Admin. opposed to school paper

---

by Felisa Yang

---

The University of Arkansas at Monticello is currently the only university in Arkansas without a school newspaper, and it has been so since the early '80s.

Despite repeated efforts on the part of students to start a campus publication, administrators refuse to back the idea, maintaining that a lack of both a journalism major and student interest would make it impossible to staff a campus publication.

Supporters of the endeavor point out that the students of UAM have no source of campus information and often transfer to other schools because they are unaware of the opportunities available at UAM, according to Darren High, a student at UAM.

In the spring of 1994, a group of students formed an independent, student-run publication called The Southeasterner. Lack of administrative support and university funding has forced the staff to rely only on funds obtained through advertising sales.

In June of 1994, UAM administrative officials issued a letter to local businesses stating that UAM did not have an official student newspaper and "has not authorized anyone to use the university's name in publishing a newspaper, printing a newspaper or soliciting advertisements for a newspaper."

The letter misled business owners to believe that the students did not have the right to publish, print or solicit ads for an independent newspaper at a state-supported university. Consequently, the staff had trouble selling ads, and in the fall of 1994, the paper folded.

Students at UAM are currently attempting to revive The Southeasterner , with the resolute belief that there is a definite need for a student newspaper.

-- Source: Darren High, managing editor for The Southeasterner.

Lawsuit challenges internal disciplinary procedures

A recent case of sexual assault on a university campus has brought the issue of internal judicial processes at universities to the forefront.

In a groundbreaking federal lawsuit, Christy Brzonkala is suing Virginia Polytechnic & State University and the two male students whom she claims raped her.

This is the first civil case to be brought under the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which considers rape a violation of civil rights and allows individuals to sue for damages in a federal court.

In April of 1995, Brzonkala revealed to her parents that she had been raped by two football players in her dorm. On the advice of a rape counselor, she brought a confidential university disciplinary complaint against her alleged assailants.

The university cleared one of the men and postponed the one-year athletic suspension that was originally meted out to the other. Brzonkala learned of his reinstatement through the sports pages of The Washington Post.

In the Nov. 28 issue of the Virginia Tech newspaper, Collegiate Times , Brzonkala and her lawyer, Eileen Wagner, contend that "because he's an athlete, he got off."

Brzonkala is suing the university for $8.3 million, the amount that the football team earned for competing in the Sugar Bowl last December.

She claims that the university judicial process favored the football team in her claim -- a violation of Title IX laws which bar sex discrimination in schools that accept federal funds.

The lawsuit also challenges the right of colleges and universities to handle disciplinary cases privately. Many institutions, including Rice, have internal judicial systems which handle a wide variety of cases. In particular, it challenges Virginia Tech's right to handle sexual assault cases internally.

-- Source: The Houston Chronicle , Feb. 12.

This item appeared in the News section of the February 16, 1996 issue.

Copyright © 1996 The Rice Thresher. All Rights Reserved.
This document may be distributed electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted without the express written permission of:
The Rice Thresher, Rice University, 6100 Main, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.