EDITORIAL IFC action justified; court has last word The Incidental Fee Committee, notorious for its lack of focus and direction this year, took a bold step toward returning credibility to the group when it ousted Chair man Steve Masat Friday. Masat, the only mumlxir who would have returned next year, has been a disruptive influence on the IFC alloca tion process and student government bs a whole Mis attempt to expand his power to micro manage the EMU is directly responsible for the administration's decision to remove the EMU's budget from IFC control. The EMU's budget is S2.2 million, about one-third of student incidental fees. Hopefully, the administration will consider the IFC’s removal of Masat a sign that the committee t an onc.« again Ire trusted with the EMU's bud get Evidence of Masat's disruptive influence on student government was made glaringly evident at Monday's IFC miM'dng. which began with Masat and Student Insurftrnt oditor-turned-Masat-attack-dog Jason Moore deriding IFC members with personal abaci* and innocuous cries of injustice. Jackie Gibson of the Mediation Program tried her best to maintain a sense of order at the raucous affair, but was hopelessly ineffective between two sides that refused to compromise. In fact, it took Officer Otis Scarborough of tho University Office of Public Safety to clear the room, including ejecting Masat. If Masat were interested in swing justice, he would take his complaint to the ASUQ Constitution Court. Howev er. justice is not tho issue here — rather, power and one person's self-serving agenda are the driving forces at work. If Masat truly believed the committee's decision was ille gal. he wouldn't be so frightened to have the issue ulti mately decided by tho Constitution Court. The confused tag-team of Masat and Moore attempt ed several imaginative interpretations of IFC rules, the ASUO Constitution and Robert's Rtilos of Order to jus tify tho ever-changing foundation for their claims of injus tice. Waving Robert's Rules like a flag. Moore attempted to toll the IFC that tho book of suggested parliamentary pro cedure superseded the committee’s own rules. Then he and Masat attempted to get the IFC to declare tho Con stitution Court's lifting of Friday's injunction prohibit ing tho ouster of Masat to bo illegal. Near the end of Monday's meeting. Moore presented the IFC with two memos from the registrar's office stat ing constitution court members and third-year law' stu dents Paul Loving and William Portello are not current ly enrolled. No kidding. Law school ended more than a week ago. No law students are currently enrolled. Moore intended to suggest the two court members did not havo the authority to lift Friday's injunction, issued by Justice Michaei O'Leary. However, the ASUO Con stitution states a court member's term expires upon leav ing or graduation from the University. Thus, tho question is not whether they are enrolled. It's did they graduate and what is their current status with tho University? I.aw school grades are not official until June 1. Also, if the justices owe the University any money, does the Uni versity consider them "gone"? Anyone who has dealt with Oregon Hall's collections department knows the answer to that one. But regardless of any action taken by Moore. Masat. the IFC or the current Constitution Court, the final decision will bo left to next year's court. In the moantimo, Masat should accept his current fate until a new court can be appointed and rule on the issue. Daily PO CIO* IUG€N€ O«luON»740J To* Oregon Oaky f merald a puftkihed daily Monday through Friday during the tchooi and IjmiMi and Thor idly dur.ng the w«w by the Oregon Oaily Emerald Pudunmg Co me af the Univortvty of Qegon Eugene Oeg»' The fmer#d operate* independent!, of fhe lln;v*t»e> with office* of Su«e 300 of !h# t rb Memorial llrwyt and m a member o< the Aaaooaled P»e*» Th« l me>ak) a private property Th* unlawful remove oi u*o of paoer* a prosecutable Oregon by l*e New* Editor Editorial Editor Graphic* Editor Entertainment Editor Editor Pat Uafacn Jake Berg Freefone* Editor Martin f aner Editorial Editor led Palley Sport* Editor Freya Horn Supplement* Editor Night Editor Paf Maiach Mandy Baucum Ftrver* 0an»*en Dave Cherbonneau CaSey *nd*r*cm Associate Editor*: Tammy Bate, Sfudenf Qoytmmtnt Actrf es Oaraiyn Trappe Conmunay Cefleen Pohtg. Eegner foUaehcvv A»»runi*trafion New* staff Cheater alien. Man Bander Ju*hn Brown Sarah Oar* Meg OecKuph Amy Oevenport Jen t -ion Amanda Forme Anthony Forney Hem Hog*. T*re»a Hunt»mgei Rebecca Mem It Sieve Mm Katy Mem. m Tiffm Moaner Tr,«a Noel Men Shae E"C* Stodenoia Manon Si;tor. Randy Th-eben MT a Mfste iwketm w&te. 0e not &NNY wise *md RxiNy fcousM W$T£ NOT WMiT NOT, i AIWAT£ Sat - k Rwt k*D mis noneT a*t 5oon FfrRiViNfo aswcm iNTWfeS#yt^N*Ne TAKE OKt OF TME RNNIES AND TMt &-jU>*$Vl3E Jf TWENStiVES NO COMMENTARY Definitions absent from debate By Eric Ward Brian Hoop and Jonah Booksiem hn movement at the Uni versity for a revised rat e. J_ grander, ami non-European requirement has lieen derailed Lost amid the squalor of divi sive debate on the subject of the new requirement lias been a vision of our long term goals The intention of the supporters of the proposed revision was to implement fundamental curric ular change designed to incor porate the complex realities of race and ethnic: relations in the United States Hope that our academic com munity could come together on this important issue vanished in a flurry of i ritic isms on the cost of the requirement, a debate on anti-Semitism and the political nature of the proposed require ments. Absent from this discussion about racism and anti-Semitism were concrete definitions What is the nature of racism ' What is race' What is anti-Semitism' What do we mean when we say something is multicultural? Progressives, people of color and Jews themselves have diffi culty answering these questions. We as a university community must reexamine the process by which our goal can be achieved We have come to the conclu sion that we need a requirement that focuses on systems of oppression in the United States on the basis of perceived biolog ical differences, bow and why these peoples face oppression and how that oppression is secured by political, cultural and economic systems. A buffet style multicultural framework — where studunts study another culture, gender or people in on effort to create a tol erant society — does not fon.e us to confront racism and anti-Semi tism. Classes that study the contri bution of African-Americans or other oppressed peoples are fine for a new and improved Ethnic Studies department. But we can study African-American history and still be racists. We can study Jewish cultural symbols and still be anti-Semites The liberal posi tion — opening yourself to other cultures — is not even a first step to understanding racism. Because of our failure to rec ognize that multiculturalism does not address racism oranti-Semi Usrn. those who wished to flee the arena of discourse were able to force a wedge between Jews, white progressives and |>eop!e of color Racism and anti-Semitism are different than multiculturalism Racism involves having the pow er to carry out systematic dis criminatory practices through major institutions of society and by individuals tiased on skin col or. Anti -Semitism, like racism, has long been ignored and denied by most segments in American soci ety By anti-Semitism, we mean, "the systematic discrimination against, denigration, or oppres sion of Jews. Judaism and the cul tural. intellectual and religious heritage of the Jewish people" (I^mter 1902). Like racism, anti Sumitisin can lie subtle or overt In the United States, anti-Semi tism has historically taken the form of Christians referring to Jews as “Christ Killers." institu tionally denying college and uni versity access to Jewish people, blaming all Jews for the policies of the slate of Israel, believing that Jews have some monolithic pow er to control society, and most pertinently, continually placing Jewish people in the middle of struggles of power fietween those who have real power and those who do not. This pattern of anti-Semitism tainted the last University Assembly debate on the proposed revisions to the Race and Gender requirement at the University. When faculty rightfully raised the concern that anti-Semitism was not being properly addressed, this handed the mainly white fac ulty another convenient reason to avoid complex dialogue on racism in the United States. The net result : we once again scape goated the Jewish people Whether by conscious intent or naivete, the issue of anti-Semi tism was an effective barrier to establishing a serious commit ment to racial and ethnic dis course at the University. This does not mean the ques tion o.er anti-Semitism is not legitimate — but some who raised and supported the subject did so only to keep the Univer sity in the academic dark ages dodging issues of racism and eth nic oppression. We all need to educate our selves. We continue to limit debate on racism and anti-Semi tism around the issue of who is able anil who is unable to assim ilate. voluntarily or involuntari ly. into the dominant white cul ture. Instead ive must criticize that system which forces people to abandon their ethnic cultures. Within the redefinition of our goals — to create a more tolerant society — must be a clarification of the terms we use to describe our identity groups Jews are a people, not a race. African-Amer icans are a people, not a race. Peoples share common histo ries. language, cultural similari ties, ties to ancestral lands and sacred myths. By defining Jews. Blacks, Chicanos, Indians, Asians, and Arab-Americans as peoples, we embrace a group in their entirety and refuse to use purely superficial, biologically false models. The call for a revision of the race, gender, and non-European requirement was only one seg ment ot a multifaceted approach to implementing comprehensive change. No one supporting this effort over assumed changes to the requirement would be a solve-ull solution to each stu dent's indifference to racial and ethnic conflict in the United States The requirement is only one step in a wide range of insti tutional change needed to com mit ourselves to combating sys tematic racist oppression in the United Slates. Included in the original goals were 1) a fully funded Ethnic Studios department with ten tenured faculty members; 2) increased recruitment and reten tion efforts for hiring of faculty of color and faculty in Judaic Studies; 3) scholarship and sup port programs for graduate stu dents of color; and 4) an Inter disciplinary Curriculum Development Institute to collab orate faculty expertise on new and existing ethnic studies cur riculum. Both the struggles for an inclu sive curriculum and a require ment that specifically addresses racism and anti-Semitism are essential. People of color, Jews, and white progressives must refuse to lie drawn into the ideo logical battle with faculty who are afraid to move into the 2tst Century, clinging to the old laws of racial discourse where "minorities" enter at the back door of the house and Jews are convenient scapegoats when things get too hot in the kitchen. Brian Hoop is a member of the Student Senate Eric Ward is a founding member of Communi ties Agonist Hate loriah Book stein is a member of the fewish Student Union.