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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 8, 1996)
VIEWPOINTS EOiTOftlAlS OPINIONS UtURS TO tHf fDlTOR Term limits might remove weak-minded politicians ■ OUR OPINION; Strom Thurmond should not be a candidate or a senator White President Clinton and other presidential can didates am busy initiating campaign strategies for this coming November, some incompetent politicians are completely unaware that the election should merit any concern, Surprisingly enough, one of these politicians already has been elected to the Sen ate and has been there since the mt>* He is 03-year-old Strom Thurmond. According to his staff members, the senator, who hearts the Armor! Services Committee, still recounts the most minute details of his fvH yean in politics. According to these mem bers, he is always on ton of his duties and never fails to read from a prepared test. What hU staff members fait to mention U that during these meetings when discus sion vans from his prepared text, Thurmond will become disoriented and start marl ing the stage directions scribbled in the margins Hut this is not the only action that has made the senator's incompetence undeniably obvious. In April. Thurmond shoved a USAir flight attendant when the attendant refused to allow him to store his coat in the first-class coat closet (he was flying coach) At a recant rotary meet ing, the senator rose to introduce fellow senator Phil Gramm and drew a blank. After being pushed by a vagrant in a subway station last year, Thurmond walked on. completely oblivious that the senator he was trav eling with was wrestling the man to the ground. Illi* Thurmond situation is absurd not only because a confused 93-year-old sena tor It considered cnmp«ient enough to run for re-ewc* lion, but because a senator who holds the senate record for the longest filibuster — 24 hours and 18 minutes against a 1957 civil rights bill — still represents the image of the New South It is difficult to under stand why South Carolina voters would choose Thur mond over his millionaire Damot relic opponent just because he is the GOP can didate As Washington (tampers and protects this senator, ensuring that he has a per sonal driver for the remain der of his days in politics. Senate Majority Isutder Bob Dole proves to lie one of Thurmond's biggest protec tors Washington is becoming this man's person al nursing home because many voters are afraid that if Thurmond is not re-elect ed, he'll die, Although this is a democ racy. and anyone older than 30 can run for Senate, noliti c tan* who were elected when Karbari Hoover was President should not still lie on the campaign trail. Situa tions such as these should make it evident that term limits are desperately need ed in areas of government other than the presidency. If we wish to make any political progress and implement long overdue reform*, we cannot allow our country to be led by conservative leaders of past generations, especially not by those who know less about their own political standing than their staff assistants and aides. IMi) M»«n «ni mmu TO MUMMMI . Mf AN© SOMf OF rWf GUVS TWIN* \W0 B£ A GOOOUS SEHMOB, STR»a Hall passes needed for sex with profs? If you'na deeping with one of your profna tan. there'* * meeting today you might want to attend !f w rit a Univerdty faculty member and you're deeping with a atudent. you definitely ahould make thin meeting The Uni vanity Senate will consider a new milky at 3 » m in Room 110 Fenton that regu late* Mutual relationthip* between fat uity and uudent* Tha proposal dm lares that w* between student* and faculty "Involve* unethi cal conflict* of interml and abuam of power " Tb# mw policy Mata* that #1) m» batwwm faculty ami •ludtml* will N* vi«mrwd u non-ctwikentital 'Stub i»b ttoiuhipt greatly imrnw ih*» liumcM that (ha (acuity ttumi bar will aimvc or appmu to abuae, hi* or Hor tumor by mi uaity oxpioittng th«* otbor parly to th« reUUnnJup Th«i power tiiffarwnUai in the pmlwwkmal relationship makes a student • or subordinate employee's consent to the miu«I relationship inherently »u»p« t That make* perfect Man* — at a middle echoed. But withut the University contest It t»umn that all students am no young and naive that they're not able to concent to sex. It tmpii«Mi that (acuity are act powerful that they t an coerce stu dent * into ***. It tel la faculty members that they am ao la;bemui and *o driven by m that th«y‘m unable to function professionally Hut it * not fair to the uiher student* wud law school professor (Caroline Fomll, who helped draft the policy. "If one student is having **x with the professor, it affects how the other student* feel in da*a. it changes thing* for that class It makes people feel uncomfortable " Well. I agree the University needs to protect me from feeling uncomfortable Martin Fisher, president of the student senate, points out that if the University was really con cerned about protecting students from the abuse of power, it would be considering a companion revision lo the student conduct code, one that would sanction students for engaging in sea with professors 'That's nothing that the University plans to mgutsta at this point." Fomll said She added, though, that the policy addresses conflict of interest "The students am being grided com pared to each other." she said. "They believe that they will not be graded objectively because of this other person " Fisher said he's me lined to believe that peo ple am capable of making their own choices and that students who make dumb chokes have to live with them "Should a student receive unfair treatment, though, it's likely that they won't sue the professor — they'll sue the Uni versity." Fisher said "I think this is entirely a move lo protect the University in the event of a fifi. This policy is insulting not only to non lechenmt faculty, hut also to women students in general. ---- 99 lawsuit" However. Foreli dentes thin "The University hn* resisted this policy till now because the (at ulty may sue for defamation, saying. 'You know what? I have the money to take the University on and get the press attention, and it will make me look like a martyr.' Professors are much more dangerous to the University than students in terms of lawsuits” The rationale is to "provide clear direction about the professional risks and serious harms which are associated with sexual relationships in which a power differential exists between the parlies involved The University is committed to fostering the development of learning and work Ing environments characterized by professional and ethical behavior.” As if faculty weren't aware of the professional risks The conflict with that is that the policy gives lip service to the University's commitment to professional and ethical behavior while acknowledging that the faculty are unprofes sional and unethical You can't have this thing both ways. 1 think there's a danger of abuse here — a third party can complain that a student and a professor are intimate and that grades are affect ed What if a student goes forward with a com plaint that his ex-girlfriend is now sleeping with her history professor? Whether it‘s true or not. several people would then have a monumental mess to deal with. This policy is insulting not only to non -lech arous faculty, but also to women students in general We re not talking about a bunch of flfth grade girls here; we're talking about adult women The University is telling us we can t consent to sex with a professor ? Sense me. but I think I can decide that. If I was sleeping with a Hunks Hunks Burriin' Faculty, and if I felt that an abuse of power was occurring. I'd know where to go to complain People who felt "uncomfortable" about it would know where to go to complain, too. There are laws against sexual harassment, and the University has adequate policy to deel with lechers. If this ia not so — if the ranks are crowded with lechers and lovers of Lolitas, then the University needs to take a cold hard look at Its hiring and tenure policies. If the University really needs to protect naive students from predatur professors. I'm enrolled el the wrong place. kelly Amienson. a senior maturing in journalism. i* a columnist for the Emerald E-mail hoontdhoregon.uongon.edu
