Civil rights attorney Dees speaks at ASU 
Kristen Drake Contributing Writer 

Morris Dees, who is a well-known civil rights attorney who avidly works to bring awareness of hate crimes, was a guest lecturer Monday in Farthing Auditorium. 

He defines hate crimes as “those where a person is victimized for what they represent, rather than who they are.” His many achievements include co-founding the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is an organization of lawyers that works on lawsuits dealing with racially motivated crimes and involving civil right violations. 

Growing up in southern Alabama, Dees became very aware of the hate crimes and prejudice.  This motivated him to take a stand. 

He speaks of the importance of patriotism and how we should care about our nation and be proud to be a part of it.  He feels “that in doing this, one becomes involved in making America a great place. Over the past few decades, our country has grown in many ways. However, we cannot forget that we still have much to work on.” 
Whether we decide to stand up for the right things, or sit back and do nothing, we all are still a part of this nation. Dees stressed this and the idea that everyone has their own version of what our country should revolve around. 

Each of these versions belongs to an individual, with different backgrounds and beliefs.  Such diversity, according to Dees, is what makes America so wonderful. 

Recent issues were brought up such as the controversies over gun control, the Confederate flag, the militia movement and the Ku Klux Klan.  On the debate over the Confederate flag and South Carolina, he suggested that even if the flag was brought down, it is still only a symbol.  Dees believes underlying issues are what we should be dealing with. 

The essence of his speech centered around his ideas that “Love without justice is meaningless.”  His message was to learn about others with an open mind and to keep communication going. 

Dees believes if we can reach over the lines of our differences in the name of friendship, than we are bound to make a difference. 
 

Kappa Alpha, Sigma Nu suspended 
Office of Public Affairs 

Appalachian State University announced yesterday formal disciplinary action against two fraternities for violation of university policy. 

Kappa Alpha Order has been suspended through Dec. 2000 and Sigma Nu fraternity has been suspended for the remainder of the spring semester for failing to follow university poicy regarding a social function hosted by the Greek organizations. The fraternities hosted an off-campus “bid party” Feb. 4 and failed to provide security at the party, maintain a guest list or moniter underage drinking. 

The university investigation leading to the suspensions was separate from a Watauga County Sherrif’s Office investigation of an alleged rape reported to have occurred at the off-campus party. The university and fraternities have cooperated in that investigation which should be complete in the near future. 

“University policies have been violated and these sanctions are in direct response to those violations,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Development Gregory Blimling. 

The action means the two organizations are prohibited from conducting any activities or functions while the suspension is in effect. 
 

Capital tuition proposal delayed 
John T. Bennett Adminstration Beat 

The fog of uncertainty surrounding the capital construction issue has cleared, revealing a potentially troubling scene for Appalachian State University. 

Last month, the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors Budget and Finance Committee voted to delay discussion of UNC System President Molly Broad’s capital tuition proposal. Following the meeting, the specific impact that a lack of funding for capital construction would have on Appalachian was uncertain. 

Almost a month has past since the Feb. 11 BOG meeting, giving ASU administrators ample time to determine that a number of major construction projects will be gravely impacted. “It seriously hurts the library project,” said Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Jane Helm. 

A cornerstone project of the university’s Campus Master Plan, the proposed $40 million library endeavor will be among the projects that will be impacted by a lack of capital construction funds. 

Construction on the new library facility is not scheduled to begin until 2005, but other more-immediate projects slated to begin in the next two years on the Appalachian campus may be delayed as a result of Broad’s package being denied by the BOG. 

The administration had planned to begin an addition to the Rankin Science Building as soon as several departments had moved into the new science building, but without the needed funds to begin the addition, that plan is in jeopardy, according to Helm. 

Construction of the academic portion of the new Living Learning Center is also in a state of question due to a lack of capital construction funds. Helm said that two or three $1.5-$2 million building renovations will be impacted as well. The future of the capital construction package is one that is clouded by uncertainty on many fronts. Broad’s plan would have gone against precedent, using student tuition and fees for the construction of campus structures. 

Some BOG members, such as Jim Phillips, were sternly against using student monies for construction projects, stating that capital construction funding has historically been and should continue to be the duty of the North Carolina General Assembly. 

Phillips’ view was shared by the BOG Budget and Finance Committee, but the fact that the state Legislature has drained its coffers due to the $836 million Hurricane Floyd relief package, a costly lawsuit and sizeable tax cuts. Simply put, the legislative body is not fiscally able to allocate any funds to UNC System institutions for capital construction projects. 

Helm said she expects “the package will resurface at some point, but with several modifications.” 
All indications show that for the huge system-wide capital construction package to be approved, it will require a referendum vote. 

Helm and Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Dr. Siegfried Herrmann both agree that if a capital construction referendum is put into the hands of the voting public, there is no certainty that it will pass. 

Herrmann said that for any such referendum to be approved by the voters in North Carolina, “a good case has to be made to the public in terms of how (the UNC System) impacts each individual, as well as the state’s businesses and industries.” 

ASU officials are searching for ways to circle the financial wagons until the matter is resolved in Raleigh. 
In wake of this major obstacle Herrmann, whose department is responsible for fund-raising from the private sector, said his department would be called upon to raise funds for the aforementioned capital projects. “We will accept the challenge with the understanding it will draw funds away from other kinds of things that Appalachian needs,” said Herrmann. 

If the state does not find a way to make funds available for UNC system capital construction projects, Appalachian State officials may be forced to make the tough decision of what is more important as the university heads into the new millennium: multi-million dollar campus structures, or certain academic programs that are supported by private funding. 
 

Corrections: KA story 
Kathryn Booze Police Beat 

The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office investigated an alleged rape reported at the Kappa Alpha house on Oct. 13, 1996, not 18 months ago. The investigation continued for several months, but no one was arrested.  KA received two rape reports in four years, not four rape reports. 

A news release was published to clear up any confusions about the time frame in which these incidents occured 

The most recent rape reported by a 14-year-old South Carolina girl at the KA fraternity house was reported on Feb. 5, 2000 and is still under investigation by the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office. 
 

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