EDITORIAL ‘Sex’ sells; library not buying University students' right to have Sex in the library has been unjustly abridged. A University librarian made the decision not to buy Sex, but did so arbitrarily and with no real exper tise in the subject matter — photography. If you haven't figured it out by now. the subject here is Madonna's book Sox. and the issue is whether it should be purchased by the- Knight Library. When the library makes a purchase decision, it first seeks the advice of experts in the subject area. If the book is about economics, University professors of eco nomics are asked to evaluate its merit; if it's about rocks, geology professors take a gander, and so on In the case of .Sex. the appropriate experts would have been photographers and experts in popular cul ture. Hut no expert was ever consulted. Rather. Assistant Librarian Cheryl Kern-Simircnko saw the book on display in a bookstore in Palo Alto. Calif., thumbed through it and decided it lucked artis tic merit. Good enough for government work. Kern-Simircnko said the photography was "pedes trian. at la st." The question is not whether Madonna s l>ook has artistic merit — that's for the exports, who were not consulted, to decide. (The Emerald contact**! several University photographers and art faculty, but none had seen the book and could not comment.) The question is: How many other books have been kept oft library shelves because one person didn't like them? University Librarian George Shipman was not in formed of the decision until contacted by the Emerald Shipman said. "Madonna represents something of our era that people want to study ... but we don't see the need to purchase the book, apparently." Apparently. .S'f.’v i.s a spiral-bound book and. if purchased by the library, would need to be rebound. Kern-Simirenko said the quality of the photos doesn’t justify tin; expen diture of getting the book bound. And just exactly how much i.s that expense? Well. Kern-Simirenko doesn't actually know, but she's sure it would fie too much. The book itself costs between $;tr> and $50, de pending where you look. Considering the number of books in the library that have never even been opened, much less checked out. spending perhaps $100 on a book people will open seems to be a good investment. Tin- library carries other sexually explicit material, most notably Playboy magazine and books by the late, and still controversial. photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (all of which are checked out or miss ing). and the IMC carries a video titled Radical Sex Styles, so the issue of library-sponsored censorship doesn't seem to exist. Kern-Simirenko justified her lone review by {mint ing out there have been no specific requests for the book, and therefore a formal review was not required. However, at an institution of supposedly higher ed ucation. the main library should not need to wait for requests to purchase books but rather should be- aware of the needs and wants of the University community. Oregon Daily Emerald Edlor Enn*ou Co«oy Aodonkon f* O 0O13'V9 lUGiNt OH4GON9M03 Tha Oragon DaPy I marMd * putkahad daily Monday ThrouQh f nday during tha achoot yaat and Tuanday and Thursday during ina aommar By ina Oagon Daily E marotd PuBtahmg Co Inc. at ina Umvanay oi Oragon. Eugana. Oagon tna ( marak] oparoti* mdapandantly ol tha Unrvareiry wan oHioaa Suarnmanf Aitvaaa Daratyn Trappa. Comtnu nay. Conaan I hying, raghar Educaron rUnanatrarun Naara Sun Cnaatar Allan, Mandy Baucum Man Bandar Juatm Brown. Sarah Clara. Mag Dadotpi Amy Datronpan Amanda Eanaa. Aitoa larran. laa liaggarty Taraaa Hurtamgar liaa Knaaur. Damian Mctaan Slava Mima Tttlra Muanar Ktm Nguyan Tnaia Now E Kan Shaw Mr haw Shmdiar. E nek Studaracaa. Mar on Suitor Mcnaia Tnompaon Aguiar Amy Van Tuyl. Todd Wdiama. Jacpuatoa Woga Haatnar Abauar Ganar al Man agar Judy ECad AdvartMng Oiractor Bryan H Coppadga Production Managat Mchwa Moat Advarttamg Shawn Barron. Scott Dana. Jann tw Huouna Jana Irola. Cnn» Kano”. Tom laach. Jaramy Mason. Gdhan Oh. OuMrt SiaOw Sharon Va/. Angw Wtndhatm Claaallad l*aggy McGinn. Managar Barry lagan Sharon Sauva. Suaan Updagra” Dial nbut ton Maborca Btoofcv Knui Van Gordar Anthony Wynn Strain***: Kathy Carbone. Swporvatsr Judy C-onooay Production Ingnd Whrta ArxJUclMn CcorOknany Knaitna Grangar. Daa MtvoOB. Stacy Mtchan. Janmfar Mound Janrwlar Smith. Anna Slaphenaon. Daratyn Trappa Newsroom_Md-SSIt Diaplay Advaniamg _ Md-1712 Buawaaa Otflca.M4-5S12 Claaallad Adrsmaing ME-tMT mxruii The truth livery man is not .1 potential rapist. Trying to protect the safely of the individual, wheth er it lie .1 woman or a man. is a truly noble cause However, all such efforts are fruitless unless they are based on one thing the truth Kerry Pasche Eugene Doctor trouble I am writing on Im-IkiII of a follow student corn erntng her deplorable treatment at the Stu dent Health Center A lew weeks ago. she was strut k on the head by a bottle thrown across the room at a party She awoke the next morning diz.zv -11111 nauseous, with blur ry vision and -1 headat he A friend, realizing this woman hail a com ussion. brought her to the health t enter in case any treatment besides rest was net essary The dot lor, informed of the symptoms anil their cause, asked the student when her last period hud been, insinuating her dizziness and nausea were caused by an unknown preg nancy. He then proceeded to question the student in an in terrogating fashion, suggesting her problem was caused by coke, pot or simply too much beer He brought up the possi bility of her symptoms lining psychosomatic, suggesting if she disagreed, they could pro ceed to Sacred Heart for $700 worth of examinations This kind of treatment is an outrage Had the doctor known the symptoms only, his ques tions may have been legitimate However, the doctor's ques tions and attitude were both in sensitive and demeaning The student left feeling victimized — angry at the doctor's treat ment. angry at the health center for employing such a doctor and angry with herself for put ting up with such disrespect. She is not alone. I have hoard of other students receiving si milar treatment, and I urge all who have to step forward. A systematic approach of disre spect should not bo tolerated. Aaron Sllvarman Undeclared Prevent Every 23 minutes a person in the United States dies as a re sult of an alcohol-related accl clout Last yt'iir, morn than 75 percent of all traffic crashes on New Yoar’s Eve/Dny wore alco hol related This is n prevent able t v Together we cun make a dif ference Take* the pledge to not drink and drive! during the holi days lining .1 student tnvsell. i know belter titan to ask you to give money, 1 only ask for your support Please taker a minute to sign a pledge card and drop it in a collection box at one of the fol lowing locations Hamilton or Carson dining halls, near the KMli fishbowl, bv tite indoor librars entrance and in Oregon Hall lor each pledge made, a red rihhon will he added to a tree near the Hull ('enter Drinking responsibly could save you a lot of money (DUlls are very expensive) and time (holidays should Is- spent with family, not in jail). Most impor tantly. it could save lives And it doesn’t cost you a dime Please sign a pledge card today Anna Maria Dick Projact Eugena Tragic lesson We are all members of the same human family and thus deserving of the same measure of dignity and respect in cluding the two people whose bodies now lay in the Klamath Hull physiology lab and the young woman who apparently committed suicide Monday. Nov 16. Perhaps she had lost all sense of connection to the human funilly and with that all sense of purpose The two people decided to give the gift of their own bodies to students they could never know, probably with the hope thut human welfare might be advunced. They had names, al though their names are not known to us. They loved. They were loved. And they are pro foundly deserving of dignity and respect. I hope the instructors and students in the physiology lab — if the Emerald story was ac curate — will accord the bodies entrusted them with the pro found dignity and reverence they deserve. To do less de bases the gift these two fellow human beings have given, and to make one life cheap is the start of devaluing all life. In my vtow, our campus newspaper has participated in a terrible cheapening of human lifu. I felt an assault upon my own humanity, and ! was dimp ly saddened at the gross disre gard for thi' dignity of three hu man beings that was demon strated by the placement of the articles, the tone of the stories and the photographs shown in the Nov 17 Emerald I hope there is something to hi learned from this tragedy as well. Brent Mallinckrodt Associate Professor Counseling Psychology Cry wolf again Humans are once again try ing to play God in one of the last remaining wild plains in the United States The Alaska Department of fish and Game on Nov 17 decided to resume a barbaric and illogical practice of shooting hundreds of Alas kan gray wolves in order to up set the predator-prey balance in favor of moose and caribou. The plan is a five-year pro gram designed to eradicate wolves in u 43,000-squarc-mile area between Anchorage and Fairbanks. Many biologists have deemed this proposal a "very dumb mistake." Dr Gordon Haber, a wildlife expert on wolves said, "The decision is bud biology ull around, almost Insulting from a scientific standpoint." Other bi ologists have pointed to histori cal disasters, such as in Yellow stone. where these very same misguided "management” tac tics have destroyed entire eco systems. The premise of this program appears grossly illogical be cause intact ecosystem relation ships are what keep herds healthy, not artificial interven tion schemes. Anyone who ever plans to travel to Alaska has the right to see and hear a wolf in the wild; it is an unimaginably wonder ful experience, one that has touched my soul The 7,000 re maining wolves in Alaska are fleeting symbols of our lost wildness. Killing these animals so mercilessly would be a trage dy und a crime. People who wish to express themselves about this issue should writo, call or FAX the governor of Aluska, Walter Hickol, (907) 465-3500 (ask for the governor), FAX: (907) 463-3454, or write to. P.O. Box A. Juneau, AK 99811 Andrew Fischer Environmental Studies