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Wednesday, April 7. aoio | Ths Rbd a Black
Clwlim Cook | Editor in Chief editor@randb.com
DmM Burnett j Managing Editor me@randb.com
taenia taut* | Opinions Editor oplnions@randb.com
Mailbox
E-mail and letters from our readers
Racism not factor in
alleged taxi assault
In response to Travis
Esco’s letter, “Black foot
ball players presumed
guilty,” I agree that Coach
Richt and the player
involved in this taxi inci
dent deserve an apology;
however, I do disagree
with some of your state
ments.
You questioned whether
or not there would have
been an uproar if it had
been four white football
players who accosted a
black married couple.
Not only would there
have been an uproar, it
would have been a media
frenzy zeroing in on those
white racist football play
ers from Georgia. They
probably would have been
kicked off the team and
kicked out of school before
any facts came out, just
like the Duke lacrosse
team.
Jesse Jackson, A1
Sharpton and the NAACP
would have been on all of
the news outlets spewing
their hatred and condemn
ing the accused “instead of
hearing all the facts before
an opinion was formed.”
Do you remember the
Duke lacrosse case from
a few years back? I don’t
believe the so-called
“Reverends” A1 and Jesse
have apologized to those
white players whose lives
were completely shattered
for the false accusations
that were spread about
them.
There are important
strides to be taken involv
ing race relations. I could
not agree with you more.
But if you imply that the
only racial injustices in this
country are toward black
people, then you need your
head examined.
Both sides of the aisle
need to come together
before we can reach a bet
ter society. My hand is
extended for better race
relations, but I can only
reach so far before I fall
flat on my face.
JEFF FITZPATRICK JR.
Alumnus, Savannah
Housing and consumer
economics
Writer jumps to
race conclusion
Most of the public
response to the article
about the taxi-cab inci
dent was based on con
duct, not race.
Mr. Esco describes his
disgust that readers would
form their opinion before
all the facts surfaced, chas
tising them for “jumping to
sensational assumptions
and conclusions.”
Ironically enough, he
then jumps to his own
conclusion that this recent
event demonstrates that
“we live in a society where
African-American males
are held to a standard of
guilty until proven inno
cent.”
If they had been
dropped ofT near a fra
ternity house, the public
response would have been
similar. This issue is about
black and white, but not
race. Clearly, what these
men in the car did was
wrong and the culprits
deserve to be punished.
I agree with Esco’s posi
tion that many readers
jumped the gun in assum
ing the men involved were
football players, and that
it was unfair; however, I
don’t think we should con
fuse public distaste for the
alleged conduct of an ath
letic program with racial
bias.
DANIEL BURROUGHS
Graduate student, Augusta
School of Law
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NEWS; 706-433-3002
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tank* Roportor: Carolyn O*
Green Team lacks
research on issue
You probably did your
homework before the big
test; I think we should ask
SGA to do the same thing.
Asa management
information systems
student and president
of the Society for MIS,
I have worked with two
different SGA executive
tickets (first with Connor
McCarthy and Nicki
Batelli, and then with
Katie Barlow) to provide
the student voice for the
new UGAMaiI over the last
18 months.
The Green Team has
set in their platform to;
“Fully implement the new
UGA e-mail upgrade.”
Though I have met with
the Green Team, I have
not received any questions
from the campaign con
cerning UGAMaiI. As one
of the two primary student
representatives for the
project, it seems that the
Green Party hasn’t done
any background research
regarding the feasibility of
this platform point.
Stephen Thompson,
The Snapshot party's vice
president, did reach out
to me regarding the new
UGAMaiI System.
The Green Team's fail
ure to do any preliminary
research on the current
system is troubling. I
don’t claim to have all the
answers, but in this case-
I can tell you that The
Snapshot party < Delaney,
Thompson, Adler) did
their homework.
CHRIS SANDERS
Junior, Savannah
Management information
systems
Details needed for
feasibility of plans
The Green Team’s plat
form espousing student
savings and input on stu
dent fees - has been the
object of much scrutiny
this week.
Members of the opposi
tion party, The Snapshot,
have deemed many of the
objectives unfeasible, while
simultaneously promot
ing their party platform of
“real” solutions.
The Snapshot platform
states, “We have a con
crete plan toward getting
a student on the Board of
Regents, by working with
other statewide SO As.”
Snapshot, are you keep
ing this plan under wraps?
Will it be a last-minute
campaign initiative?
“Concrete” implies legiti
macy. Let’s hear the plan.
Snapshot, if you have,
in fact, been promised a
seat at the table when tail
gating policies are being
discussed, do tell of the
manner in which you went
about earning it. That’s
one impressive feat.
While you’re at it.
Snapshot, please enlighten
me as to the exact con
stitutional language of
your amendment to give
students “real representa
tion.” I will argue that a
large percentage of stu
dents are not even part of
student organizations.
What regulations will
be put in place to prevent
already large and vocal
student organizations from
usurping all of the power
allotted?
It seems to me that
feasibility is a part of the
picture that they are still
developing (pun intended).
SHAE NESBITT
Sophomore, L—sburg
Political science
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Opinions
Campaigns lacking legitimate power
Recently the SGA elections
have gripped the University.
Thousands of little yellow
and grten sheets of paper are scat
tered around campus, like so many
advertisements for mysterious par
ties and new Athens eateries.
For once, students are bustling
around campaigning for a better
campus for the collective student
body, and actually organizing them
selves into a group with an identity
and with power.
Unfortunately, these parties as
representatives have little chance of
accomplishing much. In every stu
dent election, parties list proposals
that are bland and rarely deviate
from fulfilling base desires.
The two parties —much like in
our national system differ little
from each other, and thus our bal
lots are little more than pragmatic
menuettes.
There is excitement around cam
pus for the elections, but in the end,
once a party is elected, local T-shirt
companies are helped out more
than the student body.
Parties’ platforms, although at
times trying to make change, rarely
have much to them besides money
—and in this election, tailgating.
But even this year, when money
is so important the Georgia state
legislature is beginning to literally
dismantle our educational institu
tions they have no suggestions.
SGA vote of confidence promise delivered
When The New Deal ran for
SOA last year, we ran on a
contract not a platform.
We made a promise to follow
through on our campaign promises,
and in case we didn’t, we would
bring up a vote at the end of our
term determining whether SOA
should continue to exist.
The time to vote is now. The
Vote of Confidence is constitution
ally mandated to appear on the
ballot every four years, but we have
brought it up early. When you log
onto OASIS to vote this week, vote
“yes" on the referendum to con
tinue SGA.
Why vote YES? The contract
included:
1. Student allocation of the stu
dent activity fee:
The $l.B million of student activ
ity fee money distributed for pro
gramming on campus was entirely
allocated by students, the majority
of which were students elected by
students.
This was a major step for stu
dents on this campus because it
allowed student groups to present
in front of a body of their peers that
are actively engaged in the pro
grams they put on.
It also made SOA more directly
accountable to the student body.
Remember that when you are vot
ing for your senators who will rep
resent your voice in SGA these
people will potentially be allocating
money for your organization. Make
sure to do your homework on your
favorite candidates.
2. C- legislation equalizing grades
in all majors:
This legislation has been pre
sented to a University Council com
mittee. It is ready to be voted on.
Kami. Sopho loghmsn. Cyndyl McCufchoon
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Our Staff
f Cameron
COLUERSMITH
Reducing student fees is the big
gest issue tackled; this Ignores the
much larger effect of the cuts fir
ing people, students learning less
and a generally reduced standard of
education.
Our university is sinking, and
meanwhile, the parties are more
concerned with petty politicking
and elaborate graphs.
Now, perhaps it is not the par
ties’ fault. Even if they made grand
proposals or tried to accomplish
something worthwhile, it is true
that they may have little chance to
do so.
President Adams or any number
of many men and women in suits
around us have the real say on what
goes on around campus; even if the
SGA really tried to change any
thing, they have no way of doing so.
The Green Initiative was gutted
by the administration and since.
President Adams has shown himself
to be rather immune from the wish
es of students around him. We can
try to say something through the
elections, but it is truly up to the
“generosity” of the administration if
anything comes of it.
SPk
Katie
Barlow
3. Access to services we pay for
and safety.
We have worked with the Scooter
Parking Task Force to eliminate
issues with parking on campus.
There is still work to be done here
keep asking your candidates.
We also worked with the Athletic
Association to incentivtze the ticket
donation system with signed foot
balls and sideline passes.
4. Judicial poUcy - minimum
sanctions:
Over the past year there has
been a coUaborative and continuous
effort to research, devise and revise
a policy that best suits the needs of
the University community concern
ing violations of the University’s
alcohol and drug policies.
Asa result of this effort, we have
finalized a proposal that has been
agreed upon by all appropriate par
ties, including the Vice President of
Student Affairs’ office, University
Judiciary and the Office of Judicial
Programs, and SGA.
Both the president and provost
have voiced their willingness to con
sider and explore change in regards
to the minimum sanctions policy, so
we are confident that our proposal
will be weU received by the admin
istration.
The only step left is the policy’s
passage through the President’s
Cabinet. This meeting will take
place in late April, and we remain
optimistic about its outcome.
5. Budget crisis response:
ADVERTISING: 706-433-3001
AtfvaflMng Director: Natate McClure
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Phone (700) 438-3002 | Flue (706) 433-8088
opinloM@randb.oom | www.redandblack.com
540 Baxter Street, Athens, Ga. 30005
And that’s the real problem with
it all. Of course there’s nothing
wrong with electioneering or orga
nizing or working to have a student
voice.
It’s just that by participating in
elections that do nothing, we are
simply preserving the illusion of
participation and consent.
Instead, students should be
organizing as a whole to show
Georgia’s state legislature that
students matter and our education
is our future not a cheap politi
cal ploy to be taken apart during a
temporary economic downturn.
We should be organizing to show
administrators that it’s not OK for
them to keep their six-digit salaries
in a time of economic collapse.
We should be organizing to show
support for those hurt much more
by the cuts than us UGA staff
members, who now live in constant
fear of being part of the 25 percent
janitorial cut. We should be organiz
ing to show that we, as students,
have a voice, but more than that
we won’t accept a system in which
our voice is minimized or ignored.
We don’t need a student on the
Board of Regents; we need a board
made of students.
Cameron Colliersmith is a
junior from Marietta
majoring in Latin American
and Caribbean studies
We worked with the SGAs of all
35 institutions around the state
to organize a rally at the Capitol,
delivered a petition of nearly 37,000
signatures to the Speaker of the
House and lieutenant governor.
During this process we held an
open forum on campus, and con
tinued to push for a student voice
at all levels of the process including
the state legislature, the Board of
Regents and the administration of
UGA.
SGA administrations before
us have worked to see the green
fee through, overhaul the UGA
mail system, improve pedestrian
safety on campus, create the elec
tronic ticketing policy, extend the
withdrawal deadline find save the
Spanish minor.
These administrations also
worked to successfully prevent the
72-hour policy from implementa
tion, implement 24-hour on-campus
transportation, expand the lan
guage in the anti-discrimination
policy and represent our collective
voice as students.
As our Constitution states, “The
SGA shall be the organized voice
for each student of the University
of Georgia; shall protect students’
rights; shall serve as a liaison
between students, administrators,
and organized governing bodies
of the University; shall foster an
environment of civic responsibility;
and shall advocate on behalf of the
students' academic, social, and cul
tural welfare."
It should continue to do so and
we need your help. Vote YES!
Katie Barlow is the
President 0/ the Student
Government Association
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