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The Red & Black
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
INSIDE
Reviewer calls ‘The
Last of the Mohicans’
a painfully dull flick.
6
Weather: Windy and on the
verge of being cool, like a
Michael Jackson video.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1992 • ATHENS, GEORGIA • VOLUME 100, ISSUE 7
Author of racist remark resigns from frat
By RUSS BYNUM
Staff Writer
The author of the Pi Kappa Phi pledge
pamphlet containing a racial slur has
resigned from the fraternity.
The statement’s originator, whose name
has not been released, was asked to leave
the organization by an interview commit
tee. The committee was comprised of two
members of the fraternity’s administrative
office and 15 alumni of its Athens chapter.
The committee interviewed all 113 Pi
Kappa Phi members Sunday, but the pam
phlet’s author was the only person asked
to leave the chapter. No members were
suspended.
In a prepared statement, Pi Kappa Phi
President James “Tripp” Ackerman III
said that “no evidence of prevalent racist
attitude was found” by the committee.
“The actions appear to be those of one
individual grossly misrepresenting the
chapter in what he felt was humor,”
Ackerman’s statement said. “Because this
person served in an elected office, the
chapter will be held accountable for his
behavior. He has resigned his membership
and is subject to further University judi
cial action."
Glenn Dickson, assistant executive
director of Pi Kappa Phi, said, “He behaved
in a way that brought extreme embarrass
ment to the fraternity. We decided that
given the severity of his actions and its
consequences that he should no longer be
a member of the fraternity.”
Dickson said an “oversight committee”
composed of six of the fraternity’s alumni
will meet every three weeks to help super
vise the chapter’s activities.
The committee will consist of alumni
Frank Lane, Dink Nesmith, Matt Nichols,
Tommy Woods, Bill King and Marty Jones.
Ron Binder, the University's adviser to
fraternities, said the alumni group was put
in charge over the chapter because its
members failed to recall the pamphlet
immediately, allowing it to circulate for
two days.
“The leadership did not act quickly
enough or strongly enough to remove this
publication," Binder said. “That sent a sig
nal to the chapter that the alumni needed
to be more involved.”
Although Pi Kappa Phi’s actions
against the writer of the offensive state
ment is over, Binder said he is still con
cerned for the person’s well-being.
“He was very upset,” Binder said. “I
don’t think he fully realized what he did.
“Although an individual did this, it’s a
chapter problem. I don’t want anyone in
the chapter to get the impression that, now
that he’s gone, the problem’s over.”
Slur spurs reactions
to racial split of Greeks
By RUSS BYNUM
and THERESA WALSH
Staff Writers
Racial slurs found in a Pi Kappa
Phi pledge pamphlet have spurred
reactions from University
Administrators and campus frater
nity members, ranging from con
demnation to support of the
University’s fraternity system.
“I think it’s an issue that’s going
to increasingly come to the fore
front,” said University President
Charles Knapp. “I’m not entirely
pleased with the system that’s
structured the way we have it right
now, where we essentially have
white fraternities and sororities and
black fraternities and sororities.
And I’ve told all the Greek organi
zations that at various times.”
Lance Young, a Gainesville
senior and third-year member of
Alpha Phi Alpha, said the separa
tion between black and white fra
ternities is unique to the University
and the South.
“There’s a broad line drawn on
this campus between black and
white fraternities and sororities,”
Young said. “I don’t think that too
much is being done as far as race
relations on this campus.”
Young said many fraternities feel
the same way about blacks but
aren’t as blatant about it.
“It was a covert feeling that just
got out of the bag,” Young said. “It
was a mistake. I don’t think they
intended for that to be published.”
Young said he feels sorry for Pi
Kappa Phi because many will see
them as racists.
Minority Services and Programs
Director Leslie Bates said tradition
plays a large role in how fraternities
and sororities operate.
“It’s tradition and history and
fear,” said Bates. “We have a much
longer history of discrimination and
racism than any other area of the
country, and that is reflected in our
traditions and in our institutions,
which would include fraternities
and sororities.
“They aren’t segregated by law,
they’re segregated by practice,"
Bates said.
Arlando Dawson, a senior from
Dublin and Alpha Phi Alpha mem
ber, said tradition is not the reason
white and black fraternities are sep
arate.
“Ignorance is the reason things
are the way they are. Tradition is
the just the excuse,” Dawson said.
Education is the key to opening
people’s minds and eyes, Dawson
said.
Andrew Pope, a senior from
Atlanta and vice president of Chi
Phi, said even if racism is part of a
fraternity’s ideology, it shouldn’t be
written down. Pope said there was
no excuse for it.
“As liberal of a place the
University seems to be, parts of it
are very conservative,” Pope said. “I
don’t think fraternities could ever be
forced to accept a black. I don’t think
we could work on a quota system. I
don’t think it will ever happen.”
Greg Puckett, a senior from
Roswell and Lambda Chi Alpha
president, was a little more opti
mistic about integrating fraterni
ties.
“Nationally, we’re integrated,”
Puckett said. “We don’t make an
effort to keep it segregated (here).
It’s just happened.”
Ron Binder, the University’s
adviser to fraternities, said he feels
the current Greek system is failing
to prepare students to live in an
increasingly culturally diversified
world by holding fast to its segre
gated traditions.
“One of the problems that you get
into, especially in the South, is that
you have a very strong black Greek
system,” Binder said.
Pope said having separate frater
nities is acceptable.
“I think it is right for them. They
have a strong history,” Pope said.
“I’m sure they wouldn’t want to
diminish their traditions.”
While encouraging black and
white Greeks to integrate is part of
the University's role, Knapp said
the final decision on Greek diversi
ty rests with the students them
selves.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen
overnight or immediately,” Knapp
said.
Kendall Dunson, a senior from
LaGrange and President of Kappa
Alpha Psi, said he was satisfied
with the present system.
“Blacks would probably be intim
idated with what has just tran
spired,” Dunson said.
Young said he is also doubtful
about changes occurring within the
fraternity system.
“If it does change, it’s something
that’s going to take a lot of time. It
may never change,” he said. “I don’t
feel that some token black pledge is
going to solve the problem.”
Dawson echoed Young’s senti
ments, saying apologies shouldn’t
just go to the black Greek commu
nity, but should go to the entire
black student body.
Classic Greek columns highlight the newspaper’s new home.
Banner-Herald returns downtown
after four years on the outskirts
By MELISSA COLLINS
Staff Writer
More than 200 Athens Banner-Herald employ
ees packed up their belongings and moved back
downtown this weekend, after leaving the area
almost four years ago.
Editor Hank Johnson said the paper moved to
its temporary quarters off U.S. 29 while the
paper’s new home, a $20 million, 110,000 square-
foot building, was being completed on Founder
Street.
The new facility, he said, can only help the cov
erage of Athens, since the location is convenient
to such places as the courthouse and the
University.
“This building is a sign of our commitment to
downtown Athens,” Johnson said.
The move back to the heart of Athens is one
that John Widmer, owner of Encore, a downtown
clothing store, said is long overdue.
Widmer said he fondly remembers when the
Banner-Herald was located downtown and said
the move away from the city had a negative
impact on the economy. Now he said he believes
its re-emergence will help downtown.
“One by one, businesses started leaving the
area and whittling away at the economy, but hav
ing the paper back down here will be a definite
upswing,” Widmer said.
Barton Middleton, executive director of the J
Athens-Clarke County Chamber of Commerce, |
said he agrees the transplanted employees will
have a positive effect on the retail industry.
“This is a tough economy and we need some
good news,” he said. “And this is definitely good
news.”
Ashby Lawson, manager of DePalma’s, said he
was anticipating a larger crowd than normal for I
their lunch hour and noticed at least three tables v
of employees from the Banner-Herald.
“We are really eager for the additional business
they are going to bring us,” he said.
Lawson said he hopes other local businesses
will follow in the paper’s footsteps and move their
facilities downtown as well.
Johnson said the new building has such ameni- 1
ties as an art gallery, which will highlight local I
artists, and an auditorium that seats more than I
200. The auditorium will eventually be available I
for use by local community organizations.
One of the biggest fears people who frequent I
the downtown area have is whether there will be I
even less parking now. But Johnson said there is I
no need for concern because the paper has an I
underground parking deck which will hold most of ]
the employees’ automobiles.
The facility will celebrate its grand opening the
first weekend in November with an open house j
and several parties.
SGA kicks off voter registration drive at Tate
Carrie Shaw (I), a member of Kappa Delta, swears in Rob Edwards while
friend Charlotte Adams watches Monday at the Tate Student Center.
Goal of 1,500
part of state’s
goal of 250,000
By RUSS BYNUM
Staff Writer
The Student Government Association
kicked off its voter registration drive at the
Tate Student Center Plaza Monday, regis
tering 189 students despite adverse weather
conditions.
Senior Senator William Perry said SGA
hopes to surpass its goal of registering 1,500
new voters by next Monday, Oct. 5, which is
the registration deadline for voters to be eli
gible to participate in the Nov. 3 elections.
SGA is sponsoring the drive in conjunc
tion with the Vote *92 campaign launched by
Secretary of State Max Cleland in hopes of
registering 250,000 Georgians to vote in the
upcoming November elections.
But the student population SGA is
attempting to tackle may be the hardest to
reach, especially since the 18- to 24-year-old
age group makes up the lowest percentage of
registered voters in the nation.
However, Perry said, the registered vot
ers within that age group also have the best
voting record.
“It seems that within that age group, it’s
always been that if they’re registered, they
vote, too,” Perry said.
If more students would register to vote in
Athens-Clarke County, he said, such a vot-
ing record could turn many current local
issues, such as the housing ordinance, the
open container and the vending ordinances
to the students’ favor.
“That’s just three things right there that,
if students here in Athens-Clarke County
would register, could easily be overturned
and changed,” Perry said.
Kevin Dalton, a senior from Athens who
registered at Tate Plaza Monday, said he
was glad to see SGA doing the drive.
“I’ve been meaning to do this for two
months and I walked out here and saw them
set up,” Dalton said. “If it hadn’t been so con
venient, I might not have done it.”
However, Dalton said he does not expect
too many of his peers to follow suit, not
because of apathy, but from frustration.
“It’s a sense of frustration that no one lis
tens t6 our age group anyway, so why should
we partake,” he said. “They may not feel it’s
their duty and that’s fine. But if they don’t
vote, they don’t have any business to criticize
whoever gets put in office.”
Secretary of State Cleland, Assistant
Secretary of State Curtis Atkinson, State
Elections Board Vice Chair Roger Kahn,
SEB member Oscar Persons and Athens-
Clarke County CEO Gwen O’Looney will be
at the Tate Plaza today at 2:30 p.m. to help
support the voter registration drive.
Rainy weather
heads for a fall
as cold front
leaves the area
By CATHLEEN EGAN
Staff Writer
The incessant cold and rainy
weather which has forced students
to run from building to building
seems to have passed over Athens
for the time being.
“We had a cold front move in
Sunday which stalled out and
became nearly stationary, and
that’s why we’ve had as much rain
as we’ve had,” said Pat Hammond,
a National Weather Service spe
cialist. “On a normal September
month, the front would have made
it this far and would have kept
moving.”
While the normal rainfall for
September is 3.58 inches, Georgia
has already surpassed the 5-inch
mark.
Gayther Plummer, a state cli
matologist and University profes
sor of ecology, said the rain was
needed.
“The unusual amount of rain is
just part of the natural rainfall
process,” he said. “The summer’s
been wet and it’s been our fortune
that we’re, for the first time in
many years, above the ordinary
amount of rainfall that comes this
time of year. Even though we’re 2
inches more than normal, it’s not
out of the ordinary.”
Plummer said while excessive
rainfall usually affects the chang
ing of the leaves’ color, the showers
won’t harm the growth of the
plants and trees.
‘I’ve been waiting for
it to get cold.’
- Denise Sague
Philadelphia native
“We had a wet August and a wet
August is usually necessary for a
colorful autumn," he said.
“Whenever wetlands become
impounded, yes, they’ll die. But I
don’t think that the trees will die
from too much moisture. There is
no way that the amount of rainfall
we’ve had will affect the trees and
plants - if anything, it will affect
the people first."
Everything from blowing mist to
endless downpours have forced stu
dents to duck under raincoat hoods
and umbrellas.
“It’s very unpredictable for this
time of year. Last week, it was cold
and now it’s rainy," said Antonio
Stokes, a freshman from Athens.
“When it’s fall, I expect it to be fall.
I expect it to be cold and dry, not
wet and humid. When you have fall
clothes, you want to wear your fall
clothes. You don’t want to wear all
these, like, big galoshes. I don’t
want to wear boots. I want to wear
tennis shoes."
Even some out-of-state students
said they’ve adapted to the unusu
al weather.
“I generally don’t ike the rain,
but I went to school in New
England and it rains all the time
there," said Denise Sague, a third-
year law student from
Philadelphia, Pa. “It’s warm here
to me. I’ve been waiting for it to get
cold.”
Hammond said students should
see some better weather because
the front is starting to dry up and
move out toward the East Coast.
“It’s unusual to have this much
rain,” Hammond said. “But there
shouldn’t be any rain through,
maybe, next weekend."