EDITORIAL
Request for office:
Is it discrimination?
For the second time in as many weeks, a battle for
office space in the EMU has uncovered the undeniable
discriminatory motives of a student-funded organization
on campus. This time, the villain is radio station KWVA.
The victim: all women everywhere.
Mow dare the upstart station suggest that a neighbor
ing women's bathroom bo converted into office space?
The more suggestion indicates a deep-seeded hatred
toward women and their excretory rights. It's a traves
ty! How could the EMU Hoard even consider such a bla
tantly anti-feminist proposal?
Although KWVA argues that the bathroom is hardly
ever used, the fact remains that it could ho used bv any
woman on campus. That bathroom represents more than
8,000 people so what if only the tiniest pen outage of
those people actually make use of the facilities:*
The true motivations behind KWVA s claim are
proved by solid evidence: some bathroom patrons claim
to have overheard KWVA staff members telling a joke
about the station being the "Male student union " The
ta/lwtlf* ctnm U of wnmnn-h/iImu
ATTENTION: This has been a tost of the emergent v
satiro system. This was only a test.
Of course, KWVA cannot be fairly act used of woman
hating, just because it has asked for permission to con
vert an infrequently used bathroom to office space. The
request was made because the station has outgrown its
existing space and needs to expand. That's all.
Similarly, it was also unfair for the Oregon Commen
tator to be accused of racism when it made a request ear
lier this month for additional office space. Its proposal
would've moved the growing publication into the joint
office of four student unions — the Muslim Student
Association, the Japanese Student Organization, the Iran
ian Student Association and the Singapore Student
Association and moved the unions into the piano
room, larger than the Commentator office but smaller
than their previous accommodations.
Officials from the student unions described the
request as an affront, and at least one was offended that
the proposal was oven considered. The only affront that
could've occurred would have been if the EMU Board
had refused to listen to the Commentator just because
some people think it’s racist.
There is hidden racism, sexism and other forms of dis
crimination on this campus, and everywhere. No one
can dispute that. However, the acknowledged existence
of such discrimination doesn't mean accusations of dis
crimination should be thrown around lightly. It is a seri
ous charge, and it is used too often.
Whatever happened to "the benefit of the doubt"? It's
getting so that people are considered guilty of discrimi
nation until someone proves them innocent — as if it
was possible to prove it, one way or the other.
The case for discrimination must be supported by
more than a simple request for office space. If the charge
is dispensed too liberally, then it loses its punch. And no
one stands to gain from that.
()r< i>on Doily
Emerald
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2A Oregon Daily Fmet a la luesday FuDruary 22 i99u
OPINION
Tonya could have rocky homecoming
RobbikRkkh.s
on\>1 Harding is ai the
Oregon somehow deserves to
have a couple of weeks where
Tonya will be out of the state,
thereby possibly freeing up the
front pages of newspapers for
other news
Hut she didn't leave quietly.
Thousands of Portlanders bid
Tonya goodbye, hoping she
would get the gold medal.
Although Tonya isn't consid
ered to be thu frontrunner for a
medal in the Olympics (they
haven't got an event involving
creative assault as of yet), it
would be nice if Tonya got a
medal. For that matter, it would
be nu e if everyone got a medal
at the Olympics
However although Tonya has
gone to Norway the Tonya sto
nes |ust keep on coming
On the Sunday before she left,
lunv.i joined friends and went
to a i Inin ti in Portland. She told
the priest that she wanted him
to pray for her when she skated
at the Olvmpii s, ami she gave
him the dates The priest then
told Tonya that she was skating
for Christ now and to do a good
job.
I didn't know that higher
beings took sides in the
Olympu s I guess that Tonya
just needs all the help that she
i an get
Speaking of getting help.
Tonya is getting support from
another favorite person of mine.
Sen Hob Packwood.
While addressing a group in
Medford. Pat kwood said that
“the press has convicted her,
and that isn't fair " Pat kwood
dei lined to talk further about
the implied disparity between
Ins (.ase and Tonya's.
This brings up an interesting
point Who will hurt who more7
Will Bob's support of Tonya
hurt her. or will Tonya's alleged
antics hurt the senator7
Actually, probably neither.
Nobody hut columnists seem to
care about these things
And Tonya Harding isn't the
only one making news in Lille
hammer these days.
Nancy Kerrigan, in a very
thoughtful way. called a news
conference in Norway to tell the
news media that there was more
to the Olympics than the Tonya
Harding fiasco, and that the
press should perhaps i over oth
er Olympic stories as well.
Ironically, Kerrigan's well
attended news conference (sev
eral hundred reporters attended
the meeting in a room that
looked bigger than a stadium)
coincided with the opening cer
emonies to the Caines, with a
corresponding lack of coverage
Way to go. Nancy!
I hope that Tonya does well at
the Olympics I really do Seem
ing that it probably is her last
shot at a gold, it would be nice
to see tier accomplish her
dreams while she still has a
chance to
There’s also another reason
why she should really enjoy
Norway Her life is likely to be
a living hell once she gets ba< k
to the states
While the lawsuit that would
have kept Tonya from going to
the Olympics has been dropped
(in return for Harding dropping
her multimillion-dollar retalia
tory lawsuit that would have
kept her from being dropped), it
is still possible that she can tie
charged by either state or feder
al officials.
Officials in Portland are still
investigating the allegations that
are flying around, and a trial
still mas' he forthcoming. In fact,
a grand jury in Multnomah
County was hearing more wit
nesses regarding the assault
Maybe if Tonya is charged,
there could lie a big party when
she returns from Lillehammer
There could be a crowd at the
airport in Portland, with big
"Welcome back, Tonya" signs
Then, the district attorney could
hand Tonya her subpoena,
maybe with a few balloons
attached for good measure and
fun.
I'd bo there, and 1 have the
feeling that I wouldn't be alone.
Somehow, Tonya Harding is
one of the I setter tilings that has
happened to the Olympics in
the past few years She has light
ened things up a bit. Sure, felo
nious activities aren't exactly
what Olympians are supposed
to be striving for, but the come
dy has certainly interested a few
more people in the Games than
would normally cure (like me)
Of course, as Nancy Kerrigan
pointed out, there is a lot more
to the Olympics than the Tonya
and Nancy story, and the media
should try to cover as many of
the stories besides the Harding
controversy as they can. After
all, the Winter Olympics only
happens once every four years
(Hut then again, how often are
we fortunate to have someone
come along like Tonya?)
Go for the gold, Tonya.
Believe me. we ll be watc hing.
And. for that matter, waiting for
you to i unit' back home.
Hobbit• Beeves is a columnist
for the Kmcmlil
COMMENTARY
The Oregon Doilv Emerald welcomes commentaries from the
public concerning topics of interest to the University commu
nity. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for
length or style.