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4A | Thursday, November 16, 2006 | The Red & Black
David Pittman | Editor in Chief
editor@randb.com
Lyndsay Hoban | Managing Editor
me@randb.com
Lauren Morgan | Opinions Editor
opinions@ramlb.com
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1 893, INDEPENDENT 1980
Majority opinions of The Red & Black’s editorial hoard
Big gulp of amnesty
Will the next batch of freshmen have
the privilege of an amnesty policy?
The University made drastic changes to its
alcohol policy in April, creating harsher punish
ments for those found in violation.
Seven months and countless meetings after
the idea of granting amnesty for students help
ing dangerously intoxicated friends was pre
sented, the University is still loafing around on
the subject.
It is important enough for the University’s
consideration, but will someone at the
University please take action on this policy?
Eric Atkinson, assistant to the vice president
for student affairs, said they are “still brain
storming” about amnesty. Brainstorming
apparently takes several months, since Student
Affairs and the Student Government
Association have been working on this amnesty
policy since the spring.
SGA’s alcohol policy survey found that nearly
40 percent of the approximately 230 students
polled (all under 21 years old) said they’ve
feared for the safety of a drunk friend at the
University. While nearly 100 students said they
would call for help regardless of the fallout from
the University or parents, the rest said they
wouldn’t call for help if they knew either they or
their friend — or both — could get in trouble.
SGA advocated that the policy protects stu
dents who are dangerously intoxicated from
University punishment. But the committee of
administrators and students is still debating
the proposal.
After a meeting last Thursday, Atkinson said
there is still no time line for the policy’s com
pletion. Regardless if it’s Student Affairs, SGA
or whoever cares about keeping underage kids
safe on campus, the University needs to quit
wavering and figure out who really deserves
amnesty in dangerous — if not deadly — situa
tions. We would like to see a time line for exe
cuting the changes and ideally have the
changes put in place for incoming freshmen
next fall.
Smarter than Ivies
Con artist fools Ivy leagues, Duke but
gets busted by a University professor
David Gilbert, a former stringer at a radio
station in New York, punked Yale, Princeton,
Duke and other prestigious universities.
The prankings could be seen as a hilarious
Ashton Kutcher-style jab at the Ivies, except
Gilbert lied to these universities, claiming to be
a foreign correspondent for CBS News and
charging $1,000 per lecture at each school.
Gilbert was planning on gypping the
University, too, after a pro-Israel student advo
cacy group booked the supposedly acclaimed
and sought-after lecturer, thinking they had
landed a top-notch guest.
But Gilbert’s plot was foiled by David
Hazinski, a professor in the Grady College, who
did a little digging on the Web and discovered
the truth about Gilbert.
It wasn’t a professor from the mighty Ivy
leagues or a hidden Dateline NBC camera that
finally brought down the con artist, but one of
our own faculty members.
Props to Hazinski for saving the University
$1,000 and teaching students a valuable
lesson — it never hurts to Google.
Our
NEWS: 433-3002
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Reaching Us
Phone (706) 433-3002 | Pax (706) 433-3033
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540 Baxter St., Athens, Ga„ 30605
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subject to editing for length, style and libelous material.
Did redistricting help Bill Cowsert win Athens?
Cowsert portrayed unfairly in news
I n a front-page article
concerning the results
for the state senate race
in the 46th District, The Red
& Black chalked up
Republican Bill Cowsert’s
victory to redistricting,
claiming “Redistricting
works for Cowsert as he
downs Kidd.” The article
belies the factual outcomes
within the district over the
past two election cycles.
In 2002, the Democrat-
controlled legislature drew a
district won by a
Republican, Brian Kemp,
who also won the court-
drawn 46th district in 2004.
As active supporters of Bill
Cowsert and students at the
University, we have three
problems with The Red &
Black’s biased coverage and
evaluation of this race.
First, a Republican has
represented all of Athens for
the past four years — Brian
Kemp, who ran unsuccess
fully for Commissioner of
Agriculture this summer.
Enough people voted
Republican within and out
side of Clarke County to
swing the election the last
three times with three differ
ent districts, one Democrat-
drawn, one court- drawn
and one Republican- drawn.
The question for a Red &
Black reporter should not
be — “How can I make Jane
Kidd look like the victim of
a conspiracy?” but “How
can we explain a Republican
winning a Senate district
including Clarke County for
the past three elections?”
While Athens voted “strong
ly in favor of Jane Kidd,” the
strength is undoubtedly
insufficient for any district
that must always include
areas outside of Athens.
Second, when considering
the Republican trend in the
Josh Farnsworth
▲
Athens state senate races, it
is important to remember
the impetus for placing six
precincts of Clarke County
in Ralph Hudgens’ 47th dis
trict. The University of
Georgia is a huge economic
boost to Clarke County, and
having two state senators
(of whom there are only 56)
representing the interests of
the University of Georgia
will provide greater incen
tive for legislators to ensure
that the University secures
the state funding and sup
port that it requires and
deserves. Rather than
harming the voice of Athens,
as The R&B claims, this
redistricting could potential
ly magnify Clarke County’s
voice in state government.
Third, and most impor
tantly, The Red & Black dis
counts the tireless work
ethic of the people who have
spent the last few months
working on this race. Both
campaigns had student
workers and volunteers from
the University and other col
leges in Athens. It is a slap
in the face to insinuate that
the hard work of those
members of the University
community who chose to
invest their time in this race
was a worthless endeavor,
and that it was wholly futile
due to redistricting.
From a Cowsert volun
teer’s perspective, this
proposition is preposterous.
If it were not for calling,
going door to door, sign-
waving, attending communi
ty events, etc. since August,
Cowsert would have lost. A
campaign is undeniably an
integral aspect of a candi
date’s run for office. If Kidd
really agreed with what she
and now The Red & Black
have stated, she would have
given up a long time ago.
The campaign matters,
and as the 2002 election
returns indicate, it matters
enough to overcome court-
defined partisan gerryman
dering in the 46th district.
As The Red & Black
reports it, the issues and the
campaign simply did not
matter in this race. We
believe this is a supreme
insult to the many hard
working individuals on both
sides who greatly con
tributed to the legitimacy of
both campaigns.
However, it just proves
that The Red & Black is
wholly committed to repeat
ing the mantra of their can
didate, Kidd, who spent a
good deal of time harping on
a redrawn district that the
courts found to be wholly
acceptable, unlike the
Democratic- drawn districts
of 2002.
What is truly lamentable
is the fact that The Red &
Black writers continue their
partisan rhetoric even when
their tactics fail to pay off on
Election Day, berating the
clear winner after the people
have spoken.
— Josh Farnsworth is a
junior from Woodstock
majoring in political
science and history.
Contributing Josh Waters, a
senior from Warner Robins
majoring in political
science.
Coverage wasn’t biased for Kidd
H ow can we explain a
Republican winning a
senate district includ
ing Clarke County for the
past three elections? This is
really is not the question for
a Red & Black reporter to
ask, but I’ll give it a shot.
The actual question a
Red & Black reporter
should ask himself is who
won this Senate election
between Democrat Jane
Kidd and Republican Bill
Cowsert and why?
Cowsert was a good can
didate for District 46
because he has a legal back
ground, ties to powerful
members of the state’s
Republican party and is a
personable gentleman.
Cowsert won District 46
because Sen. Ralph
Hudgens had the district
lines redrawn to dilute the
Democratic vote in Athens.
Even Cowsert himself admit
ted in a prior interview the
redistricting would help him
win the seat.
On election evening,
Cowsert told a Red & Black
reporter he would have won
in either the old or new dis
tricts. Although the
Republican candidate’s vic
tory was decisive, Kidd
would have won by more
than 2,000 votes in the old
46.
If anyone in Cowsert’s
camp doesn’t agree, he
should check my numbers
against the votes cast in
Clarke, Oconee and
Oglethorpe counties last
Tuesday.
Although I don’t believe
it to be the most ethical of
political moves, Democrats
and Republicans alike are
guilty of partisan gerryman
dering. Kidd acknowledged
the Democratic gerryman
dering in 2002.
What amazes me is how
adamantly those in
Cowsert’s camp have
worked to shift the focus
away from the gerrymander
ing.
While I can’t claim to
know the mind of
Republicans, I imagine their
fervent denial of partisan
gerrymandering results
largely from the moral image
on which the Republican
party thrives.
Republican voters elect
candidates such as Cowsert,
not because they have an
expert knowledge of the law
or the ability articulate an
abstract argument
(although Cowsert has
both), but rather because
they are viewed as good
upstanding Americans.
Aubrey Smith
When a party member is
caught taking part in the
partisan politics we all know
occur in Atlanta and
Washington, it threatens
their moral high ground and
shows Republicans bend the
rules in the same manner as
those on the other side of
the aisle.
The Red & Black, or at
least this reporter, has never
publicly stated splitting
Athens into two senate dis
tricts would harm the voice
of Athens.
However, implying the
decision to divide a
Democratic Clarke County
between two districts, both
of which lean heavily
Republican, will “magnify
Clarke County’s voice in
local government” is a bla
tant lie.
Although Cowsert is a
resident Athenian himself,
the newly elected senator
will have no choice but to
cater to the desires of his
constituents from Oconee
and Walton counties, since
their Republican votes elect
ed him to the seat and will
reelect him in 2008.
His choice to celebrate on
election night in Oconee and
Walton counties rather than
in his hometown of Athens
leaves little doubt where
Cowsert’s allegiance lies.
No one in their right mind
thinks Republican-jugger
naut Hudgens will seriously
consider the interests of his
Athens constituents when
casting his votes in Atlanta.
The Comer politician spon
sored the bill dividing
Athens in two.
Finally, asserting The Red
& Black’s coverage of the
race was a slap in the face to
those working on the cam
paign shows a complete dis
respect of the media on the
part of Farnsworth and
Waters.
Not only did we call
Cowsert for comment every
single time we call Kidd and
offered him equal photo ops,
we profiled his campaign
manager Chris Herdener on
our front page.
Also, we allowed each to
voice their concerns about
the University’s legislative
representation in our opin
ions section.
If Kidd’s quotes appear
more frequently in our
pages, the imbalance results
from her availability to
speak with us. I only remem
ber two occasions on which
we spoke with Kidd sans
Cowsert. First, when writing
the candidate profiles and
second on election evening.
During the former, I tried
to reach Cowsert over sever
al days, and while Herdener
returned calls I was not able
to reach the candidate him
self.
After I mentioned his
unavailability in the article,
Cowsert invited me to sit
down with him one morning
at his law office to apologize
for any miscommunication
and ensure The Red &
Black he would be more
than willing to speak with us
in the future.
After the bumpy begin
ning, The Red & Black
maintained a working rela
tionship with Cowsert.
Our election-day article
focuses on Kidd’s response
simply because she was in
Athens on election evening
and took time to speak with
us personally.
Cowsert, on the other
hand, did not return to
Athens as he had told us he
would and was consequently
referenced fewer times in
the article.
Personally, I am not criti
cizing Cowsert for partying
in Oconee and Walton
Tuesday night. A politician
should spend the evening
thanking his supporters, but
he also knows there will be
consequences for neglecting
others.
The Red & Black never
made Kidd look like a vic
tim. Although we did devote
more space to reporting on
redistricting instead of the
“issues,” it was the redis
tricting that decided this
race. If there is anything
“truly lamentable” about
this election season, it’s the
lack of voice Democratic
Athens will have in Atlanta
come January.
I was sitting 20 feet from
Cowsert and Sen. Hudgens
when each said they will
support the independent
committee to draw district
lines proposed by Kidd.
In January, we will see
whether the veteran law
maker and the rookie sena
tor own up to their promis
es.
— Aubrey Smith is
a news writer for
The Red & Black.
E-mail, letters and faxes
from our readers
Who am I
supposed to
like in R&B?
Great. Just when I
thought I had enough
conflicting adversaries
from whom to pick sides.
As if choosing between
Democrat or Republican,
Christian or Muslim, Joe
T. or Stafford, white or
black, or Chi Phi vs. the-
rest-of-the-law-abiding-
society wasn’t enough to
deal with. Now I’m forced
to choose between ath
letes and non-athletes.
What am I to do? If only
we had listened to the
wise and prophetic
Rodney King who once
boldly asked, “People, I
just want to say, you
know, can we all just get
along?”
LINTON S. JOHNSON III
Grad. Student, Elberton
Law
Negative theater
criticism unfair
I think Mr. Reid’s
review of “The Man Who
Came to Dinner” was
unprofessional. It is one
thing to critique a profes
sional actor in a film, but
to negatively attack the
performance of someone
who represents the
University is disrespectful
to his or her hard work.
In criticizing the pro
duction, you are reducing
our audience who other
wise would consider see
ing the play. It is fine to
dislike the production, but
please do so in a more
informed manner. You
attacked the “overacting”
of the New Yorkers when,
for the sake of comedy,
this was purposeful. In
reading the program, you
would know that they
were caricatures of the
writers’ friends. As for rel
evancy, having completed
“The Exonerated,” which
deals with the state of the
death penalty, I think that
the Scene Selection
Committee wisely chose a
20th Century comedy to
end the semester. Enjoy
Tartuffe and Trojan
Women in the spring!
DJ MclVER
Junior, Warner Robins
Music, drama and
psychology
Athletes work and
study full time
I was shocked when I
read the article on ath
letes living by a different
standard. Being an athlete
myself, I know first hand it
is not an easy task. A
Division I NCAA sport is a
full-time job in itself.
Though we are only sup
posed to practice 20 hours
a week, this is not always
followed and doesn’t
count competitions.
Going to school full time
and being an athlete can
be very overwhelming,
especially when these two
things are all you have
time for. No matter how
athletes are admitted to
the school, we all take the
same classes and have to
work just as hard as every
one else while enduring
stresses from coaches and
makeup work from missed
days for competitions.
I am tired of being
stereotyped as a lazy, stu
pid athlete, some of us
have higher grades and
are more involved than a
lot of people at this
school. But of course
being an athlete, all we
hear is all the bad things
instead of how many aca
demic All-Americans and
scholar athletes we have.
Whatever is takes to make
us look bad when I’m sure
a lot of people would love
to be in our shoes.
COURTNEY HALL
Junior, Jacksonville, Fla.
Psychology
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