The Towerlight, November 13, 1981

tl19811113-000 "Tower.' ght November 13, 1981 PUBLISHED BY THE STUDENTS OF TOWSON STATE UNIVERSITY TOWSON, MARYLAND 21204 The cat in gloves catches no mice. Benjamin Franklin Vol. 75, No. 11 Frat audit suggested by Jill Miller ""Towson State fraternaties and sororities, as well as some other organizations, are not funded by SGA; but they are affiliated with us and have the use of Universi-ty buildings. They wouldn't be able to clear as much money on dances if they didn't have rent-free use of the buildings,"" said Arlene Campeggi SGA business manager. State auditors felt that there should be some finan-cial obligation by fraternaties and sororities to report to SGA since they haven't been required to do so, Campeggi said. The last state audit required a new financial policy that was distributed in September. It requires organizations to give a bi-yearly financial statement, and allow SGA to audit their books at anytime. SGA cannot expect the organizations to follow through with this new policy until they tell them how and when to execute the policy, Campeggi said. SGA hopes to have a execution plan worked out for the new financial policy by next semester. ""Fraternaties and sororities can make $1,000-$2,000 a dance; and they can have five dances a semester, so they could conceivably clear $10,000-$20,000 a year,"" said Campeggi. Commuter students frequent the dances of Towson State. Thursday night is a big night; not many students come back on Friday and Saturday nights, said Ted Johns, assistant director of special services. ""There are no hard and fast rules as to how much money is cleared on each Thursday night dance,"" Campeggi said. ""Many variables need to be taken into consideration."" Thursday nights are generally a good, profitable night � unless the dance is not properly advertised or if there is a rock concert at the Towson Center, or a good movie at Stephen's Hall, or parties in the dorm � much determines the success of a dance, said Bob Raeuerle, university union director. Phi Rho Omega held a Halloween dance Thursday, October 29th that only drew about 200 people. ""We had a lot of parties to compete with that night; we may have broke even, but I doubt it,"" said Craig Kelly, treasurer for Phi Rho Omega. ""The success of our dances is based a lot on how we advertise,"" said Mike Becker, former president of Alpha Omega Lambda. ""Contests are good promo-continued on page 12 Van Bokkelen rededicated President Hoke Smith and Councilman Barbara Bachur cut the ribbon to officially rededicate Van Bokkelen Hall. County and state officials were present for the event. Van Bokkelen houses the mass communications and speech depart-ments. TL photo by Charlene Tyler Bad checks lead to academic dismissal by Teresa Hicks Towson State is starting a new program which will enable the University to dismiss any student who attempts to pay a bill with a check that is returned due to insuffi-cient funds, and Ronald Garrison, vice president for finance and Systems management. In the 1981 fiscal year, 588 students passed bad checks, Gar-rison said. The amount of the checks totaled $129,300; this is an average of $220 per bad check. The finance department received 65 percent of the bad checks passed in tuition and fees. Ten percent of the had checks were passed for ac-ceptance and application fees and transcripts. The University Store received 23 percent of the bad checks passed, Garrison said. It takes the finance department 30 days to find that students have passed bad checks. In turn, the department contacts students to notify them of the problem and gives them ten days to rectify it. If students fail to do this, their names will be removed from the class rosters and they will not receive any grades, Garrison said. ""We have to be more harsh,"" Gar-rison said. ""After we put this pro-gram into effect, I believe the number of bad checks will be reduc-ed."" Some 20-30 percent of the stu-dents are chronic repeaters at pass-ing bad checks. The bookstore and the finance department have a list of their names, Garrison said. In the past, letters were sent to students who passed bad checks, threatening to prevent them from registering. Students, despite the threatening letters, still were able to attend classes and pay back the money at a later date. Students passing bad checks over $50 must pay the University an ad-ditional $10. If the check is under $50, a student must pay an addi-tional $5. After sending several notices to students who had not paid the University sent cases to the Maryland State Central Collection Unit. The unit collects money from students through legal action; it re-tains 15 percent of the money col-lected for its efforts and gives 85 percent back to the University. Morgan State undergraduates are required to pay all University bills in cash, certified checks or money orders. Last year 2,000 bad checks total-ing a half-million dollars were pass-ed at University of Maryland, Col-lege Park. Officials there collected all but 14 percent, said Steven Wilson, bursar at College Park. ""We have a good collection because we jump on them rapidly,"" Wilson said. For any bad check writ-ten up to $50, there is a $5 fine; from $50-100, a $10 fine; for $100 and up, a $20 fine. If UMCP students write two bad checks in one semester, they are put on the ""cash only"" list, which for-bids them to use checks on campus for one year. When the University of Baltimore receives a bad check, it redeposits it and sends the students a $15 return charge. If the check is not cleared within seven days, the Dean of Students is notified. Disciplinary Cans for credit Ranking alongside the courses in biology and com-parative religions is the new spring course, Soda in American Culture. Cook Library is just beginning to receive the required 1. esearch materials. TL photo by Edvins Lagzdins action is taken and the student is put on a list which will prevent him/her from using checks on cam-pus for six months to a year. ""We are very strict; we charge very high fees,"" said Merrill R. Ger-man, vice-president for business and finance at the University. Dorm security investigated by Michael Bennett Thefts, trespassing and problems with visitors in Scarborough Hall this semester have prompted residents and University staff members to look for ways to im-prove dorm security. However, while incidents in Scarborough Hall have been the focus of recent atten-tion, University officials are study-ing security practices all over cam-pus. Charles Maloy, assistant vice president for student services and director of the Counseling Center, met last week with Gene Dawson, director of University Police, Leah Schofield, director of the Women's Center, Mary Lee Farlow, director of residence and other represen-tatives of the Residence Depart-ment for what Maloy described as a ""brainstorming-type meeting."" ""There are several concerns that brought us together,"" said Maloy. There are the specific Scarborough problems, and there is an increasing concern about all levels of crime on campus, everywhere. These are ongoing concerns."" For Susie Bonner, senior early childhood education major, dorm security is an immediate concern. Bonner has been the victim of a ""peeper"" twice this semester. On September 24, Bonner was taking a shower in Scarbourough Hall when a man entered the women's shower and pulled the shower curtain. Bonner screamed, and the man ran away. Bonner did not report the first in-cident. ""The guy seemed so scared; I didn't think he'd be back,"" Bonner said. ""I kind of laughed it off, but the second time I was terrified."" The second incident ocurred on September 29, again at about 6:30 in the morning. ""I remember hearing someone come in, and I heard the toilet flush. 1 thought it was another girl. I finished my shower and put on my robe. I was walking past another shower stall and 1 saw the man look-ing over the top of the shower from inside. I grabbed him, thinking I could delay him until someone else came. He threw me aside and ran out the door. I ran and called the University police,"" Bonner said. Bonner gave a description of the man to the University Police. No suspect has been identified. On October 1, Dawson ordered a uniformed University police officer to patrol Scarborough Hall in the early morning hours. Since then the peeper has not returned. Visitors to the dorms are another problem. On October 19, two male visitors in Scarborough Hall created a disturbance that resulted in the University police being called. The men entered the women's bathroom on the second floor on two occasions that night. ""I was on my way to brush my teeth at about 1 a.m."" said Becky Hann, senior business administration major. ""There was a guy out in the hall. I though he was going into our bathroom. We have a sign on the door that says ""women only."" As I went to go in, he said: ""I wouldn't go in there if I were you. There's a guy in there."" ""I opened the door and yelled for him to hurry up, and then 1 closed the door. The guy in the hall went into the bathroom, and I heard glass break. One of the guys came out. I looked in and saw the other guy and the broken glass. He left and went into a girls' room down the hall. I followed him and made him go in and clean up the glass. ""Later that night, I heard noise in the hall. The same guys went back into the women's bathroom while my next door neighbor was in the shower,"" Hann said. Sherie Heimbach, senior health science major, was in the shower when the men returned. ""The first time he came in, I stuck my head out of the shower and asked what he was doing. He left. Then another guy stuck his head around the cor-ner. I yelled, and he turned off the lights,"" Heimback said. ""I left the water on, put on my robe and went to the light switch. Before I could get there, they turn-ed the lights back on and then left. I went to the CA (Community Assis-tant) and he called the police."" The two men were asked to leave the dorm by the CA. They left, but they refused to name the person they were visiting. continued on page 2 Blindness is not wrong by Marc Goodman Rose McDonald remembers when she could see squirrels playing with each other, when she could see puppies cuddle up to her, when she could see traffic lights change from red to green. Two years ago, Rose underwent an operation for a brain tumor and a few days later she lost her vision. It did not take long for Rose to accept her blindness, though. ""I don't happen to see any big deal about being blind,"" she said. ""It's part of me. It's part of what I am."" ""Although my lack of vision may be perceived by others as dark or void, it is quite the contrary. Just because I lost my sight doesn't mean I'm not a compe-tent person."" Rose, 32, never lost sight of her competency, not before the operation and certainly not afterwards. Prior to her operation in September, 1979, she was a copywriter and graphic artist for advertising agencies in New York and Chicago which handled accounts for Fuji cameras, Pilot Pens and Sears. She was also pur-suing a psychology degree at Fordham University. After losing her vision, she moved back to Maryland to live with her family in Prince George's county where she began the process of a lifetime rehabilitation. Her accomplishments in such a short period of time are beyond what the professionals ever projected. When she was told it was going to take one and a half years to learn braille, she defied the norms and learned in 21/4 months. And by February of 1981, the woman with a big smile and a mountain of ambition was back in school, now Towson State University, continuing her educa-tion in psychology. This was an extraordinary feat compared to most people in her position. ""I haven't had any problems adjusting to the blind-ness,"" Rose remarks. ""People are very uncomfortable with that because 1 do not conform . . � I do not fit the books."" Surely, Rose does not fit the mold of people who have lost their sight within two years. If she wasn't so busy with her 12 credit load of classes which include a clinical inernship at Sheppard Pratt Hospital, she would be involved with the Outdoors and Wilderness Association. the art club and Towerlight. She would also be doing more painting, drawing, crocheting, knit-ting, running and dancing. Her ambitions do not go unnoticed by her peers. Doris Schultheis, a graduate student concentrating in rehabilitation and community counseling, lives on Rose's floor in Dowell Hall. ""Rose seems to be a very positive person. Nothing seems to daunt her,"" Doris said. ""She once told me that blindness shouldn't be a hinderance to anything a person wants to do."" Lou Smith, also a graduate student in rehabilitation and community counseling, met Rose when he was working at the Assistance and Information for Disabl-ed Students office. ""Rose is an example of what can happen when you psych yourself up after you have become disabled and deal with it positively,"" he said. ""She just grabbed the bull by the horns and ran with it."" Rose seems to inspire anyone she comes in contact with, including those who helped her adjust to a new situation at Towson State. Lynne Dowell, coordinator of the AIDS office, assisted Rose with admissions, registration and get-ting settled in the dormatory. ""Rose is a very bright woman,"" she said. ""It's remarkable how she had chosen a direction in her life, then all of a sudden she went blind and she picked herself up and continued in the most extraordinary way without any self pity. That's to be commended. She has a lot of guts."" Judith Armstrong, professor of psychology, who teaches Rose's Systems and Techniques of Psychotherapy class, said, ""Rose is a dedicated stu-dent sho puts all of herself into her tasks. She doesn't ask for special conditions. She handles herself like any other student."" Rose does not wish to be treated differently than any other student just because she's blind. Yet she knows that people will treat her differently anyway. ""As much as I feel like I'm used to my blindness, I recognize other people don't ever really get used to it,"" Rose said. ""There are preconceived notions that blind-ness is terrible. In literature, blindness is the most hor-rendous thing that can happen. In the Bible, blindness is terrible. In philosophy, blindness is terrible. In Greek tragedy, blindness is terrible. Even the media sensationalizes ""Blind people are perceived as if something is WRONG with them,"" she said. ""But there really isn't anything wrong. It's merely one of the differences in being human."" Rose doesn't have to see to know how people are reacting to her blindness. ""I can go into a restaurant, and the waitress may be so taken by my cane that she either won't say anything or she'll mumble."" ""In school, I walk down the halls and use my cane for touch points along the halls. But the halls are usually unea witn aesks wrucn people sit at. when they study or drink their colas. And I have no other choice than to hit the ends of the desks with my cane. The people sitting at the desks won't even say, 'I'erson here, 'Dont step on me,' Excuse me,' You're almost running over me.' I could be beating the hell out of them with my cane trying to figure out what I'm running into and they won't open their mouths."" continued on page 10 "