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■ QUOTABLE
4 • The Red and Black » Thursday, May 20,1993
OPINIONS
"Any student could have done what we've done this year. This
is their institution. If they want something to change or some
thing to work, it can be done.'
-John Bradberry, SGA president .on present accomplishments.
The Red & Black
Established in 1893 - Incorporated 1980
An independent student newspaper not affiliated with the University of Georgia
Johnathan Burns/Editor-in-Chief
Kelly Daniel/Managing Editor
Melody Willis/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
A whole lotta heart
We’re number two. And folks, that’s dam good.
The Bulldog men’s tennis team lost to the top-ranked
University of Southern California Trojans Tuesday, cap
ping off a season and a tournament the Dogs can be
quite proud of.
Under coach Manuel Diaz’s direction, the Tfennis
Dogs amassed a 22-3 regular season record, and the
Bulldogs went into the tournament as a number three
seed.
The men came from behind in both the quarterfinal
and semifinal rounds. They never gave up beating Duke
5-4 in a hard fought marathon match. They showed just
as much drive when coming from behind to best the sec
ond-ranked UCLA Bruins. Down 4-2, they played till 1
a.m. to an improbable win in all three doubles matches
and to advance the Dogs to the final round.
The well-rested USC was able to best the weary Dogs
5-3, in a match which was characterized by good individ
ual efforts by members of both teams.
During these wins the Bulldogs displayed the kind of
perseverance and sportsmanship that ought to character
ize all college sports.
In an era when more and more college match-ups are
lopsided contests based upon statistical matchups of
height, weight and physical ability as opposed to heart
and spirit, it is refreshing to see a team like the Tfennis
Dogs: talent backed up by heart.
Tapping the final keg
Tbnight marks the saddest last call in American bar
history. The top comedy show for the past 11 years,
Cheers, shuts off the taps at 9 p.m.
NBC loses its top-rated show of the past few years in
a keg of suds and sobs. Here’s the official Red & Black
rendition of what will happen tonight:
Sam, every man’s idol and every woman’s dream, will
drive off into the sunset in his beloved Corvette, cruising
at top speed. A cutesy, buxom beauty is sure to follow.
Drs. Frasier and Lilith Crane leave Cheers to finally
raise their son in a less alcoholic environment.
Barmistress Carla deep-sixes the joint to find out she re
ally does have a litter of Tbrtellis and LeBecks.
Bartender and immature actor Woody walks the yellow
brick road to pampered comfort. Of course, his 20-Watt
wife Kelly will wonder where the Munchkins are.
Mailman Cliff will finally be arrested for stalking
Jeopardy’s Alex TVebek. Ma Clavin can now actually re
turn her demented son to the authorities, postage due.
Norm will, well...let’s just say Norm will become the
next Spuds MacKenzie. Imagine him on a surf board.
Cheers’ favorite romantic leading ladies, Diane and
Rebecca, will meet in the federal penitentiary. Diane is
there on charges of repeatedly entering and sleeping in
Alexander Gudonov’s apartment (think “Money Pit”).
Rebecca will be locked up for stalking Cliff. Hey, some
body has to. Nevertheless, these two wildcats finally
duke it out over the right to be Sam’s greatest love.
Robin Colcord, one of Rebecca’s many past infatua
tions, sells tickets to the pay-per-view spectacle as
Ravishing Rebecca the Rude mudwrestles Dignified
Diane the Dominatrix.
Naturally, the other members of the Cheers gang
gather around the bar’s TV set to watch the mud fly. The
highlight comes as Sam gets to hose the two minxes off.
Then, as all good shows must end, the screen fogs
over and Sam wakes up in the shower. Bald, pudgy and
married to Vera.
OK, so maybe Cheers won’t do a Twin Peaks meets
Dallas. It doesn’t matter. Tbnight is the time to celebrate,
Cheers-style, the passing of one high-spirited comedy
show. So hoist a few in tribute. Cheers!
STAFF
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Fraternities do have policies on hazing, grades
This column is meant to clarify the article on
fraternity scholarship and to explain the IFC pol
icy on hazing and alcohol-awareness.
The All-Fraternity GPA (meaning the GPAs
of all undergraduate fraternity men) exceeded
the All-Male (meaning the GPAs of all under
graduate males) 2.66 vs 2.70 Winter Quarter, not
the figures quoted in the story.
TTiis marked the seventh quarter in a row
that the All-Fraternity GPA equaled or sur
passed the All-Male GPA. Prior to the last seven
quarters, you would have to go back over a
decade to find the fraternity grades higher than
their male undergraduate counterparts today.
We attribute this turnaround in fraternity
scholarship to the following:
1. All IFC fraternity pledges/associate mem
bers must attend a one hour academics seminar.
This has been a requirement for three years.
2. IFC fraternities must achieve a 2.4 chap
ter GPA quarterly to have social privileges. This
is significant since IFC imposed this on them
selves. This has been a requirement for two
years.
3. The Fraternity Quarterly Report is sent to
over 2,500 faculty, staff and administrators. It is
also sent to sororities, house moms, fraternity
nationals, City Council, Athens neighbors, etc.
This has been done for over one year.
4. The Annual Report (the three previous re
ports) is sent to all those going through rush as
well as their parents. The Annual Report also ap
pears in the Fraternity Way, the rush magazine
for Fall rush. This has caused the fraternities to
increase scholarship to attract quality members.
This has been done for three years.
5. Fraternities receive rushee’s high school
GPAs and SAT scores for rush (provided the
rushee releases this information). Fraternities
use this information to select new members. This
has been done for four years.
6. IFC rewards those who achieve Dean’s List
by listing them in the Red and Black quarterly.
This has been done for two years..
7. Dean’8 List recipients also receive a certifi
cate from IFC noting their academic accomplish
ment. This has been done for six years.
8. Finally, IFC awards $6,500 in scholarship
annually to fraternity men. The criteria is schol
arship, financial need and activities. The average
recipient GPA this year was a 3.3. Scholarships
have been awarded from IFC for over four
decades.
As you can see the IFC and Greek Life have
been promoting scholarship in the Fraternity
System for quite some time. Our efforts are
aimed solely at having the All-Fraternity GPA
consistently above the All-Male GPA.
Now in light of the recent event in the
University Greek System, the following may add
some light as to what the Greek Life Office and
the IFC are doing to prevent such problems from
occurring.
1. A recent survey conducted by Carole
Middlebrooks, UGA’s Alcohol Educator, showed
that Greeks don’t drink anymore than non-
Greeks. That is, drinking patterns among Greeks
are equal to drinking patters of non-Greeks.
Although this survey was widely disseminated,
you probably have not heard about it through the
media. This survey is to be repeated Spring
Quarter (and every other year) and is funded by
the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary
Education, a federal government agency. This
survey should provide UGA with a base-line data
on drinking patterns on all students.
2. IFC requires all IFC fraternity pledges/as
sociate members to attend a one hour Alcohol &
Drug Education seminar presented by
Middlebrooks. TTiis has been in effect for one
year.
3. IFC requires all IFC fraternity pledges/as
sociate members to attend a one hour Risk
Management seminar presented by myself. This
has been done for two years.
4. CJreek Life offers a one hour Risk
Management seminar for any Greek group at
UGA. Roughly one-fourth of the IFC fraternities
have this seminar annually.
5. IFC fraternities found guilty of violating
IFC alcohol policies receive a minimum one quar
ter of social privileges suspended, a minimum
$10.00 per member fine, and up to $50 per mem
ber fine (all fine monies go to local charities), and
two required educational seminars; one on
Alcohol Education (by Middlebrooks), the other
on Risk Management (by myself). This has been
in effect for one year.
6. Greek Life requires a twice-annual, one
hour, Risk Management seminar for all Greek
presidents, pledge/associate member educators
and intake coordinators as well as all social
chairmen. All 48 UGA Greek groups must attend
this meeting. Speakers have been mainly myself
along with University and local attorneys. We
have been doing this for seven years.
7. Greek presidents and pledge/associate
member educators and intake coordinators are
required to sign the Hazing Compliance Form
which calls for their possible personal referral to
Student Judiciary if their chapter is caught haz
ing. We have been doing this for three years.
8. The Greek Life Office operates the Hazing
Hotline for the reporting of hazing anonymously
24 hours per day. If not for this hotline, we prob
ably would not have found out about many inci
dents. This hotline is available for anyone to re
port hazing, even if the hazing occurs in non-
Greek groups. We have operated this hotline for
four years.
9. Greek Life and IFC prohibit the use of kegs,
bars, alcoholic punch, etc., on chapter property
and at chapter functions, even off-campus func
tions held outside Athens. This has been in effect
for five years.
10. Greek Life prohibits chapters from pur
chasing alcohol with chapter funds. This means
that chapters cannot buy alcohol, run bar tabs,
have cash slush funds for kegs, run bars, etc.
This has been a policy for two years.
11. IFC requires IFC fraternities to hire a taxi
for the last two hours of every band party (rough
ly half the IFC fraternities social events) to offer
foe rides home to their brothers and invited
guests. Other events must either hire a taxi or
provide three designated drivers. Some chapters
hire taxis for every social event. 'Diis has been re
quired for two years.
Periodically, I visit fraternity events to ensure
that these rules are abided by. Of the 600 or so
Greek social events held annually, 1 percent re
sult in problems. When they do, rest assured the
media will let you know about it.
I hope this provides the University communi
ty information on what is and has been done to
address problems in the Greek community. As
you can see, we are taking a pro-active approach
rather than a reactive approach
Ron Binder is the advisor to fraternities.
Homosexuality normal, healthy
■ FORUM
■ Ths 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 and double-spaced, and they must in
clude the name, address and daytime telephone number of the writer. Please also
include student classification, major and other appropriate identification. Names
may be omitted with a valid reason upon request. Send letters by U.S. mail or
bring them in person to The Red and Black s offices at 123 North Jackson Street
Athens, Georgia 30601.
Not that my sexual orientation
or gender is of any point to my ar
gument, but I am a heterosexual
male. One who is tired of reading
countless letters written by homo
phobes like E. Frank Mashbum
that appeared in the May 3 edition.
Let me just clarify one point and
the entire basis for Mashbum’s ar
gument - homosexuality is normal.
Yes, that’s right, normal. I know
the thought scares conservative eli
tists like Mashburn, but grow up.
Whether homosexuality is biologi
cally determined or environmen
tally conditioned is superfluous.
Homosexuality is a valid way of
life. Scientists may not concur
about ita biologic origin, but that
too is an unnecessary point in his
letter. It is not “inappropriate or il
logical” to make judgments regard
ing behavior through studies. It is
inappropriate to pass judgment
based on one’s own belief system.
Alcoholism and pedophilism are
diseases because they threaten
others. Unlike homosexuality,
those affected usually are not con
senting of their involvement in
those situations. A person who is
raped usually didn’t ask to be so. I
think Mashbum would agree that
rape is an “inappropriate" behav
ior. Homosexuality is carried out
by two consenting members and is
not inappropriate. Homosexuality
is normal, healthy and ethical.
What is not healthy or ethical is
the behavior of homophobes. In a
brief article of the Atlanta
Joumal/Constitution published on
the same day, it statea that a Navy
enlisted officer killed a homosexu
al crew mate. It wasn’t that he
killed that is so bad, but he beat
him to death with his bare hands.
Is it normal or ethical for homo
phobes to go around killing homo
sexuals? I don’t think so. But if it
was, would it make this action ac
ceptable? No. Ignorance is the
cause of this attitude accepted by
conservative homophobes.
Ignorance and intolerance of the
way of life of other peoples. This ig
norance has been perpetuated
throughout our history. From slav
ery in Africa and the United States
South, to the genocide tactics of
Hitler, to America's treatment of
native peoples. The same igno
rance displayed by Mashbum in
his letter. Would he like to round
up homosexuals and put them in
death camps as well? Would that
be ethical, Mashbum? (Hitler did
round up homosexuals and put
them in camps.) These views ignite
hatred of others that leads to “eth
nic cleansing." Would Mashbum
like to sexually cleanse America?
These homophobic bigots need to
lighten up and have a little toler
ance for the diversity of life found
in our planet.
I have a number of homosexual
friends. I find nothing threatening
or unethical with their behavior.
They are just like us. They are peo
ple. People who need to be accept
ed and loved. Just because they
happen to like others of their same
sex is no reason to judge or con
demn them. That would be just like
if I judged someone who preferred
to be with taller people instead of
shorter ones. Homosexuality is a
choice. A choice to live a certain
life. There is nothing wrong with
condemning them for that choice.
Crispin S. Jones
Junior, environmental design
Exxon not only to blame
Since the Exxon Valdez spill in
1989, there has been a disturbing
trend in the media and in grass
roots organizing of focusing on the
symptom but not the problem.
Your editorial “Drilling for truth"
perpetuates this destructive habit.
It wasn’t Capt. Hazelwood’s
driving that caused the dumping of
nearly 11 million gallons of “black
gold” in pristine Prince William
Sound. It was yours and mine.
America is drunk - on oil.
Exxon is guilty, and I would not
shed a tear at the news of their
demise. What about, however, the
thousands of spills amounting to
well over 11 million gallons - cour
tesy of Exxon and every other
petrochemical company - since the
Valdez? Texaco, Tenneco, Chevron,
DuPont, and so on love to see ev
eryone boycott Exxon. Obviously, it
means more profits for them.
Evenmore, it diverts our attention
away from the real problem of
which all oil companies are a part.
Oil spills and the rest of the pol
lution associated with petro-chem-
icals manufacturing won’t go away
just because Exxon does.
Exxon’s scientific studies are
probably as “unbiased” as Phillips
Petroleum’s, Dow’s, Ciba-Geig/s,
or any other chemical manufactur
er’s. I could have given you the ba
sic conclusions of an Exxon-en
dorsed study of the effects of the
spill without reading it. Between
the lines, the summary probably
says “Let’s keep business as usual."
But this nation will not get over
its addictions to destructive ener
gies (fossil fuels, nuclear) with
business as usual. A sound energy
policy with emphasis on energy ef
ficiency programs and the develop
ment of clean, safe, stable renew
able energies is long overdue.
Jonathan Kenny
Athens resident
Humorous inflexibility OK
The next time an ornery column
is submitted to the Red and Black
by C.E., J.T. or M.M., please re
place it with a reprint of Amy
Bradshaw’s letter defending park
ing services. She and Stuart Buck
deserve praise for the wit, style
and good-humored inflexibility
they displayed in their writing,
printed May 17. Our community,
including your staff, should read
that page again before submitting
letters, columns or articles to the
rest of us.
Timothy Fite
Senior, English