THE PENDULUM
MM MM X A I COMMENCEMENT WEDNESDAY. MAY 16, 2012//PAGE 11
Passags of Amendment One elicits strong reactions from many
with the outcome and the definitinn ^
Katherine Blunt
Assistant News Editor
By midnight May 9, the results were
finalized: Amendment One passed in
the North Carolina primary elections
with 61 percent of the vote. The strong
amount of support for the amendment
elicited strong reactions from all who
had vied for or against its passage.
The amendment legally defines
marriage as a union between one man
and one woman and does not afford legal
rights to any other form of partnership,
heterosexual or homosexual. The issue
drove many residents to vote in the
primaries after weeks of campaigning
both in support and opposition of the
amendment.
Elon University’s LGBTQ office held
a debriefing on the results the evening
of May 9, and the room was filled with
emotion, said Emily Kane, an education
and advocacy chair for Spectrum, Elon's
queer-straight alliance.
“There was a lot of anger and a lot of
sadness and a lot of crying,” she said. “A
lot of people were just kind of tired. We
put a lot into this fight, and to not win it
is hard.”
Many students and community
members outside the LGBTQ community
were disheartened by the results, as well.
“Students are upset, and rightfully
so," said Darien Flowers, executive
president of the Student Government
Association. “That our fellow citizens
decided to make it legal to take civil
rights and liberties away from a group
of their fellow North Carolinians is
saddening."
But some students were pleased
with the outcome and the definition of
marriage now enshrined in the North
Carolina Constitution.
“I was proud of the state of North
Carolma for looking past the propaganda
and doing their research and recognizing
that the state needed an amendment ”
said freshman Austin Faur, who publicly
defended his viewpoint on marriage at
an SGA Senate meeting two weeks ago.
That night, the SGA passed a resolution
stating the amendment contradicted
Elon’s discrimination policy.
The greater community of North
Carolina ought to recognize the
amendment as discriminatory as well.
Flowers said, recalling a statement
made by Newark Mayor Cory Booker
in response to New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie’s proposal of a similar
amendment.
“Booker said the government should
never put to a popular vote the civil
rights of a minority group," he said.
“When you do that, you effectively tell a
minority group that their wellbeing or
their rights to express themselves are
left up to the mcyority.”
The passage of the amendment raised
Flowers’ concern for the future of the
state.
“It’s organized and systematic
disenfranchisement,” he said. “With this
kind of precedent, what’s the next thing?
I’m fearful that you’re going to have
more and more legislation introduced
that limits civil rights of people in this
state."
But some opponents of Amendment
One assumed a more optimistic outlook.
“I don’t see (the passage) as a loss,"
said Clinton Edmonson, an Elon graduate
^ PHOTO COUFTTESY OF MCT CAMPUS
Kaie Bnjce, nght, watches election results during an Amendment One opposition party May
8 in Raleigh. At Elon University, the community gathered May 9 to discuss the passage of the
amendment, which received 61 percent of the vote.
who followed the results online from Los
Angeles. “Laws like Amendment One
are achieving the exact opposite of what
they aim to prevent. All these people
(who voted for the amendment) really
strengthened a cause they didn’t have a
chance to beat in the first place."
Faur, who has recently been the victim
of several verbal attacks regarding
his stance on the amendment, agreed
the results intensified the opposite
sentiment. But he is not deterred from
his beliefs.
“My friends are supportive and
recognize that everyone who voted for
(the amendment) is being attacked," Faur
said. “The future will be interesting.
There may be lawsuits or something like
that, but a similar amendment has been
passed in 30 other states, and I think
people forget that.”
But Kane said she believes the
numbers can be overcome. The LGBTQ
office might hold a meeting in the fall
to discuss moving forward against the
amendment.
“We are definitely not giving up," she
said.
aiii,n^iigiauuaic ray inenas are supportive ana said.
Associate chaplain leaves Elon legacy of student engagement
Mary Kate Brogan
Senior Fieporter
He is easily identified by his
bowtie.
When Phil Smith first arrived
at Elon six years ago, he was one
of few on the campus who wore
a bowtie, but as he prepares
to leave Elon University, the
assodal^ cTfalSain iea>es a terger
legacy behind.
He said he feels he has
grown and learned a lot, and
now it is time for him to move
on. While teaching the life
entrepreneurship program for
sophomore students, he found
the lessons were applicable to his
own life, he said.
“I realized a lot of what 1
was sharing with them about
knowing when you need to
move toward something, 1 found
myself speaking to myself,"
Smith said.
Throughout his time
working with the Truitt Center
for Religious and Spiritual
Life, Smith has witnessed the
departure of chaplain emeritus
Richard McBride, the search for
and training of current chaplain
Jan Fuller, the hire of program
assistant Jan Register and the
planning of a brand new Multi
faith Center.
While Smith said he has had a
lot of spiritual growth at Elon, he
has also learned a lot from other
groups on campus.
“This job has really allowed
me to be engaged with several
other areas of campus outside
of Religious and Spiritual Life,"
Smith said. “And those have
been tremendous opportunities,
especially with leadership. I’ve
worked with the Isabella Cannon
Leadership Program, Elon
101, learning about academic
advising, helping students that
might not have had a connection
with our office. Working with
them has been developmental
education for me.”
Jan Fuller, university chaplain,
said Smith has worked hard for
the past few years, comparing
his will to that of the Energizer
Bunny, and saying his detail-
oriented nature is what made the
two of them such a great team.
“I really have appreciated
him, and 1 am going to miss him
a lot," Fuller said. “He’s got a great
sense of humor. He’s as hard a
worker as I’ve ever known."
Smith Jackson, vice president
and dean of Student Life, said
while Smith has demonstrated
his commitment to the university
through his involvement in
programs such as "Better
Together," QUEST, the interfaith
Morocco Winter Term trip and
College Chapel, his greatest asset
is his approachability.
“I think working with
students on every level is where
he's made a tremendous impact,"
Jackson said.
Many students have felt that
impact. Sophomore Morgan
D’Arcy, who has worked with
Smith during his participation
with Habitat for Humanity
and Sigma Phi Epsilon, said he
believes Smith has made a large
impact on the campus as a whole.
“1 think that Phil is someone
who pretty much everyone on
campus knows,” he said. “Anyone
I’m talking to, when 1 say, ‘Oh, I’m
meeting with Phil Smith later,’
that person’s like, ‘Oh, I love Phil
Smith.’”
Freshman Lianna Mills has
known Smith since she was a
young girl when he worked at her
church, and since arriving here,
the two have spoken on several
occasions. She said she believes
Smith has done a lot for the Truitt
Center and for Elon.
“He’s a spiritual stronghold
for the campus,” Mills said. “I
think his presence will be greatly
missed.”
Smith said he is looking at
several options for the future,
but has not chosen a path quite
yet. He does know his time at
Elon has had a great impact on
his life.
“I love what we do here,”
Smith said. “Elon is a place where
the way we go about education,
we do a good thing, so, yeah, it’s
going to be hard to leave that
behind.”
f
PHOTO COUFfTESY OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Phil Smith poses at a Phoenix athletics event with the Elon mascot.
Phil Smith’s words of wisdom for the Class of 2012
“First of all, beware of people dispensing words of wisdom.
But if you are still reading, here are mine: Just when you think
you have it all figured out, something or someone comes along
and causes you to question everything and to recalculate and/
or recalibrate.
Hopefully that has happened lots during your time at Elon and
will keep on happening. That is probably how some of your best
learning will take place.”
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