12
Monday. October 16,1995
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JlKtin Sdwef MANAGWG ENTOft
Justin WiDiimt staff development
Work! Wide Web Electronic Edition:
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Established 1893
BMH 102 Years of Editorial Freedom
BOARD EDITORIALS
The Law Comes First
I The Muslim Student Association might no longer be eligible for funding, thanks
to a semantic tap dance and a blatant disregard for a Supreme Court ruling.
In the same week that Student Congress passed
miriority recruitment measures, it still managed
to leave one minority group in the dark. After
years of being officially recognized as a student
group, why is the Muslim Student Association
now told they don’t fit the bill?
In light of the Supreme Court’s Rosenberger
decision, religious groups on campus have re
cently been seeking the funding Student Con
gress is legally bound to give. And they’ve been
getting it. But the flow of cash has now been
damned by the delicate and questionable notion
of discrimination.
Upon learning that a homosexual would not
normally find himself a member of the MSA,
Rep. Terry Milner, chairman of the Rules and
ludiciary Committee, called for a review of the
group’s recognition on the grounds of possible
discrimination. Sounds pretty noble, right? Not
so fast.
A little research revealed that, according to
the MSA constitution, a non-Muslim could not
hold office in the group. No kidding, a non-
Muslim can’t hold office in a Muslim organiza
tion? As it stands, unless the MSA makes some
changes in their constitution, they’ll have to
abandon their space in the Union and any hope
s+ Nunn Left
I Sen. Sam Nunn’s announcement that he would not seek re-election
leaves a gaping hole in the already riddled Democratic Party.
Another one bites the dust. Sam Nunn, the
leading Democratic Senator on the Armed Ser
vices Committee, announced last Monday that
he will not seek re-election next November.
fteFjswHad both throughout the country and
the NATO alliance, Nunn holds wide respect
from leaders of many ideologies and will be
sorely missed.
The dilemma for the
Democrats, however, is
that’s happening to their
party? Eight senatorial
Democrats have an
nounced that they will not
'eek re-election next year; only one Republican
has done the same.
With this desertion of experience, Demo
cratic legislation is being consistently defeated.
The party’s leaders appear to be directionless.
The loss of control in both the House and the
Senate didn’t help, but the 1994 election repre
sents a deeper problem.
When President Clinton was elected in 1992,
there was an emphasis in his campaign on the
New Democrats from the South. Trying to em
body the old “ conservative” element of the south
ivith the more “liberal” sentiment among north
ern Democrats, Clinton’s strategists wanted to
mix some of the old ideologies of the party with
he new.
Die result: a clueless and split Congressional
ind national party from which 137 officeholders
have become Republican since Clinton came
into the White House.
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of getting funded.
So much for the Supreme Court decision.
This is a case of semantic ambiguities cru
saded by only a few congress members seeking to
apply a label of negative discrimination upon
groups that are inherently exclusive. It’s like
calling churches unfair for binding Satan from
the sanctuary.
Milner’s move is also a means of getting
around the Rosenberger decision. Whether that
is the goal of those in congress is unclear. But the
fact that a review has been called of all religious
groups’ constitutions for explicit or implicit
discriminatory clauses leaves the groups in a
state of jeopardy.
Perhaps Milner should be reminded of the
Supreme Court’s decision in Healy vs. James
where it was held that “a school’s non-recogni
tion of a student organization ... as an official
campus organization may not be based upon the
school’s disagreement with the organization’s
alleged philosophy, for such would constitute a
violation of the student members’ rights to free
dom of association.”
Congress should step out from behind the
guise of discrimination and fall in line with the
law. They could start by funding the MSA.
This is not to say that all the blame should rest
with Clinton. Far from it. The splits within the
party started 10 years ago, and in many ways, are
inevitable. Political boundaries and sectorial
cleavages are changing, thereby altering the
makeup of the party’s power bases. Other con
stituencies must struggle to keep up, and those
To argue that the Democratic
party is finished, however,
posits a ridiculous
misjudgment.
come and goes: 30 years ago it was the Republi
cans who were directionless and falling apart.
Fifteen years ago it was the turn of the Demo
crats. History suggests that the Democrats will
come back.
The transition that Nunn optimizes must run
its course. Do the Democrats even have a chance
of regaining control in Congress next year?
Maybe, but probably not. The party will become
strong again, but the question remains when,
and how? For now, we must say goodbye to one
of the better leaders of the Senate and of our
country.
*
BAROMETER
Now that the UNC basketball team has started
practicing for what promises to be a tough
season, let's hope that Midnight Madness doesn't
evolve into March Sadness.
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To argue that the Demo
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NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
ASSOCIATION ISSN #IO7O-9436
Office: Suits 104 Carolina Union
EDITORIAL
‘Food for Thought’: Aiding Student-Faculty Discourse
The best things about Colby College are the
excellence and approachability of the pro
fessors.”
■ “Professors are the heart and soul of the
solid liberal arts education available at Amherst
College. They gamer rave reviews from stu
dents, who describe them as ‘outstanding, ’ ‘con
cerned’ and ‘friendly.’ Enthused one sopho
more, ‘I spend about two hours a week talking
with a chemistry professor whom I consider a
very good friend. I don’t think that happens very
often at big schools.’”
■ “Davidson’s focus is on the students ...
professors are always there for you.”
The statements above —drawn from recruit
ment brochures and commercial college guides
—highlightthechiefsellingpointsofour nation’s
most prestigious liberal arts colleges. Above all,
the top undergraduate colleges point to faculty
excellence and faculty access as the keys to a
superior undergraduate experience.
There is no doubt about the distinction of the
UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, and the academic
credentials of our undergraduates are also first
rate. But the report of the recent Task Force on
Undergraduate Education identifies “a disturb
ing anti-intellectual climate” as a significant
problem affecting the campus. One source of the
problem goes directly to the issue of student
faculty relations. Although readily admitting
the complexity of the issue, below, I hope to
Nation of lslam f Muslim Faith
Are Not the Same Thing
Editor's Note: The authors are members of the
Muslim Student Association.
TO THE EDITOR:
As practicing Muslims we have to ask Dwayne
X (Eatmon), (“Million Man March Should Be
Observed Locally, Too” DTH, Sept. 29): What
is Islamic about the Nation of Islam? Muslims
worship together in masjids (mosques), follow
an imam during prayer, and read and recite The
Quran.
In contrast, members of The Nation of Islam
go to temples, follow ministers, and read and
quote Biblical scriptures. More importantly, Is
lam is for all humanity; a person of any race,
ethnicity, social class or economic background
can become a Muslim. The Nation of Islam,
however, excludes all but black people.
Finally, Muslims believe there is no deity
except Allah and that Prophet Mohammed is
the last messenger of Allah. The idea that Allah
came to Earth as Fard Muhammad (or any other
person) is anathema to Muslims because Allah
is above all such human associations. Similarly,
it is outside Islamic belief to call any contempo
rary person a prophet, as Elijah Muhammad
claimed to be.
The beliefs and practices of the Nation of
Islam seem to be a mixture ofblack nationalism,
Christian doctrines, the original ideas of Elijah
Muhammad and some Islamic terminology
thrown in. They are not Islamic beliefs and
practices!
This confusing mix is only adding to Ameri
cans’ lack of understanding about Islam. Please
remember, Islam means “submission to Allah”
in Arabic. Only a person who actively works to
obey Allah can be called a Muslim.
All this is not to say that the planned march
isn’t a positive thing for African Americans. It
might well be. Just don’t mislead people about
Islam and Muslims.
KrisAyishaAl-Ghoul
GRADUATE
CELL BIOLOGY & ANATOMY
Walid Al-Ghoul
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
NEUROLOGY
'Sensationalistic' Focus Story
On Drug Use Was Incomplete
TO THE EDITOR:
The DTH’s sensationalistic Oct. 4 “Focus:
Drug Use on Campus” covered only marijuana,
alcohol and an ill-defined category, “harddrugs.”
Tobacco, caffeine, sugar and prescription medi
cines also affect mood, judgment and health.
Each of the three stories reported only the opin
ions of users and of experts on the damage the
selected drugs can cause.
No attempt was made to find sources on what
constitutes "wise use” of any drug. This infor
mation is readily available for alcohol, from the
same authorities who created treatment plans
for alcoholics.
Little information was provided on the range
of vulnerability to addiction. A family history of
offer a single, incre
mental step in a cor
rective direction.
On a large cam
pus like ours, per
sonal contact by fac
ulty with under
graduates does not
always come about
easily. On the one
hand, our chief aim
like that of the
most exclusive col
leges is to endow
our students with a
LEON FINK
GUEST COLUMNIST
love of learning and to endow them with the
tools to be effective and successful citizens. On
the other hand, we deal with many more stu
dents, including graduates as well as under
graduates, and our definition of education stresses
research and publication as well as teaching
responsibilities. Aside from the anonymity of
some big classes, the busy lives of both faculty
and students simply do not facilitate sustained
intellectual exchange between faculty and un
dergraduates outside of class.
Yet, it is exactly such exchange (as the small
colleges boast) that often means the most to
students in the long run. On the Chapel Hill
campus, therefore, we might well consider new
means to encourage greater interaction between
READERS’FORUM
The Daily Tar Heel welcomes reader comments and
criticism. Letters to the editor should be no longer
than 400 words and must be typed, double-spaced,
dated and signed by no more than two people.
Students should include their year, major and phone
number. Faculty and staff should include their title,
department and phone number. The DTH reserves
the right to edit letters for length, clarity and
vulgarity. Bring letters to the DTH office at Suite 104,
Carolina Union, mail them to P.O. Box 3257, Chapel
Hill, NC 27515 or e-mail forum to dth@unc.edu.
substance abuse, the experience of having been
raped or beaten as a child, or exposure to drugs
when very young or in the early teens are all
factors that make it more likely an individual will
self-medicate with drugs, legal or illegal, and
become addicted.
Tobacco addiction generally begins in the
teens, is harder to shake than heroin and causes
worse direct physical damage. The ability of
Washington, D.C., Mayor Marionßarry to work
for years while doing crack made it an open
secret that the same drug that will kill one person
in days or weeks can be tolerated indefinitely by
someone else.
In my life, I’ve seen coffee bring on panic
attacks in people prone to them, and sugar seem
to bring on episodes of depression. Yet I’ve
known people who functioned quite well de
spite, in my opinion, abusing marijuana or alco
hol.
The DTH story’s moral was: Students are
getting away with doing drugs! (But they’ll pay
later.)
Wise use of drugs is a more important topic to
address. Just as with sex, many will argue that
the wisest path is abstinence, and I agree in
principle concerning many drugs and many
people, despite my own cherished addiction to
caffeine. But guidelines to distinguish drug use
from abuse are available and should be publi
cized. I am disappointed the DTH failed to do
so.
Patrick Inman
GRADUATE STUDENT
HISTORY
Food Task Force Made Poor
Choices During Investigation
TO THE EDITOR:
It seems that every time Calvin Cunningham
opens his mouth, he says something short-sighted
or ignorant.
Now Cunningham has decided that Harvard
and Boston College are the types of schools that
should help UNC decide the fate of its future
food services.
With all of the low-cost, large state schools to
choose from, he has gone to two high-cost, elitist
®lfp Sailtj Car Hppl
faculty and undergrads.
Food for Thought is one such initiative. Briefly,
I propose the creation of a fund to be used for
luncheon appointments on campus between the
College of Arts and Sciences faculty and their
undergraduate students. With only a modest
incentive, I think that the program could make a
dramatic impact on the climate of faculty-stu
dent relations at once stimulating informal
intellectual dialogue and helping teacher and
student to better understand each other.
Practically speaking, a trial run for the 1995-
96 academic year should be capitalized at $ 12,000
as a minimal initial installment. We might begin
with a simple check off of designated FFT meet
ings at Lenoir Dining Hall. At the suggested rate
of $4 maximum per participant (including fac
ulty) —and no more than three students paired
with a faculty member at any one sitting we
will combine a tangible incentive with the larger
principled appeal of the program.
Altogether, the project would stimulate some
1,500 new conversations in the trial period alone.
More importantly, we will have said to students,
to faculty, to alumni and the larger public, that
Chapel Hill is a caring, friendly, as well as a
serious place to be an undergraduate. Isn’t there
a donor out there who would like to be toasted
thousands of times a year?
Leon Fink is the Zachary Smith Professor of history.
schools that are in an expensive part of the
country to live.
I could write pages about the ridiculous choice
of going to Boston and about the lessons that
Cunningham seems to have learned while up
there, but I will stop now and refer any interested
readers to the front of Monday’s DTH for more
information.
Brooke Small
GRADUATE STUDENT
CHEMISTRY
The Daily Tar Heel Should Not
Encourage Binge Drinking
TO THE EDITOR:
When I noticed Tejan Hichkad’s article,
“Drinking Games Liven Up Student Shindigs”
(DTH, Oct. 9, 1995), I was considerably sur
prised that The Daily Tar Heel was running a
feature story on this questionably wise cultural
phenomenon.
Was Monday a slow news day? Had this
article been bumped from Thursday’s “Diver
sions” section?
What about drinking games makes them wor
thy of third page news in one of the oldest and
most distinguished student newspapers in the
country?
Hichkad’s “journalism” almost reads like a
how-to book, with a catalog of current and “clas
sic” games. Do Carolina students really need
more opportunities and encouragement to drink
unresponsibly?
At a time when the University and the Chapel
Hill-Carrboro communities are still dealing with
the aftermath of a student’s death following a
drinking binge, I can’t see the logic behind run
ning without a single quote or comment regard
ing the ill-effects or potential problems of drink
ing games.
Even if binge drinking among students was
news, a responsible journalist would give more
consideration to other viewpoints and consider
the phenomenon in a larger context. Hichkad
does neither of these things.
I, too, thought that the “Century Club” and
“Hour of Power” sounded like a lot of fun a few
years ago. I didn’t have much to say against
drinking games until I spent time as an R. A. near
the end of my undergraduate years. Even then, I
looked the other way and thought ofbinge drink
ing as a part of the “spirit of the college atmo
sphere.”
This changed the night one of my residents
drank enough during an “Hour of Power” to
bring about alcohol poisoning. He stopped breath
ing in a pool of his own vomit and nearly died.
Not many people looked back on that night as
normal, good-spirited fun.
Any social event which focuses on drinking,
or any game which insists upon binge drinking as
its central tenet, is a nightmare waiting to hap
pen. Binge drinking is a sign of alcoholism,
makes you more vulnerable to rape and other
forms of violence, and might cost you your life.
We should all think twice about the “games”
with such consequences, and The Daily Tar Heel
should think twice about running stories like
Hichkad’s.
MatkSimjm-Vos
GRADUATE STUDENT
ENGUSH