News Briefs

SM/BD members to tell their side

On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. students and faculty will discuss the controversial Sado-Masochism/Bondage and Domination (SM/BD) club.

College senior Amie Ely initiated the discussion and will be mediating the panel. "If we don't agree with someone at Oberlin we tend to talk about them, not with them," she said.

The panel will consist of Professor of Biology Roger Laushman, Professor of Physics John Scofield, Professor of Politics Ronald Kahn, Assistant Professor of Women's Studies Diane Grossman-Kahn and college senior Susan Dennehy. All students, faculty and community members are encouraged to participate with their questions and comments at the end of the panelist discussion.

Each panelist will prepare a statement. "They will just say whether SM/BD is a good thing or a bad thing," said Ely.

Ely was surprised by the response she received. "It was just going to be a small discussion of a few professors about SM/BD at Barnard, and now it's going to be a campus-wide discussion," she said. According to Ely, the discussion venue will be large enough to seat about 200 people.

The talk of the SM/BD debate has spread throughout the campus, making Ely's job a bit easier. "There's been a lot of interest. I haven't done any advertising, but word of mouth has worked really well," she said.

-Merredith Collins

New class officer positions offered

Oberlin student body governance will see some new players this year.

Associate Dean of Students Bill Stackman worked with College President Nancy Dye this summer to institute a council of students that will be headed by class presidents. Class president elections are this week and are the first of their kind in recent history.

First-year, sophomore and junior class presidents will join the traditional senior class president to co-chair a council of students on which any student can sit. The council will be responsible for organizing activities with a fund provided by the President's office, including bringing speakers and co-sponsoring other class activities.

Student assistant in Student Life college senior Nicole Johnston said the council and the class presidents will not work in the same capacity as Senate.

"Senate, to me, is more issue oriented. This will be more resource oriented, providing services and events," Johnston said.

Elections for first-year, sophomore and junior class presidents begin today. Voting will run through Oct. 2.

"We can take money and bring an awesome speaker," Johnston said. The direction of the council will ultimately depend on the drive and vision of the class presidents elected.

-Abby Person

Delucas Lucas still being held

Delucas Lucas is currently being held at the Lorain County Correctional Facility on charges of attempted aggravated murder, attempted rape and aggravated burglary for the Sept. 6 assult of a college first-year in Fairchild Hall.

A 19-year-old Oberlin High School senior, Lucas confessed to the Sept. 6 assult as well as the Feb. 8 assult of an Oberlin student behind Keep Cottage in the Stevenson partking lot. The charge of felonious assult was brought against him for the spring incident. Lucas's bail is set at $500,000.

Lucas is currrently waiting for his arraignment in front of the grand jury.

-Ireta Kraal