г
The Samford Crimson
WEDNESDAY ; November 11, 2009
Don Orr | The Samford Crimson
English major Mary Laura Rogan was crowned Samford
University's 2009 Homecoming Queen Saturday. Communication
studies major Bee Frederick was named Honor Escort.
Serving Samford University Since ms VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 9
Officials declare breathalyzers a
rumor in Greek alcohol policy
Lauren Womack
The Samford Crimson
According to the Office of Student Affairs, many of the rumors
regarding a change in Greek life’s alcohol procedures are false.
“There is no new Greek policy and no new alcohol policy,” Vice
President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Phil Kimrey said. “Our
policy is that we’re a dry campus, so that would mean that, for any
individual or any organization, on or off campus, all events would be
dry.”
One major issue that students heard about was the use of breatha¬
lyzers at Greek parties in the future. Kimrey, however, said that the
idea of breathalyzers at sorority and fraternity parties, along with any
other university-related functions, has not been discussed.
“Certainly, if there’s an issue, we could go to that extreme, but I
couldn’t even tell you what a breathalyzer looks like, much less where
they are kept and who has access to them,” he said. “That may have
been taken way out of proportion.”
However, one rumor that is a reality is the possibility of univer¬
sity representatives acting as chaperones at Greek social functions and
other events.
“It’s come to my attention, in discussing mainly Greek events, that
we have not had many institutional staff members present at off-cam¬
pus events,” Kimrey said. “In an effort to be more aware about what’s
going on, we’re going to do our best to have staff members from the
Office of Student Affairs and others at events.”
Kimrey said the chaperones could include any of the Office of
Student Affairs staff members, such as himself, Assistant Director of
Student Involvement for Greek Life Sherrelle Hudson, Director of
Student Involvement & Leadership Education Jennifer Dunn Hall,
Associate Dean of Students Garry Atkins and others. The decision
to have one of these representatives at any particular event would be
made on a case-by-case basis. All university-sponsored events would
be subject to having university representatives present, not just Greek
functions, Kimrey said.
“If professor so-and-so is going to be at the XYZ club event, and
there are only four or five or a dozen members that are planning to
attend, that’s different than if you’re going to have 150 students at an
event in a hotel or a ballroom,” Kimrey said. “It’s case-by-case, but it’s
not preselecting and predetermining.”
Many students, however, fear that the practice of sending university
representatives to certain events could turn into a “witch hunt,” Sigma
Chi president and junior accounting major Sam Dickerson said.
“Some people don’t trust a lot of people in the administration,”
Dickerson said. “When they start taking more and more authority,
then students don’t trust them to use it correctly, and fear people or
organizational events will be singled out based on past instances.”
For Chi Omega social chair and junior nursing major Lexi Wiley,
having a university representative chaperone a sorority or fraternity
function would be “overkill.”
“It seems like there’s going to be someone there watching you like
it’s fifth grade,” she said. “What happens if I haven’t had a drop of
alcohol, and I’m just a really crazy dancer? Are they going to pull me
aside and say ‘You look a little drunk?’"
“A lot of people feel like the administration is going too far into
our personal lives, and all privacy is being removed,” Dickerson said.
“People kind of feel like the administration is trying to take over.”
Kimrey said the purpose of chaperones is not to punish students or
infringe upon their privacy, but to protect them.
See Greek, page 2
Public Safety launches
“Campus Watch” Program
Rebecca Tischler
The Samford Crimson
Chief Mike Coppage is
the new director of Pub¬
lic Safety and Emergency
Management. As the new
chief, he said he wants to
“revamp the department,
reshape it and send it in a
different direction.”
In an effort to do so,
Public Safety has begun
the “Campus Watch” pro¬
gram.
“This program is meant
to raise awareness that
public safety Ls not just the
responsibility of Public
Safety. We all have a part
to play to keep the campus
safe,” Coppage said.
The program is also an
educational one. Public
Safety is trying to send out
regular information and
tips about safety.
Part-time secretary for
the English department,
Beth Moore, said, “They
send me more notices
about safety issues, and the
chief is very thorough and
forthcoming with what
we need to know. He’s ex¬
plained about things that
are beyond the campus re¬
lating to safety and I think
that’s helpful.”
They are also working to
set up an online personal
property log.
“You would list the prop¬
erty, so if it’s misplaced or
stolen, all item informa¬
tion is recorded and can
help recovery,” Coppage
said. “Just because you
say it’s yours doesn’t mean
it is. You still have to prove
it’s yours so you can help
the investigation.”
This program is also an
attempt to keep everyone
updated and alert about
possible problems. Alerts
and warnings are sent
through email about sus-
See Safety, page 2
Entrepreneurship program selected
as finalist in national contest
Social justice organizations partner for Justice week
Logan Heim
The Samford Crimson
Poverty is all around us. At least 80% of humanity lives
on less than $10 a day. According to the U.S. Census Bu¬
reau, in 2007, 39.8 million Americans were in poverty. This
number increased in 2008. The Food and Agricultural Or¬
ganization of the United Nations noted that more than 1.02
billion people across the world suffer from chronic hunger.
Almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes ev¬
eryday — that’s one child every five seconds.
Oxfam, a social justice organization that focuses on glob¬
al hunger, poverty and social injustice, has teamed up with a
variety of Samford organizations to host a weeldong series of
events promoting social justice November 16-21. This year
they are working with University Ministries’ Social Justice
Committee, Project Africa Now and Samford’s Community
Service Council to put on the week of events. The week has
been titled Justice for All Week.
Senior political science major and lead coordinator of
Oxfam Jonathan Coley said that the week will educate and
mobilize students against social injustice.
One of the events taking place is Hope for Hunger.
“Hope for Hunger gives stdfients the opportunity to skip
a meal in the Caf and have that money donated to a local
food bank,” said Coley.
Students may sign up for the event in the Caf on Tuesday,
Photo courtesy ofciw-online.org
During Justice for All Week, a group of 15 famworkers and
activists will come to talk to students about their struggles in Fla.
Nov. 17. When skipping their lunch on Wednesday, Nov.
18, students will have opportunity to visit the tables in Ben
Brown Plaza for University Ministries, Oxfam, Project Af¬
rica Now and the Community Service Council to learn how
to take action on social justice issues.
The Social Justice Committee and Project Africa Now will
both put on events next week about crises in Africa. On
Monday, Nov. 16, the Social Justice Committee will show
Rape in the Congo in Harry’s Coffeehouse at 7 p.m., and on
See Justice, page 2
Rachel Freeny
The Samford Crimson
On Oct. 28, the U.S. Association of
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
(USASBE) selected the Brock School of
Business to be a national finalist for the
Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneur-
ship Program.
The School of Business is one of the
top three finalists for the award for busi¬
ness programs that hav<8 existed for three
years or less.
“It’s a very affirming recognition of
the progress we’ve made over the last two
years in the development of a world class
entrepreneurship program,” said Dean
Beck Taylor.
The School of Business is named af¬
ter Harry Brock, a businessman whose
successful career and generous donations
enabled the school to further develop. The
schools entrepreneurship program start¬
ed in 2007. Previously, Samford had only
offered one course in entrepreneurship,
but with the hard work of Dr. Franz
Lohrke, Dean Taylor and others, the
school now offers students three different
programs: a major in entrepreneurship,
a social entrepreneurship concentration,
apd a minor in social entrepreneurship.
The primary goal of these programs is to
teach students the necessary skills to pur¬
sue opportunities in small business, new
ventures, family firms, non-profit organi- f
zations and large companies.
“The recognition reflects the hard work
of faculty who’vc put together a compre¬
hensive curriculum, as well as the com¬
mitment of our benefactor Harry Brock,
without whom we wouldn’t be able to
carry out our mission to educate future
business owners,” Taylor added.
Lohrke views this recognition as the
first step to gain national status as an ex-
See Business, page 2
Birmingham turmoil follows Larry Langford case
Blake Tommey
The Samford Crimson
Photo courtesy of The Birmingham News
On Nov. 2, only five days after for¬
mer Birmingham mayor Larry Lang¬
fords conviction, Birmingham’s elec¬
tion commission announced that voters
will choose their next mayor on Dec. 8.
The commission announced that Nov.
18 is the deadline for potential candi¬
dates to file qualification papers.
Following his convictiori on Wednes¬
day, Oct. 28, Langford was forced to
vacate his office and Birmingham City
Council President Carole Smitherman
became the standing mayor of Bir¬
mingham. Smitherman examined city
finances during her first week as in¬
terim mayor and found that financial
information had been withheld from
the city council under finance director
Steve Sayler’s time in office.
Last week she announced that Say-
ler, who served as finance director un¬
der Langford, had resigned. In The Bir¬
mingham News, Smitherman said that
Slayer’s departure was “two-fold.”
“Perhaps a little bit of him wanting
to leave and perhaps a little bit of want¬
ing what’s best for the city,” she said.
City turmoil followed after Lang¬
ford was found guilty on all 60 counts
of bribery, money laundering con¬
spiracy and fraud. After a 10-day trial,
Langford was convicted of receiving
about $236,000 in fine clothing, jew¬
elry and cash from banker Bill Blount
and lobbyist Al LaPierrc.
Both Blount and LaPierre pleaded
guilty in the case against Langford and
admitted entering into bribery with the
former mayor in exchange for Lang¬
ford sending county finance business
See Langford, page 2
I
L;. • & '
(205) 726-2996
www.samfordcrimson.com
Send story ideas to <
