Support service director hired
■ The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance forms
an instant bond with the Florida State grad
By Jack Clifford
Oregon Daily Emerald
The South may not immediate
ly conjure up visions of toler
ance, but that’s exactly where the
University found a new leader to
guide its work on lesbian, gay, bi
sexual and transgender issues.
A search committee has hired
Chicora Martin to take over the
position of director for LGBT Ed
ucation and Support Services, re
placing Brooke Lather, the
group’s interim director. Martin’s
resume includes a stint at Florida
State University in Tallahassee as
advisor and group facilitator for
the LGBT Student Union.
She also received her master’s
of higher education from FSU
and has work experience with
the Dean of Students office at
Georgia Institute of Technology,
in addition to involvement with
Bisexuals, Gay, Lesbian and Al
lies for Diversity at East Carolina
University.
.“She’s very passionate about
this work [and] she’s very clear
that this is the work that she’s
about, that she wants to be do
ing,” co-chair of the search com
mittee Annie Bentz said. “She’s
got a ton of energy. Everybody
who came in contact with her felt
like they connected with her and
that she would serve the Univer
sity well in her role.”
Martin could not be reached
for comment. Her job, which
starts Aug. 21, falls under the su
pervision of the Office of Student
Life.
“We are just really excited with
her being a part of [our] team,”
OSL Associate Director Cheryl
Eyster said. “Her talents, experi
ence and skills are really phe
nomenal.”
Martin’s other experience and
background includes work with
the Tallahassee Safe Zone Pro
gram, which is an outreach re
source for students, faculty and
staff at FSU. She also worked
with the GLBT Resource Center
at the University of Colorado in
Boulder.
Most of the issues Martin will
encounter at the University are
universal to all campuses, but
Bentz said the new director will
also have to jump in right away
on an Oregon cause — the Stu
dent Protection Act, a measure
on November’s ballot that would
ban any discussion of homosexu
ality in the stata’s public schools.
“I think the biggest challenge
in the immediate future [for Mar
tin] is working with the commu
nity around the [Oregon Citizen’s
Alliance] measure and providing
some leadership around that is
sue,’’ Bentz said.
Democrats
continued from page 1
to get there.”
Delegates who have attended
past conventions are also looking
forward to meeting people and
sharing their opinions.
“I expect to have a stimulating,
exciting time meeting good De
mocrats and talking to people who
agree with my beliefs and really
care about our government,” said
Barbara Rose, a Lane County dele
gate and a 1996 convention at
tendee. “I know I will rub elbows
with personal heroes. Last time I
sat by Bella Abzug and I walked by
Geraldine Ferraro.”
Much of the delegates’ excite
ment stems from how this year’s
convention will be set up, which is
described as more of a working at
mosphere.
“There will be panel discus
sions, with real experts, talking
about real solutions to problems,”
Edmunson said. “I didn’t like the
pageantry of the Republican Con
vention. It seemed like it was more
of a halftime show at the Super
Bowl.”
I expect to have a
stimulating, exciting
time meeting good De
mocrats....
Barbara Rose
Lane County delegate
Other delegates agree that this
year the Democratic Convention is
geared toward focusing on what
the party stands for.
“It’s not going to be just famous
people there speaking, but ex
perts,” said Mary Ann Holser, a
third time convention attendee
and Lane County delegate.
As well as differing from the Re
publican Convention in the way it
is set up, many delegates also say
that the Democratic attendees dif
fer in terms of diversity.
“The Oregon delegation has a
phenomenal range of backgrounds
being represented,” Edmunson
said. “Asian-Americans, African
Americans and several Native
Americans are represented. We are
also gender-balanced and age-bal
anced; we have a 20-year-old going
as well as a 90-year-old.”
Edmunson says diversity is
something he sees as lacking in the
Republican Party.
“The Republican Party is most
ly made up of white, rich guys.”
The delegates also looked to the
Republican gathering in Philadel
phia t.o.check qii protester activity.
“I think the protesters [in Los
Angeles] should be mellower than
[in Philadelphia],” Williams said.
“After all, we share most values
with most of the protesters; we
only disagree on how those values
should be implemented.”
Other delegates say that being
from the Eugene area reduces
many of the fears of being around
protesters.
“I know delegates from other
states are really worried about pro
testers, “ Edmunson said. “But be
ing from Lane County we are
blessed with familiarity with pro
testers and anarchists. I don’t feel
threatened at all.”
Rose agreed.
“I respect their right to be there
and I hope they respect mine,” she
said.
Edmunson did admit that the
Oregon delegates might object to at
least one aspect of the Los Angeles
party.
"1 think the Oregon delegates
will protest if there is a Lakers ban
ner hanging in the Staples Center,”
Edmunson said, in a joking man
ner. “Because we all know the
Blazers deserved to win.”
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