>From: "David B. O'Donnell" >Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 12:02:31 -0400 We need your help in Wilson, North Carolina!! The Administration of Barton College, a small, religiously-affiliated school in Wilson, N.C., overrode the school's student constitution and forced the Student Supreme Court Justice there to nullify the results of a campuswide election following the landslide victory of openly gay Student Body President candidate Mark Holtzman. Although Administration officials said their reasons for doing so focused on Holtzman's grade point average, Elections Chairman Jeffrey Wilkins (a student) said he believed Holtzman's GPA would qualify him for the post, which Holtzman would have assumed next fall. Wilkins and the editor of the student newspaper both said they believed Holtzman's sexual orientation was the real reason behind the Administration's interference in what is usually a student-run system. With the Administration overriding the Student Constitution, Wilkins said students are "concerned that it could affect the school, but are more concerned that people's civil rights are being ignored." Mark Holtzman is the only openly-gay student on the entire Barton campus, yet he is also very popular with the student body. It is believed that Barton officials were fearful of what Holtzman might try to accomplish if he were allowed to take a leadership position on campus. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Wilson, N.C. does not have a large gay community and we are unable to organize any large-scale demonstration to protest the decision of the Barton College administration. However, you can help us by writing, calling or faxing Bobby White, the Vice-President of Student Life, and demanding that Mark Holtzman be allowed to assume his duly-elected position as Student Body President. I suggest that you also say that discrimination must not be tolerated at an institution of higher learning and that students should be able to choose their own elected leaders (as spelled out in the Barton College constitution) without administrative interference. Bobby White's address and phone numbers follow. Bobby White Vice-President of Student Life Barton College Barton College Station Wilson, N.C. 27893 Voice: (919) 399-6365 Fax: (919) 237-4957 Thank you for your support and concern! -- Doug Ferguson cdfergus@gibbs.oit.unc.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ian K. Lekus \ Red / Duke University \ Orange / "If I can't dance, Dept. of History \Yellow / I don't want to Durham, NC 27708 \Green/ be part of your (919) 383-5413 \Blu/ revolution." lekus@acpub.duke.edu \P/ -- Emma Goldman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------