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