Page 121 - Scrimshaw1976-77

SC,rimshaw Headline Writers Strike! ~~~~~W Volume V, Number 7 WESTERN MARYLAND COLLEGE F_riday,AprilS, 1977 Jeff Robinson assignment of a graduate Announcement was made early asslstant ... tc the Office of Student this week tbet western Maryland Affairs to work wllh minority Man Bowers College was 90Jn9 10 increase its students during 1977-78 and to A long-range proposal aimed at attempts to find a minority perform other duties as deter- the further diversification of the professor for installation during mined Ijy the dean of students." students, faculty, and staff of the 1978·79 school year. Dr. Ralph A further, more in--depth article Western Maryland College C. John produced a statement on on the subject will follow next received the official backing of the the'sublect at Tuesday's faculty issue. r school's Student Government 'm~eting held in Decker When a male spokesperson for. Association at a largely-attended Auditorium. the BSU was asked if he felt that special meeting held on Monday The "Statement and Plan on the document spoke in anyway to night, March 21. in McDaniel Minority Affairs" included two the BSU proposal he responded _ \ Lounge specific actions to be undertaken in "No." He went on to explain, "The The proposal. due to go before the next two years. Tbere ehculd'ba statement made by the president the Board of Trustees, was the a permanent "appointment of a was a continuation of the rhetoric ~~~~~:~~e,t~esJ:-~~m~;~~:e~~./ .. minority a black, for academic that the BSU has been getting from faculty member, preferably the administration." 1978-79 in the' political science of "It is a general, liquid statement _~~tt;O~l::~e ~~a~~~~rUd~~~:Dr. Jo_hn has reviewed the Black Student Union proposal recentlyand American studies departments to and in no way addresses itself, faculty, and admtmstrjmon Tuesday produced a statement on minorities teach minority studies and courses specifically, to the goals and ob- in political science (where there is [ectfves that were identified in the Published in its entirety last fall by resulting in its being split into two population of the campus. This the Scrimshaw, the proposal calls parts for purposes of voting segment was printed and a general need), if a person with BSU proposal which was submitted the can for the undertaking of definitive Resolutions of endorsement were distributed, and mistakenly this combination In the plan be tcuec." to Ccmrnttree." Long Range Planning Also listed is "the steps to increase the diver- passed for both a Black Student identified as the entire proposal stttcation of the school with Union section of the proposal and Arguments fOJ:: the-inclusion of regards to all minorities.-racial, for the proposal as a whole. other minorities-and for a more Nancy Menefee ~~I!~i~:in~ndo/h~heag::~:;~p~~~ A rntsunderstandmg'on the parts r:i~e~ilsc';.~~;~!n~temmed from boundaries of the school's of both Senate members and 'the Questions concerning the R~ently, in the framework of must make a _commitment to population, including foreign student body- proper resulted in proposal were answered by the Long Benge Plan, the SGA increasing opportunities for students. These steps are deemed 'much diSCUSSIOn, most of it cen- members of the Task Force passed the Black Student Union blacks, faculty and staff as well as necessary in order for the school to tered on the misconception that the present at the meeting. Bernard proposal. which takes the matter students. He said, "we do need to r~ain a viable and valid liberal BSU part of the overall proposal Franklin also spoke on behalf of out of the student's hands. Dean make a very real j effort and arts institution was a separate and independent the BSU section of the proposal as McCormick did comment, corresponding financial com- support document, and not, as it is, a part well as the proposal as a whole. however, that student The next mitment" far the HSU and The spokesman "certainly is a factor." The proposal resulted in part of the whole proposal, the A roll call vote was requested from a survey taken last fall of the existence of which many were and taken on the BSU part of the step is to have the Board of concerned students said that the student body, the consensus of wholly ignorant. 'proposal first, the tally being 29 for Trustees deal with this proposal. school recently had hired a new which indicated a desire for a more The BSU was asked by the Task and 10 against a resolution 'en- Originally it was hoped that the Economics professor and varied population on the Hill. Force, as an interest~d dorsing that part of the proposal. proposal could be presented Ior- described it as a "golden op- Some controversy erose over the organization, to draw up specific" The entire proposal's endorsement mally to the Board on the afternoon portunny" for the school to show exact nature of the proposal, proposals relating to the black was voted for unanimously. of April ISth. According to Dean it's commitment and hire a McCormick, "that is no longer minority professor. The depart- possible." When asked why, he ment hired a white male professor. explained that it is "a Question of The spokesman said the process time." Dean McCormick feels that by which people are hired-being the Board cannot look at the BSU hired by the departments is as it Richard B. Desser After this vote, a motion was floor, argue that· proposal separately, itmustlook Long at should bel" "But if the ~ple ~re in the not the affirrnitive practiced of the total package Tonight presented the continuing passed which postponed the vote on I. seniors should have priorjty in saga of the WMC Housing and this new proposal, of"totalling the 2 choosing housing, but should also Range Plan. There has not been action process--going out and Conduct Council's debate on how numbers, until the next council have the important right of enough time to get it prepared and, directly seeking qualified people, the Garden Apartments should be meeting, thus enabling the choosing their roommates. This distributed to the various Board then these processes should be drawn. The meeting was called'fo representatives to poll their floors system preserves their rights. members. questioned" order and the Room Drawing Sub- Following this motion it was 2. Presently, over 50 per cent of A spokesman for the BSU and "Affirmitive action says you go committee presented its alter- proposed to present SCRIMSHAW the students occupying the concerned-students said, "There's out and find qualfied minority native proposal. This was after the with both the current proposal of apartments are seniors and this is no excuse. As chairman of the instructors. The people who are original proposal of combining Iour totalling 2 numbers along with the under a system which could Long Range Planning Committee, doing the hiring are not familiar numbers was overwhelmingly defeated one of totalling 3 numbers feasibly have 25 per cent of the Dean McCormick was responsible with Arttrrotuve Action. I don't defeated at the Housing Council a-nd the repecttve pros and cons. dwellers being seniors. The for seeing that all subcommittees think the sin of omission the is an deadlines. excuse-for Task Force ad- example met The meeting of March teth. The new This motion was passed and the proponents of the a-number system concerned with Student Life, ministration could bring in proposal was to total 3 numbers, following shall describe these feel that by totalling 2 numbers, a chaired by Bill Tribby, was resource people to introduce them with the lowest combination proposals. relatively large increase' of seniors finished on time. It seems that this to this process in a workshop gaining entrance to the apart- The original proposal was to would be added to the already one task force has been penalized setting" ments - total three numbers with the lowest present total of over 50 per cent. for Dean McCormick's inability to Dean McCormick has some After debating this proposal for combination gaining entrance to 3. An increase would occur but meet his own deadline. When reservations about parts of the some time an amendment was the apartments. The supporters of would not go so far as to create people in Elderdice say that BSU proposal. He says "their presented, which would delete the this idea argue that • policy to have a mix of students something is supposed to happen educational validity can be original proposal and replace it 1. This proposal is not as ex- dwelling in each living unit and not and it doesn't, then they shouJd be questioned- I'd hate to see us do with a proposal which would make clusive as totalling 4 numbers segregating the classes Questioned. This administrator can anything to set the blacks apart-I the amount of numbers to be 2. It is relatively easy to im- 4. The two-number system playa very important part in the think that could happen, given totalled equal to ttie number of plement preserves the above rights, but outcome of the total r ecom- some of the recommendations." bedrooms in each apartment. This 3. It increases the present also presents no problem in im- mendalion of the Long Range He also stated) "I see it principally amendment was overwhelmingly number of upperclassmen needed plementation. • Planning Committee. When one in the house, that's where J have defeated mainly due to the com- to draw an apartment by 200 per 5. Finally, the proponents of this person fa top administrator) some problems." plexity of implementation that it cent, thus making the apartments system feel that the 100 per cent doesn't have his act together, then A spokesman for the BSU said. would have involved ev~n more senior priority-oriented increase, in upperclassmen needed something is definitely wrong." "along with anything else in the Immediately following the than the present system. to gain entrance to the apartments, The initial points of the BS:V proposal, the house is not for the defeat of this amendment, another After a syllogistic debate, the is an ideal gain which would proposal will be presented on the purpose of segregation, it is to amendment was put forth which above proposal was wiped from the balance the scales of equality and morning of April 15th. This _is an make the awareness of the campus proposed that two numbers be floor, by a 3~ majority of the not tilt the scales so as to render informal/that is non-business,and grow. When an admiHistrator totaled with the lowest com- CounciL The proposal which equality into desuehetude basically designed to educate the assumes a particular group should, bination gaining entrance to the replaced it was the totalling of 2 Please take the time to consider because apartments. It was agreed to numbers, with the lowest entering both of these proJXlsals and convey Board about - life here at the not be given a chance it to lead past to history college has shown SUbstitute the 2-number for the 3- the apartments. The prOJXlnents of your views to your Housing Council I Dean McCormick's personal· segregation, it says something number proJXlsal by a 34 majority thi~ idea, which is presently on the Representatives i position on the- issue is that we about his faith in students"