Former Fox News Anchor Laurie Dhue Fights Alcoholism

By Hannah Vanbiber (hvanbiber@gmail.com)

“I suffered in silence because I knew I needed to keep these good jobs,”
said Former Fox News anchor Laurie Dhue. Photo courtesy of Laurie Dhue

Laurie Dhue, once a popular and rising news anchor with Fox News, was a closet alcoholic for over ten years of broadcasting.

As an anchor for cable television’s #1 network, she was known in homes across America. She was wealthy and successful with a high-profile job in Manhattan.

And yet she had been living in her own “private hell" of addiction.

On March 14, 2007, she woke up “deeply hung over” and realized she wouldn’t live much longer if she kept drinking. 

“I looked in the mirror and didn’t even recognize myself,” Dhue said. “I knew I had to get help.”

Recently, four years into her recovery, the story became public.  Dhue is now willing to talk about it publicly.  

Dhue covered high profile stories and personalities like Dr. Henry Kissinger.
Dhue with Kissinger Photo courtesy of Laurie Dhue

Dhue recounts her life of alcoholism as one of mere survival, drinking heavily two or three nights a week, and coming to work regularly with a hangover.  As a high-functioning alcoholic, she managed to keep her problem completely hidden.

“Everyone saw this attractive, confident person on TV, but really I felt so alone and afraid,” Dhue said. “I thought, ‘Well, I guess I have to keep drinking.’"

Dhue says low self-esteem, something that started forming in her adolescence, was a fuel for her addiction. 

"I have never felt good enough," Dhue said.

Dhue grew up in Atlanta with a loving and protective Christian family.  She rarely drank in high school, but when she joined a sorority at UNC Chapel Hill, she says she quickly went from inexperienced family girl to heavy partier.  

“The first night I got drunk,” Dhue said, “I was very very sick. But that’s what you did in college. I wanted to fit in.”

“I loved being in Jersualem,” Dhue said of her reporting stint in the city. 

Photo Courtesy of Laurie Dhue

When she graduated and eventually got a job with CNN and eventually MSNBC and Fox News, the drinking only continued.

“I worked hard and I played hard,” Dhue said. She is the only anchor to have held a job at all three news agencies.

Dhue moved to New York City when she was 30 and she says the city provided opportunities for deeper addiction.

“In New York, everything is possible, and nothing is off limits,” Dhue said. “The bars are open all night.  I would go out and drink myself into oblivion.”

Then one morning, after another night of binge-drinking, Dhue says she realized she was too sick to keep going.

“I looked in the mirror and didn’t even recognize myself,” Dhue said. “I knew I had to get help. A drinking life is not a happy life, nor is it glamorous and it’s really not any fun.”

With her recovery program, she went from frequently downing two bottles of wine at dinner to giving alcohol up altogether.

She attributes her transformation to the love of God.

“I grew up in a Presbyterian church and have always believed in God. I am not born again, I am not an Evangelical, but I believe in a loving and benevolent God,” Dhue said. "He is the reason I am sober."

Dhue poses with friend and former colleague Geraldo Riveras. Photo courtesy of Laurie Dhue  

Now she is working her way back into broadcast journalism, which she says she still loves.  She is currently working for WPIX, a local New York television station.

“I’m not saying that I don’t have really hard times.  Today I got off the set and wanted to shoot myself,” Dhue says with a laugh. “But every day now, I seek God’s will for my life instead of my own. That makes everything different.”

Dhue says she knows the suffering of addiction and hopes that her journey can encourage others.

According to her mom, “We have our Laurie back.”


For More Information:

CBN

Today Show
Geraldo at Large

Laurie Dhue Says Help Exists by hvanbiber

Federal Regulations Squeeze Already Pressured Private Schools

By Hannah Vanbiber (hvanbiber@gmail.com)

East Texas Baptist University is exempted from the
new regulations.
Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

Private colleges and universities are scrambling to comply with a new list of federal regulations by July 1. But while the healthcare debate rages over how much control government ought to have in private sectors, few Americans outside of academic circles seem to know about this federal move in higher education. Many within academia are worried that these new regulations reflect increasing centralization of control.

But states, including Texas, are giving exemptions to protect the independence of their private institutions.

“The issue is that we don’t want the federal government intruding on our practices,” said Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, president of East Texas Baptist University. “We are private and independent for a reason.”

The Higher Education Opportunity Act was passed in 2008 and since then the Department of Education has applied the law to academic institutions through specific federal regulations. Most of these regulations will go into effect July 1. 

But as the deadline approaches, some institutions like ETBU are taking advantage of a loophole written into the provision.

ETBU is located in Marshall, TX. Approximately 1200 students are enrolled.
Photo courtesy of Jamie Vanbiber

The Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas alerted member institutions to “dig up old documentation to prove that we are functioning well and are in good standing with accrediting bodies,” said Oliver.

The new regulations allow for individual state legislations to give exemptions to its institutions if they meet certain requirements, such as accreditation.  In Texas, all in-state universities have been allowed this exemption.  Only universities with satellite campuses outside of Texas, like Baylor, aren’t eligible.

The new regulations attempt to ensure that independent institutions are meeting important academic requirements.  For example, one of the rules going into effect in July is a universal definition of “credit hour.”  The goal is to provide a standard to ensure quality of education.  But according to Oliver the federal definition is impractical because it doesn’t recognize the diversity of class elements. An art class, for example, has very little in-class or “seat time” but may have hours more studio work than another class that meets three times a week.

“The two key problems with this federalization are the overreach of the government’s place and the downplay of diversity between universities and within their programs,” Oliver said.

The new legislation has been fiercely contested from its first introduction.

“The federal government needs to respect our independence,” 

said Dr. Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, president of East Texas Baptist University. 

Photo courtesy of Dub Oliver

“There’s a consensus among associations that this provision ought to be removed,” said Jan Friis, vice president for government affairs at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation at a webinar last July.  His statement represents 70 associations within higher education, including organizations like the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.  A similar statement was published by the American Council for Education on April 26 of this year.

For many colleges and universities, the federal regulation simply means more paperwork. But this can mean increased costs to the school and ultimately to students. Independent institutions are already accountable to accrediting bodies, so many see the new regulations as added busywork.

“The accreditation system is working and it’s effective,” said Oliver. “I think the government has seen a few select schools failing to meet standards and now all of us are being affected by that.”

For ETBU, exempted from the new regulations, the pressure has been averted.

“It’s really a relief,” said Oliver. “It means we’re not having to scramble so much.”

But for multi-state private colleges and universities, federalization may become a closer reality.

Accountability for Higher Education by hvanbiber

Going Green May Give Economic Uplift to Henry Street Settlement

By Hannah Vanbiber (hvanbiber@gmail.com)

These 1830 circa Federal-style row buildings, 

which have been named National Historic Landmarks, 

house the administrative offices of Henry Street Settlement. 

Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

MANHATTAN—In 2009 Evelyn Mercado and her children were forced to leave their apartment in the lower east side when she lost her job. Like so many in the city, Mercado was homeless, jobless and without any resources to provide for her boy and girl.  Unlike so many others, she had somewhere to turn.

The Henry Street Settlement, located in her neighborhood, provided shelter for Mercado and her two children in its Urban Family Center. Today she has a job, her own apartment and childcare.

Mercado is one of thousands that the Henry Street Settlement has helped since it was established in 1893. The settlement provides grants, health-care, educational and arts programs for under-privileged people in Manhattan’s lower east side. But with its administrative offices located in three historic buildings, Henry Street Settlement has yet another responsibility: historic preservation.

The Abrons Arts Center was started by the 

Henry Street Settlement to encourage arts in the neighborhood 

and awards grants to promising students. 

Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

A green restoration project, announced April 13, aims to make this job simpler and cheaper for the settlement’s staff. This plan would reduce the cost of facility maintenance, allowing Henry Street to spend more on its programs and on clients like Mercado.

“It doesn’t sound very sexy, but even simple things like changing what type of light bulbs we use can save money,” said Susan LaRosa, the settlement’s director of marketing and communications.

The Municipal Art Society of New York approached the settlement with its green restoration project. As part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative, MAS chose Henry Street Settlement as a demonstration project of energy-efficient historic restoration.

“The project is aimed at helping us get more bang for our buck,” said Renee Epps, the settlement’s chief officer for facilities and operations. “This in turn lets us focus on programmatic needs.”

"Henry Street Settlement is dedicated to helping people
from cradle to grave,” said Renee Epps, the settlement’s
chief officer for facilities and operations.
Epps also sits on the MAS preservation committee. 
Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

The goal is to implement renovations that can improve the buildings’ energy efficiency without compromising their historical and structural integrity.

The new project at Henry Street Settlement should “realize at least a 25 percent reduction in energy usage, and lower costs to operate its headquarters,” according to an MAS press release. The plan will be replicable for other historic landmarks in the city. Based on the anticipated success from the Henry Street project, MAS and the Landmarks Preservation Commission plan to develop a how-to manual for improving the efficiency of other New York City historic buildings.

“Though the long-term impact is hard to judge right now,” said Epps, “the beginning stages are promising.”

Because of the age of the buildings in the 

Henry Street district, minor upkeep such as window 

and air-conditioning repairs are difficult to manage. 

Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

“We currently have the amount of staff we need to run our programs,” added LaRosa, “but there is always greater need than anyone can meet. With the expected reduction in operation costs, instead of helping, say, 100 people in one of our youth programs, we could help 150.”

A modest gain, perhaps. But to families like the Mercados, it makes all the difference.

For More Information:

Henry Street Settlement

Municipal Arts Society

MAS Press Release

Henry Street Goes Green by hvanbiber

The Big Apple Meets the Big Easy

Manhattan Restaurant Preserves Cajun Cuisine, Vinyl Jukebox

By Hannah Vanbiber (hvanbiber@gmail.com)

Great Jones Cafe features Cajun cuisine and
down-home cooking in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Mark Hitzges, Co-Owner and Chef. Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

MANHATTAN—What could capture the spirit of New Orleans better than a little Cajun food and a little New Orleans jazz? Nothing; and that’s exactly what Great Jones Café has been providing for almost 30 years.  With southern cuisine and the only vinyl jukebox left in Manhattan, Great Jones Café is a stop well worth taking.

Located on Great Jones Street in the ritzy Manhattan district known as “the Bowery,” the restaurant is little more than a handful of tables and a bar. Even at 3:30 pm, usually a drag time for restaurants, almost every table has occupants. The chef is talking to customers from a window in the kitchen.

“It’s a family-run place in all senses but blood,” said co-owner and chef Mark Hitzges. “The people who work here have worked here forever.”

The Jones Jukebox is over 80 years old.
Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

With the door thrown open, passersby can hear faint strains from the 80-year-old jukebox, which was listed by Time Out as one of the top 100 things to see in New York City. Allegedly the only surviving vinyl jukebox in Manhattan, the Jones Jukebox is a rare classic, hailing from the time when jukeboxes were a major player in the success of recording artists like Bing Crosby.  

Though originally a Cajun restaurant, the menu now includes an array of dishes with southern, Creole, and even foreign inspiration.

“We have a huge amount of Swedish people who love to come here,” Hitzges said. “I found out that they actually cook crawfish in Sweden!”

For Hitzges, cooking is a magical way of exploring and combining the flavors of various cultures and places.

"Customers come here for drinks
on a first date and then twenty years later
they bring their kids," said Mark Hitzges,
Co-Owner and Chef. Photo by Hannah Vanbiber

“I remember at my first job as a restaurant dishwasher,” he recalled.  “The chef made this dish with shrimp, butter, salt, and pepper. When I tasted the dish, I literally teared up.  I still wish I could cook that well.”

When the café was first opened in 1983, Great Jones Street was a “desolate, forgotten block.”

“At night you’d look out and see a crack deal going on,” Hitzges said. Now J. Crew has a Bowery line and the cheapest rooms at the Bowery Hotel run upwards of $350 a night.

But Great Jones has hardly changed at all.

“People will come here after leaving for twenty years and say, ‘This place is exactly the same!’” Hitzges said.

The Jones' Jukebox by hvanbiber

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.greatjones.com/

http://www.onthemedia.org/yore/transcripts/transcripts_092702_jukeboxes.html

http://lxtv.com/1stlookny/video/8915

http://www.savorycities.com/newyork/restaurant/great-jones-cafe/54-great-jones-st

Great Jones' Jukebox

Would You Like Some Jazz with Those Fries?

Small Manhattan restaurant holds music treasure, vinyl jukebox

By Hannah Vanbiber (hvanbiber@gmail.com)

Everybody loves a jukebox. Sure, they have fallen into some disrepute in the last 20 years, but they remain objects of fascination, stuffed into a corner of the local Waffle House, waiting like a futuristic transportation device to begin shuffling, bumping, and delivering the greatest prize of all – music.

Nestled between the front door and the bar of Great Jones Café in the lower east side of Manhattan, a squat jukebox glows and gently whirs.  According to the restaurant’s co-owner, Bill Judkins, most customers throw it a cursory glance, look puzzled, and order a martini. It’s no wonder; the songs listed on the face aren’t exactly Ryan Seacrest’s Top 40 hitters. With titles like “My Dog Can’t Bark” by Muddy Waters or “Mama!” by Lefty Frizzell, who wouldn’t be a little nonplussed? It takes a real pro, like Judkins, who collects rare vinyls, to know a unique piece of music history.

The real attraction of this particular jukebox – and what won it a spot on Time Out’s list of top 100 things to see in New York – is that it plays vinyls. And not just any vinyls, those little 45’s that only people over 45 remember. In fact, the Jones Juke Box is allegedly the only vinyl jukebox left in Manhattan.

Thanks to the new hipster generation, vinyl is back in the music business and it’s hot. In Jan. 2008, TIME magazine reported that vinyl was getting its groove back. Now major indie hitters like Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens are promoting vinyl copies of their newest albums.  Record players are once again the holy grail of college students. So whispering “vinyl jukebox” in a dorm room might be as dangerous as “fire” in a theater.

Cut back to Manhattan and the Great Jones. How did such a down-home, hole-in-the-wall operation get such a class act? The answer is probably: Timing. The Great Jones opened in 1983, precisely when the vinyl had fallen into disrepute in the devastating wake of arcade games. Though cassette tapes and CDs would give the jukebox a slight comeback in the late 80’s and 90’s, its heyday was over. 

The Jones Jukebox is a classic, hailing from the time when jukeboxes were a major player in the success of recording artists like Bing Crosby. Now it plays everything from old classics to New Orleans jazz to “My Dog Can’t Bark.” Judkins has kept up an eclectic compilation of rare records.

“Just today he bought some crazy record from somewhere in South America,” said friend and co-owner Mark Hitzges. “I don’t know where he finds this stuff, but it’s definitely his thing.”

With the restaurant door thrown open, customers can hear faint strains from the 80-year-old jukebox mixing with the sounds of New York City.

The Puppet Master: Covenant College art student specializes in giant puppets

Senior art major Will Lutz in front of his unfinished
senior project

It isn’t what you’d think of as a real art show.  Alongside the regular paintings, photos, sculptures, and other trophies of four years’ hard work at Covenant College’s Senior Art Exhibit on April 20, there will be a giant, romping rhino puppet.  And a dubstep party.

Senior art major Will Lutz, the puppet master, said “I think it was always in the back of my mind that I would make puppets for my [final project].”

A group of Covenant students
(from left: Hannah Irwin, Adrienne Belz,
Timothy Daugaard, and Austin Doctor)
help Lutz in the second phase of his project: sewing.

Before graduation, all Covenant seniors complete a Senior Integration Project or Paper (SIP).  For Lutz, a summer internship and a childhood hobby came together to create the idea for his SIP.

“I used to make puppets for my yard at Halloween.  My next-door neighbor was a crazy pumpkin carver and people would come from all over to see.  I guess I just wanted our yard to have something cool, too.”

The summer after his junior year Lutz landed an internship with the Harrison Center for the Arts, a community-based organization in Indianapolis, Ind.  According to its website, the Center seeks to be “a model for community arts, education, and urban revitalization programs across America.” 

Joanna Taft, executive director of the Center, said that Lutz came to her with the idea of giant animal puppets to advertize the Center’s art productions.  Lutz set up his completed puppets in downtown Indianapolis. 

The project in process: unfinished rhino head

“People would see the puppets and be like ‘What is this giant cat here for?’” said Lutz. “Then they learned about the art show.”

When Lutz presented the idea for his 15-foot-long rhinoceros puppet project to Professor of Art Kayb Carpenter, she approved, saying the rhino was “a very sculptural concept.”

Lutz estimates that he spent 16 hours per week on the rhino. The payoff: Jamazon, a dub-step party specifically planned for the rhino’s debut. Jamazon will be held on April 20, in conjunction with the senior art exhibit.

Will Lutz Interview by hvanbiber






Puppet Stages, posted with vodpod

Learn More:

-The Harrison Center for the Arts
-Harrison Center Photostream
-Covenant College Art Program

Video Reporting and the Five Shot Rule

Today I'm learning the basic-basic-basics (that's like the basics before the basics) of video reporting.

I have a convergence assignment from WJI which includes: the story (in 300 words), photos taken while reporting, a slideshow with photos and audio, an audio interview, a video, and supplementary links. Pretty basic probably but pretty damn overwhelming when you first look at it and think "Last time I used a camera was in Jamaica for a mission trip." And yet I'm finding it vastly more stimulating and rewarding than working on my SIP would be right now. (It's okay, GPA, we had a good run.)

So in the past ten minutes I've been learning the Five Shot Rule (that's a link to a really good video but don't watch it yet because then what I say will be boring and redundant).

1st shot: Get a close-up on the hands. You want to show us what your subject is doing: writing? tattooing? making cool pottery like Demi Moore?  Ooh, show me!

2nd shot: Your subject's face.  Let's see 'em talking.

3rd shot: Wide. Show me the place. (Also a good idea, particularly for stills and slideshows: Start the whole video with a wide shot - like, skyline wide. Narrow in to your specific building/street/area, then narrow again to the actual subject.)

4th shot: Over the shoulder of the person in question onto the action in question. Similar to the hands shot probably, but wider and from a different angle.

5th shot: uhhh, something like "Just get a different angle and for G--'s sake make it interesting."

Time to try this stuff out on Will Lutz's rhino.

Mommy, I want to be a journalist one day!

So I'm not a journalist. I'm a full-time college student and most of what I write is more of the old "according to This Fantastically Smart But Utterly Out of Touch Critic" than anything that's actually relevant to life in the 21st century. (But I will always love you Stephen Greenblatt.)

People at my school think I'm a journalist because I edit the school paper and sometimes write the really big news stories that we don't trust anyone else to cover. Whoop-de-doo. The last thing I wrote about was Niel Nielson's resignation as Covenant's president. A breaking story for sure, but not when published a week after it actually broke in an email. Oh, and I used the word "calling." Put that in my resume.

But I would really like to be a journalist. In all my twenty-two-year-old breathless fervor, "journalism" is "what I want to do when I graduate [in two weeks]." (Maybe because there's just nothing else? Or maybe because part of me still thinks it's super sexy. Then I remember I'm not Anderson Cooper.)

For better or worse, this blog is my partner in crime, my travel tool, my blank space of sand in which I trace the meandering successes and failures of my expedition into multimedia journalism.

Nielson's New Calling: Covenant's president steps down after ten years

A year from now, Covenant will be saying goodbye to its beloved President, Niel Nielson, and his wife, Kathleen Nielson, as they finish off a decade of life with us. Staff and students were informed last Friday in an email from the Chairman of the Covenant Board that on June 30, 2012 President Nielson will be stepping down from his role at Covenant to become president of the newly formed Maclellan Center for Global Christian Education.

Though preparing for this transition, Nielson continues to focus primarily on his work as Covenant’s president. “I must not and will not let what’s many months away distract me from my calling here. We have loved – and are still loving – our years at Covenant,” Nielson said. “Connections with students, faculty, staff, and constituencies have enriched our lives beyond what we could have imagined.”

Kathleen Nielson agreed. “Niel and I love the family of Covenant College, thank God continually for bringing us here, and look forward with enthusiasm not only far ahead but immediately ahead – to the joyful remaining weeks of this academic year, and the year still to come.”

A New Call
A process of key connections made in the past year, such as Covenant’s growing connection with the work of Christian education in Indonesia, became a catalyst for broader thinking about Christian education beyond Covenant’s campus. Also, last fall Nielson was invited to join the Board of Directors of the Maclellan Foundation.

According to Nielson, “these connections triggered yet more thinking about ways in which we might play a role in what’s happening around the world.” Over the past few months, the idea of the Center was developed through discussions with key members of the Maclellan Family Foundations. It will officially kick off next summer with Nielson’s appointment.

According to Hugh Maclellan, Executive Chairman of the Board of the Maclellan Foundation, “The Maclellan Center will have the goal of encouraging the content and practice of Christian education in Chattanooga and the nation, as well as around the globe. Because education worldwide is in a tremendous state of flux, we anticipate that the creation of the Maclellan Center will be both timely and of vital importance.”

Nielson described Covenant’s DNA as always “looking outward” in its programs and focus. “Our years at Covenant have strengthened and extended our love for and commitment to Christian education,” Nielson said. He also hopes to see the Center partner directly with Covenant in the future.

Addressing students at the Q&A Tuesday night, he said, “What we do here and the way we do it is enormously valuable. To carry what we do and how we do it to broader communities and constituencies has been something Covenant has been thinking about for years.”

The vision right now, according to Nielson is to put together “sort of a 10 year strategy so that by the end of ten years, Lord willing, we can look around the world at a network of strong, Biblically grounded, intellectually thoughtful” communities of education, like we have here. “The goal of the Center is to equip Christians and Christian communities around the world to do what we [at Covenant] do almost instinctively.”

“This is what I want to do basically for the next 10 years of my life,” he excitedly told students at the Q&A.

A New Search
Nielson approached Chairman Moore a few weeks ago, before the matter was finalized, to let him know of the possible transition. While Moore expressed sadness at the thought of losing the Nielsons, he also expressed on behalf of the Board his excitement for their future plans and the potential impact on Christian education that the Center might have.

Students, alumni, and faculty alike have expressed sadness at the news of Nielson’s upcoming resignation. Covenant alumnus Joel Belz (’58) commented, “We are certainly losing a most remarkable person. President Nielson and his wife were both multi-gifted individuals. Yet God calls such people to bigger and bigger assignments, especially when they’ve used their gifts well. This is a global assignment and we are happy to see him take it.”

“We all focus so much on calling here at Covenant,” said Kathleen Nielson. “It’s a joy to be part of the ongoing process of hearing God’s call on our lives, along with the students and everyone else around here.”

According to Moore, the Board is gearing up for another selection process “identical to the one that led to Nielson’s selection” in 2002. The first step, which should happen in the next few weeks, is for Moore to appoint a search committee made up of faculty, students, alumni, and board members and advisors. This committee will have the task of seeking Covenant’s sixth president.

“Any transition is going to bring some change,” said Moore, “but the most important thing is that the mission of the college will not change – it will continue forward unabated. The committee will seek someone who follows that mission.”

Meanwhile, as President Nielson joked in the Q&A, “Forget about it, will ya?!” The Nielsons haven’t left yet and are “deeply committed” to their remaining time here. “There is still much time and much work left,” said President Nielson. “My hope is that the college will be stronger, in every respect, 15 months from now than it is at present.”

[Originally published here.]

Defining the Relationship: Covenant students and administration discuss conflict

Last Thursday’s Student Senate meeting was packed. Over 40 Covenant students gathered in Carter Hall 131 at approximately 6:00 p.m. to discuss growing frustrations with recent policies of Student Development. Senate’s goal for the meeting was for students to voice their concerns openly with Brad Voyles, Vice President of Student Development and Emily Ford, Associate Dean of Students.

Student Body President Alex Anderson opened the forum by asking students to move past specific grievances to larger issues.

“What we want during this time is for you to ask questions and share concerns, but also to offer constructive criticism that could lead to change. Please try not to focus on policies that are in place. Pull out a bigger theme that we can work on,” said Anderson.

Although hot topics such as Jackson Pond, virgin sacrifices, bonfires, and hammocks were brought up during the conversation, the dialogue centered around two things: 1) the nature of the relationship between the students and Student Development, and 2) appropriate ways for students and members of Student Development to communicate with one another.

“I think the majority of us are not here to fix something specific. This is about getting our relationship right. We are trying to get the right respect for you and you are trying to get the right respect for us,” said senior Will Lutz during the meeting.

Out of the 11 students who spoke during the meeting, seven live in Founders Hall, one lives in Carter Hall, and three live off-campus. Out of the seven who spoke from Founders Hall, four live on Catacombs. But of the approximately 40 students in attendance, many halls across campus were represented.

In regard to the nature of the relationship between students and Student Development, students expressed differing ideas on what they felt was appropriate. Sophomore John Drexler of Catacombs said that he thought Student Development had become increasingly paternalistic, and called for them to “close the power gap.” Grace Mullaney, a sophomore on 3C in Carter, said she thought certain rules and regulations did not foster the growth of students, particularly in regards to decision-making. Several students expressed the sense of powerlessness they felt about rule-making and housing decisions.

“What is the dynamic between the administration and the student body?” asked senior Luke Granholm. “Do you see it more like a representative government, or a parent-child relationship?”

Voyles responded by explaining his role under the Board of Trustees.

“We do not see ourselves as parents,” said Voyles, “but more of an older brother or sister. It is still an uneven relationship. We are here to connect students, but also to draw lines. Students have full say, but they don’t have final say.”

For Voyles and Ford, meetings like these are part of a cyclical process as new generations of students come in and out. “Every once in a while there is something that gets people upset,” Ford said later in an interview, pointing to the “shoe policy” confrontation three years ago. Many students then were indignant at new policies against bare feet and smoking in school plays.

Students, however, believe that there has been a growing shift, or tightening, in policy over the last few years. “Some students feel that the attitude regarding student influence has changed,” said senior Chelsea Moser after the meeting. “We need to figure out if that’s actually accurate.”

Ford and Voyles seemed confused by such claims, asking for specific instances. In an interview after the meeting, Voyles said, “I don’t see it, but I could be blind. What has changed? We have restricted the pond and hammocks. Tell me what else is changing. Words like ‘direction, tone, and attitude’ are thrown out without the attending examples.”

Junior Jonathan Casselberry, among others, believes that the role of Student Senate is crucial in this conflict, saying much of the tension between students and Student Development could be eased by a proper understanding of Senate’s role as an independent liaison between students and Administration.

“Largely due to actions of past senators,” he said, “Student Senate seems to have gradually slipped into the periphery of Covenant’s culture. The current tension shows the need for both students and the Administration to see Senate as a body that can mediate communication and act upon the concerns expressed by students.”

In the meeting, both Voyles and Ford encouraged further dialogue.

“Come talk to me,” Ford repeated throughout the meeting, saying few people actually come to her with complaints.

However, some students expressed frustration with this approach. “I appreciate that,” sophomore Robbie Brown said to Ford. “But when rules are made and then distributed that affect the whole student body or even just one hall, I don’t think it’s upon those individuals to find out why. We need you to come to us.”

Ford pointed out the difficulty of trying to satisfy everyone in communication, but in a later interview agreed, “We could more proactively offer opportunities for students to engage with us instead of expecting them to come to us. That is why we were there last night.”

Overall, both students and administration left the meeting unsatisfied. “After the meeting I felt like students were upset and Student Development was confused,” said Granholm.

However, Anderson hopes that this was merely the beginning of further dialogue and action. Senate worked for weeks to make this meeting happen and Anderson feels that it is a move in the right direction. “Please come on Mar. 22 ready for discussion. We want to move away from irreconcilable differences which just waste time. If you have constructive suggestions, pursue that.”

Another, hopefully much larger, Q&A is being planned for Mar. 22.

[Originally published here.]