EDITORIAL
New requirement is
no catch-all solution
An Important symbolic gesture was made Wednes
day, as the University Assembly overwhelmingly
approved a new multicultural curriculum requirement,
which would effectively double the old requirement,
raising it from three credits
10 SIX.
Thankfully, there was
little of the antagonism
Hnd name-calling that
characterized last year's
debate over multicultural
ism, which eventually
forced the Assembly to
throw up its hands and
send the issue to commit
tee.
Merely
Increasing the
requirement from
one class to two
will have a
negligible
effect...
However, the relative
absence of such venomous words should not be inter
preted as a signal that the new requirement pleases all
parties.
In fact, it pleases very few.
Four student unions — the Mc.xican-Chir.ano Student
Union, the Native American Student Union, the
Asian/Pacifh -American Student Union and the Black
Student Union — all voiced their opposition to the new
requirement in a prepared statement, read at the Assem
bly meeting. They slated that it is "not in (the unions')
interests to force a reluctant populat e to learn to appro
date" their cultures and histories.
This, of course, assumes that it is possible to forxe a
reluctant populace to learn or appreciate anything.
Merely increasing tint requirement from one class to two
will have a negligible effect on the acceptance of diver
sity — either here at the University or elsewhere. Stu
dents who are interested in learning about the issues
that will be taught in those classes would probably take
the classes voluntarily anyway; those who aren't inter
ested will simply blow off the new requirement.
The best alternative to a new and expanded multicul
tural curriculum requirement is the increased incorpo
ration of multicultural perspectives in the general cur
riculum. Although it is absurd to suggest that
multiculturalism should bo taught in every class (astron
omy. for instance, has nothing to do with multicultural
ism), it can certainly be worked into more classes than
it has been so far.
And. when it is financially possible, the University
should pursue an expanded curriculum that offers more
and more courses from outside the traditional, Euro
poan-American-male perspective. But those classes
should be optional.
And. the expansion of multicultural curriculum, if
and when it takes place, should not be at the expense of
current offerings, as long as the majority of the student
body feels satisfied with those offerings
There is little doubt that the now multicultural cur
riculum requirement is well-intentioned, but it should
not be considered the catch-all solution to the problems
of intolerance, prejudice and discrimination that exist
on this campus and throughout our society.
< h, gf 'it I
PO OQt 3t*>* tudwi 0At&0W9?*0
Th* OfApwn D#*Y «i pufcftshixJ darfy Monday * -KlHy during th» u boo*
y«;v and Tuftaday and Thyraday during |h# ywmr by lb* O*gon D«>!y
<*..(« fthra Co Inc *1 the On v0r*rty of I ugor**. O*gon
d m at Su«e 30C ■.>< «**
f ft Mr^ncy ,»i ljn*on a membu of th© Aaaoostad Pr#*s
Th* £ mav**d »4 P'fvala properly Th* r*mov{* 0» uM of pap#r» -a prOMCutflb**
b-y '•»*
Ed»lor-m*Chk*f; Jafr© Reyo
Managing t dtlof
Editorial Editor
Graphics Editor
f raalanca Editor
A/XfcWS**''
Dav**1 Tlwn
(’avia,
W*n!®»a
Sport* Editor
Editorial Editor
Photo Editor
Suppi«m®ot» Editor
Simm Mim»
P*ckharcK
K**y Scrfo
N tght tan of h.,^ Soto
AuocMt Editors f lift'd Kloplanitr. Student Gov*rnm*n&Aarv>Nx*. Rebecca Men*.
Communrfy MjwJNjfKi Hm«, Hghar fdUaMoft4dnfhiiralw
Ntwt Staff: Mandy BauCum l ofi Battmeftb Cr.c Bucsha’!©' W'son Chan. Oava
ChartXXVMWk/ Amy CoAxnbo. J*m D«vr» Meg Dedofch. Amy Oavunport M,v.j Fx*dv Martm
f snor Sa?ah Henderson. Y>n l eng l eong. Manus Mo and, Tr-eta Noe! Elisabeth
Rottfra Rmvm lui Satoccui Sco« S*mooson, Staphsma Stsaon. Susanna
Sle««n* Mm ne*a Thompson. Amy Van Tuyt. Dane* Was*
General Manager Judy fWf
Advertising Director Marti Waller Production Manager Mcheie Ross
Advertising: H- or Oav■%, Sub*> Dutta Ncole Mtrxmarti Ta*asa i*at>e<i« Jett Mar.on.
Jaramy Mason Me hud Mrfiette. Kersey We*«r<:
Classified Bec*y Merchant, Manager Veto Me***, S-m T*e Tec*
Distribution John long. Graham Sampson
Butinata; Kathy Carbone Sup«rvia<v Judy Connoay
Prockrctton Daa McCobb. ProoUrhon Coo/tanakv Shaama Abe*e. Oag OeemorxJ Tara
GaoRnay fVad Joss. Jerwfer Roiand Man ThanqvMl. Dayton Yae
...--MM1II
•uimuOmct. ..._MMlIi
CM spicy Advertising_
ClassifM Advertising..
.
.MMM
J 7WE
LZ
7Vi£v AuroMATfQ yy jog
a^d Pur n'E our or work
SO l vJENT SACK To SCMOOC
tor some w/oh tech srrfcA'WM/o
I SAID TO MYS£iF r'O
8ErrEKG£T SOV.E SKillS
A/OW I HAVE A GOOD JoB Su/l D/a/6
MACU/A;es TV AT PUT OTHER PfOPUE
ovr of ia/ork .
rw«s on( «£of wiu 6( C*nst£ ^
of ro'M5 cviRl^r >og rn Z,
A
LETTERS
A better man
I .i5: shot ked itiul <juifrank K
disgusted by the viewpoint by <
Constantine Potilos (ODt. April
ft) in his commentary regarding
(be labeling of men in relation to
their sexuality.
He says that the labeling of
men as potential rapists is the
product of irrational fear and
ignorance He uses the word
"punises" entirely for shock val
ue. then prtx txxfs to preach alxnit
the oppression ho boars, with
labels that have nothing to do
with tho topic, such as "poten
tial pedophile " He even has the
gall to claim that men have been
"sexually and emotionally ster
ilised" because of the aw areness
and os ognition of sexual assault
Well, excuse me. Mr Poulos.
if I don't stop and applaud your
brave stand in a society that obvi
ously oppresses poor helpless
men. making unwarranted i laims
despite their innocent behavior
Your an usation that women's
fears are irrational and ignorant
is shameful Many women live a
life in which fear for their own
safety dominates nearly every
thing they do Many ft time have
I thought that 1 would almost
thank the attai kur who took only
my purse and left my laxly atone
Saferide is a service offered so
women do not have to make the
decision to compromise their
physical and emotional well
being because of the ilei essity or
desire to accomplish something
outside of the home.
The worst you will probably
ever have to suffer as a result of
sexual awareness or sexual
assault is the exertion of a little
more effort in getting to know a
woman before your affections
become welcome. And you'll
probably be a better man for it
Barbara Grimes
Pre-Joumalism
passion, or to .1 'spare the rod,
spoil the bov" mentality, which
not only approves (he harharii
punishment of "< aneing" (flog
ging!. hui may find some relief
from our own country's failure to
curb 1 rime by cheering another
country 's harsh punishment for
them
Hither choir e brings up some
emotions to any reader of your
editorial "Plan to vandalize? Pre
pare for Hogging " Let s get one
thing very clear, the head, how
ever. "< aneing" is "torture" as
defined by Amnesty Interna
tional. as do most of us who
choose to tm civilized.
Should you choose, with me.
for compassion and concern, you
can write your U S. senator to
support a Senate hill headed by
Metenbaum/(,lenn to Ivin world
wide use of this form of torture
and support human rights.
A.J. Riggs
Eugene
Support
On behalf of the Religious
Directors Association at the Uni
versity, I want to publicly state
that we deplore the recent vio
lent uttai k on Temple Beth Israel
m Kugene
As ( ampus religious leaders,
we stand in support of our Jew
ish friends and families at the
University and within this com
munity As an ocumenical/inler
faith organization, the Religions
Directors Asstx tation stands lor
love and cooperation among all
people of faith. We seek to pro
mote mutual respect, trust and
healing within this community
Rev. Janet Cromwell
Religious Directors Associa
tion
Representation
Orientalism persists on the
international scene but also at the
local level.
Pope John Paul II started Palin
Sunday ceremonies In sermo
nizing to the (iatholic world that
(Christians should remember the
significant e ol Israel and
Jerusalems to Christianity. The
Pope's comments reflet t the new
detente lietween the Vatican and
the state of Israel However, the
Pope conveniently left out the
significance of Jerusalem to Islam
and the Palestinians.
Some Jewish American immi
grants to Israel have committed
crimes against Muslims in their
homeland for four decades. The
American media have covered
Palestinian violence against
Israelis, hut not the reverse. The
enormity of the l-'eb 2r> mosque
massacre could not he ignored.
An American emigre in an
Israeli army uniform killed at
least to Muslim worshipers A
subsequent investigation indi
cated that the Israeli army had
standing orders not to shoot at
Israeli settlers even when the\
were shooting at Palestinians.
Of the two courses offered
this term at the University deal
ing with the Middle Past and
Muslims, none is taught by a
Middle f.asterner or a Muslim
The Pope, American media,
and the facultv sele< lion process
all exemplify, at its best, a lack
ol compassion and understand
ing for the plight of Muslims
and the force that guides them;
and at its worst, an assault on
the integrity ol their culture
Years ago the Oregon State Sys
tem of Higher Kducation relegat
ed Middle Pastern s-tudies to Port
land State University. Middle
Pastern politics, espet ially Islam,
have captured the interest of stu
dents everywhere The Univer
sity must respond by giving Mid
dle Pasterners and Muslims
representation on its faculty
M. Rera Behnam, Ph. D.
Eugene
no noggmg
As intended, your editorial
{ODE. May 5) regarding the fate
of an American student in Sin
gapore. Michael Fay, caused
sparks to fly. or perhaps to say tie
“flogged in the wind.*' One is
either brought to rage or com
LETTERS
The Oregon Daily Emerald will attempt to print all letters
containing comments on topics of interest to the University
community.
The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or
style.