10The Daily Tar Heel Thursday, March 3, 1988
2 latlg afar nn
96th year of editorial freedom
KATHY PETERS, Managing Editor
Karen Bell, n -s Editor
MATT BlVENS, Associate Editor
KlMBERLY EDENS, University Editor
SHARON KEBSCHULL, State and National Editor
MIKE BERARDINO, Sports Editor
Kelly Rhodes, Arts Editor
Jean Lutes, Editor
JON RUST, Managing Editor
KAARIN TlSUE, News Editor
AMY HAMILTON, Associate Editor
KRISTEN GARDNER, University Editor
Will Lingo, aty Editor
LEIGH ANN McDONALD, Features Editor
CATHY McHUGH, Omnibus Editor
DAVID MINTON, Photography Editor
Listen to the real experts
Black Student Movement leaders
made headlines this week after holding
"a press conference about low gradua
tion rates of black students at UNC.
The statistics they cited could easily
be described as shocking. The five-year
graduation rate for black freshmen
entering UNC has fallen from 55.6
percent in 1974 to 45.6 percent in 1981,
according to a report compiled by the
UNC Office of Institutional Research.
The graduation rate for white students
over the same period has remained
close to 75 percent.
Given such figures, it's hardly
surprising that black enrollment at
UNC has steadily declined since 1982.
Officials have cited the decreasing
number of black high school graduates
as one of the major reasons for the
drop.
Placing the blame for minority
enrollment problems on factors that
administrators cannot control is a cop
out. Efforts to recruit more black
freshmen must go hand in hand with
efforts to make blacks who are already
here feel more comfortable. And the
blacks on this campus have voiced
legitimate concerns about the Univer
sity's sincerity in such efforts.
When the Black Cultural Center
planning committee was established in
1984, the administration took a
positive step to "represent a continued
commitment of the University to
enhance the multi-cultural dimension
of the campus. "
Four years have passed since that
proposal was made. This week, the
BSM leaders held their press confer
ence in the Black Cultural Center as
it now exists a glassed-in room
across from the Student Union's
television lounge. As BSM President
Kenny Perry said: "When a black
cultural center was first proposed, we
had no idea that our University would
close off a vending area, install carpet,
put up blinds and call it a black
cultural center."
Administrators could respond that
planning a cultural center takes careful
consideration, but they must realize
that Perry's remark accurately reflects
how black students feel about the BCC
and the general attitude of UNC's
administration. Although officials
must be applauded for their willing
ness to research the proposal, the time
for research is over.
The lack of progress with the BCC
is not the only reason black students
doubt the administration's commit
ment. The recent departure of Asso
ciate Dean Hayden Renwick, who
served as a counselor for many
minority students, has further dis
tanced them from the administration.
A qualified administrator to replace
Renwick must be found soon.
The University and the community
must work harder to accommodate the
black students who come to UNC.
Students, faculty and administrators
shouldn't need a press conference to
tell them that. Black freshmen today
can't afford to wait four years for the
University to research their problem
UNC's minority students are
already experts. We just need to listen
to them. Jean Lutes
Super Tuesday not so super
This Tuesday, 20 states will hold
presidential primaries or caucuses to
decide roughly one-third of each
party's delegates to national conven
tions. The big thing about this Tuesday
is that an unprecedented 14 Southern
states will hold their primaries on the
same day.
Southern political leaders hoped
Super Tuesday would be the South's
friend, giving the region's voters a
more significant voice in choosing
presidential nominees: Iowa, New
Hampshire, wham-o Super Tues
day. Although it might work to the
South's advantage, the nation's best
interests could be compromised.
The greatest problem with Super
Tuesday is the implausibility that any
candidate will bring a majority of
delegates to his party's convention.
Only two widely acclaimed presiden
tial contests occur before Super
Tuesday Iowa and New Hampshire.
Any serious contender for his party's
nomination had to campaign in those
states. Obviously, this gave those two
states a vastly disproportionate influ
ence on the presidential race.
However, Super Tuesday creates a
new problem. By virtually ignoring
Iowa and New Hampshire, the
Tennessee-born Sen. Albert Gore's
campaign can rely on a purely regional
base to ignite his campaign. With a
strong showing on Super Tuesday,
Gore along with other Southern
based candidates could pick up
enough delegates to evenly divide a
field of four or five Democrats at the
Atlanta convention.
This will force candidates to make
power plays during the conventions to
gain votes needed to win the nomi
nations. Coalition-building and back
room handshakes will probably tip the
balance to one of those candidates.
Super Tuesday's size is also a
problem. Because the candidates will
have to cover 20 states in a short time,
only those with the biggest war chests
will be able to survive. These aren't
New Hampshires, either we're
talking Texas, Florida, the Carolinas
and others. For instance, Sen. Paul
Simon, who made decent showings in
Iowa and New Hampshire, was forced
to pull his resources from the South.
His campaign contributions would not
allow him to cover so many states at
once. And Simon is an established
candidate; perhaps many other poten
tial candidates decided never to risk
running due to the obstacles Super
Tuesday posed.
Advantages and disadvantages will
exist in any primary system. Super
Tuesday is a regional creation designed
to produce nominees reflecting the
South's ideologies. Tuesday's primar
ies may work to that end, but they
may not be worth the price. Stuart
Hathaway
CIA protests slighted law students
As the president of the Student Bar
Association (the student govern
ment at the law school) and a UNC
graduate student for four years, I was
outraged and disgusted by the harassment
of the CIA recruiter last Tuesday.
Every person has the right to express
his or her opinion in a peaceful and
constructive manner. This right to protest
and educate has been widely recognized
by the University, which has allowed and
often supported protests on a wide variety
of topics. However, the right to present
one's point of view does not give a person
authority to force another to accept that
viewpoint. What gives the CIAAC the
authority to tell a fellow student with
whom she may or may not interview? The
administration has acted much more fairly
and honorably than the CIAAC in this
regard.
Perhaps this is because the CIAAC has
digressed from a true educational protest
group to a self-centered media campaign
designed to propel a small group of
students into the spotlight. Their crude and
sensational tactics focus more attention on
what they do rather than why they do it.
Fasting, throwing rocks, spilling paint,
chasing recruiters in speeding cars and
eating breakfast in the Law School lobby
does not explain or prove CIA violations.
I must also protest the shoddy reporting
on the issue by the DTH. The DTH has
Lisa Rice
Guest Writer
continually downplayed the extent to
which the CIAAC harassed Mr. Moffet
and violated other students' rights. More
accurate accounts had to be obtained from
the city newspapers.
Furthermore, the DTH has done a poor
job of presenting the law school's opinion
on these events. First it refers several times
to Kenneth Brown as the dean of the law
school, though Brown resigned from that
position last November. Next, the article,
which was supposed to present the opin
ions of the general student body, only
quotes one first-year law student, and
focuses entirely on his comments regarding
the administrators' actions, completely
ignoring strong concerns over the cancel
lation of interviews. Such an article,
describing the general opinions of more
than 600 students, should cite a represen
tative sample of first-, second- and third
year law students. The DTH did try to
contact me, but did not allow sufficient
time for me to receive the message and
respond to it.
I have spoken to many law students
regarding this matter. I think I would be
correct in expressing the general opinion
of law students as the following:
B They support the protesters' rights to
express their opinions in a constructive and
reasonable manner;
B Many question and are critical of
certain CIA tactics;
B Most recognize that the CIA is a
federally supported government agency,
and therefore not illegal per se, having
every right to interview on campus;
B Most feel that the interviews should
have taken place at the law school, where
proper security measures could have been
taken; however, they can understand
Acting Dean Ronald C. Link's reasons for
acquiescing to the CIA's request for off
campus interviews;
B The majority believe that every
student has the right to interview with
whomever they wish.
The law school students respect the right
of the protesters to express their opinion,
but will not allow them to violate the rights
of law students by preventing interviews.
They also do not believe this issue should
be ignored or dropped. Therefore, their
concerns and comments have been for
warded to the dean of the law school so
that appropriate action can be taken.
Lisa Rice is a third-year law student
from Latham, N. Y.
Clip-n-Save
trite, snide
To the editor:
I am writing in reponse to
the first entry of the "Clip-n-Save."
I was shocked at what
I read. I did not catch the
supposedly "funny informative
clever" writing it self
advertised. All I saw was a
vicious and cowardly personal
attack on Jim Surowiecki, the
author of the Non Sequitur.
What are you going to do for
an encore, print a doctored
photo of Jill Gerber with a
mustache? I would not be
surprised.
The Non Sequitur was
exactly that: a column that was
different in style from the rest
of The Daily Tar Heel. But this
does not mean that it was
irrelevant. Maybe the Non
Sequitur was not the usual
trendy commentary, brimming
with nifty snide comments, but
it certainly was not a waste of
time to read.
Admittedly, sometimes I did
not follow all of Jim Suro
wiecki's literary allusions, but
more often than not, I was
moved by the romance and
pure idealism of his writing. His
characters were sweet and
sensitive, able to escape the
harsh realities of an often
tedious everyday life by their
overwhelming love for every
thing natural and innocent. I
find it comforting that some
body thinks sensitivity is still
important. Jim Surowiecki
writes beautifully, which is a
rarity, particularly in the DTH.
Before the author of "Clip-n-Save,"
comfortably sheltered
by anonymity, starts ripping
into Jim Surowiecki, maybe he
or she should prove himself or
herself. Let's see what literary
merits the "Clip-n-Save,"
which, by the way, sounds like
a coupon booklet from Big
Star, will bestow upon the
DTH. From its less than illus-
trious beginnings, I doubt the
"Clip-n-Save" will enhance the
DTH at all. If this new column
is self-promoted as "with it," I'd
rather be without it.
ZANDY HARTIG
Sophomore
English
Don't bury
MIA issue
To the editor:
After four years at this
University and two years of
service in the United States
Army as an infantryman, some
one has finally stepped over the
line and prompted an editorial
response on my part. To leave
the MIA issue behind ("Leave
MIA issue behind," Feb. 29) is
to leave families forever in
turmoil over the fate of their
loved ones.
The issue has nothing to do
with military intelligence; most
soldiers (including myself) had
no idea what was going on in
their own company, and had
no valuable long term informa
tion. Nor is the issue political
blackmail; the Vietnam War
proved to the world that its
opinion mattered very little to
these people. Blan Holman is
also incorrect in assuming that,
if any MIAs do remain alive,
Vietnam is keeping them hid
den for fear of a military
reprisal on the part of the
United States. Maybe I'm get
ting old, but I seem to
remember that the United
States bombed the stuffing out
of that country for 10 years
without gaining much influ
ence. The MIA issue is still an issue
for today would it be an issue
for you if a family member
disappeared in a country at
war? Granted, life goes on, but
would you kindly not have Blan
Holman bury me until I'm
dead?
LEO YAKUTIS
Senior
History
American Studies
Take pride
in condoms
To the editor:
I like condoms,
doms. I support
I wear con
condoms. I
think condoms are great, dont
you? You should. Condoms are
great. Condoms are good.
More condoms less pseudo
morality. Scott Williams and Ana
Khan ("Let's bring back mor
ality," Feb. 25) have a "strong
moral foundation" that is char
acterized by "scorn" and "dis
grace" for anyone who does not
embrace their narrow-minded
condom-less view of the "fallen
society." But it is easy to see
that condoms are just a red
herring. Promiscuity and
homosexuality are the real
targets.
The reality is the disease. The
reality is that condoms are the
best practical alternative avail
able, while the "revival of
morals and standards" that
Wallace and Khan call for is
nothing short of an inquisition.
The evil they see in the condom
is nothing compared to the evil
I see in their pride. After all,
a condom is a condom is a
condom.
KARL FATTIG
Graduate
Romance Languages
Eat-in celebrated racism
bigotry
I Gip-n-Save-
Fires rage from the ruins of exploded
ideals and ravaged values. Smoke billows
from the ashes of corrupt policies of leaders
bereft of morality and without a trace of
humanity. The scene is strewn with twisted
perversions of ethics, and the last light of
justice is setting on the horizon. This is the
state of our national conscience.
Out of this gruesome scene emerges a
lone figure. Through the dust and smoke
rides a hero of the oppressed the
Protester. It's not easy for our hero,
trying to fit protests, classes and buying
sprees at local flea markets for used-yet-fashionable
attire into hisher daily
schedule.
But now, McDonald's fast-food restau
rant chain will carry the fight for truth and
justice to people everywhere. With the
purchase of a regular-size fries, Big Mac
and shake, you can receive your very own
McProtest doll. No other cost is involved,
but you do have to sign a petition sup
porting a local left-wingtip cause.
Mattel Toys has expressed interest in the
forthcoming McProtest doll, and plans a
whole line of related toys targeted at
replacing the violent He-Man-dominated
market. Now, instead of playing "He-Man
battles Skeletor," children everywhere can
play such fun games as "Chase the CIA
Recruiter." Down the line, Mattel also plans
a Build-a-Shanty construction set, a Chain-o-Pack
with instructions on how to chain
oneself to radiators, and a Red Dye Marks
the Spot board game.
A Panache reporter (known in literary
circles as an oxymoron) caught up with a
rowdy group of fanatics at a recent protest
to get their reaction on the products. "Hey,
hey, ho, ho, we think it's pretty sweet, you
know," they chanted.
So don't just sit there drinking your
morning coffee or nodding off in class
rush down to the McDonalds nearest you
and be the first person on your hall or in
your apartment to take a McProtest doll
home. Remember, this offer is for a limited
time only.
As a member of CGLA, a faster in
the CIA Action Committee and a
co-organizer of the recent Kiss-In,
I watched the Eat-In on Thursday, Feb.
18, from a unique vantage point: I was
the only active member of all three groups
that were targeted for attack. From this
viewpoint, 111 attempt to communicate my
thoughts and feelings on the Eat-In and
the socio-political context from which it
evolved.
The facts of CIA-sponsored atrocities
are well-known and well-documented:
Anti-Castro insurgents trained in Guatem
alan camps by former Nazi SS veterans
recruited by the CIA; CIA-financed
Argentinian training camps at which urban
terrorist tactics and torture methods are
taught; CIA-prepared assassination man
uals; drug trafficking.
As for the rights of students to become
involved with the CIA, I have as much
respect for this right as I have for the legal
"right" of North Carolina citizens to
discriminate against me as a gay person
and the "right" of North Carolina hus
bands to rape their wives. The right to
exploit, violate and degrade is not a right
at all, but a state-sanctioned crime.
The CIA's atrocities are not committed
in a political or social vacuum; they are
manifestations of institutionalized male
violence, which is the very backbone of
American culture. It should be obvious
that the historically white male power
structure is in place only through violence
Steve Sullivan
Guest Writer
or the threat of violence: genocide of
indigenous Americans, slavery of blacks,
slavery of women, violence against lesbians
and gays, economic exploitation of third
world people these are not isolated
instances of violence, but are, in fact,
evidence of one giant Western disease; the
lie that men, white men particularly, have
the right to use and exploit the planet and
its inhabitants for selfish purposes
"prosperity."
The Eat-In was certainly a celebration
of prosperity: well-fed, well-dressed, well
groomed, well-educated white heterosex
ual males gathered together to eat and
affirm each other's role as rightful inheri
tors of "the good life" at the expense of
every marginalized, trampled and despised
people who have suffered to uphold their
standard of living. The event was, it seemed
to me, redundant.
The Eat-In linked three seemingly
isolated events the CIA recruitment,
CGLA funding, and Jesse Helms' AIDS
amendment into one event. I, as well,
recognize these three events as woven
together; all are results of male violence,
bigotry and hatred. But the similarities in
our vision end here. I'm working for a
world where human need bypasses human
greed, where people are not violated in
order to benefit the elite. The people who
"Ate-In," however, seemed to absolutely
glorify their consumption, in spite of the
fact, or perhaps because of the fact, that
others were going hungry (me, for exam
ple) before their very eyes.
The event served as reassurance that
there are in fact still a number of men (with
a few hench-women thrown in for decor)
who are willing to sell whatever vestige of
integrity, fair-mindedness or compassion
they may have had left for a few pieces
of free pizza.
By fasting, I said with a rage born out
of self-love and love for humanity: "I will
not harm you or attempt to degrade you,
you who have degraded me and my sisters
and brothers, all the various despised
minorities; but neither will I accept your
violence any longer." By naming my
oppression as a gay man, and by naming
the violence of the CIA, I'm sharing
something with my community that is
usually left nameless. This is not "moral
blackmail," it is my experience. The
response to it has been one of great ugliness
and lack of compassion.
Steve Sullivan is an Evening College
student from Chapel Hill.