Newspaper Page Text
4 • The Red and Black • Tuesday, January 23, 1990
OPINIONS
■ QUOTABLE
"The only exception is Georgia Southern which Is currently con
sidered a 'hot' school." — John Albright, associate admissions
director, about applications to most Georgia colleges and unl-
versitles decreasing
The Red & Black
KtlabluKed 1893—Incorporated 1980
An independent itudent vu ipaper not affiliated with the Umvenity of Georgia
Charlene Smith/Editor-in-Chief
Amy Bellew/Managing Editor
Robert Todd/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Condomize
Health experts say that in 10 years, everyone will
know someone with AIDS.
That makes it everyone’s responsibility to keep the
disease from spreading by encouraging and practicing
safe sex.
The University Interfratemity Council has made a
responsible decision to promote sexual health by
installing condom machines in fraternity houses. Seven
fraternities will get them in the next few weeks and
more will arrive later — enough to offer one to each
fraternity. Fittingly, the IFC is plans to donate 20 cents
of every SI from the condom machines to a children’s
AIDS hospice.
The housing department should follow the IFC’s
lead and put condom machines in the residence halls.
In 1987, an Illinois-based company tried to get a
contract with the University for machines in the
residence halls, but with no success.
Times have changed since then. In the past couple
of years, sexually transmitted diseases have become an
increasing concern. AIDS kills and herpes has no cure.
The University could heighten awareness of the
dangers of careless sex by installing the machines,
making it so easy to get a condom that it becomes habit.
The money from the machines could be given to
charity, used to fund more sex education programs on
campus or even used to improve the residence halls.
The University is in a position to offer useful,
practical education that could affect students socially.
Students are going to have sex, there’s no ignoring
that.
It’s time to identify the problem — that careless sex
can cost lives — and do something about it.
Enough already
It seems that the biggest complaint about the
African-American Cultural Center and the African-
American Studies Program is that they exclude large
portions of the University’s student body. Well, spread
that on the fields and we’ll have a bumper crop.
One of the purposes of this land-grant Univeristy
is to address the educational needs of the state’s
population. That includes students enrolled at the
Universty and students who may enroll in the future.
There is a growing, and certainly valid, interest in
African-American studies and the contributions
African-Americans have made to American culture. It
is the University’s responsibility to provide a means for
students to explore these interests — a responsibility it
is working to fulfill.
Although African-American Studies may not
become the most popular degree at the University, that
does not for a moment detract from its need. In 1988
the University only awarded four Bachelor of Science
Degrees in chemistry. Certainly, offering a chemistry
degree doesn’t segregate the student body between
Chemistry-minded Americans and Nonchemistry-
minded Americans.
Certainly there is a need for the chemistry
program, and certainly there is a need for the African-
American studies.
Shame on you
The groups who were invited to send
representatives to participate in the interviews to find
a Minority Student Services department director failed
themselves, failed the students they represent and
failed the University. Presented with an opportunity to
play an active role in University policy making that
will directly affect students, nine of the 13 groups
invited dropped the ball.
STAFF
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How to cope with Information Anxiety
Not long ago, I came across an interesting
work by media guru Tony Schwartz about what
he called the “acceleration syndrome,” or ‘life
in a state of constant overdrive." His point was
that for those in fast-paced professions, the
pace quickens relentlessly. Human biorhythms,
even in small towns, are so cranked up today
that it takes a 486 computer chip just to idle.
There are always more demanas to be met,
more roles to play, new technology to master.
The problem Schwartz identified quite per
ceptively is that none of us ever feels he or she
has enough time to do what’s required. The
part that makes you feel better is that you re
alize the problem is universal, not a symptom of
your own workaholism.
Perhaps more importantly, I also discovered
a new book that not only clarified this modem
malady of the Information Age, but also offered
some pragmatic ways to cope with the profes
sional demands of high pressure work and yet
still have the time for living. In his book “Infor
mation Anxiety," Richard Saul Wurman is so
intent in getting his message across in an effec
tive way that he begins defing the concept in
his title on the book’s jacket cover.
To reduce information anxiety from the
outset, Wurman offers a 22-page annotated
Table of Contents, which presents the gist of
his thesis in outline form. His notion is that if
you don’t hove time to read the entire book,
then you can get a distilled version of it by just
skimming the Table of Contents.
Wurman believes that the culprit for this
anxiety is overload, the sheer amount of
material that people must process in their ef
fort to stay informed. “Information anxiety is
John
English
produced by the ever-widening gap between
what we understand and what we think we un
derstand,” he writes.
Among the tell-tale signs he offers: feeling
guilty about material you haven’t read yet,
feeling depressed because you can’t learn to op
erate equipment from the instruction book, and
being afraid to say that you don’t understand
something.
Wurman says consumers must learn to
admit their ignorance and to ask questions. He
also supplies five ways of organizing informa
tion: category, time, location, alphabet and con
tinuum.
Wurman also worries that conversation,
which he believes gives birth to new ideas, is
becoming a lost art, being replaced by techno
logical idol-worship. “Conversation is a viable,
appropriate model for the communications in
dustry," Wurman writes, “but it is largely un
tapped.”
In acknowledging that business does a poor
job in telling its story and that political rhetoric
is often more revealing for what isn’t said that
what is, he takes a somewhat idealistic ap
proach toward improving public communica
tions by encouraging networking and
constructive criticism.
To be effective, communicators must re
member what it’s like not to know, Wurman
says. “Learning can be defined as the process of
remembering what you’re interested in.”
His programmed suggestions are useful in
helping impose some order on the chaotic flood
of information that pours through our lives, but
it doesn’t really address how to analyze or as
similate it, the heart of critical and creative
thinking. Quantity should not be confused with
quality of thought.
Wurman propses “maps” as the new cur
rency in the communications era. Defining
“maps” as anything that can show you how to
get from point to point or one level of under
standing to another, his examples range from a
no-smoking symbol to a grocery list to a CAT
scan of the body.
He criticizes the media for over-emphasizing
accuracy and under-valuing comprehensibility.
For example, he criticizes the weather maps
newspapers use because they are color-coded by
temperature, rather than tne more important
consideration of comfort.
People are shaped by the information they
consume, Wurman says with the slogan, “We
are what we read.” He advocates a low-fat in
formation diet, following a regimen that fun
nels one’s communication intake into categories
apparent in one’s resume.
John English is a journalism professor and a
guest columnists for The Red and Black.
Letter shows studies’ need
■ FORUM
□ The Red and Black welcomes letters to the editor and prints them in the Forum
column as space permits. All letters are subject to editing for length, style and li
belous material. Letters should be typed, doublespaced and must include the name,
address and daytime telephone number of the writer. Please include student classifi
cation and major other appropriate identification. Names can be omitted with a valid
reason upon request Letters can be sent by U.S. mail or brought in person to The Red
and Black's offices at 123 N. Jackon SL, Athens, Ga.
I am writing in response to Mark
Cornwell’s letter of Jan. 17. It
seems to me Cornwell’s letter epit
omizes why an African-American
Cultural Center and the African-
American Studies Program are
necessary.
Even if I, an African-American,
may have t»en allowed in this in
stitution with a lower SAT and
GPA than you, it appears that I am
more intelligent than you are,
simply because I don’t stereotype
all persons of an ethnic group.
Furthermore, the African-Amer
ican Studies Program is not exclu
sive to blacks. Cornwell points out
the fact that blacks have their
“own” organizations (although I
suggest he check on the existence
of the Black Power Coalition), but I
say black organizations are formed
because most white organizations
are not meeting African-American
needs or are just not willing to ac
cept blacks.
Cornwell thinks that today’s
eneration of black students
oesn’t face racism? My sophomore
year, I saw a group of white guys
riding through the street in a red
truck in “black face.” Why is it re
ported that one-fourth of all whites
still believe that blacks are geneti
cally inferior?
He talks of resentment — I re
sent the fact that the history of
black peopls has been distorted for
so long. And, now that a little effort
it being given to teach blacks and
whites about the important roles
blacks have played in hietory,
Cornwell and other* like him con
tinue to delude themeelvee into be
lieving falsehoods and half-truths
about African-American people. If
he would go to the library, read the
paper and lieten to himielf, maybe
then he would gain come insight on
ths continuing story of ths African-
American ordeal in America.
Phillip McCullough, Jr.
preeldent, Shadow Society
Another perspective
This letter i9 in response to
Mark Cornwell’s unbelievably ig
norant letter about the African-
American Studies Program and his
ridiculous assertions that “the gen
eration of black students that are
in college today have never known
racism” and “white students in col
lege today have never submitted
blacks to those types of brutality.” I
do not understand why Cornwell is
so offended by the idea of an Af
rican-American Studies major. I do
not understand how such a pro
gram’s existence leads to segrega
tion within an “integrated”
University. Is he assuming that no
one besides black students could
possibly be interested in the pro
gram? Does he feel that African-
American culture, history, litera
ture, etc. is not worth studying?
Finally, just so Cornwell doeen’t
assume that I am an outraged Af
rican-American student whom he
can write off as overly dramatic (as
I am sure he will do to any black
etudent who write* a eimilar
letter), I would like to state for the
record that I'm just as white as he
ie. But Tm not blind, I’m not deaf
and I don’t live in an isolation
chamber. Tm glad the University
ha* an African-American Studies
Program, and I hope to see more
attempt* to right the wrongs of
raciem and ignorance in the future.
Janet E. Brey
eenlor, engllsh
Standards apply to all
This letter is written in response
to Mark Cornwell's beliefs on a
“Segregated University” (Jan. 17).
Yss, some blacke are admitted with
lower SAT scores and yee, they
sometimes do have lower grade
point averages. But the same ie
true for white students. The Devel
opmental Studies Program was de
veloped to enhance learning skills
of all students insufficient in this
regard. Cornwell fails to notice
that the Developmental Studies
Program is not predominantly
black and neither is this Univer
sity. If he thinks blacks are getting
a free ride, he should think again!
They have to work just as hard as
anyone else to maintain good aca
demic standing at this University.
You cannot remain at this Univer
sity with a poor academic standing
based on skin color. Yes, blacks on
this campus have their own Greek
organizations, and they have a
very good reason for starting orga
nizations they can actively partici
pate in.The African-American
Studies Program is not giving
blacks “their own major." The
major ie intended for all those in
terested, black or white. If not for
the African-American Studies Pro
gram, the many contributions of
blacks would not be recognized.
It is not Affirmative Action or
the African-American Studies Pro
gram which cause polarization and
resentment of many white people,
but instead, it is the ignorant atti
tude that many white people
choose to display!
Tracis D. Nesbitt
freshman, accounting
Tracey Rots
freshman, undecided
Cutlip has say
This la a letter written to set the
record straight.
Nik Edea in hie wild-swinging
letter of obfuscation and villinca-
tion was using an ancient lawyer
tactic: When you cannot refute the
message, you attack the mes
senger. Nik Edes, an attorney, had
no prior experience in either public
relations or fund raising when he
took his present position in 1987.
This lack of experience shows in
his response to the present episode:
PR lesson 1: When you have an un
favorable story, you do nothing to
keep it alive. PR lesson 2: A public
brawl injures all involved, most of
all the institution.
Now to set my very minor role in
Robert Todd’s thoroughly re
searched story. Todd called me at
home Friday evening, January 12,
to ask me three or four questions. I
answered them on the basis of my
professional experience, not per
sonalities (I have not met Edes). I
stand by my answers as sound.
That was my sole involvement in
the story. Nik Edes and Tom
Jackson were explained this by
Robert Todd but they refused to be
lieve him. Todd called me on the
advice of one of his professors who
knew of my expertise in Bind
raising. The professor it no “Da
vison loyalist. My credential!: My
definitive Fund Raising in the
United States, published in 196S
by the Rutgers Press, ie being pub
lished without change in March by
the Transaction Press.
For 40 years I taught journaliim
to thousands of students; at all tea
chers, I taught by both precept and
example. I am proud of these
former students, their tuccett and
their show of appreciation for my
teaching. Currently a group of
former Wieconein students ie con
ducting a nationwide funddrive to
endow scholarships and
fellowships in my name at Wie-
conein.
Scott M. Cutlip
Dean Emeritus
f
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