Newspaper Page Text
t
■ QUOTABLE
4 • The Red end Black • Wednesday, March 7, 1900
OPINIONS
The Red & Black
Ktlabluhed 1 HU 3—Incorporated JUSO
An independent itudent neu»paper not affiliated with the Uniuereity of Georgia
Charlene Smith/Editor-in-Chief
Amy Bellew/Managing Editor
Robert Todd/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
Best of luck
Good luck to University President Charles Knapp
in his interview this week at the University of Virginia,
where he is one of three candidates for president.
Knapp could be on his way out of Athens and into a
prestigious job in a state that cares about higher
education.
It hasn’t been easy here, with Gov. Joe Frank
Harris’ blatant disregard for the needs of Georgia’s
colleges and universities. Neither the Legislature, nor
those grateful alumni, have given Knapp the resources
to fulfill his dream of turning the University into a
world class institution.
UVA already touts itself as world class, with all
those Ivy league wanna-bes for students. But it’s a
presitigious school and this would be a savvy move for
Knapp, no matter what he aspires to be in the long run.
Knapp would be foolish to pass up the opportunity
if Virginia offers him the job. And the University
community would hardly mourn his resignation.
Most of the alumni have never accepted him
because he isn’t a good ’ole Georgia boy. Faculty aren’t
thrilled with his management style, which too often
has been to undermine their ideas and
recommendations on academic matters, search
committees or anything else.
Knapp came to the University promising openness
and a renewed emphasis on teaching. Instead, we got
an administration which stifles any negative comment
about the University, instead of cleaning house to
correct problems. We have valuable professors denied
tenure because they don’t publish enough pages.
Maybe it’s time for a change in Athens.
Sources close to Knapp have said they’d bet the
farm he will take the UVA post if offered and he’d be
crazy not to.
Interestingly, the vice president for development
job is also vacant at Virginia. UVA is waiting for the
input of the "new” president before filling te post.
If Knapp goes, maybe Nik Edes, vice president for
Development and University Relations, will go with
him. After all, he followed Knapp here.
Break a leg, Knapp.
Thumbs up
Four University students went the extra mile for a
student cause this weekend. Well, about 1,000 extra
miles.
Two Student Association senators and two Young
Democrats traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby
against President George Bush’s budget, which would
cut student financial aid.
The students paid their own way to the capitol to
participate in National Student Lobby Day along with
about 1,000 other students from around the country.
Several campus groups spent several days the past
couple of weeks collecting letters from students to lobby
U.S. Congressmen about issues that concern them. The
students who participated in the Washington rally
personally delivered the 150 letters to Georgia
Congressmen.
Their efforts show our representatives that
students care about the decisions they make. Students
want to make a difference and a few are going the extra
mile to do so.
It speaks well of the University to have/students
willing to go to such lengths to make sure the student
voice is heard, especially on issues that directly affect
students.
It's efforts like these that keep democracy alive.
STAFF
NEWS: 543-1809
Nawo Utter Susan Hill
•»ertt Uttar Qane William*
bit arta Inm on t Uttar. Own a RowROOiem
tartar AtfvartMag llapraawttattvaa: Man Fagan,
Knchaiia Haiuaiam, Julia Reynolds
AtvertiHnc Ra»r**entaflva*: Craig Oafcahamaka,
joy Denton, K/iet>n dludo, Karan Haynes, Laura
Hudgsna. Rich Huggins, Orag Hams, Laign Rifts. Sally
Young
Assistant unarm Mat. Managar: Citatma Fain*
Assistant Advertising rtad. Managar. Mariana
Martin
Rampay
Wart Rags Copy Uttar Oarh HuOOert
MaMs Copy Ultara: Oavm Johnston, Trover
Raggett Margaret Waste n jann i«er wiihr.
USA TsRay/Wtra Uttar Rosen Ajuia
RrafMaa Uttar. D#*s O K**f»a
Fttort Uttar Ntar Fray
CPU Ptt at aye after Wayn* jaanaon
Matt Wfttas*. wattar Con. Man* Edwards. Ann*
Mane Fanguy. Cftns Qnmss. joai Groover, lanoe
Halms. Oars McLeod, Mi«ha*i Mcieod. Steven M.
•oars undra Stephans Jennifer tquiiienie
gparts writer Chns lenpsna
•paste gaatleaa/Trends Utter get* Oraddy
Assistant •postal gsetteaV Trends Uttar
Andy Roger i
IrttsrW Assistant; Moths latti
Ca risen let: M he Mor*u
ADVERTISING: 543-1791
MW ant Advefttrtng Managers:
Kit#• gumnam. gavarty T *y»of
•eett Donaideon. ion Thurman
PreSuotian Matt. Andy Ard. Laura Fnsdrten. Andrea
Manaour. conn Marsh ElnaOtth MauU. Laura Millar,
•tacy ttanbarg. Mionaiia wsgsrt
0 an aril Managar Harry Montevtdso
Advertising Oheater: Repin Honor
Manager: Mary I
11an Managar Judy Jordan
ClaaalAWa/Rssapttartst: laverty Vaughn
Credtt Managar. Chueh Lyons
Clerical: joanna Horton. Lesley Wecntei
Tire Had and Maaft is pupusnad Tuasday thio^h
Friday dunng ttta rtguiar school year and aaeh
Thursday during summar quarter, with the asoapOons
af holiday* and saam parted*, fty Tha Rad and Mach
Publishing Company ino. a nprvptoflt campus
nawspapar not aftlliatad with tha Unwdredy of
Georgia 121 N. JPdhaon H Athano. Oa 10601
Third class postage patd « Athens. Oa guPaangtion
rpta' 834 par ypar.
Opirtana s spree sad in Tha Rad and Maaft other than
unsigned editorials are tha opinion* of tha wrttpro of
Signed columns and not necessarily thou of Thp Rad
and tiaeh PuftheMng Company ino. Ail rtf**
reserved Repnnta Py
■
"I think the trend toward greater loena and the reduction of
i. -si*.* m e\( Inrlontiiffifl Students. —
i xninK xne irena igworu giouw m —
grants Is creating a nation of Indentured students.
IhaHM UauflalH VminP Dnmocrat vice president on
America blind to Communism’s flaws
The significance of the revolution that is
sweeping Eastern Europe and is now pen
etrating the Soviet Union may in future per
spective be compared to the French Revolution.
Why have these momentous developments
caught the West so completely by surprise?
While the press and the various protest
movements in this country since the sixties
have focused the brunt of their anger on the
abuse of human rights by right-wing gover-
msnts, from Vietnam to South Africa to El Sal
vador, they have failed to show the same
enthusiasm in their denunciations of the most
massive and thorough repression of human
rights in the modern age — that of Communism
fVom Stalin’s Becret police to the massacre in
Tianamen Square last year. Strong responses
have occasionally surfaced, as against the
treatment of Jews in the Soviet Union and the
Tianamen massacre, but the long lasting and
intense fervor of the opposition to right-wing
regimes has, on the whole, been lacking.
The six million Jews killed by Hitler are al
ways pointed out, but the twenty million people
killed by Stalin are almoat never mentioned.
Let us face it, if you are counting numbers, the
communiats have the Nazis beat hands down in
the systematic murder of civilian populations.
Eastern Europeans are now commonly saying
that their history was frozen when the Commu
nists came to power. It brought not only a se
vere physical repression as anyone could
imagine, but aUo a bone-chilling wind of Btate
censorship that repressed human spirit and
life. Why then so much attention to the oppres
sive regimes of ths right and so little to tne op
pressions of Communism?
William
Cawthon
Why did important segments of the Amer
ican academic community applaud the take
overs of Eastern Europe by the Soviet and
Communist forces after World War II? Why
have American profeesors often spoken with
great admiration of the "enlightened and pro
gressive” socialism that they see in Marxism?
And why did three American administrations,
Democratic and Republican, not listen to the
U.S. Ambassador to Romania, David Funder
burk, who tried to alert the State Department
to the severe human rights abuses in that
country?
The reason seems clear. The American aca
demic community, and the American media
are, by and large, on the left of the political
spectrum, which Is also on the side the Marxist-
Leninists occupy. Virtually everyone of political
or economic influence today is trained in aca
demia. Mandat professor! are well represented
on college campuses. Most in academia and in
the press are certainly not Mandat, but they
are definitely "liberal* to "leftist, 1 * with some
very ftiuy edges between the terms leftist and
•ocfaliet.
The goal of equality is the mutual ideological
commitment that helps explain this seemingly
inconsistent position, not the belief in equality
of opportunity but the new version of equality
of condition, which attempts to impose actual
equality. Because the ideology of Communiem
is equality, and the ultimate goal is a classless
society, liberals, and especially leftists, have
found it difficult to view Communist states as
culpable as states “on the right.”
The supreme irony of all would be for the
United States to become less democratic and
possibly even more socialistic than some of the
Eastern European nations themselves.
The United States continues to move toward
greater centralization of power, more bu
reaucracy, more governmental involvement.
The federal goverment continues to be seen by
interest groups as the most efficatious means of
enforcing their will on the American people. We
are moving toward the type of society and gov
ernment Eastern Europe is shedding as fast as
it can. The possibility that the United States
could someday out do former communist na
tions may seem fantastic to some, but what is
happening in Eastern Europe seemed just as
fantastic only a year ago. A revolution is
sweeping Europe, hut are we sensitive to its
message, or will we continue to think America
is unique in the world? For the future welfare of
this nation, let us hope we realize that America
doesn't stand apart from world currents, but
that we are subject to the same lessons of his
tory.
William Cawthon it a graduate history itudent
and a gueit columnist for The Red and Black.
Driving wedges in culture
As we come to the cloae of an
other month where we recognize
the contributions of African Ameri
cans to this society, I share these
thoughts with and about my insti
tution.
Since time began, we've lived in
a time of Cains ana Abels, where
one brother or sister has sought to
edge out the other. This civilization
hopes to live better than those
called uncivilized or primitive. But
unless those who hold degrees and
those who don't learn to share to
gether, live together, love together
and understand each other, we
■hall all suffer together.
The University itrives for world
statue among universities and this
it should. But it will only deceive it
self if it continues traditional in
sensitivities toward educating,
campus associating and commu
nicating with its students. Strides
are being made, and they are com
mendable, but they must continue.
If there was a $1 million grant for
the research of textbooks to study
how under-reepreeented people are
in our state’s schools, what might
the findings be?
The notion of perpetually refer
ring to today’s children? fore
bearers as mere slaves is ludicrous.
There isn’t even a body of knowl
edge being used in our schools and
colleges that deals with the African
American homeland, culture and
way of life. This country and its col
leges have had enough of discour
aging and wedge-driving history.
A. Turner
senior, art education
DU I reports needed
It never really dawned on me
just how serious a problem drunk
driving is until the weekend of Feb.
16.
That weekend there were two
drunk driving accidents on
campus. One of them resulted in
considerable damage to one stu
dent's car and the arreat of another
■ FORUM
□ The Red and Black welcomes letters to the editor and prints them In the Forum
oolumn as space permits. All letters are subject te editing (or length, style end li
belous mstsiisl. Letters should be typed, doublespaced and must Include the name,
address and daytime telephone number of the writer. Please Include student clasaifl
cation and major other appropriate Identification. Names can be omitted with s valid
reason upon request. 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.
student. The other resulted in the
total destruction of the fire hy
drant and bus shelter by Bolton
dining hall.
Where was The Red and Black?
This issue obviously needs more
publicity. There are still some id-
iota out there who frequently risk
their lives, the lives of their pas
sengers and the lives of other
drivers. You have the power to
wake people up, bo why not do it?
Cheryl Cobb
Junior,environmental health science
Effects of garbage
At one point in time (before I can
remember) you would have the re
sponsibility of disposing your gar
bage yourself. You might hire
someone to do it for you. It was a
free market.
Later, someone (presumably
with lots of garbage) convinced the
government that they could create
a centralized bureaucracy to do it
more efficiently than the free
market. The net effect of this "so
cialization” of coats wee to have the
low users subsidize the high ueers
of garbage disposal. With ths free
market trashed (pun intended!)
there was no longer any incentive
for ths individual to reduce hie or
her garbage volume. This meant he
or ene wouldn't force the manufac
turers to reduce the garbage con
tent of their products, and the
resulting explosion of garbage has
occurred.
The technology Is available, end
there are many physical locations
around to make disposal safe envi
ronmentally. The problem le one of
politics, not the environment.
People wanted the sites to be in
someone else’s neighborhood. The
result is forced recycling concocted
to avoid making the political choice
of which rite to pick out of the
many available.
The net result is further “social
ization* of the costs rather than to
pass these costs directly onto the
users of the trash services. There is
thus no incentive to reduce trash
output on the part of the public and
the manufacturers of our products.
Scott Green
economics
Stenger apologizes
Several weeks ago, The Red and
Black published a column by this
writer which questioned the aes
thetic value of the fountain on
North Campue. I couldn't have
known at the time that two days
after publication the University
would install a multi-perforated
filter which beautiftilly divides
water into a balanced myriad of
delicate water streams. The effect
astounds end pleases even a noto-
rioue University gadfly like me.
Surely it improves the view of the
Prerident'e office. 1 offer my sin
cere apology to those who may
have been offended by my untimely
words, including President Knapp,
the physical plant and ths estate of
ths alumnus who donated ths
fountain.
Richard S. Stenger
columnist, The Red and Sleek