the Samford Crimson
80th year, 22nd issue
to inform the mind, to voice the unheard
May 1, 1996
inside...
News
Samford Card:
Steps approved for
lost or stolen IDs
page 3
Sports
Basketball:
Team lands hot
new recruit
page 4
Features
AIDS Care:
Team suffers loss of
7-year-old victim
page 5
Editorials
Readers:
Confederate flag
a part of history
page 7
World 8i Nation
Miami:
(AP) There's a Re¬
publican move for an
election-year rollback
of President Clinton's
1993 gasoline tax hike.
Texas Senator Phil
Gramm said he’d make
up the lost revenue in
part by cutting welfare
benefits to legal aliens.
The tax amounts to
4.3 cents per gallon.
Washington:
(AP) The benefits
of a new appetite
suppressant "out¬
weighs the risks," ac¬
cording to the Food
and Drug Administra¬
tion.
So, despite objec¬
tions from some doc¬
tors and consumer ad¬
vocates, the first new
anti-obesity drug in 22
years won approval
Monday.
It's due on the mar¬
ket this summer.
Convo
Today:
Jim Barnette
Mon, May 6:
BSU Choir concert
Wed, May 8:
Jason Loscuito, senior
'Scuse me while I steal this guy
pwmi: Harper Cossar
/
inset: Robert Strickland
Artist Denny Dent's rendition of the musical genius Jimi Hendrix was placed
in the Food Court earlier this semester. Last week, it was stolen and destroyed.
The upper right photo shows the painting in its original form.
Students steal, maim
Jimi Hendrix painting
by Harper Cossar
Staff Editor
When the internationally renowned rock
'n' roll artist Denny Dent urged Samford stu¬
dents last semester to let art be what they do,
stealing and destroying his painting probably
isn’t what he had in mind.
Around 1 :30 a.m. April 23, approximately
three people entered the Food Court and, in
plain view of several witnesses, made off with
the 6 foot by 4 foot painting of Jimi Hendrix,
destroying it in the process.
Food Court Manager Mike Davis said that
when he arrived in the Food Court around 5
later that morning, all that was left of the art¬
work was its frame’s Plexiglas front and some
shredded remains of the mangled masterpiece
Dent had donated to Samford. The vandals
maimed the painting and apparently took just
Hendrix's oil-painted face.
Dean Richard Franklin said the painting
was valued, including its massive frame, at
around $2,500.
When this publication went to press, Di¬
rector of Campus Safety Robert Graves had
three written confessions from the alleged van¬
dals. Franklin said that since the three came
forth and confessed, the incident will be treated
as a values violation within the university, and
not the stiffer criminal penalties the three would
face from the Homewood Police Department.
The three accused face possible charges
of stealing, vandalism or both under the
Samford’s values violation policy dealing with
respect for property and the environment,
Franklin said.
It took homecoming chairperson Christa
Prater nearly six months, from November to
April, to Find a frame for the 6-by-4 foot, 100-
pound painting.
“We decided to hang it in the Food Court
so students could see it,’’ Prater said. “They
enjoyed [Dent’s] show so much and requested
that the painting be displayed.” Prater said the
painting’s theft dnd vandalism, “just shows the
immaturity of some students.”
Had Jimi’s mural hung until 4 p.m. on the
day of its theft, it would have been up for ex¬
actly two weeks. ■
Security petitions to employ police status
by Robert Strickland
Staff Editor
Most state institutions and
some private universities employ
security officers with full police
status, so why not Samford as
well?
Dean Richard Franklin said
Director of Campus Safety Robert
Graves discovered that a recent
law allows private campuses to at¬
tain police jurisdiction.
So they asked university
president Thomas Corts to take it
to the state legislature last spring,
to request adding Samford to the
list.
Only one signature is needed
to complete the process, which has
passed through both legislative
houses completely unopposed,
Franklin said.
He said Corts would then have
the authority to designate specific
candidates to be sworn in as po¬
lice officers. Graves said only
around Five of the 17 current of¬
ficers would be affected.
Officers would be selected
based on seniority and back¬
ground, and the goal would be to
keep one police officer on duty at
all times in case an arrest situation
arose, Franklin said.
Graves said the sworn offic¬
ers would then be required to at¬
tend the police academy within six
months to receive better training
than is currently provided to Safety
officers. The only training they
receive now is from the Safety de¬
partment, he said.
Arrest powers would be re¬
stricted to felony cases. Graves
said, and would only be exercised
in case of an emergency. Misde¬
meanors would be handled as cam¬
pus violations as they are now, he
said.
Graves said the present sys¬
tem does not allow for quick re¬
sponse, since the department must
contact Homewood Police or the
sheriff’s department in an arrest
situation.
He said some students have
expressed concerns about the pos¬
sibility of receiving state traffic
tickets, which would appear on
their traffic records and affect in¬
surance costs. Not to worry,"
though, because state traffic tick¬
ets cannot- be issued on private
property except in Fire lane viola¬
tions, he said.
The new status would also al¬
low Safety access to police com¬
puters, giving them the ability to
check criminal records, identify
reckless drivers by their license
plates, and access police reports.
Graves said. “It’s totally for the
protection of the students,” he said.
“(Campus Safety) will never be a
police department.”
“We’re just trying to be
proactive and ready,” Franklin
said, “and we need the control to
do that.” ■
Warming up
Catcher Erik Metzger has been a solid contributor to this year's base¬
ball team. Samford' s overall record is 22-26.
Contested SGA
proposal vetoed
by Michelle Henderson
Staff Reporter
Despite some opposition, SGA President Eric Mot¬
ley will remain in office until the end of the semester.
In a special session held Monday, SGA senators
voted 20-16 not to override a veto to a bill which would
install new officers before the end of the semester.
Eric Motley vetoed the bill, SB-95/96-45, which was
previously passed by the Senate.
In a statement issued by Motley, he said, ”... the cur¬
rent SGA officers are expected to fulfill their duties and
responsibilities until the end of the semester. If current
officers move out next week there will be a great many
please see SGA, page 3
Samford University Library
