Washburn And Misplaced Values
mucn nas Deen written about the philo
sophy, values and mega bucks involved in
NCAA college-university affiliated institu
tions. The concerns, the apathy and fre
quent conflicts between collegiate sports
and academic standards are common
place. Caught up in this web of big time, big
—httwiw— rpnrtr hfinofits tn
universities, is the too often little attention
given to not just the student-athletes’
academic progress and athletic ability but
- also, if not more important, the student
athletes’ values and personal behavior.
Athletic coaches, particularly in NCAA
Division I big time universities, are under
such pressure to win, to have job security,
and therefore, to be considered successful,
that too often they overlook or simply ignore
the most important aspect of a potential
recruit, that is, his or her character and
values.
Based on the rather sketchy reports about
N.C. State University freshman basket
ball player Chris Washburn, we can see a
classic example of little attention given to a
concern for character and values.
Washburn, a 6-11 center from Hickory,
N.C., was one of the nation’s leading
recruits last year while attending Laurin
burg Institute, his third high school. Three
—vears-ef-hinh-fichooiLin urn*. rUff^nt
schools should have, and hopefully did, alert
some recruiters to the fact that young
Washburn apparently has some sociar and
adjustment problems. . , 1
mi mis aside for the moment, Chris
Washburn’s basketball skills were such that
within the second game of the Wolfpack
season he cracked the starting lineup and in
seven games he averaged 10.7 points. Along
with 6-11 Cozell McQueen and 6-7 Lorenzd
Charles, Washburn was expected to give
N.C. State one of the biggest, and pro
bably one of the best, front lines in College
basketball.
This optimistic outlook may have been
shattered with Washburn’s arrest and
charge with second degree burglary last
Friday for a break-in at an- athletic
dormitory and the apparent theft of stereo
equipment owned by a football player.
Furthermore, in less than half a school
year, Washburn was also found guilty on
September 20 of assaulting a female fetudent
at State for which he received a suspended 4
30-day sentence and a fine of $25. Un
confirmed reports indicate also that while
the team was playing in Europe, Wash
bum was charged with shoplifting.
Human Concern
Wolfpack coach Jim Valvaho, a man with
a reputation for having a sensitive and
human concern for his players, cut
Washburn from the team for the rest of the
season following the first degree burglary
charge. Valvaho said, “The fact that Chris
is a very good basketball player makes it a
news worthy story. But to me, it’s a
personal story of Someone who also
happens to be a very good basketball
player. It’s a human story, and I’m
concerned for Chris as a human being.’’
While we don’t doubt the sincerity of
————■——~ - ___
coach Valvano, we do Wonder why a fresh
man, who obviously has social adjustment
problems, would be allowed to jniove up to
the starting lineup to face the .additional
pressure of basketball when he apparently
has not gotten his personal life in order.
-"Washburn. whose academic progress has
been reportedly satisfactory, -would have
received a tutor and-or counseling if he had
been having difficulty. However, while
there were obvious signs of Social adjust
ment problems, these were not apparently
given adequate attention, that is, Wash
burn was hot receiving the proper help and
counseling he needed in order to keep his
life in order and in perspective.
Court Hearing
Valvano, who had initially said, “I won’t
' budge off that decision (to dismiss Wash
burn from the team for the rest of the
season),” may have begun to think about
the apparent absence of social counseling
and the outcome of the January 8 court
Jjgaring, has now said it is possible that
Washburn may return to the TeamTTtfiff
decision will now be determined by uni
versity policy following the January 8 court
hearing.
We sympathize with the plight of Chris
Washburn as an individual, the impact his
behavior may he haying on the basketball
team, and the potential megabucks that the
university could earn if Washburn turned
out to be the difference between a good
team and a great NCAA championship
contender. .
Nevertheless, we hope that the pressures
to win, to earn TV revenue and the quest for
the NCAA championship does not lead the
N.C. State University administration, the
alumni and basketball program to place
Washburn’s skills ahead of his personal
adjustment needs which may be best dealt
with without the pressure of big time
^ basketball. —- —
We are talking here about the value of an
individual versus the concerns and desires
of a large state institution and the prestige,
money and fame that may go with it. How
that institution reacts and decides in the
Washburn case will tell us all a lot about our
values as a state and nation because there
are or will be other “Washburns’' at other
institutions of higher learning, institutions
that supposedly help develop our values and
character as a people.
If we truly have the concern for the value
and worth of the individual in our society, as
we so often like to boast about, we should
begin 1985 observing the outcome of the
Washburn case.
——^__ __ __
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Review Of The Year 1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four was
the year of headliners. It
brought with it a mystic via
George Orwell and deve
- loped into one of the most
historical years in science,
politics, music, fads and con
troversy. Nineteen eighty
four has been a year of
uncertainties and unusual
events. Many are happy to
see it go, many are sad -
however'one comment pre
vails, 1984 was a heck of a
year. George Orwell didn’t
know the half of it.
In the world of medicine,
David, a 12 year old boy from
Houston who had spent most
of his life in a sterilized
plastic bubble, died on Fe
bruary 22 just 15 days after
doctors freed him of the
environment. Baby Fae re
ceived a baboon heart in
California. One of the most
controversial transplant
operations performed - Baby
Fae survived a short time to
prove that it can be done.
Vanessa Williams, the first
black woman chosen as
“Miss America,” found her
self in a very compromis
ing position - to say the least.
Miss Williams posed nude for
photographers some time
ago which were discovered
and purchased by Pent
house magazine. The photo
Sabrina
grapns in uie September
issue forced Miss Williams to
relinguish her crown and
boost her career. The suc
cessor was SuzQtte Charles,
also black, from Ndw
Jersey.
Hon and Nancy are back
for four more years.
Rev. Jesse Jackson was
the first major black presi
dential candidate in U.S.
history. Congresswoman
Geraldine Ferraro was the
first woman vice presidential
candidate. This assertive
lady went head-to-head with
Vice President Bush in
a debate and clashed with
New York’s Archbishop
O’Conhor over moral issues.
The McDonald’s massacre
was a major fantasy break
er - although the building has
been torn down the me
mories-nightmare continues
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Keagan s Policy Making Things Worse For Blacks
By Alfreds L. Madison
Special To The Post
During Mr. Reagan's four years'
presidency, he has never uttered one
word against South Africa’s vicious
apartheid government. Yet, he has
constantly and publicly bom basted
Russia and Poland about their treat
ment of dissidents. He ignored the
requests and urgings of Congress
persons and TransAfrica, a lobbying
group to speak out against South
Africa's treatment of its 24 million
blacks by the four million whites.
It took street demonstrations and
jailings of prominent protestors in
front of the South African embassy,
coupled with worldwide attention
paid Nobel Prise-winner., .Bishop .
Tutu, to flush Reagan out with a
public denunciation of apartheid as
being repugnant. He gave no indica
tion that he would take any action
against South Africa or that he even
would change his four-year policy of
“constructive engagement.''
Bishop Tutu told Mr. Reagan that
his policy has made things worse for
btocks. Mr. fteagan's response was
that Ms diplomacy is working, that
some changes have been made, but
neither he nor Chester Crocker,
State Department African Affairs or
Alex Abrams of the Human Rights
Department listed any of these ac
eomplishmenU. He used the shield
of quiet diplomacy for not revealing
what he says are the accomplish^
menu of Ms policy. If the President
has a working policy that is not
working for the affected people in
the country and iU workings cannot
be realized by people ouUide the
country, then there Is a policy that's
working for nobody, which means
that nobody has a working policy.
The Administration emphasizes
that the 350 big American corpora
1--1
Alfreds
uons mat nave businesses in South
Africa are helping blacks to make
social, political and economic gains.
U-S. corporation* control 70 percent
of the computer industry andT ofie
half of the petroleum business.
American banks make big loam to
the South African government.
These corporate investors include
most of the business giants. These
corporations give Jobs to hundreds
of thousands of black South Afri
cans, which is very miniscule to the
24 million blacks who comprise the
South African population.
The Administration's talk about
providing education and Job train
ing for blacks and that these cor
porations subscribe to the Sullivan
principle; that now Macks can
belong to trade unions Blacks are
forbidden to hold membership in the
white unions They have their own
black unions and the American
corporations have to deal with them
according to the South African laws,
which forbid them to strike, if it
interferes with work stoppage and
blacks cannot receive the same
wages as whites When members of
the House African Affairs Com
mittee visited South Africa last
August, the corporation, frankly,
told them that there is very little
they can do to improve the social,
political and economic life of the 34
million blacks. When confronted
with that question from the House
members, Bishop Tutu responded,
“We do not want our chains com
fortable. We want them removed.”
At the White House background
briefing on human rights, Abrams
was asked, “Why doesn’t the Pr*
sident compare the black South
African’s fight for freedom with
white Americans' fight for freedom
from English bondage, when they
said ‘give me liberty or give me
death?’” There Was no reply.
Less than half of the American
corporations have adopted the Sul
Hvan principles, and even thoae that
have will have to make security
arrangements with the South Afri
can government which hampers
their compliance The American
people must realize that these cor
, poralions are operating in South
Africa to make money. They must
also know that these companies are
not In full compliaqfce with fair job
practices there, so it Is ludicrous to
believe that they will operate in a
manner that will cause South
Africa to dismantle Ha unjust em
ployment and all around unjust
discriminatory practices.
The American public needs to
know the myths that are publicized
about South Africa and the “Free
South African Movement.” The
South African ambassador said on
the “David Brinkley Show"
that they had equal education for
blacks and whites, that is not true.
Blacks through their trade uniom,
now hold supervisory and mana
gerial positions, the majority of
South African blacks do not agree
witjj Bishop Tutu. The truth Is that
South Africa spends ten times as
much on white education as it does
on black education, there are com
pulsory laws for education for
whites, but none for blacks, black
supervisors and managers only su
pervise and manage black workers
who hold the very lowest Jobs.
Bishop Tutu as Head of the Ang
lican Church supervises over 15
million blacks, all of the other
leaders put together have a far less
following. The ambassador spoke
glowingly of the homelands, which
comprise 13 percent of the most
barren land, while the four million
whites retain the rich 87 percent of
the territory. This movement is
comparable to what Adolph Hitler
did...k> .ttw Jews when he began
moving them to Auschwitz and
Dachaw South Africa is the only
country that recognizes these as
independent nations.
A myth that needs dispelling is
likening South Africa’s racism
situstuon to racism in this country
Blacks in South Africa have to carry
passbooks, they are Jailed without
having any charges made against
them, they are forbidden to own
land, not allowed to vote or hold
government positions. They suffer
from the most brutal tree til tent
against humanity.
The demonstrations have caused
many Americana hi focus on the
inhumane apartheid. It is hearten
ing to have so many groups and
segments of the population taking
part in the movement-the Jewish
people even went to Jad, entertain
ers and athletes are picketii* and
the 35 conservative congressmen
are making it very deer to the South
African ambassador that they will
push for political and economic
sanctions aga^st their government
Oh July 18 the largest death
toll taken by a single man in
this nation’s history, James
Huberty armed with, three
■ guns and a bag of ammuni
tion, killed 20 people and *
wounded 16 including chil
dren. A police sharp shoot
er ended the slaughter by
killing Huberty.
America has a new multi
millionaire - Michael
Wittkowski, 28, won the Il
linois State Lottery totaling
$40 million. This was the
world’s largest lottery
purse; which Wittkowski
split with his sister.
In the world of gporta, Jim
Brown’s career rushing re
cord was broken by Walter
Payton of the Chicago
Bears. Mary Lou Retton
from West Virginia, was the
first American gymnast to
win the Gold.
children were a major
social issue in 1984 - es
pecially child sexual abuse.
A telefilm called “Some
thing About Amelia” il
luminated the problem of
incest in America and other
countries. In California and
New York, centers for child
care were shut down due to
allegations made by children
of sexual molestation by
their teachers, y
Great moments highlight
ed 1984. Carl Lewis lived his
dream and ambition by
equaling Jesse Owens’ four
Gold Medals. In February
astronaut Bruce McCand
less donned the maneuvering
unit backpack for his trip
around the space shuttle
Challenger.
Quotable quote for 1984,
“Where’s The Beef?” made
famous by Clara Peller in the
ever-popular Wendy’s com
mercials.
_ A _ ft. ft — _
I'luuiuie iaas: gladiator
sandals for both sexes,
gobots as the chosen toy, lace f
with everything, the Swatch
watch for those in the
Know, glitter gloves and
socks-patterned after you
know who! Trivial Pursuit a
and break dancing!
We had to say good bye to
some fantastic, talented peo- v
pie: Marvin Gaye, JOhnny
Weissmuller, Count Basie
Walter Pidgeon, William
Powell, James Mason, »
David Kennedy, Richard
Burton, Truman Capote,
Velma Barfield and Indira
GhancH, to name a few.
Finally, in the world of
music, the Victory Tour' -
goes without ado, Una '
Turner had a hit album and
record, Cyndi Lauper’S mov
ing up steadily and Bruce
Springsteen is making an
impact on the Top 20.
Prince has come along and fas *
giving m. Jackson real and
viable competition - definite- *
. ly one to watch in 1985 i : «
I