April 11,2003
Page 3
Clark, Neas Call Coble to Honor Promise if Seniors Oppose
Continued from Page 2
record on topics ranging from the envi
ronment to issues of civil rights.
"I had problems with Coble even be
fore he made his infamous interment
comments," said senior Kristina Millhiser,
who helped gather signatures for a sec
ond round of petitions against Coble's
planned commencement speech.
"I believe his voting record goes
against every Quaker tenet you could think
of," Millhiser said.
Senior Caroline Clark spearheaded
VP Israel Committed to Teaching,
Anti-Racism, Guilford's Core Values
Continued from Paae 2
she has focused primarily on the
quality of education for Guilford stu
dents. She helped found the study
abroad semester in Ghana, coordi
nated reenactments of the Under
ground Railroad, and helped develop
the African American Studies concen
tration, now a major.
"She's great. She inspires stu
dents," says one senior who says she
became a history major because of
Israel's influence as a professor. "I
wanted to do anything for her. I'd
write a 100-page paper for her."
When asked how she felt about
the announcement, Israel exhibited
a variety of feelings. She intends
to work more earnestly on im
proving the teaching and curricu
lum of the college. She also will
maintain her commitment to the
antiracism/diversity campaign that
Guilford initiated in the spring of
1998.
Focusing on the core values of the
college is also important to her. The
appointment now gives her the oppor
tunity to work more with faculty.
On the other hand, Israel
that petition in response to what she felt
was President Kent Chabotar's lack of
serious regard for the first one, signed
by 200 students in February.
"I'm more impressed with Coble's
handling of the situation than Kent's,"
Clark said. "Coble stood by what he said
about stepping down if one senior pro
tested. Kent did not care what students
were saying and didn't care that we didn't
want him there."
Chabotar said the weight of the first
petition was weakened because the ma
jority of people who signed were not se-
seemed upset that she will have to
give up one of her favorite pastimes
- teaching - and replace it with more
administrative leadership. She will no
longer be directly involved in the Afri
can American Studies program, his
tory department, or Ghana program.
One can tell just by talking to her
how much she will miss being a full
time professor.
"Frankly, I care about the col
lege, how it can get better. That's my
whole passion."
Israel said that like herself, all ad
ministrative faculty should teach.
Professor Rob Whitnell headed
the search committee that inter
viewed candidates. The finalists pre
sented open forums for the Guilford
Community between the 20 th and 28 th
of last month. The two other finalists
were Mark Stern and Reginald Avery,
who later withdrew his application.
Israel is sincerely thrilled with her
new position. "I'm humbled by this ap
pointment. I'm confident that I will be
working with a strong team. There is
a strong group of people in adminis
tration. They are all different. I'm con
tinually learning from them."
JVcuuA.
niors, and because
most signed before
Coble issued an apolo
getic statement of re
gret for any offense his
comments may have
caused.
Clark's petition
contained signatures
from 54 seniors,
roughly a fourth of the
senior class.
"We knew he had apologized, and that
did not affect our not wanting him here,"
Clark said.
Coble, who told The Guilfordian in
February that he would step down if one
senior opposed him, called Chabotar on
Wed., April 3, to tell him he had decided
not to give the address.
"After our prior conversations on the
subject, I expressed my deep regret but
did not try to dissuade him again,"
Chabotar said in a statement to The
Guilfordian.
Chabotar had met with Coble in March
for an alumni/prospective student recep
tion at Coble's office in Washington, DC,
and told him that the college would never
ask him to withdraw.
"I argued that it was the 50th anni
versary of his graduating class and he
was a respected member of the Guilford
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Petitioner Caroline Clark.
community with a 20-
year record of service
in the U.S. Congress,"
Chabotar said. "Our
community needs to
hear divergent views
on public policy issues
on every occasion, in
cluding commence
ment."
• Clark and senior
Josh Neas, who was the
first person to organize student dis
gruntlement with his initial petition in Feb
ruary, defended their actions against
those who say their protest is intolerant
of views not in sync with their own.
"The college never rescinded its of
fer," Neas said. "It was always Coble's
decision.
"The point was never to keep Howard
off campus, but rather to have him here
to facilitate a dialogue about what he said
in a way that a commencement speech
can't."
The second petition, which Clark and
others delivered to Coble's Greensboro
office, said "We welcome you to come and
speak at Guilford, but we feel that in light
of many circumstances ... your presence
as a graduation speaker would be inap
propriate."
See Coble, page 4