Students hold a community
forum on campus climate
More than 40 people began
a dialogue Tuesday about
the safety of queer students
BY AMANDA BOLSINGER
NEWS REPORTER
In a community forum Tliesday
night, more than 40 University stu
dents gathered in the EMU to express
concerns about the climate of campus
and suggested a University effort to
educate students about queer issues.
The forum, prompted in large part
by the recent debate over whether to
fund the Oregon Commentator after
the magazine published what some
call hate speech, focused mainly on
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and queer students’ feelings of person
al and emotional safety on campus.
The purpose of the forum, also at
tended by faculty and administrators,
was to begin dialogue not only about
the Commentator but about other is
sues on campus that students said
have been ignored.
Heavy emphasis was placed on the
lack of University administration ac
countability and a general lack of
awareness and education about
queer issues.
“Administration hasn’t gone that
far to study policy and find things
out,” ethnic studies major Maceo
Persson said. “Like, can I go to the
(University) Health Center and not be
treated like I’m fucked up because of
my name and pronouns, and that I
have to talk to every teacher before
class about my name and pronouns.”
Forum participants said they
shouldn’t have to feel like they are be
ing physically threatened for people to
take them seriously.
“I get asked if the campus is really
safe and then to prove it,” University
sophomore and former ASUO Student
Senator Emily Sousa said. “I can’t
prove if I feel unsafe. They have to take
my word for it until it gets violent. It
shouldn’t have to get to the point of
someone actually being put in danger. ”
Forum participants suggested edu
cating students about queer issues
through mandatory classes for all fresh
men, workshops at IntroDUCKtion,
workshops in the residence halls or by
changing multicultural requirements.
“One idea is a class that all freshmen
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
Junior Joe/ Macdonald spoke about the discomfort of being asked “What are you doing here7"
for being in a women's restroom on campus. Macdonald addressed this and other issues at
the community forum on the campus climate held in the EMU’s Fir room Tuesday night.
have to take that will cover all groups
and issues that will also provide tools
to deal with transawareness,” graduate
student Alethia Hostetter said.
Junior Joey Macdonald discussed
living in the residence halls and experi
ences there, such as being asked,
“What are you doing in here?” after
walking into a women’s restroom.
“The class would be a good place
to start,” Macdonald said, adding
that optional workshops would only
draw those already interested in
queer issues. “It doesn’t solve the
problem of educating people that
don’t want to see the issues ... It’s
like preaching to the choir. ”
Participants said loopholes in the
Student Conduct Code are partially to
blame for allowing the Commentator
to publish what some view as hate
speech using incidental fees.
“The Student Conduct Code is very
open to interpretation,” Sousa said.
She discussed section 19b of the con
duct code, which states that harass
ment in the form of insulting a per
son in his or her immediate presence
is a violation of the code.
“1 would say that a publication is im
mediately in your presence,” Sousa
said. “If I, to use a Commentator
phrase, said I wanted to ‘hate fuck’
somebody to them, then I sure as hell
would be in offense. But because it was
in a publication, it’s all wishy-washy. ”
Administrators and faculty listened
in at the forum to hear what changes
students wanted to see on campus.
“My commitment tonight is to
come and listen,” Vice President for
Student Affairs Anne Leavitt said. “I
came and listened and heard from a
lot of different students talking from
their hearts and experiences and with
a lot of expectations. ” I
abolsinger@dailyememld.com I
No one shows up
for Valentine's Day
sex, suicide party
BY JEFF BARNARD
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KLAMATH FALLS — Valentine’s
Day passed without anyone show
ing up for a sex and suicide party
allegedly planned by a Klamath
Falls man through Internet chat
rooms, the Klamath County sher
iff said Thesday.
Deputies watching over the
green and white mobile home
where Gerald D. Krein Jr. lived
with his parents talked to some
relatives who came by to see
Krein’s mother. But no one was
planning suicide with Krein, Sher
iff Tim Evinger said.
“We feel the imminent danger
has passed,” Evinger said. “The
sad part is we don’t know how
many people he encouraged. A
reasonable person would dissuade
these people.”
On Monday, deputies seized
three computers Krein had access
to while staying at his cousin’s
house in Klamath Falls before
moving in with his parents,
Evinger said. The cousin, Joe Best,
has been questioned by investiga
tors, but has not been charged.
Klamath Falls police talked to
Krein at the cousin’s house last
September after receiving a tip
from a woman in Missouri that
Krein was suicidal and might be
trying to recruit people to join
him. Krein denied being suicidal
or in touch with the Missouri
woman and suggested someone
had hacked into his Yahoo! Inter
net account, police said. He was
not charged.
A computer Krein used at his
parents’ house has been sent to
the FBI to see whether it will re
veal the names of people he con
tacted through e-mail, instant
messages, chat rooms and news
groups on the Internet.
“It probably will be an extended
investigation,” Evinger said.
Klamath Falls police Officer
Mike Anderson, who went over
Krein’s computer before it was
sent to the FBI, said he saw news
group postings seeking a group of
more than 20 women to join him
for a sex and suicide party along
with some responses questioning
why he wanted more than 20.
Anyone interested was asked to
send him an e-mail.
“There were some derogatory
statements made toward him,”
Anderson said. “There were a
couple people who wanted
more information.”
Authorities have said Krein told
a woman in Canada that he was in
touch with 31 people about a
Valentine’s Day party where
women, some bringing their chil
dren, would join him for sex, then
commit suicide by hanging from
the neck naked.
Based on a tip from that woman,
sheriff’s deputies arrested Krein on
Feb. 9 at his parents’ home.
He made similar Internet
overtures while living in Texas in
2000 and in Sacramento, Calif.,
in 2003, authorities have said. In
vestigators have heard from
five women who said they were
in touch with Krein. The women
are from Virginia, Missouri, Geor
gia, Portland, and a suburb of
Toronto, Canada.
Defense attorney Evelyn Merritt
said Krein would enter innocent
pleas on Thursday when he is ar
raigned in Klamath County Circuit
Court on indictments alleging one
count of solicitation to commit
murder and four counts of solici
tation to commit manslaughter.
“Both he and his mother are
pretty upset,” Merritt said.
Krein has been held in the
Klamath County Jail under special
observation and is separated from
the other prisoners. Bail was set
at $100,000.
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