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The Ked and Black. Thursday. November H. 1979
‘Perception
Next week students in the
College of Arts and Sciences are
going to vote on whether to
establish a student council for
that school.
The council, which will be
voted on in a referendum Nov.
13, will consist of two student
representatives from each of the
six divisions in the school. The
council would supposedly be the
students’ voice to the school
administration in matters affect
ing them.
Associate Dean of Student
Affairs Bill Mendenhall has
gotten a group of students
together to discuss the problem
of student involvement.
There are other groups on
campus trying to figure out what
to do about getting the students
involved in the decision-making
process at the University.
It is evident that student
involvement in University affairs
is a problem.
It became evident with the
abolishment last year of student
government. The abolishment of
student government did not
cause the problem, it just made
it clear that there was a
problem.
Letters
Student government, as it was
set up, was not a system which
allowed true student involve
ment. On the surface it may
have looked like it, but ir. truth it
wasn’t.
So now, as some suggested
would happen when student
government was abolished,
groups are trying to deal with
the severe problem of lack of
student involvement.
And all of the groups are
right—something does need to be
done. The students at the
University must have some sort
of voice in the decisions that are
made at this University.
If a university is supposed to
be a place where students are
supposed to learn, shouldn’t
students help decide what they
are going to be taught, or how
much emphasis should be put on
teaching, as opposed to, say,
research.
The idea of school councils
may be the best to come up so
far. With effective school
councils the issues affecting
students most directly—those in
their school—could be addressed.
Schoo' councils would enable a
small number of student repre
Still a long way to go
sentatives to be more directly
involved with the decision
making process.
School councils could be more
effective than a University-wide
council in that they could deal
more directly with the problems
affecting a larger number of
students.
The school council system, if
done right, could be the most
effective way to represent the
students to the University
administration.
But even if every school had a
council there would still be one
void left—representation with the
upper echelon of the University.
A possible solution to that
problem could be to have a
member of each school council
sit on a campus-wide council,
which would be responsible for
voicing the student viewpoint to
the upper administration.
The happenings during the last
few weeks have indicated to
everybody that something needs
to be done about student
involvement. Hopefully some
thing substantial will come of all
the attempts
Justin Gillis
L.ast Saturday 19-year-old Sara Collins,
a junior from Lexington, was crowned
homecoming queen in front of 60.000 fans
who turned out for the Georgia-Virgima
fiasco Sara is a unique homecoming
queen in many respects Perhaps most
uniquely, she is black.
Undoubtedly many thousands in
Sanford Stadium that afternoon were less
than delighted with the judges' choice.
Undoubtedly many of the disgruntled
ones were enlightened, intelligent
University students.
Justin Gillis is campus editor of The Ked
and Black
Undoubtedly.
Many others were thrilled I am one. I
know Sara personally, and 1 know she
was chosen for her abilities, her
intelligence, her poise and her talents,
Sara's crowning was a victory of sorts.
It was a victory because it offers a ray
of hope that a day will come when
nobody in the stadium notices the color of
the queen's skin. It offers hope that the
day of blind prejudice and stupid bigotry
is drawing to a close
It offers hope that the South and the
rest of the country is looking ahead to a
day when the hypocrisy under which we
have lived so long is dead.
A small victory, perhaps, but an
important one
Sara is one of 800 black students on a
campus of 22,000 She is the first black
ever to become homecoming queen, and
she is one of the few non-Greeks to win
the crown.
She must certainly feel a sense of
personal accomplishment. She must feel
a sense of pride that she was talented
enough to win—few make it through
She must feel a sense of pride that her
skin color was no longer an issue.
She must feel a sense of pride as a
black person, and in a larger way she
must feel proud because through efforts
like hers the day draws nearer when
color is irrelevant.
Undoubtedly Sara is proud, but let’s be
realistic She feels proud as a black
person only because race in the larger
picture of society is still very much an
issue.
There are yet those who would scorn a
black person for no reason but race.
Many yet feel a deep sense of
malevolence and hatred for other
humans merely because they are black.
The stupid ones are not confined to the
Alabama cornfields, either. They are all
around us.
Perhaps even more significant are
those who do not espouse open hatred but
who show it more subtly , when dealing
with a job applicant, for instance.
Crudest of all, race is still a big issue
in a society dominated by an economic
system which oppressed men and women
on the basis of race since our country
began It is an issue because that system
still exists It is an issue because the easv
answer—throwing money at the
prouiem— has failed.
Now comes the hard solution: root out
and destroy the hatred and the inequity
which characterize the system.
Sara in her own way is fighting a
battle It is, in a sense, the greatest
battle. It is a greater battle than the
clashes of the Civil War. It is a battle far
greater than the courtroom drama
preceeding the Supreme Court decision in
Brown vs. Board of Education. It is a
battle far greater than the struggle for
civil rights legislation in the 1960s
Sara is one of many who fight the final
battle to root out and destroy hatred and
prejudice and hypocrisy
One day. through the efforts of many,
no one will notice the color of the
University of Georgia homecoming
queen.
Congratulations. Sara. You deserve to
win.
But there's a long, long way to go.
'Demonstrates a misunderstanding of various aspects of national politics’
TO THE EDITOR:
In his column. “The Secret of Edward
Moore. Wade Harrison was either
purposely soliciting countervailing views
or demonstrating a misunderstanding of
various aspects of national politics
Although undeniably the Kennedy
name attracts press coverage and its
attendant publicity, how can anyone be
blamed for using their name 0 Historical
ly the name Kennedy seems more pivotal
in marshalling their detractors, not their
supporters
If it is conceded that Edward
Kennedy's name was influential in his
original elec'ion to the Senate, it must
also be conceded that the overwhelming
support enjoyed during his three
re-election attempts resulted from his
politics, unless one contends that the
Massachusetts electorate is irrational,
sentimental, and incapable of making
polticial decisions based on merit
In the South, traditionally a bastion of
anti k nment. I have spoken
with few who are knowledgeable about
Senator Kennedy's positions.
His national health insurance proposal,
generally the most picked-on item
because most say it means more
bureaucracy, more socialization, and
more government spending, actually
would cost less than is presently spent on
Medicare and would lessen government
involvement. Basically private insurance
companies would be pitted against the
medical establishment (to contain costs)
and provided with incentives to insure
the impoverished
His proposal to limit corporate size
applies only to large corporations which
assimilate smaller ones, thereby increas
ing unemployment, but not to those which
re invest capital into new factories,
increased production, etc., which lessens
unemployment. This encourages more
corporate responsibility for social condi
tions since high unemployment means
either high taxes or a large federal
deficit.
Finally his energy proposal, while not
sacrificing effectiveness, costs less than
one-third of President Carter's His
unflagging support of other positions is
delineated in his 1969 book. Decisions for
a Decade.
As for Kennedy's moral judgment,
every American must make a decision on
his own, and can do so without the help of
Mr Harrison or The Red and Black’ I
have personally witnessed cheating by
about half my Spanish class (Kennedy,
too, cheated at Spanish), and most of us
saw it on biology lab reports or in high
school. This particular fact would not be
my reason for voting against these people
for president
Given the incompetence of our current
president and the bleak record of other
presidential contenders, there is some
thing to be said for political ability and
cunning.
Remember. Kennedy is not an
opportunist (or he would have run in
1968. 1972. or 1976) but is running because
he was asked to run.
As for the “growing conservatism in
America " mentioned by Time, News
week. and Mr. Harrison: note that, aside
from his support of a balanced budget,
Carter was elected on a liberal platform.
Indeed his failure to execute this
platform and his renunciation of it are
his greatest faults.
By now Mr Harrison knows that in last
Tuesday’s elections more liberals were
elected than conservatives. Anyone
desiring insight as to national rather than
local trends merely needs to read the
letters to the editor of the Los Angeles
Times. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chicago
Tribune. Portland Oregonian, or New
York Times, available in the main
library
I do not urge anyone to vote l or
Edward Kennedy. However, I hope that
people will refrain from making an
ignorant, arbitrary decision not to
support him until the campaign begins,
candidates’ positions announced, and the
real needs of the country ascertained
The forthcoming Carter Kennedy debate
will provide such a forum.
JOSEPH M.ADDRY
‘You may be
surprised’
TO THE EDITOR:
An Open Letter To University Women:
Before anyone reads further, let me
St'y that this is not intended for all ladies
oi, campus, but merely a select few.
This letter is to a certain collection of
females, the “holier than thou” breed,
that exists here at Georgia. I’m referring
to those who look at me crazily when I
open a door for them, those who turn
their little noses up when I let them enter
a bus before me. and those who plop
themselves down thanklessly into a seat
which I surrender to them, or worse yet,
totally ignore me
1 realize that in this age of feminism
and equality the ability to do for oneself
is a necessity for existence in a
university environment However. I fail
to see how a total lack of politeness and
courtesy for others can be a requirement
for a woman to fulfill her goal of
equality
According to Mr Webster, equality is
being “of the same measure, quality,. .
or degree as another." Or, if you’d
prefer, being “able to cope with a
situation.” This is a far cry from what
some of the ladies here practice. I would
define their attitudes as superiority,
“better than most of (their) kind,
arrogant, haughty.”
If you don’t wish for me to hold a door
open for you, let you get onto a bus first,
or let you sit down on a crowded bus,
merely say, “No, thank you.” and believe
me. I’ll go ahead and let you do things
your way. But, it would be nice if I could
get some response from you and not the
cold, arrogant stares that are slowly,
but surely becoming your trademarks
I suppose now I’ll be branded as a male
chauvinist However, if I really were one.
I don't think I’d give a damn about how
any woman got anywhere or did
anything, and I certainly wouldn't open a
door for one.
No, I’m just a person who happens to
feel that a little common courtesy every
now and then couldn't hurt anyone but
that it could possibly make someone feel
better or lighten their burden.
So, the next time one of you is faced
with a situation where a “do-gooder” is
holding a door open for you or offering
you his seat, please be courteous and
“cope with (the) situation,” or at least be
polite and say, “No, thank you ’’ You
may be surprised. It could work wonders.
ROBERT RAMSEUR
‘Let Iranian
students leave’
TO THE EDITOR:
The current Iranian situation concerns
me very much. I am more concerned
with the attitudes of the Iranian students
who are demonstrating against the
United States here in the United States.
On the news, pictures were shown of
Iranian students attending U S colleges
holding up signs like, “US. Get Out of
Iran.” and “Down With The Shah.” In
Tehran, a picture of President Carter
dressed for execution was displayed—
they are actually quoted as calling for
the death of President Carter!
As far as I am concerned, let the
Iranian students who are attending
schools in the United States and who are
opposed to American influence in Iran
get the hell out of this country! Why
should they be able to live and study here
if they are so opposed to America?
Let them go home and live under the
new dictator, and we’ll see how much
they complain about the United States
again. My guess is that all this ridiculous
demonstrating would stop real quick, and
they would wish they were back in the
United States.
It is time the United States started
showing foreign countries and foreigners
that we will not give in to terrorists and
threats against our people and blatant
demonstrating against us when they are
living in our country, attending our
colleges
It is also time that the American people
get a strong nationalistic feeling for our
country and get up in arms to make sure
that our government will not dawdle
around at handling such critical
international mal*^.
NAME W ITHHELD
r Red and ‘Blaclj
Staff
I dltiX in « A*rf Bill Kmeg*-,
► egrter t.ary F«H»
i .rnrral miMiirr Sire trabill
\<t\ r.-tts.ng manner Linda Spike*
I up, Tom Kellex Minin Williams
Nancy Nether*
I am put editor Ju*tin Gllltt
< ttx rdiiiK Jim Gannam
Knlarn Hum Tammy Sax age
I nlrrlawmral Hiluc HiWn Htrd
Photo Hu.» l Talhi.i Nonnallt III
Nuiri* Hum Frank Mallot
Premotmes Aires tar « hurle> Ku%m-!I
U'l'Um lampiK editors J*d>n I .a* kit- thuvk Mi-rvr
WnliiM rgt Hii.x» Tim Hunnrr tgltnn B<.vle»
lr,i«irv Hiiw Ingrid s» >rr
\*%MaM entertainment Hu Kidxrr’ lMt.ir.il
\«M>Ijnl photo editor \all\ Kno-rmki-
\ sustain sports edit nr* Warren Hart V«m Keillt
Wire editor Lexus Paiirnm
11*4 Todat roordioalor Kat Peppers
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\d»»i U'inr represent antes J*din Baker I jrr Ihifls Julie Fletcher Mi,hell* Nets her rs Doug Prado' 1.1/
Wil**«
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