About The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1996)
Weekend The Red & Black An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community ■ INSIDE • State legislators want potty privacy for preschoolers • Religious skepticism not keeping students from religion FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1996 • ATHENS, GEORGIA • VOLUME 103, ISSUE 76 Professor faces harassment charge By THOMAS STRIEDINGER News Editor and TODD BAUER Staff Writer A University professor is under investigation by the University for allegedly harassing a female student, but the professor stated Thursday that he believes all the facts have not yet come out. The student filed a sexual harassment grievance against Herman van Halbeek, an associate professor at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, in August, she said Tuesday. The student said she worked in van Halbeek's lab last summer. A University grievance panel heard the case in November, she said. “The harassment was a lot of unwanted physical contact and romantic advances,” the student said. “He asked me to spend time with him outside of work and I told him I wasn’t interested. He then told me I wouldn’t be able to finish my work in lab.” After hearing the case, the panel recommended to University President Charles Knapp that van Halbeek be suspended for two years, the student said. Knapp responded in a letter, writing that the charge was grounds for dismissal rather than suspension, the student said. Van Halbeek issued a statement Thursday through his lawyer, David Sweat. “Dr. van Halbeek does not feel that the grievance panel had all the right access or information,” Sweat said. “He feels that the next action will allow for further development of the facts and information.” Sweat said he had “no further information” on when the next action would be taken. Any appeal of the President’s decision in a grievance panel hearing must go before the Board of Regents, according to the University’s consolidated grievance procedures. Van Halbeek, a native of The Netherlands, received a written reprimand in 1987 in connection with a sexual harassment incident from Peter Albersheim, co-director and research professor for the carbohydrate research center. Albersheim’s letter was released Thursday by the University’s Office of Legal Affairs. In the 1987 letter, van Halbeek was told, “You have given us your word that your personal interactions with [name withheld! will cease, and that you will confine your future interactions to work-related matters. [Name withheldl and her parents have made their feelings clear to you, and you have promised that you will comply with their wishes.” Albersheim also told van Halbeek to consider the 1987 lette*- “an official notification that you are to be very conservative in your interactions with all members of the CCRC and especially with women who work for you or who are your students. Alan (Darvill) and I consider this matter to be closed and hope we have no reason to address it again.” Alan Darvill, co-director of the CCRC, would not comment Wednesday. He said the Office of Legal Affairs told him to refer all questions to it. In an interview Thursday, Albersheim said he could not comment on the 1987 reprimand or the panel hearing. Staff writers Asne Graver, Marc Lancaster and Charu Kumarhia contributed to this article. Dogs prep for Gamecock fight By C. TRENT ROSECRANS Staff Writer The No. 1 Georgia women’s basketball team should be happy to be back in the Coliseum to play the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks after facing a tough Ole Miss team and even tougher Rebel fans on Wednesday night. Rebel faithful showered Georgia players with pennies after the game, and at one point during the game, cups and even a watch were thrown from the stands. The Coliseum should be more hospitable to the top team in the country. With four conference games left, the Lady Bulldogs have a three- game lead in the conference. “Our goal is to go undefeated in the conference, so this game is as big as the others," junior forward La'Keisha Frett said. The Lady Gamecocks are just 2-5 in the Southeastern Conference and 13-8 overall, but one of South Carolina’s two conference wins was against the same Ole Miss Lady Rebels team that gave the Lady Bulldogs a scare on Wednesday night in Oxford, Miss. The Lady Gamecocks defeated Ole Miss 69-66 in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 28. South Carolina’s only other conference win was against last-place Kentucky. In their most recent game, the Gamecocks lost to North Carolina- Charlotte 80-68 on Wednesday night. “We will approach this game like all the other games this season,” File No. 22 Kim Thompson dribbles by a Texas defender in Georgia’s 93-68 victory Jan. 31 in the Coliseum. Frett said. SEC Player of the Week Shannon The Lady Gamecocks are led by Johnson, a 5-foot-8-inch senior THE SCORECARD No. 1 Georgia women’s basketball team vs. South Carolina Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the Coliseum guard. Johnson scored 50 points in South Carolina’s 78-77 overtime victory against Appalachian State on Jan. 31 in Boone. N.C. Johnson’s 50 points is the second highest single- game output in conference history. In addition to Johnson’s performance against Appalachian State, she’s set two other SEC season-high records, has two other highs for the SEC this season, with 38 against Tulane on Dec. 20, and 36 against Wake Forest on Nov. 24. Georgia hopes to use its height advantage to go over the top of the smaller Lady Gamecocks. The Lady Bulldogs successfully used their superior size in the lane against the Rebels on Wednesday night, as Frett and Tracy Henderson dominated inside. Henderson had 25 points, eight rebounds and two blocks against the Lady Rebels. Frett added 23 points, nine boards and two blocks for the Lady Bulldogs. The outmanned Rebels could not stop Henderson’s move on the inside, as Frett found her range, shooting “perfect” from 15 feet, coach Andy Landers said. Dorm rates to rise come summertime By BENJAMIN CARR and CHRIS MITCHELL Staff Writers Dormitory rent is going up again, according to the director of University Housing. Beginning summer quarter, students in residence halls will see their rent go up $55 per quarter, said Jim Day, University housing director. Day said $25 of the increase is due to higher operating costs, including the costs of utilities and the housing staff. The remaining $30 will pay for the renovation of the residence halls, beginning with an $8.5 million renovation of Reed Hall next spring. Day said the rent raise is about the same amount as last year’s. “The Department of University Housing is self- supporting, so the only money we get in is rent," Day said. “Any improvements and renovations have to be funded by rent income." Residence Hall Association President Ramon Minggia said he doesn’t support the decision. “I don’t agree with the increase for two reasons," he said. “One, I won’t be here to see the changes. And two, paying more to live in conditions the way they are now makes no sense.” Some students said they don’t feel much sympathy for University Housing. “I don’t have enough money to pay the rent now," said Sandra Jones, a sophomore from Atlanta living in Rutherford Hall. “They raise the price every year, and I don’t really see anything going on here. I’ll probably be gone by the time anything’s done." “It’s not fair at all," said Aida Argueta, a junior from El Salvador, who lives in Soule Hall. “They should be able to get the money through other means, not dorm fees." Some students said they aren’t getting their money’s worth. “If they’re going to raise the tuition, they should at least put in some bathtubs or something," said Maurice McMullen, a freshman from Decatur that lives in Creswell Hall. “It might Dorm Dates Dorm 1995-96 1996-91 be worth it if you could take a bath somewhere.” Despite the increase, Day said he doesn't think students will move from housing into apartments. Popular apartments are renting $225 to $250 per month without utilities, which typically run $40 to $50 per person. Day said. “I don’t think we’re pricing ourselves out of the market,” Day said. “I think we’re still a good value." No. 1 Gym Dogs to play Auburn Saturday By TRACIE NEWTON Staff Writer After snatching the No. 1 spot in the nation from Alabama in front of a home crowd last weekend, the Gym Dogs go on the road to defend their ranking against the Auburn Tigers this Saturday. The team made several firsts during last week’s meet against the Crimson Tide. Sophomore Kim Arnold scored a perfect 10 on vault for the second week in a row, and the team set a new NCAA team record on vault with a score of 49.775. Setting yet another NCAA season-high, the Gym Dogs rolled over the Tide, 197.425 to 196.125. “We trained all fall for this, and even with mistakes, we were able to burst Alabama’s bubble,” head coach Suzanne Yoculan said. “We accomplished what we set out to do. Attaining the No. 1 ranking is just the icing on the cake for us. We don’t want it to be that big of a deal. We still have a lot to improve on." The Gym Dogs (6-0) head to Auburn for their third straight Southeastern Conference contest. Saturday Georgia will face an Auburn squad depleted by injuries. All-American senior Becky Erwin, still recovering from ankle surgery she had last year, sustained an injury to her calf muscle two weeks ago. Despite the injury, Erwin is expected to compete in Saturday’s meet. Junior Jenessa Collins dislocated her shoulder during a Jan. 26 meet against Kentucky, but competed on beam at last week’s meet. Sophomore Stacey Newman also injured her knee at last Saturday’s Missouri Cat Classic. Despite the Gym Dogs’ No. 1 ranking and their spectacular success against Alabama, the squad must still contend with injuries After undergoing knee surgery this summer, freshman Sam Muhleman is still not fully recovered. Yoculan said Muhleman will not compete in the next two meets, but is still training for future meets. Freshman Gym Dog Jenni Beathard will also sit out this week’s meet after spraining her ankle before the LSU meet. She is expected to return next week to THE SCORECARD No. 1 Georgia vs. Auburn Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at Auburn Last week's meet against Alabama will be aired on SportSouth at 10:30 tonight. compete against Stanford. Sophomore Julie Ballard said the team is not focusing on the new No. 1 title. “It feels good to be ranked No. 1 right now, but it’s not the national championship and that’s the one that really counts," Ballard said. “We were on an emotional and physical high against Alabama, and now we can come down a little bit for a lower ranked team. We’re adding difficulties to our routines every week, and the team is really molding together right on schedule.” SportSouth is scheduled to air last week’s Georgia-Alabama meet at 10:30 tonight. Two students on board to find Terry College dean By ANDREW HEALAN Staff Writer A search committee has been appointed to find a new dean for the Terry College of Business. The job became available when current dean Albert Niemi accepted the position as business school dean at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He has been the business school's dean for 13 years The committee, appointed by Vice President for Academic Affairs William Prokasy, held its first meeting on Feb. 1. J. Thomas Russell, dean of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, chairs the committee. Its members include a faculty member from each of the business college departments, two alumni and two students. “We got nominations that came from the faculty and staff throughout the college and also contacted alumni,” Prokasy said. “Based on the nominations, I appointed a committee that was representative of the college." Russell said the committee is still in its early stages, and no one has contacted them about the position yet. “April 1 is the deadline to guarantee a candidate full consideration," Russell said. “We’ll have national advertising in journals, and we will send notices to m^jor accredited business schools." The committee also sent a memo to faculty in the business school asking for nominations. Russell said he doesn’t expect «ny applicants to contact the University immediately. Richard Hudson, director of corporate education for the business school and a member of the committee, said the University should have no problem finding a worthy successor. “The dean position here at the University's business school is a plum job," he said. “We know we’ll get good applicants.” “We want someone to continue what Dean Niemi started and to upgrade the college,” Hudson said. “Because of the high visibility of this position, we need someone who meets the public well, is a good manager and understands that the business school is involved in teaching, research and outreach." Group asks students to help pass multiculturalism course Network hopes to hold forum to debate cultural diversity class requirement By BENJAMIN CARR Staff Writer The University Multicultural Network is trying to rally student support for the proposed campus wide cultural diversity class requirement, which may be formulated by a University Council committee. The group already sponsored the circulation of a student petition in support of the requirement fall quarter. Members said during their Thursday meeting they are determined to hold a forum on the issue. “We think getting a broader-based student voice is important,” said Martha Allexsaht-Snider. a member of the network and professor in the College of Education. “On this issue, you need to have a way to a diverse student voice." Bonny Ling, the Asian-American student coordinator in the University Minority Services office, said the network should continue to rally for student support of the proposed requirement. “Student mobilization is really important for this cause," Ling said. “We also have to get the right facts out to the students.” Ling said she was creating a database of last quarter’s petition to send to the University Council committee later this quarter. Allexsaht-Snider said a forum could address some of the questions from all the schools and colleges surrounding the issue. “It’s been the professional schools that have had problems with the issue," she said. “We want to find out what their concerns are and get them better information." Ron Miller, director of the Institute for African-American Studies, said he wanted all opinions represented at the forum. “I want opposition on the stage,” Miller said. Members of the network said they hoped the Humanities Center would sponsor the forum. Leslie Bates, the director of Minority Services, said he thought the University Council committee addressing the issue didn't include enough students. The University Council executive committee, which formed the multiculturalism committee, included one student in the 16- member body. Will Davis, the student representative and the vice president of the Student Government Association, said Thursday he was “opposed to multicultural education." Bates suggested to the University Multicultural Network that Ling become a member of the committee. “I would like to be on the committee because it gives it a balance," Ling said. “If only one student is representing the student body, it won’t be fair from the outset.” Please see related story on multiculturalism requirement, page 6
