EDITORIAL
MEChA’s message:
Intimidation works
()perating under a charge of "insensitivity.” the Inci
denial Fee Committee decided last week to grant a lft
percent increase to the budget of MEChA, the Chi
cano/Eatino student union, it was the full amount of the
organization's request.
More than 40 MEChA members attended the March
t mooting, when the 1FC reconsidered the student union's
HM14-95 budget request. The I EC had already approved
the increased budget at a meeting on Fob. 1H, but later
voted 5-1-1 to reconsider the budget, concerned that some
IFC members particularly Kris Cornwell — felt "bul
lied” and "intimidated" when they initially voted in
favor of MEChA's request.
Cornwell was called "very insensitive” by MEChA
member Andres Montoya when she questioned whether
the student union deserved a 1(> pen ent increase, and
few, if anv, of the other MEChA members present at the
meeting disagreed with Montoya's choice of words
Whether V1h( hA was entitled to a 1<> percent increase
i a mattet for debate, but it is not the issue here I'he
issue is whether it was appropriate for Cornwell, or any
IFC membei. to be a< r used ol insensitivity, merely lor
questioning a budget increase.
I'he 1F<, began this year with a pledge to not raise inci
dental fees It will probably renege on that promise, but
in the meantime, any and all increases that are proposed
to the committee should be seriously questioned For this
reason, it was not unreasonable for the IFC to vote to
reconsider the MEChA budget. It doesn't matter how enti
tled the MEChA supporters feel to additional funds What
matters is whether the IFC members made a decision
based on logic and facts, or one based on intimidation
and charges of "insensitivity.”
It was not insensitive to raise questions about the
group’s request. That is the IFC's job.
It was also not insensitive for Cornwell to move to
reconsider the budget, nor was it insensitive for four of
the other IFC members to support her motion. If a deci
sion was made hastily, it should be reconsidered. Deci
siveness is a virtue, but it is not as important as making
the right decision.
The problem that surfaced in the wake of this con
troversy is one that appears with disturbing regularity.
Those careless charges of racism and insensitivity have
no place at an IFC meeting. They serve one purpose and
one purpose only: to intimidate, (tailing someone a racist
is a character attack it is not an argument to justify a bud
get increase.
As for as MEChA is concerned, it all worked out for
the best. Upon reconsideration, the IFC reaffirmed its
original decision to grant the organization its full 16 per
cent increase, although only three of the IFC’s six mem
bers in attendance voted in favor (two were opposed, and
one abstained).
The ultimate decision to grant the full request may,
unfortunately, send a message to other groups about
the use of intimidation and character attacks as bargaining
tactics. In essence, the message is this. Such measures
may not be subtle, but they are effective.
Emerald
PC BOUttt EUCfNt 0«t&0N*r*GJ
The rVfV-v’ Da v f me* aid •* put* shed da»Jy W >'vlay !hrrxigh f miay dunng tb«* vrfuxW
jf’.r and Tuesday and Thursday du* g the *• by the Oregon Da » \ meraid
PutxjhinnC. ir-. ,i' V ril'^^vViHK^-' t t>«gw
! Ke / mend'd ope'Htes J«?pend©ntfy ' tf>« U,vwvty •r ’1, off- « i*f bwrte V* >* the
f't M«) 1KW'.«4 U- and s (I <• omber » the Assooafed P*ast
t me-.i*.* s i>-' vain ivoperty Thr .. aw* •»*<"•• -•& ■•-*• >* pape'% i ; -.-%«*• fat '•
Managing Editor
Editorial Editor
Graphics Editor
V reelance Editor
Editor-in-Chief >»• tw- j
«•, a >»• . Sports Editor
\i.<j’»* Editorial Editor
■**ff i'.ifj I, Photo Editor
X*" »\ •** Supplement* Editor
Night Editor B.v.e* ’at* >'.i
Jet* PtcfcMtfdt
*.<« h.w* Sr )‘t*'
Kay Sole
Associate Editors I Jv. .i : Kiopf «*'»*** Sfixfcr?* ikvc- • c*1! A.r r'-w Hat**- ‘ Me*" V
Commwrvify Ju!t* Swensan »*gh«r t Ji* at>oa Acfm.'ys.,fat>or
News Staff M.r <jy D.t :um. hr, Bw. *>, a !e A *on Ch*' Dave Charbo-- ' eaw Am,
• fumtxj. J«m Daw* Meg Oado*(V- Ary Oevenport wa Echevama Ma>*a * **d» Wa ’
i *h©e Sarah Mar*** so” Heathen* EArve* Ym l eng l ©ong. Many* Mel and Tnsta Noe'
Elisabeth Raenstfama Rottve Raev©*. l a Sak *x«a Scott Simonson Stephan* S**on
Su*4-'« Steffens Ju>t© Swenten M« here Thompao - Agu*ar Kev»n Tr<>p, Amy Van Tuyi
[)a m West
General Manager Judy <Wf
Advertising Director Ma > WaVer Production Manager M '*<*© Goss
Advertising: H'an Daw*. Sub- Dufta N. e Her/mark Te«esa Isabel*© J*H M,v
Jere—, M»-. • Mk hat* M eft© Kv fa«N T-.;' KeH.se> We*e
Classlftad: tVv:*iy Me ham. KU .*jt* V v ' Mt* a S,-* T/e 'oo
Distribution Andy Et«vve> .".^n L - g (Vaham S- • ; s n
Business KaV'y v itwne S.-p*rv**.v • ty t ■ ■■•"'*’■.'"'v
Production I*© Mo'.Ot' »•- V,,’-." i '.Wdm.i.v- SM* \* A:>v.. . Vi eg P**VO * I I
».*uftne> Brad si Sta. > M ’•• ’y? Jr - '©r Ho a >d. Natl Thangvijif tee
Newsroom J*to-5511 Display Advertising W6-37I2
Busmes* Office 34^-5512 Classified Adverlising 346-4343
r
you KELP voor
A/ANDS TD yoUPSLLF,
SE^ATo# PACKWOoD'
. j f>vrj 7u% o
DIMCS1 £>/ARy n
I
H£LP'--~ i®.
_U23
LETTERS
Massacre
The slaughter of innor <*nt civil
ians during prayer, unarmed and
unaware, feeling sei lire as they
an* in the service of God, comes
as a i omplete shix k This is not
the work of one lunatic as the
media is trying to present; there
were actually several soldiers
involved
If there is any claim to juste e.
then let it he seen now When a
state is involved in covert oper
ations it is not regarded as ter
rorism. hut when an oppressed
victim stands in the face ol a
tyrant he and his kind are inline
dmtely branded as fanatu s. fun
damentalists and terrorists II
fighting against injustice takes
this forms, then it is an honorable
duty
It is easier to condemn people
like Saddam Hussein who com
mit atrocities against their own
people, hut it is harder to accept
that he — like many other tyrants
in the Muslim and third-world
countries — is sustained and kept
in power by Western govern
ments. vs ho are preaching dema
racy on one hand and being dis
couraged on the other hand (like
111 Algeria s (it'iniK rate eiot nuns
nn Islamic party won)
It is the duty of all humans to
light against injustice and to
tuai h intolerant e and l>e able to
coexist with all people of the
world In the nearly 14 centuries
oflslnmii history Muslims have
i oe\istod poamfully with all |m»o
pie, esjHs uilly the lews who werv
being perset tiled m Christian
lands and fleeing to Muslim
lands Not once have we wiped
out people because of their roll
gion or race, rather we have lieeii
the y ictims ol genocide from the
Spanish inquisition to present
day Bosnia and Palestine to name
a few Today our reward for tol
erant e is intolerance
Nawab Chakaar
Director
Muslim Student Association
Save the seats
I'd like to take some time to
comment on the editorial by
Steve Mims iOI)l Feb -IK! con
turning the student seating at Ixis
ketball games I think Mims is
exactly right
Coach Jerry Green inherited an
ailing basketball program, a fix
er-upper He took limited
resources, and he did the best he
could with them And what has
he done? He's got a team with
some talent, a team that is win
ning some games, and a team that
is playing top-10 teams very well
lie's got a team that students are
excited about and ai tually want
to go out and watch, not to men
tion stand the entire time and
si ream their heads off like Ians
are supposed to do Green asked
for support, and he got it
What I don’t understand is
where the athletic department
gets off telling student that they
have to sit down so paying cus
tomers can see fusing cus
tomers'’ Hey. Brooks, each one of
the students is paying $1,000 to
$3,000 a term (plus an addition
al $-' a game) to stand up and
si ream at Mac Court We are the
paying customers, and we will
do what we wain wny i an i we
have the so-called "paying « us
turner's escorted out of their seats
for not standing up and showing
support for the team '
1 personally think Brooks just
doesn't want the basketball team
to be more successful than the
football team I r an see it on Ins
bored fat e during the basketball
games and 1 r an |ust tell he's
thinking, How could 1 get this
many people at the football
games'” It's called excitement,
Ku h People are getting sick of
your lhtrd-and-10 draw plays
Keep up the good work, ferry
We ll i freer for you1
Ryan P Kahn
English
Call Brooks
Our fine basketball team, lead
by coach Jerry Green, fought the
ninth-ranked University of Ari
zona to the wire in a great game
Unfortunately, a large portion of
students were removed from
their seats in the student section
to the top balcony of McArthur
Court.
Their removal resulted, after
paying $2, because they stood,
they stomped and they cheered
for their Dut k basketball team
The reason for their removal, as
Athlete Director Kii h Brooks
stood by and smiled, was to sat
isfy the demands of season tick
et holders Imagine the embar
rassment of being forced to be
moved from your friends by secu
rity guards because season tick
et holders are too tired to get off
their lazy asses for a team they
support
The ASI () and Incidental Fee
Committee must take a< tion .is
the athletii: department intends
to use this solution fur our sea
son ending games against USC
and UCLA While no one asked
my opinion. I’m giving it anyway.
First, squeeze the athletii. depart
ment's account with the 1FC and
take the athletic department to
court for breach of contract with
the ASUO Second, the ASCO
should provide leadership by
w orking to find an equitable solu
tion to the dilemma fat mg Brooks
since he has proven himself inca
pable of handling the situation in
a fair manner Third, the ASUO
and IFC must maintain the stu
dent sei lions m their upcoming
budget hearings and negotiations
Finally, an apology from Brooks
to all ol the students who were
removed from their seats
I urge all those students who
were removed from their seats to
let your ASUO leaders hear your
displeasure And what the hell,
whv not call Brooks and let him
know, too
Phil J. Donovan
Student
LETTERS
Tilt! Oregon Daily Hmemld will attempt to print all letters
i ontaiiling comments on topics of interest to the University
community
The Hnwmld reserves the right to edit any letter for length or
style.