Vigil to oppose Web log planned

A group of faculty, staff and students plan to hold a vigil at Showalter Fountain tonight to express concerns that stem from a business school professor's Web log.\nDuring Friday evening's Induction Ceremony at the IU Auditorium for Kelley School of Business students, the group will gather outside the Auditorium to voice opposition to comments posted by Professor Eric Rasmusen.\nParticipants plan to meet at the Community and Leadership Development Center in the Clark wing of Read Center at 5 p.m. to make posters and signs and begin the vigil at 6:30 p.m. in front of the IU Auditorium in the Fine Arts Plaza.\nJonathan Rossing, Diversity Education Specialist with the CommUNITY Education Program, organized the vigil with the hope of showing support for individuals who have been offended by Rasmusen's anti-homosexual remarks.\n"Lately there's been a lot of time defending freedom of speech, which is valid," Rossing said. "But from the perspective of closeted students or GLBT students, the comments on (Rasmusen's) log do not make people feel welcome here."\nRasmusen, who will be out-of-town during the Induction Ceremony and vigil, said there are other ways of discussing the issue besides a vigil or demonstration.\n"I can't see the connection between what the group is doing and the new students being inducted or the business school," Rasmusen said. "I've gotten the feeling that people on both sides of this are reluctant to really discuss the issues, and it would be a good idea to engage each other and talk about our differences with rational discussions."\nRossing said the gathering will help voice the group's opposition to intolerance at IU, whether it focuses on homosexuality, sexism, racism or other forms of discrimination.\n"This is a much larger issue than just the Web log," Rossing said. "But there hasn't been a definitive statement from administration that IU does not stand for this hate."\nRasmusen's Web log, which contains comments against homosexuality and other controversial issues, sparked debate at the beginning of September when IU students and staff came across the page.\nSince then, several issues have circled the controversy, including freedom of speech, IU Web page policies and concerns from IU's GLBT population.\n"This really isn't a freedom of speech issue anymore," said Mark Brostoff, an associate director for undergraduate services in the business school. "It's more about the University's lack of policies to protect individuals because of their sexual orientation."\nBrostoff said he plans to attend the Induction Ceremony and then he may join the vigil participants, but he is a little worried about the message the vigil may send to the business school.\n"I'm a bit uncomfortable that it is focusing on the Kelley School of Business and not at the University level," Brostoff said. "I would not want to have individuals think that this is directed at the school, because we have had tremendous support from business school administration."\nDuring Tuesday's Bloomington Faculty Council meeting, IU-Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm addressed Rasmusen's Web log, stating that she plans to ask the University Faculty Council to review the "mypage" space on the IU server's policies.\nDoug Bauder, director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services, said even though the GLBT office did not sponsor the gathering, there will be GLBT students and staff at the vigil.\n"This is not a protest against the business school or Rasmusen," Bauder said. "It's meant to be a vigil against hate and in support of GLBT faculty, staff and students and the efforts being made on campus."\nBauder said he wishes for the vigil to be non-disruptive and does not want to label the event as a protest, but instead wants to see the group voice its concerns about a lack of response.\n"There are people who don't think this is the appropriate venue, but there hasn't been enough of a response from the campus," Bauder said. "We appreciate what the Chancellor has said but students need to feel supported, as well as faculty and staff."\n-- Contact senior writer Maura Halpern at mhalpern@indiana.edu.