Editorial
Girl wrestler victim
of sex discrimination
Delena Garrelts will appeal a decision that prohibits her
from joining the boys’ wrestling team to the Springfield
School Hoard tonight. The decision, made by Tom Houston,
the district's director of education, was based on a district
policy that prevents girls from competing in contact sports.
Because there is no girls’ wrestling team, Garrelts
should be able to compete with the boys' team. She is a
qualified wrestler; the only reason she is not allowed on the
team is because she is female. This is blatent discrimination
and should not be tolerated.
Unfortunately the argument cannot be this simple. The
issue of men and women wrestling together and the
possibility of reverse discrimination also must be
considered.
('.ranted, the psychological factors involved with boys
and girls in a physical sport such as wrestling are strong and
can intimidate participants. But Garrelts is willing to place
herself in that position to prove her abilities. Her male
counterparts should understand this and compete to their
fullest abilities.
Co-ed wrestling is bound to be awkward, but Garrelts
should not be punished for wanting to participate in a sport
she is good at. especially on the sole basis of sex.
Some, however, may believe this is a decision by excep
tion. and an age-old double-standard comes into play. While
it is considered appropriate for a female to fight for her right
to play on an all-male team, this same courtesy is not extend
ed to a man wishing to play on a women’s team.
Ideally the same rules should apply — men should be
allowed to crossover to women’s teams and women to men's
teams.
Others argue having a man on a women’s team will
make the team more competitive than having a woman on a
men’s team because the man is physically stronger. This
may be true, and if male domination of a female sport ever
becomes an issue, we have no choice other than to resort to
the former segregated policy.
Aside from this argument is the real economic problem:
high schools cannot afford to provide boys' and girls’ teams
for all sports. It is unfortunate, but true.
High school sports are designed to allow everyone in
terested a chance to participate. However. Delena Garrelts is
being denied this chance because of the physical differences
between men and women. Essentially, she is being punish
ed for being female.
Ducks earn respect
in successful season
The Ducks' 44-0 win over the Oregon State Beavers
Saturday was a well-deserved end to a successful season.
This year's football team has worked hard and it was
reflected in their games.
There were many highlights that added to the excite
ment of the season. Although support faded when our winn
ing streak dwindled, it was important the Ducks end on a
positive note and prove the the initial success was not just a
fluke.
Coach Rich Brooks and the football team should be com
mended for their hard work and effort to give the Ducks an
identity and some respect.
Letters
Ban drug testing
.Some of the finest people I
know on this campus are
athletes Your Nov 16 article on
drug testing made me seeth
with anger at the degrading,
brutalizing, and insulting pro
cedure the Athletic Department
wants to inflict upon them
I teach at this university.
Teaching is a more important
activity at a university than
playing basketball. Therefore, if
I used illegal drugs, it would
reflect more negatively on the
University than if an athlete did
so. But no one has asked me to
undergo any kind of drug test,
let alone the disgusting pro
cedure the Athletic Department
has suggested. If someone did
ask me to take such a test,
without having reasonable
grounds for suspicion. I would
tell him/her to go to hell.
The driving force behind the
Athletic Department’s
belligerent policy seems to be
the pretentiuus Idea held by
some department officials that
the University is represented
primarily by its athletes. These
officials, you will recall, are the
people who told us a while ago
that if the University stopped
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competing in the Pac-10 athletic,
conference, our academic
reputation would suffer (along
with Chicago, MIT, l^al-San
Diego, and |ohns Hopkins.)
This mistaken notion supposed
ly justifies singling out the
athletes to be treated like con
victed criminals But a universi
ty is not represented by its
athletes. A university is
represented by its graduates
Stan VerNooy
GTF, Math
Explanation
There is a logical explanation
for the state board's action. All
one needs to examine is the
question of whom out there is
supporting the board in its deci
sion to weaken the University.
In order for the board to main
tain its position in the face of
such a strong and unanimous
outpouring of praise for Presi
dent Olum. there must be con
siderable interests somewhere
else who are backing it to the
hilt.
It is no secret that the politics
and sentiment of most of
Eastern Oregon. Southern
Oregon, end much of the coast
and valley are more favorable
toward Oregon State Universi
ty, with its orientation toward
agriculture, foresty and
engineering.
So for decades our school has
been the Cinderella of the state
university system, making do
with less money for facilities,
salaries and athletics, while
OSU and the other state schools
got the bigger share.
Under Oium's leadership,
this has been turned around. As
our advocate, he has fought for
and won greater funding as well
as increased help from private
and business sources Faculty
excellence and enrollment are
at all time highs. Our recogni
tion as a quality institution is
growing yearly. We have finally
arrived at the ball and our ugly
stepsisters have become jealous!
OSU's president, for one. tip
ped his hat on television Thurs
day when he smilingly praised
Olum. but declined to support
his wish to remain until the job
is done. In the competitive
world of state funding, the other
teams would love to see our pit
cher permanently retired. He’s
been an ace.
The Board's flimsy ‘just
because’ rationale is an insult to
the entire University communi
ty, but its apparent real reason
is a far greater insult to itself.
Gregory Howard
Geography
Replace Olum
The supporters of University
President Paul Glum claim that
”he has made this University
what It is today." (ODE, Nov.
13). If this is true then I call for
his immediate replacement.
For has he not created the
atrocious enrollment overcrow
ing problem — so acute that a
stroll through campus often
resembles an afternoon in mid
town Manhattan?
Is this the man who is respon
sible for the hiring of faculty,
now including a professor who
frequently arrives .no’ riated.
another who is con stoutly
late, and yet anotl **r a foreign
language instru lor. who
prefers conversing in his native
English?
Is it Dr. Olum who has turned
the bookstore into one of the
largest giftshops in the
Willamette Valley? (Hint: to
find the books, walk in, turn
left, go up the stairs, then turn
left again.)
Can we thank him too for us
ing University funds to rent
hotel rooms for the entire foot
ball team prior to every home
game?
If Dr. Olum is indeed respon
sible for the current state of the
University, then why on earth
does he have so many sup
porters? The answer I fear is ob
vious: He also created an anti
intellectual student body.
Daniel Monk-Kowalsky
Student