Celebrating the Red Sox victory

By Justine Schofield

It is official, the Red Sox have clutched the title of World Series Champions for 2007, and the students at UMass Dartmouth were not too timid to show their enthusiasm.

Shortly after the game ended around midnight on Sunday evening, students began pouring into the freshman quad to celebrate the victory of their home team. Unfortunately, the riot that ensued was less peaceful and more destructive than the celebration held after the Sox won the ALCS Championship.

Students, in the euphoria of victory and alcohol, proceeded to shake lamp posts in attempts to knock them over, set off fireworks, set dumpsters on fire and vandalize cars, all while screaming and chanting phrases such as “Let’s go Red Sox!” and, “Yankees suck!”

The scene could definitely be described as a state of chaos with over-excited students gathering at one end of the quad and the police force congregating adjacent to them. Present for measures of public safety were not only the UMass Dartmouth police, but also the Dartmouth Police, State Police and the SWAT Team, along with canine companions for back up. However, the sight of the extensive police force did not discourage students from causing a ruckus. As the gathering of students grew larger, people began to crowd surf across the enormous mass of students. More chants rang throughout the quad including one which explicitly said, “[Expletive] the police!” As first year student Mike O’Brien put it, “People went against authority and then got bossed around by a bunch of riot control with dogs and clubs.”

It seems that the authorities were relatively unresponsive to the students’ rowdy behavior, and they were simply there to ensure the riot did not escalate out of control. However, when students began to disrespect the police by throwing rocks and bottles at them, they responded using force. A freshman student, who asked to remain nameless, reported, “One officer told me if I did not return to my room immediately I would be wearing his billy club as a hat.”

Erin Kelley, another freshman resident at UMass Dartmouth said, “I was just walking back to my dorm, not doing anything disruptive when a SWAT team member approached me and told me I better get inside because they were going to start shooting [pellet guns] at people soon.”

It is safe to say that the authorities were prepared for the inevitable rioting after the Red Sox won the World Series. It is hopeful that the crowd was broken up with as little conflict as possible and that there were few damages to property. It is also important for everyone in the UMass Dartmouth community to realize that there is a fine line between celebrating and being destructive, and if that line is crossed, there is little hesitation about punishing the offenders.

Murphy helps us see how much we’re worth

By Megan Gauthier

The second annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast took place in the Woodland Commons at UMass Dartmouth last Thursday, and was co-sponsored by the University, the Women’s Fund and the New Bedford YWCA (young women’s Christian association). The breakfast, which drew over eighty community and campus community patrons, revolved around the topic “women as wage earners” and posed the question “How much are you worth?”

The morning began with a welcome from Chancellor Jean MacCormack, and was followed by an introduction by Gail Fortes, the Executive Director the YWCA. Both speakers set the stage for Keynote speaker Evelyn Murphy, acclaimed author of the book “Getting Even: Why Women Don’t Get Paid Like Men – and What to do about it.” Her book demonstrates that many companies continue to discriminate women by paying them less, and offers strategies for women to stop this practice and reclaim their worth.

Murphy introduced the Wage Project, in which UMass Dartmouth will participate. The Wage Project is a series of workshops held on twelve campuses, which aims to educate women who are preparing to head out into the workforce about how much they are worth and how to demand their values. The Wage Project workshops will be held at UMass Dartmouth on November 6 and November 19, and are filled to their maximum capacities.

Murphy urged audience members to personalize the idea of the “gendered wage gap.” She noted that many people spout out statistics, and they are effective, but the most effective means of creating change is to first internalize “What does this wage gap mean to me? How much money have I lost over my life time? In what ways have I been discriminated against because I am a woman?”

She wants college graduates, who on average will make $1.2 million dollars less than males who graduate with the same degrees and seek the same job, to declare “I want my million dollars!”

Murphy then discussed different aspects of discrimination in the workplace, stating “every woman is subject to this,” regardless of what kind of job they have. Discrimination exists in the form of sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination and general stereotyping. Murphy informed, “[We] didn’t close the wage gap a penny in the 1990s,” and it has only decreased a minimal amount in the new millennium. The problem, Murphy mused, is that young women believe the fight is over and that the wage gap will not affect their lives. She believes that the wage gap could be solved in ten years, but requires smart action, beginning with benchmarking. In order to begin taking action, Murphy insisted, “We have to start talking about it, because if we don’t talk about it, we won’t take action.” Talking about the issues may also cause some young women to internalize the struggle and realize that it affects not only their lives, but the lives of all of the women they know.

After Murphy finished explaining the Wage Project, the breakfast was turned over to a panel of five strong, business-minded women: Sarah L.D. Garrett, J.D., Dean of Academic Affairs at Bristol Community College; Elizabeth Houlihan, Chair, Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women; Dr. Jean Kim, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UMass Dartmouth; Mary Lynn Lenz, President and CEO of Slade’s Bank; and Maureen Sylvia Armstrong, President of The Sylvia Group of Insurance Agencies.

Each member of the panel took turns telling stories about wage inequities and discrimination that they have faced throughout their careers.

Garrett told a story about how she figured out that her secretary was getting paid more than her. When she confronted her boss, he said “The reason I’m paying you less than the secretary is because she has children, men have wives, and your money is just for you.” She noted that this revelation prompted her to take action, and suggested “Women are always willing to wait for raises. We need to educate ourselves about the discrimination and ask for them. Getting even is about challenging and getting even in a strategic way.”

All of the panelists had inspiring advice for attendees. Houliham encouraged women to be diligent and willful about their salaries, noteing, “The first salary you ever accept is the most important and will affect the rest of your life. You have to learn to negotiate and make what you are worth.”

After the panelists finished sharing their stories, the microphone was turned over to audience members for a question and answer time. Many questions stirred contemplation throughout the room, including “How do you get young women to see that the fight is not over?” and “How can we involve men in these kinds of forums?” While the panelists offered helpful solutions to the questions at hand, it is clear to see that one group of motivated women cannot change how women are treated in the workplace. One panelist mused “The issues don’t change – only the faces,” and in order to change the issues, we have to get all women to realize and take action against the fact that they are not making what they are worth.

For more information on Evelyn Murphy’s book or information on the wage project, visit www.wageproject.org.

Dr. Kim watch: The first 100 days

By Stephanie Luz

It has only been around 100 days since Dr. Jean Kim has become the new Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and already she has made waves at UMass Dartmouth.

The reconstruction of the Department of Student Affairs (DOSA) was one the first projects she undertook. Prior to Susan Costa’s retirement, the Associate Vice Chancellor, Dr. David Milstone was responsible for about ten different departments. Kim said, “Most departments were reporting to David … it made sense to separate the departments out.” To make this change, Kim created the Assistant Vice Chancellor position to focus on most of the major departments: The Frederick Douglas Unity House, Center for Access and Success, International Student Center, Women’s Resource Center, Religious Resource Center, Parent and Relation program, and Graduate services.

The Parent and Relation Program and Graduate Services are two new additions to Student Affairs. Kim has seen similar programs at other universities and thought that they would be very beneficial to UMass Dartmouth. She thinks it is very important for both students and their parents to be informed about what is going on at the university. The Graduate Services program is exactly what the name suggests; it provides services for all graduate students.

Kim says that they are currently conducting a search to fill the new Assistant Vice Chancellor position and also the Director for the Center for Access and Success. The Center of Access and Success is the new name for Disabled Student Services. Kim feels that “Access and Success” was a more positive name for the center and commented, “No one wants to be labeled as disabled.”

New Student Orientation is also under reevaluation. Kim said, “We want to take a good program and make it better.” The project, which is called the Student Orientation Taskforce, will focus on creating a more effective orientation program. She hopes that the new orientation will demonstrate a good balance between social and academic life on campus.

The University Strategic planning that has been going on for a while is another project that Kim is taking on. After the strategic planning is done, she hopes to tackle strategic planning for DOSA.

Kim has not only made multiple changes to Student Affairs, but she has also made it a priority to reach out to faculty, staff, and students. She has visited all the colleges and met with the department chairs for the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), College of Arts and Sciences, Charlton College of Business, as well as the others. She is currently reaching out to off-campus community members.

The Vice Chancellor has also hosted monthly dinners with students called “Conversations that Matter.” The first 15 students to respond to emailed invitations will be invited to join Dr. Kim and talk about various topics over dinner. The most common issues have been parking, campus safety, dining and housing. Kim follows up with these matters by reporting them to the appropriate department chairs.

Student leaders have been a major focus for Dr. Kim. She organized a large organization dinner held on September 26 in the Woodland Commons. The dinner was a buffet and hosted over 80 student leaders from different organizations. The students all had a chance to introduce themselves, tell what organization they represented and advertise some upcoming events. One student leader from the Theater Company made a flattering comment about Kim’s appearance. The whole room roared into laughter as some people muttered, “I cannot believe he just hit on the Vice Chancellor!”

The Vice Chancellor did not stop there with her attempt to reach out to student leaders. Kim has scheduled dinners with all the Resident Assistant (RA) staffs on campus. When asked why she had arranged so many of these dinners, she responded, “I think it’s important to know the community and know what’s going on.”

As far as reaching out to the individual groups on campus, Kim plans to meet with the Student Senate on November 9. She also attended a Women’s Resource Center meeting and made note of the “Think Pink” campaign.

Kim has instituted staff recognition for DOSA. she has also created a monthly raffle in which she donates items purchased with her own personal funds. An inflatable lobster was one of the prizes given out. Pictures of the winners and prizes can be seen posted in the Student Affairs Office.

A new innovation called “Blue and Gold Fridays” are held every Friday. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to wear blue and gold articles of clothing. Anyone who shows up in the Student Affairs Office with these colors can get blue and gold M&Ms from Kim’s Administrative Assistant, Francine Alfonse. The Vice Chancellor hopes that this little event will help bring more spirit and pride in the University.

As far as things to look forward to, Dr. Kim has set a date for next year’s Fall Family weekend. The set date is October 4 through October 6. She is hoping that this event will allow better communication between parents, students and the university.

Additionally, Kim sent out an email to students’ parents that introduced herself and encouraged parents to tell their sons and daughters to celebrate the recent victory of the Red Sox responsibly. Ideally the Department of Student Affairs is hoping to have email addresses of parents so they can be reached directly and less paper can be wasted from sending letters.

With all the new things that Dr. Jean Kim has done and hopes to do, it is clear that she aspires “to move us from being good to great.”