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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1992)
EDITORIAL Banner vandals need a slap on the wrist The right to protest is constitutionally guaranteed, but that right doesn't exempt a protester from the con sequences of his/her actions. Pamphlets, sit-ins. petitions and rallies all fall un der the vague guidelines of “protest." So does breaking a window, or for that matter, tearing down a banner. When certain politically minded students on April took it upon themselves to rip down a University banner, a message was sent. Yes. the University’s re cord for helping minorities can l»e called into question. And ves. vandalizing the banner did point that out. However, there was a slightly more rancid message sent: that some people who possess worthy goals will use alienating tac tics when the whim strikes The people upset with the banner had a right to protest Hut instead of channeling their efforts into a more positive action, such .ls lodging a complaint with the administration or demonstrating, the banner van (ials i hose tulip rt down and talk about it afterward In n tew strokes ot ii s< issor blade, the group managed to turn off .1 seg men! of tin' population who orb nariU would have been attentive to their goal Hut the action simple vandalism spoke louder than the message In the end, their ac turns were unproductive The banner folks hase oer tainh drawn attention ~ most ot it negative The frustration minority stu In a few strokes of a scissor blade, the group managed to turn off a segment of the population who ordinarily would have been attentive to their goal. (lent-* tret is u mlcrstamlamr. nut mat ooesn I rM usi' destruc tive behavior If you want to play, you’ve gotta pu\ Anri most likely. the banner vandals will pay Ihe incident is being investigated under student conduct code statutes The offenders c ould far a* anything from a reprimand to an expulsion. Assuming the banner-rippers .ere guilty, the pun ishment should fit the crime Expulsion or even sus pension would be .in overreaction. A reprimand per haps probation — and paying for the banner seems an appropriate sentence. Hopefully, something can be learned from this. Perhaps the group can meet with the banner-makers, and together they can come up with a sign that would reflect the mixed cultural background a University ed ucation should present. Work toward a positive goal, not a mindless mob tendency to destroy something ice cause you don't agree with it Destructive1 action is never the answer Oregon Daily Emerald PO 80*1 is* tUGIMtOfU CON 0*03 T Owjon [)»‘» | .is {H£> Oil * Ur.|.1j fu«* W *Xx* ,»*.t Tu*ni«y »».J Ifn.-SKlay during ',*m «►*>"* *■«.- &y '■'* Outgo- Da -j j merafcl Pu&*«C g Co Inc a: Urwwrvty 0» Ottgoy l O*ugo’ lh«» t opoa-'u* oi adh o^om at K>0 O' I ft) Mar"O' al a il & a '^*k',Cxk o' "hi \sv* .iiad !*\# | t p'-va;* propaKty Tn« tn*’- 'move or of * p'u>Wi»..v*«£»*» Managing t drtor i diloiui I ditor Graphic • f ditor f ntartanvnanl f d«tor i dftor tn Cht#f PH3 Urtik f l ayn# i Cfv<VO(>ft«r 0W» ’ Nswt E drtor E ddonsl E ddor Sports Idflor In Touch f d*or Nignl t ditor N»" Bounaff Don P«ter» JdM* B«rg K4fco f r%&r #r Studant Govarnmanl AcIivMmm DaraJyn Trapp** Community TimNoP* Mighar f ducatiorv Administration Cams Dsnnott f aaturaa l Aa U Rsportsrt Tammy B«!«> M.vxty Baucis*. 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'1 AV1 r Group eases life for its members THE FINE PRINT Vl’M.'i.ViMivri C ( H innnt Sin johnsi in [ht Solin' Sh.i room uhoi .tin t n '• .s ers tHM- I.UIy kin vs s i das H 1.11 k mi i, : !.• vs iinrii it iin-11 days cis at' lunm hs Just about Ml il othft. so t Ill-Si lit11* to Siiiv comments bounce ; .. • ■ ‘or! ios Simple . :. ragement plass .1 krs part as reassuring I hat s Oh, hones is [i.ivsi-d around the room \ i; i ■: i* . -. .i liiii , - a- v du knovs tlii-v vs it! ti. si - t ioss Hii'U r« spi-i t for each olhei is some thing I h.ivr hesei tumid ,iii\ where else Ihe minting centers on cur rent i-vunts and social issues that could tie important tor a group sui h as the IIW A to sup port New ideas uhout he trig part of a type of big sister pro gram are tossed around and people express interest Ihe upcoming dance is a tug lopii Being a freshman at the t m sersilv. i am fair game to just about every organization dying to increase its enrollment When /.een.ih and another member of the 1H\ A asked me to )cnn their group. I thought it would be a great ss.is tor me to learn more about blur k women and boss thes feel about today's rai ml issues and life in genera! Ms dad is blai h and ms mom is while 1 svent to school m HI infra, an almost all sstiite com nmnity. and never innio into contact svtth or learned much about blai k culture Never real Is having had a black female role model, or known any blai k female lor that matter. I thought that this group could tie a good thing for me burns out it ss.is The group an epled me as a true sister, de spite the lad that I could proba bis [iass lor Hispanic Don't get me ssrong. 1 accept ms while culture It's nisi that I already knoss a lot about that European history svas the utils thing tlies taught at ms high school You could sas I sstshed my exposure t<> both cultures sv.is as ! :i mi t j as the even, brown tone of ms skin Ms w isti lor tin- presence of a b!.i. ► : ..:!r n-ir model was giacm.t thiough tiio HWA men ii ■ :)..!• • Wong, tfii- lInisiw ts f.irnu r affirmative action i! r in: i ,iiss In.1 U • ish, .iiIs is it .iml .ii I in issi uns counselor. i ■M. : i' I, i Ii , . .issisl.in 1 iliri i tui of admissions Thu mentors serve us u sourt. (.i inform.ilion about curtent I'sents that hindi'r ru I ; , ■ ■ : i.i. ’ \ A I; ill tilfin .in* la Ei: . . r ss |!tin : .linpus and til r. 1 os ti us'.ird issuus we t un el ti. : iii■ !«*nii or support .is hlat k ss. i men I ties know much abi>ut the In.stnrs 1 1 Black jsitij * 11■ anti the k.inis nl uuiistu.v Uh-s have on dot. .1 l hi strength urttl wis lion, i in them uii' things 1 vs.m! ti sofmidus has i' fur ms suit \gi ami experience have ai tossed the mentors to form strong views about sshul needs to hr done to support the i on II n u.it inn ol racial aqua Ills Hus sets an example for how ssi*. as black women, can con tinue to do this when our turn i ilines Although the l Tils rrsits does nut base i lenuieii hi.ilk worn an professor, sshuli the HU A would most definitely like to see these women hast- served the group ssell in providing a positis e influent e Z.eenub said the HWA has re cits ed criticism because it is separate from the Women's (a'liter .1 Ilsi the Hl.uk Student I moil I feel tills position IS justified lu'i uuse students are really mi k ol seeing their moil ev used to start up new groups that art alsvavs winning lor of fit e sp.u r. a phone ,111(1 Other sih h privileges However the HW \ is not uf ter office space or lls own phone A desk in the HS1 suits them just fine and serves its purpose When broad groups ol people are forced to work together, of ten the goals of ouch are ham pered by differing interests, and the specialized needs of the members are not met Like Z.eenab says "We have a different agenda I do not condone separatism, but I think tii.it diversity would only hinder, not help the HWA ! know I wouldn't have gotten what I wanted out of the BSl if while women or black men were part uf the HWA You could say I wished my exposure to both cultures was as balanced as the even, brown tone of my skin. \ prime example of the nrc.il .'ceil tor hi.u k sisterhood yvis the story if ho vs U V\ A was founded Winter term of last year, ahiiUt 15 him k women vvcti mterestml in her omlng part of a group that would sup port them They thought .1 pre dominantly Mark sorority would hr the answer to their problem and tried to raise mon ey so they could heroine part of the sorority In the process they Sounded the IIWA Since its founding, the group lias done many things The Af rit.an Nmerican Caucus in ()i toiler brought hlai k students to gether to tiisi uss rai tal issues To help support itself fin.in ( tally the HWA jointly spun sored .1 dant e with the Alpha Kappa Alphas, a predominantly blat k sorority , and are now planning a semi-formal dance May Hi at the liUhl! build mg at 8 p ill However, the group is limit etl by its he k ol funding anti would accept financial (racking se members t an attend a ton lerence tor Women Leaders on Campus ' m Washington, 1) C The HWA also planned a re treat so the members could spend more time planning the tiance anti better organizing their records lor next year's group Tonya Menetee, a HWA founding member, explained why she helped start the group When the group started, we wanted to focus on making blat k freshmen feel comfort able because some of us had hail had experiences, ami we didn't want them to have the same.1' Menefet* said I think they did a good job My treshman year has been pretty good, ant) I know it had .1 iol to tio with tiie acceptance and t ulture the HWA has given me Vf.i/idy li.tu'. urn is ,1 student m:tivitien reporter lor the Lrner ald
