Newspaper Page Text
I
The Ked and Black
Thursday January 22, lttH7
Rage
Opinion
THE RED AND BLACK
Established 1893 — Incorporated 1980
Tami Dennis, Editor-in-Chief
Andy Smith, Managing Editor
Hector Vargas, Opinions Editor
Amer.can New «pap«rs Putftsnors AMociation
TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE Of A FREE PRESS
An independent newtpaper not 'iffiliated with the Univenity of Georgia
Incorporate GAA
University Interim President Henry King Stanford re
jected last week the University Council’s proposal that the
Georgia Athletic Association be incorporated into the Uni
versity.
The council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Policies
recommended the move after investigating issues brought
forth during Jan Kemp’s successful suit against the Univer
sity. It was the committee’s opinion that the interests of the
University as a whole would be better served if the associa
tion was part of the University.
The council later approved the committee’s proposal. In
order for the move to take place, the Board of Regents must
approve the recommendation before sending it to the
Georgia General Assembly.
However, Stanford virtually eliminated any possibility of
such a move taking place when he refused to approve the
proposal on the grounds that such a change wouldn't be fi
nancially beneficial to the University or the association.
A recommendation that goes to the regents without the
president’s acceptance is not only uncommon but has little
chance of passing.
Regents Chancellor H. Dean Propst has said that a pro
posal that goes to the board without a university president's
approval won’t be taken lightly.
It shouldn’t be taken lightly as it is an important consid
eration. But neither should such a proposal be dismissed.
After all, the University Council passed the proposal 2-1. The
members obviously had their reasons.
Stanford rejected the changing of the GAA’s status on the
grounds that he didn't want the academic interests of the
University to compete with the athletic interests for state
support.
But as the ad hoc committee pointed out, only six or
seven other schools in the nation have private athletic asso
ciations. These schools apparently have no trouble keeping
academic and athletic interests separate. In fact, they’ve
functioned quite well.
And these public athletic associations didn’t have law
suits filed against them to force the opening of some basic
records. The Macon Telegraph and News was forced to file
suit against the GAA to gain access to its records.
The Georgia Supreme Court finally ruled that the GAA is
inextricably entwined with the University and therefore is
subject to the state’s Open Record’s Act. However, the asso
ciation isn’t subject to the Open Meetings Act, which allows
the association to be secretive about its affairs.
ff the GAA were joined with the University, it would have
to be more open about its business.
Also, with the GAA as a part of the University, the Uni
versity president and vice president for Business, and Fi
nance wouldn't be compromising their positions at the
University because they are on the board of the GAA.
Their positions on the board were a major reason the at
torneys for the Macon newspapers said the GAA was inextri
cably entwined with the University.
Furthermore, the GAA’s status as a private corporation
obviously doesn’t prevent it from becoming involved in
scandals or trouble. The athletic association isn’t so sepa
rate from the University that it and the University can keep
its problems from affecting the other.
Take the Kemp trial for instance. That didn’t exactly
shed a favorable light on either institution. Both were at
fault and when the favors traded between the two became
known to the public, it wasn’t exactly an endorsement of the
private athletic association standing.
The advantages of having the GAA as part of the Univer
sity can’t be ignored. The financial benefits of a private cor
poration aren’t as important as having the GAA as part of
thq University.
The association would have to be more open and would
be subject to regulation by the University.
The state Supreme Court pointed out that the two are in
explicably intertwined It was right. And because the two
hav# such a relationship, the GAA should be part of the Uni-
vcraity.
Editorial: 543-180!)
Editor in Chief Tami IN-nnis
Managing Editor Andy Smith
Opinion* Editor Hector Vargas
Front Page Copy Editor Therun Corse
Chief Copy Editor Tommy Sun*
Copy Editor Je*sna Saunders
New* Editor Frank Steele
Sport* Editor Jim Callu
Entertainment Editor Julie Carey
UGA Today and Librarian Jim Farmer
Chief Photographer Warren Knlbert
Auntote N*»» Editor* Ijiuran Neer
Kaard. Christy Richards
Sport* .Senior Reporter lain Clark
A «»i*tant Sport. Editor Chris Deiltmc
A Mutant Phot., Editor Nat Gurley
Staff Artut Chris Harmon
Senior Reporter* Bill Kent Mike Krensa
va*e Keith Phillips, Carol Schuster Jeff
Turner Mark Wheeler Tony L Wilson
Advertising: 543-1791
Advertising Director Bill Wolgast
Student Advertising Manager Bonnie
Drobnyk
Advertumg Representatives Lawrence
Greenspon Khorda Johnson. Tiffany
KurU. Keith NimtU. Mark Smith, Gary
tyacker Michael Wells, Stacy Hulsey
$jtacy Long, Scott Scaggs Becky West
Advertising A't/Photogroph\ Ben Nile.
Advertising Production Manager Brenda
Cleveland
Editorial Production Manager Michelle
Manic
Production Staff Pamela Burns. Sarah
Gallant. Mary Catharine Ginn, Lisa l.ogue.
Tonya Reed. Julie Ann Rowland. Drew
Wilson, Jennifer Abel. Kelly Long. Laura
Callahan
General Manager Harry Montevideo
Office Manager Mary Straub
Credit Manoger Lisa Luue
CTu**i/ied Sales / Receptionist Lori Morn*
THE RED AND BLACK is published Tuesday through Friday with the exception at holi
days and examination periods by The Ked and Black Publishing Company. Inc ., a non
profit campus newspaper not affiliated with The University of Georgia 123 North Jackson
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Opinions expressed in The Ked and Black other than unsigned editorials are the opinion*
of the writers of signed columns and are not necessarily those of The Red and Black Pub
hshing Co . Inc All right* reserved Reprints by permission of the editors
IN THE GULAG
BEFORE GORBACHEV
IN THE GULAG
aftergprbachev
Can you point me to America?
Americans are funny people We have ar
guably the greatest level of freedom of any
group of people who have ever bound themselves
together under a government You would think
we'd be proud, but think again.
Read the paper lately? It's just loaded with all
sorts of evidence that some Americans can’t
stand their own freedom.
Exhibit A: The Iranamok Scandal. Anyone
who thinks that America is full of freedom lovers
should read the letters to the editor on this baby.
Allow me to quote a letter from the Atlanta
Journal/Constitution. ‘The people in this
country need to learn to support and not tear
down the president or allow the press to do the
same.” The ‘my president, right or wrong' atti
tude is one thing, but this smacks of censorship.
This writer should be proud that we have a
press that is allowed to expose corruption and
crimes that occur in our government without
fear of retribution, and make no mistake, laws
were violated, lies were told Without this
freedom Richard Nixon might still be president
or descendants of John Adams might be king.
It is our press that fufills the thankless duty of
keeping our leaders honest and respectful of the
law Unfortunately, we find in human and Amer
ican nature a desire to “kill the messenger.'' We
don't want to know that our leaders are corrupt.
Some people want to hear this so little that they
assume the watchdog, and not the leader, is cor
rupt Without this watchdog, our government
would be as corrupt as that of East Germany.
You laugh, but look around and see how diffi
cult it is to maintain democracy without an unre
stricted press. How free is the press in the East
Bloc. South Africa. Guatemala, the Koreas,
China or any other dictatorship*’
It was Thomas Jefferson, and not some would-
be traitor, who said “Were it left to me to decide
whether we should have a government without
newspapers, or newspapers without a govern
ment. 1 should nqt hesitate a moment to prefer
/ heron (orse
the latter.”
Exhibit B: The St. Cloud Cross. If there's one
thing Americans hate more than freedom of the
press, it’s freedom of religion. In the small
Florida town of St. Cloud, a 12-foot lighted cross
sits atop the city-owned water tower The Amer
ican Civil Liberties Union has.taken up the cause
of four residents who see this as official support
of religion. The other residents are quite angry
about this. One was quoted as saying. “It’s a sad
fact when four people can take away the rights
of 11,000." Another said, "I am concerned that
the overall American way of life is being threat
ened by minorities who really don't know what
was involved in bringing a country like this to
gether "
Number one. our founders felt that the right of
a minority not to’have a religion imposed on it
by the government was more important than the
desire of the majority, to spread their religion
and enforce uniformity. One little cross may not
seem like much, but if one allows the govern
ment to support a religion in a small way, it isn’t
inconceivable that it would spread like kud/.u,
choking freedom to death in its tyrannical vines.
Everyone knows the saying “Give them an
inch and they’ll take a mile.” The easiest way to
prevent tyranny is to kill it before it grows
I said in a previous column that we all belong
to a minority, and you had better believe it. A
minority is really any group that doesn’t control
the government Today maybe we ll take away
the rights of non-Christians, maybe tomorrow it
will be the Catholics, and over the weekend, let’s
get rid of those pesky Episcopalians.
You'say that can’t happen, because this is
America. Well, buddy, it won’t be America any
more if we take away the rights of minorities.
Exhibit C: Howard Beach and Forsyth County
For once in my life. I am at a loss for words. If
the significance of these events has to be ex
plained to you, you probably tried to vote for
Calvin Coolidge in the last election.
As a nation of immigrants coming from a wide
variety of backgrounds, our history is one of
clashing cultures. It’s not that Americans carry
an unusual amount of xenophobia, it's just that
there is a greater opportunity for cultural clash
here than anywhere else in the world.
This is no excuse. Since there is more opportu
nity for trouble, there is a greater responsibility
on our part to address the problems of human
ity’s seemingly natural tendencies towards xeno
phobia .
I am a Southerner, born in Texas and raised in
Georgia I take great pride in my heritage, but I
believe beyond any doubt that the time has long
since passed for some of our traditions to be
washed from our hands As for any non-South
erner sneering and saying “This doesn’t happen
were I come from.” I say. ‘‘Howard Beach "
Racism and other prejudices aren’t Southern
problems, and they aren't simply the problems
of the victims. These are American problems
and these are human problems None of us are
free while one of us isn’t.
So what do you think? Do people respect
freedom here or not? The evidence is unclear. I
ponder how many people truly understand what
America really means. I’ll tell you one thing it
means to me, and you can take it for what it's
worth America means marching in Forsyth this
weekend, to raise one's voice and Ik* heaid, to
shout “Yes. I do believe in freedom. I do believe
in America, and I won't let you take that away.”
Think abbut it and decide. Don't wait and let
somebody decide for you
Theron Corse is front pane copy editor of. The
Red and Black
Women’s quirks cause anxiety
The first in a series of many
Cujo, my roommate and confidant since one
sunny day in September 1983, and I were talking
the other day about conquering the final frontier
No, not space. We were talking about the female
mind.
We talk about females a lot. Her hair, her
eyes, her... Well, you get the idea.
Both of us are graduating, hopefully, in June
so our time to speak of the female of the species
is somewhat limited It’s limited even more be
cause the Cuj-man is getting married in the
latter part of June and I don’t think he will be
able to speak his mind as openly as he does now
We were talking about his wedding plans and
how women get so uptight about some things
that seem so. if you’ll pardon my expression,
trivial.
"Oh, I broke a nail."
"1 don't have a thing to wear."
"I have a blemish on my nose "
Granted, guys get upset, too; even me I al
most cried when the Chicago Bears, en route to
their second consecutive Super Bowl victory, lost
to the Washington Redskins 1 did cry when Elvis
died I held midnight vigils while Lewis Grizzard
was having heart surgery But these things are
important
Qijo and 1 were discussing why women have to
pick out china patterns for their weddings It
seems that he questioned this tradition and a
wrath heretofore unknown to man was released
upon his head
"It's a tradition,” his bride-to-be said.
"It’s uncouth not to have china," her appalled
mother said
Tony L. Wilson
Cujo countered with logic
‘‘We ate off paper plates during Christmas and
the food tasted just as good,” he said. "With
china, you have to be so careful because if you
look at it, it might break Plus you only use it
twice a year, on Thanksgiving and Christmas."
Logic, as it usually does with women, failed
He asked me what I thought about it.
“I'll have to agree with you. Cuj," I said. "My
mom has some plates by Corelle with cute little
flowers along the edges that we used during
Christmas and they worked fine You could wing
a saucer at a concrete wall and the wall would
crack before the saucer would chip.’’
1 gave this topic some more thought and de
cided to call an expert in the field of womanhood
w ho happens to ow n a set of china.
"Mom, this is Tony How are — What? No,
mama, I'm not in jail I know I don't usually call
at this time of the day but this is important No. I
don’t need any money I know that’s a relief to
hear Listen, what I was wondering is why do
women have to have a set of china when they get
married*’ Why ddn’t they ask for something they
can use, like money, instead of a butter dish?”
"It’s a tradition.” she said.
”Oh.” I offered as I told her that I loved her
and hung up the phone
Cujo and I began discussing other quirks that
women have
Why do women have to go to the bathroom to
gether'’ Do they have to help each other? What
do they talk about in the bathroom’’
The stoek market is booming isn’t it," one
says.
Yes, it is. I sold 237 shares of stock in Finger-
nail Union today and turned a tremendous
profit," her buddy returns
Although that's probably not the typical con
versation. I'll give you women the benefit of the
doubt
Another quirk — why do women read things
into what is said?
For example, a long legged girl with a short
dress on. one of my many downfalls, walks into
the room flashes a guy an innocent smile. He re-
turns her offer and casually mentions to his date
that the girl had nice teeth
His date doesn't hear his "She has nice teeth”
line and thinks he said, "We’re through, you
bimlXL I m going to run off with the girl in the
short dress and floss her teeth on a deserted is
land in the Caribbean ’’
She immediately bursts into tears, asks a
friend to go to the bathroom with her and curses
the guy s ancestry
J" lhe " ords of David Addison ( a k.a. Bruce
w^L-, W r en! . Y ° U can t ,ive wilh em and
you cant leave em on the curb when you're
through with cm.” .
undBLck' * 1 ’ 0 " " ° ‘ en ‘ 0r r,por,er f° r The Red
Letters
Political views warped
TO TIIE EDITOR :
After reading Hector Vargas'
column "Spies Like Us' political
reality.” I have decided to change
my political views. In my naivity I
enjoyed suc^i writers as George Will
and James Kilpatrick, but after ex
periencing Mr. Vargas, there can be
no turning back I particularly like
the way he skillfully blended pop
culture, political insight and subtle
wit in order to enlighten us about
the .Iran-Contra affair I now feel I
can intelligently discuss the situa
tion with all comers
I admire the way Mr Vargas was
Able to stretch to 100 lines what Jett
MacNelly had to compress into a
single picture. And then, Mr
Vargas showed characteristic ana
lytical ability and flare when he so
eloquently summed up with, “Ei
ther way. Reagan is ultimately at
fault ” Such flashes of brilliance,
such concise and persuasive journa
lism leave me breathless
Mr Vargas is a true professional
He exemplifies all that is character
istic of The Red and Black editorial
staff: a commitment to excellence,
a desire to give proper attention to
the truly important issues of the day
and an ability to eloquently con
vince us humble readers of the
truth Mr Varghs and The Red and
Black truly deserve each other
Mark Simpson
Senior, histors
Apathetic or dumb?
TO THE EDITOR:
I a pi disappointed in the student
taxi/of the University Are our stu
dents not informed or just apa
thetic? I am speaking on the light
turn out at the Jan. 14 anti-apart-
heid rally and news conference I
can't conceivably believe that Uni
versity students wouldn't take the
time to make a minor statement
about such an astronomical injus
tice 1 am under the impression that
many students didn't know about
the event Hopefully, that is the
case, and our students are aware of
the atrocities of the oppressive
racist government ol South Africa i
trust that our students are informed
and recognize this injustice
If they aren't - then wake up and
smell the flowers Our Hollywobd
president doesn't have the guts to
address this issuse, and it is our job.
as rational adults, to do whatever it
takes, however small, to correct
such injustices
Jim Wright
Junior, bistort
Letters Policy
The Red and Black welcomes
ters (o the editor and prints then
space permits Short letters are
ferred and stand a better chane
running.