The Daily Reveille - December 5, 2014

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Reveille

Women’s basketball Caldwell’s players’ stats suffered during November page 5

The Daily

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2014

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opinion Eric Garner case reveals flaws in justice system page 8

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Environment

The University’s Policy Statement One prohibits discrimination in all registered student organizations.

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BY QUINT FORGEY qforgey@lsureveille.com

hen Taylor Huckaby came out as gay in 2010, the University alumnus knew he would be asked to step down from his position as band member and worship team co-leader at The Refuge, the college ministry of the Chapel on the Campus. But he didn’t know that Refuge’s alleged actions might have violated a complicated University nondiscrimination policy. Refuge has been a registered student organization on campus since 1994. Though the University prohibits discrimination in all registered student organizations through Policy Statement One, it allows leeway for student organizations to discriminate in selecting their leadership, said Campus Life associate director for marketing and communications Margo Jolet. This exception to the University’s nondiscrimination policy is not available to students; it cannot be found on University websites or in student organization policy manuals. “We realize that there isn’t really a place that it’s published on our website, and it’s not in our handbook,” Jolet said.

In this exception to the nondiscrimination policy, the University defines leadership as the positions outlined in a student organization’s constitution, Jolet said. In Refuge’s 2009-10 constitution, effective when Huckaby said he was a leader, there is no mention of band members or a worship team.

Policy Statement One

All student organizations at the University must abide by PS-01, Jolet said. Issued in August 2000, PS-01 prohibits discrimination in University programs and activities. Jolet confirmed that Refuge has been a registered student organization at the University for 20 years, activated as the Chapel on the Campus

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in 1994. According to its text, the purpose of PS-01 “is to assert Louisiana State University’s (LSU) commitment to provide equal opportunity for all qualified persons in admission to, participation in, or employment in the programs and activities which the University operates without regard to race, creed, color, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, or veteran’s status.” Jolet said religious student organizations are not exempt from PS-01. “The Equal Opportunity state-

see discrimination, page 4

Margo Jolet, Campus Life associate director of marketing and communication, said religious student organizations are not exempt from PS-01, except when filling leadership positions.

Dean encourages energy conservation Chris D’Elia doesn’t consider himself ‘green’

BY Deanna narveson dnarveson@lsureveille.com Chris D’Elia, dean of the School of the Coast and Environment, drives an electric car to work, has a solar panel on his house to heat his water and turns off lights whenever possible, yet he doesn’t consider himself “green.” To be truly green, D’Elia said, one would have to reduce his or her footprint on the earth to what it was before the Industrial Revolution, something he doesn’t recommend. Instead, D’Elia said students and citizens of today’s world should try to conserve energy wherever possible, something he finds difficult because of his work and lifestyle. The School of the Coast and Environment researches the effect of how the U.S. gets its energy supply on the earth. In the last five years, the college has more than doubled in enrollment, and faculty members receive $8 million to $12 million in external funding for their research. D’Elia arrived in 2009 after working in research and academia at several universities. “I teach a course with Dr. Dismukes on energy,” D’Elia said. “You have to think critically about energy, because there are multiple sides to everything.” D’Elia used the energy and rare-earth metals put into making the batteries of electric cars as an example of an energy trade-off between purchasing an electric car or a standard car. He said the shrinking of the world’s supply of fossil fuels is inevitable, but it can be staved off by conservation efforts. For students, this could mean carpooling turning air conditioners to a lower temperature during the

see d’elia, page 4


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