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*. Da*<d Crwt*onmwiu Jay%or .kuvtry Riven
jH 'vwn • Koapp^ng A l XM ► *<.*>« >or Co****
Copy I drtora Dan | \ „■ » -«) Magor P»uOtr» *0 \or S^.’aM ' a Ka**-> .Vw»-'•>*>
Photogr aprtars So« No»*cnar- ’ at* ^ rxtiu
Oath room Tachrwoana S ^v> a Bo*.a K a •« .. .» go' Mar Mew t *«c UfDga**' toAJ
W .1 - \
Adtadtsing »».»•• «*» Sc..*- Dana l «•- « f •» {’«v*J ‘.a . «* Jo-v'-'o' m » . V ■
,1 k •> ■ I > *■ i ut* ' a•+»*- Moy*a Dw%!-n Siifc-5** V-* Toi> 1 Srv-i' V<v.’
Classed Doggy IA . Kt.*u*j*r A - a ,.»««; *»'/ -
M ' y ■ a'tfc> * ,*" • ••>*» J<t)f i
Production g*«j W •> •’%*».* '*» Av1 «»■ <i > u •-« >**.*,■ : kk
M -*» .«* w Mo and „>«* W ;»**" A » . «*;.••*«* -•■ .'« • '«■- v .to
Ganaiai Managar »N **.•'
Adv#ftt»ir»g Dtr«<-tO' t . ■* .
^wnoooi M6S511
Butwura* Oft»C# 146-SSI?
►'roouciton M«r\*g*r M
Dismay Ad«*riia<ng
Cla»*rti*cJ Advartttmg
146 371?
146 414 3
“ CIVIL
DISTURBANCE
EMERGENCY
PLATITUDES
BREAK GLASS
WATCH LIPS
rA-i' .
'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