Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / April 13, 1989, edition 1 / Page 12
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12The Daily Tar Hee! Thursday, April 13, 1989 97th year of editorial freedom Sharon Kebschull, Editor WILLIAM T AGG ART, Managing Editor LOUIS BlSSETTE, Editorial Page Editor MARY Jo DUNNINGTON, Editorial Page Editor JUSTIN McGuiRE, University Editor JENNY CLONINGER, University Editor TAMMY BLACK ARD, State and National Editor CHARLES BRITTAIN, Cify Editor ERIK DALE FLIPPO, Business Editor - DAVE GLENN, Sports Editor CARA BONNETT, Arts and Features Editor JAMES BENTON, Omnibus Editor JLIA COON, Nezvs Editor DAVID SUROWIECKI,Piof ography Editor Kelly Thompson, Design Editor Where were student leaders? On Tuesday night, a workshop for student leaders was held as part of Race Relations Week to promote interaction and awareness among white and minority students at UNC. But while there were five black student leaders invited and well-notified of the time and place, no black students attended the session. In addition, no one came as a representative of the executive branch of student govern ment. Only 1 1 white students and one East Indian student participated Tuesday. Black leaders who were invited said in interviews Wednesday that they were too busy to come or couldn't find anyone to come in their place. Cer tainly, it's a busy time of year, and to commit a few hours is taking a big chunk out of student leaders' schedules. But that does not excuse the fact that the leaders were unable or unwilling to find anyone to represent them at the meeting. These leaders were elected or appointed to work for issues that concern their constituents, be they all students or specific interest groups. When leaders do not attend sessions specifically designed for them to meet and discuss minority issues about all minorities, not just blacks students should question whether their representatives are doing an adequate job of representing them. Perhaps students are simply cynical about whether any efforts to improve race relations will work, and so they decide workshops such as this are simply a waste of time. Or perhaps they think they know the answers and what efforts would work, but no one will listen, and they , don't feel like bothering to discuss it. But student leaders are in their positions to overcome that sort of cynicism and to at least attempt to make such work shops and discussions worthwhile. If the people in power don't work for change, it's hard to expect anything at UNC to change. Other students may become frustrated enough to work on their own for change, but they should be able to expect their leaders to take the initiative. Apathy is always an issue at UNC, and maybe it's unfair to criticize the everyday student for not caring or taking action against injustices. But it is perfectly fair and necessary to criticize the students who are least expected to be apathetic; student leaders must be active, especially on an issue so important that an entire week has been devoted to it. Student leaders ignored Tuesday's perfect opportunity for reasonable, rational discussions of an emotional topic. They may not have been able to reach any solutions, but solutions weren't necessarily the goal. All the leaders' non-attendance does is make further discussions likely to be more emotional, and it increases the cyn icism of those students who really care. On this campus, when students need to take a united stand on racial issues such as minority recruitment and retention, more cynicism is the last problem anyone needs. Sharon Kebschull Cream of mushroom soup leads to demise U.S. oil dependency must end Most of the country seems very concerned about the impact of the recent oil spill in Alaska most, that is, except George Bush and the people helping him develop a U.S. energy policy. The tragic spill has left numerous forms of wildlife dead and seriously damaged a valuable fishing industry, in addition to turning beautiful beaches into chemical dumps. Yet Bush has not even considered mod ifying his policy on oil exploration. The U.S. government does not support the transformation away from oil toward renewable resources, at least not on the scale it should. Instead, Bush is paving the way for continued dependence. Bush has already expressed strong support for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a 125-mile strip on the Northeast Alaskan coast. This is one of the few unpolluted coasts left in Alaska, and it is a habitat for a huge variety of species. Drilling in this area could have disastrous envir onmental repercussions. Western countries, including the United States, are also moving into Antarctica for oil exploration. Though the Antarctic is still in the beginning stages of development relative to the Arctic, it is possible that it too could become an industrial dump. The South Pole area is extremely important to the fish in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Currents from the south bring plankton-rich water which helps nourish fish in the harvesting areas of the Pacific and Atlantic. Bush says it would be irresponsible for a president not to explore oil options in these areas because U.S. oil dependence is a serious national security issue. But while this depend ence is a national security problem, drilling for more oil is not the prudent solution to the energy dilemma. After the habitats are destroyed and the spills muck up the water, we will still be an oil deficient country. It would be a tragic mistake to rely on the future discovery of U.S. oil reserves to alleviate the dependence on foreign petroleum. Alternatives do exist. Rather than pour money into oil prospects, the United States should embark on a policy which strives for long-term solutions. Making car engines more efficient, improving public transporta tion and gas taxes are solutions which could be initiated immediately. Research into alternative sources of energy should also be undertaken more vigorously. The United States cannot solve its foreign oil dependency by searching for more oil the resources are not there. The only positive aspect of the Valdez tragedy is what people and policymakers learn from the incident. Unless U.S. energy policy becomes more innovative, this country will only have more Valdez-like fiascos to look forward to in the future. Chris Landgraff Old I he other day I was glancing through the newspaper in the hopes to find JJL something to write about. I was looking for something really big, with plenty of room for speculation, like another baseball scandal or maybe a rumor of Elvis taking a bit part in "Mr. Belvedere." But nothing jumped out at me until I noticed, tucked underneath some stock exchanges in the money section, this disturbing headline: "Campbell Soup Up 4 After Chairman Dies." The article went on to discuss the company's strategies and other economical jargon over my head. But no remorse for the ex-soup guy. There was no coincidence here. They needed profits; the chairman was in the way. So I must construct the following chain of events that led to his untimely demise, and expose all those involved in this heinous crime. Ralph Dorant Jr. was the chairman of Campbell Soup Incorporated. He was not a popular man, and his employees made no attempt to hide their contempt for him. In 1962 he earned the nickname "OP Soup Can Head" because of a freak canning accident. His ties were all badly stained with minestrone and he perpetually had bits of black bean stuck between his .teeth. At board meetings Dorant, who pro claimed himself the world's greatest practical joker, would begin to sniff, and sniff loudly until the speaker would have to stop and ask, "Is there something wrong, Mr. Dorant?" Dorant would make a sour face and snarl in an agitated voice, "God, who souped?" He'd then break into hysterics, screaming wildly, while the rest of the board members looked on, blankly. It went on like this for years. There was constant complaining and insulting behind Dorant 's back, but he knew nothing of it. David Rowell Pardon Me Meanwhile, the company's stocks were plummeting. It was behind closed doors that Jenkins, a hot shot young marketing executive, remarked calmly, "I'd like to see his life come to an end." Some nodded in agreement. Others were unsure. The next year, Dorant had taken to bathing in chicken noodle and made all the employees wear large chef hats that read, "Eat it." In a less formal meeting, Jenkins and a sales rep named Baskins suggested how nice it would be if they could dunk Dorant in a vat of scalding pea green soup. This time, all but one agreed. Miss Davies, the legal secretary, suggested tomato soup might be better. The following six months were very busy for the people at Campbell. Various assassination plots were going around, and assault teams were being put together. Dorant was oblivious and was spending millions on an ad campaign he had created himself. The idea was a rat sprawling through a garbage can, only to find a half empty can of mushroom soup. Peering over his shoulder, the rat said to the viewer, "What the hell are you looking at?" Dorant loved it. Miller, who had been with the ad department for 13 years, subsequently jumped to his death. On the eve of its first airing, Babbet from public relations was to conk Dorant on the head during the board meeting. All eyes were focused on the chairman, who sat shooting staples at the back of employees' necks. Suddenly, Babbet towered over the chairman and came crashing down on his head with a paperweight. Dorant went on unphased. "Someone get that phone!" he barked. The meeting continued ' as scheduled. Several other attempts were unsuccessful in the next months, when Dorant had lost half the company's earnings from betting on a three-legged horse. He fired , "all employees he caught sneezing and threa tened to rename soup "mushmushmush." jBut his days were numbered. It was finally Rupert from the graphics department who finished off the chairman. Late one night, Rupert drove over to Dorant's estate. He banged violently oh the door. "What in blazes?!" Dorant yelled. - "It's Rupert," he said. "There's an emergency at the office, sir." He drove Dorant to the Campbell building. Dorant was furious for being woken up and commenced to singing "Shell be comin' round the mountain" just to annoy him. When they arrived, ever ything was quiet and peaceful. "I don't see any emergency!" Dorant yelled. "Then have some cream of mushroom," Rupert said. Dorant snatched the bowl and began to eat like a little child. ; . . ; "Tastes like poison," he said. "It is." "Then you're fired." The chairman died shortly after that, but not before finger painting llamas in the executive washroom. And so now, times are once again happy for the people at Campbell. They smile at one another as they mill around the offices, and no new chairman has been named. The company is up 4 and looks to be doing better in the coming weeks. Their greed made them powerful. Their hatred brought them dividends. David Rowell is a senior RTV MP major from Fayetteville. Readers9 Forem Open door for disabled To the editor: We believe that the Intram ural Sports Program is a great organization. Life at UNC has been enhanced by the program and events that are provided by the department. What would spring be like without playing Softball with friends in a co-rec league? The organization pro vides all UNC students and faculty with the opportunity to exercise and have fun at the same time. But this spring an issue has come to our attention that questions whether or not the organization serves all UNC students and faculty. A team signed up to play in a co-rec league and included a blind student on the roster. The intramural department then decided that if the individual wanted to play softball they would do anything necessary to facilitate. We congratulate the department for the willingness to cooperate and their open mindedness. But our complaint is why hasn't the department recruited the involvement of disabled persons on this cam pus before? The intramural department is designed to serve all UNC students and faculty. Shouldn't they make it policy to have participation by all who want it? Sure, you may say that the department is willing to cooperate when approached, but many people on this cam pus remain uninformed about intramurals. If the disabled persons on this campus are informed and encouraged to participate in these programs, we are sure many would become involved. We are by no means asking for separate programs for the disabled persons, we are concerned with The Debate over Wclear Fusion cohffiwuas the integration of a population that is sometimes forgotten. Please consider our viewpont, and hopefully your programs will better serve our whole university community. PAUL SEXTON Junior Interdisciplinary studies MARYBETH McGOWAN Junior Industrial relations Doctor's efforts will be missed To the editor: News of Dr. Mack Lipkin's death hit those of us involved in the recent student exchange between UNC-CH and Rostov-on-Don State University par ticularly hard. When the pro ject faced funding and other difficulties, it was Dr. Lipkin's generosity, advice and enthusi astic support which helped make the exchange a reality. He also visualized its effects mov ing well beyond the experience of the 24 students and profes sors in the delegations, its reaching into the University and Chapel Hill communities, as well as to the hometowns of each of the delegates. He saw it as a potential forerunner to hundreds of similar exchanges of Soviet and American youth, exchanges of many kinds and lengths. And characteristically, he took quiet but immediate action to see his dream realized. Even before we had returned from our own mission in the Soviet Union, he had contacted prominent educators and funded sources hoping to trigger a flow of thousands of young people and educators between the two countries, 70 years of enmity between them having distorted both societies. We are sad that time was too short for us to hold the meeting we had planned with Dr. Lip kin and to share firsthand the experiences we had in our initial exchange. But we are glad that he was able to attend at least one of our joint forums, which was on U.S. and Soviet health care systems, and glad also that he lived long enough to hear the promising news of last week's Soviet elections. Dr. Lipkin's distinguished career in and contributions to the field of medicine have been well-documented. Less well known are his gentle humor, generous and deep concern for young people, the breadth of his appreciation for the arts and, above all, his passion for a peaceful world. We in the UNC-Soviet Exchange Pro gram will miss him. RICHARD ULIN Professor International studies Chapel Mill must take a stand against rape ow, over a week later, the truth has come out about the assault that occurred behind, near, around or close to a fraternity house on Finley Golf Course on Friday, March 29. What happened? A woman was raped. While the police tried to sort out their jurisdictions, a woman who was raped was and still is trying to sort out her life. My heart goes out to this woman who has been violated in this most obscene manner, this woman who has been stripped of her humanity and autonomy by another "human being." Perhaps essential time was lost while police were sorting through their procedures. Perhaps she thought approaching a uniformed police officer would be sufficient to set the wheels of justice in motion. However, the University Police are powerless to begin procedures to bring this rapist to justice until the victim, the woman who was raped, brings formal charges through their office. What can we, the concerned campus, do about this? We can encourage this woman to come forward and identify her attacker, but ultimately this is her decision and we should respect it. We can express our collective outrage and disgust for this activity. All of us must say no to those who would inflict their will upon others men who ignore "no" whether it is spoken or screamed, individuals who, in some tortured logic, justify their criminal Gretchen Knight Guest Writer actions and rape. The issue at hand for the campus at large is not jurisdiction. This is clearly our jurisdiction our concern extends to all members of our community, whether on or off-campus. Only we, all of us, male and female, can clearly show that rape is unacceptable. It is unacceptable to remove a person's individual bodily integrity without hisher consent, period. There are no mitigating factors. "No" it's a pretty simple concept. We all learned what that meant when we were two years old. We all know what that one syllable means. Apparently the two men who assaulted a woman near Joyner Residence Hall "forgot" or chose to ignore it; apparently the assailant on Friday, March 29 "forgot" as well. Perhaps these men equated the opportunity to harm with the prerogative to harm. No, it's not your prerogative. It is unacceptable to harm a member of our community. The original report of the assault stated that the victim was not physically harmed. Perhaps this means she was not beaten into submission or injured with a weapon. Perhaps it indicates that she was not garretted, stabbed, shot, or that no broken bones resulted from the rape. I'm not sure what that phrase means "not physically harmed." If the facts come to light through prosecution, I may find out. At any rate, I seriously doubt that the woman herself, as a part of her initial statement to the police officer working at Burnout, said: "I have been assaulted, but not physically harmed." Only she can tell us, if she chooses to, what the extent of her physical harm was and who hurt her. We can encourage those who have been violated to step forward and accuse their assailants, and we can show through example that this crime rape is intolerable. Only we can do something about this. Join SAFE Escort, become involved in the Rape Action Project, volunteer at the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. Do something, just do it! Faculty, administration staff, students, community members, express your resent ment at the cloud of fear that hangs over our campus and town. Count yourself in against rape for yourself, for your sister; for your sweetheart, for your daughter, for your mother, for your friend, for a stranger let her know that you understand that when she says "no," it's rape, period. Gretchen Knight is a junior political science and RTV MP major from Warrenton.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 13, 1989, edition 1
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