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4 | Thursday, February 15, 2001 | The Red & Black
Kyle Wingfield | Editor in Chief
editor@randb.com
Chris Hassiotis | Managing Editor
me@rarutb.com
Brian Basinger | Opinions Editor
opinions@randb.com
Our Take
Majority opinions of The Red <& Black’s editorial board
Greek castaways?
Pi'oposed Greek Park will isolate
residents, hinder diversity on campus.
University officials confirmed Wednesday they are
considering the option of building a Greek Park to
house various fraternity and sorority chapters —
potentially isolating them in their own community.
Although details still are in the developmental
phase, the proposal raises serious concerns and
questions.
Will pigeonholing the Greeks in their own isolat
ed “park” leave them as castaways from the
University community as a whole?
How will moving Greek organizations into a com
munity — or “park” — affect relations between
Greek and non-Greek students?
The current location of Greek houses both on
and off campus offers a Greek presence throughout
the Athens community.
Milledge Avenue and Lumpkin Street, historically
known as fraternity and sorority rows, are strong
testaments to the value of incorporating Greeks
into the community at large.
Walking on these streets, one can see fraternities
and sororities, but also area businesses, residential
homes and residence halls.
The current composition of residents on Milledge
and Lumpkin is a mixed mosaic that allows the
Greek and non-Greek spheres to mix and blend on
a regular basis. A Greek Park could cut down on
that interaction and create an unbridgeable rift
between the Greek and non-Greek worlds.
Furthermore, how will Greek organizations
whose members are traditionally of different races
react to living together?
The University Greek system currently has an
image problem with diversity. For decades, the
University has fought to prove fraternities and
sororities are open to members of all races — with
out much evidence to back up the claim.
The entire Greek system and its reputation were
dealt a major blow last year when Alpha Gamma
Delta sorority was accused of rejecting a black
rushee due to her race.
Even though the sorority wasn’t found guilty of
discrimination, the story was the subject of media
focus nationwide and served as a vivid detractor
from the University’s 40th anniversary of its deseg
regation last month.
How will traditionally white and traditionally
black Greek organizations be included in the pro
posed Greek Park?
Will traditionally black and traditionally white
fraternities and sororities live side-by-side volun
tarily? Or will they be assigned houses without
choice? No traditionally black Greek organization
has its own house — which begs the question, will
they be included at all?
Administrators should give extensive considera
tion to how a Greek Park will affect both Greeks
and non-Greeks.
Without careful attention, this proposed Greek
utopia might end up more like the donkey-boy
island Pimlochio visited — nothing but trouble.
Let’s not cast away the Greeks, but rather keep
them where they are.
Corrections
Due to a reporting error, an article in Wednesday's edition of
The Red & Black misidentified the position of a University foot
ball player. Verron Haynes is a fullback.
Due to a reporting error, an article in Wednesday’s edition of
The Red & Black incorrectly listed the start time of the Feb. 19
SGA Presidential/Vice Presidential debate. The debate will begin
at 7 p.m. in the Creswell Hall Lobby.
Our Staff
NEWS: 543-1809
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holidays and exam periods, by The Red A Black Publishing
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Opinions expressed in The Red A Black other than unsigned edrtorials are the opinions of the writers of signed columns and not nec
essarily those of The Red A Black Publishing Company Inc. Al rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the editors.
Edrtonal board members include Brian Basinger, Chris Hasstote, Mack Williams and Kyle Wingfield
Reaching Us
Phone (706) 543-1809 | Pax (706) 548-7251
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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.
Letters should be no more than 150 words. All letters are subject to
editing for length, style and libelous material.
Red&Black
An independent student new spaper serv ing the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
Pose LADy as yoq
Is ‘conservative’ really a dirty word?
T hink of a reaUy dirty word.
Chances are that it is of the
four-letter variety, or maybe a
racial epithet.
But the worst dirty word I
remember hearing while growing
up denotes one’s political
persuasion.
The word is “liberal.”
It’s a rich word — filled with
many stereotypes and implica
tions.
And after being submerged
into academia, it’s enlightening
to learn that, to many liberals,
the word “conservative” is just as
bad — filled with its own stereo
types and implications.
Take for instance, that we, the
conservatives, don’t have a social
conscience.
Or that we’re all Bible-
thumpers.
Or that we’re all stuffed shirts.
Or that all conservatives have
to be white. And, alas, that we’re
all racists.
Racial polarizers — who mask
themselves in the arena of civil
rights — seem to divide more
than unite when they label oth
ers as racists.
Basically, anyone not agreeing
with the beliefs of these select
many are ignorantly labeled as
such.
It seems that these liberals
lack an underestimated virtue
called logic and have no other
means of debate other than the
pointing of fingers.
It also seems that some of
these liberals gain politically and
financially by their accusations —
whether through sketchy corpo
rate lawsuits or through mind
less rabble-rousing.
After observing this close-
minded, politically-charged and
mean-spirited behavior for some
time, I think I finally understand
what these “leaders” and their
followers mean by their labels.
Of course you’re a racist if you
lean to the right or disagree with
men like Jessie Jackson.
You’re also a racist if you feel
that privately financed corpora
tions and institutions shouldn’t
be told by the federal govern
ment who they should hire, fire
or appoint.
As a conservative, you are a
bigot if you don’t subscribe to
the belief that minorities ought
to have preferential treatment in
any way, shape or form.
You’re a bigot if you don’t
think minorities are oppressed as
badly as some say they are.
You’re also a bigot if you think
that any person — black or white
— has the ability in America to
accomplish any goal that is in
their heart.
You’re a chauvinist if you feel
that gender roles are natural, as
well as beautiful.
You’re a redneck if you don’t
subscribe to urban pop culture
or the whiny, bed-wetting frame
of thought called political
correctness.
You’re a Nazi if you feel that
any cold-blooded murderer
ought to get similar punishment
to any other cold-blooded mur
derer, regardless of the sexual
orientation or color of their
victim.
You’re a xenophobe if you feel
that any American should want
to learn English.
And you’re a homophobe if
you have traditional family val
ues, or if you feel marriage is
sacred.
By the very nature of the busi
ness, the vast majority of journal
ists and politicians — whether
Democrat, Republican or
Libertarian — care very deeply
about our society.
Despite the daily carnage we
see and hear about everyday, we
tend to have faith that mankind
eventually will get its collective
act together.
Any politicians who thrust
themselves into the limelight, or
journalists who puts their names
in bold letters above a story or
column, are prepared for poten
tial criticism.
Any person who is true to his
or her heart shouldn’t be fazed
by such names.
But please, just don’t call me
a liberal.
— Justin B. Rubner is a news
writer for The Red & Black.
Mailbox
E-mail, letters and faxes from our readers
Administrator offers fall break lowdown
Last week my e-mail address
was listed on the Opinions page,
together with that of Dr. Charles
Keith, because we chair the
University Council committees
that have dealt with the pro
posed calendar for the 2002-2003
academic year.
Following in a line from an ear
lier story with the headline
“Officials make first move to end
Fall Break” (Jan. 22, 2001), The
Red and Black’s editorial board
urged those who “want fall
break” to write to Dr. Keith and
me.
And numerous persons have.
Based on the e-mails that we
have received, it is clear that the
matter has become clouded.
First, it should be recognized
that each committee that has
dealt with proposals for the cal
endar has student members.
There are also student mem
bers of the University Council,
which will ultimately set the
calendar.
Therefore, it misstates things
to insist, as several e-mail mes
sages have, that students are
never involved in decision-mak
ing, or heard.
F\irther, contrary to popular
opinion, at no point in the plan
ning for the 2002-2003 calendar
has an attempt been made to
eliminate fall break.
There will be a fall break in the
year 2002 — the only question is
when it will occur.
Please note that it is the fall
break under consideration and
not the Florida game break.
A recommendation that the
fall break occur sometime other
than the Florida game does not
constitute an effort to eliminate
the break.
While the fall break is now tied
in many minds to the time of the
Florida game, in my view we
must bear in mind that it is an
academic calendar that is under
E-MAILING US
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complaints? Here’s where to
point and click:
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consideration and thus we should
ask when the best time for the
break is in an academic sense.
On Feb. 22, the University
Council will consider two alterna
tive calendars for 2002-2003.
One proposed calendar places
the fall break in association with
the Thanksgiving break, with the
result that the two together pro
duce a week-long break.
There are academic reasons
for such a break.
For instance, a week-long
break might have less of a delete
rious impact on the scheduling of
labs on South Campus than a
two-day break does.
The alternative proposal is to
have the break occur on the
Monday and Tuesday following
midpoint.
Again, there are academic rea
sons for such a break, given that
many persons across campus
report that they begin to feel
fatigued about that stage in a
semester.
The University Council may
come up with some other
alternative.
And this leads to my final
point.
While I welcome any further e-
mail anyone wishes to send me,
the academic calendar for 2002-
2003 will be finalized on the
Council floor and not in
cyberspace.
DAVID WILLIAMS
Chairman, Educational Affairs
Committee
Warning issued after
Toileby Thief strikes
I just want to inform the stu
dent body of the Toiletry Thief.
My friends and I had a party
last weekend, and some person
who showed up at the party stole
my roommate’s toothbrushes
and my razor, refill blades and a
toenail clipper.
What a loser!
Who goes to parties and steals
toiletries?
Only a tool would do such a
thing.
As students, we need not only
to watch out for these armed rob
bers that have been terrorizing
us, but we need to watch out for
the lame Toiletry Thief.
DAVID CRABTREE
Sophomore, Marietta
Biology/Pre-Veterinarian
There’s a difference
between love and latex
In the absence of enough real
love, some people turn for com
fort to the kind of “love” men
tioned in a few of the Red &
Black articles (on St. Valentine's
Day).
However, loving someone is
wanting what is best for that per
son, not simply getting pleasure
from that person.
What “active” unmarried peo
ple are actually “wrapped up” in
is themselves.
Love is selfless, giving and
trusting. Since lovers can only
give completely and trust com
pletely within marriage, love is
also patient and chaste.
SHAWN KESWANI
Freshman, Augusta
Undecided
Hilary L. Hilliard
Crimewatch
offers news
and laughs
I t happens to many Red &
Blackers — our fine, journal
istic endeavors are often
overlooked in favor of the sec
tion I like to call “Public
Shamings.”
I’m talking about
Crimewatch — that mis
chievous little feature that
appears in The Red & Black
every Monday that lets us
know which of our friends was
arrested over the weekend.
In normal newspapers they
call it the police report.
But, alas, The Red & Black
is not normal.
We are aware, however.
We know students look for
ward to Mondays not neces
sarily so they can catch up on
all the latest University news,
but so they can check
Crimewatch.
We’re coming to terms with
this.
Sunday nights, The Red &
Black staff has been known to
stand around and laugh at
everyone else’s misfortune.
It’s about the only thing
that comforts any of us —
until we see our own names
listed and don’t remember
how they got there.
But in general, The Red &
Black staff probably gets
more kicks out of Crimewatch
than does the rest of the
University community.
For example, when a moth
er gets upset — and they
always do — that her precious
little boy was written up in
the school newspaper for driv
ing on the wrong side of the
road while intoxicated.
“We get lots of mommas
calling us,” said Red & Black
cops reporter Samira Jafari.
“Mommas get very angry.
They don’t want to lose face.”
Sometimes students will
call and try to bribe us to not
run their names.
And then there are the
ones who call us and try to
convince us why we should.
Those are especially funny.
But Crimewatch has a pur
pose. It’s not there for your
entertainment.
Believe it or not, it’s not
even there for our entertain
ment.
Crimewatch could be con
sidered a noble cause —
albeit, a rather farcical cause.
Let’s be honest: Students
don’t usually read Crime
watch so they can be super- ,
hero crime fighters; they read
it so they can laugh at their
friends, as well as at people
they’ve never even met.
Take, for instance, the peo
ple who report a dry-erase
marker, valued at $2.53, stolen
from outside their dorm room
at 1:30 a.m.
You know who you are.
The rest of us don’t, but we
are laughing at you. Hard.
First of all, I’m sure the
cops have better things to do
than make the trip all the way
to the dorms to file a report
over a stolen marker.
Second of all, if you leave
something outside your dorm
room, unharnessed, on a
Saturday night when drunken
hallmates are coming home,
it’s going to and up missing.
Crimewatch doesn’t just
magically appear in your
newspaper every Monday,
though.
It takes work — about an
hour’s worth for the lucky Red
& Black reporter who has to
fill it.
The cops don’t just call us
and tell us who did what to
get thrown in the slammer for
a few hours.
It actually requires
research — and the ability to
laugh and not take yourself
too seriously.
So while Crimewatch may
have become a substitute for
Will Kiser’s weekly column —
seeing how it makes so many
students laugh until they ciy
— there is deeper purpose
behind it.
Hopefully, readers will take
it seriously.
You just never know when
you might witness someone
stealing a dry-erase marker.
— Hilary L. Hilliard is a
sophomore in pre-journalism.
Her column appears
Thursdays.
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