Newspapers / The blue banner. / Feb. 26, 1998, edition 1 / Page 3
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Februar\[ 26,1998 The Banner Page 3 Perspectives Letters to the Editor G}e HUM a chance Editor; O of the best things about our httanities program is that it’s al- s changing. Its 60 faculty, from aliifferent departments, come and gj encouraging change as they big in new perspectives. Each c|rse’s faculty meets weekly. And, pe a year, the “fluctuating fac- for each humanities course s to review and revise that arse’s syllabus. Since the issues Umanities deals with are perpetu- ly and intentionally controver- pl, it’s a course of questions, more fan ofanswers. Thus the program’s Itality requires lots of conversa- [o program could ever hope to ver “the development of all civl- ations.” Such a program would ■ hilariously superficial, and im- ossible to teach. And no humani- es program, today, in any decent ollege, could be “just focused on he Western civilizations.” Yet, we end to see issues such as this as iichotomies—as framed in exclu- five “either/or” categories—a way of Seeing which can hide truths (Maybe this is part of our Western way of thinking). On reserve in Rarnsey Library are the current humanities course ma terials: syllabi, the Fiero text T/?e Humanistic Tradition, and other readings. Go look at these before making up your mind about the current state of the humanities program’s attempt to merge “glo bal” with “traditional Western” (As things change we’lFupdate that col lection of materials on reserve.). Also, talk with the'faeulty who now (in Hum. 124) are teaching the new Fiero text, after you yourself have looked at it closely, to judge whether or not it has a global ap proach, or is lacking in history. Here’s what one recent review says: “ The Humanistic Tradition is quite simply the finest book of its tfpe. Fiero manages to integrate the po litical, cultural, and social history of the world into one coherent and fascinating whole” (Sonia Sorrell, Pepperdine University). The review is wrong, though. Fiero does not manage this complete in tegration, nor does her book present a “completely successful integra tion of non-western and western cultures.” However: The Humanis tic Trdditiou is, olh' faculty believes, the best that can be found at this rime (All humanities faculty had input during the long process lead ing to the selection of this core text.). Fiero herself isn’t satisfied: that’s why her book has just come out in a third edition. I suggest to students and faculty alike (and to our administrators and staff) that we converse plenti fully on a specific and important big topic: Are “we” (and let’s start with “we” at UNCA, to have some grounding in some reality) united byany particular assumptions? Val ues? Ways of our people? Are there any assumptions we tend to hold in common—any common paradigms, ways of looking at things? What, for example, are our common as sumptions about the self? Are we “rational beings”? Are we “split into body and soul?” Am I “autono mous?” Do I have a natural right to speak my mind, and to be heeded? Am I by nature equal to everyone else? What do I owe to my commu nity? Is there only one god? If so, does “He” have any plans for me? Am I responsible for the environ ment, or is it separate from my “true being?” Is there such a thing as “an American?” People in other countries tell us they can identify us >y our assumptions: are they right, ■- are we such a “mixed salad that w; have no commonalities? If we ha^e commonalities, where do they cone from? Are there any “primary souices” out there, any historical recoid, that might clue us in? If we have any roots in common, is it healthy and helpful to examine those roots? We seem to agree on the value of learning about other cultures. And 1 am unquestionably in favor of that: they’re both familiar and strange, and teach us essential things about ourselves. But what I want to test, now, is whether there’s “an American way of thinking”—no matter what your gender, or skinshade—and, if so, what and how we should learn about the roots of those preconceptions about our selves, about others, about nature, and about deity? Ifyou have a quick answer—either yes or no-check yourself think harder; talk with others. And please keep things in context—including these remarks of mine. This conversation should be fun, actually, and in thebest spirit of the liberal arts tradition. So gather your evidence. Converse. Develop ever more informed opinions—and be ready to re-tailor these, as life and the big conversations go on and on. Peg Downes Director, humanities program Humanities, Part II Dear Editor, Last week’s main editorial claimed that “progress” will not be made in the humanities sequence until the program “moves away from its Eurocentric viewpoint and attempts to integrate those groups whose voices are, at present, virtually un heard.” The editorial was reflecting ' on a page one article where my colleague, Dwight Mullen, raised concerns over the paucity of non-western materials in the pro gram. The article concluded by quoting Dr. Mullen on the need for “campus talks about how the hu manities should be taught.” I believe that both the editorial and the story address a key issue in the intellectual life of this university community, and I am pleased that The Banner has entered the discus sion. But I would like to clarify some points about the program in general and about the process of text selection in particular. Last year I chaired a committee of humanities faculty whose assign ment was to review a very wide tange of textbooks and docunieius readers. Faculty from physics, man agement and accountancy, history, literature, and classics joined me in this effort, and in August 1 997 the committee made a formal recom mendation to the director of the program. Peg Downes. Before we made our final recom mendation, however, the commit tee provided regular updates to fac ulty on the selection process, and in April 1997 we sponsored a Satur day workshop where potential texts were evaluated and discussed, and where the issue of “how the hu manities should be taught” was at the center of the exchange. In addition, faculty in the humani ties are now engaged in the work of editing new custom readers for the program. As the editors meet to discuss reading selections and in troductions, we are very sensitive to the need for greater diversity and the inclusion of non-western voices. We will continue to consult with our valued colleagues for feedback and criticism. Dr. Mullen is correct to insist that we need to understand the rest of the world. My greatest satisfaction as an undergraduate instructor comes when I am teaching the his tory of world civilizations in my home department. Indeed, I spend the bulk of my time in that course teaching non-western civilizations. But I also believe that students in humanities need to know about a predominant western tradition which in the late twentieth century informs every aspect of global cul tures. Knowing more than a little about the history of monotheism, indi vidualism, civil equality, constitu tional government, personal rights and freedoms, and Indeed respect for diversity, is in my view an im portant and worthwhile goal of the program. While many of these ide als and practices are yet to be real ized in our own day, in most cases their inception and growth is to be traced to the western tradition. And In my judgment the major voices within that tradition need to re main at the center of what we do in humanities. Bill Spellman Associate Professor, history, hu- Sports: nobody cares Dear Editor, It’s another cloudy day at UNC-Ashevllle. Students in the Highsmith Center play pool on ramshackle tables, and use ping-pong paddles with broken handles. In the philosophy depart ment, a professor prepares his lec ture in a barren classroom full of desks that are different shapes, sizes, and colors. In Rhodes-Robinson, an instructor hunts for a piece of chalk. Down the hall, a geology student searches vainly for an empty glass bottle to contain a sample for his senior research project. Back in the dorms, a student athlete rolls out of his double length, double mattress bed, and prepares to de cide which pair of basketball shoes he’s going to wear today. As the most expensive school out of 16 in the UNC system prepares to raise costs again for the 1998-99 school year, the priorities of the Board of Trustees and the chancel lor become painfully clear. They believe that the primary func tion of this university is to promote athletics. According to the total stu dent fee distribution, athletics are more important than health ser vices, recreation, education, tech nology, parking, safety, and cul tural events combined. Add this to the fact that the university encour ages its students to attend cultural events (through the first year expe rience courses) and you have a unique double-standard. The course structure of UNCA stresses humanities as a primary part of our education, yet the ma jority ofthe academic fees go to sports, as opposed to areas which would support the humanities cur riculum. The administration of this university needs to reevaluate its priorities. If this school prefers to be athletically oriented, then I don’t want to be a part of it. If It does not intend to concentrate on sports, why are we spending 34 percent of our fees on something nobody cares about? The sports program at UNC-Ashevllle is, to say the least, not very attractive. However, the high quality of education at this university is. So let’s concentrate on what we’re good at, what’s Im portant, our education. Some ofthe students are here to play sports, all of the students are here to learn. Michael Sears Freshman, philosophy, economics Communicate! Dear Editor, I have noticed in my first three semesters of school here one prob lem that often goes overlooked de spite the fact that everyone knows about it. There exists at this univer sity a phenomenal lack of commu nication between the various branches of the administration at UNCA. Last semester, while trying to clear up my account in order to register for this spring, I padded up and down the stairs in Phillips Hall four times in one day because the Cashier’s Office could not give me information about the status of one of my loans and needed a note (!) from upstairs to release the hold on my registration. Even more recently I had a friend Correction In the “Letters to the Editor” .section printed on Feb. 12, I attached an editor’s note to a letter submitted by Theta Chi member David Bruce Greene. I based the information in the editor's luUc on inronnalloii given to T/w Bamwr lor a Fx'b. 20. 1997 story on Thela Chi's return to campus. Tlie intormalion about Theta Zeta chapter's suspension from the university was given to Banner reporter Stephanie Hunter by then-Theta Chi Vice-President Sam Jones. In the story, "Theta Chi back on campus," Hunter quoted .lones on the circumstances that led to an 18-month probation and a later five-year suspension ofthe fraternity in 1992. Jones described two racial incidents that led to the respective punishments of Theta Chi. After further investigation I have found that Jones' statements regarding the second penalty, the five-year ban of the fraternity from the UNCA campus, were incorrect. This past week, I talked to Nina East, UNCA director of student development and the administrator assigned to coordinate the campus’s Greek community, with the purpose of setting the record straight on the history of Theta Chi. According to East, the university placed Theta Zeta chapter on probation for 18 months following an incident in which one of their members wore a cap with racial slurs written on it to a basketball game. She said that the school was prepared to deal with the student on an individual basis, but the fraternity accepted collective responsibility for the incident and the punishment for the entire group that followed. East said that the second incident, a confrontation that involved a member of Theta Chi and African American students who had been hired to paint over the fraternity letters at the Weaver Boulevard entrance to the school (said by Jones to be “the central issue behind the five-year penalty”), was treated by the university as an invidual matter. The university dealt with the Theta Chi member via the student court system. According to East, Theta Chi received its five-year ban for another incident regarding the painting of its fraternity letters. While still under the original IB month probation, Theta Chi pledges painted the fraternity letters on the Highsmith Center service road without first receiving permission from East (one of the terms of the fraternity’s probation). Following the pledge incident, UNCA Chancellor Samuel Schuman then meted out the five year ban of Theta Chi. Throughout the ban (1992-1997), the fraternity’s national organization supported Theta Zeta chapter. Brian Castle Editor-in-Chief whose mother told her that mes sages were arriving saying that her schedule would be canceled unless she came by the registrar’s office. It turns out that they merely wanted to make sure she was returning to school this semester, despite the fact that she lived on campus last semester and has a housing con tract on file. At times this campus can operate In a much more back ward way than my former school, which was (hold your breath) a community college In rural Vir ginia, with regard to information handling. Some may say that a student holds the responsibility of keeping up with the vast amount of data that must be juggled to Insure one’s safe passage through llfehereat UNCA. And, to some degree, 1 might 'be Inclined to agree. However, when confusion stems from the fact that no one office desires to comnuinl- cate with another, forcing the stu dent to sort the issue out alone and without much support, the student simply cannot be held at fault. 1 hope that along with the supposed fiber-optic network being Installed on campus that someone Installs some wire attached to soup cans with connections running through out Phillips Hall and Into Liplnsky Hall’s top floor. Matt Peery Senior, mass communication Angry activists Dear Editor, Jim Kirk and Eric Milhn’s article “The baffling Incoherence of mod ern activism” (Feb. 19) could be likened to someone building a strawman, giving It someone else’s name, and beating it up publicly. Who are the relativists they speak of ? None of us have ever said such a foolish and contradictory thing. We are not relativists. Next time, guys, find out the beliefs of those who you accuse of hypocrisy before you attack them. Vanessa Harper, Amnesty Interna tional Greg Rippin, Gl.ARE Cerise Glenn, AASA Tiffany Drummond, NCSL Stephanie Grille, A to Zebra Editorial Board Brian Castle Erin King Chris Brooker Renee Slaydon Chris Garner Preston Gannaway Amanda Thorn Nate Conroy Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Features Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Electronic Editor Staff Travis Barker, Lissa Hall, Nicole Miller, Amelia Morrison, Andrew Pearson, Greg Sessoms, Gene Zaleski Managers Susan Johnson Fatima Johnson Advertising Manager Circulation Manager Columnists Teresa Calloway, Heather Garten, Rebecca Sulock Contributing Writers Thad txkard, C^atharinc Sutherland Online Staff Matt Hunt, Hugh Kelly, Darrell Sellers Mark West, faculty advisor The Banner is the student newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Asheville. We publish each I hursday except duringsummer sessions, final exam weeks and holi day Dreaks. Our offices are located in Carmichael Hall, Room 208-A. Our telephone number is (704) 251-6586. Our campus e- mail address is banner@unca.edu. An on-line version of The Banner is also available at http://www.unca.edu/banner/ Nothing in our editorial or opinions sections necessarily reflects the opinion of the entire Banner staff, the faculty advisor, or the university faculty, administration or staff Unsigneci editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of The Banner editorial board. Letters, columns, cartoons and reviews represent only the opinions of their respective authors. The Banner'wcXcomcs submissions of letters and articles for publication. All submissions are subject to editing for clarity, content and length and are considered on the oasis of interest, space, taste, and timeliness. Letters should be typed, double-spaced, and should not icxceed 300 words. Letters for publication should also con- itain the author's signature, classifiption, major or other relationshm with UNCA. 1 he deadline for letters is noon on Tuesday. If you have a submissioti, you can send it to The Banner, 208A Carmichael Hall, One University Heights, Asheville NC 28804. The deadline for display ads and the FYI calendar is on Friday at noon. The deadline for classified ads is at noon on Tuesday.
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