February 18, 1997

Defamation suit filed:
Men charged with misconduct sue woman
Darin Glass
Staff Writer

Six male Appalachian students have filed a defamation suit against a female freshmen who accused them of raping her. The woman's testimony that the men committed sexual assault and misconduct against her resulted in some of them being punished by the university.

The plaintiffs, members of the ASU football team, are represented by Boone attorney Tom Speed. They are freshmen Frederick Sellars and Desmond Adams, sophomores Kendrick Byrd and Kevin McLain, and juniors Gordon Fenderson and Rodney Thomas.

The plaintiffs are asking up to $120,000 and a trial by jury. They claim that the allegations made against them were false and without merit.

The female charged the men with violating The Code of Student Conduct under the categories of misconduct and sexual assault.

In a verbal statement given to university officials, the freshmen said the six men raped her in a Justice Residence Hall room in mid-January. Court documents indicate that the female said she can not remember some of what happened on the night of the alleged incident because she was "heavily" intoxicated.

According to university records of the woman's testimony filed in Watauga County's Superior Court, she said, "I did not want it to happen."

The case was tried by a university judicial board who heard many hours of testimony.

The board's recommended sanctions were approved by Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski yesterday.

The board found five of the males guilty of "lewd, indecent, or obscene conduct" and found all of the students not guilty of forcible or non-forcible sex offense. One student who was charged was found not guilty of either offense.

One male student was suspended, and four others were placed on specific probation.

Students who violate the Code of Conduct are subject to disciplinary counseling and the imposition of sanctions, including probation and separation from the university.

The five students have to perform 25 hours of community service and receive counseling in addition to the probation and suspension sanctions according to the approved sanctions.

University Police are nearing the end of their criminal investigation into the reported assault and expect to turn a report over to the district attorney's office this week.

A Task Force on Student Life has been organized in the light of several allegations of sexual assault by Appalachian students. The task force will meet every two weeks and will present its findings to Borkowski in May.

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Glover speaks on Confederate flag issue
Sarah Madden
Reporter

What does the Confederate flag mean to you?

On Feb. 13, Sen. Maggie Glover, D-SC, spoke in I.G. Greer Auditorium. Glover addressed the significance of the Confederate flag and demanded that the public be inspired by Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Zora Neale Hurston, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Frederick Douglass. Glover encourages everyone to speak out and tell the truth about history in order to secure rights.

The Confederate flag was placed on the capital building in South Carolina in 1962 as a slap in the face of the civil rights movement. That flag, in addition to four others, remains flying on the premises today. There is much controversy concerning the symbolism of the flag.

Many point to the flag as a token of Southern pride, heritage and reverence for those who fought for the country. Others see the flag as an obvious affront to their dignity. Kim Willis, an ASU student, put it this way, "If you're going trick-or-treating and you see the Confederate flag in the window, you don't go in that house. You go the other way."

Glover posed the question, "How many times does the losing side get to wave their flag?" This relates to the fact that many claim the Civil War is still being fought in South Carolina. Honda and BMW refuse to locate businesses in the state for that very reason.

How much better is North Carolina? And what does that flag on your T-shirt truly mean to yourself and others? Glover states that the prevalence of the Confederate flag is similar to "blowing smoke in a non-smoker's face." Progress and equality are stifled by such blatant symbols of hate and oppression.

Antonio Roberts of ASU said, "The Confederate flag is symbolism of dislike and inferiority toward me."

"When I see the Confederate flag, I think of slavery and of the South trying to keep slavery in place. The war's over. It's not anything you should glorify. However, I do appreciate the historical connection," said Harry Williams, who attended Glover's speech.

Glover urges everyone to "Tell it like it is because our well-being and individuality is dependent on our collective ability to grow. States cannot grow when segments of the population are stifled. When there is any hindrance, we all take a back seat. We start to regress."

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Residence Life decides to split up football team in fall
Vanessa Urruela
Editor-in-Chief

Beginning in the fall of next year, the Appalachian State football team will no longer reside solely in Justice Residence Hall.

"A decision has been made to mainstream football players into different spaces across campus," said Bradley Reid, director of housing.

Reid said Vice Chancellor for Student Development Gregory Blimling asked Residence Life officials to come up with a plan to create a better sense of community among athletes and other students.

"There are about 122 people affiliated with the team who need housing. They currently take up around 61 rooms in Justice," Reid said. "We are going to move them to all–male floors across campus."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see if it is a good idea," said Ryan Marks, a junior who is a Resident Assistant on the second floor of Justice.

"The community seems to be fine, I don't see any problems at all between the football players and other students. I haven't seen any personally and have never heard of any," Marks said.

"I have always lived in Justice. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else," Marks said.

Reid said the players will not be moved to Appalachian Heights, Winkler, or Newland because lotteries for those halls' next year residents have already taken place.

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Student government leaders debate affirmative action
Press Release

A normally benign meeting of University of North Carolina student government leaders erupted into a dispute over affirmative action last month, bringing the debate over race-based programs on college campuses that much closer to home.

The UNC Student Government Association was meeting in Chapel Hill to decide what to lobby this year's General Assembly for on behalf of all students enrolled in the university system. Each of the 16 campuses sent four representatives. When the issue of continuing affirmative action came up, debate was sparked.

And sparking it was Appalachian State University Student Government Association Vice President Todd Poole, who declared his opposition to Affirmative Action programs. "Personally I'm opposed to Affirmative Action, and I think the majority of student here at Appalachian are too. I think discrimination for justice is injustice."

What happened next was a two and a half hour debate. Affirmative Action conjures up different things to different people. Some students think that the word only means quotas. Others think it means simply that no individual's background could prevent them from attending a North Carolina school.

What finally came out was a vote. Using the phrase "affirmative action" was passed by a 20-12 margin. Appalachian split its votes. According to Poole, "We split our votes to represent all of the students at Appalachian. We do recognize that there is a significant number of students who are for Affirmative Action policy."

Those for Affirmative Action programs on campus who knew about the meeting, met the split vote with little surprise. "I think it's a popular decision. Most detractors are good-willed, but uninformed. It's contra-university mission statement and a bad thing based on shortsightedness," said Dr. Jesse Taylor, assistant to the Vice Chancellor on Minority Affairs.

In 1994, statewide University enrollment was made up of 74.3 percent white students and 24.7 percent minority. That number, however, is skewed because in North Carolina there are traditionally black institutions such as Elizabeth City State University and Winston-Salem State, as well as traditionally white colleges. However, a goal has been put forth that historically white universities should have 10 percent black enrollment and historically black university should have 15 percent white enrollment.

At Appalachian, there are currently 10,338 white students, 80 students of Hispanic origin, 85 Asian students, 37 American Indians and 293 African Americans, putting minority enrollment at 4.5 percent, 20.2 percent less than the state average and 5.5 percent less than proposed goals.

If affirmative action programs were indeed based on quotas, then Appalachian would be in severe noncompliance. But affirmative action here at Appalachian is not based on quotas, rather a system of recruitment.

As mandated by law, Appalachian admission officers must visit at least 384 North Carolina high schools. At each school, the officer must make a special effort to contact minority presence students and acquaint them with Appalachian's policy of nondiscrimination.

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Visiting writers to appear
Matt Russ
Writing Coach

Tomorrow evening the Visiting Writers Series will present one of Appalachian State University's own staff members, Phil Arnold, in Tradewinds Coffeehouse in the student union.

Arnold will read from his own published poem collection, "The Border of Life," at 7 p.m.

The Visiting Writers Series has already presented writer Craig Popelars of Algonquin Books and poet Terry Gifford this month, and they will continue to feature renowned writers throughout the rest of the spring semester.

March will bring poet and novelist Benjamin Alire Saenz, while April brings poets Nikki Finney and Kelly Ellis, as well as novelist James Welch and novelist and playwright Jim Grimsley.

Saenz will appear on March 20 in Calloway and McRae Peak rooms in the student union at 7 p.m. The program is being cosponsored by the Humanities Thematic Festival.

Finney and Ellis, known as "Affrilachian" poets will be in the McRae and Attic Window rooms in the student union at 8 p.m. on April 10.

On April 8 in the Linville Falls Room of the student union at 7 p.m. Welch will read from his works, which include "The Indian Lawyer," "Winter in the Blood" and "Fools Crow." This program is also cosponsored by the Humanities Thematic Festival as well as the Special Forum Series. There will be a reception following the reading, sponsored by Friends of Belk Library.

Grimsley's presentation in the Attic Window Room of the student union on April 16 at 7:30 p.m. will conclude the series. He will also conduct a play writing workshop that afternoon in I.G. Greer Arena Theater at 3 p.m.

The Visiting Writing Series is a wonderful opportunity for students as well as faculty and staff to meet and hear the words of wisdom from a wide variety of accomplished writers, coming from different avenues of writing. And all presentations are free.

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In the News...

Brantz receives advocacy award

Dr. Rennie Brantz, director of Appalachian's Freshman Seminar program, has been chosen as a 1997 Outstanding Freshman Advocate by the National Resource Center for the Freshman Year Experience and Students in Transition.

Leaders in higher education from across the country chose Brantz and nine others from the 150 nominations made by college and university presidents. Criteria for the award include the effectiveness of freshman programs and total impact on the campus community, partnerships created by the administration and student body, comprehensiveness of the programs, and the nominee's length of service and dedication.

"He has provided Freshman Seminar participants with a better-than-average likelihood of earning their degrees and doing so in a reasonable length of time," said Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski who nominated Brantz for the position.

Brantz will be honored at the National Freshman Year Experience Conference in Columbia, S.C., later this month.

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Diversity Week activities

Appalachian's Diversity Week continues with the Multicultural Center Open House Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Multicultural Center in Plemmons Student Union. Students will have the opportunity to examine the programs the center offers.

The Native American Council will hold a Song and Dance Presentation and Clothing Drive Thursday from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the Roan Mountain Room of Plemmons Student Union. The show is free and open to all students.

The weeks events concludes with the presentation of the play "Black Men Rising" Friday at 7 p.m. in the Linville Falls Room of Plemmons Student Union. The play is free and open to all students.

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Brown Bag Forum Series

Topics and research from around the world will be discussed during the International Brown bag Forum Series sponsored by the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars at Appalachian State University.

Dr. Bob Goddard from the management department will present "Attitudes of U.S. and International MBA Students Towards Entrepreneurship: Preliminary Results" March 13 at noon in the Roan Mountain Room of Plemmons Student Union. Interested persons are invited to bring a bag lunch and attend.

For more information, call Howard Giskin at 262-2890 or Lucy Vezzuto at 262-2274.

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E-mail The Appalachian Online at theapp@conrad.appstate.edu