people like Black that their presence
on campus is not welcome. As a student body, we will
not provide our ears to listen to the hate and alteration of
information to serve his political agenda."
Many students and faculty who did not participate in
the walkout shared similar opinions, even though they
stayed for the entire presentation.
"It's not the fact that somebody carne to.the College
who was of a different opinion, or who went against
prevailing opinions, it's that somebody came to the
College who was so blatantly xm-academic," said senior
Matt Carter. "I totally respect the need for different
opinions, but someone who is intentionally inflammatory
and makes very arbitrary arguments is something I can't
really give a high end to."
Jeremy Rinker, visiting assistant professor of peace and
conflict studies, commented on Black's ideas of conflict
resolution.
"He modeled the exact opposite of what I consider
conflict and resolution by dominating conversations,
jumping in, cutting people off, not allowing the other side
to actually say what they wanted to say," said Rinker. "I
would call it beautiful in the sense that it was modeling
the opposite of what I try to teach people. I agree with his
last words for the need of dialogue, but when you talk
in that kind of name-dropping and book-dropping way,
thatis not really dialogue."
On Wednesday afternoon, after speaking to a journalism
class. Black held a Q&A. session to allow the community
to respond to his previous night's presentation. However,
Black did not accept any "live" questions; rather, he
picked questions that had been em^ed to him, causing
frustration among those present.
Among the questions that Black read were three from
Max Carter, director of the Friends Center and adjimct
professor of religious studies* In the course of responding.
Black challenged Carter and accused him of endorsing
the SJP walkout. He also pulled up emails that had been
sent to him by a Guilford student who had received
emails from the SJP calling Black a "notorious racist" and
"Islamophobic" and warning him of the walkout.
"Several students saw those emails, and checked me
out, and they know I am not a notorious racist, but a
crusader for human rights," said Black.
After the events. Carter expressed dissatisfaction with
Black's public presentations.
"I feel that fiis hope for coexistence and his statement
that 'all human beings should have the same human
rights' were overshadowed by an overly simplistic view
of the conflict and the obfuscation of technical, legal terms
that probably confused everybody and clouded the reality
that what he is promoting prevents coexistence and equd
human rights — so it was flustrating," said Carter.
In an interview with The Guilfordian after the Q&A,
Black said, 'The Students for Justice in Palestine exceeded
the boimds of decency. They infringed my academic
freedom... my constitutional rights to express myself and
they infringed the ability of the students to learn."
To an SJP representative who had been present at
the Q&A, he said, "I want a full retraction, from your
organization for calling me a notorious racist. If I had
done that to you, in a newspaper, it would be libel."
On the Friday after Black's departure, Rinker convened
a "healing drde" to offer partidpants in the previous
days' events an opportunity to recover from negativity
and stress they felt fhe visit had caused.
"Please join friends as we help to mend and strengthen
our communities' relationships by finding ways of
collectively sharing our experiences of pain, frustration
and hope in a caring and interconnected way," said an
announcement in.the Guilford Buzz.
Robberies and burglaries near
campus raise security questions
BY LILY LOU
Staff Writer
Two robberies and three burglaries in one night.
All within two miles of Guilford College.
On Nov. 1, Greensboro police arrested Eric
Jenkins and charged him with the crimes.
The first call to the police came at 10:10 p.m., from
Brownstone Lane, to report a burglary. A purse had
been stolen.
Five minutes later, another call was made,
reporting a robbery on Tower Road. This was
followed by another phone call to the police. Jenkins
crashed a silver Buick into an ATM at the Bank of
America on College Road.
Greensboro police later spotted the Buick, leading
to a pursuit by police. The police managed to stop
Jenkins at Guilford College Road and Big Tree Way.
Later investigation revealed that Jenkins had also
allegedly broken into two homes on Aubumdale
Road, where Jenkins had stolen the silver Buick.
According to Public Safety, there is no correlation
between these robberies and the assault at the North
Apartments that occurred in September.
"The man that got arrested in this case was
a man that was in his 50's, and the people who
were described as being involved in the assault at
the North Apartments were much younger," said
Director of Public Safety Ron Stowe.
One arrest has been made for the assault at the
North Apartments, but Greensboro police are still
searching for the other attackers.
Despite the recent crimes near Guilford, many
students feel safe on campus.
"(Public Safety) responds really quickly whenever
you need help," said first-year Jessica Canar. "My
friends live in Binford Hall and I live in Milner Hall.
Sometimes I'm at Binford Hall until 2 a.m. and I'm
not afraid to walk back (alone)."
However, there are still some improvements to be
made.
"Schools in more urban settings have more
security than we do at Guilford," said sophomore
Davia Young. "Our only security is a (card) swipe to
get into the dorms and a key to get into your room.
There's none of that in the public buildings."
Serendipity weekend in danger
BY LAN DON FRIED
Staff Writer
Forty-one years of tradition. A
budget of $40,000. Seventy-three
reported incidents last year.
One chance to keep Serendipity.
The culture of Serendipity
has degenerated into an attitude
that students should push their
boimdaries when using alcohol
and drugs during the weekend.
Now, administrators have made
it clear that unless major changes
happen to increase student safety.
Serendipity will be cancelled.
"Unfortunately, ‘ (students)
have six months (to change the
culture)," said Jennifer Agor,
interim dean of students. "It
either works or it doesn't."
Multiple organizations,
including the Campus Activities
Board, Campus Life and
Community Senate, hope to solve
the safety issue before Guilford
has to remove the tradition.
"Alums are horrified at the
thought of losing this tradition
that, for so many of us, has defined
the Guilford experience," said
Esther Hall, '74 and co-founder of
Serendipity. "(Serendipity) is like
lore."
Community Senate and the
Campus Activities Board have
hosted a series of forums to
educate students about the issues
with Serendipity and discuss the
possible solutions to make this
year's events successful. So far,
the forums have brought new
issues to light and provided
potential solutions.
"The conversation had to start
Students at Killer Mike’s show during Serendipity ‘ 14 in the Alumni Gym.
broad, and then narrow down
into action steps," said Jos6
Oliva, sophomore and president
of Community Senate. "It takes
time, and education will be a key
piece of solving the issue."
Certain measures to make
Serendipity safer have already
been decided. For example,
instead of holding concerts
outdoors as in past years, the
concerts will occur exclusively
indoors in 2015. This will allow
the concerts to extend later into
the evening and give Public
Safety more control over who can
enter the events.
Some have expressed concern
that Serendipity cannot change
enough this year.
"You can't see (a culture shift)
within a year," said Mara Stem,
sophomore and treasurer of
Community Senate. "Little seeds
will be planted, but I think it will
take maybe four or five years to
see a real difference."
However, if that culture change
fails to happen in time, the College
will have to cancel Serendipity to
eliminate the safety and liability
risks of the weekend.
"I think that everything needs
to be focused on what we're doing
to improve (Serendipity)," said
sophomore and Serendipity Chair
Darion Bayles. "No more negative
talk and blame games."
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