Law students to hold protest on recruitment

The Army will begin recruiting at the Law School today after a recent vote. Army representatives might be in for a surprise when they begin recruiting at the Law School today. Some Law students will band together in protest of the military's presence on campus. The students say the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuality violates the school's anti-discrimination regulations. The protest will begin at 12:30 p.m. at Tanenbaum room 145, where the recruiting information session is scheduled to take place. The students' discontent resulted from a Law faculty vote last week to allow military recruitment on campus for one year in the face of government threats to hold back federal financial aid money. Faculty and members of the Career Planning and Placement Committee who suggested the decision said they were not fully satisfied with allowing recruitment. During the next year, a committee of faculty and students will search for ways to combat the loss of government aid. Many students and faculty members said they were upset with the process the military used to gain campus access for its recruiters, who will seek to enlist Law students for the Army's legal branch, the Judge Advocate General. Students plan to disrupt the JAG recruitment session to protest the discrimination based on sexual orientation that pervades the military. Some will carry signs with the slogan "We didn't ask. They shouldn't come," drawing on the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Others will sit in on the information session, asking questions or wearing tape over their mouths in protest. "We need to make a statement about how egregious the military is to put the Law School in this position," first-year Law student Greg Cochran said. "We also need to send a message to the Law School administration that we are mad about the non-adherence to the nondiscrimination policy." Law students began plans for the protest on Thursday. Although they did not expect recruitment to start so soon, they said they are ready to fight the presence of a discriminatory organization on campus. "The students need to come out and show that they won't tolerate any discrimination," second-year Law student Heather Jensen said. "The basic point is that students are bound together to see that there is no such discrimination. We are going to tell the military this." Third-year Law student Erik Oliver said he expects a "good showing" at today's protest because of the far-reaching implications of the military's visit. "My concern is many of us are profoundly disappointed with the Law School's decision," Oliver said. "As a gay student, I wonder what the purpose of a nondiscrimination policy if it is thrown to the wind when challenged." In addition to members of the vocal gay, lesbian and bisexual Law student community, today's protest will include "quite a cross section" of Law students, according to first-year Law student Margaret O'Shea. "There is much solidarity in the Law School," she said. Jensen added that Law students would plan the same protest for any type of discrimination. "We all just want to be heard and be visible," she said. Oliver said today's protest is only the beginning of the unpleasantness many Law students will impose on the military. Future demonstrations may include City Council involvement and continued public humiliation of military representatives.