Tuesday, February 14, 1984
Daily Nebraskan
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A peaceful march, purposefully designed after
those led by. Martin Luther King Jr., in protest of a
cross burning on the Oklahoma State University
campu3 hi;;hi:;,hted the 1C34 Bij Ei-ht conference
on Black Student Government lost weekend in Stil
lwater, Okla.
J.!ore than 400 students from seven Big Eight
campuses and other surrounding schools attended
the seventh annual conference, including 36 stu
dents from UNL.
The march, which took place near midnight Sat
urday, was in response to a cros3 burning in front of
the Alpha Phi Alpha house, a black fraternity, last
Monday.
The 6 x 4-foot cross was discovered burning at
1 :S0 a.ra. by Oklahoma State police.
"I guess you could say it was sort of a welcome for
the conference," Terri Collins, president of the Okla
homa State Elaclc Student Government, said.
"A lot cf people here are trying to say it was a joks
or pass if elf as a prank. But we feel it happened just
too dace to the conference time, and somebody was
tryi"g to tell us something."
The Dig E:ht council, the 24-student body that
governs the conference, passed a resolution pres
ented by Missouri to actively oppose the incident
and the silent treatment given it by OCU admir.h-
After the Dig Eijht pageant, w hich ended the reg
ular activities of the conference, SCO persons mada "
the half-mils long march to the Alpha house, soma
with candles and most singing "Ve Shall Overcome "
and "Lift Every Voice."
Keith Borders, a sophomore at Oklahoma who
was voted president of the 1C34-85 council, encour-
aged the crowed to take the incident and the march
back to their campuses as a sign that racism still
exists. lie also encouraged them to take back King's
reaction to the campuses.
"I know some of you think this is funny, and just a
step back to the lCGOs," Borders said. "But I see this
incident as a sign of racism. This march is a sign of
peaceful protest to that."
As of Saturday, no one had taken credit for the
cross burning, but Collins said an investigation was
underway and police had obtained fingerprints and
information about where the wood was bought
Howard Shipp, multi-cultural affairs adviser for
Oklahoma State, said the cross burning angered
more than frightened students there.
"Whatever the reason was that caused it to pageant.
happen, it is still a very, very bad thing to happen to
our campus," Shipp said. "We cannot stay silent and
let whoever did it think they've rotten away with
something. Our university has got to show that we
are people of good will, and we do not condone thb
type of thing."
Despite the incident, Shipp said he was pleased
with the turnout and reaction for the conference.
Dsbra Pitts, the former ECG adviser, left OSU for
another job in November, leaving Shipp in charge
with a $24,000 conference budget and no money.
"We went around to each college, and I personally
saw each dean and each VIP " Shipp said, Te were
fortunate that these people saw a purpose in what
we were trying to do."
The DCG had a late start contacting schocl3 about
the conference, and getting registration informa
tion to the other conference schools. As a result, less
than 200 students were registered in January, and
many of them were OSU students.
"It is a good feeling to see this many black students
in the same place and to hear this kind of communi
cation," Shipp said. "Before the Friday dinner, there
were 300 or so black students in the lobby out front.
I only wished that it would have been noon and the
whole campus could have seen it."
The Kansas BSG, who will host the 1985 confer
ence, was selected the top black student organiza
tion. Rcnee Jones of Oklahoma State and Ben
Holder of Missouri shared the top delegate honor.
Nebraskans William H. Watkins, a senior advertis
ing major, and Carla Johnson, a senior broadcasting
major, both Finished second in the Mr. and Miss
Black Big Eight pageants. Charlene Pennybaker of
Oklahoma State and Rodney Bullock of Kansas were
crowned King and Queen of the second annual
Souvenir Editions of First Down
available at the Daily Nebraskan
office, Room 34, Nebraska Union
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VA No. 14lii