Maroon

              The MAROON Vol. 64, No. 12 Loyola University, New Or eans, Louisiana 70118 November 26,1985 Trustees give final approval to new building By Mary Caffrey Staff writer The University Board of Trustees unanimously agreed Thursday to construct a parking garage/recreation center on campus, upholding a student referendum that had been declared invalid by the Student Government Association Court of Review. The decision was based on the report given by the board's Student Affairs Committee, which said the SGA student referendum was valid, Vincent P. Knipfing, vice president for Student Affairs, said. "The Student Affairs Committee felt the referendum was a valid and authentic expression of the students' point of view," Knipfing said. The referendum asked students if they would help fund the proposed $12 million facility. It passed on Oct. 15 with 53.5 percent of the vote. But the Court of Review recalled the referendum, ruling that the SGA had conducted a one-sided, proreferendum campaign that may have improperly affected the outcome. Trustees were aware of the court's ruling, but it was not discussed at Thursday's meeting, Knipfing said. He said the committee found the referendum to be valid because there were no allegations of fraud in the election or misrepresentation of factual information.The committee disagreed with the court's statement that campaign funds were not adequately available to students opposed to the construction of the facility, he said. "There's no reason to believe these students would not have been given funds if there had been a legitimate request," Knipfing said. The committee said the facility was needed and building it was in Loyola's best interest. But Knipfing said in his opinion the original referendum was binding, and the facility would not have been built if it had failed. SGA President Byron Arthur said he was pleased with the board's decision. "The board felt it could get an accurate measurement of whether or not students wanted the building," he said. "They saw, as I and others did, that there was nothing illegal which could have disturbed the decision." Knipfing said the board did not discuss the financial commitments Loyola has made since the referendum passed. But he said if the university pulled out at this point, there would be financial penalties. "Bonds have been sold and the architects have begun the drawings," Knipfing said. "1 really don't know how much it would cost, but it would be in the thousands." Although the board did not issue an official statement about the SGA's role in the referendum, Knipfing said he does not think they found any problems with the SGA's actions. Knipfing said May 1 has been set as a target date for the beginning of construction. Students will begin paying an extra $200 a year beginning in the fall of 1987. With this issue, 'The Maroon* ceases publication for the fall semester. Publication will resume Jan. 24,1986. Homosexuals: respect lacking GAYS ON CAMPUS Editor's note: The homosexual students interviewed for this story wished to remain anonymous. Where appropriate, names are fictitious. By Judi Hymel News Editor To some, they are an invisible community. To others, they are a large part of the campus, possibly more than the estimated national average of 10 percent. Regardless of their numbers, gay students at Loyola remain anonymous, often fearful of rejection from other students, friends, and parents — and sometimes fearful of accepting the reality themselves. And they offer different perspectives ot lite on campus. "There isn't any acceptance here," Ben, a homosexual student, said. "There is more acceptance in general society than there is here. ) don't know if it is self-imposed or there is actually someone imposing the pressure on us. It seems like a lot of both." "Being gay at Loyola is not a problem — as long as they [homosexuals] stay in their place, as long as straight students don't feel threatened," Andy, a homosexual student, said. Homosexuals on campus claim that acceptance from others is essential for them to be comfortable with who they are. Many gay students said the campus is generally tolerant, but they were also aware that a large part of the campus would reject them if their sexual preference were known. "Good friends accept me for who 1 am, but the general campus, if they knew I was gay, would alienate me. I would be an animal at the Audubon Zoo," Greg, a homosexual student, said. When Henry, a homosexual student, first came to Loyola he was scared of students learning he was homosexual. "But people that do know I'm gay like me for me, as a person, not because I like guys," he said. "Gays are, and have been, a large part of this [Loyola] community and people should just accept it." But "just accepting it" is difficult for college students, Libby Tisdell, associate campus minister, said. "Typically at a college level people aren't aware of their own sexuality - 75 percent of the students that come in my office aren't," Tisdell said. She said students often reject homosexuals because they are afraid of their own homosexual feelings. "There is a wall around this university. The university is just not ready to deal with it. " —Hutchinson "Homophobia," the fear of persons or things homosexual, runs rampant on campus, said Judy Hutchinson, a residence counselor who claims that more students have come to her this semester for counseling on homosexuality than in the previous two semesters. She said demeaning language about homosexuals and the grafitti in elevators and bathrooms can be evidence of homophobia. Another common fear, Tisdell said, is that many students feel threatened by a homosexual member of the same sex. "Just because someone is gay doesn't mean they are suddenly attracted to you and will force themselves on you," she said. While many contend Loyola's homosexual population is large, they offer different explanations as to why. Ben said it is because Loyola is an institution of higher learning, and "homosexuality is more prevalent in educated circles where people have expanded horizons." —Photo by John McCusker A wareness is a crucial step See Homosexuals/page 4