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OPPOSING FUNDING...
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is one of compassion and understanding.
Now, let's look at exactly what my
positions are not only on CGLA funding
but also on Campus Watch.
In the book The Campus at Chanel Hill.
Dr. John Allcott states that "the
University was not located in an
established North Carolina town, not
even in Raleigh, especially created as
the seat of state government. Instead,
the legislators envisaged the
University at its own special place,
the seat of higher learning for the
state." The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill was created as
an autonomous community of scholars and
students. This being its purpose, both
the faculty and the students had a
tremendous influence on the molding of
a great institution of higher
education. Throughout the history of
the university, students have believed
in self government and have taken on
such projects as the renovation of Old
East and Old West with their own money,
the collection of books for a library,
and the construction of a ballroom for
student use--and all of that in the
19th century.
As a leader in student government, it
disturbs me that a group such as Campus
Watch wishes to ignore historical
tradition and attempt to wrench away
the prerogative of the Student Congress
allocation of student activity fees.
A gruelling process. The budget
process is open to all officially
recognized organizations on campus. In
order to be funded, an organization
must gain student government
recognition, deliver its budget and
request for funding to the Finance
Committee chairperson, present its
budget and request for funding to the
finance committee, and finally, appear
before the entire Congress on budget
day. Student Congress then carefully
considers the proposals of each group
before it decides to which group it
will allocate the fees of students.
Students allocate the money of their
fellow students whom they represent.
A viable democratic process. The
Student Congress is elected by the
students and all students are
represented by a member of Student
Congress. Every student has the right
to vote for a member of the Congress.
Confidence in the system. I believe
that, as students, we must stand in
support of our student constitution.
We must not give up on the autonomy
that we have over our money. We must
fight against Campus Watch and
organizations which share its goal--to
take away the rights of students.
Having considered my stand on Campus
Watch, we should now consider my
position on funding of CCLA by student
activities fees vis-a-vis the Student
Congress budget process.
Since I believe that CCLA performs many
useful tasks for the Cay and Lesbian
community on this campus, I support the
organization. Some examples of CCLA's
meritorious purposes include the
dissemination of information about AIDS
and support groups provided for members
of the homosexual community. Although
the CCLA does provide beneficial
services to the campus community,
however, as an organization that
furthers homosexuality and homosexual
ideas on campus I do not believe that
it should be funded with student
activities fees.
I am in favor, however, of the
formation of a Sexual Awareness
Committee in the Executive Branch whose
purpose would be to distribute
information about AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases. This
committee should be composed of both
homosexuals and heterosexuals. The
committee should research sexually
transmitted diseases and form a plan of
attack to make the student body aware
of the prevalence of these diseases,
they ways in which they can be
contracted, and the ways students can
protect themselves.
We as a campus community should debate
the merits of CCLA funding, but once
the debate is over and the votes have
been cast, let's put the past behind
us. We must not allow our stand on
this issue to lead us to a hatred of
our opponents. Unfortunately, there
are many students on our campus who
hate homosexuals. There are too many
occasions in which people are motivated
by hate. We must fight hate wherever
it is found and whomever it affects.
You see, there was one night last
spring semester that I will never
forget. I was eating dinner with one
of my dearest friends. After dinner,
as we were talking, his voice changed
from his usually friendly, casual tone
to one more serious. He told me he was
gay. At that moment I was swept with a
compassion that can only be described
as supernatural. I promised myself
that I would work against hate on our
campus. When I look at the leaders of
Campus Watch I see a group of people
who hate homosexuals. When I look
around our campus I see many people who
hate homosexuals. No, I do not endorse
the funding of CCLA, but I do stand
firm in my belief that all students
should look at one another from a view
of compassion and understanding and
never, never one of hate.
■Cene Davis
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