Margaret BauerSmall Group Housing made its way onto campus, though progress was slowed because of strikes by concrete workers, inclement weather, and an alleged $11 million budget increase. The Chemistry Lab building and the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center progressed in their construction, and contractors broke ground on the Biomedical Engineering building by Brookings. New building in the works for the near future include three additional engineering buildings, an Earth and Planetary Sciences building, the Visual Arts and Design Center, a new art museum, and the new University Center. Olin Library began renovations in the spring.
Issues involving parking and trees sparked debates in the fall, as university administrators suggested uprooting trees for above-ground and underground parking lots of fulfill the needs of the student body and the city’s parking regulations. Student Union and the campus community fought back, requesting that the university find a new solution to the parking problems and leave the trees on Oak Alley standing.
Changes at Health Services altered the state of health insurance coverage, as students were informed that in the following years they would have to pay a fee of $400 for mandatory university-based insurance. The University School of Law was forced to allow military recruiters on its campus for the first time in ten years, after an amendment to a federal bill spelled the retraction of all federal funding from the university if the law school maintained its policy. The recruiters’ visits were met with student rallies opposing their presence.
Former cherry-bombing suspect, fugitive, and student radical Howard Mechanic was sentenced in September to four months in federal prison for his alleged role in the 1970 bombing of the University’s ROTC building. Mechanic was released from prison in December on probation and was pardoned by President Clinton in January.
October saw an influx of police and security as the Athletic Complex was transformed into a debate hall to host the third and final debate of the Presidential campaign. Al Gore and George W. Bush brought their entourages to campus, along with Secret Service officers and police surveillance. Ralph Nader spoke before a throng of students and community members at Northmoor Park before twice attempting-and failing-to make his way onto campus. Student protests during and after the debate resulted in pepper-sprayed victims and five arrests. Following months of preparation and construction, just a few days were sufficient enough to erase all signs of the debate.
The results of November elections showed an almost even division between Democrats and Republicans statewide as Bush received 51 percent of the popular vote and Gore 47 percent. Jean Carnahan replaced her husband Mel Carnahan in his race for U.S. Senate following his death in a plane crash just weeks before the election. Mrs. Carnahan, a Democrat, narrowly beat Republican John Ashcroft for the seat, though President Bush later appointed Ashcroft U.S. Attorney General after heated debate in Congress. Republican Jim Talent lost to Bob Holden in a close race for Missouri governor. Talent went on to teach a spring course at the University entitled “Thinking Like a Congressman.”
Student governments suffered losses of several high-ranking officials during the fall as both the President of the Council of Students in Arts & Sciences Paul Michalski and SU Attorney General Jeremy Brenner resigned. Maiko Kusano and Christiana Shourshtari replaced them to carry the organizations through the remainder of the year.
As predicted, University students received word of a tuition increase in January. A 4.9 percent increase in tuition-putting the grand total at $25,700-was sufficient to surpass the rate of inflation and also corresponding tuition increases at many Ivy League schools.
In sports, the Bears’ women’s basketball team won a fourth straight title as NCAA Division III Champions after breaking their 81-game winning streak in a January loss to Fontbonne.
Campus activists and listeners gathered several times during the spring at Strong Brew and 7th Hour events. Highlighting topics of religion, freedom, and the environment, the events sparked debate between students and faculty members who held expertise on those specific issues as well as politics and philosophy.
Stemming from the 7th Hour concerning the environment, a six-person group researched the environmental sustainability of the university, passed out petitions, and drafted a report on their findings, including suggestions for the future. The report was presented to the Chancellor and other high-ranking university officials in April.
In volunteer efforts, Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s Point Out Hunger raised an unprecedented $42,000 for Operation Food Search, while Dance Marathon nearly doubled its total from last year by raising $50,753.17 for the Children’s Miracle Network. Center Court Sharing brought in dozens of homeless people monthly to Center Court for free using student flex points.
Administrators altered campus food plans to accommodate new eating establishments, overhead costs, and Bon App‚tit’s monetary loss. Students opposed the increasing number of points and flexes offered by each plan, the increases in food price, the lack of point exchange, and the requirement that off-campus students buy a meal plan. In response to the changes, SU passed a resolution asking that the administration lower the additional cost that would be required for Kosher meal plans and tack on $10 to every students’ meal plan to cover the Kosher charges. Bon App‚tit’s overhead costs increased this year and were set to increase the next year with the addition of new eating establishments such as Ursa’s, Taco Bell, and Small Group Housing Dining Services.
Throughout the year, SU passed several other resolutions concerning parking and trees, the law school’s stance on discriminatory recruiters, and the environmental sustainability of the university.
SU also created an umbrella organization called the Social Programming Board (SPB), incorporating Filmboard, Team 31, the Garoyle Committee, and the Campus Programming Council. The concept for the SPB stemmed from difficulties in booking acts in advance because of short-term funding. By creating the SPB, SU would offer year-long advance funding to groups to aid them in planning programs.
In March, Greek Life put all campus sororities on indefinite probation for alleged hazing violations. The term of probation lasted until March 19.
The Eliot Residential Hall saga continued as administrators promised that the building would be demolished during the summer of 2001. Though the addition of Small Group Housing and non-Greek living in fraternity houses added several hundred beds, the incoming freshman class and the desire of rising sophomores to remain on campus posed problems. The administration informed the campus in April that Eliot would remain for at least another year.
The University received 21,000 applications for the Class of 2005, more than the university had ever received before and more than any college its size. April brought prospective students to campus, along with a 12-foot tall bronze statue of a thinking rabbit.