INSIDE
Trendy colors for the fall
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Arts district after dark
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Opposing views on the Gulf
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Freshmen shine at golf tournament PAGE 5
WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
Wednesday High 82, Low 63 Thursday High 86, Low 63
VOLUME 98 ISSUE 16 FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS
POLITICS
SIDNEY HOLLINGSWORTH / The Daily Campus
Students registered to vote in Hughes-Trigg Commons on Tuesday.
Student leaders weigh in on voting SIDNEY HOLLINGSWORTH / The Daily Campus
SPECTRUM has launched a boycott of the on-campus Chick-fil-A. In mid-July, the company stood by its decision to support a network of anti-gay marriage groups.
SMU’s SPECTRUM launches boycott against Chick-fil-A TASHIKA VARMA Editor in Chief tvarma@smu.edu SPECTRUM will be leading a boycott of the on-campus Chickfil-A because of Chick-fil-A’s actions as a company. SPECTRUM is an organization where people of all sexual orientations come together and help stand for equality in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. SPECTRUM is leading this boycott because of Chick-fil-A’s donations of millions of dollars to hate groups that actively support anti-gay initiatives. These groups include conversion therapy for gays and lesbians, the criminalization of homosexuality, and the support of the infamous Uganda “kill gays” bill. The idea of the boycott came from Chick-fil-A’s presence in the news in mid-July. “However, the real fuel for this was the political will of several
SMU students that had emailed me over the summer and the beginning of the school year that were highly disturbed by the actions of the company and that were looking towards SPECTRUM to help facilitate action,” SPECTRUM Co-President Harvey Luna said. “SPECTRUM has always had a moral obligation to this campus when it comes to facilitating action on such political issues.” SPECTRUM began this a 13week long boycott on Sept. 12. The 13-week idea came from Campus Services. Luna told The Daily Campus that he sat with Julie Wiksten, the associate vice president of Campus Services, and Michael Marr, the senior director of dining services, during the first week of school to investigate SPECTRUM’s options moving forward with the issue of having Chick-fil-A on campus. Wiksten and Marr explained that since there were years left until the contract expired and that there is very little the university could do
at the time, according to Luna. “Given the meeting I had with university officials, the only way to warrant removing & replacing the on campus Chick-fil-A was if its revenues go down substantially for 13 consecutive weeks,” Luna said. “Thus, our 13-week boycott aims at achieving our final goal which is to successfully remove the on campus Chick-fil-A from SMU.” Wiksten told The Daily Campus “the University contracts with ARAMARK to manage and operate dining services on campus.” In turn, ARAMARK contracts with the various branded concepts once the brands are mutually agreed upon by ARAMARK and the university. The university does not contract directly with branded concepts. We are constantly assessing the brands on campus to be sure we have the right mix.” The organization wants to bring in individual students and other SMU organizations through educating the student body. SPECTRUM will begin tabling in
hopes to educate the public about practices of the company and the consequences of spending money at Chick-fil-A. “I believe that food shouldn’t have to do with our freedom to love,” freshman biology and advertising major Peter Ngo said. “When Chick-fil-A is publicly supporting anti-gay organization that try to threaten that freedom, a boycott of the restaurant is a nonviolent protest from my part. The initial launch will include tabling, petitions and a pledge for individuals to sign that they will not eat at the on-campus Chick-fil-A. The tabling will begin on Sept. 24 and continue every Monday for the following 13 weeks. “As SMU begins to learn more details about where the financial contributions of Chick-fil-A go and what it funds, I expect this issue to be framed around dignity and respect. The reason why this cause is so important is because it
See LGBT page 8
KATELYN GOUGH News Editor kgough@smu.edu The Republican and Democratic National Conventions came and went a few weeks ago, leaving America with the two party candidates Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. Now that voting for the presidential election is less than seven weeks away, those of voting age can narrow down his or her candidate choice. But members of the SMU community, and even voters around the country, appear to be struggling with their decisions. After the two conventions, many young voters find themselves conflicted. Sophomore Madeline DockeryFuhrmann said that she is excited for her first opportunity to vote for the next president, she finds herself getting lost in the campaigning chaos. “It’s hard to get excited for this election when it feels like I am voting for a brand name rather than a person who is going to handle the very real issues,” Docker-Fuhrmann said. “[I want] to vote based on facts about the candidates, [but it’s] difficult to sift through all the campaigning.” Michael Graves, president of the Texas Freedom Network,
said that even though students may not be educated enough to feel confident in choosing a candidate, they are still motivated to vote. Graves admits while there may not be a “leading” candidate in every voter’s mind, people recognize the need for action. “I think that students care about the elections, but I also think that many vote strongly with their parents,” Graves said. “I feel like we’re trying to figure out who is going to not let the country sit stagnant.” Professor Calvin Jillson said many voters are “ambivalent” about their upcoming presidential choice because they “lack confidence in both parties” on the ballot. “[Voters] ask, if Republican Party politics caused the collapse and the Democratic policies have been unable to turn things around, what do I do now?” Jillson said. “Compelling [presidential] candidates are uncommon.” Jillson explained that aside from partisan voters, most Americans are “fired up only occasionally.” In 2008, President Obama was a “compelling candidate” driving a higher-than-normal number of youth to the polls. Jillson said, if young people mostly “stay home” during this year’s election, it would be “something of a return to form.” Both SMU College Republicans
See ELECTIONS page 8
REGUL ATIONS
REPRESENTATION
The 400 Rule: SMU limits partygoers
Diversity, tolerance discussed at Senate meeting after vandalism
NATALIE YEZBICK Contributing Writer nyezbick@smu.edu Every student remembers his or her first big college party. From braving throngs of sweaty bodies to having drinks sloshed all over new party clothes, the memories of revelry are more often debauchery than splendor. The Social Event Registration Committee (SERC) announced a new rule that caps the maximum number of party attendees at 400. The move strengthens SMU’s risk management policy, but possibly alters SMU’s Greek party scene. Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Kristal Statler revealed the new rule at a Greek Mandatory Organization Meeting (MOM) meeting on Aug. 21. Statler is also a member of the SERC. “The purpose of the committee is to ensure that events are done in a safe manner,” Statler said. Previously, each organization could have three guests for every one member in attendance. Statler said the old rule limited the amount of guests that smaller
SIDNEY HOLLINGSWORTH / The Daily Campus
Panhellenic sororities will be limited to the amount of students they can have attending their formals and date dashes.
organizations could have. NonGreek and minority Greek organizations seem to be the intended demographic to benefit from the new system. “Everybody is on equal footing [with the new rule,]” Statler said. Originally, the maximum amount was set at 300 people per event. But after many sorority and fraternity advisors complained, the cap was increased to 400. According to Statler, when
SERC reset the limit the committee looked at the largest Greek chapter and factored in additional guests for date functions. Joshua Sepkowitz, president of the Board of Chapter Advisors for Phi Gamma Delta, had many concerns about the rule. Sepkowitz cited Kite and Key, a formal hosted by Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta, as an
See RULES page 8
TIM WELCH Senate Correspondent twelch@smu.edu The Student Senate meeting opened with a bang on Tuesday afternoon — the bang of drums as the Mustang Band entered the Senate chamber playing the SMU fight song. The band, led by Evan Taylor, was addressing the floor from
the podium to garner financial support for Pigskin Revue in October. Taylor pitched the event to the Senate with the equation “SNL + Pep Rally + SMU = Pigskin Revue.” Additionally, he described the event as open to everyone: athletes, Greeks, band, non-band, faculty and alumni. Pigskin Revue is a space in which all members of the SMU community can come together and sell out McFarlin, Taylor said. “It’s time for unity,” he said. Standing room was sparse as several members of SMU’s multicultural organizations congregated to address the chamber. Representatives of SMU’s Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) spoke about the vandalism that occurred on Saturday, Sept. 8, in which a poster for MSA
was removed from its posting, stabbed, and strung up in a tree. This event was eerily similar to event last year in which a peruna poster for SMU’s Association of Black Students was vandalized. The timing of the vandalism — just three days before Sept.11 — concerned Zain Rizvi, president of Muslim Students’ Association (whose acronym is also MSA). He opined that it is indicative of the continuing hate and fear of Islam prevalent in America. Karma Orfaly, a freshman, also addressed the Senate. “As a Muslim, I’m scared around 9/11 that someone might commit a hate crime [against me].” She also said it is important to raise awareness at SMU about religious diversity. Furthermore, she said, “On September 11, 2001, Osama
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