PHOTOFEATURE / Hope -Calvin rivalry continues / 6 A&EIAh, falling in love... movies to watch together / 7 SPORTS / A tribute to tennis great Arthur Ashe /10
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Volume 106, Number 17
Hope College, Holland, Michigan
Serving the Hope Community for 106 Years
February 10,1993
Sexual harassment policy to be revised which were taken back to the Board for consideration yesterday. Comments from Congress on the The Academic Affairs Board policy included the idea that it was yesterday extended the March 1 slanted against males. One new deadline one month to approve and passage in particular was referenced put in place a revised sexual ha- by Congress. It reads, "Many of the rassment policy for Hope College. complaints about this form of inThe Board is presently seeking sensitivity surface in traditionally input from a number of groups rep- male-dominated settings, organizaresenting students, the administra- tions, and/or social groups." The tion and faculty to revise the policy. paragraph ends, "Men also can be Since there is already a policy in victims of sexual harassment." existence the Board members felt Congress Vice President Joe they should not push to pass a revised Kuiper ('93) felt these statements version until they are satisfied that it should be removed from the policy. will be comprehensive in nature and "1 think it is highly offensive. It fair, according to Richard Frost, dean perpetuates certain stereotypes the of students and member of the Board. policy is trying to reduce," he said. Frost said that the policy needed Eric Fielding ('93) agreed. He revision because the procedure to added the concern that the same handle complaints was not complete. kind of language is found in other "There were a number of incidents places in the document. that surfaced last year leaving us Another concern was a new secwishing we had more guidelines for tion limiting romantic relationships the process," he said. between employee/student and suCongress member Kim Breen pervisor/employee. It was suggested ('93), who also sits on the Board, these don't fit in the policy and felt that this was a very important ought to go into a code of conduct. policy and therefore requires that Also finding resistance at the Conthe board spend the time to get it gress meeting were guidelines for right. "We should not be rushing to advocates which have been in existmeet a deadline with this," she said. ence under the present policy. AdCongress discussed last Thursday vocates are trained people who hear the drafted 21-page revision of the complaints and counsel those who policy originally adopted by Hope in 1986. They highlighted concerns see POLICY page 12 by Scott Runyon editor-in-chief
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Anchor phoio by Rich Blair
DANNY GLOVER chats with Germalne Pelleron Smith, director of multicultural life, at a reception after Glover's appearance with Felix Justice on Sunday.
Celebs inspire, educate by Scott Runyon editor-in-chief Danny Glover and Felix Justice were not out to reap money and fame last Sunday when they came to Hope's chapel with a dramatic presentation titled "An Evening with Langston and Martin." Rather, they were out to educate and help people to understand some of the deep realities of mankind. They developed their act to illuminate the powerful words of Martin Luther King and the poetic verses of Langston Hughes. "Our mission is to go out and ti^
to put some meat and muscle on the bones of the academic research," Justice said. The presentation was the second annual in Student Congress' Student Speaker Series and was organized for Black History Month by Congress and the Office of Student Development. Justice, a stage actor from the San Francisco area, began this evening of education by converting the chapel into Riverside Church in Memphis on the midnight of April 3,1968, the day before Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Taking the role of King, he spoke to the congre-
gation about his burden for justice, equality, community and love. Justice recalled one time he had the privilege of being in the presence of King yet never met him. "It was probably the significant event in my life. It transformed me," he said. "You have to realize that Martin Luther King's message is timeless," Justice said. "Martin was a radical Christian who really believed that by turning the other cheek, we could reconcile the differences between people in groups and create what his tradition called the beloved com-
see GLOVER page 8
Seminary purchases Hope land by Julie Blair campus editor With plans to begin a $3 million construction project. Western Theological Seminary, located on 14th Street and College Avenue, purchased Hope College property between 13th and 14ih Streets, squaring off the half-city block for Seminary expansion. In late January, the Holland Planning Commission gave the go ahead to the Reformed Church project. Ground-breaking will begin in early March and is anticipated to be completed by September, Business Manager Norman Donkersloot said. To help accommodate some of the 150 students enrolled at the Seminary and their families, 28 brick townhouse units will be built. Because many of the residents have small children, backyard play areas will be constructed in the heart of the townhouse community, protected from traffic. In addition to the housing construction, the Seminary will improve the south side entrance of the building and convert the parking lot to a u-shaped drive-thru to improve traffic flow. The project requires moving groups presently housed on the land. The fate of Reese and Bouma cottages, with the capacity to house 16 Hope students, is yet undecided. Officials considered moving the
PR photo
WESTERN SEMINARY WILL BUILD townhouses on land recently purchased In the half block across 13th St. from the existing building (bottom right of photo). cottages to the open green area to the east of Hope College nursing offices, but decided to nix the plan after students agreed they didn't want to lose the land currently used for recreation. The Seminary has the final say, but has not decided whether to doze or transplant the houses. , Though construction begins in less than one month. Bill Anderson, Hope College vice president of business and finance, assures students they won't be left in the cold. Building will begin on the comer of 14th and College and progressing
toward the cottages, the project working around the cottages until students finish the semester. In addition. Higher Horizons, located next to Brumler Apartments, will be either moved into an existing Hope cottage or into a building bought with the funds obtained from the sale of the land. " W e ' v e had a g e n t l e m e n ' s agreement with respect to the territory," Anderson said. "It is to our advantage that Western Seminary improves the area. Anything that improves their campus improves ours."
Local AIDS victim speaks out by Julie Blair campus editor Paul Ver Hage was really, really good at keeping secrets. For over three and a half years, he lived in a private hell of isolation and despair, lying to family and friends and sneaking in and out of hospitals for fear someone would find out he had AIDS. Garbed in leather jacket and stonewashed jeans, the 25-year-old Holland native shared his experiences with Hope students Tuesday night at an informal AIDS question and answer session in Phelps lounge, hoping to bring a more human dimension to the dreaded disease. Ver Hage's battle began in the fall of 1981, during surgery for Krone's disease, an intestinal disorder that required part of his small intestine be removed. Complications set in and Ver Hage, a hemophiliac, needed a transfusion. Paradoxically, that life-saving blood also transmitted the deadly HIV virus. Nobody knew. In 1990, while a sophomore at Calvin College, Ver Hage suspected the Krone's disease was again active and headed back to the hospital. "I remember meeting my mother in the elevator and she told me one person who donated blood was found to be HIV positive," Ver Hage said. "When she told me, I felt fine." But it wasn't long before the disease began mutating the disease fighting cells in his immune system and replicating the HIV virus. Afraid of the public's response, Ver Hage decided to keep his condition a secret, even from family and friends. In 1990, bearing the burden of unspoken words, he was admitted
for meningitis. "On the second day the doctor came into my room and said something I'll never forget," Ver Hage said. "He said I had full-blown AIDS. We had to sit down and talk about life support systems." Over the next few years Ver Hage's life was continually interrupted by frequent hospital stays and doses of AZT and DDI, an experimental drug designed to control the AIDS symptoms. Worse than the physical symptoms were the emotional repercussions of a dealing with a terminal illness. Ver Hage ached with depression and a sense of hopelessness. "I remember waking up and wishing it was nighttime so I could go back to sleep," Ver Hage said. "I wanted to close everybody out and go it alone." But after three weeks of suffering in the world of depression, he pulled himself together, determined to overcome AIDS. "I made the decision to no longer keep it a secret," Ver Hage said. "I didn't want to have to lie about the medications and about going to the doctor." One by one Ver Hage passed the news to family and friends. He joined an AIDS support group and began to reshape his spiritual life. Today, after graduating with a business administration degree from Northwood College, Ver Hage works in the family's car dealership, a job that keeps him close to his family and allows flexible hours. He effectively manages AIDS with medication and a healthy diet, and fends off fatigue, resting late in the mornings before going to work.
see AIDS page 12