Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / April 19, 1985, edition 1 / Page 8
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t 8The Daily Tar HeelFriday, April 19, 1985 Mmln Har Heel 93rd year of editorial freedom Arne Rickert and David Schmidt Editor Editor STUART TONKINSON Managing Editor BEN PERKOWSKI Associate Editor DICK ANDERSON Associate Editor JANET OLSON University Editor Steve Ferguson News Editor VANCE TREFETHEN State and National Editor Leigh Williams Mark Powell Lee Roberts Frank Bruni Sharon Sheridan Larry Childress City Editor Business Editor Sports Editor Arts Editor Features Editor Photo Editor Protect the CGLA The determined flight of a poisoned arrow aimed at the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association during this session of the Campus Governing Council hit its target full force Thursday. Even though it was warped. The Finance Committee recom mended defunding of the CGLA. Argu ments against funding are many, but they involve misconceptions and prej udices, acknowledged or not. CGC members often claim the easiest and most irresponsible reason for defunding the 'CGLA. They're only speaking for their constituents, they say. That's fine for representatives of the general public, because the national court system actively protects the rights of minority groups that may lack popular support. On this campus, however, the CGC generally has upheld the responsibility of such a role with the strength of knowing that what they did was right, if not popular. Until now. Those who maintain that homosex uals are not a minority deserving protection because they choose to be gay are purely absurd. They imply that people would choose to place themselves before the ridicule of a biased society, choose to be ostracized with contempt by friends and family, choose a life full of uphill battles like this one. How many representatives believing this also believe they're heterosexual by choice? Some CGC members think that because of its low membership relative to the percentage of homosexuals in the community, the CGLA does not ade quately represent its constituency. But joining the group carries a stigma that many would rather avoid, even though it advocates their interests. Besides, the CGLA's constituency is the entire University community, because we all can benefit from greater awareness of gay issues and viewpoints. One representative, Anna Critz (Dist. 12), said, "I don't think an individual's sexual activity should be a basis for funding." Such rationales break the Student Code, which states that students must be allowed to participate in student organizations without regard to sexual preference. Going through the budget process is participation in the CGC, and . denying the CGLA funding for Critz's reasons is discrimination. And if it wasn't clear to Critz, they're not seeking money to practice homosexuality. The arrow has landed, and the CGLA's been shafted. When it meets Saturday to approve the budget, the CGC must find the courage to pull it out. .the CGC taketh away Tomorrow the big day will finally arrive the final Campus Governing Council budget meeting. It's almost like Christmas, with the big buildup and all the giving. Usually like Christmas, that is. This year, however, it seems some members of the family will be excluded, and we all know that ruins the true spirit. Our quaint little student community here is really neat in the way that it can parallel the wider world. WeVe got our little democratic system, however imper fect, complete with three branches and the usual ideological differences between the conservatives and the liberals. WeVe also got our little minority and disad vantaged groups (which are often too little). Quaint, right? But our little student community also can differ from the wider world, espe cially if we want it to. It's smaller and so could be closer. It's also dedicated to iearning and so could be more open minded. Could. If we want it to be. But unfortunately our CGC has decided not to have a close, open-minded commun ity. In its preliminary budgeting, it has defunded two traditional organizations that represented broad groups that are disadvantaged and discriminated against feminists and homosexuals. Funding for a group representing another disad vantaged minority, the Black Student Movement, has been greatly cut. These actions represent a disregard by . the privileged majority for concerns of the disadvantaged and minorities. Our society has many elements, including blacks, feminists, and homo sexuals and bisexuals. These groups constitute sizable portions of the com munity and draw a special satisfaction from their own organizations. Cutting or eliminating funding for these representative organizations both weakens these groups and symbolically excludes them from the community. The narrow-mindedness of some of the conservatives on the CGC may accomp lish this social ostracism. It is up to Student Body President Patricia Wal lace, CGC moderates and liberals, and us students to prevent this. Lobby your CGC representative today or tonight. Call the CGC office 962-5201. The democratic process should uphold the needs of minorities over the majority that gets off on wielding power. Our student community should welcome all its members. Excluding people because they are different ruins the spirit of giving. READER FORUM Dealing with women's issues worth funding To the editors: It is imperative that the students of this campus be aware that the Association for Women Students was defunded by the Campus Governing Council Finance Com mittee Wednesday night. (This was not reported in Thursday's DTH, despite the presence of a DTH reporter at the meeting.) The purpose of AWS is to inform UNC students and the local com munity about women's issues. Obviously "women's issues" can be interpreted in a variety of ways. The criticism that AWS is not represen tative of the majority of women students has been leveled at us, and we would like to respond. We view women's issues from a feminist standpoint. To do other wise, to take a neutral or anti feminist stance, in a society that has institutionalized sexism (along with many other inequities) is pointless. People have criticized the Carol ina Gay and Lesbian Association by saying there is no similar organiza tion for heterosexuals and therefore CGLA should not be funded. Likewise critics of AWS seem to be saying that there is no organization that promotes the traditional views of women in our society: that women should be homemakers and nothing else. First, I believe that many organ izations on campus do advocate some traditional views about women. We live in a sexist society; and it is extremely difficult to unlearn our sexist socialization. Second, even if campus organiza tions were completely free of gender bias, our society is not. We are surrounded by sexist images in the media; violence against women is commonplace; and women are not The Hot Pot Rebellion To the editors: Are the big wigs in the UNC department of University housing aware that many of us couldn't make it to class on those drowsy winter mornings without our hot pots. Even those of us with mod erate caffeine addictions would not make it through all-nighters and to our exams without instant coffee and tea. I fear to think what would happen if a ban on hot pots was instigated. Each morning the 100 or so girls on each floor of Cobb dormitory would crowd toward their one alloted microwave. There would be much snarling and gnashing of teeth (some of these people aren't morn ing people) and those of us who avoid such conflict would sleep on through. Of course, I could run down the 85 steps from fourth floor to our basement kitchen, but I'd probably be 20 minutes late to class instead of my usual five or 10. I don't think University housing authorities had increasing class absenteeism in mind when they came up with this brilliant idea. Even if I managed to gather myself together in time to venture forth to buy my morning beverage, why should I have to deal with Lenoir's smiling-faced cashiers or sloshing hot coffee from impractical styrofoam cups? The introduction of the idea of a hot pot ban seems to coincide nicely with the introduc tion of our beloved mandatory meal plan. Do you sense Big Brother UNC breathing down our neck? Whatever happened to freedom of choice? First we're handed a man date to dine in Lenoir and now the elmination of dormitory cooking is on the horizon. You think the Committee Against the Meal Plan is rebellious? Just wait until the Hot Pot War! It seems the banning of hot pots will create more problems than it will solve. Cobb has had more microwave fires than hot pot fires in the last two years. We have proof that textbooks can be fire hazards when left atop toaster ovens, and we know of those who habitually leave on curling irons all day. So if you're getting ridiculous, Univer sity housing officials, go ahead. Ban smoking, birthday cakes and can dlelight but don't expect us to comply. Melanie Groce Katy Power Cobb treated equally under the law. Women on this campus have benefited from the women's move ment of the last 100 years, whether they consider themselves feminists or not. A brief list of the areas affected would include: the fact that women are in college in the first place, the fact that women are allowed to be in the professions (including teaching in college), the funding of women's athletic pro grams, the offering of women's studies programs, the recognition of wife battering and rape as serious societal problems, the availability of birth control, and many more. Yet aside from the admission of women students (now more than 50 percent of the student body), these reforms are not complete. Without an organization like AWS there would be no official organization on campus to deal with this broad spectrum called women's issues. Without funding it would be impossible for AWS to show films, bring speakers or print educational pamphlets. If this were to happen, AWS would be nothing more than a passive organization a source of information and informal discussion. The budget is not final yet. Please come out Saturday for the final CGC session on the budget. I urge any individual, male or female, who feels that heshe has benefited from the aforementioned gains of the women's movement, attended one of our programs, received informa tion from our office, been involved in AWS in the past or simply espouses concern for women's issues and believes that women's issues should continue to be addressed, to come to this final session and support us. Another helpful action would be to speak with the CGC representative from your district. For more information please come by our office in Suite A of the Student Union or call 962-2165. Tonie Goldstein Treasurer, AWS know! To the editors: I know where Thomas O'Brien's socks have been going ("Socking, er, shocking forces afoot," April 18), and it's not into "sock dust" as he rather pretentiously theorized in his letter. When I come home from a pleasant evening of laundering, I have, on the average, 52 percent more socks than when I started, and I'm getting tired of it. Sometimes IVe had to make two trips to just carry them all home, and the extra socks are so ugly and full of holes (caused not by "sock dust," but by being on a once-a-year-whether-they-need-it-qr-not toe clipping schedule) that I won't think of wearing them, never mind the fact that I don't know where theyVe been. I realized I had to get rid of all these socks. Now I'm on a first name basis with all the people at PTA (not the pizza place, the other one). I don't know why I get all these socks I think faulty town-wide dryer hose connections is more likely than the now-disproven Sock Dust The ' ory but if you want your socks, O'Brien, check out the back room at PTA (Carrboro). D.F. Maloof Chapel Hill Defund deviancy Sounds kinda fishy To the editors: A hot pot ban because of one fire in Cobb dormitory two years ago and a smoky room in Avery dormitory in January? Or is it a hot pot ban that leads to a cooking ban that leads to everybody Hall? eating in Lenoir Ray Jones R. Anne Mcintosh Debbie Mazack Chapel Hill To the editors: The merit scores given the Carol ina Gay and Lesbian Association in Campus Governing Council budget hearings last week should remain intact. Anna Critz and other respon sible, well-informed Student Affairs Committee members have devoted much time to reviewing budget requests and receiving student input. Their scorings, based on comprehensive and thorough study, are a consequence of fair, responsive student representation. These find ings should not be disturbed by a minority of CGC members who dissent with the results. A great number of UNC students feel, as do I, that the CGLA should receive no funding whatsoever from the CGC. This year the CGLA has utilized office facilities within the Student Union from which, with the help of current funding, it has dispersed "educational informa tion" concerning "gay rights" causes. One example of this edu cational service was the pamphlet distributed to incoming students last fall in which the group asserted that 10 percent of the student populace was "gay." The CGLA has had its fair hearing. Tolerance does not demand that student monies be spent to endorse a "lifestyle" that most of us view as deviant and abnormal. Steve Matheny Chapel Hill 'DTH' editorials too liberal, too extreme To the editors: While we are not ultra conservative right-wingers, we feel that recent statements in the DTH have been unwarranted. We are referring to three comments in recent editorials: the labeling of Sen. Jesse Helms as "The Fool on the Hill" in "Let's change our tune" (April 17) and the description of the war in Vietnam as a corrupted cause, along with the inference that the conservative block of the Cam pus Governing Council is preju diced, in "One for the tripper" and "No time like the present," respec tively (April 18). While such com ments may appeal to the editors and the small ultra-liberal section of the student body, they are not a reflec tion of today's typical UNC student. Although we are not staunch Helms supporters, we believe that since Helms was duly elected as our senator, he deserves more respect from your publication. Calling him a fool may be terrific for venting your frustration at his election, but the fact remains that he is a repre sentative of our state. In Thursday's paper, you made the allegation that the CGC con servatives were prejudiced and that they threaten to violate our rights. To us, this seems to be pure sensationalism. Extreme comments like these show little tolerance of the conservative viewpoint. This is particularly ironic when one consid ers that such intolerance is one of the things that liberals so often find distasteful about today's conservatives. We also find it hard to believe that you would correlate our sold iers in Vietnam with Hitler's in Europe. While our involvement in Vietnam was controversial, we hardly see the war as a "corrupt cause." Although you admit that both groups of soldiers were victims of circumstance, there is quite a difference between coming to the aid of an ally in the fight against the spread by force of communism and the attempt to conquer the world. The purpose of this letter is not to advocate censorship of your viewpoints, but to ask for respon sible journalism in your editorials. Not only have some of your recent comments been extreme, but you should ask yourselves if they truly represent the prevailing opinion on campus. These statements may have been appreciated by the left-wings on campus, but with the conserva tive trend of the past few years there are many students on campus who have found them unrepresentative and irresponsible. Harry Patton Patrick Bell Chapel Hill 'DTH' editorials this week Monday: Phone calls to some of our University Trustees about the meal plan turned up some disturbing results. Most seemed to think that students had wanted a meal plan earlier and now it is too late to change their minds. Our "marching in the streets" won't change their minds, they say. The referendum is a waste of time. The evidence shows that the students opposed the meal plan all along, but apparently this didn't reach our Trustees ears. We'd like to have a talk with those to whom we are entrusted if they'll listen. Tuesday: For years the sleeping giant of the Pentagon had our tax dollars stolen under its nose by wily defense contractors. General Electric has been indicted for fraud and the biggest contractor, General Dynamics, is under investigation. Originally a blessing, the big military buildup has also been a bane to these contractors in the attention it brought upon them. Wednesday: For those graduating from our fine institution, look out the FUTURE is here. A good number of you are going to tie the proverbial knot. Here's some preventive counseling research shows that the most important thing for a good marriage is . ... no, not sex, but communication. Problems are okay, if only they're dealt with correctly. Remember Be careful out there. Thursday: Students, if you do nothing else today, vote! Having never been considered on the meal plan issue, we should vote to put our institution to the test, despite statements that the referendum wont mean anything. The referendum will voice student opinion. Then it will either be considered or it will be known that these views are outrageously ignored. If you don't defend your interests, nobody will. World and nation "She was caught up in a lie that was bigger than anything she had ever imagined. " Attorney John J. McLario, saying that his client, Cathleen Crowell Webb, concocted the story eight years ago that sent accused her accused rapist, Gary E. Dotson, to prison for six years for a crime that never occurred. Webb, a born-again Christian, appeared before a Cook County, 111., Curcuit Court judge earlier this week to recant her story. WEEK IN REVIEW "People are so shell-shocked they don 't know what to believe. " An unidentified investment broker in The New York Times Thursday, reacting to questions of business magnate Ted Turner's rumored interest in acquiring CBS. Turner was expected to announce plans for a takeover bid Thursday or today. And what of Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Fairness In Media? Who knows? State and local "There's no hurry about it. " Senate Majority Leader Ken neth C. Royall, D-Durham, after the senate postponed final appro val of an amendment that would change the legal drinking age in N.C. from 19 to 21 in September 1986. The vote could be delayed for weeks or months. Phew! mitm ''mite v'r Campus "Hey, hey. Ho, ho. the meal plan's got to go. " Some 200 students following Sherrod Banks and other student leaders on the march to South Building Tuesday in an afternoon rally against the ever-popular mandatory meal plan. Students voting Thursday sent an over whelmingly negative message to the Board of Trustees, who are likely to turn a deaf ear to students' protests. " know God's up there saying, 'What are you doing, David, it's wrong. " David Brady, chairman of the Campus Governing Council's finance committee, who cast the deciding vote granting the Caroi lina Gay and Lesbian Associa tion's outreach program full fund ing Wednesday. Brady voted for the controversial program, despite his saying that homosexuality goes against his beliefs as a Christian. In a related matter, Dist. 12 Rep. Anna Critz was cleared of discrim inating against the CGLA on the basis of sexual preference. Sports " haven't seen 6:30 since I was about 10 years old. " UNC pitcher Greg Karpuk, who went seven innings, allowing no runs and only three hits, en route to the Tar Heels 15-2 victory over Duke in the opening round of the ACC baseball tournament in Atlanta, Ga. The 10 a.m. game time was a little earlier than most players were used to, apparently. Opinions from New York Times Monday: Regulations concerning oil tankers and Alaska oil transportation are so convo luted that they are tied in a knot. First huge subsidies were given in the 70 's to have oil tankers built in the U.S. shipyards, and then for fairness these tankers were forbidden from domestic competition. Also Alaskan crude was mandated to be sold and carried by Americans. So now these tankers want in on this lucrative market and have tried to return the subsidies. If the government doesn't take it, ostensibly to keep current tankers for national security reasons, it will prove the government is committed to inefficiency. ' Tuesday: Government moves to stop filling the strategic oil reserve are foolishly short sighted. The budget may need cutting, but the reserve is a wise and valuable insurance for our nation in case of an oil cutoff. Rather than "pound-foolish" military power and action to protect the oil, some "penny-wise" reserves are a good investment. Wednesday: Behind President Reagan's confusion over his itinerary in Germany in commemeration of the end of the Second World War is a sense of symbols and a lack of historical understanding. Visiting Dachau, a former concentration camp, as he has hesitated to do, will only confirm the end of Nazi butchery, which affected many Jews, Germans, and Americans alike. Thursday: South Africa's removal of laws against interracial marriages is the beginning of the beginning of the end to apartheid, or racial separation. Western pressure contrib uted to exposing this fallacy of Apartheid. We should continue the pressure in some way. It seems to matter to the South Africans what we think.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 19, 1985, edition 1
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