THE
ALETHEIA
Volume XXVII, Number 3
Montreal-Anderson College
September 24,1993
Dorm Wars Ignite Violent Incident
By Kathryn Letterman
Fists replaced water balloons in a
Howerton brawl last Saturday night. What
started as playful competition between
dorms took a turn for the worse when two
students physically attacked another stu
dent and one staff member. In the after-
math of the fight a hearing was held by
Student Services Director Charles Lance,
and twenty people were interviewed.
The two students in question admit
ted guilt and action was taken by the col
lege. Both students were charged with
assault; one was additionally charged with
property damage, and being under the in
fluence of alcohol.
Differing opinions and interpretations
of the event make determining its causes
difficult.
Further clouding the analysis of the
problem is reluctance by many students to
discuss the outbreak. Some students inter
viewed feared that an article on the subject
would encourage or even generate more
violence in the future.
Commons Area
Available for
Student Use
By Sean Anderson
Hammers drive nails into planks of
wood as a fence is constructed. This is only
part of the rebuilding process going on near
Howerton Hall.
A new Commons area, in which
people can sit, relax, or study will be com
pleted this week. However, it is expected
that the lights will not be installed until
sometime in October.
The Commons area will feature a
wooden deck and boardwalk surrounded
by a six foot high wooden fence. There will
be trees in planters, benches, wrought-iron
tables and chairs placed on the finished
deck, that will be lighted for night use.
There is a bulletin board for student use and
announcements on the fence near the steps
to the dining hall.
On the back of the deck there will be
a stage for concerts, plays and speeches.
The commons area will also improve the
appearance of the unattractive roof area. It
will also screen the kitchen trash, loading
area, views of the roof of the dining hall and
machinery that is located there.
The benches are being built by main
tenance and should be completed in Octo
ber. The tables, chairs, trees, and plants
will be purchased when donations have
been collected.
Neither the annual funds, nor the
college operating budget will be effected
by this project, as it is being funded by
restrictive donations. President William
Hurt and his staff have been collecting
these donations, along with the Board of
However, many students living on
campus were anxious to share their opin
ions. Resident student Jason Robinson
said it started out as a joke: "At the begin
ning it was harmless fun, but then things
got out of hand. I think that dorm wars
should stop if this kind of violence is going
to happen."
Some people were furious about the
incident. A student, one of several who wish
to remain anonymous, exclaimed, "I was
surprised that an R.D. [resident director] got
hurt. I wouldn't have expected that kind of
violence to happen at a Christian school. It
really made me angry."
Although some feel that the violence
that occurred could damage the Christ-cen
tered image of Montreat-Anderson College,
Derek Sims, another student, stated that it
shouldn’t: "I don’t think that what happened
reflects on the school. I think that people just
let their emotions get the best of them."
The violence has affected more than
just the people who live in the two opposing
dorms. Janie King expressed this concern:
"What bothers me the most is that I’ve
always felt safe walking around at night on
campus, and now it makes me wonder how
safe it really is."
King also went on to make a point
about division between students, "I hope
that we will not judge everyone else on
campus based on the actions of a couple of
people."
Other students saw no point in the
conflict. "I don’t have any bad feelings
against anybody, but there was really no
sense in all of the violence. I hope nothing
else like that ever happens again," said
freshman. Matt Porter.
Some negative feelings are brewing
between the students and the administra
tion. A student leader - also wishing to
remain anonymous — stated, "There’s a lot
of unrest feelings going around. A lot of
people are unhappy with the decision that
the administration made. Some people
don’t think it was handled correctly."
Sex Discussions to be held on Campus
Marcy Buckner
Students talk about sex. The counsel
ing center is sponsoring the annual group
sessions dealing with sexuality issues, during
Sexuality Awareness week, September 27-
30.
Last year’s sessions dealt with these
issues on a much smaller scale. There was a
large emphasis on sexually transmitted dis
eases, especially AIDS, and unwanted preg
nancy, where as this year’s concentration area
will be much broader.
The goal of sexual awareness week,
according to counselor. Carmen Copenhaver,
is to "place scientific, medical, and truthful
information into the hands of students." This
year’s emphasis will be on the positive—what
one can do to make mature choices, rather
than what one should not do.
Copenhaver desires to have students
presented witli guidelines for healthy living,
so that they may remain healthy. She com
ments, "Nobody overreaches the point where
they are away from temptation. Don’t under
estimate that power, or overestimate your
own sU'ength to resist."
Sandi Rice, director of Rape Crisis
Center in Buncombe and Madison County,
will present Self Defense Part I (for women)
Monday, September 27, at p.m. in Belk Cen
ter, room 304.
J ulie Fontenot, assistant director of the
Medical Institute for Sexual Health in Austin,
Texas, will present a color slide "Safe Sex..."
on Tuesday, September 28, at 10am during
convocation.
Also on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Belk
Center, room 304, Sandi Rice will conclude
the Self Defense sessions with Part II.
Ed Bonner will conduct an informal
talk for men at 8 p.m. in the game room of
Davis Hall. The topic will be "Everything
You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Sex But
Were Afraid to Ask."
Wednesday night, September 29, at 8
p.m. in the prayer room of Belk Center, there
will be an informal meeting for the women
with a student speaker.
Sexual Awareness week will conclude
on Thursday, September 30. Ed Bonner will
present "The Biblical Basis for Great Sex in
chapel at 10am Ed Bonner and Carmen
Copenhaver together will end the week with,
"Finding the Love of Your Life" at 8 p.m. in
Howerton Lobby.
Trustees.
Project Architect, Maury Hurt said,
"Mark Barker Construction, the contractor
and the college maintenance have each
done an excellent job on their respective
parts of the project. I hope that the students
will use and enjoy it as much as possible.
This is for them."
Armond Blevins, Doug Bradley and
Don Hensley, part of the M-AC mainte
nance staff, have donated their labor to
build the benches, planters, and bulletin
board.
The Stonecutter Foundation contrib
uted the largest cash donation, also Mark.
W. Barker Construction is building the
deck and fence for a greatly reduced fee.
Henson Building Materials, along with
Lox Treated Lumber products offered a sig
nificant discount on the cost of lumber.