BUCC donut sale rejected by administration
By Mike McPhee
News Editor
The Bucknell University Conservatives Club (BUCC) is questioning the University’s policies on free speech again after being denied permission to host a second affirmative action bake sale this week.
“Our event sparked a dialogue and created thoughtful conversation about affirmative action on campus, and the University is trying to shut down that source,” said James Roesch ’10, a BUCC member and the editor-in-chief of The Counterweight.
At the first bake sale held on April 7 in the Elaine Langone Center, donuts were sold at varying prices to students based on their race to protest affirmative action policies in the college admissions process.
Administrators shut down the sale, citing an improper filing of the sales and solicitation form for the event, which did not properly reflect the donuts’ varying prices.
This time, the event was denied permission for a different reason.
“I concluded that this activity was a discriminatory fundraising event, which violates our stated, and legally required, nondiscrimination policy that is applicable to all sponsored or authorized events,” said Gerald Commerford, associate dean of students.
The BUCC’s choice to file another sales and solicitation form was an attempt “to test the University’s commitment to the issue of free speech,” Roesch said. He doubted that the only reason the original sale was shut down was because of a paperwork issue.
After this incident, Commerford said the rationale behind the decision to stop the event is consistent in both cases.
“When I closed the club’s prior event, I did so because their registration form was incorrectly filled out.
However, upon reflection and review after taking that action, I concluded that even with a correctly completed registration form, the affirmative action bake sale was not a fundraising activity and is in violation of the University’s nondiscrimination policy,” Commerford said.
The form was filled out with the correct prices and listed the event type as “Other: Protest,” with the additional marking “profits will be negligible.” It received a signature of approval from John Cummins in Dining Services, the first step required in approving the event.
At the Reservation, Information and Conference Services office (RICS) club members were told to speak to Susan Hopp, dean of students, because “that signature is needed for controversial events,” said Sami Prehn ’ 11, vice president of special events for the BUCC. Hopp was not available, so the students were referred to Commerford instead.
“I have never ever heard of this policy before, and I’ve had many controversial events. I’m pretty sure it was pulled out of thin air,” Prehn said.
That policy, along with the discrimination policy Commerford cited, is in the University’s Student Handbook.
Members of the BUCC described their interaction with Commerford as tense and unhelpful.
“After reading the sales and solicitation form, Dean Commerford was very intent on denying us the event. He did not even discuss it with us and whenever we asked about different possibilities, his immediate answer was always ‘no’. He was not very helpful at all,” Prehn said.
Commerford, however, says he has offered the club other options for achieving their goals.
“I clearly advised them that I am happy to help them arrange for a proper venue for a campus dialogue to discuss and/or debate affirmative action and related issues. I explained there is a proper venue for fundraising activities and other venues for presentation of issues. I concluded that this was not a fundraising activity,”
Commerford said.
Commerford suggested that the BUCC use the Bucknell Message Center and The Counterweight as means to promote their club’s activities through events such as forums and speakers, a comment drawing sharp remarks from club members.
“The administration does not have the right, under the student code of conduct, to regulate what would or would not be a proper forum for discussion for student organizations,” said Jeff Taylor ’12, treasurer of the BUCC.
