10.22.04

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t h e

Herald

By and for the students of Hobart and William Smith Colleges Issue 5

VOLUME CXXVIII

October 22, 2004

Presidential Thoughts... T

o the Hobart and William Smith Community: Last night on our campus there was a powerful statement with the active participation of hundreds of students, staff and faculty coming together to “Take Back The Night”. I am grateful to the Women’s Collective for its leadership in organizing this important event. I am grateful to all those who marched and stood in solidarity in the rain outside of Coxe Hall. And I am grateful for the eloquent statements shared by William Smith and Hobart students last night. The news of the sexual assault on Friday night has prompted concern about issues of safety on campus. Prior communications have reminded us of prudent steps about safety. Last night’s “Take Back The Night” march reminded us, too, that victims of sexual assault have done nothing wrong or irresponsible, but suffer as a result of this violence. I write today with three main points in addition to my appreciation for last night’s march: 1) What we know about Friday’s assault is a William Smith student was walking along Pulteney Street towards Williams Hall around 10:30 p.m. She cut through the walkway into Medberry Parking lot and was pushed to the ground by what she believes to be one male assailant. We have no identifying information

Wells College Goes Co-Ed Kailey Voellinger News Contributor

on the assailant. I operate from the premise that ‘knowledge is power’ and every effort will be made to share appropriate information when and if we have any. 2) Sexual assault is a serious crime and we will pursue every avenue to insure the safety of our students, faculty and staff. We will pursue every legal option to prosecute assailants. We will be vigilant and not tolerate sexual assault on our campus. 3) The victim from Friday’s assault is a brave and courageous woman who did the right thing by calling police and security. She was not silenced and we will honor her courage in our active pursuit of justice. The care and support of this community sustain her as she continues as a student here. Finally, I am hopeful that the energy and commitment I witnessed last night on the steps of Coxe Hall will continue in productive ways to empower this community to take back the night. All of us on this campus – students, faculty, staff – share a common commitment and dedication to say in a clear and united voice that we will not tolerate sexual assault or harassment on this campus. This is your campus. And we need everyone’s help in joining together in building community to fight back against unacceptable violence and fear. Sincerely, Mark Gearan, President

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n October 2nd, the Wells College Board of Trustees made the decision to admit men for the Fall 2005 semester. Wells College, an allwomen’s college for 136 years, was one of three all-female schools remaining in upstate New York. Despite dissent from students, the decision was based on the need for larger enrollment and to increase the revenue of the college. Wells College tried lowering tuition and extensive recruitment programs, but has been unable to surpass the peak enrollment of 631 in 1969 and has not had enrollment over 400 for two decades. College officials say that they need to increase current enrollment from the

current 397, 90 of which commute, to at least 450 residential students. Most of the major women’s colleges went co-ed years ago, nationally halving from 120 to 60 since 1980. These other all-women’s colleges, like Nazareth College in Pittsford, saw significant increases in enrollment when they went co-ed. Significantly, the amount of women who applied and attended these colleges went up as well due to the opportunity for a co-ed education. The students protested this decision by camping out on the lawn in front of the administration building in tents and not attending classes. Nearly half of the student body took part in these demonstrations. The student protesters held signs saying “Coeducation Silences Women,” and “Save our Sister-

hood!” Many students believe that the decision to go co-ed undermines the integrity of the college. Students are not against co-ed schools, but they are against going co-ed at Wells. The students have continued in protest for two weeks, though the decision has not been reversed. Despite continuing protests from students, the administration feels they made the right decision and hope that the students will calm down and accept the inevitable. Many students and parents are frustrated that they were not involved in the decision making process. The students feel that more extensive marketing and recruiting would help bring more students to Wells. After 136 years as an all women’s institution, students feel this drastic change should have been a last resort.

One Man’s Call to Duty Katie Bell

he presidential election is a few weeks away, and there are several serious issues students should be considering, like the possibility of a military draft. This is an especially important issue because it hits so close to home. Dave Rogers, a Hobart student, is a Marine with a unique and important view on this issue. He took the time to talk to me about his experiences serving his country and serving in Iraq. He has been in the

Marines for just under three and a half years and has earned the title of Corporal. Rogers is in the Fox company 2nd battalion 25th marine regiment, in weapons platoon, and serves as a mortar squad leader. He joined after high school in 2001 and finished his boot camp at The School of Infantry in Camp Lejeune in Parris Island, North Carolina in January of 2002. He was activated and spent more time at Camp Lejeune, further training in California, Florida, and even participating in Fleet Week in New York City. His activation ended in December 2002, and he attended

HWS until he was called to activation again at the end of February, only this time he was called to serve in Iraq. Why and how did you get involved in the Marines? I felt an overwhelming need to fulfill my responsibilities to do my part to protect the freedom of the nation. Some people can’t, and some people are not willing, so I am happy to do my part to protect those people’s rights. My brother joined a few years before me and helped me with the recruiting process. I prob-

Section Contributor

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News

Campus Life

Op-Ed

A&E

Sports

Mark Gearan’s Thoughts on Recent Campus Safety Issues

Letter from Student Government Leadership

More on the Campus Poster Controversy

Herald Movie Reviews: “Saved” and “Supersize Me”

A Closer Look at Baseball’s Fiercest Rivalry

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10.22.04 by The Herald - Issuu