DAILY LOBO new mexico
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November 9, 2010
tuesday The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
Demonstrators condemn homosexuality, Islam by Kallie Red-Horse kallie69@unm.edu
The north side of the SUB became a religious battleground Monday. Muslims, homosexuality and premarital sex were among the subjects addressed by a visiting Christian group, creating uproar from students passing by. Member Ken Fleck said the demonstration reflected the history of Christianity. “We are not here to be effective; we are here to be biblical,” he said. “This is what the disciples did. This is what prophets of God did throughout the Bible. Noah was a preacher of God’s word for 20 years, and some people would say that he was not effective because no one got on the boat with him but his family.” The group, composed of Christians from across the nation, is touring college campuses, and UNM is stop No. 7, Fleck said. “We are not from one specific religious affiliation. We have gathered together as Christians. It is the call of the Christians to be united,” he said. “We have come together to preach the Bible on every college campus.” Student Janaye Milligan-Carreon said it seemed demonstrators were proud to announce views that she considers contrary to their message. “Tell me where in the Bible it says to be mean to people, or to be bigots or discriminatory,” she said. “There is nowhere in the Bible where it says that. For anyone to try to take words out of context like this is ridiculous. You can’t be a good person, much less a good Christian and be a bigot.” Kaitlyn Arndt, of UNM’s Queer Straight Alliance, said she takes issue with the demonstrators’ interpretation of the Bible. “There are passages in the Bible that are just as open and loving to the gay community as they are to heterosexuality, and there are people who miss that,” she said. “And I think demonstrations like this miss the point of Christianity being a loving religion and turn it into this hating religion.” Student Julian Lesmevich said the demonstrators’ antics leave negative impressions. “I’m Jewish, but I know that all Christians aren’t that crazy, just some people take it to an extreme, and then that’s how people perceive that religion,” he said. “A lot of people perceive Muslims as being terrorists, but of course not all Muslims are, just like there are just a handful of crazy Christians.” Fleck said public perception will not influence the group’s future presentations. “We don’t want to become people-pleasers,” he said. “We want to have an audience of God lovers. We want these young people to hear the truth of God’s word. That’s it.”
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Daily Lobo volume 115
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Robert Maes / Daily Lobo Ken Fleck preaches to a crowd of students outside of the SUB on Monday. Fleck is one of several Christian advocates from across the country who came to talk to UNM students.
Students protest dorm demolition proposal by Chelsea Erven cerven@unm.edu
Santa Ana dorm residents will wear black today to protest the demolition of their dorm over winter break, but University officials said demolition is postponed. UNM Real Estate Director Kim Murphy said the dorm will be demolished May 2011 during the first phase of a master student housing plan to add up to 3,000 beds on main campus. He said the regents won’t make decisions about the project at its meeting today, since it’s on the meeting agenda as an informational item. “Winter break demolition was considered as a very tentative
plan because it would allow construction to start sooner, but we decided it was unnecessary,” he said. Students made signs and posters and also signed petitions opposing winter break demolition of Santa Ana, Santa Ana resident Kenndra Gatzke said. “Everyone was really pissed about it,” she said. “People were laying in the hallways making signs saying that Santa Ana is a family and shouldn’t be broken up. The RAs passed around a petition that we signed, too.” Residents of the dorm, which houses 172 students, heard that they would be dispersed to different dorms for the spring semester with the possibility of three
people occupying one room, Gatzke said. “I’m upset because our dorm is a community, and I paid to live here, and I think I deserve what I paid for,” Gatzke said. “If we had to move, I’m 99 percent sure I wouldn’t be with my roommate anymore, and I really like my roommate.” The University will partner with American Campus Communities, the company developing Lobo Village on south campus. In a multiple-phase housing initiative the company will level Santa Ana to make room for construction projects. Since March, Lobo Development Corporation held 17 planning forums about the housing,
Murphy said, and forum participants thought the Santa Ana location was the best choice. A post on the Lobo Development Facebook page says, “Thanks to everyone who came out to participate in our many workshops and forums! We will keep you informed as we move forward with ACC and let you know when our next series of open forums begins!” Santa Ana dorm resident Lindsey Fria said she wants more information about the project and how it will affect dorm residents. “It directly affects me, and I want to find out if I’m going to have a place to live next year,” she said.
Peace talk held despite objections by Ruben Hamming Green rhamminggreen@gmail.com
A Sunday peace talk on the Israel-Palestine conflict inspired objections from local Jewish groups. With UNM Peace Studies and American Studies’ support, Palestinian-American Ali Abunimah spoke at the SUB, though the departments received letters from the Jewish Federation of New Mexico and the UNM Hillel that called Abunimah’s talk anti-
Semitic. Sam Sokolove, JFNM executive director who wrote the letter, said Abunimah’s support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is troubling. He said the BDS is a global movement to delegitimize the Jewish state, and he isn’t opposed to Abuminah’s dialogue so much as his message. “It’s masqueraded as a peace and justice campaign,” Sokolove said. “BDS is antithetical to dialogue and conversation … We
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believe in negotiation. We believe in dialogue. We believe it’s absolutely appropriate to criticize the policies of the Israeli government. But what Mr. Abunimah is advocating for is for the end of the Jewish state.” Abunimah defended his position during his Sunday talk. “Nobody is delegitimizing Israel; Israel is delegitimizing itself through its actions,” he said. The BDS movement puts economic pressure on Israel in an effort to end perceived inequality
between Palestinians and Israelis, according to its website. Abunimah said Israel and Palestine should be combined into one state, with equal rights for Arabs and Jews. He compared the BDS movement to the boycott against South Africa during the apartheid. “As long as whites in South Africa felt immunity, they felt they could carry on with apartheid forever, and they could vilify and demonize the struggle against
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