Page 68 - ThePhoenix1997-98

Thursday, November 20, 1997 - Page 8 NEWS Controversial Baltimore Sun WMC honor code under question that stu- Both Sayre believe columnist speaks at WMC as it really Continued/rom page I dents and faculty and Meyer to be more aware of need working." wasn't A major problem with the code is that the honor system. "In faculty orientation and there be more should orientation student students are uninformed oftheir responsibili- emphasis on looking at the code," said Regarding his column on Drug City, he ties as are some faculty members, she said. Meyer. Sayre agrees, although he doesn't feel asked, "If we are not going to be able to jail Another big problem is that students do not this is asolution. "I don't think you can cram them ... if we are not going to be able to treat want to report their peers for honor viola- 500 students into an auditorium and expect them, what a~e we going to do with the tions. "It is a big burden to put on the stu- them to believe in the system," he said. 50,000 drug abusers [in Baltimore]?" dent who reports," Meyer said. "Students are The honor code needs to be constantly The solution he proposed was something afraid of being ostracized." reinforced in order to be effective. "It has to called Drug City - a drug addict's haven The inconsistency of the present system be frequently discussed," said Sayre. ''They where they would have easy accessibility to is the issue in question. "Half the faculty are should have more rigorous and elaborate ori- drugs but would be separated from the rest doing it one way, half another," explained entations of the honor code," agreed Meyer, of society. Meyer, "the students don't know [which is "of what it is and what to do." Concerning the topic of car jacking, Kane right]." One of the main problems is students' wrote in his column that he supports a law As a result of the faculty discussion, obligation to report their peers. "I probably in Louisiana allowing victims to use deadly chemistry professor Richard Smith sent out wouldn't say anything," said junior Jennifer force against their attackers. an e-mail stating his belief that a committee Clagett, "it's between you and the honor He said that if someone attacks him in should be established to review student and code." his car, he is not going to try 10 talk his way faculty problems with the code. "In my opin- Other students say that it depends on the out of it. Instead he would show the person, ion, a major failure of the present code is circumstances surrounding the incident. "If with force, why he/she should not make him thai it places too much emphasis upon the they were looking at my paper I would turn the victim. individual faculty member," reads the memo. them in," said sophomore Jessica Boynton. "Folks need to protect themselves from This leads to "at least the perception of wide However, if she was not directly involved criminals. There is no reason to believe you variations in the way in which honor viola- she would be less inclined to report the per- will survive a crime [to tell the police]," Kane tions are treated." son. "It depends on the situation," she said. said. Smith explained that he wrote the memo The honor system is particularly problem- Under the subject of the success rates of after talking with students and faculty. "It atic for international students who have of- Controversial columnist Gregory Kane blacks in school, Kane wrote that blacks appears that there is pretty widespread dis- ten been raised in a society where turning in shares some of his opinions with WMC. should take honors and advanced placement content with the current system," he said. a fellow student is as dishonorable as cheat- classes because they never know if they will "I'm not sure how much the student body is ing on an exam. BY JONATHON SHACAT succeed in them unless they try. prepared to accept responsibility [for the "We don't turn people in," said Eliane SeniorWriler In his speech he summarized his view by honor system]. I think it's time for dialogue." Maroun of France. "lfyou do it, it's so child- saying, "It is a question of: do you want to Dr. Smith was on the original honor board ish, your friends will become your enemies." Gregory Kane, a celebrated and contro- be challenged or what? You've got to com- which established the basis for the present Hungarian, Adrienne Nemeth explained that versial columnist for the Baltimore Sun, mit yourself to some kind of academic ex- system in 1975 - 1976. when faculty became in her country they have a different attitude spoke atWMC on November II. cellence in order to achieve." involved in what was previously a com- about cheating: "Everyone has their own Kane focused his speech on several col- In terms of what he thinks of conserva- pletely student-run system. His advice is that means of reaching an end, it's their problem umns he had written recently. The audience tives, Kane wrote that they must live down "a committee go back and look at old forms if it's not ethical." was given photo copies of these columns to the past when they talk of race. of the honor system." The system he estab- Meyer believes that one of the problems read before he spoke, and a question-and- He talked about a letter he received from lished did not give the option to faculty mem- a committee trying to rework the honor code answer session followed. a woman stating that she does not see a bers to deal with the violation themselves. will face is human nature. ''The honor code Kane admitted his columns tend to "tick person's skin color when she looks at him! Philip Sayre, dean of students affairs, means nothing unless ethics are behind it," people off," but added that he doesn't mind her. He concluded that it is impossible not wants to hear the debate before reaching a she said. "I think we are not all born good, because he knows they are making people to notice the skin color of someone. Thai is decision about the system. However, he sees sometimes we are prone to do what is not think. "The goal of the column is to get the first thing you see, then the color of the advantages and disadvantages to turning right, sometimes it is hard' for students to stop people to read it," he said. "All that matters hair, eyes, and the height and weight, he said. minor violations over to the honor board. He themselves if they know they are not going is that they read it." Kane's journalism career started in 1984 believes that it would create more consis- to be caught." Kane. was not afraid to tell the audience when he wrote free-lance opinion/commen- tency but is concerned that under the past The discussions going on at present are that he keeps a shotgun in his house. "If the tary articles for the Evening Sun. He became system, "some faculty were not bothering to leaving people optimistic that a change will police break down my door, they better an- a regular columnist for the Baltimore Sun in send cases [to the board] because it was more be instigated. Someone in a position to be nounce who they are or there is going to be a 1995. of a production. Also, it sometimes doesn't heard got interested and other people caught problem," he said, citing his right to privacy. Since then he has won several awards, tum out the way they hope." on, said Smith. "The time is ripe." During his speech, Kane explained four including the 1996 and 1997 Headliner of his recent columns. They included the Award from the Atlantic City Press Club, the following titles: "Drug City only way to get 1996 award for bestlocaJ column from Mary- free and drug-free society," "Louisiana car land chapter of the Society of Professional jack law allows justice, not lynching," "Suc- Journalists. This year he was named best lo- cess should replace equality as a goal," cal columnist by Baltimore Magazine. "Right wing mustlive down past racism." Terror Spirit ignited at bonfire/pep rally Continued/rom page 7 1950's, Lightner said bonfires/pep rallies have also attended the bonfire/pep rally if it were held "all the time," and were usually had not had to compete with the opening held behind where the bleachers of Scott S. night of "Cabaret." Bair Stadium stand today. In the event of But despite the low-key atmosphere and rain, they were held in Alumni Hall. dreary weather, a concerted effort was put "[Bonfires/pep rallies] have been around forth by many to be a part ofWMC history. a long time. Those kind of things were very Several students said the bonfire/pep rally traditional in the 30's, 40's, and 50's," said reminded them of their high school days. Lightner, who was once a member of the "We're making history here," said at- WMC pep band. "I went to all of them when tendee, Barb Horneff, associate dean of first I was a student." year students. "I'm here to support the Unfortunately, 1997's bonfire/pep rally team." came on a day that had cold temperatures Dean Sayre also watched the event from and periods of rain which left the field the bleachers. Before the bonfire/pep rally, muddy. Due to the weather conditions, he expressed his confidence that the event WMCR, scheduled to DJ the event, had to would be a positive one, and added that "its JOSE (JUHAJ SIQUEIRA cancel for fear of damaging their equipment. got to mean something to those guys who WMC Professor of Education Dr. Francis "Skip" Fennell, named Mary/and Professor of the This, however, was solved after someone will play the next day." Year, was thrown a party at the beginning of the November faculty meeting. Afterwards, he salvaged a radio. And more students may gave a speech saying that "in fairness. this whole thing is overwhelming." -LS,