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Kristen Wyatt | Editor in Chief
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Marti Niesse | Managing Editor
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Shana Gailentine | Opinions Editor
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Opinions
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ESTABLISHED 1893. INDEPENDENT 1980
▲ Dorm residents should
have the option of living in a
smoking or non-smoking hall.
Our Take
Majority opinions of The Red <H Black’s editorial board
Butt out, RHA
Completely eliminating smoking
from dorms is unreasonable
Smokers in the dorms soon will have to put away
their ashtrays for good. Starting next fall, smoking
will be prohibited in
the dorms regardless
of a roommate’s smok
ing preference.
That’s good news
for students who want
to live in a smoke-free
environment — the
dorms will smell bet
ter and everyone
should breathe a little
easier.
But such a sweeping
regulation seems a lit
tle out of line.
The majority of stu
dents want to live in a
smoke-free dorm, and
that’s fine.
Because this is the case, make the majority of
dorms non-smoking.
But don’t take away the right to smoke for all
students.
Smoking — unpopular and unhealthy as it may
be — is still legal in this country. Students have a
right to enjoy a cigarette in their rooms, as long as
it’s not bothering other residents.
We believe that at least one or two dorms should
still allow smoking, or perhaps there could be des
ignated smoking halls within dorms.
Cigarette smoke would be confined to appropri
ate areas without bothering non-smokers.
The University claims it wants to keep students
on campus beyond freshman year.
How does it plan to do that while systematically
taking away freedoms that students can otherwise
find in apartments?
Smoking in the dorms should be curbed to pro
tect non-smokers.
But eliminating smoking all together is a rash
and unfair restriction.
Let us give thanks
Volunteer opportunities make great
plans foi' students staying in town
If home-cooked turkey, college football and spats
with relatives aren’t on your agenda for Thursday,
this might be your chance to help some less fortu
nate people in the Athens community.
Local churches and community groups are look
ing for student volunteers to help serve
Thanksgiving meals for the needy and homeless.
Students who can’t make it home for the holidays
are also invited to get a free meal at Emmanuel
Episcopal Church on Prince Avenue and The
Catholic Center on Lumpkin Street.
It’s certainly not too late to decide you want to
help out by serving a meal to the less fortunate.
Call one of these churches or the Campus View
Church of Christ to find out how you can lend a
hand.
What better way to show our thanks this year
than by giving to those who are in need?
Our Staff
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Reaching Us
Phone (706^543-1809 | Fhx (706) 548-7261
opinions^ rHndfx'oni | www.redandWack.com
123 N. Jackson St., Athens, Ga., 30601
Letters should include name, year in school, hometown, phone
■ number, major or Job title or other appropriate identification.
J'Letters should be no more than ISO words. AU letters are subject to
editing for length, style and libelous material.
HtY.WHO THE
KECK \S1UATT
"WE WECTOR of
PW\Hbmc&.
Stand up against threats to democracy
E lementary school kids in the
United States learn early on
about the processes of
democracy in this country. We
learn that people rule democrati
cally by electing representatives
through the power of the vote.
Currently, however, there
exists a large and generally unno
ticed threat to the democratic
ideals we hold.
The World Trade Organization
originated to enforce the guide
lines of the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade.
GATT is a global treaty creat
ed to regulate free trade —
another concept we support —
by mediating tariff disputes
among member nations.
One hundred thirty countries
signed on, including the United
States, and President Clinton is
its primary supporter.
During the 1995 talks in
Uruguay, however, the WTO
gained new powers, allowing it to
regulate not only tariffs, but
“non-tariff barriers to trade’’ as
well. Suddenly, a three-judge
panel began to repeal food-safety
laws, environmental protections,
labor laws and even government
spending programs in its mem
ber nations.
The panel makes its decisions
in secret from confidential testi
mony. There is no public input
on the process, and no outside
groups can appeal the panel’s
decisions.
For example, The Clean Air
Act, a cornerstone of our envi
ronmental policy since the early
1970s, regulates exhaust and
emissions levels going into our
air.
The act stipulates minimum
standards of cleanliness for all
WIL LAYNG
A
gasoline marketed in the country
Certain Venezuelan oil compa
nies who wanted to sell their
dirtier oil in the gas-guzzling
United States convinced their
government to file a suit in the
WTO against these standards.
The panel ruled that the U.S.
law was a "barrier to trade” and
mandated weaker regulations.
We’ve dished it out, too. In
1998, the U.S. government, on
behalf of beef manufacturers,
complained to the WTO that a
European Union ban on beef
raised with artificial growth hor
mones constituted an unfair
“barrier to trade.’’
The panel listened and struck
down the EU law, opening its
markets to hormone-treated
beef.
In every case brought before it
so far, the WTO has sided with
the plaintiff, a disturbing trend
toward a world government with
power based not in the people,
but in the corporations.
What’s important to notice
about these rulings is that
they’re no longer about free
trade. Our Clean Air Act and the
EU’s beef ban apply equally to all
exporters, without giving any
special advantage to one coun
try’s producers over another.
Essentially, these laws never
made trade any less free.
The World Trade Organization
is a global system of highly
enforceable rules in which corpo
rations have all the rights, gov
ernments have all the obligations
and the people and democracy
are left in the dust.
These realities of the WTO
should make even the most con
servative people a little scared.
Personally, I felt helpless when
I first learned about the WTO,
but some exciting activism is
emerging around the issue.
At the end of November, the
WTO members will meet for
another round of talks in Seattle
with the goal of further expand
ing the WTO’s intrusive powers.
You’ll see a vast array of citi
zens' groups — religious, environ
mental, labor and human rights
groups — band together in a sort
of Boston Tea Party-type protest
to show the depth of fear and
anger that citizens have about
the WTO.
It's hard to comprehend how
to organize against such a silent,
unaccountable Goliath, but by
raising awareness about the dan
gers of it and letting our repre
sentatives and each other know,
we can end its undemocratic grip
on our nation.
Tell everyone you know about
the WTO. Write to your congress
men (Athens’ is John Linder,
2447 Rayburn, Washington, D.C.,
20515), the president (1600
Pennsylvania Ave., Washington,
D.C., 20500) or your local news
paper.
We can’t be silent and let our
hard-won democracy slip away.
— Wil Layng is a senior in
anthropology.
Mailbox
E-mail, letters and faxes from our readers
Barker leaves legacy of hard work, success
I’m writing in regard to the
events surrounding the untimely
resignation of women's soccer
coach Bill Barker.
I’m a member of the inaugural
team and spent four years under
Coach Barker and staff. Barker
took an entire team of no-name
freshmen, and in four years,
came away with a Sweet 16
appearance and several national
ly recognized players.
Of that inaugural squad, near
ly all are still involved in soccer,
either playing or in coaching.
From this, one could scarcely
conclude the atmosphere under
Coach Barker to be such that it
caused players to leave “hating
the game.’’
On the contrary, Barker pro
duced players with nothing less
than a true love for the game, for
competition and for working
hard to achieve their goals.
These results created the basis
for a tradition in excellence.
These things having been
said, this year's team did little to
the Georgia tradition of working
hard to produce results.
One need only recall the lack
adaisical efforts of their "leaders”
during games such as the
Georgia-Florida match to be
convinced of this point.
However, Instead of taking
personal responsibility, these
kids blamed Barker because he
“made them solve their own
L”-(Boor
things!) *
It's tragic to have lost the
coaching staff responsible for the
success of the Oeorgia women's
soccer team. It's perhaps even
more tragic to lose a tradition of
excellence and replace it with
E MAILING US
Question*, comments,
complaints? Here’s where to
point and elicit:
Letters I opinions9randb.com
News Tips! news@randb.com
R8B Online I ftiarris@randb.com
this kind of whining and blaming.
As Beth Culver so eloquently
put it, the team will go on.
However, the kind of tradition
they will create, if not one made
merely of cop-outs, remains to
be seen.
JENNIFER LEWIS
Senior, Burton, Wash.
Philosophy and anthropology
Game day vandalism
ruins Tech rivalry
Since last year when Oeorgia
Tech came into Sanford and
upset the Bulldogs, I’ve been
waiting for this year’s game.
I remember how the tens,
cheerleaders, coaches and play
ers from Tech tore up our hedges
and rubbed their win in our
faces. I remember sitting there
by the Redcoat Band, angry,
heart broken and disgusted Ax I
listened to the band play, I was
moved to tears over the events of
that day I love the University
and especially Oeorgia football.
I began to contemplate what
could or should be done to get
revenge this year when we go to
Atlanta. I’ve heard many vow
that they will vandalize some
thing when we beat Tech this
year, but after much contempla
tion, I think that vandalism is
not the answer.
I’m writing to appeal to all
Oeorgia fans, cheerleaders, band
members, coaches and players to
refrain from destroying anything
at Tech. It would be pointless.
There is no need to start a
tradition of destroying property
after each game in this rivalry.
I know that this may be
viewed as weak by some, but
let's show that we here at the
University have more class and
sportsmanship than the “genius
es” at Tech.
Lastly, I’d like to thank every
one who makes it happen on
Saturdays for all the enjoyment I
have experienced as a long-time
fan. student and soon-to-be
alumnus.
Go Dogs!
JONATHAN BARNES
Senior, Savannah
Psychology
Columnist should be
featured regularly
This is just a suggestion, but I
think Will Kiser should be fea
tured in The Red St Black every
single day. There hasn’t been a
time since I first read one of his
columns last year that I haven’t
laughed out loud.
Heh
funny, and I would love to read
what he haa to say every day of
the week.
CARI ANDERSON
WILL KISER
A
Losers of the
century vie
for top title
I e-mailed in my column this
week. That’s right. With
today’s newest technology,
one can take slacking to a
new level. Where our parents
generation mailed it in on a
slow day, we e-mail it in.
Today, the faster you can
get your e-mail or pom, the
better. People will pay an
extra $1,000 for a computer
that will allow them to move
their finger less.
On another barely-related
note: Every magazine has fea
tured a top 100 of the century
list in their issues lately. Even
Cat Fancy got into the act in
last week’s issue with “Cat
Fancy’s Top 100 Fanciest Cats
of the Century.” List
Magazine gave us the “Top 10
Top 100 Lists of the Century.”
Because we praise the
slacker, we raise up the lazy
and give credence to
debauchery, I give you. “The
Top 100 Pieces of Work of the
century."
1. Burt Reynolds, for obvi
ous reasons.
2. Tommy Lee. Let me lay
this out for you. Tommy Lee
is not good looking. He’s used
heroin and weighs about 44
pounds. He is not necessarily
a very good drummer, but he
gets paid ridiculous amounts
of money to do it.
He was married to Heather
Locklear, then cheated on her.
Got divorced. Married Pamela
Anderson, then cheated on
her. He went to jail for beat
ing her up, then got back
together with her.
3. My religious beliefs
require me to skip this one.
4-12. Gwar, a heavy-metal
rock group that sprays urine
and feces into the crowd.
Their fans enjoy this. If I have
to explain why this is bad,
stop reading right now and go
find a hard, flat wall to bang
your head against. (But if you
want feces and urine project
ed at you, the kids in front of
The Grill will do it for free).
13-15. Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
(I’m counting him three
times). While on trial for vari
ous offenses, Rolling Stone
magazine reported that the
Wu-Tang Clan member
screamed out the word
“skunk!” during a lull in the
proceedings, refused to face
the judge during sentencing
and fell asleep while walking
out of the courtroom.
16. Chatsworth
McGillicutty, the man who
wrote the "Cat Fancy Top 100
Fanciest Cats of the Century
List." McGillicutty has spent
the last six years of his life
charting fancy cats all over
the U.S.
17. Robert Downey Jr.
Hey, South America called —
they’re pissed because you
did all of their drugs.
18. Mike Tyson. He’s been
accused of punching an old
man in a traffic dispute, rap
ing a woman in Indiana and
then he bit off Evander
Holyfleld’s ear. I’m curious: If
he were fighting an elderly
person and was losing, would
he bite his ear off?
19-89. The nation of
Kuwait. We came over there
to bail them out of a gam
bling debt to Saddam
Hussein. Then we had to
clean up the damn place.
90. Pamela Lee, for taking
Mr. Thomas Lee Jr. back.
91. WU1 Kiser. That dead
horse on the side of Hwy. 316
called — he wants his sense of
humor back.
92. Steve Spurrier. If you
have to ask why, you should
transfer. Right now.
93. Steven Segal.
94. Yo-Yo Ma, world-
renown cellist. AKA Yo'
Mama. (OK, he's not a piece
but has a funny name.)
95-99. The Backstreet
Boys. Hey guys, the New Kids
on the Block called. They
want their career back.
100. If you read the Ol'
Dirty Bastard entry and
why he was
on this list, fill in your name
here.
— Will Riser is a variety
writer for The Red <fi Black.
His column appears on
Tuesdays.