From coed housing to contract disputes

A quick history lesson on the stories everybody was talking about during the 1997-98 school year.

By David Altschuler

The year began with two that garnered national attention. The first centered on prominent Yale alum Larry Kramer, BR '57, a wealthy gay rights activist who vowed to leave his estate to Yale in 1996. He revoked the offer in August when it was clear that the University would not put the money towards the creation of a gay studies department or student center. "I have no trust left for Yale, or any feeling," a frustrated Kramer said over the summer.

The second pitted five Orthodox Jewish students against the University in September. The "Yale Five," as they came to be known, sued Yale when the University refused to change a policy requiring all freshmen and sophomores to live on campus and pay for room and board. The students charged that coed dorm living forced them to compromise their beliefs by subjecting them to immoral behavior and practices. The Yale Five became the Yale Four when one student got married; the students paid their term bill but sued Yale in October. The University filed a motion to dismiss the suit in November, and litigation is still pending.

Tenure grabbed the spotlight in October when associate history professor Diane Kunz was denied tenure--again. The popular anchor of the international studies department lost a bid for tenure the previous spring, but in an unprecedented move, President Richard Levin, GRD '74, reopened her case. However, the Tenure Appointment Committee rejected Kunz's bid on Thurs., Oct. 17, leaving her colleagues confused and her students disappointed. "I could have helped make international relations at Yale the best in the world," a departing Kunz said. "It is a loss for me and a loss for Yale."

A trio of non-controversial events calmed things as the year went on. On Thurs., Oct. 30, Yale College Dean Richard Brodhead, BR '68, GRD '72, was reappointed for five more years, a clear testament to his popularity among students, faculty, and administrators. Five days later, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, Jr. earned a similar mandate from voters, defeating competitors in his reelection bid by a 66 to 1 margin. Election Day also saw Julio Gonzalez, CC '99, defeat fellow Yalie Robert Kokta, BK '00, in the race for Ward One Alderman. And at the end of November, the undefeated Harvard Crimson trekked to the Yale Bowl on a cold and rainy day and disposed of the winless Bulldogs 21-7 in the 114th episode of The Game.

LIZ OLINER/YH Reverend Al Sharpton protests the takeover of New Haven-based station WNHC by WYBC.

But controversy soon returned in December when the student radio station, WYBC, announced a sweeping format change which displaced over 40 student DJs. The station's programming director, Emad Abdelnaby, DC '99, claimed that the change was made to cater more towards the greater city population, while DJs decried the loss of airtime. The WYBC saga continued into the new year, as the station began a court battle to acquire WNHC, a community-based AM station. While WYBC wanted the station to provide more time for student DJs, local community activists called for more urban programming. A protest over the takeover in February brought Reverend Al Sharpton to town to blast the University--ironically, Sharpton had addressed the Yale Political Union two months earlier.

February brought a sexual assault case by a female Yale junior against two varsity football players. The alleged victim charged that the men forced her to perform sexual acts after watching television in one of the players' apartments on a night in November. But on Thurs., Feb. 12, the University's Executive Committee determined that there was insufficient evidence to press charges against either student. The two alleged assaulters never responded publicly to the allegations, and the woman decided not to press charges.

There was no controversy, however, surrounding the performance of the men's hockey squad. After taking their first regular season ECAC Championship ever despite a number 10 ranking in preseason polls, the team charged into the playoffs and earned its first NCAA Tournament bid in 46 years. Unfortunately the Elis failed to take the ECAC and NCAA tournaments after leading scorer Jeff Hamilton, SM '00, was injured in an ECAC semifinal match against Princeton.

As students prepared for Spring Break, the Yale College Council announced that it had struck a deal with the Indigo Girls for Spring Fling. The kicker was that President Levin chipped in thousands to cover the band's hefty price tag. The band selection frustrated both students who felt the band didn't have cross-gender appeal, and festival co-sponsor WYBC, who claimed it could have landed De La Soul for much less money. Spring Fling itself was a success, as the Indigo Girls played an evening concert before a packed Old Campus on Sat., Apr. 25.

PATRICK MCGARVEY/YH Berkeley students will be the first to live in the new "swing space" constructed next to the gym.

Berkeley students also prepared for a shake-up, as their college becomes the first to go under extensive renovations in 1998-99. Berkeleyites will temporarily relocate to the just-completed "swing space" near the gym, a brand new dorm with perks like in-suite kitchens and free cable. Since the dorm lacks a dining hall, a section of Commons will reopen for dinner and students will be given extra flex dollars.

LIZ OLINER/YH Yale's police union started its case with a protest in Beinecke Plaza during Bulldog Days.

The year concluded with one final controversy: Tom Brokaw delivered the Commencement address to the Class of 1998. While Brokaw was certainly more high-profile than last year's speaker David McCullough, DC '55, some questioned the selection of a non-Yale graduate.

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