Newspaper Page Text
■The West Georgian-Wednesday, November 20,1991
2
Debate team sponsored forum
West Georgia College students
overwhelmingly rejected the ques
tion “Should West Georgia College
Adopt a Speech Code?” at the first
1991-1992 West Georgia Debate
Forum, sponsored by the nationally
ranked WGC debate team. The vote
occurred after an hour of heated dis
cussion and debate last Wednesday
night, November 13.
Robert Rehberg, a sophomore
political science major from Lee
County, spoke in favor of adoption
of a speech code against hate speech.
Arguing that a speech code, which
prohibits hate speech such as “fag
got”,“slut” and “nigger” among oth
ers, would help schools suppress
violence and hatred, Rehberg also
suggested that the mere establish
ment of such a code would “serve to
educate” students against racist and
sexist ideas.
Thomas Bierly, a senior history
major from Carrollton, rose in oppo
sition to the question. His primary
arguments against such a code were
that “freedom of speech is freedom
of thought” and regulating one nec
essarily regulates the other; that
speech codes would only serve to
heighten racial sexual tensions and
violence by forcing people to fit into
groups and destroying individual
ism: and that we should “consider
Parking
from the PAC.
“If you live in a place faraway,
you must get up early to get a decent
parking space,” said Thompson.
The amount of time it took two
people to walk from Front Campus
Drive to the Z-6 parking lot was 14
minutes. From the PAC to Front
Campus, it was an eight-minute walk.
Along this path, one passes all the
academic buildings except the Bio-
TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP
Each year West Georgia Col
lege is invited to nominate up to
three students for the Truman
Scholarship. The Harry S.
Truman Scholarship Foundation
awards scholarships to college
students who have outstanding
leadership potential and plan to
pursue careers in government or
elsewhere in public service.
To be eligible a nominee must
be a full time student in his or her
junior year pursuing a bachelor’s
degree during the 1991-92 aca
demic year, committed to a career
in government or in public service,
in the upper third of his or her
class, and be a US citizen or a US
the source” of the racist, sexist and
violent ideas as being ignorant. Fi
nally, he rejected the concept of a
speech code as a solution to vio
lence.
Once these two principle speak
ers had presented their ideas, the
debate was open to the audience.
WGC debate coach and moderator
for the event, Bruce Daniel, alter
nately recognized members of the
audience in favor of the speech code
and those against it. In an emotion
ally charged exchange, students
questioned the enforcement and
penalties associated with such acode.
Additionally, the question was raised
“how do you draw the line and decide
what is ‘offensive’ language? Who
decides?”
After an hour of fruitful argu
mentation, the audience issued a re
sounding no to the question “Should
West Georgia college Adopt a
Speech Code?”
Daniel said he was pleased with
the turnout for this first in a series
and encouraged audience members
to remain involved with the debate
forum process. Anyone interested in
helping to plan the February Forum
or to be one of the principle speakers
in this student action, should contact
Daniel at 836-6518.
Chemistry building, which is located
across from Z-6.
As discovered in a study, there
are approximately 625 spaces avail
able between the parking lots of Z-6,
PAC, and the HPE gym. Stu ients
could use these spaces as long as
they are registered, but most opt for
some place closer to their classes.
Unfortunately, this is when they are
ticketed most.
National.
Students who are interested
should contact Dr. Chester Gibson
in Humanities 310.
LIBRARY EXTENDED HOURS
The library will be open until
11:C0 p.m. on the following dates:
November 11-14, Monday through
Thursday; November 18-21, Mon
day through Thursday; November
25-26, Monday-Tuesday; and De
cember 2-5, Monday through Thurs
day.
SHORT TERM LOANS FOR
WINTER QUARTER
Applications for short term loans
for Winter Quarter will be accepted
A male student threatened to
run over a traffic patrol officer who
was writing him a ticket on No
vember 12 on Front Campus Drive.
When the driver left the parking
space, he left the roadway and came
within six inches of hitting the of
ficer. The driver was arrested the
next day.
A case of simple battery was
reported on Nov. 12 in Bowdon
Hall when a resident told Public
Safety officers that a man stopped
her in the hallway, asked her sev
eral questions and then grabbed
her buttocks. The female resident
then fled to her room and called
Public Safety, who searched the
area but didn’t find anything.
In what Public Safety considers
a related incident the next day, a
female Bowdon Hall resident re
ported that a man fitting the other’s
description followed her from Hu-
Forum panelists discuss sexual abuse
By Tracy Rolfe
Staff Writer
Every six minutes a woman is
raped according to a panelist that
spoke on Abusive and Violent Rela
tionships to better educate West
Georgia’s students on sex.
The Responsible Sexuality
Council and Panhellenic Council
sponsored the seminar with the two
speakers, Qiyhamaßhaman from the
State Division of Family and
Childrens Services and Dick
Bathrick, director of Men Stopping
Violence.
Surprising facts on abusive rela
tionships were shared, along with
answers to questions from the audi
ence.
The four types of abuse discussed
from page 1
WGC Happenings
beginning 11-18-91. Apply in
Melson Hall, room 213.
Outstanding short term loans must
be paid before application for winter
can be accepted.
December 9, at noon, is the
deadline to apply in order to have a
loan check ready by Arena Fee
Payment Day and Arena Registra
tion Day.
If you are one of the Test Group
for the new fee payment system,
consult the instructions mailed to
you for the deadline.
ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE
COALITION
The Alternative Lifestyle Coali
tion is presenting November Love
WGC Crime Report
manities to her dorm telling her, “Ooh
baby, shake it.” The suspect is de
scribed by Public Safety as a black
male approximately 30 years old,
about 5' 7" -5’ 10" with a stocky
muscular build.
After an argument over a parking
space in the Social Science parking
lot, a female student’s Dodge Lancer
was keyed on the passenger side.
The suspect was arrested the follow
ing day and charged with obstruc
tion after giving the investigating
officer a false alibi.
On November 15 at 3 a.m. an
officer on patrol discovered a fire on
the band tower located on field five
next to Z-6. A paper cup filled with
kerosene had been used to start the
fire, which caused an estimated SSOO
worth of damage to the wooden
tower.
A leather purse was stolen from
an unlocked room in Bowdon Hall
were stranger to stranger rape, date
rape, marital rape and spouse/part
ner abuse. More than 4,000 people a
year are actually killed by their part
ners, and one in four of those bat
tered attempt suicide.
“I’m not here to shock you, but to
convey to you that women are under
siege,” said Rhaman.
According to Rhaman, violence
against women is not about love or
sex, but about one individual’s power
and control over another human be
ing. Physical, sexual and emotional
violence are the most common in
addition to neglect and exploitative
acts. Bathrick believes that guys
batter women because it works and
they can get away with it. The man is
suppose to be in control, or other
wise he is known as a sissy.
Days Wednesday, Nov. 20 and
Thurs. Nov. 21 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
in the Student Center. Get a rose and
a candy cane for your loved one for
$3.00. For more information, call
Teresa at 830-6251 or 836-0255.
BOWDON HALL CRAFT SHOW
Bowdon Hall will sponsor its first
annual Craft Show and Bake Sale
tonight from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Admis
sion is free. Come and enjoy your
favorite baked goodies and take a
look at the craft items made by
Bowdon Hall residents.
CHI OMEGA ANNOUNCES
PLEDGES AND INITIATES
The Phi Kappa chapter of Chi
on November 11 between 7:15
p.m. and 7:40 p.m. Three uni
dentified males who entered the
hall during the period of the bur
glary are considered suspects.
A change purse containing
credit cards, medication and a
driver’s license was stolen the
same day from Watson while the
purse’s owner was in the shower.
A burglary that occurred in
early October was reported to
Public Safety on November 12.
Two Downs Hall residents re
ported $42 cash and a Texas In
struments calculator stolen from
their dorm room.
A window valued at SSOO was
broken out of the Library late study
and a window was broken by a
beer bottle in the n.w. entrance to
the Humanities Building.
{Compiled by staff writer Joe
Dunlop)
“The worst thing a guy can be is
a girl,” said Bathrick.
Myths surrounding violence are
that it only occurs in black or poor
neighborhoods, and that substance
abuse is usually connected. Rhaman
believes that if there is substance
abuse that only means there are two
problems. She also said that the
perpetrator looks like the guy next
door. He may even be the minister or
the doctor.
The best prevention is to educate
on an individual level. Services and
shelters exist to give these women
someone to talk to and somewhere to
go. For West Georgia students there
is counseling on campus that is easily
accessible and free. According to
Rhaman the frequency and intensity
only increase.
Omega would like to announce
its new pledges: Tracy Barron,
Jennifer George, Carrie Ramant,
Kelly Sanford, and Margarita
Velliadis.
The sorority is also proud of
its newest initiates: Linda
Absalon, Gayle Blackburn, Carol
Herman, and Beth Steinbach.
ALPHA TAU OMEGA
The brothers of Alpha Tau
Omega would like to thank ev
eryone who made our 20th anni
versary special. The brothers
enjoyed the alumni dinner and
party, as well as the banquet.
Thank you for the past 20 years
and the next 20 years to come!