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TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1992 * ATHENS, GEORGIA • VOLUME 99, ISSUE 135
Group sues to delay commission election
Black Caucus cites unequal representation in districts, awaits Justice Department’s decision
By PAUL COX
Staff Writer
A local political group announced
Monday that it is filing a lawsuit against
the Athens-Clarke County government to
delay commission elections scheduled for
July 21.
The Athens-Clarke County Black
Caucus announced they want to delay the
elections until the Justice Department is
able to make a decision on restructuring
current district lines. Election regulations
mandate that every 10 years redistricting
be approved by the Justice Department.
'Die Rev. Lewis Logan of the caucus
said the request for an injunction from the
Justice Department was the last option
after a series of attempts to discuss the
issue of equal representation with the gov
ernment failed, he said.
“We’ve been in meetings with the CEO
and the manager for several months
already, at least a year," Logan said.
“We’ve been talking to deaf people.”
Logan said he feels the commission’s
decision to proceed with the election pro
cess on current district lines before the
Justice Department’s approval is improp
er.
Logan said the current plan, composed
of eight geographic districts and two
“super districts," does not provide for equal
representation of the black community.
Logan said the injunction is the only
option remaining to the black caucus.
"It’s time for us to file suit in regards to
political representation before people
spend thousands of dollars,” he said. “We
think it is fair to stop it before it gets start
ed."
Former 3rd District Commissioner
Linney Bailey, the only commissioner who
voted two weeks ago against the commis
sion’s decision to continue with the election
procedures, said he could understand the
group’s actions.
“I felt it was unfair to hold elections on
district lines that have not been approved
by the Justice Department," he said. “I can
clearly understand why a group with the
concerns of the black caucus would want
the elections enjoined at this point."
Bailey had to resign as a commissioner
to run for the 89th District seat in th»*
state House of Representatives.
Logan said recent discrimination
against blacks applying for promotions
and appointments also influenced their
decision to file the injunction.
Housing project problems
eased by social programs
By JEFF COEN
Staff Writer
Despite problems residents face in Athens’
housing projects, police and social programs are
making improvements, said James Fair, direc
tor of Housing Management for the projects.
“We are actually pretty pleased with the
progress we are making," Fair said. "Not satis
fied, but generally pleased. When you compare
Athens to other cities of the same sire, we’re a
little better. I’m beginning to feel like we’re
making a difference.”
Fair, who was raised in the projects, said
some of the policies being put into effect are an
example for other cities.
“In some areas, we are looked at as a lead
er," Fair said. “We get officials from other cities
all over the South coming to borrow ideas."
One idea other cities are particularly inter
ested in is that of “barring" people from the pro
jects.
"If we have someone we know doesn’t belong
in an area, we can bar them from returning,” he
said. “Then if we catch them on the property
again, they can be arrested."
Fair said the biggest problem facing the pro
jects is people who don’t live there causing dis
turbances.
“I’d say that over 50 percent of our problems
are caused by people coming into the projects,”
he said. “Many people come in just to sell drugs.
People in this area deserve a better quality of
life."
The Housing Management office has many
programs that try to give the residents a hand.
“We have monthly conferences with some of
the residents," Fair said. “We try to do some
preventative things.”
Fair said a good program is Big Brothers and
Big Sisters, where University students take
children from the projects to a movie, buy them
ice cream or take them for a walk.
“That is wonderful for the kids," he said.
“There are some great students in that.”
Michelle Marsalis, an advertising junior
from Dunwoody who was a big sister last year,
said she thinks the program is a positive influ
ence in the community.
“It’s good to just be a friend to someone who
needs one,” Marsalis said. “I would just go out
to dinner with her or over to the Tate Center to
shoot pool.”
Sherry Burns, a social worker in the Athens
projects, said the goal of their programs is to
“empower the people to help themselves.”
“We have an orientation program that helps
people get adjusted to housing,” Burns said.
“We want the residents to be able to live com
fortably in the community.”
Bums said she thinks that University stu
dents are a big help in the community.
“We get a lot of students who come in to
help," she said. “Everything from big brothers
and big sisters to kids coming in to plant flow
ers. Whatever it is you do, we have positions
where you can help."
Brooks Haisten, a junior from St. Simon’s
James Fair: Tm beginning to feel like
we’re making a difference.’
Island, visits an elderly woman in a local pro
ject.
“She’s 83,” Haisten said. “I just sit and listen
to her. Last week we went fishing together.”
Haisten said students in his class are going
into the projects to help teach some of the resi
dents home economics.
“We’re just kind of getting involved," he said.
“Most of the time we are the ones who end up
learning.”
A canopy
of trees
The Georgia Recruitment Team
offers tours of North Campus,
like this one on Monday, every
day at 1:15 p.m. for prospec
tive students.
Greek Week goal is to be positive influence
By STEVE H. HALL
Staff Writer
Monday was the kickoff for Greek Week, a
week-long series of activities geared towards
strengthening unity among Greek organizations
and benefiting worthy causes.
There aren’t many opportunities like this for
Greek organizations to work together," said David
Garrett, president of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
“Greek Week gives us the chance to shoot towards
a common goal with the blood drive, and the alu
minum can and canned good drives ’
Garrett pointed out that Greek Week also
shows the Greek organizations to be a positive
influence in the community.
“Many think that we don’t do any good and
that we need to be eliminated. But such people are
just going by the stereotypes of fraternities and
sororities that the media perpetuates," he said.
Garrett commended the Greek Week commit
tees for their preparedness this year.
•They’ve been sending out lots of fliers and
posters in the Intraftatemity Council mailboxes to
fraternity presidents like myself," he said.
Fraternity adviser Ron Binder estimated that
about 500 pints were collected at last week’s blood
drive.
"Our blood drive has been the largest blood
drive in Northeast Georgia for ten year*," he said.
•This year’s Greek Week is slimmed down fhom
last year. We want to emphasize philanthropy and
get back to our roots, as service to the community
Chi Omega’s washboard band sings to
residents of Lanier Garden Retirement
Home.
is the founding principle of any sorority or frater
nity " Binder said.
Kelley Bennett, public relations co-chair for
Greek Week, said she is proud that the Greek sys
tem is not excluding non-Greek students in work
ing towards a worthy cause.
“We welcomed all to give blood last week, and
Wednesday’s concert is open to everyone," she
said.
Volunteers from Greek organizations held a
picnic at Lanier Gardens Retirement Home
Monday from 4 to 6 p.m. The festivities continue
tonight with a variety show at O’Malley’s from 7
to 9 p.m. There is no cover charge, but canned
goods will be collected at the gate to benefit Project
Safe, a shelter for battered women.
Also, bands White Buffalo and Widespread
Panic will play Wednesday at Legion Field at 8
p.m. Tickets are $7 in advance and >10 at the gate.
Thursday, the Greek Week Tournament will be
held at Legion Field from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and will
consist of volleyball and tug-of-war competition. A
Basketball Shootout will follow the tournament
from 9 to 11:30 p.m. at Stegeman Hall.
Also, the Greek Man and Woman of the Year
Reception will be held at Trump’s Restaurant
Thursday at 7 p.m. Male and female nominees
who have fulfilled the criteria of scholarship, lead
ership, Greek activities and campus activities will
be interviewed, and the top 10 male and female
finalists will be announced.
Friday, an Adopt-a-Grandparent program will
be held at the Botanical Gardens from 10 a.m. to
noon in conjunction with Communiversity. In
addition, O’Malley’s will hold an Aerobithon from
4 to 9 p.m. to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy
Association.
The Greek Week Dessert Banquet will be held
on May 19 at Georgia Hall, at which the Greek
Man and Woman of the Year will be announced.
Women’s movement:
Its future may be as
turbulent as its past
By AMY LYN MAULDIN
Staff Wnter
The women’s movement experi
enced a turbulent past, and now,
with women gaining more power in
the political, social and business
arenas, the future of feminist
issues looks to be just as tumul
tuous.
“Negative views of feminism
began in the 1970s when the Equal
Rights Amendment was being dis
puted. Opposing forces came out
saying the ERA said women can be
drafled, and that it’s OK for les
bians to exist,” said Bonnie
Binkley, head of the Campus
National Organization for Women.
Binkley said that negativity
associated with the ERA has
encompassed the entire women’s
movement.
“Sometimes when I tell people
I’m a feminist, they call us man-
haters, lesbians; they have a list of
things they associate with femi
nism," she said.
Rachel MacNair, national presi
dent of Feminists for Life, a
pro-life organization, said, There
are polls showing there are people
who believe in women’s equality
who will not use the word femi
nism."
MacNair said some people tend
to associate the term feminism
with the advocation of abortion
rights.
“Part of our job is to rescue the
term and disassociate it from this
bloody image,” she said.
Jackie Markham, director and
founder of Spiral Dynamics
Women’s Resource and Cultural
Exchange, said she thinks the
word feminism has been misrepre
sented by the media. She said that
media portrayal of feminists has
caused many women to form a neg
ative view of the concept.
Markham, who also teaches
women’s studies classes at the
University, said, “Feminism advo
cates equality; social, legal and eco
nomic equality. I think if you asked
people it they were for that, they’d
say yes. But if you ask the same
people if they’re feminists, they’ll
say no.”
Gail Cowie, a member of the
Athens Pro-Choice Action Iveague,
also said there is a lot of misun
derstanding about the definition of
feminism.
“It’s been misrepresented by
people who are trying to block us
from reaching our goals," she said.
Binkley said a lot of males were
opposed to the women’s movement
at the outset, and added that many
men still feel threatened by
women’s increasing power.
“When women began to chal
lenge their roles as homemakers,
guys saw that as a threat," she
said.
Binkley said she thinks the
future of the women’s movement
depends on women’s reaction to the
possible overturn of the 1973 Roe
vs. Wade court decision.
The Supreme Court will decide
in June or July whether to uphold
the original decision or to allow
states to apply restrictions, such as
parental notification, husband
notification or court approval.
“If we find that tney severely
restrict Roe vs. Wade, I think
women do need to speak up,"
Binkley said. “I’m not calling for
violence, but we need to express
our displeasure.”
Markham disagreed, saying she
thinks people know what side of
the abortion issue they are on, and
a Supreme Court decision won’t
alter that.
Binkley said she can’t foresee a
time when women will cease the
name-calling and labeling that has
become ubiquitous throughout the
abortion debate.
“I think if we’re ever to get past
the labeling, people need to recog
nize that women have legitimate
needs,” she said. “With all the pub
Please see WOMEN, page 6
Though incurable, cystic
fibrosis a treatable ill
By DAVID TWIDDY
Staff Writer
The disease that recently claimed University senior Lauren Kelly is cur
rently incurable but scientists are finding promising treatments.
Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease caused by a faulty gene, said Lorrain
Marchand, information officer for the National Institute for Diabetes,
Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
“It’s the most common fatal genetic disease in Caucasians,” Marchand
9aid. “Most patients die of respiratory failure before 30."
She said the disease effects 30,000 U.S. children and young adults and
that 1,000 new cases are diagnosed every year, mostly in Caucasians.
The disease causes sticky mucus to build up in the digestive and respi
ratory systems. This mucus damages the pancreas, which produces digestive
fluids, making digestion of food difficult. Mucus also clogs the lungs and
makes the patient more vulnerable to infection, she said.
In addition, the sweat glands release more salts than normal, she said.
This can lead to patients being more susceptible to heat exhaustion.
To treat the disease, the patient is given antibiotics to prevent or combat
infection, enzyme supplements to help digestion, increased salt consumption
and vitamin supplements, she said.
“More severe cases are often put on oxygen or respirators," she said.
Marchand said researchers identified the defective gene about two years
ago and are now focusing on research into gene therapy.
They would take a gene from a healthy person and ir^ject it into the cys
tic fibrosis person to either prevent or correct the disease," she said.
Sidney Kushner, University department head of genetics, said genetic
therapy is difficult because for it to be effective, the healthy gene must reach
target cells in the lung tissue
The only way to deliver the gene to those cells is with a virus, Kushner
said.
"A virus that causes chest colds would be disabled so it would not cause
sickness but would contain the gene,” he said. “When the virus infects the
lung cell, the good gene will hopefully be incorporated into the cell."
The cells would then decrease accumulation of mucus in the lungs and
prevent mucus from then entering the digestive system, he said.
“After enough cells are infected," he said, “there should be a drop-off in
symptoms."
Kushner said the technique has worked in animals, but there is no indi
cation how permanent the effects will be in humans.
“Ultimately, they will need a better way to deliver the gene," he said. This
is only short term.