F E A T U R E S • Mayor returns to Hope • 2 A & E • Poetic prof awarded • 3 N E W S • Cheaters never prosper
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Volume 108, Number 21 Hope College, Holland, Michigan
Panel explores race in the classroom by S u f j a n S t e v e n s arts & e n t e r t a i n m e n t e d i t o r Hope College currently boasts a 5 . 3 % m i n o r i t y student r e p r e s e n tation and a 2 . 8 % international student r e p r e s e n t a t i o n . To s o m e students, these n u m b e r s d o n ' t quite cut it. in an e f f o r t to raise t h e s e figures and o t h e r r e l a t i n g issues, the Ad H o c Racial E n v i r o n m e n t c o m mittee p r o v i d e d t w o h o u r s of disc u s s i o n on r a c e a n d e t h n i c relations last W e d n e s d a y . Seven faculty members were asked to prepare brief r e s p o n s e s to the m u l t i - c u l t u r a l e n v i r o n m e n t on c a m p u s to s t i m u l a t e open d i s c u s sion a m o n g a t t e n d e r s . C o m m e n t s f r o m the d i s c u s s i o n p a n e l w e r e •generally d i r e c t e d t o w a r d actively a c q u i r i n g a h i g h e r p e r c e n t a g e of minority s t u d e n t s and f a c u l t y as well as p r o m o t i n g a greater a w a r e n e s s of m u l t i - c u l t u r a l i s s u e s at Hope. "I d o n ' t see e n o u g h interaction b e t w e e n c u l t u r e s , " said p r o f e s s o r of e d u c a t i o n J o h n Y e l d i n g , the only b l a c k f a c u l t y m e m b e r cur-
April 1 9 , 1 9 9 5
Serving the Hope Community for 108 Years
rently e m p l o y e d by the C o l l e g e . " B u t I d o n ' t think it's a c o n s c i o u s thing." Yelding discouraged mere "tole r a t i o n " of other races, and called for a " g e n u i n e v a l u i n g of m i n o r ity p e r s o n s . " Cultural a c c e p t a n c e on c a m p u s is the first step t o w a r d a m o r e d i v e r s e r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of c u l t u r e s in the s t u d e n t and faculty body, he said. T h i s will attract a w i d e r r a n g e of p r o s p e c t i v e stud e n t s and faculty as well. " W e are g o i n g to have a hard time d r a w i n g m i n o r i t y e d u c a t o r s right n o w , " he s a i d . O t h e r m e m b e r s on the panel emphasized a more compassionate a n d p e r s o n a l a c c e p t a n c e of m i n o r i t y s t u d e n t s on c a m p u s . "1 am c o n c e r n e d with the p r e v a l e n c e of the o n e , lone m i n o r i t y student in m y c l a s s e s , " s a i d S t e p h e n H e m e n w a y , p r o f e s s o r of E n g l i s h . "I am c o n c e r n e d not only for that m i n o r i t y student but also for the other s t u d e n t s in the class a n d for myself a s w e l l . " T h r o u g h a list of e n u m e r a t e d , rhetorical questions, H e m e n w a y addressed racial issues in the class-
room, including a professor's own biases or prejudices which can project subtle d i s c r i m i n a t i o n . Director of Multi-cultural Life, Yolanda Vega, related the cultural diversity issue at H o p e to the cultural e n v i r o n m e n t within her h o m e c h u r c h , o n e w h i c h r e p r e s e n t s Hispanics, Puerto Ricans, AfricanA m e r i c a n s and C a u c a s i a n s . "I see it w o r k i n g in that s e t t i n g , " s h e s a i d . "1 can see it w o r k i n g here too." International Advisor Laurie E n g l e q u e s t i o n e d the a m o u n t of c o n f o r m i t y international s t u d e n t s must exhibit in o r d e r to feel acc e p t e d and c o m f o r t a b l e in a foreign e n v i r o n m e n t . "I think most H o p e s t u d e n t s d i s c o u r a g e general sincerity for international stud e n t s , " she said. "If w e truly v a l u e diversity, w e should c e l e b r a t e o u r differences." A c c o r d i n g to J a n e Dickie, prof e s s o r of w o m e n ' s s t u d i e s , discrimination on a personal level can be the result of "institutional probl e m s . " She regarded the e r r o n e o u s p r o c e s s in w h i c h p o w e r is navi-
Student survey on race and ethnic relations at Hope 1. Do you think there is a need t o increase the number of ethnic and racial m i n o r i t i e s students at Hope?
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2. Do you think the College should do more than what is currently being done to promote ethnic and racial diversity among Hope students?
f Yes 52.K
Greeks asked to rethink pledging by C a r r i e T e n n a n t staff r e p o r t e r O v e r 100 m e m b e r s of G r e e k organizations packed Dow 202 last night to h a m m e r out their res p o n s e to a d e m a n d for c h a n g e in their p l e d g i n g p r o g r a m s . A r e c e n t r e s o l u t i o n by t h e C a m p u s L i f e B o a r d m a n d a t e s rev a m p i n g the t w o - w e e k G r e e k p l e d g i n g p r o c e s s by the end of this c a l e n d a r year if p r o g r a m s are to take place next s p r i n g . The resolution was passed u n a n i m o u s l y at an April 4 m e e t ing of the C a m p u s Life Board, citing d e e p c o n c e r n a b o u t p l e d g i n g a b u s e s w h i c h "...are j e o p a r d i z i n g the p h y s i c a l , e m o t i o n a l , and spiritual health of p l e d g e s . " T h i s c o n cern s t e m m e d f r o m a faculty survey and d i a l o g u e w i t h a d m i n i s t r a tors and f a c u l t y earlier this year. T h e r e s o l u t i o n o u t l i n e s several s t e p s to r e s t r u c t u r i n g the p l e d g i n g process, which include: •An i n f o r m a t i o n - g a t h e r i n g
See PLEDGING page 8
See PANEL page 11
Grant revamps I)eWitt Theatre by Julie Blair c a m p u s editor
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B e h i n d the h e a v y velvet curlain of the D e W i t t T h e a t e r main stage, Paul A n d e r s o n ( ' S 8 ) and his cohorts magically create whole worlds from scratch. T h e y aren't high profile geneticists, nor are they c o m p u t e r w i z ards, but b u i l d e r s t r a n s f o r m i n g p l a t e s of w o o d a n d m e t a l i n t o misty forests, ' 5 0 d i n e r s and stone h o u s e s in the s c e n e r y d e s i g n and c o n s i r u c n o n s h o p , all illusions of a d i f f e r e n t t i m e a n d place. A n d t h a n k s to a $ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 grant d o n a t e d by the S t e e l c a s e C o r p o ration in G r a n d R a p i d s , d e s i g n e r s are l o o k i n g f o r w a r d to m o r e e l b o w room in the s h o p w h e r e they craft the w o r l d s of m a k e - b e l i e v e . T h e lofty project involves a
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q u a d r u p l i n g of the floor s p a c e in the construction s h o p as well as the r e n o v a t i o n of the main t h e a t r e . U n c h a n g e d s i n c e the t h e a t r e o p e n e d in W l , grant m o n e y will go t o w a r d s p r o v i d i n g an area m o r e accessible to p e r s o n s with disabilities, r e f u r b i s h i n g the a u d i t o r i u m s e a t i n g , c h a n g e s in l i g h t i n g , the addition of s o u n d - p r o o f d o o r s , rep l a c e m e n t of c a r p e t i n g , a u d i e n c e and s t a g e f l o o r i n g . Of most c o n c e r n , h o w e v e r , were the c r u n c h e d c o n d i t i o n s in the c o n s t r u c t i o n s h o p d e e m e d unsafe in 1988 by the O c c u p a t i o n a l Safety and H e a l t h A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (OSHA), a governmental agency d e s i g n e d k e e p t a b s on w o r k i n g c o n d i t i o n s a n d protect e m p l o y e e s . M a c h i n e s a l m o s t the s i z e of c o m p a c t c a r s are j o c k e y e d in bet w e e n o v e r s i z e d b i n s of s c r a p materials. S h e l v e s b u b b l e o v e r with paint, w o o d s t a i n s and f a b r i c s . A huge v a c u u m - l i k e tube coils around a workstation. " I t ' s a lot w o r s e than not having e n o u g h e l b o w r o o m , " said Richard L. S m i t h , p r o f e s s o r of theatre a n d r e s i d e n t s c e n e d e s i g n e r . " W e are m o v i n g large tools shoulder to s h o u l d e r b u m p i n g into o n e another." In a d d i t i o n , t h e s m a l l s p a c e
See THEATRE page 11
Students flock to polls to elect Congress Cabinet t i v e s will b e d e b r i e f e d and s h o w n h o w the s y s t e m w o r k s . F o l l o w i n g the intense s e s s i o n s . S t u d e n t C o n g r e s s m e m b e r s will m a k e the stud e n t b o d y a w a r e of the voice that
by A m y - L y n n H a l v e r s o n staff r e p o r t e r S t u d e n t s turned out in record n u m b e r s to elect N i n a B i e l i a u s k a s ( ' 9 7 ) , A n d r e w Van Eden ( ' 9 7 ) , and Jon D e W i t t e ( ' 9 8 ) 1 9 9 5 - 9 6 Student C o n g r e s s President, ViceP r e s i d e n t , and C o m p t r o l l e r Wednesday afternoon. C o m p a r e d to last y e a r ' s election, w h e r e about 500 s t u d e n t s voted, the turnout almost d o u b l e d . " T h e r e is a lot m o r e interest this y e a r , " said ' 9 4 - ' 9 5 president Joel P l a n t i n g a ( ' 9 6 ) . " T h e elections s e e m e d to be s u c c e s s f u l . All different kinds of perspectives f r o m all o v e r c a m p u s ran f o r positions." All t h r e e in the c a b i n e t - e l e c t have b e e n active in S t u d e n t C o n gress f o r the past year. C u r r e n t l y B i e l i a u s k a s is V i c e - P r e s i d e n t , Van E d e n a c t s as r e p r e s e n t a t i v e f o r D u r f e e Hall and D e W i t t e is r e p r e sentative for O g g e l , Parkview, and
they h a v e . " P o w e r will b e m a d e m o r e ac-
Van Eden
Bieliauskas
Columbia Apartments. " E x p e r i e n c e can really help m o v e t h i n g s a l o n g , " Van E d e n said. " K n o w i n g p e o p l e and h o w the s y s t e m w o r k s assists the process." Both Bieliauskas and Van Eden a r e r e a d y to b r i n g c h a n g e into Congress. " G e t t i n g people g o i n g and m o t i v a t i n g is the fastest w a y to acc o m p l i s h t h i n g s h e r e at H o p e , " B i e l i a u s k a s said. A plan of attack for next year
cessible to the students," B i e l i a u s k a s said. I n f o r m a t i o n bulletin b o a r d s will be set up in all r esi dent i al halls, a p a r t m e n t s a n d s o m e c o t t a g e s . T h e s e b o a r d s will i n f o r m s t u d e n t s on the h a p p e n i n g s during Congress meetings and o t h e r a n n o u n c e m e n t s p e r t a i n i n g to
De Witte
has been c r e a t e d by the c a b i n e t to utilize the p o w e r of S t u d e n t C o n g r e s s c u r r e n t l y h o l d s . A full f o r c e c a m p a i g n will be l a u n c h e d in S e p t e m b e r to fill all p o s i t i o n s f o r repr e s e n t a t i v e s . A s s o o n as s t u d e n t s w a l k o n to c a m p u s they will be b o m b a r d e d with information on h o w and w h e n to run for a position. P e t i t i o n s will b e a v a i l a b l e in the fall at the S t u d e n t U n i o n D e s k . E l e c t i o n s are o p e n to all s t u d e n t s
! at H o p e . The newly elected representa-
a
Congress. B i e l i a u s k a s a l s o w a n t s to get the r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s i n v o l v e d w i t h h a p p e n i n g s and e v e n t s on c a m p u s . " W e need to m a k e s u r e that stud e n t s k n o w w h o their r e p r e s e n t a tive is and h o w t h e y c a n get in touch with that person," B i e l i a u s k a s said. " B y s e e i n g t h e m at e v e n t s , s t u d e n t s c a n ask t h e m
See CONGRESS page 11