The Towerlight, April 23, 1987

tl19870423-000 "Inside ChlyMati011 Claymation Festival Comes to Towson Art Cin-ema page 6 tip Vol. 80 No. 24 The nt Published weekly by the students of Towson State Universityl"".."" gTowson. MD 21204 Index news 1 2 sports 3, 4 features & entertainment 5 8 classifieds 7,8, 9 visuals 10 editorial 11 perspectives 11 weekwatcher 12 April 23. 1987 Student leaders discuss Lawson's year suspension by Lisa M. Quill News reporter Members of Towson State Uni- ,ersity's chapter of the National ssociation for the Advancement if Colored People (NAACP), the lack Student Union (BSU), and he Coalition of Black Greek Let-red Organizations (CBGLO) met ith University President Hoke mith, Vice President for the Stu-ent Services Dorothy Siegel, and ssistant to the President Helen Ules-Gee to discuss what they con-ider the unfair one-year suspen-ion of William Rodney Lawson. Lawson granted written per-hission for his case to be discussed ii such a manner. Lawson first received an tinergency suspension as the re- 414 of a heated verbal exchange kith University professor Lynette dwards following a traffic acci-lent, then, after a Judicial Board leafing, a one-year suspension. Because his appeal of the suspen-nun, on the grounds that ""his ghts have been violated for the Inllowing reasons: a flaw in my nght of due process, evident bias in the decision of the hearing body, lverly severe sanction imposed, 4nd insufficient consideration of Ill aspects of the situation,"" was tlenied by a screening committee, Lawson asked the BSU, the NAACP, and the CBGLO to get tf volved and to help fight his uspension. ""Rodney asked [us] to help him. And, also, we felt it was another tase of a racial dilemma on cam- Pus,"" Vernon Marrow, BSU vice President, said after the meeting. :We've made beefs [about racism] before, but this time we had to put lur foot down. We couldn't let 1Lawson] be railroaded."" During the meeting, both Smith flicl Siegel downplayed the itlea ,hat the decision to suspend Lawson was racially motivated. ""When there are two people in 'nnflict, you have to determine which is more credible,"" Siegel said. ""The student has a prior record on campus; the faculty mem-ber doesn't. [Also,] the hearing officer said he verbally abused her. The hearing officer determined credibility first. Is she more credible because she's a teacher? I don't know the answer to that."" ""In terms of credibility, it's stu-dent vs. faculty, not black vs. white,"" Smith said. ""The question whom do you believe, student or teacher, is race free."" Siegel also said that those claiming racism are doing so because they ""know this particular case, but don't know of other suspensions. So you assume it's because he's black."" ' According to Siegel, 20 people have been sus-pended this year (11 during the Fall semester, nine this Spring), and the overwhelming majority. has not been black. ""Statistically historically, [sus-pension] hasn't been reserved for blacks. The drug bust [last semester,] however, included a lot of blacks,"" Siegel said. ""We're not calling anyone an out and out racist,"" Marrow said. ""But color has something to do with it."" Marrow, along with Paul Gray, BSU president; Patrea Sears, NAACP president; Elonzo Chester, CBGLO vice president and Omega Psi Phi fraternity president; and Rodney Keller, BSU secretary and NAACP treasurer, also argued about the severity of Lawson's penalty, the basis of the decision, and the fact that Lawson was held singularly accountable. ""Lawson paid for this semester, was suspended, and now his graduation will be held off, Marrow said. ""His entire future is being put on hold. All because of 'he said, she said' assumptions and accusations. Both traded in-sults; both made threats. ""Justification is the biggest pro-blem,"" Marrow continued, saying both parties made threats, and Lawson deserves equity. According to Siegel, the emerg-ency suspension was a response to an immediate action. The hearing that followed determined whether to sustain the suspension, and she assigned the length of time. ""I'm not always right,"" she said. ""But I make a judgment to protect the community. ""The guideline used in threat is the issue of being scared. Does the threat leave the threatened person scared?"" Siegel continued. ""My conclusion [after the hearing] was that Rodney's behavior was threatening to Professor Edwards and his presence on campus would be detrimental."" Gray said that he spoke to some students in Edwards' classes and that ""they said she isn't the kind of person who is easily intimidated."" Siegel called the situation a ""paper event,"" and said, ""I don't know the real person. I award a consequence based on the hearing and what I know legitimately, not [what I know] from hearsay. I always use a conservative approach."" Siegel also admitted that ""I won't say [Edwards] wasn't hyped. That doesn't play on my decision."" Sears said that the decision is unfair because there's an assump-tion, and because both made threats, either both should be penalized or neither should, according to Sears. But Siegel qualified the threats. ""There's a difference in her threat to him,"" Siegel said. ""Hers is con-ditional on being in class; his is a general 'I'll get you."" Siegel also said that threats are normally penalized by expulsion rather than suspension. According to Edwards' police report, Lawson threatened her by saying ""I'll get you, you f b----...I know what you look like and what your car looks like...."" Lawson said he was threatened with ""I'm going to get your ass.. .You'd better hope I don't have you in my class, boy."" ""It's a question of timing and liability,"" Smith said. ""My charge is to maintain the discipline of the University and the campus. Some- Vice President for Student Services Dorothy Siegel's deci-sion to suspend William Lawson, after a car accident that led to a dispute with a faculty member, has been the subject of student concern. one who's abusive or involved in a threat.. .we have a liability if that person carries out that threat."" Marrow called the admini-stration's defense of its action against Lawson ""lame,"" saying ""Dean Siegel and President Smith were not aware of all the facts and statements made. They didn't refute that assumptions were made."" ""Marrow also pointed out that Lawson has no past history of violence or assault. The two in-cidences on his record are residen-tial violations. Lawson had a ferret in his dorm room and was involved in an illegal room ex-change and a subsequent dis-cussion with an area coordinator. Marrow continued: ""Everyone [at the meeting] agreed that traffic accidents can constitute aggres-sive behavior, that tempers flare. Yet he was held accountable and she wasn't."" Siegel, on the other hand, was comfortable with the decision because it undergoes ""healthy review."" . ""The University charges, but Mass Comm. to finally see computers by Robert M. Graham News editor It has taken such a long time for the Towson State University Mass eommunication Department to 4ee its proposal for computers in the Journalism Laboratory come true that most professors and the few students who know about them have given up. , Pleas for Lab computers began ;II 1975, the same year The tfaltimore Sunbecame the first newspaper in the world to become eompletely computerized. Two ,Years ago, the proposal got uepartment and University aPproval, but a change in the pur- Phasing plans for Lab computers ,nad computers for the rest of the University has left many confused Cohen rounds out Series Media Release Richard Cohen, nationally syn-dicated columnist for the Washing-ton Post, will speak on current pol-itical issues Sunday, April 26, at 8 Olt at Towson State University. , A recipient of numerous journal-tatic honors, including the Front Page Guild Award, Mr. Cohen has been a columnist for the Washing-ton Post for more than a decade. tie also is the ""critic-at-large"" for the Washington Post Magazine and co-author of the critically acclaimed book, ""A Heartbeat Away."" He has covered the Mary-land suburbs and the state legisla-turein addition to being a general assignment reporter at the Post. The lecture, sponsored by Tow-tion State's Student Governement Association, will be held in the Chesapeake Room of the Univer-aity Union. about if and when the computers are coming. The dream finally appears to be a reality. Journalism professors and students can expect the 24 computers terminals and six prin-ters to be in Room 207 of Van Bokkelen Hall for the first day of Fall classes. In fact, parts and components for the computers are already being shipped to the University. For the last two years, approval and funding for the computers has been waiting. But delays, caused by the changes in plans and the ""slow movement of paper in State bureaucracy,"" according to a dean involved in the funding, have cost the program two years time. Newspapers follow Sun Once The Baltimore Sun suc-cessfully installed and began using first generation computers to produce their newspapers, other newspapers followed. Dr. Jim Kim, a journalism pro-fessor at the University said, ""The Sun's 'going computerized' was one of the factors affecting my decision to come to Baltimore from Los Angeles in 1975."" He added that he spent a summer of 1979 in the Sunpapers' newsroom learn-ing to write and edit news with the computers, as part of a Faculty Development Grant. Despite Kim's pleas and those of other professors and some stu-dents, the Department did not act on proposals to computerize the journalism program. In 1985, two deans, realizing the need, decided to look into funding computers. Gilbert A. Brungardt, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, and Norman L. Sheets, dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences and Physi-cal Education, issued ""contin-gency money to put them in,"" ac-cording to Richard Gelbke, assist-ant to the Mass Communication chair. The money, in the form of a Special Grant of $22,000, was ear-also provides help,"" Siegel said. ""We're a fact-finding hearing."" The hearing, if appealed, is fol-lowed by a screening committee review, and the screening com-mittee review by presidential review. ""I'm not prosecutorial,"" Siegel said. ""I always urge appeal; I always want as many to examine"" the decison so that ""I'm not in a position to ruin someone's history. There's safety in 'action"" in the screening committee and presi-dential reviews. Lawson's case at Towson State is at the point of presidential review. ""I'm waiting for a piece of paper"" requesting the review, Smith said. ""The next step is with me. I won't say what I'll do because I honestly don't know."" Morrow maintains that the rea-son action was taken against Lawson is ""because he's black, and because he's a student."" Speaking on behalf of the BSU, the NAACP, and the CBGLO, Marrow said, ""We may need to protest if feel some satisfaction has not been attained."" Rugby Club gets $500 by Doug Wood News reporter A bill was passed at Tuesday's Towson State University Student Government Associations Senat e meeting to allocate $500 to the TSU Rugby Football Club for coaching fees, passed the Senate by a 8-0-3 vote. Said Senator Pam Flynn, of the Appropriations com-mittee, ""During the appropria-tions meeting, questions were asked, answers were given. We saw no problem with the coaching, and the Rugby Club is happy with our decision."" Timothy O'Donnell, President-elect of the Rugby Football Club, said, ""I'd like to point out that you've all been very young club and a brand new group of people who are involved with the club. What happended in the past there is alot of question about, but that is the past, and we would like to put that far behind us. As for the future, we have an excellent club, and we have excellent prospects for the future. We hope this can be a building block on which we can work."" In addition, the Forensics Union was permanently affiliated by a vote of 10-0-0. Additionally, Senator Darby Simmons was elected president pro-tempore of the Senate by consent. One Senate Bill was introduced. Senate Bill 1987-88 #4, an act to establish a time period between budget requests, Financial Advi-sory Board hearings, and Senate Hearings, was referred to appro-priations committee. In other news, the SGA speaker series will be hosting writer Richard Cohen at 8:00 pm on Sun-day, April 26. The program is free to all students; $3.00 for faculty, staff, and the general public. The Greek Coalition will be sponsoring its annual Step 'n Sing on May 1, at 5 pm in the Towson Center. Tickets are $4 in advance, and $5 at the door. Planning and preparation - preceed Parents' Day photo by Ann Mason Computer components like these will be assembled by a staff of five who wbrk in the Microcomputer Repair and Con-struction Center. marked for the purchase of 24 computer terminals. Dr. Patricia Plante, University provost, approved the plan, which called for the computers to be bought from one vendor who would supply the Lab with all the requirements it deemed necessary. All that was produced from the plan, after it was put out on State bid�a requirement for the pur-chase of any machinery in a State institution�were some printers and some software. The printers came as part of a contract between the University and Epson. The con-tract brought to the University the first batch of computers last year. Excluding six printers and some software, none of the Epson machinery was for the Lab. Many offices on campus still await the arrival of the computer terminals promised to them as part of the Epson contract last year. But plans changed. Center selects bid The responsibility of determin-ing the University's computer needs, including the Lab compu-ters, and evaluating which bidder could best meet those needs was put in the hands of the Universi-ty's Microcomputer Repair and Construction Center, an out-growth of the Physics Depart-ment's Electrical Repair Center. The Microcomputer Center was opened two years ago to repair the campus' ailing computers. Using the requirements the Lab and other departments needed for a computer system, the Microcom-puter Center was to select the best bid. But after the Microcomputer Center put the specifications for the system out on bid, problems arose when the vendors' bids were being evaluated. The purchasing price for the system, which now included 24 terminals for the Lab and 125 terminals for other Uni-versity institutional and adminis-trative research needs, was higher than anticipated, considering See COMPUTERS, page 2 Media Release The Resident Department, in conjunction with the Towson State University Residence Government (URG) and the Peer Assistant class will be holding its annual Family Festival on Saturday, May 2, 1987. The festival, which will include a coffee and donut reception, enter-tainment, games and a picnic, is designed to better acquaint parents with the campus and allow them a chance to see their sons and daughters at school. The celebration will begin at 10:30 Saturday morning with a Coffee and Donut reception for faculty, staff, parents, and stu-dents in the Prettyman Hall Lobby. Food is being provided free, courtesy of Service America, and the reception which will last until 12, will feature a pianist and ice sculpture. From 3:30 pm until 6:30 pm, Family Festival '87 will feature live entertainment, games, and clowns, among other attractions on the prettyman Hall/Glen Esk Lawn. Each residence hall building council wil be sponsoring an activity booth featuring events such as a dunking booth, a cari-cature arti st, blackjack tables, basketball and other activities. Various items will also be for sale, such as T-shirts and cups. A jazz combo will provide live music. The picnic, provided by Service America Corporation, will also be held on Prettyman Hall/Glen Esk lawn. The cost of the picnic is $5.25 per person to parents--children under 8 and TSU resident students with meal cards will be able to eat for free. The Towsontowne Spring Festi-val, held the same day, will offer good music and craft stands to all who come by. In addition, TSU lacrosse will be hosting Johns Hopkins University at 8 pm at Minnegan Stadium. While Parent's Day promises to be an eventful day for all who come, many hours were spent be-hind the scenes planning and pre-paring for it. Ed McManness, area coordi-nator for Tower C, has devoted much time and effort to this pro-ject. ""the planning stage is going really well. The student-run Uni-versity Residence Government has done a nice job in providing the necessary resources for the Family Fest committee,"" he said. ""The 12 to 15 students running the com-mittee have done a nice job pulling together the details and the.event should be successful and hopefully well attended by the resident stu-dent population."" Gwen Jones, Area Coordinator for the Towsontowne Area and faculty advisor for the URG, has also devoted much of her energy to keeping the program going. ""This student group that is planning Family Day seems very excited about it. I'm pleased to see that they are investing in the project to make it a reality. It should be a fun day for all who attend,"" said Jones. The student members of the planning committee, however, have done most of the work. Con-tracting for entert ainment and food and equipment for the stands has been done entirely by students. In many cases, by taking special initiative, the planners were able to obtain more than they asked for. For example, Mike Aronin, a peer assistant, bargained with the Servomation Corporation and was able to get food provided free at the Coffee and Donut reception. ""Ser-vomation is very nice to deal with. They are very understanding and easygoing people. They're willing See PARENTS, page 2 "