Page 21 - Scrimshaw1975

Open hoiJs!ng rules stir ,student unrest Mark Bayer A confrontation between students had come to him believed it then and I believe it The problem of dormitory girls live up to their respon- Dean Mowbrav and interested earlier in the day. asking what now."· However, he stressedbreakins and crime was then si blities by reporting students. concerning present he would do about the planned the fact that he was criticizing discussed, "As far as I'm unescorted males or locking dormitory rules and the demonstration. "I did go on to the regulations because they concerned, there's been 24- doors. "I'm not against the 24- proposed za-hour open house. ask them what the group was were unnecessary to the hour open house all along," a hour open house if people will was held this past Friday attempting to accomplish," educational process, and student said, arguing that abide by it," she admitted, but evening, February 28, at 7:00 Dean Mowbray related. "J told emphasized that the nothing can be done as long as expressed doubt that students P.M. in McDaniel Lounge. The them they weren't going to paragraph said nothing about a women sneak men out the would do so. "Everybody attendance. estimated at over gain anything by (demon- student's natural rights. Dean unauthorized exits. A Housing gripes about lack of security, 100 and consisting mostly of su-attng).' he continued, Mowbray then criticized Council member then .ex- but nobody locks the door," women, was surprising, explaining that such actions students for not thinking of the plained a now suggestion, Miss Suplee continued, and considering that the meeting teach the "wrong values." He wishes of others, and stated his brought up at the last Council stated that until students can had been called only a few was firm in stating that he desire to "please as. many meeting. The suggestion was prove their responsibility, hours before. would not "change a policy students as possible within the that the fire doors currently they can "forget" the 24-hour A couple of days befor-e the under pressure." Dean educational mission of this being built in the girls' dorms open house. Dean Mowbray meeting. a number of girls had Mowbray then explained that institution." be locked 24 hours a day, while added that students have planned to hold, in one the current open house policy The meeting then opened for the front door stays open until promised to enforce the student's words, "an example proposed by the Housing questions. Jo Minor asked why curfew. Thus, non-residents present policy, but have not. run-through of the 24-hour Council had not been turned there had been no definite would have to use the lobby Dean Mowbray, making his system", scheduled for that down by the Student Affairs feedback from the Housing phones to call for an escort final statement, said that "the Friday night. various girls had office yet, and in fact wasn't Council on the open-house because they would be unable (open-house policy) proposal decided to invite men to visit brought before him by the policy._ Dean Mowbray asked to roam the halls. (Residents oetore us is under serious their rooms and stay past Housing Council until January. Housing Council president would be able to use their keys consideration. I will continue curfew hours, all the while At.this point, Dean Mowbray Julie Mullen if progress was to open the fire dcora.) to work with elected emphasizing orderly and brought up the main point of being made, to which Miss Although this system is representatives in that area," responsible behavior, "Anyone his argument, stating that a Mullen replied, '~Al1 I've designed in part to eliminate while agreeing to listen to from 18 to 22 are responsible, number of students do not want received is, 'we will tell you student office workers, the individual students who wished legal adults," a student said. the open-house policy. when we are ready'." Dean HousingCouncilrecommended to discuss housing regulations. "We wanted t.o show respon- Referring to the Housing Mowbray then asserted that he that office workers stay until One last question was asked, sibility, organization, and Council's o p e n-h o u s e had told the Housing Council the doors are built and per- concerning whether the Board (enforcement of) security recommendations, Dean that he would not accept the fected. of Trustees would take drastic measures. We were frustrated Mowbray noted that several proposal unless questions Dean Mowbray was asked to actions against the open-house at going through channels. We students did not agree with it. concerning the' escort policy state the legal grounds by policy. Dean Mowbray said were ready to fight for what "Who's going to enforce it?" he and other problems had been which the school is allowed to that he only knew of one case in \ (we) believed in." Although asked. Dean Mowbray worked out. "I'm not going to regulate students. He ex- which the Trustees became the participating girls had not suggested a system wherein approve anything that's been platned that the legal grounds actively involved in internal planned to tell the ad- each dormitory would handed to me, at least without grew out of a contractual policy, and then at the request ministration about the plan establish its own rules and checking with my staff," he relationship between the of a past college president. until afterward, word spread closing hours, according to the concluded. student and the school; in other While Dean Mowbray stated and the administration preferences of residents, but The question of a bill, known w,?rds, when the student ap- that the Trustees do, as part of discouraged the trial run- later explained that such a as Title 9 of the Educational plies for WMC, he signs a the college constituency, have through. Therefore, one of the system would involve massive Act of 1972, was then brought contract giving th~ school the a say, he denied knowing of an major purposes of the meeting dorm changes which would be up. Title 9 would prohibit right to regulate him. Anot~er instance in which the Trustees was to question the ad- extremely difficult to make in differences in residence hall student presented the point had the only say. ministration's reasons for the middle of the school year. regulations on the basis of sex. that 52% of the students who The meeting closed at 8:30 doing so. Dean Mowbray then read a Astudent asked why the school filled out the Housing Council p.m. Jo Minor, acting as student paragraph from a 1970issue of has to wait until the bill forms in November favored moderator, opened the The Hill, and asked students to becomes law to do anything the open house, and that the meeting by explatningsome of guess who the writer was. The about it. Dean Mowbray school's first responsibility Been keeping tally? the purposes for the aborted paragraph read, "How anyone replied that WMC is one of the should be to the majority. Dean run-through. "Whatever can call living in a college few colleges that has im- Mowbray argued that invasion A national survey conducted happened to students of the residence hall such as we find plemented the bill. "When I see of privacy is important to all by Princeton University's '60's? When they wanted to do at WMC a 'natural relationship a girl in the men's dorm (after students. National Fertility Study in- something, they'd just get typical of the democratic at- hours), I send them the same More questions were asked dicates that married couples together and do it," asked Miss mosphere of college life' is letter," Dean Mowbray said, concerning separate dorm are having sexual intercourse Minor, criticizing present beyond by comprehension .. stating that most men don't curfews, rules for men's more often in the 1970's than procedures as "apathetic" and Regulation after regulation care about enforcing the dorms, and the aborted trial they did in previous decades. stating that going through has been written over the regulations in their halls. run-through. One student There has been an increase of administrative channels years restricting the stu- Another student complained asked Dean Mowbray to give about 21%, the rise occurring, "doesn't work." Miss Minor dents' freedom. They often of the distances between the the open-house supporters a in varying degrees, among all affirmed that the students stifle initiative, prevent Housing Council and the chance to prove that others age groups and for all methods wanted to hold the run-through privacy, and increase the student body. "We're ready. would not be distrubed. of contraception. The average to show the administration that desire of students to' seek The Housing Council isn't. Several students opposing the "frequency rate" for couples they could handle the 24-hour housing off-campus. I refer to There are some hangups in ze-nour poJicy countered that in 1970 was 8.2 times per system "intelligently, not regulations on hours for between. Why can't we work students have failed to prove month, compared to 6.8 times radically", stressing that all women ...etc. This is not a call things out ourselves," she their responsibility before in 1965. - men would have been escorted for anarchy but a suggestion asked. John Norment, a curfew, and asked why things and all loiterers reported. "We that those living in the Housing Council r epresen- would be any different. afterr-----------, are tired of saying, 'Next year. residence halls make the rules tative, answered that all hours. "Why don't you thmk of Faculty speaker Next year we'll (have the 24- by which they wish to live or at Housing Council meetings are our rights?" asked one of the hour open house")" least have a substantial part in open and asked, where open-house opponents. series Dean Mowbray then making them -." Stating that he everyone was six months ago Vicki Suplee, the house presented his views. He told had \wltlen' that paragraph, when the policy wasfirstbeing mother of Blanche Ward Hall, Page 3, Column4 the gathering that a number of Dean Mowbray said, "I formed. spoke up, asking how many L- _J