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4 • The Red and Blach • Friday, January 26, 1990
OPINIONS
The Red & Black
KttabUthed 1893—Incorporated 1980
An independent itudent newt paper not affiliated with the Unioenity of Georgia
Charlene Smith/Editor-in-Chief
Amy Bellew/Managing Editor
Robert Todd/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Clear the smoke
The controversy over how much money the
University of Georgia Foundation spends in relation to
its revenue and to the scholarships it generates has
reached a zenith. The University’s Self-Study Financial
Affairs subcommittee is already evaluating University
fund raising and the foundation. Hopefully this
evaluation is thorough enough to clear away the smoke
recently generated.
If it isn’t, then the University Council must step in
to investigate the foundation and finish the job.
Non-state funds have become too critical to the
University’s operations to ignore questions and
criticisms which have arisen. Such an investigation is
well within the scope of several of the council’s
standing committees.
The University Office of Public Information has
released so much pro-administration, anti-The Red and
Black propaganda in the past two weeks that no one
seems to know what to believe.
The Red and Black’s article on Jan. 16, which
quotes experts as saying the foundation’s total cost-to-
revenue ratio for fiscal 1989 was too high, prompted
Nik Edes, vice president for Development and Alumni
Relations, to release figures from a study that wasn’t to
be released until June.
The Red and Black is in the process of analyzing
those figures to see how they compare with the
numbers in the article — numbers University officials
couldn’t dispute. They say the problem lies in our
analysis of the figures.
The Red and Black article simply presents the
amount of money the foundation took in, compared to
the amount of money it spent — on fund raising,
scholarships, salary supplements, the Founder’s Day
dinner or anything else.
Under the Georgia Open Records Law, The Red and
Black has filed requests for the complete study done by
the Council for Advancement and Support of Education
— the source of the figures Edes released — as well as
itemized breakdowns of foundation expenses and
salaries. We intend to report the facts, thoroughly and
accurately.
The University and the foundation have a
responsibility to account for their fund-raising
expenditures. Administrators counter The Red and
Black article by pointing fingers at the student
journalist who wrote the story and the Associated Press
for sending it out on the wire.
The Public Information office’s propaganda cam
paign to disguise the facts serves only to make
everyone wonder what is really going on and reflects
poorly on the University. The public bickering serves
only to further disillusion alumni.
If the foundation’s books are in order, an
investigation will quell any fears donors have about
how their gifts are being spent. And if something is
wrong, the necessary action can be taken to make it
right.
Many of the questions center around which
expenses are considered fund-raising expenses and
how much is reasonable to spend running a foundation
with so many functions.
Joanne Hayes, president of the American
Association on Fundraising Council, said, “People don’t
want you to know how much it costs. They do the
accounting so guardedly it’s really hard to find these
figures. It’s because the information is so touchy. There
needs to be some standard.”
The Council for Advancement and Support of
Education is trying to develop uniform guidelines for
reporting fund-raising costs. But in the meantime, the
University should look into its fund-raising procedures
and make sure its ship is in order.
STAFF
NEWS: 543-1809
How Uttar Sumo Him
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end Black Publishing Company Inc. AM rights
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■ QUOTABLE
"I think asking those questions Is a moral Invasion of privacy. I
don't think athletes should be put under minute scrutiny." —
Mary Frasier, associate educational psychology professor,
about a proposal to study the academic progress of athletes.
PICK HIE LKEH WCMKhlKE FHM
HAITI W TERBWZBTHE (WIVES,
AHA ALWAYS RETURNS FRDMUE PEAR
Get government out of minorities’ way
In a small South Georgia town last week, a
surprising event took place. About 75 local
fanners were gathered in a small building sit
ting in a large, empty field. They were eating
barbecue and talking of things such as fertilizer
and the weather.
This was a different kind of gathering, how
ever. All the farmers were black men, both
young and old. Some had brought their families
with them. After everyone had eaten their
share, they all entered the warm building and
took a seat to hear what the organizers of this
event had to say.
A man by the niime of George Harris ap
proached the front of the crowd. He introduced
nimself as a member of the Council For Excel
lence, eui Atlanta-based Political Action Com
mittee. He spoke for a few minutes of getting
government off* the backs of the fEirmers so they
could compete in more markets. Even an indi
rect shot at Agriculture Commissioner Tommy
Irvin could be disseminated.
June Reed, a black journalist from Atlanta,
spoke next. In his opening comments, he made
himself clear, “I am a black Republican.” He ex
plained that there once was a time when he
would’ve been embarrassed to say such a thing,
but now he must stand up for what he believes
is right.
Republican Lt. Governor candidate Matt
Towery then gave a high volume speech. By the
end, the whole crowd had been captivated.
Towery says, “As a black, you are a minority. As
a Republican, I am a minority. Let’s get to
gether.”
Public Service Commissioner Billy Lovett,
the Republican candidate for Insurance Com
missioner, related to the crowd when he said, “I
weks once a Democrat, but I switched parties.”
Reed, in his sermon-like speech, warned the
crowd not to put themselves in the pocket of the
Democratic Party. He says, ‘They throw you
crumbs.” His point is since Democrats expect
and receive the majority of the black vote, they
have no incentive to cure the social ills that
plEigue the underclass. Democrats and espe
cially liberals see the poor as their voting block.
At one time, to be a conservative meant you
were agEiinst civil rights. No longer. Neo-con-
servntives tend to call themselves progressive
Republicans. Their goal seems to be to solve so
cial problems, particularly through the private
sector. “Equal economic opportunity for all," is
their cry.
Lee Atwater would certainly be pleased. His
long-term goal of recruiting minorities into the
Republican Party may pay off sooner than ex
pected.
Minorities want the opportunity to succeed,
be protected from criminals and drugs, and re
ceive a quality education for themselves and
their children. Is that too much to ask for? No,
it is what we all want.
Harris says get government out of the way of
minorities and watch how well we excel. Hard
work made this country great. If we are to con
tinue to be a competitive force in this world,
“minorities must be allowed the chance to com
pete on a level playing field.”
Amen.
Phillip Foil is a senior economics major and a
columnist for The Red and Black.
Under-21 bill not necessary statewide
Remember, in the first grade, that one
spoiled brat who used to cut up in class and the
teacher made everyone stay in for recess? Re
member how irritated you were because you
were being penalized for something you didn’t
do?
Well, I wonder if the public servants we elect
to better our collective lives in the statehouse in
Atlanta honestly had this experience. These
folks are not thinking about what will happen if
the bill to prevent anyone under 21 from en
tering bars actually passes.
It’s a simple case of what’s good for the goose
is not good tor the gander. Atlanta is no Athens
and Athens should not be under the tyranny of
the almighty Georgia capital. Obviously, At
lanta has a problem when under-Eigers are
murdered after getting drunk at a club. But
that is a specific case and it’s up to the Atlanta
city government to pass an edict to correct the
problem, instead of passing the buck to the
state legislature. Under-agers — the lifeblood
of Athens — don’t seem to be a major problem
in other parts of the state. So why should
Athens and other cities have to submit to At
lanta bureaucracy?
In addition, what do these folks expect
under-tigers to do? Prohibition has already
been tried and failed miserably, so somehow I
believe under-agers will find alcohol. Frater
nity parties are closed, so that’s out for non-
Greeks. Under-agers won’t be allowed to go to
any clubs because of their youth. Most under-
agers live on campus and drinking policies are
in place in the residence halls to restrict all-out
beer baths. That means that these stir-crazy
kids will either destroy furniture and equip
ment in the halls or drink and cruise, looking
for a house party or entertainment elsewhere.
Of course, this means an elevation of the
number of drunk drivers on the roads, which
will probably lead to more accidents and
deaths. Currently, when under-agers manage
to get drunk at a club, at least they Eire off the
streets. If they are barred from the clubs with
no place to go, things could get ugly on Friday
and Saturday nights.
Many businesses that cater to this crowd will
be hurt. O’Malley’s Tavern, Wax Alley, Papa
Joe’s, Rockfish Palace and the like depend on
under-agers for business. With this new mea
sure, some may be forced to close shop with
only a limited number of 21 and older students
to draw from. Atlanta can survive without a few
businesses because of its size. That’s not the
case in Athens or in other smaller cities, which
are in the majority, around the state.
If that doesn’t awake our slumbering law
makers, maybe this will — when businesses
close, folks are unemployed. When folks are un
employed, people get angry and vote state rep
resentatives and senators out of office.
Oh well, maybe we can just play a game of
Parcheesi.
Gene Williams is the sports editor of The Red
and Black.
Students cause rat problem
Students should blame them
selves! Did I hear someone com
plain about the huge rats roaming
in the residence halls? How do you
think they got there? How do you
think they got so huge? The answer
is easy — YOU!
While walking outside Creswell
Hall, I noticed a rat carrying off his
usual dinner from the sidewalk
under the Creswell food disposal.
(That’s just your room window.)
After eating only half of a well-bal
anced microwave dinner, a stu
dent, too full to finish and too lazy
to empty the food in the garbage or
carry it to the trash disposal, feels
it is easier to simply open the
window of his or her room and
dump the food outside onto the
ground. This is done by only a few
residents, but enough to keep the
rats here at UGA.
While on the elevator in Russell
Hall during a party weekend, I felt
like a total stranger among the
conversation between the Red Bull
beer cans and the Budweiser beer
bottles. I noticed in one corner of
the elevator that the Domino’s
pizza crust ends were fighting with
the Gumb/s pizza crust ends. Fi
nally, the door opened, and I es
caped from what seemed like a
moving dumpster.
People, I know this sounds
funny, but seriously, you need to be
more aware of what you’re doing
the next time you finish a beer on
the elevator or a TV dinner in your
room. If rats have nothing to eat,
they move on. Otherwise, they stay
where they’re supported — right
here at UGA.
Sonja Johnson
senior, public relations
Parking abuse
Act now! We are tired of being
ignored! The University depends
on its graduate students to teach,
yet it refuses to provide adequate
parking. How many letters have
been written? How many have
been fermenting in the minds of
graduate students for years and
years? Parking Services, supported
by President Knapp in his inaction,
blithely ignores our pleas. We are
the second class citizens of this
University and it is time that we
demand recognition. The first
order of business is to force
Parking Services to rectify this ini
quity. How long before some rad
ical initiates the formation of a
□ 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
re „ a “? u f? n 'edo^t. Letters can be sent by U.S. mall or brought In person to The Red
and Black s offices at 123 N. Jackon St„ Athens, Ga.
Graduate Student Coalition and
calls for a general strike? Only our
committment to our students and
our sense of responsibility prevents
this. Why must a graduate tea
ching assistant arrive two hours
before a 10:00 class in order to
have a chance at parking? When
the law school is in session, the
race for parking becomes a des
perate proposition on North
Campus. Parking Service’s denials
must cease and this problem must
be faced and reckoned with in a
timely fashion! It will not go away
by itself. After years of overselling
the available parking spaces and
collecting fines, Parking Services
must pay its debt. Act now, before
this situation gets any uglier; we
are desperate and frustrated.
G. Edwin Ashurst III
graduate student, drama
R and B Grammar: F-!
Georgia’s quarterback Preston
Jones was said to “(have) under
went" successful surgery. Please!
Can’t anyone respect the correct
use of the English language? If not
for yourself, please respect educa
tors, intellectuals and others who
appreciate the language.
It’s scary enough to know that
there are some who can tear up the
language in such a way, scarier
that they are at the University
level, and outrageous that they are
representing students in our school
newspaper.
Anyway, where’d you learn your
grammar at?
Laura Horton
Junior, advertising