stentorian
Volume 14, Number 3
NCSSM, 1219 Broad Street, Durham, NC 27705
February 24, 1995
Around the
world and back
By MAGDA KOTEK
News Editor
World
■ On Tuesday, January 24, an
earthquake measuring 7.2 on the
Richter scale struck Kobe, Japan.
The earthquake left 5,090 people
dead, 25,000 injured, 300,000
homeless, and twenty-nine missing.
The Japanese government has come
under criticism from the
international community for its slow
response to the disaster and its
reluctance to accept international
aid.
■ Russian President Boris Yeltsin
has suppressed fighting in the
rebelling Chechnyan Republic and
has joined the Republic again with
Russia. Rebels, though, have vowed
to begin guerilla warfare just South
of Grozny.
■ The Netherlands, northern France,
and Germany are experiencing the
worst flooding of the century. Over
320,000 people have been evacuated
from their homes, and total damage
is estimated to be in the hundreds of
millions of dollars.
■ The Christmas cease-fire in
Yugoslavia seems to be on shaky
ground. Over 400 explosions have
been cited in the area, and food and
heat have been denied to 1,000
peace-keepers.
■ An earthquake measuring 6.5 on
the Richter scale hit a small town
175 miles south of Bogota,
Colombia. The earthquake left
fifteen people dead and is the third
earthquake of the year in Colombia.
National
■ In a record breaking eighty-one
minute State of the Union address.
President Clinton discussed welfare
see AROUND THE
WORLD, page 2
Dorm changes divide student body
By MAGDA KOTEK
News Editor
At 10:00 on a Wednesday night, the
second Bryan open lounge is teeming
with students. Males and females from
throughout campus either sleep, talk to
each other, or concentrate on the blaring
television set. But will this scene be
possible next year if Bryan dormitory,
now a male residential hall, becomes
inhabited by females, and Hill House,
now a female dormitory, turns into a
male residential hall? Some students say
no.
Currently NCSSM’s student
population is fifty-two percent male and
forty-eight percent female. Statistics
from around the state, though, show that
on average female students comprise
fifty-two percent of high school
populations. In order to reflect this
figure, NCSSM would have to add over
thirty females to the student population.
In the end, NCSSM’s ideal student
population would be comprised of 277
females and 271 males.
The only problem that stands in the
way of adjusting NCSSM’s student
population is the lack of dormitory space.
With the majority of applicants to the
school being females, NCSSM has been
forced to reject qualified female
applicants on the basis of not having
enough room to house them.
“Though many housing options have
been proposed, the most practical
solution to this problem is to transfer
females to Bryan dormitory and males to
Hill House,” says Warren Basket,
proponent of the plan and head of male
residential halls.
The final ruling on this issue will
probably take place on March 3 when
the board of trustees will meet to vote
on the plan. The Board is expected to
ratify the proposal and implement it for
either the class of 1997 or 1998.
This proposed move has sparked
discussions among students, faculty, and
SLIs throughout campus. Questions
concerning the remodeling of Bryan,
future social interaction between the
sexes, and lack of student involvement
in the decision have been raised.
One major fear is that with the
separation of females and males on
different sides of campus there will be a
negative effect on social interaction
between the sexes.
see DORM CHANGES, page 2
Women’s issues to be addressed at conference
By SARA BIRKEMEIER
to-Editor in Chief
Rape, lesbianism, business, domestic
violence, diversity, and health. If it has
to do with women it probably will be
found at the first annual Women’s
Conference being held on March 22 (Alt.
Day) at NCSSM. It comes complete with
a gallery, movie series, and luminary
show and is open to all students, faculty,
and visitors.
“We want to make people in the
community more conscious of
womanhood and what it’s like to be a
woman and how wonderful it is,” said
senior Tyrell Haberkorn. She stumbled
upon the idea for a conference while
working on a proposal for a women’s
center at NCSSM. Now Tyrell, guidance
counselor Gail Hudson, and a number of
other students are counting down the
days until all their hard work and
planning will be shared with the
community.
“We just want to raise awareness of
women’s rolls in society,” and show
people some ways that we can start
becoming more active so that we can
change society, said senior, Kati Haynes
on some of the goals behind the event.
Kati is in charge of three sessions dealing
with rape, domestic violence, and
Carrie Bridges and Tyrell Haberkorn plan
Dan Schudel is coming back to do the
sexual violence presentation. “We want
to get the men involved too because it
(the conference) is not about separation,
it’s about equality.”
The diversity section, dealing with
race and sexual preferences, is being run
by senior Imani Brown-Shelton. There
are plans for the North Carolina Lesbian
and Gay Health Project to do a panel
session. The National Coalition Building
^oto by Sara Birkemeier
for upcoming women's conference.
Institute may also be helping with these
workshops.
Student Life Instructor, Jen Poirot
is conducting the health sessions and
tackling everything from women’s
cancer to reproductive issues such as
birth control and abortion. Jen is also
see WOMEN'S CONFERENCE,
page 2
♦ Celebrations of Culture Annual Pow
wow and Worldfest enrich the student life at
NCSSM, pages 4-5.
♦ Keeping It Afloat NCSSM senior Rebecca
DeBemard makes swimming a major part of
her life, page 7.
♦ Opting for Obscurity A great deal of worthy
music is never even given a stab at widespread
popularity, page 8/