Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 8, 1981, edition 1 / Page 6
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6The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, Sep'.w.nb 8, 1931 Jim Hummel, Editor SUSAN MAUNEY, Managing Editor MARK MURRELL, Associate Editor JONATHAN RICH. Associate Editor Edwina Ralston, uw Editor JOHN ROYSTER, Gty Editor CHARLES KERNDON, State and National Editor BETH BURRELL, News Editor Clifton Barnes, Spo Editor Tom Moore, Am Editor KEITH KING, Features Editor . SCOTT SHARPE, Photography Editor Ann Peters, Spotlit Editor Chuck James, Ombuds man 4 Out? 89th year of editorial freedom Begin and Reagan When Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin meets for the first time with President Ronald Reagan Wednesday, the two men will have a number of delicate issues to discuss during Begin's stopover in the nation's capital. Relations between the United States and Israel have cooled over the past six months as the administration has voiced its concern over Israeli raids on Beirut and on a nuclear reactor in Iraq. Reagan temporarily suspended delivery of F-16 fighter aircraft to Israel as a warning to Begin that the United States would not let the ag gressive action go unnoticed. This, coupled with the president's deci sion to sell five AWACS (advanced radar aircraft) to Saudi Arabia, has angered the Israelis, who previously enjoyed strong American backing. It therefore comes as no surprise that Begin's visit, the first of several by Middle Eastern leaders this fall, will be an important step in deter mining U.S.-Israeli relations and the course that peace talks in the Mid dle East take this fall. ' Reagan will have to use his diplomatic skills to convey the concern of the United States over Israeli actions, while at the same time reas suring Begin of the U.S. commitment to Israeli security. While there may be room for compromise about Israeli policies, Begin is sure to take a hard line about Israeli settlements on the West Bank of the Jordan River and about Palestinian control of the West Bank. The latter issue is particularly important for the Camp David peace accords signed in 1978. Talks were suspended last year by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to protest Israel's formal annexation of. East Jerusalem. If Begin's visit in Washington this week goes well and agreement is reached about several key issues, it could pave the way for renewed discussion on the Arab-Israeli conflict and let Reagan serve as a go between in the dispute. But while future talks may hinge on current discussion, Reagan must make clear to the Israeli prime minister the concern of the United States over recent Israeli air strikes, in which Israel used U.S. weapons. It is unlikely that one meeting will solve the current friction between the two countries. But it is important for Reagan to give Begin a clear signal now about the United States' position, even if it is not what the prime minister wants to hear. A clear knowledge of where the adminis tration stands will leave no room for misunderstanding and might make Begin think twice about aggressive actions in the future. Fred and Sue For countless decades a fierce battle has raged between two distinct campus sectors. With the advent of the annual rush season, the conflict between the dorm rats and the Greek f ratty-bagger-sorority-Sue coali tion has reached frightening proportions. Will Chapel Hill always be rent by the sparring of these warlike tribes, or will peace one day be granted to the embattled University population? A recent report by a distinguished team of visiting Ukranian geneti cists draws grim conclusions. The conflict is inevitable, they say, because such things are determined by birth. Americans are born into one of two broad social classes, the preppies and non-preps. No matter how hard a lad of dorm-rat birth attempts to change allegiance, that alligator on his shirt will never look right. Conversely, the lass of sorority origins can never escape her past heritage to mingle freely with those on the other side of the pink-and-green line. "Rubbish," retort noted sociologists, several of whom have flown in specially from the slums of Chicago and Miami to study this campus' civil strife. Reopening the old nature-nurture debate, they claim that all conflicts stem from the students' upbringing and little else. The dorm resident has obviously been raised in squalid tenements, thus his affinity for cracked plaster and malfunctioning toilets. Meanwhile, fraternity members have evidently passed their childhood years in luxurious man sions, as seen in their columned halls and immaculately-kept grounds. "All lies," say the political scientists, who are wont to poke their noses into any matters of social unrest. It is all political, they argue, with the campus divided into two extremes of the political spectrum. The Marx ist revolutionaries of Henderson Residence College have sworn unyield ing opposition lo the entrenched capitalists of fraternity row, whose blaring jukeboxes epitomize Western decadence and materialism. The poor residents of McCauley Street are but unsuspecting victims of the fray. Whatever the underlying causes, the battle of the bagger in defense of the dormitory will undoubtedly continue. If we can just make it through sorority rush, perhaps the Department of Peace, War and De fense can resolve this longstanding dispute. The Bottom Line Talk about kinky. The latest wires from London are reporting yet another historical event. Reginald Mellor is coming out of re tirement. For those of you who don't know, Mellor is the 71-year-old man who, has a hobby of stuffing wriggling, razor-toothed ferrets down his trou sers, sans underwear. This January, he plans to "ferret leg" two of the little critters for five hours and 26 minutes to break his own record. Mellor had gone into retirement, but friends recently persuaded him to make one more appearance in his home town of Barnsley. But the people there probably won't even do a double-take as Mellor stands on stage with bulging, squirm ing trousers. He's been ferret-legging since he was a wee lad. Many red-faced Britons are trying to explain away this aberration of human behavior by saying it actually all goes back to sacred English tradi tion. Supposedly, in days of yore, poachers would hide the small weasel-like animals in their clothes to avoid detection by game-keepers. Mellor complains he's virtually unnoticed and unappreciated and that he can't even get the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize his "talent." It's all rather sad, really. Mellor recently .sold his entire stable of 15 ferrets after a benefit ferret-legging. But in January, he'll brave two of the animals again for the last time. So far the Royal Society for the Pre vention of Cruelty to Animals hasn't said a word. They're probably still trying to fer ret out the right regulation. And that's the bottom line. . McG vera cDMntr right wiug extremis insi By ANN PETERS George McGovern, a liberal with 18 years.in the U.S. Senate and a bid for the presidency behind him, now faces a new balance of power in Washington, D.C., and a trend toward conservatism. McGovern still describes himself as a liberal. "He lost his 1980 Senate re-election bid in South Dakpta during a campaign in which 10 conservative groups rallied against him. McGovern now is taking a sharp look at the political turnover in Washington, D.C. "I'm not worried about the conservatives coming to power," McGovern said. "I think the conservative tra dition is perfectly respectable. "But there seems to be a growing irrational extrem ism and fanaticism in American politics. It seems to me the (radical right) has been an increasingly vocal and strident element." yts The conservatives, or ''radical right," have always been on the fringes of politics, McGovern said. But they have suddenly turned the nation's capital around and have become a force capable of defeating liberals and moderates, he said. "The quarrel I have with the extreme right wing is their reasoning. They have no spirit of compromise. Either you're with them 100 percent or not at all. I think that becomes very disruptive in a democracy." After the presidential elections, most political ob servers said America was becoming more conservative. But McGovern said this assessment was not totally ac curate. When 50 percent of the nation's registered vo ters do not go to the polls, an accurate account of the nation's beliefs cannot be discovered, he said. Groups like the Moral Majority may become involved in more political issues, but as they become "more and more a political force (they will) offend some of the sensibilities of their members. They're not as cohesive as one might think," McGovern said. McGovern says that the goals of the Moral Majority are inconsistent with the needs of the American people. The organization tends to focus on issues involving people's personal lives sexual preferences, abortion and matters that are family concerns he said. . "I think the Moral Majority is a threat to both religion and politics. They ignore the big issues ... like the nu clear arms race, (and they) ignore the great issues of civil rights.... "The notion that there was an enormous conservative vtide that swept across the nation is an exaggeration.... I don't think the elections were a massive endorsement for Reagan." McGovern said he believed the elections showed more dissatisfaction with the Carter administration than favorable attitudes toward Reagan. Now that Reagan is in office, McGovern has some qualms about the administration's policies. He finds fault with the federal budget, the administration's handling of environmental protection and its proposed solutions to energy problems. "I think the Reagan people are going in the wrong di rection (cutting education, social assistance and en vironmental programs), because those are the kinds of investments that strengthen the society. Instead, (they are) plowing additional billions into the military. "It's really a question of priorities. I think the Reagan people assume that (increasing the military budget will) make you stronger. It might make you weaker. "I think we've got far too much wasted on excessive overkill (in the military) ... Jong after (the United States and the Soviet Union) achieved the capability to pul verize each other." McGovern continues to voice his opinions on issues that he believes concern the American public. He has remained active and influential in the academic and political arenas. This fall he is teaching at Louisiana State University in New Orleans on Fridays and at American University in Washington, D.C., on Mondays. He also has been on the lecture circuit since November and has spoken before audiences on 100 college campuses. Americans for Common Sense is one of McGovern's vehicles for remaining politically active. He is chairman of this lobbying group, which has 65,000 members in 400 chapters across the country. UNC had the first stu dent chapter in the United States. McGovern formed the organization to combat right-wing groups. " ' 11 ' ' ' I - I. I ..-.vS.- L 1 Gccrgo f "cGovcrn "We are actually a rather moderate group," he said. "We've tried to be fair in the way we approached public issues." Informing and educating the public through the groups' activities or his lecture tours is important to McGovern. The alternative positions McGovern and his supporters develop on the defense budget, reform of the social security system, conservation of energy and environmental protection are examples of his concern for the future of the United States. McGovern said he believed America had lost its former self-confidence and respect and had assumed a paranoid approach toward other nations. He also said the United States had allies that might not share the ideals of democracy but who would rally to gether to fight communism. "America has to adopt a positive rather than a fear . ridden, negative view of the world," McGovern said. "What we've been against has been what we feared (and) not what is admirable. (We should) project a posi tive image of democracy abroad." Ann Peters, a junior journalism and political science major from North Miami Beach, Fla., is editor of the DTH5 new feature magazine, Spotlight. Letters to the editor WootbotU mr conditioning hums up readers To the editor: It angers me to see some of my fellow students getting preferential treatment from the athletic department. I am refer ring to "Air conditioners given to players" DTH, Sept. 4). Every day, hundreds of athletes other than football players train in the same climate. Why are these ath letes not given air conditioners? Are foot ball players' lives more important? Dr. (Joseph) DeWalt claims the football players need "at least one and a half hours to cool off." The good doctor must not spend much time in air-conditioned Kenan Field House, where the football study, locker and weight rooms are located. The athletic department was also kind enough to provide carpeting and a stereo system in that weight room. I resent having my athletic fees used to provide football players air conditioners. I would enjoy seeing my money go to a! worthy charity more than I enjoy its pre sent use. The athletic department has run roughshod over the students of this Uni versity long enough. Students should draw the line here and now. I would like to know what the National Collegiate Athletic Association says about this type of blatant favoritism toward athletes. I hope Dr. DeWalt and Vice Chancellor Donald Boulton checked with NCAA officials before taking this action. The Tar Heels are the best. I would hate to see any games forfeited because of an administrative oversight. Football players deserve some respect, a few scholarships and extra help with stud ies but not air conditioners at the ex pense of fellow students. Until the athletic department can afford to air-condition all campus dorms, it should not give units to football players. Curtis Krumel 320 Ehringhaus More cold air To the editor: I believe I have a less costly solution to the dilemma of possible heatstroke faced by the football players after a grueling """jit 3. m Jri i n I, -ff r- - ffitu L' gum I'M " " MMw'"ir.-MM-M'Mttr.- " "" '" " ' practice. Send them to the climate controlled comfort of one of the 17 libraries on campus to exercise their minds for an hour and a half while cool ing off their bodies. One question: How do tennis players, cheerleaders, band members, intramural sports participants, physical education students, runners and soccer players un clog their pores after practice in their air conditionless dorm rooms? Katherine D. Watson 116 W. Poplar Ave. Carrboro Armchair journalist? To the editor: The comments made by John Royster in his column "Mikeman tryouts" DTH, Sept. 1) were, in my opinion, out of place, cruel and unnecessary. Each con testant worked hard preparing his ma terial and image, gave his best effort and did not expect to be embarrassed the next week in The DTH. Mr. Royster did a terrible disservice by his column in that future potential tryout candidates for mikeman, cheerleader or any such position will think twice, fearing that if they are not chosen, The DTH will lampoon them. He also discredited the selection pro cess by destroying the committee's con fidentiality and, therefore, its effective ness. In addition, by criticizing each candidate for this service position, the column represented the worst kind of tacky armchair criticism. . I did not see Royster out there pro tecting us from a mikeman who never has sat in the students' section. I am es pecially disappointed in that prejudicial comment. The freshman, Gene, demon strated a lot more Carolina spirit than the columnist, who did not try out. All the candidates performed well and should be applauded for effort, not .assaulted by a columnist, who, in his words, we "may find acceptable." At least Mr. Royster does not have four more years left "to become an institution around here." Russell W. Lookadoo 113 Lewis Yodelimgfolk singer butt of 'populur ridicule By TOM MOORE About two years ago, another of those TV record ads hit the airways. But this one was a bit different from most plugs for those forgotten hits from yesterday that aren't available in any store. It seems more an outrageous parody than anything else, the product of some slightly deranged advertising executive's mind. Featured is an oily-looking man of about 50 or so who has a little mustache and slicked-back hair that makes him look like either a low-rent version of Clark Gable or a used car salesman. The ad calls him the most popular country singer in England and claims he is the first coun try singer to perform at the London Palladium. As if this isn't enough to prove that he's an authentic country singer, he wears one of those ultragaudy sequined outfits of the variety that graces the backs of every major star of the Grand Ol' Opry. He's funny-looking enough by most people's standards to evoke plenty of laughs, but the real comedy starts when he sings. Singing somehow just doesn't seem like the right description for what he actually does. He lip syncs to a voice that twists and contorts into odd falsetto sounds on such classics as "Rose Marie," "Cattle Call" and the unforgettable "Vaya Con Dios." Millions laughed in amused disbelief at this crooning and yodeling. entertainer, who serves up songs that became old stan dards sometime before your grandparents were born. And they sent in their $8.95 in checks or money orders or by c.o.d. en masse. Otis Dewey Whitman, better known as Slim, has be come a millionaire by being a national joke. His album marketed on television has sold more than 2 million copies. United Artists has rereleased seven of Slirn's old albums. And Slim has been signed to a new recording contract with CBS records the union has so far pro duced Songs I Love To Sing and a Christmas album that will be released soon. Whitman's new popularity, which some imaginative public relations person dubbed Whitmania, hasn't been limited to records. Slim has made appearances on such programs as The Tonight Show, Hee Haw and The Tomorrow Show. He has been written about in the pages of The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone and now even The Daily Tar Heel. A true sign of Slim's popularity is that he's become a standard joke in the repertoire of American stand-up comedians; his name alone is usually enough to guarantee laughs. llOut to Lunch 8 Fj" T """""''"" ' L""""" - "i mm i H. m um ii ji hi in ii it ii.i iii.ii lint,," l .J f Ji But the true mark of success in the entertainment world, the real sign that you've arrived, is imitation. Slim has spawned just one imitator it's really quite amazing that he sparked that many a fellow who calls himself Boxcar Willie. At first glance, Boxcar Willie seems as far-out as Slim, but on closer inspection, you can tell it's all a slick act. Boxcar Willie is a phony, a Madison Avenue idea of what a rube should be and of what rubes will like. But Slim Whitman isn't a fake. Who could ever come up with something as outrageous as Slim if he wasn't real? Men's minds just aren't that creative. As silly as he sounds to most of us, Slim Whitman is sincere about his art. He's quite good at what he does. He possesses a rich, high tenor voice. It's just that yodeling went out of style sometime shortly after Hank Williams died in 1953. Today it sounds as foreign as a Gregorian chant. And it's Teally quite amusing to hear a man shift his voice into a high-pitched wail especially when you know that man has a stone face and greased-back hair and wears glittery outfits. Especially when the lyrics are as dated as those for "The Indian Love Call" ("When I'm calling youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ew-ew-ew ..."). And especially when that man calls himself Slim. Slim has been performing for more than 30 years, and though he's maintained his popularity in places like England, Australia and New Zealand just as the ad says, his "Rose Marie" was the top single in England for 11 weeks, a record unmatched by the Beatles, Elvis or the Bee Gees Slim hasn't been too popular in America since rock 'n' roll did in the easy-listening pop approach in the early 1950s. That is, until the ads came out. As he told The New Yorker: "The yodels are still the same. The same songs I recorded here in the late 40s and early '50s that later sold a ton in England are selling a ton for me here in the last nine months. I guess the rea son I'm still around is that the public always liked me and what I was doin. I always said, 'If a guy's friendly, he's gonna do well.' " Slim further speculated on his success for The Wash ington Post. "The 1952 fans come up and say, 'Hey we're just as happy as you are. We wondered where in the heck you were.' I'd say there was a million of these people who really started the album; they grabbed it be cause they couldn't find anything." Doesn't he know? Perhaps Slim's just too nice a guy for anyone to really tell him why all his albums arc being sold like never before. And if someone did, it would spoil the fun, because then Slim might become another con ar tist out to make a buck, instead of being a bizarre echo of an American age gone by. Tom Moore, a senior history major from Greensboro, gave his sister a Slim Whitman album for Christmas.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 8, 1981, edition 1
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