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Show THE THUNDERBIRD • SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1992 • PAGE 3 Problems stem from harassment BY MINDY HYDE Thundabird Sraff WriteT Since the nationwide issues of Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill, there has been a rising issue of how to deal with sexual harassment and SUU is no exception. "Everyone needs to think about what messages they send, what is OK-for it may not be as acceptable to someone else," said SUU Associate Vice President for Student Services, Georgia Beth Thompson. Higher education charges of sexual harassment are hard to deal with, Thompson said. "However, everyone has rights. Srudents need to feel like they have the right to feel comfortable and safe in their learning environment Victims need to speak up if they want something stopped. The school has stringent policies concerning sexual harassment," she said. There is a committee on SUU which deals with each sexual harassment case. The chairman is Paul Daniels, SUU personnel director and affirmative actions counselor. There is also a handbook tided, Sexual Harassment Policy Statement and Procedures. The handbook was made by SUU personnel and is in accordance with the federal laws on sexual harassment The handbook defines sexual harassment as, " ...sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other intimidating verbal or written communication or physical conduct of a sexual nature. .. may take various forms; such as: inappropriate sexually related remarks or behavior by promise of reward; coercion of sexual activity by threat of punishment; sexual assaults; and inappropriate and offensive sexual advances without explicit threats of promises of reward." lf students feel they have been sexually harassed they need to speak up and report it as soon as it happens, Thompson said. This will make people more aware and teach them to monitor their personal behavior. The handbook also stat.es, "Following the report of an incident of sexual harassment, the chairperson will: give advice and guidance on both informal and formal procedures for resolving the problem, give the person a copy of the Sexual Harassment Policy Statement, make a record of the contact (and) keep all information oonfidential." "On our campus, if a file is charged it is based on circumstance and the victim can decide for himself or herself how he/she wants it handled," Thomoson concluded. Biking, walking become issues for SU BY JANA WRIGHT Thuru.krbird Sraff Wriur Some people feel that parking is a problem at SUU, but if students look at the other forms of transportation on campus-skateboarding, biking, rollerblading and even walking-they are beginning to be somewhat of problems, too. If srudents decide to walk or bike to school so they don't have to fight for a parking space, they'll notice that not only where they can park, but also where they can walk and bike is restricted. The signs that the SUUSA Senate put up around campus last spring quarter asking students to "keep off grass," will make a seoond appearance this year to help keep "short cut" paths from forming across the campus lawns. While student government funded the signs, maintenance placed them around campus in front of grass areas that students frequently used for short cuts. Maintenance again plans to put signs where they are necessary around campus. According to Chris Gale, lead groundskeeper of SUU, the signs were taken down last year for the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and have not yet been put back up. Biking and wallcing are not being discouraged, they're acrually being suggested. "We encourage people to ride bikes to school because of the parking problem," commented Kristy Wetzel, a campus security worker. "Even though some people complain about the bikers, it is some student's only ttansportation." However, if students decide to ride bikes to class, Campus Security officers advise that they lock them in the provided racks instead of around trees. Gale says that if students do chain their bikes to trees, those bikes will be permanently !oded to the trees by Campus Security officers. Students will have to go the Campus Security offices to have the bikes unlocked. Reasons for this, Gale says, is that students damage the tree bark when they chain their bike to the trees. Also, it is hard for those mowing the lawns to dodge the bikes. Skateboarding and rollerblading are not allowed on campus at this point because the middle school students are the majority of the rollerbladers, and SUU is liable for them, says Gale. House debate to be televised Thursday night William J. "Dub" Lawrence, independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, will join Republi~ incumbent James Hansen and Democratic challenger Ron Holt in a debate Thursday, aired from SUU. The public is invited to attend the debate, which will be in the Thorley Recital Hall at 7 p.m. The debate, moderated by Civic Dialogue host Ted Capener, will be taped by KUED Channel 7, and will air Oct 27 at 9 p.m. on Channel 7. Questions will come directly from audience members, and those wishing to participate should arrive by 6:45 p.m. Participants can come up with their own questions. Lawrence is a former Davis County Sheriff, elected as a Democrat, and later served as a Republican Davis County Commissioner. He challenged incumbent Hansen on the Republican ticket in 1990, but was defeated in the Republican state convention. "The debates are part of our ongoing commitment to help viewers make an informed choice," says KUED General Manager Fred Esplin. "By letting the srudio audience question candidates, the debates are a reminder of whom the political process is really supposed to serve." Srudents can receive Convocation credit for attending the debate, as it is part of the the Convocation Lecture Series. The group Fruwill pla~ at SUUSA's open house Thursday. AccOTding to Sandy LoTCl, SUUSA president, open houses are held to allow studenu the chance to get co know their senacors and simply to relax with other studenu. SEE RELATED STORY ON PAGE 9. I' Geology Club does more than study rocks BY HEATHER GREEN Thuru.krbird Staff Writer Rocks mean very little to some. They are used for gravel and for mantles, they are colored, they are boring, they do nothing. However, rocks are a part of geology, and a part of the dynamic earth and to the members and supporters of the geology club at SUU, they are anything but boring. The geology club, one of the oldest clubs on the SUU campus, was founded by Dr. Maxfield over twenty years ago. It has endured primarily as a self sufficient group because of the large amount of community support Dr. Robert Kennedy, advisor to the geology club said that the group is essentially self.sustaining. Unlike many clubs on the SUU campus, geology dub membership is open to the community and to any interested students. Membership dues for the club are $5 a quarter, or $15 for a year. Doug Mason, the club president, said that because member discounts are offered for the field trips, if students participate they will easily receive their money's worth. Besides the field trips offered to the community, the geology club offers a number of other services to the student body. The club is the sponsor of the map room in the library that is open to all students. Every four to six weeks, the club also offers a potluck dinner and lecture to any interested in attending. The club is also involved with service projects related to the science de~ent Mason s~ssed that although the geology club initially does concern the realm of geology and the physical sciences, the activities and lectures sponsored by the club are not always oriented around geology. He said that the "main purpose of the club is to provide a way to expose interested students and community members to information and fields they may not otherwise be exposed to." If students are interested in joining the SUU geology dub, they are encouraged to contact Robert Eves, Doug Mason, Robyn Green or Connie Jones for more information. |