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4 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2005 Rules decry discrimination UNO’s policies include sexual identity BY KATHERINE EVANS STAFF WRITER Officials are underscoring the University’s stance against all dis crimination based on sexual orienta tion in the wake of a hate crime com mitted against a UNC junior Friday. The University’s nondiscrimina tion policy and the Code of Student Conduct both specifically address sexual orientation, and officials said students must make it their responsibility to comply. The nondiscrimination policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and the Code of Student Conduct similarly distinguishes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender expression as a punishable offense. “You can live, work and study in this community without fear of ADDRESS FROM PAGE 1 not only initiated early work on the Tuition Task force, but that they also shaped the tuition debate. Speaker of Student Congress Charlie Anderson used his address to speak out against tuition increas es for out-of-state students. “‘Free as practicable’ has been perverted way out of proportion by placing the burden on out-of state students,” he said. Anderson said UNC must strive for improvements while keeping its ideals at the core an approach that would improve the RALLY FROM PAGE 1 affirming the University’s commit ment to tolerance and inclusion. He said the response to the attack reminds him of how the people of Copenhagen, Denmark, accepted the Jews in desperate times under the Nazi regime. “We are all in this together,” he said. “This is one great family of Carolina; let us stay here together.” The theme of togetherness came up several times during the evening, Specializing in dining room, bedroom and occasional furniture! Lots of variety for every taste! H Quantities are limited, over t 0... Wednesdays Ipm - 6pm . Thursdays & Fridays 10am - 6pm 15 ' 501 - and" Saturdays 10am - 2pm University 32 15 old Chapel Hill Road 7* Old Chapel Hill Rd Durham ' (919) 490-8098 At the intersection of University and Old Chapel Hill Road, next to Piper’s Deli Greyhound Helps You And A Friend Unleash This Spring Break. Visit Greyhoundpromos.com for 50% off Companion Fares and free ways to unleash this Spring Break. GREYHOUND tier subject to chanfle without notice Restrictions apply May not be combined with any other offer. O 2005 Greyhound Lines, Inc. harm,” said Margaret Jablonski, vice chancellor for student affairs, dur ing a speak-out Tuesday night to display the community’s outrage. The policies are strictly internal, which means they apply to cases within the University but not to its relationships with outside organi zations, such as the federal govern ment and private employers. Neither document provides a con crete definition of hate crimes. But officials said such crimes can fall under a range of Honor Code viola tions from the use of discrimina tory language to physical violence. “Hate crimes are not expressly addressed,” said Melinda Manning, assistant dean of students. “But a student could be charged with a regular assault, threats or anything else.” tuition situation and further new projects such as the soon-to-be constructed Arts Common. Craig Schauer, chairman of the undergraduate Honor Court, emphasized working to streamline hearings in the face of an increased case load. He also noted the successful implementation of the new out reach branch that is helping pub licize the honor system. Schauer reminded the crowd that the honor system is run by students for students, a rarity on today’s college campuses. Graduate and Professional Student Federation President Jen as speakers encouraged audience members to realize that, combined, they might be able to change the state’s hate crime statues, which do not include attacks related to sexual orientation and gender identity. “Take a look around you, realize all the energy that’s here, and don’t let that die out tonight,” said Ben Brown, a sophomore who spoke last during the open mic session. Event organizers circulated two petitions: one to change the N.C. law and another to create a non discrimination policy at all UNC From Page One Honor Court sanctions for such violations can run the gamut from censure to expulsion, even if the student also faces {rending state or federal action. Officials said that while much has been done to make these poli cies known to the student body, administrators always can work to further publicize UNC’s ethos of nondiscrimination. “I think we can always be doing more to educate people on issues that LGBTQ students confront on a regular basis,” Jablonski said. Jon Curtis, assistant director for student activities and orga nizations, said he meets with the leadership of every student orga nization and makes sure they sign on to the nondiscrimination policy. Student groups also must agree to conform to the policy when they sign for official recognition. “The University makes very rea Bushman highlighted ways in which graduate students contrib ute to the University’s research and public service communities. She also noted that the graduate and professional community is far from connected to the larger stu dent population. Bushman, who recently pre sented the first State of the GPSF Address, invited the crowd to attend University Research Day on March 31, which will showcase graduate students’ research. While she said she is pleased that graduate students have a permanent office, they often do not have contact with students “It was unprovoked, and I didfight hack. There’s only so long that you can fight off a pack of wolves.” THOMAS STOCKWELL, unc student attacked in hate crime system schools. Win Chesson, co-chairman of the GLBTSA and moderator for the event, said it’s troubling that bills to change the state’s hate crimes law have failed three times. “It’s just incomprehensible to me that bill hasn’t passed,” he said. “That outrages me just as much as the attack that happened.” In a speech at the event, Chapel Hill Town Council member Mark Kleinschmidt stressed the impor tance of changing the law. Kleinschmidt, who is openly gay, said numerous people have approached him to express con cerns about the attack. “Without exception, they all say something like ‘l’m so shocked it’s Chapel Hill. We’re so tolerant here’,” Fvsk Tkmkitvjr, HeJsltky Eadihj PITAS SALADS VEGGIE OPEN OPTIONS LATE WE DELIVER! 919.933.4456 11 5 E. Franklin, Chapel Hill www.pitapit.com ffPfP' if |Hn'. [PERU NEGRO a Mumflftant er’/cira/io/i 0/ mtr-iio our/rfnncc wrt/nrvtf/oy, ■ march 2nd great hall M I n {O' '■/tr/Jw / /,/// .<4 J Bpm Slim t VMM* KoS A, W.r. | perf<wn*njvwH*rntvutx sonable efforts to communicate its policies,” Curtis said. “The piece that could perhaps be better is the under standing as citizens of this campus that students need to educate them selves as well. These are Carolina students they’re not stupid.” Dean of Students Melissa Exum said that if a need for policy change arises, the administration will respond with appropriate action. But education seems to be the next step in prevention, not a revi sion of policy. “I don’t know if the answer is in policy,” Manning said. “It may lay in education, in helping students to advocate better for themselves, like offering self-defense classes, and letting students know the avenues of support. Policy is not necessarily the only avenue.” . Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. outside their departments. She also noted that graduate students often are left out of dis cussions on tuition, particularly because 37 percent of them are out-of-state students. Margaret Jablonski, vice chancel lor for student affairs, said that she was pleased with the speeches and that the programs started under Calabria should continue. The Student Code requires the student body president to address the University at least four times during a lull term of office. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. he said. “And I ask them where the hell they think they are.” Event organizers said they hope the words shared by officials and students will prevent further vio lence and will spur the commu nity to activism. They were over whelmed by the number of partici pants in the event, which they had only two days to plan. David Ruskey, an executive board member of the GLBTSA, said the group originally gathered 100 candles but soon realized that that was a gross underestimate. “The size of this crowd and the unity displayed... has surpassed all expectations.” Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. CHANGE FROM PAGE 1 at the University. While resources and visibility have increased, he said, the climate that welcomes LGBTQ students when they step onto UNC’s soil is not ideal. “I think any time you put a University-supported endeavor like the office, there’s going to be a marked change in the climate,” Caldwell said. But, he added, “Climate is not something that can just be fixed.” Caldwell also said UNC admin istrators must address their lack of involvement with the LGBTQ community to improve the cam pus climate. “It’s easy for the University to hide behind the (LGBTQ) office,” he said. “(But) nothing says more OPEN LETTER FROM PAGE 1 Chancellor James Moeser. The open letter, signed by 71 faculty members, has re-energized the debate over donations from the Pope Foundation that would create a program in Western cultures. The organization helps fund the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, which has openly criticized the University and its faculty. Sue Estroff, professor of social medicine and former chairwoman of the Faculty Council, said the letter came about because the University has moved ahead with plans to take the donation. “Some lines got crossed that hadn’t been an issue before,” Estroff said. “So (the letter is) a call for exploration, collabora tion and, ultimately, clarification.” The petition highlights con troversies regarding the amount of donor influence over the cur riculum; the image of the Pope Foundation; and the contingency built into the proposal, by which the donors can withdraw funding after several years. Signatories called for increased faculty involvement in the pro gram’s creation. They also said administrators should appoint a faculty commit tee to set guidelines for accepting money that would go toward creat ing classes, create an intellectually diverse faculty committee to clarify the direction of the program, and establish a clear policy for what would happen in the event that the funding were cut off. Bernadette Gray-Little, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks the recommenda tions stem from a concern that the University would make conces sions to donors and contaminate its integrity. But she said this fear is unwarranted. “What we have to make sure is what we offer that is funded by pri vate donations is the same qualify as those that are not,” she said. “We do not compromise on qualify or con tent in order to receive funding.” Moeser said he is comfortable receiving private donations as long as donors do not make inappro priate demands. In the case of the Call for Essays The Robert Ruark Society of Chapel Hill For Further Information Contact: The Creative Writing Program University of N.C. English Dept, Chapel Hill Graduate fi Professional Students You're Invited! Please join the Graduate School and the School oh Public Healths Minority Student Caucus tor a ”Celebration off Diversity”! Friday, March 4, 2005 4:oo-6:oopm Frank Porter Graham Student Union Room 3206 A-B Second Floor Meet and network with UNC Graduate & Professional students. Refreshmentd will be served. ulljp IMg (Tor llppl to the students than having high ranking administrators support ing us constantly. And I think that might be what’s missing.” Caldwell added that there is a false sense of security among com munity members at UNC. “People are quick to say UNC’s tolerant and acceptable even people within the LGBTQ com munity —and that just gives us a false sense of security,” he said. “I am appreciative of all the resources here for LGBTQ-iden tified students. However, a friend was just attacked because of his sexual identity, so it’s hard for me to reconcile the two.” For more information about the resources provided at UNC, visit http://lgbt.unc.edu. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu. Western cultures program, he said, the Pope Foundation has made no such demands. Provost Robert Shelton echoed that sentiment. “The bottom line is that nobody in this administration is going to accept funds that compromise aca demic freedom or undermine the faculty’s responsibility and authority to design the curriculum,” he said. Moeser added that refusing dona tions because of ideological differ ence violates academic freedom. “Freedom of speech means allowing people with whom we disagree to speak,” Moeser said. “To say we’re not going to accept their gift because we don’t agree with them is a denial of free speech.” Faculty members who signed the letter said they aren’t sure adminis trators’ attitudes are on target. “It’s not that we shouldn’t be offer ing classes that deal with Western civilization, but we also need to be concerned about other perspectives and other cultures,” said Dwight Rogers, professor in the School of Education. “(The Pope Foundation’s) lens is very much a Euro-centric, Western civilization focus, and they don’t seem to be open to other ways ofknowing.” Journalism professor Chuck Stone said he signed the letter to the administration because he supports transparent decision processes. He said his philosophy refers back to former President Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points,” one of which promotes open policy-making. “If it’s good enough for President Wilson, it’s good enough for the University of North Carolina.” Gray-Little said she is sending an open letter today responding to these and other concerns. “I have openly repeated my firm support of academic freedom and made it clear that private funders will not be allowed to control or direct the content of our academic programs,” Gray-Little wrote. “Claims that the proposal has been developed in a clandestine manner to promote a particular political agenda are demonstrably false.” Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 2, 2005, edition 1
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