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Thursday, November 5, 1998 - Page 12 FEATURES IN THE FISHBOWL Afeature spotlighting staff and students at WMC BY NICOLE LEHMANN During his speech in Alumni Hall, BY RICHARO SIMMONS SwjfWriler Lawrence Graham taught everyone a lesson Assistant Features Editor about racism. "Too often. bias begins at In light of the recent events on campus home, starting with the parents," Graham Mitchell Alexander is no stranger to Western Maryland's hilltop campus. The af- regarding racial discrimination, Lawrence said. Otis Graham's speech on racial bigotry could He.also said that many maturing adults fable Director of College Activities has spent not have been more timely. and grown adults are oblivious to racism. the better part of twenty years making things A Harvard educated lawyer, Graham went run smoothly for the student organizations undercover as a busboy in a New England They say that they are not racist, yet they that are an integral part of campus life. country club to observe the racist attitudes join a club that pracnces racial discrimina- He is the second of four sons, born and tion against different cultures. raised in Baltimore City. Alexander attended of the club and its members. "It's like when Barbara Walters inter- Born as a New Yorker in 1961 to parents Lake Clifton Senior High School before en- viewed Ross Perot. She wanted to know the grew up rolling in WMC. He graduated in 1980 with from the segregated south, Graham attempt to truth about he being involved in a country would that segregation learning a Bachelor of Arts in History, and began stop him from achieving his full capabilities. club where many diverse cultures are not working as operations supervisor at West- He experienced this while working at his welcome," Graham explained. ern Maryland in 1981. In 1989 he became law firm when he realized that most of his He said that it was disturbing to hear Director of College Activities. colleagues received their "deals" or cases Perot's reply. He wanted the public to know When not burning the midnight oil in the thai he did not make the rules in the club and College Activities office, Alexander spends before him. that the only reason he was a member was his time at home in Catonsville with his wife He discovered that most of the firm meets that the swimming was good and the food at the country club over the weekend to talk was tasty. "But he certainly had nothing Mildred, his seven year-old son Blake, and his seven month-old daughter, Paige. PAULH!MES Graham's experience of working in a country One of Alexander's favorite ways to the Blumberg Fitness Center twice a week, spend an evening is at the theatre. His fa- putting the Green Terror offensive line to club will be made into a movie starring Denzel vorite theatrical performances are shame. Dreamgirls and Les Miserables. Other hob- Washington. bies include reading and dining out. Alex- Jeff Soltz is spending his last days on ander can also be found lifting weights in the Hill this fall semester, working hard to- with clients and to get their assignments. against different cultures." wards his goal of completing majors in Po- This situation so outraged Graham that Graham said that Perot was an example litical Science and Art History. he decided to take two years of absence from of the voice of the passive bigot. "People The native Gaithersburgian has been very the firm to work in a country club and fur- just have to fit in with each other to be ac- active in his years at Western Maryland. He ther investigate this phenomenon. cepted into clubs," said Graham. played on the Green Terror soccer team for He created a fictional resume which said Graham's experience of working in a four years, was active in the Jewish Student that he had been a very good waiter in three country club will be made into a movie star- Union, and helped found Western different restaurants. ring Denzel Washington. Maryland's chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma. He applied to a country club in Green- Graham is now a successful author of Last semester, Soltz took part in the wich, Connecticut, and was invited for an twelve books, two of which are: Diversity Washington Semester offered by American interview by a woman named Dora. Know- and Member of the Club. University. While there, he participated in ing that there were five job openings, Gra- He has been profiled in USA Today, an internship program at the Meridian Inter- ham felt confident that he would begin work- . NBC, The New York Times, and also on the '. national Center. 109 as a walter. Oprah Winfrey Show~ As he prepares for graduation, Soltz re- When he arrived, the receptionist told him that there was no such person as Dora and flects on what he'll miss about campus life. +lUleJ't?fl suggested that he had the wrong club. How- Sitting in Red Square watching passersby, ever, he saw a trophy with the same name the Jan-Term blizzard of 1996, and nights at on it as in the job advertisement and he chal- the Westminster Inn before it was "the place • Clinic lenged the receptionist with it. to be" will all soon be fond memories for him. This struggle was the first of many Gra- ham had as he continued in his experiment. 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