6 U. THE NATIONAL COLLEGE NEWSPAPER
News Features/FEBRUARY 1992
0
Decision to run Holocaust ad splits campus papers
By GWEN SHAFFER
The Michigan Daily, U. of Michigan
An advertisement claiming that the Holocaust never
occurred has been printed in several college newspapers,
sparking controversy on campuses and increasing anti-
Semitic concerns.
To date, five college newspapers - The Michigan Daily, The
Cornell Daily Sun, The Northern Star at Northern Illinois U.,
The Daily Northwestern, and The Duke Chronicle- have printed
the ad, written by the Committee for Open Debate on the
Holocaust (CODOH). About 10 other student newspapers
received the ad but declined to run it. Editors of the papers
that printed the ads have defended their actions by citing
CODOH's FirstAmendment rights.
After the advertisement, titled "The Holocaust
Controversy: The Case for Open Debate," ran, members of
the respective Jewish communities on each campus reacted
by organizing protests.
Many Jewish and non-Jewish students said they were
deeply offended by the material.
Duke U. protesters react to ad appearing In The Duke Chronicle.
"I was upset and offended because people who haven't
had exposure to the Holocaust could be swayed by
CODOH's arguments," said Susan Katz, a UMjunior.
Statistics from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith
(ADL) in New York indicate bigotry on college campuses
has increased dramatically in the past several years. In 1984,
six incidents of anti-Semitism were reported to the ADL,
while more than 100 were reported last year, said Jeffrey
A new battle plan
at Alfred U.
The faculty at Alfred U. is implementing
a unique battle plan in the war on ROTC's
ban against gays. The faculty voted to strip
ROTC classes of academic credit by 1996
unless the Department of Defense drops
its ban before next September. Alfred
Provost Richard W. Ott said that if the
motion carries, ROTC classes will lose all
curricular
status and no
longer satisfy
the physical
education
requirement.
But President
Edward G.
Coll,Jr., will attempt to bar that action as it
would, in effect, dissolve the program. "It
is a decision for the Board of Trustees," he
said. The contract that grants ROTC
scholarships requires that fully accredited
courses are applied toward graduation,
said Pentagon spokesman Col. Doug Hart.
"If creditwas removed, I imaginewewould
have to leave," he said.. Gregg Myers, Fiat
Lux, Alfred U.
"Coming Out" at
Northeastern U.
James Patterson, like many other college
students, "came out" to friends, faculty
and schoolmates on National Coming Out
Day last fall. But his title as Student
Government Association President at
Northeastern U. made him uniquely
visible. "Coming out was not a singular
event - it's an ongoing process," he said.
"I reached a point where I was sick of lying
to everybody." The response from
Northeastern's student body and the SGA
organization has been "really positive,"
Patterson said. He added that "a few jaws
dropped" when he told certain
administrators. Patterson said being gay
has brought him closer to certain issues
that affect Northeastern's 15,000
undergraduate students. "If anything, the
fact that I'm gay should forward my
organization - both in allowing people to
see that a lot of their generalizations and
misconceptions are not true...," he said..
Shay Studley, The Northeastern News,
Northeastern U.
A "low-budget movie"
kind of life
Marshall Ledbetter is in limbo. The 22-
year-old Florida State U. student who made
headlines when he held the Florida Capitol
building hostage last summer, is in the
State Mental Hospital in Chattahoochee,
Ha. awaiting a competency evaluation that
will allow him to stand trial. Ledbetter said
he broke into the Capitol to create a
"soapbox" for himself to speak out on the
problems plaguing the world. Ledbetter,
who said he tripped on psychedelic
mushroomsfor22 daysbefore the break-in,
also refused to take state-ordered Lithium,
saying that taking the medicine would
imply he was insane when he broke into the
Capitol. A new treatment team has since
made a different diagnosis, rescinding the
Lithium requirement. Ledbetter is now
willingly taking Prozac to cope with
depression. "They don't thinkI'mnuts," he
said. "It's a relief." But if he passes another
competency hearing, he will stand trial.
"My life has degraded into a low-budget B
movie," he said. "If I could find the
scriptwriter, I'd fire him." " Lauren Lustig,
FloridaFlambeau, Florida State U.
Paying to park
off-campus
The U. of Montana, saddled with
overcrowded parking lots and angry
students, may pay students living in
university residence halls tc
campus. Ken Stoltz, directorc
services, wants to pay studentsv
dorms up to $50 per quart-er tol
a mile from campus at a footba
field. UM would in-stall a ne
system at the field if the plan is
Stoltz said. Parking at UM is
because officials usually sell twi(
parking decals as parking space
This year the situation is even
roughly 500 more students p
campus, Stoltz said. But UM
George Dennison believes payir
won't curb the problem. "Peopl
have their automobiles right nex
he said.. Kathy McLaughlin,
Kaimin, U. of Montana
Liberty expels student
for religious beliefs
Three students were expe
Liberty U. in Lynchburg, Va., la
because their religious bel
"incompatible" with those of ti
afiliat
- run by
Jerry
, Chuck
one
studen
was
becaus
"doctrinal difference" from t
taught at Liberty. Groom a
students Guy Redmer and Mt
Yacobi were asked to leave bet
refused to sign a paper saying t
never attend the United Pe
Church, said UPC pastor
Klinedinst. In a prepared st
Falwell said, "Liberty University
Pentecostal... but does have
policy requiring students to
church services which are con
campus." Students need
permission from the school to:
outside services, Falwell added
think it's fair that they take
scholarship and kick me o
different beliefs," Groom said.'
to do is finish my educatios
Morton, CavalierDaily, U. ofVirg
Ross, director of the department of campus affairs and
higher education for ADL.
Mark Weitzman, associate director of educational
outreach for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a New York-
based organization that documents the Holocaust crimes,
said college-age students are removed from the events of the
Holocaust. Weitzman said that CODOH is seizing this as an
opportunity to make them doubt that these atrocities did
indeed occur.
Ross speculates that CODOH is targeting college news-
papers, instead of bigger city newspapers, as a publicity ploy.
"If you wanted to put an ad in the New York Times, it is very
costly," Ross said. "But if you put an ad in the Michigan Daily,
The New York Timeswrites a story aboutit and you get a free ad."
But Bradley Smith, director of CODOH, said he is
targeting student papers to reach an audience capable of
maintaining "an open mind on the subject" of debate.
"If you lived for 50 or 60 years, you have been inundated
with the orthodox view of the Holocaust," Smith said.
"When students are at a university, it is a time when they are
questioning things."
spark off Adrm
sf campus
who live in
of cpractieIi R I1N (I
park about
all practice
w security
approved,
s difficult
ce as many
s available.
worse with
arking on
President Spring break is right around the
ig students corner, and travel agents say students
e prefer to should start planning now if they want
t to them," to take advantage of the best deals.
Montana They also advise students to consider
alternate destinations this year.
According to the Ft. Lauderdale
S Chamber of Commerce, students
heading for the traditional hot spot will
be greeted with a rather chilly reception
lled from this year. "We are mainly a family-type
st semester vacation spot," a representative there
iefs were said.
he Baptist- Palm Springs also saw a slight decline
ted school in the student crowd last year. A
evangelist spokeswoman at the Chamber of
Falwell. Commerce attributed the drop mostly to
k Groom, the unseasonable cold weather and
of the early date of last year's break.
its, said he Meanwhile, South Padre Island in
expelled Texas saw an increase in visitors last
e he has a year. The 4 1/2 mile long island on the
he beliefs Mexican border traditionally attracts
nd fellow students from the Midwest. However,
ohammed Larry Updike, executive director of the
cause they Convention and Visitors Bureau, says last
hey would year a large number of students came
mtecostal from the East Coast and California. He
Douglas attributes the increase to the fact that the
atement, people there welcome student visitors.
is not anti- "We want them to come, but we want
a written them to be responsible and party smart."
attend all
ducted onY
written
attend any
d. "I don't
away my
ut for my
"All I want
na" Will
inia