Oregon Daily TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1994 diCMAtt 5>«lN(XtKr*tOIOIUUSIWAni>ttn>»»«) Many Interracial couples find that their relationships are often burdened by unacceptance of others. Interracial couples breaking stereotypes COUPLES: how they make their relationships work By Abe Estlmada 'nn ititi Oregon Daily Bmeraki Four years ago. Cleo Davis would have laughed if you said that he would («• going out with a white woman some day I didn't think that a relationship with a Caut asian woman could Ihi real." said Davis, who is black "I was prettv much against it [ here were rai ml ten sions at that time, and 1 thought that all white people were the same way When ho occasionally dated outside of his race, Davis stereotypes about Caucasians — especially about white women — were reinforced. "The stereotype was that (white women) will do anything to keep the relationship going. Anything. I said. they agreed with," he said. "You snap your fingers and tell them to jump, and they'll ask you, 'How high'' " he said. Then Davis met Mindy Myrick, who is white After being friends for one year. Davis and Myrii k began dating. He and Mvrick have been elating for three years now, and Davis' beliefs about whites have definitely changed. "I've learned to judge people on char acter. Davis said I thought whites had a destructive mentality Mindy helped me change those ideas So much for stereotypes Despite their color differences, Myrick and Davis — as well as other interracial couples — have helped chip away at the racial stereotypes and societal taboos that pro hibit members of different races from dating. The two also agree that |f an interra cial couple cannot compromise or if the relationship is not lmsed on trim love, it cannot stand the enormous pressure from family and friends who are some times reticent or even opposed to inter racial relationships Together with Myrick, Davis has bro ken what is perhaps American society's most potent social taboo — a black man dating a white woman — a taboo that extends its roots to the slave days of U S history and white racism's worst fears Davis believes that if a couple enters into an interracial relationship for the wrong reasons, chances are it may not last "Some white girls go out with blacks for certain experiences Some do it to rebel against their family. Davis said. "All their lives, their family makes them curious (about black men). Some (white I urn to DATING, Patje 6 NATIONAL All USSA accounts frozen FINANCES: investigation find', grounds for mismanagement By Edward Kloptenstem ( Vnyivi (Kilty l mtt'llk) Till' A SI 'Os finam >• i oordinator decid ed to freeze all «u i minis [or the limit'd States Student Association Momtav alter a pruliintnnrv investigation foum! grounds for finam lal mismanagement Tin* University branch of USSA. a national lobbying organization based in Washington. DC, allegedly overspent several thousand dollars on i onventions and several hundred on phone < tills while presenting no i lenr nianagenieut of those funds. f'rancis Neo. ASUO luitiui e coor dinator. said "fin freezing the USSA act mint until sin h a time when the Uw al USSA < hapter can provide a general sense of tlieir poli cies and procedures on funding, selection (of members and conference attendees) and general organizational procedures.'' Neo said. USSA Member Kris Cornwell, the USSA's public relations official, was not available for comment Monday, though Cornwell told the Hint-raid the group would issue a statement by Monday. I he Kmrmld has received no such statement In other news on the USSA, ASUO President Trie Bowen officially resigned from the organization, citing time con flicts with school "Any spare time I can find in my sched ule I feel 1 must spend completing my school work and thesis, or 1 fear I may jeopardize my graduating on time in June.” Bowen said in a Teh 3 memo to USSA "I believe my responsibilities as a student and as ASUO president must take first priority." Concerning USSA's account, only about $2,000 to $3,000 is left to freeze, meaning that the group has spent nearly Si.3,000 of the nearly $lfi.000 it received so far this school year The group received a $10,000 budget for tins year The ITC also approved in October a special request for Sfi.HOO. Asked if withholding such a small amount was a negligible punishment, Neo said it will especially have an effect on the organization's future programs Turn to USSA, Pago 4 Students and Emerald board discuss coverage MEETING: Groups hope to improve paper's coverage ot minorities By Julie Swensen Kepresontatives of Universi ty student organizations spoke to the Oregon Daily Emerald Board of Directors at <i special meeting Monday night in hopes of improving the news paper's coverage of minorities on campus after they felt earli er appeals to the newspaper's editor were unsuccessful. Kevin Washington of the Black Student Union outlined suggestions to the Board, including sensitivity training workshops for employees and actively recruiting underrepre sented groups on campus to lie staff members He suggested that the Board sponsor annual Turn to MEETING, Page 4 GOOD MORNING p University president Myles Brand and athletic director/head football coach Rich Brooks will announce the largest single donation in the history of Oregon athletics this morning Brand and Brooks will talk about the significance of this major gift, and the importance of private support in the Athletic Department 'A gift of this magnitude shows the tremendous confi dence Oregon supporters have m the athletic department and the University," Brand said HIGH ’O 35 l O v 20' p- An Explosive Disposal Unit Irom Eugene arrived on campus Monday responding to a false bomb alarm An unnamed professor received a suspicious looking package at the Energy Studies in Buildings laboratory in 102 103 Pacific Hall and contacted the Office of Public Safety at about 2 00 p m . said Carey Drayton, director of OPS Drayton said the professor believed the envelope was sus picious because there was something round on the inside that appeared about one inch high and three inches in diame ter The EDU found it necessary to blow up the package to discover its contents. The package con tained only a key left to the pro fessor from one ol his students who was working on a project at the professor's home. Drayton said