Newspaper Page Text
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■ QUOTABLE
4 • The Red and Black • Wednesday, January 10, 1990
OPINIONS
"It's a complete Invasion of privacy. It bolls down to Ideology
testing."-
Oene Ruffin, a library assistant and student supervisor on pro-
posed drug testing of faculty and staff.
The Red & Black
EilabLuhtd 1893—Incorporated 1960
An indtptndtnt ttudent neu ipapir not afflhattd with On l/nivinity of Georgia
Charlene Smlth/Editor-in-Chief
Amy Bellew/Managing Editor
Robert Todd/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
World classroom
When students think of studying abroad, they
usually think of reviewing art in Cortona or brushing
up on their French while strolling down the Champs
Elysees.
But some University students and professors are in
less glamorous situations. While making a difference in
a small West African country, they are getting a first
hand education in how the world works. Students and
professors from the University’s College of Agriculture
are helping the people of Burkino Faso help
themselves.
That is the best kind of assistance any Third World
nation can hope to get. It’s also the best education in
global studies our University can offer.
As the nations of the world move toward a global
society, cultural exchanges become more and more
important. Understanding other cultures gives U.S.
citizens a better understanding of how the world works
and society benefits as the flow of information
increases among nations.
The University provides this broadening of
horizons through several international development
programs, including the African program that
University President Charles Knapp highlighted over
the holidays with a public relations jaunt to Burkino
Faso. Besides that program, the University also works
with universities in Australia, China, Brazil and Israel
on subjects ranging from law to landscape architecture.
All exchange programs are valuable to the
University curriculum because they offer first-hand
lessons in world economics, history, politics and
culture. Any joint effort between nations serves to
unite the world community.
Additionally, programs like these provide means
for college students and professors from Athens to help
better the world. Their efforts characterize the spirit of
a university committed to learning about the world at
home and abroad. It’s in the spirit, yes, of helping
nations, but it’s doing that by helping people. That’s
what education is all about — improving yourself and
the world around you.
With programs like these, the University shows
that, at least in one aspect, it is striving, not only to be
a world-class university, but a university that uses the
world as its classroom.
Temptation resisted
The seedling Department of Minority Services and
Programs took a great leap towards its fruition
Tuesday as the search for the program’s director
reached the interview stage.
In its effort to ensure that the new program will
gain acceptance from the entire University community,
the Office of Student Affairs carefully developed a
selection process which includes diverse input from
throughout the University.
For its efforts, Student Affairs deserves praise.
It would have been very easy to throw together a
small, and thus limited, selection committee. Although
such action would have been easier and expedited the
whole process, it also would have undermined the
credibility of the new director and the program.
Student Affairs resisted the temptation to take the
easy way out and in doing so, it has eliminated the
possibility that the new director can be labeled an
“Uncle Tom” who simply gives administrative lip
service to the University’s minority students.
The variety and quality of campus representation
in the selection process will, not only help minority
services and its new director gain the grassroot support
both will need to succeed at the University, but also to
help guarantee a quality recommendation.
Then all that will remain is for the president to act
on that recommendation.
STAFF
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f 'WE HAVE A NEW SOLUTION TO
THE COLUMBIAN DRUG-CARTEL PROBLEM.
What do you want to do with your life
“Son, sit down. I think it’s time we had a
talk."
(Uh-oh)... “Yeah, Dad?”
“Son, you’re 21 years old and about to grad
uate from college. Have you given any serious
thought to your future plans?"
(Yeah, in the future I plan to avoid these
kind of conversations.)... “What do you mean,
Dad?”
“I mean have you thought about what you’re
going to do after school? You know, what kind
of career you’re interested in.”... (Geez, I hope
he doesn’t become a bum like his Uncle Mort.)
(I think maybe 111 become a bum like my
Uncle Mort.)... “Yeah, I’ve thought about it."
“Well, what do you plan to do?"
(I’ll either start my own chinchilla farm in
New Mexico or hop a tramp steamer to the Mar
quesas.)... “I’ll probably go into investment
banking, dad.”
(I thought he was an accounting major.)... “Is
that what you’re interested in?"
(I’d rather eat raw worms and die.)... “Yeah.
I’ve been looking for a job this quarter.”... (Who
am I kidding? I’ve been sleeping until noon
every day this quarter.)
(Who’s he kidding? He’s probably been
sleeping until noon every day this quarter.)...
“Good, son. Are you sure you don’t want to be a
stockbroker like your old Dad? It’s a good job.”
(Yeah, right. You smoke like a chimney and
you have night-sweats. Great job.)... “No, it’s
really not my style."
(Wimp)... “That’s fine, son. Listen, I don’t
want you to think that I’m putting any pressure
on you to be a big shot in life.”... (Succeed or
die!)... “It’s just that I want you to live up to
your potential. You’re a bright boy and you can
Mark
Sheftall
do anything you set your mind to.”... (I wonder
if Tm reaching him. He seems like his mind is a
million miles away.)
(I wonder if there’s life on Saturn?)... “Sure,
Dad. I understand.”
“Good. Now, is there anything on your
mind?”
“Um, yeah, there is.”... (Here goes nothing)...
“Can I be honest with you?”
(Oh God, here it comes)... “Sure son. Go right
ahead.”
“Well dad, I’ve been thinking. I’m a young
man, and aa such, I think it's important that I
expand my horizons while I still can. You’ve
said yourself that when you get older you get
locked into a routine, that it gets harder and
harder to tear your nose away (Tom the
grindstone, especially if you have a family and
stuff like that. Well I'm still unattached, and
I’m responsible for no one except myself, so I
think this is the best time for me to get out and
see some of the world. Do you understand what
I’m saying?”
(Oh God, he’s probably been reading Jack
Kerouac.)... “Sure, I understand. Just what did
you have in mind?"
“Well, 1 thought I would go to Europe.”
($$$$!)... “Europe?! And juat where would
you get the money for this?”
“I wouldn’t need much money. I could just
hitchhike everywhere and stay with the locals.
It would be great.”
(Yeah, great like a heart-attack.)... “And why
Europe?”
(Because of the babes.)... “Because of the cul
ture. There’s so much history. I think I could
really be enriched.”
“Son you’re a Republican. Wouldn’t you
rather be rich than enriched?”
“Money isn’t everything. Besides, I can get
rich later. I think my generation places too
much emphasis on making lots of money at an
early age. We want it all now, and even though
some of us get it, we generally grow up cultu
rally deprived, having experienced nothing ex
cept our own familiar space. The world is
getting smaller and, at the same time, the na
tion’s youth know less and less about the people
and places they come in contact with more and
more frequently.”
(Whose kid ie this?)... “I see.”
“So, what do you Bay, Dad? Do you approve?”
“Well, it certainly seems like you’ve Wrought
this out. Look, you’re a grown man and you can
do whatever you want to whether I approve or
not. But if it’s my blessing you want I guess
you’ve got it."
‘Thanks Dad."
“And son...”
“Yes?”
(Please don’t disgrace the family.)... "Have a
good time."
Mark Sheftall is a contributing writer for The
Red and Black.
Minority services criticism premature
Leslie Bates, the first candidate interviewing
for the directorship of the University's Depart
ment of Minority Student Services and Pro
grams, is on campus today. In the course of the
next two weeks, two other people will also be in
terviewing for the position. Part of the respon
sibilities of this position are to help create a
situation on campus where blacks and whites
can coexist and work together and to educate
both races about each other to bring about un
derstanding.
Although this position and the selection com
mittee (myself in particular) have come under
scrutiny, it is apparent that every student, fac
ulty member and administrator needs to attend
some of the programs and experience all the
ideas this chair will generate.
Everyone at sometime or another has experi
enced racism, and some people naively believe
that it just doesn’t occur at UGA. They are
sadly mistaken.
On my first day as a freshman, my honors
English professor called me into his office and
began to interrogate me 88 to how I, a dreaded
black student, got into his class.
“Where are you from? How much money doeB
your father make? Was your neighborhood inte
grated? What was the racial breakdown of your
school?”
As I sat there in amazement, this professor of
higher thought said, ‘Tve never had a black
student in my honors class, and I want to know
how you got in here.”
Well, as I left the class the final day, he told
me, “You are one of the worst writers I have
ever seen.” This man had negative thoughts
about me before I walked in the door. Each time
he graded my essays, he graded me as "that
black student” instead of just a regular
freshman.
Another incident occurred last year in a
speech class. The professor said before my final
speech that I was “the second best speaker in
the class.” I had given speeches about relatively
dull tonics, but there were fairly good. I needed
a B to keep an A average in the class. I gave a
speech on the merits of affirmative action and I
thought it was good. My classmmates who cri
tiqued the speech, one of whom hated AA,
thought it was good. Even my professor thought
it was good.
In his written critique, he wrote “excellent
examples...excellent vocal quality...excellent
tone and eye contact.” All the things we were to
be graded on were excellent in his eyes, except
my topic choice. In his critique, he nailed me for
speaking on AA, he disagreed with my points
and thus gave me a B- and a B for the course.
Rasicm is evident all around us and we need
a place where everyone can go and learn about
its causes and effects before it can be erad
icated, hence the need for the minority depart
ment. But it will only help if people stop
criticizing it and begin to listen ana learn from
it.
Gene Williams is the sports editor of The Red
and Black.
Sigma Chi sentence unfair
■ FORUM
□ The Red end Black welcomes letters to the editor sod prints them In the Forum
odumn at space permits. All letters are sublet to editing for length, style and II-
belous material. Letters should be typed, doubletpeced and must Include the name
addrsts and daytime telephone number of the writer. Please Include student classifi
cation snd major other sppropriste Identification. Names cin be omitted with e velld
reeeon upon request. Letters cen be sent by U.S. meil or brought In person to The Red
end Blsck's offices et 123 N. Jackon St., Athene. Ge.
This letter is in response to the
January 5 article concerning the
expulsion of the Sigma Chi frater
nity. As a member of another
Greek organization, I am outraged
at the decision of the five members
of the Student Judiciary. I am cu
rious to discover why these five
power-hungry students felt the
need to deface the name of one of
the largest national fraternities,
end over 120 years of Sigma Chi
tradition at the University of
Georgia and scar the college life of
some 100 current members.
I admit that some fraternity ac
tions that have occurred at other
schools merit expulsion. These ac
tions may include serious hazing
incidents, sexual harrasement or
drug use. In the Sigma Chi inci
dent, no one died, no girl was har
assed and no chickens were
stolen. Only a controversial party
policy, that probably wouldn’t hold
up in a real court, was broken.
Even then the police admitted that
the Sigma Chi’s did everything
they could to prevent the “over
crowded" party.
Not only does this derision affect
the Sigma Chi's, but also all frater
nities on this campus should be
concerned about facing the wrath
of these “holier than thou" individ
uals.
I just hope Bill Bracewell or Dr.
Knapp have the sense to see that
these five fellow students over-
a d their boundaries of au-
j in issuing this psnalty and
will reverse the decision or lessen
the penalty. I am sure the 2000 or
more past UGA Sigma Chi's would
appreciate it!
Joel Barrett
eenlor, accounting
Secretary recognized
Many a thanks to Gene Colter
for the article on Tom Packard
(Dec. 1, 1989) — a student who
uses a wheelchair. His description
of Tom’s life helps convey that stu
dents with disabilities are just like
other college students. Although
they have some functional limita
tions, they have similar desires,
f 'oala, academic abilities and social
ives as other college students.
The purpose of this letter is to
correct an error regarding the
staffing at Handicapped Services.
Our secretary, Sherrie Bowen, was
inadvertently overlooked when the
other staff was listed. This may be
due to our failure to point out to
Mr. Colter the important function
she serves. This may seem inconse
quential to some but we want to
recognize Ms. Bowen’s contribu
tions to the Office of Handicapped
Student Services.
Karen >. Kallvoda
coordinator, Hsndlosppsd Studont
Sorvlcoo
Dlano B. Shlmksts
counselor, Hsndlosppod Student
Services