SPORTS
10.21.2010
RAMAPO NEWS
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A&E A&E
A Publication by the Students for the Ramapo College Community
XLI No. 6
Army Lieutenant Speaks at “He Asked, They Told”
Dan Choi speaks at Ramapo as federal judge allows “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to continue By DEANNA DUNSMUIR Staff Writer
photo by Stefanie Mauro
Lt. Dan Choi speaks at Friends Hall about his experience as as gay solider. Choi announced he was gay on the Rachel Maddow show in 2009 and has become an icon in the gay community for standing up to the “Donʼt Ask, Donʼt Tell” policy.
Peaceful Protest of New Policies Underway
By STEPHANIE NODA Staff Writer
A peaceful protest will be take place from Wednesday to Friday this week in order for students to voice their opinions on the policies that have been recently enacted on campus. The demonstration will involve students wearing homemade armbands with “G.A.P.” written on them, which stands for “Guest and Alcohol Policies.” The protest comes on the heels of an open forum on the new guest and alcohol policies held by President Mercer and the Associate Vice Presidents of Student Affairs. Feeling that the efforts of the students were not adequately addressed, a group of three students who represented the demographics that the policies affect – a resident, a commuter, and a 21 year old – decided to organize this protest in order to give students a chance to make a statement in a peaceful way.
When President Mercer announced at the open forum that he will create a student committee to hear concerns, the organizers of the protest realized this was their chance to let the opinions of the student body come out. “We’re not happy with what he’s doing and we want it to change,” said junior Maria Kheyman, one of the protest’s organizers. “When I saw that he’s creating committees, I thought that would be the perfect opportunity for us to really get our point across and just for him to really see that we’re serious.” The idea was inspired by Tinker v. Des Moines, a lawsuit filed by two students who wore armbands to their school to protest the Vietnam War. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the students and announced that they had the right to protest as part of the First Amendment. “In that case it was protesting a war, it is a little bit different,” junior Melissa Harris, another organizer of the protest, said. “But again, this is
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our legal backing. This has been done before, but it is part of our freedom of speech. We are doing this in a peaceful way; we’re not going out and shouting at the administration saying that there needs to be change. We’re saying it in a quieter way. We want them to notice that we want to change.” One problem with the new policies that hasconcerned the student body is the way it affects the commuter students on campus. “I don’t object to much of the alcohol policy,” junior Patrick Shanley, the third organizer of the protest, said. “I do strongly disagree with the guest policy. Just because I’m a commuter, they shouldn’t be able to kick me off campus at any time during the day. I should be able to be on campus as long as student facilities are open. I’m still a student, I still pay tuition. I want to be at my school, that’s what it really comes down to.”
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Lieutenant Dan Choi – who came out on national television and was nearly discharged from the U.S. Army as a result – spoke in Friends Hall as the Queer History Month keynote speaker on Wednesday. The event, “He Asked, they Told,” was sponsored by the Women’s Center. On March 19, 2009 Choi announced he was gay on The Rachel Maddow Show. Choi was one of only eight soldiers that graduated with a major in Arabicproving to be an asset to the armed forces. Following his announcement, Choi has become a national role model in the fight for an open-policy in the military. Shane Hoff, queer peer coordinator is responsible for brining Lt. Choi to campus. “I first heard Dan Choi speak at a march in Washington D.C., his speech was filled with passion. I could think of no other better speaker.” Recent events, including the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi were being discussed by the audience prior to Choi’s talk in Friend’s Hall. “In light of what happened at Rutgers, if you can be open in the military, it can serve as a role model for struggling teenagers across the country,” senior and political science major, Eve Winter said. “It is interesting to see what the see THEY ASKED on page 6
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