Affirmative action
halted at University
Texas (Austin)
By Sandy Banisky=(c) 1997, The
Baltimore Sun
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas, heeding
the decision of a federal court, has
ended affumative action in college
admissions. But on the sprawling
University of Texas campus, a
place mused more often by football
than by politics, the end has not
come quietly.
Minority enrollment in
professional schools has fallen. A
law professor outraged the campus
with his observation that minority
students "are not academically
competitive." A thousand noisy
protesters occupied the law school.
And students at a school
generally described as apathetic
found themselves swept into a
campuswide debate on whether the
importance of diversity in the
classroom, on fairness in college
admissions and on freedom of
speech, particularly when the
speech is unpopular.
It's all added up to disrupted
classes and unwelcome national
publicity. many students and
faculty say. They fear the country
now has the impression that
minorities are not welcome here.
"It casts a bad light," said Edward
Garrison, a law student who is the
son of an Anglo father and Latino
mother. "It makes people think
there's racial hostility at the school,
and I don'tthink there is."
"Try to hold classes in the midst
of this," said Jennifer Mathis, a
third-year law student, as hundreds
of protesters shouted "We won't go
back" from the law school lobby.
Chelsea arrives at Stanford;
dole out advice for first daughter
By Maggie Welter
CPS
STANFORD, Calif.--There,'s a
popular metaphor used to describe
freshmen at Stanford University:
Students are like ducks. On the
surface, they're cruising nicely, but
underneath, they're paddling
furiously.
This week Chelsea Clinton is
spreading her wings and testing the
elite waters of Stanford's campus in
Pal Alto, Calif., 20 minutes south
of San Francisco. And though she's
no ordinary duckling, (traveling to
college on Mr Force One rather
than in a U-Haul), Chelsea, the
Clintons and Stanford officials se
determined to see to it that she lives
as one.
Since Bill Clinton took office in
1992, the press has largely ceded
the first daughter as off-limits, far
which Mary Rodham Clinton has
thanked them numerous times in
public. But now that Chelsea, 17,
is a poised and camera-peifect
young lady. Mrs. Clinton is
concerned that the hands-off attitude
might not follow her daughter
West. The Furst Lady used her
weekly column to say that Chelsea
is "entitled to space and privacy
[and] should be left alone to mature
as sanely as possible."
Mrs. Clinton had reason far
concern. Reporters and
photographers began roaming
Stanford's sprawling campus about
a week before Chelsea's arrival,
trying to figure out how to ccwer
the family's arrival despite stringent
restrictions.
But Ramin Zahed, a media
watcher with The Daily Variety in
Los Angeles, predicts interest in the
rust daughter will Bide in a few
weeks. "Unless she starts having a
love affair with a rock star,
But some on campus believe the
chanting and protesting helps by
focusing attention on a tough
problem: How to attract more black
and Mexican-American students to
UT. A federal appeals court ruled
last year that ethnicity cannot be
considered when offering
admissions mid financial aid.
"It's been great," student body
president Marten Whitley, who is
black, mid of the turmoil. "What
we've got now is momentum for a
lot of thinking, a lot of talking."
First, however, came a lot of
anger.
Last week, law professor Lino
Ganglia told reporters - in language
bereft of soothing nuance - that
.. blacks and Mexican Americans are
not academically competitive with
whites in selective institutions.
They have a culture that seems not
to encourage achievement."
Long an opponent of racial
preferences, Graglia had voiced the
same beliefs many times before.
But on a campus now sensitive to
racial issues, the comments caned
an uproar.
Though most of his fellow law
professors disagreed with Graglia's
statements, they defended his right
to make them. nie glories in
overstatement," said law professor
Sanford Levinson.
Students and lawmakers demanded
Graglia's ouster -unlikely, as the
professor is tenured. The Rev. Jesse
Jackson. fresh from leading a
protest against the end of
affirmative action in California,
came to UT to urge students to
boycott Graglia's classes.
"The school should be ashamed,"
becomes a nun or something
extreme. I think the media am
going to leave her alone after this
initial coverage."
Likewise. Stanford students an
expected to respect Chelsea's right
to live as a normal college
freshmen. Stanford, also referred to
as "The Harvard of the West" is a
hot bed of exceptional students ad
is no stranger to celebrity students.
In fact, Chelsea isn't even the only
star of the Class of 2001. Olympic
gold medalist Dominique Dawes
also will sport the cardinal and
white colors this fall. And Fred
Savage, former star of "The Wonder
Years" has been there for three
years, though he is currently on
leave making the sitcom
"Working." Until golfing great
Tiger Woods turned pro, he also
was a Stanford student.
Stanford also boasts an
impressive alumni list with names
like Sigourney Weaver. ABC's Tal
Koppel and Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day 0' Connor.
Graduate student Rebecca Leigh
Palmer said students will take
Chelsea's arrival to campus in
stride. "It's possible for celebrities
to get around with their own aowd
and not be noticed, because the
people are generally polite enough
to respect privacy," Palmer said.
"People are well-educated and aware
of the fact that Chelsea's here to get
an education," not for show.
But that doesn't mean she won't
be shown a good time. "I could kiss
Chelsea Clinton and make her a
legitimate Stanford freshman,"
volunteered senior Damn Evans,
referring to a popular tradition
known as "Full Moon on the
Quad." As the tradition goes.
freshmen come out to the quad on
the night of the rust full moon, and
with the kiss of a senior an
unofficially ordained.
National Campus News
Jackson said to the largest political
gathering on campus in years. "He
represents a national disgrace."
After standing firm for a week.
Graglia released a statement saying
his comment was "carelessly put.
and I regret it." Law School Dean
M. Michael Sharlot said he'd found
no evidence that Graglia has
discriminated against students and
said he would not take any
disciplinary action.
"I certainly could have expressed
them more discreetly: Graglia said
of his comments. But he allowed
that he was not disturbed by a drop
in law Qchoot minority enrollment
attributed to the end of racial
preferences.
"Isn't it an enormous advantage
if those people (minority students
who were admitted without
affirmative action) can say they got
in the same as everybody else?"
Graglia asked. "That's a remarkable
gain."
Besides Texas. only California
has banned using lace and ethnic
background in college admissions.
But in California. the governor
pushed for an end to affirmative
action. a change that was approved
by the voters.
The Texas ban. however. was
imposed by the court
The case was Hopwood v. Texas.
The lead plaintiff was Cheryl
Hopwood. a white woman who mid
the University of Texas School of
Law rejected her because its
admissions policy unfairly favored
minorities.
In March 1996, a federal appeals
court surprised college
administrators around the country
by ruling theta school's goal of
One student said Chelsea should
prepare for more than lip-smacking.
The male student, who wished to
guard his name from the Secret
Services hit list, advised Chelsea to
"bring a lot of condoms. There's a
lot of sex going on here." That's
enough to give poor Bill Clinton a
heart attack.
Others. not wanting to inflict
such pain on the leader of the free
weld, offered a lighter dote of
advice for the fast daughter. I
would say enjoy your college years
here; they go by so fast. Don't
come in deal set on a area,
explore all kinds of fields, and meet
a kit of people." said Dean Hung, a
graduate student.
"I could kiss
Chelsea Clinton
and make her a
legitimate
Stanford
freshman"
Sophomore Jan Hong wouldn't
mind being one of those people
who Chelsea will meet "Yeah, fd
him to meet her. I think it's great
that she's coming here."
Still. the First Freshman might
want to steer clear of graduate
student Kristin Thesis- Alvarez. "I
was joking with my family that I
would like to TA one [of her
classes] and flunk her."
One person Chelsea will
definitely get to know well is
Summer. her roommate in and
Wither Hall. Summer, who has
only been identified by first name,
was thoroughly checked by the
attracting more minority students to
create a diverse student body does
not justify racial preferences in
college admissions.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused
to hear an appeal, letting the
appeals cowl ruling stand. But
Mississippi and Louisiana, the
other states in the same court
circuit, haven't interpreted the case
as strictly as Texas Attorney
General Dan Morales did.
That was "very disappointing."
particularly far the UT law school,
Sharlot said, because it has
graduated more black and Mexican-
American lawyers combined than
any other law school in the
country.
"We were not just paying lip
service to diversity." the dean said.
"We have been unusually
successful in attracting and
graduating minority students."
But this year, many minority
students didn't bother to apply. "If
they didn't feel they were welcome,
they saved their time and money for
other applications."
Last fall, the first-year law school
class included 31 black students at
42 Mexican Americans. This year,
four blacks and 26 Mexican
Americans started law school at
UT.
"The fact that not only did we
admit many fewer minorities this
year but that many fewer applied is
a punch in the stomach," said law
professor Russell Weintraub.
Demographers project Anglos ,
will be the mirtoritx l in _Texas in
about 30 years, Weintraub said,
which makes it even more
important to educate more black and
Latino professionals.
students
Secret Service. Their dorm room
that she and Chelsea will share is
outfitted with bulletproof windows
and a steel door.
Just down the hall. a young
looking team of Secret Service
agents is living the dorm life. To
blend in they will don college garb
and get around on mountain bikes.
But students needn't worry. A
former agent said the service is
there to insure Chelsea's safety. not
to break up quarters games and turn
down loud music.
"What the service wants to
protect against is kidnapping so
that the President doesn't have to
make a decision between family and
country," Larry Sheafe, a former
Secret Service agent, told NBC.
One thing the Secret Service can't
prevent is the culture shock Chelsea
might feel as she leaves the
Beltway bubble. She'll likely see a
lot more alabladers on Stanford's
palm-tree studded campus, and she
might want to leave her Starbucks
coffee mug behind— Californians
have moved on to the next trend,
Jamba Juice smoothies.
But Palmer, herself an East Coast
native, warns Chelsea not to be
overwhelmed by the shift of
attitude. I'm from Virginia, and
rm stocked at how materialistic
Stanford and the Silicon Valley sea
are. You don't really appreciate the
East until you get out here. I would
tell her not to give in to
materialism," Palmer said.
Palmer can rest assured. Chelsea
probably won't have time to let
materialism creep into her veins.
She wants to go to medical school
and become a pediatric cardiologist.
A lofty goal, but not an easy one.
"Chelsea can prepare to spend a lot
of time studying and in the lab if
she wants to get into med school,"
said Hung, a lab assistant, adding
that the pm-med path, "is no walk
in the park."
Auburn
male fraternity
must admit
women
By Eric Bruner
Knight-Ridder Newspapers
COLUMBUS, Ga. No women
allowed, at least not yet.
Alpha Psi fraternity at Auburn
University is ready to fight the
university to remain all male.
The fraternity sued the school
Monday, challenging Auburn's
attempts to fame the fraternity to
accept women or lose itshouse and
charter, a lawyer for the group said.
The spat between the all-male
veterinary fraternity and Auburn
officials began earlier this year
when the university determined the
group was "professional," and
therefore subject to federal laws on
gender equity. The university ruling
was made even though Alpha Psi
had been considered a "social"
fraternity since it was established at
Auburn in 1912.
— Since the university has
recognized them for years as a
social fraternity, can the university
arbitrarily flip-flop and say they are
a professional fraternity?" James B.
Sprayberry, an attorney for the
active members and alumni of
Alpha Psi. said Monday.
The fraternity's standing as a
social or professional group is the
core of the dispute.
Social organizations like the Boy
Scouts and Girl Scouts am exempt
from Tide IX of the federal Higher
Education Act of 1972, meaning
they can operate with all boys or all
girls. However, the law prevents
discrimination among professional
fraternities.
Auburn officials investigated
Alpha Psi's status after an official
inquiry by about 10 members of the
frateinity's "sister" group.
"If they are -kr breach of their
lease, what compensation is due the
fratemity for their house?"
Sprayberry said.
University of
Michigan
student dies;
boyfriend shot
by police
By College Press Service
CPS
ANN ARBOR, Mich.--A man
who police said refused to stop
stabbing his girlfriend was fatally
shot by University of Michigan
officers Sept. 23.
The woman, a Michigan senior,
later died in num.
The attack happened outside the
couple's campus apartment shortly
after midnight. Police who
responded to the call said they
ordered the suspect, Kevin V.
Nelson, 26, to stop stabbing the
woman, identified as 20-year-old
Tamara Williams.
The officer fatally shot Nelson
when he continued to stab Williams
with a knife.
Nelson, who was not a student,
was convicted of domestic assault
against Williams in October 1995.
according to University of
Michigan's student affairs office.
Although he was not registered as
living in campus housing, his
driver's license listed his address as
William's apartment, the university
said.
Williams' 2-year-old daughter,
who was not Nelson's child, was
later found asleep in her room and
has been placed in protective
custody. according to news reports.
"Our heart also goes out to the
grieving families," said Maureen
Hartford, vice president for student
affairs at Michigan. "To her
mother, her family, and most
importantly to her small daughter,
we extend our deepest sympathy."
Williams was a student at
Michigan's College of Literature,
Science and the Ms.
rules all-
The Alpha Psi house is owned by
fraternity alumni, but the property
is leased from the university for a
nominal fee. Until this fall, many
members lived in the house. Now,
the house is nearly vacant.
Among the nine Alpha Psi
chapters nationwide, only the Theta
chapter at Auburn is considered
social and does not admit women.
All of the fraternity's members
must be men enrolled in veterinary
medicine.
"After reviewing their own
recruiting materials ... it was the
president's decision that they were
really a professional fraternity
calling themselves a social
fraternity," Debra Armstrong-
Wright, Auburn's Title IX officer,
said in a previous interview. She
could not be reached for comment
on Monday.
Todd Freeman, a former president
of Alpha Psi, said Monday that the
fraternity may lose its house and its
blessing from the university, but
members still don't plan to accept
women or another fraternity's name
just to stay on campus.
Classes at Auburn resume
Tuesday. Also, the deadline for the
fraternity's decision was Tuesday.
"In my opinion, it would turn us
into a club. It just would not be a
fraternity," said Freeman, 25, of
Cadiz, Ky.
'There's so much brotherhood
and closeness in the group, there's
no way that could be achieved with
females in the group," he said.
Members claim another
professional veterinary fraternity,
Omega Tau Sigma, is available at
Auburn fair women who wish to
join.
"We didn't want to break apart
this organization, we just wanted to
be a part," said Monica McGee, a
senior vet student from Selma, Ala.
Internet
recipe
nearly
kills
liqueur fan
UPI Science News
Doctors say a man picked up an
Internet recipe for a fabled liqueur
that has been banned since Wald
War I and got more than a taste of
early-century bohemian life.
He also got a trip to the
emergency mom and a brush with
death.
In the New England Journal of
Medicine, doctors report on treating
a man who developed acute kidney
failure after drinking oil of
wormwood. The plant extract is a
key ingredient in the blue-green
liqueur absinthe.
The drink, a favorite of Van
Gogh and other luminaries, was
banned in France in 1915, and later
throughout most of the world,
because it causes insanity. But
eight decades later, the recipe
appears on a Web site entitled,
"What is Absinthe?"
The doctors. from George
Washington University Medical
Center, in Washington. D.C., say
the patient got the recipe, then
purchased the wormwood ingredient
through a Web site that sells
aromatherapies.
Kidney specialist Dr. Paul
Kimmel says the case shows that
the Internet can be a medical
minefield.