News Briefs

CDS looking for student input

Students may begin hearing dining bells at Stevenson during the weekends.

Residential Life and Services is planning to send out a second Dining Options Survey to find out whether students would prefer to dine in Stevenson rather than Dascomb on the weekends.

According to Res Life's first survey given in Dascomb last weekend, the majority of students wanted Stevenson reopened for weekends. Assistant Director of Residential Life and Services Michelle Gross said, "We're willing to open Stevenson on the weekends if that's what students want. That's not a problem."

About 300 surveys were returned. The first dining survey was given to students during the weekend. Because many students do not dine on campus during the weekend many were not able to take the survey.

Although the majority of the students who returned surveys preferred the reopening of Stevenson, the sample section was too small to be accurate. "We're just not sure if opening Stevenson according to 300 surveys is statistically safe when there are 2000 students altogether," said Gross.

To try and provide a more accurate response, Res Life is planning to give out a second survey which will hopefully incorporate a larger number of student opinions. "We might put the survey out on Monday or Tuesday," said Gross. Hopefully the new survey will include the many students previously unaccounted for in the first survey.

by Merredith Collins

SM/BD makes it to Dealer pages

Oberlin College received some unsolicited publicity in the Sept. 11 Cleveland Plain Dealer. A page two commentary by Dick Feagler questioned the College's acceptance of the SM/BD (Sadism/Masochism and Bondage/Dominance) club.

Oberlin professor of physics John Scofield sent the Plain Dealer information about the club and suggested they write an article about it. Scofield was quoted numerous times in the column. "If more people knew about some of the things that go on here, they wouldn't go on here," he is quoted as saying.

SM/BD Club president Susan Dennehy was disappointed by the article. "He (Feagler) didn't talk to anyone in the club," she said. "I thought you were supposed to get both sides of the story."

Feagler quoted the Review many times in reference to a 'Fetish Party' and a student composer concert during which students simulated oral sex, both of which took place last year. Feagler used the incidents to question Oberlin's definition of 'tolerance' and 'endorsement.'

SM/BD Club has been active on campus for a number of years, but has not been granted a charter by the College, primarily for liability reasons. Its modified charter will be voted on again by the faculty next month. The Plain Dealer reported that Scofield plans to vote against it.

Scofield was reported as saying, "If this kind of thing continues, I think it will make it more and more difficult to recruit mainstream American kids."

"I didn't think it captured all my sentiments but I pretty much agreed with it," said Scofield.

by Russell Menyhart