4A
Monday, November 14, 1994
OPINION
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIEWPOINT
Black scholarship harmful
As a weapon against discrimination, racially-based scholarships have become com-
arships have become common-place among the nation's universities. This policy, however, may be in jeopardy according to a recent Federal Appeals ruling. The Court said that a scholarship for blacks at the University of Maryland must be discontinued. While these scholarships served a positive purpose in the past, the time has come for these scholarships to be available to all students.
DIVERSITY THREATENED Scholarship leads to separation
We are living in an ever-expanding cultural environment, especially on our nation's campuses. What may have once been white vs. black is now white vs. black vs. Asian vs. Hispanic vs. whoever else. This case is a prime example. The Maryland lawsuit was not brought up by a disgruntled white, but by a Hispanic.
In this day and age, it is impossible to have discriminating scholarships without discriminating someone else. All publicly-financed scholarships should be based on financial need, scholastic achievement, or some other nondiscriminating trait, not because of their race, sex, age or religion.
It is important to understand that this would not affect private scholarships. Groups like the NAACP would not be affected. It's their money and they can give it out as they please. But in this day and age, it is hypocritical for our government, which preaches the evils of discrimination, to do just that.
If more minorities or other groups need to be attracted to a particular school, avenues such as increased recruitment or academic assistance should be used instead.
While discriminating scholarships were created with good intentions, deserving students, like the Hispanic young man at Maryland, are increasingly being hurt. The time has come for everyone to be treated equal.
RICHARD BOYD FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
Tuition plan a good idea
The New York University School of Law has decided to give students an ideal scholarship free tuition in return for service in public-interest law. Through this innovative idea, the university said it would cover the cost of attending law school, an amount that could be as much as $120,000 for three years, as long as a graduate serves the community for 10 years. Students could serve a shorter amount of time, but they would be responsible for a bigger percentage of the tuition.
LEARNING TO WORK
Public service as repayment
This ambitious program, which is touted by NYU officials as the most comprehensive program of its kind in the nation, is a refreshing alternative compared with the oftentimes overburdensome student loan program that leaves some law students with debts in excess of $100,000.
The graduates of NYU law school are one example of how students and the community can be served by innovative ways to reduce the burden of paying for higher education. President Clinton's National Service Plan, which pays a part of student's tuition in return for community service, is another such plan. These kinds of plans will give hope to students who currently remain turned away from colleges because of their exorbitant tuition costs.
However, the problem with both Clinton's and NYU's plan is that both of them only reach a small proportion of the community. University officials need to broaden their vision to apply similar programs on a limited scale to undergraduates as well as to graduate students of other professional schools. The cost of this will be sizable to universities, but the potential benefits to both the students and the community will be unlimited.
LANCE HAMBY FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD.
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Play doesn't solve harassment issue
The topic of sexual harassment made a return visit to the KU campus Saturday with a performance of "Oleanna," David Mamet's you-make-the call psychodrama about a female college student who makes allegations of harassment and rape against her male professor.
The play revolves around two characters and their ensuing verbal boxing match on issues of modern education. Carol is a naive student, and John is a pompous professor about to receive tenure. He detests the whole educational process but is a part of it. Carol needs the same process to help her in a world she cannot understand.
The play is less about sexual harassment and more about the misuse of power and the miscommunication of people who hold it.
And I am disgusted the organizers of the event have tried to tie the themes
of this play with the events that occurred here not so long ago with the "Trial and Death of Emil Tonkovich."
DAVID JOHNSON
Another important theme is the way people interpret actions.
Carol, with the help of other people, sees John's actions as attempted rape.
John sees his actions as breaking down the barrier between teacher and student.
After the show Saturday, the actors took time to answer the audience's questions. Most of the comments questioned the change in attitude of the female character, not the male.
I found it even more amazing that people were under the impression that they were supposed to take a side when the violent climax hit.
Even more sadly, many of them sided with the professor. Even though both characters were equally twisted.
I think Mamet was intentionally ambiguous. The play is supposed to expose the issues, not to decide them
Both of these characters are extreme representations.
A simple arm on the shoulder tums in attempted rape, but only after a
long-winded criticism about the destructiveness of the educational process Carol holds dear.
No one is right here. It's her word against his.
But the play does make one good point about the higher education system as a whole.
He says, educators "shove this book at you; we say read it. Now, you say you've read it? I think that you're lying.
John seems to see the teacher-student relationship as a socialist power struggle and I would have to agree.
"I'll grill you, and when I find you've
lied, you'll be disgraced, and your life
will be ruined."
David Johnson is a Coffeyville senator in Journalism.
Sean Finn / KANSAN
Police failure to act enrages victim of brick-throwing teens
The brick bounced off the windshield of Richard Jenkins' car just before he got to the Chicago Skyway toll booths. He saw the two teen-agers who had thrown it from the side of the highway.
"I was lucky because my Volvo is like an armored tank, but I figured that if it happened to someone else, they could be killed," said jenkins, a 28-year-old airline pilot from Lansing, Mich.
Jenkins was told to talk to the Chicago police officer who was there filling out an accident report for two trucks that bumped into each other.
And that's what Jenkins did, fully expecting the cop to roar away in pursuit of the brick-throwing louts.
"I told the policeman sitting in his car what happened. He told me to wait, that he was writing an accident report.
"So I waited. After about 20 minutes, a big semi pulls in, and the windshield is smashed.
"The driver gets out and says that the thing came through the windshield and landed next to him.
Then a pickup truck pulled in, he
then and three workmen jumped out.
"Finally he rolls down the window and says, 'I don't have any report forms for that. I'll call in and have another car come out here with the paperwork.'
"I said, 'I don't care about a report. I want someone to go out there and something about those kids before someone gets killed.'"
"So now we're both waiting for this con.
MIKE ROYKO
"They had glass all over them. One of them was bleeding from a cut on his shoulder.
"They said they were doing about 60 when the brick hit their windshield. Boy, were they lucky. The brick went right through the windshield, between two of their heads, and it went out the back window. Boom, boom. Just like that. It was a miracle one of them wasn't beheaded.
"Then he told me that he couldn't do anything, that he's some kind of traffic services car, and that he called it in, but they weren't responding.
"From what they said, it was the same kids that did it to me and the other truck driver.
"There he is, a cop. He had a badge and a gun and a police car. But he said he couldn't do anything.
"So I go over to that same cop again, and this time he says, 'If you want to report this, you have to go inside that restaurant and call 911.'"
"I'm frantic by now because I figure somebody is going to get killed, and this is a life-and-death situation.
"So I went and got on the phone to 911. I would have done that an hour earlier if the cop had told me to do it. The person who answered at 911 says, 'Oh, that's the state police.' But I told them that it was a Chicago cop and they transferred me to a non-emergency number, but I hung up.
"Then I called back on 911 and told them I was really mad, that three of us had been hit by bricks, and that I was concerned about public safety.
"They asked me for my name and where I was. Then they said they would handle it, and they hung up."
What we need here is a thrilling and satisfying end to this story. Maybe with the cops roaring up and arresting the brick-throwers. And the parents showing up at the police station and smacking their kids on the head.
I'm sorry, but no.
The taxpayers should be glad, too, because if someone had been killed or seriously injured, the Police Department could have been sued for failure to get off its butt.
That's nice. But in the meantime the city might put up a sign near the Skyway that says, "Welcome to Chicago." And加dash.
"I wait awhile," Jenkins said, "but nothing happened. So I went home. It was very frustrating, but I'm glad nobody was killed."
Jenkins filed a complaint with the police. And the commanding officer of the traffic unit said he would investigate it personally.
Mike Royko is a syndicated columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Describing races has its limitations
First, I said nothing about the article, "Students search for identity," being an example of anything, let alone, "A prime example of the rampant excess of the dreaded scourge of multiculturalism."
This is in response to Mark Chorimongkol's critique of my previous letter to the Kansan editorial page, where I lamented about the trappings of multiculturalism.
Second, I do not object to Joseph Perez's use of the word Asian. My point was that his line of reasoning is inherently faulty. No matter what term you choose to describe yourself, it will always have limitations. That is the nature of the game. To quote a famous philosopher, "When you define me, you negate me."
Third, do not hold me responsible for your reaction to the word Oriental. I am not responsible for your thoughts and feelings. To tell me that I do not mean to be insensitive is insulting. I am no stranger to receiving racist and discriminatory treatment. I lived in an East-Asian country for almost two years.
I wish to say that I have nothing against people exploring who they are. Self-identity is important to everyone. I rejoice in our differences. What I do not like about multiculturalism is people putting words in my mouth and intentions in my heart.
Jason Popovits Lawrence resident
Columnist wrong about Prop.187
We all have a right to an opinion. But what are you trying to accomplish by calling white males, "white, Caucasian, gringo, honky...?" I'm not offended by these names, but if I called your ethnic or racial group "tomahawk choppers" or "injuns" in print, I'd be in a world of hurt. It seems like bitching about white males is quite popular these days. If you'd bother to crack open a history book, you'd see that minorities have been shafted since humans started living in groups. We cann't change history. We can, however affect the future. So why don't you shut up, make straight A's, work your butt off and beat me out of a job, not because you're a minority, but because you want it more. My sex and skin color don't guarantee me crap, pal. It's all inside.
MIXED MEDIA
In response to Mr. Shump's column on Proposition 187, I have some complaints.
Scott Spilman Stilwell senior
By Jack Ohman