Spring Break
Open Forum facilitates discussion and debate
Alicia Bones
Issue date: 5/16/08 Section: News
The discussion "P&H, Sidewalk Sperm, and Public Art" held Monday, May 12 in the coffeehouse was the first open forum in a long while to address issues bubbling under the surface of the relationship between students and administrators.
The forum, which lasted over two hours, sparked a discussion addressing student concerns with recent controversial issues. It also addressed more fundamental issues of student versus administration initiative in spreading information and in beginning open dialogues as well as addressing the thin line of the protecting the safety of the campus while still following privacy laws.
Administrators present at the discussion were Dean of Students Nancy Truesdell, Associate Dean of Students for Residence Life Amy Uecke, Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Dean of the Faculty Nancy Wall and Assistant Dean of Students for Multicultural Affairs Erik Farley. Over thirty concerned students were also in attendance.
Part of the discussion centered on controversial campus issues in the past few years. Students posed questions about how Lawrence officials proceeded in dealing with these cases, did or did not inform the campus of the details surrounding the incidents and about the official outcomes of the proceedings.
One heated topic was the postering of the GLOW (Gay, Lesbian, Other, or Whatever) club's house allegedly by another student group. The house was covered with posters bearing anti-gay slurs around the time Wisconites were voting on the gay marriage last fall.
Senior Carrie Prochniak said the issue was "a hate crime," and that it was "shoved under the rug" by Lawrence officials.
Truesdell responded by saying she couldn't say more about the postering because in this incident, like many other recent issues, there was a "judicial issue involved." Truesdell and other officials cannot give specific details about incidents in which the police or other state officials become involved.
Truesdell also said that, "students who felt aggrieved or bothered" by this or other incidents could hold a "face-to-face, mediated" discussion, with an official present, if they wished.
The forum, which lasted over two hours, sparked a discussion addressing student concerns with recent controversial issues. It also addressed more fundamental issues of student versus administration initiative in spreading information and in beginning open dialogues as well as addressing the thin line of the protecting the safety of the campus while still following privacy laws.
Administrators present at the discussion were Dean of Students Nancy Truesdell, Associate Dean of Students for Residence Life Amy Uecke, Associate Professor of Biology and Associate Dean of the Faculty Nancy Wall and Assistant Dean of Students for Multicultural Affairs Erik Farley. Over thirty concerned students were also in attendance.
Part of the discussion centered on controversial campus issues in the past few years. Students posed questions about how Lawrence officials proceeded in dealing with these cases, did or did not inform the campus of the details surrounding the incidents and about the official outcomes of the proceedings.
One heated topic was the postering of the GLOW (Gay, Lesbian, Other, or Whatever) club's house allegedly by another student group. The house was covered with posters bearing anti-gay slurs around the time Wisconites were voting on the gay marriage last fall.
Senior Carrie Prochniak said the issue was "a hate crime," and that it was "shoved under the rug" by Lawrence officials.
Truesdell responded by saying she couldn't say more about the postering because in this incident, like many other recent issues, there was a "judicial issue involved." Truesdell and other officials cannot give specific details about incidents in which the police or other state officials become involved.
Truesdell also said that, "students who felt aggrieved or bothered" by this or other incidents could hold a "face-to-face, mediated" discussion, with an official present, if they wished.
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