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Bias incidents target gay
stndent, cemmnnity reacts
By Deena Zaru
News Editor
On Sept. 14 a Bryan resident filed a Public
Safety report and informed Residence Life
that a note had been left on his room door that
read "Die you MF fag. Nobody wants your
kind on campus."
It was soon followed by a second threat. On
Thursday Sept. 17 a rock, with a note attached
was dropped in the students' room at around
11:30 pm.
The note said "I hope (the
rock) hit you in the f—ing head
faggot. You don't deserve life
like the rest of the world. It's bad
enough without all the gay crap
pulling people down. It's sick,
unnatural, and death is almost
too good for you. Almost."
The person or persons
responsible for this act still remain unknown.
"The difficulty in these anonymous acts is
ever knowing who did it," said Fetrow, "and
that is why it is very important to respond. We
have to say something about it. We can't just
let it go."
While there is speculation around campus
on the identity of the reporting party, neither
Public Safety nor Campus Life would validate
any speculations.
"The name is not released because the
person who filed the report wishes not to be
identified at this point," said Dean of Students
Aaron Fetrow.
FORA STATEMENT
FROM THE STUDENT
WHO REPORTED
THE BIAS INCIDENTS
SEE PAGE 10
President Kent Chabotar published a
statement in the buzz on Saturday Sept.
19 in response to this incident, explaining
that while it is the responsibility of the Bias
Incident Group to respond to anonymous acts
of bias, the group for this year has not yet been
formed.
Fetrow said that the group will be formed
in a week or two.
Associate Dean for Campus Life Jennifer
Agor said that the bias incident group will
determine what needs to be done after the
initial responses.
"Since they had not yet
convened, (Campus Life's) plan
was to ensure that we had a
timely, appropriate response to
these incidents," said Agor.
While the members have not
been set in stonp yet, the Group is
traditionally chaired by President
Chabotar and includes three students and
several staff and faculty members.
"Clearly this messages are harassment in
violation of numerous college policies and
are criminal acts under state and federal law,"
said Chabotar in the statement, which was
made available to the entire campus.
"Making this information public might
help in the investigation process for all of us
to know the information in case we might see
of hear anything," said Bryan resident and
sophomore Kalyn Eioward.
See "Bias" on page 2
Jordan Auleb, junior, and Trevor Corning, junior, hold candles at the vigil held on
Sept. 23 in response to the bias incidents that occurred in Bryan Hall last week.
Vigil focuses
acceptance
By Deena Zaru
News Editor
On Sept. 23 around 500 people, both
from Guilford as well as the Greens
boro community, joined in a vigil co
sponsored by Guilford Pride and the
Guilford Peace Society in light of the
recent acts of discrimination.
"This is a positive vigil; a vigil about
on themes of
and respect
diversity, humanity, acceptance, re
spect and love," said David Elam-
mond, professor of theatre studies.
"This is a positive act to build a better
future for Guilford. It is not defen
sive or hostile. This is not a matter of
stomping out something. It's about
letting the good stuff fill the place."
See "Vigil" on page 2
Greensboro Playwrights^ Forum
mixes guns and alcohol
, By Sean McNally
StaffWriter
Assassins with water guns, disgruntled
housewives with revolvers, couples therapy with
staple guns, and a whole lot of liquor. It's either
one dangerous party or a night at The City
Arts Studio Theatre on Sept. 17, where The
Greensboro Playwrights' Forum presented
"An Evening of Short Plays #21: We're
Legal!"
"We knew it was our 21®* evening
of short plays so since we're 21: guns
and alcohol," said Stephen Hyers,
founder of the Playwrights'
Forum. "Only one person
gets shot, biit a lot of
people get drunk."
Conversations about
acting, writing, and directing filled the air at the
Greensboro Cultural Center. Many of those who
came to the opening night of short plays were also
involved in theater.
The performance started with a string of
three dramatic plays, one of which was titled
"Gone," and was written by Victoria King,
an active member of the Playwrights' Forum
and director of another play in the show,
"Something New."
"Gone" told the story of a disgruntled
housewife, played by Trudy Davis,
pushed by her husband's temper
and alcoholism to drastic action. Her
husband, played by Chuck Powers,
made the mistake of drunkenly yelling
at her for going to the store. Davis
See "Playwright" on page 8
Hispanic Heritage Month: a
celebration of cultures
By Melanie Joyner
StaffWriter
Onscreen, a dull, almost colorless
aerial shot of an industrial city is split
with a line down the middle. The
words U.S.A. and Mexico appear to
mark the division.
This is one of the first images
in the film "Maquilapolis: City
of Factories," the first in a film
series hosted by Hispanos Unidos
de Guilford (H.U.G.) to celebrate
Hispanic Heritage Month.
Michael Gatton, a first-year who
attended the film viewing, said,
' I think it is a good idea to bring
awareness to campus and to show
films. It's better than just handing
out flyers or pamphlets."
There will also be a Latin-
themed dance and aerobics
class, performances, and more to
commemorate the month.
Hispanic Heritage Month began
on Sept. 15 and ends on Oct. 15. It
provides a way to celebrate Hispanic
culture and heritage and to recognize
the contributions of people from
Latin American or Spanish descent in
the United States. First conceived as a
week-long event in 1968, it changed
into a 30-day event in 1988 and put
into law by Public Law 100-402 in
that same year.
According to the U;S. Census
Bureau, Sept. 15 became the starting
date because it is the anniversary
of the independence of five Latin
American countries: Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and
Nicaragua. Mexico's independence
celebration occurs on Oct. 16.
"Maquilapolis" documents the
lives of female workers in a city of
factories. Some of the world's largest
See "Heritage" on page 2