SSU students demand discrimination free campus

Students gathered in front of Salazar Hall on Sept. 13 to practice their right to free speech. In front of the Marine Corp. recruitment table, the Peace Club, along with other SSU students and faculty, participated in a "die-in" together.

"Books not bombs," yelled the group of protesters. Some of the protesters included SSU students: Laurel Visher, Lauren Ballene, Suzanne Vargas, Skye Nashelsky, Caitlin Bourne, Jena Bailey, Brittany Summerhill and Julia Stein.

"We are protesting the military recruiting on our campus," said Visher, one of the Peace club's founders. The Peace Club put on and facilitated the events of Sept. 13.

SSU is a declared discrimination-free campus.

"Whereas Sonoma State University has a long-standing policy of nondiscrimination, which extends to the category of sexual orientation," states the SSU Academic Senate's Resolution regarding military recruiters on campus.

The U.S. military discriminates against open homosexuals in their recruitment practices; and, according to SSU Academic Senate, this violates SSU's discrimination policy.

"Whereas the University requires all employers coming onto campus for recruiting to certify that they subscribe to the non-discrimination policy," continues the resolution.

"Whereas the U.S. military is unable honestly to certify due to its open and blatant policy of discrimination against gay and lesbian persons; and Whereas this campus has therefore been closed to the military," declares the resolution.

Even though SSU has these stated policies, the Marine Corps was still allowed to recruit last Thursday because of the Solomon Act.

The Solomon Act was originally passed during the wake of President Clinton's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. In reaction to the this new policy, many law schools joined together and stated that if the military maintained their discrimination practices, then they would ban recruiters from their campuses.

In 1995, the U.S. government passed the Solomon Act, which gave them the right to withhold federal funding to universities that refused to let recruiters onto their campus.

"No funds available to the Department of Defense may be provided by grant or contract to any institution of higher education that has a policy of denying, or which effectively prevents, the Secretary of Defense from obtaining for military purposes-," states the Solomon Act of 1995, "(a) entry to campuses or access to students on campuses; or (b) access to directory information pertaining to students."

In 2005, Congress amended the law to explicitly state that military recruiters must be given equal access to that provided to other recruiters.

"No funds may be provided by contract or by grant to an institution of higher education if the Secretary of Defense determines that that institution has a policy or practice (regardless of when implemented) that either prohibits, or in effect prevents-," states the amended Solomon Act of 2005, "…or (1) the Secretary of a military department or Secretary of Homeland Security from gaining access to campuses, or access to students (who are 17 years of age or older) on campuses, for purposes of military recruiting in a manner that is at least equal in quality and scope to access to campuses and to students that is provided to any other employer."

These withheld monies are usually taken from the financial aid funds.

"It is seems odd to use the money for low income students as leverage to get onto a campus," said Peter Phillips, one of the faculty and staff members who were supporting the students in their protest.

Due to the fact that the Solomon Act prevented SSU from formally denying access to campus for military recruiters, the Academic Senate voted to not welcome military recruiters onto campus on March 12, 1998.

"Resolved that this Senate hereby notifies U.S. military recruiters that, notwithstanding the legal right which they have by these unethical means obtained to secure access to Sonoma State students, they should have no illusion that they are welcome on this campus as long as they continue to practice blatant discrimination against members of the community," declared the SSU Academic Senate.

"SSU has a non-discrimination policy, and I support gay and lesbian rights," said Visher. "That's why I'm here to protest…the military is discriminatory."

"I am a pacifist. I oppose militarism and all wars," said Laurel Holmstrom, another of the faculty and staff members who were supporting the students' die-in. "I am wearing black to stand in solidarity."

Another SSU student had a different stance on the protest.

"I am not anti-militarism…I am anti-recruiting on campus," said Ballene. "A University is a place to learn, and I believe that this recruiting process detracts from our learning."

The Peace Club will again be protesting military recruitment on the SSU campus on Tues., Sept. 18.

For more information on the Solomon Act, visit www.law.georgetown.edu/solomon/solomon.html.

For more information on the SSU Academic Senate Resolution regarding military recruiters on campus, visit www.sonoma.edu/Senate/Resolutions/militaryrecruit.html.