OPINION
Student union forums open to all people, even ‘whiteys’
OK. lot's review the defini
tion of a forum, shall wo
A forum, according to
Webster's New World Diction
ary, is "an assembly, program,
etc for the discussion of public
matters."
Especially note the use of an
important word in that defini
tion: "public."
Last week, an Asian- and I’a
ciflc-American Student Union
member gave one of my report
ers a flier about an Asian/Black
Relations Forum. Silly me. I ac
tually thought I was a member
of the public. I also thought the
groups who sponsored the fo
rum would appreciate a story
about it It) inform people who
couldn’t attend
Boy, was I wrong. Before the
so-called forum, Mike Kim, a
Korean Student Association co
director. said he intentionally
did not inform the media lie
cause he wanted a selective
group of people to attend
To keep the group selective,
Kim circulated the fliers only
among Black Student Union,
Korean Student Association
and APASU members. Kim ap
parently didn't think about the
Asian-Americans and African
Americans not associated with
these groups who might want
to attend.
A Chinese-American woman
said she attended the forum lie
cause she believed it would be
a "safe place” (or her to voice
her concerns She said she felt
uncomfortable with me in the
room.
Apparently this woman
didn’t know a forum is a public:
meeting If she wanted a "safe
place,” she should have stayed
home In bed with her door
locked
Yes. 1 do admit I'm a member
of the media Rut that doesn't
mean I'm a psychotic maniac
just waiting to gun her down
I reassured the1 woman I
would not quote her if she
didn't feel comfortable being
quoted. But this was not good
enough for her She suggested a
vote on whether they would let
me stay
I was hoping the vote would
not be in my favor If they had
voted that I should leave, I
would have made It very clear
to them that I wasn't about to
budge an inch. But alas, the
vote was a tie and Kim, bless
his heart, was kind enough to
let me stav.
Tim Gleason, a journalism as
sociate professor who teaches
Mass Media Law. said the three
student groups were not break
ing any open-meetings law in
attempting to close the forum
However, “it violates the spirit
of an open forum to not let a re
porter attend," he said
Although those at the forum
didn't violate a state or city
law. ASIJO President Bobby
Lee said they did violate the
ASUO Constitution by attempt
ing to oust me
"They can't do that," Lee
said ''The groups are paid by
incidental fees A forum is gen
erally for anyone who wants to
come, and 1 stand by that It's a
different story if those groups
want to meet at some liar, hut il
they want to utilize University
facilities, you can't exclude
someone bused on race or asso
ciation
The ASUO Constitution con
firms what Lee said.
"The ASUO affirms the rigiit
to ail individuals to equal op
portunity in education, em
ployment and act ess to inci
dental fee-funded programs and
their funded activities, without
regard to race or any other
Yes, I do admit Vm a member of the
media. But that doesn't mean lfm a
psychotic maniac just waiting to gun her
down.
considerations not directly and
substantially related to offer live
participation." says ASUO Kx
ocutivn Kult! H'2 2
The only exception to this
rule, Leo said, would hr if I vs,is
considered a "threat io some
one's life " As I mentioned ear
her. I don't carry any weapons
The only sharp objects I carry
are pens
Ironically, half of the people
.it (hr inerting w,intuit to keep
run out so they would foci com
fortable How comfortable. 1
wonder, will they feel when
they realize people are reading
about their disregard for ASUO
guidelines
The woman who lirst sug
gested I leave did not redeem
herself during the rest of the
meeting She referred to while
people as vvhtleys, which
spurred >i halt-hour discussion
on her use of the term
Most people at the meeting
found thi’ term "whlteys" to he
incredibly rai 1st The woman's
reasoning was people have
been using the term for veers
Well, some people somewhere
probably still use derogatory
terms aimed at AfrU an-Ameri
cans and Aslan-Amertcans
One Korean American male
said the way to end M( w;i Is
for all rai es to work together
And yes. I believe he even
meant white people or
should I say "whlteys."
Tammy Uahty is an associate
I'dllor lor Ihr Kitiorald
136E 11th • (near Willamette)
342-3358
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