Newspaper Page Text
November 22, 1993
The Clark Atlanta University Panther
P3
PERSPECTIVES
P
The
Clark Atlanta University
anther
Tara C. Gunter/Editor-In-Chief
K.A. White/Business Manager
Ed Blakemore/Editorial Editor
Commentary
The Morehouse And CAU
Fiasco
By Lorenzo Herman and
Charles Thornton
Guest Writers
We, as students of the AUC system, have the
responsibility to be role models for aspiring African-
Americans who have not made it as far as we have.
But the fight that took place on November 14,
between Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta
University students, was disappointing.
Why is it that black folks are very eager to congre
gate for a senseless confrontation? As a freshman
biology major at Morehouse College, I am deeply
appalled by the actions of my Morehouse brothers.
This great institution of ours teaches us about the
heritage and legacy of our people who worked hard
to establish an institution for ourselves.
The fight that took place is, sadly, an annual tradi
tion between the two schools. I am ashamed not
only for me but for all us who let this ridiculous cha
rade take place. I suggest that those who participated
in this juvenile activity should consider changing
institutions to keep the rest of us who have good
sense from being stigmatized by this incident.
As I looked out my window from my dorm room I
could see the masses from Morehouse College flock
ing to CAU's campus ready to fight and dignify our
school’s motto and colors. And for what? To
uphold a meaningless tradition that has nothing to do
with being intellectuals and becoming strong minded
individuals of the African-American community for
tomorrow.
When it comes down to it we are all in this fight
together. Incidents like this only hurts our struggle
as a people at the front lines. If we can’t be civil
towards one another then how do we expect to deal
with other people who are not black.
Staff
News: 880-8077
News Editor: Tiana Harrison
News Assistant: Khandra Robinson
Editorial Assistants: Caiiiss Bradford,
Regina Roberts
Features Editor: Chandra Thomas
Features Assistants: Stacy Adams,
Tanishia Grimes
Entertainment Photographer: Rondre
Summerville
Lifestyles Photographer: Mario
Hening
Personals Editor: Kimathi Lewis
Reporters: Malik Adams, Came Beard,
Tarsha Burton, Natasha Corbett,
Persephone Crandall, Australia Darden,
Mike Frazier, Nichole McMillian,
Antoinette Ross, Kristie White
Photography Editor: Mario Hening
Graphics Editor: Jamal Caliste
Adviser: Sabbaye McGriff
Business
Business Assistant: Alison White
Advertising
Advertising Manager: Franchella
Slater
National Advertising Rep.: Redelia
Shaw
Local Advertising Rep.: Alex
Waldron
Opinions expressed in The Panther
are the opinions of the writers and
do not reflect the ideas or opinions
of The Panther staff. All rights
reserved. Reprints by permission of
the editor and adviser.
We encourage letters to the editor.
Letters should be. 200 words or less,
clearly written or typed and double
spaced. All letters must include the
author’s full name and signature in
order to appear in The Panther. The
deadline for all letters is Monday of
each week by 5 p.m. Letters will
run according to date received and
amount of space available. The
Panther reserves the right to edit for
length, grammar, and libelous mate
rial. All submissions once received,
become the property of The
Panther. No letters will be returned.
Address all letters to:
The Panther
240 James P. Brawley
Drive, Box 329
Atlanta, GA 30314
Fire: " The Pleasure In Pain." By: Jamal Caliste
Parents Just Don't Understand
By Ed Blakemore
Editorial Editor
It’s official. The world is
coming to an end. It was said
recently that the MTV car
toon Beavis and Butt-Head
has caused some youths to
set fires in their homes. I
find it very intriguing that
some parents choose to
blame their children’s behav
ior on meaningless cartoon
characters.
According to the reports I
have read, a five year-old
child set fire to her home and
killed her two-year old broth
er. The mother and investi
gators contend that the car
toon corrupted the girl into
thinking that setting fires is a
proper form of behavior.
In Georgia, a similar inci
dent occurred when a teenage
boy set fire to a portion of his
house. Once again, the
parent attempted to excuse
her child’s behavior by
saying that the program
made him do these actions.
Recently, MTV spokes
woman Carole Robinson
announced that, because of
these recent incidents,
there will be no more refer
ences to fire on the show
and that it would be moved
to a later time slot, making
it harder for young children
to watch.
I find it appalling that
MTV is succumbing to the
pressure of a few useless
parents.
It is intriguing that these
supposed parents are will
ing to quickly write off
their offspring’s deviant
behavior as being caused
by a television show. I
guess it might make too
much sense to look at one’s
own family life. If these
parents had instilled the
proper values in their chil
dren, from the beginning,
incidents like those previ
ously mentioned would not
occur.
Two relatively recent
court precedents reveal that
parents blaming the actions
of their children on control
lable outside forces (e.g.
television, music, etc.) are
becoming more prevalent in
today’s society.
A few years ago, the
heavy metal band Judas
Priest was put on trial after
a mother felt their music
had caused her son to com
mit suicide.
The band was found not
guilty of all the charges
pressed; but, the lawsuit
still lingers as a sad reflec
tion of a society where any
one and everyone else is to
blame for one’s problems
but oneself.
As of late, rapper Tupa
Shakur’s music was als>
put on trial because a mar
while listening to Shakur’
music, killed a policemar
Shakur was also found nc
guilty of the charge
against him.
The controversy con
cerning Beavis and Butt
Head is extremely disturb
ing.
If we allow parents h
excuse the actions of thei
children by saying that out
side forces are the sole rea
son for their behavior, w
are taking away the inher
ent responsibilities of par
enthood.
I believe that parent
should me the most impor
tant influence on their chil
dren.
It is time for America t
take on some responsibili
ty.
Homecoming Better Than Portrayed
Dear Editor,
The Student Government
Association would first like
to thank the thousands of
students, parents, alumni,
and friends that participated
in Homecoming 1993. You
all made the best homecom
ing CAU has experienced a
success.
Now we would like to
respond to the critics, in
particular the views
expressed in the last
Panther issue by staff writer
T.C.G. When homecoming
was planned, SGA
expressed its sincere dis
content for midterms and
homecoming occurring dur
ing the same week. We
even made sure that this
will not happen in the
future.
We were extremely dis
pleased with 2-Pac’s con
duct on stage, and we have
expressed this with his
management. As for phys
ically walking on stage and
taking over, your SGA
President Mr. Jamal
Coleman would have been
responsible for ending a
show prior to its conclu
sion, putting SGA and stu
dents out of a lot of money
and the show would have
never been completed (not
to mention probably risking
bodily harm) - and you
think people are mad now!
We learn from our experi
ences and we move on. Oh
T.C.G., we sincerely hope
to see you at all the SGA
meetings, Dean forums and
Presidents forums to
express your ideas for
future events especially if
SGA is so misguided.
The question why stu
dents have to pay for events
when they already pay stu
dent fees was also raised.
SGA will be the first to say
that we think that students
should be able to attend
events within the university
for free but we only receive
$68,000 for the year.
Homecoming alone eats up
most of this figure, and we
must continue to provide
worthwhile activities for
students for the entire year.
The only events that CAU
students were charged for
were the two concerts
which were extremely low
cost.
SGA also would like to
express our disappointment
that The Panther newspa
per- the student organ and
the voice of the students
was so negative in its cov
erage of homecoming
which was a week of events
planned by and for the stu
dents. There was no men
tion of the Dorm Step show
the steel drum band on th
yard, music on the yard, th
parade, the Greek step shov
or the phenomenal concei
featuring KRS-1, regga
artist Mad Lion and studen
groups, Solar Panel am
ONE A.M. for which al
press was invited. Wha
about all the committee
that it took to produce th
events? Where is the stor
on those people. All tha
was mentioned was 2-Pa
and 2-Pac and did we men
tion 2-Pac?
For the sake of the stu
dents, the university am
fairness we would appreci
ate thorough research am
professional reporting.
Thank You.
Jamal I. Coleman
Undergraduate
President
SG.d