DePaulia (DePaul University, Chicago, IL), 1995-04-21

              By Vanessa Weber Managing Editor The Concerned Black Students (CBS) of DePaul University officially ended their 10-day sit-in at the DePaulia offices at 9 p.m. on April 15, 1995. Prompted by the protest, DePaul president, the Rev. John P. Minogue. C.M., released a memo stating the university's ongoing commitment to achieving a diverse community. The April 13 memo, which was circulated to the university community, re-instituted publication of the DePaulia immediately. It also stated that because the student protest remained peaceful, the university will take no disciplinary action against those students who took over the DePaulia office on April 5. By Zack Martin Editor in Chief Message from the editor This issue of the DePaulia could be the most widely read and scrutinized issue in the paper's 73 years. What could I possibly say to the readers? After a highly publicized twoweek period during which the DePaulia was not published, it is time for me, as editor in chief, to make a statement. What insight into this situation could I give the readers of the DePaulia they might not have already received from the Tribune, Sun-Times or even the New York Times? What story is left for me to tell? I remember my reaction when I found out about the memo addressed to the university community, saying the DePaulia had not presented all the facts in the initial Feb. 17 news article. The memo was signed by Vice President for Student Affairs Jim Doyle and Housecall Operations Manager Rhonda Moore. I was angered by this blatant attack on the credibility of the DePaulia. A lot has changed since then. I'm still concerned with the credibility of the paper, but many of my views changed as the situation evolved. There was the shredding of an issue, a sit-in at the office and the suspension of the paper. As each of these major events unfolded, my view of the paper, what we are doing and how we've handled the situation changed. The two-week hiatus gave the staff and me a lot of time to think about what happened and what there was to do. The hiring of an outside media consultant is a positive move for the paper and the university along with expansion of the DePaulia Advisory Council. There still is a lot to be done. A phrase I keep hearing from administrators in reference to this situation is, "it's an educational According to James R. Doyle, vice president of Student Affairs, "The intervention of Dr. Barbara Sizemore [dean of the School of Education] aided in the ending of the sit-in. She met with the students and through her recommendation of what was in the best interest of the university and the students involved, it [the protest] came to an end." The university's commitments in regard to the DePaulia include the retention of an AfricanAmerican media consultant to work with the DePaulia staff for the remainder of the Spring term. This consultant will also design and implement training strategies dealing with issues of sensitivity and recruitment of additional staff of color. The other actions taken by the university as a result of the sit-in experience." I know I have learned more through this experience than in most of my classes my friends, family and professors have all told me this. However, as Mike Hiestand from the Student Press Law Center in Washington, D.C., said in a Washington Times interview, "If this is a learning experience of the '90s, then maybe we should take a trip back in time to find out what the Bill of Rights is all about." What the university did was an obvious subversion of our First Amendment rights. A question I have been asked by many friends and acquaintances is. "who are you mad at?" Am I angry with the Student Affairs Division and Father John P. Minogue for obviously subverting the DePaulia staff's First Amendment rights, or am I angry with the Concerned Black Students (CBS) for having the sit-in? I'm not happy with Student Affairs or Father Minogue. I definitely think this situation could have been handled better from the beginning. Also, the fact that no members of the DePaulia staff were involved in the negotiations between CBS and the university, some of which directly affected the paper, is very disturbing to me. It was frustrating when I. as editor in chief, heard information secondand third-hand from other, nonDePaulia staff people. As for the subversion of the DePaulia's First Amendment rights through the paper's suspension by Fr. Minogue, there is no doubt in my mind that he did violate the rights of the students of DePaul. When the decision was made to suspend publication, it was probably one of the worst decisions Fr. Minogue has made throughout this entire episode. I wonder what the admissions figures are going to See Martin Page 6 Vol. 73, No. 20 DePaul University April 21,1995 10 days that rocked DePaul include the hiring of a security consultant to conduct an evaluation and review of security management and the releasing of the independent investigators' report on the events surrounding the Housecall dance on Feb. 10, 1995. According to Doyle, the goals for the university are "to try and move forward on the critical issues at hand and deal with issues of backlash, polarization and hurt, and to put the community back together." Eric L. Wright, spokesperson for the Concerned Black Students, said, "I feel the concessions the university presented to the university community and the Concerned Black Students area partial victory. But a couple of things CBS wanted were brushed over: the suspension of the DePaulia, sanctions against members of the staff and an apolo­ By Damani Phillips I would like to share with the DePaul community my experiences in the struggle that has engulfed DePaul over the past 10 days. For me, this struggle embodies the very essence of what minorities have to fight for on a daily basis. Before I go any further, I want to be sure that we all understand the fact that the events that have transpired over the past 10 days are not solely in response to the misdeatment of black people, but in response to the mistreatment of all minorities here at DePaul. The struggle to acquire an equally valid voice and the general respect we deserve is a universal struggle that goes beyond the boundaries of blackness. However, being a black student. I can only offer you my perspective as a black man who is working in conjunction with those who recognize and share my desire to achieve complete and irrevocable equality. I want the DePaul community to understand why we are going through this protest and why it means so much to us all. Consider this: You come here to DePaul University every fall and stay here until June. You pay thousands of tuition dollars to come here, only to be greeted by racially biased professors who don't even give you enough respect to find out about you before they assume that you are an athlete or that you are inferior simply because your musical preferences differ from theirs. Now, after you leave your ordeal in class, you come into the cafeteria to find out that the student newspaper has written an insensitive, imbalanced and factually incorrect article about you and the friends who attended a party last week. Seeing this article reminds you of events that happened at that party. You remember how DePaul security was nowhere to be found when trouble broke out and how your peers had to assume responsibility and risk their safety. Then you remember how the &1)C ®e^aulta DePaul University's Official Student Newspaper gy from the DePaulia. We feel the university made a decision [based] on what's popular instead of on what's right." Zack Martin, editor in chief of the DePaulia, said: "Obviously, I'm happy that we have resumed publishing. My hope is that the actions taken by the university will provide an outlet for all students, including CBS, to voice their concerns without silencing fellow students." The commitments outlined in the memo impact the entire university and reiterate many of the recommendations made in the Report of the Multicultural Implementation Committee published in January 1995. The recommendations include increasing the number of faculty and staff of color, the appointment of a Special Assistant to the Time for healing Chicago Police stormed into the party pointing guns at you and your friends, even though no immediate danger had ever existed. Then you reminisce about how the police threw your friends out into sub-zero weather without their jackets, and those who opposed this action were arrested for occupying the very space that their tuition dollars are paying for. Imagine being a DePaul student, paying your money just like everyone else, and yet you are considered a trespasser on your very own campus. These are just a few of the things that minorities have endured here at DePaul, and we have united in protest to communicate to all that we deserve better than we've received so far. You must understand that as a student newspaper, the DePaulia theoretically should represent everyone's voice. However, after an event at which you were present transpires, your voices aren't even sought when compiling facts to create an article. So, being concerned about what you've just read, you take your case to the administration and the very people who wrote the controversial article.At this point, the administration doesn't truly take you seriously, and the newspaper, though admitting that the article was unfair, won't apologize for its actions. The events that have sparked this protest are events that have been recurring throughout my three years at DePaul. If we didn't stand up now, we would have been saying to everyone that it's alright to mistreat and disrespect us. I want everyone to comprehend the fact that we are all students of equal status and importance and that I DEMAND the same respect and courtesy that YOU receive. I do not believe that I am alone in this concern, and until it is addressed, DePaul will never be See Phillips Page 6 President for Multicultural Issues, curriculum expansion reflecting multiculturalism and diversity, a proposed general education program revision including a multicultural requirement, and funds being allocated to support the development and expansion of courses. Dr. Richard J. Meister. executive vice president for Academic Affairs, said, "A significant effort has been made to increase faculty of color. We are two-thirds done in the hiring process and seven faculty of color have accepted positions for the '95-'96 academic year. The mere presence of these faculty members increases the courses available in African-American and Latino studies." Other recommendations concentrate on the development of proSee Rocked Page 4 side re- Actions are now being taken to address diversity issues within the DePaulia student newspaper as an organization. In News, Page 3 Newspaper increasing nationwide Protests in which the distribution of student newspapers is halted are occurring more frequently on college campuses. In News, Page 4 community discusses core issues Random members of the DePaul community are asked to comment on the issues involved in the protest. In News, Page 5 spokesperson speaks out to DePaul Eric Wright outlines concerns raised by the sit-in and delves into the issues of freedom of speech and racism. In Opinion/Editorial, Page 9 DePaulia faults administration Randall Sawyer states in his column, "we all got screwed." as the university missed the big picture during the DePaulia sit-in. In Opinion/Editorial, Page 10